Make up & sensitive skin

After applying the mascara your eyes feel itchy? Are they a bit red & you start tearing? You might be allergic to some ingredients that make up contains. 

There is some concern for a select few individual ingredients found in mascara since they have been found to cause cancer in mice, and others are know to be highly toxic to the human body or volatile. Despite these disconcerting facts, they exist in minute quantities in mascara, and their presence has not been positively linked to negatively affect health. 

First of all, proper use of mascara includes a disposal of tube and brush after 4 to 6 months (I always suggest to toss it away after 3 months - especially when you have sensitive eyes). Mascara should also be disposed of it found to smell different, strange, or especially pungent. You might find it unusual, but mascara DOES have the capability to grow bacteria. Do you know why? Well, the lashes are actually a protection for the eyes. All the bacteria & dirt fall on them. Once applying the mascara on your lashes all those undesirable organisms go directly into the tube of your mascara where they can multiply. That's the  MAIN REASON why you have to TOSS YOUR MASCARA OFTEN, no matter how much money you spent on it. If you don't use it properly you can have a slight risk of eye infection or conjunctivitis, especially if your eyes are sensitive already!

The allergic reaction can be stimulated by any of the components of mascara, but it's usually attributed to methylparaben, ALUMINUM POWDER, ceteareth-20, BUTYLPARABEN, or benzyl alcohol.

From my experience, people always try to avoid methylparaben & I honestly think they should be more worried about the aluminum. Methylparaben is the most used paraben for conserving products, and HONESTLY I don't trust products who use other types of preservatives because they are not tested enough to prove they are not adverse. 

So which mascara should you use? I would go for the Clinique one, which is the one I'm using too. A more 'natural' choice can be the Tarte mascara. Unfortunately, Tarte cosmetics cannot be found at the european market so my advice is to buy it on e-bay! 

What else you can do? Before applying the mascara, wipe off the brush with a napkin. This might help you. Try to avoid putting a lot of mascara or put the mascara only on the top of your lashes. If all this won't help you, than you should not use the mascara at all. Remind, health comes before the make up. 

If you have difficulties while taking the make up off your eyes what you should do is wash your face first with some warm water. Most of the make up can be taken off with just warm water & if there are some other dirts left you can add some ORGANIC face soap and gently knead your eyes. If this is not enough, clean the rest of the dirt with some ORGANIC products for the face ( Gentle Organic cleansing milk). 

I think this is pretty much everything. Hit me up if you have more questions. Also, let me know if my advices helped you some how. :) 

Make up for mature women...

This might sound silly to you & you might be thinking that the make up is the same for all ages but it's not. 

First of all, getting old is a beautiful thing even though wisdom has its consequences. The skin starts to change, it gets dry and the wrinkles come out too. But the wrinkles are not the only problem, there are also the under-eye darkness, the loss of elasticity and others. 

I would first recommend you to start changing your eating habits, drink more water and also take care of your face. The skin now needs hydration more than never before. A quality face cream + serum + eye cream is now a MUST HAVE. 

Since I work with cosmetics I would recommend you to use: 

1. The Hydra Sparkling Serum from Givenchy who will give a lot of hydration to your skin and prepare your skin for the cream. This is the serum that I use too so it can be shared between mother and daughter. You can use it for all skin types.

2. The Face Cream Radically No Surgetics, also from Givenchy which is a global anti aging treatment for your skin. (This one cannot be shared between mother and daughter :P) 

3. The eye cream Capture Totale from Dior is a new cream for eyes and it's really great! 

How often you need to apply the creams? I would recommend you to do it in the morning (after washing your face) and before going to sleep. 

If your eyelashes are very thin and started to fall a little bit too much, you can try Mister Lash Booster from Givenchy. You can put it before going to bed as a treatment (which is great) but also before applying the mascara so your lashes will have more volume & length. I use this product as a treatment and too and many times people asked me if I have false eyelashes & I proudly said ''No, they are mine'' :) This product is not even that expensive, it costs around 30 Euro! Try it out & tell me your experiences :) 

When it comes to make up, the first thing I want you to know is that no make up can take off all the wrinkles on your face. Only PHOTOSHOP can. The role of the make up is simple - all that your face needs is to look fresh. The most important thing with mature skin is the foundation. You need a foundation, concelar, highlighter and a loose powder & some quality tools to apply it. A good foundation will make your face look fresh during the whole day. Some make up artist apply the foundation with fingers or sponges but I prefer doing it with a foundation brush (Check my older posts about brushes). In the video below is shown how to apply the foundation. 

                                       

When it comes to eyeshadows make sure you blended them well and pick more neutral colors rather than flashy ones. I really like how in the video below the make up artist suggested to apply the eyeshadows. But also when it comes to brows - My favorite are the brow-shadows (I love the eye & brow prisme from Givenchy which can be used for brows but also as an eyeshadows as well). 

                                         

THINGS YOU NEED TO AVOID :

1. shiny eyeshadows, shiny blushes & shiny everything! Do you know why? All those beautiful sparkles go directly into your wrinkles and make them look even bigger than they really are. Instead of shiny eyeshadows pick the matte ones and they will really look better on your skin. In general I prefer much more the matte eyeshadows because with them you can always get a natural look! 

2. Strong make up - a lot of make up will make you look older than you are and this is something you definitely don't want. 

3. Lipsticks with flashy colors - I would suggest you to pick the Kanebo ones. Their colors are sooooo adapted for mature skin and make it look fresh and younger! Try their blushes & Foundations too!!! 

Also, don't rush while applying the make up. This is not a 5 minute process, it really takes some time. I always give at least 20 minutes to myself to apply the make up. In 5 minutes you cannot get a fresh look and the make up can look messy which is something you need to avoid. At the beginning you might take more time but after some practice in 15 minutes you will have your foundation, blush & mascara done! 

Ok this is pretty much it! If you have any questions let me know and I will write about them :) 

My Top ten L'Occitane products

I like L'Occitane but there are some things I want to share with you.

First of all, L'Occitane's products are not organic (except the olive organic line) but based on essential oils. If you ask me about their make up line.... Well I would not buy it (except the lip glosses) because it's not good.. Especially the blushes (my favorite make up tool). 

Still there are some great products I really do love from L'Occitane. My Top 10 are: 

1. Olive Organic Body Lotion 

2. Olive Organic Lip Balm

3. Olive Organic Body Scrub

4. Gentle Verbena Soap  (this one uses my boo too)

5. Honey Soap

6. 5 Essential Oils Conditioner

7. Organic Olive Shampoo

8. The Almond Scrub that is out of market now I think

9. Organic Olive Tree Deodorant (Definitely one of the best ones I ever had)

10. Lavender Foaming Bath

Those are my favorite products. I really love their Soaps (I love Soaps in general) because they are so soft & smell so so good! The hair line is also great & my hair smells so good even 2 days after washing it with their products. And it's also soft! :) 

Which ones are your favorite products? Are some of my Top 10 on your list too? 

New blog design...

Since this blog is talking about girl's stuff I've decided to make it more girly... So what do you guys think? Is it good or bad? You might not like it but it's soooo like me....

Any suggestions for the next topic? I was thinking to write about the lipsticks..... :) :)

Finally back... Time for the eyeshadows... :)

Hey guys I've been lazy for blogging those days, weeks, months.... :P But I'm back now and I will try to write more posts...

Today I want to talk about eyeshadows! Which one are your favorite? Dior, Chanel, Shiseido, Clinique, Mac, YSL, Lancome... There are so many types at the market now... Some are so expensive and some of them are affordable.

Are the most expensive ones the best ones? I would say NO! I always say they are more into the design of the product... Chanel's eyeshadows look so pretty in that cool box & this makes them cost much more than they really worth. You are paying more because of a brand, not because of a better quality products.

Which eyeshadows should you get? Which ones can you really afford?

I'll give you few options:

1. UNDER $10
Cheap but good eyeshadows I would recommend are the ones form NYXCosmetics. I would suggest you to get the trio eyeshadow set instead of the mono eyeshadow... Also there are ElfCosmetics where you can get the whole eyeshadow palette for $5. From those 2 i really prefer NYX!
2. UNDER $20
I would suggest you to pick some of these. Ok, you will pay a little bit more but you can really get some quality products that you will really like. Check the mineralize duo eyeshadows from MAC . Mac is one of my favorite brands and their eyeshadows are really gorgeous! They have also a great choice of mono eyeshadows which I highly recommend.
If you are looking for some vivacious colors check the eyeshadows form BenNye. They are highly pigmented and ver very nice!
3. From $30 - $50
With this budget you can really get great products. It might seem a bit too much for make up but when it comes to eyeshadows you need to know that they really last long (except if they are creamy). You can be sure that you'll use it for 2 years at least. Check LePrisme Mono from Givenchy.. It's a great eyeshadow because the same color you have in 4 different shades. Also a good choice is the Street Art eyeshadow from MAC, or their palettes with 4 eyeshadows. Check the YSL palettes with 4 eyeshadows. I really love those ones and I can proudly say that I own one too. Some people told me that they don't like their make up but I don't share the same opinion. So far they never disappointed me. Also, check the 5x eyeshadows palette from Dior. I love them! The colors are really beautiful!

Ok, that's what I think about my favorite eyeshadows. Those are the brands I like, and with one I work. Honestly, I got disappointed in Chanel and I think they should just work on the clothing & fragrance line. When it comes to make up.... most of the products are really really bad (for the price I'm paying). The lipsticks are good but the blushes & eyeshadows definitely not!
Shiseido is a great brand but I prefer it for blushes, primers, foundations & lipsticks (which are really great). The eyeshadows didn't impress me so much.

.....Honestly for me a brand with all great products doesn't exist.. And all in all, with all those good brands around who can be loyal just to one of them? :)

How to apply foundation to your face?

 Applying the foundation to your face is the most important part of the make up. 


You can apply the foundation with different tools: 

1. with your hands
2. with a sponge or 
3. with a foundation brush (which is definitely my favorite way of applying).

The products you need are: 

1. the foundation primer
2. sheer foundation that matches your skin tone
3. a canceler  
4. a highlighter 
5. and a loose or compact powder.

Here is the picture of the tools & products you need....

The applying steps : 

1. Apply a foundation primer before you apply any foundation or tinted moisturizer. The foundation primer will smooth out the skin surface,make applying foundation easier, and make your makeup last longer.
2. Apply a sheer foundation that matches your skin tone. Tip: If a liquid foundation has SPF in it, it's NOT good for taking flash photography. Use the ones without SPF instead if you don't want to look too flashed out on your face.
3. Apply canceler to any red or discolored spots. In the corners of your eyes, where it's red, around the nostrils, and under the eyes (to make you look more awake) are good places for this. Do this after applying foundation, so you don't use too much. First apply the concealer, then pat very lightly with your finger to blend. Only apply concealer to the area that you want to conceal. Afterward, use the wedge to blend the concealer in with the foundation. Stand back away from your mirror to see if you have effectively concealed the areas. Try to stand about the distance away from the mirror that you stand away from people when you talk to them. 
4. Apply a loose powder all over the face using a powder brush. Pat it into the powder; then, with a paper towel, tap the brush so the excess falls off the brush. Lightly brush across the whole face. Use a powder puff (small) to apply powder on the upper lid.

Here is a nice video that might help you... Honestly I prefer applying the foundation with the brush but you can also do it with the sponge as well..

 

That's it! 

Which season are you?

Make up artists divide people in 4 seasons: spring, summer, autumn & fall. This blog post will help you to learn more about the colors you should wear. 

There is a concept in makeup now of listing it in terms of warm and cool. This can cover foundations, powders and even blushes. It comes from a system introduced a few decades back that can be loosely described as color coding. It was, in basic terms, a system where a person (mainly women but men too) could figure out how to choose their clothes and even makeup according to an individual's skin complexion. Each skin complexion would match up with a particular season of the year. If a person had very fair skin tone, that person would be considered a "spring" and would match their clothes and even makeup to what was considered "spring" colors. If a person had a medium skin tone, that person would be considered a "summer" and would match their clothes and even makeup to what was considered "summer" colors. If a person had a more tan skin tone, that person would be considered a "fall" and would match their clothes and even makeup to what was considered "fall" colors. If a person had a more rich skin tone, that person would be considered a "winter" and would match their clothes and even makeup to what was considered "winter" colors.

Color Analysis - as the seasons change throughout the year your personal season will remain unwavering further enhancing your natural beauty. Your colors are enveloped in one of four seasons Season Color Analysis sets an exclusive standard for your individual colors.

SPRING

Dominant characteristic is WARM
Warm Hair
Warm Eyes
Warm Skin
Must have all 3 Warm elements

Dominant Characteristic is Clear
Bright or sparkling eyes, usually blue, hazel, green
Natural hair color commonly starts out blonde but may darken over time.
Skin is often clear and translucent

LIGHT SPRINGDominant Characteristic is LIGHT
Light eyes, skin, and hair.
Often a somewhat neutral look to them, either skin, eyes or hair.

The color palette for Spring ladies :)

Example for Spring celebrities 

SUMMER

(that's my season)

Dominant characteristic is COOL: 

Cool Hair

Cool Eyes

Cool Skin

Must have all 3 Cool elements

Dominant Characteristic is LIGHT
Light hair and eyes
Skin can have an “overtone” of warmth to it
But has cool undertones
Natural Hair color is or was blonde

(that's me)

Dominant Characteristic is SOFT
Neutral look—not noticeably warm or cool
Hair is often ‘mousy’ with no natural highlights
Can have a heavy velvety look to them, which often
Gets mistaken for a winter. 

Summer color palette

Example for summer celebrities

AUTUMN

Dominant characteristic is WARM:
Warm Hair
Warm Eyes
Warm Skin
(Must have all 3 Warm elements) 

DEEP AUTUMN
Dominant Characteristic is DEEP
Deep eyes and hair
Skin can be anywhere between deep and light
Often mistaken for a Winter in the old 4 season system

Dominant Characteristic is SOFT (or Muted)
Eyes are muted, often with some element of grey to them
Skin can have a slight cool overtone to it,
But if usually neutral-not obviously warm or cool
Hair is often considered ‘mousy’ blond or brown

Autumn color palette

Example of autumn celebrities

WINTER

(my favorite)

Dominant characteristic is COOL:
Cool Hair
Cool Eyes
Cool Skin

Must have all 3 Cool elements

Dominant Characteristic is DEEP
Deep eyes and hair
Skin can be anywhere between deep and light

They can have noticeable warmth to the, especially their skin. 

Dominant Characteristic is Clear:
Bright or sparkling eyes, usually blue or hazel or green
The whites of the eyes are very whiteSkin can have an element of warmth to them
Hair is naturally black or dark brown

Winter color palette 

Example for winter celebrities

That's it! After finding out which season you are, you'll be able to pick the right colors when it comes to make up! If you pick the clothes in this colors the result will be even better :) 

How to clean make up brushes..

Make up brushes can harbor lots of bacteria and dirt, so it's necessary to keep your brushes clean. It would be perfect if you clean your brushes after the usage. Unfortunately  we often don't have time for it. 

You should properly clean your brushes once per week and use the make up brush cleanser daily. 

The 5 steps of cleaning: 

1. Run the bristles of the makeup brush under warm running water.
2. Apply a small amount of shampoo for brushes to bristles and work into a light lather (you can also use a regular but quality hair shampoo).
3. Rinse bristles thoroughly under running water. You will notice that the water leaving the brush is tinted from old makeup.
4. Continue rinsing until no color leaves the brush.
5. Allow it to air-dry.

I suggest you to check Elf cosmetics brush shampoo because is cheaper but great. Here is the picture of it 

Elf Brush Shampoo

For the daily brush cleanser I suggest you to use the brush cleanser from Mac. I'm using it too and all I can say is that I absolutely love this product! Here is the picture of it.

 

You can also use Mac Brush Cleaner to quickly remove the makeup from your brush so you can use a different makeup color. Simply pour a small amount of brush cleaner into a paper towel and rub the bristles of your makeup brush gently on the damp paper towel. You will see the color come off onto the towel. Let your brush dry for a few minutes and then it will be ready to use with a different makeup color.

The make up tools..

Without quality tools and products you won't be able to get a nice make up. The right tools and applicators are much more helpful for a perfect make up results. Unfortunately, the good brushes & make up are pretty expensive. There's no need to go out & buy everything all at once. There will always be things that you don't need or that you don't like. The best way is to accumulate them over the time.

After 4 years dedicated to make up there are still many things I don't have & that I want & need. Every month I buy something new and this is great because a new brush or lipstick, for example, inspire you to do a new make up.

Unfortunately, when it comes to make up tools you need at least a small set to get started(By scrolling down you are able to see the pictures of my favorite brushes sets). If you don't want to get a brush set you can buy the brushes separately - which is definitely better but more expensive. The 9 brushes you need are: a large powder brush, a medium blush & powder brush, a small contour brush, 2 eyeshadow brushes, a blending brush, a lip brush, a small eyeshadow brush (which is also good for defining eyebrows) & an eyebrow brush.

Here are the pictures of the brushes I use..

Screenface Large Powder Brush 

Screenface blush brush

Mac contour brush 168

Kryolan eyeshadow brush

Mac fluffy eyeshdow brush (one of my favorite ones)

Mac blending brush 217

Mac Lip brush

Kryolan angle eyeshadow brush (which can be used as a eyebrow brush)

Kryolan eyebrow brush

I put the pictures of the brushes I use. Those are my favorite brushes & I hope you'll like them as much as I do.

The small brush sets I suggest are:

Estee Lauder brush set (this is the one I'm planning to buy) which you can find on Ebay

Screenface brush set (which is a good starting set; when I first started with make up I bought their make up set & I really like it)

Mac Hello kitty brush set which I got for personal use (it's great for traveling). I love Hello Kitty and I love mac so I just had to buy them. Hello kitty was a limited edition from mac so you can find the brushes only on Ebay 

Getting started..

Hello everybody, 

my name is Roberta & I'm a freelance make up artist. My mission on this is blog is to help women take over the world with compassion, love & perseverance. The main reason why I have decided to start blogging are all the smiles I got from women after seeing their faces in the mirror. 

When I first started to make up I didn't even know how to apply the mascara on my model, actually I thought it was the hardest thing to do. After years of practice make up started be easier but I always say I still  have a lot to learn. I learn something every day & get inspired by the new faces I see on the street. 

I hope all of you will learn something useful from me. Xx