THURSDAY TRENDS: The Smokey Eye

Bright Ideas, Makeup, Skin Care - Fontana Beauty Expert - January 22, 2015

So, last week we looked at how the nude lip took over the red carpet this season. This week the focus is on the eyes. Smokey eyes were a huge deal this red carpet season. L’Oreal Paris beauty survey showed that 60% of eye makeup at the recent Gold Globe awards were smokey eyes. This would explain the correlating nude lip; as is standard smokey eyes are usually pared with a soft nude lip. However, a new trend that I’ve been seeing and I LOVE is to pair the smokey eye with a bold lip. Yes, it is out of the box and No, it is NOT for everyone, but hey, give it a go.

My favourite way to pair a smokey eye with a bold lip is to create a bronze smokey eye with red or berry lips. Call me a vixen, but I LOVE it! If you’re not as brave,you can always opt for a more neutral smokey eye to pair with a bold lip. Remember makeup is about experimenting and having fun; it’s really not that serious.

How to make the smokey eye work for you?

Less is more. Always start off by using less product and build up the intensity as you go along. Another key step is to blend…blend and blend some more. Selecting shades that complement your skin tone is also important. As makeup artist, I find that adding a warm transitional shade in the crease and along the lower lash line creates a sultrier and flattering look.

Overall, for me, mixing cool and warm shades adds dimension to any smokey eye look. If you are just getting started with makeup, I would recommend you start with a neutral smokey eye and work your way up to a more intense look. Maybelline The Nudes eye shadow palette is great for this. You can go from an everyday look to a dramatic eye look.

For all products listed and great beauty finds, visit your one stop beauty hub…Fontana Pharmacy…

Ok my lovelies; today I challenge you to be bold and smoking with your makeup.

Until next time…stay gorgeous…

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WEDNESDAY WELLNESS: Health and Beauty

Bath and Body, Bright Ideas, Makeup, Skin Care - Fontana Beauty Expert - January 22, 2015

My Jamaican Honey

Ok, so by now you would have realized that I have a kick for natural skin care remedies. I have tried high end skincare brands, drug store brands but I always gravitate to natural skin care products. One of my favourite skin care luxury is the raw Jamaican honey. There is none like it. It helps to heal my break outs with its anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. But my favourite way to use our Jamaican honey is to make my own face and body scrubs and masks.

For my face and body scrub, I usually combine Jamaican brown sugar and Jamaican coffee with the honey. The honey moisturizes and heals; the brown sugar exfoliates and the coffee doubles as an exfoliant and an anti-aging ingredient. This scrub is great for improving the overall texture of your skin.

I also love to use honey for masks. My lemon and honey mask leaves the face so smooth and glowy. It’s pretty easy to make. Just get a fresh lemon, squeeze about a ½ tbsp. and combine it with a 1 1\2 tbsp. of honey. You can grate some of the lemon zest and add it to the mixture if you so desire (Skip this step if you have sensitive skin). This mask helps to treat dark spots and evens out the skin tone.

All the products mentioned can be found at Fontana and in your kitchen…so go on and get creative with your skin care…Until next time stay gorgeous…..

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TUESDAY TUTORIAL: Cleaning your makeup brushes

Bath and Body, Makeup, Skin Care - Fontana Beauty Expert - January 21, 2015

Ugh! I don’t know any makeup artist who enjoys cleaning their brushes…it’s just not fun. However, it is extremely important for us as makeup lovers to take the time to clean our brushes thoroughly at least once per week. Hey, hear me out for a sec. Would you continuously use a dirty wash rag covered in makeup to wash your face for weeks on end? Exactly. Think of your makeup brushes as a wash rag that you use to cleanse your face. If you do not wash and disinfect your brushes, bacteria will build up and this could lead to major skin problems.

There are a few easy ways to clean your makeup brushes without breaking a leg…I usually mix anti-bacterial liquid soap or baby shampoo with olive oil or coconut oil. The oil helps to break up the products that are trapped inside the bristles of your brushes and keep them soft and moisturized. Some people even use alcohol to help break down excessive products in their brushes. All these products are available at your beauty hub, Fontana Pharmacy…

Here is a quick video demonstrating how you can clean your makeup brushes quick and easy…

How to clean your brushes

Ok my lovelies, don’t be lazy…clean those brushes…Until next time, stay gorgeous…

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MAKEUP MONDAY: How to get that Fresh Flawless glow

Makeup, Skin Care - Fontana Beauty Expert - January 20, 2015

How to get that Fresh Flawless glow

“I woke up like this…flawless!!” I’m sure I’m not the only one with this song stuck in my head. Though a great anthem for us females, I’m sure most of us can admit that’s not always the case. Some days we just don’t look or feel as flawless as we would want to. Not to worry though, I have the perfect fix for those awful days. No, you don’t have to spend a fortune, at least not at THE beauty hub Fontana Pharmacy.

How do we achieve that flawless face? First gather your favourite foundation and moisturizer, cream highlighter and your favourite bronzer. The key to having that fresh flawless face is to use minimal products. For me, I usually mix one part moisturizer and one part foundation, just enough to even out my skin. If I have any problem area I would correct them after with a cream concealer, my favourite being Black Opal’s stick concealer in toast. I would then go in with a cream highlighter on the top of my cheeks, my cupid’s bow and at the tip of my nose. Milani’s highlighters are pretty good.

Now, make that flawless skin smudge proof, lightly dust some loose powder all over the face to set everything in place. Black Opal’s finish powder is awesome. To add some dimension and glow, I would apply Milani’s baked bronzer in sunset to the perimeters of my face.

There you have it. Throw on some mascara and your favourite lippy and you’re good to go. Remember lovelies, all the products mentioned are available online or in store at the beauty hub…Fontana Pharmacy…

Until next time stay gorgeous…

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FRIDAY FUN: Makeup is an artform

Hair - Fontana Beauty Expert - January 16, 2015

Friday Fun day

Sometimes we have to step outside of the box with our makeup; whether it’s a new lipstick shade, colourful eye shadow or blush or even fake lashes. Yes, I know I sound crazy, but we all need a little crazy fun sometimes.

Makeup is an artform. It is an avenue for us to express ourselves. I am that girl who would not step out of my neutral eye shadows; I just did not like colours. However, recently I did a photo shoot and decided to experiment on my model. I was so surprised with how creative I got with using bright colours. Hey, I even threw in a bit of feathers. I say this to say; sometimes with our makeup we get so comfortable that we do not push boundaries. Start with a bright lipstick. Yes, pull out that bright red or pink lipstick you’ve always wanted to try. After all, it is only makeup, if you don’t like it, you can always wash it off.

Here are some quick tips for trying bold colours.

If you do a colourful eye makeup look, I would suggest a nude lip. If you are brave enough, a bold lip is fine too, just keep the cheeks neutral. Always have a balance though; we do not want to go out looking like a clown.

For colourful eye shadows I would recommend the L.A Colors eye shadow palette in ‘Haute’.

For a variety of bright lip colours, you can check out the L.A. Girl lip paints, they are VERY pigmented and long lasting.

It’s Friday, put on your makeup and have fun with it…hey, break some rules while you’re at it.

Don’t forget to grab all the goodies mentioned at your one stop beauty hub…Fontana Pharmacy.

Until next time…Stay gorgeous my lovelies…

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THURSDAY TRENDS: The Nude Lip

Bath and Body, Hair - Fontana Beauty Expert - January 16, 2015

Nude Alert!!!

So, its red carpet season and we’re all oohing and awing over the latest fashion, hair and makeup worn by our favourite celebs. One beauty trend that has stuck out to me this red carpet season is the Nude Lip. Whether it was matte, glossy, satin or sparkle, nude lips were everywhere. L’Oreal Paris beauty survey on the night showed that 60% of lipstick shades were nudes.

As a woman of colour, I know too well how difficult it can be to find that perfect nude that is not too ashy or too brown. L’oreal and Revlon both carry a great variety of nudes to suit women of colour. My favourite is the Loreal Colour Riche in nude ballet and Revlon’s lip butter in brown sugar. There are also more affordable options. What I do sometimes is to line the entire lip with a nude pencil topped off with a clear gloss. L.A. colours and L.A. girl have a variety of nude lip liners; my faves being auburn and spice.

Choosing your nude lipstick is like choosing your foundation shade. Always pay attention to the undertones in your complexion. For example, if you are of a fair complexion with pink undertone you would want to opt for a nude lipstick with a duty pink undertone. If you are medium to tan complexion you can go more for a caramel coloured nude to complement your yellow undertone. Always remember to match the undertones in your complexion and you should be fine.

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WEDNESDAY WELLNESS: Clear Skin is always in

Bright Ideas, Hair, Makeup, Skin Care - Fontana Beauty Expert - January 14, 2015

Everyone wants clear beautiful skin; the perfect canvas.

For the past few months I’ve been battling breakouts. Breakouts are a pain; be it hormonal or stress related. No one wants to deal with it.

How did I deal with my breakouts? First, I started to work on my skin internally. I increased my water intake, cliché but water definitely helps with clearing up the skin. I decided to try vitamins. I started taking Hair, Skin and Nails along with Vitamin E and Cod Liver oil supplements. Ladies, my skin has never been brighter and more ‘glowy’. Now, as is customary, it is important that you consult your doctor before taking any vitamin or supplements.

Second, I decided that I would try more natural products to apply topically. Irie Rock’s skin care line is a life saver. The Tea Tree and Witch Hazel deep pore cleanser and Rejuvenating Facial Scrub changed my skin completely. The deep pore cleanser is excellent for steaming the face. It pulls out all the impurities from under the skin and unclogs pores. After steaming the face, I usually go in with the rejuvenating scrub which contains very fine witch hazel granules. This sloths away all the dead skin and white heads from your skin’s surface. Another plus, is that Irie Rock products are all natural AND brand Jamaica.

For your traditional brands I would recommend Neutrogena Stress Control facial wash and the Neutrogena oil-free acne wash. Both contain salicylic acid which is great for treating breakouts.

So, there you have it, treating with breakouts we must address the problem from within, trust me, it helps.

Don’t be a victim of breakouts, visit Fontana Pharmacy online or in store for all the products listed to address all your skin care needs…Until next time stay gorgeous…

xoxo

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TUESDAY TUTORIAL: Make Your Eyes Pop

Bright Ideas, Hair, Makeup - Fontana Beauty Expert - January 13, 2015

The eyes are the windows to the soul, so make them POP!!!

This winter we have seen on the runways big bright eyes paired with bold lips. You can achieve big sexy eyes with a few simple steps and tools. All you’ll need is mascara, eyeliner, a highlighting pencil and an eyelash curler.

For mascara, I would select the following because they lengthen and adds volume without clumping.

–Maybeline New York Volum’ Express Pumped up Colossal mascara

– L’Oreal telescopic mascara

For eyeliner, you can choose between a gel liner and a pencil; whichever you are comfortable with. I would definitely recommend the following:

Revlon Colorstay creme gel liner – easy to apply and lasts all day

Nanacoco mechanical pencil – very creamy, smudges easily into the lash line to create a smokey effect.

For highlighting the water line and brow bone, I would recommend Milani’s Shadow Eyez pencil for its creamy consistency and blendability.

For all the products listed, don’t forget to visit your one stop beauty hub…Fontana Pharmacy

Here is a tutorial demonstrating how you can achieve bold eyes without lash extensions.

Until next time, stay gorgeous…

xoxo

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MAKEUP MONDAYS: Tips on how to Achieve a Natural Contour

Bright Ideas, Makeup - Fontana Beauty Expert - January 13, 2015

Monday Beauty Tips

How to achieve a natural contour

The trend of contouring has taken over the beauty scene by storm; however, we don’t always get it right. Here are some Fontana quick tips to help you achieve that natural looking contour.

Remember, contouring is used to create shadows and to add dimension to the face, as sometimes our foundation alone cannot give us the look we want.

An easy way to ensure your contour blends seamlessly, is to apply a concealer or foundation two shades darker than your own skin tone to the areas of the face you wish to create shadows. I would recommend a cream product as it is a lot easier to blend, even for the beginner.

After applying your contour shade, you want to apply your foundation and blend it all together. Remember lovelies, blend, blend, blend and then blend some more.

My favourite cream contour products are:

–Black Opal’s stick foundation or stick concealer

–Milani’s cream to powder foundation

Still uncertain about the cream contour technique? No worries, we’ve got you covered. Another way to achieve a natural looking contour is to opt for a bronzer. Every girl MUST have a good bronzer in her makeup bag! Bronzing the perimeters of the face creates the illusion of a slimmer face while adding a natural glow to your complexion at the same time. This is an awesome alternative to contouring.

Some of my favourite bronzers that I use on myself and clients are:

–Cover Queen Collection Bronzer in ebony – perfect for medium to dark skin tones.

-Milani’s baked bronzer in Sunset is also a great option.

All these products can be found at your one stop beauty hub, Fontana Pharmacy…

So go on and sculpt those cheeks and flaunt that glow…Stay gorgeous.

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How-To: Metallic Holiday Eyeshadow Tutorial

Bright Ideas, Makeup - Fontana Beauty Expert - December 21, 2014

This holiday, why go for one shimmery metallic when you have both? We took the luxe look of metallic gold and silver and combined them with a touch of black for a sexy smokey eye. Follow our full tutorial below for detailed instructions on how to make this glamorous holiday eyeshadow look your own!

We’re popping bottles and toasting to a glamorous new year with this week’s Metallic Holiday Eyeshadow Tutorial in our beauty repertoire! This holiday, why go for one shimmery metallic when you have both? We took the luxe look of metallic gold and silver and combined them with a touch of black for a sexy smokey eye. Follow our full tutorial below for detailed instructions on how to make this glamorous holiday eyeshadow look your own!

Steps:
1. Begin by sweeping a metallic silver eyeshadow across the upper lid.
2. Carefully add black eyeshadow to the outer corner of the lid.
3. Lightly blend the black eyeshadow across the crease to the inner corner.
4. Bring the black eyeshadow down and around the lower lash line.
5. Apply metallic gold eyeshadow to the center of the lid.
6. Create a cat eye using black liner, and complete the look with mascara!

Source: blog.lulus.com

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