Saturday, January 29, 2011

Beauty 101 Concealer

Steps to hiding circles and spots.

Concealer looks best when it's not undetectable.  To find the perfect match its best to buy one color for you summer skin color and one for your winter skin color.  If needed you can always blend the two colors together for the in between color tones for the rest of the year.  Undertones of skin vary so its best to have a professional makeup artist help you pick your shades.  General rules are that you will want a yellow-tone concealer if your dark circles have a blue cast, a peachy one if your circles have a brown or yellowish tint, and a tone that matches your skin exactly to ride redness.  Color isn't the only thing to consider when picking a concealer.  Creamy formulas are best for dry skin around the eyes.  More opaque ones are ideal for blemishes, and sheer liquid formulas brighten a little.  Application can be with a finger tip or a sponge although I prefer a concealer brush with a flat, round head.  It's easier to reach the corners around the nose and the inner corners of the eyes.  I always apply concealer AFTER foundation because you can generally soften areas you want to conceal with foundation then go in after and add your concealer.  Its better to start with a light hand and layer more in areas that need more help.  Then blend and blend some more.  You want it to look natural and invisible.

Secret tip...most people don't know this but green concealer does combat red areas on your skin...Yes I said green.  Trust me it works!  Of course you need to really blend it well to make it look natural and you may even want to apply a bit of your foundation over areas you have used the green concealer on.  If you want to test this on your skin buy a tube of Physicians Formula Gentle Cover Concealer Stick at your local drug store and give it a try.



Another tip....if you have wrinkles under the eyes after you have applied the concealer under the eyes let it set a bit (a few minutes) then take your ring finger and gently blend it again under the eyes where the concealer has set into the wrinkles.

Another tip....apply your foundation and concealer from under the eyes down AFTER you have applied your eye makeup and cleaned up any fall out under the eyes....ESPECIALLY if you have circles under your eyes.

Concealers that I have used and LOVE: 
 

MAKEUP FOREVER 5 CAMOUFLAGE CREAM PALETTES

 

 

 

 

 

 

BOBBI BROWN CREAMY CONCEALER

 EVE PEARL "SALMON" CONCEALER


If you have any questions about these products or any other cosmetics please comment and ask a question here or on my web site www.aboutfaces.tv

My makeup workshops cover this topic and many others.  If you are interested in finding our more about my workshops please contact me at lynn@aboutfaces.tv

 

Thats all for today...Enjoy your day!

Lynn Golovich, About Faces, Michigan Makeup Artist,

helping women to be a better version of themselves, once face at a time,

 

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Fix Broken Beauty Products

Fix Broken Beauty Products


Just because the bottle of our favorite beauty product breaks, it doesn’t mean we need to chuck them into the trash can. Real Simple comes up with 7 nifty ways to fix your lipstick, nail polish, and other beloved products. Keep reading after the jump to see how to repair them!

{ Nail Polish Bottles That Won’t Open }
Cause: Each time you remove the brush, you probably swipe it against the bottle’s edge to get rid of the excess polish. Some drips down the outside and dries, and it’s as good as glue. And no one has yet come up with a polish formula that sticks to nails but not glass.
Cure: As a first step, use a jar gripper or wrap a rubber band several times around the cap to give you a better grip. If that doesn’t do the trick, run hot water over the bottle to loosen the dried polish, then try again.
Preventive tip: “When you finish polishing your nails, use a little polish remover on a tissue to clean around the rim of the bottle, then store the bottle upright,” says Kristi Fuhrmann, a Los Angeles-based makeup artist.
{ Broken Lipstick }
Cause: Because they’re made of waxes and emollients, lipsticks become unstable if they aren’t kept at the right temperature, explains New York City makeup artist AJ Crimson. “If you’re not storing it at room temperature, or if it gets too hot in your purse, a lipstick can melt and lose strength, which makes it more susceptible to breaking completely,” he says.
Cure: Mash the bullet back into the tube and apply with a lip brush. If it’s too far gone for that to work, scoop what’s left into an empty lip-gloss pot, use a blow-dryer to melt it into place, and let set.
Preventive tip: If a lipstick looks as if it’s melting, put it in the refrigerator for 20 minutes so it can regain its consistency.
{ Shattered Powder Eye Shadow or Blush }
Cause: You bumped it or dropped it. And because compacted makeup is usually less than a quarter-inch thick, says Crimson, it’s very fragile. Extremes in temperature can also make pressed powder more prone to breakage.
Cure: Add a few drops of rubbing alcohol to the compact and use a butter knife to smooth the powder back into shape, says Fuhrmann. Let dry before using. If the damage can’t be repaired, you can crush the cosmetic completely, transfer it to a small resealable bag or jar, and use it as loose powder.
Preventive tip: When traveling, place cotton puffs over each eye shadow, blush, or powder before closing the case, says Crimson. Store them in a cool, dry place.
{ Clogged Hair-Spray Pump }
Cause: “A clogged nozzle typically occurs when a small amount of resin, which is what gives hair spray its stickiness and holding properties, dries and sticks to the exit hole in the sprayer,” says Mark Frey, director of marketing for personal-care products at Meadwestvaco Calmar, a leading manufacturer of packaging.
Cure: Hold the nozzle under warm running water, then remove the residue with a tissue or use a toothpick to gently scrape away any debris lodged in the hole.
Preventive tip: After each use, run the nozzle under warm water, then dry with a tissue. Store hair spray with the cap on in a cool, dry place. If you use hair spray only occasionally, buy small cans to avoid buildup in the nozzle over time, says Kevin Marshall, the group creative director at Marc Rosen Associates, a package-design and branding firm in New York City.
{ Jammed Lotion Pump }
Cause: It’s either a clog (a bit of lotion in the hole of the pump has hardened) or a pump defect (one of the mechanism’s many parts is misaligned), which causes the whole gizmo to fail, says president and CEO of MD Skincare Carrie Gross.
Cure: If a clump is the issue, run the pump under hot water, then use a toothpick, a needle, or a bobby pin to dig the blockage out of the hole. If this doesn’t work, and the pump itself is the cause, take it out and pour the lotion into a plastic cosmetics bottle (available at drugstores).
Preventive tip: After each use, wipe away any lotion sitting at the tip of the pump with a cotton swab.
{ Broken Perfume Pump }
Cause: The pump tops of many fragrance bottles have crimped collars to prevent leaks. If these are misassembled, the perfume won’t make it to the nozzle. Other possible culprits? A faulty pump spring or a pump that is poorly attached to the dip tube (that strawlike thing). “The dip tube can also come loose in the bottle,” says Doug Virtue, president and CEO of Virtue Development Company, which creates packages for fragrances, skin-care products, and other cosmetics. “Unfortunately, there’s no way to reattach it.”
Cure: “Return it to the store where you bought it,” says senior director of packaging development for Revlon Ray Garofano. Before buying, ask what the return policy is on faulty packaging.
Preventive tip: Try a spritz before you buy (though that’s no guarantee your purchase won’t break later).
{ Missing or Broken Aerosol Cap }
Cause: “If the cap is broken, it may have been assembled with greater force than necessary,” says Garofano. “This can cause the cap to spread slightly, making it weaker.” If, on the other hand, the cap has pulled a disappearing act, it probably wasn’t securely attached to begin with or it got jostled loose with use.
Cure: Fortunately, many companies use the same packaging, so try taking a cap from another bottle, says Marshall. Gently press it down onto the stem, being careful to point it away from your face.
Preventive tip: Replace the cap by pressing it gently and directly on the center of the nozzle.

Thanks to Real Simple Magazine for these great tips I am sharing with you!