primed & and poreless: a love affair

ok so i have a new love in my life.  first just let me tell you that i am very stubborn.  im not always open to new things.  if i am happy with how things have been going, i dont change.  guess i should.  anywhoo.  i dont believe in foundation primers – not for myself anyway- even though i teach my clients about the benefits of such a product and i use them when im on location.  well that was until now.  Too Faced has just launched their new foundation primer called Primed & Poreless Skin Smoothing Face Primer and I have been changed!!!  this sumptuous formula which is actually good for your skin (vitamins a and c, mulberry extract, retinol) smooths, hyrdrates and firms, preparing the skin for flawless application of complexion products.  you can even wear it alone as the nude color disappears into any skin tone.  i love how this product improved the texture and tone of my skin.  it even looked glowier (not sure that’s a word but anywhoo).  even my co-workers kept telling me that my skin looked extra nice.  i told them what it was and now they’re on board and you should be too!  toodles :0)

pick up some litter

i am so loving the ladies of LITTER, a sister duo from beautiful san fransico.  these fashion artisians are serving it up with a delicious mix of  danger, class, grunge, beauty and major attitude.  be sure to check out their apparel, shoes, and jewelry for unexpected places.  (hey that’s not what i meant  :0) )    http://www.littermb.com/        http://shop.moxsie.com/litter

get your scent on

hey check out the new Crescent Row Collection of fragrances recently launched by Benefit Cosmetics.  im in love with the inspiration behind the collection and the packaging so i will be collecting all three fragrances :0) http://www.sephora.com/browse/section.jhtml?categoryId=C21219

 

wake up beautiful

so i was skimming through an april issue of instyle magazine (ok…and…what??? i know it’s almost august) and came across an article ‘10 ways to wake up beautiful’ that i must have skipped over but just caught my attention (pg 165-166 if you still have the issue).  anywho… i want to share 3 of those points with you that i found very interesting….

• sleep on your back.  the average head weighs 7-8 pounds so that is a lot of pressure you are putting on your face every night.  the article also stated that doctors can tell which side of the face that people sleep on because of the number of wrinkles. 
• get a lift.   sleeping with your head slighly elevated (2-4 inches) will help gravity to allow blood and lymph flow so it wont accumulate.  who knew.  well maybe my mum, who years ago, told me to sleep with my head elevated.  she never really gave me a concrete reason but she did say that maybe it would help me not to get deep circles or puffiness under my eyes.  just a thought.
• avoid carb face.  huh?  bad enough to just be called ugly but a carb face?  anywhooo.  it was stated that to wake up with defined cheekbones, eat a high protein low sugar dinner (salmon, asparagus).  according to Dr. Nicholas Perricone doing so will lower glycemic carbohydrates so that our features dont take on a soft doughy appearance (skip rice, pasta, and potatoes).  now i dont have high cheekbones but i would like to think that eating a healthier diet will help the skin look better and and help you to feel physically better, just to name a few benefits.

good stuff if i must say so myself.

lemon aid

to all my fair skin beauties…this one’s for you

benefit cosmetics  has an awesome product (well they have many awesome, amazing products but anywho) called lemon-aid that does double duty for the eyelids.  it primes the eyelid for flawless shadow application but even more exciting, if you have issues with red eyelids, the yellow color counteracts (or neutralizes) the red for a more even tone on the eyelids.  just warm the product between your fingers and apply.

gimme a hand

so i’ve searched the world over to find a hand cream that actually works.  ok.  not the world over but it seems like it because i have definitely spent a lot of time, money, and energy looking for perfection in a tube or a jar -  something that will make my hands smooth, supple, and soft.  i mean who wants crusty hands? and you know the type – lotions and creams that claim to moisturize, restore or renew only to leave your hands worse than they were before you applied lotion.  at one point i even swore off lotions and committed to just putting vaseline on my hands only to leave hand prints all over the place.  well that all changed when i discovered Caudalie Hand and Nail Cream.  this anti-aging cream contains nourishing shea butter and moisturizing avacado in a beatifully scented, light creamy formulation.  i am very impressed because i wash my hands a lot and this cream does a fab-mazing job of keeping my hands and cuticles soft and hydrated without being greasy.  Caudalie Hand and Nail Cream $19.      

dont sweat. just MED e TATE

so i discovered a very interesting product specifically formulated for those who suffer from hyperdrosis – a condition that causes one to sweat excessively regardless of activity.  what, do you ask, is this product?  MED e TATE by DERMAdoctor.  instead of the botox shot that the 3% of americans who suffer from this disorder would use to keep this problem at bay, you would instead take one of these towelettes and swipe on sweat prone areas such as armpits, hands, soles of feet, under the bust and even on the face.  what is it in MED e TATE  that makes it effective?  it contains antipersperant therapy which includes a blend of ingredients that mimic Botox Cosmetic.  even better, you dont have to have hyperhydrosis to use this wonder.  use before a date, an interview or situation that may cause you to sweat a little more than usual but less than if you were a running faucet.  so go ahead.  dont sweat.   just MED e TATE.

smooth operator

listen – crusty lips are not acceptable.  ever.  there is no reason why lips should look like corn flakes.  not cute.  to exfoliate, you can use a washcloth, a toothbrush,  a pestle, chisel or sander. or even better you can use tarte’s  FRXtion – a two sided wonder.  one side has sugar crystals that exfoliate and the other side is a soothing vitamin e balm.  it also has a built in mirror on the cap.  so go ahead.  do your lips a favor.  use tarte’s FRXtion today. 

duo lights

so about that sephora brand duo bronzer/lumizer.  i dont remember the time or the day this product came into my life.  i dont even know what possessed me to pick it up and try it.  all i know is that i go nowhere without it.  as i stated in a previous post, it is a cream formulation that glides smoothly and beautifully over the skin.  use the deeper bronze color on the eyes, cheeks, and shoulders and the lighter golden shade can be used above and below the brow bone, the center of lips, cheekbones – where ever you want to put it.  i personally take my brush and swirl it around to pick up a blend of both colors and swirl it on the high planes of my cheeks, in the center of my forhead, down the center of my nose for a bronzy (is that a word), glowy, dewy look and it helps control excess sebum production.  i cant get enough. 

light me up

i was at work today helping a client look for a liquid bronzer/luminizer (she had fair skin) that wouldnt be too dark.  i showed her several brands, one of which was my favorite  beauty must have – sephora brand duo lights which is a cream bronzer/luminizer combination which works on all complexions.  i take my blush brush and swirl it around then apply to my – wait. enough about me.  my client liked it but it wasnt quite what she was looking for.  during my search i kept showing her different products.    then i happened upon 4 treasures that i never considered before because is not a part of one of my go- to lines.  i think my life might be changed. (oh yeah – she loved it and bought it but enough about her).  what is it you ask?  Clinique Up-Lighting Liquid Illuminator.  it is a sheer, lightweight liquid illuminator that can be mixed with any foundation or used alone.  use it to highlight brow bones, cupid’s bows, the inner corner of your eyes, and contour cheeks.  it’s great!!! it comes in four shades which can be used on any skintone (i have a dark complexion).  if i am not mixing this into foundation,  i would apply with my fingertips which is sometimes the best applicator because your fingers warm the product for better application.  yay!!!!