Say "Poo Poo" to too Much Shampoo

Last week I was introduced to a new hair product. Of course there are hundreds of new products and when am I not!? Alas, I am a total product junky when it comes to any sort of personal care item. If it's new and amazing I just have to give it a go. I got myself a little powder brush applicator full of Buttercream Cosmetics product Shampowder.

Let me tell you a tiny tale here that is from my personal experience: I have a lot of very fine hair and it's oily.... slick-like even. I also have a dry scalp from over shampooing every day. I've been told by all my hairdressers and friends that I shouldn't wash my hair everyday, but after a day it looks like I was one of the unwashed masses back in days of yore. So when I didn't shampoo, I'd pull and pin my hair up so you wouldn't really notice the flat oiliness on the hairline and crown. I want to save my hair from split ends, or when I do go get it styled and blown out, I can enjoy it for a few days.

When Jayne Polan, from Buttercream Cosmetics, came in and showed me Shampowder, I HAD to give it a whirl. A miracle product that would let me not shampoo all the time and let my hair still look great!? I have to see this for myself. I bought the dark (there are two colors light and dark) because I have brownish red hair and tried it out. All I did was wake up, dab it into my hairline where I get oily, and here I am four days later I haven't washed my hair. Okay so did I merely resist the urge to wash? Nope, my hair looks like I had washed it just this morning. I'm wearing it down with a bouncy bed-tossed curl to it.

I have to say, it is as amazing as it claims to be. I even bought two more, one in each color, to use when I do studio-styling on set.

What is this stuff, you ask? Basically, it's like powdered shampoo in the perfectly designed applicator that fantastic for those on the go. It places just the right amount of powder to absorb the oil without the ghostly cast babypowder does because it has a light pigment that doesn't show up coloring your scalp. Not only that but it has a mild but yummy vanilla and completely affordable at $15.99. This product lets us say "Poo Poo" to too much Shampoo!

Game On: Powder Puffs VS Powder Brush

"Makeup!" You can almost hear the loud call of the director's voice and see the explosion of powder as this giant pillow of a powder puff smashes a performer in the face. That's the image most people have in their heads of the old skool powder puff, but is that how it really works? Why would you want to use a puff and not the ever popular powder brush?

Almost every girl out there has a powder brush, but do we really know what it's meant for? The easy answer would be "to apply powder", but there's a lot more detailed look at that brush sitting in your makeup drawer.

So let's take a look at what each product is really designed for and how in the world we're supposed to use these tools.

Powder Puffs
Webster's dictionary defines a powder puff as: a small fluffy device (as a pad) for applying cosmetic powder. Now that's a pretty broad generalized definition. Puffs are designed to hold powder inside of them and when you tap them, the powder is released where you need it. They are generally used best with either pressed or loose powder, when setting a cream foundation or as a quick way to cut shine. The plus side of using a puff to set your makeup is that you're setting the makeup so it doesn't crease or move. It'll secure your makeup for a much longer wearability time.

Pressed Powder
This is probably the most common type of puff people have used. It's that tiny little puff that comes with a pressed powder/cake powder compacts. You just swipe it across the powder and swipe it across the face for quick touch ups. Simple and easy, no instruction really needed.
The one thing to keep in mind is to change that little puff out every few weeks. Bacteria can build up and cause break outs or other skin irritations. The replacement puffs are really inexpensive (unsually a dollar to three) but we tend to hold onto those little buggars like they're gold. It's funny how we may be willing to spend a good portion of our hard-earned money on a powder but we don't replace a very inexpensive little puff.

Loose Powder
The first time I ever attempted trying to use one of these I tapped my loose powder onto it and tried to get it to my face. Needless to say, I got powder all over my face, my new black dress, and my new black heels.
Yeah, no. I thought to myself, This is totally not cool . It wasn't until I started training to be a makeup artist that I learned how to properly use a puff. Of course I had been doing it all wrong.
With loose powder the key is that after you tap the powder onto the puff, you fold it in half (like a taco) and rub the powder into the puff (almost like rubbing out a stain). This way all the powder is inside the puff and you can easily transfer the puff to your face. Then tap the puff on your face and press the powder into the makeup. Tah-dah! Now it works like it's supposed to and you're not surrounded by a halo of powder dust!

Powder Brush
This is probably one of the most requested brushes people ask for in a makeup store, but most people aren't using for the purpose it was originally created for. Yes, powder brushes are great for applying very light amounts of powder, usually from a pressed cake.
I like to use small powder brushes to set makeup under the eyes with loose powder so it doesn't cake up on the delicate skin. I press the brush against the makeup and give a precision powder without applying too much.
If you're touching up for a little shine here and there, that's great! I use it on set all the time just for that purpose.
Did you know though, that powder brushes are actually meant to remove powder? That's right, it's meant to sweep away any access powder left over from a powder puff that may be laying on the skin. If you're trying to set a foundation with a powder brush by sweeping it around, you're just dusting the powder on the surface of the skin and not settling it into the makeup so the makeup may still smear.

If you look at both tools, they're used in combination for a flawless makeup finish! It's not really a versus story at all but a fanatastic team-up!

Summer Lovin'

The fun, the sun, the barbiques... With Summer peaking it's head just around the corner, it might be a great time to talk about what kind of makeup will keep you beach blanket chicklets as hot as the weather.

On simple principle, makeup and heat don't really get along. Melting into a sticky goo isn't a great way to garner alluring looks and oil based products are definitely your enemy. There is hope though, so don't get angry, get smart!

Skin Prep.
Oily Skin--
Oil is evil in the heat, so if you have oily skin the best thing to do is not glop on a heavy oily sunblock all over your face. Instead a lighter, oil-free sunblock will be you're hero. A wonderful one to try is Dermalogica's Oil Free Matte Block it has an SPF20 to protect you from the sun and it helps control the natural oils that you produce and gives a beautiful matte finish.
Dry Skin--
Sometimes oil isn't the issue, it's the dry that gets us. First, make sure you pack plenty of water into that cooler. Keeping hydrated will always help replenish lost moisture. Dry skin requires a bit more care. Try using a moisturizing gel, because it's lighter and less oily than regular moisturizer. You can add in a few drops of Dermalogica's Solar Defense Booster to the mix so you can skip another wait, to soak into the skin , step. This has an SPF30 for wonderful protection and very light wear. Then finish up with a silicone-based foundation primer. This will even out the dry spots, and prep if you want to follow with a foundation. You can still prime the skin even if you're not looking to add foundation so the skin texture has a more dewy and satiny finish.

The Makeup.
Keep it Simple! Summer is always about having fun with no worries. So if you keep the look natural you won't have to worry about how you look other than simply beautiful.

Foundation--
If you won't leave without a foundation, I've got one for you. You're tooling around all day and the last thing you want to fret over are creasing and cakey foundations. I find when want a foundation to even out my color without too much fuss or muss, I reach for my little Cinema Secrets Dual Finish compact. It's a very light aloe-based power that I can cart around anywhere. It even has a seperate little compartment so I never lose my sponge in the sand. If you need a little more coverage you can spritz the powder with water to create more coverage and a completely different finish!
Cool & Moisturize Me
The sun dries you out. Yes, you moisturized after you washed your face, but now you're all dry again! Toss in a bottle of Cinema Secrets Moisture Spray. You can use this to refresh anytime, anywhere on your face, body, and even hair. This little wonder is not just water, it's infused with collagen and elastins to help plump up any dry little spots without that heavy oil.
Lovely Lips
The best bet for those lipages in the feirce rays are glosses with a wand applicator. They'll let you gloss and glow with a bit of moisture, a hint of kissable color, and they're already in a more liquid format so they won't lose their shape when things heat up. If lipstick is a must, toss the tube in that cooler with your ice and drinks, it'll keep it from dripping into a puddle and it'll be a refeshing cool down when you touch up.

So now change those smart specs for some couture shades and be not afraid. Now you don't have to hide in the heat, defy it!