The Beauty Edition

OK, I have a mass of info from my beauty consultation the other night, so I will probably just spout stuff out in a crazy random order. I apologize in advance. I would put pics with all of these, but I am pretty lazy, so it's not going to happen. Disclaimer, these are just his opinions....feel free to disagree. There are things that I love and will never give up...I know how we get attached to our beauty products. As a general note for the points below, he said that when it comes to skin care and your base makeup (meaning foundation, concealer, etc.) you should be more particular about what you buy. When it comes to color (such as blush, lips, eyeshadow, etc.), use what you want and what works for you. Here it goes.

• Best Foundation out there, hands down, is Armani. He also is a big fan of their concealer.


• If you are going to go with a drugstore brand, Loreal is best, because it's made by Lancome and Oil of Olay has great skincare products too.


• Mac was made for TV/Stage/Movies and drag queens, it's too cakey and thick for everyday wear. (Reminder: He is talking about their foundations and powders. Their colors are pretty wild, but if that is the look you are going for, so be it.)


• Girls our age (my sisters and I range from the 22 to almost 30 mark) should only use foundation and concealer as their base in the morning (or whenever you put makeup on during the day)....no powder. Your face loses dimension and looks flat when you put powder on. Save powder application for later in the day if you are oily (like me!) and need to touch up.


• If you use bronzer, use a sheer, brown toned one and skip the orangey/red tones. Bobbi Brown's 'Natural' and Armani's 'Sheer #1' are great colors. Apply bronzer using the '3 rule', start at the temples and do and 3 figure down your face, hitting the hollows of your cheeks and under your jaw line.


• Apply bronzer and blush with a big fluffy brush, using the side of it. It disperses the color softly.


• If you aren't using a make up removing cleanser (it will specifically state it on the bottle) then you aren't getting your makeup completely off. Use a makeup removing cloth or baby wipe (make sure it's alcohol free!) to get make up off, then cleanse.


• Speaking of alcohol, do not use ANY product that contains it on your face! A lot of toners have it as an ingredient and it's terrible for your skin. This also goes for Salicylic acid....just say no.


• For everyday eyeliner, instead of putting a line across your top lid, lift the lid and apply liner in between lashes from underneath (I know this doesn't translate well without a step by step). This will make eyes look more natural and the eyeliner will actually be doing its job...which is making your lashes look longer.


• Your eyebrows are sisters, not twins. They aren't going to look exactly the same, but they should look related.....think about it.


• If you have oily skin (like me) always use oil free products. Turns out I am using a Bobbi Brown foundation for people with dry skin....thanks sales person. Loreal and Oil of Olay have great, cheap, oil free moisturizers.


• On that note....ALWAYS moisturize! Preferably with a lotion containing SPF. This goes for day AND night ladies, and throw in some eye cream while you're at it....you will thank him later. My sister was using a Bobbi Brown eye cream and she told Kris that it burned when she put it on....she thought this meant it was working (oh Megan you bust me up).....he looked at her like she was certifiable. If it stings, DON'T use it.


• If you have oily skin, don't use creamy cleansers.


• Exfoliate no more than twice a month.


• If you are looking into using a higher end, department store skin care line, there are 2 that stand out. Chanel has some of the best dermatologists in the world and Trish McEvoy's husband is a dermatologist, enough said.


• Don't use Clinique.....ever. (I know, I am a fan of the Dramatically Diff. Moisturizer, but I found out one of the main ingredients is mineral oil. Mineral oil + oily face = MESS. Bye bye DDM)


• Along with Clinique, don't use Bare Minerals....ever. Your putting rock dust on your face and it's going to stretch out your pores like crazy. Note: Mineral makeup = GOOD, but Bare Minerals = Bad.


• If you can afford it, invest in good, natural hair, brushes. They are better and can last forever. Treat natural brushes like your own hair. Shampoo them (or you can use a mild face wash) every 2 weeks AND condition once a month. Wash foundation brushes every week.


• NEVER, EVER, EVER use a sponge for foundation. It's a breeding ground for bacteria, that you are putting back on your face. Use a foundation brush. You can use a sponge for powder, but you have to wash those every week too.


• Primers are a good thing. They help your makeup stay on longer and prep your face.


• Nars' Mud Mask made with Dead Sea mud is god sent. It will bring all of the impurities to the surface.


• Armani's natural bristle foundation brush is amazing and if you buy one, it will last your entire life.


• A highlighter can be your best friend (I saw it an action and am a believer). YSL's Touche Eclat highlighter is amazing. Use it on top of cheekbones, under eyes, under your brows, and draw a line down the center of your face and blend outward to give yourself a 'spotlight' look.


• Start with foundation in the center of your face and blend outward.


• When applying eyeshadow, your eyelids will have different textures (could be due to sun exposure among other things). When Kris was doing my eyes, my left eye took color better than my right. Compensate, by applying more to the right or less to the left...you get it.


• OK, lets end with an interesting one. This is going to be hard to explain and you have to be VERY careful, but I saw it in action and it was pretty amazing. If you have dark under eye circles, take a blue/red lipstick and it MUST be a blue/red, not orangey or pink red. Put a little bit on your finger and pat it under your eyes in the dark spots. VERY lightly people, so there is just a little pink. Then put your concealer over the lipstick. The red/blue tone neutralizes the dark colors and it covers it beautifully. Again, pretty amazing. Make sure to use a lipstick that won't clog your pores (I think he said Armani's don't) and USE CAUTION...I can only imagine horrible red eyes if this isn't done right!

Wow, that was long. Again, these are only opinions, don't be offended. Hopefully you all found something in there that was helpful or new!

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