Q: My lips are thin, should I use lip liner to draw them bigger?
  
No! No! No!  Just the other day I was leafing through a magazine and I saw a picture of Kathy Ireland in an advertisement. I guess she’s a big brand name now with her million dollar-making clothing and jewelry line. You remember her, right? She was a huge supermodel, and Sport Illustrated swimsuit-wearing cover girl in the 80’s. Anyway, in this ad she’s trying to get away with the illusion of bigger lips. At first glance, she looks great, but if you look at her for more then two seconds you just start to notice that some makeup artist has drawn her lips bigger, making her resemble Bozo the Clown. They aren’t fooling anyone by drawing her lips bigger! Girl still has thin lips. The best thing to do to fake like your lips are fuller is to line your lips. And here is the key - FILL them in with a nude lip liner, or one that is close to the natural color of your lips. Then, layer a thin coat of lipstick. For the final step, dab a touch of shimmery gloss right in the center of your top and bottom lips. This creates a light, reflective shine right in the middle of your lips, causing them to look fuller. I call it the “three dimensional lip.” It takes a little more time than just swiping on a tube of lipstick, but the results are gorgeous and much more real looking. It’s always good to look like a million bucks, even if your net worth isn’t quite there yet!

Q: What is an easy spa recipe to make at home?

How about using something that is right in your own kitchen? Milk! Known since the times of Cleopatra for its skin-softening and soothing properties, a milk and honey bath is a great way to relax and enjoy a spa treatment right in your own bathtub. Here is the easy recipe!

Honey Milk Bath:
1/2 cup liquid honey
3 cups powdered milk
lavender buds or rose buds (added for color and fragrance)

Combine the ingredients above in a large bowl and then transfer to a decorative glass bottle in your bathroom. (This also makes a great and inexpensive gift idea!)

Scoop out a quarter cup amount of the mixture and dissolve in a warm bath. Then, sit back and relax! I try to do this after the kids have gone to bed so that I don't have any little ones knocking on the door wanting to give me bath toys to play with!

Q: We are traveling over the holidays and don’t want the hassle of checking our bags. I am so confused about what I am allowed to bring beauty-wise these days. Help!

If you are jetting somewhere for a quick weekend away with your significant other, then lucky you! Or, if you are headed for a Thanksgiving or Holiday weekend with the in-laws, then maybe not-so-lucky you. Make sure you know what items you are allowed to take in your carry-on bag. Yes, the rules have changed again. For a while there you couldn’t take any type of liquids on a plane. No lipgloss, hand cream or any other liquid in your handbag or carry-on. Not even that lovely little spritz bottle of Evian water to fight off the dehydrated plane air. What is this world coming to? Gobs of items were being thrown out at the airport by helpful security check people. Even my poor Mom had to toss her Lancome Mascara she had left in her purse. Oh, the humanity! Don’t those people know how much one of those costs?! Too bad, into the garbage it went. So, now the Transportation Security Administration came up with this catchy phrase to help passengers remember what they can bring. It’s called the “3-1-1”.

3 –1–1 on air travel = 3 ounce bottle or less; 1 quart-sized, clear, plastic, zip-top bag; 1 bag per passenger placed in screening bin. One-quart bag per person limits the total liquid volume each traveler can bring. 3 oz. container size is a security measure.

Consolidate bottles into one bag and X-ray separately to speed screening.

Be prepared. Each time TSA searches a carry-on it slows down the line. Practicing 3-1-1 will ensure a faster and easier checkpoint experience.

3-1-1 is for short trips. If in doubt, put your liquids in checked luggage.

Declare larger liquids. Prescription medications, baby formula and milk are allowed in quantities exceeding three ounces and are not required to be in the zip-top bag. Declare these items for inspection at the checkpoint.

Come early and be patient. Heavy holiday travel volumes and the enhanced security processes may mean longer lines at security checkpoints.

The TSA is not fooling around, people. Don’t try to sneak anything past them. They WILL confiscate your 3.4oz bottle of La Mer hand cream, even though it cost you $70 and you beg them on your hands and knees to please not take it. They will, because it’s over 3 oz., and they will probably turn around and sell it on eBay. Ouch! Anyway, make sure you have your travel sizes ready to go. My favorite travel set right now is the Bliss SinkSide Six Pack, because it contains convenient 1 oz. (that’s the key size!) of their body butter, shampoo, conditioner, foaming face wash, and shower gel, and a 1.8oz. bar of soap. It comes in the cutest clear plastic zip lock travel case too! It’s everything you need for only $25, and is available at Bliss.com or your local Sephora store.