Primed and Ready

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Bye Bye Lid Lines, CLASSIFIED Cosmetics, Diego Dalla Palma, Diego Dalla Palma Universal Makeup Base, ERA primer, Eye shadow Primer, Face Primer, Girlactik Beauty, Girlactik Eye Glazes, it Cosmetics, Kevyn Aucoin, Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Primer, Makeup Base, Makeup Primer, mascara primer, Revitamash Volumizing Primer, Revitlash, Shadow Primer, Skin Primer

There’s been a lot of buzz about primers over the years, but how do you know if you need one? What do they do and how do they work?

FOR THE FACE

Generally speaking, primers for the face are similar to paint primers for your walls–they create a clean canvas for your foundation to adhere to– often resulting in more even coverage and longer wear.Many of them also act somewhat like a “spackle” too, by lightly filling in large pores and fine lines, creating a more smooth look for skin with textural imperfections.

That being said- primers may not be worth it to some girls. As far as longevity goes, our Facade Natural Touch Foundation and Classified ERA Spray-On Foundation are already waterproof, and Ilona Realistic True-To-Skin Foundation is water resistant! Even in Houston’s OVER THE TOP humidity, it’s not going anywhere! But if texture, or even tone are still a concern—a primer might be for you. But in addition to primers for the face, there are now primers for lashes and lids! Here’s the skinny:

Diego Dalla Palma Universal Makeup Base, $42.00, 1.0 fl oz.

This primer has a really luxurious, velvety feel. It gives the skin a smoother, more even texture. This silicone-free formula uses glycerin instead so it feels light-NEVER greasy! No ick-factor here.

Classified Cosmetics Primer, (aerosol spray), $30.00, 25 fl oz.

This revolutionary primer has taken after it’s foundation big sister- Just like the foundation, you shake and gently mist it on the face. It imparts a pretty glow that radiates even under foundation and visibly leaves skin silky.

Kevyn Aucoin The Sensual Skin Primer$42.00, .34 fl oz.

A silky, lightweight primer that imparts a flawless pore-free finish. Also free of silicone, with a glycerine base to hydrate the skin without clogging problem skin.

FOR EYES

it Cosmetics BYE BYE LID LINES, $25, .25 fl oz.

This primer smooths the texture of crepe-y lids, prevents shadows from creasing, and helps your shadows go on looking TRUE to the color in the pan. It also helps provide longer wear, so there isn’t any reason your shadow can’t work overtime! Apply with the wand, and use your finger or a sable brush to smooth over the entire lid. Fabulous especially for smoothing the appearance of thinning or aging skin.

Girlactik EYE GLAZES, $18, .20 fl oz.

These are a GODSEND for lids everywhere. Several water-proof shades to choose from– won’t even BUDGE through tears or sweat. We use these all the time on brides and bridal parties. These glazes combine a primer and shadow TOGETHER. We love a 2-for-1! Layer shadows OVER it, and it will increase their staying power as well, or layer other glazes! Gorgeous! Also great for smudging a little color under lower lashes for a CONTROLLED smudgy, sexy look that won’t smear afterward!

Revitalash Volumizing Lash Primer, $24, .25 fl oz.

Compatible with ANY mascara, this primer doesn’t have the fibers in it the old primers had-this is a transparent gel formula that coats each lash adding fullness and length. Never clumps, flakes, or looks heavy. Great for everyday OR special occasions. If you’re a multiple-coat mascara girl- you have GOT to try this–it will cut your work at least in half! Apply mascara as usual after.

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Get Your Glow On

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Beauty For Real, Beauty For Real cream blush, CLASSIFIED Cosmetics, Cure Sheer Cream, Cure Sheer Touch, ERA Spray, Girlactik, glamourous skin glow, glow, jennifer lopez glow, jLo glow, luminous skin, Natura Bisse

Wanna get that “J.Lo Glow”? Who doesn’t!? We’ve got a variety of products to help you get the look!

FIRST we’ve got skincare!

One of our best selling products here at Facade is a product from Natura Bisse called Cure Sheer Cream. It has fabulous anti-aging benefits that actually help revive dying skin cells–giving them hydration and promoting collagen growth in the lower layers of the skin. It has a broad-spectrum sunscreen in it (meaning it protects against UVA and UVB rays) with an SPF of 20. What REALLY makes it amazing is the color! It’s the most high-tech tinted moisturizer you have ever seen. The “color adaptive molecule” adjusts to any skin tone–it doesn’t have as much coverage as a foundation, but it softly diffuses redness and other discolorations while imparting a radiant glow! That, plus the skin benefits, makes a 1.7 oz jar that lasts about 3 months a steal at $170. We’ve tried it on skin tones like that of Liv Tyler to Iman and it really does blend beautifully! Our clients who are big into tennis, golf, or horesback riding LOVE that it’s one step for sun protection, coverage, and moisture. It can be worn alone OR under your usual foundation.

One of the newest products from Natura Bisse, Cure Sheer Touch, is a spin-off–now in a gel formula with NO sunscreen, but the addition of dihydroxyacetone (DHA). This is a sunless tanner–at a VERY low dose, to give a delicate glow to skin over time. It too has the self-adapting color molecule of the sheer cream and can be used on the body or the face. It also has moisturizing and anti-aging benefits, and a formula that feels a little less rich–so girls with oilier skin may prefer this texture over the cream. It gives a gorgeous luminosity to the skin as well. Those who get spray tans could use this to extend the life of their tan! $105 for 5.3 oz.

Now for makeup tricks:

 

CLASSIFIED COSMETICS spray-on bronzers: Sunkissed (sheer bronze) and “One in the Sun” (richer bronze), $45 are WATERPROOF and come in an aerosol spray can. Mist it on your face (avoid your forehead, focus on cheekbones and nose) or on your legs, chest, and arms to really wow in a great cocktail dress or bathingsuit on the beach! If you need to cover spider veins or bruises, use a fine mist of one of their spray-on foundations to the legs or arms first, and then lightly mist the bronzer to get that beautiful luminous glow!

Girlactik Glamorous Skin Glow, $23.
Is an almost creamy-textured makeup.
It’s not heavy and won’t clog your pores, but it imparts a truly beautiful glow to the skin. Use with the sponge included or with a synthetic cream blush brush to glaze the cheek bones. We use this trick on brides all the time to make their skin truly come alive. It’s also beautiful on your shin bones when you’re wearing a skirt, or along your clavicles (collarbones) to look super sexy even in more conservative necklines. Even on busy errand days where you don’t want to wear a lot of makeup you can smear this on your lids and lips for a little effortless sex appeal!

Beauty For Real cream blush in Goldrush/Afterglow, $30.
This is a cream blush texture (a little richer than the girlactik product) and is best applied with a synthetic blush brush (we like the ‘M’ mixer brush from Geri G. Cosmetics, $15) It comes with a bronzy tone and a more golden hue. I like smearing the darker tone just under cheek bones for dimension and the golden hue just above it.

 

 

 

Whichever method you choose to keep your skin GLOWING, remember that the cheeks are the area you really want that shine—shiny foreheads and shimmery noses can look oily– keep them matte with blotting or powder papers. ($5)

 

 

 

Flawless Foundation

Tags

airbrush foundation, CLASSIFIED Cosmetics, Coffeeberry, dewy foundation, ERA Spray, Facade, Facade Beauty, facade foundation, Facade makeup, Facade Natural Touch, flawless foundation, foundation, Foundation Brush, Ilona, Ilona Realistic Foundation, Jennifer Reyna, long-wearing foundation, matte foundation, PRIORI, realistic foundationd, Sponge, spray-on foundation, waterproof foundation

The goal of using a foundation is to even out the skin tone- to conceal mild imperfections in the skin, and cover redness. The best foundation makes it look like you just rolled out of bed and your skin just HAPPENED to be that perfect.

You should wear the lightest coverage you can get away with. We like brands that have beneficial ingredients, offer a buildable coverage, and won’t clog pores. At FACADE we have four formulas that we use depending on your type of skin, and your own personal preferences. Find the formula best suited to you below!

ALL SKIN TYPES:
PRIORI Coffeeberry Skin-perfecting Foundation $45

This mineral foundation is available in a variety of colors from very fair to quite dark. The company also makes a beautiful finishing powder, a “concealer” formula and a bronzer. It should be applied using a PRIORI powder brush in a small circular movement to buff it onto the skin. The smaller PRIORI concealer brush can also be used with the same color for more coverage in areas that require it such as under the eyes or over a blemish.

ALL EXCEPT DRY SKIN TYPES:
FACADE Natural Touch Foundation $50

This is a liquid mineral foundation that gives beautiful coverage but keeps skin looking REAL. It is WATERPROOF so it will last throughout the day–even in high humidity. Wet the sponge it comes with in the sink and then wring out the excess–it should be DAMP, not dripping. Absorb 2-3 pumps of foundation completely into the sponge. STIPPLE the foundation onto your skin using a dabbing motion (instead of a wiping motion). This product is even safe around the eyes, which means you can get away with using less concealer! Usually 4-6 pumps total will cover the entire face. You can layer a little more if extra coverage is desired. Can be used alone or with powder.

DRY SKIN:
Ilona Realistic True-To-Skin Foundation $60

This foundation is water-resistant, has an SPF of 11, and has such a realistic coverage they’ve used it for filming High-Definition Television (HDTV). In fact, it was used on actors and actresses in the 2010 film Up In the Air starring George Clooney. This foundation is a thin liquid so it doesn’t make dry skin feel tight, and leaves it with a dewy finish. Use it alone or with powder if you would prefer a matte finish. To apply, absorb a nickel-sized amount into a sponge and STIPPLE onto your skin using a dabbing motion (instead of a wiping motion). Repeat until entire face is covered. Layer for additional coverage if necessary.

 

OILY/ ACNE-PRONE SKIN:
CLASSIFIED Cosmetics ERA Spray-on Foundation $55

Spray-on foundation keeps application quick and simple.  This waterproof formula comes with a small disposable headband and mini puff. Shake VIGOROUSLY before using the first time for 2-3 minutes. Each time after, shake about 2-3 SECONDS. Holding about 6-10 inches away from your face, mist in a zig zag motion. Using a large puff (or the small one it comes with) PRESS over the whole face. This bursts the color molecules making them adhere to the skin. After this is done, use a light buffing motion to blend and pick up any excess color. Apply another layer if necessary. Skin is left with a beautiful air-brush finish. Use alone or with powder. This brand also makes a spray-on foundation primer that helps even the texture of the skin. Jennifer Reyna, who does the traffic for Houston’s KPRC Local 2 gets her ERA in color R4 to keep her looking great on camera.

Finding the right COLOR is important!

Wearing the wrong color is one of the BIGGEST mistakes a woman can make. Once you know the formula you want, try on the color before leaving the store to make sure it’s the right one. Ask an artist for help! The right color, when tested on the jaw line should look like it almost disappears into the skin without doing a lot of work to blend.

FACT: Many women go back and forth between shades depending on the season. Most will go up a shade (or 2, or 3) in the spring and summer and bump back down in fall and winter.

MYTH: USING A SPONGE WASTES PRODUCT
FACT: You’d be surprised just how much you can get out of the sponge when you use that dabbing motion–sometimes even when you think there’s nothing left, another dab over a blemish will cover it completely.

MYTH: USING YOUR FINGERS GIVES THE MOST NATURAL APPLICATION
FACT: Using your fingers typically provides MORE coverage (which can look fake). Using a sponge (especially a DAMP one) helps more evenly disperse the color.
FACT: Foundation brushes DO give a nice finish, but sometimes apply product more heavily than a sponge would, and can be very costly. Sponges can be cleaned and re-used, but are inexpensive to replace.

Try a regular wedge-shaped sponge sold at FACADE or at the beauty section of stores like Target, CVS, or even your grocery store. But our new FAVORITE sponge is this latex-free “Oblong Blending Sponge”!!! The pointed end allows you to get around your eyes easily and the rounded side is great to quickly cover cheeks or to blend! I don’t know who else has them, but we do at FACADE!!! $3 each.