How to Cover Acne Scars

There are some things that never go away... those things might include acne scars. While typically most hyperpigmentation will lighten up {several months} post acne, some scars like to over stay their welcome. Coming from a girl who is very prone to hormonal acne, I too, struggle with post-acne marks.  While some of us may be brave enough to flaunt our beautiful skin without coverage, others like to make sure those spots are hidden for certain occasions. Here are my best tips for covering acne marks!

Be sure to start your day by cleansing & exfoliating your face, followed up with a good moisturizer. Makeup does not adhere well to dry, flakey skin. 

Step 1: Apply a medium coverage foundation all over. While I love a good coverage foundation, I think it is important not to worry about covering everything up with foundation alone. (Thats what concealer is for!) Layering it on will cause your makeup to cake throughout the day {if not right away} and can tend to make acne and scars look worse. For this step, I love the Urban Decay Naked foundation. Applying your foundation with a Beauty Blender will better help your makeup be pressed into the skin, rather than just sit on top. 

Step 2: Find a concealer that is made for your face, NOT your under eye. These are two VERY different products. Lately, I have been loving the Almay Clear Complexion concealer. This will help brighten the dark scar and help treat any inflamed acne you might have. You can blend this with your finger, but I personally love using a small concealer brush from Sigma. This will allow you to get to all angles of the scar {especially good if you have any indentations}. 

Step 3: Finally, it is important to set all the product you have just applied. Using a translucent powder, like this one by Laura Mercier, is a great way to prevent your makeup from traveling throughout the day, without adding too much product. This fine-milled powder sinks in through the makeup you just applied and locks it in. I like to do this with a big powder brush from Sigma. Be sure to dab, not drag it across your face. 

While the products themselves are important, I have found that the tools you use to apply them are equally as important. Don't skimp on this ladies! Brushes are the number 1 thing when it comes to flawless makeup!

I hope these tips were helpful! What is your favorite concealer to cover acne marks?

XO, Carrie

Summer Planning

This coming weekend is the first weekend that is starting to feel like a "summer weekend". With a busy few days ahead, I took a look into my planner only to find out I have just about every weekend booked up this summer...or so it seems. Luckily, my weekends are filled with lovely events that I am very much looking forward to. Bridal showers, lingerie parties, bachelorette parties, and all things wedding! [My boyfriend's two brothers are engaged, both with beautiful weddings planned for the end of the summer.] I also have a few fun trips planned with family and friends, as well as spending a significant amount of time at my family's lake house. And because I opted to take only a few summer classes online, I really don't have much to complain about. :) I'm coining this summer "my last hurrah", due to the fact I will most likely be swamped with clinical next summer. 

But in the midst of all the traveling and busy weekends, I am hoping to find myself doing some things I love back in Des Moines. When I think of summer, I think of the farmers markets, especially the fresh produce & flowers. I am looking forward to some fun nights at the Valley Junction farmers market, followed by sangria sippin' at Jasper Winery. (If you are DM native, I'm sure you know what I'm talking about. If not, I encourage you to find some fun events in your city!) 

This summer, I am vowing to continue to be active, if not even more than I have been the last 3 months. My goal is to branch out and do some things I haven't done before. For my birthday (last week) I received a new set of golf clubs. In the next few months, I plan to play every week and really learn the game. I love that golf is something you can play your whole life. Another outdoorsy things I am taking up is paddle boarding at the lake. Not only is it an excellent workout, but it's a calming and relaxing sport. 

What fun things do you have planned for the summer? Also, what are your favorite things to buy at the farmers market?

XO, Carrie

image via BHG

Five Things

Ladies, summer is near! And when seasons turn, that means our makeup bags need a little updating. Between temperature changes and the release of new products, we have good reason to switch up the products from last season and opt for something different. In terms of summer, whether you are dry or oily, we all, most likely, experience sweat and makeup that tends to breakup through out the day. Summer means heat, extra time in the sun, and glowing sun kissed skin we have missed the last 6 months. Here are the 5 things you should keep in your makeup bag this summer. 

1. Sunscreen with SPF 15+ is a must. Apply daily before makeup to prevent sun damage. A good moisturizer can also act as a primer for your foundation. [Shown: Boscia Self-Defense Vital Antioxidant Moisture SPF 30] Cheaper alternative: Eucerin Daily Protection Moisturizing Face Lotion SPF 30

2. Silicone foundation is a great option for summer heat. Silicone based foundation acts as a film between your skin, and prevents humidity from melting your makeup. This is a great way to get a full coverage look without feeling cakey. [Shown: Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation] Cheaper alternative: Covergirl Clean Liquid Makeup

3. Setting powder is the key to holding your foundation in place. A translucent powder helps prevent makeup from traveling and breaking up throughout the day, without adding too much product. [Shown: Laura Mercier Smooth Focus Pressed Setting Power- Shine Control] Cheaper alternative: Revlon ColorStay Pressed Powder- Translucent 

4. Cream shadows are great for summer! They have a better tendency to not crease and they lock in the color all day. [Shown: Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow, shade R.S.V.P.] Cheaper alternative: Revlon Illuminance Cream Shadow

5. Lip stains are a summer fave. While gloss is pretty, it can be sticky and messy. A stain is long wearing and polishes off a look in a jiffy.  [Shown: Buxom Full-On Lip Tarnish, shade Wardrobe Malfunction] Cheaper alternative: Wet n Wild MegaSlicks Balm Stain 

What are your favorite things to incorporate into your summer makeup bag? 

XO, Carrie

Get the Look: Blake Lively

This year at the Met Gala, Blake Lively turned heads. Not only is she a knockout all by herself, but she was accompanied by her oh-so-sexy husband, Ryan Reynolds. Stunning from head to toe, Ryan and Blake walked the red carpet spelling out their affection for each other, leaving everyone wanting more. But what I wanted more of was her beauty secrets. Her radiant skin & fluttery lashes made me curious about what products she was wearing. With the help of Google, in minutes I was able to find out, directly from the source: her makeup artist, Elaine Offers! 

Blake's look is classic but nothing short of glamorous. Her ensemble is very vintage Hollywood, but modernized with a muted, rosy lip. 

According to her NARS Cosmetics makeup artist, she wore the NARS Baalbek eye paint along the lash line (pictured top) and swept the lid with the Subra dual intensity eyeshadow, which is part of NARS new Summer 2014 collection (pictured middle). For the lips, Blake wore a lip liner from NARS in the shade Salsa (pictured bottom). 

On the cheeks, Blake wore a light wash of the blush in shade Love (pictured top), and to create the golden halo effect, blush Gina (pictured bottom) was applied on the forehead, cheekbones, and jawline. Blake also wore Kevyn Aucoin The Precision Brow Pencil, Curling Mascara, and Liquid Airbrush Foundation.

Here are some of my other favorite shots. *Swoon*

via

Who was your favorite? 

XO, Carrie

Blog Relaunch

Hello & welcome to Face First Beauty!

I apologize for the severe lack of posts in the last month or so. With a hefty finals week and the rush of everything else in life, I took a small break & a step back to think about my blog and where it was headed.

After a year of blogging as "Lace of Hearts", a name that was chose on impulse and completely at random, I have decided to relaunch my blog with a new name and URL. My new title is self-explanatory in a sense that women unite to put their best face first each and every day. Over time, I want to encourage the moral here at Face First Beauty to be that beauty starts from within, and that makeup should be used to enhance our natural beauty. We are all uniquely beautiful and makeup should never take away from that. 

All my old posts can still be found here on my new and improved blog. If you are on the web version, you will notice that I have an updated clean & simple design. I have also added new tabs across the top, that make it easier for you to navigate. The "Ask Carrie" tab has been updated as well and now contains a submission form to ask your questions. Don't be shy! Ask away!

All of my social media handles remain the same [@carrieberschman], and you can find me other places with the icons on the top right of my page. If you wish to contact me via e-mail, you may do so at facefirstbeautygirl@gmail.com

I hope you like the new theme here! As always, thank you for reading! Enjoy!

XO, Carrie