Beauty Squared Round-Up for June 14

Hello and happy Sunday! It's been awhile, and for that, our apologies. We've got a lot of beauty links to share with you as a result.

Let's do this.

• Fashion Magazine's Beauty Panel shares their tips for achieving the dewy skin look.
  
• Temptalia has a review of Charlotte Tilbury's new Eyes to Mesmerise cream eyeshadows. See her thoughts on them here.
  
• Charlotte does one of her signature smokey eye looks on her mum, Patsy. See it here.
  
• Pixiwoo has a review of Benefit's new primer, License to Blot, on their blog. See what they think of it here.
  
• A great no-makeup makeup trick.
  
• Matte highlighter. Yes, it's real. Read about it here.
  
• A preview of OCC's summer collection, featuring Willem Bell from RuPaul's Drag Race fame.
  
• How to fix broken lipsticks.
  
• Did you know that you can refill your EOS lip balm containers? Here's how, or if you don't want to refill an EOS container, here how you can make your own lip balm in a regular container.
  
• Pimples. How to pop them properly and safely, if you must.
  
• A DIY rose water facial mist recipe.
  
• Can drinking tea improve your appearance?
  
• Hair plopping, for incredible curl definition. Here's how to do it.
   
• Tis the season for hair removal. Here are some shaving hacks.
  
• Here is what to do when razor burn happens.
  
• When artist Frida Kahlo died, her husband Diego Rivera had her things locked up in a room where they remained for over 15 years. Among Kahlo's possessions were two half-used bottles of Revlon nail polish. What about some other artists and their links to makeup?
  
• Bloglovin' has ten up-and-coming beauty bloggers you should know about. 

Goldeneye: Two Gold Eye Look Ideas and FOTDs

I've been really into wearing gold on my eyes lately. Typically, I prefer silver and copper as colours over gold, in jewellery, clothing and in general, but ever since falling in love with the Make Up For Ever Eye Pencil #20, a sort of antiquey gold. I wear it as a very simple liner on days when I want to go natural. It enhances the eye in a very subtle way, adding a lightness and sheen. Sometimes I line my eye, top and bottom, and sometimes just to the top.  

I really liked the effect this soft antiquey gold shade had on my skin and my eyes, so thought I'd show you a few ways I've come up with to wear gold on my eyes. 

The first look is one I love to wear with a red lip. With a red (or any bold shade) lip colour, you want to keep the rest of your makeup simple. I'm the queen of keeping my makeup simple, so here is a very simple look using OCC's Loose Colour Concentrate in Flawed (my review of it is here). It's a similar shade to the MUFE pencil, an antiquey gold-bronze. 

How's using only two eye colours for keeping it simple? Yup, I've got MAC's Wedge eyeshadow on my eyelid and smudged a bit heavier through my crease with Flawed pressed on top of my lid, as well as beneath my eye. The Wedge helps to give a bit of definition to the look. Since my eye look would be so simple, I used quite a bit of Flawed so the colour would really pop without looking too dramatic. I warmth of the shade flatters my eye colour as well. I applied MAC eye Kohl in Powersurge (another shimmery gold-bronze shade) on my waterline for more subtle definition. Tip: Powersurge Eye Kohl is fantastic for the waterline. It defines without closing in the eye like a black will.

*All products used in this and the following look were photographed together and the photo can be found at the end of this post. 

I applied Sephora's Advanced Lash Booster mascara to my top lashes and Clinique's Bottom Lash Mascara to my lower lashes. 

I wanted to keep my brows soft, so I used Wedge to fill them in and fill them out slightly, finishing them with Anastasia's clear brow gel. 

Oh, my base is Hourglass Immaculate Liquid Powder Foundation in Vanilla (see my review here), and a combination of OCC Skin Conceal in Y1 and MAC Select Cover-Up in NW20 under my eyes and on any red areas. I set the concealer with Ben Nye Neutral Set powder. 

On my cheeks is MAC The Perfect Cheek from the Marilyn collection - brushed beneath my cheekbones to contour. I wanted definition to keep my skin as clean as possible, and to allow the lips to take center stage. I did want to perk up my skin though (the Immaculate foundation is problematic on me - see my review) so I brushed MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Powder in Soft and Gentle to my cheekbones. It gives a subtle sheen and glow to the skin. 

On my lips is OCC Lip Tar in Vintage (see my review here), blotted down considerably so it's a bright red, not the deeper wine tone it can be. 

I really like the sophistication of this look. The gold makes it a little more playful, as does my fascinator which I don't wear enough.

The second golden eye look I wanted to show a less glam, retro look. This one is more colourful and playful but still simple and wearable. Again, I photographed the products I used for both these looks and that photo can be found at the very bottom of this post.

For this look, I started with the look above and added to it, but I did brush away most of the Flawed I was wearing on my eyes first as well as remove Vintage from my lips.

On my eyes, I layered MAC Solar Bits in Scatterrays. Solar Bits are "pearlized pigment clusters" which can be challenging to wear. Jill has said about MAC's crushed metallic pigments (see a review here) that they're not terribly usable, but they're SO PRETTY. It's true for Solar Bits as well. But I endeavour to not waste product by not using it and I wanted a very wearable gold shade for this look, Scatterrays is a "soft metallic peach with gold shimmer" so it's got pink and peach tones to it as well as the gold.

With a bit of MAC Mixing Medium on my brush, I dipped it into the Scatterrays and then patted it over my eyelid, focusing on just the lid area and sweeping it up into the crease. 

Then I used Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Rockstar - a dark purple - to line my eyes. On top, I smudged some MAC Mineralize Eyeshadow in My Dark Magic (see a post featuring it here) to deepen the effect. 

Using some Duo eyelash glue, I applied Benefit's Big Spender eyelashes. These lashes are super-cool but very stiff. I really needed to work them to get them to soften enough to fit the curve of my eyelids. They are thick lashes, but not crazy-long and they're angled out, so they give less of a doe-eyed look and more of a coy look.

After the glue had set on these, I smudged a bit more of My Dark Magic along my upper lash line. 

On my cheeks, I added some MAC Mineralize Blush in Warmth of Coral - a blend of coral and peach tones, and some more Soft and Gentle on top for a warm glow.

On my lips, I applied MAC Partial to Pink Cremesheen Gloss - golden pink creamy gloss. Since Vintage had stained my lips a little, the gloss looks a bit orange-y but works really well with the overall look. 

I really liked both of these looks and was kind of amazed at how different one is from the other.

Sophisticated Gold Eyes with Red Lips: bottom, clockwise starting at the top right: MAC Eyeshadow in Wedge, OCC Loose Colour Concentrate in Flawed, Sephora Advanced Lash Booster Mascara, Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara, MAC Eye Kohl in Powersurge, Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler, OCC Lip Tar in Vintage, MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Soft and Gentle and MAC Blush in The Perfect Cheek.

Purple-Gold Eye Look - top row, clockwise starting at the top right: Benefit Big Spender lashes, Duo Lash Glue, MAC Cremesheen Gloss in Partial to Pink, Urban Decay 24/7 Eye Pencil in Ransom.

How do you like to wear gold on your eyes?

C.

Beauty Squared Round-Up - October 13, 2013

Happy Thanksgiving to all our Canadian readers! 

Here are some of the best beauty-related links we've come across this week.

• Pale? Want to wear bronzer but don't know how? BeautyEditor.ca has a suggestion for you.
• Tracy over at Beauty Reflections take a look at some of Lush's Hallowe'en goodies. 
• Jane from Daly Beauty has found an inexpensive dupe for a high-end product. You'll love this one! 
• Ande from MakeMeOverAnde shows us some of Benefit's limited edition gift sets for the holiday season. 
• Marie Claire UK has compiled some inspiring body-related quotes from the gorgeous Kate Winslet.
• UK make-up artist Mary Greenwell's great makeup tutorial for over-50-year-olds is great for women of all ages. 
• Check out these fantastic portraits of famous men for Esquire's Life of Man. 
• Slathering your hair with coconut oil before bleaching it can keep your hair feeling soft, not crunchy.

Beauty Squared Round-Up - February 10, 2013

Lots to share with you in this week's Beauty Squared Round-Up, so let's dig in.

Textured pussywillow nails at the Creatures of Comfort S/S 2013 runway show. 

I feel like I might pick at them if I wore this.

BB creams - what is a BB cream? Much ado about BB creams.

Never mind BB creams, what the heck are CC creams and DD creams?

If you like to suntan, you may not want to click on this link. On the other hand, you probably should. 14 years of sunbed use revealed by a UV skin scan.

Moisturize, moisturize, exfoliate and moisturize! 

Samantha Chapman of Pixiwoo and Real Techniques offers her cold weather must-haves.

Sephora is now carrying butter LONDON! Not all of the shades, sadly, but it's a start.

butter LONDON's Sweetie Shop Spring 2013 collection is all about the candy-coloured pastels.

Beauty tips for when you're sick. Trust me, at least some of these will be useful to you.

Historical films struggle to get the details right, but increasingly the physical perfection of today's actors (perfect teeth, facial symmetry, gym bodies) are subverting the accuracy of historical characters.

Benefit Cosmetics has new packaging for its Creaseless Cream Eyeshadows (photo from Temptalia).

3D-printed jewellery made an appearance on the runway during the Kimberly Ovitz Fall/Winter 2013 runway show. 

Check out this GORGEOUS smoky eye tutorial from the Glitter Geek.

Are you practicing good fragrance behaviour?

Great advice on how to buy make-up brushes.

Another great video from MAC on contouring and highlighting.

Beauty Squared Round-up - January 13, 2012

Here are the most clickable beauty links we came across this week. Dig in!

For all you blue eyed lovelies out there, here are some tips for making your blue eyes bluer.

Here's a way of camouflaging your chipped nail polish. 

Bodybuilder Jenna Abbou is the new face of MAC.

How to not look sick and tired when you're feeling sick and tired via the lovely Arianne of the Glitter Geek. 

Edge up your eyeliner by giving it a squared-off end as in this look from Aquascutum. 

The chains of Proactiv. 

Great natural home remedies for some common beauty issues such as acne and calluses. 

For the first time, the mysterious hairdo of the ancient Roman vestal virgins has been recreated. 

Gah-mazing Bansky-inspired nail art. I'm so envious of people who can paint their nails like this!

Smashbox has collaborated with street artist Curtis Kulig for a graffiti-inspired collection.

Make-up tips for very, very fair skin types. 

Another swoonworthy product from Benefit, Fine One One, a cream highlighter, blush and contour stick. Here it is reviewed for Beautezine.com. 

Tentacle-like eyelash extensions were included in last week's round-up. Here are some more from the same Etsy shop. Definitely not for everyone.

butter LONDON's new Starkers collection is super-nude. Like pantyhose nude. 

The glamourous Dita von Teese does have casual days. Here she offers her tips for retaining glamour in everyday life.

Benefit POREfessional Review

Benefit's The POREfessional is a pore-minimizer that claims to quickly minimize the appearance of pores and fine lines for smoother-than-smooth skin! It can be applied alone, under or over makeup. It's silky, lightweight, translucent, and oil-free and acts as a primer to help makeup stay put.

I received a sample with a purchase I made at Sephora recently. I'm impressed lately with Benefit samples (see my recent review of CORALista) since they're clearly putting effort into packaging and for a company like Benefit whose packaging is on par with the desirability of the products, this is important.

My little tube of The POREfessional is 0.25 oz., plenty for a few applications.

I tried it on my cleansed, moisturized skin. I wouldn't use it on top of makeup simply because it'll smear the product. You shouldn't put cream or liquid products on top of powder products, that's a no brainer. So if you have large pores, you most likely have oily skin and if you wear makeup, it's probably a powder makeup or you have to powder your makeup to keep it in place. You wouldn't want to use this product on top of your makeup.

But I found it made quite a dramatic difference on the texture of my skin. I have large pores on my cheeks next to my nose, on my nose and on my forehead - the classic t-zone. This is where my skin is naturally a bit pinker than the rest of my face, and it's where my skin gets shiny during the day. 

The photos below show before and after application of The POREfessional. I found that The POREfessional reduced the shine on my skin, balanced the skin tone slightly and definitely minimized the look of my pores. My skin looked smoother, less pore-y and even-toned. I was impressed. 

I applied makeup as I normally would on top of The POREfessional and it definitely make a difference in the way my skin looked. I was also impressed with its primer capabilities. It held on for most of the day, my pores stayed minimized and my makeup stuck. 

Before

After

I would definitely buy a full-size tube of The POREfessional and recommend it to anyone who wants a primer or a pore minimizer.

It retails for $29 US for a 22 mL/0.75 US fl. oz. and is available wherever Benefit products are sold. 

Have you tried The POREfessional? 

C.

Benefit Cosmetics CORALista Face Powder Review and Swatches

CORALista is one of Benefit Cosmetics newest boxed face powders, one of their top-selling products. You may have heard of Benefit's Dandelion, Thrrob, Hoola, Bella Bamba, 10, Sugarbomb or Dallas box o'powders. They're all fairly sheer, shimmery powders that can be worn as a blush or an illuminating powder and cost $32 CDN. They come with a wooden handled flat brush for application, and while you don't have to use them, they do work well for these powders and are easy to use, not to mention highly portable since they sit inside the box in a little tray on top of the powder. 

CORALista is a warm coral-pink face powder with lots of shimmer. On my skin tone it works as a shimmery blush and I can also layer it on top of a blush for added colour and shimmer. I got a sample from Sephora on a recent visit and was impressed by the sample! You don't normally get blush and eyeshadow samples simply due to the fact that they'd need to be made especially. Check it out!

CORALista blush sample

CORALista blush sample

It's 0.1 oz (the regular size is 0.28 oz) so it's a decent size and will last a few uses. Of course, the regular size comes with the little wooden brush for application, but any blush brush will work for this sample.

CORALista blush sample

CORALista blush sample

Benefit claims that CORALista wakes up the skin, which is an astute claim - most shimmery coral blushes will do exactly that. And so CORALista does, see below.

I'm wearing only CORALista in these photos to show how much pigment it has (which is not a great deal), but for me it works for a sheer pop of colour and quite a lot of shine. A bit too much for work look which is what I'm wearing in these photos but it'd be very appropriate for an evening look.


CORALista, as with all of Benefit's box o'powders, a pleasant perfumey fragrance which might offend some users, but I don't find it overwhelming at all. Dior mascaras, for example, have a strong fragrance that I find offensive. 


There's a lot of talk in the blogosphere about CORALista being a dupe to NARS' legendary Orgasm blush. I haven't ever tried Orgasm apart from swatching it at Sephora, so I can't say for sure if they're dupes but our fellow bloggers can't be too far off. You get more for your buck with CORALista so it's simply a matter of preference which you choose. As I said before, a shimmery coral blush is going to be extremely flattering and give the skin a pretty, soft glow.


Have you tried CORALista? What do you think? Do you have any favourite Benefit box o'powders?


C.