Published on April 2, 2009
by Megan Segura
As the winter winds down, you may find yourself looking in the mirror with a sort of dull grey film over your skin. The truth is all those months of bitter cold, lack of sun, and dry indoor heat has taken its toll on your face. You need to scrub away the past and perk up your pasty self, getting your skin in glowing condition.
The cheapest way to polish your complexion is by incorporating a face scrub into your beauty ritual. Do this every day for about a week, then take it down about every few days.
You can try my favorite inexpensive method of using a handful of regular white sugar (see my previous post My #1 Secret To Soft Skin–And It’s Cheap!) mixed with your daily cleanser or buy an exfoliator containing fruit enzymes to gently slough off dry old skin.
Another good exfoliating tactic is to use an electronic facial brush like the Clarisonic Skincare Brush .
Want to treat yourself to a pro treatment? A microdermabrasion treatment from your dermatologist instantly smoothes your skin and eliminates dullness. The new silk peel microdermabrasion uses a solution of hydroquinone for spot fading and penetrates deeply for truly fresh new skin. I like to treat myself to one of these at the start of each new season to jump start my glow, boost new cell growth and improve circulation.
A face primer will also help boost radiance. Try Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Inspired By Carmindy Luminizing Face Primer before you apply foundation. The light-reflecting particles create a radiance that will boost your glow, making you look refreshed.
You should also go for a rosy cream blush swirled on the apples of the cheeks. This trick can help any face look fresh and fabulous in seconds.
As an established makeup artist, many beauty brands send me samples of their latest products for consideration. I only write about the items that I truly love and I always abide by Daily Makeover’s Editorial Ethics Pledge in each of my Positively Beautiful posts.
Published on March 31, 2009
by Megan Segura
Mac Pigment in Melon
I’m a firm believer in accentuating the positive and bringing light to your natural assets. Highlighting the planes of your face draws attention to your natural beauty and creates a magical glow. I like to use cream highlighters for daytime so it looks like the glow is coming from within. I prefer powder highlighters for evening because they give off a little extra sparkle.
Fresh Satin Luster Palette
Highlighters should always be lighter than your skin tone so they create a radiant contrast to your natural coloring. If your skin is fair, choose sheer white, pink or iridescent highlight shades. One of my favorites is the Fresh Satin Luster Palette. For medium skin tones, go for champagne gold or sheer bronze colors like Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Inspired By Carmindy Natural Highlight in Gold Luster. There are two perfect shades in this palette that are so sheer, they create the perfect youthful dewy skin effect. For really dark skin, play with golden sunset colors like Mac Pigment in Melon for a stunning highlight.
The three key places to apply highlight are:
1 under the brow
2 on the inner corners of the eyes
3 top of the cheekbones
Apply creams with your fingers. For powder highlighters, I love the Stila #30 double-ended shadow brush. One side is the perfect size to fit on the inner corners, and then just flip it over and sweep the shadow under the brow.
So showcase your beauty with shimmering highlight and glow forth my beaming beauties!
As an established makeup artist, many beauty brands send me samples of their latest products for consideration. I only write about the items that I truly love and I always abide by Daily Makeover’s Editorial Ethics Pledge in each of my Positively Beautiful posts.
Published on March 24, 2009
by Megan Segura
I am truly inspired by the new Chantecaille La Baleine Bleue Eye Shadow Compacts. They are so pretty you want to display them on a shelf in your home! These shimmering compacts are imprinted with an image of a blue whale and her calf. How wonderful it is that when you purchase one, you are helping to save one of the most majestic creatures on our planet.
The great blue whale is one of the largest animals in the world and hundreds of them are dying each year by getting caught up in fishing nets. Thousands are still being hunted in parts of the world despite efforts to stop the slaughter. Chantecaille is donating five percent of the sales of their entire La Baleine Spring Collection to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). This group helps in the efforts to protect these amazing whales and the environment they live in. Blue whales represent health and harmony on our planet and I can’t think of a better way to give back when it comes to buying makeup.
The shades are perfect for spring and right on point with the new color trends. They way I apply these shadows is by sweeping on the lightest shade under the brow and on the inner corners. Next, apply the blue shades swirled together across the lid from the lash line to the crease. Skip eyeliner and sweep on black mascara. Apply a cream blush to the apples of the cheeks in a peach shade and finish off the look with a light peach gloss.
It is worth the $98 price tag to know you are contributing to the beauty of the ocean as well as making yourself beautiful too.
As an established makeup artist, many beauty brands send me samples of their latest products for consideration. I only write about the items that I truly love and I always abide by Daily Makeover’s Editorial Ethics Pledge in each of my Positively Beautiful posts.
Published on March 20, 2009
by Megan Segura
Spring is my favorite time of year, especially when it comes to makeup. It’s a chance to play with fun sheer washes of bright new colors and really wake up the face from the cold winter doldrums. Every spring I pick a few of the seasons newest trends and try to incorporate them into my daily makeup routine to jazz it up a bit.
Now I know what works and what doesn’t and you should too, so just because electric blue on the eyes was seen at the hottest runway show of the season does not mean you need to walk into a dinner party looking like a bad 80′s throwback. The trick is to interpret the trends and not take them too literally. Simply be inspired by the latest and greatest and make it your own. That is the sign of a truly fabulous woman!
Blooming Cheeks
This season my most favorite trend was the flushed cheek as seen at the Three As Four and Carolina Herrera runway shows. A bloom of color in coral or pink on the apples of your cheeks is a fresh way to look youthful and alive. It also is a good universal look that works on all women. For drier skin try Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Inspired By Carmindy Sheerest Cream Blush in Beaming and for oily skin try Natural Powder Blush in Cherub.
Aqua Eyes
Gucci is always over the top fabulous when it comes to the eye makeup and this season they played with a gorgeous shade of aqua splashed across the lid paired with a slick of peach gloss on the lips. This is where you need to be inspired not take it literally. Try a soft wash of this shade applied with a very light hand just on the upper lid and skip liner for a realistic version or go for an aqua eyeliner pencil smudged along the upper lash line only. Try Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes Collection Liner in Turquoise 7L.
Tan + Red = Sexy
Most people would not put these two beauties together, but a bronze tan and a red lip go hand in hand. As seen at the Michael Kors show this look is very sexy for a hot night out in a strapless little dress. The tan better be fake so spray a sponge with Era Rayz Bronzer by Classified Cosmetics and dab it along the temples, hairline and under the cheekbones. On the lips stay away from heavier opaque lipsticks and go for a red that is sheer and light. I like a stain with a little sheer gloss on top, which looks much better in the hotter months. I like Benefits Pocket Pal Lip Stain.
Whatever your flavor, play with at least one of the seasons hottest new shades and be on top of your game!
As an established makeup artist, many beauty brands send me samples of their latest products for consideration. I only write about the items that I truly love and I always abide by Daily Makeover’s Editorial Ethics Pledge in each of my Positively Beautiful posts.
Published on March 12, 2009
by Megan Segura
You know we all crave those doe-eyed fringy lashes that babies and boys seem to always get instead of us! We paint and sweep our own eyelashes with every kind of goopy mascara out there with high hopes of transforming them into thick frames of loveliness. Oh, how nice it would be to have them naturally and never have to worry again about stubby or sparse eye fringe coated with paint!
Can longer lusher lashes really happen with a magic serum? Is it possible science has stumbled upon a miracle?
My good friend and Miami-based dermatologist Dr. Alicia Barba turned me on to the new beauty phenomenon Latisse, a FDA-approved prescription treatment that claims to make lashes grow longer, fuller, and darker. She explained that the solution takes nightly applications with results in 4 weeks and full results in 16 weeks. The solution is painted on the lash line with little disposable brush applicators and your lashes will experience real measurable growth.
Well, I was sold and set out to be my own guinea pig and see if the stuff really worked. Sure enough, after about 4 weeks, I saw a major difference in the length of my lashes, though no difference in color or thickness. I celebrated my new lashes by putting on a double dose of mascara to really show off their amazing length. The only side effect I experienced was redness along my lash lines, but it was well worth it. Some women have experienced itchiness, but I had no problem. After the full 16 week course, my lashes have remained nice and long, the redness has completely gone away and I now believe in miracles!
Before/after sample from the Latisse website
As an established makeup artist, many beauty brands send me samples of their latest products for consideration. I only write about the items that I truly love and I always abide by Daily Makeover’s Editorial Ethics Pledge in each of my Positively Beautiful posts.
