Five Product Face

As the weather continues to warm up, I find myself reaching for fewer makeup products.  Watching foundation melt off of my face as I drip sweat is not what I would call sexy.  This is an easy makeup look, can be done in about five minutes and looks natural yet put together.  I wear something like this most days.  The first thing I apply is a tinted moisturizer.  The one I use depends on my mood, and will probably be different next week, but lately I can't stop reaching for the Chantecaille Just Skin Tint.  It evens out my skin tone, moisturizes well, and looks like skin.  Niiice.  The next thing I do is pop a bit of the Bobbi Brown Eye Brightener underneath my eyeballs.  I have seriously dark circles under my eyes that never go away (womp, womp), and this stuff makes me look a bit more awake.  After this come the eyebrows.  I used to never do anything to my eyebrows, but now I am obsessed with filling them in.  On casual days, I reach for a the Perfekt eyebrow tinted gel in caramel.  This adds just enough color to fill in sparse areas, and helps to hold them in place all day.  No Look can be completed without mascara, I mean...am I right?!  I have really been enjoying Covergirl Clump Crusher mascara.  It is cheap, and lengthens and thickens wonderfully.  And it crushes clumps, so there that is.  What more could a girl want?  Lastly, lipstick.  This is my favorite part.  When the rest of my face is kept simple, I love nothing more than popping on a bit of color on the old smoocher.  I have been wearing the Revlon Lip Butter in Wild Watermelon a lot lately.  A mix between a lip balm and a lipstick, this stuff is good.  It moisturizes, adds just the right amount of color, and is super easy to apply.  And there you have it!  Five products, Five minutes.

-Petra

Coconut Oil : An All In One Product

Coconut oil is an incredible product that can be used in multiple ways to amp up your beauty routine.  It makes a fantastic body moisturizer, and is surprisingly quick to absorb.  I also like to slather it on my face before bed when my skin is feeling a bit tight and dry.  Coconut Oil can also be used as a deep conditioner or hair treatment.  Simply coat your locks and leave it in for twenty minutes or so, and then shampoo and condition as normal.  I tend to use it on the length of my hair, not the scalp because it can leave your hair greasy if you apply it near the roots.  You can also use a small portion of this magical stuff on the very ends of your hair in place of a hair serum before heat styling.

Perhaps my favorite way to use coconut oil is as a body exfoliant.  Mix a bit of this with some sea salt or kosher salt and scrub away the dead skin on your body in the shower.  The abrasiveness of the salt mixed with the moisture of the oil will leave your skin feeling smooth and soft.  You can also mix this with a bit of brown sugar for a lip exfoliant.  Salt would also work on the lips, but speaking from personal experience, brown sugar tastes much better because lip scrubs have a way getting all up in your grill.  Coconut oil also smells amazing, although the scent does not last terribly long on the skin.  At around ten dollars for a tub of this stuff, you can't go wrong.  Give it a try.  You know you want to.

-Petra

My Favorite Red Lipsticks

I am a bit obsessed with bright lipsticks (much to my husband's dismay).  I love hot pinks, purple hues, oranges...but my heart lies with red.  I can't get enough of red lipstick, especially as the weather is warming up.  Bright lipstick is a great way to instantly look put together.  I love that I can just slap on a bit of tinted moisturizer and mascara and have the focus be on the lip.  Five minute makeup, BOOM.  Here is a list of my favorite red lip colors!

Nars Heatwave Lipstick  is my all time favorite red.  I read in a magazine a few years ago that this is one of the colors makeup artists used on JCrew models and have always loved the bright poppy lips the girls sport in the pictures.  I have been hooked since.  Heatwave leans towards the orange side of things, so it really stands out.  Another spectacular choice if a true red is what you are after is Nars Jungle Red Lipstick.The texture of these lipsticks is amazeballs.  They have a semi matte finish, so they stay put for several hours without being too drying.  Excellent work, Nars.

Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil is another home run.  The shade is a classic bright red with blue undertones which makes your teeth look incredibly white, and who doesn't want that?  The texture is matte, but doesn't crumble on your lips or get stuck in the crevices as easily as most true matte lipsticks do.  The pencil like shape of this lipstick makes application a dream.  I don't usually bother with liner because I personally like the slightly lived in slap on and go look of applying red lipstick without one.  It makes it feel more casual and day time appropriate.  However, when I am concerned with a truly perfect application, this product makes it so easy!

Hourglass Liquid Lipstick in Raven is a beautiful matte orange red color.  This is one of the longest lasting products I have ever tried.  It does feel quite drying on the lips, so I tend to reserve this for when I won't be able to reapply often.  You can put this stuff on and it will stay with you through hours of dinner and drinks.

Aqualillies for Tarte Amazonian Clay Lipstick in Timeless is fairly new in the rotation, and unfortunately is limited edition.  It is a coral red with a semi matte finish.  The color is gorgeous, and is easier to wear than the previously mentioned colors because it isn't quite as in your face.  The staying power is decent, although you will need to reapply after eating and drinking.  It feels fairly moisturizing for a semi matte lipstick, and I have been really enjoying this product lately.

(From Left to Right)

Nars Heatwave, Nars Jungle Red, Nars Dragon Girl, Hourglass Raven, Tarte Timeless

I would suggest checking any of these incredible shades out, but if you aren't sure you can commit to a full on lip, stay tuned!  Part two of this post will be coming soon and will feature lighter, more sheer alternatives.

-Petra

Easter Themed Nails!

I love playing around with my nails.  This is an easy way to perk up your manicure.  It is great for Easter, or spring in general.

I like to start my manicure with Essie's First Base Base Coat.  This has a slightly sticky finish, and I find that it really grabs onto the polish color you apply.  This is my all time favorite base coat.  Next, pick your color.  I think this look works especially well with pastels, but you could use any color you want.  For this look, I chose Face Stockholm's Mint Condition (available at J. Crew). If you can't find this color in particular, lots of other nail brands make similar colors.  Essie's Mint Candy Apple is almost identical.  Once you apply two coats of color, or however many it takes to look opaque, comes the fun part.  Polka dots!  To do these polka dots, I used Orly's Instant Artist in Crisp White.  This particular polish is meant for nail art, so it comes with a very long and fine brush to detail with. If you don't have something like this, white polish (or any color) and a toothpick work wonders.  Dot away!  Finally, apply a top coat.  This will keep your manicure fresh looking for longer.  I do suggest waiting for the polka dots to dry a bit or else the top coat can smear them.  I am really pleased with the way my nails turned out and I think this is a really fun and playful look for the coming spring months.  Enjoy!

-Petra

What's in my makeup bag?

Fact: I own more makeup than any sane person should.  Because of the sheer amount of crap I have accumulated, I don't store my makeup collection in my bedroom.  The room is far too small to house my cosmetic addiction, so instead, I keep a small makeup bag and a few brushes that I use everyday in my room.  The everyday makeup bag is a fairly new concept to me, and I am really enjoying it.  It makes it easy when I travel to throw my essentials into a suitcase, and it also forces me to really use the things I own. #win

The Laura Mercier Foundation Primer in Radiance is my primer of choice when I use one (which is really not that often).  This primer gives my skin a healthy glow, although I can't really tell if there is a difference with the lasting power of my foundation.  I like that it doesn't feel like the silicone based primers and that it doesn't cling to the dry patches that I constantly battle on my chin.  

The Chantecaille Just Skin Tinted Moisturizer, simply put, is amazeballs.  This tinted moisturizer is amazing for those of us with ghostly complexions.  I have the lightest shade (alabaster), and for once, it is actually light enough for my paper white face.  I also like that there is an SPF in it.  This provides just enough coverage to even out my skin tone without it looking like there is actually anything on my face.  Score!

The Bobbi Brown Tinted Eye Brightener in Porcelain Peach is a product that has only recently made it's way into my everyday makeup stash.  In the past I have used the Bobbi Brown creamy concealer to hide the dark circles under my eyes, and have really enjoyed it.  However, with spring in the air I wanted something a bit lighter for underneath the old eyeballs and this fits the bill.  

The Makeup Forever Full Cover Concealer in #1 is a fantastic concealer for problem areas of the face. For the most part, my skin is relatively well behaved, and I don't need such a heavy duty concealer.  When I do get those large and in charge spots though, this works wonders.  More often, I will reach for the Bobbi Brown Touch Up Stick in #1 Warm Ivory.  I think this is advertised as a concealer (don't quote me!) but I consider it more of a foundation with heavier coverage.  This is great for covering larger areas of slight pigmentation or those areas of the face that tend to get red throughout the day.  

Nars Albatross is a highlighter I like to pop onto the tops of my cheek bones for a little definition. I love this highlighter for many reasons.  Firstly, I like it because you can also use it to highlight the tear duct area, underneath the brow bone, or the cupids bow.  I also love the color of this highlighter.  It is a pale yellow gold in color, which I find to be really flattering.  This is especially flattering on those of us that tend to have naturally pink cheeks because the yellow undertones help to neutralize that (though I think this highlighter would look good on most skin tones).

Clarins Ever Matte Mineral Powder in #1 Transparent Light is what I reach for when I want a setting powder.  However the name is deceptive because matte it is not.  In my experience, mineral makeup is wonderful because it is so skin like and natural looking, which works out well for me because I personally don't really care for matte looking skin.  

The Laura Mercier Cheek Color in Rose Petal  is a great everyday color.  It adds a bit of warmth to the face, but is neutral enough to wear with both cool and warm toned eye shadows or lipsticks.  It is one of those blushes you don't really need to think about, just slap it on and it works with everything.  

Urban Decay Primer Potion is a cult favorite, and a  necessity if I am going to wear color on my lids.  My eyelids get really oily and I cannot wear eyeshadow without this bad boy.  This is my favorite eyeshadow primer and I will never go without.  EVER.  It holds my shadow in place for a solid eight hours.  

Bobbi Brown Long-wear Cream Shadow in #24 Stone is my go to eyeshadow.  I don't wear eyeshadow all the time, but when I do, this is probably my most reached for product.  It can be worn sheer so that it looks just like a natural shadow, or built up for a slightly smokier effect.  It is really easy to just slap on and go, and is both day and nighttime appropriate.  

Nars Larger than Life Eye Liner in Rue Bonaparte  is a nude colored liner I like to apply to my waterline.  It brightens the whites of my eyes, and stays put all day.  Perfecto!

Clinique Lash Building Primer is a product that is relatively new in my everyday makeup routine.  I find that it really helps lengthen and thicken the appearance of my lashes once a mascara is applied.  

The Laura Mercier Full Blown Volume mascara is one of my all time favorites.  It really thickens my lashes, but it also helps to lengthen them.  It doesn't flake or transfer underneath my eyes during the day, and it doesn't feel crisp like some mascaras do.

Makeup Forever Eyebrow Pencil in #4 is what I reach for when I fill in my brows.  It is a neutral brown color, and the nib is hard enough to create little hair like brush strokes so that it looks natural.

Maybelline Great Lash Clear Mascara is amazing.  It works wonders to set unruly brows, and for the price, you can't beat it.  It also works nicely to define lashes on days when you aren't wearing much (if any) makeup or to tame the little frizzes that like to pop up around the hairline.

Burt's Bees Peppermint Lip Balm is one of my favorites.  It feels nice and cooling, and works well to moisturize dried out puckers.  

Nars Lipstick in Heatwave is my all time favorite red lipstick.  It is an orangey red that really packs a punch.  It is my favorite way to transform a daytime look into a nighttime look, although it is beautiful any time of day.  It is a semi matte formula, so it stays put for hours without feeling too drying or flaky.

Well, that about sums it up!  I hope you enjoyed a look into my makeup bag and some of my favorite makeup products.

-Petra