Dearest Readers.
I am sorry I have been so absent. I spent most of the month of January traveling in Brazil and Argentina. I fell in love with Brazil and have decided to return for one of the world’s biggest parties, Carnaval. Click on the title to see a makeup instructional video I found online that shows one way to prepare for Carnaval. Enjoy!
I just wanted to write and say, I love blogging tips and suggestions of products but to be true to myself, I probably won’t be updating this all the time. I want to reserve these posts for things that I feel really inspired by. I will make a concerted effort to post more but I want every post to be special which means, quality over quantity. Just saying.
Most of us go through our day focusing on things we need, want and just don’t have in our lives. Whether it be money, love or a different job, these types of worries do absolutely nothing for your overall well being. More specifically, these types of concerns do NOTHING for your complexion. So today, instead of focusing on products you can buy to help your appearance, I will be recommending a beauty secret that will make anyone, at any age, more beautiful and it’s free.
GIVE THANKS AND SMILE.
Thanking the people in our lives is extremely important. In a world where people queue up to see others fail, thanking those around you can not only boost their moral but it will bring you up as well. Selflessness is an age old beauty secret, people and it feeds the soul. No matter how much money you spend on your beauty regiment, nothing is more effective or contagious as a heathly glowing soul. Beauty can be skin deep but it doesn’t have to stop there.
Eyebrows are the most emotionally expressive features we have on our face. They come in all colors, shapes and sizes and for some, can be a daily struggle. I was born with big caterpillar eyebrows and although my mother told me on a daily basis how lucky I was to have “Brooke Shield’s brows,” I, like many teenagers, plucked them away to a thinner more sleek shape. In fact, I plucked them so much that my High School French teacher once took me aside after class and told me that if I continued to pluck them, they would look like hers. She then took a tissue and wiped off her entire eyebrow, leaving nothing but a patchy almost invisible line. After that, I tamed my plucking hand and have maintained a fuller yet manicured brow. Once you begin to pluck (or wax) your brows, it can be hard to stop or reshape them. Although I still pluck the random strays, my main focus now is filling in the holes that occurred when I over plucked. This is a very common issue and there is a very simple solution.
If you want a natural looking fuller brow without making them looked “filled in”, simply use an eyebrow pencil, cream or powder that is a slightly lighter shade than your actual eyebrow color. By using a slightly lighter color, you will be able to fill in the thinner areas without bringing attention to the whole brow. Apply the makeup to the areas that are bald or thinning, leaving the rest of the brow alone. However, if you want to pronounce them, then stick with a color that matches your brow exactly or slightly darker. If you are unsure and want to try a product that works great and has a nice price, try Maybelline’s Define-A-Brow, which you can get at any drugstore for around $5. It comes in 5 different shades and doesn’t require any sharpening.
Since we are getting into the colder temperatures, keeping your skin moisturized is vital. I grew up in a household with a strong tradition of slathering on heavy moisturizers. My grandmother always used Ponds Cold Cream and Oil of Olay. My mother, on the other hand, is a die hard La Mer fan. Me personally, I have jumped on the face oil bandwagon. Oils made for the face have been designed to supply the intense hydration of a thick moisturizer without the heavy feeling. It absorbs into the skin quickly and is easy to apply makeup after. Also, many of the moisturizers out there have a lot of unnecessary ingredients like perfumes that do clog pores. For those of you who have oily skin to begin with, using an oil as your moisturizer can actually reduce the production of natural oils. Your body gets fooled into thinking that it has already produced enough oil so it actually slows down the natural oil production. Cool, eh?
Here are a few of my favorites that I have tried and really love. For those of you who want moderate hydration, try Jurlique’s Skin Balancing Face Oil. I absolutely love the smell and it is fairly light for those of you who want to start off cautiously.
The one I have been using lately is Tarte’s Pure Maracuja Oil. This Brazilian export has a high content of “essential fatty acids and vitamin C to hydrate” the skin and comes in a beautiful package.
And for those of you who feel that money is no object, Fresh’s Elixir Ancien is specially blended by monks in a monastery in the Czech Republic. They only make a fixed amount and is great for reducing fine lines but will pinch your pocket for a hefty $250 for a 1.7 Oz. bottle.
We are heading into the winter months and the makeup you use may have to change due to weather conditions. Every year, the winter can be determined by that first on set of dry lips. It seems that no matter what you use, moisture just can’t break through the dry barrier and for those of you who like to wear a little lip, this can be frustrating. My advice to you is find a lip color that promotes hydration and try and stay clear, if only for a few weeks, of those dry matte lipsticks. Normally, I am all matte, all the way but I will reserve a moment to allow your body to adjust to the climate change.
One of my favorites has to be Tarte’s Lipsurgence Lip Stain. Although it comes in different formulas (Original, Luster and Matte) try the Original or Luster to keep those lips moisturized and happy. My favorite color is Moody, a deep berry color that gives a bee-stung appearance.
You may know the name Bare Escentuals from late night infomercials on television and QVC but believe me, they are way cooler than you think.
A key element to a beautiful face starts with clear, flawless skin. Not all of us are blessed with naturally flawless skin so we have to rely on different products and tricks to help us achieve what we want. Just soap, water and moisturizer doesn’t always cut it. In addition to a good skin care regiment, finding a good foundation can be a tough process. There are a lot of products out there that can leave your skin irritated, clog your pores, crease and can be expensive. All your foundation needs can be met with this magical all-in-one foundation, I.D. by bareMinerals. It uses natural ingredients, costs $26 for what seems like a never ending amount and allows you to control the amount of coverage.
Many of you are used to using a cream or liquid foundation but don’t be scared to try this! bareMinerals uses only 100% natural minerals, includes SPF 15 and comes in all shades, in both Original formula (which has a nice glow) or in Matte. For those of you who find it hard to find a product in just the right shade, I have yet to find a face I could not match with i.d. I have used this on the most troubled of skin types and it comes out looking amazing every time.
Mascara is one of, if not the most important items I have in my makeup arsenal. Who doesn’t love long, full, luxurious lashes? It has been a key element in the history of cosmetics and is still going strong with no sight of fading. That being said, it is hard to improve upon what already exists out there in today’s market.
One thing that definitely makes a difference in a mascara is the type of brush it has. Depending on the type of look you want and what kind of eyelashes you have, you may want a mascara with a bigger brush, creating a more voluminous appearance. Or you may want a brush that defines and separates the lashes, avoiding the clumpy look. But hey, you may like the clumpy look in which case you want to use a brush that has both long and short bristles. This shape distributes enough mascara to make the lashes appear thicker. It all depends on what you want. I thought I had seen everything pertaining to mascara until I saw this product. Dior broke the mold when they made Diorshow 360, a battery powered mascara that rotates both clockwise and counter clockwise and has a brush in the shape of a double helix. Now, being the practical person I am, this $36 mascara seems like a very expensive and possibly useless invention. I mean, you would have to be pretty lazy not to be able to exert the amount of time and energy it requires to manipulate a mascara wand but then I took the challenge myself and couldn’t believe my eyes, literally!
Don’t break your bank account ladies but if you have some extra cheddar and want to try out something new and adventurous in the art of mascara, if only a one time purchase, try this one. You will never think of mascara in the same way ever again.
