Product Review: Tarte Maracuja Creaseless Concealer

 Hello everyone!

       Concealer is that part of makeup that goes hand in hand with foundation. It is basically a thicker product designed to cover areas that are more red or darker than desired, and foundation alone can not do the trick. Concealer has to be thick enough to cover the problem areas but gentle enough to use daily under the eyes, and not drying to leave patches of dry crinkled skin. I have used a few brands in the past trying to find the one that works best for my skin type. Recently I have changed from my beloved NARS brand to the TARTE brand. I was unfamiliar with this brand, but it was recommended as a nice choice comparable to the NARS concealer. I have used it now the last 2 weeks with a daily occurrence and I have to say I am quite impressed with it.
      The first thing I noticed about this particular product was the consistency. It was thicker and had a tacky texture to it than some of my previous concealers. So I was going in with some skeptical thoughts but used it anyway. I dabbed under each eye, and to any areas of concern, then buffed it in with a brush, and was pleased with how quickly it blended it with ease. I thought for sure with the tacky consistency I would be blending forever but that was not the case. I then finished up the other areas and had the nice smooth complete coverage I desired. Throughout the day I constantly checked my makeup to make sure nothing was sinking in (which is an extremely annoying and creates that aged look when every line is highlighted)  and it wasn't! That was excellent because even with my NARS I had some noticeable lines under my eyes.  The product was definitely long lasting, the longest I wore it so far was up to 12 hours with no issues or touch up required. My skin felt very comfortable and had a nice dewy appearance. This particular concealer has a unique ingredient. The maracuja is an Amazonian fruit rich in vitamin C and fatty acids to keep the skin hydrated throughout the day. The effects were definitely noticed and felt. At the end of the day when removing the product, even though it is waterproof, it washed off with ease and left no residue. I had no residual eye irritation or burning, and the next morning when applying the product I had no problems with my skin either. 
        I would have to say this is a very nice product when looking for a good concealer. It was fairly priced and with the amount needed on a daily basis this product can last quite a while. I am pleased with my purchase and once I use it all, I will be going back for more!

Thank you for reading and good luck! For more information regarding this product/ordering you can find it here: http://tartecosmetics.com/tarte-item-maracuja-creaseless-waterproof-concealer

Necessary Products to Keep Handy in your Makeup Bag

      Hello everyone!

          Everybody has there own "must haves" in their makeup bag. My must haves are for that quick need to throw my face on for whatever occasion and look fresh. One of my absolute favorite products is a tinted moisturizer from Revision called Intellishade. This is a moisturizer with zinc based SPF 45 protection, with a nice tint that matches any shin tone to help reduce any redness. It is odorless and extremely light weight. My other favorite is the Naked Beauty Balm cream from Urban Decay, with SPF 20, the nice non-thick texture provides coverage to reduce redness and the primer is very effective for the struggles of all day wear! That is the base for me in my everyday routine. Next is concealer for under the eyes and any areas that are very red, this is one of those steps that a little goes a long way. Sometimes too much concealer looks caked on and can actually draw more attention to areas than desired. At this point the base is ready for a loose powder that can be blended to perfection for a flawless finish. Presto you have a flawless face! Now you can add small touches to emphasize your natural look. Mascara is a MUST! Mascara alone without eyeliner is OKAY. Defining the lashes will make the eyes pop without the dramatic eyeliner. Next is a nice light pink blush to emphasize the cheeks. The rosey appearance will give that fresh appeal while still maintaining that natural look. Last is the lips. Now lipstick sometimes can be hit or miss. Avoid any warm shades that are very bright. Also make sure the lips are moist. Dry lips with lipstick…not good, not cute…moisture, moisture, moisture! So in these dyer times a lip gloss is acceptable or a lip moisturizer with a shimmer. (Burts Bees is my favorite) These 5 products can easily be kept in a small carry with you everywhere bag so you put yourself show ready in  under 10 minutes, keeping a very natural appearance with settle highlights.

Thank you and good luck!
  

How to Contour

           Contouring is one of those magical make up tricks, that truly is a trick because for the best outcome you have to have a good understanding of face shapes. Contouring for an oval face will be slightly different than contouring for a rectangle face. This map is not my favorite but it shows the basics and in this case a visual is better for grasping the concept. So to start what is contouring? Contouring is taking a shade slightly-moderately darker than your skin tone, like a bronzer, and a shade lighter than your skin tone, and by lighter by like 2-3 shades lighter and applying them in particular places to add dimension to your face. The image is a basic map of where to apply your darker shades. The idea here is to express the strong points in your face, for example cheek bones are a must. Now you don't apply the shade directly over the cheek bone, instead just under it creating a shadowing effect making your cheek bones stand out more. Next is contouring the nose. This map has a nice visual of how to apply for the nose. Avoid the nasal bridge with the darker shade, instead focus on the sides and scoop right under the nasal tip, if your do your contouring before your eyes then you can contour above the eyes, I personally put my eyeshadow on first then contour so I skip the darker shades because my shadow takes care of it. The forehead/temple area is a preference of how the darker shade is applied. The closer to the hair line the better, you don't want a dark streak across the middle of your forehead. I apply mine very similar to the map, the shadowing to the temples create a highlight to your eye area; where you want people to look at you. The chin is another area where everyone has their own preference. Personally I contour along my jawline bringing the shading down each part of my throat avoiding the very center. I then place a small amount on the "upside down U" under my lip, note a SMALL amount, just a tad will do, another place you don't want an obvious dark streak. The next critical step is to take a blending brush and buff out any harsh lines. 

           Now its time for the highlighting. This settle step can really make your face pop! Be careful with translucent powders, some are to shimmery. It's okay to have a little sparkle to give you that dewy look, but you don't want to look like a box of sparkles fell on your face. So for the cheek area you want to highlight under the eyes, some people go all the way under the eye out, and some just stick to the outer edge of the eye. The important part is to not get it on top of your cheek bones (blush goes there). Then for the eye, if you have not applied a highlight shade for your eyeshadow you want to highlight right under the outer half eyebrow. Now the nose, this is when you apply the highlight shade to the nasal bridge. It gives the appearance of a very straight and narrow nose. From the nasal bridge you'll want to continue the highlight up to the forehead and even bilaterally over the eyebrows. For the mouth, sometimes a liquid or even a white eye liner pencil works better here, to trace the center of the top lip through the cupids bow, and buff out with your finger. Then take a small amount of highlight powder and highlight vertically the remainder of the cupids bow and slightly around the lower outer lip (see map). You can highlight vertically down the chin if you'd like, then apply it to directly under your chin down the center of your neck. When your finished applying the highlight go back and buff out any unevenness or lines. Ideally the center of your face (vertically) should have that shimmery dewy look, with a light glowy undertone from the darker shade. 

         Contouring is definitely a cool make up trick. It takes practice to know how much to apply and how exactly you want to contour. Always start out with less product and work it in until you feel confident enough to add more. My favorite part of contouring is you can create these effects with settle changes and with the appearance of minimal makeup actually on the skin. 

Whew this is a long one, thank you for reading and good luck!

Running.....

   This is so inspirational and so true! As a working college student with no hours in the day to exercise or barely sleep, sometimes you just want to drop everything and get away. Going for a run is one of my best ways to mentally, socially and physically decompress. It is so relaxing to put in the head phones and tune the rest of the world out while the wind in is your face, sun on your back and grass beneath your feet. Focusing only on breathing and consistency. And for me, breathing is especially hard after I get going...sometimes while in the middle of it, I ask myself "Why are you doing this again??" But then I realize I have nothing else on my mind except breathing, so I can't complain because it was the desired result!! I'm sure we have all felt that burn and the question of "why am I doing this..." but when it's over, and your done, it is the best feeling knowing you accomplished what you set out to do with no interruptions. Running is one of my favorite ways for feeling that freedom, we all need some form of freedom especially in today's corporate America.

Article Review "HOW TO PERFECT YOUR 5-MINUTE MAKEUP ROUTINE"

Hello Everyone! This is an easy to read article found at http://www.beautylish.com/a/vxjpj/sonia-kashuk-easy-makeup-tips  

     Beautylish sends out these fantastic promotional emails with new ways to apply products. This was one of my personal favorites, because we have all had that hectic morning where you just barely have enough time to put yourself together. This 5 minute routine is truly 5 minutes and it leaves you looking awake and natural, without that heavy makeup feeling and appearance. So what's the step by step routine?? The author speaks with Sonia Kashuk, pro makeup artist with her own line. (fantastic and affordable by the way) She explains that to get a quick even tone is to take your foundation and to spot apply it where necessary, even adding a little under the eyes in place of concealer when time is of the essence. Ideally just covering up the reddish areas will make you appear awake. Next is to add a splash of some blush, everyone loves rosy cheeks, it makes you look dewy, and healthy. Now this is definitely one of those areas that less is more. It is not cute or flattering when your cheeks are bright blazing pink. Unless you are a Disney princess and your in character, otherwise it looks like rosacea. Blush should be applied to the balls of the cheeks and slightly outward. This is easy when you smile and look at where your cheeks pucker, some refer to the puckers as your "apples". Then some mascara, a girls best friend. Mascara can really make quite a difference. Sonia suggests using an eyelash curler first, then a few strokes of mascara. (Good thing to note, running warm/hot water over your curler can make lashes more curled, and also when cleaning mascara that accidentally was placed on the lid, wait a minute until its dry then take a cotton q-tip and gently clean it off, avoid doing it right away as you will disperse the mascara across your lid.) Next is lips, adding a light pink to natural color or gloss can make your lips pop without over doing it. Almost done! Now you want to take a nice blending brush and just quickly buff out any harsh lines or unevenness. This will make you appear seamless as the colors will all blend nicely without the "makeup line" effect. If you have a few extra seconds, taking a nice bronzer and a blending eyelid brush, run a light amount of bronzer within the eye crease to create a little dimension. Not a necessity but not a bad thing to add if a few seconds can be spared. Overall this was a very helpful article, quick to read, easy to understand, and applicable to everyday life!

Thanks for reading! Try it out and see how quick you can perfect a nice look with rushed time!

Ways to Get Smooth Skin All Year Round!

Hello Everyone! 

                   Everyday I see patients come in with very dry skin, it's uncomfortable and not flattering. Here are some tips we give our patients to decrease their dryness: first avoid taking really really hot showers! Even though it is really enjoyable, it is drying you out!  While your showering, ditch the Dial and Irish spring soap bars, they will stripe you of your natural oils (not ideal), instead move toward a Dove cleanser in the creamy texture (avoid bar soap), a Cetaphil creamy cleanser or an Aveeno creamy cleanser. They will still get you clean but let you keep all the good stuff your skin makes throughout the day to keep your skin hydrated. Next, Right after your shower apply a nice, non-scented lotion. Everyone has their favorite lotions, personally my favorites are the CeraVe brand and the Aveeno brand. They are not too thick leaving you with that greasy feeling, but instead absorb right away and with their ingredients they are designed to improve the overall health of your skin.  In the summer the CeraVe is my preference because of its lighter texture and in the winter the Aveeno Cream for extra dry skin, it's texture is creamy and thicker but will leave you with silky skin. Throughout the day drinking water is very important for many functions besides skin care, but it is a vital benefit for plump appearing skin. Some areas have thicker skin than others, like the feet, elbows, knees, and can be harder to achieve that soft smooth skin. In these cases, applying a lotion with a bit of glycolic or salicylic acid can help dissolve that build of flake and scale. The CeraVe brand does make a pump action lotion with an acid base to it for a very affordable cost. 

                     It is these little changes that can really make the big change on your overall skin health. We don't want our skin to just be beautiful but healthy and that starts with keeping it hydrated! The products listed I personally use and have found to be quite effective and not wallet draining either! 

Good luck and thank you for reading!