Beauty Oil Breakdown: What is right for you?

Beauty Oils are all the rage right now. Where in the 1990's the trend was removing oil from all products, cosmetic chemists have tapped into the idea that it is not about removing oil from products but rather adding the right kinds of oils into products. Your skin and body needs oil to look plump, young and fresh. Oil is one of the building blocks of your cell membrane. Omegas, amino acids, vitamins and anti-oxidants..you can get all of these benefits from finding the right oil for you. You can use this guide to look and find these oils in the products you wish to apply or even, to get maximum results, you can replace your evening night cream with the oil that is appropriate for you skin type and concerns. 

Normal/Combination Skin: Jojoba Oil. A very lightweight oil that nourishes and hydrates the skin while mimicking human sebum. It absorbs well while creating a protective barrier over the skin that is breathable. Giving skin the opportunity to renew itself in a stable environment and allow the pore to appear tighter and smaller. Jojoba oil even breaks up sebum in clogged pores. This is a gorgeous oil for all skin types and in most cosmetic formulas that it is prevalent in are listed as "Oil Free" for Jojoba is classified as the oil-free oil due to it's pliability. You can purchase this oil in any health food store for under $10 for a 3 month supply. 

Oily Skin: Sweet Almond Oil. A lightweight and smooth oil, known for rebalancing oily and acneic skin. With essential fatty acids, it is perfect for getting rid of breakouts, balancing out oily skin and even preventing and correcting fine lines and wrinkles as well as strengthening capillaries under the eye and removing the appearance of dark circles. You can purchase this oil in any health food store for under $10 for a 3 month supply. 

Sensitive Skin: Apricot Kernel Oil. With similar properties to Sweet Almond Oil, this is better suited for sensitive skin. It is rich in fatty acids that help to repair the breakdown in cell membrane that brings about sensitivity. This oil can actually heal the cell membrane enough that over time, there is no more sensitivity to the skin period. Imagine, a life without sensitive skin and using a vast array of products with no worry! This oil can rebuild your skin cell structure so that is a reality. It is also an anti-inflammatory and can also heal boils and burns. You can purchase this oil in any health food store for under $10 for a 3 month supply. 

Dry Skin: Olive Oil. Olive Oil is one of the most widely used oils. It helps to maintain the skin's elasticity and structure with even richer amino acids, essential fatty acids and antioxidants. This oil is great for dry and aging skin not to mention great for aging hands, neck and décolleté. This oil is truly not recommended for skin that is break out prone or thin. You can purchase this oil in any health food store for under $20 for a 3 month supply. 

Very Dry, Aging Skin: Avocado Oil.  Ideal for mature and sun-damaged skin. It is rich in vitamin A, B1, B2, D and E. It also contains lecithin, amino acids, sterols and other fatty acids. This is great for hyper pigmentation and sun/age spots, deeper lines and wrinkles and loss of firmness. This oil is also ideal for healing psoriasis and eczema. You can purchase this oil in any health food store for under $20 for a 3 month supply. 

Lala xoxo

Oat Yes! : Homemade Oatmeal Cleanser.

Do you ever think to yourself that for something to have efficacy it has to be complicated? Most of the time, especially in the Cosmetic Chemistry field that is the case..however once in a while, I  stumble across basic and simple ingredients that bring about natural beauty. Allow me to introduce you to one of my favorite homemade cleansers for all skin types and just in case that did not sound good enough..it only has two ingredients.

Homemade Oatmeal Cleanser.
Take a handful of oatmeal and mix it with a few drops of water until it becomes a paste. Massage paste onto damp skin and rinse.

Easy. Natural. Effective.

Lala xoxo

Meow!: The Perfect Cat Eye.

Have you ever wanted to wear the retro-sexy and chic cat eye but had no idea how to get your liner on and where to even begin? Here is an easy guide to creating the perfect cat eye!

Step One: Start With Black Liquid Liner

Line the inner corners of the upper lids all the way to the outer corners, flicking the line up at the end.  For extra drama, add a straight line under the eye.

Step Two: Add White Pencil

Line inside the lower lash line with a white pencil liner, extending the line out over the eyes' outer corner.  

Step Three: Define Brows & Add Mascara

Define and fill in brows with short feathery strokes, then finish with a coat of mascara.

Lala xoxo

Balancing Act: DIY Balancing Facial Mask.

Oily T-Zone, dry cheeks, random breakouts, dry patches, uneven skin tone and texture..you name it and it is the season of unbalanced skin. As the season changes, lifestyles and stress levels change our skin gets out of sync. Here is a simple facial mask that is easy to make and has soothing rebalancing properties to get your skin cells synchronized and back to giving you a radiant, hydrated and even complexion.

Balancing Facial Mask.

1 small avocado, mashed (about 2/3 cup)
1/2 small cucumber, finely grated (about 1/3 cup)
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl, using a fork to blend. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Apply a thick layer of the mixture to clean, dry skin on your face and neck, avoiding the eye and lip areas. Keep fairly still for 10 to 15 minutes, allowing the mask to dry in place. Wipe skin clean with a damp cloth; splash with cool water, and pat dry.

Enjoy the balance!

Lala xoxo

Magic Wand: Maximize Your Mascara Wand.

Mascara wands...it can make your head spin in picking out which wand is right for you. There are thin, long wands..big, fat, monstrous wands..Spiky rubber wands..and not to mention now, wands in the shape of a tiny ball. Confused yet? Let me break it down for you in the top three wands to shop for by the look you are going for!

The Skinny.  If you are looking for longer lashes but don't want more thickness and volume, this is the brush for you. Thin and long mascara wands are designed to give you ultimate length. I love this style of wand for shorter lashes that are already a little thick naturally. This will enhance the natural thickness in your lashes and extend them out naturally.

The Multitasking Medium. If you are looking for length and thickness but not the clumping, this brush is for you! The perfect medium brushes are thick in nature but have thinner rubber bristles that separate the clumps while allowing you the flexibility of getting the product to the base of your lash. I love this style for lashes that have average length and thickness and want to enhance them and add drama.

The Big Bang. If you are looking for maximum volume and thickness, this is the brush for you. These thick brushes are designed to pick up mascara formulas that have larger molecules and polymers so you can get the most dramatic product evenly distributed on your lash. I love this for long, thin lashes. This really adds depth to and deep drama. I do not recommend this kind of brush or any volumizing formula for short lashes, for it can lead to clumping and making the lashes actually look shorter and stumpy. This formula and style is a must have for the longer, thinner lash.





Rock those magic wands ladies!

Lala xoxo

Bronze Beauty: How to Bronze.

Nothing puts an extra sass to your step like having bronzed, beautiful and glowing skin. Bronzer can completely contour and structure your facial features while giving your skin tone a healthy warmth that displays youth and health. Here is a simple application that can give you that bronze beautiful look with some do's and don'ts.



Application:

• If you have always wondered, "When do I put this on?"..Your bronzer goes after your complexion products (foundations and concealers) but before your blush.
• Choose a brush for application that matches what you want out of your bronzer. If you want your bronze to look more natural and deposit less pigment, choose a brush that is softer and fluffier. A large powder brush is perfect for you. If you want the bronzer to be more noticeable and deposit more color, choose a brush that is more compact and the brush hairs more concentrated.
• To begin your application, swirl your brush in your powdered bronzer and tap off the access. From now on, think of only circular motions. You will buff your bronzer on in the shape of a "3" along the side of your face. The middle of the "3' being your cheek, your temple being the top and your chin being the bottom.
• Begin buffing your bronzer in the middle of the apple of your cheek and continue sweeping the bronzer up towards your temple, back towards the apple of your cheek and back down towards your chin, sweeping the bronzer along your jawline.

This application technique will give you a beautiful, structured contour while also giving you the perfect warmth of color.

Do's:

• Do find a bronzer that matches your personality. From light to matte all the way to deep and sparkly.
• Do concentrate most of your pigment where you want to structure and slim your face most.
• Do feel free to place a little bronzer to contour the sides of your nose, making it look perkier and slim.

Don't:

• Don't place bronzer on the flat of your forehead or bridge of your nose. This causes a flat look to your face.
• Don't use light, highlighter style bronzers along your jawline, this makes it look broader.

Bronze away ladies!

Lala xoxo

Stay In Place: Tricks To Making Makeup Last All Day.

Today's Woman runs around. I hear it all day, every day no matter what lifestyle and what demographic..Women are managing to run around from the early morning through the late evening. As our days stretch out, we find our makeup does not follow us but rather ditches out on us halfway through our day.

Luckily there are tips, ingredients and steps to lock your makeup in place so you look just as fresh at the end of your day as you did at the beginning. Here are the basic steps to have a stay in place complexion.

1. Prime: If you have not tapped into this amazing product yet, I highly suggest you do for it makes all the difference. A primer serves two purposes. It is usually a silicone or dimethicone (by the way, do not even get me started on one of my must have, favorite smoothing ingredients 'dimethicone'..it is literally a miracle ingredient.) base that acts as a smoothing agent. This breathable smoothing agent lays on your skin so that your foundation and powders lay on the primer rather than getting stuck in those fickle lines, wrinkles and pores. So, it makes your skin look young and perfect! Primer also protects your makeup from the enzymes in your skin that are designed to breakdown dirt and debris. Your poor enzymes do not know the difference between a spec of dirt and the powder that you just spent your hard earned dollar on applying to your skin. This all helps create a perfect stage for longer wearing and even makeup!

You will place a pea size amount on your fingertips and massage the primer onto your skin.

2. Foundation: If you wear a liquid foundation, apply your foundation with a foundation brush. It makes a world of difference for the actual look of the application but more so, applies the product in a way where it has longevity.

3. Conceal: If you wear a concealer, apply your concealer after your foundation. I get asked which should go first as one of my most asked concealing questions. There is no wrong or right answer however if you are looking for the most coverage and the longest wear time, artists suggest placing your concealer on after your foundation. This gives the larger molecules in the concealer a chance to bind on top of the smaller molecules of the foundation, creating more coverage and longevity. I also suggest you use a brush for this application as well. It will ensure you have the most smooth look and natural look.

4. Set: For a long wearing complexion, powder is not an option but rather a must-have. A common mistake clients make when setting foundations with powders is buffing it on in hard or circular motions. This disrupts all of the hard work you just did in smoothing out the skin. The best technique is to pat the powder lightly on top of your makeup. Pat versus rub or buff.

I also must give a very large shout out for another product I can not live without as I am a girl on the go and need to lock my makeup down even further. Setting Spray. After my makeup is completely done..eyes, cheeks, lips...I use a Makeup Setting Spray and generously mist my face and allow a moment to dry. Makeup Setting Sprays are designed to seal and protect makeup for the rest of your day. You can also carry Setting Spray in travel size in your purse to touch up spritz while you are on the go. It feels amazing and makes you look fresh!

So run those errands, be that super woman and order your makeup to stick along with you for the ride!

Lala xoxo