Look of the Day

When it comes to makeup, I'm always learning new things.  One of the things that has helped me to get better, is taking pictures of my "looks".  I like to see my technique and to focus on any mistakes I've made.  It helps me to be more aware of  mistakes I can avoid in the future.  Here's a look I did yesterday:

Not that most people's makeup will be absolutely perfect on a daily basis, but I tend to make the same mistakes (like not blending my eyeshadow out evenly, and getting my false lash crooked, as you'll see above).  This might sound super nit-picky to some, and most of you might have not even noticed those inconsistencies, but it has really helped me over the years to really analyze what I've done and look for improvements.  So if you're looking to improve your skills, taking a picture is an easy way to see if there's anything you might need to work on!

Brows -- Rachel Weisz

So, it's been forever and a day since I've posted anything, sorry about that! I've definitely been inspired by things, I guess I just haven't had the follow through to share them with you. I hope to kick my laziness in the behind and keep up with my blogs from here on out!

Anyway, this has been another celebrity brow change that has been in my mind for YEARS.  Anyone remember the movie The Mummy?  I loved this movie back in the day and I remember thinking Rachel Weisz was so beautiful!  Flash forward a couple of years -- I remember seeing her, thinking, "hmm, she looks familiar....", and when someone informed me that indeed, that was Miss Evelyn from The Mummy - I realized she looked a bit off to me, and what do you know, it was her brows!  In The Mummy, her brows are super thin, much like a Jean Harlow/Marlena Dietrich look; and now she sports full, thick brows, making for a completely different appearance. 

The Mummy was recently on TV, reminding me of my long standing obsession with this woman's brows. 

As I was looking up pictures of her, I saw a lot of pictures of her with quite a few different shapes.  It's like Goldilocks and The Three Bears -- here we have too thin, too thick and just right!  See for yourself!

Lash Control

Ah, mascara, how I love thee.  Just when I thought I'd tried everything under the mascara sun; out comes Lash Control.  The concept behind this product, is that you actually squeeze a flexible "wiper" in the middle of the tube, while you're taking the mascara wand out, and it takes off all of the excess product!  So now you don't have to scrape the mascara wand against the side of the tube, or use a kleenex to take off the clumpy, unwanted overflow anymore.  Not only is this much cleaner, it's going to save you time AND you won't be as wasteful with your mascara - genius!  Even the Lash Control website says, "think about it for a second - this makes sense."  And truly, it does.  I can't wait to try it!

Images courtesy of:  lashcontrol.com

What's That White Powder On Your Face??

This has been all over the internet, so I'm sure this isn't totally new to anyone, but I had to share.  This is why you should always do a final check before you leave the house - especially if you just happen to be leaving  for your big movie premiere in New York!  Looks like someone's makeup artist forgot to brush off the excess loose powder on Nicole Kidman's face. Such a shame, Nicole's skin always looks flawless!  Next time darling, next time....

The Dark Side

Winter has most definitely arrived full force here in Minnesota, and this year I decided to switch it up a little bit and take my blonde hair back to its roots.  My hair is now a light brown with some highlights, and I love it!  It's so nice to do something different, and my hairstylist did such a great job getting the right shade that it  warms my skin up nicely. My pale self can use all the help I can get in that area! ;)

A few people have been asking me if I've felt the need to do my makeup differently with the darker hair color.  I almost feel as though I can get away with wearing less makeup, because of the added contrast between my skin and my hair color, but one thing that I especially love about having darker hair is how much it makes my eyes stand out. I've been having fun playing that up, and a good tip for making them really pop, is to think back to your art classes - whichever color is opposite on the color wheel will enhance them the most.  My eyes are a blue/green/gray mix, so I like to stick to oranges or even venture into the red/purple areas for something fun.  I did a purple smokey eye in the above picture and I think it turned out rather nicely!  :) 

Image courtesy of realcolorwheel.com

Hands Off!

One of my biggest pet peeves as an esthetician, is when someone comes up to me, rubbing their face, and says, "look at this pimple I have."  If you know me, you know the first thing I say, (normally I cut that person off before they finish), is, "well, first off, you need to stop touching it", which inevitably is followed up by, "I know, I know." But do you know why you shouldn't touch your face in general, especially when you have a breakout?  I want you to think of all of the bacteria, lotion, grease from food, or hair products that accumulate on your hands throughout the day.  Now imagine you're resting those same hands on your chin, rubbing your temples, or touching your forehead; that bacteria and grease is now transfered from your hands, to your face. See where I'm going with this?

Another fact I learned today, via Neal Schultz, M.D., is that repetitive touching of your face can cause a slight thickening of your skin, (i.e., anti-exfoliation), which can promote pore clogging and then lead to breakouts.   And, this theory applies to anything that touches your face; even your hair brushing across your face repetitively can cause a breakout to occur! *note to self: always have extra hair binders on you*

I suggest keeping your hands as clean as possible and being aware of how often you touch your face throughout the day, as a start to breaking this bad habit.  It's such an easy way to prevent breakouts; all it just takes a little attention and some hand soap!

Image via Rex Features

Get Rid of Those Chapped Lips

I'm addicted to lip balm.  I have about 5 tubes laying around my house and one in my purse at all times, yet I know a lot of people, especially men, who pass on lip balm, because they don't like the way it feels.  The problem with this, is that they will lick their lips to "moisturize" instead.  Saliva is meant to aid in the process of food digestion, by starting to dissolve food particles.  So saliva is actually going to exfoliate, crack and irritate your lips, instead of moisturizing.  Being that we're entering into the coldest season, I thought I'd give some recommendations to help break this bad habit for non-users once and for all!

Everyone's tried Carmex...I was a Carmex girl for many years, and although it was my fave in the past, I can't help but feel like I'm putting candle wax on my lips.  It's a little too thick for my taste these days, but I still have some floating around that I'll use infrequently.

                                                     

Z Bigatti 'Lips at Large' - this stuff is amazing, once I tried this, my lips were never the same.  It's spendy at $55, but I was able to use it very sparingly, so it was worth the price.  It's ultra silky, and melts into your lips.  My only complaint is that there's no sun protection offered, so this is strictly a night product for me.

Another product that's equally as great is Creme de la Mer's lip balm.  Both this and the 'Lips at Large' have a cool mint sensation hidden in that wonderfully silky texture. The  Creme de La Mer is a also a little bit less expensive at $45.  And again, no sun protection is offered.

This Nivea lip balm, 'A Kiss of Moisture', came free with a moisturizer purchase at Costco (go figure), and it's actually pretty awesome.  This is an inexpensive product that comes very close to having that same silky texture as the Z Bigatti and the La Mer balms. My only complaints are that this product doesn't have that menthol tingle to it, (I like that active feeling), and it doesn't last long.  I feel like the product evaporates rather quickly, but at this drugstore price point, you can afford to keep piling it on. My 'gift with purchase' I received doesn't have sun protection, but they do offer this balm with SPF as well, which I would highly recommend.

And finally, my favorite lip balm at the moment is Epicuren's.  This is by far the best inexpensive lip balm I've ever tried.  This provides that creamy, non-waxy texture,  it has tea tree oil for a little active sensation and healing, and it also boasts an SPF 15.  I have no complaints about this product, and at $5 a tube, it's the clear winner in my books right now!

So please do your lips a favor and buy a lip balm this winter, and hopefully it will become a year round habit for you.  Remember, no one wants to kiss dry lips! ;)