We all know how pictures can be airbrushed like these of Britney Spears.  She boldly agreed to release the photos from the latest shoot which reveal exactly how much retouching is done on the final photo.

Magazines are one thing, but what about cosmetic pictures promising to get rid of wrinkles or remove brown spots?    Dr. Zein Obagi believes the majority of pictures are doctored up.   ”Clinical photos should be taken under the same light,” says Dr Obagi, who has just launched another skincare line called, ZO Skin Health.  (Pictures after the jump)

(more…)

We think the first lady of France, Carla Bruni is stunning.  But when we came upon this picture of the former model we wondered…what has she done?  Thoughts?

We have been obsessing over the 15-year old girl who recently became the youngest cosmetic Botox user in the UK.  She was injected by her own mother who is known as the  Human Barbie  because she holds the world record for the most cosmetic procedures.  She even became a trained aesthetic practitioner so she could do the injections herself.

Sarah Burge injected her daughter with half the usual dosage of Botox because she believes it will prevent (her now 16-year old) from developing wrinkles in the future.  Her daughter is apparently worried about looking haggard  by the time she turns 25.  According to the Daily Mail , Ms. Burge, a mother of three was happy to inject her daughter and talked her through the entire experience.  

We found this happens with teens in the U.S. as well.  A very reputable Beverly Hills plastic surgeon tells Beauty Undercover he has injected teenagers with Botox.  In all these cases the parents brought them in with concerns about wrinkles in the future.  This same doctor has even had mothers ask him to enhance teens lips with filler.  Yuck!

The other day we noticed a woman walking in Santa Monica who was a surgery (or two) away from Jocelyn Wildenstein - the New York socialite dubbed the cat lady due to her shocking appearance from excessive plastic surgery.  We wondered, in the wake of Heidi Montag’s multiple procedures, if the 23-year old wasn’t heading down the same treacherous path.  Where is the line between looking good and looking crazy?

A new book by two former models turned psychotherapists deals with the emotions brought on by the role beauty plays in a woman’s life.  What Women Really Feel As Their Looks Change by Vivian Diller, Ph.D, with Jill Muir-Sukenick, Ph.D. and edited by Michele Willens deals with the reality of changing looks.
At Beauty Undercover we love finding out about the latest age-defying products and procedures.  However, there’s a difference between trying to look good for your age and attempting to shave off too many years.  (We’ve all seen those women who don’t have a wrinkle on their face but look ten years older than their actual age.)  “The younger we try to look, the less attractive we feel,”  says author Vivian Diller who at the age of 16 felt the pressures of aging in the modeling business.  “What you really want is to look the best you can for your age.”  We totally agree.  Now can someone tell that to Heidi Montag before it’s too late!

How quickly do you replace your mascara?  Some say it must be done every six months.  Hollywood makeup artist, Rachel Goodwin tosses it after just 6 weeks!  “That’s one reason to buy inexpensive mascara,” says the makeup artist to actresses such as Penelope Cruz and January Jones.  “Otherwise it can gather bacteria.”  But these expiration dates apply to other makeup as well.
The Daily Mail recently did a story about how long you should keep everything from eye shadow to blush.  Over time bacteria can get on the face and cause irritation or infection.  But according to research many women carry makeup (that in some cases) is 15 years out of date. Below is a list of how long you should keep the following makeup around.
Lipstick – Up to two years tops!
Mascara - 4 to 6 months
Eyeliner – 18 months
Blush – 18-24 months
Perfume – 36 months

Brushes also need to be washed regularly.  For more on this story click on this link.

Big earrings are all the rage.  But those large jewels can do major damage to the earlobe.  For some people any weight on the ears will eventually make the hole bigger.  
But cosmetic physician, Dr. Simon Ourian, fixes the problem by shooting Restalyne or Juviderm into the the pierced ear to fill in the area that’s been stretched out.  Recently we watched him do this procedure on Megan O’Brien – the beauty blogger from Megsmakeup.  Below is the video.