Shaving your face is actually a good thing (as long as you don’t cut yourself). It is an exfoliant that removes hair, debris, excess oil and dead skin cells, which brightens the look of your skin and helps makeup go on smoothly and last longer.
I use a Gillette Fusion razor with a shaving gel (all links go to Amazon.com). The multiple blades in the Fusion provide a very close shave. Also, I shave in the shower. The steam and heat in the shower open your pores and soften your hair, making it an ideal environment for a close shave.
I shave in the morning, remain clean shaven most of the day and only require a touch-up with a Philips Norelco electric razor if I will continue en femme through the evening. Using an electric razor avoids having to redo your makeup from scratch if you use a manual razor for touching up your beard and also avoids getting a razor burn. (Your mileage may vary depending on your beard’s behavior.) No matter how you shave, shaving dries out your skin, so it is a good idea to moisturize your face after a shave.
Like the old Maybelline advertisement stated, “Maybe she was born with it!”
To some extent, I was born with it. Whenever I received makeovers in the past, the makeup artist often remarked how I had an excellent complexion.
During one makeover, I asked Hollywood makeup artist Jim Bridges, which actresses he had worked with and he rattled off a few names. Then I mentioned that I thought Jaclyn Smith was one of the most beautiful women among the current crop of stars (circa 1985) and he responded that he had done Jaclyn’s makeup a few times and that she had lousy skin that required a lot of work! After bursting my balloon, he patched it up by adding that I had better skin than Jaclyn Smith!
Being an Avon lady, I occasionally receive free samples. About 20 years ago, I received a free sample of a product to deal with wrinkles around the eyes. Looking in the mirror at the wrinkles developing around my eyes, I decided to try the free sample.
After a week or so, the wrinkles were less noticeable. After a few weeks, I had to examine my eyes closely to find the wrinkles. So, I was sold on the eye cream and currently use Avon Anew Clinical Eye Lift Pro Dual Eye System every morning.
I also moisturize my face and neck in the morning using Olay Complete All Day Moisturizer. After many, many years of shunning skin care, I began using a moisturizer after my success with eye cream and it made a huge difference. My skin is smoother, more supple, healthier-looking and my makeup goes on easier, looks better and stays on longer.
Avon Solutions Dramatic Firming Cream is a miracle product, in my opinion.
I have sun damage on the sides of my neck. All of the foundations I have used only cover the damage temporarily and sooner or later (usually sooner), the red skin shows through.
Perusing the Avon catalog one day, their Dramatic Firming Cream caught my eye and I bought a tub to try on my neck. Using it daily for a few weeks, I noticed some improvement – the redness was less red. Using it daily for a few months, the redness is gone! Wow! Like I wrote above, it is a miracle product.