Tuesday Tip!

Summer has been here for one week today!  Here are some of the latest trends you should try for 2011. 

1. Bold Lips!  Burgundy, pink, and orange have been some of the most popular shades this year.  Try a bold color for a night out.  Too shy to reach for the hottest pink?  Try brightly colored gloss for a toned-down approach.

2. Full Lashes!  To make lashes look extra thick, try a mascara primer under your mascara.  You can also coat your lashes, let them dry, then add a second coat.  False eyelashes are a breeze and easy to apply!

3. Metallic Lids!  Use cream shadows for a darker look and eyeshadow or bronze powder for the daytime.

Taking the Mystery out of Mystic Tan

Carrie and I were headed up to Nags Head, NC for a week at the beach with my family.  With Carrie's recent bout of melanoma and ongoing battle with dyplastic cells (cells trying to turn into melanoma), we opted for a sunless sun tan!  We figured what better way to stay under the shade than to be tan BEFORE going to the beach!  I made two appointments and we arrived at H2O Salon and Spa the day before we left for Nags Head. 

I had heard many things about mystic tanning and decided to try it when a coworker came to work with a gorgeous tan.  I asked if she had been on vacation and she told me about her mystic tan from H2O.  I had seen the aftermath of mystic-gone-wrong in college when my friends would point out their wrists and ankles streaked with awful orange patterns. But, this tan fooled me and I am not easily fooled ( I think...). Carrie and I had gotten an overwhelming amount of advice about how to prepare for a mystic tan.  Our prep was as follows:
1. Exfoliate as close to your appointment as possible. This gave me a wonderful opportunity to try the at-home sugar scrub (see Tuesday Tips).
2. Leave skin bare, meaning no make up or lotion.
3. Wear dark, loose fitting clothing.

We arrive at H20 salon and Carrie goes first.  She looked a little shaken afterwards but the whole process took her about ten minutes.  I head back to the mystic tan booth, which really looks like some kind of gas chamber, and get a brief lesson from the spa lady.  After donning weird sticky shoes and a hair net, I used a lotion on my hands, feet, elbows, and knees.  If I could go back, I would have used a lot more because they tell you use a thin layer.  Carrie slathered it on and avoided any awkward streaking marks.  I hop into the tanning booth, take a really deep breath, and hit the green button. 

I was definitely NOT prepared for what came next.  The mystic sprayer was very loud AND forceful.  I had planned on holding my breath until the pause to turn around, but my anxiety had me gasping after ten seconds.  I am remembering about my battle with claustrophobia right about the time that the sprayer is hitting my face and the booth is filling up with a very thick cloud of tanning solution.  By the time the machine pauses, I can feel my heart beating out of my chest.  I turn and assume the awkward position of arms out and legs spread and the sprayer starts again.  Ughh! When is this thing going to turn off?!  After another 20 seconds or so, I am done and I race out of the booth.  I started wiping all the extra solution off with a towel and had to spit out everything that was in my mouth (maybe my mouth was open from the gasping breaths?).  The trick to an even tan is to wipe, not blot.  Whew!  I am dressed and heading out the door.  Six hours later, I take a shower, which is a relief because the smell of the tanning solution was giving me a headache.  The tan had completely set by the next morning and I loved it!  My only give away sign was my hands.  Somehow, my right hand turned out A LOT darker than my left.

While I won't be racing back to the spa any time soon, I did think the tan looked very natural.  My family thought I had been basking in the New Orleans sun all summer.  The color didn't fade until the very end of the trip and I avoided any unneccessary sun time!  Win-Win!

Tuesday Tip!

How do you tell if products are worth buying when you are in the store?

Eyeshadow- Place to eyeshadow on your finger tip and swipe once on the back of your hand.  If the pigment on your hand is not the same brilliance as the package, don't buy it.  You will end up putting on layers and layers to achieve the same look and end up with caking and creasing.

Mascara- If you want full lashes, look for a mascara with a thick applicator.  If you want more natural looking lashes, try a thinner applicator.  I have used around 15 different Sephora brands and find that the mascara is not the indicator, it is with what you are applying the mascara.

Blush- Use the same pigment tester as eyeshadow.  If you have fair skin, go for peaches and corals.  Medium skin should use deeper pinks or bronzy coppers.  Dark skin looks best with deep bronze or burgundy shades.  The darker the skin, the deeper the blush color.

Lipstick- Buy your lipstick from a place you can test it directly on your mouth (don't do this at Sephora because there are too many samples for the employees to keep up with proper sanitation).  If you can't do this, put the color on the back of your hand and hold it up to your mouth.  If the color looks good against your skin tone, it will look good on you.

Foundation- Test, test, and test again before you buy.  Any store or counter will give you free samples to take home and try.  Judge your foundation in low light, sun light, photo flash, or those awful bathroom lights that make everyone look like a corpse.  You will find what shade and finish you like the best.  Test the foundation all over the face, not just the hand (darker than your face) or the jaw (also darker than your face).

Eyeliner- This depends on the use.  Do you want a defined line or or soft, well blended line?  Are you using it on your lash line or your water line (the part of the lid on the underside of the lashes closest to your eye)?  Know what your intentions are before you walk into the store.
Defined lines-liquid or gel liner
Soft lines-Kohl pencil or eyeshadow
Lash line-most all will do
Waterline- Opthalmologist-tested and not waterproof

My Good Things Two

 I have so many new products I have been excited about recently that I wanted to share them with everyone!  Who needs any excuse to buy more makeup?? Not me!  Here are a few products that made it to the top of my favs list!

1. Sally Hansen Salon Effects- This is literally the best thing since Reese's Nutrageous.  These nifty little stickers come in too many shades to count.  I discovered Salon Effects when a coworker showed me a picture of her hot pink glitter nails (in the photo, she was next to her dog who also had hot pink glitter nails).  I loved them!  They looked professional, but really were a do-it-yourself product!  I used Frock Star on my toenails and they looked like a professional pedicure for a fraction of the cost.  You can remove Salon Effects using nail polish.  Check out all the shades below!




2. Mac Pro Longwear-  On my search for a great lip stain (no luck yet), I ran across Longwear lipstick from Mac. I used Covergirl Outlast Smoothwear back in the day, which is the same concept.  The lip color is applied and dries to matte finish.  Lipgloss can be applied over the color because once the color sets, it can look dry on the lips.  I wore Mac Longwear for eight hours and the color lasted through eating and drinking all day!  Have good makeup remover on hand because removal can be a challenge.  I recommend Mac wipes.



3. Clinique Pore Refining Solutions Correcting Serum- Everyone knows how much I love Clinique products.  Honestly, I have a boatload of Clinique products at home and I keep getting more!  This new product is used to treat large pores.  Clinique has pore minimizing products, but they were designed to cover, not treat, the problem.  The new serum claims to shrink pores up to 58%, according to the clinical trials.  My girlfriend uses this product and it really worked for her!  Use in conjunction with Biore Deep Cleansing Pore Strips and exfoliation for maximum results.

4. Aveeno Sunscreen- I don't list a certain product for this favorite because I am in love with all Aveeno sunscreens.  Finally, a sunscreen that smells good, is hypoallergenic and noncomedogenic (won't clog pores), is oil free, and does not feel greasy!  What more can you ask for?! Oh wait! I am not even finished!  It also is waterproof and the new line can be applied on wet skin!  Oh, heaven.

                             

 5. Urban Decay 24/7 Eyeshadow Pencil- Tiffany, a makeup artist I follow, always primes her eyes with a cream shadow before applying her powder eyeshadow.  Setting the eye with cream shadow allows for deeper pigments with powder shadows and longer wear time.  I bought the Urban Decay pencil in Sin, because she uses it most frequently and got a lot of compliments! 
                                                                                                       

6. Sigma Beauty Makeup Brushes- After emptying my bank account at MAC buying brushes, I decided to do some research.  Sigma brushes are a fraction of the price and are very soft!  I do think they shed more than my MAC brushes, but frequent washing can cut down on all that hair.  You can buy individual brushes or get a deal on a whole set.


7. Living Proof Full Thickening Mousse- I love the entire Living Proof line actually.  Developed by a bunch of smarty pants at MIT, a new polymer was discovered to make you look fabulous.  If volume isn't what you are looking for, check out their anti-frizz or new straight line.  I have also used Full Thickening Cream and it works just as well.  Use the product on dry or wet hair.  Air dry or blow dry; both methods reveal a fabulous coiffe.
            

8. Gel Nails- I love getting professional manicures, but hate that first chip two or three days later.  For around $30, you can get a gel manicure.  Gel manicures use a type of nail lacquer that is set and hardened under UV light.  The gel sets so strong that the manicurist finishes your appointment with your massage.  You can reach in your purse and dig around for your wallet and keys as soon as the nails have set.  The manicure is also dubbed "the two week manicure", but I've had gel manicures last up to four weeks.  The cons of gel manicures is you have to return to the salon to soak off the polish in acetone, which dries out your nails.  It is not recommended to have gel manicures back to back.  Also, they are still unavailable for pedicures.  I like them because they are thicker than your natural nails but not as thick as acrylic.  It should also be noted that I picked ten crabs with these babies without a chip! (Note: not my nails below)



9. SunGuard- I mention SunGuard in a previous post, but it was worth revisiting.  This product is such a good idea!  You can use this product in your normal wash and it gives your clothes an SPF of 30!  SunGuard will last through twenty washes.                                                        

10. Urban Decay Naked Palette- This is on the tippety top of my want list right now.  I love Urban Decay eyeshadows because they are highly pigmented like MAC eyeshadows.  This palette is a wonderful mix of matte and satin finishes and I wear natural and nude colors most often, so what better than to have them all in one location!  Here is a great tutorial by Tiffany D using the Naked Palette.  She didn't major in English, but she sure knows her make up!