Red Lips for Romance
Cool, bluish shades of red are all the rage with everyone from celebs on the red carpets to beautistas in your neighborhood. And with good reason: in addition to making your teeth appear whiter, a deep, pungent, blood-red painted lip paired with a flawless, blanched out complexion makes for a look that is at once classic, retro, glamorous, edgy… and let’s not forget sexy.
Okay, so there’s nothing more romantic than a puckered pair of scarlet-stained lips, but the season’s hottest lip trend can magnify the dry appearance of lips chapped by winter’s harsh winds and cool temps. Keep your kisser Valentine-ready with these simple steps:
Grow Thick, Shapely Eyebrows
Over-tweezers should exercise some restraint this fall, with the return of heavyweight, statement eyebrows.
The bold eyebrow has been updated with a polished-to-perfection shape and a slightly androgynous feel, showcasing the eye and bone structure with its beautiful, face-framing effect.
Thick Eyebrows Need to be Groomed
Now, don’t consider the statement brow an excuse to forgo eyebrow grooming altogether. There’s a huge difference between bold, thick and shapely eyebrows, and wooly-booly unkempt brows! The statement eyebrow requires special attention to neatness.
Don’t Over-Tweeze Eyebrows!
Contrary to beauty advice from days gone by, there is no one “right” or “perfect” eyebrow shape. Forget that dated rule about placing a pencil at the corner of your eye and nose and rotating it to measure where your brow should start, peak and finish. Arches go where nature puts them. Only tweeze the obviously errant hairs underneath and between the eyebrows to preserve your brow’s natural shape and fullness.
Prevent Flyaway Brows
Set your perfectly groomed brows in place with a clear eyebrow gel to make sure the look lasts all day long.
Enhance Your Eyebrows by Darkening Them
You can have your brows professionally dyed at a salon, or intensify brows by filling them in with an eyebrow pencil or shadow that’s just a smidge darker than your natural hair color. Dior Diorshow Brow Styler($28) is a fabulously precise tool for defining, filling and shaping naturally polished brows, which comes in a shade of “universal brown” that flatters all skintones and hair colors.
How to Grow Your Eyebrows
To help your sparse eyebrows grow fuller, try Anastasia Brow Enhancing Serum($36) for moderate increases in brow thickness or restored growth to sparse, over-plucked brows. Its conditioning, non-greasy formula contains proteins and vitamins designed to nourish and stimulate growth for bold, covetable eyebrows. But it is not an overnight miracle; expect to have to use the product at least 2 – 4 weeks (using it twice a day, morning and night) to observe new growth. Anastasia Brow Enhancing Serum also doubles nicely as a brow gel to keep eyebrows in place before or after using eyebrow pencils or powder.
If you’re less interested in new or restored eyebrow growth (to fill in patches or shape bald areas), and instead want your existing eyebrows to grow in darker for a more distinct shape, try RevitaLash RevitaBrow Eyebrow Conditioner($110). This gel product seems to make individual eyebrow hairs grow in thicker, for a healthier, more intense look.
Brow Templates
For ladies who are completely eyebrow-challenged, you may wish to use eyebrow stencils for flawless, Hollywood brows using a kit like the durable and easy to use Too Faced Brow Envy Brow Shaping & Defining Kit($35).
And remember, nobody ever got thicker eyebrows with a set of tweezers!
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Fab Find: Ultraflesh Black Magic
This one is a must-have for all makeup junkies. Housed in this totally totable all-in-one kit are five eyeliners, each for creating a different effect: smoking, shimmering, shadowing, lining or defining.
Perfect for Black Eyeliner Emergencies…
The compact package and long-wearing, highly pigmented and easy-to-layer product make the Black Magic Collection perfect for anyone who loves to wear black eyeliner.
Be prepared! Slip this organized mini-makeup kit in your purse and always be ready to transform your look from au naturel to dark and sultry in seconds.
The Ultimate Jet Black Eyeliner Collection ($36) contains:
- Wet/Dry Black Liner
- Wet/Dry Black Shimmer Liner
- Black Smudge Liner
- Black Kohl Pencil
- Black Shimmer Pencil
- Mini Pro Angle Liner Brush
Fab Find: Hourglass Film Noir Lash Lacquer
We love mascara. Having a lush, full, jet set of lashes is the best way to open up your eyes and lure glances toward your sultry gaze. And now there’s another way to amp up your eyelashes and take them to the next level of fabulous. When we discover a product this cool, we have to spread the word.
A hot new alternative to false eyelashes, Hourglass Film Noir Lash Lacquer is a brilliant new innovation in eyelash cosmetics: it’s an ultra glossy, inky black top coat for eyelashes that you slick on over mascara for a high-shine finish. Use it as you move from work chic to night glam to wow all onlookers with truly maxed out length, volume and showstopping shine.
Right now Hourglass Film Noir Lash Lacquer is a Sephora exclusive, and at $28 a tube it’s not exactly cheap, but for the effect it’s well worth the splurge for glamoristas or even gals who like the clean, nude makeup look but need to beef up their eyelashes for that come-hither look.
Summer Must-Have: Tinted Moisturizer
The dog days of summer have arrived, heat waves, humidity and all. We’re all stripping down our summer style to the coolest, lightest clothing possible, and the same idea goes in the makeup department. When it’s scorching hot, 96 percent humidity and you’re sweating standing still, the last thing you want is to add a heavy, pore-clogging layer of makeup to your face — which would just run down your face anyway in the swampy hot weather.
The solution for a flawless complexion and lit-from-within skin on these muggy, high UV-index days of summer is (drumroll please) tinted moisturizer with built-in SPF protection.
Sheer, Lightweight Coverage
Tinted moisturizer provides lightweight, sheer makeup coverage that hydrates, protects, and allows your skin to breath and won’t leave you feeling suffocated by your makeup. You can re-apply these multitasking products throughout the day if you need ongoing sun protection, but for most people who don’t spend all day outside, a single application in the morning is enough to keep you looking fresh and radiant all day long.
Any tinted moisturizer can provide buildable coverage by applying multiple layers of the product, but that kind of defeats the whole point of wearing a sheer product, doesn’t it? If you’ve got blemishes or trouble spots to cover, team up the tinted moisturizer with a concealer, and you’re on your way!
Editor’s Picks
Anti-Aging Tinted Moisturizer
In addition to providing sun protection, sheer makeup coverage and advanced moisturizing, Hope in a Tinted Moisturizer with SPF 20 from Philosophy also contains antioxidants to fight free radical damage — to keep your skin looking naturally more youthful. And as an added bonus, the formula comes in an airless pump, so that you always get the perfect dose, which is important when the idea is to wear just enough product.
Eco-Friendly Tinted Moisturizer
For a green beauty option, check out Boscia B.B. Cream SPF 27 PA++, an eco-beauty’s sheer coverage dream; this oil-free formula is a skin-perfecting “Blemish Balm” that creates perfect skin while it moisturizes, PA protectsThe PA system is a grade of UVA protection that provides superior defense against the rays that cause collagen damage and photo-aging of the skin., firms and soothes the skin. It’s a long-wearing translucent formula that comes in a universal shade that self-adjusts to complement most skin tones. And for the ecologically-minded or those with sensitive skin, Boscia products are made without parabens, sulfates, synthetic fragrances and dyes, petrochemicals, phthalates, genetically modified organisms (GMOs), and triclosan.
Get That Dewy Glow
The newest formulation of Inner Light Mineral Tinted Moisture SPF 15 from Aveda is another great option for easy, sheer makeup. Forty percent thinner than its predecessor and with little to no fragrance, Inner Light Mineral Tinted Moisture SPF 15 is now like a whole new product. It disappears beautifully into your skin, and a little goes a long way — and lasts all day long — as this oil free tinted moisturizer delivers the dewy look of healthy skin thanks to tourmaline as a key ingredient.
Perfect Skin for Everyone!
Laura Mercier Oil Free Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20 is a lightweight, long-lasting foundation designed for sensitive or acne prone skin of virtually every skin tone. Packing a whole lot of punches into one tube, in addition to sun protection, natural looking sheer coverage, and moisturizer, Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20 also provides oil control and combats flakes. And did we mention that it comes in 10 shades?
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Runway Makeup Trends SS2011
Get a private backstage tour of runway beauty at New York Fashion Week Spring Summer 2011 with celebrity makeup artist Sarah Lucero, Global Director of Education for Stila Cosmetics.
Straight from Lincoln Center, Sarah gives us a firsthand glimpse at what’s coming down the runways at Betsey Johnson, Lela Rose and Whitney Eve.
Use these tips to get the looks created by Sarah Lucero and the team at Stila Cosmetics for fashion designers at New York Fashion week for Spring/Summer 2011.
Color is Back!
Betsey Johnson Spring/Summer 2011 Beauty
Backstage at Betsey Johnson, the makeup is all about optimistic, bold, fun colors. Who wouldn’t want to play and have fun with their makeup?
“The colors in the makeup were really inspired by my primary strong sport colors, which opened the show,” says designer Betsey Johnson. “Royal and orange and red and yellow and kelly green.”
All About Eyes & Lips
- On the runway the look of bright color was worn over the entire eye, in solid color blocking above the eye, applied in an acrylic paint style— creating a glossy creaminess that you can achieve by wetting your brush; you can rock the look for everyday by keeping the color intensity high, but scaling back on the amount of product used.
- Take a bold green
like a kelly green or a lime green and use it as an eyeliner and then apply mascara — you don’t have to go all over.
- On cheek and lip, look for super hot pink.
Nude Makeup
Lela Rose Spring/Summer 2011
At Lela Rose, Sarah helped them get their look with “look-at-me” doe eyes, a natural, face, and a strong lip.
Flawless Complexion
- Skin is flawless with a matte powder finish; there’s no blush on the cheek, except perhaps a touch of bronzer.
Luscious Eyelashes
- For the eyes, Sarah wanted the eyelashes to really pop and for eye color to stand out, and used fingertips to apply a new product called Prime Pot
- Underneath the eye use a thick swipe of beige or light brown eye shadow to make the eyes look more wide, clean and crisp so that mascara really stands out.
Bright, Velvety Lips
Have fun on the lip and be creative: “I used a really matte orange — bright, bright, bright orange,” describes Sarah, “And then eyeshadow on lips — it’s fun, it’s different! It gave me that velvet, flat finish and that texture that you see on the runway.”
- The technique for velvety orange lip involved using Outrageous Longwear Lip Color from Stila
Flush of Youth
Whitney Eve Spring/Summer 2011
Designer Whitney Port was looking for a fresh, neutral glow for a really springy, pretty look; models wore either a minty green eyeshadow or purple lavender shadow around the eye. “This delivers an amazing look and bright, standout eyes,” Sarah explains. “Skin looks lit from within and really effortless.”
Green or Purple Around the Eyes
- If you’re going green, grab the Stila Eye Shadow Trio in Going Green
- For the lavender look, use Stila Eye Shadow Compact in Wisteria with a wet brush (applied as if it is a liner) on top and bottom lashes and then diffuse outward.
Dewy, Flushed Skin & Lips
- To get this light and dewy, fresh and clean complexion Sarah used Illuminating Tinted Moisturizer, with built-in sunscreen SPF 20.
- Use a pop of peach on the cheeks.
- Lips are very nude and matte, and offer a harmonious hint of color, using Stila Convertible Color, a cream blush used on cheek and lip; this delivers that flush of youth that everybody wants to have.
- Finish the look off with mascara; full lashes, top and bottom.
“This is a very easy look, and very attainable to recreate at home,” says Sarah, “The perfect way to look fresh.”
False Eyelashes
More than mascara, the celebrity secret to high-impact, look-at-me eyes are false eyelashes. Try them once and they’ll become your new best friend and an absolute must-have for evening makeup, party looks, and va-va-voom dramatic eyes.
Here are a few of our favorite false eyelashes for everyday wear, glamorous eye over-the-top makeup, and precision application.
Basic Beauty: Sephora Collection False Eyelashes Flair
For a nearly-natural finish that has people asking, “Are they or aren’t they?” look for a flare shape that starts out short and wings to dramatic lengths at the outside corners. Sephora brand’s “Flair,” a spiky, black lash with a natural, graduated feel, creates an elegant and classic style that’ll have everyone fooled.
These strip lashes come with their own tube of adhesive, a product that’ll drive you nuts unless you follow the directions properly: as recommended, wait 30-60 seconds after applying a bead of glue along the lash strip, allowing the adhesive to become tacky and ready for your skillful application.
High Impact Drama: Make Up For Ever False Eyelashes
Whether you’re heading to a costume party or planning a late-night jive-a-thon at the local dance club, a set of extravagant lashes bordering on ridiculous are totally necessary. We’re talking icing your eyelashes with all of our best friends: feathers, glitter, pearls and diamonds.
Every lash in Make Up For Ever’s line of Extravagants will satisfy a woman’s center-stage desires, the brand’s extreme spiky flared eyelashes with feather tips are our absolute fave for costume eyelashes. These professional-grade strip lashes are soft to the touch, are wonderfully dramatic, and with Make Up For Ever’s easy-to-use adhesive with a wand applicator, these diva-worthy false eyelashes are surprisingly easy to apply.
Custom Lashes: Make Up Forever Individual False Eyelashes
If you really want to hone the glamor and perfection of the star-studded red carpet, then you’ve got to pick up a set of individual false eyelashes. Not for the klutzy lady, implants require precise handiwork, determined dexterity and a big bag of patience. Each little group of lashes are glued and applied separately, allowing you to custom create your look by either filling in sparse areas in your natural lash line or amping up your entire lash line for a perfectly intense wink.
Without the tell-tale band that hints that your false eyelashes are indeed bogus, individual lashes give the illusion of being totally natural while providing a finish that’s spectacular. For reliable, long-lasting eyelashes, we put our trust in Make Up For Ever’s professional implants, which come 60 in a pack.
Fall Beauty Trend: Red Lipstick
Makeup artistry is making a major comeback this season with the return of translucent skin, valiant red lips, and high impact, bold eyebrows.
This glamorous, tailored beauty trend is inspired by the likes of pop style and music icon Gwen Stefani, classic actress, fashion icon, and princess, Grace Kelly, and even the pallid complexion of the undead in the popular, modern cult vampire craze reflected in television and movie productions such as True Blood and Twilight.
Put together Gwen, Grace, and vampire-chic, and these influences point to the look for fall: pale skin, darkly intense, well-groomed eyebrows, and blood-red lips with a tailored, uptown coif.
“It’s clean and sophisticated, and everything is structured,” says Toronto-based makeup artist Tony Masciangelo in an interview with Elle Canada.
Flawless Skin with an Otherworldly Glow
The foundation of every beautiful face — whether it be made up in the latest beauty trend or squeaky clean — is good skin. After your cleansing regimen, start with a good moisturizer to imbue your skin with an ethereal glow. Use a matte foundation and apply concealer where necessary.
Thick, Dark Eyebrows
Eyebrows have been intense now for a few seasons; to master this look keep your eyebrows thick and well-groomed, and take them one or two shades darker. And if you’ve got thin, sparse eyebrows, you can grow thicker eyebrows with RevitaLash RevitaBrow Eyebrow Conditioner, which stimulates eyebrow hair growth. Eyeshadow may be slightly smoky with neutrals, browns or shimmery champagnes, or so minimal as to be virtually non-existent.
Blood-Red Lips
Red lips this season are going for a more stained look rather than a matte, meticulously painted-on look. To get the right red stain, use a lip gloss or lipstick that has a good moisturizer, and blot delicately with your fingers to keep the application semi-translucent edges soft.
