Beauty Tips

The Beauty Social, Oct. 2011: How to Turn Beauty Blogging into a Career

October 25th, 2011 by Karen 49 Comments

From the left: Beautylish Beauty Director and segment host Ning Chao, Temptalia Founder and Editor Christine Mielke, Makeup Bag Founder and Editor Erika Valente, me (looking extra Lloyd Christmassy), and Romy Raves Lifestyle and Beauty Blogger Romy Schorr.

Even though I was a little nervous (blast you, Lloyd!) and blinded by the stage lights, I really enjoyed speaking on the blogging panel at The Beauty Social last weekend, and I wanted to share some of the highlights with you while they’re still fresh in my mind.

In hindsight, I wish I’d recorded the session, or covertly taken a few notes, but I do remember most of my answers (NOTE: these are paraphrased, because I can’t remember the exact quotes) and some tidbits from my fellow co-panelists, Christine Mielke of temptalia.com, Erika Valente of makeupbag.net and Romy Schorr of romyraves.com.

Q: What inspired you to start your blog?

Me: Well I’d always really loved makeup, and I’ll never forget the day when I was 14 and my mom took me on that first trip to the Clinique counter… I started the blog in 2007. I was freelancing at the time for magazines, mostly doing travel (for the in-room magazines on cruise ships) and health and fitness articles. I really wanted to break into beauty writing, though, and I kept pitching different magazines, but no one would hire me.

They (the magazines) were mostly drawing from their in-house writing staff, so I kept getting rejected from these beauty magazines, yet I had this nagging feeling in the back of my mind that I just couldn’t let go. I knew that I wanted to create and write about beauty, but I didn’t know how to go about it.

Then in February of 2007, the Barbie Loves MAC collection came along. 🙂

I think in every beauty junkie’s life there’s always that one release that turns their casual hobby into a full-blown obsession, and for me it was Barbie Loves MAC. I went to the mall, got my little haul, and then when I got back home, that little voice in the back of my head was whispering, “Wouldn’t it be kinda cool if you took a few pictures and posted them online?”

So I borrowed a friend’s camera — and at the time I couldn’t take a picture to save my life — took some shots, and posted them online (using a free blog from wordpress.com).

That’s how Makeup and Beauty Blog was born. There wasn’t a business plan, a big reveal or a rollout. It all sort of happened organically, and it’s been one of the happiest accidents of my life.

Erica: Erica said that she, too, had always been a lifelong beauty junkie, and one of her main inspirations was her entrepreneurial husband. She’d always loved trying and buying new products, but her beauty stash had grown exponentially. One day her husband suggested that they find a way to turn her obsession into a business so that they could write off her beauty expenses, which eventually led to Makeup Bag.

Christine: Before Temptalia, Christine had been actively posting looks on Live Journal. She was in school at the time and recalls posting looks after class. She started Temptalia to archive all of her looks in one place, and her blog has just grown from there.

Q: What was the turning point that made you realize that your blog was successful?

Me: It was probably about six or seven months in, after I’d gotten an invite to cover SF Fashion Week. The blog had been bopping along as a hobby at the time, with me doing brief product reviews every few days, but I decided to approach that Fashion Week as I would a freelance assignment…and I also used it as an excuse to get a new camera. 😉
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3 Tips for a Fabulous Face This Fall

October 6th, 2011 by Karen 67 Comments

This post is part of a series sponsored by Walgreens.

The leaves are falling! The leaves are falling! And, oh my — that brisk breeze that leaves cool kisses on your cheeks? Yep, it’s baaack.

Fall, that is. I actually like the idea of the seasons changing and the different colors everywhere and the leaves falling from the trees. But in practice, I just don’t like being anything but warm. 🙂

This “in-between” time is actually one of my favorite times of year. Not yet winter, and just barely into fall. Too bad I know it won’t last. Pretty soon we’ll be freezing our bums off! — but this time we’ll be prepared.

I’ve been conducting extensive “research” into knee-high boots…

…and fine tuning my skin care routine to prepare my face for the chilly days ahead.

To help you put your best face forward this fall, here are a few tips and products that won’t break the bank.

1. Change can be cleansing

Because those dry, biting winds that whip up in late fall always wreak havoc on my combination dry/oily skin, I like to replace my usual facial cleanser with something richer and more moisturizing. I recently started using and loving La Roche-Posay’s creamy Toleriane Dermo-Cleanser ($20). It gently cleanses the skin and removes my makeup (all but the longest-wearing and waterproof stuff), but more importantly, it leaves my face feeling hydrated and soft.

I’ve also heard good things about La Roche-Posay’s Physiological Cleansing Gel (also $20). I haven’t tried it yet, but like Toleriane it’s non-comedogenic and recommended for sensitive skin.

2. Exfoliation nation

Ahh, flakes. They’re not just for cereal anymore. Come fall and winter, I start seeing dry skin flakes on my cheeks and around my nose (not cute). A few months back I asked my dermatologist about it, and she recommended the Buf-Puf Facial Sponge (just $5). So old school, I know, but when used properly (be gentle; your skin is not a greasy frying pan!), it whisks away flakes and brightens dry, dull skin.
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Massachusetts to Melbourne: Beauty Down Unda’

September 5th, 2011 by Karen 18 Comments

Written by Nicole

What does an American beauty addict do when she finds herself living a world away from her favorite products and familiar haunts? Why, she learns the lay of the land, of course, and discovers a world of new beauty possibilities.

Melbourne, Australia
Photo remixed from an original by Teknorat

Late last year my husband and I became American expats living abroad when we made the move to Australia from the U.S. for his new job. I knew about our big journey months in advance, so I did the best I could to prepare and studied anything and everything I could about the land down unda’ before we arrived; however, I made two fatal mistakes.

First, I never fully realized just how expensive things would be down here, and second, I was unprepared for how long I’d have to wait for makeup collections to make their big debuts here after being released in the States.

As a woman of substance, I have my needs. Among them: facial moisturizer, hair products (loads of ’em), perfume, nail polish, and anything pertaining to MAC, Benefit, Clinique and Philosophy. Not long after moving, I was already hitting the bottom of my assorted elixirs and potions, wondering what I was going to do.

I realized that I could either A.) Skype my mom and ask her to send a care package my way, or B.) venture out into the city of Melbourne to find more permanent beauty solutions. Gone were the days of Cheese-Itz and Dunks’, so I figured it was also time to broaden my horizons and revamp my beauty artillery.

The first thing to go was my coveted container of Origins GinZing Eye Cream; I needed to find something just as good at combating my puffy under-eye circles. In the States, the cream sells for $29.50 USD, but here it sells for a whopping $64.00 AUS! With the US dollar on par with the Australian dollar, I just couldn’t justify paying more than double for the same thing.

I searched high and low for hours in Mecca Cosmetica (heaven), The Body Shop, L’Occitane and several other local pharmacies and department stores. During my quest, I kept happening upon a brand by the name of Jurlique, which I’d seen before in Sephora but never really gave much thought.

Jurlique

It’s a homegrown brand here in Australia, and the company prides itself on using organic ingredients. The price for a tube of Jurlique’s Herbal Recovery Eye Cream ($52.00 AUS/$40.00 US) wasn’t as bad as GinZing’s, and I also figured I should start using things I’d be able to find anywhere in Oz.

Arnica, the active ingredient used in Jurlique’s Herbal Recovery Eye Cream, claimed to fight my tired, puffy eyes, and I was up for the battle. I have to say, I’ve been happy with the results.

I’ve been using the cream since last November and like it just as much as GinZing. Both products contain the same amount of cream — 15ml — but the one from Jurlique has a much longer shelf life. We’re talking 24 months versus 6. You be the judge.

I, like Karen, have wavy hair that can go as mad as Medusa in mere seconds when exposed to humidity. I don’t even attempt to blow dry it when the forecast calls for more than 55% humidity; it’s just not worth the time or the arm strength.

My former hairdresser, Laura, knew the texture and wicked ways of my hair, so she introduced me to Moroccan Oil back in 2008. Not only did I fall in love with the scent, but I also fell in love with the fact that it kept my frizz in check on those really humid days. Alas, I ran out of the travel-size bottle I brought with me here and didn’t bring any spares, but equipped with the lessons learned from my previous adventure, I went out to my local hair supplier and plunked down $34.95 AUS for a 100ml bottle of One n’ Only’s Argan Oil.

Argan Oil
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Last Days of Summer: Drugstore Beauty to Ring in the Fall

September 4th, 2011 by Karen 8 Comments

Written by Sam

We’re on the cusp of fall, watching summer sail off toward the horizon, but the sun hasn’t abandoned us yet. With the help of these sunny weather drugstore stars, soak up the last few weeks of sunshine safely, and look great without breaking the bank.

Last Days of Summer: Drugstore Beauty

As summer fades into the ethereal fog and smoky incense of autumn, we still have a few weeks of warm weather left (hopefully!). Check out these fantastic, cheap drugstore finds that work a treat for sunbathing on the beach or strolling down city sidewalks under the midday sun.

1. Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunblock ($9.49 for a 3-oz. tube in SPF 55)

You’ve been hearing it for years, so I won’t belabor the point — wear your sunscreen (even when it’s overcast)! There, it’s as simple as that. But it’s understandable why you might not want to with so many bad sunscreens on the market. Most are thick, viscous, and greasy, leaving behind a slick, shiny film that neither feels nor looks good.

Not the Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry Touch line. These emollient, creamy lotions (they’re available in a range of SPFs) sink into skin almost immediately, providing ample moisture for all but the driest among us, without that oily residue previously synonymous with “sunscreen.” Its chemical sunscreen provides broad spectrum UVA/UVB protection, and because it’s a chemical — rather than a physical — sunscreen, you won’t have to worry about looking ghostly in flash photography (like those impromptu shots at the beach bar after dark).

2. Yes to Carrots Conditioning Lip Butter with SPF 15 Pomegranate ($3.47)

Hands down one of my favorite lip balms ever! Unlike many inexpensive lip balms, this one’s neither slick nor waxy. It’s exactly what I think of when I think of good balms. It leaves lips with a satin finish (looks good on both men and women) that lasts for about four hours on me if I don’t eat or drink heavily over that time.

It may not smell exactly like pomegranates, but the faint, unobstrusive berry scent fades quickly, while still making the product taste pretty appealing to me. Most importantly, it contains SPF 15 to keep your lips soft and smooth even after hours in the sun.

3. Neutrogena Wet Skin Sunblock Spray ($10.99 for a 5-oz. bottle in SPF 50)

Neutrogena has this whole sunscreen game down. This one’s for bodies and comes in an aerosol spray can. Just hold it about six inches away from the skin, and depress the tab. The super fine mist leaves a slight sheen on the skin that dries within minutes.

Keep the can moving in tight circles while applying to be sure you don’t miss a spot. You shouldn’t have to retrace your steps or worry about getting sand on your hands (LOVE those accidental exfoliating sand rubs).

And when it comes to reapplying after a couple of hours in the sun or surf, Wet Skin Sunblock makes it a cinch, even while swimming, as it cuts through water and still applies evenly on wet skin. You won’t even have to dry off completely after hopping out of the water to reapply.
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8 Products for Beach-Proof Beauty

August 20th, 2011 by Karen 9 Comments

Written by Sam

Makeup at the beach? Sure, sometimes — especially with some of these goodies recommended by makeup artist and blogger Sam in your beach bag.

8 Products for Beach-Proof Beauty

The beach can be a place to let down your hair and bare it all, a place to skip the makeup and step out with a nude face (and lots of sunscreen). But the beach can also be a hot spot for fashion gurus and socialites, especially after dusk or by beach side restaurants and bars, where wearing makeup is still the norm.

If you’re wearing makeup to one of those beaches, then you know how harsh a mistress the beach can be when it comes to messin’ with your makeup and hair.

At beaches where the men are sporting mid-thigh shorts and leather sandals designed to transition from the surf to the veranda at the resort’s beach side bar, and the women are wearing makeup — not much, mind you, and nothing outrageous — and jewelry that isn’t made from shells or stones peeks out from their designer bikini tops, you might want a few of these beach approved beauty products in your bag.

Wind, water, and sun can quickly cause a beauty catastrophe, but a bag stocked with some of these eight items will keep you looking fresh-faced and fine until it’s time to pack up the cooler and put away the beach towels.

1. Face Atelier Foundation ($45)

This foundation has a silicone base, helping it hold up even when exposed to water (just make sure not to rub!). The finish is satiny smooth, and gives skin a faint but healthy glow, while still allowing its natural texture to shine through. With Face Atelier Foundation, it barely even looks like you’re wearing anything at all — perfect for places where you don’t want to look too made up. MORE >>

2. MUFE Aqua Eyes Cream Liner ($20)

These gel/cream eyeliners are easy to apply quickly. They don’t tug at the skin, and won’t steal time away from your fun in the sun. They simply refuse to budge without a dedicated waterproof makeup remover, meaning that you can swim till your heart’s content without ever having to worry about rivulets of color running down your cheeks. MORE >>

3. MUFE Full Cover ($30)

Another silicone wonder, this concealer can hide even the darkest of under-eye circles or the most egregious of blemishes, all while remaining water- and sweat-proof. Depending on the condition of your skin, you might be able to skip your foundation and just dab a bit of this wherever you need some extra coverage and confidence. With Full Cover, you’re good to go for 24 hours, at least. MORE >>

4. Tarte Matte Waterproof Bronzer ($29)

This orange-free bronzer delivers a healthy wash of color perfect for those who prefer not to spend very much time in the sun. Salt water won’t bother it, either, as it stays exactly where it’s put, without running, fading, or oxidizing. Buff it onto the high points of your face for a sun-kissed glow…without the sun. MORE >>
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9 Things: Lessons Learned from Going Away to College

July 19th, 2011 by Karen 73 Comments

Growing up, I didn’t have an older friend, sibling or cousin I could talk to about life after high school, so when it came to figuring out certain kinds of things, like how to solve an argument with a roommate, I usually had to wing it, and most of the time that meant learning things the hard way.

Up until the time I moved away to college, I’d lived a very sheltered life that left me lacking in street smarts. I’d just assumed college would be like high school, except without the annoying curfew, but it turns out there was a little more to it than that…

Whether you’re going away to college or just moving in with friends, here are nine things I learned (most of them the hard way) about living away from home for the first time.

And if you have any wisdom borne of experience, or any cautions or advice, please share them in the comments. I know quite a few of us are leaving home for the first time this fall. Our collective knowledge could help make those first couple years easier.

1. Wash this

I can’t tell you how many times I saw someone cruising campus in a pink shirt that must have started out white. It happens — accidentally washing brights with whites together in hot water. Luckily, laundry was one of the very few real-life skills I took with me when I left home.

If you don’t have someone to show you the ropes, here’s a quickie, condensed version of Laundry 101:

Wash in cold water to keep colors from running
When the washer stops, remove your bras, sweaters and anything with spandex from the machine, and hang them up to dry
Dry the remaining items, in particular clothes, in a machine on its low heat setting to avoid shrinking

2. Learn how to prepare a few quick, healthy meals

Food was so tough for me that first year away. I wasn’t a fan of the dorm’s cafeteria fare (the rice was always soggy or dry), but I lacked even a basic knowledge of cooking beyond boiling water for ramen noodles and warming up frozen Lean Cuisines.

If you can, pick up a cookbook filled with simple recipes that fit on a single page (or thereabouts), and practice making a few dishes at home before you leave. I recommend the Student’s Vegetarian Cookbook, by Carole Raymond. It shows how to make lots of quick, affordable meals, and if you aren’t into veggie dishes, The Healthy College Cookbook looks pretty good.

3. Never fear, the intern is here!

I’m 36 and I still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up. 🙂 If you don’t either, narrow the field (and expand your knowledge) by taking as many internships as you can.

I did quite a few, but looking back, I wish I’d done more. Internships are great ways to 1) get yourself out of stuffy classrooms, 2) get some real world experience in the fields you’re interested in (even if you don’t end up pursuing a particular field), 3) obtain valuable references and letters of recommendation, and 4) meet people and make friends outside of school.

Some internships even lead to regular jobs. The one I did for a small law firm one year led to a part-time job the next summer.

It was actually kinda cool and a little Elle Woods. I got to assist with cases in court (sat with the real defense lawyers and everything!), talked to judges and learned how to function in a fast-paced office.

4. It can get a little lonely sometimes…

I guess after growing up with MTV I had this idea of college being this non-stop cavalcade of close friends and parties. I’m sure it’s like that for some people, but it wasn’t that way for me. I had acquaintances, sure, and roommates, but I didn’t make any lasting friendships for the first few years.
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The Solar-Powered, Super-Duper, Sun-Protecting Tomato

July 16th, 2011 by Karen 31 Comments

The sun-protecting tomato

Here comes the sun, little darling, but it’s all right, thanks to the solar-powered, super-duper, sun-protecting tomato. 🙂

Mother Nature knew what she was doing when she made the tomato. She packed it with powerful sun-protecting compounds called antioxidant carotenoids to protect the fruit from the sun’s damaging rays. One of the compounds, lycopene, gives tomatoes their telltale red color, and it’s also a Super Bowl champion when it comes to sun protecting. A 1989 study published in the Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics found lycopene to be the most efficient quencher of singlet oxygen among the biologically occurring carotenoids.

What does that mean?

A lot, if you spend much time in the sun. Our glowing giver of light, heat and energy in the sky is also a major source of wrinkles, painful sunburns and the kinds of DNA damage that can lead to skin cancer. Some estimates of the extent to which skin damage is the result of solar radiation run as high as 90%, and you don’t have to spend all day at the beach to feel the heat. Those quick, everyday exposures — standing at the bus stop, grabbing lunch at that awesome takeout place, taking the ~~dog~~ cat for a walk — also add up over the years and put your skin’s health and your appearance at risk.

When UV light penetrates the skin, it doesn’t just cause sunburns. It also causes the formation of UV-induced free radicals, destroys tissues, oxidizes lipids and hacks genes. Skin cells don’t turn over as quickly, wounds take longer to heal, and skin becomes less elastic, thinner, rougher and blotchy.
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How to Combat Oiliness

July 9th, 2011 by Karen 17 Comments

Written by Sam

Listen up, lieutenant. We’ve been getting our butts kicked by shine lately, and enough’s enough. Are you ready to take the battle to the enemy? It’s time to combat oiliness with the help of today’s guest post from Sam.

How to combat oiliness and shine

You peek up above the lip of the trench to scout around for a split second and then duck down again. The cool earth clings to your palms, collects under your nails. You pull your fingerless gloves on a bit tighter, their frayed edges straining against your joints. You listen and hear only the faint creaking of antiquated boards that serve as walkways, doors and handholds in this subterranean lair.

A sudden scream shreds the silence, immediately followed by a deep, guttural roar from somewhere up ahead.

It’s time. You spring from your trench, balancing yourself on the muddy edge, and finally see what you’ve only till now known as a legend. It’s giant. Amorphous. Greased rainbows slither across its filmy skin. Smokey tendrils swirl within its core, the damped sunlight seemingly refracted by its odd composition. A slick trail extends behind it; a viscous, dark eschewal of this awful thing. And you know its name. OIL.

If You Have Naturally Oily Skin

It’s time to take the battle to the enemy. Oily skin is both a blessing and a curse, but that truth no longer justifies inaction. Even though your comrades with oily skin generally develop wrinkles later in life than those with dry skin and often retain more of their skin’s elasticity over time, they must also deal with makeup meltdown, large pores and potentially horrid acne. The large pores and blemishes can be concealed, but it’s relatively difficult to keep that viscous, dark eschewal at bay until the sun disappears behind a distant crest and sleep overtakes you.

Before you charge in recklessly, you need to establish a proper base of defense. The first line comes from the use of a mattifying agent prior to the application of your foundation, which will prevent or lessen oil production throughout the day. It may sound strange, but Phillips’ Milk of Magnesia is a spectacular sebum stopper (here’s some more info on it). Just apply about a capful with a disposable cosmetics sponge after your moisturizer and sunscreen, and allow it to dry.

Dry Skin

But perhaps you’re waging the war on a different front. If your home front — your skin — is dry and arid, instead of oily, where the harsh sun glints off of the filmy sheen left by the legendary beast, recall your basic training. Check every product you use on your face to see whether it is oil or water based.

Do you remember that experiment from elementary school? The one where you mixed oil and water together in a beaker and watched them slowly separate? Well, putting both oil and water based products on your face is essentially the same thing. It could cause even the best, most long-wearing products to detach from the skin and separate into their base components, some of which could appear as blotches of shine. It’s true: even dry skin can fall to the dreaded greasy smear.

But maybe you’ve been careful not to mix oil- and water-based products yet still struggle with shine. Another common cause of shine on non-oily skin can be due to the use of products containing silicone in combination with more aqueous ones. When mixed, water causes silicone to curdle (essentially becoming a sort of plastic). As the silicone microscopically clumps and collects in minuscule spheres, it can reflect light in various and unappealing ways, thereby allowing the OIL MONSTER to prevail.
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