Foundation: To Use or Not to Use?

That is the question!

There are quite a few products that simply complete a look. Even on days when I'm in a rush, I always try to fill in my brows, apply a coat of mascara to my lashes, and pop a moisturizing tinted lip balm on my lips. Certain products or steps are what make a certain look complete. Foundation, however, is NOT a must-have.

In a world of beauty, where you can find any makeup look with a search in Google or YouTube, it's easy to get caught up in the hype, or even the steps. Regardless of which steps each person takes first, there are always key elements in each video to complete these looks, and although the looks come out wonderfully, this often leads most watchers or readers thinking if they don't do those steps the look won't come out the same. The fact of the matter is, depending on your skin, you can skip a major step: Foundation.

There are likely those out there with skin blemishes or discoloration who are screaming at me now, but rest-assured I am not telling you to give it up (although it could only help, allowing your skin to breathe). If you have minor skin discoloration, or just a blemish here and there, this advice is for YOU! It's easy to feel like you have to do a full face of foundation to even out your skin, but you don't! As long as you have a matching concealer you can simply cover your blemishes or discoloration, making sure to blend out the edges, set your whole face with powder, and you're set! This will help out your skin, because come on, why would you want to add more layers to your skin than what's necessary?

How To: Custom Lip Color Palette

I don't know about you, but I have a ton of lipstick. So much that when I open my lipstick drawer I am immediately overwhelmed with all of the options. Not only that, but I'm super annoyed that the packaging on some does not allow me to see what the color actually is. So, instead of sifting through to find my favorite color, I figured it was time to customize a palette.

The following are instructions to help you create your own custom lip color palette:

Step 1: Order a ZPalette. (www.zpalette.com) They are empty magnetic palettes, with a clear window on the lid, that you can fill with pans of makeup using tin pans or magnets. Each large palette is $20, and comes with round flat tin pieces to stick to any pan that is not magnetic. Plus, you can get fun designs, like leopard or zebra print! They even have larger palettes to fit more shadows, or the domed baked shadows and blushes, as well as smaller palettes to create custom travel sized palettes.

Step 2: Order empty tin makeup pans. We recommend the ones at TKB Trading. (www.tkbtrading.com) You can get 100 26mm round pans for $12.00! Not only that, but they also have mixing kits to make your OWN makeup products! How fun!

Step 3: Grab a butter knife, small makeup spatula (or any tool you can use to scrape lipstick from it's tube), a spoon, a plate, and a lighter.

Step 4: Using your butter knife, cut the lipstick right at the base, and place the solid shaped piece on a clean plate. This allows you to get the product in the bottom of the tube without ruining the classic shape of your lipstick, as you won't be using the entire tube.

Step 5: Grab your spatula (or tool of your choice) and scoop out the contents of the inner tube and place them in your clean, metal spoon. Using the lighter, place it a few inches below the spoon. Allow the heat from the lighter to heat up the bowl of the spoon, which will melt the lipstick.

Step 6: Once the lipstick is completely melted, grab an empty makeup tin pan and pour the melted lipstick inside. Be careful not to fill it to the top, as it will slightly expand once it cools and returns to its solid state. (If you have leftover lipstick liquid, pour it into the lipstick tube you emptied and place the shaped solid piece back inside. Once cool it will help secure the lipstick back into the tube, making it look like it never even happened!)

Step 7: As soon as your pan of lipstick is cool, and the lipstick has returned to a solid state, pop it in your zpalette!

Tada!

You now have a customized lip color palette of all your favorite colors! You can organize the colors however you want, and have a constant, easy to use, supply at your fingertips when doing yours or others makeup! Get creative and have fun!

Makeup Expiration

It's Spring time ladies (and gents), and you know what that means, right? Spring cleaning! Most people aren't even aware, nowadays, that their makeup has an expiration date. In fact, I'm pretty sure I held on to a lot of products well past the expiration when I was a few years younger. The fact of the matter is, if we want to take care of the beautiful canvas we have for makeup, we need to make sure the products we are using aren't passed their prime.

There is a typical rule of thumb for general categories of makeup, but you can also find the expiration labeled on most of your products. It is typically a small symbol that looks similar to a jar of loose mineral setting powder, and will have a number in the center. That number is the number of months you have to use the product before it is considered expired. However, expiration dates range from product to product, company to company, so here is general rule list for basic categories:

Foundation: There are two types of foundations; water based and oil based. A water based foundation will last up to 12 months. An oil based foundation will last up to 18 months. However, keep in mind that, depending on where you live and the amount of sun exposure you get, your skin tone will change between the summer and winter seasons, so it is likely you'll only get to use your specific tone for around 6 months at a time. (Helpful Tip: If your water based foundation becomes dry before it's expiration date, add in a few drops of alcohol-free toner and shake to mix.)

Concealer: Like water based foundation, concealers can last up to 12 months.

Powder: The expiration for setting powders is 24 months, however, pressed powders can last up to 36 months . Why? It's simple. A loose powder has multiple opportunities to be exposed to bacteria in the air, whereas a pressed powder is only exposed on its top layer.

Eyeshadow & Blush: Like setting powders, the typical consensus for eyeshadows and blush depends on how it's presented. If you're working with a loose pigment it's best to toss those products at 24 months. If it's a pressed eyeshadow or blush, you can make it last up to 36 months.

Pencil Liners: Whether it's eyeliner or lip liner, it's best to toss your pencils after 36 months of use.

Mascara: This product has the fastest expiration date, typically around 6 months, depending on the care that is taken with the product. To make your mascara last those full 6 months, try to avoid pumping it into the barrel. This action causes air to go into the tube and dry out the product, as well as pushing in more bacteria than is necessary. Instead, stick the wand in the barrel once and swirl it around to capture the product.

Lipstick: Lipstick is best used for up to 24 months, however, some brands can expire before their prime depending on the amount of use and exposure to the air. Remember that your nose is one of the best tools in determining if your lipstick is still good. If it smells funky, toss it! (Helpful Tip: Store your lipsticks in the fridge to push the expiration to 36 months.)

Creme Products: This includes creme shadows, blushes, gel liners, paint pots, and things of that sort. Like foundations and concealers, this product is very moisture based and should only be used up to 12 months.

Nail Polish: The general rule for nail polish is 12 months, however, should your polish start to dry up beforehand, you can purchase nail polish thinners from your local beauty supply store. A little bit goes a long way in renewing the life of your pretty polish.

I hope this list proves helpful as you dive into your treasure trove of products. Happy Spring Cleaning!

Home Remedy for Dry, Weak Hair

Is your hair dry and weak? Is your conditioner just not cutting it? There are alternatives that most people don’t even consider. Try looking in your fridge. Do you have mayonnaise? There you have it. That (along with some water and shampoo) is all you need to help moisturize your hair and keep it soft and shiny.

1.       Use a spray bottle to dampen your hair with water.

2.       Apply mayonnaise to your hair, making sure to work it into the roots. Use a fine toothed comb to help get the mayo through all the strands of hair.

3.       Once your hair is completely covered, let the mayonnaise sit for thirty (30) minutes.

4.       Once those thirty (30) minutes are up, shampoo and rinse your hair. You may need to shampoo and rinse it a second time, depending on how greasy the mayonnaise is.

5.       Let your hair air dry. Once you’re done your hair should be soft and shiny.

Kitty Litter Mask

It sounds disgusting, right?! Who in their right mind would put kitty litter on their face? I would. The basic ingredient of unscented kitty litter is Bentonite clay, which is from volcanic ash. This clay is very rich in minerals and acts as a magnet for toxins. If it helps, call the litter clay. ;)

1.       Start off with a clean face.

2.       Purchase unscented cat litter.

3.       Put 2 tablespoons of litter into a mixing bowl.

4.       Add a small amount of water, just enough to cover the litter and for it to appear muddy.

5.       Add any key ingredients you like, such as oils or aloe vera.

6.       Mix well. It should still be a bit watery but should look muddy as well.

7.       Put the mixture in the microwave for twenty (20) seconds to warm it up. The heat will help open the pores, making it easier for the mixture to get down into them to remove more toxins.

8.       Apply the mixture to your face. Be sure to just apply the watery part and not the little pebbles/rocks.

9.       Let the mask dry. This usually takes about fifteen (15) minutes. After the first five (5) minutes, you should feel a tingly feeling across your face.

10.   Rinse off with warm water, towel dry and apply your favorite moisturizer.

Let's Talk Color

In any sort of design—fashion, makeup, hair, interior, etc.—color is a central theme. You wouldn’t paint one wall magenta and another wall lime green. It just doesn’t mesh well together. Being knowledgable about color and how it works is essential in any of the previously mentioned careers. Since not everyone can afford to take art classes, this entry will cover the basics on color theory and how to apply it to makeup.

Let’s break colors down:

PRIMARY COLORS-Primary colors are colors that cannot be made by combining colors together. Primary colors consist of YELLOW, RED and BLUE.

SECONDARY COLORS-Secondary colors are colors that are made by combining two primary colors. Secondary colors consist of GREEN, ORANGE and VIOLET.

TERTIARY COLORS-Tertiary colors are colors that are made by combining a primary color with the secondary color adjacent to it. 

Tertiary colors consist of RED-ORANGE, YELLOW-ORANGE, YELLOW-GREEN, BLUE-GREEN, INDIGO, and MAGENTA.

Now let’s break down a few details:

SHADES-Shades occur when you mix a color with black.

TINTS-Tints occur when you mix a color with white.

NEUTRAL COLORS-If you drew an invisible line down the middle of the color wheel, through purple and yellow, that consists of your neutral colors.

WARM COLORS-Warm colors consist of yellow, red, orange, and violet.

COOL COLORS-Cool colors consist of yellow, green, blue, and violet.

You may have noticed that yellow and violet fall into cool and warm colors. This is because they are neutral colors and have an equal balance of those warm and cool colors.

The best way to make eyes stand out is to go with a complimentary color. For example, if you have blue eyes your complimentary color (the color directly across on the color wheel) would be orange. The closer the colors are to orange the more your eye color will pop. Here is a chart to help when deciding what colors are best to use with your eye color:

I hope this entry helps you when picking colors for your eyes. If all else fails, experiment! Your eyes are custom to you, so it never hurts to have a little fun!

Beauty on a Budget

Let's face the facts. We all can't afford to shell out $50.00 for that Naked 2 Eyeshadow Palette, or $20-$30 on a MAC eyeshadow brush. Although they are nice treats to work towards, for those of us who use makeup on a day to day basis, it just isn't feasible. We all know that you get what you pay for, but what if I could tell you there are products out there that have great payoff on your face, and are kinder to your wallet than those large beauty brands found at your local Ulta or Sephora?

With today's economy failing, and gas prices rising even before we can blink, it's important to explore your options. Drugstore makeup can offer a great color payoff, and save a few of those extra dollars to put towards your tank, but there are other alternatives for shopping if you're willing to wait a few days. The following is a short sample list of products that can be found at your local drugstores (NYX can be found at Ulta if it is not sold in your drugstore.) that offer great color payoff and longevity, and the comparison price from my favorite discounted makeup website:

(BeautyJoint refers to the website, www.beautyjoint.com.)

NYX Round Lipstick 
Retail: $4.00
BeautyJoint: $2.50

NYX Single Eye Shadows
Retail: $5.00
BeautyJoint: $4.75

NYX Fly With Me Mascara
Retail: $12.00
BeautyJoint: $11.50

Milani Color Perfect Lipstick
Retail: $5.49
BeautyJoint: $3.99

Milani Runway Eye Shadows
Retail: $6.99
BeautyJoint: $4.99

Milani Distinct Lash Mascara
Retail: $6.99
BeautyJoint: $6.25

Those are just a few comparisons, out of many, from one website. A simple Google search can bring up loads of websites for discounted makeup. All it takes is a bit of research and you'll be saving money on your favorite products in no time.