Blushes for Spring 2014

Hey. I feel weird posting this because I feel like spring is already basically over. But I'm posting it anyway because I love these blushes too much! And I'll be keeping up the look I talked about in the previous post for a while longer. Here we go! Where we'll stop, nobody knows!!!

Milani Baked Powder Blush in Red Vino

I've already ranted and raved about how much I love this blush. It really just makes you look like you're flushed, and it's gorgeous! It packs quite a punch, though, so build it up slowly!

Milani Baked Powder Blush in Bella Rosa

This is great for a lighter flush. It still has the red in it like your blood so it can simulate a blush, but the pink in it makes it look younger. I wish the camera was doing it justice. You need to go wherever Milani is sold near you, and take a look!

Jordana Blush Powder in Apple Cheeks

I bought this at the same time I bough Bella Rosa because I was hoping it would be a dupe. Milani and Jordana are owned by the same people, so sometimes there's a little bit of crossover. And if wasn't a dupe for Bella Rosa, I was hoping it would be a dupe for a discontinued blush from the Milani minerals blush line, Mai Tai. I haven't compared them yet (whoops), but I don't care if they're dupes--I love the blush all by itself! It's a bit more warm toned, kinda red, kinda orange. If I thought it would be a dupe for Bella Rosa, the lighting must have been playing tricks on my eyes in the store! I think I was also influenced by the name.

Ioni Powder Blush in Ecstasy

Most of the blushes I recommend for the look fall more on the cool side of the spectrum, but a warm-toned blush can also provide a beautiful flush. This blush does it quite well. The warm tones make you look more summery, though. I often wear this when I have a blue eye look going on.

Wet n Wild ColorIcon Blusher in Heather Silk

This is kind of the epitome of a rose blush. It's muted and soft, but it still shows up. It gives a gorgeous flush if you're aiming for a more subtle look. It's a bit more difficult to be subtle with the first two blushes.

Flower Beauty Ready, Set, Glow!
Blush/Bronzer Duo in Gloriously Golden

And when I'm not wanting a super flushed look, a matte light pink blush gives just the right touch to give your face color and brightness. I wore this without any kind of base (i.e. no foundation, cream blush, etc.) and it surprised me with its behavior. It didn't stand out as a color, but it just kind of worked into my skin to make my cheeks look tinged. It looked really natural. I liked it a lot. If I put a base under it, it stands out much more as a color of its own.

E.L.F. Studio Blush in Pink Passion

And here you can see the effect sunlight can have on makeup! Over the past year this blush has been pretty regularly exposed to light, and the top has been bleached from sun light coming in through the little window in the packaging. This blush is a good option if you don't want to buy the Flower Beauty blush. They're pretty similar in color, and the E.L.F. blush is only $3 compared to $10. Plus, the E.L.F. product is just a blush, so if you don't care about the bronzer and want to save money, go for Pink Passion.

I hope you have a wonderful day!

~Stacie

Here's a doodle I made. This is the kind of blush I'm thinking of when I apply blush. I hope you enjoy the silly doodle that got a little out of hand.

My Spring Makeup Look

Hey! Yes, I'm still alive. It's been far too long since my last post. I've been meaning to do this for so long, but circumstances have been preventing me, along with a hint of procrastination. But I'm finally getting around to things. This will be a series of posts about what I like doing with my makeup for this spring, and probably into the early summer as well. Enjoy!

My inspiration is from two things: youth and freshness, and the early 20th century. As you can see, the key elements are dark, thick, wispy lashes, bold blush, a fresh, coordinating lip color, full eyebrows, and a pop of color on the lids. In order of importance and reason:

1. Blush: I took a lot of inspiration from the early 20th century when makeup was starting to make its way into the heart of the everyday woman. One of the very first things women started using was rouge. What's so great about rouge (or in today's terms, blush)? It simulates the rosy complexion associated with youth and health. It also helps you look awake. So if you're running late and don't have much time to put makeup on, if you reach for anything, it should be blush. Besides all those things, I was drawing from the flower and mainly rose-themed trend I've seen companies promoting. I think rosy toned blushes make you look so gorgeously flushed and youthful. 
2. Mascara: Another symbol of youth and femininity is dark, fluttery lashes. I think it looks so fresh and cute to have flushed cheeks and full lashes. In my mind, these are the epitome of girliness, and in the spring I think it's when we start dusting off the cobwebs and seeking out more relationships, possibly of the romantic variety? 
3. Brow powder: Brows are very important element of any makeup. It's weird to think about since it's just hair above our eyes, but they give us a means to express ourselves. They really help frame your face, and can even make or break a look. Believe it or not, full brows are also a sign of youth. For this spring look, it's best to skip heavy waxes and pencils, and just stick to powder. It gives the softest look, and is harder to overdo (though it can still be done, so be careful!). Filling in brows with a powder and then combing through them with a spoolie gives a nice, soft look. We want full brows, not man brows. It can be a bit of a tightrope walking act between the two, sometimes.
4. Eyeliner: To help fake thicker lashes, smudging black eyeliner along your lash line works wonders.
5. Lip product: What's the point of having a glowing complexion, only to have dry crusty lips? It defeats all the other work. Even just keeping your lips hydrated with a colorless balm is better than nothing. It adds a little something more to dab on a coordinating lipstick, gloss, or balm. Having similar shades of cheeks and lips makes it slightly more "believable" that it's actually your coloring instead of makeup! Just make sure to keep the lip color light and not thick, dark, and opaque. I like using my tinted lip balms from this post.
6. Eye shadow: This is the least important part of the look. It doesn't help you look younger to add color to your lids, but I think it's fun. The idea is to pick a light shade and keep it to the lid. If it's too dark or goes very far above the crease, it can take away from the lashes and the freshness of the look. I like to continue playing off the idea of floral colors, so green, pink, purple/lavender, or anything found in nature/flowers.

As to the canvas for the makeup, I've only been using a tinted moisturizer so the blush has something to stick to rather than for coverage. If you have the need for coverage, then try to keep it light by spot treating with concealer. I don't really bother with highlighter because the tinted moisturizer gives me enough of a dewy look, along with the fact that I'm starting to get oilier skin as the weather warms up. In fact, I'll probably have to start really bringing in powder as the weather gets even hotter. 

So there's the basic method to my madness. I'll be doing some follow-up blogs on recommendations for blush and eye shadow, and also showing some looks I've put together. Have a good day, and I'll talk to you soon!

~Stacie

What's going on?

I haven't posted in a little while, and here's why. I spent a considerable portion of last week sick, and now the weather is horrible, so I can't get good lighting to take pictures for blog posts. That's about it. I'm trying to work on something that's pretty involved time-wise, so it's taking a while to get all the photos taken for it. Unfortunately, the gloomy weather is going to be hanging around my neck of the woods for a while, I think. Just hang in there! Hopefully the sun will shine this weekend :)

I'll talk to you eventually!
Stacie