2013: The Year of Glowing Skin

Happy New Year, Beauties!  I know, I'm a little late, but I'm here with an exciting declaration - I am so happy to announce that flat, matte skin is out!  Thanks to a bevy of new releases from some major brands, the beauty counters are now flooded with brightening and illuminating powders that work to correct skin discoloration or texture issues while reflecting light in a way that gives the skin a lit-from-within glow.

Hallelujah!  I have been waiting for this moment for so long! *Tear* I'm being a bit dramatic, but seriously, I hate the look of traditional mattifying/setting powders that leave a flat matte finish on the skin, which often photographs terribly and has a tendency to look muddy.  Not to mention the fact that traditional powders tend to settle into lines and pores, exaggerating the problem they're supposed to hide.

Combining the optical diffusion technology provided by industry favorite HD powders, these new brightening powders kick things up a notch with the inclusion of light reflecting ingredients like mica and even tiny flecks of diamonds, and skin hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid, seaweed extracts and vitamins.  Available in both translucent and color-correcting formulations, these powders are the perfect addition to any makeup routine, and even look great dusted over bare skin.

Read on for some of my favorites and application tips:

How Do Our Beauty Choices Affect the Environment?

By now, we are all pretty aware of the effects our beauty choices have on our skin and health.  We make better choices every day by avoiding toxic, cancer-causing chemicals in our skin care and makeup, and by opting for natural, organic lines that use less preservatives.  But not many of us stop to think about the effect these beauty choices have on the environment... and it turns out these effects could be devastating