TIPS-Y Friday: Bold enough to rock this Fall's Dark Lips?!?!?

Soooo I know you have read me rave about my favorite season over and over again and my last posts have been anything and everything hinting of the upcoming season and yes there will be more Autumn posts to come so sorry to disappoint you if you thought so otherwise :) lol
Again, as you may also know by now, I digress so let's get back to those dark lips for fall :)
Here are a few tips to rock that perfect dark lips Matte or Glossy :)

First and foremost, key to a perfect dark lip is a smooth canvas so exfoliate, there's numerous products that you can use like Mary Kay's lip mask exfoliator or Bliss' Fabulips Sugar Lip Scrub and a few of my favorite DIY's are using a toothbrush with soft bristles, another yummy delish one is using honey and sugar or baking soda and water. It is imperative that you moisturize as soon as you finish exfoliating.

• If your lips are still a bit flaky even after exfoliating, rock a glossy dark lips instead of matte, the gloss will hide some of that flakiness.

Use a matte base like EOS or Burt's Bees Lip Balm to prep lips before layering the dark lipstick. The balm keeps lips moisturized as most matte lipsticks are typically drying.

• Matte I say because a glossy base has the propensity to sheer out color as well as gives a slippery base where the color may bleed past the lip line.

When going for a matte lip, it is not necessary to use a lip liner to fill in lips but you can use it as a definer once the lipstick is applied. Smooth the edges with light strokes of liner matching your lip color. For a more glossy look, it is imperative to line the lips with matching color to give the gloss definition as well as something to cling to.

Finally, Find the color that best complement your skin tone. Deep skin tones carry out merlot color beautifully, vamp it up further by adding a dark brown. If you have an Olive tone, like me, Deep burgundy's and mahogany and yes even some merlot are my go to, but, I have rocked deep purples before and I love them too. It really is more about your preference. Fair skin can pretty much pull off the vampy look with any purple, wine hues. I suggest trying a few and see how your skin glows or dulls your the look.

**Bonus -In addition to dark hues, Red lips are just as deserving to be flaunted this fall as it is for everyone....just make sure to find a blue based red that works for you as this tone has the propensity whiten your teeth. My personal favorite; A really soft and creamy lipstick by Chanel in Velvet 01 and a yummy delish, non-sticky, smells ahhh-mazing Lippy by Butter London in Come To Bed Red lip gloss, I really picked it up originally because of the name and who knew I would fall inlove with it :)

I was at CVS last night scouring for a few dark colors to add to my collection and saw these Maybelline limited collection that they came out of for fall but I was only able to find 3 lipstick and 4 lip glosses as they are completely out so that sounds promising, I hope it pays off. I will do a separate post of fall lipstick swatches sometime next week as I have a plethora of colors to pick through from my collection so in the mean time here's a preview...

Are you bold enough to rock a dark lip this fall? I know I definitely am :)
Please comment with your thoughts below or email with any queries, don't forget to socialize with me on twitter, instagram and facebook ......sharing is beauty-ful :) 

First Date Makeup Guideline

As if going on a first date is not nerve-wrecking enough....gotta figure out what to wear, what perfume, hair up or down...and of course making sure you don't look like a clown and/or scare the guy off with all that makeup on your face...#yikes... So one thing that I always keep in mind when going on a first date, which reminds me I haven't gone in one in a minute smh lol.. my apology, I digress.... Anyway, back to my first date mantra, this is when I apply the "Less Is More" approach, I don't know about you but personally, I would want my "date" to focus on the actual date, not the pile of makeup I have on my face. Then again, To each it's own.
Below are a few tips to consider when deciding on how to put your look together on your first date :)

Let's start with the canvas, I would definitely sans the Cake-y Foundation and opt for either a sheer coverage or tinted moisturizer/BB cream but if you must use foundation, use sparingly and just conceal where needed, allow some "imperfection" to show. Layering a ton of foundation, concealer and powder will only amplify a blemished skin. Guys are usually simple and they know when your skin is not your skin.

 Now on to the one thing I usually focus on when implementing this 1st date look....The EYES, Now, this is where you can go a tad bit more and by that I mean a "smokey neutral" for a dinner date and a "no makeup" makeup look for a lunch/coffee date. Taking the eyes further, here are some guidelines to refer to in accentuating your eye makeup.
If you have Chestnut-Dark Brown Hair, purple, plum, burgundy or metallic brown like bronze, copper or gold colors adds warmth to your look.
The times when I have my hair colored Black, which makes me feel oh idk "vixen-ish" lol I usually play up the darker smokey look with the dark navy's and dark greys and pair it with a nude lips or total opposite and make it a bright lip and def a dark mascara. This might be reserved for the 2nd or 3rd date look though lol...
For my Red Haired beauties, Beige and Greens are probably the best colors I've paired with this hair color and pop it with a light pink blush and nude lips.
Of course I can't neglect my Blonds Dolls, Pink and champagne tones gives your face an innocent angelic look, and warm, pastel tones like dark gold, beige and brown will give you a natural glow.
Another eye tip, sans the Thick Eyeliner. Stick to the basics. Specially in the summer, you would not want the summer heat to put a damper on your date with a raccoon eye.  Too thick, smokey eyeliner can sometimes end up dripping down your face.

Moving on to the rest of the face, I would definitely stay away from Glitter and opt for a little shimmer just above the brows following the tail of the brows starting from the arch, or just above the cheeks as a highlight.

So I love using Fake lashes specially when I am having a girl's night out but.... this is definitely a NO NO on date night, specially on a first date. You want him to see the natural beauty you possess and maybe, just maybe  incorporate it on a "paint the town red" date night instead, if there's a following date ;)

 Lastly, I say NO to Sticky Lip Gloss/Thick Lipstick specially if you plan on kissing, (don't worry I won't judge, we all have had one or two first dates where we tried to justify breaking the "no kissing on a first date" rule but failed miserably lol) keep the lipstick/gloss to a minimum or swap it for a clear or fruity lip gloss instead.

Please keep in mind, the above guidelines are just as such, a "guideline" and should be taken with a grain of salt. At the end of the day, the natural YOU will always come out, if you prefer to wear heavy makeup because it's your norm then by all means, do so. Wear whatever makeup that makes you feel good about yourself. Don't wear something that is not your usual if it's not you, meaning, you probably shouldn't wear a black lipstick just to impress "punk/alternative-seeming" guy or mute your typical cat-eyed look for a more low-key guy...Either way, enjoy your first date ;)

What is your "go to" look when going out on a first date?
Please comment with your thoughts below or email with any queries, don't forget to socialize with me on twitter, instagram and facebook ......sharing is beauty-ful :)

Autumn 2013 Makeup Trend

I don't know about you but, I always get so excited around Fall Fashion Week... it's usually a sign Summer is almost over and Autumn (My favorite season) is upon us. Not only do I get all ecstatic about the clothes, I think I get more orgasmic-ally excited about what makeup looks are going to be trending and this year's are pretty much same as last year with a few additions but I think that NAVY is really haute addition to this Fall's trend... Here are some of the haute hues that popped up on the runways of this year's FFW that we can definitely recreate for our own pleasure :)

Blue Shadow and Eyeliner. Looks great on everyone, especially hazel and light-brown eyes. Line your lash line thinly with a Navy eyeliner for a wearable daytime look and smudge it and deepen the outer crease with a navy shadow to create a smokey cocktail hour look.

Shades of Grey. Yes I was just as obsessed with Mr. Grey, but I am not talking about him ;) Let's keep the topic on makeup here k...lol...Grey shadows made a cameo at the runways of Alexander Wang and Marc Jacobs as well as Milan Fashion Week. A smokey grey with a bright/nude lips looks amazeballs for Fall and definitely will be getting a look of the night from me soon :)

Meow once for the Cat-Eye. Might want to get your stability and that cat eye liner perfected because it’s all about the cat eye this fall. Use the navy blue as your base liner to create a gorgeous blue cat-eye look :) Anna Sui, Lanvin, Oscar Caravallo are just a few who gave life to this trend :)

Showoff your Autumn faves on your cheeks.  Rich toned but sheer in texture blushes graced the runways this fall, alternate or warm it up with a bronzer to accentuate a flushed look or sans bronzer for a frost bitten cheeks look. Soften it with a face powder if you think you've blushed too much :)

Favorite Fall staple. Wine, Plum and Burgundy's usually graces the lips of many every year and this year is no different. Anthony Vaccarello, Derek Lam and of course my fave Louis Vuitton has paired these looks with a few versions of their own respective Cat-Eye looks on their runway, If the color is too overwhelmingly goth for you, opt for the stain look and just blot and layer with your fave lip gloss to mute it down a bit.

*****Bonus
For a more artistic look for this season, my fave goes to the The Mao Geping stylist collection China Fashion Week 2013
These looks are avant garde and def not meant for an every day look but, hey that's the beauty of makeup and that is to be expressive so if you are bold enough to pull it off, hey why not right???
In going with this season's trend I chose my three favorite colors :) Purple, Grey and Blue! 

What are your Autumn trend signature look? Would you rock any of the Mao Geping Collection looks? 
 Let me know your thoughts below or email with any queries, don't forget to socialize with me on twitter, instagram and facebook ......sharing is beauty-ful :)

Read more Autumn Trends here...

Product Rant or Rave: Lorac POREfection Primer (Purchased)

This is definitely a RAVE!!

So recently, I have been so obsessed with primers, eyes-face-lips you name it...But one thing that I have really been impressed and actually love, is the Lorac's POREfection!! This product retails for around $32 at your local sephora or ulta locations. (I love my sephora but I used the 3.50 coupon that ulta sends out weekly to save a few bucks :)

The texture is velvety smooth and it has a blurring effect to hide those imperfections. Keep in mind though, use very little amount, a tiny dot on forehead, cheeks, nose and chin to spread all over face and let it sit for a minute then follow with your favorite foundation and other makeup products :)
This primer kept my foundation flawless for a good 6 hours even after running errands around on a hot and muggy day in San Diego, yes that's actually possible lol, oh and I did set my foundation with a matte powder on my t-zone and blotted after about 6 hours just to refresh my look and in time for happy hour ;)

What's your current "Go-To" primer? Let me know your thoughts below or email with any queries, don't forget to socialize with me on twitter, instagram and facebook ......sharing is beauty-ful :)

ACNE FREE SKIN...

Summer; Beach, picnics, cricket, volleyball, sand, water polo, water skiing, surfing and of course care-free hair style, neon polished toes, perfect time to experiment with bright colored lipsticks and eye makeup and with all that.....also comes sticky and gritty skin and of course Juan, George and Roberto aka acne breakout... I try to enjoy my summer without worrying about breaking out so I try to keep Juan, George and Roberto at bay with some of these techniques...

Deep Cleansing
In the Winter, I would opt for a more moisturizing cleanser and switch to a lighter cleanser infused with some type of salicylic acid in it. And yes that goes for your body washes as well, Juan, George and Roberto knows no bounds. Reserve your moisturizing body wash for the winter and switch to an acne-fighting, salicylic infused body wash in the summer time.
**Beach Must Have: One of my favorite from my Summer Skin Care Obsession, Keep a pack of the Garnier Refreshing Remover Cleansing Wipes to remove all that salt, sweat and left over SPF off of your face and re-apply if needed. This is an amazing way to refresh your face.

Don't be afraid to peel
Too much exposure to the sun tend to dull skin. It’s always a great idea to do a light peel and exfoliation. With a plethora of glycolic and salicylic acid products available at salons and/beauty stores for at home, I am sure you won't have any problem finding one that suits you. A good peel helps tighten pores and just refresh the skin in a way that gives you an instant glow that also helps you see a difference right away and they help keep the skin fresh and unclogged.

Choose the right product
Summer definitely calls for more oil-free products as the temperature and humidity level rises. Choose a lightweight oil-free moisturizers and preferably ones with SPF in it or choose an SPF that is gel-based, oil-free and/or suited for acne-prone skin as it is a definite MUST! 

Don't skip the Mask
Incorporating a weekly mask to extract all impurities definitely help in keeping those pesky acne off your face. Choose tea tree oil infused mask or clay mask to combat those incoming problems. Personally, at first sign of a breakout, I usually dab a tea tree oil and spot treatment overnight. Although, one must take extra care when using tea tree oil as it may be too strong for some (I have a funny story from my sister that I can insert here but she would kill me if I do lol), if using for the first time, use it with a carrier oil (vit E oil, jojoba oil or almond oil) to dilute.

Be consistent
Being consistent in following a good skin care regimen to prevent breakout is just as necessary as using SPF.

Clean your tools
Cleaning brushes and other tools that you use often is very important. All that build up on your makeup tools, re-depositing it on your face is a definite bacteria breeding ground for Juan, George and Roberto.

Bonus Tip...
What you wear can/may be affecting your acne appearances... Opt for a lightweight, breathable clothing. Wide-brimmed hats are also your friend as well as Sunglasses. Sheets and pillowcases also needs to be changed regularly as they collect oil, which is a recipe for clogged pores and congested skin;) Enjoy the rest of your summer...

How do you keep your acne at bay?? please comment below or email with any queries, don't forget to socialize with me on twitter, instagram and facebook ......sharing is beauty-ful

TIPS-y Friday: Quick sanitation and brush clean up

So I'm sure you have heard about or read about the girl who contracted herpes from using a mac lipstick tester at a MAC store...ummm scary and that is why I NEVER apply testers on my lips, eyes or even my face...yeah swatching them on my arms really isn't any better either but as long as there's no cuts or lesions on my arms (which you should not be applying products to begin with..) I should be ok, I hope lol..

Anyhow, I mentioned that to say you should ALWAYS sanitize your products and brushes to avoid any infection specially if you share products with your friends/sisters ect... It's a known fact that cosmetics and dirty brushes are the breeding ground for bacteria so here are compiled quick tips to keep those growth at bay.

One thing you should always have in your vanity is a spray bottle of 99% alcohol, I get mines at Sally's  or order them online at a pro store but it takes forever for shipping as it has to travel ground so I just make that drive to Sally's... You can also get the 91% at your local drugstore, I think that's the highest they sell. I like the 99% because if I am in between clients, I need my brushes to dry and quick. Just spray on the brushes swirl it on a dry towel or papertowel, repeat until your brushes are clean and you're good to go.

Sanitize your eye and lip liners- Use a sharpener to remove top layer of the liner before or after usage to keep bacteria at bay.

Face powder products and eye shadows- After usage, a quick spray of 99% alcohol and leave it open for a few minute for the alcohol to evaporate then close and store.

Mascara- You should never share mascaras with anyone but if you do, I suggest using disposable wands and do not double dip. If you must use multiple coatings, Dip wand multiple times to get enough product and blot it on the back of your hand or palette and use that to grab second or third coatings.

Foundations- This applies more to the cream foundation palettes as most liquid foundation are usually packaged ergonomically to release product easily without contaminating specially if you are using a sponge. For cream foundation in a pan, use a spatula to take product out and place them on the back of your hand or palette to avoid contamination of product, you can also spray 99% alcohol on a clean sponge and swipe it on the pan to sanitize product.

Moisturizing Cream- This also applies to creams that comes in a wide mouth jar that requires you to scoop the product out, well I would definitely suggest using a spatula to scoop the product so that you don't contaminate the rest of the product.


That's all I can think of right now and if you have any tips that you wanna share please comment below or email with any queries, don't forget to socialize with me on twitter, instagram and facebook ......sharing is beauty-ful

Have an awesome weekend :) -PF

Drugstore Product of the week: Physician's Formula Matte Collection Quad (Purchased)

This week's drugstore rave goes to Physician's Formula Matte Collection Quad. This is an amazing quad for a day-night look. It's a perfect quad for creating a subtle "No Makeup" look for daytime, appropriate for school or glam it up for the office by simply blending the darker brown on the eyelids or vamp it up with a smokey look and some falsies. For daytime, pair it with a light pink, nude or champagne lipstick or gloss and at night deepen it with a nice plum or red lips to complement the look :) The product is very pigmented and super silky to apply, not to mention it is fragrance-free as well as hypoallergenic :) 

What do you think? Let me know your thoughts below or email with any queries, don't forget to socialize with me on twitter, instagram and facebook ......sharing is beauty-ful :)

Beauty Tools and Applicators

Makeup brushes definitely plays an important role for anyone wanting to perfect their makeup application for a more polished look. Not necessarily an essential tool for every step of your makeup routine, but having a basic set gives you an option in creating certain look or texture. However, with millions of brushes out there to choose from, where do you start right?!?! Specially if you are just getting into makeup, the brushes are definitely one of the main products you should invest on. Better quality will not only last you longer, it will also give you a better finish than a low quality ones. I have compiled these photos from my collection as well as strive to explain it's usage and purposes as best as I can. For the sake of not loosing your attention reading this post :), I will be creating a more in depth post of each brushes later but for now let's get to the basic essentials....
You don't necessarily have to use these brushes for it's "politically defined" purpose, meaning I've used blushers as powder brushes or a fluffy shadow brush as a blending brush before but key is using these tools to acquire a more polished looking makeup.
For any queries or if you would like to see a demo of any of these tools, feel free to comment below or message me.

Types of brushes:
Synthetic: Best used for cream products or liquid formula. Liquid Foundation, Cream foundation, Concealer, lip products or mask.
Animal/Natural Hair: This varies in type as well as texture and density, I personally prefer natural synthetic hair but to each it's own.. Best used for dry/powder products as well as liquid.

Foundation brushes
As the name states, it is used to apply liquid, cream, powder or mineral foundation.
These brushes varies from a classic synthetic, taklon fiber which does a quick application but gives a streaking effect where you would need to blend with a sponge, to a stippling brush, provides an airbrushed finish look but not practical when you are pressed for time and then there's the much more dense flat/domed buffing brush, (my preferred method of application) very quick, perfect for "I woke up late" morning preps but might still need a lil help with a sponge to finish the crevices of your face ie; inner corner of eyes and nose.

Concealer Brush

Typically a synthetic , flat brush used to apply cream concealers, ranging from mini-small sized for those small areas a larger foundation brushes can't reach....But...personally, I prefer to apply concealer with my finger and blend it with a dense blending brush but that's another blog coverage lol.. back to brushes...

Powder & Kabuki Brush

Varying in size, they all carry a typical characteristic  being thick and fluffy. Used in dusting a setting powder or pressed powder in your face. Also may be used to blend everything on your face after all creams and powders have been applied. Kabuki serves the same purpose but the difference, they are small enough to carry in your clutch for touch ups.

Fan Brush

Fan brushes also comes in a variety of styles and textures, some large, soft and fluffy, some synthetic and some natural hair. This brush is versatile and may be used to apply blush, setting powder, highlighter, creams, masks, even mascara or simply dust off  fall outs. I personally use the large fluffy one to contour and medium synthetic blend to apply highlighter and the small taklon to apply creams and mascara on the lower lash line.

Angled/Pointed Contour and Blush Brush

These brushes can be used for both contour or blush application, it really more so depends on your preference. Angled brushes are perfect for contouring as it fits the hollows of the cheeks as well as the depths of your face ie; jawline, temple area. Blush brushes are usually a smaller version of a powder brush.

Eyeshadow brush

This brush topic alone can cover a whole new blog in itself....OhEmGeezers...These brushes come in many many different sizes but it's main purpose is to basically deposit eye shadows all over lids and create different textures and looks for a dramatic or natural eye look. They also come in different styles, rounded-angled-flat-domed-fluffy ect... I will categorize these as well as I could...

• Fluffy dome brush
• Crease brush
• Blending brush
• Flat shadow brush- 
• Liner brush- Angled, Flat or Pointed brush
• Smudge brush
• Spooly/Brush & Comb combo

And that's it folks... I hope I was able to help you find the right brushes for you and don't forget to socialize with me on twitter, instagram and facebook and sharing is beauty-ful :)


Ciao,
-Precious

TIPS-y Friday: Beauty & Skincare

TGIF!!! Here's this week's Beauty Tips-y Friday :-)

Keep your eyes open when applying eye-liner to avoid crooked line.
Apply three strokes: Firm lines to the outer corner of the eye, the middle and then the inner corner. Connect the three lines with few short strokes then one layer to blend as one fluid stroke.

Feel free to share this tip or submit any eye makeup tips.
Please comment with your thoughts below or email with any queries, don't forget to socialize with me on twitter, instagram and facebook ......sharing is beauty-ful :)  

Ciao,
-PF

Masks & Scrubs.....My current faves...

Summer.....Fun in the sun, Sunscreen residue, sweat, pore clogging makeup.....doesn't sound much of a fun summer now is it lol... BUT, we all love it, we enjoy the moments and the memories we create and with all that fun, also comes the residue it leaves on your skin, I don't know about you but every  time I get home from being under the sun and I feel that crud on my face from the pool, ocean water, sunscreen residue, yuck!! And I just wanna have a good scrub. I know some people may not really care about a good skin care regimen that incorporates a good scrubbing and a mask AT least once a week, but you all should really think about adding that to your regimen. Not only does it makes your skin feel and look uber smooth and soft it also unclogs those pores and assists in keeping those breakout at bay. And for my makeup wearing diva's, it will help your makeup products apply much much smoother not to mention a more natural looking makeup. I personally use my scrub every single night (View my skin care regimen here to view what I use and products I love at the moment)
and use my masks once or twice a week depending on how my skin is looking or if I am attending any special event and I want my makeup to look flawless :) In addition to my Summer Skincare Faves I also use the following products:

The Neutrogena Acne Stress Control scrub that you've read me rave about over and over is probably going to be one of my holy grail product that I use every day. The beads are not too soft and not to harsh. This can double as a mask as well, leaving it on for about 15 minutes and then use it as a face wash after.

Glam Glow is definitely one of my favorite scrub+mask in one to get rid of the dead skin cells and clears out my pores. Everything it claims below provides just that. I love the blend of green tea and clay mask that absorbs all that impurities. Oh and yes the infamous tingling feeling on your skin once applied feel aaahhhh mazing and leaves my skin oh so glowy :)
Downside...lol... I only use this once a week or if I am hitting a special event why? It's so freaking expensive :-/ and I hate it coz it's sooooo worth the money...ugh... Anyhow, I digress...

"What it is:
A 10-minute professional-quality mud mask for men and women. 

What it is formulated to do:
This mud mask leaves skin noticeably radiant and glowing. It activates moisturizing collagen synthesis, provides gentle resurfacing exfoliation, and helps to leave skin smoother, brighter, and softer. While providing tighter skin texture and tighter pores, it provides a more youthful appearance and absorbs impurities without removing natural oils. "

Now the other two masks, I use depending on when I feel a breakout is peeking it's ugly head....smh, I hit them with a the Neutrogena SkinID for Acne solution as a mask first for about 15 minutes then lather it as a face wash after and if I feel like my skin can handle a little bit more, I spot treat it with Olay PROXclear sulfur mask overnight.

All these products can be applied with your fingers or with a synthetic brush like I have on the picture.

What are your favorite exfoliating and/or go to masks?
Please comment with your thoughts below or email with any queries, don't forget to socialize with me on twitter, instagram and facebook ......sharing is beauty-ful :) 

To read more glowing treatment tips, read this.

Ciao,
-PF