Beauty, beauty, beauty! One of my favorite subjects. The big key to beauty is not in what brand of makeup you use, but rather in how you treat the foundation that is your skin. No one has perfect skin due to the fact that our skin is always exposed to elements, chemicals, and even bacteria! Many people have asked me how I care for my skin & what products I use. I've had a long love-affair with my skin & through time I've learned my Ph, allergies, and what works best for me. In this blog I will talk about my daily skin regimen right now (winter skin) and how I avoid break-outs, how I treat breakouts, and other small tips. WINTER SKIN As the seasons change, so does our skin and so should our skin care. As chilly days pour in, the skin usually becomes dry, loses moisture, lips become chapped, and our normal moisturizer will not suffice. If you live in a warmer place that does not experience that many chilly days, you must still pay close attention to moisturizing and cleansing.
Daily skin care routine: *Wash face (morning & night). For winter, use a wash that is gentle on your skin, yet removes impurities & make-up residue. One of my favorites is the rose wash from Fresh as it is gentle enough for my skin & it cleanses really well. Ladies, if you have a Clarisonic (awesome facial cleanser), use it once a week only during the winter & if you don't have one, look into it! *Toning: I tend to stay away from toners, as they dry my skin, but if you enjoy this step, make sure the toner is not alcohol based. Alcohol tends to dry your skin & then you will have to moisturize more & more. *Moisturize (day & night): Use a heavy moisturizer that is cream based. Now if you have really dry skin, then consider using a moisturizer that is more of a balm, such as Vaseline like products. Moisturize your face, under eyes, lips, and the rest of your body. Pay attention to what needs a little more moisturizing. Remember to use an eye treatment for under your eyes, as your skin is thin in this area. Pure argan oil is an excellent moisturizer, as well as nourishment for your skin. *If I wear makeup: Before applying foundation, I always wash my face & moisturize. I moisturize my skin, under my eyes, and my lips. During the winter, I stay away from foundations that dry up my skin and I make sure I use a super hydrating primer. Remember that as the seasons change, your skin tone either gets darker or lighter & so you should change your foundation accordingly. TIP: Make sure you do not apply old, expired foundation to your skin! This helps to prevent drying, breakouts & so many unwanted skin issues. When removing my make-up, I first use hydrating make-up remover wipes, then I wash my face & finally I use small round cotton pads to remove any excess eye make-up. *Masks: During the winter I like to do "oat-based" (the Aveeno ones are great) masks, as they are gentle on my skin. I only do masks once a month during the winter. *Sun-protection: Just because it is chillier outside does not mean the sun is not there. Sun-screen is so important during every season. Usually my foundation contains SPF, but your moisturizer should also have it. If you find that your moisturizer is lacking SPF, mix a little bit of sunscreen with your cream based moisturizer & that will work great. *Tools: If you use brushes (as I do), make sure to constantly wash them, especially your foundation, concealer, and eye brushes. There is definitely bacteria on your brushes & you do not want to re-deposit it on your face. Now, if you use your fingers to blend your make-up in, then make sure you wash your hands before you do so. *Break-outs: A simple rule is that if you treat your skin well, then you are helping to prevent breakouts. I tend to breakout on my forehead due to the foods I eat, if I don't cleanse my skin, etc. The one thing I never ever do is cover-up my blemishes. During the winter I treat breakouts using warm tea bags. I skip make-up when I break out & if I must wear makeup then I use a BB (or CC) cream that is light but has coverage. This is what works best for me. I recommend that you pay close attention to your skin & listen for what it needs. Also, before buying any skin care products, read their reviews & inform yourself before wasting money. There are many great drug-store products, but if they do not work for you, then go for what works best. A little research goes a long way.
Healthy skin is beautiful skin....take care of the foundation first! Xo
Hey bloggers! Happy November~the month to be extra thankful! I love November because that is when I start to get into the Christmas spirit and Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. Who doesn't love the smell of pumpkin pie, the Fall air, and family time. It is easy to get lost in the spirit of all the festivities and forget to spend a little time with yourself. One of the things that I do when I spend time with myself, is to plan, plan, plan. Sometimes I over do it and then I become overwhelmed. So to avoid that from happening I am going to use a system that not only helps me feel motivated, but that encourages me to move forward in all that I plan. My hubby has always had an interesting habit of writing down his goals & dreams in a notebook, then he prays about them, and when God grants him the achievement of his goal, he then writes down the date of when it came to fruition next to the goal. I wanted to take this idea and make it my own. Seeing as we are in the month of giving thanks (which in reality should be every month) I decided to start a new journal & write in the things I am thankful for & then next to them write one thing I can do to show my thankfulness. This is a way to remind myself of how blessed I am, while also achieving so many things that I would like to do. For example, "I am thankful for my home." -Because I am thankful, I will make time to clean my home a little more. This is not about over doing anything, rather it is to help increase the value of the things or people you were blessed with.
Many of you probably keep journals already, if you do, then re-visit what you've written & see what you can improve. If you don't, then I invite you to start one alongside with me. I am using this beautiful journal that was a gift, but often times I journal on my phone. Whenever I think of new ideas, goals, or anything that I want to remember, I use the notepad on my phone. If writing is not your strong point, you could journal using a recorder or video yourself. Sometimes it is helpful to say things out loud for them to be believable to you. Let your imagination & dreams go wild and aim for the moon! "SING like no one is listening, DANCE like no one is watching, LOVE like you can't get hurt, LIVE *like all your prayers will be answered.*"
When removing my make-up, I first use hydrating make-up remover wipes, then I wash my face & finally I use small round cotton pads to remove any excess eye make-up. *Masks: During the winter I like to do "oat-based" (the Aveeno ones are great) masks, as they are gentle on my skin. I only do masks once a month during the winter. *Sun-protection: Just because it is chillier outside does not mean the sun is not there. Sun-screen is so important during every season. Usually my foundation contains SPF, but your moisturizer should also have it. If you find that your moisturizer is lacking SPF, mix a little bit of sunscreen with your cream based moisturizer & that will work great. *Tools: If you use brushes (as I do), make sure to constantly wash them, especially your foundation, concealer, and eye brushes. There is definitely bacteria on your brushes & you do not want to 
