No Face. Drab?

Not every person enjoys putting on a full face. It takes precious time and energy to get yourself looking bright and cheery. But ladies, why not take a couple seconds to enhance that nature beauty?
I know very few people who can pull off a bare face and have no bags or imperfections. One of my co-workers is among this group of few. She has beautiful skin. Toned, clear, and has no need to bog her pores down with foundation. Tali, has that bare faced glow and many of us wish we were born with.
She literally wears some gloss and calls it day and looks absolutely fab. From her awesomely urban style down to the shaved head; Tali has that it factor. Her makeup choices only add to her fortune.
She's the perfect example of learning to work with what you've got. If you've got THE skin don't ruin it. If you don't, whip out some BB Cream, and make it glow like no body's business!

Bare-faced Heidi. 

Even models aren't afraid. 

Fabulosity Walking.

Although, I know a thing or two about applying make-up, I'm always fishing for tips from ladies out there with flawless make-up. As you all know, I work in a small clothing boutique, which brings in all walks of life. And, I am not shy when it comes to talking to each customer who walks in. I mean, it's my job. The other day, when I worked the closing shift, a young woman walked in looking beyond effortlessly flawless. From her pulled back messy bun, to the the casual oversized sweater, to the airbrushed perfection of her make-up. She probably thought I was the biggest creeper ever, because I could not stop staring at her face. I was in shock. Her bronzer perfectly contoured her cheek bones, while gentle sweep of blush accented the apples of her cheeks. Perfection. I kept thinking "Damn, what am I doing wrong?" And so, I finally snapped out of my trance and asked her to tell me her secret.
It was the most ridiculous answer I've ever received; "Um, I dunno, I just do it."Like, I'm sorry m'am, but what does that even mean? There's  got to be a process to this fabulosity. But she literally could not tell me. I guess some people just have that magic touch. Or are really just that dense. Either way. Don't be afraid to ask people for some tips if you admire their look! You can look just as, or even more fab, than them!

(The source of my stories.) 

Tragic Blush Drabulosity.

Rosie red cheeks. What girl doesn't want that little pop of color? It's cute and really adds a glow to any lovely ladies already beautiful face! But, it becomes a problem when you apply too much blush OR apply it in the complete wrong spot. 

You're probably thinking "huh? There is no wrong spot!" 

Oh but there is my dears. 

For example; the other day I encountered a woman in Kroger. She gave me nasty looks while I handed her my Kroger Plus Card. (Sorry you hate your job, but I do not appreciate, nor do I accept your nasty looks, m'am.) So I quickly deemed her Ms. Nastypants for all the nasty looks. Childish? Maybe so, but I was just acting accordingly. Anyway, Ms. Nastypants, is a prime example for this lesson on blush. It looked like a child drew all over her cheeks with a red Crayola marker. (Luckily those markers are washable with water.) 

Not only did she apply at least 50 coats too many; she also had it all concentrated in little circles under the apples of her cheeks. I didn't even know what to make of this sight other than, birthday clown, maybe? (If you couldn't tell, I really was not a fan of her.)

Take a lesson from Ms. Nastypants. DO NOT apply 50 coats of blush! 

Find the proper color for your skin tone (lighter for light skin, darker for dark skin) and gently sweep the color on the apples of your cheeks. I like to smile a little while I apply it, so I can target the apples directly. Make sure you blend it all out along your cheekbones. Avoid streaky blush lines though, or you'll have to do your whole face over again. (Ain't nobody got time for that! Still relevant right? )

As long as you are kind and gentle to your brush it will treat you right in return; giving you a nice glow and warmth that Ms. Nastypants will never achieve! 

Go ahead girl, make those cheeks pop! The ones on your face, of course. 

Heck, make the other cheeks pop too; you're fab!

A Tale of DRAB Lipstick.

It was a typical, slow day at work, when all of a sudden woman walked through the door. A pale woman wearing BLACK lipstick. I literally thought Elvira had come to steal my soul. Luckily, this woman was not actually coming to reap souls. She turned out to be one of the most perky people I've ever met. (You know, one of those people you want to slap for being so nice?) It's funny how the scariest people always turn out to be the nicest.

Although I was beyond glad to interact with a decent human being; I could not stop staring at those deathly black lips. I couldn't even be sassy and tell the woman that she looked like the Grimm Reaper; I mean, how do you tell the nicest person ever that they look like a terrifying mess?
I just couldn't do it. So, I let her walk out of the store to face the rest of the world like that.
I won't let you guys down though!

Choosing the proper lip shade for yourself is incredibly important. One shade off, and you could look like a hot mess; or my new Elvira friend (I don't really know which is worse).
Here's an easy guide to keep in mind when you're standing amongst 100's of shades of lipstick.
(Of course there are always exceptions. But, sometimes it's good to play it safe.)

1) Pale Skin = Pale Shades
- Dark shades will make you look more pale. You are lucky though, not many people can pull off a pale shade without looking they have chalk on their lips.

2) Medium Skin = Bright Colors or Dark Shades
- You are pretty lucky, you can pull of a variety of different shades. Test em' out.

3) Dark Skin = Dark Shades or Quirky Colors
- You could probably pull off that black lipstick with the right wardrobe. And you're super lucky because those crazy bright purple shades that you see will look totally fab and make your lips pop!

Keep this in mind, play it safe, and you'll have a fabulous winning shade each time.
Bye bye Elvira. Hello Elle Macpherson!

The Drab World of Pimples.

PIMPLES.
What can you say about em'? They're gross and always seem to pop up at the exact time you don't want them to. It's inevitable. Most of us get pimples due to stress, oily skin, or bad eating habits. But, Cami, a friend of mine, is cursed with a constant influx of pimples. It's actually beyond drab.
I've known this girl for a few years and this outbreak just starting happening a few months ago. The poor thing went from nearly clear skin to "woah, I didn't even know you could get a pimple there."

As gross as it is, she doesn't stress (obviously that'll just add to the problem) she just uses a few simple tricks to both get rid of those little buggers and cover up the stubborn ones.
Wanna know Cam's secrets?

They're so easy, a cavewoman could do it (Lame? My bad).
Anyway, start out with a basic salicylic acid wash. I know many people claim it's not good for your skin, but guess what, it gets the job done! After washing your face, apply spot acne treatment cream to the single pimps on your face. The ingredients should make those pesky pimples disappear over night.
If you wake up with some stubborn suckers left, never fear, you can cover those!

^ Your solution ^
We both live by this stuff. Physicians Formula Mineral Correcting Concealer. Apply them 1, 2, 3 and your face will look clear as a baby's bottom.
So, when you feel like a pizza face, don't stress and eat a bag of Mini Snicker candies. A simple 1, 2, 3 and you'll be pimple free!
Get bad with your fab self!