Tip-full Tuesday: How to apply Bronzer

It's 110 degrees outside which means that summer is upon us and everyone wants to get that beautiful, sun kissed look. Here's a quick and easy way to accomplish that without being exposed to skin-damaging sun rays. 

First, locate the hollows of your cheeks. The easiest way to do this is to make a fish face - where your cheeks go in is what you're looking for.
Now, using a contour brush (like MAC's 168) and a bronzer that is 2-3 shades darker than your skin, apply to the hollows of your cheeks (just under the cheekbones) then blend upwards onto the cheeks.

To add more definition to your face, apply at the temples and top of the forehead by your hairline.
You can also contour your nose to make it appear smaller and a little under the chin and along the jawline to bring out your bone structure or to fake a more angular bone structure.

Many of you have asked if you should use a matte or a shimmer bronzer. Use whichever one you would like - makeup is all about self expression. There may be rules and guidelines put in place, but I whole-heartedly believe what Kevin Aucoin says - there is no right or wrong way to do makeup. It's an art form and it's limitless. 

If you have any makeup questions or Tip-full Tuesday suggestions, don't hesitate to ask.
MakeupbySaraC@gmail.com


Lipstick & Loves,
Sara

Tip-full Sunday: How to Cover-up/Hide Acne

Hello Gorgeous,
It has come to my attention that last week's "Tip-full Tuesday" did not post for some reason - so here it is - a tip-full Sunday.

At some point in your life, you will encounter the dreaded pimple and it will most likely come at an inconvenient time, like a play, picture day or your wedding. Luckily, the cosmetics industry has blessed us with an abundance of options on how to cover-up, conceal and hide those unwanted visitors.

Concealers are going to be your best bet. If your pimple is an exceptionally red one - I suggest using a concealer that comes in a pot for everywhere except under the eye. Pot concealers will be thicker than the ones that come in tubes and will therefore cover better, however use a tube concealer for under the eye. Your skin under your eye tends to be thinner and therefore having too thick of a concealer under your eyes will look cakey. 

1. The first step in hiding acne is to moisturize your skin. Stay away from moisturizers that will "brighten" your skin as it will draw out pinks and reds even more.
   
2. Then prime your face with a face primer, such as MAC's Prep and Prime or Smashboxx PhotoFinish.  
3. Apply foundation to even out your skin. Use as much or as little as your would like. 
4. Next, using a concealer brush and a concealer that is 1-2 shades darker than your skin, apply on the blemishes and just slightly around the outer edge of the blemish. Dab the concealer on - do not sweep it. Sweeping it on will not give you the coverage that you need. If you have a lot of redness going on, you can use a green concealer - but be sure to add this BEFORE your foundation. 
5. Blend, blend, blend! Blend around the edges so there is not color difference between where you concealed and the rest of your face. If there is a noticeable difference, apply a small amount of foundation over the concealer and blend out.
6. Set your concealer with powder and either a clean powder brush or a clean, flat sponge.
7. Mist with MAC's Fix+ or Urban Decay's All Nighter Setting Spray. 

Ta-da! Hidden acne and a more flawless looking face!

I know there are a lot of people who say to conceal before you apply foundation and that's fine too. I choose to apply concealer after foundation because the foundation will cancel out some of the redness on its own and sometimes that's enough. After I apply foundation, I can re-evaluate how much concealer I actually need to use. Some blemishes won't need anything additional and some will. 

*Also, when concealing - use concealer around the nose and chin as they tend to get more red throughout the day due to hormones.

Pot Concealer Suggestions:

MAC's Studio Fix Concealer 

Benefit Erase Paste

Tube Concealer Suggestions:

Makeup Forever Full Cover Concealer

Benefit Porefessional MAC's ProLongwear Concealer

Pencil Concealer Suggestions:

Urban Decay 24/7 Concealer Pencil

And the winner is....

The blog raffle has come to a close, and with 51 entries I am pleased to announce the Priscilla V. as the lucky winner who will receive 50% off makeup application for her event! Keep an eye out for more opportunities to win!

Tipfull Wednesday: How to avoid "Cake Face"

      You all know the look I'm talking about - the one where you can see layers upon layers upon layers of foundation and powder. I've been guilty of this before, and I'm sure most of you have - because after all, how else are you going to get your foundation to cover those imperfections?
 
The first thing to do is apply a moisturizer with SPF in in. This will hydrate any dry patches, help even out the surface of your skin and help prevent sun-damage. 
  Next apply a primer, such as MAC's prep and prime or Smashboxx's PhotoFinish Primer, it will not only create a barrier between the foundation and your skin, but it will also help to even out skin tone, make your makeup stay on longer and absorb any oil.





Apply foundation a little at time; you can always add more coverage if needed, but it's harder to remove excess. Make sure you blend outward, into your hairline and your neck.

If you notice any blemishes after you've applied foundation, instead of adding more foundation to your entire face, use a concealer. Cover the blemish and slightly around the blemish with concealer and blend out.

Apply powder to set the foundation with a powder puff or a powder brush. Again, using as little as possible. This will help prevent the foundation from creasing or melting throughout the day.


To finish it off, use a mist of setting spray. For daily activities, I suggest MAC's Fix+. If you are planning on a higher level activity or have an event, use Urban Decay's Up All-Nighter. I cannot tell you how much I love Urban Decay's setting spray! If you're worried about your makeup melting, fading, or just not lasting - use Urban Decay's Up All-Nighter. 








Have a beautiful day lovelies!
Lipstick and Loves, 
Sara

Sneak Peaks

Wow things have been crazy lately!
The Angelic Magazine & Sara Model Management Fashion Show on April 27, 2012 was a blast! It was the perfect way to kick off my birthday weekend! The room was buzzing with dozens of make up artists, hair stylists, designers, photographers, coordinators, and models as we got ready for the show. Here's a photo by Rizalde Sherwood of Michelle Magana, one of the models I had the opportunity to work with. She is wearing a design by TwentyTwo Boutique. I am so thankful to have been able to work on a show with such a great purpose and am excited to see how God uses the magazine. For more information go to: www.angelicmag.com

On the following day, I had the privilege of doing T's hair and makeup for her prom as well as her mom's eye makeup for an event she was attending that evening. They were so much fun - even though we hadn't met previously, it was like entering the home of a close friend or family member. They were so sweet and fun and T looked amazing for her big night! Photo courtesy of Digital Obsession: Photography by Frank Wise. T, I hope that you had a wonderful night with friends!

 
 I also had the pleasure of working with Melissa for her senior portrait session with Mike Squire Photography. Melissa is a sweet, charming, very intelligent, and driven young lady. I was very happy to have been able to meet her; she is definitely going to go far in life. Melissa, you are a very inspiring, hard-working woman. Good luck to you in all that you set out to do!

Homemade Pore Strip Fail

I decided to try this "recipe" for homemade pore strips out a few weeks ago as I was having a horrendous acne day - (ugh- I thought that ended when you got older). I liked this one because I already had all of the ingredients at home and didn't have to go to the store looking like I did. Sometimes, no amount of makeup will hide acne and that's lame. Anyways - I believed the statements on the comments on Pinterest that it worked and that it was legit and all of that, so I tried it. I followed the instructions, even double checked them to make sure I was doing it right. I essentially just ended up putting thinned out honey on my face - it never hardened up or turned into a white film. Nope, I just put had a sticky face that was a pain to wash off.

So moral of the story? Stick to a mask like the Freeman Peel-Off Cucumber Mask or the pore strips like the ones Biore has and don't believe all the comments on Pinterest. hahaha.

Your sticky-faced friend,
Sara

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Tip-full Tuesday: Makeup Tips for Teens

Hello from Cali :)
I frequently get asked questions as to what teens just starting out in the makeup world should be wearing, so I felt it was best to compile a list and post it for you lovelies.

The most important beauty accessory you can add to your look, regardless of your age, is a smile. It automatically makes you more gorgeous and welcoming; after all, you're never fully dressed without a smile!

As far as products go, you always want to apply a moisturizer and a sunblock (unless photos - if you're having photos taken, skip the sunblock - it will reflect the light and make you look white). If you do nothing else, please protect your skin. The sooner you start, the better.

Most teens don't need to use a liquid foundation - less is more when it comes to your base and it will help cut down on acne prone areas. If you don't have any blemishes to worry about, using a pressed or loose powder should do the trick.

If you do have blemishes, use a concealer only where needed and blend out. Finish with powder.

For eyeshadows, stick to neutral colors and if you feel you must wear eyeliner and mascara, stick with a brown as it will be softer than black.

If you choose to use a blush, stick with a soft pink - if you have a warm skin tone stick with peachy-pinks, if you have a cool skin tone stick with pinky-pinks. If you're neutral, either will work.

Finish off with a dab of clear, nude or light pink lipgloss and you're good to go.

Remember girls, as you are entering into the makeup world - don't be afraid to experiment but start with less - it's so much easier to build onto a look and make it more intense than to tone it down. Play around and see what works best with you and don't be afraid to step out of the box a little.

Here are some of my favorite favorite products:
Moisturizer: Cetaphil
Sunblock: Nuetrogena Faces, Banana Boat Kids Sunblock - high SPF and great for sensitive skin
Liquid Foundation: Face Atelier, Revlon Color Stay
Pressed Powers: MAC Mineral Finish, TOOFaced Pressed Powder
Loose Powders: NARS, Sephora
Concealers: Urban Decay 24/7 Concealer Pencil, MAC Studio Fix, Cover Girl has a cheap alternative too - I'm still working on investing all the drug store brands.
Neutral Eyeshadows: MAC: Dazzlelight, All That Glitters, Era, Antiqued, Twink
                                    TooFaced: Heaven, Honeymoon, Velvet Revolver, Cocoa Star
                                    Sephora: California Blonde, Milestone, Western Leather
Eye Liners: Clinique Quick Liner in Dark Chocolate or Roast Coffee, Urban Decay 24/7 in Underground or Demolition, MAC Fluid Line in Dipdown
Mascara: Benefit BadGal Lash, Sephora Atomic Volume
Blush -Peachy Pink: Nars Orgasm or Amour
Blush - Pinky Pink: Nars Cotton Candy

Lip Gloss: Pretty much any clear lipgloss, MAC Tinted Lip Moisturizer is my all-time favorite lip product