Tuesday, February 14, 2017

Blushing Beauty

Hello and happy Valentine's Day! I hope your day has been filled with sweet treats from someone special (yes, this includes treating yourself)!

After lip products, blush has found a way to become my second favorite category of beauty products! I love experimenting with different shades of blush to compliment my complexion and give my skin a nice, natural flush! I also enjoy playing with varying levels of blush intensity. For day looks, I tend to keep it subtle, but look forward to dates and other outings where I might want to amp it up a bit. I have also switched the method of applying my blush, as well as well where on my cheeks I place the blush. I tend to use the "cinnamon bun" method, as dubbed by Mally, which creates more control of the blush's intensity. I now prefer to apply the blush just under my cheekbones, behind the apples of my cheeks, instead of on top of both. It allows me to create more dimension and keeps my cheeks from looking rosier than they already are!

Another type of cheek product I enjoy and that is complementary to blush is highlighter! Who doesn't like their skin to glow? Now, I am personally not a fan of using so much highlighter to the point of looking like a glow worm, but I do like to add a bit of sheen to the tops and/or apples of my cheeks (where I used to apply my blush). I do not use bronzer nearly as often; however, I have a couple bronzers that have a matte or satin finish. This makes them easy for me to use for the occasional contouring.

Brands that make my favorite blushes include MAC, theBalm, Milani and NYX. I enjoy highlighters from MAC, theBalm, and Becca. Do you love blush and highlighters as much as I do? What about bronzers? If so, which brands and shades to you prefer? What techniques do you use to apply cheek products? Where on your cheeks do you apply them?


Wednesday, February 1, 2017

Just Lipstick, Please

Hey! It's been a while, I know. I hope the start of 2017 has treated you well, in spite of all the changes seen and events endured as of late!

I just wanted to share with you how much I love lippies. Of all the makeup products I own, the vast majority of them are some type of lip product: lipsticks, lip glosses, lip balms, lip liners, lip scrubs...you name it, I probably have it!

What I have come to realize is this: While it's fun to explore the latest beauty trends, including these hybrid lip products (i.e., liquid lipsticks) and various formulas (e.g., matte vs. satin), I will take a regular ole' tube of lipstick on any given day! Sometimes I don't want to fuss with an oddly-shaped applicator, and I certainly don't want to have to nurse the product on my lips all day...just give me a decent tube of lipstick, in a standard formula, with pretty packaging, that complements my skin tone. I will also take a sheer to moderately opaque gloss as a topper (and to soothe my lips midday). BareMinerals' Marvelous Moxies are perfect for this, but could also be worn alone if desired!

Not only have I recently observed a shift in my desire to wear just plain old lipstick, but also a transition in the shades I wear (most recently from browns and nudes to pinks and reds). Some of my favorite brands that meet the need for "just lipstick" include Wet 'n Wild, Maybelline, MAC and Nars. What are your favorite brands and shades?