Tag: skin care

The “no make-up” make-up look for realsies…

~ Emmie Reve ~ 1 Comment

Nobody wants to look like a hoochie mama, with thick make-up and colours layered all over the face.  When I was younger, I would wear a lot of make-up, and for some reason, it didn’t age me.  Now that I’m getting more experienced with make-up and looking at it on faces, I don’t think more is necessarily better.  What has been on all the runways, and make-up magazine these days is this minimal, natural, “no makeup look”.  Kind of athletic, and Plain Jane looking, but polished and slightly seductive (think bronzer, defined brows and a nude lip).  The ironic thing though, is that in reality, this “look” relies on tons of concealer, shadows, primers and heavy lipsticks…

runway fashion model close-up
runway fashion model close-up
j-lo also rocking the no make-up look. but we know she is probably wearing tons!
j-lo also rocking the no make-up look. but we know she is probably wearing tons!

As you can see in the photos above, this look does work.  The problem with the “no make-up” tutorials I’ve seen are that it kind of defeats the purpose of wearing less/no make-up, which is: 1) Speed (getting ready in record time is awesome for gals that like to sleep in).  2) Lightness (wearing heavy make-up, even for the illusion of “no make up” is still gunky feeling if slathered on). And 3) Doesn’t really look like “no make-up”, because it isn’t, far from.

I think the only way to truly have a no make-up look is with minimal and light make-up application.  During the day, I sometimes want a light make-up look, that looks better and more put together than no make-up, and also feels fun and low maintenance.  You know, in case I run into an ex-boyfriend during grocery shopping or something! 🙂 But yeah, to achieve this look, I think you really have to wear less make up, instead of adding more to give an illusion of less.  It helps if you take care of your skin and have naturally nice skin too, that is half the work.

3 kinds of make up needed daily:

1.  Mascara:  Omigosh, this is so important. Without it, eyes can look sleepy, even after 3 cups of coffee, and you are bouncing off the walls.

2.  Blush: I used to always skip blush when I was in college in my early twenties.  I used to think it looked weird on me to constantly be in a state of “flushed”.  But now I can see if done with the right blush colour, and using not too much, it actually looks quite natural and good!

3.  Defined brows!  Brows are most often over-looked by people who don’t wear a lot of make-up.  For some reason, having lightly defined brows, (filling them in with a powder colour) can make a huge difference over the whole look of your face.  It’s like a frame for your eyes, and gets people to look at them!

What can be skipped:

1. Lipstick.  I actually find lipstick to be kind of gross.  Not only is it filled with heavy metals and chemicals, it’s thick and messy to use.  It also dries out lips severely.  Since I stopped using lipstick, my lips never dry out and are in a happy state of pink!  I prefer a tinted lip balm if I want extra colour!

2. Foundation.  I like foundation/bb cream when it’s needed.  For more formal looks or for going out, and for work, it’s a necessity.  Set it with powder.  But for an errand day, I don’t think it’s necessary at all.  It dries out the face, and when used too thickly, looks cakey and can amplify fine lines.  On errand days, I cut it with face cream to moisturize and cover ever so slightly.  I set it with powder if needed.

3. Eyeliner/eye shadow.  The reason I skip this on light days is that overly defined eyes always look heavy and noticeably made up.  Eyes naturally have a way of defining themselves, with lashes, and also with the shape and natural shadow they produce.  Adding liner is not a must, and while it looks great for going out and photos, in daily life, it sometimes feels a bit much.

This is only blush, eyebrows and mascara with a touch of shadow. I did sneak in tinted moisturizer...
This is only blush, eyebrows and mascara with a touch of shadow. I did sneak in tinted moisturizer and tinted lip balm, but it’s still a really light application!  But it is enough!

Conclusion: While I love make-ups and different make-up looks, sometimes I actually feel wearing too much ages me a bit.  My skin has gotten more delicate and sensitive with age, and doesn’t seem to want to be a blank canvas for me to cover with loads of make-up as I did in my youth.  They were fun times but how about showcasing good skin to begin with?  How about less focus on covering up, and more focus face care options for clean and healthy skin?

Are there any make-up trends that you agree/disagree with?  What have you changed about your make-up routine as you grew up and changed yourself?

Give your face a winter break with a toning/moisturizing mask

~ Emmie Reve ~ Leave a comment
yay for simple ingredients!
yay for simple ingredients!

It’s really easy to neglect the face in the winter and rely on make-up to cover-up flaws, dullness and dryness of the skin.  During the winter, all I am in the mood to do is hibernate, even my social life takes a backseat.  Now that I know Valentine’s day is creeping up, and that my boyfriend wants to do something with me, I am forced to start making an effort at proper skin maintenance during these cold dark months of the year.  How does one rejuvenate mind, body and spirit during this time?  A vacation would be great, only my trip to Florida last month was a total disaster in terms of weather.  I got no sun at all during a week of uncommon rain and cold in what is supposed to be “the sunshine state”. So now back in freezing Toronto, I have to work at being fresh faced when I am actually far from.

This is where facials and face masks come into play.  I recently discovered the skin loving ingredient kaolin clay.  Kaolin is a white powder with which you can do many things.  It has a smoothing, absorbing effect when used in cosmetics, similar to talc, but it is all natural.  Make a DIY face powder with it, add it to your dry shampoo…use it to tone your skin in a mask.  For an easy face mask, I decided to use half a banana mashed with yogurt, then add a dash of honey, olive oil, and vitamin e oil.  Thicken with a couple of tablespoons of kaolin.  Better than Lush fresh face masks?  Definitely, it’s more gentle, and much more affordable.

At Home Facials:

Doing facials at home is great.  I find it much more convenient than going to a pricey spa.  It’s pretty easy, but it’s better to do this when no one is around or looking, cuz it looks kind of weird doing it in process.  But your face will thank you.

1. Cleanse your face with a mild face cleanser and exfoliate.  (I use a homemade face scrub with equal parts honey, olive oil, and sugar!)

2. Steam your face gently.  Boil about an inch of water in a pot over the stove.  Remove from heat once it boils.  Add some essential oils, or flower waters to the hot water.  Carefully put the pot on a table and lower your face just above it to receive the steam.  Keep it there for around ten minutes to open your pores and let out impurities and deep down dirt.  Rinse off with warm water/a gentle cleanser again.

3.  Apply your face mask thickly and evenly, avoiding your eyes.  Let it sit for at least 10 minutes.  Give it more time if needed.

3.  Rinse with warm water.  Pat with a warm, wet face cloth.

4.  Tone your face with a bit of rosewater/toner on a cotton swab.

5.  Moisturize with your favourite face cream.  

It seems like a lot of work, but your skin will thank you.  You will have smaller pores the next day, a more even skin tone, and a better glow to your winter ravaged skin!