One thing that I learned from a fellow makeup enthusiast a long time before I got into makeup was how to make lip gloss last longer.
A lot of the time, when we "run out of lip gloss," we've really only used the half that the wand can reach. The rest is stuck to the sides. So how do you get that stuff off the sides and on your lips? It's really simple: hot water. Just fill a cup or glass with hot water and use a clothespin to hold the lip gloss bottle in the water, stopping right before where the bottle and the cap meet. Leave the gloss for five to ten minutes, when the gloss has melted from the top, then take it out and let it cool before using it again. This will add a good month or more to your gloss, depending on how much you use it.
I hope many of you out there in cyberspace find this useful.
-M
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Product(s) I'm Loving: Real Techniques Brushes (and NOT because she mentioned me on her Real Looks Blog)
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| Real Techniques Travel Essentials |
When working with makeup, it is essential to have good brushes, whether they are expensive like MAC or cheap like EcoTools. I have brushes in every price range and have favorites and those I don't reach for unless the rest are dirty. I hardly ever invest in a full set of any brand, but that changed with Real Techniques by Samantha Chapman. This is the first brush range where I got every single brush. (Not all at once, of course!) Here are a few overarching reasons why I love these brushes:
- They are 100% synthetic, so they are easy to clean and cruelty-free!
- All of the larger brushes have flat bottoms, so they can stand up on your table and their bristles don't roll in spilled makeup
- All of the multi-brush sets come in this pack that folds into a stand, holding all your brushes up, even those without flat bottoms
- They are all so soffffffft!
- They are all labeled for those who are new to makeup, even though you don't have to use the brushes as labeled.
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| Core Collection |
The only downside I have found in these brushes goes along with a reason I like them- the synthetic bristles are easy to clean, but they take forever to dry! That's the downside of any synthetic brush, but if that's the only flaw I could find, these brushes are doing well. Don't think I haven't tried to find something wrong just because I admire Sam Chapman.
Here are all of the brushes/brush sets:
- Blush Brush
- Core Collection
- Detailer Brush for concealer, but I love it as a lip brush
- Pointed foundation brush
- Buffing Brush (My favorite foundation brush!)
- Contour brush
- Slanted Foundation Brush
- Kabuki Brush (It's a fold-out, modeled after the Sephora one.)
- Lash/Brow Groomer
- Shading Brush for the eyes
- Travel Essentials
- Essential Foundation Brush
- Multi-Task Brush (Perfect for blush and/or powder if you need to limit the number of brushes you can carry.)
- Domed Shadow brush
- Starter Kit (for eyes)
- Base Shadow Brush
- Deluxe Crease Brush (I use it for concealer.)
- Accent Brush
- Eyeliner Brush (I don't like this one as much because I prefer an angled brush for eyeliner.)
- Brow Brush (I use it for eyeliner.)
- Stippling Brush (The most popular of the brushes. I had to try three times to get it!)
- Powder Brush
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| Starter Kit |
My Favorite Brushes:
- Buffing Brush- I love my foundation to be sheer and this brush does that job so well.
- Crease Brush (Used as a concealer brush)- It blends concealer a lot better than other brushes on me.
- Detail Brush (Used as a lip brush)- Small so I can outline and fill in my lips easily.
- Multitask Brush- It's fluffy enough to apply a sheer layer of powder, but dense enough to apply blush.
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| Stippling Brush |
If you have any questions about these brushes, don't hesitate to leave a comment and ask me!
-M
Note: This is not a sponsored blogpost. I wanted to rave about these products because I love working with them. I wish I was paid to promote them! Photos are screenshots from Ulta.com.
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Gel Moisturizers: Original vs. Cheaper vs. Natural
Let me preface this note:
I have the worst combination skin that needs special care so I take care of the oil slicks through my T-zone without irritating my cheeks and temples, which are dry and a bit sensitive. When I was buying my first Chanel foundation (I wanted to treat myself that day.), the lady who was applying the foundation on me noticed that my temples were dry and flaking a bit. She asked what moisturizer I used and I answered with Clinique's Dramatically Different Gel. She pointed out it wasn't doing the full job for me and that Clinique had a moisturizer that was a step up in moisture, but soaked in just as quickly as Dramatically Different. She went to the Clinique counter and came back with a 0.5 oz sample (Yes, that big of a sample.) of Moisture Surge. My first application was like a tall drink of water to my face, but it didn't leave a sticky layer like most moisturizers do on my skin. It only took a tiny bit of product to cover my face and neck as well, so that sample jar lasted about two and a half months.
I used Clinique for a few months and found out that Garnier was making a similar product called Moisture Rescue. Since I will use a cheaper product that is as good or better than an expensive product, I had to try it. The results of my find will be posted later in this post.
A little while later, I decided to go paraben-free in my products when I could and my beloved Clinique had methylparaben, which is not awful, but still a paraben. I searched high and low for another gel moisturizer and found Korres Pomegranate cream-gel moisturizer
So, which gel moisturizer works best? Well, that depends on you. The results posted below are what happened for me, so the results for you may be different, but if you have a really oily T-zone and really dry cheeks, these results will probably be the same for you.
Let's start with Garnier's Moisture Rescue. It comes in a 1.7 oz. jars for $5-$10 depending on where you live. While I can use a tiny pat of moisturizer from the expensive bands, I have to pile it on with this stuff. If you have normal skin to oily all over, this might be for you.
The Korres is a nice, natural option. It comes in 1.25 oz. jars for $32. It is creamier than the other two moisturizers and takes a tiny dab to cover everything. I loved the way it applied and thought I had found my replacement moisturizer...until thirty minutes later when I still felt a sticky layer of moisture on my face. It was too much for my skin for a day lotion, but it has made for a lovely night cream.
Clinique Moisture Surge is the best of the three I have used so far. It comes in two amounts: 1.7 oz. for $34 or 2.5 oz. for $46.50 It is light enough that it doesn't make my skin feel icky, but potent enough to fully moisturize my skin. This and the Korres moisturizer last for months and months!
Bottom line: Clinique's Moisture Surge is my holy grail moisturizer- the moisturizer I will reach for more often than not (especially for day)- Korres is my night cream and moisturizer I will use in any and all hotels (dry air city!), and I have since swapped my Garnier Moisturizer away.
I hope at least some of you found this helpful and that you find your holy-grail moisturizer!
-M
I have the worst combination skin that needs special care so I take care of the oil slicks through my T-zone without irritating my cheeks and temples, which are dry and a bit sensitive. When I was buying my first Chanel foundation (I wanted to treat myself that day.), the lady who was applying the foundation on me noticed that my temples were dry and flaking a bit. She asked what moisturizer I used and I answered with Clinique's Dramatically Different Gel. She pointed out it wasn't doing the full job for me and that Clinique had a moisturizer that was a step up in moisture, but soaked in just as quickly as Dramatically Different. She went to the Clinique counter and came back with a 0.5 oz sample (Yes, that big of a sample.) of Moisture Surge. My first application was like a tall drink of water to my face, but it didn't leave a sticky layer like most moisturizers do on my skin. It only took a tiny bit of product to cover my face and neck as well, so that sample jar lasted about two and a half months.
I used Clinique for a few months and found out that Garnier was making a similar product called Moisture Rescue. Since I will use a cheaper product that is as good or better than an expensive product, I had to try it. The results of my find will be posted later in this post.
A little while later, I decided to go paraben-free in my products when I could and my beloved Clinique had methylparaben, which is not awful, but still a paraben. I searched high and low for another gel moisturizer and found Korres Pomegranate cream-gel moisturizer
So, which gel moisturizer works best? Well, that depends on you. The results posted below are what happened for me, so the results for you may be different, but if you have a really oily T-zone and really dry cheeks, these results will probably be the same for you.
Let's start with Garnier's Moisture Rescue. It comes in a 1.7 oz. jars for $5-$10 depending on where you live. While I can use a tiny pat of moisturizer from the expensive bands, I have to pile it on with this stuff. If you have normal skin to oily all over, this might be for you.
The Korres is a nice, natural option. It comes in 1.25 oz. jars for $32. It is creamier than the other two moisturizers and takes a tiny dab to cover everything. I loved the way it applied and thought I had found my replacement moisturizer...until thirty minutes later when I still felt a sticky layer of moisture on my face. It was too much for my skin for a day lotion, but it has made for a lovely night cream.
Clinique Moisture Surge is the best of the three I have used so far. It comes in two amounts: 1.7 oz. for $34 or 2.5 oz. for $46.50 It is light enough that it doesn't make my skin feel icky, but potent enough to fully moisturize my skin. This and the Korres moisturizer last for months and months!
Bottom line: Clinique's Moisture Surge is my holy grail moisturizer- the moisturizer I will reach for more often than not (especially for day)- Korres is my night cream and moisturizer I will use in any and all hotels (dry air city!), and I have since swapped my Garnier Moisturizer away.
I hope at least some of you found this helpful and that you find your holy-grail moisturizer!
-M
Friday, July 15, 2011
Quick Fixes for Day-Of Disasters
It happens to all of us- there's a big event on the day when everything that could go wrong with your face happens. It is frustrating, but most things can be fixed if tackled first thing in the morning or right before makeup application. I'll present a few scenarios and their quick fixes. Note: these solutions are only temporary, perfect for day-of problems. Some of them are not recommended for long-term use.
Let's take it from the top:
Tired eyes: So, the night before a big party, dance, or event is always the night where you cannot get any sleep at all because of excitement, stress, or a cruel universe. Red eyes, dark circles, and puffiness can really bring down anyone. To counter the puffiness under the eyes, use a cream with caffeine in it or use two freshly used and cooled teabags. If you go the tea route, use green or white teabags to prevent staining your skin. For red eyes, there are so many eye drops on the market that target redness. My personal choice is Rhoto V Arctic. It wakes your eyes up because it's so cold-feeling and it makes your eyes look snow white! (It is not meant for everyday use, though. Only special occasions!) Dark circles can be taken care of by using a color corrector (Mentioned in a previous post.) and concealer. If you treat the puff in the morning and the rest right before makeup, no one will know about you staying up until 4 watching infomercials. ;)
Dry, flaky skin: Along with losing sleep, the air in your room seems to get extra dry in your room (very true of hotels) and it sucks all the moisture out of you. If your skin is just tight, use a moisturizer to replenish your skin. If you are also flaking, gently exfoliate with a little sugar (it's really gentle) and moisturize.
Acne: This one is tricky because there are so many forms, each of which need to be treated differently. If you have a whitehead that is ready to pop, wet a washcloth with warm water (hotter side of warm, really) and hold it gently on the blemish. If you're lucky, the head will soften and press out easily upon removal of the cloth. After clearing the gunk out, wash your face as normal and add a little spot treatment to the pimple's remains. If it is a weekend and you aren't going out until the evening for the event, you can take an extra step. Thirty minutes after the spot-treating, you can apply an antibiotic ointmet and an bandage to help the skin heal. If it's a whitehead that hasn't come to a head, do everything in the previous section minus the washcloth and extraction. If you have blackheads, use a pore strip before washing your face to really clear the pores and splash a little cold water or run an ice cube over the area.
Chapped lips: This is my biggest problem because my lips are notoriously dry. If I ever forget my lipbalm, my lips are screwed, especially if I want to wear a dramatic lip color that picks up any patchiness on my lips. If you wake up with this problem, run some moisturizer over your mouth and slather on lip balm. If you have flakes, use one that can exfoliate as well. Carmex is my night time treatment because it has just enough salicylic acid to take care of the flakes without drying my lips. Any lip balm is great for moisture, especially if it has cocoa or shea butter. Petroleum jelly works as well for taking care of dryness. When you get to you lips in your makeup routine, be sure to use a thin layer of lip balm as a layer of moisture before your lip product. Usually, I encourage trying different textures for lipstick, but one type that should not be used if your lips are chapped is matte lipstick. It is very drying and would just make you feel miserable. If you like the matte look, use a satin finish lipstick because it is very close to matte, but not as drying.
I hope that you all find these tips helpful to know but don't go through these problems before every special occasion!
-M
Let's take it from the top:
Tired eyes: So, the night before a big party, dance, or event is always the night where you cannot get any sleep at all because of excitement, stress, or a cruel universe. Red eyes, dark circles, and puffiness can really bring down anyone. To counter the puffiness under the eyes, use a cream with caffeine in it or use two freshly used and cooled teabags. If you go the tea route, use green or white teabags to prevent staining your skin. For red eyes, there are so many eye drops on the market that target redness. My personal choice is Rhoto V Arctic. It wakes your eyes up because it's so cold-feeling and it makes your eyes look snow white! (It is not meant for everyday use, though. Only special occasions!) Dark circles can be taken care of by using a color corrector (Mentioned in a previous post.) and concealer. If you treat the puff in the morning and the rest right before makeup, no one will know about you staying up until 4 watching infomercials. ;)
Dry, flaky skin: Along with losing sleep, the air in your room seems to get extra dry in your room (very true of hotels) and it sucks all the moisture out of you. If your skin is just tight, use a moisturizer to replenish your skin. If you are also flaking, gently exfoliate with a little sugar (it's really gentle) and moisturize.
Acne: This one is tricky because there are so many forms, each of which need to be treated differently. If you have a whitehead that is ready to pop, wet a washcloth with warm water (hotter side of warm, really) and hold it gently on the blemish. If you're lucky, the head will soften and press out easily upon removal of the cloth. After clearing the gunk out, wash your face as normal and add a little spot treatment to the pimple's remains. If it is a weekend and you aren't going out until the evening for the event, you can take an extra step. Thirty minutes after the spot-treating, you can apply an antibiotic ointmet and an bandage to help the skin heal. If it's a whitehead that hasn't come to a head, do everything in the previous section minus the washcloth and extraction. If you have blackheads, use a pore strip before washing your face to really clear the pores and splash a little cold water or run an ice cube over the area.
Chapped lips: This is my biggest problem because my lips are notoriously dry. If I ever forget my lipbalm, my lips are screwed, especially if I want to wear a dramatic lip color that picks up any patchiness on my lips. If you wake up with this problem, run some moisturizer over your mouth and slather on lip balm. If you have flakes, use one that can exfoliate as well. Carmex is my night time treatment because it has just enough salicylic acid to take care of the flakes without drying my lips. Any lip balm is great for moisture, especially if it has cocoa or shea butter. Petroleum jelly works as well for taking care of dryness. When you get to you lips in your makeup routine, be sure to use a thin layer of lip balm as a layer of moisture before your lip product. Usually, I encourage trying different textures for lipstick, but one type that should not be used if your lips are chapped is matte lipstick. It is very drying and would just make you feel miserable. If you like the matte look, use a satin finish lipstick because it is very close to matte, but not as drying.
I hope that you all find these tips helpful to know but don't go through these problems before every special occasion!
-M
Friday, July 8, 2011
Color I'm Loving: Orange
It is summer, friendly people! This is a time to try out bright colors and take risks with different looks...especially if you like shades of the 1980s. One color I am loving to wear is orange and colors close to it like melon and coral. These colors have been hot on the runways but unlike other lip colors, few want to wear this daring shade for fear of looking garish, tacky, and/or sickly. There is no need to be scared of the color because it can look gorgeous on many. Those who wear it need to find their right color because like any other colors, the undertones of the color makes all the difference. If you have cool-toned (more pink than yellow) skin, look for oranges with a little pink or red in them, like melon or coral. If you have warm skin (more yellow), a truer orange will look edgy and awesome on you. If you have beige skin...lucky ducks! You can wear any of the colors! Orange is one of those colors people do not expect in makeup because they take color so literally. The thing is, most people will not look good in straight-up orange. The trick is finding the right tones within the color.
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| I only did one eye because my eyeliner broke and I got frustrated |
The most popular way to wear orange on the runway is on the lips, but orange eyelids have been popping up a lot as well. If you are daring, color block it. Just pack on the color and finish with a gorgeous cat eyeliner. If you want a very wearable look, use the orange as a wash of color and use brown to tone it down in a pretty smokey eye. Depending on the brown, this can be a look for summer or autumn. In the summer, don't go as dark- it will look too harsh.
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| This was my favorite look |
When wearing color on the lips, it depends on how much edge you want to determine your look. If you want to look sweet with subtle color- go for a stain, a little bolder- layer a gloss on it, and if you want to go all rock-star- wear one of the rockin' lipsticks out there!
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| Stained lips and cheeks |
Last, melon/coral cheeks have been catching on in makeup. Keep it very subtle with this feature because it can edge on weird-old-lady very quickly. Just add a slight flush to the apples of your cheeks and you will look so sweet!
If you are unsure of where to start with orange, I would suggest starting slowly with a sheer formula, whether it is a cheek or lip stain. If you are bold, go for one of the great orange lipsticks out there! I have a few choice products for all levels to try.
Subtle and sexy:
Josie Maran Lipstain in Jive*
NEW! (I haven't tried it, but it looks amazing!) Benefit Cha-Cha Tint Lip/Cheekstain
Revlon Superlustrous Lipgloss in Firecracker
Revlon Colorstay Lipgloss in Continuous Coral
Revlon Just Bitten Lipstain in (I think it's called) Daybreak
Bold and Beautiful:
Prestige Lip Liner in Poppy
Covergirl Natureluxe in Anemone
Makeup Forever Aqua Lip Liner in Bright Orange 17C
NARS Lipstick in Heat Wave*
Givenchy Rouge Interdit Satin Lipstick in 13 Tempting Orange and 14 Fruity Orange
Makeup Forever Eyeshadow in Orange Coral Matte 5, Tangerine 18, Cantaloupe 24*, Pearly Orange 25
Makeup Forever Aquacream in Orange
* Worn in one of the photos
I hope this helps any of you who were debating on using orange in your summer makeup and those who didn't think orange was plausible for off the runway. If you have any questions about working with this color or any other bright, please leave a comment or send me a message. I'd be happy to elaborate for those who want more information.
By the way, all the brushes I used for these looks- eye brushes for a brown smoky eye with the stain and color block, and stippling foundation brush- are Real Techniques brushes. They are makeup brushes created by one of my favorite Youtube beauty gurus: Sam from Pixiwoo! I will write a post about her brushes next because I've used them enough to have a strong opinion.
Take chances, make mistakes, and stay beautiful!
-M
* Worn in one of the photos
I hope this helps any of you who were debating on using orange in your summer makeup and those who didn't think orange was plausible for off the runway. If you have any questions about working with this color or any other bright, please leave a comment or send me a message. I'd be happy to elaborate for those who want more information.
By the way, all the brushes I used for these looks- eye brushes for a brown smoky eye with the stain and color block, and stippling foundation brush- are Real Techniques brushes. They are makeup brushes created by one of my favorite Youtube beauty gurus: Sam from Pixiwoo! I will write a post about her brushes next because I've used them enough to have a strong opinion.
Take chances, make mistakes, and stay beautiful!
-M
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Lip Tip I Learned From Beauty Blogging Blonde
Those of you who know me know that I love many Youtube beauty gurus, especially those from the United Kingdom. I was watching a video by Millmollmac (Beauty Blogging Blonde on Blogspot) and she said something that really got my attention because I could relate. She was talking about paling out her lips so the true color of the lipstick she was putting on would come through and would be more saturated. When you have very pigmented lips, colors can go a little screwy. She suggested using eye primer to pale the lips as well as prime them. That is such a simple and perfect step! Eye primers set a lot faster than foundation and really adhere to skin and they bring out the colors of eyeshadows, so why not lip colors?
I love learning new makeup tips and tricks! Don't you?\
-M
I love learning new makeup tips and tricks! Don't you?\
-M
Quick Tip: A Double Duty Product
If you have a busy day ahead of you, you do not need a ton of products to sift through just to look your best. I would suggest having a work cosmetics space with just a few products. One particular product that should be in that pile is a lipstain in a neutral-pink color. This can be used on your lips to even out the color and as a long-lasting blush! I suggest neutral-pink because the color is most believable, but if you like working with other colors (or if you are one of the few people that doesn't look good in neutral pink), use the other colors.
When using the stain as a blush, you want to create a light flush that makes you look alive in all lights, even the horrible fluorescent lights of work, so taking a stain and applying it directly is not ideal. To get a natural flush, color a bit of the stain onto a makeup sponge, blot it on a tissue 1-2 times, then stipple it onto the apples of your cheeks.
When using the stain on your lips, it can get easy for the color to drift, so line the outside of your lips with lip balm to prevent feathering. Swipe the color gently on your lips and blot the excess color with a makeup sponge. When the color is dry, wipe the balm from the outside of your lips and swipe a balm or lipgloss on your lips to lock the color in and to make your lips feel more comfortable. Stains can be very drying, so balms are lifesavers!
Some of my favorite lipstains:
Revlon Just Bitten- It has a balm on the end so you have your color and conditioning all in one!
BeneFit BeneTint- Originally designed for an exotic dancer to put on her nipples (No joke!) and one of the best stains on the market! Also available are the sister stains PosieTint and Cha-Cha Tint
Josie Maran Lipstain- It has a little argan oil in it so it is not as drying as others without a balm
Tarte Lipsurgence- Available in regular tint, matte, and shimmer. They are more like tinted balms that leave a stain, but that is not a complaint! NOTE: This is not good for cheeks, but it is still lovely on lips.
Tarte Cheek Stain- Dries quicker than Lipsurgence, but is not moisturizing, so this definitely needs balm.
Hope you all find this useful!
-M
When using the stain as a blush, you want to create a light flush that makes you look alive in all lights, even the horrible fluorescent lights of work, so taking a stain and applying it directly is not ideal. To get a natural flush, color a bit of the stain onto a makeup sponge, blot it on a tissue 1-2 times, then stipple it onto the apples of your cheeks.
When using the stain on your lips, it can get easy for the color to drift, so line the outside of your lips with lip balm to prevent feathering. Swipe the color gently on your lips and blot the excess color with a makeup sponge. When the color is dry, wipe the balm from the outside of your lips and swipe a balm or lipgloss on your lips to lock the color in and to make your lips feel more comfortable. Stains can be very drying, so balms are lifesavers!
Some of my favorite lipstains:
Revlon Just Bitten- It has a balm on the end so you have your color and conditioning all in one!
BeneFit BeneTint- Originally designed for an exotic dancer to put on her nipples (No joke!) and one of the best stains on the market! Also available are the sister stains PosieTint and Cha-Cha Tint
Josie Maran Lipstain- It has a little argan oil in it so it is not as drying as others without a balm
Tarte Lipsurgence- Available in regular tint, matte, and shimmer. They are more like tinted balms that leave a stain, but that is not a complaint! NOTE: This is not good for cheeks, but it is still lovely on lips.
Tarte Cheek Stain- Dries quicker than Lipsurgence, but is not moisturizing, so this definitely needs balm.
Hope you all find this useful!
-M
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