Brow Products

Hello loves,

Let me just say... 

BROWS. 

Yes! 

One of the biggest trends of the year (and for good reason), are good, thick, bold brows. 

I'm not talking about instagram, stenciled on brows. I'm talking, lush, natural brows. 

So avoid the stenciled brow look-- it's overdone, very fake looking, and it's just going to make it look like you don't know what you're doing. 

Here are some products and tips to keep your brows on point...

1. Anastasia Dipbrow Pomade

$18

photo c/o anastasiabeverlyhills.com

I am in love with this stuff! 

It is water resistant, and won't budge! So it's great for the humidity and warmer summer months. This pomade comes in a variety of shades, so there is definitely one to suit you! 

Technique Tip: 

Use an angled brow brush to delicately draw onto your natural brow--follow with a spoolie brush to soften. 

2. Sonia Kashuk Tinted Brow Gel 

$5.99

photo c/o target.com

Brow gels are great for a quick fix..

Cover grays? CHECK

Tame wild brow hairs? CHECK

Darken blonde brows? CHECK 

This stuff is easy to apply with the wand attached and does the job well. Best part?! It's super affordable. 

Technique Tip: 

Be sure to wipe the wand of any excess product. This will make application cleaner and more precise. 

3. IT Cosmetics Brow Power Super Skinny

$24

photo c/o itcosmetics.com

I love this pencil! 

Its super fine tip allows for natural looking hairs as you draw them in and helps with precise fill ins-- no mistakes! It's a great formula-- super creamy and easy to apply, but stays put. I love that it has the spoolie brush on the other end-- two products in one! Win! 

Technique Tip: 

Start off with lighter pressure in the heaviest part of the brow, and gradually add more as you work your way to the end of the brow (where you need more coverage). This allows an even and more natural looking fill. 

I hope this helps with your brow product search! Just remember to start soft and slowly build. 

You don't want to scribble on some brows haphazardly! They are there to frame your face DELICATELY :) 

Good Makeup starts with Good Skin...

Hello everyone! 

This is my first blog post.. ever! yay! And what a better way to start this series than to discuss winter skin care. 

Many people think makeup can cover anything... WRONG. Makeup does have some powerful capabilities to mask a  lot of problems, but to achieve that flawless look, you need to make sure you are taking good care of your skin (even if you were born with nice skin:) <--Those are the worst offenders!

Here in Chicago we have had a pretty mild winter, many would consider us lucky to have missed big snow storms and 0 degree days... But we've had a horrible winter for our skin. With all the back and forth of low temperatures to 50 degree days, snow, and then rain and then cold, dry, windy days! It's horrible! Our hands and faces are rebelling!

So here are some basics you should know to keep your skin glowing and healthy in the hardest of times: 

1. Most important: EXFOLIATE!

    

 *So many women I meet neglect this step and it's so important to do! I exfoliate all year long, usually once a week during the hotter months and up to 3 times a week during the cooler months. Exfoliating is important because it is a gentle scrub that sloughs off dead skin cells. If you neglect to do this, those skin cells continue to pile up and build, creating flakey skin that can be one of the hardest things to cover! 

Exfoliate once and you'll see an immediate difference!

     *Here are some home remedies for you to try if you haven't found an exfoliant you like yet: 

          -Baking soda and warm water

          - Sugar and lemon juice

      *Gently mix and apply with clean hands on your face in small circular motions for a few minutes, rinse and moisturize!

     *Here's another quick tip for your lips. It's important not to forget about them! You can easily run your exfoliant over your lips (they also sell lip exfoliants in beauty stores), or you can be sure to brush your lips with your toothbrush after brushing your teeth (which is what I do, cause it's easy to do and remember!). Be sure to apply lip balm when you're finished! xo

2. Second most important: MOISTURIZE!

     *Your skin needs moisture from the inside out to help eliminate dryness, wrinkles (yes wrinkles!), and to make your skin glow!

     *Drink plenty of water! Especially in these drier months, your body is begging for extra moisture.

     *Moisturize daily. I moisturize twice a day, first with a lightweight formula to wear under my makeup and then a night cream before bed. I also use an eye cream as well. Why do you need all these?! I'll break it down: 

     *Moisturizer: Obvious, your skin needs moisture! Even if you have oily skin and think you don't need it, YOU DO! Buy an oil free product and be sure to do it twice a day. Oily skin produces more oil (which leads to more break outs), because it is making up for a lack of moisture in the skin. So confusing but so true. Luckily for you, having oily skin leads to a youthful face as you get older :) 

    *Night Cream: Most people use a heavier, more concentrated cream on their faces at night because your body absorbs more of the nutrients while you're sleeping, AND it's generally calling for more moisture than during the day when you're running around!

     * Eye Cream: Your eyes don't have oil glands, therefore they don't produce any moisture/oil, which means they age first! Ever notice how crows feet and wrinkles usually pop up first?! So you need a specially formulated eye cream to fight that. Get something that's hydrating and anti aging (retinal) and apply once to two times daily. 

     *Hate putting chemicals on your face? 

There are plenty of natural choices to keep your skin hydrated: 

          -Coconut oil

          -Jojoba Oil

          - Maracuja Oil

*Do your research! Visit a dermatologist and find what's best for you! 

If you take these two steps you can apply them all over your body.. Your hands, feet, legs, back, etc. 

So get to it! Good makeup starts with excellent skin care! Enjoy your day! 

xoxo Jen