JANE IREDALE

I remember when I first tried Jane Iredale. It was sometime last year, maybe a year and a half ago. My office manager came to me because she is aware of my makeup fascination. She asked me if I had heard of the brand. I was intrigued on to what this brand was and why I hadn't heard of it. She gave me a sample of the BB cream and had me try it.  I INSTANTLY FELL IN LOVE. I remember I kept going back for more samples. The opportunity of carrying the makeup brand was shot down for some unknown reason and so I was without the opportunity of trying out the rest of the brand, 

A few months ago, my employer suprised me with bringing on the brand to our clinic. I was so grateful because I had been begging them to let me have some makeup to run at work being that I was bored already with everything else. I get bored easily and need to be mentally stimulated quickly.

Jane Iredale was chosen for many reasons but the main one is that it is THE SKIN CARE MAKEUP. The founder is Jane Iredale who is british and had a vision of having a makeup line that was clean and healthy. Something that you can wear in you teen years all the way to your 90s. A line that would be so pure that not only would it be a makeup, but a benefit for your skin. 

                                       

Jane Iredale has everything from primers, to foundations both liquids and powders, a BB cream, concealers, hydration sprays and all the essentials to put together a full face.It is carried at spas, salons, beauty stores, plastic surgeon offices and dermatologist clinics. Six of the products are recommended by the Skin Cancer Foundation as effective broad spectrum sunscreens.  It has vegan and gluten free products which are such a rave right now. Jane Iredale is now exclusive to David Bridals brides as their reference for makeup. 

Here is one of Jane Iredale's models makeup

           

I personally use the Glowtime BB cream in #7 as my sunscreen and full coverage foundation. I use this on my skin every single day. I have my sisters and mother using it, as well as all of my coworkers and some close friends. As a freelance makeup artist I plan to introduce this makeup line to my clients. I will be carrying this brand amongst others in my makeup kit. This is such an honor that I am able to manage this brand and as a Brand Advocate I can learn the ins and out of it. 

I will be doing a demonstration on  the colors and products as soon as I get back to Tucson from this seminar. But I am more than ever convinced this  was the correct choice to what makeup I recommend at work. Its for my acne patients because it has oil free products that will not make your skin react in any negative way. It is all tested for allergens and everything lives up to Jane's standards. 

 This line has been published in 230 print magazine placements in the US in 2013 alone. Its been mentioned in VOGUE, ALLURE and Marie Claire amongst other magazines that are available to the public.

www.janeiredale.com is a very complete and educational website.

Ironwood Dermatology proudly carries this line in foundations, concealers, primers and hydration sprays.We also carry 4 of their brushes and their magic mitt. 

I recommend this line 100%.

Drugstore makeup vs High End

DRUG STORE  vs HIGH END

When it comes to makeup, you set your own budget. There are people who invest in an expensive foundation and find cheaper alternatives or dupes* and then there are people who just think that everything should be expensive to be a good quality. I have been on both sides of the coin. I started off cheap and would buy drugstore lipsticks, lipliners and makeup. When I started making money, I would treat myself to a Mac lipstick, then to a Chanel foundation and onto other brands at Sephora. 

Now, I have learned through many youtube videos as well as the seminars I have attended that there are no rules in makeup. Pinterest has opened up a world of DUPES promoting the same color and same finishes in other brands that either are significantly cheaper or just easier to get. 

In my makeup kit, I have everything from Loreal, Maybeline to MAC, Urban Decay and Dior. Brushes are also something I have experimented with. I can never have enough brushes because you will find a reason for each one. I think as long as the technique is down, and you use the products wisely you will have the pay off. I have my expensive foundations for when I go out, or for special events like weddings, and I have daily makeup that suits my mood.

In this Blog, I will give you details on what is available to be compared along with prices. I will show you my own Dupes.

*Dupes are duplicate colors and finishes that are either very close or exact to a product.

Prices may vary according to location

On an everyday basis I would use my Suncreen, 

My Jane Iredale Glowtime BB cream *FavE*  $48.00

My Maybeline age rewind concealer in NEUTRALIZER as my highlight $7.99

My Loreal Voluminous Carbon Black Mascara $8.49

My Loreal Infallible Super slim liquid eyeliner $6.99

My Milani Blush in Luminoso $8.49

My Victoria Secret bronzer in Gliteratti $16.00

LA Girl Lip liner in Natural $1.00

and a chapstick over the top. 

Prime example that I invested in my canvas, meaning my foundation but used Drugstore alternatives for the rest. These are found at Walgreens, Ulta, CVS, or online at Amazon.

My full face of makeup for an event is alot more complex.

I start with my Mac Strobe cream as a moisturizer $33

then use Benefits porefessional primer $20

Use Mac Studio fix fluid $27.00

put it all on my face with a beauty blender $20

then use Macs Prolongwear concealer NW20 $20.00

as well as Macs prep and prime pens in light boost or radiant rose $26.00

I contour with Anastasia beverly hills kit $40.00

Use eyeshadows from Urban Decay Naked Palette $50.00

Eyelashes from Ardell $3.25

Tarte Mascara in Lights camera action $20.00

and you Nars Orgasm blush $30.00

as well as Macs soft and gentle shimmer $32.00

and then a Mac lip liner like Soar $18.00

and a Mac lipstick like Kinda sexy. $16.00

I might add lip gloss which my favorite is Nymphette by MAC $15.00

 The numbers say it all but I use these interchangeably. 

NYX, ELF are used alot to makeup up for MAC. Its just a matter of preference.

Here are some of my personal dupes:

Lilly Ghalichis's LIVE Makeup Tutorial

I recently took a live webinar that the reaslity show/entrepreneur/attorney Glam Godess hosted. She charged $10 to have a seating on her live "Ghalichi Glam". I you guys know me, you know that this is the LOOK I love to recreate and do on my clients. Ghalichi Glam consists of a lot fo lashes, smokey eyeshadows and heavy highlighting and contouring. She always looks flawless from head to toes and has a whole team working on her. She also sells the hair extensions I use by BELLAMI hair. Its the heaviest thickest hair you can get and the quality is amazing.

So lets get started going over her regimen.

She first started by saying that since she uses a lot of makeup, she has to keep up with skin care. She washes her face with Biore Unclogging Scrub twice a day.  She also swears by the Murad skin care system. I dont have so much experience with Murad since I work for a dermatologist but I think any skin care for someone is benefitial. 

Then her makeup artis @briamakeup started her magic. 

1. She first started applying Lilly's foundation which I was suprised because I have learned that eyebrows and eyeshadows go before the foundation to avoid dropoff. But of course, in makeup, there are no rules.  She used a generous amount of MACs Studio Fix Fluid in NC44. By generous, she means ALOT. Enough to count as a moisturizer but Lilly says she likes this because it gives the canvas a flawless look. (this girl is not about natural makeup). They Applied the makeup with a Sigma F60 foundation brush first followed by pressing it in with a DRY Beauty Blender. While the live video was shooting , to the left you can see all the comments from views exploding to WHY she uses the BB dry as opposed to wet like we would think. She later on explained that she gets the pressure she wants by using dry and doesnt have the product absorbed. Im still convinced about using it wet. 

2. Eyebrows were the next step. She used MACs eyeshadow Expresso to fill in Lillys thick eyebrows which didnt need too much work. Her Perisan heritage gifts her with alot of eyebrows and eyelashes.  She used a MAC 263 brush for her eyebrows. Then she used concealer to clean the edges of the eyebrows so they would like clean and sharp. She used the concealer from Giella in the shade #1. This is WHITE but in the end it works out fine with her tanned skin. She then sets the eyebrows with Ben Nyes Banana powder.

3. She used the same Gialla concealer as the base for her eyeshadow. With a Sigma tapered small brush she begins using MACs Cork as her transitional shade in a windshield wiper motion blending it trhough the crease.They trick I learned was that she goes from where the eyebrow ends to where the nasal bridge is to give it a more sultry look. She then layers on MACs Embark eyeshadow with a Sigma E47 brush in the same area. She states she likes to layer many colors to have it look very blended. She also did this with an eyeshadow from Valerie Beverly Hills that she said was called Dark Plum. I have yet to find this eyeshadow online but it was used over the previous 2 colors. She says to chose any dark plum color. She used a MAC 217 brush for the plum following the previous areas. On her lid she used MACs Museum Bronze pigment with a shader brush pressing in the pigment to the lid only and then using a blending brush to make it blend to the crease colors.Then she intensifies the outer V by using a SIGMA E32 brush and that Dark Plum color and brings it down to her lash line to give it a smokey look. She used tapping motions to make it more intense then would blend with a Sigma E35 brush using light circles so that the blending would be even. * Another new thing I learned that I will invest in is the Makeup Forever puff which she wore on her pinky finger throughout the process so that if she needed to rest her hand  on her face she wouldnt disrupt the makeup. She followed up using Samoa Silk eyeshadow from MAC for the brow bone highlight. She also used it lower to blend out the crease eyeshadow. She then uses a makeup remover wipe to clean the fall out and uses MAC fastrack eyeliner as her liner but also as a smudging product on her lash line on top and bringing it to form the outer V so that the eyeshadow appears darker. She used an E 57 brush from Sigma to smudge it into the makeup.

4. She curls her lashes and this is where my internet connections decided to give out, and where I lose connection fro about 5 minutes while the router restarted! I missed her eyelash part which devasated me becaue I myself am such an eyelash person. I do know however that she uses her brand of lashes and stacked 2 lashes on top of another for her look..  I have no idea what happened here.. SORRY!!!

5. Concealer:  My connection brought me to this part. She had applied a concealer which I later sorted out was Ben Nyes cream color in shade LighT Japanese which was #121. She applied this with a Sigma kabuki tapered brush from the eyelid to the nostril area highlighting a broad are of the center of her face. She blended this in with the BB. THEN she uses another concealer to brighten even more the area. She used MACs NW20 Mineralized concealer in the same areas and blended it in with the BB. She then sets the highlighter with a mix of Ben Nys Banana powder and MACs Prep N Prime powder. This is an important step to prevent creasing.

6. Contour: <3     Here is where the good stuff starts. She used Copper Beach from MAC which may or may not be available now. She used a foundation style brush working her way from her cheekbones in, applying more color to the area closest to the ears and bringing it in. Then she applied the color around her forehead, down the sides of her nose, and to the lower lip to create a shadow from a fuller lip.She then blends this out with a WET (finally) Beauty Blender by tapping the color into the skin. She sets the contour with MACs NW45 Studio fix Powder. She then blends this into the highlight using a mineralized powder that matched Lillys skin tone to make it all blend in.She used a F35 brush here and I need this brush ASAP!

7. Back to the eyes. She used MACs Teddy eyeliner on her waterline but first she warmed up the end of the pencil on her hand so it could be applied smoothly. She applied this on the lower lash line doing the waterline as well as on the edge so that smudging would be with this color base. Then using an E30 brush frin Sigmas copper collection she smudged it out throughout the lash line. She used an INGLOT eyeshadow in the shade 52 to smudge more color on the lower lash line in patting motions. Then switched to a Sigma F63 brush to blend all of this to the concealer.

8. Lashes: She goes back to lashes and uses Voluminous False Fiber Lashes mascara by L'Oreal to the top and bottom lashes.

8.Blush: She had Lilly smile big to put on MACs Honey Jasmine blush on her cheekbones  with a F10 Sigma brush. She also put a little of this color gently on her forehead and chin to give her a little color.

9.Shimmer: She used MACs Global Glow on her nose tip and bridge because this is a bronzier shade. Then she applied shimmer to the sheeks using MACs New Vegas with a fan brush. Then she layered what seems to be KIM Ks Highlighter in Giella in the shade Eye M Glam in a generous amount to the cheek planes using a small fluffy brush. (another product I need asap) She also put this in the inner tear duct.

10. Lips. I loved the Inglot lip liner in shade 854 that she used on Lilly. Its very nude but it definately gave her lips a pretty outline. She used some of the NW45 studio fix powder underneath the lower lip to intensify the lower lip as poutier and fuller. She used MACs High Tea Lustre lipstick with a lip brush and then applied MACs Shy Girl lipstick in the center to make it look fuller.Then she applied Inglots lipgloss in 43 to the center. MIND you that this lipgloss is WHITE! It definatetly completed the look for lilly.

Towards the end of the webinar, Lilly gives a recap on the products and steps her MUA did. Lilly was very very nice and sweet and wanted us viewers to understand and catch on to everything. She did a good job going over questions we had and had her MUA answer some as well. I definately recommend her makeup glam videos to anyone who wants to feel a little sexier and done up. 

Here is the post on instagram that her MUA posted after the seminar... 

January's Favorite Lip

I was doing my usual stalking on Instagram one day when I came across a lip color that I hadn't seen yet. Its by MAC (duh) called KINDA SEXY.  I quickly looked online to make sure it wasn't a lipstick I had missed and if it was a limited edition. NO! Its a permanent one!! :)

Its a matte pinkish nude shade that is very natural but not colorless. It seriously compliments the pink in your lips. 

MY new lip combo is MAC Soar lip liner and the KINDA SEXY lipstick and I get many many people asking me what shade Im wearing. It looks even more beautiful with a gloss over the top.

I cant see myself going wrong when I say, THIS IS A MUST HAVE lipstick, no matter what color of skin you have.

HIghlighting and contouring

MY favorite part of makeup is definately highlighting and contouring. I dont rememeber what I was doing prior to this. It makes such a difference by giving dimension on your face and making your better features stand out more while hiding the imperfections. Contouring can make your nose look smaller or your face look thinner while highlighting can make your cheekbones higher and your face very bold.

There are 2 ways of doing this. Creams vs Powders. Or if you have done this as much as I have then you can possible pull off doing both. I belive creams are more dramatic and have more of a glowy effect. Probably better for people with dry skin too. Powders are more natural and require more build up but are probably better for people with oily skin.

The highlight has to be 2-3 shades lighter than your current skin color. Mac has the Prep and Prime collection and seperates the highlights into 3 categories. 

1. Radiant Rose has a pink underdone for cooler skin

2. Light Boost has a yellow undertone for a warmer skin tone

3. Bright forecast is a salmon color that is preferable for people of darker skin color.

Personally I am a big fan of using concealer (light one) or a product by Maybeline called the Instant Age Rewind Concealer in the color Neutralizer. Its a very complementary color that can easily work as a highlighter for most people, PLUS its not as expensive as other brands. 

Apply the highlighter in the center of the face to bring out those features.

Then u can set with a powder that's either lighter or yellow. I love the kim kardashian look so I use Ben nye banana powder 

As for contouring. This is tricky. Chose 2 shades darker than your skin color. I said this is tricky because you dont want to end up with a color that makes your skin look ashy or muddy.  I would recommend using powder personally if your a beginner. Chose a powder WITHOUT the shimmer. It has to be matte to be natural and to hide the areas you're going to be contouring.

Apply it to the hollow of your cheek bone to make your face look slimmer. (it helps to make a fish face to find this area).

Apply it to both sides of your nose to make it slimmer. 

Apply it around your forehead and temples to make your forehead look smaller. 

And lastly apply it to the jawline and under the chin to hide a double chin and make your jawlinge more chizzeled.

A good trick is to apply a little bit of darker color under your lower lip to create a shadow and an illusion  of a bigger lower lip.  You can also highlight the cupids bow to make your lips look fuller.

After I apply my cream h & B I always set with powders. You can either start with the powders or add them at the end like me.  

* If your colors a very defined and not very blended it, you can powder your face with your regular face powder that is your shade to smooth out any harsh lines.

Hope this helps. There are a lot of youtube beauty gurus that have step by step H&C videos that have taught me everything I know.

I am not as equipped yet to do a full on tutorial but I'm working on it 

A little schooling on AcNe!

I have been working with dermatologists for 7 years now. I can literally dictate the consultations my doctor has with patients regarding any skin condition, especially acne.   I have seen very mild acne to the worse you can imagine. All treated very differently and all treatments targeted to a specific kind.
Prescriptions target different kinds of acne.

There are blackheads and white heads. This is call comedonal acne.

There are deep red pimples called inflammatory acne

There are cysts called cystic acne ( this one tends to be more scarring.

 

and then there is the hormonal acne. This tends to be in a beard like distribution (chin, neck, jawline) and is usually along your period.

For blackheads and whiteheads, the best treatment is a retinoid. (Retin A or Retrinol) These are clogged pores. So the Retin A exfoliates them and that way the oil dries up (this is why retin a makes you peel) and then the head makes its way up.

*Personally if your not too patient with this or cant get your hands on the medication, invest in an Comedone extractor. They are about $5 at drugstores and are amazing! They put the pressure around the acne lesion and make it pop to the surface. Kind of like squeezing a pimple. Some deeper ones need a little "unroofing" So what I do is get a needle (any) gently insert the sharp end on the black or white head giving it a way out, then applying the extractor gently over the top an watching the substance come out. It is sooooooooooooo satisfying and doesn't scar.  FYI Look for them on Amazon if you cant find them, its nice having them around.. there are also some sold with the sharp end so that can be your unroofer.

Deeper red pimples at the office are usually treated with antibiotic pills. The antibiotic helps the inflammation and bacterial in the skin go away. These can be treated with benzoyl peroxide which is over the counter. It literally dries out the pimple. If you cant get any, put some tooth paste on it over night.  At the office we also inject these with cortisone and they disappear in 24 hours. (good for emergencies like weddings)

Cystic acne are the really big ones that look lilke they have PUS inside. Although sometimes you think that popping them is the way to go, the redness and irritation after popping them make them more visible. Again I would recommend a combination of the extractor method and the Benzoyl peroxide/or tooth paste on it. Don't wait too long to see a dermatologist for this. Scarring can not be undone. Sometimes hard measures are needed like ACCUTANE

Hormonal acne is a stubborn one. It is that breakout that comes with your before your period around the chin, neck, jawline. There is only one good way of treating and avoiding this and it is a birth control. Now, you must know that NOT ALL birthcontrol pills are equally acne friendly. If you have progesterone in your pills or if you have the MIRENA IUD, you are getting more progesterone (hormone) and guess what is the hormone that causes this acne..PROGESTERONE!  Stay clear from the pills that have "Lo" in the end like Ortho Tryclen Lo. A good hint is that if the pill or method is preventing a period from coming then your probably going to flare your acne instead of helping.


Washing your face is always a help when treating acne. I wash my face at night as well as in the morning. I use an oil free sunscreen and never go to bed with makeup on. Its has been my little help for keeping my face clear.

Another help is using a wash with salicylic acid. This helps acne a lot too but some people's skin might be too sensitive, but this is another option. Purpose by Johnson and Johnson is a cheap easy wash that cleanses your skin without adding anything chemicals.

Food can sometimes be a trigger. Ive heard of people going on gluten free diets and their acne and other skin problems like eczema go away.

Otherwise you're looking at prescriptions and procedures. Look in your makeup bag and make sure everything is oil free and not too heavy. Moisturizing isn't always acnes best friend so don't put anything heavy on your face. Stick to oil free moisturizing lotions instead of heavy creams. I personally like CeRave.

Hope his is a good start for y'all!

1Face Watch

For Xmas, a coworker of mine gave me a 1face watch. I had mentioned to her months ago on how much I was seeing my beauty gurus on instagram sporting the different colors. These arent your average watch, they are for #1 digital, #2 every single one of them costs no more than $40. #3 Not only that but each color stands for something. Each watch contributes to a foundation. #4 They are all waterproof,  #5 There is a 1 year warranty and last #6 they look very cool!

The Black one (this is the one I own) supports 8 cancer patients

The Silver one dispenses 16 meals to a hunger foundation

The Red one is for Aids and gives treatment to 8 patients

The Pink one is for Breast cancer and every 9 watches is for a mammogram

The yellow one is for education and 5 if them provide 1 year of education,

The blue one is for enviroment and 3 of them is 1 charcoal effecient stove. 

I plan on getting more colors because they are very light, the band is like sillicon, and the screen is a MIRROR!!!!! *Perfect for reapplying some lipstick!!!

Check out for yourself at: www.1facewatch.com

Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit

The hype for this contour kit is everywhere!!! I was finally able to get my hands on the kit. It was available a week ago online (not sold in stores)  and I was lucky enough to but it before it sold out again. *Should be available again at the end of this month. 

Contouring & Highliting has to be my most favorite part of makeup. You can change the shape of your face in minutes if you get the technique down.  Highlighting brightens certain areas of the face. If you look at beauty icons like Kim Kardashian & Lilly Ghalichi, you can tell the center of their face is very bright. (under eyes, center of nose, and in between forehead.) The outer part of their face is s few shades darker. This is called contouring. This shades the areas of the face to slim and give your "canvas" dimension. You PUSH BACK these areas. This is what gives you a smaller nose, slimmer cheeks and a defined jaw.  The highlighting lifts your cheekbones and gives you a very specific glow as well as bring foward the areas. 

In most cases you purchase these products seperately and its a guessing game to which color will look good with your skin. Before this kit I was obssessed with the Ben Nye Banana POwder for hightlight and the MAC Matte Bronze for the contour. 

After doing heavy reseach on youtube and instagram, I learned that my fellow beauty gurus will apply the powder after applying a cream based concealer and bronzer. That way the powder sets in the countour and hightlight and seals in the color. The powder is a little more forgiving than cream bases because the blending is easier. 

The kit is only sold at www.anastasia.net. It is $40 out the door with no Shipping or Handling in the US. 

Be wise on the brushes you use to apply these and do more of a patting motion instead of a sweeping so you keep the color where you want it. It is my understanding that the palette can be refilled with the specific color.  Its a very compact case, easy to carry around, but a little fragile so BE CAREFUL and dont drop it. 

Here's my experience with it. 

Skin Care (Drugstore) #Cerave review.

Working for dermatologists, you always get samples of the high end products as well as the drug store cosmetics. I have messed with my skin so much that sometimes LESS is BETTER. Recently I have been very consistent with the CERAVE Hydrating Cleanser & Lotion.  I have used many cleansers on my face but I like the simpleness of this one. Its very light and gives me the clean feeling without feeling like I just stripped my skin from the oils I need. I have combination skin and in most cases I am dry, not oily, but I do have acne prone skin (complicated right).
As for the lotion, I have always been in denial trying to moisturize my face with heavy products. I always end up breaking out and dealing with so much acne and clogged pores. 
I went to a meeting a few months ago and the REP fro Cerave talked me into trying out their products and gave me these trade sizes. I decided to give it a go and see for myself.
I  LOVE THEM! They are so light and so no-nonsense that my skin has come such a long way.
I actually take the time to massage in my lotion in the morning and at night and I feel the healthiness immediately. Cerave provides the ingredients our skin needs to help restore and repair the skin's natural protective barrier. Therefore, makeup looks smoother, skin stays healthy and acne stays away.

Makeup Storage

I had my time of throwing all of my makeup in a big Caboodle (remember those) or makeup bag that usually leads to a big unorganized dirty mess. NOW, I know better. Ive become pretty OCD on how my makeup is organized at home and its very satisfying in my regime knowing exactly where I keep everything.
First I bought a BIG desk on AMAZON. Its in the shape of an "L" a very typical office computer desk but its made out of glass so it looks a little modern. Of course I have to clean it everyday but when everything is nicely organized it looks so nice!

 

For individual compartments I have also relied on AMAZON. There are extremely expensive acrylic organizers on the market. I have yet to buy one that's over $30.00.  There are organizers for lipsticks that are around $12 or less. The only thing I did splurge on was a tower in which I keep my blushes and eyeshadows in.  Since I had many palettes from UofM, I organized them nicely into a DVD rack. That way I can look through them without misplacing them.

Heres what I have accomplished with these goodies.