Tonight I’m going to a family holiday party! I’m wearing a chunky warm sweater from Intermix, and regular jeans from Levis. My family’s parties are pretty casual, so I didn’t want to over do my makeup. I’m wearing blends of brown Mac eyeshadow and nude Narz eyeshadow. To make up for the bland colors, I used a bold cat eye to balance everything out and make my look Holiday Party ready!

Everyone enjoys a steamy hot shower, but did you know that steam can be used to detox and cleanse? Steam rooms have been around for centuries, and the ancient Greeks knew the benefits of detox sweating in a steam room. Steam facials and facials in general can get pretty expensive. That’s why I’ve actually never had a professional facial, so be mindful that I don’t have any experience to compare this to.

Some people like to use the old “tried and true” method of heating up filtered water until its steaming, filling a large bowl with the steaming water, and then putting a towel over your head to collect the steam over your face. But I find that method to be not only primitive but also really really hot. Because a towel is made from thick material, and when the steam collects under it I tend to over heat very quickly. I can never get a good facial because I can’t stay under the towel for a long enough period of time.

I prefer to use a Conair Facial Sauna System to steam my face. It has an open top area where the steam can escape so you don’t get too hot. I also like to use it when I have a severe sinus infection and I need to unclog my sinuses. It comes with a facial brush, but don’t get excited, it is an extremely underpowered device that does very little to clean your face.

Simple Instructions for Face Steaming:

1. Make sure that your Facial Sauna (or bowl) is clean and filled with filtered water. Impurities from your device may cause unwanted bacteria to collect on your face during your facial.
2. This next step may seem obvious, but it’s important. Clean your face of all makeup and wash your face. Really make sure your face is free of all dirt and debris. Steam opens up your pores and if you do not clean your face beforehand the dirt can get seep deeper into your pores and create bigger problems.
3. Now, steam your face for 5-7 minutes. Make sure the steam is comfortable and not too hot on your face, you don’t want to burn yourself! Don’t over do it because you are going to steam your face again.
4. Next, use a gentle exfoliator to really clean deep into your pores. I recommend Kate Somerville’s Gentle Exfoliating Treatment. You can use a gentle massaging motion, but that is not highly recommended for highly acne-prone skin. But remember, over exfoliation is extremely damaging to your skin! If you are scared of over exfoliating, then you might want to consider using a mud mask during this step. Don’t forget to use a mud mask that removes dirt and oil and detoxifies your face. I recommend Boscia’s Luminizing Black Mask.
5. After exfoliating, steam your face again for 3-5 minutes to make sure all the dirt has come out of your pores.
6. Then, wash your face with lukewarm or ideal cool water. This temperature change from hot to cold will seal your pores and prevent dirt from reentering after your facial.
7. Finally, make sure to use an oil free moisturizer on your face. The purpose of an exfoliator is to remove dirt and dead skin from your face. When you do that, you leave your skin stripped of essential oils and you must use a moisturizer after every exfoliation.

After retweeting a LORAC Cosmetics tweet on July 25, I received a message from LORAC saying that I was their twitter winner! After emailing them my skin tone preferences and mailing address, I received a FREE Pro Brow Pencil and Double Feature Concealer / Highlighter! OMG! My parents went away for two weeks and they are the only ones who have the mail key so it took me forever to finally get the package, but I got them!