Dre Does Quick Tips

Some of my favorite posts to share are my quick tips. I love being able to share tricks I've discovered with you all! So here are two new ones for you:

1. This is an awesome trick I learned in school for getting hair out of your hairbrush. Simply tap it firmly bristle side down, against the palm of your hand. This will cause all if the hairs to gather at the tips of the bristles and make it easier to remove them. 

2. If you have a hard time getting your eyelashes to curl try heating your eyelash curler with your blow dryer for a few seconds. However, ALWAYS test the temperature before you use it to make sure you don't burn yourself! Think of it as a mini curling iron for your lashes!

I hope these help! Have a beautiful day,

Dre

Dre Does a Brush Guide

This has been the most requested post so here it is! It took some time to really choose which brushes are my favorite since let's be honest...I have way more than I'm going to show below. But I've chosen my top 12 brushes that I think every woman needs. Now some were purchased in sets or years ago, so they might not be available for purchase right now. However, the point is the shape and type of brushes. If a brush as a really unique shape, I've made sure to choose it only if it is still available. I'll leave links to all of the ones that I can at the end of the post, as well as information as to which were purchased in a set. I've also taken the pictures of the face brushes next to a normal sized nail clipper, so you have a guide for the approximate brush sizes. (Sorry if some are a little dirty, but I used them before I took these pictures...haha)

1. Foundation brush: My favorite is the Expert Face Brush by Real Techniques. I love this brush for the unique shape and because of how dense it is. It's really good at applying foundation evenly. A lot of people like flat top buffing brushes because you can get a really good natural looking application, but I find this brush gives me a similar finish. It's also great at getting around your nose and chin because of the rounded shape. 


2. Concealer Setting brush: Now I didn't include a brush for concealer because personally I prefer applying with my fingers. I find the warmth of my finger tips melts the concealer just right to give a more natural look when covering. However one place you can't skip out on is setting your concealer, especially under your eyes. A small fluffy brush will do the trick and as I've talked about before I love the Setting Brush by Real Techniques. It's slightly pointed at the tip, so it gets right under the eyes nicely. It's also fluffy enough to apply just the right amount of product. 


3. Contour Fluffy Brush: Now I know everyone doesn't contour their faces, but I still think a fluffy medium sized brush is important. It's a great multitasking brush. You can of course use it for contouring, but also for applying highlight or even blush in a pinch! I really like this one called the Contour Brush from Real Techniques (are you seeing a trend here yet? But more on that later...). It's the perfect medium size. 


4. Flat top dense medium brush: This brush is great for cream products. The synthetic dense fibers are great for picking up and blending cream products. So once again this brush is great for blushes, bronzers, or highlighters. The size is perfect as well. This one is called the Buffing Brush by Real Techniques but many brands make a similar one.

5. Fluffy blush brush: Everyone needs a brush for blush and I'm obsessed with this one from Sonia Kashuk. It's available at Target and it's a must have. It is super soft and going strong after at least 4 years of use. The thing I like most about it is the density. It's pretty fluffy so it doesn't pick up too much product, so it allows you to build up cheek color to just the right amount. I think the packaging looks a little different now.


6. Powder Brush: Now this brush is the least unique but it's still a must-have. In order for your makeup to stay all day or night long, you need to set it with powder. This is simply a large fluffy brush from a Sephora set from at least 5 years ago, but it's obviously great quality and has worked so well setting my powder all of these years that I still haven't needed a new one. 


7. Eye Shader Brush: This is another typical brush shape, but it's another must-have. You need a good  flat shader brush to pack color onto your lids. This is another Sephora one that has lasted me years, but every brand of makeup brushes sells a dupe for this.


8. Fluffy Pointed Shading/Blending brush: So this brush is extremely unique shaped but I had to include it because it is a dream for blending the outer "v" of your lid (aka the outer corner). It's fluffy enough for blending but the pointed tip gives you enough control to make specific shapes. I just love it and use it for almost every eye look that I do, so I'm being serious when I say you must own it! It is called the Base Shadow Brush by Real Techniques.


9. Fluffy blending brush: The key to beautiful and smooth looking eyeshadow is blending. That is no secret. While I own and recommend having multiple blending brushes of different densities and sizes, a simple fluffy brush is the first step. This one is the E35 Tapere Blending brush from Sigma Beauty but many companies make great ones. 


10. Definer Pencil Brush: Whether you want to do a dramatic crease, outer v, smokey eye, or natural eye, a pencil brush will work wonders in applying the darker shades where you want them before you blend them out. They are dense and great for smudging color into the upper and lower lash lines as well. This one is the Smudge Brush from Ulta and is a great size for getting into all of these places. It's a great multi-use brush. It is years old as well though, so it could be hard to find this exact one.


11. Eyeliner brush: A fine pointed eyeliner brush is key because it can do a lot for your lash line. Whether you use it with gel eyeliner, eyeshadow, or to smudge out pencil liners, it gives you precision. So make sure it has a nice density and a good tip. I got this one free with a Sigma Beauty purchase but it is the mini version if their E05 Eyeliner brush. 


12. Angled Brow brush: Lastly, we have a brow brush. I use this one every day to fill in my brows with shadow and I love it. This shape also works nicely if you want to smudge out pencil eyeliner, or set your liner with eyeshadow for a smokier look. This is another shape that you can find easily from a lot of other brands, but I have to say I love the quality of this Real Techniques one.


So those are my favorite brushes! As you can tell I'm obsessed with the Real Techniques brushes because they are amazing quality for the prices. They are extremely soft and durable. I also love my Sigma Beauty brushes, however they are a little more expensive. If you have the money, I say invest in the Sigma ones, but if not the Real Techniques ones are amazing as well. 

Now for where to purchase
Brushes 8 and 12 came in a 5 piece eye starter set from Real Techniques for $18 that you can find below online or at Ulta.
http://realtechniques.com/shop-collection/your-eyes-enhanced/starter-set

Brushes 3 and 4 came in a 4 piece core collection set from Real Techniques for $18 that you can find below online or at Ulta.
http://realtechniques.com/shop-collection/your-base-flawless/core-collection

Brushes 6 and 7 came in a 7 piece Deluxe Antibacterial Brush set with a case for $60 from Sephora.
http://www.sephora.com/deluxe-antibacterial-brush-set-P197107

The rest were purchased individually:
Brush 1 is $9 below online or at Ulta.
http://realtechniques.com/shop-collection/your-base-flawless/expert-face-brush

Brush 2 is $8 below online or at Ulta. 
http://realtechniques.com/shop-collection/your-finish-perfected/setting-brush

Brush 5 is $17.18 online or in stores at Target. 
http://www.target.com/p/sonia-kashuk-kashuk-tools-domed-blusher-brush-no-29/-/A-14346298#prodSlot=medium_1_49

Brush 9 is $14 below. 
http://www.sigmabeauty.com/product_p/e35.htm

Brush 10 I couldn't find online anymore but lots of brands including Sigma Beauty make pencil brushes. 

Brush 11 is $12 below.
http://www.sigmabeauty.com/product_p/e05.htm

Hope this gives you a place to start or add to your brush collection! 
Have a beautiful day,

Dre

Dre Does a Makeup of the Day


I posted this a sneak peek of this makeup look yesterday. I think it's the perfect Natural makeup look. It's also really quick and easy. I did my normal face routine, but I wanted to point out some key aspects of the look. First off, whenever I'm doing a super natural look I always make sure to fill in my brows. It's a simple way to give your face structure and make you look polished and put together without much makeup on. I use the color Faint (a medium to dark brown) from my Urban Decay Naked Basics palette and a small angled brush. Then I just set it with a clear mascara so my brows stay put and the color lasts longer. 

Next, I did all of the tips from yesterday's post on making your eyes look bigger and brighter. You can especially see how I defined my eyelids. I applied a Maybelline Color Tattoo cream shadow in Barely Branded (70) and then on top I used my Naked Basics palette again (I wasn't exaggerating in that post a couple of weeks ago about how much I loved it haha). I added the lightest shade Venus in the middle of my lids, added Faint in the inner and outer corners, and blended everything together nicely. That's it! Even though they're matte shadows, I love the glow it gives my eyes. They really pop and look bigger! 

All I did after this was apply my Rimmel Lash Accelerator mascara and add some Chapstick and I was done! I've listed all the products below to achieve this look. It's seriously my go-to easy makeup when I'm rushed and still want to look put together! 

Laura Geller Spackle Tinted Under Makeup Primer in Bronze
Covergirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3 in 1 foundation in buff beige
Sonia Kashuk Hidden Agenda Concealer Palette in 07 light
NYX Wonder Pencil in 01 Light
tarte Amazonian Clay Bronzer in Park Avenue Princess
tarte Amazonian Clay 12 hour blush in treasured
tarte Amazonian Clay Highlighter in Champagne
Revlon Photoready Transulecent Face Powder
Maybelline 24 HR Color Tattoo Metal in Barley Branded
Urban Decay Naked Basics Eyeshadow Palette (colors Venus and Faint)
Maybelline Great Lash Mascara in Clear Transparent (for brows)
Rimmel Lash Accelorator Mascara in Extreme Black

Have a beautiful day,

Dre

Dre Does a How-To: Bigger and Brighter Eyes

Do you get way less sleep than you should and have the resulting exhausted looking eyes when you wake up like me? Don't worry. Thanks to my third cup of joe I've compiled a list of tips on how to make your eyes look brighter and bigger and thus fooling everyone into thinking you've gotten enough shut eye! 

1. Highlight your inner tear duct. Do yourself a favor and get a nude colored pencil eyeliner now! I love this new one from NYX called the Wonder Pencil because it comes in concealer-type shades but is in a easy to apply form as a pencil eyeliner. This new best friend makes it super quick and easy to highlight the inner area of your eye. You'd be surprised how quickly this trick brightens and makes you look more awake. 

2. Highlight your bottom waterline. You can use the same nude pencil liner to line this area. Normally you would put a darker color here to define your bottom lash line, but applying a nude color will help open your eyes and make them look bigger. Some people like to use white for this, but I prefer nude because it's less harsh and more natural looking. 

3. Set your under eye concealer. If you want to keep those dark circles under your eyes hidden until bed time and avoid creasing, you must set your concealer. Make sure to use a good concealer in this area that brightens this area (try pinkish tones) and set it using a fluffy brush and a finely milled powder. I like the Sonia Kasuk Hidden Agenda palette because it comes with three concealer shades and one setting powder. I use this 'setting brush' by Real Techniques to set the powder and I love how it applies the powder! You want to make sure you use a fine powder so that you don't run the risk of it settling in any fine lines, making you look more tired.

4. Define your eyelids. One technique that I love for a really natural look is to define both the inner and outer areas of my lids and highlight the center of my lids. This makes your eyes look huge and gives them a really nice glowy appearance. In the picture below I've done my makeup this way and you can see how it enlarges my eyes and gives them that glow. You might be surprised when I say that all I used is two matte shadows to complete it. So it's an extremely quick and easy look. Come back tomorrow for a post on how exactly I created this look! 


Have a beautiful day,

Dre

Dre Does a Quick Tip

Happy Monday!
I'm here with a quick tip dealing with dehydration and exfoliation. As I previously wrote about, you can check your skin to see if you're dehydrated. Click here if you missed that post where I show you a cool trick to do it yourself. I recommended water intake of at least half your body weight in ounces every day. If you're drinking this much water but still finding that your skin seems dehydrated, this is a sign that something else is the issue. A huge reason for this could be that you need a good exfoliation. If you have a lot of dead skin cells sitting on the surface of your skin, it doesn't matter how much water you drink, you will not hydrate that top layer. So I recommend giving your skin a good exfoliation. I also recently did a post on exfoliation that describes it's importance and what happens to the skin cells as they reach the surface. Click here if you'd like to read about that!

Have a beautiful day,

Dre

Dre Does a Makeup of the Day

We've had quite the blizzard in the Midwest these past few days. Seeing as work and school were both cancelled, I took the opportunity to play with some new makeup items I picked up before the holidays that I never got to play with. I thought I'd share it as well as a list of products I used. If you have questions or would like a review of any of the products, leave a comment below and I'll get right on it! 


Products used:
Laura Geller Spackle Tinted Under Makeup Primer in Bronze
Covergirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3 in 1 foundation in buff beige
Sonia Kashuk Hidden Agenda Concealer Palette in 07 light
tarte Amazonian Clay Bronzer in Park Avenue Princess
tarte Amazonian Clay 12 hour blush in treasured
tarte Amazonian Clay Highlighter in Champagne
Revlon Photoready Transulecent Face Powder
Urban Decay Naked Basics Eyeshadow Palette (colors Venus, Foxy, Naked 2, and Faint)
Bh cosmetics 120 color palette 5th edition
Loreal Carbon Black Lineur Intense Felt Tip Liquid Eyeliner
Rimmel Lash Accelorator Mascara in Extreme Black
NYX Butter Gloss in Creme Brûlée 

Dre Does Cleansing

I cannot stress enough the importance of cleansing your face. It does not matter how late, how tired, and how lazy you may feel, you will not regret going to bed with a clean face. I know throughout college it was especially hard to follow through with this, but if I missed one night of cleansing my skin even after a whole month of good routine, I would get breakouts. If you are lucky and this doesn't happen to you, you're still not off the hook. Everyone should be cleansing in the morning and night, no matter your skin type or age. If you're crunched for time, do it in the shower. 

Now if you're already consistently cleansing, that's wonderful. Are you using the right type of cleanser though? First off, don't ever use products that are meant for your body, on your face. I know it may seem more convenient and cost effective to use one product for everything, but the skin on your face can be completely different than the skin on your body. Don't ever use bar soap on your face. That's a big no-no. It will completely strip your skin of oils because it's meant to clean your body.

The two most common types of cleansers are cream and gel. Until I started esthiology school, I didn't really understand the skin types they were targeted for, so chances are you don't either. Cream cleansers are thicker and less 'soapy' feeling. They are targeted for normal to dry skin types. The cream aids in removing impurities, dirt, and makeup while still leaving the skin feeling super hydrated. Gel cleansers on the other hand, are targeted for those in the normal to oily range. The gel helps rid your skin of excess oil. The first question I ask clients when they tell me they have dry skin, is if they use a gel cleanser. The reason for this is that if your skin isn't excessively oily and you are using gel, it's going to strip you of even more oils than is needed. The same can be said for super oily skin, if you're using a cream cleanser. Try a gel cleanser if you're experiencing excessive oiliness. 

So go take a look at what you're using to cleanse your skin. Within the next week, I'm going to be posting a guide on skin types so you really understand what you're working with. Many of us think we know what type of skin we have, but it may be the products we are using that are making it dryer or more oilier than it actually is. 

Have a beautiful day (and stay warm if you're anywhere within the snowstorm's grasp), 

Dre



Happy New Year!

As we wrap up 2013, I've been reflecting and deciding what I want for 2014. No matter what aspect of life that I'm contemplating it all comes back to two things; love and gratitude. These are things that I want not only for myself but for you.

I hope we take more time to appreciate the small things.
             ...talk less and listen more.
             ...take the time to show our gratitude to everyone, no matter how big or small. 
             ...are more spontaneous.
             ...take more leaps of faith on people, in our careers, but especially, on ourselves. 
             ...spend more time with those who matter and show them how much they do.
             ...worry less and trust that we are right where we need to be.
             ...have the courage to make changes when we need to.
             ...build each other up and support one another, instead of comparing and competing.

But most importantly, I hope we love more. Do everything with love and positivity and good things will come your way. Did you make any resolutions for 2014? Leave a comment below and let me know what you're working on! 

Have a beautiful New Year,

Dre

Dre Does an Ispy Review

I've been eyeing the various beauty subscription services for a couple of months now and was deciding between Ipsy and Birchbox. I ultimately chose Ipsy because I'd been hearing recently that Birchbox was slacking on sample sizes, repeating products, and giving lots of perfume samples. For $10 I decided to get Ipsy and I was so happy with my first bag! One of the perks of Ipsy is that your products come in a makeup bag every month, made specially for them. I really like the black quilted faux patent leather pouch I received 5 full size products in and so far I'm really happy with everything I got. When you sign up you take a quiz that allows them to get to know you better and what types of products and colors would work best for you. Below is a summary of everything I got in my December bag!



First off is the Pop Beauty Bright Up Your Life Eyeshadow Trio in Smokin Hot. I'm not a huge fan of grays but since I don't own anything like this, it wasn't a bad addition to my collection. The shadows are pretty creamy and have good pigmentation. At first glance they look like the glitter might be chunky, but when applied, the shadows look more shimmery, which I was happy about. While you can't buy Trios from Pop Beauty, these shadows are from a 10 color palette that retails for $24 at pop beauty.co.uk. So this trio is valued at $7.20. 
Next we have The One Stick from Be A Bombshell cosmetics in the shade Sunset. This is a great multipurpose product that you can use on your cheeks, lips, or eyelids. It was really pigmented and blended really well on my cheeks. I also liked it applied to my lips, but have yet to try the eyelids (and to be honest I doubt I will haha). On beabombshellcosmetics.com it retails for $16! Bag total so far = $23.20.
Next up is the Mirabella Beauty Eye Blender brush. The handle is pretty heavy which I kind of like, but the brush head isn't that soft or dense. I'd say it's a so so brush. Don't think I'd buy it on its own. I was shocked to read the $27 price tag if you buy it through Mirabella, so I'd say if you're going to spend that kind of money definitely go somewhere else. Bag total so far = $50.20. 

Now we have the Salon Perfect Perfectly Natural Strip Lashes. I haven't used these yet so I can't really say much besides that they look like nice, natural looking lashes. I'll probably bust them out for New Year's Eve and make sure to update you all when I do! They retail at Walmart.com for $2.98. Bag total so far = $53.18.

Lastly in my bag, I got the J. Cat Beauty Big Lip Pencil in Red Rose. I love this pencil so far! I've worn it twice and it had a great matte finish, good pigmentation, and awesome staying power. I love the color and I think it's perfect for the holidays. Of all the products in the bag, I'd say this one is the one I'm most likely to purchase on my own. The only con that i can come up with is that this isn't a twist up pencil like some of the popular ones right now, but I already have a lip pencil sharpener so it's not really that big of a deal. It retails at jcatbeauty.com for only $3.99 which is awesome! I think it's a great product for the money. This brings the entire Ipsy bag total to $57.17 plus the value of the black bag it came it. 
I'm extremely happy with my December Ipsy bag and I would definitely recommend it so far. Paying only $10 but getting $57.17 worth of products is amazing! I'll make sure to keep reviewing these on a monthly basis! What subscriptions do you have? What ones do you have your eye on? Let me know in the comments!

If you'd like to join Ipsy yourself, click this link to get started!  http://www.ipsy.com/r/1ji4

Have a beautiful day,

Dre

Dre Does Exfoliation

I can't stress enough how important exfoliation is. In order for us to have healthy and glowing skin, skin cell turnover must be healthy. When new skin cells are formed at the base and deepest layers of skin they are round and full of nutrients. As they slowly make their way to the outermost layers of your skin, they become flattened and slowly lose water and nutrients. When they reach the surface they are dry dead skin cells that are ready to be sloughed off. 

Your body has a natural process to get rid of these cells called desquamation, but various factors can affect it. As we age this cycle slows down. It takes longer for these cells to reach the surface and by the time they make it to the surface they are usually extremely dry and flat. This is why most mature skin is super dry. Sometimes if you have oily skin, dead skin cells can get trapped in your pores and lead to blackheads. The oil kind of acts like glue and cells stick to it. 

For these reasons, it's extremely important to exfoliate. Getting all of those dead skin cells off the surface and pulling them out of your pores is crucial. You need the oil in your pores to help protect your skin so you don't want to get rid of it, which is why exfoliation is great for this.

Cell turnover is also extremely important for anyone with hyperpigmentation (dark spots) or discoloration resulting from old blemishes. Exfoliating will aid in helping the appearance of these spots fade as cells are being sloughed off. 

While I've talked mostly about your face, let's not forget the body! It's important that you are using a scrub in the shower too. Exfoliating areas where you shave or wax will help with preventing ingrown hairs and ultimately make your skin feel smoother. 

As wonderful as exfoliating is, make sure you don't do it too much! No matter what product you use make sure you are reading the directions. Over exfoliation can cause irritation and harm to your skin. Sometimes we can get the mindset that if something is good for us, the more we do it, the more benefits we will see. However, this is not always the case. 

Have a beautiful day,

Dre

Dre Does a Last Minute Gift Guide

Christmas is about a week away and if you're like me, there's a good chance you aren't done with your holiday shopping. I've compiled a quick gift guide if you're stuck on those last gifts for anyone who loves beauty items. I especially love getting my friends and family beauty related items because they either don't know anything about them, or they wouldn't spend the money on it themselves!

(Click to enlarge)

1: Aveda Hand Relief Lotion (4.2 oz for $22.50 on Aveda.com): This stuff works miracles on your hands and smells so good!
2: Tree Hut Shea Sugar Body Scrub (18 fl oz for $6.59 on drugstore.com): I'm currently using the mango version in my shower routine and I love it! It's great at sloughing off dead skin cells and I love the smell. It also leaves my skin very moisturized. 
3: The Body Shop Satsuma Collection (5 piece gift set about $40 on amazon.com): Have you ever smelled this scent? If not, stop what you're doing, get in your car and drive to the nearest Body Shop or Ulta. Yes it's that good! 
4: Sally Hansen Gel Polish At Home Manicure Kit (starter kit about $46 on amazon.com): These kits are great for at home gel manicures. There is also a starter kit for polish strips if that is easier for you!
5: OPI Nail Polish in 'Lincoln Park After Dark'($9): My go-to winter nail polish. It is the perfect, very, very dark and chic almost black color. 
6: Revlon ColorBurst Matte Balm ($8.99 at your local drugstore): These are relatively new and I love how easy they are for transforming your look. They also twist up instead of having to be sharpened and have a nice minty scent. 
7: Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette ($27 at Ulta or Sephora):  If you missed yesterday's post about this palette go check it out! It's a must have for everyone, no matter your skill level. 
8: Essie Nail Polish in Sable Collar ($8): This is a really unique color that I'm loving for winter. It's like a taupey brown with red duo chrome and it is absolutely gorgeous! 

Happy last minute shopping! Have a beautiful day,

Dre