ÁMEZING NEWS #21: MASQUE OFF
ÁMEZING NEWS #21: MASQUE OFF
We are so back!
I have some exciting news for our Ámezing community! I’m bringing back the ANTI POLLUTANT MASQUE I created with Aliange. It’s been about FOUR years since we first released this exclusive collaboration that so many of you loved. I will keep you updated about the exact date of its release, but know that it’s coming within the month! You’ll be able to purchase the masque directly on my site amezskin.com or in the studio following your facial treatment with me.
This masque is so special to me, and it’s formulated with only the best ingredients.
The bottle is so pretty too – designed by Emilie Hahn, my friend since we were nine years old. Thank you Emilie for your incredible work! The design is a nod to my Guatemalan ancestry and the graphic is inspired by a Mayan headdress made of jade. Within the graphic, we paid homage to Aliange’s full masque range with the inclusion of the blue and orange colors too. A collaboration through and through.
For those of you who haven’t tried any of the Aliange masques yet, you’re in for a treat. All of their masques are great. But I really believe the masque we made together works for EVERYONE! It’s formulated to be safe for all skin types including sensitive and reactive.
Unlike many masques on the market, this isn’t only hydrating or only purifying, but something in between. You’ll get the nice drawing effect of a clay-based masque (clean pores!) without drying you out (hydrated skin!) Upon application, you’ll get a cooling, calming effect to refresh your skin. Extra refreshing if you chill it a little first! Our masque is truly unique and the best of both worlds.
Let me go through some FAQ regarding the collab!
What is Aliange?
Aliange is an Australian skin care company founded by Dr. Alison Jamieson and her daughter Hannah Ryan, who is Aliange’s director. With over 30 years of experience in the cosmetic dermatology field, Dr. Jamieson created a comprehensive range of clinical formulas that combine high quality actives, peptides and exosomes with native marine extracts and botanicals. She also runs Aliange Skin clinics, an all encompassing premier medical skin facility in Queensland, Australia.
Having started my corporate career with another Australian skin care company (I guess I have a thing with Aussies) there is something to be said about Australian beauty brands. I argue that Aussie skin care is up there with Korean and European beauty brands due to its vast geographical landscape and access to some of the best botanical, marine and desert extracts in the world. So for me, working with Aliange was a perfect pairing in our ethos of that science and nature synergy.
All products are made and manufactured in Australia and cruelty free. The range is environmentally safe with no synthetic or harmful fillers as well.
What was the collaboration like?
Our collaboration happened really serendipitously in 2018. If I think back to it, our initial conversations of course began over DMs as my work as an esthetician started to be recognized in Los Angeles. We started chatting and immediately felt we needed to create something together. We started on the development between LA and Australia and knew that a masque was in order given that Aliange has a reputation for their beautiful, baby blue probiotic masque.
We wanted to develop a really useful product. We all agreed that traveling and environmental stressors were two big issues that we wanted to tackle. After about four rounds of sampling, testing, and playing with ingredients, we centered our product around city-dwellers and frequent travelers faced with harsh environments. The end result was this velvety smooth, jade green masque. Filled with prebiotics, probiotics, and prorenew complex. Ironically enough, we launched this masque at the height of the pandemic in 2020 (since traveling wasn’t on the menu) but the support we received with the launch was so meaningful. Please try it this time if you haven’t already!
What other Aliange products do you recommend?
The line is very comprehensive and designed for all skin types, including sensitive and acne-prone. When using the Anti-pollutant masque, we recommend cleansing the skin thoroughly or exfoliating with Aliange’s transforming exfoliator (one of my favorites of the range). You can use the masque 2-3 times a week, especially if you are traveling. The masque also works as a wonderful spot treatment and is a wonderful product for an inflammation flare-up or any kind of skin irregularity. But don’t be afraid to mix and match here! This masque is a treatment so it can cycle into your regimen super nicely.
ÁMEZING CLIENTS
Pati and Michelle stopped by for back-to-back facials! My first time treating these two! Thanks for letting me snap your picture!
Ever since opening my own studio, I’m pretty averse to taking photos of my clients or showcasing them on social media (or in this newsletter) AT ALL! I value your privacy and this space as a sanctuary. At the same time, sometimes clients ask if it’s ok to snap photos of themselves during or after their treatment. The answer is yes, of course! While marketing my services this way isn’t a priority, seeing your organic content always makes me so happy! And when you see two friends with faces like this in your presence, it’s hard not to take a pic!
ÁMEZING MAKEUP: BLUSHED
Tierney here to talk about makeup! It feels like blush becomes more and more popular every year of the 2020s, with the popularity reaching new heights in recent months (at least since the 80s). Basically, blush wins the summer!
First it was SUNSET BLUSH – creating a glowy gradient on the cheek with peach / orange / pink blushes and a golden highlighter.
Then it was SUNBURNT BLUSH – concentrating blush on the apples of the cheeks and bridge of the nose, then connecting it all (in terms of placement, imagine a 3 turned on its side).
And lots of talk of BLUSH BLINDNESS – applying a ton of blush with child-like joy, like 10x the amount of blush you already wear (if you wear any at all!) Even the New York Times is asking “How Much Blush Is Too Much Blush?” Blush blindness can also involve applying blush in areas of your face you wouldn’t usually, like at your temples (to snatch and lift) or your jawline (to contour and chisel). Kinda like brontouring.
The basic takeaway? There’s’ never too much blush!
What’s contributed to this craze? Besides TikTok? Improvements in how blushes are formulated. While most of us grew up associating blush with stodgy, matte powders, today’s blushes come in a lot of fresh, luminous finishes and forms. Liquid blushes, cream blushes, multi-purpose pigment balms, etc. These blushes blend better than ever and can impart a healthy glow that supports a “healthy skin” look rather than conceal it. So even if you still think blush is too much for your preferred aesthetic, these are the kinds of products you’ll use too much of before you know it.
Of these trends, my favorite is sunburnt blush! I think the rosacea-cheeked child in me is just happy to have red cheeks be considered cute. I also love how beauty culture progressed so much in terms of sunscreen and sun protection that the collective consciousness now yearns to fake the sunburns of our past. Also, while the placement can extend anywhere you want it to, I like that sunburnt blush trend focuses on the apples of the cheeks. It keeps the face rounder in a soft, youthful, cutesy way.
You don’t have to use red pigments for your look to be considered sunburnt blush, it’s more about the placement. But red blushes can be a lot more subtle (and gorge) than you think!
Makeup artist Rose-Marie Swift (founder of the iconic and groundbreaking clean cosmetics line RMS beauty) talks about using red blush on all of her Victoria’s Secret models throughout the years because it’s actually more natural looking than pinks. She makes an RMS Lip2Cheek in the shade “Beloved” that is “a true red with just a hint of poppy to suit all skin tones.”
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And if powder blushes are more your thing, you can always use them over these other formulas to set them in place all day! Again, the more blush the better.
On to products…
These are the blushes I’ve worn (and loved) all summer:
Rhode Beauty - Pocket Blush - on-the-go cream blush in Juice Box (sheer hot pink)
Rare Beauty - Soft Pinch Liquid Blush - long-lasting liquid blush in Believe (true mauve)
Juvia’s Place - Blushed Duo Blush in Vol 4 (soft baby and sweet pinks for all skin tones)
Tarte Amazonian clay 12-hour blush - with Vitamin E in Captivating (peach)
Valentino Eye2Cheek Eyeshadow and Blush in 03 Rosa Emozione (cool dusty pink)
These are some of the blushes I’d love to try next:
MAKEUP BY MARIO - Soft Pop Plumping Cream Blush Veil in Paradise Pink (vibrant blue pink)
HAUS LABS BY LADY GAGA - Color Fuse Glassy Blush Blam Stick
e.l.f. Cosmetics - Camo Liquid Blush in Gorge Orange (warm red-orange)
Juvia’s Place - Blushed Liquid BlushLighter in Blush Lily Glow (warm lavender)
Jones Road - Miracle Balm All-Over Glow in Tawny (reddish/brown sheer)
Pat McGrath Labs - Divine Cream Blush: Legendary Glow Color Balm in Luscious Lotus (vivid fuchsia)
ÁMEZING SIGHTINGS
Thanks to everyone whose been sending pics of my work with Ilia!
The co-author and editor of Ámezing News is Tierney Finster
I happened to be the lucky, lucky winner of one of your giveaways earlier this year was able to try the Anti Pollutant masque per Tierney's guidance!! Needless to say, I will be repurchasing ASAP when it's back - there's truly nothing like it. Also dying to try the haus labs balm blush and I think this newsletter convinced me I neeeeeeeed 💖🎀🩰