Friday, July 13, 2012

Layering your Skin Care Routine



Hi loves! I bet you are using several different skin care products for morning and night, but do you use them in the correct way? In this post, I am gonna teach you how to use them in correct way (well you might have known this..lol) because if you use your products in the correct order, they will give a better result for your skin.

1. Cleanse 
In the morning, use your cleanser to wash your face. I like to do it in circular motion until it lathers for about 60 seconds. If you are in a hurry, 30 seconds is acceptable as well. Just don't wash it too fast because cleansing is the most important part to keep your skin clean! If your skin is clean and fresh, next other products will work better. Before you wash your face at night, use makeup remover wipes to wipe off your make up (if you have any) because a cleanser won't remove all dirts and makeup 100 percent although your cleanser said "remove any makeup."

2. Exfoliate 
Exfoliate means removing all the dead skin with a more 'harsh' cleanser. I said harsh because it contains beads to scrub the dead skin, so you can't do it everyday. I only exfoliate once a week. Do this for about 30 to 60 seconds.

3. Mask 
I do face mask two to three times a week. I try to do it three times a week, but I usually end up with one or twice :( Anyway, face mask works well when your face is clean because the mask will actually go to your skin to clean up the pores, so of course you don't want the dirt go back to inside your face ;)

4. Toner 
So many people skip toner (including me back then), but now I can't live without it. The reason why is because most of toners contain alcohol and it can sting your skin, but now there are so many non-alcohol toner that you can get, usually at natural grocers or maybe even whole foods! Anyway, the reason why toner is important is to keep your pH balanced and to prep your skin for next products.

5. Serum 
Serum is not moisturizer! Many people have mistaken on that. Serum is a more concentrated product. So for example, if your skin's concern is aging, then you want to find an anti-aging serum. If your skin concern is acne, you want to find acne serum to get rid of your acne or to prevent them, etc. Usually serum is more lightweight than your moisturizer.

6. Moisturizer 
After all the products are applied, now it is time to lock them up! Sometimes cleanser, toner, etc can dry up your skin, so moisturizer is super important! Imagine if you are thirsty and you don't drink water, you'll feel dehydrated right? Well same as your skin.. If you do not moisturize it, it will get dehydrated hence you'll get dry, patchy and dull skin. In the morning, I like to use a more lightweight moisturizer with SPF, and at night, I like to use a heavier moisturizer without SPF in it. Don't sleep with SPF because they can clog your pores. People usually call night moisturizer a night cream, but if your morning moisturizer has no SPF, then you can use that for night as well. If you are doing makeup in the morning, a moisturizer actually helps to achieve a better result on your makeup. It makes your foundation glides on smoother and makes your face look fresher (just don't forget to remove it at night, hee hee).

I feel guilty posting this for you because some of you might have known these steps, but hey.. what about for those of you who haven't known these yet? I hope you find this post useful! :)

What is your skin care routine like? Are you guys interested in my skin care routine? Like what products I am using, how do I use it, etc... Let me know in the comment below! 


Lets be friends too! 
Facebook: www.facebook.com/alexandraubymakeup 
Twitter: www.twitter.com/alexandrauby 

I love you, 
Alexandra 

photo is from here

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

MyGlam: June


Hi lovebugs! So I totally forgot to post June Glam bag. I swear to you that I thought I already posted it, and apparently I have not!! So I am so so so sorry this post is so overdue, but better than nothing right? :) So the theme of June Glam bag is Out All Night, where all the products are supposed to be long lasting. The bag itself is pretty fancy, it has so much sparkles until it gets all over my clothes, my hand, my table, haha!  


Okay, lets see what's inside... 




First thing first is the Living Proof No Frizz Nourishing Styling Cream, which I am so excited for. I love Living Proof products, they are amazing, and I have not tried this one yet. This styling cream is supposed to stop frizz on your hair, making it look soft and smooth. It also blocks humidity without silicone or heavy oils, so your hair will stay frizz-free! 


Next is the new Philosophy moisturizer Take a Deep Breath. I am a fan of Philosophy Hope in a Jar moisturizer, so I am also excited to try it out. It is a lightweight moisturizer that can give your skin a healthy looking glow. 


Next thing is NYX Round Lipstick in Chloe, which is not my favorite shade. It is a dark pink magenta with purple chrome in it. This is definitely not an everyday lipstick. I wish I could get different color :( Oh well.... ;p



Last but not least is Marbella Permanent Eyeliner Pen, which is a liquid eyeliner and it is also waterproof, smudge free and long lasting. I honestly have not heard this brand before, but I swatched it on my hand and it is actually not bad. The color itself is not a super deep black, it is more like dark grey, so you need to build layers if you want a deep black looking eyeliner. The applicator itself also makes lining your eyes easy! 


So that's it all the June Glam Bag! I have not received my July Glam Bag yet, so I will post that up as soon as it arrives! :) 


What is your favorite product of all four? Let me know in the comment below! 


Lets be friends!
Facebook: www.facebook.com/alexandraubymakeup 

Twitter: www.twitter.com/alexandrauby 

I love you, 
Alexandra 

Review: Hourglass Immaculate Foundation

Hourglass Immaculate Liquid Powder Foundation
Hi loves!!! Finally I am able to post up this review! Today's review is for the Hourglass Immaculate Liquid Powder Foundation. This is the first Hourglass product I have tried, and they are still a fairly new cosmetic company, and they are big because of their Veil Mineral Primer. I am not a big fan of makeup primer, so I am gonna skip that first and just right jump to the foundation :) 

The one thing that I like about this foundation is it FREE of: paraben, oil, fragrance, nanoparticle, phthalate, synthetic dye, gluten. In addition, it is also water resistant and a vegan product. I have been searching for foundation like this because I am soooo allergic to these harsh chemicals. Regular foundation makes me break out, and I feel they are also make my acne scars or current pimples more inflammable. This foundation does not make me break out at all. Yes I still have new pimples here and there but usually they come when it is almost 'the time of the month' or when I eat too much sugary food.

Another thing that I like about Hourglass Immaculate Foundation is it is a liquid powder foundation, which means it dries into powder, so you do not need powder to set up your makeup afterwards. It dries pretty quickly so you have to work on it really fast because once it dries, it won't bug or move anymore. I like to apply it with a flat foundation brush because it gives more even application. The first time I was using it, I really did not use any powder to set it up. I just went ahead applying my bronzer and blush. However, I feel like it gives more even better result when I use powder since I have combination skin (and it is so hot outside!). Therefore, I only use Make Up For Ever translucent powder because it is colorless and super lightweight, so it won't give me too much coverage or make my face look cakey.

This foundation is a medium to full coverage and you definitely can build how much coverage you want. For me, I still find the need for concealer to get more flawless look. If you do not have a lot to cover, this foundation will work wonderfully for you because the texture and consistency glides on very smoothly. In addition, it is very long lasting, it holds for about six to nine hours before I feel 'gross'  for my makeup and I just want to take it off! Hee hee.

Those are things I like about it. Now I am gonna tell you what I don't like about it. It is the pump. The pump just did not work! So I went ahead to Sephora to exchange a new one, and guess what.. It did not work either. Like when you pressed the pump, nothing comes out from it! So I have to get the product by pouring it to the palm of my hand which is very troublesome and not very hygienic. Also, I feel like this foundation kinda settles to my pores, making them look bigger, especially around my nose area. So what I do is using a circular motion with a fluffy brush to blend the foundation in the area. Also, powder helps to cover those pores too.

Overall, this is a great foundation and I will continue purchasing it because it does not make me breakout. However, this will suit you best if you have oily to combination skin. If you have dry skin, this foundation might not be for you because it will dry into matte velvety finish.. so it will give your skin looking drier and dull.

Where to buy: Sephora, $55 (this is seriously the most expensive foundation I have ever bought :( )


What do you think of this product? Will you try it out in the future? Let me know in the comment below! And don't forget to add me as your Facebook friend and follow me on Twitter :) 


Facebook: www.facebook.com/alexandraubymakeup 
Twitter: www.twitter.com/alexandrauby 


I love you, 
Alexandra 

Hourglass Immaculate Liquid Powder Foundation

Hourglass Immaculate Liquid Powder Foundation

Hourglass Immaculate Liquid Powder Foundation. I am in the color Shell. 

Hourglass Immaculate Liquid Powder Foundation
Swatch - Hourglass Immaculate Liquid Powder Foundation in Shell
This how it looks like on my face :) 






Friday, July 6, 2012

June Favorites



Hi beauties! It is the beginning of the month, and it means for June favorites! My favorites of this month include new stuffs and old stuffs.. So I want you to let me know what are your favorites of June because I love to know it too! 



First thing first is this Make Up For Ever Full Cover Concealer ($32). I love this concealer because it really covers imperfections well, and it does not break me out! It does not make my blemishes worse or add more pimples. More reviews on this coming soon! 



I use this Hourglass Immaculate foundation ($55) for the whole month of June, and I am loving it! I know I have promised you to do this review, but I wanted to try it out for a while to see how it reacted to my skin. Well apparently so far so good.. So, look forward to its in-depth review! 



I have owned this Make Up For Ever HD Microfinish Powder ($32) for the longest time in my life and it even has not reached the bottom yet. Seriously this is the most cost efficient thing I have ever purchased, haha. Anyway, I use this powder to set my makeup. The Hourglass foundation dries into powder and I actually do not even need powder to set it. But it's summer, 100 degrees outside.. so I just dust a little bit of it. It has no color and the powder is so fine, but it still gives you that HD look. 


It is summer and you can't skip bronzer on your makeup routine, haha! My favorite of this summer is NARS Laguna Bronzer ($34). I mean c'mon.. who doesn't like this bronzer? It gives the perfect color to get that summer goddess glow (so cheesy... :p) 


I do not know why, but recently I do not like to do dramatic eye looks. I just keep it settled and neutral. So what I usually do is just use a black eyeliner to line my upper lash line, and sweep this MAC Cork eyeshadow onto the crease. Then apply mascara, and I am good to go! MAC Cork is a medium brown with matte finish, so it is such a perfect to-go eyeshadow. 



Last but not least is the combination of Make Up For Ever Smoky Lash ($23) and bareMinerals Flawless Definition Volumizing ($18) mascara. I only have the travel size though (I have a lot of travel size mascaras, so that I can review many of them, and use them up!) Anyway what I like about this combo is I put the bareMinerals mascara first because it separates my lashes and gives me volume, then I put the MUFE Smoky Lash because it gives me length. I love how they make my lashes long and volumized! 

So that's all my favorites of June. Don't forget to share what's yours too! I usually found a lot of new things just by knowing others' favorites, so please do let me know and I might buy it and do the review! 

Don't forget to add me as your friends :) 


I love you, 
Alexandra 

Summer Yellow

Hi loves! Today's post is going to be a tutorial using a yellow eyeshadow because I know yellow eyeshadow can be so intimidating, but if you are using it in the right way, it can be appropriate and pretty too! :) So here is one of my ways to wear yellow color. What do you think? Let me know how you're gonna use it too! :) 

Products Used 
Urban Decay Primer Potion in Eden, L'Oreal HiP Duo Eyeshadow in Poppy, MAC Soft Brown, YSL Shocking Mascara
Brushes: Sigma E30, Sigma E55, Sigma E40 

Steps by Steps 













Finished Look 










I made this tutorial a few weeks ago, so I don't remember what face products I used :( I am sorry :( 

What do you think of this look? Will you try it out? Let me know in the comment below! 

Lets be friends!
Facebook: www.facebook.com/alexandraubymakeup 

I love you, 
Alexandra