Craving: Precison Brow Pencil from Senna Cosmetics
October 16th, 2011 § Leave a Comment
Precision Brow Pencil from Senna Cosmetics
I could have cried when my favorite brow pencil from ARTISTRY was discontinued. Brow Define was a mechanical brow pencil that offered rich color to define brows on one end and a soft brow brush on the other end to blend color, groom, and accentuate the natural shape of the brow. I especially liked the ultra-fine yet firm tip that easily filled in brows, for a precise, natural, mistake-proof application. But I may be able to wipe the tears away with Senna Cosmetics’ Precision Brow Pencil. I recently ordered it in Mink (a rich deep brown), and can’t wait to try it. Like my fave from ARTISTRY, it also has a fine, firm tip for filling in sparse brows. The color is supposed to be long-lasting and smudge proof. The retractable tip never has to be sharpened (another feature I like) and features a blending comb on the other end. I’m a little skeptical about the blending comb (I prefer a brush) but time will tell. I just might love it. Precision Brow Pencil comes in four shades: blonde, light taupe, dark taupe and mink. Stay tuned as I will report back once I’ve tested it out.
Eye Shape Series: Small Eyes
June 23rd, 2010 § 1 Comment
As a makeup artist, my favorite feature to play up is definitely the eyes. I’m often asked what’s the best way to enhance and create the perfect peepers. It’s more than just swiping on shadow. Following are some tips to play up small eyes. And in the next three posts, we’ll explore tips for complementing big eyes, opening up hooded eyes and bringing out deep-set eyes.
Nia Long and Taylor Swift have small eyes.
HOW TO ENHANCE SMALL EYES
1. Trace powder or gel liner close to top lash lines, then lightly smudge. If you prefer liquid liner, make sure it’s not too dark or it will look harsh. Don’t encase eyes fully or you’ll close them up even more. I like: MAC Blacktrack Fluidline.
2. To make eyes seem larger, dab highlighter in the inner and outer corners of the eyes and right below your brow bone. I like: Senna Spot Lites Highlighting Pencil
3. Curl lashes before applying mascara for extra lift. I like: Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler; ARTISTRY Total Mascara
Next: How to complement big eyes
Diva Tweeze
June 2nd, 2010 § 2 Comments
Your tweezers just got a makeover and they’re steppin’ out in style. These fun, fashionable tweezers definitely caught my eye. Too cute!! Each tweezer is $6.99 and decked out like a cute fashionista! The slanted tips are surgical grade stainless steel and precisely aligned to grab hair every time. Raquel and Layla are my favs, which diva are you loving? Check them out here.
Congrats to Kim, winner of the ON Makeup magazine giveaway.
To Tweeze or Not to Tweeze
January 6th, 2010 § 2 Comments
My mother-in-law asked me to shape her eyebrows while visiting over the holidays and wanted to know my preferred way of doing them. Tweezing, hands down. It allows for more control than waxing, threading or using a razor. There are many different types of tweezers, but the following ones are staples in my makeup kit:
ROUND tweezers enable faster removal of hair as they are aligned to grab the hair every time. And the rounded tip is a good safety feature.
SLANTED tweezers (my favorite) are great for plucking very short hairs. I use the point to tweeze smaller hairs and the broader, more slanted side, for general tweezing.
STRAIGHT-TIP tweezers grab hairs tightly during plucking. I prefer this type of tweezer when I’m doing a makeup look with jewels. It makes grabbing small stones very easy.
"Diamonds & Pearls": Straight-tip tweezers made it super easy for me to pick up and apply the jewels used in this beauty shot.
Whatever your preference here are some great tips from eyebrow specialist, Elke Von Freudenberg to keep in mind:
- Remember in choosing your tweezers, make sure they are well sharpened as this will provide a more successful depilation particulary when it comes to thick, delicate hairs.
- A white or light pencil will help make regulating eyebrows easier.
- A slanting brush made of hard, elastic horsehair is great for eyebrow makeup.
“
Well-shaped eyebrows refine and soften facial features, bring out the expression of the look and enable makeup to be applied more easily,” says Elke. “Although fashion often encourages eyebrows that are too thick or exceptionally thin, modern styling is inclined towards respecting the natural form of the eyebrow arch, ensuring harmony between the facial features.”
Here’s to great-looking eyebrows!
Congrats to Valerie, Stacy and Maria. Winners in the “New You for the New Year” giveaway. And thanks to everyone who shared their goals and plans for 2010. Blessings and success in bringing them to pass.
Product Review: Shu Uemura Eyebrow Gel
October 20th, 2009 § 2 Comments
I spent a lot of time with Shu Uemura’s Eyebrow Gel since ordering it in August and was excited about the concept. If you missed my previous writeup, click here. I initially ordered seal brown since I had dyed my hair, but the color was not what I
was expecting. It was an ashy brown (not the reddish brown I was hoping for) and it looked chalky on my brows. So I exchanged it for forest black. I’m still not in love with the color (it’s more of a grayish black). I used a small angled brow brush to apply the gel. Shu Uemura also recommends their natural badger brush, but for $29, my small angled brow brush was just fine. The gel has a fine, smooth texture but kinda clumps and crumbles. I used short, feathery strokes when applying as if mimicking actual brow hairs. The color payoff is sheer, almost too sheer in my opinion. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t like overly drawn in, hard-looking brows, but you have to layer this product to build color so it takes extra steps. The only thing I liked about this gel is its staying power. It’s not going anywhere! It’s waterproof and resistant to sebum. I have oily skin so it stood up to that. Again, the concept is great, but it didn’t outperform my tried-and-true method of enhancing brows: a fine-point brow pencil, translucent powder and clear mascara. I’ll stick with that.
Blended Beauté rating: 
winks
Transitioning Your Makeup from Summer to Fall
September 30th, 2009 § Leave a Comment
Fall is officially here and the season for barely-there makeup is over! Put your best face forward with a few tips to transition your look.
FOUNDATION If you love your tinted moisturizer like I do, then you’ll be glad to know that Fall 2009 makeup trends are calling on us to continue using it, but adding a soft layer of translucent powder. Sheer foundation makeup looks more natural, evening out the skin tone only where needed. You may also consider switching to a high-definition makeup for a lightweight, oil-free base that perfects the skin while still looking natural.
EYES Your eye makeup is another way to change from a summer makeup look to a fall/winter look. Draw inspiration from the earth and forests. Neutral tones in the brown family are always safe, but this season’s palettes are rocking more intriguing color combos. Go bold with moss greens, luxurious golds, blues and grays, and purples. Think colorful, yet smokey eyes. “Refined, lined and exquisitely intense,” according to MAC.
EYEBROWS Natural-looking eyebrows have been a mainstay over the last few seasons, and they continue to be a strong trend for Fall 2009. One of my favorite tools for creating a natural brow is the ARTISTRY brow define pencil. It has a very fine point and when combined with short, quick strokes makes brows look super natural. No need to sharpen, this unique twist-up pencil keeps a perfect point after every use. Follow up with grooming gel to keep unruly or long eyebrows in place.
CHEEKS and LIPS Bye bye bronzer, sheer cheek tints and barely-there lips. Fall makeup calls for contoured, almost chiseled cheekbones and dramatic, full lips. Consider using two colors of blush when contouring the cheeks. One that is one or two shades darker than the skin tone to brush just under the cheekbone, and a soft, rosy hue to add a touch of color to the apple of the cheek. Not sure how to create a strong lip for fall? Here’s a great how-to video that will get you ready to pucker up. Popular lip colors for the season include plum, berry, and wine shades, as well as muted reds.
Need more inspiration for the season? Then, take a cue from MAC so your fall face is fashion forward:
“If there’s one thing that Autumn/Winter09 makeup is about it’s a point of view. And a point of power. We’re past a point of girlish innocence and barely-there makeup, especially in a season where beauty is working alongside fashion that holds no bars in terms of brazen styling and attitude. Artists are talking about ‘emotive makeup’, and the spirit they are channeling is that of a woman who’s upbeat, in charge and in control. The main energy? Eighties. Hence, Artists found their way [during this year's international Autumn/Winter collection] to ultra-amplified lips and exuberant hues on the eyes and an underground clubby elegance to black eye makeup but also the more nuanced side of the era, picking up on the contoured, carved face that dominated the decade or the satinized perfection and couture feel that moved makeup into the early Nineties. Speaking of technique, what’s back is one of absolute precision and accuracy. “Whatever the final look this season, it was always pretty obvious that the girl was wearing a structured, deliberate makeup” says Gordon Espinet. So, five minute makeup is over, for now. Time to roll out those brushes and get perfecting….”
Get Your Brows Growing Again
September 27th, 2009 § Leave a Comment
I received a brow question from a Blended Beauté reader that I wanted to spotlight as I’m sure others may wonder about this too:
Q: What do you recommend for growth of fragile eyebrows?
This is a great question and to answer it, I reached out to celebrity eyebrow specialist and makeup artist Elke Von Freudenberg. Elke knows brows which she also writes about in her blog, The Brow Blog. She sent Blended Beauté some great advice and tips to get your brows growing again.
A: “First thing to do is avoid all waxing since waxing can make the roots of the brow hair weaker, [thus] making the brows less likely to grow back. Usually the thinner and the lighter the brow color, the weaker the root. So care must be taken to keep as much brow hair as possible [because] brow growth slows as we get older. One way to tell if your brows are less likely to grow in as you get older, is the “pull” test. As you tweeze a hair, if the hair removes without any resistance, then your brows are more likely to fade as you get older. If you tweeze, and you have to tug and pull a bit to get the hair to pull out, your brows will most likely grow back quicker and faster. The thicker and the darker the brow hair, the more likely your brows will grow back, no matter how much you tweeze or pull.
Elke at work on a client's brows.
To get brows growing in, you need to get circulation going into the roots, much like brushing your hair. Take an old toothbrush and scrub your eyebrows nightly. Do enough so that the skin around the brows is a little pink, but not so rough that you brush and pull the hairs out. Do every night for about 2 weeks and you’ll notice brows growing back in. If there’s any bit of root left, or you’re in between growth cycles, this speeds up the growth and you’ll see results in 2-3 weeks. Best part is, where you brush is exactly where the brow grows, so no waiting only to have hairs grow back where you don’t need them.
Another way to get brows looking thicker and fuller is to check with a magnifying glass to see if there are any very light or fine hairs. Tinting those hairs darkens them and makes the brows look fuller and thicker. Just make sure to go to a professional licensed esthetician who is trained in tinting brows to get the right shade for you. A lot of the times, brows are really thicker than you think they are, it’s just that you don’t see it because the hairs are so light.”
Thanks Elke!
Have a makeup or beauty question that you’d like to have answered? Email blendedbeaute@gmail.com or complete the form below with your question, and it will be featured in a future blog.
Face Time with Senna Cosmetics – Part 2
September 21st, 2009 § Leave a Comment
Now that you know about Senna Cosmetics’ great brow, primer and highlighting products, let’s get more up close and personal with some of their other fab items. Double your pleasure, double your fun with Double Effect Creamline Powder Duo Palette ($40). Rock a cat-eye fast and easy with a rich metallic eye lining cream on one side and a harmonizing metallic eye powder on the other. The mirrored compact includes three Creamline Powder Duos in Black Magic (deep black), Orchid Magic (blackened metallic plum) and Java (rich coffee brown) and two brushes. I prefer full-sized brushes, but the mini brushes are doable for on the go. Love how the cream liner glides over lids, giving a well-defined and softly matte finish that lasts. And the matching eye shadows are brilliant and pretty. Here is one way you can work this compact cutie, which has become a Blended Beauté fave:
“Line around the rim with the precise angled brush, then over line it with powder for budge proof, runway-looking eyes. Smoke it out using the shadow brush and the powder up to the crease.”
I was impressed with Senna’s eye shadows ($16.50) which come in various finishes: matte, sheer, sparkling and metallic. They are super blendable and richly pigmented. I played around with metallics Lynx (deep copper brown), Malachite (vivid metallic blue green), pictured, and Masquerade (reflective royal purple). Also sheer Champagne (soft peach champagne) would look great on many skin tones.
I’m still blushing over Cheeky Blush ($19) because the formula is amazing! Powders can be dry and creams fade fast, but this product combines the best of both worlds. It gives you the lively glow of a cream with the lasting power of a powder. Just dab and go. I tried Geranium (fresh coral pink). Senna’s regular blush powder didn’t disappoint either. Silky. Smooth. Easy to blend. Get dolled up with Dollface (warmed pink matte). The blushes are available in three different finishes for the effect you want. Sheer Matte gives a velvety opaque look. Sheer Glow adds radiance. Sheer Sparkling has micro pigments that reflect light.
Perfect your pout with lip liners, lipsticks and lip lacquers. Senna’s lip liners ($17) have a lovely texture that gives the right balance of softness and firmness for easy application and precise definition. And they don’t smudge easily. Watch out for their triple threat sheer lipsticks ($18). They condition, hydrate and protect. I puckered up to Rosette (natural brown rose), Nova (glistening peach) and Glint (warm pink). The colors are fresh and lively, and my lips felt soft and smooth thanks to Jojoba and Avocado. And it’s good to know there’s SPF 15 to protect them from damaging UV rays. Lastly, the lip lacquers ($19) make you want to eat them! They have a super delicious vanilla flavor that is yummy. I like Bling Bling (golden), pictured, Cosmo (sparkling coral pink) and Zest (opalescent peachy pink). Serious gloss lovers will like these full-bodied lacquers which also contain Vitamin E and Jojoba. They are a bit sticky for my taste, but they do last and there are plenty of rich colors and finishes (pearl, cream, sheer, sparkling) to choose from.
I’m definitely sold on Senna!
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:
- Face Time with Senna Cosmetics – Part 1, click here.
Face Time with Senna Cosmetics – Part 1
September 16th, 2009 § Leave a Comment
I’d never heard of Senna Cosmetics but am glad the PR rep contacted Blended Beauté about their products. I spent the last few weeks testing them out, using them on myself and clients, and there are definitely several worth mentioning (and adding to my makeup kit) so this will be a two-part feature.
Silky Primer ($38) is a great primer and it really is silky! It’s sheer, oil-free and makes your skin smooth so your foundation glides on, blends easily and stays put. I tried it under a liquid, cream and powder foundation and it works. Want to make dry, rough lips silky and smooth too? Reach for Lip Love ($15). It’s ultra moisturizing with Aloe Vera, Avocado Oil, and Chamomile to soothe and hydrate; and Vitamin E to protect and repair. And its texture is just right so lip liner and lipstick glide on like butter. It has a slight scent which I inquired about. According to the company, Lip Love has no added fragrance, so the slight scent is from the key moisturizing ingredients mentioned above.
Senna has great brow products to whip any type of brow into shape. From unruly or over-tweezed to faint or “weird,” they’ve got you covered. Brow Definer ($18) is amazing! It’s a clear pomade that you mix with brow powder color to add instant definition and texture to your brows. It really intensifies your brow color too while keeping them natural-looking. Then there’s Brow Fix ($18), a brow gel that
“plumps up brow hairs with a hint of invisible fiber for the thickest looking brows ever.”
I didn’t notice any plumping with the Clear, but it certainly tames unruly hairs and gives brows a polished look. Brow Fix also comes in Golden Brown and Taupe.
I like the concept of the Form-A-Brow® Kit ($43), complete with colors and tools for you to do your own brow upkeep right at home. With big brows being the trend (penciled in, texturized, bushy, but always shaped) the stencils are a great guide to maintaining your brows so no worries of over-tweezing. Suggestion: Get your brows shaped first. The kit contains:
- 1 Form-A-Brow mirrored compact
- 3 brow powder colors to mix for the most natural hue
- 2 Mini brow brushes for coloring and blending brows naturally
- 4 Brow-shaping stencils: Fine, Natural, Full and Xtra Full for shaping brows
- 5 Instructions
And I’m really feeling Spot Lites double ended highlighter pencil ($22). Use the soft pearly champagne or pearly pinked cream to brighten eyes, cheekbones, upper lip, brow bone and eyelids. And you can get a FREE Duo Pencil Sharpener with any Spot Lites Pencil purchase.
Don’t miss part II of Face Time with Senna Cosmetics where I’ll share more about their eyeshadows, blushes, lip colors and liners and my favorite Duo Effect Creamline Powder compact (LOVE IT!!).
Shu Uemura Eye Brow Gel
August 31st, 2009 § 2 Comments
You gotta love Shu Uemura for continually introducing revolutionary products to the beauty market. One of their newest, Eye Brow Gel, recently launched and truly has my brows raised.
I love natural, elegant brows and this product aims to deliver both in a unique gel formula. Here’s more about it:
“Eyebrow Gel creates a subtle, long-lasting color tint for beautiful results. Powder eye brow makeup gives great coverage, but it can look unnatural. The unique formula of shu uemura’s Eye Brow Gel gives the coverage of a powder, but is almost undetectable. Its fine and smooth texture glides into the gaps of each brow hair, filling the brows with sheer color.”
Eye brow Gel is waterproof, resistant to sebum, and reportedly has a long-lasting finish that stays perfect all day. The gel comes in five colors from lighter sheer color to deep defining shades: light brown, hazel brown, acorn brown, seal brown and forest black. Visit Shu Uemura here to get a better look at the colors.
I ordered seal brown as I recently dyed my hair and think black might be too dark. I can’t wait to try it out. Stay tuned!
In the spirit of great-looking brows, I’ve also been testing and trying products from several companies including Senna, Natural Born, Face Atelier and Steelo. So keep following Blended Beauté and see which products get our wink of approval.
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:
- Show and Tell: Ardell Brow Shaping Kit, click here.
- Beauté Spotlight: Shu Uemura Partial Cross Lashes, click here.
- Lash Out, click here.
There’s still time to take advantage of ARTISTRY’s Love It campaign before it ends TODAY at midnight. Visit our online store here for great skin care and makeup offers.
