Wake up with makeup!

We would all love a good night’s sleep! But between work, school, projects and whatever else life can throw at you it can be hard at times to have sleep and look nice and refreshed for that 9 am zoom call.

Not to worry, there are a few quick things you can do that make it look like you had a good nights sleep / actually tried to get ready that morning.

MASCARA

Honestly, a good coat of mascara or wearing falsies (if you find that easier) really helps you look more awake and presentable. It makes your eyes look bigger and more awake, if you get my drift.

The best way to apply mascara would be to move the wand, yes wand in a zig zag position upwards t evenly distribute the masacara and avoid clumps.

Don’t forget to do your BOTTOM lashes. This is essential in making your eyes look bigger and more defined and also goes someway in hiding dark circles and bags! Win-win-win!

You can find my favourite no makeup look mascara here.

PEACH EYELINER

I hate wearing concealer . My under eyes have dry skin patches at times and even with hydrating them or wearing a undereye balm and primer the patches still show up prominently when I wear concealer.

To avoid all of that, I usually skip wearing concealer and just pop on a peachy nude eyeliner on my bottom lash line. It brightens up your undereye area while making your eyes look bigger and – you guessed it, more awake!

If you have a white eyeliner that works just as well! I prefer nude bc y’know tan skin with white can be a biiiit much but, drawn on lightly still has the same brightening, englarging effect you want!

This is my go-to nude eyeliner.

BROWN EYELINER

I KNOW this looks scary but hear me out. Brown or dark eyeliner in your waterline really makes your eyes colour pop and adds the benefit of them looking bigger. It gives the impression of your eyes looking more alert. Alert = awake!

If you want the look of definition that eyeliner gives your eyes but don’t feel so hot about applying it to your eyelid’s or attempting a wing at 8:30 in the morning. Place some brown eyeliner in your upper waterline! It’s simple, easy and fast. Once you get over the fear of poking yourself in the eye. Please don’t use the pointed edge of the pencil but the side to draw the line or a brush dipped in gel liner as show in the gif above!

BLUSH

Want a lovely, fresh flush and definition to your face? You can skip bronzer and contour and just use blush! You don’t have to wear foundation or concealer in the morning. To make your skin look brighter and more awake just dap a bit of blush on!

Apply blush lightly to where you would your bronzer. On your forehead, jawline, side of your nose. This will create some definition along with giving your skin a rosy, soft glow.

Use more natural toned blushes for this trick. For example a dusty rose, peach, burnt orange. I can’t imagine a hot pink bluish looking very good on your forehead. Unless you want that look, that’s cool too! For an everyday, alert fresh look, skip the bronzer, foundation and highlighter and just add some blush!

TINTED GLOSS

Something about a tinted gloss just makes me feels so good! Is the light shining and making my lips appear more plush and plump? Is it the hint of colour adding life to my face and lips? Do I just like shiny things?

The answer is probably all of the above! As you can see in the picture above, she doesn’t appear to have much makeup on. The focus is on her eyes and lips. Eyes, brows and lips are the focal points of the face. Your eyes are naturally drawn there. Which is why some mascara and a tinted gloss really helps you look more put together and ready for the day!

Now you know my secret to looking like I give a crap at 8 am. You should be able to look zoom worthy in just 5-10 minutes with these tips! Let me know if you’ve tried any of these tips or if it works for you! Post your looks below or tag me on instagram @makeupwithdivi. I’d love to see and hear from you!

You can read previous posts here.

Sundays are for Self-Care

Sunday used to be a day filled with dread. I would spend most of my time worrying about going to work. I couldn’t enjoy myself. I more or less had a 1-day weekend.

Part of the reason for this was that my job was stressful but I didn’t know how to relax. I found that passively consuming TV didn’t help. What could I do that seems productive yet relaxing?

Those two words don’t often go together but there is a way to make it work! Use Sunday as your day to take care of your body and mind. Take an extra long shower, or maybe even a bath! You’re doing something useful which is – making sure you don’t stink but also taking time out for yourself!

I started to do all the things for myself on Sunday that I couldn’t during the week.

Use a hair mask? ☑

Use a salt scrub? ☑

Get that ice roller or gua sha out and actually try to use it? ☑

Here are some of my favorite skincare moments you can do to trick your brain into relaxing while taking care of yourself:

Do your Makeup

I know it sounds counter-intuitive to do your makeup BEFORE showering but hear me out! The best time to expriment with your makeup and try new things is when you know you’re not going out and are going to wash it off. I allows you to experiment and try something crazy without the asdeed stress and pressure that someone will see your face. It gives you the chance to mess up and try different things.

Want to play with glitter? Go nuts!

Use that neon shadow!

No one is gonna know just HOW long your practiced wings, got frustrated and did a Cleopatra look instead. This is your time to have fun. play and create! I find it always places me ina good mood for the rest of the day.

Steaming

We love hot showers. It makes us feel warm, cozy, relaxed and refreshed. Why not take that same concept and apply it to your skin as well? You can add an addiotnal step to your self-care sunday by creating a spa experience and steaming your face.

Why it works: Not only does the steam relax you, it also cleanses you. The steam opens up our pores and allows the dirt to loosen. You know those pesky blackheads sitting on the side of your nose that you can’t seem to get rid of? Steaming helps soften them which makes it easier to remove.

Once you’ve steamed your skin you’ve made is ready to get rid of all that excess dirt and gunk hiding in your skin with some exfoliation!

Exfoliate

You remember when you were a kid and would place glue on your pam and then rub it all off? Or the feeling of peeling a scab? It’s rough but it feels soooooo satisfying? Well, you can do the same for your skin by exfoliating!

Why it works: It removes the dead skin and the dirt and grime. It also helps reduce blackheads, whiteheads, and those general lumps and bumps you may notice on your skin. If you have a particularly strong exfoliator or peel it actually safely removes a layer of skin which means those acne scars look less dark and your skin tone more bright and even!

You can take out of all the aggression of the week on your face! (I’m kidding please don’t do that) But it DOES feel satisfying to scrub the dirt away revealing sparklier skin ✨

You can find my current favorite here.

Face Roller

Yup, bring out that jade roller you probably never use or in my case, an ice roller and just whack it all over your face! It feels good, trust me!

Why it Works: All jokes aside. This little thing can help you with a puffy face and eyes while bringing a cooling, relaxing sensation to your face. By using rolling it from the inside out (the edge of your nose to your hairline) you increase blood circulation in your face and make your skin look brighter and firmer. It also drains any fluids stored that adds to puffiness and soothes after all that scrubbing!

My eyebags really thank me for this! I especially use my ice roller in the morning after a night of no sleep. Tired eyes begone! Double chin? Not today!

You can see the right way to use a face roller here! You can skip ahead to the 50 seconds mark.

Sheet Masks

This is my favourite. The moment I look forward to! It’s easy, quick and I can nap while the sheet mask is on my face!

Why it works: There! are! so! many! reasons! The top one being, you can use whatever mask your skin needs that day the most! You don’t have to buy a tub of clay mask and use it every week. Skin looking a bit tired? There’s a mask for that! Need hydration? There’s a mask for that? Maybe your wanna shin bright like a diamond? There’s a freaking mask for that!

One of my favorites to use is Tony Moly’s I’m Real Tea Tree Mask. Tea Tree is great for calming and soothing your skin, especially if you have sensitive skin like me and tea tree is just great in general for acne, brightening, and is anti-inflammatory. So when you want an excuse to nap for 30 minutes, wash your face, plop a mask on. Set a timer and go!

Sleep Mask

I love being able to just slather on cream on face and then massage it in. Especially one that’s expensive or you’ve been saying for a while . After I’ve taken my sheet mask nap I gently rouse myself awake by massaging in a sleep mask.

Holy moly! This is the holy grail of skincare! You know all that work you did with steaming, exfoliating, and masking? ? Sleep masks are a super-strong version of a regular cream or serum. What your lotion does it does 5 times better. When you wake up, you see immediate results.

Why it works: While you’re sleeping your skin is in repair mode and highly receptive to active ingredients in the sleep mask. Active in skincare means the ingredient is scientifically proven to work. they’re super effective too. It also prevents dust and dirt from, getting onto your pores and by the time you wake up, the excess cream is gone and you look amazing!

One of the biggest stressors can be not having enough time to take care of yourself. Setting aside some time for yourself is one of the first steps in self-love. When you start taking time for yourself you’re make YOU a priority. Plus, you’ll come out of it looking hella cute too 😉.

You can read previous posts here.

Best winter creams for all budgets!

Winter means hot chocolate, family time, snowmen, and cozying up by the fireplace.

It can also mean DRY SKIN!

It’s that time of year when suddenly your skin feels tight and uncomfortable. You may feel an itch… or two. Even my oily af skin needs a different moisturizer in the winter. Not to worry, here are some of the best creams to make sure your skin is hydrated and happy all winter long!

The Uber Budget-Friendly Option

The Ordinary’s Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA at $6 CAD is a great option for beginners and for those who aren’t sure they want to commit to one moisturizer let alone two. With the magic ingredient of hyaluronic acid and a lightweight, non-greasy texture. Your skin and wallet will thank you! As if you needed more reasons to buy, it’s also a Canadian brand that’s vegan, cruelty, gluten, silicone AND nut-free! It’s a win-win-win!

The Affordable Option

Hydro Boost Gel Cream by Neutrogena is another great moisturizer that usually retails for around $23 CAD. What makes this so awesome? You guessed it hyaluronic acid (HA) and glycerin.
HA moisturizes AND brings extra moisture from the air to your skin. Glycerin helps heals those awful dry patches that hurt so bad!

The Mid Range Option

Belif’s True Cream Aqua bomb is a cool $50 but damn does it work wonders for dehydrated skin! This cult, k-skincare favorite literally sucks out all the dryness from your skin while being lightweight and made with clean ingredients. It’s my personal favourite as it contains glycerin and ceramides which prevents your hard-earned moisture from escaping and has been known to prevent aging. Sign me up!

Before we go into our final option, a great FREE way to relive dry skin is Yoga! More easy ways to add in self-care and get a workout? Yes, please! Check out this blog for 5 easy poses to relieve your dry skin woes through yoga.

The (Expensive) J-Beauty Option

Y’all knew it was coming. Tatcha’s The Dewy Skin Cream! Wait, why do all of these creams have “The” in front of the name? Is it a condition for being amazing? This cream is RICH just like you may need to be to buy it. Though it contains rice, it is gluten and cruelty-free. Not only does it help your moisturize but it protects your skin against stress, pollution and UV damage. This cream contains the magic of Hyaluronic acid, Ceramides and Japanese anti-aging superfoods—green tea, rice, and algae. It helps your skin look young, soft and dewy at any age! Basically, this cream does it all and for $89 CAD it better!

Last but not least, there is an all-natural, home remedy option for you. India (in my mind) is the CEO of herbal solutions. If you’d like to try some out please check this blog out here.

Now go out there and moisturize, moisturize, and MOISTURIZE!

You can read previous posts here.