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!

Don't Just Dig It

"Oh, I don't need that--I just put it on with my fingers."
Believe it or not, that is the most common phrase I hear on a daily basis and it makes my blood run cold. Why? You may ask, well if you stuck those fingers, even freshly washed, into your makeup, you've just introduced bacteria into it, which thrives in that damp atmosphere. You have just cross-contaminated your makeup. Now don't panic just yet, the Outbreak monkey hasn't been let loose and the CDC won't swoop down and demand quarentine, but let's discuss what can happen when your makeup is contaminated with bacteria.

First thing's first, there is such a thing as good and back bacteria. What we're talking about here is the bad. On a severe scale bacteria can cause some serious problems such as eye infections, styes, staff, and even blindness. On a smaller scale you can get break outs, skin irritations, redness, itchiness and other un-fun types of issues. So how do we avoid these scary things?

Touching that Product
You might have wondered with not being able to share certain cosmetics how a makeup artist doesn't just run through 50 mascaras in one sitting or buy twenty zillon foundations. We practice sanitization. We use simple tools like a metal pallet and spatula. This way we can scrape out the tof makeup we're going to use and apply it to our client's face without worrying about putting bacteria into the makeup and then closing the lid to have it gestate in there. Then we can simply wipe the pallet clean and start again fresh. You can easily do the same thing at home. If you use things such as liquid foundations try to get them in tubes that squeeze or have a pump to avoid sticking your fingers into a product.

Application -- CLEAN TOOLS!
Another way to help avoid problem issues is to use clean sponges or brushes CLEAN being the proper word. Higher quality sponges can be washed a few times before they start to break down with facial cleanser, but you can also buy a bag of sponges and toss one each day. Foundation brushes and other makeup brushes are great tools, but you have to be sure they're properly cleaned as well. Use a brush cleaner to keep them free of old makeup and bacteria.

Eye Makeup -- The Major Suspect -- Keeping Safe
Mascara is always a nasty culprit of makeup contamination as well as eyeliners. So how do you stay safe?

Never share your mascara -- Makeup Artists will usually do one of three things to keep from worrying about this issue.
1. We use disposeable mascara wands that are never dipped into the mascara twice.
2. We pull the mascara from the tube, use a cake mascara, or a cream and use a clean fan brush to apply it then sanitize the brush.
3. For certain clients we'll buy a specific mascara just for the one client and give it to them after the use.

3 Month Rule -- Toss that mascara after 3 months and no longer than 6 maximium. If you buy one tube at a time that's fantastic. If you know there's a sale on mascara buy a few, it'll be fine it it's sealed and never used, but what I do for myself (having always had issues with my eyes) is I put the month I need to toss it on with a lable maker. I see August is approaching so my mascara labled "July" will be tossed tonight.

Don't Pump -- I know you love to pump that mascara with the little cap brush to get as much as you need. The problem with this is that it forces air and bacteria into the tube and makeup. While the brush is in the tube roll it and pull out. Anyway, less mascara on the brush also means less clumping or gloppy application. So two wins!

Sharpen Eyeliner Pencils Before Each Use -- When you sharpen your pencil it takes off any of the bacteria with the pencil shavings. If you're extra worried I hit it with a spritz of 99% alcohol, but you should be safe. Also you get a really clean line with a newly sharpened tip.

Not in that Waterline -- Yes, it's the new thing. Yes, it looks cool, but the more you put eyeliner in your waterline the easier it is to irritate tear ducts and clog glands. If you must, stick to products specifically designed for that like Kajal liners.

Take off your Makeup! -- I know you're tired at the end of the day, but if you simply remove your makeup it'll keep problems from occuring. I know I've said it before, but at night your body absorbs more than any other time. Let your skin and eyes breathe. If you're lazy like me use a makeup remover wipe at least even if you're partying hard. Toss it in the bag or car. It takes literally 5 seconds. Your body will thank you.

That's it-- now you can be ready to thwart break outs and danger. Remember don't just dig in with those fingers. Be smart and be safe.