The Budget Beauty Episode 5

Concealers:

 

I know, I know!  For so long we have been told to use a concealer that is at least 2 shades lighter than your natural skin tone to erase those dark circles under your eyes.  Well, it’s a new day.  The old way of concealing are long gone and it’s now time to step into the year 2012 armed with some new information.

Some of you may have seen the colored concealers before and wondered, “What is a green concealer used for”?  The following information is designed to answer that question.  If you want to keep looking like a raccoon in reverse, keep lightening your under eye.  If you want to look more awake and vibrant, color correct and brighten that area instead!

Alabaster: Use to Highlight and Cover Dark Circles on Warm Skin Tones Perfect Cover-up for Very Fair Skin Tones.
Lavender (Violet or Lilac): Gives Yellow and Sallow Complexions a Healthy Glow
Mint (Green): Neutralizes Redness, Broken Capillaries, Acne and Rosacea
Pink: Highlights all Skin Tones. Perks up all Yellow & Sallow Skin Tones, Covers Dark Under Eye Circles. Covers Yellow Bruising. Smoothes Away Fine Lines, Covers Blue Veins
Light: Perfect Cover-up for Light Skin Tones-Works well with Pink Tones
Light Natural: Perfect Cover-up for Light Skin Tones-Works well with Neutral or Yellow Tones
Natural: Works Best for all Medium Skin Tones-Neutral Color
Medium: Excellent Cover-up Orange Based Medium Color
Dark Contouring Corrector: Use to Cast a Shadow on less Attractive Spots. Also use on Jaw lines, Round Cheeks, Tip of Chin and Sides of Forehead to Create a More Oval Shape. Also used as a Cover-up for Darker Complexions.

Light or ORANGE is the perfect color concealer for my ebony ladies.  If you only wanted to get one, I suggest ORANGE.

Now, don’t get rid of your current concealer.  You can use it to define and sharpen your brows!

The Budget Beauty Episode 4

Unless you are blessed with naturally flawless skin, you must wear a foundation that will allow you to create the illusion of having flawless skin. Just like the artist who primes his canvas to mask the imperfections, we also need to do the same - with foundation. The ideal foundation should be full coverage but should not leave your skin looking pink, orange, ashy or two-toned. It should be totally natural-looking.

The first step to choosing a foundation color or really any color is to know you undertones.  “I don’t know my undertones.  How can I find out”?  There are 3 ways to achieve this.

Test 1.

The jewelry test is the first way to tell if you have warm, cool or neutral undertones.  Do you look better in silver or gold jewelry?  If you said gold, you have warm undertones.  If silver, you have cool undertones.  If you look good in both, you have neutral undertones.

Test 2.

The “white” test is the second way to tell if you have warm or cool undertones.  Put on a true white jacket and a off white jacket.  If you look better in the true white, then you are cool toned. If you look better in the off white, you have warm tones.

Test 3.

The “wrist” test is the third way to tell if you have warm or cool undertones.  For this test, make sure you are outside in natural sunlight.  Look at your wrist.  If your veins appear blue, you have cool undertones.  If your veins appear to be green, then you have warm undertones.

Now that you know what undertones you have, all you have to do is to select a color foundation that’s in your undertone range.

Suggestions: 

Remember, these are only product and color suggestions!   Please feel free to use whatever product(s) you wish.

Foundation:

Below is a list of drug store foundations that have gotten excellent reviews.  But be aware that all things don’t work for all people.  These are not listed in any particular order.

1.      Iman, Liquid Radiance

2.      Black Opal , Stick Foundation

3.      Milani, Cream to Powder Foundation

4.      Revlon, Color Stay

5.      Mary Kay (I completed an entire photo shoot with this foundation)

Blush Suggestions:

1.       Milani Blush in Luminous (Compliments almost any skin tone)

2.      NYX Blush in Cinnamon (Orange that is beautiful on brown skin)

3.      Coastal Scents 10 Color Blush Palette
4.    All Blushes from LaFemme (MakeupMania.com)

Cream Eye Liner:

1.      Hip Cream Liner in Black
2.    Wet-N-Wild Black Liner
 

Lip Sticks:
1.      Wet-N-Wild Lippies (Any Matte Color)
2.      Maybelline in the color Pink Please
3.      Maybelline in the color Pink Sand
4.      Maybelline in the color Nearly There
5.      Rimmel's Airy Fairy (Cool Tone Natural Pink)

Mascara:

1.      Maybelline Lash Blast

2.      Maybelline Great Last (Brow Set also)

Eye Shadow Palettes:

1.      LA Colors 12 Color Neutral Palette in Traditional ($1 at your local dollar store)

2.      Coastal Scents 88 Color Palette

3.      Coastal Scents Mirage Palette

4.      Coastal Scents 26 Neutral Warm Palette

5.      Coastal Scents 76 Shadow and Blush Palette
6.  Any Wet-N-Wild Eyeshadow Palette

** The Coastal Scents Palettes are now on sale up to 50% off until January 2, 2012 **

NYX Eye Shadow Singles:

1.       Barely There (A Great Face Highlighter, NARS Albatross Dupe)

2.      Sahara (Brow Bone Highlight)

3.      Taupe (Blending Color)

4.      Aloha (Tear Duct Area)

5.      Champaign (All Over Lid Color) MAC Dupe for All That Glitters

6.      Fantasy (All Over Lid Color) (MAC Dupe for Patina)

7.      Iced Mocha (All Over Lid Color) MAC Dupe for Satin Taupe

8.      Root beer (Outer V Color)

9.      Volcano (Outer V Color)

10.  Hawaiian Coffee (Outer V Color)
11.  Any Wet-N-Wild Single Eyeshadows

Lip Gloss:

1.       NYX  Pinky Neutral

2.      Any Clear Gloss

Concealer:

1.      Coastal Scents Camouflage Palette

2.      NYX Concealer Singles

Eye and Lip Pencils:

1.       NYX

2.      Whatever Brand You Prefer

Face Highlighters:

1.       ELF Gotta Glow

2.      NYX Barely There (Must Be Blended Very Well)
3.    Hard Candy - Tiki (Bronzer)
4.    Wet-N-Wild Color Icon Bronzer - Reserve Your Cabana

Translucent Powder:

1.       NYC Smooth Finish Powder

2.      Black Opal Setting Powder

3.      Cover Girl Translucent Honey

4.      Cover Girl Translucent Sable

The Budget Beauty Episode 3

It’s the morning after exfoliating our face and lips.  Now it’s time to prep and prime the face for a flawless coverage of foundation.

Prep & Prime

1.       Revitalize your moisturizer.  Massage moisturizer into your skin in a circular motion.  Do not forget your “T” zone;

2.      Moisturize your lips if needed;

3.      If you use an under eye cream, apply it now;

4.      Allow the moisturizers to absorb into the skin for approximately 15 minutes;

5.      Apply face primer to the back of your hand.  This will warm the product and allow for a smoother application.  Apply produce with your foundation brush.  Apply evenly all over the face;

6.      Apply Eye Shadow Primer;

7.      Remove any access lip balm;

8.      OPTIONAL:  If you use lip erase, now is the time to apply it;

9.      If you COLOR CORRECT or CONCEAL, now is the time to do it.

Face Primer Recipe

Aloe Vera Gel

Moisturizer

Combine equal amounts of each into clean, dry container with a tight fighting lid.  Mix thoroughly.  Apply evenly to your face using a foundation brush.

Lip Erase

Petroleum Jelly

Concealer

Combine equal amounts of each into clean, dry container with a tight fighting lid.  Mix thoroughly.  Make sure to use a concealer that matches your skin tone.  Apply as you would a lip balm.

Eye Shadow Primer

Foundation

Concealer

Body Butter or Moisturizer

Combine equal amounts of each in a clean, dry container with a tight fighting lid.  Mix thoroughly.  Apply evenly to your eyelids.  Using an eye shadow primer will allow your color to last all day and not crease.

The Budget Beauty Episode 1

I want to introduce you all to a series of articles that I will entitle “The Budget Beauty”.  In this series, I will share information with you with the intent of helping you save money on beauty purchases.  The articles will include but are not limited to, beauty recipes, alternatives to higher end products, eye shadow dupes and much more.   In this first segment, I will focus on brushes.

Brushes needed:

1.       Powder Brush

2.      Angled Contour Brush

3.      Blush Brush

4.      Angled Fluff Brush

5.      Eye Shadow Brush

6.      Precision Brush

7.      Lip Brush

8.      Fan Brush (optional)

Target has a wide variety of brushes.  You can get good brushes for as low as $1 each from a company known as ELF Cosmetics.  (Eyes Lips Face)  Also, Target has Sonia Kashuk brushes starting at around $6 each.

Another great place to get makeup brushes is a craft store such as Michaels.   Loew-Cornell makes awesome brushes.  Michaels often have discount coupons as high as 50%!  Hint hint!

Make sure to pick up your cosmetic Q-Tips and sponges from your local dollar store.

Here are some Loew-Cornell brushes you can try:

1.      XXL – Round Brush  (Powder Brush)

2.      L Round Brush (Blush Brush)

3.      Maxine Mop (Bronzing Brush)

4.      3/8” Maxine Mop  (Eye Shadow Brush)

5.      1/8”; ¼”; 3?8” Angle Brush

6.      Filbert Brush #8 (Concealer  Brush)

7.      ¼” Maxine Mop (Mini Shader Brush)

8.      1” Filbert (Foundation Brush)

DO NOT buy those expensive makeup wipes.  Instead, opt for unscented baby wipes (store brand).  If they are gentle enough for a baby, they will be great for your face.  The baby wipes will also be good for spot cleaning your brushes. 

Petroleum jelly is also a great eye makeup remover!

Your makeup brushes need to be deep cleaned every 2 – 4 weeks depending on how much you use them.  Do not purchase expensive brush cleaner.  Instead, opt for store brand baby shampoo.  Your brushes will be cleaned and without harsh chemicals that may ruin them.  Also, here is a recipe for brush cleaner that will get the job done between deep cleansing.  MAC has a 7.9 oz brush cleaner they sell for $13.  You can make your own for pennies on the dollar.

Brush Cleanser Recipe

1 Cup Distilled Water

½ Cup Alcohol

1/2Tablespoon Dish Soap

½ Tablespoon Baby Shampoo

1 Tablespoon Liquid Leave in Conditioner

Mix all the ingredients together in measuring cup.  Stir gently (no suds).  Pour into a clean, empty bottle.  Use between deep cleansing.