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Sterling Minerals Beauty News

Confusing Makeup Trends For 2019

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Following Makeup Trends

I obviously keep a watch on makeup trends to make sure I offer nice colors for shading your mineral makeup over and above your foundation. But when observing what others are doing, I also am careful to not take the suggestions literally.

Does a makeup trend mean you should follow it? Let’s see!

Just because something is trendy in the new year doesn’t mean it will work for you so it is just as important to be aware this is not a one size fits all. Unfortunately, it is portrayed that this new fashion or makeup trend is the “bees knees” or “cat’s meow” and you should follow it if you want to look your best.

Matte or Dewy Glow Makeup Finish

If you can believe it, I have found conflicting opinions from designers and makeup artists suggesting both finishes for this year in 2019. They present one or the other as the “comeback” of a particular makeup finish.

Which one is correct? Does it get you confused?

They stand in stark contrast to one another and doesn’t consider the age of the consumer, since a matte foundation shade is a classic and easily worn by a young woman or teen. This works when skin is plump and full of collagen and will look beautiful and could still work well on mature skin that is extremely oily.

As a woman matures then the dewy or polished look is a much better choice helping with light refraction since this assists with bouncing light away from the fine lines. A matte finish will lend itself to a chalky look and will definitely age the complexion that has less collagen or fullness to the face while causing excessive dryness.

So, this makeup trend is completely subjective to the consumers age and skin type which is not addressed in the new popular looks. Sometimes things identified as a makeup trend is not practical in real world demographics and should be taken with a grain of salt. But with that being said, great ideas come from these makeup trends.

Eye Shadow and Eyeliner

Here again I see ideas and makeup trends that are based on opinion or an ideal that is favored over another.

Some trends for this year announce going softer with eye shadow shades, preferably leaning toward muted pastels including coral pinks and purples. I agree these are beautiful, especially when dealing with a mature face. This type of shading is awesome for taking years off of your complexion and should also include similar shading in blush.

Then in another opinion on eye shaping trends, they try and convince you going with a stronger eye lining method to define your eyes.

Of course, I recognize once more there is no reference to the age or shape of the eyes. Do you have small eyes, large eyes, droopy eyes or narrow eyes? The one exception to age would be matte or shades with some shimmer or polished sheen. Since matte shades also age the eye area, I recommend a touch of pearl sheen or shimmer, not to be confused with glitter or sparkle.

How You Would Decide

So based on the question of eye shape and not age, this trend is moot and should be more about how your eyes are shaped and how they are set on your face. Eye shadow used with proper technique can beautify the eye and reshape it to what you want.

Example; a woman with small eyes will make them look smaller using dark shading and / or eye lining the entire shape of the eye. So much for this trend!

Lighter shades and using a softer eyeliner on the upper lid only while highlighting the brow and inner corner of the eye will actually open the eye, making them appear larger and give a wide-awake appearance.

Now take a woman with large eyes or high browbone, she may want to make her eyes more defined or make her brow not look so high. In either case she would go with deeper shades and stay away from highlighting shades to reduce the height of her browbone while enhancing her beautiful large eyes.

I certainly would love some of that magic that gives me the larger doe eyed look with high browbone, but alas I am the way I am, so with a bit of effort in color design, this works to shape my look.

Lip Style in Color and Finish

I’ve already touched on the Matte finish vs Gloss finish depending on your age in my article “Create the Perfect Youthful Pout“, but regardless of how I explained it, there is yet again two camps on the subject.

If you missed it and rather than recap, you can read and see how certain finishes will either age the lips or make them look quite youthful. Finish and certain colors will also either shrink your lip size or make them appear fuller, and depending on what you choose in finishes, they can either add to or takeaway years off your complexion.

When it comes to lip color however, this is a trend I enjoy following. In keeping with the recommendations on shading with eye shadows, especially for spring and summer, a certain lip color palette is what I created for the new launch of shades coming out next month. I am still offering traditional and soft tones for youth and vitality, while adding some fun and flair to the new lip colors. I never get bored with creative color!

You’ll be able to enjoy a color range in a variety of natural-looking blush nudes to deeper jewel tones. But I didn’t stop there since I also included a bright coral pink and subtle beachy tannish peach shade as well. This should offer plenty to pick from for your new beautiful makeup trend for 2019.

Reality of Makeup Trends

Makeup trends are great as suggestions and go a long way to create your new look, but don’t hold them as truth or something you necessarily need to follow to look your best. Go with what continues to work for your type of fashion and love of color yet assess your colors during seasonal changes or as you age. Once in a while you might want to reevaluate and change things up to get the best possible ageless look you can achieve.

Happy Spring and we’ll visit again next week.

Posted by Katie at March 20, 2019 9:31 am | No Comments »

Makeup That Doesn’t Budge

Women trying to remove makeup that won't budge.

Makeup “Glue” Is This A Good Or Bad Thing?

You might be wondering what the heck I mean by makeup glue? Well it isn’t glue per se, yet it behaves like glue and is more brutal on your tender facial skin than you think. I lovingly refer to it as dated face painting. Or otherwise known as makeup that literally doesn’t budge.

My mineral makeup lasts all day as well, but when I want it off, it doesn’t become a battle at my bathroom sink.

The concept of makeup that stays put or stuck to your skin all day is nothing new and has been available by many brands going back to the late 80’s. I remember it being the latest and greatest unless you had the steady hand for application. Then it became my makeup joke.

Yet, if you look and see the type of ingredients needed to make this makeup application work, these are as far from natural or gentle to skin as you can get. The cool wave of makeup lasting forever, flies in the face of the organic and all natural crowd. I actually can’t believe they still can sell this stuff.

This particular brand I will refer to within this article is offered by an MLM company and they make all things beauty related.

I only mention the type of company I reference here, is due to the marketing concept they embrace since their army of sales reps have minimal education in cosmetic science. Basically, working from sales materials provided by the company. Some of which is making weird claims that lead to disinformation on the very products they sell in spite of the science. And of course this hurts my industry as a whole.

Checkout These Ingredients On Foundation

Water/Aqua/Eau, Cyclopentasiloxane, Alcohol Denat, Propylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Sodium Chloride, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, PEG/PPG-19/19 Dimethicone, PEG/PPG-20/15 Dimethicone, C13-16 Isoparaffin, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Tocopherol, Retinyl Palmitate (Vitamin A), Glucosamine HCL, Laminaria Digitata (Algae) Extract, Saccharomyces Cerevisiae (Yeast) Extract, Corallina Officinalis (Blue Seaweed) Extract, Orchis Morio (Orchid) Flower Extract, Cyclomethicone, Cyclotetasiloxane, Aluminum/Magnesium Hydroxide Stearate, C10-13 Isoparaffin, Dimethiconol, Synthetic Urea, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylyl Glycol, Hexylene Glycol, Chlorphenesin, Benzoic Acid, Sorbic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Iron Oxides (CI77492), Iron Oxides (CI77491), Titanium Dioxide (CI77891).

Wow… water aside as the first ingredient, that’s a whole lot of silicone derivatives throughout the list. Anything pretty sounding or natural, four ingredients to be exact, is a typical commercially produced product, not exclusive to this brand. Besides with this level of silicone ratios, this would in all likelihood exceed water ratio. 

Unfortunately, because of the introduction of water, additional preservatives are necessary to protect the user from putting a compromised product on their skin and that is a good thing. However, this in turn adds more skin sensitizing ingredients to your face. But without them, bacteria, fungus or mold will take hold in any skincare item without the use of preservatives and can be harmful to delicate skin as well.

Mature, Oily, Or Dry Skin Gals, Be Wary

If you have dry, mature skin, anything with Alcohol Denat is a big no-no. This ingredient is designed to degrease skin, is very drying and can cause burning on sensitive skin types. It is the 3rd ingredient which gives it a ratio that could be problematic.

If you have acne or oily skin, you may think this is okay for you, but the drying effect has been shown to increase sebum production and can deplete the skins protective acid mantle. This defeats the purpose of keeping oil at bay and fighting acne or keeping skin soft and supple for preventing aging. Who needs more oil or wrinkles on their skin?

This is why I will continue to profess the use of mineral powders for the cleanest and purist makeup application. Plus, the minimalist ingredients in mineral makeup are healthier and have a soothing and healing effect by reducing sensitizing of the skin. Great skincare combined with mineral makeup makes for the best daily routine to fight aging and look fantastic.

When Lip Color Is Painted On Your Lips

Another product is a lip gloss that lasts all day and will not come off until you take it off. It stays put through eating and drinking up until bedtime, or until the next morning if you wish.

The ingredient list for this lip color, for me personally, is more than worrisome, and it is as follows:

Alcohol Denat, Acrylates/Octylacrylamide Copolymer, Isostearyl Alcohol, Silica, PPG-20 Methly Glucose Ether, Parfum, Hydroxypropylcellulose, Butylene Glycol, Aqua, Isodonis Japonicus Leaf/Stalk Extract, Hypericum Perforatum (St. John’s Wort) Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Paeonia Suffruticosa (Tree Peony) Extract, Tilia Cordata (Linden) Extract, Citronellol, Limonene +/- may contain : CI 77163, CI 77891, CI 77499, CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 45410, CI 17200, CI 15850, CI 19140, CI 42090, CI 45370

If you try this, be forewarned! Or if you have tried this lip color, you may have experienced similar reactions to other women seen in product reviews and forums, which includes burning, stinging and sores. Sadly, the reps try to poo-poo it for the sake of keeping their sales from dwindling and to counterpoint any criticism.

The Reality Of These Types Of Cosmetics

I have seen claims stating the tingling you feel is your lips detoxing from using substandard products before using theirs, and it is normal. As they explain, the tingling or stinging will subside after a bit. The reality to that statement is, once it has dried it will stop.

Let me clearly state that this is again marketing jargon because skin does not detox by anything applied topically. This is not skins’ function. If your lips are burning from first use of this product, like anything that creates irritation, discontinue use.

A skin reaction, no matter how mild, is your body signaling you, “STOP” before you cause harm. However, if you need to be sure of the reaction, I guess you can try it again, but don’t ignore this type of reaction just because it subsides after the color is dry. Since repeated use may eventually become evident over time in the form of injury as reported by others.

Understand These Types Of Ingredients

The alcohol denat (denatured alcohol) is first and foremost on the ingredient list followed by acrylates which are film formers to make the color not budge even when wiping your lips. The alcohol assists with drying the lip color rapidly to help the color to stay put instantly.

Film formers are what is put in mascara to help it last all day until you wash it off and contributes to the water proof formulas.

All the pretty flowery names following the Parfum means these can be in the ratio of a single drop to be declared, so essentially it is marketing fluff.

Limonene and Citronellol are known skin sensitizers and once exposed to air cause a drying effect and allergic reaction in some. These are added as a scent to mask other ingredients aromatic odors that might be offensive otherwise.

They are also skin penetration enhancers of other ingredients. I submit if you ever experienced tingling or burning, odds are you were having a reaction to the many dubious ingredients in this lip gloss paint.

Why Do I Care You Might Ask?

Because I am a chronic researcher and care about others especially when it comes to false marketing claims. This is why I have placed many peer reviewed science-based articles throughout my site for your benefit that can assist you with any concerns you might have.

Don’t forget, I too am a consumer outside of my brand, so when I see types of marketing that bypass safety concerns, this becomes my motivator for staying informed using the best science available. It is also why I continue to add articles and attempt to update others as further studies become available.

For yourself, I always recommend doing your homework beyond the sales pitch and delve into the consensus of science and research rather than straight from the marketing reps’ mouth.

For instance, what caught my eye the other day were some videos on Facebook produced by some of these sales reps for this brand of barely removable makeup. After watching I became slack jawed at what I just saw. It is those videos that prompted this article.

Challenging The Challenge Of Makeup Removal

Apparently the MLM marketing plan this month is having their reps perform a set of challenges on video over 30 days. This is to perform a series of tasks showcasing how the products work and are applied and removed.

One in particular, I watched several different reps do a similar challenge of removal of this makeup using the skincare products sold by the same company. They have wipes and sprays depending on your preference. They made it seem easy as they talk throughout the video trying to distract you as they remark how the makeup removal task only took a couple of minutes.

Unfortunately, time lines show the reality on the video and I watched these women tug and pull and wipe for what seemed like an eternity. The delicate eye area was pulled in all directions as the wipes or terry washcloth did a terrible job I might add, of getting the products off in supposed short order.

The actual time struggling to remove the makeup was a whopping 7-8 minutes. You could clearly see makeup residue remained on the face. Then to add insult to injury, the reps advised follow-up washing with their facial cleansers to get the rest of the product off. 

When is enough, enough?

Lip Gloss Color Removal Was Worse

So yep, great idea to have a lip color that you can eat with, drink with and kiss with, and it stays on for all eternity. That is until you want it gone, then begins a whole lot of work.

When looking at the ingredient list above however, is it great concept? Hmmm…

The application itself takes an artist for precision because any small slip and you’ll be spending forever to remove the mistake while possibly destroying the flawless makeup finish you achieved.  Meh… not feelin’ it.

The unbelievable lip color removal process is a whole lot of pulling and wiping as they repeatedly apply with a lip wand some other synthetically created chemical laden product. They mush their lips together to work it in, followed by rubbing harshly with a wash cloth to get it off. This “lovely” (dripping sarcasm) process lasted another 5 minutes.

Don’t Help Mother Nature Along, Fight Her!

The final result was a very tired looking, overworked skin and mouth area. The skin was red and stressed and inflamed from the intense rubbing, yet they flash the pearly whites with what appeared to be a sense of relief. Poor things, this is such an abuse of their skin and it looked painful. Unfortunately they are pushing the aging process along. It certainly is not anti-aging face care by any sense of the imagination. 

Hey, the struggle is real… I totally understand the wish to have to not touch-up your makeup throughout the day. Yet makeup that doesn’t budge, does come with a heavy price… I’m just sayin’.

As I get older, there are days I am lazier when it comes to my own makeup. But one thing I do appreciate is the correct amount of staying power I achieve with my mineral makeup. Plus I take comfort in knowing my skin is not absorbing weird ingredients and the satisfaction that when I wash my face with my ONATI skincare, it comes off without tugging or rubbing in under a minute. As always, it can consist of simple rinsing for sensitive skin or gentle wiping with your favorite face cloth.

If you are over 40, then you have possibly begun to see the small changes in loss of collagen as your skin thins and your lips fade in pigment while getting thinner as well. Fine lines are probably appearing around your lips, and your eyelids and jaw line might be showing signs of drooping or loose skin.

Final Analysis For Me

Do you really want to use products that force you to pull and tug on your otherwise sensitive or aging skin? Your face certainly doesn’t need any help with added sensitivities or the aging process by using a makeup “glue” that because it won’t budge, needs this much work to take it off. 

For me, I would rather do minimal touchup on my makeup and reapply my lip color after eating or drinking, than waste time or injure my face trying to get off glued on makeup or lip paint when I want to.

No matter your age, young or old, this type of makeup removal should be avoided.

A great makeup like mineral powders, should be resistant to fading or wearing off, but if it acts more like a paint on your face through the use of certain harsh ingredients, you are not doing your skin any favors and may cause irreparable harm.

We have heard from women and have seen their skin after using Bismuth Oxychloride which had lasting ill effects.  But that is another story for another day.

So be kind and gentle to your face and keep it looking fantastic since it is the only one you have.

Until next week and have a great weekend.

Posted by Katie at March 12, 2019 12:54 pm | No Comments »

Morning Coffee And Goodies

Morning coffee with a favorite Keto German Style lemony Pancake w/ blueberries and cream.

Guess What? I Am Very Excited About Keto

Don’t care about Keto or what I discovered, then skip down to the yummy recipe and recommendations I have for you.

Recently, I began utilizing a lazy Keto program to improve my health. I have lost 13 lbs. in the last couple of months eating 15 percent carbs, 20 percent protein, and 65 percent fat. Not as strict as it can be, but it works for me.

Initially, it was tough duty to figure it out and not feel like I was starving to death. Giving up bread… egad… thought I was going to die. Sugar… omg… another craving that was literally killing me. 

Elevated insulin in my body was not helping with taking off my weight and I felt like garbage. The body aches, headaches, exhaustion and incredible cravings were becoming a weight around my neck, literally. 

Getting Over The Hump

Once I got through the first 2 weeks, it became much easier. Another program I incorporated was intermittent fasting, where I don’t eat for 16 hours and only eat within an 8-hour window. Relearning how to eat correctly was initially challenging, but I don’t experience hunger anymore. My body craves this new lifestyle now.

My doctor also has me on 1200 calories per day and I don’t even feel deprived. Who would have thought that cutting out carbs would not create unstoppable cravings? But flours like almond and coconut are fantastic and nourishing replacements. The higher fat also is so decadent, I miss nothing in my diet.

Menopause betrayed my body and it only adds to the struggle, so I knew that had to change. No more procrastination…  just did it! My health improved and I feel so much better overall with minimal exercise… not a fan these days but do it to keep from feeling old. What is it they say?… “a body in motion, stays in motion.”

I highly recommend Dr. Fung’s book, “The Obesity Code”. He shows the science of what has been a way of eating for decades. This is not new science, but old science getting renewed under growing research of insulin resistance including dealing with type 2 diabetes. Any thought of this just being another fad diet was quickly dismissed once I read his book.

What Has This To Do With Beauty News?

Well it doesn’t directly, but when something excites me no matter what it is, I can’t wait to share it with you. Eating well helps keep you feeling and looking beautiful when you feed your body the right way.

I am someone who has struggled with weight loss the past 10 years and this was a miracle for me to finally budge the scale. Working out along with all kinds of confusing ways to eat on the internet, may have kept me sustained, but not a single pound dropped. It is a sure bet you may have a friend or family member, or maybe you too are having similar struggles, so here I am chatting you up about my success on this program.

Okay Enough Already, Let’s Get To The Delicious Recipe

Whether you do Keto or not, this is a recipe anyone can LOVE!  Makes me look forward to Saturday mornings to go with my cup of Joe. 

Oh… by the way, this is a coffee brand that is oh so delicious.  Got it at my local Costco, but now I buy it directly from the company because as usual, Costco stopped carrying it. The brand is Mt. Comfort Coffee, and I love the Peru blend.  It is a medium roast and has nutty, citrus, chocolate notes… yum.

If you purchase it from their website it is the same price as Costco and you receive free shipping over $20.00. What a deal! Next time I order I am going to try their Costa Rica Blend. Their 2.5 lb bag is the most economical, but trust me, it doesn’t last long if you are a coffee lover like I am.

This recipe is super easy to prepare! If you love sweet lemon and a light and fluffy German style pancake with blueberries and heavy cream, this will surely put a smile on your face when eating this wonderful comfort food. Let’s get started!

Faux German Style Lemon Pancake Recipe (serves 4)

What You’ll Need!
Preheat oven to 425 degrees
10-inch Skillet
Ingredients
  • 2 tablespoon Butter
  • ¼ cup Ricotta Cheese
  • 4 large Eggs
  • ¼ cup Water
  • ¼ cup Heavy Cream
  • 2 tablespoons Coconut Flour
  • 2 tablespoons Swerve or So Nourished Sweetener Powdered
  • ½ tsp. Vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp. Lemon extract
  • ½ tsp. Salt
Pancake Topping Recipe
  • ¼ cup Heavy Cream
  • 1/8 cup Lemon Juice
  • 2-3 tablespoons Swerve or So Nourished Sweetener (to taste)
  • 1 cup Frozen Blueberries thawed and warmed in microwave

Approximately 175 Calories per serving

Let’s Get To Mixing

You’ll need a hand mixer, or a Kitchen-Aid stand mixer to get a smooth mix with no lumps.  Place the butter in your skillet and set aside while your oven preheats.

Mix together the eggs, ricotta cheese, water, cream, coconut flour, sweetener, salt, vanilla and lemon extract. Continue to beat until smooth texture is accomplished.  The batter will be thin and runny, not like a typical batter.  Don’t try to thicken it up or the pancake will not do its German style thing.

Once your oven reaches temperature put the skillet with the butter into the oven to preheat the skillet and melt the butter.  Usually takes about 5 minutes.

Remove the skillet once butter is melted and swirl the melted butter to cover the entire pan area.  Set it down on your stove top, then slowly pour the batter in the center of the pan to push the butter to the outer edge of the batter.  Don’t worry if some of the butter overlaps the batter, but you want to try to keep it away from the center of the batter for best finish.  This happens if you pour too fast.  I know, I have done it and you won’t get the German style pancake.

Carefully lift the skillet and place on the center rack of the oven and set timer for 15 minutes. 

Let’s Make Our Yummy Cream Sauce

While the pancake is baking, let’s make the topping. Hand mix with a whisk in small bowl the heavy cream, lemon juice and sweetener until nice and smooth and sweeten with the guidelines above or to your liking.  Set aside until Pancake is done baking.

After your timer dings, judge the look of the pancake.  It will be blowing up like a balloon and you want the outer edges to be looking golden brown.  If they aren’t then let it stay in another minute or two while keeping an eye on it because it will golden up very quickly at this point.

Remove from oven and it will settle down as it begins cool and resembles the German pancake we love. This is what it should look like out of the oven.

Finished German style pancake right out of the oven, looking perfect.

Once it has deflated, cut into fourths and serve with the blueberries and cream mixture over the top.  Serve with sausage or any other side dish you prefer.  Super Keto friendly and did I say it is the bomb? But and big but it is, if it is just you and hubby, treat yourself with extra. My hubby and I split it into thirds. I get a one third and he takes the rest. This is our weekend favorite.

Plated german style lemony flavor with blueberries and cream. Yum!

Where To Find Some Of This Stuff And Best Tips

First let me state there is no affiliation with any of the items I recommend.  This is my actual experience and my personal purchases I have made. 

I found Swerve at Walmart, but I found the taste a bit odd.  It was good but I found I liked SoNourished Powdered sweetener best.  The powdered version can be used universally, I discovered.  When purchasing, you won’t need different versions, such as granular or brown sugar.  That is a big money saver since these natural sweeteners are pretty spendy, but oh so worth it. Not only does this type of sweetener not spike your insulin but it also doesn’t leave that weird aftertaste in your mouth like Stevia.

The only place to find it is on Amazon or directly on their website.  It has the same sugar swap teaspoon to teaspoon, and it is not sickly sweet.  This version of SoNourished is also Erythritol and Monk fruit blend and it is just right! Erythritol on its own is not sweet enough in a like for like sugar exchange.

I found my 10-inch skillet at Walmart and they had the best price and selection.

Dr. Fung’s book I also purchased on Amazon and does an excellent job of explaining how your body functions and responds to food and sugar. Very interesting read! Not boring yet is super at laying out all the facts and research and is not just another diet book or opinion. 

Until next week and I hope you enjoy your coffee and goodies.

Posted by Katie at February 26, 2019 10:13 am | No Comments »

Makeup To Fit Your Age

beautiful mature senior woman staying young with best makeup application

Should Your Makeup Change As You Age?

I deal with this question on a regular basis as some of you begin to notice the mineral makeup shades you currently wear are looking odd. If not odd, the mineral shades simply are not as attractive as they once were. Since starting up Sterling Minerals, I too am aging, and now instead of coloring my hair, I have allowed all the natural gray to grow out. This of course completely changed the way my complexion looked.

I fought long and hard to keep my blonde shade for more than a decade. Loved my blonde hair when I was younger until it went mousy brownish blonde after I had my kids. Allowing my natural hair color to grow out was because I was tired of the maintenance it took. Plus I wanted to stop putting harsh and dubious chemicals on my scalp. 

I did seek help from my stylist to transition to gray by getting a whole new final color. This took away the demarcation of the grow out and replaced it with purple tones feathered into my hair. It did take me over a year with many haircuts to get rid of my old color.

Hair Color Dictates Mineral Makeup Shades

When I was younger, my mineral makeup shade had a yellow undertone, such as with Jennifer and Amara foundation. Then as I continued to age, I began using a mix of shades in Fiorella and Adonia which improved my complexion since these lean cool. 

Dealing with skin pigment and other changes to your skin begins the sometimes challenging hunt for new makeup choices. These changes can occur as early as age 40 as you tend to lose pigment in your face and lips. Your skin loses collagen, it thins, making your skin appear more translucent with your tone looking quite neutral. Your natural hair color plays a role also. Growing it out from platinum to darker or colored to gray, will contribute to needing a makeup shade change.

Shade Changes May Be Necessary To Your Makeup

I used to wear blush in pinkish peach, warm pink or apricot. My eye color shades leaned warm in tone such as gold, brown, and beige that were perfect for my complexion. I could sport lip colors that were peach, brick and some reds.  Even my wardrobe was in the same tones with little to no pastels unless it was warm green, red or yellow shades.

A whole new color palette intrigued me after I walked into my salon for a haircut. My stylist introduced me to some amazing new ideas. She quite bluntly told me my shades weren’t working for me now that I have a strong shade of bluish gray mixed in with my blonde hair. “Go all cool makeup shades girlfriend!”

I sort of sensed it before she said anything. Her critique of my coloring only confirmed what I suspected when looking in the mirror. My foundation blend was good because I had already adjusted my makeup to how my pigment changed in my complexion.

You may also need to assess how your skin is changing and if you need some tweaks to your color choices. When it comes to your foundation, less is more. Using a lighter touch when applying your minerals won’t emphasize your fine lines. By all means, moisturize and moisturize some more!

If you have olive skin tone then this change to makeup will be minimal in your foundation. But your lip, blush and eye color will probably need a checkup.

Examples Of Choosing Your Best Shade As You Age

Now that I have embraced my gray hair and I absolutely love it, I am able to go to cooler shades that look much better on me today. In clothing, I have eggplant, teal, burgundy, pink, rose and gray shades. Now if I try to wear my old “go to” warm shades, they age me and wash me out. Funny how that works!

My lip, blush and eye colors are now in rose and mauve tones with some soft pink blends. What has stunned and amazed me the most is how I am able to wear silvers, because I never could or would even think of it. Loving the new look though!

You may experience the same thing after checking how your complexion is changing as you mature. Cooler shades will become more attractive unless you continue to color your hair with warm tones or you are a redhead.

If you are like me and love your gray hair, picking shades that lean cool will create youth and beauty reflecting your new complexion and hair.

My Best Advice As You Get Started

One small tidbit for wearing eye makeup, you’ll want to avoid harsh lines and dark shades. After all you don’t want to deliberately enhance your age.

Now, I make sure to go more natural and well blended in my eye makeup and blush, keeping it very muted. Since lip pigment fades as you and I age, this is where I recommend placing the most pop of color. Still soft for the most part, but if I want more, I go for it with a stronger cool color for intensity.

Experiment with your old colors and try out some new ones in the opposite color tones and see if you don’t love the new look. It may very well remove the same question I had, “why is my makeup not looking it’s best anymore?”

Until next week. Have a lovely day!

Posted by Katie at February 19, 2019 10:06 am | No Comments »

Create Perfect Youthful Lips

Matte lip color dries lips and shows lines causing an aged look to your appearance.

What Type Of Lips Do You Have?

Women come with a variety of lip shapes and I’m going to show you what can and will look best for any lip type, no matter the age or shape.

  1. Full Lips
  2. Thin Lips
  3. Thin Upper Lip
  4. Pouty Lips
  5. Aging Lips
  6. Chapped Lips
  7. Plump Lips

I’m dealing with my own lips showing their age and they continue to get thinner year after year. *sad face* It wasn’t as though I had these voluptuous lips when I was a young gal, but I was hoping I would hold onto what I did have. Because of what happens to the collagen in our lips as we age, I had to get tricky with how I used lip colors.

Depending on what type of lips you have, and your age, you may want to readjust what colors you use. Lip color formulas also can play a roll in creating the best look based on your specific lip shape.

By example, the lipstick used on the woman above is a dark shade that is matte. Some women use darker shades to make a very full lip appear smaller. A very youthful lip can carry this off without a problem. But if you have chapped lips, or your lips are beginning to show signs of aging or are thin, this is not a good choice. Steer clear of matte formulas!

As you can see, every line and crack on her lip is highly visible and will age her appearance. Imagine if you also had any type of chapping to your lips, this would be further emphasized. It can also be a fight to put this type of lip color on without having it smudge, fleck or go crooked. After all, you don’t want to have color that goes outside your natural lip line.

Matte Shades Are Not Timeless

You may think matte shades are en vogue or they won’t feather on aging lips, but ahhh, they will indeed without a lip pencil. A lip liner can aid with accuracy.

You may also think using a lighter matte shade will work better for hiding lines or giving a more youthful look. Not really, since your lips will still possess that chalky look, showing every single line. As a rule, the lighter the shade in matte, the chalkier the finish. It sort of made me look like death warmed over when I tried it.

Another problem with matte lip shades, is the drying effect. The color may stay on well, but you won’t get the moisture your lips so desperately need.

After trying matte lip color, I determined it was not a good look for me and left me looking very weird. I looked in the mirror and saw my own version of Bette Davis from the movie “Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?”

Create youthful lips using a lip gloss with nice shine.  Perfect for mature women.

Get A Beautiful Lip Look No Matter Your Age

You can see in this image the lines in this woman’s lip. Observe how the lines disappear when the color has a nice polished sheen to it with some mica. Don’t care for mica in your lip color? Good news… you don’t have to have a lip gloss with mica. My new lip color line has shades without mica… Ta Da.

Lip glosses can have amazing shine through the use of certain oils, such as castor. This will offer you a nice polished lip while masking chapped areas or lip lines. The light refracts beautifully, giving lips a more youthful appearance.

Depending again on your type of lip or the formula of the lip gloss, you may or may not require a lip pencil. Using a lip gloss doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll have gloss feathering all over your lips. Some are thin and runnier than others or even goopy.

I have made sure my new lip glosses are thick with creamy moisture, nice adherence and color saturation, and with improved staying power.

Tips For Creating Beautiful Lips

Full Lips or Plump Lips: Dark shades with shine are still the formula and color of choice if you are wanting to shrink them a bit visually. If you love the fullness of your mouth, then celebrate a look with any color you enjoy. The shine whether with oils or mica will give a fantastic luscious lip.

Thin Lips or Thin Upper Lip: Lighter shades with lots of shine work best for creating a fuller lip… with or without mica. Always lip line, taking it right to the top of your lip edge without overdrawing past your outer lip line. Otherwise, this just looks odd! But hey, if you absolutely love darker shades, then go for it, but I still recommend steering clear of anything matte.

Aging Lips or Chapped Lips: Lovely shiny lips with a soft muted shade or a nude lip are perfect for making any aged lip appear younger and masks chapping really well. The benefit of a well formulated lip gloss is the added moisture and slip it provides. Plus, shine imbues youth and elegance to finish off your makeup.

What I Choose For My Go To Lip Color

My preference is to use shine on my aging thin lips. It helps keep them moisturized, hides dryness, especially in winter time while appearing fuller. I also prefer a softer pigment or nude lip with pencil line to keep things neat and tidy and prevent feathering into my upper lip line. However, I haven’t gone completely nude. If I want fun and festive, I go with a deep red wine or berry tone when wanting that dramatic effect. Never mind my thin lips anyway.

Using a shade with or without mica is dependent on how natural I want to look. Sometimes I skip makeup altogether and just do a dab of lip gloss and a bit of mascara. Hey, it works and I’m lazy!

I am loving the new lip color palette I will have and I can’t wait to show them to you. Almost there, and I’ll keep you posted. Have a great hair and makeup day!

Posted by Katie at February 12, 2019 12:00 pm | No Comments »