First Blog Ever!

Hey everyone, Karrie here, with my first official post to my new blog. I really hope that I can impart some great information to those makeup junkies like myself. I hope you all send me your beauty questions, & we can get a great conversation going about the realities of beauty.



Let's start with the summer basics:

Bronzer:

Bronzer is a big favorite in the summer, but girls beware! bronzer is meant to be sheer, & really used lightly over the forehead, nose, cheeks, & chin. Bronzers impart a gentle sun-kissed glow to mimic the sun. Applying bronzer too liberally & completely altering the color of your skin is a makeup faux pas! Never try to use makeup to change your skin tone. (unless we're talking theater) Instead, embrace what you've been given! Fare skinned girls, use a light coppery bronzer, Stay away from the overly deep tones, especially if you suffer from redness or rosacea as these will just make it look worse. What you may not notice is altering your complexion with makeup dulls the skin, giving it an artificial cast, it also pulls the focus from you're great eye color, or your full lips. Makeup is about accentuating YOUR positives!



Waterproof/longwear makeup:

Many of us want to look great all day, even with sweating, swimming, playing at the beach, etc. Many of the big company makeup brands offer some form of long wear makeup. The problem that I have with these are the chemicals involved in creating them! With my movement toward pure mineral makeup, I eschew chemicals in favor of naturally derived, and, yes, waterproof/sweatproof minerals! The basic components of pure mineral makeup (not synthetic minerals, & yes there are synthetic minerals out there!) make them virtually waterproof! Titanium Dioxide & Zinc oxide, while providing UV protection, also provide hydrophobicity. As long as you pat your face dry, not rub, makeup should not run or smear. While I don't recommend a full face of makeup for the beach, concealing discolorations & covering a blemish is certainly a bonus!



Lip gloss/balms:

Another summer staple is a pinky, peachy, or coppery lip gloss. Be sure to pick one that brightens & enhances your skin tone. Beware though, that lip gloss has lots more oils & emollients, and usually less pigments & opacifyers in them so you will have to reapply often, but if you find one that smells or tastes great that's often not a hardship.

Lip balms are another great staple for summer, these usually do not add color to the lips, have more waxes than gloss, and often have great scents. Some from my line for summer are Pina Colada, Pink Lemonade, Mint, Mango, & Wild Berry. Don't those just scream summer! Lip balms differ from glosses in that they protect the lips using the barrier method, meaning the wax coats the lips to trap moisture in the skin cells of the lip & keep it from evaporating, thus sealing in moisture. Adding ingredients like unrefined shea butter also increase the moisture of those cells. Lastly ingredients, such as glycerin, usually found in both glosses & balms, is a humectant. Simply put, this means that it can pull moisture out of the air & put it on your lips.



Eye color:

Bright pops of color are never more appropriate than in the summer! Turquoise is a big hit right now, plus those bright, beautiful pinks! To create a more subtle bright eye, use a neutral brown over the lid & add your bright color right in the center of the lid (no bigger than a dime) to draw the eye, but not overwhelm you with color.



I think these summer basics are the key to fresh, pretty makeup. Remember to keep it light!



If you choose to tan, please remember to change your foundation color to match your skin, many mineral lines, like mine, offer color adjusters to deepen or lighten your foundation up to 1-1 1/2 shades.