Hourglass Illusion Tinted Moisturizer & Veil Primer




Now that the weather is heating up (even more) here in South Florida and around the country, beauty magazines will be telling you to chuck your liquid foundation for a tinted moisturizer. That's usually fine and dandy...if you have great skin that isn't too oily. A tinted moisturizer is a nice way of getting some sun protection in along with a bit of coverage for any skin discoloration. Until trying out Hourglass Cosmetics Mineral Veil Primer and Illusion Tinted Moisturizer I had only liked Laura Mercier's Oil-Free tinted moisturizer (TM).

The Laura Mercier TM gave me decent coverage and didn't get too shiny too quickly.  On a recent trip to my local Sephora I sampled the Hourglass Mineral Veil Primer and the Illusion Tinted Moisturizer,  thinking I would end up hating it. But I have to say they are both amazing products that did not break me out, give great coverage and stay relatively matte! Here's the official rundown on the products

Veil Mineral Primer $52 USD

A clean, satin-finish mineral primer formulated with SPF 15, Veil Mineral Primer restores moisture to dehydrated skin while providing protection from the sun and minimizing shine.
  • MINIMIZES THE APPEARANCE OF LARGE PORES AND FINE LINES
  • PREPS SKIN FOR MAKEUP APPLICATION WHILE EXTENDING ITS DURABILITY
  • NATURALLY-DERIVED TITANIUM DIOXIDE AND ZINC OXIDE PROTECTS SKIN FROM UVA/UVB RAYS
  • OIL-, FRAGRANCE-, PARABEN-, GLUTEN-, SULFATE-, PHTHALATE-FREE AND VEGAN
  • WATER RESISTANT


Illusion Tinted Moisturizer (I use Shell) $55 USD

The perfect alternative to liquid foundation, Illusion is an advanced SPF 15 tinted moisturizer formulated with INSTALIFT® at 3% and Hyaluronic Filling Spheres at 3% to deliver a more radiant youthful complexion.
  • A NATURAL-BASED PEPTIDE, INSTALIFT® VISIBLY LIFTS AND TIGHTENS THE SKIN WITHIN AN HOUR OF APPLICATION
  • INTENSELY MOISTURIZING HYALURONIC FILLING SPHERES HELP MINIMIZE THE APPEARANCE OF FINE LINES AND WRINKLES WHILE INCREASING SKIN’S HYDRATION LEVELS
  • OIL-, FRAGRANCE-, PARABEN-, SULFATE-, PHTHALATE-FREE AND VEGAN
  • WATER RESISTANT 

I love these products--especially when used together. So many companies say you need to use a certain series of products together in order for them to work best, but it usually doesn't matter. This time, with Hourglass, I really do find using the primer and TM together provides the best results. I've also used the primer with regular foundations and haven't had a problem with pilling or breakouts. Of course, nothing keeps my skin completely shine-free all day, but this comes very close without the side-effect of breakouts. I know it's pricey, but if you have trouble finding great base products for your face, they are definitely worth a try!

Waxing 101: A quick guide for the breakout-prone!



Hello lovelies!

It's time for everyone's favorite topic: waxing! (Booooo!) It's a necessary evil for some of us, and for those of us with sensitive skin it can be misery. If you think I'm being over dramatic, ask someone with reactive skin!

On a recent trip to a beauty supply shop I decided to pick up this kit by GiGi after reading about the benefits of blue wax for sensitive skin. The kit comes with a spatula, instructions and 1oz. of blue, stripless wax.

"GiGi Microwave Sensitive Skin Tweezeless Wax offers an easy way to remove unwanted facial hair in just seconds, providing your salon or spa with a great add-on service. The microwave formula melts in seconds, requires no muslin strips and leaves no residue on the skin. GiGi Microwave Sensitive Skin Tweezeless Wax contains Azulene to soothe even the most sensitive skin."

You might have to play with the consistency and temperature before you get it right, but the results are worth it. Very little redness and no breakouts as long as you keep the skin clean. See, I think a lot of times the powder and gels and creams used to prep and then soothe waxed skin are what contribute to breakouts. So, this is my method.

PREP & DISINFECT

Prepare the skin by cleansing your face thoroughly. Make sure you remove all makeup.

Wipe the skin with alcohol or antiseptic tea-tree oil pads like those from Desert Essence.

Make sure the skin is dry so the wax can adhere to facial hair. If you must use a powder, use TALC-FREE baby powder, like Burt's Bees. Talc can cause breakouts.

WAX

Use the spatula to spread a relatively thick layer of wax over the hair you want removed. Make sure all of the edges are thick, so that when you have to remove the wax you can grab onto it. Keeping the edges even also reduces the amount of wax cleanup afterward.

Once the wax hardens, flick off one of the thick ends (as long as it is opposite the direction of the hair growth. This is the end you will grab onto. Pull the skin taught and in one quick motion,  keeping close to the skin, rip the wax off in the opposite direction of the hair growth.

When waxing the upper lip, I find it helpful to press your lips together to loosen the wax from the skin before removal. After that, you know the drill.

SOOTHE & PROTECT

Look for any bits of leftover wax (shouldn't have much if you spread the wax evenly) and pick them off with CLEAN FINGERS (use Purell beforehand).


Now, this is the step some people may find controversial, but it helps keep bacteria away from the pores and is a huge step in keeping me from breaking out: Wipe the area with the tea tree oil pads again. This will clean, disinfect and remove any other wax bits.

After that, splash your face with cold water. I actually like to wash with a very SMALL amount of Panoxyl (available at the drugstore in the acne treatment aisle) to remove any other oil or dirt. Like I said, keeping as clean and germ-free as possible is what has kept me from breaking out. 

Finally, I apply an all-natural antiseptic gel like Lush Cosmetic's Grease Lightning. It doesn't sting but the antiseptic oils and gel consistency are perfect for keeping the pores clean and clear. There are no lotions or heavy creams that will clog the pores and make you break out.

That's MY method of waxing the facial area.  The GiGi wax is great and convenient. You may have to reheat the wax once it goes cold but it only takes a few seconds. Being fuzz-free is worth it!

Do you have any waxing tips you would like to share?

xoxo


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