Reader's Request: Pre-makeup routine

This post is for Sulli, who requested that I do a post on how to put moisturizer and sunblock before makeup. I hope you find this post helpful! Anyway, let's start talking about the CTM routine. Just so we get everything straight, CTM stands for cleanse, tone and moisturize! So let's get started.

Cleanse. Of course, it's best to put makeup on a clean face. Slather on your favorite facial wash. Just make sure that it's right for you and your skin type. For myself, I use Cyleina Black Pearl Soap, Cyleina Rice Bran Soap or Skintel pimple soap.

Tone. Toning is an extra step but it gives your skin added benefits. Likewise, know the type of toner that is right for you. For dry to normal skin, choose a toner that's very gentle and make sure that it's alcohol-free. For oily skin, some people prefer to use astringents. Again, it all depends on each person's skin. When applying toner as a pre-makeup routine, apply it in a DOWNWARDS motion. Why? Applying upwards will make the pores more visible and will make the hairs stand. The toner I use is Dickinson's Witch Hazel. It's alcohol free but still helps clean my face. Make sure that the face is already dry before proceeding to the next step. If you'd like to apply a face serum, you can do so after this.

Moisturize. I recommend that everyone should use a moisturizer regardless of the skin type. I have REALLY oily skin but I still use moisturizer twice a day. It really helps makeup glide on your skin. And besides, putting makeup tends to make dry spots more obvious so it's best to moisturize those spots before putting on makeup. As always, apply moisturizer in a downwards motion for the reasons I mentioned above. Be sure to choose one that's non-greasy and non-comedogenic. In my case, I use Leyende Face Canvas.

Sunblock? It's not part of the CTM but I recommend that you slather one on. If you do, apply it BEFORE moisturizing and wait for the face to dry before applying moisturizer. Just note that a lot of sunblocks give off a whitish cast that's why some MUAs recommend not using one during shoots. Personally, though, I can never leave the house without putting sunblock. Too lazy? Choose a moisturizer that has SPF protection already. Just make sure that it has UVB protection too!

Now we can begin our makeup routine. But wait! There is still something that you can slather on: a primer! A primer can help makeup last longer as well as blur imperfections and control the oilies. People with dry skin can opt to skip this step. For people with combination skin, you can choose to just apply primer in the oily areas. However, for people with oily skin (especially me since I'm a greaseball) I'd recommend using a primer on the whole face especially if you notice that your makeup tends to slide off during the day.

I hope that this post was helpful. I'm on to a very busy week! I'm hoping that I'll still have time for blogging. Ciao!

Save or Splurge?

Are you budget-conscious like me yet you want good quality makeup? Well then, you're just like me. I do a lot of reading about saving vs. splurging so I hope that my own version will help other people like me in choosing which products they can save on and products that need a little splurging. Of course, if you can afford to splurge in all types of makeup, then no one is stopping you :P

Let's begin.

Foundation. Splurge. Your face is your canvas, so look for one that will make your face as flawless as possible. It should be long-lasting, non-streaky or cakey, and will give you a "your face but better look.

Concealer. Splurge. I hate to be the one to say this, but when it comes to concealer, the more expensive brands to seem to work better than drugstore brands most of the time (not all of the time!). Look for something that will give good coverage, long-lasting and is not cakey.

Eyeshadow. Save. Here's a tip: buy in palettes. That way you get more value for money. Besides, if you're not a makeup artist, it's quite unlikely that you'll be able to consume one whole pot before it expires. But if there are some shades that you use almost everyday, then buying a whole pot is a good idea.

Eyeliner. Splurge. Especially for me since I have REALLY oily lids, I need something that will stay put the whole day!

Eyebrow pencil/powder. Save. I do believe that you can save on this because a lot of inexpensive brands seem to do the trick.

Mascara. Save. Since mascaras have the shortest life span among makeup items, it's a good money-saving tip to buy inexpensive ones. I believe that there are inexpensive mascaras that work well.

Blush. Save. There are inexpensive blushes that have good pigmentation, have a good finish and are long-lasting.

Lipstick/Lipgloss. Save. I'm not an expert on trad lippies, since I only use mineral lippies, but I've read that there are some good inexpensive lippies out there. Besides, even the high-end lipglosses can have that sticky feeling that I hate.

Finishing powder. Save or splurge. If all you're looking for is good oil control, then you can find it in inexpensive powders, but if you're looking for a pretty finish as well, I think the more expensive ones give a better dewy-but-not-glittery look.

Well, I hope I've helped some of the budget-conscious! I'm not saying that you SHOULD save on the items I've mentioned, I'm saying that you CAN save on these if you want or need to. Although, I know how fabulous makeup makes us makeup addicts happy!

Any reactions or comments? Leave me a note :P

Tips from a Book

Look at what I found lying around the house!

Although it's an old book, it's still interesting. I'd like to show you an interesting section on eyeliner styles that could be of some help:

I labeled the illustrations to show you what's being referred to:

1. natural eye
2. daytime and more dramatic
3. evening and special occasion look
4. exotic eye

Here's my favorite section:

These are illustrations of shading and highlighting. The page on the left is for highlighting, the white parts are the highlighted parts. The page on the right is for shading, with the gray parts as the shades areas. These illustrations are easy to follow. HTH!

You can click on the picture to see be able to read what the page better.

I went swimming the other day. It's my first time in 5 years! So my skin has tanned. I think my face is going back to its original color but my body has still the same color. The side of my mouth is red though :( I don't if it's because I forgot to put sunblock there or it got irritated from the chlorine :( I'm putting emu oil on it and it's getting better though.

10 Cheap Ways for Younger, Healthier Skin

Okay, I'm no beauty expert but I'd just like to share these tips with you. Some of you might think, duh! but actually, because these tips are really common sense that we forget to do these. You won't get the best results out of expensive face creams and procedures if you don't do these very basic tips:

1. Keep your skin hydrated inside and out. To keep your skin hydrated from the inside, drink lots of water (the recommended number of glasses is 8). To keep your skin hydrated from the outside, use moisturizer. Despite my extremely oily face, I still use moisturizer at night to prevent my face from looking shiny. The key is to find the right type of moisturizer for your skin type. Also, on hot days, I spritz my face midday with a facial mist to keep my skin hydrated.

2. Take vitamins and other antioxidants regularly. There are a lot of inexpensive vitamin brands out there. Good food supplements help our bodies stay in working order. Antioxidants fight free radicals which cause damage to our bodies and of course, our skin. Free radicals, of course, are one of the aging factors. For healthy skin, a basic and important vitamin to take is Vitamin E. For those with oily skin like me, there are water-soluble forms of Vitamin E out in the market.

3. Eat lots of fruits and vegetables. The best source of nutrients are still the natural way, through fruits and vegetables. Remember in grade school? Our teachers taught us the 3 types of food: Go, Grow and Glow. Fruits and vegetables are Glow foods. Reduce your intake of processed foods.

4. Use sunblock. UV rays are one of the most damaging elements to our skin. A daily application of sunblock with at least SPF 30 is a must. Also, make sure your sunblock has both UVA and UVB protection. Aside from applying sunblock on your face and body, don't forget other areas such as eyes, ears and lips. I used to have a problem (and still slightly do) of having a darker eye area than the rest of my face because I place sunblock on my face but not in my eye area.

5. Use protective gear. When I mean gear, I'm not talking of boots, raincoats and stuff! I'm talking about caps, umbrellas and shades. When you're out in the sun, it benefits you to use other means of protection to supplement your sunblock. I'm known as the girl who always has an umbrella, rain or shine. Also, wearing shades during a hot day prevents squinting, which in turn, prevent lines.

6. Treat your eye area with care. Resist the urge to rub your eyes when they are itchy, as our delicate eye area is really prone to wrinkles. Also, put on eye makeup gently. Avoid tugging your skin.

7. Don't smoke. Everyone knows the damage smoking does to the body, and since our skin is the largest organ in our body, the effects of smoking are also very visible to our skin. Also, not smoking is no use if you're constantly exposed to second-hand smoke. Try to avoid places and situations with a lot of smoke.

8. Wash your face after being exposed to "the elements." When coming from a long, smoky and dusty commute home, I always wash my face right away to prevent further damage from the free radicals on my face.

9. Get lots of sleep. Your face shows if you had a restful sleep or not. Plus, a good night's sleep is preparation for the day ahead. Experts recommend 8 hours of sleep a day, but I find that I function my best after 9 hours of sleep. Of course, I don't always have the luxury of having that much sleep all the time.

10. Don't be stressed. Like the commercial says, "Stress can make you look and feel old." It's true!

and lastly, SMILE and stay happy! That's the best thing you can do to your skin.