Steps in your Makeup Routine you should NOT be skipping
Priming your face
Using a primer not only helps to fill in fine lines and wrinkles, it also aids in your makeup application. Applying a primer will allow your foundation to sit much more evenly on the skin, and some primers even temporarily reduce redness and fix uneven skin tone. I can always dramatically see a difference in my makeup when I use a primer verses skipping it.
Just a little side note: With so many different primers on the market today, it’s important to find a primer that best fits your needs. Different primers can offer you different things, so figuring out what best suits your skin should be your first step.
Adding mascara to your bottom lashes
It might sound silly, but I can have a full face of makeup on and feel naked without mascara. I always make sure to apply at least 1-2 coats of mascara to my bottom lashes after I’m finished with my 2-3 coats on my top. It really makes your eyes stand out, and helps you look more awake and vibrant. Coating your bottom lashes will help your eyes appear bigger and brighter too.
Priming your eyes
This is a MUST for efficient shadow application. Using a primer on your eyelid, especially a tinted one, will help your eyeshadow to appear smooth, keep it from creasing, and help it maintain its true color.
Contouring your cheekbones & Highlighting the center of your face
You don’t have to spend 30 minutes each day heavily highlighting and contouring your face to get a great effect from a bronzer or a highlighter. Just contouring directly below your cheek bones, at the base of your blush line, will slim your cheeks and add dimension to your blush. Sweeping a dab of highlighter down the center of your nose, and lightly across the top of your cheeks (just above your blush) will bring light to the center of your face, making it appear slimmer and give you a natural glow.
Just a little side note: I plan on posting about my personal (and super easy) contouring & highlighting routine soon, so please check back later this month if that’s something you might be interested in.
Setting your makeup with finishing spray
Setting spray not only keep your makeup in its proper place, it also helps it stay on all day long. This stuff is the key to long wear makeup and only takes a second to use. One bottle will last you a while, so if you’re a busy gal that doesn’t have time to keep reapplying her powder all day, a setting spray is definitely worth the investment.
Steps in your skincare routine you should NOT be skipping
Consistently Exfoliating
Exfoliating is key when it comes to clear & smooth skin. It’s incredibly important to scrub away any set-in dirt and oil as well as those pesky dead skin cells; not only for skincare purposes, but also to insure that we get optimal use out of all those products we spend our pocket change (and sometimes life savings) on. For your face, it’s best to exfoliate 2-3 times per week.
COMPLETELY Removing makeup before bedtime
Just washing our faces doesn’t cut it where makeup removal is concerned. After wearing makeup all day, it really seeps into our pores much more than we realize. To ensure I get every spec of foundation off my face at the end of the day, I use a makeup removing cleansing towelette (my favorite is Neutrogena Night Calming, they smell like lavender and are gentle on my skin.) After I’ve fully wiped my face with one of these little product-miracles, I use my Clarisonic brush with a gentle cleanser to get rid of the rest.
Using a toner and serum
So many of us just wash our faces, slather on some lotion, and either catch some z’s, or put our make up on for the day, but it’s important for us to use toners and serums if we want to keep or gain more youthful looking skin. Just a daily moisturizer and a night cream aren’t going to cut it if you’re trying to reduce or destroy those fine lines and wrinkles.
Don’t forget your neck and chest
I once had a wonderful woman (who looked much younger than her actual years) tell me to always apply my face products to my neck and chest, and it’s stuck with me ever since. She said “you can always tell a woman’s real age by looking at her neck.” Since we spend so much time focused on our faces’ youthful appearance we often neglect the areas directly below. Applying your daily moisturizer and your night cream to your neck and chest everyday will help keep any unwanted age spots or wrinkles at bay.
I hope these little steps were helpful! Let me know if there is anything extra special you do to beautify your face during your makeup or skincare routines in the comments below. XO.
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