Natural Eye Makeup Look

Hello Loves!

This is the natural eye makeup look I usually wear to work using neutral. It looks very put together without being overdone. It is the same eye makeup I was wearing at the end of my Foundation Routine Video. I just used the Coastal Scents Palette for eye shadow. MAC  Gel Liner. Mabelline XXL Mascara. And Covergirl Clump Crusher. Pretty simple look :)

Watch the Video Here

Can I Wear Makeup After Lasik Eye Surgery? LASIK Makeup Tips

Can I Wear Makeup After Lasik Eye Surgery?

The toughest thing about getting LASIK was not being able to wear eye makeup for a week and minimal makeup after that. I know. I know. Totally vain thing to think about, but let’s face it, it’s very difficult! I mean, we can’t be expected to woo our acquaintances if we make children cry with our hideous appearances. Okay, I’m being totally dramatic.

I had a lot of trouble finding post-LASIK makeup tips. So here are some basic suggestions to help you get through this difficult time in your life. 

Day 1 to 3: This is the time to hide out in your room. You cannot wear any makeup whatsoever. Not even foundation. Accidents happen. Your eyes are still prone to infection and you do not want to risk getting any makeup in your eyes. This is the worst of times and your life will be miserable. 

Day 4 to Day 7: Bring out the Sunglasses! You can wear foundation/concealer starting on Day 4. Focus on making your skin look flawless. Be sure to be extremely careful with application, your eyes are still very sensitive at this point. You cannot wear any eye makeup yet. Bring out your other features using blush or lipstick. Throw on a pair of huge sunglasses and no one will know you’re hideous. 

Now I know you’re going to ask, “Jackie, I work. How am I supposed to be at work indoors with sunglasses?” The answer is simple: just do it. Let your coworkers know why you're wearing them, at this time your new eyes might still sensitive to light.You might get some questionable glances but, who cares? 

Here are two pictures to give you an idea of the makeup looks you can pull off  

Balmain RTW Spring 2013 and Michael Kors RTW Spring 2013
Photos from Style.com

Day 8 to Week 4: Okay, so, you have managed to make it through the ugly week and can now wear minimal eye makeup. You must wear light makeup that can be removed easily. Anything waterproof is out of the question. It requires too much rubbing to remove. You don’t want a dislocated cornea. That is not fun. Now, some of you don’t need waterproof makeup. And I hate you all. My eye lashes do not stay curled with regular mascara. They just go back to being straight after applying mascara. Totally unproductive. Ugh, my life is miserable. So if you are like me this is what you need to do.

Step 1: Curl eyelashes in three places (Tip, Middle, Near lash line). Lightly curl the tip and middle. When you curl near your lash line be extra careful not to disturb your eye. Again, dislocated corneas are no fun. Curl near your lash line for about 10 seconds.

Step 2: CAREFULLY apply mascara to your lashes. Be sure to coat all your lashes.

Step 3: Add a second coat of mascara to make lashes appear fuller.

Step 4: Let lashes slightly dry. Once they are tacky press them up with your fingers to help it curl back up. DO NOT USE AN EYELASH CURLER for this part. Never curl your lashes with mascara on them, it will rip out your lashes no matter how careful you are. Keep doing this until your lashes are fully dry.

Highlight your brow bone using a light shimmer color. Keep eye shadow to a minimum. Do not use eyeliner. It is too close to your waterline and can cause infection. 

To remove your makeup, use something extremely gentle. Again, avoid rubbing your eye as much as possible. This is a general rule even after recover. Rubbing causes wrinkles and premature aging.  

Here a couple pictures to give you makeup ideas:

Gucci Fall RTW 2012 and Derek Lam Fall RTW 2012
Sytle.com

After Week 4: Congratulations! You no longer have to be ugly. Resume wearing makeup as usual. Continue being as gentle as you can when removing any eye makeup. 

Full Coverage Foundation for Acne Scars (Bronze, highlight, and blush included)

Hello Loves! 

So you all know by now that I still have acne scars. Below is a detailed overview of how I do my full coverage foundation to minimize their appearance. With this technique, the scars do not completely disappear, but their appearance is definitely minimized.

Products Used:

Mary Kay Concealer

Borguesse Concealer (3 color palette)

Mac Pro Longwear in NC 40

Wet n Wild Bronzer

Physicians Formula Highlight 

Coastal Scents Blush

Steps:

1. Apply a concealer in a lighter shade under eyes and along nose. Blend.

2. Cannibalize Sponge

3. Use cannibalized sponge to press foundation onto skin- this will allow the product to get into your skins and any crevices caused by scarring.

4. Apply Bronzer to areas where shade would naturally hit (Cheeks, temples, forehead, nose, jawline).

(Sorry Im not sure where this is from, otherwise I would tell source)

5. Apply highlight to areas where the sun would naturally hit (top of cheekbones). Do  not mix highlight and bronzer together. It will make your skin look muddy

6. Apply blush to the apples of your cheeks, between the highlight and bronzer

7. Use a large fluffy brush to blend in any hard lines

Skincare Update

Time for another skincare update! I am actually super excited for this update because of the amazing results I have been getting. I wish I had posted more frequently so I could have documented the gradual improvement in my skin. Oh well. What’s done is done.

New Skincare Regimen:

Day Routine:
1. Proactive Renewing Cleanser
2. Proactive Revitalizing Toner
3. Proactiv Repairing Treatment
4. Proactive Oil Free Moisture SPF 15

Night Routine: 
1. Proactive Renewing Cleanser
2. Proactive Revitalizing Toner
3. Anti Agint- Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Super Antioxidant Concentrate (With retinol)
4. Moisturizer-Paula's Choice Resist Anti-Aging Clear Skin Hydrator 

It has been about 6 months since I began using these products and I am absolutely satisfied with the results. They are not miracle products, six months is a long time and my skin is far from perfect. I am still totally happy with the results so far.

I have absolutely no new acne, and haven’t gotten any new breakouts in a while. I don’t even get hormonal breakouts. All I need to do is get rid of these scars! 

Skincare Update: Proactiv

Hi loves!

Here is a little update. I feel like I’ve tried a ton of products since I began my clear skin journey in April. I started using Proactiv on June 28^th. It is now July 25^th so it’s a little under a month since I started using these products. I used their 3 step system for oily skin and the oil free moisture. 

Although it’s not some miracle product, I am pleasantly surprised by how it has been working so far. I still have a lot of acne scars and hyperpigmentation to get rid of, but I definitely think my skin is improving!

Here are my before and after pictures:

 

MOISTURIZERS: Choosing the right moisturizer for dry, oily, combination, sensitive skin

Regardless of skin type, every person should be using a moisturizer if they want healthy skin. The term “moisturizer” can be a bit misleading because moisturizers do much more than add moisture to the skin; they also keep the skin healthy and looking young. All Moisturizers must be filled with ingredients that maintain skin's structure by reducing free-radical damage, reinforce the skin's barrier function, and help all forms of skin cells function more normally.

Ingredients can be categorized into five different sections: antioxidants, cell-communicating ingredients, skin-identical ingredients, and anti-irritants

HOW CAN I CHOOSE THE RIGHT INGREDIENTS?

All skin types need these things added to skin, the only difference would be the formulation (Lotion, serum, gel, liquid).

ANTIOXIDANTS-anti aging and keep skin healthy
Ingredients: alpha lipoic acid, beta-glucan, coenzyme Q10, grape seed extract, green tea, soybean sterols, superoxide dismutase, vitamin C (ascorbyl palmitate and magnesium ascorbyl palmitate), and vitamin E (alpha tocopherol, tocotrienols) to pomegranate, cucurmin, turmeric, etc

SKIN-IDENTICAL-“intercellular matrix” that keeps skin cells connected and help maintain skin's fundamental external structure. These include humectants, ingredients that attract water to the skin. Think of it as brick and mortar. When the mortar breaks down the skin becomes, flaky, inflexible and stiff.
Ingredients: ceramides, lecithin, glycerin, polysaccharides, hyaluronic acid, sodium hyaluronate, sodium PCA, amino acids, cholesterol, glycerol, phospholipids, glycosphingolipids, glycosaminoglycans, glycerides, fatty acids

CELL-COMMUNICATING-communicates to the skin how to act 'normal'
Ingredients: niacinamide and adenosine triphosphate
RETINOL- Vitamin A. One of the best cell communicating ingredients for the skin
Becomes retinoic acid when absorbed by the skin and tells the skin how to behave
Ingredients: retinyl palmitate, retinol, retinylaldehye
PEPTIDES- proteins made of long chains of amino acids. Help skin barrier repair, wound healing. Generally, peptides aren't stable enough to be effective because they are unstable when absorbed by the skin. However, they are useful as water binding agents
Ingredients: copper peptides, palmitoyl pentapeptide-3, acetyl hexapeptide-3, and neuropeptides.
ACETYL HEXAPEPTIDE-3- peptide primarily claims to be a muscle relaxant similar to botox. There is absolutely no research supporting this claim!

ANTI-IRRITANTS-allow skin to heal
Ingredients: allantoin, aloe, bisabolol, burdock root, chamomile extract, glycyrrhetinic acid, grape extract, green tea, licorice root, vitamin C, while willow, willow bark, willowherb, etc.

WHAT TYPE OF CONTAINER SHOULD I LOOK FOR?

Most effective ingredients in moisturizers deteriorate when expensed to sunlight and oxygen so they MUST NOT be packaged in a jar or clear container. The container should be an opaque, tube or bottle with a small opening to minimize air exposing

WHAT MOISTURIZER IS BEST FOR MY SKIN TYPE?

DRY SKIN- Serums and lotions are best for normal to slightly dry skin
Emolients are needed to provide the ability to keep moisture in
Ingredients: plant oils, mineral oil, shea butter, cocoa butter, petrolatum, and fatty acids (animal oils, including emu, mink, and lanolin (Lanolin is most like our own skin) riglycerides, benzoates, myristates, palmitates, and stearates. Silocones (siloxane)

OILY SKIN- Gels and Liquids are best for Oily skin
Look for water based or very light fluid or serum

COMBINATION SKIN- First, make sure your toner and cleanser are not causing the dryness. For combination skin it is best to apply two different products to your skin. Apply a product formulated for oily skin on your t-zone and apply a product for dry skin on your cheeks or dry areas.

DRY UNDERNEATH AND OILY ON TOP- If your skin feels dry underneath but is still oily you are using the wrong skin care products. Using an emollient cleanser, followed by an emollient toner and an emollient moisturizer can prevent the lower layer of skin from exfoliating, creating a thick, dry, flaky lower layer and a greasy layer on top. Drying cleanser, followed by a toner with irritating or drying ingredients, the applying an emollient moisturizer can create the same effect.

DO I NEED AN EYE CREAM OR NECK CREAM?

Good news! If you use a gentle moisturizer that is correctly formulated, this should be gentle enough to use for your eye area and neck. A well formulated moisturizer should be extremely gentle on your skin even if you have sensitive skin. As a result, you do not need to buy a separate product for your eye area. In fact, the concept of an ‘eye cream’ is largely invented in marketing as a way to get consumers to buy more products.

If you would like to learn more about choosing the right moisturizer for your skin I suggest reading The Original Beauty Bible by Paula Begoun

Journey to Clear Skin: 1 Month Update

Hey loves! Unfortunately my new skincare regimen did not help as much as I had hoped. I decided to start using high end products in hopes that I will see better results. I like the African Black Soap and will continue to use it. Although my acne has not cleared, I have noticed the rest of my skin become brighter. Here are some updated pictures of my skin:

 

I am going to stop using benzoyl peroxide. Aside from being a carcinogen, I did not notice any reduction in new acne. It did a decent job at clearing away old acne quickly, but new blemishes continued to come up. There is some research suggesting Tea Tree Oil as a safe replacement for benzoyl peroxide. I love using natural products as often as possible so I will be using this from now on.

I have added a retinol to my skin care regimen. I do not want to deal with excessive pealing so I am using an over the counter product (Philosophy Help Me!). Retinols clear skin by causing the top layer of skin to be constantly renewing itself. I now have a bunch of acne scars, which will hopefully be cleared up over time with continued use. Retinols are also some of the few products that have been scientifically proven to have anti-aging agents. Remember, it is always best to start using anti-aging products sooner rather than later!

I have also started using Origins Plantscription Anti-Aging Serum. And have switched moisturizers to Peter Thomas Roth Max Sheer SPF 30. Since I am using a retinol it is vital to use a moisturizer with a high SPF, this one is SPF 25. Using a higher SPF is also going to help prevent future acne scars.

Recap of Products I am Using:

1. Cleanser-Nubia African Black Soap

2. Retinol-Philosophy Help Me!

3. Acne Spot Treatment- 100% Pure Tea Tree Oil

4. Anti Aging Serum- Origins Plantscription Anti-Aging Serum

5. Moisturizer- Peter Thomas Roth Max Sheer SPF 30