How to Prep Your Skin Before the Big Day

Hi everyone. Hope you guys are having a great long weekend. Today post is a continuation of my series of special posts written specifically for brides. It is no brainer that we all want to look our best on our wedding day. As the days are fast approaching for me, I thought I share with you a mini series on bridal skincare and makeup. But really, this applies to anyone who is seeking healthy skin and flawless makeup. Beautiful skin makes a beautiful canvas for makeup. Depending on the condition of your skin, it may take work to get that gorgeous glow.

6 months before or longer: If you don’t have one already, you should develop a daily skincare routine, consist of at the minimum: cleanse, moisturizer with spf 30 or higher in the morning, and a night moisturizer. However, this is very basic and may not be enough to give you that glow unless you are blessed with good genes. You can add toner, serum, and a weekly exfoliation and mask that is appropriate for you skin type. Many argue that toner is unnecessary but I find that it adds a layer of moisture and it also preps your skin for other treatment. You can read on more tips and the sequence to use these products in this article.

I know that many of you will also be tempt to get a nice tan. Do so without actually sunbathing outside or in a tanning bed. Not only does the harmful UV ray cause wrinkles, you also don’t want to develop any hyper pigmentation problem. Read here for more do and don’t for maintaining healthy skin.

Two Weeks Before: Two weeks leading up to the day, do NOT use any new skincare or makeup product. The last thing you want is panicking over an allergic reaction that can take days to heal. Allergic reaction flares up are normally a lot worse than the occasional zits here and there; they can be rashes all over the face. So make sure you test whatever product(s) you want to use way in advance. If you do get irritation, try rubbing your skin with Aloe Vera as it sooth inflammation. You can also try Pangea Japanese Matcha Green Tea with Acai and Goji Berry mask, which works wonder for my delicate sensitive skin.

The Night Before/Day of: Get plenty of sleep. If you eyes are puffy, cut two cucumber slices and put them over your eyes for 5 minutes. If you have time that morning, if not the night before, apply your favorite moisturizing mask (make sure it is one you tried before and have no allergic reaction to). The boost in hydration will help your makeup go on more smoothly and blend easier.

Most importantly of all, don’t sweat the little things. There is no do over so just enjoy your special day and dance till your feet hurt.

Image credit: Marie Claire

Get Her Look: Jessica Biel's Ready for Summer Makeup

I want to try something new that I have not done on this blog yet, which is the “get her look” segment. I was inspired when I came across this picture of Jessica Biel and though “Wow, this is perfect for summer. I am going to try this on myself.”

Face: To get glowing skin, use satin or dewy finish foundation and skip setting powder all together. If you have oily skin then just powder on your t-zone instead of all over. VS Soft Focus spf 20 has a nice glow finish. For cheeks, bronzer is optional, follow by a coral or peach color blush to warm up the complexion. Try Nars Orgasm or American Beauty mineral blush in Coral Beach.

Eye: Just keep it simple. Any brown/taupe/bronzy eyeshadow color will do. I would use the natural shades from Sephora Wanderlust palette then top it with Maybelline Full & Soft mascara for natural flirty eyes.

Lips: You can either choose an orangy red base lipstick like her. Another option is a coral or peachy shade lipstick or gloss to match with your blush. I would recommend BE Buxom in Bambi.

Review Benefit Erase Paste Concealer

Packaging: Small jar. Scoop product out with a spatula or dip a clean brush.

Performance: I like this the instant I tried it and I think that said a lot since I was quite content with my Bobbi Brown corrector, which you can read the full review here. Erase Paste is very creamy and easy to blend. Perfect texture for the under eye areas that tend to be dry. It does not cake, fade, or smudge. I am not sure it lasting power by itself as I always set my under eye with Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder.

Shade wise, I picked Medium because I have quite dark circle and I need something with a strong enough pink base. For reference, I am NC20 and when I received Erase Paste in Medium I was worry because it does look quite dark in the pot. This is however a lot lighter once you blend it in and it matches my light complexion perfectly. It’s pigmented, good coverage, and only a little is needed. I tried it on other area of my face and it works just as well but can be a little bit too pink for my light neutral undertone complexion. I personally prefer to use it specifically for under eye concealing. Overall, A+



Price: $26 @ Benefit’s counters and online store or Sephora

Review DHC Acerola 100 Serum

For any beauty junkie out there, you know how hard it is to be loyal to just one product. You are always curious to try something new. However, once in awhile, you’ll come across a gem that screams to be a part of you staple. That is how I feel about DHC Acerola 100, a vitamin C brightening serum, made by a mail order Japanese brand. I am on my third bottle and have the 4th one as a back up.


Description: This concentrated moisture treatment delivers the natural vitamin- and antioxidant-rich goodness of tropical wonder berry acerola in combination with a master moisture-binder. Light and nourishing, this formula absorbs quickly into skin to help brighten and soften, leaving problem areas silkier, more even-toned, and more luminescent.

Packaging: Glass bottle with a pump.

Texture: A light yellow liquid that is lightly scented. There is no fragrance added, the scent is natural, smell remind me of coffee.

Performance: I first used this in Oct 2008. It did take awhile to see result but after a month, I saw a great improvement in my skin tone. It was more even tone, bright, glowing, and also more balanced and hydrated. A bottle last me three months with once a day application. After I finished my first bottle, I ventured out to try other things but I came back to it summer 2009. This second time, I got the same great result as I did with my first bottle and more. My freckles normally get darker plus new one appears every summer. My skin can also become quite oily especially in the Tzone. This serum did a wonderful job at keeping my freckles at bay and my skin balance. If you put this in the morning before being out in the sun, it seems to also help protect against sunburn and irritation. Then few months ago, I was getting sporadic breakouts. I went through the process of elimination but could not seem to get rid of the comes and go acne flare up and irritation. Out of frustration, I stopped everything I use, switched back to this serum along with Thayers toner. Wow, within 2 days, no kidding, my skin is almost back to it normal self. It has been 2 weeks and no sign of irritation. Needless to say, I am back on it this spring/summer.

Ingredient: water, butylene glycol, malpighia glabra (acerola) fruit extract (Got to love the simplicity)

Price: $22.50 for 1oz, available at dhccare.com

Review and Swatches Avon Glazewear

Oh these Glazewear has been around for a long time. I used to use the original formula back in college and my favorite shade was Tickle Pink. I liked it a lot, it has the pigment of a lipstick but creamy texture of a gloss, which was the best of both worlds.

I believe sometime this year, Avon came out with a new formula call sparkle and also a clear gloss. I received two lip glosses in the new sparkle formula in shade Rave and Mocha Latte Café and also a clear one. I really like the sparkle in shade Rave, it reminds me of Bare Escentual Diamond. The formula is definitely not as pigmented as the original formula. I am torn, I think the sparkle add a pretty touch but I think I also prefer the creamier original formula (which is still available) .

Note: Clear is SPF 15

Mocha Latte Cafe

Rave

Price: $6 on Avon.com - currently on sale for $1.99


Disclosure: This review contains sample sent for consideration. The review is base on my honest personal opinions. We do not promise review nor receive compensation for doing so.

Review Chloe Eau De Toilette

Description: The rose sparkles with simplicity and joy. The multi-faceted Chloé is feminine, bold, and natural. The rose reveals new olfactory colors in the Eau de Toilette, creating a light, luminous character. Hints of mandarin orange zest shine through in the head notes. Freesia and watermelon enhance the initial impression, and touches of sandalwood and fresh iris complete the base.

The fun thing about buying perfume is not only in getting the product itself but also the bottle that it comes in. I am a sucker for nice packaging, it just make you feel better about your purchase. Chloe Eau De Toilette comes in a simple yet classic and elegant bottle which I enjoy displaying.

As for the scent itself, it is a fresh and clean floral scent. I am not very good at detecting note but it is a very pleasant scent that you can wear anytime, anywhere. It is not fruity at all even though the description said there are mandarin and watermelon notes. I should also mention that some perfume will either fade or change its smell on me after a few hours but this one stay true the whole night. Overall, I really like this one and would recommend you give it a try. I hope I don’t need to tell you this, I received this as a sample but I am recommending it only because I truly like the product and it is something I would get for myself.

Price: $65 for 1.7oz at Sephora.com

Disclosure: This review contains sample sent for consideration. The review is base on my honest personal opinions. We do not promise review nor receive compensation for doing so.

Get Healthy Skin Now!

Image Credit: Sephora

It is no surprise that we all want beautiful skin. The emphasis on perfection is more so today than ever because I think the media can put added pressure to both young girls who are dealing with acne and middle age women who are battling wrinkle with Photoshop celebrity photos and ads of flawless skin. So, just bear that in mind and do what you can to keep your skin healthy and age gracefully.

Here are some of my do and don’t when it comes to skincare:

-Do develop and follow a skin regimen. At the minimum, you should wash, moisturize, and use sunscreen. But it would be better to also incorporate serum and other treatment. You will find tips on how to in this 5 steps skincare article.

_Do always always remove your makeup and wash your face at night.

_Do wear sunscreen, even in the winter.

_Do eat your 3 servings of fruits and vegetables daily.

_Do eat fish at least once a week or take omega supplements.

_Do exercise. Exercise keeps you young in general and it’s the one advise I am giving you that I myself struggle with…sometime it’s just so hard to find time.

_Don’t smoke!

_Don’t sunbath.

_Don’t over exfoliate. Do not use harsh scrub if you have sensitive skin or rosacea.

_Don ‘t overdo with skincare and treatment. Sometime I feel like doing too much all at once can stress your skin out.

_Don’t neglect your neck and décolleté area.

Do you have any do and don’t to share?

New Origins A Perfect World SPF25 with White Tea

Description: This super-charged, antioxidant moisturizer with White Tea, Maritime Pine and UVA/UVB sunscreens surrounds skin in a protective bubble to help delay the appearance of premature aging signs. In a test that simulated ground ozone pollution, we demonstrated 76% less environmental damage*.

*Based on an in vitro study of simulated ozone using our antioxidant blend measuring oxidative damage.

I do not own this sunscreen but I did test the sample at the store so I guess this is a brief initial impression review. My initial reaction was that I like this a lot! There is no ghostly white cast. The texture is very elegant and it feels more like a cream than a sunscreen. Goes on non greasy but leaves a nice subtle glow, which I personally prefer over matte finish. The only down side is that this would be much better package in an airtight pump for both sanitation and preservative reasons. Also, the price could be lower too.

Price: $38.50 for an 1.7oz jar

TOTD: Amazing Lashes

Do you ever find that your amazing voluminous mascara is not so amazing at lengthening and vice versa? Do you ever wish that you can both volume and length? Why not layer them? First apply one coat or two if you want more dramatic lashes, of your favorite voluminous mascara from base to end of lashes. Then brush through to prevent clumping. Lastly, top with two more coats of your favorite lengthening mascara. Focus on extending the end of those lashes. Ta da! You now have both longer and fuller lashes. Just play around and see which two mascaras work best together.

Mother's Day Gift Guide

I can't believe Mother's Day is next Sunday, time sure fly. It's one of my favorite holiday because we all know motherhood is not easy and these women definitely deserve a little pampering. So, if you have not pick out a gift yet, here is a little guide.



Sweep her away to her version of bliss by indulging her senses with a scent bottled for her. There is a scent out there for everyone.

The Fashionista Mom
For the fashion-forward mom, breeze by the atelier and indulge in Balenciaga Paris. This delicate floral embodies French mystery, balancing style and luxury.

The Garden-Loving Mom
Instead of flowers that inevitably wilt, secure a bouquet of Chloe Eau De Fleurs, a trio of scents that pay homage to the essences of lavender, nasturtium and neroli.

The Gourmand Mom
Treat mom to a Parisian retreat with a taste of the Marc Jacobs Patisserie Splash Collection. Available in Apple, Pomegranate, and Biscotto, each limited edition scent leaves your taste buds craving more.

The Classic Mom
Show mom she's the epitome of elegance with Chloe Eau De Toilette, the timeless scent boasting notes of crisp mandarin orange zest and fresh freesia.

I also found something that will make the natural and organic enthusiast mom happy.

Origins Ginger Best Gift Set, $45 ($68 value)
Includes:
Ginger Souffle™ Whipped body cream 7.0 fl. oz./200 ml
Incredible Spreadable Scrub™ Ginger body smoother net wt. 3.4 oz./100 ml
Ginger Essence™ Intensified Fragrance Rollerball .3 fl. oz./oz. liq./9 ml
Ginger Bar™ Savory bath soap net wt. 7oz./200 g



This is a great set to introduce mom to organic makeup. It includes 100% Pure fruit pigmented tinted moisturizer, black tea mascara, and their coffee bean eye cream to combat dark circles. Retail $45.