Sometimes I assume that everyone who reads this blog knows as much about makeup as I do. The truth is though, that most people probably are reading blogs and watching YouTube videos to learn things they may not know...so I wanted to start this "back to basics" series. In between my normal postings I will include some that go back to the fundamentals of makeup!
The first thing I want to talk about is eyeshadow placement- specifically, the smokey eye. I created this diagram to show you basically where different colors should/could be placed.
Where you start your eye look is your preference, but many people like to start with the crease. This is the "socket" of your eye (if you lean back and look down at a mirror you will be able to see this bone). Placing a medium toned color- generally a brown- in and above the crease will create a guide line of how high your shadow should go. (The crease is displayed as the color all the way on the left.)
Next, is typically the lid. This is either visible or not visible to you when you open your eye. This is where the "main" color is placed. How many shadows you want to use on your lid is your preference. You can use a gradient effect by going from light to dark- starting at the inner corner of the eye (near the bridge of your nose) to the outer corner. This style is displayed in the picture. However, you can also use only 2 or one shadow across the lid, it's all up to you!
Lastly, is the crease color. This is generally the darkest of all the colors and creates the shape of your eye. Displayed is a cat eye shape, but you can do whatever your look calls for. This color goes in the depth of your crease and gets blurred or blended out so it doesn't look as harsh.
I hope this helped if you were confused as to what specific terms meant what. I also hope this helps you understand how I do my eye looks better! Let me know what other things you want to see in "back to basics" in the comments below!
Always stay happy and healthy! :)
Tschüss, Katharina
Didn't take much longer for me to use up some of beauty products so I thought I'd give you my opinion on these.
All the way on the left is the trusty Suave Professionals Dry Shampoo. Although I like both of the Suave dry shampoo's, I find this one to be better because of the scent. I would say that is the one thing that differentiates them. This does have a strong musky scent, but I don't mind it that much. It leaves my hair oil free, especially when I use it at night and sleep on it. Already bought a new one!
Second is the e.l.f. Daily Brush Cleaner. I do like this, especially for the price but like I mentioned in this post they changed the size of it- which was really disappointing. For now I have just been spot cleaning my brushes with makeup remover wipes which seems to be working fine.
The next two products, I'm going to talk about together since they are the same thing. First is the L'Oreal Double Extend Lash Extension Effect Mascara. I was only using up the "white" side of this mascara as a primer. Worked decent and I liked the brush style (original). Then is the L'Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes. I liked the rubber brush on this mascara and I thought it was perfect for separating clumpy lashes. It was also great to layer with.
A sample product I got at my hair salon was Paul Mitchell Forever Blonde Dramatic Repair. It's supposed to repair damaged ends from bleached hair. I can't say that I really saw a difference but then again there wasn't THAT much in the bottle to be able to really notice.
Lastly, I used up the Pacifica Tuscan Blood Orange Body Butter from my January Glam Bag. I loved the citrus smell of this and also how moisturizing it was, without leaving a greasy film. It was especially nice on my legs, which are kind of dry throughout the cold months.
I hope this post gave a little insight into which products I am using regularly! What products have you recently used up/hit pan on? Let me know in the comments below!
Always stay happy and healthy! :)
Tschüss, Katharina
February is the shortest month, but to me, this one dragged on. Although I love the snow, I'm ready for a little bit of warmth- and some moisture back in the air because my skin is really feeling it. I didn't want to reshow all the same products of January, so in the planning of this post I just thought, what are products I use every day and work great for me?
So those are what I ended up with. First is the Dickinson's Original Witch Hazel. Despite the kind of gross smell, I love how my skin feels after applying this. I use it at night after all my makeup has been washed off and I just feel clean. It says a bunch of things it's supposed to do but I haven't really been checking to see if it lives up to it (nothing rarely ever does). Then you can see the trusty MAC Fix+. I can find so many uses for this, it's not even funny. I just love it. The scent, the finish, how it sprays out, all the things you can use it for- the possibilities are endless.
A new product I have been trying is the L'Oreal True Match Foundation in W2 (Light Ivory). I do enjoy this foundation, and especially since it is more yellow-based. I like to wear it on days when I am especially red, since they counter-act each other. I am also looking to try the Lumi foundation...any opinions from y'all? I have also been loving the Make Up Forever Smoky Lash Mascara. I think this got a lot of attention from YouTube beauty guru's and I always thought it was a hoax. It's not. This is probably one of the best mascaras I have ever tried. I like the effect it gives so much, that I don't feel the need to layer other mascaras on top. Yes, I know. That's absolutely shocking coming out of my mouth...keyboard?...but I think this is awesome.
Lastly, and maybe a bit controversially, is this pimple tool (for lack of better words). I use it to extract my black heads. I know it sounds gross, but it works. I like to use this and then put a mask on my face because it does open your pores. Just a warning, many people do not recommend to use this because it can cause scarring if used incorrectly. Also, after using it on your face you will look like you have chicken pox but it usually goes away over night. This is the best way I have found to extract my black heads and pimples, so even though it is painful and my mom yells at me for using it...I still do it.
Hope you enjoyed this post and learned a little about some products you possibly didn't know about before. What were your favorite products for February? Let me know in the comment section below!
Stay happy and healthy! :)
Tschüss, Katharina
So some of you may have noticed that there a bunch of new Neutrogena products in store, and since I am a BzzAgent member I was sent some of them to test out. I explained BzzAgent in this post in a little more detail, if you want more information- I suggest everyone join! So there were 4 products that I received and tested out.
So on the left are the Crease Proof Eye Shadow in Lasting Taupe and Constant Copper. The colors are beautiful! I also loved the consistency of these- they glide on like a cream and then dry to somewhat of a powder finish. I was a little bit skeptical about the "crease proof" part but after trying it out, I was really impressed. I wouldn't say they don't crease at all (after about 7 hours of wear, there was only creasing in my natural crease line) but they do last a long time. Some of the pigmentation gets lost throughout the day but I usually top my cream products with a powder anyway so I don't think it would be a problem if you did. I really did enjoy these!
Next is the MoistureSmooth Color Stick in Sweet Watermelon. Not only does this have a great fruity scent but it feels so soft and creamy on the lips, while still being very pigmented! I have heard people rave about these and couldn't wait to try! These are not meant to stain your lips so I wouldn't really compare them to the Revlon Kissable Balm Stains. I can't wait to try out new shades!
Last, but not least was the Healthy Lengths Mascara. From my understanding, there was a previous version of this which was then discontinued. I feel so bad saying this, especially since I really enjoyed the shadow and color stick, but this mascara sucked. First off, I am not sure if mine was defective or what, but it did not come with one of those stoppers to get most of the product off...so my wand came out with a huge wad of mascara on it.
Once I put this on my lashes I just thought, okay, I could probably work with this. I finished my makeup and went on to class. I then sneezed and squeezed my eyes shut, and had to force them open. Why, you ask? Because the mascara still hadn't dried and was basically gluing my top and bottom lashes together. Even after an HOUR the mascara still wasn't fully dry. I guess if you like very flexible mascaras, this one is optimal for you.
As for the lengthening part, it was all right. Not anything I couldn't achieve with something else. I might just end up throwing this away because I can't deal with drying time (I mean come on, that's just ridiculous).
Overall some great products- minus the mascara. Have you tried any of these Neutrogena products? Which ones did you like? Did I get a botched mascara or was yours like this too? Let me know in the comments below!
Always stay happy and healthy! :)
Tschüss, Katharina
