I have been taking care of my skin for years…It’s practically a sport! I see my facialist at least once a month, and in between appointments. I supplement with facemasks that I tend to abuse and overuse. After a long night…while most people come home, order pizza and fall deep into slumber, I wash my face, and guiltily apply a facemask, which I then proceed to sleep in! Yes I have an addiction. But it all comes down to this: the key to looking and feeling beautiful is a luminous, glowing and radiant complexion. This can be achieved so easily! For me, beauty is not about the bold lip, or the colored eyeshadow, it’s the skin. Think of it like your canvas. You can’t start painting until you have a fresh and clean foundation. Not to say that I am not a complete product junkie, and I don’t buy everything in sight, but one thing at a time, and step one – the importance of skincare.

Find a facialist, and build a relationship. When I moved to New York City after college, my skin was a wreck! Between the stresses of crashing on friend’s couches, finding a job, an apartment (in a month!), and getting my parents off my back, my skin was definitely taking a toll. My friend Jen, who has perfect skin, referred me to Dangene McKay Bailey. At the time, Dangene was bicoastal, working in LA during the week and NYC on weekends, but I was persistent and she was able to squeeze me in.

Dangene’s program is simple. Pay a flat fee, and in return, receive a customized treatment to fit the unique needs of your skin. Her goal? Perfection. Skin, so flawless that you will never need to use foundation again. Would this be possible? During my first appointment, I slipped into a white, strapless terrycloth robe and lay on the table in what looked like a doctor’s office off of Park Avenue. There are no frills in Dangene’s program. No scented oils, or lavender eye pillows, no soothing foot massages, candles or hot tea. Instead, you receive a bouquet of treatments, and not just on the face, but the entire body.

Since meeting Dangene six years ago, she has moved her business permanently to New York and built an empire. More on Dangene’s story later.