Things I love this summer (part 1)

Just a few things, most of them old 're-finds'. And the Nivea chapstick!

Make Up Store Microshadow in Ghetto 

The best eye/brow shadow ever, pigmented and LARGE. It comes at a fraction of the price you'd normally pay for a MAC one. Too bad I expect the brand to be available in Sweden only...

It's very soft and natural, the color is fantastic for brows, as eyeliner (i don't use black...) or as a plain matte eyeshadow. I'd compare it to MAC's Espresso, only with fewer 'red' undertones (from the chocolate tint that one has). It's perfect! 

Make Up Store 'Ghetto' microshadow

I got this amount of product by only touching the pan- it's really pigmented and a little goes a very, very long way. Very soft, yet not silky- it doesn't pick up too much on the brush or gets dusty once you swirl the brush in the pan.

This is MAC Espresso:

Stars'n Rockets blog 

Looks lighter in the pan but the orange undertones are far stronger. Espresso on the brows:

You either must have a light hand, light eyebrows (mousy blonde) or mix it with something ashy...I can't see how otherwise. Anyways, the product is very popular so I can't say it isn't good at what it does, it's just that sometimes one can find 'better dupes' at lower prices. That's my opinion. 

Helena Rubinstein Illumination Loose Powder

The best powder, loose or pressed, I have ever used (notice how little I have left :( ).  Did my friend's makeup on her wedding day and she looked spectacular. The powder illuminates the skin, sets the makeup and doesn't make your skin look cracked...which is a first. It's translucent but it has some tonality, available in 5 shades (I think). On the website it says it's enriched with 'optical pearlisers' for a glowy and healthy effect. It really works wonders, I suggest everyone to try and get their hands on a sample..I use it in nr 05 Light, and had it in 02 as well but gave that one away since it was too rosy for my skintone. 

Nivea Fruity Shine chapstick in Strawberry

The effect after wiping the lips

Very hard to find (Cherry, Honey and Classic are always on the shelves, not this baby). I adore the tint it gives the lips, very natural yet 'blushed', just like a strawberry. It's very hard to find a lipstick/lipgloss that would mimic the color of strawberries since they are all either cold-toned (fuchsia pinks) or orange/scarlet..which isn't bad, but I wanted something strawberry-ish! 

Been cruising makeup stores and supermarket aisles for ever until I saw this baby right by the cashier's...hello lover! I absolutely love the texture, the color, the scent (it has a pleasant taste as well, no plastic-bad blueberry juice like every other 'fruity' lipgloss/chapstick has), the smoothness and the hydrating effect. Comes with an SPF of 10 as well.

It's not extremely cheap, but not expensive either, so if you just want gorgeous lips without all the fuss, I suggest this product, combined with a lipliner (currently using Rimmel's East End Snob and Lancome's Caramel). It's going to be gorgeous and very Lolita-esque (kissed lips!), and it's REALLY pigmented for a chapstick (more pigmented than a lipgloss, obviously less color than with a lipstick). 

Maybelline Super Stay 24h Concealer

I use it as an eyelid primer and it works wonders, my makeup doesn't budge. I got the wrong shade (03, the darkest beige) which is too yellow for me so I can't really use it under the eyes. It's also a bit drying, which makes it a perfect tool to hide some blemishes. I probably shouldn't be using it on the eyelids, but they tend to get oily so I guess the dry effect cancels itself during the day...great eyeshadow primer! 

Veet Warm Wax

This is great for summer. I'll tell you why:

-I always wax my upper lip. The tiniest hair will get stuck in foundation and the more, the merrier- you end up looking like you have a mustache. If you're a brunette, even worse. I think every woman should wax their upper lip...the hair will not grow stronger or darker, but weaker and slower since you're yanking it out from its root and not only cutting off its surface. But that's just my take on the issue. However, girls with bleached facial hair look horrifying..so I personally suggest what my beautician said, just wax it...in two years maximum it won't grow back at all. 

-Bikini lines, especially if you're going to the seaside: salted water, chlorine and all those substances are known to irritate the hell out of the delicate skin or the upper thighs/bikini lines/inner thighs. If you're going on holiday and you're planning on shaving, think about the fact that if you're going straight into the water, you'll come out full of red dots; if you wait for a day (I tried waiting for 8 hours, didn't work), the hair is going to start growing back though it's (yet) unnoticeable. By this stage you can feel it already so no silk smooth legs. So you have to do it over and over again. Not nice. 

I strongly suggest girls, especially brunettes, to wax, since it's a healthy and perfect method of getting rid of body/face hair without paying a ton of $ if you can't afford laser/pulsed light/whatever else there is out there. I never shave on my upper legs/inner thighs/bikini, for fear of ingrown hairs (that always pop up when you go on holiday..especially when you swim/sweat) which look horrible in that area.

This wax is great because:

-it's not real bees wax. It's a combination of sugars and other substances that make it not that sticky as bees wax, easier to handle, with a higher boiling point (so you don't get burned as easily if you're a novice). 

-it does a great job at removing unwanted hair, from the thickest to peach fuzz. Really good for sensitive skin (me and some of my friends have been using this on the face as well with no problems whatsoever).

-it's hydrosoluble, which means it dissolves in water. Any drops/spots/traces can be cleaned really easily and fast.

-comes with a set of reusable strips (since it's hydrosoluble, you just let the used strips in water and in 20 mins they're ready to be dried and used again). 

-comes with a cute thermo sensitive applicator that 'tells' you when it's too hot or good to use

- if you're handy enough, you can apply it in a thicker layer (it doesn't crack no matter for how long you leave it on the skin, unlike bees wax that starts chipping if left for more than 2-3 mins) and then yank it with your fingers if you wanna save the product (of course, if you're waxing fuzz). 

-you can warm in it in the microwave. Super fast and easy!

Summer foundations

Nivea Beauty Lift, Vichy Normaderm and Estee Lauder Double Wear. Because they're so resistant and don't budge in heat/water/sweat etc. Will review the Normaderm very soon! 

BROWS, BROWS, BROWS! and a thought

Ha! I'm back, after a LONG time. Oh well.

Number one, I was thinking of moving  leaving blogspot, in the sense of exporting my blog on another site...well. It's because of the layout, impossible to work with, and my unconditional love for a clear-cut, comfy, state-of-the art, well designed platform I can actually blog on...not something that crashes and never recovers...but i'll be thinking about that.

This post is a reply (really belated) to a comment I got, about eyebrow shapes. Unfortunately my camera batteries are dead, so no new pics available for now, however i do have an array of (old) photography supply I can document my little research with and also the .com, which is truly going to help in this case.

Firstly, you can take a look at my previous brow-related post- http://mariesbeautyblog.blogspot.com/2010/03/all-about-eyebrows-part-1.html. It's not the best piece in the world but it will definitely answer some questions if you're confronted with the eternal brow question: to thin or not to thin.

Secondly, the question that remains unanswered is HOW to shape them. Filling in, that comes afterwards, because even the most admirably executed tweezer job demands a little bit of polishing from time to time, especially when it comes to (evening) makeup.

These are my simple rules for shaping the eyebrows. I've screwed up MANY times, mostly on my own brows (phew!), in the sense that it wasn't always a perfect result, or the shape changed accordingly- once the hairs grow out, you'll get not only regrowth, in the shape of small hairs around the eyebrow, but longer, more difficult to tame hairs that can modify the aspect of your brows.

The following section is for girls, or anyone who wishes to sport a more feminine eyebrow look. I will also talk a little about the 'manly' eyebrow design as well.

Here we go.

Rule number one: 

Work with your natural shape.

If it isn't severely distorted, if it doesn't make you look surprised/angry/sad etc. in an excessive manner, don't try to alter it all at once; you'll most probably going to end up with something that doesn't suit your face frame or bone structure, thus will have to resort to penciling them in to fix the damage. Go as slowly as possible, especially if you're a newbie, or after a regrowth. Don't worry- you've spent so much time with 'those' eyebrows, a couple of days won't really matter. It's better to pluck one hair at a time than to give yourself a dramatic makeover you might regret shortly after.

Rule number two:

Don't always trust salons. I swear, if I had a nickel every time I heard this....now let's clear this out. It is obvious that trained professionals (cosmetologists or makeup artists) are the most indicated people to create a good looking brow shape; however, I strongly suggest you first go in their salon/studio, witness some 'demonstration' on another person, or just find out about a salon by word of mouth- recommendations from friends, co-workers, etc. 

Don't be shy- if you see something really beautiful, don't be afraid to ask. I've made an enormous amount of purchases- fashion-wise- that I absolutely loved based on anonymous recommendations from complete strangers I met on a daily basis. Anyways, as I said, don't trust a salon just because they're a salon, pop in and completely abandon yourself (and your eyebrows) on the chair. It's better to do it yourself or save some money and go to a reputable makeup artist/cosmetician to do the job for you than screw up and feel miserable for two, three months. 

My problem with getting the eyebrows done at the salon derives from the fact that eyebrows are not facial hair. It's about having aesthetic norms, so to speak, or just an eye for what suits one's face- probably like a designer has got to have insight, talent and creativity. Because you might end up with something completely different from what you wanted just because the lady at the salon 'likes' that shape. No-no. Another issue I've had with salons stems from terrible cases of male eyebrow destruction I've encountered. Poor guys go to expensive places and have their brows plucked the hell out until they look like Dame Edna. But, being told they're okay by someone with a diploma, they continue living in a lie. Oh well. 

So, go for it if you're SURE. 

Rule number three:

It's better thicker than thinner. I know, sad but true. However, you should read this like 'it's better moderately thick, natural-like, than sharpie brows that looked crayoned on the forehead'. The Marlene Dietrich-type of eyebrow is not only out of fashion, but terribly aging for the face. It makes the skin lose support and, in many years' time, gives you droopy eyelids. Thick eyebrows are also out of discussion if you don't have baby-like facial features- a young Brooke Shields, Russian supermodel Natalia Vodianova,  or Gemma Ward, etc. If you look 'normal', go for 'normal'. Etcetera. You get my point. 

Rule number four:

TRIM your eyebrows. Don't pluck the hair that stands out- it might change the shape of your entire brow or end up causing a hole in it. Just gently trim about a millimeter of the hair length and see what happens. Brush the hairs carefully, trim, brush one more time, trim again, and so on. Not only it will take care of those rebel hairs, it might actually improve the shape/refresh a brow job in between plucking. 

Rule number five:

Try to envisage your final version of the 'perfect brow' along the process, or even before. Try to see the contour of the brow among the hair you want to remove, and imagine yourself with it. I have never used a white pencil, just some stencils, and for fun only, so I really can't comment on this aspect, using an additional tool to design your 'new' brow contour. 

If you feel comfortable with using some sort of instrument- that's great. Just make sure the result looks normal, not too thick/thin, etc. And even if you like some 'brows', remember they might not look good on you. Just because Megan Fox has a certain brow shape doesn't mean it will work on your face. Don't try to force your natural contour. You can give it a lift, of course, and clean it up, or the opposite, making it look demure, with a natural slant. But don't overdo it. You'll end up crying over plucked eyebrows, cruising the aisle looking for pencils to fill them in. 

Rule number six:

That's a lucrative one. It's about my own taste and what I personally see as working for most people. So you can take this advice or not. My suggestion would be to try keeping the difference between the beginning of the brow and the portion that follows as small as possible. Meaning don't leave a big, thick front part of the brow to immediately pluck everything out and get pencil-thin brows.

I like the more natural approach, the one with a gentle crescendo of the process and not an abrupt beginning of thinness. I think it looks clean, natural, refreshes the face and makes the eyes look wider, more awake. That's one important rule I always apply when doing my eyebrows or anyone else's, for that matter. 

Rule number seven:

You CAN pluck/wax/shave the hairs off the upper part of the brow, just do it as gently as possible. I couldn't stress this enough. The upper edge of the brow must look natural, otherwise...it won't. Just be VERY, very careful. I couldn't stress it enough. If you leave it in pristine condition, it might or might not look untidy, depending on your natural shape. I strongly suggest you to be extremely light-handed, or better, if you don't trust yourself, let someone with more experience help you. Screwing up your eyebrows is one thing, per se; chipping them from above equals disaster and you don't want that to happen.

Rule number eight:

Don't let your eyebrows grow too much or you'll ruin a potentially good shape, especially if you got the right one and are afraid you won't nail it the second time you're trying, or if you went to Anastasia of Beverly Hills or something. Just play a little with the tweezers every two-three days, to keep the canvas clear. It's very simple and easy :)

Rule number nine:

If you think your eyebrows are too 'long', thick, bushy, etc in the beginning, namely at the base of the nose, pluck whatever it is to pluck (the unibrow) in between them but try trimming the hairs instead of plucking everything out. You don't want to create a large space between your brows, or the opposite- leave a narrow 'escape'. Gently trim, and if you get square angles- trim those too. Very, very gently. I know, i might seem obsessed but attention to details is what makes a good eyebrow design, and well, all design in general. Square edges equal rigidity, sharpness and well, an unnatural aspect. Don't go too deep or you'll have to adjust the brow with some powder/pencil. Step-by-step!!!

Rule number ten:

You don't have to invest in expensive brow maintenance products, just find the correct tones for your skin/hair color. Apart from that, i strongly suggest several pieces for your brow survival kit- translucent powder, to pat around and on your eyebrows, remove any excess of pencil/brow powder and give the brow makeup a mellow aspect; a highlighter- any brow bone will look cleaner, fresher and give a bit of lift to the entire face if covered in a soft light- whether you want a satin finish or opt for a matte one; a brow comb and (transparent) gel to fix them- it makes a huge difference, especially after a long day, when your makeup is all melted, or could use some serious sprucing up- your brows will still be ok. 

Rule number eleven (VERY important):

If it ain't broken, don't fix it. If you have naturally full eyebrows, just got a brow job and you're feeling good about it, don't fill it in. Don't overdo it. You'll end up looking unnatural and having wasted some good $ for the  brow beautification process...if you're still filling in your eyebrows. There's no need for that, honestly. I am saying this because yesterday, while researching for brow-related issues, I have encountered some blog posts I can't quote, for obvious reasons, in which the author proudly described and photographed her eyebrows...and the pencil. The shape was quite ok but the color was a major mistake since it appeared too intense due to excessive zealousness. So ladies and gents, don't overdo your brows if you're happy with them. At most just carefully 'spoolie' them in with a tiny bit of ashy brown powder and call it a day. 

For the gentlemen (or the ladies who pluck their eyebrows):

There's nothing worse than a lad with sharpie eyebrows. The best way to do it is to make it seem you DIDN'T do it. The 'secret' is plucking the hairs without perfect definition- take a look at the L'Oreal ads, for example. Even the girls have natural-looking eyebrows though all photography is digitally retouched. I like that look, very natural yet nicely defined, without looking like you've actually worked on it. 

I was 'honored' in the past with trustworthiness of male friends, thus had them allow me groom their brows a little bit. 

What seems to work best is:

-using wax strips/warm wax/whatever substance/tool you're comfortable with, even thread, (if your subject tolerates pain) to remove the little hairs around the brow, on the outer sides of the brows, on the upper part etc. It just 'cleans up' the area and gives a more refreshed look without looking like something was actually done there.

-using the tweezers to carefully remove ONLY what's to be removed; the ideal way of 'measuring' whether you're doing it right or not, i.e. taking too much hair or the opposite, is checking out for the beginning of the areas where the hair starts to grow thicker and thicker. Once you've hit/ you're very close to that skin portion, time to wrap it up. NEVER give a man a prominent arch, he will look ridiculous if that's not the effect he's going for. CLEAN UP and nothing more; the perfect brow job for a man is to have the lines of the brows as natural as possible, with a couple of hairs sporting out to delude the eye. I guess I don't even have to mention the infamous sharpie brows...and what they look like on men. Hello, Jersey Shore.

Products we all love (at least I do, and heard some gals like them as well):

Cheapsters- H&M brow powder, H&M brow pencil in Light Brown, Isadora brow pencil in 22 Light Brown, Max Factor brow pencil in 02 Hazel; 

Higher end stuff:  Clinique brow liner in Soft Brown and Deep Brown (02 and 03), Clarins brow pencil in Light Brown, Anastasia Beverly Hills pencil in Medium Ash (universal shade, can be worn by anyone, regardless of hair color), etc. 

It's hard to find a good quality brow pencil/powder, and sometimes even high end brands manage to screw up and present something awful (shame on you, Lancome!), mostly with reddish undertones. However, there are so many nice products out there, and so many are drugstore, that the task of achieving the perfect eyebrow is no longer impossible. 

Finds part 2

This is a bunch of cheapsters i got with my Rimmel 'haul'. They're mostly drugstore items but i tried some before, so why not go back.

Lumene Natural Code Volume Maximizing mascara

I usually love everything Lumene makes because they're a bit on the organic, naturally enhanced cosmetics side. The first thing that caught my attention was this mascara's wand- huge, similar to Diorshow. Whoa.

It can be a bit hard to work with until you get used to the new humongousness you must handle, but the effect is totally worth it. Huge-sized brushes come with sticky, gooey drying mascaras but this one is very natural (too natural?), you can easily build it up. My favorite quality of this mascara is that it gives soft lashes-no more crisps. I never go for the natural lash look so i mainly use it on top of my 'primer' (Max Factor Masterpiece that is), to make sure everything is kept in control and it all looks nice and 'clean'. However, i'll try it several times before committing to a final opinion (tried today only).

Glowing Body Powder

I needed something cheap, effective and pigmented for this weekend, so i figured why not give H&M a chance. This is a rather revamped product i believe, it's been on their stands for months. It's basically a huge pan filled with glowy, golden champagne-toned body powder. The packaging isn't sassy at all, a clear lid and a silver compact, no brush, no fuss. However, it does a great job at what i need it for...therefore thumbs up. I didn't even have to literally pay for it since i got it courtesy of some customer coupons. I'm not THAT cheap, you know, but when i need something just for occasional use, well, why not.

Helena Rubinstein Illumination Powder

I didn't actually need this (since i already have Clinique's Blended Face Powder) but it was on sale, so i got two of these, 02 Medium and 01 Light (i guess. Light went to my mom as a present). The medium one is a tad more pink-ish than i'd fancy but it's not disturbing. it's meant to gently set the makeup while illuminating the areas such as forehead, bridge of the nose or under the eyes. I tested it and loved it. Now we'll see what happens in about 5-6 days (upcoming review).

Eyebrow Palette

This is a cheap find- again. I had to choose between this, which retails for about € 5, and Smashbox's Brow Tech, many times more expensive. I find there's a similarity between this and the Brow Tech in Brunette. I like the brown triangle, it's very versatile and combined with a hint of the darkest and a bit more of the lightest, gives the most natural appearance. Time to give my old H&M brow duo a break.

Lost and found

Several weeks (pehaps months, i can't remember) ago i was gutted over the fact that Rimmel London has been discontinued from ALL the beauty shops here...and i was in desperate need to get a second Soft Coral lipstick (my HG, one of them) and also some eyebrow pencils and a lip liner Selby has been raving about on YouTube.

Yesterday i went to a supermarket close to Ikea and i couldn't believe my eyes-at the 'skincare' aisle, there it was- the Rimmel stand! With all their new collection, the mascara, the eyeshadows, etc. everything i was looking for! They didn't have the newest Lash Accelerator mascara, but well. Perhaps it can be found in Stockholm. 

Anyways, i got my Coral lipstick (newest obsession-tangerine lips) and some other items- namely:

Eyebrow pencil in 02 Hazel

 This comes in very handy when i use my other Rimmel pencil, the Dark Brown, because it's a bit lighter, with 'hazel' undertones (pale ashy brown), and a little bit harder than the other one. I use this one for the first half of the brow for a more natural effect (hate the drawn on brows) and the Dark Brown for contouring the rest of the brow so it wouldn't wash off in photography or during daytime. I

'm actually surprised i never thought of picking this up before, every time i thought about it i remembered i had 'orange' set as my memory of this pencil and it isn't orange at all- it actually has dirty khaki undertones, as the picture above shows, especially the cap color is very representative. Perhaps i was confusing it with some other drugstore pencil; however, now the problem's solved :)

Exaggerate Lip Liner in 063 Eastend Snob

Ever since Selby raved about this on YouTube i wanted to try it on. I got this and the 1000 Kisses lipliner in Tiramisu as well, since that's the 'epic' Rimmel lipliner i spotted on MUA as their 'famous' lip product, and it's truly a gorgeous neutral color. 

However, this one is a tad pink-ish with a bit of a purple undertone, very light but super wearable. It might come as a shock in the beginning, the pink i mean (looks like Barbie's lipliner) but it doesn't transfer on the lips like that- it's just a nice, neutral pink with a bit of 'jazzy' in it. I really like this shade- used to be a Maybelline Rosewood lip liner fan for about three years or even more. The Rimmel one has got me hooked. Plus, i love the automatic system and the thickness of the color stick inside- like a mini-lipstick.

Natural Bronzer in 022 Sun Bronze

I never owned this before and this comes as a surprise, at least for me- how could i not get this before? It's a very natural shade (i found about it from a YouTube user), matte, pigmented but not over the top, soft but not chalky or dusty. It contains (some) minerals and an SPF of 8.

I love the shade- was looking for something matte for contouring since i swore off the Smashbox's Sunlights Matte (orange) and my Face Stockholm is a bit too dark for faking a bake when i'm paler/just wanna apply it all over. This shade is the most popular on Makeupalley (among Rimmel bronzers) and i can see why- i think of latte, biscuits and capuccino when i see this bronzer. It looks 'milky' in a sort of Cheryl Cole-ish way (not tanzilla attack, but a mild, darker beige creamy complexion).

 I don't know why i never got this, i think it's the same story as with the eyebrow pencil- must have confused it with some other product because this is gorgeous. I hate the packaging, the fragile, cheap looking plastic lid is going to crack on me in about a week and good luck carrying it around...why doesn't Rimmel come up with compact packaging for their bronzers and powders? I'm sure everybody would love it...

Moisture Renew Lipstick in 600 Soft Coral

One of my all-time favorite lip colors. The consistency isn't THAT creamy/moisturizing but i couldn't live without the shade. It's a pinkish coral, extremely natural, that makes my face look radiant, gives an impression of well rested youth. No porn star pink, lavender, 'nude' browns (i.e. chalky white-ish lips); it isn't dry either, i'd say somewhere in between. I'm not especially crazy about the glitter particles in it, they could feel chunky sometimes, but they surely don't scratch (ha!). It doesn't dry my lips, as i said, it feels 'normal'. A drop of lipgloss on top is therefore optional.

Yay! I thought they were discontinued or that i'll never be able to find this shade again....phewwwww!!

Now, my next obsession- bright coral (tangerine) lips. Old Hollywood type of lip makeup. Beats pink, red, anything else. 

The only similar shade i came across was Mandarin, from Nivea. NOT Estee Lauder's Mandarin Pop- that one is a pink with peachy undertones. I think the Nivea lipstick was part of some collection they discontinued or marketed under different shade names- the only thing remotely similar is their Scarlett Rouge lipstick: 

Scarlett Rouge-last from left

....but it's not the exact same shade. Sigh. I'll keep looking....