Lips

How to get that sexy nude lips you see on the poster?

For those of us have uneven color on our lips, it is a little harder to create nude lip without proper technique . It's very common to have uneven color lip, which means your lip color is darker around your lip line, but lighter on your lips. I actually have he typical uneven color lips.

Lip Care -

Lip care is important. First, you must remember to scrub it in your facial routine. Don't avoid your lips when you apply your scrubs or facial masks.

Here are a few good lip balm I recommend:

 1. Aveeno Lip Balm with SPF 15 - Very moisturizing and doesn't have any smell or taste. Long lasting.

2. Keihl's lip balm - Super moisturizing, perfect for winter

3. Fresh lip Balm -  SPF 15 and the Rose tinted lip balm - I recommended these 2 in another blog post earlier this year. I always have them in my purse. Highly recommended

Make-up - Creating Nude lip with lip liner and lip sticks (gloss)

1. Pick up a good lip liner - 

In order to cover up the darker color around your lip, a good lip liner is key to do the trick

Sephora's lip liner collection are easy to apply and longer lasting. You can choose the following color:

04 Candid Candy or  05 Native Nude (The picture is not the color I recommended, make sure you pick up the right color)

Draw the lip liner first before putting on lip stick/ gloss, you can easily blend the lip liner color into the lips, so you faded the lines. Visible lip line is a big NO-NO.

2. Pick a good lip stick for the nude lip color

High Tea lipstick is a sheer, lightly pinked nude shade, Myth lipstick is a satiny smooth, fleshy beige shade, and Honeylove lipstick pink-nude lip

Blankety lipstick (creamy), Hug Me lipstick ( a little pink) and Creme d’Nude lipstick ( creamy, beigey-nude, warmer color)

3. Lip Gloss - 

You have to go easy on the lip gloss. Clear or nude color is recommended.

I love Bobbi Brown make-up. She really knows how to create high quality products. Their lip gloss is smooth, thick and creamy. You can try Nude, Beige, or Pink Beige. They are all good colors.

Burt's Bee's lip products are amazing. Actually, I really love their lip balm too. So, back to the lip gloss. Burt's bee's lip gloss has a little shimmer. I personally don't use a lot of shimmer on my lips. But, if this is going to be evening look or going out look, you can try this shimmer lip gloss. You nude lips will catch some eyes. :)

Enjoy your nude lips~

US beauty - How to fly like a star

i picked up a copy of US weekly on my way to Chicago last week.

The magazine did a spread on how to fly like a star, which introduce products stars carry with them on board and use to freshen up after flying. I thought the article introduced some really good products, so I am sharing the highlights with you here.


1. Benefit's The Maggie Collection Sunday Funday: All-in-one Touch up makeup kit -  use this kit to touch up your make-up before deplaning (Christina Hendrick's favor)

2. Joy Bryant loves Dior HydraLife pro-Youth Skin Tint to keep her skin glowing after flying

3. Jennifer Love Hewitt said "Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream. It's the best!"

QB's note -  I love this product as well. It used to only 1 product called Elizabeth Arden 8 hour cream. Now EA has extended this product into a product line. There are lip treatment, facial moisturizer, body and hand cream and a vintage set product. All of them are amazing, especially for those with very dry skin. :)

4. Frizzy hair after flying? Scarlett Johansson fights it with Moroccan oil treatment

5. Under eyes baggage that cannot be checked in? Ashley Greene takes care of it with Guerlain Super Aqua-Eye patches

6. Other quick hiding under eye dark circle trick is using highlighting concealer. Whitney Port loves Fresh Supernova Radiance Brightening Pen.

QB's note - Although YSL's Touch Eclat (2nd picture below) is still my favor, I must say Fresh and Bobbie Brown's highlighting pens are catching up to YSL. 

So, now you are prepared for your summer travel. A girl always gotta look good!

This Summer's make-up trend~

I haven't posted make-up tips for a while, let's take a look what's in trend for this summer.

From Elle -

2010 summer's make-up trend from Elle's recent article is focusing on the silver base color. Using silver eyeshadow to create a more beautiful and confident look.

http://www.elle.com/Beauty/Makeup-Skin-Care/Summer-Makeup-Trend-Silver-Eye-Shadow

How to apply make-up for summer -

In hot summer day, make-up tends to wear-out or smudge. here is a video clip on how to apply make-up to make it last the entire day naturally

http://www.videojug.com/webvideo/summer-makeup-tutorial


Some tips on the color choices for a good summer look.

• Always pick eye shadow that has 2 colors in the same family but with different shades (meaning one lighter, one darker, see above chancel collection)

• Always apply lighter color in the inner corner of the eye lid and upper eye lid first

• darker color should be applied after the light color and must bee closer to the eye line. You should smudge it outward to create a natural blend into the lighter color.

I have a trick to keep make-up longer lasting. Spray some toner after you complete your make up to keep the powders based make-up in place. If you use mostly oil based make-up product, then this trick is not recommended. However, I will suggest to not use oil or cream based make-up products in the summer, because they can clog pores easily and your make-up will actually fall apart quickly in the heat..

Enjoy my Queen Bees~~

Beauty.com Summer Stock-Up

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=109594829083583&index=1

May 22nd will be DAY TWO of the summer's biggest giveaway, as our tour moves to its second location. Beauty.com is teaming up with AtHisBest.com to bring you Summer Stock-Up! We’re taking on Manhattan with this outdoor giveaway, featuring brand experts in skincare, cosmetics, and men's grooming, plus samples galore! Stop by for a complimentary consultation with a brand expert and a dip in the AtHisBest or Beauty.com sample pool for a bag of free goodies!

Brands included in the giveaway:
philosophy, Too Faced, Bare Escentuals, Darphin, Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare, tarte, Oscar Blandi, Stila, bliss, and MANY MORE!


Come by on Saturday to visit with experts from:
Jane Iredale
Somme Institute
Mission
bareMinerals
Darphin
Origins
Korres
Pop Beauty

Super Shinning make-up look

I found this picture of Princess Janet online. 

I LOVE her make-up!!

Perfect for going out to club or a night out in town

Chinese New Year Make-up

The safest look is gold eye shadow and red lips. Don't over done your make-up, because you don't want to scare your reserved family members away! LOL

I found a video clip on a CNY make-up tutorial, check it out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40rHrnNMqVU

Since this year CNY is on the same day with V-day, here is another look for the special occasion.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFj1rDxNOqs&feature=related

enjoy~

clutch 'bagable' make-up touch up kit

I used to always over pack my clutch or party handbag with unnecessary make-up. It's heavy to carry, and I rarely get to use them. The funny thing is, when I really need something, I hardly ever find it, or it would be that ONE thing I didn't bring.

So here is a list of things I think you should have with you when you go out, so you don't get yourself into the situation I mentioned above.

• lip gloss or a lip stain - I personally like lip stain better, because you can also use it for the cheeks.
• One of the products I use is Benefit lip and cheek stain (tint) - see picture below
• eye liner pencil. (make sure it is sharpened)
• false lashes gel (black prefered)
• This is the fake eye lash gel I adore: Duo eyelash gel dark tone - see picture below
• sample size perfume (or travel size, depends on how big your hangbag or clutch is.)
• My personal favor is the Juicy Couture Eau de Parfum - Roller Ball Perfume - see picture below
• 2 sheets of facial tissues
• 2 Qtips

Even though it seems a lot, but trust me, they don't take close to half of your clutch space. You can still have space for your camera, ids, credit card and cash.

Cold Cream - our good old friend

Recently my friend linlin came to NY to visit from London. She brought me a bottle of cold cream from Boots. Cold cream.... hm.. I was thinking. This is something that I haven't used for a while. I remember mom used to love it and I used to use it when I have any types of skin damage. It was quite magical. Somehow, after I grow older, I started going after the fancy brand name creams and forgot about the good old cold cream.

So, I started using it again... OH MY, it is fantastic! Especially in winter, after you used it, you don't feel any dryness on your skin and it takes off make-up so quickly like baby oil (I had a post on the usages of baby oil. Look up in the label search if you haven't read it yet)

Pond's Cold Cream is one of the oldest Cold Cream products out on the market.

How to use cold cream to remove make-up?

Put a thin layer on the face. Leave it on for a few minutes. Then use a slightly wetted cotton pad or facial tissues to wipe it off.  Skins as gentle as eye lids and under eyes can be easily and safely cleaned with cold cream.

Other usage -

Cold cream can heal damaged skin, such as allergic reaction to chemical or new product or sun burn (but I think Aloe products are much more effective for more sever sun burn. However for slightly burned skin, cold cream can do the job).

I highly recommend everyone to get a bottle of cold cream

Bath & Body Works - Rose Wonder Cold Cream

Avene Cold Cream Products:

1. Avene Cold Cream for very dry skin

2. Avene Cold Cream Lip Blam

Jill Stuart Spring 2010 collection - Jewel Crystal Eyes!

Jill Stuart's Spring Make-up Collection is out! QBs don't forget to check this out.

The style this spring is Jewel Crystal~

Crystal shinning eyes, bright clear and rosy skin with jewel like lips together create the best look for this coming Spring! Stay tune for how to create this look!

Now check out the new and limited products available from Jill Stuart

Primer review

Let's talk about primer -

What does it do?

It does what it sounds; it primes your skin like we prime a wall before we paint.  It smoothes your skin, makes your foundation stays put, acts as a barrier between your skin and make-up, and moisturizes your skin. Many of them even has UV protection to prevent sun damage.

How to pick a primer?

Depends on your skin type, you need to pick a primer that has enough coverage, but not too much that will cause break-out.  As the primer "fill-in" the uneven surface on your skin, it might also block the oil from coming out of the pore, often that causes break-out. Picking the right type of primer will not only make your skin look better, it will prevent break-out, because it acts as a barrier preventing make-up getting into pore and becomes hard to clean.

Some primer that I have used and reviews -

Guerlain Meteorites Light-Diffusing Perfecting Primer - ($66) 

Joan recommended this one to me. I tried it and loved it. It's like a moisturizer acting like a primer as well. If you have a slightly bigger budget for a good primer, this one is a good choice.

Chanel Blanc Universal Sheer Illuminator  - ($45)

Slightly less expensive than the one above.  Chanel Blanc has more coverage than Guerlain primer; it is also thicker in texture. It's a white cream, so you don't need to use much because too much will make you look too pale. You can use a bit more on the darker areas on your face like under eye and corner of your mouths. It will give you a brighter and more youthful look. It really gives you a silky and milky skin. I also highly recommend it.

Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer - ($36)

This is a primer that I used for a few years already. It reduce the appearance of lines and redness. It also won a lot of make-up products awards from magazines and professional review sites. It is also pretty thick. Although it is not as thick as the chanel primer, it also only takes very small amount to cover the whole face. However, I do not recommend this product to people with oily skin. It's excellent for normal to dry skin QBs.

Shu Uemura UV Under Base - ($32)

Unlike the other primers, which are mostly liquid, gel or cream base, this primer is a 'mousse'. Yes, it's mousse, foam.. you get the idea. This is a very light weight primer, good for normal to oily skin. It is also good for summer time too. I will recommend to use sponge to apply it instead of using hands. Although the price tag is not the most expensive one, but the bottle is small and when it's over half way through the bottle, it becomes harder to get the foam/ mousse out. Then you get liquid instead of the nice foam. I guess it is a design flaw on the bottle. So, the bottom line is, it is probably the most expensive primer on this list.

Feel free to recommend other primers you know or use. Comments are welcomed and appreciated!!

for chinese reader - video update

Dear Chinese readers,


I have been watching The Taiwanese TV show: 女人我最大. i know many of you must know about this show already, but I am filtering out the most useful ones on my video bar. Take a look.


I will switch back to the English tutorial after a few days, but you can continue to search on youtube for this show.


enjoy!

How to dramatically enlarged your eyes and get rid of your sleepy look?

The secret is.... eye liner! LOL It's probably not a well kept secret .. everyone knows!

but, how do you use eyeliner to achieve the look you want and not over or under do it? What are some of the good liner products out on the market? What type of liner is good for what look? QB will break it down by looks and products for you!

All in all, there are 4 types of liners: pencil, powder/ powder gel (I will explain what this is later), gel and liquid:

Some examples for each from top down on the picture above

Lancome Le Crayon khol
Makeup Forever kohl pencil
Urban Decay Shadow/Liner

Urban Decay eyeliner

Bobbi Brown liner gel

Clinique liquid eyeliner

Tricks on how to use each type of liner mentioned above:

1. For beginner, I recommend using eyeliner pencil.

• You can begin with the middle of eyelid and draw to either direction. 
• Make sure your pencil is sharp and you draw as close to the roots of the lashes as possible

Lancome Le Crayon khol (bottom left) is smooth and rich, so it's easy to apply. Good for beginner and any level trying to achieve an effortless look. Recommend using it with light make-up.

Makeup Forever Kohl is darker and richer in color, it's better for a more dramatic look. (bottom right)

2. When you are out or on a trip, you want to pack as less as possible, you can choose to use Shadow/Powder type liner. You can use it for smoky eyes look and as liner if you wish.

• You need a good brush for powder liner, like this below (This is a retractable one, you don't necessary need this, but this type of angled brush is best for applying powder type liner)

• Start from the outer most point of your eyelid, begin drawing inward at the root of the lashes toward the inner point of the eyelid. 
• Other than the Urban Decay product I showed above. You can try the Bare Mineral products below. Use the liner seal on the left side on top of the powder liner to ensure it last longer. 

3.  Eyeliner gel is a liner product that got very popular in the past few years.

The #1 product in eyeliner gel is Bobbie Brown. I recommend people with more experience in using liner to try the liner gel. It really define the eyes very well, but it does require a set of steady hands.
The picture below is the bobbie brown eyeliner gel set. Good purchase for experienced QBs. You can get it at Duty free for 20% less than retail price. I always pick up a set when I travel aboard.

• You need to make sure your liner brush is clean. Please do not use your liner brush without washing it. The gel from last time will get dried and completely change the texture of the brush. You have to wash it to get the brush back to where it was.
• Don't get too much gel on the brush as once, and make sure it is even on the brush.
• Start with inner point of the eyelid, and draw toward outer point of the eyelid. Do it in one shot (one stroke), otherwise, it will look too thick, too dark or uneven.

4. Last and the most famous one - liquid liner. It is slowly fading in the popularity contest as eyeliner gel becoming more popular. But in liquid liner's defense, it can create a type mysterious and sexy look that other type of liner can't.

• Like eyeliner gel, you need to start with inner point of the eyelid. 
• Feel free to draw it upward at the outer most point of your eyelid and extend your liner out a bit more to get a sexier look. 

I also looked up some tutorials on how to apply eyeliner on the video bar~
Enjoy~