blush

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Looking Alive with Pacifica Fluffy Blushy

Today is the last day of winter, and I hope you’ll all join me in a chorus of “Hooray!” as we begin to look forward to warmer temperatures and sunnier days. I, for one, am ready to put winter – and the corpse-like hue of my complexion – behind me.

If you think I’m exaggerating, please allow me to share this story with you. While setting up for a photo shoot at work several weeks ago, my colleague snapped a few photos of me to test the lighting. He looked puzzled at his camera as he flipped through the pictures. “I think there might be something wrong with the flash – you don’t look well in these pictures.” So I took some test shots of him to compare. Turns out, our setup was fine. I simply have the skin tone of a vampire.

Enter Pacifica Fluffy Blushy, which I purchased not long after the photo shoot incident in hopes that it would help me look more… alive. It comes in five shades. I opted for Bloom, a peachy pink. And let me tell you, I’m in LOVE. It has a light, bouncy texture that applies like a cream and is very subtle – you can build for as much or as little color as you like. As a person who sees herself on video meetings every day, I can tell you that even the lightest application of this little blush makes a huge difference. Amazing what a slightly rosy cheek can do for a person!

If you, too, are suffering from a winter pallor that is downright concerning, I can’t recommend this blush highly enough.

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Let’s Flirt: Doll 10 HydraGel Cream Blush

Doll 10 HydraGel Cream Blush in FlirtI’m a big fan of blush. Done right, it can really finish a look, adding some pretty polish to your beauty routine. Done wrong, though, it can leave you looking a streaky, clownish mess. It doesn’t matter how natural the color looks in the compact, or, for that matter, how crazy and unnatural it may appear. With blush, it all comes down to texture. That’s why Doll 10 HydraGel Cream Blush is my latest obsession. Its name is very fitting – it has the sheer finish of a gel but the smooth, easy-to-apply texture of a cream, making it super easy to apply and blend. Flirt, a neutral peachy pink shade, leaves a healthy, natural glow, so my cheekbones are accentuated but I don’t look made up. It’s perfect for embracing a little end-of-summer color.

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Make Me Blush

Something about Spring always makes me crave a good blush. The reappearance of lawns after months of nothing but snow as far as the eye can see, the sunnier days and the fresh green buds on all the trees makes me long for a youthful glow. Luckily, there are many options – new formulas and old standbys alike – to get me ready for this most optimistic of seasons.

My all-time favorite blush is relatively new, but has amazing staying power and looks stunningly pretty. Tarte Amazonian Clay Long-Wear Blush in Dollface is the best things to happen to cheeks since Nars Orgasm. The soft pink powder is gorgeous, giving my pale complexion a cheerful wash of color that literally lasts until I wipe it off at night. Plus, it contains Amazonian clay, the hot new cosmetic ingredient that is great for skin and, let’s face it, just sounds cool. The blush comes in an array of colors, but Dollface was by far my favorite; it makes me look flushed, not wind-burned.

Nars Orgasm is of course a classic, a nice medium pink powder blush that looks good on virtually everyone. It goes on fairly sheer and you can layer it for your desired level of color. I personally don’t think it has the same staying power as Tarte’s offering, but it’s a classic for a reason.

If you’re more of a cheek stain kind of girl, Benefit Benetint is another cult favorite, and nothing beats it when it comes to a getting a nice rosy glow. The red liquid is great for lips, too. Unlike other stains that I’ve tried, I find this one easy to apply – you actually have a few seconds to rub it in before it dries, so you don’t end up with an obvious streak across your face instead of the intended wash of color. Benefit also has a pink version, Posietint, for days when you’re feeling less bold. In fact, you can buy a trio of sample sized Benefit complexion enhancers – Benetint, Posietint and the light pink highlighter High Beam – for $15. It’s a great way to add a little variety to your makeup routine.

My favorite way to wear blush is with clean skin, a swipe of mascara, and a clear or light pink lip gloss. It looks incredibly fresh, like you just came inside from a refreshing Spring stroll. And who couldn’t use a breath of fresh Spring air?

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How to Avoid Becoming Bored With Your Own Face

First of all, I must apologize to my friend and loyal reader Danielle, who asked me to write about this issue months ago. It turns out, even a perfectly pretty, confident girl can find herself in a beauty rut, bored with her day-to-day makeup routine. Here, a few suggestions to switch things up and keep yourself looking – and feeling – sassy.

1. Wing it. Anybody who has read more than a couple of my posts knows that my number one piece of beauty advice is to curl your eyelashes. Whether you’re a dedicated lash-curler or a lash-curling virgin, winging out just your outer lashes is an easy way to change your look and add a little glamour to your day. You can use a regular eyelash curler and just crimp the very outside lashes, but a mini curler works better, and allows you to do more detail work. I like Vincent Longo’s mini lash curler. Follow with a coat of mascara and maybe a swipe of black liner along your upper lash line, and you’ll feel like a sexy old-time move starlet.

2. Add and Subtract. One of the most obvious ways to change your look is to stop doing something you always do and start doing something new. If you never leave the house without eyeliner, skip it. If you aren’t much of a blush-wearer, dust one on. Moving the focus from one part of your face to another will make you feel like a new woman, if only for a day.

3. Play with Textures. If you want to try something new but aren’t comfortable making a big change, try switching up your textures. If you always wear a matte lipstick, try a shiny gloss in the same shade. Swap your favorite eyeliner for a metallic version in the same color family. Little tweaks like this are subtle, and might just help you find a new favorite everyday item!

4. Try a Kiss of Color. A little color can go a long way. Adding a shot of brightness to your look can really jazz up the way you look and feel. Try a neon pink or orange lip gloss (I like Make Up For Ever Glossy Full Couleur Extreme Shine Lip Gloss) – it’s fun and surprisingly wearable. Or swipe on a bright blue or purple mascara and see how your eyes sparkle. The trick is to not try too many colors at once – you want to look sassy, not clownish.

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What’s in a Name?

A few years back a friend of mine pointed out that the majority of the makeup I buy comes with a cool name. She laughingly pointed this out one day while we were getting ready to go out for a night on the town. While she painted her nails a color named something like “brick” and dusted on eyeshadow in a shade called “desert brown,” I was happily painting my face with my all time favorite makeup palette, Too Faced’s “The Temptress.”

It got me thinking, particularly when it comes to makeup, what’s in a name? Obviously the chicest, most fun name can’t make a lousy product a good one, but, I have to admit, I’d rather apply a product whose name is dripping with sex appeal than one whose name conjures up images of vultures and a cactus.

I have collected a variety of sass-inducing beauty products over the years, and I will confess to using them to boost my mood and confidence in addition to whatever increase in beauty they can contribute. Here, a few of my favorite sexy products:

– I’ve mentioned it before but I have to bring it up again. Ladies, if you don’t own Nars Orgasm blush by now, do yourself a favor and buy some. Yes, it has a naughty name, but the truth is this sheer pink blush looks fantastic on every skin tone I’ve ever seen it on. It goes on light, and you can layer it on for a darker glow or keep it sheer for a subtle one. There’s a reason it’s been a cult classic for years. It’s the second best way to get that glow.

– Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Lust. A metallic purple eyeliner might sound scary, but trust me, it’s not. This stay-put liner is one of my secret beauty weapons. Smudged lightly under the eyes it’s a subtle way to make my eyes pop. Or, when I’m feeling more bold, I use it to create a cat eye. Either way, who wouldn’t feel sexier after lining her eyes with lust?

– Too Faced Lock Down Ultimate Creaseless Cream Eye Shadow in Bedroom Eyes. One of my more recent beauty finds, this cream shadow is made with Too Faced’s Shadow Insurance, a primer that keeps your eyeshadow from creasing and smudging all over your face. Bedroom Eyes is a shimmery golden brown that stays put, even in hot and humid weather. And every time I wear it someone tells me I have beautiful eyes. Sold.

– My last pick is brought to us by OPI, a brand that in my opinion has mastered the art of naming products. My current favorite is their Nail Lacquer in An Affair in Red Square, a vampy red that stays put and looks absolutely fantastic, the perfect blend of classy and sexy.

And really, isn’t that what we want from our makeup?

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Lazy Beauty

Maybe it’s the sweltering mid-August heat, or maybe it’s just that I’m way too busy these days, but lately I’ve been practicing what can only be called lazy beauty. My once meticulous nighttime skincare routine of cleansing, moisturizing, and doing regular at-home chemical peels (I like Anew Clinical Advanced Retexturizing Peel, available from Avon) has fallen by the wayside. I’m lucky if I can be bothered to wash my face before falling into bed. Fortunately for my face, I recently tried the new EZ4U 2 GO 4-in-1 facial towelettes from mdskincare. They come in convenient individual packages and are about as easy to use as it gets: remove from package, swipe over face, pass out. The package claims that they cleanse, balance, treat and moisturize in one step, and I have to say, my skin has glowed every time I used one. And, unlike most of the other facial towelettes I’ve tried, these don’t dry out my skin.

Other time saving, multi-tasking products I’ve been using? Venus Spa Breeze disposable razors, which have bars of shave gel built in. In my experience, they don’t give you as close a shave as traditional razors, but they make shaving so much less of a pain that I don’t mind shaving a little more often.

Since it’s summer, I’ve also been skipping out on body lotion (come fall I will have to go back to slathering on a layer of the stuff every time I step out of the shower) and instead have just been spritzing on Victoria’s Secret Beauty Rush Body Double Mist. The perfumed body spray has skin conditioners in it to make you soft while you smell good, and it comes in a variety of scents. My favorite is Coconut Craze.

As far as makeup is concerned I’ve been taking the very easy road: tinted moisturizer, lip gloss, and a little powder on my nose. To give myself a little color, I’ll dust blush on my cheeks and eyelids for a natural, all over pick-me-up. My favorite blush? The classic, can’t-go-wrong shade, Nars orgasm.

I’m not the only one paring down my routine. My boyfriend recently starting using Nivea for Men Active 3 Shower Shampoo and Shave, and 3-in-1 product that, you guessed it, can be used as a shampoo, body wash, and shaving cream. He loves it, and I’ve gotta rave about it too. His hair is soft, his skin is smooth, and boy does it smell fantastic.

Lazy never looked (or smelled) so good.