blog Archives | Page 41 of 202 | Makeup By Kim Porter

Wedding Wednesday: Helping a Bride with Hyperpigmentation

April 10, 2013 by Kim S. / blog, Makeup Looks / 1 Comment

This Wedding Wednesday post, I will go over products I used for a bridal trial I had recently. This bride wanted a natural look with a berry lip. As you can see from the before picture, this bride had some hyperpigmentation, and blemishes.I love using my Graftobian HD Crème Super Palette, or any cream foundation for the matter since it is buildable and easy to manipulate. It also works for any skin type. For this bride, I used a combination of my Graftobian HD Crème Super Palette and the new AJ Crimson CCC palette, which was used specifically for contouring and highlighting.

Eyes

UDPP

MAC Eyeshadow ‘Amber Lights’ (lid)

MAC Eyeshadow ‘Soft Brown’ (Blending)

MAC Eyeshadow ‘Texture’ (crease)
Urban Decay Naked Palette ‘Buck’

Stila Smudge Crayon Waterproof Eye Color ‘Black’

Eldora Lashes B182 & Duo Adhesive

Eyebrows

MAC Eyeshadow ‘Espresso’

MAC Brow Gel ‘Show-Off’

Face

Laura Mercier Oil-Free Foundation Primer

Ben Nye Banana Powder (reduce oil)*

Graftobian HD Crème Super Palette ‘Pecan’, ‘Sienna’

AJ Crimson CCC Palette #4 (highlight)

AJ Crimson CCC Palette #7 + #8 (contour)

Ben Nye Banana Powder (highlight)

Ben Nye ‘Dark Cocoa’ Powder (Contour)

Model in a Bottle Setting Spray

*This bride suffered from oily skin; therefore, after applying the primer and blotting her skin with tissue once the primer set, I used a powder brush to place a light layer of Ben Nye Banana powder over the oily areas, to absorb excess oil.

Cheeks

MAC Blush ‘Peachy Keen’ (highlight)

NARS Blush ‘Sin’

Lips

MAC Lip pencil ‘Chestnut’

OCC Lip Tars ‘Butch’ + ‘Hoochie’

MAC Lipglass ‘Wrongspell’

When contouring and highlighting, blending is imperative to achieving a flawless, natural finish. I used my faux beauty blender I purchased from Avon. When it was available I had only purchased two. Now I am regretting it. It was a steal! I’m talking $3.99 each compared to $19.95 for one. Hopefully, Avon brings them back in another campaign, and then I will stock up!

Review: Majestic Beauty Salon Burnt Almond Oil Treatment for Eyebrows {Guest Post}

April 8, 2013 by Kim S. / blog / 0 comments

Eyebrows after Burnt Almond Oil Treatment

After having my make-up professionally done I realized what a huge difference having my lashes and eyebrows make. Both my lashes and eyebrows are thin, so on a regular day I use a brow pencil to fill them in, and use a mascara brush to add depth. While searching lifebooker.com I came across an eyelash extension deal for a salon located in downtown Manhattan, Majestic Beauty Salon at 30 Ann Street.

I went there just for my lashes, but he (Lazar) asked me if I wanted a complete look. Lazar took his time and did a fabulous job with threading my brows ($12). He then asked if I would like to have a burnt almond oil treatment (an additional $7). Apparently, almond oil contains Vitamin E, Vitamin D, magnesium and calcium, all of which are necessary for healthy hair growth and follicle stimulation. Naturally, my brows are very thin, so when he offered this brow thickening treatment, I obliged.

At the beginning of the burnt almond oil treatment, Lazar lit his applicator which formed a dark charcoal pigment on the skin, which he could lighten if necessary. After the treatment, I was instructed not to wash the area for a day to allow the oil to penetrate, and to visit every week for a treatment ($3) and within a month I will see my eyebrows thickening. I absolutely love the look of my brows. They look fuller, and natural.

I go back weekly for the almond treatment and every 2 weeks for threading. I do see a prominent difference in the hair growth.
I would highly recommend the salon.

photo (2) — Eyebrows after Burnt Almond Oil Treatment and eyelash extensions from Majestic Beauty Salon

For more information on Burnt Almond Oil Treatment for Eyebrows, read here: Is Almond Oil Proven to Grow Brows?

Guest Post by Rasheena W.

Fragrance Fridays: A dupe for Frédéric Malle Lipstick Rose

April 5, 2013 by Kim S. / blog, Reviews / 5 Comments

A scent that I’ve been wanting and I feel is perfect for the spring is Frédéric Malle Lipstick Rose, which is described as a powdery floral scent. This perfume was created in 2000 along with perfumer Ralf Schweiger, and is described as follows:

Marilyn in Technicolor, vulnerable even brash. Lipstick Rose is Ralph Schweiger’s vision of glamorized femininity. A perfume that smiles at you, like a dash of lipstick with its rose and violet-flavored bonbon scent. Grapefruit and violet enhance the fragrance’s rose note. The backdrop is musk and vanilla with a hint of vetiver and amber.

Frédéric Malle Lipstick Rose has most of my favorite notes including rose, violet, musk, vanilla, vetiver, amber and grapefruit. What stuck out to me most was the violet. I’m a big fan of violet scents. After wearing Lipstick Rose for a few days, it dawned on me that I love this scent because it reminded me of one of my favorite Guerlain fragrances, Insolence.

Guerlain’s Insolence was created in 2006 by Maurice Roucel. He’s responsible for one of my other Frédéric Malle favorites, Musc Ravageur. Insolence includes notes of violet, raspberry, red fruit pulp, rose, orange blossom, iris, tonka bean, musk and sandalwood. Again, there’s the violet and musk I love. Yummy! You can read my thoughts on Guerlain Insolence here: My Favorite Scents Series: The Smell of Purple

What’s keeping me from buying Lipstick Rose?

The price! It costs $170/50 ml and $250/$100 ml. Right now, splurging on perfume is not in my budget. I can get Guerlain Insolence for about $40-120 less, and it satisfies my senses all the same.

Have you ever wanted a high-end fragrance and found a more affordable dupe?

Disclosure: A sample of Frédéric Malle Lipstick Rose was provided for review consideration.

Green with Envy Beat Face for the Birthday Girl

April 3, 2013 by Kim S. / blog, Makeup Looks / 4 Comments

Over the weekend I put together this look for a friend using some green eyeshadow since green is Pantone’s color of the year, and was in her birthday outfit, I decided to use it. I used LIT Cosmetics glitter because it was her birthday, and glitter makes every evening celebration ten times better!