Liquid Liner VS. Pencil Liner

One of the most common questions regarding eye makeup is should you use a liquid eye liner or a pencil eye liner? To answer this age old question, you have to ask yourself what kind of a look you’re going for.

A liquid liner gives a dramatic look and finish to the eye. If you ever see someone who has the ever popular “cat eye” look, they most likely used a liquid liner. Some of the more famous liquid liners are MAC’s fluid line ($15), Lancôme ARTLINER ($29), and Bobbi Brown’s gel liner ($21).

As you can tell, most of these are going to be a bit more on the pricey side. There are two alternatives: go for a cheaper drug store brand (I find Maybelline’s Eye Studio works well, $10) or wet the tip of a Q-tip or any eyeliner brush you may have, dip it into a small portion of eye shadow, mix it on your hand to a creamy consistency, and apply it just as you would any other eyeliner. If you choose option two, make sure to set it with the same dry color.

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As far as pencil liners go, you want to make sure you buy a pencil liner that won’t tug too hard on the lid (tugging causes premature wrinkles). Instead of going for the old fashioned pencil liner that can tear your eyelids, opt for Urban Decay’s 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil, $17. They come in a vast selection of colors (my favorite being Mildew) and glide so easily onto the skin you’d swear it was a gel or liquid liner. Taken from Citrine's Blog, below are a few swatches of colors that Uraban Decay offers in their 24/7 collection.

Are you wanting that cat eye effect but are unsure of how to approach it? Follow these simple steps:

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1. Keep the eye simple. Do not over due the liner with a bold eye shadow color, unless you’re going for a smokey eye. Keep it as nude as possible when it comes to shadows.

2. Prime your eyes with your favorite eye primer (so the liner and shadow won’t smudge, rub off, flake, or sweat off during the day). I like to use Sin by Urban Decay, $18. Sin gives a little shimmer without a lot of color, so it’s not too distracting.
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3. Follow the shape of your eye carefully. Thinnest towards the tear ducts then become thicker at the ends and wing it up. Watch this for more tips!

One quick trick to turn cat eyes into a night time look:

Add a bright pop of color on the lips. Red would be a perfect color. Line and fill in your lips carefully with MAC’s lip pencil in Brick and then go over that with MAC’s lipstick in Russian Red. ...

Your fierce cat eyes and bold red lip will keep the heads turning all night.
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Until next time, makeup lovers.

Benefit's BADgal Lash Mascara

Ladies, and the few select gentlemen, think about the most important part of your finished makeup look. Could it be the bold statement of your eye shadow? How about the color of your blush? The lip gloss you applied? No, no it’s none those three. Think harder!

Eye lashes are used to make a bold statement. Think about it again. You can’t buy fake lips if you want them fuller, thicker, or plumper. You can’t change the shape of your eyes if you’re unhappy with your own. You can, however, mask the look of your own eyelashes by applying loads of different shapes, textures, and designs of false eyelashes. Unless you’re in a hurry every morning like most people or just don’t want the hassle, this is where a good mascara comes into play.BADgal Lash, one of Benefits best selling makeup products, has the special, creamy formula every woman should try. Here is a description of the mascara and exactly what it does.
With the first application of this mascara, I loved it. The brush was big and full which hit every lash, the formula wasn’t wet so my lashes didn’t clump, and the fullness after just ONE coat was unbelievable.

Besides the big applicator brush that reaches every lash, the formula is actually pretty decent. Many other types of mascara that claim to thicken, separate, and enhance natural lashes usually fall short of their claims, but this one actually does what it claims.

Pros

1. Doesn't clump
2. Lengthens
3. Seperates
4. Creamy formula/buildable
5. Applicator (brush)

Cons

1. Flakes
2. Weighs down lashes
3. The cost ($19)
4. Generic/nothing special

So now we see that the pros outweigh the cons, but to what extent? So what if this mascara doesn’t clump? So what if it lengthens and separates? Is that worth $19 to you? Some people like name brand makeup so they will pay an extra $10, but some people are looking for a sort of "look for less".

Do I recommend the mascara? Sure, it wasn’t terrible. Aside from the price and the flakiness, it was generally a good, everyday mascara. It doesn’t go up and beyond what any other mascara does. A dupe for this $19 dollar mascara would be L’Oreal’s Original Voluminous Mascara ($7.29 at drugstore.com).

Until next time, makeup lovers.

Urban Decay Lipstick

In the world of makeup, a woman can spend half her life on the search for the perfect lipstick. A lipstick that glides easily, a lipstick that soothes and heals without looking dry, and a lipstick that gives great color pay off.

Urban Decays lipstick, 22 US dollars, does all of the aforementioned. Infused with vitamins A, C, and E, the lipstick nourishes and protect with its creamy formula without emphasizing the fine lines and wrinkles on the lips.

The packaging is similar to many other Urban Decay products. The teardrop-shape bullet fits perfectly against the lips for a comfortable swipe of color. The scent of this lipstick is unlike any other. The rich caramel scent and flavor is subtle enough that it will not be noticeable all day long, but will not smell or taste like the normal wax of other lipsticks.

Choose from your pick of over 25 colors ranging from nudes, pink, reds, and everything in between. Though there are over 25 colors, my pick for best color has to go to Lovechild. This perfect light, cool pink color will look great on any skin tone.

Urban Decays lipstick is encased in a purple metal tube with a plastic covering engrossed with swirl after swirl of light and dark purple strokes. The unique dagger handle at the bottom of the lipstick tube weighs down the product a significant amount.

So, my amateur opinion of Urban Decays lipstick is a positive one. The color pay off is phenomenal, even with the nude colors. The texture of the crème lipstick glides easily over my lips without melting off 3 minutes later. on the other hand, if you are looking for some downfalls to this product I would say the dagger at the bottom is a bit off putting and inconvenient at times.

Looking for some tips and tricks to make this soft pink lipstick a bit more of a bold look? Try a doing a neutral eye using Urban Decays eye shadow in Blunt on the lid with Vapor underneath the brow for a highlight. Any liquid liner will work, but I prefer the Lancôme liner. Still not bold enough? Pink up the lips by applying a nice, even coat of Smashbox’s lip gloss in Pout.

Until next time, makeup lovers.

Face Secret's Bronzer Brush

With the price of makeup brushes at such a high cost lately, it’s hard to find a good quality, cheaper than usual brush.

If you’re familiar with the world of makeup, you know that there is one particular brand that most people talk about: MAC (Makeup Artist Cosmetics). However, MAC brushes usually run close to $30-$50 per brush. That is too much, in my opinion, to spend on ONE brush.
The one brush I found at Sally’s Beauty Supply (now open to the public) can be bought either in the store or online. The maker of the brush is Face Secrets and the cost is $11.99, which is a great price for a multipurpose brush.

Yes, it is labeled as a bronzer brush, but it can do way more than just apply bronzer. This half synthetic half goat hair brush is great for stippling on your foundation and blending it in.

The brush handle is just shy of 6 inches (7.5 inches including the bristles). The brush is dense, compact, and will not leave your face looking streaking; it does a wonderful job of blending everything evenly. The bristles are velvety soft leaving your skin free of irritation. I have owned this brush for just over a month, and not one hair has fallen out or is out of place, and I’m rough with my brushes.

Another positive thing about this brush is that it is good for the application of powders (powder foundation, powder blush, powder bronzer) but it is also great for the application of liquids. Because the bristles are so long and dense, extra powder/ liquid won’t be trapped in the brush, so you won’t be wasting any extra foundation, blush, bronzer, etc. If you are going to use this brush for the application of liquid makeup, make sure to stipple it on evenly and blend it out really well.

Tips and tricks for applying makeup with this brush:

1. When applying liquid makeup, don’t apply your makeup directly onto the bristles, you’ll waste more that way. Instead, apply your liquid foundation on a flat surface (your hand, the back of a CD, a metal tin pan) and dab the brush into it.

2. When applying powders with this brush, dip the brush head directly into the product, swirl it around, and tap off the extra product. If you don’t tap off the extra product you won’t get an even coat of whatever you’ve just applied.

3. Don’t pick up too much product at once. Pick up a little on the bristles, stipple onto your face/cheeks, after you blend the product you can go back for more if you needed.

Until next time, makeup lovers.

Stay Matte With Rimmel's Pressed Powder

Do you ever have one of those days where it seems that nothing is going right? You wake up late, forget to brush your teeth, leave a little too much conditioner in your hair, or don't have enough time to apply a foundation to your already broken-out-from-stress skin? Well, here's your solution: Rimmel London's Stay Matte Pressed Powder.

The best thing about this pressed powder is that it is good for ANY skin type. Don't be afraid, dry skinned girls, it won't settle into the dry patches on your face. Oily skinned women, it sets your skin to a nice, natural finish without leaving you with a feeling that there is 10 pounds of makeup caked onto your face.

Rimmel's Pressed Powder can be used in two ways:

1. You can use it as a slight mattifying powder for those hot summer days in which you don't want to wear a heavy liquid foundation, but still want a little coverage. Just simply grab your MAC 150 powder brush ($42, wherever MAC products are sold) or any brush with thick, dense bristles, swirl it in the product, tap off the extra, and sweep it across the places on your face that you need the most coverage.

2. You can also use it as a setting powder. Just simply apply your favorite foundation (whether it be liquid or powder, it will work with both), wait just a few seconds for it to dry completely against your skin, and take your large powder brush again and sweep it across your face, concentrating on areas that you get more oily than others (for most people it is their t-zone).

The packaging of this item is normal for any drug store brand. However, it doesn't come with a mirror, so it may be a little inconvenient for on the go use. The scent isn't what I was expecting. With a lot of pressed powders, the scent is usually over baring and very strong (as the product is condensed to a solid), but with this particular formula it smells of a slight foundationy scent (you will all know what I'm talking about if you've ever cared to smell your foundations) infused with a hint of baby powder. If you're sensitive to scents, don't worry, once you apply it to your face you won't smell a thing.

The aspect I really want to talk about with Rimmel's Pressed Powder is the feel. I can't get over how silky and smooth it is. This whole review I've been back and forth sweeping my finger across the powder, trying to determine how to describe it. As I sweep it across my face, I feel nothing but the silky smooth formula enriched with natural minerals. I also notice immediately that the shine is taken away and the pores on my face are concealed (this is without any foundation on my face).

When I first bought this at my local drug store ($6), I was unsure of how I would take to it. But, I found myself, day after day, reaching for it. I've had it for two months, using it (usually) twice a day and have JUST hit pan. This is incredible.

Would I recommend it? Yes, 100%! This is my go to setting powder for the Winter, and my have to have powder for those hot days. Whether you use it for a setting powder, or use it for your actual foundation- just use it.

Tip One: Use this powder UNDER your blush. Don't set your blush, it will take away the color.

Tip Two: Don't apply too much at once. It will leave your skin with a powdery, caked on look. Just one layer over your face will suffice.

Until next time, makeup lovers.