Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Beauty Deal Announcement....please read...it'll be worth it!! :)

Hi Beauties!!

Ohh goodness…..I just came across the best deal ever.  It’s the Smashbox Photo Op 78 Shade Mega Palette.  Of all places, I found this on QVC.com for $98.48…BUT it’s on an easy pay plan for $23.37 for 4 installments.  Is that a great deal or what!!! J  It contains the following:

·    56 - 0.044-oz Photo Op Eye Shadows
·    4 -  0.032-oz Brow Tech Powders
·    1 - 0.024-oz Brow Tech Wax
·    8 -  0.031-oz cream eyeliners
·    2 -  0.298-oz blushes
·    3 -  0.132-oz Soft Lights
·    4 -  0.024-oz lip glosses

Seriously this is all you need for a starter makeup kit, definitely great if you’re traveling, or just want a good deal on some Smashbox products.  Just alone, an eyeshadow from Smasbox is $16 and the blush is $24.  Yes you may get a little more product in a single item; however, look at how many other colors you get for a fraction of the price….and then some!!

So anyhow, I thought I’d share with you a great deal that is definitely worth checking out.  Happy shopping! J

Quick Check-in...and what's up n' coming...

Hi Everyone!

Thought I do a quick check in.  So sorry there was not a post yesterday for Makeup Monday.  Things again are getting hectic….lots and lots of clients and appointments, daily life, etc.  However, I have tons to share over the next few days:

1)      A recent haul of items that include…NYX products I picked up at Ulta that was 40% (huge deal), I FINALLY got the Naked 2 palette….and much much more.
2)      I will share must have beauty items to pick up for prom….and budget friendly too.  So for all you young ladies out there soon going to prom and can’t get your makeup done professionally, it’s okay…I’ll provide a list of affordable items you can pick up at local drug stores.
3)      A list of Spring favorites (and not just all makeup related, hair and skin too! J)

So definitely please come back to check out these amazing reads….you will love them, so don’t miss out!!

Have a great day beauties… J xo

Monday, April 2, 2012

Makeup Monday: Contouring and Highlighting

Hey Everyone,

Lets talk about highlighting and contouring your face.  Some people don’t understand the concept of doing these steps to your face…and here I’ll explain the benefits of doing so! J  Yes, they are 2 extra steps added to your face routine, but it’s okay because they are quick and definitely worth it….so lets get started:

Contouring
When using a contour shade you want to be sure that it’s a matte finish and also your color is at least 2x darker than your normal skin tone.  The purpose of contouring your face is to shade the areas on your face so that you have a very defined look and the planes on your face are very prominent.  For example, if you want to define your cheek bones, give your jaw line and chin more of an elongated look, and of course you want to hide the “fluff”; follow the guide in the picture I’ve provided below.  Be sure that when contouring start with a very light hand so it’s easy to blend.  The worst thing for when applying a contour shade is you have that strip of color that doesn’t look evenly blended, or it looks very muddy and dirty on your skin.  For best results, use an angle brush also known as a “contour” brush.  If you want subtle contour, blend the areas and buff out the color very thoroughly. 

Highlighting
Ladies….I just have to say this is the best best best thing you can add to your face routine if you don’t already.  Just in general, highlighting your face adds that extra pizzazz to your face making you look very refreshed, glowing, hydrated…just the best ever! J  The purpose of highlight is…exactly what the word means; to highlight the areas of your skin where the sun hits natural.  However you can highlight in many ways and with different products and techniques.  To highlight naturally without using a shimmer, you can achieve this by using a concealer or foundation.  But before doing that you’ll need to correct your imperfections or skin problem areas if necessary.  The shades you’ll need should be 1-2 shades lighter than your skin (the opposite when finding a contour shade).  Or you can find a highlighting concealer product (i.e. YSL Touché Éclat) that can easily match your natural skin tone.  To achieve the highlighting glow look, find products that are consider highlighters (i.e. MAC Mineralized Skin Finish, Bobbi Brown bricks, even a shimmery eyeshadow in a nude/ivory/golden shade depending on your skin undertone).  Follow the guide I provided below to see the best highlight areas…besides just your top cheek bones.  One dilemma, do not apply a shimmery highlighting product under your eyes.  You will look like a disco ball and just odd.  Even though in the picture it looks like you’re highlighting under your eyes, and yes this is true please do so….but do not with use a shimmer product.  You’ll need to use a concealer as I explained above (“highlighting the natural way”).  Definitely use all amounts very lightly in the beginning so you can build up the product.  Quick tip: when picking up product onto your brush, pat the back of your hand to eliminate that chunk of product so that when you apply directly to the skin you don’t have a patch of intense product in one area.




I hope this helps you all with understanding the benefits of contouring and highlighting your face.  Definitely try it at home if you don’t already, you’ll love it.  Also, please reach out to me if you have any questions.   I’ll be able to answer anything you ask more in depth if I happened to not explain it properly here. 

Thanks bellas….and have a lovely day! J xo