OCD Tip #1

OCD Tip #1

If you are like me and are to cheap to buy tinted moisturizer, mix a little of your liquid foundation with your morning face moisturizer in the palm of your hand and voila ~ tinted moisturizer!

What I Use: Maybeline 360 FIT liquid moisturizer and Oil of Olay Regenerist Face Moisturizer

{momma fashion 101} renewing your makeup routine

 

School marks the beginning of Fall for most of us, especially us out in blogland, and with Fall comes a sense of needing to renew and restart. A lot of us begin a new workout schedule, do a Fall cleaning (equally as important as the Spring cleaning), renew our home with Fall decorations and various other tasks. However, how often do we look at our makeup routine and renew that? Not often I venture to say. Just like we renew our home to make it look better, we need to renew our makeup to make ourselves look better! Makeup should be invisible when applied correctly, otherwise major aging goes on.

Beauty Rule #1: Concealer!

We all love it and we probably all need it. Applying concealer lightly and only to the places you need it will do more for you than any other product out there. Dab it on and blend it in, rubbing is counterproductive.

Beauty Rule #2: Get rid of the lines.

There should be no distinct lines (not visible, distinct...there is a difference) on your lips, lids, or anywhere else on your face. A great product to help hold your shadow in place is Stay Don't Stray by Benefit. You can get it a Sephora for $26.

Beauty Rule #3: Powder and eyes don't mix.

If you never ever ever read another thing I write, read this! Never put power under your eyes, it will highlight the wrinkles that were otherwise invisible to the naked eye.  It cakes up and just looks funky. This is mainly due to the fact that the skin under your eye is thin and has no oil production.

Foundation. If you don't need it skip it. If you do need to wear it like I have to most days match it not to your arm or wrist but to the skin on your face. I know that goes against everything you have been taught. But logically...why match something your face is wearing to your arm? Also, this is new to me and works wonders, apply it before your concealer. This way you know where you need the extra TLC. Remember that the job of foundation is to prep the surface, not cover the dark spots and acne marks, to much is just..too much.

Concealer. Who doesn't love concealer?! It can change your look and boost your confidence. Make sure you are dabbing it on not rubbing it on and always use a concealer brush. I have one from Sephora, love it!

Powder. I venture to say most of us wear it and benefit from it. But when done wrong, boy is it wrong. Powder only the areas that need it and if you apply too much, giving your face a matte finish, go over your face with a large blush brush to wipe up the extra. Resist the urge to reapply through out the day. Multiple layers of powder will give your face a cakey look. If you are shiny, blot with oil control papers. Biore carries some that are small and compact and work great!

Blush. Blush should be applied in a way that it gives natural color to your cheeks and that is it. If your unsure of what color/colors to use spend an afternoon with your blush colors and makeup remover. Hair color, skin color, eye color, they all play a part in what color is best. For example, during the summer I brighten my hair up and am very tan, I tend to look best in a pink color, and in the winter when I darken my hair a bit a more peachy color does the trick. When applying your blush smile! This will expose the natural apples of your cheeks and give you a fail safe place to apply your blush. Apply your blush first. I learned this from my Mary Kay lady, blush darkens after a few minutes, so often we apply it last and we tend to apply more and then go out looking like a clown. Applying it first gives it time to do it's thing and allows you to tone it down it you need to.

Bronzer. Can I just say I love bronzer. When I am in a hurry bronzer is my best friend. However, like blush if it is done wrong it is wrong. Apply your bronzer with a big brush and apply only to the parts of your face that stick out, cheekbones, forehead, chin and nose. Overdoing bronzer is a dead give away.

Lipstick, gloss and stains. I am a gloss kinda girl. But here are some tips anyway. Matte anything is ageing even on the lips. Add a shine! On the other side too much gloss can teeny bopper you. Sheer stains are good but can actually stain your lips. A good natural color lip gloss finishes any look.

Eyes: liners, shadows and mascara. Because there are so many options for eyes, they are often the most easy to over do. Focus on enhancing your eyes not makeing a dramatic statement. To flatter your eye, stick with a sheer and neutral color. Bold colors can be fun just make sure you are applying them as a wash of color, kind of like a water color and not a marker. Liquid eyeliner...hate it. Use the good ole pencil, make sure it is not to sharp and make dots across the area your are applying. I only apply to the outer corners of my eyes then blend in with a Qtip. Apply your liner before your shadow. This will help it to last longer. If you wear both liner and mascara, by apply your liner first you will use less mascara. However, I only use one or the other, usually just liner then I curl my lashes. If your wearing mascara only use black or brown! Any other color indicates you are about to run off to the circus. Mascara was created to make your lashes look great not like they have mascara on them. One or two coats max is all you need.

Like food, makeup also has a shelf life. Go through your makeup bag, perge the old stuff, get some new stuff and voila a renewed, beatiful you!

linked up to:

Makeup Review: 3 in 1 concelear

I am always on the search for makeup that makes applying easier, is less time consuming and gives me the ultimate impact.

 This product is not necessarily less time consuming, but it is easier and gives great impact. There is a product line called Physicians Formula. You can get it pretty much any where and compared to Almay or Maybelline it is EXPENSIVE. I tried it years ago when it first hit the stores and was not too impressed, and since then I have noticed the prices going up and that they brought out a line of all mineral products. Some say mineral is the way to go...I say makeup is makeup who cares. But after my experience with this new product I am thinking of hopping on the mineral band wagon! What is this product you are asking...

Physicians Formula Mineral Wear 3 in 1 concealer!

This stuff is so cool! You get three bottles, one is yellow and is for the dark under eye circles, the other is your normal concealer for blemishes and dark spots, then and the MOST AWESOME is a pink highlighter for your brow bone, cheeks, nose line, any where you want highlighted. I have started using it in place a eyeshadow in the corner of my eye. I love this stuff! Like i said it doesn't really make application faster because now you have a few extra steps but the bottles all snap together so they are easy to find amongst your makeup and they all have their own applicators.

The best part...this stuff really works! You can noticibly see a change in the highlighted areas and the concelear coverage is awesome! And to meet the needs of everyone they have another color scheme you can buy replacing the yellow for green to cover your redness. How cool is that!? And all this for just $9 at Wal Mart. Cant beat it so you may as well join it, your face will be thanking you!

Jen

Wake up face and a mom

We all have different ways that we get up and get ready, some of us lounge around in our PJ's all day because why get dressed just to clean and craft and chase snotty 2 year old around....and some of us get up get dressed and apply a full face of makeup to do the same things.

To each their own, just like with everything else in life (your house, your blog, your habits) it's all about what makes you happy and comfy and ready to tackle the world. I will be the first to admit that I am right in between the two. I get up and fix my hair and apply a small amount of makeup (just enough to wake up my face) and then depending on what my tasks at hand are for the day I dress accordingly. If I am going to be out all day I get ready to be out, if I am doing all the house stuff (sorry no darling 2 year olds in this house anymore just the excitement of laundry, cleaning and lawn care) then I throw on a pair of knit shorts or sweatpants and a shirt or tank top.

I have undergone so many changes in the last 11 years of my marriage and motherhood, I went from being a fashion idiot to a fashionista, from short tomboy hair to long girly locks, from hating makeup and clogged pores to Mac only. I have to admit it was hard to trade work, designer cloths and my beloved 6 inch heels for jeans, flip flops and pony tails, but ask me if I regret it and my answer every time is HECK NO! I get the most awesome opportunity to care for my family in a way that not every wife and mother gets. I get to be the first face my kids see in the morning and the last they see when they fall asleep. There are so many perks to staying at home and one of the best is the time you spend on your self becomes far less which to me is so gratifying!

I don't pick out my cloths the night before to ensure I dress in a timely fashion, I simply fill my closet with things I love and that look good on my body type. I am not a very trendy dresser, I do what I like and dress how I like. If I see something trendy that would be a good fit for me then I may splurge a bit, but usually I am a jeans and flip flop girl. I also don't spend a ton of time on my make up. The only time I really take my time and apply a full face is on Sunday for church and when the hubs and I are going on a date. Other than that my face routine is very simple and fast. Over the years I have read lots of articles about how to get a fresh face, the summer look, quick easy tips and I have taken the best of these and use them daily to get my fast fresh face.

So after all that rambling here is the reason for my post! My tips to a quick fresh face. 

Tip 1. Invest in some good core products. I don't spend a lot on makeup any more but one item I wont live with out is Maybelline's Instant Age Rewind Primer. Read here for my rant on the greatness of this product.

Tip 2. Give a good eyebrow pluck once a week.

Tip 3. Find a blush you love and that looks good!

Tip 4. Concealer and powder is a must have! I don't always use foundation but I use concealer and powder EVERY DAY!

Tip 5. Mascara, Mascara, Mascara! Once you find one you love there is no sense in changing. I have used Alamay mascara for 7 years, I have tried to switch but always come back.

Once you find the one you love never leave.

Tip 6. For fresh eyes use a light eyeshadow in the corners of your eyes with a brown eyeshadow on the lids only.

Tip 7. After applying mascara, close your eyes and give a quick coat at an angle to the outer lashes.

Those are a few key things so remember, now what do you do with it??

Face:

Apply Instant Age Rewind Primer, apply concealer to under eyes and to any discoloration or blemishes, gently blend with ring fingers! Your ring finger is the weakest so use it when blending it will pull less on your face which = fewer wrinkles over time. Give a light application of powder to face and neck.

Eyes & Brows:

I apply a light pinkish white eyeshadow to the corner of my eyes and blend lightly, this wakes up your eyes. Do one and then look in the mirror, huge difference! I also apply the same color to the arch of my brow and blend. This is all eye makeup I usually wear. Then apply your mascara, I apply two coats let dry then close my eye and apply one more coat to the outer corner at an angle, it kicks my eyelashes out a bit.

Brush brows and apply brow pencil to fill in any gaps and round brows out.

We often over look the impact great brows can make, they can make or break your face!

Brush again after the pencil to blend.

Cheeks:

I apply an apricot color most year round, I love it! The color works well with my skin color no matter the season. I start by making the stupid wont do in front of any other human half fish half smile face and apply in a sweeping motion from the apple of my cheek and following the cheek bone. This is different for everyone, no one face is the same, go with your face shape and cheek bone! Then I also skim down the edge of my face and along my jaw line once or twice just to add a small hint of color.

The idea is not to look like a clown but fresh.

Lips:

This is the hard one ladies! The really time consuming part....lip gloss. I apply a dab in the middle of my lower lip and again using my ring finger blend along the bottom lip and then the top. The trick here is to make the middle of your bottom lip more shiny. Doing this does awesome things to the way your lips look, I guess fuller is probably the word.

And sometimes when I am feeling ultra lazy I just use chap stick to gloss them a bit.

All in all this takes me about 5 minutes. Not hard but yet as I love so much a big impact!

What do you do? What is your morning routine, or face product you cant live without? Got any tips and tricks for me try???

Jen

Saving Face #2

I am pretty loyal when it comes to my face products, so when I do happen to step out on a limb and try something new I love to share it with ya'll, because after all who doesn't LOVE to hear about make up and face products that actually work! I am always wondering when I watch the advertisiments if the actress is REALLY wearing that make up she is plugging and if she is I wonder if MY skin will look as fab as hers....and then I go to buy the product and it's $15. Too much $ for that kind of a risk for me.

I have to start this by saying I tied my tubes after my 2nd kid was born, so for the last few years, 7 years exactly I have not been on any form of birth control (which really does help clear up acne). I had no idea I ever had acne problems because since I was a young teen I was on birth control. So you can only imagine my suprise and utter disgust when at 22 after my 2nd son was born my face broke out like a teenage boy's. INSANITY! Over the last 7 years I have tried it all...Proactive, Acne Free, dermo face wash, and everything else under the sun all for a result of NADA! A good friend of mine recommended

Burts Bee's Garden  Tomate Complexion Soap and it is like heaven!

Now I know what some of you are thinking, soap oh no I don't use soap on my face I use a cleaner or cream, seriously my face actually looks like the face of a 30 year old woman not a 14 year old boy. A very young looking 30 year old woman I must say... I still get some pimples from time to time, but nothing like before! So I figured I would pass on this bit of lovely face info to anyone else who may suffer from oily skin and acne! You can pick it up at any Central Market for between $6-$8 depending on the sales or order it online. I am here to say it is so worth it!!!

And this is the beloved soap! Oh soap how I love you!

And after about 4 months maybe longer, this is what I have left.

I am using up every sud I can get!

Jen

Save Face

What do you do when you want to look 25 and your……well….not 25.

I am not one that usually spends a lot of money on makeup, I just can’t justify spending on MAC or Clinique or even Mary Kay, I am an avid Almay user for all my products, but recently I found two of the best things ever!!!!

Looking in the mirror one day I realized those darn crows feet and laugh lines were on MY face and that maybe I could use some Botox, while pondering the idea of sticking a needle in my face with some crap that is going to puff me up like a balloon in the Macy’s day parade I saw a commercial for a new Maybelline product called Instant Age Rewind.

Immediately the clouds parted and the sun began shining and I swear I heard angels singing to me.

So during my next trip to Wal-Mart I hunted this precious jewel down……$7.99 for a .85 FL OZ tube…yes ladies that is .85 not 8.5.

You have got to be kidding!

So I said forget it, however every time I went to Wal-Mart I found myself staring at this little tube with the big price tag and then finally I gave into my desire and decided it would be cheaper than Botox if it worked anyway so I paid the $8.

The next day I applied it and an stood in amazement at how great it worked!

 It’s a primer that goes on over your moisturizer and acts as a reflector for all your fine lines and skin discoloration. It has a slight pink tint so it brightens up your face too!  AMAZING is all I can say and absolutely worth the $8 price tag.

The next product I am in total awe over is really cheap, and I mean really cheap like $3.50.

I left all my makeup at my parents house one day and needed it for the next morning so I flew into CVS quickly to grab some cheapies for fill in and wound up falling in love with the foundation. The brand is New York Color and it is the Smooth Skin liquid makeup line. It’s awesome; I really can’t specify why it just goes on so smoothly and lasts a long time.

So there is my shout out and tips on how to look 25 when your….well…not! Good luck and good lookin!