7 Quick & Easy Beauty Tips

Gotta love Liz & her feisty approach to life!

Do you pin?

Last year I blogged about my love of Pinterest.  It’s such a great way to catalog and pin-board ideas, interests and passions covering any topic. It’s also a wonderful social media tool for building an online community where you can gather all sorts of inspiration along the way. And it’s not just restricted to the ladies, men are getting in on the pin-sanity too! I don’t pin as much as I used to, but due to the amount of boards I’ve created, my following continues to flourish daily which is another perk of providing quality content. I’m in the process of cleaning up & organizing my boards, a project that will take some time to finish considering I’ve accumulated over 12,000 pins in the last three years or so.

At least my ‘Looks’ board revamp is complete and with only 140 pins (so far). I try to pin looks and tips that not only appeal to me, but that I’d like to eventually try out on myself or a willing participant. Makeup and beauty tips that are simple, quick, and aren’t restricted to a particular brand or tool are most ideal, since they can be modified & customized depending upon eye shape, skin tone, or skin type.

7 Quick & Easy Beauty Tips anyone can use

I know lots of women are confused about makeup brushes. I was too, prior to beauty school, but I have a better understanding now and this cheat-sheet is a great guide to eliminate some of the confusion.

How to make your real lashes look fake! Step 1. Line the root of your eyelashes with eyeliner pencil or liquid. 2. Curl your eyelashes with a lash curler. 3. Use a brush to dust your eyelashes with translucent powder (eyes closed) 4. Apply mascara. VOILA! Adding translucent powder to your eyelashes before mascara makes them look thicker and longer!

We tend to keep makeup forever without giving much thought to it going bad, but it can lose its effectiveness over time, experience a change in consistency, color, or worse yet, become a health hazard full of germs and bacteria.

I love this simple and easy guide for creating a go-to smokey eye look for evening. You’ll need black pencil liner, a firm-tipped blender brush, dark brown shadow, vanilla shadow, small blender brush, flat firm-tipped blender brush for liner on lower lash, mascara, and you’re all set!

PRO Tip: Twist, don’t pump your mascara wand in the tube — it lessens the amount of trapped air, which can create bacteria.

More info on brush types since many tutorials simply refer to brushes by name and they don’t always include pics…

HOW TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING:

Celebrities have access to the best of the best when it comes to their red-carpet looks but sometimes even their glam squads get it all wrong! Here’s my suggestion for preventing this from happening: Always wear liquid foundation when being photographed. Now, I haven’t worn liquid makeup in two years, as I love the finish provided by mineral powder, but it’s not the best idea with flash photography. The results can appear ashy and washed out, and nobody wants that! Liquid is more forgiving, offers better coverage and provides a creamier, dewier finish, whereas powder clings to the skin which can look dry and harsh when professionally photographed. Lastly, avoid highlighting skin with frosted makeup or using a frosty blush when photographed, it can cast a harsh shadow, as shown above.

Oh and one more thing! I swear I could talk about makeup forever… but primer… don’t forget to wear primer under liquid foundation, especially if you have larger pores, fine lines or oily skin. It helps to create a smoother canvas for your foundation and adds a barrier between your skin and your makeup, preventing it from settling deep into your pores or lines. I view it as a form of protection or shield, if you will.. so don’t be afraid of primer if you’re a makeup novice. I’ve tried many, and finding the right one is key! Be sure not to apply too much. I was guilty of applying too much at first, and then couldn’t figure out why it failed to work. A dime sized amount is enough for your entire face, but be sure skin isn’t too dry or it can turn out patchy and draw attention to the dry spots. Simply exfoliate first, followed by a good moisturizer for your skin type and allow it to absorb before applying primer. Once you’ve applied it, allow it to settle for a few minutes before proceeding with concealer & foundation…

Ok, I’m done for now… hope you found something helpful here. 🙂

V.Nikol