Makeup

The Best in Beauty From the Boot, Vol. 6: Collistar

April 15th, 2016 by Carolina Braina 9 Comments

If I had to choose the ultimate beauty brand to represent Italy, I’d definitely pick Collistar. I don’t know if that’s because they have been around (and popular) as long as I can remember, or because of how they’ve really been highlighting their “Italian-ness” over the last few years through their Ti Amo Italia (I love you, Italy) marketing campaigns. All I know is that Collistar just screams “Italy” to me.

It’s a high-end brand, and they make literally everything from makeup, to skin-, body-, and hair care. I think their biggest strength is being able to offer high quality products at a reasonable price (think Clinique’s price range).

Their limited editions are always beautifully interesting, but in their permanent lineup you can find lots of unmissable products, as well. Let’s have a look at a few of my favorites! 🙂

Collistar TWIST Ultra-Shiny Eyeshadow in Bronze

Collistar TWIST Ultra-Shiny Eyeshadow in Bronze is my all-time favorite eyeshadow to use in the summertime. It gives lids the most beautiful wet-looking wash of caramel color, and it’s so, SO amazing!!! If you don’t believe me, check out this picture I posted on my Instagram last summer… Not bad, eh?

If you can get your hands on this fantastic little stick, remember that you have to apply a thin layer over primer and buff it in with your finger; otherwise, it’ll crease pretty easily and you’ll end up hating it, while it just deserves to be loved with a passion! 😉

Collistar Graphic Eyeliner in 3 Valeria Blue

If you have brown eyes and you’ve never used blue liner, you’ve been totally missing out! Blue eyeshadow can be tricky to use sometimes, but I feel like you just can’t go wrong with liner. It will bring out your iris color without being too over the top.

I always get compliments on my eyes and makeup whenever I wear Collistar Graphic Eyeliner in 3 Valeria Blue. The color is an amazingly vibrant cobalt blue, while the formula is opaque, easy to use and long-lasting.

I highly recommend it if you’re looking for something other than black to mix things up a little!

Collistar TWIST Ultra-Shiny Gloss in 207 Coral Pink

I think this TWIST Ultra-Shiny Gloss is one of the most user-friendly lip products I own. The twist-up stick means that it’s very convenient to apply and just pop in your purse for touch-ups, AND it contains hyaluronic acid and procollagen to help lips stay nicely hydrated.

Its coral pink hue and juicy finish make it ideal to use in the warmer months.

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The MAC Future MAC Collection: A Closer Look at the Mineralize Rich Lipsticks and Glasses

April 15th, 2016 by Anna Oh 16 Comments

Mineralize Rich lipsticks future mac collection — (L-R) MAC Mineralize Rich Lipsticks in Cybernaut, Supernova, Ionized, Metafabulous, Touch the Earth

Hi everyone!

I’m still unpacking from our recent move (I know…I’m ON IT), and I’ve had limited access to my art supplies and even internet. But I am reading and enjoying all of your wonderful comments, and I can’t wait to get back in the illustration groove soon!

In the meantime, I thought I’d give a closer look at the new lip products in the Future MAC collection (which is available now).

Future MAC collection Mineralize Rich Lipsticks

supernova future mac lipstick — Future MAC Mineralize Lipstick in Supernova

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Sun-Stripping: Finally a Makeup Trend I Quite Like

April 15th, 2016 by Carolina Braina 21 Comments

Sun Stripping Makeup Trend How To — My first attempt at sun-stripping, the latest makeup craze

I’ve realized that for an obsessive makeup lover, I don’t follow the beauty trends very much at all.

Contouring? I’ve always been a fan of a lightweight base, and the less products I use on my skin, the better.

For the sake of experimenting, I’ve tried to apply concealer in a reversed triangle shape under my eyes, and even that was too much for me. I couldn’t stand the feeling of concealer beneath the area where my dark circles are. Heavy contouring is definitely not for me. A subtle contour powder under my cheekbones is as far as I’ll go with the trend.

Strobing? Well, I’ve been naturally strobing since the early 2000s thanks to my pesky sebum overproduction, so no need to douse myself in highlighter.

Color correcting? Because of my hereditary dark circles (Sebum overproduction… Hereditary dark circles… Sexy, eh?), I’ve been using Bobbi Brown’s or a similar peach-toned corrector for years, and they work. Should I switch to bright orange just because it’s on trend? I don’t think so.

See what I mean? This mama’s not much of a trend follower…but I actually do like one of the latest makeup crazes, called “sun-stripping.” Who would’ve thought?

Have you heard of sun-stripping before? It’s easy-peasy! It consists of placing bronzer on the part of the face that usually tans first if you spend much time in the sun. It’s that little strip that runs from one apple of the cheek to the other.

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Unsung Makeup Heroes: Kat Von D Metal Crush “Thunderstruck” Eyeshadow

April 14th, 2016 by Anna Oh 17 Comments

The long-running Unsung Heroes series here on Makeup and Beauty Blog features some of our all-time favorite permanent collection products.

Hi everyone!

Now, as someone who has a weakness for color, eyeshadows are very dangerous territory for me.

I’m a total neutral lover and, as of quite recently, a color lover too…unfortunately for my wallet. I usually try to buy my eyeshadows in palettes or sets (like the Make Up For Ever shadows) to save money, but every now and then, there are some singles that I can’t be alive without.

(Ummm…this would include eyeshadows like Rose Gold by Ardency Inn and Pretentious by Makeup Geek.)

And one of my FAVORITES of those is Kat Von D Metal Crush Eyeshadow in Thunderstruck ($21).

I first found out about it on Kat Von D’s Instagram a couple months ago, because it was the #1 selling item (or maybe it was the #1 eyeshadow?) at Sephora. I honestly didn’t really need any more convincing at that point, but after some research, I saw that people were using it as a highlighter, too, and then I REALLY didn’t need to be convinced anymore.

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My Most-Used Makeup Products at the Moment

April 14th, 2016 by Adia Goss 28 Comments

I’m always trying new products, but I thought it would be fun to share what have been my most-used makeup products lately. For me, these are the products that “just work,” and they’re the things I reach for when I want to throw something on my face without having to give it any thought. The colors are just right, and they help me achieve my signature look — glowy skin and pinky/nude lips. 🙂

Foundations

I am a sucker for glowy, lightweight bases, and I’ve been constantly reaching for PUR Minerals HydraFluid Water Serum Foundation in Tan and NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer in Annapurna, which may be a tad too light for me, but it’s sheer enough that it still works.

The PUR Minerals foundation is amazing, by the way. Here are swatches and a full review. It’s available now at PUR Minerals for $39.

No brand matches my skin as well as NARS, and I love that NARS Pure Radiant has SPF 30. This was one of my first high-end foundations, and I’ve repurchased it time and again and will probably continue to do so because it’s a great everyday foundation. It’s available now at NARS Cosmetics for $44.

And, just to make sure my face is seriously glowy, I also like to use Pixi by Petra Glow Mist. It adds glow and helps my makeup last a bit longer. It’s definitely one of my favorite facial mists, and it’s available now at Target for $15.

most used makeup — L to R: Swatches of PUR Minerals HydraFluid Water Serum Foundation in Tan and NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer in Annapurna

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Use Double-Duty Products to Get Your Busy Booty out the Door Faster

April 14th, 2016 by Jen Clark 16 Comments

If you’re at all like me, most days you don’t even have time to find matching socks and brush your hair, let alone put on makeup, before rushing out the door. Luckily, I have a trick that may help out a little. Several of the products that you probably use when you DO have time to wear makeup can be used for more than one purpose, so they can help you cut down on the time it takes to get ready. Let me show ya!

Concealer/Eye Primer

Concealer is one of those magic products that I always keep close by because it can be used for so many different things. In this case, I’m using it to conceal underneath my eyes and to prime my eyelids for eyeshadow. To cut down on time even further, you can even use it to conceal problem areas instead of using foundation.

One of my favorites at the moment is Revlon Colorstay Concealer.

When using concealer as an eye primer, make sure you only use a tiny amount, and blend it in really well. If you glob it on, that’ll make your shadows crease and move around, and that’s not what you want! Not only is the concealer going to make your shadows look more vibrant and last longer, but it will help to even out any little veins that you have peeking through your lids.

Contour Kit/Eyeshadow

This is a trick I like to use even when I’m not in a hurry, and it’s also great for travel.

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Nail Understated Poolside Elegance With the Estée Lauder Bronze Goddess Collection for Summer 2016

April 13th, 2016 by Jessica Revitte 17 Comments

Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess Summer 2016 — Wearing Estée Lauder Gelée Bronzer under my foundation, Summer Glow Multi-Palette on eyes and cheeks, and Lip and Cheek Summer Glow in Peach Glow on lips and cheeks.

For a makeup lover like myself, there is no more exciting sign of ☀ summer’s impending arrival than the annual appearance of Estée Lauder’s glowing, beachy Bronze Goddess collection and its effortlessly radiant sunlit nudes and bold brights.

This year’s release, which ranges from bonzing gels and powder bronzers to shadow palettes, fragrances and highlighters, has some seriously vintage poolside vibes, and I am loving it! ☺

Throw on your shimmering body oil, floppy hat and vintage sunglasses, and let’s take a look at some of the collection’s sumptuous summer treasures.

Estée Lauder Bronze Goddess 2016 Gelée Bronzer, Summer Glow Multi-Palette, and Lip and Cheek Summer Glow in Fuchsia Lights, Peach Glow

For me and many of the makeup lovers I know, it’s the highlight and bronzing palettes launched with the Bronze Goddess collections that set our hearts aflutter.

The classicly chic Summer Glow Multi-Palette ($50) comes in a tortoise-shell box and houses a soft pink illuminator, a rosy hued blush and an approachable bronzer. Although it was surely designed with faces in mind, it’s worth noting that the shades also work wonders on eyes as well (particularly the highlighter and bronzer). What a way to tie your look together when you’re in a hurry. ☺

The Gelée Bronzer ($32) has an interesting formula that reminds me of Hard Candy Cheeky Tint in Surfer Babe, except that Surfer Babe applies a transparent wash of iced tea color, while Gelée Bronzer deposits a highly pigmented shade a bit more like a liquified form of a powder bronzer.

Emollient and easy to blend, this bronzer gives you a long “working time” before it sets, but BEWARE! A little goes a long way, which you can see in these swatches.

I prefer to use products like Gelée Bronzer under my foundation to allow the slightest glow to show through; this in turn neutralizes some of the orangey-ness that often accompanies pigmented liquid bronzers.

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What’s in My (Very Streamlined) Travel Makeup Bag

April 12th, 2016 by Carolina Braina 24 Comments

Picture a 19th-century noblewoman waiting to board a steamer bound for faraway lands.

Can you see her? Standing there on the dock surrounded by wardrobe trunks and chest cases containing all of her earthly possessions?

You can?

Awesome. Because she looks exactly like I did up until a few years ago whenever I traveled anywhere. 🙂

Yep! I used to pack sooo much stuff, “just in case,” but those “cases” rarely happened, and I’d usually come home with half of the things I brought still untouched.

Thankfully, possibly because I discovered the joy of traveling with only my carry-on bag, I’ve finally learnt how to streamline and pack the bare minimum.

Travel Makeup Bag — The things in my (very streamlined) travel makeup bag

Case in point: I just spent a few days in Edinburgh, Scotland, and only brought along a minimal makeup stash (at least by a beauty lover’s standard).

I knew I wouldn’t want to waste the little time I’d have to explore the city on my weekend away doing my makeup, so I streamlined my beauty arsenal.

Edinburgh Castle Scotland — Hello from Edinburgh Castle! 🙂

Would you like to have a look inside my travel makeup bag?

Foundation: Chanel Perfection Lumière Velvet

With its matte yet luminous finish, I ❤ Chanel Perfection Lumière Velvet foundation every day of the year, but its plastic packaging makes it especially convenient for traveling.

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