Makeup Mondays With Mario: Skin Care Superstars!

I have tons of favorites when it comes to skincare products. For cleansing, I love La Mer The Cleansing Foam; it feels amazing, smells good and spreads nicely. A less expensive and comparable cleanser (and one of my all time faves) is Olay Deep Cleansing Face Wash with Witch Hazel. A great, basic and cheap scrub is St. Ives Apricot Scrub. I try not to exfoliate every day though - it can be too harsh on your skin. Once or twice a week I use DDF's Glycolic 5% Exfoliating Wash. To remove your makeup, I recommend Josie Maran's Bear Naked Wipes. I love everything about them and I'm sure you will too. Wipe away makeup and then follow with your normal skincare routine.

When it comes to moisturizing, I tend to use products that are not too thick or oily. I love La Mer The Moisturizing Lotion. It comes in a pump and is more lightweight than the popular creme. Cetaphil is still a favorite of mine also and works well on a lot of skin types. Sara Happ's The Lip Slip is a very nice lip balm and you should try out her lip exfoliators that come in lots of great flavors. I also love MAC's Tinted Lip Conditioner w/ SPF 15. I saved the best for last - The Eye Balm by La Mer. It's a new eye cream and it's the creme de la creme! I use it like three times a day and I LOVE IT!

Thanks for visiting Makeup Mondays with Mario!

xo,
Mario

2010Makeup Mondays With Mario: Too Light Undereye Concealer?

A lot of people make the same mistake with going too light under the eyes. It's no secret that I like to highlight and lighten that area of the face but there's a pretty fine line between bright and white. Try using a concealer and/or powder that is a shade darker. Also, check to see that your loose powder doesn't have light-reflecting or shimmery pigment in it. To the human eye, it's difficult to see - but the bright flash of a camera will catch it and magnify it. Another thing to try is to not use too much product where it's opaque. Instead, apply with a lighter hand. It's always good to take pics of yourself with a digital camera to test it out and see how you will look. Hope this helps.

Thanks for visiting Makeup Mondays with Mario!

xo,
Mario

Makeup Mondays With Mario: Summer Smokey Eye and Meltproof Makeup

Lauren,


Smokey, sultry eyes are great for summer! If you're having issues with your makeup melting or smudging in the summer heat, try using less products that contain oils - such as eyeliner. Smoke up your eyes using shadows. I love a shimmery copper or bronze on the top lids and smudged along the bottom lashes. A couple coats of mascara will finish the eye. Remember that for a smudge-free, long lasting eye makeup, prime your lids with concealer or foundation first, then set with a bit of loose powder. This trick also allows for flawless blending. Don't cover your whole face with makeup in the summer months. Instead, try to even out your skin tone with a sheer tinted moisturizer and if needed, follow with a concealer on blemishes. Lip stains are great in hot weather too! Apply once to lips and you literally don't have to worry about retouching all day.

Thanks for visiting Makeup Mondays with Mario!

xo,
Mario

Makeup Mondays With Mario: Mascara Application

The first thing you should do is curl your lashes and wipe the mascara wand with a tissue before applying mascara to the eye lashes. This gets any clumps off of the brush and makes for a more even application. I recommend applying the wand starting at the base of the lashes and going up. You can "wiggle it just alittle bit." Too much of that will tangle the hairs. You want to have the majority of the mascara towards the base because the lashes will fall or droop if a lot of product weighs them down on the tips. Don't wait until they dry to apply your second coat - perfect and seperate them before they dry.

Thanks for visiting Makeup Mondays with Mario!

xo,
Mario

Makeup Mondays With Mario: Fab in Five

I don't have a lot of time in the morning to put on makeup, but I hate leaving the house bare-faced. Can you give me some quick tips or products I can use to look fab in five minutes?

To look fab in five minutes is very possible! You need concealer, bronzer, mascara and a lip product. Start with dabbing concealer under your eyes or wherever it's needed to even out your skin. You can also apply a tinted moisturizer; they are usually very sheer, allowing for quick application and blending. I love Lancome SPF tinted moisturizer. Using a big brush, sweep bronzer around the frame of your face and a bit on cheeks to warm you up. Try Guerlain's Terra Cotta Tan Booster. It's a great rich color that goes on sheer and doesn't have much shimmer in it. Take a small brush and sweep some on your eyelids too. Mascara on the top and bottom lashes will finish the eyes and - then throw on some lipstick or gloss to finish. You should be looking fab in no time. Thanks for visiting Makeup Mondays with Mario!xo,Mario

source: http://spoiledpretty.blogspot.com/2010/05/makeup-mondays-with-mario-fab-in-five.html

Makeup Mondays With Mario: Beautiful and Bronzed

The first thing you should do is stop tanning! There is nothing that will heal or correct the negative effects that tanning has on your skin. You may not see the damage today, but it will appear later in life. I am, however, a fan of self tanners and use them myself. Try L'oreal Paris Sublime Bronze ProPerfect Salon Airbrush Self-Tanning Mist. It's very easy to use yourself, comes out evenly and does not smell bad. If you prefer a creme or lotion, try the St.Tropez tanning line which has unique products to help you look tan and healthy. Whichever products you choose to use, you should always exfolliate you skin prior to application, avoid too much product on the elbows, feet, knees and any area that tends to get blotchy. Also keep your toenails and fingernails covered in Vaseline when appyling self tanner, as they will stain the nails an unnatractive yellow shade of yellow. Moisturize with a non-oily moisturizer to preserve the color longer. It's alot of work keeping your face and body beautiful and bronzed but it's worth it. Thanks for visiting Makeup Mondays with Mario!xo,Mario

Makeup Mondays With Mario: Hold The Oil

Q: My problem is that when the weather gets warmer, my face gets very oily. It seems that no matter what I do, my face always looks shiny/greasy - which embarasses me. Can you recommend any products or makeup tips that might help me keep my shine under control?


Mario: You can control your naturally dewy skin's shine using a few products and/techniques. Start out with an oil-free, light moisturizer (Daneen recommends Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel) all over, prior to makeup application. Let that set in a couple of minutes, then apply Photo Finish Foundation Primer Light by Smashbox. If your skin doesn't need much coverage, I'd skip the foundation altogether and instead use a concealer on spots. Try Laura Mercier’s Secret Camouflage concealers. Use a loose powder to set the face, making sure that it's free of shimmer and sparkle, of course. Try Priori loose powder. For touch ups throughout the day, use Tatcha Blotting Papers to absorb shine. I once learned a tip from a brilliant beauty blogger who's spoiled pretty - she uses a Starbucks napkin to absorb oils on the skin. It truly works! All the more reason to go to Starbucks! Oh and one more thing- don't feel embarrassed for having oily skin – it's the most effective anti- aging product and it's all yours!

source: http://spoiledpretty.blogspot.com/2010/05/makeup-mondays-with-mario-hold-oil.html

Makeup Mondays With Mario: Bronzer How - To

When chosing a shade of bronzer, you should consider the following: dark skin tones look best with bronzers that have red in them. Lighter skin usually looks good with a more pale/pinkish bronzer. When applying bronzer, I like to frame the entire face. Sweep the bronzer along the hairline, on hollows of the cheeks and along your jawline. Don't forget to apply a bit to the neck as well.

Because I use bronzer pretty much on most of the face, I prefer to go with a non-shimmery, powder bronzer. My faves are Smashbox Bronze Lights Bronzer in Suntan Matte* and Dior Bronze Matte Sunshine SPF 20. If you're looking to achieve a bronze look but want to glow as well, try Eye M Glam highlighter at Giella.com*. Apply it on the cheekbones, inner corner of eyes, bridge of nose and on brow bones. It has a golden glow that looks amazing with bronzer. Thanks for visiting MMwM!

xo,
Mario

source: http://spoiledpretty.blogspot.com/2010/04/makeup-mondays-with-mario-bronzer-how.html

Makeup Mondays With Mario: Plump Your Pout

To make your pretty little lips appear more full, start out by lining just above the natural lip line with a lip pencil very close in color to your natural lips. Careful not to overdraw too much, especially on the outer corners as it can look clownish or sad-ish. Follow with lipstick and/or gloss and make sure to fill the lips in completely, going over the lip pencil as well to prevent seeing the matte pencil next to the shine or gloss. In other words, apply the gloss exactly over the pencil, not just within the lip line.

For a really pretty pout, finish the lips by applying a cream or powder highlighter to the cupid's bow and center of the bottom lip. This will attract light and lift those areas a bit. If using a gloss, apply the highlight before the gloss or use a light, shimmery gloss on the center instead.

Thanks for visiting Makeup Mondays With Mario!

xo,
Mario

source: http://spoiledpretty.blogspot.com/2010/04/makeup-mondays-with-mario-plump-your.html

Makeup Mondays With Mario: Five Must Have Makeup Brushes

Makeup brushes are so important to me and I use tons of them! Here are some of my favorite brushes that I've been using for years: Stila #15 Double-Sided Crease and Liner Brush; I use the smaller side for a detailed crease. Stila #24 Double-Sided Illuminating Powder Brush is great to contour the cheeks and frame the face with bronzer. I also like Make Up For Ever's Eyebrow Brush. The Concealer Brush by Benefit Cosmetics is great for working under the eyes and my favorite Retractable Lip Brush is by Billy B Beauty.

Hope you get to try some of these brushes to round out your collection! Thanks for visiting Makeup Mondays with Mario!

xo,
Mario



source: http://spoiledpretty.blogspot.com/2010/03/makeup-mondays-with-mario-five-must.html