Your Makeup Loves Your Skin, Too!

We all know that women have mastered the art of multi-tasking. Although many men won't admit it, we seem to find more and more ways to get two, three, or four things done at once. Whether its typing and email and eating breakfast, working out and reading your favorite magazine, or even talking on the phone and writing out your grocery list while browsing the internet for new recipes. It's true--we've become experts at doing it all. Which means this shouldn't be any different for our beauty routine. We've found a few products that are perfect for the multi-tasking woman. These makeups will act like your normal makeups, but care for your skin at the same time! Here are some of our favorites!

• Moisturize and Cover- Say goodbye to heavy foundations that weigh down your skin! New options such as tinted moisturizers and BB creams combine moisture, concealer, and SPF all in one.
• Conceal and Treat- Trying to cover a blemish can often do more harm than good, however now there are new concealers that treat while they cover up. 
• SPF and Lipstick- Protecting your lips is important since the skin on your lips is sensitive to sun exposure. With SPF components added into your favorite lipsticks, you can dress and protect!

Prove you are a true multi-tasker with a few of these hot new makeups! 

And the Winner goes to...

I was going through my usual Sunday night routine- vegging out on the couch with my roommates- when we clicked to the Oscars. While we were watching, we all picked out our favorite dresses (I still say, Amanda Seyfried's, no doubt), drooled over guys in suits (did you see Chad Michael Murray?!) and sat wishing we could afford just one of the diamonds on Anne Hathaway's stunning Tiffany& Co. necklace. 

While they continued arguing over dresses and jewelry  I couldn't help but interrupt- OH my gosh, look at Jessica Chastain! I could not stop obsessing over her seemingly flawless look. Maybe it's just because my ultra-pale skin and dark hair would never allow me to pull off the red lips like hers but I was absolutely in love with her look. You guys, why can't I look like that?

Her look, was classic-  gorgeous skin, long lashes, thick eyeliner and red lips that really made a statement. I think it goes without saying- she was by far my favorite look of the night. How about all you out there? What was your favorite look of the night? 

Shhhh, it's a Secret!

Ever notice how people in the movies never seem to have a bad hair day? Or never look bloated when they wear their glamorous clothes? And they never ever wake up with even a hint of a blemish on their perfectly glowing skin. How do they do it? Celebrity Plastic Surgeon Dr. Joseph Rucker, MD shares some of those Celeb secrets that you can use too!

• Cool your cleanser: Store your facial cleanser in the refrigerator before an important event. Washing it with a cool cleanser will reduce inflammation, invigorate your skin and give it a natural glow
• Don't stop at one wash: When you wash you face once, you're eliminating just the surface pollutants. Cleanse it a second time to rid the toxins from your skin. 
• Raise your head in bed: To avoid puffy eyes in the morning, tuck an extra pillow under your head at night. This helps prevent fluid build-up around your eyes. 
• Turn on the steam: Sleep with a humidifier to keep skin looking hydrated and lips plump.
• Drink water diligently: Adding a slice of lemon or lime to filtered water will not only help cleanse your system of impurities, but it will also improve digestion and stimulate the liver. Try for at least eight glasses a day!

While you may not be able to have movie star hair when you wake up, or avoid feeling bloated or groggy every now and again, you can control your skincare and have a movie star complexion!

Think Red, Don't Look It

It's February, the month of love- red hearts everywhere, red roses filling stores and red clothing on sale to set the mood. But no one likes to mention the red that creeps up in your cheeks when you're feeling embarrassed or awkward. Whether it's on a first date, when you get a compliment from a cute guy or when you somehow say or do the wrong thing in front of everyone. Nobody wants the visual proof of embarrassment scribbled in red all over their face. 

Lucky for you, Enza Essentials has you covered. Our RosaCalm Skin Serum is proven to calm and reduce the appearance of reddened skin. With RosaCalm, you can be confident that any proof of your embarrassment (that hopefully is from the cute guy complimenting you) for whatever reason, will not be your own secret! 

So enjoy February, the month of love and think red without the worry of looking it!

Your Guilt(free) Pleasure!

It's torture- we're born to love and crave those fatty, sugary foods and drinks, yet told all our lives that can't have them. Seems so unfair, right? Well, we're about to tell you different. We're going to tell you to go ahead, eat that chocolate- it's good for you and your skin!

Now before you go crazy buying all the half priced Valentines chocolates you can find at the grocery store, we must first tell you--not all chocolate is created equal. Here's the skinny on which chocolate to buy and how it can benefit your health.

• Go dark! Dark chocolate with high amounts of cocoa (70% or more) will contain the most benefits for your health
• Dark chocolate is the perfect way to knock down stress- one of your skin's biggest enemies! Cocoa reduces the stress hormone Cortisol which reduces breakouts and helps slow the process of aging.
•  Flavonoids found in dark chocolate help protect your skin itself from UV damage, promoting your skin's youthful glow!
• Those flavonoids also can improve your skin's hydration which leads to a more glowing complexion. 

Now no more hiding it, go ahead, curb your sweet tooth with the seemingly perfect guilty pleasure of dark chocolate!

Prepare to Dazzle

Finding the perfect outfit to wear for a date is never easy, especially the first date. The stakes and the expectations are high, and often indecision gets the best of us. It can't be too tacky, but will it fit for the date? Will it look too casual? Too dressy? Too much? We all go through the stages of stress, hopelessly searching through racks of clothes and our friend's closets to find our one answer. This year, skip the stress with our tips on how to look your best without the stress!

• Set aside time to shop- You'll never find your perfect outfit if you're feeling rushed, instead, give yourself a good time to browse different stores to weigh your options.
• Know your look- Most of us already have our favorite brands or stores- the ones with the clothes that seem to fit us just right. Be sure you know what works for you, and more importantly, what doesn't work for you.
• Prepare accordingly-When you're shopping, bring along shoes, undergarments and accessories you might like to wear out, to see if the end result matches what you had in mind. 
• Be confident- No matter what you decide to wear for your night out, be confident in your look and it will show!

Oh, and don't forget to enjoy your date. After all, that's what it's all about, right?

Aren't You Going to Eat That?!

You wouldn't have to search far for articles about what foods to eat for to improve your health, to get glowing skin, to get a flat stomach, etc. The list could go on and on and, well you get the point. But did you know, food can benefit you without you ever having to eat it! So maybe you're not the biggest fan of vegetables, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't buy them. In fact, tomatoes, cucumbers, avocados and honey can improve your skin like you wouldn't imagine, and you don't even have to eat them!

    
   
• That moment when you realize you're a little more sunburned than you'd like to show off the best thing to do is slice a fresh TOMATO and rub it directly on your skin. This can ease inflammation caused by the sun.
• Just like the beauty queens do in movies or on TV, CUCUMBERS placed on your eyes can reduce those puffy or dark circles. They also help soothe the skin, acting as the perfect ingredient to obtain beautiful eyes. 
• Not just for whipping up guacamole for your Mexican dinner, AVOCADOS are an amazing addition to your skincare routine. Avocados help reduce the appearance of age spots, minimize signs of aging, heal dry skin and eczema, and acts as a great moisturizer for your skin. 
• The sticky sweet flavor of HONEY can work as an effective mask or spot treatment for blemishes. Honey's natural ingredients can kill off existing bacteria, prevent new bacteria from spreading, hydrate, soften and minimize redness from damaged skin. 

Of course you should continue eating these healthy foods, but next time you're chopping up cucumbers or tomatoes for your next meal, save a few slices for your skin- it's hungry too! 

I've Been Saved!

As I'm nearing the bottom of my Sustaining Glow Creme, I now realize just how much it's saved me through this winter! As I'm writing this, it's -11 degrees in the frigid Eau Claire and it's actually insane how much of an effect crossing the freezing, wind whipping bridge to class every day (it's in the top ten coldest places in America!) When I get in from class and look in a mirror, the first thing I see is the redness, and I mean RED. The second thing I notice is the flaking of my skin. It's especially bad on my forehead and cheeks. This is just proof that this winter has hit my skin much worse than it has other winters, but Sustaining System has saved me from letting anyone else notice!

My sister, Stephanie said the same thing. She started using the Sustaining system products as well. And like me, she had been struggling with dry skin this winter as we do every winter. She said she's noticed a big difference in cleansing her face from the products she used to now the Enza products. As a busy mom, with another on the way, she's been searching for the easiest way to maintain her face throughout the winter, and she's happy to say she's found it. She notices much fewer dry spots, but more than anything, she's noticed improvement in her face.

With winters like these, I'm not sure how I (or my face) would have survived without the products. The Sustaining Glow Creme especially has been an absolute lifesaver for me, keeping dryness and all it's irritations away! I'm looking forward to my picking up another bottle of Sustaining Glow Creme!

Afraid of Commitment? Don't Be!

With Valentine's Day just around the corner and relationships are on our mind, how about thinking about the relationship you have with your skincare products? Sounds kind of strange, right? But proper and effective skin care can only be achieved if you are in it for the long haul-- you must be committed to your brand, routine and products!

Get to know them, spend time with them and never start using other brands or products in the early stages. We weren't kidding- starting with a skincare regime is just like starting a long term relationship!

Dr. Rucker states, "Good skincare requires commitment to both a regime and a product line. There's an advantage of staying true to your brand. The best products work synergistically so you get more out of standardizing on a brand you trust." If you don't give your products time to show their impact, you'll be limiting your skin's ability to show improvement and it will be difficult to tell what has really worked and what hasn't. Committing to a product for at least 4-6 weeks is crucial in seeing results. 

While you're trying to figure out what works best for you, remember, stick with it! Don't lose hope on your skincare after a few days or weeks. Hang in there and you will see the results! 

Ahhh, Falling in Love

As if we didn't already know, the stores, commercials, and social media are happy to remind you about Valentine's Day that's just a few days away. Sometimes, this leaves us worried or stressed, finding ourselves saying things like-

'I have nothing to wear!' 

'I can't just get my Valentine flowers and chocolate, what do I buy?!'

"What do I do if I don't have a Valentine this year?!"

Besides this post, we'll do our best not to remind you of these stresses, rather, we're here to help you calm your nerves! This month, we're dedicated to making you falling in love with your skin. And we might even be willing to help you with your date, figure out what to wear, what the perfect gift is, and even what to do if your single- because as we all know, that stress that all this is causing you is doing nothing for your skin! So no matter how you might be celebrating your Valentines month, you can be sure of one thing: Falling head over heels in love with your skin!

Believe in Beauty Sleep

It's that internal debate between getting a the full eight hours or staying up to finish that last chapter, writing that last email, or in my case- watching one more episode on Netflix. It's only a half hour, so sleep can wait, right? Hours and episodes later and its only about five hours until you have to be up-- there goes your good night's sleep. Your initial reaction is that it's no big deal, but over time, you'll be seeing a few more consequences than just spending a little extra on your morning caffeine fix.

The truth is, sleep affects all aspects of our body and our health, and skin is a major one. Because your body doesn't have to work at skin protection while you are sleeping, it has time to repair the damage done throughout your day. Therefore getting  your beauty sleep really is vitally important! When you don't get enough sleep, your skin will display it prominently, for all to see. 

• Dark, puffy Eyes-You'll start to rock the 'tired eyes' look. The lack of sleep may alter the regulation of blood vessel tone which will contribute to these under-eye bags. 
• Dull, Dehydrated Complexion-Sleep deprivation reduces the skin's ability to stay hydrated, leading to a duller appearance. 
• Acne Prone Skin- Decreased sleep leads to increased levels of cortisol in the body- the stress hormone which is blamed for many stress-related breakouts and inflammations. 
• Skin Sensitivity& Irritation- Poor skin habits can lead to trouble with skin sensitivity and irritation as you are decreasing the amount of time your skin has to repair damages done during the waking hours.

Of course those few late nights are bound to happen, but the more you can avoid depriving yourself of your precious beauty sleep, the better! Next time your faced with the choice between sleep and that one last episode, remember the value of your sleep-- and I'll have to start taking my own advice!