Happy New Year!  December brought the usual onslaught of holiday hoopla, so Beauty Buzz went on hiatus while I ate, drank and was merry!  I hope you all did the same, and find yourselves recharged for the fresh year ahead!  I'm back for 2019 and Beauty Buzz will be tackling some of the most common questions and challenges when it comes to makeup. 

This year you will see a few new features, including opportunities for short surveys so you can give feedback, including your burning questions or topics you would like to see me discuss here.  I can't wait to hear from you and zero in on what YOU really want to learn!

Next month, there will also be an addition of affiliate links, which you will be able to click on to purchase products I may recommend along the way.  As a reminder, I do not sell cosmetics.  This is purposeful, as I love having the unique opportunity to offer you advice on both drugstore and high end makeup, only recommending what I believe in without the underlying agenda of just "making a sale".  I often mention favorite products here in Beauty Buzz, so beginning next month you'll see a link to those products that will take you directly to the store website where you may purchase.  Through the affiliate link, I make a small commission if you choose to purchase, but this does not limit me or influence me in my recommendations, as I still have the freedom to choose from ALL brands across the board, from Maybelline & L'Oreal to Dior & Estee Lauder.  

This month I want to discuss a topic that women don't always want to talk about...facial hair!  We all have it in various forms - from peach fuzz on the cheeks to dark 'stache and everything in between!  I can't express how important it is to take a moment and give your face an honest once over - in natural lighting!  Important because, let's face it:  "I love my facial hair" said no woman EVER.  And I'm just going to say this - it's always worse than you think. Ever spend 5 minutes plucking away, only to get into your car, look in the mirror and gasp at what you missed?  How many of you ladies keep tweezers in your car?  (ME!) 

Not only is it an unsightly nuisance, but facial hair ABSOLUTELY affects how your makeup sits on your skin.  Let's use 2019 as the year to commit to taking care of this pesky, unwanted hair!  We're going to break it down below!

Starting at the top!
BROWS:  Not to be overly dramatic, but BROWS ARE A GAME CHANGER.  I have not met a woman yet who requires no maintenance.  Do yourself a favor - GET HELP.  At least in the beginning.  Seek professional advice.  Having a pro uncover your brow potential will set you on a path of success!  You may choose to pluck your way out of hairy territory each month afterward, but a pro will shape your brow in the way it was meant to be shaped.  From there, you will likely have to fill in areas to combat sparseness, or just refine the overall shape.  NOTHING you do on your face will have a more polished effect than cleaning up your brows.  Warning:  Seeing your brows shaped and filled in properly takes some getting used to.  We are so used to the same face staring back at us in the mirror each day, so when you change it up, there's an adjustment period!  DO NOT become discouraged!  You are on a journey! 

Waxing, threading, plucking...I'm not biased.  All 3 do the job, although threading does give you such a lovely precise look that I don't often see with waxing.  Plus it's more gentle on the skin.  Having your brows TINTED after grooming can be VERY effective if your hair is light.  This is a common technique used with mature women, whose brows seem to disappear with age.  Achieving an amazing eye look on anyone is difficult if you are applying eye shadow over a field of stray hairs.  

SIDEBURNS/CHEEKS:  We've entered into uncharted territory on many women.  A bit of peach fuzz is workable, but so many women don't realize HOW MUCH hair they actually have in this area.  Eliminating this fine fur will create silky smooth cheeks where makeup is happy to reside.  Wearing foundation and powder can often emphasize facial hair in this area, as it tends to sit on top of the hair to some extent, attracting more attention.  Also, your foundation's intended finish (radiant, dewy, matte) will not look as lovely if it is competing with a skin surface that is not smooth.  

There are several choices when it comes to getting rid of peach fuzz on the cheeks.  Dermaplaning is a trendy new option, where an esthetician essentially uses a razor and scrapes off the hair, along with a thin top layer of skin.  This rids your face of dead skin cells, leaving the surface especially smooth.  While you can purchase a dermaplaning kit for at home use, I cannot endorse this and would always advise that you seek a licensed esthetician.  For the DIY-er, try one of the many battery operated shavers for women, like the Finishing Touch Flawless Rotary Shaver. You'll be shocked at how much hair comes off, and you won't be sorry!

UPPER LIP:  Let's talk.  So on the upper lip, some women are bleaching their hair.  My advice is that while bleaching can make the hair less noticeable, we aren't fooling anyone, ladies.  It's still there, and again you are going to run into the same challenges with foundation when applied.  Or when the sun shines on your face just right.  Waxing seems to be the most common way to deal with facial hair in this area, but if you are threading your brows, keep going and thread the lip too!  You can actually thread the whole face.  Yes, the WHOLE face.  Not gonna lie - it's hurts on the whole face.  No pain, no gain, I suppose they say...and my skin was never smoother!  I couldn't stop touching my face (which is actually kind of a bad thing!)   And if you decide to give dermaplaning a go, they will take care of the lip speedy quick.

CHIN:  The chin...ugh.  These pesky hairs are easy to pluck, but are you really getting them all?  Let your most honest friend be the judge of that!  This is again an area that can be waxed, threaded, hit with the Flawless Rotary Shaver, or dermaplaned.