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....

Pretty Finger Nails!!!

Hey Everybody!

So, I don't know about you all, but I LOVE to do my nails. I think it's such a quick and easy way to look polished and pretty!

There are so many awesome colors out right now and similar to all things fashion- Anything Goes! I love the turqouise color, "Jade," by Chanel... I think it really pops. I also love Lancome's "Midnight Glam" (part of their fall 2009 "Declaring Indigo" collection). It is a beautiful DEEP blue with a slight shimmer... perfect for fall. Over the past year, I also found myself testing out some gray hues for the nails and I really liked those as well. OPI makes two great shades, "Metro Chic" and "You Don't Know Jacques" if you are looking to try. AND if you don't feel confident about rocking a crazy nail, any of the classics are ALWAYS sophisticated and fashionable: Red, French Pink or Buffed!

Now to the good stuff... have any of you tested the OPI Espana collection?? I spent this past spring semester studying in Barcelona so I thought that might be the reason for my obsession, but I don't think that's the case. The colors are truly stunning!


The TRUE Colors de Espana!

• "Here Today... Aragon Tomorrow"
• "Suzi Skis in the Pyrenese"
• "Give Me Moor!"
• "Pamplona Purple"
• "Ate Berries in the Canaries"
• "Pink Flamenco"
• "Conquistadorable Color"
• "Bullish on OPI"
• "Barefoot in Barcelona"
• "Can You Tapas This?"
• "Manicurist of Seville"
• "No Spain No Gain"
  

Check these out, pick your paint and PLEASE let me know how it goes... Enjoy!

Great Little Beauty Buys...

Hola Bonitas!

I hope everyone is playing around with the dark lipstick and LOVING it! So I don't know about you all, but whenever I stop in Target, RiteAid, CVS etc. for shampoo and vitamins, I ALWAYS end up leaving with a cart full of things I just couldn't resist. I decided that it would be fun to share some of my great little finds with all of you on this blog! These are not expensive or complex, but just cool products that are fun to play with at home.

My most recent find was the Goody ColourCollection MINI BOBBY PINS!!! They are so cute! These pins are about half the length of the normal bobby pin but they are just as easy to use. They are perfect for bangs, up-dos or fly-aways because they are smaller and easier to conceal. They are also great for all of those trendy hair styles with the braid or little twist down the side of the head with a pony tail in the back. I like to do my hair with exposed bobby pins like an accessory, but I often find that when I use the normal pins, they will jut out and stick up off my head (this is not cute), but its not a problem with the great mini bobby pin. The ColourCollection is awesome because Goody has made all of the accessories in great blonde, brown and black shades to blend with natural hair colors. They come with 26 pieces in a pack and you can find them on the shelf among all of the other pins and bows.

*Tip*

If you are using the bobby pins as an accessory (like we saw alllll over the runway in Spring '09) buy the color pin that will stand out in your hair.

If you have dark hair, buy the blonde pins.

If you have blonde hair, buy the dark pins.

Enjoy!

PS- PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE comment and share your personal beauty finds!

Fall Beauty Forecast... Dark Lips!

Hello everyone!

My blog has officially been up and running for two weeks now, so I decided it's time to start talking about makeup, and what better way to start than the beauty forecast!

As most of you have probably seen by now, "punk couture" is taking over. In fashion, it's all about black, grey, zippers, studs, leather and straps, SO it's no surprise that the big-beauty-DO this season is a dark lip. Now, I realize that this sounds a little scary and most will not dare at the risk of looking like Morticia Addams; however, I encourage you to try. You don't have to wear black lipstick- try purples, deep reds, maroons, blue, etc. Chanel has introduced their Noir Obscurs collection which entails 3 shades of a beautiful, dark eggplant, maroon, and brown. M.A.C. has gone even further and is experimenting with dark shades that will give you a matte, cream, or metallic finish! (Please note that M.A.C. is theatrical makeup and has much more color pigment so it will apply a rich coat that is true to color- USE WITH CAUTION). Lancome makes a great black gloss called Phia Black that goes on more sheer. The list goes on... you will be able to find a dark hue on every shelf.

I played around with Revlon's Super Lustrous Lipstick in Black Cherry, and I loved it! (they also make another great shade called Va Va Violet) For a glossy finish, I used Bobbi Brown's lip brush with Lancome's Juicy Tube in Icon of Stage.

Remember that this look can be intense so experiment before wearing out. Also, I suggest that you keep your hair sleek and minimal when sporting dark lips

Tips for applying:

1. Dark colors are going to be less forgiving when applying so make sure your hands are steady

2. Put a tiny bit of your face concealer on your finger tip and dab around the edge of your lips to fill in creases so that the color goes on smooth

3. If you're scared to apply lipstick directly- dab the color in the center of top and bottom lips then use the ball of your middle finger to spread the color over the entire lip

4. For a glossy finish (or just a gloss alone) use the wand applicator OR use a lip brush to apply evenly

Welcome to "Makeup As Muse"

Hello and welcome to my new blog! My name is Hannah, I am 21 years old, and I have always wanted to start my own makeup line. I have started this blog to stay connected to the ever-changing cosmetic world as well as all of the people out there who love makeup as much as me! I will spill some great secrets and share my thoughts about new products, collections and trends. Please feel free to comment and enjoy!