Tag: Makeup

Beauty Note: Why I Switched to a Foundation Brush—and Why I’ll Never Go Back

Published on by Lee2 Comments

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It all started on a routine trip to Target. I can’t help but make a detour through the cosmetics section every time I walk into the store—I swear it’s like a magnet! A small voice in my head convinces me that there’s something new that I need to try. During one of my more recent visits, Target had just remodeled the makeup brush section and I found myself comparing and contrasting every single one. After all, one needed to come home with me and I wanted it to be something I used on a regular basis. That day I became the proud owner of my first Sonia Kashuk foundation brush.

For the past few years I’ve been applying my foundation with a makeup sponge, and for the most part I had no complaints. After all, each application process has its pros and cons. Since I’m the kind of person that likes to test out the latest beauty trends to see what all of the hype is about, my curiosity is what ultimately lead me to the brush aisle at Target that day. I know that using a brush to apply foundation is not a new concept, and I have used makeup brushes before. But it been a while since I used brushes and there have been so many brushes that has been out that I needed to find out has there been a change for myself and I’m so glad I did. Keep scrolling to see why I’ve converted to using makeup brushes…

Why I’m ditching my makeup sponge.

All in all, makeup sponges work great when applying everything from foundation to concealer and even highlighter. After using a damp makeup sponge to apply my foundation for quite some time (I’m talking years), I found myself getting fed up with the lack of consistent coverage it was creating. Did you know that makeup sponges soak up a lot of the product that you’re using? I found that because of this, my makeup was looking blotchy in areas where there was more product and I was running out of foundation faster than I care to admit. Using a makeup sponge was proving to be more wasteful than helpful.

Why I’m sold on foundation brushes.

When it came time to test the makeup sponge against the foundation brush, the results were evident immediately. It cut my application time in half and it left me with polished and airbrushed looking results. The biggest difference for me was how even my skin looked—finally! Foundation brushes give you the option to build up as much coverage as you want, giving you full control of the look you’re wanting to achieve. These were the kind of results I was lacking with a makeup sponge.

After four weeks of using the foundation brush to apply my makeup, I can confidently say that I will not be reverting back to a sponge. If you’ve been curious about what they can do for you, I encourage you to make the switch! Not only will your product last longer, but you’ll be giving yourself an effortless airbrushed look every time you apply foundation. That’s a win win in my book!

Here are a few of my favorite foundation brushes:

What are your thoughts on foundation brushes?

(Let me know your opinion in the comments below!)

 

Primp Tip: How to Make Any Lipstick Matte

Published on by Lee1 Comment

I have a confession to make… I’m an absolute sucker for the latest beauty trends. After all, we are in the age of YouTube sensations and 1-minute Instagram tutorials. Mastering the art of contour: check, Mastering the art of winged eyeliner: check. Buying all of the matte lipsticks available: major check. I have a lot of lipstick colors in my drawer that don’t fit the matte bill. That doesn’t make them less beautiful, but right now I’m head-over-heels for that nudish brown look. Instead of letting my non-matte lipsticks go to waste, I decided to do a little research on what I could do to incorporate them into the mix. So I thought it would be fitting to address a question I’ve found myself asking a lot lately—is it possible to make an ordinary lipstick matte?

The answer is yes, you can make an ordinary lipstick matte (yay!). All you need is your favorite shade of non-matte lipstick and a few beauty products that you may already have in your makeup drawer. Keep scrolling to find out how you can transform your lipstick into this season’s hottest beauty trend…

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Here’s what you’ll need:

translucent powder
tissue
makeup brush
your favorite non-matte lipstick
corresponding lip liner (optional)

Here’s how to do it:

1. Line your lips with your lip liner pencil. This step will help ensure that your finished look will last through wear and tear throughout the day.

2. Apply your non-matte lipstick on top of your lip liner. If you’re a perfectionist like me, I’ll sometimes line my lips again after I apply lipstick so that my lines are as sharp as possible.

3. Take your tissue and separate the layers so that you have one fine sheet.

4. Lay the single tissue sheet over your lips and, taking your makeup brush, dust your translucent powder over your lips. By placing the tissue between your lips and the makeup brush you are essentially filtering the amount of powder applied to your lips. It’s best to start small and build up so that you can reach your desired texture without over doing it.

5. Remove the tissue and dust the translucent powder directly onto your lips one final time.

Viola! You have now created a rich, matte texture without breaking the bank on new beauty products. I love a good DIY makeup hack, don’t you?

 

Will you be trying this matte lipstick beauty hack?

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EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT MAKEUP EXPIRATION

Published on by Lee2 Comments

e9234-bn_expirydates_tip3  Did you know that makeup and beauty products can go bad? That’s right! Just like     food, our makeup can spoil. Unlike food, cosmetics don’t have a printed expiration date, but what they DO have is a symbol that tells you how long its good for once opened. Inside the symbol is a number, and that number represents the number of   months it is good for after being opened.   

Sometimes we have products we forgot and want to use them. On occasion we might get the feeling the new product we just bought is not that fresh. Or we want to be sure that our products are at their peak and will perform as effective as possible. No worries, we can ask ourselves the following easy 3 questions to solve our dilemma.
abebf-imgSo, why is this important? Sure, if we eat a moldy mango we might spend the night over the toilet, but is expired makeup REALLY going to harm us?

The answer is yes. It could. You see, your skin is your largest organ, and what you put on your skin will be absorbed into your body. This is why I highly recommend all beauty and skincare products that are organic, food grade, and paraben free. Yes, I said food grade. Your skin ‘eats’ what you put on it. And, lets not forget that eye makeup and lip makeup are applied very closely to open orifices of our body, which means direct access to your bloodstream.

Some basic guidelines are to toss mascara and liquid/gel eye liner every 3 months. If we don’t, we run the risk of contracting some pretty gnarly eye infections, and no amount of concealer is going to hide your swollen, puss-filled eye. (Sorry for the visual.) What about lipstick? You’ll want to toss your cherry red out after one year! The good news is that every product should have the expiration symbol on the box in which it came, so there’s very little to do on your part.

1- Smell, feel and observe test:

Most of the products will last before opening. If you suspect a product is old or getting old, smell it first. Besides the perfume scent, if it has a funky smell that does not feel right do not use it. The off smell could be due to a microbial growth or one or more ingredients have gone bad. If you see black or green growth on the product, again the product could have gone bad. Please do not use it. With powders and eye shadows if they are stone hard over the surface or crumbling too fast again they could be expired. Time to toss them away.

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2-Expired product?

Pay attention to production and/or expiration dates if it is available on the packaging. The product you use may not have the expiration date on it or it could have been erased. At this point, the PAO (purchase after opening) becomes really important and follow the recommended PAO for the item. Every cosmetic product has a PAO symbol. PAO shows how long you can use a certain product after you open it.

 

Makeup Expiration Dates
PAO symbol

If you cannot see the expiration date and still want to know when it was produced, find the “Lot number” on the packaging. Lot number consists of a bunch of numbers and sometimes letters. You can contact the producer and send the lot number. You can also enter the Lot number into CheckCosmetic website and find out the production date. This website does not provide information for all brands.

What is the ideal PAO for cosmetics?

Each product will have its own PAO determined by the manufacturer. The PAO ‘s will change according to the formulation and ingredients of the products. For instance a cream with 1% botanical ingredients and active skin care ingredients may last longer than 90% natural /organic products due to low concentration of active or botanical materials in it. Make sure to check the expiration date and PAO and do not use it after recommended date.
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But, how are we to keep track of the dates if we opened various products? I have 14 mascaras, 10 eyeliners, 3 blushes, and at least 25+  lipsticks for God’s sake . Worry not, there’s actually a pretty simple remedy for this. Assign a notepad in your phone to document which product you opened and when. Then, in your calendar, set an alert for when it’s time to swap it out! 
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3-Was the product stored correctly?

Skin care and cosmetic products do not like extreme hot, cold temperatures, humidity and light. They will lose their effectiveness and could go bad very easily. We may not know how they were stored before we bought them but we should store/use our products away from light, humidity and at room temperature (25oC). Even for a short time do not leave the products under extreme conditions. For instance, do not leave your cream under direct summer sun even for a short bit. The heat and strong sun light will degrade the cream even might lead to microbial growth in it.

I know what you’re probably thinking. You spend a lot of your hard earned money on high-quality products, and it bums you out to have to throw them away. I get you, sis, but your health matters more, and there are amazing products out there that are animal-friendly, safe for your body, and safe for the environment too. 

So toss the old ones away. Nothing is more precious than you. 🙂

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20 tag 2

This is a beauty tag where I answer 20 beauty questions relating to my makeup/skin care routine. I love reading these types of posts because it’s a great way to get to know person behind the blog. These questions are from Carol of intrice.blogspot.com. (She has a lovely blog) !

You can either see yourself as a wave in the ocean or you can see yourself as the ocean - Oprah
  1. Do you remember your first makeup item?
    My first makeup item was a lipstick from my mom. When I was younger, I went to Dance Academy and after my first recital, I took my mom lipstick that was used on me for the dance. I forgot the name but I remember I was obsessed with that lipstick.
  2. Describe your perfect mascara. Have you found one that fits your specifications?
    I guess my go-to mascaras are Benefit Roller Lash and Benefit they’re Real! I haven’t been wearing mascara lately because of allergies, it doesn’t matter what brand the mascaras are, my eyes still get watery. So, I have been applying Vaseline instead and it works great. 
  3. What kind of coverage do you prefer from foundation?
    I like to have full coverage. I know people think with full coverage, your makeup is going to be heavy and look cakey but that isn’t true. There is a technique that you can apply to your foundation that will allow your pretty face to still look “natural”.
  4. Favorite high-end brand?
    I really like Fenty Beauty by Rihanna. They have nice color selections, products are long-lasting, and has very good quality. Best of all, I have yet to have an allergic reaction from using her makeup. The bonus part of this makeup company is that they have the perfect shade for everyone no matter what the product is. Splurging on Fenty Beauty is worth it! Also, I love Nars, Urban Decay Cosmetics, BH Cosmetics, MORPHE, Too Faced, Bare Minerals, Anastasia Beverly Hills  and Anastasia Beverly Hills by Amrezy.
  5. What cosmetic brands have you always wanted to try but still haven’t? 
    IT Cosmetics, Dior, YSL, Glossier, KKW Beauty, Kylie Cosmetics, The Ordinary, Marc Jacobs, ColourPop, Chanel, Giorgio Armani, By Terry, Hourglass, Tom Ford, Charlotte Tilbury, Estee Lauder, Laura Mercier, Fresh, and Tarte.
  6. Favorite drugstore brand?
    NYX, IMAN Cosmetics, Maybelline New York, Black Radiance Beauty, and Wet n Wild
  7. Do you wear fake eyelashes? 
    No, but I do have bunch of mink eyelashes. If you shop at dodolashes.com and use my code: beautyleebar, you will get some $$ off your purchase.
  8. Is there any kind of makeup you can’t leave the house without?
    I can’t leave the house without having my Clear Brow Gel and my Aveeno Sunscreen on.
  9. What is your most cherished beauty product?
    I don’t just have 1, I’m sorry for being “That Girl”. L’OREAL PARIS HYDRAFRESH TONER, POND’S CLARANT B3 DARK SPOT CORRECTING CREAM, ANESE SO OVER IT PAPAYA EXFOLIATING MASK, DR.BRANDT LUMINIZER PRIMER, VASELINE, GLOWW GODDESS HIMALAYAN BODY SCRUB, CURLS, GOT2B ULTRA GLUED STYLING GEL, AS I AM, and LUSTI NATURALS ARGAN OIL are my most cherished beauty products at the moment.
  10. How often do you shop for makeup?
    Whenever I go to the store or mall, which is probably every other day. I don’t wear makeup everyday but I do love to shop.
  11. Do you have a “beauty budget” or you spend freely?
    I try to budget myself but I do end up spending freely.
  12. What type of product do you buy the most of?
    I have a growing amount of skin care products (facial cleansers, face masks, cleansing oils, eye creams, etc.)
  13. Do you avoid certain ingredients in cosmetics like parabens or sulfates?
    I’m trying to….
  14. Do you have a favorite place to shop for makeup?
    Ulta, Sephora, Target, and Walmart
  15. Do you like trying new skincare products or do you keep a certain routine?
    I can’t get enough of skincare products. I think my addiction for skincare is stronger than makeup, hehe. I don’t mind trying something new because it might work better than something I am already using. Right now, I’m really liking Anese Slay Skin perfecting serum and the Swipe right Highlighting moisturizer. So far it works well for my skin! (WANT MORE INFO ON MY SKINCARE, READ HERE )
  16. Favorite bath and body brand? 
    I like Softsoap Coconut Scrub Exfoliating Body Wash and the Aveeno body wash. Target, Walmart and Publix are always having great sales towards body wash.
  17. Do you like multifunctional products like lip and cheek stains?
    I can’t recall if I did or didn’t try products like that.
  18. Are you clumsy in putting makeup?
    No, I know what I like and what looks good on me. If it is something new then of course it is going to take practice until I get it perfect.
  19. Do you ever consider taking makeup classes?
    No, but I am thinking about going to Cosmetology School.
  20. What do you love about makeup?
    Makeup can help to accentuate your beauty. From an artistic/creative view, I see it as a transformation because you can use makeup to change your facial structure (through contouring), hide imperfections/tiredness (with concealer), enhance your features, and even transform you to look like a completely different being. For example, the way drag queens makeup is done is fascinating. 

Do you feel the same way about makeup? What do you love/hate the most about it?
Share your thoughts with me in the comments.

If you want to be a part of the Beauty Tag, just copy and paste these 20 questions into a blog post and leave me the link to your post at the bottom of my comments.