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

Sun-Stripping: Finally a Makeup Trend I Quite Like

April 15th, 2016 by Carolina Braina 21 Comments

Sun Stripping Makeup Trend How To — My first attempt at sun-stripping, the latest makeup craze

I’ve realized that for an obsessive makeup lover, I don’t follow the beauty trends very much at all.

Contouring? I’ve always been a fan of a lightweight base, and the less products I use on my skin, the better.

For the sake of experimenting, I’ve tried to apply concealer in a reversed triangle shape under my eyes, and even that was too much for me. I couldn’t stand the feeling of concealer beneath the area where my dark circles are. Heavy contouring is definitely not for me. A subtle contour powder under my cheekbones is as far as I’ll go with the trend.

Strobing? Well, I’ve been naturally strobing since the early 2000s thanks to my pesky sebum overproduction, so no need to douse myself in highlighter.

Color correcting? Because of my hereditary dark circles (Sebum overproduction… Hereditary dark circles… Sexy, eh?), I’ve been using Bobbi Brown’s or a similar peach-toned corrector for years, and they work. Should I switch to bright orange just because it’s on trend? I don’t think so.

See what I mean? This mama’s not much of a trend follower…but I actually do like one of the latest makeup crazes, called “sun-stripping.” Who would’ve thought?

Have you heard of sun-stripping before? It’s easy-peasy! It consists of placing bronzer on the part of the face that usually tans first if you spend much time in the sun. It’s that little strip that runs from one apple of the cheek to the other.

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Unsung Makeup Heroes: Kat Von D Metal Crush “Thunderstruck” Eyeshadow

April 14th, 2016 by Anna Oh 17 Comments

The long-running Unsung Heroes series here on Makeup and Beauty Blog features some of our all-time favorite permanent collection products.

Hi everyone!

Now, as someone who has a weakness for color, eyeshadows are very dangerous territory for me.

I’m a total neutral lover and, as of quite recently, a color lover too…unfortunately for my wallet. I usually try to buy my eyeshadows in palettes or sets (like the Make Up For Ever shadows) to save money, but every now and then, there are some singles that I can’t be alive without.

(Ummm…this would include eyeshadows like Rose Gold by Ardency Inn and Pretentious by Makeup Geek.)

And one of my FAVORITES of those is Kat Von D Metal Crush Eyeshadow in Thunderstruck ($21).

I first found out about it on Kat Von D’s Instagram a couple months ago, because it was the #1 selling item (or maybe it was the #1 eyeshadow?) at Sephora. I honestly didn’t really need any more convincing at that point, but after some research, I saw that people were using it as a highlighter, too, and then I REALLY didn’t need to be convinced anymore.

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My Most-Used Makeup Products at the Moment

April 14th, 2016 by Adia Goss 28 Comments

I’m always trying new products, but I thought it would be fun to share what have been my most-used makeup products lately. For me, these are the products that “just work,” and they’re the things I reach for when I want to throw something on my face without having to give it any thought. The colors are just right, and they help me achieve my signature look — glowy skin and pinky/nude lips. 🙂

Foundations

I am a sucker for glowy, lightweight bases, and I’ve been constantly reaching for PUR Minerals HydraFluid Water Serum Foundation in Tan and NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer in Annapurna, which may be a tad too light for me, but it’s sheer enough that it still works.

The PUR Minerals foundation is amazing, by the way. Here are swatches and a full review. It’s available now at PUR Minerals for $39.

No brand matches my skin as well as NARS, and I love that NARS Pure Radiant has SPF 30. This was one of my first high-end foundations, and I’ve repurchased it time and again and will probably continue to do so because it’s a great everyday foundation. It’s available now at NARS Cosmetics for $44.

And, just to make sure my face is seriously glowy, I also like to use Pixi by Petra Glow Mist. It adds glow and helps my makeup last a bit longer. It’s definitely one of my favorite facial mists, and it’s available now at Target for $15.

most used makeup — L to R: Swatches of PUR Minerals HydraFluid Water Serum Foundation in Tan and NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer in Annapurna

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Use Double-Duty Products to Get Your Busy Booty out the Door Faster

April 14th, 2016 by Jen Clark 16 Comments

If you’re at all like me, most days you don’t even have time to find matching socks and brush your hair, let alone put on makeup, before rushing out the door. Luckily, I have a trick that may help out a little. Several of the products that you probably use when you DO have time to wear makeup can be used for more than one purpose, so they can help you cut down on the time it takes to get ready. Let me show ya!

Concealer/Eye Primer

Concealer is one of those magic products that I always keep close by because it can be used for so many different things. In this case, I’m using it to conceal underneath my eyes and to prime my eyelids for eyeshadow. To cut down on time even further, you can even use it to conceal problem areas instead of using foundation.

One of my favorites at the moment is Revlon Colorstay Concealer.

When using concealer as an eye primer, make sure you only use a tiny amount, and blend it in really well. If you glob it on, that’ll make your shadows crease and move around, and that’s not what you want! Not only is the concealer going to make your shadows look more vibrant and last longer, but it will help to even out any little veins that you have peeking through your lids.

Contour Kit/Eyeshadow

This is a trick I like to use even when I’m not in a hurry, and it’s also great for travel.

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The Maybelline Eye Studio Color Tattoo 24HR Concentrated Crayons: An Amazing Drugstore Find

April 14th, 2016 by Adia Goss 33 Comments

I’ve talked about how much I love eyeshadow sticks, so I was already primed and ready to like these Maybelline Eye Studio Color Tattoo 24HR Concentrated Crayons.

I was not, however, expecting to LOVE ❤ them!

Here’s just a quick look at all 10 of these incredibly smooth and crazy pigmented eyeshadow sticks. Plus, they have major staying power. The packaging says up to 24 hours…but I didn’t test them for that long. Suffice to say, they last a full workday with no fading at all. I am so impressed with these shadows that I won’t be disrespectful and say that they’re only “good for a drugstore brand.” They’re just awesome period, and the icing on the cake is that you can get them at Target for $6 each.

Since there are 10 shades in the line, I broke them down by color family.

The pinks and purples…

maybelline eye studio color tattoo 24 hr concentrated crayon — Maybelline Eye Studio Color Tattoo 24HR Concentrated Crayons in Pink Parfait, Lilac Lust and Lavish Lavender

As you can see, these are very sparkly, but still very pigmented. I find Pink Parfait to be very similar to Pink Pearl by Boots No. 7, and Lilac Lust and Lavish Lavender seem more unique to me, especially among the world of eyeshadow sticks.

Of this group, my favorite is Lilac Lust.

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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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Nail Understated Poolside Elegance With the Estée Lauder Bronze Goddess Collection for Summer 2016

April 13th, 2016 by Jessica Revitte 17 Comments

Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess Summer 2016 — Wearing Estée Lauder Gelée Bronzer under my foundation, Summer Glow Multi-Palette on eyes and cheeks, and Lip and Cheek Summer Glow in Peach Glow on lips and cheeks.

For a makeup lover like myself, there is no more exciting sign of ☀ summer’s impending arrival than the annual appearance of Estée Lauder’s glowing, beachy Bronze Goddess collection and its effortlessly radiant sunlit nudes and bold brights.

This year’s release, which ranges from bonzing gels and powder bronzers to shadow palettes, fragrances and highlighters, has some seriously vintage poolside vibes, and I am loving it! ☺

Throw on your shimmering body oil, floppy hat and vintage sunglasses, and let’s take a look at some of the collection’s sumptuous summer treasures.

Estée Lauder Bronze Goddess 2016 Gelée Bronzer, Summer Glow Multi-Palette, and Lip and Cheek Summer Glow in Fuchsia Lights, Peach Glow

For me and many of the makeup lovers I know, it’s the highlight and bronzing palettes launched with the Bronze Goddess collections that set our hearts aflutter.

The classicly chic Summer Glow Multi-Palette ($50) comes in a tortoise-shell box and houses a soft pink illuminator, a rosy hued blush and an approachable bronzer. Although it was surely designed with faces in mind, it’s worth noting that the shades also work wonders on eyes as well (particularly the highlighter and bronzer). What a way to tie your look together when you’re in a hurry. ☺

The Gelée Bronzer ($32) has an interesting formula that reminds me of Hard Candy Cheeky Tint in Surfer Babe, except that Surfer Babe applies a transparent wash of iced tea color, while Gelée Bronzer deposits a highly pigmented shade a bit more like a liquified form of a powder bronzer.

Emollient and easy to blend, this bronzer gives you a long “working time” before it sets, but BEWARE! A little goes a long way, which you can see in these swatches.

I prefer to use products like Gelée Bronzer under my foundation to allow the slightest glow to show through; this in turn neutralizes some of the orangey-ness that often accompanies pigmented liquid bronzers.