Makeup and Beauty Blog | Makeup Reviews, Swatches and How-To Makeup
A beauty blog blooming with fresh makeup reviews, swatches and beauty tips from your friendly neighborhood beauty addict
A few days ago I showed one way to apply blush using a technique called The Bounce (bounce, baby!). Here’s a second method. This one’s nicknamed The Swirl (click for the video).
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
P.S. Tabs says hi. He tried to get in on the video action tonight. What a ham!
Cleansers strip away moisture as part of the job of removing makeup, and dry winter air tends to magnify the problem. Gel cleansers can be very drying, but creamy ones like Dove deep moisture creamy facial cleanser and Neutrogena deep clean cream cleanser should help.
Use a moisturizing facial mask to replenish moisture lost throughout the day.
If your skin feels dry and tight even when you’re inside your home, there may not be enough moisture in the air for you. Scan the sale pages for a portable humidifier. Make a note to yourself to clean the filter regularly (if they get yucky they breed bacteria).
It’s a beauty catch 22, but overheating a cold home will worsen dry skin problems, so experiment with different settings on your heater to find the right temperature for both you and your skin.
Even electric blankets. If dry skin is driving you crazy, throw another comforter on the bed, and see how you feel after you’ve left the electric blanket unplugged for a couple nights.
Moisturize throughout the day, but try using body lotion even before you’ve left the shower, right after rinsing soap or body wash. It will help lock in some extra moisture. Rinse off and pat dry.
Hot showers feel great in winter, but they wreak havoc on dry skin. Try a lukewarm shower instead, then pat your skin dry with a towel. Apply moisturizer (again) as soon as you step out of the shower.
Avoid skin products and hairstyling products high in alcohol. When alcohol evaporates it feels cool and refreshing, but it’s also stripping away moisture, so look for alcohol-free products when the air is already dry.
If you’re already dealing with dry, brittle hair, resist the urge to reach for the hair dryer. It’ll only make things worse. Dry and style your hair with a towel, and if you still use a dryer, time yourself and try to use it a little less.
Moisturize throughout the day and don’t forget to drink extra water when it’s cold and windy. Your hands, feet, knees and elbows may need a little more help, too. I like rich products containing shea butter, petrolatum, mineral oil, tea tree oil, linoleic acid or glycerin. For intense relief, moisturize hands and feet at night, and then slip on gloves or socks to lock in moisture.
Chapped lips can be a big problem in winter. The air dries out my lips, which makes me lick them, which makes them chap even worse! Use a lip balm with at least SPF 15 and preferably one with antiseptic agents to aid in healing. Some lip balm products are made with tea tree oil, which helps heal painful cracks. I also like lip balms with phenol, beeswax, aloe, vitamin E and essential oils. 🙂
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
What kinda stuff would go into your Ultimate Purse Survival Kit?
I’d want mine to have a Magic Eight Ball that gave out career advice: “It’s time to quit,” or “Update your resume.”
And no decent super purse would be complete without a Chocolate Materializer 2000, a device that at the touch of a button could create any chocolate food or beverage imaginable, yum!
I’d also want a Man-ometer, something I could point at guys that would indicate whether or not they’d make good dates for my single girlfriends.
But until technology catches up with imagination, I guess I’ll just have to settle for items that are readily available now, like…
Hello, double-sided goodness; goodbye, clothing malfunctions! When I’m out and about and something on my outfit goes awry, I reach for Hollywood Fashion double-sided tape.
They’re transparent, stretchy, super sticky strips of tape designed to adhere to textiles and skin without leaving a residue. I use ’em to hide bra straps, keep strapless tops and dresses from falling, to fix loose hems and to close gaps on button-up shirts (ugh, don’t you hate that?).
The convenient on-the-go canister holds 36 pre-cut strips and barely takes up any space in my purse. If I’m carrying a small clutch, I’ll just throw a few of the individual strips into my wallet.
This mini-lint roller =
I use it to remove Tabs’ cat hair, dandruff (hey, it happens) and random bits of lint on my clothing.
Each roller comes with 40 sheets rolled up like paper towels around the tube. Just peel off used adhesive sheets and throw them away.
I certainly have my hot mess moments, like when I accidentally brush the sleeve of my shirt against my lipgloss or splash Starbucks coffee on my jeans…
And when these moments happen, I remember why I like Shout portable wipes. They’re stain-removing towelettes that comes 12 to a box in individually wrapped packets.
Just tear open one of the packets, and rub the moistened sheet (soaked with an effective stain remover) on the stain. BAM! With these three things in my purse I don’t have to worry as much about the inevitable offending coffee/lipstick/pen stain ruining my outfit.
Because some things never change… 🙂
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
When it comes to high heels, I figure women either love ’em or hate ’em. I’m in the love ’em camp, but sometimes love hurts!
Here are some of the things (click for the video) I do to make wearing high heels a little more comfortable — err, I mean a little less uncomfortable. 🙂
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
What do you do when/if you feel stressed out? Do you have any tricks to calm yourself down?
I ask because I kinda freaked out this morning.
Why? Because I sat down to write, and it felt like pulling teeth! — like every word that plopped out of me smelled like flamin’ hot, stinky poo!
And things got progressively worse as my old writing ghosts returned: “Karen, you’re boring and nobody likes you! You suck. Drunken poodles could write better leads than this,” etc., etc.
It was overwhelming, and I just started to cry.
I tried a few things to halt the downward spiral, things that have worked from time to time over the years … like the note I wrote to myself and posted on my monitor: “Relax! Freaking out doesn’t help you.”
After the note, I went outside and walked around for a few minutes, taking deep breaths. Pretty soon I stopped crying.
Back at home I listened to some music, and that helped even more.
First, I played Natasha Bedingfield’s Unwritten (the intro song for The Hills). I tried to imagine how the songwriter must have struggled with the lyrics, yet after toiling for hours and probably freaking out once or twice turned all of that energy into something beautiful and meaningful.
Then, I played Notorious BIG’s Juicy… Yeah, an unusual followup to Natasha’s song, but I found it oddly inspiring: “It was all a dream, I used to read Word Up magazine!”
Taking deep breaths, going for walks, writing myself notes, listening to music — all simple tricks (cliched tricks, in fact), but they helped. I’m feeling a little better now… 🙂
Do you ever feel stressed out or like you’re about to lose your sh*t? If you do, how do you calm yourself down? Do you have any soothing secret weapons? Please share.
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
This month I re-entered the sparkly world of online video! Really, what I mean to say is I found my little camcorder, which had been buried under a stack of paper and some boxes for months.
Here are some recent clips, ranging from dance moves to a primer on blush.
Tabs and I have a whole bunch of hopefully helpful videos (and other things) planned for the next few weeks, so as they say in the TV biz (LOL!) … stay tuned!
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
How do you get yourself to exercise when you don’t really want to? Do you have any secret tips or tricks? I need all the help I can get (I have a problem with Cheetos… and cookies, and ice cream).
Here’s my favorite workout trick (it’s another video).
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
Hi, ladies! How’s your day been?
Mine started out rough because I woke up sleepy, but things have steadily improved (coffee = joy).
Here’s another attempt at a video. This one’s about blush, and I apologize because I let Tabs do the editing. I think he got a little carried away. 🙂
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen