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Adapting to 100ml: How To Organize Your Cosmetics When Travelling

19 Nov

Hello dear readers!

After a long time without posting anything, today I tried my best to stop by and write to you some tips on how to travel light and how to organize our cosmetics for short trips.

The 100ml and tiny plastic bag airport security rules have caused us to adapt, and so we shall!

Here are my survival products for five days (sorry for the pictures, I was late and tired when I packed so they were done with the phone!)

I have beauty routines which change, but I like to keep the same one for at least a month, adjusting products and the steps I take according to my skin’s needs. I wouldn’t want to interrupt the current process so I try to make EVERYTHING fit hahaha!

From the top:

Zuca pouch

I wrap the shampoo and conditioner on plastic as an extra precaution because these tend to be hazardous no matter what you do! The same applies to any product which has a liquid consistency such as liquid foundations and serums (creams and denser products tend not to spill…)

Klorane’s Shampoo with Chamomile and Kerastase’s Masque Force Architecte

Many plastic cosmetics travelling bags come with their own containers. You can find good ones at Boots and Muji. Some kits also come with a funnel and a spatula to help you fill in the containers – which come in VERY handy…

On a longer trip, I would sacrifice my current beauty routine in order to take a larger quantity of my main favourite products:
- shampoo
- conditioner
- facial moisturizer
- foundation with spf
- lip balm
- mascara
- roll on deodorant
- toothpaste
And thus relying on wipes for make up removal.

For all other make up and beauty tools (powder/solid make up, brushes, hair brush, etc) I use these Zuca pouches, which are extremely practical and perfectly sized (you can get them individually or as a set):

Small ImageObviously these tips apply if you are travelling with hand luggage, but I prefer to keep the hygiene and beauty products with me on the flight regardless of whether or not I check in larger luggage. Moreover, organizing your products in these smaller containers saves you time during your trip!

I hope you have found this post helpful! Write to you again soon and have a great trip (to me)!

Maria

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Vichy Dark Spot Corrector

9 Jun

I wanted to wait before writing this post because there’s nothing I hate more than hocus pocus makeup. So I’ve been trying for about a couple of months now the Vichy ProEVEN Total Dark Spot Corrector and I realized many changes to my skin.

First change is, I was always really pale… but it was a bad pale, because when the skin is uneven it seems like the pale isn’t healthy. The best part of the dark spot corrector is it works to even skin tone in a way that even unaffected parts of your skin sort of rejuvenate and brighten up. It’s as if it says “here, this is the color your skin should be.” You know and I’ve said it a million times here there is no better look than your natural one.

Also, the great thing is, you can now use less makeup, there’s less covering up. Especially now in the summer, its basically no covering up.

As for the dark spots it works fast on those smaller sun spots but on darker, larger spots you need to be patient.

ImageHow to use it:

Integrate this in your daily routine in a very simple manner. Use it once in the morning, after washing your face and before applying makeup and/or sunscreen. Then, because you’re supposed to apply it again, apply it at night after showering. I apply it before applying Latisse and avoiding the brow area, just because I don’t know the effect of mixing it up (and I don’t want to find out either).

Some people see the difference in one week – mostly because it’s also a great moisturizer. It’s only a week before your face glows =). But in any case, the Vichy website has a great tool to see the before/after estimated results.

You choose your skin type, shade, place the spots, and basically put together your complexion and watch the expected results:

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You can try it out here, just click on “see results”!

Have an amazing Saturday!!

Mavi

Caviar Manicure

6 Jun

So I was walking around Sephora when I came across the Ciaté caviar manicure and I decided I had to try it. If you don’t know what caviar manicure is, you’re in for a treat:

The three colors are these

What’s not to love right? So I decided I don’t have the skills to do it myself, and I went to the manicure to get it done. Here’s how you do it:

The kit comes with a small tray (just the plastic cover on the back does the job), a small funnel, nail polish and the caviar pearls:

The way you do it is, you apply two coats of the black nail polish, working each nail at a time. After the second one, place the tray underneath the nail and drop the caviar pearls until they cover the nail.

The excess pearls will fall on the tray so that after all the nails are done you can use the small funnel to put them back inside the flask. Economic no?

Anyways the next steps are a bit hard. What you need to do is press the pearls onto the nail polish to secure them. My lovely manicure, Xuxa, was brilliant about this, using a cuticle tool to push the pearls in the outer corner further in. After that, she applied one thin layer of top coat on the outer corners and tips to keep them secured. We tried applying on a full nail but it lost a lot of the shine and color and it looked heavy.

After that all you gotta do is clean up the excess and sit still from 15-20 minutes to ensure it dies and stays. The end result is this:

(Sorry the photos aren’t so clear, I can’t find my camera anywhere, so iPhone did most of the job, but you can click on the images for larger, higher resolution versions)

OK because we’re all about keeping it real here are some things you have to know about caviar manicure:

  • it takes a long time to get it done – its difficult, and I don’t recommend trying to do it yourself unless you have a good notion of doing your own manicure
  • it only lasts about 48 hours – with time, the little pearls fall, so pick a night to be fabulous but thats really what it’s about
  • You can do many patterns with it: just one nail in each hand, half a nail, french manicure, its pretty much up to you.
  • Its easy to remove (whatever’s left after the night out anyway) with nail polish remover.
  • You can find it at Sephora at the nail section, or online here for $25.00

That’s all lovely ones. What did you think??

Love,

Mavi

Make Ups we love: Cannes Film Festival

2 Jun

One of the greatest opportunities to put all the most beautiful and talented people together happened from the 16th to the 27th of May and we selected the most amazing looks – not fashion-wise but rather beauty-wise.

Natasha Poly: The Russian Model took advantage of her perfectly almond-y eyes to really take the black smoky eye underneath the lower lid. Because her colors are so bright and her eyes relatively small the black worked perfectly – even at daylight.

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Cheryl Cole: what I really love about her is, she found the look that works for her and she always works it. She’s the proof that yes, you should try, but also if you find what makes you stunning then, whatever, she works it every single time. Its perfect for her skin and hair tone, for her eye shape… well. We can only dare but try. The best tutorial I ever found was by (surprise surprise) Lisa Eldridge when she did Cheryl’s makeup for a magazine cover. Check it out here

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 Bianca Balti: the Italian supermodel simply stole all my love to her simple, basic makeup. The lips, the eyes… *sigh*

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Milla Jovovich: working the look “I look like this when I wake up”, I think it takes so much more to work a simple, light makeup. And she does: her eyes look much greener, fresher, she looks younger. It works with the pearls as well to give that sweet look. The pink under the brows combined with a little gold under the eyes really does light her up. Loves it.

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Diane Kruger is also the queen at downplaying makeup to make herself look younger every single time. But this year her makeup had me with how intricate it was. The dress she wore completely stole her colors because lets face it, if you wear Tiffany green you better werk it. But then her makeup deserves an award. Notice how the smoky, light brown makeup makes itself go unnoticed but yet gives the most beautiful effect. It doesn’t call attention to the point it competes with the dress, and it is so balanced with her skin tone. If you ask me, it takes the prize of best makeup this year

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Freida Pinto: I have yet to see someone who is so well taken care of as her. She simply knows what she has, they know her skin tone is more towards olive so nobody tries to stick her in the “everyone-is-wearing-it-now” makeup. Smoky brown and dark peach colors just makes her look young, the perfect build-up on tone, simple and subtle eyeliner and those eyebrows – gets it right every time. I salute you Freida Pinto.

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Well these are my favorites. What do you guys think? Anyone else made it to the top?

Love

Mavi

Latisse for the Eyebrows – Day 1

1 Jun

So I know we heard a lot of talk about Latisse, and I heard it works wonders for the eyelashes. But here is an unorthodox problem of mine: I have the worst habit in the world of scratching my eyebrows when I’m stressed and the result is the hairs have become fragile and have been falling/breaking off.

So when I got home to Sao Paulo I went to my dermatologist thinking dear God let this not be the end of my eyebrows – especially because I have some family members with very scarce eyebrows. But anyway, she told me to use Latisse and I thought – why ever not.

Here’s my Latisse challenge – I want to see whether Latisse can help restore my eyebrow gap.

Here’s where the gap is (it might not look like much but trust me it really is asymmetrical as hell when combined with the other eyebrow):

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(Okay stupid iPhone camera got all the little black hairs growing, but focus on the part of the eyebrow nearest to the nose… see the gap? I’m not crazy, there was an eyebrow there before it started to turn into Russian winter)

Here’s how to use Latisse:

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You will get a box with applicators (about 100) and one small bottle of the product which looks like eyedrops but it’s actually smaller. The reason for that is that you’re supposed to add one drop to each applicator brush and gently and focusing on the right area just brush it along. You should do this once every 24 hours. Because I only have one eyebrow to fix, I will only use one applicator brush a day, but if you’re going to use it on the eyelashes or on both eyes you will change applicators for each eye AND each use. Important thing: DO NOT APPLY ON THE LOWER LID. They emphasize that a lot on the information thingy.

Ok. So here’s all I’m gonna need:

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Curious though, it doesn’t say anything about Latisse being used in other areas but it does say some important things.

1. If you wear contact lenses and intend to use it on your lashes, remove contact lenses first then apply, wait 15 minutes and put it on again.

2. If it happens to fall on your eyes it won’t do any actual intense damage, but I’m pretty sure it won’t be nice. So if it does happen stop what you’re doing wash your eyes, don’t panic and if you notice anything weird after a while call a doctor.

3. Some side effects might include darkening of the area where it’s been applied – which I don’t care about because if my eyebrows dont grow back I’m gonna wear dark makeup to cover it up anyway

4. No it doesn’t hurt or tickle or tingle or burn. Or at least its not meant to. You’re not supposed to feel anything weird so if you do wash it off immediately

5. You don’t need a doctor’s recipe to get it – at least in Sao Paulo I got it at the pharmacy at the mall for R$155.00 (or about $80, I’m guessing, though I’m not sure)

So I’ll post back soon with some updates. Have a great weekend and dont scratch your eyebrows

Summer Beauty Products

6 Jun

Hi everyone! I’m sorry it took me so long to post here, it’s just that I’ve been traveling and I wanted to do this nicely!

Since I was at the beach and not home to make some nice makeup tutorial films I thought I could start by showing you some of the summertime products I’m wearing and loving…!

Shiseido After Sun Intensive Recovery Emulsion, Dior Bronze Gelée de Monoi Tan Activator and Extender, Piz Buin In Sun 15 SPF Spray for the body, Dior Bronze 30 SPF for the face, Kérastase Brume Jour Protectrice for the hair, Lait Richesse after sun Kérastase hair conditioner

Preparing for the beach:

Two or three days before going to the beach I like to prepare my skin by wearing this Dior Gelée de Monoi Tan Activator and Extender for the body. I find it gives for a soft glow and tan. It dries quickly so you don’t have to wait long before getting dressed not to stain your clothes. It has a pleasant perfume and doesn’t stain the skin either for it is a very mild self tanner. I must warn you though that throughout the day, or the night depending on when you apply it, it does leave the skin with that unpleasant self tanning smell that is inevitable. I use it only on my body – I don’t tan my face at all ever; I just wear make up to even out the tone with the rest of my body, but if you do, you should wear a self tanner made specifically for the face. You should also be careful when applying it on areas such as wrists, knees, elbows and of course wash your hands thoroughly after you’re done spreading it evenly on dry and clean skin. I felt this product helped me skip the lobster look on the first day of sun exposure hahaha. This week I’ll test it to see the effect of prolonging the tan and I’ll update the post to let you know!

Tanning and protecting the skin – Body and Face:

I love the Piz Buin sunscreens. The one I am wearing right now is a 15 SPF (which they categorize as medium protection) for the body and it is an oil free spray. It contains not only the UVA/UVB protection but also the helioplex technology which prolongs the UV protection. I’ve been wearing this sunscreen for a year or so and I’ve never had any problems, but I read of people who had allergic reactions to sunscreens with this technology so I would advise you to test a bit of the product on your wrist or the back of your neck just to see how well your skin adapts to it. It is rare that good products now a days would cause such allergic reactions but this tip also applies to all beauty products you may purchase- it helps avoiding bad surprises and guarantees your skin is ok with anything it is you are buying. Wearing at least 15 spf is vital for the health of the skin and I understand that whilst some of us love their natural very light skin tone and don’t mind wearing a 30 and above protection all summer long, I really like to get a little tanned and get rid of the green winter complexion hahaha. I find this is a good protective factor for my skin tone: it slowly tans, and yet does not allow my skin to get red and start pealing on the first day of sun exposure, but no one better than yourself to know which factor of protection works best for you! Piz Buin also have an interesting line of products for people with sun sensitive skin; the Piz Buin Allergy.

For the face I use the Dior 30 SPF (categorized as high protection) cream. Even though it has a high protective factor it is not as thick as most sunscreens for the face. The skin does not get oily throughout the day and although the gel consistency is the most indicated for people with oily or mixed skins I found this worked just as fine! I wear it all over my face and neck. I also apply it to the ears (needless to say that I don’t mean you to put it in your eardrum but around and on the back of the ears hahah) and my hands which are all delicate skin areas we don’t want getting all wrinkly and full of little spots caused by sun exposure (at least not before time…).

After sun- recovering and saving our skin:

After the shower, instead of wearing my usual moisturizer, I prefer to apply products made specifically for sun damaged or simply sun exposed skin. This summer I have tested the Shiseido Intensive Recovery Emulsion and although it’s slightly lighter as far as consistency is concerned, it moisturizes the skin well and is quickly absorbed. It has a pleasant and yet very subtle perfume. It helps settle the tan and keep the skin healthy looking. Thanks to such light and not at all oily composition it can be worn on the face too. Another product that I have tested and loved but wasn’t bought in time to be part of the picture above hahah is shown below and is called the Piz Buin After Sun Soothing Lotion. It is thicker and yet as quickly absorbed as the Shiseido emulsion. It is highly moisturizing and I found it provides a longer lasting sensation of having a hydrated skin.

Piz Buin After Sun Soothing Lotion

Hair care at the beach:

There could be a whole book just written with tips on how to save our hair after even a day at the beach hahaha but let us condense the process into three parts and remember that not of all of us have the patience to spend our days and time applying and re-applying a dozen different products instead of enjoying ourselves carelessly under the sun… Swimming, running, playing, living life… hahaha just kidding. But let’s be realistic and try to wear good products that save our time and really help keeping our hair from getting too damaged when we’re at the beach. We have to be concise and strategic hahah: protect, clean and repair!

For protecting the hair I wear the Kérastase Brume Jour Proctectrice spray (shown on the first picture) which is extremely practical and has UV protection. The result is a soft and smooth hair, easy to brush and to arrange into your favorite beach hairstyle. The hair doesn’t get at all sticky and oily, instead this product makes for a light, shiny and natural look. Although practical, the disadvantage of this product is that it has no waterproof characteristics. For such quality, I wear the Kérastase Aqua Seal Leave In which hasn’t as light a feel as the spray but has a more concentrated formula that I find more effective when applied to damaged hair as well as containing UV protection too.

Kérastase Aqua Seal Leave In Fluid Cream

For cleaning the hair I first wash it with whatever shampoo I’m using daily at the time, and a second time either with a moisturizing shampoo or preferably with this Kérastase Bain Apres-Soleil which helps keep the natural colour of the hair after sun exposure. I always, always, always, always dissolve the shampoo and the conditioner into a little bowl with water before applying it to the hair not to leave residues of product on the hair or on the scalp. This quick and yet indispensable change on your hair routine makes for a lighter, smoother and never sticky or heavy looking hair root. Dissolving hair products before applying them works specially well for women with oily hair.

Kérastase Bain Apres-Soleil Shampoo

Now, for repairing our hair from damage caused by the environment and the sun we can use products oriented for this purpose such as the Kérastase Lait Richesse Conditioner, shown on the first picture, or we can preferably opt for stronger treatments. I really like the Kérastase Masque UV Défense Active cream and the Bed Head moisturizer called Dumb Blonde which saved my hair more than once. Dissolve it in a little bowl with water, just like we did with the shampoo, and leave it on for 5 to 10 minutes, if you can, after rinsing the shampoo. Rinse the hair thoroughly afterwards (just like it’s written on the back of the product – I love reading shampoo and conditioner instructions during the shower…hahaha). It is also a good move to apply a leave in product that simultaneously protects the hair from the heat of the dryer or the curling iron and moisturizes it.  My favorite one, also from Kérastase, is called Nectar Thermique.

Kérastase Masque UV Défense Active

Bed Head – Dumb Blonde

Kérastase Nectar Thermique Leave In

What are your favorite summertime products? Was this post helpful? Leave tips, questions and suggestions; I would love to hear and learn from you!

PS: If you got here congratulations and I’m sorry for such a long post, but I would like to make just one little final consideration, I promise it’s the last thing today hahaha: I know it is difficult being used to wearing make up everyday, as most of us are, to go to the beach and show our naked faces using nothing but sunscreen, above all if you suffer from skin problems such as acne… For this reason on my next post I will show you tips for applying a very very VERY light hahah and imperceptible makeup you can wear to feel good, pretty and above all protected from the sun when at the beach. It can also be worn daily specially during the summer. I will include concealing advice, product suggestions and lip and eye sun protection tips…! This is the result of this first makeup tutorial for BEACH MAKEUP:

Stay tuned! Talk to you again soon!

Maria.

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Find your way inside Sephora – Part 2

30 May

And the saga continues…

- Sephora – Oh yeah. The confusing part that has all those brushes you can’t figure out what they do. Like I said in the post about brushes the best place in between quality and price is Sephora – my foundation brush is still alive after a long time (that’s because I wash it, but that’s besides the point)…

This collection is called the Sephora Professionel Platinum and to be honest, its a safe assumption you won’t go wrong. If you prefer brush sets already done for you, my favorite one is the Deluxe Antibacterial Brush Set (costs $60.00 but if you remember the prices of brushes by themselves, let me tell you this, its a GREAT deal). It has all the great brushes including the face ones.

All these gadgets confuse me as well, so let me give you a list of products I think you will enjoy:

  • Sephora Eyebrow Trimmer/Brush  is a great brow trimmer. Sometimes you try using those small scissors and you cant really work it, so this is a great tool – just please be careful not to be too enthusiastic because messing with your brows is not a good idea in general, reason why I love the fact this trimmer comes with a little brush – but dont try using both at the same time!!! Its easier to work it without the brush (its removable)
  • Tweezerman Tweezers - by far the best tweezers I’ve ever had. I have the pink small one and it is soooo good, lasts forever and are super easy to manage. Lovesssssssss it

  • Tweezerman ProCurl Eyelash Curler since we’re at it, I might as well give you this tip. This curler is amazing – so much so it nearly blinded me once and I still use it.

  • Tweezerman 10X magnification light up travel mirror - great for working your brows, eyeliner, little details. Magnification mirrors are a great thing to have, this one is compact and good if you’re traveling all the time (I do, and I have to carry this everywhere). Sephora isn’t the only place you can find these, they pretty much exist in every drugstore, supermarket, and beauty shops you visit.

  •  ghd Classic 1″ Styler - the love of my life. No joke. If you find yourself in dire need of a proper straightening iron. Universal voltage, quick to heat up and cool down (30 seconds), practical, great quality, gives hair AMAZING shine, doesn’t do a lot of damage ( but you know, its always good to use some sort of heat protecting product before). I fell in love with it, and in terms of price well… its a stab, but worth the money.  I never found this anywhere else except for Sephora, but you can always order it online. Apparently it also curls, but I just don’t see how – if someone finds out let me know

  • Sephora In-Cap Sharpener – this is the kind of thing you never think of buying, yet you always have an unused, useless one lying around. This is a great one, good for the average sized pencils, lip/eyes, all work just fine! Pick one up while there so you don’t have to worry about this again.

  • Strivectin SD – ok, this is something rather touchy for a lot of women. I used this product on a scar I had and it is a miracle worker. Yes people, they figured out what to do with skin marks (including stretch marks). I was so shocked this worked I borderline believe TV commercials for these things. No, but in all seriousness, miracles do happen nowadays. Use it twice a day (a little bit is good because its very concentrated), don’t mind the smell, but work it, I promise you in 6 weeks you’ll be so happy. It sounds like hocus pocus, but we don’t advertise bs in this blog!!!!!!!

  • Sunsafety Kit – It’s summer, so its time to put together all those products you don’t think you need but you do. Sephora made a great kit I think you should seriously consider if you just feel you don’t have time to do it yourself
  • Sephora by OPI nail polish – The nail polishes are absolutely amazing and OPI has a great quality, so its easy to go in there and pick any color and be happy with the quality. They have some amazing colors and more often than not they are always on top of the latest trends. So its always good to know. Also great to pick up a good top/base coating transparent nail polish, which is something we always use. Lately they created a new top coating nail polish that leaves the nails with the effect of being cracked. It’s weird and somehow interesting. They call it the Blasted Nail Colour - use it as a top coat to any nail polish (put only one coating at first, it takes a little time to see the effect) and it looks like this:

Well, turns out this little walk around Sephora has been giving me quite a lot to say. Believe it or not – I’m not done. But I have this History of China paper to write for tomorrow, so for now I will leave you with these tips, I hope you all enjoy it.
Oh, also, I have been getting some complaints (friendly complaints) that I haven’t done night makeup, we’ll get there soon people, relax, I’m just awful at multitasking!!!!! But for now, enjoy these tips, I will work harder on getting the videos here. Enjoy =]

Q&A – oily skin

26 May

So as I tweeted you guys recently, we’re starting a new Q&A. I decided I kept getting questions over and over and all I could think about is the fact I hadn’t covered your questions in the posts because there was so much written already.

Turns out we’re blessed to have followers who are simply smart creatures (you make us proud). From this question I managed to get together this little guide.

Q: I have naturally oily skin and I change foundation every couple of months. I’m using the MAC Studio Fix and it gives great coverage but my skin looks oilier than before. I have just started using the MAC primer and I thought it would help but it didn’t. Should I just change it?

Oily skins need a little more effort in terms of make up and daily treatments. Here are some products and tips that I think will help:

- A daily cleansing treatment helps a lot! There are so many products that do the trick, such as the Clean & Clear Continuous Control Acne Cleanser which you can find in any CVS/Walgreens/Duane Reade. Also great: Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash Pink Grapefruit Foaming Scrub which has such a delicious smell or the basic Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash (I mentioned this on the skin tutorial). Wash your face before putting on makeup (especially heavy makeup) and after removing it. This is long-lasting solution that you won’t regret.

- Oil control primers: we talked about this already, but its worth mentioning it again. Bare Escentuals Prime Time Foundation Primer Oil Control, and for older skin the Korres Quercetin & Oak Antiaging & Antiwrinkle Oil-Control Treatment is a really good option, though its exclusive for Sephora so you might have to buy it online. These are the best primers, although most primers shouldn’t be too oily because they’re meant to be very light – but its that little extra help we won’t say no to.

- Foundations: the trouble here is that people with oily skin tend to have acne scars that need covering up; except the foundation for your skin has to be as light as possible and that means the coverage won’t be the best. So what’s the way around this? First, consider that taking care of your skin is something that cannot be overlooked. Just because some foundations have “better quality” it doesn’t mean they suit you best – its all about your skin. People change foundations often, but there is one thing that cannot change and that is the type of product you have. If your skin is oily, pick a lighter foundation for the day, something more fluid. Apply more layers if you must until you cover the parts you wanna cover. Don’t toss out that $30.00 foundation either – you just use it less often, say, every other night or some special occasion.

As far as tips for foundations, the best product in terms of quality is the Estee Lauder Double Matte Oil-Control Makeup SPF 15 - combine that with the Double Matte Oil-Control Pressed Powder and I can guarantee you’ll fall in love. Just make sure you pick a foundation that is light to oil-free. Different people will work with different types of foundations, but keep your skin in mind when you pick it – don’t just go for big names!

Also great: Clinique Stay-True Makeup Oil-Free Formula and the Stay-Matte Sheer Pressed Powder make a good combo.

As far as foundations go, pressed powders really help. If you just have oily skin, then what better way to control oil then by using powders? Cover FX Oil Absorbing Powder  has the color and the coverage. If, however, you just want something to control oil naturally under or on top of your foundation you can try out the Urban Decay De-Slick Mattifying Powder which is an invisible pressed powder just for oil control. You can also find something similar by our beloved Laura Mercier


Other prep/finishing products: before putting on makeup, try using blotting papers! Clean & Clear has one, as well as many other brands such as Shiseido and Boscia.

And for finishing, my tip is: Urban Decay De-Slick Oil Control Makeup Setting Spray. I use the All-Nighter Setting Spray and I mentioned this before, but it’s worth emphasizing how much I love this.

And final tip: after using makeup remover wash your face thoroughly because leftover makeup won’t do your skin any favors! Even if it’s 6am and all you wanna do is crash, you will wake up feeling better and fresher if you just wait 2 extra minutes!

So this is it my lovely ladies. I hope you find this useful!! If you have any other tips send it to me and we’ll keep adding it! Send us your question either by twitter (@NotPhotoshopped) or email (imnotphotoshopped@hotmail.com), your questions may help a lot of girls like you!!

Skin Tutorial

18 May

Yes, I did as promised. This tutorial covers all the topics we covered so far on the blog, so I wanted to give you an idea of a practical skin routine. I’m extremely camera shy, but I’m getting better at it. The tips are what matters: hope you all enjoy

Finishing powders

12 May

Once you have put on your foundation (given it’s liquid or creamy), you wanna add a finishing powder to really get that wet aspect taken care of. I see it as an important step because it sets the foundation in – it makes any skin look silky and smooth. It’s a bit expensive as a simple detail on the whole makeup, but I dare not skip a step. A good lasting foundation has a finishing step and hey – it’s not my fault they keep inventing these solutions.

As I said before I wear HD foundation, so the HD Microfinish Powder is really the final touch. The ideal brush is the Kabuki brush because it gets the powder without spreading the foundation more. I say its the ideal brush, but in all honesty I just use a fat blush brush that I’ve had for ages. Ideally it should have that round fat ends.

WARNING: finishing powders make a lot of mess. When using the finishing powder I mentioned I try to put a little bit of the powder on the inside of the lid and get the powder from there to avoid getting too much powder on my face.

There’s really no secret. If you wanna skip this step thats fine, but you should still use a brush to really get that finishing so the foundation will look uniform and dry.

Some good finishing powders:

- MAC Select Sheer/Loose – Not all powders are invisible, so if you’re using a MAC foundation, make sure you pick the right tone to match your foundation.Luckily MAC has a huge line of setting powders, and they also have their invisible version.Like I said, price-wise it hurts a bit ($23.00 – doesn’t sound like a lot but when you’re putting together a makeup kit anything over $10 feels like a stab).

- MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural – I love this because it’s part of the mineralize collection MAC created – basically, it’s done in a way it won’t cause you to have zits – good $27.00. It’s also not as messy (gotta love pressed powders). I would recommend using another brush for pressed powders (because the Kabuki brush can get a little too much product) – I use the 187 MAC brush, but there are cheaper options which are fine alternatives (though to be honest they don’t get that much cheaper, these specialty brushes will always be expensive – which doesn’t justify how expensive MAC brushes are)

- Urban Decay Razor Sharp Ultra Definition Finishing Powder - Another integrant on the HD technology makeup family. I’m gonna write about HD makeup soon as there is no way to postpone it anymore. But trust me, if you’re the kind of person who is gonna be on photos the next day on Facebook hating your skin, you might wanna consider spending $30.00 on this solution. It’s really good because it has some sort of fine particles that deflect light – it’s a mystery to me, but trust me, once you see how flash photography stops being unflattering for your skin you’re gonna be amazed at whatever magic this performs. Oh it also comes with it’s own applicator, so that’s some economy on brushes right there.

That’s it for today people. I’m gonna try to write tomorrow earlier because it takes some time to get these posts done – but I hope you all enjoy these latests tips.

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