I have a lot of clients that ask me how to get their makeup to last until lunchtime, let alone all day. Here’s my advice: prepare and prime. Lasting makeup starts with the condition of your skin. Cleanse and exfoliate, then apply your toner. Toner? You might ask, What’s toner? Why do I need it? Toner is what keeps the Ph of your skin balanced. Just the act of washing your face with water can throw your Ph off, which will keep your makeup from staying where it’s supposed to. So you MUST, MUST apply toner if you don’t want a melty face by noon. After you apply toner, you apply any of your specialty products that treat and nourish, i.e. serums, anti-aging treatments, etc. Finish up with a good moisturizure and you’re ready to prime. Using a primer keeps the foundation (liquid or powder) from settling into your fine lines and pores. It’s what lets the foundation glide across the skin and gives you a flawless finish. For anyone with larger pores or less-than-fine-lines, I recommend applying a product like Invisiline over the primer. It turns an orange textured skin into an apple textured skin. Now that you’ve prepared and primed, you’re ready to apply your foundation. Don’t forget to set a liquid or cream foundation with a powder to keep everything in place. And of course, a finishing spray will give you extra staying power.

Here are a few products I use to prepare and prime:
1. Skintelligence Cleanser, Toner, and Moisturizer (Skintelligence Value Kit $39.95)

2. Motives Perfecting Face Primer ($19.95)

3. Motives Invisiline ($14.00)

Motives Mineral Custom Blend Foundations were featured on CW affiliate in Salt Lake City Utah on Tuesday! The new line of custom mineral powders is absolutely beautiful and I love that the oil control, hyrdation, and firming additives are no longer limited to the liquid custom blends! Check out the video:

Would everyone agree that the term busy woman is a bit redundant? Of course it is! If you are a woman, 9 times out of 10, you are busy. All the time. Your career, your family, your friends, husbands, boyfriends, kids, etc., all require your attention, and often at the same time! How many of us have 20 minutes to spend putting our makeup on, let alone an hour? I’ll admit, there are days when I have the luxury of taking my time and even experimenting with some new looks and color combos, but more often than not, I have about the time span of a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse episode to put myself together for the day. So today I will share with you two of my favorite all-in-one makeup products: Motives Liquid Powder Mineral Foundation With SPF 15 and Motives Lip Lock.

Motives Liquid Powder Mineral Foundation With SPF 15 is a primer, foundation, powder, and sunscreen all in one product. This self-setting foundation has amazing coverage, and can be layered to cover problem areas without feeling or looking cakey. I hardly use concealer to cover my under-eye circles anymore, the foundation does it all (unless I’m camouflaging evidence of a particularly short night). It feels like nothing is on the skin, has a beautiful smooth powder finish, and protects and conditions the skin all day. How many foundations out there do all of that?

Another favorite is Motives Lip Lock. I love this one because it’s a primer, lip base, anti-aging treatment all in one. It’s great for keeping lipsticks/glosses true to their color by neutralizing any natural undertone in the lips. It also prevents any smugging or creasing of the lip color.

What are your favorite all-in-one time savers??

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Summer is in full swing and keeping a fresh face is more challenging than ever. How many times does the makeup go on in the morning only to melt off as soon as you step out the door? For those of you in more tolerable summer climates — I’m talking to you, West Coast — I envy you and your makeup favoring weather! But, for the rest of us, it’s all we can do to strap a portable fan to our foreheads to salvage the time spent in front of the mirror that morning. Fortunately, there is a better solution out there, which will allow us to put our portable fans to better use elsewhere (tell me I’m not the only one who’s considered an alternate use for a garter when wearing a skirt on a hot day?)

Setting our foundation with a powder does wonders to keep that canvas in place. If you’re a powder foundation kinda girl (or guy), then you’re set, but there is one more step that will ensure long lasting wear out of that foundation: invest in a good makeup setting spray. Essential to finishing your face, setting sprays are underrated and underused. I’m a huge fan of Motives 10 Years Younger Makeup Setting Spray. I am not kidding when I tell you that my makeup looks the same in the evening as it did 8, 12, or even 16 hours earlier, when I put it on. And I’ve tested it in the most humid, hot, and muggy of climates, including South Florida and Southern Coastal Texas (can we say sauna?) It literally cools the temperature of the skin, allowing the makeup to set into the skin. I know it has 10 Years Younger in the name, and ladies of the anti-aging interest, it certainly is true to it’s name, however for those of you that are far from worrying about those pesky fine lines and wrinkles (which we’ll address on another day), it’s still the best makeup setting spray out there, hands down. Another bonus, it has a refreshing smell and feels like nothing on your face!

You can find Motives 10 Years Younger Makeup Setting Spray HERE. Stay cool out there and don’t forget the sunblock!

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