Thursday, June 16, 2011

Celebrity Makeovers

Hi Everyone!

I want to post some tutorials for celebrity makeovers - message me and let me know who's look you love and want to try on yourself! I will be posting a tutorial soon!

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Perfect Tanning Oil for the Summer

Memorial weekend just passed - and I've started bronzing my beautiful skin. While most blogs will tell you to slap on the sunscreen, no less than SPF 25 or 30, I find that going for a little less protection is pretty beneficial.

For someone light skinned, like myself, every little thing shows through. Red pock marks from acne scars, bug bites, even bruises from walking into furniture (I tend to do that pretty often). A nice, golden tan camoflages any mishap I may stumble upon.

It's hard to find a good tanning cream or oil that won't clog your pores, cause a rash, or make you look greasy. However, I've found the most amazing little bottle of magic: Hawaiian Tropic Tanning Dry Oil, SPF 12. I've never been so in love with a sun product before!

This tanning oil comes in a spray bottle, perfect for easy application. Although you shouldn't have to do anything but spray, I often rub this product into my skin, just so it gets absorbed a bit before you get your tan on. Unlike other tanning oils, however, this oil is dry, and will not leave you greasy.

Enriched with antioxidants, aloe and botanicals, this tanning oil is good for your skin. It makes you glow (even with your fresh color from sitting in the sun) and leaves your skin feeling soft. Pores are left clog free, and your skin is left in better condition than it was before.

My favorite thing about this dry oil is it's smell. When you spray this, it doesn't have the classic sunscreen smell - it smells like a bit of coconut heaven. And the smell stays! As you sit outside and relax, the smell continues to linger, which makes me feel a bit more luxurious.

The SPF 12 in this is just enough protection to keep you from burning when you sit out for shorter periods of time. Leave this product for your lazy days. Switch off from being in the sun to sitting in the shade for a bit, and make sure you re-apply. If you feel yourself getting burnt, cover up.

If you are planning on being outside all day, you may want to go with a higher SPF. Good thing Hawaiian Tropic makes SPF 30 and 50. They've even come out with a new SPF 20 lotion that has mica flecks in it, giving your skin a beautiful glow in the sunlight.

I find Hawaiian Tropic products at Walgreens, Target and Walmart. The oil goes for about $10, and lasts for quite a while.

Next time you're looking for a natural glow, give this product a whirl! You won't be disappointed!

Photo courtesy of http://www.hawaiiantropic.com

Monday, May 23, 2011

Spicing Up Your Makeup in the Office Place

Like many of you, I’m one of the millions of people that gets up every morning to go to my 9 – 5, leaving fun makeup and bright colors for weekends only. Well, this is just not enough for me to let my makeup freak flag fly, and I’m sure so many of you feel the same. So how do we express ourselves without our bosses thinking we’re psychos?

Unfortunately, you should leave the bright, neon or super dramatic eye shadows for the weekends. While you may think that your bright blue or green eye shadow is not distracting, it can be, and can also make you seem very unprofessional. Most of the people that visit my site won’t judge you on your expressive eye makeup, but others, who aren’t as into it as us, most likely will.

How do you show some color without covering the whole lid then? A smooth sweep of colored eyeliner can be all you need to brighten your look up. Pair this with some natural eye shadow and you’re set! To keep you look sleek and sexy, steer clear of pencils that can leave a harsh look. You can purchase great liquid eyeliners from Tarte or Makeup Forever – but I usually choose to use my wet/dry eye shadows. Not sure which color to pick to make your eyes stand out the most? Here are some tips:

Blue Eyes: Copper, Bronze, Brown, Eggplant
Green Eyes: Gold, Eggplant/Purple, Brown, Bronze
Brown Eyes: Blue, Eggplant/Purple, Burnt Orange
Hazel Eyes: Brown, Bronze, Copper, Gold, Eggplant/Purple

To emphasize the color on your eyeliner the most, stick with a simple and light color on your lids. I usually apply matte taupe across my entire lid, and then a slightly darker matte brown in my crease. Be sure to blend these well with a soft shading brush.

When applying your colored eyeliner, start with a very thin line (I use my angle brush to apply mine, but the applicator on your liquid eyeliner can work as well). If you are using liquid eyeliner, apply some mascara before, and be careful not to brush passed your lashes when applying – this can make your mascara look clumpy and make your eyelashes stick together. Wing it out for a cute retro look.

I always use black eyeliner on my waterline, even if I use colored eyeliner on top. This will further define the eye, especially if you’re using a lighter colored line on top. It’s your choice on whether or not you want to line the bottom waterline. I opt against it usually, bringing more attention to my sexy lids.
Last step – apply your mascara. I usually go with two or three coats, making sure I define each individual lash as best as possible. Be careful when applying. You don’t want to get any black residue on your lid by being sloppy with your mascara brush!

Finish with a simple lip and you’re set!

I’m sure you will have all of your coworkers jealous of your beauty…or, should I say, even MORE jealous!

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Just in Time for Prom Season!

It’s that time of year again…that special time when high school junior and senior girls start stressing – prom is right around the corner and there’s no amount of preparing you feel like you can do to make this day go smoothly. Well, that’s wrong. While this is an important day, it’s important to remember what really matters. Being with friends, feeling confident and, of course, looking amazing for prom night.
So how do you look your best for prom? The first step is a big one that may take a conscious effort to complete – STOP STRESSING! Not only is stress bad for your studies (finals are coming up soon…) but it also takes a toll on your body. Stress can cause you to break out, even for those who normally don’t have acne problems. This doesn’t just mean on your face, either – body acne is caused by stress as well. And no one wants to be wearing a beautiful strapless dress with huge red growths all over their chest or back, and chances are, whatever you are worried about will work itself out in the end.

If this message reached you too late and your body acne is already flaring up, there’s still time to save your skin. First, don’t over-wash. Ridding your body of all its natural oils makes your skin more susceptible to dirt entering your pores. Dirt in pores = acne flare ups. I’ve always passed up the body washes that are made to banish bacne, and used the same toner I used on my face to dry up any unsightly spots. Use something gentle – like Clinique’s Toning Lotion (I use #2). Keep to it for about a week and your skin will look good as new.
And if you’re experiencing acne on your face, do not, and I mean it, DO NOT, switch anything in your routine. Changing skin care products can give you a bad reaction, and it actually takes your skin around six weeks to readjust to a new product. In those six weeks, you can get more than a few bumps as your skin adjusts. So stick to your daily regimen, even if you feel that zit won’t be gone for the big night. I promise it will!

One of the most important things on prom, second to your dress, is how your makeup and hair look. Let’s talk makeup first. There are a few things you should remember:
There will be TONS of pictures being taken of you. Try not to wear too dark of a color on your eyes, and steer clear of heavy eyeliner. This will make your eyes appear smaller, especially when your eyes are scrunched from smiling.
While super shimmery shadows look amazing in real life, they don’t shoot that well. Ever notice how most eye shadows for weddings are matte colors? It’s so you can see the color in pictures, not the reflection off of your eye from the flash. Try great matte or pearlescent colors, which look flawless in photography.

Pick a makeup artist with experience! Everyone calls themselves a makeup artist these days – be sure to pick someone who has a portfolio you can view before deciding, who will do a trial on you if requested, and someone who listens to you. Nothing is worse than getting your makeup done by someone who does what they want, not what YOU want.
As for your skin, use something with light reflecting properties – use bronzer under cheekbones and highlighting powder right above your blush – your skin will look perfect.

Go easy on the hairspray. When you pay for an updo, you want it to stay throughout the night and after. The biggest mistake most women make, however, is to over-starch your hair with hairspray. If you do, and a curl falls out, good luck using your curling iron to fix it. Not only will it stick to the barrel, but it will most likely look creased and crispy when you’re done.
My suggestion? Use a non-aerosol hairspray (so hard for me to say that, I love me some Aquanet!) with medium to strong hold. Suave has come out with a great line of Professional products that are easy on your budget and work great, pick up one of these at your local drug store and keep it handy until you leave.
Most importantly, make sure to have fun. This only comes around, well, for most people, once in your life, so make your night worthwhile. Don’t touch your face on the dance floor, and if your hair starts to fall, just go with it! Sometimes messy updo’s are sexy!

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Matching Your Makeup to Your Clothing - Is It A No Go?

Lately I've been concentrating a lot on my wardrobe, attempting to make myself look a little less sloppy than I have been in the past couple of years. I've bought things I never imagined I would wear, in colors I've never dared go near. I love wearing gray and black, which are great because you can do any makeup you want and it'll still work.

So yesterday I was faced with a dilemma that I never really thought about before. I was wearing a green argile sweater: bright green with light green diamonds on it. Somehow the idea of wearing Being True's Malachite and Serpentine shadows (which both matched the colors in my sweater perfectly) seemed like a good idea. A little bell inside my head rang, however, and I decided to go with a neutral eye.

Somewhere, some time in my life, I was told not to match my shadow to my clothing. But why? Who the hell made this up, and why did I listen? While it may be a little ridiculous to match EVERYTHING on your face to your clothing, is it really that bad to match your shadow to your shirt? If I wore my green shadows with my sweater, would I be arrested by the makeup police?

I'd like to think I know a great deal about everything beauty, but somehow I can't decide if this is right or not. What do you guys think? Do you match your shadows to your shirt? Your lipstick? How much is too much?

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

New Year - New Update!

Hey y'all!! I'm sorry I haven't written since Christmas, things have been so busy over here! I got a new 9 - 5, which I started January 3, and have been busy trying all my new toys that I got on Christmas. Thanks to my great family and boyfriend, my makeup collection has been expanded even further (not that it needed to be!)

First off, my brother bought me the Shakira perfume and body lotion set I've been dying for. It smells amazing! Hints of jasmine, vanilla and sandalwood fill your nostrils when you spray this beautifully light scent. My favorite thing about it? The adorable "S" bottle jewelry that keeps the sprayer closed when you're not using it. This makes Shakira's S an easy fragrance to travel with. I haven't stopped spraying since Christmas!

My mother bought me a different Shany pallet with some great shadows in it. It encompasses a bajillion colors, so I can change it up everyday. Unfortunately, they aren't as bright and obnoxious as I would have hoped, but it'll help me subtly show off my skills and personality in my office! Beware: you need to use an all natural brush for these suckers or the color doesn't come out of the brush. Try a squirrel hair shadow brush for best results. I will be posting a tutorial soon using shadows from the  pallet!

My mother also bought me an AMAZING brush set by Shany Cosmetics (one of my favs, if you couldn't tell) that has everything any human could possibly need in it. While I have a collection of great tried and true brushes, this set, complete with leather roll up case, will be perfect to use on clients. Since they all have their own little slot, it's easy to see which ones are missing so you don't forget anything!

And the grand finale...my love for my boyfriend exploded on Christmas day. After listening to me talk about makeup and tons of other stuff he doesn't give a crap about, he remembered the one thing I was dying for...the TEMPTU! This airbrush machine comes with airpods that easily switch out for perfect foundation, blush/bronzer and highlighter application. He bought me the complete set, which comes with two foundation pods (somehow he knew my color perfectly), a blush and highlighter that are picked out with the foundation you choose. My colors were Pale Pink and Champagne.

For those of you who aren't informed about the Temptu airbrushing system, it's a great, user friendly way to apply airbrush foundation at home. The Temptu features 'pods' that have the nozzle built right in - a great and revolutionary idea that saves you tons of money and makeup. Unlike other airbrush foundation tools, this built in nozzle allows you to switch easily between products (or colors) without cleaning out the nozzle each time. This allows you to actually USE the makeup you buy.

Currently, foundations ($55), blushes ($30) and highlighters ($35) are available for the system from Sephora, their own website and amazon.com. I've written to the company and was told that eyeshadows should be coming out for it around August (there goes all my money...)

I am absolutely in love with the Temptu. Although this won't be an everyday product (I dilly dally with it too much, no time for dilly dallying before work...) I use it every chance I get. No doubt this weekend my Temptu will be getting a great workout...this Saturday is my birthday! I want to rock perfect makeup and flawless skin from Friday to Sunday, and with the help of the Temptu I know people will be jealous of me. Tutorial will be coming soon!

Since I got the new job, I won't be able to update as much as I have been in the past. I will attempt to update as much as I can, and I will try to update every Saturday with video tutorials. Please give me suggestions on what you'd like to see!

Friday, December 24, 2010

1st Day of Christmas

Today is Christmas Eve, my favorite day of the year! All of the kids will be super excited with anticipation of Santa, and I get to see family I only see once a year. Today's article will be short, I have way too much to do today!

I've saved the most simple, but important, tasks you need to do to look absolutely perfect for Christmas. Pick your shades! Pick your shadows, blush and lip color, and have them all ready to apply easily for Christmas. Chances are you will be extra busy tomorrow and won't have that much time to coordinate all your colors, so doing it a day ahead will give you a little relief tomorrow.

Pick shades that work best for your coloring. Something warm and festive, but try to stay neutral in one area. You know how they say neutral eye, dark lip and dark eyes, neutral lip? Stick with it, don't wind up looking like a Christmas nightmare.

I will be working a snow princess-esque look with icy, pearly white and grey smokey eyes and a light pink lip. I'm keeping the bronzer off and working extra highlighted and light pink blush.

What are your shades for Christmas? Have a wonderful holiday everyone!