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by Liz Franz

If you subscribe to W magazine and/or have the February 2011 issue handy, I encourage you to step away from my blog and go devour the article on page 90, which shares the title of one of my favorite novels from childhood: A Wrinkle In Time. Just don’t forget to come back, please.

If you’re not, or don’t, here’s the gist: the always clever and amusing Sloane Crosley—author of “I Was Told There’d Be Cake” and “How Did You Get This Number”—weighs in on Japanese skin care company SK-II’s discovery that the actual age women really start to lose our looks is 35.09.

Yeah, you read that right.

But if you need the information run by you again in order for it to register, SK-II says they’ve got scientific evidence that our beauty goes into rapid deterioration mode about a month after the day we turn 35.

It seems we have a Skin Power Quotient (SPQ), which indicates our skin’s ability to bounce back from various forms of stress. To spare you from all the science-speak, I’ll simplify—skin in its 20s has an SPQ of 3 (usually) while skin in its 40s has an SPQ of 2. The point at which we, on average, go from a 3 to a 2 is age 35.09, so they say. The scientists at SK-II, I mean.

You can’t see my eyes rolling as I write, so I’ll come right out and say it: scientific as its supporting evidence may or may not be (scare tactic marketing is best taken with a grain of salt, I always say) I maintain a steadfast position with regard to this wholly morbid revelation.

I think it’s ridiculous.

For what it’s worth, I’m actually a huge fan of SK-II’s products—and keeping in mind the fact I’ve been privileged enough to try just about every beauty brand under the sun, that’s saying something. SK-II is widely known for their results, which is why women like their formulas so much. Even Cate Blanchett swears by SK-II, and I am inclined to accept beauty advice from Cate Blanchett. But honestly, I’m a proponent of cutting-edge skin care in all its forms. I’d have no qualms looking you dead in the eye and telling you that, no, your drug store eye cream is not on par with those offered by certain medical and prestige brands, and that, yes, retinol products will change your skin. That’s not what this is about, though.

For eons, men have been deemed by society the gracefully aging ones, developing a “distinguished” look as the years pass, growing all the more attractive and charming with every newly grey (excuse me, silver) hair and emerging laugh line.

Women, on the other hand, are plagued with the prospect of a shelf-life—for lack of a less barbaric way of putting it—and conditioned to treasure our youth while lusting after the much-more-youthful youth of days gone by. Oh, to be 21 again! And now this? A time-sensitive warning? Seriously?

Now, I admit I may not be in the best place to run my mouth, as I’ve still got four years and 18 days until my dewy good looks will purportedly spoil like a jug of sour milk. But I believe that taking care of yourself—exercising, eating healthily, having fun, committing to an appropriate skin care routine and giving in to the cosmetic surgery itch, if that’s your thing—pays its dividends in many ways, looking great being only one of them. Take Demi Moore. She’s always been gorgeous, and it seems like she just keeps getting hotter. She’s clearly had work done. She also married a 27 year old at the age of 42, which, if you ask me, warrants an emphatic high five. But I digress.

What I mean to convey is simple.

If there’s no merit to what the scientists at SK-II say, then, well, we can all carry on with our lives. Similarly, if there is any merit to what the scientists at SK-II say … we can still all carry on with our lives. What difference does it make? While you’re worrying about it, consider the fact that many people believe the world will come to an end in 2012. Maybe it will. Nobody knows for sure. It could end tomorrow!

So, should we all just run around like wild, gluttonous animals, rack up mountains of credit card debt, and commit to making heaps of fun/bad decisions we’d surely regret, should we live to see the light of day in 2013? No, I don’t think so. Should we do our best to live our lives to the fullest every day, though, just in case? Probably.  Likewise, we should neither subscribe to this shelf-life nonsense, living in fear of our own personal apocalypse and believing every piece of marketing hype thrown our way, nor throw our hands up in defeat and give up on our looks. We should just keep on keepin’ on.

With that in mind, I leave you, lovely readers, with this: have a good time, and do whatever you need to do to take care of your face and body. Not because you’re afraid, not because some man in a lab coat in Japan says you must, not even because you feel it may boost your chances of marrying a man 15 years your junior. Take care of yourself because it makes you happy.

“The texture, tone and luminosity of the skin must perfectly compliment and frame the jewelry,” Daniel said. “But the makeup look also depicts the designer’s muse and helps bring her to life.” Monique’s inspiration this time happened to be from her recent trip to French Polynesia. Here’s how Daniel used this to create a fresh and modern look:

To sculpt the face and create dimension, Daniel used Koh Gen Do’s Fresh Face Caramel Bronze to highlight areas the sun might not normally affect. The powder soothes and smoothes your skin with a long-lasting, and natural shade. He added a subtle shading in sand to the eyes to add depth but not sheen in order to balance the models’ hairstyles. Finally, to top off the look, Daniel chose a nude lip and applied Koh Gen Do Maifanshi Juicy Beige Lip Gloss to the center for a full and healthily moisturized pout. To try out these expert tips and tricks yourself, pick up some Koh Gen Do products on their site or at Barneys!

Base:

To even out the skin, Jo applied Mattifying Primer and blended Compact Concealer, Stick Foundation and Fine Loose Finishing Powder for more coverage.

Eyes:

To achieve a bold smoky eye, sweep Eye Colour in Velour from the inner corner of the eye into the brow and to the center part of the eye. Add definition with a half moon shaped line along the crease of the eye. To brighten the lower top lid, use Eye Colour in Chantilly and finish with Ultimate Mascara in Black on the top lashes only to add some drama to the futuristic look.

Brows:

Instead of a traditional curve, change it up by extending the brows straight out on the ends and fill them in with Brow Powder in Ash for more strength and angles.

Face:

Add dimension to the rest of your face by applying, depending on your complexion, Pressed Bronzing Powder in Lambada or Fine Loose Finishing Powder in Clove from your temples to underneath the apples of your cheeks. For extra glow, apply Bird of Paradise Gloss to the high part of your cheeks, the edge of your top outer brow and the top center of your lips.

Lips:

Finally, dab Compact Concealer on your lips for a neutral look.

Body:

It’s not all about your face. Spread some Shimmering Skin Perfector in Pearl mixed with a moisturizer over your body for a luminous appearance all over.

So there you have it! Get ready for a night out by mixing it up with a hot new look that will definitely turn a few heads!

Don’t pretend this isn’t a recurring dream of yours. Well, the dream has become reality! Tuesday, L’Oréal Paris kicked off their “Elnett Car,” which travels around midtown/Lincoln Center in NYC making L’Oréal’s fave styling staples accessible to city gals. Tons of lucky New Yorkers clamored for free samples of celeb must-haves and styling consultations with the L’Oréal Paris Pro Team. One absolute can’t miss product: L’Oréal Paris’s Elnett Satin Hairspray, the legendary and versatile hairspray of choice for red carpet extravaganzas that gets your hair instantly spotlight-ready for a star-worthy shine and strong, clean hold that will last all day.

Every day from noon to 5pm until September 14, the Elnett Car’s location will be tweeted (@johnnylavoy and @lorealparisusa), so if you’re lucky enough to be in NYC for the week, make sure to check your Twitter more often than usual for your chance to scoop up some free goods and expert advice!

Today skincare has taken a new direction. In fact, it should go by the name preventive care, not skincare. FemmeScience is following suit by creating a skincare line that works to prevent aging before it happens. The best time to start anti-aging and use advanced skin care products is as soon as possible, creating younger and better looking skin for a longer amount of time. Take a look at FemmeScience’s newest products that provide the young and chic women of today that classic glow that will last for years to come.

Face Cleanser

This natural face cleanser works to hydrate the skin as women fight dry skin every day. Dry skin is accompanied by tightness, itchiness and flakiness. This face cleanser eliminates all of these problems, providing the face with hydration that is in no way oily. The cleanser does not have a strict application; put it on as many times a day as you wish. To apply, moisten your face with warm water before setting the creamy like substance onto your face in a circular motion as it starts to foam. Keep the cleanser on for at most two minutes before rinsing. After using a few days, I found my skin much healthier – more vibrant and with less acne.

Body Cream

Every woman, even young women, should be applying body cream every day to ensure moisture levels and suppleness. Providing the skin with vitamins A, C, and E, this cream is made out of ingredients including shea butter and green tea, making it a very natural product. For best results, apply the body cream to your entire body both in the morning and evening. I found the cream to absorb quickly and create an even tone and natural glow.

Age Control

Prevent wrinkles, dullness, and age spots with FemmeScience’s age control face, neck, and chest lotion. Apply every morning and evening to provide the skin with moisture, firmness, and revitalized tone and texture. The product is so quick and easy to apply and I saw results right away. My cheeks were firmer and even smoother. Made out of Alpha Lipoic Acid, Green Tea, Turmeric, Hyaluronic Acid, and Vitamin E, this lotion is also a natural product.

Night Cream

The night cream was my favorite product, as I saw results the very next morning. As a night cream, it should be applied right before bed in order for the cream to hydrate, nourish and produce cell turnover. Immediately when waking I found my facial skin was much smoother and vibrant. This night cream also provides the skin with vitamins A, C, and E and restores moisture balance without clogging pores.

Jade Is the New Black

From A to Z-urich

If you asked me two weeks ago if I was ready for fall makeup, clothes, and nail colors, I wouldn’t have had any response except to point to my tangerine pedicure.

After that cold snap we had last week here in Manhattan, I started to get into an autumn frame of mind—right in time for the weather to turn ridiculously hot again.  So maybe I can’t put on a cozy sweater and get out my boots and tights just yet, but I’ll definitely be able to satisfy my fall craving by starting to wear darker nail polish.

If you’re in the habit of getting your nails done, you’re probably well aware that OPI has a wide selection of colors, and plenty for every season.  Two of OPI‘s latest collections have some really gorgeous shades that I’m just dying over for fall, and I’m sure you’ll love them too!

Bling Dynasty

Chop-sticking to My Story

Hong Kong is OPI‘s Spring/Summer 2010 collection, but I think it’s totally still wearable for cooler months.  Even the pastels and corals could be appropriate as we head into jacket season, because their grey undertones keep them from having too much of a bright, sunny floral vibe.  I’m already wearing Jade Is the New Black, and I’m absolutely in love with it; I’m not afraid to be adventurous with my nails, and I love a good green.  Bling Dynasty and Chop-sticking to My Story are the next Hong Kong polishes I want to try, and I think they’ll go great with the camel clothing trend we’re all hearing so much about for fall.

Ski Teal We Drop

Cuckoo for this Color

The Swiss Collection is actually meant for Fall/Winter 2010, and it’s totally gorgeous.  I think some of the shades might be too wintery to wear just yet, but they’ll look absolutely perfect when it’s cold enough to catch snowflakes.  I’ll probably start out now with Ski Teal We Drop, Cuckoo for this Color, From A to Z-urich, and I’m Suzi & I’m a Chocoholic—all lovely complements to the changing leaves.

With all these brilliant nail color options, you probably won’t even need new fall accessories!

I'm Suzi & I'm a Chocoholic

Josie with Center of Hope Patients

Recently, there’s nothing Josie Maran touches which doesn’t seem inspired by her heart of gold. Now the eco-friendly super model, (that’s right, her insides rival her out for beauty) has launched her natural volume argan oil GOGO mascara. GOGO  stands for “get one, give one,” and when you buy one of Josie’s new mascaras, one goes to a woman who is either living with cancer or who has survived it.

Last week, Josie hosted an event at LA’s City of Hope where she gave patients “confidence building healthy makeovers” using Josie Maran products. What Josie seems to understand is going through cancer drains a person through a lot of things- things so big-  health, wealth, career, that the loss of self-esteem often gets laid to the wayside.

Of course, treatment for cancer is also incredibly fiscally draining– so getting  a free beauty product when your finances are going to everything but is sort of genius, as well as incredibly thoughtful.

After the first 5,000 purchases, $1 from the sale of each GOGO mascara will be donated to City of Hope’s Women’s Cancers Program for a minimum donation $25,000. The GOGO campaign runs August 2010 thru August 2012.

Buy one today– make yourself beautiful inside and out by helping a woman out there who could use a beauty boost as well.

Diana Agron

My Sunday night was hotter than normal (as in, I traded a DVR’ed Jersey Shore for a red carpet).  Crest and Oral-B 3D White presented the Breakthrough of the Year Awards, so instead of sweatpants I slipped on a little dress and took a date. The night was fun, glittery, slightly boozy (thanks to cocktails sponsored by Sensa) and full of celebs: the awards attracted a diverse range of extraordinary, and extraordinarily  attractive talent (yes, they all had nice smiles), celebrating multiple genres which spanned film, TV, sports, music, the arts, technology, philanthropy and social media. The night was a pure, vivid and lively spectacle: way better than sitting in front of reruns anticipating Monday morning.

All of young and hot Hollywood came out, so let’s just say I was glad I brushed my teeth. Everyone from Annette Benning (ok not young, but hot), Dermot Mulroney, Jessica Stroup, True Blood‘s hottest werewolf Joe Manganiello) (did we exchange looks, or was something in his eye? Whatever, I’ll take it), Rose Byrne, Patti Stanger, Trevor Donovan and more, along with winners; Dianna Agron, Sofia Vergara (is there a Hollywood class yet to learn that sexy cute accent? I’ll take that too), Matt Bomer, Jessica Szohr, Josh Hutcherson and AnnaLynne McCord. Here are the breakthrough beauty trends (clue: hike up those dresses).

AnnaLynne McCord

Flawless skin was the predominant makeup trend with AnnaLynne McCord leading the pack. To glow like this gal,  instead of caking on the foundation for a matte finish, opt for a sheer foundation finish to stun with your skin. Use a foundation brush to apply and be sure to have it damp with water first to let the foundation spread a little thinner. This will give you a very dewy, fresh look with the same great coverage. Beauty Tip: This trend means not a lot of blush! Grab a peachy pink and lightly dust the apples of your cheeks for some shimmer. (If you haven’t met it yet, introduce yourself to NARS’ orgasm blush).

As for the hair, there was a whole lot of curls to balance out the straight chic. Gossip Girl’s Jessica Szohr and Modern Family’s Sofia Vergara donned sexy waves, while AnnaLyne went for a sleek Kardashian-esque ponytail. In our personal opinion, the best hair of the night went to Glee beauty Dianna Argon who had a stunning, classic half up, half down do. Actually, for a lot of glam girls, the half up / half down hair trend was huge. Dianna paired volume and cascading curls to create a “maybe I care, maybe I don’t” look that worked it.

Fashion? Short and tight. Jessica Szhor even went short and sheer. But this is Hollywood. Everyone had great legs… and great smiles. 

Hot Werewolf Joe

When you have curly hair, summer is one long humidity-sponsored frizzfest.  Even with the best products, summer weather often just won’t let you have a good curly hair day.

For girls that don’t have curls, a bad hair day can be hidden or even completely turned around by a ponytail; but I think I speak for a lot of curly girls when I say I can’t pull that off.  When I put my hair in what should be a ponytail, it looks more like there’s a pony afro exploding out of the back of my head.  There’s just too much poof going on for it to look cute.

For years, I’ve dabbled in other updos, but now I’ve finally found one I can commit to.  Ladies (both straight and curly), I give you the topknot: my new go-to pulled back hairstyle, good for bad hair days, lazy hair days, “I overslept” hair days, and especially frizzy summer hair days.

loose topknot

tight topknot

A topknot is super chic on anyone, and super easy to put together.  My technique is to pull my hair into a very high ponytail at or close to the top of my head, fasten it with a hair tie, and then wrap the tail around the tie to create a tight bun.  To secure it, I first tuck the end of the ponytail under the hair tie, then stick in some bobby pins to keep everything in place and to make it stand up higher.

topknot with braid

As you can see, the basic topknot technique can be modified to produce a number of looks.  I usually let mine be a little less perfect—the slightly undone topknot is a less severe look, and better for casual everyday wear.  When I want to look more polished, I’ll wrap the bun more tightly; and if I’m having a day where I’m feeling particularly adventurous and think I have enough hair savvy, I might add a tiny braid.

One brilliant, brand new topknot is brought to us by the lovely Ms. Hilary Duff.  In these pictures from the Teen Choice Awards, we see Hilary’s hair french braided loosely on top to give her an amazing textured pompadour, and the rest of her hair pulled into a purposefully disheveled topknot.  If you look closely, you can see that the braid continues back into the knot.

Hilary’s unique topknot style is a little bit complicated, but it’s such an innovative and gorgeous look that it’s worth spending the time to put together.  I’m still working on perfecting mine, but as soon as it’s ready you can be sure I’ll be wearing it often!