Long-Lasting Makeup

We are constantly looking for ways to make our makeup last throughout the day.  While going home from work with the exact same face you left the house with that morning may not be possible, I have found ways to make my makeup last longer and keep my face looking fresher throughout the day.

1.  Don't touch your face.  This sounds way to simple to believe that it could work, but it does.  For whatever reason, I used to constantly catch myself touching my face.  I'm not even sure why--I guess it was just habit.  And I'm sure I'm not the only one who has done it.  When you touch your face, the oils from your hand break down the makeup, and it ends up transferring from your face to your hands.  If you make a conscious effort to not touch your face (or at least to not do it so much), your makeup will stay on your face longer.

2.  Primers: while some swear by them, I honestly can't tell a difference in the longevity of my face makeup when I wear one.  Eye primers are a different story.  If I wear eyeshadow without a primer underneath, it creases on me within a couple hours.  Every time.  My favorite is Urban Decay Primer Potion.

3.  Use cream products as a base.  Layering powder products on top of cream products will absorb any oil that seeps through your skin and keep your makeup on longer.
        *In lieu of a colorless eye primer, you can use a cream eyeshadow in the same or similar color to whatever powder eyeshadow you'll be putting on your lid.  I love the Maybelline Eye Studio Color Tattoos.
        *If you have problems with your under-eye concealer staying put, set it with a powder made for that area.  I like Bare Minerals Well Rested.  Use with a fluffy brush, such as the largest brush in this Essential Tools Hi-Def set (great value from Walmart!  I love all these brushes)
        *You can layer cream blush under powder blush if you want your blush to last longer.  I like the NYX Cream Blushes.

4.  Use face powder at the end of your makeup routine but before setting spray if you use one.  There are tons of powders out there, and it doesn't really matter if you go with loose or pressed powder, but make sure you use a big, fluffy brush, such as Sigma F30 Large Powder Brush.  Lightly buff on the powder in circular motions--this will also help to blend your makeup and blur any harsh lines from blush.  Brushes disperse the product more evenly and look more natural than the little puffs most powder compacts come with.  

5.  For extra staying power, spray your face with makeup setting spray, like Urban Decay All Nighter.  Hold the bottle 8-10" away from your face and spray 2-4 times. 

I hope this was helpful.  If you have any other tips, comment below!

Everyday Eyeshadow

With so many different eyeshadows and eye brushes to choose from, it can be very easy to get confused.  There are unlimited possibilities when it comes to eye looks, but when it comes to a neutral eye you could wear anywhere, here are my tips.

-Use an eyeshadow base, such as Urban Decay primer potion: http://www.sephora.com/eyeshadow-primer-potion-tube-original-P284716?skuId=1325547.  This will help the color stay on all day and prevent creasing.  Here, I chose to use a taupe-colored base from NYX in Iced Mocha to make the lid color pop a little more: http://www.ulta.com/ulta/browse/productDetail.jsp?skuId=2221058&productId=xlsImpprod2150066&navAction=push&navCount=1&categoryId=cat940003#sku2213618
-Pick out three shades: the medium shade goes on your lid, the darkest shade goes in your crease, and the lightest shade goes underneath your brow and on the inner corner of your eyes for a highlight.  Here, I am using a CoverGirl trio called Shimmering Sands, which conveniently has all three colors I need. http://www.covergirl.com/eye-makeup/eyeshadow/eye-enhancers-3-kit-eyeshadows
-Brushes make a difference.  You'll need:
         * A dense, flat brush for your lid.  My favorite is the Sigma E-55 eye shading brush sold here: http://www.sigmabeauty.com/product_p/e55.htm
         *A dome-shaped crease brush (optional for this look).  I like the one from Target (from their Up and Up brand).  It's black and says "crease".
         *A fluffy blending brush.  I like the Sigma E-40 tapered blending brush: http://www.sigmabeauty.com/product_p/e40.htm

Steps for easy, everyday eyeshadow:

1.  Load up your lid brush with the medium shade and pat (don't swipe!!) it onto your lid.  Pressing the color in will give you more payoff than swiping.  Swiping can also give you more fallout (e.g. more of a mess to clean up afterwards).  Bring this color up to where your crease starts.


2. If you have a crease brush, use that to deposit the darkest shade in your crease.  Go back and forth with a windshield wiper motion.  If you don't have a crease brush, use the tip of your lid brush (instead of the flat part) and pat the color into the crease.  Don't worry if it looks harsh--you will be blending it out later.


3. Use your ring finger to apply the lightest shade under your brow and on the inner corner of your eyes.  This is one step where your finger will work just as well as a brush.


4. Blend!! Use your fluffy brush with circular motions.  This step is super important when going for a smokier look with dark colors, but regardless of which colors you choose, blending always helps it look better.
          *You should not see any harsh lines with your crease color.  If you do, keep blending until they soften.

 

5. Finish off your look with liner and mascara... and... voila! 

Conair Hot Rollers

Lately, I've been getting a little bored with my hair.  My go-to style this summer has been au naturale.  I wash my hair at night, air dry it, and wake up to a mess in the morning. 

I either accept the fact that I look like a lion or put up in a bun.  It's time to crank it up a notch.  I looked through my cabinet of styling tools and decided to go with my Conair Xtreme Big Curls Hairsetter.  This set comes with 12 rollers (1.5"), and I got mine at Ulta for $30.

I thought I'd try a different technique this time.  You're probably wondering what I mean by a different technique--isn't there only one way to put in hot rollers?  I thought so too, until I came up with the idea to try something completely different that I've never heard anyone mention.

Rather than starting the rollers at the ends of various sections of my hair and rolling them to my scalp, I started the rollers in the middle of whatever piece of hair I was curling.  I held the curler in place with my left hand, then I took the rest of my hair (whatever was below the middle point where the roller was placed) and rolled it around the curler.  This is similar to the technique you would use when you're wrapping your hair around a curling iron with your hand trying to get more of a wavy look than spiral curls.  I then used both hands to keep the hair around the curler and roll it all the way up to my scalp before clipping it in place with these clips (which I would definitely recommend over the cheap metal pieces that come with the set).  I got mine for $10 for a set of 12 at Ulta.  I repeated this process around my whole head and left them in for about 15 minutes.

Here's the final look.  I liked it but didn't love it--I usually like my curls to be a little bit looser.

So I went in and... messed it up a little.  I ran my fingers through it and used my hands to shake out the curls a bit.  I also figured that the curls would fall throughout the day.  After messing with them and giving them about half an hour to fall, this is what they looked like.  Much better.

I was happy with the style after letting it fall a bit.  It's different than when I use a curling iron, but there are some things I like more about them. They're quick and easy, and while they're setting, you can do your makeup or try to get something else done.  They also give you nice volume.  If you like your curls tighter, try going for smaller rollers.  Give this a try, and let me know what you think!

Benefit They're Real! Worth the Hype?

Since Benefit came out with They're Real! mascara, I've heard a lot of hype about it.  I was so tempted to buy it, as mascaras are one of my weaknesses, but I just couldn't justify shelling out $23 for a tube.  I've been disappointed by too many high-end mascaras to waste my money trying another one. Thank god for the Sephora Beauty Insider program.

One of the perks of being a Sephora Beauty Insider is that they give you a birthday gift every year.  This year's birthday gift is a Benefit package including a mini They're Real and a mini Watt's Up! highlighter.  I couldn't wait to try the mascara.

Mascara can be one of those products that you have to use for a couple weeks before you know whether or not you really like it.  They're Real! was not one of those mascaras.  I knew from the first application that I loved it.  The brush has plastic bristles with a spiky ball-looking thing on the tip, which is good for getting into small areas.

So here we go... this is what my lashes look like curled but with no mascara.

 The first coat of mascara didn't create miracles but defined and lengthened my lashes.

 I let  the first coat dry then applied a second coat.  The second coat made my lashes thicker.

I let that coat dry before applying my third and final coat, which made my lashes look very thick and long.

All in all, I was impressed with this mascara, and I like how it's buildable.  If you like more of a natural look, go with one coat.  If you are into more dramatic lashes like I am, go with three coats.  It applied smoothly without clumping, even with letting it dry in between coats.

So, is it worth the hype?  My final verdict would have to be no.  Although it is a very nice mascara, it doesn't perform that much better than my beloved Covergirl Lash Blast and L'Oreal Carbon Black Voluminous to merit the $23 price tag.  If you're not a Sephora Beauty Insider, sign up and get yourself a free sample before you take the plunge and purchase it!

What is your favorite mascara?