Makeup Mondo

Warm Up to a New Makeup Routine

Photo: Getty Images

By Carrie Asato

Warm weather is here. Time to hit the gym, show a little skin, and get the fake tan going. It’s a great time to refresh your makeup routine too.

• Lighten up! Instead of heavy foundation, switch to tinted moisturizer. If it’s too painful to leave foundation behind, opt for a lightweight formula so it doesn’t melt off your face or feel like a mask as the temps heat up.

• Make a splash with color. Good choices include green, pink, and coral. Purple shadow also works well with almost all skin types and eye colors. To brighten eyes, apply a little bit of shimmery white eyeshadow to the inner corner of your eye. Complete the look with a lighter shade of mascara—for instance, try black/brown instead of black. Mascara should be tossed every three months anyway so it’s a fantastic way to experiment.

• Go natural. For a summery flushed look, apply bronzer where the sun would naturally hit your face—such as the forehead and cheeks. Brush on pink or peach blush.

• Gloss over heavy lipstick. Experts recommend replacing lip gloss or lip balm every year so opt for a pale, baby pink shade or lip gloss this season. Recent reports have linked lip gloss to an increased risk for skin cancer so be sure to slick on a lip balm with SPF 15 first.

• Stay cool. Instead of having to reapply powder during the day, check out blotting paper to keep oil at bay.

Photo: Getty Images

May 16th, 2008 / Trackback

London Calling; Calling Gwyneth That Is

By Jenny Pham

Honorary Brit, Gwyneth Paltrow, made a rare red-carpet appearance at the Prince’s Trust Success Awards 2008. The event recognized young people that have overcome adversity in their lives such as homelessness, unemployment and drug addiction. Gwyneth, alongside Kevin Spacey, joined the Prince of Wales in paying tribute to these young people. It’s always a pleasure to see the mother-of-two making appearances, especially when she is lending her name to a good cause.

Gwyneth mastered the balance of wearing something stylish, yet conservative. Her look was finished off with her trademark tousled do, smoky eyes, and a rosy make-up palette, with glossy lips to match. We would have liked to have seen perhaps a little more pop of color via either her lipstick or cheeks, since her outfit’s colors are so subdued and she skipped accessories. But what we do like about our Gwyneth, whether on the red carpet or casually lunching with Madge, is that she always manages to look fresh and chic. Who can forget those crimson lips, her super sleek mane, with that amazing salmon gown from Oscars 2007?

Up next for Gwyneth, is continuing her role as spokesperson for Esteé Lauder, which has just announced new fragrance “Sensuous” to arrive in July 2008. The fragrance is bringing Esteé Lauder –whose fragrant line-up usually only includes florals—into the realm of woody amber scents. We can’t wait!

May 3rd, 2008 / Trackback

Green Is the Cool Shade for Summer

Photo: Getty Images

By Carrie Asato

There are many ways to go green to reduce your carbon footprint—recycling, taking the bus, bringing reusable bags to the grocery store. To further help the environment, consider switching to organic makeup. It can be good for your skin too.

Common ingredients in makeup are known irritants and carcinogens, such as parabens and lead. Many of these preservatives can aggravate sensitive skin, irritate eyes, and even lead to cancer. In fact, preservatives found in cosmetics are a leading cause of skin problems.

But the road to organic makeup is still under a little bit of construction. Currently, companies can call their products “natural” without any clear definition to the term. There is help on the way though. Later this year, an organic standard for cosmetics will be finalized. Qualifying companies will be able to use a sticker on their products, which will identify them as natural.

In the meantime, looking at the ingredient list and label will provide clues to the product being organic. Key words to seek out include:

•No artificial preservatives
•Grapefruit seed extract
•Phenoxyethanol
•Potassium sorbate
•Vitamins A (retinyl) and C (ascorbic acid)
•Free from synthetic dyes, perfumes, or talc

A good choice is mineral makeup, which contains minerals that are good for the skin such as zinc and magnesium. Several traditional cosmetic companies are starting to offer their own mineral product lines.

Another perk of going organic: Some products even come in environmentally-friendly containers, with minimal or recyclable packaging.

May 3rd, 2008 / Trackback

Makeup Mondo's Top 5 Makeup Don'ts

By Nicole Bigras

Ever wonder if you’re really applying your makeup the right way? Or whether or not you’re even using the right spectrum of colors? Relax! So long as you follow the five makeup don’ts listed below, you’ll be on your way to better beauty in no time!

1. Don’t be matchy-matchy. So you’ve just bought the cutest purple sweater and everything your mother taught you about makeup would suggest applying your eye shadow in the exact same color. Hold it right there! This is not the time or place to be matchy-matchy. Instead, focus on colors which will complement your eye color, regardless of what you’re wearing. For example, violets help bring out green eyes, and golds often accentuate blues.

2. Don’t make everything a show-stopper. Wearing a bold, dark lipstick is fun and empowering. So is going for intense, smoky eyes. But doing both at the same time? Not so much. The key is to concentrate on playing up one feature, never a bunch at a time. So if it’s your hot red lips you want people to notice – go nuts with your lipstick but ease up on the eye makeup. And vice versa. The whole point of makeup is to accentuate your beautiful features; not to have each one competing against each other for attention.

3. Don’t confuse your cubicle for the club. Makeup is great for adding personality to your look, but just be cognizant of your environment. If you’re at work at your very-corporate, super-polished office, keep your fake eye lashes, heavy eye liner, and body glitter at home!

4. Don’t always be a bargain hunter. As with everything, sometimes you really do get what you pay for. So save here and there where you can, but be willing to fork out some extra cash when adding more important pieces to your makeup collection – like your foundation or moisturizer. After all, it’s your face you’re applying your makeup to. And usually the higher the cost of your makeup, the better the ingredients.

5. Don’t forget the decade. For some people, the ‘80s were a great time. Notice the keyword: were! Unless it’s Halloween and you’re going as a punk rocker, try to keep the bright, baby blue eye shadow, frosted pink lipstick, and dusty rose blush to a minimum. Just trust us on this one.

April 21st, 2008 / Trackback

Me and Mariah...

Photo: Mimifroufrou.com

By Jenny Pham

The newly-slimmed-down songbird, has several reasons to celebrate these days! Fresh off scoring her 18th Number 1 hit, Mimi also is set to sell 500,000 units in the first week of her latest album e=mc². This will make her a clear winner of the coveted Number 1 slot on the charts this week. In the beauty world, Mariah’s a star too! Her fragrance M, earned a respected Fifi nomination in the women’s luxe category from the Fragrance Foundation just last month.

One more reason Miss Mariah should be celebrating: she keeps looking better every year. We’ll forgive her for the barely-there attire that in the past has bordered on adolescent teenybopper. We’ll even overlook her dabbling into “biker chick” wear. But it seems her new exercise regimen and diet (yah we watched her on Oprah, daaaahlin’), has given her an even sexier look, with a new tiny waist to match. We are loving that super smooth hair and that glow about her! While her (clothing) stylist could use a little help, looks like Mariah hired the right hair and make-up people. After creating a flawless complexion, her make-up artist worked with a soft pink color palette which included glossy shimmery lips and a hint of rosy cheeks.

If this is what 38 looks like, then she is my (excuse the pun)…Hero.

April 21st, 2008 / Trackback

Late Night? Five Simple Ways to Brighten Eyes

Photo: Getty Images

By Carrie Asato

Last night was the party of the century. And guess who was lucky enough to score an invite? But now, it’s back to reality. After hitting the snooze button four times, the usual morning craziness of getting ready for work has been chopped to 15 minutes. Don’t panic! Send those oversized bags packing with five easy steps:

Step 1: Perk up the eye area with an eye gel or cream. Most anti-aging skincare lines have at least a couple of products devoted to decreasing puffiness or illuminating eyes. For an instant benefit, look for one that contains witch hazel or cucumber extract.

Step 2: Cover up imperfections with concealer. Place three small dots of concealer under the eye, starting in the inner corner and working out toward the outer edge of the eye. Gently pat—rubbing can be too harsh for delicate skin under the eye—until the color blends in.

Step 3: Give eyes some color with eyeshadow. For the biggest bright-eyed look, opt for a highlight shade under the browbone and in the inner corner of the eye. Good choices are either a shimmer or sheer color like pale pink, white, or pearl.

Step 4: Get eyes in line with a white eye pencil. Apply a thin line on the lower lashline, starting in the inner corner of the eye.

Step 5: Make eyes pop with a couple of coats of mascara. Use on the top lashes only to avoid drawing too much attention to the undereye area.

April 20th, 2008 / Trackback

Eyelash Emergency

Photo: Getty Images

By Shy D. Winkfield

Eyelash abuse is a silent epidemic that is spreading in large numbers. Help us help you avoid lash-oversight with these mascara basics. We’ll even throw in a mascara recommendation for good measure.

You churn butter, not mascara. The neurotic wand dipping will not only dry out the tube, but you run the risk of stabbing yourself in the eye. Save yourself the pain and the spew of expletives. Take a deep breath, relax, and gently apply your mascara. Working from the outside to the inner crease, start at the base of lash and GENTLY (yes, gently) roll the brush upward to the tip of the lash. Wait 1–2 minutes for the product to dry. Then, reapply ONE coat per eye. Any more and your coworkers will wonder if you ever made it home last night. To finish, softly sweep the tip of the wand over the lower lashes. You don’t need anything too serious, just enough to let everyone know those cute little lashes are there.

To minimize overcoating, blot your wand on a non-lint tissue before every application. If you’re OCD about bacteria getting into your tube, you can use disposable mascara wands. They can even be rinsed and reused, for all you environmentally conscious Mondoliers. Now you can feel good about getting beautiful and keeping germs at bay, all without being wasteful.

Any reputable mascara should get the job done in no more than two coats, but DiorShow Blackout Mascara is the master of its domain. The supersized wand instantly transforms the wimpiest of stumps into full-grown, sex kitten, “come hither” lashes. It retails for $24, but come on…can you honestly put a price tag on beauty? If you can buy designer lattes, you are obligated to upgrade from the pink drugstore staple. The tube is massive and hidden inside is an intense pigmented black that doesn’t clump and stays fresh all day (read: say goodbye to raccoon eyes with this smudge-free formula).

April 14th, 2008 / Trackback