A lot of women don't like to do this, but really look and examine your natural face in a variety of lighting. Bathroom(s), take a mirror into a naturally lit room, check it out there. And make sure you go outside and look at your skin. (just remember to put your SPF 30 on!) Don't look at it in direct sunlight, go for the shade. If the sunlight is bouncing off a big object, take advantage of that, it's natures spotlight! See where your discoloration or pigmentation is on your face, if any.
For example, on my face I have a lot of acne scars and discoloration around my mouth and side of my face. My forehead is a shade lighter, completely clear of acne or scars. So I use that and my neck to base what color the bottom of my face should look like. I don't want to slather my forehead in foundation to match my face, yet that is exactly what people who "matched" foundation for me did. I found that my forehead always looked lighter and weird against the rest of my face. It took me over a decade to figure this out!!! It turns out I'm a lot more pale then I realized. But because I wasn't a knowledgable shopper and didn't know my canvas I'm trying to paint, I relied on darker shades to cover all my acne and spots. It takes the right hand and products to cover acne on fair skin. (Can I get an amen from my fair skinned ladies?! ) Check out my current favorites blog for the BEST full coverage concealer!
So, know that you know your canvas, you can start playing around and find your right shade. As in a previous blog "Do This, Not That!", get two like based foundations (doesn't have to be same formulation, just water with water based, same with silicone based) that are right around your true shade. If you're starting out with this, get two shades that are a few shades apart. This way you can really control the blend and discover your custom shade. Start applying the blend on a small area and then adjust accordingly.
Also, now is the time to start looking for skincare that is customized to exactly what your skin needs. If you have pigmentation/scarring, look for a serum that has Vitamin C in it. Michael Todd has a fantastic one: Concentrated C Serum. I use this at night because it is quite moisturizing and in the morning, I use the Hyaluronic Acid + C Serum since it is extremely light. (I wear this under my makeup everyday, it keeps my skin nourished and balanced and makes my foundation go on smoothly like a dream!) They also have a toner, the Organic Lemon AHA + DMAE toner. All of these used with the Skin Defender Cleanser have faded my spots and brightened my complexion significantly! Whether you are oily, blotchy, dry, whatever, there are products for your skin issue out there.
I also deal with dark circles and puffiness under the eyes. So I've really focused on treating those (and yes, Michael Todd's Intensive Organic Eye Cream is amazing, I only use it at night because it is quite hydrating). Also, if you are in your early 20s or older, start using an anti-aging eye serum or eye cream! Another trick I love is to brew some caffeinated green tea, unflavored. Let it steep for 15-20 minutes. Take a handful of cotton balls and soak them in the green tea. Ring out a little of the extra and put it in a Ziploc bag and throw them in the freezer. I like to wrap each cotton ball in a little bit of clear plastic wrap so they don't freeze together. In the morning if you have puffy eyes, grab two of those frozen cotton balls and set them under the eye. Put it on the lid too, if you see puffiness there.
I absolutely love Michael Todd True Organics. Everyone who I've heard rave about it (handfuls of people!) all love it and have seen it work! Every person I've recommended it to has loved this brand as well. It cleared up my complexion, even though I wasn't using a ton of products with specific acne ingredients. I was just gently and thoroughly cleansing, toning (no matter how oily you are, never use a toner with alcohol! Basically rules out all drugstore toners lol), and ESPECIALLY moisturizing!!! Now I use to produce oil like it was my job. My makeup used to literally melt off my face in the middle of the day and because my face was rampant with acne, I would wash my face on college campus and reapply my full face of makeup. Craziness.
Now that I nourish my skin, my oil production has gone down to the point that I basically consider my skin normal, on a bad day combo. I can now use products for normal, or even dry skin depending on the formulation. I find that the Michael Todd line has really helped even out the PH levels which has almost cleared up my acne, faded my scars and pigmentation, and balanced my oil production.
So, take care of your skin. Aim to improve the overall condition and appearance of your skin. It takes some research and consistent time and effort, but you will end up needing less makeup on your face in the end! And you will actually look in the mirror with a fresh face and like what you see! (imagine that!!) If you don't know where to start, I'm glad to give recommendations. Leave any comments, questions or concerns below! Let's all embrace our natural skin, love it, learn to take care of it, it's the only skin you'll be getting!
Here is my makeup free face as of now. I had massive breakouts on the sides of my face in the past two months because my hormones were completely unbalanced. Now my system is regulating and in the past 3 weeks, my skin has been more breakout free than ever before! My scars are over half faded because of my skincare routine. I hope this encourages you if you are having problems with your skin. ❤
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Disclaimer: I am new to blogging so this post is not sponsored and I have purchased all products myself. This brand is a game changer, for the price, quality and amount of product you get. I do have several more products from this brand that I have not mentioned in any posts, leave a comment if you would like a run down of the others!
