Archive for 2011

Few Facts About Blushes (How To Apply & Why They Crumble)

Ok every one knows how to apply blushes and where to apply them but here are a few facts you might have missed out about blushers. The main aim is always to get the perfectly flawless finish.

If you are not applying any pressed powder over your foundation then it is advised that you dont apply a powder blusher on top of the foundation. As the foundation has a creamy consistancy the powder blusher will stick to it and it will not blend well. And if you are not very good at blending then you might end up having patches on your cheeks.
Always apply creams over creams. That means if you are not applying any pressed powder over your foundation then apply cream blusher which will easily blend out and give a very natural flushed and healthy look.
If you dont own any cream blushes you dont need to worry as lipsticks can work really well as cream blushes. For best results try not to use very glossy lipsticks as they would be more emolient and have less colour concentration. Try out a few different finishes of lipsticks as cream blushes and you would soon realize which one works the best for you. Play around with makeup and you would see how you can use different product for different purposes.
If you want your blusher to pop them apply a little bit of cream blusher underneath and this will act as a primer for the blush and it will give a vibrant colour pay off.
Always use a soft blush brush such as synthetic taklon bristled brush as it will pick up less product at a time and you wont end us having too much product on your cheeks like pink circles. And also the soft brush blends out the blusher very well.
If you feel that your blushes are dusty and crumble alot when applying, then check your blush brush, its bristles might be too coarse and scrape on the surface of your blush and make it dusty. A soft brush will be gentle on you blusher and it wont make it crumble.

How To Get The Perfect Glowing Skin

A beautiful glowing skin is an image of perfection. It shows that the skin is well nourished, healty and moisturized. But this can also be attained by using the right kind of makeup products.

There are different kinds of foundations available in the market. Foundations with matte finish and also the ones which claim to give a dewy finish. But sometimes the dewy finish of the foundations isn't enough to get the perfect glowy finish you need to use shimmery highlighters.

I have heard people often complain about when they use shimmer products, they dont get their desired flawless glowy look. The reason is that they are not using the correct shade of highligter.

If you are buying a highlighting product for the purpose of creating a glowy finish all over and not just to highlight the cheek bones, then there are a few thing you have to keep in mind.
First of all you have to know the undertones of your skin and the shade of the highlighter should be according to your undertones. If you have golden undertones, then a golden highligther would be the most suitable and will make your skin look naturally glowy. Similarly if you have olive undertones, you should apply an olivey gold highligther. If you have pink undertones then the best one for you would be a light rosegold hightlighter. If you are not sure of your undertones, try to ask a makeup assisstant to assess it for you. If not then grab several different shades of highlighters from pale pinks, off whites, pale golds to olive, rosegolds and try different shades and see which highlighter appears to be the most natural on your skin.

The second most important thing to remember is that the highlighter should have a satin to shimmer finish and not any glitter particles in it. Use a glittery highlighter only if you are going for that kind of look. But if you want to look naturally glowy then there should be no glitter particles in the product otherwise you would end up looking like a glitterball.

There are many different types of highlighting products available in the market, they could be liquid, cream or powder. You just have to find out which one you are most comfortable with, and which one is best suited to your skin tone and you will have the perfect glowy skin!

Disclaimer: Picture has been taken from google for referrence only.

Smokey Eyes: Smokey eyes don't necessarily mean blacks, greys and browns.

Smokey eyes don't necessarily mean blacks, greys and browns...

Somkey eyes mean that the colour is concentrated at one place and then it gradually fades into nothing. Smokey eyes can be created with any colour, even lighter shades of colours. There are several ways to do smokey eyes. The most common type is when the colour is concentrated near the lash-line and is blended and fades towards the brows.

The second type is when the lid colour is a lighter shade and the darker colour is concentrated at the outer corner of the eyes and blended inwards.

The third is when the lid is light and the crease is darker and blended above towards the brows.

Smokey eye looks can be created with any colour, it doesn't even need to be a darker shade of colour. Here are some examples of colourful smokey eyes...

Lighter and softer shades of colours can also be used to create subtle smokey eyes.

The the term Smokey Eyes can be used for a variety of different looks. Only the blending of the eyeshadows gives the look the name of Smokey Eyes.

Disclaimer : All the pictures in this post have been taken from the internet for the purpose of showing the examples of different looks.

5 EASY STEPS FOR HEALTHY SKIN, HAIR & BONES:

These Q's have been asked alot and I couldn't stress enough on the fact that you have to eat right rather than to use creams/ointments/medicine/prodcts etc. Here are few simple things you can do to improve your skin, hair growth and bones:

1. Take 1 x multivitamin + 1 x Cod liver oil capsules everyday with breakfast. (Good for hair, skin, eyesight, teeth, bones)

2. Drink plenty of water.

3. Include eggs in your diet.

4. Drink atleast 1-2 full glass(es) of milk everyday.

5. Proteins are an extremely essential part of your body, and your body needs proteins for the development and regeneration of new cells so include protein rich foods in your diet such as chicken, fish, eggs, nuts, lentils etc.

Just these 5 simple & easily available things will greatly improve your skin, hair growth and YOUR BONES which is very important to avoid oestrioperosis, artheritis & post pregnancy lower back aches and problems later on in life.

Disclaimer : All the pictures in this post have been taken from the internet for the purpose of showing the examples of different looks.

TIP OF THE DAY: EYEBROWS

Eyebrows play an important role in how you look as they frame your face and we all know how important a frame is aroud a picture. Some people naturally have thin brows but some people are fortunate enough to be born with thicker bows.

Thicker brows look more natural and they make you appear younger. Try not to over puck your brows, keep them as close to your natural shape as you can because that gives an appearence of youthfulness where as over plucked eyebrows or very thin and strongly defined eyebrows are usually associated with maturity. And I am sure all of us have noticed that all the walt disney villians have thin arched defined brows. So remember to keep them as natural and soft for the sweet innocent look.

Disclaimer : All the pictures in this post have been taken from the internet for the purpose of showing the examples of different looks.

THE IDEAL MAKEUP SEQUENCE (Steps of how to apply makeup)

You can apply makeup products in any order you are comfortable with but I personally think that the products when applied in a particular order can provide best results and can last longer. So today I am going to share my version of an ideal procedure of applying makeup.

1. Cleanse ( if you already had old makeup on)
2. Tone (Toner will remove any traces of cleanser left and balance the oils on the face)
3. Apply a serum
4. Moisturizer ( oil free if you have oily skin)
5. Face Primer
6. Eyeshadow Primer
7. Eyeshadows (do the eyes first so you can clean up fallout)
8. Color correctors ( peach/salmon under the eyes, green for reddness on the face etc)
9. Concealer ( under they eyes, and on the face where needed)
10. Foundation
11. Pressed Powder to set foundation and concealer
12. contouring
13. Blusher
14. Highlight
15. Lips

This how I usually do makeup on my clients and on myself. You can follow this sequence to get the ultimate results from your makeup products. Used in a proper order makeup will give the best results and will last long.
Disclaimer : All the pictures in this post have been taken from the internet for the purpose of showing the examples of different looks.

WHERE TO APPLY YOUR BLUSH

Wearing your blusher on the apples of your cheeks isn't actually the best way to go as it makes you look of age and also makes your face look rounder like the jolly old Santa. The best way to apply blusher is according to your face shape.

If you have a rounder or chubby face and you want to make it look more slimmer then apply the blusher at the back of your cheek high on the cheekbones and then contour the hollows of the cheeks. Highlight the highest point of the cheekbones. This will make your face look more chiseled.

If you have a very thin face and you want to look healthier then apply the blush lower on the apples of your cheeks. DO NOT smile and apply it on the round of your cheeks, instead keep your face straight and apply it below the area which makes the round of the cheeks while smiling. Dont contour, only highlight the cheeks bones lightly. This will give you a more healthy and fuller look.

Disclaimer : All the pictures in this post have been taken from the internet for the purpose of showing the examples of different looks.

HOW TO COVER DARK PATCHES ( PIGMENTATION) ON THE FACE:

Dark pimentation on the facial skin is a very common problem. The dark patches could be on any place on the face usually they are seen to be around lips, nose, on the chin area or the forehead. And they could range in sizes. The dark pigmentation has usually been observed in people of colour. I have been asked this question several time of what is the best way to cover these patches, as underneath the foundation and concealers they appear ashy and become more prominent.

These dark patches are the most difficult to cover up as the use of colour correctors or concealers makes them appear more ashy and not very attractive. The best way to cover them up is to use a darker shade of foundation ( darker than your usual) on the patches. If you wish you could apply it to your whole face or only apply it over the patches and blend it into your shade of foundation ( full coverage foundation) really well so that there aren't any streaks or lines. This will even out the skin tone in a very subtle way and the pimentation will be less visible.

Disclaimer : All the pictures in this post have been taken from the internet for the purpose of showing the examples of different looks.

HOW TO WASH YOUR MAKEUP BRUSHES

It is very important to keep your brushes clean not only when you are using them on others (friends/family/clients) but even when you are only using them on yourself.

The brushes used for cream/ liquid products such as foundation, concealers, gel eyeliners, cream eyeshadows etc. are necessary to clean very often as the germs (bacteria) can grow and multiply very quickly in such enviroment and if the brushes are not cleaned and used on the face again, then you will be applying germs onto your skin along with the makeup, which will end up giving you break out, or even reactions on your skin.

Even though bacteria does not multiply at such a fast rate in dry powder enviroment but still it is good for your eyeshadow/blusher/contour/ powder brushes, especially the natural haired brushes, that you also keep them clean.

Give your brushes a quick but thorough bath every night if you are using them everyday. All you need is a little bit of baby shampoo and few drops of olive oil to condition the bristles. Mix them both to make a solution.

Remember always use lukewarm water to wash the brushes as the brushes would spray after drying if the water is too hot or too cold.

Take a drop of the solution in the palm of your hand and swirl the wet bristles of the brush in your hand. Keep swirling and washing on the palm of your hand under running water till all the residue is washed out.

Then squeeze the excess water out and let them dry upside down on a special brush stand or just lie them down on a kitchen towel.

Always keep the brushes upside down when wet so that water or saopy liquid wont seep into the farrell of the brushes and loosen the glue binding the bristles.

If you keep your brushes regularly, they will perform well and last long.

Disclaimer : All the pictures in this post have been taken from the internet for the purpose of showing the examples.

Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Colour Comfort Lip Color Lipsticks Inspired by Carmindy Swatches and Review

I really wanted to review these lipsticks as they are one of my favourite brands of lipstick that I like to wear during fall and winter because I tend to get really dry lips in winter and I want some thing really moisturizing and pigmented at the same time, for my lips. These lipsticks directly hit the spot as they are very smooth and soft almost like a lip conditioner but not too super soft and creamy like some lipsticks; which I do not like at all as they are very difficult to manage. Plus they are very pigmented and come in sheer and full cover finishes. They have good lasting power but of course not super lasting power, but they stay on for quite long if you apply a lip liner before and rub in a coat of lipstick with your little finger and finish off with a last coat of lipstick.

I really like the packaging of these lipsticks, they are not made of plastic as usual lipstick instead they have steel covers and have some product in the clear bottom so its easy to know the true colour of the lipstick, which reminds me of the MUA lipsticks or the W7 lipsticks.

The shades that I picked up were the ones that I usually like to wear in the fall like deep reds, plums and berries. On the top row from Left to right the shades are:

Garnet, Sangria, Soft Red, Plum Rose and Sparkling berry.

On the bottom row from left to right:

Sunbeam, Sunburst, Champagne Rose, Pink Blossom, Lilac, Soft Orchid.

Soft Orchid is one of my favourite its a rich and creamy vintage pink colour looks amazing on the lips.

Sparkling Berry is a deeper pink with very very fine coral pink sparkles in it.

Lilac is a very creamy deep lilac shade.

Pink Blossom is a brighter pink coral colour.

Champagne Rose is also one of my favourites, its a nudey gold with a hint of pink.

Sunbeam is a nudey gold with a hint of peach.

Sunburst is a gold coral lipstick with a shimmer finish.

Plum Rose is a deep plummy colour with a sheer finish

Sangria is a beautiful intensely pigmented deep red. Amazing shade for the fall.

Garnet is a deep red with pink undertones. It is more smooth and pigmented than it appears in the pic above.

Soft Red is a true red colour with a slightly more than a sheer finish for a softer and more wearable finish.

All in all these lipsticks are great value for money and come in so many beautiful shades. I will definitely repurchase these lipsticks and there are few more colours I want to get my hands on.

These lipstick have all natural products and are Paraben free. If you prefer Paraben-free products then this is the way to go. And they have such a wide collection of shades that you'll definitely find shades that you fancy.

Causes/ Reasons For Blemishes and Acne Which You Might Not Know

Acne, blemishes, ugly breakout are every one's nightmare. No matter how much we try to run but each one of us has to experience them one time or the other. Most of us experience them during teenage when our bodies are going through hormonal changes but some times people do experience them even till their late 20s. Most of the time the blame for bad skin, acne and blemishes is put on the hormonal changes but in reality there are so many reasons that can cause breakouts on facial skin.

Stress:
Stress can be one of the major reasons for acne and breakout. Most of the time people under severe stress can have a lot of skin problems.

Leaving Makeup On Overnight:
I think every one of us has their nights when they are too tired to take off their makeup and we just can't be bothered to go to the washroom and cleanse off our face, instead we kick off our shoes and straight to bed. But the thing we fail to realize is that one night of laziness and we will be punished for a whole week or more of bad skin. So it is always advised to remove eye makeup and cleanse off your face to free the skin of all impurities before going to bed.

Excessive use of Face Primers:
This might be a surprise to a few of you and not really good news for the Face Primer loving people but the excessive use of face primers is not good for the skin. As face primers are basically barriers that fill in the pores and lock in moisture and sebum (facial oil) and prevent oily break outs on the skin. But they can also block the pores and bacteria can get trapped in causing inflammation. Plus the skin excretes oil and moisture for many reasons one of which is cleaning the pores but as it is locked in by the face primer the impurities can not be removed from the skin. So it is advised to avoid every day use of face primers.

Reaction to Certain Products:
Some times we don't realize that a certain makeup product might not be suiting our skin type or we might be allergic to some ingredient in a product which might be causing break outs. It could be anything from a foundation to a blush/bronzer etc. So if you feel you might be having acne due to some makeup product and you are not sure from which then try not using one of the products for a couple of days and then do the same other products and eventually you will know which product was causing the skin irritation.

Uncleaned Makeup Tools/ Brushes:
Cleaning and disinfecting your makeup tools and brushes is very crucial as they get contaminated with bacteria and using dirty brushes again on your skin can be very harmful as you are applying bacteria to your face along with the makeup. Cleaning brushes and tools regularly is very very important if you are also using the same tools on some one other than yourself to avoid contra-actions. The brushes used for liquid/cream/gel products are very important to wash and disinfect as liquid/gel/cream mediums are perfect conditions for the bacteria to grow.

Shared Makeup Products:
Blemishes and acne can also be caused due to sharing makeup products like stick foundations, cream blushes, makeup tools etc. So always disinfect your products. And it is advised not to share products like mascaras as they are the best medium for bacterial growth and are not easily sterilized and can cause condition from mild irritation of eyes to very swear conditions which can also lead to loss of eye sight. Mascaras should never be used over six months. Throw away the mascara after six months, doesn't matter if its finished or not, by that time it will be swarming with bacteria.

Not Disinfecting Products:
If you are using cream/liquid/gel products on some one other than yourself always make sure that you dont double dip your makeup tool in the product as it will transfer bacteria and germs to the product. Always use a Q-tip/ Palette knife or some thing to get some product out on to the back of your clean hand or a clean makeup mixing palette. Afterwards disinfect your makeup products even the powder products like eyeshadows and blushes with a spritz of rubbing alcohol to kill all the germs. Don't worry the alcohol dries quickly with out damaging the product. But make sure to avoid the contact of rubbing alcohol to your skin or eyes as it will dry your skin.

Unclean Hands:
Unclean hands is also a major reason for bad skin as throughout the day we touch many things which are carrying germs and bacteria and then when we rub or scratch or touch our face without washing our hands the bacteria is transferred to our face ready to cause inflammation, blemishes and acne. So make sure you wash your hands frequently during the day and never touch your face right after handling money as it is carrying the contamination from so many people.

If you are suffering from very bad acne try to include plenty of water in your diet. Multivitamin are also really good for healthy skin. If the condition gets really bad you need to consult a doctor for a superfacial ointment. But never use any ointments without the consultation of your doctor and never ever excessively use steroid containing ointments on your skin as their excessive use will whither your skin.

Hope this was helpful for you guys as I have spent a lot of time writing done my expert opinions :) . Cheers!

Disclaimer : All the pictures in this post have been taken from the internet for the purpose of showing the examples of different looks.

Medora Of London Lipsticks Collection and Reviews

( All the information, pictures of products and swatches are original and a copyright property of Makeup Obsessed Beauty)

Due to so many requests I decided to do an indepth review of the Lipsticks from Medora. These lipsticks are Made in Pakistan Swat and are only available in Pakistan at drug stores or shops that carry makeup products.
I personally love these lipsticks as they have a matte finish which I prefer as I have thin lips and most of the lipsticks have a creamy/sheen finish and I feel that they dont last too long on my lips or just bleed out. And I hate it when I am wearing a creamy lipstick and even if my hair brushes over it, it just spreads...so I had been looking for some really good matte lipsticks which would be long weraing and not too dry but still not too shiny or creamy.
When I came across the Medora lipsticks I instantly fell in love because they were all that I wished for plus they came in such unique shades...shimmery, glittery, matte and frosted but still not too creamy if you know what I mean.

Click on the pic to see it bigger.

I got 20 different shades in the pic above you can see 19 of them and I melted down the 20th shades for my kit. In the picture above the shades are:
Top Row Left to Right:

Violet 212
Gypsy red 253
Berry 218
Hint of Pink 210
Sugar Candy 215
Flavour 216
Garnet 204
Bordeaux 209
Burnt Orange 520
Dessert Rose 528

Bottom Row Left to Right:

Orbroni 205
Viva Glam 235
Gold Opal 299
Down Town 282
Sonic 248
Miss Fizz 261
Frosted Natural 281
Vista 242
Nude I dont remember the name or no. for the last one the sticker came off.

Siss is the last shade I metled for my kit and its the 1st one from the right. The shades I got were carefully selected as I only got the ones I didn't already have in my collection; in the finish I wanted. They are amazingly pigmented and absolutely gorgeous colours. These shades are especially perfect for Asian Pakistani bridal looks or for evening makeup looks.

The fact which makes me love them is that there are all different types of textures( glitter, shimmery, frosty) but with a non greasy finish exactly what I wanted.

The Violet is a true violet shades which is a completely matte finish. Love this for dramatic looks.

Gypsy Red is my most worn Red lipstick as it has a great staying power and is the most low maintainance Red lippy with a gorgeous deep red shade.

Berry is a beautiful purple pink lipstick which comes off as slightly more deeper than it appears in the pic and is perfect for fall.

Hint Of Pink is one of my fav a pretty vintage pink shade.Lovely matte shade.

Sugar Candy is Lilac shade in a sheer shimmery finish.

Flavour is a a shade shy from barbie pink its not too bright but not too subtle.

Garnet is a deep maroon in matte finish and has good staying power.

Bordeaux is a very unique shade, it didnt come out as good in the pic but its a beautiful deep maroon with subtle golden sheen running through it.

Burnt Orange is a reddish copper with fine gold glitter. but the glitter is so finely milled that u wont feel it on the lips.

DessertRose is a sheer pink with fine silver glitter. beautiful shade.

Orbroni is a reddisd brown with gold glitter perfect for evening party looks.

Viva Glam is one of my favourite and its a perfect nude on my lips without looking too dull.

Gold Opal is the most amazing lipstick its pale gold with a slight pink and gold shimmer and without a doubt in the list of my top 5 lipsticks. When ever i go to buy Medora lipsticks this one always catches my eyes n i pick it up and then realize that I already have this one. But its always a treat for the eyes.

Down Town is a rich and earthy matte brown.

Sonic is another one of my most worn lipsticks it is a coppery brown with gold shimmer. Beautiful to go along with copper bronze embroidery.

Absolutely gorgeous Pale gold lipstick with gold shimmer is called Miss Fizz. A unique shade.

Frosted Natural as the name suggests is a very natural shade with a slight frost another beautiful lipstick.

Vista is a browny nude shade with a matte finish can be a good base if you want to wear lipgloss but dont want to wear it alone.

This was my first medora lipstick. I bought this neutral shade to use as a base and it worked perfectly but the sticker came off and I dn't know the name of the shade. I am almost at the end of the bullet hopefully next time I go to buy this I can match out the colour for repurchase.

Siss from Medora was the shade I ended up buying when I cudnt find the exact shade as above to use as a base. you can see its quite similar but just a hint darker than the nudy shade.

So these were all the Medora lipsticks I have up till now hopefully will be getting some more next time I visit Pakistan. But all in all I was quite impressed with some thing made in Pakistan. Hope they come out with more beautiful colours.

These were my own opinions about these lipsticks, may be there are some of you who find them dry or not suitable for you, as everyone has their own preferences. Do let me know about your views on these lipsticks and your favourite shades and also share the pics of your fav shades from Medora on my facebook page
http://www.facebook.com/MakeupObsessedBeauty/
I would love to see new and different shades from them for my next trip to buy. :)

Hope this helped those who asked for the review.
Cheers!

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