Secrets of Sun Burn-prevention and makeup tips

Sun Burn Prevention and Makeup Tips. 

It's summer time, and for me and for many of my pale skin companions that means sunburn, followed by peeling or dry skin. Even though I wear sunscreen almost everyday, sometimes the sun still finds a way to penetrate through my skin and I come home looking like a cherry tomato. Not only are sun burns painful, but they make your skin super dry and cause it to peel. This is very annoying because this means you are stuck with two choices: walk around like a lobster or wear makeup that highlights your peeling skin and does not blend. I have created/researched some tip ad tricks for sunburn prevention and sunburn cover up.

Prevention:

1. Wearing sunglasses can actually cause sunburn! According to Dr. Sharon Moalem, author of Survival of the Sickest, the eyes are a huge part of our body's natural defense against the sun. This is because when our eyes register that it is sunny outside a message is sent to the brain to start producing Melanin. Melanin is a skin pigment that prevents our body from absorbing ultra violent light (the light responsible for causing sunburn). Wearing sun glasses prevents this message from being sent to the brain because the eyes are tricked into thinking that it is not sunny.

2. Wear sunscreen even if it is cloudy. I'm sure many of us have heard this one before, but it really is important. A few weeks ago my friend went to the beach and it was cloudy outside so she didn't put on sunscreen. Needless to say she came back with a sunburn all over her body. Ouch. Remember its not the light or the suns warmth that causes sunburn..it's the UV rays which can penetrate through clouds.

3. Check  your sunscreen before you buy it. Make sure your sunscreen blocks against both UVA and UVB rays. UVA rays, longer than UVB rays, go deeper into the skin and are responsible for causing wrinkles. In fact, a person might not even see these harmful effects of the rays for 20-30 years! UVB rays are generally more responsible for effecting the top layer of the skin and causing sunburns. Both are extremely harmful to the skin and remember, one bad burn now can cause skin cancer years later! Some really good sunscreens that are currently living in my beach bag are the CVS Pharmacy Clear Spray SunScreen SPF 50 for my body and Neutrogena Clear Face Liquid Sunscreen for my face.

4. Don't neglect your lips. Your lips can get sunburned too so it is important to use a lip balm with SPF. Also, try to avoid lipgloss if you know you are going to be in the sun all day. According to some experts, such as dermatologist Dr. Christine Brown, lipgloss can actually make it easier for the sun rays to penetrate directly through the skin.

EOS SPF lip balm

I would show you mine, but I think it looks a little too "loved" at the moment. (by loved I mean gross) 

Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment 

This one is actually my sista's...I have one as well but my color is more suited for the winter. Anywayyy.. I know these baby's are pricey, but they have great color payoff for a lip balm, feel really rich and moisturizing, and smell like lemony goodness! 

5. Wear a hat. I remember when I was younger I would fight with my mom about this every time we went to the beach because I though hats were ugly. Looking back, I realize how wrong I was because there are a lot of really cute hats. Not only are hats cute, but they are great keeping the sun out of your face and for protecting your scalp. I guess sometimes mother really does know best.
Check out these really cute hats for summer!

Floppy sun hat from ASOS

Vineyard Vines Cap

The deed is done..you have a sunburn. Now what? 

(These tips are not for soothing the affected area but for how to apply make up to the affected area)

Step 1. ONLY if you skin is dry/ it has been a few days after the burn and your skin no longer hurts, lightly exfoliate the skin. I like to use brown sugar mixed with honey. I use brown sugar rather than white refined sugar because I feel like brown sugar is more gentile. Gently rub the honey/ brown sugar paste onto the skin for 1-2 minutes and rinse off with cool water. If at any time this burns your skin STOP.
Step 2. Apply a moisturizer containing SPF and Aloe vera and wait a minute or two for it to skin into the skin and dry.
Step 3. Use a setting spray BEFORE applying your makeup. I like to think that it helps prevent the dry skin from flaking off your face.
Step 4. Pat a liquid foundation onto the skin with a damp sponge. Do not try to rub or buff in the foundation because that will cause the skin to flake and cause the makeup to get stuck to the dry skin and look blotchy.
Step 5. When using a concealer choose one that blends into the skin easily and requires minimal  blending.
Step 6. Add some bronzer to the edge of your forehead, along the nose, and cheek bones to take away some of the redness. The bronzer will also help add a nice glow to your skin.
Step 6. Seal the deal with another spritz of the setting spray. Avoid using powder because that could dry out the skin more and reveal the flakes.

List of products: 

1. Rimmel Bronzer in Sun Dance

2. I realize they no longer have the Dew Me spray, so instead try Urban Decay Chill Makeup Setting Spray

3. Aloe gel

4. Eucerin SPF moisturizer

5. Neutrogena healthy skin foundation

6. Covergirl Concealer

Nix Those Drugstore Doubts

A quick lesson on how not to be scared when shopping for cosmetics at the drug store. 

As a disclaimer let me just say high end cosmetic products are great, but for a student like myself they can suck up your money very quickly. This is why I am so thankful that the drugstore has some truly amazing products (like in my last post). It's understandable why some people would be skeptical about buying make up at the drug store, but to shake the nerves all you have to do is remember the PRE drug store shopping methods. Price, Research, and Examine.

P- Go to different drugstores to find out which one has the best price.Let's be honest, you didn't venture into the drugstore looking for makeup because you have money to burn. You came into the drug store because you wanted to find a great bang for your buck. Some people may not know this, but drugstores DO have different prices for the same makeup! In my neighborhood there is a CVS and a Walgreens that are maybe five minutes away from one another. At CVS, some products were selling for two dollars higher that at Walgreens. In my book, that's ridiculous. Investigate people!

R-Research the product before you buy it. The annoying thing with drugstores is that you can't test out or swatch a product before you buy it. Because of this people are scared to buy things at the drug store in fear that it won't look good on them or will end up being a crappy product and they will be wasting their money. Before I buy something I look up swatches of it online and try to look for a swatch of it on someone with a similar skin tone as me. Or, if a  friend has the product I ask her if I can try her's out. Also, look up reviews of a product before you buy it. Even though you can't always trust a review because different things work out differently for different people, it can't hurt to be informed. If all else fails ask the drugstore what their return policy is because I know some drugstores let you return opened makeup with no problem. 

E- Exam the product before you buy it. Check to see if the item has been compromised. A lot of times because their are no testers, people open a product to check it out on themselves. I make sure no seals have been broken and there are no swipe marks on any of the product. To be safe I always like taking the product in the middle of the stack. 

Hope this helps,
Olivia 

My Favorite Summer Drugstore Products

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My Favorite Summer Drugstore Products

Gone are the days when drug store makeup meant cheap goop, horrible color payoff, and products that reeked of chemicals. Now, you don't have to pay $40.00 for things like a bronzer that actually makes you look sun-kissed, not a fake tan gone wrong. This summer I have purchased a few items from the drug store that are absolutely AH-MAZING!

First, let me begin with the concealer. High end or lower end its one of the best concealers I have ever tried! It's in a stick form which makes it easy to travel and apply. What is also unique about this concealer is that it is combined with Olay moisterizer. This creates such a smooth application and makes it very easy to blend. One of my biggest problems with concealers is that whenever I blend them the concealer wipes right off or it ends up looking a bit gloppy on my face. Not this concealer. Because of the moister this concealer has it requires minimal blending. Also, the coverage is amazing! For all acne suffers out their this product is a must. Not only does it cover affectively and go on smoothly, but it stays put! I thought that because the concealer had moisturizer incorporated into it it would slide right off; however, this concealer drys to a matt finish and, therefore stays in place.

Shade-Light

Next, I have Maybelline's color whisper in Cherry on Top. The best way I can describe this product is that it is a cross between a lipstick and a chap stick and is a beautiful bright raspberry pink, despite the name saying cherry. Anyone who knows me know I have an obsession with anything to do with lips and lip care. I cringe at chapped, colorless lips and bring a stash of lip balms with me wherever I go. I love this product because it feels moisturizing, which makes it have a slight shine and glide nicely onto the lips. The color is the perfect pink for the spring and summer and perfect for when you want to feel sweet and maybe a little flirty. Plus it doesn't hurt that it has a slightly sweet scent as well. In fact,  whenever I apply this color I always want a strawberry milkshake to sip on and I want to put my hair up with a bow...but maybe thats just me. I also love how build-able the color is so I can add as much or as little color to my lips as I want. The packaging is also pretty nice. Its sleek yet playful and from what I can tell smudge proof. fingertip smudge proof. The one negative I will say is that only because it is so moisturizing it doesn't stay on the lips too long so you have to keep reapplying.

Next, I purchased one of Milani's baked blushes in Rose D'Oro. The color pay off on this blush is amazing, a little goes a long way. This blush is perfect for achieving that look like you have been at the beach all day. All you need to do is sweep a bit on the apples of your cheeks to get a very natural sun kissed glow; however, be careful not to too much on or you run the risk of looking like you have a sun burn...not a good look. I can only imagine how beautiful this blush would look on girls with a warmer and darker complexion than my own. That being said, for fairer girls like myself, please do not shy away from it because it will look great on you as well. 

Milani baked blush in Rose D'Oro

Flips open to reveal a mirror. Also came with a "brush". Do yourself a favor and through the brush out. 

Next I have Rimmel's Natural Bronzer in Sun Dance. While I'm sure it's not the best bronzer in the world it's still pretty good. It has amazing color payoff...dare I say better than the Nars Laguna!? It's also pretty matt so, depending on your skin tone you can either use it for a bit of contouring or to help achieve that tanned bombshell look. It's a tiny bit orange but, definitely not enough to make you look like Anne Hathaway in Bride Wars. Also, depending on what kind of person you are you might not love the smell. It smells exactly like these seashell soaps my Nonna (grandma in Italian) used to have in her bathroom. If you like the scent of old people soap than this is major score for you, if you don't but are able to get passed the smell, it's still a very nice bronzer that I really recommend trying. 

                         

Last, but not least, I have Maybelline's Waterproof Rocket Volume mascara. Sometimes I feel like I am the only person on the plant who does not love their non waterproof mascaras; but, for me they always flake off my lashes and by the end of the day I look like a mess. Their water proof mascaras on the other hand are lovely. Unlike some water proof mascaras this one actually stays on your lashes in the water. Not going to lie, a bit of it does come off in the water but, for the most part it holds up really well. This mascara is not clumpy at all like some other waterproof mascara's I have tried and really does add volume to my lashes. I even find myself reaching for this mascara for those days when I'm not going in the water/ going to be outdoors sweating...always a good sign. 

Gold Coast Bound

California 
In the wee hours of the morning while most of New York was sleeping..ha yeah right but you know what I mean..my family was off to the airport hoping to catch a plane to California. What I mean by "hoping to catch a flight" is that we are never really sure if we are going to make it on the flight. This is because my mom used to work for delta airlines and if there are extra seats on the plane my family gets to travel on the plane for free !! If not, no flight for us. Still, I am so grateful for this privilege.. even though it ends for me when I graduate from college :(

 Anywayyy we began our morning hanging out on the Delta sky deck. It was outside overlooking the runway. Not such a bad morning in my book.

Every Wednesday in Santa Monic an entire street is filled with stands set up by local farmers selling their produce. I love the whole vibe of this out door market as everyone is so friendly and there are free samples (who doesn't love free samples) of delicious fruit everywhere!! If you are a chef, or just a person who appreciates fresh food, I would highly recommend checking out this market.

A trip to LA would be incomplete without a little visit to E! News. Hey Terrence and Guiliana! Last year my sister and I met Guiliana and Jason and I can honestly say they are the nicest people. 

Recognize these lights? This is where a scene in No Strings Attached was filmed. Taking pictures here was so much fun.

Crazy car we found in Santa Barbara

On the day we drove up to Santa Barbara it was my momma's birthday. To celebrate we went to The Santa Barbara FisHouse, and it was delish. Ever since I was little pasta has always been one of my favorite foods. That being said, I have tried a lot of different pastas and I can confidently say that this one receives top marks. The pasta was not overly cooked, the sauce was light and full of flavor, the veggies were still a bit crunchy and the shrimp tasted very fresh. Plus, it didn't hurt that the beach was right across the street and there was perfect California weather. 

Cute side street in Santa Barbara

The Courthouse

Courtthouse View

Courthouse view

Inside the Courthouse

Inside the courthouse 

Now, I admit, the beaches in Santa Barbara were mehh. BUT, the town of Santa Barbara was so cute and any shopper lovers dream.  I could probably spend a couple of months there just shopping. Even though there were a lot of shops my dad, someone who hates shopping, loved the town as well. The town had a bit of a European feel and had a relaxed vibe which made it very easy to fall in love with it. While we were there we stumbled across this courthouse that looked very similar to a church. You could climb to the top of the courthouse, by the clock, and look out over all of Santa Barbara. It was beautiful and a must if you ever visit. 

Brandy Melville

For the rest of the trip we looked at some colleges, ate some In-N-Out Burger, explored the area, went shopping, hung out on Venice beach, and played with that cute doggie eating the lollipop. The dog's name is Logan and he belongs to my "aunt" (not biologically my aunt but I still call her aunt). While in California we stayed at her house in Marina Del Rey and she owns this little guy named Logan. Logan likes to eat lollipops. He likes to carry them around and then open them up and eat them. If you're not careful he will also go into your bag and eat your gum...the little guy has a sweet tooth, but then again don't we all?

Thanks for joining me on my trip! If you guys live/ have ever visited SoCal please let me know about any cool things to do that I might have missed! Oh and before I forget, last year when we came to California we walked around the Venice Canals and walked around the Santa Monica Peer which was also  supper fun and I recommend checking out!