Posts with tag make-up

While you might not be familiar with the Westmore family by name, you're most definitely familiar with their work, and it's their artistry in make-up that has earned the Westmores the 2,370th star on the Walk of Fame.

A Walk of Fame spokesperson said, "The Westmores not only created, but they defined the role of make-up artists in Motion Pictures. George Westmore opened the very first make-up department at Selig Studios in 1917." Members of the family were responsible for the signature looks of stars like Rudolph Valentino, Clara Bow, Audrey Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor, Bette Davis, and even Barbie.

There are so many bits of makeup advice flying around out there that it can be hard to absorb it all. Not all of it applies to all skin types, and what works for one person's look might not work for yours. But still, we collect these little nuggets of wisdom like the tooth fairy collects teeth because when the right tip comes along, it can rock our world.

We almost found the laziest mascara ever. Almost.

Givenchy's Phemonen'Eyes Masacara has an innovative spherical design built specifically get those little pain in the ass hard to reach lashes. It is also made for all eye shapes – whatever that means. Regardless, it promises big results for such a little sphere. We're perplexed.

If only this baby spun and did all the work for us, we'd be in heaven.

We love all of the amazing independent designers out there. In order to find out more about just what makes all of these creative types tick, we present to you an ongoing segment called Indie Designer Interviews.

Today we'd like you to meet Jessica Lynne Miller, the creator and owner of J.Lynne Cosmetics, a line of handcrafted mineral makeup. Sick of regular makeup irritating her sensitive skin, Jessica decided to take matters into her own hands and she came up with this line of all natural cosmetics.

One of the biggest summer make-up challenges we face is watching our eyeshadow melt right off our eyelid. We leave the house with the perfect bronze-y gold smoky eye, and by the time we get where we're going, there's a pound of make-up settled in the crease and instead of looking light and shimmery, our eyelids just look oily.

For years we've been choosing makeup shades that we think look good. Until My Covergirl came along. By using the interactive website and plugging in hair color, eye color, and skin tone, we got a personalized list of Cover Girl products. Being a little bit wary of the "perfect" match, we order some of the suggestions that the Beauty Consultant made. Low and behold each color transformed us into a natural beauty. We looked like ourselves – only better. Finally! Now our favorite and tip folders are full as is our Covergirl.com shopping cart.

Photo via Ultimate Rihanna

As women, we want our mascara to be a macho man -- thick, long, long-lasting, conditioning and waterproof. Okay, maybe that was the wrong metaphor but regardless, we expect a lot out of our mascara but we might not be doing our part in meeting our partner half way.

Here are a few helpful hints to get the best show out of your favorite mascara.

We always love reading about a new "how-to" when it comes to make-up -- one never knows when she's going to learn a swell new trick. However, many make-up tutorials on the web are geared toward women with fairly light skin and large eyes, not toward Asian or African American. That's not to say they're not out there -- they're just a bit less prevalent.

Sharing time! I've got something good here that will hopefully help a few of you out there.

For the past few months, my skin has been going absolutely berserk. I noticed that my normally clear skin was breaking out a lot more than usual, but I couldn't pin-point the reason. Usually, the only reason why I use foundation is because my skin tone is slightly uneven, but after the break-outs, I would wear more in a desperate attempt to cover up. MAC's Studio Fix generally did the trick. Unfortunately, my skin kept going insane and I kept putting on the Studio Fix. Now, I believe that the foundation was what caused me to break out in the first place, which is actually kind of funny to think about now that I'm not freaking out about it.

Sit yourselves down, folks. I got a little story to tell first: I can go out without wearing lip gloss or even foundation, but I downright refuse to be seen in public without some sort of eyeliner smudged around my eyes. It's my own pathetic weakness.

So, as someone who would be sworn to a life as a hermit without eyeliner, I am constantly on the prowl for better, longer-lasting pencils. I need something that delivers heavy color, goes on smoothly, and stays on the entire day. For many years, I thought I was just asking too much... Of course, I had started with the drugstore's dollar eyeliners, which came off after five or six blinks. It didn't take me long to learn that there's a reason why some cosmetics cost more than others, and I eventually moved on to better brands, but was, for the most part, disappointed. For example, I used MAC for several years and, although I'm still madly in love with their high-pigment eyeshadows, their long-lasting eyeliner just didn't last long enough.

But I now bring good news: Recently, I received Urban Decay's 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil as a gift and I immediately fell in love with the product. It was everything I needed. Obviously, it's so good that I felt the need to share. The pencil in "Zero" (black) is my absolute favorite because it's really strong and dark, but I also gave in to temptation and bought one of the colored ones ("Lust" purple). I have no intention of switching brands any time soon because this is perfect. Give it a try! You won't be let down.

Tip: My favorite way to fully set the eyeliner for extra-long wear is to use a small brush and lightly apply some dark eyeshadow over the line.

OK, I'll admit it. When men say: "I think you look better without makeup," what they're actually saying is that they prefer how you look without a lot of makeup as, chances are, they've never see you completely free of cosmetics. That said, it seems like you some of you ladies might be going a little overboard.

A recent report found that women who use make-up everyday absorb almost 5 pounds of chemicals into their bodies every year. These are chemicals that have been linked to everything from skin irritation to cancer.

The report also found that many women use more than 20 different beauty products a day, which combines a number of different chemicals that haven't been tested together -- meaning their long-term effects on the body are largely unknown.

While I doubt this will lead to any drastic reduction in the amount of makeup women use, one way to cut down the number of chemicals you're putting into your body is to try organic skin care and beauty products, like those sold by companies in the Natural & Organic Cosmetics Directory.

When I saw this lip gloss ring, I thought to myself, "Wow! It's just like a more grown-up version of Hard Candy's old crappy plastic rings!"

Well, it looks like Urban Decay has found a better -- a much better -- way to do make-up jewelery. It's so deliciously macabre, and a fantastic change from the old glittery lip color in 25 cent plastic jewelry. I love the skull detailing and how it looks beautiful enough to hide the fact that it's really a goofy lip gloss ring.

The Poison Ring is available for a limited time at $50 and comes with three great shades of gloss, so get on this goodness!

[via: Outblush]

Not all two-in-one products are created equal. For instance, two-in-one shampoo and conditioners might seem like a great idea, but in practice, they end up just leaving serious build-up on your locks.

Some two-in-one products, however, manage to be pure genius in theory and in practice. One such inspired product is Joey New York's Go Gorgeous Lip & Lash Plump, which is on sale over at Victoria's Secret.

The handy three-piece set includes a plumping lipstick, lip gloss and volumizing mascara. The gloss and lipstick contain collagen to give your lips more pout while the mascara has a healthy dose of hydrolyzed keratin to bump up your lashes. The three pots 'o' product connect with the double-sided wand so that you can take the bare essentials of beauty with you everywhere you go.

Makeup rarely ever goes on sale. But when it does, you should see it as a sign from the gods to stock up.

The cult-fave Fresh makeup has put a handful of its best-selling products on major sale (try $5 instead of $20). They may not be the shades that you normally wear everyday -- but you can consider the low price a reason to try something new. If you like neutral lipsticks usually, give the lip shine in Cranberry a go. Or if you shy away from dramatic eye color, why not consider the London Calling palette?

Just remember, the price is right and the time is now -- because this sale ends at 5pm today!

Over the years, I've found that one of the most flattering shades women can use on their lids is a pale rose or pink. I recommend it to women of all ages, from my 56-year-old mother to my 25-year-old girlfriends. Sure, it sounds a little counterintuitive -- and it's probably not the best look if you are trying to conceal puffy, tired eyes. And yet, somehow pinkish eyeshadow adds a beautifully youthful glow to everyone's face.

When I noticed that Chanel's fall make-up line featured an eyeshadow called Pink Lamé, I was sold. The multi-tonal shadow is exactly what you would expect from a luxury cosmetics line: luminescence, sophistication and a downright perfect tone. And you've got my makeup lovin' word on it -- this shade will look great on you. Price: $40.