This can usually be found on the packaging of your product and indicates the number of months after opening that the product will remain stable. You can also use smell, sight, and texture to check  if you’re unsure - but this is a great rule of thumb.

2. Look for a change in the colour or texture of the product:  If your powder products are “hitting pan” (you can see the bottom of the container), if the colour has changed (gotten darker, started to separate), or if you need to scrape the top layer off to access or use the product, it’s time for it to go. 
3. Give it the Smell Test: If your any of your products have a change in smell - it’s time to bin it. I recently started using a lip gloss, but within a month the smell changed and I knew that while it was a great product, it definitely had a limited shelf life. 

It is so important to check your products to ensure you are not putting anything potential hazardous on to your skin but it is equally important to make sure your applicators and sponges are clean!

For my professional and personal brushes I only use antibacterial or antimicrobial cleansers - as I am a hygiene fanatic and I’ve seen some bloodcurdling things over my career. Don’t even get me started on the artists that reuse sponges (RUN if you see anyone whip out a bag of discoloured sponges - RUN). 

The easiest way to clean your brushes is to assemble everything you need at a sink:

1. Brush Soap (you can use Fairy Liquid - extra points if its the antibacterial) I’ve used Sian Richards, Bdellium, Walford-Richards, among others - but lately I’m using Fairy Liquid and Olive Oil to loosen extremely tough stains (and then soap up again to remove the oil!)
2. A clean towel to rest your brushes on after they are clean.
3. 70% Alcohol to wipe down the brush handle and ferrule.

Use lukewarm water and gently tilt the brush head down to avoid liquid penetrating the ferrule (the area where the bristles are fastened). Lather and rinse until the water runs clear. Once the water is clear gently squeeze any excess water from the bristles and lay flat to dry.

You can use this same method to clean your personal sponges - just keep squeezing to get all the soap and water out! Sponges by their nature absorb everything so you will definitely want to spend lots of time really getting your sponges clean.

Make sure you’re washing your personal brushes and sponges at least once a month - you will notice a huge improvement not only in your makeup application by keeping your products clean and the colour payoff true, but also your skin will benefit from keeping everything sparkling clean!

If you are a Pro Makeup Artist - you need to wash your brushes after every single time that you use them. I recommend owning as many brushes as possible to ensure you have plenty of clean brushes at your disposal. I make sure that I plan for any project that I’m on to have as many sets of fresh clean brushes as I have talent, and then I bring extras as a back up.I’d always rather have more than compromise on hygiene!

Equally important is how you store your nice, clean brushes and sponges? I recommend having a clean brush roll and a sponge holder and keep them OUT of your bathroom. Every time you flush your loo with the top open you aerosolise the nasties that are in your toilet. Anything that is sitting out will get a fine patina of funk - think your toothbrush, your towels, and more.  Don’t let your brushes get in on that fetid action! Keep them either in another room or at least put them in a cabinet. I love this brush roll made by a fabulous makeup artist

Have a question? Ask a question! Let me know what you like to clean your brushes with!

​xx Alexis

It's summertime and with summer heat comes the steamy humidity that can wreak havoc on any hair. Prevention is key when it comes to humidity and there are some tips, tricks and products that can make dealing with frizzy hair a (cool summer) breeze!

1. Wash less - condition more!
It is super important to keep your hair hydrated - washing your hair will strip the natural oils, and if you are experiencing frizzy hair - you hair is most likely dry! Smooth the cuticle of the hair by using deep conditioners, spray on conditioners, even dry conditioners! Wash your hair as infrequently as possible (2-3 times per week) but you can rinse and condition every day! With my curly hair and my love of a sweaty workout I need to rinse my hair everyday - and I follow with an awesome conditioner, a leave in conditioner, and a styling product.

 2. How moisture helps combat frizz
Moisture - specifically frizz busting conditioning products - help smooth the rough cuticle of your hair - which helps to contain and combat frizz! When you coat the shaft of the hair you allow the hair to relax and either succumb to the natural curl pattern (and have your curls hang beautifully!) or hang straight. When people bleach or color treat hair it lifts the cuticle and allows moisture to enter the shaft of the hair - much like a sponge - and BOOM - frizzy hair. Keep that cuticle cute by moisturizing!!

 3. How to dry your hair to reduce frizz

Use a specially designed towel - or what I use - an old t-shirt, to gently blot moisture from the hair. Think of your hair as a nest of bees - if you agitate the bees you will get stung with a bad hair day, you get more honey (good hair days!) if you are sweet to the bees, so make sure you are gentle when you are drying your hair! Blot, blot, blot!!!

 4. How to make heat styling frizz friendly!
PRODUCTS!!! It is so important to use the right products to make sure you are preparing your hair for heat styling! I love to use Amika and John Frida's Frizz Ease line on my curly and frizz prone clients - and I am a OUIDAD Devotee for myself. For heat styling make sure that you are conditioning, using a priming oil and spray to really coat your strands before you start blowing out and flat ironing! Here are my favorite products:

Amika Blockade Heat Defense Serum: Keeps your tresses safe in the face of heat danger!
Amika Brooklyn Bombshell Blowout Spray: Volume, Body, Shine, and heat protection - what more do you need?

Frizz Ease Frizzy Hair Primer: Apply after your Leave in Conditioner to protect from frizz!
Frizz Ease Nourishing Leave in Conditioner: This is a must have every day leave in!
Frizz Ease Nourishing Oil Elixir: This leave hair 50% smoother, shiny and frizz free!

Ouidad: I use the entire Climate Control line - I would recommend using everything together as it works so well - but here are two additional products that I think are MUST HAVES:

Ouidad Advanced Climate Control Restore + Revive Bi-Phase Spray: This does what I consider the impossible: allows me to get up in the morning, spray on my hair and go about my day with great hair. If you have curly hair, you know that getting up in the morning and going about your day without a complete restyling of your hair is a miracle (unless you are wearing a scarf or protective style). This stuff is MAGIC.

Ouidad Advanced Climate Control Heat & Humidity Gel - Stronger Hold: I was a fan of the original formula of this gel, it was the first product that a curly girl could use that didn't make your hair crunchy and allowed your curls to hang properly.  This new version builds on the successful formula of the previous incarnation with extra hold power.

Ouidad Advanced Climate Control Featherlite Styling Cream: This cream is amazing - it allows your curls to be truly touchable and soft. I have tried so many products trying to find one that will actually tame the frizz, help the curl pattern, and allow my hair to look like the hair of my dreams. This truly does that. Most amazing is that the texture of my hair with this product allows me to be able to twist my hair once it is applied and it truly holds - no frizzy ends! It's amazing!!

5. Protective hairstyles to reduce frizz and lock in moisture

If you really don't have time to style your hair - or if you want to give your hair a mini staycation on your head - a protective hairstyle is a great option. Coat your hair liberally with a leave in conditioner (or if your tresses are really in need of CPR use a heavy duty mask) and twist into braids, or another style to help protect from damage and seal in the treatment.  

If you have a question, ask a question!! xxx Huge Hugs!!

Alexis

Last Thursday I had the pleasure of joining Good Morning Washington to discuss the basics of K Beauty (Korean Beauty) and showing some of my favorite products! I have included the video below and wanted to go into more detail about the approach, key steps, and products that I think can be valuable to everyone!

Korean Beauty is renowned for it's multistep process - this is truly a beauty ritual - and it does not take an excessive amount of time! I have fully switched over to a K Beauty regimen and I absolutely love pampering my skin and the BEAUTIFUL results that I am seeing!

Here are the key steps:

1. Double cleansing: start with an oil based cleanser to lift debris and makeup from the skin, then use a gentle foaming (water based) cleanser to whisk away impurities and leave the skin beautifully clean. Here are some of my favorite cleansers:

Frudia: Blueberry Hydrating Cleansing Balm - just rub it on your face and watch your makeup dissapear!

​Caolion: Sparkling Blackhead Soap- Like magic for clogged pores.
Freshly Chitosan Foaming Cleanser - I love a foaming cleanser!

 I also love Innisfree, 9Wishes, and The Face Shop - definitely look around and look for ingredients like Rice for brightening.

2. Toner - Unlike many toners used in the US and Western Europe, toners used in Korea are not like the astringents we are accustomed to using. Although I love the crisp, clean feeling of an astringent, since I switched over to using May Coop's Raw Sauce, my skin is TOTALLY different. 

3. Essence: Essence is applied after toner and is a refreshing burst of hydration and treatment on to and into your clean skin. Look for active ingredients that address your concerns - for example, I am using Urang essence with rose oil - which is amazing for all skin types .

4. Serum: After essence you will want to apply a serum - a serum is a targeted liquid replete with ingredients to specifically target issues like aging, acne, brightening, etc. I am using the spray on serum from ONEOSEVEN. Their CoreFlex serum is skin plumping and anti-aging - and I LOVE it. It's super quick to apply and my skin is glowing.

5. Eye Cream: ALWAYS use eye cream. It is the thinnest skin on your face and it sees a lot of action (smiling, crying, etc). Gently tap a rice-sized amount of eye cream all along the bony area under your eye - don't bring it any higher as it can cause puffiness! Trust me! The microcirculation around your eyes will take it where it needs to go!

6. Moisturizer: I cannot stress enough how important it is for everyone to use a moisturizer. If you have oily skin - it is SUPER important to use a moisturizer to balance out your skin! Your skin will love you for adding a moisturizer every day! I'm using May Coop's Raw Moisturizer which is made with Maple Sap. I just want to lick my face it's so good. Umm, maple.

7. SPF - I use a 50 SPF every day from my forehead to my chest, and always on my tattoos (tattoos are an investment, protect them!). Everyone needs sun protection, everyday, no matter the weather. Even through clouds you will get up to 80% exposure of UV rays, so slap it on. SPF is one of the MOST IMPORTANT STEPS of the Korean Skin care approach - do not miss this step!!

8. Skin Oil: At night, in place of your SPF, use a skin oil. Gently press the oil all over your face and neck. This is my favorite step! It smells divine and your skin will look like a million dollars. I'm using Urang Glow Oil- it's amazing. AMAZING.

Masks: Masks are a KEY part of the K Beauty experience - from sheet masks to sleeping masks you should use these to help really prefect the skin. This way of skincare has really made my skin "makeup optional" - I don't really worry about scaring people (although, maybe I should) on my way to drop my kids at daycare. My skin tone is more even and I don't have breakouts like I used to! Most important - I have severe allergies and my skin doesn't itch like it used to - and I used extremely expensive and fancy skincare!!

Here are some of the masks that I am using and loving right now:

Caolion:
Hot and Cold Pore Pack - I LOVE this mask duo - it warms, it cools, it shrinks my pores. 
Sheet Masks

JJ Young:
Pore Bubble Mask - I love the way this feels and my skin looks lovely and bright when I use it.
​Good Night Pore Mask - A sleeping mask - I wake up beautiful. I'm in.

Here are some brands that I love that you can just buy everything from:

Frudia
May Coop
Caolion (See all the links above!)
JJ Pore - it's a CVS!! Run, don't walk!!
Inisfree
The Face Shop

​Here is a great resource to help you to K Beauty Nirvana: Soko Glam

This is just the base line of what you can do! You can swap out steps - use sleeping packs, pore packs, sheet masks, and so much more! There are boosters, and treatments that I haven't even touched here just because there is such a huge array of products!

If you would like to get started on a K Beauty routine and do not know where to start, Costco has an amazing product called a Case Full of Seoul. I LOVE THIS. Every product is amazing and you don't have to be a Costco member to order it (although I am, membership has privileges).

Let me know if you have questions! I've had some amazing people reach out to me - and I try my best to get back to you as soon as I can! 

​Thank you and speak soon! xxx

Today we had the BEST time chatting with Julie Wright on Good Morning Washington! We talked about exciting new skincare to address under eye circles, acne, and awesome concealers to address these issue and pigmentation as well!

Please check out the show here! CLICK ME!!!

Here are the amazing products that I included:

Eye Cream/ Gel - Kate Somerville Wrinkle Warrior Eye Treatment - This lightweight gel is amazing at decreasing puffiness and dark circles. Make sure that you are keeping the application to the size of a grain of rice, and gently patting it on the bony area under the eye (NO CLOSER!). Microcirculation will draw the moisture where it needs to go - putting eye treatments any closer to the lower lash line can INCREASE puffiness, dark circles, and even lead to small, white deposits from the products.

Under Eye Concealer - Amazing Cosmetics Amazing Concealer - Smooth, lightweight - this concealer really looks like SKIN - and that's what you want. You can either match your skin or go 1/2 shade lighter to brighten. Amazing Concealer has a wide range of shades - there is something for everyone!

Acne - Skin Treatments!

1. JJ Young Pore Bubble Mask - One of the coolest products I have used. You have seen technology like this in Bliss' Triple Oxygen Mask (and others like it), but this takes it to a new level with the amount of bubble, the addition of charcoal for cleansing, and the granules that smooth the skin. I love this product and can't wait to try more of their goodies!!

2.Nia Skincare Sunday Detox Mask - This peel off mud mask is amazing - I have seen similar products from K Beauty vendors - but this has the exciting addition of FRUIT EXTRACTS to add an awesome punch to the party! It's a mud mask on steroids.

3. Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Peel - Yes, I know that I bang the drum on this one a bit much - but when you have perfection like this, why not shout it from the rooftops. I test products DAILY - I am constantly trying new products and finding gems - but I JUST CAN'T QUIT YOU, Dr. Dennis Gross. These will make your skin like new. LIKE NEW.

4. Beauty Pie Fruitzyme Fice Minute Facial - I didn't get to talk about this - and we need to talk about it - if you haven't signed up for Beauty Pie, then you are missing out. I am working on a segment to include the majesty that is Beauty Pie - but that is for another day. This is a great mask that exfoliates in multiple ways - fruit enzymes, a cocktail of acids,  and physical exfoliation. An excellent tool to have in your skincare arsenal.

Concealer: The BEST concealer for acne (and tattoos, spider veins, etc) is Dermablend. You will find many who say they can conceal - but in the consumer realm - this is the holy grail (in the pro realm there are other choices, but that, is for another day). Dermablend makes it easy and accessible to conceal and KEEP THAT CONCEALER ON - why conceal if it's just going to rub off? Worry not, you are in the best hands with these concealers. I used the Quick Fix Concealer Stick - which is PERFECT for Acne. 

Remember - with a breakout you want to apply with a clean brush, or disposable sponge (to keep the bacteria at bay), you can conceal the breakout - but you may seen the topography of the spots - so make sure you are hitting the zit from all angles and you can cancel out the irritation until it can heal! 

Pigmentation - With pigmentation you want to make sure that you are using a product that is long wearing, possibly water resistant, and a good skin match. Decide what you are going to match - the lighter area, the deeper area - your neck - you choose. Pigment density is key here - and what that means is that you want a pigment heavy product to cover without being cakey looking. My favorite new product is the Foundation by Westmore Beauty. The Westmore family are Hollywood makeup royalty - they invented the Film Makeup department, created the first false eyelashes, I could go on and on. I was lucky enough to try this foundation (which also doubles as a concealer (hello, pigment density) and I was AMAZED. The finish is beautiful - it makes your skin look absolutely flawless. It comes with a brush as well! Check it out and let me know what you think!

I have some very cool ideas and products that I hope to be sharing with you soon - but if you have questions please ask away!

xx

​Alexis

The first day of Winter is here and it's time to pamper ourselves thorough the cold winter months! Today on WJLA I discussed how to make homemade beauty treats like hair masks and face & body scrubs - which are great for everyone and perfect gifts! I will also be highlighting some great last minute gifts you can pick up for anyone left on your gift list!

DIY Beauty Ideas!

There is nothing better - and easier - than making awesome beauty treats with ingredients you have on hand - here are some great (and EASY) recipes to make fantastic beauty treats at home for yourself or to share!

Coffee Body Scrub:

It’s been tried and tested, and while it’s hard to completely eliminate cellulite, this body scrub works particularly well. The properties in coffee have been found to help diminish the look of cellulite and the added benefit of coconut oil in the recipe will keep your skin moisturized and silly smooth.
Ingredients:
1 cup coffee grounds
1/2 cup white or brown sugar
1 cup coconut oil
Directions:
Mix all the ingredients together thoroughly. After you’ve washed your body, massage the scrub into wet skin for about 60 seconds per area, where you’re targeting cellulite, then rinse with warm water. Pro Tip: Use a tub stopper in your shower while using this scrub, as you’ll need to remove it from your shower and get rid of the waste in a regular garbage can as opposed to your shower drain, which can become clogged.

We all need a good exfoliator, so why not choose one with natural properties to buff all those pesky lines and dry skin? A coffee scrub will help to eliminate dead skin while working with your body’s natural renewal process to produce new skin cells, which creates the glowing effect everyone wants.

Coffee Face Scrub:

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons coffee grounds 
1 tablespoon natural oil of your choice: Olive, grape seed, coconut, or almond
1 tablespoon brown sugar
Directions:
Mix all dry ingredients, then add oil. Based on the kind of scrub consistency you want, add more or less brown sugar. Massage onto your face in gentle, circular motions, then rinse with warm water.

Read more: http://stylecaster.com/beauty/diy-scrub-coffee/#ixzz51r32Pooz

Moisturizing Hair Masks:

Ingredients:
1 whole egg (make sure you use the yolk!)
1/2 cup Olive Oil

Directions: Blend together and massage into hair. Cover hair in a plastic cap and let work for 20 minutes. Rinse well and enjoy your silky locks.

Ingredients:
1 cup Whole Milk
2 Tbs Honey

Directions: Blend together and massage into hair. Cover hair in a plastic cap and let work for 20 minutes. Rinse well and enjoy your silky locks.

Ingredients:
1/2 Cup Pumpkin 
​2 Tbs Honey

 If you still have canned pumpkin lurking in your cabinets from Thanksgiving, this might be the most beneficial way to use it up! Mix the vitamin-rich ingredient with moisturizing honey, slather it on your hair, then toss on a shower cap to keep it in place for about 15 minutes before you rinse.

Get that Summertime Glow on the Go!

I am a huge fan of sunless tanning and St. Tropez make the best products available. For a quick on the go glow I love the One Night Only line which features a body gloss and airbrush tans.  I LOVE their 3-in-1 Sculpting Bronzing Powder - it is fantastic for the face and the body!

Last Minute Holiday Gifts!

Some of my favorite holiday gifts can be found at two places: Sephora and Trader Joe's. Trader Joe's for making me look like a culinary pro, and Sephora for pretty much being my retail spirit animal. I often take my private clients to Sephora so I can tailor their beauty bag with some of the best skincare and color brands available - last weekend I was perched in their Georgetown store for 2 hours with two clients, cherry picking the best of their incredible offerings!

Their gift sets are THE BEST. I frequently them pick up just so I can try new products out before I stock them in my kit or recommend them to clients. Additionally, you can use the gift sets to make amazing gift bags and baskets. Here are some of my favorites - and you can still get them in stores!!

Sephora Favorites Fragrance Sampler - 17 generous samples to find what you love the most - one gift certificate to get a FULL SIZE bottle of that fragrance. WOW. BARGAIN!!! This is LIMITED EDITION - get it now!! Available for both Men's and Women's Fragrances.

Sunday Riley - OK - you should get this set if you want amazing skin - and you should GIVE this gift set to EVERYONE. Great for men and women - this is a MUST HAVE.

This palette is not only adorable - but a fantastic value - Go get it!! These won't last!!

Here is a blush palette that will take you through the entire year - AMAZING!!

​Need amazing lips and cheeks and you want it fast? Here you go. I love these!

Ok - I tried to cherry pick some amazing gifts - but if you just go to this link - they ALL have my approval as fantastic gifts - and I hope you post lots of photos of these bad boys all over your trees!!

Want to see the full show! Check it out here!!

Have a Question? Ask a Question - I am always available to help!! xxx

A HUGE thank you to WJLA, Sephora and St. Tropez for their incredible support xxx

I had an amazing time this morning on Good Morning Washington with one of my favorite people: VJ! We are able to talk about the importance of taking care of your styling tools and I wanted to share my tips (and my favorite tools and products) with you!

1. Why is important to clean your tools?
Styling tools, brushes, makeup brushes - all of these personal care tools are an investment - both in the tool and in yourself. If you make the financial investment you are clearly looking to put your best foot forward - so take the time to take care of your tools - with just a monthly clean you can add years to the life of your tools!

2. How do I clean my tools?
For blowdryers - take an old tooth brush and brush away the dust, dirt, and hair that can accumulate at the back of the dryer (air intake). If you have a dryer like mine (I own both a T3 and a DryBar Buttercup (LOVE this dryer (BUY ME HERE) you can remove the intake cover and use a soft, damp cloth to wipe away any debris.

For Flat Irons - I also use the DryBar flat irons (I have two - yes they are that good (BUY ME HERE) - you want to make sure you are taking care of the delicate iron plates and don't put anything abrasive on them. If you have residue from styling products, gently use a damp clean cloth to wipe away any dirt. If you have stubborn residue use a small cotton bud soaked in 70% alcohol to soften and remove the residue.

For Curling Irons -  Use a soft, damp cloth to remove any residue - also remove any shed hairs trapped in any part of the iron. I love these two irons (I have them both and I LOVE them!) Wrap Party Iron and Three Day Bender Iron

For Straightening Brushes - If you have curly hair and you lust after flawless, blown out locks - then get ye one of these stat! I LOVE my Amika straightening brush (I bought mine HERE). These are also a snap to clean: remove any extra hair trapped in the brush and take a cotton bud soaked in alcohol to remove any dirt and residue.

Taking care of your tools is the first step towards a great hair day - products are the second step! Here are some of my favorite products!

Amika makes AMAZING products - and I am in LOVE with the following:
1. Silken Up Dry Conditioner - A curly girls' best friend
2. Perk Up Dry Shampoo - A classic.
3. Bombshell Blowout Spray - This stuff is AMAZING - I used it on my dry hair and then styled (after I had let it dry) and I had incredible "Dynasty" style full blown out waves. It was epic.

Also - pro-tip - their Dry Shampoo and Conditioner spray CLEAR - if you have dark hair this is a BIG win for you. All their products smell DELICIOUS.

I also am in love with their Nourishing Mask, Heat Defense Serum, and frankly their use of Sea Buckthorn - one of my hero and favorite ingredients- makes them a winner across the board in my book. Go peruse their site and tell me what goodies you come away with!

DryBar- the majority of my hot tools are from DryBar and the reason why is that they are SUPER easy to use - which is key when you are a Makeup Artist first, and a Hair Stylist second. Truth time! I have many of their styling sprays in my kit as well as they usually bundle their tools with sprays - so they are GREAT for Holiday Gift Giving!!!  Als0 - all their products smell like magic and snickerdoodle cookies - so there is that. Here are some of my favorite products:

1. Triple Sec - The classic - you spray before styling - you spray after styling - this does it all.
2. The Sheriff - If you want serious hair, you need a serious spray. This is that spray.
3. Sparkling Soda - Everyone needs a shine spray. EVERYONE. Don't fight it - just buy it.
4. The Chaser - A great smoothing and shine cream I cocktail with other products - awesome fo controlling flyaways, bandaging split ends, and just making hair look beautifully finished.

Here is the video for you to check out!

​

I had such a great time on Good Morning Washington this morning talking about cleaning up your beauty act!  Here are the details so you can clean up your beauty act at home!

Check out the video HERE!!


1. Cosmetics - the down and dirty:
Most cosmetics have an expiration date - you just may not have noticed it! Check the bottom of the packing to see if there is a small container image with a number and an "m" next to it - the number refers to the number of months the product is good for once you open it.
If you have products that are creamy and come into contact with your hands - use it up! These products are most easily contaminated and have a higher rate of bacterial growth.

Here is a great article from Good Housekeeping to help you see what you need to get rid of!
/www.goodhousekeeping.com/beauty/makeup/tips/a17714/expired-beauty-products/

2. Get out of the bathroom!
Start a new tradition of keeping your cosmetics and skin care OUT  of the bathroom. The hot, humid environment is no friend to your precious products. Set up a vanity on the top of a chest of drawers or get yourself a proper vanity! This will allow you to get the most out of your beauty products  - they will last longer, look better, and be fresher.

3. Get it Clean!
Have you ever bought a brush or a sponge and used it, and loved it, and never washed it?? NOOOOOOOOO.
We need to wash our makeup applicators on a weekly (for sponges and foundation brushes every few days) basis (I'll let you get away with twice a month, but you better wash them!!!).
To best wash your brushes do the following:

1. Rinse the bristles in warm water and use a mild baby shampoo or my favorite brush soap to lather up and loosen makeup debris.
2. Rinse the bristles until the water runs clear.
3. Gently squeeze any extra liquid from the bristles.
4. Lay flat to dry!

For Sponges - gently work the soap into the sponge and squeeze the sponge to allow the lather to lift the dirt to the surface. Rinse the sponge until the water runs clear.

Keep your brushes and sponges in a dedicated holder so that they stay clean - your makeup - and more importantly - your SKIN - will thank you!

Organizational Tips:

I love to keep both my Pro Kit, and Personal Kit well organized - it helps you get your makeup done quickly and everything is in its' right place! Here are my favorite organizational products:

1. Muji - Go HERE and thank me later (seriously - email me HERE so I know what you got!!) x
2. Vueset - Go HERE for incredible organizational cases.


Let me know if you have any questions!! Email me HERE!!

xx 

Alexis

I has so much fun yesterday on Good Morning Washington with Julie Wright and my handsome model Mike showing how you can quickly and easily cover tattoos, scars, birth marks, spider veins, vitiligo, and more! Check out the video here and check out Dermablend (Click the Link!) for all the products and brushes I used!!


​
wjla.com/features/good-morning-washington/long-lasting-waterproof-cover-for-tattoos-scars-and-stretch-marks

Check out my latest segment on brightening and concealing your under eye area! 

​

This morning we had the best time on WJLA discussing the steps to achieving a beautiful bronze sunless glow! Here is the video, the steps I outlined, and the products I used!

Please message me if you have questions! Get your glow on!

- Alexis

Skin Prep Steps:

24 hours prior to applying sunless tanner, exfoliate your face and body, paying special attention to rough spots like hands, wrists, ankles, knees, elbows, and feet.

I like to use a salt or sugar scrub on these areas to get them super soft. Then layer your favorite moisturizer all over so your skin is ready to take on the tanner smoothly!

For your face I recommend using a gentle exfoliator like Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Peel Pads. If you have very sensitive skin - they have a version that is made for you too! 
I also love Clarins Gentle Peeling Cream! Find it HERE.

My favorite Self Tanners that I featured on air today:

 TANNING MITT: Buy Here!

St. Tropez Tan

1. Classic Bronzing Mousse - AMAZING - Hands Down Favorite
2. Gradual Tan In Shower Lotion - I love this stuff
3. Gradual Tan Face and Body Moisturizers 
4. Luxe Body and Face Oil  (Face Here)- Can we say AWESOME?

Tan-Luxe

How much do I love these products! You can add the drops to your favorite treatments and moisturizers to create a customized tanning experience!! LOVE!!!!

Here is the Tan-Luxe Store - AMAZING!!

Lastly - Don't forget Super Model Body by Charlotte Tilbury! It firms, it smoothes, it glosses!