What is Cupping?

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While this Jennifer Aniston pic circulates, so does talk of cupping and what it’s all about. The pic below her is of me several years ago when I first tried cupping treatments that would often supplement my Accupuncture. It’s used to treat pain, better circulation, and to just keep the general flow of energy in the body moving. My treatments were for my lower back which was trashed from hunching over too much while doing makeup.

A flame is quickly lit into the glass cup before the cup is put on your skin to create the suction. Your skin rises inside the cup as it reacts to the suction which doesn’t hurt at all. It’s this suction that improves the blood flow and energy as the cups stay on the skin for 10ish minutes. Check out this short vid which shows in more detail what it’s all about.

Cupping isn’t too pricey either, I remember it was around $20 added on to the price of Accupuncture, so on its own I can’t imagine it world be too much more.

My facialist does facial cupping (see here) to increase the circulation in the skin. It’s less intense (no fire!) than traditional cupping but you can often see rosier, healthy skin right after you’re finished. (Click here for a facial cupping vid.)

Cupping has been around since 3000 BC so it’s not something new. Find out more about cupping and its many uses here to see if it’s something that might help you.

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Organize Your Makeup

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A little bit of organization goes a long way. This two tear drawer organizer allowed me to get rid of my bulky Japonesque train case that lived under my sink for too many years. Now I can see everything easily which means I use things I never did much more often, it just makes getting ready a whole lot easier.

I couldn’t find the exact one I bought online, but I picked it up at the Container Store for around $10 recently.

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Without the sliding top drawer.

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Makeup Before and After: Glam Mom

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Recently I got to work with Nicole, a busy mom who (like the rest of us) rarely has a reason to get all out glam. I made her up for a shoot she did last week and the before and afters were so great I couldn’t wait to post them! I can’t wait to see her final images from her photos which I know will be amazing. Check out what I used below to get her look.

Click all images to enlarge:

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Her eyes: Copper is such a perfect way to add tons to depth to any look- even for everyday. Her dropped liner on the bottom was Pixi’s Copper Glow smudged out for a more dramatic look. I used Neutrogena’s cream shadow all over under her powder shadow to prevent creasing and to really give the shadow something to stick to. Stila’s Ebony and Kitten were her two main shades, which gave the perfect amount on contrast and pop.

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Her face: A silicone primer sometimes isn’t enough moisture (often the case here in Colorado), so I used Miracle Skin Transformer’s Heal Everything Balm which absorbs quickly but leaves the skin hydrated and primed so blending foundation is easy and it sits beautifully on the skin. I mixed together shades 1 and 2 in Koh Gen Do’s Maifanshi Foundation which as you can see gives a ton of great coverage without looking heavy. I buffed in Dermablend’s Mineral Powder on top to chase away any shine without a hint of a dull or powdery look.

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Her lips: These lips are the kind most women pay for- big and full and just begging for color. I mixed together two nude shades over a pinky liner and skipped the gloss. The sheen was enough and without the gloss her color would wear longer.

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Aveeno Clear Complexion BB Cream

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I feel like a BB Cream expert at this point having tried about a dozen of them in the past year since I went in search of a good one for my skin. Aveeno’s Clear Complexion BB Cream tops the other drugstore offerings I’ve tried by far. Its coverage is light to medium and the finish is natural with a nice luminous glow so your skin looks really awake and healthy. It’s a good grab and go formula for those who want something light, an everyday makeup for the casual girl. A big plus is its SPF 30, saving you that extra step in your sun protection too.

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Dry Oil with SPF 15 from Alba

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I love the scent of sunscreen mixed with tropical fruits. It’s why I bought Hawaiian Tropic’s oil last year, that smell is so completely nostalgic that I’d use it instead of perfume every day. The caveat is that it’s really greasy since it’s not designed to fully absorb into the skin when you’re at the beach. Enter Alba’s Dry Oil SPF 15 I picked up at Whole Foods. Its rich coconut scent is every bit as heavenly and the dry oil soaks into the skin leaving only light hydration behind. It smells so yummy I almost forget that I’m dutifully applying sunscreen everyday to my arms and neck like I should.

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What’s In My Kit? My Favorite Professional Foundations

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I carry several different types of foundations in my kit, but these are my tried and true little soldiers that never ever let me down. They’re all professional brands meant for photography so any skin challenge is easily disguised. When I use a powder, Dermablend’s Mineral Powder is what I often use to set because it gives additional coverage (and can be used daily on its own) but dissolves into the skin without sitting on top. Koh Gen Do’s Maifanshi was a pleasant surprise I discovered years back. It’s the best non-cream I have with a ton a great coverage and some moisture that doesn’t drag over dry skin (a common problem here in Colorado.) When someone is really dry or has mature skin, I grab my Eve Pearl Dual compact because it’s the most moisturizing of the bunch and leaves behind a pretty glow that makes otherwise sallow skin look alive. When I’m on TV or have an event where I’ll be photographed, I even use Kett’s Fixx Créme which is probably my most used of the bunch. It glides on but doesn’t drag and it looks so completely natural that skin looks just as perfect in person as it does on camera. The fact that it’s waterproof is just icing on the cake.

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