How to Achieve a Flawless Makeup Application

  Makeup is fun, exciting and creative. If done right, it can give a person that WOW factor you hear about. But if done wrong, it can take flaws and amplify them. Who wants or needs that ?!? Here are a few simple tips, tricks and products that I use everyday to achieve a flawless effortless look.

 

  The key to getting a flawless application is not only correct color choice, but also application. Blend, blend, blend. I cannot stress this enough. One of my favorite things to use is my BeautyBlender. This an application sponge that has been specifically designed for the contours of the face. It can be used wet or dry. I prefer to used my sponge wet, as I can achieve the look of an airbrushed application.

 

1.  Use a primer underneath foundation and concealer. This will give skin an airbrushed application, make your makeup last longer (as it gives your skin something for the makeup to adhere to), masques the look of enlarged pores and helps with breakouts.

2.  Apply foundation first, concealer second !!! This is a must. By applying concealers first, you will end up with less coverage. 

3.  Conceal any areas that tend to be red ! For women, we end up with 3 areas of concern that show more reddness than any other places. (This is due to our hormones). 

               a. Between the Brown

               b. Around the Nose and in the Creases

               c. Just Below the Lip in the Crease

  This tends to be the difference between someone that is applying makeup and someone that looks like they really know what they are doing.

4.  Apply concealer under the eye and around the inner corners. Concentrate on the inner corners of the eye to about the halfway point underneath the eye, then blend outwards. This will help to really create an awake look. No one wants to look like they have been punched !

5.  When choosing foundation test at the jawline, then blend into the neck region. If you cannot see the makeup, you have a perfect match. I personally run off of 2 foundations. One is the darkest color that I get in the Summer, the other the lightest I get during the Winter months. The rest of the year I am usually a combination of the two. 

6.  When picking out foundations at the store, know your lighting. Lighting is key and natural light is best. Be wary of purchasing makeup without looking at it natural light. Too many people rely on the lighting in the stores for correct coloring, you will never be able to see how your makeup applies in fluorescent lighting.

7.  A light even dusting of loose powder sets foundation and concealer, giving your face a velvety, more natural finish. It also provides smooth blending for any eye makeup or blush to follow. 

***If you are aging and prone to under eye wrinkles, avoid powder to this area. Powder will amplify them !

My Nails Have Magical Powers ..Haha

  I know that this might sound a little crazy, but I am starting to seriously believe that my nails have magical powers. Let me explain ...

  Last year, around this time. We were having such a horribly bitter Winter. Crazy snow storms. And, too many gray days in a row.

  In an effort to will Spring to me, I decided on a Friday night to paint my nails a bright Spring green. (P.S There was no snow in the forecast for the weekend). I woke up on a Saturday to a crazy blizzard like fluke snow storm. Hhhmmmm .....

  Yesterday, I was inspired to paint my nails a bright blue. (Again, to will Spring a little bit faster to me). Once again there was no snow in the forecast. Yet, I wake up this morning to huge snow flakes falling to the ground. Hhhhmmmm ....

 

  So there you have it. The magical powers of my nails. Granted they do the opposite of what I really ask of them. But, for all the skiers, snowboards and sledding people in Southeast Michigan ... YOU ARE WELCOME !!!

Skin Myth Busters ... My Version of Fact or Fiction!

Products that advertise that they can shrink your pores ... Do they actually work ?!?



Total myth!!!

Some products make such a claim, but quite frankly the truth is ... you can't actually shrink the actual size of your pores.

So what can you do?!? You can minimize their appearance. Follow these 3 easy steps to make a huge difference in your appearance.

1. Cleanse: A good, deep cleansing will rid your skin of the makeup, dirt and debris that can clog pores. Clogged pores will gradually become distended (enlargened). ALWAYS cleanse your skin twice daily everyday.

Try: Flash Foam Cleanser a great cleanser for combination skin. It is filled with all sorts of good things for your skin. Fruit based enzymes for gentle exfoliation of dulling surface skin cells, green tea and vitamin B-5. ($34 Bioelements.com)

2. Exfoliate: Although your skin naturally sheds the dead cells that clog pores, this process can slow with age. Exfoliation will encourage this natural process to uncover a more radiant, clearer complexion.

Try: Quick Refiner, 2-3 times a week. Roughly everyother day. (Haha I totally punned that one.) Try exfoliating your skin at night to avoid any reddness that might occur. Quick refiner is a great exfoliator for during the Winter months when skin tends to be a little more delicate. ($46 Bioelements.com)

3. Treat: A treatment mask will target your problem areas, delivering much needed ingredients to draw out impurities, unclog pores, tone and revitalize your skin.

Try: Restorative Clay, once a week. Clay masks are awesome to have in your arsenal of beauty product remedies at home. Clay masks can be BOTH hydrating and purifying to your skin. Apply thicker to areas that need more hydration and thinner to the areas that need purifying. Taylor your at home treatment to your exact needs. ($35 Bioelements.com)

As always please ask questions. I love answering them and coming up with new topics to talk about.

And don't forget to subscribe!!!

XoXo
Jen

Sticking to One Skin Care Line... Why It Is Important

The skin care industry is a billion dollar industry. With new products and skin care lines imerging everyday it can be very difficult to keep up with. Here are a few tips that I suggest to all of my clients to get the most bang for there buck.

1. Be wary of skin care lines that are made for ALL skin types. Ever heard of different strokes for different folks? NOT all lines CAN be made for everyone.

Easiest way to tell if they will be right for your skin type follow these RULES:

Milky/Cream Cleansers = Dry Skin
Foam/Gel Cleansers = Combination/ Oily Skin

2. Diagnose your own skin.

Follow this simple formula to actually see what type of skin you have.

In an 8 hour work day. Say you wash your face before you go into work. Normal skin will be producing a shine in your T-Zone sometime around the 4 hour mark in your day, so Lunchtime. Anything before that means that you tend to be oily. Anything later than that means that you tend to be drier.

TIP: As much as people try to avoid a shiny face ... Remember that it is our friend. Oily skin tends to age far slower than drier skin.

3. Don't cocktail through skin care lines.

By this I mean picking a cleanser through one line, a toner through another, etc. Skin care lines effect the pH in your skin and are all designed to work together.

The more a person cocktails through different lines, the harder it is to actually diagnose one's skin. Ingredients in every single one of the products you put on your face all work synergistically together. When you cocktail through lines, you run the risk of ingredient interaction.
INGREDIENT REACTION DOES NOT ALWAYS SHOW UP AS A RASH !!!

It can however show up as dry skin, oily skin, blemished skin, hyperpigmented skin, etc. (Talk about chasing your tail)

Always make sure you pick one skin
care line and get their cleanser, toner and moisturizer minimally."

3. Become a saavy consumer.

A good skin care line should last between 6-8 months (cleanser, toner, moisturizer) !!! (Serums 2-3 months)

With the economy the way it it, many of my clients are running to CVS and Walgreens to purchase their skin care products because they are "cheaper". Please be cautious in doing this.

In doing my own research of drugstore lines, I have gone through products 2-3 times quicker. And because of the cheaper ingredients, I had to use more product to even get a reasonably close result.

Aka products made for dry skin never actually treated the dry skin, instead they actually made it worse. This is only an example.

I cannot stress enough for people to read ingredients !!! And price it out for yourself.

Try Bioelements Great Skin In A Box for $95 (it includes a clesnser, toner, exfoliant, and moisturizer for the price and will last you minimally 6 months).

4. Protect yourself.

Not only read the ingredients, but become an informed consumer. Cosmo may tell you one thing, but realize that they are paid for their opinion.

The best thing a consumer can be is informed. Find reputable places to go to for information and listen to the source. It is your best bet, to the best possible you.

Cheers

Did You Know ...

Today I wanted to help people understand the difference between Essential Oils and Fragrance Oils (Synthetic Scents). As much as people may think that this is not a big deal, it is quite simply a huge deal. So today I am on a mission to show you the difference, and the importance of making an informed decision regarding the products you choose.

What exactly are essential oils?   An essential oil is a volatile and aromatic liquid ( sometimes a semi solid ) which generally constitutes the odorous principles of a plant. It is obtained by a process of expression or distillation from a single botanical form or species. A pure, concentrated essence taken from the plant.

Huh?  In layman's terms an oil created from the distillation process of a plant or flower.

What are fragrance oils?   Fragrance oil, also known as aroma oils, aromatic oils and flavor oils, are blended synthetic aroma compounds that are diluted with a carrier like propylene glycol, vegetable oil, or mineral oil. Aromatic oils are used in perfumery, cosmetics, and for flavoring of food. For some people, synthetic fragrance oils are less desirable than plant-derived essential oils as components of perfume.

What does this mean to you?  Have you ever walked into a store and the scents were overwhelming, sometimes to the point of nausea? Synthetic smells and essential oils both create a reaction in the brain once inhaled. Essential oils have a direct correlation with the brain, where as synthetic smells have an adverse reaction.

The best example of this is the scent of rose. When comparing essential oils to synthetic "scents", rose essential oil will be far less overwhelming. However rose essential oil, will illicit a sense of calm over the body. In fact, when smelling some of the essential oils, we become so conditioned to the synthetic smell, that it might not even be recognizable. Most people have a hard time actually telling what they are inhaling.

Essential oils are for balancing. They can calm a person, balance hormones, even cure certain ailments. Definitely worth looking into. I have listed a few below that are great for different skin issues. Try them out and see for yourself the difference.

Rose:  Calms the senses. Soothes dry, sensitive and mature skin. (Dry and Sensitive Skin)

Patchouli:  Calms the senses. Helps ease tension. Excellent for moisturizing dry, chapped and mature skin. Enhances massage. (Dry Skin)

Tangerine:  Refreshes the senses. Helps purify and refresh oily skin. Creates an invigorating bath experience. (Oily Skin)

Tea Tree:  Refreshes the senses. Helps purify oily skin. Delivers cleansing, toning and deodorizing benefits. (Oily and Acne Prone Skin)

Sandlewood:  Calms the senses. Promotes focused, grounded feelings. Helps tone and balance dry, mature and oily skin. Helps soothe irritated, itchy and sensitive skin. Comforts skin after shaving. (All Skin Types)

Lavender:  Calms the senses. Deep-cleanses, soothes and balances all skin types. Creates an aromatic bath experience. (Dry Skin)

Bergamont:  Refreshes the senses. Helps balance oily or blemished skin. Delivers deodorizing benefits. (Oily and Acne Prone Skin)

Words to Live Life By

Keep my words positive:
Words become my behaviors.

Keep my behaviors positive:
Behaviors become my habits.

Keep my habits positive:
Habits become my values.

Keep my values positive:
Values become my destiny.

There is no dress rehearsal.
This is one day in YOUR life.
-Mahatma Gandhi

This was something that was given to me while I was going through school. I have kept it for a long time. And has been over a year since the last time I have seen it, but it still makes me stop and think. Life is really simple, we all tend to make it more complicated. Live life like you have nothing to lose. Laugh as if it is the funniest thing you have ever seen or heard. Love as if it was the first time. And always remember to dance as if no one was watching. Hope this brings a smile to everyones face.