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

Boscia MakeUp-BreakUp Cool Cleansing Oil May Not Remove It All

November 27th, 2010 by Karen 35 Comments

Oil: It’s not just for deep frying and cars

I would love to hug the genius/sadist who, one fateful, oil-slicked day, threw that first potato into a vat of boiling oil. Buddy, I’d like to shake your greasy hand. 🙂

Mmm, fries…

But oil’s not just for cars and deep frying. Companies have been pushing cleansing oils for years, and skin care lines like Shu Uemura and Decleor even sell them as specialized makeup removers (on the premise that oil attracts oil).

Boscia has one, too. Their MakeUp-BreakUp Cool Cleansing Oil will set you back $26 for a 5-fl. oz. bottle. The preservative-free, non-comedogenic cleansing oil is made from eucalyptus, rose hip, green tea, jojoba and golden palm oils (among other things; check out the full list of ingredients in the bottom pic), and the company claims it’s good for all skin types and cruelty-free.

I’d been using it for about a week when it came time to pack for Hawaii. The question was: would it stay or would it go?

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Perfume Storage: How to Store Your Fragrances to Keep Them at Their Fragrant Best

November 27th, 2010 by Karen 22 Comments

Written by OIga

Today Olga of MakeUpAcademia shares how to store your fragrances to keep them at their fragrant best.

How to store those lovely scents

When it comes to storing perfume, the most well known guidelines are 1) keeping it out of direct light, and 2) storing it someplace cool and dry. My (and Karen’s) first guess for the best place to store perfume was the fridge, but should we really be putting our pretty perfume bottles between the veggies and cheese? Are there better options?

While heat is definitely harmful to fragrances, large fluctuations in temperature can be even worse, so moving your perfumes in and out of the fridge isn’t necessarily better than storing them on your window.

Just like makeup, perfume cannot stand humidity, so the bathroom is out. Also, you want to avoid exposing them to air as much as possible; keep your fragrances closed at all times, and give preference to sprays over splashes. One problem with splashes, as well as rollerballs, is that oils and dirt can eventually spoil the scent, so try to minimize the applicator’s contact with bare skin.

I didn’t know this for the longest time, but it turns out that one should not shake fragrance, and not just to avoid breaking a fragile bottle. If you like to reapply perfume throughout the day, try to leave the bottle at home and take an atomizer along.
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Just Saying Hi: Chanel Riva and Snorkeling at Hanauma Bay

November 26th, 2010 by Karen 71 Comments

Hanauma Bay, Oahu, Hawaii

What up, buttercup? Have you recovered from turkey day yet? Today I got in the water for the first time since arriving here in Hawaii, and I brought along a waterproof camera. Here are some pictures of a place called Hanauma Bay here on Oahu.

Hanauma Bay, Oahu, Hawaii - Walking down to the water

It’s a popular nature preserve/snorkeling spot, and it’s literally overrun with cats and mongoose (mongeese?), which look like skinny blond land otters. And sea turtles (but I didn’t see any of those).

Hanauma Bay, Oahu, Hawaii - Playing in the water

Do you like snorkeling? I do alright with the fins and snorkel, but I’m always afraid of crashing into the rocks.

Hanauma Bay, Oahu, Hawaii - Snorkeling and seeing fishies
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What’s the Best Place to Match to Your Foundation?

November 26th, 2010 by Karen 68 Comments

Written by Sam

Freelance makeup artist and blogger Sam has a tip to help you find your foundation match in today’s guest post.

Ah, the age-old question: “Do I match my foundation to my neck, my jawline, my inner wrist, my…” Ok, stop right there.

There are many reasons why all of the above are less than ideal, so let’s go through some of them before we explore an even better way to match.

If you match to your…

Neck — Because of the shadow your face casts down upon your neck, it only makes sense that your neck is going to be one of the palest parts of your skin. It receives the least amount of sun, and contains much lower levels of pigment than many other parts of your skin. Match your foundation to your neck, and you run the risk of a washed-out, sickly looking face.

Jawline — Depending on your bone structure, your jawline may appear, which can cause unintentional highlights or shadows that are lighter or darker than the rest of your face. Although the difference may not be major, you might not be getting a true gauge of your actual skintone. If your face is ruddy or sallow and doesn’t have the same undertones as the rest of your body, you’re also looking at choosing the incorrect shade. For example, my face has a lot of red in it, but the rest of my skin doesn’t. I actually have yellow undertones, but if I matched to my jawline, I’d be apt to pick a foundation with pink or beige undertones.

Inner wrist — This one, I simply don’t get. Your inner wrist contains a lot of large veins (arteries? I was never good at biology…), and again, gets very little direct sun exposure. And since when is the inner wrist at all comparable to a face? This can lead you astray in the worst of ways; while the rest of my skin has yellowish undertones, if I were to match to my inner wrist, I’d definitely choose a foundation with more pinky undertones, which could lead me to look unnatural, ruddy, and older.

So, what’s the best place to match to your foundation?

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Orchids

November 26th, 2010 by Karen 6 Comments

Black Friday Deals: Have You Tried These Makeup Brands Before?

November 26th, 2010 by Karen 20 Comments

Written by Audrey

Freelance makeup artist Audrey of Makeup by Audrey shares a bevy of Black Friday deals on up-and-coming makeup brands in today’s guest post.

Black Friday Deals: Try Some New Makeup Brands

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! I had a great time enjoying a fabulous feast with my family. And now that my belly has been happily stuffed with turkey, cornbread, sweet potatoes and pumpkin pie, it’s time to focus on the next big event this holiday season — that’s right, Black Friday sales!!!

I’ve been scouring my emails, tweets, and status updates, and here are the deals I’m particularly excited about. As much as I love my MAC, Benefit, Urban Decay and Makeup For Ever, I love experimenting with the lesser known brands, and many of them are launching some really amazing sales this weekend.

Give them a look! I hope you might find a new favorite.

Z Palette

http://www.zpalette.com

I’ve had my eye on these guys for a while. As a makeup artist, I’m always looking for ways to downsize my kit, and palettes are a great way to do that. I’ve been using mostly MAC palettes, but I love that the Z Palettes actually have a see through window, which will make it so much easier to grab the one I need. And they also come in so many different fun colors and patterns (pink, zebra, leopard), although, to be honest, I’ll probably just stick with basic black.

-> The Deal: 20% off ONLY on Friday, 11/26 with code: THANKS1

Sugarpill

http://www.sugarpillshop.com

I have yet to try any of these products but have heard so much about this brand from the YouTube, Blogger, Twitter makeup world. The creator, Amy (aka Shrinkle), is a fashion designer, and she says she was inspired by the drag queen scene to create a line of bright, dramatic, and long lasting makeup. The line consists of vibrant pressed and loose eyeshadows.

-> The Deal: 30% off on Friday, 11/26, 20% off from Saturday, 11/27 to Monday, 11/29 with code: pinkweekend

Lime Crime

http://www.limecrimemakeup.com/

This is another brand known for fun colors and cute packaging! Lime Crime’s creator, Doe Deere, is a makeup artist and blogger that created this line simply because she couldn’t find colors bright enough for her liking – hence her tagline, “so bright, it’s illegal” 🙂 Lime Crime carries both loose eyeshadows and lipsticks in a fabulous array of colors!

-> The Deal: 40% off from Friday, 11/26 to Monday, 11/29 with code: BLACKFRIDAY40
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Two Ways to Win a MAC Tartan Tale A Lady & Her Tricks Buff & Line Brush Collection Set

November 26th, 2010 by Karen 383 Comments

WINNER: The giveaway is closed now, and the winner is Nikki! Congratulations, Nikki! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet. 🙂

So how was your Thanksgiving, young lady? Lots of good food and conversation, I hope.

Ours was an overeaters’s paradise punctuated by mounds of turkey, mashed potatoes and stuffing, with gravy cascading down it all like a waterfall of YUM! It was a magic carpet ride down a tryptophan dream piloted by my mother-in-law, and she did a delicious job. I’ll be recovering from, and trying to work off, the calories for weeks.

Unless I figure out how to cast a magic makeup slimming spell…

I mean, it’s possible, right? After all, a lady casts spells with light and color like a magician wows the stage — assuming, of course, that she has the right tools for the job.

Like any good illusionist, a lady can never have too many tricks (or brushes) up her sleeve, but the lady doesn’t rely on trick mirrors, marked cards, trap doors and coins with two tails. Her props are tools like the brushes in the limited edition MAC Tartan Tale A Lady & Her Tricks Buff & Line Brush Collection ($49.50).

Which reminds me, are you ready for another giveaway? 🙂

You could take your show on the road with this prize. It’s a kit with a studded plaid bag containing travel-sized versions of MAC’s 168 Angled Contour Brush, 187 Duo Fibre Brush, 209 Eye Liner Brush, 219 Pencil Brush and the 242 Shader Brush.

A Makeup and Beauty Blog Giveaway!

One (1) MAC A Tartan Tale A Lady & Her Tricks Buff & Line Brush Collection set (a $49.50 value).

There are two ways to enter, and you can do both of them for two chances to win. First, you can enter by leaving a comment at the bottom of this post, a comment about anything at all — you could tell me about your all-time favorite makeup brush, walk me through a simple magic trick, or talk to me about fashion, pets and plaid.
Second, you can enter by following me on Twitter @karenmbb and retweeting (RT) the following message:
- Follow @karenmbb and RT to win a MAC Tartan Tale A Lady & Her Tricks Buff & Line Brush Collection Set (a $49.50 value) http://bit.ly/fh1FsL

The deadline to enter is Sunday, November 28, 2010 at 11:59PM (PT).
Entrants must enter using a valid email address and/or Twitter account to win.
A maximum of two (2) entries per person — one within the comments at the bottom of this post, and a second entry via Twitter addressed to me @karenmbb.
Contest is open to individuals of any country who have reached the age of majority according to their local laws (18 in the United States with these exceptions: Alabama and Nebraska, 19; Mississippi, 21).
Tabs and I (heretofore referred to as “T-Money and K-Dawg”) will select one (1) winner at random from the entries either left in the comments at the bottom of this blog post or addressed to @karenmbb on Twitter.
The winner will be announced here within 48 hours of the deadline.
Void where prohibited by law.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Three Fun Makeup Sets to Add to Your Christmas Wish List

November 25th, 2010 by Karen 28 Comments

Written by Audrey

Today freelance makeup artist Audrey of Makeup by Audrey has three ideas for fun makeup sets to add to your Christmas list.

Three Fun Makeup Sets to Add to Your Christmas Wish List

I have such a weakness for makeup sets. They usually suck me in with cute packaging and then seal the deal by offering a good price.

During a recent visit to Sephora (ahem, purely for educational purposes), I discovered a bunch of fun makeup sets that tickled my fancy. Did I need any of them? No. But did I want them? Of course! And guess what? It’s that perfect time of year for frivolous expenses!

To help you write your letter to Santa (or be a gift-giving Santa yourself!), here are my top three favorite makeup kits this holiday season:

Benefit Cosmetics Her Name was Glowla $36 Benefit delivers yet another cutely packaged set (although let’s face it, not very durable or travel friendly) designed to give you a glowing face. It’s quite comprehensive with a set of very pretty shimmery eyeshadows in neutral shades, the popular Coralista blush, mascara, and a coral lipgloss. It even boosts the “glow” factor with a set of High Beam and Moon Beam highlighters.

This kit is very novice-friendly as it includes a fold out instruction card that shows step by step where you would place each of the products, even describing which applicator should be used! Speaking of which, it should also be noted that this set includes a blush brush and a double ended eye shadow brush. In my experience, these are decent brushes that are definitely usable and not the “throwaway” kind you usually get in other sets.

Who Would Love This Gift: Pretty much any gal! The colors are universal and would make a great daytime look for anyone.

Smashbox Eye Wish Palette $45 My eyes were first drawn to the stunning gold packaging of this eye palette. After a closer look, I fell in love with the mix of shades and finishes. It comes with 12 eyeshadows, and you’ll probably never guess which one is my favorite. Ready? The matte bone shade! — otherwise known as the most boring color in the set. But it is also the shade that I use 99% of the time on my browbone. I’m all for experimenting, but it’s also nice when you can do a complete eye look with one palette and they almost never include that basic matte shade. It’s usually all shimmer city, and I’m not really one to bust out disco ball eyes.

The bottom four shades are cream eyeliners that can also be used as bases. One drawback is that this kind of packaging is not ideal for creams as they’re more likely to dry out. You’ll have to be careful with that. This kit really thought of everything and even includes mascara and the always-essential eyeshadow primer (I have the full-size version at home — works great, but might be a little drying).

The big bonus here? Similar to the Benefit kit, this one also comes with instructions. The difference here is that Smashbox provides a set of instructional eye charts for 10 different looks that are all nicely stored in a little slot under the mirror.
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