Strong Winged Liner and Orange Lips

Bold makeup is always fun to create and look at. Here I paired an intense cat eye with a bright orange lip. To make this look more wearable, you can choose to try out one of the features on its own or just soften the makeup as a whole. It's important to keep the skin looking fresh and youthful with such a heavy look, so I picked a lightweight foundation and highlighted the skin for added dimension.

PRODUCT LIST:

1. Becca Backlight Priming Filter

2. Becca Aqua Luminous Perfecting Foundation

3. Givenchy Mister Light Corrective Pen

4. Becca Liquid Shimmering Skin Perfectors in 'Moonstone' & 'Pearl'

5. Make Up For Ever Brow Seal (the absolute best brow gel ever)

6. Make Up For Ever HD Cream Blush in #210 & #225

7. Givenchy Liner Couture Precision Felt Tip Pen

8. Maybelline Color Sensational Vivid Lipstick in 'Electric Orange'

What is the boldest look that you have tried?

Turn Any Lipstick Matte

Here is a quick and easy way to mattify any lipstick. This trick will turn any of your glossy shades into classic mattes and will help prolong the wear of any lipstick. Read on to find out how to do it in less than a minute, and watch the video at the end to see how easy it really is!

1. Apply your favorite shade of lipstick

2. Peel apart a tissue so that it becomes single-ply and see through.

3. Place the tissue against your lips and lightly dust them with a silica based powder.

 4. Watch the video below for a visual explanation :)

Have you tried this trick? What are your other favorite ways of making lipstick last?

Purple & Black Rocker Smokey Eye

Smokey eyes with a pop of color are one of my favorite looks to create! You can do this with any color combination and it will look great. I started with standard smokey greys & blacks and then added a metallic purple to give the look an edge. Read on to find out what products I used!

Eyes
1. Prime the eyes to ensure vibrant and crease-proof color payoff; I used Benefit Stay Don't Stray.
2. Blend a light, neutral toned matte brown into the crease, I mixed 'Naked' and 'Buck' together (from the Naked 1 palette).
3. Blend a deep matte plum into the outer corners of the eye and bring it lightly into the crease, I used a shade by Ben Nye.
4. Now add your shimmery purples! I used 'Urban' & 'Jilted' from the Urban Decay Electric Palette and topped it off with a pop of Nars Cassiopeia in the center of the eyelid.
5. Take a black khol liner and smudge it along the top and bottom lashline and into the upper and lower waterline. The easiest one to use (and my favorite) is by Guerlain, I love its unique shape and blend-ability.
6. Take any satin charcoal grey shadow and blend it into the lower lashline over the khol pencil. 
7. Add mascara and false lashes, I used the Kiss Demi Wispies.
8. Finish the look by filling in the brows, I used the Anastasia Brow Wiz in 'Taupe' and set it with their clear brow gel.

Face
Foundation: Make Up For Ever Face & Body & Graftobian Glamour Cremes
Concealer: Mac Pro Longwear
Powder: Hourglass Ambient Powders (Dim, Ethereal, Diffused)
Blush: Make Up For Ever HD Cream Blush #210
Highlight: Jouer Cream Highlight (Champagne) & Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector (Pearl)

Lips
Lipliner: Palladio Herbal Lipliner (Nearly Nude)
Lipstick: Mac (Modesty) & Buxom (Nudist)
Lipgloss: Laura Mercier Lip Glace (Sparkling)

 What fun colors would you add into a smokey eye?

Controlling Oily Skin

Consumer Health Digest recently reached out to me and asked if I would make a video on tips for oily skin. I had already been working on this post so it was a perfect fit! After you watch the video, read on for specific product recommendations!

 


1: Prep
A common misconception with oily skin is to try to strip the natural oils and 'dry up' the skin. This is dangerous because the more you try to rid the skin of oil, the more it will produce to over-compensate. It is important to balance the skin by finding a skincare routine that works for you, this will help you makeup-wise in the long run because you will have better behaving skin! While it may take a little while to figure out your perfect personalized skincare routine, always make sure you moisturize before you apply your makeup. Look for items that say 'oil free', 'lightweight' or 'gel' on the bottles. Some of my favorites are:  

Korres Pomegranate Balancing Cream-Gel Moisturizer
Boscia Revitalizing Black Hydration Gel
Murad Skin Perfecting Lotion for Oily and Blemish Prone Skin

2: Primers
Mattifying primers not only extend the wear time of your foundation and keep you shine-free longer, but they also smooth over the skin and fill in pores and fine lines! My two favorites are the Becca Ever Matte Poreless Priming Perfector and the
Smashbox Oil Free Pore Minimizing Primer. A word of caution with the Becca one, it is the most matte primer I have ever tried and a little goes a long way, so start out with a tiny amount and thoroughly blend it in to avoid patchiness.

3: Base Products
Some people think that a liquid foundation will just melt off when you have oily skin, but that is not true at all! You just want to look for something mattifying and/or free of added oils. Some of my favorites, in no particular order are:

Hourglass Immaculate- a medium coverage that includes cashmere kaolinite clay (which can absorb 75% its weight in oil) leaving a matte finish and an airy feel.

Make Up For Ever Face & Body- a light-to-medium coverage that is made up of 80% water for an invisible look and feel to the skin. This foundation is good for ALL skin types and it is one of my personal favorites.

Make Up For Ever Mat Velvet Plus- a full coverage foundation providing a silky, breathable matte finish. The color selection has also expanded making color matching much easier.

Becca Ever-Matte Shine Proof- a creamy feeling (perfect for combination skin) medium-full coverage foundation that is great for those with golden undertones.

Urban Decay Naked Skin- medium-full coverage and great for combination skin as well. It leaves a natural matte finish and looks like real skin. 

4: Powder 
This is a crucial step in making sure your face stays as matte as possible, and most people do it wrong! The best way to use powder on oily skin is to press-and-roll it on with a sponge or a powder puff. You don't want to dust powder on with a brush because it will not absorb your oils throughout the day. My favorite high end mattifying powder is the Make Up For Ever Duo Matte and my favorite drugstore mattifying powder is the Maybelline Dream Matte. And remember, press and roll people, press and roll.

5: Setting Spray 
This is a finishing product that is like a hairspray for your face! That might sound gross, but I promise you it's not. My favorites are by Urban Decay, they have a hydrating, oil control, and normal skin version. I use a setting spray on all of my brides because it only takes a few seconds and it works wonders, especially for those with oily skin. It also cuts down on makeup transferring onto your clothes or cell-phone which is always a good thing!

6: Touch ups
When you have oily skin you will need to touch up your makeup throughout the day. The best way to do this without caking on more makeup is to use a blotting product. 

*Blotting Sheets: these are meant to absorb oil without disturbing the makeup underneath. They lift the oil off of the skin while leaving all of your foundation, blush, bronzer, etc behind. Boscia makes my favorites, I love the 'green tea' ones as well as the 'pink peppermint' ones. You can find Boscia blotting sheets at Sephora but you can find other brands at the drugstore as well.

*Blotting Powder: this is different than a regular foundation powder or setting powder because it is not meant to add color or coverage, just to absorb oil and shine without adding heavy layers on to the skin. This means you can re-apply it throughout the day without it getting thick and gross. My favorite is the Becca Blotting Powder Perfector because it it so smooth and finely milled, plus it comes in two colors: 'translucent' for light to medium skin tones and 'tinted' for medium to deep skin tones.

What are your favorite products for oily skin?

Colorful Smokey Eyes

This makeup is probably my favorite colorful smokey eye I've ever done! Interesting texture was super important to me for this look so I played with a mix of metallics, glitters and mattes for a good contrast and dimension. I kept the skin super natural and glowy to give it an editorial feel. Keep reading to find out some of the products I used to create this look!

PRODUCT LIST:
1. Dior Glow Maximizer Primer
2. Make Up For Ever Face and Body Foundation
3. Becca Liquid Shimmering Skin Perfectors in 'Opal' & 'Pearl'
4. Anastasia Beverly Hills Tinted Brow Gel in 'Caramel'
5. Stila Smudgestick in 'Deep Fuchsia'
6. Make Up For Ever Metal Powder in '#4 Olive Gold'
7. Buxom Single Eyeshadow in 'No Faux' 
(I actually used a discontinued MUFE glitter. This Buxom shade is the closest alternative.)
8. Fresh Sugar Lip Balm in 'Rose'
9. Bobbi Brown Extreme Party Mascara

What are your favorite smokey eye products?
Hair was styled by the lovely Greta Wagner

Skincare Saturdays - A Quick Fix For Dull Skin

One of my favorite 'quick fix' skincare products is the Dr Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Peel. Not only will you start to see results right away, but the results will continue and improve with continued use. They also have a 'regular' and 'gentle' version, but I've used the extra strength and it's never irritated my skin.

What it is:
This 2 step treatment is for daily use. It has a seven acid combination that works to rejuvenate the skin to uncover a brighter, smoother and healthier complexion. The treatments come in individually wrapped, pre-soaked pads for easy use.

What it does:
The 2 step treatment works together to provide exfoliation in Step One, and nourishment and balance in Step Two. Your skin will immediately look and feel refreshed and your following skincare routine will be more effective. Expect to see improvement in skin texture, radiance and a diminishment of fine lines with continued use.


Who it's for: 
This treatment works on all skin types and is targeted to those looking to treat rough, dry or dull skin, fine lines and wrinkles, and acne-prone, breakout skin.

How to use: 
Once a day, apply Step One pad to clean, dry skin, using circular motions. Continue application until pad feels dry. Wait two minutes for the acids to activate on your skin and follow with pad in Step Two to neutralize, using the same technique as before. Do not rinse after either step or use products containing alcohol. Make sure to avoid contact with eyes and use sunscreen daily to help prevent photo-aging. 

Ingredients:

5 Treatments

-Glycolic Acid: Reduces the signs of aging.

-Salicylic Acid: Reduces pore blockages and supports natural collagen.
-Mandelic Acid: Supplements the anti-aging benefits of glycolic acid and possesses anti-irritation and anti-redness properties.
-Lactic Acid: A naturally occuring Alpha Hydroxy Acid that supports natural cell renewal.

Step One:
Water, Alcohol Denat. (SD Alcohol 40-B), Glycolic Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Water, Salicylic Acid, Polysorbate 20, Lactic Acid, Mandelic Acid, Malic Acid, Citric Acid, Salix Alba (Willow) Bark Extract, Menthone Glycerin Acetal, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Achillea Millefolium Extract, Anthemis Nobilis (Chamomile) Flower Extract, Soy Isoflavones, Copper PCA, Zinc PCA, Lecithin, Disodium EDTA, Alcohol, Polysorbate 80, Fragrance (Parfum), Linalool, Benzyl Salicylate, Benzoic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate.

Step Two:
Water, Sodium Bicarbonate, Resveratrol, Retinol, Ascorbic Acid, Ubiquinone, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Phospholipids, Retinyl Palmitate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Soy Isoflavones, Achillea Millefolium Extract , Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Raphanus Sativus (Radish) Root Extract, Copper PCA, Sodium PCA, Zinc PCA, Lecithin, Polysorbate 20, Polysorbate 80, Alcohol, BHT, Octoxynol-9, Simethicone, Tetrasodium EDTA, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol.

This product is vegan and cruelty free and does not contain parabens, sulfates or phthalates.

*all product information taken from sephora.com 
 
 

February Beauty Favorites

Here are a few products I have been loving for the month of February! Leave your recent favorites in the comments below!

FEBRUARY FAVORITES//

Make Up For Ever - 10 Color Flash Palette

Make Up For Ever - Pro Bronze Fusion #20M

Becca - Backlight Priming Filter

Becca - Shimmering Skin Perfector in Pearl

***

Makeup Details

EYES//

Benefit Stay Don't Stray Primer

Stila 'Eyes Are the Window' Eyeshadow Palette (Light Brown)

Bobbi Brown Eyeshadow (Taupe)

Stila 'Eyes Are the Window' Eyeshadow Palette (White)

Guerlain Maxi Lash Mascara

Anastasia Brow Wiz (Medium Brown)

FACE//

Becca Backlight Priming Filter

Make Up Forever Face & Body Foundation

Nars Sheer Glow Foundation

Mac Pro-Longwear Concealer

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder (Ethereal, Dim & Incandescent)

Make Up For Ever Pro Bronze Fusion

Hard Candy Baked Blush (Living Doll)

Jouer Cream Highlighter (Camellia)

Becca Liquid Shimmering Skin Perfector (Pearl)

LIPS//

Dior Lip Glow: (pink)

Sephora Nano Lip Liner: (Pin Up Pink)