Brow Know How

Taking Care of Your Brows

I'm sure you guys know the importance of clearing up stray brows. While I find it perfectly acceptable to NOT want to shape eyebrows to oblivion, it DOES help a lot to do a general clean-up every now and then.

It gives a more professional look and also gives us more eyelid space to play with. It also helps open up the eye area and make eyes look bigger, since the eyelid isn't cramped up with stray hairs.

Eyebrow grooming is one of those simple beauty routines that make a difference, yet no one really notices if you take care of them subtly. BUT, if you have thick eyebrows and there is absolutely NO clean-up, OR if they are overly manicured, they become obvious, in a BAD way.



Eyebrows As Your Signature Statement

On the other side of the coin, there are people who make huge waves with strong brows. Of course, Brooke Shields comes to mind (the quintessential 'thick brow' lady!). These days though, another major player in the industry has been using the strong brow technique to subtly increase her look's intensity and uniqueness.

This is of course, none other than Megan Fox.

Just peruse these older pics of her, these are circa 2004 - 2005:





Yeah, we know it's her, but its not THE Megan Fox that we know. Her current look is more like:




One difference that you can spot is the definite brow intensity. I mean, just look at her general pictures these days from this combo pic I compiled:


Her signature look, whether she has strong eyes/lips/bronzed neutral makeup - are the thick and intensely dark brows.

Even WITHOUT makeup, she stands out with her perfectly manicured strong brows:



While Megan Fox, is of course, gorgeous to begin with, I think there's an important message we can take away here. We ALL have features we can play up that can become part of our signature look. Even something as innocuous as brows can be enhanced in our favor.

While having a good time experimenting, and of course, with good old fashioned practice, there's no reason why we can't pull a Megan Fox and make statements with certain looks. It's so much fun to play with makeup! =D

As a parting note, we can use Megan Fox as inspiration to get us started on our experimenting:


Look at the brows! How perfectly manicured!

How To Get The Look:

1) Trim, brush and neaten up your eyebrows. Add dark pencil if you want to add intensity as well.

2) Enhance the outer corner of your eye using: a small cat flick, more dark shadow, or extra mascara there... Use dark shades ONLY at the outer ends, leaving the inner corner soft, light and shimmery.

3) Line lips, even if you're just planning to use gloss. Her current look also plays up her lips - she rarely closes her lips much any more. When she's not smiling, she has that sultry, pouty look.

Posing and picture-taking know how is also a whole different skill/talent in and of itself, so we don't be too hard pressed to compare ourselves to them. Best just be ourselves! =D


Let me know if you've experimented with any statement or signature looks. Update me kay! Til next time! xoxo

Bronzed Beauties

While porcelain skin may have been 'in' way back in the 50's, today's modern pinup girl is nothing short of sexy, sultry, seductive, and decidedly...

TAN.

Sparked perhaps by the beautiful beach backgrounds of Victoria's Secret and Sports Illustrated magazines, or by today's modern and diverse beauties, there's no doubt that being bronze is beautiful!

In the left corner, fighting it out for the porcelain dolls, there still remains stars like:

• Nicole Kidman
• Dita von Teese
• Gwen Stefani
• etc

But those are a dying breed.... The other side of the ring DOMINATES with today's hottest bronzed beauties

• Kim Kardashian
• Jessica Alba
• Nicole Scherzinger
• VS Angels
• etc

Is it just me... Or does anyone else have the sudden urge to be a bit more goldeny-tan??? I HATE my skin color sometimes! =(

Thaannnkkkkfully, there is hope yet for us melanin-challenged folk.

Help comes in the form of...

BRONZER!!

So many kinds... SOOOO little time!


Yes, hope exists for us who wish to fluctuate between the two 'shades'. And yes, it IS possible to have the best of both worlds. Here's some corroborative evidence, kids!

Megan Fox's standard look is definitely one of golden gorgeousness
(I laik... Why is she so gorgeous..... No fair........)

Still, she has been known to step out of that zone and into something different:
Working out that porcelain skin and red lip look.


Lucy Liu is more often than not, looking very pretty in bronzy and tawny colors.

Although sometimes, she has been known to step out in the lighter shade of pale:


So, with the help of the right tools and techniques, I think it is totally achievable to have the best of both looks!

Now, to the best of my knowledge, there are two common ways to apply bronzer:

• Where the sun naturally hits
• As a contouring (a.k.a. shading) product

First Up...
Sunkissed and Sexy
- applying bronzer to where the sun would naturally hit your face -

[Credit for the blank face chart goes to M.A.C. I just used paint to draw on it haha!]

Producing a much more natural look, bronzer is applied to the raised areas of the face (where the sun gets ya).

The looks produced are like this:

Glowy, sunkissed and still natural.

A more dramatic look paired with a dark-rimmed eye and neutral lip.

You can notice the absence of blush in the hollows of the cheek (so it's not contouring), but the natural bronzy shade produces a sultry yet natural look.


Then We Have
All Out Glamour
- using a bronzing powder to contour the face -


Very much the opposite of the previous look. In this case, darker bronzing powder is used to help recess (or recede) certain areas of the face.

This helps to slim the face down while still giving that all-out sexy bronzed look. Many makeup artists swear that this can even help make you look like you lost a few pounds!

Samples:

By applying bronzer to the hollows of the cheeks (under the cheekbones), along the sides of the nose, and the sides of the forehead, it helps to 'chisel' the face and enhance bone structure. Often, bronzer is applied along the jawline too.

With eyes and lips kept natural, this look is still very wearable and totally contributes to the sexy bronze look.


The important thing to remember for this is to use a powder that:

• Contains littler or no shimmer
• Is one or two shades darker than your actual skintone
• So, not some brown molten mulch OR an orange/ruddy blush under the cheekbones. Neither would work.

I've tried both looks and they're very different. I like the effect of both.

Intuitively, I'm sure you would agree that we can use the sunkissed look for day. The contouring look will be great for evening and clubbing.... It looks great in flash photography.


Any experiences with your own bronzer? I know most of us here aren't tanorexics or fake-tanners! Share with me what you do and how you do it okay! Muah! xoxo

Etude House Precious Mineral BB Cream

Hey guys! Hope you don't mind a bit of a quickie review on my first ever BB Cream...

From
ETUDE HOUSE!




Precious Mineral BB Cream
RM 65 for g
[But 10% off when I got it]
　

BENEFITS:
Whitening
Anti-aging
SPF


COVERAGE:
When I first tried it, I was honestly surprised by the coverage!

They always sell BB Creams with pictures such as these...

　

And honestly, I have to REALLY admit that it does help one's skin look more porcelain smooth!!


COLOR CORRECTORS:
I think that one of the reasons BB Creams achieve the 'porcelain' effect is that its chock full of color correctors... !

Purple, maybe? To cut sallow yellowness...
And green? To cut redness??

I don't know, but again the base of it seems very beige. It's pretty heavily pigmented though, I kid you not!


TEXTURE:
Smooth, but a bit 'dry'. It dries quickly on the skin so you have to blend it evenly very quickly.... So it is not THAT easy to apply (check out application below).


MOISTURE:
While most BB Creams have built-in moisturizers, this doesn't. You COULD wear it without, but it's much better if you still use your regular moisturizer under it. The BB Cream will go on much smoother that way.


LASTING POWER:
It adheres (sort of like, 'sticks') to the skin very well! It stays on well throughout the day and stays matte for 6 - 8 hours! Amazing!


APPLICATION:

- fingers -
The staff recommended that you should apply several dots of the product over your face, and slowly pat in the color. I did that and the evenness and coverage was good, but seemed to take a bit too long, so I tried other options...

- sponge -
Didn't spread it across very well since the product is quick-drying, and the product doesn't seem to have much moisture in it in the first place. Had the tendency to look streaky if I didn't work fast enough. Sponge absorbed some product as well.

- brush -
By far the quickest way to apply. It was easier and faster... BUT, you seemed to need more product to get the same coverage than the dot and pat with fingers technique. Somehow, by smearing it across, you need more than the 1 pump needed for fingers.

So....
Fingers are a bit more time consuming but the best option I believe. You have to work in rather small sections but you get great coverage and non-streakiness.

And if you're diligent enough to dot the product and slowly pat it in, you get EXCELLENT (we're talking AMAZING!) coverage for just 1 pump of the product!


COLOR:
As mentioned in this previous What Are BB Creams post, it only comes in one color. =(

Might be too light for a lot of people. =(


VARIETIES:
This particular BB Cream is a mineral based one. When I asked the salespeople how that helped, none of the sales assistants could answer me. The manager managed to wrangle out "Er, it's good for the skin..."

Wasn't very convincing.

Either way, on sale it happened to be cheaper than the normal BB Cream. The one I have (in the white tube) is for oily skin. They also have the Precious Mineral BB Cream for dry skin (in the lilac tube).




The normal BB Cream (which has loads of good reviews on many beauty blogs) looks like this:




They also have a mousse and compact version, in case you're interested!


MAJOR PRO:
Great porcelain coverage!

MAJOR CON:
Takes much longer to pat on than I anticipated and therefore, not very convenient.


CONCLUSION:

I'm converted, convinced, sold! Love it! Will definitely repurchase! Wish I didn't stock up on so many of the Rimmel Mousse Matte foundations now.... REALLY prefer this BB Cream!


Jot down your experiences with other BB Creams, if any! Have it? Ever even HEARD of it? Speak, lovelies! xoxo

What Are BB Creams?

Now you MAY or may NOT have heard of one of the major Asian makeup crazes of late - BB Creams.

It is by no means a recent trend (I'd guess they've been around for more than 2 years now?), but they have certainly taken over Asia, and indeed, many Western countries!

This is a 'miracle product' from Korea which has left a huge international impact on the beauty world!

[An example of said BB cream!]


First of all, you may be wondering...

WHAT ARE BB CREAMS?!

Well firstly, BB stands for Blemish Balm (nope, not Bobbi Brown! Haha...) Creams

BB Creams are virtually today's makeup superproduct. Simply put, it is a tinted makeup base, much like a tinted moisturizer. But in this case, the coverage is heavier, and designed to even out skin tone (although coverage depends on the brand).




The FUNDAMENTALS of BB Creams are:

• Moisturizer
• SPF
• Concealer + Foundation in one

Additionally, they usually claim to do at least one of the following!

• Anti-Aging
• Anti-Wrinkling
• Whitening
• Brightening

And everything but cure cancer!

I know I know, what on ERFFFF!!!!

But the story goes that Blemish Balm Creams were developed in Korea. There, many women undergo plastic surgery. If not, at least facial/skincare procedures like glycolic peels, oxygen masks, et cetera.

Consequently, women needed an all-in-one product that they could use after having these procedures done. This is such that they did not need to apply

moisturizer --> spf --> concealer --> foundation
--> then powder atop their sensitive skin




Also, aside from the multitude of 'benefits' mentioned above, BB Creams are supposed to be 'good' for the skin (some people even consider it skincare!). That is because these creams are often enhanced with certain properties like vitamins, minerals, fruit extracts, etc. that help nourish the skin.

So aside from the tasks above, they are also good for:

• Sensitive skin types
• Calming inflammation
• Reducing redness
• Nourishing the skin

Basically, they're famous because they are convenient, affordable (for all the benefits you're getting, you don't need so many separate products), and overall "good" effect on the skin.

My take?


Benefits:-

While I can't speak for the apparent "benefits" of BB Creams (haven't noticed anything magical happen to my skin, even after a month!), I can say that BB Creams can't be equated to tinted moisturizers. Although they have moisture and spf built in, the coverage is much more.

BB creams seem to have this heavy beige base which tinted moisturizers don't have. It does absolute WONDERS for canceling out redness and signs of sensitivity (LOVE!). I can totally see why it negates the need for concealer.

That, and although the coverage is good, it doesn't come across heavy or pancakey. It does wonders for smoothing out the entire complexion and giving you an even, overall tone!




Color Selection -

The only problem is that.... Unlike America or Malaysia or other such multiracial countries, Korea has a largely homogeneous ethnic background. In other words, a majority of the people are the same 'color'...

Therefore, erm... most BB Creams only come in one color! Yep, across virtually all the brands, there is only one standard color up for grabs.... Not even a light/dark option!!

So, since BB Creams were made in Korea, I find it a great product, but only for a certain demographic. The color definitely won't work for everyone, but it DOES work on a lot of yellowies like me.




Where to Find It:-

You should check it out! Here in Malaysia, they are widely available in Korean/Asian cosmetic stores like Skin Food, Etude House, the Face Shop, etc. They cost from about RM 60, upwards to RM 100+ per bottle.

And although they are not as ubiquitous as brands like Rimmel, Maybelline, Revlon, etc., you can now find many good BB Cream brands in drugstores like Watson's.


Overall:-

Worth a check out, if you're interested. "Special" varieties include tan/bronzing ones, shimmer-base ones (very pretty, fairy-like glow effect IF you have great skin that can pull it off. A no-no for oilies like me!), etc.

A great alternative to liquid foundation. I like using it and I'm glad that we have this option!


Any comments or experiences with BB Creams? Are they a love it or a leave it? Drop us a comment! Thanks babes! xoxo

Benefit Coralista

Hello all!

It's about time that I reviewed Benefit's Coralista, isn't it???

I got this product in the middle of the year as part of my Hawaii Sephora haul and finally, here it is!

Benefit Coralista
USD 28 for 12g
Retails for RM 133 in Malaysia


What It Is:

Their various descriptions read:

"A warm coral-pink powder that warms up your complexion."

"Coral pink sheen"



"A 'rio' pleasure face powder"

"Take a tropical pleasure trip with CORALista. Sweep this warm coral pink powder onto cheeks anytime, anywhere. Move your brush to the beat & turn up the heat... bikini optional!"

Haha, the last one is kind of lame, but okay, I guess it's part of the whole sunshiny-glow idea. =)



Why I Like It:

It's a very pretty, natural blush. In fact, one of the main reasons I negated from writing the review in so long was that .... This blush reflects so naturally on me that I couldn't get a decent pic of the flush it gives!

This is a recent pic, probably the best I can do for now, haha...

With my friend Sheila!

The pic doesn't do the blush much justice...

I basically find that it does give a good peachy glow, unlike Orgasm which leans more toward pink.

Here's a brief!

Texture - smooth and easy to apply, finely milled and no clumpy/uneven bits
(AS to be expected for the PRICE!!!)

Application - pigmented, easy to apply unlike Orgasm
(which IS noice, but takes a specific blending technique as outlined here)

Staying power - phenomenal! Lasts alllllll day...! No complaints!

Shimmer/sheen - it doesn't reflect too shimmery right off the bat, but combined with my oily skin, it can get a bit shiny/dewey if I've been sweating. Some powder on top can fix this, no real problems here.


Same day, different pic - not sure if it reflects any better here.... But it's just a sweet, every day shade that makes you happy. =)



Comparison to Orgasm:

Now everyone knows that CORALista is always compared to the "universally flattering" shade of Orgasm.

For me?


There isn't THAT much difference....

Orgasm, like I mentioned, is a little bit more pinky, and also a teeny bit more shimmery. The two blushes basically come from the same color family.

Do I think that CORALista might be just as "universally flattering" as Orgasm? I'm not sure. I think that yeah, it WOULD work on a mix of cool and warm skin tones... BUT....

I don't know how well it would work on tan complexions... It may not show up very peachy... I would probably recommend Benefit's Dallas for that sunshine-y glow on someone not as freakishly pale as me.



Conclusion:

While Dandelion rates up there as an all-time high, this one is definitely a keeper. I wouldn't say the color is as unique as Dandelion's petal pink. There are many other peach blushes out there...

But because of the ease of application, the texture, and pretty color, CORALista is now one of my favorute, go-to blushes. It's SUPER smooth without looking powdery or chalky, and it's hard to overdo because it's such a pretty and natural flushed shade.

It's basically a no-brainer, fool-proof, a staple!



I've already made a huge dent in mine, even though I've had other blushes (e.g. MAC Peaches) for longer.

Any experiences with CORALista? Or do you have any other go-to blushes to recommend? Share with us! Til next time! xoxo

Upping the Ante!

Hello beautiful friends! Happy November! We're in for the last stretch.... Soon it'll be 2010!

End of year usually signifies big things - big personal growth, big new aspirations, and er.... big purchases!!!! =P We always overspend at this time of year don't we? I'm guilty as CHARGED as I'm looking to buy a new guitar soon!

Meh, I digress...... The point is, it has got me to thinking how many new products I've acquired in 2009. The answer is: TONS!

I have been wearing makeup consistently (i.e. EVERY DAY!) since I started college. Usually just powder and blush. Now that I go out a lot more, I find myself putting on my makeup sometimes twice a day (a new application after my post-work shower and before going out again)...

YET, in terms of my different "looks", I don't actually wear that much.


Clubbing look is usually liner with a swipe of light eyeshadow.... (Trust me, the Urban Decay shadows last ALLLL night I LOVEE 'EEMMMMMMM)


Open house.... Why do I look so ghastly ghostly pale?! =(


At work.... My student's pic. Hahah... Can't see much but yeah.... Although the routine seems long to me, the effect is like nothing!!!


I think it's only me who realizes the difference between whats considered my "party" look or "daytime" look or "work" look.... Cause the differences are virtually negligible! =(

I'm thinking of doing my product collection a bit more justice by putting more effort into actually using the things that I've bought, instead of just collecting the items... LOL. I guess I should practice harder at that smoky eye I always want, or that perfect red lip. I'm just too lazy is all!

Anyway, we don't have to wait til new year to start a new resolution.... I've decided to be a bit more adventurous with my party look and take advantage of those nights out to practice doing my makeup and getting better at it...

Theoretically my knowledge is there... Products are there.... But my technique sucks! =(

Remind me to work a bit harder okay!

On a parting note, let us not forget what NOT to do...


As lead singer of the burlesque group the Pussycat dolls, Nicole Scherzinger is always made up to the nines. Although she is gorgeous and can carry it off, often times her face looks TOOOO made up (even in a lot of the music videos!).... In the words of a good gay friend of mine, she has the kind of look where if you touch her face, it'll go **POOF** - case of too much powder!



Another gorgeous and talented musician. And she sure is fond of makeup. She's usually well made up and has some awesome colors/styles on her. Still, sometimes she goes a bit overboard. In this case her liquid liner looks poorly blended and uneven (one side looks bigger than the other!!).... It somehow makes her eyes look stiff and smaller!!!! =(


Urgh, it is not even neccesary to say anything.... -______-"


An amazing singer. Small sized but with a huge voice. And huge style catastrophe too. Xtina just doesn't know how to up the style ante without looking worse than a porn star.... The fake tan and the bright pink makeup? PLEASSEEEEE.....


I suppose the previous pic of Xtina wasn't THAT bad (it WAS at a M.A.C. event after all)... Especially compared to this monstrosity! Lookit her green eyeshadow! And then, the lipstick which she couldn't even control - smeared all over her face! Oh, the travesty.... It hurts me.... =(


Anyway, since a lot of people said to me that they liked the Korean girls' picture (who Kelly thinks is Song Hye Gyo), here are more pics from that photoshoot:




Yay for makeup! But let's try to do it RIGHT! Hehe.... =D

xoxo, talk to you guys soon! =D

Tightlining The Eyes

Hey guys! I'm a bit swamped at work but wanted to post something quickly. Hope you don't mind the hastiness!

I wanted to share with you the NAME for a technique of eyelining I've used for a while now (as I wrote about in this post).... The technique is called tightlining.

Tightlining your eyes is a makeup step whereby you keep very very close (tight) to the lashline while lining your eyes.

Certain websites and YouTube tutorials state that tightlining is lining the upper waterline, like this:

Haha, rather graphic pic no? Basically, going as far as to lining the inside part of your upper lashline.

For those who aren't sure, lining the lower "waterline" would be something like what Kim Kardashian often does, which is lining the inside rim of the lower lashline:



This is different from just lining the outer rim, like this.

Liner stays on the outer rim of the eye. You can still see the white space between the lashes and the eye.

As you can see from these two last pics, they did not line the inner rim of the eyelid.

Ok? ^__^

SO, back to tightlining.

Some people would line the upper waterline, but I personally wouldn't go as far. There's no need to if you have good tools!

1) If you are using powder or gel liners, use a good stiff angled/liner brush. Drop or push the color in between the lashes, instead of around them. The line needn't be thick if you don't want it to be!

2) If you are using pencil liner, sharpen it for the best effect... And again, work the liner in between your lashes.

The result we're looking for is this (note the uppper lashline):

A well-lined eye where the liner stays close to the lash base. It enhances the eye shape and helps lashes look fuller and longer!


For us Asian girlies especially, a well-lined eye really helps to bring definition to our peepers, without having to go all crazy with complicated eyeshadow techniques - that can sometimes make our eyes look smaller!

This simple step helps your entire look stand out more in general. You could well do a simple simple simple lip and cheek, and use the tightlining technique with dark liner to set off your entire look.

Need examples? ^___^

In this case, the bottom lashline is left bare, but the look is still gorgeous...
Tightlining the upper lashline is absolutely key in this look.


In this (I think it's Boa?) case, she lined the lower rim a bit, but by staying close to the lashline, the look is defined yet natural.


I tend to use tightlining for day when I want definition (kids gotta know I got my eyes on 'em!! LOL), without the harshness of liquid liner. Liquid liner - though precise - has the tendency to look too artificial.

This is a much more natural approach to lining. Again I would use a darker color (deep navy, mahogany browns, and blacks) for that "pop", without an overtly smokey effect. I think its suitable for professional/every day wear that way.

Do any of you tightline often? Let me know if you use/try this technique! Drop us a comment any time! Muah muah! xoxo :)