Hot or Not Beauty

If you are looking for an ideal lip treatment for this summer, then look no further than the Bobbi Brown tinted lip balm. Forget problems such as hair or sand sticking to your lips. The lip balm is the perfect alternative. I’ve been a fan of this for a while and regularly use it under my lipstick, as I tend to suffer from quite dry skin on my lips. Not only does it offer the ideal base in this situation, it is the ultimate solution if you are heading outdoors and enjoying the warm summer weather. Whether it’s the beach or a picnic this is the perfect solution for keeping your lips soft and suple during long summer days.

My favorite color is the Desert Bronze, but with a further ten shades available, there is a color that will suit everyone in this range of lip balms. The great thing I find about this product is that it is versatile, and there is no reason why you couldn’t dress it up a bit with a little lip liner if your day out runs ‘overtime’. For a good summer option that allows you to let your natural beauty shine through, then this one definitely gets my tick of approval.

After being unimpressed by Stonewashed Nudes and the Metallics collections, a new palette is launched under the chocolate theme. I know what you’re thinking “Didn’t she release a chocolate palette last year?”, yes she did, but this year’s seems a lot more appealing.

The palette consists of 4 lip glosses and 4 eyeshadows and although I love the finishes and color selection (I’m a sucker for neutrals), I do think that the palette could be a lot more versatile than it is.

First, if you’re not into lip gloss, then half of the palette is completely useless for you. What possessed them to put 4 shades of the exact same type of lip product in this palette? Talk about putting all your eggs in one side of the palette. Definitely a way to make this palette a lot more versatile would be to put one lipstick on one pot and a pot rouge on another pan and keep the two lip glosses to enhance your lipstick or to top the pot rouge if you apply it on your lips.

Again this is one of those items that you buy if you don’t have anything like it in your makeup collection. A palette is one of those “to-have” items because it’s great to put in your bag and go on a business trip and not having to take 7 different eyeshadow pots because the palette has it all neatly put away.

This collection if for neutral fans, if you like ‘em great, if you don’t, go look for something else.

For the more attentive boyfriends this can be a great present for the coming holidays. I don’t think this is something to give to your mother as sometimes mature women frown at gloss. So, allow yourself to indulge on some chocolate.

It seems to me that Bobbi Brown is starting to become like MAC, in a sense that constantly blurts out new palettes and new looks, instead of making a solid season release to generate even more hype, in the end is just same-old with a bit of a twist.

Metallics was created to add a little “something something” special on what can be a completely casual look for that extra special sexy allure… my answer? “Meh”…

The trouble with highly metallic eyeshadow is that it is EXTREMELY unflattering in more cases than one. Anyone with less than even eyelids, whether because of age or just because they’re crepe-ish, the metallic shine enhances every single crease and fold on your eyelid turning glamorous into frightening with a sweep of a brush.

Although the Velvet Plum palette (per example) is quite pretty, most of them are just too dazzling for my taste, I like super shine when I want to create artificial light effects on the brow bone, the center of the lid or the inner corners and I’ll usually resort to Make Up For Ever’s Star Powder or Diamond Powder or Diamond Eye Shadow for OUTSTANDING shine, so I wouldn’t resort to these colors.

It seems that I am disliking all of Bobbi Brown’s latest releases, but it’s a mere coincidence, it’s just not appealing that much to me.

A compact of pressed powder is one of the most iconic items in makeup, the expression “to powder one’s nose” or similar are ages old and in some cases like Edo Period Japan used as code words for geisha and oiran and we always associate a pressed powder with a touch of elegance and sophistication, it comes very hand for “product placement” in movies or tv series, the one that comes to mind is Sonia Braga in “Alias” with a MAC compact checking her makeup.

Estee Lauder is also known for its collectible compacts, Chantecaille will on occasion create special edition compacts (ouch, wallet), it is probably one of the most used makeup items when creating limited edition items.

Loose powder has the glamour of a beautiful package and a luxurious powder puff softly by a vanity or armoire.

Powder can be used for two goals:

Slightly evening out your skin tone and still keeping your look natural and created the illusion of smaller pores, it also reduces excess shine in the T-Zone or other areas.

Setting foundation and concealer (specially in fluid/cream formulations) keeping them “stable” and preventing them to migrate to other areas on your face.

Preferably, loose powder is applied to set the face makeup and ensure a proper blush and pressed powder application making color and pigment application a lot easier because the foundation or skin’s natural oils don’t adhere to the powder product that is being put on top.

Pressed powder on the other hand is preferably used in a shade closest to your skin tone as an alternative to foundation or for touch ups to reduce the shine. It can be also used in darker shades than skin tone to contour and reshape the face. While some makeup artists (like Kevyn Aucoin) would regularly use contouring techniques to beautify the face, others like Bobbi Brown avoid contouring altogether believing that it makes the woman (or man) look unnatural. In this case, the lighter shade to enhance areas like the nose bridge can be of a more pearly finish to attract light and the darker shade is matte to create a shadow effect.

In my opinion, if I decide to contour it’s in evening makeup where light is more forgiving and you can get away with it more easily.

Both loose and pressed powders can be matte, pearly or iridescent (be careful with shimmer finish powders, some are too glittery and look weird and almost circus like) and achieve a wide variety of looks.

Since I’m prone to an oily complexion, I will wear MAC’s Blot Powder in pressed format during most of the year and will use Chanel Le Poudre Universel Compacte at the peak of winter.

The usage of powder requires some extra care with your skin, as powder will absorb sebum and oil and residual moisture, if you don’t exfoliate on a regular basis you might end up with dry patches and flaky skin that isn’t all that flattering, so remember to exfoliate if you like to apply powder in your face.

Powder can be applied with a powder puff or a large brush, a puff ensures a higher coverage of product and a more matte finish. Using a brush allows a more sheer application resulting in a more natural look. If you use a powder puff, then slightly sweep with your powder brush to remove excess product.

Loose powder can also be used with a large eyeshadow brush as a “safety net” under the eyes to catch falling eyeshadow or mascara, specially very dark colors that can stain your under eye area and make you look like you’ve been hit.

For more mature skin, avoid very dry matte powders as they will make your skin appear very dry and emphasize fine lines, specially under the eye, so it’s best to avoid powder in this area unless absolutely necessary or opt for a more “moisturizing” formulation.

One of the biggest myths is that translucent powders are suitable for every complexion and I disagree, they work for light to medium complexions, but in deeper skin tones it will end up making the complexion look ashy or dull and you require a certain amount of pigment to make sure the color doesn’t change. Other brands will always have yellow tones in their powders to maintain the looks natural and balanced.

While some resist to the application of powder, I believe it to be essential to ensure a proper blush and eyeshadow application and there’s always a pressed powder compact in my backpack.

I’ll buy lipstick or lip balm like I’m buying a pack of gum even if I’m happy with the one I’m using keeps me happy, it’s a bad consuming habit but it could be worse.

The other day, while browsing the Bobbi Brown counter, the sleek black packaging caught my eyes and I decided to try, no sooner I already had two colors selected and went home with a new item for my collection.

The first thing that attracted me was the fact that this particular lip balm was in tube format, which I prefer to pot packaging. I don’t find using your fingers all that hygienic and no matter how clean your fingers are, they’ll end up sticky with lip balm and depending on the situation, a lip brush isn’t always available. Besides, since lip balms are sheer, you don’t need the precise application that the brush provides since you’re only giving your lips a hint of color to prevent them from looking washed out, which is what usually happens with other lip balms that have no color.

Bobbi Brown’s tinted lip balm offers a wide choice of colors perfect for every occasion and skin tone. My two favorites are Baby Pink and Champagne, the first matches my lip color perfectly and the second gives it a very subtle hint of shimmer without making me look like an Oscar statue.

So, for something subtle and extremely comfortable to wear during the summer or on weekends, when you just don’t need that much makeup, opt for Bobbi Brown’s Tinted Lip Balm.

Yet another brand adds a tinted moisturizer to its ranks, it’s Chantecaille’s turn to revolutionize the world of sheer tints to the face.

A light, cooling, gel-textured tinted moisturizer packed with the usual Chantecaille botanical goodness and essential oils. For all skin types, “Just Skin” adds SPF15 and guarantees protection from sun, smog and free radicals.

More and more brands release their tinted moisturizer to please those who don’t like the feeling of foundation on their face and enjoy their skin shining through. To me tinted moisturizers are “the” alternative for men who want to even out their skin tone without having to resort to foundation, so I’m always on the look for a skin enhancer like this.

There are two problems for me with this product, the price being the first, $62 is a tad pricey for just a tinted moisturizer (although it’s typical for a luxury high end brand like Chantecaille), the second is the lack of shades for this product. Those with a darker complexion will probably have to resort to some other brand like Bobbi Brown, Laura Mercier or MAC for a tinted moisturizer with a wider range of color choices.

My advice? Go to a Neiman Marcus near you and get a sample, sometimes when the product is exactly what you’re looking for then it’s worth to spend a little extra dollars on something that not only is good for you but makes you look your best.

After all, beautiful skin is the basis for incredible beauty.

I love the Spring 2007 makeup trends. They are wearable and reasonable. Trend #1 that I wrote about was the heavy metal influence. Wearable metallic eye shadows. Spring makeup Trend #2 was a bold lip. Now, mind you, each trend isn’t meant to be worn all at once. You would definitely be a victim for the makeup police. And remember, trends are just that — fleeting. So take your pick and wear it well.

There is no better way to look fresh for spring than to add a touch of blush to the apples of your cheeks. And fortunatley, pink blush is a easy-to-apply spring trend. Makeup brands are behind this trend, as well as designers. The flushed pink cheek was seen on runways and is being featured in spring editorial makeup. Michael Kors models sported a clean fresh face that featured pink cheeks.

Carol Shaw, founder of Lorac features a soft pink cheek using her Cheek Stamp blush in Hibiscus (glimmering rose) or Pink Paradise (vibrant pink).

The pink cheeck interpreted by Lorac. Notice the soft pink lips and soft pastel shadows that compliment the soft flush of pink on the cheeks.

Bobbi Brown, the Grand Dame of natural beauty also does the pink cheek justice. Again, notice the soft eyes and mouth that accompanies this makeup trend of soft pink blush.

Long time frangrance house Guerlain does the updated pink cheek in it’s spring makeup collection.

My favorite pink blushes:
NARS Desire blush A yummy cotton candy pink. Perfect for porcelain to medium skin tones. Nars blush in Sin is ideal for deeper skin tones, olive to chocolate.
Laura Geller Pink Grapefruit Baked Blush — a sheer pink with golden luminescent light diffusers. Good for all skin tones, light to deep.
Cargo blush in Catalina for all skins tones. Lyon for deeper tones.
Smashbox blush Radiance (radiant fuschia) — perks up all skin tones, in particular deeper tones.
MAC Powder Blush in Desirious or Frankly Scarlett. Both are awesome on all skins.

Flushed pink cheeks are a HOT Spring makeup trend!

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When nude lips first became vogue, I was horrified. Even though I am a makeup artist by trade, I just couldn’t get with that non-lip look. Slowly but surely I was won over. It was sort of like when Bobbi Brown introduced the natural “browns” in lipsticks. I thought this is the ugliest trend ever. Who the heck wants brown lips? Well, that trend was here for quite awhile, and Bobbi Brown is now a household name.

The nude lip though has turned out to be a blessing in disguise for many women. For example, the girl with virtually no lips. You know, thin, where-are-they lips. Nude lipstick and in particular nude glosses have been their saving grace. Let’s go back to art school for this principal of light and dark. Dark makes objects appear smaller (that’s why we love to wear black) and light makes things appear larger (that’s why we paint small rooms in light colors). The nudes act as an optical illusion if you will. Adding that light to the lips, makes them appear fuller. Why not pay $20 for a plumping nude colored lipgloss as opposed to hundreds for collagen or Restalyn?

Stars certainly love the nude look. I remember when Jennifer Lopez sported a Bourjois Lipgloss for a certain photoshoot, the sales were off the hook for that brand. Jen has that signature nude lip. On occasion we see her with a vibrant red, but for the most part, she is that nude lipgloss girl.

Back to makeup artistry. As an artist, you learn balance on the face. So if eyes are the focal point, the mouth should be softer. If the mouth is the focal point, then eyes should be soft and fresh. This is when the nude lip became so popular with the smoky eye look. When a woman is wearing heavy, dark makeup on her eyes, the last thing she needs are lips that are fighting with her eye makeup. Nicole Scherzinger of the Pussycat Dolls and Beyonce’ are both women who rock this makeup combination of dark eyes and nude lip.

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Gloss, the online shopping site for Estee Lauder brands, has an email special that I’m passing on to you. Shhhhhh!

Receive a complimentary Gloss Makeup Clutch in a metallic blue PLUS a 3 piece Travel Brush Set AND Free Standard Shipping with your $35 gloss order. Enter offer code TARGET at checkout.

Gloss carries not only Estee Lauder, but MAC, Bobbi Brown, CHANEL, Jo Malone, Darphin, Lab Series, La Mer, Origins, Prescriptives, Rodan +Fields, Clinique and Thierry Mugler.

Go ahead, get some free goodies! You know you need some new lipstick.

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Elizabeth Arden set the model years ago for makeup sets by giving their loyal customers a ridiculous amount of makeup in kit form one time per year. That set had more makeup than one person could actually use in a lifetime, but still customers return year after year for that fun filled kit overstuffed with makeup goodies.

Every woman in your life deserves a kit that does it all. Here are my favorites:

1. Teen Princess
Hard Candy Take Out Makeup Kit – $25 at Sephora

Kit includes: Layer 1: Lip Glosses in sheer cherry, clear with blue multi glitter, champagne with glitter, sheer peach, sheer rose with glitter, and clear with pinky-blue multi glitter, plus two lips brushes. Layer 2: Shadows in golden pink, lavender shimmer, black with silver glitter, shimmering lime, white pearl, medium brown with shimmer, apricot shimmer, and vibrant turquoise with shimmer, plus a black eye pencil, mini black mascara, and two shadow applicators. Layer 3: Two shades of concealer, a neutral rose blush, and a bronzer.

2. Delicious Diva
Smashbox Beauty A-Go-Go Palette and Brush Kit – $50 At Sephora

Set includes eight .29 oz Eyeshadows in gold shimmer, ivory sheen, champagne shimmer, charcoal sheen, rich gold shimmer, taupe shimmer, plum with gold glitter, and matte black, four .07 oz Lip Glosses in golden pink shimmer, rose, nude, and berry shimmer, two .06 oz highlighters in rose sheen and nude champagne and an eyeshadow blending brush and lip brush with houndstooth handles.

3. South Beach Babe
CARGO 10th Anniversary Signature Collection – $45 at Sephora
The oversized, signature tin includes: Bronzer in Medium (an award-winning CARGO favorite), BeachBlush in Coral Beach (a soft, blendable bronzer), Lip Gloss Duo in Soho (two shades of sheer rose), Reverse Lip Liner (holds your gloss in place all day as it enhances the appearance of fullness), and Liquid Powder 01 (wear alone or over foundation for a gorgeous finish). All products are full size and limited edition.
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