BEAUTY

beauty

No. 5 Treat from the inside

“To keep my skin clear and firm, I eat the building blocks of collagen—such as copper, found in nuts and seeds; and lysine, found in legumes and lean meats,” says Marmur, who adds that foods with zinc and magnesium also help combat acne. Although there are not piles of scientific studies proving that a healthy diet equals better skin, says Marmur, “I’ve seen overwhelming anecdotal evidence in my practice and in my own skin.” Bowe agrees; a glow-boosting trick that she uses when her skin looks sallow is to raise her betacarotene intake by adding carrots or sweet potatoes to a smoothie. Finally, and you’ve heard it before: Most experts interviewed said that drinking water is a must. Josie Maran, a model and the founder of Josie Maran Cosmetics, tricks herself into guzzling more with a bit of flavor doctoring. “I make fruit-, vegetable-, and herbinfused waters,” she says. “My favorite is spiking water with chopped strawberries and basil.”

No. 6 Exercise early and often

“One of the main functions of the skin is to regulate heat, so when you’re working out, the blood vessels in the skin dilate to bring warm blood to the surface, allowing heat to be transferred out of the body and into the air. This gives you a glowy flush,” says Marmur, who begins every day with 30 minutes of running, cycling, or basketball. Boosting blood flow also ensures that your skin is getting the oxygen and the nutrients that it needs to be healthy. “Skin is your body’s last priority. Blood goes first to the brain and core organs, so getting blood filled with nutrients pumping all the way to your skin first thing in the morning means it starts the day healthy too,” says Marmur.

KEEP GLOWING For the best skin luminizers, go to realsimple.com/luminizers.

No. 7 EXFOLIATE MORE, TOO

“As we age, skin cells turn over at a slower rate than they did in our 20s,” says Bowe. The result: Without help from scrubs, peels, or even a clean washcloth, dead skin cells can build up on your face and body, clogging pores, preventing products from penetrating, and making your complexion look dull. Bowe uses Dr. Brandt Microdermabrasion Skin Exfoli-

No. 9 COMMIT

According to researchers at Loughborough University, in England, women need 20 minutes more sleep per day than men do.

ant ($79, drbrandt skincare.com) twice a week on her face and hands. Baxter has devised an exfoliating plan for her rosaceaprone skin: “I cleanse every night with the gentle Foreo Luna cleansing brush [$169, sephora.com], and every two days I use Tatcha Polished Classic Rice Enzyme Powder [$78, sephora.com], which does not irritate.” Supermodel Christie Brinkley has been exfoliating for more than 40 years. “There weren’t face scrubs when I was a teenager,” says Brinkley, “so I used a foot scrub on all of my skin starting at 19.” Brinkley has long since switched to a gentler scrub made for the face, and she believes this is the secret to getting circulation going and diminishing puffiness in the morning. Sloughing below the neck is also key, says Palm Beach, Florida–based aesthetician Tammy Fender, who dry-brushes before she showers.

No. 8 Go to bed

“The skin repairs itself at night, so the more sleep you get, the more time your complexion has to rejuvenate,” says Bowe. And the benefits are not just long-term. In many cases, you can see results the next morning. “The more sleep I get, the less makeup I need, because my skin looks naturally refreshed,” says Alba. And the opposite is also true. “Under-eye puffiness can be caused by a spike in cortisol levels,” says Bowe. “Beauty sleep is no joke—you truly need seven to eight hours. When you don’t get enough sleep, your cortisol levels increase, and when that happens, that boosts the rate of collagen breakdown, causing under-eye bags to appear.” FYI: “Yawning and squinting can break down collagen and elastin around theeyes, too,” says Bowe.

Try the EcoTools Bristle Bath Brush ($6, ulta.com).

“Therearenoshortcutswhenitcomes to beautiful skin,” says Bowe.“Diligenceis key;evenmissing justone nightofyour skin-care routine—notwashingoffyourmakeup—canactually makeyou breakout, causeinflammation, andsetyou back.” Soinaddition tothestrategies outlinedinthisstory, stickingto a solidskin-careregimenisoneofyour bestgood-skintactics. “My mother alwaystoldme,‘There arenouglywomen,’” says Baxter, “‘justlazyones.’Now gowashyourface!”

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O RO D AD TEST

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1BEST FOR UNDER EYES Ch l Charlo lb i tte Tilbury Mini M l d Miracle Eye Wand Th d l dd be This dual-ended tube h t is a one-stop shop: Twist st t t a step 1 to pump out a ( p depuffing eye cream (tap ) t into skin). Then twist s f lk l h step 2 for a silky, light( n reflecting concealer (in fi ) sfive shades) that stands d k l . up to serious dark circles. TOBUY: e $45, charlotte lb . tilbury.com.

2BEST APPLICATOR R bbBobbi n Brown h d Retouching Wand Cl k d d p Click to dispense a drop fl d l of liquid concealer to h b o the sponge tip. Dab onto h bl h n the problem area, then bl d fi blend—no messy fingers h d d here. “It dried to a powd fi hh bl d dery finish that blurred l d d my lines and pores,” said hd . a tester. In nine shades. TOBUY: i $46, bobbi .b browncosmetics.com.

3 S O 3BEST FOR REDNESS SS klgh BECCA Backlight d l r Targeted Colour C Corrector in Pi hstachio o I d f kl gInstead of spackling d hl f redness with layers of l l tconcealer, color-correct b fh nit. Pat a bit of this green t s cream onto rosy areas bf before f fo d undation f r for aneencanas. an even canvas. TO BUY: . $30, sephora.com.

S G N 4BEST BARGAIN lf flly e.l.f. Beautifully h h Bare Lightweight C l Concealer St k ick T ( r This thick pencil (in four s ) shades) rivals pricier vers h l sions with its velvety text h dd l s ture. The rounded tip lets y k you get in “every nook d d and cranny,” said a tester.

TOBUY: , $4, lf . elfcosmetics.com.

5 5MOST LONG-LASTING S hb S d Sk n Smashbox Studio Skin 24-Hour Conc l ealer Th l d f u This liquid matte formula s sets in seco d nds t to withs d d ter.stand sweat and wate d ll d , ye“It stayed on all day, t k l kd lk s my skin looked like skin— ll d a not all made-up,” said one t hdes.tester. In 10 shades

TOBUY: , $25, s hb smashbox.com.

E 6BEST SPLURGE Cl d Clé de Peau Beauté Co e ncealer H l id and greenHyaluronic aci t of the anti-tea are two of h cult favorite.agers in this Th b lsts forThe tube las h lus its coveragemonths—plu able, making itis impecca h he hefty price tag.worth the TOBUY: $ $70, cledepeau b c beaute.com.

FOR BLEMISHES7BEST Maybe belline New York e Master Conceal C ouflaging ConcealerCamo Use one dab on good-skino dys days and two for zits or circ cles. The formula can be layered without add-be ng bulk. In five shades.ing TOBUY: $9 at drugstores.

AFTER THE DIAGNOSIS

Learning you have an illness is difficult enough— but thenyou have tograpple with what to dowith that information. Here, experts and those whohave been through it share the crucial next steps—and some comfort, in the process.

Written by Jennifer King Lindley Illustrations by Gracia Lam