I’ve had social media for a very long time. I started out with MySpace. Unfortunately I do not recall my username or password so a screenshot or link would not be useful at this time.

My main social media platform would be Instagram . I use Instagram primarily for photos and to alert the world via hashtags (and those that are following can see as well ) of newly posted blogs. If you were to look at my Instagram today, you would see a lot of makeup photos such as the one below.

Another platform I use is Snapchat, when I want to do a quick review on products or just to show a little personality, I’ll do so on Snapchat.

Also Snapchat has the world stories which is new to Instagram. With this feature you’re able to reach a lot of people.

My Twitter is fairly new for me to use, originally I used so I could see the products being shipped in my Ipsy bag prior to receiving them. Now I’ve opened it up publicly. I’ll likely use it the same as I use my Instagram account.

Lastly and most important to me is my Blog. Which is one of the main reasons I took a journalism class. I like to have my own platform where I can voice my own opinions, promote my book and of course do product reviews. On my blog, I’ll have my personal poetry, reviews and affiliate discounts with links. After taking this class I’ll be redoing my whole blog to give it a more professional look rather than the I started in my garage vibe it has currently.

What is the Golden Rule when it comes to makeup? Anybody… How about you, yes you who is reading.

Rule number one: Never…Ever…Sleep…With…Your…Makeup…On…EVER.

Well I am here to tell you that some rules are just meant to be broken. Of course I say this with every bit of caution. I personally will always try to take my makeup off, even if it is just with Makeup wipes.

But, there comes a time, a party, a late night-cap that leads to several that really gets us off our routine. Now, I am not a “Beauty Guru” by any means nor am I a dermatologist. What I am is a person that wears makeup, drinks Wine & Cognac and ultimately at times have one too many where literally the last thought is OMG I have my makeup on!

It’s more like, where is some water, bread, hell a bed and pillow is my thoughts if I am being completely honest.

I know I am not alone in this. I have done my research and spoken to many different women. We don’t have to feel bad about leaving our makeup on when it’s that type of night.

We also shouldn’t feel like our skin magically gained several wrinkles, extra pores, three pimples, dark bags, and a partridge in a pear tree. I won’t make too much more small talk, so without further ado let’s get it rolling.

OK, more specifically using makeup every day and sleeping in it is gross and it is really bad for your skin. Now that we got that statement out the way we can focus on what this post is about. That is, the maybe once in a month type of lady or even a couple.

What do we do when every Article and every Blogger out here tells us we are doomed and cannot age gracefully?

We go to the experts. As blogged by Simone Kitchens in an interview with Dr. Eric Schweiger (founder of the Clear Clinic) and Dr. Erin Gibert (Dermatologist) what actually happens to the skin in the scenario I am writing out.

The short answer is absolutely nothing. However, long time exposure to sleeping in makeup can and will cause Acne, Healthy Collagen breakdown, and clogged pores. View Full Article Here!View Full Article Here!View Full Article Here!

So what the heck do you do when you’ve had a long stressful day or for some one too many martinis?

You bring back all the health you can to your skin, you treat it right. Without being too weird its like you make-love to your face. OK, that sounds a bit weird but I hope you all are getting my point.

I literally treat my face to an hour of in-house spa treatments. Remember, this is just for emergencies, like that over the counter stuff you buy when you are feeling a little sick.

Pic too

Step One: Gather all of your items you will need. In my case it’s a two clean face towels. One for gently washing the skin and the other to steam your face. And my products I’ll be using 100% Argan Oil, MAC Mineralize Volcanic Ash Exfoliator, and Philosophy Pore Extractor.

Step Two: First, with a little Argan Oil, gently massage it into your skin (You’ll thank me later for this step). For some this could be a waste of time and product but your skin will love you for it. After massaging into the skin and on eyelids. With warm towel number one and only water wipe your face. You’ll notice right away the makeup is breaking down due to the oil and the warmth from the towel is divine. After this quickly wash face with general cleanser

Step Three: Directly after cleaning as much of the makeup and pollutants you fell asleep with off your beautiful faces it’s time to clean! For me I personally use a cleaner that will concentrate on my pores. My pores are huge on my nose and the majority of my skin care products focuses on these areas. For that reason I use Philosophy’s Purity Pore Extractor. It says it’s supposed to shrink the look of pores, scrub away blackheads, and draw out impurities. So far it works for me and I use it versus others I have due to its effect on my skin. When I use this I gently message on my skin and leave on until the clay is completely dry after rinse it off with warm water. I must say my skin feels like a baby’s bottom! So smooth, I absolutely love this stuff.

Step Four: By now the makeup for the most part is off, but there could be a culprit that is left waiting to dive deeper into our pores. That is why this step is my safety guy. It has my back all the time and it feels so damn good. If I could I’d just rub my skin with it everyday. I use my Mac Volcanic Ash Exfoliator. The ladies and gents that uses exfoliants for their faces or body know what I mean. All the dead skin is gone, surface blackhead stands zero chances of making it past this step. And best of all. Your skin just starts to glow! I personally leave on after rubbing gently in my skin for about 10 minutes. It gets dry a little and then I go ahead and rehydrate the product with water and rinse off. According to Mac this can be used 1-3x a week.

Step Five: We are almost through! After having a clean face it’s like a blank canvas now. There is nothing on your skin and if you look in the mirror you’ll notice brighter, smoother, and plump skin. But alas! We are not done. After you take a few minutes to admire your skin while it air dries. Get towel number two ready. If you have an actual face steamer good for you! If not hot water on the towel, fold in as small a part as you can and reopen the towel. Ideally you want this to be as hot as you can stand. Once you unfold the towel let it cool down for a little. The time would be dependent on how hot the towel is. You don’t want to burn your face. Cover your entire face up to 3x repeat the fold and heat process. When you cover your face try to cover your whole face. Lean back and try not to fall asleep standing. It really feels that good!

Step Six: Finally once your skin is completely dry from the steam, add moisturizer back your face. You definitely want to use one that is lightweight and will not clog the pores your just cleaned out. I use my Argan Oil again for this step or if I want to change it up I’ll use my Sephora Instant Moisturizer + Cream. That keeps my skin hydrated all day!

Hope you all enjoyed reading! If so make sure to subscribe/follow my blog if you are not already. Follow me on Instagram @iamzjay! Thank you all for reading and your support. If there are things you want me to review or write about comment below or contact me through the “Contact Section” Also DM on Instagram. Until next time!

Rule number one: Never…Ever…Sleep…With…Your…Makeup…On…EVER.

So what the heck do you do when you’ve had a long stressful day or for some one too many martinis?

~Z. Jay