Freshen Up Your Look For Spring

Are you ready for that Spring close up? Now that Spring is here, the only cleaning and sprucing up doesn't have to be in the home. It's also time to take that beauty routine and give it an update and a big spring cleaning. I've chatted with beauty expert Grace Gold for some tips and tricks to freshen up your look, feel recharged, and recover from a long, harsh winter.

Grace is a multimedia journalist and beauty expert who has appeared on The TODAY Show, ABC Eyewitness News, People Magazine, People Stylewatch, Redbook Magazine, and many more. She also shares her tips daily on her own website at www.gracegold.com.

Hey there Grace, how are you today?

Good and how are you?

I'm great, and thank you for joining me today especially with Spring officially here. Many people are looking to get those beauty routines updated from winter to spring.

Yes, exactly.

So what are some of your tips to help bring Spring time into February?

This time of year is a great time to clean out that makeup bag, create some lighter colors to really brighten up your look for Spring. You also want to pay attention to the tools. This is a great time to refresh the technology you have and are using in your beauty routine.

I've got Ecotools here, and they are the leader in eco-conscious beauty accessories. They have a brand new complexion collection that works with actually both makeup and skincare products to help maximize your natural beauty and help with those skincare concerns. You won't have to feel self-conscious about that oily skin, dark circles, or fine lines anymore. The eye perfecting brush is my favorite because it really gets in under the eye to help target that area against some great coverage. All of the brushes are cruelty-free and have soft, synthetic bristles plus beautiful handles made of recycled aluminum and bamboo. Using these brushes can really help you feel good about the environment. You can go to www.ecotools.com to learn how to use them. Many women are very intimidated using make up brushes and the website will show you step-by-step tutorials.

Now how long do these brushes typically last? I know that one important characteristic about a good makeup brush is that it lasts for an extended period of time instead of having to buy a new brush every couple months.

Exactly, and they should really last for years. It's very important to wash them regular and gently which is the key to getting those brushes to last longer. I like to use baby shampoo and wash my brushes weekly. You should really wash them weekly but definitely make sure it's every other week at least. I know a lot of people go a long time and bacteria can really build up which is what also breaks down the brushes. Now synthetic bristles like the ones here are actually lasting longer than natural bristles which is another plus for these brushes. You really need to take care of your tools if you want them for the long run.

Of course. Taking care of your skin extends into taking care of the tools you use to apply your makeup. We don't want that bacteria to build up and then to put that on our skin. Now what are some other tips that we can do to better care for our brushes?

Well, you want to make sure you're using them with the right products and the tutorials on www.ecotools.com can help with that.

But I also want to talk about deep cleaning too because we are all doing the big deep spring cleaning. I found some really great products by Caldrea. From dish soap to counter spray to laundry detergent, they really have everything to clean your home. I love that they look and smell amazing. They aren't your regular products that you want to hide under the kitchen sink, you will want to put these out on your counter top to show off the beautiful teal packaging. The newest scent is actually pear blossom agave which is actually a really crisp, bright fragrance. It has a mix of pear blossom, ripe citrus, and succulent melon so it is perfect for the Spring time. I love that they are made using responsible ingredients so they are incredibly effective yet safe and gentle for your home. It's important to have a clean home but also that we aren't using anything too toxic to clean that it would make us sick.

Right you want to have that nice clean smell, feel, and look without having all of the chemicals to go with it.

Exactly, and something else I want to talk about too is technology. We are always wondering whats new and having to update ourselves and maybe look into the market for a new phone. There's the new LG Flex 2. I love it because one color it comes in is Volcano Red, which is actually a color exclusive to Sprint. It's one of the most hottest devices to come of the the Consumer Electronic Show in Las Vegas. It has a contoured body, slim profile, intuitive rear key design, a 5.5 inch screen, and it has HD full technology which means crisp color on that screen. And of course it's all about the pictures and the selfies so this phone has a 13 megapixel camera so you will get some incredible photos with it.

Sounds like it, and I'm amazed with each new phone that comes out, how much the camera quality is increasing. I can only imagine eventually getting to the point of cell phone cameras competing with the quality of those heavy duty cameras that professional photographers use. And this is the time where we are outside and ready to capture those memories and it's an easy thing to have on hand for a camera.

Yes, and I love the image quality technology because what it means is that you can be in less than ideal conditions and the camera still works really well to get you crisp photos.

Awesome! No do you have any other pieces of advice to help us freshen up that look for Spring?

Yes, skincare is super important and right now we want to change up what we are doing to take care of our skin. There is a new brand called Simy Skin, and they offer targeted skincare for every phase of your life and advanced scientific ingredients that correct, reverse, and repair those signs of aging. Now just a side note, those signs of aging on because of our time, stress, and the environment so Simy Skin will help to protect and reverse that. The star ingredient is Vitamin B12 which really promotes skin repair and focuses on those fine lines and wrinkles.

The hero products are serums, and for instance eye serums target puffiness, dark circles, and firmness. What is really cool about these products is that with the serums you are able to choose them according to the phase. So phase one is for maintenance and for ages 18-25. Phase two is for prevention and ages 25-45. Then phase three is for recovery and age 45 and older. I really like that they have ingredients that are very customized to where your skin is at this point in your life.

I like that too so that way we aren't trying to treat a skin problem that our skin is too mature for. Now you mentioned Vitamin B12, and I've heard a lot about people taking supplements for that. Do you recommend that or do you recommend choosing something more topical like a serum?

The serum is great because you do want to work with something topically so that will really give you the best results in your skin. I actually personally use Vitamin B supplements as well. Beauty is from the inside out, and Vitamin B is really good for your energy and skin cell turnover. So really you want to work on your inside and outside with those dietary supplements and also those topical applications. Plus don't forget to wear that sunscreen this Spring time.

Yes. Great advice because summer is so much easier for us to remember, but sunscreen is important even if we are just driving in the car. And we don't want to have to worry about that sunburn which could lead to something worse.

Exactly. There's skin cancer to worry about, but then there's also those fine lines and wrinkles. 90% of aging is actually caused by the sun. So the best thing you can do is to use that sunscreen and use it everyday.

Definitely a great piece of advice, and where can people go for more information?

You can go to www.videopump.tv or www.gracegold.com.