Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes, $17 at Sephora

Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes is my HG (holy grail) eyeliner! Mat Black 0L is a black black that defines the eyes and won’t budge even on the waterline. I’ve been using this liner for maybe 2 years now and have to attest to its staying powers even most recently as I sat in a movie theatre and cried all through out Michael Jackson’s This Is It. It removes easily when you want it to with a gentle cleanser, makeup remover, or makeup wipes.

Make Up For Ever Face and Body Liquid Makeup, $42 at Sephora

Don’t underestimate this foundation’s powers just by judging its watery consistency because it actually packs quite a punch! It comes in 19 shades and gives the skin such a beautiful sheen. Just try and cry it off. For maximum effect with any foundation, be sure to use a foundation primer (Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer and IMAN Cosmetics Under Cover Agent Oil Control Primer are good ones) after you moisturize.

MAC Paint, $16.50 at Nordstrom

MAC Paint was the first Primer Potion when it came to making sure your eyeshadow stayed put. Apply a bit of this in a shade close to your skin tone (or one close to your eyeshadow color for major pop-age) all over your eyelid (you can even use your finger) and then apply your shadow before it dries. It will be really hard for your eye makeup to wash away with this stuff on–trust me, I’ve cried even the ugliest of cries and still had beautiful eyes afterward aside from the redness.

DiorShow Black Out Waterproof Mascara, $24 at Sephora

I’m not a fan of waterproof mascara because it can dry out my lashes and can make them come out in clumps, but if it’s absolutely necessary, I turn to DiorShow Black Out Waterproof Mascara. For special occasions (like weddings), I prefer wearing lashes. Check out How to Get Luxurious Lashes for tips on how to wear fake lashes.

P.S. Don’t forget to post your looks in the Shop Your Stash Challenge! Show some love to your favorite beauty products and get a chance to win a makeup organizer of your choice.

So right now I’m typing this while sitting in a pool of my own sweat because the people who own my apartment building turn the air conditioning on by the calendar date, not by extreme weather conditions. It’s been 90 degrees plus here in NYC since yesterday and no signs of breaking until maybe Wednesday or Thursday. My cute Sarah Jessica Parker Bitten tee may be drenched, but the makeup I put on earlier today is still flawless!

Here’s how to keep your makeup looking cool even when the weather’s not:

(starting from top. left to right) Cosmedicine Medi-Matte Oil Control Lotion SPF 20 $42 at Sephora; MAC Mineralize Skin Finish Natural $24.50 at MAC;Bare Escentuals Bare Minerals SPF 15 Foundation $25 at Sephora; MAC Neo Sci-Fi Sheertone Shimmer Blush $17.50 at MAC; MAC Paint Pot $16.50 at MAC; MAC Paint $16.50 at MAC; Urban Decay Primer Potion $16 at Sephora; MAC Eyeshadow $14 at MAC; DiorShow Waterproof Mascara $24 at Sephora; MAC Prep & Prime Lip $14.50 at MAC; MAC Lip Pencil $12.50 at MAC; MAC Neo Sci-Fi Tinted Lipglass $14 at MAC; MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack $15 at MAC; MAC Eye Kohl in Smolder $13.50 at MAC; MAC Fix+ Spray $15 at MAC; MAC Blot Powder $20 at MAC

Prep: An oil-free moisturizer keeps oil at bay
Foundation: Liquid and creme formulas can be too heavy for the heat; try a mineral version instead
Cheeks: Get a sun-kissed glow with a powder blush with slight-shimmer
Eyes: Give a great eye look staying power by first applying an eyeshadow base. Finish with a few coats of waterproof mascara
Lips: To get lip color to last longer, first apply a lip primer. Then fill in lips with a lip pencil either close to your natural lip color or the color of your lip product. Last, apply your favorite lipstick or lip gloss (gloss over lipstick makes for extra staying power)
Eye Liner: To get liner to stay put, first apply a gel liner then top it off with an eyeliner pencil
Blot & Fix: Use MAC Blot Powder to touch-up your makeup and combat shine all day long–it won’t interfere with your makeup at all. Then spritz MAC Fix + Spray to refresh your look

Note: I posted the original post almost exactly a year ago and I’m amazed at how the weather now hasn’t broken any where near what typical June weather calls for! What’s the weather like these days in your neck of the woods?

So it’s Monday morning and I’m already trying to use Jedi mind tricks to get the week to go by quickly…lol. Since it was nice enough this weekend, I decided to try and help stimulate the economy with a bit of shopping. Turns out I got some really great items:

Hudson Signature Boot Cut Jeans: I confessed not to long ago that I was retiring my skinny jeans (yet I wore them yesterday–go figure) in favor for boot cut and trouser cut styles. These are like my dream come true jeans! My hips are getting a bit out of hand so my body (and my emotions) are better off with the more flattering silhouette that a wider leg gives. Plus the dark denim wash is the perfect “Yes, I’m wearing jeans, but I’m a sophisticated lady” look.

Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder: I decided to try this out after reading a beauty editor at Glamour gush about it in the March issue (the one with the insanely beautiful Jennifer Connely on the cover). Try this with a tinted moisturizer, a shimmery creme blush, and then dust this powder all over for ridiculously good looking skin. I can’t wait to try this out on a client!

Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes in 3L: I have always highly recommend the Aqua Eyes in black for it’s stay-put black black qualities and I just had to have the iridescent navy.

Vincent Longo Liquid Eyeshadow: The first thing I thought when I saw this at Sephora was LIQUID EYESHADOW??? But when I tried it on the back of my hand, the beautiful finish that looked back at me was to die for! You wanna know that after more than 5 hours this eyeshadow swatch is STILL on my hands? That’s after rubbing at it with tissue, blotting it with makeup remover, and washing my hands a dozen times! (note: you will need an oil-based eye makeup remover to gently rub this stuff off) And another good thing about it—all Vincent Longo is now 75% off at Sephora so these babies are only $6 a piece!!! You’ll have to hightail it to your local Sephora though because the liquid eyeshadows are sold out on sephora.com. I picked up shades in Lovely Brown, Cream Flesh, and Supple Rose.

Bare Escentuals Buxom Lash Mascara: The power of this magnificent mascara lies in the design of its brush. Its patented, hourglass-shaped brush is designed to lift and separate every lash while delivering the perfect amount of antioxidant-rich mascara needed for bigger, fuller lashes.

Did you get anything over the weekend? If so, what did you get?

These are the products I couldn’t live without for both me and my clients! Check out which products kept us looking beautiful in ‘08:

Mac Studio Tech Foundation is my go-to foundation on photo shoots. It covers all types of imperfections without looking cakey. It can also be worn beyond the camera, but make sure you add sunscreen since this foundation doesn’t contain any. For those who love liquid foundation, I absolutely love NARS Balanced Foundation for the way it gives skin a fresh, dewy look. Becca Compact Concealer is a great cream concealer that provides total camouflage for almost any skin problem including blemishes, scars, birthmarks and under eye circles. It contains two highly pigmented formulations within one slim compact – Extra-cover and Medium-cover. This comes as no surprise that NARS Blush is on my list of Best in Beauty ‘08–this highly pigmented glorious product comes in a myriad of shades for every skin tone and gives a healthy, beautiful glow to the face. Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer gets skin ready for foundation by filling in fine lines and pores. Becca Fine Loose Finishing Powder finishes and sets foundation but most importantly it is lightly pigmented and micro-milled, creating a perfectly uniform, ultra thin layer that allows the skin’s natural oils to lightly shine through. The result ensures your foundation looks like real skin, with the added benefit of your makeup staying on all day. If you’re looking for a liquid concealer that covers dark under eye circles so that it appears as if they’ve disappeared, you need Stila Perfecting Concealer.

Urban Decay Primer Potion is an eyeshadow base that provides long-lasting, crease-proof, and vibrant eyeshadow. Because of their vast options in both color and texture, MAC Eyeshadows have been a favorite of mine for YEARS. Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes Eye Liner is a waterproof liner that creates a perfect line that will last all day—even through a crying fest. And speaking of crying fests, de-puff cried out eyes with Patrica Wexler M.D. Dermatology Fastscription™ Instant De-Puff Eye Gel. Too Faced Lash Injection Pin Point is an extreme defining, volumizing, and lengthening mascara. I get pretty lashes that don’t clump or flake when using this mascara. Duo Lash Glue in Dark and Ardell Fashion Lashes go hand-in-hand for glamorous lash looks.

MAC Lipstick and MAC Lipglass are definite must-haves for the lips. If you need to define your lips, MAC Lip Pencil is the perfect tool. The new craze in nails is Minx Nails–a a solid nail coating that comes in foil and sparkly metallics, photo-quality designs, and any color under the sun. But, that’s not all. Because Minx is made of film and not polish, it can be customized with any picture, photo, or logo. It also does not chip, smudge, or require any drying time!

Now that’s my list—what were some of your favorite beauty products in ‘08? What products would you like to see come out in ‘09?

Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer at Sephora;NARS The Multiple Duo at Sephora;Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes Eye Liner at Sephora;Cover Girl Lash Exact Mascara at drugstore.com;MAC Lipglass at MAC

Hey Melonie!

The world of makeup can be very intimidating—there’s so many different brands and products out there that all promise to make everyone look just like Kerry Washington or Charlize Theron. But luckily I’ve done tons of product testing in my day and can help you weed out the must-have items

First you want to start out by making the skin look flawless without having to worry about applying a heavy foundation. Try a tinted moisturizer like Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer . You can apply it all over with a makeup sponge or even with your fingers!

To keep things simple, look for multi-use products—they can be applied with your fingers, save space in your makeup bag, and have endless uses! I like NARS The Multiple Duo because it contains a shade that can be used for bronzing or contouring and another side that can be used as blush or a highlighter. AND both shades can be used to add some sparkle to your eyes.

I love using waterproof eyeliners like Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes Eye Liner because they can add definition to the eyes and for a little extra glam, you can smudge the line with your index finger for a slightly smokey eye look. Then be sure to top it off with two coats of mascara like Cover Girl Lash Exact Mascara . And of course you don’t want to forget about your lips, so try a sheer lip gloss like MAC Lipglass.

With just those 5 items, Mel, you can create a pretty daytime look and a sexy night time look. As your makeup skills progress, check out past posts like: Foundation 101, Blush 101, and Makeup Brushes 101.

See also:

evening makeup
blush
colorful makeup
dark skin
daytime makeup
eyebrows
fall/winter makeup
foundation
glow/shimmer
lips
makeup tools
smoky
urban glamour beauty tip

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