If You Buy One Thing at IMAS and a Tip or Two

     I’ve been twice and each time I’m in awe. I’m talking about the International Makeup Artist Trade Show (IMATS). The first time I went I was a bit prepared because I had heard so much about it from YouTubers; I knew more or less what to do. The second time I went I considered myself a pro. I’m also a planner so I liked to be prepared. However not everyone is a planner which is fine. Maybe you’ve heard this but its true, figure out what you want. I went to the IMATS list of vendors to see who’s going to be there. I checked the websites I was interested in, which gave me an idea of what they sold. Do you need makeup? Just brushes? What brand are you most interested in? Write a list of what you want and their prices. Prices? Yes. I went to Makeup Forever’s counter once and the discount was the same as Sephora when they have their VIB Sale. Needless to say I waited till Sephora, might as well get points for shopping.  Do a little research on the items you want.  The first time I went I bought a brush from a company I really didn’t know.  Honestly I bought it because it was cheap and looked nice. The hairs immediately came out when I washed it.

     Expect a lines everywhere at IMATS. If you have a friend team up.  I thought I was doing well the second time when I arrive an hour after they opened.  The line wrapped around the building! The line does move quickly, considering the about of people. The biggest line is the Sigma line. If you want Sigma brushes I suggest you get in that line first. I went around 11 am when I headed to the Sigma line which was out the door. The very first time I went they didn’t have a line outside. In fact they wouldn’t let us line up! Needless to say I was upset because I’m put of town and how many times would I be able to come again, if any!  When I got to the front, a couple of brushes I wanted were already sold out.

     One of the brushes is a must every time I went are the Hakuhodo Brushes. When I learned about them, I heard they were labeled as the Channel of brushes. I have to agree. I don’t know if any are synthetic (there are huge array of brushes) but they are the best quality of brushes I own, that’s being compared to Mac, Sigma and others I have in my collection. Some that I own are horse or goat. Since the brushes aren’t labeled I can honestly say I do not know which ones I own. This has even made me second-guess some of the brushes because I’m pretty certain I own two of the same one. Most of my brushes are the J series. There are varies series with Hakuhodo, you can check all the brushes here. The price range varies, some are rather expensive.

     I can’t remember what brush I have, they’re not labeled, they are made of real hair…they are the softest brushes I own. Sometimes you need a brush that isn’t synthetic to pick up certain eye shadows. They are expensive but the hairs don’t fall out after a few washes, they are easy to handle and work well with shadows. They are expensive but worth the investment. Just walk by the booth, you won’t be disappointed. Just don’t blame me if you spend too much money on Hakuhodo Brushes.

My collection of Hakuhodo Brushes

-Melissa

Dealing with Rosacea (My Personal Routine)

     I was on vacation when my skin started to irate me. I thought I had somehow gotten ahold of poison ivy or maybe it was eczema (my brother has it) because it was itching like crazy. When I got home I started to put cortisone; it was so bad my face looked like a tomato. I did my best to resist from inching because I knew that whatever it was it couldn’t be good to itch (ever had chicken pox?). When I finally went to the dermatologist she informed it was Rosacea and by putting cortisone actually made it worse. I had to learn a whole new skin routine. I quit using Olay products and started using sunscreen. Olay products started to irate my skin. Fast-forward to today; I’ve learned to incorporate moisturizer back in my routine as well as certain products. My skin has been doing great, until this month. However I know how to handle it.

First and foremost, I use medication (a gel) to help from itching. Second, I use sunscreen. The sun is my enemy. The doctor described it to me like this; the sun hits your face and it breaks the capillaries in your skin. Over time they may burst and will leave you permanently scarred, unless I decide to have surgery to fix my skin. She also told me Rosacea could also develop on your body. That thought freaks me out! So when my face or body starts to itch (which is probably in my mind), I make sure I have sunscreen on. I put away moisturizer as well as anything that has a scent; sunscreen is my best friend during the really rough times. I wash my face with a gentle soap, as well as my body.

My doctor recommended some products (for the life of me I can’t remember their names) but they were very pricey. So she suggested some alternative products I could use. Everyone’s skin is different but these are what work for me and are affordable.

Sunscreen: My doctor recommended me Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunscreen SPF 45… it works. It’s not a heavy sunscreen and feels light on the skin. It’s not odorless but the scent is not strong or overwhelming. I was able to find a two pack of sunscreen for less than $13 at Ulta. It can cause the skin to dry but it’s better than me itching every few minutes.

Facial Wash:

Cetaphil Normal to Oily Skin Facial Wash, is hands down the gentlest facial wash I have ever tried. I use this every morning and night (after using my facial wipes to remove makeup.

First Aid Beauty Face Cleanser, This is my runner up when it comes to facial wash. This works really well with sensitive skin and designed for sensitive skin.

Facial Wipes:

I learned that just because it says for ‘sensitive skin’ doesn’t mean my skin can take it. I learned what ingredients aren’t good for me. For me Simple’s Facial Wipes aren’t great. Olay, not even. Ponds (in the blue package) work. It takes off a majority of makeup.

Moisture:

Cetaphil Daily Facial Moisturizer with Sunscreen with SPF 15, is the only moisturizer I use. When products like facial wash and medicine being applied, my face gets dry. My doctor told me initially not to moisturizer until I learned a new facial routine. This one by Cetaphil works great. It doesn’t irate my skin.

First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream, just helps bring moisture back into my skin when it gets dry. I’ve spoken a lot about this product. It’s good!

Soap:

Sticking with unscented, Dove Unscented soap (bar) works really well. On a side note: my brother who suffers from eczema also uses this. It’s the only soap we use. His doctor recommended this to him and I followed. It doesn’t cause my skin to itch and that’s what I need.

Nearly every product I mentioned is made for sensitive skin but works. I mentioned that just because it states it’s for sensitive skin doesn’t mean it will work (well at least for me). Burt Bees Sensitive Skin Facial Wash actually burned my skin a bit. Simple facial wipes stung my face. Olay products also gave my skin a reaction. Everyone is different and a lot of it is finding what works with you, basically trial and error. Once you find that routine you’ll be happy and so will your skin.

-Melissa

Boots Botanics Soothing Eye Make Up Remover All Bright

     I know I raved about Maybelline’s Clean Express Waterproof Eye Makeup Remover, in my repurchases but that was before I really tried this. Boots Botanics Soothing Eye Make Up Remover knocks Maybelline out of the park! I bought this not because I need it but because I wanted free shipping and since I was almost out of Maybelline’s I figured, why not. I regretted buying it because I never heard anyone talk about and it is solely an online buy (Ulta) but what a great decision that was.

     This is an oil-based remover; you will have to shake the product before using because it separates. I place a little on a cotton ball and leave it on each eye for a couple of seconds and wipe. This remover takes off makeup so easily. It takes off waterproof mascara like nothing. It can be a bit greasy but the outcome of this product out ways that factor. This has become my favorite eye makeup remover.

What’s your favorite eye makeup remover?

-Melissa

Laura Mercier Smooth Finish Flawless Fluide

     When I heard about the new foundation I waited a bit to try it. I can honestly say I’m not a complete fan of hers. Last year I bought the palette they sold during Christmas, only to take it back days later. The eye shadows were chalky and some had very little pigment.  I’ve tried her tinted moisturizer and it just made my face even oilier. Ironically I was running out of my foundation when this foundation came out. I have no idea what made me even think about trying it but I did. I can’t say I’ve become a fan of hers, because I’ve had bad experiences but what I can say is that this foundation is the only exception.

     This foundation is very light weight on the face. It feels very natural on the skin that I have forgotten to take it off, basically till I hit the shower at night. It’s a very light to medium coverage foundation so it is buildable. I’ve used this with a Beauty Blender and my Sephora Airbrush Precision Foundation #56, both worked well with this brush. It doesn’t make my skin breakout, nor does it make my skin any oiler. If you have oily skin I would recommend this. Because I have oily skin it lasted nine to ten hours, except for around my nose where I tend to be oiler. I have left this foundation on for over ten hours and noticed it did seems to separate, so for me it won’t last all day but I really don’t need it to.

     The only downside to this product is the packaging. I am not one to really complain or even admire packing because it’s all about the product (for me). But this one is quite different, in the sense that when you finish applying, the area around the tube can get foundation all over it and can be a bit messy. I make sure I have this product upside down even when I shake it only because when I dispense it, it can get all over the place. I feel that you are losing product when you dispense. A good foundation isn’t cheap and this foundation runs for $48 for 1 oz.  I’d prefer not to waste as much product as possible. I think if they had this product with a pump, it would be so much better. Despite, the packaging of this foundation the product itself is really good and worth it. There is no doubt I would by this again.

What foundations do you want to try?

-Melissa