Tag: Beauty Note

Beauty Note: What Is Strobing?

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Attention all beauty gurus. Contouring is out and a new makeup trick is in… and it’s called strobing. While I’m not entirely ready to throw out my contouring routine, I’ve been curious about this growing trend. So, what is strobing? Strobing is all about creating a dewy, natural looking glow. Products are used to brighten the higher features of your face instead of carving them out like you do with contouring. Think of it as a way to keep your summer glow all year round without the bronzer.

In this post, I’ll be breaking down the basics when it comes to strobing and how you can achieve a fresh glow without going overboard…

Time To Shine

The idea behind strobing is to create a polished makeup look that emanates a natural radiance. That being said, your finished product should be sans glitter and all glow. Avoid products with noticeably large flakes of glitter and opt for products that ‘illuminate’ and have a touch of ‘shimmer.’

Choosing A Highlighter

Like any other makeup product, you should keep your skin tone in mind when choosing a highlighter. While some highlighters come in a white, pearlescent shade, consider a colored highlighter. For fair skin, consider choosing a pinker highlight. For medium and dark skin, try choosing highlighters with coral or gold tones. If you have oily skin, try using a powdered highlighter. For drier skin types, try applying a cream highlighter.

Where To Apply

It’s best to apply highlighter to the high points of your face where sunshine naturally hits. There are seven facial features you ultimately want to be highlighting: down the bridge of your nose, the center of your forehead, your brow bones, the inner corners of your eyes, your cheekbones, the tip of your chin, and your cupid’s bow (above your upper lip).

A Little Goes A Long Way

Less is more when it comes to strobing and applying highlighter. You want to give your skin luminescence without looking overly shiny or oily. If you’re nervous, start by applying a little bit at a time, gradually leading up to your desired highlight. 

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 Will you be trying this new technique? 

 Let me know in the comments!

 XO Lee

Raising Brows: Wax, Thread, or Tweeze?

Published on by Lee2 Comments

Eyebrows are one of the most important features that you can control on your face. With that being said, proper upkeep is essential. Many people ask me how I maintain my brows and which method I prefer: waxing, threading, or tweezing. All of these are great options and some techniques work better for some and not others. To simplify your life, I’ve put together the following quickie guide to help you decipher which means of brow grooming is best for you…

If you have sensitive skin…

Thread! Threading uses a string to remove hair and is a great option for those of you with delicate skin (or even Rosacea). While waxing tugs at the skin, threading barely has any contact with your skin so it doesn’t lead to irritation. Additionally, threading doesn’t remove the top layer of skin like waxing does so your makeup will stick to your skin properly and it won’t lead to irritation if you’re using a topical prescription cream either.

If you have coarse hair…

Wax! If you have thicker hair that grows back quickly, waxing is definitely the best option for you. Not only do most people see thinner, softer regrowth, they can also go longer in between waxes since the results are fairly long lasting. There are a few drawbacks though: 1. It can be expensive, 2. It can irritate skin (but the irritation typically goes away after a few hours), 3. It can remove tiny (virtually invisible) hairs on your face that help makeup stay in place.

If you don’t want to break the bank…

Tweeze! Not only does tweezing give you a lot more control, it’s also the most inexpensive way to maintain your brows. The most important thing to remember when plucking is to exercise restraint. Yes, you may want to pluck regrowth everyday, but be careful not to take it too far.

At the end of the day, the best recommendation I can make to you is to experiment with all three methods. Everyone’s body reacts differently to things so it’s important to see what works best for you. You may have coarse hair and find that you love the results threading yields. Or you may prefer waxing… Personally, I would love to wax my brows, but when I do I tend to breakout and get red around that area. Plus, the pain is too much for me. My go-to options are tweezing or threading. But like it said, road test a few methods and see what you like best.

Which method do you prefer and why?

XO Lee

Beauty School: Brush Guide

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There is a bevy of brushes out there, but do you really need seven different eye shadow brushes? Unless you’re Pat McGrath backstage at Paris Fashion Week, probably not. Quality makeup brushes can be expensive so it’s important to know what you need. One distinction to note is the difference between synthetic and natural bristles. Natural bristles hold and distribute pigment evenly. Opt for natural bristle brushes when applying anything powdered. Liquids will soak into natural bristles and cause them to clog or degrade. So reach for synthetic bristles when applying foundation or any cream formulas.

Now that you’ve mastered the makeup brush basics, I recommend you stock your beauty arsenal with these essential brushes…

Foundation: A synthetic brush. Can also be used for applying cream blush.
Concealer: A narrow, synthetic brush with a slightly tapered edge.
Powder: A big, soft natural-fiber brush.
Contouring: A soft brush with a flat, angled edge. Also used for bronzing.
Blush: A soft medium-full round brush. Natural fiber is best.
Eye Shadow: A tapered, flat brush that is good for blending.
Fan Brush: A light brush that is great for highlighter. It’s also good for brushing away loose eye shadow.
Eyeliner: A narrow, angled brush for applying gel liner or shadow as liner.
Eyelash and Brow Comb: The side with the small, plastic comb is used for removing mascara clumps from lashes. The bristled side is for grooming eyebrows.
Eyebrow: A firm, angled brush used for filling in eyebrows with brow powder. Go for something with coarser bristles.

And never underestimate the power of the original makeup brush—your fingertip. Because of the heat of your skin, fingers make unbeatable blending tools. For covering under eye circles, I like to use a clean ring finger (the ring finger applies the least amount of pressure) to blend away the edges of the concealer.

What brushes are indispensible to your beauty routine?

Also, which of my beauty looks do you want to learn how to recreate most?

XO Lee

Beauty 911: Locked & Loaded

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Today I’m sharing 12 things every girl ought to have in her beauty ammo whether she’s on the clock or not…

Here’s the scenario: It’s Monday morning. Your beautiful dress is full of static, you’ve still got breakfast in your teeth (darn those mangos), your T-zone is shiny…and it’s only 10am. So what’s a girl to do? Whip out her Beauty Emergency Kit (lovingly known as a “beautE-Kit”)

There are a few tried-and-true items every working (or school-aged) lady must have close at hand. This is what I keep in my beautE-Kit…

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Static Guard. It may sound strange, but this is an absolute must. Not only will it come in handy when your new dress is sticking to your legs, it can also be used in lieu of hair spray to tame flyaway. Just spritz a little on your fingertips and lightly dab unruly hairs into place.

Floss Pick. After each meal, give your pearly whites a quick clean. If you spot any leftovers, dislodge them using a floss pick. Floss picks can also be used to de-clump mascara or remove dirt from under your nails. However, please remember to perform such forms of maintenance in the privacy of the ladies room.

Mini Mirror. It’s always a good idea to keep a small pocket mirror close at hand. You’ll never wonder if you have lipstick on your teeth again!

Lotion. Usually, offices are either too cold or too hot, which can lead to chapped hands–especially when you’re washing them constantly after using the restroom. To prevent dry, cracked hands moisturize throughout the day by using your favorite hand lotion. Your hands (and nails) will thank you.

Hand Sanitizer. Sneeze, cough or blow your nose? Do your co-workers a favor and disinfect. No need to pass around an unwanted bug.

Blister Blockers. Is there anything worse than breaking in a new pair of shoes? Keep a stash of extra strong blister bandages at your desk, just in case.

Vaseline. This is one of the most underrated beauty products out there. Use it to quench dry lips, smooth it over your heel if your shoe is rubbing, or swipe it over your cuticles for a quick pick me up.

Deodorant. Keep a travel-sized deodorant stashed in your kit. You’ll never have to sweat the small stuff again (like forgetting to put it on as you rushed out the door this morning).

Stain Remover. Food should be in your mouth, not on your clothes. And the same goes for coffee. Never worry about walking into a meeting with marinara polka dots again!

Snack. It sounds silly, but I keep little bites in my puse. A case of the hangrys (hungry + angry = hangry) is never becoming.

Meds. Whether you’re team Tylenol or you’re an ibuprofen fan, having a stash of goodies to combat headaches is a smart way to keep your head clear. Also, having a few Tums on hand isn’t a bad idea either…

Bobby Pins. Nix bedhead, windy-day-hair or I-was-in-a-rush-this-morning head with a few bobby pins. A topknot, ballerina or fun bun can always tame unruly hair with the help of a few hairpins.

Those are my essentials. If you’re stranded at your desk, these 12 items will get you through. Next week, I’ll be posting a blog about office items that double as beauty products!

Want to win a copy of my personal beautE-Kit?

Leave a comment below telling me about an office item that plays double beauty duty (Note: It must be a common office item such as a paperclip and you need to tell me how it can be used as a beauty product/tool). The winner with the most creative idea will win! I’ll announce the winner and I’ll feature my favorite 5 suggestions in next week’s post too!

XO LEE