Mascara - Most Popular Cosmetic

Even women who usually never wear makeup add a sweep of mascara before they go out, whether it be a black, brown or clear. 

This is a guide to finding a perfect mascara for you! 

Mascara usually comes in two basic forms - waterproof and water-soluble, and then branches off into other categories such as curling, lengthening, they even now come with little fibers to make them look ultra long! But for now, lets just stick to the two basics as mentioned above. 

Waterproof Mascara- Does not dissolve in water, great for people that swim, sweat and want long lasting results.  As great as it sounds, waterproof mascara does have some downfalls. Removing a waterproof mascara can be a real pain and leave you with raccoon eyes ( Black smudges around the eye) the wiping action may pull and break delicate lashes and may also drag the skin around the eye which ultimately causes wrinkles. A makeup remover can be used to remove heavy duty eye makeup, but can leave an oily residue around the eye. 

Water Soluble Mascara- Easy and hassle free to remove, less chemicals than waterproof mascara, but does not last as long as waterproof mascara and it definitely will not last during a swim race or your best friend's wedding. 

Mascara Tips

• If you wear contact lenses or have sensitive eyes, opt for a mascara that says  "Ophthalmologist Tested" basically what that means is that it has been tested by an eye doctor and is OK to use close to and around the eye. 
• Never keep an opened mascara for more than three months. The reason being, is that mascara wands accumulate bacteria just like everything else, and you don't want to keep reapplying bacteria over and over again to your eyes.  GROSS! 
• Never add water to mascara! It may seem like your making it last longer, but your only contaminating it even more! 
• When applying mascara, rather than pumping the mascara wand up and down into the tube, try rotating the mascara wand in the tube, not only will you get more product on the brush, you will also keep your mascara from drying out since your not capturing oxygen in the tube.  

Sephora just came out with this AWESOME kit for everyone looking for the best mascara and overall eye products! 

It is $36.00 and comes with 7 eye products! 

Sweet Summer Must Have!

I have been on the search for the perfect body butter, and I think I have finally found it! 

Korres is a skin care / cosmetic / body line that believes natural formulations that create maximum results. 

For Summer 09' they formulated an awesome body butter that is "Melon" scented. The sweet melon scent literally made me feel like I was lounging in a white sand beach in Greece ; ) 

It smooths on the body without a greasy feel and quickly gets absorbed. A little bit truly goes a long way. 

It is enriched with Shea Butter, Almond, Avocado & Sunflower oils.

 It also has quince, which reminds any stressed skin that everything is going to be just fine.

The jumbo size of this body butter is $29.00 and can be found at:

Sephora.com

Korres.com

If you really love this product you will most likely love their body wash as well, it has the same amazing sweet scent, is enriched with "Active Aloe"- Anti aging and also stimulates collagen and elastin. And has vitamins E, C and Zinc. 

$19.50

luscious lips

nothing is worse than dry-chapped lips...and picking at your lips with your teeth or fingers does not scream attractive.

my tips on keeping your lips l-u-s-c-i-o-u-s:

1. the only person in this world that should NOT drop the habit of lip smacking is ll cool j. but the fact is, frequently licking your lips makes the dry. our lips have a natural protective barrier and saliva contains digestive enzymes that can break down these barriers.

2. exfoliation is key. ever feel you are constantly putting on your lip balm/chapstick on over and over again and nothing seems to do it? that is because you are hydrating the dead skin on your lips and not really getting to your lips.

3. hydrate your smackers not only with the obvious blam of your choice but with water too.

4. protect. spf should not only be on your face and body but on your lips as well.

my favorite product:

la prairie lip renewal
$95

i know that it is a hefty price tag. but, if you really want to splurge and treat your lips this is an amazing product. this really does it all! it will repair, firm, exfoliate and deeply hydrate your lips while reviving your natural lip color.

those that wear lots of lipstick know that overtime, your lips will start to look a bit pale.

i use this product night and day and i've found that i don't have to apply chapstick/lip balms throughout the day because this makes your lips THAT soft and kissable. not only will you appreciate but your significant other because they won't end up with sticky lips.

an alternative for less than $5:
(a quick tip & trick used by many models)



good ol' vaseline. slather a good amount on your lips before going to bed at night and in the morning using a soft toothbrush, manually exfoliate the dead skin off your lips. using a toothbrush on the lips will help temporarily bring blood flow and circulation leaving your lips a bit rosy. last, put on your favorite lip gloss/balm of your choice.

Sula Nail Polish

I came across this interesting nail polish when I was browsing at Ulta. 

Created by Sula, a Canadian based fragrance line, these nail polishes are water based - vibrant hues - that DO NOT need nail polish remover! I wasn't sure how I really feel about these polishes. 

The info that I can offer is that although they are water based, they add a great intensity of color, but since it is water based the color really isn't too long lasting. It does peel off in nice and neat strips. 

Overall, I think its a fun polish but I personally prefer a longer lasting polish. 

Living Proof

Living Proof. No Frizz technology is the first anti- frizz technology in over 30 years!

Living Proof has solved the global "frizz" problem by creating a new molecule, PolyfluoroEster, which targets the two main causes of frizz; humidity and friction.

PolyfluoroEster, is a thin humidity barrier, smaller than silicone, that reduces surface friction and and absorption of water aka humidity. Resulting in, frizz free, light weight, gorgeous hair.

From personal experience of using this product, I can say that after using it the first time my hair was not frizzy, and I have thick super coarse hair!

All you need to do is wash hair and apply cream or spray to damp hair and continue to style.

I think it works better if you use hot tools, such as a blow dryer or flat iron to get maximum results, but letting your hair air dry will do too.

They have different creams / sprays for different hair types. Check the chart above to match your type.

This product costs $24.00 and is well worth every penny!!!

You can find this at:

Sephora.com

LivingProof.com

New Sugar Lip Treatment!

Fresh has just announced the new birth and addition to its Sugar collection - Sugar Rose!

This new lip treatment offers the same great qualities of the original lip treatment (SPF 15 UVA/UVB, hydrates, repairs and protects lips) but now adds a hint of rose to the lips.

What it is WITHOUT:

• Petroleum
• Parabens
• Sulfates
• Synthetic Dyes
• Phthalates

And what's even cooler, is that they dropped the price from 24.00 to 22.50! 

You can find this at:

Sephora.com

 

Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment in Rose just came out and can be found at Sephora

mac facecharts

i won't go into explaining what a facechart is because i know everyone that is reading this blog right now has been to the mac counter. it was one of my favorite things to do besides a makeover to make the day go by. it's was also one of my bigger responsibilities at the counter since i was the facechart specialist. my job was basically to make sure that our facechart book looked fabulous @ all times. also to give my fellow girls guidance, tips & tricks when needed.

here are some samples of my work.

one of my accomplishments @ work. this was chosen to go into a MAC prom lookbook-
which is a compilation of the best facecharts from different counters in my region.

i tried to really focus on making each and every single one different. i was told a while back that the artist tends to create facecharts that'll resemble them in some way or another. i've noticed & have been told in mine that it was the brows. the overall shape is very similar to my own. other than 2 of the lip looks, i've had all of the looks on my own face at one time displayed here in my facecharts. that is really the biggest thing i miss being at a mac counter. it was only there i could get away with having crazy, funky makeup looks on my face. makeup-wise, everyday was halloween! it really pushed the artistry aspect of it all.

so now it goes from my face to yours~

~jenn =)