2 weeks since

I think it has been two weeks since my last post. I wanted to post something on how I tried to do contouring. I think the colors I picked were still too similar. So I didn't get the result I wanted. Anyway I started a new blog for the art project my sister and I wanted to work on and that's probably going to take up most of my time now

http://everylifeimportantalways.wordpress.com/

if you are interested and here's the facebook

https://www.facebook.com/everylifeimportantalways

I switched to wordpress because I wanted to see how it was different from blogger. I heard that these were the top two free blogs. Right now I like blogger better, maybe because I'm used to it, but it has more options for free. It was also easier for me to figure out who to use and it connects to google plus.

Beauty with a twist

Every once in a while I am met with an atrocious act of humanity like murder and it makes me wonder why, and what if things were different. Most times it would be a story I heard in one of my geography classes. Besides making me depressed it would cause me to think about life, purpose, and how people not value human life.

My sister would also come home with similar experiences. I used to tell her that she, having taken a few ceramics classes, should make a piece of art for the person she had just learned about and name it after them or display it in their honor.

I was reading a book that made a comment on how little people think of human life. It went over ideas and opinions on euthanasia, abortion, eugenics, population control, infanticide and other aspects of human life-death decisions.

I like to everyone that they are beautiful. Not everyone will agree on who is beautiful and who is not, what's important is for the individual to believe that they are beautiful and to feel good about themselves. It doesn't matter if someone doesn't think that you are beautiful.

What if someone doesn't believe that you are valuable? or that you have an impact on this reality we live in? What if they think that a position they have or a decision they make or the lifestyle they want is more important than your life? What if that person comes to the conclusion that you are not worthy to live and then acts on that?

So this is it. I'm starting an art movement, hopefully. The goal is to remind humanity that each life is important (and that is why each person is beautiful). I guess I'll start by making a Facebook page and post articles/pictures/quotes/art. Then maybe if I get enough artists and projects I could organize an art exhibit. To honor the value of human lives.

The more we devalue humanity, the easier it becomes to harm, kill, and destroy a person or a group of people. Every human life is valuable no matter age, form, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, intellect, skin color, criminal record, or lifestyle. If you want a better world you need to believe this, teach this, and act on it. "Who says you're not important?"

Made Up Monday

Instead of exploring with makeup today I went searching through my bookshelves for "Mere Christianity" by C.S. Lewis. I wasn't able to find it but I spent the day reading another book which made me look at marriage in a different light.

Something that I can comment on quickly though for the sake of tenacity and this blog is matching colors.

Everyone has his or her own personal style and with that in mind one can't really go wrong. If you have confidence in yourself and can wear the makeup/outfit and keep the confidence all day no matter how many weird stares you think you see directed at you, then wear it. If you think your confidence may not stand up in the crowds then I would avoid the outfit/makeup for now rather than be stuck wishing I could change.

At a Mary Kay event there were two young ladies who were trying on makeup together and the lighter skinned girl was picking most of the colors to try and the darker skinned girl, who was less experienced with makeup, tried all the colors her friend picked and wondered why they didn't look as good on her as they did on the lighter skinned girl.

I wanted to talk to her but I didn't want her consultant to think I was trying to take her client, which I shouldn't have thought because we're both professionals and I'm sure it wouldn't have been a big deal now that I think about it.

1. I should have said your lips are not too big (as she kept saying) they are full and beautiful (appreciate what you have).
2. I should have told her that all the bright colors her friend picked looked good on her friend because her friend's lips are smaller and drawing attention to them isn't a big deal. Your lips are fuller and so attracting attention to them by wearing bright colors will make them look bigger.
3. Browns and golds will look more natural for you, if you want a bold look then try outrageous colors on a darker scale to start out.

There's also the matter of undertones. Warm colors will complement a warm undertone. Cool colors will complement a cool undertone.

Then in the end these are all guidelines that can be tossed for personal preferences, for example

 I don't like the orange on one of these girls, but she obviously does or she wouldn't be wearing it.

Do you use similar guidelines or wear colors across the spectrum? 

Kabuki vs. Blender Sponge

Last weekend I went on a shopping safari looking for three new brushes. I went to about four different stores before I found them. One of these brushes was the kabuki brush. I was really excited to try the kabuki brush because I heard it can be used for foundation, primer, blush, liquid or powder and it seemed really useful as opposed to having a few separate brushes.

My friend said it looked like a shaving brush men use. I got the biggest, fluffiest one I could find and that was probably a mistake because I found it to be a little inconvenient. I guess there's a lesson there; keep the brushes proportionate to your face? There were smaller kabuki brushes but for some reason I really wanted the big one. Really the brush just has more bristles than the other types for better coverage I guess.

Can't get good coverage around the eye area with a fluffisized kabuki.

I put some liquid foundation on my hands and then dabbed the brush in it and brushed it on my face. I worked from the middle of my face upward and outward. It went on smoothly but I don't think it was really effective in blending. Eventually I switched to the stippling brush which blended really well.

The kabuki brush did better with the powder. It created a nice finish, however the airbrush blender sponge also does a good job and I feel that because I already owned the sponge that the kabuki was unnecessary. I may end up reserving it for finishing powder.

http://www.blankcanvascosmetics.com/products/airbrush-blender-sponge-pink-colour.html


I'm going to keep practicing with the kabuki and liquid foundation. I'm not sure about using it for blush and bronzer. If I had a smaller one, yes, but currently the one I have doesn't seem to be handy for strategic contouring and blushing. It'll end up not exactly where I want it.

Cleaning Meh Brushes

There comes a time in make up people's lives when...

THE BRUSHES MUST BE CLEANED 

(and other items)

and that's what I did today.

Get some alcohol

 this kind not the drinking kind although if you wanna drink and clean brushes I don't see why not

 I got baby shampoo because its gentle and it cleans. I forgot about Dr. Bronner's for a brief moment and went with this stuff.

This is a bowl for water.

 See the water and soap bubbles?

I let the brushes soak in the water for a few minutes and then rinsed them, but decided that wasn't the best way to go as rinsing them used a lot of water. 

Look at all the make up that came off the brushes! 

I put some soap in my hand dabbed each brush through the soap as if it were make up I was about to use. I gently lathered the brushes in an effort to NOT lose bristles. Then I rinsed them under a small trickle of water until the water was clear. 

After the cleansing it was time to disinfect them and that's where the alcohol came in.

30 second dips in the alcohol. I mixed in a little bit of water.

Squeeze excess off by squishing brush against the glass

wipe dry on paper towel

 Sometimes more make up would come off into the alcohol so I would change it. It kind of made me question my cleaning method. This happened with the brushes I used more often. Maybe next time I'll wash them twice.

These tools were interesting to clean 

 wasn't sure how to do that

I ended up dipping the brushes in the alcohol and the sponge was soaked in a water/alcohol mix.

you can't see the alcohol but its there.

I practically squished it to death to make sure the alcohol soaked all the way through. I also had to rinse it thoroughly to make sure the alcohol wasn't in it when the sponge dried. I've seen people clean brushes but haven't seen them clean sponges so I was worried about ruining it. It looks perfectly fine though.

 I also disinfected the brush covers

 They had more of a wading pool experience.

I rinsed them out with water one last time and then lay them out to dry.

Cleaning brushes is important because it takes off all make up that will build up on and hinder the performance of the brushes. It keeps germs from spreading from face to face. It minimizes facial oil and bacteria from getting into the make up-which should also be sprayed with alcohol; A LIGHT SPRITZ-I didn't get around to that today. If you don't clean the brushes the germs will just continue to multiply happily on the bristles.

Anime Expo Make Up

This year I went to the Anime Expo in Los Angeles. I went as my own version of poison ivy. There were so many makeup ideas for her on the internet but I finally decided on this one

step 1

step 1

step 2

step 2

I added a yellow gold under the tail of the eyebrow

step 3

Step 3 &4...I added the darker shade on the outer edge

5 and 6, which I think is add eyeliner and then smudge it. The steps don't look very different to me in the picture. I accidentally made it a bit more blue than green.

Eyebrows!!

7 and 8...which also look the same

Then I added an orange color on the bottom of my eye

because I felt like it

Bare Naked Natural Beauty...face

If you are opting not to wear make up or not too much make up and go for the natural look of bare skin....

You need to put your best face forward

1. Still wash your face every day
                  There may not be makeup on it but it will still get sweaty, oily, and dirty. You should                     also be exfoliating one or twice a week to help clear your face of dead skin cells.

2. Moisturize
                  Keep skin hydrated by applying moisturizer. While we're on the subject of hydration
                  make sure you are getting enough water. You don't have to drink eight glasses but if                       you are thirsty then drink water, your body probably needs it.

3. It's summer, wear sunblock!
                  Even during other seasons it is good to wear sunblock. Keep your skin protected and
                  healthy.

4. Lip balm
                  Sometimes my lips feel dry after I wash my face (no I don't put the soap on my lips),                     other than that they don't usually feel dry. Some brands of lip balm made my lips dry                     and the consistency of the lip balm felt gummy...but I loved the Jamba Juice one!-it                       was the only reason I went to Jamba Juice and then they stopped making it. Mary Kay                   has a nice one.
5.  Lip gloss
                  Tainted or plain. It doesn't add too much of a difference so it looks natural (as long as                     the color is in the natural range for your lips) but it makes your lips stand out. Only use                   a little bit though, make sure your lips don't look gummy.

Do you use two shades?

Do you use one shade of foundation in the winter and then a slightly darker shade in the summer?

That's Normal

I heard of one person who actually uses a lighter shade in summer. Basically, if your skin tone changes then your foundation should change. Unless, you are using it as a concealer or corrector, foundation that doesn't match your skin won't be flattering (even then the shade difference shouldn't be too extreme). 

Do you need to change foundations? Well, that is your judgement call. If you think that your shade is perfect year round, then great. If you want to switch it up, go ahead. Some people test foundation on the wrist, I read that it should be tested on the jaw line. Check it in different types of lighting-I once used a color that was perfectly fine in the house, but in the car I could tell it was too dark. 

I had a hard time between two shades of the Mary Kay Luminous Liquid foundation so I ended up putting half on one side of my face and half on the other and comparing. I found that really helpful but its not ideal to do in a store. That's the fun thing about buying from a Mary Kay consultant is that you really get to apply the makeup and create different looks before deciding what to get. 

Makeup My Summer

Summer, how do you destroy my makeup? Let me count the ways. Sweat and humidity will melt that stuff right off your face. If you have oily skin, it looks even better! (sarcasm) Summer heat intensity differs depending on where you are, some summers are hotter/dryer than others. I live in Southern California, so for me, summer is HOT. Here are some tips for this super hot summer.

First things first,

1. Moisturizer
2. Primer
3. Makeup (foundation or CC cream.)

In that order.
Make sure you are using the right one for your skin (oily, combination, sensitive, dry). Also make sure you are cleansing in the morning, when you wake up from the skin repairing itself, and at night, the time the skin repairs itself. 1 or 3 should have sunblock of some sort!

It's summer, GO LIGHT. less is less and that's why its so much better in this heat. Instead of foundation you can use a tinted moisturizer, or primer and CC cream, or just the CC cream by itself. The natural look would be the easiest, and least likely to melt (because you won't be packing anything on to show extreme/awesome colors).

Liquid foundation is also good. If you have some spots/areas where you want to add concealer, you can use the stick concealer. You could also use a liquid foundation that is a tad lighter than your skin tone for dark areas. This can be applied with a damp sponge and dab in upward strokes starting from the center of the face moving out to the edges.

I dab my face with streaks of liquid foundation and spread it with a brush. (I use three colors, one for my natural color, a lighter one for concealer, and a darker one for blemishes). After the brush I blend with a damp sponge, and then LIGHTLY dab pressed powder on for a nice finish. That holds nicely all day...still, I want CC cream!

Eyes and Cheeks: I've heard that powders get cakey and creams work better, but creams tend to melt while powder sticks better. I think the solution would be to use a highly pigmented product so that you use less of it. Eye Primer also helps powder stay on better. Take it easy with the creams and ALWAYS blend well. Lipstick can also be used as blush. I used a cream eye shadow as blush and it stayed pretty well.

Another good idea for the summer (and always) is

Oil absorbing tissues. Helps get rid of the oily, sweaty, look...or gently use a normal tissue if you don't have these.

For lips use a tinted lip balm or lip gloss. At least rub in some lib balm on your lips before applying a LIGHT coat of lipstick. A lip stain will work well.

Other tips that work for me:

Use bright lighting when applying makeup

Let moisturizer set onto skin for a bit before applying makeup

If foundation looks cakey, powdery, or runny, dab with a damp sponge and blend it

If the foundation still looks runny then add pressed powder to damp sponge and blend-lightly add powder.

Blend with fluffy brush with lots of bristles, it collects and drops less powder (blush and bronzer)

Use eyeliner after shadow, goes on top, not covered with powder.

A coat clear gel for eyelashes over mascara can substitute for water resistant mascara.

Keep in mind skin color when going for the natural look, basically try to match the colors already on your face. Find a balance between sheer and natural colors and outstanding, unusual, shades.

If it doesn't look good on you, its not you, its the color or the texture or the method of applying it. 

You're Beautiful!!! 

Beauty starts with you.

     I started selling Mary Kay because it seemed like a lot of fun. I'd be selling something people liked and trying makeup is fun. It also seemed like a good way to empower women, telling them they are beautiful before they buy makeup.

     Then I started looking up makeup blogs and makeup tips and tutorials and I found a few that made me rethink selling makeup at all. Apparently there are women who don't have the confidence to step out of their house without makeup on their faces. This concerned me because, as a woman, I think it is important for women to have confidence in themselves (body, mind, and soul) rather than relying on outside forces. Not that its not okay to gain confidence from dressing up or one thing or another. I just hope that women can find their main source of confidence to be in themselves. (Actually as a Christian my main point of confidence is Christ, but not everyone chooses this. If you don't have a "higher calling" then you are the "higher calling".)

     So I sell makeup but I don't want to contribute to the ridiculous beauty standards of today. Is this possible? Everyone is beautiful and should wear the clothes and make up they feel comfortable in; the one's that build confidence. I do believe there are appropriate styles for appropriate places or events (for example one wouldn't wear dark smokey eyes to a job interview) but for the most part each person define's their own beauty. Beauty is defined differently across the globe. Your best friend may have a different opinion of beauty than you do when it comes to certain styles or accessories. Beauty starts with you. You have your own innate beauty.

     At first I thought it was weird that I started selling makeup when I didn't wear any to begin with but I don't draw my confidence from makeup and I don't tell women that they need makeup to be pretty, or confident or happy. I sell accessories for skin. You can dress up or dress down.