MAC FIX + and the many uses

Having worked for MAC for 5 years, I always get asked what my favorite MAC product is.  As a consumer and Pro Makeup Artist I would say hands down MAC Fix+ because of it's many uses that many people don't really know about.  Being a makeup artist for roughly over 10 years I have experimented with different products to produce other uses than what it's intentionally intended for.  They kinda just happen unexpectedly, more like accidentally.

 Definition of MAC Fix+ taken directly from

maccosmetics.com

"An aqua-spritz of vitamin and minerals, infused with a calm-the-skin blend of green tea, chamomile, cucumber, topped off with the fresh, natural, energizing scent of Sugi. Adds radiance, finishes makeup. Spray it on. Skin drinks it up!"

VillabeauTIFFul definition = Vitamin Water infused cocktail for your skin. Basically a spray on moisturizer!

I have compiled a list of some of my favorite ways to use Fix+.  Keep in mind that they might not work on everyone but at least you can try it and see if it works for you.

• use as a light moisturizer when you have oily to normal skin
• pair with your cream moisturizer for dry skin
• spritz on after your makeup to finish it (this is more to melt on the minerals together to set it.  This spray does NOT make your makeup waterproof or sweatproof)
• for added moisturization on dry areas of your body such as hands, knees and elbows spray on selected area and then follow up with your favorite body lotion.  The fragrance in Fix+ is very light so it will not alter the scent of the body lotion. 
• make an eye cream cocktail for tired eyes and puffiness!  Simply take a little bit of your favorite eye cream to the back of your hand (use the back of your hand as a working palette) and then add 2 drops of Fix+ to the cream, mix the eye cream with Fix+ together and apply cream with your ring finger to the under eye puffiness.  Keep away from direct contact with your eye as it may irritate your eye.  The caffeine and green tea are great ingredients to tone down puffiness.  
• Full coverage foundation to heavy for you especially for the summer time? No problem, just spray a couple spritzes on your foundation brush to dampen it up a little and then apply your foundation.  When the foundation brush picks up the liquid or cream foundation is thins it out by not picking up too much product.  You can also make a foundation cocktail or concealer cocktail (same method as eye cream cocktail listed above) to thin out heavier products. I use this method a lot for my pro kit. 
•  Mix your loose eye shadows or pigments with Fix+ to create a paste/cream texture to apply to your lids.  I find this works extremely well for full on color payoff and it's not as messy to work with.  I actually prefer using all loose products this way, it totally changes the "oomph" of the product. 
• I also have a small bottle of Fix+ with me in my purse when I feel I need a little pick me up for my makeup.  You know the feeling when you had a long day at work and your makeup looks drab? A few spritzes will refresh your makeup looking fresh and alive again. 
• Is your scalp feeling dry? Spray Fix+ on your roots and your scalp for a instant hair tonic moisturizer.  
• Added too much blush? Don't worry just lightly mist your cheeks and take a clean brush (not the brush you applied the blush with) and blend away.  This will create a softer, wash of color cheek. 

I hope you learned some great tips, I would love to hear some of yours! Please share! :)

Ciracle Enzyme Powder Wash Review

What's the secret to having a perfect complexion? People instantly say foundation is the key. Actually, in my own opinion, its all about the skincare and how you treat your skin without any makeup on. I am not a skincare savvy person as I am with makeup but I feel that skincare can be as important as the makeup you are wearing.

I've always wanted to try Korean Skincare and from my recent travel to the Philippines I saw skincare from Korea all over the place.  Recently, I was given a chance to choose a product to review from

WishTrend.com  

  a company that delivers trendy beauty, fashion and entertainment from Korea to all over the world.  The website is easy to navigate and very eye catching. The beauty section is packed with products for both men and women for different skin types and concerns.  It was very hard to choose just 1 product for me to review but after much consideration and reading descriptions of the products (which by the way are very detailed) I decided to try the

Circacle Enzyme Powder Wash

.($19.99 USD)   It's not a liquid, gel, cream or whatever else kind of cleanser you have come in contact with but this one is actual loose powder.

This is the description from the website  

Pure and Natural Enzyme Powder Cleanser

Gently wash away makeup and impurities with an instantly enzyme powder wash that softens skin while leaving it looking healthy and revitalized and feeling clean and refreshed.

If you visit the product on their website it gives you step by step instructions on how to use the product along with a nice image of the product.  When I am on the market to find a new cleanser I am always looking for one that will remove left over makeup.  Since the Ciracle Enzyme Powder states that it will remove makeup residue I wanted to see if it actually worked.  My skin is also very sensitive to harsh chemicals (my skin will dry out very easily) and I will start to break out because of certain ingredients. I really like how the website listed the ingredients for this product, knowing that it is cornstarch base I knew that it would be sensitive for my skin.  Also the label on the front of the bottle says the cleanser has Willow Bark and Papaya Extract as  ingredients which help soothe the skin when it gets irritated. 

Once I received the product I was so excited to use it! I just finished doing a MOTD (makeup of the day) for the next day that it was the perfect time to test my new cleanser. I did take off my makeup with a makeup wipe to remove a few layers of makeup.  Make sure your hands are dry before pouring some of the Ciracle Enzyme Powder in your hands or else it will create a cream-liquid consistency.  When I started cleansing my face I could feel the grains of  powder exfoliating my skin.  The powder has a slight flour smell to it but nothing too overpowering, it actually smells like something natural or organic.  Once you rub the cleanser on your face it starts to bunch up and bind together like the picture.  I cleansed my whole face which didn't take much powder and rinsed off with warm water.  Very easy and it was actually fun.  Did it take all my left over makeup? YES!!! I could see all the makeup residue that my makeup remover wipe did not take off all over my hands and staining the powder.  I am very impressed with this cleanser! I wish it was a little bit bigger or the company provided 2 different sizes because this bottle (60g) would at most last me only 1-2 months especially when I wash my face twice a day.  My boyfriend even tried it and he really likes it because it was very sensitive for his skin and his skin felt very clean.

I also wanted to mention that the back label of the Ciracle Enzyme Powder is in Korean but if you email the lovely people from wishtrend.com the will be happy to translate for you. 

I hope you guys enjoyed my review of this amazing powder cleanser.  It is definitely added to my everyday skincare routine.

Thank you Dusan from WishCompany for letting me to review this product! 

Skincare Routine

Lately I have been getting a lot of requests asking what cleanser I use for my face.  I do not use anything too expensive (well I do use LaMer moisturizer, more about that later) all natural and can be found at your local Whole Foods grocery store.  For the past year since my boyfriend and I moved to the city we have been eating and using products that are more organic and natural.  My skin would always be breaking out because of stress due to my job. I would then use an expensive cleanser and treatment and breakout or get really dry because of the ingredients in the products.  For the past 6 months I have been using some great products that help me make my skin looking great.

Makeup Remover - Kirkland Signature Daily Facial Cleansing Towelettes.  I like how I can buy these in bulk at Costco, I believe there's 11 packs in 1 box.  I even use these towelettes to remove my eye makeup, does not irritate my eyes.  Smell is not too overpowering and the packaging is compact.

Cleanser - Earth Science A-D-E Creamy Cleanser.  This cleaner is a natural fruit oil cleanser for dry/sensitive skin.  The fruit oils remove makeup without the dryness of soap, plus the smell is fantastic.  I love how it does not contain artificial colors, mineral oil, soaps, harsh preservatives, or irritating petroleum products.  It will not clog pores.  You can find this at Whole Foods for under $10 sometimes it's on sale.  Yippee.  I use this cleanser with my handy dandy Clarisonic.  It's amazing how good your skin feels after you wash your face. 

Earth Science Skincare

Scrub - Earth Science Gentle Facial Scrub.  I only this this once a week just to remove the dryness around my nose area. This scrub does have apricot seed but the lady at Whole Foods told me that they mill the apricot seed a different way than they do with the rest of the scrubs so it's a little bit more fine.

Night Moisturizer - Creme de La Mer Moisturizing Cream.  I am very blessed that I get to experience this product as it is the creme of the crop for moisturizers. I have been receiving this as a gift for the past couple of years.  It is very expensive but I have been seeing differences in the tone and texture of my skin.  It is very rich and emollient this is why I only use this at night.

Here is some information about this product taken from their website. "The original miracle, borne from Dr. Huber's quest to heal his own skin's scarred appearance. This ultrarich cream transforms skin on contact and soothes sensitivities. It helps heal even the driest complexions and dramatically renews skin's appearance. Skin in any state will benefit from this nourishing treatment, but it is especially suited to very dry complexions. To this day, each opal jar is filled by hand to maintain its delicate balance.  To learn more about La Mer products click

here.

Day Moisturizer - Yes to Cucumbers Soothing Daily Calming

Moisturizer. Hypoallergenic, paraben free and 98% natural product. I am very picky with my day moisturizers because I already apply so much stuff on my face, I hate the feeling of makeup that feels heavy! YUCKO! This moisturizer is very lightweight with a clean fresh scent.  Your skin just sucks it all up like it drank water. More info can be found here

Yes to Cucumbers Moisturizer

Hope I gave you some insight on what types of products work for my skin type (combo/sensitive).  Keep in mind that you may not get the same results as I do.  Read labels/boxes, research products on the web and ask experts at Whole Foods (which I find very knowledgeable).  Here's to flawless skin!