Tag: skincare

Favorite must-have oils !

I want to quickly share with you my absolute favorite oils, that I use all the time, which are completely natural and organic. I took a bath last night and added some avocado oil to the water. Woke up this morning and my skin is still silky smooth. Slept with grape seed oil on my face, which I do once a week and ugh the results are refreshing. Woah, woah… Rubbing oil .. on your body? Eh, okay… but, on your face?! Sounds like a set up for disaster, right? Think again pretties. These natural, oil-based products help the skin stay balanced and have unbelievable results, once you try you’ll never go back. 

IMG_1877

Raw Coconut oil, not only good for you, but it’s one of my FAVORITE beauty treatments!

  • Great makeup remover including eye makeup
  • amazing hair conditioner… add some coconut oil to your hair after shampooing (avoiding your roots) wrap it in a small bun overnight, rise with cool water in the morning… say hi to your new beautiful, shiny, soft hair
  • Moisturizing mask for your face.. Perfect for winter time! Leave on for about 20 minutes and rise off … Instant hydration
  • Aftershave. Immediately calms and soothes skin.
  • Improves skin tone and reduced wrinkles
  • reduces appearance of stretch marks and reduces cellulite

IMG_1870

Grapeseed oil, found in health food stores. One of my favorite skin moisturizers. It absorbs quickly, and used a lot during professional massages/facials.

  • -High in antioxidants which helps fight free radicals from the environment that causes damage to the skin
  • -Another great eye-makeup remover. This oil breaks down mascara and moisturizes the eye at the same time.
  • -Makes eyelashes grow longer and stronger over time
  • -Protects collagen which is essential for beautiful, healthy skin.
  • -Anti-aging properties helping you fight off the aging process
  • -Helps repair scars

IMG_1869

Acocado Oil is such a pure, beneficial way to treat and nourish your skin effectively.

  • -Add to baths for soft skin
  • -Penetrates skin deeply making it an excellent moisturizer
  • -Protects against and reduces wrinkles
  • -Also helps heals scars
  • -Minimizes pores
  • -Contains a natural SPF
  • -Perfect use for mature skin
  • -Reduces blemishes

IMG_1868

Sesame seed oil is rich in antioxidants and pulls toxins from your skin.

  • -Prevents against blackheads
  • -Fades dark spots
  • -Great to leave on face overnight
  • -Antioxidant
  • -antibacterial
  • -Lather this oil onto your feet and wear clean white socks to help soften your feet
  • -natural barrier that protects skin and hair from smoke

Here is one of my favorite beauty cocktails 🙂

  1. 1/2 cup sesame seed oil
  2. 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar
  3. 1/4 cup water

This will make your skin GLOW! 

IMG_1876

Dr. Alkaitis Oil a calming, holistic facial oil sent to me to try & review. In LOVE with this oil, I use it every other night on my face.

  • -Cleans up blemishes
  • -Plumps up skin
  • -Leaves skin glowing
  • -All ingredients used are edible and 100% natural and organic.
  • -Refreshes skin
  • -Helps skin maintain a healthy balance

IMG_1872

Couldn’t do without my tea tree oil! I like to lather my face in tea tree oil and then steam my face. It opens up my pores and cleans everything out.

  • -Kills bacteria
  • -Antibacterial product that gets rid of acne
  • -Treats sunburn
  • -Reduces inflammation
  • -Organic and natural causing no side effects
  • -Helps dry skin, one of my main products in my shampoo!

IMG_1874

I officially replaced shaving cream with this extra virgin olive oil. Olive oils work as an intense moisturizer. I wouldn’t use this on your face because it can clog pores (it’s thick), but it is amazing for your body. Shave your legs with olive oil and you’ll see exactly what I’m talking about. This can relieve and heal dry skin, eczema and psoriasis. It soothes the skin and makes your legs feel silky smooth without feeling oily after shaving 🙂

Happy Friday! Off to do makeup this weekend.. Everyone have a great weekend!

me1

XO!

Signature

Advertisement

Product review

This past weekend consisted of my usual routine; Makeup clients, shopping, at home facials, more makeup, dinner dates with friends followed by a trip to NYC. As I strolled around this week, I can’t help but notice that everything is Christmas! I thought Santa visits the mall AFTER Thanksgiving? Guess not this year.. Oh, well I’m not complaining. After all, it’s the most wonderful time of the year 🙂 While shopping, I found myself in Victoria Secret per usual. As much as I’m in there shopping, I seem to forget they have a makeup line. I figured I’d purchase some products and test them out to see how I like them. I purchased the VS tinted moisturizer with spf 15, VS pro radiant FX face illuminator, and VS face powder Next to Nude.   

 

Lets start with the VS tinted moisturizer. I adore the packaging. It’s in a small squeeze tube, preventing it from squeezing too much product out. Putting it on my face this morning, it felt very lightweight. I applied it with my fingertips and lightly blended with a MAC brush. I love that is contains SPF 15 ! If your skin needs some coverage, then this product probably isn’t the best product to go with, only because it is so light weight and has only minimal coverage. It does however give your skin the overall appearance of a more even skin tone. I felt that my skin was smooth all day. This was only $15 ! Officially a fan 🙂

The Victoria’s Secret Pro Radiant Fix Face Illuminator reminded me a lot of NARS Orgasm Illuminator, which is great considering I bought the VS product for less than half the price of what I pay for Nars. It was a great highlighter that I patted on to the bridge of my nose, under my browbone and along my cheekbones. It gave me a nice glow and stayed set all day. To give your face a dewy angelic finish try mixing your liquid illuminator with your regular foundation and apply.

The VS illuminating face powder I also loved. I used it for an eyeshadow and with a small brush used it to go over my already highlighted areas on my face. I really am obsessed with highlighting the face. I want to do it to every client. Looks so good, and natural!!

 500 point perk at Sephora! Nars !

I really enjoyed this new makeup, mainly because it was LIGHT! You have to really be careful and choose carefully which makeup is good for your skin. The wrong makeup can make your skin or acne worse. Being a makeup artist I tell ALL of my clients this! People with less than perfect skin (including myself!) Can NOT use heavy foundation and oily concealers! Your skin will never clear up if your not using the right products for your face. The only time I’ve used heavy foundation and powders was for commercials or films I was working on. Every major makeup company now makes oil-free foundations! My favorite foundation to use on myself and for all my brides is Makeup Forever foundation. The MF HD Foundation is housed in a typical plastic bottle which comes with a pump that dispenses just the right amount of product. I find this foundation makes the skin soft  with a dewy finish. The coverage is pretty good for a liquid foundation – it covers  most imperfections such as fainted acne marks, freckles etc. It lasts about 5-6 hours on me looking fresh. Best of all it photographs very well. I will absolutely wear this is I’m going out, but on an every day basis I always use tinted moisturizer. My favorite concealer is Erase Paste by benefit. The tub of product is incredibly tiny for $26 (just .15 oz), but thankfully you only need a VERY tiny bit to get the job done, so this product lasts me a very long time! This concealer comes in three different shades: Fair, Medium and Dark  .. I use No. 2 Medium shade. It’s great for color correcting if you have dark under eye circles or a red pimple! It’s also a dream to blend. You can find both of these products at Sephora. For people with oily skin, use mineral foundations, it helps your skin become matte for longer.

Me & friends at brunch earlier , with some Knicks players in NYC. Here’s a photo of us and Ray Felton …

      I also want to share quick, that I purchased more Karuna masks. I’m really LOVING these!!! I highly recommend them, for an affordable, great at home mask. Hope everyone had a fabulous weekend ! Xo

   

Go for the glow!

Ah November, you are here and creeped up on me way too quickly. I can’t believe I find myself holiday shopping already! I started buying gifts and goodies for my girls. Oh, how I will miss summer dearly but can’t say the beginning of these crisp days and nights excite me. Every year when the weather turns cold, I find myself craving hot baths, hot showers, and of course hot tea. Sure it all sounds fabulous and feels nice, but I’m trying to refrain myself from doing so (besides the tea part!).  Let me tell you why. The hot water may feel amazing when it’s cold outside, and a great way for warming you up from this chilly weather, but it is an absolute NIGHTMARE for drying out your body and scalp. I’ve mentioned before in one of my previous posts that I used to suffer from psoriasis. I have to work extra hard to keep myself hydrated to avoid any dryness that can trigger dry skin and psoriasis. Hot water can suck the hydration right out of our bodies, leaving us with dry skin and dandruff. If you absolutely love taking hot showers like me, then here is a few pointers to keep yourself hydrated this winter!

–Exfoliate! Exfoliating helps the skin absorb products better, giving you a smoother appearance. The three most important things  you can do for your skin are clean it, moisturize it, and protect it from the sun. Exfoliation helps to deep cleanse your skin, which will help it retain more moisture and look fresher, younger and healthier. If exfoliating at home is just not enough then I definitely recommend having your skin polished at the spa! One of my favorite services to receive would definitely be microdermabrasion. I feel that it really improves skin texture and eliminates discoloration making your skin very even toned. Microdermabrasion also erases fine lines ! You want to make sure you go to a very reputable establishment before receiving this service. Your task should be performed by a licensed esthetician  or even a dermatologist. If you suffer from rosacea, I wouldn’t recommend getting Micro because it can leave your skin aggravated and cause redness. The micro process removes the very top layer of your skin, so some people’s skin will turn pink after for a short period of time. ( This doesn’t happen to me ) I like to get this done a couple days before a big event, leaving my skin polished and glowing. DO NOT go into the sun after getting Micro! Your skin will become easily irritated and more susceptible to sunburn. Regular removal of dead skin cells and surface impurities or exfoliation helps prevent excessive thickening of your skin which makes it look pasty and not fresh. EW! For my at home exfoliations I use Ole Hendricksen’s Walnut Complexion Scrub found at Sephora. I also LOVE Karuna’s exfoliating mask, which I use once a week. Use gentle circular strokes when exfoliating and don’t SCRUB or work on any area for too long because it will cause irritation. I exfoliate at home once a week. For your body you can use stronger scrubs and brushes. I use a loofah. I also love sugar scrubs. I exfoliate my body every time I shower and moisturize as soon as I get out so my whole body feels ultra soft. 

 Getting micro in this photo! I look like a mummy lol

–Moisturize within minutes of stepping out of the shower. People think the best time to hydrate is after your skin is dried off….wrong. The best time to lather on facial moisturizers and body lotions is when your skin is still slightly damp. Your body absorbs the product better and in turn you end up using less product then you normally would!

 Simply Bee-utiful Lavender Honey lotion.. All natural.. feels so good !

-For shampoos stick to brands without sulfates. Sulfate is not good for your scalp and very drying. A LOT of shampoos have sulfate. I use Onesta shampoo & Nature’s Gate shampoo which are both natural and sulfate free. 

–Argan Oil, grapeseed oil, avocado oil and sesame oil is my best kept secrets to smooth, soft skin…especially in the winter months. I mix a few drops into my body lotion, rub into my cuticles and layer on top of my moisturizer for added hydration.

    This oil is what I use to shave my legs 🙂 

There are many things to love about this time of year.. My birthday 😉 Thanksgiving, Christmas, crisp snowy mornings, holiday parties, festive lights, hot tea and cocoa, ice skating, jingle Ball, fireplaces with a room filled with lit candles, so much.  

 Jingle Ball’s After party last year with Redfoo

 My birthday last year.. dressed as batman lmao

 Ghetto fire place … haha we ran out of real fire wood

But unfortunately with these cold months ahead also brings on puffy eyes, headaches, runny noses, etc. So irritating to deal with, and takes a toll on your beauty routine as well. Make sure to take your vitamins, especially Vitamin C during these months, drink herbal teas, and keep warm. But here are some easy tips to help these beauty issues for the winter. 

 New tea cup 🙂

Puffy eyes? You need a soothing product to give them a quick boost. Bliss has some great eye treatments to help energize for an instant eye lift! Try fresh sliced cucumbers and frozen green tea bags for an at home remedy.  

Headache? Try an essential oil to dab on your temples, back of neck and under nose to inhale. I learned this at the spa. They usually do this before a massage. Also, eye pillows help! For an at home remedy drink apple cider vinegar mixed with a glass of water 😉
 
Dry, Raw nose?  Drink water! Also, Saline water is best natural remedy for dry nose. Saline nasal drops are available in pharmacy stores. Inhale steam, all you have to do is boil water in a bowl, once it has started to boil remove the vessel from the stove. Inhale the steam. The moisturizing effect of steam will help to relieve pain and dryness in the nose. It will also open the pores. 
 
Colds and sore throats? Sip on a cocktail of an immune-boosting squeezed lemon juice with warm water, ginger and raw honey (must be raw as this preserves healthful enzymes). Mix together one small tablespoon of raw honey with ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon. 
 
Increase your intake of healthy fats and oils this winter: avocado, coconut oil, olive oil, flaxseeds and oil, chia seeds, nuts, oily fish and fish oil!  Ok time to get ready for bed and catch up on my shows. Sorry for posting so late tonight, I had a surprise birthday dinner to attend for my favorite lady, Monica! Here are some photos below… Enjoy 🙂 
      
Another thank you card from one of my gorgeous brides 🙂
Hope everyone had a fabulous weekend! Xo