How to Get Started with Base Makeup

Hey guys! Within this "How to get started" series, we've finally come upon our base makeup post! Let's jump right in.

Base makeup refers to everything that might go on your face to fix complexion and essentially create a clean and smooth look to the skin. We're going to cover a couple different kinds of coverage and different types of products that anyone might be interested in!
Before Application
Before applying any sort of makeup. It's very important to prepare the skin well. Makeup can sometimes be damaging to skin if worn too heavy and too often so it's important to take good care of the skin when applying any sort of base makeup.

Make sure you skin is moisturized! This moisturizer is the Clear Complexion Moisturizer from Aveeno, here.

Also be sure always to apply spf. Some makeup includes spf in it as well. The spf on the left is actually a powder that you can twist and brush across your skin from Peter Thomas Roth, it's available here. The one on the right is a more traditional facial sunscreen from Boscia, available here.
Overall, good skincare will also lead to easier makeup application, so drink lots of water and be careful to get lots of vitamins and minerals. It's the best way to jumpstart skin.
Primers
The next step in preparing the skin would be a primer. Oftentimes they will be silicone based, so be sure to test your skin first with a primer sample before making a purchase in case of skin sensitivity.  

There are many different kinds of primers, all of which are supposed to help your makeup stay on your face longer. Some facilitate a glowier look, some mattify, and some do color correction. Find one that works for you! The two above are Smashbox's Photo Finish Color Correcting Primer which helps counteract redness, available here, and Benefit's Porefessional, available here.
Foundations
There are lots of different kinds of foundations. I will separate powders into a different section so we can cover more liquid and cream style ones here.
Firstly, there's the standard liquid or cream foundation. It can be applies with a brush, fingers, or a sponge... Really whatever you'd like! They range a lot in coverage and some may have ingredients that aren't great for your skin. I would recommend always doing a skin test for face makeup!

These foundations are Tarte's Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Full Coverage Foundation, available here, and Cover Fx's Custom Drops which let you mix your own color, available here.
There's also tinted moisturizers, that are generally a lot lighter in coverage and often contain spf. They're great for lazy days. BB Creams and CC Creams often fall into this category although they're a bit different. They're meant to also provide skin benefits as well as coverage. They're also often a lot more full coverage than a standard tinted moisturizer.

The tinted moisturizer on the left is from Juice Beauty, available here. Then, the one on the right is from Laura Mercier, available here.

The BB cream is Etude House's Precious Mineral BB Cream Cotton Fit, available here. There's not much color range for it though. The CC cream is Skinfood's Vita Water Drop CC Cream, available here.
Then, a type that's very trendy nowadays is cushion foundation. You press the applicator and it'll dispense the right amount of product onto the sponge, or puff, or whatever you're using. They come in many different finishes as well!

These cushions are from VDL, here, and Etude House, here.

If you're looking for a cushion from a Western brand, you can go for the Lancome, here.
Finishes for foundations come in big ranges, there's cream to powder, mattifying foundations, dewy finish foundations, oil based foundations, and much more. Find the type you're looking for and be sure to try it out first!
Concealers
Some people apply concealer before foundation and others will do the other way around. I think it's up to personal preference, although many do argue that it wastes less product to apply concealer afterwards.


It's important to pick a concealer that suits your skintone. Feel free to ask an employee at any makeup store for help matching your shade. Some people like to go a few shades lighter for a bit of a highlighting effect, but it's important to realize that using a highlight on a blemish might make it stand out more. 

The two concealers I've included here are Etude House's Surprise Stick Concealer, available here, and my personal favorite, Makeup Forever's Full Cover Concealer, here.
Powders
Some people will apply a powder over their makeup to set it in place and help it from sliding. Others opt over doing a powder at all. There are different kinds, some which will add more coverage and then some that solely help finish off the makeup.

Translucent powders are natural and meant to set the rest of your makeup. This is Innisfree's No Sebum Mineral Pact, which is meant to keep the skin less oilly, available here.

Powder foundations can be used with or without anything underneath, and help add coverage as well. This is Etude House's Precious Mineral BB Compact, here. Be sure to get the right shade for your skintone! This one has quite limit color selection. Bareminerals has a little more range, here.

Hope this post was helpful! If you have any questions feel free to comment below. Also let me know what you want to see next!
--Koko   See Also:  Nature Republic Botanical Green Tea BB Cream Review How to Get Started with Eyeshadow
How to Get Started with Eyeliner Tony Moly Bbo Bbo Lip Balm Review
Do not take without proper credit! 
Image Credits: minus, sephora, amazon, ulta, Etude Houe, BareMinerals, Innisfree, Makeup Forever, VDL, Lancome Juice Beauty, Laura Mercier, Tarte, Cover FX, Smashbox, Benefit, Boscia, Peter Thomas Roth, Aveeno

Nature Republic Botancial Green Tea BB Cream Review

Over the past few months I got to try out the Botanical Green Tea BB Cream in No. 21 (light beige) from Nature Republic. Please keep in mind that people's skins are different and this is my own experience with this product.

How to Get Started with Eyeshadow

As a follow up to my How to Get Started with Eyeliner from before, I thought it would be the next logical step to follow up with a similar post for another eye related makeup item: eyeshadow.
Today is just part one. I'm going to focus on the most basic categories of powder shadows. Keep in mind that many people will break these eyeshadows down into more categories than just these, but for a beginner these are a good start! These are technically mac's categorizations (minus a few) but they can be used to describe other brand's finishes as well!
We'll start with four.

Matte
Matte is my favorite finish and for some is the easiest finish to start with. Matte finishes are as simple as pigment can get, absolutely no shine and no sparkle. Since lacks any sort of reflecting properties, some people consider it less natural looking and tend to avoid matte finishes because they think it looks chalky. Others prefer matte because of its clean look.
The ones pictured above are MAC espresso and NYX tryst.


Satin
Satin offers a subtle and soft sheen in finish. A satin eyeshadow offers the ability to really brighten up the eye, and due to slight light refraction, draws the eye's attention to it. Satin shadows offer a nice subtle glow and are a great starting shadow finish as well.   The ones pictured above are 100% pure Bahamas and MAKE Blue Toile.

Frost
Frosts tend to be more iridescent and thus are often used as highlights. A little bit of a highlight on the browbone or on parts of the face one would like to highlight can make a huge difference. I've always considered frost finish shadows to be quite "pearly". One thing to be cautious of is how frost shadows can settle on the skin over time. I would suggest giving a new frost shadow a test run before wearing it to a big event.
The ones pictured above are MAC Satin Taupe and Makeup Geek Prom Night.

Glitter
Glitter comes in a great deal of varieties, after all, glitter comes in different sizes and types. However, as a warning, glitter sticks everywhere, and sometimes the chunkier the glitter the more cautious you have to be with your eyeshadow selection. The two here are finer glitters, but depending on what you like and what you want you can get glitter shadows in practically every sort.
The ones pictured above are Makeup Forever Diamond Powder: White Gold 2 and Urban Decay Moondust Powder: Glitter Rock

I hope this post was helpful! Let me know in the comments if there's something specific you'd like to see.

--Koko
Also See: How to Get Started with Eyeliner
Tony Moly Bbo Bbo Lip Balm Review Skinfood Egg White Pore Foam Review Haul: Memebox (Memebox #12)
Do not take without proper credit!
Image Credits: sephora, ulta, mac, makeupgeek, birchbox, 100% pure

How to Get Started With Eyeliner

Wishing everyone a great new year with a post about something that enriches all people's lives... Eyeliner.
Eyeliner can be daunting for those who have never tried it before. It's a stick of what looks like charcoal that goes so close to your eye!. However, eyeliner can make such a key difference in a look, so maybe the new year is a time to embrace a new style of eyeliner, or try out eyeliner for the first time! 
The Basics
There are a couple main types of eyeliner. Depending on the look, one may be more appropriate than the others. 

Pencil A good way for beginners to start is with pencil liner. If you use a good pencil, it shouldn't smudge or rub off during the day. The one pictured above is Stila's Smudgestick Waterproof Eyeliner in Stingray. Pencil can be a lot more forgiving and is certainly a foolproof classic for beginners and makeup enthusiasts alike.

Liquid The plus of liquid is how sharp and clear of a line one can get from it. It can be a little harder to control and it's a bit less forgiving, but many people swear by it. The one shown above is Jordana Cosmetics Incolor Fabuliner Liquid Liner in FB-01 Black.

Cream/Gel A little hard to control than liquid liner, gel or cream eyeliners require a brush for applicaiton (a short, dense, angled brush is best). Some gel liners have incredible staying power, and can allow for more movement than other options. The one shown above is L'oreal Paris's Infallible Gel Lacquer Liner 24 Hour in Black.

Eyeshadow For one who may not want to spill out on an eyeliner, but has eyeshadow on hand. Eyeliner, with the right brush (and sometimes a little water) can serve as a substitute for eyeliner. Be sure to pack the color on carefully and densely in order to get enough color. The one shown above is Make Up Forever's Artist Shadow in M100 Matte Black. The Colors

Black Black is the classic eyeliner color. It packs a punch and is both easily accessible and easy to work with. It can be a little harsh for some looks, so a good alternative is a dark gray which is similar, but just a bit softer. The black liner shown above is Urban Decay's 24/7 Glide On Pencil in Zero.

Brown Brown is a little softer than black and can be used for slightly more subtle every day looks. Personally, I keep a brown pencil liner around for the days when I'm lazy and don't want to be precise, but still want to put on some eyeliner. The brown gel liner shown above is Inglot's AMC Eyliner Gel in 96.

Colors There are also colored eyeliners for those who just want to add a pop of color to their makeup, or go for a look that's more exotic. Eyeliners come in great formulas in all sorts of colors nowadays to match any sort of look. The ones I've shown above are Stila's Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner in Turquoise and Amber.
Styles

Subtle There's a lot of charm in a subtle look. Just a thin line on the top lashline (and maybe a little on the bottom outer lashline) can have a big impact. Depending on how thick the line is drawn towards the center of the eye or the end of the eye is drawn, it can make the eye seem to vary in shape. With practice, one can find what fits best.

Winged For a bolder look, one could always go for the classic wing. Of course, CL's makeup as pictured is quite drastic, but even just a small wing to one's eyeliner can be a fresh new look.

When it comes down to it, the most important thing is to experiment and figure out what you like.
There's plenty of stuff that isn't covered in the post, after all, it's trying to cover the basics. If you'd like to see more let us know in the comments.
Have fun!
--Koko


Also See:

Do not take without proper credit!
Image Credits: soompi, ph.celebrity.yahoo, lxedit, njennifer @blogspot, sephora, jordana cosmetics, inglot, l'oreal paris

Tony Moly Bbo Bbo Lip Balm Review

Merry Christmas (to those who celebrate it)!!
At this time of the year where I live, the winters are cold and the air is dry which make my lips chapped. When I was in Sephora, I was surprised to see that such a high-end retailer carried Tony Moly (only one item, but still). Thinking that the quality should be better than their normal products, I picked up the Tony Moly Bbo Bbo Lip Balm in honey and tried it out. 

Right off the bat, the cute shiny packaging gave the product a look and feel of sleekness. It's more shiny than pictured on the Sephora website.

Skinfood Egg White Pore Foam Review (and Los Cerritos Center Mall location pictures)

 When I visited Los Angeles for KCONUSA 2014, I also explored the area and shopped in Los Cerritos Center Mall. In the mall, there is a Skinfood store and I happened to take some pictures of the very neat displays. The staff there was nice too! And with any purchase, you get free samples :D

Haul: Memebox (Memebox #12)

One of my friends (shout out to Lia) got the Memebox #12 from Memebox this summer and volunteered to share what she got in her box. The two following pictures list the products included in the Memebox she received.

Haul & Review: Peach Edition

This is the Peach Edition of Korean brand skincare! (Does anyone want to see makeup reviews or are there enough out there? Let me know!)

 

Bright Lipsticks!

The title to this post is not misleading at all! I'm going to share four lipstick brands for good color payoff with a range in prices. Hopefully this post can be helpful to some!

We mostly focus on clothes, because, after all, we are a fashion website. Nonetheless, I often count makeup as an accessory, and therefore, it's worth mentioning.

Lately, so many people have been talking about bright lip colors, and oftentimes, I hear the name "Cheon Song-Yi" in that same exact sentence.

With the otherwise simple makeup look, the bold lip color stands out and thus has begun a trend of eye-popping lip colors. Cheon Song-Yi and "You Who Came From the Stars" certainly isn't the first to don a bright lip, and we can now take a look at a couple of great places to purchase your own lip makeup! I've personally used all of these I've listed, so you have my stamp of approval.  

Etude House's Color Pop lipsticks
A lot of people give this lipstick flack for being drying and less moisturizing that Etude House's usual lipstick formula. To that, I agree, but the color payoff is also excellent. The "jelly lips" collection is a lot more sheer. If you're going for an orange lip, these aren't overly priced and so long as its paired with a good lip balm, is an excellent choice for a bright lipstick. This lipstick doesn't last terribly long, so reapplication is recommended. However, for me, a little goes a long way, and the price makes the need for reapplication okay.

Stylenanda's 3CE lip colors:
These lipsticks from left to right are #409 Kiss woo, #605 Fatal , and #408 Chu chu. Hyuna herself wears a 3CE lip color in #501 Bella, which is a rich burgundy color. The color payoff on 3ce lipsticks is generally quite good, and they are creamy and not drying, but lip balm is still recommended.

YSL Rouge Pur Couture:
From left to right, #36 Corail legend, #51 Corail urban, and #50 Rouge neon. Supposedly Cheon Song-Yi wears #51 Corail urban but I like #36 more as a shade. YSL lipsticks and lip products in general are my hands-down favorite. They have lovely texture and last a long time. They're certainly on the pricey side, but if you love lipsticks like I do, I think it's worth it to invest in one or two shades that you really love. I have a link to the lipsticks here.

NARS:

The two colors here are "Heatwave" and "Schiap" which can be found here. I like Nars lipsticks. There are lots of different finishes but I think in general their color payoff is good and they last a substantial amount of time. The bright colors have great pigmentation and I really like their shades.

If you're specifically crazy about Cheon Song-Yi's lip colors, a good chunk of them are supposed to be by the brand IOPE's color fit lipsticks (a personal favorite is #17 Cherry Blossom). I however, have never owned one, so I can't give any information on durability and quality. The focus of this post is my favorite lipsticks that have excellent color payoff. If you want to hear about more sheer or moisturizing lipsticks, or even just more of my favorites (there's a lot not included here), let us know in the comments!
On top of lipsticks there's also lip crayons, lacquers, and glosses! Please let me know in the comments if you want to see more.

--Koko
Do not take without proper credit! 
Image Credits: iambabypanda, bebethepetite, musingsofamuse, twofacemall
Also See: How Nail Polish Names Remind Me of Kpop Haul & Beauty Review: Nature Republic (3) Haul & Review: The Face Shop (2)