Blushes

Blushes are great for finishing a look.  They make your entire look polished and pulled together.  They also give the illusion of more chiselled cheekbones. Too much,  and you can end up looking like a clown.  There are soo many to choose from,  and I doubt you can every really go wrong with a colour once its well applied.
I know 2 major types,  Cream blushes and Powder blushes.  Anything else falls into these 2 main categories.

• Cream Blushes: I personally think these are best for Oily skin,  and for those who would like a less intense look.  I would advise if you are just starting to experiment, try a stick blush first,  they are easier to manipulate.  They can also be used as a base for powder blushes,  to intensify a look,  or make the blush last longer.  I would not advise that you use a creamy formula if you have large pores or extremely oily skin.  It's just going to make the pores look larger.

         With the Stick,  you don't really need a brush to apply,  you can dot it on the apple of your cheeks,  and blend upwards with your fingers,  toward your lower hairline.  Always remember to smile while applying your blush--Other than the fact that smiling is good for you,  it helps raise your cheekbones for easier application, and a more natural look.  There are brushes that are most suitable for applying cream blushes.  The best I have seen (and used) so far is the MAC 130 (Image to the Right),  or you can find something that looks similar,  if you are on a budget.

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  Powder Blushes:  These are my favourite as they don't require much thought, you can slap it on,  blend,  and off you go!  The best shades for darker skintones are Coral,  Plum, Brick or Rust colored ones.  Peachy and Earthy tones work well though,  but it has to be a well pigmented blush to show up.

Application:  After your foundation, or tinted moisturizer....  You can use your setting powder but avoid using the setting powder on the cheekbones.  This allows the blush sink into your skin,  and of course last all day.  I find that if you use the setting powder all over,  it slightly changes the color/intensity of the blush for some reason,  and by mid-day the colour fades off.  To apply,  swipe brush in the pan,  tap off the excess ( very important) and SMILE :)

Dot along the cheekbone, and angle up towards your hairline. Blend in a circular motion for a more natural look.  If you make a mistake and have applied too much,  you can use a Kabuki brush (Right) to blend out your mistake.  What are your favourite tips and tricks to applying Blushes? Please share :)

Concealers

What's a Concealer?  I stole this definition from Wiki,  Its sums it up: A concealer or colour corrector is a type of makeup used to mask pimples, dark circles and other small blemishes visible on the skin. Concealers usually do a good job of hiding blemishes by blending the imprefection into the surrounding skin tone.


Unless you have perfect,  blemish free skin,  Concealers are the best way to fake blemish free skin.  And of course while we are on the path to achieve clear skin,  we need all the shortcuts we can get in order to 'fake it till you make it'.  In order to get the perfect match,  you have to know your undertones first (Your 'true' skin tone) and I just learned that you also have to know the color of whatever it is you are trying to cover on your face or body.  For example,  are you trying to cover acne scarring? Those black spots..or something more severe like hyperpigmentation (like a sunspot)?

All these questions are necessary before you take a trip to the beauty store.  Otherwise you will spend your cash on something you will never use.  You must also pick up the best concealer brush you can,  because your fingers alone may not get the desired effect.

Undereye concealers are very good for covering dark circles under the eyes,  and gives you the ' I just slept for 10 hrs' look.  Pat them on with your brush after applying foundation.  Its usually advised that you get one that is just a shade lighter than the color you would normally use to cover the blemishes on your face,  though that is not absolutely necessary.  Good examples are Mac Select Cover Up,  Clarins Instant Light,  Smashbox Camera Ready Full Coverage Concealer.  For Darker Skin tones I prefer Iman Corrective Concealer, or Bobbi Brown's Corrector.

When applying concealer on blemishes,  its advised to put it on after foundation,  use the concealer brush to lightly pat it on, until you have covered the blemish...blend outwards and then you can set your makeup with setting powder.


There are concealers that also cover pimples and dry them,  a good example is Revlon Colorstay Blemish concealer, It ranges from $7.99-$10 at any drugstore.  It contains Salicylic Acid,  which heals the pimple even as it covers.  Another one is Proactive's,  but I can't vouch for their color selection.

Happy week!

Body Butter(Yumm)!

I just got this totally scrumptious body butter from Winners,  Delon Intense Moisturizing Body Butter($5.99)....Coconut flavor.  Have always loved things that smell good enough to eat and this is no exception.  I have tried quite a number and for me, this seems to be the best as it gives my skin the silkiest feel..smooth and comfy.   The best thing is that there is really no need to reapply during the day,  I only do that just cos I love the way it feels on my skin.

Its less expensive than the ones from Body Shop,  and I like that coconut oil is the second ingredient on the list.  They have Mango, Raspberry, White Cocolate, Asian lily and Peony.  Definitely  not as many choices as the Bodyshop,  but I find the quality and efficacy of these better.  They are not as heavy and the sink into the skin leaving it nicely moisturized.  I also got the coconut body scrub,  looving the way it makes my skin feel.  I actually had a lady walk up to me (yikes) and asked to smell my skin.  P.s. Go get some!