What are your favorite tips and tricks for framing and showing off your beautiful face?
There are a ton of products I love, but let's start with hair.
Hair
A good hair cut is key to framing your face. I always have my hair feathered so it frames my face, and I really like bangs...but lately I've taken a break from them. I seem to have a love/hate relationship with bangs. Here are two pics of how I like to keep my hair cut so it frames my face.
Longer Bangs
No Bangs
Short Bangs to the side
Short bangs to the front
Short hair and bangs poofed back
Short bangs to the side
Notice how the way I wear my bangs changes the shape of my face? Bangs to the front are not for me, I am definitely a bangs to the side kind of girl. This pic below is by far my favorite hair look though.
Long hair curled with long bangs pushed to the side. Best hair on me ever.
Skin Products
Let's face it, you won't show off much of anything if your face is constantly broken out and your skin is uneven. Check out the last pic of me holding Ellie, clear skin and glowy. I never had breakout then, and I never wore more than eye makeup. Yes, you heard right. There is only eye shadow, eye liner, and mascara on my face in the pic above. But in recent years stress has changed that. After ditching the carefree life of college and joining the real world working force - in my case teaching - my skin has gone to hell. I now have problems with fine lines, I am fighting before they actually are noticeable, acne, and dry skin.
I have always had a good skin cleansing routine, but have never been able to grow out of teenage acne cleansers. This year those teen cleansers stopped working and my partner teacher turned me on to Proactive. I've thought about it for a long time but she had a sample I could try, and let me tell you that after a week my skin looks like it did before I started teaching...nearly all my blemishes are gone!
Here are my other usual products:
From left to right here is the rundown. (1) Garnier Skin Renew Anti-Sun Damage with SPF (2) Garnier Skin Renew Miracle Skin Protectant B.B. Cream (3) Garnier Ultra-Lift Night Cream (4) Clinique Pore Minimizer (5) Clinique Acne Solutions Healing Gel
(1) Garnier Skin Renew Anti-Sun Damage Daily Moisturizer- This is a great daily moisturizer and I love how it feels on my face. I typically put it on and it soaks in immediately. Recently I have started wearing it under my BB Cream instead of doing one or the other.
(2) Garnier Skin Renew Miracle Skin Protectant B.B. Cream - If you haven't bought a BB Cream go and get one now. It works miracles, no lie. I started out using a tinted moisturizer (Merle Norman $38) but was very disappointed in it, after my mom found this BB Cream I was obsessed. BB Creams have been around overseas for awhile, but are just now making their way to the U.S. The offer SPF, tint, moisture, and vitamins that just plain old tinted moisturizer doesn't. The best part, this brand is only $15, that is half the price of most brands. I tried a few of the more expensive brands and with Garnier you not only get more for $15 than you do for $40 in the bottle I can tell not one difference in this and the more expensive brand.
(3) Garnier Ultra-Lift Night Cream- If I don't wear this at night I wake up looking dehydrated. This product somehow makes my skin look plump and hydrated overnight. It seems to take away the damage of the day.
(4) Clinique Pore Minimizer - I have used this for years on my cheeks, chin, and nose. I can tell a big difference when I haven't used it for awhile. I may be able to weed it out now though because the BB Creams help with the look of pores.
(5) Clinique Acne Solutions Gel - this straight salicylic acid gel sucks the gunk out of pimples and dries them up super quick.
Makeup
Like I said, I don't wear a lot of makeup. I just don't like the spackle face clown look a lot of women sport. Plus, this Louisiana heat does not make for makeup that stays on for long. Here is what I use, and don't forget the BB Cream serves several purposes, one of which is evening skin tone and adding a hint of color.
Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Concealer - best stuff on Earth. I have tried may concealers and this actually makes the circles under my eyes disappear.
Bare Minerals Big and Bright Eyeliner in granite - goes on smooth and stays on all days.
Clear Mascara - the eyebrow miracle worker. Swipe over and they stay in place all day.
Loreal Double Extend - until I discovered this my eye lashes constantly fell out.
Cover Girl Blush in Rose Silk - very natural looking
Cover Girl - Shimmering Sands Trio.
Sugar lip moisturizer - I got this as a sample and I will be buying it as a regular size. Love it!
As you can see I don't spend a ton of money on face products (the Bare Minerals was the same price as Cover Girl when I got it on sale). I feel like you can get great products without spending a ton of money, big price does not always mean it works amazing - you may be paying for the name. In all the pics above I have on everything except the BB Cream, I may have it on a little darker or a little lighter depending on what the occasion is, or maybe my gray eye shadow trio for night, but it is always the same drug store brands.
So there you have it, you can frame your face and have great makeup for a reasonable price. Let's face it, not everyone has money to blow on makeup. Even if I had it I would probably still buy the drug store brands.
If you have any questions or suggestions about a product I should try let me know!
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