Makeup is applied  best on clean and even skin. To proper cleanse is soooo important and it saddens me that the majority of people think that they are doing it right but actually aren’t or not at all.
Our skin is our largest organ and she should be cherished and be well taken  care of.
Also, I’d rather use makeup to enhance beauty instead of using it to cover up a rash or spots (though yes thank god we have makeup for that!)
Your makeup will look so much better on radiant and clean skin, so how do we accomplish that?

Before makeup I’ve always been interested in skincare and in 2004 I found my holy grail which was Dermalogica.
My skin is combinated (oily/dehydrated) and I’ve tried everything from drugstore brands to high end brands as Lancome and Chanel but nothing worked for me. So I ended up in a salon that used Dermalogica and the results on my face where amazing, I felt reborn, I noticed that these products where actually doing something for my skin. The main difference being that this is a skincare line with active ingredients  and NO mineral oils.  Unfortunatly there are so many cosmetic brands who put mineral oils in their products and it’s actually something you really want to avoid. We all tend to read the front of the package but what you actually should be reading is the ingredient list at the back because it tells you the truth about what’s inside. Google might come in handy to understand the terms 😉

Mineral oils (parrafinum liquidum, petrolatum,etc) don’t do anything for the skin, in fact they form a barrier on the skin and by doing so the skin is not able to breath and to work naturally which leads to dry skin and addiction (you keep moisturizing because your skin ‘asks’ for it). The Labello lip balm effect is a well known example.
Bare in mind that how you treat your skin today is an investment in the future :).
During my makeup course I became more interested in skincare and decided to expand my horizon and do some research on other brands. I got some samples from Khiel’s and loved it. No bad comment there.
At The Makeup Show Berlin during a Seminar on how to get clean flawless skin I was captivated by Makeup Artist Andrea Mayr from Maske Berlin about how highly she spoke about Mario Badescu skincare. It turned out to be an American Brand, yay!

So without trying any samples I dared to order some products and after just one day I totally understood her   excitement. No offense to Dermalogica, nothing wrong there. I just had been using the wrong products out of their line (because I was stubborn) and experienced more dryness and pimples due to that.
The Mario Badescu website is quite informative and guides you really well through your own skin needs.
Within 3 days I already experienced a more balanced skin. I don’t have before and after pictures to show you but my friends say that my skin looks more naturally glowing.
I will write a full review on the products separately, otherwise this blog post will never end!

Kudos for the Dutch company Cosmania where I ordered it!
When I received the package I felt like a birthday girl! I ordered 3 products and got 8 and a handwritten card!!! The pictures shows only  4 extra products because I gave one away to a good friend.

Skin type is what you are born with and skin condition depends on many things such as:  drinking, eating, sleeping smoking, weather, etc.
Good skin care does not have to be expensive! By doing research you will find something within your budget.

A few little things that you can do but many people don’t think of  are:

-Washing your hands before cleansing
-Remove makeup first before cleansing
-Don’t cleanse to fast, give it at least a minute to do it’s work and thoroughly clean your pores.
-Finish rinsing with cold water as warm water dries out your skin and opens up your pores.
-Cleanse your face at night and in the morning, as while you’re sleeping your skin is ‘repairing’  so therefore  working and separates sebum which is why it must be cleansed. This also brings me to the next point:
-Change your pillow cover more often as all the sebum and sweat ends up on your pillow and back on your face.
-Use a toner to remove cleanser residue.
Last but not least: apply makeup with clean fingers, sponges or brushes 🙂