Beauty Travel Tips

It's here!  Summer travel season!  So what better time to discuss traveling with your beauty products.  It's tough to look beautiful on the go, but fortunately there are a lot of great tips and cool products to keep you looking put together on the go.

No matter where you're traveling, storage is key.  You want to make sure all your prized makeup possessions arrive at your destination in one piece.  A hard sided train case is the best way for your makeup and brushes to travel.  This keeps all your makeup from getting crushed or your precious brushes from getting smashed.  Insider tip: look for one that will fit your travel sized hairspray can when it's standing up, it will give you much more storage space.

To fill your train case, look for compact essentials.  Visit the travel section of your local Target for pint sized goodies or check out a travel store for refillable bottles to store your salon favorites in.  Companies like Mary Kay offer chic cases to fill with your favorite eye shadows, blush, and lipgloss all in one click shut case.  If your carrying case doesn't have a special spot for makeup brushes, look for brushes that come in a travel case as well, or you can also look for retractable brushes or purchase brush guards to protect your bristles.  You don't want to risk ruining your brushes with spilled liquid or a snapped handle.

The most important tip of all?  Hydrate!  If you're on a plane especially, make sure you drink lots of water.  The first step to a pretty face is a hydrated one.  Make sure to pack your travel sized hand cream too.  Founder of Soap & Glory Marcia Kilgore gives these last minute tips to try in an interview with Allure Magazine.  "Before we land, I brush my hair until its shiny; bedhead makes you look exhausted.  I apply some concealer under my eyes, touch up my blush and lipstick, and get out of that horribly lit bathroom as fast as possible.   Then I wear sunglasses - instant camouflage."

What are your favorite travel products?

~Kirsten

Photos from EcoTools, Advice Sisters,  Mary Kay, Krasey Beauty

I Tried It - SatinLips Lip Mask

Confession time - I bite my lips on occasion, so sometimes they get a little chapped and peel-y.  So during a recent makeup chat with a friend that sells Mary Kay, it was suggested that I try the Mary Kay SatinLips Lip Mask.  Why not?  For only $9.50, I purchased this cute little tube and started my lip mask morning regimen.  After I moisturize my face, I slide on some of the Satin lips, do my makeup and then wipe it off.  Easy.

It has a beachy feel, with it's little granules feeling like sand, but it's pleasant smelling and smooth to apply.  Sometimes absorbs into my lips almost all the way if I leave it on too long, but when I wipe it off, my lips instantly feel smoother.  After using it for about a week, my lips were noticeably smoother and not as chapped or peeling as they used to be.  I follow it up with their Timewise Age-Fighting Lip Primer before applying lipstick, but this product doesn't seem to do as much as I expected.

Verdict: The lip mask, I love!  I will continue to buy this great little tube.   It's an easy to use, pleasant to use product that helped solve a major beauty problem I was having.

~Kirsten

Do you use a lip mask or lip scrub?  What are your favorite brands?

He Tried/She Tried - Healthy Sexy Hair Soy Renewal Beach Spray

Welcome to our first He Tried/She Tried blog! We're bringing you the male/female, stylist/client view and review on different hair products. It's a dual blog post with both sides of the story. Our first product? Healthy Sexy Hair's Soy Renewal Beach Spray.


He Tried-Patrick's Take
Introducting: Sexy Hair's "Healthy Sexy Hair Soy Renewal Beach Spray". A wonderful addition to your collection of products for wavy and curly hair. (Professional secret, It is not just for curly or wavy hair, Stay tuned for a blog post on how to use this after curling the hair with a big barrell curling iron.) For Kirsten's appointment, I wanted to try something different out on her hair. Normally I blow it out smooth, but because spring was in the air, I decided to try out Healthy Sexy Hair's Soy Renewal Beach Spray and diffuse it to giver her natural wavy texture a boost and a naturally undone texture.

Kirsten has a wavy pattern to her hair and I knew this product had enough hold in it to do the trick. When I styled her hair, I sprayed the Healthy Sexy Hair Soy Renewal Beach Spray from root to ends and diffused it with a low setting and medium heat. I was careful not to overwork the hair. Curl can be very tempermental when overworked and this product was a great choice to produce the results I wanted: undone texture and a feel likened to a day at the beach.

I explained to Kirsten how to use the product at home and let her know that she could renew her style each day without the need to shampoo. I let her know that she could spray the product into her hair and add a little water the next day to revamp her curls. (Stay tuned for a later blog post about how to extend the longevity of your style without the need to shampoo everyday). Read below to get the full detail of her week with the product.

What is Soy Renewal Beach Spray?  Here's a direct quote from Sexy Hair:

SOY RENEWAL BEACH SPRAY creates undone texture that looks and feels like you’ve spent a day by the sea. Helps nourish, protect and heal hair damage with the power of Argan oil. Cures winter blues by giving your hair the look and feel of a day at the beach.
How to use:  Spray on damp hair and let dry naturally or blow-dry with a diffuser for all over texture. Use on dry hair for detailing or to add volume to the roots without having to wet hair.

She Tried - Kirsten's Take
When I went to see Patrick for a trim and some hair tlc, he told me he wanted to do something different with my hair, wavy curls.  Fun!  He showed me some of his favorite products from the Sexy Hair line and gave me a homework assignment: try out the new Healthy Sexy Hair Soy Renewal Beach Spray.  Patrick gave me a mini bottle to take home and play with.  Here's my weekend journey with the Beach Spray...

Day 1: Friday - My hair always looks fabulous when I leave Patrick's salon, but today I had a little extra bounce in my step.  I left the salon with super fun and bouncy, loose curls.  What impressed me the most?  How product free my hair felt!  I could run my fingers through my hair and not feel any snarls or stickiness.  It was great.  I looked pretty fabulous if I don't say so myself.  The product even smells a little beach-y.  I like

Day 2: Saturday - I had just pinned my hair up with a single bobbi pin the night before, so when I left it down in the morning it still had some curl.  I reapplied the Beach Spray, shook out my hair, added a touch of water to scrunch the top and it instantly gave my roots back texture.  I may have over applied the product though. Day two of using the beach spray didn't have the touch-ability my hair had yesterday.  That product free feel was gone.  It still looked great for the morning and into the afternoon, after a couple hours though, my hair started to loose the curl.  So it seems that using a curl agent in my hair is a must.  Left: artsy instagram photo I snapped of myself.

Day 3: Sunday - I rinsed my hair this morning as it had gotten a little frizzy and sad, let it air dry, and then applied more of that awesome beach spray.  Touch-ability, still there.  Even after my hair dried (I didn't wash it) my hair still felt silky smooth.  I let my hair air dry a bit and then added the spray, it still gave good texture, but I had to add a little curl cream that I had in my stash and scrunch like crazy to get my hair to curl a little, a diffuser would have helped.  I pinned up the front and wandered off to the Art Institute.  Left: my hair on Sunday cropped out of a fun photo a friend snapped.




My verdict?  A definite do over.  I love this product.  It smells pretty, adds instant texture, and works wonderfully with other products.  Patrick - you can't have your sample back, I'm stealing it.  It will be perfect for adding some texture to my early summer getaway at Lake Michigan.

Have you tried this product?  What did you think?  Leave a comment and let us know!

- Patrick & Kirsten

I Tried It - Dream Bouncy Blush

We're back!  Thanks for bearing with us during our small hiatus.  Patrick was off in California learning all about a new product line: Sexy Hair.  Check back Thursday to see a great post on one of their products.  Today, it's all about the blush.

I'll be the first to admit it - I'm a sucker for pretty packaging and new products.  So when the commercials for Maybelline's Dream Bouncy Blush came on, I couldn't wait to run out of my current blush so I could try it.  So armed with my 5% off day, a $1 off coupon, and a little old blush left, I headed to Target to grab some.

I opted for #40 Pink Plum: a moderately bright pink.  The package claims, "Feels lightweight like a powder, yet melts into skin like a cream."  For the most part I agree.  It is in fact bouncy, reminded me of when you poke a just baked cupcake.  Don't be scared of the "like a cream" part, it's not really.  I use Ben Nye cream blush on stage and this has no where near the thick texture and color saturation that does.

Wearing tips: You definitely have to apply with a brush - when applied with my finger, the color was too delicate and just disappeared into my finger.   I found the most success when I applied it with my Real Techniques Stippling Brush after applying my mousse foundation with the same brush.  It's crazy light, which is perfect for summer and does feel like a powder on, but I found I had to dip into the color several times to achieve the look I wanted.  I do like the subtle flush it gives: I've found I really like the staying power it gives when applied over foundation and then topped with a powder blush.  That seems to give a nice dimension and long lasting look.

Verdict - worth a try for a new summer blush.  Plus it's super cute and doesn't take up any space in your makeup bag.

~Kirsten

What do you think?  Have you tried bouncy blush?  What's your favorite blush?

5 Hair & Makeup Tips for Easter

Photo from Fashion Meets Food

Remember when Easter meant searching for eggs, eating tons of chocolate, and wearing your adorable Easter bonnet?  For better or worse, grown up Easter now means sipping mimosas, chatting with family, and looking fabulous - of course!

Why not use your Easter fete as an excuse to try a new makeup look?  Step out of your comfort zone of neutral eyes and a touch of mascara.  Elevate your Easter from everyday to extra special.  Here are five fabulous ideas for making the most out of your Easter makeup:

1.  Punch up your eyes with pastels.  Lucky for us, pastel colors are all the rage right now.  We're seeing eyes swathed in lilac purples and pretty blues, even mint green.  Just stick to one or two complimentary colors to avoid looking like an Easter basket yourself.  Swipe a bright color on your whole lids then blend up into a light neutral by your brows.

2.  Embrace colored eyeliner.  A little pop of color on the liner of your lids can make your eyes stand out.  Switch from regular black to a fun color like blue, green, or purple.  A swipe of green "can be ethereal if it's left alone or more dramatic when followed by a few coats of mascara" says Allure Magazine and purple is universally falttering.  If you want to tone down the color a little bit, apply black or brown eyeliner first then layer a bright color on top of it.  You can also apply a shimmering eye shadow color with an eyeliner brush dipped in water as an alternative to eye shadow.

3.  Be Blushing - make sure to apply a brilliant and shimmering blush.  You'll want to look great in all those family photos, so opt for a color that pops but doesn't distract from the rest of your look like the ever popular Nars Orgasam.  Remember, your blush should always be a graceful transition from your eyes to your lips.

4.  Paint your nails!  There's no better reason to break out all those pastel nail colors than Easter.  Opt for a grown up manicure in a pretty purple pastel like "Play Date" from Essie or try the two tone nail trend or pick two complimentary colors like a pastel pink and pinkish beige, then alternate the two colors on your nails.  Of course if you're feeling especially playful you could pick five different Easter egg inspired shades and paint each nail a different color.

5.   Pick a spectacular hair style.  Easter is a care-free, relaxed holiday, so make sure your hair has the same feeling.  There's no wrong way to wear your hair long and flowing - opt for loose waves, sleek strands, or bouncy curls.  If you need extra volume, make sure to check out Big Sexy Hair's What a Tease Backcomb in a Bottle.  You'll be amazed at how much volume you can get without ratting your hair.  Pick up your bottle at the Styling Studio.

Above all though, don't forget your smile!

How will you be styling yourself for Easter this year?

~Kirsten

Pretty Product Picks for Spring

We'll be the first to confess, sometimes we like to pick out our products by the bottle or color.  So here are some of our favorite products we'd pick just because they're pretty.

For Eyes
Rimmel London Union Jack Eye Shadows in collaboration with Kate Moss - makes us want to fly our flag, although we're also in love with the super easy smoky eye palates from Almay, Intense i-Color Satin - i makes creating a colored smoky eye as easy as 1-2-3-literally.  To try the colored eyeliner trend with ease, try Tarte's Aqua-Gel Eyeliner in a rainbow of glide on colors.

For Lips
This perfectly pink shimmer gloss looks gorgeous in or out of the bottle: M.A.C. Dazzle Glass in Extra Amps.  If you want smoothness without the color, Maybelline Baby Lips is the way to go.  These bright poppy colors would look good in any purse, plus they come packed with spf!  Another perfect for the spring/summer transition is the newest line from Mary Kay - The Art of Nature Limited Edition Dual Lip Glaze in warm coral or glistening sand, the tube contains color and clear gloss all in one.

For Everything Else
This Philosophy 4 in 1 is perfect for on the go touch ups and saving space: Philosophy Divine Color Tint.  Don't ignore your nails, Essie has a fabulous new Resort 2012 collection featuring pretty purples with fun names like "No More Film."

Do you use pretty packaging as an excuse to buy new makeup?  What are your favorite spring makeup products?

~Kirsten

Spring 2012 Beauty Trends to Try

Spring always brings a bevy of new styles, colors, and trends to try.  We see inspiration from the fashion week shows around the world as well as the blooming flowers and warmer weather!  Here are my top three favorite beauty trends for Spring 2012.

Bright Bold Colors

Neons are back!  Kids of the 80s have no need to fear though, these bold colors are matte this time around and without the metallic sheen of the 1980s.  Look for stand alone hues with deep saturated pigments and wear them on only one part at a time.  If you're sporting bold eyes, keep your lips and cheeks subtle whereas extra bright lips call for a neutral eye.  I love the look of a bright, poppy eye colored paired with a pinkish lip color.  Neons are on trend for nails too!

Products I like: Cover Girl Eye Enhancers in Purple Pop applied with a wet eye shadow brush and paired with a neutral like Lancome Seasonal Effects Eye Shadow Smooth Hold in Daylight.  OPI Nail Lacquer in Pink Flamingo or Essie Spring Resort 2012 Collection in No More Film.
Photos from: Glamour Magazine, Bella Mumma, Cover Girl, Lancome

Pastels

Pastels usually make a spring appearance, but this year they're in more concentrated hues including lots of lilac, ice blues, and even green lip gloss that got beauty blogger buzzing.  When wearing pastels stick to one or two colors to keep from looking like an Easter egg, and definitely stay away from matching your makeup directly to your outfit...you don't want to be mint green from head to toe.

Products I like: Lancome Color Fever Lip Gloss in  Green Petal, Tarte Cosmetics Aqua Get Eye Liner in Green and Plum,
Photos from: Elle Magazine, Case Collective, Love LipGloss & Pumps, Tarte Cosmetics

Bold Brows

I've always been an advocate of defining your brows!  Now the trend in brows is straying away from delicate and over plucked but rather embracing the strong, bold brow.  You'll need a good Lash & Brow Groomer Brush paired with a good eyebrow tint or gel.  Pair this look with neutral eyes and a nude lip to make the biggest impact.  2012 is all about the state of the brow.

Products I like: E.L.F. Studio Eyebrow Kit, EcoTools Lash & Brow Groomer, L'Oreal Paris Eye Shadow Quad in Desert Sunrise
Photos from: Our Vanity, E.L.F. Cosmetics

Which one of these trends are your favorite?  Wearing another spring trend?  Have you tried them all?  Leave me a note and let me know!
~Kirsten