Makeup/Skincare Mondays Basics Series: Winter Handcare

Winter time is always rough on the hands.  Even with gloves, my hands will get cold some times during the day due to extremely cold weather.  This morning I cleaned off the car with gloves on and the temperature was so low that my finger tips were freezing.  The temperature was around 10 degrees and with the wind chill I know it was lower than that.  Next I had to stop for gas and of course my finger tips were still cold so they got a little colder.  Side note:  Always try to keep your gas tank above 1/2 full during the winter time to keep your fuel line from freezing.  Back in the car with the heat on I warmed up my fingers and gloves. 

I noticed at work my hands were dry, and cracked with white lines between my fingers and on my palms.  The weather does so much damage to the skin.  I keep lotion in the car, at my desk and in my purse.  I always keep extra moisturizing lotions during the winter.  Currently I carry The Body Shop(TBS) Wise Woman Defensive Hand & Nail Cream and Merry Berry Cranberry Hand Creme.  At home I also have TBS Hemp Hand Protector.  These are some of my favorites including Bath and Body Works True Blue Spa.  I was told the Wise Woman line is being replaced with the Natrulift line but I did not see a hand and nail cream.  I hope they do have eventually have one or that I just overlooked it in the store.  I also tend to use moisturizers more often in the winter which is one of the reasons I prefer a heavy moisturizer that does not leave an oily residue.  One that note...good old Vaseline lotion still works great also. :)

Stay beautiful Divas and remember to protect your skin year round. :)   

Makeup/Skincare Mondays Basics Series: Winter Lipcare

During the winter time I noticed my lips are more prone to being dry, flaky and cracking.  This is due to dry heat, cold wind and a busy schedule. I normally keep 3-5 lip products in my purse at a time.  During the winter time I keep at least one thick/sticky gloss and/or lip butter in my purse and at my desk to keep my lips protected all day.  Thick/sticky gloss works great for me year round because it last longer and it more moisturizing to me.  I know some people hate the sticky lip feel but I love the fact that they last longer and I don't have to apply any gloss, etc. to my lips alot during the day.  I prefer lippies in the pot like MAC Tendertones, The Body Shop lip butters, and Rosebud Lip Balm.  They work great and I carry a covered  lip brush so that I am not dipping my fingers in the pots.  I also try to exfoliate 1-2 times a week with Lush Sweet Lips or Bubble Gum Lip Scrubs.  They are great scrubs, tasty and natural.

I probably should wear scarves more often to cover my lips and cheeks when out in the cold wind.  When I do, I prefer to wash my scarves at least every week or maximum of two weeks to keep the germs and dirt away from my face.         

Makeup/Skincare Mondays Basics Series: Office/Purse supplies

I apologize for being a day late.  Too many jobs, but trying to do more on the blog this year.  Today I want to talk about supplies to keep on hand at your work desk, in your purse and even in your car for the winter time.  I carry hand sanitizer in my purse and keep one handy on my desk at all times.  So many germs are being passed around these days.  I also carry a small kit that contains lotion, pressed powder, gloss and/or lip balm, and mascara.  I always keep a container of hand lotion in my desk also.  In this weather the skin dries out so fast and even though I wear gloves my hands tend to get dry every few hours.  I also sometimes use the lotion on my face if I do not have a facial moisturizer on me.

I sometimes will throw in a few travel eye brushes and a quad or trio of shadows if I forget to do my eye makeup before I leave the house.  This especially occurs on days when the weather and roads are bad and in Michigan the roads can get very bad and travel time can double.  Today the roads were ok but the parking lot and walkways were icy.  Being at work on time is more important than makeup so I will do it after I get to work or before I leave work if I have an event after work hours.  I also keep makeup books in my bag and on my desk in case the weather is too bad to go out to lunch so I can catch up on my lunch time reading.  Things I may add in the future are face charts, and a palette or two to create some looks.  You never know if you may get stuck at work or have to stay overnight in a hotel due to the roads are too bad to travel on and it never hurts to have some things to do. 

As far as in my car, I normally just keep lotion, sun block and hand sanitizer due to low temperatures can damage some products. 

Makeup/Skincare Mondays Basics Series: Wintertime Skincare Basics

Some of my Spring/Summer time products

Winter is a time to take extra care of your skin.   It is so easy to think that the sun can't damage it, etc, but all the elements can cause your skin to not look the way it should look.  We all want our skin to look and be healthy but sometimes we don't take care of the inside or outside so that it can be healthy.  Below are some tips on keeping healthy skin during the harsh winter months.

1. Drink plenty of water.  Water flushes out the impurities in skin.
2. Exercise tones the skin, sweats out the impurties in the skin and keep the body in good shape.
3. Wash your face at least twice a day(When you wake up and before you go to bed and never go to sleep with makeup on.  
4. It is good to use half as much cleanser, wash to remove makeup and oils and then the other half to wash again to fully cleanse the skin. 
5.  It is also good to exfoliate the skin 1-2 times a week and use a mask afterward to help pull out the impurities in the skin.
6. Always use a moisturizer that works for your skin type. One with an SPF is even better to protect your skin from the harmful rays of the sun year round. The glare of the sun off the snow can sometimes cause worst skin damage than during the summer time.  Using a SPF is especially important if you do a lot of winter sports. 
7. Also wash your scarves and hats often to prevent dirt and germ build up that can cause breakouts of the skin.

 I normally have to switch the cleansers and moisturizers I use each season.  I  have combination/sensitive skin and mainly use products for that skin type.  During the winter months I use products that are more moisturizing and protect my skin from the cold wind with hats, scarves and gloves even if it is a short walk to the car.  Protect and moisturize your skin year round so that you can look fabulous year round.

XOXO
Tantalizing Eyez MUA

Happy New Year Divas!!!

Happy New Year everyone.  I hope you all have had a great holiday and started this year on great footing.  Due to software and internet issues I have not posted or done videos as much as I wanted to, but that will change as of this year.  I am looking at new software, maybe a new camera and a better internet connection.

My goals this year is to take some advance makeup classes to improve my skills, go to more shows(IMATS, The Makeup Show, etc.) and network more.  I also plan to build and improve my portfolio, and expand into other areas.  In my other career,  I was having a discussion with a coworker and stated that it is always good to be diverse in your skills.  It makes you an asset to the person you are working for and makes you more employable.  I pray that we are all more successful this year. :-)