Real Style Network - Beauty» Bath & Body

The 411 on Makeup Primers

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:00:41 +0000

Industry insiders have been buzzing about the importance of makeup primers for quite some time and top beauty companies offer a variety of skin and makeup primers. We decided to ask our makeup expert Lori Taylor of Smashbox Cosmetics for her thoughts on primers.

Q: We’ve been hearing a lot about makeup primers. Can you provide some insight into what they do and who they work best for?

A: Primers are a new makeup staple. There are several different types of primers on the market with several new technologies on the way. Basic Primers extend the wear of makeup, fill in fine lines and create a smooth surface to the skin, thus improving the skin prior to the lay down of foundation. Smashbox offers a selection of primers to prime, hydrate, correct and blend.

Lori Taylor is a Smashbox Cosmetics Pro Lead Artist and has been the Lead Makeup Artist on numerous events including fashion shows at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Los Angeles, Divine Design and the MTV Video Music Awards. She has also appeared on television shows such as How Do I Look, EXTRA! and Good Day LA. Lori has also worked with many celebrities including Sandra Bullock, Sienna Miller, Paris Hilton, Amy Smart, Rosario Dawson, Taraji Henson, Kerry Washington and Linda Hamilton.

How To Transform Your Makeup For A Romantic Valentine’s Look

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 13:30:43 +0000

This Valentine’s Day change up your regular makeup routine in favour of something with a romantic twist. We have gathered some of our favourite ways to take your makeup from everyday to ultra-romance. Use any of these makeup ideas to impress your beau:

Cat Eye – Get sexy this Valentine’s Day with a dramatic cat eye. This look can add glamour to your date night look and help your eyes pop. You can go as dramatic as you wish depending on how thick you make the liner.

Related: How To Do Winged Eyeliner

Red Lipstick – Nothing says hot like a rich red lipstick. With a simple coat of red, you can transform your face. Find the right shade lipstick for your skin tone and paint the town red.

Shiny, Natural Hair – While you may think you look more glamourous with an elaborate hairstyle, many men appreciate your long natural waves more. Deep condition your hair to make it silky smooth and let him run his fingers through it to up the romance factor.

Pale Pink Blush – Some women may shy away from blush in their everyday look, but add a touch of blush on Valentine’s Day for that girly glow.

Related: Top Blushes To Suit Your Needs

Loose Shimmer Shadow – If you want that romantic princess shine lightly apply a loose shimmer eye shadow. Skip the harsh tones of a glitter. Dust the shadow over your lids for a soft shimmer.

Essence Cosmetics Coming to Canada

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 18:40:32 +0000

In today’s beauty news, WWD is reporting that Canadian retailer Shoppers Drug Mart is set to introduce German-based Essence Cosmetics to beauty counters next month.

Essence offers a full range of high-quality beauty products in fun packaging at a great price point. Many of the items are around $5 each and shoppers have their pick of a large selection of lip, eye, face and nail products

Essence Cosmetics is already a huge hit in Europe and Beauty Inc. lists it as the third-fastest-growing beauty company in the world. Christina Oster-Daum, the founder and chief executive officer of Cosnova (which owns Essence), said, “We’re on the pulse of what is new and cool in the makeup world. We want to ensure our customers always have access to the latest makeup trends at a great price.”

Keep an eye out for Essence Cosmetics at your local Shoppers Drug Mart.

Natural Winter Beauty Cures

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:00:58 +0000

Winter can bring about some of the most frustrating beauty and skin care problems. Dry, itchy skin, frizzy hair and under-eye bags are just some of the challenges many women deal with in the harsh winter months.

Svetlana Feller, Celebrity Stylist and founder of Spray di Sole, recently shared with the Huffington Post some of her natural fixes for winter’s most troubling beauty problems. For the full article, click here.

Under-Eye Bags – One of the most popular treatments for under-eye bags is to cover the puffy area with frozen tea bags. Green tea bags may work particularly well because they contain a natural anti-inflammatory chemical known as EGCG (Epigallocatechin-3-gallate), which can reduce fluid buildup that contributes to puffiness. Place over the eyes for 15 minutes and you will feel invigorated, and under-eye bags will diminish.

Acne – In order to treat acne, you can use a mixture of equal parts lemon juice and rosewater. In addition, rose petals, from which rose water is made, may also have anti-inflammatory properties. It may help to mitigate the harsher, acidic qualities of lemon juice. Topical bronzers and tinted moisturizers are a great way to help hide acne and uneven skin tones. Go for those with ingredients such as organic aloe vera, which helps soothe and repair damaged skin, and vitamin E, which is a powerful antioxidant that increases the moisture of the layer and thereby improves surface texture.

Dry, Dull Skin? – Find an “ointment” moisturizer that’s oil-based, rather than water-based, as the oil will create a protective layer on the skin that retains more moisture than a cream or lotion. Increase the amount of vitamin E and hyaluronic acid (which plumps skin and enhances the volume to create a firm yet soft and supple skin) that your skin gets.

Copy Madonna’s Super Bowl Hair And Makeup

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 18:00:14 +0000

Whether or not you were a fan of Madonna’s Superbowl half-time performance, there was no denying that the singer looked fantastic while she belted out her classic songs. The 53-year-old singer sparkled on stage with glitzy gold makeup which matched her dazzling Givenchy outfit.

Start your own Madonna look with her 70’s inspired full curls. Use a wide curling iron to get those big bouncing curls in your hair. Set them with a high performance hairspray, such as L’Oreal’s Elnett Hair Spray. You are ready to move onto makeup.

Copy Madonna’s exact look by using the same false eyelashes. Madonna got her dramatic eye look with a pair of Benefit Cosmetics’ Pin-Up Lashes. Finish your eyes with gold eye shadow and felt tip eyeliner to give you a winged look. Keep your skin fresh and natural, but finish with a light coat of sheer apricot lipstick. Bare Escentuals’ Natural Lipcolor in Sweet Apricot also works to keep your lips hydrated using natural oils and waxes.

5 Great Valentine’s Day Gifts For Men

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 13:30:14 +0000

Spoil your man this Valentine’s Day and get him a little something to show you care. The beauty aisles are filled with products specially made to help him look and feel better. Pick up these little gifts to say “I love you.”

1. Clinique’s 3-Step Skin Care System For Men – We love Clinique’s skin care system for our guys because it is simple and foolproof. It’s three products for him to use every day to clean, exfoliate and moisturize. You can mix and match the products to suit your preferences and different skin types.

2. The Art Of Shaving Gift Sets – These are products made by men for men. They understand what your man needs to get the best shave. With different formulas made for skin and hair types, your man will rejoice when using shaving products that are more attune to his needs. You will love feeling how soft and smooth his face is.

3. Lancome Men Hydrix Collection – Made for men under 30 with normal to dry skin, this collection adds moisture to stop wrinkles before they start. It will keep his face soft, smooth and young looking, so you can be proud to have him on your arm.

4. Beckham Homme Eau De Toilette Spray – Get as close to David Beckham as most of us will ever be with this new cologne from the soccer superstar. This masculine and spicy scent will have you snuggling closer on Valentine’s Day.

5. Lush Massage Bar – There is no better way to tell him you love him than with a relaxing massage. The hard working man will appreciate a massage on Valentine’s Day with any one of these massage bars to moisturize and smooth his skin. Maybe if you are lucky, he will treat you to a massage too.

Shave Less With Schick’s New 5 Blade Hydro Silk Razor For Women

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 21:00:16 +0000

Schick’s new Hydro Silk razor is being praised by women claiming the new product is letting them shave less. You can thank Schick’s new 5 blades for freeing up your time.

Believe it or not, this is the first women’s razor with 5 blades. The blades are also individually mounted allowing them to move and adjust to the curves on your legs. This means less chance of cuts around tricky areas like your knees. Their skin guard and oval cartridge is also specially designed for a women’s body to protect your skin.

The razor is also made with a water-activated Moisturizing Serum to add moisture as you shave. You have to activate the moisturizer by running it under the water for a few second before each shave. The moisturizer is said to last up to 2 hours after each shave, hopefully putting an end to annoying itchy post-shaving skin.

This is one razor we can wait to get our hands on to see if it lives up to the hype.

Rose Byrne’s Makeup By Joe Fresh On SAG Awards Red Carpet

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 16:00:32 +0000

Rose Byrne landed on most best dressed lists for her bold sequin jumpsuit on the red carpet of the SAG Awards. Her fresh faced makeup also had us enthralled. Imagine our surprise and delight to learn her secret- Rose’s red carpet makeup came courtesy of affordable Canadian brand Joe Fresh.

According to makeup artist Hung Vanngo, Rose used a base of Joe Fresh primer followed by their tinted moisturizer in ‘Bisque.’ Rose’s glow came courtesy of a combination of the Joe Fresh cream blush in ‘Rose’ and powder blush in ‘Rosette.’ A highlighter was used on her cheekbones, nose and forehead to add dimension to her face.

Many of the products used on Rose will be available at Loblaws and Joe Fresh stand alone stores this Spring. Just remember her name and you will know which shade to buy!

[Photo via Startraks]

Beauty Review: Mereadesso Lip Treats

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 18:00:16 +0000

Canadian beauty company Mereadesso has not only created a balm in their Lip Treats product, but also a primer for your lipstick or gloss. This means your lip product is doing double duty by moisturizing and helping your lipstick last longer. We slipped these little lip balms into our makeup bag to find out if it’s our new secret weapon.

THE HYPE: A lip product that hydrates using evening primrose, grape seed, coconut oil, sunflower oil, and Vitamins A, C and E, while also priming our lips for makeup. What more could we ask for?

THE TEST: Apply the lip treats regularly and look for results.

THE VERDICT: We have been using these Lip Treats for a few weeks now and still aren’t completely sold. Mereadesso has promise two things, which we will address separately. As a primer for our makeup, the Lip Treats fail. Applying this balm to your lips before lipstick actually made our makeup fade faster. Our lipstick couldn’t properly adhere to our lips after applying the slick balm. It wiped away in no time. If Mereadesso’s Lip Treats dried better, it might have a fighting chance at priming our pucker.

As a lip balm, we are addicted to these Treats. We always keep one close at hand. They give dry lips instant relief. Our kiss is softer than ever. That said, this balm doesn’t offer any lasting effect. We keep it close at hand because we have to keep applying it to ensure our lips stay soft. It doesn’t seem to be actually repairing or adding moisture into our skin. Mereadesso is a temporary solution to dry lips, but it’s one we love using.

See more beauty reviews.

Be Pretty In Pink Makeup For Valentines Day

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 13:30:18 +0000

This Valentines Day be pretty in pink makeup. Get into a romantic mood with soft shades of pink all over. Since pastels are such a popular trend for the season, these pink products are a good investment for your Spring beauty.

Embody the romance of walking down the aisle with pale pink nail polish from Essie’s Wedding Collection. We love this shade to accompany our sexy little slip dress without distracting from our attire.

Single ladies can get in the mood too! Pamper yourself with a romantic bubble bath thanks to Philosophy’s Pink Frosted Layer Cake cream, which does triple duty as a bubble bath, shampoo and shower gel.

Want to capture his attention and hold it all night long? Get a soft glow with Lancome’s Illuminating Powder to highlight your best features.

Nars‘ bright pink lip pencil offers a glossy colour that will make your pucker irresistible.

Girls who may shy away from girly pink shades can get into the mood with a dusty shadow that offers a smoky romance on your eyes.

Keep your lips kissably smooth for your hot date with Stila‘s sparkling gloss.