Category Archives: Beauty Advice

May 2, 2013 · 7:52 pm

My Etsy Beauty Favorites

Let’s hear it for the little guys! Fancy packaging paired with a high price tag does not necessarily equal quality. Some of my favorite products were custom blended with love by home grown companies. Want to support some local entrepreneurs and independent companies with me? Here are a handful of my homemade favorites that I’ve found via Etsy, the ultimate handmade marketplace!

OhSudz Skin Corrector Trio

The quality of these concealers is just as good (if not better than) some of the professional creams I’ve tried of the same type. OhSudz offers a trio of shades of your choice and even lists similar department store shades for comparison. Included in the shade choices are two yellow tones to choose from, a regular yellow based tone and a light yellow. The light yellow is perfect for me – it works great as a highlighter and also conceals purple tones underneath my eyes like a charm!

Noella Beauty Mineral Foundation

Noella Beauty’s Mineral Foundation is a blend of calming minerals offered in the coverage level of your choice, from sheer to full. The vegan foundation comes in an assortment of shades and blends effortlessly into the skin for a natural looking finish. Noella Beauty will even custom blend a shade for you if you desire a specific tone they don’t offer!

PuraLogica Pink Pearl Radiant Glow Blush

I loooove the silky texture and shimmery finish of PuraLogica’s Radiant Glow Blush. The pink pearl shade is a soft pink packed with the right amount of luminescent shine. It also doubles as a really pretty eyeshadow. The loose mineral blush is also free of talc, oil, and other ingredients that can cause skin irritation.

Long Winter Soap Co. Lip Balm

I’m a total sucker for a catchy title. Long Winter Soap Company immediately won me over with their “Unicorn Farts” lip balm. I was doubly pleased when I tested it out! It smells amazing (who knew?) and soothes chapped lips completely. The balm is created using natural beeswax, unrefined cocoa butter, unrefined shea butter, and vitamin E, as well as jojoba, sweet almond, grape seed, and flavor oils. It’s carefully formulated to provide an equal balance of protection and softness without that waxy feeling. My other favorite balm flavors from Long Winter Soap include Lavender Peach, Coconut Limeade, and Earl Grey.

JustPureMinerals Natural Vegan Lipstick

This universally flattering pinky nude tone is the perfect shade for daytime wear. The formula consists of castor oil, jojoba oil, carnauba wax, candied candelilla wax, titanium dioxide, iron oxides, and mica. Also infused with a hint of mint, the lipstick is creamy and glides on smooth for a beautiful natural looking pout.

[P.S. Don’t forget to vote for me, Katie McBroom, to help me become Allure Magazine’s Beauty Blogger of the Year! You can vote every weekday. Each week a new challenge will be posted on Monday at 9 a.m. It would mean the world to me if you could take a minute to do this! Remember, by voting for me you become eligible to win awesome prizes like a trip for two to Hawaii!]

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Filed under Beauty Advice, Product Reviews

Tagged as etsy, etsy beauty, handmade beauty, unicorn farts

April 30, 2013 · 9:56 pm

Home Spa Recipes from the Fontainebleau Spa Director

Mineral pool at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach

Josie Feria, Spa Director at the Fontainebleau’s Lapis Spa in Miami Beach, knows a thing or two about spa treatments. After three decades of experience as an expert in multiple areas of the beauty industry, she is currently the mastermind behind every detail of the luxurious sanctuary that is the Lapis Spa. Lapis encourages guests to experience different “water journeys,” designed by Feria, that include the Elements Rain Tunnel, the Bleau Rain Room, and the mineral pool.

Just in time to start prepping your skin for summer, Josie shared with me how to bring the experience of the Lapis Spa to your home with these copycat exfoliating treatments. Each recipe simulates a service on their extensive spa menu… and each one is effortlessly attainable with ingredients you probably have in your pantry right now. Want to transform your bathroom into a Miami style spa oasis? Read on for step-by-step instructions from Josie and get your spa on!

Pre-Summer Body Exfoliation (simulates Spalicious Body Scrub)

Skin softening natural all body exfoliating treatment

• Ingredients: ½ cup olive oil, ¾ cup fine sea salt and drops of your favorite aromatherapy oil. Keep in mind the oil selected should be specific to treatment goal – citrus is energizing – lavender relaxing – peppermint stimulating.

• Place all items in a bowl and blend together.

• Next, step into the shower and moisten the body – apply the blend by hand in circular motion or for increased exfoliation apply with loofah mitt or body brush.

• Rinse off thoroughly. Skin will feel smooth and soft and supple. For further hydration, apply body lotion directly to moist skin.

Pre-Summer Facial for Extra Dry Skin

Skin softening avocado mask for combination or dry skin

• Ingredients: ½ avocado, 1 egg, 1 tablespoon of plain yogurt, 1 tablespoon of coconut oil and 1 teaspoon of baking soda. The avocado and coconut oils work as an instant skin softener as the baking soda works as a mild exfoliator.

• Place all items in bowl and blend well together.

• Apply the mixture to your face and leave on for 10-15 minutes.

• Rinse off with warm water.

Foot Scrub for Dry Feet and Heels (simulates Foot Rehab Pedicure)

• Begin by soaking feet in ¼ cup baking soda to reduce inflammation and cleanse feet thoroughly for 10 minutes.

• Using a wet pumice stone rub heels thoroughly yet gently to remove dry callous.

• Next, apply coconut oil to feet.

• Finally, wrap feet in plastic and cover with soft socks for 30 minutes. The plastic and warmth will help the oil to soften the skin.

Dove Launches Powerful Beauty Campaign

Dove wants you to know that you’re more beautiful than you think. I just had to share this “Real Beauty Sketches” video with you guys. I’m not going to describe what’s in the video because I want you to experience it yourself. It’s a beautiful message and I hope you can take the three minutes out of your day today to check it out. If you’re anything like me you’ll need a tissue…

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Filed under Beauty Advice, Beauty News

April 7, 2013 · 8:50 pm

The Best: Lip Plumper

I am on a quest for the best! As a makeup artist and beauty blogger I’m constantly asked by clients and readers my opinion on “the best” products. Sure, I have the favs I’ve discovered from years of making faces and professionally reviewing products (not to mention my personal findings from a decade as a beauty addicted consumer)… but there is always something new popping up on the shelves.

So, I set out on a mission for the past year to dig even deeper into the beauty market and familiarize myself with as many products as possible, all in the name of beauty. I’ve been testing (and testing and testing and testing) endless amounts of products, both new and old, in multiple categories to declare one the winner of each type!

Normally there will only be one “best” product, but in my search for the best lip plumper I decided to call this one a tie. The two lip treats to split the crown are (drum roll please!)… Too Faced Lip Injection Extreme and Buxom Big & Healthy Lip Polish!

One of these products, the Lip Injection Extreme, is strictly a lip plumper, a clear serum used to gradually increase lip volume over time. It combines vitamin E, collagen-booster MaxiLip and Dehydrated Marine Sponge to stimulate blood flow, promote fullness and re-hydrate the lips. It does sting a little bit at first, but the tingling gradually gets less intense with use over time. Obviously it depends on your pain tolerance, but I don’t think it’s unbearable at all. The formula also contains avocado and jojoba oil to add to the conditioning properties – total added bonus! A lot of plumping products I’ve tried have left my lips looking bigger, but dry. Not this one! It creates a smooth, supple finish and perfectly preps lips for the application of other lip products. The Lip Injection Extreme is paired with some pretty steep product claims, but after using it for a while I believe them to be true. This stuff is probably the closest you’re going to get to a perfect pout without injectables.

The Buxom Lip Polish is a plumping lip gloss available in a multitude of shades which promotes more of a cosmetic effect and does not claim to create any long term change in lip fullness. It also uses vitamins E for ultimate softness and creates the look of voluptuous lips. It packs a high shine finish without stickiness. I LOVE it. Love the shade selection, love the look, love the feel.

I use them both (why not?) in conjunction with each other for a super plumped pout. Check out this quick video I shot so you can see these two beauties in action:

By the way, the shades of the Buxom Lip gloss I mentioned in the video are Dominique, a clear gloss with iridescent micro glitter, and Dolly, a shimmering muted plum (the shade depicted in the photo above). Dominique is perfect for adding a little glam to any look. Dolly is good for every day wear – I love that one and wear it often like I wear the Melonie shade (shown in video and photo). The Buxom gloss runs $19 (for the full size) and the Too Faced Lip Injection Extreme has a price tag of $28, both available at Sephora. Both are worth it, trust me!

Wearing my favorite combo for a plump pout – Too Faced Lip Injection Extreme and Buxom Big & Healthy Lip Polish.

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Filed under Beauty Advice, Product Reviews, The Best

Tagged as buxom big & healthy lip polish, buxom lips, lip plumper, the best lip plumper, too faced lip injection extreme

July 30, 2012 · 3:08 am

Idea File: Makeup Magnet Board

Ever stumble upon an idea that you wish you had first? Now we have Pinterest to thank for feeling that way more often than usual! That’s where I discovered this little gem, the makeup magnet board.

After drooling over the cute inspiration photos for some time now, I’ve decided to jump on the magnet board trend myself. I’m not sure who the originator of this awesome trend is because I’ve seen so many variations, but whoever she is, she is a genius.

I’m pretty organized when it comes to my professional makeup kit. I have all of the cosmetics I use for shoots, weddings, etc. in a huge multi-compartment rolling aluminum case that’s laid out for each region of the face – a tier for face, tier for eyes, tier for lips – like this…

But my personal makeup, the kind I use to paint on my regular everyday face, is always scattered all over my bathroom counter. Or in my purse. Or half in half. I’m usually scrambling in the morning to figure out where I left my mascara.

But not anymore! The makeup magnet board makes application a breeze because the products are accessible, but are arranged in a way that it doesn’t look messy, like a bunch of loose products strewn about the counter. Why didn’t I think of that?!

The beauty of DIY projects is that you can put your own creative spin on the design. Although I do have to confess that this DIY project of mine was more like a D-I-with the help of this awesome chick on Etsy-project. (Sidenote: I love Etsy almost as much as I love Pinterest). I randomly found this one that matches my bathroom décor, so I went ahead and ordered it. If you’d rather take the craftier route, you just need to purchase a magnet board, cover it in the fabric of your choice (optional) and then frame and mount it.

After I received my board, I bought a bunch of heavy duty round magnets on ebay and hot glued them to the back of each makeup container. I also found a decorative pencil cup on ebay that I attached to the bottom of the board to hold my makeup brushes.