Beauty Solution: NARS Loose Powder

Being and looking beautiful is beginning to be quite a workout. The winter winds are very harsh on our beautiful faces - drying it out and making our makeup appear dull or masklike. While most loose powders give your face a pinkish appearance, NARS Loose Powder will be your beauty guide during the fall and winter months.

Infused with super fine gold shimmer, NARS Loose Powder is perfect for highlighting the skin. It goes on smooth and illuminates the complexion and leaves a shimmering finish suitable for the face and body. Formulated with an exclusive micro-bubble technology to fill-in lines and pores, silica for a silky smooth texture and imperceptible finish and cornstarch to absorb excess oil, this triple-milled powder blends effortlessly over skin for instant radiance.

Triple-milled powder corrects and softens color
Enriched with Vitamin E
Creates a shimmering finish
Packaged with a powder puff and both plastic and mesh sifters to provide the finest application possible

NARS Loose Powder is as close to a perfect product as one can get. It is amazing how long this product lasts during the day. Touch-ups are rarely needed. The mesh screen cover that rests on top of the powder so that the super-soft puff can be dusted over the product. Retailing at $37, this may just be the best self investment that you will make this season!

"Fashion Is Foremost Inspiration"

Suzanna

Illamasqua Blush in Sin - Makeup Review & Application

As you all know I have been very excited about Illamasqua products and this week I finally got my eager little hands on some of them. Illamasqua is available at Sephora.com and was official released in the US on the 31^st of July. Today I’ll review Illamasqua’s Blush in Sin.

I love my purple blushes, but I have to say they are not for the faint of heart. If you want to look sweet and innocent, there’s no way a purple blush will do. Having purple on your cheeks is certainly scary at first but the result can be really sexy if you don’t go too overboard with it. All of the possible shades of this particular color are superb for fall and winter but I personally prefer the warmer purples. Going back to basic color theory, purple is made by mixing red and blue. If a purple has more blue than red, it is said to be a cool purple; if it has more red than blue, then it’s a warm purple.

However, Sin by Illamasqua has a “problem”- it is extremely pigmented. Unless you want to go back to the 80’s, use the lightest hand, the sparsest brush and the sheerest application you can manage. If your skin is tan or dark, it’s best to repeat the application that going too heavy at first and risk looking like you got in a fight and got bruised. This blush is a matte pressed powder. I like shimmer but purple blush with shimmer would just be too risqué. Please watch my video above for proof of what I’m saying and for help when it comes to how to apply very pigmented blushes.

Overall, in pigmentation and colour, I rate this blush a perfect 10 out of 10 and that seldom happens. I couldn’t be happier with my new blush. Please watch out for my review on Illamasqua lips products and eyeshadows as they are coming up in the next couple of days.

"Fashion Is Foremost Inspiration"

Micky

Makeup 101: Foundation, Blush And Bronzers

To find the best color of foundation for your skin, you absolutely MUST test it on your jaw line. Testing it on the hand, arm, or wrist is NEVER a true match. Eye-balling it through the bottle is doesn't work, either.


I find that the best applicator for liquid foundation is your clean fingers or a foundation brush. Use a sponge only for blending. Sponges have a tendency to soak up foundation instead of smoothing it out on your skin. For thicker foundations, a sponge may be necessary to help spread onto the skin.

Loose powder like Skin Smoothing Loose Powder is typically best when needing to set your foundation. Check that the color is not too dark for your skin. This will give an unnatural look. A foundation that is too light will look terrible in pictures, but too dark a foundation will look even worse.


If you have oily skin, stick with an oil-free or oil-absorbing make up or powder. Be wary that skin oils can actually change the color of the foundation you are applying. Avoid foundations that are too yellow. They may create an orange cast to the skin.


Apply loose powder with a velour puff in a "pressing" action for extra coverage and staying power. Press enough powder into your skin, avoiding the immediate eye areas, until you look like a powdered doughnut. Then lightly dust off the excess. When your skin warms up, you will have a natural finish without looking made up.

Choosing a blush color really isn't that hard; it is probably the easiest color to decide upon. It's unfortunate that there are so many unnatural colors on the market. The purpose of blush is to give the skin a healthy glow. I don't know many people who blush brown. Most look better in a color that has some sort of pink to it, although some women look better with a warmer color, Especially those with red tones in their hair. Both Posietint and Baked Matte Satin Blush are beautiful options.


To apply blush start with the apples of your cheeks. Find them by smiling. Start there, and blend backwards straight into the hairline. Blend into the skin so the application does not seem obvious.

If you feel that you are too pale and are afraid of self-tanners, you may want to try a bronzer. These come in loose and pressed powder forms, as well as sticks, gels and mousse. Ulta carries Mousse Bronzer and it looks amazing! Look at yourself in bright light. Where does the light hit you? Your forehead, the tops of your cheekbones, nose, jaw line, etc. This is where the sun would most naturally color the skin. Apply the bronzer sparingly to these areas.

Now that you've been educated on Foundations, Blushes, and Bronzers you are now ready to apply your makeup safely!

"Fashion Is Foremost Inspiration"

-Suzanna

First Date: Beauty & Makeup Tips

So you're going on a first date with a hot guy that you've just met and you really want to impress him: this night has to be perfect! You've found the perfect dress, shoes, perfume, and accessories -- but you're clueless on how to wear your makeup and what to wear. Having the right cosmetic application is just as important as what you're wearing when it comes to a first dates. Here are some beauty tips that'll help you make your first date a success

First, give yourself a refreshing start. Exfoliate your face, neck, and body. This method is great for shedding dead cells, softening your skin, and radiating your youthful glow. Don't get caught out there rugged and ashy. Instead, lather yourself up with silky lotion. Men love it when a woman has silky smooth skin --- he won't be able to keep his hands off you.

Although they say honesty is the best policy when it comes to a relationship; you're not so sure if and when this will blossom into something more... after all, you are prepping for your first date. Don't be so quick to expose your flaws such as pimples, blackspots, and uneven tones. Cover it up with a concealer. Here, I used Make Up For Ever's Full Cover Concealer in Chocolate #18. This concealer worked it's magic in concealing my dark spots.

Next, I applied NARS' Balanced Foundation in Trinidad. As I previously posted, I love using this foundation - it shows off the natural radiance of my skin and the shade matches my complexion perfectly. Unlike most makeup, this liquid foundation has a lighter feel; resulting in a translucent finish that smoothes fine lines and imperfections without appearing heavy on my skin.

Since this is your first date, I would suggest staying away from bright and bold theatrical eye shadow colors such as green, yellow, pink, purple, etc. They scream attention and may look tacky in this occassion; save those colors for a girls' night out instead. Believe it or not, most guys are turned off to such colors. Guys are more interested in your inner beauty, so try going for a natural, soft, feminine look. Here, I used earthy tones such as Lola Lola (neutral brown with shimmer), Fez (velvety cocoa), and Galapagos (rich bronze with gold flecks) by NARS. First I was going for the Smokey Eye Look then decided to play around. Not only do these colors compliment my complexion - they're excellent for day and evening uses as well.

Because you love your lashes so much, bat your babies to Benefit's BADgal Lash Mascara in black. I love using this mascara: the oversized brush defines, volumizes, and lengthens your lashes without clumping. Also, it separates your lashes beautifully without weighting down your eyes. One coat of this mascara will have his eyes locked into yours all night!

To enhance your brows for a fuller appearance, penciled it in with Anastasia's Perfect Brow Pencil. Here, I used Brunette - which is a dark warm brown color. This double-duty wand is comprised of a velvety pencil on one end and a brow brush on the other.

Just in case he makes you blush - come prepared with NARS' Orgasm. This soft, sheer pressed powder blush gives cheeks a perfect pinky-peach flush and subtly highlights with accents of golden shimmer. I love using Orgasm; the color goes well with just about any complexion and is a definate must have. Its no wonder Orgasm was chosen as the winner of the best of Sephora for the past 5 years!

And finally, give your date the ultimate lip service with a limitless lip smacking gloss. The perfect shades are always hard to find, but just incase you can't make up your mind don't be afraid to get creative and mix up different colors. For fun, I mixed Smashbox's Lip Enhancing Gloss Full Color in Aura (a light muted pink shimmer) with Limitless - Long Wear Lip Gloss SPF15 in Boundless (juicy melon). I applied Boundless - which is darker, around the outter edges and Aura - which is more neutral, around the center. The Long Wear Lip Gloss is idea for a long evening: it lasts up to 6 hours so you don't have to worry about taking frequent beauty breaks to reapply gloss on your lips. Want more; Here's a quick list of the hottest items beauty addicts all over the world are shopping for right now.

And there you have it: your First Date Beauty and Makeup Tips!

Don't forget these items with you on your first date:

1. A small touch-up brush, such as a Kabuki brush to refreshen your look

2. Breath Mints

3. Credit/ Debit card - a woman should be able to hold her own

4. Cell Phone - for emergency purposes

5. Most importantly, Your smile and sense of humor

Remember that purity is the key to beauty: use colors that will compliment your beauty and radiate your smile. Have fun on your date and good luck!

"Fashion Is Foremost Inspiration"

- Suzanna

Money Saving Tip - Cream Blushes

Cream Blushes are huge this season. So if you love your blush I’m going to show you how to turn it into a cream blush easily.

Items used in this clips:

Creme Blush Swatched - RBA Beauty Collection Cream Blush 1 (it was available in news stands here as a regular collection)

Skin Iluminators: Shown- The Body Shop Golden Skin Illuminator. Used- Sephora's Perfection Primer

Loose Blush - Coastal Scents Allure 3 in 1.

Be sure to visit my youtube page.

"Fashion Is Foremost Inspiration"

Micky