Summer Makeup Routine for Oily and Combination Skin

Hello everyone! Summer is here and that can be rough for us with combination and oily skin so I thought I’d share the products I’ve been using to try to prevent my face from melting off. This is a very full face of makeup, but “natural” enough to wear to work.
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My Summer Makeup Routine

Primer for Oily Skin

Apply moisturizer, SPF, and primer. I’ve been trying different combinations of these 3 and haven’t yet found my perfect prep and prime products yet. I will say I was very disappointed with Becca’s Ever Matte Poreless Priming Perfector which is also super expensive so I definitely would not recommend that. The next one I will be purchasing and trying soon is the Giorgio Armani Maestro UV Skin Defense Primer SPF 50 ($64, but hey, cheaper than Botox!).

Giorgio Armani Maestro UV Skin Defense Primer Sunscreen SPF 50
Giorgio Armani Maestro UV Skin Defense Primer Sunscreen SPF 50

Foundation for Oily Skin

Apply foundation and concealer. Lately I’ve been using Continue reading “Summer Makeup Routine for Oily and Combination Skin”

The Face Mask You Must Try

I had seen a lot of hype online about the Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay Deep Pore Cleansing Mask, but I was hesitant to buy it since I was afraid it might dry my skin out a little too much.

Then I got an amazing facial from Vanessa at VaneBee Skin Care in Glendale and she recommended the mask and said it was excellent for ANY skin type so I was sold. Who doesn’t want to clean all the crap out of their pores!?

Some tips for using this mask:

    1. Wash your face first.
    2. When mixing it, be sure to mix it in a plastic or glass bowl AND with a plastic (not metal) spoon or fork! You can also use a cute lil mask kit like this:

3. The first time you use it, try mixing the clay with water instead of Apple Cider Vinegar to ease your way in. That way your face won’t have the intense pulsating feeling and if you have sensitive skin it won’t get as aggravated.

4. You’re supposed to let it dry for 5-10 minutes for sensitive skin and 15-20 for normal skin. Vanessa gave me the tip to be sure to take it off before it’s completely hardened because if you wait too long the stuff clogging your pores will also harden and won’t come out.

5. After you use it use the mask and clean it off with water use a toner and cotton round all over your face to make sure you get every last bit off. Thayer’s Witch Hazel Rose Petal Toner is a nice natural one that I use.

6.  After you’ve used the mask and toner your skin will feel tight and dry so be sure to use a good moisturizer.

7. Only use this mask about once a week so you don’t dry your skin out too much.

My pores definitely appeared smaller after using this mask and my skin felt nice and smooth- I love it and plan on using it weekly! If you try this mask, let me know!

My Airport Beauty Hacks – Hair, Makeup, and Skincare

I know the words “airport” and “beauty” don’t typically go together, but today I’m going to show you my secret hacks! Just don’t tell anyone, ok ;)?

Continue reading “My Airport Beauty Hacks – Hair, Makeup, and Skincare”

Toronto Top Five Recommendations

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Traveling to Toronto, Canada and not sure what to prioritize visiting? I have some great recommendations for you! I found this city so amazing and loved it and I hope you will too!

Here’s the short list of my top 5 recommendations for Toronto:

Continue reading “Toronto Top Five Recommendations”

Beauty Trend – Rainbow Highlighters Part Two

On the last post I talked about the rainbow highlighter that was all over social media which has all the colors of the rainbow in one pan to make you sparkle like a beautiful unicorn fairy rainbow princess. Today I want to talk about highlighters that have been coming out in non-traditional colors.

Jeffree Star Skin Frost Highlighters

I talked about Jeffree Star who you might remember from MySpace on my previous liquid lipsticks post, but since then he has started his own YouTube channel which is SO ENTERTAINING I watch A LOT of YouTube and I HIGHLY recommend checking out his videos he is hilarious. Anyways, he recently came out with 4 highlighters which sold out very quickly. They come in King Tut (gold) and Ice Cold (white highlight that’s light enough for extremely fair skin) which are typical highlight colors, but since it’s Jeffree Star they are extremely pigmented and you’ll be able to be seen from space.

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Jeffree Star Skin Frosts in Ice Cold, Peach Goddess, King Tut, and Mint Condition. They are $29 each or 4 for $100

He also came out with Peach Goddess which is a peachy shade which is a little different, and then the most unique shade Mint Condition which is a mint blue color, so fun!
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iconThese were released on May 25, 2016 and are currently sold out, but Jeffree always tries to get products back in stock ASAP. Here’s some swatches from one of my favorite Instagrammers @trendmood1:

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Swatches of Jeffree Star Cosmetics Skin Frost Highlighters. Pic by @trendmood1 on Instagram.

Continue reading “Beauty Trend – Rainbow Highlighters Part Two”

A Tourist in My Own City of Toronto

I recently posted my friend Julia’s recommendations in Paris and today I have some from Navid about Toronto, enjoy! I’ll add in my commentary in italics again.

– by “the real NavidK”
I was born and raised in Toronto. I lived there for a full 25 years. On the eve of my 25th birthday, I decided to pick up and relocate to our big neighbor below, the land of opportunity. 9 years later, I can honestly say that the city that I once knew is no more. My friends and family are scattered across the town and world. The city has grown in population and popularity (thanks to Drake and the like.) And so when someone recently asked me for some ideas of places to visit while they were visiting Toronto, I drew a complete blank. It was actually quite upsetting. I love Toronto. I miss Toronto. My fondest memories were experienced and lived there.
Nonetheless, I still took it upon me to inquire and discover the city I once called home and here is what I came up with:

Continue reading “A Tourist in My Own City of Toronto”

Eyebrow Threading and Tinting

One time when I was about 16 years old I was getting a pedicure at a nail salon when the tech asked me “You want eyebrow?” (as in eyebrow waxing) I told her no thanks to which she replied bluntly, “You need it.” I had no clue how to tweeze my eyebrows so I didn’t do it and here was this woman telling me my brows are a hot mess. Obviously I agreed and have been grooming my brows via waxing, threading, and tweezing ever since. You’re probably familiar with waxing and tweezing, so let’s talk about eyebrow threading.

Eyebrow Threading

Eyebrow threading is similar to eyebrow waxing in that you are removing hairs in order to groom and shape your brows for a more polished look. The person doing the threading uses a string or thread that they double and then twist. The person doing the threading holds the string in both hands and hold the loose end of the string in their teeth to pull it taught. They then roll the twisted part over the eyebrow hairs they are removing which snatches the hairs they are removing by plucking the hair out (similar to tweezers) at the follicle level. Unlike tweezing, they can remove several hairs at once. Here’s what it looks like:

Eyebrow_threading

Continue reading “Eyebrow Threading and Tinting”

Play! By Sephora

Rejoice beauty lovers and try-ers of new things, Sephora has it’s very own monthly subscription box! The box is called Play! By Sephora and it started September 2015, but the caveat is that you can’t just sign up and get it, you have to be on a wait list first (womp womp). It took me about 2-3 months to get off the wait list (they email you and let you know when that happy day comes). I haven’t received my first box yet, but I can’t wait! The box has about 5 samples along with a Play! book that explains what they are and how to use them. You also get a card called a Play Pass that you can bring into Sephora to get a free personalized tutorial and 50 bonus Beauty Insider points (which means even more samples!) when you make a purchase. The box is totally reasonable at $10 a month plus sales tax and shipping is included. Hurry up and sign-up for the wait list for Play! By Sephora so you can get in on the next box! Also a little hint, when you get the email that says you’re off the wait list and you click the link to get the box it looks like you’re signing up for the wait list again, but don’t worry that’s the correct box to enter your email address into. Here’s what the May 2016 Play! By Sephora box looked like: Continue reading “Play! By Sephora”

Father’s Day Gift Ideas

Last year for Father’s Day I gave my dad a themed gift that was semi-“beauty” related so I thought I’d share the idea here! I’ll start by saying that the photo in this header is from when my dad took me to Turks and Caicos. We’ve been boating and going to tropical locations since I was in the womb (literally) so this is a “fun in sun” gift idea that isn’t actually fun at all, but it is super useful and practical, so… But seriously, thank you so much daddy-o for inspiring my love of travel and exploring!

I’ve posted about how I’ve had melanoma before and my dad had basal cell carcinoma removed from his head somewhat recently. This means I try to be VERY diligent about my sun protection and try to convince my family to do the same since we live in Florida and Southern California. Here’s what I got him:
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 Jack Black ‘Double-Duty’ Face Moisturizer SPF 20 ($28) This is a broad spectrum sunscreen meaning it protects agains UVA and UVB rays (major key). The ‘Double-Duty’ part is that it contains powerful antioxidants that help protect skin from aging from sun exposure. No matter who you are those 2 things are what you should be looking for in a sunscreen. This also had great customer reviews. Also, what man knows how to buy himself a moisturizer… Continue reading “Father’s Day Gift Ideas”

Where to Go in Paris

This is long list filled with great recommendations of where to go and beautiful photos of delicious pastries in Paris. I realize, though, that you might need a handy short list. Here’s a list of the places I personally recommend going in Paris:

Where I Stayed in Paris

Continue reading “Where to Go in Paris”