For warm weather seasons, contouring the entire face with a matte bronzer is a perfect way to slim your face and fake a tan. During the winter, however, a tan is unlikely so a different approach needs to be taken to structure your face. Learn how to contour your cheeks for a natural yet chic slimming effect.
Gorgeous! Contouring is a beauty trick of the experts for the most chic looks.
Borrowing from a previously written article of mine, here are some tips to help you look stunning in a snap when a high-maintenance morning is not an option.
To hide a blemish, put a bit of concealer on a cotton swab and dab it on the spot until it disappears. This eliminates the need for a brush and the messiness of having to use your finger.
When there’s no time for makeup, be sure define your eyebrows. Tweeze any stray hairs, fill in gaps with a pencil, and blend concealer beneath the arches and on either side of your eyes to perk up your face.
Apply a quick swoosh of loose powder over your face if you have oily skin to ban excess shine.
If you haven’t had the chance to exfoliate, saturate a washcloth in warm water and use it to buff the dead skin off your face. Rinse well, and use this technique on your lips, also. Don’t forget to moisturize and use lip balm afterward. (I love using Smith’s Rosebud Salve on my own lips)
To depuff tired eyes, freeze two spoons overnight, then rest them over your eyes for a few minutes in the morning. The chill of the metal will depuff your eyes in no time.
Add body to your hair by flipping your head upside down and spritzing aerosol spray at the roots. Lift your head, and massage roots with your fingers.
Always carry key makeup items in your bag for days when you need to rush right out the door. I usually carry an eyeliner, a blush, and lip gloss that I can just whip on in the car to look enough presentable.
Finally, that bag of table sugar in the cupboard is actually good for something! (I’m stealing some from my boyfriend’s bag). When you don’t have time for the spa but your want your body and legs as smooth and moisturized as can be, a DIY antioxidant sugar scrub is a perfect solution.
Mash about 8 strawberries to a pulp in a small bowl (remove the leaves first). Add to this a tablespoon of olive oil and a teaspoon of table sugar and mix until you’ve got a nice paste.
You can use this paste in shower or bath on your hands, feet, elbows, knees, legs, and anywhere else that needs smoothing. (Shave after). Rinse very well, gently pat your skin with a towel, then [optionally] smooth baby oil all over for sealed moisture.
You should now look and feel (and smell) amazing!
Lip gloss – a girl can never have too much. I’ve counted, and I own over 50. It’s a sad story!
It becomes necessary to question which ones earn the top spot in our cosmetics stash.
My two favorite brands of lip gloss by far are Lancome Juicy Tubes and MAC Lipglass. They’re both high-shine and perfectly sticky making them stay put longer than most. But, not everyone wants to spend $15-20 on a tube of lip shine.
How can we get a high shine lip look without paying a high end price?
Revlon Super Lustrous lip gloss is an old favorite of mine turned new! It has a consistency like none other and contains tiny flecks of glimmer for a gorgeous shine. To the left is a picture of me wearing the hot pink Shine That Pink shade. It looks suspiciously similar to my other fall staple gloss, but when I run out of that one, I know which one I’ll buy. Who’s to tell the difference? I’ll never tell! (Except to you all, of course).
| Steeper | Cheaper |
 |
 |
| MAC Lipglass $14 |
Revlon Super Lustrous $7 |
Call it early, but I’m preparing myself for cooler weather woes such as flaky skin, lackluster hair, and seasonal depression. We could all benefit I’m sure from some prevention methods as well as a few techniques to stay looking – and feeling – fabulous throughout the cold weather season.
We often make the mistake of primping only our outside, when beauty really comes from the inside out. That’s where a sensible diet and beauty supplements come into play.
Fish oil capsules, taken daily, will keep your skin, hair, and nails moisturized and glowing radiantly as well as improve your mood. The essential fatty acids in these pills also aid in accelerating weight loss. Perfect, I’d say, when our bodies are taking a weather beating and we’re prone to holiday binging.
B-complex vitamins are universally known to alleviate depression, provide energy, and enhance energy metabolism (and weight loss).
Water intake is often neglected when all we’re craving is hot cocoa or those Starbucks Pumpkin Spice cappuccinos. However, h2o remains crucial to flushing our bodies of dulling impurities and keeping us well-hydrated.
When we’re set on supplement intake, the next step is to coat our outside with lavish moisturizers and conditioners for hair and skin.
Everyone has their staple facial and body creams (and there are so many to choose from), so I’ll share mine:
Simply put, Origins A Perfect World Body Cream, $30 with white tea is my favorite body cream. It is immensely moisturizing and smells wonderful.
Dry skin will benefit from a richer, creamy facial moisturizer. These are normally found in jars (Cetaphil, $13) but I like the convenience of a pump (Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion with pump, $23). Clinique’s version works with your skin’s chemisty to deliver the perfect amount of moisture, and Cetaphil is a long time cult favorite.
Oily skin benefits most from a serum or gel moisturizer which will not feel too heavy on the skin. Chanel makes an amazing serum (Chanel Precision Hydramax+ Serum, $72) that smells like a cocktail and moisturizes luxuriously, then there is Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel with pump, $23, which is suitable as well.
All hair types should reap the benefits of an olive-oil based shampoo and conditioner. This will leave your hair beautifully shiny and supple without weighing it down. Plus, if you planned on using your same hair care products year round, now would be a good time to give your hair a refreshment.
My favorite olive oil shampoo and conditioner are of a Dominican line: Nacidit Olive Oil Shampoo and Nacidit Olive Oil Conditioner. Upon using this, I fell in love. Fair-skinned gals will love the absence of dry hair and flyaways, and ethnic ladies like myself will adore their new bouncy, well-moisturized tresses.
For me, summer is the time of year to sport DIY manicures and pedis. Body fuzz also grows faster, making impromptu shaving sessions a must. However, it’s easier to lose yourself during the winter when the last thing you want to do is paint your nails or lose warm down comforter time shaving your legs late at night and early in the morning.
Spa treatments are not only relaxing, but when you want to stay looking your best during this lazy time of year, they’re a must. Lower leg waxing, mani/pedi’s, and full-body massages will be on my agenda on a monthly basis.
Smoky eyes are a huge comeback for fall 2007, and are more dramatic than ever. Layers of black and mega full or false lashes were seen on the runway. Street-wise, the look is refreshingly unconventional with deep, dark blues and purples replacing or adding to traditional smoky black.
This is all so reminiscent of my heavy-eye-makeup headbanger phase back in high school, however the current, ‘grown up’ look is very vamp & sexy, with a balance. Eyes are heavy, but the face is otherwise muted.
Matte foundation, contoured cheeks, and non-competing lips complete this look. A matte, lavendar lip color gives the face a striking, ethereal appearance. Otherwise, finger-painted lip gloss or lipstick in a neutral color lets dramatic eyes take the spotlight.
Gorgeous!
I love it! How lush, sultry, sexy, & edgy for fall. They’re calling it, ‘The Chocolate-y’ smoky eye.
I love how the smoke in this video is created with brick orange and reddish brown/black eyeshadow. Unconventional + creative = my new adaptation of this look. Mmm, loves it.
Note how the inner rim of the model’s bottom lid is lined with a white pencil. This brightens the eyes – crucial for this look – and is one of those Quick Beauty Fixes as well.
Video courtesy of Smashbox Cosmetics.
Frappelattes Beauty & Lifestyle Blog features beauty tips and trends, style forecasts, and insider info for the girl who loves all things related to beauty, style, and lifestyle.
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