Basic Skincare for Men

This article is for the guys. I know a lot of men do not like to spend the time to find their perfect serum or eye cream and would rather invest in other things than their skincare. But it is still important to take care of your skin even if it is by just using a great cleanser or basic moisturizer.

So for a basic skincare routine you should use a good cleanser, moisturizer and eye cream. And the time to do all of these steps will not take more than 5 minutes, I promise!

Cleansers:

The Enzyme Cleansing Gel is a great cleanser for any skin type, if you imagine yourself forgetting to cleanse your skin then leave it in your shower

The Acne Facial Cleanser is great for those suffering from any blemishes,; it will help to kill acne-causing bacteria without drying out the skin too much

For eyes an easy product is the roller ball applicator. Garnier has a great one and has a few formulas depending on your concern.

Anti-Dark Circle; Skin Renew; Ultra Lift Garnier Rollers can all be found at Target or any drug store

Mario Badescu also has a few that are great for those with very dry skin.

Ceramide Herbal Eye Cream is easily absorbed and non-greasy helps to reduce the look of dry and tired eyes and will help to smooth out fine lines

Special Eye Cream "V" is a very light formula that is great for more mature skin or dry skin

Moisturizers come in different types depending on your skin type. If you tend to be outside more often find a moisturizer with SPF (yes guys you need to protect your skin as well).

 There is oil free for oily skin, which is when your face is shiny usually in the t-zone (forehead and nose area). If only oily in the t-zone, then you can get away with a moisturizer for normal combination skin.

Control Moisturizer for Oily Skin is great for those who feel their skin gets very shiny throughout the day

This Mario Badescu Oil Free Moisturizer (SPF-30) is great for Combination Skin, Oily Skin or even Sensitive Skin (It also comes in different levels of SPF)

Normal skin is when your skin is not overly oily and is not desert dry. You can get away with a light cream in the day and a heavier one at night (if you want the extra hydration—especially in the winter).

Aloe Moisturizer is great for non-clogging hydration 

Dry skin feels like your skin is tight and when you look at it closely it can resemble a desert. If there is flaking, you need to exfoliate to get rid of the extra skin so that you can properly hydrate the new skin under the dead skin. Use an exfoliator like St. Ives Apricot Scrub, which they also have a blemish and blackhead control version for those with the more oily skin. Leave it in the shower and try to do this 1-2 times a week.

The Moisture Magnet SPF 15 is great for locking in skin's natural moisture , it is non-greasy an d absorbs easily

Invigorating Apricot Scrub is great for all skin types; Blemish and Blackhead Control Apricot Scrub is great for those trying to clean out blackheads or keep breakouts under control

If you wash your face at night, then in the morning you can use cold water to rinse off any extra oil from your skin, if you do feel like your skin needs to be cleansed then just do your cleansing routine again (it really will only take a few moments).

Morning Routine:

1. Wash face with cleanser (or exfoliate if it is that time of the week) if you feel you need it or use it in the shower
2. Put on eye cream- gently and only under the eye and on the brow bone directly under your brow (use ring finger so you don’t pull the skin too much)
3. Put cream or moisturizer on your face only use a small amount and keep it away from your eyes (you already got those moisturized)

Night Time Routine:

1. Wash face with cleanser

2. Put on eye cream (same as in the morning)

3. Put on face cream (avoid eye area)

Done!

So fellas, this really isn’t a very hard routine to insert into your daily life. Skin is skin and everyone needs to try to take care of their skin whether it be a simple routine or a complex routine.

Let me know your thoughts on these products! Also feel free to contact me with any questions you may have!

If you would like to schedule your own consultation contact me through the contact page and I will help you create your hassle-free routine!

Other Products for Skin Concerns:

Acne on your body: Mario Badescu A.H.A. Botanical Body Soap

Oily skin: Try a toner (put on a cotton ball and swipe over skin after cleansing)

The Special Cucumber Lotion is a nice toner for combination oily skin from Mario Badescu

Enjoy & Be Handsome!

Brands to Check Out:

Mario Badescu

Garnier

St. Ives

Aveeno

Kiehl's

Photos from

Carolyn Thombs (Jon is the model :) )

www.allure.com

Mario Badescu

Target 

Product Review: Truth Cream Advanced Hydration by Ole Henriksen

Truth Cream: Advanced Hydration by Ole Henriksen

This amazing moisturizer adds instant hydration and radiance to your skin, which you can see just after one use!

I got this cream as a sample from Sephora and my skin was become quite dehydrated so one night I decided to try this. Immediately my skin signed and felt enveloped in pure hydration. The next morning when I woke up and looked in the mirror, instead of thinking 'god I have a lot of work to do on my skin today' I was amazed to see a glowing happier complexion looking back at me! My skin looked rested and radiant! 

This is a great cream for any skin type for day and/or night.

What products have you found help with radiance and helping your skin to look more rested in the morning?

Enjoy & Be Beautiful!

To Buy:

Sephora

Ole Henriksen

Product Review: C-Vit Revitalizing Facial Lotion

C- Vit: Revitalizing Facial Lotion

While I was in Spain, I went into a farmacia and asked a little man working there if he had any suggestions for a great lotion or serum. So he gave me a sample of this amazing product!

After a using it for a couple of days I noticed my skin was glowy and my scars we starting to fade. So I used up the whole sample and even just after using that small amount my skin was in so much better shape that it was before I used this wonder product!

This is definitely a great product for those looking to add radiance or help clear away scars. Try this product and let me know your success stories! 

Enjoy & Be Beautiful! 

To Buy:

Fleur de Peau

Amazon

SeSDERMA

Photos from:

www.farmavalia.com

http://www.fun-learning-spanish.com/fun-spanish-learning-situations.html

Tomatoes: Amazing for Your Skin

Tomatoes are an amazing food item that can reduce oil production! Crazy, I know! I discovered this information in the amazing book by Dr. Jessica Wu, Feed Your Face, which is a bible of sorts for those of us who suffer from skin conditions ranging from eczema to acne. I will tell you more about this amazing book at a later point in time.

One of the tidbits of information that I took away from her book is that tomatoes, preferably cooked, can help to reduce oil production. When I was strictly following the diet that is one thing I definitely noticed about my skin: it was finally becoming more normal instead of normal-oily. Finally I could go through a day with my makeup on and not get super shiny or a tiny breakout from over –productive oil glands.

A great way to incorporate tomatoes into your diet is to get the diced tomatoes in the can and toss them in a frying pan with some olive oil and toss in some chickpeas, roasted red peppers and kidney beans. If you need some grains in there as well add in some brown rice. Hot sauce adds a nice zing to the mixture as well! It may look not super appetizing when it is finished but trust me it will taste fantastic and your skin will love it!

Another way to have more tomatoes in your diet is to drink V-8 tomato juice. I used to think this was the most disgusting thing ever, but about a year ago I had my first Bloody Mary, extra spicy and extra olives. It was so delicious, so I figured if I liked Bloody Marys’ maybe I should give V-8 juice another try. So I tried the Spicy V-8…so yummy! They also have low sodium and low sodium spicy V-8. Definitely a delicious start to my day!

Enjoy & Be Beautiful!

p.s. stay tuned for basic skincare tips for men, how the feed your face diet saved my skin and more product reviews this week! 

Purchase the Feed Your Face Book

Check out Jessica's Skincare line

Photos from:

first tomato picture

Bloody Mary Photo

V-8 Juice Photo

A Walk in the Sunshine

Bryan basking in the Sun

While my sister was home on her winter break from school, we were able to take my little Bryan on a lot of walks, especially when the weather was nice out. This helped him a lot after the loss of Chloe. Being outside when it is a bit chilly and the sun is shining is his favorite thing to do, besides eating. 

On this lovely day I decided to dress with a bit of edge and comfort. The band, Municipal Waste, t-shirt is from my boyfriend, which I cut up a bit to add some interest to the top (I will admit that I have not listened to their music yet, but I plan on listening to it soon!). He had given me the shirt to wear when we attended a metal concert that he and his band had performed in as well as Tyr and some other metal bands. It was such a fun experience! 

Under the shirt I put a plain black t-shirt since it was a bit chilly. The pants I had on are one of my favorite pairs of pants! I got them during my time working at BCBG Max Azria The Factory Store. They are a legging that are comprised of two different materials, very stretchy and fit like a dream! 

Loving his little moment of freedom off the leash :)

pants: BCBG Max Azria, sunglasses: Ann Taylor Loft

The shoes are from Aldo and are so comfortable! I wear them a lot for work. As you can see in the photos they make my feet look extremely small. :) 

shoes: Aldo

I hope the weather keeps warming up so I can take my little boo-bear on more walks! 

Enjoy & Be Beautiful! 

Temporary Reprieve from the Cold

This is an outfit I got to wear a few weeks ago, when I got back from Florida and the weather warmed up, granted it was a bit rainy but at least I didn't have to be wearing a heavy jacket. I love it when the weather decides to be warm instead of the dreadful cold. I am able to take out some of my spring clothes and roll my jeans up so I can show off these cute shoes! 

shoes: Ivanka Trump from Macy's 

 When I first saw these shoes, it was immediate curiosity and then once I tried them on it turned into love. I did not get them at first, I got a cute pair of wedges that I could wear to work instead. Then I was on a little shopping outing with my mom and sister and there they were in a totally different Macy's, I took that as a sign and had to snatch them up! 

watch: Fossil

shirt: Cabi, jeans: Sfera

 Unfortunately lately the weather has decided to be very cold and be windy. Definitely not fun. 

Stay warm everyone! Hopefully we will have a nice reprieve from the cold soon! 

Enjoy & Be Beautiful!

Photos by Margaret Thombs

Nolcha Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2013

Nolcha Fashion Week
February 13, 2013

Sponsored by: Rusk and AOFM Makeup
Pier 59 Studios in Chelsea Piers
Key Artist: Michelle Webb assisted by AOFM Pro

This is the third year I have been able to work on the Nolcha shows, and each year the designers get better and better. Backstage is always super hectic and we sometimes have to do makeup changes right before the model walks the catwalk. All of these things make runway so exciting and one of my favorite styles of makeup artistry.

Makeup Squad: AOFM Pro team with Michelle Webb

Signature Makeup Look designed by Michelle Webb:
It was a gold glitter pigment eye with a plum lip. The gold pigment was from Makeup Forever and mixed with MAC gel mixing medium. We used a black gel liner, Aqua Black from Makeup Forever, on the base and formed it into a cat eye shape and then packed the gold (there was a silver and black version as well) on top. On top of that we used bigger gold pigments to really catch the light. A white liner was used on the bottom waterline. We used some of the gold from the Makeup Forever flash palette on the inner corner. To help add some dimension to the eye we took some brown and shaded it into the crease and under the bottom lash line.

Demo by Michelle Webb and the model with the signature look

 The complexion was nice and dewy, to achieve this I used MAC’s strobe liquid and NARS Copacabana mixed with Makeup Forever HD foundation and a bit of foundation from my Bobbi Brown palette. The lip was one of Makeup Forever’s Aqua Rouge in #13 or #10.

Signature Hair by Rusk:
An angled bob with bangs and asymmetrical length in the front. A very interesting cut but on the catwalk it fell perfectly while the models walked and the longer length flipped back in a carefree way when they turned. I think it was a very nice style and perfect for the fall/winter 2013 collections.

My model with the signature look 

Other Looks for the Day:

All Designers for Nolcha Fashion Week:

click on the designer to see the full collection

The Vanity Project 

Adolfo Sanchez 

Dos Caras

Dany Tabet

Studio 6th Sense 

Tess Johnson

Mikailee

Diana Simaan

Andressa Leao 

Michael Fenici 

Samantha Cole London 

JUNGWON 

Lilly Lorraine 

Shows my models walked in:
The Vanity Project: This collection was mostly men’s wear but they had two models with the female shirts on. Cute slouchy and screen-print shirts and sweatshirts. The Makeup was the signature look with the bob wig with the asymmetrical length in the front.

Dos Caras: This is a swimwear line so naturally they had swimwear. It was a very cute retro look to their pieces. They were fresh and looked very comfortable!

My model

My model

One of my favorite pieces in the collection. (Not my makeup, just love the outfit!) 

The designers at the end of the show

Adolfo Sanchez: This collection was comprised of beautiful gowns and evening wear. Colors included: a bronze gold, deep purple, lavender, gray, luxurious fur accents, lace accents, black leather—exuding an overall very rich collection, not only in silhouette, but also color and texture. This was a compilation of all of my favorite materials! The makeup, designed by Michelle Webb, was a black smoldering smoky eye and a deep burgundy lip.

My model on the left

My model in this epic gown!

Fabulous designer Adolfo Sanchez

Andressa Leao: This collection was absolutely breathtaking! The evening wear was so gorgeous! It was very feminine with a splash of sex appeal and flattering for the female form: hugging the right areas and then flaring out to add some elegance. The eye was a black extreme cat eye and the deep burgundy lip. The hair was elegant with cascades of curls to the side—a very glamorous silhouette to complement the collection.

My model in this fabulous dress

Samantha Cole London: This collection was to say the least, very interesting. Not one of my favorites of the day, but I think that is because it personally isn’t my style. I did love how the collection flowed together and the hair was a perfect companion to the collection as a whole. The fabrics had geometric patterns, which emphasized the hip area.

JUNGWON: This collection was all outerwear, specifically rain coats. They were boxy in shape or had a caplet. They were a modern take on the traditional trench with bright colors. Wearing this you will definitely stand out! The makeup was a brown smoky eye with a nude lip, a very nice day look.

Designer of JUNGWON

Which collections did you like the best? 

Enjoy & Be Beautiful! 

Photos from:

Nolcha Fashion Week

Photographer: Jeffrey Holmes for Nolcha