Know When To Toss It!

Hi everyone,

Today i'm gonna show you how to know when your makeup products start to gone bad. And today I’m giving you a few tips and key expiration dates to keep in mind when it comes to your beauty products! So, here we go!

Lipstick: Some experts say 1-2 years. Some say 4 years (especially when stored in your refrigerator!). So how do you know when to toss an old tube? Take a big whiff of it! If it smells rancid, throw it out, it's donezo.

Lipglosses/chapsticks: 2 years

Powder eye shadow: 2 years

Cream eye shadow: 12-18 months

Eyeliner: 3 months

Mascara: 3 months

Powder blush: 2 years

Cream blush: 6 months

Oil-free foundation: 12 months

Cream foundation: 18 months

Concealer: 12-18 Months

Lotions: 2 years

TIP: If you’re not already in the habit of doing so, get in the habit of labeling your beauty products with the date of first use. This way, you’ll always know how long you’ve been using a product and when it’s time to pitch it.

DIY Lip Balm

Hi everyone,

Have you ever made your own lip balm? There are a lot of different methods and ways to make all sorts of lip balm, but here’s a really simple, fun, and inexpensive way to make the basic stuff in no time at all!

What you need:

• 1 tsp. coconut oil
• 1 tsp. almond oil
• ½ tsp. grated beeswax

Directions:

Combine all the ingredients in a microwave-safe container and pop it in the microwave. In 1-2 minutes, the beeswax should melt, and that’s it! You just made your own lip balm.

If you want to get a little fancy… You can add a bit of your favorite lipstick for extra color by stirring a dab in with the heated mixture. Martha Stewart Living has some simple instructions for adding essential oils and honey for scent and flavor as well.

If you want to get a lot of fancy... Get creative with the containers you put your gloss in - even make some labels! You can usually find little containers and tins at most craft stores, otherwise, Specialty Bottle has a huge selection.

I hope to make a video on this when I get a chance, but for now, give this a try and see what you think! Post any fun suggestions or additional tips you have in the comments below. Have fun!

How Would You Wear Glow In The Dark Makeup?

Hi everyone,

Last month, Make Up For Ever introduced a line of glow-in-the-dark makeup that looks so fun to try and really easy to work with. Fluo Night (available at Sephora) is a fluorescent powder that glows in the dark under UV light. It comes in seven colors, plus an “invisible” white color:

To use, all you have to do is blend the powder into your regular makeup. It's powder format means you can put it anywhere, really; patting it into your lipstick, mixing it into your eyeshadow powder, and applying it to the tips of your hair are just few fun ideas!

Applying the makeup isn’t the tricky part; finding the UV light that activates it is! Laser tag, anyone? ;)

How To Reduce Cellulite With Coffee

Hi everyone,

Did you know that your favorite morning beverage can actually be used as a powerful beauty elixir? Coffee, when applied topically, has the ability to not only leave you with a glowing complexion, but also help reduce cellulite!

What I like to do is take my leftover coffee grounds [after the coffee's already been brewed] and combine them with honey. This mixture can be then be used as a scrub on both the face and body. Just apply as you would a normal scrub, exfoliate and rinse when complete.

Even though this mixture only contains two ingredients, they are both “super ingredients” loaded with tons of benefits: Honey is a natural anti-inflammatory and purifying agent. It both moisturizes and softens the skin, and in this case, it also functions as a good “glue” for the mixture. Coffee, too, does a number of things for the skin. When applied topically, the caffeine and antioxidants work to tighten and energize skin while also promoting circulation. This gives it the ability to smooth out skin and reduce that hated cellulite. It has also been known to reduce varicose veins as the result of its ability to shrink blood vessels.

The drink that wakes you up each morning can wake your skin up in wonderful ways, too! :)

The BB Cream Craze

Hi everyone,

BB Cream has exploded onto the beauty scene in the last few months here in the states, but in Asia, it's been around for years. These products first became popular in Korea and Japan, but have become a huge hit elsewhere in the past year and their popularity only seems to be growing. A lot of you have been asking for my take on them, so I thought I’d cover the craze in today’s blog. : )

The “BB” in BB Cream can stand for either “Blemish Balm” or “Beauty Balm.” They are probably best thought of as a combination of tinted moisturizer, serum and primer; they offer the functionality of both a primer and a tinted moisturizer but also contain many of the benefits of a skin serum. Plus SPF! They became popular because a lot of stars in Asia used them to get that perfected skin.

There are so many BB Creams out there now, so if you’re looking to buy one, here are some things to keep in mind: A good BB Cream will be lightly tinted, have a satin finish and feel very clean. You don’t want the texture to be too pasty or the coverage to be too heavy. Also, the product should not feel sticky when applying; it should feel almost like water on your face. The downside to BB Creams is the color range. You might not have a lot of options to work with because the colors are usually light to medium. Because of all the beneficial ingredients like SPF, primer etc., BB Creams will usually have an ashy color to them. You have to really blend, so if you're looking for a product that will cover your imperfections, BB Creams may not be for you. You already have to have relatively good skin to use BB Creams because the coverage is very light.

I personally prefer to use foundation because it provides a cleaner finish and photographs better, but BB Cream is great for quick fixes. I think Missha BB and Lioelehave an amazing selection and Skin Fu is good too. You can also find a bunch of good products on Pretty & Cute.

I hope this helps!

My Makeup Collection

Hi everyone,

Here's why: My collection is constantly changing. On top of that, I haven't had the time to really organize my "collection." But I can show you some snapshots so you can see how I work!

This is not my entire makeup collection, in fact, these are just current products that I am experimenting with to help brainstorm different looks. What I typically do is just try out and play with different products until I find something I really like, and then I film the next day.

You can understand why a lot of my girlfriends like to come over; I'm always loading them up with freebies :) Sharing is caring.

What's your makeup collection like?

xoxo-

My Ultimate DIY Brush Cleaner

Hi everyone,

Today, I’m going to share with you my ultimate DIY brush cleaner and give you a refresher lesson on proper brush cleaning and care!

If it isn’t already, washing your makeup brushes should be a permanent part of your beauty routine. Cleaning is so important for the quality and life of both your brushes and your skin. Think about it – there is so much makeup, oil, bacteria, and dirt trapped in an unclean brush, and unless you wash them, you’re rubbing it all back into your skin…um, gross.

Bottom line: you should be washing your brushes frequently. Fancy brush shampoos can be too expensive for how much you should be using them, and baby shampoo does not disinfect. This method, however, contains all super inexpensive ingredients and supplies, most of which you probably already have in your kitchen. I learned this technique in oil painting class and have been using it for years :)

My Ultimate Brush Cleaner

You Need:

• Basic dish soap (to disinfect and clean)
• Extra virgin olive oil (to recondition the bristle hair after it’s stripped of oils and disinfected by the soap)
• Dinner plate
• A hanger
• Chip clips
• Brush guards

Steps:

1. Pour the dish soap onto the plate – you don’t need too much
2. Add a little bit of extra virgin olive oil. The ratio should be approximately 2 parts dish soap to 1 1/2 parts EVOO and should look something like this:
   And that’s it for the shampoo! Now it's time to begin cleaning.
   
   
3. Take your first brush and stir it up in the mixture in a circular motion (you should see some of the makeup start to come off in the mixture).
4. Then wipe the brush pack and forth on your hand to release the makeup from the brush. This removes all the pigments and kills the bacteria.
5. When you’re done, place the brush on a paper towel.
   
   
6. Repeat steps 3-5 with the remainder of your brushes.
   
   
7. Once you’ve cleaned all your brushes, you’ll need to rinse them off under warm water in the sink. Swirl the brush under the water into the palm of your hand to thoroughly clean it off. (NOTE: do not use hot water, the high temperature will damage your brushes)
8. Continue to do so until the water is clear when you squeeze the brush.
9. Once they are all rinsed clean, gently wipe them dry with a paper towel and blot out the excess water. (Regular paper towels work best because they will not leave lint on the brushes)

Storing and Drying Your Brushes

Important Note: Do NOT let your brushes dry standing up with the bristles facing upwards – this will ruin them!! Water will drip down the bristles into the brush and loosen the glue holding the hairs together. Eventually, the hairs will fall out and the handle will be ruined too.

Hang dry your brushes upside down the following way:

1. Take the appropriate brush guard for the brush you are working with – starting at the end of the handle, slide the guard on over the end of the brush all the way to the bristles till it covers the brush hair completely.
2. Take your chip clip (any snack storing clip with a clamp) and clip it over the base wire of your coat hanger (make sure any paper is removed from the hanger prior to this step) – you want the chip clips to hang from the hanger.
3. Clip your brush onto the hanger by inserting the end of the brush handle into the clip clamp. The hairs should be at the bottom facing downward. Here's how I hang mine:
   
4. Do this for all of your brushes, and hang the hanger from a doorknob or towel rack to let the brushes dry.

A Couple Notes on Brush Guards:

• Brush guards are great because they keep your brushes covered and protected from dust and dirt. They also help retain a brush’s shape and will preserve it for longer. You can get them from The Brush Guard if you do not already own some.
• To clean your brush guards, use hot water and soap – let them sit in a bowl with hot water and soap for about 5 minutes, remove and rinse off.

When To Clean:

• Foundation brushes: daily or after each use – liquids will trap more bacteria than powder and need to be cleaned more frequently
• Powder/Eyeshadow brushes: after each new color
• Eyeliner brushes: daily with your foundation brushes – anything going in your eye needs to be clean to prevent infection.

Happy cleaning, everyone! Your skin and your brushes will thank you!