Absolute Beauty Essentials-cont. LIPGLOSS

Lipgloss is a subject that could get into lengthy detail as most gals know. We all have our favorites and to name some of the best would take forever. Here are just a few top picks to consider the next time you go for the “gloss” search.

Stila “Lip Glaze” has been a favorite for years with its high gloss finish the look is almost vinyl. The twist up brush is handy and sanitary so fingers are not necessary when on the go. Right now Stila has a set of 8 mini glazes for $25 which is a steal. There are a variety of colors including old favorites and some new. “Kitten” is one gloss in the set that has become very popular with its accompanying eyeliner and eyeshadow in a peachy gold shimmer (sephora.com).

If you like the twist up color into the brush, Victoria’s Secret “Very Sexy Brilliant Lip Shine” is another nice gloss with extreme shine. I like this one in “Steamy” a glossy plum/grape shimmer with gold.

Tarte’s “Dual-Ended Lip Glosses” are wonderful with a shade on each end. Usually one is a sheer matte shade and the other a shimmery pearl shade to layer over top or each can be worn alone. These also have a brush applicator and come in the names of famous couples such as Anthony and Cleopatra (tarte.com, sephora.com, dermstore.com).

Another favorite with the brush applicator is YSL’s “Golden Gloss” which is a bit more on the pricey side but the color is definitely worth a shot. I like this one in 7BA which is a bright golden coral orange shine with extreme gloss (yvessaintlauren).

A bit on the less pricey side is Napoleon Perdis “NP Set” gloss with brush applicator which can be found at Target stores. These are great glosses that come in a nice sized container.

Illamasqua “Intense” and “Sheer” Lipglosses are opaque and sheerer shades that are “hot”. The intense shades are very striking whereas the sheer shades are a bit less color but, not exactly sheer. These have an unusual but, workable sort of applicator in a squeeze tube. These are most certainly recommended for those who have a bit of makeup artistry in their veins (sephora.com).

For a gloss with natural ingredients, Jane Iredale’s “PureGloss” lip gloss comes in very wearable shades with a wand applicator but, the container is a squeeze container, therefore allowing you the control of the product (janeiredaledirect.com, dermstore.com).

If you’re one who likes a lipstick and gloss in one, try Bareescentual’s “Buxom Lips Full Color”. I love this one in “Racquel”, a brownish mauve pink. Also look for their special holiday dual-ended gloss in Angel Food Cake/Brilliance, two shades of creamy sparkling peach that are gorgeous (sephora.com, bareescentuals.com).

Lastly, I’ll stop with Philosophy’s lip glosses from the tube such as Coconut Frosting, Pumpkin, Red Licorice, etc. Usually they are seasonal so they very from shade to shade but they always have the fragrance and taste of the name and they always bear a nice healthy shine (philosophy.com, sephora.com).

If there is any way I can assist with colors, please contact me at tipsfromthemakeupgal.blogspot.com and I’ll try my best to assist.

Absolute Beauty Essentials – cont. (LIPSTICK)

If there is one cosmetics product that women are constantly trying to achieve perfection with it would be lipstick. Finding the perfect shade can sometimes be overwhelming but, finding the formula that’s right for you can be just as frustrating. This article is devoted to my favorite lipsticks brands that I tend to use continuously over and over. There are so many but I’m just going to highlight a few because I’d spend forever on this subject.

“Shu Uemura” Rouge Unlimited and Rouge Unlimited Crystal Shine are creamy formulas that come in a wide variety of shades ranging from beige, orange, red, pink, wine, and browns.

“29” Lipstick w/spf 20 and age-defying antioxidants is the perfect creamy consistency. You could say it is extra creamy. Shades are inspired by vintage wines. (Neiman Marcus)

“Ilamasqua” is an English brand from the U.K. that is now sold at Sephora. The lipsticks are known for their highly intensified matte coverage. The pigments are rich and non-drying. I’m in love with these. The brand is inspired by film makeup from the ‘20’s and 30’s. I’ve a feeling this is going to be an upcoming brand in the states. (sephora.com)

“Makeup For Ever” lipsticks are also rich in pigment and can be purchased in shimmer, matte, and glossy shades. This is a great brand for makeup artists.

“Bobbi Brown” Lip Color’s are shades designed in such a way that you can’t go wrong. You’ll find no trendy or experimental shades in her line. I think of her line as the “mainstream” or “business-minded” woman’s companion. Her products are wonderful. (Dillards)

“Saint and Sinner” are two varying shades of the same color such as red, pink, or rust. One shade (saint) is a sheer shade of the color and the other shade (sinner) is the more opaque mattified shade.

“Bond #7” Stay Perfect Lipsticks are great lasting colors for everyday wear. These can be found at Target stores.

“Revlon” Matte lipsticks are fairly new but have massive staying power and great colors. (drugstores)

“Maybelline” Colorsensational lipsticks contain honey and are very moisturizing for the lips. The line contains numerous shades. I get many compliments on the shade “Sugared Honey”.

“Shiseido” The Shimmering Lipstick are shades highly illuminated with shine and apply easily. Even though there is an overlay spray for shine, there is still shine underneath which many lipsticks don’t have. (Dillards)

Next week I’ll give some great ideas for the perfect “gloss” to top your lipstick or to just wear alone.

Kim Myers

(Absolute Beauty Essentials-cont.) LIPLINER

In the last issue, facial bronzers was discussed and now that we have eyes and cheeks covered it’s time to move to lips. Before applying anything with color to the lips it’s best to first apply a lip scrub or use a toothbrush to buff off dry skin. This creates smoother lips, therefore allowing a smoother application for glosses and lipsticks. Laura Gellar’s Lip Strip Cooling Scrub is a hydrating lip scrub that contains organic sugar and peppermint oil that can be caressed across the lips to remove dead skin while making the lips smoother (sephora.com).

Before applying the liner itself or any color I like to use a lip primer. Two good ones are Laura Gellar’s Lip Spackle and Victoria’s Secret Pleasingly Plump Lip Enhancer. The Spackle comes in a small pot and the Enhancer comes in a tube like a lipstick. The primer allows for a longer lasting lipstick and prevents against feathering. It also acts as an opaque base to allow the lipstick’s true color to come through.

Lip liners can be one of those items that should be just right to work with especially if your lip line is fading due to age. Here are some of my personal favorites.

Lancome’s Le Lipstique Liner with Brush provides nice smooth color and glides on easily. Every pencil I’ve ever owned, which have been many, are sharpened down to the very end so that every bit gets used. The brush on the end is nice so that lipstick or gloss can be applied right off the tube or out of a pot (department stores).

Clinique Quickliner for Lips is an automatic liner that you turn to get the product out of its container. These are long-lasting and ‘good to the last drop’ so to speak (dept. stores).

Merle Norman’s Definitive Lip Liner is another automatic that has great color and good shades for corresponding lipsticks (Merle Norman stores).

Loreal Lip Precision Automatic Lip Liner is one of my favorite drugstore brands. I’ve used these for years. There aren’t a wide range of colors to choose from but, they cover most of the bases with nudes, mauves, berries, wines, browns, and others.

(Absolute Beauty Essentials – Cont.) BLUSHERS

Traveling on with our list of the “essentials” we continue with blushers. I’m going to present my favorites in cream, powder, liquid, and loose powder mineral form. Keep in mind, these are just the favorites I like to work with and I tend to change products constantly but, always stick with some of the best in my regime.

For powder blushes Shu Uemura’s “Glow On Powder Blush” is some of the best when working with eccentric hard to find colors. These come in a variety of shade ranges, therefore covering the entire spectrum. They are very soft going on and even though the color may appear darker in the container, it actually goes on quite friendly if applied properly with a light hand. There are also really nice highlighter colors in golds and silvers for the makeup artist in people (shuuemura.com, sephora.com).

Smashbox “Soft Lights” is a good round sized container which holds a fair amount of product that I like using for blush. Some people use it as an all over face color but, I find it can highlight the face softly and create a soft “glow” finish that’s not too harsh. Glow, Tint, Shimmer, and Prism are all nice shades to worth with and can also be used for highlighting (smashbox.com, sephora.com, ulta.com).

In the mineral powder blush category, Bareescentuals blushes are wonderful and don’t require much product. These will last you forever and they come in soooo many shades to accommodate all skin tones. For a really “bright” look I like “Fruit Cocktail” and “Heaven” is a nice soft lavender. “Rose Radiance” face color is a pretty neutral soft rose shimmer for many skin tones (bareesentuals.com, qvc.com, sephora.com, ulta.com).

When leaning towards cream blushes, Julie Hewett’s face and cheek cream is great in the fact there are two products in one. “Jami” is a bit of peach rose, “Belle” a bronzed copper, “Natural” a sheer beige neutral tint, and “Vampie” for the Twilight lover’s (I’m one of them) is an eggplant grape stain. All of these can be applied with your fingers or the brush especially made by Julie Hewett (juliehewett.com).

Another cream blush I tend to warm towards quite a bit is Shiseido’s stick cream blush in S2, a peachy color that tends to blend with many skin tones (dept. stores, Dillards).

As for liquid blush, I like Daniel Sandler’s “Watercolours” especially in cherub, a highlighting pink, truth, a peachy beige, and spicey, a terra cotta nice for medium skin tones. I wouldn’t purchase many of these at a time unless you’ll be using them everyday because they tend to dry up inside the bottle but, just a pinpoint amount goes such a long way and the colors are brilliant (beautique.com).

Next week, “Bronzers” will be the Beauty Focus.

(Absolute Beauty Essentials – Cont.) Bronzers

While discussing bronzers in this article, I’ll be solely relating to facial bronzers that can be washed off after wear. These are cosmetic line bronzers that are great to use, especially when working on the face.

“Lorac” Bronzer in “Warm Glow” is probably one of my favorite powder bronzers. It isn’t orangey on the skin. It’s more of a dusty rose bronze with a hint of shimmer. I love to use this one. There’s also one a shade deeper for those with more of a tan (sephora.com).

Shu Uemura’s bronzers in light, medium, and dark are wonderful. You don’t have to choose from so many colors because they’re narrowed down for you. I use the “light” and it’s a soft peachy tan glow that’s great for fairer skin (shuuemura.com, sephora.com).

Next, the “au naturale” Bronzing Powder by “Josie Maran” in “Beach #1” is a very good choice for those who wish to go the natural route. This color is barely a shimmer with peachy golden undertones. A very unique color it is and I love it (sephora.com, Berdorff Goodman).

“Lancaster Sunlight Palette” has a multi-colored bronzer that contains five different shades of colors that can be used on the face and eyes. From beige, ivory, copper, to taupe you just can’t loose with this one. It’s a keeper (Barney’s New York).

Once again Julie Hewett comes through with her “Shimmy’s that come in a cream consistency contained in a pot. “Cleo” is wonderful as a bronzer or highlighter and can be used on cheeks, eyes, and lips. It is the perfect coppery color containing a bit of shimmer (juliehewett.com).

One product I’ve been using quite a bit during the summer is “ERA Everyday Classified Cosmetics Airbrush Bronzer in Sun Kissed”. This is like “airbrush” for the face and looks and feels extremely natural. Just spray the product across the face once in a sweeping motion and you’ve got it. I get many people asking about this one (era classified cosmetics-google, hsn.com).

Murad Firming Bronzer SPF 15 for face and body is nice when mixed with moisturizer to give just a hint of a glow to the face.

Next weeks’ focus will be on essential lip liners so tune in.

(Absolute Beauty Essentials – cont.) EYESHADOW

Well, we just finished up with our eyebrows so it’s time to move on to eyeshadow application. I’m going to introduce some of my favorite eyeshadows to work with for myself and on others. In my opinion, these are some of the best.

Bobbi Brown’s Long Wear Cream Shadow’s are soft, smooth, and muted. They come in shades of matte and some with a bit of shimmer but, not much. Bobbi is well known for her toned-down look. Her shades are wearable and, as the name states, long-wearing. Cream shadows can be applied with fingers or brushes especially made for cream shadow application. Bobbi also has a powder shadow collection called “Shimmering Nudes Palette” which is one of those must-have palettes that will flatter all. Not all the shades are shimmer though. Some are matte and the darkest I like to use as an eyeliner either wet or dry. There are seven neutral shades contained in this palette.

Another cream based eyeshadow is “Hydro-Powder” Eye Shadow by Shiseido. These dry down from a cream to a powder. In the containers the shades look very bright but, actually go on more muted once applied to the skin (Dillards).

Probably one of my favorite powder eyeshadows to work with because of the variety of colors and pigmentation is Shu Uemura Single Eyeshadows that come in matte, pearl, or metallic finishes. The color range in this series is from the very lightest to brightest to darkest. If you’re looking for a magenta or bright kelly green, this is the one to go with. I love the metallic finishes(shuuemura.com or Bergdorff Goodman).

Another great powder shadow, also known for it’s “green” packaging and natural ingredients is Josie Maran’s single eye shadows. I especially love the ones containing a pearlized finish such as “Mist” and “Cinnamon”, which is my favorite of all. These are wonderful for their smooth application and softness(sephora.com).

If you prefer mineral-based products the Bare Escentuals Mineral Powder Eyeshadows are the way to go. Keep in mind these are loose powders, however they do come in a wide, and I mean “WIDE” variety of shades. These also come in matte, pearl, and highly metallic finishes(qvc.com, sephora.com, ulta.com).

(Absolute Beauty Essentials-cont.) EYELINER

Once our shadow has been applied it’s now time for liner. This is probably one of the worst areas people deal with during makeup application. I’m going to provide you with some of my favorite brands to work with that seem to make this ordeal a bit easier.

Bobbi Brown’s Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner is probably my favorite and most popular to use. The colors are toned-down and subdued yet, she still comes out with unusual mixes that are classic. These creams come in a pot and can be patted on the lids with a stiff eyeliner brush. When using cream liners, I like to smudge the bottom lids a bit instead of trying to paint a perfectly straight line or I’ll use a liner pencil.

One really great wearing liner pencil is Merle Norman Soft Touch Eye Pencil. These are long wearing and can be easily smudged to your preference. I have many colors but, “Forest” is my favorite. Merle Norman also carries Luxiva Lasting Crème Eyeliner which is a favorite. This is definitely my best “Brown” cream liner in a pot and it is very long-wearing.

Another good pencil liner is Urban Decay’s 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencils. These are so soft and smooth upon application and come in some of the wildest colors. I like “Honey” and “Baked”(sephora.com, ulta.com).

Clinique Brush-On Cream Liner is another favorite cream in a pot. This one reminds me a bit of a gel liner. I love, love “Black Honey” and “Bronze”. These colors are neutral and go with so much(Dillards, Macys).

MAC Fluidline Cream Liner is another pot liner that is perfect for those wanting vivid colors or for makeup artists looking for dramatic looks. You can find vivid pinks and turquoise and numerous “glam” shades with this line.

Smashbox Cream Eyeliner is usually a #1 hit in most magazine surveys and also with makeup artist. This one is great with awesome colors but, can also be purchased in a mini-palette with the best selling colors which is a hit(qvc.com, sephora.com).

One pencil line I really love and find myself wearing daily is Cover Girl’s Exact Eyelights Brightening Liner. These are 4 colors designed with matching mascaras to correspond with each eye color and make that color brighter. My eyes are hazel so I use “Majestic Jade” and it really does seem to bring the “gold” out in my eyes and make them a bit brighter(drugstores, Walmart).

Since we already focused on Mascara a few weeks back, next weeks’ article will be dedicated to the best blushers.

Beauty Essentials cont. - "Brows"

Brows are next on the list in order for completing our look and having the essentials to do so. This is one area I do not forsake. If you have bushy, unruly brows, get them waxed or tweezed. It's not "that" painful. The great thing about working with the eyebrows is that the waxing is probally the most you'll spend on them. Most any brow product can be purchased at local drugstores to achieve the "perfect" brow.

Ardell Brow Perfection Stencils is a pack of four various shapes of brow stencils to put over your brows and then color them in. Choose the one you like and color it in with one of the brow colors Ardell also offers(drugstores, Walmart).

Laura Mercier Brow Duet is a dual colored shade for each hair color such as "auburn". The shades can be used individually or mixed to achieve a different look. One shade is darker and the other a bit lighter.

The same goes for Paula Dorf Brow Duet powder. I like this one in "Brunette". One shade is lighter and the other darker. When I want a more dramatic effect, I'll dampen the brow brush and apply the powder with it. It goes on so smoothly.

Sonia Kashuk is famous as a makeup artist and for having her own line of cosmetics sold at Target stores. I use this waxy palette when I do makeup for various events. It contains 3 shades of color and a powder for setting and highlighting underneath the brow bone.

Brow gels are also on the market but, the reason I don't use these much are because some women tend not to have an ample amount of brows to work with, therefore they must be penciled in. Pencils are another brow tool but, I still prefer the softness of a powder. The great thing about a powder too, is that an eyeshadow can be used if you don't have brow powder. Just make sure the shade complements your hair tone and doesn't contain shimmer. Taupe is always a good safe color to use.

Essential is a perfect brow brush. My favorite that I've used for years has been the tiny brow brush by "Bare Escentuals". This brush has gone everywhere with me.

Beauty Essentials cont.-Powder

This weeks focus is facial powder and here are some of my favorites that I highly recommend.

Make Up For Ever HD High Definition Powder is a loose powder with a microfine finish. It comes in one universal shade for all skin. This powder is wonderful used in conjunction with the HD foundation that was mentioned in a previous issue(sephora.com)

Another loose powder familiar to many makeup artist and actresses is T. LeClerc from France. This powder comes in varying shades of pastel blues, greens, yellows, oranges, whites, roses, and numerous others. Banana is their number 1 selling color of the line. The powder contains rice and the colors are created to even out the skin tone. This comes in pressed and loose.

Cargo Blu-Ray High Definition Make-Up is a pressed powder that is great for those "close-up" shots because it doesn't settle into the fine lines. I like to use this with a huge powder brush and swipe it over the compact. Cargo also carries other "High Definition" products.

Clinique Redness Solutions instant relief mineral powder is a loose light yellow powder that is made to reduce redness in the skin. This is especially a good product for those people who have rosacea. I like it for an all-over soft effect.

Tops Picks for Summer Fragrance - 7/17/2009

Once again we're skipping a section of "beauty essentials" this week because every summer I like to do a fragrance section for each season and before we know it summer will be over so here are my choices for this summer's top picks.

Estee Lauder's "Bronze Goddess" (2008) is probably my favorite choice for this summer. I love layering this spray with the body lotion and the body oil spray. The top notes are crisp with coconut milk, sandalwood, vanilla, vetiver, and myrrh. Middle notes consists of golden amber, juicy mandarin, Sicilian bergamot, lemon blend, and pulpy orange and dry downs of Tiare flower, jasmine, magnolia petals, orange flower buds, and fresh lavender. This one lasts quite a long time on the skin especially with the layering. I just love it and hope it's never discontinued. (Estee Lauder counters and more discounted prices and Cosmetics Company Store outlets).

"Jamaican Punch" by Carol's Daughter is a spicy tropical citrus fragrance that reminds me of rum punch for some reason. It is a tropical blend of apple, orange, rasberry, peach, and banana in the top and moving onto a center of gardenia, violet, and bayberry (providing the spice), and finshing off with a blend of other spices with sandalwood and vanilla. This scent also comes in shea souffle, bath oil, and body scrub. It is long lasting and a wonderful summer scent (sephora.com or carolsdaughter.com). The bath oil is out of this world.

Clean Fragrance came onto the scent in 2003 and has been going strong ever since. These scents surround themselves with the air of pure soap and that "just out of the shower" scent. "Original Clean" has hints of pure soap infused with orange, sweet lime, and rose geranium notes. It produces a sort of "lemon" quality on my skin which is quite fresh and clean smelling. It also has notes consisting of litsea cubeba, pink grapefruit, passion lily, white musk, and neroli. This also comes in body lotion and hair spray. It is classified in the"fresh citrus" category of fragrance.

The other fragrance by Clean I've really been loving is "Shower Fresh" which is a floral that's sexy and musky and provides that "just out of the shower scent" containing lily of the valley, lemon, mandarin orange, jasmine, sheer woods, and musk. This is a clean sexy fresh scent that comes in a spray and a roller ball for travelling convenience(sephora.com). I tend to pick upof the sheer woods and orange from this one...

Just a hint: I like to pair all the Clean fragrances with "Simply Clean" body wash, body lotion, and body spray, by Ulta. These are very affordable and are cheaper than the Clean brand and work just as well. Priced from $5 a bottle to buy 2 get 1 free, they're a steal and they come in bigger sized containers(ulta.com or Ulta stores at Pier Park, P.C.B.).