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Get Glowing Skin For Your Valentine’s Night Out

   Facial  Feb 01, 2020  Comments Off on Get Glowing Skin For Your Valentine’s Night Out
Get Glowing Skin For Your Valentine’s Night Out

Whether you are planning a romantic night out with your spouse or significant other, are having a gals only get-together, or are flying solo either out or in, you want to look and feel fabulous. If you do choose to go out for a night on the town with your boo, makeup will look even better on you after you have indulged in an at-home facial. Even if you’re staying in binge watching Netflix with a box of Lindor chocolate truffles–show your skin some love and pamper yourself!

There are oh-so-many options—so you definitely need to be aware of your skin type and what exactly your face can handle. Also, if you are doing the facial on the day of your VDate, it may be wise to use products you are already familiar with. The last thing you want is to have a bad allergic reaction and have your face match the color of the Valentine decorations and red roses.

  • Wash: Since Valentine’s Day is in the middle of winter, your skin may be dry. Be sure to start your facial routine by washing your face with a gentle cleanser that does not include any drying ingredients such as salicylic acid for acne and any version of the detergent sodium lauryl sulfate. Anything containing soap will also leave your skin parched. Instead, try Olay Sensitive Hungarian Water Essence Calming Liquid Cleanser or Glossier Milky Jelly Cleanser.
  • Steam: Next, you will want to steam your face with an at-home facial steamer like this one from Amazon, or you can do it the old-fashioned and more economical way by boiling a pot of water and hovering over it with a towel over your head. Lastly, you can also place a warm towel or washcloth over your face. Be careful not to burn your skin! Read up on several tips for steaming along with some of the benefits to doing so.
  • Exfoliate: After you steam and before you apply a mask, exfoliate your skin, which there are various methods to doing so. Some people make their own exfoliant out of all-natural ingredients, some own fancy contraptions that do the job, and some just buy whatever smells and looks good at the drugstore. Whatever you choose, be careful around the sensitive eye area and do not be too harsh on your skin.
  • Mask: There are so many DIY mask recipes you can make at home with items you already have in your fridge or pantry. Avocado, olive oil, citrus, cucumber, aloe vera, honey, bananas, coffee, eggs, and oatmeal are all examples of yummy ingredients you can mix and match to make a healthy facial mask you may not even want to wipe off.
  • Serum: Once you are done with the messy part, use a serum before you put anything else on your face. Serums should be applied before creams and moisturizers so that they can soak into your skin and do their magic. Those with Vitamin C, hyaluronic acid, and collagen-boosting properties are the way to go to get that glow.
  • Cream/Moisturizer: Lastly, unless you are also applying makeup, slather up with a water-based moisturizer so that you can continue having that dewy look throughout the evening. Neutrogena’s Hydro Boost is a great example of an affordable water-based moisturizer.

Remember to always take your own skin type, specific needs, and your own professional recommendations into consideration when starting a new skin care regimen or experimenting with new products. And also have some fun with it! If you have sensitive skin, there are oodles of products out there for you…and you can even make your own.

If you want some extra pampering and don’t want to hassle with doing it all yourself, contact Laura Skin Care and book your Valentine’s Day appointment soon!

How to Organize Your Makeup the Marie Kondo Way

   Makeup  Jan 19, 2020  Comments Off on How to Organize Your Makeup the Marie Kondo Way
How to Organize Your Makeup the Marie Kondo Way

There are proper ways to organize all of your makeup?

You normally just have everything in a large makeup bag and reach in and grab what you want that day. Then you have on-the-go makeup that you store in your purse. What’s wrong with that?

Nothing at all actually; however, there are ways to organize your makeup that will not only save you time but also preserve the life of certain tools and types of makeup that you own.

Do you remember Marie Kondo? The cheerful Japanese woman from the Netflix series Tidying Up With Marie Kondo has her own method (KonMarie Method) of simplifying and organizing others’ lives…and she’s VERY wonderful at what she does.

Marie Kondo can help others organize just about anything in their life, from a simple jewelry box to an entire basement. If it’s messy, she can organize it. If it’s cluttered, she can simplify it. If it’s borderline hoarding, she can still help!

Fortunately, the KonMarie Method also has tips and tricks for organizing makeup.

Let’s see what advice she gives to all of us makeup wearers…

COMMIT TO THE PROCESS

To fully Marie Kondo (it’s now a verb!) your makeup bag, you will need to fully commit to the process…because it will be a process. Change is not easy, especially if you were doing what you were doing for a very long time.

PUT ALL OF YOUR MAKEUP IN ONE BIG PILE

Why is this important? Why can’t you just go things section by section or reach in and grab stuff out one by one? Marie Kondo believes you need to visually see how much of something you physically have; it will put things into perspective, like “wow…I have a million lip glosses that I don’t even wear!” Hopefully seeing the mountain of makeup will encourage you even more to get rid of some and simplify your life a little.

OUT WITH THE OLD…AND GROSS…AND EXPIRED

Before you really dig into that pile of makeup and decide what to keep, do yourself a favor first and search for items that may be expired, dried out, or broken. Those can easily be tossed.

DECIDE WHAT BRINGS YOU JOY

“What brings you joy?” is one of Marie Kondo’s famous questions. Now that you have tossed out the grossly expired stuff, you hopefully have less of a mountain to work with and can start deciding what you really want to keep. Pick each piece up one by one and ask yourself, hmmmm…does this Tarte spring palette still bring me joy? If your heart and soul still believe it does, then it’s a keeper! Be honest with yourself, or you’ll end up keeping everything.

IT’S TIME TO ORGANIZE

Kondo suggests organizing makeup by categories and subcategories. Keep your brushes away from other items and stored upright (possibly in a glass jar or cute tin). She also suggests storing all long items (mascaras, concealers, brushes) in clear, plastic cosmetic holders and trays. Then add a pop of color with a candle or two surrounding your area. She believes that the area in which you get ready in the morning should be beautiful and calming. If you have a large makeup caddy, clean it out before you put the makeup back in and make sure it is organized by category.

To this this action, watch the Extreme Makeup Declutter the KonMarie Method video on YouTube.

No matter what your makeup resides in or what it all looks like, there is always room to declutter and clean. If Marie Kondo can tidy literally anything, you definitely can tidy your makeup.

Speaking of makeup brushes, if you are in need of professional makeup application for an event, or even just for a night out on the town, contact Laura Skin Care and book an appointment.

What Vitamin C Can Do For Your Skin

   Skin Care  Jan 08, 2020  Comments Off on What Vitamin C Can Do For Your Skin
What Vitamin C Can Do For Your Skin

When you hear the word vitamin, it typically has a positive connotation. You may think of health, vitality, growth, strength, or youth. Of course, all things need to be taken in moderation and it is wise to follow your doctor’s recommendations; not doing so can have negative consequences–however, a normal amount of Vitamin C is healthy for your body inside and out.

There are various vitamins that are essential for young, healthy, glowing skin and Vitamin C is definitely one of those. This specific vitamin can be taken orally through eating (obviously…) or by taking an actual Vitamin C supplement…and you can use Vitamin C topically on your skin, which has numerous advantages.

Let’s learn about the benefits of using topical Vitamin C and what to look for when purchasing some.

The experts at Dermalogica state that “Topical Vitamin C is one of the most potent antioxidants available – and it lives up to the hype, effectively tackling the primary causes of premature aging to give you brighter, firmer skin.”

If you are looking for something to lighten and brighten your skin with anti-aging and collagen-boosting properties, then Vitamin C is the way to go.

Vitamin C on the skin can actually help in defending it from harmful rays and pollution, which is called photoprotection.

Kim Chang, a medical aesthetician at Baylor College of Medicine, has studied the use of Vitamin C topically. “Studies have shown that using sunscreen with Vitamin C protects the skin from further photo damage caused by ultraviolet rays,” Chang said. “This information is important because most people don’t know that you can protect your skin even further than just sunscreen.”

When you get hurt and are wounded, Vitamin C can help heal the open wound quickly. Inflammation occurs when there is a wound on your body and inflammation depletes the Vitamin C in your body. The experts at WebMD say that Vitamin C “is required for the synthesis of collagen. It is also a highly effective antioxidant protecting cells from damage by free radicals. Studies have shown that the vitamin can help speed the healing process of wounds.”

How do individuals choose the right kind of topical Vitamin C?

When using any product on your skin, you want to be sure to choose one that is known to work and safe for your skin. You don’t want to find a lot of extra ingredients in the product and are going to want to look for a product that has a pH level at 3.5 and a concentration level between 10 and 20 percent. Topical Vitamin C in the most purest form is highly recommended. Chang suggests using a serum above a gel or lotion as it is found to be more effective and include less additives.

Once you do purchase your first bottle, be sure to test out a small portion on your neck or back of hand to make sure you will not have a reaction to the formula; it is unlikely, but some people are sensitive to it.

If you are unsure as to what brand to get or if Vitamin C is even right for your skin, make sure you contact your dermatologist or esthetician, as they can assess your skin and recommend the right products for you.

Actually, you can contact Laura Skin Care right now and book an appointment!