Skincare Basics... The steps you NEED to take

1. Cleanse

Cleanser/face wash/toner                    AM/PM
- This is where you clean you skin of any oil, dirt, makeup residue
- Never sleep in your makeup! I know this sometimes happens (I'm guilty haha), but even if you don't wear makeup in the day, you still should cleanse to remove oil buildup from pores & any toxins that naturally settle on the skin from the environment.

2. Treat

Serums/treatments                                AM/PM               (optional)
- This step is optional! Not everyone wants a treatment, it can be build into moisturizer and/or cleanser, but serums are a great boost to get extra effective results
- Products here vary greatly - from dark spot correctors to exfoliating acne gels to wrinkle-repairing oils
- Applying right after cleansing ensures these more potent products are the first to absorb into skin

3. Moisturize

Moisturizer/face oils/eye cream            AM/PM
- Every skin type needs moisture!!! Even oily skin! Moisturizes balance you out so your skin will stop producing so much oil
- Moisturize day and night! Some prefer thicker textures for night
- Usually dry skins prefer thicker, creamy formulas & oily skins prefer gels or lightweight creams

4. Protect

SPF     UVA/UVB 15 minimum                AM only
- Often this step is included in moisturizer, this is why it's handy to have a day & a night cream
- SPF 15 is the dermatologist recommended minimum protection for everyday
- If outdoors for long periods of time, reapply SPF every 2 hours
- Don't overlook this step -- Almost all visible aging is caused from sun damage!

Example of all 4 steps!
Some of my all time faves: usually I only use a face oil at night because I am
super oily and an oil during the day is too heavy
Can you tell I love my SPF? haha
Simplify steps with multiuse products: like an acne clearing face wash + anti-aging moisturizer
with SPF -- 2 products! Not scary at all

Blue Liner + Blue Shadow... Not Just for the 80s

 

The first eyeshadow I ever wore was a bright blue/baby blue combo swept on with a cheapy applicator and not blended at all -- not cute haha. While I've come leaps and bounds since then, looking back at where I started is entertaining and inspiring all at once.  How would I reinvent that look into something I would wear today? This is how:


Urban Decay 24/7 Glide on pencil in "Peace" (now a "vintage" shade)
Urban Decay "vintage" matte baby blue shadow "Narcotic"
Urban Decay Naked Palette 1 in crease & highlight
Kat Von D Tattoo Liner "Trooper"

Tarte Lights, Camera, Flashes mascara review

 

Tarte's new mascara: Lights Camera Flashes is a take on their original ultra popular mascara: Lights Camera Lashes. I love love this amped up formula! The brush is very spiky a la Benefit's They're Real and the formula is ultra creamy and a rich, intense black.

For all those blessed with bald eyebrows:

Whether you over-tweezed or were born with sparse brows, have no fear we can troubleshoot!

In my early college years I went tweezer-happy and arched my brows way past their natural growth level -- and now they don't grow back haha. So now I can get a super nice high arched brow, but look dead when they aren't filled in at all.

I trim my eyebrow hairs so that they don't stick out crazy above or below my brow line
Believe it or not they used to be worse than this, I've been growing them out

 

Finished Aqua Brow on one eyebrow!
I personally have never used stencils, just keep adding to each
 brow until they are (relatively) even on both sides

MOTD Warm Brown Smokey Shadow

No tutorial here, just one of my eyeshadow looks to hopefully spread a little inspiration. I've played with my shadow so many times and I've finally sort of reverted into a signature style -- my shadow always tends to look essentially the same just with varying colors & textures.

Sometimes I don't shower myself in glitter

Kat Von D: Ladybird Palette

Since I'm such a sucker for new products at Sephora, I purchased the Ladybird palette the very first day it came on stage. Can't rave enough about it! I am usually a shimmer/glitter type of girl so I have been in desperate need of some gorgeous matte shadows lately. Ladybird doesn't disappoint!

I haven't purchased a Kat Von D shadow palette in a few years (my last ones had the cream shadows that dried up in 3 days haha) and these are MUCH better quality! So pigmented and finely milled they glide on with big impact but still blend flawlessly.

I love the variety of lighter matte colors too! I reach for these lighter shades to blend out any other colors I have in my crease - perfect! While the palette is pretty heavily warm, I find these colors compliment all skin tones and eye colors -- But I'm partial to that burnt orange color with blue eyes -- GORGEOUS x10.

If you are in the market for a pretty, wearable matte palette, go for the KVD Ladybird! Another very similar option Sephora carries is the Stila "In The Know" eyeshadow palette. Both are amazing, either is totally worth it. I snagged the KVD because of the hype and more concise packaging.

This palette will also transition very nicely into Fall

Gold Smokey UD Naked Palette Eye Picture Tutorial

Get Naked!

Here's the look for the tutorial: golden brown smokey shadow

If you do not own one of the two Urban Decay Naked Palettes, do yourself a favor and INVEST in one ASAP! I personally own the first UD Naked Palette and I use it almost every single day! It's my go-to palette because the colors are flattering for every skin tone & eye color. Even when I concoct some wild, dramatic eye with a bunch of random colors, I use these more neutral colors to balance out the crazy (really grounds the entire look haha). Plus the shadows are stunning, highly pigmented, last long (with a primer of course), and even using mine every day, I've barely dented the pans -- this palette will easily last me a couple more years+

Everything I used for my eyes



Blue/Purple Glitter Wing Smokey Eye

Swap traditional black liner for GLITTER!

 (Glitter = always a good decision)

Let's break it down:

1. Prime with Urban Decay Primer Potion
2. Urban Decay "Toasted" all over lid
3. Lorac Baked Matte Satin Eyeshadow in "Insider" & Kat Von D shadow "Thrasher" in crease
4. Darken outside corner with NYX "Black"
5. Blend under brow bone with Lorac Baked Matte Satin Eyeshadow in "Social"
6. Dab Kat Von D shadow "First Class" (white shimmer) around tear ducts & sweep just under eyebrow
7. Line inner top half of lid with Urban Decay Heavy Metal Glitter Liner in "Spandex"
8. Line outer half of top lid with Sephora Collection Glitter Liner in "04 Purple" (retro) & wing out past lash line
9. Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-on Eye Pencil in "LSD" along outer half of lower lash line
10. Top lower lash liner with UD glitter liner "Spandex"
11. Two coats of YSL Baby Doll Mascara

Everything I used:Eyeshadows: top row L to R: Lorac Baked Matte Satin"Social",
Lorac Baked Matte Satin "Insider", UD "Toasted",  NYX black.
Depotted shadows below are from Kat Von D
"Metal Orchestra" palette: "First Class" & "Thrasher"

Mermaid Eyes



No brightness/contrast adjustments, just super smoked
out shadow :)

I always love to play with colored eyeshadow, but for summer I am feeling the mermaid inspired makeup. Think metallics and bold ocean tones.

Gold and teal work fabulously together on the lid, they mix to create such a pretty gradient.


For this look I used Sephora + PANTONE UNIVERSE Shades of Nature Palette (limited edition), Lorac Baked Matte Satin Eye Shadow in "Posh" & NYX "Black"




                              

"What are you wearing?"

 At work, clients ask me all the time what I am wearing (usually at the start of my shift when my makeup is not on it's last limb). Talk about a loaded question!! I doubt you actually want to hear me list off all 50-ish products I used on my face today haha


I'm guessing most men (and some women) would have a heart attack if they saw how many things go into prettying myself up in a full face of makeup for work/going out. But I have spent the last half year finding the products that work best on my skin (whether it be the colors, coverage, textures...). Plus my makeup has to be looking presentable 10-12 hours after application -- this is TOUGH! After constant experimentation and sampling I have found the perfect recepe to make my makeup last without touching up! This is different for every skin and skin type so what works for me may not work for you -- point is, keep looking for the perfect combo & if you have problematic skin like me, don't expect one miracle product to do it all. I use 4-6 products (primers, fillers, foundations, & powders) on JUST my nose to conceal my pores -- cray! But it's the only thing that gives me the results I want.


THIS! I am wearing ALL of this on my face.
Would you like to ask a more specific question? haha

*embarassing but I'll admit it still: some days I use way more than this haha