Eye makeup removers

There are sooooo many different brands out there for eye makeup remover and it can be daunting task to try a new brand because you'll be stuck with that bottle for a while.  I have gone through many bottles of eye makeup remover and have tried a number of brands...usually due to impulse buys, free samples, or because they were on sale ... and here are my thought on a few :)

These are listed from my least favourite to holy grail.

1. Wet n wild Eye Make-Up Remover

I bought this at a drug store because it was on sale and it was the worst purchase ever!  It says it's oil free and good for sensitive eyes but it feels super oily and it stings the eyes!  You would think that such a horrible feeling product would at least do what it says and remove eye makeup but it does not.  This is an ultimate fail product :(.

2. Sephora Instant eye makeup remover

This is the new packaging and formula from #4 so when I bought it...I had high hopes that my favourite staple would work the same.  Boy was I wrong.  This product isn't horrible but it does not remove waterproof makeup very well.  It does not explicitly say that it would on the bottle like the old packaging and I guess that fact that it doesn't have a blue and clear liquid component should have been a clue, but nonetheless, I haven't been able to find a good Sephora eye makeup remover anymore :( Bring back the old formula!





3. Clinique - Take the Day off

I received a free sample from one of those Clinique Bonuses (love Clinique Bonus time!) and was excited to give this one a try.  I would say it takes off eye makeup pretty well but still requires quite a bit of product for waterproof makeup.  The formula is really oily and seeps into my eyes which I really don't like.  It takes off most eye makeup but definitely not one that I would be reaching for on a daily basis.

4. Sephora - Eye makeup remover

I believe they discontinued this product but it was AWESOME! You just have to remember to shake the bottle before you use it and it has a watery consistency instead of an oily consistency which I really liked.  It took off my waterproof eyeliner and mascara quite easily and was refreshing to use.  Oh how I miss thee...




5. L'Oreal - So I heard that Lancome & L'Oreal are now the same company and I picked this up at a drugstore because it was on sale.  I must say, I was pleasantly surprised how well this product was able to take off my waterproof eye makeup and compared to the high end brands, the price point was WAY easier on the wallet.  It is a gentle formula which is great for sensitive eyes and is definitely a re-buy for me.




6. MY HOLY GRAIL! Lancome - Bi-Facil.  Ok, I know I know, this is an expensive product but to me, it is worth every penny.  Like the Sephora product under no. 4, you have to shake the bottle first so that the two formulas are combined before you put it on your cotton pad.  It is FANTASTIC in removing waterproof makeup without have to rub and tug your eyes (which causes crows feet and eye wrinkles).  I put a few drops on a cotton pad, dab it on my eye so that the product saturates my lash line, and gently dab the makeup away.  I can use a single cotton pad (both sides) for both of my eyes and voila, my eye makeup is completely off.  It does have a con though - it is a bit oilier than I like but I'm willing to over look it in favour of it's removal power!

Skin Food!

A friend of mine recently came back from a trip to Korea and she bought me a lip palette by Skin Food.  I have to admit, I've never heard of the brand before but being the makeup lover that I am, I just had to look it up!

Here is the lip palette that she bought for me:

The colours definitely show up and it's nice because I can mix and match the colours to suit my look or mood :) It reminds me of a lip tint because it gives a nice sheen with a obvious colour.  If I ever go to Korea, I would definitely buy more Skin Food products!

Turns out that Skin Food is a huge brand in Korea and is slowing gaining market favour in the West.
This past week, I had a girls trip down to LA and coincidently, another friend of mine was a huge fan of Skin  Food too!

She introduced me to a site where I can buy Skin Food in Canada to get the best of Korean Cosmetics in our own backyard! yay! (https://www.momomango.com).  She is absolutely in love with the Black Sugar Mask and she's not the only one...I've checked the site for a few days and that product is still sold out! :(

http://www.momomango.com/products/Black-Sugar-Mask.html

Try it out...you might like it!

Bite Beauty

My new lip love :)  Bite Beauty cosmetics exclusively at Sephora (at the moment)!

I have the Lychee color Bite Lip Tint and it is a shear mauve-ish type of color.  Perfect colour for the office and with just a hint of colour.   Despite the sheerness, I absolutely love the pigmentation and moisturizing effect the little "B" does on my lips.  The "B" is the white portion of the lipstick.

The product smell delicious and it even says it has fruit properties that make them good enough to eat!  Imagine that!  However, it does make sense...our lipstick color fades and for the most part it's because we eat it!

I was not able to find any more information on Bite Beauty website but in their quick intro, they explained the revolutionary properties of the "B".  The "B" provides resveratrol which is commonly found in red wine that has beneficial properties to humans.  It is super moisturizing when compared to my Clinique lipsticks and MUFE lip colours.  They also have a wide range of colours from shear lip tints to striking bold colours!

On that note...a good friend of mine recently purchased the Bite Beauty High Pigment Matte Pencil in Zinfandel.  Gorgeous colour that was matte, vibrant, and outstanding.  I do like the bold colours and when it's matte, it makes it that much more natural :)  She also said it was very creamy despite it being matte!

Check out this product line - I think you'll enjoy it!

Looks for the day

Today I was one of the makeup artists and attendees at a good friend's wedding :) Happy AP day (you guys know who you are!).  I'll upload the looks that I did later on.

Before I start posting before and after pictures of people I've done make up on, I thought it's only fair for me to post one of myself and the looks I went with.  The photos are not super high quality (taken on my phone), but you'll get the gist of what I was going for!

Day look - The strong lip
- MUFE HD Foundation (I'm a mix of 120 & 155)
- MUFE cream concealer in 7
- CoverFX translucent powder
- NARS blush in Orgasm
- ELF contouring powder
- MUFE Aqua liner in Black
- Sephora Moonbaked eyeshadow palette
- False Eyelashes from Daiso
- MUFE Lip Pencil in Nude
- Revlon lipstick in Fire & Ice
- Anastasia eyebrown pencil
- Sephora lipgloss in red from the Harmony 3 palette

Evening look - The smokey eye

- MUFE HD Foundation (I'm a mix of 120 & 155)
- MUFE cream concealer in 7
- CoverFX translucent powder
- NARS blush in Orgasm
- ELF contouring powder
- MUFE Aqua liner in Black
- Sephora Smokey palette (5 colours that include a matte black, shimmery black, dark & light grey, and white shadows)
- Anastasia eyebrown pencil
- False Eyelashes from Daiso
- Nars jumbo lip pencil in Bueno Aires (nude colour)
- Hourglass lip gloss in Lust

(ignore the horizontal light across my forehead..it's from my window blinds >.<)

Makeup Artistry Certificate - Mission Accomplished!

I am super excited! I received my Makeup Artistry Certificate today and stoked that I have successfully completed the program at VCC.

This was a two year journey that started out of interest and in search of a hobby that could take my mind off of the stress at work.  I found the program while doing random searches online and was really happy to find a Continuing Education program that fit my crazy work schedule.

I'm proud to say that since I've completed the program, I already have three weddings under my belt from believers that entrusted me with their look on their special day.  I am forever grateful for the opportunity to share and partake on their day and for them entrusting me with such an important role.  I really enjoy being a makeup artist and making people feel beautiful on their special day.  It's amazing what a little colour can do for the mind, body, and soul :)

I am located in the Greater Vancouver Area and if anybody reading this blog is interested in using me as a makeup artist, please contact me at yourlookbyjenn@gmail.com.  I promise that once I get the professional photos back, I'll post them on my Flikr account (search "yourlookbyjenn") so that you can see samples of my work :)

Happy long weekend everyone!

A look to compliment champagne dresses

It's wedding season! I'm going to be working on 2 bridesmaid this upcoming coming and am really excited about it.

The bride told me that the bridesmaid will be wearing champagne coloured dress so I've been searching the internet to see which looks would match it best.

At first I thought that any colour would work since the dress is such a neutral colour, but then realized that I didn't want their makeup to take away from the dress but somehow complement it.  Being in a wedding, the makeup needs to show up enough for photography and the crazy flashes.

Ultimately, I went back to basics and decided that natural look that most brides tend to favour would work best on the bridesmaid as well.  Here are some of my inspiration pictures of random celebrities in champagne coloured dresses :)

Enjoy! Hopefully this will inspire you if you come across a similar dilemma! :)

BB Creams - What are they!?

Who has heard of BB Creams?  Otherwise known as Blemish Balm, Blemish Base or Beblesh Balm.  These are huge in Asia and have more recently migrated to the West through brands like Smashbox, Boscia, and Too Faced.  

I would say that coverage from minimum to maximum would be in this order: Tinted moisturizer -> powder foundation -> BB Cream -> liquid foundation -> cake foundation :)

BB Creams are a 4 in 1 kind of deal.  It usually has high SPF so it acts as a sunblock, primer, moisturizer, and foundation.  The Asian brands like Missha, Laneige, Skin79 are a few favourites but are limited in colour shades to appeal to the Asian "the-lighter-the-skin-the-better" population. Even though the product comes out in a greyish tint, they do oxidize to match your skin colour but it still fairs on the lighter side.

I use the Smashbox BB Cream in Light which matches my skins pretty colour pretty well.  Even though it is light, it is still darker than more of the BB creams from Asian manufacturers.  The consistency is bit thicker than my Leneige BB Cream but I do prefer my Smashbox one as it gives me better coverage (especially my red cheeks).  I set the BB Cream with power (as I would with liquid foundation) and I'm set for the day.  My skin is normal with T-Zone oiliness, so the setting powder helps minimize shine from the moisturizing properties in the BB Cream.

I only recently discover BB Creams from YouTubing various makeup artists and all of them appear to have reviews on their likes and dislikes.  I would suggest for your to search for it on YouTube to get other people's opinions before you invest in it as they are in the same price range as foundations.  Sephora may also be able to give you a sample before you try.  

The Smashbox website gives new customers a discount code (I think it was 15%) if you sign up for the first time for their rewards system.  All you need to do is give them your email and you have about two weeks thereafter to use the discount code on your online purchase. I went to Sephora, picked out my shade, and ordered it online with the discount code to save a few extra dollars :) 

I recommend watching the following videos on BB cream reviews and uses!

• Smashbox What's the Buzz on BB Cream by BeautydotcomBeauty
• BB Cream Overview by BubzBeauty

Even Costco is getting in on this! They carried Garnier BB Cream the last time I was there (about 4 days ago)! :)

What comes first, concealer or foundation?

Chicken or egg? Concealer or foundation? Although this isn't exactly a direct comparison, it often leaves people with some debate over the answer. 

What I've learned after researching YouTube, magazines, various beauty sites/blogs, and from my Makeup Artistry classes is that the answer is ... it depends!

Not to leave you in further suspense, but applying concealer or foundation first depends on the types of products you are using, the coverage you are going for, as well as the type of makeup application that you are using.  Here are some situations that may help illustrate my point:

•  Foundation first, then apply concealer 
• Applying makeup with brushes or fingers
• Full coverage makeup
• The reason for this is because you don't want to move the concealer once you have it on areas where more coverage is needed. Applying the foundation with your fingers or foundation brushes requires you to brush/rub the product all over your face.  Concealer isn't glued to your face so as your finger goes over the concealed areas, the product will move or blend away.  By concealing after you've put on foundation, the troubled areas will remain concealed.

•  Concealer first, then apply foundation
• Applying makeup with an airbrush 

• Airbrushing is great for people with dry skin as makeup is sprayed onto the face, thereby not disturbing the dry surface of the skin with brushes or fingers.  Since the foundation is sitting on top of your skin, applying concealer after foundation would distort the flawless canvas that you have created with the airbrush. By concealing first, you are able to address the problem areas more effectively so that that airbrush can create a single smooth canvas.  Be sure to blend out the concealer very well as the airbrush can accentuate poor blending!

• Minimal makeup application
• Some of us aren't really into putting on a full face on a daily basis but have a few imperfections that we want to conceal.  In these situations, you can just conceal problem areas, blend it out, powder, and you are good for the rest of the day without having to put on very much, or any, foundation at all.

Getting Naked with Urban Decay

I know, this isn't exactly a hot topic anymore (I will try to be more current) but as I am building this blog, I wanted to be sure to touch on all topics that were relevant to the average user :)  

The common question that I generally get from my friends is which is better? Urban Decay "Naked Palette" (original) or "Naked 2 Palette"?  

Here's a brief summary for those of you are are not familiar with these fabulous shades:

• Urban Decay Naked Palette (original in a brown suede package):

• there are twelve shades, some of which are exclusive to this palette
• colours are called Virgin, Sin, Naked, Sidecar, Buck, Half Baked, Smog Darkhorse, Toasted, Hustle, Creep, Gunmetel.
• some matte & shimmery products.

• Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette (the newer release in a metal package):

• also twelve shades with some exclusive to this palette
• colours are called Foxy, Half Baked, Bottycall, Chopper, Tease, Snakebite, Suspect, Pistol, Verve, York, Busted, Blackout.
• some matte & shimmery products.

In my opinion, the original Naked Palette is a warmer collection of colours whereas the UD Naked 2 Palette better compliments people with a cooler undertone.  For people of Asian descendent (like myself), the skin tends to be more yellow even if the cheeks have a red undertone.  I find that the Naked 2 Palette results in a bolder colour contrast which can be good or bad, depending on the look you are going for.

I also find that that the Naked 2 Palette looks great on people who have lighter colored eyes like blue and green because the shades like Suspect (my fav from this palette), beautifully enhances the eye colour when applied correctly!  

This isn't to say that people with pink undertones can't use the UB Naked Palette (original) or people with yellow undertones can't use UB Naked 2 Palette...but if you are opting to buy just one of the palettes, I would caution you to buy the one that enhances your natural features best because you will fall in love with either one of these palettes! :)

Time to Tango with...Tangerine!

You've seen it in your Sephora emails, store front windows, and magazine ads - the color of the season is Tangerine!

I love this color!!  However, I am a dramatic eyes type of girl because I don't know if I can pull off a strong lip color like Tangerine.    You can wear the bright orange on your eyes (...with care & caution) but I work in an office and with my yellow undertones, it'll be hard to pull it off as appropriate office attire :)  

To compensate, I've been stalking up on coral tees, blouses, and dresses so that I'm not missing out too much! 

Which look do you prefer - Dramatic eyes or lips?

I love watching makeup tutorials on YouTube and one of my favourite makeup artists was one of my makeup teachers with screen name MakeupbyEman.  She did a tutorial last year (she's ahead of the trend!) on how to perfectly apply the bold tangerine lip colour which I found very helpful! 

Tangerine lips Tutorial by MakeupbyEman