Do you know whether these common skin care statements are true or false? Take the quiz and find out if you’re a beauty genius or should go back to cosmetics class!

Beauty IQ Questions

1. Good genetics is the most important factor in how your skin looks.
2. As you age, you should exfoliate more often than when you are young.
3. A necessary step in skincare is using a toner or freshener after cleansing.
4. If you have sensitive skin, you should avoid using products that list “fragrance” on their ingredient labels.
5. Natural ingredients are always better for your skin than synthetic or chemical ones.
6. When choosing foundation, you should try the shade on your neck, not on your face.
7. Once you find a makeup look that works for you, you should stick to it.
8. Cosmetic puffs or pads are all the same, so buy the cheapest.
9. Reduce pore size by washing with piping hot water and rinse with icy cold.
10. It’s more important to use sunscreen everyday than only when on vacation.

Answers

Question 1. False. 40% of skin’s appearance is due to genetics, while 60% is under your control. You can prevent problems and improve skin texture by using daily sunscreen, eating a healthy diet, engaging in regular physical activity, limiting stress and avoiding smoking.

Strangely, morning minutes seem to fly by faster than at any other time of the day (think how they drag when you’re waiting in line for something). Whether you go through all these steps in the morning or just a few, each of these shortcuts can help you get out the door a bit sooner.

1: Washing Your Face

If you’ve done a good job of cleansing your face the night before, no need to lather up your face with soap or cleanser and then spend time rinsing thoroughly. Simply splash your face with warm water and massage lightly to invigorate. Or for an even faster wash, simply spray your face with a hydrating mist.

2: Shaving Your Legs

While in the shower, apply hair conditioner to your hair and apply extra conditioner to your legs. While your hair is being nourished, you can shave your legs. The extra moisture that conditioner contains will eliminate the need to use additional body lotion on your legs afterwards.

3: Nourish Your Skin

After washing, no need to towel dry your face. Take advantage of every last drop of the water that’s already hydrating your skin. Apply a nourishing serum and your moisturizer (with sunscreen for daytime) to damp skin. Don’t forget your neck, upper chest area and tops of hands (anywhere skin is exposed). Added bonus? By leaving the face damp, you will end up using less product, too.

Three weeks ago, I arrived at work to discover extensive media coverage detailing the reorganization of the parent media company of the magazine I work for, and that jobs would be eliminated. In the four and a half years I have worked here, I survived three waves of layoffs, usually taking place in December. Since I managed to be working for higher-level executives at each earlier occurrence, I was spared; my job was deemed necessary.

Meltdown in the US

This time however, with the economy in meltdown (falling to pieces here in New York City) and because I am supporting a mid-level manager, it is highly likely that I will lose my job. Other New York-based media companies recently announced that they are folding magazines, cutting budgets and eliminating jobs. Also last Wednesday, the morning we were all celebrating Obama’s win, the mayor of New York City announced that he would be eliminating one thousand government jobs to recover the budget deficit. There seems to be no safe haven for anyone anymore.

In my former life as a new product developer for various cosmetic companies, it was my job to evaluate competitor’s products to see what was good, bad, or could be improved upon in a new formulation. Over the course of a year, I would try hundreds of products, and I formed a notable prejudice for certain favorites. Although I’m no longer actively employed in that specific area of the beauty biz, old habits die hard and I still try lots of new products with an appraising eye. Here (in no particular order) are ten of my current highly biased can’t-live-without products.

When buying skincare or cosmetics, does more expensive mean better product? Not necessarily. Here are some guidelines on what is worth spending money on and where you can afford to be a cheapskate when shopping at the cosmetics counter.

1. Moisturizer – Save

A moisturizer is basically a mixture of oil and water; and for daytime, sunscreen is added to the mix. Yes, there are lots of trace additives—fruit or vegetable extracts, vitamins, minerals and various ingredients that claim to firm wrinkles, reverse aging and “lift” skin. (Sorry, friends, once you’ve aged, there is no going back. Sunscreen is the most effective anti-aging product you can use.)

Say goodbye to summer, not to sunscreen. In fact, your skin is exposed to more ambient sunshine and damaging rays that happen day to day, than it is during a tropical winter vacation. So goodbye summer actually means…hello sunscreen.

During a week at the beach, you could be spending from 6 to 8 hours a day exposed to ultraviolet rays. And although you may be dutiful about sun protection, sunscreen isn’t a blank check for spending unlimited time in the sun.