Get Beyonce's New, Natural Look

Along with her new double CD, I Am...Sasha Fierce, Beyonce ditched the over-the-top makeup and extensions in favor of a more natural look. I think that this look makes her look much more youthful and allows her natural beauty to shine through. Sometimes less is more...

The key to this look is a flawless face. Achieve this by applying a light foundation or tinted moisturizer all over your face to even out your complexion.

TB Tip: After you apply foundation, see where you still have blemishes that need to be covered and apply concealer there. This way, you will avoid looking cakey. 

Make sure to dab concealer under your eyes too, to cover any dark circles or those pesky bags. 

Define your eyebrows by lightly accenting the arch and tail of your brow with a pencil. Try Maybelline Define-a-Brow Retractable Pencil. Then, use a light brow powder to fill in any gaps.

Apply a very subtle blush to the apple of your cheeks. NARS Orgasm will give you a perfect, light peachy glow.

Set your makeup with a light powder to keep you shine free all day, and then apply 2 coats of Covergirl Lash Exact mascara and Clinique Air Kiss lipgloss.

Voila! You are now ready to show the world that you don't need tons of makeup to look amazingly fierce!

How To Create an Easy, Natural Bronze Eyeshadow Look

I think that bronzes are some of the most versatile and fabulous eyeshadow colors. Also, they are among the easiest to apply because they blend together so well!

Today, I decided to put in a little effort and do a full eye look. Surprisingly, my entire face took about 10 minutes to do, but the results lasted all day! This look is a great option when you want to look really nice on the go, without overdoing it. Here's what you need, along with instructions on how to achieve this look.

Products
Face: MAC Select Moisturecover Concealer in NW30 & NARS Blush in Orgasm

Brows: Anastasia Beverly Hills Brows in Bloom, in Brunette

Eyes: Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion, MAC Eyeshadow in Romp, NARS The Multiple in South Beach, NARS Eyeshadow Duo in Isolde, Diorshow Blackout Mascara & MAC Eye Khol in Smolder

Get the Look

1. The first thing you need to do is create a base for your look. Start with your face and dot concealer lightly, where you need it. Blend it in well so you need minimal foundation. I used the concealer under my eyes to make me look more awake.


2. Prime your eyelids by using a small amount of Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion or whichever primer you have. Blend this by dabbing it with your ring finger. A good primer makes a huge difference and keeps your eyes looking fresh all day - literally.


3. Fill in your brows with Anastasia Brows in Bloom or another brow powder/pencil. Everyone has different preferences. However, your brows frame your face and it's extremely important that they look decent. I'm growing my brows out to get them waxed again, so you can see how much difference a good brow kit makes because my brows look decent for the grown out stage (mine get extra unruly).


4. Dab on NARS The Multiple on your lids and browbone.
   
5. Take a small eyeshadow brush and use the NARS Eyeshadow Duo in Isolde. First, take the lighter color (light gold-ish bronze) and carefully place the shadow in the shape of a little oval, tracing the shape of your lid and leaving a space in the center. Make sure to get the light color into the inner corner of the eye as a highlight.



6. Next, use the darker color (classic bronze) of the duo to fill in the little "hole" on your eyelid. The shadow should be placed in the center of the lid.


7. Almost done! Now, you need to grab a brown shade for your crease. I used MAC Eyeshadow in Romp because it has a nice, satiny finish that complements the NARS shadows. Take a crease brush and carefully place the shadow in the outer edge of the crease. Be careful not to go to close to the center of the crease. This effect elongates the eye and helps to give you an almond, cat-eye look.


8. Blend! Be careful not to blend away all of the colors. Blend lightly where the colors meet, focusing on the crease. You can blend more or less depending on how natural you want the look to be.


9. Take the Eyeliner pencil and carefully line your lid, extremely close to the lashline in thin, short strokes for a natural look.


10. Apply two coats of Diorshow Blackout Mascara, and you're done!

The Final Look

[Green]: Toxic Chemicals in Cosmetics

In the year 2008, a time with so many wondrous medical advances, millions of people are still getting sick at alarming rates. It makes no sense, right?

We struggle to stay healthy by cutting back on junk food, try to get in at least some cardio (the gym is always packed), and you might even hold your breath when someone lights a cigarette near you. So why are you more likely than ever before to be at risk for diseases like cancer, heart disease, diabetes and more?

Researchers say that several illnesses might be caused by an increased use of chemicals in consumer products that we use EVERY DAY, such as cosmetics. Dun dun DUNNNN! It's scary to think that brushing your teeth can cause cancer!


Here are the top chemicals found in cosmetics and personal care products - and most importantly, how to avoid them!

According to "The Green Guide" and several other sources I researched, some of the top chemicals that we use several times per day are as follows:

• Coal tar: Coal tar is a human carcinogen that is used as an active ingredient in several products such as toothpaste and mouthwash! Look out for the dyes FD&C Blue 1 and FD&C Green 3. These dyes have caused cancer when injected into lab animals.
  
  
• Formaldehyde: Yes, this is the stuff they use to preserve those dissection frogs in high school. Remember how bad this stuff smelled? Well, formaldehyde is used as a preservative in nail polish, nail hardener, hair dyes, shampoo, soap, eyelash glue and more! Many companies try to play games and switch up the names of the chemicals. Formaldehyde is also known as quaternium 15, diazolidinyl urea and imidazolidinyl urea, among other aliases. This chemical results in respiratory irritation and even cancer in humans. Nail polish probably has the highest levels of this chemical. Little did you know that the nail salon was a potential death trap! I'm being dramatic, but to avoid the side effects of the chemical, paint your nails outside or in a well-ventilated area.
  
  
• Petroleum: Yes, the stuff that goes in your car! Petroleum is a possible human carcinogen, which means that it may cause cancer. The use of petroleum distillates are banned in European cosmetics, but are used rampantly in American brands of mascara and more! Watch out for the terms "petroleum" or "parrafin" on ingredients list, especially in hair oils which tend to prominently include this ingredient.
  
  
• Phthalates: Chemicals also known as dibuthylphthalate (DBP), dimethylphthalate (DMP), diethylphthalates (DEP) and butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP) are used in several products such as nail polish, perfumes and more! Exposure to phthalates is linked to hormone abnormalities.
  

• Parabens: They are listed on your products as alkyl parahydroxy-benzoate, butyl-, methyl-, ethyl-, propyl-, and isobutylparabens. They are an extremely common preservative in lotions, scrubs and conditioners. They mimic estrogen and increase the risk of breast cancer!

I've only listed five major chemicals, and there are so many more. After reading about this, I decided to go on an investigation of a couple of the major cosmetics brands that we love.

• MAC (owned by Estee Lauder): Reading this truly broke my heart to pieces, but MAC uses several toxic chemicals in their products! One of the most harmful chemicals they use in their eyeshadow is called BHT. It can cause "neurotoxicity, endocrine disruption, allergies/immunotoxicity, organ system toxicity (non-reproductive), and irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs)." Also, MAC conducts animal testing and has not signed the Compact for Safe Cosmetics!
  

• L'Oreal: Basically, their cosmetics pose a low to moderate safety risk. However, all of their hair color brands were very very high risk. Be very careful when using these at-home hair dye formulas.

I am seriously disturbed! To avoid your exposure to potential risk, try to integrate some truly natural products into your beauty regimen (some products that claim to be "natural" contain just the same chemicals, but that's another post).

Here are some of the safest cosmetics brands, which do not conduct animal testing and do not include dangerous chemicals in their products.

• Bare Escentuals
• Burt's Bees
• Jane Iredale Cosmetics
• Larenim Cosmetics
• Zosimos Botanicals
  

Doing all of this research has proven to be very shocking. Even though one use of a product may not be immediately detrimental, exessive use over time can cause harmful effects. I'm not saying that you should stop using your favorite cosmetics. I will definitely be reading the ingredients list and buying more truly natural products, but I probably won't stop using MAC products. I know you probably won't either. Let's be real. However, we all need to be aware of exactly what we are ingesting and putting on our faces. That is the most important thing.

Here are some more resources on the safety of the cosmetics that we use every single day:

The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics

Skin Deep - Chemicals in Cosmetics