Fall Trend Alert

Big beautiful lashes with minimal shadows is fall 2011's big eye trend. This is simple ladies, pull out your lash primer and extender before applying your favorite mascara. Curl your lashes and put on just the right amount of liner for a fuller look. OR pull out your favorite false lashes, even look into lash extensions. One other method you may want to try is lash tinting for you natural blonde ladies.

As far as shadow, either just powder your eye lids or use a avery neutral color.

This is by far a simple trend ANYONE can achieve.

Bronzed Beauty

Though we are in the middle of summer, all of your should be wearing lots of sunscreen esp. on your face. One small side effect of not tanning your face is you won't have that bronzed glow look. But no need to fret ladies. Bronzer can really be a girls best kept secret.

A simple powdered bronzer with a slight shimmer is the perfect choice to accentuate that daytime look. Choose a bronzer a few shades darker than your natural skin but not too dark, remember natural is what we aim for.

To apply: Once all of the makeup on the face is applied (save this step for last so you can balance the amount you apply with the rest of your makeup), brush a small amount of bronzer onto a brush and tap off the excess. Starting at the temple create the number 3 on the side of your face brushing from the temple to right under the cheek bone, coming back out to the ear then along the jaw line. Repeat on opposite side. Next, dab a small amount on the chin and down the nose. Blend all of the bronzer well, NOT with the bronzer brush, but with your foundation brush. Remember you want to hit all the areas the sun hit and keep it looking natural.

There are other ways to apply bronzer such as liquids, which would be applied while a liquid foundation is being applied or before the powder foundation. Liquids are a little trickier and I will cover this later in face contouring.

Once all of the bronzer is well blended you may repeat the steps if you deem it necessary. Do not try to match your tanned chest or shoulders, remember the end result should be a natural healthy glow.

Video Day: Madonna

Sorry I haven't had a post in a while! But I am back!

One of my favorite music videos of all time! Gorgeous hair and makeup. Enjoy!

Lips, Lips, Everywhere

Lips, a topic I briefly covered in the past.. Well, today we will go a littler further with it. I will help you ladies achieve different types of lip effects.

Creamy- Apply a thick lip balm to your lips before the application for a creamy effect.

Matte- Apply the lip stick then blot gently (you can also repeat this for longer lasting color).

Sheer- Apply a thin layer of lip balm, the apply a small dab of neutral color on the top and bottom lip then smooth out.

Glossy- Apply your lip colored then top with a clear or matching gloss (remember the more layers of 

             gloss the more shine, so don't be afraid).

These are the four basic effects of lipstick, so instead of having to buy all your shades in different effects you can now use one tube for everything. Later on we will cover lip contouring, another oldie, but goodie!

JayBrow

            smooth it out

The fuller the better!

One of my favorite areas to cover while doing makeup is eyebrows. Weather thin or thick, full or sparse, dark or light. There are an infinite number of ways to style your. Normally though, only a few work for you. 

Today we will cover full brows! What is a full brow you ask? Well take a look at the picture above. The brow seems to be a staple of the face, there is no area on them which is sparse or lacking hair. Full brows are a sign of youth and health and can subtract at least 5 years from a persons look. This does not mean they have to be dark and full or thick and full. That is determined by fashion trends, your face shape, and face and hair color. 

To create fuller brows, most women use a pencil or a powder shadow as a brow filler. An extreme alternative is tattooing them on or the less extreme, and highly effective, colored brow mousse or gel. Brow mousse and gels hold the brow in place while adding color to the brow and skin. Most of these tend to be water resistant and are perfect for humid climates where pencil and powders may smear and melt off. 

For a natural look only go one shade darker than your darkest hair color or match it!

Have fun girls, and lets get rid of those sparse brows.

JayBrow

Music video Day: (Lady GaGa)

While she may be the queen of controversy and arguably a fashion icon, one area she does well is makeup. This video does include several mask, but the scenes her face is shown are pretty awesome! Lots of great looks guys inspiration is all around!

Tutorial Video (with Aveda):

This is a great tutorial on how to get that, classic smokey eye. Aveda does a great job teaching it, just remember there are literally thousands of ways to perform the same task. This is just very simple. 

I would also like to add, depending on your age and amount of "baggage" under your eye, you may want to avoid the liner on the bottom and just do the smokey smudge on the top line. Good luck guys!

JayBrow

Clean then Sleep

So, this one seems simple enough. Wash off your makeup before you get in bed. Leaving on the makeup, no matter what the product says, will clog pores, create more oil, and could possible get in your eye and cause infections, not to mention its coming off on your pillow and sheets, which you will one day lay a clean face on (hopefully). 

The solution is simple, gently remove the makeup using a very mild facial cleanser or even better using an oil. Then to remove stubborn eye makeup use a very gentle eye makeup remover (never ever scrub this area). Lancome and Aveda both make great gentle removers. 

Once the makeup is removed use a gentle and light cleanser to wash off any remaining impurities, tone, then moisturize.  This my friends is a sure fine way to keep your skin looking young and healthy.

PS: If you have a good amount of product in your hair, its best to wash it too before going to bed. Remember what ever is on you when you hit the sack will be all over your bed in the morning, and I seriously doubt any of you clean your sheets daily! Hope this helps.

Jaybrow

Don't cake it on...

This topic was a request, thanks Ashlee. One of the biggest mistake, other than not blending, is not using an appropriate foundation/ powder. We see this more often than not where a woman's makeup looks cakey or its altogether the wrong color.

Choosing weather to use powder or liquid or even a tinted moisturizer is a daunting task. Here are the basics:

Powder foundations: great to even out redness and gives a soft matte finish. This really should only be used on younger skin almost free of wrinkles. 

Liquid Foundation: great for maximum coverage and will give a semi matte finish. This product is great for anyone wanting total coverage, but apply a thin layer at first then add more if needed to avoid the cakey look.

Tinted Moisturizer: great for a natural dewy look with medium coverage. This product I highly recommend, it acts as a moisturizer and helps even out skin redness. You can use a light coat of powder over it to add a softer less shiny finish, but by far this is the most natural.

Powder: Just simple powder is great for you ladies with flawless skin that want to matte up the oil.

The next step is choosing the color. Use natural lighting when picking colors!

Test a small dot on your cheek, not your neck (why would you try makeup on your neck when you wear it mainly on your face). Do not let some sales lady fool you into thinking you need a color darker or lighter, unless you plan on getting super dark or light within a matter of days. Find a color the matches perfectly to you skin in natural lighting. 

Remember ladies, blend, blend, blend. The same goes for foundation and powder. Do not stop at your neck line bring the color down your neck. 

Pat, Pat, Pat, foundation should be patted into the skin for longevity, then brushed over to smooth it out.

Hope this helps!

JayBrow

Do Not Skip the Brush

Most women, especially those in a hurry, use their fingers to apply shadows and creams, even lipsticks; unless you want wrinkles, and an uneven application use professional brushes.

Their is a brush for almost everything:

Eye cream: use a concealer brush and gently apply it inward toward the center of your eye.

Concealer: use a concealer brush.

Foundation: use a flat foundation brush for liquids and a larger kabuki brush for powders.

Blush: use a brush brush or a fan brush for a more intense look.

Brows: use an angle brush.

Eye line: use an angle brush with powder for a softer look or use an angle brush with liquid liner for a 

               precise and intense look. (These are just brush options using a pencil is fine).

Eye shadow: DO NOT use your fingers. Use a basic medium shadow brush to pat on the colors where  

                      desired, then use a contour brush to softly blend any lines; careful not to mix the colors

                      to much for this can make the color look "muddy".

BRUSH TIP: Flat brushes were designed to pat the makeup into the skin, not sweep. Round brushes were made to sweep, blend, and smooth makeup.

Have fun,

JayBrow

"Top 10 Skin Myths Debunked"

Over the weekend, I found this really helpful article on proper skincare; a topic that seems to have a larger urban legend following then Bigfoot. 

Top 10 Skin Myths Debunked

Check out the link above. It is a Marie Claire article that interviews dermatologist to settle this debate with a medical approach once and for all. I agree and have, myself, proved 99% of what they say. 

I am impartial to the myth of the face scrub. While I do agree overuse of face scrubs can make your skin oily, a lot of people, depending on their skin type, benefit from these exfoliations. The longer we let dry skin and oil mix, the sooner the pore will become clogged. I would almost say a weekly exfoliation is certain. Dryer skin can get away with more scrubs while oilier skin can benefit from a weekly scrub.

JayBrow

Video Day: CHER

One of the worlds biggest fashion and makeup icons, CHER! Watch closely at her intense, yet natural makeup. Enjoy.

JayBrow

Fashion Trend

Orange is all the rage as a lip color this year!

There are many shades of orange out there so anyone can pull off this look. This particular shade , in the picture above, has a lot more red in it than most would be comfortable wearing. Other shades have more pink or muted down tones. 

Orange lips will make light eyed girls (green, blues) pop more than ever! So do not be afraid to give it a shot! This is one trend that is ALMOST fool proof. Visit a professional makeup artist and have them pick your perfect orange.

JayBrow

The best thing since water!

Above is just one of six of the Aveda composition oils! I wanted to share this product with you simply because it is one of the few products out there that, truly 100% ,works. 

There are numerous ways to use it: you can put a few drops in your bath water for super soft skin, you can dab a bit on your scalp to reduce dryness, you can put a couple drops on your face as a moisturizer (my favorite use), it can be used as a massage oil, cuticle oil, and can even be mixed into other products such as hand lotions and conditioners.

These oils are mainly made from jojoba oil which is the closest natural oil to the bodies own oils. The oils soften skin, add moisture, and reduce dryness. Each of the six oils has its own benefit.

All-sensative: For use on sensitive skin; this product is 100% jojoba oil and will not cause breakouts or rashes.

Energizing: For use on oily skin; this product does what it says, energizes the skin. When applying you can feel a warming sensation. The product is light and has a refreshing aroma.

Calming: For use on dry irritated skin; this product helps calm the skin and senses with its clean aroma and feel.

Beautifying: For use on very dry skin; this product works best when applied into bath water or on the cuticles or scalp as a treatment. Too oily for everyday use on the face not to mention the very powerful aroma, the most moisturizing though.

Active: For use on sore bodies and feet; this product contains menthol and should only be used on the feet and as a muscle rub. The scent is very invigorating and has a tingling sensation upon application.

Mens: For use on the tough dry scalp or dry body of men; this product contains the refreshing aroma of the Aveda men's line. Can be used in very small amounts on wet hair to help combat frizz.

Please do try one of these amazing oils, you will not regret it!

PS- I have very oily skin so I use 2 drops of the energizing oil as a light moisturizer. Be sure to dampen the skin before applying so the product will absorb better.

BLEND BLEND BLEND

Today I will tell you my BIGGEST pet peeve with women and their makeup. Women who do not blend their blush and eye shadows. I cannot begin to tell you girls how bad it actually looks. The 80's are over, save that look for costume parties and professional photo shoots.
The cheeks are my biggest peeve. After gently and lightly applying your blush, one or more coats, then grab the brush you applied your powder with and BLEND. This should knock out any hard lines. If you used a liquid blush or lip stick make sure you are using a small amount and blending will with your fingers or a brush before continuing.
Eyeshadows are on the fence. The reason I say this is because most of the time women unintentionally leave the shadow unblended and it looks a mess. But there are those rare occasions when keeping the colors completely unblended looks nice. But, to make this easier just blend. By blend i do not mean make all the colors look like one muddy mess. Just softly blend the line where two colors meet.
Well hopefully this will help those of you doing this get the most out of your makeup. Good Luck!

Jay Brow

Makeup Icon

Madonna is one of the biggest fashion icons of all time. I will let this video do all of the talking. But I will say one thing, I LOVE her eye brows. Hope you all enjoy!

JayBrow

Enhance your lashes, don't over power them

Eyeliner is probably the most misused and over used makeup product! The reason it was designed was for women to enhance the thickness and length of their lashes. Of course there are now other reasons, smokey eye, cat eye, egyptian eye; all techniques that should be avoided unless your a makeup artist or you have spent a lot of time practicing and have been shown correctly. 

Classic eyeliner is a thin line, sometimes increasing in thickness (slightly), from the inner side of your lid to the outer. It is a very simple technique most women should play up daily for a beautiful eye opening experience.

The type of product used is simply a matter of preference and longevity. Pencil and kohl liners will give you a simple everyday look that can be dramatic or not so. They can be smudged for a smokey eye, or sharpened for an egyptian eye. (To increase the longevity of pencil liner apply the same color eye shadow over the line with an angled brush to "set" the liner. Gel and liquid liners were made mostly for women who wanted a more dramatic look that last ALL day. This product will not wash off easy and most are water proof. The problem is that liquids and gels are more difficult to use and take lots of practice. 

As for lining you bottom lash line... This can be done in order to open up the eye. This should only be done on women under 35. The reason is women over 35 (sometimes 40) will start to notice signs of aging; applying a dark liner under your eyes will only enhance the dark circles, sometimes the liner will bleed into the wrinkles, and just overall the liner will attract attention to that area. Instead, if you MUST, apply a fine application on the outer third of your bottom lash, this will pull the attention out!

I hope this tip has given some of you an "eye" opening experience.

JayBrow

This ain't your momma's concealer!

For years women have worn concealer incorrectly, often leading to flaking or mismatched skin, and dare I say those white rings around their eyes. 

First off, make sure your skin if properly exfoliated and moisturized (let the moisturizer have time to absorb and dry a little). As you all already know a smooth perfect canvas is better for makeup, but this is especially true for concealer. If you are using an eye cream give it time to absorb all the way before applying concealer under the eye area.

Choosing this correct color is the most important part of this entire process. Some makeup artist will tell you, one to two shades lighter. I say NO. This may be OK for a professional makeup artist with the skills and time to blend properly, but not the the everyday woman who barely has time for chap stick. My advice is choosing a color the same color as your skin, but avoid anything too yellow, and if you must choose between a color slightly darker or light (no shade truly matches anyone) choose the slightly lighter shade.  

Next using a concealer brush, not your fingers, pat the concealer on one area by a time blending with patting motions. The patting motions will eliminate that awful brush stroke effect and help the product sink deeper into your skin and blend it better. It is also important to remember one area at a time, concealer , by design, dries fast, so working in one area allows you to properly blend.

The main location concealer is applied, as you know, is under the eyes on those dreaded dark circles, and on blemishes. Key areas most of you leave out that can make your skin look even more flawless is the t-zone. Dab a very little on areas like the nose, on the sides of the nose, between the brow, the chin, and sometimes the cheeks. Give your foundation or powder a little extra help by doing this; it will also help eliminate shine throughout the day.

I saved my opinion on under eye concealer for last. The reason is, aside from a few, I disagree with most of my fellow makeup artist. Most, not all, makeup artist love applying tons of concealer to under eye areas; I disagree. Applying tons of concealer on a younger woman is pointless (lack of dark circles), applying tons of concealer on an older woman is counter productive (the concealer sits in wrinkles and when dried, throughout the day will begin to flake and look cakey, enhancing the problem. My solution, use a little at a time blending carefully as you proceed until desired coverage is reached. For you beautiful aging women, unless you have dark blue or black eye circles, less is more. For those who need more coverage find a very reputable liquid concealer (avoid cream or stick). 

So that does it, you now have no excuse for perfect concealer!

Over and Out 

JayBrow

The Sculpted Lip

Ever wonder how to get to those perfect sculpted lips? Well, its easy!

1. Apply a light lip treatment that you know will soak into your lips.
2. After it has soaked in a bit outline your lips with a lip pencil (preferably one the matches or invisible. On the bottom, start in one corner and meet the other. On the top lip, start in the center and work your way out.
3. Once the lip it outlined fill it in with the pencil, this will help hold the color in place.
4. With a defined lip brush, apply your shade of lipstick over the liner. Be careful not to go outside of the lip liner, as this would cause bleeding.
5. You have the option to leave the lips as are (matte or shimmer, depending on your lipstick) or you can add a gloss over them to make them stand out even more and give a more three-dimensional effect.

There you have it, in 5 very easy steps you too could have VERY sculpted lips. Remember the darker or deeper the color the more dramatic the effect. I hope this helped.

Over and Out
JayBrow

Pilot

So this is my first blog... I hope to have followers soon. My main objective is to provide expert advice on brow shaping and makeup. I also hope to be able to share the latest trends with you all. 


Over and Out
JAYBROW