I think the main thing is her eyes, and perhaps a bit on her cheekbones. And of course numerous facelifts and chemical peels.

I asked DaytimeFan about the cheekbones before and I think we agreed that it had more to do with the loss of buccal fat as she's aged... and makeup. Minshew's got some crazy cheekbones too and notice how they looked less prominent when she got pregnant.

Those 1994 clips do show her looking a bit different, don't they? Interesting. I figured it was more recent.

I hate to ask, but why would anyone guess brow lift over face lift? Or are we saying she had both? And what exactly makes her eyes look so "cat-like"? I know little about plastic surgery but not I'm pretty curious haha.

Those 1994 clips do show her looking a bit different, don't they? Interesting. I figured it was more recent.

I hate to ask, but why would anyone guess brow lift over face lift? Or are we saying she had both? And what exactly makes her eyes look so "cat-like"? I know little about plastic surgery but not I'm pretty curious haha.

A brow lift is for your lined, saggy forehead, think from the temples and up. A facelift is for your lower face, from the temples down, saggy cheeks, jowls, et cetera. Depending on what your issues are, you may need both or just one. With botox and the overall desire for less invasive procedures with more natural looking results, many folks are foregoing the browlifts these days. Go to the mirror and pull your forehead skin up with your hands. You'll notice that your eyebrows will raise as well. This is an added benefit, and for some folks the brow lift will suffice and they won't need work done on their upper eyelids. Her "cat eyes" may be a combo of a brow lift, some eye work, and makeup.

I think '94 was the year of her most major work, but as I said, it's obvious that she's been well-maintained for the last 15 years.

A brow lift is for your lined, saggy forehead, think from the temples and up. A facelift is for your lower face, from the temples down, saggy cheeks, jowls, et cetera. Depending on what your issues are, you may need both or just one. With botox and the overall desire for less invasive procedures with more natural looking results, many folks are foregoing the browlifts these days. Go to the mirror and pull your forehead skin up with your hands. You'll notice that your eyebrows will raise as well. This is an added benefit, and for some folks the brow lift will suffice and they won't need work done on their upper eyelids. Her "cat eyes" may be a combo of a brow lift, some eye work, and makeup.

I think '94 was the year of her most major work, but as I said, it's obvious that she's been well-maintained for the last 15 years.

Thank you for all your help. What does "eye work" entail? That sounds horrifying haha

I think '94 was the year of her most major work, but as I said, it's obvious that she's been well-maintained for the last 15 years.

She was definitely "maintained" before that horrid Desiree, Queen of the Desert storyline. When she was crying over Eric's coffin, her face was pulled back and lacked any expression. The only thing she could do was squint to emulate crying. Then the biggest hints were the blonde wig, scarf around her neck and cream cheese on the camera lens whenever they showed Erica in "Las Vegas." Combining several tricks of the trade to confuse the viewing eye about what, exactly, is different about the "freshly maintained" performer.

I've dragged out these clips before, but an excellent facelift and nose job (Dan Baker) during her hiatus after Francis Heflin's death.

Before:

After:

Maintenance work thereafter. Your thoughts DaytimeFan?

Here we go...

Facelift and nose job in 1994 courtesy of Dr Dan Baker in NYC.

During the Las Vegas storyline from hell, she was recovering from a neck job (which is such a hard surgery to do, it's basically a lower facelift even if you don't have jowels.

Since 2000 she's had a brow lift (which changed her hairline, it's still good but it isn't what it was) and eye work that I think was a touch too aggressive. The lower eye work (in which you separate the lash line from the skin, scoop out the bag and then sew it up again) was very nicely done. It's the upper eye work that was just a touch too much (you cut in the crease of the upper eye lid, remove a strip of skin, then sew up again). It was just a tiny bit too much of a tweak, but it still looks good, just not as natural as the rest of her work does.

She also, of course, dabbles in Botox.

She hasn't messed with her cheekbones or lips which is why she looks as good as she does.

Then the biggest hints were the blonde wig, scarf around her neck and cream cheese on the camera lens whenever they showed Erica in "Las Vegas."

*guttural chuckles*

I don't want to totally jack this into a cosmetic surgery thread, but it was no secret that Ruth Warrick had her face done a couple of times, and I think she had some great work given her age, the time period, and her geographical location... she escaped that wind tunnel look of a lot of those Upper East Side biddies.

I don't want to totally jack this into a cosmetic surgery thread, but...

Does it matter at this point? They've been taping in Los Angeles for almost a month, now. We've pretty much gotten the clue on who's moving/not moving.

Point taken.

Here we go...

Facelift and nose job in 1994 courtesy of Dr Dan Baker in NYC.

During the Las Vegas storyline from hell, she was recovering from a neck job (which is such a hard surgery to do, it's basically a lower facelift even if you don't have jowels.

Since 2000 she's had a brow lift (which changed her hairline, it's still good but it isn't what it was) and eye work that I think was a touch too aggressive. The lower eye work (in which you separate the lash line from the skin, scoop out the bag and then sew it up again) was very nicely done. It's the upper eye work that was just a touch too much (you cut in the crease of the upper eye lid, remove a strip of skin, then sew up again). It was just a tiny bit too much of a tweak, but it still looks good, just not as natural as the rest of her work does.

She also, of course, dabbles in Botox.

She hasn't messed with her cheekbones or lips which is why she looks as good as she does.

How do you know so much?! LOL.

So the eye work is to get rid of "puffiness"? So her cat eyes are mainly due to the lifts then and not the actual eye work? And I'm assuming the cat eyes remark refers to the shape of them, right?

And LOL at this thread being totally hijacked.

How do you know so much?! LOL.

So the eye work is to get rid of "puffiness"? So her cat eyes are mainly due to the lifts then and not the actual eye work? And I'm assuming the cat eyes remark refers to the shape of them, right?

And LOL at this thread being totally hijacked.

I'm a professional and I just might have the odd connection here and there.

The lower eye work gets rid of puffiness in that it obliterates undereye bags. It physically removes them, lower eye work is one of the most benign sorts of cosmetic procedures, it almost never looks bad on anyone because it's insanely difficult to screw up.

Upper eye work is a different story. It's the reason she has cat eyes (which is the shape of them and that they're squintier, smaller, tighter). The brow lift is part of it. But not the facelift, facelifts really address the lower half of the face, not the eyes.

Instead, Ugly Betty's 2008 move from LA to Gotham for New York's tax breaks prompted the California state legislature to finally offer $500 million in new tax credits to help stop runaway showbiz production. Even though the first credits aren't applicable until 2011, applications are already flying out the door. That's because the so-called Ugly Betty law aimed at big movie productions with budgets up to $75 million, new TV series willing to relocate to California, and independent films with budgets up to $10 million. The credit, for up to 25% of production budgets spent in the state, is capped at $100 million a year. This, combined with the Los Angeles City Council's new business tax breaks, could persuade Hollywood to start filming close to home again. (But, more likely and more cynically, the studios and networks will pit states and their financial inducements against one other.)

Nikki Finke wrote an article about Ugly Betty's cancellation and the impact Ugly Betty had on California state law to offer tax credits to TV and film productions. In the above quote, Finke mentions "new" TV series, however after going to the ca.gov website it appears the tax credit would apply to existing TV shows shot outside of CA, willing to relocate. I'm wondering if this had an impact in the decision to choose Los Angeles as the new home for All My Children, instead of other locations.

http://www.film.ca.gov/incentives/