Makeup Tips/How To

Beauty on the Go: My Minimal 7-Product Face

April 13th, 2016 by Anna Oh 36 Comments

My Minimal Face Beauty Bag — My “Minimal Face” Beauty Bag

When it comes to beauty…and really anything…there’s nothing very “minimal” about me. I either go all the way, or not at all! When I’m shopping with my girlfriends, I’ll usually only leave the store with an iced coffee. But, I’m also that same person who will use my entire budget for one amazing jacket or shoe that “represents everything I believe in.” (Yes, I do say this every time I buy something, haha! I’m a very passionate shopper.)

So when I had to pack up my home and move within the week, you can bet I used the least amount of products possible. I grabbed my glasses and a few old and new favorites before getting to work! I even opted out of foundation because I knew I’d be sweating and wearing glasses, and nothing good comes out of that!

A little glow

Pixi Book of Beauty "Minimal Makeup" No-Makeup Makeup — Pixi Book of Beauty in Minimal Makeup

The main face product I grabbed, was the Pixi Book of Beauty in Minimal Makeup ($24), new for spring 2016. The size was perfect, and since I wasn’t adding much else to my face, I only needed a few colors that I could dust on quickly with a large brush.

Lately, I have been all about Pixi, and these Beauty Books have come in very handy.

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The Easiest Eye Look That Complements Even the Craziest Lip Colors

April 12th, 2016 by Jen Clark 36 Comments

OCC Lip Tar in "Hoochie" — OCC Lip Tar in “Hoochie”

This is probably really weird, but as I’m laying in bed at night, I’ll close my eyes and think about what makeup I want to wear the next day. I’ll think about the specific colors, products, and techniques I want to use…

Does anyone else do this? Just me? Dang it!

Sometimes, I’ll have a really fun lip color that I’m dying to wear, but I’ll have a hard time thinking of what to wear on my eyes that won’t clash with it. Lucky for me — and maybe you — I’ve come up with the easiest eye look out there that goes with any color you can think of, like bright purple!

The other awesome thing about this trick is that you can find colors for it almost anywhere. I bet you $50 (you can email me for my Venmo name ☺ ) that you already have two colors just like these in your collection.

I used the Morphe 35O palette just because I think the mattes in the palette are the best! A mid-toned matte neutral brown and a darker matte neutral brown are all you need, and what I mean by neutral is that neither one is too warm or cool toned, so it’ll go with any shade you wear on your lips.

To start out, using a Mac 217 blending brush or something similar (almost every brand makes something similar), blend the lighter brown shade all over your lid and through the crease.

I like to pull the color outward beyond the corner of my eye to make my eye look more elongated, but feel free to create any shape that suits you.

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6 Makeup Rules That May Not Work for You

April 1st, 2016 by Carolina Braina 23 Comments

When it comes to rules, I think that most people fall into one of three categories…

Those who follow the rules religiously, without questioning.
Those who never follow the rules, just because they’re rules — you know, the rebels.
And those who follow the rules only when they think it’s the right thing to do.

Personally, I belong to the third group, but sometimes, especially makeup-wise, after hearing countless times that I should or shouldn’t do something a certain way, I feel like I temporarily lose my ability to judge for myself what works and what doesn’t work for me. And I’m pretty sure I’m not alone in this!

So today I’d like to remind you (and myself) that some makeup rules don’t always apply to everyone. You can follow, or ignore, any rules that you want.

Let’s see what some of these rules are, shall we?

1. Curling your lashes

After hearing dozens of makeup artists and beauty gurus say that I had to curl my lashes, a few years ago I got a Shu Uemura curler and started using it without objection until, one day, I decided to skip the curling step and go straight to mascara.

I realized that my lashes actually looked better! I have short lashes, and if I curl them, they look even shorter! I don’t know if it’s because my particular eye shape doesn’t allow me to get as close to the lid as I’d like, but all I can tell you is that it just doesn’t work for me.

2. Using very light under-eye concealer

Deborah Milano Radiance Creator Highlighting Concealer in 01 Light

These days, it’s pretty common to use a very light concealer to highlight the under-eye area, and I think it does look good on some people, but if you’re as dark under your eyes as I am, chances are your dark circles will just end up looking grey and stand out more.

Not cool!

3. Contouring with cool-toned products

We hear all the time that we should contour using cool-toned powders or creams because it’s the best way to mimic natural shadows on the face. As a general rule, I completely agree with that, but sometimes cool-toned products can look ashy and muddy on very warm skin tones. In those cases, it might be better to use a product with neutral or even slightly warm undertones. Only experimenting will tell you what’s best for you.

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One Wash Wonders: 4 Eyeshadows You’ll Love if You’re Lazy or Busy

March 29th, 2016 by Carolina Braina 14 Comments

KIKO Long Lasting Stick Eyeshadow 06 Golden Brown — KIKO Long-Lasting Stick Eyeshadow in 06 Golden Brown on my eyes and MAC Velvetease Lip Pencil in Lover’s Lane on my lips

One Wash Wonder Eyeshadows — My favorite One Wash Wonders. Clockwise, from top left corner: Burberry Eye Colour Wet & Dry Glow Shadow in 002 Nude, Essence I Love Nude Eyeshadow in 04 Sweet Like Chocolate, Maybelline Eye Studio Color Tattoo Leather 24hr in Creamy Beige, KIKO Long-Lasting Stick Eyeshadow in 06 Golden Brown

Can we all please take a moment to thank the Beauty Gods profusely for creating One Wash Wonders?

Those magical neutrals that look amazing on their own, don’t require any makeup skills, and cut down the time you spend on your eyes to a handful of seconds are definitely the types of shadows I’m most grateful for.

In case you need a little inspiration for your first (or tenth) OWW purchase, here are my all-time favorites!

The Budget Buy: Essence I Love Nude Eyeshadow in 04 Sweet Like Chocolate (€3.19/$3.56)

Essence I Love Nude Eyeshadow 04 Sweet Like Chocolate — Wearing Essence I Love Nude Eyeshadow in 04 Sweet Like Chocolate last summer…

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The Ultimate Italian Makeup Look May Not Be What You Expect

March 23rd, 2016 by Carolina Braina 34 Comments

“Italians are always well-dressed.”

Who hasn’t heard that one at least once in their life?

It’s one of many stereotypes about Italians and, just like any stereotype, it’s not entirely true…but it does have a kernel of truth to it.

In my experience, people here are generally very concerned with the way they look, and they’ll usually put a lot of thought into what they wear.

There’s also a general sense of decorum that people are expected to observe. For instance, you’ll never see college students go to class in sweats and flip-flops. Here, dressing appropriately and looking nice are real social conventions.

So, what is makeup’s role in a country where most people always try to dress well and look good?

Well, Italians don’t normally use as much makeup as you might expect. A typical Italian look, which I’ve recreated for you today, will usually feature very few products.

Care to know which ones? 🙂

Foundation (often a shade too dark)

Italian Makeup Look — The foundation I’m wearing today is Diego Dalla Palma 2 W. W. Mattifying Foundation in 43 Warm Beige

That’s for two main reasons. The first one is that many people think the purpose of foundation is to make them look tanned, while the second one is that it’s pretty hard for those here with lighter skin tones to find the right color match.

The lightest shade of foundations from Italian brands will usually be my skin tone or darker and, although I’m pretty pale, I’m definitely not the palest. Even international brands will often have a more limited shade range here than abroad.

Bronzer

Most Italians don’t contour very much, but they definitely like to bronze. A LOT.
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An Easy, Beautiful Golden Bronze Eye Makeup Look Using the $5.49 Essence All About Bronze Eyeshadow Palette

March 21st, 2016 by Jen Clark 28 Comments

Is the weather starting to warm up where you live? I’m looking out the window at a gloomy night that is chucking it down with SNOW. Waahh! I just went on (what I thought was) a spring walk the other day, and now I have to bring out my winter coat again! If any of you are familiar with Utah weather, you know that, unfortunately, this isn’t that weird.

I’ll probably have to scrape off my car in the morning, but I’m choosing to be more optimistic with my makeup choices. I’m channeling sunshine with this springtime golden/bronze eyeshadow look.

This look is so flattering on every single eye color, and it’s so easy to do. AND the palette I’m using is only $5.49! It’s the Essence All About Bronze Eyeshadow Palette.

You guys, every single one of you needs to go out and buy one of these palettes. If bronze-y shades aren’t your thing, they’ve got a bunch of different options. Nudes, Roses, Greys, and more! They blend out like a dream and are so pigmented. Love, love, LOVE.

I started out with a matte transition shade in the crease to help the gold blend better with my skin. That’s the thing about this palette — the one con. There are no matte shades.

But, no worries. If you have one, just use a different shade from your stash. I actually used my contour powder today as my transition shade.

IMG_6499_edited-1 — I’m using the three “starred” shades in this look!

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How to Get the Most Natural Rosy Flush With a Super Bright Blush

March 16th, 2016 by Carolina Braina 13 Comments

Am I the only one who gets mesmerized by pretty colors?

Like, sometimes I go to Sephora just to have a look around (as if…!), and the next thing I know I’m exiting the store with a hot pink or bright coral blush in my shopping bag.

Beautiful? Very.

But nine times out of 10, too bright for my corpse-like winter complexion.

I mean, I can usually get away with powder products by using a very light hand, but when creams are involved, it’s not always that simple.

So, the sad fate of those poor impulse buys is to gather dust in my stash for at least one half of the year… Wait, did I just say “IS to gather dust”?? Sorry, I meant “WAS”.

Yes, “was”, because I’ve finally found a way to use those overly bright cream blushes to get the most natural rosy flush. If the situation I described above sounds even vaguely familiar, you may want to listen to this.

Before we start, go grab a pigmented cream blush of your choice, a lightweight foundation or tinted moisturizer and a beauty blender…

Got ’em?

Cool! Now, apply the blush on your cheeks using your fingers, without worrying about blending it out. I’m using YSL Baby Doll Kiss & Blush in 05 Rouge Effrontée.

Unless you purposely want to sport that Heidi look (I’m talking about the Girl of the Alps here, not the famous supermodel) or look like you’re going to an ‘80s party, now is the time to tone the blush down and blend it out a bit.

So, using your beauty blender, dab the foundation or tinted moisturizer on top of it (I’m using Chanel Perfection Lumière Velvet in shade B20) and anywhere else, and it’s important that you use dabbing motions, rather than swiping; otherwise, you’ll risk rubbing the blush off.

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Many Things in Life — Including Your Makeup Game — Can Benefit From a Different Angle

March 11th, 2016 by Carolina Braina 26 Comments

Bologna Asinelli Tower — Torre degli Asinelli, Bologna’s tallest medieval tower, as seen from two different angles

“To raise new questions, new possibilities, to regard old problems from a new angle, requires creative imagination and marks real advance in science beauty”. — Albert Einstein

Sorry, Bertie, I hope you’re not turning in your grave. But, you know, your quote can totally apply to any field — including beauty.

You really were a genius, after all…

Yes, because regarding problems from new angles is a great way to go, I think. If you’re stuck seeing things from a single point of view, you’ll never grow nor improve and, most importantly, you’ll never solve your most troublesome makeup problems (HA!), like:

Does applying eyeliner to your waterline bother you?
Do your filled in brows look like illustrations in a coloring book (that is, like a solid block of color)?
When you apply lip liner all over your lips, does it feel scratchy and uncomfortable? And does it look uneven?

If you answered yes to any of the above, today’s your lucky day, because we’re about to solve your problems!

YOU JUST NEED TO CHANGE YOUR ANGLE. *Cue heavenly choir and rays of glorious sunlight.*

More specifically, you need to change the angle of your pencil. Next time you do your makeup and you’re using a pencil product, try angling it so that you’re using the side of the tip, rather than the point.

It’ll be life-changing, I promise.

How to Apply Eyeliner to Waterline — No more tingly feeling! And you can do this on the upper waterline, as well.

How to Apply Brow Pencil — Harsh brows, begone! Especially if you have dark brows, using the point of your pencil can easily make them look too strong.

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