Summer Skincare Routine…

Hi Ladies!

Summertime is currently upon us but sadly it feels as if it is already leaving… During the summer months my skin always gets a little crazy with the sunscreen, sun exposure, late nights my skin honestly takes a beating during these months. In the last few weeks though I have found a skincare system that works wonders on my skin and I think you all can find that some of these products will be amazing if incorporated into your skincare routine.

The Basics:
I used to use a straight proactive treatment and I just never got the exact results I wanted, mind you I think the entire system is AMAZING it was just way to harsh on my skin (I used the Original Proactive Extra Strength Formula). I was also washing my face with an Aveeno facial cleanser which I liked but it wasn’t as hydrating as I would prefer. When I began to think about changing my skincare regime entirely I knew I wanted to focus on a couple of things hydration, acne treatment, and brightening. With my current routine I have seriously found such a nice combination which gives me everything I have been missing with other products.

Removing Dirt & Makeup AKA Face Wash:
Every night I started with the same first step, removing my makeup or just cleansing my skin. To remove the surface of my makeup I start with makeup wipes ( any brand works for me) this step is only to remove the first layer of makeup and should not be used as your only cleansing step. Then I go in with my Ponds Cold Cream Cleanser which I picked up from my local CVS. OH MY GOSH you guys, this product is incredible. It is a white cream that you scoop out of the jar and lather onto your face, you should put it on like you are applying a facial moisturizer and then once it has completely covered your face you take a soft towel or tissue and wipe off your face and your makeup will glide right off onto the towel or tissue. After this step, your skin feels like you just put on a really nice moisturizer. Then I go back in with a makeup wipe just to ensure I got it all off of my skin. I use this product both morning and night time because it really deep cleans.

Removing Eye Makeup:
After my skin is completely free of any makeup I go in with an eye makeup remover. It’s important to use a cleanser or cream that is designed or gentle enough to use on your eye area because many cleansers may be too rough to put around your eyes. Recently I have been obsessed with the Benefit They’re Real Remover. This product is also a cream and I just put a small amount onto my ring fingers and massage both eyes and eyebrows for about a minute then I take a cotton pad and gently wipe off the cream and melted makeup. I only use this product if I have been wearing makeup on my eyes so at night.

Toner:
Once your skin is nice and clean you want to apply a toner onto your skin and this step is the most important one and most exciting for me because of the product that I use for this step. Recently I started doing some research on the benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar and I found that if you dilute it, it can be an amazing product to apply onto your face as a toner. The vinegar helps to restore your PH levels, keep your skin clear, and also is not drying. To make this toner I take a small travel container that has a removable lid on it and fill it with a little less than half of tap water then I take straight Apple Cider Vinegar and fill the rest of the container with it. You can use a spray bottle, jar, or whatever you have laying around the house as long as you can either spray it onto your face or soak a cotton pad in it. You also want to make sure that whichever ratio of vinegar to water that you use you always end up with more vinegar. It took me a few times to find the right ratio for myself but now that I have, it’s amazing! I only use this product at night because of the smell.

Serum:
This is a step that I regulate, I only apply a serum every other night because it is a Vitamin C Serum so too much of this would not be good for my skin. The one I use is from Mario Badescu and I have loved this product ever since I got it and it really does last forever because I am only using it ever other night. I just apply a small amount onto my skin and allow it to sink into my skin before applying any other products.

Acne Treatment:
I don’t suffer from really bad acne but the acne that I do have is always very stubborn and hard to get rid of. Recently I have been loving the Clearasil Rapid Action Vanishing Treatment Cream. It’s important to apply this straight onto your acne marks so I will put this on either right after my toner or right after my serum because if I try and put it on over a cream then it won’t sink into the pimple as well. Once my entire face routine is done I will then take the Proactive Solution Refining Mask which I use as an acne spot treatment. I apply this after the rest of my face products because for me this can be very drying.

Eye Cream:
I recently started using an eye cream in order to hydrate my under eye area because they were getting very dry and my concealer was really settling into those dry areas. I have been loving the Clinique All About Eyes Cream which is actually more like a gel. It is supposed to reduce any under eye puffiness but I just love it for the hydration that it’s been giving my under eye area. I apply this product in patting motions all around my eyes and even onto my lids.

Day & Night Moisturizer:
During the day time I like to keep my face nice and hydrated but I don’t want to use anything that will make my foundation slippery when I put it onto my skin. I picked up the Hawaiian Moon Aloe Lotion at Phame and this product honestly isn’t anything incredible but it’s been helping to keep my skin hydrated and soft throughout the day. For night time I have another product that I am excited about which is Coconut Oil. I started using raw coconut oil as a night time moisturizer about a week ago and it has made such an incredible difference for my skin. I buy raw organic Coconut Oil from my local Whole Foods and just use a spoon to scoop some out onto my fingers then I warm the product up into my hands until it is a watery consistency and then I apply that all over my skin and it just provides the most intense natural hydration.

XOXO

Amazing Skin…

Hi Ladies!

I’ve been so busy recently with jury duty and everything going on during summer I have barely had any time to even put on makeup! I decided on Tuesday though to treat myself and go to Sephora to pick up a few new products. I went into Sephora with the intention of getting a few foundation but honestly came out with so much more.

If you have yet to try out Sephora’s Colors IQ you are seriously missing out… I was originally going to get a YSL foundation that I have heard wonderful things about but couldn’t find a color that really matched my skin.I asked one of the sales associates to match me and instead she did the Color IQ test. Since forever I have always though that I have very very pink and red undertones but to my surprise I am completely yellow, almost to the end of the yellow scale! I was shocked to say the least because everything that I buy has some kind of pink tone to it…which would explain why sometimes I feel like my skin is just so blah and has no life to it because I have been using the wrong undertone for WAY to long.

When Jennifer (Sephora sales associate) asked me what foundation I was interested in I told her the YSL one but instead she recommend the Estee Lauder Double Wear foundation because I told her that I love the way the Tarte Amazonian Clay foundation lays on my face I just wish it actually lasted 12 hours for me. So I decided to try the Double Wear Foundation in a bit darker shade than I would usually get and also in a very yellow tone. Before you even finish reading this you just need to know…this is by far the best foundation I have ever used. I am such a fan of full coverage but I don’t want it to be too full wear it starts to look cakey on my skin and make me look like I am wearing a complete mask. This foundation glided onto my skin and although it is more of a dry foundation and sets to a powder finish it made my skin look so healthy and luminous I can’t even explain how. As you know, I have very dry skin and recently my forehead has been very patchy with dry skin but this foundation did not sink into my dry areas and accentuate them it covered it so well. I noticed that I only needed one layer of foundation and it completely covered every single blemish. I applied this foundation with a Makeup Geek Buffing Brush (which is my new holy grail foundation brush) and it looked airbrush. Another thing I loved was how the rest of my products worked so well on top and underneath the foundation, even though the foundation was thick it wasn’t hard to blend in concealer or bronzer. I put the foundation on at about 7pm and when I came home around 3am my face still looked airbrushed and perfect. I found that this foundation seemed to hold the rest of my makeup in place throughout the night to which I loved.

Will You Love It?
If you have dry skin or oily skin this product will be amazing for you. I think people who have oily skin will really appreciate this because not only is it oil free but it just creates such a nice matte canvas to your skin you really don’t need to worry about touching up because you get oily throughout the day. If you have dry skin honestly this foundation could be a hit or miss, if you prep your skin well with a moisturizer and apply this about 20 min after you won’t have a problem but if your skin is VERY dry I would say to exfoliate and moisturize and then try out this foundation. Also this is very full coverage so I would recommend using this foundation when you will be taking a lot of photos and being out for a long time because it sits very nicely on your skin in photos and in person for a long period of time but if you like a natural finish this won’t be your favorite foundation.

The photos posted have absolutely no edit so you can completely see how perfect my skin looked with the foundation. Also if you would like a complete product list just let me know!

XOXO

Glitter & Gold…

Hi Ladies!

The title of this post seriously explains my two favorite things, glitter and gold. I attended PHAME last weekend which was such a great experience if any of you live in the LA area you need to make a trip to it next year but don’t worry I have an entire post coming about the expo. Anyways while I was there I stopped by Makeup Geek to pick up some new pigments and more importantly ones that are ALWAYS sold out on their site. The first pigment I went for was Utopia (if you have seen this pigment then you understand why) then I got a few other more neutral colors but picked up one called After Glow on a whim. When I first swatched this color onto my hand I thought it was just going to be an everyday beige but this color really surprised me in a good way.

The Look:

Yesterday I decided to experiment with some new goodies like my gel liner from Inglot and my new pigment from Makeup Geek. I started with a neutral base for my eyes and a light crease color using all Makeup Geek shadows then I sprayed a flat concealer brush with Mac Fix + and applied the pigment After Glow onto my lids and let me just tell you…It was beautiful! This pigment has so many different colors packed into it but what really stands out when it is applied wet is the gold shimmer in it. This pigment was very easy to apply and did not flake off at all, I also did not have to put a color underneath it because it was so pigmented. I finished the look off with some dramatic eyeliner and lashes. I’ve really been trying to step out of my comfort zone recently when it comes to makeup so I’ve been forcing myself to use gel liner (I used to just use powder or a pencil). While I think gel liner can be a little too much for my eyes sometimes and I prefer the soft lines that my black shadow creates its been a nice transition from what I usually do. Another new thing that I have been trying if you have yet to notice is instead of cutting my lashes basically in half and applying them that way, I have been applying the entire strip which for me is scary every time I decide to it but I’ve been loving the results of this more right now. I have found that if I let the glue get really tacky and then apply them onto my real lashes (with no mascara on) they glide right on and I have no problems with them.

Let me know if you guys would like an entire product list and step by step also! 

XOXO

On The Bad Days…

Hi Ladies! 

So have you ever had one of those days when you look in the mirror and it seems like every part of your makeup looks pretty terrible? Yesterday my skin was so patchy, my eye shadow was not blended well, and my lashes looked tiny. Needless to say, when you have one of these days all you want to do is run home and wash off all your makeup and crawl into bed but sadly that is not always an option. So when I got off work early I headed over to CVS to pick up some new face wash (I knew I was going to need something more than what I was using lol) and some gel liner. I decided in the CVS makeup aisle that when I got home I was going to try a look solely based on gel liner because honesty, liner in general terrifies me. I’ve always loved the way it looks on me but for a perfectionist like myself when your two wings don’t match up you might as well not wear makeup. SOOO when I got home I went to work with some Maybelline Gel Liner, a Mac liner brush, and some good crease colors and this is the look I cam up with. I actually really loved it! Sometimes when you do a bold liner your eyes can look kind of funny but with the crease color (it’s just a red brown color) it really made my eyes stand out and made them look so much bigger! I knew I wanted to do something interesting to I took the liner into my inner corners which for the first few hours I really enjoyed but after a while it seemed to bleed and look like a mess so I wiped it off before the night ended. If you guys have any ideas on how to make that not happen please let me know! I was thinking that if I set the inner corner with black eye shadow also it would keep it in place, but that just seems like it could get messy really quickly. I finished the look off with some dramatic Ardell lashes which are my current fave and a serious dupe for the House of Lashes Iconic ones. 

If you guys would like to see a step by step of how I got this look just comment below and I would be glad to, also let me know what you think about the liner in the inner corner!

XOXO

New Skincare Obsession…

Hi Ladies!

This week I went to the Dry Bar at Fashion Island which is basically just a fancy place to get your hair washed, dried, and curled but it seriously looks better than anything that I could have done. While I was walking to the hair salon I passed by Lush and decided to take a look inside due to all the wonderful reviews and comments I have heard about the entire store. I am always looking for great companies who use completely natural products and also do not test on animals, those two things are very important to me when searching out a brand that I am going to invest some serious money in. After watching Jacklyn Hill’s videos on Youtube I knew that I wanted to try a few products from the store but ended up leaving with only one mask because I wanted to start off small. 

The Mask: 

I chose the Mask of Magnanimity in the 4.4 oz container. This mask is designed for use on your face but it can also be used on your back. Inside of the mask there is China Clay and Peppermint which do some serious deep cleaning and make sure that every pore you have on your face is rid of any gunk. This mask is also packed with aduki beans which help to exfoliate and soften dry skin, there is also vanilla and honey to help calm down redness and make your face feel soothed and not too dry.  Although this mask was wonderful when I used it, it is a serious deep cleaning mask so you do not want to put this into your normal skin care regime because even though it is packed with hydrating beans I do think that the more often you use this the more of a chance you have at really drying out your skin. When I first used it I started off with clean skin and let the mask sit all over my face for about 20 minutes (the mask says 5-10 but I got distracted) then I rinsed it off with warm water. After the mask had been sitting it was becoming quite flaky so it was very easy to rinse off and I just gently exfoliated my skin by lighting rubbing the mask in circular motions. After the mask was off my skin felt incredibly soft, my pores looked smaller, and my entire face just had a really nice glow to it. With dry skin, I am always afraid to use anything to rough on my skin because it will just dry me out more but this seriously hydrated my skin and gave me such a nice layer for the rest of my skin care routine. When I woke up the next day I could still smell the minty scent the mask left (which I love) and my skin looked brighter, some of my blemishes were smaller, and my skin was incredibly smooth. I really would recommend this mask to everyone. If you have sensitive skin you will love this product because it has all natural ingredients, there are no chemicals or preservatives added so as long as you are not allergic to the products your skin should love this mask. If you have oily skin this mask will not only help remove some of that oil from your skin through the exfoliation but it will also keep the oil down by adding good hydration. If you are dry, this mask will get rid of any rough patches and smooth while hydrating your skin. For $12.95 this mask is a holy grail in my life now! 

XOXO

A Little Glamour…

Hi Ladies!

One of my favorite things to do is get all dressed up for a dinner and movie night with my boyfriend. I use these nights to experiment with some new products and styles of makeup. I wanted to show you guys my go to brown smokey eye and heavily contoured face (that seemed to not come up in photos). Products will all be listed below! 🙂 

EYES:

• I like to start with my eyes before the rest of makeup just because I tend to be messy and use tape to get a precise line and I don’t want to pull off any of my foundation and hard work I have already done on my face. 
• Prime: MAC Paint Pot in Painterly ( I put that on with a concealer brush and just blend it out with my finger, I usually put it from my lash line to my eyebrows.) 
• Set: I like to set that cream with just any cream shadow, I used my MAC Skin Finish in Light. 
• Crease: MUG Coco Bear ( I build it up and blend it in with a MAC 217, take your time with this shadow and really build it up). Then I take MUG Creme Brulee with the same brush and build up that color so I have a warm crease, it should be darker at this point and should really define your crease but you really just want to focus the colors in the outer part of your eye so put the brush there first and blend out whatever color you have left on your brush into the inner part of your eye. 
• Lid: Then I go into my Anastasia Lavish Palette and take the darkest brown shade that has shimmer in it and pack it onto my lids with a Sigma E55 brush. When I’m doing a smokey eye I like to use shimmer on the lid because it makes it more flirty and a little more soft, I am personally not a fan of an all matte eye. 
• Touch Up: I then go back in with my MAC 217 brush sometimes I have product on it (left over creme brulee) but this time I went in with it clean and just blended the shimmer color into the crease so there was no harsh lines. 
• Liner: Then I went in with Maybelline gel liner and a thin pencil brush from an art store. 
• Lashes: I started with DUO glue in Black and use the Ardell 419 Curvy lashes. 
• Brows: I used Anastasia Dip Brown in Auburn with her eyebrow brush and set them with her brown gel. 

FACE: 

• Prep: I started by moisturizing my face with the Philosophy Hope In A Jar for Dry Skin and Clinque Eye Cream
• Prime: I added just a tiny bit of the Tarte Flawless Primer to my skin just on my cheeks. 
• Contour & Highlight: I used my RCMA palette taking the white shade to highlight and the second darkest brown shade to contour around my face. I then took my beauty blender and just blender the edges of this into my skin. I applied this to my face using a flat concealer brush from Bare Minerals. 
• Foundation: I took my Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-hour Foundation on my beauty blender and put the foundation lightly onto the areas I highlighted first and then blended it into the contoured area very lightly. 
• Extra Highlight: Since the concealer palette hide any dark circles or imperfections I then took my MAC Prep and Prime pen in Radiant rose and blended this into the areas I put the white concealer area for some extra highlight. 
• Set: I set my under eye with MAC Skin Finish (using the contour brush from real techniques) in Light and contoured area with Hoola Bronzer from Benefit (using a tapered brush from sigma)  and the rest of my face with Buff from BEN NYE (using a large powder brush from real techniques) 
• Contour: Taking a MAC 109 I used the Anastasia Contour Kit to contour my cheeks, forehead, and nose. 
• Blush: I used the tapered brush from Sigma again to apply a coral color from my BEN BYE Cheek Palette. 
• Powder: MAC soft & gentle, I used my finger. 

LIPS: 

• Prime: I started with Vaseline about 30 min before. 
• Liner: Lined my lips with MAC Strip Down and colored them in lightly with the liner also.
• Gloss: Urban Decay Liar 

The War Of Highlighters…

Hi Ladies! 

Sorry I have been MIA for a while, I was busy with my family these past few weeks but now I am back with a few great products that I have had the time to test these past weeks. One of the hardest things to find is a good highlighter one that will not wash you out, one that is not to strong, and one that just emphasizes your best features. So many people have the belief that you need to purchase a tiny tube of pink or yellow product at ridiculous prices but I have found a great alternative for all of you with a pink undertone to your skin. 

WHY IS HIGHLIGHTING SO IMPORTANT: 

• Highlighting will basically illuminate the best areas of your face. If you start to choose the right shade to highlight with (either a pink, yellow, or salmon) your skin will look healthy, your eyes will look awake, and the overall appearance of your face will become more youthful. It’s just as important to match a highlighting pen to your undertone as it is to match your foundation to your skin. Finding your undertone is easy, one of the most simple ways is to look at the veins in  your arm  and if you have blue veins you are cool (red & pink) but if you have greenish veins then you are warm (yellow). If you also just Google how to find your undertone there a million of tests you could take at home to see your true undertone. Highlighting in this sense is not using a shimmery powder or illuminater, it is using some kind of product with no shimmer to put on either over your concealer and foundation or used solely as your concealer. While I give you two great options of highlighters it is important that you go to the drugstore or beauty store and test some out for yourself, mine are simply suggestions but everyone may not like them the way I do. 

 

MAC Radiant Rose: 

• If you shop at MAC then you know about two of their most popular products, their highlighting pens. There are actually three pens but everyone seems to gravitate towards either the yellow shade or the pink shade (there is a salmon shade but I would recommend that to people who have extremely dark skin tones). I chose the Radiant Rose shade because I have more of a pink undertone but in reality I am just very neutral in my skin tone, I chose pink most of the time those because I like the way it makes my under eye look. I really enjoyed this product, it is currently my second tube of it and honestly it lasts me for about 4-5 weeks when I am using it everyday either as a light highlight or a full face look. This product can be used on top of your makeup or you can put it underneath as a primer to add brightness from within to your makeup. I like to do my foundation and concealer, then I take the pen put a triangle under my eyes all the way to my hairline (you always want to continue your concealer and highlight to your hairline because it is like a mini face lift) then I add a triangle in the middle of my forehead and drag it down my nose half way, then I add a line on my cupids bow and a triangle on my chin… Depending on how you feel about your face you can alter this, I like to highlight these areas but if you feel that you have a large forehead then skip putting it on your forehead and so on for the rest of your skin. This product did not crease, and my concealer settled well with it. For $25 though, I felt that I could find a more affordable product to use everyday and a product that would provide me with the same results. 

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Dark Circle Eraser:

•  I started using the normal concealer version of this product a few months back (this is a highlighting product but they have concealers also) and I really liked the concealer it was comparable to MAC Pro Long Wear but honestly I liked the way the Maybelline one sat on my skin. When I went to purchase more concealer I found this new product and I do not think that I could tell you enough good things about this product. You twist the product up from the bottom and it comes up into this puff ball and then you drag that onto the areas you want to highlight (don’t love that idea, but you could simply take the puff ball off and apply the product to the back of your hand). This product blends in like a dream, it has no shimmer and mixes well with all kinds of concealers and thick concealers. It was so simple to use this product and I felt like I had a steal because of the price I paid for this but I enjoyed it more than the MAC pen. The color is a bit darker but that’s just because I got the wrong shade but they have a wide variety of pink shades and also yellow shades. For $8 it seems crazy that I would ever pay for the MAC product again because Maybelline not only provides you with a great drugstore product but also one that beats a high end highlighter. If you just want to experiment or use some different shades I would say purchase this product, also if you want to stop paying almost $30 every few weeks then please check out these highlighters, their amazing. 

XOXO

Here you can see the MAC pen on the left and the Maybelline on the right.

Skin Care 101: The Importance & Confusion of Toners

Hi Ladies!

When you start to get a little older and realize the importance of a great skincare routine there are a few items that you simply can not live without. You need to start with a good face wash (I made a post a few days ago about face washes, see skincare), toner, moisturizer, spot treatments, eye cream, etc. When I talk about having a good skincare routine with some of my friends they all seem to be missing a toner. Toners have a bad reputation most people think they will dry you out, they are too harsh, or people just think that they are not necessary and they really don’t make a difference. I can not tell you enough how important a toner is in your life…

If you are using a toner correctly within your skincare routine you will notice a serious difference in your skin. Toners will make your skin more radiant, smooth, and glowing. Depending on the type of toner you are using also, they can help you fight acne, help with anti-aging, and help hydrate. The basic function of a toner is to restore your skin’s pH balance after washing your face with soap which can take the pH levels of your skin down to levels that are bad for your skin but by using a toner regularly you will constantly restore the balance which is where you get the amazing affects on your skin. It’s important to remember though that just like face washes, there are different kinds of toners that will work best with different skin types. In this post I chose to focus on toners that had great reviews and you could find on the internet so that everyone has access to them, remember that these are only recommendations you can take the tips I give you and find a toner from another brand if you would like. 

Oily & Blemish Prone Skin: 

• If you have oily or blemish prone skin you need to be extra careful when looking for toners but it’s also crucial for you to be using a toner. When you are looking for a toner you should know that choosing a toner that states that it is going to help stop oiliness or help with acne is not one that you want to use. Often times, choosing a toner that states it will make you less oily or that it will help with your acne will actually irritate you skin more and make the blemishes worse because of the harsh ingredients within them (alcohol, witch hazel, and menthol). Using a toner like this will cause your skin to become more oily at the base of the pore, cause more redness, and it is likely to cause you acne to be worse. Instead, look for toners that can help smooth and soothe your skin. You want to find a toner that will help repair your skins surface, reduce the size of pores, and contain cell communication ingredients that can help train your pores into handling the excess amount of oil that your skin is producing. 
• Acne Prone Skin Toner: Stark Skin Care White Willow Bark Perfecting Toner ($20). This is a great toner because of the natural ingredients like willow bark which is actually a natural form of salicylic acid (an acid that helps fight acne and exfoliate the skins surface). 
• Oily Skin Toner: Origins Zero Oil Pore Purifying Toner ($25). This toner is also great because it is made with palmetto which is a berry that actually helps the cells manage the excess oil that your skin is creating without becoming overly dry. 

Dry & Sensitive Skin: 

• If you have dry skin you probably understand the fear in using a toner because a lot of toners contain acids that can dry your skin out and make it look dull, with the right toner though it will make your skin look plump and healthy. When it comes to sensitive skin, you understand the importance of being careful with the ingredients in your skincare products because a lot of the artificially added ingredients can cause you to become irritated and the acids can make your skin very red. If you are using the right toner though, you will notice that your skin is moisturized, not flaky, and less red and all the while being soothed. When choosing a toner you for dry skin you want to remember to stay away from salicylic acid and alcohol that is added into toners. If you have sensitive skin then you want to focus on choosing a toner that has some kind of calming affect like chamomile and aloe vera but also taking ingredients into consideration like staying away from harsh acids and alcohol. 
• Dry Skin Toner: NARS Multi-Action Hydrating Toner ($38). This is an awesome toner because it has a non drying formula that keeps your skin parched all day and it also acts as a primer for your makeup. 
• Sensitive Skin: LUSH Breath of Fresh Air (100ml for $9.95). This is an awesome option because not only does it come in an easy spray bottle (which I love) but it also has aloe vera in it which can help to lock in the moisture of your skin, the seaweed extract in this toner also helps soothe your skin and make your skin very smooth. 

Combination Skin:

• If your skin is more oily on the forehead and chin but you tend to have more dryness on your cheek area then you have normal skin (combination skin). With this skin type you need to make sure that you are using the perfect toner for your skin because if you use one that is to harsh you will dry out your skin (which will cause breakouts and you to become more oily). You want to focus on finding toners that are more detoxifying, hydrating, and create a smooth skin surface. One main ingredient that is awesome for your skin is rose, whether you use it in rose water or a rose toner your skin will love this because it is not an overall hydrating ingredient but it is also not an acid so you don’t need to worry about your oily production. Rose is just a detoxifying ingredient that will help to reveal healthy glowing skin. 
• Combination Skin: Odacité Divine Rose & Neroli Balancing Toner Mist ($45). This a super easy and great toner. When you spray it onto your face you get this immediate refreshing feeling, the rose water within it is also super soothing so your face will look less red and more smooth. 
• Combination Skin: Crawford Street Skin Care Rose Geranium Toner ($15). A more affordable option is a Canadian product which helps to balance the surface of your skin through rose water. Your skin will appear less oily and glowing. 

 

XOXO

New Product Post…

Hi Ladies!

I went to Sephora yesterday with my boyfriend to take back my collection of primers that I am no longer using and to restock on a few items. I’ve been a fan of the entire GlamGlow line for a while now and I seriously swear by all of their masks but honestly spending almost $70 for a product every once in a while is not okay with me because for some reason I go through my masks so quickly and end up using them in a few weeks. I really wanted a hydrating treatment and a very deep hydration one because my skin was getting so flaky and exfoliation wasn’t helping so I knew that I needed some intense hydration. I found the Tsubaki Deep Hydration Mask by Boscia and last night was the first time that I used it. When I saw it and looked at the reviews online I found a lot of people comparing it to the Thirty Mud Mask by GlamGlow and some people were even saying that they liked it better and honestly I can tell why… 

For $34 you are getting a seriously amazing product! The mask is more like a lotion in a squeeze tube and should be used like you would use a nighttime moisturizer. Sephora claims this mask is, “A deeply-hydrating overnight sleeping mask that intensely moisturizes and protects to deliver long-term anti aging benefits and smoother, baby-soft skin.” This mask is also formulated without parabens and sulfates so you know you are getting a really high quality product and this mask is packed with vitamins and antioxidants, one of which being Vitamin C (which you guys know I love because of it’s hydrating complex). Anyways I started my normal skincare routine with washing my face, then toner, then pimple spot treatments, an eye cream, and then layered this over all of it. A lot of reviews said that this mask was so thick so only put a small amount on because it will just end up all over your pillow but honestly I don’t know if my skin was so dry or what but it just soaked the product right up and my skin just looked like I had a moisturizer on. Also, some reviews had said that the mask helped with minor breakouts and I can definitely say I agree. Yesterday I had a little monster on my cheek and this morning the redness was completely gone it was considerably smaller than it had been this past week. If you have sensitive skin you are absolutely going to love this mask because it is alcohol free, preservative free, and has no added fragrance. Also this product is gluten-free which is an interesting move that many skincare companies are taking. There is currently a lot of testing going on for the effects that keeping gluten in a skincare or makeup product may have. While many are skeptical about whether having ingredients in your skincare that contain gluten actually effect your health if you have an allergy to gluten, many brands are taking it upon themselves to remove gluten from products (another great reason this product is amazing for sensitive skin). 

After I woke up today my skin looked so healthy and beautiful, it had a really natural glow and looked so youthful and plump. I decided to skip my exfoliating face wash and go with my gentle one and now with makeup and everything else on my face, my face feels so hydrated and healthy. Usually, after I put on my foundation my skin will feel really tight but today it feels awesome so I can not wait to use this product again tonight. I would definitely recommend it to someone who has dry or sensitive skin, it may be a little too oily for someone with oily skin. 

 

xoxo

Skin Care 101: Washing Your Face & Face Wash…

Hi Ladies!

For years makeup has been a huge part of my life, I seriously get a thrill from shopping for makeup or getting my winged liner just perfect. I could honestly say that makeup is a serious addiction for me as well as many other bloggers and youtubers. One of the most important parts of makeup though that I have learned is the proper care of your skin because no matter how much makeup you put on during the course of the day, eventually you have to take it off (or hopefully you are taking it off). Taking care of your skin is so crucial to how your makeup is going to look. To start, I’ve never had perfect skin in anyway, my skin fluctuates from acne to being dry to oily to every possible bad skin day you can image so I have found a system for myself that I am currently loving, a system that helps keep my skin in check.

Rule #1 of makeup and skincare, WASH YOUR FACE. You need to be washing your face at night and in the morning. I’ll be honest, I used to go through a whole extravagant skin care routine at night, wake up put makeup right onto my face and then wonder why I was breaking out. I am someone who suffers from dry skin so washing my face in the morning and at night might seem like a drying task but honestly if I don’t wash off all that heavy cream that has been laying on my skin for 10 hours my skin just doesn’t feel the same the next day, yes it’s moisturized but it’s not entirely healthy. Unless you are changing your pillow cases every other night and washing them correctly then you need to wash your face because the bacteria that can grow on your pillows just over night is enough to cause a break out and let’s be honest we don’t have time to wash our pillow cases that frequently so washing your face is an easy step in the morning to not only wake you up, close your pores, and wash off any bacteria. With that being said, you don’t necessarily have to go out to your makeup counters or Sephora and pay $60 for a cleanser, you just need one that works for your own skin type.

The Basic Face Wash:
I understand how hard it can be to find a face wash you love when you are so overwhelmed with the options at your local makeup store or drugstore but there is one face wash that is almost universal for all skin types, it is the Purpose Gentle Cleansing Face Wash. This is a soap free and oil free liquid that becomes a lather consistency when mixed with water and melts away your makeup. This is a basic face wash, it is not going to do anything else then take off your makeup and any dirt. I know so many people who have used this and really love it because it’s gentle, it does not take the hydration out of your skin, doesn’t make you more oily, and lastly this will not break you out. When you are looking for a face wash and you just want one that will remove the first surface or makeup and dirt then you need a face wash with simple ingredients, the more acids you start adding to the wash the more of an affect you are going to have on your skin. If you want to try a more high end face wash then you should invest in the Philosophy Purity Made Simple wash, this wash is ideal for every skin type because it does not contain any harsh soap or oil and is more like washing your face with a lotion but don’t worry this will not make you more oily. I personally love this face wash, it’s amazing for those nights when you just want to crawl into bed and forget about your makeup because it does most of the work for you.

Cleanser for Oily Skin:
If you have oily skin it’s important to focus on using products that will absorb the excess oil on your face so choosing products with a gel consistency are ideal. When you are looking for face washes you need to avoid products that contain natural or synthetic oils, perfumes, and additives because while these may not seem to make a difference, these can actually cause you to become more oily and eventually clog your pores to the point where you have breakouts. You need to focus on finding products with antioxidants and hydroxy acids and it’s important to incorporate some salicylic acid or benzyl peroxide which is almost always found in a gel cleanser rather than in a creamy cleanser than becomes a lather. By using these acids you will clean out your pores and reduce the build up that oily skin can have. You have the opportunity to use more acidic washes and you should take advantage of that but remember not to totally strip your skin of moisture by adding in a hydrating moisturizer after washing your face at morning and at night.
Good Cleansers: Dove Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser, Clinique Wash-Away Gel Cleanser

Cleanser for Dry Skin:
If you have dry skin your main purpose when it comes to makeup and skincare is to MOISTURIZE but the hydration starts at the root of your skin care routine which is washing your face. If you have dry skin you want to find cleansers with moisturizing properties these properties will create a barrier for your skin that holds in moisture and prevents dryness. Cleansers that contain antioxidants, anti-inflammatory agents and barrier-repair moisturizing ingredients are all properties you should be looking for. Look for products also that contain alpha hydroxy acids which will help exfoliate the dull skin and eventually allow the moisturizers to skin into the skin. Liquid and foaming cleanser clean the skin gently without removing the necessary natural oils to keep your skin hydrated. It’s important to remember that oil based cleansers may be good if you have dry skin but not acne prone skin so find a cleanser that has basic ingredients and avoids acids and oils.
Good Cleansers: Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser, Boscia Soothing Cleansing Cream, Pond’s Cold Cream

Cleaner for Acne Prone Skin:
If you are more prone to red pimples then you need to focus on finding products that benzoyl peroxide which will kill acne-causing bacteria and make your skin appear less red and irritated. If you start using too high of a concentration of the benzoyl peroxide though it will make your skin appear even more red and inflamed so look for cleansers that contain only 4 percent of benzoyl peroxide and list the ingredient lower in an ingredient because then it is more diluted and more gentle to the skin. For this skin I recommend a cleanser like Neuutrogena Clear Pore Cleanser. If you experience a problem with blackheads then try a cleanser with salicylic acid like the Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash and SKinCeuticals LHA Cleansing Gel another good alternative to try here if you are looking for an entire skin care regime is the Proactive Extra Strength System because of their products are formulated based on salicylic acids.

Cleanser for Sensitive Skin:
Sensitive skin types usually get irritated when you introduce and ingredient to your skin that is to harsh. For this skin type you need to look for mild ingredients like aloe, cucumber, natural extracts, and antioxidants in lower concentrations. You especially need to avoid anything with an alcohol base to it, harsh toners, scrubs, and overall anything that could be potentially rough to the skin.
Good Cleansers: Avene Extremely GentelCleanser for Intolerant skin, CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser which contains glycerin and ceraminds to help restore your skin’s barrier.
It should be noted that if you have sensitive skin it might be a good idea to look for a skincare regime that is all natural and organic because that will be the most gentle on your skin. You should also remember to avoid any kind of product either makeup or skincare that has some kind of added fragrance.

Let me know if you have any specific skin care related questions!

XOXO