Makeup News and Tips

Great color I have to say.  Something that completely turns your whole look in just a snap, simply wear Red Lipstick.  It’s such a great asset!
Over the years, trends may have changed, but the Red never leaves.  Red carpet, dinner night out, glamorous photo shoot, you name a gorgeous event, a dramatic scene, turn a simple black head-to-toe outfit into something classy and elegant, the Red Lipstick does the trick. 

The most applying type of Red Lipstick for me, are those really rich colored reds, like Christmas red and blood red.  The ones that really pop and say looky here I’ve got really really red lips! 

There’s quite a few tricks in getting the perfect application.  What you need, lip balm, a bit of foundation, powder, lip liner, and of course your red lipstick.  Now depending on your skin tone, you need to get the Red lipstick that perfectly compliments you.  I read this at Real Simple magazine - if you don’t know what cool or warm skin tone is, if you see bluish veins through your skin, you’re probably cool, according to Bret Miedel.  So for those with cool skin tones, red thats are really truly red, or the red with pink or purple undertones.  Those with warm skin tones should opt for a warmer color of red like scarlet, those with a brown base or tomato orangey red.
But if you really can’t seem to figure it out, the nice sales lady should be able to help you.

*Tips that I’ve read and discovered that they do make a slight difference.
1. If you have yellow teeth, wearing a red shade with blue undertones will help make your slightly white teeth, a bit more pearly white.
2. If your lips are too thin, bright reds will make them look more prominent. Lips that are too full can be minimized by using brown or blue reds.(http://beauty.about.com/cs/greatmakeup/ht/applyredlips.htm)

To Apply Red Lipstick:
1. Apply lip balm to prevent color from chapping, cracking, and looking dry.
2. Surprise, surprise, apply a light layer of foundation to your lips, leave it for a couple of seconds to dry. (During my graduation picture, the make-up artist did this trick), I figured its to evenly start off with a nice evenly neutrally-colored base before coloring my lips with rich red, and easier to blend with the lip liner.
3. Dust the lips with powder, not too much, its simply to give that matte, new feel.
4. Use your lipliner! Either use a neutral lipliner or a lipliner that perfectly matches the color of your red lipstick. Using a lipliner prevents the bleeding of the edges look.
5. Using a lip brush, start at the center of your lips towards the edges. Apply the first coat of Red, then blot with tissure (do that smacking effect), then apply a second coat.
6. You can add a bit of gloss to have that glistening look.

Read this to find out other tips!

Living in Manila, the heat gets to you.  It’s so humid, you forego applying lotion to your skin.  Which is a big no-no.  Our skin ages over time and we need to moisturize it. Living in the States I noticed I applyed lotion religiously, because I saw how dry my skin was.  And the weather in the States is very different from Manila.  It’s more dry, not so humid.

I remember not really applying lotion to my skin because I noticed once I did apply it, I’d sweat more than I usually do, without applying it.  But I forget lotion is what keeps our skin looking fresh, glowy, soft, smooth, and provides it with the nutrients that it needs.

According to About.com - When choosing a moisturizer, the perfect one will fit these 3 requirements: It smells best, feels best & goes on without feeling greasy on the skin. It should never irritate or burn your skin.

I usually switch lotions from time to time, depending what my mood wants to smell.  For now I use Jergens Healing Skin lotion and Neutrogena Body Lotion.  It’ll take me some time to figure out what other body lotions are out there that are truly worth using.  I’ll get to it!  When I feel ridiculously dry though, I go for the Body Butter

One of the hairstyles that I’ve seen and I’ve grown to desire is the Asymmetrical Bob.  One of my acquaintaces had her hair cut just like Posh Spice and Voila!  A whole new look.  She looked sophisticated, mature, daring, you name it, she was on a roll.

Umberto Savone tells PEOPLE that “more and more women are coming in looking for it. The asymmetrical bob is a very good summer look if it’s cut right.”

It looks like a lot of fun too, everytime I see a girl with this hairstyle, I think during the time when Rachel from Friends had that effect making everyone get that hairstyle!  Let the good times roll.

Glam Rocks loose metallic shadows in Metallic Gold, Metallic Pearl and Metallic Copper, Lorac, $16; sephora.com.

What it is:
Loose powder metallic eye shadow.

What it is formulated to do:
These molten metal-like metallic eyeshadows will rock your world! Ultra-metallic pigments in rich bronze hues glide on easily for long-wearing, sexy, shiny color that steals the spotlight.

This eyeshadow still along the metallic trend, totally rocks!  For its price, it may seem a lot for eyeshadow but it’s good great amount.

Stylewatch from People.com

Metallic eyelids are one of the trends this season. So if your eyes go metallic, maybe you should even make your nails go metallic, then listen to Metallica!
Micha Barton was seen in a icy metallic shade of polish, she was looking oh-so cool. The secret to totally digging this color, is to keep your nails short. If its too long, you’re going to blinging and blinding people out. Also don’t go for the pair of manicure and pedicured metallic fingers and toes. Keep the metal on the fingers. Applying one coat of polish is just about the right amount, applying two to three coats will leave you looking at your reflection from your nails (kinda cool, but you don’t want to be a fashion-don’t!)

So shine on people.. Shine on!!!

So on Saturday, just before my friend’s big birthday bash, I chopped my long locks. I don’t know what got into me, I just needed a new look. I was quite devastated as to why I would do such a thing. To my surprise, InStyle reported that on its Beauty Buzz for June 2007, short hair is IN. In Hollywood. Celebrities have traded in their long locks for short, pixie-like styles. Grinning from ear to ear, I’m glad there was a big style guru who agreed with my decision! New look? Change your hairstyle, it makes a huge difference. Trust me

“It’s a very fresh, fashiony look,” says celebrity stylist Mara Roszak.

Even though at night, after a long day, or ahem a long night of socializing.  I’m one of those girls who are so lazy to take off my make-up.  That’s why I absolutely love Pout Make up Towelettes.  They give me advantage of doing something while lying down and not get choked.  But of course I’m not entirely lazy allllll the time.

For those nights where I don’t feel the burden of taking out my make-up, my Shu Uemura make-up remover totally does the trick.  Every lady in my household uses it, but I must say it is kind of pricey.  Its basically a 2-in-1 cleanser and make-up remover.  It effectively removes everything, from dirt, waterproof make-up, to impurities.  Even has Vitamin E!  Smells great and leaves the skin smooth and silky.  So you go to bed feeling really clean too.

Also what I love about this product is that it’s an overall make-up remover, not just for the eyes.

Going through Australian Cosmopolitan (which to me was a bit more raunchy than what I’m used to with the version here in Manila), the Maybelline Star Stylist Diamonds Mascara advertisement totally caught my eye! Talk about having stars in your eyes. It was absolutely stunning, I can just imagine playing with it, I love sparkling things even though I don’t wear sparkling things, I love owning them. It looked subtle, dramatic, something that would brighten up your face without over doing it. It gives you that glittery finish.

Downpart is.. it’s pretty darn hard to find! I think they offer it in Australia and Europe, but I’m still having a hard time trying to figure out where to purchase one and try it.
I’ve read forums about how other ladies just love them, but can’t even find the picture with the Maybelline model in it.  I should probably go back and take a picture from the magazine.

Hopefully if any of you know what I’m talking about, tell me where to get it! Thanks much.

I am a golden god.

Not really. I am pretty tanned but my face is not evenly toned (I thank the snorkeling gear for that). Going out I usually just apply base, concealer, and pressed powder, leaving my face of course to be one shade lighter than the rest of my arms and legs and even neck. I hardly use bronzers but in times like these, its something I should look into. My mom gave me a bronzer palette (all in pressed powder form with a dash of shimmer too) before and it’s only been touched about less than 7 times.

Now the idea for a bronzer is to amplify the areas where the sun would naturally touch your face. Basically the sun-kissed look. To get that bronze goddess look, brushing it along the forehead, the bridge of your nose (just slightly), on the apples of your cheeks (apply like its a blush), a bit on your chin, this will help you achieve that look. Of course once you’re bronzing your face, don’t overdo it by bronzing your eyelids and lips! You may use a bit of blush and sweep lightly across your face, your pressed powder. Keep it as natural as you can, cause once you overdo it, you might turn orange.

The Clinique True Bronze Shimmering Tones Bronzing Powder given by my mother, works just about right for me. This radiant blend of shimmering bronze tones gives skin a luminous, sun-kissed glow from dawn to dusk. The Laura Mercier Bronzing Powder, is a two-toned bronzer that can be worn alone, to give the face the healthy radiance it deserves. Formulated with French ‘cashmere’ talc, provides a silky and soft feel with sheer application.

Buying the bronzer that matches your skin tone is very important, it should be a few shades darker than your skin, or the shade when you are tanned. Use also a large soft brush.

I found this video about applying bronzer and its excellent!

Brilliant, convenient, and essential. Lip Palettes gives you the upper hand in blending the lip shades according to the color you want and it gives you the ability to try different shades everyday.  You can definitely experiement with the colors. Its a smart tool, especially for those busy busy ladies who dash out of the door with the same make-up kit in hand that contains the same color of lipstick. With this lip palette, it gives ladies like these (ahem, my sister) an advantage to have different looks when they go to work.

Bloom has a wonderful lip gloss palette with 8 shades (I gave this to my sister for her birthday once)!
Smashbox’s Lip Palette (named Lip Brilliance) offers a three-color palette that covers like a lipstick but feels and shines like that of a lipgloss.