The only product I used so far was the lisi lip gloss which I didn't particularly care for because it was thick and sticky with a medium wash of color.
Monday, March 4, 2013
February Glossybox
The only product I used so far was the lisi lip gloss which I didn't particularly care for because it was thick and sticky with a medium wash of color.
Monday, February 4, 2013
Makeup Removers for Silicone Bases
Depending on the brand of the foundation it can either be a silicone and water mix or purely silicone. Silicone Foundations work by smoothing out skin tones and evening any fine lines. There are 4 silicone bases that are normally used for foundations and they are; Dimethicone, Cyclomethicone, Polysiloxane and phenyl trimethicone. The two most common being:
Dimethicone- acts as an emollient (retains moisture) and leaves skin feeling smooth and soft
Cyclomethicone- smoothes and shines
The best makeup removers for silicone based foundations are those designed to remove long wear and/or waterproof makeup.
Acne Washes
Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash Retail Price $5.49
Typically a face wash for acne because it contains sallycic acid, I have found that it serves as both a face wash and a good makeup remover. It does dry out the skin so I would suggest moisturizing afterwards.
Clean and Clear Morning Burst Retail Price $5.99
Although not as good at removing makeup as the Neutrogena face wash it does remove a great deal. I would suggest washing a few times or using this product in conjunction with another one. This product also dries out the skin a bit so moisturizing afterwards is key.
Facial Soap
Cetaphil Retail Price $4.99
Good for removing makeup and also moisturizing. It's non-comedogenic (meaning it will not clog pores) which is good since it has a moisturizing agent. Probably because of the moisturizing agent I do feel like it does a decent job but not as good as the face washes. But it is nice and gentle on the skin with or without having makeup on.
Almay Retail Price $4.00
This is by far my favorite makeup remover. It comes for different skin types and works very well as a facial soap and for makeup removal. It removes all of my makeup and leaves my skin feeling clean. Like the facial washes it does dry out the skin but that can be easily remedied.
I wear silicone based makeup regularly which is why I wanted to write a post about what I use to get rid of my makeup. Hopefully you found this post helpful.
Have a Beauty-full day!
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Beauty & Life Videos
To start off this new year I want to formally share with you all my Beauty Channel. I have featured a few videos in posts but in case you haven't seen them you can check out my beauty channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/Meli1223/featured . I post makeup, hair and styling videos at least once a week.
If you want to see some follow me around type vlogs then you can check out my other channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/VlogsWithMel/videos?view=0 I will also be posting tags on there.
My newest tutorial can be found below!
One of my Vlog's can be found below!
-Have a Beauty-full day!
Posted by Melissa B at 10:16 PM 0 comments
Labels: beauty, dramatic, eyeliner, follow me around, hair, kim kardashian, makeup, meli1223, myriam fares, nyc, styling, tips, videos, vlogging, vlogs, vlogswithmel, youtube
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
August Favorites
Neutrogena Fight & Fade Toner
The Balm Nude 'tude
BH Cosmetics Liquid Eyeliner
Real Techniques Crease Brush
This crease brush comes in their starter kit that includes 4 other brushes. I am always looking for good crease brushes and I have added this to my list. At first usage I wasn't exactly keen on it, because it is a thicker fluffier brush it can blend out the shadow a little higher up than intended. I kept trying it and figured out how to get it to blend out the shadows with out extending it so far up into the brows. It's really soft and the brush picks up the shadows really well. I would recommend trying this brush but if you do not have that much space in between eyes and brows this brush might be too big for you. You can purchase the starter kit from Ulta here.
Cat Print
Monday, August 6, 2012
Makeup Monday's: Memory Lane
I've decided to start a segment that I will call Makeup Monday's where I will recommend or discuss 1 or a few products every Monday. For today I'm actually going to be a bit nostalgic and look at products that I have been using for some years. Anyone looking to start building their makeup collection without wanting to spend alot of money should consider these products.
I have been using NYX eye shadow in black for around 9 years, it was one of my first most repurchased item. When I was first starting out with makeup I solely used it as a liner, then gradually as an eye shadow. It brings a lot of product for the price and will last a long time. I love that it is very pigmented and affordable.
July Haul
Beauty
This is a purchase I have been wanting for some time. When I saw HauteLook had it on sale I bought it right away. The original price is $36 and Hautelook had it for $18. So far I've been loving it but will do a review much later on. You can purchase the palette here.
Clothing/Accessories
Also purchased but not pictured were two tank tops from H&m, one burgundy the other a semi-sheer black both were priced around $6
If you want to see what I bought in June you can check out my video here.
Have a Beauty-full day!
Saturday, August 4, 2012
Friday, August 3, 2012
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Relieve Puffy Eyes
Saturday, July 14, 2012
Close-Set Eyes
Celebrities with Close-Set Eyes are: Rachel Bilson, Miley Cyrus, Nicole Kidman, Anna Paquin, Hilary Duff, Kate Winslet
Posted by Melissa B at 12:08 AM 0 comments
Labels: anna paquin, beauty, close-set, eye shape, eyeliner, eyes, eyeshadow, hilary duff, kate winslet, makeup, miley cyrus, rachel bilson, simple, techniques, tips, tricks
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Wide-Set Eyes
So to kick things off I have decided to expand on my last post on eye shape and do some tutorials for each one. To begin I have chosen wide-set eyes.
Wide-Set Eyes are characterized by appearing far apart on the face. If the space across the bridge of your nose (in between both eyes) is wider than the actual with of one eye then it is considered Wide-Set. Normally wide-set eyes give a person the appearance of looking more youthful. Often times models have wide-set eyes as it is preferred since they appear younger and with makeup can be made to look more mature if needed. Some Celebrities that have side-set eyes are: Rihanna, Brandy, Amanda Seyfried, Zoe Saldana, Kate Moss
When applying makeup you should always take into account different elements, like eye and face shape.
Tips on making this eye shape appear closer together
1. When placing shadows onto the lid place the darker shadow towards the inner corner. That helps make the eyes appear closer together versus using a lighter shadow which will only open up the eye and make it appear wider apart.
2. In terms of how far one should blend out the shadow, do not extent the shadow too far from the outside corner of the eye. Anything that extends past your actual eye will give the illusion that the eyes are being pulled towards the outside of the face which will further extend your eyes. Keep the shadow close to where your eye ends. A smokey eye for this eye shape needs to be reworked differently.
Posted below is a tutorial that I recently did on my sister who happens to have wide-set eyes. She wanted a colorful look to go out. I did put an inner corner highlight but only because she asked, otherwise I wouldn't. Either way I did not extend her eye shadow farther than her eyes and concentrated it towards the inner part. I shall be posting another video up soon of a reworked smokey eye for this eye shape so stay tuned!
Thanks for reading and have a Beauty-full day!
Posted by Melissa B at 11:30 PM 0 comments
Labels: Amanda Seyfried, beauty, Brandy, eye shapes makeup meli1223 youtube techniques figure out simple face, kate moss, makeup, melissasbeautybar, rihanna, tips, tricks, wide-set, zoe saldana
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
All About Eyes: Find Your Eye Shape
To begin makeup sure your face is devoid of makeup and that your muscles are relaxed (so no tension in the brows). Stand in front of a mirror with eyes open taking not of how much space is around the eyes.
Now taking a look at your face and eyes as a whole do you notice anything in particular about your eyes that stand out?
Are your eyes very pronounced or seem to be bulging out of its socket? Are they prominently set forward and is there a lot of visible eyelid? If so then you have Prominent eyes. Some celebrities with prominent eyes are: Nicole Richie, Lala Vasquez, Octavia Spencer, Penelope Cruz
Are your eyes proportionally smaller to the rest of your face in comparison? If so you have small eyes. You may also have very little space between the brows and eyelid. Some celebrities with small eyes are: Amanda Bynes, Jessica Alba, Jennifer Hudson
Do the inner corners of your eyes have a less pronounced lid than the outer corner? When your eyes are open does the space between your lashes and brow bone seem to recede? If so you have Deep-set eyes. Some celebrities with Deep-set eyes are: Tori Amos, Taylor Swift, Cameron Diaz, Sandra Bullock, Iman
When your eyes are open are your eyelids not visible?Is the crease not readily visible? If so then you have Hooded eyes. Also with age the skin above the brow may sag and cause a hooded eye. Some celebrities with Hooded eyes are: Blake Lively, Iman Chanel, Selma Blair, Hayden Panettiere
Do you have little to no eyelid or crease? Do your eyes have a definitive lift at the outer corners? If so then you have Asian eyes. Because Asian eyes come in a wide spectrum we are going to compact them only for this post. Some celebrities with Asian eyes are: Lucy Lui, Maggie Q, Sandra Oh, Jamie Chung, Kristen Kreuk, Devon Aoki, Thandie Newton, Gabrielle Union, Moon Bloodgood, Cassandra Hepburn, Sophie Okonedo, Jenna Ushkowitz
Are your eyes literally shaped like an almond? Is one side more tapered while the other side is more rounded? If so then you have Almond eyes. Some celebrities with Almond shaped eyes are: Mila Kunis, Aishwarys Rai, Rihanna,Kate winslet, Scarlett Johanson, Gwen Stefani, Minka kelly, Jessica alba, Anne Hathaway, Zoe Saldana, Olivia wilde, Eva longoria, Leighton Meester, Kerry Washington, Kim Kardashian, Beyonce, Octavia Spencer, Penelope Cruz
Do your eyes appear very large and open looking? If so you have Round Eyes. Some celebrities with Round shaped eyes are: Christina Ricci, Zoe Deschanel, Tracee Ellis Ross, Penelope Cruz, Ashley/Mary-Kate/ElizabethOlsen, Emmy Rossum, Demi lovato, Christina Applegate, Amy Adams, Katy Perry
One thing to keep in mind is that everyone's face is not symmetrical, so you can very well have a mix of more than one eye shape. Each eye can even have a mix of two, for example, prominent Almond eyes. Figuring out your eye shape is the first part to applying eyeshadow that will enhance or detract from your eyes. My next post will be exploring more aspects of eyes so stay tuned!
Hopefully this post helped
Posted by Melissa B at 8:52 AM 0 comments
Labels: eye shapes makeup meli1223 youtube techniques figure out simple face
Friday, March 2, 2012
Beauty Blunders
Over Plucked
Whether you have done this or not everyone has seen someone with over plucked brows. It always looks weird because usually they have them thinly shaped into a unnatural looking shape. Not all of them are in odd shapes, just very thin than what they should be. I've heard some people say they have always had very thin brows (although I have never seen someone born with them) or the rest admit to over plucking them. Only once have I had over plucked brows and that was the only time that someone else has ever done my eyebrows for me. I allowed my aunt (who has extremely plucked brows) to do my eyebrows and they came out pretty thin, especially to what I was used to. Luckily my brows don't give too much of a fuss about growing back. Anyways to make sure my brows don't stay thin or what not I like to pluck my brows only and also alternate times when I will let my brows grow fully out. I don't have full thick brows but I do let them grow out to its natural state and then just clean up the area around them. It's just my way of making sure they don't get accustomed to being over tweezed or anything. And here is a picture documenting my thinnest brows.
Thankfully I have been smart enough not to make this error, but I have known others that have done it. Okay so White eyeliner is all well and dandy for the waterline and maybe the inner corner to act as a highlight, but that's about it in terms of everyday makeup. I just don't understand why anyone thinks its okay to draw a medium-thick line on the lashline. It's not like a black liner that makes sense, its white! I've seen so many women do this and in varying skintones, it just never works. I've noticed the women who do this usually don't wear mascara or any other makeup for that matter, they think some white eyeliner is suffice.
Faux Pas Lashes
I wish I could find a picture that represents this but describing it will have to do. Okay so I have seen this more times than I can count and I always end up shaking my head when I see it. Women who wear unnaturally thick and long lashes. Now I only shake my head when they are usually sans any real makeup but have on these crazy lashes. They think that we the public will be fooled to think they are their actual lashes. The lashes are very thick and black and shiny since they are fake and they place them always very close to the lashline if not on it. Also usually you get to see the glue peeking out as well. I understand having thin, short lashes since I have them myself but wearing thick lashes isn't going to make it appear natural. As an example of the types of lashes that are used here is a picture of Ardell Lashes called Tyra.
Over Bronzed
This is another one many people have probably seen as well. There's such a thing as giving yourself what appears to be a sunkissed look or even slightly bronzed skin, but its another thing to pack it on all over. I've never bothered using bronzer since I am tan but I did have a moment when I looked unnaturally tanned. I allowed one of the girls at mac to convince me that a NW45 (I believe, it was in the 40 family) was my shade in foundation, when it was definitely the wrong tone. To begin with the foundation had to much of a red undertone which my skin doesn't and it made me look like I had a bad fake tan. Luckily I figured it out after using it the one time and started learning how to pick out a foundation that worked with my skintone (best one so far has been Face Atelier). I do have pictures documenting that unfortunate moment so when I locate them I shall put up a photo for reference, in the meantime here's a picture.
Bountiful Blush- Blushing Plenty
Oh how many have fallen victim to the excessive use of blush. I've done it once or twice, being distracted or in poor light and applying too much but I know its not a good look. On the other hand there are some women who don't seem to think that using a lot of blush is a beauty blunder. If your cheeks are looking like clowns then it's time to put down your brush. I believe blush should look somewhat natural not painted on like a clown would wear it.
Everyone starting out with makeup and some others that like the look have made this blunder. It basically means only using one eyeshadow and managing to extend it either up until it meets the brows or far out the sides or both. I've done it unfortunately and then later on was able to realize what I was doing wrong and correct it. I know some females like to apply eyeshadow up into their brows and think its a suitable look but in general outside of some dramatic looks I don't view them as very wearable. When I see this happen I always think of Ursula from the little mermaid and how very dark and dramatic her makeup looked, but not in a good way. So here's a photo of me doing the Ursula if you will.
I have seen plenty of people committing this beauty blunder but not a whole lot and thankfully. I've actually encountered a lot of elderly women who fall prey to the spider lashes, the Ursula and bountiful blush. Anyhow the person puts on several coats of mascara to make the lashes pop and sometimes will wear falsies as well. The end result usually ends up with them having really dark clumpy lashes that seem to crawl away from the eyes. I just don't find this flattering.
I see more and more people that end up making this horrible mistake. Contouring is meant to help shade certain parts of you face so that other parts pop. By no means is it meant to look like you have a dirty face or as if you are outlining certain areas of your face. Yet some females don't seem to know how to contour without going overboard. It's almost similar to the blush where they don't realize they've put too much on. I've seen noses with noticeable lines running down the side, or cheeks that look like they were passed over with a chocolate bar. Whatever the case learning how to contour and highlight subtly is something everyone should focus on. I've fallen victim a few times in the beginning to over contouring my nose but now I've found a light touch goes a long way.
The Reversed Raccoon
I feel ever since Kim Kardashian has become more famous there are more girls and women out there committing the Reversed Raccoon. Basically the person has highlighted their eye area way too much in a noticeable way that contrasts with the rest of their face. As in the picture above with Monique she actually didn't do the Reversed Raccoon but she did highlight way too much. Anyway the end result ends up looking like they forgot to wipe away their setting powder.
Everyone who has dabbled in makeup has done this, and I mean EVERYONE. When you are first starting off its all about trial and error and there is no one out there makeup artist or not that hasn't done this. Somewhat connected to The Ursula its basically applying eyeshadow/s and not blending them, so you are left with a lot of shadow. Besides beginners I have encountered some individuals who have been doing their own makeup for years and still have not learned how important blending is. An example of my ignorance of blending is shown below.
(Well.. I tried I guess. Anyway I did do another Beauty Blunder which I will cover in part 2 of this topic)
Oh how I lament thee! This always sets my head to shaking in a slow manner. I have no idea where this trend or look came from but so many women do it. I'm sure you may have or do it yourself or you have just seen others do it. It's one thing to fill in your brows to look fuller yet natural its a whole other thing to draw them in cartoon style. Going heavy on the brow pencil or whatever it may be gives the brows this harsh look. I've seen the sharpie thin ones, to the thick caterpillars. I've overdone it on the brows a couple of times but thankfully only when I have been at home messing around with makeup.
Posted by Melissa B at 3:57 AM 0 comments
Labels: beauty blunders mistakes celebrities makeup lashes contour foundation meli1223 youtube


































































