Beauty Spring Cleaning

A blog on what to clean, throw away and add to your collection this Spring.

Would you go months with out cleaning your house?, eat foods that have been sitting in your fridge that are past their expiration date? I hope your answer is no! So why is it that many of us don't show our makeup the same respect? If you haven't been washing your brushes on a regular basis and many of your favorite products are looking more and more like a science project then check out this guide to brushing the dust off your makeup collection and starting fresh this spring.

THROW AWAY

• Liners, lipsticks and glosses have a self life of about 12-18 months if they are past that time frame you need to ditch them. You should also throw them away if the texture starts to change as that is a sign that it is going bad and bacteria is in effect. 
• Change your mascara every 3 months like you change your underwear every day! Don't try to push its lasting power because bacteria can cause redness, irritation, and pink eye. A sure fire way that I know when to buy a new mascara is when I take the wand out and it doesn't make that fresh pop sound from the suction.
• Replace your foundation (if liquid) after 6-8 months to keep bacteria from growing in the wet environment and ditch it real fast if it starts to smell not so fresh like it used to. 
• Blush, shadow and any other dry products should be thrown away every 12 months.

Just like you throw away a bad batch of eggs or expired milk so you don't get sick you need to make sure you are protecting your face from bacteria that is harmful. Make sure your checking and cleaning out your products at the right time. 

WASH IT

When you are using makeup brushes you should be cleaning them at least once a week especially the ones used for foundation, blush and other powders. These brushes come into contact with more moisture factors then others like lotion, foundation, and liquid makeups which makes them a massive breeding ground for harmful bacteria that can cause breakouts. When washing your brushes you should use a makeup cleanser, face wash, or a mild shampoo. Gently massage them with warm water and then rinse them before laying them down flat to dry. Make sure that all the pigment is gone from the brushes before rinsing. Always dry your brushes laying down so you don't ruin the shape of the brush.  Many times for smaller brushes you can use a makeup removing wipe and brush your makeup brush back and forth until the pigment is gone.

ADD TO YOUR COLLECTION

• Luminous pink powder or bronzer to add a glow to dull winter skin that is just starting to get its summer glow back.
• A nude or light colored lip gloss or stick that will make your lips pop with out over doing it. spring and summer is all about natural effortless beauty. 
• After being in the sun for a while you may want to consider checking into a new foundation color that will match your new pigment until winter. It is always good to buy one shade higher than your shade in winter.
• Highlighter is a great add to any women's collection for any season since it helps to make your eyes pop and stand out with any makeup look. You apply it under your eye brows and in a "C" shape  following your cheek bone from the outer corner of your eye. 

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Advice on Summer Skincare

Splash into summer with healthy skin and keep it that way all through the season. I have researched some great sites with tips and advice on summer skin care. Here are some of the great websites I have found and would love to share with you!

5 Summer Skincare Must-Haves


Skincare Tips


Spray Tans, Fedoras and Sunscreen: Laura Linney’s Summer Skin Safety Tips


Top Picks for Summer Skincare

Summer/Beach Proof Make Up

Summer can make wearing make up a challenge. If your headed to the beach or pool this summer its an even bigger challenge to have a great make up look with out looking like a raccoon after the days over.

I have done some research and found some great summer/beach proof products that will last through sweat and playing in the water. 

You can still look sexy and natural with these great summer buys. 

Make a splash this summer with out having to worry about your make up!

Watch my VLOG to hear about my favorites and read about the rest below:

                           

Hourglass waterproof eyeliner- $32

Waterproof Eyebrow Corrector $19

Laura Mercier waterproof cream eyeshadow- $22

Setting and waterproofing liquid- $20

24/7 Glide on eye pencils are waterproof- $18

Waterproof foundation- $34

20 SPF Bronzer- Dior $44

Clinique waterproof mascara- $14.50

Eyebrow Shaping, Trimming, and Styling

Eyebrows are essential for accenting beautiful eyes. Since eyebrows are one of the first things you notice on someone's face it is important to keep them well groomed and find a shape that is right for you. You can tweeze, wax, brush, spray, trim, or pencil your brows, but make sure that what ever it is you do that it works for your face and that you don't over do a technique and end up looking clownish instead of beautiful.

SHAPE: You don't want your brows too thick/ thin or long. You should from a distance be able to see the beginning and the end of your eye brows. If they happen to be thin in some areas you can use an eyebrow tint to create the thick look. You brows should start in line with your inner eye area and continue to the outer corner. It's that easy! Anything between the eyes or past the outer corner should go. You can then create a slight arch to finish the shape of our brows.

TRIMMING: Trimming is a great way to keep up the shape of your brows and it is free and easy as long as your grabbing hair not skin it will be completely painless. Many times people over pluck but the trick in tweezing is not to take more hair than necessary. Take a white eye liner pencil and draw a line for the shape you want and only trim what is under the line. Remember thought that the root may be below the line but the hair is part of the shape you want so be careful not to pluck those hairs.
If you regularly have a lot of hair to pluck then a professional hair waxing will be easiest for you. It's always fast and you can avoid any ugly accidents.

STYLING: After you have shaped and trimmed your brows and they are all groomed you can style them and pay them a bit of attention when you are applying make up. You can use your eyebrow brush to comb the hairs into place of the shape you have created. To keep them in place you can use clear mascara to hold them in them in place for a finished look. You can also tint your eyebrows by using an angled brush and finding a color that matches your brows. You then fill them in and then apply clear mascara to hold the shape all day and night.
Here is my tutorial on tinting eye brows:

There are great brands that put out kits for tinting and creating beautiful eye brows. Here are some:

BOBBI BROWN

Makeup Brush Essentials...

   My Professional set has 34 brushes, but the average woman only needs the essentials and should know how to use them. Here is a break down of the brushes I feel are the most important for the everyday woman and what they are used for.

ENJOY! LEARN! BE MAKEUP GEEKS!

E. Marie Makeup Artist's Brushes

 _______________________________________________________________________




Large Powder Brush: An over sized, fluffy brush that is used to dust on loose powder to set foundation, or to dust on bronzing powder. Use it to brush off excess powder too! 

Powder/Blush Brush: A smaller version of the Large Powder Brush that is used to apply blush, sheer powder or bronzing powder. This is one of the best makeup brushes you'll ever own!

Contour Brush: This brush has a rounded-angle shape, but it’s essential for defining cheeks.  

Foundation Brush: Used for applying and blending cream foundation. Feel free to use it to apply liquid foundation as well. An advantage to using this brush is that it does not absorb foundation.

 Cheek/Face Brush: A little smaller than the Foundation Brush, but is ideal in applying concealer over large areas of the face. Also, is you’re a fan of cream or gel blushes, this makeup brush is a must-have for blending those products onto the cheek. 

Large Application Brush: Usually made of synthetic fibers, and are firm and tapered at the end. Use this to apply concealer to larger areas of the face, or a cream base to the eyelid.  

Small Application Brush: Same as the Large Application Brush, but used to apply product to smaller areas of the face and eyes.




Blending Brush: A long, fluffy brush that is tapered at the end. Use in the crease area to apply and blend eyeshadow. Excellent in smoothing out the contour. This is one of the best makeup brushes I have to date!
Error prof for using in the crease of your eyelid.

 Angle Brush: This makeup brush has firm bristles that are clipped at an angle. Use this brush to fill in sparse areas of the eyebrow, and trace an exact line along the lashes. Don’t overdo it, or you will create very animated brows! Also great for layering powder eyeliner over your pencil liner.

Shadow Brush: A fine brush used to sweep color all over the eyelid, accentuate the crease, or highlight the browbone.


 

  Smudge Brush: Very small brush that is used to achieve a soft or smoky-eye look. Trace it back and forth along eyeliner, giving it a blur effect. I highly recommend this brush for use in lining the bottom lid because it gives the eye a much softer look.

Lip Brush: A tiny brush, but wonderful for controlled application of lip products. 

No No's in Makeup!

Forget all the recommended methods, trends and styles of cosmetics, there are always a few rules that were never meant to be broken when doing your makeup. Think about when you were learning to do your makeup you always heard more of what not to do then to do. Mistakes happen but they are hard to miss when they are on your FACE!

This is a great example of no no in makeup!

Makeup Offense Numero Uno (1) : FOUNDATION.
This is the most commonly used cosmetic and the easiest to make a mistake with. It happens before you even start to apply it! You need to prepare your face for makeup, never put it on dirty skin, that's just not okay! For best results everyday you need to wash and exfoliate you face before you even think about touching your cosmetics.

Choose wisely when you go to pick out a foundation for your self. Never get one that is drastically darker then your own skin tone. I promise it is noticeable! If you feel like you can't find an exact match go a shade lighter, it is a million times less noticeable then a darker shade.

Most importantly never ever forget to blend your foundation to the curves of your face, you don't want it to look like you are wearing a flesh colored mask.

Something a lot of people forget is to NEVER wear foundation on its own. It gives a good smooth base but make your face look monotone, always follow up with some powder bronzer and/or blush to bring back the life to your face.

Makeup Offense Numero Dos (2): BLUSH.

Believe it or not it too has to be properly blended after you apply it. No woman can possibly think that harsh streaks across your cheeks is flattering... and if you do, I promise you blending will make you look even better! Not even on a fashion runway do they not blend their blush, IT NEVER HAPPENS...BLEND! There should never be a solid line between the color of your blush to the color of your skin.

Makeup Offense Numero Tres (3): Lipstick.

A girls favorite makeup accessory, and yet many dont know that if your lips are chapped you do no i repeat DO NOT wear lipstick. The color of the lipstick only enhances your chapped skin and makes your lips look oh not so good...Many lipsticks end up drying your lips and will make the condition worse, EVEN if you claim you moisturize. If you just have to have that lip color choose something that uses deep conditioning product with a nice light hue.

 Makeup Offense Numero Cuatro (4): Makeup Removal. 

This is one of the biggest mistakes women make, not removing their makeup at the end of the day. Tisk, tisk to those of you who do that! never sleep in your makeup, it is terrible for your skin in every way. It not only means you need to wash off oil and makeup off with cleanser, but you also need to make sure all eyeliner and mascara is removed as well. You may not ever need to use foundation again if you do this step everyday. Happy skin makes for a happy you!

Don't be her.. LOVE YOUR SKIN!

REMEMBER NUMBER ONE RULE IN MAKEUP IS LESS IS MORE!

How to Properly Store Your Makeup!

I sure hope none of you are still keeping your makeup in zip lock baggies. If so it is time to change your ways! HELP YOUR COLLECTION! Proper storage of cosmetics is essential to the life and quality of the products. Improperly stored cosmetics deteriorate at a rapid rate, which can be costly as well as unhealthy.

Here are some tips to help you ensure the life of your collection..

TIPS FOR STORAGE:

1. Keep them dry:  Here are a few ideas to keep your cosmetics dry. Moisture kills makeup! 

 -There are makeup storage boxes available that have plenty of room for everything from eye shadow to implements such as tweezers. These containers resemble fishing tackle boxes and have compartments to separate various products and tools.

 -The introduction of dampness and moisture is most often the means by which cosmetics go bad. Moisture and humidity will cause the composition of pressed powder, powdered blush, and powdered eye shadow to change. It will typically become crumbly and soft. Lip stick, cover sticks, cream eye shadows, and eye liners can become moldy and unhealthy to use. The best way to prevent this from happening is to store cosmetics somewhere other than the bathroom. 

2. Hide Your Makeup from Light and Heat:   

Keep your makeup safe from light and heat, both of which can cause some serious damage.

 -Get a functional, plastic set of stackable drawers, which is nice for things like lipstick, gloss, pencils, and bodycare items. It looks relatively neat, and is a great clutter-buster. If you get the clear kind, you can see everything inside, and you could even label the fronts with what the contents are. This a great way to organize and save our makeup from disaster. Actual makeup storage can be expensive so check out cart storage or hardware stores.

3. How to Store Makeup Brushes: No one likes their brushes getting smashed or worn — not if they’re shooting for flawless application. Learn to help your brushes be their best with these how-to tips.

-Buy a set of brushes and use the roll-up storage bag that comes with them. You can also buy these storage bags at most beauty supply stores, drugstores and cosmetics counters. Look for a roll-up bag with separate compartments for each brush.

-Be sure to keep brushes used for liquid makeup away from powder brushes.

-Remove brushes from storage every 3 weeks and give them a thorough cleaning. Use a gentle baby shampoo or your facial cleanser. Pat them dry and leave them out on a clean, dry washcloth overnight.

 

SOME EXTRA TIPS FOR CHEAP INNOVATIVE MAKEUP STORAGE:

GREAT BUYS!!!

These powders by MAC often get overlooked by the Mineralize Skin finishes (which are great also!), but I like these as I can put in small containers for travel, and I don’t have to worry about them breaking in my suitcase.  They make for a perfect highlight on top of the cheekbones, or even a light shimmer on the lid for a soft everyday look.

These glitter liners are perfect for jazzing up any eye look! For less than $5, you can add some “shimmah shimmah” in your life! What girl doesn't want to jazz it up on the weekends!

If you want an all over shimmer  AND you want to smell amazing, then this lickable body powder is your product.  It comes in 3 colors and flavors: Cocoa (sparkling bronze color), Honey (sparkling gold), and Marshmallow (sparkling white).  I like that this isn’t glittery, but just shimmery- so you don’t look like a disco ball.  Plus, these do smell pretty nice- just not sure if I would lick them….