How To Get Gorgeous, Glowing Spring Skin

glowing-complexion
image via Elle.com

This weekend I did makeup for 3 weddings, each of which had the entire wedding party flying in from the East Coast and the Mid West.
For my non-American readers this means that they came to sunny Phoenix, where it has been spring since about January, from places that are still cold, some of which also still have snow.
( I would die. Cold weather is not for me!)

All of them were battling the end of winter skin – you know, that dull, thick textured, rough skin we all end up with at the end of winter, and each of them wanted west coast, off-to-Coachella skin.

 I gave them 5 tips to transform their dull winter complexions into gorgeous, glowing spring skin.

How To Get Gorgeous, Glowing Spring Skin

1. Change up your cleanser.


Often that dry, sensitive, stripped looking skin comes from using the wrong type of cleanser. Try a gentle cleansing milk or an oil cleanser instead.

2. Don’t Exfoliate!


Don’t exfoliate with a scrub. I always think that scrubs keep scratching the baby skin underneath, perpetuating the cycle of rough skin. 

papaya

You need to remove that dull, dead surface on the skin to let your glowy spring skin show through, so instead of a scrub try an enzyme mask. I buy mine but I have friends who mash up papaya and spread it on their faces for a homemade, organic enzyme treatment. Papaya has all kinds of wonderful skin benefits (it works wonders on sunburn!) and is also super soothing on irritated skin.

3. Give Your Skin A Boost


Add in a serum, a facial oil, a vitamin c boost – something that addresses your skin’s concerns. Facial oils are amazing for dry skins, dry finish facial oils are fabulous for all.
Vitamin C is full of free radical fighting anti oxidants and is wonderful for all skin types.

4. Use A Facial SPF


Even though it’s not mid summer you still need to use a facial SPF every day. Don’t just think about the UVB burning rays, you also need to stay ahead of the UVA aging rays! The SPF in your moisturizer or your foundation doesn’t count because there is no way you’ll put on enough to give you the sun protection coverage that you need. 
Use a dry finish SPF so that your complexion doesn’t look greasy, and so that makeup will stay on and not slide away.
More companies (even Dollar Shave Club!) are now getting on board with the concept of a free standing facial SPF. Dollar Shave Club even did a great article on 5 Ways The Sun Is Affecting You Even When You Think It Isn’t

5. Fake It.


Get the new season’s glow by using a natural looking facial self tanner to slowly add in a little color, or by adding a gel bronzer.
Just a little at a time, add in a little color to give yourself a spring glow.
dior-bronze

Want Flawless, Gorgeous Looking Skin? Add Oil. ~ Beauty Tip Of The week #38

Shop Now at FOREO.com for the ISSA.

So how is your skin doing right now?
If yours is anything like mine it’s starting to feel the effects of the colder weather. Cold weather stresses our skin out. It makes it sensitive and irritated, it dries our skin out.
The holiday season adds to this, because we are running around more, going to parties and events (alcohol + tiredness), going out at night shopping (stress + cold weather) and even though the holidays are tons of fun, they are exhausting.
If you are traveling there is another layer of chaos to add in to your equation, and it becomes super visible on your skin.

I couldn’t figure out what was up with my skin. My foundation started looking really flat and lifeless, and nothing seemed to be working. I tried a bunch of different things before I realized what was up – I wasn’t using a facial oil.


When I talk about facial oils people freak out

The old way of thinking was that facial oils would give us acne. They don’t.

The new breed of super facial oils work magic on the skin.

Plenty of them are super antioxidants. They are incredibly nourishing and hydrating. They prevent water loss, sensitivities and irritation.


Facial Oils make your makeup look gorgeous!

From the makeup point of view facial oil make the skin look smooth and glowing. A couple of drops of a really good facial oil before your moisturizer will make your foundation glide on beautifully and smoothly, and give you the most gorgeous, healthy looking skin.

Which Oil Should You Use?

There are lots of different oils to choose from.

Personally I adore products with Camellia Oil. I am a firm believer that the most effective lip balms are the ones that contain camellia oil. My all time favorite face oil has a camellia oil base too.

I use Tatcha’s Camellia Beauty Oil. It calms your skin when it is feeling sensitive or irritated, it hydrates it when it feels dry. This is one of those products that gives you an instant result – you see the difference immediately, and know you just did something very right for your complexion!

It also contains 24 karat gold which gives your skin a really sensual glow.

Tatcha Camellia Beauty Oil even comes in a travel size, which is perfect to take onboard your flight with you, and if you are a little nervous about adding an oil to your skin care regimen, is perfect as a trial product.

Check it out at tatcha.com

Face Oil
Camellia Beauty Oil

Six Simple Steps To Sensational Skin For Fall ~ Beauty Tip Of The Week # 31

Skin-Care-Steps-For-Fall
image by Kelly Cappelli, makeup by Corinna Cooke, hair by Will Zecco

I hold on to summer until the last possible minute. I live in sunshine drenched Phoenix, which definitely makes it easier, but even out here eventually fall arrives.

Wherever it is that you are living, the transition from summer to fall to winter can be really taxing on your skin.
Your skin dries out, gets sensitive (and sometimes raw and red), it loses it’s glow and become lifeless and dull as well as pale and almost grey.
Before you get crazy trying to infuse vibrancy back into your complexion with highlighters and bronzers, before you smother your skin in heavy foundation, check out these six simple steps to sensational skin for fall.

1. Change Your Cleanser.

If you use a foaming or lathering “face wash” style cleanser try changing it to a gentle cleansing milk, or even better try my personal favorite, an oil cleanser.

Try Malin and Goetz Facial Cleansing Oil from SpaceNK

Facial-Cleansing-Oil
Malin and Goetz Facial Cleansing Oil

2. Exfoliate

With the hot months well behind us it’s time for a gentle exfoliation to get rid of all of the debris summer left on the surface of your skin, and to clear away the lingering dead cells.
Personally I am not a fan of scrub type products. I always think they create a cycle of scratched, rough skin, so instead I use enzyme peels to exfoliate and give my skin an absolutely unbelievable glow. One of my favorites is Philosophy‘s incredibly affordable The Microdelivery one minute purifying enzyme peel.

Enzyme-Peels
The Microdelivery by Philosophy

3. Add A Serum

Serums are a super important step in the road to glorious, youthful, radiant skin. You apply serum after cleansing and before moisturizing. They tend to be very concentrated so you only need a very small amount.
Think of serum as being a super sonic skin booster that goes extra deep and works at the ultimate performance level. 
My favorite serum, the absolute Holy Grail of serums, is Japanese luxury brand Tatcha‘s amazing Radiant Brightening Serum. My movie star clients’ eyes light up the moment they see it on my makeup table because they know their skin is going to look like magic.

Tatcha’s magnificent Radiant Deep Brightening Serum

 

4. Add Daytime Protection

At night we replenish and rejuvenate the skin, but during the day we need to focus on protecting the skin both from dehydration and from the ravages of exposure to environmental pollutants. One of the ways to do this is by adding an ampoule.
Ampoules can be used at night in conjunction with your serum, and they can be used during the day underneath your moisturizer. 
The Cosrx Propolis Light Ampule contains bee propolis which super hydrates and protects your skin. It also acts like a natural antibiotic, clearing up skin irritation. 

Cosrx-Propolis
Cosrx Propolis Light Ampule

5. Layer Your Hydration Products

I love the K Beauty concept of layering multiple skin care products, especially hydration products. If your skin is starting to feel the drying effects of winter weather try the Korean skin care routine of layering your first night time moisturizer, an emulsion, over your serum and then sealing it all in with a sleeping pack.
I have been using the Holika Holika Black Caviar Emulsion as my moisturizer and then layer over top the SNP Gold Collagen Sleeping Pack  (both available online at Memebox), which seals all the skin care products in.
Sounds like a lot? Check out my post about How To Layer Your Skin Care Korean Style. Sleeping packs don’t feel heavy. They just feel like a regular night cream.

Holika-Holika-Black-Caviar
Holika Holika Black Caviar Emulsion
SNP-Sleeping-Pack
SNP Gold Collagen Sleeping Pack

6. Add In A Brightening Mask

Sheet masks are a quick an effective way to brighten dull skin.
Every week or two use a sheet mask like the Elisha Coy Natural pearl Mask available online at Memebox

Elisha-Coy-Masks
Elisha Coy Natural Pearl Mask

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