Marie Louise Cosmetics Cleansing Clear Gel.

I’m a fan of the smoky eye. In fact, having rather typical East Asian eyes, I’ve been a fan of the smoky eye since probably as long as I’ve been wearing makeup. Face it, a smoky eye to me is like mascara to your average Caucasian — I do not leave the house without it.

The problem with the smoky eye is removing the smoky eye every night. It’s no easy task, trust me.

I’ve tried many, many makeup removers. Oily ones, stinging ones, all-in-one wipes, even Johnson’s Baby Shampoo. Needless to say, it’s a hit or miss proposition.

Now, I’m not going to say Marie Louise Cleansing Clear Gel is the best at removing makeup I’ve ever tried. It’s good, don’t get me wrong. All Marie Louise products’ nanotechnology and emulsification make their products reliably good. But what really sells me on it is the feel of the Cleansing Clear Gel. Squeeze a quarter size dollop on your hand and it looks like a clear gel. Rub your hands together to emulsify the gel and you feel the thick, viscous, rich quality. This is not your average gel. Massage onto your face and instantly you realize that this is a sort of oil in thick gel form. It’s like giving yourself a massage, but with a rich, creamy gel. As you massage it in, all the dirt, oxidized oils and makeup accumulated throughout the day are swept up into the gel. Then rinse or wipe off, and all you have is super soft, super clean skin — no stripping, no harsh cleansers (which, by the way, paradoxically increase oil production).

I know — oil removing oil? That’s right. This oil is the kind that removes oil and doesn’t leave an oily residue on your face.

The biggest endorsement I can give? It’s the middle of summer and my T-zone has started to run amok with oil production. But Marie Louise Cleansing Clear Gel not only doesn’t add to the oil slick on my face, I actually think it’s helping it.

I moisturize my skin religiously. I go through a huge bottle of lotion about every two months because, trust me, in this day and age, with the sun and the Greenhouse Effect and Kim Jong-Il and the economy, sometimes all a girl can do is make sure her skin is hydrated and youthful looking.

It never occurred me to check out a body wash that had natural moisturizers in it, which would save me a couple bills at checkout, not to mention save me the process of lotioning myself up every night.

Nature’s Gate Pomegranate Sunflower Velvet Moisture Body Wash is paraben-free with moisturizers made to hydrate dry skin. You’ve heard of the wonders of pomegranate, right? The antioxidants found in pomegranates work to fight free radicals and prevent any potential damage from them. And sunflower nourishes and replenishes the skin with vital nutrition and vitamins.

Nature's Gate Pomegranate Sunflower Velvet Moisture Body Wash.

Even more impressive is the fact that this body wash is paraben-free. What is paraben? It is a cosmetic preservative found in your everyday products: toothpastes, shampoos, shaving gels, even personal lubricants. Although seemingly harmless, studies have found that parabens are found in high concentrations in breast cancer tumors (though the link to parabens and cancers are still undergoing study).

Whether the studies prove right or wrong, I am not an advocate for beauty at the risk to your health. Why run the risk when there are other affordable products that are substance- and chemical-free? This body wash is a healthy choice for you and your body because of the absence of toxic chemicals, and it’s produced without animal testing or any animal byproducts. Even the bottle is biodegradable.

Take it from this skin-moisturizing addict, you’ll want to have this in your beauty arsenal.

So comment to this post and we’ll pick five winners to try out this amazing product. You got till August 11, 11:59 p.m., and you must have a U.S. addy. Remember — retweet for an additional entry! Good luck!

I find that there’s an inverse relationship between the temperature outside and how long it takes to get ready in the morning. The warmer the weather gets, the quicker I’m out the door in the morning. I let my hair’s natural wave come out, eschewing time-consuming blow outs. My outfits are much less complicated, with a bright print substituting for the layered intricacies of a cold weather look. And if ever there was a time to feel less self-conscious about freckles showing, now is it.

That’s when a tinted moisturizer is perfect. One easy step to even out skin tone and moisturize. Lavere Natural Anti-Aging Hydro Bronzer in cool beige is not a “bronzer” in the traditional sense. It’s more like a tinted primer, giving it the sheerest boost and a nice “blurring” of discoloration and unevenness. All the while, organic fruit acids eat away dulling dead skin cells, and hyaluronic acid, organic aloe vera and jojoba oil moisturize and work to reduce the appearance of lines and wrinkles. Skin is soft and plumped without being greasy.

I’d like to make the record clear: I have never had a make-over done. No parent, friend, stranger or significant other has drastically altered my ‘look’ since I eschewed mother’s haircuts for the $8 Vietnamese-run barbershop by the mall. Besides the terrible conclusion that I am solely responsible for all this, never having had a make-over has apparently affected me in ways I am just beginning to understand.

Perhaps you too have never been made over. For some, this is a matter of guilt. I understand. I’ve paid for two massages in my lifetime–once in China, once in Vegas–and both times, regardless how much I spent, I always felt undeserving of the attention lavished upon my sometimes naked bum and rest of body. For others, avoiding the make over is due to you being A Man and this being Not Socially Accepted Yet. I sympathize with you, as I am the same way.

Samantha Llanos gets the whole undeserving-feely thing. She was chosen along with two other girls for an LA weekend make-over, courtesy of super-stylist Chriselle. Full disclosure: Chriselle is working with Audrey Magazine on a number of things including our next cover shoot, but to this day has not offered me a make-over.

Left to right: Samantha Llanos, Sara Warren and Alexandra Becker, post-make-over.

Last weekend Llanos was plucked from her home in the barren northern-Celtic lands of Boston, Mass., and flown to Los Angeles where she met fellow make-over recipients Alexandra Becker and Sara Warren. The three then went on a two-day tour of sustained attention-receiving, from having their locks combed and pampered by Ree of the Angus M Salon, to makeup by YouTube makeup phenom and Lancome video makeup artist Michelle Phan, personal styling by Chriselle, plus a photoshoot by photographer Karla Ticas to top it off.

Michelle Phan laying a foundation on make-over recipient Sara Warren

“I was just really happy,” reflected Llanos when I caught up with her this week. “I don’t remember being excited about anything, vaguely happy about anything for such a long time now.”

Stylist Chriselle stringing a necklace on Samantha Llanos.

Llanos for the past year and a half has been dealing with the death of a boyfriend. During that time, she describes her life as occupied by just the bare minimum: going through the motions, not doing much else. Now, for the first time in a long while, she’s excited for something like shopping for new clothes. When I spoke with her a work week later, she remained optimistic.

“Seeing the team and seeing [Chriselle and Michelle], I don’t think I’ve ever seen people who were working, and loving what they did so much it didn’t seem like working. It changed my perspective of life in general.”

The make-over couldn’t have hurt either. Note to Chriselle: I think I’m due for mine.

Marie Louise Vital Nanonemulsion α-VC.

I’ve raved about Marie Louise Cosmetics before. I’ll admit it. I’m a huge fan. And their Vital Nanoemulsion α-VC is no different.

A beauty essence serum created with the latest nanotechnology and emulsification methods, the α-VC penetrates to nourish from deep within the skin. It’s Marie Louise’s nano-sized ingredients that allows them to seal in triple-layered capsules of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and Vitamin A in the center again. As each layer sheds incrementally in different layers of the skin, the nutrients are quickly absorbed deep into the tissue where they restore and revitalize skin. In other words, these babies go where no regular cream, serum or lotion has gone before.

Why drive a Honda when you could drive a Porsche?

Let’s face it. Facebook profile pictures matter almost as much, if not more, than first impressions on first dates. And skincare company Vaseline is banking on that with their new Facebook app and arguably racist marketing campaign, which is stirring up some major controversy.

Vaseline's ad campaign for their new skin whitening cream for men, featuring Bollywood star Shahid Kupur .

Vaseline’s Facebook application allow users to lighten the skin color of their profile pictures by five shades. The app targets Indian male consumers as a marketing tool to accompany the launch of the Vaseline brand’s new skin-lightening creams for men. The ad campaign has Bollywood star Shahid Kupur as its brand ambassador and features a picture of his face divided in half, highlighting the lighter and darker differences.

The ad campaign’s message is clear — that lighter skin, even for men, is better. In India, light skin has long been the gold standard for beauty. The standard doesn’t discriminate between men and women and applies to everyone. In a country where often the societal and cultural norm states that fairer skin will enhance one’s chances at success in life and even in finding love, it has become apparent that Indians are literally and physically getting white-washed.

In many South, Southeast and East Asian countries, the physical attribute of “whiteness” has become the beauty standard. Whether it is more Westernized facial features through double-eyelid folds or lighter skin achieved with whitening creams, Asians in their native countries are taking drastic and unnatural measures to achieve such desired outcomes. In the case of Vaseline’s skin-whitening cream ad campaign, its online marketing through the globally accessed social networking site Facebook.com is giving users from all over the world an insight into racism-embedded marketing efforts in India. What may seem culturally relevant and applicable in India today is being criticized as racist marketing according to online users from other parts of the world. Profile pictures are important and it’s understandable that everyone wants to put their best faces forward, but your face — five shades lighter — shouldn’t be the accepted beauty standard.

Lavere Anti-Aging Intensive Eye Cream.

This eye cream is great. Before I went to bed, I squeezed a small dollop of it onto my fingers and gently applied it to the area around my eyes. The cream was silky and light and didn’t feel as though it was weighing down my skin or clogging any pores. The scent, though subtle and hard to place, had a very calming effect. Nothing noxious, but noticeable.

Waking up the  next morning, I discovered that my skin was noticeably smoother and softer. My skin felt rejuvenated with moisture, and the area around my eyes was much  more relaxed.

Lavere’s Anti-Aging Intensive Eye Cream will put the glow back into your skin without weighing it down with an oily compound. Another cosmetic necessity to add to your makeup bag.

When the clock finally read 6 pm, I leapt out of my swivel chair and skipped through the door. I jumped into the elevator and ran to the beige Sienna van where my family was waiting to take me to the airport. Farewell to the old 9-6 and hello to adventure, excitement and travel!

As part of the 2010 Miss LA Chinatown court, we generally hold our princess duties around the Los Angeles Chinatown (duh) area. However, this special summer, four of us had the opportunity to travel to various cities in China and act as ambassadors for the Los Angeles Chinese Chamber of Commerce, where we soaked in the culture of the east to take home and share with our local community in the west.

Janice Jann, second from left, with the other members of the Miss LA Chinatown court and the LA Chinese Chamber of Commerce president at the Bird's Nest Stadium in Beijing.

Over our two week-trip, we visited five areas around China — Beijing, DengFeng, Shanghai, Shantou and Hong Kong. We were treated to a multifaceted look at the face of China, going to countryside villages and large metropolises, admiring 1,000-year-old Longmen Grottoes in Luo Yang, and then glimpsing into the future of Shanghai at the World Expo. We tilled soil and practiced Shaolin martial arts. We dolled up and dined with government officials. We visited colleges and nightclubs. We ate. A lot. We suffered repercussions from eating a lot.

The Miss LA Chinatown court got an inside look into Chinese culture, including Shaolin moves.

Having tea with the Shaolin school director.

The entire time, a pending Audrey blog post was in the back of my mind. “What experiences should I share with Audrey readers about my trip to China that will be meaningful for them to read?”

I had expected this post to be one of those fish out of the water tales where I hilariously shared tales of asking to use the restroom and then being led to a side of the street or where I eat strange foods and then throw up afterward, but in actuality, my experience in Asia became one of coming home. It became one of where I found myself comforted to know the language of my ancestors and to learn their customs. It became one where I liked seeing faces like mine all over the billboards and magazine ads. It became one where I was proud to see how far my homeland had come and excited to see where there future will head.

Janice, far right, and the Miss LA Chinatown court in Shanghai, imitating what she calls a "common Chinese pose." From left: Carrie Gan, Nebula Gu, Jani Wang and Janice Jann.

The thing that is so refreshing about traveling is that you are living in the present. When I’m at home, I’m either constantly planning for the future, whether it be counting down to closing time at work or waiting for the weekends, or thinking to the past, whether it be reminiscing about the good ol’ days with high school friends or flicking through Facebook photos of my past travels (what? You know you do that too.) But when I’m at a particular city for only three days, I have no time to twiddle twaddle lamenting about my exes or worrying about what to do with the rest of my life. I’m too busy staring at sunsets, enjoying a conversation with a cute stranger, and living life at the moment.

Travel reminds us to do this: to live in the present. Think about your daily life. How often do you spend it worrying about what’s going to happen next or pining for the past? How often do you spend it just sitting there soaking in your surroundings and feeling life’s pulse?

I constantly wish for traveling to be a full-time gig, but I don’t think I would appreciate it as much if it were. So, I’ll take the few sacred weeks every year or so and hold it dear to my heart. Until the next adventure.

Making the most of the long transpacific flight.

Marie Louise Cleansing Clear Gel.

I’m a fan of the smoky eye. In fact, having rather typical East Asian eyes, I’ve been a fan of the smoky eye since probably as long as I’ve been wearing makeup. Face it, a smoky eye to me is like mascara to your average Caucasian — I do not leave the house without it.

The problem with the smoky eye is removing the smoky eye every night. It’s no easy task, trust me.

I’ve tried many, many makeup removers. Oily ones, stinging ones, all-in-one wipes, even Johnson’s Baby Shampoo. Needless to say, it’s a hit or miss proposition.

Now, I’m not going to say Marie Louise Cleansing Clear Gel is the best at removing makeup I’ve ever tried. It’s good, don’t get me wrong. All Marie Louise products’ nanotechnology and emulsification make their products reliably good. But what really sells me on it is the feel of the Cleansing Clear Gel. Squeeze a quarter size dollop on your hand and it looks like a clear gel. Rub your hands together to emulsify the gel and you feel the thick, viscous, rich quality. This is not your average gel. Massage onto your face and instantly you realize that this is a sort of oil in thick gel form. It’s like giving yourself a massage, but with a rich, creamy gel. As you massage it in, all the dirt, oxidized oils and makeup accumulated throughout the day are swept up into the gel. Then rinse or wipe off, and all you have is super soft, super clean skin — no stripping, no harsh cleansers (which, by the way, paradoxically increase oil production).

I know — oil removing oil? That’s right. This oil is the kind that removes oil and doesn’t leave an oily residue on your face.

The biggest endorsement I can give? It’s the middle of summer and my T-zone has started to run amok with oil production. But Marie Louise Cleansing Clear Gel not only doesn’t add to the oil slick on my face, I actually think it’s helping it.

You will not believe the amount of stress I go through. Generally, I get about four to six hours of sleep every night, more if I’ve gotten an early head start to my day, less if I’ve decided to cause some late-night mischief or have a deadline to meet.

Yes. I am a self-proclaimed workaholic.

And I think I like it.

But being a workaholic takes a lot of work. Especially when taking care of your skin because that’s one of the first things to deteriorate when you lose sleep or aren’t getting enough nutrition. And I’m sure the stress doesn’t do anything to help with wrinkles and stress lines. I haven’t even had my midlife crisis yet, and I’m starting to see the beginnings of canyons form on my forehead.

Lavere Natural Anti-Aging Solution Face Mask is the ultimate treat for your tired skin. It comes in a 1-oz. bottle, easy for you to carry in your purse, and it leaves your skin hydrated, clear and absolutely glowing. The invigorating organic oils and plant extracts do wonders for your skin, leaving your skin looking visibly refreshed and younger.

Lavere Natural Anti-Aging Solution face mask.