Every month I'll be gathering your beauty questions from my social media pages and using them to write Ask Jaxx! Follow me on Instagram at @JaxxMakeup to submit.
Last week I got a few questions about achieving a "second skin" type look, including my go-to techniques and recommended products for under eye & blemish concealing, foundation, tinted moisturizer, and setting powders. This edition of Ask Jaxx will focus mainly on skin prep and complexion makeup.
I'll preface this by saying everyone has differing needs, skin types, textures, preferences, etc. The following may not be ideal for you, because, well, I don't know who's reading this. If you want to schedule a virtual consult or lesson with me so we can customize your own unique approach, check out your options here.
Let's do this.
First and foremost, skin prep is QUEEN. If you aren't properly taking care of and prepping your skin before makeup, you're missing the most important step. Please, feel empowered to reach out about booking a one-on-one consultation, as the products I'm mentioning may not be ideal for you.
So let's get into skin for a quick minute. Personally, I exfoliate an average of 1-3 times per week and much more often during the seasonal transitions (like right now). On any given day (AM & PM), I'll do some gentle exfoliating via one of my favorite toners. Once a week I'll do a volcanic clay exfoliating mask (non drying, skin calming, incredible, doubles as blemish spot treatment). The magic pads I use during the seasonal changes are BEYOND. I buy them about 3-4 times per year and use them every night for 30 days in a row. I always, without fail, notice a difference in my skin texture even after the very first use.
Of course, having a solid and consistent daily skincare routine is the name of the game. On top of exfoliating, I do all of the regular steps; cleanse, tone, SPF, serum/treatment, eye cream, moisturize (in that order). Before I go into my concealer application technique, I'll list my top pix for my typically normal to dry skin.
Cleanse, tone, moisturize: I switch between these two skincare sets. In the AM I'll use a Skintelligence kit and in the evening I'll use the Lumiere. In the AM, after toning I'll always put on my SPF, even if I'm not going outside. Yes, this SPF goes on BEFORE the rest of your skincare goodies.
Treat/Serum: After my SPF in the AM I'll apply my gelée and then vitamin c serum. For PM, I'll do the same thing, but twice a week will swap out the PM vitamin c serum for retinol.
Eye Cream: I switch back and forth between 3 eye creams.
Secret Weapon: After my moisturizer is absorbed (both AM & PM), I'll pat on a product that I wish came in literal gallon jugs. It is heaven in a dropper. My everything.
Now for the complexion makeup...
Depending on the look I'm going for, I'll either start with my Magic Mix Custom Blend Foundation (which is actually a BB cream & medium/buildable coverage foundation in one) or my Flawless Face Stick Foundation bundle. As far as concealer goes, I don't use a lot. I apply concealer (either a pot concealer or one of my Flawless Face sticks) lightly and only where needed. I rarely color correct but if I do, that happens after foundation has been applied and before concealer. My philosophy for complexion has always had a strong focus on beautiful, natural, youthful looking skin and with that, I stress that when you're using the right products, a little should go a long way. Less is more. Real skin has TEXTURE and PORES and that's normal. Let those freckles shine through, but if you'd rather cover them, just be sure you're using a product that won't cake up.
My preferred methods of applying foundation and concealer are either with my (freshly cleaned and sanitized) finger tips and/or a beauty blending sponge. While I'll often use brushes to apply products to a client, my own skin works the best this way. The makeup tends to melt and set differently on me when I'm using my fingers or a sponge. I've never been able to recreate that with a brush... and if you know me, you know about my brush addiction. How many do you think I have?
Aside from that, I always mix a few drops of the elixir of the gods into my concealer or cream stick foundation before applying. Yes, this is the same oil that I pat on top of my moisturizer. Something about the combination of the elixir and a cream makeup is truly extraordinary. When I'm doing this step, I will use a small concealer brush to mix and apply (lightly) in the areas of my face that need it. Next, I'll gently bounce a sponge around my face to blend it all together, not forgetting my jaw line and neck area.
If I'm not doing cream contouring, I'll sometimes (but admittedly not always) dust the tiniest amount of translucent powder ONLY in the areas of my face that I plan to put powder contour, bronzer, & blush. Otherwise, I am not a powder person. It is not for everyone all the time and I'll tell you this much... I love glowy skin!
After everything has been blended, I'll often clean my hands and go back in with my finger tips to tap out any creasing where I may have over applied product. Last but not least, I finish with a setting spray. My favorite one for personal use is called 10 Years Younger, but in my professional kit I also layer No More Shine.
I hope you've found this helpful! All of the products mentioned have their respective links attached. These links will bring you to one of my online stores. Should you choose to purchase anything from my Shop site (you'll see my name on the page), you will receive Cashback and I will get a referral commission (at no cost to you).
Again, if you'd like to set up a time to speak with me one-on-one, I encourage you to get on my calendar!