East and West Beauty Trends

If you have been on beauty social media sites lately, (which I know you have because you are reading this) then I'm sure you have noticed that the makeup looks seem very repeatative.  That got me wondering...are these makeup trends the same in other parts of the world?   After doing my research I found that this is not the case, so I decided to show you just how different the makeup trends are.  I am going to compare Eastern trends verses Western trends for you, so here you go!

FACE TRENDS:

EAST- bright, light, even skintone.  Dewy textures that can be achieved from BB creams or cushion foundations. Pale pink and peach cream blushes are applied high on top of the cheekbones to get a nice flush to the face (similair to the color you receive after a quick walk to the car on a windy day)

WEST- medium to full matte foundation coverage.  Heavy contouring to the sides of the nose and the hollows of the cheeks is use to give a very chiseled, defined look, while highlighters are applied to the bridge of the nose and the top of the cheekbones.  Peach blush is applied to the apples of the cheeks to give the appearance of a tan.

EYE TRENDS:

EAST- very light, shimmery shadows are sweaped over the entire eyelid. Liner is applied very thin and very tight against the lashes to give the eye more of a rounded appearance.  Browns and soft black are the most popular shades for liner.  Lashes and lash extentions are just as popular in the East as they are in the West, maybe even more.  The difference however is that they prefer them very straight and seperated with the longest lashes being in the center.  Brows are lightly filled-in to give them more of a straight across look but still maintain a very natural look.

WEST- deep shadows are used to create a smokey lid.  Liner is dramatic and winged out and is usually black.  Big, bold and full are a must for lashes.  They tend to have more of a curve to them and are longer in the outer corners.  Brows are filled-in and have a well defined arch to them.

LIP TRENDS:

EAST- concealer is applied to the lips to soften the edges and give them a thinner appearence.  No liner is used.  Bright, baby pink glosses are applied to the center of the lips and then blended out, like a reverse ombre.  This gives them a pucker pout.

WEST- lips are over-drawn with a nude pencil to give them a fuller appearance.  They are filled in with a matte, nude lipstick.

Overall the East seems to prefer a light and youthful look to their makeup.  The West, well their look is very defined and dramatic.  So are an East makeup girl or a West?  I like to think I'm both, it just depends on the day.  I can't wait to hear you thoughts about all of these trends.  Which ones have you tried or will try?  Which ones are a no go for you?

Love|Makeup|Nails,
Alexis

Beauty Confessions Tag

Hello everyone, hope life is going well.  Today I am participating in a Beauty Tag.

The Beauty Confessions Tag was created by Cassie Hampson, who's blog consists of "beauty, life, and nerdy things.  And the occasional DIYs and Recipes."   The tag consists of 7 questions that have to do with confessing something in the beauty field.  I was tagged by the lovely Ms. Adventures in Makeup, who blogs about her "discovery of makeup and beauty, one adventure at a time."

If you want to participate in the fun, just copy and paste the questions, and be sure to link the to me.

1. What is your biggest beauty product addiction? (Lippies, blushes, highlighter, bronzer, mascara, etc.)

Beauty products in general.  Polishes, shadows, lipsticks, foundation, I just love them all equally, I really do.

2. How many products do you have from your addiction?

Oh man, too many!  1000 polishes and gel polishes, 40 palettes, 100 lipsticks, 20 mascaras, 100 single shadows, 30 blushes.  Like I said, I love products and I wear my addiction proudly on my face and nails.

3. What is one type of beauty product you hate? (highlighters, hairspray, etc.)

Sticky lipgloss, it's the worst.

4. What has been your biggest challenge in beauty? (ex. a technique you learned or leaving a beauty comfort zone)

Starting my own beauty business.  It takes a lot of confidence putting your name out there and the fear that it might go terribly wrong.  However when it does go right and you get those phone calls and emails from people wanting your services, it's the best feeling in the world.

5. What is one beauty comfort zone you don't think you'll leave?

I will any beauty zone because I don't believe in them.  The great thing about nails and makeup is that there are no rules or zones.  You can do wear them however they make you happy.

6. What is one beauty thing you suck at? (ex. eyeliner like cat eye or taking your makeup off at the end of the day, etc.)

I can not marble nail polish to save my life.  No matter how hard I try it just comes out horribly wrong.

7. What is one thing in beauty that you don't understand its hype? (Technique, trend, etc.)

The phrase "on fleek",  i just wish it would go away.

So there you go, I confessed.  Thank you for tagging me Jessica, it's been get reading everyone's responses.  I can't wait to see have everyone else answers these questions.

Love|Makeup|Nails,

Alexis

Love At Second Site

Has this ever happened to you?  You hear about a new product, you're intrigued.  You read up on what this product can do, you get excited.  You see the product in person, you have to buy it.  You finally get it home and use it and you are thoroughly let down.  You are so dissappointed by its results, or lack their of that you just toss it aside and ignore it for months.  Well it has happened to me on more then one occasion, but I have decided to give them a second chance.  Here are three products that I just couldn't wait to try, only to be so bummed by their outcome.  However, after giving them a second chance I can honestly say that we are new best friends!

1.  Stila Aqua Glow Perfecting Primer

I bought this in June when they first launched this because I was sold on its redness reduction but also for it's cooling sensation.  I thought this is perfect for the summer months, but boy was I wrong.  Between the hydrating benefits of this primer along with my sunscreen, it was just too much for my face.  My makeup wasn't setting and it would just slide off my face.

Fast forward to January, and my poor red, dry face needed an extra boost of something and my moisturizer just couldn't do it alone.  So I decided to give aqua glow a second chance, and I'm so glad I did!  It was just what my skin needed.  The redness was gone, the dryness was quenched and my makeup stayed put.

2. Anasatsia Beverly Hills DIPBROW Pomade

When I purchased this product I was sold on how easily it blended, its staying power and its color selection.  Upon using it though I realized just how much I didn't like it.  It felt heavy on my brows and it looked like I had taken a sharpie to my face.

After giving it the cold shoulder for a couple months I decided to give it another try, only this time I tried a different way of applying it.  Instead of using an angled brush I warmed a small amount of the pomade up on the top of my hand and loaded up a spooley brush with it.  I then proceeded to lightly comb my brows in to place with it and "Voila!" I'm in love.

3. Smashbox Full Exposure Palette

I love all things Smashbox, I have never been disappointed, so when they were launching this palette I didn't even think twice about purchasing it.  When I got it home and started using it, I realized it was only okay.  I didn't hate it but I wasn't shouting from the roof tops about it.  So I just put it away with my 8 million other palettes and went on with my life.

A couple of weeks I was reorganizing my makeup, testing out different palettes and shadows and seeing how they photograph.  That's when my love for this palette bloomed, it photographs beautifully !  Every color looked great and everyone can wear these colors.  

So there you have it, my new found loves.  What products have you tried and hated?  Did you give them a second chance?  I would love to hear about your experiences with them and as always let me know if you have questions about a product or if there is one you want me to try.

Love|Makeup|Nails,

Alexis