I have just one love this month. But it is for sure true love! As most of you know I have used, for quite some time now, my beloved Nicole Miller Bronzer. I adored the deepness of the color and the tone (not to mention I had three of them and waste not, want not. Although the shimmer did bother me somewhat it wasn’t enough for me to abandon it and seek out a new one. That is until I got an email saying there was a sale for Urban Decay online and so naturally I went to take a peek. I went straight to primers since I was getting low on it and somehow was swept into another “aisle”…….bronzer! I had heard about the matte bronzers from UD and knew they had to be great so why not just try? I took the plunge and ordered one in Toasted. I HAVE USED NOTHING ELSE SINCE THIS BAD BOY GOT HERE!!! I love it! The color is perfect for me, the contouring is awesome, I use it to warm up a smokey eye…there are JUST no limits to this thing! I feel it’s a must for summer (matte bronzer that is) with a touch of highlighting shimmer just above and will do wonders during the winter time by itself for contouring. Are you RuNnInG yet to your local Sephora??? Grab one and you WON’T be sorry!!!!!
What were your favorites for July? What have you been using? Share a comment below or email me =).
P.S. I have missed you all! I miss hearing from you as frequently I’m glad to have had the chance to take a step back but even more overjoyed to be stepping back in =). Love to all!
Jen
Here’s a dose from Dr. Jessica Wu of the Daily Glow =):
Whether you want to look relaxed and in control at work or be fresh-faced for a new date, there are ways to minimize dark under-eye circles. Here are some common causes of dark circles, along with ways to treat them: Excess skin pigmentation on the upper part of the cheekbone and under the eyes can lead to dark circles. This can be hereditary or caused by freckles and sun damage. One way to tell if you have excess pigment is to gently pull down on the lower eyelid. Do the spots move with the skin? If so, skin-brightening creams may help. One study showed that a cream containing licorice extract and hyaluronic acid reduced dark circles after six weeks. Both of these ingredients are found in C. Booth Black Licorice Eye Cream ($12.99 at drugstore.com). Thin lower-eyelid skin can also produce dark circles when the dark eyelid muscles are visible beneath the skin (the same way that black panties are visible through thin white pants). Another study showed that a gel containing retinol helped reduce dark circles after four weeks, possibly by thickening the skin of the lower eyelid. Try Neutrogena Ageless Intensives Deep Wrinkle Eye Cream (about $19 at drugstores). Under-eye bags can produce shadows and hollows underneath them that accentuate dark circles. If you wake up with puffy lids, try soaking cotton balls in cold soy milk and holding them on your closed lids for a few minutes in the morning. The cold temperature and anti-inflammatory properties of soy can help shrink swollen tissues and reduce puffiness. However, if you have under-eye bags caused by fat deposits, topical treatments won’t be enough to shrink them and reduce the circles. These types of circles may require injectable fillers to fill in the hollows or surgical removal of the bags.
Can you believe it, another HAIR tutorial?!?!? I saw this on YouTube and wanted to do it too since I can’t french braid to save my life! I can twist with the best of em and I LOVE how this can dress up a casual outfit or easily dress another outfit down. Be sure to send me pictures of your halo twist and I’ll feature them on the blog! Happy twisting! =)
For the most part five minute faces are fun to see what you can accomplish. I know that I love them! I thought though that realistically we may have a bit longer than that. If my husband asked me out and found a sitter for the kids I know he would at MiNiMuM give me ten minutes. So HeRe it is a 10 minute smokey eye complete with lashes. Look polishes, classy, sophisticated QUICKLY! Enjoy =).
Products Used:
Revlon Color Stay Foundation in Early Tan
MAC Studio Fix Powder in NW 25
Nicole Miller Bronzer
Coastal Scents Blush (top row first color)
UDPP
Naked Palette
– Creep
– Virgin on lid and brow
Nicole Miller bronzer just above Creep
Lash Blast Mascara
Demi Whispies lashes in black
Coastal Scents bottom corner browns for brow
Honey Love lipstick from MAC
Clear Lipglass from MAC
Blacktrack Fluidline from MAC
How is it that beach-loving celebs like Jennifer Aniston and Cameron Diaz always look picture perfect as they climb out of the pool or walk out of the ocean? Aside from having amazing bodies, many of them are probably wearing waterproof makeup. If you enjoy water sports (or tearjerker movies) and want to look your best without worrying about makeup dribbling down your face, try switching to waterproof products. Here are some of my faves this summer: Sephora’s Flashy Liner Waterproof is a soft and creamy eyeliner that glides on smoothly and then stays put. It’s got a bit of sparkle to reflect light, but don’t worry — it’s not too glittery for daytime. I like Flashy Black and Flashy Green ($8 at sephora.com). L’Oréal’s Voluminous Waterproof Mascara (about $7 at drugstores) has been my go-to summer mascara because it builds volume that holds up under water, in extreme humidity, and through a sweaty workout. This year I’m also loving Giorgio Armani Beauty’s Eyes to Kill Waterproof Mascara, which is lightweight and leaves my lashes feeling soft ($30 at barneys.com). Make Up For Ever’s Aqua Lip waterproof Lip liner pencil ($17 at sephora.com) stays put all day and comes in 18 shades (I like Nude Beige). I also like Prestige’s Waterproof Lipliner (about $5 at drugstores and ulta.com), which comes in 10 colors. To avoid looking too made up, choose a shade close to your lip color and use short, feathery strokes to apply it along your natural lip line. These liners can be drying, so apply lip balm or gloss on top when you get out of the water.
Want to win a Makeup Forever Aqua Lip waterproof Lip liner pencil in Nude Beige? Tell me how you keep your makeup from melting during the summer. Send your tips to submissions@askjessicawu.com. I’ll pick 5 lucky winners and share your tips in an upcoming Shout-out!
We have had a lot going on with family and will be traveling to Oregon for a funeral that we were all not expecting. Just wanted to let you know that I would be taking a bit of a hiatus from the blog. I’ve had people ask what they can do to help during this hard time and it really would help, if you would like, to email me with your thoughts on different products or your favorites for July. Maybe send in a video tutorial or a written one that everyone could follow. I could post them instead of putting one together myself. That would be so nice and thanks to those that have been so supportive. My followers are by FAR the best ever!!!!!!!!!
Elizabeth Taylor was such an icon. In the movies she was on point and direct and with makeup (in her earlier years) I felt she was one of the greats! I felt it was time I did a tribute to the look and feel of this Hollywood starlet. Here is my take on her look in general, not from any one picture but I thought I’d put up a few that would demonstrate her rich beauty. I think it took me a while to pay homage to her because for the longest time she left a bad taste in my mouth. She was lovely but unfortunately stole a few husbands in her day. I LOVE Debbie Reynolds and Liz took her hubby = (…look at me talking about them as if I know them! =) Anyway, I loved her look, at least, and wanted to give my interpretation of all the little details that made up Elizabeth’s face. I hope you like it!
Can’t you just SEE Camilla Belle playing her in a movie??? It’s ridiculous how much alike they look!
