Lullabies and Lippies: December 2015

Especially for makeup newbies, I know how intimidating it can be to walk into a department store looking for a certain product – say, an everyday blush color – without knowing which brand to check out first. Knowing which beauty products to splurge or save on can take a lot of research, years of experimenting, and most likely, a significant amount of money. I've put together a short guide based on my experience to offer you some perspective to help you decide which products you can splurge, or skimp on.

Skincare: Splurge

Good skin is an investment. If you have good skin, anything looks good on you – that's my belief. Good skin means you can get away with wearing as little makeup as possible. In the long run, this saves you a lot of money and prep time in the morning. Department store brands (i.e., higher-end brands) offer a wide range of skincare products catered to different skin types. Skincare products which are formulated for a particular skin type work better than generic products. So, go on, splurge on this one.

Foundation: Splurge

Next to skincare, I think foundation is the beauty product most worthy of a splurge. Sadly, not all of us are blessed with good skin, even if we use very good skincare products. The good news is that we can cheat using a good foundation! Higher-end brands offer a wider shade range with varying finishes – from a more natural finish to one with more coverage. More importantly, higher-end products generally use better, skin-loving ingredients, so you can be sure your foundation isn't making the condition of your skin worse. As with good skin, if you have a good base (i.e., foundation), the rest of your makeup will look good.

Concealer: Save

Save your money on this one, ladies. If you have a good base, then concealer should just be an 'add-on' product to enhance your look. (Think: extra fries to go with your burger.) I find that drugstore options are sufficient to give you that extra kick of coverage or brightness and to hide that zit!

Blush: Splurge

For the most part, department store brands offer a wider variety of blush colors in different formulas and finishes. My experience with blushes from the drugstore have not been all that great – they either lack pigmentation or come across as chalky. If you find a good blush with a good formula, you won't need to pile on layers upon layers upon layers just to get the color to show up. In this way, a pan of blush will last you forever, so I think it's worth the splurge.

Lipstick, Eyeshadow, Eyeliner: Save

Once in a while, it's fun to experiment with a new lip color, eyeshadow shade, or eyeliner formulation. If you want to try out say, a new lip color, and maybe you're not quite sure if you'll end up liking it in the long-run, I suggest to scout the drugstore for more wallet-friendly options. This way, if it doesn't work out for you, then you won't feel that bad about not using it up. Also, when it comes to these three things, drugstore brands have it pretty much up to par with department store brands in terms of color variety, as well as quality.

Mascara: Save

The shelf-life of any mascara is at most six months, no matter how much you paid for it. The insides of your mascara tube are dark and damp, and because you're constantly opening and pumping air into it, it becomes susceptible to bacteria growth. For this reason, I advise against stretching out its shelf-life. Because this is something you're constantly tossing out, it's definitely more practical to pick up your mascara from the drugstore. Besides, I've found a number of drugstore mascaras to work just as well (if not better than) department store brands!

I'd love to hear which products you usually splurge on! Let me know in the Comments section below.

❤,

Disclaimer: This is a re-post. My original post is published on Zalora PH Community. All images used in this entry are from the original. (View post here)

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I know, I know, it's been ages since my last entry. Between submitting weekly articles to Zalora and my day job, I haven't been able to post proper entries here. Let me make it up to you! In the meantime, while I'm still adjusting to the swing of things, I'll be reposting some of my Zalora articles on here, just so you have some form of entertainment. Bear with me? :)

Original content was published on Zalora Community PH a month ago (link to original post is here). Only minor edits were done to make the entry more timely. :)

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The holidays are officially in full-swing! Whether it's a gathering with friends or family, one thing’s for sure: photos will be taken – and lots of it.

Getting your makeup to look good in person is easy. Getting it to look good in photos is a whole different story. The harsh flash from cameras can flatten out your features and make you look dull. Terrible indoor lighting doesn’t help either!

… But worry not! I’ve put together a guide to make sure you’re photo-ready from here on out. :)

Avoid products with SPF content

Stay away from products which contain sunscreen. Since they’re made to shield your skin from the harsh rays of the sun, these types of products will typically give you a white cast in flash photography, making you appear ghostly. Some foundations do contain sunscreen in them. I’d say an SPF of lower than 15 is generally okay to use, but I’d steer clear just to be safe. Opt for foundations especially formulated for flash photography! (Tip: They’ll usually have the words HD, or photo finish affixed somewhere in their name.)

Keep it matte

Products which contain high levels of shimmer bounce off the light that comes from the flash of the camera. When this happens, the color is lost, and your features are flattened, defeating the purpose of putting makeup on in the first place. Matte shades are your best bet for flash photography – be it your eyeshadow, blush, or lipstick.

Contour

So, we’ve established that flash photography can make your features look a lot less defined than in real life. Aside from opting for matte products, contouring is key in bringing out your features a little bit more. Contouring is basically emphasizing the natural hollows of your face – in short, shading in where your face naturally sinks in i.e., under your cheekbones, around your temples and jawline, and down the sides of your nose. I promise you, it makes a world of a difference. This makes you look up to five pounds slimmer, too!

Brow up!

Filled-in brows provide a nice frame for your entire face. Because you’re going to be dealing with flash photography, kick it up a notch and go a bit bolder than you normally would! This keeps the focus on your face.

Go a bit bolder on everything

Where makeup and flash photography is concerned, the general rule of thumb is to add a little more than you normally would. Flash photography can take away a good amount of color – so go a bit heavier on… well, everything. Make sure not to go overboard, and…

Take a test shot

Before heading out, take a test selfie! Make sure to take one with the flash on. This way, you can check and still make some last minute adjustments to get your makeup looking exactly how you want it to.

Above all, smile!

Makeup is great, but there’s nothing quite like a smile to ensure you nail that shot every single time!

Lily Collins is one celebrity whose makeup is always on-point.

Where’s your first party this season? Let me know in the comments down below!

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