Sometimes I feel lucky and today, I am having a great day. We are on vacation in the Turks & Caicos at an unbelievable place called Amanyara. We are fortunate enough to be the guests of two of my favorite people, Nile Rodgers and Nancy Hunt. Nile was Billboard Magazine's record producer of the year and the co-founder of the group Chic. His better half Nancy, heads up the We Are Family Foundation, a non-profit organization founded by Nile to improve communication around the world. You should check them out: www.wearefamilyfoundation.org. The foundation is named after a famous song that Nile wrote and I imagine that if you are reading this blog you have heard, sung or danced (like me) to it on more than one occasion. You may even have it on your iPod (I do!).
To me, Amanyara is perfection. It is naturally beautiful and so relaxing. You can see it for yourself at their website as the pictures there are much better than any description I could attempt to give. http://www.amanresorts.com/amanyara/home.aspx But, at this time of year despite the warm and consistent tropical breezes, it is HOT.
I love the beach, and at Amanyara, you always meet interesting people there. On an earlier trip, I met two High School Musical stars playing like little children on the beach, away from the harassment that probably surrounds their lives. After speaking with them throughout our trip, I found they were really down to earth, and well, just "kids." This week Victoria's Secret finished a photo shoot here, and some of the models decided to stay longer. If you want to be humbled quickly, hang out at the beach with super models.
You may be wondering, what does all of this have to do with anything? When we are hot, most of us sweat. And while this is not a problem when lying on the beach, it is a genuine problem for my clients in a television studio. Some people really sweat -- bad! I think former DC Mayor Marion Barry gets my all time award for outstanding achievement in perspiration. Every time he came into the studio, even in the dead of winter, he would be perspiring profusely. But then again, the questions that he was being hit with at the time would probably have made anyone sweat (not to mention other potential causes).
Today, HDTV is not a friend of sweat -- every little bead of perspiration is magnified a million times and can make a television guest look like an exhausted runner at the finish line of the 26-mile Marine Corps Marathon. Anyone that has visited a television studio knows how the directors try to combat the problem of perspiration -- they keep the room freezing cold! Studio A at NBC in Washington, DC (home of Meet the Press) is like a large walk-in refrigerator. Some people are even rumored to have encountered hypothermia at David Letterman's show.
OK, so you are probably asking yourself, what is the point of this blog? Well, I promised to share some my most secret tips with you, so you can look your best - anywhere and in any situation. Here's the first one:
TIP No. 1: I frequently work with clients that perspire and can't let it show. Perspiration doesn't look good on-air and instills in the viewer a lack of confidence. Instead of thinking about what someone is saying, the audience is wondering why he or she is sweating. Are they nervous? Hot? Lying?
Here's how I help my clients avoid this sweaty situation:
If you get warm under the lights, or any outdoor event or potentially "sticky" situation (outdoor weddings), don't let anyone try to apply antiperspirant or a simple cold compress to your face. The secret is Sea Breeze on ice. You can buy it right from your local drug store but if you don't have time to stop there, here's a link to stock up in advance at Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0012ROO2A/ref=s9_simz_gw_s2_p121_t1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=1RQPYD0YFHH9QYFD4H6N&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=470938631&pf_rd_i=507846
1.Pour a cup of Sea Breeze in to a large glass and add ice cubes - it chills quickly.
2.When you are ready to put on your make-up, take a cloth, dip it in the cold Sea Breeze and press the cloth on your skin. A well-prepared canvas is always a necessity!
3.Now you are ready to apply your make-up.
4.This trick seals up the pores for about 30 minutes, but after the makeup has been applied you can put the solution in a fine mist spray bottle and give yourself a spritz to continue the effect. (Make sure you close your mouth and eyes!)
I have even used this handy little trick on the sweaty palms of a few clients (nothing is worse than a clammy handshake!) Obviously, each one of us is different. As is always the case in TV, timing is critical.
I hope this helps. Life is stressful enough...but with this tip, there really is no need to sweat it. Enjoy!
*On a "footnote" you might ask how did I thank Nile for taking us on a great vacation? No make-up, but a much-needed pedicure! Nancy did not need one, but she filmed it. Watch this: www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBOmC2SAaiY#watch-main-area