Makeup and Beauty Blog | Makeup Reviews, Swatches and How-To Makeup

A beauty blog blooming with fresh makeup reviews, swatches and beauty tips from your friendly neighborhood beauty addict

Makeup Tips/How To

How to: A Simple Sugar Scrub for Luscious Lips

by 20 Comments

Jessica

Written by Jessica of Picturesque Makeup

Today Jessica of Picturesque Makeup shares a delicious DIY lip exfoliator that costs next to nothing to do.

sugar-scrub
Here’s a quick and simple sugar scrub to soften dry/flakey lips:

  1. Load some lip balm (a smooth one, not sticky — I prefer Rosebud Strawberry Lip Balm) onto one of your fingers.
  2. Dip the finger into some plain old granulated white sugar (keep a small jar for beauty purposes in your vanity).
  3. Rub the sugar balm mix all over your lips to exfoliate, wiping clean with a tissue.

It’s a great (and great tasting) alternative to more expensive lip scrubs and takes practically no time at all. 🙂 Do it before bed, and then slap on a little more lip balm for lusciously soft lips the following morning.

Jessica

Written by Jessica of Picturesque Makeup

This post was written by Jessica of Picturesque Makeup. When not blogging or creating video makeup tutorials, she’s studying hard for her doctorate and working as a freelance makeup artist.

5 Fantastic Makeup Secrets I Learned from Watching YouTube

by 26 Comments

audrey of makeup by audrey

Written by Audrey

Today Audrey of Makeup by Audrey shares five fantastic makeup secrets she learned from watching YouTube.

122009-guest-post-makeup-tips-youtube

I’m a late bloomer when it comes to makeup. My two essential items had always been foundation and blush — maybe gloss if I wanted to dress it up. Then, just over a year ago, it happened.

I discovered the world of makeup tutorials on YouTube!

At first, I was just amazed by the amazing transformations that these wonderful ladies (and sometimes, men) would do. I mean, who doesn’t love seeing those befores and afters?

But then I started wondering to myself — could I do that??? I started experimenting. I’d watch a tutorial and then try the look on myself. Eventually I got the hang of things, building my makeup collection at the same time.

You can learn just about anything on Youtube… As for makeup, it’s a great place to learn the basics, like how to apply eyeliner, brow shaping, how to create a classic smoky eye, etc.

But what I especially love about YouTube are all of the random little makeup tricks. 🙂

Here are five of my favorites:

1. Without a good base, just don’t bother


Click the picture above to see Loulud81‘s review of different eyeshadow bases and primers.

I never used to wear eyeshadow because it didn’t seem to do much for me. Either the colors wouldn’t show up on my Filipino skin, or they’d fade away before lunch. Then, I learned about eyeshadow primers and how they help prevent shadows from creasing and/or fading. Now, I literally will not apply eyeshadow without a base. Two popular ones are Urban Decay Primer Potion and Too Faced Shadow Insurance.

There are also other eyeshadow bases you can use on top of your primer that will really help intensify colors and make them “pop”. Some examples are MAC Paint Pots and Shadesticks, NYX Jumbo Eye Pencils, and Make Up For Ever Flash Colors.

I also typically use a primer for my face. It helps to smooth out my skin and make the foundation last. I love the silky feel of the Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer, but I haven’t been too thrilled with the $36 price for one ounce.

Here’s a secret — try the Monistat Soothing Care Chafing Relief Powder-Gel. I think it works just as well as it has similar ingredients (i.e. dimethicone). I know that some of you may be scared by the brand (NOTE: This is not the yeast infection version), but just trust me on this and give it a try. 🙂 You can find it at any drugstore (or even Target), and it’s much cheaper, around $8 for 1.5 oz.


Click the picture above for kitcat627‘s review of the Monistat Soothing Care Chafing Relief Powder-Gel.

2. Paintbrushes are not just for paint!


Click above to watch EnKoreMakeup‘s comparison of MAC brushes and paintbrushes.

Personally, I love my MAC brushes. I do believe the quality justifies the price. But not everyone can afford a single eyeshadow brush that costs over $20. One alternative – head over to Michaels or a similar craft store and check out their paintbrushes. Specifically, the Loew Cornell line has a variety of brushes that are very comparable to MAC brushes at a fraction of the cost. As an example, the Loew-Cornell 270 3/8″ Maxine’s Mop artist brush ($4) is almost identical to the MAC 239 eye shader brush ($25), as shown in the video below. And my favorite go-to brush for lining my eyes with gel eyeliner is the Loew-Cornell 485 large tear drop brush ($7).
[Continue reading…]

Got Puffy Eyes? Black Cat Liner Could Help

by 50 Comments

lorac-front-of-the-liner-pro-liner-review-eye

Good morning, ladies! 🙂 Can we tawk happy accidents for a moment? Remember my mini-nervous breakdown on Tuesday? Well, I think I got a pretty good makeup tip out of it.

Because I cried buckets that day, I woke up on Wednesday with a pair of seriously puffy eyes. My usual tricks (a cold compress and chamomile tea bags), unfortunately, weren’t working well enough, so I went fiddling through my makeup stash for something else to try.

When I saw my favorite black pen liner, LORAC Front of the Line Pro, I got an idea.

I applied a thick cat line along my upper lash line, and wouldn’t ya know it? It worked! Not to reduce the puffiness itself, of course, but to draw attention away from it.

Give it a try the next time you wake up with severely puffy eyes. Coupled with some concealer and a cold compress, it just might work for you too. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

DIY Beauty with Kitchen Cosmetics

by 30 Comments

How to make your own cosmetics at home
One of my New Year’s resolutions is to become a better cook, and because I’m also hopelessly addicted to beauty, 🙂 I’d like to include a smattering of DIY kitchen beauty recipes as well.

There’s just something about making homemade beauty products, isn’t there? — the idea of whipping something up from scratch, skipping the preservatives and really *feeling* the ingredients in your hands?

It turns out that homemade versions of many popular beauty products are easy to make with ingredients that most cooks have readily at hand.

But if you add the following three drugstore ingredients to your next shopping list, your repertoire of potential kitchen beauty recipes expands by leaps and bounds.

NOTE: Be mindful of allergies. If you can’t eat it, your skin may not like it either. 🙂

  • Glycerin: a humectant that binds moisture to the skin (works far better than water alone)
  • Sweet almond oil: a better alternative for DIY skincare recipes than vegetable oil
  • Kaolin clay: great for tightening and cleansing

    • source

Exfoliating skin cleanser

Mix the following ingredients in a large bowl:

2 heaping spoonfuls of kaolin clay
1 tbsp ground rice (to exfoliate)
1 tbsp ground almonds
1/2 tbsp wheat flower
1/2 tbsp almond oil
5 capsules of evening primrose oil
Dried coconut flakes
Dried beans (ground up in a coffee grinder)

Flatten the doughy concoction to about an inch thick. Roll it up, and cut slices to use when you exfoliate. Refrigerate any unused portion (should be used within a couple of days).

For extra troubled skin, add an antiseptic herb like thyme or freshly chopped fennel to the mix.

Exfoliating body scrub

[Continue reading…]

Holiday Party Makeup: A Casual Get-Together with Friends

by 47 Comments

holiday party makeup tips

Not being able to concentrate worth a biscuit today, I decided to skip work and play with looks for an upcoming get-together with two of my girlfriends this Saturday.

They were bridesmaids in my wedding, and they’re coming over in the morning for brunch (I think they really just want to hang out with Tabs). 🙂

It’ll be a casual weekend thang, so maybe something light and sparkly…

This cool-toned look uses products from the Clarins Palazzo D’Oro collection.

Just like Monday’s potential office party look, this look’s pretty conservative, relying on cool browns, pinks and golds for the eyes, lips and cheeks.

clarins palazzo doro collection jolie rouge gold attraction closeup

To go with their collection, the holiday elves at Clarins posted four nifty eye maps.

I chose the “Festive Evening Look” because of how subtle I think the colors look on my skin tone. I’m sure lighter lovelies could also rock it for daytime but might try using a light touch during application.
[Continue reading…]

12 Ways to Fake a Good Night’s Sleep with Makeup

by 46 Comments

makeup tips how to fake a good nights sleep

‘Tis the season for late nights, ladies — holiday parties, cramming for finals and waiting up for Santa. 🙂

If you’re not getting enough shuteye over the holidays, why not fake a good night’s sleep with a little help from makeup?

Last week in the comments you left some of your favorite tips to disguise dark circles, restore sallow skin and brighten tired eyes — tips like…

1. Line your waterline with white eyeliner

It brightens in a flash of white!

“I find that lighter, more natural eyeshadows with a nice sheen for the lid, white eyeliner for my waterline and MAC’s Select Moisturecover for my undereye circles are really awesome for hiding the fact that I may be running on only a couple hours of sleep.”
– Miriam

“I wear white eyeliner on my waterline (I love Rimmel’s white eyeliner) and add a light colored shadow like MAC Phloof! to the inner corners of my eyes. I also use Rohto eye drops if my eyes are red!”
– Nancy

2. Whip out that lash curler

Two minutes to a wide-awake look! shu-curler-final

“I use a light shimmery champagne color on the lids, and I curl my eyelashes! I can’t tell you how much that helps; it just makes me look so much more awake.”
– Gracie

3. Concealer is your BFF

A must for girls burning the midnight oil! A few faves:bobbi-brown-concealer

“I don’t usually get a lot of sleep, and even when I do I have genetically dark and puffy undereyes, so I always need concealer. I use MAC’s Studio Sculpt.”
– Phoi

“Can’t live without Fresh Concealer! Works to get those circles to disappear.”
– Styleezta

“I use Bobbi Brown Concealer under my eyes and the built-in powder underneath to make my eyes seem more open.”
– Denny

“Aww man, I NEVER get enough sleep. [I use] TimeBalm concealer topped with Boots No. 7 illuminating concealer then crimped lashes and mascara (if I have time.) I know I should do a lot more to wake up my face, but I figure the extra ten minutes of sleep are worth it!”
– Rae

4. Try a color-correcting concealer

To deal with heavy duty dark circles, start with a layer of a color correcting concealer beneath your regular concealer.

“I use a salmon-colored concealer to first neutralize the blue. Then, I use a concealer a shade or two lighter than my normal skin color to really brighten my eyes.”
– Diana Kim

[Continue reading…]

A Clinique Black Tie Violets Tutorial and TGIF!

by 12 Comments

clinique-black-tie-violets-fotd-1-1

Because it’s raining cats and dogs out here today, I figured I’d have to make my own sunshine, so I took a stab at a tutorial on the look from yesterday’s Clinique Black Tie Violets face of the day (see some swatches here).

If you decide to give it a try, snap a couple pictures of yourself, and shoot them off to me at karen@makeupandbeautyblog.com. I’d love to see your handiwork (don’t worry; I won’t share them on the blog unless you ask me to)!

Ready?

What you’ll need

clinique-black-tie-violets-tutorial-swatches-1

clinique-black-tie-violets-tutorial-swatches-2

clinique-black-tie-violets-tutorial-swatches-3

  1. A shimmery purple cream eyeshadow like Clinique Quick Eyes Cream Shadow in Rock Violet ($15)
  2. A shimmery violet eyeshadow like the second shade from the left in the Clinique Colour Surge Eyeshadow Quad in Black Tie Violets ($25)
  3. A shimmery brownish plum like the third shade from the left in the Clinique Black Tie Violets Quad
  4. A shimmery violet gel liner like Clinique Brush-On Cream Liner in Violet Luxe ($15)
  5. A shimmery blackish plum eyeshadow like the one on the far right in the Clinique Black Tie Violets Quad
  6. A shimmery pinkish purple shadow like the shade on the far left in the Clinique Black Tie Violets Quad
  7. A lengthening black mascara like Clinique Long Pretty Lashes in Black ($15)
  8. A shimmery plum blush like Clinique Shimmering Stripes Powder Blush in Tuxedo Plums ($30)
  9. A shimmery reddish blue lip liner like Clinique Defining Liner for Lips in Pomegranate ($14)
  10. A shimmery hot pink lipstick like Clinique High Impact Lip Colour SPF 15 in Extreme Pink ($14)

Eyes

clinique-black-tie-violets-eye-map-1

clinique-black-tie-violets-tutorial-eye-map-2
[Continue reading…]

Nonstick Lipgloss Greatest Hits

by 34 Comments

lipgloss-1

Happy Tuesday, ladies. 🙂 This morning, fellow beauty addict Toni finds herself in a sticky situation…

Hi Karen!

I’m on the hunt for a fabulous but very non-sticky lipgloss. I’ve enjoyed a Jesse’s Girl gloss I got at Rite Aid, but I’d love something with a little more color/pigmentation. I wonder what your readers call their favorite non-sticky lipglosses? Or can you make some suggestions?

Thanks so much!

Toni

Heya, Toni. Every girl needs a list of go-to non-sticky glosses. Here are some of my budget AND splurge-worthy faves. 🙂

Lipgloss lovahs, can you recommend any non-sticky formulations for Toni? Let’s get her out of this sticky situation.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Copyright © 2025 Makeup and Beauty Blog. Get in touch.