Tutorial: All About Brows

I have been challenged to blog every day for one week by Gee...so this means you guys are going to get seven times the fun! Of course, when I win this challenge, Gee is going to post something too, so keep an eye out for that. ;)

The topic of the day is eyebrows! I got an email a while back, so I thought I'd demonstrate how I maintain my eyebrows. Brows are an important feature to your face, and can really define your facial feature. The shape of eyebrows differ depending on your facial features, but properly maintained and groomed eyebrows are never a miss.

I had my eyebrow shaped for the first time when I was in high school, and unfortunately, the woman did a horrible job and ruined my arches. Now, those of you who are naturally blessed with perfect eyebrows and arches won't know what I'm talking about, but if you've ever tried to reshape your eyebrows by letting them grow out, you'll understand how much of a tedious process it is.

When I was finally ready to get them re-shaped, I let my brows grow out for a few weeks without tweezing or trimming (eww, I know). Once they were messy enough, I went to my beloved threading lady and she worked her magic. Now I usually trim them and tweeze them myself, but I'll go back every few months just to make sure that everything's okay. I've never had my brows waxed, so I can't compare the pain factor, but threading is painful enough to bring tears to my eyes, nothing more.

So, this is my "as simple as possible" eyebrow trimming tutorial!

THE TOOLS

• Tweezer
• Lash comb
• Eyebrow razors
• White eyeliner pencil (optional)
  

STEP ONE

Get a white eyeliner (or anything that stands out), and trace the general shape of your eyebrow. Tweeze any hairs outside of the line, and on the line if you desire. Yes, the picture is of my right eye (in case you couldn't tell by the watermark :P); I flipped it around to keep in sync with the rest of my photos.

STEP TWO

Once you have your general shape, use an eyelash comb and comb the hairs UPWARDS. Since you already have your general shape, use the razor to trim any hair that extends past the line (in this case, all the hairs that are sticking up past the red line). Once you're done, repeat the process but comb the hair DOWNWARDS. Once hair reaches a certain length, they start losing their pigmentation, which is why it's a good idea to trim them (it also looks cleaner).

STEP THREE

Now that you've got the basic trimming and shape down, fill them in! You can use anything you want - powder gives a softer and more natural look, while pencils give a more defined "hard" look. You do not need "special" powders designed for eyebrows; in fact, any powder eyeshadow would work. I personally use MAC Espresso eyeshadow followed by Lingering pencil for days when I want more defined brows, but if I'm on the go, the pencil is all it takes.

Make sure you go 2-3 shades lighter if you're a brunette or darker, and go 2-3 shades darker if you're a blonde or lighter. If you're in between...use your judgment!

If your eyebrow kit comes with a wax, you can use the wax to define and keep stray hairs in place. Apply the wax first (be careful not to use too much), then apply the powder over it. Two popular kits are listed below; I haven't tried the Brow Zing, but I do love my Brow Box (BB also comes with more wax than BZ!).

Benefit Brow Zing, $30 (currently on sale for $22.50)

Urban Decay Brow Box, $29 (my review)

Can't figure out where your arch should be?

Follow the diagram - point A runs vertical to your nose, point B hits approximately the middle of your eye (don't look to the side while you're doing this...), and point C is at the end of your eye.

Or, for a neat little trick, pull on the skin where you think your arch would be. If it looks off, it probably shouldn't be at that spot. Still, follow the diagram above to get the best idea.

Filling in eyebrows is an entirely different story! I'll make a post another day, although I'm thinking a video might explain things better...

New hurrrhh! Latest haul!

Hi ladies (and gents??)! It's been a while, hasn't it? Last week was kind of low key in terms of makeup, so I didn't have much to update about.

Anyway, early last week, I went to get a haircut. I kept it the same length, but got more layers and...bangs! I haven't had bangs since I was 6, so this is a drastic change. I'm still trying to get used to it, but so far, I'm liking it.

After my haircut, I stopped by MAC to take a look at the new collections that came out...and I ended up with only the 189 brush. I know, I know, hard to believe but there really wasn't anything that appealed to me from the MES, mineralized blushes, or the mineralized skinfinish duos (although I may change my mind about the duo; it seems that the darker ones might be good for contouring).

The mineralized eyeshadows are actually really pretty, but there were no special must-have shades except maybe the green one. The pigmentation is definitely an improvement over the previous MES releases, so it's nice to see that MAC is making changes and not just releasing the same damn things over and over again! The mineralized blushes were really pretty, but I have enough blushes, and once again, nothing that I must have. The skinfinish duos are versatile, but I personally don't like split pan products, so they were a no go for me. The 189 brush, on the other hand, is amazing. It's like a bigger and fluffier version of the 190 brushes, and works great on liquids, creams, and powders (it has synthetic bristles). I've been using it with my mineralized skinfinish foundation/powder, and it deposits just the right coverage. It is rather firm, but soft enough to have a lighter coverage. It's $40, which is a bit on the pricier side, but honestly, I think it's worth the investment.

I also picked a few neutral staples that I've been meaning to get. I also got a new DUO eyelash glue, because my old one was starting to smell fishy (eww, I know). Last but not least, EOTD after 6 hours of wear:

Products used:
Painterly Paint Pot (base)
Soft Brown e/s (crease)
Rule e/s (crease)
Tease 'n Teal e/s (LE)
Ricepaper e/s (highlight)
Linequeen liquid liner

I picked up this Japanese liquid liner because I needed a new one, and hated the brush that comes with the MAC Liquidlast liners. I actually really wanted a new one called the "16-Hour Tattoo", but it was all sold out so I picked this one up instead. I'll do a formal reviews later, but for now, we'll just say that I'm not too impressed.

Anyway, hope your Mondays are going well! Just remember, there's only four more days left in the work week. :P

Foundation Matching

One of the questions that I get quite often is in regards to foundation matching, and while I don't switch foundations very often, I do sample my fair share of them. The purpose of this post is to give you some ideas on color selection; if you know that you are lighter or darker than my skintone, then you would want to select a lighter or darker shade for your skintone. This will also give me a chance to do a mini review on each foundation listed.

Background: Nc25 in winter, NC30 in summer. I slather on a lot sunscreen and SPF products, hence the small difference in shades between seasons. Remember folks, sunscreen is very important! :) I also have prominent yellow undertones, making it hard to find a match in brands not catered towards Asian (and other ethnic) women, although most brands are branching out to include more yellow undertones these days. I have combo skin - normal cheeks, and oily T-zone.

Although I will list all shades I've tried, the perfect/most fitting shade will be italicized.

MINERAL
Everyday Minerals

Light - too light, more suitable for NC20ish.
Light Winged Butter - too much yellow undertones!
Golden Medium

EM comes in four different formulas - original glo, semi matte, matte, and intensive. Due to my skin type, I have semi-matte for the less coverage days, and intensive for the days when I want heavier coverage. Without a primer, the foundation does tend to cake/melt, so I usually follow up with their Tinted Silk Dust (the original is pure white, so it tends to create a white glow on darker skintones). Intensive actually runs one shade dark, so make sure to order one shade LIGHTER than what you normally would wear (e.g. Light Intensive is the perfect shade for me). I don't really see myself wearing this in hot weather, because I know it will just slide off of my face.

Alima

N-3 and W-3: I find that my perfect shade is actually a mixture of both neutral and warm. Alima's Warm shades tend to have prominent yellow undertones, so I add in the neutral to balance it out. I was able to get my order custom-mixed for free before, but it looks like they charge slightly more now to mix it.

One thing about Alima is that they have amazing customer service! My emails get a reply within one business day, and they always include free samples with every order.

LIQUID

Revlon Colorstay

Buff - Neutral beige, no excessive pink or yellow undertones. A bit too light, more for NC20ish skintone.
Nude - similar to Sand Beige, but not enough yellow.
Sand Beige

I haven't bought drugstore foundation in years, mostly because a lot of brands did not have much selection when it came to warmer shades, and also I didn't want to play the matching game. However, when I was looking at Makeup Forever's Mat Velvet foundation, most people on MUA recommended this foundation instead.

This is a great medium coverage foundation that literally lasts all day. Many of my other foundations do not last through the "shirt test" (when you rub your foundation-face against a shirt and see whether or not it transfers), but when I discreetly performed the shirt test against the sleeve of my boyfriend's white shirt, this foundation actually stayed on my face instead of his sleeve. It does set rather quickly, so make sure you blend it out nicely to avoid patches and streaks. It also has great coverage, and looks (and feels) very natural.

This foundation comes in two different formulas; one for dry skin, and one for normal/combo skin. Make sure you get the right formula, because it will make a world of difference!

Prescriptives Flawless Skin Total Protection Makeup

Champagne (Y/O)

I picked this up at my CCO the other day because I was on the hunt for a full coverage foundation. It's oil-free, which is another plus in my book. While I'm not in love with it, I do like the coverage it provides. It doesn't feel as natural as Colorstay, but it does give pretty good and natural coverage. The texture is dewy, so it gives you a more natural look rather than cakey or fake. It does get a thumbs-up from me for being fragrance-free. I'm not too picky with fragrance, but I'm not too fond of putting something on my face that smells like paint.

Prescriptives has a rather extensive coloring system, but generally, Y/O is for warmer skintones, and R/O is for cooler skintones.

Christian Dior Diorskin Forever Extreme Wear Flawless SPF 25
021 Linen

One good thing about Dior foundations is that their coloring is the same across all products - so Linen in Forever is the same as Linen in Capture Totale. Capture Totale is an amazing foundation; it gives the best coverage I've ever used, while looking natural and dewy without that oily look. Sadly, it's also $75 a bottle. Ouch. Diorskin provides medium coverage, and blends beautifully with the skin. Best part? It comes with a pump (which, at $42, it should haha), which makes it easy to dispense. I actually get a lot of compliments on my skin with this foundation; a lot more than any other foundations that I use.

CONCEALER
MAC Select Cover Up (and any MAC concealers)

NC30

Great concealer; I like to use it with a foundation brush when I want to cover up some of the redness that I get in my cheeks. If you're not much of a foundation person, this is a great concealer to use as a "light foundation". The general rule with concealer for undereye area is to go a shade lighter, and on the opposite spectrum - so in this case, I would technically go with NW25 for undereye areas. However, I find that using a cool concealer shade is not as effective as using a warm shade for my undereye circles.

the Balm Time Balm

Light/Medium

This is a heavy coverage concealer, which I use for under eyes, and around the sides of my nose. It has a rather hard texture, so I have to warm it up in the palm of my hand for a few seconds to make sure that it applies smoothly. Great coverage, but as with all cream products and oily skin, it tends to run if I don't have a primer.

Tinted Moisturizers

Lancome Aqua Fusion Teinte

01 Naturel

I was matched to this shade last year, and it works out pretty well. Since it's a tinted moisturizer, the shade is sheer enough to work out for me in both winter and summer. I've started using it a lot more now that it's summer and hotter, and it lasts beautifully. It's on the pricier side, but with GWP promotions, I don't mind purchasing it once a year (although I'm still on my tube).






Bobbi Brown SPF 15 Tinted Moisturizer

Light

Tinted moisturizers generally don't offer a lot of coverage, but I have trouble with this TM. If I apply it with a sponge, it provides very little coverage, but if I apply it with a foundation brush, it tends to ball up a little. I don't know why it does, but for that reason, I don't use it as often as my Lancome one. It's also pretty costly at $40, so it is a small investment.










(Images from Sephora.com, MacCosmetics.com, AlimaCosmetics.com, EverydayMinerals.com, Prescriptives.com, Lancome-Usa.com, and BobbiBrown.com.)

Review: Thevi Cosmetics

I recently had the opportunity to try out a new makeup line, called Thevi Cosmetics. What drew me initially was the fact that the company was geared towards the modern ethnic woman - something that you don't really see these days. I can't help but think about all the makeup lines I've tried that didn't have foundations with yellow undertones, or weren't suited for ethnic skin period. Of course, the market is a bit different these days since every company is developing a wider range of colors, but still, it's nice to see such a brand.

Behind The Brand
Wife, mother and entrepreneur, Thevaki Thambirajah is both the beauty and the brains behind the THEVI Collection.

With roots that reach deep into the Indian sub-continent, Thevi was born of Sri Lankan parents in New York State. She grew up as part of a vibrant, multi-ethnic community, whose diverse styles and cultures shared the common ties of strong family bonds, a love of color, a respect for traditions and a celebration of women as leaders, mothers, sensual beings.

As a young woman, beginning her career and enjoying a busy social life, Thevi could never find cosmetics in shades that suited her coloring.

Because she has always held that beauty is a way of empowerment, both at home and at work, she felt a keen need for a prestige makeup brand with colors that were rich and vibrant without being harsh. One with formulas that would complement her skin, and shades that were modern and sophisticated. In short, a collection of colorful, contemporary, no-gimmick makeup she could relate to.

"I know that there are many, many women like me. Women to whom ‘natural’ means ‘colorful.’ After all, what is more natural than a flower, a butterfly, a sunset? In our homes, in our dress, even in our foods and in our makeup, we are women who feel comfortable with color. In fact, we crave it. And while our skins come in a wide range of tones and shades, we all look best with a more intense makeup. Red lips. Strongly defined eyes. Visible cheek color. And of course, fresh, smooth complexions.

THE PRODUCTS
Triple Split eyeshadow: Color coordinated eye shadow, for a finished look, in shades that show up on darker skin. Rich, triple-milled colors with a velvety finish glide on smoothly, blend beautifully and cling for hours. Water-proof. Crease-resistant. Formulated with skin-conditioning Vitamins C and E. Hypoallergenic. Mineral oil-free. $22

Hemisphere is a beautiful trio of greens. It features a olive green with golden undertones, a darker olive green, and a white shimmery highlight. The texture is very soft, but for some reason, it doesn't apply as pigmented as other "soft" textured eyeshadows (think MAC Veluxe Pearls, UD Deluxe e/s). The color payoff is, I would say, medium - it's not as pigmented as I imagined it to be, but it's not quite as bad. I do like the fact that you can't really "overapply" the eyeshadow due to the texture - it's just the right amount of color payoff.

After 6 hours, there is a little bit of creasing, but nothing that I don't experience with other brands. So, the staying power of these shadows do live up to its claim.

The con with this is that it's a split pan! I really don't like split pans, mostly because it's very hard not to get the colors mixed together (although it doesn't really count in this case because they're all in the same color family).

Matte Eyeshadow: For everyday seduction, nothing beats the power of an artfully made up eye. This vibrant, velvet-smooth color glides on quickly, blends easily and stays fresh and crease-free for hours. In shades that show up on darker skin. Long-lasting, triple-milled powder is crease-resistant and water-proof. Formulated with skin-conditioning Vitamins C and E. Hypoallergenic. Mineral oil-free. $20

I'm slowly becoming a convert to matte eyeshadows. I will always be a shimmer and sparkle girl at heart, but sometimes, shimmery purple eyeshadow may not be the most appropriate!

I received Pink Whisper (231), and Oatmeal (287). Unfortunately, I'm not a fan of Pink Whisper mostly because I don't really use matte pink eyeshadows. I find that they don't really compliment my skintone, so I can't say I'm too fond of it. Oatmeal is a great basic matte highlight color, so there's really nothing I can say about it either. :P The matte eyeshadows are of great quality, and very soft to work with. Nikki used the Pink Whisper as a blush, and I have to agree with her that it works rather well (coincidentally, the blushes are of the same size as the eyeshadows

Sheer Matte Blush: The most amazing blush ever. Rich, vibrant color that looks totally natural. Micro-milled pigments glide on smooth, sheer color with a velvety soft finish that becomes one with your skin. Enriched with conditioning, protective Vitamins C and E. Hypoallergenic. Mineral oil-free. $22

I think I may have found a new favorite. I got Whisper Apricot, which is a beautiful...well, apricot shade. The blush is very pigmented, and goes on bright without giving that garish clown look. In fact, as I'm typing this at 3am, I can still see it on my skin, which is quite impressive given how oily my skin gets.

High Impact Lipstick: Sensual lip color. Advanced formula lipstick with unique chroma-shine technology provides rich color intensity with a super glossy finish that’s virtually weightless, yet won’t wear off. Plus it’s packed with Vitamins A, E and C for anti-oxidant protection and conditioning. In an array of gloriously colorful shades. Hypoallergenic.

Looking at the swatches on Thevi's website, this appears to be the lightest shade. Even though it's the lightest, I still find it pretty dark for me. I kind of did a double take when I first opened the tube because it looked so dark, but it actually comes out a nice red brown with metallic undertones. It reminds me a lot of MAC "O" lipstick - dark in the tube, but applies beautifully. I think it'd be too dark for me to wear during the daytime (although I'd probably wear it out at night) since I'm more on the pale side, but this is very flattering on those with darker skintones.

These lipsticks are similar to MAC Slimshines in that while they are lipsticks, they are also very moisturizing, and pack a lot of color. I don't know the lasting power because I took the lipstick off to eat, so I can't really comment on that.

(Whoot, look at those hawt undereye bags!)

FACE
Lancome Aqua Fusion Teinte 01
Thevi Whisper Apricot blush

EYES
UDPP
Thevi Triple Split e/s (lightest on lid, darkest in crease, and highlight as...well, highlight)
MAC Teddy eyekohl
Max Factor Lash Perfection

LIPS
Thevi Sequin Lipstick

Overall, I do like the brand. I could easily see it being sold along other brands at Sephora. However, I do have my reservations about the price. Thevi Cosmetics are comparable to NARS in terms of pricing, and I don't know if I'd see myself shelling over $22 for an eyeshadow anytime soon, not even if it was NARS (hahaha). The products are also rather small for the size - their eyeshadows and blushes are 0.12g for $22, while MAC blushes are $17.50 (or has it gone up already?) for 0.21g of product. So in summary, Thevi has nice products, but it's not an absolute must have brand if you're not looking to spend a lot of money.

Oh, and for those who were asking for a MAC Neon pigments FOTD, I don't think that'll be happening anytime soon. :\ I tested it out on my lids, and they were started to burn within 15 minutes. I'll leave the neon stuff up to Christiana! :P

All information courtesy of Thevi Cosmetics. I'm not naked; I'm wearing a tube top dress.

Beauty Marked

I think you guys would be appalled at the fact that I haven't worn makeup in the last two weeks. Not one single drop of foundation, or mascara. Seriously! My summer job basically has me out in the sun a lot, so combined with a lot of sweating and sheer exhaustion, I couldn't be bothered to put on makeup. My skin has enjoyed the chance to breathe, although the dust and sweat didn't really help either. :\ I literally scrubbed off a layer of dirt last night. Ick!

Anyway, this is the same look as the one I posted from when I went out a while back, except the picture quality wasn't very good on that one. I liked the look a lot (even if you couldn't see it, haha), so I decided to use it again for a dinner outing.

FACE
Face & Body C3
Studio Finish NC30
Natural MSF in Light/Medium
Peachykeen
Margin
NARS Laguna

EYES
Painterly Paint Pot
Foxy Lady eyekohl
Beauty Marked e/s
Nocturnelle e/s
Dazzlelight e/s
Nylon e/s
Fascinating e/k

LIPS
Gingerroot lipliner
Fabby l/s
Oyster Girl l/g

Face & Body is probably my new favorite foundation. It's water based and water resistant, which is great for oily skin. The only downside is that it doesn't have SPF (which actually kind of works out because it won't look too pale in photos), so you have to make sure you put a primer or sunscreen on underneath. It's a little pricier than normal MAC foundations at $32, but you get 4.0 fl. oz. of product versus the $23 (I think...) for 1.0 fl. oz. of product of Select SPF 15 or Studio Fix Fluid. It offers sheer to medium coverage, which is perfect for those summer days when everything feels like it's just melting off of your face!

Have a happy and safe 4th of July, and if you're looking to do some cheap NYX hauling, Nonpareil Boutique is offering a 20% discount on all products listed on their sites (code: JULY4th). Best part? Their NYX round lipsticks are temporarily marked at $0.99, so with the discount, it'd only be $0.80 a lipstick!

Somebody posted it on MUA, and I thought I'd pass it along in case somebody was interested in trying out NYX products and didn't want to pay "retail" (the lipsticks got raised to $1.99 each, I think). I've never ordered from them, or even heard of them, so be cautious if you do plan on ordering.

Aaaannnddddd...as if that wasn't enough, JW Cosmetics is also having a 4th of July sale. All Indelible gel liners and creme eyeshadows are only $7! So if you still haven't tired the Indelible liners, now might be a good incentive to. :) Their shipping prices are extremely reasonable, and they ship out super fast!

Bee-auty Winners!

Congratulations to winners:

1. Kamewh
2. Lily
3. quitecontrary1977
4. Michele P
5. Mirian

for winning the Burt's Bees Radiance packs!

Please send me your contact information (girlmeetsmakeup@gmail.com), and your Radiance Kits will go out promptly.

Thank you to everybody else that entered! Don't fret if you didn't win this time; there's always next time. :)

----------------------
Winners were selected using the same method as last time.

p.s. yes, there is a real post coming up. Meanwhile, I'll just let the suspense do its work. ;)

BEE-auty Giveaway!

June 22 – 28 is National Pollinator Week and Burt's Bees wants to give these little pollinators their moment in the spotlight for all the work they do in providing us with healthy products that keep us looking BEE-utiful.

These little guys are responsible for pollinating 30% of the fruit and vegetable plants that we eat, but they're plagued by colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), which is the mysterious disappearance of honeybee colonies.

Here's how you can help:

Starting this month, 5% of the proceeds from your purchase of Burt's Bees special edition CCD Beeswax Lip Balm will continue their research into CCD, and support their partnership with The North American Pollinator Protection Campaign and its Honeybee Health Improvement Project.

Not only that, but they are offering a free packet of wildflower seeds to those who sign up on their website. Just head over to this page, fill out your information, and get ready to plant!

But that's not all! GMM is also giving away five (5) Radiance Kits to five lucky winners. To win, leave a comment* or email me with the following two steps:

1. Visit the following pollinator friendly websites, and bring back a BEE fact:

• burt's Bees (www.burtsbees.com)
• The Pollinator Partnership (www.pollinator.org)
• Haagen-Dazs Honeybee program (www.haagendazs.com)
  

2. Answer this question:
Honey bees play a key role in pollinating 30% of the fruit and vegetable plants that we rely on. What specific products (e.g. MAC Select SPF 15 foundation) play a key role in your makeup routine?

Winners will be chosen at random, and announced within 48 hours after contest ends. Good luck, and have fun!

*Make sure the comment/entry contains your name and email. Entries without an email address will be disqualified.

Contest ends at 11:59PM PST on Saturday, June 28th. Open to U.S. residents only (sorry!), and entries must include both items; all entries that do not will be disqualified. Images and giveaway sponsored by Burt's Bees.