Tag: makeup hack

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.

BEAUTY PI: HOW SHEER LIPSTICKS ARE MADE

Published on by Lee3 Comments

Sheer lipsticks are all the rage lately — they give you that just-bitten stained finish without too much pigmentation, making them a dream for makeup minimalists everywhere. But because this translucent lipstick finish wears much differently than its richly-pigmented counterparts, we were curious to know how they’re made. Ahead, we tapped Roselin Rosario, L’Oréal Associate Principal Chemist, and Yan Lee, Lipstick Chemist and Color Formulation Expert at L’Oréal for the lowdown. Ahead, find out what gives sheer lipsticks their tinted touch.

What Are Sheer Lipsticks?

According to Lee and Rosario, sheer lipsticks are not much different than regular lipsticks created in the labs, other than the fact that their pigment numbers are typically a lot lower. “A typical lipstick contains 5-10% of pigment, a bold, high-pigmented lipstick has 10-15%, and a sheer lipstick has less than 5%,” says Lee. This lower percentage of pigment results in lower coverage, which thus becomes its sheer effect. 

Are Sheer Lipsticks Made Differently Than Regular Lipsticks?

That said, making a sheer lipstick in the lab is definitely a little different than your regular lipstick. “When we balance the pigment load with the rest of the formula composition, we have to ensure it will perform its best,” says Lee. Sometimes, when a low amount of pigment is added, the formula comes out too soft, which means that other changes in the composition of the rest of the ingredients are needed. Once the delicate balance is figured out, the formula cools and sets like a regular lipstick. 

How Are Sheer Lipsticks Tested?

Sheer lipsticks are also tested thoroughly in the lab before hitting the market. “The coverage of any lipstick (including sheer lipsticks!) are tested using a contrast card, which is a piece of paper or plastic material with a white and black side,” says Lee. The lipstick is then applied on top of the card, and how much of what you see of the black and white background will help assess how pigmented the formula is. “For sheer lipsticks, both colors should still be seen. For full-coverage lipsticks, the background should be fully covered,” she explains.

Are Sheer Lipsticks More Moisturizing?

Besides their transparent, buildable coverage, sheer lipsticks are popular because they often feel more moisturizing or hydrating to their wearers. Lee adds that there’s a good reason for this: “Because sheer-coverage lipsticks have a lower amount or different composition of fillers, they do not tend to feel drying.” Whether your sheer lippie has a satin or matte finish (like the YSL Rouge Pur Couture The Slim Sheer Matte), it’s likely to feel softer, more malleable and less dry, thanks to its lower concentration of ingredients. 

5 PLACES YOU NEVER THOUGHT TO HIGHLIGHT YOUR FACE

Published on by Lee4 Comments

In our eternal quest for radiant, illuminated skin, we’ve decided that just highlighting our cheekbones simply isn’t enough on the days when we want to look a little more glam. Luckily, we’ve spent some serious quality time with our (extensive) highlighter stash and have discovered a few unsuspecting places to pop on shimmer. Ahead, find the four spots that can up your highlighter game and give your face a major glow up. 

Highlighter Placement #1: Top of the Forehead

Highlighting the top of your forehead prevents the face from looking flat (a common beauty blunder associated with too much bronzer) and brightens up the entire face. Application here should be very sheer and look natural rather than powdery. One of our favorite techniques is to mix in some liquid highlighter with foundation and tap it on with a makeup sponge. NYX Born to Glow Liquid Illuminator our go-to pick for some lit-from-within shimmer.

Highlighter Placement #2: Below Your Brow Bone 

While you may not have racked up eight hours of sleep last night, popping some highlight below your brow bone and above your eyebrow arch will make you look wide-eyed and well rested. Focusing highlighter around your eyebrow can give the appearance of a mini eye-lift. We love Thrive Causemetics Brilliant Eye Brightener. It’s an easy-to-use pencil with a creamy consistency and amazing glow. 

Highlighter Placement #3: Center of the Eyelid 

Whether you did a full-on smoky eye or are going the more neutral route, the eyelid is an unsuspected spot to highlight — but it makes a big difference. We recommend a powder for this step, like the YSL Couture Highlighter. Use a flat brush to pack product on the center of your lid and in the inner corner of your eye. This trick will make your eyes twinkle — no joke. (Primp tip: If you want a foiled look, spray setting spray on your highlighter and then apply.) 

Highlighter Placement #4: The Cupid’s Bow 

The ‘V’ of your cupid’s bow is also a great spot to pop on some highlighter; it creates the appearance of fuller lips. Apply it with your finger and use a soft touch. When the light catches, your pout will look especially plumped.  

Highlighter Placement #5: All Over Glow 

A bronzer-highlighter duo? Count us in. IT Cosmetics CC Radiance Ombre Bronzer is an easy and natural way to amp up your overall illumination. It’ll give you warmth and sparkle around your cheeks, nose, chin and forehead. Use a buffing or blending brush to diffuse the product and achieve subtle radiance. 

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WHY YOU SHOULD MIX HIGHLIGHTER WITH FOUNDATION

Published on by Lee4 Comments

The search for perfect-looking skin has our constant attention — we invest in fancy foundations, skin-smoothing primers and magical blending sponges. But little did we know that creating a flawless makeup base has less to do with these methods and a whole lot more to do with what we mix our foundation with. Ahead, we broke down exactly how to achieve the look by mixing highlighter with our favorite foundation formula, and we can guarantee that the results are better than any other method out there. 

STEP 1: Pick the Right Liquid-Based Highlighter

Picking the right illuminating product is key to making this makeup mix a success. First and foremost, choose a highlighter that has more of a sheer finish, as opposed to a glittery, shimmery one. You’ll need a lightweight formula like the Dermablend Glow Creator Highlighting Drops that will blend seamlessly with your foundation to leave a natural, subtle glow.

STEP 2: Mix It Up

Mix equal parts foundation (our current favorite is the YSL All Hours Longwear Foundation) and highlighter on the back of your hand. The total combination should equal a dime-sized amount. If needed, add more to make sure you have the right amount of coverage. Just be careful that you don’t end up with thick, cakey makeup.

STEP 3: Blend, Blend, Blend

Dot the mixture on your forehead, cheeks, nose and chin and smooth it all over the face (we recommend working from the center and blending outward) with a blending sponge or foundation brush, until your makeup is evenly distributed around your face and neck. Make sure to blend well, so that there are no streaks or splotching. Your makeup should look like second skin. For a next-level glow, feel free to add more strategically placed highlighter on the high points of your face when you’re finished with the rest of your makeup.

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