How To: Fresh Face

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A fresh face is always in style. Let your inner beauty shine by enhancing your already-beautiful features – not covering them up. Channel that glow-y radiance and opt for an au naturale, fresh face.

NEEDED:

◊ Your Makeup Bag

HOW TO:

PERFECT THE SKIN:

Wash face with your favorite gentle exfoliator. This will help the makeup to blend easily. Favorite: Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant.

MOISTURIZE & EVEN OUT SKIN TONE:

Keep skin hydrated with a sheer moisturizer. Try one with light reflecting properties – for a healthy radiance. Favorite: Dr. Jart+ Renewalist Melting Cream

To even out skin tone, grab your favorite – Tinted Moisturizer, Foundation, BB Cream or Mineral Powder – and apply. Choosing the product that provides your favorite finish on the skin – matte, dewy, satin or natural – your choice. Favorite: Jouer Luminizing Moisture Tint

Use a damp sponge to create a flawless finish. Favorite: Beauty Blender

CONCEAL FLAWS & HIGHLIGHT:

For visible breakouts and dark spots use a pigment-rich concealer. Dab, blend and build coverage in thin layers. Never use too much concealer, it will just accentuate problem areas. Favorite: Miracle Skin Transformer Treat & Conceal 

Concealing under-circles will instantly light-up the entire face. If you have very dark undereye circles, first apply a salmon-toned color corrector. Favorite: Giorgio Armani Master Corrector

With a luminizing pen dot product under the eye and blend downwards. A luminizing pen brings light and radiance to the skin. It immediately erases any signs of fatigue, and brightens the complexion. This product can then be used as a highlighter on the cheekbones, brow bones and cupids bow. Favorite: YSL Touche Éclat

BRONZE & BLUSH:

Warm-up the skin with a light dusting of your favorite bronzer. Place only where the sun would naturally hit the skin. Temples, cheekbones, a little on the nose and under the jawline for contour. Favorite: Edward Bess Ultra Luminous Bronzer

Choose your favorite cream blush. Cream blushes in warm peaches and pinks gives skin a natural, subtle flush. Place on the apples of the cheeks and blend. Favorite: Illamasqua Cream Blusher in Petal Pink

POWDER:

If your skin gets shiny, follow with an oil-absorbing powder. Use only in the T-Zone area. This step can be skipped for those with dry or normal skin. Favorite: Laura Mercier Universal Setting Powder

If you find that you’ve over-powdered, take a tiny bit of light moisturizer, rub it between your palms, and then lightly press your palms onto your cheeks. This will bring back a bit of life to the skin.

BROWS:

Defined arches frame the face, pulling your features into focus. Make sure the brows are groomed and tweezed. Brush and fill them in sparingly with a brow pencil. Favorite: Anastasia Brow Wiz

EYES:

Apply a cream eyeshadow one shade lighter than lid color to the eyelid. Set with a matching eyeshadow and apply this eyeshadow to the inner corner of the eyes. This color can be matte or shimmer – your choice. Favorites: MAC Soft Ochre Paint Pot & MAC Eyeshadow in Vanilla

Then apply a soft warm brown eyeshadow to the crease area to contour the eye. Using the same soft brown eyeshadow, apply along the lower lashes – blending to ensure no hard edges. This can also be done with your bronzer. Favorite: Urban Decay Single Eyeshadow in Naked

TIGHTLINE:

For extra definition, tightline the eyes with your favorite eyeliner, gel liner, or liquid liner. How-To Tightline Post: HERE.

To make eyes look brighter and wide-awake, apply a nude colored eyeliner to the bottom inner rim.  Favorite: Tarte emphasEYES Inner Rim Brightener

LASHES:

Defined lashes are essential, even for a no-makeup look, you can forfeit shadow and liner, but never mascara. Curl eye lashes and apply two coats of mascara to the top lashes. For an extra boost, use a flat eyeliner brush to grab a bit of mascara from the wand and apply to just the roots of the bottom lashes. Favorite: Fairy Drops Scandal Queen

LIPS:

To get a pretty “your lips but better” look – choose a lipstick, stain, balm or liner that matches your lips perfectly. Press the color into your lips with your fingertip rather than applying it directly from the bullet. Concentrate it in the center and blend out. Favorite: Fresh Sugar Passion Tinted Lip Treatment

Plump It Up!: Rodial Dragon’s Blood Sculpting Gel

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Dubbed as the “Liquid Facelift”, Dragon’s Blood Sculpting Gel by Rodial promises to plump, sculpt and lift the complexion as it sags and wrinkles with age.

Created to be the natural replacement for Restylane injections, Dragon’s Blood Sculpting Gel plumps facial hollows and ‘orbital troughs’ under and around the eyes, as well as for cheek volume and contouring of the chin, forehead and nose.

Dragon’s Blood is formulated with red sap of the sangre de drago tree that has been used for centuries by ancient cultures for dye, incense, wound-healing/first aid and antioxidant properties. The product news release states, “It works to form a second skin-like protective film on the skin. Protects against environmental damage and contains anti-inflammatory properties.”

Morning and night after cleansing, smooth on a thin layer of gel, then add your regular moisturizer on top with SPF for daytime, of course. The gel absorbs quickly into the skin and has a soft scent of florals and pink bubblegum. Within minutes, you can feel a tightening sensation on your skin. Not the tightening one might feel with very dry, parched skin, but a “sucked-in” taught feeling. I most certainly noticed a more sculpted and voluminous difference, however, more mature skin would reap the benefits of Dragon’s Blood much, much more.

Holy Grail: Make Up For Ever Full Cover Extreme Camouflage Cream

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Make Up For Ever Full Cover Extreme Camouflage Cream is my go-to, holy grail concealer. The opaque cream covers everything from acne to tattoos while still feeling lightweight and looking natural.

I initially bought this concealer years ago for the main issue of a bruise on my leg. I asked a Sephora representative what would be the best product and she immediately grabbed for Make Up For Ever. It worked amazingly, camouflaging the bruise and stayed-put all day. Assuming the product was too “hardcore” for the face it wasn’t until later I attempted to use on the face, primarily for redness around the nose and pigmentation issues. It concealed like a dream and did not feel heavy or look cakey on the skin. I now use Full Cover for everything from under-eye concealer to spot treatments. The versatile product can also be mixed with your favorite face moisturizer or sheer foundation when you do not want to wear a lot of makeup but need a bit more coverage.

What sets this product a part from the millions on the market is it’s waterproof properties. It is not going to budge once it sets and can be worn to the gym/beach/pool without it sliding off your face. Keep in mind that because of the waterproof capability, you will have to work the product fast – before it sets.

The 0.05 oz tube packs a highly pigmented punch. A little goes a long way as far as coverage and pigmentation.  Full Cover is silicone-based, and formulated without any oils, so it is great for all skin types. Since silicone molecules are larger than pores, they will not settle or cake. That’s means the product is non-comedogenic, and perfect for acne-prone skin. The silicone also creates a sort of webbing, like a primer, that will not accentuate flakey patches or dry skin.

How To: Contour w/ Make Up For Ever Sculpting Kit

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Make Up For Ever Sculpting Kit

Make Up For Ever Sculpting Kit is a palette of two complementary powders, dark and light, that help contour, sculpt and correct the face structure.

Contouring provides definition to the face by accentuating and/or minimizing features. By simply adding shadows, which create dimension, one can sculpt cheekbones, thin/lengthen/shorten the nose and/or make face look thinner.

Needed:

• Angled Brush
• A dark matte powder or cream (2 shades darker than skintone)
• A light matte powder or cream (1-2 shades lighter than skintone)

1. In order to find the contours of the face – make a fishy-face.

2. See diagram and apply where dark shade is placed. The diagram is for placement purposes only. Do not just draw a streak of color down the cheek. Blend…Blend…Blend…

3. See diagram and apply where highlighter is placed. Blend…Blend…Blend…

Contouring all of these areas is not necessary on everyone. Each face structure is different. Find the problem areas you would like to correct and go from there.