Posts Tagged ‘Bobbi Brown’

Makeup Tutorial: How To Steal Jennifer Lawrence’s Red Carpet Look

We all know Oscar Nominee Jennifer Lawrence knows how to rock a red carpet since she transformed every red carpet into a runway  during her Hunger Games media tour.  She has not disappointed this award season especially considering that for most of the season Jennifer (yes, we’re obviously on a first name basis) should have been in bed or in the hospital rather than strutting her stuff on the red carpet since she was plagued with illness for most of the award shows.  You would never know she even had a sniffle based on her photos — every look was classic and flawless.  Obviously the only way to pay true homage to The Girl on Fire leading up to her big night is to recreate one of her best red carpet looks.  I chose her SAG Awards look:

First I want to introduce and thank our lovely model, Maghan McDowell, a vey talented writer who currently covers Style and Living for the San Francisco Chronicle. She was very patient with my non-makeup artist methods and didn’t bat an eyelash when I had to clean up the side of her face because I had managed to drag coral makeup (don’t ask; I was experimenting) all over her cheek and chin.

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Halloween Makeup Tutorial: Sexy Black Kitty, Meow!

Sometimes I have the worst luck…  Today I woke up all all ready and excited for my Google+ Hangout (If you don’t know what that it is, it’s like a video chat that is broadcasted live on Google+ and streams to YouTube).   It was hosted by the insanely beautiful (hate her!) Samantha Lim, Editor-in-Chief  of the huge online fashion magazine FashionIndie, featuring myself,  Christina Farrell, amazing makeup artist and founder of the The Makeup Blogger, and Stacy Reid, Founder and CEO of Tinte Cosmetics (which thanks to Stacy’s generosity I will be trying soon!).

So what happened? Well, Murphy’s Law reared its ugly head and my Internet decided to take a hiatus. So, unfortunately I missed the first few minutes of the Hangout and once I finally got into the Hangout I faded in and out and even froze a couple times (I could hear the others saying, “She’s a frozen kitten!”).  Now my drama aside, Christina did an adorable tutorial for an 80s costume and Stacy walked through several different viable Halloween looks.  You should definitely check it out here.

After the Hangout was over, I figured it would simply be a waste of a good kitty cat look if I didn’t do a YouTube tutorial! Don’t worry about writing down any of the products since I’m listing them for you at the end of this post:

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What’s Better than Binging for a Great Cause?

Unless you’ve been hiding all month in a secluded cabin without television or internet (which by the way wouldn’t be terrible if it was perhaps at a luxury spa), even your husband can tell you (since all the NFL players and coaches have incorporated bright pink accessories into their uniforms) that it’s National Breast Cancer Awareness Month!  As ladies, it is imperative we support this cause and what better way to do it than buy some delicious beauty products?  I’ve rounded up a few of my favorite products that are giving back with every purchase this month:

Murad Hydrate For Hope Set ($49.50):  This is the perfect set to prep your skin for the cold weather ahead! You get full-sizes of the Hydro-Dynamic Ultimate Moisture (retails for $65.00) and Hydro-Dynamic Ultimate Moisture for Eyes (retails for $60.00), both which will protect even the most sensitive skin from the bitter cold! When you buy this limited-edition set, Murad is donating 10% from the sale of each set sold to retailers to the City of Hope’s women’s cancer programs.

TATCHA’s Limited Edition BCA Moisture Rich Silk Cream ($150):  This is one of my favorite new luxury skincare lines (which I intend to write about more in-depth in a future Sunday Splurge) for its delicious ingredients and results for calming my drama queen skin. The gel-cream consistency of this cream gives a surprisingly big hydrating punch. TATCHA is donating $25 of each sale to BreastCancer.org. 

M. Steves RHSO Power-Packed Ultra-Nourishing Boost ($64):   This dry-finish oil helps improve the appearance of scars, fine lines and wrinkles, sun damage and uneven skin tone. Along with Rose Hip Seed Oil, this boost contains essential fatty acids, an antioxidant (vitamin C), and a natural retinol (vitamin A) to help hydrate and brighten skin.  The best way to incorporate this oil into your skin regimen is to add a drop to your daily moisturizer and apply.  To help support the fight against breast cancer, M. Steves skincare is donating a portion of proceeds from the RHSO Power-Packed Ultra-Nourishing Boost purchased during October to Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

Bobbi Brown ‘Pink Peony’ Illuminating Bronzer ($45): This is one of those magical powders that you would never guess would look amazing on your skin.  You will throw your NARS Orgasm to the waste side when you see how flattering and long-lasting this “illuminating bronzer” is, giving every skin color a warm “just blushed” glow.   Bobbi Brown is donating $10 of every sale of this set during the month of October to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation®.

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Makeup Meltdown Mayhem! Battle the Heat with a Few Tricks and Tools

I can’t get over this f’ing heat!  Okay, I know I just wrote about a melt-proof eye, but with this ungodly heat you’re going to need more than just a waterproof eyeshadow stick.   We’re officially in crisis lock-down mode.  When my husband and I traveled to Columbus, Ohio this past week for the 4th, I was genuinely traumatized (and I hate to admit it but visibly sweating, gross!) by the humid 97 degree conditions.  We went to my 20th high school reunion (yes, I’m old) at around 7 pm and I was a disaster by 7:07 (and by disaster I mean fellow classmates were picking little pieces of napkin off my sticky face because I was couldn’t stop blotting with taco truck napkins).  BUT despite the Vietnam-like conditions, guess what?? MY MAKEUP ENDURED!  
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Making Your Morning Skincare Routine into the Ritual it Deserves to Be

I know I’m supposed to be writing about simplifying beauty. And I get that.  I know there are tons of women out there who don’t have a ton of time to devote to skincare.  I don’t have children yet, and as of a little over two months ago I am writing full-time (okay “full time” may be stretching it), so I have plenty of time to sit on my little vintage tangerine-colored stool and play with all my toners, creams, and serums, lined up like good little soldiers on their pedestals (where they belong).  So yes, I will admit my AM skincare routine isn’t exactly “routine.” Before I even sit down at my tangerine stool, it takes me a good ten minutes to cleanse my skin with the Bobbi Brown ‘Extra’ Balm Rinse  ($58).  I give myself an intense facial massage, enjoying the sensation of the thick balm melting into a butter as I massage it in small circles all over my face.  Every now and then I’ll stop and cup my hands around my nose and slowly  inhale the pungent citrus scent.  Ahhh…

Then once I get to my little skincare station (see above photo), I could spend a good 15 minutes doing a a basic routine or 30 minutes to go the extra mile and give myself a mini-facial.  If I’m testing products, forget about it. I could be there all morning!

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Bright Lights, Big City: Neon, Neon Everywhere

From the runways to the subways, I’m seeing nothing but neon.

Neon makeup and hair started lighting up the runways last year, and since then this 80s staple trend quickly blinded  the masses with an explosion of day-glo fashion and beauty products.  Walking down the streets of NYC, I see everything from young girls with fluorescent hair streaks and matching lipstick to career fashionistas furiously typing away on their smart phones with nails painted in the season’s latest electric colors.

Don’t be intimidated into thinking that if you incorporate a little neon, you’re a couple of leg warmers away from becoming Pat Benatar. Just be careful to tone down your outfit and the rest of your makeup (think neutrals across the board) to avoid anything aggressively offensive.  Kidding.  (kind of kidding)

Eyes

If you’re not in the mood to do a full eye of makeup, just add a little pop of color with neon mascara, as seen on the models at Stella McCartney AW 2012 Paris.  Makeup Artist Master Pat McGrath used Cover Girl Lashblast 24 Hour Mascara coated with a blue pigment gel to achieve the look. At home, apply two coats of your favorite volume-pumping mascara in black, let it dry, and then coat with an electric blue mascara like Tokidoki Punk Lash Mascara in Baby Rocker.

Or, for a more subtle look, you can swipe a brightly-colored liquid liner along your upper lash line like my minxy blonde friend Kat (see below).  Kat used Sephora Liquid Liner in Fancy Blue to achieve her look:

Lips

Go bold or go home.  Maria rocks a different day-glo shade every day. She doesn’t care if it’s 8 AM in Midtown Manhattan on a Monday, she’ll be wearing a fluorescent fuchsia.   Try a bold pink like Mirabella Lip Colour in Over the Top, which is highly pigmented color yet doesn’t bleed.  Or, add a pop of orange (after all, Tangerine Tango is the Pantone color of the year) try  MAC Pro Amplified Creme Lipstick in Neon Orange, or go for a more sheer shade like Bobbi Brown’s Sheer Lip Gloss in Citrus.

Nails

If you feel like you’re on the cusp of being too shy to pull off this look,  take baby steps and paint your nails a different blinding hue every week (or day, if you happen to have the time and dedication). Every brand seems to have a color story this Spring involving neon. Have fun experimenting with the under $10 brands like China Glaze Poolside Collection ($6.50 per bottle / $17.75 for set of 6)  and invest wisely in the premium lines like Dior ($23 per bottle).  Make sure you test the level of opacity.  It may look bold in the bottle, but sheer once its on your nail.  To make a neon pop even more, apply an opaque white like Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear in White On as your base coat and then paint two coats of your neon.

Sparkle Motion for New Year’s Eve!

I should have included “in moderation” in my headline.  A little too much sparkle can go very wrong, very quickly.   Let’s talk about how old you are…

- Teens:  Glitter is your friend. You are young enough to get away with it, so look like Edward from Twilight tonight and go crazy.  Seriously, if I were 20 years younger, I would apply a neutral like Revlon Diamond Lust in Bedroom Bronze all over my lid and then dip a Q-tip in lash gel (for falsies) or vaseline and trace my lash line.  Then, I would pull out the big guns and dip a Q-tip or flat-tipped brush in drugstore glitter pat it on, or if I had been saving my pennies, I would invest in MAKE UP FOR EVER Glitter in Blue 5 or Purple 9.  If I were 17, I would also be all about the glitter gloss, so I would coat my lips with LA Color lip gloss (I could mix every color since they are only $2 each).

- Twenties: Ladies, sparkle responsibly here. If you’re under 25, go bolder. If you’re over 25, your cuspy for the full-on glitter (even for New Year’s).  After 25, the size of the glitter gets smaller and more milled.  Your best bet, regardless of which side of 25 you’re on is MAKE UP FOR EVER Diamond Powder.  I’ll let Sephora explain,  ”Diamond Powder combines both the pearly iridescence of Star Powder and the brightness of Glitter. The particles are finer and literally radiate extreme brilliance as soon as they are applied.”   I would use these powders as a wash over my entire lid, to line my upper and lower lash lines, and to highlight cheekbones and brow bones, and dab at the center of my cupid’s bow.

- Thirties: This is when we transition away from glitter and think shimmer.  Maria was generous enough to  give me the Vincent Longo Amaretti Diamond Collection baked eyeshadow set for the holidays. These shadows are gorgeous and perfect for creating a shimmery smokey eye.  Just like their website instructs, use a sponge tip applicator (like the ones you always throw away) or a Q-tip  (in case you’re like me and you did throw them all away) and draw a line on your upper lash line with one of the darker colors.  It’s okay if your line is a bit messy, because you are going to use a small blending brush or the side of a flat-tipped brush to blend the line upwards towards your crease.  This gives it that gradual fade. Then, I may smudge a little into my lower lash line, depending on how dramatic I’m feeling.  I will finish off with dipping my ring finger in the copper leaf shadow and pressing it into the inner corners of my eyes.

- Forties and Beyond: Okay ladies, I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know here (and I apologize if this is harsh), but glitter and shimmer may not be age appropriate unless done subtly, VERY subtly.  What I consider subtle… taking a nice neutral shimmer like Bobbi Brown Shimmer Wash in Champagne or Rose Gold and applying it with a large eye shadow brush as a wash over your entire lid.  Then, add a cream highlighter like Urban Decay Urbanglow  to your brow bone (to open your eyes and make them pop) and  from your temples to the center of your cheeks (to highlight cheekbones) and BLEND.

Don’t hesitate to break my age barriers and combine some of the tips above (just keep in mind, the older you are, the more dangerous sparkle becomes).

Wishing everyone a happy, healthy 2012!!  SPARKLE ON!

P.S. Lisi, I hope you appreciated my Donny Darko reference

Photo via Sing Lo

Good Day, Sunshine: Bobbi Brown EXTRA Balm Rinse

I stumbled onto this happy little product after I raided the Lauder Company Store and bought a skin sampler of Bobbi Brown’s EXTRA skincare line.    The other products were nice but nothing to make me continuously feel the softness of my face (which is an obvious no-no since I should never touch my face) or obsessively keep taking in deep inhalations of the delicious aromas of the magical little jar.  To be quite honest, very few products make the short list (Decleor Aroma Night Neroli Essential Night Balm is really the only product that comes to mind) of excelling in both categories.

The Bobbi Brown EXTRA Balm Rinse looks like frozen orange juice in a jar, with a thick, slightly gritty texture that melts with the warmth of your skin (you apply it to dry skin).  It smells strongly of a fresh citrus puree (YUM).  I am so obsessed with this product that it’s made cleansing my skin a daily spa ritual (okay, twice daily).  I know practically speaking (It’s kind of pricey at $55 a jar; and I’m not known for using products sparingly), I should only use this at night when I have makeup and grime to remove, but my GOD how do I resist the urge to waking up to smelling fresh citrus puree?   This product is probably to blame for me being 10 minutes late to work the past few weeks.  I take my time rubbing the balm into my skin, allowing the scents and oils to escape, giving my face a little mini-massage.  When it comes time to rinse, I splash my face with cool water and then take the rest off with a cool water-soaked cotton pad, leaving my skin clean, soft, and hydrated.

I know I won’t be able to keep up these twice-daily antics in the summer since I won’t be needing all that extra moisture, but something tells me I will probably keep the pretty jar on my shelf so at least I can breath in the sunshine every morning.

Sunday Splurge: Bobbi Brown Party Collection Travel Kit

With the holiday season in full swing, I’ve decided to dedicate the rest of my Sunday Splurge posts until Christmas to the art of gluttonous gift-giving (or getting).  These items you will read about in the coming weeks all have two things in common — 1) I don’t own them 2) I would like to own them.  (Who wouldn’t?)

Okay, so if I’m going for gluttony I will say I would obviously LOVE to have the version of the Party Collection Travel Kit that is overflowing with Bobbi Brown product.  It’s $1000, filled with items I already have or will never use, but the Veruca Salt in me can’t help but to still want it.  When I first saw the kit — all the colors from the 2012 Fall Color Story in every product  plus her gentle, great-smelling skincare — my mind went to a childhood memory…

I was very heavily into the Barbie scene (shocking), and for my birthday one year I got a Barbie Department Store that came with all the store items.  Once I had set up my perfect little pink and clear plastic displays I got to fill them with Barbie hats, bags, shoes, and jewelry.  And, the piece de resistance — there were even little pink plastic shopping bags with the Barbie logo!  It was the gift that just kept on giving.  But of course I didn’t need all those extra Barbie accessories. I either already had them or would never use them. The department store display cabinets and shelves were the real gift.

With that said, Bobbi Brown also sells the empty travel kit separately.  By looking at the photo above, I can see the kit holds a hell of a lot of product, and the silver will look adorable in my bathroom next to my mirrored Tarte jewelry box.  And, it’s only $115. Totally doable!

So, my darling readers, I encourage you to forward this to your loved ones as a subtle hint, but please make sure you alert them to scroll down to the last paragraph…

Black-Tie Makeover to Cure Your Case of the Mondays

I was invited by my CEO to attend a fancy-schmancy awards dinner. This was definitely a first (in fact I thought I had gotten the invitation in error) and I was in panic mode over what to wear.  I decided a on a gorgeous little black lace number , matched them with my patent Louboutins, and made an appointment to get my hair blown out.

Maria looked at the dress and said, “So what are you going to do about makeup?” I told her I hadn’t really thought about it. She gave me the look like she just smelled a guy wearing Drakkar.  “So let me get this straight… You get invited to a black tie dinner with our CEO and a bunch of senior management and you haven’t given your makeup any thought??”  I saw her point.

She generously volunteered her efforts to make me black-tie ready.  She used the Amore Pacific Foundation (of course) to make my skin flawless.  She literally made my bags disappear with AmazingCosmetics AmazingConcealer in ”Fair”, and  then used a little By Terry Touch-Expert to touch up and cover redness around my nose.  She bronzed me with Benefit Hoola and put Tarte Cheek Stain in Tickled on the apples of my cheeks.

She used Make Up For Ever Matte Flesh 156 all over my eye area, then used Bobbi Brown Shimmer Wash Eyeshadow in Champagne, and then used some brown shades from her kit in my crease.  She lined my eyes in a cat eye starting with Sephora Collection Kohl Waterproof Eyeliner in Keep Black and then went over it and shaped the tail using Paula Dorf Transformer mixed with MAC Eyeshadow in Carbon with a fine eyelining brush. She then used a highlighter from her own kit to highlight under my brow bone.

On my lips I wore Lipstick Queen in Saint Berry mixed with Clinique Almost Lipstick in Black Honey.

Thanks to Maria, my makeup and my confidence lasted all night.  I dined with the big boys, held my own, and didn’t bat an eyelash extension all night long.