Eye Shadow Stickers...What's Your Take?

Ladies, have any of you seen this new makeup phenom called eye shadow stickers?  I have not seen these being sold in stores, but I know they are a hot item on websites such as www.coloronpro.com, www.sephora.com, and many other sites.  They can also be ordered at www.avon.com or through an Avon saleswoman.  I just wonder how well these really work?  If they transfer so easily from the sheet to your eye, how long do they last throughout the day?  Just curious and wanted to know what other ladies thought.  Leave a comment and let me know what you think.

Eyeshadow Stickers

Contoured Eyebrows: How It's Really Done!

Ladies, several of you have asked and now you will receive!!  Want to learn how to create perfect brows in 5 minutes?  Well stay tuned and read below for tips on how to achieve flawless eyebrows.  Ever wonder why your makeup looks so good after your brows have been arched or contoured?  That is because eyebrows shape and slim the face and can draw attention to sexy mesmerizing eye makeup. 

Below, you will find 4 easy steps and tools I use in order to create perfect brows: 

 

Angled Brush

Step 1: You will need an angled brush in order to apply the chocolate brown eyeshadow to the brow.  After dipping the brush in the shadow, be sure to tap off any excess before applying to the brow.  Hold the brush, starting with the shortest end of the brush at the innermost part of the brow, and apply shadow in an outward motion.  The longest end of the brush should be used at the end of the brow for a clean, sleek, contoured look. 


Chocolate Brown Eyeshadow
NYX Cosmetics
http://www.nyxcosmetics.com/

Step 2:  You will need MAC's cream concealer in the pot.  I use NW40.  Using a concealer brush

(photo below), I apply concealer above the brow and onto the brow bone for a clean, sleek look.  The brow bone is the area directly underneath your brow, but above the crease.  The reason for applying concealer above the brow is to give the skin a natural highlight above the eye.  If you've ever seen anyone who has cut off their entire brow, notice how much lighter the skin is around the brow area?  That is why the person is so funny looking with light skin above the eye, but no brow.  Therefore, I conceal above my brow to create a natural highlight to my entire brow bone, both above and below the eyebrow.

MAC Cosmetics
Cream Concealer

 


Notice how the brows have a natural highlight both above and below the eyebrow.



Eyebrow Grooming Brush

Step 3:  Now that you have added shadow to your brows, you will need to use an eyebrow grooming brush in order to achieve a nice, natural blend.  Using short, gentle strokes, lightly brush your eyebrow hairs up and outward.  This is to blend the eyeshadow within your eyebrow hairs

.


Step 4: Now that your eyebrows are complete, finish with your eyeshadow application or add a bit of liner and mascara and BAM!!  Eye makeup is now complete, with a nice, natural glow.  You have just created simple, flawless brows!! 





Finished makeup look





Drug Store and Beauty Supply Makeup Products

Ladies, don't sleep on the drug store brands of makeup.  You will be surprised by many of them.  First, they are inexpensive in comparison to other brands such as MAC, Clinique, Bobbi Brown, etc.  I have used Black Radiance from Walgreen's and NYX from my local beauty supply store for many photo shoots.  The Black Radiance products, also known as Wet-n-Wild, hold up well under studio lighting and are long lasting overall.  This brand of makeup has recently been re-formulated and now requires very few touch-ups for long lasting makeup.  Here is a list of other products I like to use if I don't have MAC available:

Black Radiance Liquid Foundation
Covergirl Liquid Mousse Airbrush Finish
Covergirl Pressed Powder
Bare Escentuals Mineral Foundation Setting Powder (translucent powder to set liquid foundation)
Maybelline Eyestudio "Blackest Black" Gel Liner
Maybelline Baked Bronzer for deep tan/dark skin tones
NYX Eyeshadows and Pigments
NYX Eyelashes
88-eyeshadow Palette (ordered online at http://www.makemeovercosmetics/)
MAC Zoom Lash Blackest Black Mascara
Maybelline's Lash Exact Falsies Mascara
MAC Studio Fix Pressed Powder NW45
MAC Mineralize Skin Finish Pressed Powder (bronzer)
MAC Concealer Pot NW40
MAC Paint Pot (You can always use concealer or foundation to prime the eyelids to prevent creasing and before shadow is applied.)
Coastal Scents 32-shade Lip Palette (ordered online from http://www.coastalscents.com/)
Coastal Scents 8-shade Concealer Palette (ordered online from http://www.coastalscents.com/.)
Any brand creamy lip liner and eyeliner (Covergirl, Maybelline, NYX, Black Radiance, etc)

Btw, there are many times that I prefer to use the inexpensive products over some of the more expensive brands because the quality is better, believe it or not! Many times, you pay for the cosmetic name brand instead of the quality of makeup you are looking for.  A true makeup artist can work with any cosmetic line to create a flawless makeup look.  I like using many different brands so that I can be versatile in my artistry.

Don't Lick or Bite: Chapped Lips Rescued!

Ladies, have you ever found yourself biting your lips and taking off dead skin, along with your fabulous lipstick or gloss?  Or have you ever wondered why we get lipstick in the cracks of our dry lips?  What about peeling lips and reapplying Carmex all day?  Well, the skin on your lips is just as important as the skin elsewhere on your body.  Therefore, I have found a solution that will help keep your lips smooth, full, and sexy and help your lipstick or gloss last longer throughout the day:

1. Exfoliate-  Lips need to be exfoliated just as often as the skin on our face.  As you are exfoliating in the shower with your brown sugar scrub, you can do the same to your lips 3 times a week as well.  Exfoliate with the sugary paste for about a minute to remove the dead skin so that the new skin can regenerate.  Once you have new skin to your lips, you will notice your lips to appear fuller, smoother, and definitely sexier.  You also won't feel the need to apply Carmex every 30 minutes...like I used to!

2. Citrus Fruits- Ladies, many of us must be careful when eating citrus fruits.  The acid in the fruit can cause a slight reaction on the skin of our lips and tongue, leaving rough dry skin.  Should this happen, you can drink plenty of water to hydrate the damaged area.  The water will rehydrate the damaged skin within a few hours.

Winter Skin Care 101: MOISTURIZE

Ladies, have you ever noticed how different your skin feels in the winter vs the summer?  When the weather changes, so should your skin care routine.  The key to having healthy, glowing skin all year is to moisturize, moisturize, moisturize!  I can't stress this enough!!  Even if you have oily skin, like myself, it is very important to moisturize and protect your skin daily.  Here are few tips to help get your skin through the winter:

1. Moisturize- Avoid oil-clogging moisturizers such as shea butter/oil, avacado oil, mineral oil, primrose oil, or almond oil. All moisturizers and oils are not meant to be used on the face, but are very beneficial to the rest of the body.  Try to focus on "night creams" or protectant oils that contain "humectants", such as glycerin, sorbitol, and alpha-hydroxy acids that attract moisture to your skin.  Good brands to use are Clinique, Mary Kay, and Carol's Daughter, just to name a few.  These products are great for normal-to-dry skin, normal-to-oil skin, and combination skin.  Be sure the oil listed in the ingredients is 80% oil to 20% water.

2. Sunscreen- A good sunscreen should be used 24-7, 365 no excuses!  Sunscreen is also listed as an active ingredient in chapstick, lipgloss, and lipstick for extra protection against the sun's harmful rays on our lips.  However, most foundations, both liquid and powder, are infused with SPF 15 or higher.  If your foundation does not list a sunscreen, you can always buy a separate bottle of sunscreen, add a few drops to your foundation bottle or you can apply a thin layer of sunscreen to your face, followed by your normal foundation application.  If applying sunscreen directly to the skin prior to foundation, be sure it is not greasy or leaves a glow.  Otherwise, your foundation will cause you to look too "dewy or oily".  


3. Humidifier- If you live in a naturally drier part of the country, such as the southwest, where much of the land is dry, desert, terrain, or don't get much precipitation throughout the year, then it may be beneficial for you to use a humidifier at night.  This way the moisturizer can seep into your skin as you sleep.  You can also add a bit of lavendar oil to the water for a calming effect and to help you sleep better.  There is nothing like waking up to beautiful skin after a good night's beauty rest.


4. Drink plenty of water- This is self-explanatory and needs no further explanation.  Drinking 8 tall glasses of water a day is the cure to many ailments other then beautiful, glowing skin.  However, for this blog, we will focus on skin care and the importance of water.


5.  Exfoliate-  It is very important to exfoliate your skin at least 3 times a week.  The importance of exfoliation is to remove away all the impurities that have landed on your skin and to rid the face of dead skin cells, so the beautiful new skin can shine through.  I suggest an exfoliating routine: in the shower on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays...and Saturdays too if you want your skin to have a little extra glow and smoothness for a night on the town.  I like to use St. Ives Apricot Scrub.  Its a gentler exfoliant and great for knees and elbows too.  By the way, if you don't have an exfoliator you prefer to use, you can always do a home remedy and create your own: 1 tsp brown sugar and 1 tsp white sugar.  Mix the two with a bit of water to create a paste.  Rub all over your face and rinse thoroughly...and BAM!