Fake Fuller Lips Naturally

Fuller lips, plumper lips, bigger lips, pouty lips. Lips lips lips lips lips lips lips lips.  Every woman (and even some men) that I've met wants fuller, juicier lips.  This even applies to people who already have kick ass lips naturally. 

I can't say I blame them. Full, pouty lips look healthy and sexy, so of course everyone wants them.  The juicier the better.

"Hey, Do you want to look healthy and sexy?"  

"No thanks, I'm cool." 

-Nobody

I personally have nothing against people getting plastic surgery or fillers to achieve the look they want.  The way I see it, if you are an adult and you want to change something and it's within reach, then go for it! (Within reason of course) Live and let live.  If it makes you happy, etc. etc.

But I also understand that not everyone can afford injections and alterations, and some people don't like them, or are scared of them, or are morally opposed to them or just don't want to commit to something like that . . .and all of those are very valid things to think about as well.

This is where some makeup magic comes in.  You can achieve the look of fuller lips with the help of a few simple makeup tricks, no surgery or injectables required.

First let's chat about the Clarisonic.  If you have one you should
A: Pat yourself on the back for investing in your skin and
B: Try using it on your lips

I like to wet the brush, turn it on and run it over my lips for about 20 seconds.  Not only does it increase the circulation and immediately make them look plumper, but it also helps remove dry skin.

I wouldn't keep it on the lip area for a full one minute cycle, and I definitely wouldn't use it with facial cleanser on it.  You want to plump them and smooth them but still be gentle. So don't be going crazy.  A little goes a long way.

Ok now on to makeup.

Did you know that you can highlight and contour your lips?  You can, and once you start you won't want to stop.  The basic idea is to highlight the highest parts of the lip (cupids bow, center of the bottom lip) to make them look like they stick out from your face further than they really do.  Pretty standard makeup stuff, right?

Now take that one step further.  We made the high points stand out, now lets recess something!  Simply take a matte brown eyeshadow or bronzer and on a small brush run a little tiny bit of it under the center of your bottom lip.  This will create more of a shadow and give the illusion that your bottom lip pouts out more.

It's so subtle but very effective.  If you are confused have no fear, because I have a video tutorial on exactly how I do it.

Next tip is to overdraw your lips.  I know, you're picturing THIS.  But it doesn't have to look like the lipstick equivalent of a car wreck.  The trick is to be subtle and only overdraw them a teeny bit.

There is a small area around your upper lip where your lip hasn't ended but it no longer has any pigment.  That's the line you can take it to.  It is hard to describe and I don't have a video on it, but luckily Nikkietutorials does and she demonstrates and explains it very well.  She is also hilarious.

In the video she only demonstrates with a red color, but you can easily apply this technique to a nude lip liner for a natural but plump look.  Just blend well and top it with a balm or a gloss, and you're all set.

Last but not least is the simplest trick of all.  When in doubt, go glossy.  Don't get me wrong I love a matte lip, but if you are looking for a fast way to make your lips look fuller then it's all about the gloss.

The added shine instantly makes your lips look bigger and fuller.  Think of it like pants, if you wear shiny pants it might make your butt (among other things) look plumper because light is bouncing off all the high points.  But where glossy pants might be risky, glossy lips are a sure thing.  Just remember not to over do it though, nobody likes a goopy kisser.

You can take all of these ideas and use them separately, or you can combine them all at once.  It's entirely up to your discretion.

I like to do them all at one time, go big or go home right?

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Quick and Easy Smokey Eye Tutorial

Ok so it's been a really long time (like three weeks) since I uploaded a YouTube Video, but I'm back!

This weeks video is a tutorial on how to do the easiest and fastest smokey eye look, without looking crazy.  So many girls ask me why they look like a raccoon when they try to do a smokey eye.  It's really all about practice and getting the shape right for your eyes. But for a beginner, the easiest way to avoid disaster is to keep the smokiness close to the lash line, and use mostly matte colors.  

It's really easy, and here is a video to prove it...

Products Used:

Urban Decay 24/7 Pencils in Corrupt and Zero

MAC Groundwork Paint Pot

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish "Soft & Gentle"

Maybelline Colossal Volume Waterproof Mascara

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Wowza Wednesday! Pt. 2

A while back I started a little series called "Wowza Wednesday" where I basically kidnapped my sister for a few hours and made her let me do her hair and makeup.  Since she is already stupid beautiful I just wanted to use the hair and makeup to give her that little extra sparkle and let all of her best features shine.

This week I was lucky enough to do the same thing with her insanely gorgeous friend Jackie.  (Jackie is the one who named "wowza wednesday" too btw!)  Before everyone starts asking "Do you just walk around surrounded by gorgeous women all the time?"  the answer is YES.  Yes I do.  Wait 'til you see my mom, you're gonna DIE.

Oh and on top of the face and the hair (and the personality btw) Jackie is also like supermodel tall...I KNOW!

So when Jackie came over she had no makeup on at all.  Her hair was styled though, she does hair for a living so of course it looks good already!

So like I said, I really just wanted to enhance what was already there.  Focusing on evening out the skin tone, brightening up her eyes and adding just a hint of color to her lips.

I have to apologize for the lighting in the after photos, because we got a little carried away chatting and stuff and it wound up being dark out by the time I finished. Whoops!

For the skin I mixed my trusty Bobbi Brown stick foundations in "Warm Ivory" and "Sand" with my Stila "One Step Correct" and buffed it into the skin with my Shiseido Perfect Foundation Brush.  Lately I have been using this mix on everyone, and it gives a beautiful finish on every skin tone and type.  It looks so natural I have even used it on dudes.

Under the eyes I used Bobbi Brown Corrector in "Light Peach"  and I spot concealed the rest of her face with Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer in "Sand".  I like to use a light-medium coverage foundation and then go in and spot conceal because I find that it allows for a really perfected look without causing cake-face...nobody likes cake face.

On her eyes I went over her lids with Make Up Forever Aqua Cream in #17, a warm plum color with a hint of shimmer.

Then I lined the inside of her eyes with Urban Decay 24/7 Liner Pencil in Corrupt which is a rich dark brown with a slight shimmer.  This is also a repeat offender on this blog, I seriously use that pencil constantly.  I also smudged that pencil onto the outer 1/3 of her upper and lower lash line and blended it into the plum color to add some depth and definition to her eye shape.

For  her inner corner I used TheBalm eyeshadow in "Jet Setting Jenny" from the original Shady Lady Palette.  It is an amazing sheer golden color that gives a really warm, candle-lit glow which compliments the burgundy beautifully and really makes her blue eyes pop right out at ya.

I used Maybelline "The Falsies" Mascara and since her brows are already really good I just filled them in and perfected the shape a bit with the Dior Brow Styler pencil.

For her lips I used a really simple sheer pink gloss.

Her hair was already blown out and styled so I just freshened it up a big by combing the ends and running a little bit of my Macadamia Healing Oil Treatment to add some shine and softness.

And that's it, just enough to make her best features pop a little extra!  Here is a side by side...

So there you have it!  Thanks Jackie for letting me borrow your face for a little while <3

And for being a cutie patootie!

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How I Fix A Chipped Manicure

Some people are fine with walking around with chipped nail polish.  I am not one of those people. Some people have nails that stay perfect for a whole week without chipping. I am not of of those people either.  As some of you may recall I wrote a post a while back about how I do an at home manicure that lasts, and I usually get a good few extra days out of my manicure by doing all those steps.  But there are days and weeks when your nail polish is just no match for the tasks at hand. 

Usually my week consists of mostly simple tasks like sitting behind my computer and writing blog posts. There are other weeks however, which consist of other things like packing to move and 10 hour outdoor photo shoots.  Those are the weeks when I just can't keep my nails in order. 

Of course those are also the weeks when I don't have the time or energy left to sit down and completely re-paint my nails.  This week was one of those weeks, for sure. But I have gotten really good at patching up the chips and making it look nice and fresh for a few more days and I had a freshly banged up manicure to demonstrate with so I figured I would pass along the knowledge.  Sharing is caring.

For the demonstration I am going to concentrate on this one large chip, but the same idea can be applied to all the small chips and "tip wear" on the other nails as well.

To begin with you will need the nail polish that you are already wearing (duh) and a small brush.  I am using a nail art brush with short bristles, but an old eyeliner brush or an art brush will do just fine.  

For years when I was trying to patch up a manicure I would go at it with the brush that comes in the bottle of polish but I was never happy with how it looked.  You could always see that gross lumpy line where the layers are uneven, and maybe I'm just really picky but I think thats just as ugly as having chipped nails, and therefore it is pointless.

Eventually a lightbulb went off and I learned to avoid that problem by using a small brush to paint in ONLY the area where the polish has chipped off.  That way I wasn't building on top of the original layers and adding to the difference in thickness.  So simple (yet it still took me years to think of it).

Another key here is not to just blob on a lot of polish in the chipped area and hope that it looks opaque and matches the rest of the nail.  If you do that it will pool around the chipped edge and still look uneven, not to mention that you are SO going to smudge it.  Blobs take forever to dry.

So have a little patience and dab on one quick coat, let it dry for about a minute and then go for a second coat.  See how even it looks after the second coat?  Not too shabby. (Literally, Ha!)

Ok so now that it's patched up really good you need to add topcoat.  Normally I tell everyone that they're nuts if they aren't using a fast dry top coat, but in this instance you want to stay away from it.  I find that when you use a fast dry formula on top of nail polish that has already dried it causes a lot of shrinking .  

Now they should look a little sumpin' like this.

Oh! and very important please note that I put the top coat on ALL of my nails, not just the ones I fixed.  Nail polish gets dull after a few days so if you want the whole thing to look fresh and even you need to top them all up a bit.  

Little added bonus is this will also help extend the life of the polish further, so try not to be lazy (I know it's hard, being lazy feels so good sometimes) 

And since you didn't use a fast dry top coat, you may want to use a nail polish drying spray.  It's not really as fast as a fast drying top coat, but it is still pretty damn fast.  That way you won't walk away, open a box of crackers  because you are STARVING like to death and smudge them all and curse yourself for your lack of patience. (based on a true story)

Once you hit those babies with the drying spray, you are all done and your fingers should be looking funky fresh.  Or maybe just fresh, but hopefully not just funky.

Give it a shot and let me know how it goes!

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Orange Lips

Way back in summer 2011 I bought a tube of bright orange lipstick and fell in love.  At the time, some people were kinda looking at me like I was nuts, but who cares?  I thought it was awesome.

Two summers later orange lips are everywhere.  While I could sit here and go all hipster on your ass and say "I was wearing orange lipstick before it was cool" I won't.  Instead I will share my favorite ways to get an orange lip.  

I know that everyone has different preferences in formula, and different levels of daringness when it comes to lipstick, so I tried to include different shades and formulas to suit everyones needs.

Make Up For Ever Rouge Artist Intense #40-  This is where it all started, my first orange lipstick from back in the day.  Honestly this one is not for lipstick newbies, this one is best suited for those who are accustomed to wearing a bright lip.

With that being said, I LOVE this lipstick.  If you like a bold lip with a satin finish and haven't tried the  MUFE Rouge Artist Intense line, I highly recommend you check it out.  As for the color it is just straight orange.  It's not peach, it's not coral, it's just orange.  I love pairing this with a bare eye with a highlighted inner corner and just a little bronzer on the cheeks.  

L'oreal Shine Caresse "Coral Tattoo"-  This one is a bit less intense, but still has a similar effect so it's good for those who are looking for something a bit bold, but not crazy.

The L'oreal shine caresse formula which I have written about before is very similar to the YSL glossy stains.  It is a sheer gel-like formula that applies like a gloss, wears very comfortable on the lips and leaves a slight stain.  It is one of my favorite types of lip color because it has a really pretty effect but it is also just comfortable and easy.  

As the name indicates it isn't quite orange but more coral so it does have just a hint of pink in there, so you might find this more flattering or easier to wear than MUFEA #40

NYX Butter Gloss "Peach Cobbler"-  This one is pretty new to me.  I picked it up last week on a whim because I didn't have an every day gloss in my purse while I was out of town, and I was pleasantly surprised with the formula.  I have to say I am increasingly impressed with NYX's lip products, especially for the price!

The butter gloss formula is really smooth, and hydrating.  It is really thick so it stays on for a while (for a gloss anyway) but it's not sticky.  Which is great because I find it really annoying when I put on a sticky gloss and my hair keeps getting stuck in it. . . it ruins your hairstyle too! How do people wear that stuff all the time? Ponytails only?  

Anyway, the color is MUCH pinker than a true orange, which is to be expected because it is a "peach" color, but it still gives a nice warm toned effect.  This one is probably more versatile and everyday than the rest.  

Revlon Lip Butter "Tutti Frutti"-  Another old favorite.  I got this one last year as a sheerer alternative to my MUFE #40.  It is pretty much a true orange, but because of the sheer formula it will show any pink pigmentation in your lips, making it appear more pink.  If you refer to the above swatches you can see that on the arm it looks very orange, but it is almost peachy on my lips.  Keep in mind I have really pink/red lips so if yours are naturally more pale then it will be far more orange on you.

Most people reading a beauty blog will be familiar with the Revlon lip butter formula, but for those who aren't its basically halfway between a lipstick and a tinted balm.  I find them to be very comfortable.  Not really hydrating but not drying either.  This particular shade is a tad on the sheer side compared to some others in the range. 

If you are looking to go truly orange but are skeptical, I think this one is a good place to start.

So that's it, my orange lip favorite in a nutshell.  Give them a try and let me know what you like!

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You Just HAD to pick that pimple right?

Everyone gets a pimple now and then and by now we all know that we should NEVER pop them and pick them.  So let's fast forward the lecture on why you shouldn't pop them:  Infections! Scars! Hyper-pigmentation! Longer healing time! Scabs! 

You know that once in a blue moon you are going to do it anyway so now that the lecture is out of the way, we can address what to do when you have ignored that advice, and have already angered a pimple by popping or picking it.

First a disclaimer: I am not a dermatologist, and I'm not trying to give advice on what is healthy for your skin.  My specialty is makeup and covering the redness and swelling in a "Just this once because I made a mess and I need to look decent" type of scenario. So this is not advice on how to treat your acne, just how to make it look better once in a while when the damage is already done, and it's ok to do this stuff just this once because you're never going to pick your pimples ever again, right? 

If you need actual acne advice I recommend checking out DermTVdotcom and getting answers from a real deal Doctor of Skin.

So first things first...

STOP PICKING IT

Once the deed is done, try to gather some self control and stop yourself from making it worse.  Doing things like picking off a scab, trying to squeeze more out of it (which is so gross but hey... it's what people do) or just generally poking at it and touching it are only going to make it worse.  The best thing to do at this point is stop aggravating it.

ADDRESSING THE SWELLING 

Popping your pimples causes inflammation, redness and swelling.  while the redness can be covered with makeup, swelling is a lot harder to camouflage.  Your best bet is to try to reduce the swelling as best you can.  

For immediate relief of the swelling, say if you are trying to get ready to go out or something, it can be very helpful to ice the pimple.  Just like any other injury ice will help to bring down the swelling.  I like to take an ice cube wrapped in a damp face cloth and hold it on the area.  You can also use an ice pack, or whatever you prefer but just make sure it is clean.  You definitely don't want to add any bacteria to the area.

If the swelling is persistent and it seems that you might even have a slight infection, wait until after you have taken your makeup off for the day and washed your face.  Then dab a tiny amount of Neosporin (or any antibiotic ointment) onto the pimple.  The ointment will help to take down some of the inflammation, and speed up healing by keeping bacteria at bay.  Obviously this doesn't help "in the moment" per say, but it will help it get better for the next day at least

It is NOT a good idea to use this on a regular basis as an acne treatment.  You should only use it in an instance when you popped a pimple and turned it into an open wound.  Hopefully you don't do that TOO often so just this once isn't such a big deal.

ADDRESSING THE REDNESS

While redness can be covered by makeup, getting rid of some of it makes it a much easier task.  So before you start applying the concealer try this little behind the scenes trick.  Take a tiny bit of Visine (Or any eye drop that reduces redness) and apply it to a cotton swab, then hold the cotton swab on the area for a minute or so.  The eye drops will take some of the redness out of the area very quickly, making it much easier to cover.

CONCEALING THE PIMPLE

This can be very different depending on the condition of the pimple, so I'll try to touch on both scenarios.

TYPE ONE - FRESHLY POPPED:  A freshly popped pimple can be really tricky, because there is often an area of raw, open skin right in the center of it which refuses to let your concealer cling to it.   For this scenario I recommend trying a powder foundation to cover the pimple instead of a concealer.

The powder will cling to the open area more easily than a concealer so it will actually cover that stubborn spot.  BUT powder foundation can look super cakey if you over-do it, so I highly recommend using a small brush like a lipstick brush or even a thick eyeliner brush to apply it directly to the pimple, and not to the surrounding area.   Then be very careful to gently blend out the edges.

If it does end up looking a little dry you can always use a setting spray to make it look more like skin again

TYPE TWO - DRIED UP/FLAKING/CRUSTY:  If you picked the pimple a while ago, and it is now all dried up and crunchy you may find that applying concealer over the top of it can look a mess.  Crusty textured skin that is the right color is still crusty skin after all.  The best way to deal with this is to moisturize the area.

I like to take small amount of Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream and let it sit on the pimple for a few minutes before I start applying my makeup.  Once the dry skin is softened it will behave more like normal skin, so when you cover it you won't get as much of that lizard scale look.  You know that one I'm talking about.

Then right before it is time to apply concealer simply wipe the moisturizer off with a cotton swab.  You want to make sure the area is cleaned off before applying your concealer because moisturizers (especially 8 hour cream) usually contain oils which will break down your makeup.

As far as concealer is concerned you can use whatever concealer works for you, but for obvious reasons you should choose something thick and long wearing rather than something that stays slick, or has a thin consistency and light coverage.  You took the time to cover it up, so you want it to stay, ya know?

And just like with the powder foundation, try to conceal ONLY the actual pimple, and not the surrounding area, and of course blend the edges out.  Well-blended spot concealing looks much more natural and will call less attention to the problem areas than slathering concealer all over.

So those are my tricks for covering a picked pimple, I hope they help.  But seriously stop picking them, you will be MUCH better off that way!

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