Organic Beauty

Some of you that are close to me know that I've been seeing a holistic nutrition counselor from Holistic Health Fusion. (Hi Monica!) and I've been getting "assignments" to work on bi-monthly from her. A couple weeks ago, I received a list of Lifestyle Suggestions. I've started incorporating more organic beauty lines into my skincare regiment, however have not yet experimented with Organic Cosmetics since most of the Organic Cosmetic lines are made for the regular consumer and do not have a broad line that make up pro's such as myself really look for.

I came across Nvey Eco Organic make up. I used their creamy concealer for my under eyes (note to self: I must sleep earlier so I can get more sleep), and was pleasantly surprised to find that formulated are creamy enough to not feel like sandpaper unlike some other concealers *cough cough*, dense enough for medium to full coverage, you can even apply it with a finger. I would prefer it applied with a brush but let's be realistic here, when you're running out the door and don't have time for carefully crafted make up application, the fast and easy applications will be the ones that will get you out the door faster. The blush that Nvey Eco Organic make up has is also very pretty. I have blush # 954 and it just gives you a pretty healthy flush on the cheeks.

If you're into the organic/natural lifestyle, definitely check out Nvey Eco Organic make up.

Winter beauty tips

The weather is getting colder and the chilly winter weather is going to creep in faster than we can sing "Auld Lang Syne". I have been getting compliments on my skin lately. I think its partly being able to keep up w/ my facial appointments, cleaning my skin before I go to bed at night, eating healthier and switching to more organic and vegetarian diet.

Here are my skincare tips:

1. Exfoliate 2-3 times a week. I like LaRocca's exfoliating cleanser. I also like Dermalogica's daily Microfoliant. Both of them are not stripping the skin of its natural moisture and gently exfoliates to reveal more beautiful and brighter skin. I alternate between these two exfoliators each week depending on my mood.
























2. Face Mask 1-2 times a week. On days when I am going out or just trying to make a good impression but don't want to wear any make up. I put on a face mask for about 10-15 minutes. I like LaRocca's 24k Cocoa Gold Vitamin Mask and C.O. Bigelow's Brown Sugar Crystal.

















3. Drink Naked Juice Green Machine or have 2 servings of green vegetables everyday. I'm serious. I've been drinking Green Machine and or having 2 servings of green vegetables everyday for six months now. Not only is it good for your health. It boosts your immunity. It also helps your skin achieve a certain vitality.

Skincare for the recessionista

Skincare can get really expensive these days so any site that has deep discounts grabs my attention. Enter The Skinny and you can still afford top of the line skincare like Perricone M.D., Lisa Hoffman Beauty, Dermaquest, Tammy Fender, Confidential, 100% Pure, International Orange, Organic Apoteke, as well as cosmetic services from well known dermatologists. If you're worried that your email is loaded with so much coupons, performance announcements, evites, parties, work-related email, letters from friends that are a million miles away, shopping offers, Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, LinkedIn, iTunes, Apple, etc. I totally understand. It takes me at least an hour to go through all my emails every time I check it. (I check my email 3-4 times a day!) The Skinny is a little different. When you sign up, you only get emails from them if it is suitable for your skin type, skin concern, etc. They only send one a week. Tell your friends and you get an additional 20% off.

Skincare tip

I came across LaRocca Skincare 24k Cocoa-Gold Vitamin Mask through the wonderful ladies of The Luxury Spot. The mask is made of cocoa and smells like chocolate! What is even more surprising is that I could feel the effects of the mask working as soon as I put it on. A tingling effect happened and I could feel the tightening effect while the clay lifts the impurities and dirt from the pores. Today was a particularly hot and humid day so I really needed the extra boost in the facial cleansing. I left the mask on while I took a nice warm shower (READ: Not scalding hot) and then turned down the temperature of the water to rinse of the mask. What a treat! My feels soft, rejuvenated, and cleansed!
My skincare tip of the day: Put on a mask before you shower, the steam from the water helps the mask's ingredients penetrate further thus allowing the mask to do its job better. Just make sure the water is not hot when you rinse off the mask otherwise you will dry out your skin!

Summer Beauty

The temperatures are rising and the amount of products on my bathroom counter are minimized.
Here are my top five beauty products for the summer:
1. Philosophy - Foaming Purity cleanser
2. Boscia - Balancing Facial Tonic
3. Stila - Cherry Crush lip & cheek stain
4. Fresh - Sugar lip treatment
5. Becca - Shimmering Skin Perfecter in Opal

Fresh's new foundation + concealer

Fresh came out with a new foundation and concealer that includes their umbrian clay treatment AND SPF 20. This new development has many skin benefits and especially good for the warmer months ahead of us. Time to up the antioxidants in our skin care, drink lots of fluids, exercise more, and slather that SPF.
This foundation is supposed to do many good things for us. This is what Fresh has to say.

"- Proven to promote a more radiant, healthy-looking complexion, visibly reduce the appearance of fine lines, and noticeably improve skin tone.
- Removes impurities from the skin to refine, nourish, and balance the complexion, visibly improving its appearance.
- Retains optimal moisture levels throughout the day.
- Rejuvenates the skin while defending against signs of aging.
- Protects skin from harmful UV rays.
- Paraben- and fragrance-free."

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Red Lipstick?

This spring we can all stand to experiment more with bolder, brighter colors on our lips, eyes, cheeks to give more light and wave the winter good bye. Dreary winter skin has left our skin more dull with less vibrancy. I'm going to experiment with fluttery lashes, neutral/shimmer on the eyelids, and a vibrant color on the lip, and strategically placed highlighter. What are you going to experiment with this spring?

Stila Illuminating tinted moisturizer

I use this product for a nice sheen for the highlight on the cheek bones. Unlike powder highlighters which tend to be on a more shimmering side. The sheen that is created by this beautiful tinted moisturizer is more natural. I use it for my spring/summer brides to create that natural looking dewy "glow" that is popular at this time of year. The moisturizer also also contains spf 15 which means it gives you some sun protection. (I personally wear at least an spf 20 everyday) You only need a dime sized amount to give you a healthy sheen. You can also put this under the browbone as a highlighter instead of an unnatural white which can look very fake. This is a must-have for the Spring/Summer season.

Mascara for Asian lashes

There hasn't been any other line that can rival Shu Uemura's knowledge for lashes.
My quest for a mascara that works well for my short, straight, Asian lashes that does not clump, lengthens, volumizes, and most important of all not end up under my eyes as a dark line thus making me looking like a raccoon. I recently picked up the Shu Uemura Volume Mascara Waterproof in Black and it doesn't disappoint. My previous mascara was purchased in Asia and not found in the US. The Precision Brush Mascara. I wish that was available here in the US. Not satisfied by just one mascara, I also purchased Chanel's Exceptionnel intense volume and curl mascara. I was sent a trial of this mascara not too long ago and really liked the brush because it also declumps the lashes. I plan on layering the two mascaras to get the maximum effect.
As a make up artist, I usually layer different textures especially to create a more three dimensional look. For an inner glow, I airbrush a blush color, set it with powder, a cream illuminator/highlighter, and a powder blush. This layering effect results in a three dimensional "glow" that looks natural. I wasn't born with long curly lashes so I have to achieve this by curling my lashes, shu uemura's volume mascara (a couple coats), and a top coat of Chanel's Exceptionnel mascara for an extra boost. The advantage of this is black, long beautiful lashes.
A Tip: Do not put mascara on your bottom lashes, it creates an unnatural spider effect and if you have short lashes like I do, it will smudge!