Valentines Day Makeup: Good Girl vs. Bad Girl

I think Vday makeup is the hardest to figure out. Media tells you to pucker up with some red lips and sparkley pink shadows (ew, too girly) while you're date probably tells you that they like the natural look (not enough), or maybe you're having a girls night out and everyone spends hours doing their "single" makeup (too much). DILEMMA!  Here are two looks, natural & dramatic, that stays away from that overdone girly look and can be used for both a date night or a girls night.

The "Good Girl" Look

This look is perfect for you long term relationship girls who may be doing a simple movie night date or if you're on that 5th date type of thing and you want to look like your beautiful self. This look is also perfect if you're just hanging out with your girls. The goal is to enhance what you already have by adding a little spark to eye, a flawless complextion, and a touch of puckery pink to the lips.

Check out the products I used here:
http://bit.ly/Y0n8K5




Tips:

•  Skincare. Get a facial, put some cucumbers on your eyes and really detoxify your skin, happy skin is  beautiful skin. 
•  Golds. The key to a good natural look is to keep it warm, so use gold liners in the water liner, bronze colors on the lower lash line, and brown shadows as accent colors. 
• Half lashes. The best way to look natural but alluring at the same time is to use half lashes. They give you that flirty look without all that va va voom. 
• Soft lips. Nothing looks better with a gold flirty look than a natural "kiss me" lip. Use a lip scrub to smooth out our lips, pat on a matte pink lipstick and a clear gloss in the center. 

The "Bad Girl" Look: 

This look is perfect for you girls having a sexy date or maybe in the process of getting into a fun relationship. It's also perfect for a girls night out. This look is obviously more on the dramatic side, but since it's very one dimensional in color, it looks clean and fierce enough to intrigue your date for a fun night. 

Check out the products I used:

http://bit.ly/11WLago

Tips

• Matte Face. As oppose to the previous look, you want to stay away from any shimmer or highlighter on the face. Mix your regular foundation with a matte one that is a shade lighter. 
• ONE dark color. Plum, burgandy, brown, any sultry dark color will work, but just choose one. You want that color to pop on the eyes and lips, drawing the focus to both. 
• Lashes for days. Use multiple pairs of full lashes and get that va va voom look. Avoid using a bunch of eyeshadow colors, and just stick to a dark lash line and crazy lashes. This will help you look dramatic and sexy, but  not overkill. Your date & your girls will love it. 

<3 Happy Valentines Day <3

More Date Night Makeup

OCC Concealer: For Desi Girls? Photoshop in a jar?

So after continuously hearing the buzz about OCC,I finally gave in and bought the shade Y2(yellow 2) for light-medium-ish skin. After reading many positive reviews from huge beauty bloggers and beauty networking sites, I thought this would be perfect for the under eye problems that most people have. I was especially intrigued by the olive and red undertones that the concealers offered which are great for Punjabi individuals. Many concealers out there are solely red, pink, or too yellow. For myself, I have a light olive undertone, bluish bags, which are only getting worse because I have 12 hour days, and a major case of insomnia.   -__-.It doesn't matter how many green tea bags or eye creams I use, I NEED A GOOD concealer. As far as my concealer routine goes, I've generally used the Bobbi Brown Corrector. The difference between a concealer and corrector is a concealer lightens and covers the area, while a corrector lightens darker areas and  evens out the color. So after months of using the BB peach corrector (great for darker skin tones) I tried out  OCC.

     

Best concealers for Desi girls, just click on any pic! 

OCC Y2 Concealer: 
Pros:

1. Great amount of  product and nice packaging
2. Slightly sheer with good coverage
3. Extremely blend-able.
4. DOES NOT crease!
5. Reduces the appearance of puffiness and diminishes dark circles

Cons:

1. Based on a few reviews, this Y2 works best when mixed with Y1 for more light-med skin tones,but $50 to mix colors? Meh. 
2. The Y2 color in my opinion is more olive yellow than peach yellow, and to really cover up those dark   areas, you want to use something more warm & peachy if you have a more warm-olive skin tone.

Overall this product isn't amazing or do I love it as much as my Bobbi Brown's Corrector, but  it's pretty damn good. I highly recommend it to at least try out, it can work wonders if mixed well. I sometimes mix it with the peach corrector and the coverage and color is flawless.

Other amazing concealer I think are great for brown girls: 

1. Amazing Cosmetics Concealer (yes its called amazing for a reason)
2. Armani Concealer I hear is the best out there, something I'll have to try one day.
3. Yves Saint Laurent is a great brightener which is helpful for dull tones.

Great drugstore concealers for brown girls:

1. Maybeline's Fit Me Concealer: For $6, it's  good for those quick makeup days which is basically everyday.
2. Sonia Kashuk Concealer Palette-This has pink and yellow toned concealers to mix and match.
3. Revlon Photo Ready Concealer: Not that good under the eyes, but pretty damn good for spot treatment,redness, or highlighting.

At the end of the day, concealers and correctors need to be experimented with, but hopefully this gives you a better idea of what to try. Now if you already have a concealer you love check out gossmakeupartist, a pro who lays out how to cover under eye areas perfectly. Ive tried his techniques and trust me they work! :)

                                         

Learn how to look your best in the morning

Learn how to get photo ready skin

Desi Party Makeup: Indian Makeup For Any Outfit

As much as I love getting ready for pretty much any event, I HATE getting ready for Indian events. It's so hard to find the perfect sari, suit, or lengha making sure it fits, making sure your mom likes it, making sure the jewelry matches, ugh it never ends! Getting ready for an Indian party, wedding reception, or any family event is hands down the most difficult, so this is my "neutral" glamorous Punjabi party look that matches anything you might be wearing and is really easy to manipulate if you want more of a certain color. I actually posted this look a while ago but I finally did a tutorial and and added some tips below.Don't mind my weird voice, it's flu season :(

Indian Party Makeup Tips:

1. Lashes. Enough said.

2. It's easy to go overboard with Indian makeup, especially when most desi looks have bold eyes AND lips. This is generally a 'no no' in makeup because it can look borderline drag queen. But if you use the right colors and techniques, bold Indian makeup can look absolutely gorgeous. I'll definitely be doing a tutorial on how to pull that off. For this look I decided to go a little modern and keep the lips nude and glossy, but a plum or burgundy lip would look just as great.


3. It's always a habit to line the eyes with black liner, but if you're using a lot of shimmery colors like silvers, try using a white or nude liner in the water line to keep the eyes "open." The last thing you want is to look tired.

4. Set everything with shadow. Using a black shadow over your liner will keep it from smudging especially if you're dancing up a bhangra storm.

5. Stick with matte shades on the face. When wearing heavy makeup, a dewy finish to the skin can make you look "greasy" as oppose to flawless.

6. If you want to add more color to your look, just add the color you want right above the crease, like I did with the purple in the tutorial above. You want the color to peak through and  compliment the outfit, not be the main attraction. For example if you're wearing a purple & gold sari, try using a little bit of dark green in the crease.

Hope this look and these tips were helpful.
For products or more pics: Beautylish
OR check out the FB & Twitter :)

Happy Partying!

Cheap Makeup: Lashes & Blushes!

As much as I love browsing for makeup at MAC, Sephora, or down the aisle at a drugstore, much of my makeup collection was bought online. If you're new to the online shopping world, it can be a little scary, since you can't test colors, textures, or actually hold the product. However, I recently bought  makeup products online and for less than $20, the products were just as good as any high end item. The products I  bought, with pics and links, are below and not only were they dirt cheap, but high quality and delivered quick.

10 Piece Blush palette: 
I always recommend palettes because you can find the perfect color for you and save money on buying individual products. Coastal Scents and BH Cosmetics have high quality blush palettes that range from $14-$17 on both their sites and Amazon. I recently bought this 10 Piece Blush Set for $8.99!! For almost half the price I got the same product, including the quality. The palette also comes with a blush brush which isn't as soft as I would hope but the handle is pretty sturdy and won't break if you continuously wash your brushes.

10 Color Makeup Cosmetic Blush Blusher 

10 Set Lashes: 
For $5 you can get 20 pairs of lashes packaged in sets. One pair of Ardel lashes at any drugstore is $5, so to get 20 for the same amount is a huge bargain to me. I was a little skeptical at first with this product, but the lashes are easy to bend, reusable, and surprisingly blend very well with my real lashes.

New 20 Pairs Fake False Eyelashes Eye Lash Black with Glue HR-117

Here are some online makeup shopping tips for you newbies: 

1. Where to go to shop online for makeup? Easy-Amazon. Unless a specific online makeup company is doing some sort of a sale or special promotion directly from their site, Amazon is your bff. Now most  companies will have their products on Amazon for the same price, but with every listing there's a dupe that's just as good.

2. What products are the best online? Palettes, brushes, packaging, and lashes. If you want a variety of one product, something in bulk, or something you'll probably use everyday or on the regular, then these products are the best. I rarely purchase foundations, concealers  or unknown liners and mascaras unless I've used it before. These products are best directly from the store where you can test out whats best for you.

3. Is this product  worth it? Reviews & Shipping. Always review your seller and customer comments to make the best decision and if the shipping is too high, might as well go and get the real product. However, if you  find a product with great reviews, at least half the price of the high end product, and very little shipping, its completely worth it.

Check out the links above or my favorite cheap products on the right sidebar :)

Happy Shopping!

How to find the perfect shade: Makeup Match Me App January 2013

For a makeup newbie or even a pro, finding the right color or product can be overwhelming. With so many different opinions, techniques, and trends, I always try to find more  innovate tools to make the beauty world a little easier. During my usual makeup research,  I found out about this new iPhone app called Makeup Match Me. This app basically helps you find the right colors on the go, whether it's for blue eyes at the office or brown eyes for dinner. This can be really helpful for beginners,  mobile makeup geeks, or if you don't want to spend all day trying to find the right shade. Now I haven't tried it out yet since it doesn't launch until January 2013, but from what I've learned, it's one of the first apps to unlock the best shades.This is how it works:

1. Chose a model that matches you
2. Customize the look, including outfit choices
3. Get shade recommendations & application tips.

It seems  to be pretty user friendly, has a simple layout, and has the ability to cater to multiple skin tones and eye colors. You can also save, edit, and share your favorite results. This is great for both beginners and pros because you can remember a favorite look you did and replicate it, OR if someone says: "I love your makeup, how'd you do it?', you can just send them the look.  Now I'm not sure if you can upload your photo so you can see exactly how colors may look on you, but there seems to be a wide range of model choices. I'm also not sure if product recommendations are integrated, but maybe in the future. How awesome would it be for an app to not just tell you what looks good and how to apply it,  but what and where to get the look? For now, this app seems  to be one step ahead of the game and for 99 cents, there's really no harm in trying it out.

You can check out Makeup Match Me on Facebook and stay tuned for my updated review once I try it out  :)

Affordable Makeup For Everday

It's hard to find the perfect makeup products for the day to day, especially when you have very little time in the morning. For those who wear too much or not enough, here are the areas to focus on and some of my favorite go to products to help you achieve an easy and affordable look that enhances your natural beauty.

1. Lashes: Spend less time on blending shadows and more on creating an in depth lash line. By doing this, you create drama and intensity to eyes that are noticeable but not overkill.  Try using only 1-2 natural colors for a clean look and then apply dark brown or black eyeliner to darken the lash roots.  Never skip the eyelash curler and apply 3-4 coats of different mascaras. You can even apply a pair of half lashes to emphasize the look and give your lashes a slight boost. You can check out how to get longer lashes here: 

Longer Lashes. 

Some of my favorite/ go to products that I use everyday:
Wet n Wild Palette in Vanity
L'Oreal Voluminous Mascara in Carbon Black 
Maybelline's Great Lash Mascara

2. Cheeks:  For work or school it's all about adding life and color to the face. Skip the time to contour or sculpt the face and apply an all over bronzer or a gold/berry toned blush which generally works for all skin tones. You can check out the perfect blush tone for you here: Best Blushes. 

Some of my go to blushes:
Wet N Wild Bronzers
NYX Blushes in Desert Rose or Copper

3. Skin:  Take more time to enhance your skincare routine as oppose to applying more foundation.
A  full proof way to reduce time with your makeup routine is to spot treat with concealer.  Instead of applying foundation all over, use a good concealer or concealer palette to cover up any trouble areas like redness around the nose and mouth, dark circles, or small pimples  for a clean face. If you feel that is still not effective enough, stick to a sheer or lightweight foundation because it quickly blends and can even be applied without a brush.

Some of my favorite face products for the day time include: 

Coastal Scents Concealer Palette 
Revlon Photo Ready 
Maybeline FIT Me Foundation 

  

The Revlon Photo Ready Concealer Stick is great for spot treatment on the go, while the Coastal Scents  palette is great for more elaborate looks or if you have a variety of skin issues. If you're like me and have a dark circle situation going on, I'd invest in something much more effective like the Bobby Brown Peach Corrector which is something I use almost everyday. For that all over sheer look, try the Fit Me foundation line,which is my personal favorite, or for a bit more coverage, try the L'Oreal True Match line which can work for nighttime looks as well.

4. Lips :  You can definitely wear a nice coral red, pouty pink, or shimmery peach to compliment the natural eye look. Bright lip colors are the easiest to apply in a rush and can be wearable if applied over a lip liner. For example, using a brown lip liner under a hot pink lipstick, creates a soft yet dynamic peach perfect for the day. Or try a bright red lip liner and apply a a nude-mauve gloss to create a pretty pink. Lip liners can really transform the tone of your lips so I would stock up on a few browns, reds, and plums.

Some of my favorite daytime lip products:
Wet n wild lip liners in Berry Red or Chestnut
NYX soft matte lip creams in Stockholm or Tokyo 
L'Oreal Infallible gloss in undeniably mauve. 

           

  You can find all of these products at your local drug store or online at drugstore.com. You can also get day & night palettes at coastalscents.com 

 Happy Monday!

     

5 Supermodel Beauty Tricks

We all have our supermodel or celebrity girl crushes that we slightly obsess over, mine would definitely be the beautiful Adriana Lima. Now of course, if my career or lifestyle revolved around looking good with a 24/7 beauty team to assist me, I'd probably be a supermodel too. Instead, I came up with some easy to do beauty tricks that almost every model does. So bring out your inner supermodel and more importantly make your beauty routine easier with these tips:

1. Braids:  With my wild hair, the slightest factor can mess it up like rain, heat, wind, etc. I always wondered how these models get the perfect, messy, effortless hair and then I discovered braids. Sleeping with your hair in 1 or 2 braids, reduces frizz and creates softness and texture to your hair without using any product or hair styling tool. Now this won't make your hair perfect, but it creates a nice base for the styling and you'll ultimately reduce the amount of time you style it. Another tip is to not brush your hair. Try using hair serums instead before and after styling.

2. Potatoes!! The classic way to rejuvenate your eyes and de-puff them are cucumber slices or spoons. Now this is effective but in a very minimal way. Instead, try the potato treatment to help fade dark circles and reduce puffiness. Potatoes contain the same enzymes that are often found in many concealers to help brighten the skin. You can use potato slices, or better yet, mash up a potato and drain out any liquid. Wrap the potato mash in a cold cloth and place over and under the eyes for about 15 minutes.

3.The  Skincare Trio: I am a major advocate for good skincare, because I honestly believe the better we care for our skin, the better equipped it is for any damage makeup can bring. Instead of trying to cover up everything with more and more makeup, invest in some really good skincare products. If you don't have your basic trio: cleanser, toner, and moisturizer, you're giving your skin a big disadvantage. A daily cleanser, toner and moisturizer will brighten and soften the skin overtime and you wont feel the need for more makeup.

4. DIY ( do it yourself):  If you're not using the eggs, avacado, or honey in your fridge, your missing out on the best beauty shop in the world. Now supermodels of course use all kinds of high end products, but you can always find a famous model with egg in her hair. My hair and skin feel the best when I do a home treatment. For DIY recipes check these out: http://navnitvirdi.blogspot.com/2012/11/4-diy-winter-beauty-treatments.html

5. Exercise: This may sound cliche or not innovative at all, but  it's seriously the most important tip.  A good exercise routine can reduce toxins in the skin and adds a glow. This doesn't mean you need to become extremely fit or skinny,  but simply be healthy. I recently started a more healthy lifestyle  and I have to say the most noticeable results before anything else has been my skin and my hair. Beauty is definitely health.

Check out some of my model makeup tips:
http://navnitvirdi.blogspot.com/2012/11/6-tips-for-victoria-secret-holiday.html

Or click  here for more tips and photos :)