Category Archives: Make-up

Make-Up Tip of the Week: Coconut Oil

05/01/2012

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The other day I went into a store/restaurant here in Vancouver called Organic Lives and they talked me into getting coconut oil. The sales person helping me said she not only used it as a substitute for butter but also used it directly on here skin as a moisturizer. I quickly asked “You use oil on your face? Doesn’t that just make it shiny and more oily?” She said her skin has never felt better…hmmmm…It got me curious that for sure. So curious I figured I’d try it for myself. Lately my skin has been a bit bi-polar one week its dry, the next week it breaks out, so what did I have to lose trying coconut oil?

I purchased a large container from Organic Lives. This one goes for $20. (Make sure is PURE organic virgin coconut oil and not an imitation!)

I then took a tablespoon and put it into a new container for “face lotion” so that I could save some for cooking. I chose to add a little peppermint essential oil, because I prefer the smell of mint and I like how refreshing it makes your skin feel. Feel free to add in any of your favorite essential oils. Once the oils were mixed I put dime size dabs on my skin, maybe even less. You do NOT need a lot of this product, which means it will last you for a while! Start off with a small amount and work up from there.

When I came back from my Mexico vacation my skin was doing all sorts of peeling, not such a hot look, and coconut oil was the only thing that stopped it! Like I said earlier, my skin varies from dry to oily, and coconut oil not only worked well on my skin for moisture, I also didn’t have any extra break outs! I would highly recommend it.

You can use coconut oil on cracked heels, as a body and facial moisturizer and as a cuticle oil. I would not recommend using it in your hair, it is a bit too heavy for that. Have you ever tried using coconut oil before? What did you use it for?

BB Cream…Uncovered

04/19/2012

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It has come to my attention recently that all the rage is “BB” Cream. I wondered, what does the “BB” stand for? Some crazy cosmetic term? Some scientific discovery? Or maybe it has to do with a new vitamin that was discovered to help uncover new radiant skin? Nope BB stands for either Blemish Balm or Be Beautiful. Yes. Really! That interesting discovery made me dig a bit further, because it seemed like some crazy marketing ploy to get us all to buy some magic cream. I can just hear the PR offices saying, “Lets call it BB Cream- it sounds more scientific and important when you have initials!”

I decided to speak with a make -up artist about the hype behind BB Cream. She shared that it is to create radiance for aging skin, which is not really what someone under the age of 40 needs. So all you girls that read my blog- its unnecessary! If you want a product that is similar, I’d suggest a tinted moisturizer. It gives you a little color to even your skin tone, and goes on smooth.

I also uncovered that BB Cream is a mix of primer, moisturizer, liquid foundation and sunscreen. Hmmm…how many of you out there already own all of those items? Why not save yourself the $35-$60 that BB Cream can cost and create your own! I haven’t tried to make my own just yet- but here is the ratio I am planning on doing:

10% Sunscreen (make sure its for the face and that is has an SPF of 30 or higher. Neutrogena has a great product.)

10% Liquid Foundation

30% Moisturizer

50% Primer

The best part about creating your own, is you already know which products work for your skin, and you’re not introducing something new for your skin to react to. No need to worry about break outs or any allergic reactions!

Ultimately, you could make your life easier and buy one product that will “do the trick” of 4 items, you could invest in a good tinted moisturizer or you can create your own. My personal vote is one of the last two. What is your opinion?  Have you tried BB cream? Is it something you’d never go without?

*Click the top image for another great opinion on BB Cream. 

Make-Up Tip of The Week: Knowing Your Skin Tone

04/16/2012

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In reference to my previous post- I thought I’d give my ladies a few great product ideas to help you pick out the best color and shade of make-up for your skin tone.

 Cool:

Warm:

How To Know Your Skin Tone

04/13/2012

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Have you ever wondered if you have a warm or cool skin tone? Maybe you have, maybe you haven’t but you’d be surprised to find out the benefits in understanding your skin tone. For women, it will help you pick the right shade of make-up and men, it will help you pick the right color clothes to wear. Shopping will be so much easier when you know which colors you can and cannot wear! Here are a few questions to ask yourself when figuring out your skin tone:

1. When you tan, do you turn golden/yellow or reddish?

If you turn reddish you are most likely a cool skin tone.

2. What color are your eyes?

A general rule, if you have green, light brown or hazel eyes you probably have a warm skin tone. Chocolate brown and icy blue eyed people usually have a cool skin tone.

3. What color was your hair for most of your child hood?

If your hair turned a golden blonde or had any red tones in it, you have a warm skin tone.

4. Which color is better on you- forest green or hot pink?

If you answered hot pink you have a cool skin tone.

5. Could you be both?

Some people are blessed to have a neutral skin tone. This person can change their hair color from copper red to platinum blonde and have both look great. You can get away with wearing cool colors such as blue, purple and cotton candy pink as well warm colors like brown, green and gold. Drew Barrymore (see below) has a neutral skin tone.

Tips for warm skin tones:

Look for clothes that remind you of fall or summer. Think a wheat field or autumn leaves…Avoid any colors that are too unsaturated, like pastel green or light grey.

Ladies when purchasing make-up look for blush that has a peachy tone, eye shadow that is golden and coral lipstick.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tips for cool skin tones:

Look for clothes that remind you of winter or spring. Think icy trees or Easter eggs…Avoid any colors that are too yellow or orange.

Ladies when purchasing make-up look for a blush that has a pink tone, eye shadow that is silver and pink or cherry red lipstick.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Still need help figuring out what your skin tone is? Here are a few celebrities that show the different skin tones.

Warm:

 

Cool:

Neutral: (Drew can wear a cool blonde and also a warm red hair color)

 

Make-Up Tip of The Week: Best Drugstore Nail Polish

04/03/2012

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For those who know me personally, know that I am a nail polish junkie. I have a basket full of probably 100+ polishes! I’ve tested pretty much every brand on the market, and recently I’ve found my new favorite drug store polish: Revlon ColorStay Longwear Nail Enamel.

There are few drugstore brands that stay on longer than a day or two without chipping, but this one lives up to the name. It DOES NOT chip. The only thing it does is slightly fade around the end of your nail. For the small price of $7.99 you can get a polish to last up to 5 days (possibly longer, depending how gentle you are with your nails) with no chips. I recommend purchasing the base coat and the top coat to guarantee success.

Have you tried Revlon ColorStay Nail Enamel? If so, how did you like it?

Make Up Tip Of The Week

03/12/2012

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Has the “Spring Forward” time change taken a toll on your Monday?? Here is a tip to help brighten tired eyes: BLUE is your magic color. Blue has been known to brighten the whites of your eyes, and there are three ways that anyone can add a little blue to your daily routine.

1. Lightly line the tear duct line. (This is above your lower lashes and under your upper lashes) You might need to pull your eyelid up or down and line away. This requires a quality pencil, because that area is a little damp and if your pencil isn’t pigmented enough, it’s not going to work. My personal favorite brand is:

The best shade is either Majorelle Blue or Incandescent Navy.

If you don’t want everyone to just see blue- I often still like my eyes with black and put blue closest to the eye (the tear duct line) that way it just gives a hint of blue and still brightens the eyes.

2. Add blue mascara over top your black mascara. This gives the hint of blue- while still accentuating your lashes with black.

3. Go bold! If you love blue and are confident you can pull it off (looks best with brown or gray eyes) grab a liquid or gel liner and do a cat eye!

Shopping Find: Sephora’s Pore Cleansing Pad

03/09/2012

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This bad boy is a great new product I just purchased from Sephora. It works great to clean and gently exfoliate the skin. Men and women will both love this little bad boy. (Yes- to all my male readers they do sell Men’s products at Sephora too!)

Here’s what how it works:

First is dampen your skin, and then place whatever soap or cleanser you wash with on top of the Pore Cleansing Pad and gently rub into your skin in a circular motion. It works great to unclog pores and leaves your skin feeling soft and clean! Its only $7 at your local Sephora store- and trust me, it’s going to rock your world!

Best And Worst Dressed at the 2012 Golden Globes

01/16/2012

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The 69th Annual Golden Globes were on Sunday, and the red carpet fashion was quite tame this year. We saw lots of pale pinks and grey as well as a few peacock blues. Here are my votes for the best and worst dressed at the Golden Globes. The best dress are in order of my favorites. Take a look and tell me if I missed any of your favorites!

Best Dressed:

Nicole Kidman in Versace.

I can’t remember the last time she looked so amazing! She looks like a beautiful Greek statue! This shape is stunning on her, and it seems like she has stopped getting work done, which means we can see her smiling again!

Sophia Vergara in Vera Wang.

It’s not that different of a look for Sophia, but she knows what works for her curvy body type. I loved the colour and the close up red carpet shots, the bottom of the dressed looked really beautiful.

Reese Witherspoon in Zac Posen.

I don’t know what was but she was glowing last night! I’m not normally a huge fan of her on the red carpet but she looks absolutely stunning here. I especially love her make up, very subtle but enough to make an impact.

Claire Danes in J. Mendel.

She was one of the first people I saw on the red carpet and I instantly loved her dress. She always opts for something pretty classic, but the back adds an edgy twist.

Salma Hayek in Gucci.

I loved the close up shots of this dress. I liked that it was a bit different from most styles that were on the red carpet. Just when you think Salma couldn’t be more beautiful she knocks one out of the park!

Charlize Theron in Dior.

At first glance I wasn’t sure about this dress, but the more and more I saw it I grew to love it. I also loved her hair and make up. It completes the overall look perfectly.

Worst Dressed:

Most people on the red carpet played it pretty safe and looked beautiful, but unfortunately there was 2 people that didn’t quite do it for me. Here are my picks for worst dressed;

Zooey Deschanel in Prada.

I hate to say this, because I am a huge fan of Zooey’s but this dress was not flattering on her petite frame, and her hair…yikes. You can’t really tell in this photo, but in some angles, one of her layers looked like side burns…not a look you want to go for. On a brighter note, her make up looked amazing!

Angelina Jolie in Atelier Versace.

When she first hit the red carpet I didn’t mind this dress, but as the night grew on she looked uncomfortable and cold. The fabric of this dress cheapened it to me, and I did not like how thin she looked last night.

 

Did you enjoy the awards last night? I felt Ricky Gervais was quite safe last night…there was a few good one liners from Seth Rogan and Meryl Streep! I’m glad The Artist won a few awards, it was a great film. Michelle Williams did a great job in My Week With Marilyn so she deserved the win, even though I’m not sure why it that film was categorized as a comedy/musical…The Golden Golbes are usually a hint as to what we will see at the Oscars, so it should be interesting to see if a few of the same people bring home the win!

How To Accentuate Asian Eyes

12/08/2011

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Jeannie Mai has some amazing tutorials on YouTube, but this one stood out to me and thought I should post it.

I’ve been asked lots of questions on how to apply do eyeshadow to Asian eyes, this video has some great basic tips on how to accentuate them!

If you aren’t going out on the town, I wouldn’t recommend her “drag queen” lashes. What you can do for everyday is; curl the lashes you have OR if you want more length and volume, purchase a shorter pair, like MAC’s 1 Lash.

Get the Look: Lea Michele in Allure Magazine

11/15/2011

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Doing her best to channel the sexy ladies of the 1960′s, Glee star Lea Michele is owning the cover of Allure! She looks absolutely stunning! Dare I say, the best we’ve ever seen her?

Do you love Lea’s look? Want to create it at home yourself? Here are a few tips:

-Fill in your brows, no sexy eye is complete without a nice thick brow

-Find a good waterproof liquid or cream liner. Something that has a small pointed brush. Start your liner at the middle of the eyelid, go until just about the end of the lid, then open you eyes and use the angle of your lower lid as to were to finish the cat eye. Then go back and finish the line towards the tear duct. To find the best angle for that cat eye, take the wand of your brush and hold it diagonally against your lower lash line to meet with the outer edge of your brow. Check out a great tutorial here.

-Go for a nude lip. With such dramatic eyes, a nude lip is best.

-Curl large sections of your hair with a small barrel curling iron, do a light hairspray, then comb it out with a natural bristle brush. To avoid an overly fizzy style, finish off the look with some shine serum or mist.

This should finish off your look, so you too can be the next Sophia Loren!

Kate Bosworth Wearing Proenza Schouler at the CFDA Fashion Fund Party

10/21/2011

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Kate Bosworth made an appearance at the CFDA Fashion Fund party and looks stunning. The Straw Dogs star attend the event with her director boyfriend, Michael Polish. Kate is wearing a skirt and top from Proenza Schouler’s Spring 2012 collection. Head to toe she looks killer; from her hair, to her make up and shoes this creates an amazing outfit! This is somewhat of a fashion forward choice that we at Black Is The New Black LOVE…what do you think of this look?

What’s In My Purse?

09/23/2011

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I’ve seen a few pictures online of people revealing what is inside their purse or pockets, so I thought I would be vulnerable and show the deep dark corners of my purse!

Most of my purse contents are self-explanatory but there are a few things I’d like to mention:

Band-Aid’s are a must have in my purse. I like to wear cute shoes, which doesn’t always equal comfort, so Band-Aid’s are a life saver!

Sephora Blotting Papers are amazing. Shiny nose no more!

Two of my favorite drug store brand lip glosses, Rimmel and L’Oréal Paris are staples in my purse. I feel naked without lip gloss on! And my secret tip: L’Oréal’s Color Juice is just like Lancômbe Jucy Tubes, but only $9!

A comb is critical for any lady with bangs, it helps them from looking greasy and separating. Plus, you never know when you’re gonna need a last-minute touch up!

So what is hiding in the deep dark corners of your purse? Would you be brave enough to show us?

Fall Color Trend: Dark Teal

09/23/2011

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The best thing about dark teal is that ANY skin tone can wear it. Its probably one of the most universally flattering colors. Wearing dark teal eyeshadow or liner also is very flattering on brown eyes. Pair dark teal with black, gray, cream, and purples for a fun fall look!

 


 

 

Make Up Bag Essentials

09/21/2011

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Whenever the topic of fashion comes up with friends I always get asked what make up I am using or how did you do your eyeliner, or what concealer do you recommend? Maybe my friends know that I am addicted to Sephora? Or maybe they know I enjoy being make-up guinea pig ? Life gets boring if you never try anything new!

This post is for those who feel overwhelmed when heading into the cosmetics section. I will break down the basic Make Up Bag Essentials. These are your must haves!

Step 1- Moisturizer:

The most important step- you need a get good moisturizer, even if you have oily skin. It’s the base for your make up, and helps it glide on that much easier. I would highly recommend taking a browse through Sephora, because they nicely categorize all their skin care according to skin type. If you are unsure what would suit you best, then ask one of the sales associates. Sephora has very knowledgeable staff and if you’re not sure where to start they will offer you FREE SAMPLES!! Who doesn’t love a free sample?

Rachele’s Favorites:

Korres 24 Hour Mosture Brighening Cream, $35 at SephoraClinique Dramatically Different Lotion $24.50 at Sephora or The Bay

Neutrogena Oil Free Moisturizer, $9 at most drugstores.

Step 2- Concealer:

Concealer can save your from revealing to the world that you were up all night watching re-runs of Sex In The City while eating a tub of ice cream! Puffy eyes much? You’re not alone, no one has perfect skin, everyone has dark circles, black heads, pimples and uneven skin tone- yes everyone! When purchasing a concealer you want to look for something oil-free that wont clog your pores. Also, if you are feeling daring you can get 3 different colours; a shade darker than your skin tone to detract light, a shade lighter to attract light, and one that perfectly matches your skin for those “zit days.” I like putting a shade darker under my eyes, and use a lighter shade as a highlighter on my brow bone. They key is not to put it on to heavy. No layering of the concealer. If you have a good foundation, you do not need to cake this stuff on!

Rachele’s Favorites:

Benefit Cosmetics Boi-ing $19 at Sephora or Shoppers Drug Mart

Yves Saint Laurent Touche Éclat $40 at Sephora And Holt Renfrew

Make Up Forever Camouflage Cream Palette, $36 at Sephora

Step 3- Foundation

Personally I enjoy a mixed power/foundation formula. It looks like a powder but covers like foundation. This stuff will save you time, goes on light and still gives great coverage. If you use this formula you DO NOT need liquid foundation. However, if you want to cover wrinkles or if you have some skin discoloration, I’d recommend using a liquid foundation. My tip to you, make sure you purchase your foundation from a store that will allow refunds. It’s great to take your new product home, try it in your lighting at home and the lighting outside. Your face HAS TO MATCH your neck. Foundation is not meant to be used as self tanner! If you get darker in summer, and lighter in winter PLEASE switch your foundation!

Rachele’s Favorites:

Make Up Forever Duo Mat Powder Foundation, $32 at Sephora

Cover FX Mineral Powder Foundation, $35 at Sephora or Shoppers Drug Mart

MAC Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation, $26 at MAC locations or The Bay.

Make Up Forever HD Invisible Cover Foundation, $40 at Sephora

Sephora Collection Perfecting Cover Foundation, $22 at Sephora

Step 4- Blush:

Even if you naturally have a flushed skin tone, its good to have something to use as a contour and if you are using a good foundation, it will take away redness. You know the trick of smiling to emphasize your cheekbones then dotting blush on the apples of your cheeks? It really works! Make sure again you are working with your skin tone. If you look best in browns, or fall colours you will most likely have a warm skin tone and will look best in peachy blushes. If you look great in blues, and purples you probably have a cool skin tone; you will look best in a pink based blush. It is possible that you look great in both, and if so you have a neutral tone, and you can rock whichever colour blush looks best with your hair colour.

Liquid or cream blushes work best with powder foundation, and should be applied BEFORE powder. I have a fair skin tone so I personally like this method because my blush lasts throughout the day.

If you prefer a powder blush, apply AFTER foundation either power or liquid foundation.

Rachele’s Favorites:

Make Up Forever HD Blush, $25 at Sephora

NARS blush, $27 at Sephora or Holt Renfew

Benefit Cosmetics Feeling Cheeky! $15 at Sephora or Shoppers Drug Mart

Step 5- Mascara:

Mascara is the best way to highlight your eyes. Eyes are the one feature on your face that others look at most, so we should always make time for a little mascara. I’ve tried quite a few brands in my time, and found that I like a voluminous look, with no clumping and that wont irritate my eyes. If you have light hair you should be using a light black or black/brown shade, if you have dark hair use the darkest shade of black. When applying, make sure your eyes are open and apply to all the lashes working from the outside in. I recommend using the tip of the brush for the inner lashes and the bottom lashes. Avoid putting mascara on the side of the lashes closest to the eyelid, this can often lead to smudging or mascara that looks too heavy.

Rachele’s Favorites:

Make Up Forever Smoky Lash, $22 at Sephora

Cover Girl Last Blast Fusion, $8 at most drugstores.

Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes! $19 at Sephora

Step 6- Lip Gloss:

Some might argue that this step is unnecessary but I beg to differ. Just like you moisturize your skin, you should moisturize your lips. Lips can get wrinkly and dry too! I recommend a clear gloss for everyday use and a colour gloss that works with the shade of your blush. Again, I have tried A LOT of brands of lip gloss and prefer something that smells good and has a slight plumper.

Rachele’s Favorites:

Buxom Big & Healthy Lip Polish, $18 at Sephora

Mentha 2X Supreme Lip Shine, $8 at Bath and Body Works

MAC Lipgelée, $14.50 at MAC locations or at The Bay

Bonus Steps:

If you wanting to do something a little extra feel free to add some eye liner, eye shadow and bronzer. If you are going to add anything other than mascara to your eyes I’d highly recommend using a primer as a base to the eyelid. It helps everything stay in place and not rub off throughout the day.

Bronzer is great to contour the cheeks and give some colour for those who don’t live in warm climates year round! It’s the safe way to tan! Just apply a small amount on the places on your face that would get the most sun: the apples of your cheeks, on the nose, a bit on the chin and a bit on the brow line. DO NOT go overboard with the bronzer- start off light and then check how it looks in natural lighting. If you think you can use more than go for it, but usually one swipe is enough!

Last but not least, have fun with your make up! Experiment with colours! Once you get used to these 6 basic steps it should take you only about 10 minutes to apply!

If you have any further questions feel free to ask.

Worst Dressed At The 2011 Oscar’s

02/28/2011

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Unfortunately this was a much easier list to compile. Some interesting choices by some Best Dressed List regulars which came as quite a surprise. Here is who made the worst dressed list:

Yes, I am surprised as you that Nicole Kidman made this list, she usually looks stunning, but this Dior Couture number looked awkward and ill fitting. On a brighter note- her make up looked great and her hubby,Keith Urban looked handsome!

Another big shocker- Reese Witherspoon! She is normally adorable but this just looks like a dated 90′s look that her character in Legally Blond would wear. What is with that hairpiece?!

Best Supporting Actress winner, Melissa Leo decided to show up in a shiny doily. Not the most flattering fabric or shape. Absolutely LOVED her acceptance speech though!

It pains me to put Cate Blanchett on this list because normally she can do no wrong in my eyes. She always takes a bolder choice, but this one just didn’t work for me. I just don’t get it at all.

And the worst of the worst goes to:

Oh boy, Marisa Tomei in this dress just was a big NO. She is normally such a babe! Did you see her last year? What happened?! This dress just looks like a cheap home-made prom dress. Not a fan of the greasy parted hair either. Wonder what her stylist was thinking?

What a babe!

12/08/2010

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How are you feeling Emma Stone’s new blond locks? She’s still the funny awkward chick from Easy A- but now she has got from girl next door to hottest on the block! I’m loving the new look- and I especially love her make-up here. What do you think?