5 Minutes With… Mena Suvari

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Mena Suvari has rarely had a moment out of the spotlight since her breakout role in American Beauty fifteen years ago. And with three new movies and a pilot coming out, she’s spent the better part of the last year on call for the camera. So how does she keep that fresh-faced glow despite logging serious hours in the makeup chair? We chatted with her to find out.

Lancer Skincare: What difference does good skincare make in your line of work?

Mena Suvari: It’s very important to have a good skincare regimen when you’re working in any type of environment that involves wearing full makeup for extended periods of time. As an actress, I can attest to how wonderful it is to know that I can clean my skin properly with Dr. Lancer’s products, refresh and renew my skin with what it was stripped of by wearing makeup all day, and also protect it for the coming day.

LS: Do you have a favorite product in the Lancer Skincare range?

MS: As per usual, it is difficult for me to just pick one product that I like more than others, as in this case it really is true that the products work together, hand-in-hand. But I will say that I really enjoy the Polishes, as I’m the type of person that loves that “squeaky clean” feeling when I wash my face. It’s probably because of living in a city – even being out during the day causes such a build-up!

LS: Quick glowing skin tip!

MS: I found that after using Dr. Lancer’s products, I didn’t need to wear any makeup during the day. Even products providing the lightest coverage, like tinted moisturizers, weren’t needed. Using The Method is powerful enough to really give me that even skin tone I’ve always wanted.

LS: What is the the most unexpected piece of advice Dr. Lancer has given you?

MS: Well, something that I was very impressed with was that Dr. Lancer talks to you about your specific needs based on your ethnicity and where your ancestors come from, which dictates how your skin will react and behave. For me, he explained that I need to wear sunblock all day every day because I am of Estonian descent, which makes my skin very sensitive to light. In fact, my skin could pigment even from the lighting they use on set! That really surprised me and was something I had never thought of!

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5 Minutes With… Celebrity Makeup Artist Kathy Jeung

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We have some real luminaries pass through the halls of Lancer Dermatology, and when fashion and celebrity makeup artist Kathy Jeung stops by, it always brightens our day. Kathy has worked with Rita Ora, Rashida Jones, Dita Von Teese, Nichole Sherzinger, Padma Lakshmi and Natasha Bedingfield, not to mention just about every fashion mag out there. The result: an endless knowledge of beauty and skincare, what works…and what doesn’t. Here’s what we learned from her in just 5 minutes:

Lancer Skincare: What difference does good skin care make in your line of work?

Kathy Jeung: For me, proper skin preparation with good skincare is the most important step to a getting a great makeup look. Skin is really the canvas onto which makeup is applied, so how makeup lies on the skin, looks on the face, and its staying power is directly related to products used on the skin beforehand.

LS: Are there certain skin issues that you find common among clients that need covering up?

KJ: Dark circles and puffiness are a common issue. I’ll use Lancer Eye Contour Lifting Cream to reduce swelling and brighten under the eye, allowing me to minimize the amount of cover-up I’ll use to disguise the problem. I really believe that using skincare tailored to skin type or problem is key to help the issue before makeup, rather than using more makeup to cover it up.

Another common problem I encounter year round are dry, dehydrated lips. Same as with skincare, if the lips aren’t prepared for lip products, makeup will work against you and magnify the problem. I like to use a 2-step method of applying a lip ointment followed by a lip balm or salve. If the lips are starting to peel, use a lip scrub and then apply ointment or salve.

LS: Do you have a favorite product in the Lancer Skincare range?

KJ: I love Lancer Fade Serum Intense Brightening Complex

LS: What’s your ultimate glowing skin tip?

KJ: To refresh makeup and give the skin a healthy glow, moisten a BeautyBlender sponge with mineral or spring water spray and dab all over your face. For even more dewiness, rub a small drop of moisturizer between your palms and lightly press into skin along temples, tops of cheekbones and sides of face

LS: What is the most unexpected piece of advice has Dr. Lancer given you?

KJ: I have to thank Dr. Lancer for a key piece of advice he gave me quite a few years ago: apply skin products in thin layers. That completely changed the efficacy of the products I used and maximized their benefits, as opposed to my thinking that piling on more of something was better!

Follow Kathy on Instagram for a peek at some of her amazing work!

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Dr. Lancer Devotee: Angela Bassett

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Academy Award nominee and Golden Globe winner Angela Bassett has been a Hollywood fixture since the mid-80s, but with her radiant glow, she could easily be mistaken on the red carpet for a fresh-faced newcomer. Besides great genes and a healthy lifestyle (she’s a vegetarian and raw food proponent), the mother-of-two’s anti-aging regimen includes Lancer Skincare products.

“I love the Polish,” says Bassett. “A quick way to rid the face of dead skin cells and reveal the fresh complexion beneath! And the cleanser is delightful. You need such a little amount but feel as if you’ve rinsed away everything you don’t need without stripping the moisture. Smells clean and fresh on top of it.”

“Speaking of moisture,” she goes on to say, “the daily one feels like a treat for your pores along with the Vitamin C and the evening anti-aging formula. I like that they do not leave me oily or greasy.”

If you can believe it, Angela is 55. She doesn’t look a day over 30 to us.

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5 Minutes With… Celebrity Makeup Artist Cathy Highland

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One of the most well known makeup artists in Hollywood, Cathy Highland has beautified more A-listers than a nitpicky accountant could keep track of. From Oscar nominees (Glenn Close, Helena Bonham Carter) to supermodels and celebs so beautiful you’d think nothing could be done to make them look any better, Cathy’s been called in to work her makeup magic. She gave us five minutes of her time to talk Hollywood skincare and more:

Lancer Skincare: What difference does good skin care make in your line of work?

Cathy Highland: It makes a huge difference. Good skin you cannot fake. As makeup artists we can paint on the pretty, but you cannot fake [skin] texture or pore size, and with everything being high def now you really don’t want to have to pile on loads of foundation to cover pigmentation either.  [Pigmentation] is another difficult dilemma, especially on male clients going to red carpet events. Most men don’t want to wear a lot of makeup and I agree, less is more especially on men, but if they have heavy pigmentation and it photographs in a really unflattering way…one has no choice but to apply a more full coverage foundation.

LS: Are there certain skin issues that you find common among clients that need covering up?

CH: I would say spots, sun damage and acne scars are the most common.

LS: Do you have a favorite product in the Lancer Skincare range?

CH: That is a hard one! There are so many, but probably the Polish if I had to choose one. Wait…the sunscreen…and the Blemish Control cleanser, moisturizer and eye treatment! I cannot pick one!

LS: What’s your quickest glowing skin tip!

CH: Polish every day like I have been taught through Dr. Lancer’s office – he’s right! Initially, I couldn’t imagine [exfoliating] daily, but the formulation is so unique, in that it is aggressive in removing the dead layers of the skin, making it radiant. My facialist has encouraged me to be really good about target areas [when polishing] – talk about glow to the skin.

On a side note, both of my older sisters experienced bad rosacea when they went through menopause and they both are on a prescription medication to clear it up.  I was suffering from what I thought were breakouts and going through hormone changes, but Dr. Lancer explained that it was rosacea. I had already drastically changed my diet, almost exactly as Dr. Lancer recommends…but when I went to Dr. Lancer about my breakouts, he had me start on his Blemish Control line which was in development at the time. It was miraculous. My skin cleared up and I have never had a problem since. I swear by it! See, I really cannot choose one product! It is from my own personal experience for many years of using the Lancer line, even as he was developing it, that I have no problem suggesting it to my clients. I am not a salesperson; I never try and sell a client on anything, but you don’t have to with Dr. Lancer’s line…results sell.

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Carry-On Essentials for Glowing Skin

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Traveling typically doesn’t do your skin any favors. Between dehydration, the temptation to eat tons of processed foods (because nothing else is around), and the overall germy-ness of airports and airplanes, keeping your skin in peak condition can be tougher than scoring an upgrade on an overbooked flight. So for all you jet-setters out there, make sure to pack these travel essentials in your carry-on next time you skip town:

1. The Basics Now you never have to leave home without The Method. Smartly packaged in TSA-friendly sizes, our new Travel Set is ideal to have on hand for red eye flights and your final destination. Choose from the regular or deluxe set: both contain Polish, Cleanse, Nourish and Eye Contour Lifting Cream. The deluxe set also includes our Lift Serum Intense and Intensive Night Treatment.

2. Soothing Tea Bags The most important thing you can do for your skin while flying is to drink lots of water. A good rule of thumb is 8 oz. per hour in the air, starting when you are still on the ground. You can also bring herbal tea bags (Dr. Lancer likes chammomile best) and request hot water from the flight attendants. And pass on the coffee and mimosas; caffeine and alcohol speed up dehydration and glycation.

3. A Shea Butter-Based Lip Balm Lips tend to dry up and chap faster in the air. Karite Lips is our favorite antidote for cracked, painful lips. It’s made from all natural ingredients and doesn’t wear off in minutes, like so many lip balms do. And, if your lips are already chapped, this miracle balm will help to heal them.

4. Healthy Snacks Plane food is processed food, which means it’s not good for your skin. So plan ahead and pack a glass tupperware with carrots and sliced cucumbers to help battle hunger and hydrate your skin. Raw (or sprouted), organic almonds make for a good protein boost and are easy to tuck away in your bag.

5. Hand Sanitizer Touching your face with dirty hands can cause breakouts, so keep your hands free of bacteria with a natural hand sanitizer like this amazing smelling lavendar spritz. It’s the perfect size to keep in your purse at all times – whether you’re traveling or not.

6. Hand Cream Hands are feet are some of the first body parts to lose moisture when you board the plane. Keep them supple with a rich hand cream like this travel size one from L’Occitane.

7. An Atomizer Bring an atomizer aboard to help keep skin hydrated while you fly, giving yourself a little spritz whenever your skin feels tight (or every couple of hours). Before you deplane, an atomizer is the perfect tool for freshening up.

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