|
Loose Fitting Clothes: One of our key tips for your spray tan preparation was to wear loose fitting clothing to the salon, and we recommend staying in this outfit for the remainder of the day. Select your most stylish dark, loose-fitting outfit and pair it with sandals for lowest chance of staining your clothes and the least amount of friction. Tight bras, shirts, pants, or shoes can cause lines, streaks, and indentations if worn too soon after your appointment, ruining the spray tan effect that your technician just applied.
Baby Powder is Key: Deodorants were also mentioned as something that should be avoided before your tan, and unfortunately the rest of the day after is no different. While you may just want to tough if out for the rest of the day to avoid the patchiness that both sticks and spray can cause, sweat also causes streaks and spots. We’re going to let you in on a secret industry tip; baby powder works wonders to solve both the smell and sweat problem. Apply liberally around sweat prone areas such as your underarms, inner elbows, back of your knees, and under your butt. Who says looking great, smelling great, and prolonging your tan has to be difficult? Liquids are the Enemy: The duration you should wait to shower after your tan varies depending on the level of color depth, your skin requirements, and the solution used, but six hours on average is recommended. This means that you also need to avoid rain, pools and the beach. Solutions are a tricky science, needing enough time to absorb and ensure an even shade. Keep in mind that leaving the solution on any longer than 12 hours can cause streaking as well, so adhering to their advice is important. Follow Proper Shower Procedures: When it finally is time to take a shower, there are several important things to keep in mind that may differ from your normal wash routine. First, don’t spend an excessive amount of time in the water as it may cause fading before you are even able to flaunt your tan in public. Utilizing water that is too hot can also speed up this process, so be sure the water is lukewarm before you hop in. During the first shower avoid using soaps on your skin. If you need to use soap, keep in localized to the necessary areas. Avoid washing your hair during this initial shower if you can. But, if it is absolutely critical to wash your hair, a methodical wash that avoids touching the skin is the best technique. After your shower, dab, don’t rub the towel against your skin to dry off the water. Over the next 12 hours, your tan will continue to develop before reaching its peak jaw-dropping look. Hydration for the Win: After you have taken your first shower, keeping your skin as moisturized as possible will be THE key factor affecting how long your tan will last. Prepare oil-free body lotion to use daily after your first rinse to properly rejuvenate your skin’s vital nutrients. If you don’t moisturize properly, there is a chance that your spray tan will wear off in dry patches of skin. Lotion with oil should absolutely be avoided as it will have the opposite effect of what you are trying to achieve, preventing the skin from absorbing the solution and shortening the lifespan of your tan. Oil-based fragrances, perfumes, and even products like bug spray will also have this same negative effect; meaning direct skin contact with these products should be avoided as well for the sake of your tan. Keep Exfoliation and Shaving to a Minimum: Ideal for the preparation of your skin and harmful for the preservation, exfoliation wears away at the surface of your fresh spray tan. Along with pore strips and bandages, it should be kept to a minimum until your brilliant color begins to fade away. Shaving is also a tricky subject, as it offers the same drawbacks but is much harder to avoid for 5-8 days. So, if hairy legs or armpits aren’t your thing, then be sure to shave with light pressure and an emphasis on using slow, even strokes of your razor. If done correctly, this will prevent any unwanted exfoliation and fading.
0 Comments
Exfoliation: Dead skin cells can cause streaking and flaking after a spray tan. We suggest using physical exfoliants like body scrubs, loofahs, dry brushing, or even a washcloth every day for three days before your appointment. This will help to remove the dead skin cells, leaving your skin perfectly smooth and ready to absorb the maximum tanning solution. *It is important to note that you should not use chemical ingredients like retinol and glycolic acid at least 24 hours before your tan. These chemicals can prevent the tanning solution from absorbing in to your skin or work at exfoliating your tan too.
Shave: While shaving before your appointment isn’t obligatory, shaving up to 24 hours after a spray tan can remove the spray tan solution along with your hair. If you do choose to shave before the appointment, do it at least 24 hours in advance to allow your skin and pores to recover. Similarly, allow 24 hours between waxing and spray tanning, because this procedure will open up your pores, leaving an uneven tint. Shower: An incredibly important step in the spray tan process, we recommend showering exactly 8 hours before your appointment. This allows your body time to resume its natural pH level while at the same time offering all the benefits of exfoliation. Wear Loose Clothes and Sandals, Utilize Nail Polish: One of the most common questions new spray tan clients ask is, “what should I wear to my appointment?” We recommend wearing dark, loose-fitting clothing and sandals that will have the lowest chance of being stained. Tight bras, shirts, pants, or shoes can cause tan lines if worn immediately after your appointment, ruining the spray tan masterpiece that your technician just performed. If you plan on wearing undergarments during the spray process, be sure to wear something you don’t mind getting stained. Another insider tip is to paint your nails before your spray tan. Nail polish helps to prevent discoloration around your nails and cuticles. Avoid Makeup, Deodorant, and Moisturizer: Acting as a barrier to prevent your skin’s absorption of the spray tanning solution, makeup and deodorant should not be worn during your appointment. If you can’t go without them, bring a pack of oil-free wipes to quickly remove all substances before the technician sprays your skin. Avoid using moisturizer a few hours before you’re being sprayed too, as it will disrupt your skin’s absorption of the tanning solution. Hair PreparationAs with your preview appointment, the longevity of your style depends on a lot of factors: your hair type (whether it holds curls well), the hairstyle you chose, your dress style, your wedding morning attire (collared shirts are not a friend of hair stylists), weather conditions (indoor vs. outdoor, humidity, heat, sweat,), etc. These tips should be followed by anyone in the bridal party, mothers or any other member receiving services.
Hair PreparationDifferent products and techniques are customized based on your hair and style for long-lasting results! The longevity of your wedding day style depends on a lot of factors: your hair type (whether it holds curls well), the hairstyle you choose, your dress, products used, wedding day weather conditions (indoor vs. outdoor, humidity, heat, sweat,), etc. These are all factors you must consider when you are choosing your hairstyle. A hair preview allows you to see if this style is the right fit for you and we can make any adjustments based on how your hair wears throughout the day of your preview appointment.
 Who doesn’t love a good eyeshadow pallet? I used to love buying single shadows and creating my own but these days, I just want to buy a pallet that is beautifully curated and makes my job easier. Creamy, high-pigmented shadows are what dreams are made of. Anything with minimal fallout is ideal but with pigment, usually comes fallout so it’s a little give and take. There are MANY great palettes out there, but my top picks include: MAC Eyeshadow X 9 Palettes, Charlotte Tilbury Luxury Eyeshadow Palettes and Viseart Eyeshadow Palettes. What can be said about Viseart palettes other than that they’re literally ESSENTIAL if you are a makeup artist and if you’re an average consumer and you want quality shadows that will last you forever, you need to pick these up. I have four of the Viseart pallets in my kit and even though those four palettes cost as much as one of my car payments (before I paid my car off last year, HEYYYY!) I still stand by my decisions. $80 a pop is well worth the price for palettes that have literally lasted me 3+ years of personal and professional use so far and I still have not hit pan. Viseart’s formula is created in small tightly-controlled batches to maintain pigment quality, powder integrity, and consistency. They are a staple in most working makeup artist’s kits. These products are not tested on animals, contain organic ingredients, and they are free of silicone, petrochemicals, and mineral oil. The weird thing in my opinion is that the shadows feel kind of dry and chalky to the touch but when put on the skin and blended out, they are fantastic and highly pigmented, giving no patchiness at all. If I had to recommend 3 of the palettes to an artist looking to invest, I must go with the Neutral Matte, Cool Mattes and Warm Neutral Matte palettes. If you are a consumer looking to purchase just one, Neutral Mattes all the way! As much as I LOVE the matte shadows, I could live without their satin formulas. I find that they (or at least the Sultry Muse that I have) are a bit drier and produce a lot of fall out when applied with a brush. I’ve never actually tried to apply with a finger before but for the price point, I don’t really want a product I only feel comfortable applying one way. Maybe you’re better at makeup than I am though, and you can rock their satin formulas. So, go on with your bad self!  A favorite for myself is the Charlotte Tilbury Luxury Palettes, I currently have 3 of her gorgeous little quads. My favorite part is that “each palette contains four harmonious eye colors: Prime, Enhance, Smoke and Pop”. This provides me with just enough shadow range to create some simple, romantic eye looks – nothing too over the top. This has been my staple look lately, pink or bronze (or pinky-bronze) looks that enhance my eyes. I find these shadows to be extremely creamy and blend beautifully. Charlotte was the head makeup artist for the 2019 VS Fashion Show and honestly, those looks made me emotional. See what I mean? →  There are two potential downsides to these palettes though, first being the price point, $53! I have a pro discount, so the price isn’t as steep, but I really think that if you’re looking for a great quality shadow palette and you’re into the simple, romantic looks, they are worth the money! Another possible issue may be that these shadows contain talc. I personally do not have an issue with talc, but I know that is an allergen to some people. Talc is a mineral substance used in a variety of cosmetic. It is added to absorb moisture, smooth or soften products, prevent caking, and make makeup opaque. My lids have been naturally living the glossy-eye trend for years, so the more Talc the better for me!  The MAC Eyeshadow X 9 Palettes have a range of 5 palettes. The one I have is the Semi-Sweet and I have full intensions of purchasing a few more when some of my other rosy-toned shadows run out. The textures in the palettes range from matte to satin and frost making it easy to create a variety of different looks. The Semi Sweet palette is the only one that contains all matte shadows but for that reason, it pairs perfectly with my CT pallets that contain 3 out of 4 shimmer shades. The pigments are saturated and soft and the 9-shadow palette is almost as compact as the CT quads, making it great to throw in your purse or kit! I do not use this palette specifically in my kit, but I do have plenty of MAC individual shadows in palettes I designed, and I love the way they perform. The MAC shadows also include talc in their list of ingredients. These palettes will run the average consumer about $32.00, well worth the price point IMO.
So many brands have great eye shadows so if one of your favorites was not one of mine, that's a-okay! Let me know what kind of shadows you love so I can try them too!
I know that on a day like yesterday and today in Chicago, we’re all thinking about sun protection right? If you’re not, you should be. Even in the dead of winter - with recording breaking cold temperatures - if you are going outside, you should be wearing sunscreen. Even if you are sitting inside but near a window, you should be protecting your skin. I haven’t always been adamant about sunscreen but you bet you bottom dollar, at 29, I don’t leave the house without it. It took me about 26 years to realize the importance of protecting my skin from the sun’s damage. Because it took me so long, I am probably going to have a decent amount of issues pop up later in life, but I’m glad that I started later than never.
My family is relatively pasty across the board. German, Irish, Croatian and French heritage doesn’t lend itself to skin that handles the sun well. On my mom’s side, several of us have had suspicious freckles/moles removed or even as bad as actually having skin cancer. I myself, had a dark freckle taken off about 2 years ago that was almost in between my butt cheeks. How does an area of the body like that get a potentially cancerous spot? Tanning beds, my friends. Probably 4 years after I stopped using tanning beds all together, my dermatologist found that spot. Sun damage usually doesn’t rear it it’s ugly head until much later than the time you initially spent in the sun, which is why it is important to constantly be protecting your skin because the damage isn’t always immediate, like a sun burn, and it is much more difficult to treat than to prevent sun damage. There are two types of sun rays, UVA and UVB. UVA are the long waves that cause damage into the dermis of the skin (the under layer of skin). Damage from UVA rays includes, reduced collagen production, wrinkles, and skin cancer. UVB rays are the short, “burning” rays. Their damage include tans, burns and hyperpigmentation. SPF only protects against UVB rays, and indicates the amount of time you can spend in the sun before burning. It gets kind of confusing but imagine that your skin normally begins to burn after 10 minutes in full sun without any protection. A 30 SPF sunscreen would provide 30 times the protection of no sunscreen. That means 30 times longer before you start to burn, or in this case, 300 minutes (5 hours). That being said, sunscreen should be reapplied every 80-120 minutes to maintain this protection. A broad spectrum physical sunscreen, containing titanium dioxide and/or zinc oxide, will fully protect you from both UVA and UVB rays! While reading a new book, "Ageless Beauty the French Way" I was shocked to learn what the true recommended amount of sunscreen that should be used per application was actually 1 tablespoon for the face and 1 ounce for the body. During the winter months, I really only apply sunscreen to my face, neck, decollete, ears and hands and I can say that I a using nowhere near 1 tablespoon of sunscreen to do so. Honestly, I feel like that actually sounds like an outrageous amount but hey, what do I know? I'm only 1/4 French. It is very important for everyone to be taking care of their skin and protecting against the suns harmful rays. Ask my boyfriend, the big, tough, football coach that spends endless hours outside with his team several months a year. I have harassed him since probably our first date, or at least the first month of dating, to make sure he is wearing sunscreen at every game and practice! I can tell by his skin that he doesn't always listen to me and is probably not reapplying after the 80 minute mark when I am not around. That's fine, I'll be the youthful looking one, for the both of us! But it isn't just about the superficial look of sun damage, it can lead to some pretty serious implications, so try to do your best and protect the skin you have - it is the only one you're going to get. Here are a few of the top sun care tips also listed in "Ageless Beauty the French Way": 1. No sun for kids under the age of 3 - keep those babies covered! 2. No sun between 1 and 3 pm. The best time for your skin to spend on the beach is between 5 and 8 pm. 3. Constantly reapply sunscreen (every 80-120 minutes) And buy a new tube/bottle AT LEAST every year. If you're using the recommended amount I described above, you may need a new bottle every week! 4. Hydrate skin before and especially after spending time in the sun. 5. Before sun exposure, prepare skin with antioxidants and eat foods containing vitamin c, e, and zinc. Foods containing these elements are not only helpful to your skin but your overall health - double whammy.
|
|
