It’s time to be brutally honest. When I first heard about face primer, I thought, “You’re kidding. One more layer of stuff to put on my face? No way!”

I simply didn’t see the need for it. But I decided to try out a few of them anyway, and the experience left me feeling that face primers were useless. They felt slick, greasy or tacky on my skin, and I was not impressed.

Still, I kept reading and hearing about all the benefits of face primers: they combat shine, they create a smooth base for foundation, they help foundation go on easier and the foundation lasts longer… and so on.

After a year or so, I thought I would give face primers another chance. At that time, I had to reluctantly admit that the one I tried felt pretty good on my skin.

Moreover, my makeup looked darn good at the end of the day even though I’d been out in the vicious heat and had logged a lot of errand-running miles. I had to admit I was impressed.

Now You Can Find a Primer for Just About Every Skin Concern

Primers have continued to improve. There are now many primers that also help us with a variety of skin types and concerns –from dullness to redness to pore issues to dry- or oily-skin issues.

So Just What Is a Primer and What Does It Do?

Face primers create a protective barrier over the skin. They are primarily used to even out the skin tone, to smooth the skin’s surface so makeup goes on more evenly and to help makeup last longer.

Think of face primer as you would paint primer for your house: the goal is to apply a smooth base coat (primer) before applying the final coat (foundation).

Here’s a quick rundown of the benefits of using a face primer:

• Helps your makeup stay flawless and in place longer – and is a real help in extreme weather conditions.
• Helps foundation glide on more easily and evenly.
• Absorbs oil to help combat shine later in the day.
• Helps reduce the look of large pores.
• Depending on the type of primer, it can help even out the skin tone.
• Helps fill in lines, wrinkles and other imperfections so you use less foundation.
• Depending on the type of primer, it can add brightness to the skin.
• Can help prevent makeup from looking ‘caked on.’
• Creates a protective barrier over the skin which seals in and protects any treatment products used during your daily skincare regimen.

Some Additional Tips

There are a few other things to point out as well.

Many makeup primers are formulated with silicon-based polymers, like dimethicone, because of their ultra-smoothing effects. But if you struggle with cystic acne or other skin conditions, do a patch test or check with a medical professional since some people report allergic reactions to dimethicone.

There are also many primers that are based on skin-loving ingredients or botanicals, are paraben free and packed with vitamins and minerals. And some primers also have SPF.

I highly recommend requesting samples of various primers from department store makeup counters or from Sephora or Ulta to see which primers feel best on your skin and work best for you.

How to Apply Primer

Many makeup artists recommend applying primer with your fingertips for several different reasons. The warmth from your fingers allows the product to ‘melt’ into your skin and provide natural-looking results.

In addition, applying with your fingers allows you to work the product into your skin, which also gets the blood flowing underneath, helping your circulation.

Another option is to blend some of the primer into your favorite liquid foundation. This will provide sheerer coverage but with some staying power.

When to Apply Primer

Now you may be wondering exactly when you should apply primer during your skincare and makeup routine.

You will always want to put primer on after you complete your skincare routine and before you put on foundation. If you’re using a separate SPF product, your SPF should go on after your moisturizer and before your primer.

So why not pick up a few primer samples and give them a try? Who knows… it may just be the ingredient you need to continue to look flawless when you still have those dancing shoes on at 10 p.m.

Have you tried a face primer under your makeup? What has been your experience with it? Has it worked for you? Would you recommend a face primer to others? Please share your opinion and thoughts below.

Getting enough
beauty sleep is important, especially if you want to age gracefully. A good
night’s sleep makes you less likely to suffer from depression, memory problems,
and serious health conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and
breast cancer.

Unfortunately, many
women who are 60 and over often have trouble sleeping at night. So, what do you
do if you need sleep, but can’t get any?

Holistic life coach
and founder of Growing Younger Gracefully Sheena Nancy Sarles has a few
sleeping tips for women over 60. In her interview with Margaret Manning, she shares
three simple breathing techniques to help you sleep at night.

Meditative
Breath

A warm foot massage
is the first step to a good night’s sleep. Take any essential oil that you find
soothing and calming. Then, rub it on the palms of your hands before massaging
it on your feet. Giving yourself a quick foot massage before hitting the sheets
will help you get rid of all the tension in your body.

Having a soothing
and relaxing massage before bed helps you relax and unwind. You will immediately
want to hop into bed and close your eyes. Hopefully, you will be whisked into
the land of dreams once your head hits your pillow.

However, if you end
up counting your troubles instead of sheep, you can use simple breathing
exercises to calm your mind. Inhale to bring relaxation, and exhale to release all
tension. Breathe in and hold your breath for four counts before exhaling on the
fifth.

Alternate
Nostril Breath

Another breathing
technique you can use to keep your body calm and relaxed is the alternate nasal
breath. Instead of breathing from both of your nostrils at the same time, you
inhale from one nostril and exhale through the other.

Press your finger
against your left nostril, and inhale through your right. Gently release your
finger from your left nostril, then press it against the right. Then, exhale
through the other nostril.

Left nostril breathing
activates your Ida Nerve Ending, which keeps you calm and relaxed. Right
nostril breathing activates the Pingala Nerve Ending, which makes you feel
alert and active. If you want to sleep through the night, you can do left
nostril breathing until you’re sleepy.

Mindful
Breathing

Waking up at
ungodly hours when you’re still so tired can be frustrating. You want to sleep,
but your mind won’t let you. So, what do you do?

Mindful breathing is the practice of focusing on your breath. Instead of entertaining feelings of frustration or worrying about the consequences of not getting enough sleep, focus on your breathing. Inhale and exhale, paying attention to your breath as it enters your nostrils and moves toward your lungs. Observe the way your chest expands as you inhale and worry about nothing else. With this, you can go back to sleep in no time.

How well are you sleeping these days? And what do you do to overcome age-related sleep problems? Let us know in the comments below. Don’t forget to click “like,” and share this article with other women who might need it!

Stassi Schroeder’s White Cover Up Shirt

Season 8 Episode 19 Vanderpump Rules Fashion

The latter part of the season of Vanderpump Rules provides great prep for the next best season to come for all of us, Summer. Which is why Stassi Schroeder’s white cover up shirt popped up at the perfect time as it’s an absolute must have for any water adjacent event. She even proves how versatile it is by wearing it on tonight’s episode, in addition to Daug the lizard’s memorial pool party, which was pretty much the most “different” event I can think of in comparison to just about anything.

With my move to TX I have bumped up my summer clothing collection because the weather is warm most of the year there and  my apartment complex has a pool so most of my stock up needs to focus on swimwear. So mathematically speaking I need about 3-5 versions of this cover up because I just love it so much. It’s a lightweight, easy, breezy, and beautiful cover up, girl! Which deems it completely necessary for all of our summer soirées, no matter which side one you choose.

Sincerely Stylish,

Jess

Click Here To Shop Her Vitamin A White Playa Cover Up Shirt

Click Here for Additional Stock

Click Here for Even More Stock

Originally posted at: Stassi Schroeder’s White Cover Up Shirt

By the time salons open back up safely across the country, most of us with blonde hair are going to have pretty heavy, dark roots, shattering any possible ideas that we’re naturally that light. Lana Del Rey’s blonde hair proves she’s dealing with the opposite problem. Like Emma Stone, Leighton Meester, Amy Adams and Ariel Winter (to name a few), Del Rey is a natural blonde who dyes her hair darker for maximum impact. But during this time of physical distancing, she’s been forced to head back to her roots.

The singer posted a makeup-free selfie, seemingly just out of the shower, with her light hair piled up on top of her head in a bun. It’s how many of us are living during this time at home. “When you have no choice but to go back to being a blonde because Kevin Tracey and Jacob are gone and there’s nothing but lemons left to cover your roots for nine weeks,” she captioned the photo. It’s likely she’s talking about colorist Tracey Cunningham and her team at Mèche Salon in Los Angeles.

Source: Instagram

We’re not sure if she’s making a joke about her dark hair fading back to its natural light roots and her desperation for color, or if she really did use lemons to lighten it. Using lemon juice can work to lighten strands, though it’s much less tricky on natural blondes who just want a boost. On dark, especially dyed dark, hair, it can look streaky and even take on an orange hue. Eeek. Removing hair dye is best left to the pros. Or, you can just let it wash out like Del Rey and look stunning while doing it.