Hi Ladies,
So here is my latest dilemma. I’ve started to notice that my skin hasn’t been looking that great lately. I always try to use the best products out there that will not break the bank and I’ve been pretty happy so far. However, over the past few weeks, I’ve noticed my skin looking a bit dull. It’s not as radiant and glowing as it once was. Now I know a lot has to do with diet and exercise (let’s not get into that) but I am also a big believer in using products that are good for your skin which will enhance its appearance over time. I must admit, when it comes to make-up there is nothing out there for coverage quiet like my beloved MAC. I mean there has never been a day where I wanted to hide a blemish and Studio Fix did not come to my rescue. But unfortunately I just can’t handle its weight for daily use. I’m the kind of person who doesn’t like to look like I’m wearing make-up. To me, nothing is worse that foundation caked onto your cheeks, suffocating your pores.
I also firmly believe that we should start by bettering our skin as oppose to bettering the make-up on it. Thus I have begun my quest, once again, to find the right skin care products that will work for me.
I contemplated for a while whether I should jump on the mineral bandwagon and eventually after half an hour at the cosmetic counter in my favorite department store, I was sold! I started using Clinique’s mineral foundation which I really liked. The best feature of this product was the built in grater thingy which allowed you to grate fresh powder with every use. The clerk described it as “grating fresh parmesan cheese on top of your pasta.” I had to try it, after all parmesan and pasta are two of my favorite Ps.
After a few months, I grew tired of it. I didn’t find that it benefited my skin that much and was once again looking for a change.
My newest obsession is Bare Minerals. I have to say, at first, I did not like the colors they had for my skin tone, and didn’t think it looked that natural on… but after switching to their newest line, I’m absolutely, head over heels IN LOVE! I’ve been using Bare Minerals for about a little over 2 months and I love the way it looks and feels on my skin.
Now I’m on the hunt for a good skin care regime. I see that BM now offers cleansers & scrubs. Has anyone tried this? Do you have any suggestions? What are some products that you use that you love and wouldn’t mind sharing?
BTW- I realize that there are some women out there who would rather get ran over by a car than share their beauty secrets. It’s ok, I understand and can appreciate that so no worries!
I'm so glad the blog is back, first of all! Best of luck. :-)
ReplyDeleteSo I got really into Bare Minerals in later college/early law school. I loved their eye shadows because they were super shimmery. I also loved one of their blushes because it had such a pretty pink shade for my dark skin. While I still do like their makeup, I noticed that it tends to fade over the course of a day. Mind you, I use the Urban Decay primer prior to putting on eye-shadow, however it'll still crease by the evening. I still use the shadows sometimes for going out at night since I only need it to show for a few hours. Other eye-shadow brands I recommend are MAC (obvi), and Too Faced is pretty good as well. I also used to spend about $30 on mascara that would be used up in a month, and now I only spend about $6 on Cover Girl Lash Blast, which works pretty damn well. Finally, I like the BM lip plumping glosses (love "Jessica").
In terms of skin makeup, I have never tried the Bare Minerals skin makeup just because I don't really wear it (don't get me wrong, I definitely need it). I do want to try something simple for face makeup (at least for special occasions) but I wasn't sure about what to use. I have definitely heard great things about Bare Minerals powders/foundations so I may also go that route.
I think you have the right idea about skincare. You are what you eat. Drink tons of water and eat fresh foods. Wash your face routinely (morning and night). I like to moisturize with a lotion that has some SPF. I like Oil of Olay's Daily Complexion Moisturizer (I think that's what it's called). Right now I'm trying Aveeno and so far so good. For face washes I've been using Neutrogena products for some time. I like using a toner sometimes before bed.
The BEST advice ever, however, is to always remove makeup before going to sleep. This is something that is extra important for me because I adore makeup. I highly recommend Pond's Cold Cream for makeup removal. It gets everything off with little effort and doesn't hurt your eyes. Other than that I like to keep it pretty simple.
We should definitely keep sharing beauty tips. Don't get me started on nail polish (love OPI)! However, just in case you were wondering, if you ladies ever want to do a super quick mani for yourselves, purchase Seche Vite (you can get it from Sally's). That stuff makes it dry so fast, you can start doing your nails all the time.
Hope you guys enjoyed some of my tips although I'm no pro at all. :-)
Hi there! Great post!! Also, great to see your blog up again. I too share your makeup/ skincare philosophies and can HIGHLY recommend Korres. They are an all-natural brand. Their make-up lines are fantastic and their skincare lines are BEYOND AMAZING. If you want to brighten up your skin try the wild rose brightening mask. It's a great vitamin C boost for your skin. Each time I use it, I see instant results. It's also a great skin tone evener. Sephora sells Korres and it's also available at: www.korresusa.com. Happy product hunting!
ReplyDeleteI practically ran to work after reading your blog to write a post.
ReplyDeleteFirst -- thank you to the others for the tips.
Second -- KORRES is great. you can double their lip balm as a blush and it's all natural.
I have bad skin -- so I am always looking for a great skin treatment. I recently had a horrible experience at the dermatologist. It left my skin scarred really badly where concealer wouldn't even cover it.
So I started doing some research about natural treatments. It's only been four days and I see the difference. After washing my skin with a mild cleanser, I use lime juice on a cotton ball to get off anything extra and then I massage some lime juice into my skin. Only after 4 days, I went without makeup -- in public! I felt so good. In the mornings, I put yogurt on my skin for a few minutes and it gives it a healthy glow.
http://www.1stholistic.com/beauty/skin/skin_natural-skin-care.htm
I am so happy right now with my skin, though I have some scars left, I am confident it will continue to fade.
Using a moisturizer is key. I am use Dermatologica.
For makeup, I swear by Sheer Cover. I've been using it for about 8 years now. I love the coverage. It lasts all day.
Of course for special occassions I break out the MAC.
To keep a toned face, drink lots of water and cut back on the salt. When water retains in your body, a lot of it is added to your face.
And finally -- just a word about people not sharing their secrets -- I think that some people are highly insecure and may find that by sharing and letting others in, they will see that beauty is only skin deep.
I'm much like you when it comes to that feeling of not wanting to feel as though you're wearing makeup so I stick to MAC studio fix as well. But to get your actual skin feeling and looking healthy with that glow I recommend you drink lots of water and take a skin care vitamin. Try the GNC or any other brand hair, skin and nails vitamin. For me I believe 100% that my vitamin is what has my skin soft and especially as we approach winter and the dry ashy skin appears make sure you moisturize daily, try those body washes with built in moisturizers.
ReplyDeleteNow I know lots of us are HORRIBLE at remembering to take vitamins, but here's a little tip what I do.....take them at night just before bed. Whether you put them by your bedside table, or your bathroom sink, be sure to place them somewhere you always see just before jumping into bed.
Good luck ladies, give it a try for a few weeks and you'll see a difference. Here's to flawless skin for us all :)
Like everyone said, water and fresh fruits are vital, as is exercise-- I find that after exercising, face wash(dead sea scrub) and moisturizer(dead sea moisturizer), and a touch of Neutrogena loose face powder, i'm pretty set for the day-- yes, i can do this in the morning and at night, it still looks great- i have to wash it all off at night.
ReplyDeleteI do like SEACRET(minerals from the dead sea) face wash and moisturizer bc it's very gentle on the skin and leaves u looking absolutely refreshed....a tad bit costly but u only need a touch of it so it lasts a LONG time.
Thank you for all the tips ladies.. I will definitely be trying some of them.
ReplyDeletethere is a really good mask that I make which does wonders. All it is is a little honey, a small piece of banana and a touch of lemon/lime juice. Give it a shot as part of your am yogurt mask.
Vitamins are key!! I have to remember to take them indeed!
I am heading down to Saphora this weekend to check out some of these products.
Thanks ladies!
BTw, I meant to say, water retains in your body when you don't drink enough of it. So try to have at least 2 16 oz bottles a day or more.
ReplyDeletehaha safs! i live to read and post for your blog. it's so much fun. how are you girl? okay...re: your post...I loved it! And to those girls who don't share their beauty secrets: get over yourself. :)FACIAL REGIMEN: I really love Clinique's facial soap - i think they have three kinds like normal, dry, and oily. I believe I use normal and I like it. It lasts forever so it's not expensive and I use their GELLL (not lotion) yellow moisturizer. GELS always work better for my skin and keep away breakouts. Estee Lauder also has an oil absorbing mattifying gel that i like in a green bottle..I think they still have it. I also like St Ives Scrub and they have a new Green Tea Scrub that I like. Clinique also has an overnight creme gel that's pink and thick which is nice. What else? Biotherm is a european brand i used to use and liked..it's no longer in the us. I hope this helps love. Also...there's nothing like a CLEANSE..like an internal cleanse to clean us out and make us shine brightly...check it out. xo, m
ReplyDeleteHey Hun, great too see you're back in action! I must say i'm not one for cosmetics, only use a bit on special occasions but i think one of the best face products so far is Olay Regenerist. My skin has been having problems lately, its been two toned and a few breakouts and i started using Olay Regenerist and its the best choice i've made so far. It started drying certain areas on my face which i realised was the problem areas and peeling away layers that are my biggest problem to leave you with that fresh clean sking. I would reccomend the line in Regenerist
ReplyDeleteNadia Kanhai