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Skin Care I’ve Been Loving Lately

It’s been a little while since I’ve really talked skin care and that’s because since around March (honestly, right before The Makeup Show LA – great timing right?!) I’ve been struggling! I don’t really know why, but my skin that had been pretty much low maintenance and breakout-free decided to start breaking out. Super! However my skin wasn’t any more oily…it was still dry, just now with breakouts.

Awesome. So I kind of started at ground zero and redid my skin care routine. Here are the products I’ve been using that are really helping. [Read more…]

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March Favorites

I don’t know why, but it’s been difficult for me to find the inspiration to write my March favorites post. I haven’t really had too many products that made me go “WOW I love this!” but I have tried a few things that I enjoyed, so I will share that info with all of you of course. [Read more…]

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Beauty Prep For Events

This is a post I have been meaning to do for a little while– beauty prepping for big events. Whether it’s the red carpet, your wedding day, or just a party you know is going to have lots of hotties in attendance, you want to look your best for an event. There are a few things I always do before a big event and I wanted to share those with you!
Skin Prep

  • Exfoliation – I make sure my skin is well-exfoliated for a good week beforehand, whatever that means for my skin. (Mr. Boyfriend and I are both using Simple Smoothing Facial Scrub. I like it! Exfoliates w/o drying me out!)
  • Breathing Room – I wear makeup as little as possible for a few days before the event to give my skin a chance to breathe and lessen the possibility of last minute breakouts.
  • Cleanse, Cleanse, Cleanse – Sometimes we’re lazy. I know that. We ALL are. But if you’re in “event prep mode”, be diligent about your regular skin care routine and for goodness’ sake WASH OFF YOUR MAKEUP.
  • Soothe – I use as many skin-soothing things as I can get my paws on before an event. Redness and breakouts are much harder to cover and make look good with makeup than clear skin, so I use gentle moisturizers, 100% pure aloe vera, and the occasional honey mask. (Product-wise I’ve been really liking Yes To Cucumbers cleanser.)
  • Spot Healing – If you have any open acne sores (…you pickers know who you are!), try neosporin or a similar product to help them heal faster and be less inflamed. 
Hair Prep

  • Clarify – Clarifying shampoos aren’t that great for colored hair but are still good to use every once and a while to really deep clean and get rid of any build-up from products & the environment. I always clarify my hair before an event to “detox” a bit. (I use Suave Daily Clarifying for this because it’s cheap and works fine for this purpose.)
  • Condition – This one is pretty obvious. I use deep conditioning treatments (especially on my ends if it’s been a while since my last trim!). (I really like Alterna’s Overnight Hair Rescue and Shu Uemura’s hair oil lately).
Okay so those are the things I do. Here are the things you should avoid– 

  • Don’t get a facial the day before your event. Often, the intense treatments of facials, and things like extractions etc. will make my face a little blotchy and red. Plan a facial for a few days ahead of time just in case. Same goes for any facial waxing you’re going to get. God forbid you get a burn or some other unfortunate incident.
  • Don’t blow dry and flat iron the shit out of your hair for a few days (I try for a week but it doesn’t always happen) before your event. Give your hair a break. You know heat isn’t good for it. ;)
  • Don’t panic-treat any issues that come up. If you break out before an event, resist the urge to throw everything in your acne-fighting arsenal on it and fry your face, and don’t pick at it! It’s easier to cover up a little red spot than it is to cover up an inflamed, pissed off dried out scab where your little pimple used to be!
  • Don’t try a brand new product the day of or a few days before an event. If you have an allergic reaction, find out it oxidizes like crazy/melts off your face/looks orange/is otherwise terrible the DAY OF an event, you’re kinda screwed! Save the testing for down time, not your big day (or night).
…and remember to get plenty of sleep and stay hydrated! ;)

Once upon a time I received samples of the Alterna & Shu Uemura products for editorial consideration.
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