Foundation Breakdown 101

Never mind color right now... Finding the right foundation for your skin type can be a pain in the ass. Some of us want one kind of foundation all year round while others want options for change of seasons.

So, here's the breakdown.


FOUNDATION COVERAGE:

Sheer
Light weight. Minimal coverage. Barely Noticeable.

Medium
Light to medium coverage. Build-able.

Full
Opaque. Covers almost any imperfection.



FINISHES:

Matte
Oil absorbing. Natural to Powdery finish.
Great for normal to oily skin.

Satin (Illuminating)
Natural skin finish. Light reflecting properties.
Great for all skin types but exceptional for dry and maturing skin.



FOUNDATION:

Tinted (Moisturizer)
For someone who doesn't need a lot of coverage but wants something to even out skin tone.
Ideal because you don't have to put on moisturizer and then foundation (but I still recommend moisturizing as to not over dry the skin.)
Lightweight.
Great for all skin types

Liquid
This texture is build-able and usually comes in all coverages and finishes.
Long lasting.
May come in smudge or water proof/resistant.
Great for all skin types.

Mouse
Liquid makeup with air whipped in.
Light weight and smooth like whipped cream.
Great for dry and maturing skin.

Spray on
This is a very build-able foundation and easy to layer because its quick drying.
Usually comes in all finishes.
Great for combination skin.

Cream
Some creams dry to a powder finish. (Usually matte creams also known as cream to powder. Oil absorbing.).
Others are more moisturizing.
All hydrate the skin.
Gives you a natural coverage with a silky finish.
Great for Dry,normal and combination skin.

Mineral
Gives you a natural light to medium coverage with a slight luminous finish.
Enhances the look of a dull dry complexion.
Great for all skin types. exceptional for dry and maturing skin.



Powders (all come in loose form):

Sheer- Light coverage. Allows skin to shine through.

Translucent- Mattes the skin while still keeping its natural glow.

Mineral- Natural to natural matte finish. Can also be worn as your foundation.

Foundation- Usually a medium to full coverage powder. One step all in one.

Bronzing- Enhances skin tone and the look of a tan.

Illuminating- High frosted iridescent finish.


Concealers:

All concealers are medium to full coverage, come in liquid and cream forms and can be sheered out with moisturizer for a lighter coverage.


All foundations and powders can be mixed and matched to your preference to achieve the look that best suites your needs and skin type.

Guy Brows 101

Matus
I love a man that takes care of him self.
Dresses well. Grooms his man parts. (YES I said it!) Moisturizes. Clips his nails. Maintains his hair. Great hygiene and grooms his brows.

Now... when I say Grooms his brows I DON'T mean gets them arched so much they look better than mine. I mean "done" for a man.

Guys, there's definitely a right way and a wrong way to go about grooming your brows. Please leave the waxing to the ladies and the other parts or your body. It just looks way too feminine!

Let tweezers be your friend. Pluck only the few hairs needed to clean up your brow area. You'll have full control of hair removal as not to go overborad.
The pain may take some getting used to so feel free to numb the area before you get started.

5 Spring Must Haves 101

Python/Snake Embossed Heels: Talk about sexy. This pattern works with any outfit. Casual or Dressy. No wonder they're so popular this season.

Denim: We all know Denim never goes out of style but this season, it's EVERYWHERE! Pants, Leggings, Shirts, Vests, Dresses, Bags, Shoes, etc. So mix and match and go crazy.

Feminine Florals: This look is flirty, fun and feminine. Great for your daytime dates, hanging out with the girls or being the center of attention at any party. (Keep your bags, shoes and accessories solid)

Cut Out Dresses: Any style or color, Cut Out Dresses are Fab for spicing up your evening out. It shows off just enough skin to keep them guessing.

Soft Nudes: These barely there hues can make every woman "Feel like a WOMAN"...Romantic, Chic, Feminine. Doesn't get better than that.

Spring Look TWO

So, a bold lip isn't your thing or you like switching things up every now and again or maybe you're just looking for a new subtle smokey eye for the new season. Whatever the case is this spring look will compliment you both day and night.

Turning the ultra dramatic smokey eye to a more sultry "Spring" smokey eye is as easy as BRONZE. Eye shadow.

Put those Black, Gray and Silver shadows away till Fall and pull out the Bronzes, Golds, Browns and Coppers. Don't be afraid to mix Mattes with Shimmers Because they DO compliment each other and look fab on all skin tones. You can take the sheer approach for day and amp things up for your night out.

Pair this sultry look with Neutral tone lips and lots off mascara. For night, dont be afraid to line your eyes with Dark Brown or Black eye liner.

Spring Look ONE

When it comes to our warm weather make-up we all want to look polished and effortless. Not to mention as if we aren't wearing any make-up at all. But how can we get all that in one look? EASY!

By keeping the face "Natural" with a dewy glow achieved by either a liquid bronzer or mineralized foundation, groomed brows, mascara and giving the lips a POP. You can turn on the sexy even more by adding a white, or gold eye liner to your water line or softly smudging a bronze colored liner or shadow to your top and bottom lash line.

This look is simple to come by and you'll love all the attention your lips will get. And you can pull this look off with any color lip stick and/or gloss.

Great for both day and night.

Breakouts 101

Acne is stressful at any age. Mild acne is usually topical, which makes it easier and faster to treat, whereas severe acne is almost always a bacterial infection from the inside. Which in turn can make it harder to treat. If your acne is mostly mild here are a few tips on reducing the appearance and/or eliminating your acne.

Wash your face before going to bed. A tea tree based wash works great for drying up the acne and removing any deep down dirt and oil that clogs pores.(Especially great for oily, acne prone skin) Salicylic Acid washes can be to extreme and over dry the skin.

Tie your hair at bedtime with a scarf. This will keep the dirt and oils from your hair off your pillow that can get on your face and eventually break you out.

Change your pillow case at least once a week. (Consider your sheets as well) Even though you can't see it, there is a considerable amount of build up from your pores on your pillow. Yuk!

Keep your hands away from your face. Think about everything you touch between hand washings. The door handle. Money. Food. Remote control. Now think about all the other people that have touched those things before you. Do you really want all that on your face? I didn't think so.

And lastly try to clean your phone with rubbing alcohol on a cotton ball daily to remove dirt and oils that can also touch your face and break you out.

If your acne is severe your dermatologist can recomend an oral treatment to add to this routine.

Close Shave 101

Razor bumps and ingrown hairs are beyond annoying whether on your face or other places I dare mention. Switching out your blades gets expensive and keeping in one direction just isn't cutting it. The irritation continues and the bumps keep coming. So, what do you do when you've run out of options?

First you'll need to start using a shaving cream or gel that contains MENTHOL. The menthol opens your pores and helps calm any inflammation during shaving caused by your razor. If your hair is very course you can pre-treat the area by exfoliating first. (It softens the hairs). After shaving rinse your face with cold water and patting your face dry with a clean towel, you'll want to apply TEND SKIN with a cotton ball or pad or E-Solutions RAZOR RELIEF (roll on).

Tend skin and Razor relief reduce the appearance of razor bumps, razor burns, ingrown hairs and even redness significantly. It's safe to use on ANY just shaved area on your body and with beach season right around the corner...ladies TEND SKIN and RAZOR RELIEF will be your best friend. Guys this is especially great for you if you've been waiting for that chance to finally shave that beard or mustache off (or any other part of your body) or grow it without fear.

DO NOT USE IF ALLERGIC TO ASPIRIN!

The Perfect 2 Week Manicure 101

So you go get your nails done...Pay good money for your manicure...Next thing you know: The polish chipped. The color faded. You broke a nail... Do I really need to keep going? Oh... AND... It hasn't even been a week. Classic!

Nail Hardeners don't work. No Chip polish doesn't work. Still spending money. UGH!

Thanks to many combinations and a ton of polish changes I found a solution. Yes, me. An actual manicure that lasts 2 weeks.

You ready?

Base coat: One Minute nail Strengthener. Yes, thats the name of it.
One Minute Nail Strengthener is proven to help fortify your nails. It includes a superior botanical ingredient-Horsetail Grass-to give your nails both strength and flexibility. Horsetail Grass also eliminates cracks and brittleness and contains no harmful toluene.

Color coat: Sally Hansen's Complete Salon Manicure.
I'ts a Base coat, Color and top coat all in one. Comes in great Spring colors.

Top Coat: M.A.C.'s Over lacquer.
A fast drying high gloss top coat that providing a protective coating against everyday wear and tear. Formulated with UV protection, helps reduce sun-related fading and discolouration. Colourless. Instantly guards your nail and manicure!

Try this combo out for yourself and finally experience a real manicure. And faster growing nails.
Great for pedicures and French manicures as well.

False Lash Application 101

Mastering the art of applying false lashes to one self takes time, patience and steady hands. You may not get it right the first time but after a couple tries you'll be a pro.

First things first...Start with a clean palette so it's easier to see what you're doing. That means no shadow, liner or mascara. Why make this task any more difficult than it already is? Find a clean space in front of a well lit mirror and make sure your hand are clean as well.

Leave the tweezers alone. You don't want any sharp object around your eyes. All you'll need are Lash Adhesive (glue), your choice of Lashes (strip or individuals), a q-tip or disposable sponge tip applicator and manicure scissors.

Step One: Gently peel your lashes from the box.

Step Two: FIGURE OUT WHICH LASH IS MEANT FOR THE RIGHT EYE AND WHICH LASH IS MEANT FOR THE LEFT EYE. Hint... The shorter end goes on the INSIDE corner where the long end goes on the OUTSIDE corner.

Step Three: Measure your lashes. After determining which lash goes with what eye, place the shorter end of the lash strip to your inside corner right where your own lashes begin using your thumb and pointer finger. With the same two fingers on your other hand hold the longer end of your false lash on top of your real lashes. Let go. NO, it will not stick on its own. If the lash strip exceeds your natural lash line you have to cut the excess off. STOP!!! do not cut them while they are still on your face! Use your thumb and pointer finger to gauge the amount that needs to be cut by peeling the lashes off with those fingers or if you can get really close to your mirror you may actually be able to count how many lashes need to be cut.

Step Four: Cut if necessary. Repeat step 3 for other eye.

Step Five: Glue Application
Squeeze or pour out a drop of glue on either a clean tissue or the lash box itself.(after sanitizing it with alcohol) Use your Q-tip or sponge applicator to dab into the glue and lightly coat the strip of your false lashes. VERY IMPORTANT... You have to let the glue get a bit tacky before you try applying your lash or it will slip and slide everywhere. So, you can wave your lash in the air for a few seconds or lightly blow on them. (Don't ever blow on someone else's lashes or let them blow on yours. Very unsanitary)

Step Five: Its time to apply those lashes.
take both ends of your lashes using your pointer fingers and thumbs. Get as close to the mirror as you can. Tilt your head back.(still looking at the mirror) And very slowly bring the false lashes to your real lashes. Carefully place the inside corner first then the outer corner. Then anchor the center.

Tah-dah! You just applied false lashes.

ENJOY!

Think PINK 101

PINK! HOT PINK that is. It's not just for the 80's anymore.

Hot Pink is popping up all over the Spring runways and on magazine covers. It's the IT color for the season. Why? Why NOT?! This color screams sexy and looks absolutely amazing on any skin tone.

There are wrong ways of wearing this fabulous shade so let me give you some insight:

Don't over do it. There is such a thing as too muck Pink.

If you're going for the sexy short dress look, match it up with other bolds like a bright Green or Yellow skinny belt (or no belt at all) or bold color Bangles while keeping your shoes and bag Neutral. If you choose to keep your look tame, Python prints and Nudes go great.

If you're sporting Hot Pink Pumps, down play the rest of your day time wardrobe with a simple tank and either boyfriend jeans or skinny jeans. Play them up at night with dressy Jumper Shorts or Leggings.

If you're going for the Bold Pink lip, keep the rest of your make-up natural.

If accessories are your thing only pick one. If you choose earrings don't do bracelets, bag and a belt. Can you say overload?

Have a ball with your Polish.

With so many options it's easy to get carried away but there's something for everyone.

Keep it Sexy. Keep it Simple. Think PINK!