Makeup

As I’ve said before, I’ve been wearing makeup for long time now, so I know what works for me and what doesn’t. Through trials and tribulations (hello, super metallic blue eye shadow for prom!), I’ve learned what colors flatter me, how much to apply, how to apply it, and what works with my face shape, so that I don’t end up looking like a clown and scaring off kids.

Once you get the hang of things, it’ll become second nature to you and you’ll see just how makeup can accentuate your best features (and hide your not so favorite features). Here are some of my favorite makeup tips and tricks that I wish I would’ve known a long time ago…no seriously, what was I thinking with that blue eye shadow and why didn’t anybody warn me?

1. Heat your eyelash curler with a blow dryer, so that your lashes curl easier and hold the curl longer.

2. Mascara is supposed to last for 3 or 4 months, but sometimes mine dries out way too soon. When your mascara is drying out and becoming flakey, add a couple drops of saline solution (like eye drops) to the tube and rub the wand around the inside. This softens the mascara liquid, making it apply like brand new again! Added tip: Don’t pump your mascara wand trying to get more out of the tube! This just adds more air in to the tube, making it dry faster.

3. When applying eye shadow, start with a base shadow that doesn’t have shimmer and matches the lightest skin tone on your face. By applying it all over your lid, it creates a clean canvas to easily and properly blend your darker shadows. Added tip: Using an eye primer makes a big difference in how your shadows look and improves staying power!

4. When applying eyeliner on your upper lash line, don’t look straight at the mirror. Instead, get as close as possible to the mirror, tilt your head up slightly, and bring your chin towards the mirror. Looking down as you apply eyeliner makes the process 100 times easier.

5. While you apply your mascara, dig the wand in to the root of your lashes and wiggle your brush using zig zag motions as you go up. This will separate your lashes and coat them evenly with a nice layer of mascara.

6. Speaking of mascara, waterproof mascara is my favorite because of how it holds my curl and the fact that it doesn’t smudge, giving me raccoon eyes. The downside of waterproof mascara is that taking it off can be a hassle. To make it easier to take off, use your favorite regular mascara as the first coat and apply the waterproof mascara over that. This way, the waterproof mascara locks on to the first coat instead of your lashes. Added tip: To make it even easier, use cold cream to take off your eye makeup. Rubbing a little on your eyes will take that stubborn stuff right off!

7. Set your under eye area (all the way up to the lower lashline) with a light/translucent powder for a smoother finish that’ll prevent creasing and accentuation of fine lines. It’ll also up the staying power of your concealer/foundation.

8. When applying blush, smile and start at the apple of your cheeks, blend the blush back towards the top of the ear using swirling motions instead of sweeping motions. Added tip: Always tap off excess powder from your brush to avoid applying too much. You can always build up the color if need be.

9. To exfoliate your lips, use a wet toothbrush or washcloth to scrub off the dead skin. This will allow your lipstick to glide on smoothly without any caking.

10. For longer lasting lipstick, tissues and powder are your best friends. Start with applying your lipstick, blot with a tissue, and then hold a sheet of 1-ply tissue over your lips and apply translucent powder over that.

Hopefully these tips and tricks help you out! I’d love to hear some of your favorite tricks as well!

As 2014 came to a close, I decided I wanted to dedicate my first Girl Time post to my favorite beauty products of the past year. I highly recommend any of these products to anyone that is either new to makeup and beauty products or have been using them for a long time, like myself!

Eyes

L’Oreal Lineur Intense Felt Tip Liquid Eyeliner – Carbon Black This has been my absolute favorite liquid liner ever since I started using it in high school. The felt tip applicator makes it super easy to glide along your lash line and draw a winged cat eye. The carbon black gives you a rich, pigmented black color to give your eyes that perfect frame. I always get compliments on my eyeliner when I use this!
L’Oreal Telescopic Mascara 2X – Carbon Black For the longest time, I’ve used the L’Oreal Voluminous in Carbon Black Waterproof and always went back to that one when I tried different mascaras because they never lived up to it. Recently, I picked up the Telescopic mascara and I instantly fell in love! I finally found a mascara that I like more (or just as much) than my Voluminous. The brush is a lot different, but once you get the hang of it, the formula is awesome and gives you long, beautiful lashes!
Urban Decay Primer Potion When using any eye makeup on your lids, you should definitely apply a primer beforehand. With my oily face, comes oily eyelids, so this primer has been a staple for me for as long as I can remember. It keeps your makeup in place and brings out the pigment of your eye shadow even more! This tube might be a little pricey, but a little goes a long way.
Urban Decay Naked Basics Ever since I got this eye shadow palette for Christmas 2013, I’ve used it for my every day look. It is so convenient and the colors in it make it so easy to create a nice daytime look or a nice night look. You could create a subtle smoky eye or darken it by adding one color. The eye shadows are so smooth and aren’t chalky at all. They’re very pigmented and the warm colors work really well with people with a fair to medium skin tone. With its compact size, throw it in your bag and you’re ready to travel!
Anatasia Dipbrow Pomade Filling in your brows, especially if they’re sparse like mine, is essential to completing your look. Your brows are what frames your face and could change the way your face looks. Dipbrow is a gel-like formula so is a little more trickier to use if you don’t have the proper handling. This has become one of my favorites because it applies on smoothly and stays on all day. With the right color (go two shades lighter if you’re hair is dark & two shades darker if your hair is light) you can achieve a natural looking brow.

Face

Revlon ColorStay – Combo/Oily Skin This has been my all-time favorite foundation ever since I started using it for the past 6ish years. I’ve tried many other foundations, both drugstore and high-end, and none of them trump this one. The formula goes on smoothly and spreads nicely (with the proper brush of course – more on that later). It gives you nice coverage without having your face feel too heavy or look cake-y. It doesn’t make my face extra oily than it already is, which is a major plus.
e.l.f. Studio Powder Brush With a liquid foundation, you need the perfect brush to apply it to your face. This brush is pretty darn close. It is SO soft (if you wash it regularly – which you should! I clearly need to wash mine) and picks up a good amount of the product. I first use a stippling motion to apply the foundation to my face and then use circular motion to buff it out. This brush ends up giving you an airbrushed look and doesn’t look streaky at all. Even better, it’s only $3!
NYX Blotting Powder After doing some research for a finishing powder that would help control the shine on my face and keep my makeup in place, I came across this powder. Using a finishing powder is also important because it provides a smooth surface for you to apply your bronzer and blush. It makes a huge difference because it helps you blend easier and not look splotchy. This powder controls my oil longer than other powders I’ve tried, so it’s a winner in my books! This powder is a little on the pricey side, so I suggest getting it when it’s on sale at Ulta and using a coupon on top of that!
NYX Matte Bronzer – Medium Using a matte bronzer gives you a more natural look and doesn’t attract unflattering lights that you would if you used a shimmery bronzer. This formula applies very nicely and blends really well. The color isn’t orange at all and doesn’t make you look muddy. I use this to contour my face and to add some color to my fair skin. Contouring can really make a difference and adds dimension to your face!

Lips

Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick – Airy Fairy This is my go-to everyday lipstick. It’s the perfect mauve/pink shade to pull my everyday look together. Since my main emphasis is my eye makeup, this lipstick is a great subtle color that doesn’t make me look like a clown. The texture is very creamy and goes on smooth. The coverage is opaque, which is perfect to tone down my naturally pigmented lips.
NYX Matte Lipsticks I’ve been on the hunt for a matte lipstick that wouldn’t dry out my lips or emphasis the lines on my lips. This is the ultimate winner. The colors are opaque and the staying power is awesome! For a matte lipstick, the texture is very smooth and creamy, so they don’t drag your lips when applying. Since it is a matte lipstick, I suggest exfoliating and moisturizing your lips beforehand!

Hair

Tresemme Keratin Smooth Heat Protection Shine Spray This is definitely a staple to have if you put any heat on your hair because it protects your hair from drying out or breaking. I used to use the original formula without the keratin, but after trying this version, I’m never going back! The keratin definitely makes a difference and leaves your hair smooth and shiny.
Tresemme 24 Hour Body Mousse Ever since I cut my hair shorter, I’ve been using this mousse on my roots before blow-drying my hair upside down. My hair is very thin and lacks volume, so this mousse helps add some body and holds it pretty well. It doesn’t make my hair stiff or “crunchy” feeling.
Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine Intensely Smooth Leave-In Conditioning Cream After towel drying my hair, I put a nickel size amount in my hair, except the roots. This contains argan oil, so it leaves your hair smooth and controls frizz! My hair is naturally dry from all the damage I’ve done to it in the past, so products like this are a lifesaver!

DANG, Christine!

10 Makeup Tips & Tricks

Beauty Faves: 2014