How To & Tips: Natural Makeup

Think you can't be a natural beauty? Think again! Almost everyone can look amazing and refreshing, even if you just rolled out of bed. Here's a few helpful tips to achieve a natural, flawless look.

Let's Start With Skin
First, prep your skin with a good wash, exfoliate if you need to, and always moisturize, even if you have oily skin. Let your moisturizer set for 5 minutes, and either grab your favourite tinted moisturizer or your favourite primer and apply (note; only use a primer if you are going to use a foundation, if you are going to use a tinted moisturizer there is no need for a primer). If you applied a tinted moisturizer, skip on to the next steps, if you applied a primer, keep on reading. After you let your primer set for 5-10 minutes, grab your favourite foundation, as long as it isn't fake or cakey looking, and apply with your fingertips. Applying foundation with your fingertips will give you the most natural application, almost like a second skin, because your fingers help warm the product up. (Warning: to avoid streaks, blend very well into the skin.) Let your foundation set for another 5-10 minutes and finish off with some mattifying powder. If you'd like, you can add a very sheer, natural blush, highlighter, and/or bronzer to your skin, but of course, keep it very natural looking. (For bronzer, try to avoid anything with sparkles or shimmer, real tans do not sparkle).

I would say that the skin is the most important thing for this look. Having a flawless canvas, so to speak, is going to really make everything you do from this point on look better. If you feel comfortable enough, you can skip the next steps and just go out with flawless skin, I encourage you to go for it.

Next Up, Eyes
Eyes will consist of only a few things; eyelash curler, mascara, and maybe some eyeliner and nude eyeshadow.
First, give your eyelashes a good curl. Get your curler as close to the root as you can without pinching your skin, and pump it 3 times. Next, apply a thin coat of brown or black mascara. (Tip: to get a very natural mascara application, wipe the wand on a facial tissue to remove excess product.) If you want, apply some white eyeliner to your bottom waterline, this will make your eyes appear bigger. To make your lash line look thicker, apply a brown or black eyeliner (depending on which colour of mascara you used) to your upper waterline.
If you wish, you can apply a matte, nude eyeshadow to your lids, but it isn't necessary.

Lips
For this look, I would suggest a natural colour in either a matte lipstick or a lipstain, or just a clear gloss. Other than that, don't go for much else on the lips.

And, You're Done!
If you need to, fill in your eyebrows, add any finishing touch like a highlight on the brow bone and inside corner of the eye, and you're all set!

Review: Macadamia Natural Oil Healing Oil Treatment

Company: Macadamia Natural Oil
Animal Testing: Cruelty free!
Product Name: Healing Oil Treatment
Amount of Product: 125 mL, 4.2 FL. OZ.
Price: As low as $20 to as high as $45

What The Product Claims: Macadamia Healing Oil Treatment instantly absorbs into the hair, weightlessly infusing moisture, health, softness, protection, control and shine.

If I could live the rest of my life with only 1 product, this would be it, hands down. My absolute holy grail product, could never live without it, miracle sent from heaven. And I will explain why.

I admit, like any girl I abuse my hair, but I'd say I abuse it about 10 times worse than anyone I know. I've been transitioning from jet black hair up to bleach blonde, so lately the bleach has been taking a real toll. I also blow dry, straighten, and tease (heavily) almost every day, so, yeah, I would say my hair has been through quite a lot over the years. I've tried different products such as shampoos and conditioners that haven't done much but provide a temporary fix.

This oil not only starts to work the first time you use it, it also helps provide long lasting damage protection. This oil also helps reduce blow drying time by up to 50% and has a built in heat protector! How amazing is that?

Just apply to your hair every day, damp or dry, and let it do it's thing. I also have the Macadamia Natural Oil Shampoo and the Deep Repair Masque, which are also absolutely amazing, but the Healing Oil I would say is at the top of my list.

Unfortunately, I used to be able to buy this for only $20 because my cousin was a hairdresser and could get it half price at the beauty supplier (She moved, but I'm on my way to getting my hairdressing license) so I now have to pay a full $45. It's painful to pay at times, but I really do believe it is worth it, also, i use half a pump and so the product lasts almost a full year for me. Even though my hair is quite short, just below my chin level as an angular bob, half a pump can work on hair down to just below shoulder length, anything longer should use a full pump for the best benefits.

This product, even if you have to splurge for it, is something I would recommend to every single woman out there, heck, I'll even recommend it to guys who care about their hair. I think it's definitely worth trying at least once or giving as a gift to a friend or family member who is into hair and/or beauty, or a deserving mother or sister. I'm sure they will appreciate it, I know it helps make me feel amazing.

Get To The Point...

What's To Love:
-Weightless
-Long lasting nourishment
-Not tested on animals!
-Great investment
-Reduces blow drying time up to 50%
-Improves shine
-Built in heat protector

What's To Not:
-The price, depending on where you buy it. ($45 at Shoppers Drug Mart where I live, may differ in different locations)

Final Thoughts
If you're looking for a new heat protector, to add shine, or just bring your hair back to life, this is the one thing I would recommend to you. No more trying a hundred different products to find something that works, this is a one time miracle, and if you don't completely fall in love with it, I'd suggest giving it time, and then stop using it for a while and see what state your hair reverts back to. I did that, and I could not believe how much the breakage and damage was amplified just from the absense of this one product. Try it, try it, try it!