Arbonne: Makeup Primer and Sheer Finish Tinted Moisturizer, Step One and Two.

Like I mentioned in last night's post, I would be a right ole fool not to do more with Arbonne considering I have folks searching for Arbonne reviews and landing on my site. :)

So today I am doing part one of from "Fresh Faced to All Ready to Go."

Remember, all products I show here can be found at my Arbonne website.  (Go to the SHOP ONLINE TAB at the top of the home page to see all of the products for sale--cosmetics are under the Arbonne Cosmetics.)  I am an independent consultant, so while not completely unbiased, I do have a lot of information I can impart to you all about how to use the individual products (or at least how I use them, lol).  

Here is a reminder of what the cosmetics guide collage looked like (and it allows you to get a sneak peek of what the next steps are...if you roll like that)...

Fresh Faced Photo:

This is meant to be the "control" photo so you can see what I started out with...there is NO photo-shopping, etc., I promise.  I would look way better if I used photoshop, trust me.  ;)

 Step One:

After doing my morning cleansing and moisturizing routine (which will be its own set of posts sometime in the near future--it includes a ton of RE9 Advanced and Revelage products), I like to put on Arbonne's Makeup Primer *before* I put on my tinted moisturizer.  Some ladies prefer to put on the tinted moisturizer first, but it is a preference thing, and if you do end up using a primer and tinted moisturizer in the future, you will land upon which order you prefer.  I tend to have fairly oily skin, so the Makeup Primer helps cut a bit of the slick spots before applying the cosmetics.  I think you can see the difference between the fresh faced photo and the above photo.  This one shows that the makeup primer does what it says it will do, gives an even and smooth base for all application of makeup.  Some of my friends will go without any makeup (!!!) and just wear the primer, they like the look it gives their skin that much!  (I like to at least brush my eyebrows, put on some lip polish, and some mascara, but I also run a fashion blog and take photos of myself on a daily basis, so I am sure some of my vanity plays into that--lol.)

I think the thing I most appreciate about the primer is that it does shrink my pores a bit.  Part of my aging has been enlarged pores, so if I can find something that helps reduce them, then yes, I say!

MAKEUP PRIMER INGREDIENTS PDF FILE.

Step Two:

After the primer, I then apply a SMALL amount of the sheer finish tinted moisturizer in the shade medium.  On the days I use this tinted moisturizer, I do NOT apply a separate moisturizer like the RE9 Restorative Day Creme SPF 20 because that would just be overload.  Contrary to popular opinion, excessive moisturizing is not beneficial to the skin...just use an amount that will properly cover your facial skin and go.  Also, I should point out that even though this tinted moisturizer has an SPF of 15, if you are spending a ton of time in the sun that day, I highly recommend using one of the Before Sun products on top of your moisturizer.  The sun is one of the reasons skin ages more swiftly.  I have been using SPF since middle school and have fewer facial lines than many of my friends who have not.  I may be pretty pale in summer, but it is a sacrifice I am willing to make.  My hands have not fared as well, but in the past five years I have been very conscientious of using hand creams with SPF in them.

So why do I use a small amount (besides the fact that it is unnecessary)?  I have a tendency to be a bit generous with how I pour out skin care, and have often ended up with excess product all over my hands.  Since turning over to Arbonne 100% in the past year and a half, I have taught myself to resist that temptation.  The packaging and ingredients mean that the product is meant to last a while.  For instance, I expect that in the next two months I will have to replace this tinted moisturizer, but I have used it off and on (probably three times a week) for six months.  I would say that with daily (and proper) use, this bottle could last four months, no problem.  The product I use daily is the Revelage Intensive Pro-Brightening Night Serum, and when properly dispensed, I have made a bottle (one ounce) last three months.  (So if I do the math, that is $60 divided by 90 days which equals 67 cents a day, a cost I am willing to pay for what it does for my rosacea.)  The math for the tinted moisturizer is even better, at $36 divided by 120 days (remember, dispense only a small amount) and you get 30 cents a day.  Even if you are all crazy with how you dispense the tinted moisturizer and can only make it last two months, the math is still great...60 cents a day for moisturizing, makeup, and an SPF.

Besides providing moisturizing with Vitamin A (retinyl--an active ingredient known for its anti-aging uses), this tinted moisturizer is one of the items in the cosmetics line that has "optilight technology," which Arbonne introduced in 2010 to its makeup line.  Basically the finely sized pigments that are used in the tinting do two things: allow the skin to breathe better (I never feel like this is heavy or thick on my skin, and I do tend to notice when that happens), and it allows for soft focus effect because the pigments are formulated to help deflect light from the skin.  I am a big fan of "glowy" skin and when J. Lo did all the way back when, I jumped right on board.  Dewy skin is young skin, and that is ALWAYS my goal with my skin care and cosmetics routine.  There are other products in the line that use optilight technology, including the sheer glow highlighter (which is my current free product with purchase at my Arbonne website).

I would never go out with just the tinted moisturizer on...I feel like it makes me look a bit flat--even if I have a certain "glow," so I always add at least mascara and lip polish.

SHEER FINISH TINTED MOISTURIZER INGREDIENTS PDF FILE.

I hope that this has helped you all learn a bit more about the first two (pretty important) basics of any good foundation for an "all made up" look.  Tomorrow I will go into cheek blush, eyeliner, and mascara.  :)

You all have a great night and thank you for visiting my blog (if this is your first time here)!