Archive for October, 2010
Choosing the Best Eye Concealer for You
Written by Kimberly in: Makeup
29 Oct 2010
Boy oh boy do I love my eye concealer… it’s the best! Its been my saving grace on more than one occasion! What exactly is a concealer? A concealer is a gem of a makeup product that can cover a multitude of sins like dark circles under eyes, imperfections and blemishes. It usually comes in a cream or liquid form or the occasional powder. The best eye concealers can also help with puffiness and fine lines and/or have anti-aging properties.
I honestly don’t think that everyone has to have a concealer, but if you have dark circles, or need to have more than your foundation to cover your imperfections, then you could really benefit from an eye concealer. Also, you really shouldn’t really be using your foundation around your eyes because it’s not Opthamologist tested and could irritate your eyes while a good eye cream is much more likely to be tested.
I like to apply my concealer with my fingers after I have my foundation on. I think every make-up artist will have on opinion about whether you put the concealer on first, or the foundation. There really is no right or wrong answer, but I like to apply the concealer second because I feel that it blends better. I do occasionally use a concealer brush to help blend the concealer into my skin.
What formula of eye cream you get depends on how much coverage you need. The best eye concealers should cover without looking cakey or settle into lines and wrinkles. It should wear well all day with out fading, or separating on your skin.
If you need a full, heavy coverage, then you’ll want to go with a cream concealer like the Benefit Cosmetics Boi-ing. This concealer covers any flaw, even the darkest circles, and wears beautifully. If you need minimal to no coverage, then you should go with more of a liquid formula. These can come with a wand applicator, like Dior’s DiorSkin Sculpt Lifting Smoothing Concealer
, or in a luminizing pen like the Yves Saint Laurent TOUCHE ÉCLATRadiant Touch
. These concealers are great for minimal coverage while brightening and helping to erase signs of fatigue. My very favorite concealer of all time is Lancome’s Effacernes Waterproof Protective Undereye Concealer
So that’s the basics on concealer. I know it’s one of my top secrets in my daily make up routine. What’s yours?
- (3) Comments
- Tags: concealer, eye cream
Fabulous Brows Part 2 of 2 – Eyebrow Color
Written by Kimberly in: Makeup
28 Oct 2010
Now that you have perfectly shaped brows (you did read Part 1 of Fabulous Brows – Eyebrow Shaping, didn’t you?), you might think that your brows are complete… but not yet!
It’s time to fill in those beautiful brows with a little eyebrow color. A brow color helps to define your brows and make an even more fabulous frame for your eyes. Are you excited?! Well you should be because now your brows will be more gorgeous than ever!
OK, first, you’ll need to choose a color. You want to match your brow color to your hair, so you will be either blond, brunette, red headed, or gray/white. Those of you with lighter hair (blond, red headed, or white) need to be careful not to go too light on your brow color. If your brow is too light, it will wash you out, so you’ll want to go a shade darker than your hair. Darker hair will have the opposite problem, you don’t want to go too dark because it can look too harsh as well be aging, so you’ll need to go a shade lighter than your hair.
There are a several different forms of brow color. Here are some of my favorite:
- Eyebrow Pencil
A classic! You have a lot of control with a brow pencil and can be very precise. Just be careful that it doesn’t look too harsh and artificial. I really love the Anastasia Brow Pencil
because it goes on velvety smooth and blends easily.
- Eyebrow powders
This is actually my favorite way to get color on my brows because of how quick and easy it is to apply, it stays on forever and looks very soft and natural. Some eyebrow powders come with a wax, but I find those to be messy and a bit hard to work with. Give me my plain ‘ol brow powder any day! I can’t be without the Elizabeth Arden Dual Perfection Brow Shaper and Eyeliner
. (I get mine in Sable)
- Eyebrow gels
These are lightweight gels that brush on your eyebrows with either a tint of color, or they can also be clear. You can use them alone, or over a pencil or powder. One that I like is the Lancome Modele Sourcils Brow Groomer
.
Whatever formula you choose, just make sure to apply it in short, feathering strokes in order to mimic or imitate your natural brow, especially if you have little or no brow hairs. The idea is for the brow color to look like a part of your actual brow, not drawn in or traced on.
Tip If you’re in a rush and can’t find your eyebrow color, you can use an eye shadow instead. Just pick a shade close to your hair and apply it to your brows with a brush or Q-tip.
Still having doubts about using eyebrow color? Well then here’s a fun little experiment: Apply the eyebrow color to only one brow and take a step back. Look at your eyes in the mirror, not your brows. Which one do you notice first? I promise you it will be the one with the brow color. Not only will it stand out more, but the color will be more prominent. Believe me yet?
I hope I’ve helped to shed some light on the subject of eyebrow color and why you should use it. I know it can be scary if you’ve never done it before, but once you start, your eyes will feel naked without it!
- (1) Comment
- Tags: eyebrows, makeup
Fabulous Brows Part 1 of 2 – Eyebrow Shaping
Written by Kimberly in: Hair Care
27 Oct 2010
Imagine, if you will, that your eyes are a beautiful picture… the windows to your soul, so they say. Now imagine your eyebrows as a frame to that beautiful picture. That’s what a well-shaped brow can do: Enhance and bring out your eyes, just as a frame does for a beautiful painting. Taking the time for a great eyebrow shaping can make all the difference in the world to how your eyes look.
As you may have noticed, eyebrow trends tend to change from thick to thin. I say don’t stress about what’s in with eyebrow trends, but rather focus on what works best for you. Don’t fight Mother Nature! If you have naturally thick brows, then go with it! If your brows are thin, then that’s okay too. What you don’t want is a messy, unkempt brow. You want your brows to be neat and trim; your eyebrows should be natural looking, not over groomed.
So how do you achieve this perfectly shaped eyebrow? Well, you can go to a salon or a licensed aesthetician to get your brows done professionally. Or, if you’re brave or just want to save some money you can do them yourself. Here are a few simple guidelines for those of you who want to try your hand at eyebrow shaping:
- Eyebrow symmetry.
Nobody’s brows are perfectly symmetrical so don’t waste your time an energy trying to get them to look exactly the same. Someone once told me your brows should look like sisters, not twins.
- Find where your brow should start and stop.
A great way to find out is to hold a long pencil or brush against the side of your nose and where the brush meets the brow is the starting point. You can mark the spot with an eyeliner or brow pencil as a reference for a starting point. To find out where they should end, once again take the pencil or brush and place it against your nose, but this time extend it to the outer corner of the eye. Where the pencil meets the brush is where your brow should end. Again, mark it with a pencil to help as a guide.
- Find your brow arch.
Most people have a natural arch to their brow line, but if you need help finding it, once again hold our good friend, Mr. Pencil against your nose. But this time angle the pencil diagonal across the outer half of the iris, where the brow meets the pencil is where your arch should be. Don’t forget to mark the spot with a pencil to help guide you.
- Start tweezing!
Now that you know where to stop and start, you’ll need a good pair of tweezers… preferably ones with a sharp, slanted tip to help grab the little hairs. (My favorite one is the Slant Tweezer by Tweezerman
) Use the pencil marks as your guide for shaping your eyebrows, and remember to keep the brow thicker on the inner corner, and taper it out to be thinner on the outer corner. Don’t tweeze your eyebrows too much! You can always go back and tweeze some more, but you can’t (as I’m certain we’ve all unfortunately discovered) add more hair on!
Tip If you feel you need a little help with your eyebrow shaping, there’s a tool called a brow stencil. This is an actual stencil that you hold up to your face and trace the shape onto your brow and use that as your guide. It’s a great tool to take some of the guess work out of how to shape your brows. Anastasia at Sephora is a great company for brow stencils as well as anything that’s brow-related.
Eyebrows are often ignored or overlooked, but they can make a huge impact on your overall look. A well shaped eyebrow is so much more sophisticated and sexy than an unkempt one. So now that you have the know how, go out there and wow ‘em with your beautiful brows!
- (1) Comment
- Tags: eyebrow shaping, eyebrows, how-to, tweezers
Picking the Best Blush for You
Written by Kimberly in: Makeup
26 Oct 2010
Blush, blushers, cheek colors… they’re all the same thing. They’re a powder, cream, or liquid stain make up designed to give your face a natural looking flush, or blush if you will, to perk you up when you’re feeling blah and washed out. Blush is a fabulous tool to have in your beauty bag of tricks to prevent you from looking pasty and pale. The right blush should give you a lovely, healthy glow as if you just came in from being outside on a cold, brisk day.
When to Use Blush
Blush is definitely something you should use everyday. Without it, your face will look unfinished, monotone, and plain. Adding a little blush will perk up your pretty face and make you look glowing, healthy, and radiant. Now who doesn’t want that?! The right blush can do all those things, but let’s talk about what you don’t want your blush to do.
How to Pick a Blush
You don’t want the color of your blush to be too dark, or too light, but somewhere in the middle. It should be a color very similar to the shade your cheeks turn when you blush naturally. (Blush: It’s not just a clever name!) A blusher that’s too dark can sometimes look like a bruise on your face, while one that’s too light won’t show up at all. You also want to be careful of the brown toned blushes; they can sometimes look muddy or dirty on your skin. I recommend picking a blush that’s more in the pink family because it will look much softer and more natural, which is exactly what you want. You want people to notice how gorgeous you are, not what blush color you’re wearing. In fact, that should be the last thing on their mind!
Tip For perfect blush application, apply your blush in the “apple”, or fleshy part of your cheek in circular motions and sweep up your cheek bone. Make sure you blend so you don’t have a streak of blush on your face and also make sure that your color is even on both sides. Now you have a lovely, healthy glow! 
Recommended Blush Products
As far as choosing a blush, there are many, many options. Try to not feel overwhelmed your first time out, because having different choices is a very good thing. Here are some of my favorites:
- NARS Blush in Orgasm
This world famous blush is truly the most universal color I’ve ever seen. Anyone can wear it, and it has a wonderfully smooth, pinky-peach color with a tiny bit of shimmer for a soft, glowy look. Love it!
- Lancome Blush Subtil in Pink Pool
This is a gorgeous, sparkling pink that gives you a shimmering, radiant glow. It blends in easily and lasts and lasts!
- Benefit Sugarbomb
I love this one because it has four fabulous shades of rose, shimmering pink, soft plum, and peach. Again, very universal and you can customize your color every day. They also make great eyeshadows!
- Laura Mercier Second Skin Cheek Colour
This is the most mistake proof blush, you seriously can’t mess it up! It applies seamlessly and effortlessly, and makes you appear as if you’re lit from with in. It’s a truly amazing blush.
So now, I hope you all go out there and make yourself blush! Try them on, check out different brands and as always, trust your instincts, you’ll know what looks good and what doesn’t. I hope you can discover what a difference a fabulous blush can make!
.- (5) Comments
- Tags: blush, blusher, cheek color, makeup
Lip gloss!
Written by Kimberly in: Makeup
25 Oct 2010
I love lip gloss! Wearing it makes me feel beautiful and sexy, and once I slide it across my lips I start to feel really feminine. I love it any way I can get it: colored or clear, thick or thin, very sheer or highly pigmented. Lip gloss is definitely one of those makeup products that can lift my spirits! Perhaps it’s the way my lips look all luscious and kissable, or the way it feels so silky and sumptuous.
Some people may feel that lip gloss isn’t for them, and that’s OK, but if you’re on the fence about them, I urge to to give lip gloss a try! You, too, can feel sexy and feminine! And if you’re getting tired of the same old lipstick, a good lip gloss can take that hard, matte lip and instantly transform it into something super sexy.
If you’re not certain where to start, try a simple, clear gloss, or a very light, sheer color, that you can wear alone, or with a liner, or even over a favorite lipstick. Some women think that after a certain age, lip gloss isn’t really appropriate, but I feel that there’s no age limit on lip gloss. If you like it, wear it! It’s such a great way to add a little sparkle and texture to your face as well as a quick and easy way to add a little color to your complexion, and most of the time, you don’t even need to look in the mirror to do it!
I have so many, and love so many, (I’ve actually never met a gloss I didn’t like) but here are a few of my very favorites:
- Lancome Juicy Tubes
, in any and all forms. They stay on a really long time and I’ve never, ever had one bleed.
- Philosophy Holiday Collection Lip Shine Set
(or any flavor). These Philosophy glosses also have a great staying power and they taste delicious! I look forward to see what flavors they have every year.
- I like Dior Addict Ultra Gloss
because it has a wonderful high pigment that lasts a long time, even with out lip liner.
- The Chanel Glossimers
are fabulously luxurious and wear more like a liquid lipstick than a lip gloss. I could go on and on but you’ve got to try it yourself to see why the Glossimers are so great.
Tip Apply a nude lip liner all over your lips before your lip gloss. Doing so not only prevents feathering and bleeding, but using the lip liner makes a great base for the lip gloss to anchor to and give you much longer wear.
Lip gloss is fun, flirty and fabulous. It gives you that “little something extra” like nothing else can. It brightens, it softens, it sparkles, it shines. It can lighten up a dark lipstick, or give new life to an old one. I love everything about lip gloss, and I know you will too.
- (4) Comments
- Tags: lip gloss, lip liners, makeup
- Kimberly: Hi Alyssa!I don't think the undertone of red matters as much as the hue. What I mean is a darker r [...]
- Kimberly: Annabel,First of all, thank you for your comment. Yes, I do see where you're coming from, but I t [...]
- Alyssa: I have narrow lips, so I'm not sure if I can pull off a bright red lipstick (with a more blue under [...]
- Victoria: I think Jennifer should continue doing exactly what she's doing, and I'm really glad she shared her [...]
- Annabel: From the age of about sixteen until quite recently, I wore makeup every day. Concealer, foundation, [...]
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