Yummy Homemade Masque

Colder temps = dry skin = ouch!  I have dry skin anyways, but when winter starts rolling in, I really have to slather on the moisture and take extra care of my delicate skin.  Which is why I rummaged through my pantry and whipped up a moisture saving masque made entirely of ingredients I already had! 

1 cup oatmeal (you can use one pre-packaged regular flavor oatmeal from Quaker Oats, etc)
2 green tea bags
Half lemon
Tbsp or two of honey (add more for consistency)

• Oatmeal is soothing for dry, sensitive skin that may be cracking or peeling.  
• Green tea contains antioxidants which help fight damage caused by free radicals.  
• Lemon is a great antiseptic for breakouts 
• Honey is my favorite with its' hydrating, toning and tightening effects.

In a small blender, blend the oatmeal and green tea into a fine powder.  Add lemon and honey and stir to make up a thick almost chunky consistency masque.  Apply to cleansed face and sit back and relax for 10-15 minutes.  I like to apply a serum under my masque for added benefits.  Remove with warm water or towel.  Apply eye cream and moisturizer and voila!  Beautiful, hydrated and radiant skin from a masque good enough to eat!

Obsessed: Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer

I've never been one to wear much makeup, and quite honestly, have been terrified of foundation up until only a few years ago.  I love this tinted moisturizer by Laura Mercier.  It's a godsend to those, like me, who don't like to cake on the foundation, but want coverage.  It simply melts into your skin giving you a sheer, healthy glow without being sticky.  It gives enough coverage to help your skin look naturally perfect, and best of all, it comes with SPF 20 for added protection!

QUICK TIP!

When one of those pesky lil' red demons shows up unexpectedly, the key to getting rid of them is routine, routine, routine!  I like to use a clay mask on the affected area only, which soaks up oil, bacteria and everything annoying, then a spot treatment, like Murad's Acne Spot Treatment, right after.  It's sure to dry those demons right up!  Keep it up the next day, the day after and until needed, and you'll see them subside.

Midnight Masqued Avenger

I believe that with the good, comes some bad.  I think it's important to let you know the products I don't particularly like, as well as all the ones I love.

That being said.... I had been fascinated with this jet black Illuminating Mask from Boscia for quite some time now, but hadn't had the time to try it out.  Well, one hour in Sephora later, I skip happily back to my home and slather on my mystery masque.  I didn't realize (because I didn't read the directions) that it was a peel off masque.  I've never been one to especially like peel off masques. I actually LOATHE them.  I feel like I might as well be getting my whole face waxed, because all of my tiny little invisible hairs on my face get ripped out, along with impurities so they say, and end up on the masque. 

Unfortunately, this masque was no different.  It was torture peeling it off!  At one point I sat there with half of it left on my face, trying to pump myself up to rip the other half off.  Finally the madness was over.  I did notice that my pores were a bit smaller, but other than that, the results are just not worth it!  The masque was like James Dean.  Cool, collected and mysterious on the outside, but torture and pain on the inside.  Thank god Sephora offers free samples of everything.  This one gets a big thumbs down.

Cheap Cleaning

Clients are always asking which products I recommend, that won't break the bank.  So off to Walgreens we go!  As far as cleansers go, oldie but goodie Cetaphil is always recommended.    It's gentle enough for sensitive skin but gets the job done.  I ran out of my Clinique cleanser and needed something asap, so I picked up Cetaphil, and while the scent is left to be desired, it's working quite well in keeping the blackheads at bay and dryness away!

Spring Cleaning

I first tried Clinique Rinse-Off Foaming Cleanser while staying at a bed & breakfast in the quaint Victoria, B.C. about eight years ago.  I have been hooked ever since.  It's deceivingly powerful in removing even the most stubborn makeup, seeing as it's in "mousse" form.  A little goes a long way in this concentrated cleanser, so it makes spending $19 a bit easier.

Heavenly Happiness

I stayed at the Westin in San Francisco for New Years a couple years ago, and was pleasantly surprised and immediately hooked when I tried the body wash, White Tea and Aloe, they offer for their guests.  It's so good, they have created an entire line of products called, Heavenly Spa by Westin, which include body lotion, shampoo, conditioner, bath salts and body oil.  I'm guessing I'm not the only one who's obsessed because it is now sold not only on their website, but at Nordstrom as well!  I was so excited to find that they were selling it that I Speedy Gonzalez'd it down the street to the nearest Nordstrom, only to find they were SOLD OUT!! Ughhh!  I was determined so I ordered it online through the store (free shipping).  When it finally came, I jumped in the shower and lathered up.  The scent is so beautifully fresh and subtly stays with you throughout the day, while leaving your skin soft, refreshed and oh so happy.

Irritating In-GROAN

Anyone who has gone through the fun experience known as waxing, knows they have to watch out for those pesky and painful ingrown hairs.  One way to prevent it is by manual exfoliation as soon as the hair begins to grow back.  Another stronger, more effective way to prevent ingrowns is by slathering the area with Tend Skin.  Accidentally discovered by a dentist in 1985, this unique formulation was a side effect of medication given to a patient who informed the doctor that something was suddenly clearing his skin of unsightly razor bumps.
Since then, many other uses for Tend Skin have been discovered.  Tend Skin will improve the appearance of razor bumps, ingrown hairs, and redness caused by hair removal. Excellent for both women and men, you will see results in only 24 hours!  I like to apply it immediately after waxing a client to reduce the appearance of any resulting redness within minutes.  The scent isn't exactly what I would call "pleasant", (don't plan on gettin' down with your man after using it) but it's well worth it to prevent the madness of  ingrowns. 

QUICK TIP!

Don't neglect your neck!  Whatever you're doing to your face, you need to be doing to your neck and decollete.  Just consider it part of your routine. Cleanse, exfoliate, tone, sunscreen and moisture...all of it!  How bad does it look when the face looks 20 and the neck looks like Magda from There's Something about Mary?  Show your neck some love!

Clear Eyes

We all know what a pain it can be to fully clean your eyes from a day full of spider legs.  I've tried many a remover and the best I've found to date are the Almay Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover Pads.  They moisturize the skin with aloe, cucumber, and green tea while removing every last trace of (even waterproof) mascara.  I got mine at Target, but I'm sure you'd be able to find them at any drugstore, and the best part.........they're only $5!

Manly Moisturizing

Most of you men out there (hopefully) have adopted a daily skin care routine that includes more than just the dreadful bar of Irish Spring before galavanting out the door.  You guys need to be taking just as much care of your skin as us ladies do.  That means cleansing, toning, spf and moisturizer.  I know it sounds like way too many steps to bother, but it's imperative.  You guys tend to not want to put moisturizer on because it feels too heavy, makes you sweat more, breaks you out and makes your skin look too shiny and oily.  Jack Black has made an amazing product to help you feel like you actually don't have anything on.  It's a "Double Duty" moisturizer with spf in it, so you don't even have to remember to put that sunscreen on, it's already in there.  Blue Algae extract and Sea Parsley are rich in vitamins which with help reduce inflammation and improve skin tone.  It's going to help tone down that redness after a workout and has a nice matte finish to combat that unsightly "wet face" look.  You'll be happy you spent those extra three seconds tending to your one and only face.  Get on it guys!

No Me Gusta Zits!

It's inevitable that one of these pesky little critters are going to set up shop whether you like it or not. It doesn't matter if it's one visiting for the weekend or a Mexican family with twenty cousins with a thirty year mortgage parked on your face, PETER THOMAS ROTH MAX BPO GEL 10% single handidly gives you your face back overnight. It's great used as a spot treatment, just don't go overboard. (The sulfur and benzol peroxide can cause excessive drying, and can tend to stain anything you put your face on..i.e. pillowcases) This is the closest product to a miracle cream you can get and at only $32, I would stock up until the cows come home, or before the Mariachi band shows up.

Hello face!

Seeing as this is my very first post, I'm going to start out with a bang.

PHILOSOPHY'S MICRODELIVERY PEEL system!!!! Ahhhhhh!! My FAVORITE product of all time! It's a two-part system to buttery, glowing, amazing skin. I love love love this product. Besides sunscreen, and moisturizer of course, if there's anything you're going to spend money on for your face, it has to be this. At $65, it's definitely worth every penny. So grab your piggy bank and head into Sephora because this product, or should I say, little piece of heaven, is going to change your life!