beauty bitz

This season, the fashion runways are lit with color!...

From clothes to accessories, bright is the new bling, and the bling palette of choice is... NEON. Effervescent yellows, peachs, mint greens and pinks can brighten up not only your wardrobe but your makeup choices as well!

Fiesty new lip glosses and electric new eyeshadow colors are available to help all you fashionistas stay on trend. Check out Bobbi Brown's Neons & Nudes collection for a lippy neon fix. Not-so-new but always true, are MAC's Pigments (one of those "must try" items) - which have tons of color and may be layered for an effect that goes from eye catching to obnoxious (depending on how you feel that day).

Even if neon isn't quite your style, there are lots of other vibrantly lovely lip glosses, eyeshadows and creams to help perk up your spring look. New from Maybelline is the Eye Tattoo, pigmented cream eye shadow line; and under her "True Romance" collection, Kat Von D has a colorful palette called: Mi Vida Loca, available at Sephora.

But in case an eye full of brightly pigmented eyeshadow isn't your thing, there are also some really fun colored eye-liners you can use. For the frugal fashionista, Wet-N-Wild has a line of liquid eyeliners that come in two very cool colors (turquois & plum) and are economically priced. 

So, maybe starting with a sassy little strip of color on your eyelid can be your gateway to a colorful makeup adventure.

One thing's for sure, whether you're NEON... or not,  you'll definitely have fun experimenting with CoLoR!!!... and that's what makeup is all about.

Specs

• SPF
• Moisturizing
• Lightly tinted color
• Gloss
• Lasts up to 8 hrs
• 8 colors to choose from
• Price range: $6 - $7.50 (depending on where you buy)

My Findings

• Glides on very smooth (more of an oil based product, similar to Revlon Lip Butter. Unlike Maybelline Baby lips, which has a creamier base, similar to a lotion)
• Non-sticky (yay!)
• Lightly tinted color (unlike Revlon Lip Butter, which has  more of a color pop)  
• Very moisturizing (the Balm stayed on my lips without drying out or flaking, for about 4 hours while running errands - up until lunch time, after which, I re-applied)

I personally don't mind the slick-like feel and the the very light color tint... after all, it is marketed as a lip "balm", so with that being said, this item is being true to it's name.

From a Professional Perspective

I think I will add the L'Oreal's new Balm to my makeup kit. It has just the right amount of glossiness (not *too* shiny)... and the barely-there tint adds a hint of color to the lip, without looking like a lip stick. The perfect thing for one of my natural-look beauty or commercial photo shoots.

Tip

Visit the L'Oreal USA website, complete the How Can I Help You Consultation and receive $1 off any product. Including the new L'Oreal lip Balm!

(link below) 

http://www.lorealparisusa.com/_us/_en/default.aspx#/?page=top{userdata//d+d//|diagnostic|main:supercategory:inthespotlight|media:_blank|nav|overlay:_blank}

Enjoy!

Birthday Makeover

This is Gernise...it was her birthday and she was going out on the town, but she wanted to do something a bit more special. So, she decided to get her makeup done professionally and she gave me a call (through a previous client's referral).

Gernise does not wear makeup and was wary of having an overly "made-up" look.

After I asked a few preliminary questions regarding the current condition of her skin (sensitivities, allergies, medications, oily, dry, normal, etc) we discussed eyebrow shape, eyeshadow colors, "natural" makeup vs "glamour" makeup and we even discussed the exact shade of lipstick she'd like to wear. (details matter!)  And finally, I asked her to email a headshot and a picture of what she would be wearing on her birthday, including the shoes.

Ultimately, we settled on the "natural" look for her eyes and an attention getting red lip. Gernise was kind enough to send me a picture of herself while out celebrating her birthday (as seen above).

Such a lovely and confident look... Gernise's eyes have great definition without appearing over-done and her red lips add just the right touch of sass-appeal!

Gernise was very happy with her look!   

Out of all my most recent purchases (see picture below) I do believe the MUFE/Make Up For Ever: Aqua Cream is my favorite.

There's lots to like about Aqua Cream...

The pigmentation is first rate (of course), the consistency has just the right balance of thickness - for good coverage & creaminess - for movability, and it may be used on either the eyes or the lips. Plus, it's it has this metallic quality to it (which gives it a slight sheen that doesn't overpower the richness of the red) aaaaaaaaand... it's Water Proof!... so, your eyes (or lips) will look just as fresh at the end of your night-on-the-town as they did at the beginning.

This red Aqua Cream (in shade #8) is a show stopper and definitely not for the faint of heart... If you top off this deliciously rich red pigment with lip gloss, your lips will definitely attract some very sexy attention!

But just in case you are of the more demure makeup persuasion, there are SEVERAL colors to choose from, so if you're into soft colors, this line still has something for you. (There's this really pretty pink color that I think I'll be picking up in the near future.)

I hope all the makeup maven's out there will decide to give Aqua Cream a try!...