And It Only Takes Me 10 Minutes

I'm not sure if it's the approach of summer or what, but there has been a lot of buzz on the interwebs regarding skin care and recommended products. The always radiant Natalie listed her favorites and has been blogging a lot about beauty in general lately (she's definitely worth checking out)! I wrote my own take on a "Dear Abby" in February answering the most common questions/complaints I received as a make-up artist.

So, who am I if not an amateur bandwagon jumper?

***NOTE: This is what I use and may not be appropriate for your skin type or concerns. I have normal to oily super fair skin. My main concerns are even skin tone and texture, sporadic outbreaks, and age prevention. If you have different skin or concerns, you may need different products (which I will be happy to recommend), just let me know!

[side note: The first step to developing your own skin care routine is knowing what type of skin you have (or combination there of): Dry, Normal, Oily, Damaged. To determine your skin type, wash your face as you would normally and do not apply anything afterwards. Start checking to see how it feels at 2, 5, and 10 minutes later.

DRY skin is often described as dusty in appearance (not flaky) and may feel tight even with moisturizer. It will begin to feel tight and uncomfortable immediately following cleansing and will not feel better without moisturizer/serums.

NORMAL skin may have areas of oily or dry skin (there are those pesky combos), but will overall feel comfortable. It may feel a bit tight after cleansing but will start to feel better after 10 minutes.

OILY skin is often described as shiny or flaky in appearance. On the positive, it is the least likely to wrinkle! It will begin to feel comfortable after cleansing in 2-5 minutes.

DAMAGED skin is any one of the above with additional concerns like deep lines/wrinkles, sun spots, acne, etc.

AM ROUTINE:

Face Scrub: Clinique 7 Day Scrub (a couple times a week)

Cleanser: Neutrogena Oil-Free Redness Soothing Cleanser

Serum: Clinique Total Turnaround

Eye Cream: Kiehl's Abbyssine Eye Cream

Moisturizer: Clinique Superdefense SPF 25 Normal-Dry ( I also like Neturogena Healthy Defense SPF 30)

Sunscreen: Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry Touch SPF 70 (for everyday), Coppertone Sport SPF 50 (for poolside)

PM ROUTINE:

Same as above except Cleanser: Laura Mercier Cleansing Oil Light

Make-up Remover: Neutrogena Oil-Free Eye Make-up Remover or Almay Oil-Free Eye Makeup remover pads

Acne Spot Treatment: Neutrogena Rapid Clear Acne Eliminating Spot Treatment

MAKEUP:

Foundation: Estee Lauder Camouflage Makeup (doubles as concealer) or Bobbie Brown Smooth Skin (if I know I'll be photographed)

Eye Concealer: Laura Mercier secret concealer

Eyeshadow Base: Laura Mercier Metallic Creme Eye Shadow (also comes in a sateen version)

Shadow: All of them! Mostly Laura Mercier (Whiskey, Sherazade), Urban Decay (X, Heat, Mary Jane), Stila (Kitten, Golightly)

Eyeliner: pencil- YSL Kohl crayon, cake/liquid- Laura Mercier cake liner, creme- Stila smudge pot

Mascara: CoverGirl LashBlast (love!) and LashBlast Length

Lash Curler: Shu Uemura

Powder: Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder (only under eyes and to set liner)

Brows: Laura Mercier Eye Brow Pencil (go a shade lighter than your natural color)

Blush: NARS Orgasim, Bobbie Brown Pale Pale Pink or Tangerine

Lip Liner: Clinique Sheer Lip Liner

Lipstick: I love MAC, Estee Lauder, Laura Mercier, and Chanel

Lip Gloss: Laura Mercier Lip Glace and Kiehl's #1 Lip Balm

My Secret: Estee Lauder Spotlight (super expensive but adds a glow to any skin tone! For a less expensive version, try MAC Strobe Cream)

* Everything is applied with my hands or a brush- never a sponge!