“Whoa! Sorry about that compy.  I guess it’s been a while.” ~Strong Bad

You can use any form of bronzer (shimmer or matte) to warm the complexion.  Just apply to the high points of the face: forehead, bridge of nose, tip of chin, and cheekbones.  I prefer to wear my bronzer under blush to add more color and draw extra attention to the eyes.

Mary Kay has skin tone specific bronzers.  So be sure to choose a bronzer that’s right for your skin tone: not to light & not too dark.

If you want to contour the face then you must use a matte bronzer.  Apply the bronzer to any area of the face that falls outside of the oval (the width of the oval is the eyes, the height is the forehead & chin).  I’ll talk more about this next time!!

“Today, during my English class, my French teacher and my English teacher began to speak Spanish to each other. I am seriously confused.” ~from MLIA

Blushes can range in colors from peach, pink, to shades closer to red, brown, and orange.  So what’s right for you??

First, the level of darkness of the blush, no matter it’s color, should be close to your own natural blush.  For lighter skin tones that means picking out colors that are lighter in appearance. For darker skin tones then clearly pick out a darker shade. The closer to your skin tone it is, the more natural and soft it will look.

Ivory skin tones look best in pinks, whether it’s a pure pink or a pink-brown, even an apricot-pink, these are going to look more natural (which is what you want!).  If you want a more dramatic effect, for your night out, then pick a redder looking pink, but don’t go too dark and steer clear of purples and orange-browns.  These darker shades will give your face a bruise or sun-burnt effect!

Beige skin tones can wear most of the same shades of ivory, but go redder or slightly darker, stay away from pale pinks, but a slightly more orange brown is okay since your skin already carries orange in it it won’t look out of place.

Bronze skin tones can wear berry colored blushes, darker browns, and (very) dark pinks.  Any light or pale colors won’t look natural.  You can get away with purplish tints to your blush (and it looks great!) because your skin naturally has some purplish hues in it.  Unless you’re of the browner bronze variety then steer clear of the berries and stick with the reds, browns, and dark pinks that are closer to the red scale than the blue.

Clearly the undertones in your skin, besides the overall tone, play a role in what color blushes look best.  Pink undertones tend to look paler so adding blush adds that pop of color back in the face, and ironically enough, pink blushes look best.  Yellow undertones lend to more red shades of blush, a yellowish-brown, but lighter pinks look fake.  Orange undertones look great in more orange and red colored blushes (including brown-reds and brown-oranges), while deeper skin with purple undertones look great in berry colored blush.

“Peace does not dwell in outward things, but within the soul; we may preserve it in the midst of the bitterest pain, if our will remains firm and submissive.  Peace in this life springs from acquiescence, not in an exemption from suffering.” ~Francis Fenelon

It seems simple and maybe a little silly, but if you’re getting the nutrients your body needs then your skin will be getting that too which mean healthy, clearer skin.

Besides doing my best at eating a balanced diet, my person favorite way of making sure I get all my nutrients is with whole-food supplements because the body more readily absorbs nutrients from whole-foods.  Multi-vitamins always give me a stomach ache, but I’ve never experienced stomach pains from whole-foods.

I recommend Amazing Grass whole-food (I like the chocolate and berry flavored superfood, and their wheat grass powder is very potent though not the best tasting!  It helps to either drink it really fast, or make a smoothy.) because they’re inexpensive, and only harvest their grass once a year which makes it more nutrient dense.

Before I end I just want to let you know: your diet won’t cause acne.  That’s genetic.  Either you get pimples or you don’t.  However, eating a healthy diet and taking whole-food supplements will help your skin be the healthiest and clearest it can.

“…The person who learns to rely on God for daily support is the person who is truly financially free… because no market crash, no bank failure, no thief nor law suit, can ever overshadow the peace of mind that comes from having discovered God’s willingness and power to give you just what you need when you need it.” ~Leslie Householder

Besides using the Miracle Set, or some equivalent, using Microdermabrasion is an excellent supplement addition to your skin care routine which speeds up your skin’s natural renewal process.

Microdermabrasion tricks your skin into thinking it’s damaged by peeling away more layers of skin than it’s use to have leaving.  Since the skin believes it is damaged it speeds up the renewal process resulting in: softer, smoother skin.  It immediately reduces fine lines (which prevents wrinkles), reduces the size of pores (YEAH!), and makes the skin softer and much smoother feeling.

For us acne and zit prone, since the skin is renewing itself, it also has the side-effect for many in healing zits and pimples faster.  Also since you’re removing extra layers of skin you’re preventing dry dead skin from clogging pores.

Personally, and it comes as no surprise I’m sure, I like Mary Kay’s Microdermabrasion which at only $55 is much less expensive than a full treatment at the dermatologist, but is the same grade aluminum-oxide crystals (The crystals are what “scrub” off the top layers of skin) that dermatologists use, AND you get to control the pressure for resilient or sensitive parts of your skin.  It also comes with a step 2 replenish which is soothing to the skin (It feels amazing!) and nourishes it with vitamins and botanicals.  You can use it two-three times a week, leaving a 48 hour rest period between uses for your skin.  I like to use it on Sundays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.  Consistency is a big key, you’ll keep getting better and better results if you continue using it.

“You guys don’t call him [Binky]?”

“We do now.”

~Psych, season 4

“As if you could kill time without injuring eternity.” ~Henry David Thoreau from Walden