Tag: Beauty

HOW TO APPLY FAKE EYELASHES, ACCORDING TO A LASH PRO

Published on by Lee1 Comment

If there’s one makeup skill that can make even the most veteran beauty editor quake, it’s applying fake eyelashes. It’s not everyday we decide to break these babies out, but when we do, it’s usually for a special occasion, so we need them to look as natural as possible. Think of them as the cherry on top of an ice cream sundae.

We don’t know exactly where it all goes wrong, but somewhere between adding the glue and placing the faux lash strip on our eye, things tend to get a little messy. To help us master how to apply fake eyelashes once and for all, we tapped celebrity makeup artist Carolina Gonzalez. Keep reading to find out all her false lash tips and tricks.

STEP 1: Apply Mascara

The first step to applying fake lashes doesn’t actually involve any falsies. “I like to start with a light coat of mascara,” says Gonzalez. This helps the lash strip blend with your real lashes better. She calls it “camouflage” for falsies. One of our favorites is the Maybelline New York Falsies Lash Lift Mascara.

how-to-apply-fake-eyelashes

STEP 2: Fit the Strip to Your Eye

“If you’re using a strip, you want to fit them first, then trim if need be,” explains Gonzalez. To properly trim a fake lash strip, you want to always cut excess off at the outer corners. Try the DodoLashes D328 3D styles (apply code: BEAUTYLEEBAR for money off) or the Lily Lashes for a subtle look.

STEP 3: Glue

Once the eyelashes are the proper size, it’s time to apply the glue. You can either brush a light coating of glue directly onto the lash strip or apply a dab of glue to the back of your hand and run the strip through it. No matter which method you choose, just be sure you don’t glob on too much product. Lightly blow on the glue until it becomes less wet and more tacky, then you’re ready to apply. Gonzalez’s favorite glue is the KISS Lash Couture Strip Lash Adhesive in Black. 

how-to-apply-fake-eyelashes

STEP 4: Apply Your Lashes

Now time for the tricky part — application. “Staring downward into a mirror, place the lashes and push with [your] fingers as close to the root of your lash,” says Gonzalez. Looking down is the key here; it will help you get the fake lash strip as close to your real lash line as possible. 

HOW TO MAKE FAKE EYELASHES LOOK REAL 

Let’s be honest, the ultimate goal here is to make our fake lashes look like the real deal — right? To do so, Gonzalez recommends applying your fake lashes after you do the rest of your eye makeup. “If done before, eyeshadow tends to fall onto the tops of the lashes,” she explains. 

Another hack: Opt for individual lashes instead of a strip. It may seem like more work, but for truly natural-looking lashes, individually placed fake lashes mesh better with your real ones. Just be sure to mix in different lengths — small medium and long — to help them blend nicely. Try the KISS Ever Ez Trio Lash to get this look.

how-to-apply-fake-eyelashes

Gonzalez loves one of KISS’ newest products, Falscara, to achieve I woke up like this lashes. “They are perfectly wispy and instead of applying above the lash, you apply underneath, which is why you also can’t detect the lash weft,” she says. “They are great for those of us who love that lash extension look.”

HOW TO REMOVE FAKE LASHES FOR MINIMAL DAMAGE

While peeling away fake eyelashes can be very satisfying, taking them off the wrong way can pull at your real lashes. To avoid any tugging in this sensitive area, reach for a makeup remover. “I like to use an oil-based remover, paying close attention to the roots. They will literally slide off.”

HUDA BEAUTY FALSE LASHES TUTORIAL:

How To Apply False Lashes – For Beginners:

If you’re still struggling – we feel your pain – then try cutting the strip into three pieces. We know this sounds weird, but it will be SO easy to apply the tiny blocks of lashes individually – trust us, it will revolutionize your lash game. Once you’ve trimmed the lash to the right length, cut it evenly into three pieces. Then, start to apply the pieces, starting from the outside of your eye, working your way in.

How to apply false lashes

What we love about this technique is that because the pieces are separate, they fit the shape of your eye really comfortably, and you don’t get the corners pinging off halfway through the day! This way of applying lashes is so perfect that Huda Beauty herself created a lash inspired by the technique, the Huda Beauty Eazy Lash – Harmony, $18.

How To Choose Lashes To Suit Your Eye Shape

The beauty of false lashes is that they can open up your eyes, alter the shape, and make them look bigger and sexier. But, if you choose the wrong pair of lashes, they can do the complete opposite. Depending on the shape of your eye, whether it’s almond, round, hooded, deep-set or monolid, the lash style needs to change. So, while almond-shaped eyes can get away with almost any lashes and deep-set eyes can go extra glam, round eyes will look even more sultry with a whispy lash that has more drama at the outer lash, and hooded lids need to go a little smaller. Check out Huda Beauty full guide on their fave lashes to suit every eye shape here.

How To Easily Clean False Lashes

False lashes can be expensive, but spending money on quality lashes is totally worth it and cost-effective in the long run if you know how to clean them properly. Lashes are super delicate, so the most important thing to remember is that you need to be gentle with them. Whenever you’re cleaning them, always hold them firmly at the base of the lashes so that the lashes aren’t pulled from the band. Check out this video to see how easy Huda Beauty lash cleaning method is:

Storing the lashes back in the original package is the best way to keep your falsies clean and safe. If you attach them firmly to the band and press them down this will help them to stay curled.

How To Safely Remove False Lashes

Removing false lashes can be dangerous – if you’ve ever caught your own eyelashes in the process, you’ll know the pain is real! The trick is to soak a cotton pad with your weapon of choice (micellar water, eye-makeup remover, or cleansing oil) and let it sit on your eye for at least 20 seconds to loosen and dissolve the glue. Then gently peel away the lash with your fingers. If the lash still isn’t easy to remove, soak another cotton pad in solution and let it sit on your eye for longer and then try again. Et voila! You’re lash-free with your natural lashes still intact!

Let us know if you guys have any more questions about false lashes in the comments below.

BEAUTY Glow Recipe Has Juicy News

Published on by Lee2 Comments

THE BRAND IS RELEASING THE PERFECT PRODUCT JUST IN TIME FOR VALENTINE’S DAY.

Popular clean skincare brand, Glow Recipe has just dropped their newest watermelon-inspired beauty product: Watermelon Glow Lip Pop. The new lip product is a hybrid 3-in-1 lip balm, scrub, and tint; that is intended to smooth and hydrate the lips, with a versatile pink tint. The product is half makeup, half skincare, and everything your current lip balm isn’t.

Fruit is the muse for this fun brand, but not in a juvenile Lip Smacker sort of way. Glow Recipe is proving to the beauty industry that fruity flavors and colors can indeed be chic by focusing on the produce’s many skin-benefitting properties. Its moisturizers, masks, and mists are inspired by power ingredients like blueberry, banana, pineapple, and avocado.

The balm is designed to help with uneven texture and dryness on the lips. It is formulated with watermelon seed oil, watermelon extract, coconut oil, coconut flower sugar (hence the exfoliation) , and AHA extracts derived from hibiscus, wild pansy, and hawthorn. The formulation of the lip product has an exfoliating sugar texture, that melts upon application. The balm is also designed to react with the pH of the lips, and give off a customized pink lip tint. The lip balm is infused with Coconut oil and jojoba esters that deliver long-lasting moisture (because unlike the rest of the skin on your face, your lips don’t have oil glands, which makes them extra-prone to chapping).

The scrub-slash-balm leaves you with a glossy, light-pink pout. It can be used on its own or as a primer for richer lip color. The Watermelon Glow Lip Pop is Glow Recipe’s first-ever lip product. It’s joined in the fruit basket by a watermelon sleep mask, a moisturizer, and a mist. The lip balm is vegan, cruelty-free, and ‘Clean at Sephora’ (formulated without blacklist of 50 harmful ingredients). The balm is also free of parabens, mineral oil, sulfates, phthalates, and drying alcohol. Who knew that a summer melon could be so useful for curing winter chapped lips?

The 3-in-1 lip hybrid comes in a twist-up stick form package. It is priced at $22.

You can now view and shop the new Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Lip Pop at GlowRecipe.com and Sephora.com.

Watermelon Glow Lip Pop

$22 |GLOW RECIPE

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Boscia Chia Seed Moisture Cream

Published on by Lee3 Comments

Th season of gel texture moisturizers, quick-absorbing serums, and refreshing facial mists is gradually coming to an end, and you’ll soon need to swap in richer, more heavy-duty hydrators as temperatures start to dip and the air dries up. Kick off the skin care shelf transition with Boscia’s new Chia Seed Moisture Cream, which provides intense, long-lasting moisture to dehydrated skin — and uses one of your favorite superfoods to do it.

According to Dr. Kolansky, your skin is drier in the winter because the cold weather causes your blood vessels to constrict, resulting in less blood flow to your skin’s surface. And the changes in temperature between your warm home or office and the bitter outdoors causes an additional loss of moisture. When the weather outside is frightful, I bulk up my regimen with more hydrating ingredients like:

  • Ceramides
  • Fatty acids
  • Hyaluronic acid or sodium hyaluronate
  • Selected skincare oils
  • Shea butter

With the cold weather, comes skincare companies releasing more hydrating products and thicker creams. One such product is the Chia Seed Moisture Cream from Boscia. According to the company’s website, “since 2002, plants have been the secret to our skincare success. We use ingredients rooted in nature—plant-to-bottle formulas that show results with fun formulas. Good skin comes naturally because, in our world, beauty really does grow on trees.” And the Clean Beauty Chia Seed Moisture Cream is “a super-rich cream that provides an instant restoration of deep hydration to dry skin while nurturing and locking in moisture for soft and supple skin.”

Is it worth adding to your winter routine? Let’s take a look:

What Can Chia Seeds Do For Your Skin?

Chia seeds are a superfood for the body, but do those superpowers benefit your skin at all? Kind of… Chia seeds are a natural source of omega-3 fatty acids, which are anti-inflammatory fatty acids naturally found within the skin. Omega-3 fatty acids are documented to be substantially lower in those with dry/very dry skin types than those with normal to oily skin types, though omega-3 supplementation (whether oral or topical) can help this, returning skin to a more youthful, supple state. The topical chia seed oil has also been documented in the journal Annals of Dermatology to relieve severe symptoms of pruritus or skin itching.

The itty bitty seed in pressed oil form is clinically proven to increase skin hydration by reducing moisture loss, aka it locks in all of those skin-plumping omega fatty acids for healthy, glowy skin that lasts. Mineral-dense Swiss Glacier Water joins in to help moisture soak in deeply, protect skin, and improve smoothness, while elderberry extract brings a major dose of vitamins A, B6, C, and E to promote brightness and defend your complexion against stress and environmental pollutants. Long story short, it’s the naturally effective moisturizing cocktail your complexion never knew it needed.

So is chia seed oil going to remove your fine lines and wrinkles? Fix hyperpigmentation? Encourage collagen production? Probably not. However, if you suffer from dry to very dry skin, the chia seed oil is likely to temporarily plump up your skin, reducing the appearance of fine lines somewhat.

So the Chia Seed Moisture Cream can be great for temporary hydration (perhaps under makeup in the morning) but the long term benefits aren’t quite there.

Glacier Water; Marketing Gimmick or Effective Ingredients?

One of the ingredients that popped out at me when I first saw this product on Sephora’s website was “Glacier Water.” What does that mean, and does it have any benefit at all or is it simply a gimmicky marketing thing?

After doing some digging, I found that companies use “glacier water” as a hydrator in their products. Glacier water starts as rainfall, snow, and ice residing on, you guessed it, a glacier! As it trickles down it is filtered through the mountains’ porous, volcanic rock, also known as “tuff,” and collects trace minerals before running underground to pick up volcanic minerals from lava rock. And after all of that, it then emerges via ancient lava fields and thermal baths.

According to Tom Vichorski, a chemist who works with Skyn Iceland, this process results in water that is purified naturally. “Think of your standard carbon water filter,” he says, “now think of that filter extending miles beneath the Earth’s surface — that’s why the water is so pure.” So, I’m just going to be honest here… trace amounts of minerals in purified water are not going to do anything life-changing to your skin. There is no peer-reviewed published research that says “glacier water” will result in better skin. But it does make for fun and fancy marketing.

Personal Use and Opinion

The product is housed in a bulky, matte pink jar. For a product that’s selling point is its use of antioxidants, jar packaging isn’t the best as these ingredients aren’t known for being very stable. It’s also not the most hygienic thing in the world to constantly be dipping your fingers into your product and exposing it to the bacteria in the air, however, Boscia includes a funky looking scooper with the product which helps to mitigate this somewhat.

The cream itself is very thick, and a little bit goes a long way. I think that for those with oily skin this would be too heavy, but if you are on the drier side this would be great! I used this nightly for a few weeks and didn’t notice any irritation or adverse effects. Overall it was a solid product, but not sure there are any real long-term benefits outside of hydration.

Bottom Line

While “glacier water” is pretty gimmicky, the Chia Seed Moisture Cream from Boscia is a solid night cream. It’s thick and hydrating and I would recommend it for those who have dry skin.

Disclaimer:

The purpose of this blog is for skin, makeup, and beauty care-related reviews and tips only. It is not intended as and does not substitute for medical advice. Information posted should not be construed as personal medical advice. Posts are not intended to diagnose, treat, or cure disease.

Chia Seed Moisture Cream

$38 |BOSCIA

The super hero of this incredibly rich moisture cream, chia seed oil, instantly and deeply moisturizes for a healthy and revitalized complexion

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Ways to Make Your FACE LOOK MORE DEFINED

Published on by Lee2 Comments

We’ve all experienced it. We apply that finishing swipe of subtle highlighter and feel a quick flash of confidence before stepping out … just to be tagged in a photo later that feels like someone cruelly photoshopped in an extra chin. Captured our worst angle. Some ominous shadows. Some poor light. Hide from profile immediately.

While the camera may not always capture your true essence, there are ways to combat puffiness and tricks of the makeup trade to make your face look sculpted without undergoing the knife or needle.

Play with Bronzer

If going full contour on the daily isn’t your thing, we hear you. But a little strategic application of the right blush tones in the right place can make a big difference. Use a bronzer or a blush with more brown tones. Red blush, especially applied to the apples of your cheeks, can round out the face in a child- or doll-like way. Keep the color just under the cheekbone, and swipe out to the middle of the ear and blend. This creates a more chiseled appearance, as well as adds depth to your look. You can even apply a light layer of bronzer just under the jawline to create the illusion of a shadow, aka a little more chin definition if that’s your worry zone.

Go for More Angular Brows

A higher arch can give the shape of your face a slimmer, more elongated look. Natural brows are very in, but try playing around with the arches in how you pencil them in and brush them up. You don’t necessarily need to go for shock or surprise with the final finish, but the shape of your brows has the power to drastically change your look.

Use Liner Only on the Top Lash Line

Eyes that pop will slim down the rest of your face, so go for a liner applied only on the top lash line (on the bottom lash line will make your eyes appear smaller or closer together). Going for a feline eye and angling up for a more dramatic effect can also elongate the line of your cheekbones, especially if you pair this trick with our bronzer suggestion.

Always Highlight

You don’t need to blind anyone with an ultra-statement reflective highlight, but a soft, dewy look will go a long way when applied to your upper cheekbones and brow bones. It will deepen the use of bronzer or blush so that you can use less with a more architectural effect.

Try Facial Massage

Have you ever noticed that after a great facial, you look more chiseled and awake? Your eyelids are perky, your cheekbones poppin’. It’s not just the amazing treatments, potions, and balms, but more about how they are applied. Massage not only helps your quality products penetrate deeper so that you get true bang for your buck, but it brings blood to the surface and softens up tension in the face so that important muscles can do their thing and let your natural bone structure shine.

While it won’t be exactly the same, you can do a version of this at home. Make sure to “lube up” with your favorite serum, followed by an oil or emollient moisturizer. Use your fingers in an almost pinching position to glide up and down your jaw, your cheekbones, and your eye sockets. Don’t be afraid to be rigorous, but always be more gentle around your eye area. If 30 seconds is all you have, that’s fine. But a longer session while you’re watching your favorite show or even in bed after lights out will have you waking up looking rejuvenated.

Use Facial Tools

Stone instruments like jade rollers and gua sha have had some serious fame recently, but not without good reason. Firstly, they are not new—they’ve been used for ages in Eastern beauty and wellness practices. They are usually made with a beautiful and energetically charged stone such as rose quartz or jade, which retains a cooler temperature even after several passes on our warm skin, so they are fabulous for depuffing.

They are also great for increasing circulation similarly to facial massage, because they also massage and bring blood and nutrients to the surface of the skin. However, they are instrumental in assisting with depuffing because they help promote lymphatic drainage, so stagnant water retention doesn’t hang out along your jawline, cheeks, and under-eyes.

Reduce Your Sugar and Salt Intake

Excess sugar and salt will promote water retention and bloat, which isn’t just bad news for your waistline. While massage and tools can help combat the aftermath of said decisions, getting ahead of them when you can is a safe bet. Making sure you stay hydrated and supplement with minerals will bring a plumpness to your skin sans the bloat, so don’t slip on your hydration game—always be sipping.