Sue Devitt has her very own popular beauty line, as well as a deep interest in holistic beauty. Many of her products are made from natural ingredients she’s found in various places and finds to be successful for a great beauty regimen. But that’s not all Sue advocates for healthy-looking skin. It’s also important to keep up a good routine in diet, exercise, and sleep patterns. Check out Sue’s recommendations below.

Diet
Eating fresh – raw fruits and vegetables – keeps the skin naturally healthy and hydrated and the roughage is excellent for digestion. Many ailments are derived from digestive track issues, liver, and kidney, so proper diet will truly be beneficial, both for the short and long term. Sue also recommends drinking lots of water to cleanse the system and to stay away from coffee, opting for green tea instead.

Exercise
Adhering to a regular fitness routine is also vitally important in achieving your full beauty potential. For Sue, consistency is key so she practices Pilates twice weekly to strengthen, elongate, and improve posture. Sue also regularly makes time for cardio and Yoga; her favorite discipline being Indian Yoga, Kundalini – a promotion of physical well-being and an expansion of awareness which ultimately transforms one’s life into one which is happy, healthy and harmonious. Introducing tranquility and equilibrium into life not only reduces fatigue and stress resulting in frown lines and skin imperfections, but also allows for some needed personal time each day — often overlooked in a busy schedule.

Beauty
Sue’s decision to add skin care ingredients to makeup was a holistic one. Covering the skin with beautifying pigments that will also improve skin’s health and quality is something she believes all women deserve and should have access to. Her deep affinity for hydration is evident in her product range. “Our planet is comprised of 70% water, our bodies are 70% water and that is why my 70% Triple Seaweed Gel Foundation is formulated with 70% water. The complementary relationship of keeping ourselves and our skin optimally hydrated balances our beauty equilibrium,” remarks Sue Devitt.

Sue Devitt Beauty is a line of exquisite, high performance formulations infused with powerful anti-aging ingredients, soothing marine properties, and hydrating flower derivatives from nature, inspired by exotic destinations. Rich with minerals, vitamins, and nutrients, these products provide glowing beauty and healthy, hydrated radiant skin for women of all ages and ethnicities. Visit suedevittbeauty.com for more info.

The right hairdo is essential to any good holiday party. You may be able to snag a coveted appointment but it may be tough at this time of year. If you can’t get an appointment that works for you or would rather spend money on those holiday gifts, then don’t worry. Hair stylist Sam Brocato has got you covered with a few tips and tricks of the trade.

Salon Straight Talk: How to make the most out of your hair appointment
Need to talk style with your stylist? Bring photographs, tear sheets and all the visuals you can get your hands on when you see your stylist. And, says Sam Brocato, “don’t forget to explain the nature of the events you are planning on attending as well as the clothing you intend to wear.” Guide your stylist to the feel and sensibility of what you are trying to achieve and let them work with you to come up with a style that suits your needs. The end result: a style that won’t need to be restyled.

Pony Up: Insider Tricks of the Trade
Looking for an updo that won’t undo? Sam Brocato says, “Split your hair into three sections down the middle of the back of your head and create loose pony tails. Braid each section and secure with a small elastic. Spray each braid with a light hair spray and push it back gently onto your head. Pin each braid loosely over the other and tuck in at your neck.” The end result: a romantic and modern chignon that can work with jeans or a cocktail dress.

The Pin Up Girl
Need a quick and easy way to take your look from day to night? Here’s Sam’s tip: “using a large bobby pin, slide a section of hair through the pin and rotate it as if it were a roller. Affix this section firmly at the nape of your neck and repeat the steps.” The end result: a sophisticated and romantic look in less than five minutes.

About Sam Brocato
Sam Brocato brings a truly fashionable approach to his work, seeing hair as a fabric from which he cuts patterns to produce haute coiffure and ready-to-wear styles. Sam has shared his vision and immense talent throughout the globe and has been honored as “World Top Fashion Hairstylist,” by the World Hairdressing Congress in London as well as “Editorial Stylist of the Year,” at the North American Hairstyling Awards.

Sam blends Southern hospitality and Soho chic at his latest salon venture. The loft-style industrial space is staffed by artistic individuals who treat each client as if they were a part of the Brocato family. An up and coming New York destination, the salon will raise the bar on shampoo services in the city by offering first class seating as well as custom-blended treatments, showcase local emerging neighborhood art and offer cuts and color from established industry professionals.

I’m always weirded out by the eyebrow threaders in the mall. I, myself, am an eyebrow tweezer – even intimidated by the eyebrow waxers at the nail salon. But I’m pretty sure that if I went to either, I’d want the eyebrow professionals to be licensed and skilled in what they’re doing, considering their close proximity to my eye and the fact that they’re correcting something on my face.

So what are the requirements for eyebrow threaders? Well, of course, it varies from state to state and it’s always important to first check with your state licensing board before you go for your degree so that you know what you’re in for. Some states require eyebrow threaders to have a cosmetology license; others require an esthetician license; and some may not require any type of licensing. But what happens if the state decides to change the law and require a license all of a sudden Businesses are stuck, especially if they have a group of unlicensed individuals on staff.

This is what has been happening in Texas, recently. Eight businesses have challenged the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation’s new rule that all threaders must be licensed in order to practice, deeming that this is unfair and imposed without warning. In fact, many unlicensed threaders have received fines as high as $2,000, according to the Houston Chronicle. The businesses don’t think licensing is necessary because there are not many eyebrow threading courses offered in cosmetology schools.

It’s interesting to see both sides of the story. Some clients may say they wouldn’t care if a threader was licensed or not. However, I can’t really say I feel the same. Let’s go back to the main idea of what a license is. In order to obtain a license in any field, you must achieve success in a particular course of study and have put in a certain amount of hours of both study and practice. This means that you’ve passed and learned in the amount of time that the program dictates you need.

Yes, it is oftentimes the case that you learn by doing more than sitting in a classroom. This is why I think that there is a required practice part in a beauty school program. But you’re working with instructors who have been there before and have paid their dues. Why shouldn’t an eyebrow threader be licensed? They are still in the beauty profession, working with clients and providing a (somewhat invasive) service for which people are paying.

I don’t think it’s fair that the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation didn’t give the businesses fair warning before they began issuing fines. You can’t just decide all of a sudden to change something that has been in place for a while. But with the rise in popularity of eyebrow threading, I think it’s important that professionals be licensed. What do you think?

-Amanda Fornecker

What do you get for a beauty professional who seems to have all the right miracle beauty products this holiday season? Check out some of these products below that will kickstart your favorite beauty professional’s new year in just the right way…

Hair Stylist
If smooth, straight hair is what you’re after, then Living proof’s frizz straight making no frizz styling cream is just what you need. Attempting to beat the evil known as humidity, to keep split ends down to a minimum, and help cut down on drying time, this no frizz styling cream is seriously a no-brainer. For the professional and amateur hair stylist alike, you’ll love to have this in your repertoire of secret weapons.

Buy the 4 oz. bottle of frizz straight making no frizz styling cream at Sephora for $24.

Esthetician
Even those with flawless skin can get a blemish on their face from time to time. Don’t let it get you down. That’s what CoverFX’s Camouflage Concealer is for. This concealer really camouflages anything from a pimple to redness to signs of a sleepless night. It’s high-definition ready and helps to even out skin tone. It even comes in six different shades. What more could an esthetician ask for?

Buy the 0.5 oz. bottle of Camouflage Concealer at Sephora for $25.

Nail Technician
We’re always looking for the longest-lasting manicure that will help keep nails at their strongest. Perfect Formula’s Nail Guard System does just that with some gel and crystals. The gel coat, also known as a “Suit of Armor” helps to thicken and strengthen the weakest of nails as a base coat. The crystal nail file helps to shape and seal nails to keep them looking fabulous even longer.

Buy the kit on http://www.perfectformulas.com for $33.50.

Makeup Artist
Most girls long for longer, fuller lashes and that’s usually what mascara is supposed to do for us. CARGO goes one step farther by helping grow your lashes with LashActivator. By using products like Marine Algae extracts, citrus-derived Flavonoids, and Peptide-biotin, LashActivator helps promote better looking lashes with a slow lash loss rate. Perfect for everyday use, you can expect to see a difference within 30 days.

Buy LashActivator at Sephora for $35.

-Amanda Fornecker