Stacy Rody
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  • My Top Ten Nordstrom Beauty Staples

    My Top Ten Nordstrom Beauty Staples – Nordstrom Beauty Favorites – Beauty Haul 2021

    Nordstrom Beauty Favorites!  I’m so stinking excited to compile this list for you. These are my tried and true Nordstrom staples that I feel would work for almost every woman regardless of skin type, tone and texture. I also share the one hair product from Living Proof that makes my hairstyle last and look good for multiple days.  I am an esthetician and these have never steered me wrong! And if there is a problem, Nordstrom is so easy to deal with.

    I’ll start from top to bottom so here goes:

    Living Proof Dry Shampoo: https://rstyle.me/cz-n/fvjskgckbap used in combination with the amazing 

    Dry Volume Blast: https://rstyle.me/cz-n/fvjsmyckbap

    Kiehl’s Night Time Repair Creme: https://rstyle.me/cz-n/e2gicyckbap

    Charlotte Tilbury Flawless Finish( goes under foundation on the high points): https://rstyle.me/cz-n/fvnwjtckbap

    Laura Mercier Foundation: https://rstyle.me/cz-n/fvjsbrckbap

    YSL Touché Eclat Under Eye & Face Highlighter Pen: https://rstyle.me/cz-n/ekagq9ckbap

    Laura Mercier Translucent Setting Powder:  https://rstyle.me/cz-n/ekagd5ckbap

    Hoola Bronzer: https://rstyle.me/cz-n/fu6w89ckbap

    Target Brush: https://rstyle.me/cz-n/fkdxyxckbap

    Fluffy Eyeshadow Brush: https://rstyle.me/cz-n/fnurzhckbap

    Trish McEvoy Blush: https://rstyle.me/cz-n/fvjse7ckbap

    Anastasia Brow Powder Duo: https://rstyle.me/cz-n/ettj2nckbap

    Brush: https://rstyle.me/cz-n/fvjsr5ckbap

    Charlotte Tilbury Hot Lips 2 Refillable Lipstick in color Dancefloor Princess: https://rstyle.me/cz-n/fvfyepckbap 

    Tarte Eyeliner & Mascara I’ve been loving: https://rstyle.me/cz-n/fscmmdckbap

    Let me know if you need anything and make sure you find me on Instagram @stacyrody so you can watch my stories and see insider tips and other products I use and love!

    Talk soon- Stace

    Connect with me: LIKEtoknowit.app: https://www.liketoknow.it/stacyrody

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stacy.rody

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stacyrody/ @stacyrody

  • Quick Eyeliner Tips!!!

    Eyeliner that is cheap, quick and easy to apply!

    I found a fun eyeliner I have to share! L’oreal Voluminous Superstar liquid liner. I love Laura Mercier pencils smudged with dry shadow, too, but this has been my FAST morning secret lately.

    I found out about it because I was at Walgreens looking for a liquid foundation I’d been reading about. The girls there said I had to try this and they were right!!! Amazing!

    Are you curious to what foundation it is???? Want me to share??? ???   Before I do, here is my eyeliner tutorial.

    [youtube id=”x-5_dPZoXiE” align=”center”]
    Hope the video is useful and you can save a little money and learned a little in the process!  I love teaching!  Being a makeup artist at Nordstrom for over 8 years, really built the passion in me.  I don’t do much makeup artistry anymore, but I sure love sharing tips and tricks of the trade!
    Okay, okay 😉 here is my cheap foundation find : L’oreal Lumi True Match. I’ve found W 5 to be just about perfect but could maybe buy W 6 and mix the two. Especially when I have a spray tan. My favorite high end foundation is Makeup Forever HD from Sephora and I just bought their primer, too! The Skin Smoothing formula since I have larger pores. I love me some Laura Mercier foundation primer but just wanted something a tad different for once.
     eyeliner, foundation, laura mercier
  • Makeup Ideas: Crying….how to hide it?!!

    Cute Makeup Ideas

    When you cry your eyes out the night before your 5 year old goes to Kindergarten, the eyes get a bit puffy? and it’s time for cute makeup ideas!  To combat that puffiness, matte medium -dark eye shadow helps a ton. I like dark brown for blue eyes and dark grey for brown eyes.

    Today was Nars Coconut Grove eye shadow with Laura Mercier BlackTight Line for liner. Anything with shimmer would have made my puffiness shine like the sun.

    After drop off, I went immediately to Target to buy something I didn’t need. I also made my bed because somehow that makes me feel better heehee.  For more makeup ideas go check this post I wrote awhile back about primer and foundation!

  • Exfoliate or Not to Exfoliate!

    To Exfoliate

    Before we begin talking about how to exfoliate, let’s talk about why, and how often you should exfoliate your skin.  As a licensed esthetician, I get asked this often with clients and also friends.  I find there is no perfect answer, mainly because it all depends on your skin.  And as I talk about these exfoliating gloves, they are a great way to exfoliate your body, but I use a whole different group of products for my face.  I have very oily skin, I have dealt with acne all my life.  Let’s get going!

    Why do we Exfoliate?

    You might not even know it, but your body is constantly producing new skin cells. That, combined with environmental factors and the use of makeup, can be damaging to the skin. If you don’t exfoliate, your pores can accumulate dirt and other oils, causing breakouts. This is not just limited to your face, this can happen in other areas of your body as well, specifically your chest or back, as well as your upper arms and legs.  Exfoliation helps slough off dead skin cells, remove dirt and keep pores looking smaller.

    Should you exfoliate everyday?

    No. While your skin does need to be tended to regularly, exfoliating more than necessary can actually cause skin to become rough, dry and patchy. It actually depends more on the type of skin and the amount of oil you produce.  To exfoliate properly, you need to be aware of your skin and what it needs.  For your body, I would use exfoliating gloves.  They allow you to have more control and they are perfect in a shower or bath.

    Figure out your skin type before you exfoliate

    I have found that there are 4 main types of skin.  We have oily skin, sensitive skin, dry skin and then there is normal sort of combination skin.  None are perfect or better than the other, we are what we are!  Sometimes I hate my oily skin, but then I see what other women deal with, when having dry skin and I find that it is just different problems, not better or worse.  So let’s break these down a bit more.

    1. Oily Skin – Most people think only teenagers have oily skin. Wrong! Women of all ages can experience it. I know I have!  As a general rule of thumb, the oilier your skin, the more often you can exfoliate.  Having oily skin makes it hard for dead skin cells to be removed.
    2. Sensitive Skin – This one is pretty self explanatory.  When you have sensitive skin, you are going to tend to be careful when preparing to exfoliate.  You may end up using exfoliating gloves only very, very lightly, or find that you should only use a warm clean washcloth and that does the trick.  Listening to your body is the key.
    3. Dry Skin – Many people believe that exfoliating may not work with dry skin. This is not the case. In fact, women with dry skin actually get an abnormal buildup of skin cells, preventing normal exfoliation and normal moisture retention. Exfoliating helps the dead skin cells shed at a more normal rate, making room for new skin cells and hydrating the skin. If you’re a woman who has dry skin, you could use exfoliating gloves twice a week for your body.  But listen to your body.  My husband, yes I make my husband exfoliate, tries to use the exfoliating gloves twice a week and it has worked well for his dry skin.
    4. Normal or Combination Skin – Women who have normal or combination skin often have a T-zone that is oily and cheeks that are dry. These women also tend to have large pores, especially on the nose, and they experience occasional breakouts. If this sounds like you, then a chemical peel that contains alpha hydroxy and beta hydroxy acids is the right thing for you. Such peels are extremely effective in eliminating excess oil through the T-zone area. How often you should use such peels varies by product, so make sure to always follow the directions. Women with normal skin can also use exfoliants like scrubs up to three times each week.

    How I Exfoliate and My Recommendations For your Face

    Here’s what I do with my skin type when exfoliating.  Twice a week, I use a face polish or scrub to get all the dead skin cells off and help my skin look and feel smooth so my makeup goes on nicely, hence exfoliate.  Laura Mercier Face Polish is my favorite but there are so many good brands.  The one I discourage is the St. Ives Apricot Scrub, it has uneven sharp apricot kernels that can create tiny incisions in the skin, allowing bacteria to get in.  It is overall a little rough for the face.  I also love Philosophy’s Micro-delivery Peel for a once a week smoothing.  It feels so amazing and pumps vitamin C into your skin as well so you are left with a bright, smooth complexion for the week.  exfoliate, exfoliation, exfoliating gloves, exfoliating lotion

    Being an esthetician, I also know the value of what I like to call “lunchtime” peels.  What these are are lactic, glycolic, or citric acid peels that you could literally get done on your lunch break and still look halfway normal returning to work.  I recommend finding an esthetician near you who uses PCA products.  They are my favorite and the entire brand of home care and clinical line was designed by a dermatologist and esthetician so you’re getting the best of both worlds.  

    These types of peels are best done in a series.  I recommend to my clients to do 3-5 in the Spring and 3-5 in the Fall.  Depending on your skin type you would get one every 3-4 weeks during your series.  Summer is never a good time to do any peels since we are always in the sunlight whether we want to be or not. You don’t want to damage the  improvements you’re trying to make to your skin, by forgetting your hat or extra sunscreen while  at the park, or out and about, on accident.  This can actually cause hyperpigmentation as your skin heals from a peel, all the while you are trying to decrease any unwanted pigment from acne scars or sun damage.  Deeper exfoliation from a peel helps rid the skin of any unwanted pre-cancerous cells, pigment, oils, acne pigment scars, overall sebum/oil buildup.  It helps so much with preserving the youthful texture and radiance.  

    HOW I EXFOLIATE AND MY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR YOUR Body

    For the body, the reason I like the exfoliating gloves, is because you can wash them easier than a loofah and they last for a long time.  You adjust the pressure you apply by feeling your touch and can use soap or your favorite shower gel.  Sugar and salt scrubs work well, too, but can gunk up your shower and honestly, I just have never seen them work quite as well.  If you like to get spray tans, the best practice is to exfoliate your face and body 1-3 days before you go in for your appointment. Exfoliate, exfoliating gloves, eco gloves, target You can wait until the morning of, but if you get a few good light scrubs in prior, your skin will accept the tan well.  All the places you get really dry will have had a chance to soften quite a bit, which really makes the spray tan last a day or two longer.  For example, elbows, edges of the feet, knees and legs.  Make sure to always hydrate with your favorite lotion after you’ve exfoliated in the shower while your skin is still warm and soft.  Your product will penetrate deeper and you’ll skin will glow!  Make sure not to put lotions on before a spray tan appointment though because you’ll want the tan solution to be able to absorb evenly into your skin.  

     

    I hope this helps as you begin or continue to exfoliate your skin.  I still get acne, I still have issues, I’m no where perfect.  But I also see the lasting affects of exfoliating on a normal basis.  I want my skin to look good when I’m 70 not just right now!  To keep it up, we must continually exfoliate and be ever so kind to our skin!