3 steps to convert wimpy lashes to REAL long and healthy lashes!! (no falsies)

Hello Lovelees

I want to share with you guys one of my favourite eyelash looks lately. Rachelle and I have been quiet because we just came back from our mediterranean cruise holiday ! yay!

How to batter eyelashes that are real! It's a 3 step approach but it DOESN'T INVOLVE FALSIES!!

RIGHT EYE with my 3 steps, LEFT EYE natural

STEP 1 - Nutraluxe Lash (MD)

This is a serum that you paint along your eyelashes like you would a liquid eyeliner.  It shows real results in 2 weeks if you apply twice a day. It thickens and lengthens your eyelashes.  It can be applied to eyelashes or eyebrows in areas you feel are sparse.  It only thickens hairs and follicles where it already exists and not in places where follicles were never present. So eg if it is a scarred area or you are naturally not so hairy it may not have the desired effect.  This is not an individual downfall of the product but any "lash stimulating" product on the market is limited by your natural number of hair follicles.

 Actually the instructions say just use once a day.  A beautician in Hong Kong introduced it to me a couple years ago and she was raving about how she tried tons and this one actually works and shows results fast! She told me to apply twice a day to get it going.  After I noticed results I went back to once a day (as recommended by manufacturer) for maintenance.

All lash enhancing serums work on including a prostaglandin in the ingredient which are also included in glaucoma medication eyedrops.  In optometry school we used to learn that a side effect of the prostaglandin eye drop in the treatment of glaucoma disease is that it may darken the eye area and also cause thicker eyelashes.  My optometry friends (girls) and I always thought that wasn't so negative a side effect, most of us were asian anyway- darker eyes than we already had was not an issue.  Our usually wimpy short lashes however...were.  We just didn't know that a couple years later that doctors would use this in a cosmetic application safely - for real!  The first and most recognized drug/application for lash enhancement was actually Latisse.  It requires prescription from your doctor but I think it is more a matter of request rather than the doctor denying you of it.  It was not a particularly affordable product though.

Later the market is flooded with a variety of products that claim the same effect.  I won't say they don't work but I can't be sure either.  Feedback is very mixed.


STEP 2- Etude House Lash Perm Primer Basecara


LOVE this stuff.  It has a bent smiley face wand that helps curl lashes as you apply and the basecara is a greyish substance.  On the box the English description says it is a lash conditioning undercoat that has a unique polymer  that helps mascara stay on for a longer fuller look.

You can see that it probably helps build your lashes to be longer by extending it with little 'fibres' as the basecara dries in little "spikes".

You apply it like mascara, one coat of it before you apply the actual mascara.  You do not need to particularly wait for it to dry.

I find the basecara really helps separate the lashes when I'm using Lashionista (Maybelline mascara).  Without it the Lashionista still gives similar length but the lashes will tend to clump in longer spikes rather than having separated dense looking set of lashes.

Basecara also claims it helps mascara wash off easier.  I tend towards non-waterproof mascara anyway so washing it off was never an issue.  I think it does help A LITTLE in washing/removing waterproof mascara long as you are not applying too many coats of mascara...So in short - it KINDA works but don't count on it to be magic.

When I use this basecara - I mainly like it because it helps (in order of favourite advantages)
1. condition lashes
2.add volume and length without clumping
3.curl
4.base to help cleaning mascara off a bit easier.

I usually only use mascara with good smudge-resistance anyway when it is used alone so I don't necessarily rely on it for helping mascara "stay on longer" as their advertised advantage.


STEP 3 - Maybelline Lashionista Mascara

It doesn't seem to be available on the Canadian (maybe even USA??) market at the moment even though it is by Maybelline NEW YORK but it brags in Hong Kong to be the number 1 selling mascara in Japan.  In Hong Kong youth culture we often are drawn towards Japanese or Korean beauty, pop and fashion as the trend setters so I decided to buy it even though I have a lot of mascara unopened etc lying around at home.

It might be  a drugstore mascara but surprisingly if I convert the currency from HKD back to CAD I almost pay the same if not maybe a little more for my Clinique mascara. Go figure.  But I actually think it's worth it.

It's effect is extremely similar to the Clinique Lash Power that I have written about before here.  But this is even BETTER.

Top with flash - you can see fibres on the brush, bottom without flash: see the little fibres out of the mouth of the tube?

So in short it is oil and moisture resistant and doesn't/smudge onto my eyelids as the day goes by.  It extends the lashes by almost..."attaching" these fibres that you can see forming as you pull the brush out of the tube and see the excess mascara gathering on the mouth of the tube is spikey fibre like.  When you brush through it's almost like attaching these fibres along the length of your lashes and then building on itself after that.  As with any other structure if it is too 'top heavy" with no real support then it will start crumpling sideways - which is what may happen if you are over ambitious with your application.  With experience you will know when to stop and when it is too many coats haha.

Add caption

I find the Etude House basecara really helps to separate the lashes, avoiding clumping with this mascara.

It will require at least 2 coats.  I curl my lashes after application by resting my lashes on the length of my index/pointing fingers and pushing my finger upwards until the mascara dries and sets (about 10-15s). Ie point your fingers towards the bridge of your nose along the length of your eye,  but have your lashes resting in a bent position on your fingers.  This saves my lashes from  potentially getting damaged or weakened by the clamping action of a curler.

In real life the end result is super cute in the innocent wide eyed way.



If the weather is a little bit humid causing you to lose your curl during the day, or you want to save time with getting the mascara to dry in the curled position by using the method i described above, often I might apply a coat of waterproof mascara on top so that it will set and dry the product underneath faster.  Because you already primed your lashes with non waterproof mascara and only coating the waterproof mascara on the top - end of day cleaning is just as easy, or almost as easy as washing off just the non-waterproof mascara.

Share this if you learnt something and check us out on Facebook!
See if you like and comment!

;)Connie
Follow on twitter @Makeyoulovelee

Concealers- How to avoid creasing, caking or cracking!

Hello Lovelees!

A dear friend requested some tips or review on concealers in particular because she got super frustrated with hers.  Sorry long time coming but I hope this sheds some light! ;)

Just to cover the basics..

Concealer is a very densely pigmented cream or liquid, sometimes even mineral powder (usually from the indie companies), that helps you cover up blemishes or dark spots with just a small amount of product. It allows a more targeted and powerful coverage in a particular area.  You usually add it on top of your base (foundation or BB cream) in areas that you feel additional coverage is required.  Some cases it will give a better blended or smoother result with it under the foundation.  To give the best blended result is to apply concealer with small dots  then blur /blend/ press in the edges gradually to avoid a big slick of it. 

For under the eyes

Choice is to pick a colour that matches rest of your face (recommended if your eyes tend a bit small) or, Pick a shade that is a shade or 2 lighter than the rest of your face so that you can brighten /freshen the look of that area.  This method is also good for highlighting areas that needed extra coverage anyway (for me it's the bulb of my nose).  If you have puffy bags though, don't highlight the puffs with a lighter concealer - use the shade that matches!  Space out the concealer blobs under the eye, but not too close to the bottom lash line. This avoids a whole slab of product under your eye and a lighter/even blend into the rest of the face by fading it towards your lashline and rest of your face.  Preference really is to apply and blend /spread out with clean fingers especially for cream or liquid concealers so that you can use the warmth of your hand to melt and press in the product more seamlessly, brushes would need to be used with the powder concealers of course (otherwise there's more product on your finger than your face...)!  If you feel you need more coverage, especially in that inner triangular corner wedge of your eyebags (where it tends to be darker)- I may again press/blend in another layer.   Don't rub too much, otherwise you only just displace the under layer - just pat it in and make sure no fingerprints are left on your face afterwards haha. 

On blemishes or smaller areas in other places I usually like to dab a dot of concealer a bit larger than the pimple/dark spot you are covering, that larger overlapping zone on healthy skin is your blend zone so that you have full coverage on the actual blemish so that the blend area is on the outside of the blemish perimeter.  The shade selection in this case should match the rest of your face, definitely don't use a lighter one (e.g. the under eye shade) or any that has light reflecting particles in it... because that will simply HIGHLIGHT where the bump of your pimple is! :(

Usual complaints with a concealer is:
-Cakey/ Thick
-Creasing
-Migration into fine lines
-Cracks
-Poor coverage
-Aggravates blemishes
-Poor lasting power

How to extend / "freshen" wear time:

Massive Concealer Product Review - Concealers of all price ranges!!

Hi Lovelees!
Welcome to part 2 of my concealer review (part 1 here).  This has been a long time writing because there are so many included in here and I like to give these concealers a full day test...and there are days I lean towards my favourites and don't give my other products a chance long enough to write extensively about it...that and there's a vid with all this and i'm slow editing..

I'd just like to say at the time of writing I'm in winter so my skin is on the dry side so I test these products WITHOUT application of powder on top to see how well they perform alone (Well i prep my face with a light moisturiser and will say below if I added more moisturiser  for drier formulas).  I am also the philosophy - less is more.  if you can find a way to go without the powder under your eyes I think that's better because that means there's less product/layers shifting  and therefore if it DOES happen to crease or crack it's less obvious.  The reverse side is if you KNOW it will crease then yeh- that's what the powder or other setting techniques are for!!

Climate in edmonton is very dry especially in winter. But also in summer too it is not very humid.  It is your laundry's dream but maybe not so much for your skin.  I have a humidifier at home i have running 24/7.  If you have oilier skin or probably for summer i may need to be more conscientious about setting with powder.  I have found I tend toward the setting powders more in humid areas eg Hong Kong because I glow too much in the not so flattering ways there.

Missha M Perfect Cover BB cream, MUFE Full Cover concealer, Amazing Cosmetics Concealer

Missha Perfect Cover #23 :no crease -great for under eye area.  Compared to other BBcreams used for rest of face does not give skin as much vibrancy/luminosity over time (still some). Compared to other BBcreams I've tried eg Skin 79 it doesn't continue to hide pores and has a slightly more oily sheen to its luminosity finish.  These are all minor differences- I do like the product and use it often but it's not PERFECT...


Make Up For Ever Full Cover concealer (in #7):LOVE! Though it did not make a good initial impression because while it is liquid the formula is quite sticky so when I tried to blend in using fingers it tugged around the eye a bit.  Doesn't glide as easy as other concealers.  That means the application technique has to be a using very little product with light hand and dabbing motion to blend or build coverage.  It is very pigmented so a little goes a long way and allows us a very quick fix.  I have concluded that the sticky nature is due to the fact that it sets really fast.  One layer would dry quickly and I can apply another layer of concealer on easily to build coverage, without the use of powder.  On my nose it did a pretty good job covering/filling pores with good staying power.  Natural looking "skin" finish where it is not completely flat/ matte, ie satin.  I can imagine if i wanted to only invest in one face product and super lazy I'd be tempted to just get this one and spot treat.  I think I would consider diluting it down with moisturiser if i were to consistently use it to cover the rest of my face.  It lasts all day - it is non-comedogenic and waterproof, with no creasing.  Mild cracking occurs after a very long day but that is being very nitpicky because it is so subtle, it is easily fixed by making sure you moisturise very well before application.

Amazing Cosmetics Amazing concealer (medium beige) - Introduced to me recently by my friend Elaine (she blogs about new motherhood and other things) it's also pretty great! I think it performs like the Makeup For Ever Full Cover concealer but this swatches a bit more peachy, it will eventually blend into your skin pretty well, without the stickiness.  The offset is that it's safer to set with powder with this one as it may slide especially around tzone areas. It is of a more emollient texture than MUFE Full Cover and doesn't crease under eye , but may crack after a super long day but i think this could be forgiven.  It also does not aggravate blemishes.  Again use sparingly because it is super pigmented and then layer on as needed.  Also great for weddings because it is water resistant ;)

Benefit Boi-ing, Neutrogena Skin Clearing Blemish Concealer, Covergirl Olay Concealer Balm

Covergirl Olay concealer balm (#330 light -good for MAC NC 20-25 generally, NC30 for under eye) good for under eye 80% of time (in that it doesn't crease).  It's good for dry skin, glides smooth, staying power average for under eye. I find it a bit too oily on my nose or for tzone areas and so it likes to migrate, if you set these areas with powder it shouldn't be a problem. It doesn't clog pores or aggravate blemishes.  It's a light-medium coverage, and difficult to build without powders etc to help.  I like using this with the makeup setting spray to build coverage under eye and set - then it's perfect.  I quite like this combo method too.

Neutrogena Skin Clearing Blemish Concealer with Microclear technology (in Medium 15 for me, matches MAC NC30 perfectly): I think does a fair job  at drying(60-70% of time where I think the zit improved), while concealing pimples.  They are not miracle wielders where your zit goes flat by the end of the day like how they tend to exaggerate generally in any of the salicylic acid products.  However i think i am just happy finding one that does not aggravate them.  For me I think every pimple is different.  Some are more superficial, some are big and deeper.  Neutrogena i think MOST of the time helps to dry out the pimple where the pimple may choose to disappear.  One time it was interesting where it looked like a smaller pimple was peaking and collecting a pus centre in the morning and did not get better during the day after using the Neutrogena concealer.  In the evening after i cleansed my skin and wiped my face i found i had somehow taken the pimple off and left behind a pink mark.  Other times i think it didn't necessarily worsen but it definitely didnt help and the pimple had progressed. My Hawaii tan has faded and the colour doesn't match and I feel the concealer does oxidise making the shade disparity even more apparent. The way i like to apply it is dot the concealer directly on the pimple then use the sponge tip to diffuse out the area past the margins of the pimple.  I let it dry for a few seconds so that the product settles better in the skin and is not easily blended away and i start blotting down the edges of the concealer with my fingers into my skin.

I think because you are using this specifically on pimples it's very important to keep the spongetip clean, otherwise you are only aggravating it more with the extra germs.  I suggest at least on a weekly basis wiping down/rubbing down the tip with alcohol wipes and let it dry (say 15s) before recapping.
Using this can get dry around my eye area and around mouth.


Benefit Boi-ing (in #02 before they extended the color range from 3 to 5 shades): This was one of the first branded concealers I forked out for years and years ago because I recall it winning the Allure (i think) awards for the year.  The shade is a bit orangey pinkish which I think is perfect for hiding under eye circles (as described above about the colour correctors), for the rest of the face though it didn't quite match my yellow skin tone perfectly.  It allows full cover building but can migrate if not set with powder. It doesn't sit in my fine lines but it's a bit cakey hence mildly emphasising my fine lines.  It irritated my pimples at the end of the day if I tried to hide them with it.  It's not my favourite product , I occasionally use it if I can't find my favs within reach but largely I have moved on from it.

Nars concealer in Ginger for MAC NC30, Custard for MAC NC20-25: Texture is quite dry at first and can accentuate lines, because it comes in like a skinny lipstick packaging and the surface can be a bit dry.   So moisturize well (eg with some argan oil mixed in to usual eyecream) .  This can layer well to high medium coverage and doesn't crack, though I think it does still gather in my smile lines a little bit over a long day.  That's me being picky and hovering very close to the mirror.   Once you use it each time and get past that drier top layer on the stick it glides quite well, especially if you warm it with your fingers.  I've used it to cover some blemishes and it doesn't seem to aggravate them.  Not bad.  Overall I think this should be more for spot/blemish coverage to do it's best work.  There's a new Nars Radiant Creamy concealer (in a lipgloss packaging with doe foot applicator) that's good for under the eyes which can also build to medium-full coverage, but too radiating for blemishes haha.  Yet to try for myself though!

Performance Colors Creamy Undereye concealer -Etsy:  Sorry they only ship to USA and Canada! I used medlite and it fit my then MAC NC 25 skin ok with it being lighter under my eyes - but they have extended their colour range to include more yellow based shades).  Fragrance is strong and I have a sensitive nose that don't favour some fragrances. after application the scent continues to linger for another 45mins+, and then I fell asleep...  Very creamy easy to apply/ blend and has a matte finish.  Does a fair job if you want to use it for the rest of your face but it is not meant for full coverage as the description on Etsy says and I think ultimately not super long lasting against the oils on your face.  The matte finish does not match my everyday taste of preferring a more satin luminous finish.  With time it settles into your skin a little bit better.  No creasing, but very slight cracking just because it is such a matte formula and seems to float above the skin so of course your smile lines on your face underneath are going to do some shifting causing the cracks. It's very fine and you would alleviate that dried look with some added moisturiser.  I'm unsure how it would perform on more mature skin or a more heavy lined face because the matte finish kind of makes the lines stand out more in my opinion.  For the price though the performance is very good!!



Hope that all helps! Share the link if you learnt something!

;)Connie
Follow on Twitter and Facebook! /Makeyoulovelee

Clown-proof, fool-proof and plastic-proof everyday glamour

Hello Lovelees!

Easy everyday look suitable for work and everyday.  It's so easy, natural and minimal that it's hard to look like a plastic clown afterwards! It will work even for monolids and single lids. I explain the approach to thinking why any tutorials with "double lidded" people are still applicable to you!

Watch the vid and see below for how and why!

FACE  (In this tutorial my face was about MAC NC 20-25)
Skin79 Super + BB Cream VIP Gold Collection
Just Pure Minerals (Etsy) mineral foundation - Honey
Tarte Smooth Operator Translucent Powder
Peach coloured blush from no name palette

EYES
Urban Decay Primer Potion
LORAC Pro Palette - Cream (matte), Champagne (shimmer light beige), Espresso (matte dark brown), Black (matte)
Loreal Lineur Intense - Black Mica
Buxom Lash Mascara
Clinique Lash Power Mascara

LIPS
Loreal Star Secrets- Beige 809


Reason behind my product, application and colour choices:




EYES

Eyeshadow is simple but classy.  It's the next step up from using just one colour eyeshadow wash across the lids to having a few colours that help bring more dimension and shape to your eyes :)

Flatters all types of eyelids including the single-lid/monolid ladies!

FACE

Why put more product on than you need - let your skin breathe where possible! Why waste more time than you need - there's always something else that is waiting for your attention.

The BBcream used helps wrinkle improvement, acts as a moisturiser, pore filler/primer, sunscreen, whitening agent and of course coverage all in one!

Mineral powder foundation is the perfect product to help hide blemishes and pimples because the ingredients are totally pure.  This is great for sensitive, acne or damaged skin! Mineral foundation

Clinique Lash Power Mascara - Product Review

Hello Lovelees!

Also in my everyday beauty arsenal is Clinique Lash Power mascara in Black Onyx.  I use this most often on my lower lashes.  I pair this with  my Buxom Lash Mascara on the top lashes.

The Lash Power wand is quite a skinny little wand so its great at grabbing the lower lashes without pushing it to smudge against your lower lid when you are applying.    Clinique actually has another mascara used purely for lower lashes but Lash Power is better bang for buck...  eg 0.21oz 6mL $19 Lash Power vs Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara $12 for 0.07 oz.

It is very water and smudge resistant and excels at lengthening and defining lashes with hardly a clump.   Ok..only for the bottom lashes for the non-clump part just because mine are sparse on the lower lashes and shorter so the short " teeth " of the  mascara wand is able to comb through well.  It does not however give volume though.  If you're already well endowed with beautiful thick lashes then it is amazing at making them look naturally long giving you pretty lush lashes.  It was my uni friend Nikki that introduced me to it , she's Asian and had amazing lashes all the time and most of the time I could not spot the tell tale mascara signs.  When she told me she actually does use mascara I had to try it!...Only to find that the volume actually was naturally of her own making...in my experience:you may need some patience and effort to ensure it is clump free but the length was definitely there!

I usually whack on about 1-2 coats of it and I love how cute and open it makes my eyes look teehee.  Make sure on the lower lashes you brush downwards to get the maximum effect of length when it sets, vice versa for upper lashes.

slim tube packaging

Top to bottom: Top - naked lashes; Bottom:Clinique  Lash Power coated bottom lashes (Buxom Lash coats top lashes), one coat on all lower lashes then a light second coat on the outer corner lashes to give a wide eyed look  but avoiding the "spidery lash" look.

closeup of lower lashes (no mascara up top)

I enjoy using non waterproof mascara on a daily basis . It means I can just use my usual face wash - Philosophy Made Simple, without specifically employing a separate step with makeup removers and sometimes more vigorous maneuvres around your eyes to remove thoroughly your makeup.  That and the waterproof formula by nature does mean it is quite drying and is not good for the condition of your lashes to be subject to that daily.

Verdict:

Rating 3.75/5

The Good
-Water Resistant but easy to wash off with warm water and face wash
-clump free
-great little wand for bottom lashes
-sleek enough to slip into your purse
-gives lashes length
-great for sensitive eyes

The Bad
-not as efficient/fast at coating  the top lashes due to little bristles and wand
-it's not cheap for a little tube like that!
-doesn't give volume
-little wand not so good for separating top lashes from clumps etc


Your turn:
Does anyone else you 2 different mascaras for their lashes?? or am i the only weird pedantic person??


Take care,

Connie    Twitter follow @MakeYouLoveLee

Too Faced Perfect Eyes Eyeliner - Product Review

Hello Lovelees!

This is my first blog post for the beauty section of this blog MakeYouLoveLee.  I'm sharing this blog with Rachelle my sister-in-law who has greater interest in DIY projects and fashion so her postings will be pretty sweet!  We aim to bring you a posting at least once a week...we shall see how we go!!

I wanted to start a blog for us because we get up to a lot of ( interesting ) no-good's and want to share our little insights into what we learn or discover so that like-minded, interested people can share our great, and maybe even not-so-great discoveries haha.

So it's kind of nerve wrecking to think of what my first inaugural post should be, to try set a good trend for the direction I want my blog to go...

So i thought...how about we start with some basics and talk about a staple diet of any lady's makeup bag?? your BLACK EYELINER.

One of my favourite products when it comes to doing trendy makeup looks is the Too Faced Perfect Eyes Eyeliner.

Pretty Too Faced-baby pink packaging for the Perfect Eyes Waterproof Eyeliner.  Can also see the double ended function with pencil one end and sponge tip the other.

I have it in black.  For me the primary purposes of its use is to tightline the upper lashline or line waterlines (ie darken the inside rim of the lash line  -the pink fleshy line between your lash line and your eyeball).  When you tight line your upper lashline or line your waterlines it instantly gives a very edgy trendy look to your makeup.  If you do it subtly it can be part of a "no makeup" makeup look (if you dont have dark hair you may want to consider using browns so it blends in your colouring more).


I think the Too Faced Eyeliner performs well as far as being waterproof and keeping the colour along your rims relatively intact once applied.


How fast does it set, and how waterproof is it?see below!