Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Sneak-a-Peek: Karen's Pout Enhancers

I love my lips. Every woman should love her lips! They smile, they kiss, and you can dress them up. What's not to love?!

I have a whole cosmetic bag dedicated for my pout goodies:

(I still need  LOTS more..)


Here are a few of my faves:



from left to right~

 Make Up For Ever in 205
 Smashbox in Starlit
I layer these two for a sexy, dramatic look. I keep the rest of my face neutral so my lips are the star of the show! 

 Jaqua in Pink Champagne
Light, sparkly, and delicious! This gloss is perfect for those whimsical sort of days.

 Benefit's The Gloss in Chaperone
This is a perfect nude gloss with a subtle sparkle. I can wear this gloss with everything, and it's the only gloss I wear when going for the smoky eye look.

 Nars in Mitzi
This is a nice, natural color. It looks great without being too obvious- it simply enhances what I've already got!


Peace, love, and kisses!
Karen

An Ariel Beauty Confession: What I'm DYING to buy!


Siren of the Sea Hydrating and Brightening Seven-Piece Collection
 
($98 Value)
ONLY $49!
from Bare Escentuals
only at Sephora!


It includes:
  •  0.02 oz bareMinerals High Shine Sand Dune (gilded sand, high shine)
  •  0.02 oz bareMinerals Mermaid Eyecolor (dark blue-green velvet)
  •  0.02 oz bareMinerals Hydrating Coral Blush (coral dusk)
  •  0.07 oz bareMinerals Hydrating Mineral Veil (brightening finish)
  •  0.14 oz bareMinerals 100% Natural LipGloss in Chiffon (nude sand)
  •  Double-Ended Hydrate & Brighten Duo Brush with Custom Bamboo Handle
  •  Straw Clutch

Why I'm DYING to buy it:
  • I am on the BIGGEST Bare Escentuals kick right now!
  • The eyeshadows are fab because you can wear them wet or dry. (I love wet, lasts longer and has a more dramatic effect!)
  • Brushes are the highest quality and keep like new even after washing.  This brush has two ends, which means more room in your beauty bag and comes with a custom bamboo handle!
  • They may look small, but a little sure does go a long way with these products.
  • This color combo is perfect for summer, love the Mermaid eyecolor the most!
  • Nude Sand lipgloss is perfect with a tan, you won't want a lot of color on your lips distracting from your beautiful bronze skin tone!
  • I think they would look best on blondes (haha ME!) but would also look great on other colorings as well.
  • They're all natural, and THE WHOLE THING IS ONLY $49!!!  What else could you ask for?
Y Ariel

Dang girl, your nails are so bright!

What's all the rage in nail care and beauty this summer?
NEON NAILS!!

WHY IT'S FUN:
  • spruces up plain outfits.
  • what's more tropical than neon nails? (i know, a lot of things)
  • it makes you look tanner!
CURRENTLY WEARING: 
Color Club Professional Nail Lacquer
in PINK LAZER



















WHY WE LOVE THIS BRAND:
Salon polish quality, without being the most expensive.  This brand has the coolest colors we've ever seen, and it's available online and in tons of beauty stores! (we get ours at BeautyLand!)

WORD TO THE WISE:
Wearing neon colors on long (fake or natch) can be quite tacky if not careful, so..

FOR BEST RESULTS:
Wear on shorter nails, we are NOT encouraging the hawaiian neon nail look of the 90's, but a more fun and flirty look-

like this!
















HAVE FUN! That IS what summer is meant for after all...

Y Ariel
p.s. It's also on my toes!

The Skin You're In!

Welcome to Beaututes! 
We decided to start off this whole venture with some skin care tips. After all, clear skin is essential to looking your best! 
 
Unfortunately, there are so many products out there promising impossible results, and some can make your skin situation even worse. Cosmetics do not fall under the FDA's jurisdiction, so companies are not liable for presenting the truth. Those "clinical studies" are most likely completely bogus "tests". And don't believe all those rave reviews you read online, either! Some companies may actually create an "independent" website that ranks different products from different brands... and guess whose is always the 5-star, #1 recommended product? (That sort of scam is especially used in the Teeth Whitening industry.)
 
Also, expensive does not always mean better. Your best line of defense is to look at the ingredients. Don't be fooled by all those scientific terms- you can learn what each one does online if you're really curious. Ingredients are typically listed in descending order, so the most used ingredient is at the top of the list. If you compare ingredients, you may see minimal to no difference between the expensive product and the bargain product. Same thing goes for "face" moisturizers versus "eye" moisturizers- the ones I've compared have the exact same ingredients in the exact same order. Interesting, eh?
 
But have no fear, that's why we're here! We'll help you cut through the lies and finally attain gorgeous skin!

Karen Says:

I guess my skin falls under the "Combination" category. My T-zone can get pretty oily while the rest of my skin is normal. Blackheads have always been my number one problem, and the occasional break outs that left lovely little scars. I tried a variety of different products from brands including Clean&Clear, some Spa exclusive brand, St. Ives, Philosophy, etc.- but none of them had any lasting effect.
  (T-Zone!)

Recently I decided to give Clearasil a try, so I picked up some of their Daily Facial Cleanser for Normal to Oily Skin. It was great at getting rid of make-up and whatever else was on my skin, but it was not cleaning my (large) pores. So, I started using Biore's Pore Unclogging Scrub, a creamy exfoliator. My pores were definitely unclogged, but there was still some scrub residue. So, neither one by itself fixed my skin problem.
 
And then, I had a stroke of genius! Duh, why not use them together? I use the Biore first to really get out all the dirt from my pores, and follow it with the Clearasil to clear off all the dirt and residue. My skin feels seriously fresh and clean! You don't have to use the exact same products I do- but the general idea is to deep clean with a scrub, rinse, then follow up with a gel cleanser.

Any pimples that might pop up I take care of with a cream with 10% benzoyl peroxide. Again, the brand doesn't really matter- as long as it has that 10%! The other type of zit-zapper has 2% salicylic acid. Both are effective, but for different types of bacteria. So the 2% salicylic acid wasn't as effective against my pimples as the 10% benzoyl peroxide, but you may have the opposite result!
 
Finally, I use moisturizer sparingly. Since my T-zone is oily, I never apply moisturizer there. I used to in the past, but I ended up a greasy mess. I only apply a moisturizer to the driest part of my face, which is usually under my cheek bone. I prefer to use a light, natural moisturizer since heavy creams clog up my pores and cause more pimples, but drier skin than mine may need something a little more heavy duty.
 
Experiment within those guidelines and you'll be on your way to your best skin ever!

Peace, love, and kisses!
Karen