Guest Post

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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Making Nail Art Easy with Sally Hansen Salon Effects Real Nail Polish Strips

July 4th, 2011 by Karen 44 Comments

Written by Betty

What do you do when regular nail polishes can’t keep up with your creative side? Nail polish blogger Betty shares one idea in today’s guest post.

Skeptical of nail polishes that claim to last as long as 10 days or more. How about nail stickers that make the same claim? I recently took the plunge and gave the Sally Hansen Salon Effects Real Nail Polish Strips (that was a mouthful, wasn’t it?) a try.

Available in a wide range of interesting patterns, like leopard, zebra, butterfly, plaid, stripes, and a selection of solid colors, too, they usually retail for about $10, or thereabouts, at stores like Walgreens, Rite-Aid, Wal-Mart, Target and CVS. These strips, which are made out of real nail polish, are supposed to look more real than other stickers, and most of the time, when I spot one of the displays, it’s usually empty.

I hope that means they’re pretty good!

The pattern I chose is called Fly With Me. Let’s see how it works…

Here’s what I found inside the package: a note with semi-vague directions (in three languages), a small cuticle/orange stick, a small pink file/buffer with two different grits and 16 nail strips. Pulling away the tab at the end of the strips exposes the adhesive side.

So, 16 strips? But we only have 10 fingers. I suppose 16 is an amount that both ensures that each box is suitable for a single manicure, while also providing some extra strips to accommodate mistakes and different sizes of nails.

Honestly, I think I’d prefer getting 12 strips per box instead of 16 if it meant being able to lower the price by a few bucks. As these are now, they aren’t very kind to a college student’s budget. A polish bottle at a drugstore costs a few dollars less and can last for dozens of manicures, but, of course, these come in some very cool patterns.

See how I think? Haha! Not to worry. Stay tuned for a way to make these strips last for TWO manicures, which certainly helps.

Before we begin…

Let’s buff down the ridges on our nails. The directions suggest using the dark pink half of the included buffer, but I find it way too rough on my nails and and use my own buffing block instead.

Ensure that you’ve created a smooth canvas upon which to work. Not a requirement, but these strips are thin and extremely unforgiving to ridges, exaggerating and emphasizing every bump. While we’re at it, let’s also even out the length of our nails.

Next, let’s wash our hands and nails. From what I’ve read, we needn’t apply a base coat here because it can reduce the longevity of the stickers.

It’s very, very important that our hands are warm when we apply. I know it might sound silly, but I tried to apply another set of nail strips once in a room with a fan on high. My hands were cold at the time, and the adhesive on the stickers refused to activate. They just kept falling off. From my experience, warm fingers and nails give the best results.

How to apply

Look through the box and select a strip that best fits the bed of your first nail. Pull the tab, and peel the strip away from the backing.

Carefully, align and press it onto each nail, one by one, cutting away any excess, like so…

Smooth each sticker down a bit, and ensure that it’s securely affixed to the nail.

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Kindergarten Eye Tricks: Eye Makeup to Connect the Dots

June 25th, 2011 by Karen 9 Comments

Written by Sam

I hope you have a great day at school today! Teacher tells me you’re going to connect the eye makeup dots in today’s guest post, with a little help from Sam.

Kindergarten eye tricks

Eye makeup can be hard. Like, really hard. So hard, as a matter of fact, that sometimes it makes me wish I were back in grade school, painting with my fingers and coloring outside the lines.

Ah…good times. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if eye makeup could be that easy and simple? Well, today it is, because we’re time traveling back to kindergarten to connect the makeup dots.

Connect the dots

Meow To be honest, I never really liked connect the dots. I’d always bring that giant book home with me, the one with the thin pages that ripped whenever I tried to erase on them, to find that someone else from class had already done at least one of them, and then my whole experience would be ruined. Gah!

But today, that’s not important. What is important are the skills we learned connecting those dots.

Let’s start with a question: have you ever tried to draw an even, gorgeous line with liquid eye liner but just weren’t able to do it? Well, it happens to me almost every time, so rather than trying to draw one continuous line across the entire lash line, let’s start by making small dots across it, with one right at the inner corner, a few along the way, and one directly at the outer corner (I usually make about 6-10 dots per eye, depending on the size of the person’s eyelid).

(You might even number your dots, and who knows? — maybe start a new couture trend.)

After letting the dots set for a few seconds, connect them, one by one, until you reach the outer corner. By almost sketching with a series of very small dashes that eventually coalesce into a single, solid line, you can reduce the impact of an unsteady hand, ensuring an even line, and maintain a consistent line width/thickness. Conversely, you have more control over where you want the line to begin thickening, if at all.

Grab a straightedge

Straightedge

Now that we have our liner laid down on our lash line, we can even go beyond it. It’s easy to go wrong with a winged liner look that ends up pulling the eyes down. All it takes is not aiming the tail correctly or getting the line weight just right.

No worries. Grab a note card or other thick piece of paper because we’re going to use the straight edge as a guide.

Place the edge so that it touches the outer corner of one eye, and angle it so that it passes pretty much through the middle of the indent at your temple. For most people, this results in a very flattering placement that opens and widens the eyes. Now, draw your liner of choice along this edge, moving the tip in ever so slightly as you move along the edge, thus thinning and eventually bringing the line to a point (rather than a blunt end).
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Life Is Sweet with NARS Lipstick in Dolce Vita

June 18th, 2011 by Karen 45 Comments

Written by Jenny

Pack your bags, signorina! We’re going on a Roman holiday with a lipstick as sweet as gelato. Blogger Jenny shares why she loves this classic lippie in today’s guest post.

NARS Dolce Vita Lipstick

I’ve been a NARS devotee for a long time and have always loved their lipsticks, so I’m not entirely sure why it took me so long to discover one of their cult favorite lip products for myself. I’m glad I finally did though, because Dolce Vita is a beauty!

It’s one of those little black dresses of the lipstick world — incredibly versatile — and imminently capable of making you look polished and chic.

Colour and texture

Dolce Vita is a sheer, my-lips-but-better dusty rose that flatters a wide range of skin tones, in my opinion, although on pigmented lips it can appear a tad too sheer to show up well.

NARS Dolce Vita Lipstick Lips Closeup

As a moisturising, balmy lipstick, it’s one of my favourites when my lips are feeling dry. Wear time is fairly modest at around 2 hours on me, which is about average for a sheer lipstick.

I think it looks great with…

MAC Subculture lip liner (a medium nude), MAC Dervish (a medium rose nude) lip liner, both available at maccosmetics.com, look amazing with Dolce Vita.

NARS Dolce Vita Lipstick Swatch
Dolce Vita on the left; Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Boy on the right
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Do You Know a Jean Paul Gaultier Fleur du Male Man?

June 11th, 2011 by Karen 2 Comments

Written by Sam

Oh, my! It looks like we caught the subject of today’s guest post from Sam unaware, judging by its casual attire.

Jean Paul Gaultier Fleur Du Male Cologne

There is a veranda surrounded by an untamed garden. You are seated in a chair, hair combed back. Languorous. The white marble emits an ethereal glow in the lazy midday sun. Your straw chair creaks mildly, the sound dampened by a plush cushion. The leaves of a nearby orange tree flicker despite the stillness of the vapid air. A few wispy clouds trail through the expanse of blue above you, unraveling as fresh, unwoven cotton. A few vines have slunk their way around fluted columns, tendrils caressing the unblemished stone. A thin scent of something baking escapes from an opened kitchen window; it is sweet, but fleeting. There might be a cat draped over the arm of a chair in the distance, or perhaps it is just a shadow.

You are wearing Jean Paul Gaultier Fleur du Male.

Initially shocking, the bottle of Fleur du Male is a man’s unclothed torso. Perfectly white and smooth, the more intimate parts have been smoothed out and now resemble a well sculpted Ken doll. With the perfect V-chest, the bottle is an easy pleasure to hold, all curves and angles melded together. While modesty may discourage some from leaving it out on display, I appreciate the artistry and proudly place it near the front of my collection. If nothing else, it certainly does spark interesting conversations.

Listed as being composed of petitgrain, orange blossom, coumarin, and fern, Fleur du Male certainly is a predominantly floral cologne. Upon the first spritz, the fragrance opens with a woody, earthy, orange accord, hearkening more of the small, almond-shaped leaves than the blossoms of the tree. The opening is a tad bitter, but not in an unpleasant way; I find it invigorating. The bitterness quickly smooths into what must be the orange blossom. It is soft, languid, and aeriform. And it actually smells of orange. Not synthetic, cleaning material citrus, but true, powdery, slightly acid fresh orange blossom. As the scent progresses, slightly sweet notes enter and mingle with the powdery blossoms. They bring to mind hazy images of a country home, aged straw, and butter cookies laced with a sweet liqueur.

Jean Paul Gaultier Fleur Du Male Cologne

As it settles into its base notes, Fleur du Male retains the orange blossom and gains a subtle mossy tone similar to freshly turned earth tumbled loosely at the base of a shade tree. A hint more powder emerges, resulting in a very fresh, clean finish. The sweetness of the middle notes have mostly gone by now, leaving only a pleasant vestige of their presence behind.
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Inglot Matte Collection AMC Eyeliner Gel Is Taking My Makeup World By Storm

June 10th, 2011 by Karen 26 Comments

Written by Sam

This sentence, does it need a comma or an inglot? The subject of today’s great guest post from Sam may sound like punctuation, but it’s so much more than that.

Inglot AMC Eyeliner Gel

After mascara and lipstick, eye liner is one of those things a lot of women turn to when they’re pressed for time. A quick dash on the upper lids can add a pop of color and takes just seconds to do — far less time than an elaborate eye using multiple shadows — and a nude on the waterline can illuminate and open sleepy, drooping peepers.

And why keep a separate black, or blue, or brown liner for each and every occasion if one great product could cover ’em all? Five minutes to get ready? Check. Thunder storms a’coming? Check. Great possibility of crying (hopefully for a good reason, like at a wedding)? Check. No worries — today’s liner has your back!

Inglot, a Polish makeup company, has quietly become a cult favorite among makeup artists, in part because they’ve done the unthinkable. They managed to create a gel liner that in my opinion beats out the famously fabulous MAC Fluidline. The Matte Collection AMC Eyeliner Gel (long name for such a simple product) is without question the best liner, of any formula, I have ever used.

So how is it better than those gorgeous glass tubs of creamy Fluidline, with their soft, rubberized twist-off tops? Let me count the ways…

Matte Collection AMC Eyeliner Gel

Starting with value, the Matte Collection AMC Eyeliner Gel (I promise that’s the last time I’ll use the full name) comes with a HUGE amount of product for $12. Housed inside the convenient and cute plastic tub lives a whopping 5.5 grams of product (Fluidline comes with 3 grams, about the average for gel liners). Inglot’s liner works out to $2.18 per gram, versus $5 per gram for the $15 Fluidline. That’s more than twice as much product for the price!

But value only matters if a product performs, right? I’d much rather shell out a few extra dollars for a fantastic liner than a few less dollars for one that flakes, runs, or fades. Fortunately, none of those are bothers here.

Inglot’s AMC Eyeliners are extremely emollient. I’m actually a bit surprised they’re labeled as gels and not creams. Their extremely thick, smooth texture glides across the skin. Whereas many gel liners skip, scoot, tug, and pull at lids when I apply them with any sort of brush, these AMC Eyeliners are incredibly smooth and silky, almost to a fault.
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How Well Does Sally Hansen Microwaveable Eyebrow, Face & Lip Wax Work?

May 14th, 2011 by Karen 21 Comments

Written by Emma

Should you take mustachioed matters into your own hands with the help of Sally Hansen’s DIY Microwaveable Eyebrow, Face & Lip Wax? Find out now in today’s guest post from Emma.

Sally Hansen Microwavable Eyebrow, Face & Lip Wax

I have to admit, I enjoy playing with makeup, but I also enjoy sleep. In the past, I chose to stay in bed as long as possible before getting up for work, and I generally didn’t leave enough time for proper makeup application.

However, all that changed last year when I moved to the U.S. and was unemployed for an extended period of time. I started to make an effort to “do my face” in the morning, and in doing so noticed a patch above my nose where plucking just wasn’t working. My makeup seemed to cling to the hairs, and after much thought I decided that I would be brave and wax.

My dirty little secret: I’ve been bleaching my upper lip for years, but I’d never waxed anything on my face before. While contemplating this foray into facial waxing, I noticed a product at my local supermarket that looked like interesting. Sally Hansen Microwaveable Eyebrow, Face & Lip Wax ($5.99) sounded perfect for me — no strips needed, and with results that last up to 8 weeks. I liked the sound of that because it reminded me of something my ex-beautician used on a rather more painful region. I thought, “This could be what I’ve been looking for!”

It’s supposed to be simple to use. Just heat based on the directions. Spread the wax using the spatula it comes with (apply in the same direction the hair grows). Then, let the wax cool for about 10-15 seconds. Using your fingers, peel up one edge, and quickly pull the whole section away, along with all of the hair it captured.

Having used it a few times now, here are my thoughts…

The positives

Well, it’s wax. It does what it’s supposed to do.
I do think it’s more convenient than wax that requires the use of strips.

Sally Hansen Microwavable Eyebrow, Face & Lip Wax
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Have You Shopped These Online Beauty Sites?

May 7th, 2011 by Karen 10 Comments

Written by Sam

Where do you do most of your beauty shopping? There are great deals to be had online, and today Sam brings us three online beauty shopping sites you may not have shopped before.

Online beauty shopping

Tired of harsh beauty store lighting and aisles populated by pushy salespeople? Are you fed up with the dwindling quality of products at some of the bigger beauty stores? If you’re ready to break out of a beauty buying rut, try these three online shopping sites on for size.

Beauty Encounter

Beauty Encounter is one of my favorite websites! There’s a slideshow right on the homepage that shows their five current deals and steals. Most often, the sales are geared around an event (like the recent 15% off deal they offered during tax time) or a holiday (they offered 15% off all natural and organic products for Earth Day).

Clearance items are also constantly being discounted (even now they’re marked down an extra 20% through May), and, if you take the time to browse through their gigantic lot, it can lead to some impulse buys at scary-low prices. Many products throughout the site are already below MSRP, listed as the “BE Price”, which can be as much, and occasionally more, than 50% off.

Every day, they choose a selection of products for their “daily deal” — products marked down even lower than the already low BE Price. In some cases it amounts to 90% off!

Their fragrance department is especially rife with special offers on everything from mainstream scents to niche colognes and perfumes. I like to just sit and wade through the pages and pages of products, many of them new, but also some discontinued, limited release, and other hard-to-find fare.

With every order comes three “free” samples of your choice, but be careful — you do have to pay shipping for them. The samples range from skincare to fragrances to bath and body items. And if you happen to spend more than $100, well, look at that! They waive the shipping fees (shipping is also prompt).

Sign up to their newsletter for an extra (on top of everything else!) 10% off your entire first order. Rest assured, Beauty Encounter is also an authorized retailer for every product they sell, which means you don’t run the risk of buying a knock-off fragrance or a watered-down skincare product.

Folica

In need of a new flat iron, hair serum, or deep conditioner? Well, look no further than Folica. The site offers a diverse array of hair care, styling, and coloring products to suit almost any need…at deeply discounted prices!

Their inventory leans toward the brands and tools the pros use, and you might not find some of the major drug and department store brands. For pro products, however, from Sedu to Davines to Wella, Folica has it all. And if you subscribe to their semi-weekly email newsletter, so can you. 🙂

You’ll get things like coupon codes (like to receive $25 off your purchase of $75), an extra 20% off the Buyer’s Choice Top 10 Hair Tools and Sets, or a free full-size product with the purchase of any item from a specific brand. If for nothing else, subscribing to Folica’s newsletter is worth it just for the coupon codes.

The site also has a vibrant buyers’ review section, which sets it apart from many of the lesser known beauty shopping sites, and it’s completely unregulated. You can read through hundreds and hundreds of truthful, thorough (and oftentimes harsh) reviews.

Folica also puts together heavily discounted product bundles, and if you need everything in one of them, the discounts are severe. As for shipping, unless you desperately need your order immediately, like for an event, or because that’s just the type of person you are (impatient, like me), don’t spring for the expedited shipping. Even with their regular shipping, Folica usually delivers within a few days, tops.
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