This tutorial from the good folks at Sephora demonstrates some great tips for a luminous, sultry look. I like that the look is buildable as well – if you apply the eyeshadow after work, and you have a look that transitions easily from day to night. Check it out:
Archives for July 2010
Touchups on the go: The Going Dancing “Showstopper” wrist purse
How many beauty products do you have in your purse? And when it comes down to it, how many do you actually use on a regular basis? Yeah, me too. Ever end up carrying your whole purse somewhere where you don’t need it? Yeah, me too.
Now granted, going purse-free is a daunting prospect for a makeup loving gal. There are just certain products that if you ended up stranded in on the Lost island or Wonderland that you’d want to have with you. And a fanny pack just isn’t going to work in Wonderland.
We tried the Going Dancing Showstopper wrist purse, which has an impressive amount of room for the size, and comes in a variety of patterns and textures. We were able to fit “the necessities” and still had room for an iPod, ID, and a couple of credit cards. It’s especially useful for working out – it fits a tube of sunscreen (for reapplication) and an iPod, and also fits great on your upper arm.
So next time your bag seems a little bulky but you don’t want to leave home without your touchup kit, check out the Showstopper! Find it at GoingDancing.com.au.
Going Dancing’s Showstopper – we were able to carry a T. LeClerc Powder, a pack of blotting paper, a Liptini Framboise Lip and Cheek Stain, and a Stila Pomegranate Crush Lip and Cheek Stain and still had room to spare!
Burnt Orange Ultra Shine Modern Showstopper
Product Review: e.l.f. Studio SPF 45 Sunscreen UVA/UVB Protection Powder
You put on sunscreen, you do a great job on your makeup, you walk out the door with a spring in your step and a smile on your perfectly glossed lips over your deft makeup-application skills. Later you are running errands, and you realize it’s time to reapply your sunscreen…which would mean ruining your perfect makeup job. Hmm.
This is the line of reasoning that has led the Style Chicks to look into the new batch of powder sunscreens on the market. Soon we will be doing a comparison of all of our favorites, but for now, we wanted to highlight one that we are particularly wowed by – e.l.f. Studio SPF Sunscreen UVA/UVB Protection.
We recieved a sample of this great product, and I didn’t quite know what to expect as far as color, as some reviews on the e.l.f. site talked about how dark the powder is. Now, this could have been a problem for me, since I’m insanely pale. But to my surprise and delight, it’s not dark in the least – the day that I reapplied three times it looked closer to a light bronzer look by the end of the day than muddy in the least. If you’ve tried it in the past and have found it too dark, I’d recommend using the included puff and not a brush – the brush may be distributing too much in one spot. To show the color (or lack thereof), I swatched it on my crazy pale inner wrist – the picture is below. And when I washed it off – no redness from the sun at all, so I trust the SPF.
I still apply a moisturizer with SPF first thing when I’m doing my makeup, as it never hurts to have multiple layers of protection. But on one ridiculously hot day last week, I just wore the Studio SPF 45 Sunscreen powder since I didn’t want my makeup to get immediately sticky, and it worked great, and kept my skin moisturized quite well with the aloe vera extract, grape seed extract, and Vitamins A, C, and E the powder contains. I love SPF products that double as a skincare treatment! The inclusion of those ingredients leads to a creaseless formula, even when you have multiple layers on. I was quite surprised as to how much could be applied without a crease or line, even over makeup – it’s just a very silky formula.
I apply it all over my face and neck (I even dabbed it gently on my eyelid – great coverage!), and even on chest and arms. A great tip I got from the good folks at e.l.f. – if you need more coverage, mix a little water with the powder (put some in a different container to not get the whole container soggy) for a full coverage foundation or concealer. I got a burn on my leg awhile back that is still a bit pink and needs an SPF on it, so I’m excited to try the technique on that spot!
The container stays closed quite well, so I just toss it in my bag in the morning and I don’t have to worry about the powder spilling all over my purse. As a spoiler alert – we have an article on makeup to freshen up with after a workout coming up, and this product definitely makes the cut!
I highly recommend e.l.f. Studio SPF 45 Sunscreen UVA/UVB Protection Powder, especially if you aren’t fond of having to reapply your makeup when you have to reapply sunscreen, or you aren’t crazy about liquid or cream sunscreens. Consistent SPF application is a necessary evil if you are exposed to sun for more than 90 minutes (including in the car or near a window), since the SPF breaks down with sun exposure. This product makes protecting your skin one step easier!
Find e.l.f. Studio SPF 45 Sunscreen UVA/UVB Protection Powder at eyeslipsface.com for $6. Since you get 3.5 oz of powder, it’s quite the bargain for a great product!
Color Swatch of e.l.f. Studio SPF 45 Sunscreen UVA/UVB Protection on my ridiculously pale arm – left side no powder, right side, three layers of powder
Lip Tip: Use a Pigmented Lip Color in the Sun
When the sun is beating down on you, it’s hard to want to slick on more than gloss on your lips. But before you reach for that light, juicy colored gloss, consider the possibility: unless your gloss has a SPF and you reapply consistently, you are subjecting your lips to the equivalent of rubbing baby oil on your skin and laying out in the sun. Add to that the fact that your lips have less natural melanin than the rest of your skin, and you could end up with a lip burn that can only be described as, well, icky. (OK, painful, peeling, blistering, miserable, and many other bad things as well…but you catch my drift…icky)
One option is trying a highly pigmented lipstick or stain. Anything that can provide a physical barrier will stop your lips from burning. Yesterday me and Style Chick Lyn were outside for a bit and both were wearing stains (Lyn wore Liptini Lip Liquer in Kirsh, and I had two coats of Stila Crush Lip and Cheek Stain in Mango), with nary a burn or chap. It works and still feels light!
Lyn wearing Liptini’s Kirsh stain – just a light coat!
Product Review: ELF Mineral Eyeshadow Primer
ELF has some great products that find a happy home in my regular makeup bag, and their Mineral Eyeshadow Primer is one of them.
THE EXPERIENCE
The formula is incredibly light, but packs a decent coverage and brightening punch, and keeps shadow in check. For everyday, I put it on after concealer (sometimes I use thin coats both before and after concealer if my eyes are puffy), and then just add highlighter (Benefit’s Georgia Peach) on my browbone, about half an inch from my eyebrow. It really gives a natural look that doesn’t crease or crinkle during the day, and it really doesn’t feel heavy or sticky.
It comes in one color, Sheer, which is ideal for me, but as you know, I’m quite pale. I don’t know how it would work on other skin tones, though when the other Style Chicks tried it out, it still looked natural on a more olive-toned fair skin. I think it would serve as a decent brightener on darker skin tones as well – don’t let the color in the tube scare you off, since it goes on so lightly.
It’s not just a great primer, either – it contains Vitamins A, C, and E – so you get some skincare action as well! Try applying it with a sponge or synthetic brush – the wand is a bit too small to blend with. And definitely make sure to blend it all the way into the inner V of your eye – it brightens and opens the area right up without looking fake. You just look…what do they call that…well rested.
CONCLUSION
There are some great eyeshadow primers on the market right now, and ELF Mineral Eyeshadow Primer is amongst them. For everyday use, it’s a great value at $3.00 and the tube lasts surprisingly long. In fact, I still had about 1/8th of my old tube left (which I got about a year ago and have been using 2-3 days a week) when I ordered my new tube recently.
WHERE TO BUY IT
Find ELF Mineral Eyeshadow Primer at EyesLipsFace.com.
ABOUT THIS REVIEW
This product was submitted to us for consideration purposes.
We personally test each product before it is featured. All opinions and experiences are 100% our own.