(7) What’s in HER bag?

Happy 7th What’s in HER bag?! This edition features a fashion meets beauty meets lifestyle blogger: Megan from Lush to Blush. Megan loves all things beauty and has a great eye for fashion. Her blog features professional tips, beauty must-haves, and the latest fashion trends. What more could you ask for?

Read on to find out what Megan has in her makeup bag and the one item she says, has changed her makeup routine for the better!

First tell us what’s in your makeup bag; numbering will be the easiest way to do this.

– Boscia BB Cream. This BB cream adjusts to your skin color and does a great job of providing light coverage.

-Skin Transformation. This came out before the BB Cream craze, but it is similar. It provides SPF, smooth coverage and a little bit of tint. I have large pores and this stuff makes my skin look great!

–Bare Minerals pressed powder. This is a new product from Bare Escentuals. It is made out of the same minerals, but it is pressed instead of loose.

-Bobbi Brown Concealer. I love this stuff! There are 3 steps: the corrector, the cream concealer and the top powder. This gives great coverage of blemishes and dark circles while blending perfectly with your makeup. And it stays all day!

-Chanel foundation. I don’t use this often, but when I want liquid foundation, this is my go to. It is very sheer, but does a good job of evening out skin tone.

-Bronze Booster. I love this bronzer! It is only about $5 at any grocery store or pharmacy, but it is the perfect color with just a touch of shimmer.

-Benefit Sunbeam. This versatile product can be used for a lot of different things. I currently use it on my eyes and as a highlighter.

-Michael Marcus blush. I never used blush until about 2 or 3 months ago, but now I don’t know how I ever looked good without it! It just adds a slight color, providing a healthy flush of life.

-Smashbox Gel Eyeliner. I love this stuff! It is brown and I put it on with an angled brush. I don’t wear liner often, but I much prefer this gel over a pencil.

-Diorshow Blackout mascara. OMG this stuff is amazing! See below.

-MAC Marilyn Monroe lipstick in Zen. This lipstick is the perfect nude, which is so in right now! I wear it every day.

SITNB: What’s your favorite beauty product of all time?
Megan: This is so hard since I love so many different products, but I would have to say I absolutely love my Diorshow Blackout mascara. It makes my lashes incredibly voluminous and they seriously touch my eyebrows when I have this stuff on!

SITNB: If you had to pick three key beauty items what would they be?
Megan: My Dior cleansing milk, Bobbi Brown face base and my Murad concealer stick. I strongly believe that skincare is the most important part of beauty.

SITNB: Who is your beauty inspiration?
Megan: Bobbi Brown. Not only does she share her gift of makeup artistry with others, but she sends a positive message that beauty is more than makeup.

SITNB: What was your biggest beauty no-no?
Megan: In 6th grade I wore this really light, white-ish/purple eyeshadow. It was the only makeup I wore and I thought I looked amazing and so mature (HA).

SITNB: How much do you really spend on makeup?
Megan: I spend more on skincare than I do on makeup, but I can say I’ve been a “V.I.B.” member of Sephora for years, which requires a minimum yearly purchase of $350.

SITNB: When did you first start wearing makeup?
Megan: I would say probably junior year of high school was when I started wearing some Bare Minerals powder and mascara.

SITNB: What has been your biggest beauty splurge?
Megan: My Chanel moisturizer and foundation. The moisturizer is $75 and the foundation is $50. It is soooo worth it though! And I really want to get a nice brush set, which will be very expensive.

SITNB: Do you have a product that has changed your life?
Megan: Bare Minerals, for sure. I really don’t like wearing liquid foundation all the time because I feel like I have makeup on. Bare Minerals makes you feel exactly what the name says- bare. It is actually healthy for your skin and makes you feel flawless. I can’t say enough about how much I love Bare Minerals!

If you haven’t already, check out Megan’s blog: Lush to Blush – it’s one of my personal faves!

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*Do you know someone that you would like to nominate for their OBPD (obsessive beauty product disorder)? – Please email me at shrtisthenewblack@gmail.com*

Go-to makeup palettes for every schedule

Regardless of what your schedule is like during the day or what you do at night, we all need that convenient go-to makeup palette that is a one-stop shop to pretty. A good friend of mine is a 9-5 working girl in the city and was looking for makeup she could take to work but in one convenient palette. To answer her question, convenience and simplicity are key. All of the palettes below can take you from your morning commute – to happy hour after work!

Here are some of my favorite options:
| 1. Laura Mercier | 2. Bobbi Brown | 3. Dior | 4. Too Faced |

                                                                                              

What do you use to touch up your makeup? Do you have any long-wear products that take you from day to night (and hopefully not the next morning)?

What’s in HER bag?

I am introducing to my readers the latest addition to Short is the New Black: What’s in her bag? to inform you, my readers, what other beauty-addicts swear by and splurge on.  This will be an ongoing feature and each month, there will be someone new picked  to share their beauty secrets & to get an up close and personal look inside their makeup bag.

My first What’s in her bag? features a Chic-ago based fashionista who swears by her Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer.

Meet Chicago’s latest fashion blogger- Danielle (Chic Secret) and her purple snake-skin makeup bag loaded with Nars, Chanel, Makeup Forever, and many more of the top names in beauty.  Danielle is a fashion guru and a makeup junkie and she is telling it all in this first edition of: What’s in her bag?

Here’s what’s inside her bag:

1. Purple snake skin make-up bag gifted to me from Grams because I am currently loving everything snake skin.

2. Chanel Mat Lumiere. Color: #50 Natural; My skin feels so soft with this foundation.

3. Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer. Color: Fawn; I don’t wear foundation every day, so this is a great alternative for light coverage.

4. Tarte Lip Surgence.  Colors left to right: Flashy, Dazzled, Swank; Can. Not. Get. Enough. Lip Surgence is a mix between chap stick and lip stick.  I interchange these three colors and even do color blocking on my lips with them. Ob-sessed.

5. Mac Mineralize Skinfinish.  Color: Soft and Gentle; I wear a little of this on my cheek bones, and the minerals catch the light perfectly.  People ALWAYS ask what I am wearing.

6. Chanel Natural Fresh Pressed Powder. Color: #40 Dore; Translucent 3. (it’s closed Chanel compact standing up). I have oily skin, so I keep this compact in my purse for touch ups during the day.  It blots the oil and gives me back a little color that the oil took off.

7. Nars blush.  Color: Dolce Vita. (open blush compact on the right); when I found this color, I literally had a minor panic attack.  I used to tan quite a bit in college, and I could never find a blush that stood out enough on my cheeks because I was so dark.  I stopped tanning, but cannot seem to let go of this color. Whenever I go out, my friends make me bring this compact to color their cheeks.  Dolce Vita honestly looks great on everyone I’ve tried it on.

8. Mac Studio Finish Concealer.  Color: NC20. (standing on its side in front of Chanel compact.); I use this under my eyes and my inner eye to brighten me up on the days I don’t get a lot of sleep.

9. Dior Ultra-Smooth High Impact Eyeshadow.  Color: #026 Chrome; Another must-have.  I love brightening my inner eye. When I do a smokey eye, I put this smooth, silky silver on my inner eye. It’s perfection.

10. Chanel Powder Blush.  Color: #48 Enchanteresse; I love this Chanel color when I don’t want a drastic cheek.  It gives me color, but doesn’t over power my face.

11. Mac Fluidline Eyeliner.  Color: Blacktrack; To make my eyes stand out, I put this gel liner in my tear line.  It really makes my eyes pop. And, it stays on for-ev-er.

12. L’Oreal Voluminous Extra-Volume Collagen.  Color: #680 Blackest Black; I have literally tried every mascara out there.  This is my favorite.  The product is creamy and thick and washes off without makeup remover.  Since my every day make-up routine consists of three coats of mascara, I love that I can buy this mascara for under $10.

Questions:

What’s your favorite beauty product of all time?

I am big into mascara.  I have to have an amazing, thick, creamy mascara at ALL times. I have tried pretty much every mascara and usually mix mascaras–using one for length and one for thickness.

 If you had to pick three key beauty items what would they be?

1. Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer.

2. Nars Dolce Vita blush 

3. L’Oreal extra-collagen mascara.

Who is your beauty inspiration?

 I’m all about Blake Lively.  She has amazing skin that is never too tan or too pale.  She uses eye brightening products all the time, which I’m obsessed with.  Plus, she never over-does her look–she can wear a lot of make-up while still looking naturally beautiful.

What was your biggest beauty no-no (come on, we all have had them)? 

Self tanner over load….I definitely had an orange phase in high school.  It wasn’t pretty.

Guys want to know: How much do you really spend on makeup? 

I can’t even answer this question because I purposefully don’t keep track of what I spend.  The answer would give me anxiety… moving on!

• When did you first start wearing makeup? 

My mom never let me wear make-up before high school.  In high school, I literally stuck to mascara and eye liner. When I was in college, I finally started wearing foundation, blush and eye shadow.  In the past year, I have been obsessing over different shades of blushes, eye brightening products, and colored lips–something I never used to wear!

• What has been your biggest beauty splurge?

FACIALS!! I used to go every week….I finally had to cut myself off.

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Chic Secret can be found on YouTube here Chic Secret YouTube. Make sure you also follow her latest tweets @TheChicSecret

*If you know someone that you would like to nominate for their OBPD (obsessive beauty product disorder) – please email me at shrtisthenewblack@gmail.com*

NATURAL.

When I first started wearing makeup I was always told that makeup should be clean and natural, never too bright or dark (thanks mom).  I carried that with me most of my life, until about college when I really started experimenting (blue eye shadow circa ’07).  When I started working for Bobbi Brown I loved the idea of the natural beauty, my mom partially was right, natural beauty is one of the best things women can embrace.  My philosophy is someone should notice you first, your makeup after.  I love the idea that Bobbi Brown’s philosophy is that every woman is beautiful and her makeup products are used to accentuate the beauty in every women, making them feel #prettypowerful.  I have a few products that are must haves – EVERYDAY when I am going for a basic, natural look.

*Products are subject to change*

1. Bobbi Brown Hydrating Face Cream $50: I can never wake up and not put on my hydrating face cream.  This product is AMAZING for my normal to oily skin in the summer and for my normal to dry skin in the winter.  This is the perfect moisturizer for a base with my foundation.  This moisturizer is like a drink of water for your face.  Moisturizers are essential for skin to look good and feel good.

 Available at http://www.bobbibrowncosmetics.com or http://www.nordstrom.com

2. Bobbi Brown Bronzer – Golden Light $35:  Bobbi’s bronzer is not a bronzer that is meant to make you look tan.  It is used to add warmth to your face.  I like to make a three with my bronzer brush.  I go outward with my brush on my forehead and work it into my cheeks, not going past the apple of cheeks, I then go under to make sure my face matches my neck.

REMEMBER: When choosing Bronzer don’t just go for the darkest shade, base it off of your undertones, for instant I have yellow undertones, someone with a red undertone should go with Bobbi’s Medium Bronzer.

Bobbi’s tip: dust your bronzer over cheeks, forehead, nose, and chin using the Bronzer Brush. 

 Available at http://www.bobbibrowncosmetics.com or http://www.nordstrom.com

3. Chanel Illusion D’ombre Long wear Eye Shadow – Emerville $36: I love Chanel’s Long wear eye shadows.  For an everyday look I like to stick with Emerville, but for more of an evening look I can use Illusoire which is a darker color.  These shadows really last and are easily smudge-able when first applied, but after they dry they aren’t going anywhere.  They don’t crease or smudge and are long lasting.

 Available at http://www.nordstrom.com

4. Eye Brows Bobbi Brown Eye Shadow, Saddle $20: No matter what product you use, everyone could use a thicker brow.  I like to use Bobbi Brown’s eyeshadow in Saddle for my eyebrow color.  I don’t use it to really draw a new brow, but I use to fill in to give me a “fuller” eyebrow.  The nice part is mostly any kind of eye shadow brush will work just be careful where the shadow is going.  You really want to touch the skin with your brush. Tip: Begin at the inner corner of the brow and follow its natural shape using light strokes.

 Available at http://www.bobbibrowncosmetics.com or http://www.nordstrom.com

5. Lip Gloss -Burberry Lip Gloss Heather $27: Lip gloss is like icing on a cake.  Your lips and appearance just look better.  The nice thing is lip gloss isn’t permanent and if you wanted to change the color every hour of the day you could.  I like the basic lip color by Burberry.  It is very close to my natural lip color but it adds a little bit of color and shine.

                                                                                        Available at http://www.nordstrom.com

6. Bobbi Brown’s Gel Liner Black Ink (MUST HAVE) $21: Everyone should and can wear gel liner.  This Long-wear gel liner is award winning and literally lasts all day.  Talk about no smudge or creasing, this liner will be your best friend.  If you think liner in general it is too harsh, go thinner (key is to stay as close to your eyelashes as possible).  Eye liner is really what defines your eye.  The nice thing about Bobbi’s gel liner is that it comes in many many colors to suit your complexion, style, or outfit.  I like to stay basic with an everyday black ink, but Bobbi offers colors such as:

• Denim Ink – a navy blue
• Sepia Ink– a rich brown
• Ivy Shimmer – deep emerald green with black
• Espresso Ink – a black brown
• Caviar Ink – a deep black brown
• Black Mauve Shimmer – a deep chocolate mauve
• Chocolate Shimmer – a dark red brown
• Cobalt Ink – a dark blue
• Violet Ink – a violet purple
• Granite Ink – a granite grey
• Graphite Shimmer Ink – a dark grey

Use with Bobbi Brown Ultra Fine Liner Brush

 Available at http://www.bobbibrowncosmetics.com or http://www.nordstrom.com

7. Diorshow Black Out Mascara $24.50: The blackest of black mascara winner is……..DIORSHOW BLACKOUT.  The jet black of all mascaras out there.  For thick, full, lashes this mascara is your soulmate.  This mascara brings a whole lot of “oomph” into your makeup routine.

Available at http://www.sephora.com or http://www.nordstrom.com