Ask a Beauty Expert

[TeamBIC]

Ask a Beauty Expert

If you know your way around the Beauty Insider Community, chances are you’ve seen a few of our Sephora Pro Artists sharing their looks on the Gallery and dropping their beauty routines in some of our favorite challenge threads.  @ElizaPRO, @ShawnPRO, and @ProAmy are Makeup Artists with years of industry experience with a bounty of product knowledge to share. These beauty geniuses are subject matter experts and they give life-changing advice on how to build your basket and put your haul to good use!

We've created this thread to allow you all to better connect with our Sephora Pro Artists here in the BIC! This is a place for you to ask them ANYTHING beauty-related. Don't forget to bookmark this thread by clicking the bookmark icon at the top right of this thread. It will come in handy for those moments you wish you had a beauty expert on speed dial for questions like "is it a good idea to layer these skincare products?" or "what's the best brush for my foundation routine?"

Want to ask a question? Click the 'Reply' button below!

[super1982]

Do you all prefer liquid eyeliner or a gel eyeliner?  How do I set it to also stay on during the day?

[AveryWolfe]

i much prefer a liquid liner over a gel, and to set the eyeliner i grab my eyeliner brush and dip it in an eyeshadow that matches the color of my eyeliner, and then sweep the eyeshadow over my eyeliner carefully. i use and absolutely love the tattoo liner by kat von d!!

[Anonymous]

Hi.  I was looking for advice for a skin care routine. I am 34  and live in florida and I current dont have a skin care routine. My skin for the most part is normal. Occasionally I get a little redness in the area  near my nose but that comes and go. I also have  blackhead near the nose area as well. I am just looking for a routine that will keep my skin, young, and hydrated. As I get older,  I want to be able to protect it from getting fines lines and wrinkle as well. Since I never had a skin care rountine, I don't know where to beginning. I just want something simple and easy to follow. I also would like the products to feel light and not greasy on my face. What products recommendations and skin routine can you recommend me to follow?

[vkn17]

Hi. I'm 24 year old female. I'm looking for products to help with ance scars and redness on my face. I get 2 or 3 whiteheads a week. My face always feels dumpy and rough unless I use my clarisonic brush every night.I have combination skin. Some times my face is oily and dry others, really depends on the weather. My skin is slightly sensitive. My face always feels super dry after washing my face. I have tried multiple products before. Currently I'm using Elemis products. I'm open to suggestion . Thank you

[jordalil000]

Hi! I’m a 16-year-old female with very dry and dehydrated skin. I’m focusing on having hydrated skin and brightening my skin, I want my skin to be more glowing/dewy without having to use makeup. I also have very textured skin and would like my skin to be more smooth and soft. I’m looking for the following things for my night routine: 2 face washes for double cleansing, toner, serum, moisturizer, a mask that I could use every once in awhile, and a face oil. If you could tell me good products for those specific things that would be great!

Do you think the Forero Luna Play Plus is good and what does it do?

Also what do you think about Tatcha Dewy skin cream and Tatcha cleansing oil?

I’m also wondering how to pick the right concealer shade for NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer? 

[tinazhang718]

you can find dupes of the foreo everywhere now if you want to try to see how they work. I got one on AliExpress for less than $10 for travel, and it worked exactly the same. 

[Amanda9824]

I also have very dry and dehydrated skin, and over the years I've found things that hydrate it and make it glowy without breaking me out! I use the clinique cleansing oil and then the first aid beauty facial cleanser for a double cleanse, the OleHenriksen dark spot toner for gently exfoliating and brightening for some glow, and then the caudalie vinoperfect radiance serum (if you buy it on Amazon, it's half price). A really great moisturizer for the day is the differen spf 30 moisturizer. I know it says it is oil absorbing and for oily skin, but I have severely dry skin and I find that it hydrates it really well and makes my face super glowy. It also won't break you out. For night time, belif has some really good moisturizers, and for a facial oil, the tarte maracuja oil is great because it makes my skin really soft,  and it also brightens with vitamin c. If you want some inexpensive options, the face shop has a really well priced cleansing oil, cerave has a great hydrating cleanser, I would still recommend the OleHenriksen toner, and Elizavecca has a great hyaluronic acid serum. I would start with the 97% one. For moisturizer, I would still recommend the differen one for the day and garnier's hydrating gel at night (the pink one is for dry skin). I don't really know of any cheaper facial oils that won't break you out, but the first aid beauty one is cheaper than the tarte one. For masks, try the Summer Fridays jet lag mask. Hope this helps!

[priyabg]

Hi, First of all I love watching the videos that you guys post. I wanted to ask how do I select a good foundation for my skin. I'm 35. Brown girl but not too dark skin. How do I know what tone I am. Also need to know how can I tell if I have large pores or not.

[dREA1092]

Hi I’m a 26 year old female with oily skin !!! I’ve never really been much of a skin person until recently. I would always just wash my face with soap and that was pretty much it, no toner, serum, moisturizer none of that. Now I want to find the right products to use. I need face wash, toner, serum and moisturizer tips for my oily skin. Please help !!!

[tinazhang718]

I love all the ceraVe products for beginners. they are all super gentle and very inexpensive. They have a lot of great ingredients that don't cause irritation. good luck. 

[jessica1567]

Hi I’ve never really struggled with acne until recently I have combination skin and I’ve had acne on my forehead for over year now. I feel like I’ve tried every product there is but it hasn’t gone away. Recently i used a sample of the Sunday Riley ceo vitamin c serum but I think because of that serum my acne got worse. I tried using the the Sunday Riley UFO clarifying serum but I think that broke me out as well. I broke out more on my forehead and my cheeks. My skincare routine is as follows 

morning: 

cleanser: Dr Roebucks weightless foaming cleanser (I just started using this before I was using pixi cream cleanser ) 

toner: vasanti rose water toner 

moisturizer: farmacy honey drop lightweight moisturizer 

SPF: thinksport spf 50

night:

makeup remover: farmacy makeup melt away cleansing balm (just started using this a few days ago)

cleanser: Dr Roebucks weightless foaming cleanser

toner: vasanti rose water toner 

serum (once-twice a week) farmacy honey glow aha night serum 

moisturizer: farmacy honey drop moisturizer 

once a week: ole henriksen cols olunge pore mask 

vasanti brighten up exfoliater  enzymatic face rejuvenator 

I was wondering if there was anything I was doing wrong and what you could recommend to make the acne go away? My skin gets pretty oily in my nose and chin area and my forehead is a mix between oily and dry. My cheek area is dry as well. I only like to use clean products/ cruelty free products so it’s hard for me to find something that works for my skin! 
Thank you for all your help!

[Amanda9824]

I have the same skin type as you. My t-zone gets oily, but my cheeks are very dry. I also had really bad forehead acne, and the only thing I have found that has worked is retinol. I started with differen, and over time I worked my way up to prescription strength adapalene gel. Also, benzoyl peroxide has helped a lot, too. I understand you like clean products, but sometimes, acne needs something a little more potent. At first the retinol will dry your face out and cause it to break out more, but after 12 weeks you will see results. I know it sounds like a long time to wait, but in the end it is definitely worth it. Everything else you do seems fine, just make sure your skin is hydrated and don't over exfoliate. If you do try retinol, I would stop using the mask and the pharmacy serum just to avoid irritation and dryness. Maybe try a hyaluronic acid serum instead? Elizavecca has two really good ones, and you can get them on Amazon. Also, make sure that all the products you use are noncomedogenic. Hope this helps!

[Anonymous]

Hey. 55-year-old guy, fair-skinned (three surgical run-ins with facial skin cancer), work out every day. Skin is very dry in winter. Right now I use either Aesop primrose facial hydrating creme for milder days or Aesop Elemental facial barrier cream for cold, dry days. Should I be using an eye creme as well, and if so what do you recommend? Thanks!

[Anonymous]

I'm a 22 year old female with normal-dry and have acne/ acne scars.I am currently using (for the past month):  AM 1)Biossance Squalane + Tea Tree Cleansing Gel  2) SUNDAY RILEY - C.E.O. 15% Vitamin C Brightening Serum 3) SUNDAY RILEY - U.F.O. Ultra-Clarifying Face Oil 4) BELIF - The True Cream Moisturizing Bomb 5) TATCHA - Silken Pore Perfecting Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 35 PA+++ PM 1) FARMACY - Green Clean Makeup Removing Cleansing Balm 2) BIOSSANCE - Squalane + Tea Tree Cleansing Gel 3) SUNDAY RILEY - A+ High-Dose Retinol Serum 4) SUNDAY RILEY - Good Genes All-In-One Lactic Acid Treatment 5) SUNDAY RILEY - Luna Retinol Sleeping Night Oil 6) BELIF - The True Cream Moisturizing Bomb Is there anything else I can use to help with acne/ acne scaring? Also, is there anything I can use to help with dryness/ flaky skin caused by retinol?

[DavidBD]

@Anonymous how has your skin responded so far to this routine? overall its great products and looks really good. the only thing that makes me a little nervous is the use of 2 retinol products as well as the Good Gene's which is lactic acids at night. that may be a bit too much active acids and retinol, plus can lead to more excessive dryness and flaking like you say you have. we often recommend one or the other, so you don't harshly attack your skin. personally i would say only use the retinol products and you can use the Good Genes as a once a week mask, simply apply a thicker layer to cleansed skin and leave on for 20 minutes then rinse off and continue with your routine. this way your skin isn't being overworked which can lead to more issues in time. hope that helps.

[super1982]

What are the best under eye creams 

[DavidBD]

@super1982 it really depends on what your concern is. eye creams tend to focus on wrinkles/dryness or dark circles/brightening  so for wrinkles some great options are SHISEIDO - Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Eye Cream, TATCHA - The Silk Peony Melting Eye Cream , and for dark circles you can try OLEHENRIKSEN - Banana Bright Eye Crème, and FARMACY - Cheer Up Brightening Vitamin C Eye Cream with Acerola Cherry.  hope that helps!!

[PrissL]

Products to use on facial acne caused by birth control? My skin is naturally oily/acne prone but the bc has caused under the skin pimples that are small but plentiful. The ones my cheeks (mostly on my right cheek) are under the skin and tender, the ones on my forehead really tiny but not painful.

[DavidBD]

@PrissL  hello! so we know birth control causes changes in hormones but it also can cause the oil glands in our skin to enlarge and produce more oil which combines with the dead skin cells lining our pores and it creates congestion which can lead to blemishes breakouts and the like. i recommend a gentle but good cleanser like MURAD - AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser this has both AHA and BHA acids in it which will help to exfoliate dead skin cells from the surface as well as inside the pore ,which is key for minimizing these breakouts. i would also recommend using a slightly more intense exfoliator once or twice a week like KORA Organics Turmeric Brightening Pore Scrub + Exfoliating Mask 3.38 oz / 100 mLits super easy to use and has alot of natural BHA's which really work inside the pore to keep it clean and fresh. then just be sure the moisturizer you are using is hydrating but oil free, something like GLOW RECIPE - Watermelon Pink Juice Oil-Free Moisturizer is a great option. 🙂

[Mcakes]

Popping in to say hi to my faves!

As you know little Babycakes came into the picture this year, and with that came some skin concerns I'd love your advice on. Any tips/product recommendations for hyper-pigmentation and stretch marks?

Love y'all!

[KatieBT]

Oh hi Beauty Directors, me again! 😄

I feel like a broken record but what do you think are the best products for acne scars and breakouts? My skin isn't sensitive so I feel like I can handle active ingredients. I'm fully prepared to commit to a peeling product or new nightly ritual - I have plenty of time these days!