Posted by Angelica Chayes on Fri, Jul 16, 2010 @ 12:59 PM
Oily skin plagues many of us year round, but it gets worse with summer heat and humidity. Even those of us who don't consider ourselves oily might be surprised and dismayed by a beaming forehead in a photo (when can I renew my passport?!). Just in time, jane iredale has launched its super-duper HD-ready matifying powder in not one but FOUR shades! Why four?
Translucent is ideal for light to medium skin tones
Dark is perfect for medium to dark skin tones, and also makes a great bronzer.
Lilac does wonders to brighten sallow complexions,
and Peach warms up pale skin.
One time someone asked me how to get a dewy-matte look. I was stumped, but thankfully I have a team of experts to whom I can refer. Here are some great tips for how to achieve different matte finishes by using different brushes:
• To get a red-carpet, HD-ready look that is totally matte with a velvety smooth finish on the skin, apply Beyond Matte with the Chisel Powder Brush.
• For a medium matte finish, dust it on with the Blending Brush. This deposits slightly less powder on the skin for a clean, sophisicated look.
• To leave a little glow on the skin (the elusive dewy-matte!), apply Beyond Matte with the Fan Brush. This leaves just a hint of product on the skin for a natural, luminous finish.
And if that's not enough, here are a few extra tricks from the experts:
• For a controlled glow, apply Beyond Matte to the center of cheeks, nose, forehead and chin - the often shiny T-zone.
• Thinking forward to fall's dramatic lips, you can make your stand by lipstick more vivid by applying Beyond Matte over the entire mouth area with your brush before applying lip color.
• To tone down shimmery eye shadow, apply Beyond Matte right on top with the Large Shader Brush.
Posted by Angelica Chayes on Thu, Jul 08, 2010 @ 04:09 PM
This week I am so happy to introduce a guest blogger, our own Creative Brand Designer (and trend spotter extraordinaire) Courtney Maum. Here is her wonderful and timely advice about how to avoid bronzer baddies and look like a golden goddess all summer (and all year) long.
Bronzer Blunders: 4 tips to get your glow on (correctly) this summer
If ever there was a dividing line between girls-in-the-know and girls-in-the-no-no, it would be drawn with bronzer. When it’s used correctly, bronzer gives us ladies an immediate allure of sun-kissed sensuality. When it’s used incorrectly, well…the word oompa-loompa comes to mind.
Here’s how to turn bronzer blunders into bronzer wonders in no time flat.
Follow the sun: Make sure to apply sun-kissed color where the sun would kiss you. Stick to the cheeks and the bridge of the nose, and avoid the jawline. Better still, follow the sun outside and bring a mirror with you. If you look “dirty” or “orange”, go back inside and tone things down.
Remember you have a neck: And you have a nice one! Your face should never be a different color than the rest of you. Don’t trust a compact mirror to tell you whether or not you’re ready to step out into the wide, wide world. Trust a full size mirror, or an honest friend.
Know when to shine: I love me some shimmer. Who doesn’t? But I recently saw a picture of myself rocking a golden goddess look during the après-midi, and you know what? Instead of shimmer, I saw shine. So unless you’re so fabulous you spend your days flitting from one red carpet to the next, stick to a matte look for the daytime, and shimmer for playtime.
Hot tips:
- Pressed powders are ideal for a matte, daytime-appropriate look. (Try So-Bronze 1 for classic terra-cotta color with gold mica flecks so teeny tiny, they add glow, rather than sparkle).
- When the magic hour hits, reach for 24-Karat Gold Dust to give a delicately gilded look to cheeks, eyes and lips. But don't stop there – mix it with a moisturizer for the décolleté or into styling product for your hair!
Do the Duo: A bronzer and blush combo is the easiest way to get a natural looking flush with just the right amount of shimmer. A large brush, like the Kabuki, will pick up the perfect dose of color to give your face a warm, multidimensional look.
Hot tips:
- So-Bronze 1 and So-Bronze 2 offer a blush and a bronzer in one pretty package, while Moonglow and Sunbeam feature four different shades so you can blend your way to beautiful.
Glow on, girls!
Posted by Angelica Chayes on Fri, Apr 30, 2010 @ 07:41 AM
When I was little, I used to do my mother's makeup before she had a dinner party or an evening out. My mom is that woman who looks effortlessly gorgeous with just a swipe of lipstick, but she loved a little glamour and I have always loved to do makeup. I would sit her on the edge of the tub and carefully apply eyeliner, mascara, shadow and a hint of blush. These were beautiful moments of hushed togetherness in which I could give something back to my mom.
Maybe your mom is the one who taught you how to use makeup, but could use an update. Or perhaps she doesn't wear much makeup at all. In any case if you are reading this blog, you must love makeup. What better way to give your mother a little time and attention, not to mention a beautiful boost to her self-esteem, than to give her a makeover?
Sunbeam (or Moonglow) is a perfect place to start because it does so much with so little effort. Use it to add a hint of light and warmth to the face of even the most no-fuss mom. Just swirl the White Fan Brush around in all four colors, and sweep over cheekbones, eyelids, hairline and temples. Or go for the glam and create an entire look with it:
For eyes:
- Use the Large Shader Brush to apply the lightest shade on the entire lid, from lashes to brow. This adds light and lift to the eye area.
- Choose one of the darker shades to add a little color just above the crease. Use a light hand with any contouring: we don't want to accentuate any hollows in the eye area.
- The darkest brown shade adds just a touch of definition to the outer corner. Use the Eye Shader Brush to press a tiny bit of the darker brown shade to the outer third of they eye.
- This shade can also be applied with a moist Detail Brush as a soft eyeliner around the outer third of the upper and lower lashes.
- Finish the eyes with Longest Lash Mascara. My mother, who hasn't used mascara in years, fell in love with this when I gave it to her. Lashes look naturally long, full and feathery, no spider lashes here; but most importantly it conditions the lashes to keep them strong and healthy. Try a softer shade such as Slate Grey or Espresso if black mascara looks too harsh.
For Cheeks
- Use the White Fan Brush for a softer look or the Dome Brush for more color. Choose just the pink shade or swirl it in all four shades for a multi-dimensional glow. Get your mom to smile (that should be easy) and dust it over the apples of her cheeks.
- Highlight the tops of cheekbones, the temples and the hairline with the lightest shade, or again, swirl in some of the other lighter shades.
For Lips
Here is a video that shows how to get an entire look using these products. The lucky girl having her makeup done is a busy single mother of two ;)
Posted by Angelica Chayes on Tue, Jun 09, 2009 @ 05:25 PM
OK, so summer is here and I know many of us are tempted to run outside and try to "get some color." Well, there is no such thing as a healthy tan, but here is a great tip to give your legs (arms, etc.) a gorgeous glow:
Take Brush-Me-Bronze and lightly cover the legs, arms or other area you want to bronze (don't be alarmed; it will blend out!). Mist about three sprays of D2O (or your favorite Hydration Spray) to the area and blend product out with the Blending Brush. This fabulous makeup tip comes from Tricia C, Makeup Artist extrordinaire and Director of Education.