Start Prepping for Summer — Now! These Tips Will Help

Look your best all spring and summer long with these quick hair and makeup tricks

If you’ve been waiting in anticipation for spring (heck, even summer!) to come and free you from your winter-long hibernation, it’s time to celebrate! But even with the cheerful change in weather, your schedule still might not be so pretty. Learn what quick, easy beauty tips you can incorporate to shave time off your routine. See tricks

My beauty tip for Summer? My go to facial sunscreen is Neutrogena’s Dry Touch Sunblock.  It doubles as a primer and sun protectant!

Voluminous Up ‘do

Who wore it: Miley Cyrus, Kristen Stewart, Vera Farmiga

Side Swept waves

Who wore it: Cameron Diaz, Sandra Bullock, Sherri Shepard, Kate Winslet

Sleek and Sleek

Who wore it: Amanda Seyfried, Elizabeth Banks, Nicole Richie

My favorite look out of the three is the side swept waves - soft and pretty!

Currently, I’m a NC37 in MAC’s Studio Fix Fluid Foundation.  At the MAC Counter, I was matched with MAC NC30! Yes..NC30, I was surprised as well.  As a word of caution, MAC Mineralize Foundation runs really dark!

According to MAC’s website: MAC Mineralize SPF 15 Foundation can be described “as a rich, luxurious compact foundation offering a creamy application for a flawless, medium-buildable, naturally revitalized, fully dimensional finish. Lightweight and silky to apply. Good for all skin types; particularly benefits dull and/or dry complexions. Provides super-hydrated, high-comfort wear and everyday SPF 15 sun protection.”

Source: Nordstrom

Approx. Price: $32 (This is MAC’s most expensive foundation!)

For all you with sensitive skin, MAC Mineralize SPF 15 Foundation does not contain bismuth…YaY! So far, I haven’t experienced any breakouts.

Review coming soon…

Your Go-To Five-Minute Makeup Routine

How to look fabulous even when you’re pressed for time

Just because you only have five minutes to get ready in the morning doesn’t mean you should run out the door looking like it. (Unless you’re going for the bedhead, just-woke-up look. In that case, heave ho!) This step-by-step tutorial will show you how to get a gorgeous makeup look in under five minutes. See tutorial

My five minute makeup routine consists of three things - foundation, blush, and eyeliner.  It’s that simple.

What’s your 5 minute makeup routine?

Rimmel London Soft Kohl Kajal Eyeliner in Jet Black
Delivers a soft, smudgeable line and fade-resistant color that’s easy to apply and great for creating smoky eye looks. This pencil gives dense color application, which can be blended into the lid for a softly smudged look.

Approx. Price: $3

Rimmel London Colour Rush Quad Eyeshadow in Smokey Noir
Easy to apply, Colour Rush Eye Shadow’s fine powder formulation glides on to lids, allowing effortless blending. The super soft, silky and lightweight formula contains jojoba oil, Vitamin E and lanolin to moisturize and nourish the delicate skin around the eye. A special combination of silicone oils provides a smooth, crease-free finish that lasts for up to eight hours on the town.

Approx. Price: $6

Rimmel London Glam’Eyes Lash Flirt Mascara
Glamorize your eyes with the fluttery lashes and flirty seduction with Glam’Eyes Lash Flirt Mascara. Soft as a feather and intensely black, the lightweight mousse formula voluminously wraps lashes with kohl-black pigments for major impact. Glam’Eyes Lash Flirt Mascara delivers 2X blacker pigments and 80% longer lashes for a flirty, seductive look. I love the packaging!

Approx. Price: $7

Also, don’t forget your faux lashes!

Source: Sephora

What it does:
Keep your lashes looking lovely, even on the go, with the Sephora Brand Mini Heated Eyelash Curler. This handy little tool is perfect for curling stubborn straight lashes, anytime, anywhere.

Directions:
Designed to be used after mascara application, this curler gently warms the waxes in mascara, resulting in a stronger, longer-lasting curl. Simply turn on, wait 15 seconds, place the comb directly onto lash line above lashes, gently lift and comb (don’t wiggle) lashes into the desired shape and hold for one or two seconds.  Repeat across lashline until the desired effect is achieved.

Sounds promising, doesn’t it?

Approx. Price: $12
Where to Purchase? Sephora

The same gal pal that gave me shu umera’s Eyelash Curler gave this to me as well.  I expressed much love for shu umera’s Eyelash Curler, but will Sephora’s Mini Heated Eyelash Curler get the same love?

The Bottom Line:

Similar to the title of Ke$ha’s latest song, Sephora’s Mini Heated Eyelash Curler is blah, blah, blah.  I do have to give credit to Sephora that I do love the idea of a heated eyelash curler, but it just didn’t deliver.

My first main gripe is that once you turn on the heated eyelash curler, there isn’t a way to indicate that the curler is ready for use other than waiting for 15 seconds (as noted in the directions).  A light indicator would help immensely.  Secondly, I’m not fan of using this tool AFTER mascara application.  Overtime, the curler will develop product buildup and I’m not quite sure how to clean this tool effectively.  Lastly, Sephora’s Mini Heated Eyelash Curler did curl my eyelashes, but it was nothing to rave about.  shu umera’s Eyelash Curler did a better job at curling my lashes.

Bottom Line: Skip this and stick with your regular eyelash curler.

Don’t agree with me? Check out what others say.

Has anyone else tried this?

Asian Celebrities Show Off Gorgeous Makeup Looks (Learn How to Get ‘Em)

From Sandra Oh to Lucy Liu, these celebrities know how to play up their Asian beauty

One thing all Asian women do have in common? The ability to look absolutely stunning. These stars show off their radiant skin, pouty lips, flirty lashes and smoldering eyes, and here we’ll give you the scoop on the makeup techniques they use.

See looks

FYI, a couple months ago I met Taylor Chang-Babaian for a Total Beauty Makeover sequence and she definitely knows what she’s talking about.  See for yourself here.

All I can say is that faux lashes and black eyeliner are my best friends.  Do you have tips to add to the list?

What I managed to snag:

Auraline Beauty Foundation Brush: $5

FACE atelier Ultra Foundation in #6 Honey: $27 (Makeup Show Price) - Jill recommended that I try out their foundations.  The makeup artist applied this foundation on me and oh my goodness, my skin looked flawless!  However, it does contain silicone.  Let’s see how my skin reacts after a couple of weeks.

Miss Adoro Faux Lashes: $1 each! - I couldn’t believe the price either!  These lashes remind me of Red Cherry lashes.

At the end of the day, I spent $33 (under $50). Yaay!

For those that attended Makeup Show LA, what’d you pick up?

Jump for pictures!

Makeup Show LA 2010 Photos and Highlights

 Right after I checked in, I ran into Jill - a sorority sister back in college.  We both love makeup.  Jill has her very own blog as well.  Check it out here!

The much anticipated Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tar!

Adoro Cosmetics Faux Lashes - they were $1 each! I picked up a couple =)

 Temptu PRO Booth

Crown Brushes Booth - it was packed! Brushes ranged from $1-$15.  They aren’t of best quality, but great cosmetic brushes to tinker around with.

Crown Brushes Brush Bins - I picked up a couple brushes for one of my makeup friends.

Make Up For Ever Booth - Everything was 40% off. I resisted!!

FACE atelier Foundation Display - Jill recommended that I check out their foundation. I did and picked one up!

Next up…my mini haul from the show!

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