More Urban Decay…

So this past weekend I was at the Rock the Bells concert on Governor’s Island in NYC. It was an outdoor concert so there I was in the sun ALL day sweating. Thankfully though my eye makeup (and deodorant) held up in over 90 degree weather for more than 12 hours. I first applied Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes on both my lower and upper lash lines. Then because I wanted an extra piece of flair (© Office Space), I used Urban Decay Liquid Liner on the top line to do a little cat eye.

I was amazed at how much of it still lasted! I mean, I know the awesomeness of MUFE Aqua Eyes having used it for maybe the last two years now, but it really stood the test after such an extreme situation. If I knew how to swim I’d test it after a few laps, too.

The Style and Beauty Doctor reader Tracey wrote in asking: “Hi Danielle. I don’t really wear a lot of make-up but one of the reasons why is because I can’t even get foundation to look smooth because I have large pores on my cheek areas. Is there anything for black skin that I can use to reduce pore size?”

Hey Tracey!

I tried to reply to your email to get more info from you like what foundation you use, but the email got sent back to me. If you’re reading this, please contact me again.

But I can answer this in general terms. To make pores appear smaller, after you wash your face, try giving it one last rinse of cold water. Your pores won’t disappear but this will make them not appear as large. Foundation primers (like Smashbox Photofinish Foundation Primer) help to smooth your pores and gives foundation a layer to “adhere to”. It should help to make your foundation apply more smooth. Apply your foundation in a downward motion making sure you blend all the way out (into the hairline and by the ears to avoid looking like you’re wearing a mask). Be sure to set with loose powder. Avoid any foundations with a dewy or luminous finish which will only highlight your pores.

You also want to make sure you keep your pores as clean as possible. This means making sure you cleanse at least twice daily with an oil-free cleanser, clearing the pores (try Biore Clear Pore Strips), and like most skin types, try to exfoliate once every 1-2 weeks. Scheduling a facial every once in a while can help, too.

Hope this helps!

*****

If you have a style or beauty question, contact me! Your question could appear on this site.

Ain’t she purty?

I also picked up Jazzed lipstick, a very pretty mid-tone bright coral that looks great on most skin tones. I might need to use a lip liner or another gloss on top to wear it out, but I could pull it off on its own depending on the occasion.

I knew I needed I Like it Like That lipstick, too when I swatched it at the Pro store last week (they were sold out). It’s a cool tone lightish pink that looks almost lavender-ish on.

I also got Call My Bluff lipstick because it seemed like the perfect nude—it is! It’s just a tad too light for me, but I can make it work.

Here’s swatches of all three lipsticks. Call My Bluff is swatched at the top but can be barely seen.

I thought I was done with my little In the Groove haul, but like most limited edition makeup collections, the second I see it on someone else’s blog, I want it…lol. So then I also got By Candelight MSF, a gorgeous light peachy gold with shimmer that isn’t too warm or too cool toned so it works on most skin tones. I use it as a higlighter for my NW47 skin and it’s soooo pretty. (BTW, all the MUAs at the MAC counter I went to had on I Like it Like That lipstick with black-rimmed eyes, manicured brows and super contoured cheeks—gorgeous!).

I’m not much of an eyeshadow person these days and I never really liked mineralized eyeshadows but after seeing swatches of Togetherness (grey, purple, and lavender–pictured and swatched above) and Style Influencer (dark peach, metallic blue, and frosty white–pictured and swatched below) mineralized eyeshadows, I had to have them…lol. These aren’t super metallic and sparkly like I’ve found with other mineralized shadows–they have a hint of shimmer and the finish is sooooo pretty! What I like most is that you have three eyeshadows in one little compact—perfect for on-the-go looks.

My hands were SUPER dry…lol. My bad.

Then because Sally Hansen’s No Chip Age Correct makes my manicures last a week, I’m loving nail polish again. I ordered China Glaze nail polish in Four Leaf Clover described on many sites as a Kelly Green but also many sites have said this color cannot be photographed in its true glory. I’m on board then! I actually wanted to order more shades from China Glaze’s Up and Away Collection (Peachy Keen, Sugar High, and High Hopes) that came out earlier this year, but my Sally’s doesn’t have it anymore and I did find it on Amazon via a seller’s store, but for 4 nail polishes, my total came up to $32. No bueno. I’ll just stick to one for now and cross my fingers I’ll find the rest in a random store one day…lol. Check out the collection swatches here.

P.S. The Style and Beauty Doctor reader (and my play cousin) Ebony asked me for a complete breakdown including skin care products I used for a look I twitpic’d on my way to the Lady Gaga concert Friday night in NYC. Check it out:

Please know that I take horrible pics…lol. And the heat got to my hair. Anyway, here’s the breakdown:

1. Since it was SUPER hot on Friday and I had been running around all day and had sat under the dryer at my salon, my face was HOT, greasy, and sweaty. So when I got home, I cleansed with both Perricone MD Nutritive Cleanser and LUSH Coalface Cleanser to remove my previous makeup and to get my skin back to clean. After that, I toned with Perricone MD Firming Facial Toner and moisturized with Clinique Even Better Moisturizer. After moisturizing, I took a paper towel and blotted my skin to remove any excess oils (a cool trick I picked up from Sam Fine’s makeup DVD).

2. Then I applied Laura Mercier Oil Free Tinted Moisturizer in Mocha using MAC #190 brush. Mocha is a new shade and I’m sooo glad they added it because Walnut was just a smidgen too light for me. BUT if you’re NW47 like me, make sure you get the Oil-Free Mocha TM. For some reason the regular Laura Mercier TM have the same shade name but the colors are different. The regular TM in Mocha is too light for me. I might buy a full bottle of this pretty soon as the sample I got from Sephora is about to run out…lol. I also blotted my face down with a paper towel after applying the TM to remove excess oils. I set with Make Up For Ever Super Matte Loose Powder in Caramel using MAC #187 brush. I normally set with Becca Loose Finishing Powder in Nutmeg, but my face gets too oily for it on super hot and humid days. I blotted again with a paper towel.

3. My brows had been freshly threaded earlier that day by Rajni at Aveda Natural Look in Queens Center mall I just brushed them up with MAC #204 brush. Rajni’s been doing my brows for the last 5 years and she’s the bomb! For my eyes, I used Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes in Mat Black 01 on my upper and bottom waterline. I love MUFE Aqua Eyes because it’s waterproof and lasts all day with only a tad bit of fading on the lash line on me. I went over the MUFE liner with Sephora Nano Eye Liner Pencil in Glitter Black on the top line and underneath the bottom waterline for a slight silver glittery look. I highlighted the inner corners of my eyes with Sephora Nano Eye Liner Pencil in Iced Brown. Finished with a coat and a half of Rimmel Glam’Eyes Lash Flirt.

4. For my cheeks, I broke out my new Illamasqua Blush in Tweak using MAC #168 brush. You can’t see it in the pics, but it’s a beautiful bright coral-pink. I applied it heavy and then set it with loose powder (using MAC #187 again) for a glowing from within look (plus I really love blush…lol). I added MAC By Candelight Mineralize Skinfinish on the tops of my cheekbones to highlight using Crown Brush Studio Series Flat Bronzer Brush C108 (it’s only $4!).

5. And on my lips is the shocking, glossy fire engine red Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tar in NSFW. And it sure ain’t safe for work! It’s a much brighter red than what you see in the pic and you have to be super careful because this stuff transfers on everything…lol. I used my fingers to apply it, but I seriously suggested using a brush like MAC #242 because this stuff stains like crazy). I had to woof down a taco on my way into Madison Square Garden for the Gaga concert since they don’t allow food in and got lip tar EVERYWHERE…lol. I didn’t care much about looking crazy because everybody looked crazy at the concert…lol.

6. Then I blotted my face again with a paper towel and set my makeup with a few spritzes of Urban Decay De Slick Makeup Setting Spray.

Tools of the Trade:

More M·A·C…

And that’s that!

So what did you do/buy this weekend?

Reader Appreciation Week continues!

You should know by now how much I L-O-V-E Becca Cosmetics particularly the Compact Concealer, Stick Foundation, and Fine Loose Finishing Powder. Well one of you lucky chicas is about to get hooked up with your very own Compact Concealer!

BECCA’s Compact Concealer contains two formulations within one slim compact. Highly pigmented to enable layering and mixing, it provides total camouflage for almost any skin problem including blemishes, scars, birthmarks, and under eye circles.

The Extra-cover version (left) is the most opaque and has a heavier, slightly drier consistency that provides exceptional camouflage ability and adheres well to the skin. This formulation is best used for spots and any blemish that requires heavier coverage. The Medium-cover version (right) is more sheer and creamy, and is best for broader coverage like the under eye area.

BECCA Compact Concealer comes in a large color range (33 shades) ensuring a perfect match for all skin tones so that the finish appears as natural as possible. Containing pure high-grade pharmaceutical mineral oil, which is not easily absorbed into the skin, this lightweight concealer provides excellent coverage that lasts all day.

Retail Price: $38
Availability/Credit: www.beccacosmetics.com

BECCA Compact Concealer is available at Beccacosmetics.com and fine retail boutiques nationwide

To enter, leave a comment including both what shade you wear and why you want to win. Sorry, U.S. residents only. Entries must be in by Friday, July 9th at 11:59 PM EST. You can find shade selections here and a shade selection chart here. If it helps at all, I’m NW47 and use the Almond Compact Concealer.

To increase your chances of winning:
* Follow StyleNBeautyDoc on Twitter and tweet the following: “Enter to win Becca Compact Concealer via @stylenbeautydoc http://bit.ly/dqSCUQ” OR Just hit the “Retweet” button on the top or bottom of this page while logged into Twitter.
* Like The Style and Beauty Doctor on Facebook and put the following in your status: “Enter to win Becca Compact Concealer from @The Style and Beauty Doctor http://www.thestyleandbeautydoctor.com/2010/07/reader-appreciation-week-becca-compact-concealer/” (make sure when you @ The Style and Beauty Doctor, it shows up as a link to The Style and Beauty Doctor’s Facebook Page)

Maybe it’s the extreme heat, but summer seems to make even the best of us lose our minds when it comes to getting dressed. To save you (and the world) from the effects of outfit-gone-wrong, I’ve put together some handy tips for summer dressing.

1. Take a good long and honest assessment of your body. Also take note of things you love and things you’re not too crazy about. It’s your body and there’s no use getting worked up about its size or shape–what matters most is that you understand your shape. Take a look at the Dressing for Your Body tab at the top of this page. Look for tips I’ve posted about what works best for your body type. And remember, plus and petite are sizes not shapes—so also look for what works for your shape. Still need help? Contact me.

2. Do show some skin, but don’t bare it all. Summer is the time to break out the shorts and miniskirts as well as tank tops. But be somewhat reserved in the amount of skin you show—if you’re wearing short shorts, don’t wear a revealing top and vice versa. You’ll look more fashionable.

3. Don’t wear tights or leggings as pants. This look didn’t work in the fall so it for sure won’t work in the summer. If I had $1 for every time I saw a troubled fashionista wearing sheer or super tight leggings like they were a pair of jeans just this weekend alone, I’d be one rich Style and Beauty Doctor. It just doesn’t look polished and many of us have jiggly parts that are highlighted once a pair of leggings hits our bodies with nothing to cover them. No spandex shorts either.

4. Pick a swimsuit that works for your body. Though you have more free reign over skimpy outfits at the beach, don’t get carried away. Check out my Swimsuit Guide for tips for your body type.

5. Too much bronzer. The idea is to look sun-kissed, not sun-baked. Control the application by using a fan brush and only applying bronzer where the sun would naturally hit (i.e. the hollows of the cheeks, the temples, the tip of the chin). Bronzer should be no more than 2 shades darker than your natural tone.

6. Too much foundation. Heck, too much everything! The summer is a time to lighten the load on your foundation and powder coverage while experimenting with bright shades on the cheeks, lips, and eyes. Go for tinted moisturizer or just loose powder on the face and go for more sheer finishes with everything else.

7. Raggedy feet. Not everyone is blessed with beautiful feet, but that’s no reason to walk around looking like a pterodactyl. Keep your feet soft by rubbing Vaseline in them before bed and then cover with socks. If you have pesky corns to cover, try T!ntalize Concealer.

Did I miss any Summer Don’t You Dares? Add yours in the comments.