Touch of Glam by Anchal

Bridal Makeup Trends 2011

2011-01-09T17:46:00.000-08:00

The year 2011 is here and with it begins the busy Wedding Season. Brides-to-be all over are now looking for Makeup trends for their upcoming weddings. So I decided to do a blog on the Bridal Makeup Trends 2011.

2011 will bring back a lot of Nude and Natural Makeup looks but will also emphasize on Soft, Bold and Flirty Smokey Eye looks.

Below are some ideas and inspiration for 2011 Bridal Makeup Trends.

2011 Bridal Makeup Styles

Lips Go Bold!

The lips, for a change, plan to get bright and vivacious in 2011. The colors chosen will increase your sexiness and charisma. Lip color shades that are definitely in include Red, Violet, and Hot Pink. To enhance your seductiveness, try out a Glossy version of any of these shades with a clean finish outline, using a lip pencil.

Go Natural!

Brides just cannot get over this simple, elegant yet natural look. The year 2011 will yet again see brides donning natural makeup due to its never-ending popularity. And why not, after all, natural makeup is the best way to create value to your natural beauty, without putting in much effort yet giving you a trendy and fabulous appearance. With subtle cheeks defined with a touch of blush, mascara on your eyelashes, and bare lips or natural looking lipstick, you are all set to move out and draw the much-needed attention.

Smokey is so In!

Looks like Brides just don't get tired of experimenting with smokey makeup! Reason being, smokey makeup looks great to look at and hence, fails to lose its beauty anytime. The 3 most famous Smokey Eye looks are Flirty, Soft and Bold. For a trendy and stylish look, go for the traditional Black and Gray eye shadow, while if you prefer enhancing and beautifying your eyes, opt for dark blue. Complement your eyes with highlighted cheekbones in shades of bronze, pink and light peach along with Nude and Natural Lipcolours.

Soft Smokey Eye

Flirty Smokey Eye


Bold Smokey Eye

At the end of the day its the decision of the Bride-to-be as to what look she is most comfortable sporting on her Special day.

Here's Wishing all the Brides a House full of Sunshine, Hearts full of Cheer and Love that grows deeper each day of the year. God Bless!!

10 Healthy Winter Skin Care Tips

2010-12-16T16:55:00.000-08:00

Dry winter air can wreak havoc on your skin — leaving it dry, itchy, and irritated; but there are many simple ways to combat dry skin causes and help keep your skin feeling moist and supple all winter long.

Top 10 Tips for Healthy Winter Skin:

1. Invest in a humidifier. Using a humidifier in your home will add moisture to dry winter air and help keep your skin hydrated. Run a humidifier in the rooms you spend the most time in, including your bedroom.

2. Lower the thermostat. When it's chilly outside, what's the first thing you want to do? Crank up the heat! But central heat can make the air in your house even drier. Try setting the thermostat at a comfortable setting to maintain healthy skin.

3. Skip hot showers. Although it may be tempting to warm up with a long, steamy shower, hot water dries out your skin by stripping it of its natural oils. Instead, take a 5- to 10-minute lukewarm shower (or bath). You should also avoid using excessively hot water when washing your hands — if the water causes your skin to turn red, it’s too hot.

4. Choose cleanser wisely. The wrong soap can worsen itchy, dry skin. For instance, steer clear of regular bar soaps, since they tend to contain irritating ingredients and fragrances. Instead try using a mild fragrance-free, moisturizing cleanser or gel. My personal favorite is the Cetaphil line of cleansers, moisturizers available at all beauty stores.

5. Modify your facial skin care regimen for the season. During the winter months, choose cream-based cleansers, and apply toners and astringents sparingly, if at all. Many astringents contain alcohol, which can further dry your skin. Look for products that contain little or no alcohol — unless your skin is excessively oily. At night, use a richer moisturizer on your face.

6. Moisturize frequently. Maintain healthy skin by moisturizing after washing up. Blot skin dry and apply a thick moisturizer within a few minutes after bathing to seal the water into the skin. It's best to use Baby Oil, cream or ointment in the winter. Lotions are better in warmer, humid climates. And don't forget your hands as constant washing will cause the hands to take a beating. Apply hand cream after each washing, and wear waterproof gloves when washing dishes or cleaning around the house."

7. Apply sunscreen — even in winters. It is still important to protect your skin from harmful UV rays on cold, dreary days in winter. Before going outside, apply a moisturizing, broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher to all exposed areas of your body.

8. Wear appropriate clothing. Many cold-weather fabrics can aggravate dry winter skin. Keep wool and rough clothing from directly touching your skin as this can cause dry skin to get irritated and itchy. Wear soft, breathable materials against your skin, and then pull on a warmer sweater. Protect your hands from cold winter air with gloves or mittens. Remember to choose a pair that won’t irritate your skin. If you prefer wool gloves, put cotton or silk glove liners on first.

9. Eat right, stay hydrated. Enjoy eating lots of Fruits, Vegetables and drink lots of water throughout the day.

10. Try to workout a few days a week. Staying active helps in making the body's immune system strong which means fewer colds, fevers and infections.

Following all these tips can help you in taking better care of your skin and body this Winter season. **Happy Holidays**

Makeup Shelf Life

2010-01-13T21:07:00.000-08:00

Always wondered if that Lipstick sitting in your Makeup Bag for the past few months...still good? Or wondered if that Mascara that gives out a funky odour every time you open it...still good? This blog will give you answers to all these questions and more.

How you handle your makeup can immensely effect the Shelf life of your Makeup. Do you do the following:

Wash your hands before applying.
Not share makeup.
Not add water or saliva to dilute makeup.
Keep cosmetics in a dry area, away from direct heat, sunlight or moisture.

If so your Makeup is likely to last about 3-6 months longer than the industry timeline.

But if you’re still unsure about a product, here are some warning signs you should watch out for:

The product’s smell has changed.
It has been exposed to prolonged heat or cold temp. You should never let your makeup freeze or melt.
There is an obvious colour or textural change.
Mould is evident.

Here's a standard industry guideline of when to toss out your Makeup:

Mascara — 3 months.
Liquid Foundation and Concealer — 3 to 8 months.
Cream Blush and Eyeshadow — 6 to 12 months.
Powder Blush and Eyeshadow — 1 year.
Eyeliner and Lipliner Pencils — Up to 2 years.
Liquid Eyeliner — 6 months or less.
Lipstick — 1 year.
Moisturizers and Skin Care — 1 to 2 years.

These guidelines are only valid if you take proper care of your products.

Remember:

Cream/ Oil/ Gel or Liquid based products last max of 3 to 8 months as long as the product doesn't smell and or you see the cream/gel separated from the colour in the product.

Powder based products last anywhere from 8 months to 1 year but you should know that its time to toss it out if the product becomes chalky and streaky upon application.

Make sure to check your Makeup on a regular basis. The more you take care of your Makeup the less chances you have of getting eye infections, pimples and other skin irritations. Trust me your skin is going to thank you for it.

5 Must have Makeup Brushes for every Makeup Bag

2009-12-28T06:42:00.000-08:00

5 Must have Makeup Brushes for every Makeup Bag.

This is the No.1 question I get from my clients...."How many brushes should I have?"

So here's Brushes 101-

Brushes are very important for applying products properly and creating a look. Brushes are good for hygiene reasons too keeping in mind that you should clean your personal brushes with a brush cleaner every week, shampoo and condition them with a baby shampoo & conditioner free of synthetic dyes every month.

The 5 Makeup brushes everyone needs in their Makeup Bag are:

1. Foundation Brush

2. Concealer brush

3. Powder Brush

4. Blush Brush

5. Eyeshadow brush(s)

You don't have to pay a lot to get good quality brushes. Some of the expensive brands out there dont always have the best quality brushes so you need to be a smart shopper and do your research as to the quality & pricing available at your local beauty supply store or drugstore.

I'm sure you've heard everyone talk about MAC brushes and most of them are fantastic. I personally use these brushes in my kit and would highly recommend them:

Face:

190 Foundation Brush: A foundation brush designed to create even finish, flawless look. Works well with any M·A·C foundation, including Studio Fix and Studio Tech. . A professional-class foundation brush designed to provide a smooth, even finish, flawless look. Use to apply, distribute, and blend foundation into all areas of the face.

168 Large Angled Contour Brush: For expert application of cheek contour. This brush is a large angled contour - the fibers form a buffed edge and are soft and firmly bundled.

129 Powder/ Blush Brush: All-purpose for blush or face powder. This brush is particularly good for blush application. The fibers are soft and form a full, rounded shape.

Eyes:

MAC 219 Pencil Brush: Which is great for precision shading on lid, in eye crease or along lash line. The soft, smooth fibers of this brush are gathered into a pencil-shaped tip. It is ideal for blending eyeliner into eye shadow to create a smoky looking eye.

MAC 210 Precise Eyeliner Brush: Graphically precise with a finely pointed, tapered tip. Provides a controlled, ultra-fine application of any powder, liquid or cream-based eye liner.

MAC 217 Blending Brush: For shading or blending of color or creamy products. This brush has fine, densely packed fibers that are arranged in an oval shape. Fab brush for achieving the perfectly blended look.

Now you must be wondering how come I don't have any lip brushes in this list and the reason being is due to hygiene reasons. I personally use disposable lip wands in my kit since they avoid cross contamination between different lip shades. Usually with lip brushes I have noticed that since the lipsticks are cream based they are harder to clean even with a brush cleaner solution so to avoid that hassle I use disposable lip wands.

Same goes for Mascara brushes. If you the only person using the Mascara then there's no problem but if you are sharing a Mascara then I recommend you use a disposable Mascara brush keeping in mind that the single Mascara brush only goes into the Mascara tube once. If you put the used Mascara brush back into the Mascara tube you are increasing your chances of transferring your germs back into the tube. Big big hygiene NO NO...

I personally also love Makeup Forever brushes b/c of the good quality and durability. They also come in long handle brushes which are great for hand stability and provides more control over the product.

Do feel free to leave a comment or ask any questions you have.

Makeup for different eye colors

2009-11-27T12:08:00.000-08:00

The following chart will help you select colors that are the best for your eye color.

•Blue Eyes: Rich warm browns, warm taupes and soft peaches

•Green and Hazel Eyes: Golden browns, warm taupes, deep purples, soft peaches and soft violets.

•Grey Eyes: Charcoal, cool brown and purple.

•Brown Eyes: Knock yourself out...you lucky women get to wear any color you want!

When you are picking colors for your skin tone, stick with natural, subtle colors.
If you have a fair complexion, it is best to stay away from dark colors. For dark skinned women, you should stay away from white or light colors; look for eyeshadows that are deep with color.

Choosing the best eyeshadow for your skin tone and eye color will help your eyes stand out. It makes the whites of the eyes appear "whiter," causing the iris color to "pop." I'm not saying you have to stick with these colors for the rest of your life, I know we all need a little variety. But these are the best colors for you on the days you really want to look your best.

GREEN EYES

Choosing the eye shadow

Try all shades of brown, especially the chocolate one. Brown and dark-green tones with coppers and gold shades work great for green eyes.

Peach-toned and grey eye shadows will look good as foundation for deeper and darker hues.

Dark-violets, plums and metallics will look nice on green eyes. Copper and gold shadows will be ideal for an evening out.

Big No for green eyes

Stay away from blues. Any tone of blue will make green eyes look bad.

Pink is not a very good option for green eyes. The problem is that some pinks look marvelous with green eyes while others are terrible. Only trying them for yourself can determine which shade of pink is good for you.

Silver tones which look fabulous on blue eyes do look horrible on green eyes.

The color of an eyeliner

Black eyeliner is not the most appropriate choice if only you don’t love it so much that can’t refuse using it anyway. Instead of black try grey or chocolate eyeliner. To make your eyes pop apply white or gold eyeliner.

Generally speaking, when you choose the colors for eye makeup opt for warmer tones rather than old ones.

A sample makeup technique

BLUE EYES

Tones perfect for blue eyes

Some tones seem to have been specially created for blue eyes. They are: pale pinks, silver, gold and purple. Besides, blue eyes are flattered with taupe, pearl and violet hues, lavender in particular.

To create a bright look try bright blue shadows. This advice might seem strange as many people say blue shadows for blue eyes is a big no, but dark-blue shadows make blue eyes even more expressive. Try it and you’ll be surprised with the result!

Navy and turquoise shadows do also look good, especially for blue-grey eyes. Bright pink and fuchsia tones will also accentuate how deep and attractive your eyes are.

Those who like experimenting can try charcoal shadows in combination with other tones. Smokey eyes look great on everybody, this makeup technique will never be a failure.

How to apply the shadows

When you have chosen the right shadows start applying them. My advice will be especially useful for young girls who aren’t good at doing the makeup yet.
This procedure is just one of possible versions of applying eye makeup.

1.Apply silver shadows all over your eyelid, up to the brow.

2.Apply lavender shadows on the area from the line of your lash growth to the crease. Smudge the tones to avoid the line of distinction between them.

3.Apply violet shadow in a V-shape moving to the outer corner of the eye. Smudge thoroughly. The transition from one shadow to another should be unnoticed and natural-looking.

4.Emphasize the eye with a charcoal or black eye pencil.

5.Mascara your lashes.

Feel free to use pale pink, pale or dark turquoise, gold and pearl, grey and bright blue, emerald and even red. Don’t be afraid to experiment! Blue eyes look well with almost any shadows.

GREY EYES

So many women have beautiful grey eyes and choosing the right makeup for them is not difficult. But of course there are some important details you might not know about.

When selecting the pallete for your shadows take into account your skin color type and think of the effect you want to achieve. So, if you are a warm type and you wish to accentuate your eyes your choice should be limited to golden, bronze, and sand colors. In case you want to focus on the complexion opt for shadows and eyeliners of cold tones: green, turquoiuse, blue, aqua, violet and rosy.

If you are a cold type and your goal is to highlight your eyes choose shadows and eyeliners of a cold green or violet pallette. Shade the shadows thoroghly. The ultimate color should be soft and subdued. To flatter the complexion warm tones will work best: pink-beige, light brown, light violet and cream-colored.

How to flatter your eyes with various shades:

•To make grey eyes look ideal grey use silver shadows with metallic sparkle. Dark-blue tints will give the same effect.

•To create the effect of darker grey eyes apply shadows of a light-grey color.

•To add blue hue to grey eyes opt for golden, bronze, sand, orange and yellow shadows. Apply those to the upper lid and then shade them thoroghly. After that use blue eyeliner or blue shadows on the lower lid in a thin line along the lash growth. Coal black and dark-blue mascara will also make your eyes look blue.

•To achive a greenish or turquoise tone of your eyes try indigo, cossack green and chocolate shadows. Apply those to the upper lid and use green shadows or eyeliner along the growth of your lower lashes.
Which tones to avoid:

•To avoid making your eyes looking lifeless never use grey shadows of exactly your eyes’ color.

•Stay away from bright pink and bright orange tints of shadows – they will make your look inflamed.

Holiday Makeup Trends Winter 2009

2009-11-27T12:01:00.000-08:00

Holiday Makeup Look 2009

The Best Time of the Year is here: The Holiday Season is finally here and so are the hottest Holiday Parties. Wanna look like a Glam Doll at your next holiday party? Here's a little help.

And whats the Holiday Look of 2009 you ask:

- Spice Babe

A soft golden glow is the perfect look to complement the festive lights of the season. Warm hues like gingerbread, pumpkin, copper, and champagne spice up any look.

My favorite way to achieve this look is to play up the eyes and leave cheeks and lips radiant with natural-looking shimmer. A dark shade of brown eye pencil goes on the lash line, blended with a smudge brush. Then the eyelid gets a sweep of a coppery brown or bronze brown shadow. Finish with a bit of light golden shimmer shadow where the inner corners of the eyes meet the nose to brighten and open up the entire face.

Keep lips soft with sheer colors in the same family -- sienna, champagne, even a sheer red for people that want to be a bit adventurous-- to add healthy color that won't compete with the eyes for attention.

Finish with bronzer or a warm peachy blush on the apples of the cheeks for that sun-kissed look. If you desire more color, add a light dusting of bronzer or blush at the temples and on the chin. Be careful not to overdo it. Remember, you want people to notice you, not your makeup!

- Purple Glaze

Purple is a great party color and looks good on everyone.
To achieve a sexy mouth that lasts through an entire evening, line and fill the entire lip with lip pencil. Filling in with lip pencil gives you an even layer of color across the lips and offers much longer wear. After filling in, take your lip brush and go over the entire lip to make sure color is evenly placed. Then add a dusting of powder directly over the pencil (or put a tissue over the lips and dust over that) to really set the color.
You could also experiment with lip colors such as sheer grape, sugar plum, or shades of fuchsia and magenta. Try sheer gloss with a purple hint and subdued shimmer; for the more adventurous, try a lip color that offers fuller coverage.
Finish with foundation on the eyes to even out skin tone, and add a hint of purple liner along the upper lashline. Then, soften this look with a bit of coordinating eye shadow, such as an amethyst or dusky purple for a modified smoky eye. This look will beautifully balance out the purple hue without overpowering the face.
- Rosy Rose Glow

Here's a great example of how to highlight each of your features -- eyes, cheeks, and lips -- without looking "done up." As long as you stay within the same color family, you can evenly balance the face and create a soft, monochromatic look.
Start with a shimmering pink blush on the apples of the cheeks to get that just-in-from-the-cold healthy flush. Add a mauve, rose, or aubergine eye shadow to keep eyes aligned with the rosy palette. Top with a bit of black mascara.
Finally, finish the look with a dab of lip color in shades such as plum, burgundy, or rose. Look for sheer lipsticks and glosses to keep the look soft and sexy, not harsh. To keep this color in place, first line and fill lips with pencil in a matching shade.
The result should be fresh-faced and a balance of evenly placed soft color, like you are barely wearing makeup at all!