Category Archives: recommendation

acne, clinique, cover, facial, foundation, full coverage, laura mercier, mask, masks, recommendation, redness, review, scars

Ask Marissa…Good Full Coverage Foundation and Masks

9 Comments

Jane Doe: Can you recommend a good foundation for covering up redness and acne scars? Another silly question to is about masks I have never used one are they beneficial for my skin what do they do?
Me: As for a good full coverage foundation, MAC Studio Sculpt ($29.50) would be great for those concerns. It’s also oil free and sets itself so you don’t need a powder. 

 Masks do different things. For a deep cleansing (sucking all the crap out of your pores and preventing acne) I would suggest Clinique Acne Solutions Oil-Control Cleansing Mask ($20). For a moisture boost, I really like Laura Mercier’s Intensive moisture mask ($32). It’s oil free, so it’s safe for acne prone or sensitive skin. If you want to brighten your skin, Clinique Turnaround Instant Facial ($36.50) is amazing! It promotes rapid cell renewal (the birth of new skin cells to replace old dull ones), so your skin will be bright and radiant.
Hope this Helps,
 Marissa

beauty, cosmetics, face, facial, foundation, hair, makeup, powder, recommendation, removal, remover, review

Ask Marissa…Facial Hair

14 Comments

Jane Doe: When I use foundation, which I have to.. When I apply it under my nose and above the mouth I am left with a darkened area where it sticks to the other wise invisible small hair there all women have it I think, but when I apply foundation it suddenly becomes noticeable and looks like..well like I have the start of a mustache =( How can I prevent the foundation from sticking to the hair and still cover that area of skin up?


Me: The best suggestion I have is hair removal. Either wax or get one of those mini facial hair groomers, such as the Conair 2-in-1 Fine Line Trimmer (drugstores, $8.99). I use the hair groomer b/c wax irritates my skin, and it’s expensive to keep up. The hair groomers are very gentle and won’t leave bumps. I even use this on the little fuzzies around my eyes so makeup goes on smoother.
If you don’t want to do hair removal, stick to powder foundations. They are less likely to give that shadow. My favorite one is Clinique Perfectly Real Compact Powder Foundation ($24).

beauty, cosmetics, cover, eyebrows, eyeshadow, makeup, neutral, primer, recommendation, redness, review, shadow, tips, yellow

Ask Marissa…Eyeshadow Primer for Red Eyelids

5 Comments



Jane Doe: I’m looking for a good eye primer for red eyelids but can’t decide which one to go for. I want something that neutralizes the skin on my eyes (I have a lot of redness) but also gives my shadows mega staying power.


Me: I have 3 favorite eye primers; M.A.C. Paint Pot in “Soft Ochre” ($16.50), Lancome’s Ombre Perfecteur Pen ($23), and Urban Decay’s Eyeshadow Primer Potion ($18). All have yellow undertones to neutralize redness, and the staying power of shadows are amazing!





Urban Decay Palette 468 x 60

balance, beauty, care, combination, cosmetics, dry, oily, products, recommendation, review, skin, skincare, tips

Ask Marissa…Balancing Combination Skin

9 Comments


Jane Doe: I have normal / combo skin and in winter it usually gets a little dry…but this winter it’s behaving very differently. My skin is very dry in the cheeks and around the eyes, enough to where it is tight and uncomfortable most of the day. But my t-zone is just as oily as it would be in the summer and seems to be more prone to breakouts than usual. Any suggestions for how to tackle this? My current system is to cleanse with a normal cleanser, use a mild alcohol-free toner and moisturize with philosophy hope in a jar / eye hope for the eyes. I also exfoliate 4x a week and do an at home peel every other week.

Me: I would say stop using Hope in a Jar. Any oil on your face will make the oily areas worse. I don’t want you to waste your money though, so just use it at night with an oil control lotion on your t-zone. During the day, I would suggest MAC’s Studio Moisture Cream ($32). It’s safe for oily skin, but is very moisturizing. It gives time released moisture throughout the day and has spinach to help circulation. It will also add radiance to dry dull skin. Keep using your cleanser for normal skin, but switch to one with a toner in it. A toner’s main purpose is to pH balance your skin after using a cleanser that is too acidic. All of MAC’s cleansers a pH balanced, so you don’t need a toner. No toner= no irritating dry skin and no under-toning oily skin. Try MAC’s Creamwash ($19.50) or Green Gel cleanser ($19.50). Both are ok for all skin types.

Jane Doe: Perfect thanks! I haven’t tried any of MACs skincare maybe it’s time to give it a go. I think I’ll have to grab something from the Champale collection too.Champale was made for you! All of MAC skincare is made with natural ingredients. No synthetics. No animal testing. All cruelty free.

Jane Doe: I love everything in that collection, I really want the quad though. It reminds me a little of my fav MAC quad Liza eyes which is really really old but just very pretty neutrals. Does the MAC skincare smell good?

Me: Some of it has no fragrance. I don’t remember what Studio Moisture cream smells like, but the Green Gel cleanser is very crisp and clean. It’s got green tea and algae extract. Balancing combination skin can be tricky, but you will eventually get there with the right products.

acne, beauty, cosmetics, help, manage, products, recommendation, rosacea, scars, sensitive, skin, skincare, tips

Ask Marissa…Acne Scars & Rosacea

9 Comments

Jane Doe: I have horrible skin and I have tried a lot of cleansers and toners ect for it I look forward to trying a mask I hope it will help, ’cause so far nothing works and it is embarrassing. I have even had women tell me you need to wash your face more. It’s Rosacea and acne scaring I tell them but still get the looks of question .

Me: I can only really tell you how to cover up and soothe rosacea. Only dermatologist prescribed treatment can cure or control it.
As for acne scarring, you might want to try Stri-Vectin. It’s pretty pricey ($135), but it lasts a long time and works wonders. Within 2 weeks of using stri-vectin, my purple stretch marks turned white. Stretch marks are scars too. For something less expensive, start out with Maderma (you can get it at Walgreens, $30) until you notice results are not improving anymore, then move up to stri-vectin. You will need to use a very good moisturizer on top of Maderma and Stri-Vectin, because there is a lot of retinol in it and will make your skin feel dry and uncomfortable.
When you cover up acne scars, always wear a makeup primer underneath your foundation. This will fill in any lines, wrinkles, pores and acne scars so that your skin will have an even texture. Since you have a lot of redness, I suggest using the Sephora brand green corrector primer ($15). The green hue will neutralize any redness. Follow with your foundation, and setting powder.

Jane Doe: Ok I will do when I can find one in my area and TY for the advice. Doctors are way to expensive for me right now to go to for skin care. I used to have a face wash with tea tree oil in it that worked wonders for the Rosacea but it is no longer made I have looked for a new one to try but can’t find anything like it. Never thought of using Maderma on my face I have some and will be using it thank you.
If you can find pure tea tree essential oil, one drop in your cleanser and/or moisturizer should do the trick.