Empowered Traditionalist

Eyelash curler: I know Eyelash curlers may look like medieval torture instruments, but they really  do what they claim! They curl the lashes, which opens up the eyes and makes them look bigger–and you look wider awake! they’re cheap and easy to find in the drugstore. Just make sure the curler has foam padding, which is the most gentle on the lashes.

An old toothbrush: Recycle your old toothbrush! Use it to brush any excess mascara from your lashes so that you don’t get little raccoonlike “paw prints” under your eyes, or use it to brush unruly eyebrows into place.

Baby wipes/face wipes: Keep a travel pack of wipes in your purse! They’re especially handy on airplanes and cars. Use to remove smudges, take makeup off your hands, and clean your face for a spot touch up if you’re going out straight after work.

Makeup bag: Even if you travel light, with just a lipstick and powder compact, find yourself a small makeup bag to carry them around in. That way you’ll avoid fumbling for your lipstick at inopportune moments!

Note: Caring for your brushes is probably the most important thing to helping them last as long as they should (forever)!  Makeup brushes as well as sponges, powder velours, and puffs should be washed and air-dried thoroughtly on a regular basis, because they can harbor bacteria!! a dirty brush can cause skin breakouts, and cause makeup not to go on evenly. Usually, since sponges are so cheap, i just discard mine after two uses (one on each side) to avoid bacteria buildup or having to clean them.

Soak your brushes in a mix of hot water and antibacterial soap for 10 to 15 minutes and lay them out to air dry. Between cleanings, use tissues to wipe off you brushes. Also, if the bristles begin to stray off in different directions after prolonged use, simply trim them back.

So there you go…the Tools of the Trade! A complete list and description of all your basic essentials!! hope it helps clear up any excess in your life:)

~maresah~

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What brushes are essential?
I know, there are zillions of brushes out there, but over my bit of experience and after much observation backstage at fashion shows and on photo shoots, I’ve concluded that you really need only three of four good brushes and a few basic tools. Your fourth finger, the best tool a person could have, will do the rest!!

Blush brush: Invest in a good medium-size brush with a rounded tip.

powder brush: A large, soft brush will apply face powder or bronzing powder flawlessly. also, use the same brush to remove any excess powder from your face or any eyeshadow fallout that made its way under your eyes to keep from looking like you have dark circles.

Eye shadow brush: A small brush with bristles angled on one side will help you get the line you want when you use powder eye shadow to lne your eyes or shade your lids. it also fills in spotty brows.

lip brush: A lip bursh is tapered on both sides to a rounded point.It not only gives you a perfect lip line and an even applicaion but also prevents waste by scraping the last smidgens of color out of the tube!(that’s the main reason i use mine!) Be sure to look for one with a protective top/cap.

Ok, so now that you have you’re basic brushes, here is a short list of the rest of the tools that will help you apply your makeup easily and more effectively!!

Triangular makeup sponges: these spread foundation or concealer evenly and take it into all those nooks and crannies around the eyes and under the nose.

Circular sponge or velour: the sponge or belour applies pressed pwder lightly and evely. because it pick sup the oils on your face, you should replace it when it looks shenny or caked.

Tweezers: A tweezer last forever, so buy a good one! The best would be one with a pointed or slanted tip, because it is the most versatile and grabs hair easily.

Pencil sharpener: Keeps your eye and lip pencils ready to work! Be sure to periodically clean it out and wipe it down with a bit of rubbing alcohol to disinfect it!

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Good makeup tools are absolutely essential!!
In my opinion, a good brush set is what a good set of knives is to a chef: indispensable. The biggest  makeup hazard to afflict women “the stripe” is literally caused by a bad brush!!

Any woman who wears makeup should make a small investment in a few good, natural-bristle brushes. Seriously, good brushes (if well cared for) will literally last a lifetime. They’ll also help your makeup go on more easily and look a lot better no matter how “cheap” it is!

The best brushes are made of natural bristle such as sable, goat, or squirrel. All have a common cuticle on the hairs that “grab” the powder or blush and allow it to go on more evenly.  Synthetic brushes, though cheap, aren’t supple enough for a smooth application. They usually cause streaks, and are almost impossible to clean!

Note: Soft bristles work best for a soft look. but if a brush is too soft, it won’t be able to pick up and put down color. If  it’s too hard, it won’t feel good and could irritate your skin.

To find a good brush, try before you buy!
1) If a brush sheds more than a few bristles when you run it along the back of your hand, the quality is bad.
2) Gently pull on the bristles, if more than a few come away in your hand….don’t buy it!

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That soft Spring colorwave is showing strong in the makeup trends this year as well. Try one of these soft peaches to give that soft definition to the lips.

Do:

- Peach is nearly universally flattering, but avoid strong orange based tones with cool skin tones.

- Have fun with bolder eye -makeup. With a champagne lip, you have the room to build a dynamic eye.

Don’t:

-forget to line your lips before lip application. It makes 100% difference in the finished result.

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Well, the experts say brown is on the rise for Spring 10. Can’t say I mind, I like brown. Neutral, goes with everything. What’s not to like?

Go cool:

Makeup artists Matin says cool browns are most flattering: “Warm browns—like orange or brick tinted ones—look beautiful on some girls, but if you don’t have white teeth they can be detrimental to your smile.”

Mauve Tinted Brown:

Instead, makeup artist Gucci Westman says to go for a mauve-tinted brown. “There’s a bluish purple undertone to it,” says the Revlon global artistic director, who applied Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Chocolate Velvet on models at Richard Chai’s spring 2010 show. “I always love how it looks, and it works with just about every skin tone.”

_______

Get a fresh tube for Spring- $7.99 at your local drugstore.

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Sometimes it’s the little things that can really help our skin routines-

Chanel’s makeup up artist Peter Phillips shares one of his secrets: “Aquaphor takes the creases out of lips so you can get smooth, rich color.”

Aquaphor Healing ointment, $6 at drugstores.

That’s my kind of price.

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I’ve been thinking about foundation lately. I’m a light user and like to keep my skin dewy and “cake free”. Foundation is the basis of every makeup look, the better your base, the happier you’ll be overall.

 Do: 

-Always slather on moisturizer first, remove excess with a cotton ball.

-Apply concealer where needed

-Apply color with your fingertips, smoothing outward.

-A darker shade around the sides of the face and slightly lighter one on the cheekbones and nose to catch the light.

Don’t:

-Wear too dark a shade of foundation, you’ll look like you just walked out a fake tanning booth.

-too much bronzer. A light dusting of bronzer can give you some warmth in the winter drabs, but an overdose can be fatal.

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A couple weeks ago our dear Maresah blogged on several companies that feature natural skin and face products.

This week we are highlighting a face mask from Arbonne as a giveaway to our readers.

Not to be left out in the dark, I decided to try a bottle of the product for myself. And i can tell you, this stuff is powerful! Not only does it rejuvenate the skin, it helps clean out all those pesky dead skin cells that cause black heads! The bottle recommends once a week, which means it’s going to last for a long time. ::happy sigh::

$45 dollar value. No, it’s not cheap (natural products never are) Which is why you should enter the giveaway!

Giveaway ends the 22nd. If you post a link from Facebook, twitter or your own blog we’ll enter your name twice.

*Leave a comment to enter, we will track your site links through our blog back-end. Let us know you posted a link and we’ll be able to match the link to the entry.

CONGRATULATIONS TO ENTRY #60, Emily at Glenn Fashions- YOU WON THE ARBONNE MASK. !

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Q: Would you like a straight up answer?

A: Curl them BEFORE you apply mascara!!

Whew, now that we got that out on the table, let me give you just a few pointers.

Curling the lashes is a simple 3 step process, again, done BEFORE the application of mascara.

Step 1. Position lash curler as close as possible to the base of the top lashes and curl (if you are too close, however, you can risk pulling lashes out so be careful).

Step 2. Slide curler half way down lashes and again, curl.

Step 3. Slide curler to the tips of the lashes and again, curl.

Now that you have completed the proper lash curling steps, go ahead and apply your preferred mascara!

Has anyone experienced an “oops” moment with their lash curler? Feel free to share…..I’m sure we’ve all done a similar thing at one point or another: )

~maresah~

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Seems pretty simple right? well, it could be if you knew all the things that make this situation go wrong!

so, i’ll make this a simple 1, 2, 3…..4 stepper : )

1) SWIRL! the wand in the tube! pumping the wand causes air to get trapped in the tube and therefore produces unnecessary drying and, as we all know what happens after that, flaky, clumpy mascara…..ewww.

step 2) Start with the weaker side! It never fails that one side looks better than the other, right? Well try starting with your weak side (like if you’re right-handed, do the left eyelashes first) it will then be much easier to manipulate your strong side to match!

step 3) Apply to TOP lashes first! Start with the top lashes of one eye then proceed to apply remaining mascara on the lower lashes of that eye before re-swirling the wand to avoid excess product on those tender hairs.  THEN, re-swirl the wand and apply to the other side.

step 4) Wiggle don’t flick! this change of motion will help give a much more clean look, and help prevent missing the lashes and smearing the skin. Start at the outer edge base of the lashes and wiggle side to side as you sweep up to the tips. continue working your way towards the center. Same goes for the bottom lashes. Starting with the outer edge, work towards the center, wiggling base to tip.  For a fuller look, reapply a second coat. Although, you should find that by wiggling, you will apply more product than with flicking, and therefore should be able to avoid having to apply a second coat.

Give this a try and let me know any differences you find!!

~ Maresah ~

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