Dre Does Favorite Weekly Skin Treatments

Today I want to talk about some of my favorite weekly skin treatments/masks. I personally have very acne prone and oily skin so I like to make sure I am doing two main things to keep my skin at it's best; exfoliating and deep cleansing. The exfoliation helps get rid of those dead skin cells sitting on the surface so that nothing gets trapped in my pores and leads to comedones and acne. The deep cleansing helps pull impurities out of my pores for the same reason. Depending on how my skin looks and feels I will choose which of these four to use but I love them all! 

First up we have the exfoliating products. I absolutely love everything about the Dr. Brandt Microdermabrasion Skin Exfoliant except for it's price ($78 at Ulta). It is definitely high end, but you don't use that much of it so it will last a long time. I originally discovered this product in an Ipsy Glambag and fell in love. It is definitely a once or twice a week at most type product but it gives you such a good exfoliation while still feeling gentle on the skin. I love the fresh lemon scent and my skin feels baby soft after I use it. If I feel like I have a lot of dead skin cells on the surface I use this product. 

Next up we have a much gentler exfoliator by Dermalogica called the Daily Microfoliant ($52 at Ulta). This one is a powder that you shake onto wet fingers and massage into a paste that you then scrub on your skin. I love how gentle this one is on my skin. It smells a little weird but not terrible. I personally have hyperpigmentation so I don't like to exfoliate more then 3 times a week with even a gentle product, so I use this one every other day at most despite it being called a daily exfoliating product.

Now over to the deep cleansing side. I love charcoal and clay masks because I really think they help draw the impurities out of my pores and keep my skin feeling clean! I have been obsessed with the Origins Clear Improvements mask ($25 at Sephora) for awhile now because of the activated charcoal in it. It's one of those masks that dries when it's done and your skin feels so clean after. I use this when my skin feels really congested or right before I know I'm about to get monthly breakouts to keep them at bay. 

The Deep Cleansing Herbal Clay Masque from Aveda ($22 at Aveda salons or online) is another favorite of mine that I've loved since I was in Esthiology School. It is so gentle yet gives you a good clean feeling. The best part about Aveda masks is that since they are so natural and gentle you can use them more frequently than other masks that can have harsher chemicals. This is a good maintenance mask I would say for helping with congestion and comedones on your skin. 

What are your favorite skin treatments and masks? Let me know below because I'm always wanting to try new things!

Have a beautiful Wednesday, 

Dre

Dre Does a Tarte Chic to Cheek Collection Review

Happy Saturday morning friends! If you've been reading my blog for awhile you know that I am a huge tarte cosmetics fan! I love that their products are formulated with Parabens, mineral oil, and a lot of the other chemicals you find in makeup. I have multiple holy grail items from this company, one of them being their Amazonian Clay 12 Hr Blushes. Every year I get so excited for them to debut their holiday collections. It used to be mainly for the Lip Surgence lip crayons but now I'm a sucker for the wonderful blush sets they do for the holidays. Last year they did a set of three mini blushes plus a brush which I was obsessed with so I was dying to see what they would bring to the table this holiday season with their Sweet Dreams Holiday Collection. 

This year they brought out the Chic to Cheek blush set of 4 mini blushes. I'm happy they ditched the brush and did a fourth blush instead because I have enough brushes but clearly not enough shades of these blushes...haha 

L to R: Classic, Prim, Amour, and Daydream.

The set is only $35 at Ulta and includes amour (rosy pink), classic (candy pink), prim (soft apricot pink), and daydream (plum nude). While I agree with the descriptions of amour and daydream, I feel like classic is much more of an apricot shade than prim. Regardless, I feel like all four shades are different enough that this set is worth it. They are all matte except for amour which has a slight bit of shimmer in it, but nothing too crazy or intense. The pigmentation and wearing power of these blushes is just like the original full size blushes and if you like blush variety I highly suggest these. If you've never tried out the Amazonian Blushes at all, this is a great chance to do so! Hurry though, because they're going fast at the store I work at! 

Have a beautiful weekend,

Dre

Dre Does September Favorites

My favorite post of the month is here! I don't have that many favorites because I've been very much stuck in a routine lately as far as makeup and skin care goes. I just purchased some new things though so look for some new things come October Favorites time! 

1. tarte Pure Maracuja Oil: This oil is a repeat favorite because it is seriously amazing. I feel like not that many people know much about it but it's a holy grail item for my skincare routine. I use it at night as my moisturizer and I wake up every morning with baby soft skin. It has tons of vitamin C in it so it does wonders at brightening and evening out my skin tone. You can use it all over your body to moisturize but I am so obsessed that I will only use it on my face so it lasts longer. Haha 

2. Maybelline Color Sensational Matte Lipsticks: I have been obsessed with these since I bought them a few weeks ago. They really are as wonderful as everyone has been saying. I have 5 shades but I've been wearing Daringly Nude and Divine Wine the most. Click here for my review on these that I shared last week!

3. Ole Henriksen Aloe Vera Deep Cleanser: I have yet to find my perfect cleanser. While I did like The Body Shop's Tea Tree Oil Cleanser for Oily Skin, I just wasn't in love so when I took a trip to Sephora a few weeks ago I spotted this guy and I'm obsessed. It gives me such a good deep clean and I really think it does a great job at soothing and cleansing my skin. I feel like my breakouts are slowing down and becoming fewer and this has to be a part of it. 

4. Si by Georgio Armani: This perfume is amazing. When I first smelled it at work I thought it was a tad too old for me, but I slowly became more and more obsessed with it. I spray it almost every time I go to work and I can't get enough. I love the sophisticated warm aroma it gives and I get complimented on it all the time! 

5. Benefit's Hard Angle Brow Brush: This is my go to brow brush to use my Benefit Browzings wax and powder duo. It is the brush we use at work to do our brow mapping and filling in so that is how I discovered it and fell in love. It is the perfect amount of firm bristles for a brow brush because you can get a very precise line without it taking forever. If I could change one thing about it, I would just want there to be a spooly on the end to comb through my brows with, but other than that I'm obsessed and won't ever use another brow brush! You could use it as a liner brush too if you wanted.

6. Sephora Rouge Cream in Passion Red: This is one of my all time favorite lipsticks. It's probably tied with that Rimmel Kate Moss deep red I shared a few weeks ago, but the formula of this lipstick and color are both to DIE for. I am being serious when I say I would wear this shade every day if I could. Here's a picture of me wearing it below. Seriously you need it...all of you. I promise you won't regret this color if you like dark fall tones! 

What were you loving last month? Let me know in a comment below and if you ever try any of my recommendations be sure to let me know what you think!

Have a wonderful October my beautiful friends,

Dre

Dre Does 20 Random Facts About Me

I was tagged by the beautiful Aundi from 'Makeup By Aundi' to share 20 random facts about me! Make sure you check out her blog when you're done reading this because she does a wonderful job!

So here we go...

1. My oldest niece was born at 5:17 which is my birthday (May 17th).

2. I could eat sushi for every meal of the day! It's my favorite food.

3. I'm deathly afraid of Texas Toast. It gives me goosebumps and makes me want to vomit (my sister is the same way).

4. The first time I rode a horse was last year through the mountains and overlooking the cliffs of Costa Rica.

5. I am a citizen in both the U.S. and Brazil.

6. My first pet was a turtle named Julius. 

7. The only bone I've ever broken is my tailbone... by falling out of a hammock.

8. I've never colored my hair.

9. I'm obsessed with baking. I love making muffins and cupcakes most.

10. I've potty trained more kids than I'll ever have of my own.

11. I have two tattoos. 

12. I have to sleep with a fan or some sort of white noise every night. 

13. When I was very little I told my grandma and grandpa that I would go to Michigan State so I could have pasta with them every night. Even though they both passed away before I went to college, I kept part of that childhood promise in their honor. Go Green!

14. I will always be a dog person. 

15. I have an extremely good sense of direction. If it's up to me we won't ever get lost! 

16. When I was in high school I had a fascination with eyes and used to draw them all the time. Makes sense now that I'm a makeup artist. 

17. I love food. I will try anything once and going on food adventures is one of my favorite things to do.

18. I am terrible at movies. I hardly see any and even if I do I'm really bad at remembering what happens in them.

19. The confidence and light that a woman gives off when I'm done doing their makeup or brows is what motivates me. Nothing makes me happier than making someone else feel better about themselves. 

20. Ever since I was a child I refuse to eat cake and ice cream on the same plate. I hate when the ice cream melts and makes your cake soggy! Yuck!

Truth: This post took me 3 days because it was that hard to come up with 20 random facts about myself! I hope you enjoyed and take time to visit Aundi's blog as well! To see who I tagged visit my Instagram account (@dre_does)!

Have a wonderful week,

Dre

Dre Does a Maybelline Color Sensational Matte Lipstick Review

I have been hearing so much about the new Maybelline Color Sensational Matte lipsticks since they came out and have been patiently waiting for the ULTA I work at to get them in. However, after a few weeks and nothing showing up I decided to go on the hunt for them because they keep getting such rave reviews! I found them at my local Meijer and they were around $5.50 each. The line has ten shades but I picked up my favorite five and have swatched and applied them for you below! 

First let's talk about the formula. They are such creamy matte lipsticks! They are one of the most moisturizing feeling mattes I have ever tried, yet they give a completely matte look which I love. They also feel so smooth and soft on the lips. The pigmentation is awesome as you can see below and they wear really well. I love how moisturizing they feel especially after some time. When you put your lips together you can feel some smooth product on your lips instead of the dry roughness you normally get with typical matte lipstick formulas. They also don't dry your lips out as much as typical matte formulas. 

Now for some swatches! 

Daringly Nude (655)

Lust For Blush (665)

Mesmerizing Magenta (680)

Siren In Scarlet (690)

Divine Wine (695)

I highly suggest you go check these out if you like matte lip products, and even if you don't I think you'd be surprised how nice the formula is for the price!

Have a beautiful week friends,

Dre

Dre Does Fall Makeup Essentials

Here I am with part two of my Fall Essentials! Time for the good stuff, MAKEUP!

In the fall, I typically go for a few basic looks: 

-an intense and dark smokey eye with a nude lip

-winged liner, defined shadow, and dark, vampy lips, 

-and a strong brow, lots of lashes, and a bright lip, not necessarily dark and vampy.

Here are the types of products I use to achieve these looks!

1. Nude Lipstick: My first look I mentioned requires a nice nude lip. Therefore, a few different nudes are vital in my fall makeup collection. I have so many favorites and the nude best for you really depends on your skin's undertones and how nude you want to go. 

2. Warm Plum Eye Looks: I love warmer eyeshadow looks for fall and the combo of plums and purples with warm browns is really one of my favorites. I highly recommend the Amrezy Palette by Anastasia Beverly Hills to create looks like this but there are many other shadows that will get the job done!

3. Matte Eyeshadows: My other favorite eyelook for fall is a simple matte shadow with am intense winged liner. It pairs perfectly with dark and vampy lipstick. Having a palette with matte browns like either the Naked Basics or Naked Basics 2 palette, gives you the ability to define the lid while keeping it very neutral. If you want a tutorial on how I do this click here for a look I created with my Naked Basics palette.

4. Matte Gel Eyeliner: Like I just mentioned, I love winged liner in the fall to pair with dark lips. I love how classic yet edgy it can be depending on what shade of lipstick you choose. 

5. Matte Natural Blush: While I always do love a good amount of blush, I love a more natural and matte look for the winter. My favorite blushes of all time have to be Tarte's Amazonian Clay Blushes but I especially love all the shades they have and the longevity of wear. They come in shimmery shades as well, but I live in their matte shades for Fall. 

6. Defined Brows: Maybe it's because I'm an Arch Expert for Benefit Cosmetics but I love a good defined and strong brow in the colder months. I love them especially paired with winged liner and a dark lip, but let's be real. If you know me, you know that I always rock a strong brow year round.

7. They're Real Mascara: In order to pull off darker eye looks and thick winged liner, you need a great mascara to balance the look out. I live for Benefit's They're Real so it probably comes as no shock that I'm posting about it. The brush and formula both stand out among all of the other mascaras I've ever tried and if you haven't tried it out yet, WHAT are you waiting for?!

8. Dark and Vampy Lipstick: Didn't see this one coming did you? Haha I saved my favorite for last because I simply can't get enough dark lipstick in the fall. I am constantly purchasing it and finding new shades I love, both drugstore and higher end. If you missed my post about one of my favorite shades and formulas click here. I know that if you aren't used to dark shades they can be hard to get used to so start small with lip stains, glosses, or tinted balms, and slowly work your way up to the good stuff! Haha 

What makeup products/looks do you gravitate towards in the Fall? 

Have a beautiful Wednesday,

Dre

Dre Does Fall Fashion Essentials

I love fall. The food, the weather, and football are awesome, but I have to say that the makeup and the fashion are my favorite parts about it. So I've decided to share my favorites in both categories in two separate posts. First up is fashion! 

1. Cream Sweaters: I don't really know what it is about cream but I can't get enough slouchy and comfy sweaters in this shade for fall. I currently own at least five and I love them all. I think they help offset all the black and darker colors I love this time of year, while still staying neutral. It's hard to pull off creams and nudes like this as our skin says bye to the summer glow and lightens up, but I think my dark features help me out. I love layering these as the days get chillier and I certainly wear them into the winter months. 

2. Leather Jacket: It doesn't take reading my blog to realize that a leather jacket is a vital fall staple. I feel like fall fashion leans to the edgier side and a good leather jacket can add some instant edge to any girlier look. They're good for throwing over dresses, skinny jeans, etc, and helping us transition those summer outfits into fall weather appropriate looks! I got mine at Forever 21 a few years ago and it's still going strong, so don't think you have to spend hundreds on a genuine leather piece to pull off this look.

3. Simple Basic T's: I love basic T's for fall because they are great for layering. Weather it's under sweaters, jackets, scarves...whatever, t shirts help us in the layering department. If you live anywhere near the Midwest you know how it can be 40 degrees in the morning when you're getting dressed and then suddenly feel like 80 by the time afternoon hits. Bipolar weather is only survived by utilizing layers my friends so always stock up on good basic t shirts. 

4. Military Inspired Jakcet: My army green jacket is from last fall at The Gap and I'm obsessed with it. While mine doesn't have a hood like this one, it does cinch in the waist which I love. Sometimes with layers, things can get a little bulky and your shape can get lost beneath, so jackets with cinched waists are always your friend! I love how army green is relatively neutral, so I mix it with blacks, nudes, and grays for fall and love the outcome! I always love using a scarf with a pop of color with this jacket because it's a bit unexpected. 

5. Infinity Scarves: If you don't own at least one infinity scarf by now I'm not really sure how you managed it but I'm obsessed. I love how effortless and easy they are to throw on and not only keep you warm, but also keep you looking stylish. While dark fall colors like black and burgundy are fun, I like wearing ones with bright colors to accessorize my outfits since I already wear so much black. 

6. Ankle Boots: I was hesitant last year to pick up a pair of ankle boots because I feared they would make my legs look shorter but I've never gotten so much use out of a pair of shoes! Mine have buckles and a zipper, but they seriously look amazing with everything! Skinny jeans, dresses, skirts...you name it!

7. Crossbody bags: I don't know what it is about fall but I hate actually holding onto a purse, so crossbody bags save me. I love neutrals (shocker I know...haha) because once again they go with my favorite fall wardrobe colors. I have been liking the mid sized crossbody bags more as opposed to the really little ones, because I find as I'm getting older, I need more room for things.

8. Black Skinny Jeans: I love good old fashioned dark washed skinny jeans, but there's something about black that I love for fall and winter. They make my legs look the best and match everything I have in my wardrobe. 

What are your favorites for fall? Let me know below and look for my Fall Makeup Essentials coming later this week! 

Have a beautiful week,

Dre