Different Types of Makeup Cases

makeup caseThere will be different types of makeup cases, depending on the use. A personal makeup case for traveling or for storing makeup at home is different from a makeup case for a professional makeup artist.

You may only want a small makeup case that will fit in your purse to carry along touch up essentials, or a small weekender or a large vacation and travel case for all of your travel essentials. A makeup case is a good way to store and organize your beauty essentials at home, as well.

For best usage get a case that is easily cleaned. It can be hard plastic or durable fabric and vinyl, but either way you will want to be able to keep your makeup case clean. Allow space in various compartments for the different types of makeup; liquids, and powders, lipsticks and eye shadows. Some things you do not want are compartments that are too deep or too shallow as this will make it hard to get items in and out or it will cause you to loose small items clear to the bottom.

Professional makeup cases and cases for vacations will be your largest cases. They are more like luggage, and you will want them fitted with locks, perhaps to protect your investment in your makeup essentials.

Even though there are little purse size cases and larger cases, and makeup cases that serve many purposes, they all should be easily cleaned and durable. They may have latches or they may have zippers, but they should be large enough for the items you have now, with some space for future expansion. There should be storage room for brushes and tools that protect your investment as well. Look for cases that suit your lifestyle when selecting different kinds of makeup cases. You will probably want to purchase more than one.

March 15th, 2010 | Tags: , , , , | Category: Makeup and Cosmetics | One comment

How Often Should You Change Your Makeup Brushes?

brushesThere is not a ready answer to how often you should change your makeup brushes. There are several things to consider. One clear sign that you should change brushes is that the brush begins shedding. You do not want those hairs, real or synthetic, stuck all over your face.

Change makeup brushes when you no longer can get them clean. If you wear makeup all the time you should clean your brushes at least once a week with a mild shampoo or specially designed cleaner. If this type of gentle treatment will not get the brushes clean and fresh, it is time to change your makeup brushes. You will not get the best look from a dirty brush and a dirty brush can harbor and grow germs that contribute to acne and other skin infections.

If you have already had some type of an infection, change your makeup brushes. This is especially true for eye infections. It is much less expensive to replace brushes than it is to treat infections and rashes. This also applies to lip brushes. Change your lip makeup brushes if you have a cold sore.

Styles and effects of makeup are constantly changing. You will want to change your makeup brushes to achieve the more contemporary effects with you makeup. If you can no longer get the look you want in your makeup routine it is time to change your makeup brushes.

You do not have to change your makeup brushes all at once, but should feel free to do so whenever it is needed. Change brushes when they are falling apart, or shedding. Change brushes if you cannot get them clean. In the case of an infection or even a new makeup, good judgment says that you will want to change your makeup brushes.

March 1st, 2010 | Tags: , , , | Category: Makeup and Cosmetics | 2 comments

Popular Lip Glosses

lipglossLip glosses are great for adding sheer color to the lips or to wear over lipsticks for extra shine. They can be flavored, and shimmered, and appeal to young and old alike.

Some lip glosses contain ingredients that will plump the lips. In this category, Bare Escentuals Buxom lips is a real winner. It gives a tingly feeling, and really moisturizes as well. Flavored lip glosses that ranked high included Bigelow’s Mentha D Shine, a gloss that contains peppermint oil. It is great to give a fresh breath feeling as well as keep lips shiny and moisturized. Many people look for fruit flavored lip glosses and buy one of every flavor.

Popular lip glosses from mass merchants include the stand by companies of Cover Girl and Maybelline and Revlon. They each offer glosses that moisturize and add shine.  These lip glosses all sell for reasonable and affordable prices. Look for them in drug stores and in mass merchants. These are stores like Walgreen’s, Wal Mart, Target and Kmart.

Clinique offers several lip gloss products. Some, like Almost Lipstick, come in tube/stick form, others as wands or in squeezable tubes. Buy Clinique through Sephora or other online stores. You will also find very popular lip glosses by Clinique at upscale stores like Neiman-Marcus and Macy’s.

Health food stores and other retailers can help you find natural or organic lip products. Burt’s Bees makes a popular lip gloss product line that is reasonable priced and full of healthy ingredients to make your lips shine while making them soft and smooth.

Beautiful makeup in beautiful packaging makes you feel beautiful. Two other popular lip-gloss lines that deserve mentioning are MAC lip glosses, available at high end stores, for around $14 and up and Kevyn Aucoin lip glosses which are very high end, starting at about $27. There are popular lip glosses available at all of your favorite shopping sites and stores in a variety of price ranges and applications.

February 17th, 2010 | Tags: , , , , , , | Category: Makeup and Cosmetics | Leave a comment

How Do You Become a Professional Makeup Artist?

makeup artistBecoming a professional makeup artist is an excellent career choice. But you should be aware that it’s not an easy task and there are a lot of obstacles to overcome. Let’s look at the subject little more closely.

There’s a lot of competition if you choose to become a professional makeup artist. You need to be very confident in your abilities so that you can rise to the top. There will be two avenues of career development open to you. You can become an employee for a particular cosmetics brand and receive a monthly income. Or you can choose to go the route of freelance makeup artist. This can be exciting because you have opportunities to work in a lot of different industries, including films and the media. But you cannot necessarily count on regular checks and you’ll also need to spend some money promoting yourself, especially when you’re just starting out.

Regardless of whether you choose the corporate route or the world of freelance, you will need to build a reputation. As your expertise grows and your client base expands, you’ll begin to get some referral business and build your name recognition.

You may believe you already have sufficient skills to work as a pro. But you’ll definitely need to get some official school training and pass various licensing exams. If you’re concerned about affording school, don’t worry. You should be able to find some scholarships. You can also work while you go to school in cosmetic departments or beauty supply shops.

Finding a job with a makeup manufacturer will require all of the traditional job hunting techniques: distribute your resume to various locations, make as many contacts as possible and keep gaining experience. If you choose to go freelance, you’ll definitely need to market yourself aggressively until you get enough customers and income to make a living. As a potential freelancer, you can approach photography studios, the film industry, wedding planners, theatrical groups or advertising agencies. Show them how your work is creative and unique. What can you offer them that others can’t?

Becoming a professional makeup artist is not easy, but it is very rewarding. You have to be willing to show the world just how talented you are and what you’re capable of.

February 2nd, 2010 | Tags: , , | Category: Cosmetics Careers | Leave a comment

9 essentials for your on-the-go makeup bag

Makeup and cosmetics are enhancements to every woman’s natural beauty. But if you work outside the home, you don’t always have time to keep your makeup fresh. This is especially true if you go straight from work to social settings without time to go home in between. Obviously, you can’t carry all of your makeup with you at all times. If you could only choose 10 products to take along everywhere you go, what would they be? Here is our list…

makeup bagFace wash
The first and the most important thing you should have is face wash. Not only does it provide you with a fresh look (and a renewed feeling of freshness), it removes any previous makeup that you want to take off.

Compact powder
Take along some powder to touch up any shiny areas that detract from your overall look.

Concealer
Very few women can claim to have perfect skin. Almost everyone must deal with some skin imperfections, like scars, acne, wrinkles or pigmentation. But if you try to cover everything up with foundation, you may end up looking “cake-y” or unnatural. Use an appropriate-to-your-skin-type concealer to achieve that stunning perfect look.

Blush
Looking for that rosy, radiant look? Keep some blush with your essentials. It’s best if  you have a variety of colors that are compatible with your skin tone. Don’t forget to include a rounded brush for application.

Eye pencil
We like Laura Mercier’s kohl eye pencil for enhancing the attractiveness of your eyes. This is especially good for everyday where when you want to achieve that “smoky” look. People will naturally look at your eyes-give them something nice to look at.

Eye shadow
Obviously you’ll need to include eye shadow in a variety of shades. That way, you can easily match your mood and clothes, especially if you’re wearing something different after work.

Lipstick
Does this really need to be explained? Add your favorite lipstick to freshen up your look and protect your lips from the elements.

Mascara
Keep this on hand to darken and thicken your eyelashes. You may want them darker and fuller after work.

Sunscreen
Sunscreen is an essential for every on-the-go makeup collection. Your delicate skin needs protection from the harmful rays of the sun. Early use of sunscreen will also reduce your need for concealers later on.

January 19th, 2010 | Tags: , | Category: Makeup and Cosmetics | Leave a comment
 
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