Often times people ask me how do I keep my skin looking as good as it does and I usually respond, “I don’t wake up looking this good, trust me!” However, I must say my skin is the most clear it’s ever been in YEARS. It doesn’t just have to do with the make-up I use to create beautiful skin, but the products I use UNDER the makeup that do wonders for my skin.
When I tell people, I have more than 10 products on my face, I really do! Despite how natural it looks. However, keep in mind that half of it is the skincare products I use. Most people fail to prep their skin properly and this is what causes makeup to not last as long during the day and sometimes even lead to breakouts.
I find most people think that if they use just one or two items, this will give them their most natural look while using 10 items is going to “cake up” the skin but it is just the opposite! When you use only one or two products to do the job, often times you end up using so much of the product making the skin look unnatural. This happens because it is really hard for one product to fulfill all the needs of your skin all at once. Instead, it’s totally fine to use multiple products and layer them in such a way that will make the skin look as natural as it possibly can.
Starting from left to right, I am going to share every product I am currently using to prep my face before makeup application…
1) LAVANILA The Healthy Sunscreen SPF 40 Face Cream: This product is awesome! It has SPF 40, is 100% natural, and has a nice creamy texture, what’s not to love about this product? I use this as my moisturizer on really hot, sunny days to protect my face from sun damage. I’m sure this is great to use year-round though. I am a firm believer that EVERYONE needs to protect their face from the sun…I don’t care how old (or young I should say) you are or your skintone! There needs to be a minimum of SPF 30 in at least one of your face products (in a moisturizer, primer, foundation, etc)! If there’s not, then invest in a good sunscreen and use this prior to makeup.
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2) KORRES Quercetin & Oak Age-reversing Primer: I have already blogged in a previous post about this face primer. I have tried almost every primer you can think of (Smashbox, MAC, Tarte, etc.) and this is definitely my favorite for obvious reasons. It contains lots of natural ingredients and antioxidants than are good for the skin along with serving as my anti-aging product.
Serious Skin Care also has a really good primer that almost ties with Korres. This primer is what I was initially using before I discovered this one.
* WHY IS PRIMER SO IMPORTANT? *
This is something I would like to discuss briefly although this is another subject I can probably write books about. For starters, face primer is used AFTER moisturizer and BEFORE foundation.
It is used to hold the foundation longer throughout the day and smooth the skin of any pores or fine lines. Primer will NOT erase these skin imperfections, but will definitely make a visible difference in terms of the smoothness and texture of the skin. Who doesn’t want smooth skin?
Yes, it is an extra step but totally worth it. I NEVER skip face primer! It is a necessity! Once you start using one, you will never find yourself skipping it again. Trust me.
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3) MAC Prep + Prime Line Filler: This product seriously works magic. I actually didn’t start incorporating this in my everyday skin routine until two weeks ago when I noticed my center forehead wrinkle was getting much more prominent. And this is exactly where I apply this product, just in the deep wrinkle on my forehead.
It’s great because it really works! It makes all lines look less visible and I’m sure over time, I’m going to start needing it in more areas of my face but for the time being, I just use an itty bitty drop of this where its needed most.
This also works great as an under eye primer allowing for concealer to blend more smoothly while also hiding any annoying under eye lines or “crow’s feet”.
Also, it’s amazingly cheap, it’s only $19.50! I feel like a product like this could easily cost at least $30 and people would pay it but hey, I’m not complaining! The tube is small but it does last awhile because only a small amount is needed for it to work its magic. Another perk is that it is a treatment product, meaning over time, it really will make the lines appear less noticeable.
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4) NEUTROGENA Skin Clearing Foundation: Please note that this is a foundation, but I use this as my CONCEALER. I honestly did buy this for the intentions of using this as a foundation but I really don’t like the consistency of it when used on the entire face. The liquid is very sheer which is great but when used on the whole face, I feel it doesn’t look natural enough and totally gives away that I am wearing face makeup when I want it to look like my real skin.
Hence, I have been using this under my foundation as a concealer ONLY in areas of my face that are prone to breakouts. I have to say, it really does the job right! For the longest time, I had a small cluster of little pimples right by my chin area. (I have heard that this is very common to have pimples in this area and that is usually stress related).
I just place a small amount of this product on top of this little spot and I swear that now, after using this over time on a consistent basis, I no longer have pimples there. It’s completely smooth in this area and it’s thanks to the salicylic acid in the product that dries out the acne and prevents it have coming back.
I think it’s a cool concept that during the day, this product is battling my breakouts right under my makeup. (At night, I try to use alternate my face products and include one with salicylic acid a couple nights a week so while I sleep, my skin is repairing and preventing any future breakouts from occurring).
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5) STILA Illuminating Tinted Moisturizer SPF 15: Although I have used this all over the face as a daily moisturizer (in my opinion the coverage is way too minimal to even be listed as a tint by itself), I mainly use this just underneath my eyes and along the tops of my cheeks so it gives me a natural highlighting effect prior to my makeup application. It’s really subtle which is what I like most about it. It brightens underneath the eyes as well and gives my face just enough glow to the skin without looking like a shiny disco ball.
When I’m in a hurry, this is the one product I sometimes skip because I don’t think its an absolute necessity unlike the other products I just listed above; however, I do like what it does for my skin.
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SUMMARY: If you notice, I strategically have chosen a group of products that each have a purpose for my skin. I don’t just use random skin products for the sake of using them. Notice I have a good mix of skincare that protect my skin from the sun, provide antioxidants, hide lines, have anti-aging properties, and also give my skin the appearance of having a nice glow. It took a few products to achieve this but the results are totally worth the time it takes for me to apply it. For those of you wondering, it takes NO TIME to prep the skin. I prep my skin within 2 minutes!
Everyone needs to create a daily skincare regime that suits the needs of your skin. While these products work AMAZING for me and have given me beautiful skin over time, keep in mind that everyone’s skin is different and may not lead to the same results.
I highly recommend these products to everyone but also do some research and see what’s out there. I’m always looking for the newest skincare products with the finest ingredients and love trying new things. I have no problems changing up my skincare whenever I discover something new that I like or when the seasons change because skin tends to have different needs depending on weather.
Hope this was interesting and helpful, cheers to beautiful skin! :)
stylebymeli
