C L E A N Y O U R F A C E.E V E R Y.S I N G L E.N I G H T. (no exceptions).

In case my title isn’t clear enough: YOU NEED TO WASH YOUR MAKEUP COMPLETELY OFF AT THE END OF EVERY DAY!

If you are like me and enjoy a full face of makeup, rock it! But when you come to the end of a long, tiring day you MUST make yourself wash your face before bed. As makeup-wearers we have to be extra careful with our skin. We need to take care of it with pride and intention. Not only will this prevent breakouts, but it will allow your skin to breathe. Our skin was not designed to be covered up all day long, and it will age and wrinkle faster if we do not take care of it.

My personal face-cleaning routine is a two-step process:

First, I use a wipe (this one). This surface-cleans to remove the makeup—especially the eyeliner and mascara. 

Then, I clean with the dermatologist-approved and recommended Cetaphil. This removes any makeup and residue left over from the wipe. Beyond surface-cleaning, the Cetaphil really cleans out my pores. I promise using this will give you clearer skin!

Makeup is heavy, so we need to give our faces a break while we are sleeping. Having clean faces when we go to bed will also keep our pillows cleaner and our hair from getting greasy quite as fast. There are so many different products out there for every skin type—go and find one that works best for you. I don’t care what you use, as long as you

WASH YOUR FACE EVERY NIGHT :)

l o v e ,

a l e s s i g r a c e .

Tips and Tricks to a Flawless, Confident Face.

Makeup is an amazing accessory. It can command confidence and brighten a face when feeling dull, down or dingy. Of course, makeup is not a solution for everything… but it has its perks. One of the biggest issues is that most women feel they don’t know how to apply it. Makeup can boost our confidence, if we know how to apply it well and still be ourselves. 

An easy way to learn how to apply makeup is to go to a makeup store or counter and find a girl who works there whose makeup you admire. This will be a great start to conversation. Have the women teach you and explain what you do not know. Some counters offer classes or a one-hour block to teach you, depending on the place. Some classes may cost money. 

If money is a problem with makeup, there are ways to deal with that. First there are tutorial videos on YouTube. Many women post blogs, photos and videos to help other women learn. I would caution woman against buying cheap makeup. If you don’t have much money to spend, make sure you know where to spend the money you have. My suggestion: buy nicer foundation or powder. This will prevent breakouts and will keep your skin healthy, youthful and tight. 

Makeup or no makeup, the way you hold and present yourself is really about: your confidence. If you walk into a room with a smile and confidence, you will be set. Whether you wear a lot of makeup or none at all, doesn’t matter in the larger scheme of life, It is our job to discover our confidence and independence apart from makeup. Enjoy who you are without makeup, and enjoy the same person who a little on. 

Don’t be afraid to ask questions! If you see someone whose makeup you like, ask her what brand she uses. Go online and search for images. Explore, have fun. Invest in some good makeup brushes. If applying foundation use a round brush or your fingers to provide a more natural look. When using flat brush, the makeup will begin to look cakey and unnatural. 

SO, have confidence, ask questions, invest in a high-quality foundation (to protect your face in the long run), use round brushes, and a coat of mascara, and you will beam with joy and be ready to take on the world.  These are all small steps to help you discover how you will use makeup in your day-to-day life. One of the most important things is to remember that makeup is an accessory NOT a necessity. So have fun with it! And laugh because your smile is the best kind of makeup created.

FAVORITE LASHES...

So.. I may be a MAC girl but I have to share my most favorite lashes to use! HOUSE of LASHES! They are amazing. Beautifully designed and more of a natural look even though they are 'fake eyelashes.' This brand uses all natural human hair to make the most perfect false lashes for anyone's night out. House of lashes also looks amazing with MAC...so that is a plus:) I promise you won't regret purchasing! Give House of Lashes a try the next time you are needing fuller lashes, a brighter eye, or just a little extra spark to liven up your day and night! My personal favorites are the featherette lashes. I should also add House of Lashes dark adhesive is my favorite as well! I will post a picture so you can see what it looks like. It is waterproof, dark toned, and latex free, which is really nice if you have sensitive eyes or even wear contacts like myself! 

MASCARA TIP

As promised each week I will share with you a tip I have learned, picked up, or experienced myself. This week I was to share something that will save your life... or at the very least your eyeshadow. After you finish applying your eyeshadow and liner, it is time for the best part... MASCARA! Now, I am sure many of you (as I have done too) may dread this part of the makeup process because many of us seem to always get mascara on the top lid which completely ruins the eye shadow you just spend time on...

The key is to always apply mascara to the bottom lashes first rather then the top! 

Why you may ask? For some reason unbeknown to us... we have the tendency to apply mascara to the top first then right when we have finished applying a nice wet coat of mascara we open our eyes wider, looking up to get the bottom lashes. HERE is where the problem lies. Our wet lashes hit our eye lid causes us to get mascara all over our eyeshadow. So, if you do the bottom lashes first, your top lashes will be dry as they hit your eyelid. 

RECAP:

Apply mascara on your bottom lashes first then amp up those eyes by adding some to the top lashes. This will keep things faster and less of a mess ;)