Aesthetic Make-Up Blog

I can’t imagine how I survived before I finally discovered the ingenious thing called a primer. This wonderful product is meant to be applied on a bare face to prep it for makeup application. It smooths out fine lines and fills pores, to create the illusion of flawless skin. When you use a primer, your makeup applies evenly, and stays on longer.

My absolute favorite product, my holygrail of all primers, is Smashbox Photo Finish. It comes different formulations to suit a variety on ski-types. I use the Light formula which is for oily skin. But there’s also a green-tinted formula for evening out reddish skin (like those who have Rosacea,) and the newest formula which has SPF 15 and Dermaxyl Complex (an anti-aging ingredient.) Photo Finish has a gel-consistency that glides onto my face like silk, and leaves my skin with a natural matte finish. I also like that it’s oil-free and contains grapeseed extract that soothes the skin, so it’s not just makeup, but a skin treat. Ideally, people follow primer with an application of foundation, but in my case, I find that I’m good to go even sans makeup.

Prices are between $36-45. Not a bad deal for perfect skin.

“Hello 24-hour party people! When it comes to life in the big city, Richie Rich and Traver Rains know what time it is! Manhattan’s most counter-culture couturiers and red carpet renegades create a world of demented drama for lips, eyes, and all over glitter that you practically paint-by-numbers. Two ways to wear it…Good girl by day-Shine and rise! Or bad girl by night-sparkle like a superstar!”

And with that sassy intro, MAC unveils it’s limited-edition makeup line, a brilliant collaboration between the popular beauty brand, and Heatherette, a design house famous for its up edgy club looks. Run by Traver Rains and Richie Rich, Heatherette’s designs were first sold at the boutique of Sex and the City stylist Patricia Fields. Its stylish a-list patrons now include Gwen Stefani and Pink.

The makeup line, dubbed the Heatherette Collection includes favorites from MAC (traditional lipstick, Lip gloss, Dual-edged pencils, Nail Lacquer, Beauty Powder, etc) in bold, bright and funky colors. There are Barbie-doll pinks for the lips, Dollar-green for the nails, glitter-laden pigments in disco hues; shades that call to mind the late 1980’s/early 1990’s New York club scene. Further proof of this collection’s playful 80’s vibe? Eyeshadow palettes in shapes reminiscent of cassette tapes.

If you’ve just had a sleepless night and are in need of an instant “pick-me-up” for your skin, blush can be your best bet. Cheek color can brighten skin and camouflage splotchiness, the right product can give you a natural and healthy glow. My second blush review in this series is also the most popular, Benefit’s Benetint.

“The original sexy flush!” Benetint has been a makeup favorite for years, and has spawned numerous copycat products. But nothing compares to the original, and makeup artists and product junkies alike, swear by Benetint! This cult product comes in a bottle, with a brush applicator similar to a nailpolish brush. While the rose-tinted liquid may be a little tricky to apply at first (the liquid consistency is prone to streaking, if you aren’t careful) once you get the hang of it, you’re likely to call it your holy grail of cheek products. Not only does it provide you with a natural flush of perfect sheer pink (that matches most skintones) it’s very long-wearing, so you don’t need to keep reapplying.

This versatile cheekstain also doubles as a lipstain, so it’s great if you’re travelling light! I wouldn’t recommend using it on your bare lips though. I suggest a light coat of lipbalm underneath the stain to counter-act the drying effect.

We’ll kick off the month of May with a great write-up on Blog-Tique about the new Armani Beauty Spring 2008 collection. It’s well worth checking out!

Beauty enthusiasts eager ride the eco-chic wave now have an abundance of “green” brands to choose from. Here’s a run-down on some of my favorite brands:

Origins, L’Occitane, Cargo and Durance all use only the best botanical ingredients in their products. Juice Beauty’s skincare products are based on organic juices produced on sustainable family farms. Aveda, Jurlique, and Weleda promote biodynamics in their products. Biodynamics goes beyond organic farming in nurturing the soil.

Cult skincare favorite Kiehl’s advocates the concept of “Fair Trade,” (which basically promotes standards for international labor and social policy) and pays fair prices for the raw material gathered in rural Morocco, making certain that materials and processes used in the production of its cosmetics are all environment-friendly.

Hip hollywood brand Smashbox has also jumped in on the green bandwagon; recently launching its first completely eco-friendly collection, aptly titled The Green Room. The products in this line are infused with moringa seed extract,(a natural anti-oxidant) and are packaged in biodegradable and recyclable materuals. In addition, Smashbox Cosmetics will also plant a moringa tree in a developing country for each product purchased from the Green Room collection.

Many promising new eco-chic beauty brands are also on the rise. Australia-based Shizen, carries certified organic products that contain nothing artificial, and benefit Greenfleet, an eco-friendly Australia-based organization.

Tea has long since been acknowleged for its healthy benefits, not only as a beverage, but also as a key ingredient in many beauty products. The most popular, by far, is green tea, an anti-inflammatory and immunity-booster with powerful anti-oxidant properties that help prevent skin cell damage. Another common choice, is white tea, a mild tea that still packs a powerful punch with its potent anti-bacterial properties. The latest tea on the beauty front is red tea, which has been praised for its varied benefits ranging from anti-ageing to acne-prevention.

Many cult favorite skincare products incorporate tea in their ingredients. Shu Uemura Skin Cleansing Purifier is a cleansing oil that contains green tea to combat skin ageing. Origins A Perfect World White Tea Skin Guardian, is a skin serum that contains white tea leaf extracts to help prevent skin oxidation, as well as skin dehydration.

There are also a plethora of fragrances with tea notes; some notable ones include Elizabeth Arden Green Tea Tropical, a new variant on the classic EA Green Tea fragrance that mixes heart notes of green tea with notes of tropical fruits (like lychee, passion fruit, and dragon fruit.) L’Occitane The Vert Eau de Toilette, is an invigorating blend of green tea and citrus fruits. Monotherme White Tea Eau de The Blanc Pour Femme, combines delicate white tea with soft musk, white flowers, and rare spices. And Bvlgari Eau Parfumee Au The Rouge, which incofporates notes of walnut and fig with a heart note of red tea.

Mineral makeup is made from crushed minerals, high on pigment, and containing no chemicals, fillers or dyes. It is also naturally hypoallergenic and it doesn’t clog pores, making it suitable for most skin types. Mineral makeup has no talc content, which makes it easier for the skin to retain essential moisture. Additionally, key ingredients of mineral makeup, such as titanium dioxide and zinc oxide also provide natural UV protection. All these benefits make the use of mineral powder in cosmetics extremely popular now.

The concept of a natural, pure, and effective makeup that is also good for the skin, has proven irresistible; and what began as a small infomercial venture by pioneer Bare Escentuals, has exploded into a cosmetics phenomenon that has taken the world by storm. Today, brands like L’Oreal, Neutrogena, Revlon, Maybelline, AVON, MAC, Jane Iredale, Bloom (and many others) have jumped in on the mineral bandwagon, as clearly evidenced by the large number of mineral-based makeup lines from these brands popping up in droves on the cosmetic counters.

For those who want to try it out, Bare Escentuals offers a great kit with everything you need to get started on mineral makeup. The Bare Escentuals Get Started Kit: contains several shades of mineral foundation, a makeup primer, finishing mineral powder, all over face color, a set of aplication brushes, as well as a bonus How-to DVD with application tips and look ideas.

We all know about colored contact lenses (used to alter the appearance of one’s eyecolor,) but if you think those are fancy, then you’ve never seen Circle-lenses. Spotted in magazines, and on famous celebrities, these lenses have been the rage in Asia for a few years now, and are currently taking the world by storm.

Simply speaking, Circle-lenses are cosmetic contact lenses with a dark-colored rim around the iris that can (supposedly) make one’s eyes look bigger and brighter. Apparently, humans are unconsciously attracted to dilated pupils, as the pupil tends to expand when a person is aroused. So essentially, Circle-lenses are used for pretty much the same reasons as eye makeup: to make the eyes more attractive, and mesmerizing. Who wouldn’t want that?

These extra-fancy lenses come in an array of colors; usually brown, violet, blue, gray, and subtle blends thereof.. They also come in a range of…erm…special effects. For instance, there are specific lenses worn to create the illusion of teary or watery eyes, as well as lenses with “overprints” like stars or hearts (really!) The concept may seem a bit too wild for most, but that doesn’t stop the fashion and beauty conscious from embracing this new trend in cosmetic contact lenses.

I’m not usually the hand cream kind of girl. For some reason I’ve never really seen the use of it as my hands are naturally soft. Until… I had an allergic reaction somewhere else on my body that caused my hands to dry out like grapes in the sun.

My friend Tasha recommended Cath Kidston Hand Cream so I gave it a try — and guess what? I loved it! Smells like roses and feels like silk. Beautiful!

Found them online at discountcosmeticsuk.com for £6 a pop.

Lilac & Lavender link // Rose & Carnation link

Smokey Eyes aren’t as hot as they were like 18 months ago — but every once in a while they’ll still stand out, and every once in a while you’ll still be able to match it with the perfect glamorous outfit.

For those occasions — this excellent video by evepearl tells you exactly how you’ll get those perfect Smokey Eyes.