Is Dating Like Buying Foundation?

Sometimes do you ever just sit there and just ponder what's going on with your love life? With everything going on with marriage equality and more opportunities for same sex unity you would think it would get easier. Dating however just doesn't seem like my strong point. I feel like if men were foundation then I would have tried on every single one that's hit the market. Let's create an analogy here... Mike is a trusty matte foundation, Rick is a BB cream, Matt is a tinted moisturizer, and then there are the other seasonal trendy products. Let's break down the issues with each 'foundation'.

Mike is that classic matte foundation someone would wear when they want something that looks good yet is classic. However Mike has a tendency to stray off on your shirt collar, sunglasses, and basically anything else he comes contact with. With his straying issues you start to get a little iffy towards him and leave that relationship.

After Mikes straying we move on to Rick the BB cream. Rick is a little less intense but there is a questionable undertone that doesn't quite sit well with you. Maybe you are also so nervous that Rick will stray like Mike did so you try to make it work but he never quite feels right. Sadly Rick is also the foundation you reach for time and time again because you want to really make it work.

Next you move on to Matt which is a super chic, sexy, yet a little more conservative tinted moisturizer. At first you fall head over heels for Matt. You can wear him anywhere, everyone compliments you on how good your skin looks with Matt on but deep inside you feel bored but love the security. Matt eventually starts to fade away as you head back to the store to look for a new but trendy foundation that you will love.

Here comes the the vast array for trendy  formulas we will call Adam, Bill, Dan, and John. You have a fun fling and maybe even feel like you have found the one, but; something just doesn't work for you anymore. Adam gives off the wrong finish, Bill cracks and settles after a few hours, Dan just doesn't really jump out to you, and John never works out no matter what you try. So we come back to square one.

Maybe I'm more of a moisturizer person. Family and friends are like moisturizer because they help comfort and soothe you but don't quite give you that wow factor you crave in a complexion product. Possibly some people just have to wear Moisturizer for years until some brand launches the perfect formula with just the right finish that gives you everything you want and fills your needs.

I feel like I'm back to my moisturizer stages now. I've had ok foundations but it just wasn't meant to be and maybe in a new setting one of your old favorites will reappear but for now just work on conditioning. 

Sorry for the silly comparison but I work as a makeup artist and it's what made sense to me. In all seriousness though what gives? Tons of people find their perfect "foundation" and others have a selection they choose from. I'm just looking for one to suit for all occasions and purposes. Living in a smaller city does limit one to such things like social apps and online sources and let's be real... It's nearly impossible to find your perfect foundation through online shopping. 

Daily Haircare Routine

Most of the we focus on buying quality skincare products, but; what about our hair? It wasn't until entering the world of hair that I truly understood the importance of quality hair products. In this post I am going to share with you my daily routine and some of my favorite products. So without further ado lets get started.

Since starting in the hair industry I've come to learn so much about the products we should be using. Much like the skin on our face our scalp too have its on pH and it's important our cleansing products are within that 4.5-5.5 range. My personal favorite is the Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Lemon Sage Thickening line. If you're in need for more moisture there is a Tea Tree Lavender Mint Moisturizing line. If you just want a well rounded product there is the Tree Tree Special line which is the classic and has the very satisfying tingle. Something else I love about these lines are the fact they are all vegan and color safe. I love the Lemon Sage shampoo and conditioner because they are both paraben free, gluten free, vegan, and color safe.

The first step is shampooing. Depending on the day and how much product I have on my hair determines if I shampoo my hair once or twice. Much like cleansing your face the first cleanse removes the daily grime and the second cleanses the hair. I don't use a lot of product day to day so I just cleanse once and on my low key days I forgo shampooing to let the natural oils hydrate my hair. If you live in an area with hard water or very chlorinated water then you may want to use a specialty product like Paul Mitchell Clarifying Shampoo Three. It does a fantastic job at removing chlorine, iron, and minerals from the hair just use with caution on color treated hair.

Next up we have conditioning. Conditioners are very useful for detangling, adding moisture back to the hair, and when a proper formula is used they do not add any addition weight to the hair. Another thing some people don't realize is that you can mix and match shampoo and conditioners. For example I'll use my mother - mom has curly, dry, and chemically treated hair. To address her concerns I have her using the Matrix Total Results Repair and Joico Moisture Recovery. The repair uses ceremides and amino silicones to add strength and shine to the hair.The moisture recovery use sea minerals and essential minerals to restore the natural moisture barrier of hair preventing dehydration.

There are also specialty treatments you can  use daily or weekly for a more specialized treatment. I love using the the It's A 10 Miracle Leave-In Lite on a daily basis because it enhances natural volume, weightlessly detangles, adds silkiness, adds shine, humidity resistant, color protector, prevents split ends, eliminates frizz, thermal protector, and environmental protection. If your hair is on the thicker side or you very damaged hair the Healthy Sexy Hair Soy-Tri Wheat Leave In Conditioner and It's A 10 Miracle Leave-In Plus Keratin are two other great daily products. As far as weekly products I love the Joico Moisture Recovery Treatment Balm for adding a healthy dose of hydration back to the hair or Matrix Total Results Repair Strength Pak Intensive Treatment which is great for repair and filling in porosity.

Lastly is basic daily styling products and tools. For myself on the daily I like to use the Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Lemon Sage Thickening Spray because it helps to add texture and extra body to my rather flat hair while also being UV protection, paraben free, vegan, and color safe. For more damaged or unruly hair I love using the It's A 10 Miracle Leave-In Potion Plus Keratin and brushing it through towel or blow dried hair with my Wet Brush to help smooth straight styles, separate curls, and prevent frizz. For day to day styling I love nice touchable styles. For more elaborate styling stay tuned!

Thanks!

Zack

Essential Daily Skincare

Turn on the television or open any magazine and I am sure you will see at lease one cosmetic advertisement. Through marketing its hard at times to figure out what is right for you and what to pass on. Everyone needs retinoids? Not quite. I am here today to shed some light on the subject and help you make smarter decisions next time you're shopping for products.

A well rounded skincare routine consists of three basic steps which are cleanse, exfoliate, and treat/protect. Think back to days when the Clinique Three Step system was basically the gold standard of healthy skin. I am in no way bashing the company because they have some phenomenal products but three step is not up to par with what I want for my skin. In another post I will cover the skin in greater detail but for this post I will say that our skin is a living organ (the largest organ of the body) and its has an ideal pH range of 4.5-5.5. So if you think that on the pH scale 1 very acidic, 7 is neutral, and 14 is very alkaline. That being said our skin is more acidic so we need to use products in that same range to effectively cleanse and treat our skin. If we use something too acidic you will over exfoliate this skin which will send the natural oils into over production and something too alkaline will strip away natural oils and cause dryness and irritation. With that being said lets move into our perfect skin routine.

• First Cleanse:  This step is to remove makeup, excess oil, and daily grime from the skin. If my skin is feeling particularly greasy or I've just had basic skincare on then I'll use the Biore Combination Skin Balancing Cleanser. If my skin is feeling dehydrated or I have more product on than normal I will use the Garnier Clean+ Nourishing Cleanser. This step is also great for a morning cleanse since none of us are breaking the skin commandment of sleeping in makeup.

• Second Cleanse: This step is to cleanse the skin properly. Only when all of the grime is off of our skin can we properly cleanse. Most evenings I use the Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Daily Cleanser. On the nights I feel like I need a deeper cleanse or I want a more luxurious spa feeling cleanse then I will use the Boots Botanics Organic Hot Cloth Cleansing Balm. Do note that the Boots cleanser does contain mineral oil which leaves a residue on the skin so use a wash cloth (saturate, wring out water, wipe off, flip over and wipe off again, and then repeat once more)  to thoroughly remove the cleanser with water that it hot to the touch. This step is not necessary in the mornings.

• Exfoliation/Acid Toning: This step helps to remove any dead skin cells left hanging on to reveal smoother and more even toned skin. You want to look for products containing an AHA (lactic and glycolic acid) or a BHA (salicylic acid). I have used First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads (AHA) and Clearasil Daily Clear Refreshing Superfruit Pads (BHA). Currently I am using and loving the Clinique Mild Clarifying Lotion (BHA) morning and evening on a cotton pad. Whether using a cotton pad or pre-soaked pad I use one side wipe over my entire face (under eye and lids included) then I flip it over and repeat.

• Hydrating Toner: This step is used to give the skin a shot of moisture back after exfoliation while the skin is most open for a shot of moisture. In the morning I personally prefer a more lightweight mist like Boots Botanics Organic Rosewater Toning Spritz or MAC Cosmetics Prep + Prime Fix+. While in the evening I prefer something a tad more nourishing like Estee Lauder Soft Clean Silky Hydrating Lotion (sample size pictured) applied with a cotton pad. 

• Eye Cream: This is an essential step for anyone at any age. The skin under the eyes is thinner and less active oil glands than the rest of the skin on our face so it tends to show up first. My eye cream of choice is the Olay Regenerist Luminous Dark Circle Correcting HydraSwirl.

• Treatment One: The first treatment is your product that is thinner in texture. This is the step I like to apply Sonia Kashuk Radiant Boost Restorative Face Oil or Josie Maran 100% Pure Argan Oil during the day or Lancome DreamTone Dark Spot Corrector at night. You apply products light to heave because your thinner products tend to be more concentrated and hence forth being more potent.

• Treatment Two: The second treatment and final step in our regimen is to protect and protect. This is where you would apply your daytime SPF or night time hydrating moisturizer. My favorite SPF facial products are the Olay Fresh Effects {Soak Up The Sun Protection} Lightweight Moisturizing Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 15 or Clinique Redness Solutions Daily Protective Base SPF 15. At night I love an intense moisture cream like Kate Sommerville Deep Tissue Repair Cream with Peptide K8. Once a week I use the Kate Sommerville RetAsphere 2-in-1 Retinol Night Cream.

I hope you have found this helpful and stay tuned!

Thank you,

Zack

Introduction

What is Distinctly Dapper? Who is the writer? What can I expect to gain from taking time out of my out of my day to read this blog? These are all questions that may come to mind when it comes to reading a new blog and these are all things I want to address in my initial post.

My name is Zack, I am a makeup artist, a cosmetology student, and someone that is passionate about grooming, style, and healthy living. This blog is my way to share my personal practices and knowledge with you all and hopefully teach you something new that you can use in your life. Naturally my style portions are more geared to males but fashion is full of androgyny and women often gather some type of inspiration from menswear trends. Any posts about skincare are universal between men and women because at the end of the day skin is skin. With my profession of working in the makeup field I will occasionally have models and show you how to take the seasons latest trend from runway to streets as well as how to adapt classic makeup styles to suit your unique features.

Now I would like to invite you to read my blog and hopefully I can share new and exciting content with you week to week.

Thank you,


Zack


"Men with style are great because they have a sense of self."
- Lexa Doig