Skincare on Weddingbee PRO

Laura Nadeau, New York City Vendor: Makep Artist Website: Lo and Co. About Me: Laura (Lo) loves all brides all of the time, and nothing makes her happier than making another woman feel great! Laura was born and raised in rural Alaska among huskies, grizzly bears and way too much flannel! With stars in her eyes, Lo moved to New York to pursue acting and realized how makeup could help to create a character and transform an actor. Laura began to see how she could use this skill to transform women in their everyday life and thus her new passion was born - helping women feel confident and beautiful through makeup.

More from Lo on Skincare!

April 29th, 2009 @ 1:01 pm by Laura Nadeau @ Lo and Co

In my previous post on skincare, I stated that there is no easy fix to great skin, and my opinion is that the best thing you can do for your skin is to exercise, wear sunblock and eat well. And of course, you want to cleanse, gently exfoliate and hydrate your skin.

Take the money you would’ve spent on pricey skin care products and put it towards a gym membership and great sunblock. Instead of spending time and energy on “miracle cures”, spend that time designing a lifestyle that incorporates activity and nutrient dense foods. Treat yourself to a wonderful facial as your reward for protecting your skin. Eat vegetables and healthy oils. Your skin is alive and needs nutrients to look healthy. Treat your health like a savings account. You put a little in every day and even though you don’t see a big change right away, in 10 years you will be really glad that you did.

I’m 41 years old, and I am very happy that for the last 25 years I have forced myself off of the couch to exercise, and I embraced my skin color (fair) and use self tanner when necessary. Most of us will spend much more time over 35 years old than under, so we need to change to long term thinking instead of short term.

Okay, I am going to get off of my soapbox and share with you some of my local favorites for my plan of attack.

sun protection

(image source)

Recession Proof Skincare

April 17th, 2009 @ 4:02 pm by Laura Nadeau @ Lo and Co

My mother reads my blog faithfully and often comments on posts. I love that instead of phoning me, she knows the fastest way to reach me is through my website! After my previous blog on recession proof makeup my mom sent me an email stating: “Yes, this is an overdue column! Your cheap (economical) mother just bought her favorite blond/beige brow pencil by Physician’s Formula! I’m trying out Almay’s Bright Eyes eye base and concealer for light skin tones…will let you know what I think of it. ”

Okay mom, I am getting on it and I apologize for the delay!

I want to invite all of you (not just my mom!) to contact me with any products that you have found and loved as well as blog ideas. Your reviews are very important in scrutinizing a product.

As a makeup artist, I am always asked about skincare recommendations. I see the eagerness in my clients’ eyes as they wait to hear that I have the secret to fixing wrinkles, big pores, dry skin, rosacea and dark circles. I wish I had an easy cure, just like we all wish there was an easy way to get skinny and rich, but there ain’t! My standard answer is wear sunblock, eat well and exercise. I have gone to 10 different dermatologists over the years for acne and dermatitis, and they all told me to use a gentle cleanser (like Cetaphil) and a moisturizer. Not one of them ever told me to spend a lot of money on department store brands. The only doctors I have ever seen recommending pricey products were actually selling them (hmm???).

I have combed through what many derms and experts recommend and they all seem to look for products with the following ingredients:

Exfoliants: salicylic acid, AHA (Alpha-Hydroxy Acid) such as glycolic and lactic acid
Moisturizers: antioxidants and vitamins C (Ascorbic Acid), E (Tocopherol), A(Retin), and niacin
Acne prone skin : salicylic acid

Before buying skincare products, it is crucial for you to analyze your skin. Most of my younger clients (under 30) would be just fine with a light moisturizer such as Olay Complete with SPF 15. This is what I use during the day in the summer. I am a little older than 25 and my skin has gotten much drier so I use a more hydrating night creme and eye cream, which I apply religiously day and night. The under eye area doesn’t have oil glands so it needs more hydration. This is the item to splurge on if you are experiencing dryness. When I deal with dry skin I use M.A.C.’s Moisturelush line, Arbonne’s RE9 skincare line or Bobbi Brown’s Extra line. Don’t use unless you have dry skin. All of the moisture in the world does not prevent wrinkles. Moisturizers plump up the skin creating younger looking skin, which is a great canvas for makeup.

I love simplicity, so I always look for multi-tasking items. I would recommend the following as good everyday moisturizers: