Beauty Picks for Pisces

Pisces Art Print by Jenny Liz Rome - for sale on Society6

Pisces is the 12th and last sign of the zodiac. People born under this sign are considered to be highly evolved because they actually contain a little bit of each sign that came before. These are very special people, born with a natural clairvoyance, their intuitive mind and emotional intensity is unmatched by any other sign. 

Pisces is the sign of dreams and mysticism, and the Piscean uses their rich and vivid imagination sometimes to cope with the realities of life. They are a romantic bunch, and like to see life through a rose colored lens. A lot of Pisces become artists, writers and musicians. These are highly sensitive individuals. They have superb intuition and understanding of other people. 

This easy going water sign is happy to be alone but also is easily swayed into getting out and having a good time. They have a mischievous wit about them, and their clairvoyance is often quite charming. If you have a Pisces friend you are blessed to have someone so compassionate and perceptive to your own needs. No one will understand you better than a Pisces. Warmhearted, caring devoted and sentimental, the Pisces is a true gem of a friend! 

With a pisces you really don't have to shout, this sign is the ruler of nonverbal communication. The Pisces woman has deep and expressive eyes and she should absolutely accentuate those enchanting eyes with a kohl liner and sexy lashes. A nude lipstick like Hourglass Femme Nude Lip Stylo will subtley seduce while those lashes do all the talking. My favorite sultry eye combo is Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Perversion with Edward Bess Bess-Lash Designer Volumizing Mascara.  

Pisces' planetary ruler is Neptune which happens to also rule over illusion, deception and mystery. A really great concealer is perfect for the Pisces woman. Just in case she woke up with dark circles from being out all night with the band, the Kevin Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancers is a powerful cloaking tool. 

This mystical sign is in fact born with a connection to hidden worlds which shows in their crazy accurate intuiton and natual clairvoyance. They are indeed tapped into the spirit world like no other sign. Becca's Shimmering Skin Perfector in Moonstone will give the Pisces woman that angelic glow on their skin that they posess in her soul.  

The ultra compassionate the Piscean is sympathetic to suffering of any kind. It is not within those in this sign to refuse a call for help. While the rest of us enjoy the love and support of our Pisces friends, they often find themselves spread so thin, neglecting to care for themselves while taking care of everyone else. Encourage your fish friends back into the water with this nourishing bath treatment from Lush. Ceridwen's Cauldren is a magical relaxing bath melt made with calming essential oils of lavender and sandalwood, combined with oats, cocoa butter and walnut oil that will quench dehydrated sensitive skin. After a few moments, she will feel rejuvinated and ready to continue her work to help all those in need. 

Pro Picks! My Top 5 From Fresh

Rose Face Mask, $62

Sugar and Sugar Rosé Tinted Lip Treatment with SPF 15, $22.50

Sugar Honey Shine Lip Treatment, $18.50

Sugar Lip Polish, $22.50

Peony Brightening Night Treatment Mask, $65

We all want to know what the pros use. I want to know what trainers eat for breakfast, and what moisturizers do dermatologists use everyday. And as a makeup artist the first question I'm always asked is which brands do I use in my kit.  My answer is, "All of them." I use all of them. Seriously, my kit is like a mobile Sephora. I have Sixty-four pounds of makeup crammed into a Burton Wheelie Double Decker bag. There are small collections of everything curated to my liking so that I'm prepared for anything across the board. 

And here I'm happy to break it down for you. All my favorites, one brand at a time. For my first edition, I proclaim my top five favorites from Fresh. 

1. Rose Face Mask, $62  - This is admittedly a personal item. You may know by now my obsession with roses in my skincare routine. (And if you need a refresher go here and study up already). What I love about this is the aloe gel based mask can be used daily for an super hydrating boost of vitamins and goodies for your skin. Added bonus- it only will run you 5-10 minutes which perfectly fits into my routine. 

2. Sugar Lip Treatment Advanced Therapy, $25 and Sugar Rosé Tinted Lip Treatment with SPF 15, $22.50 - This is the Rolls Royce of lip balm right here. It feels so silky and luxurious, and smells so wonderful- my lips feel like a million bucks on velvet cushion.  The best part is that now Fresh makes it in every shade tint you could possibly want. It's the perfect sheer color combined with anti-oxidants and SPF. I actually think I have 4 in my handbag right now. 

3. Sugar Honey Shine Lip Treatment, $18.50 - Of all the lip products in my kit, I would say I use this one the most. I absolutely love this color! It's the perfect classy daytime nude; this shade quite honestly goes with everything. The shine is subtle if you use a light swipe or pat it with your finger. And because it's Fresh it is packed with lovely things like mango butter and black currant seed oil to keep your lips soft while you look so good.     

4. Sugar Lip Polish, $22.50 - This is a must have for anyone who either a) religiously wears bold lipstick or b) doesn't use Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment. This is Makeup 101. A good scrub before a bold lip is a necessity. I use this scrub exclusively. It's effective and smells and so sweet. 

5. Peony Brightening Night Treatment Mask, $65 - Again, this is one of my other little beauty secrets. I am certainly no skin saint. I don't sleep enough. I love coffee and wine a lot. And perhaps most egregiously, I have been known to pick a pimple or two (hundred). Thank god for technology to cover my skin sins. This mask does wonders to lighten those acne scars, and pack in moisture to those fine lines creeping up on me. I love this even more because it works in those precious few hours I'm asleep and makes my makeup routine literally much smoother the next morning!

What are your Fresh favorites? Did I miss anything? (Feel free to comment)!   

Sweet, Sweet Rose

Oh, Roses. To be quite honest, it's never been my favorite flower. The overly saccharine symbol of grand romantic gestures is hopelessly blasé in my opinion. The classic Valentine's blossom does have a gorgeous scent though which I most happily employ in aromatherapy. But the rose is much more than a sweet smelling thing. This eponymous bloom is packed with essential vitamins to protect and heal your skin. 

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First, I recommend a bottle of rosewater. Easily accessible, you can find a bottle of the sweet smelling hydrosol at nearly every drugstore or grocery. This lovely beauty water is a by product of rose essential oil production. Rose essential oil is extremely precious. It takes nearly 60,000 petals of roses to make just one ounce of rose oil. However the water used to steam distill these rose petals is packed with just as much rose goodness as the oil itself. I like to use rose water as a gentle everyday toner. It is anti-inflammatory and ant-bacterial which means this wonderful sweet water reduces redness, tightens pores and helps to kill bacteria that causes acne. But that's not even the best of it. In addition, the compounds in rosewater help to stimulate collagen production thus decreasing damage to your skin's elastin fibers, softening fine lines and early signs of aging. Seriously, this is THE beauty secret. Its so simple! 

I have to quickly mention here the aroma- it is sweet and delicately feminine as you would expect a rose to smell. A light spray of rosewater can not only refresh and hydrate your skin, it can be used for moments when you need to chill out. Use rosewater as aromatherapy to promote emotional balance, ease nervousness and mental strain. 

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For the 1-2 punch I also recommend adding a bottle of Rose Hip Seed Oil to your skin care arsenal. This oil is procured from the seeds of wild rose bushes mostly found in Chile. Cold pressed is preferred in all fine oils, especially any used in skincare, as heat destroys the vitamins you are after anyways. So what is so great about Rose Hip Seed Oil? This relatively inexpensive oil contains the most Vitamin C in any plant- far more than even an orange. The C vitamin helps to keep skin bright and dark spots at bay. Most amazingly, Rose Hip Seed Oil is the only vegetable oil to contain Vitamin A - aka Retinol. This is a strong wrinkle fighting vitamin, and daily use of this oil will stimulate collagen prouction in cells restoring the skins natural elasticity. Amazing, right? Oh, but there's more. This oil is also super high in anti-oxidants and essential fatty acids that hydrates and soothes sensitive skin while fortifying the cells against environmental damage. But it's also a light oil, which means it is non-greasy and absorbs easily into the skin. It's clear why this oil is touted as the number one beauty secret of celebrities like Miranda Kerr and Rose Byrne. 

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I also recommend as a vanity addition, place a Rose Quartz where you do you makeup or get dressed for the day. This beautiful stone represents the soft feminine energy of compassion, peace, tenderness, healing nourishment and comfort. It is a stone of love and speaks directly to the heart chakra - opening the heart up to love. It gives those near by a strong sense of self worth and inner peace. These are strong supportive energies to have as you look into your eyes and soul at the mirror everyday. Use Rose Quartz at your vanity to set the intention to love yourself and be open to also love others. 

As Valentine's fades away, these three roses are the ones that will not only last, they will preserve as well.   

_____ 

Heritage Store Rose Petals Rosewater

Aura Cacia Organic Rose Hip Seed Oil 

Rose Quartz

Beauty Picks for Aquarius

The Star in tarot represents the sign of Aquarius. This is from Bea Nettles' Mountain Dream Tarot. Image via tumblr.hrmtc.com

The Aquarian is an air sign element and the most important thing to her is communication! At a party, you will find your Aquarian friend working the room and chatting to all the most interesting people. She has strong opinions, and she will be assertive in expressing her thoughts. But it will never be mean-hearted, a person of this sign deeply loves all humanity. She just has an analytical mind and while she may seem detached, underneath her heart is honest and altruistic. She is your best friend who tells you exactly what you need to hear! 

The Aquarian woman needs a lip product that will last through countless conversations! I suggest, Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick - the long wear matte formula will not fade and distract while she is waxing poetic on all sorts of varied of topics.

Aquarians are one of the most creative and imaginative of all the zodiac. They have the least regard for conventions and will go their own way in life. This sign prefers to be the one that stands out in the crowd. She will want unique colors and you can bet she will apply her makeup in new and interesting ways. She will love a multi-tasking product like Make Up Forever, Flash Color Case so she can create any look she dreams up. 

Uranus is the ruler of Aquarius, and also invention and modern science. The latest technology in makeup and skincare will be ultra appealing to this cutting edge girl. Perricone MD, Blue Plasma is a new a daily skin treatment that in the packaging even resembles the icy blue planet! This non-acidic daily peel sloughs away dead skin like a tradition chemical peel, by using special enzymes extracted from salmon eggs. Then it removes debris from deep below the skin, and hydrates soothes, and smoothes the surface of the skin. I don't understand it, but I'm sure Miss Aquarius is already on board! 

Amethyst is the crystal that represents this sign. The violet variety of quartz is a very calming and meditative stone. It is also a strong protector against drunkenness and can help instill a sober mind. Aquarians are always thinking and an amethyst can help them calm their thoughts so they can rest once and a while. It is also a lovely color, and the Aquarian lady will love to add a great amethyst hue to her makeup collection. Try YSL Pure Chromatics, Wet and Dry eyeshadow No. 13 which comes with 4 types of bushes and can be used wet or dry for different intensities. Perfect for the ever experimenting Aquarian!