Redefining Healthy

     I think this is a big problem for girls that grew up in the 90's and I want to talk (write) about it. During my formative years, skin was supposed to be matte. Super matte. Shiney skin was the bane of the beauty world. Foundation was medium to heavy coverage and everything was matte and covered in setting powder. I thought this was the ideal. I thought that healthy skin was matte, and since I had difficult skin, I needed to be working towards totally matte so I could finally attain perfect skin. So I spent about 15 years trying to make my skin matte. Which was impossible! I had extremely oily skin for many years and no product on the market could handle absorbing all the oil my skin would produce. I tried foundations, primers, toners, lotions, masks, setting sprays, and powders. All of them looked perfectly matte when I put them on my face, and an hour later it was a hot mess of an oil slick, slipping and sliding all over the place. Not cool face, not cool. So I would give up. Swear off even bothering to wear foundation and just go around with bare skin and an oil sheen on my face. It seemed the lesser of two evils.

     The downside to all this is that I spent far too long reaching for a normal that wasn't even normal. Healthy skin isn't matte. Let me repeat in case you missed it: Healthy. Skin. Is. Not. Matte. Period. Matte skin is for damaged dehydrated skin or photo shoots. To paraphrase Caroline Hirons, you're skin can be matte when you're dead. Wanting ultra matte skin is always going to lead to frustration, frustration because you have oily skin and it's never going to happen for you, or frustration because your dry unhealthy skin is going to look really aged and wrinkled by the time you hit forty. You don't want matte skin, the beauty industry just brainwashed you into thinking you did. Matte skin doesn't automatically equal beauty or health. It's not at all the appropriate rubric to use. So, in the words of Disney, let it go. Let it go! Redefine a new healthy. Shiney isn't always bad and matte isn't always good. Healthy, smooth, hydrated, glowing, even-toned skin is healthy. Work towards those goals.

     I was working an event this month and I looked in the mirror and thought "Wow, your entire face is shiny. Go find some powder STAT!" Not 5 minutes later, before I had a chance to powder or touch up my makeup, my friend comes over and says that my skin looks so good and she wished she could get hers to look good. I actually laughed out loud because earlier she'd been bemoaning the fact that her skin was so oily and she kept having shine breakthrough her foundation. Again, we judge ourselves so much harsher than anyone else does. Because of my conditioning, I looked at myself and thought matte=beauty and judged my skin imperfect, while to anyone else looking at my face, my skin looked healthy and clear and beautiful. Let it go, lighten up, relax, let your skin be free to have some shine. It's not the end of the world, in fact, it's probably the beginning of learning to celebrate healthy beautiful normal skin!

My Summer Makeup Essentials

     Since it's now solidly summer here in the ATL, I've realized that I've unconsciously switched up my makeup routine and keep reaching for a few specific products every time I go to do my face. The sticky, sweltering heat always makes me switch up my normal routine, and the deep abiding love I have for all things laying-out-in-the-sun-baking-in-the-extreme-heat causes me to lunge towards gold, bronze, and coraly-orange goodness like a crazy person. But I'm okay with all that because, man, I love me some summertime. Most, ok, all, the products listed below are high end, so I'm leaving some drugstore/Target/Ulta alternatives for you. Here's a list of what I'm keeping on my face this season:

• Esteé Lauder DayWear Anti-Oxidant BB Creme SPF 35. I ended up with a travel size sample of this in a gift with purchase and I was shocked by how much I loved this stuff. I'll definitely be buying a full size of this. It's full of antioxidants and cell-communicating ingredients, as well as containing SPF 35. It has pretty good coverage and evens out my skin, and unlike most BB creams I've tried, it dries down/absorbs into my skin and doesn't leave it tacky or shiny. On days when I want a little coverage all over, but it's hot as Hades and I can't stomach the thought of wearing foundation, this is my product. Cheaper options: Neutrogena Healthy Skin Enhancer SPF 20 or Revlon Age Defying CC Cream Color Corrector Broad Spectrum SPF 30.
• YSL Touche Éclat Highlighting Pen. This product is legendary. One of the best-selling makeup products of all time, I only just recently purchased it myself. And I'm in love! It's everything people say about it. So expensive, but I reach for it every time I do my makeup. I use it under my eyes to brighten and highlight, around my nose, and on my chin. Basically, anywhere on my face that needs to be lifted or brightened. It's very lightweight, so if you're trying to cover dark circles with this, ur doing it wrong. But the light formula is what I love about it for summer. It's not heavy or cakey, and wears well throughout the day. Cheaper options: Clinique Airbrush Concealer or Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Concealer. 
• Mattify Cosmetics Original Oil Absorbing Powder. Because I sweat. And I have oily skin. Love this stuff! It's a pain because you have to order online, but it's cheap and wonderful and I love it. Dust on your T-zone and you're good to go. There is no cheaper option. Just buy this.
• Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Dip. This stuff is awesome! It's a waterproof eyebrow pomade that stays put no matter how much I sweat. I haven't tested it in the pool yet, but I'd say this stuff is as waterproof as they come. The only downside is that it only comes in a handful of colors. There's no cheaper option here. But an alternative is the Makeup Forever Aqua Brow if you can't find a shade that suits you in the Brow Dip.

• Cream Blushes from Esteé Lauder and Chanel. Yes, I know. Chanel. But they're fantastic! I have the colors Affinite and Presage and they're gorgeous. The Esteé Lauder product is the Bronze Goddess Cheek Glow that launched with their summer collection this year and it is wonderful! A sheer shimmery pinky gold color. Ah! So good. I love a good cream blush when it's hot because it looks great on bare skin or over foundation, it won't look powdery, and it wears well throughout the day. Cheaper options: NYX Rouge Cream Blush or Revlon Cream Blush.
• Bronzer. Of course. Because I will never believe that I'm tan enough. My skin has olive undertones that turn sallow and gross when I'm pale. I need some sun! To warm up my face I reach for NARS Casino powder bronzer or Bobbi Brown Stick Foundation in the shade 6.5. Again, creams work best on bare skin, but sometimes I want a sheer wash of bronzer and a powder bronzer on a big fluffy powder brush is the only way I'm going to get what I want. Cheaper options: Milani Baked Bronzer, NYC Powder Bronzer, Maybelline Fit Me Bronzer, or E.L.F. Bronzer.

• Orangey lips. My current faves are Esteé Lauder Pure Color Envy lipstick in Impassioned, Chanel Rouge Allure lipstick in Melodieuse, YSL Gloss Volupte lip gloss in 03 Rose Fusion, and YSL Rouge Pur Couture Glossy Stain in 105 Corail Hold Up. These shades run from full on orange to easy-to-wear sheer coral. I love a good bright orangey lip in the summer. I think it works well for tanned skin and it makes you instantly think of heat and sunshine. Love it! I know these are all expensive, but these formulas are worth it. However, cheaper options: Maybelline Color Sensational Vivids, Milani Brilliant Shine Lip Gloss, NYX Butter Gloss, or Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick.

I Know Beautiful Women: Gina

This is a series I'm working through. Click the label at the end of the post to pull up the other essays.

     I love Gina! I mean, if I'm at an event or meeting she's the first person I look for. If I spot her husband I immediately ask him if she's here or on her way. She's the one I make eye contact with across the room at meetings and she knows, she just knows the smart aleck thing I'm dying to say. She is funny, and vibrant, and absolutely one of my favorites. The wonderful thing is that I haven't even known her a year yet.

     We met last summer at a church planting meeting and that was it. I do this thing where I meet someone really awesome and I decide right then and there that we need to be best friends. The other person doesn't have much say in the matter. You are cool and I am cool so now let's be best friends. That's how it goes. I did that with Gina and she went along with it. Now it's hard to imagine that she wasn't around this time last year. I didn't know what I was missing. Over several dinners and late night talks we've shared our hearts and lives and are solidly headed into best friend territory. At least I am. You'd probably be smart to get Gina's side of things (but I'm not sure I'm going to let her have a choice).

     Gina and I look so different it's unreal. She's tiny and petite, wiry and athletic from biking and running. Pretty much the exact opposite of me. No lie, she used to do triathlons for fun-she even threw a couple Ironmans just for grins and giggles. She has a laid back no fuss style that suits her personality. She's more likely to focus on the hearts in the city around her than shopping the latest trends, lessons I'm still trying to learn. I'd like to post a photo of the two of us together but I don't have any to post. Mainly because Gina hides from cameras. Also, she's the woman behind the scenes, making sure that everything gets done and everyone is taken care of. Without her, so many things would fall apart. Probably even me! I don't want to live in Atlanta without Gina. Ever.
   
     Gina is beautiful in the way she serves and lives out of a passionate desire to love other people. She takes care of friends in Macon and Atlanta, splitting her time between them to make sure people are loved in both cities. She has traveled all over the world, sacrificing her time to bring relief to the people who need it most. In Atlanta, she works with organizations that help free women from all types of bondage: life on the streets, addiction, the sex industry. Most women with the available time that Gina has, spend their days brunching and shopping and climbing social ladders. But not this woman. She meets so many needs it's unreal. Trying to sync up our schedules can be difficult because she is so busy helping people. Gina is burdened for the hurting ones around us. She helps women escape from the lowest rungs of society and does it because she truly loves them and sees their value.

     So here's to Gina: the strongest woman I know, the servant I'm trying to be, my favorite. I love you and I can't wait to gather years of memories together!

How to Prep Your Skin for a Special Event

     In light of the fact that I'm doing a wedding on Saturday, I thought I'd write a post on how to get your skin ready for a special event/big interview/wedding/photo shoot/whatever. Whether you'll have a professional applying your makeup or you're going to be doing it yourself, getting your skin sorted out will cause the makeup to look a heck of lot better. So here's my list of how to get it done:

• DO NOT USE ANY NEW PRODUCTS FOR AT LEAST 2 WEEKS PRIOR TO THE EVENT!!!!! The last thing you need to deal with is an allergy or sensitivity to a new product the week of your big day. Don't use anything you haven't used a few times before in combination with all your regular products. Now is not the time to try something new. If you're two weeks out, only use tried and true products, no matter what anybody recommends. It's not worth it!
• Do not pick at any spots or blemishes for at LEAST 2 weeks before hand. Honestly, we shouldn't ever pick at our skin, but come on. It happens. But now it's time to stop. If you pick, it will scab and that crap is hard to cover with concealer. It's much easier to conceal a giant red swollen lump than to cover a small scab. Trust me on this. If it's a giant painful cyst, you can make an emergency visit to a dermatologist to have zap it with something, but otherwise just let it alone. Take some ibuprofen and ice it if it hurts, but please don't pick at it.
• Your diet should be on point. If it's your wedding, you've probably been working on getting your body as healthy as it can be, but it bears repeating for everyone else: your skin reflects your insides. If you're eating junk, quit. If you're not getting enough sleep, cut out the non-essentials and get to bed an hour earlier. If you're drinking sodas and juice and sweet tea, stop that and start chugging 2 liters of water a day. Ideally we should all be living this way, but that's not real life. This works best if you can start 4-6 weeks before your event, but if you're already in the last week or two before the finish line, go ahead and start the clean-up.
• If makeup tends to clog your pores or mess your skin up in any way, try to go makeup-less (or at least very minimal) the last couple days before your event. Skip foundation and primers if at possible. Maybe reach for a tinted moisturizer or BB cream instead of foundation if you need to wear something. It's almost like letting your skin take a break and relax before the big day.
• The night before give yourself an at home facial. AGAIN, DO NOT USE PRODUCTS YOU'VE NEVER USED BEFORE!!!!! Since I usually have events on Saturdays, my Friday night routine is to give myself a mini facial at home just to get my skin ready for the weekend. It goes something like this:
• Wash my face with a cleansing balm per usual
• Massage my face with more cleansing balm or oil for 5-10 minutes
• Wash off with a wet washcloth
• Exfoliate with an enzyme treatment (you could also do an AHA mask)
• Wash off
• Layer on my usual products: Good Genes, 2% BHA, Eye Cream, ANRII, Retinol Cream, Hydrating Oil
• Make sure to finish up with a heavy moisturizer. Something like the PC Hydrating Treatment Mask is perfect. Before you go to bed, check and see if all the moisturizer has sunk in, If it has, go on and layer some more.
• The morning of the event, use a very gentle detergent-free cleanser (which you should be doing anyways) and follow up with some kind of physical exfoliant. I use either a faux microdermabrasion scrub that contains alumina crystals or my Clarisonic with a gentle scrub (something that does NOT contain broken up shells/pits/nuts). This is to make sure that you get rid of any dry flaky bits of skin that will be hard to cover with foundation. Follow up with your normal morning skincare routine. 

     You should be all set for your big day! Taking care of your skin will make a difference in how the texture of your skin looks under all the makeup. This doesn't mean that if you have bad skin your artist is going to be helpless to make you look fantastic. Your artist is comfortable working with all skin types and textures and they will make you flawless. However, taking the time to prep your face will ultimately require less makeup to cover up issues and that's always a good thing. The less base makeup you have to wear, the more comfortable you'll be, the less touch-ups you'll have to make, and the more skin-like and natural you're skin will look. Hope this was helpful. Per usual, leave me questions and comments below!

Pinterest is Full of Lies!

     I love Pinterest, but I mostly surf the humor section and pin offensive comics. Sometime's I'll browse through hair and beauty to look for inspiration pics for makeup jobs. But this genre is where I find the most blatant lies I've ever come across on the internet! I end up seeing recipes for all kinds of skincare and beauty problems and they make me see red. Because they are stupid. Here's a sampling from the past couple weeks:

You cannot mix iodine and baby oil to remove hair. You could use it as a tanning oil like they did back in the 70's, but it won't get rid of body hair.

You cannot get rid of blackheads with honey, salt, and baking soda. You will exfoliate with the scratchy salt, but it will only be on the surface. Also, your skin wants to be mildly acidic (a pH less than 7) but baking soda is alkaline and will raise the pH of your skin above 7. That's not what your skin wants! Also, some people are sensitive to honey and will breakout in a rash when it's applied to the skin. Be careful!

In the same vein, you cannot remove blackheads with lemon juice and baking soda. The pH isn't the issue because you're probably balancing the citric acid with the baking soda, but neither of those ingredients are going to exfoliate within the pore or remove clogs. It will mildly exfoliate the surface of your skin by acting like a scrub, but that's it. Also, citrus oil can irritate your skin, so if you juice your own lemons you should be very careful to keep the oils away from your face.

And again, you cannot scrub away blackheads with toothpaste and salt. This is nuts. The salt will physically exfoliate your skin, but that won't touch your blackheads. The mint in the toothpaste can irritate your skin. There's absolutely zero truth to this one. A follow-up: don't dab toothpaste onto pimples to dry them up! I will dry out your skin, cause irritation, and you'll get it all over your pillowcase.

You cannot "make" homemade lotion by simply combining 2-3 commercially available lotions in a new container. Seriously? Come on. That's cheating. Just like Sandra Lee's Semi-Homemade. In the South we call that store bought. Also, this recipe is crap. Just use the Vitamin E oil and move on. Vaseline and cheap baby lotion are simply occlusives that trap in whatever moisture your skin has left. Won't hydrate one bit. And can clog pores.

I know Beautiful Women: Antionette

This is a series I'm working through. Click on the label at the end to pull up the other posts.

     Antionette is drop dead gorgeous. I mean, there was a time in our friendship when I felt so self conscious going out in public with her because I thought everyone was going to be comparing my looks to hers and I knew how short I would come up. Now I realize how absolutely freeing it is to be out with her because absolutely NO ONE is going to take a second look at me when she's in the room. It's awesome! A lot of times I don't even put makeup on. Why bother? She is tall and has the longest shiniest thickest dark hair I've ever seen. Lately she's been talking about cutting it and it makes my heart hurt. Her olive skin and dark eyes are stunning. I can't even. You just need to meet her. Everyone needs to meet her!

     We met at Dillard's one summer while we were both waiting to go off to grad school. We instantly bonded over laughing about the crazy ladies we worked with and complaining about the arcane dress code we were being subjected to (we rebelled together by wearing black footless tights instead of actual hose. The horror!). She ended up leaving to go to law school and I left to work another job before I went to grad school a few months later. 2010 found us both out of grad school and working in Atlanta. We reconnected and now catch up regularly over long dinners.

     I'm so very grateful to have met her when I did. It was a time in my life where I felt like things were put on hold; I had graduated with my degree but was trying to get into grad school. I felt lost and a little ashamed that I wasn't immediately accepted into grad school. It was such a help to get to know Antionette, to see such a smart woman who had graduated and was waiting for law school. We all need those people who show up in our lives and say "I'm here too." Her friendship helped me through and I'm so very glad that we've remained friends.  

     Antionette now works full time as an attorney and spends most of her free time helping women. She has worked with organizations that provide legal aid to women dealing with domestic abuse, as well as starting an organization that speaks love and healing into the lives of women who are post-abortive. As beautiful as Antionette's face is, you often don't even notice it when you start to talk with her. I've never met anyone who spills out equal parts passion and mercy in their conversation as she does. To sit down and talk with her is an experience. They way she speaks about women is beautiful. Her words just flow out of her soul, a fountain of life-giving truth that changes lives. My life is richer because Antionette speaks truth into it. The difference she is making in the lives of women hurting and struggling at rock bottom is immeasurable. And she does it all with such strong and mighty grace. You can't fake the kind of love she has for people. A lot of times I find myself asking "what would Antionette say?" when I'm looking for words in the middle of difficult situations.

     So, here's to Antionette: the woman who is passionate about life, the lady who will not leave women in bondage, the beautiful mercy-bringer, I love you and I'm so very glad you're in my life!

Eye Bags and Dark Circles

     I should say that I always hate to start things out on a negative note, but I'm an extremely blunt person by default so negative beginnings never phase me. If you are blessed with dark under eye circles and bags, there is not a miracle eye cream you can buy that will cure them. There isn't an ingredient available that is scientifically proven to get rid of the bruising and swelling and give you the eye bags of a 19 year old upper east side socialite. Sorry. It sucks. Now let's get on to what you CAN do to minimize your under eye "issues."

     Improve your overall health. This is reiterated constantly here on the blog, but your skin will reflect the condition of your life. Stressed, sleep deprived, unhealthy eating habits, chronic dehydration, all these things show up on your face and will exacerbate your skin issues. Also, health disorders such as allergies and autoimmune diseases, as well as certain medications can wreak havoc on your skin. Try to get your health in tip top shape if you want to improve your skin. Now, we can't always control stress and sleep and medical conditions, but it has to be a priority to make healthy choices about things we can control. It will make a difference.

     Use an eye cream to keep the eye area hydrated and as healthy as possible. You can use anything you use on the rest of your skin on the eye area, but if you suffer from puffiness and eye swelling, using a lighter formulation or serum specifically formulated for the eye area is preferential; heavy creams and serums can actually increase the puffiness. Look for products full of the normal good stuff: ceramides, vitamins. plant extracts, retinol, lipids, etc. But as I said before, no eye cream is going to have a magical ingredient that will instantly correct the problem. There are a bagillion eye creams on the market that claim to instantly tighten and brighten and make you look 75 years younger, and those are ALL unsubstantiated claims. Some women swear by specific products completely reducing under eye circles, but it's all anecdotal evidence that isn't backed up by research. HOWEVER, if a friend of yours says that she can't live without X branded eye cream because it totally works, listen to her and see if you can pick up a sample from a makeup counter and try it for yourself. Just because there's not a proven ingredient that works for everyone doesn't mean that there isn't something out there that could help you. Just don't count on it completely eradicating the problem. We're working to mitigate the damage, not revert back to the skin of our toddler selves.

      I use the SkinActives Bright I Cream and I love it. HOWEVER, I don't struggle with under eye issues so I cannot speak to its ability to counteract any of your problems. I do know that it is a light weight cream packed with the good stuff your skin needs. And it's affordable. Some other options that I would consider include: Kate Somerville Line Release, Lancome Renergie (bonus: it comes with a concealer built in the lid), and Perricone MD Advanced Eye Area Therapy.

     Find an under eye concealer to cover up what you can't change. Pretty much every makeup brand offers an under eye concealer and it can get overwhelming trying to find one to take home. You're going to need to focus on two main points: texture and color. Pick the texture based on your skin type. If you have younger skin that leans to the oily side, you are probably going to need to use a thicker and dryer type formula. Not as hard as a solid waxy concealer because you need to be able to blend it over larger areas, but something that isn't on the liquid side. Try something like MAC Studio Finish Concealer or NARS Creamy Concealer. oily, you should set the concealer with some powder. If you have dry skin or more mature skin with fine lines and wrinkles DO NOT use a thick concealer. It will make your skin look drier and settle into all the lines. Choose a concealer with a lighter, more fluid texture. Something like YSL Touche Eclat, Clinique Airbrush Concealer, or MAC Peach Color Corrector (a MAC Pro product that you can order if you call a MAC Pro store). These are the only products I have actually used. There are plenty other concealers on the market, but I don't have eye bags or circles so I haven't played with a lot of the products out there. Do NOT set the concealer with powder if you have dry skin. It will make the skin even drier.

     The color of the concealer should be lighter than your skin tone and salmon/peach toned if you are trying to cover dark circles. Color theory says to use something orange to cancel out blue, i.e. the bruising under your eyes. You need the hint of orange in the product to cancel out the blue tones under your eye. If you don't have circles, you don't need a product that is as warm, but still choose a concealer with warm undertones.

     I'm also including a link to a youtube tutorial by Wayne Goss on how to cover a puffy eye bag. The technique is a little different as you're going to have to use contour theory to get rid of the bag, but it's pretty straightforward and is the best way to cover puffy bags.

     I hope this helps. Let me know in the comments if there's an eye product that you love or if you have any questions!
 

How to Rock Bold Lips All Night Long

     Some people wear bold lips all the time. Some women don't wear any makeup but a swipe of red lipstick everyday and they look incredible. I. Can't. Do. That. I wear a darker lip color about once a semester (I don't think I'll ever stop measuring the year out in semesters) but it takes a lot of effort. I feel so self conscious with a dark lip, and I'm constantly worried about whether or not it's wearing off, or smudged, or on my teeth. Over the years I've developed a sure fire method for applying darker lip colors and setting them so they last through the night. One thing to remember is that matte lipstick formulas will last longer than glossy lipsticks. I prefer to go with a matte or slightly satin finish and top with a small amount of gloss if I want to go really glossy. Gloss will ALWAYS cause your lipstick to breakdown faster, so keep that in mind if you need the lip color to last a really long time. Now, let's go through it step by step. I'm using a beautiful deep burgundy color. I know it's not traditionally a spring color, but I'm craving burgundy lips right now, so I'm going to go with it.

1) Prep your lips

I like to use a lip scrub to get rid of any dry flakies. You can make one with some kind of oil (olive, coconut. almond, etc.) and salt, sugar, or brown sugar, if you don't want to buy one. A lot of times I just scrub my lips with my toothbrush and leftover toothpaste after I'm done brushing my teeth. Once you've scrubbed, apply a good lip balm and let that sit while you do the rest of your makeup. Once you're ready to start on your lips, wipe off the lip balm and apply a lip primer. My favorite is MAC Prep + Prime Lip.

2.) Line your lips with a long-wearing lip liner that is close the same color of your lipstick

I'm using a Milani brand lip liner for this tutorial. It's not a super long lasting formula, but I really like this product and I haven't found another lip liner that matches this lipstick to replace it. Line your lips following your natural lip line, unless you want to make slight corrections. If you have one side of your lip that's slightly different than the other side, you can subtly correct it by overdrawing your natural line, but just slightly. ONLY make minor adjustments. Now isn't the time to completely change your lip shape. I know, it looks totally chola, but it'll get better.

3.) Use a lip brush to apply a light layer of the lipstick

Fill in your entire lips with the lipstick, making sure to blend the lipstick in with the lip liner. We don't want a repeat of the 90's folks, blend it all together.

4.) Blot the lips with tissue

Blot down the lipstick with tissue. You will end up with just a heavy stain of lip color all over your lips.

5.) Use powder to set the stain.

This step is a little tricky, but pull apart 2-ply tissue to get 1 layer. Hold the tissue on top of your lips, and push a translucent setting powder over all of your lips. This will help to set the stain and lock the next layer in place.

6.) Apply a second layer of lipstick

Grab you lip brush again and apply an even layer of the lipstick. This is going to be your final layer. Brush on an even coat and make sure your edges look smooth. Blot lightly again if you feel like you put the color on too heavy.

7.) Clean up your edges if you need

Go in with a full coverage concealer or your foundation and a flat concealer brush. Smooth a small amount of the product along the edge of your lip line if you need to make it more precise. Set your concealer with a light layer of powder.

All done! This is how you make a bold lip last. I've done this with a matte formula and had the lipstick stay pristine through an entire meal. YMMV. Especially if you don't use a truly matte formula. Just carry the lipstick with you and touch up as needed directly from the lipstick tube. You will probably only need to touch up around the inside of your lips, as that's where the lipstick wears the most. I paired this lip with an easy gold eye look. After I shot this tutorial I went to a party and ate BBQ and only had to touch up once. Got a full 8+ hours of wear out of this application. Leave a comment below if you have any questions!

I Know Beautiful Women: Shannon

This is a series I'm working through about all the beautiful women in my life. Click on the label at the end of this post to pull up past essays!

     Shannon is my best friend. Now, I'm liable to say that about a dozen people, but with Shannon it means something more. We met when I was 19 and she was 23. I still don't know why on earth she decided to be friends with me. I wouldn't have even wanted to be friends with me back then. I was such a baby and so naive, but she saw some hidden value and chose me. I am forever grateful for that. We've had some lapses in our friendship as grad school took over our lives, but once I graduated and moved back to Georgia we've been very close, sharing countless phone calls, slumber parties, and weekend trips.

     We are so different, different personalities and careers and passions, but we fit. She is the one person who knows absolutely everything about me, all the nooks and crannies I usually keep hidden, the joys and struggles, my hopes, fears, and secret dreams. Nothing is hidden. That only happens when the friendship is built on absolute trust. I don't trust easily. I don't like being hurt (duh, no one does) but she has never hurt me. Not even once. Never has she taken anything I've shared and used it against me or thought less of me for it. That's who Shannon is. She is beautiful in the way she accepts people for where they are. On top of the world or mired down in the dark places, she accepts your journey and never asks you to move to make things easier on the relationship.

     Not that she's content to leave you in the pit, but rather she sits down at the opening of the crevice and keeps you company while things are dark and scary. She listens and cries and laughs with you, throwing you a flashlight or rope if you ask for one, but never judging you for having fallen down there in the first place. See, Shannon's not scared of dark and messy and broken. She doesn't run when things are hard or upside down. She doesn't think she's strong because sometimes she finds herself in those places, but she is so fierce in the way she willingly marches through the dark places to find her friends. I honestly don't know if I would have survived these past few months without having her around. 

     She doesn't have an easy career either. She teaches high school English and Drama at a large county high school in south Georgia. I don't know how she does it, but she shows up every day to be the difference kids need. I love her for that. Showing up in the dark places is who she is and how she lives her life. That's beauty. To be tired and scared and drained, and still show up for people. To show up in the good times and bad. I wish I was like her. I'm trying to more like her.

     Even on top of all of this, she is such a beauty. She does the porcelain skin and dark hair and eyes so well. Her skin is always clear (jerk) and her eyes are about as doe-like as you'll ever find. And her smile, I've seen it stop people dead in their tracks. I'm sure she'd say I'm exaggerating at this point, but she's crazy and a tad too modest these days. It's so much fun when we do get to dress up and go out together. She literally shines.

     So, here's to Shannon: the best friend who chose me, the supporter of dreams, the safest confidant, the woman who braves the dark. I love you, friend.

Your Skin Doesn't Sleep

      There's nothing special about nighttime. Your skin isn't awake during the day and asleep at night. If a product says it's formulated for night, it isn't automatically discounted for day use. And vice versa. I have many products in my arsenal that are marked for a certain time of day and I use them day and night. HOWEVER, there are a few points to consider when determining whether to use a product for day or night.

• If a product has SPF in it, only use it during the day. Duh, right? You don't want to put SPF on your face at night because that's adding extra chemicals to your face that you don't need. Save it for the morning.
• If a product contains ingredients that are photosensitive, heed the warnings and DO NOT use during the day. Some ingredients react with sunlight and can cause a rash on your face. Citrus oils for example. Or high concentrations of retinol. A product will warn you on the label if you should be careful using in the sun, so pay attention. Sometimes you can get away with it if you use high SPF and stay out of direct sunlight. Just be careful.
• If a product has a heavier, creamier consistency, you might want to save it for night if you have oily skin. A heavier moisturizer may cause you grief during the day if you don't like the feeling of heavier products. It can also cause your makeup to breakdown quicker, causing your foundation to slide around, your eye shadow to crease, or your mascara to run. You might prefer to save the thicker formulas for night. You'll be sleeping so you won't notice.

     You skin doesn't behave differently at night, but nighttime is usually a great time to really dose your skin up with treatments and healthy ingredients. This is because during the day your skin is exposed to toxins and stress from the environment, and at night while you're sleeping it isn't dealing with as many stressors. It's almost like your skin can "focus" at night because it gets to "take a break" from dealing with outside (this is completely anthropomorphic, but just go with it.) You also don't have to worry about having SPF or makeup on your face that can impede penetration of the antioxidants and cell-communicating ingredients you're trying to get into your skin. 

     Knowing what products can pull double duty in your routine can save you money. You don't need to have different moisturizers for day and night, as long as you have a separate SPF to add in the morning. If you're not using a concentrated retinol serum, and you probably aren't unless you're using a prescription product, you can use your serum in the morning and evening. I use Esteé Lauder Advanced Night Repair II day and night. I don't want to have to pay for two serums, so this is great! We all need to save money, am I right? Just read the warnings and use common sense and you can cut down your product list. Leave me a comment below if you have any questions about products you're using!

     

Disclaimer

     I can't stand it when people hide their affiliations or professional ties, so I want to be very clear about a few things. I have never worked for a cosmetics company or counter. I have never worked at a MAC store or Sephora, I've never sold Mary Kay, or worked at Dillard's selling Clinique or Lancome (I did work at Dillard's for a few months but I sold clothes in the Misses department). I have never received any makeup or skincare products for free. I'm not famous enough for that to happen!

     As of now, I would not receive free products in exchange for reviews because I value my objectivity. I think one of the greatest things I offer, aside from my amazing personality, is my unbiased opinion. I spend my own money on products that I believe in. I want you to feel confident that none of my reviews or recommendations are swayed by any monetary compensation or felt obligation to cosmetic companies. I understand that many beauty gurus do accept free products, and I don't have a problem with that, but it does make me question their bias. It's also amazing that beauty and fashion mags publish lists about favorite products, while the pages are covered with paid advertisements form all the major beauty brands. Um, does anyone see the conflict of interest here?

     A long time ago, longer than I care to admit, there was a well-known horse trainer that came out with his own monthly horse magazine. It would mainly feature training and educational articles, but they would also do product reviews. The catch was that they had ZERO paid advertisements. You couldn't question the integrity of their reviews because they had no advertisers to answer to. That has always stuck with me and I decided a long time ago that I valued being honest and unbiased more than profits. I'm not anywhere near reaching a level of influence where I have the option to receive free products or compensation, but I would not choose to accept if I had the opportunity. I don't feel right recommending people to go and spend their money on a product that I myself didn't actually purchase. 

     That's not a problem I've had to deal with so far. Maybe I'll have to cross that bridge in the future, but as of now, I don't get free stuff and I don't get paid by any cosmetics companies or stores. I'm not anyone's shill and I never will be. I've got enough opinions without being handed some from a PR department. Peace out!

What the Heck is "Glowy" Skin? Answer=Physics

     I can't count the number of times I've heard a beauty guru or sales person recommend a product because it will "make your skin glow!" Or my other favorite (not) phrase: this uber expensive cream/foundation/lotion/powder/serum will make you look "lit from within." Excuse me? What. Does. This. Mean? Are these things even measurable? "Try this cream, it will increase your glow by 35 lumens!" Um, no. As with most things pertaining to skincare and makeup, it's all marketing lies and fake science to get you to buy products. Sort of. We are able to perceive "glow" on skin, but it's not really light coming from inside your face. It has to do with Physics. So, in the words of Rhett and Link: Let's talk about that.

     What do professionals mean when they say that your skin is glowing? Short version: it means your skin is very healthy and hydrated with a smooth and even texture. It doesn't mean oily, shiny. greasy, or covered in frosted highlighting powder, although you can use these things to fake a glow for pictures. Long version that includes physics: your skin, like all surfaces, reflects light. The smoother a surface, the more the reflected light resembles the original image. Think of a mirror. The smooth metal coating beneath the glass is a perfectly smooth surface that reflects all light back at a uniform angle (the angle of incidence to normal is the same as the incidence of refraction to normal blah blah blah). This is called "specular reflection" and it produces images, just like what we see in a mirror. If the surface the light is bouncing off of is not perfectly smooth, we end up with "diffuse reflection." This reflection does not produce an image because the light rays reflect off of the surface at all different angles. This is due to the uneven surface, where tiny irregularities in the surface cause the reflection of light to be scattered. This is what happens on your face. The smoother the surface, the more light rays are reflected uniformly back at the viewer. More reflection angled toward the viewer=more light given off or "glow" that you see coming off of the person's face. Get it? Science!

     If you skipped the last few sentences, don't worry. Start reading again now: the way to achieve more glow is to "feed" your skin with the antioxidants and cell-communicating ingredients it craves, give it plenty of moisture so it stays hydrated, and to exfoliate frequently to remove the build-up of dead cells that cause rough skin. The healthier and smoother your skin, the more glow (reflected light bouncing off your skin). Easy, peasy. Physics FTW!

I Know Beautiful Women: Lee

This is a series I'm working through about women in my life who are gorgeous inside and out. Beauty should be celebrated wherever we find it, especially in the people we share life with and I want to call out truth in the women I love. At the end of the day, makeup washes off and your skin will sag and wrinkle, but a beautiful soul only becomes more so as it walks through life. These women have gorgeous faces, but their hearts will absolutely stun you with their beauty.

     I'm not even sure how to start this post off. Lee is such a huge part of my life and my story, but we don't communicate very often. It's weird to say that your best friend lives 14 hours away and you haven't spoken on the phone in six months, but it's so very, very true. Lee is my best friend. And her love language is sending me inappropriate comics via pinterest throughout the week to make me laugh. She is an introvert and her attention span doesn't work very well with long phone calls. But if you've never had a friend that you were so secure in their affection and care for you that you could go months without hearing from them but still know in the core of your being that your friend is on the other side of the country missing you and thinking about you, you just don't know what your're missing. I have so much confidence in our friendship and Lee's character that I know she's my best friend, even if I only get to see her once a year, even if I don't speak with her every week. Even if text messages are sparse at times.

     Lee's beauty is a wild and hilarious type, full of jokes and laughs and silly songs and great impersonations. She is a true comedienne! She works as an aid for an amazing young man who is physically disabled. She has worked with him for several years now, moving up every school year to a new grade level. Every year she talks about they had the best school year and the best teacher, and by the next year she's saying it all over again. She is brilliant with kids. Some people say it's because she's just a big kid herself, but that's selling her gifts short. She is fantastic with kids because she is gifted and passionate. Period. She has more talent for working with children in her right elbow than most trained teachers I've met. It's just her. She loves kids and they love her. She has the ability to turn ordinary afternoons into magical adventures. Think Mary Poppins, but with tattoos and more pool time. And surprisingly only a hair less British (seriously, Lee can spank anyone when it comes to accents). She's also a very talented artist, drawing and designing anything from room decor to tattoos, not to mention her amazing voice. She is constantly singing, and, unlike in my car, it actually sounds good. I love singing along with her because she totally drowns me out (I'm real bad at singing, y'all).

      Lee not only has a fantastic soul, she is so pretty. Giant eyes with lashes a mile long. I honestly can't watch her when she's putting on her mascara because I get so angry and jealous. Her smile is contagious and she's short, so she can rock the petite, pint-sized beauty. I love that she experiments with her hair. Short, long, red, blonde, and sometimes even purple, she's never afraid to have fun. She inspires people to be free to be themselves and not take things too seriously.

     I will forever be grateful to her and her family for taking me in when I was alone out in Texas. They didn't become like family, they became family. I was always welcome. I'm still always welcome. But that's how Lee is. Once you're in, you're in. You've always got a place to land when you need it. I don't need to hear her say she loves me and misses me; I know she does. The hardest part of living in Atlanta is the part where Lee still lives in Texas. A part of me will be missing as long as we're so far apart, but we sure make up for it when we get to see each other. I'm planning a vacation in Texas this summer and we've already got the itinerary booked solid. I'm thinking I'll need a vacation from my vacation when I get back, but it will be soooooo worth it!

     So here's to Lee: the most steadfast friend I've ever known, the girl who makes magic wherever she goes, the woman who inspires freedom. I love you, friend and I can't wait for July!

5 Minute Face

     We all have those days. Either we're slammed for time and need to race out the door, or we're so exhausted the thought of putting any extra effort into our appearance makes our brains shut down. I get it. I LIVE in those two spaces. If I'm honest, I only wear makeup about 25% of the time. I have no qualms about doing life barefaced. I enjoy the freedom of it, actually.  But I'm nearing the age where not only is it professionally appropriate, it's also an act of public service so I don't scare the children with my naked face. The thing is, I still very rarely get up early enough/have the motivation to put on a face-full of makeup in the morning before work. Do you feel me? If so, keep reading. Today I'm going to go step by step through a quick and easy (and if you'd like, cheap) makeup look. Very minimal, but very effective.

1. Prep your skin.

     This is a given if you've read any of my other blog posts. I never skimp on prepping my skin in the morning because I'm married to my skincare routine. So, work your steps. Cleanse, exfoliate, treat, moisturize, SPF. Now proceed.

2. Curl Eyelashes

     This is important if you have short lashes, sparse lashes, lashes that grow at random angles, lashes that grow straight down, or like me, all of the above. If you have small or hooded eyes and only have time for one thing, this is your thing! Look at the before and after. Wizardry I tell you. Makes a huge difference and takes less than 30 seconds. And you don't have to worry about clumping, waiting for product to dry, getting your eyes even, etc. So easy. I can't guarantee how long your eyelashes will stay curled without a coating of mascara on top, but mine seem to last for about 8-10 hours. YMMV.

3. Mascara

     This will help hold the curl and add more definition. I use a tubing mascara because I have oily lids and that always breaks down mascara and causes smudging and smearing all around my eyes. I use L'Oreal Double Extend Beauty Tubes Mascara. Use whatever your mascara you have. Use an eyelash comb or spoolie to brush through your lashes after you apply your mascara if you struggle with clumps.

4. Eyebrows

     This is probably the trickiest step, and, if you're a noob when it comes to doing your brows, this step might push you over the time limit. You can ask my sister Paige, when I started adding eyebrows to my makeup routine it took me almost the same amount of time to do my brows as it did for me to do the whole rest of my face! Now I can whip them on fast, but it takes a bit of practice if you're really altering your natural brows. If you have full brows, just a swipe of clear brow gel to put all the hairs in place is going to be enough. If you have nicely shaped brows but they're a little sparse, use a brow pencil or brow powder to lightly fill them in. If you have barely-there brows, use a pencil with a light hand to beef them up and create the shape you want. Follow up with a tinted brow gel to emphasize the hairs that you do have. For everyone: when picking a brow product, go a shade or two lighter if you have dark hair, and a shade or two darker if you have fair hair. Don't match your hair color exactly. Only use an Auburn color if you have extremely bright red hair (think the Little Mermaid.) You can use eye shadow as brow powder, but it has to be matte, no shimmer or frost, and it shouldn't be red toned (again, unless you have bright red hair.) I've got hardly any brows, so I'm using a brow pencil topped by a tinted brow gel.

5. Concealer

     This is going to depend on what your skin weakness is. If you deal with blemishes, go in with a waxy hard concealer and small brush and conceal all your spots. Set this concealer with a bit of translucent face powder so the cover up will last all day. If you have bad under eye dark circles, use a light-weight creamy concealer under your eyes and pat in with your finger. If you have red patches, use a heavy coverage creamy concealer and blend over the red areas with a foundation paddle brush. If you have clear skin with no issues, feel free to skip concealer or use an eye brightening pen under your eyes to highlight them and make you look more awake. Whatever your issue, quickly target it and move on. I've got a cystic breakout (thank you hormones) and a couple smaller spots on my nose. I'm covering those with a hard concealer and using an eye brightener under my eyes. Cause Lord knows I need to fake being well-rested. Curse you Netflix for stealing my sleep!

5. Blush/Bronzer
   
     Use either blush or bronzer, depending on your skin tone/makeup style, in a cream formula on the cheekbones. It's very difficult to blend out powdered formulas on bare skin; they work better on top of foundation. Blend out a cream product on your cheekbones with a brush or your fingers to give your face some healthy color. If you have natural flush to your cheeks, just rock what you've got. Most people will need to add a little product. Use a light hand and build up the color if you need to. I chose a bronzer. I'm. Ready. For. Summer.

6. Powder

     This is only for the oily faces. A light dusting of oil absorbing powder through the t-zone/center of the face will help you survive the day without a grease fest on your face (This is my favorite link, get the original strength-the ingredients are better). Ideally, you should carry your powder with you so you can touch up throughout the day, but ain't nobody got time for that. I just blot my nose with tissue at work every few hours and call it good enough. If you have dry skin, completely skip this step.

7. Lips

     This doesn't have to be done before you leave the house. Honestly, I usually slap on my lip gloss in the car at the stoplight at N Druid Hills and Clairmont. That's just how it happens. Sometimes I wait until I get to my desk at work. Most of the time I just use Dior Lip Maximizer. I love this stuff. It's insanely expensive, but it's the only chopstick-type product that actually hydrates my lips. It doesn't mask the problem, it actually fixes it. But you don't need to shell out $30 bucks. Use whatever chapstick/lip balm/lipstick/lip gloss/lip stain/crushed up beetle pigment you like to use on your lips. I'd probably recommend something natural and not too bright, but if bold is your forte, go for it. My best friend Pam always has on red lipstick. Always. It's her thing. Go for your thing. Today I picked a pink gloss with gold shimmer.

Done! So easy and you look put together and polished. Now, if only I can get motivated to do this every morning. Maybe I need to increase my coffee consumption first thing in the AM.

And a before and after pic.

Disclaimer: All of these photos were only edited using Lightroom to adjust exposure and color. The same settings were applied to the entire series of pictures. I did not retouch any of the photos. I thought about it, but I'm photoshop stupid and I didn't want to lie.

My Current Routine as of May 2014

     If you're one of the people mentioned in the last post who don't even wash their skin, just go ahead and skip this. I don't need your judgement and you don't need an exhaustive treatment plan for problems you don't have. Have a good week and I'll catch you with my next post.

     For the rest of you, those of you who are members of the "I hate the way my skin/pores look" club especially, I now call the meeting to order. On today's agenda, I'm going to share my skincare routine. These are the current products I'm using to get my skin as healthy as I can. These are only topical, however, and I also make every effort to drink 80 oz of water every day, eat a primal diet, and get plenty of exercise and sleep. Your skin reflects on the outside the shape of your body and mind on the inside. It's all connected.

Morning:

1. Cleanse with Paula's Choice Optimal Results Hydrating Cleanser or Clinique Take the Day Off Balm and my Clarisonic Aria
2. Pat skin dry and apply PC 2% BHA Gel or PC BHA 9 depending on skin
3. Once dry, apply Skin Active Bright-I cream all over my eye area, upper and lower lid
4. Apply Esteé Lauder Advanced Night Repair II Serum
5. Once dry, apply Kate Somerville Goat Milk Cream or KS Nourish Daily Moisturizer or PC Skin Recovery Hydrating Treatment Mask or Dior Hydra Life Pro-Youth Sorbet Creme depending on my skin and the season
6. Finish with Boscia Self-Defense Vital Antioxidant Moisture SPF 30
7. Move on to makeup or go barefaced

Evening:

1. Cleanse with Clinique Take the Day Off Balm and a warm wet washcloth
2. Cleanse again if wearing makeup
3. Pat skin dry and apply Sunday Riley Good Genes Lactic Acid Treament
4. Once dry, apply PC 2% BHA Gel or PC 4% BHA Foam or PC BHA 9 depending on skin
5. Once dry, apply Skin Active Bright-I cream all over my eye area, upper and lower lid
6. Spray with The Body Shop Aloe Calming Toner
7. Apply Esteé Lauder Advanced Night Repair II Serum
8. Once dry, apply Skin Actives Vitamin A Twilight Awakening Cream (about every other night)
9. Once dry, apply SA Every Lipid Serum or Jojoba Oil to the outer portion of my face if it feels dry
10. Apply Kate Somerville Goat Milk Cream or KS Nourish Daily Moisturizer or PC Skin Recovery Hydrating Treatment Mask or Dior Hydra Life Pro-Youth Sorbet Creme depending on my skin and the season

     Yes, this is an enormous product list. It only takes about 10 minutes in the morning. It takes about 15 minutes in the evening. Sometimes longer because I'll get distracted while waiting for products to soak in and dry. The most important things are that I use a gentle cleanser, always follow with a BHA (and sometimes an AHA), and end with a moisturizer to lock in the products and protect my skin. I "listen" to my skin, change up the strength of products as my skin texture changes. If it's feeling dry, I'll go lighter. If it feels rough or my pores look like they are congested (they're always congested, but if the ratio of clogged to clear pores is increasing) I'll increase the strength. During the winter and early spring when I'm on anti-histamines I use a heavier moisturizer. In the summer I use lighter products because I sweat a lot and have oily skin. The routine isn't carved in stone, but the important steps are always present and in the proper order.

     This is my skin. THIS IS NOT YOUR SKIN! Be careful when introducing new products into your routine, and slowly build up to higher strength acids. Listen to your face and pay attention to what its telling you. The products listed above are products that I've tested and approved. They work. Period. They may not be the right product for your specific problem, but if you have oily skin with large congested pores, this routine would probably help your skin mightily. 

The Bare Minimum

     There's a minimum level of effort you need to put into your skin. Period. There are some people (you might be one of them) who never wash their face. They just kind of rinse it off in the shower and that's about it. Their skin is always flawless, not a breakout or blemish in sight. Lucky! But that doesn't mean that their skin is healthy. I liken it to people who are able to eat whatever they like, we're talking carbs, sugars, sodas, all of it, and never workout, but still manage to slide into size 2 skinny jeans. It's hard not to hate them! But just because they're thin, doesn't mean they're healthy. These days we use weight as the number one criteria for health, and for skin we use number of breakouts/blemishes as the rubric. These are good indicators for each, but it's not definitive. You can have a perfect BMI and have any number of chronic health conditions. You can have clear skin, but it's so dehydrated and sun-damaged that you're well on your way to Saggy Town and Wrinkle Ville. On the Express Train, no less. Have fun looking like you qualify for AARP before you even hit 40. Don't fool yourself into thinking that you don't need to make an effort with your skin because you don't get breakouts. That's ignorant and it's time to expand your horizons.

     

     You MUST wash your face twice a day. Always. Without fail. Unless you're actually having an emergency, i.e. in the hospital. You need to wash sweat, dead cells, bacteria, and oil, off your skin in the morning, and you need to get rid of all the environmental pollutants, makeup, oil, dead cells, and SPF on your face at the end of the day. NEVER use wipes as your only cleansing step. In fact, I'd use wipes sparingly (actually, I only use wipes to clean up my hands at makeup artist jobs). Those will NOT cut it! Use a cleanser or oil, warm water, and a washcloth (or Clarisonic if you need it). Take your time and do a second cleanse in the evening if you wear heavy makeup or high SPF. If you're using a gentle cleanser this will not dehydrate or irritate your skin. 

     You should probably use a chemical exfoliant next, but some people just aren't going to do that. I get it. If you've got zero skin issues just move on to a treatment. 

     If you're rocking that clear skin, choose an antioxidant serum that will "feed" your skin. It needs to be full of ceramides, vitamins, and cell-communicating ingredients that keep your skin functioning at its healthiest. Top with a moisturizer and make sure to apply an SPF during the day. Done! Now, keep it up. Again, do your steps morning and evening so your skin stays healthy. This is the bare minimum. If you're blessed with clear and even skin, this is likely all you'll ever need. For those of us blessed (burdened?) with more difficult skin, we're going to have to put a little more elbow grease into the routine. That's just life, folks. But we WILL make things work, by you know, actually working. 

     Stay tuned for my next post where I lay out my current skincare routine. 

AHA or BHA? The $64,000 Question

     The title is exaggerating. It's actually not that difficult of a question to answer. What is your skincare issue? Clogged pores and breakouts? Tough uneven skin? Enlarged pores? Use a BHA. There's only one BHA: Salicylic acid. A normal strength would be 2%. If your skin is sensitive to BHAs, use a 1%. If your skin is less sensitive and it tolerates acids well, try going up to a 4 or 5% several times a week. The more severe your skin problems are, the more often you need to use your BHA. If that means using a weaker strength so you can apply morning and evening, do that. You need to be applying it to your face regularly for you to see a change in your skin. I use a 2% gel in the morning and rotate between a 4% and a 9% in the evening. I always purchase my BHAs from Paula's Choice. I prefer the gel formulation when given an option.

     Having problems with dry skin? Signs of premature (or mature?) aging? Dealing with Rosacea or Psoriasis? Dark spots, scars, or hyperpigmentation? AHAs are going to be your product. Y'all are lucky because there are multiple AHAs available, the most common ones being Glycolic acid, Lactic acid, Malic acid, Citric acid, and Tartaric acid. The most studied AHAs are Glycolic and Lactic. You should probably start with one of those. Skincare experts used to say that Glycolic acid was a better choice because it has a higher bioavailability, due to its smaller molecular size, and therefor could penetrate the skin more efficiently. The flipside is that Glycolic acid is more irritating since it penetrates so quickly. Lactic acid is a larger molecule that penetrates slower. This means less irritation. Lactic acid also some added benefits of increasing skin hydration. Lactic acid products are harder to find, and usually more expensive, but it's worth trying to find one if you are struggling with a skin issue and have very sensitive skin. Concentrations of AHAs are going to be somewhere in the 4-10% range. As before, use as high a concentration as you can use without causing dryness or peeling. I definitely "feel" an AHA more than BHA on my skin. There is a tingling and mild burning, even at normal concentrations. The feeling goes away after a few minutes, and it is never painful, but I thought I should warn you.

     The good news is that it won't hurt you to use the wrong one. And if your skin type leads you to a BHA, it's a good idea to throw an AHA on a few times a week. I use a BHA twice a day and I've currently added in a Lactic acid AHA twice a day as well. YOUR SKIN MAY VARY!!!!! Just because my skin handles that much exfoliation does NOT mean that your skin will. And I had to work up to this level. Use as much as your skin can handle and no more. If you are still having the original skin issues (and no irritation from the acid) after a few months of acid treatment, slowly start increasing your concentration. But ONLY if you are still having problems.

     As per my earlier blog post, the most important thing to consider when using an acid is pH! Make sure your acids are well below 7, usually in the 3-4 range. Look online for websites that give you pHs of various products. Acid product reviews on Beautypedia usually list the pH. If it doesn't have an acidic pH, your acid is no longer an acid and you're wasting time and money.

Random Encounters: They Happen All. The. Time.

     So, last Friday I picked up my neighbor and we went to Good Friday Service. Afterwards we stopped by CVS to pick up some meds and my friend wanted to look for a new lipstick. We're standing in front of the L'Oreal products pulling out different lipsticks when a woman approached me and asked if CVS carried bronzers. I said of course! Her response was: "I know you don't work here, but can you help me pick out a bronzer?" "Yep, no problem." We proceed to find a good match from Milani (check them out if you are very fair and have trouble finding a bronzer that isn't too dark) and she said thanks and left. This happens to me frequently. My friend said I must just look helpful. I'm not sure that's it, but I sure enjoy getting to help people find products. Leave me a comment if there's a product recommendation you're looking for and I'll do my best to give you some options.

Cleanser, or, the Skincare Step I Used to Get Horribly Wrong

     Ok, so any skincare routine needs to start with a cleanser. This is pretty intuitive. I mean, come on. First you need to wash all the dirt, sweat, oil, makeup, toxins, and life gunk off your face before you can do anything else. I'd say most people wash their face with something, even if you're one of those people that just uses the soap in your shower, or God forbid, shampoo run-off. So, starting with the premise that most people have one, it's also my opinion that most people have the wrong one. Even if you're spending good money on it and it came recommended from an upscale department store beauty counter, it's still probably wrong. Don't take offense, just keep reading. It gets better. Honestly!
   
     I have oily skin. It used to be extremely oily and I thought that the purpose of a cleanser was to remove every last trace of oil on my skin. I would use incredibly harsh cleansers, sometimes even Dawn dish soap. I would wash my face up to three times a day trying to strip all the oil my skin was making away. Guess what? That does pretty much the opposite. Your skin makes oil to protect itself. If you have oily skin, it makes a bit too much, and if you have dry skin it makes a bit too little. But when you strip all the oil away with harsh detergents you completely dry out the top layers of your skin and this signals your skin to crank out more oil to correct the dryness. This means that if you already have oily skin you're going to make it even oilier. If you have dry skin, your skin is already in a deficit and taking away the little oil it is making is going to exacerbate the dryness. Clear as mud? The take away is that a cleanser should dissolve surface oils, makeup, and sweat so it can be washed away with water. A cleanser that includes a harsh detergent will do much more than that, leading to excess oiliness or dryness, depending on what your skin's default setting is.

     The best way to shop for any skin care product, including cleanser, is to read the ingredient list. I know, sounds easy, until you start tripping over all the 25+ letter long chemical names. That's about as helpful as reading the ingredient list in French. So here's a few tips:

• Stay away from cleansers that contain the following: sodium lauryl sulfate, sodium laureth sulfate, ammonium lauryl sulfate, and ammonium lauryl sulfate. Also SD alcohol, denatured alcohol, or just straight alcohol (cetyl or stearyl alcohol are ok.)
• If the product foams, it's probably too harsh. In general, stay away from foaming face washes.
• Don't use a face scrub as your daily face cleanser. Most scrubs are bad for your skin anyways, and constant physical exfoliation can irritate your skin. If you feel as if you need to use a scrub, just use a warm wet washcloth and gently massage your face to remove your cleanser.
• Balms, creamy cleansers, and cleansing oils are going to be your safest bet, but still check the ingredients.

     A couple of my favorites include the Paula's Choice Optimal Results Hydrating Cleanser, Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm, Neutrogena Extra Gentle Cleanser, Yes to Cucumbers Gentle Milk Cleanser, and Cerave Hydrating Cleanser.

     

     If you're worried that using a creamier cleanser will clog your pores and lead to breakouts, you're probably right. That's why it is imperative to follow your cleansing with a chemical exfoliant if you have problematic skin. Used in conjunction, your skin will stay hydrated without excessive oiliness and your clogged pores will be kept to a minimum.

   
   

Tonight's Shoot

     Had a blast tonight with two of my very dear friends. Did some beautiful makeup on their gorgeous faces and went scouting head shot locations around the neighborhood. Stay tuned for the finished photos, but in the meantime, enjoy some fun outtakes!