Dear

My baby is married! It's been a hectic week but we were blessed with great weather and lots of family and friends sharing the day with us. I hope you don't mind as I include some pictures in this month's newsletter.

The wedding took place on the beach in front of Casa Ybel resort on Sanibel Island Saturday, May 4th. Here is the bride with her proud dad, the couple at the altar, my four children with me and my husband, and the happy couple.

Now it's back to reality. Please take advantage of the special offer here at IntegraLife Spa (my new home). Until the end of May my clients can get the fabulous MicroDerm Facial - two for the price of one. You will love being pampered - and you will love the way your skin looks and feels after this facial. Call the spa to book your appointment. 239-437-8386.

Blessings to the moms, the graduates and all the other brides this month. Enjoy!

Christine

A strong shoulder line is a great figure asset. Clothing hangs from the shoulders and when the shoulders are straight and balanced, the clothes drape the body better.

To determine whether your shoulders are straight or more rounded hold a ruler at the base of your neck, straight out across the top of your shoulders. The ruler should be parallel to the floor. If there is more than a 2" drop from the ruler to the top of your shoulders, then your shoulders are more rounded.

My shoulder drop is less than 2".

A strong shoulder line also visually decreases the width of the hips/thighs. As the shoulders appear wider, the hips/thighs are minimized.

Here are some things you can try to accentuate the shoulder line and minimize the hip/thigh area:

USING CONCEALER CORRECTLY

Are you bothered by pesky dark circles and/or puffiness around the eye area? One of the more common mistakes I see in makeup application involves the use of concealer.

To minimize dark circles under the eyes, apply your concealer in a "vee" shape rather than directly under the lower lid. The vee shape will highlight the cheekbones as well as lighten the eye area. Applying concealer directly under the lower lid most often gives a raccoon -like appearance. Apply with a good concealer brush and then dab gently with your ring finger to lightly blend before applying foundation. (Don't use concealer if you aren't going to apply foundation. The concealer will be too obvious if not blended with foundation.)

Are you using concealer to hide puffiness? Most women are (unless they have had a makeup application lesson at Image Matters). Concealers are lighter than skin tone and when you apply something light to an area, it calls attention to that area - exactly what you don't want! Instead, use a shade of foundation that is 2-3 shades darker than your skin tone or find a concealer that is darker than your skin tone. Remember the golden rule of makeup application - "Light advances. Dark recedes." Applying a darker concealer to any puffy areas will immediately minimize the puffiness.

Call me if you want to know more or are in need of help with your makeup application. 239-454-0044.