Get Familiarized With Different Cosmetics and Makeup Tools- Part 1

Somewhere in time, all of us new to the world of makeup were completely unaware of which cosmetics go where. Now that we are so used to it we no more have to keep wondering about anything. But what about the current newbies? They too need an introduction to cosmetics, right? Well, this post broken into parts is just for them. In this part 1 version, the introduction will be all about the bases only.  

1. Primer

It is a liquid that you have to apply on your face to prepare it for foundation makeup. Using it will give your face a texture that will not let the foundation melt under heat. Primer is an optional product. You can do your makeup without using it.

2. Liquid foundation

This is used to lighten up the facial skin or hide its imperfections. You must choose a liquid foundation that matches your skin color.

3. Mineral makeup foundation

It works just like liquid foundation and that is, it covers the imperfections you have in your face. However, it is available in powdered form. Currently, it is more famous than the liquid foundation because it is made from earth minerals taken as good for skin.  Again, go for the mineral makeup that is compatible with your skin color.

4. Pressed powder

This comes in tablet form. It is used as a sealer of foundation. In other words, you must use it on your foundation covered face. These days, mineral makeup foundation works exactly like it. So instead of getting a pressed powder you can try using that.

5. Concealer

It looks similar to foundation, but comes in small tube or container. It can be used under the eyes to hide dark circle. Many women also apply it to their facial acne or scars. It must be applied before using the foundation. You have to be extra careful with the color this product. If it is whiter than your foundation your entire makeup filled face will look odd. So you must make sure that it matches your original skin color. A point to note is that traditionally, the concealer is an optional makeup product.  Liquid foundations can also be used in its place.

6. Blush

It is applied on the cheeks to enhance their beauty. It usually comes in red, pink, orange and brown.  Blush is usually applied at the end of the makeup wearing session.

Before even applying any makeup it is always best to clean the entire face with a good cleanser. It is also believed that rinsing the face with mineral water makes the makeup more lasting on it. 

READ MORE - Get Familiarized With Different Cosmetics and Makeup Tools- Part 1

Simple Trick to Easily Apply Lipstick on Cracked Lips

Cracked lips can be quite a hassle, but none of us is really free of this problem.  Yes, experts say that it can be taken care of by hydrating the body with water. But again, it does not work for everyone.

Of course, at home, when we are without makeup it does not look too much of an issue. But we all know that it takes time for the lipstick to fully settle on these bitten up spots. Is there a cure for this? Of course, yes. We will know it here today.

Trick

The cure is actually rather a trick. The thing you need to do is wear a good balm on your lips before you even start drawing them with your liner. Yes, just apply it on your lips. After that, draw the line and apply lipstick. I am not going to spend time talking about the result here because as soon as you will follow this trick you will see the difference.  You will also get to witness the color of your lipstick getting slightly more enhanced.

Note

1. You might be thinking that instead of going for a lip balm, it is okay to grab the petroleum jelly or lip gloss. Unfortunately, such products are too shiny and thus, you will not be able to get a desired result from this trick. As a matter of fact, they will have a tendency to make your lips slippery. Moreover, the lipstick you apply on them will turn out to be runny and thus, your makeup will get ruined.

2. Choose a balm that is not too watery and shiny. I would recommend that you try any of the following:

• Shea Touch


• Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Lip Moisturizer


• Mentholatum Natural Ice Lip Protectant


• Estee Lauder Lip Conditionar

3. When when you have cracked lips do not cover it entirely with your lip liner. Instead, keep the spots uncovered and wear lipstick on them. Actually, lip liner has a tendency to block the moisture from the balm. So it leaves cracked lips drier.

READ MORE - Simple Trick to Easily Apply Lipstick on Cracked Lips

Horror Show in The Beauty Industry: Know the Reality

The beauty industry gets worse day by day. There was a time when anti ageing creams were made just for mature skin. Now they have such skin care products designed specifically for adolescents. The whitening creams cannot be ignored either.  Many drugstores keep a shelf specifically dedicated to those items. But are they safe to use despite their stronger promise to whitewash a face within a couple of weeks? 

There is dark side to what the beauty industry is all about. It no less than a horror show.  If you wish to get it revealed to you I recommend that you read Stacy Malkan’s book called Not Just a Pretty Face: The Ugly Side of the Beauty Industry. Trust me, it is an eye opener.

According to the back of the book, Malkan works as a communication director for Health Care without Harm. She is also one of the founders of Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. In Not Just a Pretty Face, she shows her extensive research on how both lower and higher end brands (names are in the book) sell makeup and skin care products full of harmful ingredients to their world wide consumers. They do not even spare the skin of the babies. She has also mentioned how her organization requested these brands to change their product formula only to end up with got no positive response. In other words, bringing a change to the beauty industry is quite a challenge.

Although Not Just a Pretty Face has some real bitter truths it is not at all boring to read. Malkan seems to be a gifted writer and explains everything in simple sentences. So do try to get a hold of her book. It should be available in most public and school libraries. But if you wish to get the sneak preview of this book you can try using the Amazon. By the way, on that site, the users have given it full 5 Stars. The book is actually deserving of it.

One thing I would like to point out here is that the book does not say that the entire beauty industry is bad. There are good companies out there who produce products that are safe to use. They cooperated with Malkan's organization. But after reading this book, do not come to conclusion that wearing makeup will poison your skin. We live in an industrial era. The air is too polluted and full of radiation. So saying goodbye to makeup forever will not guarantee that we will be able to hundred percent protect ourselves from any infections. Do wear makeup, but keep it minimum. Also if you are already faithful to a certain toxic makeup brand minimize using it. However, be careful about your skin care products. 

READ MORE - Horror Show in The Beauty Industry: Know the Reality

L’Oreal Infallible Le Rouge Lipcolor Review

L’Oreal is quite clever at coming up with a good packaging for its products. By and by, they are actually getting skilled at it. Look at L’Oreal Infallible Le Rouge lipcolor for example. The silvery tube wrapped in transparent plastic cap appears so elegant. Perhaps, that is why, I got tempted to buy its refined ruby shade. According to L’Oreal, this lipstick has 10 hours of staying power.  Its color is designed to appear luscious and defined. Additionally, the lipstick contains Vitamin E to keep the lips moisturized.  It all seems to make Infallible Le Rouge more advanced than other lipsticks. But before you can fall for it just read what I have found out about it.In general,  I test drive makeup products up to 3 months before I sit down to write reviews about them. This is what I tried to do with L’Oreal Infallible Le Rouge also.  But unfortunately, I failed! Yet just like before, I will explain the benefits I received from this lipcolor. Of course, we will take a look at why I failed in my experiment, but it will be in the problem section of this post.

Benefits:

The texture of Infallible Le Rouge somehow reminds me of my mom’s late 80s lipsticks. It is thickly creamy and slightly glossy. But time has changed and Infallible actually reflects the advancement of the cosmetics making technology. It glides very comfortably onto the lips. A little bit of hand shiver does not even make it over and out!

Once I wore it on my cracked lips. The result was amazing. There was basically no irritation whatsoever. Meanwhile, the cracks softened and disappeared under the color. So I can say that yes it is true that Infallible does contain Vitamin E. Another thing is that the lipstick does change the look of the face in a bold way.  There were actually times when I wore it without any makeup and still appeared fresh and bright!

Problems:

I mentioned earlier that I grabbed the refined ruby shade of Infallible Le Rouge. But after I wore it, I realized that I got cheated.  Refined ruby was not actually of ruby color. So be careful when you buy this lipstick. The mirror revealed that I was wearing deep magenta.

Now why I could not test drive Infallible Le Rouge longer? From where do I begin? First of all, this lipstick stains the teeth. It is embarrassing! Thank God, I found out about it right at home. What is more annoying is the fact that this stain is not easy to remove. Also the lipstick does not have any wish to stay longer on the lips. It goes away very easily especially with eating and drinking. As soon as I saw all this happening, I understood that I got my answer. No further experiment was necessary. I will still give here an example of how the lipstick does from one rub. Notice the image given below. I ran the lipstick on my hand.

Then I gave it a rub with my finger. Just one and nothing more. The result was this:

Do you see how it easily loses the color? This should imply to you that this lipstick color might look thick and creamy, but it actually is very thin. That is why, it loses staying power from touches.

Verdict:

L’Oreal Infallible Le Rouge does not fulfill its mission of staying on the lips for 10 hours, but it does have the power to make a face appear fresh and bright even without makeup. I will just say that it is designed to be worn for formal parties, for it is capable of complementing evening gowns.  But again, who wants to do deal with an embarrassing situation occurring from lipstick stain on teeth? Just think carefully before you pick up this lipstick for yourself. I myself will not recommend it to anyone. As a matter of fact, from me, it gets 3 out of 5 stars.  

READ MORE - L’Oreal Infallible Le Rouge Lipcolor Review

3 Makeup Brands Designed for Sensitive Skin

Sensitive skin is incompatible with majority of the makeup products found in the market. It really needs something that is not harsh. Unfortunately, most cosmetics do the opposite. Couple of months ago, we took a look at three mineral makeup foundations which are safe to use because they do not contain some of the worst lab made chemicals. The only problem is that the ingredients found in them might not be suitable for the sensitive skin. In short, they are mild, yet can cause negative reactions. Most experts actually believe that cosmetics with the lowest number of ingredients are best for such a skin. In addition, they must be completely natural. But can you really find cosmetics like that anywhere? Fortunately, yes and today we will have a preview of the brands that produce them. Good news is that their cosmetics are extremely skin friendly and can be used by teenagers also.  So here we go now:

LaurEss Cosmetics

The mission of LaurEss is to provide cosmetics for sensitive skin. That is why, it specializes in using only fewer ingredients in their products and they are actually derived from the nature. Here is a sneak preview of what they offer.An interesting point to note is that LaurEss foundations give a completely natural look. So those who are fond of going for less makeup must try it out.  It is still important to note that this brand does not offer lipsticks.

Brush2Go

When researching on this brand you definitely need to spell its name as Brush2Go instead of brush two go. Otherwise, you are not going to find anything. Now this brand’s makeup products are more technologically advanced. Of course, they contain all natural ingredients, but they are utilized in such a way so that they control oil in the skin and give better coverage.  So far Brush2Go has come up with mineral foundation, blush, bronzer, lip balms of different colors and moisturizer which can also be used as primer.

Larenim Mineral

Lady Kirsten, the owner of Larenim struggled a lot with her own acne and makeup. So in a way, she is just another you and me. Her Larim cosmetics are also designed for sensitive skin and just like LaurEss they contain fewer ingredients extracted right from the earth.  Good news is that the brand also offers mascara and eyeliner and many different skin care products.

READ MORE - 3 Makeup Brands Designed for Sensitive Skin

Where to Get Free Coupons Online -Shopper's Guide

When coupons are added shopping becomes more fun and exciting. Who does not like getting some discounts? Majority of the time, the coupons for traditional stores make it to our homes. But same cannot be told for online stores. But the truth is that they too give away coupons. The only problem is that if we are not their regular shoppers we are not notified about them. However, there is still a way to get around that. The answer can be found at couponsnapshot.com. 

Just go to it and you will be amazed by the number of coupons and deals they offer to use at a variety of online stores. But if you are feeling slightly lazy right now we’ll tour it through this post. So here is a snapshot of what you can find there:

The above image shows the categories they have for coupons. Notice that they have a health and beauty section. This should give you the hint that they do have coupon codes that can allow you to save some money on your makeup products. On clicking the health and beauty, we can go to the page that offers the following:

Do you see the top brands here? Yes, Couponsnapshot does carry their coupons. Now we will say good bye to health and beauty section and check out what Amazon is offering.

Notice on the top “Staff Picks”. This should imply that Couponsnapshot does not rely on automatic publishing. They actually go through the coupons and deals, and what looks best to them gets to be under their “Staff Picks” section.

Now we all know that sometimes coupons offered online do not work. Couponsnapshot is aware of that. Basically, that is why, they allow shoppers to vote on whether the coupon they used from the site worked or failed. Here is an example:

So it is basically safe to test their coupons. Do explore the site yourself. During this recession time, it is best to keep as much money as possible in the bank account. And this can be done only through wise shopping tactics. In this situation, nothing works better than using coupons. 

READ MORE - Where to Get Free Coupons Online -Shopper's Guide

Makeup Brands That Do Not Test on Animals

We are aware of the fact that many cosmetics are tested on animals before they reach the stores. This testing has turned out to be a major issue of concern, for it does include animal abuse.  So far European Union is the only one which has taken an action against this by banning the entire process. But in America, it is not the same. Yet it must be mentioned that many American women now have made up their minds to not buy cosmetics that are tested on animals. This is definitely a good step towards awareness.  But the only problem is that many simply do not know how to find out which brands are really into animal testing. After all, cosmetics labels never mention anything about this. This, however, does not mean that the information is completely out of reach.

Actually, the record of every company testing on animals can be found at the official site PeTA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals).  If you are not aware of this site then you should take a few minutes to explore it. The people behind this only want to free animals from any abuse.But if you wish to just have the list of companies that are into testing on animals you should go here. This is a PDF file link from PeTA.

READ MORE - Makeup Brands That Do Not Test on Animals

Sneak Preview of Biggest Sale Event From Ulta Beauty

Did you receive a catalog from Ulta Beauty today? If no don't worry, I am going to cover it here now. There is really juicy news in it. Apparently, Ulta Beauty is going to have one of the biggest sale events from July 3^rd - July 23^rd. But no, it is not going to be online, but in real stores. So locate them in your area by using Google or Yahoo map. Now this sale event is not going to be an ordinary one. The more you will buy the more you will earn reward points which you can use again to get something for free from the store. Good news is that once you reach the store, you might not go empty handed because there will be just too many things on sales and some will have buy one get one free offer.  Now here are some examples of those sales offers right from that catalog:

Ulta brand cosmetics products:

They are quite cheap here ($1-$5).  The options are eye liners, mascaras, eye shadows, lip gloss, nail polish and foundations.

Ulta makeup kit of 58 pieces(aka blockbuster): 

Its regular price is $175, but during the sale event, it will be only $19.99. The same offer is found in their online store also, but the problem is that it comes with a shipping price of $5.95. So shopping for it from the local Ulta store is best. This specific makeup kit contains 38 eye shadows. That sounds great, doesn't it?

Two bare Mineral foundations: 

Both for a Price of $29.

John Freida Styling tools: 

They are new at Ulta, but buying one of them will let you have a free gift of cosmetics bag. It will contain John Freida Frizz- Ease Smooth Start Shampoo and Conditioner.

Pixel Nail polish: They are only $1.99 each. Originally, they cost $2.49.

Garnier and Maybelline hair care products and cosmetics: Here is another buy 2 get 1 free offer.

Fashion accessories: 

All of them are 25 percent off. The prices vary from $1 to $41.25.

The offers are almost endless. The catalog contains a coupon also, but the best is available at Ulta online store. Just print it out and take it to the store for extra savings.

READ MORE - Sneak Preview of Biggest Sale Event From Ulta Beauty

Rimmel Extra Super Lash Mascara Review

I bought Rimmel Extra Super Lash mascara just when it came out. At the time, there was a buy one get one free promotion going on for it. So I thought I picked the right product for myself (gave the other one to my mom).  According to Rimmel, this mascara is designed for enhancing the beauty of the lashes while keeping them separate without clumps. So in a way, it is not from the volume build up category. But should you still try out this mascara? You might be able to decide that after reading the review given here.

Benefits:

I have been using this Rimmel Extra Super Lash mascara for a while now. The best thing to say is that it has been in my cabinet for more than a year now. I know it has already expired, but again, since I have too many mascara products, sometimes I just do not pay attention to it (will be explained why later). Yet there is something surprising about its liquid. It has not dried out at all.

One thing I really like about this mascara is that it dresses up the eyelashes extremely well.  To be clear, it makes the lashes glossy, separate and darker. I will be basically saving its brush after I throw away the tube, for it is compatible with my lashes.

Problems:

I will first answer here why I never pay attention to this mascara. The reason is that it leaves the eyelashes wet. Yes, it does not dry out quickly. In some cases, I actually had to redo my entire makeup just because its little drops from the lashes ended up badly staining the areas over my eyelids. Secondly, it does not have a good relationship with lash curler. I noticed that after I curled my lashes when I tried to wear this Rimmel mascara they went lower. It could be because of the heaviness they felt from the watery mascara liquid. But I was definitely not very happy with that. Last, I am little suspicious about the ingredients that make up the Rimmel Extra Super Lash mascara. The liquid dripping from the lashes and landing right inside my eyes left a burning sensation. They got watery and I felt as if I poured acid in them. So I will just say that I feared that this mascara would eventually kill my eyes.

Verdict:

Rimmel Extra Super Lash mascara is good for keeping lashes separate and darkening their color. But it does leave them lowered. That basically cancels out the reason for which we wear mascara. You know one of our missions is to get them slightly curled through it. We just cannot get that from this Rimmel mascara. It also seems to have ingredients that are not friendly with the eyes. For all this, I would give the mascara 1 out of 5 stars. Meanwhile, I would also ask new buyers of this product to stay alert. Save the receipt. You might again need it.

READ MORE - Rimmel Extra Super Lash Mascara Review

e.l.f Essentials Regular and Water Proof Mascara Duo Review

Makeup products cannot be judged by looking at their brands. At least, this is what I always believe in. So I got myself one of the e.l.f mascara tubes. For a moment, I thought I came across a good deal. Two mascaras in one tube? And that is also just for a $1? Nothing could be more exciting than that. Basically, its tube has two openings. While one carries the regular mascara, the other one has its water proof version. Thus, getting it made me feel as if I hit the bull's eye. But again, who needs regular mascara in place of the water proof one? Perhaps, e.l.f just wanted its customers to give options in one tube. But should you really try this product? Decide it after reading the review.

Benefits:

After buying a makeup product, I cannot wait a day to try it out. So once I brought the e.l.f Essential Regular and Water Proof Mascara Duo home, I hurried to test it. As soon as the applicator was taken out of the regular’s tube I noticed that the mascara looked quite sticky. 

Yet without letting any question bubble up in my head, I applied it to my eyelashes. A good look in the mirror revealed that they turned darker. Their length was also strongly visible. Next day, I tried out the water proof one. This was not that bad. It left my eyelashes slightly curled up and also darker.

Overall, e.l.f Essential Regular and Water Proof Mascara Duo seems to be just very ordinary. No real benefit can be expected from it. It is just like any other mascara product that was made in the 90s. This should imply to you that it is just going with the tradition. Good thing is that e.l.f is charging a fair price for it.

Problems:

I really do not know how I should start explaining the problems that e.l.f Essential Regular and Water Proof Mascara Duo gives. The overall quality of this product is way too average. First of all, it is not easy to understand whether full mascara liquid is really there in the tube. Actually, taking out the applicator from it made me feel that it was empty! The mascara just looked too dry inside. Consequently, the applicator seemed to have black solid particles. They even ended up sticking to my eyelashes. Worst that this were the applicators. They basically clumped up my lashes in a very bad way. But again, the statement on this will vary. Some people have thinner eyelashes which might not experience this problem. Mine are dense as mentioned in the previous mascara review. 

The funniest thing about e.l.f Essential Regular and Water Proof Mascara Duo is that it totally becomes dry after a month or two. At least this is what happened to mine. Now it is just unusable and thus, I will have to throw it in the trash can.

Verdict:

This is the mascara that we should buy in an emergency or when we don’t have much money left in the bank account. Do not expect it to do something wonderful to your eyelashes. It is just very ordinary in nature. In a way, it fulfills the requirement of having something called “mascara” in the makeup kit. For all this and more, it gets 2 out of 5 stars.

READ MORE - e.l.f Essentials Regular and Water Proof Mascara Duo Review

Clinique High Impact Mascara Review

Clinique High Impact mascara is designed for all those who want to see the volume in their eyelashes.  Interestingly, this little product delivers more than that. We will take a look at it here today, but since it is a review post, I will also discuss the disadvantages associated with this mascara.

Benefits: 

I have always been a fan of Clinique products. It is just that they always seem to keep me satisfied.  So despite the fact that I already own three mascaras from three different brands, I had to get its High Impact. Now does it really give volume to the eyelashes? The answer to it is yes,  but there are some more surprising benefits that I have acquired from it. First of all, even after applying it to my lashes I feel as if I am wearing nothing. Another amazing thing I have noticed is that it hardens them only moderately and stays nonstick throughout the day.  My curiosity actually makes me touch my lashes sometimes. Strangely, the color of the mascara never seems to stick to my fingers. Because of all this, whenever I plan on using less makeup to keep my natural look alive I choose High Impact for my lashes. 

Problems: 

Now one thing that is disappointing about Clinique High Impact is its brush. Sure it glides well onto the eyelashes, but the problem is that it leaves them straightened if a good curler is not in use. In addition, it creates clumps. I must mention here that different users can have different opinions on this. I already have dense eyelashes and so most mascaras do leave them clumped up. But High Impact always wins in the "clump them down" race much quicker than all of them! Another point to note is that it gives an innocent and not a seductive look to the eyes. So those who wish to have their eyelashes appear sexy must avoid this mascara.

Verdict:
Overall, Clinique High Impact is a good mascara. This is true quality wise. Not too many mascaras are actually nonstick to the fingers. Also it seems to be best for all those who like less makeup. Now as previously mentioned, High Impact is a volume enhancer and fortunately, it performs this job quite well. So in a way, we can say that its keeping its promise. This simply kills any debate we want to raise against its disadvantages. Thus, it deserves 3.5 out of 5 stars.

READ MORE - Clinique High Impact Mascara Review

Some Experiments {Makeup}

The white strip is the luminescent base, box 1 from top is Glitter, box 2 is Shiny and box 3 is Metallic

So, guys, as I shared a few days back that I received my giveaway goodies, I couldn't resist experimenting with the eye shadow. I have never put on makeup before so I don't have any tools or brushes so just bear with me and excuse my untidiness. I did it all with fingers and the little applicator provided with the eyeshadow. Do comment :)

I smudged the kajal first and then applied the luminescent base

followed by box 2 application

luminescent base followed by glitter (box 1) and kajal as eyeliner

READ MORE - Some Experiments {Makeup}