I’m not the type of girl that wears a lot of makeup.  Okay, who am I kidding?  Normally, I’m just too lazy to put on makeup.  But when I do, my routine is fairly simple: Bare Minerals foundation, a swipe of dark brown or black mac eyeshadow for eyeliner, Maybelline’s Full ‘N Soft mascara, and a dab of Vaseline.  And that’s it.  It takes a total of 5 minutes.

But today, in particular, I want to discuss the mascara, because I think Maybelline’s Full ‘N Soft is probably the best mascara on the market.  Believe me, I’ve strayed over the years and I’ve tried plenty of other mascaras, everything from the ones that claim to curl your lashes to the ones that claim to double the length and volume of your lashes–and a few in between.  Most of them went clumpy and didn’t fulfill their promises.

However, the Full N’ Soft mascara has never let me down and I’ve been using this mascara since middle school!  My lashes always look flawless and clump-free.  It’s nothing fancy–it’s not going to make your lashes longer or more voluminous or curl your lashes.  But it does the job for darker, thicker lashes.  (I personally use the waterproof version in “very black.”)

You don’t need to take my word for it.  Read any of the over 2,700 reviews on Makeup Alley.

After a brief flirtation with lip gloss, I’ve been moving back to my roots…in other words, lipstick. And while some ladies might prefer a shiny lipstick, I’ve always been a fan of matte. Unfortunately, matte lipstick isn’t always a pleasure to wear; it can be drying, settle into fine lines and generally feel heavy on the lips. That’s why I’m so happy to have found my official HG lip color: Revlon’s Matte Lipstick.

Basically, I love everything about this lipstick. First of all, it’s drugstore-cheap and easy to find. Even the packaging (one area in which drugstore brands often falter) is sophisticated and cool: A sleek black-and-silver tube with clear plastic on top so you can see the color inside. The lipstick has no discernible taste or smell, and once it’s on, it’s virtually weightless. It’s long-lasting and genuinely matte, and the colors are beautiful.

At the moment, I have three shades from this line: Nude Attitude (creamy beige), In the Red (true red) and Wine Not (burgundy). The only one that I have any issue with at all is Nude Attitude; it’s so light that it looks a little like I put concealer on my lips! Still haven’t really figured out how to make that one work for me, but it might look nice topped with a colored gloss or as part of an updated mod look with a strong eye. But In the Red and Wine Not are my go-to bold lip colors. In short, if you love matte lips, get thee to a drugstore and sample this line. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

What are your current lip obsessions? Share in a comment!

Ok, I admit I’m late to the party but….have you discovered E.L.F. makeup brushes yet??  I went to Target yesterday and was on the hunt for some affordable makeup brushes.  I am doing my best friend’s makeup for her wedding in two weeks and I want to make sure she looks flawless.  I needed to get a foundation brush and I also thought it would be a good idea to pick up some eyeshadow brushes for her eye makeup.  I have some great ones from MAC that I used for my wedding but since I use them and wouldn’t have time to clean them properly between her application and mine, it is more sanitary to get some new brushes just for her.  Since I’m mainly buying the brushes for a one-time-only affair, I’m not too worried about not getting top of the line brushes that are going to last forever.  I just need some quality brushes that will apply makeup beautifully for this occasion.

I went ahead and picked up a few from the Sonia Kashuk line, since they are pretty great in their own right.  And then I decided to wander through the makeup aisles, as I’m known to do.  I can’t help myself – you never know what fun stuff you’ll find!  And I’m extra glad I did because that is how I stumbled upon E.L.F.  I didn’t realize Target carried this line and I thought I heard awhile back that they were going out of business.  So I was very pleasantly surprised to see their products.  And then I saw how much they cost…..ONE DOLLAR.  Yep.  A dollar a brush.  And not for shabby, stiff, poor bristles.  A dollar for soft, pliable, completely workable brushes.  I am thrilled with the find and stocked up on what I needed.  All for less than the cost of one brush from Sonia Kashuk’s line.  Not to knock the SK brushes – those will certainly last longer and are great quality.  But when you need a brush for a day, you can’t beat this.  And if you are new to brushes and you want to experiment with applying your makeup with them, this is the perfect way to find what works for you – before investing bigger bucks in higher end products.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve always felt like I had two choices when it came to buying makeup: I could go low-end (i.e., drugstore) or I could go high-end (i.e., department stores/Sephora). Drugstore makeup is super affordable and easy to come by, but higher-end products are usually better quality and better for my skin – not to mention the invariably sexy packaging. Unfortunately, I’ve more or less resigned myself to buying drugstore makeup lately, with the occasional Sephora splurge here and there…and then I started thinking about beauty supple stores.

Of course, I’ve always been aware of beauty supply stores, and I’ve ducked in once or twice, but I had pretty much written them off as being primarily hair care. (Why did I think this? I have no idea.) But Sally, in particular, kept popping up on the blogs I read, from Nouveau Cheap’s guest post on an intriguing mint shampoo to RFC’s comparison of the Palladio Dual Wet&Dry Foundation to MAC StudioFix – in which she concluded that they were very close, but she liked the Palladio better!

So I ducked into my nearest Sally’s, and whoa! So much cheaper than a trip to Sephora, and everything I bought is awesome! Here’s what I hauled:

• Palladio Dual Wet and Dry Foundation in Laurel Nude ($8.99)
• Queen Helene Mint Julep Shampoo ($3.99)
• Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque ($3.29)
• Beyond Belief ABH Intensive Repair Serum ($7.99)
• Orly Polish Thinner ($3.49)
• Orly “Galaxy Girl” polish from the Cosmic FX collection ($7.99)
• …plus the $5 I paid for a 1-year membership to the “Beauty Club”

I decided to take the plunge and get a club card because there are tons of discounts exclusive to club members listed on the website; plus, they gave me a $5 coupon good on any purchase during the month of October, so it’s like my membership was free!

As for the awesomeness of my purchases, I’m thinking of doing a series of individual reviews, because seriously, they’re all great. The Palladio powder foundation, in particular, is so much better than the Neutrogena Mineral Sheers I’ve been using – and it was about $5 cheaper!

In conclusion, if you haven’t ventured into a beauty supply store in years, I recommend you take the plunge. They have cosmetics, skincare and hair products far better than what you’ll find at most drugstores, but at a fraction of the price you can expect to pay at the mall. Love you, Sally! XOXO.

Just a quick post about how gorgeous Natalie Portman looked on the opening day of the Venice Film Festival.  Her bold red dress by Rodarte was perfectly offset with her neutral makeup choices.  I love the detail of the shoulders and the neckline on this dress.  And this shade of red is what I’m going to be looking for when I start populating my fall wardrobe.

The one thing I’m not so crazy about is the clutch that is paired with the dress.  Does it look like a makeup bag to anyone else?  Now, don’t get me wrong, I’ve had a few makeup bags in my time that I thought could double as purses….but now I see how that doesn’t really work.  I’m sure this is some gorgeous designer bag but it stands out to me as something that should have been left at the vanity.

Back to the gorgeousness though:  the lightly lined eyes, with what looks like brown eyeliner to keep the look as natural as possible, is perfection.  The application really makes her brown eyes look otherworldly.  I am a big fan of MAC’s Stubborn Brown Powerpoint Eye Pencil to help achieve this defined yet delicate look.  It looks like a touch of white shadow was dabbed underneath on the inside corner of her eye to really make her eyes pop.

I’m feeling inspired to shop for beautiful red shirts and dresses and bags. And I’m feeling inspired to play up my eyes and neutralize my lip color.

There were plenty of red carpet looks this week, between the Emmys and the Venice Film Festival:

What looks inspired you?

Did you ever want to experiment with different shades of makeup without the hassle of cleanup?  Or you simply didn’t have time to explore the endless options?  Well, now you can explore endless makeup and hair looks right from your computer!  Yes, that’s right, your computer.  Ladies, now, you can see how you look with a makeover, without actually getting a makeover.  You can prevent a beauty fiasco before it happens.

I stumbled upon the Virtual Makeover Studio by Daily Makeover via Sarah at Hair Thursday.  Please post links to your virtual makeover over at Latest Beauty’s Facebook Page or right in the comments section of this post.

For some reason, I have been obsessed with finding Revlon’s Lilac Pastelle, a creamy purple lip gloss. Unlike most glosses, which have at least a hint of shimmer, this one is absolutely shimmer-free – and, having seen pictures of it on the lips, it’s way more flattering than you might expect. (There’s also a Lilac Pastelle nail polish, if you’re into that matchy-matchy kind of thing.)

Another drugstore obsession: Sally Hansen’s Xtreme Wear polishes. I already own quite a few of these (in fact, I’m wearing Blue Me away, a vibrant blue creme, right now!) but the new shades that I’ve seen on a handful of blogs look pretty hard to resist – and, since they’re only $1.99 apiece, why fight it? There’s a glass-flecked deep crimson called Fireberry Red, a smoky purple/gray with delicate green shimmer called Mystic Lilac, and a glittery purple/silver combo called Purple Gala…sigh. Why haven’t I been able to find these yet?!

There they are…my current drugstore obsessions! Which affordable makeup or beauty products are you dying to get your hands on?

I confess: I’m something of an eyeshadow novice. In fact, after eschewing the product for years in favor of my trusty old (and, admittedly, boring) black eyeliner/black mascara combo, I only started branching out into the world of shadows earlier this year. Sure, I’d swiped a wash of color on my lids from time to time, but I’m just now learning how to use multiple colors at once, accent the crease, blend up to the brow bone, and so on. I’ve actually never used a mineral eyeshadow before, so forgive me if any part of this review is marred by user error or plain old ignorance.

Lily Lolo is a UK-based brand of mineral makeup, and LB recently received a few adorable little pots of their loose powder eyeshadow for review. The shades I tried, both part of the new Summer Essential line, were Vanilla Shimmer (described as “a softly shimmering pinky-beige”) and Moonlight (“a rich, luxurious and glistening chocolate brown”). Vanilla Shimmer is recommended as a base color or for highlights, while Moonlight is intended to add depth or function as an eyeliner. I wouldn’t have chosen either of these colors for myself, as I tend to prefer shades that are dark and/or bold, but they both looked perfectly lovely in their pots and swatched on the back of my hand. These shadows are smooth and light as silk, and the shimmer is soft yet noticeable – sounds great, right?

Unfortunately, I’m going to have to give them a thumbs down overall because they had virtually no staying power whatsoever! Now the website claims that these shadows have “strong colour pigment to give long lasting wear,” but my experience was exactly the opposite. The colors looked nice when I first brushed them on, but when I attempted to blend at all, they simply faded away. (I tried this on my hand as well, and they really do seem to vanish on me after just one or two swipes!) I was unable to create any sort of look with these shadows, which is too bad, because they really did look pretty in the pot. However, I didn’t use a primer or base, so I suppose that could make all the difference, or this could just be the nature of mineral shadows.

In conclusion, Lily Lolo seems like an intriguing new brand, and I would be interested in trying some of their other products, but these shadows were not my bag, baby. What do you think of mineral eyeshadows? Do you have any brands that you swear by?

After our fabulous guest blog by Sheila from the Painted Ladies, I don’t need to get too into detail about eye makeup for your wedding day.  Check out her blog and you’ll have a great guide.  I agree that primers are a must and I love her trick with the cream base to really may your shadow pop.  Since most brides wear white on their wedding day, you have a little liberty with your eye makeup.  You can choose to keep it really natural with natural tones, like tans and browns or you can play with color.  Pinks and lilacs are a great way to up the pretty if you want to experiment with color.   It all depends on how adventurous you feel on your wedding day.  It also depends on what you are planning to do with your lips…

For your lip color you can go bold or you can keep it natural.  But whatever you do, enhance the natural pigment of your lips so they don’t get lost in pictures.  I highly recommend putting on a stain under whatever lip color you ultimately decide on.  Even if you are using a long lasting lip color, you don’t want to be concerned with double checking to make sure everything has stayed in place.  With a lip stain, you will have a beautiful flush no matter how many kisses or drinks you’ve had throughout the day.  I use Cover Girl’s Outlast Lip Stain as a base for my lips on a daily basis.  The clever magic marker tip makes application really easy.  If you want a more traditional stain, you can’t go wrong with Benetint.  I love their Pocket Pal stain because it comes with a handy lip balm all in one package.  Perfect for when you want to add a little shine as the night goes on.

Last but not least, don’t forget your cheeks!  You will need some sort of blush in order not to look washed out.  Remember that matte is key but there is nothing wrong with a little dash of bronzer to help create that “in love” glow.  Again, I’m a fan of Cover Girl and love their Cheekers bronzer.  It comes in two shades and is not overpowering.  It gives just a light flush that looks very natural.   Use a larger blush brush, like MAC’s #168 large contour brush, to get the right application.

If you still need a little more guidance on how to properly apply all of your makeup goodies, set up an appointment with one of the makeup artists at any MAC store.  That is what I did when I got married.  The woman who helped me showed me the exact products I would need to create the look I wanted.  Then she made a step-by-step guide that was personalized for me on one of their face maps.  I don’t know the actual name for that….my memory fails me!….but I had it out on my wedding day and followed her instructions.  It was like having my own personal makeup artist with me, which was pretty sweet!

The following post was written for LatestBeauty by Sheila from the fabulous Painted Ladies. It’s an awesome primer on how to craft an eyeshadow look with maximum impact. Enjoy, visit her blog, and leave your thoughts in a comment!

XOXO,

The LatestBeauty Team

***

Breaking Down Beauty: How to make your shadow go KABLAM!
By Sheila Arkee

Hello, Latest Beauty readers!

My name is Sheila and I am the creator of the Painted Ladies beauty blog. We are a group of makeup aficionados and makeup artists, and what we like to do is to talk about all aspects of beauty from a very honest and real person perspective.

I have a regular section called “Breaking Down Beauty,” where I post tips and tricks I’ve learned through the years. So, here for you is a very special “Breaking Down Beauty,” one that I have not even shared with my own readers!

I firmly believe that every person who uses eye shadow must include a primer or base under their color. It’s a must, and essential for their shadow to stay on your lids and not underneath your eyes, AKA my entire first two years of wearing makeup. My favorite primers are MAC’s Paint Pots – they wear like steel and your shadow will not budge!

Here’s a little trick for you all… if you want to make your shadows REALLY stand out and get maximum impact from them, use a little cream shadow on top of the primer, before shadows.

When worn on their own, I am not a fan of cream shadows whatsoever. Do not expect a cream shadow not to crease, and yes, Revlon, I am talking about you! My favorite cream shadows are also by MAC, check out their Cream Color Bases.

However, if you keep the cream base localized right underneath the crease area, you are in luck. Avoid the crease AT ALL COSTS!

You don’t even have to use a cream base, you can even utilize your eyeliners to help give your shadows a boost by scribbling them on your eye and then blending with a brush or your finger.

See? In this example I’m wearing MAC’s Expensive Pink shadow on with just a primer. In the second photo, I’m wearing the same shadow with a coordinating cream base (MAC’s Virgin Isle) underneath. What a difference!

You can do so much with a cream base and a powder shadow, transforming them to totally unique colors that you customize as you wish. Now THAT’S empowering!

When it comes to cream shadows just remember these tricks:

1. Always use your no-fail primer underneath.
2. Do not under any circumstances get your cream shadow near the crease.
3. You don’t need globs of product; just a small amount will do it.

Now, go have some fun with your makeup!

I posted yesterday about the basics to start with for your wedding day makeup in Wedding Makeup:  Part One.  I recommended the use of MAC’s Select Foundation.  I noted that it had SPF in it and my bestie wrote to me right away.  She thought everything looked good but she had read somewhere that using makeup with an SPF is bad for photos.  This was news to me so I quickly did some research and….

Turns out she was right!  I had never heard of this before but I found a lot of info.  The titanium dioxide that is used as SPF in makeup is formulated to reflect light in order to protect the skin.  Which means that you can end up with a washed out look when using flash photography.  You learn something new everyday.  I checked out MAC’s foundation and sure enough, it has titanium dioxide.  So I have to amend my previous post’s suggestion!

So what kind of foundation is best?  When I got married, I used Cover Girl’s TruBlend Foundation.  It covered evenly and looked great in photos.  But I just went over to their site and it looks like they have changed their formula and people aren’t thrilled.

I don’t like recommending something I haven’t used personally yet but since MAC has never let me down, I feel comfortable suggesting you check out their Face and Body Foundation.  It doesn’t have SPF and it is water resistant.  That could come in handy for the teary moments you may encounter on your wedding day.  And the sweaty moments – which will hopefully happen when you’re dancing!

Since today was a day of learning and an amendment to yesterday’s post, I’ll have more for you tomorrow on the best eye, lip and cheek products to try, in Part Three.  This could be a week-long series!

My best friend is getting married in September and she is planning on doing her own makeup!  I love this idea because it gives you the opportunity to go and buy quality makeup that will last you long beyond one day.  But which products do you buy?  With wedding day makeup, you have to be sure to get products that photograph well and this where some hard and fast rules come into play.  Today, let’s take a look at the basics:

Use a Primer

Primer is brilliant because it gives you a blank slate to start as the foundation of your entire look.  My favorite primer that has never let me down is Prime Time by Bare Minerals.  One pump is enough to smooth over my entire face and it helps to make my pores look smaller and fine lines smoother.  But the real reason behind my love is that it makes my makeup last all day.  And that is what you need on your wedding day.  Knowing that your foundation is going to stay put gives you one less thing to worry about!  And speaking of foundation….

Buy Matte

When it comes to foundations, powders and concealers, buying products that have a matte finish will give your skin the polished and beautiful look you want in your wedding pictures.  This is an important note for women who wear mineral makeup on a daily basis.  I am one of those women!  I love my Bare Minerals for everyday looks but every time I’ve been a part of a professional photography shoot, the makeup artists have advised against minerals.  Minerals tend to reflect light and you can end up looking a little oily in photos.  Because of this, Bare Minerals did create a matte formula for their foundations.  So if you are set on minerals, then this is the one to check out.  But if you feel like you’ll be more comfortable with a liquid foundation that has a matte finish, I’d recommend checking out any of MAC’s Select Foundation.  It comes in 18 shades and SPF 15 and finishes with a matte look.

Now that we have the canvas of your look prepped for photos, let’s add on the right layers for the pops of color on your cheeks, eyes and lips….tune in tomorrow for Part Two!

Isn’t Salma Hayek’s sizzling hot white and red ensemble just the most summery, retro sexy outfit ever?! I’m in love with it. Just goes to show that you don’t need a lot going on in terms of detailing or accessories – you just need to create a compelling combination of elements. Specifically…

1. A white strapless dress with a bit of structure.
2. An eye-catching red belt to nip in your waist and add a bold pop of color to break up all that white.
3. Bold red suede platform heels.
4. A boxy black clutch to reinforce the retro vibe.
5. And, of course, a vibrant red lipstick to tie everything together, like NARS Jungle Red.

Keep the rest of your makeup and accessories to an absolute minimum (I think Salma could have added some red polish without going over the top, but she looks lovely with nude nails too), and you’re ready for some hot summer nights! Oh, and feel free to try out a mysterious, Veronica Lake-inspired hairstyle for a little extra drama.

Disney certainly has a ravenous fan base, which should come as no surprise to anyone. But what you may not be aware of is the following that some of the most sinister Disney characters – i.e., the Disney villains – have. Perhaps it won’t come as such as shock when you consider the fierce physicality of some of these evildoers. Take, for instance, the Queen from Snow White:  Sure, she’s asking her henchman to find and murder an innocent young girl simply because she’s a little bit prettier, but check out those perfectly arched brows, those shadowed lids, that ruby pout!  Then there’s Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty, who not only turns herself into a dragon, she also rocks purple eyeshadow, tomato red lipstick and some sort of horned headpiece as an accessory. Kind of makes you want to take a walk on the dark side, if only for a night, right? Well, you’re in luck – or you will be, come September (just in time for Halloween!), because that’s when MAC is set to launch their Venomous Villains line. The collection, which was created in conjunction with Disney, will include lipstick, lip gloss, blush and powder in shades inspired by four specific villains – although MAC isn’t spilling the beans on which baddies will be represented just yet.

Are you looking forward to MAC’s Venomous Villains line?

Fans of adorable packaging, take note: Sephora is now carrying TokiDoki Cosmetics! What is TokiDoki, you ask? The line is the Japanese-inspired brainchild of Italian artist Simone Legno, and it features an array of colorful products in what is quite possibly the cutest little containers EVER. Here’s a glimpse of what they have to offer:

• Glitter-infused eyeliner
• Eyeshadow that comes housed in the brand’s trademark heart-and-crossbones compact
• Magic Marker-like lip stain
• Waterproof liquid liner with a chiseled tip that is said to make for more precise application
• Lipgloss - including shades like purple and green - with little snowglobes on top of the caps
• Colored mascara

Prices fall into the $14-$42 range, with most of the cosmetics coming in at under $20. What do you think of TokiDoki?

Stop by Ulta’s website and check out their BOGO (Buy 1, Get 1 Free) sale - there are tons of great deals to be had on Ulta brand cosmetics (including minerals) and beauty tools. You can browse through seven pages of deals, to be exact, on everything from eyeshadow and lipstick to callus shavers and cuticle nippers! Whatever you need, Ulta probably has it…and now, you can get 2 for the price of 1. Yay!

Is it just me, or is drugstore cosmetics brand Milani totally having a moment? They’ve always had a good selection of interesting, reasonably priced offerings, but lately I’ve been compelled to snatch up something new from one of their displays practically every time I set foot into a Walgreens or a CVS. Not surprising, I guess, since according to their website, this year is actually their “biggest product launch ever!” Here are some of their notable new offerings:

• 3D Holographic Nail Lacquer
• 3D Glitzy Glamour Gloss
• Crystal Eyez Sparkling Eye Shadow
• HD Advance Concealer
• Mechnical Glitter Eye Liner
• Neon Specialty Nail Lacquer

I personally own the purple holo nail polish, the blue (!) Glitzy gloss, the glittery black Crystal Eyez gel shadow, and a color from the “Liquid Metal” nail polish collection, which is apparently so new it’s not even listed on the website yet. (The color I chose is “Dot Com,” which I can only describe as a glowing, burnished plum - so pretty in direct sunlight!) I also have my eye on the HD concealer, which appears to be a dupe for YSL’s legendary Touche Eclat concealer, for a fraction of the original’s $40 price tag.

Have you had good luck with Milani in the past? Are you planning to snag any of these new products anytime soon?

You know how I love my EOS Smooth Sphere lip balm, from the odd round packaging to the natural ingredients to the sweet and fruity flavors. But one thing always kept it from being the perfect lip product: Its utter lack of SPF. Well, just in time for summer, EOS has unveiled a brand new Smooth Sphere flavor (Lemon Drop), and this one will actually protect your lips from the sun!

It’s official…the Smooth Sphere is now perfect. Check it out if you need a new lip balm with sunscreen, you’re an EOS completist who just has to have every flavor, or you’re simply a fan of the fresh, tart taste of lemon on your lips.

A true lip gloss junkie is never satisfied. No matter how much gloss you have, it’s never enough. Believe me, I know - I’ve lived it! I’m constantly buying new glosses, applying them obsessively, losing them in the mysterious vortex of my purse, re-finding them months later, falling in and out of love, etc. So it should surprise no one that I have yet another new favorite that I can’t stop thinking about: Maybelline Shine Sensational Lip Gloss in Cherry Bloom.

The formula is nice - thick and moisturizing, but not terribly sticky. The color is lovely - a shimmery, pink-toned nude that could, I imagine, flatter virtually any skin tone. But what’s really got me going is the heavenly scent. I grabbed Cherry Bloom based on two things: The name and the color. I thought it would be a standard cherry-flavored gloss. I was wrong! It’s actually a cherry blossom flavored gloss, which is incredibly intriguing to me. It has this super sweet, fruity smell, but with a definite floral undertone. It’s a surprisingly complex scent for a drugstore lip gloss. I LOVE IT. And after browsing through some of the 17 flavors I didn’t buy, I have a serious wishlist going. (Toffee, caramel, cocoa, guava, sparkling grape, French macarons?!) I know I say this a lot when it comes to lip gloss, but…I highly recommend it! To fellow Shine Sensational devotees: What’s your favorite flavor?

ATTENTION ALL URBAN DECAY FANS: Now through April 19th, you’ll receive 30% off of your order at the UD website when you enter the code 1SFNF at checkout! UD always has a great selection of intriguing products, so you can stock up on old favorites or discover a few new ones. Enjoy!