Aesthetic Make-Up Blog

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.

A quick roundup of luxury eyeliners from Blog-Tique — all very hip and sexy!

1. Yves Saint Laurent Eyeliner Moire - No.8 Marine Reflections

2. Bourjois Khol & Contour Eyeliner Pencil - # 13 Argent Creatif

3. Cle De Peau Eyeliner Refill - Brown

Most of us are reminded on a daily basis that the human skin is not a girl’s best friend. It wrinkles, it dries out, it gets too moist, … Basicly, if your skin was a man he wouldn’t stand a chance… Too bad though — we’re stuck with it so we might as well take care of it. The fact that you’re visiting this make-up blog shows you one thing; you realize this, and you’re ready to get started!

Well, skin-wise, I have only discovered Shiseido a couple months ago. I’ve been using the Shiseido Future Solution Eye & Lip Contour Cream for a couple months now and it’s getting an A+. It’s very relaxing and refreshing, and apparently it WORKS too (too early to judge on my end ;)).

Number two is my Shiseido-favorite. It’s an excellent day cream called Shiseido White Lucency Protective Day Cream. Very good for sensitive and tired skin!

Both of these are tested and approved by yours truley, so you can feel confident picking them up!

A quick rundown of some makeup on sale I found on the web. SAVINGS TIME!!!

1. Glitter Liner from KleanColor - $1.50 a pop. That’s one dollar fifty!

2. 8 Flavors of Crystal Clear Fruity Lip Gloss by NYX Cosmetics; a buck a pop. That’s ONE dollar a piece.

More to come in the next few days!

This is my new favorite conditioner, but I’m having a hard time finding the product in a store closeby, and I urgently need one for as a present for my best friend who’s having her birthday and I’m planning on giving her a big basket of beauty, skin and hair care products — so there’s way I can wait a couple days for the conditioner to arrive at my home, especially with the easter weekend…

Anyone got an idea? Anyone can help me? I’d be so grateful!