Entries from February 2010 ↓

Turn up the heat as the nights grow colder. Fall is the perfect weather for vamping it up, so don’t be afraid to go all the way.

1. Cleanse. Ensure that your pricey serums and creams are properly absorbed by your skin with the Neutrogena deep clean wave (p575 for a starter kit). This vibrating cleanseing device penerated your skin 10 times deeper that regular washing. It shakes up and clear away all the stubborn dirt and makeup residue for a perfectly clean face.
2. Nourish. Luxury Japanese brand Shiseido’s Future Solutions LX line puts the premium in capturing and maintaining skin’s luminosity and delicate softness. The rich potions made up of nature derived ingredients such as uji green tea, yeast extract and bio-hyalulronic acid restore skin’s moisture ans smoothness while reducing signs of damage and stress.
3. Protect. Asia receives three times more than the average dose of most damaging UV rays. This results in premature wrinkles, uneven skin tone and loss elasticit. The L’Oreal Paris UV Perfect line offers the latest in sun protection technology for the face and body. The patented filtering system shields skin from UVA and UVB rays and help protect it from sun darkening. Best of all, the light, non-sticky formula makes it ideal for everyday use.

What’s a good make up product to enhance my eye with?

Makeup improves you rfeatures in a lot of ways when it is applied right. For instance, the proper usage of eyeliner and mascara can make your eyes seems bigger. MAKE UP FOR EVER’S Aqua Smoky Lash mascara gives an exceptional volumizing effect that intensifies the definition of your eyes. Its brush uses two technologies: Bristles and Elastomer, the latter being a new generation material that provides lash separation, lengthening and curling effects. Also, the formulation contains film-forming polymers, Volatile oil, beeswax and high-viscosity polymer, vegetable waxes and traces mineral-rich Bio-Extender and D-Panthenol to ensure best results.

Regular cleaning of makeup brushes extends their shelf life- not to mention keeps your skin from experiencing unwanted breakouts! Some makeup lines sell liquid brush cleaning solutions and spray cleaners, which are composed of a special formulation that is gentle enough to regularly clean natural hair bristles (regular soap formulation is too harsh), try the Parian Spirit Professional Makeup brush cleaner available at www.nipponesthetic.com.
Professional make up artists suggest going for quick-dry, enviro-friendly brush cleaners. A home alternative is using mild baby shampoo & water. Using this alternative, though, may dry out the brushes and make the hair fall out more easily. Antibacterial wipes provide a quick and tidy way yo clean brush heads. After cleaning your brushes, reshape the brush heads with your fingers and line them up on the edge of a shelf or sink to dry.

DERMATOLOGIST’ STANDARD FOR TOPICAL ANTI-AGING EFFICACY.
According to an independent 3rd party survey conducted at the 21st World Congress of Dermatology, 9 out of 10 dermatologists agreed that “an effective anti-ageing treatment should restore skin health by strengthening the moisture barrier, enhance the appearance of skin and protect skin’s surface from damaging free radicals.”

ANTI-AGING MULTI-PERFORMANCE INDEX (MPI): THE REAL SCORE
Based on international standards, P&G scientist developed the anti-aging Multi-Performance Index (MPI), a composite score measuring an anti-ageing facial cream’s ability to help RESTORE, ENCHANCE, and PROTECT the skin’s surface to revive its youthful beauty.
A recent study comparing the multi-Performance Index of 7 popular anti-aging creams and their ingredients revealed that Olay Total Effects has the best overall score at restoring, enhancing and protecting skin all the same time to keep it younger-looking. Its unique VitaNiacin Complex Provides the multiple benefits that dermatologist deem important to help fight the 7 signs of ageing with just one product.

Some products are good at providing just one or two benefits instead of all 3. P&G Skin Care David Khoo provides an example. “Retinoids may deliver anti-wrinkle effects but they can also cause damage to the skin’s moisture barrier, resulting in redness and irritation.” Said Khoo.

4. After using the brush, again “paint” off the remaining color on the tissue, until there is no color (keeping your bristles free of product will reduce bristle breakdown and the effort needed when you do wash your brushes). Never rub the bristles roughly as it may damage the brush.
MONTHLY HABIT
Follow the above steps and let the brush cleaning solution seep into the brushes. Pour the solution in an empty mini tub and let the brushes soak in it for about five 10 minutes depending on the instructions. You need to invest in the habit of cleaning your make up brushes and tools, and with solutions specific to task because it’s likely those brushes were an investment.

Every time you open your make item, you expose it in a number of potential contaminants- air, dust and bacteria- which you can transfer to your face especially of you are using your fingers or unclean brushes and tools. These regular beauty routines should keep your face safe from unwanted elements.
DAILY HABIT
1. Before each use, make sure you spray a quick dry solution to your brushes.
2. At start of makeup application lay out doubled-up tissue or paper towel.
3. Before you use each brush, give it a couple of “painting-like” strokes, back and forth on the tissue, to ensure there is no remaining color or debris in the brush.

4. Crease Brush

Fluffy and soft, crease brush heads come in several different shapes, from thin and tapered to round and fluffy. The usefulness of the shape will depend on you preference.
TIP: look for a brush head that feels soft against your eyelid and fits into the hollow of you eye.

LIP BRUSHES
At one time or another, most of us have applied lipstick straight from the tube. It is much easier than reaching lip brush- and sometimes you just don’t have the time. However, when you feel like puckering into a deep, dark scarlet, a lip brush should be your best friend. It provides more control and precision than using the tube. It also has firm, thin tip.
TIP: For on-the-go lipstick application, look for a covered lip brush, which comes while you’re traveling.

3. Eye shadow brush
Not as stiff as an eyebrow brush, an eye shadow brush is more square-ish in shape. It is designed for sweeping across, blending and evenly applying both powder and cream shadows on the eyelids. By using its edge, it can be used for defining eyelid crease.
TIP: Look for a flat square head that is medium to large in size (just under ½ inch in width). It should be slightly tapered at the corners with a bristle head that is firm but soft. A medium size brush will allow multipurpose function; with its side you can do the eye lid area; with the tip you can work the crease. Clean brush on tissue first to remove remaining shadow.

EYE BRUSHES
1. Eyebrow brush.
The easiest and least expensive of the makeup brushes, this brush is perfect for shaping the brows, separating eyelashes and removing mascara clumps or debris. Eyebrow brushes have firm, angled brush heads like the tip of a marker. Use them to apply powders, creams or waxes to brows.
TIP: Eyebrows, whether for day or night, should always be kept well-manicured, nicely shaped and never too thin. Thin eyebrows make you look older and severe.
2. Blending brush
As the name implies, blending brushes are used to blend different colored products and to wipe out harsh lines. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Not as firm as eye shadow brush heads, the heads of blending brushes are usually tapered.

3. POWDER BRUSH
With large, fluffy brush head and soft bristles, a powder brush is ideal for applying loose powder on the face.
TIP: Look for a large, full, dome-shaped brush with densely packed but soft hair. A long handle is better generally; kabuki brushes for mineral makeup will be compact. Soft natural bristles are ideal for loose powder, compacts with pressed powder and loose beads. Dip brush head into loose powder, sweep across, then tap ff excess powder onto tissue.

4. BLUSH BRUSH
They resemble small powder brushes with either a sloped or rounded tip. The blush brush is great for applying blush or bronzer to cheeks. The design of a good blush brush allows the most natural distribution of pigment ( the ones that come with the blush often are too small to pick up and place too much pigment).
TIP: Look for full, large head with light tapering (not as large as powder brush). It will give an even distribution and natural looking definition across the cheeks and cheekbone. Choose soft natural bristles.