A Clean Canvas

Debrablog

A CLEAN CANVAS

My specialty is “paint”. I’m a Makeup Artist (MUA). What I am known for doing is looking at a person-their face, eyes, nose…the shape, the depth, the warmth of their skin’s undertone; then going to my palette and selecting the perfect combination to complement and enhance their natural beauty. Sometimes, I’m even charged with giving them a look with some “star studded” flair. But did you realize, YOU-the client, play a more important role in the process than I do?

You are the “keeper of the canvas”! And any great artist will tell you, that having the right canvas to work on, will elevate the quality of their work.

So, how do you start? With a clean face, of course!!

Sounds simple, but often times we take for granted what a clean face really means. Daily you should be washing your with a mild soap (unless directed otherwise by your family doctor or dermatologist) and applying a moisturizer of some sort. (note: based on your skin type the type of moisturizer that you will need may vary).

Moisturizer will not only keep your skin hydrated and looking young and ‘fresh’, it also protects your skin from the heat, wind and cold – all of which can have very negative,lasting, long term effects.

You should be washing and moisturizing your face each morning and night (especially if you’ve worn makeup that day)

So, yes – even when you’re getting home at 3am, before crawling in bed you still need to address your face. Get that makeup off, if you’re anything like me, I keep some makeup removing towelettes (think Olay, Neutrogena, even E.L.F. has a good one) on hand-especially in my overnight bag.

But there is more to healthy skin than simply “washing it”.

Hydration is also key! Yes, I just told you that moisturizer would help with hydration. But you also want to maintain healthy skin from the inside out. Drinking plenty of WATER (yes, in ALL CAPS – so you understand how serious good ole fashioned water is). Drinking water helps keep your skin clear, pushing out toxins and helping to produce new healthy skin cells.

So, the next thing I’m going to tell you is the area I think MOST of us struggle with.

Get the appropriate amount of sleep. I’m talking 6-8 hours a night, EVERY night (okay, well, MOST every night). Lots of us are working, have kids, wanna hang out with the girls, HAVE to catch up on facebook….there is so much going on that we stay over stimulated and don’t get properly rested.

It’s imperative that we unplug. Turn off the ipads, iphones/android devices, laptops, netflix and anything else that’s keeping us up at all hours of the night. The lack of sleep shows on your face and there is no amount of makeup that will truly hide it.

And the last thing that I’ll mention goes hand and hand with sleep and that’s relaxation! We all have stressors that we face day in and day out. But we have to be capable of taking a bit of time to RELAX-do the things we enjoy, participate in physical activities, have a good laugh!

Like with the lack of sleep, your face will tell on you if you’re constantly stressed out. Breakouts, frown lines and excessive wrinkles are all tell tales of STRESS.

So take a little extra time, and take care of your natural given beauty- you’ll look better and FEEL better!

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Debra Traylor
Professional Makeup Artist
2650 East Beltline Se Grand Rapids, MI 49508
www.FlawlessBeautyByDebra.com