Be a Natural Beauty This Summer

Be a Natural Beauty This Summer

Sport these makeup looks and hairdos as temperatures rise

This is a TotalBeauty.com health & beauty article Check out these celeb looks for inspiration, then read expert hair and makeup tips to get you looking hot hot hot -- in a totally natural way. Get tips

Review: Revlon Photo Ready Makeup SPF 20

Name: Revlon Photo Ready Makeup SPF 20

Description: "Revlon PhotoReady™ Makeup - for poreless, airbrushed skin in any light. Photochromatic pigments bend and reflect light to erase every flaw. Complete, yet undetectable coverage. Soft, luminous finish;  Oil free; Fragrance free; SPF 20"

Price: Reg. $12-$14 USD (varies by location)

Shades I bought: 006 Medium Beige and 008 Golden Beige (BOGO-Free sale at Walgreens)

NOTE:  I've been trying this product since last February if I'm not mistaken. I always like to try different methods of application, different primers or other makeup bases and setting powders. Also, with time I also can determine if it's breaking me out or causing other issues in my skin.

PROS

• The obvious one---A PUMP!: I really hope Revlon keep adding pumps to their foundations...for example...Colorstay? (**crossing my fingers and wishing someone from Revlon is reading this**).  Not only does this foundation has a pump, but it is a really good one, very manageable and easy to use.

• No fragrance: I wish the Colorstay Foundation had the same smell as this one--NONE!
• Good SPF level: For a foundation anyways. Now some people doesn't like SPF in their foundations but I do. It has Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide. Titanium can cause the dreaded "ghost face" but honestly with this foundation I haven't had that issue (once I understood and decided which one was my right shade).
• Oil-free
• You can get it almost everywhere
• A bit pricey for a DS foundation but can be bought on BOGO-Free sales 
• Soft finish: they mean it with the soft finish description, it is not dewy or look shiny (do no confuse this with shimmery).  It really looks luminous without overdoing it--I honestly didn't have any issues with the "shimmers". I feel that issue has been a bit exaggerated. But that's just me.

CONS

• Don't be confused: the shades in this foundation have nothing to do with the ones in the Colorstay line. Similar names, different color.
• Texture: at first it goes on soft but it feels dry. After a few hours on my skin and getting mixed with the oil in my face, I see it starts to "crack"--the textures changes, separates and the product looks very obvious on my face.
• It emphasizes my pores: I have "rough skin"--I have very noticeable pores and when I apply the product it goes an sits inside them, no matter what primer I use. I've found that applying a bit of oil (almond) on my cheeks right before applying the foundation erases that problem. I do not have this issue with many other foundations.
• Also emphasizes any dry area, big time.
• It transfers...badly.
• Lasting Power: Not much really. And if I sweat...pffft...it looks terrible.
• Not too much coverage, medium at much: this is a CON for me, but you may find it is okay for you.  Though I do have to say I wasn't expecting full coverage. 
• My skin feels dry (at a point where it bothers me) when I apply this but after a few hours it is super oily. Huh??
• I find it a little hard to blend.

Okay, I was expecting a bit more from this foundation. Now, if you see the pics, you could say my makeup do look nice under "every light" --in this case my bathroom light (with and w/o makeup camera flash) and under natural lighting. But up close and personal...I am not impressed. It looks obvious. I don't like that my face is super oily a few hours after application and boy did it transfer. It's not as bad as my experience with the Maybelline Super Stay 24hr Makeup basically because it doesn't fails at every claim Revlon makes. What can I say? I did was expecting the "Photochromatic pigments to bend and reflect light to erase every flaw" and to help with my hyperpigmentation problem. It does that to some extent but I feel it make my wrinkles look a little more obvious. IDK.

I have read and seen videos about the "glitter" and "shimmer" this product has. This foundation has mica as many others do. Maybe they added a more to the PhotoReady, IDK that, but I personally think that this product does not makes me look like a disco ball. I even went outside, under the sun at different hours and did not noticed all this glittery stuff.  I did notice the "glowy, luminous effect" and it was pretty.  L'oreal True Match foundation also has shimmer in it (check out the bottle against the light) and I have not seen many people talking horrors about it, LOL.  You can always tone down the luminous look by setting the foundation with a matte powder.

Bathroom Light

Natural Light

About the white ghostly appearance many ladies have mentioned, I had that issue with the Golden Beige shade which was a good match for my skin tone. I then used the Medium Beige one (a touch darker but almost imperceptible) and it looked good in real life and in pictures. 

As you can see, I'm on the fence here. I like it but I don't think I will buy it again just because for me a foundation shouldn't make me look for a thousand ways to make it work.  And it just does not feels that great on my skin. At least the L'oreal True Match blends super easily.  I would rate this product a little above average because it does makes my skin look nice in pictures but honestly that effect wouldn't last a whole day, let's say, at the office.

RATING:  3.5/5

I you have dry skin, I'd say moisturize super well before using this foundation and set it with a spray like MAC Fix+.  I you have combo/oily skin, use a mattifying primer or product on your T-zone and moisturize well your cheeks before applying the Photo Ready.

Bathroom Light--No Flash

Bathroom Light--With Flash

Natural Light--No Flash

My makeup in these pics:

BORGHESE Prima Viso Face Primer

REVLON Photo Ready Makeup in Medium Beige

ELF HD Powder

ELF contouring blush & bronzing powder--Used both products

MAYBELLINE Full-n-Soft Mascara in Black

MAYBELLINE Define-A-Brow Pencil in Dark Brown

LIPS--Can't remember =/

I hope this review is helpful to you.

¡Vivan, amen y rían!

GUEST POST: Prepping Pretty Spring Skin by Sarah Logan

NOTE: The next article was submitted by a reader of our blog who wanted to share some of her experience in the skincare industry. I (Beda and/or BedasBeautyBlog.Blogspot.com) did not write/own/claim copyrights of the material shown below. All links provided in the article are for information purposes only and will take you to another website. I do not get paid for posting this article or providing links. Please read the regular disclaimer at the bottom of this page.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sarah Logan, one of our readers, wanted to share some basic skincare tips for gorgeous skin in the Spring (but I guess they work all year round!):

Prepping Pretty Spring Skin

By: Sarah Logan

When the sun finally begins to warm our faces again, and the world slowly looks a little greener, we always feel the need to freshen up our looks a bit. In an enthusiastic hurry to apply this season’s bright makeup colors, we may forget to stop and realize that the most important step is good skincare for a clean, smooth base. After the cold wind, dry heating systems and dark days are done with our faces, most of us go into springtime looking a little dull.

To bring your face back to life, there are some basics that always help whether you’re at a spa or your bathroom sink. Firstly, be sure to exfoliate: it can be as simple as adding salt (for oily skin) or sugar (for dry skin) to your face wash or buying one with exfoliating beads in it. It always helps to add a product with something like fruit enzymes or hydroxy acids into your regimen for added results. Going to get at a local spa is a great choice for deep exfoliation that will be noticed right away. Any of these options will reveal fresh skin that is glowing and smooth.

Second, you need to continuously moisturize to have skin perfect for makeup application. If you’re getting a facial at a spa, that’s great because they will both exfoliate and moisture your skin while you’re there. At home, be sure you’re using a formula appropriate for your skin type, like a gel for oily skin, a thicker cream for dry, or something in between. Some of the face lotions with radiance/skin brightening ingredients are perfect for dewy spring skin and are a nice boost for any look.

If we just take a little extra care in reviving skin at this time of year, the reward will be a complexion that’s more awake and well-textured. Your face will look flawless all season long!

---Content provided by Sarah Logan on behalf of Aesthetic Science Institute (ASI).  ASI is a beauty school for new students interested in a career in aesthetics and licensed aestheticians interested in advanced aesthetics training and certification.

---Sarah Logan has always been interested in beauty and fashion. While she enjoys freelance writing about a wide variety of topics, she loves sharing information related to the ever-changing beauty industry. When she joined the outreach team at ASI, she was excited about the opportunity to learn new industry techniques and to offer tips to interested individuals who come across her article content.

If you have any question about this article, please post it in the comment section.

See you later!

¡Vivan, amen y rían!

LOOK: Basic Black&Brown Smokey Eyes

Just a basic smokey eyes look I did yesterday just because...lol. I used the 28 Neutral Eyeshadow Palette. I bought mine more than a year ago at ebay.com.

**All Pics are clickable**

Hahaha! Sorry for my "Wanna-have-Angelina's Lips" duck face

FACE

BORGHESE Prima Viso Face Primer

REVLON Active Light Makeup SPF 25 in Golden Beige

MAYBELLINE Dream Matte Powder in Beige Medium

MAC Dollymix Powder Blush

EYES

ESTÉE LAUDER Double Wear Stay in Place Concealer SPF 10 in Medium as base

EYESHADOWS from the 28 Neutral Eyeshadow Palette (see picture for eyeshadows used): Brown all over lid, Black on outer 1/3 of lid and crease, Creamy beige on browbone and Sparkly White near tearducts
MAYBELLINE Line Express E/L in Ebony Black on both waterlines

MAYBELLINE The Colossal Volume Express W/P Mascara in Glam Black

MAC Eye Brow pencil in Stud

28 Neutral E/S Palette

LIPS

SALLY HANSEN Healing Butter for Lips

REVLON Super Lustrous L/S in Nude Velvet

L'OREAL Colour Riche L/S in Cashmere


Hope you all are having a nice weekend.



¡Vivan, amen y rían!

TotalBeauty.com: Best Bargain Beauty Buys

Best Bargain Beauty Buys

You can update your beauty stash for spring without breaking the bank

This is a TotalBeauty.com budget products article Have your lipstick and wear it too with this expert guide to scoring cheapie, hot-for-spring hair, skin and makeup products that rival the pricy prestige brands. See products

Review+Swatches: ELF Studio Bronzers

Since I've been impressed with the E.L.F products I've bought in these past months (click here and here) I decided to try the STUDIO Bronzers...aaaaand it helped that they were 50% off at the ELF cosmetics website, hehehe.

ELF Studio Bronzers --- Reg. $3.00 for 12.3g

I bought the bronzers in Warm and Golden.  Warm has a touch of shimmer that gives my skin a lovely glow without being so apparent. I find it is great for my NC 35-37 skintone. Golden is listed also as a bronzers, but I use it more as a highlight. It really illuminates a dull skin.  You may want to have a light hand with these products. 

Application:  After watching many videos and reading about proper bronzer application, I prefer by now to apply the Warm bronzer with my MAC 129 in circular motions on my nose, cheeks, forehead and below my chin. I'm still learning how to do it correctly.  I use Golden with a brush like Sephora Professional Flat Brush #42 which gives a more precise application.

I do wish these powder were a bit more finely milled but they are not hard to blend. I just need to remember to add a little bit at a time.  Also, ELF should consider adding a warm matte bronzer to the Studio line. The other shade ("Cool") seems to be matte but is not for yellow undertoned ladies like me.

I think these bronzers are awesome, they look great on my skin and come on: you just can't beat the price (btw, I ended up paying just $1.50 each, ELF offer great coupons from time to time.)  If you are starting with makeup or learning to use bronzers, I would recommend to give these a try.

All colors mixed together

Rating: 4.5/5 (Great quality for the price and quantity offered, great elegant packaging, lovely colors; wish it would be more finely milled and that ELF could provide a matte bronzer for warm skintones and I personally consider the "Golden" bronzer more of a highlighter because of the shimmer --though ELF does indicates in the box that it provides an illuminating shimmer;  But again, for the given price, this product is just really nice)

Ah! And of course I got 2 others Studio Powder Brushes because I'm in love with them. I love it for foundation application (liquid and powder), blush, blending, etc... It is amazing.  LOL, I spent just $6 USD for all 4 products.  

Hope you all are having a nice weekend. It's a 3-day weekend for us here and I'm very grateful for that because these past weeks have been crazy and super busy for all of us.

¡Vivan, amen y rían!

Total Beauty: Faux Glow Guide

Faux Glow Guide

Tanning beds are not your friend -- get a perfect sunless tan with these tips

This is a TotalBeauty.com sun care article Get the scary truth about tanning and then follow this guide to get your best real-looking, fake tan. Read guide

It's hot out there! Summer foundation combo #2: Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation & Concealer

Another makeup combo I like using during hot/humid days: Estee Lauder Double Wear Makeup and concealer.

I've been trying so many different foundations for the last few months that I've relegated my EL Double Wear foundation. So today I gave it some love again: hot day outside and I was feeling particularly picky about my skin today. It wanted for it to look soft and nice but it certainly didn't feel like it.

In my review of the EL DW foundation, I didn't know if would buy it again because the Revlon Colorstay is a really good dupe.  But hey, I know now I will need to have a bottle of this at hand forever.  It is just amazing and its differences with the Colorstay (read my review) make it worth the buy.  For me, this is the foundation for a flawless finish that lasts and lasts and lasts.  And after taking many pics I've decided 3W1-Tawny is a great shade for me. I no longer mix it with any other foundation.

IMPORTANT: Double Wear is medium to full coverage foundation so for a light application I get some product in the palm of my hands, rubbed both hands together and then apply it in my face like if it were some kind of lotion. I love this type of foundation application (read this post by 15 Minute Beauty Fanatic). The foundation feels so natural on my face, I forget I have it on.

 

The Double Wear Concealer is an amazing product.  It is creamy, does not sit on my wrinkles -- **yes, I have wrinkles--it sucks**--, provides great coverage and does not moves, seriously.  One thing though: you have to work a bit faster with it compared to other concealers before it settles.  Its has a satin/natural finish. I do recommend applying a good eye cream underneath it.

I did some errands today, alternating between air-conditioned and outdoor spaces. My makeup stood up to sweat and remained pretty good after 6 hours of wear --when I took the pics below.   Granted: I did not sweat as much as the last time (when I posted combo #1)  but still. I'm always impressed when I blot a few hours after applying it and the blotting paper shows almost no residue of my makeup. Good stuff.

NOTE: My eye makeup is not such a big thing, I just like to make my eyes look awake and even out the color in the eyelids 'cause they are very dark. If I know I'm going to be running around I prefer a neutral look or just emphasize my eyes by applying mascara on the top lashes.

**All pics are clickable**

 Me without makeup, yay!!!! LOL

 

 After 6 hours (No flash pics)--Yes, I was tired and I have 
wrinkles **sighs** (that's why I love flash pics, lol):

ETA: I forgot to add that I like to set my makeup with my MAC Fix+ Spray. I do this before applying my mascara.  The Fix+ helps to tone down a powdery face and leaves the skin with a beautiful dewy look.

FACE

Primer--Walgreens Sunscreen with Zinc Oxide and Smashbox Photo Finish on cheeks and forehead

Foundation--Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay In Place Makeup SPF 10 in 3W1 Tawny
Powder--Maybelline Dream Matte Powder in Beige Medium (applied with a cosmetic puff)

Concealer--Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay In Place Concealer SPF 10 in Medium

Blush--MAC Eversun Beauty Powder (LE)

EYES

TFSI

Concealer--Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay In Place Concealer SPF 10 in Medium (on the eyelids)

REVLON Photo Ready Translucent Finisher (on the eyeslids and top of the cheeks)

MAC Zoom Lash mascara in ZoomBlack

MAC Eye Brow Pencil in Stud

LIPS
Sally Hansen Healing Butter for Lips

Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick in Sunset

Sally Hansen Lipnotic Gem Gloss in Bejeweled (I think these were discontinued)

¡Vivan, amen y rían!

Skin-Benefiting Natural Ingredients

Best Skin-Benefiting Natural Ingredients

Find out cool facts about the ingredients in natural skin care and why you should befriend them

Did you know that April is Earth Month? Read on for a line-up of hot topic natural ingredients. See which products they're found in, and what they can do to improve your skin. Read about ingredients

¡Vivan, amen y rían!

Swatches: Stila Illuminating Liquid Foundation and Convertible Color

So hopefully next week I will finish my classes at the uni and have a bit more time to post new things.  I've bought some new makeup these past few months, mostly at websites like HauteLook and ACW where I know I get the real product for a great price.

The other day I received my Stila Order from Allcosmeticswholesale.com. I ordered the Illuminating Liquid Foundation (SALE--$18.99; REG--$38.00) and a Convertible Color Cream (SALE $14.99; REG.--$25.00).

REMEMBER TO CLICK ON ALL PICS FOR ENLARGE VERSIONS

***Reviews will be done in a few weeks, I need time to try these babies in all kind of weather conditions***

STILA Illuminating Liquid Foundation

I ordered 60 watts because I read it was a good match for NC 35-37 skin tones. I think it is the first time I have ordered a foundation online without having looking at it personally to see if it was a match. It was!  Phew!  LOL. 

Pics

 

STILA Convertible Color

The shade I got was Petunia. I'm a fool for colors that peachy colors, this one is more of a pinky peach (yes, I know, me and my product descriptions) and looks so nice on my cheeks. 

Pics

Hope these swatches are helpful.

¡Vivan, amen y rían!

Mrs. Britney releases "unphotoshopped" pics of herself

I know Mrs. Britney has had her ups and downs, I'm not discussing that here. But allowing these pics to be published it's a super DO.   BRAVO!

Young girls, women and people in general need to realize that what we see in magazines or ads today is not real. I believe all the pics we see in the media are photoshopped. So I think this was good decision.

CHECK OUT THE PICS HERE (This link will take you to another website)

We all want to look our best but photoshopped pictures in makeup, skincare, clothing and many more type of ads doesn't help with insecurities some people may already have. Not everybody understands that beauty is not makeup and clothes. No amount of makeup can cover up an ugly heart.

Love you all.

¡Vivan, amen y rían!

Flatter Your Face Shape With These Makeup Tricks

Flatter Your Face Shape With These Makeup Tricks

Follow these expert makeup tricks to get your best look ever

Is your face shape a square? Oval? Heart or circle? Figure it out, then read tips from makeup artist to the stars, Nick Barose. You'll also see which celeb has your same face shape and get recommendations for which makeup products to use and how to apply 'em. Get tips

¡Vivan, amen y rían!