foundation

Tarte Amazonian Clay Full Coverage Airbrush Foundation

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If you haven’t been able to tell lately, I have recently fallen deep in love with all things Tarte. This time it’s the Tarte Amazonian Clay Full Coverage Airbrush Foundation. 

I may be a bit late to the realm of powdered foundation; late as in the phase has come and already gone and is really not a thing anymore. I’ve never used a powder foundation before, assuming that it doesn’t actually do anything. But with my newfound and deep love of Tarte, and a search for something new to achieve a flawless face, I found myself walking out of Ulta on my recent Florida trip with this beautiful powder compact. I had someone help figure out which shade was best for my face and I brought home the shade Light-Medium Neutral for a few days trial.

I used my favourite Real Techniques Expert Face Brush to apply the powder, although I think I may be in search of something a little less dense in the future. I started in the centre of my face and blended the powder into a primed face. I love the way it smooths on and how soft it feels on my face. The nice thing about this is Tarte’s amazonian clay formula which works with the natural oils in your face to balance your skin tones. Therefore it won’t make you skin too dry or too oily and won’t flake and settle into fine lines, wrinkles, or blemishes. The results truly are an “airbrushed” effect and my skin looks and feels flawless. Better results than I could have ever imagined from a powdered foundation.

Tarte has really been killing it lately with all of their products. From liquid foundations, concealers, mascara, and now powdered foundations, I think I can safely say that Tarte may be the #1 brand in my drawers at the moment.

What Tarte products are your favourite? Which should I try next?

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Top Tips for Achieving a Flawless Face

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Media and advertisements are full of beautiful, flawless faces that give us unrealistic expectations of beauty. What we don’t see is that models and celebrities have teams of professionals working around the clock to keep them looking beautiful at all times as well as professional editing technology to ensure those pictures look as perfect as possible; costing hundreds of dollars and creating a highly unrealistic process. But is it possible to achieve amazing airbrush/photoshop/modelesque flawless face results at home? No matter how you like to do your makeup, there are things you can do to gain that flawless effect every time. This guide is here to show you how to get started.

Sorting out your skin:

You have to start with a good base. If your foundations (the cement, not makeup kind) aren’t strong enough, the rest of the structure will crumble. It’s the same with your skin. If you choose the incorrect products to use on your skin, it can wreak havoc with your makeup. The wrong products can cause breakouts, make your skin oily, and can create a surface that your makeup won’t stick to, making reapplications necessary. Speak to a skin care professional about potential products you can use that will compliment your skin type. Go for products with great additional benefits, such as moisturisers with hydrating properties. This emulsion helps you get brighter looking skin without being too greasy. Starting a thorough daily skin care regime is what you need to begin with.

Choosing the right foundation

The base of your makeup needs to be right and needs to suit your complexion. Use the more uniformed skin on your neck or forearm to test which shade you need. When you have found the right shade, apply some to the centre of a well primed face. Use a brush or a sponge to work it outwards.  The tools are just as important as the product to achieve flawless results. It will get lighter as it reaches the sides of your face and your jawline. Thus creating a naturally flawless finish. Having foundation lines around your jaw should tell you that you need a shade or two lighter.

Invest in the best

It’s best to invest in some quality tools to apply your makeup with. You need to have suitable equipment for each aspect of your makeup regime. They don’t have to be expensive, just make sure they are designed for a specific area. Eyeliner and lip liner brushes are great for achieving sharp lines. Sponges and foundation brushes need to be substantial as these are the front and centre areas of your face with which poor application is more noticible. Do not use the same brush on multiple areas, as this is unhygienic and will harbour more bacteria. Wash your brushes with warm water, every week to keep them in great condition.

Practise

You aren’t going to be a top makeup artist after one try. It takes time and patience to perfect a look. It may also take a while for you to find beauty products that you like. Use YouTube tutorials to find out good techniques for recreating your favourite celebrities makeup. Don’t be afraid to experiment as you may create a new look that you love. With plenty of practice you’ll get more confidence and your makeup will always look great.

These are my top tips for achieving flawless makeup. It’s ok to make mistakes along the way, that’s how we all learn. I’m sure you’ll find your own amazing way of creating flawless looks, which even the celebrities would be jealous of.

My Fall Must Have Beauty Products

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Once again it’s that time of year when the leaves fall from the trees, and Starbucks introduces those yummy spiced pumpkin lattes. It can only mean one thing; it’s fall. I don’t know about you, but Fall is one of my favorite seasons. I just love how pretty the trees look and how the weather isn’t too hot or too cold – it’s the perfect time of year.

Today, I thought that I would share all of my must have Fall beauty products with you. For everything you need to know about the beauty items I have fallen in love with for this Fall, keep reading!

Cream-to-powder foundation

I don’t know about you, but during the colder months I find that my skin becomes incredibly red and shiny. Although I can use a light foundation or even a BB cream in the Summer, come Fall I need something a little heavier.

While I am a fan of liquid foundations, for the colder months a cream-to-powder foundation is an absolute must-have for me. If you choose to invest in one of these bad boys, don’t make the mistake of applying it with your fingers, always use a sponge or brush. If you have a look at Sigma cosmetics online, you can find lots of fantastic sponges and brushes to choose from.

Dark shades of lipstick

I might love pinky shades and red-toned lipsticks during the Summer months, but come Fall and I am all about the darker colors. My go-to fall colors for lipstick are beige, orangey red, and deep red. While I love the lipsticks that are even darker in color, I tend to stick to these colors, instead.

As well as my stash of Fall lipsticks, I also have a couple of dark colored lip crayons which I love. These babies are fantastic for when you are on the move as they don’t need the same amount of precision as lipstick. The added bonus of lip crayons is the fact that they are incredibly moisturizing so as well as giving a boost of color, they also keep your lips healthy.

Deep conditioning masks for my hair

I don’t know about you, but I find that once the colder weather hits, my hair suffers. As soon as Fall is upon us, I tend to notice that my hair becomes drier than normal. While I still use my regular conditioner each time I wash my hair, I also like to deep condition it a couple of times a month.

There are lots of hair masks to choose from, but some of the best ones are the masks that need to be heated before use. These are great as the heat of the mask along with the rich conditioner, do wonders for your hair.

If you don’t like the idea of buying a hair mask, you could always make one yourself. If you have a look online, you can find lots of ideas for DIY hair masks.

I am crazy about beauty products but come Fall, these are my absolute must-have items.

This post has been contributed by Amie