Guest Post

The Chosungah 22 Dong Gong Minn Brow Maker: This is the Story of a Brow

March 18th, 2016 by Anna Oh 14 Comments

anna oh portrait illustration — A spontaneous self-portrait from the past… Note my uneven eyebrows, ha!

For some reason, I’ve always had one shy eyebrow. There’s nothing overly patchy or horrible about her…but she was always less handsome than the other. It was a small quirk of mine, and it even presented itself in my self-portraits and portraits for others. A face just didn’t seem “real” unless those eyebrows were drawn distinctively different.

But then 2015 happened, and I felt like my eyebrows couldn’t keep up with the Instagram-level makeup happening. I bought my first couple eyebrow products and used the lightest products I thought I could get away with. My only intention was to shade that virgin skin shining through my thick hairs and over to your eyeballs. For a while, it was a nice, natural look, but the effects were completely gone by the end of the day.

That is, until I tried the Chosungah 22 Dong Gong Minn Brow Maker ($22 for 0.33 ounces).

About Chosungah 22

“As the first major professional makeup artist in Korea, Chosungah ushered in the era of K-Beauty. For 25 years, her breakthrough brand has offered products that come with a twist, allowing women all over the world to enjoy makeup as a form of play and self-expression.”

–sephora

While they’re a little tricky to use at first, the Brow Makers give some awesome results that are well worth the learning curve. This is one LONG-LASTING product that’ll definitely need to be removed at the end of the day.

chosungah brow maker eyebrow — Chosungah 22 Dong Gong Minn Brow Maker. They look like adorable highlighters!

First of all, the packaging is TOO cute and quirky. They look like chubby highlighters! What more could you ask for!?

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Power Colors! The Estée Lauder Pure Color Envy Matte Sculpting Lipsticks

March 17th, 2016 by Nicole Fraser-Herron 41 Comments

Estee Lauder Pure Color Envy Matte — Estée Lauder Pure Color Envy Matte in Commanding

I was having a tough morning today, and by the time I sat down to get ready for the day, I needed a serious pick-me-up.

I remembered that one of my favorite professors in school shared her secret to getting over her nerves and insecurities.

Lipstick.

She says that everyone has a power color, and hers is pink. Whenever she has to speak in front of large crowds or finds herself in a situation where she may be nervous, she wears hot pink lipstick.

She says it gives her an edge, a decent dose of sass, and reminds her to be herself, because you can’t cower down when you’re wearing a bold lip. You have to own it.

So, today I wore a fur coat and a bold lip, because I can. 🙂

My power color changes, but today I went with the Estée Lauder Pure Color Envy Matte Sculpting Lipstick in Commanding ($30), because on these particularly rough days, I need a bullet.

Like, a lipstick bullet.

Liquid lipstick and glosses don’t hold the same figurative power for me as a classic bullet.

Also, the packaging. How can you feel down when you’re holding lipstick made from actual goddess magic in your hands? It’s simple yet substantial with an engraved lid and navy casing with gold accents.

They also close magnetically, which is so satisfying.

Putting this lipstick on even feels like a power move.

My lips are always moderately dry, so prepping them is crucial for me. When adequately conditioned, these lipsticks glide on evenly and last between 3-4 hours (with no lipliner!), even through light eating and drinking.

The formula is smooth and richly pigmented. It’s hard to mess up application with these guys. They have a subtle vanilla scent, too, which doesn’t last, and therefore doesn’t bother me.

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Acure Organics Lip Lush | Swatches & Review

March 17th, 2016 by Adia Goss 17 Comments

Acure Organics Lip Lush ($5.99 each) lip glosses are perfect to just keep in your desk at work, in your car, or wherever, really. They’re lightly tinted and really moisturizing (but not sticky!), so they’re great basic lip glosses. The four I have here — Birthday Suit, Shmexy, Date Worthy and Daaang! — beyond having insanely cute names, have a light fruit scent that fades after a few minutes (which is a good thing in my opinion).

I like how moisturizing they are (due to the argan oil, echinacea, beeswax and other natural ingredients). Lots of lip glosses are really shiny but can be oddly drying or irritating for me. It’s like all that shine is just on the surface of my lips, and my actual lips aren’t getting any benefit, but that’s definitely not the case with these glosse, because they keep my lips feeling soft even after the shine wears off.

Here are some swatches on me:

The one called Birthday Girl is a clear lip gloss. Period. But it’s comfortable on the lips and easy to apply.

I’ve been keeping this one in my gym bag to use after working out. Like, my hair may look crazy, but my lip gloss is poppin’!
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The Aveda Indian Sunset Collection: These Sunset Shades Go Together Well

March 16th, 2016 by Nicole Fraser-Herron 10 Comments

OK, as soon as I saw this collection, I knew it would be perfect for my friend Pearl. She and I went to art school together and have long since loved collaborating.

We basically just make pictures and push each other out of our comfort zones. She has impeccable style, and her makeup is usually just mascara and lipstick (if any at all). The limited edition Aveda Indian Sunset collection is perfect for gals like her who don’t generally wear bolder makeup but still want to experiment with some color.

Aveda Indian Sunset Collection — Aveda Nourish-Mint Sheer Mineral Lip Color in Sheer Clove $17, Nourish-Mint Lip Liner in Spring Rose $17, Petal Essence Single Eye Color in Desert Clay, Peach Nectar, Lilac Glow, and Amethyst Dawn $15, Petal Essence Face Accents in Tesserae and Apricot Whisper $24, Petal Essence Eye Definer in Violet Blossom and Sea Fern $17

The collection includes 11 new shades for eyes and lips, including four shadows — two purples and two orange shades. My favorites are Amethyst Dawn (a purple satin) and Desert Clay (a matte, earthy orange), which are the shades I used on Pearl’s lid and outer corner, respectively.
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A Mini Guide for Your Winter Malaise, or How to Treat Yourself When You’re on the Mend

March 16th, 2016 by Marcella Yakalis 11 Comments

selfie, sick, illness, — Pale? Puffy? Three days without washing your hair? Might be a viral infection.

This week I struggled for a subject to write a longer post on when it came to the subject of beauty and beauty related things. I grappled for an idea, when suddenly, like a message from above, it hit me, and hit me hard.

Bronchitis.

No, this post won’t be exclusively about bronchitis, but it will be about how to feel more like yourself and how to enjoy the products you use every day, while you’re battling a cold, infection, virus, what have you.

I used to get bronchitis every year as a kid, so when I started to get a dry, raw cough that kind of felt like a hole in my chest, I did what any 25-year-old might do, and tried to self-medicate for a few days. I don’t recommend it, but I took some cough syrup and hoped that this was not bronchitis. I had also already planned a night out in New Jersey to see some friends for my boyfriend’s brother’s birthday, so I wasn’t going to miss that just because of a little cough.

Come Sunday morning after the birthday celebration, and I couldn’t tell if it was the one (one!) shot I was convinced to do or the hacking cough that had me feeling so low. Either way, the alcohol probably didn’t help, and by Monday it was time to see an actual doctor. One listen to my chest and a solemn nod, and my prognosis was clear. Bronchitis it was! Next time I should probably forgo the alcohol and see a doctor sooner.

In the meantime, here are some of my words of wisdom on how to feel a little more like yourself while you’re recovering from/dealing with an illness.

Moisturize and hydrate

Every time I say the word “moisturize” to myself, I get an image ofLady Cassandra from Doctor Who, screaming “MOISTURIZE ME” and imagine strange men in suits misting me with a water planter.

Sounds nice, right?

Not if you’re basically just skin and a face. Anyways.

Since moving into a new place and dealing with dry air all winter long, boyfriend conceded and purchased a humidifier, which has been a godsend. As a cool mist humidifier, I’m not sure what the exact differences are between this and a warm mist (besides temperature), but it has made our bedroom much more tolerable, and in the first few days, has really helped my chest congestion. It also seems to have helped his winter nosebleeds!

This one from Crane is available at Target and comes in a bunch of funky colors. The one night I went without it, my nose was in absolute agony.

Don’t forgo the H2O

We’re all told that we need to drink more fluids, and this one can’t be any truer than when we’re sick. Now, there’s only one time you can rip my coffee from my cold dead hands, other than me actually being dead, and that’s when I’m sick. I’ve learned that I can’t even drink soy milk when I’m sick. Anything in milk form makes it that much worse. Water and tea are where it’s at. Treat yourself to your favorite brand of tea, and get to brewin’.

tea, harney & sons, owl mug, — Current fave: African Autumn by Harney & Sons; rooibos, cranberry, and oranges.

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The Chanel Rouge Coco Stylo Complete Care Lipshines for Smooth, Plump Lips and Brilliant Shine

March 16th, 2016 by Jessica Revitte 22 Comments

Smooth, creamy, glossy. When I think of what I look for in a lip product, these are the first three adjectives that come to mind. And oh, my gosh, you guys, that is exactly what the new Chanel Rouge Coco Stylos for Spring 2016 deliver.

I have always loved Chanel makeup, and the thrill of pulling out a product in that sleek black packaging with that eponymous double-C logo embossed in shiny crisp white never loses its appeal. That’s why I’m so excited that these easy to use and sleek little tubes of Chanel Rouge Coco Stylo Complete Care Lip Shine ($37 each) feel so good on my dry lips.

Chanel describes these lippies as having “the intensity of a lipstick, the shine of a lipgloss and the comfort of a lip balm,” and there truly has never been a more accurate product description. For a lip care formula, these Rouge Coco Stylos are incredibly pigmented and offer a pop of pigmentation perfect for spring.

On the other hand, they’re especially creamy and shiny — not unlike the brand’s much loved Rouge Allure Extrait de Gloss formula — giving lips a plump appearance that I’m head over heels for.

”The intensity of a lipstick, the shine of a lipgloss and the comfort of a lip balm — all in one creamy yet lightweight formula. This innovative formula is enriched with nourishing Apple Seed Extract and hydrating Jojoba Oil and Coconut Oil. Silk Powder, Beeswax and special ingredients help visibly smooth, plump and add brilliant 3D shine to the lips. A spectrum of eight irresistible shades features pinks, reds, nudes and corals. In a convenient, twist-up ‘stylo’ form to write your colour signature.”

–chanel.com

An added plus? Fellow Francophones will note that Chanel has hidden a clever play on words in the product names. The line is called “Rouge Coco Stylo,” with “stylo” being the French word for “pen,” and each different shade is named after a type of writing — Conte (tale), Histoire (story), Recit (narration) and Script (script).

I love the little play on words. It’s sweet and oh, so Chanel.

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How to Get the Most Natural Rosy Flush With a Super Bright Blush

March 16th, 2016 by Carolina Braina 13 Comments

Am I the only one who gets mesmerized by pretty colors?

Like, sometimes I go to Sephora just to have a look around (as if…!), and the next thing I know I’m exiting the store with a hot pink or bright coral blush in my shopping bag.

Beautiful? Very.

But nine times out of 10, too bright for my corpse-like winter complexion.

I mean, I can usually get away with powder products by using a very light hand, but when creams are involved, it’s not always that simple.

So, the sad fate of those poor impulse buys is to gather dust in my stash for at least one half of the year… Wait, did I just say “IS to gather dust”?? Sorry, I meant “WAS”.

Yes, “was”, because I’ve finally found a way to use those overly bright cream blushes to get the most natural rosy flush. If the situation I described above sounds even vaguely familiar, you may want to listen to this.

Before we start, go grab a pigmented cream blush of your choice, a lightweight foundation or tinted moisturizer and a beauty blender…

Got ’em?

Cool! Now, apply the blush on your cheeks using your fingers, without worrying about blending it out. I’m using YSL Baby Doll Kiss & Blush in 05 Rouge Effrontée.

Unless you purposely want to sport that Heidi look (I’m talking about the Girl of the Alps here, not the famous supermodel) or look like you’re going to an ‘80s party, now is the time to tone the blush down and blend it out a bit.

So, using your beauty blender, dab the foundation or tinted moisturizer on top of it (I’m using Chanel Perfection Lumière Velvet in shade B20) and anywhere else, and it’s important that you use dabbing motions, rather than swiping; otherwise, you’ll risk rubbing the blush off.

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New for Spring 2016: Covergirl Colorlicious Oh Sugar! Lip Balm, a Vitamin-Infused, Moisturizing Lip Treatment

March 15th, 2016 by Anna Oh 12 Comments

Hi, everyone! Is the weather slowly changing for the better where you live? I’m starting to see some exposed legs nowadays, although I’m still bundled up in a coat running my errands. The weather here in the South can fluctuate 20 degrees day to day, so I have to be ready for just about anything — rain, sun, and the chill. My skin has suffered the most, and I had to postpone reviewing and swatching lip products lately — except for these guys!

New for spring, the Covergirl Oh Sugar! Vitamin Infused Balms (around $8 each) come in 10 sweet shades infused with grapeseed oil and avocado butter, but they feel weightless. With super sweet names like Gumdrop and Sprinkle, the balms are actually not overly sweet-smelling. I think they even smell a little minty (but there’s no tingling sensation).

covergirl oh sugar vitamin infused balm swatches — (L-R) Swatches in Gumdrop, Sprinkle, Cupcake, Caramel

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