Tag: essentials

Beauty Essential: My Favorite Foundations

Published on by Lee1 Comment 
It is hard for me as a woman of color to find the perfect foundation. Luckily,  there are tools  out there to help me find the product for me. Over the years, I've went through countless brands in search of the hue that would match my melanin skin tone. I have six brands that I'm in love with. If you want to know which brands have my heart and want more information about them before buying your next foundation then keep on reading.

NARS

I have been using Nars Sheer Glow Foundation for couple of months now and honestly my makeup always ends up looking hydrated, more luminous, softer, and smoother. It has a sheer, buildable coverage foundation with a radiant natural finish.  The Sheer Glow Foundation glides on effortlessly, blurring imperfections and evening out skin tone for the ultimate sophisticated finish that allows your skin’s natural beauty to shine through. I recommend this product especially to those who have dry skin.

What it does:
Sheer Glow Foundation enhances, without masking, your overall natural complexion. Powered by the NARS Complexion Brightening Formula, this lightweight, buildable formula delivers a range of effects while evening the complexion and improving skin’s texture and brightness. Powerful antioxidants protect against damaging free radicals, while glycerin, known as one of the most effective and well known humectants, attracts and holds moisture. A vitamin C derivative helps to brighten skin and diminish the look of discoloration. Tumeric extract, a plant of the ginger family, improves skin radiance and evens the skintone.

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From Nars, I also used the Natural Radiant Longwear Foundation. It has medium buildable coverage, up to 16 hours of lightweight, natural, fade-resistant wear, featuring full-powered radiance to smooth the look of skin. 

This transfer-resistant, sweat-resistant formula stays color-true all day, and continues to look fresh and vibrant, as if it was just applied. This formula features superior blendability for an imperceptible effect that looks natural, like skin. It doesn’t look or feel cakey, heavy, drying, or masking. A unique combination of translucent base with micronized amino acid-coated pigments and mineral tone-balancing powders mimic skin’s tone, fusing with it for the closest match. NARS’ Skin Optimizing Complex—a blend of raspberry, apple, and watermelon extracts—helps support skin’s elastic fibers to smooth and improve skin’s appearance over time for optimal radiance.

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And another one! You might be over Nars right now but these are the foundations that I have tried from them which happens to my favorites. NARS All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation is an oil-free liquid foundation that neutralizes discoloration and delivers full, natural-looking coverage with one drop, for weightless, 16-hour wear. 

What it does:
All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation delivers full, natural-looking coverage with unexpectedly weightless, 16-hour wear—all with just one drop. Tone Correcting Technology works instantly and long-term to neutralize redness, dullness and discoloration for more even, uniform skin. Unique blend of optical and skincare ingredients smooths skin while enhancing its natural beauty.

Weightless Long-Wear Technology creates a uniquely fluid formula that delivers complete coverage with unexpected weightless wear. This breakthrough technology contains a proprietary blend of pigments, treated by a unique polymer to make them water-, sweat-, and sebum-resistant. Unlike typical treated pigments, they weightlessly deliver long-wear complete coverage without masking the skin. The result is a naturally perfected look. The advanced flexible polymer moves with your skin to provide a comfortable, breathable feel and a natural look that lasts for 16 hours. It provides moisture barrier protection for a non-drying feel.

"Makeup shouldn’t cover your skin, it should enhance your natural beauty, not mask it." - François Nars, Founder and Creative Director of NARS

FENTY BEAUTY by Rihanna

What it is:
A soft matte, long-wear foundation with buildable, medium-to-full coverage, in a boundary-breaking range of shades.

What it does:
Finally—the ultimate photo filter in foundation form. Born in 40 boundary-breaking shades, Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation gives skin an instantly smooth, pore-diffused, shine-free finish that easily builds to medium to full coverage. The oil-free formula is made with climate-adaptive technology that’s resistant to sweat and humidity, and won’t clog pores so that wherever you are, it’s going to work on your skin. Best of all, this longwearing, light-as-air texture is undetectable on skin—so you always look like you.

I am obsessing over Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation that provides us with a soft matte finish that’s just right—not too matte and not too shiny. The result? A comfortable long-wear formula that lets skin look like skin.

"Foundation is one of those areas in the beauty industry that has a big void for women at extreme ends of the shade spectrum. There’s this middle ground that's covered really, really well. But then if you're very pale or if you're very dark, there aren’t a lot of options. And so, I wanted to make sure that women of all skin tones were covered so they could be included in what I created."— Rihanna, Brand Founder

SEPHORA COLLECTION

10 HR Wear Perfection Foundation has a buildable coverage that instantly conceals blemishes with an invisible, flawless finish.

What it does:
Conceal blemishes, pigmentation marks, scars, and dark spots with this foundation that provides a natural, beautiful finish. This formula blends with your skin tone to create an invisible veil, like a second skin that adapts to all the movements of the face for optimum comfort all-day long. Hyaluronic acid smooths the skin, while antioxidant vitamin E protects against external stressors. Soft focus pigments blur out blemishes and soften the appearance of wrinkles for a youthful-looking, even complexion.

Urban Decay

Naked Skin Weightless Ultra Definition Liquid Foundation is an oil-free, lightweight liquid foundation that feels like wearing nothing at all, while leaving a demi-matte finish. 

What it does:
Urban Decay’s Naked Skin Liquid Makeup leaves skin looking natural, illuminated, and bright with a luminous demi-matte finish: like the beautiful skin you were born with. Light-diffusing spheres provide a visible reduction in the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, blurring imperfections for beautifully perfected, ultra-definition skin that looks completely real.

It provides truly buildable coverage with a weightless feel and a luminous finish. And it’s loaded with nourishing ingredients, including: Matrixyl 3000 (a powerful anti-wrinkle peptide), protective and brightening Litchiderm™, antioxidant green tea, and sodium hyaluronate for optimal skin hydration and nutrient absorption. The sleek, hygienic pump provides more control, with less waste of product.

Bare Minerals

BareMinerals Original Foundation Broad Spectrum SPF 15 is a mineral foundation with buildable coverage and a natural-looking, radiant finish.

What it does:
With the smooth, radiant look of a liquid foundation and the breathability of a powder, it’s no wonder this is the #1 Loose Powder Foundation in America. An original from the start, this formula is made with only five skin-loving mineral ingredients. Original Foundation’s minerals transform from powder to a silky cream when swirled, then buff and melt onto the face for a luminous, second-skin finish.

Original Foundation provides customized coverage designed to be buildable from sheer to full. All-day wear means less time spent on touch-ups, and non-chemical SPF 15 protection keeps sun damage at bay, helping skin stay healthier and younger-looking. This foundation is formulated for all skin types and is safe even for sensitive skin.

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BareMinerals Matte Foundation Broad Spectrum SPF 15 is an oil-controlling mineral foundation with skin-loving ingredients, buildable sheer-to-full coverage, non-chemical Broad Spectrum SPF 15 protection and a natural matte finish. 

What it does:
This foundation’s good-for-skin, weightless minerals buff and blend seamlessly upon application. Redness, imperfections, fine lines, and wrinkles appear instantly blurred. Silica helps absorb excess skin oil, and the appearance of pores virtually disappear after buffing onto skin. Skin looks visibly better immediately, and actually improves over time, too.

It’s the ideal foundation for normal-to-oily skin types or the perfect alternative to Original Foundation’s luminous finish on those days when you want to go matte.

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Bare Minerals BAREPRO Performance Wear Powder Foundation is a 12-hour wear, pressed mineral powder foundation formulated with 90 percent vitamins and minerals for naturally matte, full, flawless coverage. 

What it does:
BAREPRO® Performance Wear Powder Foundation provides 12-hour long-wear with stay-true pigments. Redefining high-performance foundation, the formula is dermatologist tested to be non-acnegenic and non-comedogenic, and it’s 100 percent breathable. The silky, non-drying powder delivers full, flawless coverage and is clinically shown to improve skin clarity, reduce the look of pore size, and control shine. It’s available in multiple shades—from the fairest porcelain to the deepest cocoa for all skintones.

PÜR

Bare It All 12-Hour 4-In-1 Skin-Perfecting Foundation is this high-performance, 12-hour, demi-matte foundation that helps to cover imperfections and instantly perfect the skin while helping to correct problem areas over time so you can confidently bare it all. Designed for face and body and formulated with PÜR’s proprietary Energy Complex and Ceretin Complex, this formula renews the look of your skin and goes the distance.

PÜR foundation is great, the only thing which is a major thing is that they don’t have a wide variety of shades. It is very limited. I use the shade deeper which I believe is the deepest shade that they have and use it as a concealer sometimes.

I use these foundations during the day since it’s lightweight and incredibly moisturizing. My skin is always left looking glowy, flawless and fresh, which is exactly how you should feel (and look) after using a good foundation.

What’s your favorite foundation(s)?

XO Lee

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Primp Tip: How to Make Your Pores Appear Smaller

Published on by Lee7 Comments

Recently, I’ve gotten quite a few requests to do a blog post on pore minimizing tips. I’ve covered so many skincare issues here on the site, from acne to under eye circles. But this is one topic I haven’t talked about yet, so I thought I’d give it a go! While I’m pretty well versed in the world of beauty, I’m not an aesthetician or dermatologist. These are just some helpful tips I’ve gathered over the years. Check it out below…

What are pores?

First, let’s start with the basics. Pores are the tiny openings in the skin where oil and sweat is released to keep skin naturally moisturized, cool, and healthy. Pores are also home to your hair follicles. You have pores all over the surface of your skin, but they tend to be more prominent on your face because that is where your sebaceous (oil) glands are the largest. When your pores get clogged with dead skin cells, dirt, oil, or makeup, that’s what causes acne. So it goes without saying that you want to prevent buildup and keep your pores clean.

Why do some people’s pores look larger than others?

Not to state the obvious, but we all have wildy different skin. Some women deal with discoloration, some are plagued by breakouts, and others have visible pores. A lot of it is left to genetics. For instance, your pores are more likely to look larger if you have an olive complexion or a darker skin tone. Skin type and age also affect the size of your pores. People with oily skin tend to have larger pores (because their pores are more active). And as we age, we lose elasticity in skin, which can make pores appear larger. Accumulation of dead skin cells, sebum (oil), and dirt and picking at a pimple can also stretch pores.

How can I make my pores appear smaller?

While it’s not possible to actually physically shrink your pores, you can make them look smaller and give your skin a smooth, radiant appearance. The first step is ridding your skin of all the things that potentially clog pores and make them more prominent (dirt, oil, dead skin cells, etc.). With proper cleansing and steaming, exfoliation, regular professional facials, and the use of noncomedogenic products can minimize the appearance of pores.

Cleanse

Never going to sleep without properly cleansing your skin is a given. I recommend the ‘double cleanse’ where you use a makeup wipe to remove impurities on the surface and then apply a cleanser to penetrate deeper. Incorporating steam can help to open pores and release impurities while softening the skin.

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Exfoliate

Exfoliation is also key in keeping pores clear. Kate recommends making exfoliation a part of every skincare regimen (2-3 times a week). Always exfoliate with steam (the shower is a great place), and look for a product that has both physical and enzymatic exfoliation. Products with alpha hydroxy acids such as lactic acid will also help refine the appearance of pores.

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Prime

Primer might be one of those products that you think you can do without or never really understood the purpose of. But using a primer is another great way to minimize the appearance of pores. Primers sit on the surface of the skin and create a barrier between skin and makeup. Primers prevent makeup from sinking into your pores and create more of an even skin tone.

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Professional Facials

A professional facial treats your skin to a deep pore cleansing that you simply can’t achieve with every day cleansing. Regular, professional extractions will help keep skin clear and prevent scarring in the long run. I recommend getting a facial every 4-6 weeks for maintenance.

Do you have any other skincare topics you’ve like me to cover?

Let me know in the comments.

XO Lee

8 Bad Skin Habits to Kick

Published on by Lee6 Comments 
When it comes to our skin, we’re all just out trying to do our best, right? We test out products, wash our faces regularly, moisturize... but it turns out that some of our most persistent habits can be very bad for our skin. The good news is that most of them have easy fixes—so you can turn bad habits into good ones.

1. You don’t clean your makeup brushes.
Besides being good for keeping your makeup looks #onfleek, cleaning your makeup brushes on a regular basis is also a fundamental aspect of a good skin care routine. “If not properly cleaned, makeup brushes can carry hordes of bacteria that can cause serious damage to the skin. “Not to mention the buildup that gathers on dirty makeup brushes causes them to deteriorate quicker, affecting your makeup application.”

Tragic all around. But the key to avoiding this travesty is simple: Clean your tools regularly. You should spritz your brushes once a week with a cleansing spray and deep clean them once a month with shampoo or gentle soap. This is the best way to prevent buildup from causing infection, as well as problems like acne and irritation.

2. Not Exfoliating
exfoliation. As you get older, your need for regular exfoliation increases. Plus, when you’re using potent anti-aging products, you want to make sure they are being well absorbed.

Of course, there is such a thing as too much exfoliation, so you need to find a balance. For most people, a couple times a week does the trick. As you age, this may be closer to 3 or 4 times a week.

Here are my two favorite body scrubs  that I have been using for a while:

Anese.co Coconut $26
Gloww Goddess $20

Hold my drink has a soft and fluffy texture and can be used as a daily exfoliator. Coconut oil and vitamin E seeps into your skin as you exfoliate and tease out ingrowns. Bonus, it literally smells like a coconut in a jar without any added artificial fragrance.

What It Does

-Moisturizing organic coconut oil melts into your skin.

– Natural sugar cane gently buffs away dead skin. Perfect for dry legs, arms and even your lips.

-Vitamin E is full of antioxidants and amazing at targeting fine lines and dryness.

Goddess Body Scrub is a gentle, salt-based body exfoliant that hydrates skin with organic coconut oil, scented with dry lavender buds and few drops of lavender essential oil. Goddess Body Scrub is highly moisturizing and gently exfoliating blend of organic coconut oil. It leaves the skin silky, soft, glowy, and hydrated with light scent of lavender.

These amazing scrubs exfoliates while providing nutritive minerals. It’s the perfect thing to use before putting on a moisturizing mask. If you have oily skin or otherwise sensitive skin, be careful not to exfoliate too vigorously. 

3. Leaving Your Makeup on Overnight
You’re tired. Your eyelids are closing against your will. You’re almost considering sleeping in your jeans. Stop! Wait! It’s time to wash off your makeup.

Naked skin is happy skin. Especially if you’re wearing chemical makeup brands, you want to give your skin a break over night.

In the same vein, make sure to wash your makeup off before working out. When you break a sweat and your pores open up, dirt, oil and, yep, makeup will get in there.

Also, unless you want to wash your pillow cases every day (Ouch! Said mother earth) you should do your best to keep them clean in between washes. Another reason that washing your face before bed is a must!

4. Overcleansing
Don’t consider this a free pass to skip washing off your makeup at night: If your skin is dry skin, lather up less often, since doing so strips away natural oils. Wash with a creamy or oil-based cleanser at night (they’re gentler on dry skin) and rinse with just water when you wake up. “It’s enough to clean your skin in the morning, and you’ll retain more of your own moisturizing oils,” says Ellen Marmur, a dermatologist in New York City. Try L’Oréal Paris Pure-Clay Purify & Mattify Cleanser and/or St.Ives Blackhead Clearing Green Tea Scrub. 

5. Not Sleeping Enough…
Getting less than seven hours of shut-eye can make your skin duller and fine lines (like the ones around your eyes) more obvious. Your skin can rebound from the occasional late night, especially when you’re young, but a few in a row will catch up with you. If you have trouble falling asleep, don’t start watching Black Lightning or The Good Doctor reruns: Bright screens suppress melatonin, a hormone that makes us sleepy and regulates our circadian rhythms. That second part is a biggie. When melatonin levels drop and your circadian rhythm gets thrown off, your skin cells can’t turn over as efficiently, causing even more wrinkles and dullness over time, says Phyllis C. Zee, the director of the Center for Circadian and Sleep Medicine at Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University Hospital in Chicago. A warm shower or bath before bed is much better for inducing sleep, says Michael Breus, an author, a psychologist and sleep medicine expert.Image result for white pillow on white bed sheets blog post

 …And Not Sleeping Smartly
Your sleeping conditions matter. First things first: your pillowcase. “It collects oil, dead skin cells, bacteria, and excess night creams. “As you toss and turn, all of that is deposited right into your pores. I recommend changing them at least once a week (twice is better). While you’re at it, swap out the regular cotton version for something smoother, like satin, silk, or Egyptian cotton, since rough pillowcases can actually cause wrinkles. And if I can convince you to make just one more change, plug in a humidifier. It counteracts the skin-drying effects of air conditioning and heat.

6. Overlooking Sunscreen in Certain Areas  Related image
Slathering SPF over your entire face (even in the winter) is a good start, but you can’t ignore the rest of your body—and certain areas are missed too often. “In my practice, I’m seeing an epidemic of skin cancer along the hairline, the jawline, and the ears,” says Dennis Gross, a dermatologist in New York City. Apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher all over your face and exposed skin from the neck down. And keep in mind that light cotton clothes won’t totally protect skin on their own in the summer. 

7. Forgetting Face Wipes
Washing your face before bed or after spin can be a pain. We get that. But letting makeup, dirt, and bacteria linger can cause breakouts, dullness, and even wrinkles over time. Which brings me to face-cleansing wipes: A single towelette removes a day’s worth of grime, and you won’t need to haul yourself to the sink. Try Neutrogena Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes, AVEENO ULTRA-CALMING MAKEUP REMOVING WIPES, and AVEENO POSITIVELY RADIANT MAKEUP REMOVING WIPES. Keep them on your nightstand or in your purse so you actually remember to use them.

8. Smoking Image result for no more cigarette gifs
Please, I beg of you, just quit. On top of a long list of evils, smoking breaks down elastic fibers in the skin (which is why smokers’ complexions look yellow) and revs up the enzyme responsible for breaking down collagen (and that definitely leads to wrinkles), says Francesca Fusco, a dermatologist in New York City. Your skin can bounce back once you quit. “Within two weeks, you see improvements,” she says. “The texture improves; it’s a little smoother. Over time, the brightness comes back.

You can achieve the skin you want! By ditching some of your bad habits and adopting some good ones, you could find yourself waking up to younger, more radiant looking skin!

What skin habits do you want to break? Have you broken any of these already? Tell me in the comments below!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Primp Tip: Brush, Sponge, or Fingers?

Published on by Lee4 Comments

For some of us, putting on makeup is almost second nature. We have our routines down and can even step away from the mirror in 5 minutes flat. But for others, the application process can pose more questions than productivity. When there are so many ways to apply your makeup, it’s easy to get confused on which way is the correct way to go about it. Which brings me to my latest Primp Tip… Today I will be debunking the brush vs. sponge vs. fingertip debacle.

While there are pros and cons to each tool, it all comes down to personal preference. In order to find out which technique works for you, I recommend experimenting to see which applicator you feel most comfortable using. While trial and error is always a good way to determine the winner, below I’ve broken down each applicator and it’s specific benefits. So if you’re still deciding between a brush, sponge or your fingertips, keep reading…

Brush

Using a brush to apply your makeup is a great way to give your skin an airbrushed finish. Brushes are known for their precision and also for their blendability. Whether you’re using powder or cream, brushes are versatile enough to get the job done. Tip: It’s important to start with a small amount of product and build up to your desired look. With a brush you tend to get a more concentrated amount of product and color, so blending it all out is essential.

Sponge

Similar to using a brush, sponges are known for their blended out, flawless finish. For an even distribution of product, wet the sponge before using a liquid foundation. By doing this you should get a sheer and lightweight look that is easily buildable. Like brushes, there are a variety of sponges used for different makeup techniques (highlighting, contouring, etc.). The only thing to be mindful of when using a sponge is that they soak up more product than a brush or your fingertips does.

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4fbd15de73d7ce2331ad04fda9c4b588--makeup-tips-makeup-productsFingertips

Last but not least, using your fingers to apply makeup is just as effective as using a brush or sponge. The warmth of your fingertips makes for more blendability—but be careful because you’re going to get more of a concentrated application. For colorful eye shadow and cream blushes, your fingertips will give you the best color payoff. If you’re going to use your fingers, be gentle! Always use a tapping motion with your ring finger and don’t use too much pressure.

While there isn’t a dramatic difference between each technique, the end results should be similar as long as your product is blended into your skin. You never want a harsh line! It ultimately comes down to practice and preference. I find that I use my fingers when I’m in a rush as opposed to a brush or sponge when I want a more done-up look.

So, which method do you prefer?  85367ab070c62321d54dd32c58d13edd

Let me know your thoughts in the comments! 

Click here to find out which tool(s) I prefer