Showing posts with label Too Faced. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Too Faced. Show all posts

Friday, December 11, 2009

Guiltless Goodies: Leona Lewis glitters in InStyle






Hi all!

InStyle magazine’s December issue featured one of my favourite singers – British vocal powerhouse Leona Lewis – in the season’s sparkliest make-up. As if you couldn’t tell from my recent posts, glitter and sparkle is super in this season, and it certainly makes it easy to feel festive.


See below for the three different colour-themed looks that Leona sported and my ‘kind’ versions of the products the magazine recommended to create each look (I sourced totally different products that still would create the same make-up effect because, to be frank, at least three out of the four products listed for each look were tested on animals).



You don't have to be cruel to be kind,
GiGi


Ultra-Violet Femme
How to do it: Makeup artist Mariel Barrera blended silver shadow over Lewis’ lids and creases and purple on her brow bones and near the tear ducts. “The purple balances out the intensity of the silver and creates a subtle highlight,” Berrera explains. Next, she applied black eyeliner inside the lower rims of eyes before swiping lashes with three coats of mascara. She finished with bronze blush and frosty pink lipstick.


1. Black eyeliner – mark Eyemarker Color On Line in Jet, $5.50, meetmark.com



2. Eyeshadow – Revlon Illuminance Crème Shadow in Wild Orchids, $6.50, drugstores



3. Black mascara – Too Faced Lashlight Mascara, $25, toofaced.com



4. Frosty pink lipstick – Make Up For Ever Glossy Full Pastel Mauve #9, $19, makeupforever.com



5. Bronze blush – Physicians Formula Organic Wear 100% Natural Origin 2-in-1 Bronzer & Blush, $14, drugstores

Golden Girl
How to do it: To give skin a high-watt glow, Barrera swirled a dime-size amount of liquid highlighter onto Lewis’s temples, cheeks and jawline. “Always avoid the T-zone when using shimmer,” says Barrera. “It will keep you from looking too shiny.” Next, Barrera brushed a light-reflecting powder over Lewis’ entire face “to set the highlighter and even out her skin tone.” Then she used a gold face highlighter as an eye shadow, blending it over Lewis’ lids, with extra emphasis under brow bones and at the inner corners of eyes. To complete the look, Barrera used her fingers to apply a dab of shimmery bronze gloss on lips.


1. Highlighter – Chantecaille Lumiere de Rose highlighter, $36, chantecaille.com (InStyle’s original pick)

2. Light-reflecting powder – BeneFit box o’ powder in dallas, $28, benefitcosmetics.com



3. Gold highlighter – e.l.f. Brightening Eye Color in Butternut, $1.50, drugstores

4. Bronze lip gloss – Almay Ideal lipgloss in Coffee Shimmer, $6, drugstores

Berry Pretty
How to do it: Because lips were the focus, Barrera used neutral shadows to subtly accent Lewis’ eyes. She blended gold over lids, champagne under brow bones, and bronze under lower lash lines. “I didn’t want the lips to beg for attention, so I chose a semi-sheer brick colour instead of a true red,” says Barrera, who used a small stiff brush to apply. To make lips a bit more festive, she added a touch of silver-flecked gloss to the middle of Lewis’ lips. “When you keep the gloss in the middle, it makes lips look fuller,” says Barrera. She finished the look with a light dusting of apricot blush.


1. Neutral eye colours – Wet ‘n’ Wild MegaEyes Eyeshadow Trios in Egyptian Sands, $3, drugstores



2. Berry lipstick – N.Y.C. ultra last lipwear in Red Flame, $1.99, newyorkcolor.com



3. Blush - Rockstar Cosmetics Camera Ready Blush in Fantasia, $14 from myrockstarcosmetics.com



4. Silver-flecked gloss – Smashbox Lip Enhancing gloss in Radiant, $18, sephora.com (InStyle’s original pick)

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Guiltless Goodies: Guiltless gifts for the holiday season!

Hi all!

It's been a while since I last editorialized on the reasons I am doing this blog, so I thought I'd preface this post with a reminder about my motivations. Please bear with me, it's an important message that I will restrain from repeating too often but it is, I feel, worth a read as a reminder from time to time.


It is important to have a conscience. Especially in today's world, which is often corrupt and capitalist.


Companies like to make money; the bottom line is that they are entirely focused on their bottom line. Sadly, in order to meet their financial goals, many of them look for the cheap way out - not caring who or what they hurt in the process. There are all kinds of problems that have emerged because of this competitive attitude: sweat shops, fur farms and child labour are just a few. The cruelties of the leather and fur industries, the realities of poorly-regulated animal testing that still takes place in overcrowded laboratories - it is overwhelming and can make any consumer feel disturbed and powerless. However, if the companies' concern is their bottom line, that is something that everyone, as a consumer, can impact.


Major designers such as Max Azria (owner of the BCBG group) and Stella McCartney (whose line is vegan, meaning fur- and leather-free) have taken stances against the use of fur in the fashion industry. Brands such as Almay and Origins boast natural, often organic and always cruelty-free products at drugstore prices. Cosmetics giant Revlon has trumped its competitors - L'Oreal and Maybelline among them - by banning animal testing in the production of its products.


For guilt-free purchases this holiday season, below is a list of festive products that would make an ideal gift for anyone and everyone. Using purchasing power for good will ensure everybody wins – including the animals.



You don't have to be cruel to be kind,
GiGi



A COSY KNIT SWEATER:


Expensive Elegance: Stella McCartney’s wool cashmere ladder knit V-neck sweater, $825, StellaMcCartney.com (shown here in round-neck version)

Ideal Investment: BCBGMAXAZRIA’s cable-knit long cardigan, $198, BCBG.com



Bargain Buy: Old Navy’s women’s cable-knit V-neck hoodies, $34.50, OldNavy.com



AN EYE-CATCHING CLUTCH:
Expensive Elegance: Matt and Nat’s Kogan clutch, $150 (Canadian), mattandnat.ca

Ideal Investment: Bebe’s satin bow clutch, $59, bebe.com

Bargain Buy: Charlotte Russe’s studded chain clutch, $16.99, CharlotteRusse.com



THE ULTIMATE PAIR OF PARTY SHOES:
Expensive Elegance: Mink Shoes’ Bull pump, $355, minkshoes.com



Ideal Investment: Charmoné’s Cinnamon – Black shoes, $179, charmone.com



Bargain Buy: Payless ShoeSource’s Miss Puerto Rico by Payless Divina sandal, $34.99, Payless.com



A RED LIPSTICK FOR ALL:
Expensive Elegance: Estee Lauder lipstick removed after more research discovered the company partakes in animal testing


Ideal Investment: Too Faced Cosmetics’ Drop Dead Red lipstick, $18, TooFaced.com
(Too Faced's Lip of Luxury lipsticks)
(Drop Dead Red)


Bargain Buy: Revlon Colorstay soft & smooth lipcolor in Red Velvet, $9.99, Revlon.com



HIGH-SHINE NAIL POLISH:
Expensive Elegance: OPI’s Designer Series DS Reflection, $12.50, OPI.com



Ideal Investment: Sally Hansen item removed (the company is owned by Coty, Inc. which does animal testing)


Bargain Buy: Avon’s Nailwear pro nail enamel in Ruby Slipper, $5.99, Avon.com