The Buzz about Birchbox

I have to stay up to date on new products and industry buzz; one of the easiest (and most fun!) ways to do this is with a monthly Birchbox subscription.  Somewhere in the second week of the month a box of deluxe (and sometimes full size) samples are delivered to my door.  There are always products from major brands, but many are smaller companies that are just entering into the market so it's a great way to be "in the know" before the rest of the world is. There’s everything from make up to skin care to hair care and a few extra bonuses like tea, chocolate, nail polish and hair accessories.  Each box has a theme and the products are selected to complement it (ie back to school, spring break, the holidays, etc.). I’ve discovered there are times I try a product, love it and use the sample so quickly I have to order the full size product (like the SuperGoop City Sunscreen Serum – a skin care treatment, plus sunscreen.  Amazingly perfect for the summer!  Works great alone or under make up!).

If you want to know what’s new on the market or you just love beauty products, treat yourself to this monthly subscription ($10 a month and that includes the cost of shipping).  It's such a treat when you open your mailbox and the hot pink box is just waiting to be opened!!!

Birchbox

Have you tried Birchbox or any other monthly make up subscriptions?  If not, try this one and get ready to discover some great new products!

Jamie

L'Oreal Colour Caresse Wet Shine Stain - Product Review

"Discover a stain that thinks it’s a gloss"

That’s the tagline that lured me in so I was curious to see how true that statement really is (bravo marketing department).

My lips are dry so I’m constantly reapplying my lip products whether lipstick or lip conditioner, but of course (as all women want) I don’t want to have to reapply.  I want something that’s going to last and be comfortable on my lips.

• The applicator seemed a bit strange to me at first, as it is shaped like a flattened oval, but I found it was quite easy to get a defined edge and an even application of color.
• Even though there is some transparency to the product, the color was more pigmented than I expected for a lip stain.
• It was very comfortable to wear; my lips didn’t ever feel like they were dry.

Brush

I tested this on 2 specific occasions where I knew I would be eating, drinking and speaking.   Overall I was pleased with how the product wore.

• The color barely transferred to my glass so I didn’t have to worry about those little upward facing lines that lipstick on a glass or cup can leave on the sides of your top lip.
• Both times this product lasted for 4-5 hours (see proof below).  Of course it wasn’t as fresh at the end of the night as it was at the beginning, but it had faded evenly so it was nice to know I still had color on my lips.

There were only a couple of downsides to this product:

• The pigment intensity – I chose as darker color and was happy with the intensity it gave, but a lighter color at the same pigment intensity may look a little flat and fake on certain skin tones.
• Reapplication – I found once this product had been on my lips, even for a few minutes, it seemed to “set”.  Once it was set, touching up a spot or reapplying a second layer just made it feel thick, slightly tight and a bit uncomfortable.

Lips

Overall I liked this product.  It’s definitely one I’ll keep in my purse when I need a quick color on my lips that I know will last.

I'd love to hear your reviews if you've tried this product!

Jamie

"Cannot Live Without" Beauty Items

I'm constantly trying new products that claim to be the best and the greatest, but I've found over the years there are somethings I just continue to go back too.  Here are a few of my "cannot live without" beauty items.

MAC Bulk Wipes

These are a lifesaver!  One wipe will remove every stitch of make up including mascara no matter how much make up I'm wearing.  It's EXTREMELY important you remove your make up before you wash your face.  Your face wash was never meant to do double duty by washing your face and trying to remove make up.  (A bonus with these wipes is if you're in a time crunch or just too exhausted they can be used as a one stop shop-removing make up and hydrating your skin.  Great for those nights when you just want to get to sleep!)

La Roche-Posay Toleraine Purifying Foaming Cream

I have been obsessed with this face wash for years!  As someone who has sensitive, dry skin I have to be cautious about what products I use and this one has never let me down.  This cleanser is so concentrated, just a small pea size amount is plenty to wash your face so the bottle seems to last forever, plus it has a nice rich lather and does not strip my skin of moisture. (La Roche-Posay in general has amazing products.  Check out one of my favorite sunscreens in this post)

Trader Joe's Honey Mango Moisturizing Shave Cream

You know those shaving commercials...the ones where the girl's leg is completely covered in a foam shaving cream minus the one strip she's already shaved off?  For years that was me, shaving my legs like the girl in the commercial.  A non-foaming shaving cream just seemed so bizarre to me that I resisted trying anything else until one of my guy friends (yes, even guys get beauty too :) ) mentioned how the Trader Joe's Shaving Cream kept his face from breaking out after shaving.  From my first bottle I knew I was never going back.  As one who shaves my legs every day (I really hate prickly legs) this product is perfect for continual use on your legs...and all other delicate areas that need shaving.  A little goes along way with this product, so you need just enough to create a barrier between your skin and the razor.  Also, a bonus is that it's Paraben free and 100% Vegetarian. (For those who don't live near a Trader Joe's you can order it off of Amazon here.).  Get ready for silky, smooth legs!!!

MAC Brush Cleanser

Oh, I cannot stress the importance of properly cleaning brushes!  Next to my hands they are the most important tool in my make up kit and that is why I use this both personally and professionally.  There are plenty of other brush cleansers on the market (and even some DIY Pinterest boards), but I DON'T suggest them.  For me this brush cleaner packs a triple punch-it cleans/shampoos, disinfects with an anti-bacterial agent and most importantly it conditions the bristles.  It's not as imperative with a synthetic brush that the bristles be conditioned, but it is with a natural bristled brush.  Just imagine washing your hair and never putting a conditioning agent on it; it might be clean, but it's probably not going to be the softest and silkiest it could be.  Trust me after you feel how soft the bristles are after you've washed your brushes, you won't go back to another brush cleaner.

 These are just a few of the beauty items I can't live without.  Let me know what are some of your "Can't Live Without" items!

Jamie

Broken Eye Shadow? Here's how to fix it!

Has this ever happened, you open up an eyeshadow and it's disintegrated into small pieces?

Broken-Shadow-1

I always I thought I had two options, pour the loose shadow into a small container or throw it away.  Neither of those options were very appealing until I discovered this ... you can re-solidify your shadows.

Broken-Shadow-2

Using rubbing alcohol fill the metal container 3/4 high (I prefer 99% alcohol, but 90% or 91% should be fine) .

Don't over fill, you can always add more alcohol if it's not full enough.

Broken-Shadow-3

Gently press the shadow with a Q-tip mixing the shadow and alcohol together.

Make sure the shadow is completely saturated with alcohol even if this means the breaking the chunks of eye shadow into smaller pieces.

Broken-Shadow-4

The eye shadow should be completely saturated.

Lift the container and tap it against the counter.  You should see small bubbles being forced to the surface as the alcohol/eye shadow mixture settles back into the container.

Let the eye shadow container sit open so the alcohol can evaporate.

Voila!!!! Amazing that with a little alcohol an eye shadow can go from this to this!

Broken-Shadow-5

Hope this little trick can keep you from needlessly throwing away a broken eye shadow.

Jamie

Bright Eyes!!!

Spring is here and it is in full effect! 

With the arrival of warm days, I find I want to lighten and brighten up my make up both in color and the amount worn.  A fun and easy way to do this is to change your eyeliner to a brighter color.  Before you say "I could never wear something like that", I urge you to read the steps below.  (**You'll see that by blending a darker shadow into the colored eyeliner it makes a bold color flattering enough to wear every day.)

Let's begin...

Turquoise_1

Begin this look with a very neutral eye make up or possibly no eye make up at all.

Draw a line with the pencil across the top of the eyelid and 2/3 of the way across the lower lash line.

Turquoise_2

Using the end of the 242 brush gently smudge the edge of the eyeliner on the upper eyelid and lower lash line.

Turquoise_3

Any time I use a pencil eyeliner, there is almost always a small space between the lashes and the pencil eye liner (look at the first set of pictures).

**Using a 266 brush and a dark eye shadow (black, navy, deep purple, etc.) draw a thin line just above the lashes.  This is just to fill in the small space.  Also add a small line of dark eye shadow about 1/3 of the way across the lower lash line.

Turquoise_5

Gently soften the line of dark eye shadow using the 266 or the 242 brush.  This should not make the dark shadow line thicker, but instead it will be blending it into the pencil liner.  Use the same technique to blend along the lower lashes.

Add mascara and your look is finished.

Turquoise_6

This next look just oozes with spring colors because of  the green liner and the pink tint on the lips and cheeks!

I followed the same steps as the above look.  The only step I left out was not adding the dark shadow to the lower lashes.

Kelly-Green-Liner

If you don't know what eyeliner color to wear 2013's color of the year, Emerald Green would be perfect.  It's a universally flattering color on all skin tones, plus it has just enough oomph to make a statement, without being too over bearing.

When using a pencil liner make sure it has a nice slip to it (if possible test it on your hand before you purchase it).  The skin around the eye area is delicate and you don't want the pencil to pull or tug the skin while you're trying to draw a line.  I recently discovered these eyeliners from Sephora.  This is the turquoise eyeliner I used in the first look.  They are really creamy, but they will "set" and become waterproof after they've been on your skin for a few minutes.

I'd love to know if you try this look and how you're brightening up your make up this spring?

Jamie

CoverGirl LashBlast Mascara - Product Review

Mascara, the one product that I find women have a love affair with.  We love it ... but very few of us are in a committed relationship to just one brand.  I too fall into this category.  There may be seasons that I go back to the reliable ones, but I'm quite certain I've never purchased the same tube of mascara twice in a row. Now in all fairness I'm quite harsh in my judging.  I expect the trifecta of drama to happen with every swipe of the brush; it must lengthen, add volume and curl.  If any one area falls short, I'm not buying the tube again.

This mascara for the most part has passed the test, well at least enough that I've bought this type 2 or 3 times before.  It's CoverGirl LashBlast Volume Mascara.  It's the one in the orange tube, don't get the other colors . . . (see the last comment about the green tube)

Here's the proof

Mascara-Before

Mascara-After

Length - Much longer lashes

Volume - Each lash appears to be wider, but they aren't clumped together.

Curl - I do not curl my lashes with an eye lash curler and this mascara still gives me pretty good lift.  I have noticed they will straighten a little through out the day.  If you did curl your lashes, this mascara would help the curl stay.

This mascara can be a little thick, but I tend to prefer a thicker texture to a thin one.

The plastic brush can take some getting use to.  It seems to be a little fatter around than a regular mascara wand, but I find I've adjusted to it by the 2nd or 3rd use.  (Note-When running late in the morning, do not get in a rush applying your mascara quickly with this brush.  One's eye, when poked by the little plastic bristle will water profusely, potentially ruining your eye make up and making you even later.  I may or may not know this from experience. :)

Occasionally, I've noticed the mascara flaking off my lashes as the product is running out and I'm getting near the end of the tube.

As for the green tube, CoverGirl's LashBlast Clump Crusher, it does exactly what it says.  It's so good at removing clumps it also removes all the product from your lashes meaning I had some length, minimal curl and no volume.  I made the tube work, but was happy to toss it when it was empty.

What's your favorite or most current mascara?

Jamie

Lovely Layers, how to make a color you might be missing!

There are many times that I'm applying make up and I don't have the exact color I need.  With lipsticks it's quite easy to blend a few together to make the color I'm missing, but did you know it's just as easy to do that with eye shadow?  All it takes is a little layering.  For this particular look I wanted an eyeshadow color that mimicked the reflection of the sequins on my shirt.

Follow these steps as I show you how I make the exact color I was needing.

Silver

Lid color #1, Silver, was applied to the eye lid and the Brow Highlight was added to the brow bone using the 242 brush.

Pink

Lid color #2, Pink, was brushed on top of the silver using the 242 brush.

Crease

A warm, red based brown was blended into the crease with the 217 brush.

Gel-Liner

I lined the top and bottom lid with a gel eyeliner using a 263 brush.

Powder-Liner

Using a black eyeshadow and the 266 brush, I gently smudged the eyeshadow into the gel liner.

Mascara

Add mascara.

Water-Line

Using the 263 brush and the gel eyeliner, paint the inner water line of the eye for this finished look.

Final Look

I'd love to help you create a color that you're missing.  Let me know if you have any questions!

Jamie

Life lessons learned as a Make Up Artist!

It’s a new year, new adventures and a new beauty blog! I have been working as a professional make up artist for 10 years, and I believe our outer appearance is a reflection of our inner self and I believe that these two things are connected closer than we realize.

This beauty blog is something I’ve been considering for the past year and now that it’s a new year I’m ready to start it. I have not arrived a the pinnacle of my career or skill set as I believe one should be the constant student in one’s craft, but I do know a quite a few things and I would LOVE to share with you what I know.

With this blog, I hope to encourage you to look at yourself not just outwardly, but inwardly and recognize you are much more than just the face the world sees.

I will teach make up techniques, tell you what’s new on the market, cover what’s trending as well as explore a smattering of other beauty related topics.

If you’re ready to improve your make up skills while learning how our beauty truly radiates from the inside then join me on this journey and welcome to my beauty blog on jlhess.com!!!