Stuck in a Rut

It happens without notice.

One day you are rocking a red lip and a blow out and the next thing you know you have been putting nothing but moisturizer and chap stick on for longer than you would like to admit and the word "fabulous" hasn't be used to describe you since Nam.

You are stuck in a makeup rut.

No worries, it happens to the best of us - myself included.  Even though makeup is a large part of my life, I still find myself slacking off in the fabulous department now and then.

Here are some surefire ways to shake things up and inject a little life back into your beauty routine:

1. Buy Yourself Something Nice...You Deserve It
Seems obvious doesn't it?  However, it is something that we often do not do for ourselves.  My current recommendations are the Urban Decay "Start Getting Naked" kit that includes THE BEST BB cream ever created and one of the best foundations I have ever tried.  Also, now that the holidays are upon us the Sephora "favorites" sets are in stock (squee!) and they are the BEST way to try lots of different products without spending too much money.

2. Play Up One Feature
Just rocking a red lip or laying on an extra couple coats of mascara can make you feel like a million bucks. Pick one feature and give it a little extra attention (I usually choose my boobs when doing this but that is another blog entry)

3. Stop Listening to the Wrong People
You are amazing.  You are fabulous.  You can wear a red lip.  You do look good in a smokey eye.  You even look amazing with no makeup on at all.  Wear what makes you happy and surround yourself with people who do the same.

Take a little extra time in the morning, stand up straight, make yourself even prettier and screw everyone who doesn't agree.  You are officially out of your makeup rut.

Travel Friendly Beauty

As I write this, I am in the air on a flight from Chicago to Detroit to assist a client for a couple days.  This is a pretty common occurrence in my life as my job requires that I take pretty regular trips.

I used to have a hard time traveling for work and being away from home but at the ripe old age of 32, it is really not something I mind.  I have created systems that allow me to feel as “at home” as one can when they are sleeping in hotel rooms and taking cabs everywhere.

A lot of the things I do to make traveling a fun experience have to do with my beauty routine.  Because, there is nothing more pathetic than feeling bad AND looking bad when you are out of town.

During the trip I am currently on, I am actually going to do something fun and non-work related while I am in Detroit (gasp!) which is pretty rare for me.  So, in preparation for aforementioned rare leisure event, I did the full version of my “Going Out of Town and I Feel Pretty, Oh So Pretty” beauty routine.

Here it is in all its superficial glory:

1.       More is…more 

On most of my work trips, I do consolidate my makeup and only take the necessities. For example, I often find products that will do two jobs, like a blush that has enough shimmer to also give me a highlight or a lipstick that can be used as a cheek stain. Check out Benefit for great makeup travel kits.

However, sometimes I don’t want to consolidate.  I don’t want to only bring what I need and be sensible.  I want to bring everything that I might possibility ever want in the case that something unexpected happens (Jack White is from Detroit – it is possible we might hang out).

2.      Fake it till you make it!

I have a secret to tell you all about myself that I dread admitting.  I am…..pale.  Very, very pale.  Like Interview with a Vampire pale (suck it, Twilight). 

Being pale is not cute.  I know that people say things like “porcelain complexion” and “peaches and cream skin” but frankly, that is all bullshit.  People look better when they are tan.  They look healthier, skinnier and generally more attractive when they have a little color to their skin.  Sorry if that offends anyone but don’t hate the player…hate the game.

Why am I weaving this dramatic tale of low pigmentation?  Because one of my favorite pre-travel beauty rituals is to fake tan.  A couple hours before I leave for the airport, I shower and exfoliate and slap on enough St. Tropez to make an Oompa Loompa proud. 

3.      You like my hair?  Oh, this is totally natural!

 So, my last and final "I feel pretty, oh so pretty" step is to straighten my hair.  

Stop right there!  I know you are about to say "Katie, I would kill for curly hair!  Why would you ever straighten it?"  I straighten my hair for the same reason you curl your hair - because it is fun to look a little different sometimes.

The day that I am leaving, I shower and after applying aforementioned fake tan - I pull my hair up in a wet bun.  The next morning I simply brush it out and throw some curls in with a curling iron for a bit of a Farrah Fawcett look and then I am ready to go.

What do you do to pretty yourself up before you travel?

                                                    En route to Detroit - fake tanned and ready to go!

                                                    Hair straightened and a little curled                
                                                   

                                                   Gorgeous Chicago from the sky!

How Dior Can Change Your Life....And Other Important Facts

I know that when they wrote the Declaration of Independence they were not talking about makeup but when I hear "We hold these truths to be self-evident...", I always want to follow it with "Dior lipstick can change your life."

Alas, back in those days they didn't have to make a decision about whether $35 was a ridiculous price for a lipstick.  In most cases I would tell you that if a lipstick costs $35 it better make you funnier, thinner and keep you warm at night.

Well, I am here to tell you that although I am still using an electric blanket for heat at night, I have found that Dior Blazing Red lipstick can indeed make you feel funnier, thinner and put a little spring in your step.

I found this amazing lipstick while on a Sephora run with one of my very best friends (let's call her Claudett) who had stumbled into Sephora earlier that week and been hooked by a sample of lipstick she received.  She had promptly used up the sample and was determined to get a full size of the amazing lipstick he had found.

There was just one problem.....she didn't know what kind of lipstick it was.....or who made it...

I assured her that two college educated and professionally accomplished woman (I am talking about the two of us) could figure out what lipstick she was looking for.  We started with the only fact she knew (or thought she knew), that the lipstick was Chanel.

My response to this fact?  "Claudette, they don't sell Chanel makeup at Sephora."

Ok, so we didn't even have one piece of information to go on but optimism is our strong suit.  We confidently walked into Sephora - immediately bypassing all the twenty year old sales assistants and found the most competent associate at which point we handed her what was left of the sample and said "Find this lipstick for us."

Well, if you can believe it - that savvy little sales associate did one scan of that giant Sephora, walked right over to the Dior section and found the damn lipstick!

We were, of course appropriately impressed and ripe of the up sell.  But, instead of up selling us she did something so much more savvy, she gave us another sample of a different Dior lipstick.

A sample of Dior, Blazing Red (cue angels and white light).

All I can tell you is that you need to buy it, wear it with some black winged eyeliner, a touch of bronzer and get prepared for the fact that you will stand a little straighter, laugh a little louder and generally be a little more fabulous.

So, when you catch a glimpse of yourself in the mirror and you just have to wink and make kissey faces at how fierce you are.....don't thank me....thank Dior.

No Brainers & Must Haves (NARS version)

I am going to let you in on a little secret.  In the often confusing and commonly overwhelming beauty community there are a couple products that everyone holds true.

So, when I first start in introduce people to make-up the first thing I tell them is that these products will change their lives.  Sound dramatic?  Ok, it is dramatic.  However, they are AMAZING products that work on everyone.

Every year magazines like Allure come out with the "Best Of" issue and these are the products that are always included - a fact which my friends are very proud about because they own them all :)

So, without further ado - here are the must have, no brainers, looks great on everyone, run out and buy right now NARS products:

#1 NARS Laguna (bronzer) $33

I know what you are saying, "but Katie, I don't wear bronzer!".  Ok, here is the simple truth...you should wear bronzer.  Bronzer wakes up your face, makes you loose 5 pounds, generally changes your life and the best one on the market is NARS Laguna.  This bronzer is the holy grail of just dark enough without being orange and just shiny enough without being glittery.

#2 NARS Orgasm (blush) $27

Yes, you read the name correctly - the name of the blush is Orgasm.  My personal opinion is that Francisco Nars decided if you are grown up enough to walk up to a make-up counter and ask for an orgasm and then pay $27 for it...you can be in the cool NARS club.  NARS Orgasm is a peachy pink blush with very light shimmer.  It works on pretty much all skin tones and a little bit goes a LONG way.

NARS Laguna (left), NARS Orgasm (right)

So, now you know and you are ready to go out and buy the best of the best.  Don't forget that you are always fabulous with makeup or without but a little mascara never hurt anyone :)

XXOO 

Katie

Welcome!

Welcome Gorgeous!

Welcome to Makeup For All, my personal repository of makeup, skincare and general life information (more the former than the latter).

I am writing this blog for one reason and one reason only - because I love makeup and even more than that, I love helping people learn about makeup without feeling intimidated or stupid.

On any given night I am reading about the new MAC collection, watching YouTube videos on the best new eye shadow palette or hiding away in my makeup room experimenting. Do I understand that, that is slightly strange to most people?  ABSOLUTELY!

However, makeup is my passion and I hope that the knowledge I have accumulated can be a resource to help you understand how fun makeup can be - no matter how much you wear.

So, if your looking for a place of substance and contemplation - then you should probably Google the Dalai Lama.  However, if you want to find the best bronzer I am the girl for you :)

Welcome to Makeup For All - pull up a chair and some lipstick and we will get started!