Prepping for a Night Out

Now this post is coming a little early as it was inspired by my own prep for my date night with my hubby which was supposed to be Thursday, but is now Wednesday & technically today :). We all do the normal things like shower, shave, pick out an outfit and so on, but you can really prep yourself to make makeup application smoother, faster, easier, and most importantly leave your skin looking its best! Less to cover with makeup and a great base to start with!

First, before showering, use a lip scrub. I love Victoria's Secret's PRO SMOOTH FX Lip Scrub & Balm $16. It's a two part container with a larger bottom with the scrub and a screw-off lid. Inside the lip is the lip balm with a flip top. It's a sugar scrub and smells delicious. You rub a pea-sized amount on both lips in a circular motion to remove dry and dead skin and exfoliate to leave your lips smooth, kiss & lip stick ready! For a little extra exfoliation, use a toothbrush to exfoliate in a circular motion with the scrub. After about 30 seconds, you just tissue the scrub off and apply the balm. You can use a little more overnight, but when using right before going out, only use a thin layer as a lip color base. Anyway, use the scrub before showering because when you tissue off, sometimes little bits of the scrub remain and when you rub on the balm, it can be somewhat irritating instead of feeling relieving. Showering will fix that!

Next shower in your normal routine, obviously including washing your face with a face wash. Before doing any type of treatment to your skin, you want to start with a clean face, meaning all dirt, oil, and makeup is washed away so your treatment isn't fighting through all that stuff to get to your skin ... if it even makes it there.

My absolute favorite skin prep for a night out, event, or just a kick-start/refresher for my skin is Philosophy's "the oxygen peel". It uses oxygen to "exfoliate, smooth, and hydrate your skin". You simply break one capsule into the plastic container provided, filled half way with warm water. The instructions tell you to add the water after you break the capsule, but I've found it chunks in the edges of the bottom of the container, wasting product so break the capsule into the water. Shake well and let stand for 1 minute to thicken and form a lumpy gel. Apply this gel to your face and neck (avoid eye area and also avoid the hairline and eyebrows as bleaching may occur ... never had this happen to me though so a tiny bit isn't a big deal). Then apply about a quarter sized amount of the oxygen foam over the gel and massage in. You will feel and see the gel and foam mix and react as the oxygen begins working. Leave on for 1-3 minutes, then remove with the scraper provided in a shaving motion. They say for sensitive skin, just rinse, but I have fairly sensitive skin and love the scraper so see what works for you. Next, just rinse and pat your face dry!

Now is the time to apply serums, moisturizers, and eye creams. Lastly, I inspect my face for any blemishes and apply Clean & Clear Advantage Mark Treatment with Salicylic Acid. It dramatically reduces the size, redness, and even pain associated with pimples or boils overnight and when used repeatedly, removes the blemish all together ... perfect to get rid of those problem spots before a big night out! Oh and at this point, balm those lips up so they're nice & ready for your big night!