Thursday, May 30, 2013

Perfect Red-Orange Lip For Summer


I have to admit, I am completely obsessed with Inglot's lipstick #103 right now. This color truly is the PERFECT bright red-orange color for summer! The lipstick is creamy and has a nice gloss look to it once applied. What I really love about this lipstick is that I have worn it several times now without a lip liner and it does not feather! That's pretty rare for such a moist lipstick. 

Oh, and if I wasn't already obsessed with this color before, I am super obsessed now because of how amazing this color looks with my tan!! Don't worry though, it's just as flattering on lighter skin tones ;)

Let me know if you're brave enough to go BOLD with YOUR lips this summer 

xo Luann

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Transformation Thursday

Here are my two most recent "Transformation Thursdays"

My goal with these transformations is to actually "transform" people. I do not think that all of these looks are necessarily for "everyday" (unless you're insane like me). I take the opportunity during these transformations to try something new (in regard to makeup technique) and sometimes actually try new makeup products.

#6 Cristie 6/20/2013






Cristie almost never wears any color when it comes to shadow so I knew I wanted to do something different with her. I also wanted to do something dramatic and smoky since I never get to see her with a look like that. MAC's "Bare My Soul" from their Temperature Rising Collection was the PERFECT fit! Green is a perfect color to give some drama but also compliment her natural complexion. With each transformation I get more creative and I also become more proud of my work.

#5 Kristen 6/13/2013







Kristen was my first transformation for someone who loves to wear a lot of crazy colors (literally pink and purple). I wanted to show her that she could do a look using neutral colors that would still be bold and beautiful. She is also a HUGE fan of winged liner so that was a must. This is truly such a great look, I loved it so much I wore it the next day to work! All makeup for this look was MAC and of course all of the brushed used were Sigma!


#4 Jackie 6/6/2013





For Jackie's transformation I wanted to try something new and I was excited that she was open to that! Jackie found an amazing inspiration picture from Sigma Beauty's Facebook page and that is the look I gave her. Such beautiful brown eyes accentuated by a soft green and plum eye paired with a peachy-nude lip. What I love most about this look is that it combined shadows from Sigma's Paris palette and Dare palette that I would have NEVER thought to combine. LOVE!

#3 Colleen 5/16/2013

With Colleen's gorgeous lips I knew I had to do a red lip with her. I used my FAVORITE red lipstick from MAC, Russian Red w/Cherry liner, and then I kept the rest of her look simple. I used neutrals to lightly accentuate her blue eyes and I added a dark brown winged liner for an extra feminine look. The key to a great red lip is keeping the eyes simple. *HINT: When in doubt do a red lip with a winged liner or a smokey eye with a nude lip.

#2 Jaime 5/9/2013





I really wanted to do something more dramatic here as well as something that would make her beautiful brown eyes pop. I decided to use a fabulous navy blue to achieve this look and I couldn't be more happy with the results. This is a perfect look for a night out, especially if you have brown eyes. All products for this makeover were MAC :)

#1 Nicole 4/25/2013
I wanted to give Nicole a look that would compliment her fair complexion as well as something that would seamlessly transition from day to night. Because Nicole has beautiful blue eyes, I decided to use earth tones on her. MAC products and the Urban Decay Naked Palette were used to achieve this look.


xo Luann

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Gym & Makeup?



In my opinion, makeup should not be worn to the gym; however, that does not mean I am not guilty of working out with my bff MAC on occasion ;)

Here’s the deal: When you are working out, you sweat. When you sweat your pores open up to let the sweat/toxins out. When you wear makeup you are blocking your pores from releasing these toxins. Not good. Also, when you go to wipe the sweat off your face you are going to rub makeup and dirt into your open pores. Again, not good. These two factors will ultimately result in the dreaded…PIMPLE!

I know many women wear makeup to work and then workout after work. So, it’s not like they are wearing makeup for the gym, they just already have it on their face, I get it. But, I really recommend washing your face (at the very least with a makeup wipe) before you workout. It is also very important to wash your face as soon as you get done with the gym. The bottom line is the best looking makeup begins with healthy skin, and clean skin equals healthy skin.

For those who are too vain to workout without makeup here are some tips:
1. Try only wearing mascara
2. If that is not good enough, try to only wear mascara and a little bit of concealer.
3. If that is still not good enough, you can wear mascara, concealer, and some powder to even out your skin. Powder offers some coverage without clogging your pores the way foundation does.
4. Under NO circumstance is it good or acceptable for your skin to be working out with foundation on! That seriously is acne central!
5. If you need to wipe sweat off your face and you have makeup on, lightly pat/rub in a downward motion. NEVER rub a upwards on your face. When you rub your skin upwards you are rubbing into your pores, the only time you want to do that is when you are moisturizing. If you are applying makeup or toweling off sweat you ALWAYS want to rub downwards.
6. If you can’t give up your heavy makeup at the gym make sure you thoroughly wash your face immediately after you workout.

Hope this helps my fellow makeup-junkie-gym-rats :)


xo Luann

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Everything You Need To Know About Dry Shampoo

The 411 on Dry Shampoo...

For those that don’t already know; dry shampoo is a great way to add volume to washed hair, and also to freshen-up unwashed hair. “They say” that you should not wash your hair every day because it strips your hair of its natural oils, etc. I’ve also heard if you want to grow your hair out you should not wash it every day. But, for a lot of women this is a difficult task because their hair becomes “greasy” when it’s not washed daily. Well, dry shampoo is the solution any greasy hair problems! *I always have some with me for before & after the gym too*
How to Apply (to unwashed hair):
Often times women tell me that dry shampoo “didn’t work” for them, which, to be honest, is highly unlikely. The key with dry shampoo is all in how you apply it. You have to actually section off you hair and apply it (generously) to the root of your hair shaft. I recommend parting your hair in half horizontally (like you are going to wear it half up) and work on sectioning the top half vertically. You can use a clip to keep the bottom half of your hair from getting in the way. I then start from one ear and section off my hair (vertically) in approx. 2” sections, spray the dry shampoo at the roots and repeat, until I get to my other ear. Does that make sense? Depending on what you plan on doing with your hair, you can choose to spray some on the roots of that bottom half of hair you had clipped off. Then, I let it sit for a while, at least 10 minutes is needed. Once I’m ready I use my blow-dryer (on high but using medium heat 1-2 minutes) and blow-dry my hair while brushing it. This is really key, especially when you are using a white dry shampoo and you have dark hair. Blow drying the dry shampoo while brushing it helps distribute the dry shampoo evenly, it blends that white powdery look in, and it gets rid of that greasy look. If you skip this step, especially as a brunette, you will definitely look a little crazy. If you still feel like your hair looks greasy simply repeat all application steps and you should be fine.
How to Apply (to washed hair):
If you are simply looking to add volume to your already washed hair simply section DRY hair (1-2”) around the crown of your head and apply moderate amount to roots. Let sit for about 10 minutes, blow-dry, and then style, tease or tousle to your liking. In my opinion dry shampoo works better for volume than any other root lifter on the market.
Special Note to Brunettes & Other Darker Shades:
There are several companies that sell dry shampoos in darker colors (black, dark brown, light brown, and even red) Those are easy for beginners because you won’t have to work so hard to blend the white powdery look in; however, be careful because any time you touch your hair that color will rub off on your fingers and anything else it comes in contact with! (My #1 pick, Batiste Dry Shampoo, sells different colors, see picture above)
My Top 3 Favorite Dry Shampoos (Refer to photo above):
#1. Batiste – LOVE this stuff!! The smell is THE BEST. Period. End of discussion. I hate the crazy chemical smell of most dry shampoos, they are overpowering and give me a headache. This is not the case with Batiste! They have a variety of scents, my favorites include the “Dark & Deep Brown” as well as the “Tropical” bottles. They work the best at absorbing grease and are SO affordable (approx.) $7.99 per bottle! I purchase mine on amazon but I think it is available at some drug stores. I especially love that I can use the brown colored one when I feel like giving my washed hair a boost! *They also have colors for blondes and even some with shimmer*
#2. Schwarzkopf, Got 2b Fat-tastic – This was my number one choice until I recently fell head-over-heels-in-love with Batiste. This can be found at almost any pharmacy and is also extremely affordable (approx.) $6.99. It works well and actually smells the best out of any other pharmacy brand I have tried. I just hate that it does not come in other colors or scents. Other than that, it works really well.
#3. “SG” Salon Grafix – This is a great choice for beginners who might be scared of all the white powder traditional dry shampoos disburse. This dry shampoo actually goes on “invisible” and does a decent job at absorbing grease. In my opinion this is a good option for washed hair just to add volume. It does not absorb as much grease as the white and colored dry shampoos I have used. I am also not a huge fan of the scent of this one but, it is also affordable and found at most every drug store (approx.) $7.99.
I really recommend staying away from crazy expensive brands (like Bumble & Bumble), they don’t work half as well and, trust me, you will go through dry shampoo so fast that you want to find one that is inexpensive.
Please let me know if I’ve left anything out or if there is anything more you would like to know about Dry Shampoo!!

xo Luann

How-To: Eyeshadow for Women Who Wear Glasses

Don't Let Your Glasses Hide Your Makeup Anymore!

Today I found an amazing 'how-to' from Sigma Beauty that was too good for me not to share. For all my ladies out there that are looking for a beautiful everyday look that will not be hidden by your glasses click the link below...
xo Luann