Ten Commandments of Makeup Application and Care

Hey lovely FACE FIRST Followers!

I am SO excited to be writing my first blog .  I believe that although beauty is in the eye of the beholder, there still exists, a set of specific commandments to follow in both makeup application and properly caring for your skin. With a million and one cosmetic brands to choose from you should always stick with what works for you.  So put your best face first, and take a look at my list of ten makeup commandments. I guarantee your skin will thank you!


Commandment 1: 


Thou shall wear suncreen.  The best anti aging cream on the market is sunscreen.  Wear it daily.  Sorry my southern ladies; but when it comes to beauty, sun is your enemy, not your friend; it is the primary reason that skin wrinkles and develops skin cancer. The primary factor of maintaining your skins radiance and healthy appearance rely on the daily use of sunscreen. The 'baking bare less' at the beach era is so 1980 Baywatch.

FaceFirst Fave: Dermalogica Cleanstart welcome matte spf15

Commandment 2:  

Thou shall take the time to find the right color of foundation for your skin. If your face is a completely different shade than your neck, odds are you didn't choose wisely. Let's be honest, trends come and go as far as lipstick shades, eye shadow, and polish, but the foundation remains the same. Go out of your way to makeup counters to choose the right shade and formula that works with your skin. Bring your compact so that you can try on a shade and walk outside to see the color under real, natural light, which is best. When you have a great base for foundation you can go inexpensive with hot and trendy shades on your eyes and lips to update your look anytime.  I will have a separate blog review on different foundations I've been testing.

  

FaceFirst Fave: Here's one that I'm using now and LOVING:

Nars sheer matte foundation

Commandment 3: 

Thou shall not use too much bronzer. Of course the cast from Jersey Shore would disapprove, but REALLY, adding too much bronzer ages you – tacking on additional years.  This is tough in winter because everyone seems to miss their sun-kissed glow.  There is STILL away to embrace your more fair winter skin while adding a dewy, warm glow. I will embellish more on bronzers during a later blog, but I'll leave you with my go-to, matte finish bronzer.  

 

FaceFirst Fave:

 

smashbox bronze lights in suntan matte

 

 

 

 

 

Commandment 4:

 

Thou shall drink plenty of water to maintain you skins natural glow and overall well being. Doctors recommend the daily intake of 8 glasses of water per day, and I believe you should push the envelope a bit and make it an even 10. Get all cray cray and add lemon or cucumber! Cheers!


Commandment 5:

Thou shall remove all makeup before bed at night! Seriously, the raccoon super-star eye in the morning is not hot, and I guarantee that you'll have even more problems once your pores become clogged from debris and oil. I RARELY go to bed without cleansing, toning, and moisturizing my face. BUT on the occasional, "I just want to pass out" night, to make this task simpler, try Noxzema's new Clean Moisture Makeup Removal Cloths that even rid eyes

of waterproof mascara! Now you really don't have an excuse!

No Excuses now!

 

Commandment 6:

Thou shall exfoliate regularly. Whether you are an oily, dry, or combination skin type, exfoliating is a must if you want your skin to look its best. By ridding the skins surface of dead skin cells, you'll reveal a bright, luminous complexion that will have strangers asking you for your best kept skin care secret! There are various ways to exfoliate, but I recommend Epicuren Apricot Scrub. For an inexpensive alternative, St. Ives Apricot Scrub is very affordable and will give you a smooth, exfoliated finish.  

Commandment 7:

Thou shall blend your eye shadow. An ultimate pet-peeve of mine is seeing a glob of eye shadow on a gorgeous palette that lacks symmetry. If you love to wear multiple eye shadows, it is essential that you buy an eye shading brush to mix all of your colors together. For carefree blending, try the M.A.C Blending Brush.

This brush is a life saver!  

Commandment 8:

Thou shall not line your lips with extreme dark shades. The dark purple lip liner with bright pink lip gloss is an ultimate cosmetic sin. If you're having a hard time choosing a lip liner, the rule of thumb is to choose a color that is no darker than two shades of your natural lip color (with the exception of red). If I can distinctly see your lip liner drawn on your lips, then we have a problem. Cosmetics should be fun. It is a new lipstick color, not a freaking tattoo! Try something different, play around, if it doesn't work out, take it off! 

Try a Bobbi Brown lip liner in beige - a shade that compliments most complexions.

Commandment 9:

THOU SHALT NOT see pictures of models --who spend two hours getting their hair and makeup done and another two hours posing while the photographer and a team of assistants determine the most flattering lighting, after which the resulting picture goes through a battery of digitally enhanced touch-ups and adjustments-- and believe you will get the same (or even similar) results from using the products being advertised. Do not be seduced by every new promotion, new product, or new product line that the cosmetics industry creates.  Getting to know you're skin type and tone and facial structural features you will be able to find products that are perfect for YOU!  Don't be discouraged...beauty comes from the confidence from within.  Start here and the glow will come :)

Commandment 10:

Thou shall have fun with your makeup! If you're worried about not applying your makeup correctly, it's OK. It takes practice to master tricks of makeup artists, and the good news is that you can wash it right off if you make a mistake. So take a deep breath, and have a good time! You'll be surprised at the inner artist that exists within!


Hope these help :)  Lots more information to come.  Comment on specific questions you may have.


Until next time --


XOXO Sabra