The Importance of Skincare

I recently had NARS training last week and thought I should share some new words of wisdom. This time around we learned the importance of skincare. Living in Edmonton, my skin is faced with harsh weather, pollutants, and the layers of makeup I use on a daily basis. I'm not necessarily saying go buy NARS Skincare, but more importantly make sure you're taking care of your skin. Start early- why not? I can't stress enough the use of sunscreen. Come on people it's combats aging! And for all my colored friends-just because our skin tone is darker, does not mean we don't need to wear sunscreen. So lather up. I took a few photos to show you a sneak peek of training in Calgary.

 

Although we tend to use makeup everyday, I cannot stress enough that we need to be nurturing our skin with cleansers, moisturizers, and toners.  Please use these products daily and continue a routine with skincare. This last picture (left) was the gift I received from the company at the end of the long training session. Notice the promotion of skincare in the gift. I'm sure you guys are all wondering about the other pics. If you're familiar with artwork, you'll see a link to Andy Warhol. Guess you'll have to wait and find out what will happening with NARS in the fall. I can't kiss and tell. Until later....toodles.

Bobbi Brown Moisture Rich Foundation

Today I am writing about the Bobbi Brown Moisture Rich Foundation by Bobbi Brown. I purchased this product about two months ago, in hopes of a foundation that would assist with my dry skin.

I bought it in the Warm Natural shade. After my applying NARS Pro-Prime Pore Refining Primer, I applied the foundation and found it to be almost creamy. The texture seemed moisturizing enough.  As I applied the foundation, I found it was very light and didn't feel thick.  The finish of the foundation was quite soft, but I found the coverage wasn't as great as I thought it would be. According to the website, "Bobbi's popular moisturizing formula provides SPF 15 sun protection while it hydrates skin and delivers a soft, beautiful finish. The formula is buildable, allowing medium to full coverage as desired." I found that I couldn't achieve a full coverage with it, even after applying layers of the foundation on. I would recommend it as a daily foundation with a light or medium finish. It does have a soft and smooth finish.  I have continued using it in the summer as a light foundation and definitely do enjoy the moisture from the product.

Sorry

To all my readers:

I apologize for not writing anything recently. I have been swarmed with numerous wedding appointments.  I have also been traveling a great deal this summer.  It's been hectic thus far. A little overwhelming at times, and I am sorry about my lack of blog posts in the last two months. Don't worry- I've been testing numerous products out and have much to complain about- I mean teach you about. Please be patient and keep reading.

Thank you!

-Jasmine

Foundation Tip

Hey all! Sorry for my lack of posts. I've been traveling and haven't had a chance to function properly. Anyways, I know the weather is getting hotter. We go through bottles of foundation every year. Summer is all about a little bit of color. I'm tanned already and find myself moving into a darker shade of foundation. Make sure you're upgrading your shade as you tan through the season. As well, lighten up the foundation coverage by adding some of your moisturizer to the foundation. I would highly recommend a tinted moisturizer or lighter coverage foundation for the au natural skin glow, especially for this season. Keep it real! Make sure you're using a sunscreen- doesn't matter what color your skin is! Sunscreen helps us look young, wild and free! Enjoy the beautiful weather! Take care.

Touche Eclat

 I decided to go French and try out the famous YSL Touche Eclat Radiant Touch. I'm sure you have all seen or read about this product numerous times in magazines.

What is it exactly?
Touche Eclat is a concealer, brightener, and highlighter all in one.

Where do you apply it?
Well, this product is focused for the under eye area, and above the apples of the cheek.  You can apply to other areas, such as around the nostrils, and above/below the lip area, to accentuate these features. Remember it does act like a highlighter and tends to brighten up specific areas. 

What does it do?
According to YSL's website-
"The beauty secret of the world's top makeup artists and models, Touche Éclat is the original must-have for a radiant, flawless face. Capture 8 hours of sleep with the click of a pen. With a few strategic strokes of this award-winning complexion highlighter—dark circles, fine lines and signs of fatigue virtually disappear. Powered by the radiance-boosting Luminocaptide Complex, skin is instantly illuminated, so you look rested and refreshed—even if you’ve been up for hours. Sleek and sophisticated, it discretely slips into a makeup bag for quick touch-ups anytime. It’s the one beauty essential no woman should ever be without."

Where do you buy it? How much is it?
Well it's available at Sephora, Holt Renfrew, Murale, and some locations of The Bay. It's about $50.00.

Initially, what did I think about it?
Well, the consistency of the product was nice and light, but I found that the colors were a little wonky to start with. Sorry- I'm not a pink undertone but an olive undertone- come on I'm Indian!  When I first attempted to find a shade that was similar to my skin tone, I found that the shades jumped from really light to really dark.  There was no medium. I ended up getting the Luminous Ivory shade, which seems a bit light for me. 

After trying it on....
I found myself a little perplexed about the product.  I have horribly dark circles (as you should all know by now), and I found that it wasn't enough coverage for my dark circles.  It's a sheer coverage and does add some look of radiance to my skin, but I'm still unsure. I needed a thicker concealer to help.  But I guess over time and use, the product helps with dark circles, lines, and blah blah blah.  The usual situation with most under eye products.  I'm going to keep using it, to see if it actually helps my dark circles. Only time will tell.

Go Away Dark Circles!

I look like a zombie in the morning. No jokes. Absolutely disgusting. I wouldn't want to wake up beside myself. I'm plagued with horrible dark circles and often find myself layering on concealer and foundation under my eyes.  I don't know whether it's my ethnicity or my lack of iron, but it truly sucks. I've recently invested in Shiseido White Lucent Anti-Dark Circles Eye Cream, which is $68.00 from Sephora or The Bay.

This little jar of miracles has helped my dark circles greatly. AMAZING stuff! According to the Sephora website, "Specially developed with Shiseido's own Spot Deacti Complex, this lightweight cream addresses both melanin formation and poor local microcirculation, two major causes of dark circles. The Dark Circle Targeting Complex reduces melanin and diminishes the appearance of melanin pigments. By gently massaging the cream onto the skin, local microcirculation is improved while a unique mix of Asian plant extracts recover moisture balance. Additionally, it contains Multi-Luminizing Powder with light diffusing properties to instantly bring luminosity to eye areas."

I've been applying it every morning and every night before bed. I can honestly say that my eye area seems lightened and revitalized. I would highly recommend this product! No doubt.

The Power of Eyeliner

A perfect eyeliner is vital in adding shape and depth to the eye.  Especially recently, prominent eyeliner on the lash line of the top eye lid has been in high demand for so many looks.  We love the vintage look with the winged out eyeliners. For those of you who don't have a steady hand- gel eyeliners are an easier product to use than liquid liners. The two brands I would recommend and use are Bobbi Brown and MAC.  I carry both, but I would say I enjoy the Bobbi Brown Gel Eyeliner in Black Ink which runs for about $26.00 and is water-resistant.   Let's be honest, we tend to be quite the emotional creatures, whether it's because of Ryan Gosling in the 'Notebook', a bad fight with a boyfriend, or just because we feel fat. This product-no doubt- will last through any emotional dilemma that we women are often plagued with. I find the MAC Fluidline in Black Track dries up a bit faster than the Bobbi Brown one.  It also is cheaper at only $18.00.  MAC's Fluidline is long wearing and smudgeproof.  It comes in a ton of colors.  Unfortunately I own so many of these colors! I know-I have a horrible addiction of costly makeup. They both dry at a fast rate and tend to have that dark bold black color.
 I find the main difference between the two is the consistency of the product.  I would recommend both, but would say go with Bobbi Brown if the you have the money to do so.  Gel eyeliners are great to play around with as you can smudge them or really get a nice straight edge.  I find the easy to work with and super easy to correct.  To get the best effect with gel eyeliners is to use a small angled brush.  In order to get the products off use a eye makeup remover to remove products off the eyelids.
I used MAC Brush 208 to apply the liner and applied it the upper lash line as well as to the outer corner of my lower lash line to create a more 'seductive' look.  

 I did wing it out a little bit but not significantly, as I was attempting to get a subtle daytime look with eyeliner and one shade of eyeshadow.  My eyeliner was a bit thinner because of the daytime look.  Thickness of eyeliner completely depends on the shape and size of your eyes.  If you have smaller eyes, make sure you keep your eyeliner thinner, otherwise it looks like eyeliner is taking over your eye. This way you keep the eye from looking any smaller than they already are. Larger eyes can pull of a thicker eyeliner as they have the room to do so. 

Let me recommend- don't just stick to black! Try out other colors! I own navy, greens, purples, golds, and silvers.  If you have lighter skin, even try using a brown eyeliner.  Sometimes black looks too dramatic for the daytime, so take it down a notch with a brown or charcoal. Let me know how it goes, and please feel free to make comments or ask questions.