After working at a makeup counter for three years, I've learned and have taught myself a lot of information when it comes to correct beauty and hair care! Below are five of my favorite tips to tell my clients about:
1. It all starts with your skin!
The base of your skin is most important when applying makeup. Having a skin care regimen is extremely crucial to keep your face hydrated, especially for summer! There are three steps to skin care: cleansing, toning and moisturizing.
Get a good cleanser that works for your skin. For example, if you are acne prone, get cleansers with Salicylic Acid and Benzoyl Peroxide, both help fight off blemishes and acne-causing bacteria. If you have dry skin or oily skin, make sure to get a cleanser that works best for that skin type.
Toning is key and is a step that is often overlooked. When you wash your face with warm water, the pores on your face open, allowing the cleanser to seep in and clean inside. But what happens after? A toner helps close off those pores so more bacteria does not get in.
To keep a smooth texture to your skin and eliminate dryness, you should exfoliate your face one to two times a week! Exfoliating gets rid of any dead or flaky skin and leaves you with a smooth surface!
Moisturizing is major! If you have dry skin, use a lotion based moisturizer. These are often thicker and will help keep your skin hydrated throughout the day. If you're oily, you still need to moisturize! Go for a gel-based cleanser. These are thinner in consistency and seep into your skin quicker.
2. Before anything else - Mascara!
No matter what look you're going for, mascara is always needed. If I was stranded on a desert island with only one makeup item to bring, I'd pick mascara for sure! Adding mascara to your lashes opens up your eyes, frames them and brightens up your face. If you want to wear as little makeup as possible, mascara should be your go to!
3. Wash your hair in cold water after coloring
I know so many girls who don't know this tip and wonder why their hair color fades so fast! Before getting your hair dyed, you shouldn't wash your hair. Applying color on "day old" or dirty hair allows the color to hold better and in some cases, washing your hair before dying it may burn your scalp since it won’t have the natural oils to protect it.
After getting your hair dyed, try to wait or day or two to wash it so the color can set. Once you are ready to wash it for the first time, wash your hair in the coldest water you can handle.
When you wash your hair in hot or warm water, it makes the follicles in your hair expand and open. When you wash it in cold, they contract and stay closed. If you wash your hair in hot or warm water, there is a higher chance of your hair color fading quicker since the follicles won't hold the color as best as it would in cold water.
Doing this for the first 2 to 3 weeks of washes will help your hair color last much longer!
4. Fix broken or dried out makeup!
Drop your favorite blush, eyeshadow or highlighter on the floor, ending in the horrible site of your favorite product crumbled up in a million bits? Left your favorite mascara accidentally opened for the day, leaving it to get dried up? Don't worry, both are completely fixable!
Try to salvage as much powder that broke as possible. Using a spoon, add small amounts of rubbing alcohol to the container. Start mixing the powder and alcohol until it forms into a paste like texture. Smooth the texture around the container until it looks even. Let the product sit out for 24 hours until it's dry and it'll be good as new!
Simply adding eye contact solution to your mascara tube will help bring moisture back to the product, making it usable once again!
5. Always color match foundation on your face!
What may seem like an obvious thing is actually a mistake many people make. When purchasing a foundation, many people will swatch the product on the back of their hand. In doing that, you are not getting the accurate color since the back of your hand is not the same color as your face. The best place to color match for foundation is from the bottom/side of your cheek down to your jawline. In doing this, you'll receive a better color match and will also ensure the color blends into your neck as well!
