Hey Batter! Batter! Batter!!!

Good Evening!! Today has been an up and down day for me....But after speaking with a friend, I feel better. I am also an outdoorsy type of gal, so the nice day also helped to ease my mood.


Lately, I have been noticing that the recent beauty craze is lashes!! Everyone is doing it..lol. Celebrities and normal people alike. I have seen some horrible lash jobs though!!! Some just look like they have literally glued the lashes together and then put them on. I have also seen lashes that just were too overwhelming for a person's face. I recently did a consultation with a bride ( I don't like doing weddings, but she did not seem like she would be a bride-zilla) and her lashes were a little on the sparse and short side. Since it was her wedding day, I did not want to do anything that would take away from her face too much, so I decided on something that would make them look more voluminous and lengthen. MAC #32 eyelashes (shown left) were excellent for the task! I love them!! They look so natural. I love lashes in when doing editorials to just completely take the look up to another level. Can you imagine how different the mod era would look if Twiggy's makeup artist hadn't incorporated those false lashes into the look?



Lashes are that extra piece of jewelry to add just before you leave to polish off your look. Whenever I wear them, I always bat my lashes like a girl at a night club trying to signal the guy sitting across from her to buy her a "drank." I feel sooooo glamorous....so Hollywood!!! Shu-Uemura also makes a synthetic version of the famous mink lashes (the ones that are like $400....J.Lo wears them) for only $20 (shown left).



When applying your lashes and most important accessory, apply a small amount of lash glue to the strip (directly from the tube or squeeze glue on a Q-tip), not the lashes. Let the glue get tacky (count to 10), then look down, place lashes as close to your lash line as possible, finish off with gel or liquid liner to cover glue, and VOILA....you have beautiful eyes!! It is really that simple ladies!! If you don't feel confident in your abilities just get a friend to help. Erykah Badu is going to be performing at LOVE tomorrow night. Me and my lashes will be in attendance!!

Living My Life Like It's Golden...Bronze

It's Hump Day Wednesday!!!

As I walk around today, I can't help but notice how beautiful the weather is. There is a nice gentle breeze and just the right amount of sun. I can walk around looking pretty as ever without really breaking a sweat. Perfect time to really show off a little skin and pretty makeup!!

I wish it would remain at this temperature year round. When I go into the stores, I see nothing that says, "nice weater". All the swimsuits have been placed on the sale racks, and replaced by knit sweaters, scarves, and knee-length boots. I am constantly reminded that winter is coming. So...if you want to keep that nice tan that you got while vactioning in Florida or Martha's (or just walking around in the hot sun..like me..lol), here are a couple of tips and products that will help you keep that "I just got back from St. Tropez" look.



The perfect glow starts with the body. If you look above at J-lo and Beyonce, they are glowing from their heads to their toes. They don't only look bronze on their faces. It is a whole body experience. Jergens natural glow moisturizer helps to build a natural glow that looks like its coming from within. It comes in three different shades so everyone can take advantage of this product. It's is responsible for Kelly Ripa's glow. Two years ago, she announced that she had been using this product and women went crazy!! And the best part is that it is only $7 bucks at Target!! Just make sure that you exfoliate your skin before applying. By exfoliating, I mean to gently slough off the dead skin cells by using a body exfoliator.

Once the body has been taken care of, then proceed to the face. Facial Bronzers give you a sunkissed glow. You want to apply with a full brush to the areas that the sun naturally hits-hairline, cheeks, chin, bridge of nose.
Make sure that when choosing a bronzer, you match it to your undertone. The key here is a natural bronze look. Not Donatella...

If you have a fair complexion (Nicole Kidman and Anne Hathaway), look for products that have a peachy/pinky undertone. Guerlain has excellent bronzers that meet this criteria. Using bronzers that are took dark, just will make you look like you have been playing in the mud. But if you have a milky complexion...don't try to work against that too much. Try Bobbi Brown's ShimmerBrick in Beige and Apricot.

Medium complexions (Jennifer Lopez, Kimora Lee Simmons, Lucy Liu)

Try bronzers that have golden undertones. I love Iman's bronzer!! It has a nice shimmer to it and just looks golden on the skin!! Plus, its only like $10 bucks at Target!!! Using a bronzer with a cinnamon undertone will make you look red and sunburned. The object is to look like a perfectly baked, golden brown piece of toast...lol. Laura Mercier has a nice bronzing stick. Try Bobbi Brown's Shimmer brick in Bronze(these shimmer bricks are soooo beautiful).

Darker Complexions (Alek, Angela Basset, Regina King, Oprah, Gabriel Union)

You can use bronzers with either a golden undertone or a cinnamon undertone. Just try them out to see which one works best. Bobbi Brown has a nice matte (no shimmer) bronzer in deep dark, Iman, and MAC has nice irridescent loose powder in Golden Bronze(use sparingly..and apply in natural light..lol), which works excellent as a highlighter. NARS also has a nice bronzer called PALM Beach in the multiple.

If you are really feeling confident about your application, then try Guerlain's Aerosol bronzer(ideal for fair and medium complexions). It comes in a cute spray can. Hold it about an arm's length out and spray in circular motions. Step back and evaluate your work. The application should be evenly distributed.

Bronzer, if applied correctly, can also replace the need for foundation. It alone can even out skin. MAC makes these wonderful Mineralize Skinfinish (shown left) products that gives an excellent glow(they are baked in Italy). If you have fair skin try the one in Medium. If you have Medium skin, try Medium Dark or Dark...etc. Just make sure that your skin is properly hydrated and moisturized!! I wore this product last year(completely unaware of its properties), and my friend told me that I looked like I was glowing!!! Needless to say that I will be wearing this product when the temperature drops!!

I'm off to get my glow own while the weather is still nice!!!

BROWsing

Happy Monday!!!


My weekend was very relaxed and fulfilling. I went to Sephora to see if they had anything new, then went off to show my friend how to tweeze and shape her brows. I headed over with my bag filled with Tweerman tweezers (the kind with the sharp, pointed tip), concealer, brow pencil, MAC 266 angled brush, small scissors, brow gel, alcohol, hydrocortisone cream and clean mascara wands. The look on her face was hilarious, when I knocked on her door and she saw how many tools that I had. I had come prepared to do brow reconstructive surgery!! LOL!! Paying someone else to wax your brows isn't always necessary. I learned this when the wax left me looking like I was experiencing puberty for a second time...and my brows were way too thin!! And I was out of twenty dollars!

The first thing to do when preparing to tweeze your brows is to evaluate the shape of your brows and what you would like them to look like. If you naturally have very thin brow work with that shape. The same applies if you have naturally full brows. Thin over tweezed brows are not complementary to every face shape. You want your brows frame your face and bring out your eyes.



Next brush your brows upward and trim any hairs that extend above the brow bone (the bone that your brows sit on). Then brush your brows upward and outward. If you have a curly hair texture, your brows maybe this way as well, so use a little brow gel to hold them in place (Maybelline makes an excellent brow gel for only 5 bucks!!). With your concealer, trace out the desired shape of your new brow(make sure to trace underneath the brow..called the underscore of the brow). MAC has these convenient little concealer sticks that look like chunky pencils. I love these!! Remove all the hair that the concealer is on. It may be easier to locate the hairs that need to be removed, if you use a concealer that is one to two shades lighter than your foundation. Once all the hairs have been removed, remove the concealer and evaluate your new shape. If there are any gaps, grab an angled brush and fill in. Please whatever you do.....DONT USE BLACK!!!! Ewww.....Elvira is not the intended look. If you have blonde hair try a very light brown or cement colored shadow or brow pencil, if you are a red-head try a camel colored shadow, brunettes try a dark brown. African American women with darker skin tones, should try a deep brown like espresso. I will list my favorites for each below. I have posted a before and after picture of Kevyn Aucoin's sister after he tweezed her brows....this is the G rated version....lol. There are also little illustrations to help guide you.

Before the Tweeze After the tweeze

I hope you can see the difference. Removing the excess hairs created more space between her eye and brow, which opened her eyes up.

1. Evalaute the shape of your brows. Hold a pencil vertically next to your nose so that you can see where your brows should begin. Next move the pencil to in about a 35 degree angle to see where they should peak (or where you arch should be. Finally extend the pencil another 20 degrees to see where they should taper off.







2. If you have hair that extends past where the pencil starts, tweeze them. When tweezing, grab the hair at the root and quickly remove it in the direction that the hairs grow. When filling in the brow, make sure to use short hair-like strokes to get the most natural looking brow. Once your finish, your brows should look nice and uniform. Don't worry if you don't get it right on the first try...Rome wasn't built in a day. Keep practiciing!! If you really need a little more help visit your local beauty counter and get someone to help you. Or get your brows waxed and shaped, then just maintain them by tweezing the hairs that grow in.

Try these Brands for Brow Pencils and Shadow

1. For Blondes...
Lingering Brow Pencil by MAC
Cement Eyeshadow by Bobbi Brown
Beguile Brow set by MAC
Blonde Brow Set by Bobbi Brown (brow gel that deposits color)


2. Brunettes/African Americans
Stud Brow Pencil by MAC
Spiked Brow Pencile by MAC
Espresso Shadow by MAC
Mahogany shadow by Bobbi Brown
Cork Eyeshadow by MAC
Show off Brow Set by MAC (brow gel that deposits color)
Girl Boy Brow Set by MAC (copper colored brow gel)


3. Red Heads
Taupe brow pencil by Bobbi Brown
Texture Eyeshadow by MAC
Camel eyeshadow by MAC

The Big Apple

Happy Thursday Everyone!!!

Don't you just love the feeling after a good workout? You look good and feel great. I love it when I look in the mirror afterwards, and I have this cute little glow on my cheeks. There is a way to look like this always with a little hint of blush added to the apple of the cheek. Just smile and take a blush brush and pop it on. It literally takes 5 seconds. Blush is a way to give your skin a quick little glow and uplift. Just take a look at Kiya(right). She looks like she just stepped off a trendmill in a pretty, polished sort of way. I posted these photos up just so you can see, when applied correctly the difference blush can make.

I have seen women walking around with red faces from blush being applied incorrectly. Blush should be applied on the apple of the cheek. To find the apple of your cheek, just smile and the protruding area is your apple. Once you locate your apple, take the blush brush and lightly dip it into the blush. Next, starting at the apple apply the blush in a backward (toward your hairline), downward motion. This will ensure that your blush looks the most natural. My favorite formulation of blush is cream blush. Most women look at the consistency of cream blush and cringe. It looks goopy!!! Cream blush is the most natural looking blush. It gives a glow that seems to come from within and can double as lipcolor. It works wonders on dry skin, but can be used on oily girls too (especially in the winter when oily girls seem to get a bit drier). Apply cream blush with fingers or a brush in the same manner as powder blush, just be sure to work the product into the skin. The result should be a glow that seems to come from the inside!! Above is a picture of Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge in Velvet Plum (this color looks lovely on darker skin tones) and Cargo Powder blush in Coral Beach (this imparts a pretty peachy glow). L'oreal HIP also makes an excellent cream blush that dries down to a powdery finish in a variety of colors that won't break the bank. Check your local drugstore or Target.

Color selection is based solely on personal preference. I believe almost anyone can wear any color. It just depends on application. If you want to wear NARS Exhibit A (which I do from time to time), go ahead!!! Just make sure you use a blush brush (not the brush that comes in the packaging...invest in a brush blush) to lightly apply until the desired color is obtained. Don't be afraid to try a color on if it looks to bright in the packaging. It is important to remember that once the product goes on, it will go on diffused and will not look nearly as bright on you. Never judge a Blush by its color. Sometimes when I am in the market for a new blush and I want a little help picking one out, I will ask the beauty advisor. I do not like it when the first thing they pick up is a color in the plum family. As a woman of color with darker skin, we always get thrown into the plum box. They look wonderful on, but don't be afraid to try bright colors as well. The only exception to this rule is if you want to cover redness on the cheek area. To apply a red toned or pinky blush would just make the redness more obvious. Instead opt for a bronzer. Blush goes on smoother, more intense, and last longer if there is some type of foundation, tinted moisturizer, or primer applied underneath. Well, tomorrow is Friday and that means I will be spending a couple of hours in Sephora and at various beauty counters testing new products. I can't wait!!!

Remember*** Blush is about application technique...not so much color!!!
I also wanted to wish Rhonda and very happy Geburtstag!!!!

My Lipgloss is Poppin'!!!

Swimming three times a week can really take a toll on the beauty regimen...Normally, after getting out of the pool, I slather on my Bobbi moisturizer, a little tinted moisturizer, and gloss. I'm not speaking of the overly shiny, I just ate a bucket of Popeyes gloss, but you know.....like I just licked my lips a little. They glisten.

This post is dedicated to all the gloss gals. In speaking to a few my friends, I have come to realize that their main beauty staple is gloss. Especially one particular friend, who no matter how many times we go to Target together, she always leaves with the same caramel colored gloss. To see the smile on her face, one would think that she just got the new Billy B. brush set...LOL. I can always predict which gloss she will choose....the brown one. It boggles my mind how we get so set in our beauty routine, that we actually go out to purchase a million different brands of glosses all in the same color family. I love gloss....in fact it was my first obsession with makeup. Every friday when I got my allowance, I would go to the Big Bee drugstore and get a new lipgloss. I especially used to love the push up kind that covergirl came out with. Never in the same color though!! I always tried to diversify my lipgloss collection.

Gloss is a great way to try a red, bright pink, or a coral that you thought you might be too dark or light for(I hate those sayings). My favorite red gloss is the MAC lustreglass in Venetian. It gives you a hint of color...just enough so you can imagine what you would look like if you had the lipstick on. Plus it still give you the shine of a gloss. I pair it with Currant/deep red liner...I look so nice and 50's but with a modern glossy finish!! I usually reserve the red lip for special occasions, like the Red Carpet, Dates, etc. Now on a day that I'm feeling girlie, I love hot pinks!!! Makeup Forever has this nice hot pink in Candy Rose that gives medium color payoff, but not overwhelming. I love hot pinks and coral in the summertime!! It's goes with the weather. I swear Christian Dior has the longest lasting gloss that I have ever tried!! I can go for hours and not touch up!

Gloss is an excellent way for you to step a couple of feet outside of your comfort zone when it comes to color. Never go by how the gloss looks inside the tube. Once it goes on your lips the color becomes more diffused. Using a darker or lighter liner will also change the color. I almost always mix atleast two different colors to get that perfect color. So...don't limit yourself when it comes to picking formulations or colors...and always remember to exfoliate lips before applying gloss. Try to have a variety of colors!!!! Play around and have fun!! The Drug store is always a good place to start. Loreal HIP and Revlon make awesome gloss for only $7.

Try These Out:

1. Clinique Superbalm Moisturizing Gloss in Raspberry

2. Bobbi Brown in Bright Pink

3. Stila Lip Polish in Glaze

4. Cargo Lip Duo in Bora Bora

5. Nars Lipstain Gloss in Indian Red