Makeup Contouring Kits All The Rage: Not Worth The Time!

A sculpted face of stunning bone structure.

We all desire that look. Celebrities like Jennifer Lopez + Kim Kardashian seem to have some of the nicest, contoured made up faces in the biz.

Both ladies own high, razor-sharp cheekbones for one, but did you know that both Jennifer + Kim also have access to the BEST pro makeup artists
around?

Heck, yeah. And trust us, when you see both women on the red carpet or other major events in public, or even for most of Kim's hundreds + hundreds of selfies, there is a makeup artist nearby doing ALL the contouring.

Today, drugstores and high-end department stores and makeup boutiques are all selling makeup contouring kits.

We say, "Don't waste your money or time!"

These kits are fun to play with, and might be handy on a big night out, but for every day life, you DON'T need a contoured face of artfully applied special makeup.

Why?

Because doing contoured makeup is NOT easy. Pin-point accuracy is involved, and you must Blend, Blend. Blend. If you don't, then you might have a tell-tale white stripe going down your nose or muddy-looking bronzer across your jawline, and so forth.

Leave makeup contouring for the pros.

Or, ignore us and check out lots of YouTube demos on how to contour.

We like this one by Carli Bybel. She's amazing at it BUT---it takes several products to contour and a lot of time---at least 10 minutes.

So, ladies---do you own a makeup contouring kit?

Fall 2014 Means Going Nude----Well, Nude Lips, That Is

Nude lips.

Wish we really liked this more natural-looking color.

Let's face it---reality TV and selfie star Kim Kardashian has ALWAYS rocked the perfect nude lips. (In fact, Kim wrote about nude lips in her blog back in May).

But for many of us, nude lipstick equals pale and deathly-looking.

We believe that if you have BIG, voluptuous lips by birth or by the sting of a cosmetic needle, then nude lips look better on you for some reason.

Here's the beauty trend alert!!!

For fall, neutral tones are THE lip shade of choice, according to Harper's Bazaar mag-June/July issue.

So, how do we find the BEST nude lip colors for our personal skin tone?

Celebrity makeup artist Pat McGrath tells Harper's "Beauty Bazaar" how to do this right:

Fair skin......Try pink-based colors.
Darker complexions........Try caramel shades with a hint of bronze.
And top off nude lips with a high-shine finish.

Hmmm. We are in between......with a light olive complexion. Now where do we go?

Guess we all have to try a few shades before settling on the perfect nude lips.

Pat McGrath gave a list of nudes to choose from:

1. Estee Lauder, Pure Color Envy Sculpting Lipstick in Impulsive ($30).

2. Aerin Rose Lip Balm Lipstick in Cabana ($30).

3. Flower Beauty Kiss Stick High-Shine Lips Color in Apricot Blossom ($6.98).

4. Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Brazilian Tan ($7.99).

The Center Part Hair Trend: Smooth, Sleek And Simple

Take a look at Prabal Gurung's beautiful pieces for Fall 2014 + Winter 2015.

Quite stunning. Now----observe the hairstyles on each runway model.

Hmmm. Can you recognize the hair trend?

We can definitely see it.

It's the center part hair trend. And in this case----smooth-sleek-simple.

So, how can you get the look?

It helps to have long, straight hair to begin with, but if you can part your hair in the center, well, then you can achieve this.

Paul Hanlon, the famous stylist who created the crisp, fresh dos for Prabal Gurung at NYC fashion week, tells Harper Bazaar mag's June/July issue he used 2 beauty items to get the classic look:

1. A flat iron to smooth the models' locks..
2. A high-shine, flat iron spray to keep it all in place + to amp up the gloss factor.

Try this one by Tresemme---7 Day Keratin Smooth Shine Spray ($5.49, at ULTA).

Jada Pinkett Smith Wows and Kapows! At Comic-Con: Ready For Batman!

We like actress Jada Pinkett Smith's fit, athletic figure. We think the 42-year-old mom of 2 looks amazing. Okay...not wild about her fashion choice here, but this petite beauty has the body to show it all off!

Jada made her stunning entrance last evening at Comic-Con International 2014 in San Diego's Hilton Bayfront. She was carrying a bat, to promote her upcoming role as villainess Fish Mooney in the television series "Gotham," which will premiere on the FOX network, Monday, September 22nd.

So--how does the wife of actor Will  Smith maintain that toned tummy + all?

Jada is a vegetarian, but most importantly, keeps moving. She has also shared her work-out tips in the past on her Facebook page. Check it out:

"PUSH-UPs are my favorite exercise for my arms. You may need to start on your knees in three sets of 10. Try to work to getting off your knees and doing as many push-ups as possible a day until your arms look the way YOU want.

"Try different arm positions as well, hands in a triangle with nose to the middle of it for triceps, arms wide hands turned out for chest, and then the good ol' classic push-up. No gym necessary:) A workout can be incorporated into your daily activities which we can discuss later."

"Do some kind of physical activity every day or every other day. Do what you love with a lot of determination to reach your personal physical goals. Remember, beauty is all about how you feel about YOU, no matter color, shape or size."

Kapow!, Jada. You look great!

Great Beauty Idea: Brush-On False Lashes In A Tube!

We don't wear false lashes, but we have some friends who do.

Then there are LOTS of celebrities who put on the false lashes at red carpet events.

And of course....there are the Kardashian sisters who ALWAYS seem to have major eye makeup on 24/7. We've all  seen Kim K photographed at LAX dozens of times dressed to the nines with lotsa hair + lotsa lashes.

Some have suggested the K-sisters actually have lash extensions. Well, we are not sure, but we do LOVE flirty, big lashes, and these girls know how to bring their A-game to the public.

For those who can't live without false lashes, are you TIRED of the prep work + all that adhesive?

We have a brand new solution. It's called LashFibres, and it's basically this:

Brush-on false lashes in a tube!! And fans of LashFibres claim the product delivers long, thick lashes that look natural.

A clever beauty concept in 3 simple steps:

1. Apply your favorite lash-thickening mascara.
2. While mascara is still wet, apply LashFibres on to your lashes just as you would put on your daily mascara. This will look like snowy white lashes.
3. Wait 30 seconds. Apply another layer of mascara over the white lash fibres. There you go---instant, false lashes!

That's it. Beautiful DOLL lashes from a tube. And easy-to-remove. Plus it does NOT irritate eyes and is SAFE for contact wearers.

The ONLY bad thing, we don't know how to get our hands on a tube of LashFibres. It's sold at the big British drugstore called SuperDrug here, but they do NOT deliver to the USA. It's about $24 a tube.

NOT fair. Couldn't even locate a tube on Ebay....but we will further investigate, ladies.

To learn more about LashFibres, check out the company's website.

Pantene Enjoying Minoxidil Hair Re-Growth Partnership For Women With Thinning Locks

Even Pantene realizes what a BIG business the hair re-growth industry is. That's why the beauty company decided to partner with the well-known Minoxidil formula to help women get back their gorgeous locks.

So---does it REALLY work?

We are not sure, but the product like many on drugstore shelves shows promise.

Pantene Expert Collection Minoxidil Topical Solution USP 2% Hair Regrowth Treatment for Women">Pantene Expert Collection Minoxidil Topical Solution USP 2% Hair Regrwoth Treatment for Women ($23.99, 1-month supply).

Pantene is claiming it DOES work:
...."Clinically proven to help regrow your hair. It revitalizes hair follicles to promote new growth. It's scientifically developed with Minoxidil (2%) and FDA approved."

Women who have suffered from thinning locks or hair loss lose a key part of their self-esteem.

Even model Christie Brinkley admits to thinning hair now that she's turned 60. Menopause makes hair more fragile + dry.

And Christie revealed a few months ago that her hair is her OWN-- along with some great hair extensions cleverly hidden. The beloved model sells them here.

We think it is wonderful when we as women have lots of beauty choices.

It's nice to know that Pantene is trying to help solve the common problem of thinning hair in women.

If you have tried Pantene with Minoxidil, please comment below.

Cindy Crawford Uses This Beauty Trick To Keep Hair Up During Sleep Time

How do you wear your long hair when you're going to bed...to sleep, that is?

Do you pin it up? Wrap it? Ponytail it? Or let it fall free?

We take a plastic jaw clip and haphazardly arrange our long, thick hair into a bun high on our head. If we don't do this step, our locks look unruly in the morning, especially if we are trying to extend a blow-out.

Does the jaw clip pull on our strands? A bit, but we don't put the styling clip on too tightly. Still, we are sure we ARE damaging our hair in some manner.

It was interesting to recently learn that model Cindy Crawford is also like many of us, thinking about how to "sleep" on her hair at night.

So, this is what the fab model does to extend her blow-out, as she revealed to everydayhealth.com:

"I’m more conscientious about using heat on my hair now," says Cindy. So to keep her hair style looking as lovely as it does on day one, Cindy goes to bed with her hair up in a loose bun using Emi-Jay hair ties. These cute ties are made from soft material that won’t leave dents or abuse to the hair.

GREAT beauty trick, Cindy Crawford!

CUSTOM SET OF 3 PRINTED HAIR TIES (PRTHT3R) | $7.50

                                                                  SANGRIA 5-PACK (HT5PR-532) | $13

         

You can find Emi-Jay hair ties at Nordstrom's.