Interview With Makeup Artist Katie Dack

• What makes you love the beauty industry?    I like to make things pretty.

• What are your top three products you can’t live without? Under eye concealer, Mascara, Bronzer

• Which regular beauty tips do you offer to your clients?  I find a lot of people actually know how to do their makeup, especially with all the television shows, magazines and even youtube videos.  I tend to teach people tips for making it last or how it compliments their particular look.

• What are the most common beauty mistakes that you think people make? As above, people are watching tv and reading magazines and they are picking up ideas, but sometimes these looks don't suit their face, colouring or eye shape.  What works on one person won't suit everyone.

• What trends do you think are here to stay?   Less is more when it comes to the skin.  I think the caked on look of yesteryear is gone.  If your skin is clear, there is no need to pile on products.  The mineral revolution is a good thing.

• What is your main go-to beauty product? Why?   For my clients it is important for makeup to last.  For eye makeup I love to use an eyelid primer.  

• Do you have any special signature tips or beauty secrets that set you apart? I am an eyes girl.  I love to make eyes sparkle, not necessarily with tons of eye makeup, but something to make them pop.  (I am a big fan of false lashes, but the individual kind, they are so natural and gorgeous).

• When you are out on the town, what beauty products are stables in your purse?  Lip balm, gloss and sometimes eyeliner.

• Who is your dream client that you would love to work with?   Of course I love celebrities, like JLo and Beyonce, but they are already gorgeous, sometimes the challenges are more fun.

• Describe the most daring look you have created on a client or yourself:  I have done some pretty crazy makeup especially for theme parties and halloween.  I think my most memorable one was a wedding where the girl wanted a green-purple smokey eye.  Normally that wouldn't seem so crazy, but it was a wedding and she was a religious girl wearing a very conservative white dress.  It was quite beautiful, but more artistic than bridal.

• What was your most disastrous makeup experience? And how did you fix it? Early in my career I listened to the client a little too much.  I had a client who had never worn makeup a day in her life and it was her sons wedding.  She told me she wanted "dramatic, glamorous."  When I was finished with her she looked incredible, but since she literally never wore a stitch of makeup she was in shock, to say the least.  I softened it up for her and in the end she was fine with it.  But lesson learned, everyone has a different idea of what "dramatic and glamorous" entails.  It's always good to find out what someone's personal style is and then you can get a better idea of what they really want. 

For more information on Katie Dack, Makeup Artist, please visit her website by clicking here!

The Importance of Removing Your Make-Up before Bed

Our make-up has been a huge part in making us look and feel fabulous for those long days or even longer nights.

As much as it is important to primp, it is just as important to take the time to remove your make-up, wash away your never ending day or night out on the town and treat your skin with care.

Before you hit the pillow, take literally 5 to 7 minutes to perform these skin-loving steps:

PROPER EYE MAKE-UP REMOVAL – Take a gentle eye make-up remover and some cotton balls or cotton pads and softly remove your eye make-up. This is important because eye make-up can be stubborn and needs a special cleaner to take it off your face properly. As you remove, keep your eye closed until you are done removing from each side.

Helpful Hint… If you don’t have eye make-up remover, safe alternatives that you can use are baby shampoo (because it is tearless) or extra virgin oil. Also, do not pull your eyes!

CLEANSE YOUR FACE – Use your go-to facial cleanser to wash off all make-up from your skin. Rinse off with lukewarm water and pat it dry with a soft, clean towel.

Helpful Hint… Stay away from a bar of soap for your face. It does result in dryness, so it is better to use a cleanser suited for your skin type.

TONE YOUR SKIN – As much as some people do not own a toner or astringent, it is a good idea to get into the habit of using it in your daily skin care regime. After your wash and dry, use a toner to wipe down your skin. This rids you of any extra oil and impurities on your face.

Helpful Hint… Make sure to research into different toners so you pick one that is gentle and good for your skin type. Otherwise, you could be left with some irritation by using the wrong one.

MOISTURIZE AND HYDRATE, HYDRATE AND MOISTURIZE – We preach this motto all the time and we do it because it is good for your skin! Make sure to use a lightweight moisturizer or night cream before you catch some beauty sleep. Once your skin is cleansed, it goes back to a state where it was retain moisturize and softness. If you moisturize before bed, imagine the silky smooth skin you will have when you wake up!

Helpful Hint… Use an oil free moisturizer or one close to it so your skin is moisturized without any clogging.

Eat your way to glowing skin with 5 easy foods

Did you know that you can wake up dull and tired-looking skin by incorporating specific foods into your diet?

You can with 5 foods that are simple to add to your daily devour.

With spring in full swing and summer around the corner, get glowing and radiant skin from what you eat and without the harmful rays of the sun.

1. CITRUS FRUITS – A natural secret behind smooth and firmer looking skin. Believe it or not, Vitamin C is the only natural producer of collagen. It is a pure fighter in the battle against fine lines and wrinkles. Also, the elements in Vitamin C help to brighten and even out pigmentation of the skin.

Fun Food Fact – Red Bell Peppers have the most amount of Vitamin C.

2. RED AND GREEN VEGETABLES – These scrumptious veggies contain Vitamin A and Beta Carotene – a power pairing to help achieve brighter and smoother looking skin. Red vegetables are ideal for boosting your natural anti-acne benefits in the skin.

Green vegetables help to produce new skin cells and keep your face fresh looking by reducing dryness and dullness.

3. NUTS – This classic food is high in Vitamin E, which helps to protect the skin from sun damage. Some nuts also offer the same great source of omega 3 fatty acids as fish.

Fun Food Fact – If you are looking to get the best benefits from nuts, go for almonds. They have the highest nutrient levels.

4. SEAFOOD – An amazing source of omega 3 fatty acids (the good fat!) and zinc. Put these two nutrients together and they increase cell turnover, help to fight against acne and inflammation and increases circulation – keeping your complexion at an even tone.

     

5. WHOLE GRAINS – Promotes Vitamin B and Rutin in your skin, leading to clearer and more moisturized looking skin. Whole grains also help control inflammation of the skin and to process fats that help your skin remain hydrated and soft.

Fun Food Fact – If you are not into whole grains, try avocados and mushrooms for similar benefits

The Perfect Pedi!

With summer and sandals on the horizon, treat your feet to a relaxing pedicure so you can show them off in total style!

Here is our definition of the perfect pedicure to get your feet ready for maximum exposure…

1. SOAK – Immerse your feet in a warm footbath with bath salts, essential oils and soft cleansing gels for 10 minutes. This will soften your skin and relax your muscles – prepping you for a full foot treatment

2. TRIM, SHAPE AND BUFF – Carefully clip the toe nails with a good pair of nail clippers. Follow this by taking a file to shape the toenails to your desired shape. Push back cuticles of the toes and clean up the area by trimming them short. Finish off this clean-up by buffing the nails and areas surrounding the nail beds.

3. 
   EXFOLIATE AND SMOOTH THE BOTTOM OF YOUR FEET – When you are ridding yourself of calluses and dead skin cells at the bottom, go for exfoliating over razors. Use a soft foot file or pumice stone with an exfoliating gel and gently scrub back and forth along the bottom of your foot. Please stop every 5 to 10 seconds to check the surface of your foot
   .

4. SCRUB AND MOISTURIZE – To compliment your smooth bottoms, use a scrub to cleanse and remove dry skin cells on the tops of your feet and to help slough off any excess flakes from the bottom. Rinse off the scrub and finish with a creamy moisturizer or foot cream to deeply hydrate your feet.

5. PAINT ON THE POLISH – Wipe away any excess cuticle oil or creams and insert toe separators to ensure a smooth application. Apply the clear coat first to prep the nail. Pick a colour of your choice (if you are a colour person) and apply two coats – allowing 2 minutes between coats so they each have a chance to dry. Seal your pedicure with a brilliant top coat.

6. SHOW OFF YOUR PEDI! – With summer and sandals, have fun showing off your primped feet and even going trendy with colour choice. It is a fun way to be expressive in a more subtle way.

Must-Have Manicures!

Going for manicures and having properly groomed nails is a larger trend than ever! The act of getting your nails done can be pure pleasure – a relaxing pampering practice and uncovering attractive hands and fashionable nails, all in one.

With the introduction of several new nail services into the beauty mix, we are here to educate you on some of the various choices to indulge your hands.

Also, we are going to talk about an important issue too – the uses of UV lights in nail salons!

Classic Manicure

This is the one that started it all! The Classic Manicure that you can find in every nail salon consists of the following steps: Old polish removal, cutting and filing of the nail to create the desired shape, soaking the hands to soften the cuticles, removing excess cuticles, relaxing the hands with a gentle massage of lotions and nutritious oils and finally, finishing off the look with application of nail polish of your choice.

These steps are usually practices in other types of manicures, so if you go for the classic, you can most likely expect these steps in glamming up your hands and nails.

Spa Manicure

The Spa Manicure combines the classic mani steps with a few additional treatments to take your hands to the next level. It provides all necessary nail and hand care and incorporates unique things in such as an aromatic salt rub, a longer deep tissue hand massage or a hydrating hand mask, where your hands are covered with a mask and wrapped up for 15 minutes – deeply cleansing and smoothing the hands.

Paraffin Wax Manicure

The Paraffin Wax Manicure is still seen as one of the most advanced treatments available for your hands and nails. It is a MUST for anyone who has extremely dry or overworked hands! After your nails are cut, shaped and cuticles are cleaned up, warm wax is applied from your wrists to finger tips. Once the wax is applied, your hands are wrapped up and remain wrapped for 20 to 30 minutes. This practice is meant to improve the moisture condition of your hands and leave a silky soft and smooth surface behind.

OPI Soak-Off Gel Manicure

OPI soak-off gel is a natural nail care gel product. It is used in most nail salons for advanced nail care. This gel is applied to the nail tip and it lasts for as long as almost 2 weeks without any crack or chip.

Shellac Manicure

The Shellac Manicure is one of the newest innovations in nail treatments. It combines the technology of special polish and UV light to create a manicure that will last a minimum of 14 days without those pesky chips, scratches or smudges.

Shellac has been a debatable beauty practice since it was introduced to nail salons. Yes, it does offer a picture perfect manicure for two weeks. However, with the growing concern about skin damage and skin cancer, the use of UV light is up for concern.

Here are a few important tips about Shellac – WEAR SPF on your hands when you get it, try to switch it up with classic manicures so your nails stay as healthy as possible and your hands won’t face the UV as often and make sure you get it done by professionals who know how to carefully remove it. Otherwise, top layers of your nails could be easily scraped off in the process.

Solar Nail Manicure

This is the new brain child of Creative Nail Design – the inventors of the Shellac Manicure. The Solar Nail Manicure involves the shaping, buffing and cleaning of a classic manicure and adds the innovative use of powder to give you perfect and strong nails. Also, there is no use of UV lights in the drying process.

Here are some important tips to keeping beautiful, healthy nails…

• Keep your nails hydrated – Use cuticle oil and lotion at least three times per week

• Wear rubber gloves whenever you are doing housework, washing dishes or gardening

• Push back your cuticles gently after every shower – this prevents damaged cuticles

• Dry your hands for at least two minutes – Leaving them damp increases risk of fungal infection

• Polish your nails – Even if it is a clear polish, it will help protect your nails

• Use polish removers that are acetone or formaldehyde FREE

Here are some important tips to keeping gorgeous, youthful looking hands…

• Moisturize your hands on a daily basis AT LEAST

• Make sure to incorporate SPF into your hand care routine – the skin on your hands age VERY easily

• Air dry your nail polish or use a nail fan without a UV light