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!

Brush-a, Brush-a, Brush-a --Part III

I looked at the title and it seems like I should put Part III – The Revenge! But fear not, it is not the revenge of your brushes but what I’d like to discuss is the proper care for your brushes.

So you’ve dropped your wad on the proper tools, now you want them to stay with you for a very long time. The easiest way to do that is to take care of them. Keep them sanitized, keep them conditioned, keep them from falling all to pieces, these are the things we’ll be talking about in the final chapter of our Brush Bonanza.

Keeping Clean and Sanitized

Have you even put on an eye shadow or mascara you’ve always used and suddenly felt itchy-eyed? Have your eyes ever turned red? Maybe suddenly out of nowhere your lip started to swell… well regardless what the affliction it could have been caused by contaminated makeup.

How does it get contaminated? The most common ways that makeup is contaminated are:

Ø Dipping your fingers into the makeup
Ø Using old sponges or puffs
Ø Not cleaning makeup brushes

The one we’re focusing on here, today, is cleaning your brushes. The easiest way to clean your brushes is with a Brush Cleaner. There are many on the market: Parian Spirit, Brush-Off, MAC, Cinema Secrets, Frends, Ben Nye… most of them will clean makeup from your brushes. Some people use 99% alcohol to clean their brushes.

My personal favorite it Cinema Secrets brush cleaner, and it’s not because I work with the company either. Let me tell you exactly why. I’ve tried all of the brush cleaners that I listed above. Most brush cleaners have an alcohol base, which while cleans well does tend to dry out the natural hair of your brushes, and eats away at the glues used to hold them to the ferrule. The famous bright blue cleaner has no alcohol, and is the only one on the market that instantly sanitizes your brushes.

NOTE: Did you know you have to soak a brush for at least 10 minutes or longer in 99% alcohol in order to actually sanitize it?

Second is that it conditions your brushes without leaving behind an oily residue on he brushes which leaves me with a smooth application. Plus, then I don’t have to shampoo and condition my brushes once a month and wait a day or two for them to dry… I’m just as lazy as the next person when it comes to that. Third, it dries very quickly. Lastly (and this part is just because I’m a girl) their cleaner leaves behind a mild and absolutely yummy vanilla scent to my brushes.

But no matter what sort of cleaner you use the important thing is to clean your brushes!

NOTE: If you use an alcohol-based cleanser be sure to shampoo and condition your brushes in luke warm or cool water every 6 months or so, so that your bristles won’t dry all funky on you.

You should really clean your brushes after every use. If you use them on other people as a makeup artist you must clean them after every use, but if you’re using them on yourself at home, you need to clean them once a week or once every two weeks.

Cleaner tools will make you healthier and happier and you’ll notice you’ll break-out less and have fewer problems with your skin along the way.

If you stick to caring for your brushes you’ll get your revenge against bacteria and having to replace them often. Hmm maybe I will add Part III –The Revenge!