Some Fabulous Tips to Use When Applying Liquid Makeup

After talking to one of my coworkers/friends (Yes, you Daena), she told me how she was on YouTube and saw a video about how to apply liquid makeup. She told me the person said to wet your brush before applying liquid makeup and I almost passed out at work. In case you are wondering why I almost had a fabulous attack, it is for two reasons: you never want to add more water to a liquid product and I could not believe someone would recommend this to people.

I have never mentioned this before, but a lot of the information I talk about I learned about while working at Nordstrom. While there, I interacted with a lot of vendors and product specialists who provided me with an enormous wealth of information. So when I write tips about how to do certain things, I am not Googling this information, it comes from the knowledge I have acquired over the years.

Since liquid make-up already has a high water content, wetting the brush will just dilute the product and application of the product will not be as smooth as it should. You would never apply makeup on your face while it is still wet, so you definitely would not want to add water to a product when it is not needed.

When it comes to liquid products, I recommend not applying them directly to your face. I always put a small amount in the corner of my hand between my thumb and forefinger. If you are mixing products, you may want a more solid surface like a plate or palette.

I prefer to put it on my hand because it warms it up which makes it easier to work with before I apply it on my face. Another reason I put it on my hand first is because I am able to control how much product is applied and am able to add more as needed.

When I do finally apply it to my skin, I dab it and let it sit for a minute so the water is able to evaporate. This also warms the product up a little more (or cooks the product as some people say) so it is able to blend better into your skin. After the texture starts to change, I then work the product in using a brush for a flawless finish.

Always use brushes instead of sponges because sponges will absorb more of the product and do not provide the best application. A brush allows you to apply the right amount and applies it smoothly to provide a natural look.

I also recently heard about another tip which I recommend never using. If you have acne prone skin, never use baby oil to remove makeup from your skin. I know it is perfect at removing make-up, but there are many oil free makeup removers on the market which do a good job such as Neutrogena’s line of makeup removers. Remember: you never want to use anything with oil in it on your face because it does not take much to clog your pores.

For more information on foundation application, read my blog article “Face Fabulous” where I discuss how to apply your foundation so your face looks fabulous.

There is a lot of information out there, so I say be cautious and question it if it does not sound right before you do it. When in doubt, always ask an expert to see if they have heard of the method. I want to make sure you are all Fabulous and not Faux Fabulous, so make sure you are careful when it comes to tips to keep you fabulous.

Because to be fabulous, you have to know what makes you fabulous!

How to Have Fabulous Skin in Winter: Part Three

Since I have discussed winter skin care for your face, hands and feet already, the only aspect left to talk about is your body in general. People often forget to take care of the skin on the rest of their body for some strange reason, but they should make sure this is a part of their daily regimen.

A primary skin issue in the winter visible on the skin of African Americans is their skin becomes “ashy.” When your skin is ashy, it is dry and a white hue reminiscent of chalk appears on your skin. If at anytime your skin becomes ashy, this is a visible sign from your body that your skin is dry and needs some special attention.

Pay attention to this sign because if you have never noticed, your skin is easily irritated by clothes and almost anything when it is dry. Your skin is also more susceptible to cuts and skin tears when it is dry because the cells are more rigid and more likely to easily separate on the cell level, so make sure you use lotion to avoid having this happen to your skin.

For some reason when I meet people they are always amazed at how soft my skin is and usually tell me so without hesitation. When they compliment me, I always think in my head, “Do most of the people you know have rough crocodile skin?” I of course use a scrub to help keep my skin soft, but I also use Dove’s Gentle Exfoliating Soap which helps to remove the top layer of dead skin by revealing softer, fresher skin each time I use it. Dove also has a Winter Care Soap which I heard works wonders, so you may want to consider trying this to help with your seasonal dry skin.

I know it is tempting to take a hot and steamy shower to warm you up in the winter, but this may cause more harm than good. People often use the steam room at the spa to remove impurities, so this is the exact effect the steam shower has on your skin in the winter, but it is removing essentials oils instead. In order to reverse this process, make sure you apply lotion once you finish your shower to reinvigorate your skin with the moisture it needs.

And while we are on the moisture topic, it is often a good idea to purchase a humidifier and use it in the winter. Because the heater in your home pumps out dry heat, it is often necessary to infuse some moisture into your home. The use of a humidifier ensures the moisture you do have in your skin does not simply evaporate into the atmosphere. However, a humidifier is not a magical solution, you will still need to moisturize.

I am not sure what it is, but people usually forget to apply lotion to their elbows for some reason. Since you often put a lot of pressure on your elbows and they rub against surfaces, you have to make sure you focus on this special area. One of my biggest pet peeves is an ashy elbow, so please make sure you take care of this problem and tell a friend when you see their elbows could use a little lotion.

There is a wide selection of lotions to choose from for your skin, but make sure it is a thicker one in the winter months and contains a lot of natural oil ingredients. The natural oils in lotions work best with your skin because your skin absorbs them easier and these oils last longer in your skin. Ever used a lotion which makes your skin feel good for the first five minutes after you apply it and then your skin feels dry again after this five minute period elapses? In this situation, the lotion has a lot of artificial ingredients and water which does not last long, so always try to use lotions which contain natural ingredients for this very reason.

As I have said in the last two parts of this series, dry skin is a serious issue, so if you have tried all the processes I recommended and your skin continues to be dry, please consult a dermatologist so they are able to prescribe you a medicated product to combat this problem.

After reading this three part winter skin care series, you now have everything you need to know in order to make it through the winter with fabulous looking skin. Your skin plays an important part in being fabulous because people often judge how you are based on your skin. When your skin looks tired, they think you are tired. When your skin looks fabulous, they think you are fabulous. Just because it is winter outside is not a reason to not have radiantly fabulous skin, so make sure you put the same effort towards keeping your skin fabulous as you put towards everything else fabulous in your life.

Because to be fabulous, you have to know what makes you fabulous!

How to Have Fabulous Skin in Winter: Part Two

In continuing my winter skin care series for the week, I would like to focus on your hands and feet today. Winter skin care is all about taking care of your skin by ensuring it is hydrated throughout the winter. In this series I am focusing more on the process of taking care of your skin and not so much on the products. I will mention a product here and there, but what good is the product if you do not have a good process in place to make sure your skin is getting what it needs when it is cold outside.

When it comes to your hands and your feet, you should always pay special attention to them. In many ways, the skin on your hands and feet is somewhat like the skin on your face. Your hands are a little different because they are exposed to the elements and in use often, so they take quite a beating on a daily basis in comparison to your feet.

Have you ever seen someone’s hands and they just look old and tired? (Be honest, we have all seen this before.) Their hands look this way because they have not taken care of them throughout the years.

Another reason why it is important to moisturize your hands is because you wash them a lot. Whenever you wash your hands, you wash away the natural oils your body produces to keep them moisturized. So if you wash your hands frequently, make sure you use lotion right after to help lock in the moisture.

I said I would not talk much about products, but when washing dishes, I recommend using Dawn Hand Renewal with Olay Beauty. This product helps to ensure your hands do not dry out after the skin dehydrating process of washing your dishes. Some people like to use a specific dishwashing detergent, so use gloves to protect your hands if you are not willing to give this product a try.

However, if you are like me, just throw those dishes in the dishwasher (I mean, that is what it is there to do). I am not sure who invented the dishwasher, and sure I could Google it to find out, but I would rather just believe it was a woman who did not want to dry out her hands or ruin her manicure.

When working with paper, if your hands are dry, this may be a reason why you are so prone to getting paper cuts. Whenever I am dealing with a lot of paperwork or stuffing envelopes, the first thing I do is make sure I put on some lotion because it helps to prevent getting paper cuts.

If dry skin lotions are not working for you, but your skin is not bad enough to go see a doctor, use Crisco Shortening. I know this sounds crazy, but it actually works and Victoria Beckham is rumored to do this herself. Put your hands and feet in an old pair of gloves or socks after applying Crisco. Do this for about an hour a couple days a week and you will see a difference in your skin. Octavia Spencer’s character in “The Help” referenced this process when in the kitchen talking about fried chicken because it actually works.

When it comes to oil, there are few things on this earth as oily as Crisco, so this is why it works so well as a means to repair dry skin. The heat your body naturally generates helps to break down the Crisco and get it in your pours. Once you remove the gloves or the socks, do not wash off the remaining Crisco, just wipe it away with a towel.

Another good way to combat dry skin in the winter on your hands is using a good scrub. I recommend a sugar scrub instead of a salt scrub because it is less abrasive and less likely to dry out your skin. I talked about sugar scrubs in my “Fabulous State of Relaxation” blog article and recommend the Carol’s Daughter Brown Sugar Scrub. If you use a scrub other than this one, make sure it has a good amount of oils in it so the scrub not only removes the dead and dry skin, but it also moisturizes your skin once you finish using it.

When shopping, there are after a lot of lotions to choose from like Jergen’s Ultra Healing Dry Skin Moisturizer and Aveeno’s Daily MoisturizingLotion which both work well and do not leave your skin feeling greasy afterwards. These are just a few that come to mind, but when walking down the lotion aisle of any store, you will see a lot of products made specifically to address your dry skin needs.

As I said with your face, you may need to switch out your lotion in the winter as well if you notice it is not keeping your hands and feet soft and moisturized. The needs of your skin change during this season, so make sure your lotion is providing your skin the moisture it needs.

Once again, keep in mind that dry skin is a serious issue, so if you have severe dry skin, please consult a dermatologist so they are able to prescribe you a medicated product to combat this problem. All the solutions I have discussed here are to help you if you have dry skin temporarily due to it being winter.

Taking good care of your skin has many rewards which include keeping your skin looking youthful. Just like people look at your face, they look at your hands as well. No one wants to see dry, cracking hands or to touch them either. This is the truth, so make sure your hands and feet are always fabulous, even in the winter, by implementing the processes I discussed into your skin care routine.

Because to be fabulous, you have to know what makes you fabulous!

How to Have Fabulous Skin in Winter: Part One

We are almost halfway through winter officially, but because this is the time when your skin needs the most attention, I decided to do a winter skin care series dedicated to taking care of your fabulous skin during this particular season.

I know it has been quite warm this winter on the east coast, but this does not mean you should avoid changing your regimen because the nights still get cold and this has a major impact on your skin. For Part One of the series, I would like to discuss your face.

The skin on your face is different, primarily because it is exposed to the elements more, so it needs special attention unlike the rest of the skin on your body. It is important to take care of your skin continually because it helps your skin look fresh and youthful as you age.

Whenever it comes to skincare for your face, I always recommend reaching deep into your wallet because it will cost you. All the products will not be expensive, but some of them will be. However, do not believe the hype that all products from the top department stores are the best because they are not always. I myself use Neutrogena’s Visibly Even and have done so for the last seven years. It is my tried and true moisturizer (raises hand to the sky).

Recently when I was discussing how I was going to write a skincare series, one of my friends from college was excited because she said my skin always looked “silky smooth.” It took me some time to make this happen because to this day I still have oily skin which used to break-out constantly until I started using Proactiv.

I went through almost every product on the market which was either too abrasive or left my sensitive skin dry. I then started using Proactiv, but still had some issues with my skin being dry until I used the Neutrogena in combination with it. I am not suggesting everyone run out and purchase Proactiv solely because I use it, but I am using it as an example to show how you have to find what works best for your skin.

Because the chemistry of everyone’s skin is different, different brands and products respond differently. For example, I love Clinique, but its acne cleanser was not strong enough for my skin, but I know people who swear by it. Determine what problems your skin has and then try to find a product which focuses on fixing your skin’s problems.

As we all know, the body naturally makes oil, but the oil your face produces often clogs your pores resulting in blemishes or it settles on your face and makes it extra shiny. As a result, this is why you should always use oil-free moisturizers on your face because oil is your face’s sworn enemy.

Few people know this, but when the skin on your face is dry, it may break-out in fine bumps. You may also notice you wake-up and your skin is really tight. These are all signs that your skin is dry and needs some special attention.

One of the simplest ways to fix this is switching your moisturizer. When it comes to moisturizers, you should have a different moisturizer for summer and winter to address the different needs of your skin during these seasons. Summer moisturizers tend to be lighter and let your skin breathe while winter moisturizers are thicker and supply more moisture for your skin. Some moisturizers work all throughout the year, but you will not know this for sure until you give it a try.

Whenever you try a new product, always give it about 45 – 60 days to determine if it works because it takes time for your skin to adjust to it. If you see redness, severe dryness, or develop a rash, I recommend you stop using that product immediately.

Keep in mind that dry skin is a serious issue, so if you have severe dry skin, please consult a dermatologist so they are able to prescribe you a medicated product to combat this issue. All the solutions I have discussed here are to help you if you have dry skin temporarily due to it being winter.

Skincare regimens are costly and time consuming, but they are necessary because they invest in making sure your skin stays fabulous for a long time. If you are unwilling to take care of your face now, you will definitely see the less than favorable results as you age. Make sure you take care of the fabulous part of you people see most by making sure they are able to see the glow you have inside of you on your face.

Because to be fabulous, you have to know what makes you fabulous!

The Fabulous State Of Relaxation

Just in time for the weekend, I have the perfect list of products for you to use during your “me time” and to pamper yourself. Going to the spa is expensive sometimes, so I have a list of ways to maintenance your fabulous while on a budget.

Want to see my recommendations? Click the link to read how after the jump below where it says "read more."