Articles

4 Steps To The Perfect Pinup Face

Aug 19, 2016

3447 views

Retro beauty is all about strong brows, lips, and eyeliner contrasting with a bright complexion. It's a glamorous look, but very simple to achieve. The basic makeup involves just a few products and four simple steps.

Skin

True vintage beauty starts with flawless, matte skin. Use concealer to cover any blemishes or dark undereye circles. A cream-to-powder foundation will give you good coverage and a matte finish in one step. Another option is to use a full-coverage cream or liquid foundation and then top it with loose powder.

Brows

Shapely brows are the most important -- and most often neglected -- feature in a pinup look. You need strong brows to balance bold lips and liner. The arches can be peaked or rounded, but the edges should look unnaturally immaculate. Waxing or threading are the best ways to get an architectural look, followed by tweezing to clean up stragglers. Apply brow powder with an angled brush. Outline the top of the brow, then the bottom edge, then fill in the center to get a clean, well-defined

The Advantages of Buying Drugstore Makeup

Team Xplore

Jul 16, 2016

3691 views

It may feel glamorous to buy your makeup from the cosmetics counter at a swanky department store, but the glow will quickly fade when the credit card bill arrives. The cost of high end designer makeup brands such as Estee Lauder and Lancome can really take a bite out of your budget and it may not be worth the free samples they throw in with your purchase or the glamorous bag you carry out of the store. The reality is that drugstore makeup can provide many of the same benefits as designer cosmetics if chosen properly.

It might surprise you to learn that drugstore makeup may come off of the same assembly line as the designer makeup lines you buy at cosmetic counters. Although they may not have the same fancy packaging or a big name on the cover, it may be the same product that’s sold at the cosmetic counter of your local department store. The key is to learn to recognize a quality cosmetic product, regardless of its packaging.

One of the advantages of buying makeup at the cosmetics counter is the opportunity to try it on before you buy it. In most cases, you’re not going

SMASHBOX: BEHIND THE BRAND

Team Xplore

Jul 15, 2016

2061 views

We live for lipstick. Get excited about primers. (No, seriously, we do.) But most of all, we love sharing our makeup secrets with you. Why? Because we are the only beauty brand born out of a real photo studio -- the legendary Smashbox Studios in L.A. -- and creating gorgeous looks is what we do here. We know your lives can be as crazy demanding as our shoots, so we develop makeup for everyone that feels great to wear every day -- from the set to the street. So come on in. Hang with us. It's all about being your most kickass beautiful self at Smashbox.

Five Make-Up Mistakes to Avoid

Team Xplore

Jul 12, 2016

2902 views

Along with clothes, accessories and hairstyles, make-up really helps you to express yourself visually. It is a good idea, then, to make sure you are creating the impression you want with your cosmetics, and that people are looking at you for the reasons you intended when you step out to face the world. This article outlines five common make-up mistakes that will detract from your beauty, rather than enhance it.

Too Much Powder

A light covering of translucent powder applied in the right places, with a brush, can help to set make-up and prevent shining. Take care not to overdo it, though, or your skin is likely to appear pale and chalky, and the mask-like finish will only hide your best features. Even worse, the powder will sink into any fine lines or wrinkles and magnify them, ageing you in the process. None of this is good news, so think twice before reaching for the powder pouf.

Playing up Eyes and Lips

It is a general rule that you should never wear heavy eye make-up when you are rocking dramatic lips. Not only can it be