Mmm. Afterbirth...

I’m all for living an organic lifestyle. There’s simply no reason not to. But I draw the line at smearing birthing excrement on my face.

Gross, I know, but Hollywood is telling me that the new fountain of youth comes from the very beginning of youth itself.  So alert the media: the new craze for the beauty-obsessed is placenta facials.

Just to make sure we’re all clear, placenta is a temporary organ joining the mother and fetus. It transfers oxygen and nutrients from the mother to the fetus, and permits the release of carbon dioxide and waste products from the fetus. But don’t worry, the facial itself is “ordinary-smelling.” Phew, because I smelling like afterbirth and fetal waste is the real problem here.

Although it may be vile, placenta is rich in proteins and zinc, so it can’t be discredited just because it came out of someone’s birth canal.  And it’s not like weirder things haven’t happened.

I blame Victoria Beckham. She told the world she was rubbing bird poop on her face and the next thing you know people are scraping fresh droppings off their windshields and saving it for a nighttime facial treatment. I believe this was at the same time people were using bull’s semen as a leave-in conditioner. That just leaves me wondering how said semen was protracted. All kinds of nasty.

Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if there is a rash of Placenta Snatchers showing up bedside at the birth of children everywhere, led by none other than Joan Rivers. Protect your placenta, new mothers.

Oh, the things people will do for beauty.

I’m not really a fan of traditional up-dos. You know, the ones with the spiral curls that are pinned neatly together and sprayed with enough hairspray to destroy the ozone. Maybe it’s just me, but I’ve never really been into pageant hair. I prefer something a little sleeker and sexier, not to mention something that doesn’t quadruple my carbon footprint.

When it comes to formal or special events, I’m all about taking risks with hair and makeup.

The bigger the risk the better the payoff, right?

That couldn’t be more true with this look. If you’ve got a formal coming up (or you just want to try something different on a Saturday night), this fauxhawk is sophisticated, fun and super easy to do.

When I was growing up, my dad always told me, “Caitlin, be prepared.”

I’m pretty sure he was referring to things like school work and job interviews, but I took that advice to heart….with beauty supplies.

Thanks to my dad I never leave the house without my big bag of beauty essentials. You never know what could happen on your way to class – blisters from your shoes, a sudden monsoon, laughing so hard you cry off all your mascara – so it’s best to bring along a few things to save you from a makeup meltdown. I’ll share with you all of my must-brings that have gotten me through all of my beauty emergencies and then you can customize your portable beauty bag to hold whatever you like (yeah, stacks on deck, Patron on ice…).

As a little girl, lipstick was always the first item I’d reach for in my mom’s purse. I always watched her swipe a little across her lips and look instantly beautiful. I wanted to look beautiful, too.

And now that I’m actually old enough to be wearing the stuff…well, lipstick scares me. Although it defined icons like Marilyn Monroe and Christina Aguilera, I find the whole thing a bit stressful. There is a very fine line between looking glam like Gwen Stefani and looking like you’re just trying too hard to look glam like Gwen Stefani. And I always worry I’m in the latter category.

But I still want it! Lipstick is classic. And if it’s done right, it’s glamorous.

So how does one do it right? How do we college girls find the right lipstick to enhance our lips without making us look like a clown? I’ve been doing my research (OK, so it was for my own selfish reasons, but I’m sharing it with you now!) and I found some general lipstick guidelines for choosing the best shade and wearing it well.

Picking a Color: For everyday wear, choose a color that is only a few shades darker than your natural lip color.  Remember, your lips are naturally a few shades darker than your skin tone so if you’re testing a color on your hand (you know, to avoid germs…I’m a freak) keep that in mind.  Choosing a color this way will enhance your lips naturally and not scream, “I’m playing with my mom’s makeup bag!” In general, the lighter your skin tone, the lighter shade you should choose. 

If you are going for a less-neutral/more dramatic nighttime look, light skinned girls should go for pinky tones, medium tones should choose berry shades, and those with dark skin can go for deep browns or reds.  This article on eHow talks more about undertones and specific shades of colors, but in general the simple guidelines above work well.

Pick a Type: Lipstick comes in several different types like matte, long-lasting, liquid, metallic… Matte and long lasting lipsticks are great to provide a defined look, but if you are looking to make your lips appear fuller, a lipstick with shine or gloss will be a better choice.  Another option is a lip-stain, which provides intense, lasting color and shine.

Lip-liner: My girl New York is known for her beautiful lip-liner, but I’m guessing you don’t necessarily want to emulate her style.  Basically, most of us college-aged girls don’t need lip-liner.  Our lips are pretty full already, so lip liner isn’t necessary until we get old and our lips thin.  At this point lip-liner is just going to look ridiculous and over-the-top, so stay away.

Don’t be afraid to use some color on your lips. If you do it right – i.e. pick the right shade for your skin – you can look beautiful and glamorous just like Marilyn, Gwen…and your mom.

When it comes to beauty there are certain tools that every girl needs in her arsenal. But what are the must-haves and what are the spend-a-lot-of-money-on-stuff-you-don’t-needs?

I know a lot of girls are confused about what brushes to buy and what tools they should have lying around their bathroom counter so I wanted to give you all some insight on what I use regularly. I’m not telling you to go out and buy a $100.00 brush kit full of stuff you’ll never use. Instead, I’m going to explain what everything is and allow you to decide what you need for your daily beauty regime.

Note: This is NOT me and my friend. We're girls.

Last year for Halloween my best friend and I dressed up as Ernie and Bert, complete with yellow and orange face-paint.  Can you say ‘hottest costumes ever’?  The guy I was hooking up with didn’t seem to think so.  I had seen him out earlier in the night and when we texted later to meet-up (read: hook-up) he said, “I’m on my way over. Wash that sh*t off your face before I get there.”

Ouch.

You mean you don’t think I’m hot when I’m wearing bright orange face-paint? Harsh. But I wasn’t ready to end my Halloween night hookup-less, so I proceeded to the bathroom to scrub “that sh*t off my face.”  But it turns out that washing off layers of face-paint that took a half hour to apply was tricky. And when he finally did show up I just looked like Bert…with a melting face.  If only I had been prepared with the right equipment to return to my natural skin color ahead of time.

Whether you are putting on face-paint, false eyelashes, or just regular makeup that is heavier than usual, it’s all gonna need to come off at the end of the night (especially if you want some Hallow-sexin).  So arm yourself ahead of time with these helpful heavy-duty makeup removal products and you’ll have your real face back in no time.

To Remove Face Paint/ Heavy Makeup
Cold cream is your best option. Yes, it’s gonna feel gross, but so does a face full of giant zits in the morning from improper makeup removal or, worse, a face that has been scrubbed raw trying to get that ish off. If you want your skin to be truly clean, cold cream is the way to go.  Just use a cotton ball and apply the cold cream to your entire face (or other painted areas).  Let it sit for a few minutes and soak up that nasty makeup.  Then use a facecloth and warm water to rub off it all off. Follow up with a little rinse with water and you’re face is fresh and ready for bed (or booty).

Another option is to use baby oil applied and removed in the same way.  Even baby wipes are a decent option for face-paint removal.  (All of these products can be found at your local drugstore).

To Take off Those False Eyelashes
You may want to try and just yank these guys off at the end of the night, but I would advise against that. Strongly. Removing false eyelashes is difficult because it’s easy to accidentally pull out your own lashes (which hurts like a mo-fo) and lash glue can be really sticky. The best and safest way to remove false lashes is with an eyelash glue remover, like this one from Ardell.  Apply the remover to your lash line, let it sit, then carefully pull off the lashes beginning at each corner, working towards the center. 

Note: Make sure that even if you’re intoxicated you pull on the lashes gently.

Remember that even though your Smurf makeup looks great tonight, it won’t look good in the morning… when your pillowcase is blue and your pores are clogged. No matter what time you get home (and no matter what your BAC is), make sure you get that makeup off and get it off thoroughly.

And if that doesn’t happen, well, arm yourself with some good cover-up techniques. You’re gonna need ‘em.

When your favorite cream blush or powder foundation is empty, do you just toss it in the trash? By recycling your used beauty products, you can help save the planet and get brand new products for free!

Mac’s Back To Mac Program
Return six Mac primary packaging containers to the Mac counter at your local department store or via mail, and you’ll get a free lipstick of your choice! For more information, click here.

Origins’ Return to Origins Program
Origins accepts empty cosmetics tubes, bottles, jars, etc. from any brand (regardless of manufacturer) at all of their retail stores and department store counters. In return, they’ll give you a free sample of your choice of an Origins

Kiehl’s Recycle and Be Rewarded Program
Bring your empty Kiehl’s jars and tubes to the store nearest you and you’ll get a card to collect stamps for each container you recycle. For three containers, get a free tube of lip balm. When you return five, you’ll get a free item from the Travel Collection. And when you reach 10, choose one regular sized product valued at $25 or less! To find a Kiehl’s store near you, visit kiehls.com.<

Tarte Customer Recycling Incentive Program
Tarte offers discounts when you send in your empty cosmetic containers. Send in your Clean Slate Primer or Smooth Operator SPF 20 foundation and you’ll get 15 percent off your next complexion purchase. Send in an empty Slide Tin Lip Balm and Tarte will give you 15 percent off any lip product. And send in an empty cheek stain and you’ll get 15 percent off the next cheek stain! For more information, click here.

Want to make recycling make up easier? Buy brands that use recyclable materials for packaging. Josie Maran sells biodegradable plastic compacts that can be composted (after you remove the mirror), and SpaRitual nail polishes come in recyclable glass bottles. If you shop at Lush, you can buy slices of soap and bars of shampoo sans-packaging (bring your own bag or buy a recyclable aluminum tin to store yours in), and their plastic bottles can be recycled along with drinking bottles and caps returned to the store to be re-used.

[For more fashion and beauty fabulosity, visit StyleBakery.com.]

It’s been a long time coming, but it’s finally here: the smokey eye!

You’ve seen it on just about every red carpet from Hollywood to New York. It’s glamorous, it’s sexy, it’s chic… and it’s not that hard to do all by yourself. Nope, you don’t need a professional makeup artist to smoke out your eyes – you just need a few shadows, a few brushes and the know-how. Which is why I’m here.

Watch, learn and rock this look in no time.

]]> http://collegecandy.com/2009/10/24/cc-beauty-live-the-smokey-eye/feed/ 6 Caitlin-University of Alabama http://collegecandy.com/2009/10/22/makeup-101-save-your-skin-from-winter-weather/ http://collegecandy.com/2009/10/22/makeup-101-save-your-skin-from-winter-weather/#comments Thu, 22 Oct 2009 15:00:06 +0000 Ali - Syracuse University http://collegecandy.com/?p=44371 ]]>

The cool days are officially starting, and here at Syracuse that means the cold days are just around the corner.  I can just feel the winter depression setting in, and my skin feels the same way.  My hands are already dry and eczema is surfacing.  Yeah, I think that definitely makes someone wanna hold my hand…if that someone also happens to have winter lizardy skin.

As if losing your summer bronze glow isn’t bad enough, the cold wind and weather does some serious damageto your skin. And your precious face and dainty hands get the worst of it, as they most often feel the harshness of the cold air. So how can you protect your skin without staying in your room all day? (No, that isn’t an option; professors don’t care about your skin that much.)

Below are some suggestions to get your skin back to the baby’s-bottom-soft feel of summer. No more cracking, flaking or drying out this winter, women.

Hands: If your skin is only mildly dry or you just want to prevent it from happening, a thick cream will do the trick.  Try L’Occitane’s Shea Butter Hand Cream or Bliss’ High Intensity Hand Cream. And keep that stuff with you wherever you go; skin dries out quickly in the winter-time and you want to be prepared.

If your hands are cracky or you have eczema, you know that Cortisone ointment can be helpful but sticky.  So try mixing together the ointment with an unscented lotion like Cetaphil.  If your hands are really bad, apply petroleum jelly before you go to bed under some white cotton gloves (this both traps in all that moisture…and prevents you from making a serious jelly mess all over your bed). When you wake up it will be worth the annoyance, because your skin will be way softer. 

And if cracks are more your problem than itch and dryness, apply Newskin to cracks to keep them sealed and protected.

Face: First use an exfoliating scrub like this one from Clinique (or this delicious one from Mario Badescu!) to buff away dead, dry skin. Then use a thick lotion that won’t clog your pores to add some serious moisture. Clinique, the god of good-for-your-skin products, makes a good cream called Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief. It’s my savior every winter.

If your face is really dry, try an overnight cream like this one from Boscia that will revitalize your skin as you sleep.

Eating well, taking vitamins, getting sleep and exercise (and wearing gloves!) are also always important keys to healthy skin, but sometimes you need a little more help. Moisturize ahead of time and save your skin before things get bad. And dry. And scaly.

We all know the benefits of using a facial scrub: it sloughs off dead skin cells letting your beautiful fresh face show through; and also gets really deep into your pores to get rid of oil, makeup and other gross build-up. I love all the good that a facial scrub can do, but I’m tired of rubbing my face with a sandy, painful scrub!

I have been looking high and low for a facial scrub that doesn’t feel like i just rubbed sandpaper all over my face. And I finally found it.

This is another Mario Badescu product (what can I say? Mario knows what he’s doing!) that works, smells great, and is affordable! Now we can all get the perfect skin without feeling like we’re scratching off our faces in the process.