This is one for all my guy’s out there, and it’s a massive game changer when it comes to men’s grooming, I’m also going to try to make it a 5 minute read due to the nature of the post, I will say though there is so much coming and I have a lot of things I’m excited to share with you all!
I know I was the last man to find out about Philips OneBlade – and personally I’m a little sad that none of my men didn’t DM me and tell me I happen to know I have 1 or 2 drag queens who follow me – and I know it’s very large within the drag community, although with that thought I’ve never voiced my hate for shaving and getting razor burn easily so that might be my bad so its 50 / 50 blame game.
Anyone of my dudes out there who didn’t know there was a saviour out there, I got you! Every male should know about Philips OneBlade just because it’s one of the best grooming tools I have ever used. Men don’t talk about their skin a lot or really take care of it but they should, most men suffer from sensitive skin but don’t do anything about it when they should be. OneBlade is waterproof but I wouldn’t recommend bringing it into the shower with you, you can just wash the tip after you are done with it and spray with a alcohol spray to insure the blade is fully clean and ready for your next use.
Trim ➡️ Trim your beard to a precise stubble length. 3 stubble combs included: 1 mm for a tight trim, 3 mm for stubble and 5 mm for long stubble.
Edge ➡️ Create precise edges with the dual-sided blade. You can shave in either direction to get great visibility and see every hair that you’re cutting. It stays comfortable even on sensitive areas, so it’s fast and easy to line up your style in seconds.
Shave ➡️ OneBlade doesn’t shave as close as a traditional blade – so your skin stays comfortable. Go against the grain and shave off any length of hair easily.
Guard ➡️ Attach the skin guard for an extra layer of protection on sensitive areas.I don’t think that any man would be unhappy with this grooming tool, as a gift or just because you love him or to treat yourself, it’s the ultimate tool and its my first Can’t Live Without ’19 item because I tried even to just shave normally and it was uncomfortable and I got that stupid bumps from the razor it doesn’t matter of there is one blade to 8 blades, it always happens to me from sensitivity.
Hey there guys and girls and everything in between, how goes? Happy Monday, I hope you all had a great weekend. If you live in Canada I’m sure you’ve heard of or seen a Rexall well today on of my top picked skincare brands is launching into Rexall called StriVectin, yes, you call still find StriVectin in stores such as Sephora and larger luxury stores such as HoltRenfrew but for Rexall to be starting to expand and welcome in newer larger skincare brands into their skincare section is huge to me! Let’s break down some of my top pick from the brand, 3, 2, 1…
StriVectin is known for its scientific approach to skincare. (It’s actually one of the few skincare brands that puts all of its finished formulas through independent clinical testing and shares the results with customers.) In keeping with their results-are-everything mission, StriVectin’s latest line of products is all about effective formulas and tangible results.
PR package
The Pro Glowfoliant Mix-in Microderm Crystals is, above all else, about function. The cap of the container even has a hidden spoon (that feels very Spy Kids-ish) to make scooping the crystals as easy as possible. Once mixed with your cleanser of choice, the dermatologist-grade, AHA-infused microdermabrasion crystals help to gently exfoliate your skin in just 15 seconds.
SIDE NOTE ➡️ after 4 weeks of continued use, participants saw even more results. 90% said that their skin looked “brighter and more radiant.” That’s not all. 90% also reported that it was the most effective exfoliator that they’d ever used.
I have a history of over-exfoliating, so I took the instructions for this product very seriously. Turns out, following the directions actually does work—at least, in this case, it did. The whole application was easy, if specific. And the microderm crystals weren’t as intimidating as I imagined them to be. They blended easily with my cleanser and didn’t cling to my skin when it was time to rinse. No stray, sandy patches to be found.
A few hours later, I was still touching my cheeks every couple of hours, surprised by how soft they felt. (I guess this is what a good exfoliation looks and feels like?! Who knew!) In all honesty, I don’t think my skin was this baby-soft even when I was an actual baby, so this exfoliator is definitely a winner in my book.
Happy Sunday to you, oh yeeeees grandmayou! Welcome to MAKEUPxTHECITY, do you ever just wake up in such a good mood, knowing your love is beside you, I know I am the only one who wakes up at (and anywhere between) 4:00am-6:30am I just can’t help it, now don’t get it twisted, I could fall back to sleep! I just love my little drive to get my espresso and my coffee downtown, typically I go for a run but with the snow I go every other day; I always have such a love hate relationship with the weekend, don’t get me wrong I enjoy not putting so much time into work and having some time to write which sometimes I will write a couple of things and send them in a draft to the brand, or company or whatever, saying this has already been set and timed to a day, these are my thoughts – if its a sponsored post or whatever it is, I don’t allow them to change my words as once it is locked in to go, it can’t be changed which I love a lot about working with TrustPilot and I thank them allowing me to handle my own PR for my own space and be my own management, back to what I’m here to talk about! I know you all like my little rants, and talks in my introduction!
Today I want to talk about a few makeup bags that are for more personaluse or for a small set call, you can also keep them within your luggage or weekend bag as a little add on and they are absouloutly stunning especially if you like classic, clear, halo type, toss and go, or organize to the gods.
Some are a little more exspensive and some are a little cheaper but none are a lacking quality and protection of whatever is inside! That’s a promise!
Firstly, we have Artis and you know I don’t mess around with price tags if the quality is there, yes, oh yes, my PR list grows and grows but it is in no way like oh hi, yes, I ran out of my liquid diamond gel can you sent me another one! thanks sooooooooooooo much. Yeah no it just doesn’t work like that, PR is for influencers to one – try the product or whatever first, two – for consideration to write about or blog about it and get it across to your subscribers, three – repurchase. Yes they are good with sending a package on or around your birthday of some items they know and are aware that you like, which is super sweet and they do not have to do that!
But back to Artis and their makeup holders, they change by season and by holidays, for example for Valentine’s day they became red which I really applicate having different colors, especially for travel, and on the note of travel they also come in small, medium and large – all of the bags from Artis has a place for your needed brushes to remain safe and on the other side a mesh bag (see photos below) the newer bags are very beautiful they are fully black with a thin layer of plastic around the zipper, with ARTIS over pattern, one of my personal favourites.
SIDE NOTE ➡️ Artis is giving away a luxury makeup case as a gift right now when you spend $75+ which is a good deal considering the price of the bag alone.
The next makeup bag is Ariana Grande approved, its from the brand TheMakeupDrop, and the reason I say its Ariana Grande approved is for good reason for her new tour all of the bags you bring in have to be clear so that security can see what you have inside, we all remember what happen at the singers concert in Manchester, sadly and truthful absouloutly devastating and wrong, anyways to take a look at Ariana Grande$8.00 tour bags check it out here on iheartradio that’s getting a bit off topic but it falls under the realm of something that is important to shine light on, for me anyway, one of the best parts of this bag also if it’s only $15.00 which is a great price for everyone!
What do you think? Pro Makeup bags? or it doesn’t matter to you really?
SO ➡️ Discovering your ideal brow shape is a face-changer that not only defines your eyes, but also frames the entire face. It’s a stunning transformation to have a perfectly shaped(or groomed)brow. If you’re unsure about where to start or are intimidated by taking matters into your own hands, this post might be perfect for you. Whether your brows are in need of some grooming, tweezing or filling in, consider my insight and tips and tricks how to masterfully shape your brows.
Taking care of your eyebrows male or female is really important this of it this way as I’ve tried to explain your eyebrows are like the frame to your face (just like teeth) and what is a picture with out a cool frame? For filling in your eyebrows with makeup for more definition is even cool to do even with the evolution of makeup and now so much more men are wearing it or at least admitting it – there is a difference to applying makeup -specifically your eyebrows. Don’t make mistakes and make sure you blend it out properly. Something that I do is take two colors close to each other (light brown – brown) and with the light brown I will fill in the front of the brow to the natural arch then take the brown and 2/3 over the light brown to the end of the eyebrow then with a eyebrow brush or a spoolie and blend through make sure you focus a little more when the light brownmeets the brown to create a really cool ombré eyebrow but in a more mature way.
remember soft feather like strokes it’s not like your jerking off yourself or your boyfriend. Because if you don’t prepare for the outcome in both cases you can end up with a mess.
As makeup evolves some companies are trying new things which a lot the inspiration comes from the runway for example – gloss brows – matte brows – highlighted brows. And these are available through smashbox and I was lucky to be one of the five to launch them last year.
Price ➡️ $21.00
Buy ➡️ (CLICK THE PHOTO)
SMASHBOX MATTE BROW PENCIL
When you get your eyebrows tinted it depends on where you go and who is doing it but there is a couple places I can recommend for perfectly tinted brows and perfectly shaped brows and when I said say shaped they will follow a nice shape with the dye. It lasts about a month will slowly start to fade and that’s when you will know it’s time to get a touch up or lightly add some depth and darkness with a pencil!
This has to be one of the best especially because I have completely blond eyebrow hairs and eyelashes and yep you can get your lashes tinted also but you have to keep your eyes closed for so long with this eye mask thing on your eyes and the dye on your lashed and if you have your eyes even open a crack your eyes will burn and go blood shot red that’s why I just use a tinted eyebrow-gel and it keeps the color soaked into my lashes for a week with no redness or burning so it’s win win. Good places to go check out are
Once you have your eyebrows tinted they will look a lot more full but you can still apply either a tinted brow-gel or just clear, to help keep shape. Typically you can ask for them to pluck the stray hairs that have not been tinted, and they sell there razor type tools to remove hair on your face or just smaller sections – that’s what I used on the top of my brows to clean up the hair and give them a good masculine shape.
GUYS ➡️ DO NOT go over board with plucking or shaping do not give yourself massive arches, keep your brows looking clean and nice – if you have dark brows, brush the hairs completely up (with a spoolie) and then cut the long hairs so that they don’t look a mess.
BROWS BEFORE AND AFTER
Once you do the steps to have your brows looking on point you should always keep them looking good just by making sure on the bottom you pluck away the proper hairs and in the top you shape away hair that grows back or between your brows. The ideal shape is when the beginning of the brow is aligned with the center of the nostril and the arch falls over the back third of the eye.
LAST ➡️ DONT OVER TWEEZE YOUR EYEBROWS SOMETIMES ITS HARD TO STOP. BUT REMEMBER YOU CAN GO FROM BROWS TO NONE IN FIVE PLUCKS
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What’s going on boys and girls – I’ve had it with some brands, I really need to press that just because products are sent to me or I am paid to review and advertise something does not mean I will go and say lies about the product, I have to say, I give skin care and some makeup items a good two weeks, before I write a review. With a recent paid review (SERUM C | M X T C) I didn’t give it that long because I figured it’s just a suspended vitamin c, treatment strength, serum. I just have to say that, I should have gave it the two weeks because I ended up having a massive reaction to the product, with using Serum C I cut out all my skin care and used just a basic moisturizer with my eye products – I got the worst burns on my forehead, cheek and chinand no it was not a break out or anything like that, I thought that at first and I understand that so treatments like this can cause the skin to become ‘worse’ before it gets better, the worst part about it, is I get a damn press release which is information in extreme detailsand it didn’t say anything about a warning, it’s not the vitamin c it’s how it is suspended that makes it kind of dangerous for the skin without being micro needled please google it if you don’t understand what I am talking about, the worst part about it when I showed pictures to the brand, and talked about what happen they just didn’t care, and they were not shocked. Did I mention Serum C comes with a $200.00 price tag, I’ve learned to understand different signs from my body using my skin that something isn’t right, inside and out, you should also.
There are 3 things people will first notice about you, eyebrows, skin and teeth, with out a doubt someone will make a impression about you based on those 3 thingsespecially in the judgment world we live in today – your skin is the most noticeable part of your body. And it can play a major role in telling you about your health. Rashes, acne (spots), bruising, and more can all indicate potential health problems you may want to look into.
I know this 1 will be nothing new to you but stress, when you’re under emotional stress, whether it’s from a job or another life situation, your body reacts physically. If you’ve noticed breakouts on your skin but don’t believe it’s due to your diet or age, then it may be stress-related. Take a step back to find out what is causing the stress in your life, you have to try to calm down and cut the stress out because in most cases people will start to treat it like active acne throwing benzoyl peroxide and all kinds of chemicals thinking it will help the situation which typically causes irritation, loss of hydration and extra sebum creation and in return causes your skin to fighting back and it becoming worse which in return just makes you more stressed about your appearance.
SIDE NOTE This is really important to remember, in most cases acne and irritation from stress is large, red, and 99.9% of the time very sore, you shouldn’t try to pop it but if you do you will find out that, it typically will not pop. As fast as it came typically over night is as fast as it will start to settle down and tone down, in as little as three days it will be almost completely gone, Try putting some Witch Hazel and Vitamin E cream on it or take Vitamin A orally, for no more than 3 days. For more facts about Vitamin A click here.
Water helps your body sustain normal functions.When you’re not hydrated, your skin will show it. Your skin might become dry and look dull; you won’t have the glow you’d normally have if you kept yourself hydrated. While dull skin might not seem like the worst thing, being dehydrated is terrible for your body. The amount of water you should be drinking each day varies per person, but you should generally aim for around 64 ounces daily. I truly cannot stress just how important it is for your body to be hydrated, I don’t drink pop and only drink real juices and it’s not like I’m punishing myself, it’s because I just don’t like pop or overly fake sweet drinks. Next time stick with water, your teeth will thank you also.
Any kind of rash, hives, or red skin could mean you’re having some kind of allergic reaction. It may not be as dangerous as anaphylaxis (which often results in difficulty breathing, swollen eyes, and potentially deadly health problems), but it still isn’t something that should be taken lightly. If you’re taking a new antibiotic, make sure to check around your body and look for any sign of hives or rash that could mean you’re allergic to the drug or said ingredient. The same thing is to be said for some active ingredients in some skin care can interfere with medication or make you ill without even knowing it when it is absorbed into the skin. If you notice anything, stop taking it and talk to your doctor or contact the company for more information about an ingredient as they have to disclose any and all information.
Another thing to look out for and I actually did have this happen to me, there is a massive difference between being pale and being almost white, if you notice you skin a little on the white, semi grey side, it would be wise to talk to your doctor and get a blood work panel done to determine if your anemic. There are different types of anemia and treatable with some vitamins. Make sure you pay attention to what your body is telling you.
There are so much more I could talk about, fungal infections, STD’s, menopause, or even liver disease but I think that’s enough to take in for today.
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We can all achieve skin goals with minimum to no effort at all – I’m not going to like I never got the whole high lighting trend, I mean yeah highlighters were created to highlight the high points of the face of as I was once told walk around like you always have ‘studio lighting’ on you and intense highlighting is not for everyone because it can just highlight your imperfections but anyways back to why we are here color correction : the basics
I’ve been using TARTE : limited-edition color your world color-correcting palette which comes with concealer and highlighters which is why I mentioed highlighting in the first place
TARTE color your world color-correcting palette
Let’s break it down
PALEPINK : targets blue toned spots on fair – light skin
PEACH : neutralizes blue or purple (shadows) on medium skin
ORANGE : cancels out dark areas on the skin
YELLOW : can be used to brighten, cancels out purple or darker tones or even get rid of dullness
GREEN : redness
LAVENDER : cancels out yellowish tones
(this palette has mattecontour, mattehighlight and champagne in place of some correction colors)
A lot of people who are new to makeup or do consider themselves to have a knowledge of makeup and makeup application might find a palette filled with all this colors to be a bit scary and they can be a bit pricey – so take a look at your bare skin and take a look and see if you have dark circles under the eyes that your concealer alone can’t tackle or half way through the day, you seem to see the lack of sleep creeping back up – cancel it out by lightly applying and orange base before applying your concealer.
SIDE NOTE orange corrector in the world of drag queens is used after shaving to insure that no darkness shows through their makeup (five o’clock shadow)
Anywhere you see some redness, around the nose, post imperfections or even on your water line if you wake up tired or well, hung over but need to look dynamite apply the green shade! And then your normal routine on top of that. If you have fair skin, you’ll most likely be using the palest colors of the shade range when it comes to pinks, yellows, greens, and purples. If you have medium to olive skin, the color-correcting shades will also most likely be a touch darker than the pastel versions that, say, fair-skinned guys and girls would use. And for deeper skin tones, a darker-skinned person would use a more orangey peach hue not just orange mix and max to create the shade you need; the same rule goes for the greens, yellows, and purples.
I will also say some people do apply foundation or tinted moisturizer first and then apply color correction. Of course if you feel you only need one or two of the color correctors and not a full palette (which I promise you is the better investment for your hard earned money) I’ll show you some single products in the from drug store to high end.
Urban Decay Color Correcting Fluid in “Lavender,” $28; YSL Color Corrector in “Violet,” $38; Becca Targeted Correcting Cream in “Violet,” $30; Make Up For Ever Primer in “Blue,” $37; YSL Primer in “Lavender,” $45; Lancôme CC Primer in “Purple” $40
Lancôme CC Primer in “Green” $40; YSL Color Corrector in “Vert Green,” $38; Becca Targeted Correcting Cream in “Pistachio,” $30; Marc Jacobs Cover Stick in “Covert Affairs,” $42; Make Up For Ever Primer in “Primer,” $37; Urban Decay Color Correcting Fluid in “Green,” $28
Marc Jacobs Cover Stick in “Covert Affairs,” $42; City Color Correcting Stick in Yellow, $6; Make Up For Ever Primer in “Yellow,” $37; Lancôme CC Primer in “Yellow,” $40; Urban Decay Color Correcting Fluid in “Yellow,” $28
Lancôme CC Primer in “Peachy/Pink,” $40; L’Oréal Paris Skin Beautifier Anti-Fatigue BB Cream, $11; Urban Decay Color Correcting Fluid in “Pink,” $28; Make Up For Ever Primer in “Cool Pink,” $37; YSL Color Corrector in “Violet,” $38; Marc Jacobs Cover Stick in “Bright Now,” $42
Don’t forget if your on a budget or saving up there are brands like NYX, E.L.F, and LA GIRL.
Color-correcting isn’t for everyone. If you’re happy with the job your makeup does now, you don’t really need to messwith this whole thing but it’s a very good things to learn for just in case – the only people who might want to use the strategy daily are those who are bothered by their skin discoloration or if you want to have a perfect complexion. For everyone else, it’s one of those things you can save for life’s most photograph-worthy moments.
DON’T Using color correction to change the undertone of your skin it is outdated and looks bizarre if done wrong and most of the time – it is. Now a days it’s so easy to figure out your base shade and work with it. Be happy in the skin you’re in. For Dark to AfricanAmerican there is a brand called BLACK | UP the palette contains concealers and color correctors to brighten darkness and smooth scars and flaws without making the complexion look washed out. The red shade in the one I had (there are threeversions) was impressive – it made patchy areas around her mouth and eyes completely disappear under concealer. The popular Paris-based makeup line officially debuted in the USA in the fall, but now that it’s easily available here, you can expect to hear a lot more about it I bet in the future (it also makes me happy to see brands coming out for makeup specifically for Dark – African American skin tones! We are not all the same color, undertone or have the same skin needs. We are all unique and different and companies need to start to realize that because it makes me sad to see a company release thirty-five shades and the darkest it goes it to medium-tan.. really? BLACK | UP is available on sephora.com now.
What’s up boys and girls, welcome back to MXTC . This is my first live post since coming back from my little vacation which I will get into when the time is right, I was recently sent Boscia skincare from BLEND PR in Toronto, they saw my blog and wanted to partner up to which I said of course! Boscia is plant based and clean beauty line founded in 2002, which I’ve been really into lately, some of the products are so unique and I know that we will all fall in love with each product as we talk about them!
Since 2002, plants have been the secret to our skincare success. We use ingredients rooted in nature—plant-to-bottle formulas that show results with fun formulas. Good skin comes naturally because in our world, beauty really does grow on trees.
At Boscia, we empower plants to do their jobs—letting ingredients go with their natural instincts. Our products will really grow on you, because all that green really does make your skin glow. Sensitive skin? No problem. Boscia is designed with sensitive skin in mind.
We’re revolutionizing beauty routines around the world with products that are made for play and meant to be shared, because your skin wants in on the fun! Our goal? Skincare meeting the modern world, with an attitude of exploration and excitement.
➡️ Boscia Exfoliating Peel Gel
If you’re looking for a skincare product that will leave you with a healthier-looking complexion, check out this peel gel. It has a lightweight formula that delivers gentle, physical exfoliation to help skin feel softer and look brighter.
This Boscia peel gel works to physically lift away the outer dead layers of skin. It’s infused with jojoba, which helps prevent free radical damage, and Willowherb, which helps calm skin inflammation and reduce visible redness and irritation.
➡️ Boscia Cactus Water Moisturizer
Although cacti tend to grow in hot and dry temperatures, this lightweight moisturiser was formulated to give thirsty skin a sip of hydration. With extracts from the Queen of Night Cactus, it will leave your skin feeling soft, smooth, and supple with each application.
The fast-absorbing solution helps improve the moisture levels of combination and oily skin. For the ultimate night of pampering, start with the Boscia Clear Complexion Cleanser and then throw on a Boscia Matcha Mask before finishing with this moisturizer.
➡️ Boscia Green Tea Moisturizer
Gentle yet effective, the Green Tea Oil-free Moisturizersoothes and nourishes your skin. It treats oily skin while providing a mattified smooth surface for makeup application.
Backed by scientific studies, Japanese green tea is proven to significantly reduce sebum production by balancing over-producing receptors in the body.
As a result, and with regular use, this moisturizer reduces the amount of breakouts caused by bacteria. To make it even more effective, the infused burdock roothelps absorb excess oil to prevent shine throughout the day.
This Boscia skincare review recommends this plant-based brand that uses high-quality ingredients. Boscia’s products are also 100% vegan and cruelty-free, without any harsh chemicals or toxins hiding in the ingredient list. The company is also dedicated to sustainability with its recycling program.
If that isn’t enough to tempt you, the brand also has a wide range of products that cater to your individual needs.
Well that is the end of this review, thank you for stopping by! Remember that you can check me out on Instagram at @CAMERONMICHAELINREALLIFE to see in real time PR photos and information about me and my blog!
M A K E U P x T H E C I T Y 