Losing weight isn't just about being skinny and Yes to tomatoes pore scrub review

The other day I was given a health book and it talked a lot about how women go on numerous amounts of diets just to get skinny and in my opinion I think a lot of people out there forget that losing weight isn’t just about being skinny, but it’s about being healthy, it’s training your body to eat good foods and choose healthier options, it’s about walking up a flight of stairs without being out of breath, it’s seeing the changes in yourself, getting out there and being more active.

With eating the right foods, you reap so many benefits especially for your skin. So okay, you might get the occasional red spot here and there on your face but I mean who doesn’t?

When you eat a lot of fruit, some vegetables and just A LOT less junk then you usually would, your skin just glows, believe it or not makeup can only do so much sometimes and people forget that. Sure we can give you that fake glow but wouldn’t you want to have a natural glow all the time?

One of the reasons I love winter is because my skin settles down so much. I don’t need to use that toner to get rid of the excess oil because there isn’t any, the only thing I need more of is moisturiser and even the oiliest skin gets dry, so moisturise away just choose a water based one instead of oil based.

I tweeted the other day that I was going to get some new products in to try and one of the products that came in was skin care. The brand Yes to tomatoes is all about skin and hair care products. The first product I’ve tried from this brand really surprised me. If you don’t know, I believe in giving every product out there a chance, if you could see my makeup kit, I have a lot of different brands, not all the time will you find one brand that will work well with every skin type or even trying to achieve a particular look.

Yes to tomatoes daily pore scrub (113g)

So the Yes to tomatoes daily pore scrub really worked for me in the sense that it got rid of the redness in a blemish that I had the other night. One of the reasons I was so excited to use this was for the fact that it helped eliminate redness faster and when reading that health book of mine, darker vegetables give more nutrients, like broccoli will always beat cauliflower and having lycopene-rich tomatoes (an antioxidant found in redder vegetables and fruits) in this product, I just knew this would be a great.

 However it does claim to unclog pores and make blackheads run for cover, with the pores I would say I haven’t seen any difference keeping in mind I’ve used this once last night and the most I can say for now is that the red blemish I had on my cheek has gone which really surprised me.

This pore scrub is made with natural ingredients and contains bisabolol and ginger where infused help to soothe irritated skin, reduce redness faster and calm inflammation and contains salicylic acid (found in all your cleansers) to help get rid of acne and unclog pores.

When using this, it was scent free and for me it was a mild face wash, it didn’t dry my skin but it definitely eliminated the redness on my skin so that’s a huge plus for me. Definitely will give this product a try for the next month to see how the pores are going but I’m liking it so far.

Dear diary: I'm writing a book!

Soo yeah did I tell you guys I’m writing a book?

I have absolutely no idea where this year is taking me, last year I was studying I had work experience in films and photo shoots, I travelled to LA last year for IMATS there, special workshops learning from the best and the experienced, it was also the first time I went overseas. Last year was a great year for me, I was busy I was studying and practicing something that I loved.

This year though, I felt a lot was going to change, it was the year that my life would sort of get started if you get me. This year has definitely been about growing up and figuring out what I really want to do and make some serious decisions that would affect the rest of my life.

I had absolutely no idea that this blog would be doing this well, or the fact that I was even going to start blogging, a huge surprise for me and a happy one too. It’s something I definitely look forward doing, chucking my thoughts out there and sharing some makeup and beauty tips we all love and of course this crazy world we call life in there as well.

So as a part of wanting to become not just a good makeup artist, or a great one, not just an ordinary one but I want to be amazing. I feel even though yeah okay I have my certificate I’m qualified to do make up, but I was only taught basics and I think there is a huge difference between getting your certificate in makeup and being a makeup artist.

A makeup artist puts in that effort, they give that bit more,  I’m not talking you just do amazing makeup I’m talking about everything, the whole deal.Skin care, skin prepping, knowing your skin types, knowing what products suit what person, how to deal with contra-indications, recognizing every contra-indication there is out there, the ingredients found in makeup and beauty products, what is it made of or what is it in general, understanding the skin’s pH balance, oil and water based products, face shapes, corrective work, eye shapes, the use of lighting and how it will affect your makeup, black and white photography, seriously I could go on.

 There’s so much we need to know about makeup, it’s not as simple as slapping on concealer and foundation, it’s about what products can we use to get that makeup to last longer to work for you. I think that’s why I was definitely turned off doing makeup on film sets, people are really mean and they treated makeup artists like we were nothing, that we’re all about being pretty and if only people could see what I see and that is every element in a film set needs to work harmoniously with one another and it’s a shame, it was great experience, but it was shocking, I know rude but that took rude to another level. You’d be surprised at how bad that would make you feel.

I want to be that makeup artist where people ask me anything and I’ll have an answer for them right away. I want to be able to fix problems on the spot and not to be afraid of what if they don’t like the look I do for them. So yeah because of ALL that (sorry about the rant, couldn’t help myself) I’m writing a makeup guide book, everything you need to know and more. Another project for me but it all works to becoming an extraordinary makeup artist, that and even if it doesn’t get anywhere it’s my makeup guide, I’ve put a lot of effort into it and learnt so much along the way.

Right now I’m still on chapter 1, all about skin care, there is a lot to it but I feel like I know even more now. 

Cover the bases

Foundations, foundations, foundations, this is sounding a lot like my lash blog, but meh. You’ve got your crème based foundation, you have the liquid ones and then there are the pancake ones. Have you ever wondered which one is right for you?

I figured I’d do a little something something to make it easier on everybody when shopping for that foundation.

Types of foundation

Crèmes ( oil based foundations)

Cremes are fantastic when you want that overall coverage. With crèmes as they are a lot oilier they are great for anybody who has dry skin or for the mature ladies out there as well.

Coverage: consists of a medium to full coverage and dependent on how much you want to apply, you can apply it heavily or lightly.

If you have oily skin and you use a crème based foundation, don’t forget to set it with some translucent powder. It just takes that shine away!

Application: foundation brush, sponge or your fingers.

Skin type: Great for normal and dry skin

Quick tip: Don’t forget to set your foundation with a translucent powder, it helps your makeup last just that bit longer.

Liquid

Liquid foundations are best used for a sheer coverage. If you want a more natural look, then I would suggest liquid foundations as the texture isn’t thick. 

Coverage: light to medium

Best for mature or dry skin as it gives your skin a dewy look (meaning it gives your skin a glowing finish that makes it look hydrated)                                                                                                                                                                                      

Application: foundation brush or a sponge

Skin type: Best used for dry skin. Normal skin

Quick tip: When applied can have a dewy finish for dry skin and matte finish for oily skin

Pancake (powder foundations)

These powder foundations are usually dry but there are some out there that are wet, dependent on the brand.

It usually comes in a compact form and is ideal for touch ups throughout the day and perfect for oily skin as the powder acts as a setting powder. Would not recommend this for dry or mature skin, it’ll just enhance anything you want to hide like character lines or make dry skin appear dull.

Coverage: medium to full coverage  

Application: a powder puff is best or a fluffy brush.

Skin type: Best for oily and combination skin. Normal skin

Quick tip: Powders dry matte, so no need for a setting powder




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Prep and Prime

A couple of days ago I talked about knowing your skin type and to follow up on that blog I want to talk or blog about preparation of your skin and the use of a primer before any makeup is applied.

To be honest with you all, I didn’t discover priming properly until I went to learn about it. I would never put primer on, I thought it was just a waste of time and my skin is fairly clear so I thought there’s not really any use for it, well for me at least.

Since then, I use it whenever I put on makeup, on clients, all that.

So with prepping your skin, it’s to do with cleansing it and removing any dirt, excess oil and grime from the skin, so makeup can stay on longer.

Using something simple like your normal cleanser should do the trick, just something to help remove that dirt, ensuring it doesn’t leave a slimy feel after.

What I like to do and you guys can do it too, I just use toner. If you saw the product review in see.smell.feel about the Clean &Clear toner, I love it so that’s why I use toner, that and it’s good when you’re in a rush and you don’t have time for a proper cleanse.

The next step is priming. I’ve gotten so many mixed messages about this. Should you apply moisturiser after you cleanse and then a primer, or should you just apply primer by itself, or just moistuiser.

Some say YES you need both, others say NO you only need one or the other.

My conclusion is it depends on your skin type. This is why.

If you have oily skin, having moisturiser on, creates more moisture and then adding that primer after especially if it’s a primer that moisturizes as well is too much. Your makeup will just move all over the place.

With dryer skin, yes, I would apply both because it needs that moisture. The makeup needs to sit on the face instead of seeping into the cracks of your skin.

With having combination skin, I personally still use both the moisturiser and then primer after, the only thing I change to suit my skin, is I don’t apply too much moisturiser especially to my T-zone as that is the oilest part of my face.

I like primers as they help to set an even base for foundation to be applied, it gives you an advantage in getting that flawless look.

Here’s a little something to make it easier:

Skin type	Moisturise	Primer	Tip
Normal	yes	yes	Your skin is fine to  handle both
Oily	no	yes	Opt for a primer instead, shop for ones that are oil free
Dry	yes	yes	If your skin is very dry, moisturize and choose a primer that moisturizes the skin as well
Combination	yes	yes	If you want to use both, adjust the amount of moisturiser you use on the parts that get the oilest

Overall, if you want a good primer, there are primers out there that are designed specifically for your skin type. All you have to do is shop and ask around.

There are so many primers out there that offer your skin benefits, you just have to find one that works for you.

Here’s one I picked up for oily and dry skin.

 Face of Australia Face Base primer

 3 in 1 – primes, protects and moisturizers and is oil free.








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Knowing your skin type

When applying makeup, it’s good to know what skin type you have. Whether it be you just applying makeup to yourself or applying makeup to a client, knowing what skin type they have and what foundation to use for example, ensures for makeup that lasts, and there’s nothing worst then having your makeup done and having it start to wear off, especially if you plan on looking good for the night.

When studying it was drilled into my head about completing client consultations and knowing your clients skin before you apply anything!

So I thought, makeup artist or not, it’s good to know about what type of skin you have.

There are 4 skin types:

Normal skin – If the world was perfect, we would all have perfect skin, but it isn’t and we don’t. You lucky people you with your normal skin. When I say normal, it generally means your skin has a good balance of both water and oil meaning your skin doesn’t break out as much therefore you hardly get any pimples or blackheads because there isn’t too much of one thing.

Oily skin – It’s not I look a bit oily in this particular part of my face today, oily skin is where your skin has an excess of oil and with that excess, there is shine. Yes, there is more oil on your T-zone (that is your forehead, nose & chin) but your entire face may also be oily. With oily skin you are more prone to having pimples, blackheads, whiteheads and just having larger pores in general.

Dry skin – You know your skin is dry when your skin feels tight. Your skin lacks oil and you may find that it is more sensitive and it can also appear dull. It can be rough and flaky in some areas, itchy at times and overall lacks moisture.

Combination skin – This is me right here. Combination skin is a mix between oily and dry. Oily parts include the T-zone and this is where most of the oil appears on your face rather than any other part of your face and dry areas are located more on your cheek area.

So, next time when you purchase a product think about the type of skin you have. Using the right product for the right skin type definitely helps. We can’t all have perfect skin, but in the mean time there are products out there that can get us close to it.

Hope this helps. xx


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