Toner is (almost) a Must Have!

This is almost a must do step before you sleep!

Have you ever tried using toner on a cotton pad after you thoroughly cleanse your face?
I almost guarantee if you use it all over your face, neck, decollete, ears, etc. you will have some residue left on your pad!

Currently I use ALBION Skin Conditioner Toner and it helps keep my skin super smooth, moisturized and clean.

Try it tonight with your toner and let me know if it works for you!

Skincare Must Knows about Makeup

So it’s the middle of Wedding season right now (yes I’ve been so swamped I haven’t had the chance to write up this tip sheet!) If you’re a makeup artist, a bride, bridesmaid, or a makeup/skincare fan you should definitely read this over to learn more about your skin and makeup.

If it’s one thing you should know……..

Makeup can cover any discolorations and color spots but one thing makeup cannot do well is – cover up texture.

Some may promise you the world and is selling you a dream but it just cannot do an amazing job at it. Unless the artist applies wax and latex over your skin and layer a ton of makeup over for you to look completely fake, it won’t do the job. It can only minimize a little texture.

Priming the skin can help and different formulas of foundation too but it cannot hide textured bumps, dry flakes or breakouts, especially in-person appearances.

Prepping your skin

1. Facials

Getting regular facial treatments (not the relaxing ones) by a good facialist will minimize any uneven bumps and textures and prevent any stressful breakouts on a face.
This makes your face ‘glow’ of radiance because it’s so smooth, supple, plump and healthy!

Makeup can enhance the beauty of your skin, but not to cover the beauty of it.


2. Keep your skin well hydrated by:

– drinking lots of water to flush toxins out (believe me this really helps)
– hydrating masks every so often when required to keep the face ‘plump’; Especially the night before your wedding!!
– NOTE: If you are oily you can still be dehydrated in the skin (lack of water) which doesn’t help the skin push the oil out of your skin if it’s dry and stuck to your pores. If there’s a lot of flaking and tightness it’s a sign of it. Look for scaly white thin sheets for signs of dehydration, especially right after you wash and dry your face.



3. Exfoliate! Exfoliate!

This is the step where you get rid of any flakiness and small bumps. You can use acid peels, mild peels, microdermabrasion treatments, and numerous other treatments. If you have sensitive and thin skin, stay away from any abrasive treatments like microdermabrasion and stick to mild to average acid peel treatments. Daily exfoliation can help too, I use the Clarisonic Mia to remove practically all my dead, dry skin.

Note: do not use abrasive exfoliation so close to your wedding date, do this at least a week before the day of if you’re doing a treatment like acid peel, microdermabrasion, etc.

Other than that, ask your professional if you have any questions! He/she should be able to answer any concerns for you. You may also email me at olivia.ha@gmail.com for any of your inquiries and hopefully I will be able to help you.

Looking Fresh in Sweaty, Hot Weather

I’ve been getting a lot of questions from clients on how to keep their skin looking fresh with the hot humid weather so here is your cheat sheet!

1. Cleanse.
Normal/Combination skin – Use a good cleanser, preferably a deep cleansing formula in the morning where you will remove any buildup of oil/sweat accumulated
Dry skin – stick to cream/oil cleansers that still deep cleans the face
Oily skin – gel/foaming cleansers
2. Tone.
Normal/Combination witch hazel is good for suppressing oil or any other toner, especially in the t-zone.
Oily skin Witch hazel all over
Dry skin Use a softening lotion on the skin instead or just your most oily areas if any.
3. Prime your face with a good mattifier cream/lotion in your most sweaty/oily areas. These are my favorite:
- Nurturing Force, Blot Out Offensive Cream
- Eve Pearl Mattifying cream – in light/med or med/dark
- Mary Kay Mattifying Lotion
4. Coverage. Use a tinted moisturizer, or a cream foundation applied sparingly

Tinted moisturizer – Good for most skin types. Lighter and usually absorbs/keeps oils better than feeling a thick layer. Most people only really require this coverage. Some formulas still keep the skin looking glowy and healthy.
Favorite: Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizers, good for normal, combination, oily
Tip: For extra ‘glow’ mix a drop of shimmer lotion into the moisturizer and apply it on dry/dehydrated skin, not recommended for oily skin.

If you have blemished skin:
- Use a tinted moisturizer and cover blemishes with concealer afterward

Cream foundation – Absorbs the oil for people that need coverage (discolorations/uneven skin/porous skin) and just looks dewy rather than separated.
Favorite: Cinema Secrets Foundation

5. Color Makeup
Blush Go for creams, or you can also layer ontop powder for it to last longer
Favorite: MAC Creme blushes
Eyeshadow Go for cream shadows + layer it with powder for extra staying powder
Favorite: MUFE cream shadows + MUFE eyeshadows
Lipstick
Go for lipglosses! they’re more ‘youthful’ and less formal for the summer, requires less touch-ups as well.

6. Seal
Drier skin – Liquid seal
You can spray on a layer of makeup sealer to keep your makeup in place.
My favorite is Cinema Secret’s Makeup Sealer
Oilier skin – Dry Seal
Apply powder all in areas that will move, or get oiled/shiny. (t-zone, under the eyes, on eyelids)

You can do both liquid + seal or one or the other

My personal routine is:
1. Powder Cleanser
2. witch hazel
3. Primer
4. Tinted Moisturizer
5. Cream blush
6. Waterproof mascara
7. cream liner
8. eyeshadow ontop
9. powder lids
10. spray on liquid set
11. powder t-zone
11. lipgloss

Voila!
The result should be dewy, beautiful fresh looking skin.

Belly Fat 101

Stubborn belly fat that seems to never go away even on how much you eat, exercise? If you understand why it’s there in the first place it makes things easier.

Our genes tell our bodies where to store the fat but there are a few lifestyle changes you can do at home and at the gym that can help change where it’s stored.

Target 1 : Abdominal Fat

Also known as visceral fat, indication of hormonal disturbance.

When you’re stressed, cortisol naturally increases and lowers insulin. It causes the body to want sugar in order to replace insulin levels, then you want to eat carbohydrates. It’s a ripple effect that makes you want to eat sugar, starch every time you experience stress.

Exercise

Aerobic work
It has been proven to increase cortisol so skip the elliptical and focus on interval and circuit training.
Ex: Sprinting and high intensity work outs.

Diet

Daily fish oil supplements do help stabilize the cortisol/insulin balance. Make sure your brand supplies over 150 milligrams of EPA and DHA for every 2 softgels. More about EPA and DHA
A recommendation is one with a lunch and one with dinner. At the end of the day you will sleep your stress away.

Target 2: Love Handles

As known as the suprailiac part of the body. If it’s clearly defined you are probably suffering from insulin resistance. Carrying extra weight on your sides is a sign that your insulin levels are too high and your glucose metabolism may be impaired. Either your body is reactive to sugar or you’re eating too much of it.

Love handles are a way of showing you’re at an increased risk of diabetes and heart disease.

Exercise

Strength training will increase the number and size of insulin receptors in your body.

Diet

To help stabilize yourself, limit your sugar intake and increase your protein. An ISO-Whey can help keep your carbohydrates in check. Increase your fibre intake as well.

Take love handles seriously as they’re not just there to squeeze.

Other Helpful Methods

Diet

1. Limited sugar

This helps you lose the stubborn belly fat.

It is the single most critical ingredient to keep control over the inches off the waist. To lose body weight you just need to burn more calories than taking in while maintaining a daily calorie deficit but we’re talking about the gut here.

By cutting out sugar you decrease the calories you eat because Calories come with sugar. Remember, fruits have sugar in it as well.

Limit your sugar intake to no more than 30g per day. If you want more of a challenge afterwards, limit it to 20g.

You will see the difference you make by your commitments just by reading labels and following your goal.

2. Foods to Limit

No bread, alcohol, carbonated drinks (and diet ones), no fried foods, limit sugary drinks even juice, and keep your coffee black.

Substitute anything you can for water, even milk for anyone determined to lose belly fat.

Summary

If you approach your diet with the same determination as your intense exercise routines you will start to melt it all away!
Keep your mind on your goal when you are tempted to otherwise. Think about how great you’ll feel with your new achievement and you look good and feel good

Part 2. Toners – Combat Dry Skin!

The second part to combating dry skin is in the Toners you use!

Toners are excellent in giving essential nutrients to the skin as well as the second reassurance step in removing any left over impurities.

You can use self made toners such as:

1. Rice powder toners – One of Asian women’s secret thousands of years ago was to wash the face with rice powder. Softens and silken the skin.

You can make this by purchasing organic rice powder or purchasing online at coastalscents. One pound for only $5.50 USD

2. Rose toner - Anti-septic, anti-bacterial, anti-viral, antispasmodic, aphrodisiac, poor circulation, sensitive skin, eczema, softening the skin, evening out the skin and x100 more purposes
Using distilled water and a tiny clean container, dilute the water with rose essential oil. Use a cotton pad to apply over the skin to further aid in it’s healing properties.

OR Make your own toner with your chosen essential oil’s properties.
I personally favor rose because of the 100s of properties it offers but so does many essential oils such as lavender being the most diverse.

3. Egg white toner
Leave on egg white toner for 15minutes and then wash off when it starts to tighten. You can do this 2-3 times a week. Temporary firms too, this helps strip off any flakiness of dry skin.

4. Witch Hazel
Excellent for those with acne prone skin, oily skin and sensitive, irritated skin. (Especially from the cold.)

5. Milk + Egg + Honey
Leave on as desired, 1 tblspn each ingredient and wash off and dry with a towel.
Milk reduces any irritants in the skin with softening and moisturizing properties
Eggs are very nutritious and full of vitamins
Honey is a natural humectant, retaining moisture in the skin, natural antioxidant and mild UV protector.

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With these tips you should be already half way to smoother, suppler and beautiful skin (that’s winter proof!)

Next, Part 3. Home-made Moisturizers & Other Moisturizers – Combat Dry Skin!

Part 1. Cleansers – Combat Dry Skin!

Excellent as there is no fragrance, additives and harsh chemicals to strip all your natural oils and moisture. Dermatologist recommended and made even for those with the most sensitive skin. Great value and price on your wallet! You can pick this up at the local WalMart store.

Chapped lips! What should I do!

Got a pimple? Home remedies to zap it!

So my friend kindly asked me today how I could help her get rid of her pimples that have evolved from stress. I want to share this with those who have the same problem and keep you looking beautiful!

What to apply to make that zit go away!

1. Polysporin:

bactericide/topical antibiotic and other topical over the counter bactericide you can purchase at your local pharmacy ARE effective in killing and reducing bacterial numbers. Make sure you read the label if it’s compatible and follow the directions accordingly.

2. Essential oils:

Tea Tree oil.

You can purchase this at your local health food store, pharmacy, body shop has one, online etc.
Most brands are good because essential oils are so effective.
Aim for undiluted so you can control the consistency.

Any bactericide home essential oil is perfect for healing up your pimple. What I personally use to keep my skin clear.
Ex: tea tree oil, peppermint, rose, lavender etc.
- dilute the essential oil because you never can apply it directly to the skin, it can irritate it. Dilution % varies between each manufacturer (except for lavender – the only one that can be applied directly)
- mix a tiny bit to your moisturizer if it’s pure essential oils, a tiny drop of both will do.

You can try topical forms of essential oil that you can get at the pharmacy as well:

Worked for almost everyone I know because of the tea tree oil properties.

Hope these two remedies work, for if in case you should stock up on these items, they’re multi-purpose so the next time you swing by your local pharmacy maybe you should pick it up – if in case!

Now you can have pimple-free, beautiful skin.

(3. If you’re still scared of it, seek a professional to extract it for you, never do this yourself! You can really worsen it or worse case cause a scar!)