Using a deep cleansing mask at least once a week is important for acne prone skin like mine. Luckily, Origins has their Clear Improvement Active Charcoal Mask ($21). Activated charcoal is a great skincare ingredient used to detoxify and clarify. It works as a filter, trapping impurities in the skin (kind of like how a water filter works) therefore leaving your face squeaky clean. The added benefits of White China (Kaolin) clay stimulates circulation, heals acne and removes dead skin cells for a clear and bright complexion.
Fix + by M.A.C. Cosmetics ($18) is a must have in every makeup artist box! I also recommend this product for the Party Girl or someone with a 14 hour or more work day. You can use it alone to re-freshen your skin, or on top of makeup to set everything in place. With ingredients like green tea, chamomile, and cucumber, even sensitive skin would enjoy this thirst quenching cocktail. I have used Fix + on every client I freelanced for. Such events include weddings, parties, and funerals. When I followed up with my clients they all said their makeup stayed in place until they washed it off. I did makeup for a party at 11 AM, and they said their makeup was still fresh at 2 AM. As strong of a sealer as it is, it feels just like water. It’s not sticky or heavy, so you won’t even realize you sprayed it on after it dries. It’s like glue for your face, or as a friend of a friend said, “It’s like Aqua Net for your face!”
I really loathe plucking my eyebrows, but since waxing regularly doesn’t fit in my budget, I might as well get some good tweezers to make the process easier on me. Tweezermanmakes excellent quality grooming products to fit the needs of everyone. My favorite product is thePointed Slant Tweezer($30) recently released byBenefit cosmetics.These are super sharp, therefore precise. You can pluck out super short hair and thin hair with these. If you want save $5, you can get the simple stainless steel ones on theTweezerman site.
NYX Loose Pearl Powders are sold as eye shadows, but work like pigments, and for only $2.50 a pop, why spend up to $20 more on department store brands? The highly concentrated powder can be used on your eyes, face, lips, and eyelashes. You can find NYX products at www.nyxcosmetics.com, Ulta stores, and Ulta’s website.
Here’s a rundown of my NYX Loose Pearl Powder look:
Eyes:
All Over – Yellow Pearl
Outer corner, fanned out from the top of my cheek bone to the temple – Orange Zest Pearl
Under eyeliner and lashes – Jade Pearl
Face:
Apples of cheeks & bridge of nose- Very Pink Pearl
Yes. My pick this week is a book, but not just any book. What I have chosen for you is the best beauty book I have read so far. This includes books by Bobbi Brown, and The African American Women’s Guide to Successful Makeup by Alfred Fornay. Not only is this a great reference for makeup application techniques, but it also has suggested skin care regimens, beauty tool knowledge and lifestyle recommendations for better looking skin.
Margaret Kimura (pictured right) has finally put a guide out into the world that focuses on the unique texture, skin tone and features of the Asian Woman in her book, Asian Beauty ($30). Her book models range from Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Thai, and Korean to Indian, Filipino, Malaysian, and mixed races. Other ethnicities can benefit from this book, as her techniques have been used on hundreds of people in Hollywood and skin care tips are universal. Known as the “Blending Queen” in the makeup artist industry, her book is 210 pages of how to achieve a smooth, natural looking complexion to build the perfect canvas for color.
Check it out at the library first. Chances are, you’ll want to buy it. It also makes a beautiful coffee table book at the very least.
