This Year's Cat Eye Step-by-Step Technique

One of the hottest beauty trends is the updated cat eye using liquid eyeliner, but it can be intimidating since precision is key or it can end up looking look like a hot mess.  (In which case use a sponge to blend it out into a smoky eye and use a dark shadow to create a soft focus, like you meant to do that all along.)  But don’t give up before you even try.  Once you master this technique it will become your favorite go-to look for just about every occasion.  Honestly, can you even think of Sofia Loren without a cat eye??  Would she even look like our image of her without it?  It will take a bit of practice, so keep the eye makeup remover wipes handy for the first few attempts and before you know it you will be doing a cat eye like a pro.

Pro Tip #1: Start with a primer on your eye area to help the liner to stay put and to minimize creasing. 

Pro Tip #2: if you choose to use false lashes apply them first.

Step 1:  using a liquid liner or eye liner felt tip marker draw a line from the outer corner of you eye directly toward the end of your eyebrow stopping a half an inch before your brow ends

Step 2:  starting at the end of the first line, draw a second line straight back to the inner corner of your upper eyelashes, leaving a triangle outline

Step 3:  fill in the space between the two lines being careful to not leave any bare spots along the lash line

Step 4: curl your lashes and apply two coats of mascara being sure to reach down to the roots, and then apply a single coat on the bottom lashes keeping them soft and separated

Keep in mind that this year’s cat eye is very angled and sharp, which is best achieved with liquid liner or a felt tip liner pen.   Chose one that feels comfortable in your hand since wielding it with accuracy is key.  If drawing a precise line is difficult at first, try using the handle of a long, thin makeup brush as a guide and draw along the edge.  Don’t overlook your brows: this look demands a properly groomed brow. 

There is good reason the cat eye trend endures in cultures all over the world for its ability to frame and transform the eye with a dramatic effect, being classic, sexy, and chic all at the same time, so the sooner you nail this technique the better.   Try these products to achieve your new favorite look:

                                             ( products available at Sephora.com )               

                                                                XOXO  Shelley

#cateye #easycateyetechnique #eyelinertips #eyelinertrends # fallmakeup #glameyemakeup #stepbystepcateye #howtodoacateye #howtouseliquideyeliner #facethis.blogspot.com #ShelleyGoodstein

Organic, Natural, Vegan, Cruelty-free: Beauty Product Labels Simplified

In pursuit of eliminating toxins from our daily routine and diet, and having a conscience about our impact on the environment, we are seeking out beauty products that reflect our values.  Every year more and more products hit the market claiming to address these ideas, but what do these labels mean, and who or what actually regulates them?  How does the normal consumer differentiate between these claims and how do we know they are true? 

Carefully reading the ingredient lists is often difficult when you are standing at a beauty counter, but doing a bit of research ahead of time can help you to know what brands to look for that are in line with your own values. 

Organic:  USDA Certified Organic means that a product contains 95% to 100% organically produced ingredients, and has been officially certified in the USA by the United States Department of Agriculture.  This means products that are formulated without parabens, pthalates, sulfates, or any synthetic ingredients.

Vegan / cruelty-free:  these products are not tested on animals and contain no animal by products including honey, dairy, or beeswax.  The ingredients may or may not be organic, so look for a separate certification on the label if you are looking for both cruelty-free and organic.  You can search by brand name and product type on www.leapingbunny.org, or download their app to search on the go. 

Other labels that confuse consumers are gluten-free and natural.  Just because a product claims to be natural doesn’t mean it doesn’t contain chemicals so be sure to read the label carefully, and don’t confuse natural with organic.  Gluten-free is another confusing label and not an issue unless you intend to eat your beauty products.  Buyer beware. 

There are brands that really do respect our health and the environment, and they are worth seeking out and supporting.  They are growing and expanding their products and are beginning to have an effect on the skincare and cosmetic marketplace, which is great news for consumers.  Using products that have less impact on our health and the environment is a win-win situation and makes the beauty industry more – not less – exciting. 

                                                          XOXO  Shelley

#organicskincare #organiccosmetics #veganskincare #crueltyfreebeauty #certifiedorganicskincare #USDAcertifiedorganic #organichaircare #veganhaircare #facethis.blogspot.com #ShelleyGoodstein

Summer's Hottest Glam Jet Set Beauty

For some women, skipping their beauty routine just because they are planning to lounge at the beach or pool is not an option.  Let’s face it: there are some luxury retreats where slathering yourself in zinc and calling it a day just won’t cut it.  You may be on vacation but there are still selfies to be taken and a certain glam factor to be maintained.  Can you imagine lounging poolside at the Hotel du Cap, or strolling the ports of St. Tropez or Positano with a bare face, shining from sunscreen, looking more like you are at summer camp than on a luxurious getaway?  I didn’t think so.

Summer glam beauty doesn’t need to be time-consuming or glaringly gauche if you focus on just one feature and keep your hair off your face so it doesn’t compete for attention.  Start with a hydrating serum (try La Mer The Revitalizing Hydrating Serum) to amp up the glow.  Look for a moisturizer with antioxidants to protect the skin from damage or drying out in the sun. (try Fresh Cosmetics Lotus Youth Preserve Face Cream with Super 7 Complex).   Follow up with a tinted CC cream with SPF that evens out the over all skin-tone without a full coverage look (try IT Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC+ Cream with SPF 50+).   Brush your brows and use a waxy pencil to fill in bare spots and set with a clear gel.  You want your brows to be groomed but not made up or exaggerated (try Nudestix Eyebrow Stylus Pencil and Gel set). 

For a sensual lip try a pigment-rich coral which sets off glowing summer skin and looks amazing in warm light (try Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Pur Couture Lipstick Collection in Rose Dahlia).  Keep your eye makeup to a minimum so your lips are the focal point.  Give false lashes a holiday too and just wear waterproof mascara (try Clinique Lash Power Mascara Long-Wearing Formula).

A soft pastel metallic eye with a touch of gold reflects the light making your eyes pop rather than receding with darker shadows or contouring, for a dramatic but understated eye (try Makeup Forever Artist Shadow Eyeshadow in Nile Green Satin, and Golden Beige), 

Don’t forget your oversized sunhat and statement shades – after all you will love taking them off for a big reveal. 

All products available at Sephora.com                                                               

                                                               XOXO Shelley

#jet set beauty #summer beauty #vacation beauty #summer glam beauty #summer makeup tips #luxury travel #facethis.blogspot.com #Shelley Goodstein

Bardot Forever – Beauty Icon Brigitte Bardot

She is an icon for the ages, as timeless as it gets, and always an inspiration.  Brigitte Bardot epitomizes French sexuality and allure, and summers spent in seaside villages on the Riviera. She has and always will be the one of the ultimate "girls of summer", enduring more than fifty years since she first shook the world with her raw sensuality, and child-like charm.  

This year’s high-waist bikinis, gingham, off the shoulder blouses, ruffles, stripes, and overtly feminine styles are everywhere, and now is the perfect time to channel your inner sex kitten for summer’s hottest beauty look.  Think cat eye eyeliner, flushed rosy cheeks, and a pale pink pout.  Wear your hair loosely up in a bun to show off bare shoulders, or try a tousled ponytail with whispy flyaway hairs, or cascading down from a center part. 

Brigitte Bardot was a woman ahead of her time, creating a persona and beauty ideal that is as modern today as it ever was.  So many famous models have channeled her allure from Claudia Schiffer to Daphne Groenveld, as she continues to inspire designers, photographers and brands to this day.  So go ahead and skip washing your hair, sleep in your eyeliner, and be as girly and feminine as you want.  After all the ultimate glam means never looking like you have to work at it.  Vive Bardot!

                                                                 XOXO  Shelley

#Brigitte Bardot #Bardot beauty #French beauty icon #how to look like Bardot #sex kitten beauty #French beauty #facethis.blogspot.com #Shelley Goodstein