Makeup Tips/How To

Use a Foundation Brush to Apply Concealer: Tips from a Chanel Master Class

July 20th, 2009 by Karen 40 Comments

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A Chanel Master Class workstation…

I am *so* hooked on those free Chanel Master Classes…

The one I went to last Saturday was at the Macy’s up the street from me. It was two hours of glorious makeup fun, during which time the other students and I (about a dozen of us) were able to gets some hands on experience with a bunch of Chanel makeup, all under adult (read: makeup artist) supervision, of course. 🙂

Check with your local Chanel counter if you think you might like to attend one. I think they’re a great way to unwind on a Saturday afternoon.

The classes really are free to attend, but the store does sort of ~~expect~~ hope that you make at least a small purchase while you’re there.

I left with the Sparkling Satins eyeshadow quad (LOVE!) and a slew of ideas and application tips like these:

1. Natural brows

I’ve attempted to use brow pencils before but never really liked my results. I always felt they made my brows look too severe, overdrawn and heavy.

But I guess that’s just because I never knew the secret. It’s actually pretty easy to get natural-looking brows with a pencil.

Start with a brow pencil in the correct shade.

How do you know the correct shade? Well, if you have dark hair like I do, opt for a brown pencil, instead of a black one; black pencils often look too severe. In class I used and loved Chanel Precision Brow Definer in Soft Brown ($28), a medium brown without red undertones.

And if you have lighter hair, Chanel just released a new shade of pencil for fall called Blond Clair, which the instructors said works great. Not too dark, it has just enough color to define lighter brows.

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Chanel Precision Brow Definer in Blond Clair

Using the side of a sharpened pencil nib (not the tip), shade your brows. Sharpening extends the length of the usable edge.

To fill in your brows, place the side of the sharpened nib (not the point) parallel to an eyebrow, and fill using small strokes. Try to concentrate color in sparse areas, and use less where the brows are already thick.

Finish by combing the brows with a brow comb. It softens the color and creates a more natural look. Chanel’s Precision Brow Definer conveniently comes with a comb.

2. Buh bye, dark circles

One Chanel instructor suggested using a foundation brush instead of a concealer brush to cover up dark circles, strategically placing concealer into an area she called “the triangle.”

Concealer brushes have thin, pointed brush heads, but they can sometimes leave a caked-on look.
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How Do You Choose Complementary Eyeshadow Colors?

July 9th, 2009 by Karen 21 Comments

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Think back to when you first started wearing eyeshadow. I don’t know about you, but I remember being *hella* confused. I’d approach makeup counters totally overwhelmed, never knowing which colors to wear or which colors to pair.

Janice, a newbie to the eyeshadow world, is looking for beginner eyeshadow color pairing tips.

I love make up, but I have NO IDEA how to apply it… especially shadows!

How do you choose colors that compliment each other? Like the shadows that don’t come packaged together, can you look at them and see which ones will work together? Is there a rule of thumb?

I usually buy whatever the salesladies tell me goes together, but I’d like to do it on my own.

Janice

Hi Janice,

Some makeup books will tell you to follow steadfast color rules, but honestly, I think those rules were meant to be broken. I wear what moves me, and that’s what I hope you’ll do, too. 🙂

There are some considerations that may help when you’re looking for colors to pair together, like how cool or warm colors may work with your skin tone, different textures (like matte versus shimmer) and how products differ in how much pigmentation they pack.

Boiling it down to a few basics, here are some tips to help get you on your way:

1. A good place to start is to pair a neutral, like a shimmery beige, with a single pop of color. Benefit Bikini Line (a shimmery beige), MAC Ricepaper (a shimmery peachy beige) and MAC Shroom (a shimmery beige) are ones I like to use together. Try using them with a blue, green, gold, purple, pink, black, gray or any other color that moves you. Experimentation is key.

2. Afraid of brights? Consider building your look around versatile browns. When I started wearing eyeshadow, I only felt comfortable in neutrals. I found a few great browns and then built up my collection from there (check out this video for a few brown eyeshadow suggestions). If you’re color shy, try pairing browns with beige, gold, bronze, peach or taupe shadows. Any of these shades will be easy to blend and are very beginner friendly. A few to look into: Benefit Velvet Eyeshadow in Dandy Brandy (a shimmery bronzy brown), MAC Arena (a shimmery peach), MAC Woodwinked (a shimmery gold), MAC Amber Lights (a shimmery peachy brown) and MAC Satin Taupe (a shimmery taupe).

3. If you’re ready for more complicated color pairings, look at some pictures of flowers, or go for a walk outside. Once, a cream-colored white rose bush inspired me to do a beige, gold, dark green and chocolate brown eye. Another time I took a cue from a bird of paradise flower and tried an orange, purple and green eye with a hint of yellow. Mother Nature is a fantastic painter and a great source of inspiration for me.

Gals, think back to your early days with makeup. How’d you choose colors to pair together, and how do you do it now?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. I almost forgot! Take a look at Adobe Kuler. It’s a site literally bursting with color palette suggestions. Photographers and graphic designers use it for color inspiration. Great site!

Smashbox Reign Fall 2009: 4-Step Eye Makeup

July 7th, 2009 by Karen 38 Comments

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This year’s fall makeup collections have begun to trickle in, and the one I’m spending quality time with today is Smashbox’s new Reign ($19-48/item).

Inspired by England’s Tudor period (circa 1485-1603), a time that encompassed Queen Elizabeth I’s reign, the eight pieces feature shades of berry, peach, plum, black and champagne.

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Smashbox Reign Eyeshadow Palette in Majesty ($42), Lip Gloss in Crowned ($22)

For today’s 4-step eye makeup look, I grabbed the Smashbox Reign Majesty Eye Shadow Palette ($42), one of three eye palettes in the collection. It comes with three baked eyeshadows (a champagne, a reddish plum and a black), each with a dollop of matte shadow surrounded by a shimmery version of the same shade.

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Top row: shimmery shadows. Bottom row: matte shadows.

I was in the mood to wear something soft today but wasn’t sure if I could make the red shade work for a daytime look — that is, until I discovered that with enough blending the shade looks somewhat reddish brown (!).

smashbox reign fall 2009 eye

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Smashbox Reign 4-Step Eye Makeup

First things first. I grab my MAC 239 Eye Shader Brush and wet the head with a spritz of MAC Fix+ Rose. Applying shadows with a wet brush like this intensifies their color. I load the brush with the shimmery champagne shadow from the Smashbox Reign Magesty Palette and apply it over the entire eyelid and along my lower lash line.
Next, with a Sonia Kashuk Crease Brush, I apply the red eyeshadow (mixing the matte with the shimmer) from the same palette into my crease, concentrating more of the color toward the outside (closer to the ear), and use a MAC 217 Blending Brush to soften the edges.
Then, to make the whole look really pop, I apply a mix of the shimmery black and shimmery red shadows with a Sonia Kashuk Angled Eyeshadow Brush, drawing a thick line along the upper lash line and smoothing out the edges with a MAC 217.
Finally, with the same brush and a mix of the shimmery and matte black shadows, I line the lower line.

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How to Clean a Dirty Pan of Cream Blush

July 6th, 2009 by Karen 29 Comments

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My pan of MAC Cream Colour Base in Pearl is straight up NASTY!

What I mean is it’s filled with random bits of dust, glitter, powder and lint.

Ewww…

I’m usually pretty good about taking care of my makeup, but cream products attract dirt like Mariah attracts crazy (still lovin’ ya, Mimi!).

Reader Julia recently e-mailed to ask if there was anything she could do to restore her dirrrrty cream blushes to their original luster.

I have a couple of cream blushes (and by “a couple” I mean five) and own a MAC brush for application, which I try to clean regularly, but the surfaces of my blushes sometimes seem a little grimy. How do I clean the surfaces of my cream blushes? Kleenex? Makeup brush wipes?

Thanks for your help.
Julia

What’s up, Julia!

Dirty can be good, but not when it comes to cream blushes. 🙂

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They’re like little gunk magnets, picking up bits and pieces of other products from brushes and other pans.

Fortunately, cleaning them doesn’t take a lot of effort, time or money. Here’s a trick I learned from a MAC artist to get grimy cream products back to almost new.

Clean that cream!

Start with a clean makeup wedge sponge (sold in bags at many drugstores, Sephora or Ulta for about $2/bag).
With light, soft strokes, gently run one edge of the sponge across the pan to pick up any bits of dirt, glitter or gunk. Try to keep your strokes going in the same direction, either left to right, right to left, etc. That seems to reduce the amount of junk that just gets redistributed back into the pan. Also, try to use a light touch. Pressing too hard will dig into the pan, picking up a lot of the cream product itself.
If any product migrates over the edges of the pan, use a different edge (a clean one) of the same sponge to wipe up the mess. That’s it. Presto, change-o! One cream blush, almost as good as new. 🙂

I use this technique on different kinds of cream products, like MAC Cream Colour Bases, MAC Paint Pots and NARS the Multiple Duos — even pots of cream concealer and cream-to-powder foundation, too.

Homegirls, do you ever clean your cream products? Do you have any other tips or tricks?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

What’s Your Biggest Mascara Gripe?

July 5th, 2009 by Karen 37 Comments

What's your biggest mascara gripe?

I’ll tell you what bothers me: mascaras that won’t hold a curl. That, and ones that smudge. Grrr…

I know it’s a crowd pleaser, but Maybelline Great Lash smudges on me like crazy, unlike my current favorite, Urban Decay Skyscraper Multi-Benefit Mascara, $22.

How to apply mascara

Start by curling your lashes with your trusty eyelash curler. NOTE: If you curl your lashes after you’ve already applied your mascara, you run the risk of ripping some of them out! I’m guilty of having done it before… but it’s a big no-no that probably isn’t worth the risk.
With your mascara wand in hand, remove any excess product from the wand by brushing it lightly against a clean tissue.
Now, apply your first one or two coats.
For better definition and more length, use a lash comb, getting in there *before your mascara dries*.
For super-deluxe-crazy-dramatic length, apply one or two additional coats of mascara, but only to the tips of your lashes. Then, reach for your eyelash comb again, and run it through once more.
Clean up any mess with Q-Tips or a tissue. 🙂

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Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. For more fun with lashes, check out 11 Luscious Lash Tips.

Easy 4-Step Eye Makeup with Illamasqua

July 2nd, 2009 by Karen 53 Comments

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Hiya, ladies. I had fun with this week’s Benefit 4-Step Eye Look, so I decided to try another one — this time using products from the UK’s rising makeup star, Illamasqua.

More on the Illamasqua brand…

Illamasqua Lip Look: Thinking Outside the Box

Illamasqua: Makeup for Your Alter Ego

Let Illamasqua Sirens Seduce You with Color

Illamasqua, I Think I’ve Met My Matte

It’s a shimmery and smokey black, gray and bronze eye, and it makes heavy use of Liquid Metal in Enrapture (a shimmery bronze cream) and Powder Eye Shadow in Lestat (a matte black).

Blend till you can’t blend no more!

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Like the Benefit look from a few days ago, this look involves just four steps, but it can still take a while to complete, thanks to the amount of blending required. Seamlessly transitioning the black matte into the bronze cream shadow isn’t something I’d try if I only had a couple minutes to get ready, so if you’re gonna give this one a try, consider budgeting a few extra minutes to blend.

I had to restart this look twice, wiping everything off each time, and had to remind myself not to get frustrated. If you end up with black eyeshadow all over your face, no worries! Wipe it off and start over again. That’s the beauty of makeup, right? You can always start with a clean slate.

Illamasqua 4-Step Eye Makeup Look

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I start the look with Liquid Metal in Enrapture applied over my entire eyelid and along the lower lash line with a MAC 239 Eye Shader Brush. I take care to concentrate most of the color on the lid, gradually decreasing the saturation of color as it moves toward the brow bone.
Next, I use a MAC 217 Blending Brush to apply a light layer of Lestat into the crease, diffusing the edges and blending into the the bronze shadow.
For a smokey effect, I pat several layers of Lestat onto the outer half of the eye, concentrating most of the color in the outer corner (the side closest to my ear), and blend away any harsh lines with my trusty MAC 217 brush.
To finish the eye portion of the look, I load a MAC 219 Pencil Brush with Lestat, smudge it along the outer half of my lower lash line, and use my MAC 217 to gently diffuse the edge.

Illamasqua Sirens for Lips and Cheeks

For the rest of my makeup, I went with a hot pink and gold lip with shimmery golden peach cheeks. Illamasqua’s new Sirens collection helped. 🙂
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How Do You Soothe Chapped Lips?

June 30th, 2009 by Karen 54 Comments

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At a family barbecue a couple weeks ago I ate an obscene amount of mango (apparently too much mango). They’re one of my fave fruits, but they can also irritate my lips.

That’s because Mango contains a substance called urushiol (mostly in the tree’s sap, but there’s also a very small amount in the skin of the fruit), the same toxin found in poison ivy and poison oak!
Also see: source

For days after the BBQ my lips felt dry and peeled like mad. It was awful!

Coincidentally, reader Cari e-mailed asking for tips to soothe her peeling lips…

Hi Karen,

I enjoy reading your very informative blog everyday but I have a major, out of control problem that you haven’t covered!

I have big, beautiful plump lips but they peel EVERY DAY. Big ol’ gobs of cells that collect in the corners of my mouth. Ew.

I’ve tried Vaseline, Chapstick, coconut oil, every gloss imaginable but nothing seems to stop the sheds. You wanna know the most awful thing about it? They tend to peel a couple of hours after I’ve applied the prettiest lipgloss I own. FRUSTRATING!

So, I figure I need a lip exfoliator but I’m LOST (with Jack and Kate) when it comes to this. I’ve seen your gloss posts and you work your lips on the regular so you’ve gotta know something I don’t. Or maybe you’re just lucky. Either way, can you help a sista out? I’ll be sure to xoxo once I get this peeling thing under control!

Heya, Cari. Here are some things I do when my lips are chapped or dry:

Drink lots of water

I drink *hella* water. Not only does it help keep my skin clear, but it’s good for the “constitution” (LOL!) and even helps keep my lips from drying out. When I’m not drinking enough water, my lips will peel like cray-zaaaay!

I like to keep a water bottle next to me while I work and sip from it throughout the day.

Try a hydrating lip gloss

Not all gloss formulas are hydrating, and some are more moisturizing than others. A few of my favorite hydrating ones include Chanel Aqualumiere Glossimer ($27), Smashbox Limitless Long Wear ($21), MAC Lipgelle ($14) and Estee Lauder Tender Lip Balm ($14).

Try lip conditioner or lip butter

Lip conditioners and lip butters have a thinner formula than glosses but deliver rich hydration along with subtle color and shine. Two I always reach for are MAC Lip Conditioner in Gentle Coral ($15) and Korres Lip Butter in Plum ($9).

Slather up with one of these lip balms

Before applying lipstick or gloss, I’ll prep my lips with a layer of a hydrating balm about 10-15 minutes beforehand. Then, before bed, I’ll reach for a balm again.

Some lip balms tend to make matters worse, but here are two that have worked well for me: Philosophy Kiss Me in Clear ($12) and Clinique Superbalm Lip Treatment ($12).

Exfoliate

Only when my lips are irritated or chapped, I’ll gently exfoliate once about every other day.

Tarte sells one I like called fRxtion ($11). It exfoliates and conditions at the same time. Plus, it comes in a travel-friendly lipstick tube that you can just pop in your purse.

My favorite things about it are how yummy it smells and tastes — like brown sugar. I have been tempted to nibble, ha! Don’t be surprised if you find yourself wanting to chomp on it, too. 🙂

Sometimes I’ll also exfoliate at night before bed, mixing olive oil, a teaspoon of honey, two teaspoons of white granulated sugar and a dash of lemon juice. I’ll apply the concoction with a finger or a toothbrush and *gently* rub on my lips.

Tenderonis, I know you’ve got a few beauty tricks up your sleeves. How do you soothe chapped lips, and what products do you use to keep your pucker looking and feeling soft?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

4 Takes on Smokey Eyes

June 30th, 2009 by Karen 27 Comments

Smokey eyes

I’ve always wanted a Burberry coat like the one Harry Potter alum Emma Watson has on here, but the coat wasn’t what first grabbed my attention about this new ad campaign. It was her smoldering, smokey eyes!

The one-minute smokey eye

The look, in its many incarnations, never really goes out of style, and one of my favorite things about smokey eyes is how little effort they can take.

Take, for example, this one-minute smokey eye by MAC Senior Makeup Artist James Malloy, which breaks down a little something like this:

Start with a jet black eye kohl pencil like MAC Technakohl Liner ($14.50). Really get the black in between the root of the lashes and build outward.
End with a blackened silver shadow over the top of the kohl pencil, adding a spot of a steely gray, gunmetal shadow pressed in the center of the lid to add a highlight.

Or how ’bout a shimmery midnight blue?

A brownish black with false lashes?

This look by makeup artist Nancy Spencer starts with a base on the eyelid and an eye primer like Urban Decay Primer Potion ($17) to help the eyeshadow stay put.

Or a sexy red carpet look?

Experiment with your smokey eyes, and don’t be afraid to make mistakes! Like MAC Pro Artist Neil Young says, “It’s not a tattoo; it [makeup] comes off.” 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Have you peeped the new Benefit Smokin’ Eyes Palette yet? With seven products for $36, I think it smacks of a pretty good deal.