Recent Empties #2

I've found that you guys really like these empties posts because it's nice to see products I didn't like as well. It's been awhile since I did my last one, so I wanted to share with you the products I've used up in the last few months. I think this post will be equally as helpful because I have some products I won't be repurchasing because of the ingredients they contain and that I am finding cleaner alternatives. I've divided them up into categories so it's a little more helpful, and I've included products that I use up in my kit since that might be interesting for you as well! Let's get started:

Makeup Empties:

Most of these products were from my kit which will be helpful for you if you're looking for products I trust and love. First up we have two bottles of the Ulta Beauty Brush & Sponge Cleanser. I go through this stuff like water because it's such a great brush cleanser. It's really effective and you don't need much product. It also dries really quickly, so when I'm doing clients back to back, it's easy to sanitize and clean my brushes fast and move onto my next client. If you don't deep clean your brushes as often as you should, I highly recommend getting a spot cleaner like this to wash them frequently (every other day) in between deep cleansing. I will continue to keep repurchasing this spot cleanser until I find one that I like more or is comparable but more cost effective. 

This next product is also from my kit and I have a love/hate relationship with it. MAC Cosmetics Fix + is a cult favorite and I keep it in my kit for only one reason; to wet my brush for metallic shadows/more color payoff. I do not like it as setting spray for the whole face because I hate the way the container sprays. I'm picky when it comes to spraying a face of makeup that I've just put so much work and love into. I also find that the bottle tends to leak when I'm transporting it from job to job, so after 2 or 3 bottles completely emptying in my kit, I've committed to only buying this little 1 oz bottle of MAC Fix + from now on, so I don't waste money if it leaks again. I will continue to buy it because it is my favorite for really getting a shimmery/metallic shadow to lay beautifully on the eye and stay well. 

Benefit Porefessional Face Primer is my favorite silicone based primer to keep in my kit for almost all of my clients. I love how it smooths out the texture of a client's skin and will always have it in my kit. I've tried other brands' versions and nothing compares to this one for me. Plus most of my clients always say "this smells so good!" and it's nice for clients to have enjoyable situations like this throughout the makeup process. Remember if you are a makeup artist, the experience of doing someone's makeup is just as important as the end result. 

This last makeup empty is a personal one, as I am always trying out mascaras from the drugstore. I have had so many people talk about Covergirl Clump Crusher and decided to try this one out. It's the Covergirl Clump Crushers Extensions Mascara in 'Very Black'. Apparently it's supposed to be like the original clump crusher formula but with buildable fiber extensions in it? I don't think it was anything special and if I remmeber correctly, I bought it by accident when wanting to try the original instead. Mental note: Read fine print better Andrea. 

Skincare Empties:

These two kind of go together because they were my two favorite makeup removers before I went clean with my skincare. I loved this solid Body Shop Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter because it isn't liquid which makes it easier to travel with. It also seemed to last forever. The Garnier SkinActive Micellar Cleansing Water is also great for removing eye and face makeup with a cotton round. If you aren't concerned with clean skincare than I'd recommend them for you, but unfortunately you won't seem in my routine anymore. (In case you are wondering what I have switched to, keep an eye out for my current skincare routine post coming later this week!)

This toner is a repeat and thankfully is clean enough to stay with me through the clean skincare process! It has a few ingredients that register as a 3 but most are 1's which makes this an overall 3 or under product (my goal). There has to be at least a 50% chance that if you are reading this I've either gotten you addicted to this toner or you've heard me talk about it. The Dermadoctor Ain't Misbehavin' Healthy Toner with Glycolic & Lactic Acid is the perfect toner for people who need glycolic and lactic acid in their routine on a daily basis (i.e. many of you especially those who struggle with texture issues, uneven skin tone, breakouts, clogged pores. etc...). It's worth the splurge because it lasts over 6 months and I love that it comes in a glass bottle. I think it's made an appearance in at least 3 empties posts over the years, so you can bet I will continue to purchase it. 

I used up a pack of the CosRX Acne Pimple Master Patches and this things are my SAVIORS. I will always keep them on hand because I pop one on clean and unmoisturized skin over my blemish at night and in the morning it is significantly reduced. It works best if the blemish has come to a head already, but I am always excited to see the oil and impurities on the sticker when I remove it in the morning. It makes me feel like a science experiment and I'm weird like that. If you struggle with acne ever PLEASE do yourself a favor and click on the link and snatch some of these up. 

I got this sample of the Drunk Elephant C-Firma Day Serum and I couldn't even finish it because of the smell. I thought I could tolerate most smells if I knew the product was helping my skin but I just couldn't get over this one. I included it in this because I've heard great things about this serum but I wanted to recommend that you go into Sephora and ask for a sample to see if you can tolerate before you purchase it. 

Next up we have some sheet masks that I used up and this first one was a gift, and thankfully they still sell them on Amazon! The Secret Nature Firming Blueberry Sheet Masks are awesome. I'm happy I received a whole pack of 5 of these because after using the first one, I couldn't believe how plumped and hydrated my skin looked. My fine lines were so minimized and some even gone. It was unreal. While they contain ingredients like fragrance, that I try to stay away from, I will definitely be using up the pack. Again this is a product that I definitely recommend if you aren't as concerned with clean skincare. The other mask I used is from I Dew Care and I bought it in the Let's Get Sheetfaced kit of 14 sheet masks. Unfortunately it is no longer available, but I did like that there were many options in this kit. I definitely recommend getting a kit of different varieties of sheet masks to keep on hand so you always have something for whatever your skin is currently dealing with. 

Other Empties:

This category is for hair and body. So I have an issue with wasting products. I cannot just through products out because I no longer want to use them. I have to figure out a way to use them and this first product was no exception. I haven't bought a Victoria Secret or Bath & Body Works body product in ages, I think this one was a gift, because the quality of ingredients is just simply bad. I had this Amber Romance Victoria's Secret Body Wash and instead used about a tablespoon with my bathes to give a little bit of bubbles. This did make it last forever, but at least it's gone and I don't have to feel bad about wasting products. I'm not even going to link it because I do not recommend buying your body products from either of these places. 

These next two hair products, the Wella Professionals Enrich Shampoo & Conditioner for Fine/Normal Hair were my favorites before I switched to a cleaner option. I went through a few bottles of them and really did love them. They are great quality if you don't necessarily want clean hair care products and made my hair feel more voluminous and healthy (For reference, I have very flat and fine hair but a lot of it). 

The last product I want to share is something I've never talked about on AFB but it has to do with periods so if that bothers you here's your warning. While going clean and toxin free, I swapped out my tampons for organic cotton ones. This was actually one of the first changes I made, probably about 8 or 9 months ago! Through a recommendation of a friend (thanks Mercedes!) I went with This is L and I really do love their organic tampons. I signed up for the subscription on their website which I've linked above and received 20 tampons once a month (10 regular & 10 super) for $7.95 (including shipping). I like that with every purchase they donate to products women in need in high impact areas. So not only are you making a healthier conscious choice for yourself, but you're doing something good for other women at the same time. I will always support companies who have this business model! While I would buy L tampons again, I paused my subscription because I couldn't use them fast enough. Apparently I don't need 20 every month and they were getting backed up in my bathroom. I have also noticed the Cora tampons and decided that once I used up my This is L ones, I would give those a shot. Cora also donates products to women in need and they are organic cotton. I feel like Cora's website is more specific in how your purchase helps those in countries all over the world (including the US) which I really like. I will let you guys know how I like the Cora Tampons when I get to try them. Both companies have subscription options which is really nice so you never have to do a midnight tampon run again (Hello, we've all been there!) I like that Cora is sold on Grove Collaborative which is the online membership service that I use to purchase my natural cleaning products. 

This was definitely a longer post than normal but I hope you enjoyed seeing some of the products I've used up recently. It allows me to give you an honest opinion of the product after using it entirely. I hope you enjoyed and shout out to you if you made it to the end of this post! Comment below if you've tried anything I mentioned today!

Have a beautiful week,

Andrea 

Disclosure:

Unless noted, all products were purchased with my own money and all opinions are my own. 

Amazon links are Amazon Affiliate links meaning that I make a commission off the purchase of the product through my link. I would never recommend a product that I didn't love and all opinions are my own. I am thankful for you choosing to purchase through my links, as it helps me create more content for Andrea Fontana Beauty.

June Favorites (Beauty)

Well it's officially the beginning of a new month which means it's favorites time! I'm changing things up this month and decided to do my favorites as a video instead of a blog post! Leave me a comment below if you prefer watching instead of reading my favorites! Thank you for watching! Also make sure to comment below what your favorite products were this month! 

Here are the products and links I mentioned in order of appearance:

NYX Honey Dew Me Up Primer https://amzn.to/2zd0UE3

NYX Dewy Finish Makeup Setting Spray https://amzn.to/2NwZFD4

Stila Magnificent Metals Glitter & Glow Liquid Eye Shadow https://amzn.to/2tVa6rW

Jordan Samuel Skin etOILe with Retinol Treatment Oil https://jordansamuelskin.com/products...

Coola Suncare Organic Sunless Tanning Anti-Aging Face Serum https://amzn.to/2lUofAY

Pacifica Rose Flower Hydromist with Kombucha https://amzn.to/2KzCZ7k

Acure Argan Oil & Pumpkin Shampoo and Conditioner https://amzn.to/2tUKdbM

Burt's Bees Milk and Honey Body Lotion https://amzn.to/2MTD56v

 FTC: All products were purchased with my own money. All opinions are my own.

Disclosure: Amazon links are Amazon Affiliate links meaning that I make a commission off the purchase of the product through my link. I would never recommend a product that I didn't love and all opinions are my own. I am thankful for you choosing to purchase through my links, as it helps me create more content for Andrea Fontana Beauty. This does not affect the price that you pay.

Have a wonderful start to July,

Andrea

Changing things up this month and decided to do my favorites as a video instead of a blog post! Leave me a comment below if you prefer watching instead of reading my favorites! Thank you for watching! Also make sure to comment below what your favorite products were this month!

May Must Haves

So May was absolutely nuts. Forgive me as I acknowledge the fact that I was not very good at blogging during it. I think I worked every day but two, which included 5 weddings, many trials, and lots of other fun makeup things. I also celebrated my 28th birthday which is nuts but was absolutely amazing! Thank you for the support and kindness you all share with my throughout the year, but especially on my birthday. 

Today I'm sharing my favorites for May because I actually tried a lot of new things and have been loving them so many of them.

First off I recently decided to switch to a natural toothpaste, which I had put off for so long because I had heard so many terrible things about how bad they tasted. But I was visiting a friend who lives near Trader Joe's and decided to give theirs a shot. The All Natural Anticavity Peppermint Toothpaste with Baking Soda and Flouride  (I've linked a 2 pack on Amazon for those of you who can't get to a Trader Joe's easily) is honestly not as bad as I was expecting. Yes you can tell it's a natural toothpaste because it doesn't have that sweet, strong flavor of the bad stuff but I'm totally used to it now and it doesn't bother me. I feel like my teeth are just as clean as before. The only thing that I don't get from it is that super minty fresh feeling that you get from the bad stuff, but honestly I think that's fine since it's better for me. 

Next up we have probably my favorite find of the month that is courtesy of my amazing friend Suzie who gave me this product for my birthday! I've talked about this before on here, but I do not let the sun damage my face in the summer. I always have SPF 55 on it, hats, sunglasses, towels, haha whatever I can find to protect myself. This obviously means that I end up with a face that is pretty pale compared to my body; that usually gets some color despite my constant SPF because it's just exposed more. Insert the Coola Suncare Organic Sunless Tan Anti-Aging Face Serum. I put one pump on every night after my skincare routine and wake up sunkissed every morning. It's not super dark (although I'm guessing that's because I only use a little, if I try to apply more and get darker I'll let you know). The fact that it's a beautiful olive and natural looking fake tan is just the beginning. It's also an anti-aging serum loaded with Argan Oil, Vitamin C, Hyaluronic Acid, & plant stem cells to leave you feeling hydrated and glowing! It also smells delicious and you can add it to your moisturizer if you want. When Suzie gave it to me she said it's favorites worthy and she was right! 

I have done videos before showing how I love to mix a liquid highlighter in with my foundation to give me a dewier skin look and have always used the Becca Shimmering Skin Perfecter before to achieve this. However, it's quite expensive and I wasn't sure if I wanted to commit to a whole other bottle. When I was shopping with friends in Ulta in April, we discovered the Maybelline Master Strobing Liquid Illuminating Highlighter in Light/Iridescent and I thought it looked pretty close to the Becca shade in Opal. Fast forward to purchasing and trying it out and it's a pretty close dupe.  If you compare them side by side the Becca one looks a little more finely milled, but once mixed in with foundation and applied to the face I cannot tell a difference. I am so happy I found an amazing dupe that is less than a quarter of the price! They do have other shades as well if you don't want the blush rosey color that is like Opal. 

I received the gorgeous Tarte Aspyn Ovard Eye & Cheek Palette for my birthday from another amazing friend (I know I'm the luckiest girl to have all of these sweet and amazing friends) and luckily with all of my weddings and makeup I've been doing I've had plenty of time to test it out. I love the whole thing, my only critique is that the really glitterly/shimmery shades are a little tricky to apply. I tried using a wet brush with MAC Fix + on it to apply them and that helps, but can also be tricky in a chunky way if that makes sense. The mattes are so beautiful and smooth and easy to use, the blush is an amazing shade for summer, and the highlighter is also beautiful. Overall I love it the shades and think it'll be a great palette to take with me when I want to travel. 

I have saved the best for last! If you have been reading my posts recently, you've noticed that I love Glossier. I have been trying more and more out from them and when they came out with a Mascara I KNEW I had to try it. Lash Slick is if not the best, one of the best mascaras I have EVER tried. I know that is a bold statement but I love it. I saw it described somewhere as giving you lash extension like lashes and I think that is such a great description. It doesn't look like clumpy, thick fake mascara lashes, it really looks soft and natural which I love. The wand is awesome and separates your lashes so well too. If you want a bolder look you could always layer a second and thicker mascara over it which is usually what I do if want a bolder look for night time. The best part for me though is that it truly lasts all day on my lashes. No smudging, no flaking, no changes; it still looks great at the end of the day. Here is my link for you to get 10% off your first purchase from Glossier. I highly recommend checking Lash Slick out if you haven't yet! 

What were your favorites in the month of May? Comment below and let me know! I love hearing about the new things you try!

Have a beautiful week,

Andrea

Kim Kardashian Met Gala Makeup Tutorial Video

I'm back with another YouTube video! This time it's a tutorial showing how to create this stunning look that Kim wore to the Met Gala last week. I love the shape of the eye shadow and how dramatic it is! Remember you can use brown or other colors to make it not as dramatic if you want. 

Comment below if you want me to recreate a specific look for you! I had fun making this for you guys. 

My birthday is tomorrow and I would really love for you to Subscribe to my Youtube Channel if you haven't already as a way to wish me happy birthday ;)

Hope you are having a beautiful week,

Andrea

10 Random Makeup Tips

Hello! Sorry for my little hiatus this past week on here. I've been taking some time to myself because there's a lot going on in life. In times when I would normally be working on creating content, I've been taking the time to just breathe and relax, which I CANNOT recommend enough. Taking time when you know you're at your limit is really hard to do, but so important. 

Today's post is easy and informative. Enjoy!

1. Use dry Q-Tips to remove excess mascara. This one is popular and I feel like I talk about it all the time, but I'm always surprised how many people today still don't know it! If you get any mascara on your eyelids when putting mascara on, wait for it to completely dry. Then using a dry Q-Tip you can lightly flick away the dried mascara without messing up any of your eyeshadow! Just be sure that it's 100% dry before attempting. 

2. Change things up. Just because we like a product doesn't mean it will work for us forever. As your skin changes, it's good to try new things as long as you're not trying too many at once or too often. This can sometimes bring about a sensitivity you didn't realize you had. Always be patient when trying new things. 

3. Pay attention to expiration times and write it on your product. I know I talked about this one in my 10 Random Skincare Tips Post, but this also applies to makeup products like foundations, mascaras, cream products...etc. Beauty products don't usually have an exact expiration date, but they often have a 12M, 24M, etc, logo on the bottom or back that shows in how many months you should stop using the product. It's too hard to remember dates for every product, so I recommend getting a sharpie and either dating when you opened it, or when it's time to pitch it. 

4. Try new makeup looks or techniques at night before you wash your face. How many times have we tried to do a technique we've never tried when we have 15 minutes to get out the door and there's all this pressure to make it look good because you are running out of time and of course, it looks terrible. We've all been there ladies! I recommend trying new looks at night because you're going to wash your face anyways. This removes the pressure which allows you to really practice.

5. Check your foundation color in natural light on your jawline. If you go to get your shade matched for foundation, make sure you are swatching the foundation on your jawline so you can see how it compares to your face and your neck/chest. Also be sure to walk to a source of natural light and see how it looks. Unfortunately, makeup stores don't always have the best lighting. If they're in a mall, ask for a sample to take it home and test it out before you buy!

6. Get creative. Remember makeup is fun and can be a great way to express yourself. Try eye shadow combinations that you would never pair together. Wear a lipstick shade that you've never worn before. You never know what looks you will love on yourself until you try them out so get creative. Some of my favorite looks have come from random color choices.

7. Invest in good skincare. I promise you that if you take care of your skin and help it become balanced, your makeup will be easier to apply and you won't feel like you need as much. I find myself doing my makeup so much differently now that my skin is in a great place where I'm taking such good care of it. 

8. If you have acne, try wearing less makeup. You read that right; LESS makeup. If you suffer from acne in certain areas but have areas that are clear, trying highlighting those. We often feel tempted to use a full coverage foundation when we suffer from acne, thinking we want to cover it. Instead, try using a lighter coverage & dewy foundation all over the skin. Then go back in with a full coverage concealer and conceal just the areas where you have blemishes. This will allow your healthy glowing clear skin to shine through, and be the focus.

9. Buy good brushes. I cannot stress how important having the right tools for makeup application is. Once you start using better brushes, you will be surprised how much easier it is to blend and concentrate color where you want it! If you ever have questions on what type of brush to use for what product, shoot me an email! I'd be happy to help.

10. Take a Makeup Lesson. If you're struggling with learning new techniques or want help ask a makeup artist near to if you could learn from them. It's a service that I personally offer as a makeup artist because I want everyone to feel confident applying makeup every day! If you live near me and want help, please send me an email or direct message so we can set something up. 

I hope you enjoyed these tips and have the best weekend,

Andrea

Top 5 Tips for Getting Your Dream Brows (My Brow Secrets)

Welcome back!

Today I am sharing my Brow Secrets. Yes you read that right. I am sharing my Top 5 Tips to helping you get your dream brows. If you want to reshape or regrow & see how I fill in brows to be super natural but full looking, this video is a must watch!

I hope you have a beautiful weekend! I'm off to kick off bridal season with a huge wedding tomorrow!

Enjoy,

Andrea

April Obsessions

I cannot believe we are already at the end of another month. I feel like I was sharing my March Must Haves with you last week, but here we are! April was an interesting month for me. It was jam packed as I'm gearing up for bridal season and doing trials and prep for all of the weddings I have booked this year. Regardless, I managed to try more products this month than normal, so I'm here to share the things I was obsessing over this month.

Weleda Skin Food is a moisturizer that I've known about for years but never remembered to pick up. It has seriously been on my wish list for 2 years but I always manage to get something else instead. It wasn't until I started doing my skincare cleanout that I realized that it was a 0 (aka really clean) and I saw one of my favorite makeup artists to follow on Instagram (@katiejanehughes) use it in a live makeup tutorial underneath her makeup for glow. Once these both happened, I knew I finally needed it and I am kind of pissed at myself for living this long without it. First off, the smell is amazing and citrus-y and clean smelling. It is a very thick cream designed for really dry and even chapped areas. At night I like to add it just in the areas where I have dryness or fine lines. If I use it like Katie Jane does, I put it on my cheekbones under foundation to give me more glow and it works so well. Check out my latest YouTube video here when I show you how I use it before applying my makeup.

Thriftbooks.com has become my newest obsession! One of my favorite things to do is visit a used bookstore and peruse the shelves to see what they hold. One day I discovered Thriftbooks.com and it's like going to a used bookstore and finding exactly the book you wanted. I cannot believe how many different books they have. You can choose different levels of wear for different prices. I've gotten some great $20+ books for under $4. It's insane! I love to buy my cookbooks here because they are so much cheaper. Plus I feel good about buying used instead of new. My favorite thing is the wish list option because anytime I see a book I want, I add it too my wish list so I don't forget. If it's not in stock, I get emails letting me know when it is which is awesome! If you use this code here you can get 15% off your first order (P.S. I do not make any money off of these links)! 

I bought a Loreal Voluminous Lash Paradise mascara a few months ago because I had been hearing such great things about it but it never quite made it into my makeup bag to use until the last few weeks. I have to say I was surprised how much I like this one. It's supposed to be the dupe for Too Faced's Better Than Sex Mascara which I do not like, so I didn't have high hopes for Lash Paradise. I have to say I love it as much as the original Loreal Voluminous Carbon Black. The brush is nice and gives both length and volume similar to Voluminous. I'm happy to say it's not flaky like I find the Better Than Sex mascara to be. 

I know I've only had the Fenty Beauty Matchstix Matte Skinstick in Amber for 10 days, BUT I'M OBSESSED. If you missed me freaking out over it in my most recent YouTube video, click here to watch it. This cream contour stick is so blendable, but not only is it easy to use, it is the perfect shade for contouring. It creates the best shadow on the face and I love using it. I can tell you this is a product I will be using so much in the summer for a dewy, bronzed glow. I cannot wait. 

I am a member of Grove Collaborative and am obsessed with it. It's a company that specializes in more natural products for cleaning, body care, skincare, and more for your home! I like it because if I don't need anything that month I can delay my shipment as long as I need. Last month they gave me a free lip balm in my order and I am obsessed with it! It's not too greasy, but moisturizes my lips super well. I love the oval shape to it, because I can apply to both my top and bottom lips at the same time. The best part is that it is super clean! No toxic ingredients and has a minty refreshing scent. I love it! Click here for the Mint & Argan Lip Balm.  If you want to sign up for Grove, use this link to get a free 5-piece gift set! 

So there we have my favorites for April! Short but sweet. I can guarantee I will have many more favorites in May because I am testing out some awesome products right now. Leave a comment below and let me know what you loved this month!

Have a beautiful day,

Andrea

First Impressions Video (Ulta/Sephora Haul Proucts)

Last Monday I shared the products I picked up from the Ulta and Sephora spring sales and thought it'd be fun if I filmed a video trying the products I picked up for myself (not my kit). I really loved the look that came out of it! You'll have to watch below to see which products I loved!

I was honestly a little shocked that I picked so many products that I LOVED! I will say though this probably comes from years of experience swatching products and testing things. I can pretty much tell by a formula or shade if I'm going to like it. Sometimes I'm still surprised though and some things might not work out as well as I expect. 

Comment below which palette you want me to do 10 looks with!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Products Mentioned:
Weleda Skin Food *** https://amzn.to/2I4tSXS
IT Cosmetics CC Cream in Light
Maybelline Master Liquid Strobe Cream in Light/Iridescent
MAC Cosmetics Pro Longwear Concealer
Laura Mercier Universal Setting Powder
Fenty Beauty Matchstix in Amber
Benefit Hoola Bronzer Sephora Collection Blush in Too Hot!
Milk Makeup Holographic Stick in Mars
MAC Pro Longwear Paint Pot in Soft Ochre
Glossier Boy Brow in Black *** (10% off your first order) http://bff.glossier.com/hWksm 
Fenty Beauty Mini Matchstix in Sinamon
Morphe 9B Bronzed Babe Palette
Loreal Voluminous Lash Paradies Mascara
NARS Powermatte Lip Pigment in Walk This Way

Ten Eye Looks. One Palette: Jaclyn Hill Edition

I am so excited to introduce to you my newest series on Andrea Fontana Beauty!! "Ten Eye Looks. One Palette." is going to be a series where I (or you guys) pick a palette and I create 10 eye looks out of it. This idea came to me when I realized how many women come to me and say, "I bought this palette but I don't know what to do with it". I wanted to create some natural and some more bold, but wearable for everyone no matter your skill!

I'm excited to share the first in this series which is obviously the Jaclyn Hill for Morphe palette. I love the warmth of this palette and there's so many amazing shades that I felt really inspired. Over the past month and a half I have been using this palette for all of my eye looks and below is what I have come up with. 

Through creating these looks I've realized a few things. Some of the shades are similar, but overall they are extremely creamy and blendable with great pigment and texture. My biggest con to this palette is still that they don't have a matte brow bone highlight for light skin tones like myself, but I tried my best to make it work without it!

I put a lot of time and work into this one, so I really hope you enjoy it! When you're done looking, comment which look is your favorite and which palette you want me to try next!

Look # 1: SILK CREME all over the lid and buffed out into the crease; HUNTS & JACZ in just the outer corner and blended out to soften; ENLIGHT in the inner corner to brighten; SILK CREME & BUTTER buffed out on whole bottom lash line; JACZ outer bottom half of lash line. 

Look #2: SILK CREME in the crease; JACZ & CHIP in outer & inner corners; ENLIGHT in inner corner; OBSESSED on wet brush in center of lid for impact.

Look #3: SILK CREME blended into the whole crease; ROXANNE blended into the whole crease; MOCHA all over the lid; SILK CREME  & ROXANNE buffed into whole bottom lash line; MOCHA blended into outer 2/3 of bottom lash line. 

Look #4: SILK CREME & M.F.E.O. all over lid and blended out towards the crease; ENLIGHT in inner corner.

Look #5: ROXANNE blended into the crease but very concentrated in the outer corner; S.B.N. outer half of the lid; 24/7 inner half of the lid; SODA POP & CENTRAL PARK concentrated in the outer corner; OBSESSED in the inner corner. 

Look #6: CREAMSICLE blended into the whole crease really well; QUEEN all over the lid and blended out to meet CREAMSICLE.

Look #7: BEAM all over the lid; BUTTER & POOTER mixed and concentrated in the outer corner; BUNS blended on top of that still in the outer corner; Next layer CHIP on top of that; Add winged eyeliner and then go in with smaller brush to concentrate a little bit of CENTRAL PARK in the outer corner.

Look #8: SILK CREME blended into the whole crease; DIVA all over the lid and blended to meet SILK CREME; ENLIGHT in the inner corner.

Look #9: CREAMSICLE blended into whole crease; ENCHANTED placed in inner and corner corners only and blended out slightly; HUSTLE added to center of lid; Darken inner and outer corners of lid as needed to create Halo shadow effect. 

Look #10: M.F.E.O. blended into the whole crease; HUNTS added a little to deepen the crease slightly; FIREWORK all over the lid.

Below I've shared close ups of the shadows so you can see the whole palette and decide if you want to snag this one! I recommend it. I was actually surprised how many different types of looks I could create because when you look at the palette as a whole, there are many similar colors!

Some of the shadows towards the bottom look similar here, but up close and in natural light you can see that Enchanted is a deep forest green, central park is brown; and soda pop has some burgundy/ deep purple to it. Abyss is black. 

Again, PLEASE comment below sharing which palette you want me to create 10 looks for next! I really loved doing this because it challenges me to create new looks all the time which is really fun as a makeup artist!

Have a beautiful day,

Andrea

What Did I Buy at the Sephora & Ulta Spring Sales?

Am I the only one who hoards an Ulta or Sephora gift card waiting for the 20% off or VIB sale email to come through so I can finally spend it? Haha hopefully some of you beauty addicts understand the happiness of having both! I luckily had an Ulta GC this weekend when it was time for the sale and headed to both stores with two of my also beauty obsessed friends which resulted in this haul. I asked on Instagram if you wanted to see this post and got a 100% response of YESSS so here we are! I will be filming a first impression on a lot of these and posting that this week so look for that if you're curious about my thoughts on these!

First up was Ulta. I often take the opportunity to stock up on some things for my kit when I have discounts, so you'll see some of the purchases below are for that. If it's for my kit I'll denote that in case you want to know!

In the back row (from L to R) you'll see I bought the Morphe 9B Palette, the Morphe 35O Palette (kit) , two shades of Tarte Shape Tape Concealer (kit), Morphe M530 Contour Brush (kit), TooFaced Hangover RX Primer (kit), The Maybelline by Face Studio Master Strobe Liquid in Light, NARS Power Matte Pigment in Walk This Way, the Morphe M459 Flat Contour Brush, a multipack of Ardell Demi Wispies (kit), and a multipack of Ardell 110's (kit). 

Close up of the 35O Palette!

Close up of the 9B Palette!

At Sephora I got the Fenty Beauty Lil Match Stix Duo, Fenty Beauty Match Stix Matte Skinstick in Amber, Milk Holographic Stick in Mars, and the Sephora Collection Colorful Blush in Too Hot! No. 7. 

Did you guys shop the sales? If you did, what did you get? If you want specific reviews on some of these products let me know! I'll be sure to Instagram story the exact products I'll be using in the First Impressions video, so be sure to follow me over there @andreafontanabeauty. 

Have a beautiful week,

Andrea

Everyday Glowing Skin Makeup Tutorial Video

Welcome back to Andrea Fontana Beauty!

I have finally filmed a YouTube video on the glowing skin look I've been wearing nonstop since I got back from my Florida vacation. I love how healthy it makes my skin look, but also how quick it is!

Please be sure to LIKE and SUBSCRIBE to my channel so you can always stay updated!

INSTAGRAM: www.instagram.com/andreafontanabeauty

FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/andreafontanabeauty

Welcome back to my channel! Today I'm sharing the glowing skin look I've been wearing all the time since my recent vacation. Please be sure to LIKE and SUBSCRIBE to my channel so you can always stay updated!

Here are the products and links I mentioned in order of appearance:
-It Cosmetics CC Cream in Light
-Becca Cosmetics Shimmering Skin Perfecter in Opal
-Urban Decay Naked Concealer in Light Warm
-RCMA Makeup No Color Powder
-Sonia Kashuk Undetectable Creme Bronzer: Video on this--> CLICK HERE
-Benefit Cosmetics Dallas Powder
-Glossier Haloscope in Moonstone
-Glossier Boy Brow in Black
****For 10% off your first Glossier order! CLICK HERE
-Loreal Voluminous Mascara in Carbon Black
-Lash Boost Growth Serum & Post --> CLICK HERE

If you'd like to support Andrea Fontana Beauty in an easy way, click this link before buying what you were already going to buy on Amazon. The price stays the same for you and I get a commission of your purchase! If you choose to use it, thank you always for your support!
***http://amzn.to/2HA8Aj5

Let me know if you have any more makeup look requests! I have really fallen in love with creating these videos so I hope you enjoy them!

Have a beautiful weekend,

Andrea
 

Science of Skincare (S.O.S. #4): Cleaning Up Your Skincare Routine

I'm going to warn you in advance that this post is going to be longer than normal. I am cleaning out my skincare and getting rid of the chemicals. This has been something that I have been thinking about doing for a long time. In the last few months I have been thinking about health, fitness, my diet, and more in a different way and that is what prompted me to think about the products I was using on my skin on a daily basis. I have always considered health to be a vital part of my skincare so I felt like this was a natural progression for me. 

With any big changes like this, you have to start small because it's too expensive to do every product I use right now at once. I didn't want to empty my entire medicine cabinet and skincare shelf into the trash so in this post I am going to share my process with cleaning up my skincare routine and my thoughts behind my decisions. If the thought of this is something you have been toying with, I highly suggest you grab a drink and snack and read this post thoroughly. I personally am starting with skincare because I use it twice a day, every day. Next I will move to hair products, and then my every day makeup routine. I say every day because I am not as concerned about a lipstick I wear once a year. I am the most concerned about the products I am applying to my skin every day so I will be focusing there first! So let's dive right in.

Let me start by giving you a little background on the ingredients that are used in skincare products. If you know me, you know that I am a huge label reader and recommend products based on their ingredients, not their brand names or claims. The reason you see such a large margin between high end and low end products, is because most ingredients can be synthetically made. Some skincare companies pay the money to source ingredients naturally, which you see reflected in the price tag. I feel like there is this misconception that you need chemicals in order to see results with skincare but this is not the case. There are so many naturally occurring acids, enzymes, antioxidants, and more that can be used to create amazing products that will be healthier for you and still give you great results. 

When I decided to embark on this journey I first turned to my favorite app called Think Dirty. You can also visit the EWG's Skin Deep Cosmetic Database here, if you want to do it on your computer. I had had the Think Dirty app on my phone for a long time, but was terrified to see just how bad the products I was using were, so I hadn't done much with it. In a nutshell, the app allows you to search or scan the bar code of almost 1 million different products and they rate them on a scale of 0 to 10; 0-3 being healthy for your skin, 4-7 being moderately bad for your skin, and 8-10 being the worst for you skin. Not only does it rate them, it allows you to look at why they get the rating they do. Each ingredient in the product is also rated so if it has a high rating it will show you the ingredients that are causing it to rate so high. It will then tell you the purpose of the ingredient and if it's linked to being carcinogenic, causing developmental & reproductive toxicity, or causing allergies & immunotoxicities. 

If a product wasn't listed in the app, which seems to be the case for a lot of newer products and brands, I would first submit the product to the app (a feature I love) and then I would hop on my computer and search ingredient by ingredient on the Skin Deep Database I mentioned above. Now I want to list some of the ingredients I am trying to stay away from and how I decide if I'm ok with keeping a moderately bad product in my skincare routine. 

Ingredients to Avoid (All information on ingredients is either from my brain from years of skincare training or the EWG Skin Deep Cosmetic Database):

• Mineral Oil: MIneral oil is a cheap oil made from petroleum that traps moisture in skin, but doesn't actually hydrate the skin. It simply doesn't do anything for us and can even trap bacteria in the skin and pores. There is belief that it could be a possible human immune system toxicant and since it doesn't actually do anything for the skin and comes from petroleum I say, DO WITHOUT IT!
• Parabens: If you are familiar with skincare, you probably know that a lot of companies are straying away from the use of parabens as preservatives because of it's possible link to cancer and how it can mimic estrogen in the body. For this reason, it's going on my DIRTY list.
• Phenoxyethanol: This is an ingredient that I think will be one of the hardest to stay away from, because it seems to be in everything!! haha Again this is a fragrance or preservative ingredient and is restricted in Japan in cosmetics in certain quantities. I've noticed it often in cleaners and toners, but can be in moisturizers as well.
• Propylene Glycol: This one is a humectant and skin conditioning ingredient that has been associated with skin irritations and dermatitis. After reading about how it is a probably carcinogen, I've decided it's on my DIRTY list. 
• Synthetic Colors (Yellow 5, Red 40, etc.): In my opinion, there is no reason that a skincare product needs to be colored a certain way. If there is naturally occurring pigment in the ingredients that is fine, but do not add synthetic colors that are made from petroleum just so the mask is orange. To me this is an easy one to get rid of so welcome to the DIRTY list!
• Benzalkonium Chloride: A surfactant found is many household cleaning supplies, I have no use for it in my cleansers! It has been shown to be a skin, respiratory, and eye irritant. 
• Triethanolamine: This is a relative of Nitrosamines, which are a very likely carcinogen, which means that it is a very possible health hazard. It is used as a buffering and emulsifying agent and will no longer be irritating my skin.
• Polysorbate 20/PEG Sorbitan Laurate : These are similar in that they are derivatives of Lauric Acid, and they have an extremely high contamination of Ethylene Oxide and 1,4 Dioxane which are very highly likely to be carcinogens. Lauric Acid is the fatty acid found in coconut oil that is totally fine and healthy for your skin. However, these forms of it, are very much a toxicant and welcomed on the DIRTY list. 

Ok this list could probably go on and on, but I will stop now and encourage to use this website and app to go through your own collection. If I come across more research and more ingredients that I will be omitting for sure, I will made sure to write new posts updating those who want the info! For now I will be for sure eliminating those above.

Now let me describe some of my decisions regarding ingredients and how I read labels. First off, it's important for you to know that the order that ingredients are listed shows which are in higher quantities. The first listed ingredient makes up the most of that product, the second being the second most, and so on until the last ingredient has the least concentration within. This is important to note because it can help you decide if that product is good for you or not. My biggest concern is usually the first half of the ingredients. I do not want a single chemical in those. Ideally, there wouldn't be a chemical in the whole label, but if I have a product that I love and works well for my skin and the second to last ingredient is a chemical, I might consider using it occasionally because I know the concentration is lower. 

Next, I look for the purpose of the ingredient. Sometimes products will be rated higher because they contain an ingredient like Glycolic Acid which exfoliates the skin. That glycolic acid could be listed as a potential skin irritant for this, which is fine with me because that's the reason I'm using it. I want it to break down the skin and exfoliate the dead cells off. As long as that Glycolic Acid is coming from a more natural source like maybe sugar cane, I am fine with it and don't consider that product to be a hazard. 

Now if you are thinking about making this transition with me into cleaning up your skincare, your next question is probably about how to make that transition. My recommendation is to do it slowly and phase out products as you use them up and purchase only healthy alternatives. If you have brand new bottles or back ups on hand, try returning them or giving them away to friends that don't necessarily care about the chemicals in their skincare (to each their own!).

So what does this mean for Andrea Fontana Beauty? I am a firm believer in putting your money into the health of you skin first so from here on out, I will not be recommending skin care products that are not clean for your skin. I will include you on this journey and plan on doing a follow up post asap, as to what products I've had to get rid of and what I've replaced them with. When I move on to hair care and every day makeup products I will do the same. For makeup however, I will continue to recommend, try and use all brands of products because I do not use the same things every day and still need high performance products for wedding day and special event makeup. For me this isn't an all or nothing process. As long as I'm converting 75% of what is going on my face and body every day, I will consider that a win. 

Again, I'm not encouraging you to throw out everything you own, but rather look where you can make some healthier changes in your every day routines. As always send all questions my way and let me know how you feel about this topic in a comment below!

Have a beautiful week,

Andrea