A Little Hair Experiment

I'm not even going to bother going through my usual deal of why I haven't posted in forever.
None-the-less, I have several new ones in mind, and here's the first.

Okay, so previously, sometime around last winter I believe, I ended up hearing about this thing going around about going completely Shampoo Free. ::gasp::

Going completely shampoo free? Ick!! At least that was my first reaction. But I saw so many articles on it, I figured there had to be something to it, right? So I kept reading. A lot. So I'm going to lay out for you how I'm going to go about the rest of this article. First, I'm going to explain the general terms and conditions of going shampoo free. I'll share some of the best sites I've found. Then I'm going to talk about my own experience with my hair in general, and then talk about what my version of this experiment is, and what my results thus far have been. Here is goes.

So, basically, if you've ever had the heart to turn over that shampoo bottle of yours and taken a look at the instructions, you'll have noticed about a hundred ingredients that you probably have never heard of or maybe cannot even pronounce. Don't worry, you're not alone. There's a lot in there to add more of a look and smell to the shampoo than there is to help your hair. But there's another problem with modern shampoo. The whole reason it's developed in the direction it has is not because the beauty corporations are necessarily evil and want to see your hair fall out at the tender age of 40 so they can then sell you on some hair growth shampoo. Truly, it's not. Most of these shampoo recipes came about as a way of creating faster results for customers to react to. If you switch shampoos and all of the sudden your hair looks or feels different, you'll notice. Unfortunately, as it is with nearly every aspect in life, faster usually means cutting very important corners. In this case, that means quality. And in the end, your hair suffers. There are a few ingredients in there you'll see that are actually really bad for your hair. In general, it's a good idea to stray away from anything that has the word "acid" in it, aside from amino acids, which is predominately a protein that helps to rebuild hair.

Also, glycerin. Vegetable based glycerins are the base of nearly every shampoo, conditioner, lotion, creme, what-have-you. Why? Because it works as great lubricant. But that's about it. It doesn't do much for your anything besides being a great filler to smooth what little actually-beneficial ingredients there are in that bottle over whatever part of your body you want. But it can clog. Badly. It's a lubricant, which means it's thick and slippery. It can clog the pores of your hair and skin and keep them from absorbing much of anything else. Try to avoid it.

Lately, you've probably seen a lot of shampoos out there touting "Sulfate Free". What's sulfate and why should we care? Well, if you wikipedia it, you'll get an über scientific definition. But for something a little simpler, it's a mineral, usually used to add a little iron to one's diet. It's actually used in a lot of medicines and is, in-and-of-itself, not bad for you and in fact can be beneficial. However, the specific kind of sulfate used in most shampoos is SLS, or sodium lauryl sulfate. While it does have organic origins, (from the coconut), the chemical compound that it is as found in thousands of beauty products, is actually not that great for you. And while, yes, your hair is technically dead, shampoo still comes into contact with your skin and that means those chemicals are still getting absorbed into the living matter of your body. SLS is basically a detergent, which is why it's in shampoos – fast results for cleaner feeling hair. But make no mistake. Ultimately, you shouldn't be washing your hair with it, because the long term effects are probably not worth it.

All of these chemicals strip your hair of all of its natural oils. You name it. Splint ends, dull hair, it'll happen folks. Now, yes, there are ingredients in the shampoos to nullify these effects. But they only treat the symptoms and not the cause. Which is important. Because your body is smarter than you think. The more you strip those natural oils off your hair, the faster and harder your body will work to replenish them. Have you ever thought to yourself at the end of a long day, "Eeew, my hair gets so oily!" Can't go more than 24 hours without washing your hair? There's actually a really good chance this is why. By shampooing your hair more often, your doing the opposite of what you should.

So you could drop some extra cash on some of these sulfate free products. My personal favorites are Renpure and One 'n Only's Argan Oil line. However, you could go this alternative route: Shampoo Free. Most of the articles I've read on this little technique will tell you that going shampoo free will be frustrating for about two weeks, but ultimately, you'll adjust.

(Here are some decent reference sites:)

http://shine.yahoo.com/beauty/3-hair-rinses-going-shampoo-free-155400549.html

http://simplemom.net/how-to-clean-your-hair-without-shampoo/

http://wheelingit.wordpress.com/2012/04/17/4-tips-to-going-no-poo-the-shampoo-free-movement/

Okay, maybe you can handle that. But, most of these will also give you some natural hair shampoo recipes for a reason. And I've read a lot of them, and I've heard a lot of advice on it too. But if you ever want good hair-care advice, ask a woman of colour with natural hair. One late night I explained my hair-care woes to a friend of mine and she explained to me, in basically what was a slap-the-back-of-your-head kind of way, that I needed to lay off the shampoo.

"But, I've read about this," I argued. "And I have a really bad scalp. Seriously  a few days without my Selsun Blue and my scalp starts to bleed. I can't go without it." Which is true. I have really dry skin and have since I was in elementary school. I've been using Selsun Blue for over a decade, and I would recommend it highly to anyone who asks. But my friend gave me a dead pan look again and returned this: "If you give me that bottle I bet I can find ten ingredients on there actually that are bad for your hair."

And she's certainly not wrong. Now, I'm not going to lie or attempt to play victim. When it comes right down to it, if I really want to take care of my hair and style it, I can have gorgeous hair. It has it's faults, but when all is said and done, it's not the worst to deal with. I have hair that's very fine, and I have a lot of it. It tangles easily and is extraordinarily not resilient. In some ways that's a good thing. It's highly style-able. So, besides the scalp, I don't have much to argue about.

Only, the conversation with my friend made me realize something. I had previously mentioned in this very blog how I'd gone cleanser-free with my face and it actually righted a lot of problems I was having with that, both oily and dry skin. So why was I thinking my hair was any different?

Alright, let's do this, yeah? No. Needless to say, I still have my hesitations about going shampoo free. Mostly because of my scalp. Seriously, it hurts. BUT I have vowed to not shampoo nearly as much. I used to shampoo every day. I'm down to every third day now, going on a month of this experiment. I bet there are still some people cringing out there, but seriously, give it some time and yes you will absolutely see the results.

I started with a four day detox. No shampoo at all. Then I began to shampoo every third day. I use only my Selsum Blue Medicated Shampoo for my scalp. After a week my hair was producing less oil so that going three days felt like I had gone only two. It took a little longer for my dry scalp to catch up to the change, but it did eventually and I've decided I want to try and push for every four days and see how that goes.  In the mean time, yes, my hair does still get unsightly oily, so to rectify that, I do what I had always done in times of emergency when I couldn't shampoo every day–powder your hair.

Sounds weird, but it's actually what you do when you use dry shampoo. And you can use dry shampoo too, if you feel the need. I used to use Rockaholic's Dirty Secret Dry Shampoo back in high school but the price of that has gone up significantly since then. More recently I found Beyond the Zone's dry shampoo to be satisfactory. The thing about dry shampoo is this, though. It doesn't last long and it's expensive. Now, if you like the convenience and don't mind the cost, go for it. The benefit of dry shampoo versus powdering your hair is the fact that the powder is aerosolized so it's spread more evenly. But if you want the cheaper option, just pick up a bottle of baby powder. Lightly sprinkle it one your roots, then use your finger tips to rub it in like you would shampoo. Finally, take a brush through your hair. A boar's hair or imitation boar's hair brush is best to help distribute the powder as evenly as possible. This helps to absorb the excess oil and gives a nice smell to your hair. However, this technique becomes a litte difficult for those with darker hair, as the powder lightens even my dirty blonde roots. Another alternative (thought one I cannot personally vouch for as I've never tried it) is Bamboo Style Cleanse Extend Translucent Dry Shampoo which can get pretty pricy, or the alternative, Bumble and Bumble's hair powder, in various colours.

So what should you take away from this awfully long entry? Well, pointers:
1. Try to shampoo less; it'll benefit the overall health of your hair.
2. If reducing your shampoo use or going shampoo free, be patient. It takes time to undo the damage that's been done.
3. How your treat your body is often an extension of yourself. The more you pay attention to what your body needs and its long term care, the more you begin to treat yourself the way you deserve to be treated: with respect and care. 

- KissMYGorgeous

New Song Saturday (a day late) - Hey Ho by The Lumineers

Hey Ho

by The Lumineers

Okay, so yes, it's a day late. We had company yesterday so I had no time to actually get it done. But! Here we are. Not too late. This one is based on the Lumineers' song Hey Ho. A really cute song. It makes me feel like I should be watching fireworks on the boardwalk or something. 
So here's the makeup I came up with for it. A little Neopolitan Ice cream-esque. The quality of the pictures is still only so so, but they will get better in time. :) Enjoy!






Make sure to start with a beautifully fresh face!

Add your shadow primer and let it settle. Brush those brows while you wait. Next we put on the highlight. I chose a medium shimmery tan. I love the shimmer for this song. Don't worry about the look, we're going to brighten it up in a bit. Use a regular shadow brush to apply to the corners of the eyes and blend out until just about the centre of the upper lid.

                  

Next, I chose a pinkish shimmery colour for the base. Remember to clean of your brush in between colours! Apply two layers to the central area of the upper lid. 

For the shadow, I used a darker shimmery brown. Apply in a triangle to the outer corner of the upper lid. Blend lightly into the pink base.

             

 

Apply a lighter champagne colour over the top of the highlight and blend lightly into the pink base. I also used this colour for the highlight in the lower liner later on.

For the darker liner on top I used the dark shimmer brown. Make sure to lightly wet your angled liner brush.

Now the mascara! Yea! Hold the wand as close to the base of your lashes as possible and gently move it back and forth as you pull the wand through your luscious lashes. I used only one coat for this one.

And now the lower liner. The champagne colour goes on the inner corner of your lower line and the dark brown on the outside. Having that light one on the outside helps to really open up your eyes which gives it that really innocent bright-eyed feel that this song has.

Don't forget to spray the DeSlick on to help keep it from smudging. :-] And you're all finished!

You and Your Eyeshadow: Why Your Results Might Not Be the Same

So I wanted to make a quick note about. . .

You and your eyeshadow!

(I'm saying that in the 50's PSA voice.)

It's important to understand something about makeup, specifically wacky colour makeup. The results of your makeup fun are very (unfortunately) dependent on your physical self. As in, face shape, eye shape, hair colour and most importantly skin colour. 

Sadly, while darker skin tones look much healthier, they tend not to like big bold wacky colours as much and can make some colours muddled or harder to see. For this reason, if you have darker skin, even as tan as caramel coloured, I would recommend trying out colours on a day when you have time to take off your makeup in case you don't like the way they look. The reason is simple, really. Think of pale skin tones are like a blank piece of paper. Colours show up no problem, with fewer layers, right? Well, add even my pink-tinted skin tone and already the colours start looking a little different. If you've got tan, olive, or mocha tones, the colour become harder and harder to stand out on their own because they're mixing with your base tones. Using you typical eyeshadow will be difficult.

It sucks, I know. I'm absolutely jealous of my friend Columbia's skin because it's just über pale with no real tint or tone. Coloured shadow comes out like a freaking crayola rainbow on her skin. And she takes full advantage. East Asian genetics have it the best in this department.

But an easy remedy for this is creme shadows. The right creme shadow applied correctly and darker skin tones are the best at making colour pop.

 Rest assured, those teals and mauves would not look that good on my pale pink skin. I'd look more like a washed out baby. 

The majority of people are not walking crepe paper. So thankfully, the makeup industry is finally starting to cater towards medium and darker skin tones when it comes to rainbowed shadow. Tan has been the in for awhile, but now that it's becomes more acceptable to have bright eye makeup, they're catching on to the need for stronger pigments instead of the weak shadows that your typical drugstore brand would produce. 

But, if you're like me and have weird tinted skin, or like the majority of people out there and have some real colour to your skin, then the brand I recommend the highest is Urban Decay. They have all manner of colours and materials. The cremes work well, but even the shadows are amazing. 

Hair colour comes into play because darker hair tends to work better for bold makeup choices. Since my hair is blonde, I sometimes look washed out when I try to use lighter colours. 

Ignoring the colours, look at the different shapes of the eyes. Some shapes just show off colour better than others. For instance, closed, to first, second, fifth, and last, going across horizontally, would show off colours the best. Open-eyed, seven, ten, and eleven, are the least favored shapes in terms of showing off bold makeup. 

Of course, none of this means you can't or shouldn't have fun with your makeup. And there are certainly ways to cater to your specific eye shape. I only mention any of the above in the hopes that it will explain why your eye shadow might not look the same as mine, either better or worse. My skin/hair/eye shape are not ideal, but I work with mine the best I can and since I am sort of in the middle, I'm hoping that the way I do my eyeshadow will be more universally helpful to people.

New Song Saturday! - Aqueous Transmission

New Song Saturday!

       Aqueous Transmission, by Incubus

Okay, so here is my first eye shadow demo, and I'll be the first to admit that it's a bit of a mess. Turned out to be a lot more difficult than I was expecting to get proper pictures since I don't have a camera and I was just using my computer's Photobooth. Because of this, all of the pictures look strange due to the light. I had to run them through an editor to sharpen them up but hopefully I'll be able to work out the lighting in later posts so that the colours are much more visible. Now, I did not use colour boosters in a way that alters what the colour looks like. I'm not here to sell you on specific products I just want to show you some of my fun makeup so I only tampered with the pictures enough to show you what the colour really looks like. My skin looks a little red because of this, but the eyeshadows will look closer to what they would if you were standing right in front of me. Some of them are even a little dimmer compared to how saturated they are in real life. But I did the best with what I could, and like I said, hopefully it'll go better next time.


Anyway, as you can see from above, the first song I chose to do was Aqueous Transmission by Incubus. I like their music and this is just a chill tune. I chose aqua colours with a bit of purple for a nice zen feel. So, here we go! :)

First things first, make sure you clean your skin. I just wipe my face down with the Olay wet cloths I mentioned earlier. 
Wipe down your entire face including your eye lids. Then go ahead and work the rest of your face as you normally would; don't forget to moisturize!


Next up, the primer! Apply a light layer of eye shadow primer to your top lid, covering only to just above the crease. Let the primer set. Whilst I wait for it to set, I usually brush out my brows with my dry mascara brush. 

Now, typically, I use three colours, the base being the most prominent colour, usually on the central part of the upper lid. The shadow goes in the outer corner or the crease sometimes extending to the lower lid. The highlight goes into the inner corner, sometimes extending up to the brow and/or down past the tear duct, following the eyeline.


I chose a light turquoise for the base coat. Use a shadow brush with a rounded head.

I apply this first because you'll want the shadow and the highlight to blend in to the base.

I chose a darker turquoise for the shadow, but one that wasn't too much darker. This applied only to the outer corner of the upper lid in a triangle like this:  <| 

Since I wanted to keep the colours light and I'd already chosen the light blue for the base, I used a matte nude for the highlight. A shimmer would work just as well if you prefer that.  Apply to the inner corner of the upper lid and blend out into the base lightly. Gently extend down to the tear duct.

Make sure you clean your brush thoroughly between colours. You don't want them to meld together on the brush and muddle your eyes. I always keep a paper towel handy. 


Next, pick up your liner brush. Wet it lightly! The water will help to make the next colour appear more saturated, like a cream liner. When you pick up the colour with a liner brush, gently twirl the tip at a slight angle so as to avoid pulling the bristles apart. I can't stress the delicacy of these brushes enough. When you pay a $20 for a brush you want to be able to keep it as long as possible, so you want to avoid the bristles separating because once you lose that pointed tip, it's pretty much gone forever. A good liner brush is important though otherwise you could easily end up with clumpy or bumpy liner.

I chose a dark purple to line my upper lids with. To apply, I highly recommend using a high magnification mirror. Close your eye and stretch the lid from the outer corner. This creates a smoother surface and the skin will be pulled in the direction your brush will be going, which helps make the straightest line possible the moves with the curve of your eye. Apply as close to the lashes as possible.

                           

Make sure you clean you liner brush properly to. Immediately after use, I spray mine down with the daily brush cleanser and gently run it across the paper towel, also sprayed with the cleanser, in the direction you would use if you were applying the liner. Make sure you twirl the brush lightly to get all side clean. Again, be gentle!

Next comes the mascara. You see my lashes up there? I made sure not to even touch the contrast (which is why the colour is barely visible) so that you could see the difference this mascara makes. Like I said in my intro posts, I use Benefit's "They're Real" mascara.

See how the wand is curved at the top and has the little bristles in an orb shape? It's perfect for getting into the outer corners of your lashes, especially for me since mine tend to bunch up there.

Apply the mascara by starting at the roots and moving the wand horizontally side to side as you pull it through your lashes. I applied two coats. I paid special attention to the corners of my lashes, using the tip of the wand to get in there and pull outward.

Now, use a smudge brush to apply the lower liner. I used black shadow and applied to the inner line of the lower lid. Make sure you tap off any excess shadow because you don't want any getting into your eye. Dabbing on the shadow is the best way to apply here to avoid some of the powder from dusting your cheek. Gently pull your lower lid down to separate it from your eye so as to avoid getting shadow in your eye and to avoid possibly hurting yourself with the bristles.

Don't forget to take your dry mascara brush to those lashes to help separate them and take off excess flakes of mascara. See the difference in my lashes? I'm honestly not wearing falsies. This mascara is amazing.

Now let's take a look at the final product!

I know, I know. The picture quality is terrible. But I'll get the hang of it. Feel free to post your results! I'd love to see these looks on other people. :)   Also, comment if you have any questions and don't forget to subscribe and pass it on. Merry makeup-ing to everyone!

- KissMYGorgeous(ly blue eyes)

** UPDATE!**

I thought to take a picture of my eyes with some natural lighting in the mix and now you can really see the colours. I will keep that in mind for next time.

So that is what it looks like unretouched. Had to take the picture with my ipad so it's cloudy looking but you can see the colours a little better. Added the photo at the top too. That one is touched.

A Morning Reflection

I've come to realize that there's something rather cathartic about taking care of yourself. 
Anyone who knows me will tell you that I'm not very good at that. I can't stay on track of an exercise plan. I can't seem to keep myself from eating just plain too much or just really bad foods. (My dearest Moose Tracks Ice Cream, you must know this relationship is killing me...) I can't stop listening to music under my headphones and I can't seem to just get my ass to bed at a reasonable hour. 

I daydream about changing myself more then I actually do something to change myself. I'm not sure I have such a hard time with it. Maybe I just like justifying ordering that second cup of coffee in the morning. But seriously, I've been doing my makeup since I was about thirteen and it's taken me eight years to finally convince myself it really is that important to take it off at night. Pathetic, isn't it? I always wonder if I'm the only one. Is it laziness? My id just far outpowering my ego and superego? Or did it turn the ego to the dark side too and now the superego is just left shrugging its shoulders at me...
In any case, and despite my own realization, I've come to find that the little things I pick up that I know are good for me will make me feel better. Apparently I just need to take super small baby steps in life. But taking them is the important part, right?
But I suppose the point of all of this is to say one thing: it's better to do as I say and not as I do.  I seem to know what's good for me or what to do, but I can't seem to convince myself to actually do it. So in any case. This is just my sitting around in the morning trying to shake my brain awake and sweep out all the dust and cotton that built up through the night. I haven't had my coffee yet. 
But that brings me to a quick point in terms of health. As I've said, there are little things I try to do that help, and we all know how important water is to your body. I've read countless times throughout my life that starting your day with a glass of water does wonders, not only for the inside of your body, but also the outside. So before you consume anything, have a glass of water. (This is why I still haven't had my coffee, I'm only halfway through my morning H2O.)  Now, something I still can't get ingrained in myself is that it's apparently also a good idea to drink a full glass of water right before eating any meal. So, since I assume 90% of people have a much better drive than I do, it's a good tip to follow, and one of those "can't hurt" types too.
Anyway, I had planned to do a fireworks themed eye shadow to kick off the blog, but I ended up having to work today, and since my job makes me sweat insanely and wipe my face a lot, I don't bother with makeup. But, I do have Friday off, so look out for a shadow demo then. :)
Happy Fourth everyone! Stay safe!
- KissMYGorgeous

Getting Started, Pt. 5 - The Fun Stuff

And now on to the fun stuff. :)

The Brushes, oh the Brushes
Okay. so first, take a look at the mason jar of brushes and applicators. I saw this little tid bit on Pinterest. It's filled with coffee beans to help them stand up, and also, who doesn't love the smell of coffee in the morning? Now, again, brushes are an area to really spend money in. A good brush makes a world of difference not only in the way that your makeup is applied, but also, a good brush won't irritate your skin or leave those pesky little strands of themselves behind. And there's no particular brand I adhere to, but generally, the more expensive, the better. They make a noticeable difference in the application of eye shadow. A good eye shadow brush will help your colour go on with more intensity and stay on a little better.
My preference in terms of eyebrow tools is a set of scissors and some angled tweezers. Maybe I'll do a demo on how I do my eyebrows some other time, but those are the tools.
The bottle at the side of the jar is Sephora's Daily Brush Cleanser. It's a good thing to keep around, just lightly spray down all your brushes when you're done using them. Now, you should also have a brush shampoo to get a more thorough cleaning of them. Over time, your brushes build up bacteria, so you need to keep them clean to avoid break outs and possible infections. Never use soap on your brushes. It will severely damage them and leave behind residue that will make them more susceptible to bacteria.


The Process
Now, I'm just going to go from step one of my makeup application process in terms of all that stuff up there.  I tried to number them so hopefully you can see it.


1. Put on moisturizer! I use Olay Complete All Day Moisturizer with Broad Spectrum SPF 15 for Sensitive Skin. You'll notice I make sure to tell you it's Broad Spectrum. This is important. With the growing number of skin cancer cases and concern for sun protection, it's important to note that broad spectrum means UVA and UVB, which are different and it's important to protect against both. UVB rays are what will turn you into a little lobster. UVA, will go deeper, burning the underlayer of skin and can literally cause damage to the genetic tissue. This is what leads to cancer. It's also important to read labels. For instance, you might see the words "All Day" in the title, but it will tell you in the directions that for the sun protection effects to be properly applied every two hours or so. Only the moisturizer is all-day, the SPF, like all sun protection, wears off after a little while. And yes, ALL sun protection wears off about every two hours.


*Now, as a side note, wait around 2-5 minutes in between each layer of steps 1-6. Yeah, I know, a long time. But there's a reason for this. Each layer needs time to properly set before the next is added or else it won't be as effective. #4 can be done alongside another layer since it is confined to the eye area.


2. I've started using an all-over facial setting spray to help my makeup stay put. Since I sweat a lot and have oily skin, my makeup will tend to wear off or smudge easily. I picked up a bottle of Urban Decay's De-Slick setting spray. They make a few different kinds but this one is supposed to help with oil-control. Give your face a good light cover. I spray once to the forehead area, chin area, and each cheek angled towards my nose slightly to get the sides of my nose. Hold the bottle about 6" from your face to get a more all-over spray. You will have to add this again later as a way to sort of seal your makeup.


3. Makeup primer. I know, what's the difference between this and the one above? The De-Slick seals and controls makeup. This is sort of like a buff and buffer. It helps smooth the skin and create a layer over your skin that moisturizes and keeps your foundation from getting absorbed too much into your skin, which helps avoid breakouts. I use Laura Mercier Foundation Primer. The link is a costly pick, but I got a trial size and let me tell you, a little goes a long way with this stuff.


4. Eyeshadow primer! This is very important for your eye shadow. Pigments, especially blue for some reason, have a tendency to bunch up in the creases of your eyes if they are not properly applied or set. Another reason to go for the more expensive shadows. I was recommended Too Faced Shadow Insurance by Columbia because it's less expensive and still effective. It comes in colourless primer and also some shimmery shades.


5. The foundation. For being called the "foundation" there are sure a lot of steps before it, huh? Anywho, again, I've gone with Laura Mercier because they've got a great tinted moisturizer that's not too heavy and has just enough colour to mask the discolouration in my face without being literally a mask. Also, it has SPF 20 and mine is the oil free kind. When you apply liquid foundation, it's important to pat it on and not smear it on. This gives you better coverage without streaks or a caked look. I use my finger to apply it. Sponge applicators pick up and retain bacteria all too easily and are really not very good at the actual application part. I was able to get a tinted moisturizer that match my skin tone well enough that I really only apply it to problem areas.


6.  I love love love this stuff. Dr. Feelgood Face Balm gives your skin this satiny sort of feel while smoothing and adding a bit of matte. Also, it smells so good. It's got this nice calming lavender sort of smell. Also,  it's also great to wear on a day you don't even need to put make up on because it actually aids your skin since it has Vitamin C and E in it. Now the instructions say to put it on last, but I usually put it on before my powder.


7. Powder foundation can be used with liquid foundation or alone. The mineral foundations are the best, but for now I'm using Smashbox powder foundation. The little container is actually pretty cool. It's a pressed powder with what's essentially a grinder on top of it, so you twist when you need it and it turns the pressed powder into a loose powder which makes for easier and better application. Since you control how much you grinder into loose powder, the rest stays pressed and you get to avoid the irritating mess that potentially comes from a whole case of loose powder. I use this bronzer brush, but you can also use a kabuki brush or face brush.


8. Now this one is interchangeable with the next one or skippable altogether. This particular product is actually Benefit Hollywood Glo, which has been discontinued. But it's a rosy coloured liquid highlighter basically so you could go with any one of their other highlighters still on the shelves. The High Beam is likely the closest to the Hollywood Glo that I use. I like Benefit's cosmetics in general. They are a pretty reliable brand. People with already pinky tones to their skin should use the High Beam or Girl Meets Pearl whereas those with light tan/yellow tones should use Watts Up or Moon Beam. Darker tones or olive tones might look to Sun Beam or One Hot Minute.


9. Bronzer. I'm so pale I'm literally translucent in places. So bronzer might seem like a weird thing for me to own. But Too Faced has me covered. Say hello to the Snow Bunny Bronzer. It's almost perfect for pale tones that want a little glow and colour in the summer months. It's got a lot of gold shimmer to it so it's great for those days on the town or on the water and if you dust is on lightly with a stippling brush it adds just the right amount of shimmer without it looking like you took a marker to your face.


10. Next goes the eyeshadow. Yea! Make sure to use the proper shadow brush. One with denser bristles will get the eyeshadow on more intensely.


11. I use powder as a liner. Frankly, it stays better, doesn't hurt when you try to put it on (ehem, pencils), has a better pigment, and is easier to put on (ehem, liquid liner). Powder, powder, powder. I use Bare Escentuals mineral eyeshadow in black leather. It was part of one of their eyeshadow sets, but you can use nearly any black (or brown, or any colour for that matter) powder. Pressed or loose, although loose works better, but it's a little harder to work with than pressed. I also used the black in the Urban Decay palette for years until I ran out of it (Zero or Oilslick) so you can pick up one of the singles if you want. Use an angled liner brush. Wet it slightly. Get the powder nice and rubbed in on the brush without pressing down too hard. I use my makeup mirror high magnification side to apply. If you do it right, it goes on easy, dries fairly quick, and s-t-a-y-s. It looks like liquid without the hassel,  stays better than creme or pencil, and is as easy to apply as pencil is. Seriously. Good stuff. Takes a little practice to get the lines just right, but so does any other method I suppose. Now, you'll notice that the shadow I marked for liner has two number. That's because at this point, I only do my upper lid. Next comes....


12. The mascara! I was well endowed in the lash department, but they are also uber light. But I this also means I can give you a better idea of what actually works because I can see the difference better. Benefit BADgal Lash works pretty well. The mascara itself stays fairly decently for not being a waterproof, and since I cry a lot, and tear up a lot, that's important to me. The wand is also great at separating lashes making them look fuller. Fresh makes a good mascara as well. I had gotten a trial size of two different kinds of their mascara, one being the linked product. I can't seem to find the second unfortunately. The one linked is good at volume though, so it's worth a try. The one I'm using now, however, is Benefit's They're Real! mascara. And yes. I have totally had to say that. Like I said, my lashes are already pretty well off, though, so *results may vary. But the wand is great because it volumizes, like the BADgal wand, but the tip also has the mascara ball on it which is great for me because getting into the out corner lashes can be a hassel. So, it's a highly recommended pick.
To apply mascara, try to scrap as much of the excess of as possible, then place to wand as close to the base of your roots as you can and move the wand back and forth horizontally. You'll want to look as straight ahead as possible to avoid getting it on your upper or lower lids. Then, as you move the wand back and forth, pull it gently forward to coat the entire lash. Repeat as desired. If you add more than one coat, do so quickly. If the mascara dries before you get the second coat on their, you'll likely end up with spider lashes. Before the mascara dries, I take a separate, dry mascara brush to mine and brush them out really quick to keep them from sticking and pulling excess off. You can grab one of these next time you're at Sephora or Ulta. They have them around so you can sample mascaras, just grab one (maybe a little inconspicuously). They last forever. I use them on my lashes and on my brows. Since they are designed for omnidirectional volume, they work great on both.


13. Lower lid liner. On my lower lids, I use a smudge brush and I don't wet the powder. Gently tap on to your lid/water line or (the better-for-you-area) the lash line. It's a good idea to hold a tissue under your eye to cover your cheek lest excess powder sprinkle on your skin and create a modern art piece on your newly laid blush.


14. Spray on De-Slick, same as before. You are sealed, and done. Congrats!


*PLEASE NOTE: The brushes I've linked are not necessarily the exact brand I use, they are more to give you an idea of what the brush looks like. I highly recommend getting the travel size of a brush set as you'll get a varied pick of your most needed brushes at a cheaper price. I have two set of brushes as well as random others I've picked up, but the pouch set you saw with the shadows in the previous post is this set here. It works great and has the bare essentials. A face brush, a smudge brush, shadow brush, angled liner brush and a crease brush. Brushes can get very expensive. You don't need to get the super high end ones. A middle range is just fine. But be warned, spending $20 on a single brush is about what you'll be paying for a decent quality brush.


Please, Curb Your Odor
No one likes to smell bad and no one likes to smell someone who smells bad. Personally, I am finicky about perfume. It can't be too heavy or overbaring. I don't like fruity smells and besides lavender and the occasional gardenia I don't like floral smells. My favorites are things like musk. Something "woody" or "earthy". Up there I have True Religion's Original perfume. It smells like rain.
When you apply your perfume, I recommend you do that first, that way is has time to set. A freshly sprayed perfume, no matter what it is, will tend to be overbaring at first. Every woman puts their perfume on differently, whether it's on the wrists or the neck, or does the spray shower...But however you do it, do it naked. Yup, I said it. Perfume can seep into your clothes and actually damage or stain the fibers. So spray on your perfume. Do your makeup. Then get dressed. If you really don't want to be naked that long, put on a bathrobe, but leave your clothes be while it sets. Personally, I hold my bottle 6" away and do a single spray to cover my neck and chestplate. That way the scent cover greater area, that is mostly exposed and away from clothing, and is much lighter.


There you have it. My routine. Will get some designs up soon. :) Have fun makeup buddies!
- KissMYGorgeous

Trust me, death is the best argument for moisturizer.  ~Coupling

Getting Started, Pt. 4 - Quick Looks

And some quick points, here are my basics in terms of my eye makeup. There you'll see a Coastal Scents Eye Shadow Palette which my Paul Mitchell friend, (we'll call her Columbia since she once played that character in the local Rocky Horror Show,) gave me as a Christmas Gift a few years ago. Makeup related stuff for holidays? Yes please! Anyway, that's got 88 colours in it and in some pretty vibrant hues. Normally, I'd try to give you something cheaper, but this is already a steal at $10. And besides, if you're going to do eye shadow wows, this is one area where you have to go for the more pricey stuff normally. Like for instance that purple and silver book. That's Urban Decay's Deluxe Shadow Palette. It's $40, but I've owned it for years. There are a few reasons I say that normally you need to go with the pricier eye makeup. 1. Cheaper shadows will not give you the effect you're looking for. Even layering them tends to leave you with just a lot of powder and still no pigment. If you want the really flashy eyes, you need the more expensive shadows. 2. Things like mascara and liner, when touted as such, really are healthier for you than the drugstore brands. And this is important. Not only is this makeup touching your skin, some of the most sensitive skin on your body in fact, but it's also, inevitably, going to get in your eyes. A lot. You need better-for-you eye makeup. The fewer the ingredients the better. The more you can understand the ingredients, the better. Now I'm going to say this, and then proceed to show you that I own no "healthy" eye makeup. But I highly recommend that you choose healthy ones, and I will be doing the same when the make up I do own finally runs out or needs replacing. That black pouch on the right of the Urban Decay palette is a set of makeup brushes, which I will talk about in the next post.
Now, I like Urban Decay by way of their eye shadow because they have really bright lok-at-me colours that go on amazingly. Columbia and I actually initially bonded over Urban Decay. I love their colours. Love, love, love.


And the last thing I'll mention in that picture is the hand soap. This actually is important. You should wash your hands before you apply your makeup. Your skin is a sensitive little sponge, and while your makeup was designed to be applied to it, those germs on your hands that built up over night or climbed on after you ate breakfast? Yeah, those will make you break out. I'm not saying you need to sterilize your hands before you put your face on because your hands are almost as delicate and you don't want to be drying them out. But give them a quick soap up before putting on your makeup. I also wash them off quickly after putting on my foundation since it tends to stay this oily little slick on my fingers, or my eye makeup, which will leave happy little smears of Crayola colours all over my face if I'm not careful. So, soap up ladies!


- KissMYGorgeous