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Category: Makeup
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How To Brush Your Hair?
It kind of goes without saying that you shouldn’t treat your hair the same when it’s wet and when it’s dry. The texture and elasticity of your hair varies depending on the amount of water it contains, so brushing it incorrectly causes severe damage – and who wants that? The brand spanking new Laight & Mercer changes the way we brush our hair by offering twobrush options – a Hairbrush for Wet Hair and a Hairbrush for Dry Hair. Pure genius!
The Hairbrush for Wet Hair features these special Intelliflex (or extremely flexible) bristles specifically formulated to untangle all hair types without causing damage. The bristles are flexible enough to glide through wet hair (water causes the hair shaft to swell, making it more susceptible to damage) without snapping the hair cuticle and causing split ends. Hell yes.
The Hairbrush for Dry Hair features Mongolian Boar and nylon bristles (which I already know is the perfect brush bristle combo) for dry hair that’s in-between cleansing. This brush leaves your hair silky smooth and, more importantly, healthy.
Looks like we really need them both.
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5 Best Hair Masks From Around The World
I am VERY selective when choosing hair masks and treatments after a very traumatic keratin hair mask experience a few years ago. I honestly won’t even lookat a hair mask if it contains protein or keratin, or anything questionable or too harsh or that matter, for fear of damaging my fine locks. I’ll go crazy on face masks and treatments, leaving them on my face well over the directed time, but my hair can’t deal with that same aggressiveness. Do you feel me on this?
I recently went cold turkey off hair masks to prevent another disaster. But as time passed, my ends became dry and needed some extra love (because if you haven’t heard, winter is never ending in New York). So, I slowly and carefully started trying hair masks again. My rule of thumb is that I look for masks that are vegetable based and don’t contain any keratin or animal proteins. I don’t want anything heavy or over-chemicalized that will leave my hair feeling lifeless and greasy. I need a mask that delivers beautifying results and comes packed with moisture without weighing me down.
After doing a little research, I found a few masks that are AMAZING and non-damaging. These are my new favorite go-tos that I rotate through on a weekly basis. I trust these babies to (SAFELY!) get the job done right:
Philip Kingsley Elasticizer (England): Philip Kingsley has over 55 years of Trichological experience, which is the scientific study of the hair and scalp. He’s like a doctor, but for your hair. His range of products target specific problem areas to promote healthy and nourished locks. I visited his New York City based office a few years ago and was introduced to this super-conditioning pre-shampoo treatment that intensely moisturizes the hair’s cuticles to boost elasticity and add bounce to the hair. Leave it on for 20 minutes pre-shampoo and you’ll notice increased suppleness and shine after just one use. I love it!
Christophe Robin Cleansing Mask with Lemon (France): Christophe Robin calls his Cleansing Mask the “Rolls-Royce” of shampoos for colored hair. The non-detergent formula fixes color and restores a natural gloss and bounce to dyed hair. Lemon Zest extracts clean hair and scalp and help rebalance pH levels, while soothing Chamomile and St. John’s wort extracts prevent loss of artificial pigment.
Davines Minu Hair Mask (Italy): This illuminating and regenerating mask is another that is ideal for colored hair. Its formula is designed to deeply nourish the hair, making it soft and silky. It even improves the duration of color – without weighing it down. The mask relies on plant-based active ingredients like capers from Salina, Italy. Yum yum.
Cocovit Coconut Oil (India): By now we all know about the magic of coconut oiland its multiple uses, so it comes as no surprise that it’s amazing for the hair too. I’ll apply a tablespoon of oil to my hair’s cuticles and through to the ends once a week before shampooing. It gives you that shine and moisture that the freezing temps and dry air take away. It seriously helps condition hair from the inside-out providing strength, moisture and shine.
Bumble and bumble Mending Masque (USA): I am a HUGE Bumble fan…It’s my go-to salon in New York, so I basically use all of their products, and I really just trust the brand. This masque is geared towards those with colored and damaged hair – aka me. For the ultimate repair, use it weekly to restore strength and elasticity.
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How To Not Look Tired
I actually can’t remember when it started, but literally every single morning I wake up saying the exact same thing: “I’m so exhausted.” And I literally am. On average, I would say I get about 7ish hours of sleep a night, maybe, if I’m lucky, but the thing is, there’s a distinct difference between feeling tired, and visibly looking tired. You know the look. Puffy eyes, puffy face, dark circles, larger than life pores, dry skin and facial imperfections that even makeup can’t seem to cover up.
Yesterday was one of those days. I looked in the mirror and thought, “Do I really look like this? What did I do to deserve this? What can I do to save myself?” It’s days like these show how salt, alcohol or sleep deprivation can get the best of us, and it’s literally painful to look in the mirror. But feeling sorry for myself is not an option. I have written about the best way to detox the body, but how do we un-puff the eyes and face and make ourselves look less tired? I’ve compiled my tried and true tips (that I swear by!) for how NOT to look tired – even when you are. Perfect, right? Just in time for fashion week.
1. An Oxygen treatment. I get mine at Dangene’s Institute of Skinovation.
2. Water! Even mild dehydration can drain your energy and make you look tired. Water is the key to life. On a normal day you should drink at least eight 8 oz. glasses, so when you look tired, pump that up! For those that have a water aversion like me, add lemon or emergen-c.
3. Apply a facemask! Make sure you use something nourishing or hydrating, because you want plump up that tired skin. My latest skincare love is Belif Facial Scrub, a nourishing exfoliant made with tons of botanical and plant extracts. I recently traveled with this mask and applied right after my flights, and magically looked completely rested and pore-free! This product is a must-buy, tired or not. I’m also live by SK-II Facial Treatment Mask. No one does it better than them. It’s one of those cloth sheets that is just saturated with serum.
4. Apply an eye mask. Sure, sure you just applied your face mask, but that delicate area around the eyes is one of the telltale signs of fatigue. I LOVE Klorane and Chantecaille eye masks because they’re super easy to apply and perfect for travel. If they say ‘leave on for twenty minutes’, apply for one hour. I also love Talika’s Cellular Eye Contour Patch. This brand is new for me, and what I love that the patches are inspired by aesthetic surgery techniques.
5. Get moving. Take a brisk walk or go work out! I know, sometimes exercise seems like a daunting idea, but getting up and moving gives you a rosy and healthy glow.
6. Always keep spoons in the freezer to combat days like this. Frozen spoons on the eyes will work wonders in the de-puff department. Take out of the freezer and leave on your eyes for as long as you can.
7. Splurge on citrus. They’re packed with vitamin C, and can increase energy and alertness. Add lemon to your water or down a ½ grapefruit. Add honey to make it a bit sweeter.
8. Try an eye massage. Clinique De-Puffing Eye Massage is great for on-the-go. Its like a roll-on perfume, but for your eyes. The cold metal ball instantly cools while dispensing brightening serum. I’m also quite addicted to Foreo’s Illuminating Eye Massage. Um, so sick.
9. Eyedrops! I’m addicted to Rohto Cooling Eye Drops. I keep a few around my apartment and in my makeup bag just in case. My LA bestie Taylor got me involved in these. Apparently, everyone in Hollywood uses these babies.
10. Concealer the eyes. Apply under the eyes and around the nose area and down the smile lines. A color that is slightly lighter than your skintone will brighten your complexion immediately. I’m LOVING RMS Beauty “Un” Cover Up in shade II, which is a touch lighter than my natural color.
11. Luminize. Radiant or luminizing products deflect light and make imperfections less visible. A brighter face makes you instantly look awake. My latest love is a product I just talked about, Koh Gen Do’s Aqua Illuminator. It’s the B.O.M.B. You can either mix in a large dollop in with your moisturizer OR apply directly around your eyes, cupid’s bow, forehead and, of course, the brim of the nose. Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream is another excellent dual-functioning product that can be used as a highlighter to brighten and nourish your skin.
12. Invest in a brightening pen. Sometimes if you’re lazy or just lounging around the house (but you still want to look your best), apply a brightening pen like BY TERRY Touche Veloutée Highlighting Concealer or classic YSL Touche Éclat in Luminous Radiance. These are beauty bag essentials. There also Benefit Eye Bright. This pink-toned, creamy stick has been one of my go-to brightening products for years. I simply apply it under my eyes and on the inside corners to wake up.
13. Sunglasses always do the trick.
So there you go! Let me know if I missed anything or if you have any tips to share with me.
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How to Walk Off a Flight Fresh and Dewy
There have been countless articles written on the subject of travel beauty, but nothing compelling enough for me – well not yet. As someone who truly travels on six and seven hour flights quite often, I can honestly say that I have my en flight kit down to a t. Part of the secret, and as Into the Gloss recently concurred, is the prep that you do before the flight. This is how it goes (for me).
AT HOME (PRE-FLIGHT)
Take a real shower. Not that half-a** kind where you only wash what’s necessary. No I’m talking the real deal. Do a full body scrub using Earth Tu Face Salt Scrub on semi-dry skin. Wash your hair with something awesome, like Christophe Robin’s Purifying Scrub with Sea Salt followed by Robin’s Volumizing Conditioner. Shave your legs. You are going to feel great, trust me. Then slap on something really nourishing like May Lindstrom’s The Good Stuff. It’s totally organic and all natural and smells like cocoa. It’s my latest body addiction. I will also blow dry my hair, so that I feel prettier.
BUT FIRST…WIPES!
The first thing that I do once I get settled in my seat is to whip out my wipes and wipe down the arm rests, the cushion area behind my head and neck and any other place that I am likely to touch. Then using another clean wipe, cleanse your face, neck and hands. Simple Skincare and Josie Maran both make great and inexpensive wipes. I like to make sure the wipes are clean and not filled with chemicals, because I really like to use them liberally.
SKIN
On a clean face, spray something. I like SK-II’s Mid-Day Essence Spray. You get all the Japanese pitera benefits but in the easy-to-use spray form. For those of you with no shame like me, use SK-II’s Facial Treatment Mask and just leave it on until all of the moisture has absorbed onto your skin. When you take it off, you can just pat the product into your face, and any excess (especially around the neck) can be whipped off with your handy wipes. There really isn’t anything else better. Otherwise, pop on a clear and more discrete mask like Laurel Organics Honey Berry Enzyme Mask for 10-20 minutes. Wipe it off using one of your handy wipes. I also keep travel size skincare serums and moisturizes and I am always switching them up. I’ll use Tata’s Serum and then I’ll slap a pea-sized amount of One Love Organics Wonder Balm One. Love Organics makes a great eye cream, and it’s super nourishing and compact – making it ideal for travel. I really love that one.
HAIR
I like the Tangle Tease brush because its super small, and it doesn’t rip out my hair. So give your hair a good brush, why not. Just don’t freak out your neighbor. ?
HANDS
I am addddicted to Weleda’s Skin Food Hautcreme for my hands. It’s goopy and thick, so your only need a little bit. But it moisturizes like nothing else. I randomly saw it at the grocery store here in Zurich, and now I can’t stop using it. I even keep one in my car.
SPIRIT
Bring on some essential oils. I feel essential oils are this world of their own. It’s kind of like their own club. Once you get into them, you become addicted (kinda like crystals) and you can’t leave home or anywhere without them. The cool thing is that there is an oil for every situation. On the plane, I will roll Tata Harper’s Aromatic Stress Treatment on my neck, pulse points and on the palms of my hands and breath in deeply 3 to 5 times. This really helps relax my mind. More on essentials oils coming soon.
MAKEUP
Let’s face it, everyone likes to arrive feeling concealed. I will apply a bit of RMS Beauty’s “Un” Concealer, Living or Magic Luminizer and Magic Mixer and Tata Harper’s clear Be True Balm to my lips and lids (I trick I learned backstage at NYFW). On my brows, Glossier’s Boy Brow
COMPRESSION SOCKS
Yes, this is a real thing. This is if you don’t want your legs to swell up like a balloon. And it works. I buy mine here.
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Become a Successful Beauty Blogger
Some are paid to sit on the front row of shows wearing free designer clothes in return for tweets; others command an audience of millions of viewers – or get the opportunity to work with the biggest brands and names in the world. These days, when it comes to making it big in business it seems to be the new generation of bloggers who have all the power.
The problem however, is that discovering how to successfully build and project yourself to this level of influence and prowess is no mean feat. A lack of funding, long, unsocial hours and a need to constantly be on the cultural pulse are just a few of the tricky obstacles that can stand between you making it big and having a truly rough ride.
So, where do you start? To help give us some insight we sat down with fashion stylist and beauty blogger of four years, Gemma Carey, to get her top tips on how best to break into the barmy world of blogging.
FIND YOUR NICHE
“The first step to creating a beauty blog is coming up with an idea that is unique to you,” says Gemma. “With so many beauty blogs on the market now, it’s difficult to find something that hasn’t been done. Think about what you like most about yourself in terms of beauty (but not in a vain way!). Perhaps you have long hair that is easy to work with, so you could specialise in hair tutorials. Or maybe you have nice nails, so you could focus on posting nail tutorials. Or, if your passion lies with cosmetics, that’s okay too, but try and make it different somehow.
“You also have to think about your backdrop/location/layout in your photography. Look at other blogs and find something that you could do differently. It’s all about making your blog unique to you.”
MORE GLOSS: An Email Exchange With…British Beauty Blogger
CHOOSE YOUR AUDIENCE
“Next, you need to think about who you want your blog to be aimed at, which will in turn help determine the content of your blog. For example, if you want to inspire teenagers you’re looking to write about affordable brands such as Rimmel and Natural Collection. However, if you’re aiming at women aged 25+, you need to look more at skincare and anti-ageing products from brands such as Rodial and Dermalogica.
“You also need to be constantly aware of considering your audience when choosing your style of writing, layout and the general vibe of your blog. If teenagers read your blog, keep your writing chatty, your layout girly and pink! For an older audience, keep it clean and simple.”
UNDERSTAND THAT IT TAKES TIME AND COMMITMENT
“Blogging looks easy and glamorous. Well I tell you it’s not easy and mostly not glamorous either! Becoming an appreciated blogger with lots of followers takes commitment and certainly doesn’t happen overnight. Compiling and writing quality posts can also take hours sometimes. So, make sure you have some time available on evenings or weekends between studying or a full-time job. You won’t be able to quit your job and become a full-time blogger straight away, so spend the spare time you have working on your blog until you reach your desired goal.
“There will also be times when you feel demotivated and don’t know what to write about. This happens to bloggers. What I do is read other blogs and search for inspiration on Instagram – it soon motivates me to start writing again!”
MORE GLOSS: How to be become a successful fitness blogger
INVEST
“There isn’t much investing you need to do to become a blogger, but it’s always a great idea to own a good camera. Don’t worry if you can’t afford one though, you could always consider collaborating with a photographer. Often, student photographers are happy to work together in exchange for a credit on your blog (e.g. Photography by xxx). This is a good way to have good quality photos without you having to fork out lots of money. The only disadvantage to this is that you have to work around each other’s schedules, which means you can’t always work when you want to.
“If you are working on the photography yourself, ensure you have plenty of space with good light. There’s nothing more unprofessional than awful photos on a blog when you’re trying to sell a product!”
MORE GLOSS: How to become a successful beauty vlogger
QUALITY, NOT QUANTITY
“It’s really important to remember that quality is so much more important than quantity. Posting a really insightful article with beautiful images once a fortnight is much better than posting a quick, half-hearted review every day.”
THE TECHNICAL SIDE
“Choose a blogger platform to work from – Blogger.com or WordPress.com are the most popular and are both super easy to use. Also for a blogger to be taken more seriously, it’s important to have your own personalised domain. For example, www.beauty.com – not www.beauty.blogspot.com. It isn’t expensive – mine only cost me £7 for the year from Godaddy.com.
“Another way for bloggers to make money is advertising. There are various ways to sell advertising space – you can simply put tweets out and sell them directly yourself, or you can use platforms such as Passion Fruit Apps, sign up to Google AdSense or join a blogging network called EtailPR. These not only allow you to display ads on your blog, but they also work alongside many brands who you can request samples from for you to keep and write about.”
BRAND COLLABORATING
“There are a few different ways to collaborate with brands. They can send you products to review, you can write a sponsored post where they will pay you to write about them, brand ambassadorship or via an affiliate programme. The most popular is gifting bloggers, which of course is a great perk to the job! But don’t be disheartened if some brands reject you – you have to remember that they get inundated with blogger requests and have to be quite picky on who they work with.
“Brand ambassadorship can bring you a monthly wage but only really works for bloggers who have thousands of followers. An affiliate programme is a good way to earn some money at any stage of your blogging – this is when you feature a product and if someone purchases it from clicking on your blog, you receive a percentage for what is sold.”
NETWORKING
“Networking is so important and is the main way to gain followers and readers. Make sure you have at least two social media sites – Twitter and Instagram being the most important. Comment on and favourite other bloggers’ tweets – have conversations and discuss your favourite products. By doing this you’re building relationships with fellow bloggers and gaining followers. You can also join blogging networks such as Bloglovin’ and EtailPR. Attending blogger events is also a great way to network.
“Soon enough you’ll be invited to them, but at first I’d suggest getting in touch with PRs, introducing yourself and asking them to let you know when they have an event on. At the events you can mingle with fellow bloggers and build relationships with PRs – those are the people that are going to help you build your brand. Also, try and comment on other blogs with a link to yours – they will most likely comment back and leaving a link to your blog increases your brand exposure.”
To read more from Gemma, head to her blog, find her on Instagram or follow her Twitter feed.
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How To Brush Your Hair?
It kind of goes without saying that you shouldn’t treat your hair the same when it’s wet and when it’s dry. The texture and elasticity of your hair varies depending on the amount of water it contains, so brushing it incorrectly causes severe damage – and who wants that? The brand spanking new Laight & Mercer changes the way we brush our hair by offering twobrush options – a Hairbrush for Wet Hair and a Hairbrush for Dry Hair. Pure genius!
The Hairbrush for Wet Hair features these special Intelliflex (or extremely flexible) bristles specifically formulated to untangle all hair types without causing damage. The bristles are flexible enough to glide through wet hair (water causes the hair shaft to swell, making it more susceptible to damage) without snapping the hair cuticle and causing split ends. Hell yes.
The Hairbrush for Dry Hair features Mongolian Boar and nylon bristles (which I already know is the perfect brush bristle combo) for dry hair that’s in-between cleansing. This brush leaves your hair silky smooth and, more importantly, healthy.
Looks like we really need them both.
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5 Best Hair Masks From Around The World
I am VERY selective when choosing hair masks and treatments after a very traumatic keratin hair mask experience a few years ago. I honestly won’t even lookat a hair mask if it contains protein or keratin, or anything questionable or too harsh or that matter, for fear of damaging my fine locks. I’ll go crazy on face masks and treatments, leaving them on my face well over the directed time, but my hair can’t deal with that same aggressiveness. Do you feel me on this?
I recently went cold turkey off hair masks to prevent another disaster. But as time passed, my ends became dry and needed some extra love (because if you haven’t heard, winter is never ending in New York). So, I slowly and carefully started trying hair masks again. My rule of thumb is that I look for masks that are vegetable based and don’t contain any keratin or animal proteins. I don’t want anything heavy or over-chemicalized that will leave my hair feeling lifeless and greasy. I need a mask that delivers beautifying results and comes packed with moisture without weighing me down.
After doing a little research, I found a few masks that are AMAZING and non-damaging. These are my new favorite go-tos that I rotate through on a weekly basis. I trust these babies to (SAFELY!) get the job done right:
Philip Kingsley Elasticizer (England): Philip Kingsley has over 55 years of Trichological experience, which is the scientific study of the hair and scalp. He’s like a doctor, but for your hair. His range of products target specific problem areas to promote healthy and nourished locks. I visited his New York City based office a few years ago and was introduced to this super-conditioning pre-shampoo treatment that intensely moisturizes the hair’s cuticles to boost elasticity and add bounce to the hair. Leave it on for 20 minutes pre-shampoo and you’ll notice increased suppleness and shine after just one use. I love it!
Christophe Robin Cleansing Mask with Lemon (France): Christophe Robin calls his Cleansing Mask the “Rolls-Royce” of shampoos for colored hair. The non-detergent formula fixes color and restores a natural gloss and bounce to dyed hair. Lemon Zest extracts clean hair and scalp and help rebalance pH levels, while soothing Chamomile and St. John’s wort extracts prevent loss of artificial pigment.
Davines Minu Hair Mask (Italy): This illuminating and regenerating mask is another that is ideal for colored hair. Its formula is designed to deeply nourish the hair, making it soft and silky. It even improves the duration of color – without weighing it down. The mask relies on plant-based active ingredients like capers from Salina, Italy. Yum yum.
Cocovit Coconut Oil (India): By now we all know about the magic of coconut oiland its multiple uses, so it comes as no surprise that it’s amazing for the hair too. I’ll apply a tablespoon of oil to my hair’s cuticles and through to the ends once a week before shampooing. It gives you that shine and moisture that the freezing temps and dry air take away. It seriously helps condition hair from the inside-out providing strength, moisture and shine.
Bumble and bumble Mending Masque (USA): I am a HUGE Bumble fan…It’s my go-to salon in New York, so I basically use all of their products, and I really just trust the brand. This masque is geared towards those with colored and damaged hair – aka me. For the ultimate repair, use it weekly to restore strength and elasticity.
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How To Not Look Tired
I actually can’t remember when it started, but literally every single morning I wake up saying the exact same thing: “I’m so exhausted.” And I literally am. On average, I would say I get about 7ish hours of sleep a night, maybe, if I’m lucky, but the thing is, there’s a distinct difference between feeling tired, and visibly looking tired. You know the look. Puffy eyes, puffy face, dark circles, larger than life pores, dry skin and facial imperfections that even makeup can’t seem to cover up.
Yesterday was one of those days. I looked in the mirror and thought, “Do I really look like this? What did I do to deserve this? What can I do to save myself?” It’s days like these show how salt, alcohol or sleep deprivation can get the best of us, and it’s literally painful to look in the mirror. But feeling sorry for myself is not an option. I have written about the best way to detox the body, but how do we un-puff the eyes and face and make ourselves look less tired? I’ve compiled my tried and true tips (that I swear by!) for how NOT to look tired – even when you are. Perfect, right? Just in time for fashion week.
1. An Oxygen treatment. I get mine at Dangene’s Institute of Skinovation.
2. Water! Even mild dehydration can drain your energy and make you look tired. Water is the key to life. On a normal day you should drink at least eight 8 oz. glasses, so when you look tired, pump that up! For those that have a water aversion like me, add lemon or emergen-c.
3. Apply a facemask! Make sure you use something nourishing or hydrating, because you want plump up that tired skin. My latest skincare love is Belif Facial Scrub, a nourishing exfoliant made with tons of botanical and plant extracts. I recently traveled with this mask and applied right after my flights, and magically looked completely rested and pore-free! This product is a must-buy, tired or not. I’m also live by SK-II Facial Treatment Mask. No one does it better than them. It’s one of those cloth sheets that is just saturated with serum.
4. Apply an eye mask. Sure, sure you just applied your face mask, but that delicate area around the eyes is one of the telltale signs of fatigue. I LOVE Klorane and Chantecaille eye masks because they’re super easy to apply and perfect for travel. If they say ‘leave on for twenty minutes’, apply for one hour. I also love Talika’s Cellular Eye Contour Patch. This brand is new for me, and what I love that the patches are inspired by aesthetic surgery techniques.
5. Get moving. Take a brisk walk or go work out! I know, sometimes exercise seems like a daunting idea, but getting up and moving gives you a rosy and healthy glow.
6. Always keep spoons in the freezer to combat days like this. Frozen spoons on the eyes will work wonders in the de-puff department. Take out of the freezer and leave on your eyes for as long as you can.
7. Splurge on citrus. They’re packed with vitamin C, and can increase energy and alertness. Add lemon to your water or down a ½ grapefruit. Add honey to make it a bit sweeter.
8. Try an eye massage. Clinique De-Puffing Eye Massage is great for on-the-go. Its like a roll-on perfume, but for your eyes. The cold metal ball instantly cools while dispensing brightening serum. I’m also quite addicted to Foreo’s Illuminating Eye Massage. Um, so sick.
9. Eyedrops! I’m addicted to Rohto Cooling Eye Drops. I keep a few around my apartment and in my makeup bag just in case. My LA bestie Taylor got me involved in these. Apparently, everyone in Hollywood uses these babies.
10. Concealer the eyes. Apply under the eyes and around the nose area and down the smile lines. A color that is slightly lighter than your skintone will brighten your complexion immediately. I’m LOVING RMS Beauty “Un” Cover Up in shade II, which is a touch lighter than my natural color.
11. Luminize. Radiant or luminizing products deflect light and make imperfections less visible. A brighter face makes you instantly look awake. My latest love is a product I just talked about, Koh Gen Do’s Aqua Illuminator. It’s the B.O.M.B. You can either mix in a large dollop in with your moisturizer OR apply directly around your eyes, cupid’s bow, forehead and, of course, the brim of the nose. Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream is another excellent dual-functioning product that can be used as a highlighter to brighten and nourish your skin.
12. Invest in a brightening pen. Sometimes if you’re lazy or just lounging around the house (but you still want to look your best), apply a brightening pen like BY TERRY Touche Veloutée Highlighting Concealer or classic YSL Touche Éclat in Luminous Radiance. These are beauty bag essentials. There also Benefit Eye Bright. This pink-toned, creamy stick has been one of my go-to brightening products for years. I simply apply it under my eyes and on the inside corners to wake up.
13. Sunglasses always do the trick.
So there you go! Let me know if I missed anything or if you have any tips to share with me.
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How to Walk Off a Flight Fresh and Dewy
There have been countless articles written on the subject of travel beauty, but nothing compelling enough for me – well not yet. As someone who truly travels on six and seven hour flights quite often, I can honestly say that I have my en flight kit down to a t. Part of the secret, and as Into the Gloss recently concurred, is the prep that you do before the flight. This is how it goes (for me).
AT HOME (PRE-FLIGHT)
Take a real shower. Not that half-a** kind where you only wash what’s necessary. No I’m talking the real deal. Do a full body scrub using Earth Tu Face Salt Scrub on semi-dry skin. Wash your hair with something awesome, like Christophe Robin’s Purifying Scrub with Sea Salt followed by Robin’s Volumizing Conditioner. Shave your legs. You are going to feel great, trust me. Then slap on something really nourishing like May Lindstrom’s The Good Stuff. It’s totally organic and all natural and smells like cocoa. It’s my latest body addiction. I will also blow dry my hair, so that I feel prettier.
BUT FIRST…WIPES!
The first thing that I do once I get settled in my seat is to whip out my wipes and wipe down the arm rests, the cushion area behind my head and neck and any other place that I am likely to touch. Then using another clean wipe, cleanse your face, neck and hands. Simple Skincare and Josie Maran both make great and inexpensive wipes. I like to make sure the wipes are clean and not filled with chemicals, because I really like to use them liberally.
SKIN
On a clean face, spray something. I like SK-II’s Mid-Day Essence Spray. You get all the Japanese pitera benefits but in the easy-to-use spray form. For those of you with no shame like me, use SK-II’s Facial Treatment Mask and just leave it on until all of the moisture has absorbed onto your skin. When you take it off, you can just pat the product into your face, and any excess (especially around the neck) can be whipped off with your handy wipes. There really isn’t anything else better. Otherwise, pop on a clear and more discrete mask like Laurel Organics Honey Berry Enzyme Mask for 10-20 minutes. Wipe it off using one of your handy wipes. I also keep travel size skincare serums and moisturizes and I am always switching them up. I’ll use Tata’s Serum and then I’ll slap a pea-sized amount of One Love Organics Wonder Balm One. Love Organics makes a great eye cream, and it’s super nourishing and compact – making it ideal for travel. I really love that one.
HAIR
I like the Tangle Tease brush because its super small, and it doesn’t rip out my hair. So give your hair a good brush, why not. Just don’t freak out your neighbor. ?
HANDS
I am addddicted to Weleda’s Skin Food Hautcreme for my hands. It’s goopy and thick, so your only need a little bit. But it moisturizes like nothing else. I randomly saw it at the grocery store here in Zurich, and now I can’t stop using it. I even keep one in my car.
SPIRIT
Bring on some essential oils. I feel essential oils are this world of their own. It’s kind of like their own club. Once you get into them, you become addicted (kinda like crystals) and you can’t leave home or anywhere without them. The cool thing is that there is an oil for every situation. On the plane, I will roll Tata Harper’s Aromatic Stress Treatment on my neck, pulse points and on the palms of my hands and breath in deeply 3 to 5 times. This really helps relax my mind. More on essentials oils coming soon.
MAKEUP
Let’s face it, everyone likes to arrive feeling concealed. I will apply a bit of RMS Beauty’s “Un” Concealer, Living or Magic Luminizer and Magic Mixer and Tata Harper’s clear Be True Balm to my lips and lids (I trick I learned backstage at NYFW). On my brows, Glossier’s Boy Brow
COMPRESSION SOCKS
Yes, this is a real thing. This is if you don’t want your legs to swell up like a balloon. And it works. I buy mine here.
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Become a Successful Beauty Blogger
Some are paid to sit on the front row of shows wearing free designer clothes in return for tweets; others command an audience of millions of viewers – or get the opportunity to work with the biggest brands and names in the world. These days, when it comes to making it big in business it seems to be the new generation of bloggers who have all the power.
The problem however, is that discovering how to successfully build and project yourself to this level of influence and prowess is no mean feat. A lack of funding, long, unsocial hours and a need to constantly be on the cultural pulse are just a few of the tricky obstacles that can stand between you making it big and having a truly rough ride.
So, where do you start? To help give us some insight we sat down with fashion stylist and beauty blogger of four years, Gemma Carey, to get her top tips on how best to break into the barmy world of blogging.
FIND YOUR NICHE
“The first step to creating a beauty blog is coming up with an idea that is unique to you,” says Gemma. “With so many beauty blogs on the market now, it’s difficult to find something that hasn’t been done. Think about what you like most about yourself in terms of beauty (but not in a vain way!). Perhaps you have long hair that is easy to work with, so you could specialise in hair tutorials. Or maybe you have nice nails, so you could focus on posting nail tutorials. Or, if your passion lies with cosmetics, that’s okay too, but try and make it different somehow.
“You also have to think about your backdrop/location/layout in your photography. Look at other blogs and find something that you could do differently. It’s all about making your blog unique to you.”
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CHOOSE YOUR AUDIENCE
“Next, you need to think about who you want your blog to be aimed at, which will in turn help determine the content of your blog. For example, if you want to inspire teenagers you’re looking to write about affordable brands such as Rimmel and Natural Collection. However, if you’re aiming at women aged 25+, you need to look more at skincare and anti-ageing products from brands such as Rodial and Dermalogica.
“You also need to be constantly aware of considering your audience when choosing your style of writing, layout and the general vibe of your blog. If teenagers read your blog, keep your writing chatty, your layout girly and pink! For an older audience, keep it clean and simple.”
Salon WordPress Theme – Blogger UNDERSTAND THAT IT TAKES TIME AND COMMITMENT
“Blogging looks easy and glamorous. Well I tell you it’s not easy and mostly not glamorous either! Becoming an appreciated blogger with lots of followers takes commitment and certainly doesn’t happen overnight. Compiling and writing quality posts can also take hours sometimes. So, make sure you have some time available on evenings or weekends between studying or a full-time job. You won’t be able to quit your job and become a full-time blogger straight away, so spend the spare time you have working on your blog until you reach your desired goal.
“There will also be times when you feel demotivated and don’t know what to write about. This happens to bloggers. What I do is read other blogs and search for inspiration on Instagram – it soon motivates me to start writing again!”
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INVEST
“There isn’t much investing you need to do to become a blogger, but it’s always a great idea to own a good camera. Don’t worry if you can’t afford one though, you could always consider collaborating with a photographer. Often, student photographers are happy to work together in exchange for a credit on your blog (e.g. Photography by xxx). This is a good way to have good quality photos without you having to fork out lots of money. The only disadvantage to this is that you have to work around each other’s schedules, which means you can’t always work when you want to.
“If you are working on the photography yourself, ensure you have plenty of space with good light. There’s nothing more unprofessional than awful photos on a blog when you’re trying to sell a product!”
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QUALITY, NOT QUANTITY
“It’s really important to remember that quality is so much more important than quantity. Posting a really insightful article with beautiful images once a fortnight is much better than posting a quick, half-hearted review every day.”
Salon WordPress Theme – Blogger THE TECHNICAL SIDE
“Choose a blogger platform to work from – Blogger.com or WordPress.com are the most popular and are both super easy to use. Also for a blogger to be taken more seriously, it’s important to have your own personalised domain. For example, www.beauty.com – not www.beauty.blogspot.com. It isn’t expensive – mine only cost me £7 for the year from Godaddy.com.
“Another way for bloggers to make money is advertising. There are various ways to sell advertising space – you can simply put tweets out and sell them directly yourself, or you can use platforms such as Passion Fruit Apps, sign up to Google AdSense or join a blogging network called EtailPR. These not only allow you to display ads on your blog, but they also work alongside many brands who you can request samples from for you to keep and write about.”
BRAND COLLABORATING
“There are a few different ways to collaborate with brands. They can send you products to review, you can write a sponsored post where they will pay you to write about them, brand ambassadorship or via an affiliate programme. The most popular is gifting bloggers, which of course is a great perk to the job! But don’t be disheartened if some brands reject you – you have to remember that they get inundated with blogger requests and have to be quite picky on who they work with.
“Brand ambassadorship can bring you a monthly wage but only really works for bloggers who have thousands of followers. An affiliate programme is a good way to earn some money at any stage of your blogging – this is when you feature a product and if someone purchases it from clicking on your blog, you receive a percentage for what is sold.”
blogger – beauty NETWORKING
“Networking is so important and is the main way to gain followers and readers. Make sure you have at least two social media sites – Twitter and Instagram being the most important. Comment on and favourite other bloggers’ tweets – have conversations and discuss your favourite products. By doing this you’re building relationships with fellow bloggers and gaining followers. You can also join blogging networks such as Bloglovin’ and EtailPR. Attending blogger events is also a great way to network.
“Soon enough you’ll be invited to them, but at first I’d suggest getting in touch with PRs, introducing yourself and asking them to let you know when they have an event on. At the events you can mingle with fellow bloggers and build relationships with PRs – those are the people that are going to help you build your brand. Also, try and comment on other blogs with a link to yours – they will most likely comment back and leaving a link to your blog increases your brand exposure.”
To read more from Gemma, head to her blog, find her on Instagram or follow her Twitter feed.