Thursday 11 September 2014

Beauty Tips & Tricks: The Eye Liner

Eyeliners are tricky things. They can highlight your beautiful eyes and make you look like a sultry temptress or downgrade you to looking like a panda on crack. So I went on the net and asked you girls what your eyeliner problems were, and came up with a few personal tips that definitely helped me avoid any eyeliner woes.

1.       DON’T use pencil liners if you need more than 12 hours’ coverage.

Pencil liners are good for smoky eyes and that soft sexy outline that you’d want on dates. But wear it for more than 10 hours and you’ll notice that it will start to run down your eyes. This is especially bad since most of us already have eyebags. No need to add smudged eyeliner to the mess. Looking like you have just been punched is not attractive.

2.       DO use lasting eyeliners like liquid liners for lasting coverage.

I personally find liquid liners awesome for work. It just looks just as fresh at the end of the day. I’ve been using in-2-it liquid liners for the past 6 years. I absolutely love their thin brushes & at just RM 15, I don’t feel the pinch when I have to get a new one.


3.       DO set your pencil & gel liner.

So you think that the only thing that needs setting is your foundation? Think again girls! Here’s a quick & helpful tip to make sure that your liner doesn’t leak all over your face:

Step 1: prep your lids. It’s not that hard. Just dab a little bit of BB Crème or eyeshadow primer on your lids. How this helps? Well, as you continue with your day, you’ll notice your lids getting oily. This in turn, will cause your liner to smudge. Prepping your lids will keep the oil at bay!

Step 2: draw it up! Wing it or cat it, it doesn’t matter. This is the step where you draw in your lines.

Step 3: Now that you have your lovely even lines, it’s time to set your eyeliner. My trick is to simply grab a blending eyeshadow brush, swipe some loose powder (or compact, that works fine too), tap off the excess powder and lightly set your eyeliner with it. It also creates an effortless matte look.

Warning: If you plan to go for the ‘wet’ look, setting is not the way to go. In fact, just opt for a liquid liner.. It’ll save you time & a whole lot of effort.
Ta-dah! You’re done!



4.       DO use small soft strokes when drawing in your eyeliner.

I’m sure you’ve seen this funny picture floating around online.



But let me assure you, the pain is REAL!
A surefire way to fix this is by simply using small light strokes. This is especially helpful with beginners.

Another great tip is to NOT finish one eye before starting on the other. Most girls have problems creating the perfect flick for both eyes. So a tip is to line your lash line on both sides and use small light strokes for your flicks. Going back and forth between left & right eye to get the perfect balance.
I know… It will be troublesome and it takes slightly more time. But trust me, if you’re not a pro at this, TAKE THE TIME. Because being late is better than looking like you have unevenly sized eyes.

5.       DO work within your means.

Eyeliners are no joke. I honestly think it that it took me the longest to learn how to master. With that said, please learn the basics before venturing into harder territories. We don’t wanna poke our own eye out right?? I always say, start with pencil liners. The reasons are easy:

a)      It’s hard tip makes it easier to maneuver.
b)      The ‘small light strokes’ technique works best with pencil liners. This is because simple pressure makes a difference. Unlike liquid liners, which applies just as bold regardless of how delicate you apply it.
c)       It’s easiest to smudge or wipe off. Those who have tried to fix liquid liners will understand. It is almost impossible to do without make up remover and then.. you end up removing too much and smudging anyways. Dang it! Pencil liners are much more forgiving. In desperate times, even cleaning up with your fingers will do.

I hope these tips helped. Especially to the newbies out there! 
Till next time!

XOXO,

Reina Lum

Tuesday 15 April 2014

The Face Shop Big Mascara

Since late last year, I’ve been using a new tube of Mascara which I thought was quite interesting: THE FACE SHOP’S  Freshian Big Mascara.



Quite honestly, this is the first cosmetic I’ve ever tried from the brand but since Korean products have been working so well on me so far, why not right?

When it comes to mascaras, I only look for 2 things; Length & Fullness.
Yes girls, there’s a difference between fullness and a god-awful clumpy formula.
Here are the swatches of the mascara on my eyelashes.


   Without Mascara

Left Eye: One coat. Right Eye: No mascara.
Left Eye: Two coats. Right Eye: No mascara.
What a difference!
Both eyes: Two coats

Both eyes: Two coats.
Length comparison.

PRODUCT:

This is definitely not for the heavy duty mascara girls. The formula is actually quite thin. This may be a good or bad thing, depending on what you’re into..

If you love the natural look and just wanna put a little bit more emphasis on your lashes, this is the mascara for you!
The thin formula perfectly coats each of your eyelashes for a little ‘pop’.
Add another coat on for length and fullness.

But if you’re into the heavy mascara look (Pile on the mascara till it looks like you have fake lashes [or a bunch of dead spider’s legs] on) , then this is not for you.
You’ll end up spending more of your precious time putting on layers of this mascara (like 3 or even 4!) to get the look you want.

Mascara Tip!

Personally,  I will never bother buying multiple mascaras based on the look that I want. Luckily for me, I have a secret weapon, a base mascara!

(Just in case you don’t know, a base mascara normally has a white colored formula and is rich in fiber [NOT the kind you eat of course]. The fiber coats your lashes making them look thicker and does wonders at extending the length of your individual lashes.)

So if I have a night out and need something more heavy, I’ll just put on some base mascara before this black one and… ta-dah! Done!

PRICE:

I got this tube overseas for just about RM 15 (On sale!). A great deal considering a simple tube of mascara can go up to RM 40++ in a drugstore! I’ve been using this tube since August, so safe to say that it’s quite value for money (Or I just don’t use mascara’s that often. Meh.) In Malaysia, this might be in the vicinity of  RM 18 to RM 26++ (It really depends on The Face Malaysia). But if it’s below RM 25, it’s worth a buy.

REPURCHASING: 

I personally don’t wear make up THAT much. I might put in a little bit of effort for work and on dates, but that’s pretty much it. With that being said, I don’t mind buying something else. But this is a good staple to keep in your office desk drawer. I’d totally repurchase for the sake of the occasional cute-guy-comes-by-the-office situations. *Winks*

Till next time,
xoxo
Reina Lum