Category: Skin

Does This Thing Really Work? Ask Beautypedia

With all of the advertising and marketing in the beauty industry it’s very hard to tell what is going to work and what will not. This is so important because who wants to waste $$$ on a product that does not live up to it’s claims? So how do you research a products claims and find out if it contains ingredients that will actually make your skin better? This is where one of my favorite websites Beautypedia comes in. Beautypedia was started by Paula Begoun who is known as the cosmetics cop. For decades now she has been breaking down ingredient lists vs. manufacturer claims to de-mistify the (sometimes) fuzzy beauty science and to educate the masses. Whenever you sign on to Instagram, Youtube, open a magazine, see a commercial, etc. you’re constantly being bombarded with “This is the one! The product that will make you flawless and fix all of your skin’s problems! BUY NOW!!” and Paula helps you separate the BS from the truly beneficial products.

The other thing I like about her site is that you can choose how deeply you want to plunge into the scientific knowledge behind ingredients. You can find out if a product contains sodium hyaluronate acid and what the hell that means, or you can just find out if the MAC Pro Longwear Nourishing Waterproof Foundation lives up to it’s claims or not (PS it does according to beautypedia and now I really want to try it!).

How I use Beautypedia:

Continue reading “Does This Thing Really Work? Ask Beautypedia”

Budget Buy: Self Tanning Lotion

Gradual Self Tanning

After hearing all of the YouTube Beauty Gurus raving about the self tanning foam Loving Tan self tanner I ALMOST was ready to cough up the $50 so I too could have a bronzed glow, but luckily I found a much cheaper self tanning alternative. After reading reviews online I decided to try the Suave Visible Glow Gradual Self Tanner in Medium-Tan* ($6.97):
self tanning

Even though I am not Medium-Tan I am impatient so I went for the darker formula and the color on this product is awesome! Very natural and streak free. I put about 3 generous layers on because again, I’m impatient, and by the next day I was satisfied with my color. This lotion does not have any scent when you apply it, but unfortunately that classic self-tanner scent rears it’s ugly head once the product starts developing (about 30 minutes after applying). I also did find this lotion very moisturizing. It has not transferred onto any of my clothes or sheets which is amazing. I applied it on Friday night and it’s Wednesday night and it has barely faded and I have not added any more layers. If you’re in the market for a little bronze this summer be sure to avoid the sun because it’s trying to make you look old and kill you and reach for this product before you spend the big bucks on a self tanner! Here’s my tips on application: Continue reading “Budget Buy: Self Tanning Lotion”

May Favorites

It’s favorites time again!

revlon-colorburst-matte-lip-balm-showy
Showy

1. Revlon ColorBurst Matte Balm in Showy ($6.89 at Target) – This is an oldie, but a goodie. This balm is easy to apply, gives a great color payoff, is comfortable on the lips, has a minty scent/flavor, and doesn’t smear all over my face! This is great to have handy to make any look just a little more glam. It’s a beautiful magenta color and it’s great for summer. Another Revlon I was loving this past month was the Revlon Colorburst Balm Stain in Cherish ($6.09 at Target). This one is (as the name would suggest) more of a lip stain so it’s good for a pretty day time look. It’s a cute, sheer baby pink color with blue undertones. This is great if you find lipstick to be too intense, but aren’t a huge lip gloss fan because it’s somewhere in between. These both twist up and last a long time. I totally got distracted while writing this post and ordered 2 more of these, whoops. Continue reading “May Favorites”

Foundation Routine for Oily Skin and How to Get Rid of Pores

I was struggling SO MUCH with my face turning into a complete oil slick, but I think I’ve finally figured out the magical combination of foundations and powders to keep my face from looking super greasy halfway through the day.

Oily skin can be especially annoying in the summertime so I thought now was the perfect time to share this. I also am sharing in this video the best way that I have found to get rid of pores or make pores appear smaller. It’s a neat little trick that makes pores basically disappear.

Products Mentioned: Continue reading “Foundation Routine for Oily Skin and How to Get Rid of Pores”

I Didn’t Think I Would Get Skin Cancer Either

Growing up in Florida and now living in Los Angeles I see a whole lot of sunshine. When I was younger I loved to lay out and bake. I wanted to be as tan as my fair skin would let me so I’d slather myself with oil and stay by the pool all day or go to the tanning beds occasionally. I knew it would all catch up with me eventually, but I didn’t think eventually would be at age 27.

There I was in stirrups at my annual gynecological exam (as if that day couldn’t get any worse) when my doctor. points to a mole over my heart and says “You need to see a Dermatologist about that. If I could take it off right this minute I would.” “Great” I thought, “yet another doctor’s appointment to schedule.” Luckily I was motivated by the fact that it was the end of the year and I had already met my high deductible so I went to see my dermatologist (who I was already getting annual skin cancer checks from) to get the mole biopsied.

When the biopsy came back unfortunately the results showed that it was Melanoma. This meant I had to go back and get it removed along with some of the healthy skin around it to ensure the entire thing was gone and would not spread.

This is right after my cancerous mole was removed.
This is right after my melanoma (skin cancer) mole was removed in January 2014

It was a pretty small mole and now I have a huge scar I get to look at everyday. Here’s what it looks like today, 16 months later: Continue reading “I Didn’t Think I Would Get Skin Cancer Either”

Beauty and Dating with Tasha Reign

So the follow-up video for my Porn Star Makeup Tutorial with Tasha Reign aka my friend Rachel is finally here! In this video we discuss beauty tips for dating including kissing with lip gloss and how Tasha Reign gets the softest skin in the biz. I had so much fun recording this video with Rachel and I think there will be at least one more part with us discussing Porn Star makeup on set, trends, etc.

The products we mention in this video are Continue reading “Beauty and Dating with Tasha Reign”

Sephora VIB Sale Wish List

I couldn’t help myself I had to do a little online “window shopping” and pick out all the items I’ve been dying to try from Sephora. If I had unlimited funds this is what my Sephora shopping cart would look like right now:

Continue reading “Sephora VIB Sale Wish List”

Lisa Vanderpump’s Beauty Secrets

I scoured the internet for Lisa Vanderpump of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills’ makeup and beauty secrets and now I will share them all with you!

Continue reading “Lisa Vanderpump’s Beauty Secrets”

Ulta’s 21 Days of Beauty Sale

The Ulta 21 Days of Beauty Steals Events & Free Gifts is March 15th-April 4th, 2015 and I decided to look through the deals and let you know what I thought was worth checking out!

LORAC Champagne Dreams Palette 

lorac-champagne-dreams-palette-ulta

This is a great palette of neutral shades that could work day or night and would be great for someone who is just getting into makeup and doesn’t know what kind of eyeshadow to wear. It’s the Ulta Beauty Steal for 3/29/15, but it’s already on the website for $15 right now so I’m thinking you might not have to wait… You can also get a free deluxe sample of the LORAC Porefection Mattifying Face Primer with any $25 Lorac purchase between 3/15/15-4/4/15. Their Lorac PRO Mascara is also on sale right now for $11.50 so boom there’s your $25 purchase right there!

Skyn Iceland Hydro Cool Firming Eye & Face Gels

skyn-iceland-hydro-cool-firming-eye-gels Continue reading “Ulta’s 21 Days of Beauty Sale”

Porn Star Makeup Tutorial with Tasha Reign

Today I have a fun new video for you and in it I teamed up with one of my good friends Rachel who is better known as the porn star and feminist extraordinaire Tasha Reign. Tasha Reign has been in the adult film business for over 4 years now and one of the things we first bonded about when we met at a dinner party was our love of makeup! I love me some HEAVY glam. You better believe I have told a MAC artist before to make me look like a porn star! When I said that I meant bronzed, smoked out, contoured for the gods, a frosty highlight, and a baby pink lip, but from talking with Tasha Reign I have realized that now there is no such thing as “porn star makeup.” The industry has changed and they have really dialed down the glam and want more natural looking girls and a wider range of looks now. Rachel is still a glam girl at heart so her day to day makeup is pretty, girly, and definitely “made up.” In this video she teaches me (and anyone else who wants to learn!) her usual makeup routine when she’s going for “Natural Glam” step-by-step. She talks about her favorite products as well as tips and tricks she has learned from working with so many professional makeup artists over the years. There’s also tons of cameos by her 6 month old chihuahua poodle mix named Cinderella. Part of Tasha Reign’s job is to interact with her fans via social media so she posts lots of fun selfies daily (follow her on Instagram @mytashareign and on Twitter (NSFW)@tashareign). This also means that she knows how to make makeup look great on camera.

So if you’re curious about her makeup or just want to see us laugh at each other OR if you want to <GASP> see a porn star without makeup(!!!) check out our video!: Continue reading “Porn Star Makeup Tutorial with Tasha Reign”