Guest Post

Many Things in Life — Including Your Makeup Game — Can Benefit From a Different Angle

March 11th, 2016 by Carolina Braina 26 Comments

Bologna Asinelli Tower — Torre degli Asinelli, Bologna’s tallest medieval tower, as seen from two different angles

“To raise new questions, new possibilities, to regard old problems from a new angle, requires creative imagination and marks real advance in science beauty”. — Albert Einstein

Sorry, Bertie, I hope you’re not turning in your grave. But, you know, your quote can totally apply to any field — including beauty.

You really were a genius, after all…

Yes, because regarding problems from new angles is a great way to go, I think. If you’re stuck seeing things from a single point of view, you’ll never grow nor improve and, most importantly, you’ll never solve your most troublesome makeup problems (HA!), like:

Does applying eyeliner to your waterline bother you?
Do your filled in brows look like illustrations in a coloring book (that is, like a solid block of color)?
When you apply lip liner all over your lips, does it feel scratchy and uncomfortable? And does it look uneven?

If you answered yes to any of the above, today’s your lucky day, because we’re about to solve your problems!

YOU JUST NEED TO CHANGE YOUR ANGLE. *Cue heavenly choir and rays of glorious sunlight.*

More specifically, you need to change the angle of your pencil. Next time you do your makeup and you’re using a pencil product, try angling it so that you’re using the side of the tip, rather than the point.

It’ll be life-changing, I promise.

How to Apply Eyeliner to Waterline — No more tingly feeling! And you can do this on the upper waterline, as well.

How to Apply Brow Pencil — Harsh brows, begone! Especially if you have dark brows, using the point of your pencil can easily make them look too strong.

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Get Clearer Skin in 5 Steps With Pixi

March 10th, 2016 by Jen Clark 34 Comments

I chase clear skin like I chase the donut food truck. Having the best skin possible is super important to me, as I’m sure it is for you too!

Weirdly enough, I’ve had way more skin issues in my 20s than I did in my high school years. Maybe that’s a blessing, because now I have the patience to experiment with different concoctions to find the best products and routines for my skin, and as of this moment, I think I’ve found it.

I’ve been using this routine now for several weeks and have been so happy with how my skin has been acting. In case you haven’t noticed yet, I use mostly Pixi, along with a lovely little Elizabeth Arden serum.

Let me take you through my skin care routine, which I follow morning and night…

Step 1: Cleanse

Keeping your skin clean is so important. Removing your makeup and the nastiness of the day from your pores will help keep the breakouts away.

First, splash your skin with warm water to open up those pores, and then work Pixi Glow Mud Cleanser into your skin. It’s a delicious recipe for clear skin packed with yummy ingredients like glycolic acid, hyaluronic acid, and aloe vera.

Step 2: Mud mask

This step, you only want to do two or three times a week. Shmear the Pixi Glow Mud Mask all over you face, and let it sit for 10-15 minutes. The rich mask is loaded with minerals to draw out excess oil and impurities from your skin. You can see all of the crud it pulled out of my pores!

So satisfying…

Step 3: Toner

Toner is a step that a lot of people feel is unnecessary, but I don’t think so at all. You need a toner, and let me tell you why. Toner helps to balance the PH level of your skin, meaning that, depending on your skin type, it’ll prompt your skin to produce either more or less oil on its own, whatever it needs.

Pixi Glow Tonic is the best toner I have EV-AR used. I don’t know how it does what it does, but it has reduced redness and breakouts in my skin more than any other product ever has. You have to try this one.

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Beauty Affordability: Learning to Handle the Guilt of the Price Tag

March 10th, 2016 by Marcella Yakalis 27 Comments

Last year I wrote a brief essay on what it feels like when “budget beauty” starts to actually hurt your bank account. In short, I explored why I thought it was no longer fruitful for me to have seven of the same lipsticks in varying shades of red that were all dupes for a higher priced lipstick when for the total of all seven, I probably could have bought the higher priced thing by now.

A lot of my opinions in that essay still ring true. I do believe that investing in yourself is worth the time and waiting if you can’t afford it at this very moment, but as a person who grew up in the far reaches of the Adirondacks with little money, I can’t say that I will ever necessarily feel good about spending money on anything, especially myself, or my beauty products.

When I look at my makeup collection, the highest priced item on it at the moment is my Clinique Even Better Makeup. I purchased it on the recommendation of a Sephora employee, and I do love it as far as liquid makeup goes. I was looking for something that wouldn’t clog my pores, and that would cover up my acne and redness. At $27, it’s not that expensive compared to some items I’ve seen, but it’s more than I had been used to spending.

When my skin began revolting due to adult acne, I started rethinking my skincare routine. I knew that I would have to spend more money on creams, ointments, and moisturizers because my skin demanded quality and care. But this was the only area on which I relented. I still tried to find the best deals, the cheapest brands for the best quality (which, don’t we all, at times?)

Currently, my skincare prices look something like this:

Aczone Gel Prescription: Around $45
Tretinoin Prescription: Around $5
Retin-A Prescription: Around $10
Moisturizer: $9
Cleanser $7

Total: $76 (Give or take a few dollars.)

Not bad, considering my prescriptions last me almost 6 months, and the giant bottle of Neutrogena Cleanser I bought a few months ago is still going strong. These are prices I can deal with, because I feel that investing in my skincare is almost a part of my health. I’m very cautious when it comes to sun care and putting on SPF. As a super pale girl, I slather on as much as I can, even when it’s cloudy out.

What gets me, however, are the items that I don’t have to spend money on, and the pressures that I’m bombarded with daily when I even think about buying any kind of beauty item. That’s why I was sucked into the dupes for so long. Why buy the quality when you can find a cheaper version? (And that’s not to say some drugstore brands aren’t becoming better quality.) But as someone who grew up with a strict budget and started buying most things for herself very early, learning how to budget for things I needed versus things I wanted was one of the lousiest lessons to learn, because it makes you feel awful.
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Minimal Modern Sculpting With the Make Up For Ever Pro Sculpting Collection

March 10th, 2016 by Jessica Revitte 16 Comments

Call me crazy, but for some reason contouring makes me think of classical sculpture.

Trust me, I know I’m a little weird, but there’s something oddly sculptural about watching makeup artists apply deep shades in the hollows of the face and brightening hues on the high points to blend and create a contoured face. And honestly, although I love watching how everything comes together extensive contouring just isn’t for me on a day-to-day basis.

Make Up For Ever has created a range of products ideal for the expert and the contour novice alike: the Pro Sculpting Collection. Each easy-to-blend, easy-to-use product has been made with convenience in mind to subtly accentuate without overdoing it.

The stars of the collection are the Pro Sculpting Face Palettes ($45 each) available in four color combos fully thought out in terms of depth for varying skin tones.

From left to right, each palette offers a matte highlighting shade, a matte contouring shade, an iridescent highlighting shade and a pop of color for the apples of the cheeks. Rather than opting for a challenging powdery formula, each of Make Up For Ever’s four shades are creamy and buildable, meaning that the user is able to control their own destiny. The contour shade buffs to add natural shadows, while the others are equally subtle on the skin. Ideal for fresh-faced fans of light contouring, the Pro Sculpting Palettes give you everything you need in one place.

Make Up For Ever has also included rather untraditional sculpting products in the collection to offer subtle shaping for both lips and brows.

The Pro Sculpting Lip pencils ($27 each) are one part satiny lipstick, one part pearly cream-to-powder highlighter, and are meant to add volume to specific areas of your lips.

Although the combination may seem like a one-trick pony, the highlighter can be applied either over, or under, the lipstick, which creates a different effect, and allows for buildable intensity based on your own preference. And more on that later.

Make Up For Ever has also cleverly paired a brow pencil with a similarly light highlighting powder (and a spoolie!) to create sculpted brows in one three-in-one tool. As far as I’m concerned, the Pro Sculpting Brow pencils ($27 each) are incredibly travel and on-the-go friendly, as everything you need to create the perfect arch is at your fingertips in a single compact tube.

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My Manicure Essentials

March 9th, 2016 by Adia Goss 28 Comments

I love doing my nails. It’s relaxing, and I always feel proud of myself afterward for saving a few dollars (so I can spend it on more makeup, obvs).

That being said, I usually don’t have a ton of time, so here are my essentials to get the job done as quickly and easily as possible.

Nail Clippers and File

Pretty obvious choice, but nothing ruins cute polish like ragged nails. I’ve bought more expensive nail files, but I always go back to these cheap ones that come like a dozen to a box. I like being able to stash these at work, in my purse and in my gym bag. I also use the nail file to clean up the polish around the edges of my nails.

Cuticle Remover

I felt like such a pro the day I incorporated Sally Hansen Instant Cuticle Remover into my manicure routine! I never had the patience to soak my nails in water before pushing back my cuticles, so this product is perfect. I squeeze it around my cuticles, lightly, push them back with my fingers, and then rinse it off. It’s easy and really effective. Sally Hansen Instant Cuticle Remover is available at Target for $5.

Base Coat

I’m always looking for the best base coat, and lately I’ve been reaching for Orly Bonder. I think it works well with different polishes, and I love that it dries quickly.

It’s an extra step, but my nails won’t last more than a day without base coat. Orly Bonder is available at Ulta for $10.

Nail Polish

I’m usually choosing between a neutral and a bold color, but I almost always end up going for the neutral. I’m really hard on my nails, so I like to pick something that won’t show the chips. When I sat down to do my nails the other day, I debated between Golden Sand and Cashmere, both by Mineral Fusion.

I ended up choosing the nude, of course! Golden Sand is a neutral tan with subtle silver shimmer. It’s a unique and really pretty shade. I like how it’s close enough to my skin tone to be subtle but doesn’t look muddy or boring.

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The New Deborah Lippmann Sweets For My Sweet Limited Edition Nail Polish Set

March 9th, 2016 by Nicole Fraser-Herron 16 Comments

Pastel blue nails are my jam. I’ve had my nails painted the same shade (Sugar Fix by Sally Hansen) for about a year now, but when I saw the limited edition Sweets For My Sweet set, mainly that powder blue, My Boy Lollipop, I pretty much lost it.

Pastel blue is my idea of a neutral. I wear a lot of black, grey, and jewel tones, and it serves as a simple surge of energy for any outfit. I like the way it contrasts with red lips, and I think it makes me look slightly tan.

It’s a color that, in my mind, flows through every season. It’s akin to clear skies at the beach during spring and summer and those chilly, but sunny, days during the colder months.

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Rambling Thoughts on Italy’s Two Souls, Feat. Giorgio Armani, Dolce & Gabbana, and Memories of an Amazing Vacation in the Italian Deep South

March 9th, 2016 by Carolina Braina 30 Comments

Giorgio Armani Lip Maestro 400 The Red Dolce & Gabbana Classic Cream Lipstick Devil 620 — Giorgio Armani Lip Maestro in 400 The Red ($38) and Dolce & Gabbana Classic Cream Lipstick in Devil 620 ($34.50)

Italy has two very different souls, which coincide with its geographical extremes — the north (where I live) and the south.

For example, think about Milanese Giorgio Armani and Sicilian Dolce & Gabbana, Italy’s most influential designers… Could they be any more different?

Giorgio Armani perfectly embodies the soul of Milan, Italy’s financial center, located in the north. He is famous for designing everyday clothing for the career woman, and his signature piece is the white-collar uniform par excellence: the suit.

In 2009, he “invented” the always-appropriate greige color, a mix of grey and beige, which has since gained huge popularity in the beauty world as well (hello, Chanel Particulière nail polish!).

And after the ever-impeccable Cate Blanchett became the face of the Sì fragrance in 2013, “King Giorgio” stated that she perfectly represents the woman he designs for. This, in my opinion, says a lot about his style, which I’d personally describe in two words: elegant, understated.

Stefano Dolce and Domenico Gabbana are from Italy’s southernmost region, Sicily, and their creations strongly exude Sicilian passion and tradition. Their most iconic piece is the bustier dress, and Sicilian black lace is their most used fabric. While Armani invented greige, Dolce & Gabbana made leopard print their signature.

Unsurprisingly, the celebrity who had the biggest role in establishing their worldwide popularity was Madonna. The Sicilian duo and the queen of pop share the same provocative, innovative style, a style both sexy and loud.

I think the differences between these designers really do reflect the actual differences between northern and southern Italy.

The north is more heavily industrialized than the south, and there’s more of a feeling that time is money. For instance, in the south, it’s considered rude, when randomly meeting someone you know, to not stop to talk to them extensively, while in the north, doing that is sometimes seen as impolite, because you might be keeping the other person from things they need to do.

The north is more modern, while the South is deeply attached to traditions and religion (I don’t know if you’ve ever noticed, but Dolce & Gabbana’s jewelry collection features lots of cross-shaped earrings and pendants).

People from the south tend to have a flashier style than northerners, who are usually more low-key.

Southerners are often loud and flamboyant, while northerners are more reticent to show their feelings and emotions. Screaming through the window at your friend who lives in the opposite building is perfectly normal in the south, while in the north it’s seen as terrible manners.

Something that you can’t see by just looking at Armani and Dolce & Gabbana is that many southerners are often very hospitable. If you’re ever invited to have dinner at a southern Italian’s, expect it to last five hours, and expect yourself to eat at least half your own body weight in one meal. And if you ever meet someone from the south, rest assured that they are going to invite you to dinner — and there will be no way you’ll be able to decline.

Also, expect acts of gratuitous kindness in southern Italy. A few years ago I went on vacation to Salento (the southernmost part of Italy’s heel) with two friends, and I remember being completely astonished that a gas station attendant had cleaned our dirty windshield for free, without us even asking. Things like that don’t really happen often (read: never) here in the north because, as I said, time is money!

I have truly amazing memories from that vacation in Salento. The beaches were gorgeous, the people were kind and the food was delicious…

Salento Italy Sant'Andrea beach — Sant’Andrea Beach, Salento, Italy

Stuffed Focaccia Salento Italy — A mouth-watering stuffed focaccia, a local specialty

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Hello Kitty and Hello Spring: The Hello Kitty by OPI Spring Collection

March 8th, 2016 by Anna Oh 20 Comments

opi hello kitty spring 2016 — OPI Hello Kitty Spring 2016 Collection

That’s right, everyone, it’s time for spring…nails! Never mind that I am writing this in my fleece slippers while catching up on a particularly gruesome season of The Walking Dead, LOL. I’ve managed to ignore the show for several seasons, but my inner fangirl loves a good binge. My inner fangirl is also super satisfied by this super cute collection by OPI. The new Hello Kitty by OPI Spring 2016 Nail Lacquer ($10 each) collection features 12 amazingly bright and eclectic colors for those ready to kick back in flip-flops.

I have 5 shades from the collection, and in usual OPI style, all of the colors, except for maybe the yellow one, are incredibly opaque and smooth. Spoken from the Heart and Super Cute in Pink, in particular, are what I call “1-coat wonders” and were a dream to apply.

I had a little difficulty with My Twin Mimmy, the yellow cream shade, but, honestly, I’ve never come across a stellar yellow, and after 3 coats it’ll do the job.

Last, but never least, are the surprisingly complex glitters. I get a groovy Austin Powers feel from Kitty White — a super fine icy silver shimmer. This shade was a surprise favorite for me!

Starry-Eyed for Daniel — such an awesome name btw — is an amazing multi-dimensional hot pink glitter. It’s very glittery and very kawaii… I think it’ll be a popular one.

opi hello kitty spring 2016 nail swatches — Nail swatches of the Spring 2016 OPI Hello Kitty Nail Collection

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