By Nita J., Virginia, Makeup Artist

Nita J is a strong advocate that true beauty lives in each and every individual. To her, makeup just enhances beauty and should never be used to mask the beauty that a person was born with. With her knowledge of makeup, cosmetic brands, marketing and the beauty industry, Nita J hopes to contribute as much as she can and instill in the minds of others that confidence and true beauty is soul-deep. You can check out her portfolio and her blog!

Transform Your Glow by Mixing Illuminators with Foundation

No matter what time of year it is, I find that most clients always want to accomplish a natural “glow” with their look. I personally have always liked a nice healthy, glowing complexion when doing my makeup on a daily basis, so I love trying out new products that would be me achieve this. An awesome tip that I tried once, fell in love with and kept it within my normal routine, is mixing a good illuminating product with foundation.

When you think of “glow,” most would reach into their beauty bag for a bronzer, which is perfectly fine. I tend to use an illuminating lotion rather than a bronzer because, for one, it blends into your foundation for a more seamless glow, and two, it looks more natural and tends to look a little more radiant.
When choosing and illuminating products, it’s best to use something that is sheerer (so that it doesn’t alter the color of your foundation), light, and doesn’t have a ton of shimmer, to give a more natural effect.

Think about it; when you “glow” naturally, your skin doesn’t produce large particles of glitter, right? Something with just a hint of shimmer will do the trick. There are many products out there that would help with this trick, but after trying numerous products, there are two in particular that I just love and can’t get enough of:

Smashbox Artificial Light Luminizing Lotion ($26.00) comes in three shades: Diffuse, which gives off a nice pearly effect, Flash, which has a hint of soft pink, and Glow, which is a soft, golden bronze. These are all great shades because of the lightweight feel and consistency of the lotion.  They also do not change the color of your foundation. I have found that “Flash” works on many of my clients, no matter their skin tone, and I reach for it all the time. All you need is just one to two pumps of the product and you get an awesome glow. I like to mix the lotion with foundation before applying to the face. This is definitely something that I keep in my personal kit as well as my professional kit.

This is another great product that will beautifully transform your foundation and give you a subtle glow, but make a great statement. This NARS Illuminator ($29.00) comes in four shades; a soft pearl shade called Copacabana, Laguna, which is a soft brown with golden shimmer, the best-seller, Orgasm, which is a peachy-pink lotion with a little shimmer, and Super Orgasm, also peachy-pink but with more of a golden, shimmery finish. All of these are great, but I have discovered that Copacabana and Orgasm looks amazing on just about anyone I apply it to. Just a very small amount of this product is needed to achieve a beautiful glow. Again, mix with foundation before applying to the face for maximum results!

With all of the illuminating products out there, what are some that you have tried and fell in love with? I’d love to know!

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By Rae Chen, Local Contributor – Canada

Rae, the easily-distracted Canadian blogger behind theNotice: a beauty blog, is neither the brains nor the beauty of the operation. (The subjective existence of either has yet to be determined – we’ll get back to you on that one.)

She is, however, a rather relentless makeup junkie with a camera, a lack of a filter, and a writing style that’s rather more snark than sycophant.

Strange Tips for Surviving Prairie Winters

There are winter skin tips that I’m sure we’ve all heard by now: don’t shower in hot water, switch to a heavier moisturizer, make sure to exfoliate your body. But – what about all the tricks that slip through the cracks?

When you grow up on the Canadian prairies, you pick up a trick or two. Here are some of mine!

Please note: instead of featuring only Canadian products, this post focuses instead on products (some Canada-only, some not) that are great for our rather unique winters. So, no matter where you are in the world – if it’s cold, there should be something in here for you, too!

Check out the best products for a tough winter from cheeks to lips to skin!

Play the texture game

Your automatic response might be to go with stronger colors as the days get shorter (I know mine is) but consider going for sheerer formulas, too. Translucent, creamy products tend to be more forgiving on dry skin and lips, so I’ll switch to medium-sheer creams, gels, and liquids to create that dewy “glow from within.”

If you find that your cream formulas harden up in the winter, try putting them under your blow dryer for five to fifteen seconds. Don’t shy away from adding a bit of a faux-flush! Just because it’s winter doesn’t mean you have to succumb to a ghostly pallor, right?

Clinique Butter Shine Lipstick ($18.00), MAC Lipstick ($17.50), Hard Candy Hide and
Glow Cheek ($7.00), Marcelle Cream Blusher in Raspberry ($11.50).

R-L: Clinique Butter Shine Lipstick in Cranberry Cream, MAC Lipstick in Desire (Lustre), Hard Candy Hide and
Glow Cheek in Hot Date (2 swatches), Marcelle Cream Blusher in Raspberry.

R-L: Clinique Butter Shine Lipstick in Cranberry Cream, MAC Lipstick in Desire (Lustre), Hard Candy Hide and
Glow Cheek in Hot Date (coral side).

R-L: Hard Candy Hide and Glow Cheek in Hot Date (coral side), Hard Candy Hide and Glow Cheek in Hot Date
(plum side), Marcelle Cream Blusher in Raspberry.

Light it up!

Luminizers aren’t just for the nighttime anymore – with today’s products, they’re way more wearable than they were ten years ago. If your skin’s looking rather lackluster this winter, try a highlighter on the tops of your cheekbones, under the arches of your brows, down the middle of your nose, and buffed into the high points of your forehead and chin. A general rule of thumb is that the larger the shimmer, the more obvious it’ll be – so swatch before you buy, and pick what you’re most comfortable with!

TIP: If you’re going to be photographed, make sure to “flash” your shimmer beforehand if you can. Take a quick self-photo both with and without flash, then check to see how your shimmer reads on camera. (Too little and you won’t notice it; too much and you run the risk of looking oily!) When in doubt, a less is more mentality is the best bet.

I tend to use creams for the face and pressed powders in the eye area, but again – go with whatever you’re most comfortable with. Gold and peach shimmer usually sits best on warm skin tones, while whites and silvery pinks are typically most flattering for cool skin tones.

Marcelle Multi-Colour Face Powder ($16.95), Marcelle Wet & Dry Eye Shadow ($8.95),
Benefit High Beam ($30.00; mini size shown), Annabelle Eyeshadow Trio ($7.50), MAC Cream Colour Base ($21.00)

L-R in indirect sunlight: Marcelle Multi-Colour Face Powder in Luminous Veil, Marcelle Wet and Dry Eye Shadow in Polar,
Benefit HighBeam, Annabelle Eyeshadow Trio in Creme Caramel (lightest shade only), MAC Cream Colour Base in Pearl (Frost).

L-R with flash: Marcelle Multi-Colour Face Powder in Luminous Veil,
Marcelle Wet and Dry Eye Shadow in Polar, Benefit HighBeam

L-R with flash: Benefit HighBeam, Annabelle Eyeshadow Trio in Creme Caramel (lightest shade only),
MAC Cream Colour Base in Pearl (Frost).

Keep it bronzed (but just a bit)

Okay, so: one of my pet peeves? Orange faux-bronze skin tones in the winter. It’s bad enough in the summer, but – winter! No one is naturally bronzed in the winter!

Thing is, though, I do think bronzer is worth keeping on hand after the leaves fall. It makes a great contour (if you choose a matte formula), and a light dusting of bronzer is a lovely way to pick up your skin tone. Just — make sure to use a light hand, okay? Less is more! More is not more; it’s just overdone!

MAC Golden Bronzing Powder ($27.50), Annabelle Haute Gold Zebra Bronzing Powder ($10.95),
Marcelle Tropical Bronze Bronzing Pressed Powder ($14.95)

Add another drop of moisture

I have extremely dry skin all year ’round, so to be honest, my skincare regimen doesn’t change much in the winter. If you’re finding yourself parched, though, here are a few things to try!

German Nivea is one of my all-time Holy Grail moisturizers – I wear it for both night and day, but oilier skin types may find it’s best suited as a night creme. Strangely, some London Drugs shops carry the Made-in-Germany ones, so keep an eye out if you’re in Western Canada! Non-German Nivea (typically made in Mexico or Vietnam, I believe) is easier to find, but it’s quite a bit more greasy, and doesn’t pack the same kind of moisture.

Partially because I’m silicone-free for my skincare, I’m hugely dependent on petroleum jelly and unscented mineral oil. The former is great for hydrating your lips, slathering onto your hands and feet at night, smoothing down flyaways… it’s such a multi-tasker; there’s barely anything it doesn’t do! And the latter is great for an extra layer of moisture coming out of the shower; just spray it on in the tub or rub it into your skin before moisturizing. A DIY facial spray is great to have on-hand, too; I make mine with glycerin and distilled water in about a 1:8 ratio, so I know that it’s silicone-free, paraben-free, oil-free, and completely scentless.

One last product rave: for super-dry skin, I’m a huge fan of Marcelle Essentials Cleansing Milk ($14.50). I literally have not bought another cleanser since trying it for the first time! The difference between a cleansing milk and a moisturizing bar or liquid is enormous; I’m so impressed with the product.

I’m done rambling about skincare now, I promise! Hope it’s not too freezing-cold wherever you are

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Want a perfectly-flushed complexion? You need a great blush. Here are the ones that’ll help you glow — and the ones that are so bad they’ll turn your cheeks red with frustration. If there’s one product in your makeup bag that can immediately brighten your complexion, it’s blush. In fact, most makeup artists will tell you that your face makeup isn’t complete until you’ve dusted a rosy glow across your cheeks. And then, presto change-o: What once was tired, sallow-looking skin is healthy and radiant.

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As host for the 2011 Teen Choice Awards, Kayley Cuoco from Big Bang Theory showed us a softer, girlier side with romantic waves, smoky eye makeup and pink lips. Read on to find out how mark Celebrity Makeup Artist Mai Quynh created the look on Kayley!

Face
“To even out Kayley’s skin tone, I applied mark Min-A-Real Cream-To-Powder Foundation. Then, to brighten her eyes, I used mark Get Bright Hook Up Highlighter in Golden. Lastly, I used mark Good Riddance Hook Up Concealer to cover any imperfections.”

Eyes
“I started by applying mark Please Hold Eye Primer to Kayley’s lids. Next, I applied mark I-Mark Custom Pick Eyeshadow in Whisper under her brow bones for a matte highlight, followed by mark I-Mark Custom Pick Eyeshadow in Latte to the crease of her lids. Then, I used the grey color from mark Keep It Going Longwear Eyeliner & Shadow in Industria on the outside of her lids and underneath the lash lines. I smudged the color and set it with the silver color from mark On The Dot Eye Color Compact. I then used mark No Place To Run Longwear Eyeliner in Jet Set to rim her eyes and coated the bottom and top lashes with mark Lash All You Want High Volume Mascara in Black. I also did a nice tight line on the upper lid with mark Get In Line Hook Up Liquid Waterproof Eyeliner in Painted Black. I refined the look by using mark Brow Factor Hook Up Clear Brow Gel.”

Cheeks
“I used mark Glowdacious Illuminating Powder in Prettied Up to add a flush color, followed by mark Bronze Pro Bronzing Powder in Bronze to warm her up.”

Lips
“For Kayley’s red carpet look, I mixed mark Lipclick Full Color Lipstick in Cha Cha with Coral Fixation and Baby Luv, to create a unique color. Then I topped it off with a touch of mark Glow Baby Glow Hook Up Lip Gloss in Girly Girl. While Kayley was hosting the show, I mixed mark Lipclick Full Color Lipstick in Bare Hug with mark Pro Gloss Hook Up Plumping Lip Shine in Swell.”

mark is available at meetmark.com or through a mark. rep.

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Make Up For Ever Alliance Artist James Vincent served as key make up artist for the Luxe by Lisa Vogel show during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Swim in Miami last weekend. The make up featured a strong eye and soft lip, a perfect match for the modern beach sophisticate inspired swimwear.

Complexion & Cheeks
The skin was sheer with a natural Miami glow. James added Make Up For Ever HD Microfinish Blush #13 in pale pink to the cheeks for the most natural looking glow.

Eyes
The smoldering eyes boast a combination of blacks, browns and metallics for a classic look that is young and modern. James first applied Make Up For Ever Aqua Cream #14 (warm satin brown) to the lids, then blended Make Up For Ever Eye Shadows #17 (espresso) and #165 (dark taupe brown) with Make Up For Ever Diamond Shadow #312 (dark copper shimmer) up into the crease. He added Make Up For Ever Metal Powder #1 in sunflower gold on top for added metallic dimension. James then lined the inner rim of the eyes with Make Up For Ever Khol Pencil #1K in black for a bit of rock n’ roll glam.

Lips
The lips were subtle with no hard lines or edges. James applied Make Up For Ever Lab Shine #S6, a soft peach, for a glossy look.

Image: Zimbio.com.

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