Q: I’m 46 years old and recently I’ve noticed a few dark brown splotches on the top of my chest and my upper forehead. What might this be?

Dr. Gersner said: “This is probably a combo of melasma & solar lentigo. Most likely caused by sun damage just appearing now. YouthCode Dark Spot Correcting Illuminating Collection is perfect treatment for dark spots from sun damage.”

Thank you to everyone who submitted a question – everyone should have received an email with their answer!

This Friday, January 27th, between 3-4PM EST, Dr. Gerstner will be holding a Twitter chat to answer all your skincare questions. Maybe your skincare routine needs a winter boost or you’ve just hit a milestone birthday and need to start getting serious about skincare? Just Tweet @LOrealParisUsa with your question and the Dr. will answer it OR leave your question here in the comments section and The Beauty Bug will personally make sure it’s answered for you. Promise.  Those who comment with their question with be automatically entered to win a set of the Youth Code Dark Spot Products. Enter NOW!

DIANA AGRON

Makeup artist Monica Blunder was inspired by the spring 2012 fashion shows where the makeup was fresh but still very glamorous.  Since Dianna’s red Giles dress was so “va va voom,” Monika focused on the lips to be the stand out feature.

• Monika kept Julianna’s skin simple and fresh with a bit of L’Oréal Paris True Match Super-Blendable Makeup in Light Ivory to give skin a light glow.
• Since the focus was kept on her lips, only a small amount of L’Oréal Paris Magic Smooth Soufflé Blush in Celestial (Pink) was applied to the apples of cheeks.
• The bold red lip stole the show; Monika applied L’Oréal Paris Infallible Le Rouge in Bold Bordeaux for lasting shine and pigment.
• The eyes were highlighted with a hint of L’Oréal Paris Infallible Eye Shadow in Iced Latte with Vaseline applied over it to create added shine.
• The L’Oréal Paris Voluminous Smoldering Eyeliner in Black was lightly applied around the rim of the eye and Monika applied several coats of L’Oréal Paris Voluminous False Fiber Lashes Mascara in Black to complete the look.

JULIE BOWEN

Makeup artist Heather Currie was inspired by Julie’s classic Reem Acra, peachy-champagne dress.  To match her Grace Kelly-esque hair, Heather created an old Hollywood glam makeup moment with a neutral palette for the face and lips (with hints of pink) and defined, smoky eyes.

Step by Step How-To:

• To create the base look, Heather started with an Armani foundation.
• Next, she applied L’Oréal Paris Magic Smooth Soufflé Blush in Celestial to the apples of Julie’s cheeks to create a radiant, natural and youthful glow.
• On the eyes, Heather created a winged tip eye with L’Oréal Paris Voluminous Smoldering Eyeliner in Black.
• She also used L’Oréal Paris Extra-Intense Carbon Black Eyeliner to precisely define the rest of the eyes.
• Heather used a sheer amount of L’Oréal Paris Infallible Eye Shadow in Continues Cocoa in the creases of Julie’s eyes.
• She then blended L’Oréal Paris Infallible Eye Shadow in Iced Latte and Eternal Sunshine to create a sultry, smoky eye effect.
• An extra dab of L’Oréal Paris Infallible Eye Shadow in Iced Latte was used under the eyebrow line to add additional definition and depth.
• Lips were kept natural with a hint of color using L’Oréal Paris Colour Riche Le Gloss in Golden Splash.

FREIDA PINTO 

Makeup artist Leslie Lopez loved Freida’s gorgeous eyes and  really wanted to channel a young Sophia Lore, making Freida’s eyes the focal point of her look.

Step by Step How-To:

• Leslie gave Freida a flawless face by starting with L’Oréal Paris True Match Super-Blendable Foundation in W6 (Sun Beige).
• She created a sun-kissed look on the cheeks with L’Oréal Paris Magic Smooth Soufflé Blush in Cherubic.
• For Freida’s eyelids, she used L’Oréal Paris Infallible Eye Shadow in Bronzed Taupe, and Iced Latte on the brow bone for an extra pop of shimmer.
• Leslie gave the look an extra layer of smokiness with L’Oréal Paris Voluminous Smoldering Eyeliner in black before curling her lashes and applying a few coats of L’Oréal Paris Voluminous Million Lashes Mascara in Black.
• To keep Freida’s eyes the focus, she kept her lips on the natural side with L’Oréal Paris Infallible Le Rouge in Lingering Mocha, a soft mauve.

JULIANNA MARGUILIES

For Julianna’s makeup, artist Kris  Buckle was inspired by Julianna’s deep mauve, metallic Naeem Khan dress.  He wanted to create something that would complement its texture and liquid-like flow and accentuate her olive skin.

Step by Step How-To:

• To keep Julianna’s complexion looking flawless he used L’Oréal Paris True Match Super-Blendable Makeup in Soft Ivory.
• For her cheeks he applied L’Oréal Paris Magic Smooth Soufflé Blush in Plume.
• The eyes really took center stage with a soft smoky eye that was created with watercolor-like shades using L’Oréal Paris Infallible Eye Shadow in Bronzed Taupe, Eternal Sunshine and Iced Latte.
• To tie the look together Kris used a hint L’Oréal Paris Infallible Eye Shadow in Iced Latte on Julianna’s upper cheeks to tie in the eyes and glowing tones of her skin.
• Lips were left unlined and highlighted natural tones (with a hint of mauve) using L’Oréal Paris Infallible Le Rouge in Forever Frappe.

SARAH MICHELLE GELLAR

Makeup artist Jake Bailey was inspired by Sarah’s Monique L’huillier blue and white gown (which was chosen by Sarah’s two year old daughter).  For the night, Jake wanted to make the eyes the main focus to complement the bold color of the dress.

Step-by-Step:

• To start, Jake used L’Oréal Paris Extra-Intense Carbon Black Eyeliner to rim and define the top and bottom lash lines.
•  To accentuate Sarah Michelle’s lashes he coated them with L’Oréal Paris Voluminous False Fiber Lashes Mascara in Blackest Black.
• He perfected her skin by buffing a dime size dollop L’Oréal Paris True Match Super-Blendable Makeup in Caramel Beige over Sarah Michelle’s entire face and finished it with a dusting of Guerlain Mineral Powder in Les Violettes.
• Jake used a powder bronzer from Nars in Laguna to warm her complexion and brightened her cheeks with a swirl Benefit’s Coralista, a shimmery coral blush.
• He lined Sarah Michelle’s lips and filled them in with Urban Decay’s a nude liner, Wallflower.
• Jake finished the look by applying L’Oréal Paris Infallible 8hr plumping gloss in plumping pink to add shine and dimension.
• For her body he mixed equal parts AHAVA mineral body lotion and M.A.C. strobe cream to add a healthy sheen to her shoulders arms and decolletage.

MICHELLE WILLIAMS

CHANEL celebrity makeup artist, Angela Levin, said she was inspired by a “gorgeous Golden Globe winner.”

• Step-by-Step:
• Angela began by applying CHANEL Vitalumiere Aqua Ultra-Light Skin Perfecting Makeup SPF 15 in Beige-Pastel on the face and eye lids, as a base.
• On the eyes, she used the grey shadow shades from the CHANEL Quadra Eyeshadow in Smoky Eyes to create a light smoky effect on the upper lid, then adding CHANEL Long-Lasting Eyeliner in Black Shimmer to the top lash.
• Angela then defined the brows with CHANEL Sculpting Eyebrow Pencil in Blond Clair and added two coats of CHANEL Inimitable Mascara in Noir on the top and bottom lashes.
• On Michelle’s cheeks she applied CHANEL Powder Blush in Rose Ecrin that gave a perfect flush.
•  She completed the look with CHANEL Rouge Coco Hydrating Crème Lip Colour in Perle.

JESSICAL BIEL

CHANEL Celebrity Makeup Artist Kara Yoshimoto Bua took inspiration from Jessica’s coloring and her white gown. “I wanted to keep it simple and bright in the corals and neutral tones,” said Bua.

Step-by-Step:

• Jessica’s look began with CHANEL Vitalumiere Aqua Ultra-Light Skin Perfecting Makeup SPF 15 in Beige-Sable. It was then set with CHANEL Natural Finish Pressed Powder in Natural.
• CHANEL Powder Blush in In Love was applied to the cheeks for a healthy glow.
• To make her eyes pop, Bua defined them with the deep warm brown and taupe colors from the CHANEL Quadra Eyeshadow in Prelude, and applied the shimmery gold/champagne shades as highlights on the lid.
• CHANEL Inimitable Intense Mascara in Noir was applied to the top lashes and CHANEL Inimitable Intense Mascara in Brun, on lower lashes for a more natural effect.
• The look was finished with CHANEL Rouge Coco Hydrating Crème Lip Colour in Paradis for a fresh, healthy look.

EMMA STONE

CHANEL Celebrity makeup artist Rachel Goodwin created an impactful makeup look highlighted by a dramatic eye shape using shades of pewter and gunmetal to complement the metallic details on Emma’s stunning Lanvin dress.

Products used included REVLON PhotoReady Perfecting Primer, REVLON PhotoReady Airbrush Mousse Makeup in Nude, CHANEL Powder Blush in Orchid Rose,  CHANEL Intense Eye Pencil in Noir, REVLON ColorStay 16H Eyeshadow Quad in Precocious, CHANEL Inimitable Intense Mascara in Noir and REVLON ColorBurst Lip Butter in Lollipop.

While we’re only a few days into 2011, and The Beauty Bug’s CVS Extracare card has been working overtime! Check out these must-have drugstore finds.

Cover Girl Natureluxe Silk Foundation – If you haven’t seen the commercial yet, where Taylor Swift attempts to gracefully twirl through green sheers, while trying to look ethereal and elegant – you will very soon. She’s the face of Cover Girl’s new, highly-anticipated launch, Natureluxe. Luckily, the product is exponentially better than the commercial.

While it officially launches this month, if you were lucky and determined enough, you may have already got your hands on one of these tubes by scoping out drug stores in late December.

First used on the spring New York runways by makeup maven Pat McGrath, this baby took Cover Girl chemists years to create. Their mission was to develop a formula that rivaled pricey foundations and provided buildable coverage.  Upon first application, The Beauty Bug was ready for the runway, boasting naturally polished skin that was neither too matte, nor too dewy. The secret to the amazingly lightweight, yet full-coverage foundation? The ingredients. They include cucumber water,  natural jojoba and rosehip extracts – nothing  heavy or synthetic.  Whether you’re a fan of Taylor Swift or not, The Beauty Bug thinks you’ll agree – this foundation hits a high note.

L’Oreal’s Youth Code – Makeup message boards are a flutter over this product, touting it as the drug store version of the revered Lancome’s Genifique. One posting on makeupalley.com even compares the individual ingredients of the two products, finding them to be “almost identical” (see ingredient breakdown below) – the only difference was that Youth Code had some additional peptides.

The collection includes four products – a serum, day lotion,  night cream and eye cream – all claiming to be the most scientifically advanced anti-aging treatment in its category thanks to their GenActiv Technology. With ten years of research under its belt, L’Oreal’s clinical study results show that just after one drop, skin is immediately more luminous, feels silky smooth, and appears deeply hydrated. The Beauty Bug is eying this clinical starter kit.

Lancome’s Genifique:
Aqua/ Water/Eau, Bifida Ferment Lysate, Glycerin, Alcohol Denat., Dimethicone, Hydroxyethylpiperazine Ethane Sulfonic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Phenoxyethanol, PEG-20 Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Salicyloyl Phytosphingosine, Ammonium Polyacryldimethyltauramide/Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Limonene, Xanthan Gum, Caprylyl Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Octyldodecanol, Citric Acid, Citronellol, Parfum/Fragrance

L’Oreal’s Youth Code:
Aqua/Water, Bifida Ferment Lysate, Glycerin, Alcohol Denat., Dimenthicone, Hydroxyethylpiperazine Ethane Sulfonic Acid, Peg-20Methyl Glucose Sesquisterate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Salicyloyl Phytosphingosine, Palmitoyl Oligopeptide, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Adenosine, Ammonium. Polyacryldimethyltauramide, Disodium Edta, Caprylyl Glycol, Citric Acid, Xanthan Gum, N-Hydroxysuccinimide, Chrysin, Octyldodecanol, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol, Limonene, and Parfum.

Olay Professional Pro-X Cleansing System – Two words. Clarisonic, WHO?  Olay’s  renowned scientists and dermatologists worked overtime to create this small wonder, and The Beauty Bug is dubbing it THE must-have bathroom accessory of 2011! The cleansing system keeps your wallet stacked, while thoroughly cleansing, exfoliating and micro-massaging just as effectively as it’s pricey competitor.  Use the brush for 60 seconds, making sure to cover every crevice of your face (avoiding the eye area, of course). All of this massaging and cleansing helps to prep and prime your face, and stretches your pores just enough to allow your favorite moisturizer or serum to better penetrate the skin. Every skin care junkie knows that this is key to getting the most of our your products!

Resolve to get to the drugstore more in 2011!

L’Oreal’s True Match Roller, to answer her question. Yes, a mini paint roller that applies foundation.

Gimmick? Maybe. But, The Beauty Bug is just going to come out and say it – She likes it because it’s….fun.  And simple. The creamy, smooth formulation and the buildability factor aren’t half bad either. With this product, L’Oreal combines a novelty applicator with a solid, matte,  foundation, and it works.

A few things to about the roller..

• Before going to purchase, make sure you know what color family you belong and about the undertones in your skin (warm vs cool). The display will help guide you by asking what color jewelry looks best on you, but for a quick refresher course, refer to the second paragraph here.
• Yes, it’s silly and it’s probably not the best choice if you apply your makeup in public, or on the subway while you’re going to work, but… the roller contraption just makes sense.
• Have tissues handy when you’re using it. They will help you roll off any access product and clean the roller.
• Don’t worry, the roller doesn’t leave any streaks or striations.
• Contrary to the claims, the roller isn’t bendy, but it is semi-flexible and you can maneuver it into the crevices around your nose.
• The roller is a great tool for those who suffer from “my face is darker than my neck” syndrome.
• It’s easy and quick! For those that have shied away from liquid or cream foundation due to fear of properly blending it, this is a welcome, affordable segway.
• The foundation and the roller yield seamless, smooth, beautiful coverage.
• It lasts throughout the work day.
• No, it’s not the best drugstore foundation, but all things considered (the unique, easy application experience paired with the better-than-average foundation) it’s a pretty good option.

Thanks, L’Oreal for adding some fun and enjoyment to The Beauty Bug’s morning makeup routine.

L’Oreal’s True Match Roller is available at CVS for $13.99.

Disclosure: A press sample was provided to The Beauty Bug by CVS.

What looks like just another gimmick, is actually a solid little facial “scrublet” and cleanser that thoroughly cleans and exfoliates without being overly harsh or stripping. The small rubber disc is made up of 500 tiny, gentle, feelers that massage skin and remove all makeup and dirt.  The scublet is super soft, and as The Beauty Bug sweeps it across Her face,  She’s soothed and relaxed…and so is Her skin. She especially loves its flexibility because it lets Her get into the crevices near Her nostrils and slough off the dead skin, and remove stubborn  leftover makeup.

The cleanser smells of delicious apricots, and contains salicylic acid and natural apricot seed powder to exfoliate, leaving skin smooth, refreshed and velvety soft. The Beauty Bug applies the cleanser directly to the damp scrublet and then glides it across Her face, moving it in circular motions, letting the cleanser lather and foam.

Bottom line, this little-disc-that-could cleanses a face like no one’s business. It’s great for traveling, stocking stuffers, or just because there’s room left in the medicine cabinet for one more product!

The Beauty Bug will soon be heading back to CVS for seconds  – She wants to try the Deep Facial Cleanser with mint!

L’Oreal’s Go360 Facial Cleanser is available at CVS for $6.99

Disclosure: A press sample was provided to The Beauty Bug by CVS.

CoverGirl Exact Eyelights – Were you sucked in by the Rihanna magazine ads? Unfortunately, The Beauty Bug was.  This is nothing but ColorGirl VolumeExact repackaged. No popping, no light reflecting, no brightening (r as they claim, eyes are 4x as bright).  Something to remember when buying a mascara  – it only effects your lashes, not your eyes, as this one says (unfortunately, The Beauty Bug didn’t remind Herself of this as She was checking out at Her local CVS).

The Beauty Bug tried Black Pearl, which is spefically recommended for brown eyes, and it’s nothing but plain black mascara with minor traces of metallics if you close enough at the bristles.  The formula and the rubber bristles perform, but skip this mascara because it’s exact-ly average.

CoverGirl LashBlast Luxe - The newest of the bunch, LashBlast Luxe is yet another disappointment from CoverGirl – it’s just another gimmick. The mascara promises a tinted formula with shimmer. The Beauty Bug tried Black Platinum and the supposed tint/shimmer is non-existent. It seems as though we’re seeing a trend among  Cover Girl mascaras, which leads The Beauty Bug to advise sticking to the basic mascaras which don’t over-promise.

L’Oreal Carbon Black Voluminous – Only true beauty junkies know the pure joy you experience after re-discovering a stellar product.  The Beauty Bug rediscovered this gem back in December when She forgot to pack a mascara when traveling for Christmas. The rich, deep black formula produces full, dramatic, long lashes with no flaking or clumping. Before The Beauty Bug would have relied on this marcara as a fall-back, but now She reaches for it as a first choice.

L’Oreal DoubleExtend Beauty Tubes -  The newest addition to “tubular” mascaras, Beauty Tubes coats each individual last with its own tube which stays in tact until it is washed off with warm water.  Yes, this product does fulfill its promise of being budge/smudge-proof, but it doesn’t provide that extra length (the “lash-extending beauty tubes” promise to lengthen up to 80%) or any volume. The Beauty Bug has been testing this mascara for quite a while now, and it’s nothing more than mediocre. The formula is thin, and the bush is a wire-y and flimsy. The major unavoidable drawback? It’s a  a 2-step mascara.

If you’re looking for a mascara that doesn’t budge for anything, spend the extra $5 or $6 and opt for Clinique’s Lash Power. This is the red-headed step child.

After reading that, and seeing that all of the L’Oreal Skin Genesis products were on sale at Walgreens for 25% off, the Beauty Bug was sold. On Sunday afternoon when She should have been moving (The Beauty Bug and The Beauty Bug Boyfriend just purchased their first condo – no doubt She will be installing a beauty closet soon), she made her way to Walgreen because getting this new product was clearly the priority.

She quickly located it on the shelf (the packaging the very sleek) and headed to the check-out counter. The extremely talkative and cheerful 60-something cashier raved about the product – she had just come back from a local L’Oreal class where she learned about it. The cashier, we’ll call her Tabby, then proceeded to instruct The Beauty Bug on how to open the serum – nothing more than a slight counter-clockwise motion (a trick The Beauty Bug surely would have never figured out). While demonstrating, she awkwardly twisted her wrist – which already had a brace on it, a result of racing her cat from the kitchen to the living room Tabby explained. While The Beauty Bug kept a smile on her face, She was trying to take in every detail so She could tell The Beauty Bug Boyfriend about her odd encounter – the weird cat-lady Tabby who probably shared the serum with her cat.

The Beauty Bug exited Walgreens with a smile, happy that she had opted to go to Walgreens instead of her normal drug-store favorite, CVS. Surely, the trip wouldn’t have been half as interesting….

A London woman recently “lashed” out against L’Oreal after she suspected that Penelope Cruz was wearing false eyelashes in the commercial for its Telescopic Mascara. She protested to the UK’s Advertising Standards Authority who surprisingly listened and act. Refreshing, isn’t it?

If you recall, The Beauty Bug made the same claim a while back.

According to an article in the Daily Mail, “It (the ASA) found the TV commercial misleading and said the magazine advert failed to be accurate and true. During the investigation, the French company admitted that the star had been wearing individual false lashes.

The ASA has ordered L’Oréal to add a disclaimer to future adverts whenever models are shown wearing false lashes.

It also told the firm to make it clear that its “60 per cent” claim referred to the appearance of the lashes – not to an actual extension in the length that could be achieved by using the mascara.”

L’Oreal added that “Penelope Cruz was wearing a few individual false lashes inserted into her natural lashes to fill in the gaps in her natural lashes for a consistent standard of lashes.”

A signed affidavit from the star and her make-up artist supported this.

The Telescopic mascara was applied on top.

Few things come to mind after hearing about this. How did L’Oreal think they were going to get away with this? It’s SO blatantly obvious.

The Beauty Bug is surprised that we don’t hear about this more often with other cosmetics companies…L’Oreal got the slap on the wrist that they deserve, but they also need some time out in the corner. Shame on them…

That day marked the first purchase of what would become many, many more L’Oreal mascara purchases. The Beauty Bug never forgot what her friend and MAC artist told her that day – some may even say that that piece of advice was as valuable as a good piece of motherly advice (look both ways before crossing the street, if you don’t have anything nice to say don’t say it at all, etc.).

Fast Forward to this weekend when The Beauty Bug bought herself a tube of L’Oreal’s new Telescopic Mascara. She had been wanting to try it ever since She had seen the commercial during the Golden Globes, and it was on sale at Walgreens. A low-risk purchase – right up the Beauty Bug’s alley!

The Telescopic Mascara is another hit for L’Oreal. The packaging is novel (the tube actually looks like a mini-telescope) and the comb wand is strikingly similar to Lancome’s Fatale. The comb allows for ideal separation and length with very minimal clumping. The formula allows for multiple coats to be applied without becoming thick or heavy. The telescopic mascara is a solid mascara for the price – just be careful not to bend the wand putting it back in the tube!