Alright ladies, let's talk makeup! First I want to introduce you to one of my all time favorite foundations EVER! And I wouldn't just say that because I happen to work for the brand. I have actually tried a lot of foundations in my career as a makeup artist. That's what we do! This one though.....
This foundation, the Flawless Lumiere, actually has skincare ingredients in it, so wearing it will actually benefit your skin. It has vitamin C and a mushroom extract that hydrates 400X more than hyaluronic acid! I have sensitive skin, so a lot of times, my skin will break out right away, and I will know that I cannot wear that foundation. My skin loves Laura Mercier foundations. They are all lightweight and cater to different skin types. They all feel like you are not wearing a foundation, like a second skin, not heavy at all. Now I do not wear foundations on my days off. Foundations for me are for work and special occasion. So I'm going to break down what I wear when I'm not wearing foundation.
Skincare FIRST, very important to take care of your skin or no matter what makeup you use it will not look good! Sorry, that's just how it is. We are all aging, and most of us didn't listen to our moms and wear SPF when we were younger, I really wish I would have listened! The damage is done, so all we can do is try to reverse (which is hard) or prevent future damage. I will do another post about skincare soon! Send me your questions, and I can answer them for you!
5 MINUTE FACE
Step 1: After applying my skincare, I use tinted SPF. Currently, I'm using this one, by Sarah Chapman. I love how it evens me out and gives my skin a nice glow. It has good skincare ingredients in it too! I also like Laura's Tinted Moisturizer, it does a great job evening out skin tone, and they have different formulas to cater to different skin types- oil free and for an added glow, illuminating. The illuminating looks so pretty under foundation as well!!
Step 2: CONCEALER!! Everybody needs concealer under their eyes: moms, businesswomen, students.... We are all tired, or it's genetic, leading us to some darkness under our eyes. Concealer instantly brightens tired eyes, and we manage to look more alive and awake:) For me, the skin under my eyes is very dry and textured. Not everyone will have this problem, some of you may have smooth normal skin under the eye area. But my current concealer is this one, from Tarte. It is very thick, and a little goes a long way. I dab it on and apply with this sponge, from Laura Mercier. It keeps my eye area looking hydrated and smooth. If you get creases, you have probably applied too much, and you will need to set with an under eye setting powder. I have to explain to clients that if you have a crack, things settle. Wrinkles are cracks in our skin, and makeup will settle. You have to keep dabbing over the area to soak up the extra product you applied. If you do not need a thick, hydrating concealer, I highly recommend this one, it is the new one from Laura Mercier and looks fantastic on normal clients. It does hydrate, just not as much as the Tarte and it's not as thick. But the same rule applies, a little goes a long way!!
Step 3: Ok, I may love bronzer a lot! It helps give color to the skin in the winter months and since I always wear my SPF year round, my face doesn't tan in the summer like my body does (yes I probably am not as vigilant as applying SPF to my body every time I step outside, so I get some color in the summer). So, I have a lot of bronzers in different formulas, this cream one from Chanel is hands down my favorite one to use when I am doing my makeup, bonus it can be used on the body too!! I love this one from Hourglass in bronze light to use daily, it has a slight shimmer to it and can give your skin a little glow. I apply my bronzer all over with my finishing brush like this one from Laura Mercier. If you do not have a brush like this, I suggest running to your nearest department store or computer and buying one ASAP! It is amazing and can be used with a creme or powder bronzer. I know brushes are expensive, but let me tell you, they are worth every penny. And if properly taken care of you will have it for a very long time!! I have my first ever Lancome powder brush from December 2003, when I first started in cosmetics and it still looks brand new, and I use it all the time! That's 15 YEARS, lol, that's a long time!
Step 4: Brows may actually be more important than concealer, maybe. It's probably tied!! If you were like me and over-tweezed your brows in the 90s because that was the in thing, then you need to fill no matter what. If you still have pretty decent brows, you need to fill. If you are young, probably could still fill. Bottom line, you need to fill your brows. As we age we loose hair in places we want hair, and we gain hair in areas we don't, sad but true:( We will slowly start to loose the hair in our brows, so filling them is so important. Our eyes are such a focal point when talking to other people. It gives you an instant eye lift and helps frame your face when you have filled in brows. For most clients that are not used to filling their brows and freak out when they do get their eyebrows filled, it's because you are not used to seeing them filled. I suggest filling them every day for two weeks and then stop, and you will wonder why you never filled your brows before! True story!! I have been using this pencil by Anastasia for a couple of years now and haven't found a reason to switch yet. For me, a pencil is quick and easy. Yes, I have powder and gel for those days I have time to do my makeup, that will be another blog post. I could talk brows for days...
Step 5: For me hydrated lips are essential. Dry skin, dry lips, that's me!! I am currently using this lip balm by Lanolips every day, it hydrates so well all day. And I have just started using this liquid lip collagen by Algenist. It is a lip treatment to help plump up lips and fine lines around lips; it does make them feel more plumped! And I like the way it feels, so I am still holding out hope that it will help soften and at least prevent future lines!
Step 6: (Optional For Me) So after my LOVE for makeup post, a lot of you said mascara was your number one and I know why, EYES are so important. However, this step I usually do not do on the daily because I am lazy. But it does make a huge impact, and I see why false lashes and extensions are so amazing! I'm telling you eyes are the focus!! If I were to put on mascara, I use this one by Hourglass because I have sensitive eyes and a lot of mascaras make my eyes itch!
Please send me any of your questions about my 5 minute face or things you want me to cover in another blog post!! Also, Nordstrom is offering a free gift with your $100 Hourglass purchase! Everyone loves a free gift!! Check out Nordstrom for details.
