smart summer

Is your skin ready for summer? Making a few adjustments is key to breezing beautifully through the heat, humidity and sun. Of course you are using SPF for your face daily, correct? And on your body too, right? Also, remember to stay hydrated inside and out by drinking plenty of water. These daily do’s will help keep you looking “cool” despite rising temps.

use spf daily even when not at the beach or pool

After a bath or shower, slather on a body lotion, with SPF, to exposed areas (hands, arms, chest, etc.) to protect and moisturize. Two to try: Coola’s Mineral Body Unscented (limited edition) or Coola’s new Plant UV Collection (coming soon). And a favorite for the face, Coola’s new Matte Tint, SPF 30.

COOLA Matte Tint, SPF 30

make makeup simple 

Go for creamier formulas with your foundation (Atmosphere Luminous Foundation) and blush (Aura Multi-use Blush). They are really durable and easy to blend, and when formulated with skin-loving organic ingredients (like those in Vapour Organic Beauty), an uncompromising bonus for your skin. 

Vapour Organic Beauty: Atmosphere Luminous Foundation

blot not blotchy

Keep a pack of blotting papers in your handbag. These are great for absorbing oil and sweat and will refresh your look without the blotchiness of powder. Try Tatcha Beauty Papers made from oil-absorbing abaca leaf. 

TATCHA Beauty Papers

nourish your skin at night

If you need simplicity, keep these two go-to products by your bedside table: (1) Preserve Cleansing Pads in Orange Blossom, and (2) Vapour’s Essence Restorative Night Treatment. Remove the day’s muck and dirt with Preserve Cleansing Pad, then massage one pump of Vapour’s Essence onto face and neck. Wakeup stunning! 

Preserve Cleansing Pads in Orange Blossom

mind your mouth

Keep lips super-hydrated with a simple nourishing balm like smartmouth natural lip balm from sarimotley. With cocoa butter and lip-loving natural oils, this freshly scented sassy balm will keep your foxy lips smooth and calm.

These smart summer essentials are available at sarimotley studio, sarimotley.com. For more information please email sari@sarimotley.com or call 713-292-6711.

greasepaint gossip

Hello Makeup Bag, we need to talk. Rumor has it you are are holding on to a few things that are making me look, well, older!

image above: People Clipart.com

Many amazing things come with age: intelligence, security, comfort, etc., and with that delight comes gravity, graying and an occasional feeling of being less gorgeous than before. Brave the battle with a little tweaking of everyday things, like your makeup.

In the article "16 Ways to Look Younger With Makeup" (Allure, April 2012), Danielle Pergament amusingly writes that "turning back the clock can be as simple as opening your makeup bag." With her insight and some product suggestions, here is a little sarimotley digest version on how to look more youthful:

• Moisturize. Forget this step and you're doomed with dullness. Keep skin smooth and supple and the rest is easy. (Great for daily moisture replenishment and filled with antioxidants, do-over daily moisture creme with co-Q10).

• Creative concealing. Correcting facial imperfections with a light-diffusing and hydrating concealer is key. Think of adding brightness to camouflage by reflecting light away as opposed to adding layers to hide behind. Try Illusionist from Vapour Organic Beauty.
• Warm it up. Adding a touch of bronzer to warm the skin and give a healthy, youthful glow can take years off a tired face. Just go with a more day at the spa look vs. back from the beach (Vapour's Solar Bronzer in Simmer is the perfect shade for most skin tones).

• Powder is passe. The days of being powder perfect are in the past. If you must, use a translucent, light-diffusing powder like the Mineral Mix Secret Set powder from Senna Cosmetics (available at sarimotley studio). Or when it's just a touch up, try Tatcha's Japanese Blotting Papers made from Abaca leaf.
• Get cheeky. Creamy, dewy textures are perfect for dry mature skin, especially when they are packed with nourishing organic ingredients that leave your face feeling cared for. Use your cheekbones as a guide for placing blush for just the right flush. (Aura Multi-Use Blush from Vapour).

• Just browsing. Go a little lighter with your brow color (unless you are blonde, then just a shade darker) using softer strokes to fill in sparse areas. Find your brow solutions at sarimotley studio.
  

• Batter up. If you are not already doing so, start using your eyelash curler. Lashes become less full, and giving them a little bump up helps open the eyes and brighten your look. (Tarte's Picture Perfect Eyelash Curler is awesome.)
  

• Prime time. Smooth on a little shadow primer to even lid tone and soften fine lines. This will help eye shadow keep its true color and stay put longer. Totally Transforming Eyeshadow Primer from Senna is an anti-ageing powerhouse with ingredients like hibiscus to help firm and smooth.
• Beware black. Dark brown liner is the new black. It's less intense, but still defines the eyes. Keep the line super-close to the lashes and maybe fore go the liner on lower lashes for a softer look. (Superwear Gel Liner in dark sienna available at sarimotley studio).

• Let in a little light. A soft shimmer, not glitter, on the inner corners of the eyes will wake up your makeup. Also, jut a touch above cheekbones and on the brow bone will add nice dimension. (Trick Stick from Vapour, available as sarimotley studio.)

• Lips of luxury. Boost natural lip tone with universally flattering shades like berries, mauves and just bitten reds. Vapour's Siren Lipsticks are the go-to for finding your perfect shade. Colors that are more sheer allow natural lip tone to peek through, making the hue you choose your very own.

For more information on how to makeup a younger looking you, schedule a visit to sarimotley studio.

gotcha tatcha

a beautiful way to blot coming to sarimotley cosmetics

This ancient beauty secret from Japan has been keeping women beautiful for hundreds of years: Tatcha Aburatorigami Japanese Blotting Papers gives you petal fresh skin–anytime, anywhere.

Tatcha Aburatorigami is a fabulously delicate, yet strong and absorbent leaflet used for removing excess oils from skin without muddling your makeup or stripping skin of essential moisture.

Tatcha (pronounced ta-cha) Aburatorigami (a-boora-tori-gami) is made from 100% abaca leaf and gold flakes. Tatcha's dandy design makes this beauty paper amazingly strong and really absorbent. The gold flakes in each leaflet area testament to its origins and will not transfer onto skin, and each Tatcha leaflet is the perfect size to freshen up your whole face.

This beautifully packaged, make-pretty-paper, will re-fresh and de-shine with no powder left behind. Tatcha is all natural, biodegradable and suitable for all skin. Take yours home today, $12 for 30 sheets.