Tuesday, June 26, 2012

A Great Skincare Routine

So I know that in this fast and furious day and age, having a proper skin care routine seems like more of a job than a priority. But most of us also don't realize how important it really is! We can brush our teeth twice a day, so why not spend an extra 5 minutes taking care of something that we can never replace?!

First, you need a good cleanser. Personally, I usually have 2. My first cleanser is a very gentle one essentially responsible for removing my makeup. My gentle cleanser of choice is Bare Mineral's Purifying Cleanser. It hydrates the skin, melts your makeup and is super soft. A cheaper solution is Cetaphil, found at most drug stores. My second cleanser is to fight my acne. I was given the Dermadoctor Ain't Misbehavin' acne fighting cleanser that has an abundance of salicylic acid to kill the bacteria that causes acne.

This next step is optional. I use a toner, also by Dermadoctor, called Litmus Test. For those of you don't know the purpose of a toner, it helps to regulate the PH level of your skin. This toner also helps to minimize pores, keeps your skin looking young, and is also soap, fragrance and oil free. But please make sure that your wear at least SPF 15

My serum of choice is the DDF Wrinkle Resist Pore Minimizer. Thus far, I'm in love with this product mainly because it helps to regulate the oil production in your face. It also acts as a really nice primer. The main downfall to this product is that it's so expensive. For 1.7 oz, this product costs a staggering $85. Reviews on Ulta.com indicates that it's a pretty popular product overall, so perhaps it's very much worth the money.

Moisturizer is an essential part of your skin care routine. I know that a lot of people with oily skin are thinking that they can't use moisturizer because it will make them more oily, but to the contrary. When you don't moisturize your skin, your skin becomes dehydrated which causes it to produce more oil than necessary. Personally, I have 2 moisturizers, one for day and one for night, but if you can find to suit you for both, I definitely encourage it. The ones that I use are the Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel and the Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion. The gel is for daytime as it's light weight and doesn't make you oily and the lotion is for the night time as it's heavier and more hydrating.
I know that seems like a lot, but you have to personalize your skincare to fit your needs. You don't have to follow my map to a T, and believe me, I'm not always faithful to it either. But as long as you follow a skincare routine the majority of the time, you're heading in the right direction.

Just a reminder, I will be hosting my Makeup Seminar on August 4 @ 2pm. Location is TBA. The price is $35. You can check out the seminar in the link above. 

And as always, if you have any questions/comments/complaints/requests, leave a comment!

Saturday, June 23, 2012

Makeup Seminar: Everyday Women


So for those of you who are not linked to my Facebook page (which you should be), I am hosting a makeup seminar for the everyday woman. You will learn how to apply makeup to impress your co-workers, strangers and even the cute guy you've been drooling over. Each guest will leave with an information packet and a goodie bag with deluxe samples, pamphlets, business cards, etc. There will also be hors d'oeurves and drinks available.

The cost? A mere $35.
The seminar will be held on Saturday, August 4 at 2-3:30 pm.
Location: TBA, Houston, TX

The person that brings or refers the most guests will receive a basket of free makeup and a voucher for a free makeup application*. 

So share the good news!

To reserve your seat,  please select Makeup Seminar from the drop box and check out. I accept all major credit cards.
Services


Women and men alike are allowed in attendance. No children allowed under the age of 12 allowed.

*Travel fees still apply.

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Urban Decay 24/7 Eye Liners

 Since the young age of 14, I have been on the hunt for the perfect eye liner. And believe me, I have tried EVERYTHING! From Maybelline to Wet n Wild to NYX, nothing has worked on my oily skin that makes everything crease.

I, myself, love liquid liner. I love the way it looks and it tends to stay on longer. It's also easier to make a more precise cat eye.

And then my wonderful hunny bought me a Sephora gift card so I could splurge guilt free. And on my shopping spree, I once again went on the hunt for the perfect liquid liner. And then I re-discovered Urban Decay. I'd bought the mini cream pencil kit for Black Friday and had fallen in love, so I figured I'd try the liquid liners.

To date, these are the smoothest most long wearing eye liners I have ever used. Whether it's the liquid or cream liner, I cannot get enough.

As always, if you have any questions/comments/complaints, or if you just want to leave some love, comment below :)

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Favorite Foundations

In my day, I've worked with a lot of foundations, so here is a list of my favorites that I've worn and that I've used on others.

Liquid Foundations:

Makeup Forever HD Foundation - $42

I kept hearing about the Makeup Forever HD Foundation while I was in Los Angeles. I was even tempted to buy it, but like a good poor student, I waited. So as a birthday present to myself (after I was finished with school), and to date it is my favorite foundation. It looks amazing, it's extremely light weight and people just assume that my skin looks amazing rather than that I pack on the foundation. Unfortunately we don't sell it at Ulta, or it would always be sold out. The only down fall is that it does make you a little bit more oily, but if you find a good mattifier, you should be okay.


Napoleon Perdis China Doll Foundation - $50

The China Doll foundation has its name for a reason. It's medium to full coverage, oil free and SPF 15. There's also a lot of skin care benefits in all of the Napoleon Perdis products. There aren't many colors, but the colors that they do have are really nice. And actually, if you have a hard skin tone to match, I generally go to Napoleon first because the colors are extremely wearable. You don't need a powder to set it, but if you have oily skin, I'd go ahead and dust some on just to absorb the excess from your T-Zone. To me the only downfall is that it's expensive. But from what I understand you don't need a primer, so in the long run, you're actually saving money.

Smashbox HD Foundation - $38

So I know this is like a conflict of interest, but I do love this HD foundation as well. Mind you, I don't love it as much as the Makeup Forever one, but perhaps I'm just bias. It does give pretty good coverage and it goes only relatively evenly, but you have to be taking good care of your skin in order to get the best wear out of it. Moisturize, prime and perfect are the steps for achieving perfect application. To me those steps have become second nature, but for the woman that hasn't perfected this _____ yet, perhaps this isn't the foundation for you. The last things is that Smashbox has a ton of colors and undertones, so no matter what, the expert you're working with should be able to match you!

Powder Foundations:
Benefit Hello Flawless Powder Foundation - $34

Let me just tell you how awesome this foundation is. It's easy and compact and it gives better coverage than some liquid foundation. It's a good touch up powder if you use a fluffy brush (one is included when you buy the powder). It's great if you're in a hurry or always on the go. It also has SPF 15 which is nice. And a wide variety of colors! I really don't have much to say about it expect that it is just great!

As always, if you like what you see, please leave a comment. And if you have any requests/questions/complaints, feel free to let me know.

Until next time!

Monday, June 18, 2012

My Favorite Mascaras


For those of you who may not know me, I work at Ulta Beauty in the
Prestige (more expensive cosmetics) Department. So I am lucky enough to be able to get a discount and even better, lots of gratis. In that time, I have learned A LOT about mascaras! So I wanted to share my experience with all of you.



I actually discovered this first mascara during Black Friday last year and it is the Tarte, Lights, Camera, Lashes! The packaging is sort of weird, but don't let it fool you because it is amazing. It quickly became my favorite. It volumizes and lengthens the lashes without getting all clumpy and nasty.





This next mascara is from a company that loves to party. The Bag Gal lash mascara has quickly become a consumer favorite. I happen to have this mascara in my kit and I have yet to receive a complaint. It has a great brush and it really volumizes the lashes.


And for those of you who don't have the money to spend on a $20 mascara, Maybelline The Falsies mascara. I got a bad taste for this mascara when it first launched a couple of years ago. I got an eye infection after using the waterproof one, but it turns out I had become allergic to my contact lenses. Any way, it is an excellent mascara for less than $10.

I hope you enjoyed my review. If you're reading this entry, please leave questions/comments/complaints.

Obsessed


For those of you who don't know, my name is Emily and I am obsessed with all things fashion. From fashion magazines, to Fashion Police, to makeup, I am obsessed.

I'm a makeup artist based out of Houston, TX. I formed Emily M Makeup Artistry in 2011 while attending Makeup Designory and then it became Emily M Event Services, as I now offer event coordinating services as well.

My goal is to spread awareness of beauty and fashion. Please join me!

Monday, June 4, 2012

My first posting!

This is my look from yesterday. I love a purple smokey eye :)

There is a bit of a cut crease with some black.