Brows 101- Feat. Guest Blogger Kaylin

Brows 101
(As taught by Kaylin, a fellow Delta Gamma)

Hey everybody! I thought I would throw everyone through a loop and switch things up a bit. This isn’t the fabulous Abbey, but one of her sorority sisters! My name is Kaylin, and I’m actually a makeup artist for Laura Mercier Cosmetics. For those of you who haven’t used Laura, she’s fantastic; my personal recommendations are the Tinted Moisturizer (featured in one of Abbey’s posts) and the Tightline technique. But that will be for another time. For right now, I decided to hijack Abbey’s blog to teach you one important fact: never forget about your eyebrows!

If there’s one thing I’ve noticed as a makeup artist, it’s that most don’t pay any attention whatsoever to their brows. Now, I’m not saying you need to go out and have half of your face waxed off; what I’m saying is that spending the extra few minutes on your eyebrows will pull your entire makeup look together. You’ll need three things for this:

1.     Eye(brow) Pencil

2.     Eye(brow) Powder

3.     Concealer

I’m using the Anastasia Brow Duo Pencil; it’s both a highlighter and a pencil in one. But any pencil will do. The important thing is that you pick a color that is somewhat close to your natural hair color. It doesn’t have to be exact, mind you – many people’s eyebrows are naturally one to two shades off. The pencil is for creating the hair; so the trick is to do small, quick movements to fill in any sparse-ness (if that’s a word…) in your brows. For example, mine are sparse in the beginning and the end.

Next is the brow powder. You can use a powder that’s specifically made for brows, or you can use a matte shadow that’s close to your hair color. However, I would go slightly lighter than the shade you would normally pick; your natural oils in the brow hair will darken the powder a little bit. Personally, I opted for the eyeshadow: I’m using Charcoal Brown by M.A.C. Take a small amount of powder with an angle brush (I use the #10 brush from Sephora) and simply fill in the brow. Really simple, right? Right. Okay. Moving on.

Well, sorta. If you want, you can stop with the powder. On days I’m not going to work or going out, I’ll stop there. But the point of the concealer is to make the brows look neat and extremely defined. I especially like to use it in between waxes, when those awful little hairs start to sprout up again. It covers it well. Take a small concealer brush and outline your brows (or what you want defined), like so.

  I used Laura Mercier’s Undercover Pot #2. If you have the Undercover Pot, you’ll notice that there are two different types of concealer: use the creamy one! After that, it’s simply blending! Because it’s really awkward to have an outline on your face. If you’re going to use this trick like I do, just use a touch more concealer over the small hairs and they’re unnoticeable (unless you’re staring right at it, and in that case, it’s just weird).

Ta da! Your brows are done. Here are my before and after pictures, with full makeup (sans brows) in both. Like I said before, you don’t need to spend a whole lot of money or time on your brows. But a little bit will make a difference! 

And, for those who are interested, these are the products I used today!

·      Laura Mercier Foundation Primer

·      Laura Mercier Oil Free Tinted Moisturizer in Nude

·      Laura Mercier Undercover Pot #2

·      Laura Mercier Eye Basic in Cotton

·      Laura Mercier Cream Shadow in Alloy (all over the lid)

·      Laura Mercier Shadow in Pewter (outside corner)

·      Laura Mercier kohl eye pencil in Antique Jade

·      M.A.C. blush in Blushbaby

·      M.A.C. bronzing powder in Golden

·      Anastasia Go-Brow duo

·      M.A.C. shadow in Charcoal Brown

Happy face-painting, everyone!

<3 Kaylin

Mascara Meltdown- Vol. 1: Waterproof Summer Faves

Mascara meltdown will be reviews and comparisons all about mascara. Different types, formulas, recommendations for special occasions. If it's about mascara, it will end up in the meltdown.

Today's meltdown is all about waterproof summer favorites, as requested by my DG sister, Mary. She works a lot of long days and needs a recommendation for something that won't give raccoon eyes after a few hours of wear. So the following listed are all ready for super long wear and will still be working hard even after you're not!

High End:
-Urban Decay Cannonball
-Too Faced Lash Injection

Drugstore:
-Covergirl Lashblast Volume in Waterproof
-L'oreal Double Extend Beauty Tubes
-Maybelline The Falsies in Waterproof

Of all of these recommendations, the ultimate winner would have to be COVERGIRL LASHBLAST VOLUME IN WATERPROOF. This mascara will leave you scrubbing your eyeballs raw without an eye makeup remover. Even with an eye makeup remover I'll need to go over it twice. Use with caution. One coat is more than enough.

DISCLAIMER: if you do decide to give the L'oreal Double Extend Beauty Tubes, beware that when you go to take it off with warm water (you don't need a makeup remover for this- what a plus!), you will see all of these thick, black tubes come off on your hands. Don't worry- these aren't your eyelashes, just the tubes of mascara that surrounded them. If you're not used to it, I can see how this would freak some of you out.

Well, best of luck, and head off to the pool!

Peace, love and hugs,
Abbey

Shimmery Navy Blue Smokey Eye, Feat. Carina

Just because we felt like it.

BEFORE/AFTER

CLOSEUPS

List of products used:

Face
-Smashbox Photo Finish Primer
-Sephora Perfection Primer
-Smashbox High Definition foundation in Medium
-MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium Plus
-BH Cosmetics 10 Blush palette (the coral shade)
-NYC Smooth Skin Bronzer in Sunny
-MAC Fix+

Eyes
-Urban Decay Primer Potion
-BH Cosmetics 120 eyeshadow palette
-Urban Decay Naked Palette
-Clinique Gel Eyeliner in True Black
-MAC Kohl Eyeliner in Smolder
-NYC Eyeliner in white
-MAC Brow Set in Clear
-MAC Zoomlash in Zoomblack
-Maybelline Falsies in Blackest Black
-Covergirl Lash Blast Length in Very Black (Water Resistant)

Lips
-Maybelline Lip Liner in Toast
-Jordana Lipstick in Honey Hula
-Lancome Juicy Tubes Smoothie in Spring Fling

Review- Covergirl Natureluxe Collection

Is it really worth all the hype? Here's the breakdown of Covergirl's newest Natureluxe collection, piece-by-piece.

FOUNDATION
It is an extremely lightweight and silky foundation that has light coverage. I would really like to see the range of shades expanded, but because the coverage is so light it doesn't matter as much that they don't have the perfect color match for everybody. I tend to think of this foundation as a substitute for a tinted moisturizer on days that I need a little more coverage but still want the lightweight feel.

I felt as if my skin could breathe a lot better than if I were wearing a regular foundation, and it dried to a light, almost powder-like finish. I think this is good for all skin types, but if you are oily/combination you're going to have to touch up at some point during the day because the coverage is so light.

-How much do I get? 1 fl oz
-How much does it cost? $9.99
-What type of coverage does it have? Light
-What is the color range? Not exceptional, but passable


GLOSSBALM
Let me start off by saying this glossbalm has very little color payoff. The color you see in the packaging is not the color that your lips will be after using it. That being said, I think that this is an excellent product that delivers a sheer wash of color and moisturization in a tiny package. This is an excellent alternative to wearing chapstick, and doesn't feel like you have anything on your lips at all. Great for die-hard chapstick fans trying to branch out into the world of lip color. It has a slight shimmer to it and a light sheen is visible on the lips instead of a full-on gloss.


I think this is a beautiful and natural alternative to heavy lip color in the summer and would be great for women of all ages. The colors are very sheer so selecting one to fit your skin tone really isn't an issue. Any woman can wear any of the colors, which is wonderful!


MASCARA

This mascara is a little different than most drugstore brands because it is a mousse formula. Like everything else in the collection, it is lightweight and natural looking, which is great for summer wear and tear but generally imperceptible in photographs. They make a regular and a waterproof formula, and I have tried them both. The waterproof formula is a smidge drier than the regular, which I actually prefer, but if you are a type of person who likes a lot of time to apply their mascara and form their lashes just the way they want before they dry, don't get the waterproof. It will be too dry to do that and end up clumping and flaking all over the place.


I was a little disappointed in the applicator, it had a small, oval shaped brush with rubber bristles that were spaced relatively close to one another. I'm really not a huge fan of brushes with rubber bristles, so that's probably why I got turned off by it, but I must say it did give a nice, clean definition as opposed to a regular brush wand.

-How much do I get? 0.37 fl oz

-How much does it cost? $7.99

-What colors does it come in? Black and Brown

-What type of formula is it? Regular and Water Resistant

-What type of wand does it come with? Standard brush of average size with rubber bristles

Tiny Tip Tuesday- How to Prevent Nail Polish from Chipping

Another very summer-centered tip: how to prevent nail polish from chipping!

1. Apply a base coat- this will help the polish adhere smoothly.
2. Paint the tip (outer edge)- this will help to seal the lacquer.
3. Apply a top coat every other day- this will help keep the manicure fresh and protect the color from chipping prematurely.

These tips work for manicures AND pedicures! Go show off your pretty hands and feet and check back in with me soon!

Quick Fix- Sliding Eyeliner

This post was requested by my lovely Delta Gamma sister, Karol. I figured it would be a great tip for the summertime because black eyeliner sliding all over your face is not an attractive look.

My "Holy Grail" eyeliner for hot weather is any gel or cream product. Below are the ones I recommend the most:

MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack

Physician's Formula Gel Eyeliner trio for specific colored eyes (Blue, Green, Brown, Hazel)

Clinique Brush-On Cream Eyeliner in True Black

Please for the love of all that is holy, DON'T USE THE BRUSH IT COMES WITH. They're terrible applicators. Do yourself and your face a favor and buy an angled eyeliner brush. You can get a cheap one for $1 at eyeslipsface.com or in any Target store.

Also, remember that a little goes a long way with these gel/cream eyeliners so don't pile it on the brush unless you want it to come off as a gloppy mess on top of your eyelid with a thick stripe of black. I usually pick up a little product on the tip of the brush then dab off the excess on the top of my hand before applying to my upper lashline.

Now here's the big secret to getting this baby to stay all night....... are you ready?

With the same angled liner brush you used to apply the gel liner, pick up a bit of a matte black eyeshadow and push it into the lashline on top of the liner. This will lock it into place and I promise you it will not budge for hours, and even make the definition darker and a bit smokier. It's really important that it is a MATTE black shadow, meaning, no shimmer or glitter. You don't want to lessen the dark pigmentation you already applied.

Now a lot of you are probably wondering why I didn't list liquid eyeliner as the base for the matte black shadow. Liquid eyeliner is often very difficult to apply and looks much too harsh on the average person. The sharp definition requires a flawless complexion and nearly perfect features to pull off (if you have these, good for you, continue using your liquid eyeliners :P). Gel eyeliners are much more forgiving and have staying power that is just as long after you lock it in with your matte black shadow.

Wearable Red Lip

Since it is summertime, I don't really like to do too many smokey eye looks but still want to accentuate a feature on my face. Most of the time I will choose my lips. A nice, wearable red color looks great for any occasion and is something everyone should own in their collection whether it is small or large. Here is a great look for a night out that won't leave you with raccoon eyes!

WEARABLE RED LIP

CLOSEUPS

List of products used:

Face

-Smashbox Photo Finish Primer

-Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer in Sand

-Revlon PhotoReady Concealer in Medium

-Smashbox Hydrating Halo Powder in Medium

-E.L.F. Blush in Shy

-NYC Smooth Skin Bronzer in Sunny

Eyes

-Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion

-BH Cosmetics 88 Shimmer palette (I used a pearlescent beige and shimmery taupe)

-Urban Decay Naked Palette (I used the colors Naked and Virgin)

-Clinique gel eyeliner in Black

-MAC Kohl eyeliner in Smolder

-E.L.F. eyeliner in White

-MAC Zoom Lash mascara in Zoomblack

-Covergirl Lash Blast Length Waterproof in Very Black

-MAC Brow Set in Clear

Lips

-Clinique Quickliner for Lips in Rich Red

-NYC Ultra Moist LipWear in Ruby

-Clinique Long Last Glosswear SPF 15 in Juicy Apple

Skincare Routines

This post will be all about my various skin care routines that I use to keep my face looking fresh and clear! My skin type is Oily/Combination and I've dealt with terrible breakouts in the past. After getting on track with a dermatologist, these are my two separate routines that I use when appropriate.

DAILY PREVENTATIVE ROUTINE

1. Exfoliate - Clinique 7 Day Scrub Cream

2. Cleanse - Clinique Liquid Facial Soap, Oily Skin Formula

3. Tone - Clinique Clarifying Lotion #3

4. Serum - Clinique Pore Refining Solutions Serum

5. Moisturize - Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel

I use this routine when my skin is relatively clear and healthy, twice a day, morning and night. If needed, I add a blemish spot-treatment after step 5. I would have to say the most important thing I learned about dealing with skin issues is to wash your face for a full 60 seconds. It doesn't matter if you can't afford an expensive cleanser, make do with the one you have and wash your face from your hairline to just past your jawline in small circular motions for the full minute. You will be amazed at the difference 60 seconds really makes!

Now I will describe my routine in greater detail. First I exfoliate for 60 seconds using small circular motions starting at the center of my face and working my way to the hair line and the jawline. After rinsing, I use 1 pump of my cleanser and cleanse for another full 60 seconds using the same circular method. After rinsing and lightly patting my face dry, I use a round cotton pad soaked with toner and swipe all over my face starting in the middle and going outwards. I allow the toner to dry on my skin for at least 30 seconds. After it has dried, I take 1 pump of my pore refining serum and emulsify it between my fingertips for a few seconds, then gently pat it onto my skin. Finally, I take 1 pump of my moisturizer and rub it between my fingertips and gently pat onto my skin.

I think it's very important to put on your serums and eye creams if you use them before your moisturizer because the moisturizer is the final step that will seal in all of those wonderful, skin-changing ingredients. 

ACTIVE BREAKOUT ROUTINE

If I have an active flare-up of acne, I substitute my regular skincare routine for a specialized clearing one until the breakout clears up.

1. Cleanse - Neaclear Liquid Oxygen Acne Wash

2. Tone - Neaclear Liquid Oxygen Blackhead Astringent

3. Moisturize - Neaclear Liquid Oxygen Anti-Acne Facial Moisturizer

This is almost like my preventative routine, with just a few less steps. I start by cleansing my face for a full 60 seconds using small circular motions working from the center of my face outward towards the hairline and jawline. After rinsing and lightly patting dry with a small washcloth, I use a round cotton pad soaked in toner and swipe all over my face starting from the center and going out all the way to the hairline and jawline. After allowing to dry for at least 30 seconds, I take a small dab of moisturizer between my fingertips and lightly pat onto my face.

I really like this set of products from Neaclear, which can be purchased at ULTA or online, because they are gentle and still effective since they are infused with salicylic acid which delves deep into clogged pores to clean them out. It is very important to treat inflamed, blemished skin with great care. You don't want to use any gritty scrubs or exfoliants because they can make problem skin even worse. You also don't want to use any heavy moisturizing creams or even serums because they can suffocate the skin in a time where it really needs to breathe.

The most important lesson from all of this skincare nonsense I've just jabbered on about?

WASH YOUR FACE FOR A FULL 60 SECONDS.

This applies to men as well. So tell your brothers, boyfriends, and husbands!

Lavender Smokey Eye, Feat. Liz

Today I went to ULTA with my dear friend, Liz, to help her choose some new shades that complement her coloring. We had a blast looking at all the makeup, and I selected a few things that will really work for her. After our fun little shopping trip, we went back to my house so I could give a mini application lesson and demonstrate how to use the products I chose.

BEFORE/AFTER

CLOSEUPS

List of products used:

Face

-Smashbox Photo Finish primer

-Covergirl Clean foundation in Buff beige

-Revlon PhotoReady concealer in Light

-Maybelline Shine Free Loose Powder in Light

-Clinique Blushing Blush in Precious Posy

-NYC Smooth Skin Bronzer in Sunny

Eyes

-Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion

-Maybelline Lavender Smokes eyeshadow quad

-Urban Decay Naked eyeshadow palette (just the color "Naked")

-Sephora mini single eyshadow in Aspen Summit

-Physician's Formula gel eyeliner trio for brown eyes (I used the black w/ purple shimmer)

-NYC eye pencil in White

-MAC eye kohl in Smolder

-MAC Zoom Lash mascara in Zoomblack

-Covergirl Lashblast length waterproof in Very Black

-MAC Brow Set in Clear

Lips

-Maybelline lipliner in Nude

-Jordana matte lipstick in Rose Delight

-NYX Mega Shine Lip Gloss in Perfect