Over they years I have used many of Dr. Perricone's products. My eldest son used to refer to him as the "Salmon man" as I have his book and in it he writes about foods that are anti-aging that we should all eat and his one big thing is salmon.... wild Alaskan salmon, not the farmed kind. There is a picture of him on the front of the book that my son thought resembled a salmon and his logic for this was that he had probably eaten alot of salmon and was starting to look like one. ... it did make me smile. No disrespect Dr. Perricone, just the observations of a 10 yr old boy. Anyway, I love his book and I love what he has to say in it about how to keep our bodies and skin in good shape as we get older. I have lived my life by most of what he has written about and it was good to see I was on the right path. I also believe his products do make a difference. So when I decided that I needed something lighter than a foundation and just abit more than a tinted moisturiser to wear everyday I started trying to find something. (I caught sight of my face in full sun one day and noticed that foundation was starting to look too heavy on my face - even though I only applied it thru the middle and out to the edges, it looked like it was caked in all my pores. I was horrified!). I knew a tinted moisturiser wasn't the answer as it wouldn't even out the pigmentation that just will not seem to fade . I needed something that would look light and natural with only a hint of coverage to even out my skin. It's funny how the universe then sends along what we need and afew days later I was reading a magazine and I came across this product. I immediately went out and found it and it's perfect. Problem solved.... Light enough to look natural , yet enough coverage to take the edge off the pigmentation. Once again he has come up with a great product - no more embarrassing moments in full sun.
His book by the way is called The Perricone Prescription if you feel like reading it. And Mecca Cosmetica stocks NV Perricone. Have a good week. :)
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I love a serum. It is the one product that I feel is essential to keeping the skin in good shape as we age. They are far more potent than moisturisers and penetrate deeper, and although usually expensive, a little goes a long way. The work of a good serum is usually to hydrate, improve collagen levels, brighten or fight free radicals . The molecules in a serum are smaller than the molecules in a moisturiser so they can penetrate the 3 layers of skin instead of just the first layer. So used in conjunction with a good moisturizer it ensures that you get added nutrients into the deeper layers of the skin.
When choosing a serum you first need to decide what type of skin you have (normal , oily or dry ) and what it is you want to achieve by using it. To prevent ageing you would use something with antioxidants. To reverse ageing it would be one that had Vitamin A or hyaluronic acid to nourish the skin. I use serums under my moisturiser and a few of my favourites are ASAP Super C serum, Dermaquest C3 serum & Skinceuticals Serum 20 AOX. These ones stimulate collagen production, contain antioxidants to fight free radicals and help brighten the skin... 3 in 1 .The other favourites are the Dermaquest B5 serum & Skinceuticals Hydrating B5 Gel which contain sodium hyaluronate for hydrating the skin. I feel between the Vitamin B & the Vitamin C I should have everything covered to give my skin maximum nutrients. Dermaquest have also just released a new B3 product called Niacinamide Youth Serum which is meant to improve uneven skin tone and fine lines. ( It's funny how anything with the words youth and skin in it makes you want to immediately give it a go ). I tried a sample of this but I think it was too rich for my skin as I have broken out in spots and the difference in my skin isn't noticeable enough to persist, so would stick with the B5 serum . As my skin tends to get oily, I think it is better applied to dry skin. So if you're looking to do abit more for your skin to keep it in great condition - why not try a serum or two .... your skin will definitely thank you for it. xx This week I have done a tutorial on how to cover pigmentation on dark skin. It is always a little tricky this one to get the colours right so you don't see the concealer under your foundation. And also that you don't cake the makeup on the face as you want the skin to look quite natural still but flawless. That's why I like to use a stipple brush to apply the foundation too as you don't drag the brush over the areas you have covered with the foundation, you lightly stipple over them to minimise any layers moving. There are afew brands out there now that have good products for darker skin that conceal well. I have mainly used Laura Mercier for this ' how to ' as the colors matched Jenelle's skin really well. But Mac and Bobbi Brown have a good range of products as well . Don't be scared to mix the products together either to get the perfect color. Sometimes I use the eye concealer mixed with the foundation and/or secret camouflage ... there really are no rules sometimes, it's whatever works. And big thank you to Jenelle. xx Enjoy! Products used....... Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage No. 5 Laura Mercier Secret Concealer No. 5 Bobbi Brown foundation Warm Honey 5.5 Mac Prep and Prime powder Foundation Brush Real Techniques by Samantha Chapman available @ Priceline One of the products I have been most neurotic about using for years on my face is a good sunscreen. For the last 20 yrs I have not left the house without it on - ever. Our harsh sun is one of the reasons our skin ages if we don't protect it. Not all sunscreens for the face are created equal though. I find alot of them just too greasy or heavy and leave the skin looking oily. Or they clog the pores and I get break outs. Afew of my favourites are the ones above...... The Clinique Super City Block was the one I first started using years ago and wore for many years. It is not greasy at all and has a slight tint in it so sometimes that was enough to put on my skin without makeup (I was alot younger then!) And I found it really did protect my skin all day. The second one that I swapped out the Clinique for , only because I wanted to have a sunscreen in my moisturiser, is the Dermaquest Daily Moisturizing Lotion with SPF15. Even if I use a different moisturiser I put this on as well - I figure these days my skin can never be over hydrated! It is so light and the skin absorbs it beautifully. The Jurlique one is also light and I use this one in my kit for work. It seems to sit nicely on normal to dry skin. Another one that is not expensive but a really nice product too is the Olay sunblock. Out of alot of the brands that I have tried these ones stand out. I believe if we're going to look after our skin with lots of expensive products to hydrate and plump and smooth the skin , then we need to protect if from the sun so we don't undo all the good work that these products are doing ...... have a great week! I had been asked to do a tutorial on makeup for the office look and Rebecca kindly offered herself as the model as she has been on maternity leave and just about to go back to work which was perfect for me. I have tried to keep it simple and pretty so that women could achieve the look without too much effort in the morning, whilst juggling everything else that has to be done before you can get out the door. Remember that you don't have to use the exact products I have listed, you can always find duplicates in other ranges for most things as I know how expensive products are. Sometimes the cheaper ranges are fine. It is only a guide and products that I have tried that I know work well. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the tutorial..... Rebecca looks gorgeous - big thank you! Products used were....... Laura Mercier Foundation Primer Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation " Bamboo Beige" YSL Touche Eclat No. 2 Bobbi Brown concealer Pale Yellow Stila creme eyeshadow "Lightening White" Nars eyeshadow " Cordura" Chanel Les 4 Ombres " 29 Lagons" Maybelline Colossal Volume Mascara Nars eyeliner pencil "Black Moon" Kevyn Aucoin eyebrow pencil "Brunette" Mac Prep & Prime Powder Nars cheek blush "Lokoum" Nars Velvet Matt Lip Pencil "Dolce Vita" Chantecaille lip gloss "Charm" I have been doing some work with Jurlique lately and they were kind enough to give me lots of product after the shoot. So I took a break from my usual skincare to give it a try. This is a brand that has been around for more than 25 yrs and prides itself on using natural, biodynamic and organic products sourced from all over the world in their products. They operate their own 153 acre farm using the techniques of biodynamic farming. I met the head of Product Development in the US, RIchard Pietz, he was in his late 40's and his skin was flawless ! He said that he had been using Jurlique for years. So I guess he is a testament to its effectiveness. My favourites of the ranges they gave me are ...... Soothing Herbal Recovery Gel for it's lightness on the skin . It's a serum so it doesn't feel heavy. This one is for all skin types. Purely Age Defying Ultra Firm and Lift cream . I used this over the Herbal Recovery Gel and it felt hydrated without feeling heavy on my skin also. Again all skin types. Balancing Cleansing Lotion. This one was really nice as it wasn't greasy when you massaged it into your skin and when you rinsed it off the skin felt clean and soft. And this one turned out to be my favourite , Herbal Recovery Antioxidant Gel Mask. It has these strange white beads in the gel that you massage into your skin as you put the mask on. They are meant to release Vit E into the skin apparently . I left the mask on for half an hour instead of 10 mins (not sure if that's good or bad!) . When I rinsed it off my skin felt sooo smooth and it looked really radiant AND it still looked that way the next morning when I woke up. Will definitely keep up a supply of this one. Their products are available worldwide and their website has a list of all their stockists. I find that alot of companies talk their products up to perform miracles and then you're extremely disappointed when they don't give you the results you were expecting. Primers are something I think fall into that category. You put them on your face expecting them to enhance your skin and take away the tiredness and make the skin look spectacular before you layer on the foundation, only to find it looks exactly the same as it did before you used it. The 2 exceptions I have found are the primers above.....both doing quite different things but both leaving the skin looking great.
The Nars is called Skin Smoothing Face Prep and I have used it in one of my tutorial videos. It's not a liquid, it is more like a firm paste that I brush lightly over the skin with a foundation brush and it literally smooths out the surface of the skin and leaves it quite matt so that when you apply the foundation your skin looks flawless. I find it works really well on oily and mature age skin . It gives the skin a beautiful, soft look and is great for evening as it hardly needs any maintaining. The Laura Mercier Foundation Primer does the opposite and when you put it on the face, after you have moisturised and before you apply the foundation ,it gives the skin an evenness and a dewiness that is noticeable. This is great on normal to dry skin and also mature age skin when you want the skin to glow. I have also used it on young women on its own without a foundation to give that fresh healthy look to the skin and then lightly dust over a powder like Mac Prep and Prime just down the T-zone. Gives a great fresh natural look. I know these shoes have absolutely nothing to do with beauty , although they do beautify the feet and have a beauty of their own.... but I had to share them. They are from the Valentino 2013 collection and ever since seeing them on Pinterest I am completely lusting after them. They are to me, the most elegant, gorgeous , sexy shoes I have seen in a long time. Taking inspiration from an era when women were so well groomed and elegance was key. Just goes to show great design never goes out of fashion. Feeling the need to own a pair!
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About...I have been a makeup artist for over 20 yrs and am passionate about beauty and helping women to look the best they possibly can. I believe that women are beautiful at any age , and being older myself, am constantly on the look out for products that will help the skin retain its glow and beauty. From a very young age I have paid attention to my skin and have always gone looking for new, innovative - or even tried and true products that make a difference. I take inspiration from my friends and women I meet in my work. These women are the reason I started this blog , so that I can pass on my knowledge and help women to keep looking, and feeling amazing . I love finding new looks that inspire and you can adapt to your own style . I am also a mum with 3 boys which keeps my life very busy ... and never dull as anyone who knows me will attest to! All items posted on this blog are chosen because I have personally tried them and like them. I hope you find something here that you will love and will work for you. Archives
August 2017
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