With all the new make up trends, serums, primers  BB & CC creams do you feel a bit frustrated about what goes where?

Here are some of our favorite skincare products and basic beauty tips:

When starting your morning beauty regimen always start with a clean,  fresh face. Keep in mind that makeup is meant to enhance your natural beauty. Less is often more.

Start with a good moisturizer such as Epionce Renewal Facial Lotion, then apply your SPF such as my favorite, EltaMD UV Daily Tinted with SPF 40 or an over the counter product such as Garnier Skin Renew Daily Moisture with SPF 28.

If you choose to use a primer or a trendy skincare product such as a BB/CC cream apply this next.

Not sure what these are?  Here’s the breakdown:

• Primers will fill in fine lines and large pores giving your face an overall  smoother finish.
• BB Creams  (beauty balm or blemish balm)  provide coverage with added skin care benefits like SPF and anti-oxidants. They are lighter than foundation but heavier than tinted moisturizers. While the additives in BB creams can have the same efficacy as they would in stand-alone serum, be careful about counting on BB creams for adequate sun protection.
• CC  Creams (color correcting)  are meant to address issues like redness or sallowness, usually with light-diffusing particles. CC cream is a color corrector and will be lighter on the skin than a BB cream.

Next step is your foundation. The best way to match your foundation is by putting a swatch on your jawline down towards your neck, in natural light. It should blend perfectly with your natural skin tone and should be blended well with your fingertips or a foundation brush.

When applying your blush, smile and apply to the apples of your cheeks.  If you want a little added color,  you can apply bronzer where the sun would naturally hit your face; along the perimeter, forehead, nose and chin.

Lets talk brows.  Think of your eyebrows as the picture frame for your face.  Don’t forget about them!  Thicker brows give a more youthful appearance. If you made the mistake of tweezing too much, and now your brows are sparse or too short  you can use a brow brush and powder to fill them in.  You can also purchase brow stencils to get a more defined shape. If you have beautiful,  thick brows you can enhance them by filling them in as well.  Choose a color that is one shade lighter than your hair color.

 Don’t forget your monthly brow wax to keep them tidy!

Lovely lips.  If your lips tend to be on the thinner side, you can accentuate them by using a lip liner the same shade as your natural color extending the line upwards. You will want to avoid using darker shade lip colors as this will make them appear thinner.  If you are going for a fuller look,  using a brighter color with shine will help achieve this look.

Don’t be afraid to experiment at home, branch out and try something new!

Lesia Garringer, LE