Foundation Routine Flawless Skin - Video

I have to give major props to this girl for having the courage to put herself out there like this! She is 19 and has very bad acne. As someone who has suffered from acne since my teens I wish there would've been a video like this out there back then. So here she is ...

http://youtu.be/ex33wtqnNz8

Some of my favorite Makeup Tutorials I've found online!

One of my favorite things in the world is that extremely talented people post their skills along with tutorials on youtube. These are my most recent favorites!

1. By Give Good Face. Or check out his many tutorials at givegood face.com
http://youtu.be/cN7jYoCX22w

2. danalajeunesse is one of my favorites! She is amazing!
http://youtu.be/3hSzvPpFNt0


3. Goldiestarling and her snow fairy 3d look!
http://youtu.be/DTZnu-EHoak

That's all for tonight. I'll post more of these if you like them so comment and let me know if you want to see more!

What I loved about Clinique

I ran my course at Clinique and have moved on to doing Feather Hair Extensions and a few other ventures. I would just like to take a moment to give my honest opinions on some Clinique products that I have grown to love.

1. Acne Solutions Foundation - oil free, salicylic acid for treatment while wearing, and the most gorgeous matte finish.The matte finish is appealing to me because I am an oily skin type and do not like to look shiny. This is my foundation choice first and only. Love it!!! $24.50

2. Even Better Clinical Dark Spot Corrector - Oil Free, non bleaching, Hydroquinone free. This an at least 12 week, on going treatment product. It is a lightweight serum. Lightens dark spots up to 53%. Gives you a better all over appearance of your skin. Works amazing to fade acne spots faster. This is wear I've noticed the biggest improvement as I only had a few minor dark spots (from UV exposure). I love the way it makes my skin feel and after just a few weeks of using it I got complements from multiple people including friends, my boyfriend and co-workers. It's a little on the pricey side but well worth it and believe me... I am cheap at heart and I will fork out the cash for this product. (Note: Must be worn with sunscreen) 1oz $49.50 and 1.7oz $73

3. Repairwear Laser Focus Wrinkle and UV Damage Corrector - An oil free serum that can be used under and around the eyes as well as all over the face and neck. I will never use an eye cream again because you have essentially no pores under the eyes to try to soak up and thick eye cream. I have noticed significant improvement in my smile lines and the minimization of the lines starting around my eyes. This is not a miracle worker but a product that will give visible results. $45.50

4. Bottom Lash Mascara - The most awesome little mascara in the world. It's in a tiny tube with a tiny brush. The right tool for those little bottom lashes. Does not smear or smudge and it removed with warm water. This is also great for those women out there that have very short upper lashes because you have a tiny brush to really get in there and accentuate every lash. Also great for defining outer lashes for that cat eye effect. $10

That's my top 4 Clinique recommendations. I might do more in the future but those are definitely my must haves for everyday.

I hope that everyone has a blessed Thanksgiving. Thanks for reading!

A Bad Haircut

I was at work last night and there is a girl that I work with that is in the process of getting her Cosmetology license and she always asks me questions. She was over taking with a girl at another makeup counter and called me over. Once I was there she asked me to look at the girls layers (she had just had her hair cut) because she wondered if they were too short. This girl has long hair and they chopped or I guess I should say hacked short layers that were not blended and they cut WAY to much. I tried to be nice and reassure her that while it was a bit choppy and short that it could be worked around styling wise. Then I started to look through the rest of her hair. She had no layers in the back and her length was all hacked into and not even one length. There was a piece in the back the was 3 inches longer then the rest. She got a total hack job. Turns out she went to a salon in JCpenny. I told her to never go back there. Seriously, it makes me so angry that there are so many hacks out there that call themselves Hair Stylists. I understand that some people don't have a lot of money to spend on a haircut but there are reasonably priced, talented people out there. If you're not afraid to get a hack job hair cut then by all means walk in wherever you want and see if luck is on your side. Otherwise, ask around. Find people with nice haircuts and ask them who they go to and how much they paid. Eventually you will find someone that has a cut that looks nice and refers you to someone in your price range. Don't just go to anyone, I see this all too often and it pisses me off. Not all people that call themselves Stylist actually are. Do a little research and save yourself the headache and the embarrassment. That poor girl can have her length fixed but other then that all she can do is wait for it to grow out. Poor girl.

Get your Darn Haircut

I see you everyday... you girls walking around with your long hair. I can tell you apart with a single glance... those of you that get your haircut regularly and those of you that don't get your haircut because you want it to grow. Ever notice that while yes your hair is long your ends are split, your hair is broken, frizzy, unmanageable? I bet your answer is that you haven't had your haircut in at least 3 months if not more. I know all you long haired gals out there are terrified to take any length off but a trim every 6 to 8 weeks will give you prettier and more manageable long locks! And if you don't believe me... ask a friend of yours that has pretty healthy looking long hair how often she gets her haircut and I bet she will say frequently. And the other point that goes along with this is that if you color treat your hair... regular haircuts or trims are a must! That's all I've got for you today so if anything I hope by reading this you now want to get your darn haircut! :)

Clinique

Just a quick announcement... besides doing hair and all that fun stuff, I am now also a Beauty Consultant for Clinique. So I will be happy to answer your makeup questions as well and especially if you want advise on Clinique products. I will still be honest... I promise. And in closing as I always said I would be honest... FYI of all your cheaper hair care products, Pantene is by far the worst. Full of wax and that is why your hair feel so soft and silky but over time it builds a residue and is so bad for your hair. Want some cheaper recommendations? John Frieda and Infusium are my top 2 picks for non salon brands.

Why you should be REALLY picky about your Nail Salon!

I happened upon an article today about things that nail salons do that you don't know about. I was very shocked by mediocrity of the issues that were touched upon. I will share the issues that they touched upon as they are still an issue but then I would like to go a little further into this.

Ok so they talked about why it's bad to dilute "clumpy" nail polish with Acetone and noted if there is white residue on a nail file then it's been used before you and thus is not sanitary. The article quickly touched on why whirlpool foot spas are bad news but only more about the city water that pumps through them and the microbes that can cause infections. There was talk of spreading infections through being "cut" or "nicked" during a service and that sometimes you don't even realize you've been cut. Bad news. And finally about how 75% of nail salons DO NOT properly sanitize there implements and materials.

Now I'm going to try to break this down in as few words as possible but definitely try to get the point/facts out there.

Any materials used on you should either be in "new" condition and all metal implements should come sterilized from an Autoclave. Only implements that have been sterilized are considered to be 100% free of bacteria, fungus, disease, etc. Any reputable nail salon will allow you to purchase and bring in your own implements for your appointment. That is the only way to guarantee the implements have only been used on you.

Insist that the Technician wear gloves. I understand that it may not be as comfortable or convenient but this is your health we're talking about. If they accidentally cut you or themselves there is less chance of spreading infections or disease if gloves are worn. Also on that note, do not allow a nail technician to cut, shave, etc. your callus' or cuticles. Your skin is open to infections, they can injure you and overall it is not a sanitary process.

Don't use whirlpool Foot Spas. I know you hate me for this one... they feel so good on your feet but they are the most unsanitary thing out there. Like I mentioned above they usually are hooked to city water which is full of microbes. Your feet are being peeled and scraped and left open to any bacteria in that spa. Did you know that there is a solution (usually red in color) that is supposed to be filtered through the spa system for at least 5 minutes between every client that uses it? Do you know I've never seen them do it anywhere I've gone in the past. Think about it, they drain and wipe it out after the client before you is done. That water that was being filtered through the jets and such is still sitting in the system and as soon as it is started for your service... that previous clients water was just pumped into yours. Gross.

Beware of salons that try to appear sanitary but aren't. Barbicide is a blue colored disinfectant that salons use. I have heard stories of salons substituting windex in them because it's cheaper. Ask to smell it... most of us know what windex smells like and believe me, Barbicide smells nothing like Windex. If a place ever tells you no when you ask or challenge something like sanitation... turn around and walk out the door!

I have also heard stories of high end spas charging high prices claiming to use specialty materials but in turn are filling expensive lotion bottles with cheap lotion to cut costs and make more money.

To wrap this up because I can go on and on all day about this... in most areas of our country hair and nail salons are a dime a dozen, they're all over the place. So why not do your research, shop around, stop by and ask questions. And if you have a bad experience at a salon tell your friends... pass the word along because it's the places like that making it so hard on the few salons out there that run a clean, legitimate business.

Shampoo/Styling Tips

For half my life I thought that I needed to wash my hair everyday. Then I started to question... if I am washing my hair everyday then why does it seem so lackluster, dry and damaged. When I was finally educated I learned why. There is no need to wash your hair every single day and this is why: by washing your hair everyday you are stripping your hair of the naturals oils that your hair needs to stay moisturized. I understand that there are hair types that are extremely oily and I've known many people to say "But I have to wash my hair everyday because it's so oily and greasy." This is my answer to you... If you have extremely oily/greasy hair then yes you need to freshen it daily but try these helpful tips:

1. Only wash your scalp (not the mids and ends of your hair) as this is the area that produces the oil. Try using a shampoo low or free of sulfates.

2. Don't condition everyday or if you feel you must do so only condition the mids and ends and avoid conditioning your scalp all together.

3. In between shampoos try a dry shampoo. Dry shampoos when applied to the scalp will absorb oils and give a "just washed" look to oily hair.

4. Avoid applying styling products to the top/scalp. Styling products are heavy and usually contain oil. Apply to mids and ends and avoid product with oils. If you are in need of an oil based product (most commonly found in moisturizing products) for the dry ends of your hair do just that, apply only to the ends of your hair.

5. Wash your hands before styling your hair. Depending on your routine you may have product buildup or if you are like me and put on lotion/makeup before I style my hair you definitely need to wash your hands so you are not adding more dirt and oils to your hair during styling.

6. Switch your products up. A common mistake is using the same products over and over everyday. Your hair will have different needs based on styling, climate/environment, chemical treatments, etc. If you color your hair regularly use products for color treated hair. If you live in Florida like me (with high humidity) use products meant to counteract days with high humidity but on days with lower humidity, ditch those products for the day. If you need moisture, use moisturizing products but have some substitutes for in between such as a reconstructing treatment. If you are blowdrying, curling or flat ironing... always used a product with heat protection. Overheating your hair is the #1 cause of damaged hair. If you are going over your hair more then 1 time with the flat iron then you need a new iron or the heat is too low.

I think that I covered most of the common no no's when it comes to washing and styling. If I left anything out or if you have questions about something that I did not cover then please don't hesitate to ask! Happy hair care to you!