A Face for Facials

I got a facial yesterday - my second ever - and my esthetician told me that my face was looking much improved from the first time I came to her. I was completely thrilled. I did switch up a few things in my routine since that day and I'm going to tell you about them right now!

1. Cleanser
SEV told me about this absolutely divine cleanser that she couldn't live without. It's Bliss' Steep Clean Deep Pore Cleanser. She went on and on about it so much, I just had to see what the hype was all about. She was definitely right. You put this cleanser on your dry face, which seems extremely strange but seriously does wonders. If you think about it, you really get the strongest possible product this way, as you're not diluting it with water. And, although it feels strange at first -- to have this dry product not gliding along your face with ease -- your face will feel so smooth once you wash off the Steep Clean Deep Pore Cleanser.

Tip: Occasionally (or more often than not), you can use your Clarisonic brush with the cleanser. Just wet the brush head after you apply the product to your dry face…

2. Toner
I didn't use toner until I left my facial last time. Apparently moisturizing is not enough. You need to also tone your skin. This will ensure that you use less moisturizer than you would need. I bought one of the toners at the salon and have been using it pretty religiously (we all have our off days) each time I wash my face. I have noticed a difference.

Tip: There are some toners that are spray-on so you don't need to go through the annoyance of using a cotton ball each time. If you have the cotton-ball-necessary toner, then you can put some in a spray bottle and use it that way -- saves a little time if you're in a hurry.

3. Moisturizer
Moisturizer is so key. The first time a makeup artist told me that even oily skin needs moisturizer, I was hooked. It really is true. If you don't moisturize, your skin tends to overproduce oil - and then you are left looking like a greaseball. I'm still looking like this anyway, but I can definitely bring down the degree to which I'm oily.

My favorite moisturizer? Prescriptives' All You Need + SPF 15 for Oilier Skin.

4. Mask
I haven't been keeping up with using a mask the way I should be. My esthetician told me yesterday that I should use one at least once a week. This will help cut down on oil and keep me looking nice and fresh. The one I want to try was also recommended by SEV - the Steep Clean Facial Mask by Bliss. Once I try it out I will let you know what I think!

My skin has been looking so much better in the past few months and I really do believe it's due to my routine and the occasional facial. And since I'm not made of money and can't go quite as often as I'd like to get facials these are just some of the things I can do in between to maintain a healthy, glowing face.

-A

Multi-Functional Primer

I've found a new product. And it's a foundation primer that is multi-functional. I think I may be in love (though we do know that sometimes I can fall out of love just as quickly). However, I think this one should be around for some time. It's the Cover FX Clearprep FX Matte Foundation Primer. Here are its jobs:

Mattifier
Upon using Clearprep for the first time, I felt exactly what they meant when they said matte -- it's nice and light. The product goes on your face extremely smoothly and doesn't feel like those excessive oily products. Hey, I can't afford to be throwing more oil on my face!

Zit-Fighter
Clearprep advertises an anti-acne feature, which we can see on the ingredient list in the form of salicylic acid. I'm not sure if it actually has helped get rid of my problem areas, but it certainly can't hurt, right?

Shine Buffer
I must say, I am one of the oiliest people I know and it grosses me out. I've tried so many products to stop that oil from coming through my pores, but many do not meet my expectations. I definitely saw a difference when I used Clearprep. It didn't solve my problem, but I was blotting a lot less throughout the day and felt that this was in large part due to Clearprep's presence.

Primer
I'm definitely an advocate for priming before applying your foundation. It keeps a tighter hold on the product and helps fill in any spaces before you apply your foundation, whether it's liquid or powder. This mattifying primer certainly does a nice job and I like the staying power it has.

Clearprep may not solve all of my problems (ie, I do get oily eventually), but really I'm just so oily -- it would seriously take a miracle. I definitely recommend checking out Cover FX Clearprep FX Matte Foundation Primer.

Available at Sephora, $39.

Flawless Skin

Sometimes when you're on-the-go, you need a quick touch-up. But you can't take your entire makeup case with you everywhere, which is why it is always important to have some sort of compact product to get you out of a bind.

I know that as they day wears on, my concealer tends to wear away. We all know I've already proclaimed my deep love and affection for Prescriptives Camouflage Cream so I went ahead and picked up another bestseller - Prescriptives Flawless Skin Total Protection Concealer.

It's perfect for me because it's smaller than a powder compact and has a tiny mirror inside. It's also more of a cream than an actual liquid so I don't feel like I have a lot left over after I'm done applying. Additionally, the silver case helps me find it easier in my giant handbag (did I mention I have a thing for bags and shoes too?!).

And don't think this product is at all inferior to its sister Camouflage. It's just as good at hiding my flaws - after all, it IS called Flawless Skin!

-A

LOOK: Lauren Conrad

It was Lauren's birthday last night on The Hills. Her look was typical of what has been trending since the fall season: simple face and eyes, with a stand-out lip color. Although it seems rather BAM and you may not think you can pull it off, you may be surprised. With just the right products you'll have this look in a matter of minutes - seriously!

I really do believe that this look can be achieved super quickly. When I try to do my eyes up with lots of color, it can take a while to really exaggerate my look. But with this look, all I need to do are my basics and just jump in the car with my lipstick, which I can apply in the mirror anywhere and anytime!

Face (these are basics that I would use no matter what look I'm trying to achieve)
Concealer - Prescriptives Camouflage Cream
Primer - Smashbox Photo Finish
Foundation - Bare Escentuals bareMinerals
Bronzer - NARS in Laguna

I don't think you need blush in this look; you don't want to look like a clown. And if you want to accentuate your cheekbones, try using a little extra bronzer on the apples of your cheeks.

Eyes (the goal here is to look natural)
Primer - Laura Mercier Eye Basics
Eyeshadow - MAC's Ricepaper (it's a neutral base)
Top Liner - Maybelline's Lineworks (liquid liner used to make a winged line will look the sharpest)
Bottom Liner - Prescriptives Softlining Pencil
Mascara - Clinique High Definition Lashes; Sephora Brand Lash Plumper; Cover Girl Professional All-in-One Mascara

Lips (here come the dramatics)
Lipstick - NARS Sephora Flame (semi matte deep red brown)
Lipgloss - Cargo blu_ray High Definition Timestrip Lip Gloss in Laredo (shimmering nude)

Lauren's birthday look is really a simple one that is accentuated by your choice of lip color. Just remember to keep the eyes simple if you're going for dramatic lips; use a neutral gloss on your lips if you're going to accentuate your eyes. It's simple! And hopefully, unlike Lauren, you need not worry about waterproofing in case you cry on your birthday!

-A

CVS or Sephora in a Recession?

Even in a recession, I find myself walking into Sephora and department stores way more often than into a drugstore for my beauty products. Why is this? Well, it's tough to test products when they are closed up and none are on display. Actually, it's impossible. And who wants to spend money on a product that may be a candidate for one-time use?

Beauty products are not really the place where I feel the need to skimp. This is my face after all. This is not to say that there are no good products present in the drugstore. I have come by quite a few that I really have enjoyed and have picked up based on the recommendation of others. Here are some great drugstore products that I've come across through my trials:

• Maybelline Lineworks Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner
• Maybelline Cool Effect Eyelining Pencil
• Cover Girl Professional All-in-One Curved Brush Mascara
• Rimmel London Extra Super Lash
• Clean & Clear Continuous Control Acne Cleanser

Now, just because a product costs more money doesn't necessarily mean that it can do the same exact job. For instance, I really do think that the Maybelline Lineworks Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner (about $7) does a fabulous job when you compare it to MAC's Liquid Eye Liner ($16.50). Both have a felt tip and are rich in color. I find, however, that MAC's liquid liner is a bit more difficult to get off than Maybelline's and the latter is waterproof! I love MAC's products, but this is a case where I'll take a little trip to my drugstore.

My lesson to you here is to be careful what products you buy. Although it may be tempting to buy something because it's cheaper (especially in this economy), it may not have the effect you expected; but a pricier product doesn't mean that it's better either. Do your research and try to make an informed decision!

-A

Mascara Drugstore Gem

I found yet another mascara that I just needed to tell you about. Except this one really trumps all my other mascaras and is now at the top of my list. And it's a drugstore mascara, which means it's perfect for the recessionista beauties!

Cover Girl Professional All-in-One Curved Brush Mascara is fabulous. I used to use this one as my third mascara each day for my routine, but now I realize that I really can just use Cover Girl Professional All-in-One by itself and I'm good to go. One day I was running out the door and decided to use only this blue tube and was pleasantly surprised at how well it worked at lengthening my lashes and not clumping. Cover Girl Professional All-in-One is a mascara girl's dream.

I picked this one up at Target one day for a few bucks because I needed a change from my usual suspects. I picked it because it had a different shaped brush - it's actually curved, which helps give you more coverage on your lashes. This mascara is true to its all-in-one name because it lengthens, darkens, and thickens. I usually follow it up with my shu uemura eyelash curler, but even if I didn't, my lashes would still look fabulous.

Find Cover Girl Professional All-in-One Curved Brush Mascara on Drugstore.com for $4.79.

-A

The Top 5 Tools For Your Makeup Bag

There are just some supplemental tools that every girl needs in her makeup bag. Here are the top five products that you should always consider having on hand when doing your makeup. Every makeup professional is bound to have these tools in her makeup bag!

The Q-tip - mistakes happen and sometimes you need to make a tiny adjustment to a beautiful job you have just completed on your lids. Don't mess up your job with your fingers - use a Q-tip to correct a liquid liner gone wrong or to even apply some eyeshadow primer that doesn't have an applicator, like Benefit's F-Y-Eye, to your lids.

Brushes - it is an excellent idea to invest in a good set of brushes. Although they may be quite pricey, they will certainly last you a long time, especially if you properly care for them and clean them frequently with brush cleanser. In fact, there are lots of brush sets that are available at Sephora and other department stores, especially around holiday time. This can help keep the cost down. The only thing you need to keep in mind with a set is that these brushes are factory processed, rather than put together by hand (as is the case with single, more expensive brushes), but still work just fine!

Wedges - these are perfect to help spread any liquid product, like foundation or primer, evenly onto the skin. Oftentimes, as you spread a product with your fingers, it will get stuck in the crevices of your fingerprints, leaving a lot of your product wasted and washed away. Additionally, the natural oils from your fingers can easily be transferred on to your face, unnecessarily greasing up your clean face. Save time, money, and frustration with these friendly sponges.

Tweezers - even if you get waxed, you'll still find some unfriendly strays growing in prematurely. To keep up with your brows in between waxing appointments, pluck the few strays you've got. But be very careful not to mess with the shape of the brow - that means don't go above the brow or attempt to get a hair that might mean plucking more than needed. Only obvious ones should be tweezed.

Lash Curler - on days when I'm barely wearing makeup, I still manage to use my lash curler to give my lashes a boost. Of course, I think the best one out there is the shu uemura curler, hands down. Use before and after applying mascara so that you really get the fullest and most voluminous-looking lashes possible. And although lash curlers may be intimidating to some, it really makes a difference in your face - promise!

What are some of YOUR fave tools for your makeup bag?

-A