Oil Cleansing Method

I feel so late to the game on this one!  But I had to share because it really is a pretty awesome cleansing method.  I started looking into it because I tend to wear more full coverage makeup so taking it off is a hassle.  It made sense to me that oil dissolves oil so using oils to clean my face would be cleaner and easier. I hate those makeup wipes that I have to seriously scrub onto my face to get anything off!

The oil cleansing method basically uses natural oils to cleanse the skin and balance the skin's natural oils.  It sounds scary to place oil on your face because we've always heard that oil causes acne. Actually, it is dehydration that causes acne and skin problems (among other factors like hormones, food, etc.)  When our skin is dry, it makes it harder for our skin's oil to secrete and lubricate our skin. Instead, it becomes thick and hardened and gets lodged in our pores, creating corks of dried out sebum.  (Sebum is that oily waxy stuff that comes from our pores- i.e. the stuff that gets suck on a Biore nose pad when you pull it off your nose:) Most people then think they have to wash off all the oil and this can cause more drying of the skin and more oil production that clogs our pores.  

I don't get acne but I do get dry and flaky skin, especially in winter.  The general recipe for cleansing oils includes castor oil which is the cleansing oil in the equation.  Castor oil helps to clean out the pores and purify the skin.  Castor oil is very drying and should always be combined with another more nourishing oil.  Mixed in with the castor oil can be your choice of any natural oils meant for various purposes and skin types.  

Examples: 

• Sweet almond or Grapeseed  – Especially suited for oily skin 
• Jojoba – Great for all skin types, but particularly good for acne
• Avocado or Apricot Kernel – Great for dry skin

The common ratios for mixing your own cleasning oils are:

• Dry skin: 3:1 ratio olive oil to castor oil
• Normal skin: 1:1 ratio of olive oil to castor oil
• Oily skin: 1:3 ratio olive oil to castor oil

You can also purchase a commercial cleansing oil- I've been using the Josie Moran argan cleansing oil.  I like it but it costs $32 for 6 oz. (Sephora.com). It is nice because it contains the ingredient polysorbate that helps to emulsify the oil- this means that if you use the oil cleanser in the shower, it will come off easily and not coat your tub (causing slippery tub).  

However, I realized I could make my own cleansing oil using high quality natural oils and no chemicals for way cheaper.  Here's my own cleansing oil recipe:  

1 oz of organic olive oil 

1/2 oz. grapeseed oil

1/2 oz of castor oil

3 drops of lemon essential oil

1 drop of Vitamin E

I estimate that it costs me about $2-3 to make a 2 oz bottle.  I use all high quality organic and cold pressed oils too and know exactly what is going on my face and into my skin (I do not add any chemicals so it feels really luxurious and healthy). 

Here's my cleaning method: 

- take nickel size amount of oil onto dry hands.

- warm oil between your hands then massage onto dry face

- oils won't burn your eyes so you can massage on eyes to take off mascara too!

- take a hot washcloth and wring out water

- place towel on face to steam face and open pores, releasing the natural oils into your skin

- remove towel when cool

- I like to repeat with hot towel 1-2 times and wipe off cleansing oil completely.

 I use it nightly and actually moisturize with my own moisturizing oil recipe:

1.5 oz. grapeseed oil

1/2 oz argan oil

3-5 drops Vitamin E oil

3 drops of lavender oil

This is my complete nightly routine and I've been doing it for two weeks now.  My skin has felt more moisturized and there is no sign of stress like redness or dryness.  I've noticed the pores on my nose have diminished so it is cleaning out whatever sebum is in my pores.  It doesn't make my face oily at all.  If I've had a long day with a full face of makeup, I might follow up the oil cleansing with a gentle exfoliator like my Murad exfoliating cleanser with AHA.  This helps to really get into my pores and clean out all the gunk from the day.  

Let me know if you decide to give this method a try!  It is certainly a game changer for me and I don't think I'll ever go back to harsh cleansers that dry out my face.  

Inner Vue Makeup Artistry: To B or not to B? My thoughts on BB creams.

Inner Vue Makeup Artistry: To B or not to B? My thoughts on BB creams.

To B or not to B? My thoughts on BB creams.

Okay, I am a super sucker for beauty trends.  The big trend in the makeup world for a while has been BB creams and CC creams.  BB cream stands for Beauty Balm or Blemish Balm.  CC cream stands for Color Correct or Color Care.  It seems like most BB and CC creams prime, moisturizes and provides SPF.  The biggest difference is that CC creams will also correct color-related sin issues such as sallowness, redness, acne and dark spots.  CC creams might advertise that they improve unevenness in skin tone.  BB cream usually provide less coverage than CC creams but CC creams will appear lighter in color.

What I get from all of this is that BB creams are a little lighter than tinted moisturizers in terms of coverage but will provide you an easy, one step product for everyday wear.  I would wear BB creams if I wanted the protection of moisturizer, SPF and primer and did not have time to do all steps in the morning.  CC creams, on the other hand, would be best if you wanted to fix some skin color issue.  For instance, my skin is very ruddy and sallow and I have a lot of brown/dark spots so I might use a CC cream to correct those issues.  Then, because CC creams tend to come lighter than my skin tone, I will use a foundation on top of the CC cream.   Each cream will come in different shades and for different purposes depending on the brand so it's best to check out what your needs are and look for an appropriate brand.


After my research, I decided to do a demonstration for you all using the BB creams I had.  This will feature my awesome naked face with different BB creams.

Naked Face

Naked Face

As you can see, my naked face is pretty ruddy and there are many brown spots and freckles.  Since I am demonstrating with BB creams, the ruddiness won't really be addressed but you can see how each BB cream looks and I will try my best to describe how each feel.

This next photo features each of the four BB creams I will discuss below.  I also applied a tinted moisturizer in this photo to contrast the BB creams for you.  On the left side of my face is the tinted moisturizer- you can see it is darker and covers more.  On the left bottom part of my face is the Garnier BB cream.  The chin features Smashbox.  The top part of my right side is Wet N Wild and the bottom right side is Pond's.  From this picture, when you see all the BB creams on my face at once, I don't think you can even really tell a difference.  

Face featuring all four BB creams at once.

Garnier Skin Renew Miracle Skin Perfector BB Cream SPF 15 in Light/Medium, $10.35

Garnier cream is on the left side of my face, your right side.

Garnier felt substantial and a bit tacky but became more matte as it dried.  I felt it provided really coverage too though it was more gray tone than I would have liked.

Wet n Wild Fergie BB Cream in Medium/Deep with SPF 15, $5.62 at Walmart

Wet n Wild cream is on the left side of my face, your right.

The Wet n Wild BB cream felt very emollient and had an almost silicone feel.  It was more wet feeling and dried more silky than the Garnier one.  I felt it was very sheer and had very little coverage which might be good for those who plan to still use foundation on top of your BB cream.  Out of all the ones I tried, this one had a scent that was more "make-uppy."  It smells fine to me but for sensitive noses, this may be a negative.  Wet N Wild advertises this as hydrating, brightening, priming, concealing, smoothing, oil controlling, even toning and SPF.   

Pond's Luminous Finish BB Cream with Tone Perfecting Complex and SPF 15 in Medium, $9.99-$12.99 (I got mine at Walgreens on a buy one, get one free sale so it was about $6.50)

Pond's cream is on the left side of my face, your right.

Pond's BB cream blended really good.  I felt it was also emollient and went on very smoothly.  It didn't have as much coverage as the Garnier one but I felt the shade was more close to my skin tone.  It also seemed to do a tiny bit of tone perfecting as promised and was more shiny than the others.  I guess that is the luminous aspect of the product.   

Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream with SF 35 in Light/Medium, $19.50-$39.00 at Sephora

Smashbox cream is on left side of my face, your right.

Smashbox was the most expensive one I tried.  I got a sample from Sephora in a little container.  This one provided most coverage as you can clearly see when you compare all the pictures.  It wasn't as shiny as the others and dried pretty matte which I like.  If you have super dry skin, you may want a more emollient BB cream.

Overall, I thought each BB cream had its good and bad qualities.  I could not really tell a difference and went mostly by how the formula felt on my skin and the shades available.  I normally wear a NC 30 in MAC.  If I had to pick, I would probably pick the Pond's cream since I liked that it had the tone evening quality.  I think BB creams are going to be a very personal thing for each person because each brand has different shades, smells and textures.  If you truly want the ease of an all on one product, finding a really good BB creams is a good way to go.  Otherwise, if you prefer the extra coverage anyways like me, I think you can probably get away with a cheaper BB cream and just add a bit more foundation for coverage.   I plan to use my BB creams for the benefits of priming, moisturizing and SPF then apply my normal foundation on top.

I have yet to use each one of these long term to see if my makeup lasts when using each product.  This will be my next research and I will definitely keep you posted on those results.  Hope you learned something about BB creams.  I think it is probably an overrated makeup trend but worth trying since there are so many fun brands out there.  Enjoy!

Wedding Makeup

Here in Madison, WI, snow continues to fall and cover the ground. But spring and summer wedding joy is in the air and many of my friends are planning. I am also starting to schedule makeup sessions for weddings. Below are a few women I have done makeup for and some reviews. My rates continue to be very affordable so please contact me at: innervue@gmail.com for more information.

My makeup sessions start at a rate of $30 for day of event makeup application plus one complimentary trial run. The day of event usually runs 30 min-60 min per session. The complimentary session usually runs 30 min to 60 min as well. I don't charge for Madison location but for outside Madison, I charge a rate of 55.5 cents per mile. I provide makeup sessions for other members of the bridal party at a rate of $20 per 20-30 min session not including a complimentary session. I provide all my own products and do not sell any makeup. I use all high quality makeup brands and sanitize all makeup tools. I also don't require purchase of a session to get the complimentary session so contact me- what do you have to lose?


REVIEWS AND PHOTOGRAPHS OF RECENT CLIENTS:



Meghan (Madison, WI) "Nancy was so fabulous to work with. My makeup was flawless the day of my wedding. She truly creates a look specifically for you and works to ensure you’re happy. She not only did my makeup – but 6 bridesmaids and 2 mothers. Each individual walked away feeling beautiful and unique. Nancy is very responsive to questions and is such a professional. She was a pleasure to work with, a fantastic value and I would recommend her to anyone!"
Nkauj Shoua (Madison, WI) "Nancy Vue made me a very beautiful bride at my wedding, and I was very happy and satisfied with her work. She listened to what I wanted, and she delivered! She is very knowledgeable, skilled and professional. She also is flexible with what I wanted; she was open to make any changes if I didn't like something. Nancy stayed in contact with me up until the wedding. She's everything you would look for in a make-up artist, and she's also great to be around with. It was a pleasure to have her do make-up for me!"



Mytoan (Sun Prairie, WI) "For my wedding make up, Nancy did a make up dry run with me about two weeks in advanced in order to research my skin type, complexion, and the look I wanted for the day of the wedding.  She asked me what I wanted and did not want, but since I’m no expert, she also gave me suggestions.  Since I have dry skin, she also made sure to suggest skin products to treat my dry patches and slough off dead skin cells using a high quality skin peel (it’s not as invasive as it sounds).  On the day of my wedding, Nancy did the make up for my mother and mother in law – both of whom have never had their make up professionally done – for my sister and of course, me.  I had my make up done in the late morning and it lasted until the end of my banquet, approximately 10pm.  She also made sure that if I needed any touch ups, that I had the products readily available.  I was very happy with the service and professionalism that Nancy provided. Since weddings are already a stressful endeavor, I was glad that Nancy was there to put me at ease at least for how I looked.  A note to future brides:  make up should go on after the hair is done, and it will seem more dramatic because of the contrast needed in wedding portraits.   I would happily recommend Nancy for any future wedding, for all skin types.  Not only that, but she also gives great legal counsel."





Sara (Madison, WI) " just wanted to say thank you for doing such a wonderful job on my wedding day makeup. It stayed beautiful all day long, despite the sun and heat, and I didn't have to worry about it - which was great! I received many compliments, as did my Mom and bridesmaid. The work you do is wonderful and it definitely made my day all the more special. I've attached a photo from our photographer which shows off the makeup nicely. Thanks again!"

Huge Urban Decay sale

This is such an awesome sale! Urban Decay- carrier of my holy grail eyeshadow primer is having a huge sale right now. Their black palette is now half off at $16. Their matte and vintage eyeshadows are only $9. Urban Decay carries some of the best eyeshadows out there. They are especially good for eyeshadow with glitter. Have fun!

TheBalm sale

Triple Play Friday is back...Get all three shadyLady palettes for the price of one! Visit theBalm.com on August 3rd from 12am EST to 11:59pm EST to order this one-day-only deal. No special codes necessary. Shipping within the United States is $3.28. For international orders standard shipping rates apply: please see website for details. One purchase per household, while supplies last.