Performance Makeup

This post is all about stage makeup! When you are a dancer, singer or actor you have to use just the right makeup, because you don't want the makeup to sweat or melt off under the hot stage lights while moving around for long periods of time. I understand this wholeheartedly as all through high school I was in dance, choir and theater. So here are my personal recommendations for stage makeup.

Foundation
I am sticking with Mary Kay on this one. When you are on stage you should only use liquid makeup. If you use Mary Kay Timewise Liquid Foundation you can get either Luminous Wear, or Matte Wear. I suggest matte wear for anyone on the stage.




Eye Shadow
When you are on the stage you need bright eye makeup that pops! So here are two tips! I suggest using LaFemme Eye shadow pucks. They are about $6 per puck, but they last forever and have a hihg pigmentation that MAC makeup. They are created for the stage!  Or you can use TIGI Liquid Enhancer! You just pour a little drop or two of the enhancer onto a palette, and then you put your brush in the liquid and get it damp, and then put your brush in any eye makeup! It helps your makeup go on smooth but it absorbs pigment and brings them out! It will give any of your eye makeup a vibrancy and some lasting power!

Cheek Color
Lorac Blushes are the way to go. Super pigmented, bendable, build able and long wear!

Seal the Deal

Translucent Powder on the stage is a must! Translucent powder was created by stage artists to absorb oils and help makeup last underneath bright lights, it is now sold to the masses to give a flawless finish and help absorb light reflecting pigments as well! I would never put someone on the stage with out a translucent powder. The top two in my opinion are Mary Kay which works better than any other brand I have used and is one of the more conservative when it comes to cost, and BenNye.

*** Thanks to Madison for asking this question***

BB Cream vs. CC Cream vs. DD Cream vs. Tinted Moisturizer

BB and CC creams are hot right now! But there is a lot of questioning on what BB cream are, how they differ from Tinted Moisturizer and what CC creams are as well. So here I am to break that down for you.

Tinted Moisturizers
They are literally just that. Take some foundation, mix it into your moisturizer and you have this product! It is light weight with little coverage, and is best for places like gym or if you have little to no acne. There are no anti aging benefits r  anything that helps your skin except the benefit of hydrated skin. There are several shades to choose form most of the time.

BB Creams
BB Cream stands for Blemish Balm Cream. It has soothing and healing properties and anti aging benefits. Some brands have a lightening effect to help brighten and tone out acne. They usually only come in a few shades and have better coverage than a tinted moisturizer but I wouldn't say it's as heavy as a foundation.

CC Creams
CC Cream stands for Complexion Correction Cream, and is like a BB cream but it focuses more on lessening the appearance of dark spots, and redness while having anti aging benefits. It is packed with vitamins C and E and although it is as lightweight and provides as much coverage as a BB cream, BB creams cover up and heal blemishes, while a CC cream corrects several skin problems.

DD Creams
I guess you could say that these creams kind of get better the further up the alphabet you go! DD creams (aka Daily Defense Creams) is lightweight and has a sheer coverage as well. it has the anti-ageing benefits, and the correction benefits of a CC cream, but it also repairs advanced signs of ageing.

So still not sure which one you should use? Here is a nifty little chart to help you out! 

When you use BB cream from the drugstore you can bet (just like drugstore foundations) that they will not work as well as a high end brand. Frankly I have yet to find a drugstore BB or CC cream (although I haven't seen any DD creams in a drugstore yet) that isn't basically a tinted moisturizer that has a little more coverage. Although I also haven't tried a high end BB, CC or DD cream yet that I haven't been pleased with. So high end is definitely the way to go with these as well as your foundations!

***Thanks to Marcie and Allison for asking this question!***

Eye Shadow Gradient Tutorial

The question I received was "I am seeing these gradient eye colors all over pinterest and I want to know how to do one, without it being so crazy! I want one that goes form brown to cream, not from stark white to jet black. Thanks!" So here you are, an eye shadow gradient tutorial.

1- Primer 

I use Mary Kay Creme Eye Color as my eye shadow primer, they have a lot of fun colors that can not only help your eye shadow stay, but also help make your colors stand out, and act as a color as well. I used Beach Blonde for this application. As you can see in the picture I have covered her eyelid all the way from the lash line to the brow bone. I also made sure to cover from her water well and the round of her nose all the way out to the end of her eyebrow. 

2- Outline a Fan 

The fan is the part of the eye makeup that extends past the outer corner of your eye, this part can be clearly seen when the eye is open. I usually extend the outline using the lashline as a guide, making the crease a halfway point, and then extending the guide up to where the eyeball socket ends and the brow bone begins. Usually before this step you'd need to use a white or creme eye color over the entire primed area, but since the product I used was 2-in-1 that step has been skipped in this tutorial. 

3- Smudge the Fan 

Take your brush and smudge the fan, this is pretty straight forward, generally I like to do a little blending (or smudging) out ward, and then a lot of blending inward. Anyways, this will kind of start to finally look like a gradient. Your blending should end before you hit the inside corner of the eye! Don't blend all the way over!  

4- Color #3

As mentioned before your first color should have been applied over the primer, but because the primer I used doubled as an eye color this tutorial skipped that step. The color you are now using will be a tan or medium brown eye color. You need to place that in the middle of the eyelid and blend into the fan, and slightly towards the inside corner of the eye, and up as high as the fan goes.

5- Cat Eye (optional)

A lot of gradients are accompanied by a subtle cat eye. This is a totally optional thing, but I am putting it up here just in case it's something you want. Stretch the outer corner of the eye, and use the main crease as a guide. (in the bottom picture on the left, I have the main crease highlighted in purple.) As you can see in the pictures below you only slightly go above that crease at the very end of the line. If you don't like the cat eye look, do a subtle smudge like in the first picture below, without extending far past your eye. 

6- Final Touches

Highlight the brow bone, put on mascara, and eyeliner, and clean up any fallen makeup around the eyes.  then you will have a gorgeous eye shadow gradient!

Makeup used in this Application:
Mary Kay Beach Blonde Creme Eye Color 
(Primer and Inner Corner)

Mary Kay Chocolate Kiss Eye Shadow (Outer Corner)

Mary Kay  Amer Blaze Eye Shadow (Middle Color)

Mary Kay Moonstone Eye Shadow (Brow Bone)









Now obviously this is a very subtle eye shadow gradient (like my asker wanted) but you can follow these same steps to get a dramatic gradient, or one of a different color! Some of my favorite color combos are (from inner corner to fan edge) white, gray and black, cream, pink, and brown, cream, green and brown, white grey and any fun color (like purple, green, pink or blue!)

***Thanks to Cierra for asking this question***

How can I make my Eyes Look Bigger?

I got this question a couple days ago and I have to apologize that I didn't get it to is sooner! I was hoping I could grab a model to do the techniques I am going to tell you about on and take pictures. Unfortunately I will not have access to a model until Sunday, so here we are. The question was "Do you have any ideas on how to make my eyes appear larger and rounder than they normally would?" 


Making your eyes look bigger (or smaller) is all a matter of highlighting and contouring. I know a lot of people think of their cheeks and jawline when they hear those words but when ever you apply makeup to your face that is lighter than your natural skin tone you are highlighting, and when it is darker you are contouring. So if you are ivory and you apply brown eye shadow, you have just contoured your eyes. Here are a few tips and tricks to make your eyes look bigger with the use of makeup. 

1- Long Eyelashes
When your eyelashes are long it directs the viewers eye up and down, which is good when trying to make your eyes look bigger! So follow these tips on the post Eyebrow and Eyelash Tips and Tricks to help make your eyelashes grow long and strong! Also use a mascara that lengthens and defines like Revlon 3D Photo Ready Mascara which is also mentioned in the post.

2- Mascara
Like I mentioned before, use a good mascara (I recommend Revlon 3D photo Ready). When you apply it place the brush at the bottom of the lash line and then move it from side to side slightly as you work it's way up through the lashes. Apply the mascara immediately a second time but this time begin at the lash line and roll the brush as you work your way up. Once you reach the top swipe the mascara wand across the tips of your eyelashes 2-3 more times, to build an elongated look. Also make sure you use mascara on your bottom lashes.

3- Highlight and Contour Properly

Start by applying white eyeliner to your water line. I prefer to use either NYX or MAC white eye pencil liners. Continue by applying the white eyeliner to the water well of the as well. Then apply a darker eyeliner just below the waterline, along the lash line.  You should also apply the darker eyeliner to the top lash line along the outer edge. Both on the top and bottom lash line the eyeliner should get thicker at the outer corners of the eye. 



Now you need to apply a darker eye shadow to the eyelid all the way up to the crease. If you would like to extend the eye shadow past the eyelid to do a color pop or a "winged" look, that will also make your eyes look much larger. Then apply a cream eye color or facial highlighting pen on the inside corners of your eyes (by the water wells) and on the insides of your nose.

It is also very important to fill in your eyebrows (a technique that can also be found and explained in the post Eyebrow and Eyelash Tips and Tricks) and then high light the brow bone with a cream eye color or a facial highlighting pen as well. 

***Thanks to Carrie for asking this question***

How can I make my Makeup Last All Day?

There are lots of factors that will help you have long lasting makeup. Using primers will obviously help but one of the most important factors is just cleaning your skin properly. Use a daily skin care regimen once a day (either in the morning or at night) and then just wash your face with warm water once a day. When your skin is clean and healthy, makeup adheres to it better. It's just like if you put tape on a dusty surface it wont stick as well as to a clean surface. Other than that I have three great tips for making your makeup stay!

1- Use the Right Product
Make sure you are using the right foundation, and quality eyeliners and lipsticks and eye shadows. If you use crappy product, then you wont have good results. Here are some links to other blog posts of mine that will help you figure out what products you should be using.

1. Skin Care
2. Foundation
3. Makeup Products

2- Makeup Finishing Spray

There are lots of makeup finishing sprays, but Mary Kay's is by far my favorite! It has fewer unnatural chemicals (because remember some chemicals are natural and not all bad) than other finishing sprays, it is light, and it adds moisture to the skin. I use this on my clients who want a dewy finish or who have dry skin. $18

3- Translucent Powder

This is a mineral setting powder that is translucent, so it is one size-fits all! It absorbs oil, helps defract light reflecting pigments, and helps your makeup stay on all day! I suggest this product for women who have oily skin, or are prone to breakouts. This also looks insanely great on camera! I also recommend Mary Kay's, because it the best quality, and I have never found any that works well, for this price before! This product is relatively new to Mary Kay, and before it came out I use BenNye and it was $20 for about 1/4 of this amount. This is a full compact size, and it's only $16!

Here are some links to buy these products
MaryKay Makeup Finishing Spray
MakryKay Translucent Powder

***Thanks to Annilisa for asking this question***

Heat Protectants

I talk about heat protectants a lot on this blog because they are important! The difference between using a high quality heat protectant and a Walmart heat protectant and no heat protectant is huge! Did you know that using a low end heat protectant can cause more damage to your hair than using no heat protectant at all? Because those products usually just add oils and fragrance to your hair. What happens when you heat up oils? They fry things. Do you want to fry your hair? I didn't think so.

My younger sister is a hot tools addict! She either straightens, crimps or curls her hair 6 days a week. I have been trying to get her to use good heat protectants for years! She finally had a wake up call when a chunk of her hair fried off while straightening it (yes that happens it real life). And she was using a heat protectant she bought at Sally's Beauty. It cost about $10 per bottle, and although it was more expensive than Garnier Fructis kind, it wasn't any better. She came to me and asked me to help her find a good professional heat protectant and she will never go back! It costs twice as much, but it works, and she has had the same bottle for about 6 months now, and it's not even halfway gone.

So here are my favorite heat protectants, and what I suggest using them for and for what hair types they work best on! You may want to buy more than one, I personally own three. But these are the best ones hands down!

Redken Iron Silk 06
Redken Iron Silk sprays onto your hair, and it smells amazing! Redken is not a company that focuses on nice smelling hair product. A lot of their stuff smells like product, nothing sweet about it. But this stuff smells great! It is a heat protecting starch spray, which means it also works like a hair spray. I suggest this for people who flat iron and curl their hair often. It's best for people with thin to medium hair and for people who have only a none to a medium amount of damage.

TIGI S Factor Flat Iron Shine Spray
Even though this is called a "Flat Iron" Shine Spray, you can use it for flat ironing, curling or blow drying. But this citrus smelling natural heat protecting spray is not for normal hair whatsoever. It is best for people with either really dry hair or those with really damaged hair, because it packs a powerful moisturizing punch, and adds shine and softness to the hair all day long. It should never be combined or used with a leave in conditioner.

TIGI Bed Head Straighten Out

TIGI Straighten Out is a heat protecting lotion. It adds some moisture while helping fight frizz and humidity as well as keeping hair straight and in control. I suggest this product for people who straighten and blow dry their hair often. It is best for people with thin to thick hair and those with none to high levels of damage. 

TIGI Bed Head After Party 
That's right! This leave in conditioner also has heat protectant in it! While this products main purpose is to smooth flyaways and help add hydration to your hair, it also has some heat protecting powers. I suggest using this lotion for blow drying hair and for minimal straightening on a lower heat setting. Only use on those with really damaged and/or dry hair, or those with really thick hair.

Redken Satin Wear 02
This heat protectant is labeled as a blow dry lotion, and while it is great for blow drying hair it is also great for curling and straightening hair as well. It fights against heat with a lightweight formula that is bets used in thin hair. It is good for those with little to no damage, and while it is fine for those with more damage, something like  TIGI's Straighten Out or Flat Iron Shine Spray would be more appropriate.


All of these will protect your hair from the heat of a curling iron, but you will need to add hairspray to make it hold unless you are using Iron Silk. I hope that this helps, and that you can carry on with healthy and protected hair from now on!

Here are some links to buy these products online!

Redken Iron Silk 06

TIGI Bed Head Straighten Out 

TIGI Bed Head After Party
TIGI S Factor Flat Iron Shine Spray
Redken Satin Wear 02

How can I Re-Hydrate Dry Hair?

The question I got last night said "You have a post about how to fight greasy hair, but what about if you need a few more natural oils? My hair is super dry, and I want to know what products I should be using to help re-hydrate my hair." The question was asked, and it will now be answered.

1- Hydrating Shampoo
The best hydrating shampoo is TIGI Bed Head Recovery. This shampoo and conditioner focuses on hydrating dry and lifeless locks. It smells amazing (Like all TIGI product) and it works wonders! Another option is Paul Mitchell's Tee Tree Oil shampoos. These are best if you have a dry or itchy scalp as well, and are great for fighting dandruff as well as re-hydrtaing your hair. However don't use the Tee Tree Oil Shampoo if you have colored hair. For colored hair go with Redken Sulfate Free Color Magnetics Shampoo and Conditioner.


2- The Ultimate Hair Cleanse
Where I live, it is dry all year round, but especially in the winter. So I do this Ultimate Hair Cleanse every other month! It is a two week process that allows your hair to absorb all of it's natural oils and conditioners in a healthy way! It does tons of wonderful things for your scalp and hair. Here is a link to learn all about it, and get a step-by-step guide on how to do it!


3- Leave in Conditioner
For leave in conditioners I love Redken Frizz Dismiss Leave-Ins. They have two I recommend. Rebel Tame for thick, curly, and unruly hair, and  Smooth Force which is a spray leave in conditioner for other hair types. The are light weight, smell like warm towels, and they hydrate while banishing frizz!

4- Use Heat Protectant
Nothing kills or dries out your hair more than hot tools without heat protectant! The two I will suggest here are TIGI Straighten Out (which is a heat protecting lotion that works for blow drying and flat ironing hair, and doubles as a leave in conditioner) and Redken Iron Shape, which is best for curling or flat ironing hair, but will need a leave in conditioner as a companion. If you are looking for something just for blow drying your hair I love the SatinWear by Redken.


5- Moisturizing Spray
If you are not having any luck with a leave in conditioner, try a moisturizing spray, which is more lightweight than any leave in conditioner, and it doesn't add shine. The only one that I have liked is TIGI S Factor Papaya Leave in Moisturizing Spray. The difference between a leave in conditioning spray and moisturizing spray, Is a leave in is traditionally done on damp hair, and s often to heavy for hair when it is dry. Moisture spray is super light weight and is used on dry hair only.
  
To buy most of these product click here!


***Thanks to Mandy B for asking this question***

How do I Wash my Makeup Brushes?

I have two sets of makeup brushes, the ones I use at home every day, and the ones I use on my clients several times a day. I am going to tell you how I choose to clean both of them.

I use Mary Kay Makeup Brush Cleanser on my professional brushes after every use. This makes them safe to use in between clients, and gets rid of germs and most of the makeup residue. Although I do have different brushes for foundation that is for light skinned people and dark skinned people, and if I use a really bold and heavy color on someone, I retire that brush for the day. Like I said, this cleanser will get rid of most of the residue on your brushes. I also use this cleanser on my personal at home brushes once a week. 

Then once a week I clean my professional brushes with warm water and hydrating shampoo. You should not use normal "Walmart brand" shampoos (like Suave, Garnier and Herbal Essence) , because they will dry out the bristles on you brushes, which shortens their life,  lessens their ability to be cleaned and performance.  I personally use TIGI Bed Head Recovery Shampoo and Conditioner every day, so I do just use what I use in the shower. But if you have a shampoo that you like already (but isn't a professional brand) then you should buy a smaller bottle of the TIGI shampoo to only use for cleaning brushes. One small bottle will last you for over a year if you are only using it for cleaning brushes! I also use the shampoo and warm water to clean my personal brushes once a month. You can also use a gentle baby shampoo for cleaning brushes, although I really don't think it does as good of a job. 

Here are links to buy the products mentioned above:

Mini TIGI Bed Head Recovery Shampoo $5

Mary Kay Brush Cleanser $10 

Color Oops and Hair Dye Removers

I have seen a lot of people on facebook and other avenues asking about Color Oops and other Hair Dye Removers. So I am addressing that issue right here, because it's a big one! I am going to tell you two stories now about clients that I have had come into the salon that had used Color Oops.

Client 1: This woman had blonde hair, and had dyed it a chocolate brown. She didn't buy Color Oops, but she did buy a "high end" hair dye remover at a beauty supply store. She thought that using a Color Stripper would be a healthier alternative to bleaching her hair. She used it and felt like it got rid of almost all of the brown in her hair. She then went to dye her hair a light brown color, and all of the chocolate brown came out immediately! She came to me with damaged and dry hair, and this sad tale. She told me she just wanted me to "strip the color out" but any licensed professional knows that that is not how hair color works. I was able to help her regain her beautiful blonde locks (she had decided not to go back to brown) but her hair was in a distressed state, and it took a while (and a lot of deep conditioning treatments) to get it back to a healthy state.

One of the ways I find ideas of what to write on this blog is by going on Yahoo!Answers. I can not even tell you how many girls on there complain about this happening to them. They "strip" away a hair dye, and it works until they try to put dye over it, and then it's a disaster.

The two pictures on the left are after using the color oops remover.
The two on the right are after I professionally colored it. 

Client 2: This young lady had light brown-ginger hair naturally. She dyed it black, and then she bought Color Oops. She used one round of it, and her hair turned out like this (the two on the left are before we dyed her hair). Her hair had become coppery and brassy with huge chunks and stripes of black through out it! Plus those edgy choppy layers you see in the before pictures, were actually where her hair broke off! After one round of Color Oops! We decided to bring her back to a warm light brown with ginger undertones to help blend in the warmth exposed by the dye remover and to blend it in with her natural. I also tried to blend the layers as best I could. But ther damage was done, and although I tried really hard to salvage her hair, we both agreed that it would take a lot of deep conditioning and professional product to regain the hair's health.

So what is the moral of these two stories? Don't use Color Oops or other hair dye "removers". They don't work, they damage your hair, and they aren't worth it. If you must get rid of a hair color you can either, go to a salon, go to a hair school (where they have trained girls who know what they are doing, but it costs less than a real salon), or wait for it to grow out. On that note I also urge you not to use box dyes on your hair either. Here is a link to my post called Why Is Box Dye So Bad For Your Hair? and it explains exactly what you are putting on your hair, and how it is different form what a professional uses.

***Thanks to Annie and Berenice for this question***

Why is Hair More Prone to Breakage When It's Wet?

Hair has three layers, the cuticle, cortex, and medulla. The cortex is the middle layer and it is where melanin (aka hair color pigment) resides. This is the layer that when damaged changes your hair elasticity, brittleness, and overall strength. The reason is it is where you find the bonds that create your hair's overall strength. There are three main bond that create the strength of hair. Hydrogen bonds, salt bonds and chemical bonds. When your hair is wet it breaks all of the hydrogen bonds in your hair. They do get rebuilt as your hair dries, but while it is wet your hair has lost almost 1/3 of it's support system. So when your hair is wet it is more susceptible to breakage. Avoid putting your hait up in pony tail's, tight braids, and clips while wet.

***Thanks to Berry for asking this question***

Finding the Perfect Shampoo!

Shampoo is something that everyone owns, we use it every other day and there are thousands of different kinds your can buy. So this post is all about shampoo and conditioner. I am going to go over what shampoos are my favorites, why, and what they should be used for. I will go over healing shampoos, color shampoos, sulfate-free shampoos and more!

 TIGI BedHead Urban Antidotes Line (Everyday Shampoo)
This is a line of three shampoos and conditioners that are rated for every day use. Re-Energize (green bottle) is for average and overall healthy hair. Recovery (blue bottle) adds hydration to dull and dried out locks. This shampoo is perfect for hair that has been lightened or bleached several times! Resurrection (red bottle) adds mega nutrient and protein shocks to the hair. I personally love this line, and I use the Recovery because I have really dry hair. The whole line smells amazing, and you can pick it up at your local salon, or online!

Sulfate Free Shampoo
The best sulfate free shampoo, hands down is redkens. If you want to know what the difference between sulfate free shampoo, and regular shampoo is you can check out this blog post explaining it all. I don't want to explain it all, but I will say that sulfate free shampoo basically doesn't lather like regular shampoos, but also doesn't strip as many of your natural oils and conditioners either. You do not need conditioner when using sulfate free shampoo. I personally don't love sulfate free shampoo, but some people do, and they "have to have it". So if you fall in that category (or if you just want to try it out) I recommend either Redken Natures Rescue or Redken Color Extend Magnetics. Obviously the Redken Color Extend Magnetics is for people with color treated hair, and the Natures Rescue is for everyday use for any hair type.

Color Shampoo
I have yet to find a shampoo for color treated hair that works as wonderfully as Redken Color Extend. This is not a sulfate free shampoo, like the one mentioned above. Don't get them mixed up. For sulfate free you need a pink bottle, this one is in a red bottle. This is an award winning product, that protects your hair from UVA and UVB rays which helps your hair not fade. It maximizes color vibrancy and strengthens your hair.

Curly Hair Shampoo
For people with curly hair that want to help maintain firm and bouncy curls, this is the shampoo for you! TIGI BedHead Foxy Curls shampoo and conditioner has everything you need. It focuses on improving the hair's natural elasticity so that your hair can have fun with its natural curls, or to help spruce up and extend the life of your perm. My mother has a perm, and she is addicted to this shampoo! Her perms lasted an extra 2-3 months when she started using this product.

"Purple Shampoo"
Toning shampoos otherwise known as purple shampoo, are a big hit right now! They are used to tone out unwanted warmth (golden or orangey tones) in highlighted or bleached hair. UNITE Blonda Shampoo is by far the best one I have seen. It smells like grape soda and has a thick texture. It really works wonders. I have never been a fan of purple shampoos, but this one really does work! The only caution is that it does dry out the hair a little bit, so make sure you are using a high quality conditioner with it. I recommend pairing it with TIGI BedHead Recovery Conditioner, mentioned above

Men's Shampoo
American Crew is the place to go to get anything hair for men. Styling products, and shampoos re created to smell manly (but not overwhelming) and to be simple to use and give you exactly what you need. On the right you see the Daily Conditioning Shampoo by American Crew, but they also have 3-in-1 Conditioner, Shampoo and Body Wash, Anti-Dandruff Shampoo, Moisturizing Shampoo, Hair Thickening Shampoo, and more! All of their products are great and easy to learn more about at their website right here!

Dry Shampoo
Dry Shampoo is used like an aerosol hairspray on the roots of the hair. It absorbs moisture and grease while eliminating shine so that your hair looks dry and clean, on the days in between shampoos. My favorite dry shampoo is TIGI Rockaholic Dirty Secret Dry Shampoo. The smell is pleasant, but not overwhelming, it has a matte finish, and it applies evenly. I own it, and I use it every other day, and I love it! Dry Shampoos that you buy at the drugstore or Walmart, simply can not compare.

BareMinerals 5 in 1 Advanced Performance BB Cream Eyeshadow

 

Packaging - 4 (very good)
Vibrancy - 2 (not very good)
Variety - 4 (very good)
Wear - 2 (not very good)
Texture - 3 (average)
Overall:

Not my favorite, I'm not gonna lie. First of all, I'm really not sold on the idea that my eye shadow needs to be a BB cream. I'm really not. But this product has nice packaging and you can get it in 10 different colors, which is all good. The problem is the actually makeup itself. The texture is creamy in smooth, but when you apply it it is to thick and is either messy or you have to spend and eon letting it set in. It does get powdery and can not double as a primer. Even with a killer primer though, this stuff doesn't last, at all. After 6 hours my eye lid had a whisper of the color still there, but ti wasn't noticeable hardly at all. It was mostly gone within the first hour of wear. And the color isn't vibrant at all. As soon as it dries (in about 5 - 10 minutes) the color dulls and fades. I really wouldn't recommend this product!

How Can I Get Rid of My Greasy Hair?

Greasy hair is a problem that thousands of people have all over the world. In addition to warm and humid climates, your hair will become greasier as you get older (until about age 30, and then it starts to get dry), as well as if you do physical activity, or if you get sick! So how do we fight away the unwanted shine? Here are my recommendations for you.


1- Use Professional Shampoo

I really can't stress how important it is to use good shampoo enough. You probably see it in half of these posts, but using good shampoo can get rid of half of your hair problems in a week! I love the TIGI Urban antidotes line! For greasy haired gals I suggest TIGI Bed Head Urban Antidotes Damage Level 1 Re-energize! This shampoo is the best and most versatile daily hair care shampoo out there! I wouldn't suggest Damage Levels 2 or 3 (Recovery and Resurrection) because they focus on hydration, and we aren't trying to add shine, but get rid of it!

2- Don't Skip the Conditioner
Contrary to popular belief conditioner isn't there to make your hair greasy. It heals and protects your hair. Make sure you are applying it on the ends of your hair and working your way towards the scalp (using very little on the scalp). Usually your hairs greasiness is a cry for help! Your scalp is to dry and is trying to correct that with a heaping of conditioners and oils. So don't give your scalp a need to do this!

3- Do a Cleanse!
Usually your hairs greasy ways are due to a time where you had a lack of oils and conditioners on the scalp. You need to do a cleanse. This will be grease, a lot of buns will be worn and dry shampoo used. But this cleanse should shock your hair into saying "wow! I have way to much oils on my scalp, we need to dial it back!" and then when you go back to your normal routine you are covered! Here is a link to directions for the Ultimate Hair Cleanse! 


4- Dry Shampoo Anyone?
My favorite dry Shampoo is TIGI Rockaholics Dirty Secret Dry Shampoo. It has a subtle smell, works great and for long periods of time. Using a dry shampoo can really help you manage shine control. (click the name of the product to learn more about it, and to learn about other dry shampoos!)

5- Clean Your Pillow Case
A lot of dirt, pollution and oils build up on your pillow case, so clean it once a week (at least). Just throw it in the wash with your other clothes, your hair (and most definitely your skin) will thank you for it.

6 - Don't Wash Your Hair Every Day
I know you think it's necessary, but it's not helping. I promise.

***Thanks to Annabelle and Riley for asking this question***

Acne Coverage Tutorial

So I have had a lot of people ask me to start doing tutorials on here, and I always say "I don't do tutorials", but I have decided I am going to start! So here is my first tutorial (and the one that is most requested) an acne coverage tutorial. I have decided that on this blog I am not going to do my own makeup over and over again, I am going to work with lots of ages, skin types, colors, and face shapes. So for this tutorial I have my little sister Bethany as my model!


Step 1: Prep
Contrary to popular belief skin care is a paramount part of your foundation. If your skin is clean and healthy then the foundation will blend into your skin better. It will also help the foundation stay in place. These "before" picture were taken after Bethany had washed her face with a cleansing exfoliator, a toner, and then applied moisturizer and sunscreen. I am not going to lie, my sister is a tomboy who hates makeup, so she doesn't use skin care ever, but I made her for this tutorial. A skin care regimen is important to the application of makeup and your overall skin's health




Step 2: Concealer
Now I personally don't like real concealer, I think it is overpriced for what it is, and that it doesn't work that well, so instead I use a Packed Mousse or Cream to Powder makeup that is 2 shades lighter than skin tone. I usually use Neutrogena Healthy Skin Compact Makeup, but this time I used Maybelline Dream Smooth Mousse Foundation. Honestly I would recommend the Maybelline brand for those with dry skin, otherwise I like Neutrogena's better. You need to apply this foundation liberally. You will see that her face has huge splotches of makeup over it. I do not have as much acne as my sister does, but I still apply unblended splotches of makeup over my problem areas.




Step 3: Foundation
whether you are using a liquid or powder foundation you can just put it right on top of this. As you apply your foundation you will notice that there might be a few line or spots where you can really see our "concealer". So just blend them in with either a makeup sponge or your fingers. You can see by the picture on the right, that she still has a few spots of acne showing through on her chin, nose and in-between her eyebrows, this is why we do step 4!



Step 4: Repeat
Yes, you just need to apply a small amount of the "concealer" on those really big acne scabs or still red and raw zits. Then cover them up once again by another does of foundation (just to the areas where the concealer was applied) and you will have fool proof all-day-wear foundation and acne coverage!

If you use a creme to powder or mousse foundation every day, you can still do this technique, you just need to use your normal color for foundation, and a color that is 2 shades lighter than your natural shade. When applying your foundation (not the concealer step) make sure you stipple your makeup on with a makeup sponge (which I believe are included in most creme to powder or mousse compact makeup.)

***Thanks to Alexa, Ashleigh, Lizzy, and Lea for asking this question***

Perms

I have gotten a few questions that I have answered individually about perms, but I figured I might as well just write a post about them. Permanent Chemical Waving (also known as perms) are a pretty high in demand salon service. You can buy at home kits, I NEVER recommend this. Even trained professionals aren't always very good at perms, because they are hard! This is one of the hardest skills to master in (or out of) school. So don't try this at home.

The Perming Process

When getting a perm your stylist will take small sections of your hair and wrap them around perm rods. After your hair is completely wrapped she will apply the perm solution. The solution will break all of your hairs three major bonds. Then your stylist will wash the perming solution out of your hair (with the rods still in) and then apply a neutralizing solution. This will allow those bonds to rebuild while your hair is a curly state. This means when all is washed out and your hair is unwrapped your hair will hold that curly form. 

How Long Do Perms Last? 
They last about 6-8 months. Although by taking care of your hair and by styling your perm with good quality product you can help extend the life of your perm.

Different Types of Perms
Here are pictures of the process and outcome of three of the more popular types.

This is a Spiral Perm Wrap, some of the perm rods have actual spiral guides (like in the picture on the right) but others do not. This is my favorite kind of perm.






This is a Loop Rod Perm (or a Soft Bender Rod Perm) and the curls come out like ringlets

This is a Basic Perm

  


Even though these are the three types of perms and their supposed outcomes, that doesn't always mean that's how the perms do come out. Like I said perming is a really hard and specific process and you have to find a really good stylist to do your perm.

How to Style a Perm 
Use product, it's plain and simple. You have to use product to hep define your curls and extend the life of your perm. All of my favorite perm holding products are in the same line. TIGI Catwalk Curlesque. My mother has a perm and she loves these products! There is a shampoo and conditioner as well as a leave in conditioner in this line that is amazing! But the real styling products are the gems!
The Curls Rock Amplifier is a lightweight creamy gel serum that helps hold curl without making the hair stiff or sticky, and adds shine. The Defining Serum add serious definition in between curls for long lasting hold. And the line also has a Light Weight Mousse as well as a Strong Mousse so you can choose what kind of hold and texture you'd prefer your hair to have.

What if I Don't Like my Perm? 
This has been the question I have been asked about perms more than any other. What do you do if you go get a perm done, and you don't like it? Just go home and take a shower. It is that simple. You are supposed to keep your hair dry after a perm for 48 hours, so just go home and immediately take a shower. All of your curls will fall an you'll either have straight hair or hair with a little wave that you can straighten out with a thermal iron, and will probably stop coming back after a month.

***Thanks to Alyssa May, Cartwright101, Allie, NightWalker, Miss Megan, 

and Georgina for asking these questions***