Blaq Vixen Beauty

Frugally Fabulous: Sweet Deals at Sephora for $10 or Less

BlaqVixenBeauty — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 00:22:50 -0600

Celebrity makeup artists Denise and Janice Tunnell (of the famed Illusions Cosmetics line) each swear by the Tarte The Toolbox Brow Kit ($32). This set contains brow gel, a brow pencil, tweezers, a brow brush, brow powder, brow wax, and three brow stencils, plus a mini mirror. As an added bonus, each of the products contain Skinvigorating ingredients such as cocoa seed butter, shea butter, palm oil, mineral pigments, and vitamin E. With benefits like these, it's almost impossible to believe that you can get it for $6!

Of all the Korres products I've tested this year, a clear winner for me is the Lip Butter in Jasmine ($9), a sheer, neutral pink. This product also doubles as a cheek stain, providing a luscious, natural glow on the apples of the cheeks. However, I love using it as a base for when I'm in a "Think Pink" state of mind. Applied underneath pink lip gloss, it's divine. Designed as a lip treatment, I think your lips will appreciate the shea butter! Remember to use code BLAQVIXEN at checkout at Korres to get 30% off your order. Expires 12/31.

Beautyfix babes scored a blissful treat in the third installment: Bliss The Youth as We Know It Concentrate ($70). If you tried this product or any other products from the Bliss line, than you know that this brand is amazing! Although I have one product in my possession (the concentrate), it's my go-to product for when I want my skin to glow naturally. For a limited time, get the Bliss The Youth as We Know It to Go for $10.

Skin Care Sundays: Press Play on Your Skin Care Routine!

BlaqVixenBeauty — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

A fellow beauty enthusiast spilled an invaluable beauty secret: the "pat/press" method. Finally, there's a way to "get your skin care down pat."

Risi Leanne, one of the editors of the Palacinka beauty blog, revealed, "I learned from the Clarins skin care team to always apply cleanser, eye cream and moisturizer (this is the correct order) with the "pat/press" method. Instead of moving the cream around my face in a circular motion, I warm it up in my hands - then press on. It gives my skin an instant glow and I find the product absorbs much better. My favorite is Clarins Multi-Active Early Wrinkle Correcting Lotion with SPF 15." (beauty secret #5)

Still interested? Read on!

BeautySchooled: Eyeshadow and Lip Gloss

BlaqVixenBeauty — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 21:40:06 -0500

Today was the first day of classes. I didn't even have time for my 5 minute face this morning. Bummer! But I did have time to apply eyeshadow and lip gloss. :)

All is not lost though. I don't have any on-campus classes tomorrow but I decided to tag along with my mom. I'll be spending my time blogging...and buying books for my classes. This semester I have Government (state), Art Appreciation, Speech, and History, for a total of 12 credits. The last two semesters, I took 17 credits. While I still want to get my degree as soon as possible, I'm trying not to take on more than I can handle at this time. God-willing, I'll have the energy to create my 5-minute face tomorrow. Here is what I'm thinking about using for each of the following:

eyeshadow. Love My Eyes Roll On Eyeshadow in Copper Mist or Tarte Cosmetics hEYE Impact Waterproof Creaseless Shadow/Liner Duo in Bronze. Didn't used a base but if I remembered to, I'd grab It Cosmetics Eye Base.

lip gloss. Used Korres Jasmine Lip Butter as a base. Applied Illusions Cosmetics Lustre Lip Gloss in Carmen (from the Cinematic Faves collection) over it. However, just now, I applied Lancome Color Fever Plumper in City Mauve over the Jasmine Lip Butter and I loved how it turned out! Normally, I'd be turned off by the fact that I'd have to dip my finger in a lip product. However, this time, I either just sanitized my hands or applied the lip butter with a lip brush. I'll have to buy a retractable lip brush to retouch my look on the go.

I have mentally prepared a list of products that I'll be using tomorrow. I already know this will take me more than 5 minute so I might be able to do it in 15! First, I'll use the SensiClear kit, which consists of the Purifying Cleanser, Balancing Toner, Blemish-Free Acne Treament Lotion and the Acne Spot Treatment Cream. To moisturize my face, I'm whipping out the Bright and Clear Moisturizer for Acne Prone Skin from Dr. Susan Taylor's line, RX for Brown Skin. Korres Silicone Free 99% Natural Face Primer is next. It's one of my new favorite primers. If I want matte skin, Cover FX has their Clear Prep FX Matte Foundation Primer and Anti-Acne Treatment. For my foundation, I'll choose Cover FX Total Coverage Cream Foundation SPF 30 in B25. I'll apply it with Cover FX #160 Cream Foundation Brush. Even if I change my mind and use my Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse Foundation in Dark 2 (Caramel), I'll be using this brush. I love that I can apply my foundation without worrying about streaking. The finishing touch will be MAC Mineralize SkinFinish Natural in Dark. You notice that I didn't mention concealer? Well, with these foundations, I can build natural coverage without applying a concealer! My choices for mascara and lip gloss are CoverGirl LashBlast Length and Korres Jasmine Lip Butter (base) and Lancome Color Fever Plumper in City Mauve. That's it!

What do you use for your 5-minute (or 15-minute) face?

Get Like Her: Chrisette Michele's "Epiphany" Promo Look

BlaqVixenBeauty — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 05:06:11 -0500

To get this look, Blaq Vixen Beauty recommends that you try the following products:

mass: MILANI Shadow Wear Quad in a Touch of Brown ($6.99, cherryculture.com); L'OREAL HIP Color Truth Cream Eyeliner in Black ($11.99, walgreens.com); ARTEMIS WOMAN Double Curl Gentle Heat Lash Curler ($14.99, artemiswoman.com), L'OREAL Double Extend Beauty Tubes Mascara in Black ($10.99, walgreens.com); COVERGIRL QUEEN COLLECTION Natural Hue Minerals Pressed Powder ($8.18, drugstore.com), MILANI Minerals Blush Powder Blush in Sweet Rose ($6.49, cvs.com); NYX Girls Round Lip Gloss in Doll Pink ($2, cherryculture.com)

prestige: COASTAL SCENTS 88 Piece Makeup Palette ($18.95, coastalscents.com); ILLUSIONS COSMETICS Gel Eyeliner in Black ($12, illusionsbeauty.com); SHU UEMURA Eyelash Curler ($19, shuuemura-usa.com), LANCOME Definicils High Definition Mascara in Black ($12.95, brigettesboutique.com); BLAC MINERALS Mineral Foundation ($22.50, blacminerals.com); BLAC MINERALS Mineral Satin Blush in Raisin ($10, blacminerals.com); TARTE Vitamin Infused Lipgloss in Apple-A-Day ($21, sephora.com)

Of all of the looks I've seen on Chrisette Michele, this one has to be my favorite. If I'm not mistaken, I think first saw this picture in Essence magazine. It was the issue that Jill Scott interviewed Chrisette Michele! I love how celebrity makeup artist JJ Jacobucci banged out Michele's crease. And don't even get me started about that pink lip! Let's see what I can come up with to recreate her look using mostly drugstore/affordable products so that my frugal vixens can get it on the action as well!

Promotions: On the Set of The Preacher's Kid with Celebrity Makeup Artists Denise and Janice Tunnell

BlaqVixenBeauty — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 12:00:00 -0600

"In The Preacher's Kid, actress Tammy Townsend's look is glamorous from start to end. For most of her makeup look we used products from Illusions Cosmetics," Janice Tunnell told Sophisticate's Black Hairstyles in the March 2009 issue. "We used a lot of powders, and we have a blush in the color Terra Cotta (right) that I like to use on her. I also like to apply a gold shimmery eyeshadow under Tammy's brow bone. I use a lot of Cargo's Bronzer on her cheeks. My best tip for applying bronzer? If it's a shimmery bronzer, I like to apply it in the cheek area. But if it's not shimmery, I like to use it in the area where I normally contour - the forehead, the jaw line and the cheeks."

Denise described Essence's character in The Preacher's Kid as "very bright and loud!" On Essence's makeup, Denise says, "Her eyes have a lot of color on them! We'll do sheer lip glosses, light pink blush, but then I'll use a lot of Illusions Cosmetics Eye Dust on her in colors like light yellow, light blue and green. I also like to use Precious Eyes Eye Color Pencils from Colors by Cynde Watson in Amethyst and Gold. I'll use it on the lower portion of her top lid so when she opens her eye, you can see just a flash of color! Sometimes I'll just use a lot of liner just as her eyeshadow and pump up her eyes with faux lashes and mascara.

LeToya Luckett also stars in the movie. "Actress/singer LeToya Luckett's character in the movie The Preacher's Kid is a young lady who is heavily in the church. Throughout the movie her character develops into a young lady...who plays with a little more makeup and becomes more glamorous," explains Denise. "The character grows up from being a Daddy's Girl and into a woman. LeToya likes Chanel blush in a light, pretty coral color. We loved to use faux lashes on her. As her character developed we used Ardell Fashion Lashes Strip Lashes in 110. LeToya also loves Revlon's ColorStay liquid foundation. It's really good for her, and we actually applied it by airbrushing it on her!"

More pictures from the shoot: