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Six Makeup Tips That Work For Nearly Everyone, Nearly Always

February 3, 2011

Makeup artists are praised for their innovation and creativity, and indeed, many possess the ability to teach you new tricks you’d have never thought to try on your own. A good makeup consult can help even the most product-savvy of beauty junkies, but most makeup artists rely on a small stable of never fail shortcuts that flatter something like 98%* of clients. (Estimated, of course.)

Bear in mind there are exceptions for every rule, and one of the tenets of makeup is to experiment and find what works for you, first and foremost. Still, these tips could streamline your look and really do work on almost everyone.

1.) Use bright blush, and quit contouring: I’ve spoken before of my love of super-bright blushes. Hands down, I’ve found, these are the most underrated products to create a fresh, clean look. It took me several years of experimenting with bronzer to realize nothing had the oomph-factor of a sheer wash of bright color. Following on from that, adding blush to the apples of the cheeks rather than contouring with a darker shade creates a healthier, cleaner look.

2.) Get a good eyelash curler, and cling to it like a life preserver: My Shu Uemura curler is older than my youngest daughter, and even on a tinted lip balm and mineral makeup day, my Shu and I have some face time. A good curler will make a far bigger difference in your eye makeup look than a good mascara.

3.) Moisturize, always: Applying foundation or any lip product over an improperly moisturized face or flaky lips creates a multitude of problems. If you give moisturizer 3-5 minutes to penetrate, your products will go on smoothly and last longer. Exfoliation helps moisture soak in, and a thin coat of balm, blotted off, will keep lips from drying and create an even base.

4.) A good black eyeliner can totally make your look: Time and again, I found myself picking up MAC’s Kohl in Smolder to highlight clients’ eyes regardless of skin tone or age. Get a soft kohl- Rimmel’s Jet Black is excellent- and feather it in to just the lashline. Done correctly, no one will realize you’re even wearing liner. Maintaining a super-sharp point is the key here.

5.) Tap, tap tap: Excess pigment can really mess up application of powder-based products. Tapping your brush over the pan, especially with setting powders, prevents pigment from oversaturating your brushes and creasing on skin. Blotting after application helps, too.

6.) Define your brows: Although brow gel isn’t necessary (it does help), cleaning up your brows instantly gives your face a clearer set of lines. The easiest guide to brow shaping comes from your actual eyes- brows should start at a straight line up from the tear duct. (Use a straight edge like a nail file to measure.) From there, looking absolutely straight ahead allows you to measure the arch of your brow from the outer edge of the iris. Once you have these two points plotted out, plucking stray hairs creates the perfect brow shape. If you want to get super-fancy, comb brows up, trim hairs that extend above the top line of your brows, and brush back down.

Have you discovered any makeup tips or tricks that you swear by? Which products or practices are the core of your makeup routine?

8 Comments
Filed Under: Makeup Tagged: clinique, eyelash curler, Kabuki Brush, MAC, Makeup, makeup tips, makeup tricks, Sephora, shu uemura

Review: tokidoki mini haul + swatches

April 2, 2010

Welcome to the world of Japanese inspired edgy makeup, welcome to tokidoki. If you are not familiar with tokidoki, it’s a brand that’s been around for about 5 years that makes apparel, footwear and accessories using art and playful characters. tokidoki is a high-end brand that has partnered with other brands such as Levi’s, Mikasa, Skull Candy, Lesportsac, Smashbox and Hello Kitty to create everything from sneakers to children’s clothing.

When I learned that tokidoki was going to create their own makeup brand I was really curious as to what it would be like. I was anxious to see if they would could quality products, the types of products they would be creating and especially what the packaging would be like.  I read that Sephora was going to be the exclusive carrier of this brand so I decided to go into the store and take a peak. I spoke with one of the sales people and she told me that this was one of her favorite new brands and she gave me some swabs and told me to try everything out and have fun. I had a great time testing everything out so take a look at what I ended up buying:

tokidoki Royal Pride Inferno Bronzer
tokidoki Royal Pride Inferno bronzer
tokidoki Royal Pride Inferno Bronzer
Inside: tokidoki Royal Pride Inferno Bronzer

I do love a good bronzer and I probably have at least 10 at home now. When I tried tokidoki I just loved it, the color was that I chose was Royal Pride which is a has a slight gold shimmer to it. The color goes on light but you can build it up to your preferred shade of bronze. This compact retails at $22

tokidoki Monkey Pirate Prisma Gloss
tokidoki Monkey Pirate (brown) Prisma Gloss
tokidoki Monkey Pirate Prisma Gloss
Swatch: tokidoki Monkey Pirate Prisma Gloss

The second item that I loved were the lip glosses – there were so many that I did not know which one to choose. I decided to go safe and get a neutral tone and I went with Monkey Pirate which is brown. This lip gloss is a must have item – for one it smells and tastes like blueberry and has a really good amount of shine to it. The gloss goes on really smoothly and is not sticky! My lips were very moisturized which is a big plus for me because my lips can get pretty dry. The applicator is a clear flat paddle that gives you a smooth application. The packaging is beyond beautiful, the gloss cap has a tiny character inside – it’s like a mini snow globe

There are 16 shades that you can choose from so you’re bound to find a great shade that you will love. The glosses are very reasonably priced at $15. How can you not swoon for glosses with names like Strawberry Latte, Diamante Dark and Adios?

tokidoki Kabuki Brush
tokidoki Kabuki Brush

The last item that I purchased was actually the first item that caught my eye, a bright purple and white Kabuki brush. This face and body brush has antibacterial bristles and unique square base adorned with tokidoki characters. The brush is soft on my skin and picks up just the right amount of powder. This brush retails for $28.

I must say that tokidoki is one of my new favorite brands, I am very  impressed with the quality of their makeup. My only regret is that I did not pick up more products like the Perfetto quick-drying eyeliner pen and the Cromatico quad eyeshadows. Now that I’ve tried their products and I  know that they can deliver I am heading straight to their section in Sephora. Have you tried out tokidoki? I’d love to hear your feedback.

5 Comments
Filed Under: Makeup Tagged: bronzer, Kabuki Brush, Lip Gloss, New Makeup, paraben free, Swatch, tokidoki, tools

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