Fashion Friday. Makeup Edition.

So being the homebody I am I haven’t really dressed up in anything that merits doing a post about. I mean let’s get real, yoga pants, tank tops, and wearing you hair in a messy bun isn’t exactly worth sharing. But I know I need to get back into the swing of blogging, so I thought I might share a post on my makeup staples.

Foundation.

I have rather sensitive skin so narrowing down a foundation has been a 8 year chore, and occasionally my skin will freak and I’ll have to quit using a product that had been working for a long while. So here’s hoping this one sticks, because I really love it. I like the coverage a liquid foundation gives but  sometimes liquid formulas can cause breakout. Well not only do I not breakout from this product but it has helped clear my complexion. I wear classic ivory, but I think it may be a tad too light for me because I have to bronze it up, however if you do buy this product keep a few things in mind, make certain you don’t have any dry patches because this foundation will show it, and do not go too crazy with the blush or bronzer because the foundation does gradually warm up and become slightly darker. The product provides good coverage all the while looking rather natural, and once it dries feels light like a powder not like a mudmask, I hate that goopey makeup feel. Cost is roughly $12

Blush/Contour/highlight/bronzer

This is part of Salma Hayek’s cosmetic line which is found at CVS. It is the cheek trio and I bought the color apricot. The blush and highlighter portion are rather shimmery, which is ok but I prefer a matte blush, however the bronzer/contour is no where near as shimmery which is fine by me, but bare in mind there still is a bit of shimmer. I do like this product, but I wouldn’t say that I am chained to it, I’m still open to finding other alternatives. But it is the one I’m currently using so that is why I am telling you about it. The color is spot on for my complexion whether I am in my pale stage or summer tan, I just use less when I am pale, which is convenient because the whole buy new colors because you’re paler or darker thing is no fun. All in all a good product but its not something I would be heartbroken about if I heard they were no longer being sold. Cost is about $13

Eyeshadow.

Another product from the nuance collection that I am using is the eye quad in the color neutral. I am girl who really loves eyeshadow, but is also quite picky about the colors and textures that I will use. This is by far one of my very favorite eyeshadows I have ever used. The quad contains the colors toasted almond, shimmering bronze, champagne gold, and frosted blush. The colors are perfect for my black/brown eyes that can sometimes look a little dull because they are so dark. Whereas I like a matte cheek color, I detest a matte eyeshadow, I have yet to find one that didn’t look cheap and chalky. So the beautiful shimmering colors in this quad are a godsend! I find that you can use the shadows for a day or night look and they go with whatever you are wearing which is wonderful. So this is a product I am chained to 😉 the cost is about $9

Eyeliner.

I really love liquid eyeliner! Doing a retro catseye is something I started doing when I was about 15 and I haven’t looked back since. I have used a few different liquid eyeliners and the ZuZu luxe liquid eyeliner in Raven is by far the best I’ve ever used. The formula goes on very smooth and dries to matte black perfection, the formula stays put which is great, unless you mess up one eye 😉 and is easy enough to remove with olive oil when it’s time to wash your face. My one complaint is about the felt tip end, I don’t like how fat, short, and stiff it is. I got used to the loreal liquid liner’s tip (long, skinny, and flexible) so I just use the applicator from that eyeliner. Cost is about $15 which is a bit higher than what I normally like to spend because I’m a penny pincher, but this is a cleaner product so it’s worth it in my eyes…no pun intended wow.

Lips.

I basically only wear two things on my lips, that being red lipstick for special occasion, or lip balm for everyday. Since I’m still looking for the perfect red lipstick I thought I would just tell you about my fave lip balm. I use the orange lip balm out of the organic lip balm trio you can order through the Honest Company. It is perfect, it goes on very light yet super hydrating. Most lip balms contain salicylic acid so you will keep reapplying and buy more, but this product consists of several different oils all of which I can pronounce! Hooray for no scary chemicals and double hooray for smooth lips! The trio costs about $10 which is super reasonable for the great product you’re getting.

Mascara.

Lastly mascara. I have been using ZuZu luxe mascara in onyx for the past few year and it is by far my fave mascara I have ever tried, and I have tried a lot of different mascaras! It goes on very cleanly, but that does not mean you cannot build and get that super lash look all of you love! I myself am blessed with fairly long lashes, but ever since using ZuZu I feel as if my lashes are in better condition and growing faster which is fabulous. I was a little freaked at first by the growth of my lashes thinking I had bought something for lash growth (lash growth products can be very dangerous) but it turns out just using a cleaner product will encourage your lashes to grow better, hooray. This product is about $17 but is so worth it! I will never buy another mascara!

I hope you all enjoyed this post, and if you decide to try any of the products I mentioned be sure to let me know how you like them. Hearing from you guys is the best part about blogging. So if you also want to share some of your beauty staples feel free, Happy Friday!

Simple Ways To Have Clearer Skin.

Sorry guys I have seriously been slacking in my blogging duties. Summer madness, getting sick, and having a total lack of writing inspiration can seriously hinder the whole blogging process. But I am back today. And I want to share some beauty tips. If you are anything like me, your skin is shall I say…not perfect. But as of late my skin has been improving after doing a little research, and trying new products through trial and error. So I thought I might share what little wisdom I have with all of you.

Tip 1. What you put into your body matters more than what you’re putting on your skin. I have a pretty healthy diet, lean meat, a few carbs (your body needs carbs to function don’t let anyone tell you different), lots of fruit and veggies, and plenty of water. Most people after drinking more water will notice a serious improvement in their skin within a matter of only a few days. And right along with this healthy lifestyle change, working out helps reduce stress, which in turn improves your overall health, especially your skin.

Tip 2. Showers are great but can wreak havoc on your skin. Showering with too hot of water, unfiltered water, or even showering too often can severely dry your skin, dry skin actually leads to more breakouts! The reason is because your body goes into oil making overload to combat the dryness, and this causes breakout. Not only does the water affect your skin, but I have found that Shampoo can mess your face up! Whilst using a really mosturizing (non-green) shampoo I found my breakouts to be extreme. The runoff of shampoo onto your face can cause further breakout even if you wash your face afterwards. Switch to a cleaner shampoo and take warm showers. I use Honest Products Shampoo and it works wonderfully. http://www.honest.com/

Number one cause of my breakout.

Tip 3. Hidden acne dangers are closer than you think. Do you rest your face on your hands while working at your desk? I know I did. How often do you wash your pillowcase? As often as you wash your face? Do you clean that cell phone off? These are all things I never really paid much attention to, but after being diligent about cleaning where I lay my face, and not resting my face on my hands, I noticed some serious improvement.

Wash those pillow cases.

Tip 4. Honey is not just for your tea. After washing my face with my face soap (Hugo brand in Calendula) I spread honey all over my face, and leave it on for 15 minutes, then I rinse it off with cool water. Honey is good for your skin for a multitude of reasons, but some of the main reasons is that is full of good bacteria, is anti-inflammatory, and promotes skin cell production. All of this leads to a clearer complexion and an improvement in skin texture. I also noticed it seems to be lightening some dark spots caused by bad acne on me. so hooray!

Tip 5. You need to exfoliate, but not all the time. I exfoliate more or less once a week. I use a simple wash cloth and soap, baking soda and water, or sugar and olive oil. All of these work quite well. It’s whatever your preference is.

Tip 6. You need to moisturize. I use 100% grape seed oil, and just love it, it only takes three drops for my whole face how great is that? Keeping your face moisturized will prevent dry skin that can trap oil underneath it and cause more breakout. So slather up buttercup 😉

You can also use olive oil if you like. I prefer grape seed cause it absorbs faster and has less of a scent.

Tip 7. You need some sunshine. In the day of spf one million and constant preaching of stay out of the sun cause you will get cancer and die, its sometimes debatable if you should go into the sun or not. Well every Doctor worth their salt will tell you that you need at least 20 minutes of unprotected sunlight during low uv index hours a day. Not only does the sun seem to improve acne, it helps you absorb vitamin D, and just honestly lifts your spirits. Of course you need to be careful with your sun exposure, but do not turn into a vampire please.

This guy is clearly not getting enough vitamin D.

I hope you all found this post to be helpful and amusing. If you have any skin care tips you would like to share feel free. If any of these tips work for you too please let me know, I love other success stories! And as always I love you guys and happy Wednesday!