Bold & Daring Valentine's Day Makeup Tutorial Video

I'm back with a makeup tutorial! Over on my Instagram (link is to the right-->) I created a poll in my stories asking if you wanted to see a romantic & soft makeup look or a bold & daring one. Technically, romantic & soft won by one vote, but I decided I would create both looks since it was so close! 

In the YouTube video below, I show you how to take a few shadows and create the easiest smokey eye. Products used are listed in the description of the video on YouTube, so be sure to click on the video and visit it there if you want details!

Remember, you can swap out any shadow for the cranberry/burgundy tones so this look is really versatile! Look for the romantic & soft tutorial to come early next week! 

Have a beautiful night,

Andrea 

Current Favorites

Since product recommendations have always been a huge hit on my blog, I figured I would kick off Andrea Fontana Beauty with a post sharing what I've been loving recently. It's officially the time of year when things start to get a lot cozier! 

Epsom salt baths: If you've never taken an Epsom salt bath you need to try it. I take at least 2 a week (don't judge) because after massaging sometimes more than 12 people in a week, my body starts to ache. Epsom salts are made of magnesium sulfate, which naturally relieves the aches and pains in our bodies. Magnesium helps regulate enzyme activity, reduce inflammation, helps muscle and nerve function and loads more. Sulfates improve nutrient absorption in our bodies, flush toxins, and can also help ease the pain of migraines. Dump a cup or two of these in with your bath water and soak for about 20 minutes and you will feel much better. If you live a very active lifestyle, I highly recommend incorporating these into your routine. Plus, I buy Epsom salts with essential oils added and they make the best aromatic bath experience ever!  

Makeup Geek Cosmetics Blushes: You will not find better blushes for this price. For $10, yes I said $10, you get a blush that is so smooth, pigmented, and long wearing. I have them in the pan form and pop them in a Z-Palette and then I have all my favorite shades in one spot. They have a great shade range and are a must in my makeup kit for all jobs. Some of my favorite shades include Puppy Love, Heart Throb, Spellbound (all mattes), and Romance (slight sheen). I know this fall I will be reaching the most for Puppy Love though because of it's a berry toned BEAUTY!

NYX Microbrow Pencil: I have been using the shade Espresso for about a year now and I have probably gone through about 5 of these. I use other brow products here and there but I always come back to this one for two reasons. First, it's so budget friendly. I swear they are always BOGO 50% off at Ulta and are only $9.99 originally. So I always snag two at a time and don't have to buy as often. The second reason is that they are so easy to use and give me the exact brow I want without having to put too much time in. I'll do an update brow routine soon but know these are also a staple in my makeup kit and you should try them if you like simple and easy (which I know you do).

Glo Minerals Suede Matte Crayon in Crimson: The newest shade in one of my favorite lip products of all time! I love these lip pencils because they come with a sharpener in the lid and are an extremely long wearing and comfortable lip pencil. They deliver pigmented and smooth color and are perfect for keeping in your purse. I love deeper red shades for fall, so when I saw this new shade was launched, I immediately ordered it. If you've yet to try these pencils, come in to Remedi and I would be happy to help you test one out! 

KeVita Sparking Probiotic Drink and Masterbrew Kombucha: If you like carbonated drinks that are more bitter and tangy than sweet like La Croix, I highly suggest checking these out! Kombucha is a fermented tea drink that has active probiotic cultures to support digestive and immune health. My favorite flavors include mango coconut, Lavender melon (I know it sounds weird but try it), and the Masterbrew citrus flavor. I try to stick with the fruitier favors and everyone I've tried so far I like. They are low calorie and low sugar so if you're looking for a refreshing and healthy treat besides water, give these a try! I get mine at my local Whole Foods and they seem to go on sale a lot!

Sleeping masks: I have been so into sleeping masks for the past 6 months because you can simply apply them as your last step of your skincare routine and you don't have to wash them off. It's the lazy girl's secret to skincare. I will be doing a post within the next week on my favorite ones and how I have incorporated them into my weekly routine, so look for that soon! 

So there are a quick few of the things I've been loving recently. I could add more but I want to do specific posts on some of the things that need a little more explanation so look for these posts to come! If you have questions about any of the items mentioned please let me know! 

Have a wonderful day,  

Andrea 

Dre Does Current Favorites

Since it's been awhile since I have posted a monthly favorites, I figured I would kick things off with a post dedicated to the products I have been loving recently. As usual, it involves some items that are not beauty related but I like to share these items none the less. This post gets me thinking about how my go to products for day to day use change as the seasons do, so if you're interested in me sharing what changes I've been making, comment below and I can do that soon.

So let's get to it!

1- Aveda Comforting Tea: This was a favorite of mine when I was in Esthiology school. I drank it almost every night I was there. I recently went in to pick up some favorite Aveda products and had completely forgotten that they sold this tea in a loose form. I obviously picked it up and have been loving it recently. I will say that I would recommend getting the tea bags instead of the loose tea because some of the tea particles are so small that they go through my tea strainer. It doesn't bother me enough to stop using it this way, but for some people it might be gross. haha Maybe I just love this tea too much...It is 100% certified organic and caffeine free, so I like to have a cup before bed. The strongest notes are licorice root and peppermint, but it also has basil and sweet fennel in it. I personally hate all forms of licorice so I was shocked that I loved this so much the first time I tried it. Regardless, if you've never experienced it, I recommend picking some up!

2- Carol's Daughter Monoi Repairing Hair Mask:  I received a small sample of this mask as a free gift at Ulta when I purchased my favorite shampoo and conditioner and I absolutely love it. While I don't have much damage in my hair, I first started using it a lot when I was recently in Puerto Rico because I knew my hair would be dryer than normal. It makes my hair so ridiculously smooth and I love it. I don't feel like it weighs my hair down at all. I typically will use it every other wash or if I've used any heat to style my hair.

3- 'Turquoise Summer' by Escada: When I worked at Ulta I would always spray the new perfumes as they came in and I couldn't stop wearing this one when we got it in. I call it the adult version of Pink Sugar because it's light and sweet but doesn't make you feel like a teeny-bopper. I get so many compliments on it when I wear it, so if you like sweet scents, head to Ulta to smell it.

4- Laura Mercier Universal Invisible Loose Setting Powder: I had always heard really nice things about this setting powder but had never tried it before. I hadn't been using a setting powder with my foundation I used to use (the Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hr Foundation) because it was clay based and left a powder finish. I was really excited to see it come in my Ipsy bag a few months ago, but sadly it ended up in my powder drawer of my massive makeup storage system (aka forgotten about). Fast foward to switching foundations and now needing a setting powder, I decided to give it a go and I couldn't be happier. I love how it airbrushes the look of my skin while still maintaining the finish of the foundation underneath. I also love how it makes my contour, blush and highlighting blend seamlessly after!

5-NARS All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation: Speaking of new foundation, here it is! My new absolute favorite foundation. When they say all day, luminous, and weightless, they couldn't be more correct! I love how full coverage this foundation is while still feeling like I don't have any makeup on. The consistency is like water, so you definitely have to shake it well before you apply it and you don't need much product which is nice. It was one of those products that I got a sample of at Sephora and prayed that I didn't love it because of the hefty price tag. I was dying to know if as an oily girl I could pull off a luminous glow and it worked! If you'd like to know more about it, please let me know and I can do a more in depth review of it soon.

6- MAC Soft and Gentle Mineralized Skin Finish: You know when you hear nonstop amazing reviews of a product but you're reluctant to hop on the bandwagon because EVERYONE is obsessed with it? Sounds silly to type out but that's how I felt about Soft and Gentle. Everyone and their mom is obsessed with it so I never tried it, but finally gave in. Now I'm obsessed like all the others but seriously...Most beautiful warm highlight to the cheeks and it's what deserves the credit for the beautiful skin compliments I've been receiving lately. (Insert foot in mouth now)

7-Makeup Geek Eyeshadow in Peach Smoothie: This favorite is thanks to an amazing client of mine (Hi Jodi!) who gifted me some beautiful MUG products when I did her brows. Peach Smoothie has become my absolute holy grail eyeshadow. I use it in every single look because it seriously makes everything look better. It's not quite as dark as this picture shows but it is seriously a must have transition color. I personally prefer warmer looks on my eyes, and I love how it adds just the right about of warmth no matter what I put over it. Thanks again Jodi!

8-Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in Rose Gold: During the most recent 21 days of Beauty Event at Ulta, there was a Becca Cosmetics 4 piece kit that I snagged. It featured mini sizes of 4 of their most popular products and I can't get enough of this little guy. I love to use it on my cheekbones to after my blush and before my highlight to blend everything seamlessly. I can't wait to use it strictly as a highlight in the summer. I love how if you're in a hurry it can easily be used as a highlight and blush since it's warmer and darker than your typical highlight. Can you tell I've been loving highlighters recently?

Well that is a small sample of some items I've been loving recently. What have you been loving? As usual if you have any requests of what you would like to see on Dre Does, please email me or comment below!

Have a beautiful week,

Dre