Makeup Melters and why you need them (and which one you need)

Do you often lay awake at night wondering how those "makeup artists" on Instagram remove the ten layers of contouring that they apply for selfie purposes only (people don't actually leave the house like that, do they?)?  Maybe not, but perhaps you are a person who wears a reasonable amount of makeup but hates removing it?

Makeup removal sucks, and can be a serious PITA.  If it were easy, we would do it every single day and dermatologists, beauty magazines, and our own mothers wouldn't have to constantly lecture us about sleeping in our makeup.  Makeup removal wipes have been my go to for the sake of convenience, but I still end up with mascara all around my eyes despite how much I rub.

A few months ago, I received an email advertisement from Sephora about makeup melters.  These products promise to make the makeup removal process easier and also remove dirt and oil in the process.  Minimal rubbing=less irritated skin.

Since then, I have tried a few different brands.  Here are my reviews on the ones I've tried out:

Josie Maran Argan Cleansing Oil, $32, Sephora.com

All of the melters I tried were much easier than traditional soap and even makeup wipes.  While this one wasn't the most effective of the bunch, it was still pretty effective.  If you have dry skin, you will love this one.  My skin felt so soft and moisturized after.  I know the jury is still out on argan oil (many skin and hair professionals criticize it because they claim it sits on top of the skin or hair follicle, rather than penetrating like a coconut oil), but I know my skin felt great afterwards.  For those of you who are very dry, you will probably still want to follow with a moisturizer but others might not have to.  I would highly recommend this for dry skin types and even combination during the winter months, but if you have oily skin you might want to proceed with caution.

Tatcha Pure One Step Camellia Cleansing Oil, $48, Sephora.com

Wow.  This stuff works and it works fast.  Make sure you're leaning over a sink because the makeup will begin to melt immediately.  Don't be alarmed if you look like Heath Ledger as The Joker at first, because once you rinse it will all come off immediately.  What surprised me the most when using this was how much makeup I was actually wearing.  It just kept coming off and coming off.  That's fine for me though, I would much rather the day's makeup in the sink than seeping into my pores!  I recommend this one for all skin types, and it is especially great for waterproof makeup.  I really loved this one. Whether you wear a little makeup or a lot, this will get the job done easily and quickly.

Boscia Charcoal MakeUp Melter Cleansing Oil-Balm, $32, Sephora.com

I made sure to try this one because charcoal seems to be the "It" skincare ingredient lately and, according to many, the most effective route to clear pores.  This one was in a solid form that you scoop out with an included spatula.  I've been using this one for a month and it's just okay.  It does the job, but it probably was the least effective one I tried.  I haven't really noticed a difference in my pores, either.  It's not bad, but it's not the greatest.  Oily skin types that don't love the idea of putting anything on their face with the word "oil" in the name might like this one.

IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Makeup 3-in-1 Makeup Melting Cleansing Balm, $38, Sephora.com

If you don't like oils, this is a great alternative.  It works fast like the others and claims to also have other skin care benefits (moisturizing, preventing fine lines).  I haven't used this long enough to speak to the skin care benefits (it's ALWAYS sold out) but it definitely does the makeup removal job well.  I don't think I would ditch the rest of my skincare routine entirely but it does leave my face feeling surprisingly moisturized.

Whether you wear one coat of mascara or a full contour daily, you will love makeup melters.  Sephora provides samples, so if you are unsure of which one will work for you, you can always test them out first.  Happy shopping!

I survived my first Pure Barre Platform class!

Hello!

As you may or may not know, I am a huge Pure Barre fan. I hate working out but love PB. If you are unfamiliar with Pure Barre, I will share my journey in a later post and that will explain it much better.  I know I'm doing this in the complete wrong order and I apologize, but I wanted to talk about my first Platform class while it's still fresh in my mind.

What is Pure Barre Platform? Good question, as I had a really hard time figuring this out before I took my first class. I looked all over Pure Barre's site and YouTube and everything was pretty vague. Now that I've actually taken a class I can tell you that it's a lot like a traditional Pure Barre class, but much more fast paced with cardio. The majority of the class involved the use of a little platform (almost like a step stool), hence the name.

I would recommend Platform if you are already familiar with Pure Barre and know the basics pretty well but would like to add cardio to your routine, or maybe you just want to try something new. If you are still grasping the basics of Pure Barre, I would hold off.  This class is more difficult and much more fast paced so the instructor doesn't have as many opportunities to adjust students if needed. Not all studios have Platform, but if they do, it will be noted as such on the app. You will definitely need to schedule on the app, even if your studio isn't very busy and doesn't sell out of classes often. Platform has a lower maximum students per class so it often fills up and you might have to go on a wait list.

I put myself on a wait list for a Sunday morning class at Pure Barre Bethlehem.  I was number 5 on the list as of Saturday afternoon, but everyone must have had a rough Saturday night because by 7:30 AM on Sunday I was off the wait list and had a spot in the 9:45 class.

I decided to come a little early because I had never been to a Platform class and had no idea what I needed to do to set up before class (if anything). Another class was in progress in studio so I signed myself in and hung out in the waiting room. I was in the process of checking my app to see who the instructor was so that maybe I could ask a few questions beforehand when Meredith, that day's Platform instructor, introduced herself and asked if it was my first class. I told her yes and also told her about my limitations. I have a minor back issue that requires me to occasionally modify some moves. You should ALWAYS share any injuries or issues with your instructor if you haven't taken their class before.  Meredith told me that I would only need weights to set up, and that the platforms will already be out so I would just need to pick any empty one I wanted. She suggested that I pick a spot close to her so it would be easier to follow along. She warned me that it is much faster paced and I might struggle to keep up at first, but like a regular Pure Barre class, the more you do it the more it starts to make sense.  Once the other class left and the studio was open she brought me over to the platform and demoed a couple of the movements for me so I had a little bit of an idea of what was to come. Meredith was extremely helpful and really went out of her way to make me feel comfortable. I can't vouch for other studios because I've only ever been to Bethlehem,  but all the instructors at the Bethlehem studio are extremely helpful and make it a little less intimidating for a new student.

The warm up didn't feel like a warm up at all; I felt like I dove in head first as soon as the music started.  I'm not sure where the warm up ended and the actual class began because there were no breaks in between.  I was huffing and puffing and sweating buckets, so I figured we had to be done soon. Nope. I looked at the clock and only TEN FREAKING MINUTES had gone by and we were not slowing down anytime soon.

I think the hardest part of class was the double time movements. They are so fast that sometimes I felt I wasn't using proper form and just trying to keep up. When I felt this happen, I stopped myself and tried to do the movement at regular speed just to make sure I got it right rather than just flailing.  The insecure woman in me of course worried that others in the class would notice me wimping out, but they were far too busy trying to keep up themselves.

Near the end of class we moved to the floor for ab exercises.  This was a welcome relief.  This isn't to say that the ab exercises weren't challenging (especially for someone like me whose abs are far from impressive), but the cardio aspect didn't really apply here so I was able to at least catch my breath.

Finally after some stretching and what was probably the sweatiest 55 minutes of my life, class was over.  I made it.

I don't know that there is necessarily a way to be fully prepared for your first class, but I do have a few suggestions to make your experience a little easier:

• Get to class early.  If you get to class on time, you are actually late.  The class times noted on the schedule are when the class actually starts and do not take into account the time it takes to sign in, set up, and find a spot at the barre.  I would come 15 minutes early at a minimum but if you can swing a little earlier that's even better.  That way you can talk to the instructor first.  If you have an instructor as good as Meredith was, it will be a huge help.
• Bring water and a towel.  I remembered the water part thank god, because I don't think I would have been able to make it the whole 55 minutes if I didn't.  I forgot a towel and had to beeline to the bathroom as soon as class was over to blot my face and chest with paper towels.  Even if you don't sweat much or at all in a regular barre class, you will here!
• Wear a good bra.  My sports bra is more than adequate for regular barre class but it didn't stay in place well for Platform.  If you have a bra that works well for running, you might want to wear it for Platform as well. This applies to all bust sizes, even those of us that don't usually need much support!
• Sign up early!  Classes open up two weeks in advance.  Plan on scheduling right around the time that sign ups for that day begin.  If you can only get on the wait list, don't get discouraged!  Because people have to schedule so far in advance, a lot end up cancelling too.  There are only 5 spots on the wait list so don't hesitate on that one either!
• Try to get a spot near the instructor.  I know being front and center is intimidating, but trust me, nobody is judging you or even watching you because they are too damn busy trying to keep up themselves.

They say what doesn't kill you makes you stronger and I did not die during Platform (surprisingly).  My goal is to attempt to go at least once a week, in addition to going to my regular Pure Barre classes during the week.  I've had more than one person tell me that it will get easier the more I do it...that's hard for me to believe right now, but here's to trying!

Here is a quick video about Pure Barre Platform.  It doesn't have a TON of info but it's the most informative thing that I have been able to find:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h835BdU4fVA

Back to Blogging!

Hello!

I've decided to start blogging again after not blogging at all for years. I know there's a million bloggers out there so I don't really expect to be the next big thing, but I just want to share whatever I'm interested in at the current moment with friends, family, and maybe the occasional person who accidentally finds me on Google.

The theme of my blog is that there is no theme at all. I enjoy writing and need to do some writing for my current job as well, so I figure if I get into the habit of writing for fun again it will come more naturally when I need to for work.

So...let's start with a little bit about me. I am a newlywed (like, REALLY new...I got married on August 13th). I live in the Lehigh Valley (an hour or so north of Philly) with my husband Carlos and my badly behaved Yorkie, Stitch. My hobbies include Pure Barre, being an obsessed dog mom, makeup and beauty products, and I guess I can now add blogging to the list. I like a bunch of other stuff too as you'll soon see in my posts. I got my bachelors from Penn State and have part of my MBA from Lehigh. Anyone who knows me knows that I have been planning to finish my MBA for years but have come up with every excuse in the book to postpone doing so. Nobody's perfect, right? I currently work in digital marketing for an industrial piping company; a position I started very recently. I went through a pretty drastic career change recently but I do finally feel like I found the right fit.

Well, time to get started...hope you enjoy!