So You Want Beautiful Makeup

I'm going to be honest with you ladies (and men), I'm good at what I do but unfortunately I'm no magician. Believe me, I wish I could pull puppies out of a hat, make those extra pounds around my waistline disappear and guess the winning lotto numbers but sadly, I am only a makeup artist... not a con-artist. That being said, I'm going to tell you I cannot make you look as if you have had facial reconstruction surgery or get rid of your wrinkles. If you pick at an acne spot and sit in my chair with a scab on your face, I can make it less noticeable but only after asking "WHYYYYYY?!?" If you haven't drank more than a 16 oz bottle of water a day in a very long time or if alcohol and coffee are your only form of "hydration" ... girl, we need to talk. I say all of this to say, we need to work together to get you looking like your best self before the makeup goes on!
Makeup is like the icing on the cake. I don't know about you but I like my cake moist and fluffy, and yes I said moist...get over it. Don't get me wrong, I love myself a good scone or crumb-cake but only in pastry form, not when I'm trying to make a skin analogy here. We don't want dry, crumby and crusty skin "cakes" (ew), we want ones with moisture, volume and with minimal GMOs. Am I confusing you yet? Okay, okay.. let's just get to the point. You can't put makeup on bad skin and expect it to look good, I'm sorry. I wish life didn't have to be so cruel.
A lot of skin issues can be genetic and in all fairness, that does just suck - but a lot of what goes on with our skin has to do with how we mistreat, over-treat and are snacking on the treats just a little too much, if you know what I mean. So I'm starting off this blogging adventure to talk about a few common issues I see as a working makeup artist and drop some knowledge - mainly because if you have nice skin, my job is like SO much easier.
Since I have probably already lost about half of you, today I'm going to stick with just talking about the first and most common issue I see at least once in every bridal party - dehydrated skin. Dry skin may be one of the most common client complaints, especially when working with mature clients. The first step in addressing this problem is to differentiate between dryness and dehydration. 
Dry skin is a skin type, something that is genetic. You can visibly tell a person's skin type by their pore size - dry skin types have small to almost non-existent looking pores. This skin type lacks adequate oil production. Dry skin will be more dull in appearance. 
Dehydrated skin, on the other hand, is a skin condition. It is caused by climate, unhealthy diet and lifestyle choices such a lack or water consumption or over consumption of alcohol and caffeine.  All of these factors deplete your skin’s water content, resulting in a less supple appearance. A key takeaway is that dehydration is characterized by a lack of water - not oil; even oily skin types can become dehydrated. Luckily, dehydrated skin is temporary and can be relieved with a combination of topical treatments and lifestyle changes. (SkinINC)
So now that you know the difference between dehydrated and dry skin, how can you help me help you? If you truly are a dry skin type, which is actually not very common, try using oil-based products. Drinking more water will never be a bad thing whether you're dry, dehydrated or oily, so do that too. Do not use harsh products that will strip your skin of the little oil that you have. Oil, good - that squeaky clean feeling, bad. 
If your skin is actually just dehydrated, well shame on you. That's not a very nice thing to do to the largest organ in/on your body. As a makeup artist, I can tell when you have dehydrated skin by the touch. How embarrassing....just kidding, I've been there. But not kidding I will most likely subtly (or not so subtly) call you out with a "how much water do you drink?" line if I can feel it. We're all about honest, tough love over here!
I go through seasons of dehydrated skin because sometimes it's just really hard to balance life, drink an ample amount of water and maintain a consistent skincare routine. No one gets it more than me but can you do me a favor and try to take better care of your skin? It will thank you with the best gift of all, more years with less wrinkles!
Skin's natural oil production slows as we age, which is why we are more susceptible to wrinkles and dry spots as we get older. Those of us with more oily skin types are actually blessed with younger looking skin, so praise those large pores!  But like I said earlier, even oily skin can become dehydrated if you're not taking care of yourself and then you'll have large pores and flaky, dull looking skin and only yourself to blame. I'm being a little dramatic aren't I? Well, you could say I am passionate about skincare and aging gracefully (and as slowly as possible).
​
Since you know a little bit more about the differences between dehydrated skin (skin condition) and dry skin (skin type), I want to give you some key tips, along with a few product recommendations. Please do your research though, not everything that works for me will work for you.
1. Drink more water. Who knows how much we're actually supposed to drink but just take however much you think you need to be drinking and drink more than that. Recently, I have been trying to drink between 100-150 ounces of water daily, and I have got to say, I truly notice a difference. My skin is still not perfect but I have noticed a real difference in the way my body feels overall and the dry patches on my skin are significantly reduced.
2. Avoid over exposure to the sun - DUH. Honestly, if I have to explain why this is important, you're already a lost cause. Kind of kidding, but not really. 
3. Use oil-based, moisturizing products. Along with that, try to avoid any harsh chemicals that strip your skin of its natural oils. Think - oils make your skin look more supple and in turn, less old and wrinkly. 

My top product picks for dry and dehydrated skin:
1. Hyaluronic acid is extremely effective in replenishing dehydrated skin. As a humectant, this  ingredient helps bind and retain moisture, keeping skin soft and plump. H.A is actually naturally produced in our bodies, but aging and other factors like UV exposure, smoking and pollution slows our production. Hyaluronic acid is well known for its skin benefits, especially alleviating dry skin, reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and speeding up wound healing.
2. Rosehip oil is packed with anti-inflammatory fatty acids and vitamins A and C. The astringent properties in this oil help to tighten your pores and brighten your skin. This oil has an ultra fine consistency and is lighter than other mineral oils, so it can be absorbed more quickly - instantly hydrating the skin without clogging your pores, unlike coconut oil. I use rosehip oil one to two time daily, depending how dehydrated my skin is feeling. 
3. For obvious reasons, sunscreen needs to be a staple in your skincare routine. Overexposure to UV light wreaks havoc on our skin in many ways. The damage done can cause hyper-pigmentation, wrinkles and worst of all, skin cancer. It depletes our skin of hydration, causing even the most oily skin to become dry and dull looking. Reapplication of sunscreen is a must and these days, many brands have SPF infused makeup setting sprays and powders, giving you no excuse not to be reapplying even with a full face of makeup!

So I've given you some of my knowledge and I expect to never see a dehydrated face in my chair again, right?? Well, that's not realistic but honestly, the best way to ensure that your makeup is flawless is to have great skin! (and hiring me, of course - shameless plug). In all sincerity, if you have made it this far, thank you so much! If you have any questions or want more information, please leave a comment below. I would love to know what you guys want to learn more about so let me know.