Tips and Tricks: Make Your Own Dotting Tool

Nail art has become quite a craze in the fashion industry recently. Studs, pearls, streaks, stripes and dots... If you have a creative imagination, then the world is your oyster. Here's a simple trick to create your very own dotting tools with simple things found lying around the home.


Photo Source: Preen Me, Google

What are your favourite nail art tools?????   

Makeup Must Haves for over 40's

As we get older, our makeup style changes. With our bodies giving in to gravity and other forces that are beyond our control, we find that what had worked in our beauty and makeup regime over the years that we've left behind, no longer seems to be doing their magic. As we age, every aspect of our bodies needs change and embracing this transformation should not have to be done grudgingly. When you are aware of how to accommodate these changes, shifting gear to a higher mode becomes an effortless and welcoming transition.

Now what I fail to understand is why do we always have to see young 20 somethings promoting makeup products and us 30/40/50 something's promoting anti-ageing creams, lotions and potions? This type of blatant stereotyping leaves us with beliefs that as we get older, the need for makeup does not really matter. But it's a proven fact that when we look good, we feel better about our selves and our confidence is boosted.  Therefore we have more and more women of all ages taking the help of makeup to enhance the way we look. Even star actors and actresses do not get out of bed looking the way they do in pictures. So why are we mature women always sidelined in the makeup world-  someone needs to let the secret be known....women are like fine wine...we get better with age!!!

The key rule for mature makeup is....KEEP IT SIMPLE! As we age, wearing your makeup in a way that naturally defines your features is what we should be aiming for. Let's see what beauty must haves we need to get our hands on to keep us looking radiant at any age.

Soft, simple, sheer....simply stunning!

1. First up, apart from exfoliation, cleanser, toner and moisturizer is your concealer and foundation. With fine lines and wrinkles creeping in, stay away from powder foundations. They only help in exaggerating the creases and wrinkles as they find a way to creep and settle into these lines. Your best bet would be to buy a liquid or cream based foundation- it's lightweight and sheerness not only lends a glow to your skin, but the oils contained in them helps to keep out the dryness. If you are lucky and do not have patchy skin, you could opt for a tinted moisturizer. However, with most women, their complexion tends to become blotchy and the biggest problem we face as Indians is the patchy pigmentation of the skin. I'd say that evening out our sallow complexion to give it a more healthier look is probably the most daunting task to achieve in our mature years. An even skin tone will add years of youthfulness to your face therefore, conceal dark under eye circles, pigmentation and color correct red patches, veins and rosacea. 

2. Invest in soft pastel and neutral shade eyeshadows. Soft, warm colors help draw attention away from loose eyelid skin. Stay away from glitter, shimmers and pigment eyeshadows.

3. For the over 40-50's, use eye pencils instead of liquid liners for lining the eyes. Liquid eyeliners are too bold. Avoid clumpy, dry mascara's...and stick to colors of browns and black. The time for purple and blue mascara is long gone...

This is certainly NOT what we want to look like

4. Fill in thinning brows with an angled brush and brow powder or brown/ black eyeshadow for a youthful look. It's amazing how a well shaped brow opens up the face to look like a mini face lift. Pencilled in eyebrows is an absolute NO NO... and DONOT over tweeze...yes you...step away from the brows and put down your tweezer....NOW!!!

5. Blushers and bronzers are an absolute must...you should use the bronzers to contour your face and highlight the 'T' zone before applying blush. Cream blushers tend to work well as powder blushers can settle into the fine lines. However, if you do not have deep smile lines on your face, powder blushers will work perfectly.

6. I don't know why majority of makeup artists recommend darker shade lipsticks for older women. Darker lipsticks tend to add years to your look. Softer, lighter shades give a younger, youthful appearance. Matt lipsticks are out and in with moisturized lipsticks...save the gloss for just a dab in the middle of your pout....less is more!

Picture Source: Google

As we get older, we need to nurture our skin more...yes, makeup cannot reverse your age from 60 to 16 but it can certainly help you feel as young....do you have any tips that you would like to share with us?

Useful Ways To Use White Eyeliner

Reference source: flutterandpout

White eyeliner is such a versatile piece of makeup that everyone should have. Many of us shy away from white eyeliner or pencils wondering what the heck can one do with it and often cast if off as a wasted product. I love products that have multi purposes and to find out what I mean by multi purpose and how the white eyeliner fits into this category, read on....

1. Useful to Maintain Shape when Tweezing or Threading your Eyebrows 

Use a white eyeliner to shape the preferred shape of your eyebrow to prevent over plucking. To do this use the white liner to make a mark where the beginning of your brow should be, where your arch should be, and where your brow should end. Do this on the top and bottom of your brows, then connect the dots so you have an outline of the ideal shape of your brow.  Then only pluck on and outside of that line. 

Used as guide for shaping your eyebrows

2. For those with Deep Set eyes, use it to create an illusion of wider set eyes.

You can do this by drawing a sideways ‘V’ on the inner corner of the eye then smudging/blending it. Instead of using a white eyeshadow, use a white eyeliner pencil for quick application and see how it creates a much brighter look.

3. Use on Waterline to create Larger Eyes.

Line the lower waterline with white eyeliner to make small eyes appear bigger and larger.

To create larger, wide set eyes

4. Use as a Highlighter on brow Arch

A white eyeliner blended out on the brow bone is an effective way of highlighting the brow arch giving a much brighter look to the face.

Excellent for Highlighting the brow bone

5. Use a White Eyeliner Under the Tips of your Nails...

Nails looking scruffy and dirty and you don't have time to paint them, a quick swipe of white eyeliner under the nails can create an illusion of a French manicure in minutes. Also, leaves nails looking neater.

The most innovative use apart from what it was designed to do lol!

6. Use as an Eyeshadow Base 

Want to give your eyeshadow a burst of color intensity and to increase its wear, apply a layer of white eyeliner onto the lid and blend out evenly before applying your eyeshadow. The eyeshadow will last much longer and the color will have an added pop.

Used as an eyeshadow primer and base

What other uses have you found for white eyeliners???

Counterfeit or Fake Mac

I have had so many people tell me that they know of someone or the other selling Mac products at ridiculously low prices and I have a difficult time pointing out to them that these products are most probably fake as Mac does not sell to individuals for resale.

Mac, being a high end makeup brand is very expensive and due to its high price tag has become a bit of a social symbol(to many). We have people preying on unsuspecting souls who cannot afford Mac by taking advantage of their weaknesses and sell them fake products at a fraction of the original price. I myself had fallen prey many years ago only to come home and realise that the pigment was powdery and chalky(what else did I expect for R50 lol). I have encountered such people at flea markets and fairs that sell these counterfeit makeup claiming to have purchased them from overseas blah, blah, bah....

Apart from this being a criminal offence, you put yourself at risk by purchasing such products as you never know what ingredients are being put in, how sanitary it is and, would in all probability, be made under poor hygienic conditions(logically, why would anyone manufacture fake items in a factory that is registered and stringent on quality???)

Many beauty bloggers have touched on how to spot fake Mac products and what to essentially look out for but in the process end up educating these unscrupulous manufacturers on how to get their products to resemble the authentic goods almost to perfection. So how do you protect yourself from falling prey to such predators? The answer is simple...buy from legitimate Mac counters and stores that are licensed to sell Mac.

This is what Mac has to say about the sale of Mac products via private individuals...

"M·A·C Cosmetics does not offer its products through individuals, street vendors, flea markets, internet auctions, independent boutiques or unauthorized online retailers. M·A·C does not sell its products at wholesale over the internet."

And what do they have to say on private sales....?

"While we appreciate your interest in M·A·C products, please be advised that our products are  for sale only at our authorized retail store accounts, the majority of which are located in major department stores or international perfumeries. While there are other points of sale, we are not seeking to expand our distribution network at this time. We do not offer franchises." Source: http://www.maccosmetics.com/cms/customer_service/counterfeit_education.tmpl Picture source: https://www.facebook.com/notes/a-team/easy-ways-to-spot-fake-mac-make-up/328499383906237 Have you ever been duped into buying fake Mac products? Tell us about it...

How Eyeliner can change the Shape of your Eyes

I've always wished that I had large, elongated, almond shaped eyes. I know, I know....we should all be happy with the way we are. Yes, we are all unique and each one of us are beautiful just the way we are....however, wanting a different shape, size or colour of something on your body is just human nature and fortunately for makeup, we can create illusions or the appearance of something we admired just by the correct use and application of makeup.

Eyeliners are one of the magical 'tools' of makeup that can radically change, contour and enhance the appearance of the shape of your eyes. There are several ways to line your eyes- cat eye, winged eyeliner, double winged eyeliner(check out my post on 'how to get that perfect eyeliner' to learn how to line your eyes) but here are a few ways of how you can vary the length or thickness of your eyeliner to contour your eyes to a different shape everyday.

Source: cookiebutt8d

If you are adventurous and want a change of look, why not give one of these applications a try. After all, we do not sport the same hairstyle year after year, or wear the same clothes everyday. If you have any tips and tricks to share, I'd love to hear from you....

How to get that Perfect Eyeliner

For me, makeup is incomplete without eyeliner. Now-a-days, the ways to apply your eyeliner are endless....cat- eyeliner, glitter eyeliner, thin eyeliner, Bollywood inspired eyeliners- there's an application for every day of the week. Eyeliner can also be used to 'change' the shape of your eyes. There are many different types of eyeliner as well....gel liner, pencil liner, liquid liner.... you can still create all the different looks with any of these. However, if you don't know how to correctly apply eyeliner, you could ruin the entire look. Let's look at some simple techniques that you could use to create that perfect liner......

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Source: beautylish.com

Which Foundation is Right for Me?

Applying makeup can be likened to an artist creating a masterpiece on canvas. Just as an artist preps and primes his canvas before starting his painting, so too do we need to apply makeup on a well prepared base. In order to do this, skin imperfections and blemishes need to be concealed and covered up. But choosing the right foundation can be quite a daunting task as foundations these days come in a wide variety and are available in an array of formulations. Incorrectly chosen and applied foundations cake, exaggerate problem areas and draw attention to imperfections. Correctly chosen and applied foundations, hide and blend skin imperfections leaving you with a dewy and youthful look. 

When shopping for the correct shade of foundation, always test or swatch foundation on your jawline.  Stand back and see that it blends into the skin- rule of thumb here is that the neck and face needs to match. Also read the labeling of the foundation- it needs to be hypoallergenic(will not irritate the skin) and noncomedogenic(will not clog the pores).

So how does one go about choosing the right type of foundation???

The important thing to know when choosing a foundation, is your skin type and what type of finish you want your product to give you.

Foundations generally come in 3 broad categories....

1. Cream foundation- these include your stick foundations, mousses, pancakes etc
2. Liquid foundation- foundations that come in bottles
3. Powder foundation- these include your loose powder foundations and pressed(compact) foundations

Cream Foundations

- generally for dry skin
- medium to full coverage depending on how you build it 
- has emollients that helps to lock the moisture in
- gives you longer wear through the day
- matt finish

Pancake foundations are reserved for theatrical use

Liquid Foundations

- also for dry skin

- buildable  medium to full coverage

- creamy, moist consistency

- a sheer, light, invisible, weightless and satin finish

Powder Foundation

- for oily skin

- natural matt, sheer finish

- has oil absorbing properties for greasy skin

- light to medium coverage

How to Intensify the Color of your Eyeshadow

How often have we purchased an eyeshadow for their striking color only to come home and find out that the color pay off is poor, dull and washed out. Don't loose hope yet, as I am going to fill you in on a technique called foiling, which I learnt not so long ago.

What is foiling???

Foiling is a technique where you apply your eyeshadow together with a mixing medium(water, fixer plus or glycerine based mixing medium) to bring out the metallic look of the eyeshadow. It concentrates the color making it more vibrant and intense. It works exceptionally well with loose pigments but can be used with pressed shadow as well.

Another advantage of foiling, is that your makeup lasts twice as long as compared to when you apply it dry. It brings out the vibrance, intensity and luster of the product.

Top: Pigment Applied Dry
Bottom: Applied with Mixing  Medium

So how do you foil your eyeshadow??

With pigments, you can dispense some product into the cap of the bottle, dampen your brush with plain old water or a mixing medium or even some fixer plus and then  pick up some pigment and pat it onto your eyelid. If you need more product, there is no need to dampen the brush again, just pick up more product and apply until you get the desired effect.

With pressed shadows, pick up your product on a dry brush and then dampen it. You don't want to create hard lumps in your eyeshadow by contaminating it with mixing medium or fixer plus.

The advantage of using a mixing medium or fixer plus, is that it helps the eyeshadow adhere much longer than the water leaving you with a deep, intense color that will last you all day and all night;)

How to create your own mixing medium?

To create your own home made mixing medium, mix 1 part glycerine to 3 parts distiller water and shake. Donor use this mix for more than 2 weeks as it has no preservatives. Make a new batch after 2 weeks.

You could also use mixing mediums to create dramatic eyeliners by following the above procedure with an eyeshadow brush.

Foiled Pigment used as Eyeliner

Photo source: agapelovedesigns.com

How to get Long Lasting, Crease Free Eyeshadow

I would always envy girls and women whose eyeshadows looked perfect throughout the day as if they had just applied it. For years, I had problems with my eyeshadow NEVER staying in place and the middle of my eyelids always looked as if I had forgotten to spread product evenly across my lids. Sometimes, as quick as 10 minutes into my wear, the middle of my lid would be bare of the product that I had just applied, leaving my makeup looking tacky and amateurely applied. I was told by many  makeup artists that the shape of my eyelids were possibly the cause of it...:(

Years later, I stumbled upon a Youtube video on primers. I queried many large cosmetic stores here in Durban frantically trying to get my hands on some type...any type of primer that I had heard of on these videos. We are not as fortunate here in South Africa when it comes to makeup brands as compared to all of you lucky devils in the U.S.A, U.K and many other countries. Fortunately, though there was eBay....I managed to get my first bottle of Urban Decays primer potion from eBay about 5 years ago....and I SWEAR by it. What's sad is that 5 years later, SA still does not have Urban Decay on our market, or Two Face Eyeshadow Insurance primer or ELF. We seem to be getting there slowly, with brands like Inglot, Benefit and a few other brands having made their way here.

Getting back to the eyeshadow primers. Everytime I apply makeup, I say a silent prayer thanking the day I stumbled on this video. Primers are the lifeline to makeup that slides and shifts out of place. Not only do they prevent your makeup from washing itself out but it also helps your makeup last longer keeping the colors locked in. I have a few favorites that I keep in my train bag no matter where I am. I've also discovered products that are versatile enough to be used as a primer providing excellent if not exactly the same performance pay off as primer potions.

I have found that with the use of a good primer, almost any brand of eyeshadow remains wrinkle and crease free through heat and sweat.

My all time 3 favorite products that I prefer using to keep my eyeshadows from creasing and caking are:

1. Urban Decay Primer Potion.    
   

                       

Pros:
                        
-soft and silky feeling when applied
-works exceptionally well on oily eyelids
-eyeshadow stays on for hours almost as if it is tattooed on.                                                                        
-cute little genie bottle, although packaging has now changed to a squeeze tube
-available in  4 different shades

Cons:

-NOT available in South Africa:(.... However, you can order through companies that provide      
  international shipping or through eBay)
-EXPENSIVE, but for the length of period that it lasts, it is worth the extra bucks
-leaves a slightly tight, dry feeling and an ashy looking edge if not covered up properly

2. Mac Shadestick           

             

   

 Pros:-

-these are twist up eyeshadows that can be worn alone or as an eyeshadow base or primer
-comes in a variety of colors, so doubles as a base and primer thereby increasing the color

  pay off of the eyeshadow 

-intensifies the color especially for smokey looks

Cons:

-feels a bit dry on application if not kept warm and requires a bit of pressure and tugging to get onto 

  the skin

-not really blendable 

-not that appealing as eyeshadow to be used alone

3. Mac Paintpots

                                   

Pros:

-creamy and highly blendable

-apart from preventing your eyeshadow for creasing, it has extreme colorfast properties and also

  allows for good blending of any product layer on top of it

-has a good vibrant finish

-comes in a variety of light and dark shades

Cons:

-need to work quickly before it starts setting

So my dear glitter and gloss friends, these are my 3 best picks for adding life to your eyeshadows. Remember, do not expect miracle 24 hour wearability but an accepted 5-8 hour smudge proof finish. If you have any other wonder product that I can add to my list, feel free to let me know....

How To Fix Broken Eyeshadows or Blushers...

Dropped that favourite eyeshadow and its now smashed into powdery smithereens, or has your 2 year old snuck into your makeup drawer and cracked your Dior blusher to bits??? Before you start panicking with the thought that its money wasted, read on and you will see that all is not lost. Help is at hand.....Follow these simple steps on how to give your broken/cracked powder eyeshadows, pressed bronzers and blushes new life.

The alcohol used for this process evaporates after setting leaving your much loved makeup as good as new.

thebeautydepartment.com

After you mash it up, add enough of alcohol to create a thick, workable paste. With your finger, a spatula or the back of a spoon, smoothen it out. If you want, you could wrap a coin the size of the shadow or blusher in a piece of cloth or kitchen towel and press it firmly over the paste eyeshadow to create a zig- zag effect. Allow to dry and set.

Press alcohol & eyeshadow paste to get a brand new looking shadow.

Eyebrow shaping

How to shape your eyebrows???

Neatly groomed eyebrows doesn't only enhance your facial features but also opens up the overall appearance of your face. Correctly shaped brows create an eye-opening effect thereby adding that touch of glamour. There are many ways to shape unruly eyebrows....threading, waxing and also plucking(tweezing). If you prefer having a professional do this for you, you should have no concerns. But....what if you are a hands on, do-it-myself type of person- kinda like me- and would want to learn the basic steps to perfectly groomed brows? Use these easy to follow steps to create that perfectly, flawless look. Remember, one of the most integral steps to a professionally looking makeup application is neatly manicured eyebrows.

                        QUICK & EASY STEPS TO PERFECTLY GROOMED EYEBROWS

TIPS & TRICKS- Kohl Pencils

Here's a quick tip for Kohl Pencils.

Want instant intensity from your kohl pencil?  Have you ever noticed when you have not used kohl pencils for a long time or when it gets colder, the liner becomes hard and difficult to impart the color. Try this out.... Softening the gel on the inside of the pencil renews the life of the kohl- hang onto your old pencils....they are not ready for the bin yet!!!

Was this tip helpful? If so, I would love to hear from you....

TIPS & TRICKS- Introduction

TIPS & TRICKS

Make up does not have to be a daunting, messy task. For almost any blunder or boo boo, there's a simple fix. Keep staining your skin when applying your mascara? Or have you accidentally dropped your favourite Mac eyeshadow and its now all cracked up? Don't throw them away just yet...as I said earlier, there's many quick fixes to help you with all your makeup woes....

Want to know how to make deep set eyes look more pronounced, or close set eyes look apart? Got a cute button nose but always wanted that thin pointed nose that your bestie has? Well look no further....help is at hand. 

Ever wondered what makeup could do?

This is the perfect example of how one could enhance or temporarily change ones natural features. Kudos to the artist whose brainchild this is....

What are some of your makeup gripes? Lets hear about them and see what solutions we can come up with.........