Dark and Mysterious - a lip tutorial

Hello darlings,

This evening I've had a special request to do a tutorial on how to wear  dark lip color.
Despite it being 81 degrees in San Diego today it is still winter thus, I say wear more dark lips!!
Dark lips can be a challenge! Don't think you can pull it off? Nonsense, I believe in you!

Obstacles to overcome:
-You think it looks bad. This is likely because you simply aren't used to seeing yourself in a darker lip color. You look great, own it!
-Let's face it, dark lips can get messy! You MUST use a lipliner. No exceptions.
-Good lip prep is a necessity. Exfoliate and hydrate before you pop that color on.

Let's go over the steps to own that dark lip.

1. Prep. Exfoliate: Get rid of dead skin on the lips that can cause texture and make the lip color look uneven. Scrub with a washcloth or an amazing lip scrub like Lush's Mint Julips Lip Scrub. Hydrate: Now that your smackers are baby smooth make sure you give them what they're craving: Moisture! Try Bobbi Brown's Lip Balm to soften them up to make sure your lip color glides on like butta'.

2. Secure. Like I said before, dark lips can get messy! To make sure your color stays in the lines I like to apply a face powder all over the area just surrounding the lips. This makes sure any oil gets wicked away and won't cause the color to bleed. Next apply your lip liner. For this dark of color, I personally like to use a shade that is a teeeeny bit darker for added drama. If that freaks you out, by all means use one that matches closer. Note: It doesn't have to be perfect on the inside just try to line as sharply as you can near the cupid's bow and around the edges. You can always clean it up with some remover if you make a mistake. I used MAC's nightmoth for this look.

3. Perfect. Now apply your color in the lines. I applied right out of the tube for this look, but feel free to use a lip brush for added precision. One applied rub your lips together to blend the color and you can go back with your lipliner to smooth out any areas that need perfecting. I used MAC's Diva. If this is too matte for you you can always add a lip gloss over the top. **Make sure you carry your color with you since you will without a doubt need a touch up.

Now that you have mastered the darkness, you may be stuck when it comes to what you are "allowed" to pair with it. My vote is to keep it simple. If you're wearing a dark lip, they should be the focus of your face. Tone down the eyes and cheeks with neutrals and let the lips run the show.

Products I used:
Face:
Bobbi Brown Foundation Stick in Sand
Bobbi Brown Corrector in Extra Light Bisque
Bobbi Brown Concealer in Cool Sand
Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Power 

Contour: Kevin Aucoin Sculpting Powder in Medium  
Bobbi Brown Blush in Tawny
Highlight: MAC Belightful (tragically discontinued)

Eyes:
MAC Soft Ochre Prolongwear Paint Pot
Smashbox Full Exposure Palette
Chanel Le Volume mascara

Woo. Sorry that was l o n g.

I'd love to hear any feed back from you and will happily take any questions you have!

until next time.

xoxo. LP

Starting a Skin Care Routine

Oh the skincare routine... Don’t have one? Start one! Having a routine will not only help your skin look and feel better on a daily basis, it will make a world of difference on your big day for your makeup (and let’s be honest—your makeup artist too!)…not to mention some assistance in aging gracefully. Here are a few tips, tricks and product recommendations to add to (or begin) your skincare routine. **If your wedding or event is less than 2 weeks away, I do not recommend starting or adding any unfamiliar products to your routine in case an unwanted reaction occurs!**


CLEANSE! This is the most important thing you can do. Even if it is just taking your makeup off with a makeup wipe (I like the Neutrogena ones), TAKE IT OFF! Your skin and eyes need to breathe and have a break from the stuff we pile on our faces daily.  Leaving mascara on the lashes while you sleep makes then dry and brittle (you should be going for full and soft), and let’s not even turn down the nasty road of potential eye infections. Even if you’re not a daily makeup wearer, dirt and environmental toxins and free radicals take a toll on the face if you don’t cleanse. Giving the face a refreshing wash before bed and in the morning will set you up for a glowing complexion and help the rest of your skincare products to sink in and work better. 

1. Neutrogena Make-up remover wipes 2. Bobbi Brown’s Hydrating Rich Cream Cleanser 3.Trader Joe’s - Nourish cleanser 4. Laura Mercier foaming one-step cleanser 5. Clarisonic Cleanser

Product recommendations: Laura Mercier foaming one-step cleanser good for normal to oily skin. This oil-free beauty packs a cleanser, toner, and a makeup remover all in one foamy pump to take the day off in one easy step.  I am also newly obsessed with the Nourish cleanser from Trader Joe’s! It's extremely gentle, and leaves your skin feeling wonderfully clean, without any tight, dry feeling. And for $6 you can’t beat it! For those of you with drier skin types try Bobbi Brown’s Hydrating Rich Cream Cleanser.  It’s formulated with rich emollients and Enriched Mineral Water Blend to cleanse, purify and remove all traces of dirt and makeup without stripping skin of moisture.

Gadgets: I swear by my Clarisonic- Developed by the lead inventor of the Sonicare toothbrush, this fancy device goes beyond cleansing by using sonic technology to gently and deeply cleanse pores. It removes six times more makeup than manual cleansing so that products absorb better, making skin more receptive to skincare ingredients. With regular daily use, it reduces dry skin patches, oily areas and blemishes and immediately leaves skin feeling and looking smoother. Warning! When you first start using this you may be a little shinier than normal and break out a bit, but that’s all the toxins making a mass exodus from your face. Stick with it! You’ll see the results soon enough ;)  Ps. I haven’t tried the Olay ProX tool, but it claims similar results and is super reasonably priced! If you have tried this one, please let me know your experience.


HYDRATE! Not only is it important to drink enough water daily, but using a skin-type appropriate moisturizer for the face and an eye cream for the eye area is another critical step in taking care of that beautiful face!  Why a different product for each area, you ask? I know, I know, it’s annoying to have to splurge on two separate products, but it is absolutely necessary since your face area and eye area have drastically different needs. Let’s start with the face: The skin on the face is thicker and heartier than the skin around your eye and thus needs a thicker and heartier moisturizer, lotion or cream. Note: it is important to hydrate even if you’re oily. If you don’t, your skin will compensate by overproducing oil, which equals even oilier skin! Hydrated skin will show less texture and hold onto makeup longer. With great skin less makeup is needed.  Now, the reason it is so important to hydrate and pamper the under eye area is because this skin is so paper thin! A good visual comparison: skin on the face = construction paper and skin under the eye = tissue paper. Eyes are the first place you see signs of stress and the first place that will start to show age. A good eye cream, any eye cream really, will help that thin, delicate area line-free and de-puffed as long as possible! Not to mention that a dry eye area doesn’t play nice with products like concealer and eye shadow primer! Get your mug camera ready and hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!

I should add that I don’t care for skin care products with fragrances added to them, I’m a sensitive bug, and I just don’t believe that fragrance helps your skin. The less additives the better!

1. Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream 2. Bobbi Brown’s Hydrating Face Cream 3. Benefit's - It’s Potent! Eye Cream 4. Kiehl’s Oil-Free Sodium PCA Moisturizer 5. Bobbi Brown’s Extra Repair Eye Cream 6.Laura Mercier's Face Polish 7. Clinique's - All About Lips 8. Bobbi Brown's Lip Balm

Products: For dry skin, I love Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream. This daily hydrator leaves skin comfortable and calm. Plus, it helps reduce moisture loss during the day. For normal to dry skin Bobbi Brown’s Hydrating Face Cream is a-maz-ing!  This baby hydrates and steadily releases moisture, skin conditioners and nutrients throughout the day. Skin is smooth and plumped; makeup stays fresh and glowing thanks to a combo of hydrating ingredients. For combination to oily skin: Kiehl’s Oil-Free Sodium PCA Moisturizer. This cream is lightweight and won’t clog pores!

I am loving the new It’s Potent! Eye Cream from Benefit Cosmetics. It helps fade dark circles and helps to smooth the appearance of fine lines for brighter eyes. For a true treatment of the eye area try Bobbi Brown’s Extra Repair Eye Cream – My all time favorite! This heavy-duty cream dries down enough to be used under makeup, but packs a mean punch when it comes to dryness, puffiness, darkness, and wrinkles. A teeny bit of this cream in the morning and at night will make a world of difference if you struggle with any of the above eye issues.


EXTRAS: Exfoliating the face and lips will help shed any dead skin cells and let your glowing skin show through! Washing your face with a washcloth in the evening a couple nights a week can help and try adding a facial scrub. My personal fave is Laura Mercier’s Face Polish.  Your skin will be baby smooth and you’ll never go back!  Don’t forget to hydrate your pout with Lip balm! Hydrate those babies so your wedding day lip color goes on smooth and stays fresh longer. Try Clinique’s All About Lips and Bobbi Brown’s Lip Balm.

I welcome your questions and feedback! If you have a must-try product I’d love to hear about it! Email me at blushingMUA@gmail.com!

Until next time. 

xoxo. LP