Marcella Yakalis

Murad Invisiblur Perfecting Shield SPF 30 Is a Primer Triple Threat

May 10th, 2016 by Marcella Yakalis 11 Comments

Believe it or not, despite being a lifelong member of the Super Pale Club, I only recently realized how important it is to use cosmetics and moisturizers and other products with SPF in them. It wasn’t until an awful sunburn a few years ago that I even really started wearing sunscreen at the beach. (I know, so bad!)

What can I say? Bad teenage habits…

Now, though, I’m serious about it — serious about sunscreen and moisturizer with SPF.

But I’d never really thought about primers with SPF, not until I tried Murad Invisiblur Perfecting Shield Broad Spectrum SPF 30 ($65).

murad, spf, primer, — Murad Invisiblur Perfecting Shield SPF 30

This little potion/primer couples makeup priming powers with potent sun protection.

“Flawless and fabulous in just one step. This invisible skin perfecting shield blends together advanced treatment, primer, and SPF technologies to immediately blur and protect while combating the signs of aging.”

—murad.com

I’d used other Murad products before, but only briefly. Not long ago, before consulting a dermatologist for my acne, while I was trying everything under the sun in the hopes that I’d find something that would help, I’d tried the Murad Acne Starter Kit, and some of the things in the kit helped, a little, but I think I just needed something stronger.

Before giving Invisiblur Perfecting Shield a try, I wondered if it would be as good as or better than e.l.f. Poreless Face Primer, my current favorite primer, and, well, it is. As a primer under makeup, Invisiblur Perfecting Shield works like magic.

I apply it after my regular moisturizer, which also contains SPF, and for the record, when I do it, there’s no clumping, which happens sometimes when I mix products that contain SPF.

murad, primer, SPF — The smooth, clear gel makes application a breeze

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Bare With Me: Do You Wear Makeup at the Gym?

May 6th, 2016 by Marcella Yakalis 18 Comments

Health is something that often gets lumped in with beauty, and for a while I’d been toying around with the idea of joining a gym. I’ve done a number of home workouts, the most recent being the Beachbody series, and I had some mild success with it, but at this point in my life, I really need to be at the gym. I need to get out of my head, and go back to the gym and enjoy working out for myself.

Today I wanted to talk about the idea of wearing makeup at the gym and ask what you do. I’m personally staunchly against it, mainly because my skin would stage a coup. I have a tendency to break out even when I just rub my face the wrong way (I’m not even kidding!), so rubbing my face when it’s hot, sweaty, and full of makeup is just not an option for me.

But I understand the appeal of wearing makeup to the gym. On a recent visit I didn’t see too many done-up ladies, but I did see someone with fully done eyebrows (I could not even handle that).

One of the things I find so frustrating is that women are often pressured to be 110% on all the time, even when we’re just trying to get in a workout.

I understand the convenience. If you’re working out early in the morning, you can easily put on a little makeup before an easy workout and just head to work afterward.

But many people feel that it’s awful for your skin, and that you shouldn’t wear cosmetics that could clog your pores while you’re working out. Your body can’t cleanse itself of toxins if your pores are clogged by your favorite foundation.

So why do we do it? Insecurities, convenience, because we want to, or because we just don’t think it’s bad for us.

I’m still figuring out what my skin likes and needs from day to day, and I can say that while I’d encourage a girlfriend to go bare at the gym with me, I wouldn’t discourage her from doing her thing if she wants to.

If I were to wear makeup at the gym, I’d have to take the route recommended by the makeup artist in this article. I’d go with some SPF (like the one I’m carrying in my gym bag), maybe a brow pencil, and some tinted lip balm, at the most.

What about you? Have you ever worn a full face to your favorite class, or do you always go bare? Are there any situations when you absolutely won’t wear any makeup at all? Let me know!

Marcella Yakalis

Marcella Yakalis is a freelance writer living and working in Brooklyn, New York, with two cats, one snake, and one very patient boyfriend. She writes about family, relationships, and oppressive retail culture. She can also be found on Twitter and Instagram.

Try Clinique’s Chubby In The Nude Foundation Sticks for Blendable, Bountiful, Beautiful Coverage

May 5th, 2016 by Marcella Yakalis 7 Comments

Wearing Clinique Chubby In The Nude in Voluptuous Vanilla ($24) — Wearing Clinique Chubby In The Nude in Voluptuous Vanilla ($24 each, available in 10 shades)

Hey everyone!

So, if there’s one thing I’ve mentioned before, it’s how much I like convenient products. If there’s anything complicated involved, I won’t be interested in using or doing it for long.

This has probably been a driving force behind why I keep my makeup routine so simple.

“Simple” and “convenient” are two perfect words to describe Clinique’s Chubby In The Nude Foundation Sticks ($24 each, available in 10 shades), with their cream-to-powder finish and buildable sheer-to-medium coverage (they’re part of the amazing Chubby stick line).

They’re even easier to blend when you use a sponge or a damp brush, which I realized this past weekend while visiting my boyfriend’s parents. I didn’t bring the right brush with me, so I had to use my fingers.

The Clinique website recommends applying them like this:

Draw several strokes of foundation across the forehead, cheeks, chin and down the bridge of nose.

For sheerer coverage, fingertip-blend to a seamless finish.

For moderate coverage, use Clinique’s Buff Brush to buff foundation into skin using light, circular motions.

Applying with my fingers was a little frustrating, mostly because of how sensitive my skin is. I mean, the Chubby stick slogan is the #ChubbyDoodle, which stands for all the different ways you can draw your foundation on for different coverage, and I like the concept, but rubbing the foundation into my skin with my fingers was…less fun.

clinique-chubby-in-the-nude-foundation-stick-side — Forgive my red nose; I’m sick yet again.

Here I’m wearing Voluptuous Vanilla, which falls into the “moderately fair” category. Incidentally, I also like the suggestive names (like Curviest Clove and Abundant Alabaster) and the particular way Clinique grouped these from very fair to deep.

clinique foundation stick, chubby in the nude, — Clinique Chubby In The Nude Foundation Stick in Voluptuous Vanilla and Bountiful Beige

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What Beauty Trends Are You Bad At?

April 28th, 2016 by Marcella Yakalis 18 Comments

Wet n Wild Contouring Palette in Dulce De Leche ($4.99)

I’m an oddly curious cat when it comes to other people’s makeup habits, and one thing I’ve been wondering lately is…how does everyone out there who’s amazing at makeup learn how to do what they do?

I’ve learned most of the little bit I know from the internet — from buzzfeed lists about makeup, to blogs, to YouTube tutorials.

And what about trends? Which ones are you bad at?

Here are the main beauty trends I just can’t get behind:

Contouring (too complicated)
Strobing/over-highlighting (I look too oily)
Overdrawn lips (I have enough naturally)

These are just a few of the “trends” that I find really difficult. But contouring might be the most difficult one for me. Every time I see an article about how easy it is to contour, or how to copy a Kardashian style, or which products are the best ones for contouring, I immediately click.

I think I’ve been trying to figure out contouring since it first became popular!

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Estee Lauder Pure Color Sculpting Gloss Has Me Changing My Tune About Lip Gloss

April 20th, 2016 by Marcella Yakalis 14 Comments

Estee-Lauder-Pure-Color-Sculpting-Gloss-face — Wearing Estee Lauder Pure Color Sculpting Gloss in Reckless Bloom. Spy the ~~noodle~~ snake mesmerized by my shimmer…

As a kid of the ’90s/early ’00s, me and lip gloss have a long history. One of my favorites was Bonne Bell Lip Lites Lip Gloss. I can’t remember the exact shade I used to beg my mom to get me, but I do remember the tacky, pasty feeling on my lips after I applied it.

I lost my general interest in lip products sometime in high school, opting instead for just (far too heavy) eyeliner and mascara, and since I started actually wearing makeup more frequently a few years ago, I haven’t touched gloss, mostly because, all I remember about it is that awful tacky feeling.

I feel like a lot has changed in lip gloss formulas over the years, especially when it comes to higher end products. Lately, since I’ve been trying to break out of my regular makeup routine, I’ve been experimenting again with glosses, like these two amazing glosses from the Estee Lauder Pure Color Envy Sculpting Gloss collection — Reckless Bloom (a shimmer gloss) and Copper Ego (a shine gloss) — which I’ve been all about this week.

Estee Lauder Pure Color Envy Sculpting Gloss ($26)

These really surprised me!

Estee Lauder Reckless Bloom (top) and Copper Ego (bottom)

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My Foundation Routine (A Collaboration With Adia)

April 18th, 2016 by Marcella Yakalis 3 Comments

My go to: Clinique Stay Matte Oil Free Makeup in Linen ($24 for 1 oz.)

Hey, everyone! Today I’m collaborating with the lovely Adia to show you how I wear my foundation (she’ll be sharing her post later tonight), and also try out a new brush I haven’t gotten a chance to work with yet, the Heavenly Luxe Complexion Master, No. 16, from It Cosmetics ($58).

Now, I don’t often wear foundation (I typically go for a lighter coverage BB cream), but when I do want heavier coverage, these are the products I like to use.

First, I start with a moisturized and primed face, and for primer, I go for e.l.f. Poreless Face Primer. It’s a good dupe for Smashbox in my opinion, although the formula seems to have changed recently, because the smell isn’t quite as pleasant as it once was…

Heavenly Luxe Complexion Master No. 16 brush ($58)

This brush has a lot of plusses, but on my first run through with it doing my normal routine, I noticed that I was really dry and cakey.

Then I remembered something Adia recommends sometimes, which is to wet the brush. So, while doing my look for this post, I made sure to spray some rosewater on the brush before buffing it into my makeup.

I could have used setting spray, but the scent and the whole effect of using rosewater are just so much more appealing to me.

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I Haven’t Used My Acne Medication in Four Weeks: Here’s What I’ve Been Using Instead

April 13th, 2016 by Marcella Yakalis 24 Comments

boots-no7-skincare-regimen — From L-R: Boots No7 Youthful Replenishing Facial Oil, Protect and Perfect Day/Night Cream, Protect and Perfect Intense Eye Cream, and Youthful Eye Serum

If you’ve been reading my posts here, you know that I’ve really struggled with adult acne, and especially with being comfortable in my own skin. Recently with my dermatologist prescribed medications, I finally felt that I had found a routine that worked for me, but the products often left my skin dry, red and, at times, very itchy. Sometimes, after using these medications, applying different products and makeup on my skin would also cause irritations.

Then I found the Boots No7 Protect and Perfect and Boots No7 Youthful lines, and now I think I’ve finally figured out exactly what my skin’s problem is.

It’s moisture. I actually need more of it.

I was a little wary of all of the moisture in these products. After all, I can be sort of an oil slick, and I’m always afraid of waking up in the morning to discover that the products I applied the night before haven’t sunk into my skin, and now I have a giant grease face.

But these products didn’t just work well; they actually improved my skin over time. On the packaging they promise better looking skin in four weeks, so that’s how much time I gave them.

Let’s start with the Boots No7 Youthful Replenishing Facial Oil. This is the product I start with every night before bed, applying it to a freshly washed and cleansed face.

boots-no7-youthful-replenishing-oil — Boots No7 Youthful Replenishing Oil ($22.99 for 1 oz.)

Ingredients
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Rosa Moschata Seed Oil, Isostearyl Isostearate, Alcohol Denat,. Tocopheryl Acetate, Parfum (Fragrance), Isopropyl Myristate, Retinyl Palmitate, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Salicyloyl Phytosphingosine, Tocopherol

This non-greasy blend of jojoba and rosehip seed oils sinks into my skin in but a moment. I usually concentrate it around the areas where I’m driest and red, like the apples of my cheeks; the sides of my nose, where I have some broken capillaries; and the areas on my chin where I have some acne scarring.

There’s also a little warning on the back that literally says, “May make surfaces slippery,” and they aren’t kidding. The bottle is glass, and I almost dropped it on my bathroom floor several times. In spite of that fact, though, it makes a wonderful precursor to…

protect-perfect-night-day-cream — T-B: Boots No7 Protect and Perfect Night and Day Cream ($22.99, 1.6 oz.)

The Boots No7 Protect and Perfect Night Cream, which is my follow-up to the Replenishing Oil. It blends in seamlessly, and has a clean scent that doesn’t irritate my skin. As far as the Day Cream goes, I wasn’t sure how it would work out, but I was pleasantly surprised. Most of the time when I use moisturizers with SPF, they tend to clump up when I try to put makeup on top of them, but that isn’t the case here. It dries nice and matte.

Night cream ingredients
Aqua (Water, Eau), Glycerin, PPG-15 Stearyl Ether, Sorbitan Stearate, Demethicone, Butrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter, Beurre De Karite), Ethylhexyl Stearate, Cetyl Alcohol, Polyacrylamide, C13-14 Acid Glycol Ester, Dimethiconol, Butylene Glycol, Parfum (Fragrance), Sucrose Cocoate, Methlparaben, Carbomer, Laureth-7, Ethylparaben, Dipropylene Glycol, Retinyl Palmitate, Xantham Gum, Ascorbyl Gluoside, Tetrasodium EDTA, Potassium Hydroxide, Lupinus Albus Seed Extract, Dimethylmethoxy Chromanol, Phyllanthus Emblica Fruit Extract, Polysorbate 20, Gingko Biloba Leaf Extratc, BHT, Tocopherol, Butylparaben, Palmitoyl Oligopeptide, Silica, Propylparaben, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7

Day cream ingredients
Avobenzone (3.0%), Octinoxate (6.0%), Octisalate (2.5%), Aqua (Water),Glycerin,C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate,Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter,Dimethicone,Isononyl Isononanoate,Cetearyl Alcohol,C18-36 Acid Glycol Ester,Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Phenoxyethanol, Polyacrylamide,Sorbitan Stearate,Mica,Polysorbate 20,Alcohol Denat.,C13-14 Isoparaffin, Dimethiconol, Butylene Glycol,Methylparaben,Potassium Cetyl Phosphate,Ethylparaben,Parfum (Fragrance), Laureth-7, Retinyl Palmitate,Sucrose Cocoate, Dipropylene Glycol,Xanthan Gum,Ascorbyl Glucoside,Tetrasodium EDTA,Citric Acid,Lupinus Albus Seed Extract,Dimethylmethoxy Chromanol, Carbomer,Phyllanthus Emblica Fruit Extract,Potassium Hydroxide,Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract, BHT, Tocopherol, Butylparaben, Palmitoyl Oligopeptide, Propylparaben, Isobutylparaben,Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7,Cl 77891 (Titanium Dioxide).

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Beauty and Mental Health: A Quick Look at How the Two Intertwine

April 8th, 2016 by Marcella Yakalis 40 Comments

Wouldn't you rather stay in bed with this? — Wouldn’t you rather stay in bed with this?

As someone without steady employment, and not a lot of other responsibilities, I often find myself in bed well past noon on a weekday. I don’t do this on purpose, and it’s not even because I want to be there. But while texting my boyfriend (from our bed) one late morning, I found myself saying, “I don’t want to get up, because my problems are out there.”

Simple reasoning, right?

But I can’t avoid my problems forever. I have to get up. I have to eat. I have to continue to look for a job. I have to consolidate my loans and make doctors appointments.

For most of my adult life, I have dealt with chronic depression and anxiety. I’ve used many methods to combat these things, but lately, I’ve found that getting myself into a routine has been one of the best things for me. The main part of my routine that has been the most enjoyable and given me the best feeling?

Doing my makeup and/or pampering myself.

It’s common knowledge that you feel good when you take care of yourself. But for a lot of people, and for many women, it’s often seen as vain and unnecessary to do our makeup, or to spend a lot of time on ourselves. At the same time, we’re being told that if we don’t look a certain way, we’re not trying hard enough. If we look tired, or pale, or sick, then there is something wrong with us. If we don’t smile at every stranger that passes us, we are mean, unfriendly, cold. This was something I ran into often when I worked retail, and a reason I got into makeup in the first place. I figured if people were going to think I was awful, I might as well look fabulous while they did it, right?

After I quit that job and went to graduate school, I stopped wearing makeup as much, mainly because I didn’t have the time. I reserved it for special occasions only. Then I stopped wearing it because I felt tired, my skin was awful, I didn’t want to be noticed. A million and one reasons to not take care of myself hung over my head every day.

The past few weeks, while I’ve been writing and reviewing for you guys, I’ve been looking forward to getting up and doing my makeup. I’ve been excited about taking care of my skin, of my body, and of my mind. I haven’t felt that in a very long time. Because of these changes in my routine, my other habits have changed as well. Instead of not eating most of the day, I actually got up all of last week, ate breakfast every day, drank a cup of coffee, and did my makeup. I was proud of myself for actually finishing a quart of milk without it spoiling in the fridge!

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