BlushPretty: Make-up Artistry Weblog

if i were mia wasikowska, i'd be wearing ...

by Christine Wilson

I know what you’re thinking, who is Mia Wasikowska?

Unless you’ve seen “In Treatment” or the recent Tim Burton movie “Alice in Wonderland” then you probably don’t know. But once you do see either movie you’ll want to know more about her, that’s what happened to me. The way she portrayed Alice was incredible. In every outfit and hair style she wore she looked amazing. Another great thing is that in the movie, she still showcased her own natural form of makeup.

Mia’s style is simple and elegant, whether she’s on the red carpet or just out shopping. She is an inspiration to all women that you don’t need a mask of make-up to hide your natural beauty. Her style is refreshing to see on a celebrity who’s not afraid to show who they really are on and off the screen. The best way to achieve her natural look is as simple as it looks.

For the skin all you need is some light coverage of foundation and a little blush to give your skin nice natural looking glow. For the eyes, a neutral brown or cream colour that can be swept across the eyelid, a light application of black or brown eye liner, and finally a single coat of mascara to bring it all together. And finally - lips - you can choose a wide range of neutral colours or if you want a little colour then a pale rose will do the trick.

In the “Alice in Wonderland” movie she has long wavy hair which is sometimes down and sometimes up; at the premiere, she stepped out with a sleek pixie cut.  I personally love both hairstyles on her.

Want to try out the look? Here are some products that should help:

1) DuWop Doubleglow7 Face Balm: this can be used under, over or instead of foundation. It can enhance your skin's natural glow or can help your foundation last longer. It comes in two colours: Champagne and Deep. Price: $25.00

vasanti lipstick in sweden

By Christine W.

Red, Pink, Coral, Plum, Rose!

So many choices that it would make anyone’s head spin.

I personally never liked wearing lipstick. There are just so many brands, colours, textures, and formulas, it made my head hurt. So I just stayed away from that part of the store. If I did think I needed to go a little over the top with make-up then I would just wear a light layer of coloured lip gloss. This was so much easier than having to worry about going over my natural lip line and staining the skin around my lips.

Also for me, lipstick would never last because I would also eat it off with in an hour. So to me it was just a waste of money. Although trying something new doesn’t hurt. So I didn't hesitate to try Vasanti's newest lipstick colour: Sweden.

I didn’t mind wearing this lipstick. I like the colour (a pink nude), I like how it makes my lips feel moist, and how - after it’s gone - it doesn’t leave my lips feeling dry. And the number one thing that I loved about wearing this lipstick is that it didn’t feel like I really was. Which for me is fantastic because then I don’t feel the urge to eat it off.

This lipstick goes on really smooth and makes my lips feel really soft.  I will definitely be keeping it in my daily makeup routine.

-bp-

if i were lady gaga, i'd be wearing ...

by Christine W.

Lady Gaga’s style is over the top and unexpected.

If I had to pick her "style" it would have to be all of them! But the real question is can she top her last look?

My guess is definitely and there is no way we can even come close to guessing what it will be. Only Lady Gaga knows what she’s going to be wearing next. All we know is it’s going to be crazy, eccentric, and futuristic.

She likes to go big, bright, and really stand out in a crowd. My personal favourite Lady Gaga look is her Minnie Mouse look. Can't recall when she wore this get-up? Check out the “Paparazzi” video. Her famous blonde, straight cut bangs may be all you can remember, but it’s her attention to detail with her outfit and makeup that makes it stand out. Even though Minnie Mouse is a child’s character she takes the idea and turns it into a sexy, futuristic outfit while still keeping all the cuteness. Her makeup matches the mouse style but with some serious dramatic black eyes and black lipstick. Although this is very strong makeup, her personality shines through. 

Only Lady Gaga could pull this off perfectly in my opinion. She has set a new bar for the fashion world. Her style of fashion is definitely outside the box, way outside the box. 

If you want to transform yourself into a sexy Minnie Mouse here are some products you can try out:

That's What the Intern Says ... Herbal Essences Hello Hydration Conditioner

Our hair is important to us!

Yes it is. Don't lie. You may say you don't do anything to your hair, but admit it ... you love a great hair cut, you love a great hairstyle, you l-o-v-e a great hair care product.

When it comes to conditioner, finding the right one is very important.  While conditioner makes our hair feel soft and silky and totally touchable, it can also cause our hair to fall flat (funny enough, that's because it makes it soft smooth and silky).  I armed the interns with Herbal Essences Hello Hydration Conditioner and asked them to test it out until the bottle fell dry.  Here's what they had to say ... (have a seat - this is another long post!)

Christine the Intern Says:

    The hours of preparation we go through to curl every lock, straighten every strand, and perfectly place your bangs just the way you want it then BAM! You walk out the door and a big, cold rush of wind comes along or a big heat wave and ruins your hair. At that point you know that smooth, satin, softness you had inside your house is now gone. All that’s left is dry, damaged hair.
    I know that during the winter months my hair gets really thin, dry, and tangles much quicker. This always drives me crazy. I wanted something that would really work so that this wouldn’t happen half way through the day. So I tried using Hello Hydration Conditioner by Herbal Essences. Automatically the word “Hydration” caught my attention and from using different products from Herbal Essences before I knew they were a good brand to trust.
    After trying this product for a couple of weeks I found that my hair stayed smooth and soft all day long. Being a full-time student, having to travel back and forth through the subway full of pollution, and then going in and out of different temperatures all day really put a strain on my hair. This conditioner really helped to keep my hair together which is a relief. 
    In the cosmetic industry you always need to look your best, as well as every day, and that includes your hair. Knowing you have amazing hair takes off at least one stress, which can make all the difference in the world.

That's What the Intern Says: Concealers

Before the holiday break, I asked three of my interns to test out three different drugstore concealers.

I'm recently in the market for the absolute PERFECT concealer (read my reasons here) but need to find a solution FAST!  It would take me a whole year to go through all the great concealers out there ... so I enlisted help!

They, the best interns on earth ever locked it double stamped it, had to report back to me ... to us (as in YOU) ... what they liked, didn't like, and what was okay but needed some changes.  Their "assignments" were due back just this past week.  So here's what they thought!

Siobhan the Intern and COVERGIRL CG Smoothers Concealer:

I own a lot of concealer, a whole lot. Being a student in a cosmetic course I am always up for trying new things. With that being said, I have concealers by Makeup Forever, Faces, Mac, Benefit, Quo, among several others. A girl’s gotta look good right?

My latest concealer is by Cover Girl. It’s in a stick form, and it’s called a "Smoother". The name is extremely appropriate. I adore this concealer; I have been wearing it for about 2 weeks now and it’s wonderful. It works to cover up blemishes (you can put it on before or after your foundation), and it made my dark circles so much less noticeable. It’s rare that I find a concealer that covers up my blemishes, redness, and dark circles. This concealer has Aqua Current Science and is referred to as a conditioning concealer.

Having pale skin it's usually hard for me to find a concealer that blends into my skin without looking obvious.  This concealer blends to the exact colour of my face and it LASTS.  Another problem I find with some concealers is that they tend to cake, making your foundation look very amateur.  CG Smoothers goes on easily and there is no caking at all.

This is a very effective concealer and I will definitely be purchasing a few to add to my makeup kit as a must.

Christine the Intern and OLAY Touch of Concealer Regenerating Cream:

If you didn’t already know what concealer is used for or how to properly use it here’s a quick summary: concealer is used to mask any or all imperfections (i.e. dark circles, acne...) and only needs to be applied in small amounts. And I know what you’re thinking, isn’t that what foundation is used for, technically yes but it doesn’t always do the entire job of hiding things that are not meant to be seen on a perfect face, which we all desire. Foundation is meant to create a neutral background and the concealer comes after to hide what still comes through. 

What I found out recently, that 100% confirms what I already knew, is that your concealer should be at least 2 shades lighter than your natural skin tone. Me being extremely white, and already having a hard enough time finding the correct shade of foundation, came to the conclusion that this concealer was definitely way too dark for me. Yes it did cover my dark circles and acne but it then instead of making these imperfections disappear it created new ones. It made my eyes look like a raccoon and made little dark spots here and there, all depending on where the blemishes were.

In the end this concealer was not right for me at all. Although, I can say that what puffiness around the eyes I did have reduced after using the concealer for a couple of days. I of course didn’t leave my house wearing the concealer but wore it safely in the comfort of my own home.

This product did what it said it should do in my personal experience but unless they come out with a colour that matches the colour of the tube itself I doubt I will be buying this product.

Amanda the Intern and Revlon Beyond Natural Concealer:

While many concealers are more often than not noticeable under foundation, Revlon's Beyond Natural Concealer and Highlighter blends in perfectly.  It allows for natural coverage over blemishes and dark circles and the highlighter shade also adds a pearl sheen to areas that you would like to give a silky polished look too.

Available in several shades, you get coverage with less makeup.  It really does work!

-bp-