Makeup

December 26, 2012

Julep New Year’s Mystery Box 2012 7

by Andrea • Makeup • Tags:

Julep had a New Year’s mystery box for sale this month for $19.99 and it was advertised as $100-500 worth of products, so I decided to take my chances and buy it. Below is a quick pic of what came in my box. It did contain over $100 worth of products if you tally it all up based on their retail prices, but I think those prices are overstated. Regardless, I’m pretty pleased with the haul that I received in my mystery box! I skipped my January box since this will keep me busy for a little while.

Julep New Year's Mystery Box

Here’s the breakdown of what my box included:

  • 5 nail polishes;  Cindy, Sienna, Georgia, Lauren, and a mystery color with no name.  Retail value: $70
  • Boho Glam Lengthening Mascara. Retail value: $24
  • Full size Sicilian Orange Foot Soak.  Retail value: $26
  • Nail file
  • 2 samples of Glycolic Hand Scrub
  • 3 nail polish remover pads

Total retail value:  $120+

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June 10, 2012

How to Select and Apply Blush 4

by Holly • Makeup

  • Select a color that will accent your existing best facial features and that won’t stand out too much. Bright red may not look great on a pale person but can be terrific on a bronzed brown skin tone.
  • If you have a pale skin tone, try “Pink Quartz” or maybe even something with a little tan and pink in it such as the color “Adobe” by Austin Molnar cosmetics.
  • Depending on one’s skin tone, you might need a lighter or a darker color. Dark skin needs a lighter color, whereas light skin may need a more natural color such as brown or tan.

Use a quality blush brush! My top quality brushes are by Austin Molnar. I been using Austin Molnar brushes for years now and my blush glides on with such great precision plus these brushes can be easy cleaned with shampoo and then laid out dry. A blush brush with Natural Hair Bristles is the best choice; never use a small, cheap synthetic brush. If you use a cheap brush, you’ll have a cheap looking result. Avoid makeshift items such as cotton wool balls or powder puffs as these do not work well with the pigment in the blush.

Start with just a little blush — it’s easier to add more to your face than to take off too much of it.

Put a big smile on your face so your cheeks perk up (these are the apples of your cheeks) and you may even see some dimples.

Apply the blush to the center of the apple on one side of your face, blending the color along your cheekbone. If you’re using a cream or gel, dot the color first, then use your finger or a makeup sponge to blend it in. For the most natural look, always concentrate the color on the apples of your cheeks and blend well up towards the temple. And before blending, always dust off the excess to avoid excessively rosy cheeks.

  • Make strokes with the brush from your cheeks the side of your face (towards the temples). Try not to make diagonal lines, as these won’t appear natural but will risk being clown-like. Excess product can be blended toward the ear from the middle of the eye.
  • Use a clean brush for blending.
  • Brush downward when blending, to allow the facial hairs to lie smoothly on your skin’s surface.
  • For a more youthful look, make sure to apply the blush on each side no lower than your nostril and no closer to your nose than your pupil.
  • If you accidentally apply too much powdered blush, cover it with translucent powder to tame the color.
  • Aim for symmetry!
  • Dust your face with a translucent powder to set your new look. The translucent powder brings inner warmth into the cheeks.

TIPS

To create killer cheekbones for the catwalk, makeup artists often employ a three-step technique. In addition to applying blush to the cheekbone, they highlight the area above it and contour the area below. This technique is based on the laws of light and shade, and helps emphasize the facial bone structure.

Play with the blush a little. You will see where you want to get a little more pink on your face if you do it a few times. You can always remove what doesn’t work.

Use a large, quality brush, such as “Professional Natural Hair Brush”.

Make sure blush and lipstick are similar in color value. That is, even if you are going light on the lips and heavy on the cheeks or vice versa, wear pinks with pinks, etc.

Blush emphasizes the redness of broken skin and pimples, even over foundation and concealer, which further aggravate irritated skin. If you have broken out, forgo blush and all other powders and creams until your skin calms down (washing your face with Austin Molnar Calming Foaming Cleanser will calm the skin and applying Austin Molnar’s Azulene Soothing Crème morning and night). Don’t sweat looking imperfect while you heal.

Use blush according to your skin and hair color:

  • Blond and ginger hair with olive complexion – blush of oranges tones.
  • Dark and auburn haired with fair complexion – pastel blush (Cinnabar).
  • Pale or grey skin – salmon, coral or pink blush.
  • Bright ginger hair or wheat blond hair and radiant complexion – peach and golden brown blush.
  • Dark and almost brown skin – plum, fuchsia or cocoa blush.

For product specials, become a fan on Austin Molnar’s Facebook page
www.austinmolnar.com

May 29, 2012

A Simple Smokey Eye for the Evening 1

by Holly • Makeup • Tags: ,

  1. how to apply smokey eye shadow for the eveningApply an eyeshadow base to the entire eyelid from the lash line up to the brow bone. This shadow base will not only create an even base for the eyelid but will bring out the true color of the eyeshadow and will stop the shadow from creasing or feathering. Your shadow will stay in place all day or night long.
  2. Use a very dark brown, charcoal grey or a rich black eyeshadow and apply it to your shadow brush. In my opinion a flat bristle brush is what I use and my two favorites are the shadow blender or the large shadow brush by the Austin Molnar brush collection. Apply shadow to the brush and gentle pat the color onto the lower lid up to the crease of the eye. DO NOT brush the shadow on the lid with a quick sweeping motion because you will have shadow everywhere else but on your eyelid. So as I mentioned gently pat the shadow onto the lid then brush it gently to blend it on the lid and into the crease and slightly featured out to the outer corner of the eye. Now take a Smokey eye brush and add which ever dark color you have chosen for the upper lid to create your Smokey sexy eyes and apply under the bottom lash line but only half way in from the outer corner to the center of your pupil.
  3. Next I would recommend a matt vanilla shadow to pat under the brow bone area.
  4. Brush your brows into shape and fill the brow in to give the brow a more defined look. Again, I highly recommend and which is also loved by all of my clients is the Austin Molnar brow definer. This brow definer has a beautiful felt tip that allows you to apply just the perfect amount of color to the brow. Make sure to use a feather stroke and remember this is just to fill in the sparse areas of the brow. Then brush them again with Austin Molnar’s brow brush and your brows will look incredible.
  5. Apply your eyeliner, and I would suggest the gel liner pencil since you will be able to apply the pencil with ease. I suggest closing your one eye while looking in the mirror and start to line the eye that is closed starting in the outer corner working your way in to the tear duct. Your liner should start out slightly thicker from the outer corner and gradually become a finer line by the time you reached the inner corner of your eye. In order to keep a steady handy I would suggest the hand you are using to hold the pencil with lean the palm of that hand against your check for greater control of the pencil and for better precision.
  6. Line inside of your water line which is the lower inside rim of your eye and for best results and a greater look I would suggest to line the inside upper lash line rim of the eye as well.
  7. Two coats of black mascara and you are good to go!

Videos on makeup demos are on the way!

Any suggestions on looks you would like to see me a create please email me at Holly@austinmolnar.com or visit us at www.austinmolnar.com today!

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May 25, 2012

Skin Care Tips on How to Stay in the Wrinkle-Free Zone 0

by Holly • Makeup

Austin Molnar's skin care tips

Hello my little Chickadee’s, here are some tips on how to stay in the “Wrinkle-Free Zone”!

We all dream of getting a miracle in a bottle, and wanting flawless skin is not absurd. We just have to be realistic that wrinkles happen — adding character and depth to the face. Other changes occur as well — features can become more pronounced and bone structure can become more angular over time. We get scars. We get freckles. And other dings and dents. But, are these catastrophes? Or merely a map of our lives? Certain products can absolutely help to offset all this, but aging is a natural (and beautiful) process that happens to all of us. And acceptance, not denial, looks better on everyone. Its never to late to start diminishing fine lines, wrinkles and to give your skin that healthy youthful and vibrant glow that you deserve! There are products on today’s market that have something to help all your concerns and needs and today I will share with you my favorites.

You can keep it simple, and just as effective. Many of us overindulge our skin anyway — if we’re dry, we tend to over moisturize; if we’re oily, we tend to over strip.  I made certain to design a line of skin care products by skin type to ensure you will  find just what you are looking for to give you a complete personalized regime for your particular skin care needs.

Here are some of my skin care tips:

1. Protect your skin from the sun — use sunscreen and avoid direct sunlight between the hours of 10am and 2pm.

2. Don’t smoke. Your skin is a large organ and it needs a lot of circulation. Smoking impairs that dramatically. That’s why smokers’ skin looks dull and gray. Instead of having oxygen enriched  blood delivered to the surface of the skin, they’re getting poisons and oxidants.

3. Get adequate rest and nutrition. Eat fruits and vegetables with antioxidants and fish that are high in Omega 3 for give you glowing skin from the inside out. Try to get anywhere from 7 to 8 hours of sleep per night.

4. Protect yourself from any stress — both emotional and environmental stress.

5. Wash your face twice a day, morning and at night, and put on the proper treatment product for your skin type. I’m amazed when women tell me they don’t wash their face in the morning. A lot of stuff collects on your skin overnight — dead skin cells, dirt, and dust! But it’s even more shocking to hear that some women don’t remove their makeup before they go to bed! Not cleansing off your makeup before heading to bed results in clogged pores, blackheads and pimples. Your skin needs to breathe!

As a licensed skin care professional I am adamant with my clients about cleansing in the morning and before bedtime. My suggestion to make their life easier is to keep their Calming Foaming Cleanser in the shower so its right in front of them and ready to use first thing in the morning and keep a bottle of the Lavender Cleanser next to their sink for nightly cleansing. For those who give the excuse that when they come home from their day they are too tired to go through a skin care regime. My suggestion is that when they walk in their home from the day is to wash and treat their skin immediately so it’s done for the evening. This will make you feel clean and refreshed and you will more then likely feel rejuvenated to get more done in the evening.

Lavender essential oil, the main ingredient in the Austin Molnar’s Lavender Cleanser, acts not only as your cleanser but also as a natural anti-depressant, a natural antibiotic and has a very calming effect.

After cleansing be certain to use the Botanical Toner which will remove any excess makeup or cleanser left on the surface of your skin. This is another step that I find most women and men skip! Never skip your toner because not only does it put your skin back into its normal PH balance but it also conditions and preps your skin for your serums and moisturizers. I am certain that when you wash your clothes in the washing machine it goes through a rinse cycle to remove soap and impurities well your skin needs the same treatment. Botanical Toner is your rinse cycle to your skin! I promise you will see and feel a noticeable difference in how your skin feels and looks when using the Botanical Toner.

6. Don’t neglect certain areas of the skin. Elbows, heels, neck, and decolletage need exfoliation and moisturizing plus sun protection.

My favorite scrub is the Austin Molnar Sugar Scrub natural stimulating exfoliant scrub and an excellent alternative to salt. Natural sugar sloughs dead skin cells without stinging, leaves skin ultra smooth and silky. Can be used after shaving! Contains extracts of:

  • green tea & gingko biloba, rich in antioxidants and bioflavanoids
  • comfrey, calendula & cucumber, soothing & emollient
  • st. johnswort, sage & rosemary, aid in healthy circulation
  • smells awesome plus your skin will feel like silk!

The best product ever for those rough dry heels and elbows I would highly suggest the 12% Glycolic Body Smoother. I use this product all over my body daily and it makes my skin feel and look like velvet. This silky body lotion with 12% glycolic acid will smooth and exfoliate skin, refining texture and helping to minimize appearance of fine lines and hyperpigmentation. Aloe extract soothes and softens while vitamin E provides antioxidants.

7. Touch your face less and wash your hands more! Don’t get too surgical on yourself. It’s very tempting to pick, poke, squeeze, and scratch in front of the mirror. But the more you traumatize the skin, the greater your risk of scarring. Apply the treatment products for concerns and skin type and let them do their work.

8. Keep your makeup clean. Replace the sponges in your compact on a regular basis and keep the side of your powder sponge with the side you use up to prevent contaminating your pressed powder. The average shelf life for cosmetics is 6 to 12 months and for mascara 3 months then toss it!

9. If you need help and would like to email me your skin care questions or concerns and would like for me to personalize a skin care regime for skin type with Austin Molnar skin care products email me at holly@austinmolnar.com  or visit  www.austinmolnar.com.

10. Start today on an Austin Molnar skin care regime and you will be on your way to “revealing the new you”!

May 20, 2012

Line Up For Great Looking Eyes! 1

by Holly • Makeup • Tags:

Gel EyelinerEyeliner is the most important part of your eye makeup and I will talk about the best way to apply eyeliner. You don’t need to use a lot of eyeliner to have a great effect but if you use too much you will look over done. I will give you tips on how to apply eyeliner so that it will look great for each occasion and for each look you are wanting to achieve.

First of all you need to know what and how you want it to look like. You can apply eyeliner in various different ways; you can get a natural look for daily use or a more dramatic look for special occasions. You have to decide what style you are aiming for before you start you makeup.

After knowing what kind of look you want you can pick your eyeliner color. You have to choose a color that fits you eye color or a more plain color for a casual look. You can try a brown or green tone for casual and daily use or if you want a more dramatic look for the evening you can use a rich dark brown, charcoal grey or black so your eyes just POP! The standard brown or black is always a good choice for every eye color but I would not recommend black unless you are looking for a dramatic look which is best used for night use only. I personally keep away from rich black liners and black mascara during the day especially due to the fact the intensity of black can make you look hard. To me there is nothing worse then looking at a women’s face and the only thing that you can focus on is her bold black eyeliner! You can actually take away the beauty of your eyes by overdoing it with eyeliner if not careful.

Eyeliners are available in different types ranging from eyeliner pencils, liquid pens, cake form/eye shadow and now the most current liners on the market are gel liners. I personally love using the gel pencils because they are so easy to work with and they go on with ease and they don’t bleed. If you are starting out for the first time with eyeliner I would recommend starting with an eyeliner gel pencil, liquid eyeliner I think one would need a little more skill in the application before using a liquid. The eyeliners in cake eye shadow form would have to be moist before applying them so by putting a few drops of water on your brush you would then dip the brush into the product. You can control the color intensity using powder eye shadow as a liner by the amount of water on your brush.
The next step is to prepare your eyeliner before you use it. Most of the eyeliners are easy to use. A pencil eyeliner should be sharpened every time you use it so that you have precision to draw and for hygiene purposes.

When applying eyeliner you should always start with the upper lid. Look straight into the mirror, close the eye you are ready to apply the eyeliner to and begin lining from the inner corner to the outer corner of the eye. If I am lining my left eye I usually take my free hand and I slightly pull the outer corner of my eye while lining to ensure a smooth straight line. The eye I hold my pencil in I usually hold that hand against my face to avoid my hand from shaking and it gives me more control. The ensure a perfectly straight line use your lash line as your guideline .

If your hand is not very steady during the application the line may look jagged along the lash line in which will then need to take a tiny angle brush to smooth it out.

Afterwards you can draw eyeliner on the bottom eyelid. This time you start lining the eye the opposite direction as you did your upper by starting with the outer corner to the inner corner of the eye. Always draw the line as close as possible to the eyelashes. You don’t need to line the whole lower lash liner across so do not go past the center of your pupil.

To make the effect a bit smokier you can smudge the eyeliner a little to make the line look softer. You can do this by running a small angle brush gently on the line until you reach your desired look.

www.austinmolnar.com

May 16, 2012

Austin Molnar’s New Liquid Powder Mineral Foundation 1

by Holly • Makeup • Tags:

Liquid Mineral FoundationMineral makeup has become a huge trend over the last couple of years and unlike most trends, we are sure that this one is here to stay. With more and more people discovering the benefit of Austin Molnar’s Liquid Powder Mineral makeup as opposed to traditional makeup formulations, the liquid powder mineral makeup revolution has more than begun.

Foundation is one of the most purchased cosmetics worldwide, with women buying this wonder serum to gain a perfect complexion. But what many women do not know is traditional foundation formulations are not designed to hide blemishes and skin imperfections such as rosacea on their own. Most leading brand foundations need the help of a concealer to tackle skin complaints which results in a catch 22 situation of blocked pores and clogged skin.

With traditional foundation formulations you typically need a different type of foundation for dry, combination or oily skin types to obtain the best results and limit the effects of the unnatural substances on your skin. The beauty of Austin Molnar’s Liquid Powder Mineral Foundation is its versatility, many makeup artists are changing to our mineral formulation as they involve carrying less products in your makeup bag and are kinder to your skin. Our Liquid Powder Mineral foundation only requires one tube regardless of your skin type, as our mineral foundation contains only natural ingredients that work with your skin. You can apply mineral foundation to obtain your preferred coverage. For those who like to wear minimal makeup, a light covering will suffice and for those who need a little bit more coverage to even out tones you can apply the mineral foundation more thickly over the areas that require it.Compared to traditional foundation Austin Molnar’s Liquid Mineral Foundation makeup gives more than double the coverage but for those who still require that bit of specialist extra coverage, a natural mineral concealer that doesn’t cake like traditional formulations is available.

Once you have tried Austin Molnars Liquid Powder Mineral Foundation you will never go back to your regular foundation again. www.austinmolnar.com

May 13, 2012

Austin Molnar’s Tips for Beautiful Lips! 1

by Holly • Makeup • Tags:

Austin Molnar's Stage Light Lip Gloss

Austin Molnar’s Stage Light Lip Gloss

Think of your lips as a sponge. “When exposed to moisture, they absorb water and plump up. When dehydrated, they dry out and shrink, And, because they’re always exposed, they’re prone to dehydration, particularly during the cold, windy winter months. The skin on the lips is also unlike skin anywhere else on the body: It’s thinner (allowing the blood vessels to be visible, making the lips look red) and has no oil glands (oil acts as a barrier for skin, helping to protect it from the elements). The result can be red, rough (and sometimes painful), chapped lips that couldn’t hold lipstick color if you spray-painted it on.

GET BETTER-LOOKING LIPS – FAST with Austin Molnar’s Stagelight Lip Gloss! With a little loving care, your lips can be perfect in no time. Just follow these steps – and then pucker up!

  • Take a water bottle with you wherever you go. Drinking enough water (the equivalent of at least 9 cups of fluids daily) will keep the body, skin and lips hydrated.
  • Lick the smacking habit. Licking your lips damages the protective barrier, which can dry out the lips.
  • Austin Molnar’s Stagelight Lip Gloss hydrating ingredients like beeswax, shea butter, vitamin E and almond, jojoba or coconut oils will condition your lips and keep those lips kissable!

www.austinmolnar.com