Wednesday, January 9, 2013

5 Ways To Use a Kaolin Clay Facial Mask

My favorite ingredient for refining skin imperfections is Kaolin Clay.  Not only is it a natural product that helps purge breakouts, it soothes inflammation, redness and tones all skin types.  It can be drying so always apply your moisturizer on after removal of a Kaolin based mask.

Try it as a spot treatment over a pimple to accelerate the healing process.

via beauty.com




Use a Kaolin mask to:
  • tone skin
  • tightening large pores
  • even out skin tone
  • purge impurities
  • accelerate healing of pimples/acne

Friday, January 4, 2013

Covergirl Flipstick Look Ideas and Review

Covergirl makeup introduced blast flipstick, a dual sided lipstick, with one side creamy bold color on the other side a shimmery shade.  Their expert makeup artist, Pat McGrath, created these duos to be blend-able allowing users to make their own custom shades just as makeup artists do.

Pictured on my lips is my favorite, stunner. 



A common woe is the inability to mix darker and lighter hues without getting a muddled look or the dark completely overpowering the creation.  These formulas all combine together to create vibrant shades.  The ability to blend shades is how we as makeup artists are able to create unique looks.

I received several shades for review.  Not all of the colors were for me but I am stashing them in my makeup bag and have already used them backstage for a dance show.  The color I kept for myself and am LOVING is "stunner".  The two tones are bright pink and gold shimmer.  Perfection.  Gold on its on makes me so washed out.  I apply a thin layer of the pink and then swipe a few stokes of the gold over the top for my current go to day time shade.

A fantastic shade of poppy can also be blended using a couple layers of the bright pink over the gold from the stunner flipstick and blending well.  Poppy is a choice lip shade this spring.  Its got the bold factor of red, the sweetness of pink and the touch of orange that give it a look of its own.

The blast flipstick is another win for Covergirl.  In addition to all the custom looks you can create, the wear alone shades are gorgeous and the formula is more moisturizing then some lip balms on the market.  In fact the moisture factor is why I have made stunner my go to shade.  Naturally I had to love the shade too but the deciding factor on a lipstick is always how drying and long lasting is.  The color stays put without staining my lips or shriveling them up into a chapped mess.  I do my DIY lip exfoliating treatment at least once a week in the winter, no lip color looks good and dry lips.

Covergirl released flipstick smack dab in the middle of the Ombre craze.  See Sofia Vergara looking stunning with a poppy to copper pout done ombre style in the Covergirl ads. 



As ombre starts to fizzle you can try this fun variation using flipstick:
Line your lips with the edge of the lipstick using the darker tone.  Fill your lips in with the lighter shade of your dual tone and blend in without completely disrupting the lined edge so that you can see the contrast.  The look is fun, bold and high fashion.

I swatched the three flipsticks I received in both tones plus a swatch of the two tones mixed.


 I am a bzzagent and received these products free for unconditional review for their campaign.