Palmer's Cocoa Butter

In honour of the gazillion pregnant women I see every day, and of the upcoming summer, I wanted to talk about Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula with you fine folks. I was hesitant to buy this product at first because the second main ingredient is mineral oil (bad stuff) but I'm really glad I did. Around this time of year, us guys and gals start putting away our summer clothes, and start showing some skin. That's all fine and dandy, but like a lot of women out there, my skin is more on the dry side and I find it nearly impossible to get rid of the scaly cracks on my lower legs (ew.) And dammit I wanna wear a skirt this summer!

Thank Zeus I bought this product. Not only does it go on very nicely, and smell amazing, but it literally feels like you've just applied it... even two days later. Who can say that about their skin cream? After one use the cracks on my legs are gone, and my knees, elbows and feet are nice and moisturized. I'm also quite happy that I will be able to use this as a soothing solution for when I get a little too much sun this summer (hey, it happens.) Palmer's is supposed to smooth out stretch marks and scars as well, which is why this product is definitely known as the go-to item for all those knocked up gals out there.

You used to only be able to find this stuff in holistic or African stores, but now I'm seeing this brand a lot at the regular drug store. If you're worried about the chemicals in this product (there actually aren't THAT many) then you can just get yourself 200 grams of cocoa butter (which is not that easy to spread on the skin by itself) or you can try your luck at an organic or natural health food store which usually carries natural alternatives.

If you want to use this on your face, I recommend trying it as a night treatment so it has time to absorb in your skin before you put makeup on the next day.

What's My Coverage?

There are lots of meanings and connotations to the term "cover-up" but what's the best coverage for your skin? Maybe you're using the wrong foundation and you don't even realize it! There are so many different brands, consistencies, makes and models and if you're unsure about your current product, it might be time to investigate different kinds.

First of all, I want to define the difference between foundation and concealer. Foundation is used all over the face to even out skin tone and create a base for the rest of your makeup. Concealer is used alone, or on top of foundation to cover up blemishes, under eye circles, scars etc.

Basic types of foundation:

Tinted Moisturizer-

This is pretty much the diet version of foundation and is easier on the skin than pure liquid foundation. They usually come with sunblock and last quite a while.
Ideal for: Skin that does not require a lot of coverage.

Best Brands: Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20, Estée Lauder DayWear Sheer Tint Release (for this brand, one size fits all... the colour changes to match your skin tone so you don't have to worry about getting the right shade)


Liquid/Cream-
For this type of foundation you would need to be very careful about the shade you get. It has to be perfect. This is less forgiving than tinted moisturizer and flaws (such as the wrong shade) can show very easily at the hairline or jaw.
Ideal For: Uneven skin tone, not very oily skin

Best Brands: According to Sephora.com - the top rated liquid foundation is Koh Gen Do Aqua Foundation, and it's $62 USD. First of all, who is this Koh, and why is his foundation so expensive?! If you're willing to spend that much, go for it, but you can find comparable products for a fraction of the price. Tarte Amazonian Clay is a very popular brand, that's $38 USD, then you have Maybelline FIT Me Liquid Foundation for $6.99 USD. There are hundreds of brands of all kinds, shades and prices, the trick is find the one that suits you best. The absolute best way to find a great product is to read customer reviews on beauty websites (such as TotalBeauty.com)

Pressed Powder/Compact-
This is probably one of the most popular forms of foundation. You'll always find a woman in a restaurant or mall taking a compact out of her purse to fix some shine. It's a classic staple in any woman's makeup kit, but not everyone needs to use it.
Ideal For: Oily or shiny skin, uneven skin tone, matte look, light coverage

Best Brands: I know a lot of women would immediately think of Cover Girl... but please don't... it stinks... literally. Estée Lauder and Chanel are great luxury brands for compact makeup (and have beautiful packaging) but they'll make your wallet cry. L'Oreal, Maybelline or Almay are a safe bet in this category.

Loose/Mineral Powder-
This format is not for the newbie in the makeup world. This could look either very good or pretty terrible, depending on how it's applied. Mineral makeup is a rising trend for artists and users and if you can get your hands on a good quality product, they are much less damaging to your skin than their chemical counterparts, and can give you that flawless airbrushed look. The problem is... finding a good product.
Ideal For: Any skin type (other than severely dry or acne-prone skin)

Best Brands: I'm having a hard time finding a mineral makeup that has nothing but minerals in it, but I can't find any yet. Bare Minerals/Escentuals are probably the most popular, but still have some irritants in the ingredients list. There is also Physicians Formula Talc-Free Mineral Loose Powder, which has a little more baddies in it... but it is all much better than the rest of this list IF you get one without talc in it.





How Do I Find the Right Shade?
As previously mentioned, picking the right shade of foundation is very important. With the wrong shade you could look like an over-grown Oompa-Loompa or anemic and sallow. The goal is to be seamless. It can be difficult to shop for foundation at a drug store, but if you're able to, use the tester on your neck, not your hand. The skin on your hand is much different than the skin on your face, and your neck is the closest you can get to it. If there's no mirror available, you could ask a friend to come along or get a clerk to help you. If all that fails, try to shop where they have decent return policies.

If you're still unsure about the product you're using, you can ask a friend, a makeup artist, do some research online, read reviews, order some samples, and don't be shy to email me at info@quitebeautiful.com!

This Week's Spotlight: Florence Welch

Miss Florence Welch (c. 2011)

This week's spotlight is dedicated to my sister Genny, who has a major crush on this fiery dame. What I love about her makeup, hair, nails, and the photo in general is how every colour compliments each other. Now that is not necessary in all photos, but in this case it really makes her beauty stand out.

The Florence + The Machine star is definitely known for her red locks, and Waterhouse-esque beauty. Even though this photo shows an edgier side of the singer, you can still see her classic elegance shine through. 

Her fair skin has no shine or blush. If you're looking to recreate her look, start off with a light foundation or tinted moisturizer. Make sure it's not too dark or else you'll be a tanned Flo wannabe! After that you can apply a loose finishing powder, but I would generally put that on in the end, in case any mishaps occur with the rest of the makeup. Make Up For Ever's HD Microfinish Powder works on all skin tones and is great for getting that picture perfect touch.

Her makeup is so simple and easy to recreate. Her eyes have a very light layer of greyish-brownish-mauve shadow on the top lid, black mascara on the top and bottom lashes, and a beautiful olive-gold liner on the bottom. Easy as that. Don't be overzealous with the shadow or it will come out too dark. 

Try: Stila eyeshadow in Rain, Tarte Amazonian Clay Smart Mascara and MAC Technakohl Liner in Uniform.

                     

 Next is her beautiful berry pout. For this particular look, I would use a magenta or dark fuchsia lip liner. After lining (carefully) your lips with the pencil, smooch your lips together to rub it in, or do it evenly with your finger, to blend in the lip colour.

Luxe by Orly

Now for her very chic and edgy metallic gold nail polish. Metallic enamel is definitely in, so I would jump on that bandwagon, because it looks awesome! There are so many different companies to choose from, so you won't have trouble finding the perfect shade for you!

The only thing left to do is your hair, if you so choose. We all know how to curl our hair, but are we all protecting it properly? High heat can kill your hair if you don't use a protective serum, spray or cream beforehand. Try PYT's Argan Oil Super Serum. It smells great and leaves your hair SUPER soft. And instead of using a curling iron, try the flat iron trick. Simply clamp on a 1-inch section of hair at the top, flip your hand backwards (and then forwards with the next strand) and pull all the way down to the end.

Hope you all have fun recreating Miss Welch's style! 

Sugar, Sugar... Baby!

Hey Gang! So I'm really excited to share these photos with you and I've been waiting so patiently to do so. I was recently asked to do the makeup for a photo shoot with a very talented photographer, Christoper Morrison, and a very beautiful model, Rebecca Ames. You may know her from AskMen.

I was told that the photo shoot was going to be a candy, bubblegum, sugar, and an all around cavity inducing theme. I was a little nervous at first as I don't generally use bright and bold colours, but I was definitely up for the challenge. So we went to Sephora and the drugstore to buy all the stuff I needed and did some research online to see what Chris was looking for. I did a little practice on myself, and by the next day, Chris and I were pretty comfortable with what each other needed for the photo shoot.

When Rebecca walked in on the day of the shoot, I was so pleasantly surprised! Her skin was perfect and blemish free, her lips in a full pout, thick, fanned eyelashes, long gorgeous hair... a makeup artist's dream!

In these pictures (the only ones I have so far!) you can see three different styles of makeup. The one on top I put very a very rich blue cream shadow by Maybelline. On the bottom lid I applied florescent green eyeshadow from GOSH, and blended it into the blue with some yellow in the same GOSH pallet.

On the bottom left, she's wearing those fantastic falsies from Make Up For Ever that Chris picked out himself. The blue mustache is actually icing, which Rebecca drew herself! In the right photo, I've layered her top lid with hot pink shimmery eyeshadow, defined with pinkish/purple eyeliner, and applied white eyeshadow on the bottom, pointing up towards her eyebrow. In all pictures she is wearing Cream Lip Satin No. 6 by Sephora.

And in case you're wondering... that gorgeous mess of hair was actually done by my sister, Genny. I was very impressed by the bird's nests and haystacks in Rebecca's hair, and quite frankly scared at how much fun she had doing it.


Photo Credit: Christopher Morrison 
Model: Rebecca Ames
Makeup: Maya Methot
Hair: Genny Methot