Tuesday, December 18, 2012

HOLIDAY MAKEUP

Four looks to WOW at your Holiday Event!

THE RED LIPPED DIVA


 Picture via Pinterest
 

This looks packs a big punch without taking a lot of time and is perfect for the girl who wants to stand out at her Holiday event! And of course, the red is a great way to get in the holiday spirit! There are a variety of ways to wear this look depending on your personal preference. It can be added to a full makeup look or worn boldly alone. We recommend doing a minimal eye to draw the attention to your lips. A simple thin black eyeliner and black lash with a light to medium color eye shadow complement this look excellently. To give this look an extra oomph try a lip plumping lipstick like Jane Iredale’s Just Kissed Lip Plumper and finish with a gloss to add that kissable look!




THE GLITTER GODDESS

Picture via Pinterest


A sure fire way to get noticed at your Holiday Event is to add a little glitter! What makes a woman feel more feminine than glitter? Ummm…pretty much nothing! We love that sparkly stuff everywhere we can get it, on our clothes, on our handbags and yes, even on our faces! But to avoid being the spectacle of the party instead of the star, make sure to keep it to a minimum by choosing just one area to highlight with glitter. We recommend the eyes! Start with an eye shadow of your choice and then simply add glitter! We recommend using a cream eye shadow so the glitter will be able to stick. Jane Iredale EyeGloss is the perfect example. If you don’t want to use any eye shadow you could also use a primer mixed with a moisturizer. Or you can take your powder eye shadow and mix it with a moisturizer to make it into a cream shadow. Next add a glittery dust, we recommend Jane Iredale 24Karat Gold Dust, and voila, Glitter Goddess!



THE MINIMALIST


Picture via Pinterest

 
Remember those phrases our parents used to say, less is more and a little goes a long way? Well, those are the inspiration behind this look. This look is perfect for the girl who wants to wow at her Holiday party without being too overdone. A great way to get bright glowing skin and cover blemishes without using too much makeup is to use a BB Cream. We LOVE Jane Iredale’s Glow Time Full Coverage Mineral BB Cream. Skip the eyeliner for a truly minimal look, but make sure to add a subtle line of your eye shadow under your lower lash to draw attention to the eyes. A small dab of lighter shadow at the inside corner of your eye will open up your eye and make it pop. Always finish the eye with a curl of the eyelash and a great mascara. That is one makeup product we will never allow you to skip, no matter how minimal you are trying to go! Finish with a tinted lip gloss to complete the look.


THE CAT WOMAN

Picture via Pinterest


You can’t go wrong with the tried and true cat eye look. It adds a little glamor to any look and definitely takes your look from day to night. The cat eye is created by extending both the upper lid liner and lower lid liner to connect in a subtle winged extension from the outside corner of your eye. This look can range from tame to wild depending on the medium you choose to create it and how long the line extends. A softer look can be achieved by using a dark eyeshadow and a tapered eyeliner brush or an extreme look can be made by using a liquid eyeliner. We like this look with a soft eyeshadow such as Jane Iredale’s Wink or Nude Purepressed Eye Shadow and a hint of color on the lip such as Jane Iredale’s Erin PureMoist LipColour.


DON'T FORGET...


The first step to any good makeup is a good skincare routine. The finished piece of art can never be perfect without a good canvas to start with! So, take care of that skin! Make sure to use a good cleanser (see previous post for guide on finding your perfect cleanser) and a great moisturizer.  Moisturizer is especially important in the winter months when we all tend to get a little dry. Check out our BrookskinMD moisturizers, MoistuLuxe and NiaLuxe. For those of you feeling especially dull you may want to try a chemical peel for a quick pick me up: our BrookskinMD Quick Peel is perfect just for that and can be done on the day of your Holiday Event!

The perfect way to complete any of these looks is with a bronze glow! Since we absolutely do not approve of ANY time spent in a tanning bed we recommend a sunless tan using Tan Towels. They are easy to use and create a beautiful bronze without the streaks! Pick them up at the Spa today for 25% off!!





Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Guide to Choosing Your Cleanser





Deciding on the right cleanser can be one of the most difficult decisions in your skin care regime. Many people end up choosing the wrong cleanser, which can in turn make the rest of your skin care regime seem as though it is not working. Your moisturizer can end up getting the blame when your skin is too dry, when in reality your cleanser is too harsh! The type of cleanser you use can also change depending on the weather outside. Here in New England with the harsh difference between the summer and winter air, it can be common to need a foaming moisturizer in the summer and a creamy cleanser in the winter. Also, as we age our skin loses some of it's oil production and someone who spent their whole life with oily skin may begin to find that a foaming cleanser is too harsh for their now dryer skin.

The first step to deciding what type of cleanser is right for you is too determine what skin type you are. We recommend going to see an aesthetician to determine this as they will be able to use their well trained eye to tell you exactly what skin type you are. We provide free skin care consults with our aestheticians at Spa on the Green. If you are interested in coming in for one call the Spa at 413-565-2405.

The basic skin types are; oily, dry/dehydrated, combination, sensitive and normal. Individuals with oily skin typically have larger pores, are more prone to acne outbreaks, and tend to have "shiny" looking skin due to visible oil on the skin a few hours after cleansing. Now, as stated before, as those with oily skin get older their skin type can change and become much more dry. So, let's add another category to the list, aging skin. Also, it is possible for oily skin to also be dehydrated. Are you beginning to see why it is important to find out from a professional what skin type you are?

 True dry skin usually feels tight after cleansing if no moisturizer is applied. The skin can become very dry and can flake. These individuals usually have a lack of lipids in their skin and therefore a lack of oil production. Dehydrated skin can feel the same way as dry skin, but instead of lacking oil it lacks water. Any skin type can become dehydrated. Combination skin is exactly how it sounds, a combination of oily and dry skin. These individuals usually have oily T-zones (forehead, nose, chin) and dry cheeks. You can usually actually see a difference in the pore size from the T-zone to the rest of the face. Sensitive skin can be easily irritated by many ingredients especially things such as fragrances, parabens and even botanicals. Those with sensitive skin should be very careful with any of the products they use making sure to read ingredient labels and buy from sensitive skin lines. Normal skin is in perfect balance with just the right amount of oil production.

After you have determined your skin type, it's now time to look at the different type of cleansers out there. Most cleansers fall into one of two categories, foaming or creamy. As a rule foaming cleansers should be used for oily or combination skin as the foaming agent strips away some of the excess oil. Creamy cleanser should be used for dry and sensitive skin types. Normal skin can use either cleanser. Aging skin usually does best with a creamy cleanser, but depending on the time of year, may need to switch to a foaming cleanser if they used to have oily skin when they were younger. Aging skin does very well with creamy cleansers that have some form of alpha hydroxy-acid in them, such as Glycolic Acid or Lactic Acid. Our Lacticleanse Creamy Cleanser is a great example of this type of product. The acid helps to exfoliated the skin making fine lines and wrinkles less apparent while the moisturizing creamy part of the cleanser helps to add moisture back into the skin rather than dry it out more. We also offer Lacticleanse Foaming cleanser for aging skin that still has a lot of oil production. Oily skin that is very acne prone should use a foaming cleanser with an alpha hydroxy-acid in it such as our Hydroxyfoam Cleanser. Cleansers with Benzyol Peroxide can be excellent for acne prone skin, but this can be very drying so it is a good idea to only use this cleanser in the morning and use a gentler cleanser at night. Sensitive skin individuals should look for products specifically made for sensitive or redness prone skin. Our RosaLuxe cleansers are great for sensitive skin and come in foaming and creamy formulations!

Now that you hopefully have a better grasp on which type of cleanser you should be purchasing, we invite you to stop by the Spa for 25% off ALL of our cleansers!

This offer is for TODAY only, Dec 11, 2012.