Have you ever noticed that when you have nowhere to go, nothing to do, and no one to see, your skin is flawless, yet the night before a party almost guarantees a giant blemish right in the center of your face? Yeah, me too. When this happens even the most carefree girl considers drowning her sorrows in a cocktail and immediately begins piling on the concealer. There is something else you can try. This little trick is a home approximation of a cortizone shot you would get at the dermatologist*, and will at the very least decrease the size and redness of your blemish overnight, and often eradicate it completely! Place a tiny (tiny!) dab of cortizone cream (I use Cortizone-10 1%) directly on the blemish, cover with a pretty little bandaid, and snooze away. In the morning just carry on with your usual routine and enjoy that fabulous party!
* While this doesn’t have the amazing results that a visit to the dermatologist will, it should still be used with great care. Only do this on large blemishes and only for special occasions! This is definitely not a treatment for every day, and never apply cortizone cream on large areas of your face or body, you run the risk of thinning and damaging your skin, not to mention getting a very long lecture from your dermatologist. Speaking of which, I am not a doctor, this is not to be used as medical advice, and you should always check with your own physician before trying a new beauty treatment of any kind.
Meteor Shower / Light Year
Constellation / Supernova
The holidays are such a lovely excuse to really enjoy glitter aren’t they? Especially on our fingertips, it’s nice to see little glittery sparkles flying across the keyboard as we work and continue to countdown to Christmas and New Year’s Eve. I am almost finished with last year’s bottle of Sephora by OPI Only Gold for Me (which I usually layer over colored polish, like little sequins), and I’m dying to try this American Apparel Glitter Polish collection. The gold bits are more triangular shards than the usual round sequin which might be a nice change, and perhaps give a bit of edge to the sweet glittery look. And Light Year might just be the perfect way to attempt a New Year’s Eve “ball drop” manicure.
A couple of years ago there was some freak pumpkin puree shortage, and I was so scarred by the idea that I wouldn’t have enough of my favorite fall treat that I now compulsively stock up on cans as soon as fall arrives. Of course we never use them all so I end up with a little pumpkin stockpile. Lucky for me pumpkin makes a fantastic facial mask, and with holiday parties and late nights in our future we could use a quick remedy to bring the holiday glow back to our cheeks!
Mix 2 parts pumpkin puree (fresh or canned) with 1 part full fat Greek yogurt. Add a touch of honey. Immediately spread on a clean, dry face. Relax for 20 minutes, rinse, take a peek in the mirror at your bright, glowy complexion!
When it comes to beauty it is pretty much my goal in life to make it appear as though I just woke up looking pretty. Who me? No, I haven’t got a stitch of makeup on! To that end lip stains are perfect, right up until you add the topcoat and then, as far as I’m concerned, the effect is ruined. Color + shine = makeup. At long last I’ve found the right combination to create a matte, pigmented, natural looking pout. A swipe of Revlon Just Bitten (use the side of the marker not the tip, swipe across, then moisten a finger and blend) topped with Matte For Men Lip Balm. Yup, for men. It is perfectly moisturizing but also perfectly matte and therefore undetectable. What’s that? No, my lips are just this color!
Every season there is so much excitement about the new makeup looks and I certainly get into a tizzy along with everyone else. Right now for example I’m absolutely dying to try out graphic eyeliner (though I am seriously worried people on the street will think I just drew the line in the wrong spot). But for whatever reason my particular features have a tendency to go from zero to showgirl very quickly so those amazing runway looks are not usually seen at my vanity table. I have three basic “faces” in my arsenal, and while they are by no means avant-garde, they work year round and have me on my way in minutes. And don’t get me wrong, my bathroom overfloweth with product as much as everyone else’s (possibly more), but these six staple products are always on hand, and usually the only things that get packed when I’m traveling.
“Bare” face – we all know that a “bare” face is hardly devoid of product unless you’ve truly just woken up. In fact it usually takes longer to execute this look because if there is no color to look at and distract the eye you really have to work that concealer at all of those little spots and imperfections. Make Up For Ever Full Cover is the absolute best, covers everything and stays put. A bit of highlighter on the inner corners of the eyes to look awake, I like RMS Living Luminizer since it is organic and subtle, and just a touch of soft pink blush to perk up my pale skin. MAC Pink Swoon is my favorite because it is sheer, and most importantly completely shimmer free.
Fresh face and a red lip – due to my zero to showgirl problem I’m really only comfortable wearing red lipstick if there is nothing else on my face (except concealer, of course). I prefer my reds without shine or gloss so a swipe of matte lipstick, currently Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet (because if you’re only going to wear one thing on your face it should be Chanel, am I right?), and I’m off. This is by far the quickest and easiest look which makes it perfect for dates and anytime you have only a minute to get ready.
Strong liner – this is my favorite look for dinners because the absence of lip color (or a very pale color if your lips aren’t pigmented enough) means you will look just as lovely after dinner as you did before. There is nothing worse than a faded lipstick outline while you chat with everyone over desert. I find gel liner easiest to use and longest lasting, I apply Sonia Kashuk Gel Liner with a flat eyeliner brush followed by a coat or two of L’Oreal Voluminous Mascara.
Since I am a total germophobe and change my eye makeup very frequently (and disinfect the brush after every use) I stick with drugstore brands to keep from having a heart attack over the price when I throw away a nearly full product. Dermatologists recommend we throw out our liners and mascara every three months (really!) so I always recommend the drugstore to everyone, you really can find high quality products for a fraction of the price.
