Cosmetricks Beauty Blog

Instant clean up required: Try a brow gel or a brow 'pomade'. Anastasia has great products for this.

The Browfix was a thick pencil that instantly held the hairs together in place. However, since I have thin eyebrows it seemed to sweep mine all together.



I prefer Anastasia's Brow Gel, a little goes a long way. One tube lasted me 3 months! It also makes sweeping the brows up with a shadow/brow bush easy so the hairs don't all stick together into a thin line. Worth every penny $21 (even comes in colors)

My latest purchase last week (came with a free makeup bag!). Dior 5 shadow pallette, #970

The pigment is very intense, a little shadow goes a long way. You don't even need a base shadow, the shadow has stayed on my eyes just fine throughout the day. $54 a pop - it better stick :)

Makeup tip from Dior:
Highlighter: Choose the lightest color and use the oval shadow applicator to dab some on the inner part of the upper eyelid.

Color: Using the other side of the applicator, dab the darkest shade and apply closest to the lash line - blending up and out.

Effect: Use one of the remaining colors to shade the under the outer corner of the eyebrow

To create a more dramatic effect, use another shade under the eye. Use a brighter shade for a more radiant effect.

Bare Escentuals has a great new lip plumper gloss - Buxom Lips. It comes in a variety of shades, and the plumping action works with a cool tingle (instead of the old school heat-swelling feel). Also, it doesn't taste bad either!

Pearl’s a soft, pale gold-colored product with just a touch of shimmer. Layered beneath powder eyeshadows, it intensifies color. The picture shows MAC Pearl by itself, Parrot eyeshadow by itself and the middle one is Parrot applied on top of a layer of Pearl. You can instantly see the difference as the color is more vibrant with the base!

I'm in the process of deciding which perfume to buy. Ferragamo has 2 really good ones, however they are kind of strong. I received samples of Incanto Shine and Incanto Charms, let's see how my body chemistry works with them! If you're not careful, perfume can collide with your body chemistry in a negative way no matter how good it smells out of a bottle!

Although I haven't figured out exactly why, I still agree the Shu Uemura eyelash curler is the best one out there.

The solid metal construction along with the firm grip pads,combined with the ergonomic handle and fit help the lashes curl instantly. For $18, this is worth the investment!

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Recently at an event at Nordstrom, I had my makeup done by a makeup artist from Laura Mercier. Here's what I ended up buying nearly $200 later!



To get your cheekbones to stand out, apply blush at the apples of the cheek and sweep out and up.
Then add a little bit of shimmer, like Laura Mercier 'Pink Mosaic' Shimmer Bloc. Put some on the top of the cheeks -between the upper cheekbone and eyes - and it'll make your cheekbones pop in pictures.



Moving on to the eyes, they told me an eye opening trick was to put eyeliner on the inside of the upper lid (not the outside). Using a superfine, strong brush they applied the liner in black - which is claimed to be smudgeproof:




The makeup artist then dusted and blended the new mineral shimmer powder on the eyelid. Again, sometimes lighter is better to open up the eyes.


Finally my look was finished with a dusting of shimmer powder (which I love). The little specs reflect light and give you a sparkly glow :)

Apologies for the lack of posts... work has been busy! I did manage to find an interesting tip on selecting hair color that'll make you look great!





Knowing your skin tone is very important in helping you choose the best hair color to make you sizzle. The first thing you should determine is whether your skin tone is warm or cool.

One way to tell is to check the color of our veins. If they appear more blue then the have cool tones, if green then you have warm tones.

Another way to determine your tone is to drape 2 scarves next to your face - a blue and an orange one. Whichever ones looks best determines your tone(blue means you're cool, orange means you're warm)

MAC Cosmetics has some great looks displayed in drawings. They have a portfolio at MAC counters or you can find them online. Watch out you may end up buying a ton of products to get the exact look!

Here are my favorite looks:



EYES
Fill in brows with Saddle Eye Shadow using a 208 Brush. Highlight the browbone by sweeping Forgery Eye Shadow right under the brow. Lightly dust a layer of Frozen White Pigment on the whole lid for a little rock ‘n’ roll glamour. Blend Saddle and Black Tied Eye Shadows together and apply it in the lower crease, close to the top lashline. Using a 275 Brush, apply Saddle Eye Shadow in the inner corner of the eyelid. This will create a contour that will change the look of your eyes. Line the whole eye with Blacktrack Fluidline and run a 266 Brush dipped into Carbon Eye Shadow over the Fluidline. Curl lashes and brush on a coat of Noisy Black Loud Lash.

CHEEKS
Sweep Sincere Powder Blush from on the apples of your cheeks up towards the temples.

LIPS
Line and fill in lips with Oak Lip Pencil. In true spirit of VIVA GLAM VI, apply VIVA GLAM VI Lipstick and a liberal coat of VIVA GLAM VI Tinted Lipglass.


EYES
Shape up eyebrows and fill them in with Charcoal Brown Eye Shadow and Clear Brow Set. Highlight browbone with Soft Ochre Paint Pot using a 213 Brush. Fill in lids with Quite Natural Paint Pot and Remotely Grey Eye Shadow and a 252 Brush. Blend Quite Natural Paint Pot and Modest Tone Eye Shadow to the crease of the eye with a 217 Brush. Apply Graphblack Technakohl Liner to upperlashline using a 266 Brush. Using a 217 Brush apply Quite Natural Paint Pot and with a 266 Brush apply Graphblack Technakohl Liner to the inner corner of the lower lashline. Coat Coal Black Pro Lash on your lashes.

CHEEKS
Sweep Tenderling Powder Blush with a 129 Brush to cheekbones.

LIPS
Line lips with Oak Lip Pencil and apply 2N Lipstick with a 318 Brush. Finish off by smoothing 1N Tinted Lipglass all over lips.

To make liquid foundation last longer, mix it with a drop of sweat proof sunblock.For blush to last longer, try using a cream version also .For the lips- apply a balm to smooths out, then dust translucent powder followed by the color.

The key to the smokey eye affect is blending. The blending of these
colors and the use of highlight shimmer helps keep the look soft and
smokey!

- First apply shadow base to the lids
- Sweep on a highlight concentrating on the upper area near the eyebrow
and the tear duct (this area catches the most light)
- Apply shadow to the lid
- Using an angled brush, apply a gel or dry liner to the lid close to
the lash line. A dark navy blue or plum shadow would work here. Blend
this line.
- Blend in a slightly darker shadow in the crease of the lid

Eyes
A single coat of mascara will only take seconds per eye, giving just enough definition to lashes. Dust on some eyeshadow and you should be good to go. Take another second and apply some eyeliner for eyes that pop!


Lips
For a soft, kissable look, slap some tinted lip-gloss on your lips. Lipstick or lip stain will draw more attention to your lips than lip-gloss.


Hair
Buy some cool hair accessories and use them to twist your hair up or pin it back, all in about 30 seconds. Headbands are cool too just to keep the hair out of the face.

Blemishes, scars, and imperfections:
Use a concealer stick or powder makeup to mask blemishes and dark circles under your eyes. Concealing unsightly marks on one’s face should take less than a minute. Visine eye drops may be applied to reduce redness of blemishes before applying concealer.


Refresh: splash on some body spray or perfume, or even body lotion. Just don't overdo it!

Hair product trial

I tend to do things in excess. For example - when I buy shoes, I don't just buy one pair. I end up with 3 boxes :). My recent binge has been on hair products. My goal was something for volumizing my ultra thin hair, protecting it since it's been colored, while adding shine. Here are my winners for now :)



Pureology: The pink bottle for volume. The styling gel works well for volume and is made for color treated hair. Haven't noticed the color fading from use of this, so we're good. The shampoo and conditioner however are a bit thick and I"m not too fond of the smell.



Frederic Fekkai Technician Color Care: The shampoo, conditioner, and volumizing gloss gel all work very well. My hair color seems to have extended at least an extra week and I like the smell. The only downside is this line is expensive at $20 for the glosser and $22 an 8oz shampoo.



Bumble and Bumble The gentle shampoo doesn't lather as much as I'd like, but I use it with the super rich conditioner and I love my hair afterwards! I also tried the 20 minute deep conditioner that seemed to work well but only needed once a month. The price is a little high but well worth it. $25 for the shampoo and $29 for the conditioner.



Kerastase: Reflection for color treated hair. As much as I wanted to like this product (the fancy website made it seem so exclusive), it didn't do much for me. I didn't notice an improvement in shine or health of the strands. It did make my hair softer and smelled nice. I probably won't be buying this again at $32 for the Bain Noir shampoo and $58 for the Chroma reflect conditioning mask.

Bet you're asking - will anyone see me naked?
- Most spas do not require any form of exposure. Rooms are used for one
to undress in, and robes or towels are provided to cover up. In other
situations, the therapistmay leave the room as you undress and get
underneath the sheets. They will also leave the room for you to dress. Keep
in mind that depending on your treatment, i.e. body scrubs, someone
may be in the room servicing you in the buff. If you are shy to this it
is always a good idea to ask the oncierge ahead of time before your
particular treatment.


Also an fyi:
- Gratuity in the Spa industry follows the same standard as any other
service, about 12-17%. Most spas have little envelopes for you to put
the gratuity into and write the name of the recipient as well as your
name, then slip that into the box provided. If payment is not required
until the end of your treatments, you may pay then. The last option would
be to hand them gratuity directly but it's advisable to ask the
concierge beforehand if you are still unsure.

False lashes are perfect for special occasions or when you want to have
some fun! Follow these basis steps when applying the falsies:

- Using a tweezer, dip the base end of the lashes into the glue, then
place the lashes as close to the base of your own lashes as you can.
- Fill in wherever you want the greatest impact, usually the mid to
outer lashes
- Press gently but firmly
- Hold the lash in place for about 5 seconds, until the glue has a
chance to dry and hold
- Keep a piece of paper handy to hold the lashes
- After the glue is dry, apply a dark eyeliner to camouflage the line
of the fake lashes
and then apply mascara.
-To remove, gently pull them off with tweezers.

Wow, this just shows what makeup can do! Check out this video of celebs without makeup! Again, I wish I had my own professional makeup artist :)

The eyelashes are not just strands of hair that rim our eyelids. They are gifts that Mother Nature gave us to protect and shield our eyes from dust and other foreign bodies. And because we communicate a lot with our eyes, our eyelashes help us put color and meaning to our words with the way we flutter and bat our eyelashes.


It would be infinitely nicer and infinitely more effective, though, if the lashes that we bat and flutter look long, thick and immaculate. We do not have to be born with long and thick eyelashes to be able to have seductive-looking eyes, though. After all, what is makeup for? All it takes is the touch of the magical mascara wand.


Mascara does magic for our lashes as long as it is correctly applied, in such a way that there are no globs of the stuff clinging to our lashes and that each strand is separated from the other. Nothing ruins the effect of mascara than globs and lash strands clumped together.

To avoid dried globs and clumping strands, apply the mascara to the base of the lashes with the mascara wand and then give the wand a wiggle. Afterwards, carefully brush the mascara to the ends of the lashes with the use of a lash comb. Or if you do not want to use a lash comb, just wipe the excess mascara from your wand with a piece of tissue before touching it to your lashes.


Another thing that makes mascara look ugly is if it smudges. Sometimes, the smudge happens because the eye cream or the concealer used is oil-based and still wet. You can prevent the smudging by applying powder first onto your lower eyelids before putting on the mascara. Also, try not to blink while putting the mascara on, or else it will definitely stick to your eyelids rather than to your lashes.

Foods that feed your beauty :)

Carrots : Maintain the outer layer of the skin to prevent premature aging. Find the benefits as you do from RetinA

Cheese : Choose Swiss, cheddar, or gouda to block bacteria in the mouth and prevent cavities.

Citrus Fruits : Hold the skin cells together by forming collagen. Collagen cannot be added to the skin topically, which is why fruits and fruit juices are such an important part of the daily diet.

Cranberries, blueberries: antioxidants

Garlic: Helps combat wrinkles and restores tissues.

Nonfat Yogurt: High in calcium, keeps your smile white and your teeth cavity-free.

Sweet Potatoes: Vitamin A is known to be an anti-wrinkling agent. Sweet potatoes are full of this important vitamin.

Tomatoes: Rich in vitamin A, vitamin C, and potassium.

Wheat Germ: If you want to get rid of pimples quickly and efficiently, make sure to include two or three tablespoons a day in your diet.