My CBS Segment

Besides doing a segment live from the red carpet for E! during the Emmys, the CBS segment I did on Tuesday was the most exciting yet.  Finding out about it very last minute, I was pretty nervous, but loved the topic so we had a lot of fun filming.

I discussed how to transform your Thanksgiving leftovers into at-home skin care recipes by using two of the most festive foods of the season: pumpkin and cranberries.  Believe it or not, both ingredients will improve your skins tone and texture with repeated use!

My friend Michelle and I arrived early at DEX New York Studios, to start whipping up the concoctions I'd be discussing. After shoving cranberries and oatmeal into a blender and mixing some pumpkin puree we were set to go.

The producer and film crew arrived right on time.  I've never done a taped segment before so it was a great experience and a lot less pressure.  After discussing the skin care recipes, I gave affordable alternatives for those who don't have time to create face masks and exfoliants out of scratch (or for those who just want to eat all of their left overs).  Here are some great products you can use to get the same benefits: Zia Natural Pumpkin Exfoliating Mask, Peter Lamas Pumpkin Spice Polish, Jason Natural Cranberry Hand and Body Lotion and Alba Botanica Hawaiian Green Tea Eye Gel.

You can watch the segment here and CBS News put an article up about it that includes all of the at-home skin care recipes.  Let me know if you try any!

Man of the Week

Ladies, meet Joel, aka Soul Joel, a very well known 29-year-old standup comedian from Staten Island, NY. He's also a radio personality on The Comedy Point and the co-founder of Soul Joel Productions. Who doesn't like a guy that'll make them laugh? Check out his live radio show here and laugh away.

 What’s in your medicine cabinet?

Crest Toothpaste, Neutrogena Clean Pore, Fx Spiking Glue

What product can’t you live without and why?

Some sort of hair gel! Wow, I never thought I'd say that. I guess living on Staten Island has taken over my decision process, but my hair doesn't feel the same if I don't have gel in it.

How would you describe your grooming habits?

Well my 2 sisters, call me the 3rd sister because they both feel they are more masculine then I am. Can we start this interview over?

I'm 50% Italian, which means if I let my eye brows go natural, they would become one. I get them waxed, there I said it.

Have you ever gotten a manicure or pedicure? Why or why not?

I haven't, but a guy that works in my mom works with had gotten a pedicure once and raved about it. So I'm not ruling it out either one, as a possibility for the future

If you could have one night with any celebrity who would it be and why? More importantly, what would you do?

This is a tough question, since you said ANY celebrity, my first thought is what female would I choose? But then you asked and what would you do, so I'm going with Diddy. Or whatever he's calling himself this week.

I would to just shadow him in a day in the life of what he does. I pride myself on being someone who has created my own opportunities in the entertainment industry, just like he did coming up. I used the money I made from my former day job in pharmaceutical sales to start Soul Joel Productions. I think spending some time with Diddy would be both inspirational and insightful.

What’s the first thing you notice about a woman?

Whether she has a nice smile or not.

Do you prefer a woman au naturel or all made up?

I have a two part answer here. I like a girl that can be pretty either way. If she is just as pretty when she wakes up with no make up, as when she went to sleep, than that's a keeper.

No one is perfect first thing in the morning, but I don't want a girl to be a completely different person when she is all done up. Does that make sense?

How about down there?

Completely bare, landing strip, neatly groomed but not natural that’s for sure. I want whatever the girl likes, as long as it's not overgrown. And we're talking about on a girl, right? Just making sure, I've never shaved a landing strip on myself.

When it comes to a woman’s beauty what’s your sweet spot?

Her smile and eyes. I pride myself on being able to light up a room and bring smiles people's faces. There is no better feeling in the world to me. When a girl smiles, if she can do the same, it says a lot about her. Some of the best communication at times, can be unspoken.

If she smiles at you and you are making eye contact, you can connect on another level without having said 1 word.

Tried and True

I've tried lots of different products to fill in my light, sparse brows.  From pencils that fill in gaps to gels that darken my hairs, I was never picky as long as they looked like they were there, until I discovered something different, Talika Eyebrow Extender.  Now, there's no turning back.

When I was first introduced to the product I didn't believe it's claims.  It actually extends your eyebrows and creates hair, well kind of.  It's a gel that contains microscopic fibers that actually cling onto your eyebrows giving them a fuller and thicker appearance.  I comes in several different shades to match your hair color.  

I use dark brown and swipe it over each brow when I'm doing my makeup and and it really does boost my brows for the night.  As soon as I wash my face they're back to normal.  

You can get the Talika Eyebrow Extender for $35 here.

Mr. Beckham's New Look

It seems that one of People's sexiest men alive, David Beckham, is pulling a Rihanna! The soccer stud was recently spotted court side at a LA Lakers game cheering the team on with an edgy new lock look.  The mohawk-like cut goes down the back of his head in the same style as the front.  As shocked as I was to see the new 'do, I still have one word to describe him: gorgeous.  

You're How Old?

Out at a bar the other night I over heard a group of guys commenting on how "hot" their cocktail waitress was, but found myself stunned when I heard one of them say, "Yea, but did you look at her neck? She's old."  And he continued to fill his friends in on his secret, which was to look at a woman's neck and not just her face to identify her true age.  Let's just say I was thoroughly impressed.

It's true.  Most women pay so much attention to their faces that they tend to neglect other areas of their body that show their age or make them appear even older.  Trust me ladies, three areas not to be ignored are your neck, chest and hands.  Here are some suggestions on how to keep them looking young:

Neck

Signs of aging tend to appear quickly on the neck because the skin is very thin with little sebaceous oil glands and natural moisture.  Look at your neck like an extension of your face and bring your moisturizers down into it.  You can also try 3Lab Perfect Neck Cream, which is a super hydrating, firming cream that helps fight the signs of aging. 

Chest

Like your neck, the skin on your chest is super thin and very susceptible to sun damage.  PCA makes professional products that you can use at home that work wonders on hyperpigmentation.  Their Phaze 13 Pigmentation Gel contains hydroquinone, which lightens sun spots over time.  I used it twice a day on my face and chest. To aid in firmness, try Sampar Lift Me Up Bust Cream.  It contains wheat proteins, horse chestnut extracts and vitamins that'll restore the fine lines.  Take this one down from your upper chest into your bust for an added lift where it counts!  

Hands

The skin on the back of your hands is so delicate because there's no fat underneath it, which is the reason why you can see your veins right through them.  Since on average, Americans wash their hands about 8 times per day, you can start protecting them with your hand wash.  I like Nature's Gate Pomegranate Sunflower Velvet Moisture Liquid Soap because it's super moisturizing and has antioxidants in it to aid in anti-aging protection. You should also use a moisturizer with antioxidants and skin brightening ingredients in it.  A great one, Hands Perfection Complete Day Cream.  Once a week, give them a little facial and treat them to a mask like Zia Natural Skincare Oceanic Clay Rejuvenating Mask.