Breakouts of Holiday Stress

Ah ha, she returns! Yes, I have been missing in action the last few months due to the Halloween Horror that is my busiest time of the year. Now that I can relax, everyone else seems to be scurrying around for the Holiday craziness.

It can be a stressful time: decorating, shopping, cooking, family gatherings, parties, presents... and on top of it all you need to look stunning! That seems to be when the inevitable happens. Yes, the worst thing that could happen when you're dashing to an event: the breakout.

It happens the best of us, but fear not, because I have got a brilliant little strategy for just such an emergency. It involves two simple little products treat the problem and keep you looking cool, collected, and fabulous.

TREAT
First thing's first. It's there there staring at you. You need to get rid of it yesterday and you'd rather not make it worse. Well, there's this fabulous little product by Murad called Acne Spot Treatment. Now you don't have to have "acne" to use this little gem. What it is, is a sulfer based gel that you put directly on the blemish. It'll dry that baby out in no time flat and the zinc oxide in it helps sooth the redness. A little dab will do you and at less than twenty bucks, you can still shop till you drop on Black Friday.

CONCEAL
So now we've treated the problem but even soothed a little you still feel like Rudolph's red nose is glowing from that spot on your face. Time for a real concealer. This is when I whip out my handy dandy Cinema Secrets #1 Corrector Kit. This little kit has all the corrector colors I need to not only cover that little bugger; but, you can even brighten up under your eyes the morning after the office party before you have to meet the family.

The first three colors in the kit are your "red correctors". They look a little yellow or even a little green. What this means is that they're meant to cover up the red from blemishes like that nasty breakout you're concealing. Green is the oposite of red on the color scale so it cancels out the the irritated red color of the blemish.

Depending on your skin tone, or possibly the season, you'll choose one of these colors and dab it directly on the blemish. Be sure not to apply this corrector like a foundation or you'll wipe off what you're trying to cover. Now that you've applied the color powder the concealer and apply your foundation as normal over the top. The powder is important, this will not only assure your concealer stays in place, it'll keep it from mixing with your foundation color.

*IMPORTANT NOTE* Be sure you don't pick or squeeze at the blemish. Not only will this make it harder to conceal, makeup can infect it or make it worse. If you've already done this you get a slap on the hand and may need to run to your local pharmacy for liquid bandage. While I don't choose this method if you have to apply makeup over it, this will give you a reasonable barrier to keep away infection or issues.

Now you've still got two colors in your kit. The last two colors on the right of the kit are your "blue correctors". This means they're meant to cover of blue on your face such as undereye circles, five o'clock shadow, or veins. You'll notice they're a bit more orange or pinkish in color. Again, this is becase the oposite color of blue is orange on the color spectrum, so it's meant to cancel that out. Dab a bit where you need it and follow it up with powder, and you'll be all set to go!

There you have it, a quick and easy solution to the most common of beauty emergencies. Keep it handy, and you'll never need to panic again!

Weapon of Choice

How many of us have gone out the night before ready to tear it up, only to let it show on our face the next day? Puffy, tired, crepey looking eyes usually show the world that you may have enjoyed your evening, but the morning? Not so much. Why not just cruise in looking awake and fresh-faced, despite a late night fun? Well let me arm you with a little something that my friends, my clients, and I personally use to make those eyes perk right back up no matter how late you were dancing at the club or sipping cocktails.

Murad's Moisture Silk Eye Gel is your secret weapon! Just one pump is all it takes for brighter, more alert eyes. Smooth it on the brow bone, around your cheekbone, and beneath the eye and in less than five minutes it eases that puffiness and makes you look ten times more bright eyed and bushy tailed... Okay, so it has nothing to do with your tail but you get the general idea, right?

You can use this every day, especially if you're prone to puffiness on a regular basis, as part of your skincare regemin. Just remember that one of the keys to a wonderful complexion and stunning face is that you still need your beauty sleep. Too many late nights and even the best weapon of choice won't pack enough punch if you never lay down your pretty head and let your body and skin rejuvinate itself.

With that said, a little fun never hurt anyone.