When I went to Germany I asked a woman in her mid 40’s with PERFECT skin how she stayed so young? She told me about Nivea Creme and the Aspirin Mask and I have never went back to anything again.

Your probably like err… Destructo… Aspirin… Really? It’s primarily Salicylic Acid which is used in a gazillion face products especially those for acne. So this not only is the ultimate exfoliater but takes the redness and decreases spots.  Also awesome for guys before shaving!  You can get a huge bottle of this anywhere for under a dollar… just make sure you get the non-coated, they dissolve much quicker.

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“The way I look is just part of it. It sounds affected but I do see myself as a piece of art. People do accuse me of being just decoratve or an escapist. Well, I am. That’s what I do. So long as they realize that I am other things as well.” – Klaus Nomi

Today as sitting eating snickerdoodles with Blue Mayhem soaking on my hair. I thought about all us women go through everyday between makeup, hair to create an image of ourselves. I personally lurve cranking up the stereo, heading to the bathroom and creating new versions of myself through makeup or hair color, I feel almost a sense of therapy as I brush a bright new color onto myself. For many years now, I have been personally fascinated by cosmetics and makeup art. Every time I see someone with amazing facial bone structure and strange features I want to kidnap them and make them up a’la Klaus Nomi. I believe that EVERYONE has something beautiful about them.

In my search for the perfect visage for myself, I have tried out endless amounts of beauty products to find some of the best ones that would be worth my money spent and give the best results. Some of these products may seem expensive, but in the long run could save you time and money of not having to try a bunch of products that don’t work.

Now, I know many of you guys are going… “Argh Miss D! This has nothing to do with me!” Well, hold your horses… read on for you many find great gift ideas for any of those females in your life. A great present for any woman would be a gift card to Sephora.com or to her favorite hair salon.

Now on with the show…

Hair

• Styling Tools: CHI Iron- I’ve tried the all the rest, this is the best straightener out there!
• Hair Dye: Special Effects- Great color selections and lasts the longest compared to other brands such as Manic Panic and Raw. Since I have had a spectrum of different wild hair colors, I have used many different combinations of their dyes. In the future I’ll do a post on hair color and how to’s sharing some of my dying tricks and favorite colors!
• Conditioner: Aussie Three Minute Miracle “Deep”- Since put my hair through so much after all the straightening (im naturally very curly!) and dying I need a powerhouse of a conditioner to fix the damage. It’s cheap and three minutes with this and my hair is saying THANK YOU!
• Deep Conditioner: Coconut Oil! It may sound strange but it works so well, if you want to get that high gloss shine. Set some of this on your head for a few hours and then rinse out with some clarifying shampoo! So soft and shiny!

Makeup

• Powder/Foundation: Mac Studio Fix- After a search for the perfect powder MAC Cosmetics once again proves to be the best, a tad bit expensive but worth it due to it’s amazing coverage, matte/non oily formula and almost photo shop like results….it’s a wise investment with a wide range of shades with names like C3 (that’s me!) and NC15 sounds like I should be looking for John Connor but it’s a technological wonder than should not be feared! Use a kabuki brush for best results.. plus it’s fun to say kabuki.
• Concealer: Benefit Boi-ing- Party hard? No worries…Best under eye concealer!
• Moisturizer: Nivea Creme- Just can’t get enough! Use a little to put on before makeup application, helps keep skin plump and powder set. Can get at any CVS or drugstore!
• Mascara: Max Factor Volume Couture-Waterproof and give you doll like lashes without the clumps and mess. Fake lashes in a tube!
• Matte Powder: Coastal Scents Silica Powder- I’ve tried that expensive HD powder and this works exactly the same. Stops all shine, all night. $4 for a huge jar. A must have for Florida humidity!
• Primer/Sealer: Mehron Barrier Spray- For all you folk that do performance or for ANYONE who wants their makeup to last ALL day. I HIGHLY recommend Mehron Barrier Spray, first introduced to me by a female impersonator. I have used this spray for years now on the most humid, sweaty days and hottest Florida nights. It’s awesome, non pore clogging and keeps all that hard work from sliding off.
• Eye Primer- Coastal Scents Eye Primer- Light, cheap and works like a charm!
• Stage Makeup: Kryolan- When I went to Berlin (where Kryolan has their HQ) it was the mecca of amazing makeup. My favorite is their UV creme eye shadows that glow under black light, always sure to get complements and come in BRIGHT neon colors. Just make sure you get a pack of nylon brushes from any art store to apply these cremes since they can be quite tricky to apply with normal natural bristled brushes. You can buy these in America from Shrinkle over on Ebay.
• Face Wash: Shea Moisture Black Soap- I am bananas for this soap, it’s done a miracle for my skin. It’s made from plaintains, tar, ash and shea butter. It’s not only cleared my skin up but has toned it and shrunk my pores. I don’t know but if I could get a gallon of this I would never stray. It’s amazing and you can pick it up at Target for $5!
  

Do you have a beauty tip you would like to share? I would love to hear any of your tips, tricks or favorite holy grail products and might feature it in a feature Destructo Deviation post. I am still looking for an awesome hairspray and color care shampoo! Let me know your recommendations!

That’s not humidity, it’s snowman tears….

Fall is my favorite season, it’s those early autumn mornings with a cool breeze and a cup of coffee that really give a magical quality to every day.  However,  Florida always seems to be the last kid on the bus when it comes to Fall. This year it seems “the sunshine state”  has not only missed the bus but tried unsuccessfully to hitch a ride. Being we had last week a few humidity free and cool mornings that was only cruel tease, as now most of us sit outside drinking our pumpkin spice lattes in 90 degree weather. I can fondly remember a Christmas a few years ago that was 88 degrees outside, while I do not miss the cold of up north a little cool weather is not only inspiring but nostalgic.

Here’s a few ways to beat the heat and get into the autumn spirit.

• Pumpkin Spice Reed Diffusers work great for giving your house that “I want to eat the air” smell.
• Cpt. Spauldad has decorated his whole room up like a haunted house, extreme but the effect of decorating works!
• Start wearing a spicy fragrance, my favorite fall perfume is BPAL’s Snake Oil.
• At night, crank the a/c… get out your fuzziest blanket and watch movies like “Serendipity” or “Love Actually”
• Or, if Halloween is more your thing, visit Spooky Empire Horror Con this weekend in Orlando!

Most of all start doing your pre fall shopping NOW, since people don’t feel fall in the air yet most sweaters and jackets are sitting on the shelves waiting for a good home. Best time to hit up thrift stores is now as I have been seeing a good number of winter/fall garb and boots on the racks. Last week, I grabbed an Armani Exchange sweater for Mr. D for only $1.50!

What to look for in fall fashion this year….

• Animal Prints (Accessories such as purses are great for pulling this off!)
• Leather (Lots of leather jackets and thick leather belts this season!)
• Boots, Boots, Boots (Been drooling over these strappy boots from Free People…)
• Sequins (Sequin leggings are flying off the shelves!)
• Leggings (These are great for making your summer dresses, winter wearable)
• Patent Leather… Tory Burch makes some amazing patent leather purses/shoes!
• Feather Headbands… Tarina Tarantino makes the best!
• One of my favorite designers for fall wear is Marc Jacobs. His wool coats are a timeless staple!

Also ladies and men, since fall is the time us Floridians tend to get outdoors more…. don’t forget the SPF! Also even though it is humid outside start stocking up on moisturizers and since the fall weather in Florida can still wreck havok on the skin and hair.  I recommend Nivea Creme (available at any drugstore!) for chapped faces and hands, plus it makes a great base when applied lightly under powder such as MAC’s Studio Fix.

Most of all this fall season, let people know how much they mean to you. Write letters while sipping your pumpkin spice latte, even if you keep smudging the ink from all the sweating.

Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius and it’s better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring. – M. Monroe

Hi, my name is Miss Destructo and I used to be addicted to skin care products. I admit, I don’t have the best skin ever. Right now, I am pretty happy with it and it’s mood swings. But for about ten years now it’s been a very painful, constant battle, between me, my psoriasis and the Florida humidity. Tons of money spent on treatments, doctors, every single kind of scrub, peel and wash there is. I hid behind tons of makeup (which only can make things worse!) and sometimes would not leave the house because I felt like quasimodo due to the flakes, the acne and the oil slicks that turned my big ole forehead into a light bulb.

I finally started asking people with good skin, how the heck to they do it. Some are just genetically prone and super lucky. But the most common response from most of them was “Oh, dear… I don’t have perfect skin” then it was like deja-vu as many of them have went through the same as me. They just finally found the right combo of diet and products to help them win the battle of the zits.

1. Your skin needs to go on a diet!

I want to yell this at some people, the ones who spend tons of money on skin care products yet have horrible diets. Yes, my dears. You are what you eat. That slice of pizza or chocolate bar is NOT going to cause your skin to erupt, but they certainly don’t help the situation.

My biggest recommendations are to: Drink tons of water, take oils such as Fish Oil (Oh-My-God-Mega 3!) or Coconut Oil. (Coconut Oil can be used also directly on skin and hair! It’s smell always makes me feel like I am on an exotic getaway). Also the people that I meet on the raw food diet always have the best skin! I finally found out that what works for me is taking about 50mgs of Zinc a day, it has dramatically changed my skin and gotten rid of a lot of the oil issues I had before. I spoil my body with a vitamin whole food cocktail with Alive multivitamin, this little pill takes care of all of those vitamins I don’t get in my normal diet.

2. Be Productive!

So how many half used empty tubes and bottles do you have laying around your house? My closet looked like a skin care graveyard years ago, I finally came up after many trial and error with this skin care combo.

• Desert Essence Face Wash -Organic oils and a non drying face wash!
• Queen Helene Mint Face Scrub- Soft scrub that soaks up oil and gets rid of flakes!
• Thayers Rose Water Toner- Non drying, makes skin soft as a baby’s booty.
• Nivea Creme- Creme De La Mer clone, wear at night or lightly under makeup.
• Asprin Masks/Scrub- Hot water and aspirin makes an amazing paste mask! (click for great tutorial by Tampa Bay local makeup goddess Michelle Phan!)

3. Change your lifestyle

Party till the break of dawn? You may want to start laying off the alcohol and cigarettes if you are having skin issues, I’ve always noticed that even one night of drinks and a smoke filled club environment (I don’t even smoke!) just kills my skin. I usually have to detox with plenty of Green Tea and Nivea creme face masks. Being that this is Florida, I see many young women with bronzed bodies and faces to match, many of them I also noticed have horrible skin issues and fine wrinkles at a young age. Did you know that queen of the bronze, Victoria Beckham has stated that she does not go out in the sun. WHAT? But how? She’s a fond user of the spray tan. I used to do the tanning thing myself but then I realized to embrace my paleness. I still love the look of a bronze glow, but not the damage that the “Ultra-Violent” rays bring. Don’t microwave your skin unless you want to look like a frozen dinner.

4. Fake it.

One thing that I think is very cathartic to me is makeup, I have enough to fuel a very colorful army and brushes that have more uses than a Swiss army knife. However some days I want a more natural look so I only apply as much as the day calls for to get a flawless look and to cover any of those skin “oops” of the week. Here are some of my personal favorite products for that natural look with a little polish. Here’s a list of everything I am wearing in the picture above.

• Mac Studio Fix in C3
• Benefit Boi-ing Concealer in 01 and 02
• Benefit Eye-Bright
• Stila Illuminating Powder
• Mac Creme Color Blush in Variety
• Stila Lip Glaze in Peach Mint
• Stila Eyeshadow in Kitten
• Mac Eyeshadow in Carbon
• Buxom Lash in Black

Having a bad skin day? We ALL get them. We are human! Zits don’t care if you make a billion dollars a year. Here’s a great gallery of Celebs Without Makeup that will make you feel like a million bucks.

Miss Dita Von Teese is still beautiful without makeup but as you can see she’s just a normal gal like the rest of us underneath it all. Above vanity, remember that it’s what’s inside that counts. We all are going to get older, it’s what we leave behind and the lives that we touch on the way. If there is one tip that I have to give for ultimate beauty… never leave home without your smile.