Make-up, Milani, Loreal...oh wow!

I've been doing major make-up hauls, both drugstore and high-end brands, to do reviews and most importantly, add to my kit. I've been wanting to try some of the new, or not as new, Eyeshadows from the drugstore. I live within walking distance from our local CVS/Longs. In Hawaii, Longs was our ONLY drugstore we had for many years before Costco and Sam's etc etc. 

I walked right in to that store with a mission and some leisure time (I can spend almost all day anywhere makeup is in sight. It's no wonder make-up is my career). I started from the end of the makeup isle and worked my way up, looking for anything that caught my interest. I stopped at Milani first because their baked shadows were screaming to be looked at. There were 2 colors that caught my eye. One was a copper/red color, the other a bright blue/pink fuschia. One of the main reasons I love baked eyeshadows is the effect you get when  the light hits it; it's a metallic and very multi-dimensional look. Next I walked by Rimmel and found their new Scandeleyes Kohl Eyeliners...put that in my basket. I walked along more towards the Loreal cosmetics. I picked up the Loreal Infalliable eyeshadows which looked like loose pigments. 

Now the best part:

The colors I chose from the baked Milani shadows are (from left to right in the first photo) 602 I Heart You and 616 Must Have Fuschia. I swatched the in the second picture both with and without primer.  The texture is a little gritty but no doubt, a baked shadow. Depending how you use it, wet or dry, you get the best of both worlds with the products. The color pay off is crazy-good and yes I would purchase more colors and use in my kit. Milani - check!

These Loreal Infalliable Eyeshadows are not what expected....it's above and beyond what I expected. Colors I chose are Liquid Diamond on the left and Eternal Sunshine on the right. I have to say the texture seems buttery and finely milled, more than MAC (dare I say).  It's like a cross between Urban Decay, Lorac, and Smashbox. The color payoff is unbelievable. The swatches above does no justice. As you can tell, there isn't much of a difference with or without primer, the pigmentation is THAT good! I can't wait to do wet looks with these. I'll DEFINITELY get more colors and recommend do other MUAs. 

One last brand that I am starting to fall in love with it is Rimmel. Their new Scandaleyes Waterproof Eyeliner and shadowstick are BLAAACK. I noticed the shadowstick lasts longer than the eyeliner. Like any other Kohl Kajal, it's very creamy and easy to smudge out if you want that effect. Definitely a good base for those smoky eyeshadow days. 

Don't forget to follow me on IG: @cynmarie_tho @cynmarie_tho2  and like my FB page: facebook.com/muacynthiaperalto

Buenos Noches mi amores. 

Lights and Shadows

There are 2 important factors when mastering the art of artistry. This applies to all artists. This is mastery of light and shadow.  Everything around us is in 3D. We see perception and depth. As artists, we try to mimic this on paper, canvas, a face, etc. Light and shadow is what gives life to the art you're doing. For makeup, your focal point to base your light and shadow is above and in front you. Placement of the light and shadow (highlight and contour) can go either way, enhance your features in a negative or positive way. For example, if you were to put a contour color under your eye, it may give the illusion of a fatigued eye, maybe even a black eye. Remember, whatever you want to HIGHLIGHT, you want to bring bring forward. Whatever you want to CONTOUR, you want to recede. Here's a face contour example:

There were different products I used and love to use on myself and clients. 

First I start with a clean face, moisturizer, primer and this wonderful Urban Decay B6 toner/spray. Think MAC Fix+ with vitamins and B6. 

Next, I use cream products to highlight and shadow. I prefer cream based products as my base because they adhere to the skin better and the coverage is always flawless and the staying power is great as long as you use minimal product. Yes, again, a little goes a long way. The rule of thumb is - cream to cream, powder to powder, liquid to liquid. In other words, it is not suggested to have a cream foundation on, then start using a powder for contouring without setting the cream first. What happens is the powder contour won't blend well. It'll adhere to certain areas more than others, it'll look blotchy. So if you're using cream or liquid, remember to set with powder before moving on. 

For my contour I used MUD (Make-up Designory) Pro concealer palette, using the darkest colors. 

For my highlight, I used the MAC Pro concealer palette in medium light. I mixed all the colors on the left on to my palette. 

I used my Coverfx Total Cover Cream Foundation in N80 to marry everything together, blending well so as not to see the demarcations. Make sure it's as natural as possible, seeing lines on a face is disastrous. 

Now to seal everything, you must set with powder. I dusted the Ben Nye Camel powder all over to set the whole thing. Then I used the famous Ben Nye Banana Powder to emphasize the highlights. 

And the last step was to emphasize my contour with Kevyn Acouin bronzer mixed with Coastal Scents contour powder

Tips: 

Look at your face in the mirror. Imagine it being the shape of an oval. Now using the technique of light and shadow (highlight is to bring out, contour is to recede or push back) you can carve out the perfect shape you want. Every feature on your face can be enhanced with that same technique. 

Go ahead, try it! See how far you can take it. For fun, you can even reverse highlight for contour, it's pretty fun. Ok artists, sleep tight!

Skin breakouts

I am a big advocate of DIY things  I love everything organic and naturopathetic. When it comes to skincare, I believe your face reflects from within. You know that saying, "You are what you eat!" - well it is true!

While I was still attending my esthetician classes years ago, we were given this face chart portraying which part of the organs are connected to the breakouts on the skin. Funny thing is years later, while seeing my acupuncturist, she also shared this chart with me. Here I am, paying it forward....

Although some may not agree with this, think of what maybe causing whatever skin condition you maybe going thru. Think of what you've been eating or what emotions are going. You'll be surprised at how much everything has a cause and effect within your whole body as a whole. Look at yourself as mind, soul, and body. That is your makeup. So make good decisions if you want to glow from within. Positivity and healthy living. 

Life moves on. 

Peels, feels, smeels (smiles)

I've been an esthetician for 8 years now and have suffered from acne which is heredity and my AVM condition. 

"Arteriovenous malformation (AVM) is an abnormal connection between arteries andveins, bypassing the capillary system. Thisvascular anomaly is widely known because of its occurrence in the central nervous system, but can appear in any location. Although many AVMs are asymptomatic, they can cause intense pain or bleeding or lead to other serious medical problems.

AVMs are usually congenital and belong to the RASopathies. The genetic transmission patterns of AVM, if any, are unknown. AVM is not generally thought to be an inherited disorder, unless in the context of a specific hereditary syndrome." -expedia

My acne at this point is manageable with the occasional major breakouts around that time of the month. Although it's been under control, I've been very self-conscious with the scarring that was left. I had cystic acne, very deep and painful acne, and as any dermatologist or esthetician would know, is that the scars left are not only the red/blue scars, but the pitted ones, or craters one would be more familiar with. These type of scars are the most difficult to get rid of. There are two ways of dimishing them, peels or actual face lift for the deep pitted scars. Because I did not want to go under the knife and did not have the money or time (I'm a mother of a 5yr and 4yr old girls), I opt to do the peel. I am a licensed esthetician so luckily I'm able to administer the peel to myself. 

I planned a schedule out for my peels, making sure I had enough down time in between each peel but still being aggressive about doing it to get the results I wanted quicker. 

To pre-treat my actual Jessner peel, I started doing glycolic peel safe enough to use daily. Just starting with the glycolic peel, I could see a difference and even got compliments about my skin from my clients and co-workers (that is a big thing for us acne-prone skin-ners). 24 hrs before I did the Jessner I stopped my glycolic peel. When I did my first treatment of the Jessner peel, I was so surprised at how smooth the texture of my skin changed. I peeled for about 3-5 days and was very religious about having a skin regimen with sunscreen, and staying out of the sun. Since then, I have done 4 treatments, and although I am not to where I want my skin to be, I know I'm headed in the right direction with these treatments. 

If you're thinking of trying peels, consult with a licensed esthetician or dermotologist. Remember, don't give up, there is a regimen out there that would be a right fit. The number one thing I tell my clients and will advise to you - as Estheticians and doctors, we can only help you up to a point, the rest is up to you. Keep up with your regimen and stick to it. And don't forget - Sunscreen it up!