Guest Post

With Laura Mercier Colour Dots and Baked Blush Illuminé, You Get the Glowing Cheeks of a Girl From an Impressionist Painting

May 25th, 2016 by Jessica Revitte 9 Comments

I’m often inspired by art when I get ready in the morning — and not always modern art, à la Andy Warhol or iconic images of Twiggy — but sometimes, like during the deepest and darkest parts of winter, I’ll think of a novel or a particular Renaissance painting and try to recreate the spirit of the work or, if it’s a portrait, the glow surrounding the subject.

Sometimes with Laura Mercier I think of impressionist paintings, and it’s not hard to see similarities between some of Laura Mercier’s muted greens, steel blues and rich sienna browns and a color palette used by Claude Monet, right?

That’s perfect for me, as I love that romantic flush on the faces of so many impressionistic heroines. If you gaze at a Renior, you’re sure to see a glowing rose pink, and when my skin is at its most sallow or pale during the winter months, that’s the look I most like to create with my blush.

Thanks to the new Laura Mercier Colour Dots ($32) and Baked Blush Illuminé in Rose ($42), I’ll be glowing like a painting for months.

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The Orange Beauty Edit

May 25th, 2016 by Carolina Braina 25 Comments

Orange Beauty Products — A few of my favorite orange beauty products

I LUUURVE orange.

To me it is such a mood- and energy-boosting color… It makes me think of a summer sunset on the beach, when the sun is an orange ball of fire and everything looks magically better in its warm light.

Since orange-toned makeup is my favorite to wear at this time of the year, today I thought I’d tell you about some of my favorite products in this fun, energetic hue, including a couple of non-makeup extras.

Let’s dive right in!

Tom Ford Lip Color Matte in Flame ($52)

Tom Ford Lip Color Matte Flame Swatch — Wearing the Tom Ford Lip Color Matte in Flame on my lips, the MADINA Prisma Blush in 03 on my cheeks, and the Essie Nail Polish in Fifth Avenue on my nails

I can’t even begin to tell you how much I love this lipstick. I don’t know if it’s because it’s called ‘Flame’ (apparently, I have a thing for makeup products whose names evoke fire or places in North Africa… – don’t ask), or because I got it last time I visited my favorite city in the world (AKA the City by the Bay), or because of its perfect point of red-orange that I like to wear no matter the season or time of the day… All I know is that I love it with my heart and soul, and if I had to keep only one lipstick out of my entire collection (oh gawd, the thought of giving up all my lipsticks but one is beyond horrifying… Why did I even go there?!), it would most likely be this one.

The Tom Ford Lip Color Matte in Flame is the lipstick I chose to ring in my third decade on this planet, and it remained pretty much intact through an Italian-style BBQ, two desserts and numerous toasts.

Despite having a bomb staying power, it’s very comfortable on the lips and doesn’t dry them out…

Did I mention that I LOVE it?

Maybelline Color Sensational The Creamy Mattes in Craving Coral ($7.99)

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A Pink Eyeshadow Makeup Tutorial

May 24th, 2016 by Jen Clark 10 Comments

How I rock pink eyeshadow — Loving the pink eye shadow look!

Not long ago, Anna, Adia and I collaborated on how we rock pink eyeshadow, and many of you wanted to know how I got my look! I loved it too, so I thought I would do a quick tutorial. It’s actually super easy.

If you saw the other post, you’ll know that I mostly used the e.l.f Blush Palette in Light.

Are you ready? Here we go!

To start, blend the lightest pink blush in the palette into and slightly above your crease using a fluffy blending brush.

Bright pink eyeshadow tutorial — Top left shade in the e.l.f Blush Palette

Next, once you have that blended out really well, using a blending brush that’s a little more dense, place the bottom left shade from the palette all over your lid, and blend it into the crease.

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These Shade Adjusting Drops From The Body Shop Are Kind of…Awesome!

May 24th, 2016 by Adia Goss 19 Comments

the body shop shade adjusting drops — Feeling like a cosmetic chemist with The Body Shop’s Shade Adjusting Drops ($20 each, available in two shades)!

And they work very, very well, but I almost didn’t give them a try at all, because I think they’re something you probably don’t really “need.” Once you’ve got them, though, you find yourself reaching for them over and over again.

I’ve been seeing pictures and reviews of them floating around online, and I thought, “Neat,” but I wasn’t moved to rush out and buy them immediately.

Sure, I was intrigued. They’re supposed to transform an almost right face makeup shade into something perfect, but I wondered if they’d also affect the performance of my foundations. And I also thought it would just be easier to go get the right foundation shade in the first place (amiright?).

After playing around with them for a couple of weeks, I’m convinced now that they really are a cool product.

body shop shade adjusting drops — The Shade Adjusting Drops from The Body Shop ($20 each, available in Lightening Shade 41523 and Darkening Shade 41524)

The Lightening ones are meant to be used if your foundation shade looks too dark or orange, and they have a mix of white and pink pigments to neutralize yellowness and also lighten your foundation. One drop will lighten your foundation by about 1/2 a shade.

The Darkening ones work for when your foundation looks too light or ashy, and they have a mix of black and red pigments. And one drop will darken your foundation by about 1/2 a shade.

When I first heard about these, I assumed I’d be using the Darkening drops, because I tan super easily, and each of my six or so foundations are slightly different colors because of this. When I lived in New York, my skin tone differed pretty dramatically due to the long stretches without any sunlight whatsoever (you know, winter). Even within a single brand like NARS, my three foundations are in different shades, just because I was a slightly different color each day I happened to walk into the store to buy them (here are swatches in this post).

But it turns out that I’ve actually been reaching for the Lightening drops more often, and I use them to make one of my favorite summertime foundations wearable for me right now.

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The Too Faced Cocoa Contour Palette, With Its Simple, Logical Layout, Is Almost Perfect!

May 24th, 2016 by Anna Oh 19 Comments

The words “contouring” and “easy” don’t usually fit into the same sentence for me, but I think it is possible to have them both with this particular popular palette: the Too Faced Cocoa Contour Palette ($40).

Most contouring palettes have a LOT going on, but this one has such a logical, simple layout. It only has four pans, but it always comes in handy, no matter if I feel like wearing a little makeup or a lot. Contouring has never been a part of my daily makeup routine, but I’m surprised by how quickly I’ve grown to like using this palette!

too faced cocoa contour buki brush — The super soft contour buki brush is included with the palette

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Wearing Grey Lipstick on the Subway in New York Gave Me a Confidence Boost That Has Lasted for Days

May 24th, 2016 by Marcella Yakalis 22 Comments

Wearing MAC Halsey and Sephora Collection Liquid Eyeliner while sporting my public transit “perpetual gaze…”

I didn’t grow up in a big city, and getting used to riding public transit here was very difficult for me.

Dealing with massive numbers of anxious people in very close quarters is not something I enjoy doing. Sometimes it can be very stressful for me, and it can also make you feel incredibly invisible at times, which is sometimes for the best…depending on how I feel.

But I’ve been wanting to see what would happen if I called more attention to myself.

I regularly take the subway, and I’ll often ride the bus when I’m just going between neighborhoods close to home. Over the last few weeks, I’ve been experimenting with wearing bolder colors while I’m out, and that includes while I’m riding public transportation.

Calling attention to myself has never been something I’ve been comfortable with. I’m very unlike my astrological sign that way. As a Leo, I’m supposed to be an attention seeker. I’m supposed love being on center stage — dramatic, creative, and outgoing.

In some ways, I think that fits me, but not in terms of me being outgoing. I think I’m a contradiction in the way I present myself — how I dress, choice of clothing, style of hair, choice of makeup.

By choosing bolder colors these past few weeks, I’m trying to be more “present” in my own world. Even if I’m the only person who notices, someone is still noticing and appreciating, right?

From top to bottom MAC Versicolor Lip Stain in Perpetual Holiday, Maybelline Vivid Matte Liquid Lipstick in Berry Boost, Manic Panic Lip Locked Lipstick in Mystic Heather and MAC Halsey — A selection of my color choices over the last few weeks, from top to bottom: MAC Versicolor Lip Stain in Perpetual Holiday, Maybelline Vivid Matte Liquid Lipstick in Berry Boost, Manic Panic Lip Locked Lipstick in Mystic Heather and MAC Halsey

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With the LORAC Light Source Illuminating Highlighters, the Light Source Will Be Cheekbones

May 23rd, 2016 by Jessica Revitte 11 Comments

Wearing a mixture of LORAC Starlight and Twilight — Wearing a mixture of the LORAC Light Source Illuminating Highlighters in Starlight and Twilight ($22 each)

I don’t know about you, but I think that when we look back at the “teens” (2010-2019), we’re going to remember this era as an era with some very distinct makeup trends, like contouring (duh), strong brows, probably lip plumping and, of course, lots and LOTS of highlighter.

I’m talkin’ more highlighter than J. Lo wore in the early 2000s.

What was once a product that I didn’t think much about has now become one of my favorite products. I have many of them, but I never seem to have enough.

“Why yes, I do need seven champagne-toned highlighters. Thank you for asking.”

Nothing excites me more blingy “in your face” glow products like LORAC’s Summer 2016 Light Source Illuminating Highlighters.

Like the Hourglass Ambient Powders, they’re highly shiny, finely milled powders based around various lighting conditions to give you a gorgeous, radiant glow, and they come in four $22 shades — Starlight, a white opal; Daylight, a soft gold; Twilight, a light bronze; and Moonlight, a pinky pearl.

LORAC also infused the silky powders with anti-aging antioxidants!

LORAC Light Source Illuminating Highlighters (L-R): Twilight, Starlight

Lorac Light Source Illuminating Highlighter swatches — LORAC Light Source Illuminating Highlighters (L-R): Twilight, Starlight

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General Tips and Product Recommendations for Oily Skin

May 23rd, 2016 by Carolina Braina 32 Comments

Oily Skin Tips Products — Having oily skin, blotting paper is like an extension of my hand, LOL!

After battling oily skin my whole life (well, since my teens, more like), I think I’ve finally come to terms with it. For the way I see it, you just can’t win a battle against oily skin, so the sooner you realize and accept it, the better.

I mean, think about it. If you have oily skin, it means that your sebaceous glands produce more oil than normal… Do you really think you can change the amount of sebum you produce just by applying something on top of your skin? I don’t know about you, but I personally don’t think that’s possible.

You can use products containing oil-absorbing ingredients that do help a little, but if you really have oily skin, nothing will keep you shine-free all day. What I try to do is use products that won’t make me oilier, which unfortunately, in my experience, is not as easy as it sounds, especially because many products specifically formulated for oily skin on me have opposite effects than they promise.

But luckily, after about 15 years of trial and error, I can now say that I’m finally satisfied with my skincare regimen, and today I’d like to give you a few general tips and product recommendations that I hope may be beneficial to at least some of you.

At which point I’ll insert the usual disclaimer: I’m not a dermatologist, and all the advice and recommendations in this post are solely based on my personal experience. Obviously, what works for me might not work for you.

That being said, if you have oily skin and are not satisfied with your skincare, the following tips and products might inspire you to change something in your routine that will hopefully help keep your skin under control.

Cleanse with gentle, yet effective products

You’ve probably heard it a million times already, but I’ll tell you for the million-and-oneth: cleansing properly is essential to keep your skin healthy. As an oily-skinned gal, it’s important you find the right products that get rid of any excess oil without being too stripping.

The Tata Harper Purifying Cleanser fits the bill perfectly. It’s not one of those cleansers you remove your makeup with (for that I love my Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm – been using it for years!), but it’s great in the morning (which is my favorite time to use it) or as a second cleanse at night.

Opt for an alcohol-free toner

The Clinique Mild Clarifying Lotion is alcohol-free and contains salicylic acid, a chemical exfoliant that helps prevent any blemishes

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