Get The Look: Strobing

Hello Beauties,

Contour seems to have officially gone by the way of the dodo bird in the eyes of the beauty community. The up and coming trend that everyone is talking about now *drum roll please* STROBING!

What is strobing you ask ?
Well strobing is essentially highlighting your face, but with a new and improved name ;)

To strobe your face like a pro, you will need:

1. Your foundation/ BB Cream / Tinted moisturizer of your choice

2. A concealer 1 - 2 shades lighter than your foundation

3. A blending brush or sponge

4. Setting powder

5. Highlight powder


Start as always by prepping your skin as you normally would (wash, moisturize, and prime)

Once your skin has been prepped, apply the foundation of your choice. For this look something with a dewy finish would be better over something matte.  The whole idea behind this look is glowing dewy skin. Set your foundation with your setting powder of choice.

Next you're going to apply the lighter concealer in your highlight areas: The forehead, the brow bone, below the eyes, on the cheek bones above the apples of the cheek, cupid's bow, chin, and lastly below the cheekbone, under where you would normally contour your skin

Now you're going to blend, blend, and then blend some more.  Using your sponge or brush, you're going to disperse the colour of the concealer onto your face. You should be left with a slightly lighter complexion on the places you've put the concealer.

Finally you're going to have to set the concealer on your face. For this step I like to use the mineralize skin finishes from MAC, but any highlight powder will do. Pick up a small amount of the highlighter on your powder brush and sweep it across the areas you just placed the concealer.

With fall right around the corner I like to finish this look by adding a pop of pink blush onto the apples of my cheeks and a dark vampy lip.

Et Voila, a beautiful fall look to keep your makeup game on point.

Go get 'em you trendsetter you.

Stay tuned for my next tutorial post: Ombré lips for fall.

Danielle ;)

Tips: The Scrub That Will Ruin Your Skin

Hello Beauties,

I realized it's been a while since I've done an honest to goodness skin care post, so, here it is.

Your skin is your body's largest organ. It is a complex system of layered cells that protects the rest of your body from the harsh pollutants of the outside world. The dermal layers of the skin in order from the surface down are :
- The epidermis
- The dermis
- The Hypodermis

Skin care lotions and creams generally only penetrate the skin to its epidermal layers, though some medicinal creams and lotions can penetrate into the dermis and hypodermis.

The epidermis contains:
- The Stratum Corneum
- The Stratum Lucidum
- The Stratum Granulosum
- The Stratum Spinosum
- The Stratum Basale

If skin cells are the bricks of the skin, then collagen is the mortar. It helps to hold the skin together and gives your skin it's elasticity as well as its strength, and is responsible for replacing dead skin cells. Your collagen is essentially the main support structure for your skin. As we age your body produces less collagen, which makes the skin loose its elasticity.
It's this slow down in the production of collagen that causes fine lines and wrinkles to occur.


Let's get into exfoliating.
You should be exfoliating your skin once a week. This will help remove the layer of dead skin cells (stratum corneum), so that your body can replace them with healthy new cells.
Over exfoliating, and exfoliating with products that are too harsh can result in skin conditions (IE Oily skin), and the long term breakdown of your skin's function.


which brings us to...

St. Ives -

I'm sure most of you have at least heard about, if not used the St. Ives apricot scrub...and here is why you should never use it on your face again.

They claim to use "crushed" apricot pits in their scrub as an exfoliant. the problem with that is when you crush anything, especially something as rigid as a peach/ apricot pit, you're going to get sharp and jagged pieces in the product. These jagged pieces will force off healthy skin cells, as well as the dead ones as it moves across the dermis. Over time this will result in the break down of the collagen that holds the cells together, which will cause premature aging, fine lines and wrinkles.

If you're looking for a good scrub that will be gentle on your skin, but still effective, try any type of scrub with round exfoliating beads. These beads are generally man made from plastic materials.
If you're looking for something a little more natural - look for something that contains jojoba beads. These beads are made from the jojoba wax and are all natural.

If you're looking for something that is gentle enough to use on your skin every day, you could try Dermalogica daily microfoliant.

This is my personal favourite, you can use it as often or as few times a week as you like.

Exfoliating is the way to beautiful, glowing skin. Just make sure you're using the right product for your skin.

Danielle

How To: Contour and Highlight - Cream Edition

Hello Beauties,

Highlight and contour are so important for any makeup look, it helps to define and sharpen your bone structure, or can be used to create an entirely new face shape all together.

Contour can be used to change the shape of your nose, slim your face, define your cheek bones and even reduce a double chin. It is MAGIC!

While contour is meant to diminish/ hide, highlight is meant to brighten/ make more prominent. The more light that is forced into an area the more noticeable it will become.

I know that I've written a post in the past about highlighting and contouring; but th at was before the so called "Kim K" method using creams became so popular.

So, let's begin! How to do it in just 7 easy steps

You'll need:

- Moisturizer (I'm using Olay complete for normal skin)

- Foundation/ BB cream (I'm using rimmel stay matte in 100 fair ivory)

- Setting powder (I'm using MUFE HD powder)

- Cream concealer in 2 shade - one lighter than your skin tone and one darker (I'm currently using Cover FX in the lightest shade in the line and Tom Ford traceless foundation stick in 08 Caramel)

- RE-usable cosmetic sponge ( I use the faux beauty blender by QUO)

- Large powder brush (I'm using one by Pari)

- Highlight powder (I'm realyl fair, so I am using MAC mineralized skin finish in lightscapade)

- Blush or fan brush

- Contour powder (I use MAC blot powder in dark OR MAC always sunny pro long wear shadow)

- Contour brush ( again - Pari)


Step 1 - Prep your skin

Moisturize your face and allow the moisturizer to full absorb before you apply anything else. If you're going to use a primer, now is the time to apply it.

Step 2 - Apply your foundation

apply your foundation to your entire face as you normally would. Make sure you blend well.

Step 3 - Set your foundation

Apply your setting powder to your entire face. Once you've applied your powder, take a large CLEAN powder brush and sweep gently over your face again, taking away any excess that might be lingering

Step 4 - Contour

Find the hollows in your face/ places where shadows naturally occur - (Usually below the cheek boens - near the temples - forehead, near the hairline - sides of the nose - and below the jaw bone)- Apply your darker concealer in those areas and buff it out using your cosmetic sponge. You don't want to completely remove the colour, but you don't want any harsh lines.

Step 5 - Highlight

Look for areas on your face that light would naturally fall -(Usually the forehead, bridge of the nose, under the eyes, and cheekbones) - Apply your lighter concealer and then blend out with your cosmetic sponge. Again you don't want to completely take the colour away, but you don't want any harsh blocks of colour either

Step 6 - Contour...again

Now it's time to go back in with your contour powder and make sure that your contour is set and well blended. Remember that contour powders should be Matte to give you the best effect. While you can use a bronzer - you're better off using a matte powder or eye shadow to create depth in your contour.

Step 7 - Highlight....well you get the drill

Go back in with your highlight powder of choice and make sure that your highlight areas are set and well blended.


Flawless looking skin every time ;D

Thanks for reading lovelies, leave me comments and let me know if this helped you

Danielle

How To: False Lashes

Hello Beauties,

False lashes are that part of a makeup routine that most people skip over, because most seem to think that they can't pull them off, or just can't put them on. They're almost always a part of youtube tutorials and most beauty experts tend to skip over the application.

I just want to let you guys know that falsies can be done quickly, easily and correctly, whether you're a seasoned pro or just a lover of thick, lush lashes ;D

So, what are false lashes

Falsies, or fake eyelashes, come in many different shapes and styles. They are applied to the lash line of the eye to create the illusion of longer, fuller, and darker lashes. They are meant to blend in with your natural eyelashes. You can get simple natural looking ones for everyday use, dramatic full lashes, or flirty oddly shaped ones. You can even find lashes that are made of feathers, feature bright colour, or crazy patterns.

False lashes can be made out of synthetic (plastic) material, or natural hair. Less expensive lashes tend to be synthetic, they're easy to tell apart because they actually look a little shiny and are stiffer, Natural hair lashes look just like real eye lashes. They're usually made from treated, sanitary hair and blend in flawlessly with your natural lashes.

There are two main types of lashes - Band/ strip lashes and individual lashes. The two have very different application styles, but both are very doable.

Band False Lashes:

These are by far the most popular type of lashes because they're quicker and easier to apply to yourself. They are a full eye's worth of lashes, pre-attached to one another, making them easy to just glue and go.

Individual False Lashes:

Individual lashes are ideal for occasions where you want the extra drama, but definitely don't want the look of a full band of false lashes. Each individual lash is a small clump of lashes stuck together, meant to be glued one at a time into the lash line for optimal blending. These type of lashes look the most natural, but are a lot more time consuming to put on yourself.

How do you Apply False Lashes ?

Applying falsies isn't something that you're going to be able to do perfectly the first time (just ask the girls I practiced on in my makeup application class) It's much better to practice a few times before being able to go out in public donning your new luscious lashes.

This is the way that I was taught to apply falsies, and I've found that it works well for most people.  

You Will Need:

• Scissors
• Eyelash glue
• Black mascara
• Eyelash curler
• Tweezers

   

1. For strip lashes - You MUST measure and trim any excess off the band before you apply them. Not everyone has the same shaped eyes, this will help give you the best fit AND make your bank look the most natural.

2. Curl your lashes and apply a single even coat of mascara, this will make it easier to blend your natural lashed with the falsies. Take the lashes out of the package and curl them around your finger. This will make the band more pliable and easier to shape to your eye.

3. Lots of falsies come with eyelash glue (usually the glue is not the greatest though) make sure you double check to see if they set you picked does or does not BEFORE you get them home. There is nothing worse than getting home and finding out you have no way of attaching your lashes and starting your new adventure into lash town. You can usually buy inexpensive lash glue on it's own. When it's time to apply the lashes  I squeeze a small dollop of glue onto my makeup pallet and then grab the lashes upside down and run the band quickly through the glue. This usually coats the band in a thin even layer of glue. For individual lashes you'll want to use tweezers to dip the knot at the bottom of the group of hairs into the glue.  

4. Allow the glue to set on the lashes for about 15 seconds before you apply them to your eyes. This will allow the glue to become tackier and will help the lashes set faster.

5. With your fingers or tweezers if you're more comfortable with them, apply the lashes to the inner corner of your eye, as close to your natural lash line as possible. Applying on the inner corner makes it easier to follow the natural curve of your eye, and allows you to get as close as possible to your natural lashes.

6. Once the lashes are applied and have dried, use an eyelash curler on your natural and false lashed to blend them further, and add one more coat of mascara. This will help hold the curl and make sure the two stay blended together - Think like hairspray for your lashes.

(Individual lashes aren't as tricky to apply, even though the process takes  a little longer. You don't have to worry about measuring and trimming the lashes. Most people will apply a few individual lashes to their outter lash lines to make their eyes appear bigger without looking like it's to much. You can also use individuals on your lower lash line.)

Q&A

How do I remove falsies without yanking on my eyelids ?

Using a good eye friendly makeup remove is key. You don't always have to, but the tugging on the eyelid can be unpleasant for some people when they try to take their lashes off, Try using a makeup remover with oil in it, instead of an oil free formula. If you don't want to run out and buy another product,  try olive, or coconut oil. The natural oils will not cause any break outs, and a lot of people have them already in the pantry.

Can you Re-Use Falsies

Yes! you definitely can, as long as you remember to clean and sanitize them. You can get a lot of life out of your lashes, especially synthetic ones. Whenever you remove your lashes, just remember to remove all the makeup/ excess glue off of them, then give them a swipe with a q-tip that has been dipped in rubbing alcohol. Let them dry and then put them away for next time. You can use them until they literally fall apart ( and sometimes even after that...hello demi's)

---

My Favourites:

Some of my favourite falsies are made by Ardell, they have a HUGE variety to choose from, they really last AND are affordable.

For individual lashes I like the Ardell Duralash kit. The lashes can last up to 2 weeks with the special adhesive that is included in the starter kit.

My go to lash glue is DUO, it comes in a few different formulas, I like the formula that dries clear

The house of lashes glue is also amazing, the brush applicator makes it very easy to apply just the right amount of glue to the band.

I hope that you all find this very helpful and that you enjoy your adventures into luscious lash town.

Stay Beautiful,

Danielle

How To: Conceal a Tattoo

Hello Beauties,

Tattoos are beautiful pieces of art as well as tools of self expression; but let's face it, not everyone likes them.  There is still a certain stigma attached to having a tattoo and there may come a time when you find yourself in need of a way to cover a tattoo (a family gathering perhaps ;P).

Covering a tattoo is all about layering, usually it takes about 3 layers to completely cover a tattoo.  The degree of difficulty for covering a tattoo depends on 3 things :

• The size of the tattoo
• The skin colour of the person with the tattoo                             
• The number of colours that the tattoo has within it

You will need:

• A foundation brush
• A concealer brush
• Corrector
• Concealer
• Foundation
• Setting powder
• Moisturizer
• Cleansing wipes
• Primer (Optional)
• A colour wheel (optional, but good to have)

How To: Make at Home Facials

Hello Beauties,

Facials are a great way to keep your skin glowing, but they can be pricey. We asked Louisa Macan-Graves, author of Hollywood Beauty Secrets: Remedies to the Rescue, and Elda Argenti, owner of the Plantogen skincare line, for their favorite make-at-home face masks crafted from common household ingredients.

For All Skin Types

Brighten: Cut a slice of ripe papaya and remove the seeds and pulp (save the pulp for a snack later—it’s great for digestion). Rub the inside of the papaya peel on your cleansed face, focusing on lines around the mouth and eyes, crow’s feet, thinning temples, neck and hands. Let it dry for 15 to 20 minutes, then rinse with tepid water. This mask can be done twice a week. “The enzymes in papaya exfoliate, repair sun damage, diminish age spots and smooth skin. Your skin will look brighter, with a more polished finish,” says Macan-Graves.

Exfoliate: Combine 1 tsp honey and 1 tsp olive oil. Separately, prepare a packet of plain oatmeal, using less water than called for so it forms a thick paste. Next, add the honey and olive oil mixture to the cooked oatmeal. Apply as a scrub, gently rubbing it in small circles over your skin, avoiding the eye area. Rinse off with warm water and pat dry. This mask can be done twice weekly. “The oatmeal in this scrub exfoliates, while the honey and olive oil moisturize,” says Argenti.

Cleanse: “Believe it or not, I love to cleanse with oil,” says Argenti. For this facial, she combines 1 Tbsp plain Greek yogurt with 2 tsp olive oil and 1/2 tsp lemon oil (not to be confused with lemon juice; lemon oil is an essential oil that can be found at health food stores). The mixture should be a little bit runny but not easily poured out. Massage it over skin, then immediately wipe it off with a washcloth soaked in tepid water. This can be done daily. “You want to use good-quality oil and you’ll be surprised at how clean your skin will feel,” says Argenti. “You don’t need a harsher product, even for skin with acne. Just be careful around the eye area…[the mixture] tends to be very sticky.”

For Oil- and Blemish-Prone Skin

Lift & Tighten: Combine 2 Tbsp plain yogurt with 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice (the juice of one lemon) and apply to your cleansed face and neck. Let it dry for 20 to 30 minutes. You’ll feel the mask tighten on your face and neck, which creates a lifting and firming effect. Leave it on longer (up to one hour) for even more face-lifting effects. Once done, rinse with tepid water followed by a cool rinse. This mask can be done two to three times a week or whenever you need a face lift. “This instant face-lifting mask helps fade age-spots, acne scars and even helps keep blemishes and acne in check. It also gets rid of uneven-looking skin tone,” says Macan-Graves.

Tone: This toning eye treatment helps to “de-puff, relax, refresh and energize your skin,” says Argenti. “It’s much more cooling than the traditional cucumber slices.” After cleansing your skin, brew a cup of chamomile or green tea and allow it to cool. Then soak two clean, round makeup sponges in the tea and squeeze out any excess liquid. Place one on each of your eyes for 15 minutes. Do this daily. “You need to use an alcohol-free toner on your skin to cleanse and tighten pores. Alcohol is very detrimental, and tea works just as well,” adds Argenti.

For Dry Skin

Soothe: Combine 2 Tbsp honey with 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar or lemon juice. Apply to your clean face and leave on for 20 minutes. Rinse with tepid water followed by a cool rinse. This can be done three times a week. “This mask heals, moisturizes and balances the pH of the skin,” says Macan-Graves. “Honey is a humectant and natural antibiotic that heals and moisturizes. Apple cider vinegar helps balance the pH of skin and soothes damaged skin.”

Moisturize: Macan-Graves recommends oatmeal and fennel to help moisturize dry skin. Grind 1 Tbsp oatmeal in a blender and set aside. Add 1 Tbsp fennel seeds to 1/2 cup boiling water to make a tea. Allow the seeds to steep for 10 minutes; strain the seeds and discard. Let it cool down to room temperature and then combine 1 Tbsp of the fennel tea with 1 Tbsp ground oatmeal and 1 Tbsp honey. Apply the mixture to your clean face and leave on for 20 minutes. Rinse with tepid water followed by a cool rinse. This mask can be done twice weekly.

Brighten: Combine 2 Tbsp sour cream with 2 Tbsp honey and 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar or lemon juice. Apply to your cleansed face and leave on for 20 minutes. Rinse with tepid water followed by a cool (not cold) rinse. This mask can be done twice a week. “This mask heals, exfoliates, brightens and moisturizes skin. It refines pores, fades acne marks and prevents blemishes from coming up,” says Macan-Graves.

Let mek now if you try any of these out. I'd love to hear your reviews of them :D

As always, Thanks for reading beauties,

Danielle

Adapted from:  Womans Day