Smokey Eye Tutorial – VIDEO
Follow this easy smokey eye tutorial. The video below will help you understand how to quickly create a simple, but sexy smokey eye that you can use for a day or night look.
BH Cosmetics Review
Rarely do I recommend or even mention makeup brands in my makeup tips and tutorial. With all the hype from popular and highly-endorsed cosmetics, do you really get value for your money? Did they live up to their brand promise? Did you achieve the look their latest model has?
Sometimes, not everything that is expensive or endorsed by the most popular celebrity works well with your skin tone, skin type, and texture. It might not even go well with the look you’re trying to work on. I’ve been recently trying different makeup brands that would really go well with almost anyone and are a par with today’s popular cosmetic brands but, not as pricey and expensive.
If you’ve been reading this blog for quite some time, you may notice that I very often recommend pigmented eyeshadow makeup. Pigmented eye makeup does not streak or cake. It is also long-lasting and easier to blend. Guess what? After months of trying different makeup brands, I got the chance to try BH Cosmetics. Much to my surprise, BH Cosmetics offer what I have been looking for in an eyeshadow, highly pigmented and a variety of colors and shades in every palette at relatively lower prices than other eyeshadow palettes of the same quality and quantity.
The one I tried was the 120-color eyeshadow palette. The colors and shades were great to look at and were very smooth to 
apply and blend with other shades. Just think of the number of colors you can use individually or blend with other colors to match your clothes or look for the day. You can skip thinking about buying new colors or shades every now and then to suit your needs. The 120-color palette includes a variation of highly pigmented matte and shimmer eyeshadow colors and shades. You can achieve that office day look and transform into that sun-kissed look in just one palette.
I heard that they’re currently having a sale. You don’t want to miss that, do you?
Summer Eyeshadow Makeup Guide
We’ve prepped your face with the right foundation, concealer, and powder, now, we’re going to apply your eyeshadow makeup. Here’s a quick guide to help you through.
Step #1
Choose Sheer Colors for Your Eyeshadow
In our previous posts, we’ve taught you how to apply your concealer to make your eyeshadow makeup stay on longer. Since it’s summer and it’s oily, it’s important to keep color throughout the day. To reflect the season and exude a bright and light look, it is recommended to use sheer colors. For this tutorial, we’re going to use an ivory shade of sheer eyeshadow with a little bit of shimmer. This will give the eye a little bit of texture.
Step #2
Apply Your Eyeshadow Using a Brow Brush
Apply your eyeshadow with an eye brow brush. Start from the inner corner and work your way to the top, perfect. Now in a V shape, right at the brow bone, brush it all down.
Step #3
Put on Your Accent Color
For your accent color in this tutorial, we’re going to use a little bit of a peach shade. Recommended summer accent colors you could use are peach and pink. You can also use neutral colors such as browns and taupe With a bit of color on the brush, work it on your brow bone following a V-shape.
Step #4
Blend Your Colors
It’s important to blend the colors to look natural and fresh and not overdone. This is a great look for work or for play. This gives you a little bit of brightness on right corner of the eyelid.
Step #5
Finish with a Bit of Sheer Shimmer
The last step with eyes is the sheer shimmer. Apply a bit on top and also in the corner. At the very top, near the eyebrow, dab a little bit of shimmer. Then, get a little bit of the shimmer and place it on the very corner of the eye. You could even bring the shimmer underneath the eye. This opens up the eye. Remember, light colors jump out at you and dark receive.
Tips to Make Your Summer Look Stay Fresh All Day
Since it’s summer, we sweat more than usual. If you did your makeup earlier during the day, you might get caught up with an extra shine or perspiration on your face. That’s why it is also important to keep your makeup look fresh all day. Here are tips to make your look stay all throughout the day.
Tip #1
Use an Oil-Control Film
If you’re getting a little extra shine or perspiration, just take a blotting sheet or oil-control film and just blot the forehead or anywhere that looks shiny. This will take off the perspiration and excess oil or the dewy look without taking off your makeup.
Tip #2
Dab on Clear Powder
You can also dab a little bit of clear powder on your shiny areas. The clear powder works great because it won’t keep building and building on your summer makeup. Summer makeup is supposed to look light and fresh. Just take a little of your clear powder with a fluffy brush, shake out the excess so it won’t get on your clothes, and brush on the shiny areas
Tip #3
Spritz on Some Moisture Mix
Another thing you can do that makeup artist’s and flight attendants put on some moisture mix. There are moisturizer mist sprays available in beauty shops or makeup or cosmetic stores. To start off, close your eyes, take the moisturizing spray, hold the bottle about three to four inches from your face and just spray it on. Spraying at a distance makes more coverage on the face. Spraying it on feels great and will actually set your makeup and not come off the whole day.
Tip #4
Blush On!
To keep your summer makeup looking fresh, you can also add a little bit of blush. It looks very pretty and the rosy effect blends with the summer heat.
Exfoliate Your Skin for the Summer
Summer is the time of the year that teens are mostly looking forward to. With all the out of town trips and beach parties, you don’t want to go wrong with your makeup. If you’re going to a pool party or the beach where makeup is not really necessary, your skin still has to look good. The best way to prepare your face for summer makeup is to exfoliate. You need to exfoliate because during summer, your skin tends to become oilier. There are different ways you can exfoliate your skin. This guide will help you prepare your face for the sunny and dry weather.
Tip #1
Exfoliate Using a Brush
This is one of the handy tools or items which can be easily found in your house that you can use. On a clean brush, 
place a little amount of the exfoliating product of your choice. Go around your face in circular motion. You can also do this on your arms and legs after you’re done with your face. This will increase the rate of the turnover cells on the face. The difference between dull skin and bright fresh skin is the texture of your skin. With the help of a handy brush, you can help your body to regenerate skin cells, improving the texture of your skin and making it look shiny.
Tip #2
Use an Exfoliant That Has Micro-Beads
With all the exfoliant products available in the market, all you have to do is choose. It is recommended to use an exfoliant with micro-beads or micro-scrubs like the Jehovah beads. Exfoliant products that have micro-beads scrub dead skin cells and when applied in circular motions physically, exfoliate your skin. This is will help you achieve nice and fresh bright skin perfect for the summer.
Summer Foundation Guide
If you have been following my blog, you might have noticed that since summer’s around the corner, I’ve been featuring makeup tips that would go perfectly with the weather. As they say, you wouldn’t go out in a sweater in summer neither would you put on heavy foundation. You would want to feel fresh and light in time for your outdoor activities.
Step #1
Choose the Right Foundation Application Tool
There are a lot of ways and tools to use in applying your foundation. However, the best tool to use in applying foundation is your hand. This is not only the quickest method but also the most controlled. Just make sure your hands are clean so you won’t place excess oil, sweat, or dirt on your skin. The second and commonly used tool to use is the sponge. Using a sponge is also a quick and easy way of applying foundation plus, it gives you a more professional look. The third makeup tool that you can use is the foundation brush. Some use foundation brush for application because it gives off a smooth and flawless finish.
Step #2
Choose a Foundation that Has Sun Protection Factor (SPF)
Since it’s summer, it’s just timely to recommended the use of a foundation that has a high SPF. Most activities are done outdoors which makes the skin very vulnerable to the sun’s heat. People usually get more tan or get darker without sufficient sunblock protection. The higher the SPF, the higher the sun protection.
Step #3
Foundation Application
In addition to SPF, make sure that the foundation matches the skin tone of your jaw line. In applying foundation, get a little bit on the makeup tool you’re going to use, may it be on your brush, on your finger, or on a sponge. To make sure it’s evenly spread out across the face, put a little dot on your forehead, nose, cheeks, and chin and spread evenly from there. After spreading evenly, brush the foundation through the skin.
Get Loose with Loose Powder for the Summer
The hot and sunny weather usually ruins our makeup. Our face excretes more oil and sweat than usual during summer. To avoid more than frequent touch-ups, it is important to know how you should apply face po
wder for summer. Aside from your foundation, your face powder serves as your makeup base so, it is very important to set it properly or else your whole look will look sticky or smudgy.
There are a lot of different powders out there in the market. A personal favourite is the loose powder. Loose powder has a bigger grain and sits on the face well. However, loose powder doesn’t travel well. If you’re going to use a loose or mineral face powder, it is recommended to set your makeup using a brush. A brush will give you a lighter finish than the actual compact. Applying loose powder best works if you’re done with your makeup. It can also work as a good finisher. Loose powder has bigger grains which set the makeup, making it look perfect and professional. Here’s how you can work your way around with loose powder.
Step #1
You can start of by dipping your brush in the powder, and don’t forget to shake off the excess.
Step #2
Lightly apply the brush throughout the face all the way down to your neck. Go ahead and do your T-zone, your forehead, your nose, and your chin. This will give you an even and smooth finish.
Now for summer, you’ll probably reapply a few times all throughout the day. For the touch-ups, I would recommend a press powder. You can apply pressed or compact powder with a sponge if you feel like you’re getting oily.
Summer Eyebrow Makeup Guide
If you have been following our blog, you might have an idea on what theme is for this month. We have been featuring makeup tips just in time for summer. This guide will feature how you can suit your eyebrows just in time for summer.
Step #1
Your eyebrows are very important and are often neglected. The brows frame your eyes so, you can start by raising the corner of the eye. First, you get your small eyebrow brush and brush your brows up. Then, go from the corner of the nose to the corner of the eye. If there’s excess on the top, brush them down. What you can do is put a little bit of hairspray or gel on your brush or comb so it can set in place. If you notice that you have excess eyebrow hair, you can simply use little scissors to trim it.
Step #2
After raising you brows a little, you now have markers on where your brows should be. 
What you do now is to get an eye liner brush and dip it in some powder. For blondes, you can go for taupe. For dark hair, you can go with either gray or brown. Just be careful with your color of choice. You don’t want to go too dark because that will make you look heavy which is contrary to what summer is all about.
Step #3
When you’ve chosen the shade that you will use, tap your brush out for any excess powder. Then, start applying using inside upward movements. At the end, you can do a little fade out. Make sure that it looks natural and it blends with your hair and eye makeup.
In just three easy steps, you got right there your perfect brow.
Blush Basics: Cream Blush vs. Powder Blush
Like foundation and concealer, blushes also come in cream or powder form. Both cream and powder blushes have variants that suit oily, normal, or dry skin. You can use cream and powder on any skin type unless you are extremely oily or extremely dry. Here are some tips to guide on choosing between a cream and powder blush.
It Depends on the Look You Want to Achieve
It’s just really a matter of preference or the look you want to achieve. If you are looking for a dewy glowing look, you might want to use a cream blush. On the other hand, if you want a smooth, kind of parsley look then, you might want to use a powder blush. However, if you like achieve a glowing look but don’t want to use a cream blush, I suggest that you get a powder blush with a bit of shimmer in it. It gives the same effect.
It Depends on the Season or Weather
The type of blush that you would apply during different types of weather can also affect your whole look. For the summer, you might want to stick with powder blush. If you use cream blush during in a hot or high temperature environment, it can smear and just look smudgy. However, during winter, you can use a cream blush without the hassle.
It Depends on the Application
The application is a little bit different though, cream blushes are a bit stickier and it doesn’t even out as smooth as a powder blush unless, you are using an appropriate brush. Using a foundation brush, dab some cream blush on your brush and pat it into the skin. Don’t swipe it. Instead, press it onto the skin so that it blends and looks natural on the cheek bones. You can also use a contour brush to buff and blend until you achieve the look you want. That’s for using a cream blush.
On the other hand, using a blush powder is much easier. Taking a regular blush brush or any size of blush brush and dab on the blush powder you will use. Gently pat on the apples of your cheek and blend.
Be Ready for a Photo Shoot Everytime!
With the widespread availability of cameraphones, portable digicams, SLR or point and shoot cameras, photo shoots need not to be in a studio anymore. May it be creative shots, simple family portraits, or just even random shoots, you have to admit that you want to look good in these photos. This guide will help you apply makeup like you’re ready for a photo shoot everytime.
Tip #1
Do Your Makeup a Bit Heavier than Usual
If you’re used to your usual day-to-day makeup, you might want to accentuate a little more. Makeup in photos, especially those taken in studios or rooms where there are a lot of lights, tend to look pale or fade out. Your makeup doesn’t really have to be very dark, just a bit heavy. Once you have applied your first layer, powder it down and go back and apply another layer. You can try to have a few more pats of powder or blush and another swipe of gloss.
Tip #2
Always Lighten Under the Eyes
As they say, the eyes are the windows to the soul. Photos often reveal how one feels just by looking at their smile, gestures, and most importantly, the eyes. Always lighten under the eyes and around the entire eye because we want the eyes to be bright and sparkly. It is recommended to use a concealer that is a lighter shade than the usual.
Tip #3
Enhance Some Areas of Your Face Using Makeup
The light around you or the in the studio as well as the camera flash will actually hit certain areas of the face so, it is advisable to enhance some areas of your face. You can enhance the bridge of your nose as well as the top of your forehead and chin area. These are areas that the light will hit first so, You might want to actually soften them with foundation to make your face look nice and shine-free in the picture.
