Three Things Thursday:10-01-15 - The Brow Edition

Hello lovely readers -

For this edition of Three Things Thursday, I am focusing on brow products. I've never been into high-maintenance brows. I have fairly thin brows that are light in color, and barely ever have to pluck them. I have never gotten a brow wax or threading because, well, I just don't need to. I was perfectly happy letting my brows do their thing...until one day, I looked at a picture, and realized: you couldn't see my brows! The inner part, near the bridge of my nose, was noticeable, but then it looked like they kind of stopped just before the tail. My brows were so thin and so light that you could not see them in pictures, and it made for quite an interesting look. From that day forth, I started filling in my brows, and it has made a world of difference! Brows are the frame of the face, and by adding a little definition you can set the base for a bright-eyed, pulled-together look, whether it be a simple 5 minute makeup routine, or an all-out glamorous full-face application. Now, I'm still not into spending a ton of time on my arches - let's be real, they'll probably never be"on fleek" - but a little effort goes a long way to completing your look. To see my three favorite brow products (for now, at least), read on!

Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz  -$21.00

 Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz
Source

Anastasia Beverly Hills...the name is synonymous with well-defined brows. For the longest time I resisted the urge to try this cult favorite, mainly because I didn't want to spend a whopping $21 on a brow pencil, but also a little bit because I could not stand the pretentious way You Tubers and Sephora salespeople (or cast members, as they are called) pronounce the name " Anahhhstahhhsia". Like, seriously? Should I really be looked at condescendingly because I do not emphasize the "ahhhhh"? Well, tomato/ tomahhhto. I eventually caved when I went to IMATS NY and everything at the ABH booth was on sale. Let me tell you, I really wish I had given in to the hype sooner. Not only is the pencil itself amahhhzing (see what I did there?), but the brush is pretty spectacular as well. The pencil comes in 9 shades, which makes finding a shade that actually matches your hair color and tone so easy. Gone are the days of orange-hued brows! I use Taupe, which is the perfect cool-toned shade for those with blonde to light brown hair. The fine tip of the mechanical pencil allows you to mimic your natural brow hair, and the spooley brush is neither too soft nor too rough when brushing out the brow to blend the lines and shape the arch. I am entirely pleased with the ABH Brow Wiz, and have repurchased multiple times (usually when I can find some sort of sale or discount code).

Lip Love: Not so Nude

The '90s called, and they want their lipcolor back...

A big trend right now is '90s inspired lips: shades of brown, a la Friends-era Jennifer Aniston:

Sourced from Pinterest

While a nice escape from the bright lip colors that we have been seeing as of late, the brown lip can be a little harsh and intimidating if not applied correctly. To keep things fresh and modern, think rosy-brown or beige-toned nudes - AKA, "Kylie Jenner Lips".

Instagram: @kyliejenner

Kylie overdraws her lips, making them appear fuller and more prominent. It is rumored that she uses MAC Lip Pencil in the shade Whirl,  with a mix of MAC Lipstick in Brave and  MAC Lipglass in Viva Glam V  on top. Whatever combo she uses, it looks beautiful, and it's making me want some not-so-nude '90s lips STAT!

Instagram: @kyliejenner

This look is easy to achieve, with only two simple steps:

1. Using a natural colored lip pencil, line your lips just outside of the natural lip-line. The key here is to SLIGHTLY go outside of your natural lip - you don't want too look like you went overboard on the Juvederm!

Really, too much??   Source

2. Next, you want to fill your lips in with a matte nude lipstick. And Voila - pouty, 90's inspired Kylie Jenner lips of your very own!

For this look, I used Sephora Nano Lip Liner in Queen Quartz, with Maybelline Color Sensational Creamy Matte Lipstick in Daringly Nude on top, resulting in a pretty pink-nude lip color. 

Sephora Lip Liner in Queen Quartz and Maybelline Lipstick in Daringly Nude

For a little bit deeper nude look, I lightly lined and filled in my lips with NYC Automatic Lip Liner in Naughty Nude (this color can become quite dark if you apply more pressure, so you can achieve many different looks with one liner), and then layered New York Color Expert Last Lipstick in Creamy Caramel on top.

NYC Lip Pencil in Naughty Nude - top is light pressure, bottom is medium pressure

NYC Lip Liner in Naughty Nude and NYC Lipstick in Creamy Caramel

 If you have naturally pigmented lips, you can add a third step, which would be more of a prep-step; use a concealer to cover the perimeter of your natural lips and set with powder. This creates a blank canvas, so when you exaggerate your lip line with a liner, there are not two obvious lines competing for attention.

Another thing to keep in mind is that, unlike the '90s, we are not going for an obvious, darker brown outline with a light lip color in the middle. When you line your lips, color in the entire lip to keep uniformity, and keep your liner and lipstick shades in the same tone range to avoid the dreaded "ring around the lip" look.

Furthmore, though matte lipcolor is on trend at the moment, don't feel like you can't use a satin or gloss finish, if that's what you prefer - it's all about what works best for you and makes you feel fabulous!

You can really use any shade you like with this look, but since today's focus is on beige/nude hues, here are some great options to try for yourself, both matte and satin finishes:

Milani Lipstick in Enchanted Topaz  ($4-$6) - part of the new limited edition Bedazzled Collection, this lipstick is a matte, nude beige. It is a drier formula, so make sure to exfoliate your lips well before applying.

Maybelline Color Sensational Creamy Matte Lipstick in Daringly Nude ($5-$9) - a slightly more pink-toned medium beige shade. This is a creamier matte formula, and feels great on the lips.

New York Color Expert Last Lipstick in Creamy Caramel ($2-$3)- a sheer nude/brown shade; this is a your-lips-but-better color that looks great layered over a nude liner.

NYX Round Case Lipstick  in Thalia ($4-$5)- A simply gorgeous medium pink/nude, sort of a mauve with beige undertones, it pulls more nude when layered over a natural lip liner

L'Oreal Colour Riche Collection Exclusive Lipstick in Jennifer's Nude ($9-$10)- pinkish beige nude with mauve undertones. this looks beautiful by itself, or layered over a matte lipstick in a similar shade (like Maybelline Color Sensational Creamy Matte Lipstick in Daringly Nude) 

Clinique Different Lipstick  in Tenderheart ($16) - A mid-tone blushing nude/brown that is a more traditional '90s lip color. While fairly sheer, this lipstick can be built up or applied over a natural liner for a more opaque appearance.

The options for nude lipstick shades are endless, so experiment with a few (or a dozen!) to see what works best for your skin tone and color preferences - there is a nude lipstick out there for everyone, even if it isn't a traditional "nude".

Do you wear nude lipstick? What's your favorite brand/color? What are your thoughts on the "Kylie Jenner Lip trend"?

Thanks for reading!

~Jessica

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Adore or Ignore: Milani Brow Shaping Clear Wax

Like many makeup lovers, I am always on the quest for perfect, or at least respectable-looking, eyebrows. I typically use some sort of product to fill in my brows, be it a pomade or pencil, and that alone makes a huge difference; however, sometimes I just need a little somethin' somethin' to rein in those unruly hairs that refuse to cooperate. Now, I've tried a few different brow gels, but they just didn't do it for me. Brow gel is not all that different from hair gel, and I don't know about you, but I don't like to feel like I slathered Dep all over my eyebrows. Also, brow gel has been known to flake off on occasion, especially if you go a little overboard applying the stuff; I'm sorry to say this, but eyebrows that appear to have dandruff does not look good on ANYBODY. So, what's a girl to do when her eyebrows won't lay flat and brow gel is not the right solution? 

Two words: Brow. Wax. 

Milani Brow Shaping Clear Wax, $4.49

After watching a few reviews on YouTube, I knew I had to give the Milani Brow Shaping Clear Wax a try, and I am ever-so-happy that I did! This stuff is amazing! You can use it by itself, or along with other brow products. The wax goes hand in hand with brow powder because it gives the powder something to stick to, however I have found that the wax works great with my Tarte Brow Mousse as well as my Anastasia Brow Wiz! And it's oh-so-easy to use - just use short strokes to apply it in the direction of the hair growth. You can use it all over the brow, or just on the areas that need taming. From my experience, it works pretty much the same whether I apply it prior to using a colored brow product or after, though I tend to use it after filling in my brows to lock-in the color. This has become an absolute must-have in my makeup collection, and at less than $5 a pop it seriously cannot be beat!

You can purchase the Milani Brow Shaping Clear Wax at CVS and Walgreens Pharmacies, as well as the Milani website.

Needless to say, this is something I completely  Adore!

~Jessica