Controlling Blemishes and Breakouts

Ever wake up in the morning and find that you have developed a blemish that came at the wrong time?

What about one that has decided to say hello an hour or two before a big night?

Well don't worry there are a few products that can help you with those SOS moments we encounter from time to time.

Make sure you are cleansing your face correctly and thoroughly because even the slightest amount of make up still left on your skin could cause a pore to develop a blemish. So double cleansing is a good idea.

Clinique Spot Healing Gel

Clinique Acne Solutions, Spot Healing Gel: www.clinique.com

Fast drying gel that helps reduce the redness associated with the acne blemish as well as promotes healing. It is a clear, invisible gel that can be used under your make up or over your make up. Gentleman can use this product as well and is good for all skin types. The best way I have used this, is at night time after my cleansing routine. The benefits of doing it at night when your skin is regenerating with help the product deliver fast results during the skins resting period.

Shiseido Pureness Blemish Clearing Gel

Shiseido Pureness Blemish Clearing Gel, www.shiseido.com

Quick absorbing gel that helps minimize the appearance of blemishes and purifies and balances the skin. Salicylic Acid is formulated in this gel because it helps calm and soothe the epidermal layers and stops the formation of future breakouts. It is for all skin types and is non- comedogenic.


Clarins Blemish Control

Clarins Stop Imperfections, Blemish Control: www.clarins.ca

This is a targeted blemish control formula that has Witch Hazel, White Nettle and Wintergreen ingredients in this solution that helps with imperfections and soothes the skin's surface. Clarins focuses on natural properties on all of their products and this one is particularly in my purse on a regular basis because you never know when a blemish will arise and with the easy applicator ball the product goes on clear and quickly absorbs so you can get on with your daily routine.

Overall, you will eventually find a product that works better than another so you just have to be open to try them all. Check out the websites for more information and remember to always cleanse your skin at least twice a day, morning and night.

Something To Pout About!

Something To Pout About! by katurahali featuring Clarins

Kissable lips, soft and voluptious, are all words we want our lips to feel like. My favourite treat to pamper my pretty pout is exfoliating and nourishing. 

Choose a sugar lip scrub, whether it tastes like fruit or vanilla, it will benefit you as well as your sweetheart! Always keeping your lips hydrated especially in the different climates, will keep them from aging as well. 

My top three lip treatments are: 

1. Clarins Extra Firming Lip and Contour Balm- $45.00

I absolutely fell in love with this product after I needed some quick fix for my horrible dry and flaking lips. This balm works well with lessing the aging lines that appear on our lips as we age and it also helped with any lines around my lips. It has Raspberry Seed Oil and Shea Butter which helps replenish and hydrate. Your lips will appear fuller, younger and defined with continued use.

2. Clarins Hydra-Quench Moisture Replenishing Lip Balm- $27.00

This balm helps with severely dry, chapped lips. This reparative balm helps heal your dry, chapped lips, as well as those lips that have had the effects of weather related dryness. Rose wax to help replenish the lips back to healthy state and the hydration is pure so it is equiviant to a glass of water but just for your lips.

3. Clinique Superbalm Lip Treatment- $18.00

With the rich emollients in this treatment, it will help with distressed lips as well as hydrate and nourish those chapped lips. This is good for everyday use, morning and night. It works for most individuals.

Overall, as long as you are buffing off the dead and dry skin cells, you can reveal your best pout yet. Find what works for you and enjoy the pampering treatments for your lips. Those you kiss, will love it too.

The Beauty Geek 

In My Makeup Bag

In My Makeup Bag by katurahali featuring perfume fragrances

I would love to share with all my readers and followers a few items that accompany me everyday in my life. Even though they are quiet simple, you can play them up for the neutral day look and even for the night look. 

I have chose the Clinique CC Cream because I find it is light enough and evens out my skin tone. Also, with having combination skin, I don't like to load layers on my skin and this cream is perfect when it comes to consistency. 

My absolute favourite lipstick colour is Rose Aglow from Clinique as well. It is long lasting and my trick to make it stay longer, is I line my whole lip with lip liner as a base and then add my lipstick. I am constantly drinking liquids throughout my day, so i do lose a little bit of the pigment colour but it does give my lips some added colour all day long. 

Neutral shadows are your best friend. Whether you are sporting the brown eyes, blue eyes, grey eyes or even green eyes, going neutral will be a winning look everyday. I chose Like Mink Duo Eyeshadow from Clinique because they stay on all day, they don't crease and they give my lids a little hint of colour on those days where you aren't looking for an extreme look. 

To finish the eyes off, I have High Impact Mascara in Black and I apply that to my lashes. It gives me length, volume and a bold look and finishes my neutral look off. An easy tip that I find works is, as you are applying the mascara, twist your wand as you are applying so it gives you a more wide-eye look and curls the lashes a little more. You will get perfect wide eyes daily especially on those days you are tired and feeling exhausted.

Before I go to bed, I like to apply Nivea Lip Butter because it replenishes the moisture I am lacking and I wake up with soft, supple, kissable lips. This lip butter helps heal chapped lips and also comes in a convenient tin that can tuck nicely into your clutch or purse pocket.

Last, but certainly not least, my absolute favourite perfume. It is Bombshell from Victoria's Secret. With the hints of vanilla in it and a fresh clean smell, it can be used for an everyday perfume. It is sexy, fresh and bound to turn a few heads. 

For more highlights of What's In My Makeup Bag stay tuned.

Thank you fellow followers!

Beauty Geek

The Benefits of Both Worlds

Let's face it, we all age in life and we all experience the adverse effects of the environment, pollution, and stress that life has to offer us. But whether you are a male or female skincare is important.

Our society has created boundaries for certain individuals because they may think that people may look at them differently if they took care of themselves or label them in such a way that doesn't make them a "human".

This article is to make not only women aware but also the men in this world as well, that deserve to have just as much benefit by taking care of their skin as women do. We all go through changes and just because you are a different sex, you still are entitled to take care of yourself.

Clinique Men's Skin Care, www.clinique.ca

The three most important items that should be used twice a day would be a cleanser, toning lotion and a moisturizer. Choosing these three items depends solely on your lifestyle and your skin concerns. It is an easy conversation to have and will be easier as you learn more.

Men, if you need to find what would work for you, do some research, try out a few different products here and there. As long as you are comfortable and step out of your comfort zone, you will have great looking skin and refreshed feeling in as little as 3 months.

My top 3 brands that I recommend would be: Clinique, Shiseido, Clarins.

The consultants are trained professionals and are there to help you. Stop in and see a consultant today and get through that first step to healthy, younger looking skin today.

Dress Up Your Pout This Holiday Season

There is one item that will complete any look and that is a lip colour that complements the make up look you achieved or the outfit you are wearing to that dinner party that you are there set on impressing a few individuals with your confidence.

You have to experiment with colour and find the best tones for your skin and that will make your look pop, so I have a few of my favourites listed below.

Available in Tender Rose, Subtle Rose,
Natural Rose, Paradise Pink and Miami Pink.

For that neutral day look, where you are just staying around the house, running errands, just going out having a coffee with a couple friends, I would choose a soft pink colour. Here are soft pink colours that I recommend. These are all Clarins brand lip colours and they are moisturizing and give you full colour all day.

Shiseido RD613- Mystery

A few of my favourites for a night time look, where you are going out on a date, business event or just going out with the girls, you will be guaranteed to get a few compliments. I chose some different cosmetics companies for this one because I am torn with a few.

Clinique Different Lipstick- Rose Aglow

Once you pair up these colours to complete your overall look with your eyes and blush you are sure to have an amazing look. It is the holiday season so why not create that warm look and rock the colours you wouldn't normally wear. Step out of your comfort zone and take a chance.







And if you are very daring and want to go for bold and bright, choose Red Red Red from Clinique. That is a colour that is sure to grab the attention of many people and you will be asked all night what colour that is. Whether you are dressed in a little black dress or just enjoying a cup of hot chocolate by the fire, you can easily wear this colour alone or make a neutral eye make up look. The most universal lip colour that can be used by anyone.

 So throw on your sexiest dress, let your hair down and rock your look for the holidays and show everyone the confident woman you are! Enjoy my fellow followers! Happy Holidays- Beauty Geek

It's The Most Wonderful Time of The Year

Whether you are getting ready for a Christmas party or just getting into the holiday spirit you can never go anywhere without adding a little bit of festive cheer to your look!

If you are looking for that perfect nail colour, perfect eye shadow colour or even just the right shade of blush to give your cheeks that rosy look, I have a few product recommendations for you lovely ladies.

Clinique Nail Colour; $14, Sears, The Bay

Here are some great holiday nail colours to dress up your outfit. Colour names from left to right are; Happy, Black Honey, Party Red, Concrete Jungle and Red, Red, Red.

Clinique's Nail Colour is allergy tested, great for anyone with sensitive skin and are formaldehyde free.

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Limited Edition 8-Pan Palette,
Neutral Territory 2, Clinique; Sears $40

Another great product from Clinique is their Limited Edition 8-Pan Eyeshadow Palette in Neutral Territory 2. Amazing colours and they blend really well together. This limited edition palette is a one time only item and they have taken colours from their duos and their single shadows to create this palette. Great for the holidays especially if you want a neutral eye and go with a bold lip.

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Estee Lauder, Blush, $34, Sears, The Bay

Now to bring your whole look together, finding the perfect shade to add to your cheeks. This holiday season step outside of your comfort zone and try some pinks or some plums depending on your skin tone. Adding a little colour to your cheeks will make you look flawless and give you that natural glow. Especially with the temperature changing it will look like you have rosy cheeks from spending time outside. I personally would recommend Estee Lauder and their blush because it is long lasting and you get an amazing product. The colour choice is up to you because it really depends on what matches your skin tone and personal preference. Stop by any location that sells Estee Lauder and have a seat with a Beauty Consultant and they will give you some recommendations.


Enjoy the holiday season and check back often for more product recommendations! Happy Holidays Followers! --- Beauty Geek

Secrets of Foundations and Mineral Powders

You have thousands of choices when it comes to choosing a foundation and/or mineral powders for your face. But little do we know, not all of them work the way we want. 

Commercials show celebrities advertising and selling "this amazing" product but at the same time, how come our faces are not as picture perfect as theirs? Also, every notice in skin cleansing commercials when they are cleansing their faces, they still have makeup on at the end. This will make you more aware next time you see those commercials. 

The reason why we don't have "flawless" skin like the celebrities after we purchase the same products that they advertise is because we do not have the proper lighting, photo shop technology that hides and covers blemishes and unwanted acne scars and dark spots, and in everyday life we do not have the "edit video" option.

Not all makeup is going to give us the same results and most of the makeup and foundations are not going to agree with our body's chemistry. 

What I mean by that statement is; 

Ever notice after you apply a foundation and/or mineral powder and you wear it throughout the day and after you wash your face and wake up the next morning you have discovered a few areas of breakout? Or even after washing your face at the end of the day you notice instantly you have breakouts?

It's either (2) factors;

1) The foundation and/or mineral powder does not agree with your body's chemistry and has blocked your pores.  

2) It is too heavy and filled with too many preservatives and causing your skin to lose the necessary oxygen that is needed for the regeneration of skin cells throughout the day. 

Your skin is a giant living organism. 

What I have taken away from the countless pennies spent on getting foundations, mineral powders, and tinted moisturizers is that the real truth is that, it is tough to find something the works well and how you want it to work. I have noticed that they are too heavy for my face, where i develop breakouts after using them. I have, like I said, tried mousse foundations, mineral foundations, and liquid foundations and no matter the company, i still have breakouts. 

So what do I use now then?

I have been using Clinique Neutral Tinted Moisturizer SPF 15. I also use a light moisturizer underneath my tinted moisturizer because I find I need a little more moisture and it helps with giving a smoother finish after you apply your tinted moisturizer. I have grown attached to  Clinique Spot Correcting Even Better Lotion with SPF 15.

In order for you to find what works best for you, you have to be willing to step outside the normal routine and products you have and try others. Usually they say a good rule of thumb is to try the product for a month, but I usually do 72 days because then you really know what to expect. Everyone is different and you will know when a product isn't good for you for whatever reason.

Enjoy this post! One of my many beauty tips :) Much Love
 

Clean Face = Smooth Makeup Application

Alot of us do not pay attention to how clean our faces are before we put our makeup on.

Ever wonder why you get patchy spots when you apply your tinted moisturizer or foundation? It could one of may factors.

1) It could be you need to exfoliate your face with a good exfoliant - (Daily Microfoliant)

2.) You may not have a good base for your foundation application. For example a primer or a good moisturizer underneath. Arbonne Makeup Primer and Clinique Even Better Skin Tone Correction Moisturizer SPF 20

3.) You also may have not washed your face completely and you could have dirt, debris, left over makeup still on your face so its recommended that you double cleanse your face with a mild facial cleanser. Clinique Liquid Facial Soap

After you double cleanse your face, apply your moisturizer! You will notice how well your foundation/ tinted moisturizer applies.

By cleansing your face as well, you are deminishing the chances for developing a breakout and and face congestion. Your complexion will clear up with regular face washing. It is good to let your skin breathe 2x a week with just your moisturizer on it. Your skin and face will love you if you go bare/natural!