SPRING into PINK!

Hi everyone! Welcome to all of the new members and thanks for the feedback... I hope you're all enjoying the posts and experimenting with the tans ;)

So, on the color front, the fashion forecast for Spring 2010 is HOT pink, orange, and fun foamy shades of blue and green! With such a vibrant palette for our closets, it would only be fair to give our makeup bags a color punch too!! For the lips, I have started rocking MAKE UP FOR EVER'S Lipstick in shade 203 (the second stripe on the arm below) which is an AWESOME hot pink. I originally bought it to wear with an outfit over the holidays but the color seems to be popping up everywhere now! Good purchase??.... I think so! Any fun pink shades will be great with your spring wardrobe and a pretty way to welcome warmer weather. Light ballerina shades (try NARS lipstick in "Cruising")will work great throughout the day (or even night time with soft eye makeup) and I also like a more purple-magenta esque color as well (this looks awesome with a "going out" face and will REALLY make your teeth look white). When I started experimenting with these colors, I discovered that when I used just a regular "pinkish" lip stick and blended it with some of my darker shades- the results were fabulous!! Use the top of your hand or the underside of your forearm and you can either apply the lipstick directly on or use a lip brush.... you will create your own little palette of COLORFUL SPRING PINKS! This is also a great way to be a Recessionista and find new colors with your old stuff! Please look back to my post about dark lipstick for some fool-proof lipstick application tips.

These are some different shades of pink that I came up with!!

FAKE-A-TAN

It's always this time every year that my skin gets so pale, I can literally see my veins...I am a ghost! However, tanning beds and sunbathing are TERRIBLE for your skin, so I thought that I would share some great secrets on how to fake that tan and sport a healthy glow for the winter.


First and foremost, remember that although most of us do look better with some color, it is still the middle of January and over-the-top unseasonable color is worse than looking like a ghost so DON'T OVER DO IT!
Before I start my makeup routine, I wash my face and moisturize + SPF (this is EXTRA important this time of year as the cold weather and wind will chap your skin)! I give my skin a minute to absorb the cream and then I apply benefit's Talk to the Tan cream. I squeeze a dime size dollop on my finger tips and rub this all over my face like a lotion. This product is so awesome because it is super light, easy to apply evenly and does not shimmer; however, it will stain your finger tips so be sure to wash your hands with warm, soapy water right after you apply it! I use this product year round so depending on how much natural color I have, I will spread some on my neck and chest as well. This product is so amazing because it gives you great color but does not stain your skin or leave lines and finger marks like other self tanning products. After I have applied this base I use a large, soft bronzer brush and dust Bobbi Brown's Bronzing Powder (Medium 2) across my T-Zone (forehead + nose) and lightly on my cheeks. When you are applying bronzing powder, think of the places on your face where the sun most naturally tans... this will help you achieve the best color without looking like a cake-face! Afterwards, I always take a tissue and lightly wipe down my jaw line to get rid of any lines and blend the color from my face to neck. This is a great 2-step process for the winter because you can do as much or as little as you want depending on your natural tones. Talk to someone at the makeup counter when buying bronzing products and make sure that you are using the correct color- you don't want to look orange or too dark!


**Sun is the most damaging element for your skin and the quickest way to a wrinkley face. Always moisturize with SPF protection, no matter what time of year it is... a year without sunscreen is the same as a week of tanning at the beach! It is always better to fake your tan than burn your skin.

There are soooo many awesome self-tanning products out there, experiment with them and let me know your fav suntan secrets!

WELCOME BACK!

Hello everyone and welcome back to Makeup As Muse! I'm sorry that it has been so long since my last blog post, but in honor of a new year, I'm starting afresh and want to invite all of you back! Let the beauty blogging begin....