Eventually, I stumbled across lip gloss and fell in love. I enjoyed the shine and the flavors. I liked how it made my lips look without all of the extra color. I’ve been wearing lip gloss ever since. Whenever I go shopping for lip gloss, it’s an adventure. I enjoy browsing the different glosses and colors and figuring out which will work best on me. Now, I have friends who feel the same way about lipstick. In fact, one of my good friends can’t wear lip gloss because they often dry her lips out so she wears lipstick instead. I recently realized that the world is made up of two groups; lip gloss wearers and lipstick wearers. Many women choose a side as young girls and stick with it as they grow up. But for those of you who didn’t experiment early on, here are a few pros for both.

Lipstick

1. Deep, pigmented color
2. Often acts as a moisturizer
3. Dark colors can be used as a teeth whitener
4. Great as a pop of color

Lip gloss

1. Great shine
2. Can be worn alone to add polish to a bare face
3. Cool flavors
4. Light color for those intimidated by a lot of color on the face

Now those are just a few positives on the side of both lipstick and lip gloss. You can also combine the two for double benefit. If you have a bright or deep colored lipstick, a shimmery gloss can tame the color and add some shine. This is for you daring ladies who don’t mind really experimenting with your makeup (which I encourage wholeheartedly). And now I want to hear from you. Do you prefer lipstick or lip gloss and why?

With this in mind, I wanted to find a good video that shows the best way to apply lip liner so you don’t look like a clown. I found this really cool one from Expert Village. I plan on trying this technique myself. The lady in the video explains and shows how to apply the liner in a very easy to understand way to ensure that the liner truly does its job.

Let me know how this works for you and if you have any other liner tips for us newbies.

However, I realize that there are some of you ladies that don’t really know the best way to apply mascara to get the most out of it. Well, I found a really easy to understand video by Jose Maran that shows you how to apply mascara and really make your lashes pop. The video is less than 3 minutes long so this means you can apply mascara in less than five minutes!

Check it out then go out and pick up some for yourself. If you’re feeling adventurous, look for cool colors. Check out my review on L’oreal Double Extend Eye Illuminator. It is a mascara that has a sparkly brush that can give your eyes added color. I love using it to give my lashes some jewelry, so to speak.

Enjoy!

Since I am a BzzAgent, I often have the opportunity to review really cool products. When I saw an opportunity to try out Burt’s Bees Sensitive Skin Care Products, I jumped at the chance to give them a try. I have dry, sensitive skin so I am always looking for good quality skin care products that work, especially for my face. When I received the box in the mail, I opened it right away so I could give the products a good, fair try. I received the Daily Moisturizing Cream and Facial Cleanser.

I admit, I was a little unsure about the facial cleanser. It’s a non-foaming cream cleanser and I stopped using those years ago when I graduated from Noxema to Clean and Clear foaming cleanser. However, I decided to give it a try and see how it worked. I really liked it. It rinsed really clean and did not leave my face feeling dry. I’ve been using it for the past couple of weeks and it has done a great job of cleaning my face and keeping it moist, which is important as the weather has gotten cooler.

As a part of my process, I also incorporated the daily moisturizing cream into my regular use. I really, really like the cream. It is thick and rich and makes my face feel really soft. One of my biggest complaints about products made specifically for sensitive skin is that they aren’t often rich enough to fully moisturize my face. So not only do these products clean and my moisturize my face, neither of them have caused any adverse reactions. It usually takes about a week or two before my face starts to itch, peel or break out after using a product that’s too strong and so far nothing but cleanliness and moisture from these two!

I do have two small complaints. I wish that the cleanser either foamed or exfoliated. I’ve been using daily exfoliating cleanser for a couple of years and I really enjoy how it scrubs my face while cleaning it. I’ve gotten kind of used to my face cleanser exfoliating so it was a change for me to go back to cream cleanser. I did some research and noticed that Burt’s Bees does have a couple of exfoliating cleansers so I will be seeking those out in the very near future.

I also wish that the daily moisturizer had SPF in it. Since I am sensitive to the sun, I always look for moisturizers that have SPF in them to give my skin daily sun protection. I did some more checking and saw that Burt’s Bees has a daily moisturizer with SPF 15 in it so I will be picking that up as well. I definitely suggest this product for my sensitive ladies (and fellas) and even for the non sensitive ladies. The lotion is so thick and rich, it would be a great winter skin moisturizer.  The moisturizer retails for $15 and the cleanser for $10 so they’re not extremely expensive. Plus, you don’t need to use a lot. A little goes a long way with these products.

Well I found another smokey eye video for a much more dramatic eye. If you want to go for the drama this holiday season, this is a good video to use. Juliana is very clear in her instructions and the products she uses so I suggest you doing some trial runs in advance. She also instructs you to put eyeliner and shadow on your lower lid. If you want to go that route, I suggest you test it out before the day of your event. I learned the hard way that liner on my lower lid causes my eyes to itch. I think that area is more sensitive than your upper lid so test first.

Otherwise, enjoy these videos and I’d love to see your smokey eye pictures.

I do agree that primer and translucent powder are great ways to manage your look and keep your makeup on. E.L.F. has great powders and a primer for under $10 so you don’t have to spend a lot. Just visit their website www.eyeslipsface.com or check your local Target.

Many people only consider the sun’s rays when they’re going to the beach but the sun can affect your skin health even when you’re going about your day to day activities at any time of the year. Until I was diagnosed with a sun allergy, it never occurred to me that what I learned in science class about the sun’s rays could be applied to my beauty regime. To give more insight, I am allergic to the UVB rays in the sun. I get hives when I’m in the sun for extended periods of time even when I’m wearing sunscreen. So my dermatologist told me to take Zyrtec when I’m going to be in the sun to prevent me from getting hives.

Since then, I have become acutely aware of the UVB rays from the sun and I make sure to use sunscreen that protects against both. You should do the same. Check out this article and learn more about the different sun rays and then go get yourself some sunscreen!

MySkin.com-What is UVA and UVB?

Another great way of getting a glimpse of the hottest trends of the year is to be updated about the major fashion weeks. Checking out 2011 New York fashion week or Paris fashion week will give you an idea about the hottest trend of the year. But you should be brave enough to do a little experimenting with hairstyle that will give you a fresh new look.

Hottest hairstyle trends for 2011:

Super Straight: The timeless appeal of this hairstyle makes it a favorite of many women. If you have long or medium length hair, you can opt for this style. This style is suitable for all events from formal to casual. A soft layered straight hairstyle with a sleek finish will enhance your seductiveness. A blunt cut will also look good on you if your hair is thick. This kind of hairstyle will add a touch of volume to your tresses and keep your hair in place.

Midi Style: As far as fashion is concerned, ‘midi’ is undoubtedly a buzzword. Whether it is dress or hair cut, midi is the right choice for all women irrespective of their age. It can make you look stylish and at the same time it requires low maintenance. Opt for a sharp cut for a sexier look or go for a soft layering that can give you a mystifying allure.

Long Wavy Hairstyle: Wavy hairstyles are in high demand this year. It will give you a glamorous look. But if you opt for this style, make sure you invest enough time for care and styling. Those who want a natural sublime look should go for long curly hair. Maintain the hair properly and keep the waves subtle and you are sure to catch every eye around you.

Thanks to the folks over at BzzAgent, I had an opportunity to review the L’oreal Double Extend Eye Illuminator and the One Sweep Eye Shadow. I really like both products and I think that they’re great for makeup newbies or beginners who want to branch out but aren’t sure what products to buy.

The L’oreal Studio Secrets One Sweep Eye Shadow is a really cool concept because it’s created to make applying eye shadow really easy. If you want to branch out with eye shadow and don’t want to wear just one color, this is a great product to add to your makeup bag. The brush may look a little odd, but when you pick it up, it’s surprisingly easy to use (and I often have butter fingers when I’m applying my makeup). You just take the rounded side and run it through the shadow then spread it on your eye lid and viola, you have a great looking eye. Plus, L’oreal made it even easier by creating shadow groups that are specifically for certain eye colors. I used the one called “Playful” for brown eyes and it has a great mixture of purple, gold and pink in it. It’s very pretty! I did the one sweep and was very pleased with how it looked. It’s great for everyday wear plus it’s very quick to apply. You don’t have to worry about taking 15 minutes to put on your makeup. You can apply this is less than a minute. Then if you want to be more detailed and use each color separately, it gives a much more dramatic look that could be a good transition into night time. However, if you prefer your eyes to really pop at night, you may want to go for brighter, more sparkly colors. But if you’re more understated and don’t like your makeup to stand out too much, this is a great shadow to pop into your purse. It retails for about $5 or so and you can get it from any drug store, grocery store or discount store like Wal-mart that sells L’oreal.

The L’oreal Double Extend Eye Illuminator Mascara is a product I was itching to try. I was so excited to see BzzAgent doing a campaign to review it, I jumped at the chance. When it arrived, I put it on the next day even though I didn’t have anywhere special to go but I wanted to test out my new sparkly lashes. I followed the instructions but wasn’t satisfied with the level of sparkle. I wanted my lashes to really pop so the next day I layered it on much more heavily. It was fabulous! My lashes really stood out and I felt a touch more glamorous. Plus, this product comes in colors to highlight specific eye colors as well. I wouldn’t suggest using this if you need your mascara to plump your lashes a lot since the actual mascara in this double sided wand only coated my lashes. However, if you use a plumping mascara and then go over it with the dark side once and the sparkly side a few times, your lashes will really be fab. I got the one for brown eyes and it really did a great job of making them sparkle…literally!  It also retails for about $5 or so at any drug store, grocery store or discount store like Wal-mart.

Overall, these were two really cool products and I will definitely be working them into my makeup bag. I will be looking into branching out in terms of the different colors I try but I will be trying them out. Since they’re not super expensive, it won’t kill my shopping budget either.

Yes, there is a type of makeup called concealer and you can use makeup to cover things up. However, the main purpose of wearing it is to play up your best features. If you haven’t already, take a minute to look at your face in a mirror. You want to assess your face and figure out the features you like the best.

Do this now. I’ll wait.

Done? OK, good. This short exercise is designed to make you look at yourself and pick out things you like rather than focusing on the things you’d like to change. You should have chosen at least one or two features that you like best. Now you can look for makeup to highlight those areas.

For example, I like my eyes so I always wear mascara and a touch of eyeliner. When I’m jazzing things up, I’ll put on eye shadow and darken my mascara. Since I want people to notice my eyes, I will do a clear or light gloss on my lips so the attention goes to my eyes. I don’t do a lot, but even a little makes a difference.

Don’t look at makeup as a way to hide yourself. Look at it as a way to make you stand out in the best way possible. Here’s the previous post I wrote which gives some more practical tips as well as links you back to previous instructional posts.

Ladies Let’s Talk: Wearing Too Much Makeup

What do you consider your best feature? How do you highlight that feature? I’d love to hear your personal tips!