Makeup on the run: Get glamorous in five minutes or less

New mom? Busy work schedule? High school student with gym first period? Women have all kinds of reasons for not having enough time, but we still want to look our best. So, you have five minutes to make yourself ready for the world and a cute guy in your next class. Here is your game plan:

• Minute 1 – Cleanse and moisturize. Keep some high-quality facial cleansing cloths with you, and quickly clean your skin. Be sure to moisturize afterward. It keeps your skin looking young and helps foundation go on smoothly.
• Minute 2 – Apply foundation. For a super quick application, skip the sponge and use your fingertips. Put enough foundation on your fingers to cover your face then smooth it on like you apply moisturizer. You’ll get good coverage in seconds.
• Minute 3 – Cheeks, Eye base. Sweep blush over your cheek bones, then apply a medium to dark eye shadow to your lids.
• Minute 4 – Highlight, eyeliner, mascara. Apply a lighter shadow just under your eyebrows, and on the inside corners of your eyes. Apply your eyeliner and mascara.
• Minute 5 – Lips, finishing touches. Apply your lipstick/gloss and check yourself out to make sure everything is even. You can also apply powder, if you have the time.

These are basic steps for quick makeup, but there are some things you can do to save yourself time every day. Use a good skin care routine to keep your face looking its best. Great skin doesn’t need much work, and you can even skip foundation on days when you’re really out of time. Keep your eyebrows groomed. This is something I really believe in. Unruly eyebrows will make the whole face look bad. Well-groomed eyebrows give you an instant face lift, and make a face look younger, thinner, and all around prettier.

The number one product for quick makeup: the Mary Kay Custom Compact. This superstar holds your blush, three eye shadows, lip color, and brushes – all in one place. You save time and energy by having it all in front of you, and only having to open one thing while you’re speeding through your routine.


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Send your makeup questions or comments to me at: Sabrinahill@marykay.com or visit my website at: www.marykay.com/sabrinahill.

Makeup Meltdowns – and How to Avoid Them

Have you ever had your face slide off? Here in Central California, where the summer temps hit 100 on a regular basis, it can be a common problem. And what doesn’t slide off, simply disappears. But, with some simple changes, you can stop the slide and make your makeup sizzle.
• Use a foundation primer. It may sound counterintuitive to add another layer, but the right primer will help you save face, literally. Find one that works with your skin type, and is light. It should be absorbed into your skin almost immediately.
• Don’t use an oil-based foundation. I tend to advise against oil-based foundations all year round, but especially during summer.
• In fact, pack away anything oil or wax based. Wax and oil melt in heat. This means smeared eyeliner, feathered lipstick, and uneven foundation.
• For the face: If you can go with light makeup, a tinted moisturizer is a wonderful trick. It stays where it’s supposed to and evens out skin tone. If you need to wear more makeup, like my friends who work on T.V., find a medium coverage foundation (not oil-based) and apply two light coats. You will get the coverage you need, and it will last. Also, use a pressed powder instead of a loose powder. Loose powder can actually melt and disappear faster.
• For eyes: Put away the liner and start use powder eye shadow in a darker color. Use an angled liner brush to apply the powder along your lash line. You’ll love how long it lasts in the heat. To avoid creases on the eyelid, try using a shadow primer. It makes the shadow stay in place.
• For lips: Lip gloss is perfect for summer. If you must wear lipstick, dust powder over your lips first, to give it a good base to stick to.
• Two things to carry with you now: blotting papers and a makeup sponge. If your makeup does start to slip, blot off any excess oil, then gently smooth out the makeup with the sponge (including eye shadow). Don’t add powder on top of an oily face. It will turn grayish on your skin. Blot, blot, blot!

Send your makeup questions or comments to me at: Sabrinahill@marykay.com or visit my website at: www.marykay.com/sabrinahill.

Time to Lash Out!

You’ve seen the commercials – mascaras promising to make your lashes longer, thicker, bolder. There’s even a new prescription medication that makes you grow more lashes. It all points to one thing: Lashes are BIG right now – figuratively and literally. Here’s how you can stay on-trend when applying your mascara.
• Start at the root, and use a back-and-forth sawing motion to the tips.
• Do that three times – once in the middle, then once on the inside corner and once on the outside corner.
• Put mascara on your bottom lashes first. Otherwise, you risk ruining your eye shadow. That’s because we open our eyes wider when doing the bottom lashes, and the top lashes rest on our eyelids.
• Normally, I would say one coat is enough. This season is different. You want at least two coats. And maybe put a third coat on the back side of the lashes.
• Step outside your comfort zone, and have some fun. I’m talking about fake eyelashes. Go ahead and give it a shot. If it’s your first time, start with some that are close to your length, and just add fullness to your natural lashes. After that, try adding some length too.
• Start with lashes that come in one strip. Use a toothpick to apply a little bit of glue to the back of the strip and then just press the strip to the base of your eyelid, just above your lashes. Press for a couple of seconds. Apply your mascara over your lashes and the fake lashes at one time.
• To remove, carefully pull them off from one corner to the other.
Whether you’re wearing your natural lashes, or falsies, you’ll need to use a great eye makeup remover. I recommend Mary Kay’s Oil Free Eye Make Up remover. It’s amazing!
Send your makeup questions or comments to me at: Sabrinahill@marykay.com or visit my website at: www.marykay.com/sabrinahill.

Pretty in Pink – The Fresh Face for Spring

It’s the softer side of spring makeup: pink. Perfect for dress-down days, casual events, and a no-makeup look, pink is very popular right now. It’s the perfect counterpart to the other hot look this season – bold tropics.
Many women are afraid to go pink because they have tried and failed. The key is to find the right shade for you. Pink comes in dozens of shades, and there really is something for everyone. Just make sure you are using the one that is meant for you. Here’s how to be perfect in pink:
• Find your shade. There are pinks found naturally in your own skin. Take a mirror outside and into the sunlight. Look for shades of pink in your cheeks and lips. Try doing a few jumping jacks to get a natural flush into your cheeks. This is your most flattering color and the one you should use for a beautiful blush.
• Go subtle on the lips. Go one shade lighter or darker than your natural lip color, and add a bit of shine. For a super-easy and gorgeous look, use a clear or lightly tinted gloss.
• Be careful with pink on the eyes. If it’s too red, you’ll look tired or sick. Use a pale pink and experiment with just a little bit of shimmer.
The best pink looks start with beautiful skin. Make sure to use a great skin care routine, and use a foundation that gives you a fabulously flawless look.
Send your makeup questions or comments to me at: Sabrinahill@marykay.com or visit my website at: www.marykay.com/sabrinahill.

Hot now – the “Dewy” complexion

We’re seeing it everywhere this spring - celebrities with beautiful, radiant, “dewy” skin. The dewy look makes you look younger, healthier, sexier, and a little bit glamorous. But, be mindful. If you overdo the dew, you’ll end up a big “don’t”. Too much of the dewy look, and you’ll look oily and in need of a wash. Here’s how to get the look just right.

• Start with a clean, bright face. Use a cleanser that’s perfect for your skin type and doesn’t leave your skin too dry. Also use a gentle exfoliater to lift off dead skin, which makes your complexion dull.
• After using your daily cleanser and moisturizer, smooth on a hydrating lotion. This will give you a subtle all-over glow and help foundation go on smoothly. For those of us with large pores, this is a great trick to make skin look smooth and flawless.
• Mineral powder foundation is very popular right now, but for the dewy look, I prefer a sheer cream.
• Think cream for cheeks, too. Use a cheek glaze, rather than a powder blush. It’s just plain hard to make powder look dewy.
• Apply your eye makeup like normal. You can use your powder here. If you try to go dewy on the eyes, you’ll end up looking oily instead.
• Finish the face off with a highlighting cream. Also called shimmer cream, apply the highlighting cream to your cheek bones and center of your forehead for daytime. At night, put a little on your brow bones (just under your eyebrows) and the inside corners of your eyes.
If you try it out, and end up looking too dewy, you can fix the look by brushing on a powder. Don’t be afraid to try something new. You can always wash it off!
Send your makeup questions or comments to me at: Sabrinahill@marykay.com or visit my website at: www.marykay.com/sabrinahill.

Spring 2010 Makeup Trend: Go tropical!

It’s time to break out of the dull winter colors and add life to your makeup wardrobe. Think beach holiday. Shimmering sun, warm sand, and bright, beautiful colors are all found in the makeup trends this season. You can have the popular tropical look even if you’re enjoying the Valley’s Blossom Trail, rather than sipping umbrella-covered Pina Coladas handed to you by an oiled-up cabana boy. Here’s how to do it:

• Start with dewy skin. Use a hydrating lotion before putting on foundation for a youthful all-over glow. This is great for casual daytime, when you don’t want too much shimmer.
• For nighttime, or a special daytime occasion, add shimmer cream to cheek and brow bones.
• Try something new with your eyes. Dump winter’s dark colors and lighten up with beautiful melon tones or green ocean colors. At night, add in deep navy blue as an eyeliner or accent.
• Use a pale tropical color on cheeks and keep them understated but fresh. If you use a melon shade on your eyes, try going a shade or two lighter for your cheeks. Even better – use a cheek glaze, rather than a powder, to keep that dewy look going.
• Lips should be a pop of color. You want to look like you just ate a juicy piece of fruit. Red, pink, melon, or peach all work as long as they’re fresh. Stains and shines are both perfect this season.

Overall, think fresh and fruity for your colors this spring. And, don’t be afraid to try something new.
Send your makeup questions or comments to me at: Sabrinahill@marykay.com or visit my website at: www.marykay.com/sabrinahill.