Photo: WWD
We’re constantly extolling the virtues of Benefit’s skin perfecting products, like The POREfessional, Erase Paste, Ooh La Lift (we could go on and on), but up to now, the brand hasn’t had a liquid foundation we could call on. That’s all about to change on Februray 15th when the new Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow foundation launches online. The foundation, which will come in nine shades, will be available at brick-and-mortar stores on March 1 for $34 (1 oz.).
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Recently, makeup artist Nam Vo stopped by Birchbox HQ to impart some of her never-ending beauty wisdom. The lesson of the day? How to use different foundation shades to give your face definition. I always assumed the goal of foundation was to get a completely uniform complexion — turns out, that’s not always the case. To get a center-lit, movie star look — think J. Lo or Beyonce — you actually want to make the center plane of your face a little lighter than your cheeks and neck.
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TheGloss is one daily must-reads (right up there with the NY Times). We love the site’s witty approach to style and its smart and irreverent voice. We like the writing so much, in fact, that we’ll be featuring one of their posts each week here on the Birchbox blog.
So, full disclosure: this video is a year old. Sorry if you’ve seen it before. If so, here are some recent stories about Kristen Stewart‘s Twilight wedding dress and the Kardashians being ridiculous.
Anyway. This is Cassandra, plucky Youtube make-up instructor also known by her screenname, DiamondsAndHeels14. This old video of hers is making the rounds right now, and if you haven’t seen it, you should.
When the video begins, Cassandra appears per usual with flawless make-up. She then explains she suffers from severe cystic acne (which you’d never guess) and within a minute, the make-up goes away. You can tell the reveal is hard for her and she says as much.
Read the rest of the article and watch the video here.
Some other links from TheGloss you might like:
We love writers with fun personalities, which is why we’re ecstatic to welcome Carlye Wisel into the guest blogging fold this week. The savvy blogger has a multitude of interests, but can regularly be found talking about music and more on Vevo, Big Ugly Yellow Couch, and her personal Tumblr, Awkward City Population 1. This week, she’s sharing beauty wit and wisdom. Today: what’s actually in her makeup bag.
I always dread those ‘Makeup Must-Haves’ articles in glossies that make me feel like I’ll be drowning in cellulite, dry skin, and smeared eyeliner if I don’t suck it up and switch to every trendy product they suggest. My roundup, on the contrary, is actually full of things that have lasted through checked baggage, breakups, apartment moves, and years on end, and will likely be with me forever since they actually work — and not just because they’re ‘hot this season.’ Here’s the stuff I wholeheartedly recommend you give a try:
Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler: People say it’s the best, and I have no reason to disagree with them. The price is a little steep, but when paired with drugstore mascara, your eyelashes will be faux-big. Promise.
Estee Lauder DoubleWear Foundation: Yeah, I get my makeup advice from my 82-year-old grandmother, but so what? This is the only foundation that hasn’t melted off my face in a New York City subway. There are light and heavy coverage formulas based on the season, and the bottles last for months on end. Grandma Leila knows what’s up.
Fresh Cannabis Rose Eau De Parfum: I stocked up on this years ago when I was a beauty intern. Everyone scoffed at the scent because it has hints of weed in it, but I haven’t ever looked back. It’s floral, light, contains the perfect hint of patchouli, and no one else you know will ever be wearing it.
Laura Geller Baked Blush: I recently took a photo with a friend who is just as alabaster as I am, and my face was the only one that came out in it. After previously refusing to use a bronzer, this lightweight tan blush is absolutely the reason for the camera flash miracle. Also a big plus: it makes me look like I haven’t been huddled over my laptop indoors all summer.
Visit the Birchbox Shop to see our favorite new tools and accessories, soon to be classics themselves.
Bridezilla? Pshaw. Our lovely Katia was lowkey and low-maintenance on her wedding day, doing her makeup on her own and pinning her hair up with the help of a local stylist. (As far as wedding hair, we agree with fab Joanna Goddard - easy breezy is best.) How’d she achieve her blushing bride look?
Before leaving for Greece, Katia had a on-one-on lesson with Lauren Genatossio, owner of Boston’s Sarra beauty studio. After a primer on perfect brows (see the video here), Genatossio showed her how to create a flawless face.
“Everything has three steps,” Katia says. “Primer, wet makeup, dry makeup.” For her face, she started with Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer, then mixed a full coverage foundation with her Dior HydrAction tinted moisturizer. Her favorite new makeup technique is the “press-wiggle” (we’ll get a live-action demo and report back) using a makeup sponge (“so 90s, so good”). According to Genatossio, when you use this method the foundation becomes a part of your skin instead of laying on top of it. After foundation, she applied Bobbi Brown Touch Up stick concealer using a thin, precise brush to blemishes and the dark spots at the corners of her eyes. The final step was an eye primer over the entire lid.
