5 Long-Lasting Beauty Essentials To Get You Through The Holidays

The holidays, no matter which one you are celebrating, can be a multi-day marathon of cooking, eating, drinking and socializing.  Whether you are hostess or guest, you're going to need a makeup strategy that is long-lasting while still fabulous for those inevitable awkward family photos.

Beauty Essential #1: Primer For Those Pores

A good primer is absolutely necessary to keeping your face looking matte and pore less through the holidays.  It will help your makeup wear longer and erase any fine lines and pores.  Always do your research and find a primer that is suitable for your skin type.  My favorite for long-lasting wear has been Make Up For Ever Step 1 Skin Equalizer, which helps to balance the skin's texture and tone.  

Beauty Essential #2: Foundation That Stays

You need to count on your foundation lasting all day when it comes to the holidays, but want something lightweight on your face that still covers what it needs to.  One of my favorite drugstore foundations is Maybelline Fit Me Matte and Poreless Foundation in Soft Tan.  It's affordable, medium to full coverage, that applies like a high end brand.

Beauty Essential #3: No-Fuss Lip Stain

You want to spend time with family and friends on the holidays, not spend time reapplying your lipstick.  I recommend a lip stain for it's pigmentation without the fuss and ability to last through dinner.  My personal favorite is Josie Maran Coconut Watercolor Lip Stain and Shine based on the fact that it is made for long wear and hydration, and is very pigmented on the lips.

Beauty Essential #4: Powder To Set Your Hard Work

Set, Set, SET!  If you want your makeup to last all day without sliding down your face, make sure to set everything with a powder.  My all time favorite setting powder is the Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder.  I apply this with a setting brush everywhere I place concealer, including beneath my eyes, my forehead, my chin, and the bridge of my nose.  A great affordable alternative is the NYX HD Finishing Powder in Banana. 

Beauty Essential #5: Setting Spray To Finish The Job

A few squirts of a good setting spray is a quick and easy way to ensure that your makeup will stay for the entire day.   It helps prevent melting, cracking and fading, and ensures your makeup doesn't seep into fine lines or pores.  The Urban Decay All Nighter Makeup Setting Spray does just that: sets your makeup for hours.  Standing over a hot oven or sitting in an over crowded family room?  This baby will keep your face looking fresh and oil free.  A great affordable alternative (and one of my recent favorites) is the Mario Badescu Facial Setting Spray.

 

Are you an AEB Babe? Subscribe to the newsletter!

Enter your e-mail address:

Powered by FeedPress

12 Makeup Mistakes To Stop Making Today And Why

I have been guilty of every one of these crimes of beauty at some point or another in my lifetime.   You live and you learn.  Makeup is supposed to be fun and it's 100% ok to have trial and error.  Here are 12 steps to make sure you have got the healthy makeup basics down!

Mistake #1: Skimping On Skin Care

I put this as the very first mistake not to make for a good reason.  You cannot have good makeup without good skin care.  After washing your face apply a hydrating moisturizer and eye cream.  My most trusted favorites have been Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Cream for my face and Clinique Moisture Surge for my under eye area.

Mistake #2: Curling Lashes With Mascara

Just don't do it.  It may seem like a great way to get the most volume out of your mascara, but you will damage your lashes in no time.  Curl your clean and dry lashes and then apply mascara.  If you are looking for extra volume and length try a set of falsies.  My go-to false lashes for daily use are the #307 quarter length lashes from Morphe Brushes.  They are easy to apply and so light weight that I always forget I am wearing them.

Mistake #3: Not Investing In Good Brushes

Great makeup often requires great brushes.  Use professional makeup brushes, compare them with drugstore brushes, and you will see an amazing difference in how your makeup turns out.  However, there is no need to break the bank!  My favorite makeup brushes are from Real Techniques and can be found at Ulta.  They are reasonably priced and will allow you to apply makeup like a pro!

Mistake #4: Apply Too Much Bronzer Or Contour

More makeup is not necessarily always better.  Sure, Malificent's cheek bones were to die for, but it's not a great every day look.  Contouring has the ability to make your face look thinner, but you are going to want to create soft shadows with a cool tone shade for your daytime look.  Check out my latest tutorial, Classic Holiday Vintage Makeup Tutorial, for an example on how to achieve soft, blended contours.

Mistake #5: Sleeping In Your Makeup

Every woman has been faced with this dilemma.  You are exhausted by the end of the day, the struggle is real, and just want to fall face first onto your pillow.  Or, you've just started dating someone new, and are still self conscious about them seeing your bare makeup-free face.  However, falling asleep with makeup on is never a good idea.  Your pores need to breathe, and failure to allow for this will cause you more skin problems than you really need.  If possible, make taking off your makeup one of the first things you do when you get home.  Throw on some sweats, tie your hair back, and take it all off!  Making it feel like a treat instead of a chore is the key.  Splurge on your favorite makeup removing wipes (mine are from Pond's) and a gentle facial cleanser, like Soy Fresh Face Cleaner, that leaves your skin feeling amazing and refreshed.

Mistake #6: Not Setting Your Makeup

Setting your makeup will not only make it last longer throughout the day, but it will also prevent creasing and sliding, and help with any oily skin issues.  It is best practice to set concealer wherever you are placing it on your face.  During the work week I love to use NYX HD Finishing Powder in Banana.  It is velvety soft, a great yellow neutral tone, and your makeup will not budge.

Mistake #7: Applying Concealer Incorrectly

Applying your concealer wrong will drag down your face, make you look more tired, and actually emphasize the things you are trying to conceal.  If you are applying concealer beneath your eyes, do so in a sideways "V" shape, starting larger at the eye, taking it down to the edge of the nose, and then back up at a ninety degree angle to your temple.  This will make your face appear slimmer and your makeup more streamlined.  You can also apply concealer in the middle of the forehead, down the bridge of the nose, and on your chin.

Mistake #8: Applying The Wrong Shade Of Concealer

Rule of thumb is to use a concealer that is two shades lighter than your foundation.  Your face naturally has lighter and darker areas due to shadows, and trying to make everything one color will look unnatural.  No matter what make sure you apply a concealer and foundation with the same undertone, such as yellow, golden, pink, or neutral.  This will help them to blend and match.

Mistake #9: Not Cleaning Your Makeup Brushes

Makeup brushes can be breeding grounds for bacteria if they are not cleaned properly or often.  Have you noticed your face breaking out recently for no apparent reason?  It could be that you've waited too long in between cleanings.  At a maximum clean your brushes after every use, and at a minimum clean them once per week.  Shampoos, sprays and balms are available for what best suits your needs, but I usually just use Johnson's Baby Shampoo.  If your brushes are extremely dirty and well beyond cleaning, throw them out and get a new set.

Mistake #10: Not Applying A Primer

Apply a good base after your skincare routine and before you apply foundation to have makeup that will truly last all day.  Also, primer will help erase fine lines and pores and make your makeup look and feel smoother.  My favorite drugstore primer is NYX Angel Veil Skin Perfecting Primer, but you should find a primer that fits your skin type the best.

Mistake #11: Matching Foundation To Your General Skin Tone

I once heard a quote from Sonia Kashuk that went something like "Foundation is like Spanx; no one should know you're wearing it!"  Your foundation should look natural and not like there is a mask on your face.  Match your foundation to the front of your wrist for the most accurate shade.  I have been self-tanning my body for years (never my face) and this has been my foolproof method for choosing foundation to match my body's self-tan shade to my non-tan face.

Mistake #12: Overspending On High End Products 

Price does not necessarily determine quality.  Trust me, I have learned the hard way on this.  Don't think that you have to spend a lot of money in order to purchase a good product.  Some of my most loved brands are low cost because they have better quality than their high-end comparables, including Morphe Brushes, ColourPop, BH Cosmetics, and Makeup Geek.

 

Are you an AEB Babe? Subscribe to the newsletter!

Enter your e-mail address:

Powered by FeedPress

November Loves and Favorites

Starbucks Red Holiday Cup

Starbucks: your winter specialty drinks have stolen my heart once again.  The Skinny Peppermint Mocha is my absolute favorite, but I have been changing it up every now and then with the Holiday Spice Flat White.  The Peppermint Mocha is perfect for when I am craving something super sweet and chocolate, and the Flat White for when I am in need of something soothing.  The Holiday Spice Flat White is basically Christmas in a cup.  I have yet to try the Gingerbread or Chestnut Praline, but it is only a matter of time.

BH Cosmetics Long Lasting Matte Liquid Lipstick

When I received an email a few weeks ago that BH Cosmetics had just released these, I knew I had to try them.  I purchased Muse, a nude pink grey-beige, and Endora, a bright pink.  The formula isn't over-drying on my lips, but I always make sure to exfoliate and moisturize before applying any kind of liquid lipstick.  The texture is similar to Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick and the colors are similar to Stila's Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick.  I plan on ordering many more when colors come back in stock.

Honeywell Console Humidifier

You may be thinking: what the hell is a humidifier doing on a beauty favorites list?  I have been waking up every morning this fall and winter struggling to breathe through a stuffy nose, and when my nose is stuffy is stays that way all day long, which means I am constantly using tissues and ruining my makeup.  No bueno.  At first I was stunned by the size of this particular humidifier, as don't have a lot of space to work with at the moment.  But the performance and efficiency of this humidifier quickly outweighed this slight inconvenience.  I actually like the size of it now because it holds a lot of water and I do not have to worry about refilling it for a few days at a time.  My bedroom air is more comfortable at night, allowing me to breathe easier, and the makeup I put on my nose in the morning will continue to stay on my face **double thumbs up.***

 

The Time Chamber by Daria Song

The sequel to The Time Garden, a beautifully designed magical story and adult coloring book, The Time Chamber is another outstanding work of ink art by Daria Song. 

The red haired fairy returns again in this book, but this time it is the fairy that is visiting the little girl's land.  Feeling restless, the fairy desires to explore outside her beautiful time garden inside the clock.  The fairy packs beautiful treasures to bring the little girl each time she visits her.  As she explores, the entire world feels enormous in size to the tiny fair, and everything is new and beautiful.

The designs that fill this book illustrate the magical and charming objects the tiny fairy finds so beautiful: tea kettles, dining ware, silver ware, powder boxes, spools of yarn, and more.  The intricate details featured on each page will leave you mesmerized and captivated with the story and it's beauty.

Luxe Beauty Brows Eyebrow Growth Serum*

My brows have consistently remained sparse, thin, and difficult to grow for years now.  A constant reminder of the over-plucking and torture I put them through during middle school and high school.  I was really excited to try out this eyebrow growth serum when Luxe Beauty sent it to me for review because I have never used any type of hair growth serum before (although I have always wanted to try an eyelash serum).  I apply this to my brows every morning before makeup and again every night after I remove my makeup.  After a few weeks I actually have seen a great difference in the growth of my eyebrows.  While they haven't grown in any thicker, they are actually growing, which is an awesome improvement!

 

Where's Karl by Stacey Caldwell

This book illustrates in beautiful detail a "fashion-forward parody" from cover to cover.  Cleverly designed and gorgeously illustrated, the artwork brings to life some of the best known names in the fashion industry.  We follow quirky and interesting characters around the world, to cities like Dubai and New York, and to fashion week in all of the most fabulous locales.

In your search for Karl you will also find a sea of different celebrity, lifestyle and fashion personalities.  Despite the book's title and main character (Karl), the real hilarity lies within the overall portrayal of the fashion industry.  You see Grace Coddington, Naiomi Campbell, Giselle Bunchen, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, Anna Wintour, Alexa Chung, Bill Cunningham; the character legend is intense and wonderfully amusing.

This book makes an excellent gift to any style lover in your life or a great addition to your coffee table books.  A must buy for anyone who follows the fashion industry.

 

Micro Pedi Electric Callus Remover*

I had been debating about getting one of these electric pedi devices for months (because what woman doesn't need smoother feet?) when I was sent this from Care Me to review.  This thing works miracles on my feet, no lie.  The pumice roller is gentle but powerful, and much more effective than the Ped Egg that I have been using for years.  I like the fact that is is not battery powered and actually comes with a charger.  You can detach the roller head and hand wash it to clean.  Honestly, I've never seen or felt my feet so smooth and soft before.  This will definitely save me some money from getting pedicures at the spa.

 

Are you an AEB Babe? Subscribe to the newsletter!

Enter your e-mail address:

Powered by FeedPress

Classic Holiday Vintage Makeup Tutorial

This makeup tutorial uses vintage charm to create a classic, elegant and wearable makeup look.  The simple black cat eye liner and a light eye contour allows the red lip to POP.  I paired this look with a stunning emerald green blouse and round pearl and diamond earrings. 

Throw on a pair of dark skinny jeans, grab a pair of nude pumps, and you've got yourself a casual chic holiday look!

The Face

 Prime, Foundation and Conceal 

1. I moisturize my face with Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Cream and my under eye area with Clinique Moisture Surge.

2. I prime my skin with NYX Angel Veil Skin Perfecting Primer and prime my under eye area with ELF Studio Hydrating Under Eye Primer.

3. Using a Beauty Blender, I apply a mix of Maybelline Fit Me Foundation in Soft Tan and Kat Von D Lock-It Tattoo Foundation in Light 49 to my entire face.

4. To highlight and conceal I use the Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Concealer in Light Warm in a V-shape beneath my eyes, in the middle of my forehead, down the bridge of my nose, on my chin, and on my eye lids. 

Highlight, Contour and Blush 

1. To set everything I take the Real Techniques Setting Brush and place a mixture of the highlight shades Lucid and Lyric from the Kat Von D Shade and Light Contour Palette and place a generous amount over the areas that I highlighted with concealer.

2. I also add a generous amount to my jaw directly below my contour line.  I allow the extra powder to sit on my skin for a few minutes to "bake" before brushing off with a Morphe Brushes G23 Soft Fan Brush.

2. With the Real Techniques Sculpting Brush I take the contour shade Sombre from the Kat Von D palette and contour beneath my cheekbones, underneath my jaw bone, along the hairline on my forehead, down my temples, and alone the parallel sides of the bridge of my nose.

4. After blending I apply the middle blush color from the Morphe Brushes 9B Blush Palette, a soft shimmer pink-peach,  using the BH Cosmetics Blush Brush.

Highlight and Brows 

1. Using the same fan brush as earlier, I then apply the Jaclyn Hill and Becca Highlight in Champagne Pop to the tops of my cheekbones, my forehead just above my brows, and the bridge of my nose.

2. I highlight over this with the first highlight color from the Carli Bybel by BH Cosmetics Palette, a shimmery frosted pink.

3. I shape my brows with the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz in Ebony.

4. I fill it in with the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Powder Duo in Dark Brown.

5. I set it into place with the Anastasia Beverly Hills Clear Brow Gel.

The Eyes 

Primer and Transition Shade 

1. First, I prime my eyes with the Urban Decay 24 Hour Eyeshadow Primer Potion in Eden.

2. I take the shade Peach Smoothie by Makeup Geek, a soft matte peach beige, with a BH Cosmetics Fluffy Blending Brush into the crease of my eye and start blending upward.  This is going to be our transition shade.

3. Right below this I place a second transition shade, Frisk from the Naked2 Basics Palette, a warm matte grey. 

Crease and Lid 

1. I then apply the shade Cover from the Naked2 Basics Palette, a matte red brown, directly into my crease with a BH Cosmetics Small Tapered Blending Brush using windshield wiper motions.

2. I reapply this color a couple times to build the color, making sure it blends into my transition shade but stays directly within the crease.

3. Using a BH Cosmetics Flat Shadow Brush I take the shade Stark from the Naked2 Basics Palette, a matte nude pink, and take the color all across my lid and to my outer corner. 

Outer Corner and Wing 

1. I use the color Primal from the Naked2 Basics Palette, a deep matte brown, to define my outer corner.  I apply this directly to the outer third of my eye lid with a BH Cosmetics Tapered Blending Brush in the shape of a sideways "V" to smoke out the look.

2. While I make sure to concentrate the color only to this area, I take it up into my crease and down into my lower lash line ever so slightly so as to enhance the smokey effect.

3. I take a BH Cosmetics Small Angled Brush to draw on my eye liner using the NYX Gel Liner in JetBlack.  I get as close to the lash line as possible and press down on the lid to create a black line.

4. I wing this out when I reach the outer corner of my eye and continue it until I reach the end of where I have place the black eyeshadow. 

Highlight and Lower Lash Line 

1. I then use the shade Shimma Shimma by Makeup Geek, a metallic champagne, to highlight the inner tear duct with a BH Cosmetics Fluffy Blending Brush, and a small flat shadow brush to highlight my brow bone just below my eyebrow.

2. Finally, I take the shade Cover again and glide it below my bottom lash line using a small eye defining brush, making sure to blend into the outer corner of my eye to give the entire look a rounded out eye.

3. I go over the bottom half of Cover with our original transition shade, Frisk, to blend out any harshness. 

Mascara and Falsies 

1. I apply Benefit Cosmetics Rollerlash Mascara to my upper and lower lashes.

2. For my falsies I choose Ardell Curvy Black Lashes #410 and apply them using the Vegas Nay by Eylure Waterproof Lash Glue.

The Lips 

For this look I wanted a festive and holiday inspired red lip.

1. I line my lips with the NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Cruella.

2. I fill in my lips with Rimmel London Matte Liquid Lipstick in BurningLava.

3. I set the entire look with the Mario Badescu Facial Setting Spray.

Let Me Know! 

Tell me your favorite holiday inspired makeup products this season!

 

Are you an AEB Babe? Subscribe to the newsletter!

Enter your e-mail address:

Powered by FeedPress