Doing It Up Texas Style: Big Lashes, Bold Makeup

We’ve all the read the Cosmo article about men liking us when we’re at our most natural. Soft lips, nothing too dark on the eyes, and a simple black dress is a never-fail piece. Yeah, that’s all well and good if my Friday night plans include a teacher-parent conference, but I’m looking to turn up the heat on the weekends. One of the most fun and feminine tools to use are false eyelashes. I know some women’s first reactions are, “I don’t want to look fake or look like Barbie.” Well there are plenty of variations of lashes and a lot are very thin to just give an extra boost to your look. And as far as looking like Barbie, um, Barbie’s hot so I’m still looking for the problem there.

The February issue of Allure magazine featured a piece (page 114) on the numerous lashes to choose from. For a more subtle look, Maybelline New York Expert Lash 515 is an excellent choice to add a touch more volume to your natural lashes. I recommend only 1 coat of mascara to use with this look and I especially love using our FACES Beautiful SuperWear Mascara http://www.facesbeautiful.com/product-p/851036001012.htm.

I, however, love to see women take it the limit with fierce, statement lashes like Shu Uemura False Eyelashes Smoky Layers. The criss-cross method creates such a voluptuous look adding intensity to every glance you may take. I recommend these for the more brunette side of the spectrum. Obviously, a blonde’s eyebrows and natural lashes can be pretty light so I love to see these on a brunette or caramel hair color.

Now, we’re not quite ready for the night on the town yet. These big lashes need some big makeup to match. I love doing a smokey eye with more grey and charcoal colors so I use FACES Beautiful Mineral Makeup Signiture Shadow Quad in Color Muse http://www.facesbeautiful.com/product-p/851036001004.htm. I use the lightest one on the highest part of my lid, then I coat my eyelid with the pay gray, filling in the crease of my eye with the darkest shade. I also like to use a touch of the black shadow on an angled brush to glide under my eye and then blend it out. Finally, you can’t beat the precision of our FACES Beautiful Advanced Waterproof Mineral Eyeliner http://www.facesbeautiful.com/product-p/851036001251.htm which I can’t get enough of. Hopefully by now you’ve gotten over the “natural look” and slapping on a red lip will feel like second nature. If you’re not quite ready for fire engine red, you can tone it down with a shade more like wine. Have fun with the look ladies and enjoy all the attention! 

No-Fuss Styles Are Just One Click Away

It’s time to shake up your regular hairstyle and start implementing some new looks. Suave has recently come out with a line of products including Dry Shampoo and Conditioner, Touchable Finish Hairspray, and Vibrant Spray Shine. Their informative ad can be found in the February issue of Glamour magazine on page 254 and gives three tutorials on three styles. I can’t get enough of products that multitask, what could possibly be better? Oh yeah! Women who can multitask.

Side Swept Curls: Perfect for any evening plans and guaranteed to draw attention to your face, the look can easily be done with the Touchable Finish Hairspray and dry shampoo. A trick to applying Dry Shampoo is to let the product hit only the roots of your hair and work it in. using a 1 ½ inch curing iron, start from the bottom and work your way up creating natural, beachy waves. This look needs a deep side part so sweep hair to the opposite side. Secure with bobby pins and spray with the finishing spray. Vwa-la! Complete the look with a smokey eye to add to the sensual look and highlight your cheekbones with your favorite blush.

The Top Knot Bun: Often find yourself on the run with zero time to do your hair but trying to create the illusion you haven’t just rolled out of bed? This look is perfect for the gal on-the-go and it can be completed in the same amount of time it takes to brush your teeth. Start with a high ponytail sitting on the crown of your head. Spray the ponytail lightly with the touchable finish hairspray and twist into a single coil. Spin the curl tight around the elastic and secure with bobby pins. Finish with the vibrant shine spray and you’ll have a sleek, shiny bun perfect for daytime. Keep your makeup simple with just mascara and a light pink shadow on the eye.

The Braided Bun: Begin by using the Dry Conditioner halfway down your hair and work it until the ends. Next, part your hair down the middle and French braid either side securing them with elastics. Join the braids together at the nape of the neck and spin into a bun. Finish with the Touchable Finish Hairspray and secure any flyaways that may occur as well. This is a great look for transferring from day to night. Use it in the day for running to the gym and errands. Intensify the look for night by winging out your eyeliner and hitting your lips with a brilliant shade of red. 

The New Power Suit

Beyonce said it best in her newest song “Who Runs the World? Girls!” Today, women are becoming more influential and dominant in the workforce. First comes the power, then comes the power suit. In the March 2012 Glamour issue, New York and Company flaunts their newest collection of suits in bold and bright colors. I love the idea of straying from the generic black and drab gray but we have to remember, with bold color, comes bold makeup.

To pull off a power suit, you have to match it with a power lip. Just because you could be rocking a hot pink blazer, doesn’t mean you have to tone it down with a nude lip or even, heaven forbid, just chapstick. My advice is to not shy away from taking from either side of the color wheel. A hot pink lip with an orange suit would be dynamite and stop traffic on your way to the office. You definitely don’t have to match the two factors with each other because that’s a little much but it’s time to stop shying away from contrasting colors and making the goal to match. Branch out with the trend and take advantage of a time for risk.

Although I strongly advice to keep the lips as strong as the suit, I do think you have to go easy on the eyes then. Keep it simple on the lids with a taupe or gold but feel free to be generous with the mascara. The look conveys confidence and authority so don’t forget to use the best accessory us girls have: a smile!

Committing Makeup Sins: Mismatched Fashion and Face

Your skin tone isn’t the only thing you have to match when applying your makeup. You have to take into consideration your outfit of choice as well.  In volume 24 of Style Source magazine (page 20) they did a piece on the upcoming looks for Spring which can be, of course, characterized as whimsical, feminine, lacey, and mismatched! The designer Rodarte, in particular, committing the ultimate makeup sin of pairing a vibrant yellow and aqua blue flowery dress with a dark, smokey eye makeup channeling a more gothic vibe.

My perfect go-to look for any springy backyard dress or pastel cardigan and white jeans is all about the skin. That summery fresh glow with a hint of dew is always the starting point. Our FACESbeautiful liquid mineral makeup works every time for creating a flawless complexion. The liquid consistency is perfect for the hotter months when we still want our concealer but don’t want to deal with the heavy, cake-like feeling most of them have. We pride ourselves on the light, airy feeling of our makeup and love pinpointing that time in the day when you forget you’re even still wearing it.

For the eyes, I love keeping in tone with the sun-kissed glow of my skin and gravitate towards gold, bronze, and brown. Keep the darkest color on the lowest part of the lid and gradually move to the lightest. I find that instead of using a whitish color to highlight the brow, a very pale pink adds an extra touch and pulls the whole look together.

I love bright fuchsia or orange on the lips during the spring months. With a little white, a-line dress you’ll look dynamite. However, for the daytime events that happen so much during the spring and summer months, I like to keep it effortless sexy with a nude lip. I think what’s really important for bright colors on lips is to make sure the glossiness is on point. The look will leave you with a spring in your step!  

Bring In Spring with a Bang

LANCOME has released their new spring eye shadow pallet and liquid eyeliner collection and let me tell you, the collection is mesmerizing. I recently saw their add in the March 2012 issue of Glamour (page 36) and I was stopped in my tracks. The three assortment of colors range from purple, to teal, to green and the liquid liner glides on to complete the look.

Now for deciding which color is for whom, the advertisement places the pigment on the perfect skin tone for each color. The purple completely pops on a darker, more cocoa complexion and matching it with a redish-pink lip ties the look together. A sleek ponytail to really showcase your features would enhance your beauty and I would go with no earrings on this look. The makeup is very powerful so it acts as your accessory in and of itself.

For those of you with brown eyes, you may sometimes feel like you’re slumping through the makeup isles looking at everything that would make a green eye vivacious or a blue eye, electric. However, the shades of blue pallet in the collection are bound to turn the frown about brown, upside down. Wing out the liner to create depth and a unique shape to your eye. Always using the darkest color on the bottom and working your way up to highlighting your brow bone. Blue is one of the heaviest colors to wear on a light or slightly tanned skin tone so keep your lips peachy and soft.

I realize that the idea of green eye makeup on green eyes isn’t revolutionary, but let’s face it, that’s one of the only eye colors that looks undeniably amazing with it’s own color complimenting them. I would definitely use the green shades of eye shadow for the lids but my own personal spin would be to take the blue liquid liner to finish off the look. This unexpected detail kicks the look up a few notches and will have any onlooker captivated.  

Latest Trend: Big Buns

It’s no longer what girls have going on in the back anymore that’s turning heads. The big hair buns are reminiscent of Audrey Hepburn and the women in James Bond films. Their elegance compliments any cocktail dress and can even be turned “day-appropriate” if done correctly.

Glamour’s February issue (page 87) exemplifies the right way to do the sky-high bun. It has to be sitting on the crown of your head as opposed to directly on top. Most of the buns we see in Hollywood are slicked back which is extremely chic and timeless. However, don’t forget a few tendrils framing your face or leaving your side bangs down still won’t draw any attention away from the bun.

For a  day look, I’d twist the hair into a bun creating a sort of “cinna-bun” look. They’re more informal than the perfectly done, nighttime do. Also, a boat neck tee allows you to show a little shoulder and melds well with an up-do.

As far as your makeup goes, with a hairstyle as dramatic as a high bun, the only heavy makeup I would recommend is a strong use of eyeliner. Wing the liner out to revert back to the days when the look was most popular. Highlight your cheekbones with your favorite blush since the bone structure of your face will, for sure, be on display for this look. Keep your skin looking dewy and regardless of how many squats you’ve been doing that week, all eyes will be on your bun…hair bun. 

Top Spring Beauty Trends

Ah, awards season. Any beauty maven worth her salt waits all year to watch as the biggest stars in Hollywood do their part to predict the dominant trends for next season. This year’s awards season is no different, featuring noticeable beauty trends that will surely be sought-after come next season. Here, makeup expert, founder and CEO of FACES Beautiful and creator of the Brush-On Liquid Mineral Makeup, Gail Sagel, shares her favorite looks and offers insider tips for everyday wear.

Coral Clique

With many celebrities embracing the “less is more” philosophy when it comes to makeup, it was no surprise that understated beauty was the winner at the SAG Awards. As Gail puts it, “Coral is natural without being boring; it allows for color without anything overpowering your natural beauty. What we saw on Sunday night were celebrities embracing the minimalist look, but creating a dewier, softer version. The key here is to create a face that looks like it was sun-kissed.”

·         Start with an all-over foundation that allows natural shine to come through. Gail suggests the FACES Beautiful Brush-On Liquid Mineral Makeup for a dewy finish without looking too shiny.

·         When it comes to blush and lip color, make sure to consider skin tone. The lighter the skin, the softer the coral should be; think peachy. If skin is medium, a pinky-coral is the most flattering. Darker skin tones can play with the color and go with a more intense orange tone.

·         Gail cautions that it’s easy to go overboard with coral, so women should choose just one feature to play up. For example, if the lip color of choice is a stark, bold coral, give the cheeks a rest, as it will detract from the overall look.

Bold Brows

Eyebrows are having a moment. With so many celebrities embracing the bold brows trend, beauty-conscious women everywhere are taking note that this look will continue on through spring. Gail offers her expert eyebrow shaping advice: “Eyebrows are one of my favorite facial features because they really change the entire look of a face. For that reason, you have to be extremely careful with the bold brow trend, because too much brow can be overwhelming, while not enough can actually look unflattering on most face shapes.” 

·         First, find the right eye shadow color to fill in the eyebrow. For light brows, the color should be one or two shades darker than the normal eyebrow color, but not too dark, as it won’t blend well. For dark brows, choose a shade lighter.

·         Using an angled eye shadow brush, fill in from the base of the brow upward. Afterward, run an eyebrow spooly brush through, brushing upward and making sure that all spots are filled in.

·         To set eyebrows in place, use a tinted brow gel like Bare Escentials I.D. Brow Finishing Gel to ensure that these new masterpieces say set throughout the day and into the night.

Pastel Pouts

Pastel colors were all over the runways for spring 2012, encouraging celebrities to wear bright lips with confidence at the SAG Awards. “It’s so fun that colors like coral and fuchsia are being embraced by Hollywood. Many women shy away from a bold lip because it’s difficult to find the perfect match, but don’t be discouraged. Take advantage of the test products at your local beauty store and invest in some pastel tones for spring,” says Gail.

·         Fair skin tones are lucky, as pinks complement the tone well. Try a lighter pink that has a peachy undertone, but stay away from a dark, extremely bright pink. Those colors will wash out your overall look.

·         For medium skin tones, berry shades are best. Rather than going with a wine-colored berry, try a soft version of fuchsia. Think deep pinks and corals over bright shades.

·         This trend was made for dark skin tones. For maximum impact, choose a pink with blue undertones. For show-stopping appeal, don an orange-hued coral.

“The key to any of these looks is to find the right version; settle on a color palate that brightens your skin and brings out the best of one’s own features. As they say, the most beautiful thing a woman can wear is her confidence.”

The SAG Awards: Red Carpet Beauty Trends for Spring

Ah, awards season. Any beauty maven worth her salt waits all year to watch as the biggest stars in Hollywood do their part to predict the dominant trends for next season. This year’s Screen Actor’s Guild Awards were no different, featuring noticeable beauty trends that will surely be sought-after come next season. Here, makeup expert, founder and CEO of FACES Beautiful and creator of the Brush-On Liquid Mineral Makeup, Gail Sagel, shares her favorite looks from the star-studded evening and offers insider tips for everyday wear.

Coral Clique
With many celebrities embracing the “less is more” philosophy when it comes to makeup, it was no surprise that understated beauty was the winner at the SAG Awards. As Gail puts it, “Coral is natural without being boring; it allows for color without anything overpowering your natural beauty. What we saw on Sunday night were celebrities embracing the minimalist look, but creating a dewier, softer version. The key here is to create a face that looks like it was sun-kissed.”
· Start with an all-over foundation that allows natural shine to come through. Gail suggests the FACES Beautiful Brush-On Liquid Mineral Makeup for a dewy finish without looking too shiny.
· When it comes to blush and lip color, make sure to consider skin tone. The lighter the skin, the softer the coral should be; think peachy. If skin is medium, a pinky-coral is the most flattering. Darker skin tones can play with the color and go with a more intense orange tone.
· Gail cautions that it’s easy to go overboard with coral, so women should choose just one feature to play up. For example, if the lip color of choice is a stark, bold coral, give the cheeks a rest, as it will detract from the overall look.
Bold Brows
Eyebrows are having a moment. With so many celebrities embracing the bold brows trend, beauty-conscious women everywhere are taking note that this look will continue on through spring. Gail offers her expert eyebrow shaping advice: “Eyebrows are one of my favorite facial features because they really change the entire look of a face. For that reason, you have to be extremely careful with the bold brow trend, because too much brow can be overwhelming, while not enough can actually look unflattering on most face shapes.”
· First, find the right eye shadow color to fill in the eyebrow. For light brows, the color should be one or two shades darker than the normal eyebrow color, but not too dark, as it won’t blend well. For dark brows, choose a shade lighter.
· Using an angled eye shadow brush, fill in from the base of the brow upward. Afterward, run an eyebrow spooly brush through, brushing upward and making sure that all spots are filled in.
· To set eyebrows in place, use a tinted brow gel like Bare Escentials I.D. Brow Finishing Gel to ensure that these new masterpieces say set throughout the day and into the night.
Pastel Pouts
Pastel colors were all over the runways for spring 2012, encouraging celebrities to wear bright lips with confidence at the SAG Awards. “It’s so fun that colors like coral and fuchsia are being embraced by Hollywood. Many women shy away from a bold lip because it’s difficult to find the perfect match, but don’t be discouraged. Take advantage of the test products at your local beauty store and invest in some pastel tones for spring,” says Gail.
· Fair skin tones are lucky, as pinks complement the tone well. Try a lighter pink that has a peachy undertone, but stay away from a dark, extremely bright pink. Those colors will wash out your overall look.
· For medium skin tones, berry shades are best. Rather than going with a wine-colored berry, try a soft version of fuchsia. Think deep pinks and corals over bright shades.
· This trend was made for dark skin tones. For maximum impact, choose a pink with blue undertones. For show-stopping appeal, don an orange-hued coral.
“The key to any of these looks is to find the right version; settle on a color palate that brightens your skin and brings out the best of one’s own features. As they say, the most beautiful thing a woman can wear is her confidence.”

Dolce & Gabbana Kohl Collection for Eyes and Nails

You know an advertisement in a magazine is really good when it makes you want to run out and buy the product. The new ad for the Dolce & Gabbana Kohl Collection for Eyes and Nails is breathtaking and does just that. Actress, Felicity Jones models their new Kohl liners and nail colors against a red backdrop, a satin red dress, and bright red lips- to highlight the rich, jewel tones in this collection. The Kohl pencils are sure to be soft and come in black, rich brown, violet, blue, and white. The polishes come in olive green, pearl, navy blue, and two seductive dark red shades.

I may just have to Google Dolce Gabbana to try some of the colors on myself as soon as possible! Take a moment and look at the way the model is put together. Her eyes are sexy and smoky along with fair, smooth skin and perfectly arched brows. What an amazing balance.  The ad is just luxurious and glamorous!

BEAUTY DON’T: Katy Perry

Okay, I was flipping through the January 23, 2012 issue of OK! Magazine and on page 36 was a picture of Katy Perry that was just frightful. She is such a pretty girl, but what is going on with her in this picture?!

First of all, her hair is dyed a fuchsia pink color and her brown roots are coming through. Her face is packed so heavily with cakey foundation that she looks as if she is wearing a mask. Then, she has her eyeliner shooting out like bat wings (a failed attempt at the winged liner look). I understand that entertainers often get creative with their looks, but when you have all the beauty experts in the world at your fingertips and this is what you do to yourself you need to reevaluate your look. Pick one signature and make it yours. One trademark (funky colored hair or winged liner) is enough. This mish-mash of everything just looks sloppy! It’s more like the ad for what NOT to do.