A funny for your day!

Ran across this online - TOO FUNNY!  Sometimes it feels that way...

Not sure who the girl is in the pictures...does anyone know?  I'd love to find some of her videos to watch.  

EDIT:  Big thanks to reader Nina who informed me that her name is Natalie Tran.  She is hysterical!  Here's the original vid!

XOXO

-K

Email me at orangelipstickblog@gmail.com

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I'm no expert but...

I come from a Communication background and have journalism experience so I know that it’s really important to identify your sources.  However, there are some beauty things that I know; things I’ve learned throughout the years.  I can’t quote you exactly how I know these things – but I do.  Let me share my wisdom. ;-)

• NEVER EVER sleep with makeup on.  I can’t even begin to tell you how bad this is for your skin.  Google “sleeping in makeup” and you’ll find plenty of insight into why this is bad.  Basically, makeup blocks your pores and while that’s okay for a little while, it’s really bad for overnight.  Your skin needs time to breathe and release sebum from your pores.  Also, leaving eye makeup on overnight can cause infections – ick!  I know what you’re thinking, “But, K, sometimes I’m just too tired to wash my face at night!”  Well, I’m here to tell you that there’s no excuse!  Keep a pack of makeup remover wipes on your bedside table so that you can remove your makeup quickly.  Know what else works well?  Baby wipes!  You must, must, must remove your makeup before bed.

I use the Equate Facial Cleansing Towelettes ($5.97)

Photo taken from Walmart's website

• On that same note:  You MUST wear SPF every. single. day.  Excuses for not doing this range from “Well, I need some sun” to “I’m never outside!” to “I don’t like the way it smells.”  Don’t make excuses for leaving off SPF.  You’ll thank me 20 years from now when your skin looks more youthful and has less age spots and wrinkles.  Oh, and SPF in your foundation is NOT enough.  You need about the size of a shelled almond worth of sunscreen to adequately cover your face.  Don’t skimp on the SPF, either.  You need at least SPF 15, if not SPF 25.  I recommend Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisture Facial Moisturizer with SPF 15 ($9.99).

Photo taken from Walmart's website

• In reference to number 2, the only time you SHOULDN’T wear SPF is when you have a big event where you’re going to be photographed a lot.  Proms, weddings, photoshoots, formal occasions, etc. are all events where you might want to skip SPF, as it can sometimes give a white-ish cast to the face.  

• If you’re doing a dramatic eye, skip the dramatic lip.  Makeup (like life) is about balance.  You know the old rule that if you’re wearing exposed legs you should keep your arms covered?  Same thing here.  If you’re doing a ridiculously smoky black eye, you might want to skip the vampy lipstick.  Too much makeup and you look clownish.

Photo taken from Target's website

• You know that St. Ives Apricot Scrub that you have sitting in your shower?  The one that you dutifully wash your face with?  STOP.  Stop doing that.  Take the advice of someone who decimated the pores on her nose with St. Ives.  The tiny apricot seed pieces that exfoliate are jagged and irregular, meaning that they can actually TEAR your pores.  EWW!  Despite the claims of many, many products, you cannot shrink your pores.  (Unless you go to a dermatologist and have a chemical injection.  I’m talking about at-home stuff here.)  So once you tear your pores and stretch them out, you’re kind of stuck.  I used to have large pores on my nose and I thought I was really going to clear them out with St. Ives.  Lo and behold, I actually made them bigger and more noticeable.  St. Ives is great for your skin, but STOP using it on your face.  Instead, pick an exfolliator with spherical beads.  Round beads don’t snag your pores and stretch them out.  I recommend Biore Pore Unclogging Scrub ($7.45 for 5 oz).

Photo taken from Amazon.com

• Don’t bite your nails.  Not only is it a nasty habit, it puts germs in your mouth.  Ick!  And, it’s bad for the nails.  Just stop, okay?!  One way to prevent this is to keep your digits polished.   Much harder to bite when they’re covered with pretty polish!  You can also buy ill-tasting products to put on them to help you stop.  One such product is Mavala Stop ($11).

Photo taken from Amazon.com

• Don’t over-twease your brows.  I’ve done it…it’s bad.  Enough said.  

Photos taken from Tweezerman's website

• Popping pimples is bad – really bad.  It can cause lots of scarring and make pimples worse.  Nothing worse than a big infected place on your face.  As tempting as it is, try to leave them alone.  

• If you can do it, please line your waterline.  When I was first learning about makeup, my mom taught me how to line my waterline and then line along my lashes.  Thank goodness!  I thought everyone knew how to do this and was shocked when they didn’t.  It’s called tight-lining and it makes your eyes look more defined and your lashes look fuller.  Tight-lining also can involve going between each individual lash to make the eyes really pop.  I only do that on special occasions when I have enough time; however, I find that lining the waterline and the lashline is normally enough.

• I can tell you where a learned this tip.  I told a salesman at Sephora that I was having trouble shading my crease – why didn’t it look right?!  He told me that closing your eye completely and trying to fill in the crease is not the right tactic.  Instead, close your eye about halfway.  This will be a more natural crease than if you close them all the way.  Buff in tiny circles with a blending brush and voila! 

Sephora Collection Pro Crease Brush #10

Photo taken from Sephora's website

• Don’t leave home without something on your lips.  (That’s my mother’s advice!  And she’s right – everyone looks a little better with some color on their lips!)

• Find your best feature and highlight it.  High cheekbones?  Make sure you hit those babies with some bronzer to make them stand out!  Beautiful eye color?  Keep your eye makeup as your central focus.  If you don’t know what your best feature is, ask someone close to you like a parent or best friend.  They’ll tell you the truth!  For me, I’ve always liked my teeth, so I think it’s fun to wear interesting lip colors.  It draws people’s attention to my teeth and that’s where I like it!

• If you don’t have oil-blotting papers with you, grab a paper napkin.  The cheaper the better!  Starbucks has some excellent napkins for blotting.  (Dang, how do I know that?!)  Click here to see Makeup Alley's review! 4.8/5!!!

• Oily skin needs moisture, too.  In fact, sometimes our faces produce oil in response to the fact that we aren’t getting enough moisture!  Our face rushes to make up for our dried-out skin by producing oil.  Make sure you moisturize each night!  I recommend Garnier Nutritioniste Moisture Rescue Refreshing Gel-Cream ($6.71).  

Photo taken from Amazon.com

• Here are two lipstick tips for you.  First, you can make your lip color really pop by applying your foundation over your lips.  Then apply your lipstick and make sure to blot with a tissue.  Just put the tissue between your lips and close down, pursing your lips.  That’s an old, old tip but still worth sharing!

Like I’ve said before – I’m no expert.  However, these are beauty tips that I think you’ll find useful!  

Do you have any tips that you’ve learned along the way?  What ones have I forgotten?  I’m sure a bunch will come to me as soon as I publish this!

XOXO

-K

Email me at orangelipstickblog@gmail.com

Tweet me at OrangeLipstickK

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Reader Question: Best place for a makeover

An O.L. reader hit up my inbox today and I was thrilled!  I can’t tell you how much I enjoy answering reader questions.  Keep ‘em coming!

Here’s what she asked:

“I just graduated and got a teaching job at a high school and need to update my make up look.  I really just put something on and hope it looks okay!  I saw that you had a lesson at Clinique and was looking into it, but I've heard that Sephora was a better place to learn.  I just wanted your opinion to see where the better place to get a more sophisticated look and learn how to do it the best way.”

First of all – congrats on the graduation and new job!  A new career move is always a good reason to update your look!  (Of course, not that I need justification for more makeup!  Lol!)

Honestly, I would consider trying both.  It never hurts to look at multiple places.  If you're going to go to Clinique, call ahead and ask them if there is a minimum purchase requirement.  Some places require that you buy a certain amount in exchange for the makeover, so it may be good to find out their policy ahead of time.  Clinique is good at creating really natural looks without looking ridiculously overdone, plus their prices are really good.

I will say that my preference with Sephora is that, if you ask them, they'll be happy to show you how to do something on one eye (or side of your face) and then have you replicate it on the other side.  This is INCREDIBLY useful. 

Also, they tend to do their makeovers in front of a mirror so you can see what they're working on as they do it.  This is really useful because when someone does your makeup and then leads you to a mirror, it may look nice but you have no idea how to recreate it at home. 

Sephora does not require a minimum purchase with a makeover.  My guideline is this:  only buy what you really like and what really looks good on you.  A lot of times people get stuck with a crummy product because they felt pressure to buy.  If they do your makeup and you don't love the products, don't feel bad about walking out empty handed.  Also, don't be afraid to speak up as they're making you over.  If you hate a product, just say so or say something like, "Green isn't really my preferred eyeshadow shade.  What else might you suggest?"  (But then again, be open-minded!  You never know what might look good on you that you haven't tried!)

All in all, I'd probably start with Sephora just because they carry so many lines (including Clinique!) and can pull products from various different ranges.  Ask if they can explain what they're doing and what tactics/brushes/methods they're using as they go along. 

One other tried and true tip:  Casually walk through the store and find a sales person who has nice makeup that fits your style.  If you're looking for something more natural, don't pick the person with really dramatic makeup!  If the sales person has a look that you'd like to emulate, she'll be experienced in creating that specific look.  (I say “she” but the best makeup tips I ever got from a Sephora sales person were from a man!) 

Lastly, it may be helpful to take in a few pictures of looks you like.  Flip through a magazine or do an online search and save pictures of the things you like.  Then, you can show them to the makeup artist.  This will be very helpful for them!

Sorry for being so verbose but I hope that helps answer your question!

Thanks for reading, everyone!

XOXO

-K

P.S.

One more thing that I forgot.  SOME Sephoras have "Customized Makeup Application" which is a full HOUR of help and that DOES require a $50 minimum purchase.  I have NEVER encountered that problem at my local Sephora.  And seriously?  An hour?  If the sales person tries to talk you into the "Customized Makeup Application," I would just politely decline and leave.  But like I said, I've never even heard of such a thing at my Sephora.

Email me at orangelipstickblog@gmail.com

Tweet me at OrangeLipstickK

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Your brushes need love, too!

Do you wash your brushes?  If your answer is no, I'm going to put my fingers in my ear and hum loudly so I can pretend I didn't hear that.  If your answer is yes, then good for you!

Washing brushes is REALLY important.  Brushes pick up the oil and germs that are on your face, which can then fester and make a breeding ground for bacteria.  Eww!  That's not good for continued use on your face.  Having dirty brushes can lead to eye infections (~hurk~) or acne.  Plus, clean brushes help makeup application easier.

Washing brushes is simple!  I'm providing you with a step-by-step instruction guide complete with pictures.  Here we go!

Today I'm cleaning my e.l.f. Professional Bronzing Brush.  (I use this brush for blush, not bronzer.)

First, pick your favorite facial cleanser.  Some companies make brush shampoo but I all the ones I've used have irritated my eyes.  (e.l.f. was the worst offender.)  I've also heard of people using baby shampoo, which I've done before.  Honestly, facial cleanser works best for me but experiment with what works for you.  I use what I consider to be "The Classics":  Either Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash or Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser.  These are both mild and don't irritate my skin.  (Don't use a facial cleanser that has any kind of beads or exfoliators.)

Put 1-2 pumps in a sink with warm water.  Be sure to agitate it so you get some bubbles.  Drop your brush in!

Let it sit for a minute and then swirl it around in the soapy water.  Add a pump of the facial cleanser to your palm and swirl the brush around in it.  Gently massage the brush head.

When you're done cleaning the brush head, rinse it out with lukewarm water.

Then, squeeze out the excess water with a  towel.  Make sure to shape the bristles back into their original shape.  

Finally, lay the brush flat on a towel to dry.  DO NOT store it in a cup because the water can settle into the base of the bristles.  This can lead to a destroyed brush - no good!

Shampooing your brushes every two weeks will keep the brushes (and your face!) in good condition!  As my mom would jokingly say, "That'll learn ya, dern ya!"

XOXO

-K

P.S.

Feel free to email me at orangelipstickblog@gmail.com or tweet me at OrangeLipstickK

All items were purchased by Orange Lipstick for personal use and review purposes.  This post contains affiliate links.

Reader Question: Preventing Fallout

I was thrilled when I received a question in my inbox from an Orange Lipstick reader!  I'm always eager to give my advice so please feel free to email them to me at orangelipstickblog@gmail.com.


Here's what she asked:


"I on occasion love to sport a eye shadow with some super sparkle to it but then end up with sparkles littered down my cheeks. NOT so cute when you're no longer in ... middle school? Is there a trick I can use to keep those sparkles on my eyelids where I put them in the first place? Thanks bunches." - H.B.


Here's my response:


Sparkles can be tricky! In makeup lingo, what you're talking about is called fallout. There are some steps to prevent it, though. 

First, are you using an eye primer? If you aren't, you should. I use Urban Decay Primer Potion and think its great. Ulta or Sephora will be glad to give you a sample so you can try before you buy. Other people swear by Too Faced Shadow Insurance, but I haven't tried it. 

Secondly, have you ever tried patting the makeup on rather than sweeping/brushing? Sometimes that can help. 

Also, try applying the shadow wet. Take a sponge tip applicator (I buy cheapie ones from the Dollar Store) and run it under the tap. Then, apply your eyeshadow with it. You'll be AMAZED at how much better the sparkles stay in place. Here's a comparison pic of Urban Decay Midnight Rodeo.

This is a swatch of Midnight Rodeo over NYX primer. The left is dry, the right is wet. Notice how much more glitter sticks around!  I actually blew on this a few times after I took the picture and only about two sparkles were left on the dry swatch.  All the sparkles on the right swatch were still there!

If all that fails, you may just have a bum product. Some shades just don't play nicely no matter what you try. 

Also, wait to apply your powder until after you apply your shadows. That way, you can usually brush off any fallout. 

Hope that helps and thanks for your question!  I love reader questions so don't be shy!


XOXO


-K


Please feel free to email me at orangelipstickblog@gmail.com or tweet me at orangelipstickk. 

Mad about mattes

Recently I was talking to my dear friend, E, about the beauty of mattes.  I recently purchased a matte lipgloss (review forthcoming) and I’ve been particularly taken with how it looks on me.  E told me that she’s “rapidly swinging into a matte phase” and is “having trouble finding a good matte palette.”  Well, I couldn’t let the poor girl suffer without some good mattes in her life!

My first and most favorite recommendation would be the two mattes from the original Urban Decay Naked Palette.  They’re Buck and Naked and I LOVE them for creating a matte, natural eye.  It’s a simple eye look that allows you to wear bright lips or cheeks.  Me likey.  (Of course, this doesn’t solve her palette problem, but I thought I’d suggest two mattes I love!)  Click HERE to buy ($18 each for 0.05 oz).

 Urban Decay Buck

Urban Decay Naked

(Photos taken from Urban Decay’s website)

A palette with a good mix of matte neutrals and colors is The Balm’s Meet Matt(e) Eye Palette.  I really love the cute theme – The Balm always has such adorable stuff!  You can buy it at The Balm’s website for $34 dollars for 0.33 oz.  Also, you should check out Temptalia for her great review and swatches.

(Photo taken from The Balm’s website)

Another option is always Inglot.  I haven’t bought any of their shadows but I hear nothing but raves for them.  Plus, they have a gajillion matte options in all different colors of the rainbow.  (I mean, c’mon, they have a matte red!  If you can’t find the matte color you want from Inglot, I’m pretty sure it doesn’t exist!)  If you use their Freedom System, you can add in all the colors you want to create a custom palette!  Woo-hoo!  You can purchase from their website HERE.  Shadows range from $4.50 to $7.00 each for 0.09 oz

Inglot #366

(Photo taken from Inglot’s website)

A palette that I think is adorable is the Stila In the Know Eye Shadow Palette.  It’s $39 and comes with 10 matte shadows and one Smudge Stick Waterproof Eye Liner!  That’s a pretty great value!  I really love the colors.  You can nab it HERE.

(Photo taken from Sephora.com)

Another option if you can’t find a matte is to build your own little stash from NYX.  They have 21 mattes to choose from and I’ve heard nothing but good stuff about them.  I’m particularly drawn to Covet and Haywire.  You can always choose to de-pot these and put them in a palette, if that’s your game.  Plus, they’re only $5 each so go crazy HERE!  

NYX Covet

(Photo taken from NYX’s website)

I hope this helps in everyone’s search for some good mattes!  I think matte so often equals neutral, which is why I’m drawn to the Inglot products.  I keep creating palettes on their website and then deleting from my cart because I’m SO indecisive.

How do you feel about mattes?  Love ‘em, leave ‘em?  What are your favorite mattes?

XOXO

-K

Feel free to email me at orangelipstickblog@gmail.com or tweet me at OrangeLipstickK