Tuesday, April 28, 2015

1 Product, Multiple Uses!

Have you ever gone on vacation or been in a rush and forgotten your go-to products? And it isn't until you're already at the airport that you realize your cosmetics are in the makeup bag next to your front door, which was strategically placed there so that you didn't forget it...yeah, I haven't done that either!  In all seriousness, I have forgotten my go-to products before and realized it in the car ride to the airport or at my hotel room. Or maybe you have the memory of an elephant (take that as a compliment) and have never forgotten any product, right down to your teal eyeliner, which you may or may not use with the outfit you have planned for Sunday Brunch.  If the latter description is you, then maybe your makeup bag is weighing you down! Bottom line, no matter which category you fall under, this blog post may be helpful.

I have scoured the Internet, and now, I think I have a great collection of some I tips I already knew, some that I'm still playing with and some that I can swear by!  So, maybe you can rethink whether you need to bring all that makeup with you, or maybe, after reading this, you'll be able to make the best of what makeup you did remember to pack!

Lipstick Is The New Hero for Dark Circles!

Apparently, there is some serious science behind this.  If you look at a color wheel, you will see that orange-red is opposite from blue, and combining the two will cause color neutrality.



iStockphoto / Via Getty Images

Picking out the right color of red-orange or coral lipstick is something to play around with. The deeper your skin, the more reddish orange you can work with.  If you have a more medium or tan complexion, try to go more toward a warm coral, or if you have a light complexion, try a more yellow, peachy shade (and, if you are in this boat, maybe a color concealer would work better than lipstick).

The Blondeshell / theblondeshell.com

I've noticed that, if I go with a straight red, even after I blend it well, I still see a hint of pink popping out. A warm coral color is my go-to! Also, if you have the color you need in a cream lipstick, go with that, as compared to a matte lipstick, just because it's easier to blend.  Make sure you do the lipstick first with an eye shadow brush, and then put your foundation, concealer and powder on top in order to set it.  I like to blend my foundation and concealer with a beauty blender sponge.  This trick also works for any dark pigmentation left over from acne scars.  Now, you can say bye-bye to dark circles and spots!

Deepica Mutyala / Via birchbox.com

Highlight Like The Golden Goddess You Are!

The key to using an eye shadow as your highlighter is all about shimmer and not glitter.  Shimmer is a shade that will give you a luminous, subtle sheen.  Glitter is all about the sparkle, with tons of little particles reflecting light.  Unless you're a little girl throwing a princess party, you do not need any glitter on your face, unless of course you are Kesha (in which case, do your thing!).  I hope that most people who have eye shadow palettes have one of Urban Decay's Naked Series (if you don't, other neutral palettes will work, but we are using the Naked Series as a convenient example).  If you do have a Naked Series palette, either Naked or Naked 2, then you have a pan called Half Baked, which is the golden-bronze swatch with a shimmery finish. Use a highlighter brush and give your cheeks that soft glow!


Sephora.com / Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette

Matte Is In... In More Ways Than One!

Matte lipstick and matte eye shadow are both components of a current and ongoing trend.  The best part of this trend is that you can use your matte eye shadow as a brow filler.  Taupe (Warm Taupe) works well for blonde and silver/white brows. 



For brunettes, I would stay away from warm browns and go more towards an ashy brown (Rich Brown). I'd suggest a warm brown (Hot Chocolate) for auburn hair because the warm tone will look more natural than an ashy brown color.  And lastly, if you have brown black or jet black hair, I would stick to a charcoal brown (Smoke). All of these eye shadows, which I linked, are $12.00 on the Anastasia Beverly Hills website, except for the Warm Taupe, which can be purchased at your local Macy's in the Anastasia Beverly Hills pop-up store.  Or if you want to test the colors before purchase, head to the closest Macy's and test to see if these are the right shades for your brows!  The key is to find a neutral shade and to avoid any shadow with a shimmer or satin finish.  (Unless you're rocking the teal hair trend... in which case, don't let me stop you by telling you what color to do your brows!)
Anastasia Beverly Hills Eye Shadows

Get yourself a small Z Palette, and you can call this your matte eye shadow/brow palette!


Prime Those Eyes With Concealer!

Do you see an oily shine on your eyelids that is looking back at you in the mirror?  You, my friend, may be suffering from oily eyelids, which means you cake if you don't prime!  Years ago, Urban Decay (as seen in the picture below) solved this problem with the eye shadow primer, but there have been times where I definitely forgot to pack this with me when I traveled.
Urban Decay Eye Shadow Primer

Fear not because your concealer has got your back!  Stick to a heavy-duty cream concealer, which will fill your crease better than a liquid concealer.  I use my Benefit Boi-ing to take over when I forget my eye shadow primer.  I personally use my finger, but you can use your brush.  Just make sure you apply an even, and let it dry a bit before you start adding your shadow.  After that, may the power of makeup last all day for you!  Of course, I do recommend that you always use a setting spray (Model in a Bottle) to help your makeup last all day!

Go forth makeup lovers and enjoy these tricks!

Glammie Love,
Bex


Monday, April 13, 2015

Blindfold Makeup Challenge Part One:

Part 1 of the Blindfold Makeup Challenge!
Get a glass of wine out and enjoy with us!





Makeup: Jaz
 Model: Bex


Products used:
Primer: Benefit Porefessional
Foundation: Urban Decay Naked in Shade 5.0
Eyeshadow: Kat Von D Monarch palette
Brows: NXY Brow Cake Powder in Blonde
Concealer: Benefit Boi-ing in 2.0
Contour: Custom Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit
Blush: Elf Contouring Blush and Bronzer Duo in St. Lucia
Lipstick: MAC Heroine
Eyelash: Elf Dramatic Lash Kit
Eyelash Glue: DUO dark tone
Tools: Beauty Blender, Sigma Highlighting Brush, BH Cosmetics brushes

Monday, March 23, 2015

Drugstore Superstars: Primers


For me, it's absolutely essential to put on a face primer before applying makeup.  You wouldn't paint a wall without putting down a primer first, and the same concept applies to your face.  There are primers that help with oil control, some that minimize pores and some that even out skin tone, but the main reason for using a primer is to provide a barrier between your skin and your foundation.  In other words, it evens out the texture of your skin, your makeup goes on more smoothly and the wear is prolonged.  There are some primers that have a very thick, almost whipped consistency, and then, there are some that are thinner and go on your face more easily.  It's all a matter of preference as to which one you prefer.  I have great products for each option, which you can find below.

Face Primers


NYX Angel Veil Primer ($16.00)


This is my all-time favorite drugstore primer!  It mattifies my face, blurs my larger pores and leaves my skin feeling silky smooth.  The formulation reminds me of a mix of the silky finish of the Mineral Veil Primer by Hourglass and the consistency of the Primed and Poreless Primer from Too Faced.  Some other bloggers have complained that the primer was runny and thin, but I never found that to be the case with mine.  I'm not sure if NYX has changed the formulation slightly or if I'm just lucky, but make sure to give the tube a nice shake before applying the product, just in case.  One thing that I did notice, however, is that it can leave a slightly white finish on the skin.  This can actually be a positive for people with fair to medium skin tones because it causes a brightening effect, but for darker skin tones like mine, it can create a bit of a white cast on your face.  Nevertheless, it doesn't affect the color of your foundation, so I didn't feel like it was a truly serious drawback.

Revlon Photoready Perfecting Primer ($9.99)


When you pump this primer out, it almost feels like it has too thick of a consistency.  However, it effortlessly blends into your skin and feels surprisingly lightweight.  This primer is best for blurring fine lines and minimizing pores.  A little bit goes a long way with this, so just one pump is more than enough to cover your entire face.


Maybelline Master Prime Primers ($7.94)


For those of you who don't really need help in blurring fine lines or large pores (first of all, you go, Glen Coco!), the two primers that I mentioned above might be too thick for you.  In that case, the Master Prime would be a better fit.  There are three different variations of this primer: Blur + Smooth, Blur + Redness Control and Blur + Illuminate.  All three have the same basic formulation, just with a couple minor differences that I'll mention in a second.  First of all, I don't really understand why the word "blur" is in the name because I didn't notice it doing anything of the sort.  What the lightweight primer does do, however, is hydrate and even out the texture of your skin so that foundation application is smooth and easy.  I would recommend this primer for people with dry to normal skin because of the hydration aspect.  On the other hand, since it doesn't mattify your face, people with oily skin might want to look elsewhere.  The Blur + Redness Control has a slightly green tinge to it, so it helps neutralize the skin color of anyone that struggles with redness, without being overpowering.  The Blur + Illuminate has a pinky, pearl-like finish, giving the skin a luminous and dewy look, which is great for people with dry skin.

Eyelid Primer


Wet 'n' Wild Take on the Day Eyeshadow Primer ($4.99)


For someone with oily skin, I've never found my eyelids to be all that oily. Because of that, eyeshadow creasing hasn't been a big problem for me.  My fellow glammie, Bex, does have that problem, so putting on an eyeshadow primer is an absolute must.  We found that this product is the best drugstore product of its kind to prolong your eyeshadow's wear, and to make sure that the color doesn't fade or crease on your eyelids.  You do, however, have to use this product sparingly.  If you put too much on, the opposite effect will happen and your shadow will crease almost immediately.  The trick is to put a little bit on your lid, blend it well, and make sure you let it dry and set before you put anything on top of it.  It doesn't exactly make your shadow look more vibrant, so that's why I would recommend using it in conjunction with one of the following eyeshadow bases. 

Eyeshadow Bases


Eyeshadow bases are not to be confused with primers.  Primers are made to prep your eye for shadow, and bases are designed to make the colors of your eyeshadow more vibrant.  I have a couple of favorite bases from the drugstore. 

Maybelline Color Tattoo Cream Gel Eyeshadow ($5.29 - $5.99)


These come in a variety of colors, but my favorites are the "leather" series because they're matte. They are almost an exact dupe for my favorite base of all time: the MAC Pro Longwear Paint Pot.  They are super creamy, easy to blend, quick to dry and will stay on your lids all day long.  These also don't crease on my eyelids, but it doesn't exactly block oil; so, if you have oily lids, use an eyeshadow primer first.  The best part is that it isn't super sticky on the lid, like most other bases, so you can actually just use it by itself, without shadow.   


NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil ($4.50)


For those of you who prefer pencils to cream pots, there's the NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil. These eye pencils have a bit of a cult following in the beauty blogger world because they really do intensify any eyeshadow color.  I actually feel like it does a better job than the Maybelline Color Tattoos, but the reason why they're lower on my list is because I feel like it's harder to blend and quite a bit stickier, meaning that you can't wear it on its own.  I'm all about the multi-functional products!


TLDNR


OK, I know I can be really long-winded, so here's a little chart to help all you super busy people figure out which primer is best for you.

Face



Blurs Pores and Fine Lines
Mattifies Face
Smoothes Skin Texture
Brightens
Moisturizes
Light-weight
Neutralizes Redness
Angel Veil
X
X
X
X



Photoready
X
X
X




Blur + Smooth


X

X
X

Blur + Redness Control




X
X
X
Blur + Illuminate



X
X
X


Eyes



Prevents Creasing
Prolongs Wear
Blocks Oil
Prevents Fading
Intensifies Color
Wet N’ Wild
X
X
X
X

Color Tattoo
X
X

X
X
Jumbo Eye Pencil

X

X
X

So, there you have it, the best drugstore primers on the market!  Which ones are your favorites?  Stay tuned for the next part of the series: Foundations.  Happy shopping!

Glammie love!
Jaz

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Drugstore Superstars

If you're new to the world of makeup, the task of starting a cosmetics collection may seem daunting.  Since there are so many products and brands, it can be hard to know which way is up and which way is down.  That's why, whenever a friend who is just getting started asks me for guidance, I always point them in the direction of the nearest drugstore.

Makeup can be expensive.  (Trust me, I should know.)  In fact, I'm somewhat of a makeup hoarder, and if I go unchecked, I can spend hundreds of dollars at Sephora in the blink of an eye.  I know, however, that spending a big chunk of your paycheck on makeup is an absolutely ridiculous notion to most women, which is why drugstore makeup is so great.  Makeup application is very much a process of trial and error, and you need to try something on in order to figure out what works for you and your skin.  Bottom line: If you don't like a certain product, a $7 loss is easier to swallow than a $50 one.  Unfortunately, since there's so much out there in the way of drugstore makeup, it's hard to separate the good quality products from the bad.  That's what this series will focus on; I'm going to help you navigate through all the affordable brands to find out which products you should try out and which ones you should leave on the shelf.

In order to make it more navigable, I'll be breaking down this series by categories:

1) Primers;
2) Foundations;
3) Concealers;
4) Bronzers;
5) Blushes;
6) Eyeshadows;
7) Eyeliners;
8) Mascaras and Brow Products;
9) Lips;
10) Setting Products; and, last but certainly not least,
11) Makeup Tools.

Hopefully, after I finish this series, you'll have all the information that you need in order to go out and start (or add to) your makeup kit.

Glammie love!
~Jaz

Saturday, November 15, 2014

#SaturdaySavings- November 15, 2014

Happy Saturday Savings! 

Why go outside and face the cold weather and crowds? Stay in and do your shopping online! 
And what is nicer than staying warm at home and not fighting through a checkout line, adding discounts to that list!





We have some new and reoccurring savings listed below! 
Let your glam addiction shine through!


Gerard Cosmetics:
choose any combinations of 4 lipsticks or lip glosses for $39
Promo code: lips4you

Whitening Lightning:
whitening pens 2 for $19
Promo code: superpendeal

Sedona Lace Brushes:
4 dollars off brushes, minimum of $15 purchase
Promo code: Laurag_143

Sephora:
Free Holiday Sample Bags Featuring 8 Samples With Any Online Merchandise Order $25+
Promo Code: SEASONSET
www.sephora.com

GLAMGLOW
30% off, not valid on gift cards or sample sexy:try before you buy
Promo Code: IPSY

BH Cosmetics: 
Save an extra 5% on every order + free shipping when you spend $50+
Promo code: 6JCQERN2

Morphe Brushes:
10% off for a limited time, does not include Z palette
Promo code: JACATTACK

Ulta: 
$3.50 off your purchase of $10+ and free shipping for purchases of $25+
Promo Code: 209037

Sigma: 
10% off
Promo code: MISSYOU10

Too Faced: 
20% off 
Promo Code: makeuplove

Anastasia Beverly Hills: 
10% off your order for registering
Promo code: WELCOME10

Nyxcosmetics: 
25% off your purchase + free shipping
Promo code: WELCOME25

Glammie Love! 

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

October Favorites 2014


Here are our favorites from the month of October!

Hair/ Nails:

  • Sally Hansen Big Matte Topcoat ($5.99)
  • Suave Professional Moroccan Infused Dry Shampoo ($3.99)
Lips:


    • Maybelline Colorsensational Matte Lipsticks: Siren in Scarlet, Mesmerizing Magenta, Divine Wine ($7.49)
    • Bite Beauty Cashmere Lip Cream: Sancerre ($28.00)
    From Left to Right: Sancerre, Divine Wine, Mesmerizing Magenta, Divine Wine

    Eyes: 
    • Anastasia Beverly Hills Tamanna Palette ($29.00)
    The Tamanna Palette From Left to Right: Fresh, Bush, Venezia, Gilded, Custom, Sangria*, Bengal, Chocolate, China Rose*, Noir
    • Lorac Mega Pro Palette (sold here) (it looks like it's all sold out on the official website but you can grab one off of ebay)
    Top Row of the Mega Pro: Cream, Fawn, Camel, Sepia, Dusty Plum, Orchid, Mulberry*, Espresso
    Second Row of the Mega Pro: White, Khaki, Brown, Stone, Lilac, Wisteria, Gray, Black
    Third Row of the Mega Pro: Opal, Sand, Copper, Sienna, Apricot, Blush, Merlot, Indigo*
    Last Row of the Mega Pro: Vanilla, Cashmere, Smokey Topaz*, Dusty Rose, Granite, Maroon, Deep Teal, Caviar
     *These shades were mentioned in the video
    Face:
    • Revlon ColorStay Whipped Cream Makeup Foundation: 310 Caramel ($13.99)


    Saturday, November 8, 2014

    #SaturdaySavings! - November 8, 2014

    We're super excited to announce a new blog series called #SaturdaySavings!  Basically, we'll scour the internet for coupon codes and sales at all of our favorite beauty stores and post them every Saturday.  That way, all you thrifty glammies out there can enjoy some awesome online weekend shopping.  Christmas is just around the corner, so we figured that this would be a great way to help y'all out with getting a head start on your gift shopping.

    So, without further ado, here are the coupons that we found for y'all this week:

    ELF Cosmetics: 25% off an order of $20+
    Promo code: GORGEOUS
    http://www.eyeslipsface.com/

    BH Cosmetics: Save an extra 5% on every order + free shipping when you spend $50+
    Promo code: 6JCQERN2
    http://www.bhcosmetics.com

    Anastasia Beverly Hills: 10% off your order for registering
    Promo code: WELCOME10
    http://anastasiabeverlyhills.com

    Nyxcosmetics: 25% off your purchase + free shipping
    Promo code: WELCOME25
    http://www.nyxcosmetics.com/default.aspx

    Sigma: 10% off
    Promo code: MISSYOU10
    https://www.sigmabeauty.com

    Gerard Cosmetics: 3 lipsticks for $29 (code applies only to the three pack of lipsticks)
    Promo Code: GC3
    http://www.gerardcosmetics.com/shop/lips/lipstick-3-pack.html

    Gerard Cosmetics: 25% off
    Promo Code: Amrezy
    http://www.gerardcosmetics.com/

    Too Faced: 20% off 
    Promo Code: take20 or makeuplove
    https://www.toofaced.com/

    Ulta: $3.50 off your purchase of $10+ and free shipping for purchases of $25+
    Promo Code: 209037
    http://www.ulta.com/

    Velour Lashes: 15% off
    Promo Code: CARLIVELOUR15 
    https://www.velourlashes.com/

    Bellami: $160 off the 6 in 1 Curler
    Promo Code: 160off6in1
    http://www.bellamihair.com/products/bellami-6-in-1-complete-curler-set#.VF54o_nF-vw

    Bellami: $100 off the 3 in 1 Curler
    Promo Code: 100off3in1
    http://www.bellamihair.com/products/bellami-ciao-bella-complete-3-in-1-curler#.VF54xfnF-vw

    Bellami: $70 off the Straightener
    Promo Code: bellami70
    http://www.bellamihair.com/products/bellami-runway-flat-styler-iron#.VF55JfnF-vw


    Morphe Brushes: 10% off
    Promo Code: JACATTACK
    https://morphebrushes.com/

    Also, don't forget that VIB Rouges get an extra 20% off for all purchases at Sephora until Monday.  

    Happy shopping, Glammies!
    ~Jaz and Bex