Jessica's Tips and Tricks #2 How to Keep Your Makeup Looking Fresh 9/21/13

Hi everyone!  I was asked how I prevent my makeup from running.  There are many things that factor into keeping your makeup looking fresh all day.  First and foremost, your skin type and health are the most important factors.  Your skin type will determine what products you should use to not only enhance your natural beauty, but also to build and maintain your overall skin health.  So, if your skin is unhealthy, that will reflect in your look, regardless of if you purchase high end products or not.  (Don't get me wrong, if you buy quality products, you should have a quality look.  If your skin is unhealthy, though, makeup can only do so much to camouflage it.  {These statements aren't meant to be offensive in any way, shape or form.}  The best bet to maintain fantastic skin is to take care of it and have regular visits with a dermatologist, especially for problematic skin.)  The easiest thing to do to help not only your skin, but your entire body, is to drink water.  I mean lots of water.  Water helps rid your body of toxins and helps your body stay hydrated, thus helping your skin stay moisturized.  This brings me to the next tip regardless of skin type:  Use moisturizer daily, preferably something with sunblock.  Sometimes just drinking tons of water isn't enough.  If your skin is dry, you will need something to help combat the dryness.  If your skin is oily, you need something to help control that, as well.  There are so many products out there to help balance your skin.  Your best bet is to get something specifically for your skin type and use it regularly.  Good skin is the first step in having great makeup.

My skin care routine involves me washing my face twice a day with face wash.  If you don't wash your face in the morning, the toxins and bacteria your body release as you sleep stay on your skin.  If you simply apply makeup over that, you will be mixing your product with bacteria, which of course isn't a good combination.  After I wash my face in the morning, I apply astringent every day.  This helps to close my pores and prevent dirt from getting inside them.  Next, I apply moisturizer and primer and allow each to absorb into the skin.  Then, I start my makeup.  I, also, do not touch my face once my makeup is on.

Next, I wanted to talk about using primers and bases for your products.  Some products have built-in primers.  The vast majority of the products I use don't.  So, I always recommend giving your products something to stick or adhere to.  This helps your makeup last longer throughout the day.  I recommend using a foundation primer and a separate eye makeup primer.  There are also eye shadow bases.  Many of these are skin tone colors and help even out the color on your eyes and cover any inconsistencies, veins and discoloration on your skin.  Bases really help your eye color stay put and last longer.  Of course, there are all also a variety of different colors you can use to brighten and intensify your eye shadow colors.  I, personally, do apply both primer and base on the eye area and the lower lash line, as well.  The lower lash line is more susceptible to running and bleeding because of the natural moisture in our eyes and the sweat we produce throughout the day.  So, be sure not to forget the lower lash line when applying primers and bases.

Lastly, I wanted to talk about setting sprays.  There are various multi-purpose setting sprays on the market.  When I say multi-purpose, I mean they serve basically the same purpose but for different skin types and effects.  There are setting sprays for normal, dry and oily skin.  There are sprays that give you a matte or a dewy look.  So, depending on the effect you're looking for will determine what spray(s) you choose to have in your makeup collection.

Guys, even if you buy great products, you have to set the stage for your look.  I wish you all much luck in your makeup routines and in your lives.  If you have any further questions, you can post them in the comments or send me an e-mail at blenditout@gmail.com for a more personalized response.  Thanks for reading and I hope this helps someone with their routine.