Face
Top 5 Bronzers for Summer
Summer is officially here and whether you’re looking to compliment your tan, or fake it till you make it, bronzer is an excellent way to achieve that golden summer glow. With so many options on the market, choosing the right bronzer can be overwhelming. Check out my top 5 favorite bronzers!
Top 5 Bronzers for Summer
Cargo Be-You-Tiful Bronzer
I love Cargos Be-You-Tiful Bronzer because it comes in three shades, Light, Medium and Dark! This is amazing because many of the bronzers out there are either too light or too dark for certain skin tones. With this bronzer, it’s easy to find the perfect shade every time! It does have a bit of shimmer in it, but they do offer a matte medium color which looks very natural and pretty.
NARS Bronzing Powder
NARS Bronzers are some of my all time favorite because the color is unlike soo many other bronzers!! It has a true brown/tan tone that is not orangey at all! The result? a natural looking glow that makes you look like you just got back from vacay in the Bahamas, not the Mystic Tan booth down the street.
NARS has three shades, Casino (dark brown with golden shimmer) and Laguna (brown with gold shimmer) their brand new one, Irresistiblement (golden terracota). I use Laguna.
|
|
Lorac TANtalizer
Lorac’s TANtalizer is a baked bronzer which gives off a gorgeous rosy bronze, summer glow. It layers beautifully which aids in controlling the amount of color that gets applied. I have used this on light, medium and dark skin with gorgeous results! You can also choose between the shimmer version, or opt for basic matte. I like the one with shimmer because it adds highlight to your face which only accentuates the golden glow it provides.
Geurlain Terracotta Bronzer
Geurlain’s Terracotta Bronzer has been around since 1980 and is still a popular choice for many women today! I love it because it gives off a natural, glowy bronze – not orange. It has a slight sheen but is not shimmery, and it goes on super smooth. Bonus: On top of everything else, it moisturizes your skin too!
NYC Smooth Skin Bronzer
NYC Smooth Skin Bronzer is my favorite drugstore steal!! At only $3, your really can’t go wrong! The color is very natural (I love that it’s matte) and it goes on pretty smoothly. This bronzer is perfect for light/medium skin but probably would not give off enough color to tan/darker skintones.
What is Your Favorite Bronzer??
What’s the Deal With Green Concealer?
Have you ever been makeup shopping when you run into a green concealer or face primer?? Were you confused?? The first time I discovered green concealer was in high school. I snatched it up right away because I was desperate to conceal the redness in my cheeks. Unfortunately, after I applied it for the first time, I was pissed! It did what it promised by concealing the red, but I was left with green cheeks!! haha.
If the mere thought of rubbing green all over your face freaks you out, keep reading 
It actually makes a lot of sense and works great when properly applied…
How to Conceal and Correct Redness with Green Primers and Concealers:
Why Green Concealer Corrects Redness:
The concept behind concealing certain colors (ie: redness, blue under eye circles, brown sun spots etc) with other colors, goes way back to art class and color theory!! Whichever color you want to conceal or counteract, choose the color directly across from it on the color wheel to get the job done!
In our case, we want to conceal red (rosacea, pimples, rosy cheeks, injuries). Directly across from red on the color wheel is green, so as a rule, we should use a green concealer. It will effectively neutralize the redness.
.
Now that the underlying concept makes more sense, you’re probably wondering how to wear green concealer/primer without looking crazy..
When To Use Green Primer vs. Concealer:
My favorite method to use green as a way of counteracting redness is in primer form. If you have minor ruddiness, or just wish to cover up slight inflammation, primer will probably be your best bet. I feel that since a primer is much more sheer, it takes way less effort than using a heavy concealer, which is harder to layer on top of. On myself, I use Makeup Forever’s Green HD Microperfecting Primer. It doesn’t completely erase the red, but I notice a huge difference, as it takes the color down a few notches. By the time I am ready to apply my foundation, my redness is much easier to cover, and as a bonus my skin is already perfectly primed!
How to Use Green Concealer:
If you have sensitivities to primers, need more coverage, or wish to spot-cover redness from a pimple or a cut, opt for a green concealer instead. Using an appropriate sized brush, apply the concealer to the area you wish to neutralize. Blend the edges so that they feather out seamlessly into your skin. Once you apply enough product, go over the concealer with your regular foundation. Finally, set the area with powder to increase longevity and to ensure that the makeup doesn’t move.
**Important Tip: Remember, when using unnatural color correctors, the less product the better! The last thing you want is a green overcast to your skin. You’ll wind up looking ill and people probably won’t want to hang out with you for fear of catching your germ 
Primers I Recommend:
Left to Right: Smashbox Photofinish Primer in Green, Makeup Forever’s HD Microperfecting Primer in Green
Concealors I Recommend:
Physician’s Formula Gentle Cover Concealer Stick in Green
Green Vs. Yellow!!!
While green concealer’s do work, I actually prefer to use a yellow-y concealer to counter-act redness!! The extra hassle of having to cover up green is a little too much for me when I’m working on set, where time is of the essence. Yellow (not primary yellow, but more of a golden undertone) works like a charm and looks a lot more natural if you mess up :) But, I’ll talk about that a different day…
How To: Make Your Nose Look Thinner
Rhinoplasty is one of the top five most common plastic surgery procedures performed each year! The good news is makeup can be an effective way to slim your nose instead of choosing to go under the knife.
Jessica Alba Has One Of the Most Requested Noses, Say Plastic Surgeons
Using Makeup to Create the Illusion of a New Nose
What You’ll Need:
Contour Powder/Cream
You can use a product made specifically for contouring, or try a foundation 2-3 shades darker than your skin tone. Matte brown eyeshadow can work just as well too!
-I recommend Makeup Forever’s Sculpting Kit and Kevyn Aucoin Sculpting Powder. The contour shades are really unique and give off a “shadow” color which is exactly what you want your contouring to look like, shadows!
.
Highlight
I prefer a matte highlighter when contouring noses. A white/nude eyeshadow would work will, or try a foundation color 2-3 shades lighter than your skin tone.
.
Angled Brush
An angled brush is ideal for sculpting noses. Keep it small so that you have more control over where your product ends up.
.
Fluffy Blending Brush or Sponge
For blending your contouring. I like the Beauty Blender sponge to soften lines, but brushes work well too.
How To: Slim a Wide Nose
Step 1- Apply your foundation. You can do your face now, or wait until the end. I would wait until the end so that you will be able to judge how your new contouring will look with your overall face.
Step 2- Dip your angled brush into your contour powder/cream/eyeshadow and draw a line down each side of your nose. Keep it light. It’s easier to build product than to take it away. (Check out the diagram above to get an idea about where to place your lines).
**Optional Contouring: Depending on Your Specific Nose**
If your nose is wide all the way up, carry your line to the bridge of the nose.
If your nose is wider at the bottom, draw a small line outward when you get to your nostrils.
If the tip is wide or bulbous (omg, I hate that word!! I had to use it though, sorry), draw a “down-facing arrow” once you reach the tip.
Step 3: Clean off your brush.
Step 4: Dip your brush in your highlight powder/cream/ eyeshadow and draw a slender stripe down the center of your nose. (See Diagram).
If the bottom or tip of your nose is wide, only take your highlight half-way down.
Step 5: Take a clean fluffy brush or makeup sponge and blend your lines (be careful not to blend them together though). Blend until you can’t see a “line” anymore; it should look natural. Obviously, my diagram is just for reference. Please don’t go outside looking like Jennifer Aniston in this picture haha..
If you have followed the directions correctly, you should notice a subtle change in your nose! Let me know if it worked for you, or if you have any questions!!
How To: Conceal a Pimple
We all get them, and for some reason it’s usually during life’s most inconvenient moments! Your wedding, prom, first date, important meeting… you know how it goes. Instead of freaking out and playing hooky, try these simple steps to cover up the monster and live your life!
Megan covers up her pimples too! From a distance, they are practically invisible
Zap Your Zits With Makeup
1. If you have time, press an ice cube onto the offender for several minutes. Ice will help to make the swelling go down and will also reduce the redness. You can also rub a little Visine on it; Visine banishes the red in your eyes and does the same for pimples!
2. If it’s already been popped, apply some moisturizer to eliminate as much flakiness and dryness as possible.
3. Apply your full foundation. Covering up any pimples you may have is the last step.
4. Next, get out your concealer, and it should match your skin perfectly! I hear a lot of people recommending that your concealer be lighter than your skin. MAYBE for under eyes but not when covering up zits. If you use a lighter concealer, it will just bring unwanted attention to your monster.
5. Load up a concealer brush, the pointier ones will work best for this. Now, stipple the concealer onto your zit with the brush.
**Stippling means to dab the product on, rather than rubbing or stroking it over your zit. Pretend you’re doing morse code over your pimple! **
You want as much coverage as possible and stroking tends to rub off the product. No bueno.
5. Now that the product has been stippled on, blend the outer edges of the concealer into the rest of your foundation. DO NOT touch or blend the actual zit. If the concealer that’s layering your pimple looks cakey or thick, keep stippling it in, or dab the excess off with your finger.
6. Once the outer edges have been blended, set the area gently with powder. Loose powder is best but if you have to use a compact powder don’t rub it on. Take an eyeshadow brush, load it up with your powder and gently touch it to the newly concealed pimple.
Voila!
**REMEMBER: Makeup can only cover up color, not texture. You will probably still see “the bump” but as long as it matches the rest of your face, it won’t be noticeable.
.
Concealers I Recommend:
Makeup Forever Camouflage Creme Palettes.
Benefit’s Boi-ing Concealer
Amazing Cosmetics Concealer
When Life Gives You Lemons..
Using Lemons As Part of Your Beauty Routine
My boyfriend and I got a random hair up our butts today to make homemade lemonade. I’m not sure why, maybe it was the 150 degree heat, maybe it was the huge bag of lemons on sale at Costco for $5 that peaked our curiosity, but the whole act inspired me to write about the benefits of lemons in the world of beauty..
Believe it or not, lemons can be used to provide many cheap and effective beauty treatments. Did anyone ever spritz their hair with lemon juice and sit in the sun with hopes blonder locks?? I spent many hours with this citrus juice on my head when I was young, and believe it or not it did work! Unfortunately, my dark haired lovelies should not try this at home because it could turn your hair orange.
Here are some other beauty rituals you can incorporate lemons into:
1. Lighten Dark/Ashy Elbows and Knees.
For some reason, elbows and knees can sometimes be a lot darker than the rest of your skin. Lemon are a natural bleach, and with some patience, they can help lighten the darkened areas. Simply cut a lemon in half and rub it on you elbows or knees twice a day. I’ve also heard that lemon juice can reduce the appearance of freckles and age spots!
2. Make Homemade Masks
My boyfriend was laughing at me today because while juicing, I started rubbing the rinds all over my face to see what it would do. He thought I was going crazy lol! I love finding natural, homemade skincare recipes, and am not afraid to test any fruit or veggie. Straight lemon juice might be too strong and acidic for sensitive skin, but mixing it with other items laying in your pantry will give you some awesome and cheap face masks!
Dry Skin: Mix lemon juice and honey together. Leave on for 10 minutes and rinse off for a smoother, brighter complexion!
Oily Skin: Mix one egg and half a lemon together in a small bowl. Apply to face (avoiding the eyes!) and let sit for 10-15 minutes.
3. Remove Blackheads
Lemons contain Alpha Hydroxy Acid, which is found in most acne medications. Cut a lemon in half and rub over any blackheads. If you have sensitive skin, try a light wash. Mix 1 part lemon juice with 3 parts water and splash on your face. Rinse it off and you will notice reduction of blackheads in several weeks.
4. Brighten Your Nails
Lemons act as a natural astringent, and can effectively whiten yellow or discolored nail beds. What you need to do is squeeze several lemons into a small bowl, insert fingertips and soak for 5-7 minutes. This little beauty regimen strengthens nails too. Added bonus!
So when life gives you lemons, mash them up and rub em’ on your face and elbows!
