Your Makeup Agony Aunt

[therotund]

Ever notice that no matter how much you mix the polish, it always creates streaks on the nails when painted? I have a way to fix this… Paint the first layer of the polish as normal, then allow time to dry. Then, dab a bit of the polish onto a make-up sponge (notice a pattern? Make-up sponges seem to be one of my favorite ‘nail art tools’…) and sponge on the second coat. (I forget where/who I learned this trick from, but I’m sure other nail art blogs have posted this tip first). This evenly distributes the gold/silver/copper polish so that it looks much more like the polish in the bottle.

http://juliannemonday.com/2012/10/06/spikes/

THIS IS BRILLIANT.

(via therotund)

[makeupchicken]

I want to try using more adventurous lip stuffs and I really love the look of bright lipsticks, but I hate the dryness and the smudging and the not kissing. Please, please tell me there is something or some process out there you recommend for lip fanciness that helps my lips feel moisturized while simultaneously keeping color on my lips and nothing and no one else. <3

The holy grail of lipstick is something moist that doesn't transfer. (Yeah, I still don't like the word moist. *laugh*) There are a variety of products that make some progress, but I think all of them involve some compromise.

You can get longwear lipsticks - but they aren't actually going to last all day and they tend to be very drying. You can counter that by applying lip balm but it's going to vary by brand how that impacts the wear.

My favorite is a matte red from MAC called Ruby Woo - but because it's matte, it's hella dry. And it DOES transfer to other people. I just keep some wet wipes handy if I'm going to be smooching faces there.

Really, though, I think you should check out lip stain! Lip markers are one of my favorite things basically ever. They're a little harder to find than regular lipsticks but they are SO WORTH IT. Because then the color really does stain your lips and stay there. You can remove them with oil-based cleansers.

I really like the color options here:

http://www.josiemarancosmetics.com/shop/lips/magic-marker-lip-and-cheek-stain-jitterbug

There's some bright pinks and a really nice red.

You CAN layer stains, too - like if the color isn't bright enough for you with one layer, let it set and then go back over it! You can apply lip balm if you're feeling dry - but don't put it on first. The lip stain won't go on well over it. Exfoliate your lips a little bit, pat them dry, then go to town with the stain before you moisturize things up. 

There might be some minor transfer with stains - but it's not going to be anything like  lipstick. Stains are PERFECT for making out. I think you're going to be really pleased.

<3

Love,

Your Makeup Agony Aunt

[reneeruinseverything]

[fuckyeahnailart]

(via Lab Muffin: NOTD: Green gradient nails)

[makeupchicken]

I don't really dig multicolor Skittles manis on myself but the monochromatic ones do actually make me swoon.

[stylesofar]

Things the Internet Taught Me: Easy Marbled Nails

I have been seeing AWESOME marbled nails all over the internet. There is an artistry behind it called water marbling. If you have the time to do it, it really is worth a shot! You put nail polish and suspend it in water, marble it to your liking, and dip your nails into the pattern. It takes a lot of taping of your hands, and a lot of time but is really beautiful. I came across this method when simply looking for a tie dyed nail effect. I posted this pic on my twitter/instagram awhile back and everyone wanted to know how to do it. It’s really simple! 

1. Simply pick the colors you want to use. I used pink, orange, blue, green, and purple. Also have some white on hand.

2. Paint your nails with the white as a base. 

3. Once it dries most the way, glob on the colors you would like to use. I do them in a diagonal line across the nail. You want the nail polish to be heavy enough to where it sits heavy, but not too much to where it runs on its own. Like so:

4. Then, take a tooth pick and simply make lines across the opposite diagonal from the ones you painted with the polish. Do one nail at a time! Then sit and let them dry for a least 30 minutes. It is heavily painted, so it maky take a little longer.

That’s it! Enjoy your gorgeous nails! Use more or less colors, different lines and patterns for different looks. :) 

[makeupchicken]

INTRIGUING.

[therotund]

I own forty bottles of blue nail polish.

This strikes me as a little extreme. Not a whole lot extreme, not make up hoarding extreme. But maybe wake-up-and-smell-your-blue-nail-polish-problem extreme.

It’s a warning sign, right?

Or is it? I mean, is there anything actually wrong with having forty bottles of blue nail polish? Yeah, it seems like a lot, but I also use these colors. I’d probably have more if I didn’t use these colors – because I’d be buying new colors to actually use. And throwing away nail polish doesn’t make much sense.

[makeupchicken]

Do you have any good tweezer recommendations? The last pair I bought have such sharp edges that they often end up clipping the hair instead of pulling it out. They're driving me crazy!

I HATE THAT! I have that problem every single time with pointy tipped tweezers.

I own two pairs, both of which are several years old. I have an ANCIENT pair of square-tipped Revlon tweezers. I actually love them with all sorts of passion. They are blunt rather than sharp.

I'd also recommend the Tweezerman stuff - it's a little pricier but it's good quality stuff.

But before you try buying a whole new pair, it might be worth grabbing some fine sand paper and seeing if you can blunt the ends of the sharp pair that you have - drag the sand paper across each tip at an angle.

You can also try lightning your grip a little bit. That has never worked for me but it's a potential fix. *grin*

[fuckyeahnailart]

(via TutoTee’s nail art // Je suis une fille green | PSHIIIT)

Click through for a tutorial!

[teeny-tanya]

[makeupchicken]

Hey, I was wondering if you might be able to help me with some hair related things? I have short, thin hair that I don't wash much since I shaved it March this year. I don't really want to start going back to the way I was washing my hair before the shave and I have heard good things about cleansing conditioners. Any suggestions on whether this is a good idea/ brand suggestions?

OOooh, shaved head! Love it.

Cleansing conditioners are really interesting. I've tried a few and been fairly pleased with the results - but I have massively thick hair that is curly and dry. As much as the marketing says otherwise, I'm not entirely sure that all cleansing conditioners are equally good for all hair types.

That isn't to say I don't think they would work on short, thin hair - I just think you might have to focus on something specifically for fine hair. There's a Cucumber Aloe cleansing conditioner by WEN that has gotten a lot of good reviews.

(I've tried their Fig cleansing conditioner and I think it would be way too heavy for your hair. But I kind of loved it.)

Also, when you do try it, start with less product than you think you need! The first few times, I went through way more product than I really needed to. Use a little and then rub in circles and stick your head under the water for a second to help distribute it.

Hopefully we can get some other brand suggestions for you, too!

Love,

Your Makeup Agony Aunt

[truebluenails-blog]

[ritzythrift]

[makeupchicken]

I dunno if you're still doing the Q&A thing, but since you're so good at DIY, I figured I'd ask anyway. Do you have any suggestions for things to do with old makeup? Like crappy old eyeshadow that still has some colour and shimmer to it, but I have no intention of ever applying to my face again. I figure there's got to be some sort of awesome craft I can use it for. . .

THERE ARE THINGS!

Okay, if it's eyeshadow, grind that crap up. You can mix it with lipgloss and make your own colors. You can mix it with clear nail polish and make your own colors (this is my favorite). You can also use it like pastels for drawing, too - though that can be a little tricky. You can do these things with blush, too! 

Lipstick isn't as versatile - but I kind of love drawing with it on mirrors. 

Mascara just needs to be thrown away.

[packapunchpolish]

Day 9: RAINBOW nails

I had something completely different on my nails and majorly messed it up. To be honest… I had no extra energy to do my nails again so this is all I could make myself do last night. They’re not too terribly bad…. right?

Claire’s Bedazzled

Rainbow done with acrylic paint

[makeupchicken]

I need to do this immediately.

[lauren-ash]

[velocicrafter]

nailspiration

[makeupchicken]

All my swoons.

[kitten-la-rouge]

Vintage 1940s Make up & Hair Tutorial.

Miss Ratherly Stern, back with more 1940’s Fashion and Glamour tips…

[makeupchicken]

FASCINATING.

[scissorsandthread]

The Bow Mani | The Beauty Department

The Beauty Department just keeps pumping out these gorgeous manis and I’m totally in love with this one! Is it just me or does this remind you of a Tiffany’s box?! If you don’t own a nail art pen, my lovely readers suggest using instead the thinest paint brush you can find instead. Cheaper and it means any of your nail polishes can become a ‘pen’!

[dawningmama]

Adorable!