the basics.

as promised =] girls, im doing some major blogging tonight! before we start talking makeup and all that good stuff; we gotta talk about the basics; skin care. i think makeup should enhance; not completely make you over. in order for your makeup to look and feel great; you have to start with great skin. having good skin makes your makeup look more natural and flow better. of course not every one has perfect skin, i sure don't, but taking good care of it goes a long way. also, makeup can do more damage than good if you have alot of breakouts and don't properly clean your skin. one thing you have to know is that; sometimes washing your face isn't enough; so always remove your makeup with a baby wipe; or a makeup remover. ALWAYS. every ones skin is different so what works for me might not work for you; but im going to tell you guys my routine. its very important to find a product that words well with your skin and caters to your specific needs. i personally tend to have oily skin. some products make the oil worst than others. i pretty much had GREAT skin up until a little over a year ago. my skin started breaking out, till this day i dont know why, and its still not perfect or back to how it use to be, but these products definitely helped alot.

the name of the line is artistry essentials; balancing. my moms friend recommended me these and im so glad. they really have helped so much. i was bouncing around from product to product like a mad woman! i had never had any skin problems so i was pretty much panicking. the thing is that you have to give products TIME to work. your skin has to adapt to them and then you start seeing results. at first i didnt notice any changes, but i stuck with artistry and im so glad i did! aveno is great, but i feel like it wasn't strong enough for my skin. this line is a 3 step process. the cleanser, the toner, and the lotion. whats great about it is that its for oily skin, so it hydrates without adding any extra oil to my skin. i've even noticed that over time my skin is no where near as oily as it use to be. i dont have to wear powder or anything, and its just fine. the lotion goes on great, it isnt greasy, and it has SPF15 which is great for the summer because the sun can do so much damage to your skin, and sometimes sun blocks are so greasy that you dont want to bother putting them on.

aside from the 3 steps; i also give myself a facial twice a week with these two products. one is a mask that helps out all the oil and junk from your pores; the other is a microdermabration scrub. both work wonders; specially the scrub. i gently scrub my face for about four minutes and it leaves my skin SO SMOOTH. it helps get rid of all dead skin that builds up around ur nose, and also works great with revealing new skin, specially if you have acne scars or dark spots. artistry tends to be on the pricier side; but trust me girls its so well worth it. the cleanser, toner, and lotion are between 14 - 20 dollars a piece. the scrub and mask are a little pricier, but these you dont use as much so you dont run out of them as often. if your having problems with your skin, or looking to try a new skin care line, i HIGHLY recommend artistry. balancing is the line for oily skin; but they also have artistry for reg and dry skin also. you can get artistry products from the Amway website, or find a representative around your way that sells them. if you guys have any questions; or need any info on these products let me know! also, my moms friend is a rep for Amway; so she sells the products so if you guys are interested in getting anything contact me.