Since a young age, I’ve always loved makeup and nail polish and high heels. I’m a girly girl, who may (at times) be a little high maintenance. But at least I accept who I am! Since I’ve been snowed in in my apartment I haven’t had a need to put on makeup or blow out my hair. And ya know what? It’s kind of liberating.

Due to my skin type (I’m on the extreme side of the oily spectrum), I tend to find that my foundation will often wipe off throughout the day. This certainly drives me insane, but that’s why I keep my green tea oil-blotting sheets on hand for free moments of glancing in the mirror. This week, I’ve naturally still had the oil problem, but haven’t felt my foundation melting away. Another common “day face” product I use is mascara to brighten my eyes and accentuate my face. This would have not been a good thing this week, especially due to my lounging around (and tendency to nap the day my electricity was out). It was nice to not have to worry about finding makeup everywhere but actually on my face. It was like giving my face a very much well-deserved break.

Of course, I’ve been keeping up with my normal beauty routine of cleansing, toning, and moisturizing my face. I’m not completely lazy! There’s a difference between maintenance and putting on your everyday face. When I’m leaving my apartment, I like to feel as beautiful as I can. This doesn’t mean that I need to do a complete going-out routine. It’s just a little grooming and tweaking to enhance my face and fix some imperfections.

Meanwhile, I’ve also been able to sleep in this week and get caught up on some beauty rest! Though I may have been cursing the snow and Mother Nature during the past week, I’ve sure been able to relax with my beauty routine under the covers.

-Amanda Fornecker

Nothing is more sought out than the advice a beauty professional can dish out to his or her clients. This is why it is so important for these professionals to know the best techniques for any beauty routine. Recently Empire Education Group surveyed some of their cosmetology students to get their opinions on different beauty routine topics.

The cosmetology students at Empire were asked to give their opinions on styling, eyebrow removal techniques, nail enhancements, and more. The results of this survey may or may not surprise you, but knowing how these students responded may just help you with future client consultations.

The results of this survey were as follows:

1. 66 percent of students stated that the biggest styling mistake a person can make is not using enough styling products.
2. 59 percent said that the most difficult hairstyle to complete at home is an updo.
3. 74 percent said that the eyebrow removal technique that lasts the longest is hot wax.
4. 56 percent said that people with sensitive skin should not use any type of exfoliator.
5. 61 percent declared that nail enhancements are always in style.
6. 54 percent said that makeup brushes are the absolute most necessary tools to have in your makeup bag.

For more information on Empire Education Group and how to get your start as a beauty professional at one of their schools, click here.

- Priscilla Rodriguez