Learned a New Trick Today!

When buying a strapless bra, you should always buy a band size smaller (this i knew, because they stretch out quicker since they do not have straps to distribute the weight more), but also, you often have to buy a cup size bigger! So now I can pretend I'm a cup size bigger, woooo! haha, not really, but no wonder i was having trouble finding a good fit!

God is Bigger. . .

I've been letting myself get so, so stressed out by life lately. Despite the fact that I've been growing closer to God the last couple weeks, I wasn't trusting Him to get me through life's troubles. I realized tonight that the Lord is bigger than my circumstances. Had a wonderful time tonight at the young adult group I attend, worshiping and getting knocked over the head with this realization.

God is so good and so giving. Praise Him, for he's in the business of making us new.

How to Apply Liquid Foundation

I use a thin liquid foundation and a foundation brush to achieve medium coverage. I use a thicker liquid foundation in place of cover-up because it provides more buildable coverage without the caked-on look of wearing a lot of cover-up. 

You will need a thin foundation, a thicker foundation or cover up, a foundation brush, powder, a powder brush, and a palette of some sort to pour foundation on (i use the lid of my bronzer). 

Step by Step

Step #1

Start with a clean face. If you use toner, moisturizer, and/or primer, apply these (in that order) and let dry completely before you apply your foundation. Pull your hair out of the way (preferably with a cute headband with a bow. why a bow? "cuz i'm a lady, that's why!").

Step #2

Put a small amount of foundation on your palette. This is the amount of foundation i use for my whole face. Wet both sides of the brush with just a little of the foundation from your palette.

Step #3

Apply foundation to your face using upward brush-strokes. Hairs on your face point downward; when you apply foundation this way, it lifts these hairs and puts the foundation on your skin rather than it sitting on the hairs themselves. 

Ever let someone use your phone and gotten it back with foundation all over it? They probably apply foundation using downward brush-strokes, leaving the makeup sitting on the itty bitty hairs on their face. Then when their face touched your phone, the foundation rubbed right off onto your phone (hairs are slick - foundation doesn't stay on them very well).

Step #4

when you've applied foundation to your whole face (or for the sake of my demo, half my face), wipe excess foundation off of your brush (i wipe mine on the back of my hand - just remember to wash it off) and brush all those itty bitty hairs back down. Go over your face a couple times with downward brush-strokes.

Don't worry about covering the area under your eye or your eyelid - I use my thicker foundation (stand-in for cover-up) for that. And if a few blemishes show through you can take care of them next!

Step #5

Get out your cover-up or thicker foundation. Put a very small amount on your palette. Seriously, you don't need to cake it on. the amount bellow is all I needed. Stipple on over blemishes.

Step #6

Using a foundation brush, stipple on foundation under eye in large circles, moving closer to your eye a little at a time. when you've reached your eye, stipple over your eye lid and the side of your nose (covering the entire area around your eye). Then blend smooth by tapping the cover up gently with your ring finger (because it's the weakest, so it doesn't irritate your eye.

                      

 

Step #7

Make sure foundation is smooth in all areas, blending with the foundation brush where necessary. Then Go over whole face with powder (using large, fluffy powder brush) to set the foundation.

As you can probably tell, i only did half of my face.

Now you're done! I used my (clearly epic) Photoshop skills to draw a line on this photo separating the half i put foundation on from the other half. 

How to Clean Makeup Brushes

This is something I definitely do not do often enough. Which is fine when it comes to eye shadow brushes, 'cuz I put some foundation under my eye shadow, so who cares if my brush isn't clean.

BUT, when it comes to foundation, powder, or cover up brushes, they should really be cleaned every week. Two weeks at the latest.

After cleaning, you should notice your brushes feel softer, and look nicer. Most importantly, they're free of dust, grime, and germs. If you've never cleaned your brushes, beginning to wash them regularly may help your complexion, too!

I've read a bunch of ways to clean brushes; the way i clean them is a combination of a bunch of techniques i've read. Anyway I cleaned all these brushes 'the long way' (see below) and it took about half an hour.

The Long Way

1. Get a container that you can use as a wash bin. I use a red solo cup and dump out the water every couple brushes. 
2. Put a few drops of non-drying shampoo in your container (more if you're using something larger than a cup). I use hotel 'conditioning shampoo' because it's moisturizing (not drying) and because my dad has a whole drawer full. A lot of people recommend baby shampoo, too.
3. Add warm water to the container (it should get bubbly if you have enough shampoo). DO NOT use hot water, you can melt the glue that holds the bristles in place!
4. Take one brush at a time, and swirl it in the water. Squeeze water out against the side of the container. continue to swirl brush in soapy water until water squeezed out is clear. 
5. For really, REALLY dirty brushes, like foundation brushes, squeeze shampoo into the palm of your hand and swirl the brush in it till it lathers. Rinse and repeat till almost clean, then swirl some more in warm soapy water.
6. When brush is clean (water squeezed against the side of your container comes out completely clear) rinse with bristles facing downward under cold water to get rid of soap.
7. Reshape the brush as best you can. Don't worry if it isn't perfect, it should go back to its shape when dry.
8. Dry  on clean towel, with bristles facing down. Never dry standing up - you want water to run out of the bristles, not get caught where the bristles attach and slowly erode the glue that holds them in. To tip my brushes downward, i rolled up a shirt to lean them against. 
9. Repeat with each brush, getting new water when it gets dirty. ALWAYS wash foundation brushes in completely clean water.
10. Small brushes take an hour or two to dry. Leave big brushes overnight if possible. 

The Short Way

Obviously this technique wont get your brushes as clean as the other will, but if you're pressed for time and haven't cleaned your brushes recently, it will do.

1. Get a container, like the one mentioned above.
2. Add a few drops of non-drying shampoo and warm water.
3. Swirl brushes in the water one at a time.
4. Rinse in cold water.
5. Dry as mentioned above with bristles down.

Quick Tips to Fight Acne

Here are a few basic things you can do to help combat acne and blackheads:

#1: Fight Oil!

Use a toner that helps keep oil down all day, like Murad's Clarifying toner. I use this twice a day and a bottle lasts about 2 months.

http://www.sephora.com/clarifying-toner-P4015

Or do the same thing with an oil fighting moisturizer (sounds oxymoronic, but works!), like Matte Chance by mark. (produced by Avon).

http://shop.avon.com/product.aspx?level2_id=469&pdept_id=484&dept_id=494&cat_type=C&pf_id=40819  

If you have extra oily skin, I would also add a powder that absorbs oils on top of your foundation!

#2: Don't Pick!

Everyone knows that you're not supposed to pick at zits, yet most people still do it. Don't! You'll end up spreading oil and bacteria!

Blackhead extractors like this one are FOR BLACKHEADS. There are very few occasions when you should use one on a regular pimple. 

http://www.sephora.com/double-ended-blemish-extractor-P0417

If you are going to pick at a pimple, or if it pops on its own, grab a blotting paper and use it to absorb oil and ick that comes out, so it doesn't go back into your skin.

#3: Try a New Mask

There are tons of different types of face masks and in my opinion trying them out is pretty fun. Plus you look like you have this whole skincare thing figured out when your roommates see you waiting for a mask to dry. 

My main problem is that my naturally oily skin causes a lot of blackheads, so i generally like mud-based masks. 

If you don't know where to start my recommendation would be to either try something on sale from avon (because then it'll be much cheaper than a department store brand, and you can trust it because of the 100% satisfaction guarantee) or go to Sephora and ask for a couple samples of masks and tell them what skincare problem you're looking to fix. 

Questions? Put them in a comment:)

Bronzer: There is No One Way

One thing that bugs me is when i see posts titled "The Right Way to Do Bronzer". There is no one way! Makeup is a creative medium - there are hundreds of things to do with it.

Here are my 4 favorite ways of applying bronzer:
I've used Mac's face chart.

#1 Natural

1. apply lightly to T-zone and on top of cheek bones.
2. apply slightly darker in crease of eye lid and on very sides of face on and slightly under cheekbones
3. blend up towards temples

#2 High-Def

1. apply lightly to outsides of face and apples of your cheeks
2. apply slightly heavier to crease in chin and along nose (use small brush)
3. apply darkest under cheek bones (make a fishy face and apply to crease) and eye lid creases

#3 Cutesy (AKA Anime-Blushing)

1. apply medium amount to to apples of cheeks in circular motion
2. apply lightly along cheek bones and across nose

#4 Rimmel Ad Cheekbones

1. Make fishy face
2. apply heavily along creases (darkest closest to your ears)
3. blend slightly onto cheekbone and a bit lower than crease

Tip: Start lightly, you can always add more!

The Best Way to Waste Eye Shadow

A Few of My Favorite Things

and yes, the title was supposed to make you sing. . . 

Here are a few of my all-time favorite beauty products:

Clinique Acne Solutions Liquid Makeup

why encourage acne by wearing a pore-clogging foundation? Fight acne WITH your foundation.

   http://www.sephora.com/acne-solutions-liquid-makeup-P259605?skuId=1237213

Stila Eye Shadows

seriously, though, these are super pigmented! Tonight I tried to wash off my eyeshadow with water and could not get it off, time to break out the actual makeup remover.

http://www.sephora.com/brand/brandStore.jsp?searchTerm=Stila&brandId=3865&_requestid=5803

Lancome Gifts

seriously i have so many Lancome samples from when they have those events where you get a free makeup bag and makeup set with purchase. I use their blush (in color "Sheer Amourose") almost every day and i've never had to purchase it! it comes in every gift set! yay!

this is only the ones i've kept and not used or used up yet!

VS Gorgeous Perfume

This stuff smells so good (boys adore it). I've been told i smell good a creepy number of times while wearing this stuff.

You have to buy this on Amazon now, they discontinued it (probably because it drove too many boys crazy)!

Murad Clarifying Toner

This stuff tingles kind of like rubbing alcohol but gentler (but don't worry, it has no alcohol in it!).

I use it at morning and at night and it keeps my face less oily.

http://www.sephora.com/product/productDetail.jsp?skuId=654236&productId=P4015

How to Make Lipstick Stay on Most of the Day:

First, you'll need a few things:

• a lip scrub - buy a cheep one or make one (sugar and honey with a little coconut oil works great), 
• moisturizing lip balm, face primer (or if you want to spend a little more, a lip primer), 
• lip liner and lipstick (don't have to match exactly but should be close, and neither should make you look like a clown), 
• and finally some (at least semi-translucent) powder and a brush to use with it

Here are my supplies, and a picture showing that my liner and lipstick are pretty close to matching.

   

Now follow these steps so yo don't have to touch up your lips every hour:

1. use lip scrub (scrub in gentle circles with your finger). wipe off excess.

2. apply lip balm and let it soak in for a few minutes. again, wipe off excess.

3. use a TINY bit of primer on your lips.

4. line lips and fill them in with liner, press in with your finger.

5. DAB on lipstick. it's important to dab, not draw, so you press the lipstick into your lips.

6. press lipstick in with your finger (little dabs).

7. apply a second coat this same way.

8. apply a light coat of powder to set lipstick.

9. SHOW OFF:)

considerations: 

• in general, the better the quality of your lipstick and lip liner, the longer it will last. 
• eating or drinking makes lip color wear off WAY faster; use a straw and try not to touch your lips a lot while eating.