Hi everyone! I get a lot of questions on all things beauty from makeup, skincare, nails, and so on so I decided to do a quick blog post sharing some of my secrets!
1. Establish a good skin care routine!
I can not stress how important this is, especially if you wear makeup the majority of the week like I do! I was blessed with really great skin but I will say that the only thing that I struggle with is the occasional hyper pigmentation from the few breakouts where I went a little too crazy on the salicylic acid which resulted in me burning my skin in some areas.
The four skin care products that I think everyone should own are toner, moisturizer, clay mask, skin cleanser. and a facial exfoliating scrub! I use Clinique for all of those except for my clay mask and skin cleanser. But before you go out and buy all these items, make sure that you are able to identify your skin type i.e Oily, Combination, Dry. Purchasing the correct products for your skin type also plays an extremely important part in a good skin care routine. P.S Outside of my blog, I have received a lot of questions about my skin care routine, so I do plan to do a post on it in the future! But in the meantime, remember… EVERYTHING that you do to your face you MUST do to your neck!
2. For a flawless manicure or pedicure, using an excellent base and top coat will make a huge difference!
I am super picky about my nails! In fact, I hate getting my nails done at the salon and I would much rather do them myself , not only to save money but also because I do a much better job. If you are like me and like to do your own nails, using a good base and top coat will make your manicure or pedicure not only last longer, but look like salon quality! For a base coat, I use the Formula X Prime-Base Coat. For the top coat I preferrrrr the Glisten and Glow HK Girl Top Coat- Fast Drying + Super Shiny Top Coat, but the Formula X Prime- Shine Nail Top Coat works just as well and is more convenient to get a hold of.
3. Take Care of Your Eyebrows In-between Threading/Waxing Visits to save yourself money!
I get my eyebrows threaded to which I usually spend $8-9 with a $3 tip. In order to get the best bang for my buck I groom my eyebrows as needed in between visits using eyebrows scissors for trimming (I have super curly eyebrows) and tweezers (rarely) but occasionally when needed. They say to come back every three weeks but with this method I can go every month and a half!
4. Scope out drugstore mascaras before reaching for a Department Store Mascara!
Okay, so this one is sommeeeewhat debatable. Everyone has different eyelashes, just like the hair on their head. For example, in the past I have used the Benefit They’re Real Mascara-$24 because it was heavily advertised as one of the best mascaras (at the the time). Long story short, I caved in and bought it and I felt like I had to force myself to be impressed with it as it made my naturally curled eyelashes extremely droopy. Fast forward to this year where I tried the Loreal Voluminous Magna and Maybelline Lash Sensational which are both drugstore mascaras under $10, and to be honest they worked better than any other mascara that I had ever tried in the past! (With the exception of Lancome Hypnose Star. AMAZING MASCARA!, but I can not justify ever spending $28 on a mascara EVER AGAIN!)
5. Use a Foundation Primer and a Setting Spray!
No need to explain! It minimizes your pores and makes your makeup last longer! Trust me, you will not regret this especially if you have oily skin like I do. I use the Smashbox Iconic Foundation Primer and Urban Decay De-Slick Setting Spray!
6. Ditch the razors and at-home wax instead!
I suffer from Psoriasis, which started out only on my elbows but has now spread to my legs. (You won’t see them in photo’s because I edit them out) As a result, I hated using Nair because it is messy smells really bad, and I was always too nervous to get my legs professionally waxed due to the fear of being burned. I was in the grocery store one day and I stumbled upon the Veet Ready-to-use Wax Strip Kit and decided to give it a try! How it works is the wax is already on the strip so you just put the strip in between your hands and rub it together to create friction to warm it up. Then you just put it on your legs and pull away! I have only tried it on my legs so I am not to sure how it works on the other parts of your body as I do get laser hair removal on my upper lip and underarms.
7. You do not have to spend a lot of money on makeup brushes!
This is another debatable one based on your preference. I swear by Real Techniques makeup brushes because they are super soft, there are so many different brushes, they get the job done, and you can purchase them at your local Ulta Beauty for a super reasonable price. You can check them out here. I have the Miracle Complexion Sponge, Setting Brush, Powder Brush, Stippling Brush, Retractable Kabuki Brush, Shading Brush, Foundation Brush, and the Eye Starter Kit. Unfortunately, I would not be able to tell you my favorite as I love them all!
8. Ditch the makeup wipes and find a natural makeup removal alternative!
Makeup wipes have a lot of added chemicals and fragrances that irritate your skin and can cause breakouts. I purchased a Makeup Towel last year from Sephora which is super easy all you do is add water to remove your makeup, and when you are done you can throw it in the wash with your towels! (I wash mine once a week!) Super easy! Of course, while it gets the job done for the most part, I still clean my face with a facial cleanser (Cetaphil) afterwards. If you aren’t willing to spend money on something like that a more natural way to remove your makeup is with olive oil or coconut oil.
9. Before you splurge on a contour kit, check your eyeshadow palettes to see if you already have a color that you can use instead!
Contouring is the latest trend in the beauty world right now! As of the moment, I have had my eyes on the Too Faced Cocoa Contour Palette (Medium To Deep) -$40 after swatching it in the store, but I am not ready to make that big of a purchase. In the meantime, I have been making do of what I have and using a matte shade from my Smashbox Full Exposure Travel Palette– $24 and it has been working just as great!
10. Apply any foundation or concealer with a DAMP beauty blender!
I do not own a REAL Blender (paying $20 for a sponge doesn’t seem idealistic to me), so I use the faux one from Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge -$6.99 that I assume works just as well. A damp beauty sponge will result in a a steak-free and flawless face! I prefer to use my sponge for my concealer as I use my Real Techniques Stippling Brush – $9.99 to apply my liquid foundation.
