Review: Garnier BB Cream, the next big thing in beauty

May 2, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Can’t tell from this pic that it took me 1 minute to apply a moisturizer, primer, foundation and sunblock? Well read on Sista!

Here I am, in all of my BB Cream glory.

Have you ever heard of BB Cream? Personally, I hadn’t until I saw Garnier’s new BB Cream being advertised. As you may have seen me tweet a few months back, I was curious as to what this was exactly.

I was also wondering what the “BB” part stood for, so I did a little research. Turns out this is basically a “beauty balm” or “blemish base” for your face, and was originally created to protect the skin after laser treatments while still providing light coverage. These creams are already popular in Asia, but are becoming more widespread because of it’s multi-tasking magic. Basically it’s a hybrid of moisturizer, primer, foundation, AND sunblock in one!

 To be honest, I completely forgot about it until I found a sample today for Garnier’s B.B. Cream in one of my magazines.

SCORE!

So I tested it out. They only have two shades because it’s supposed to be like a “one-shade-fits-most” type of thing. I guess because it’s a sheerer formula than foundation, so it doesn’t have to be exact. Here are the two options, Light/Medium and Medium/Deep:

Garnier Skin Renew Miracle Skin Perfector Beauty Balm (B.B.) CreamGarnier Skin Renew Miracle Skin Perfector Beauty Balm (B.B.) Cream

For me personally, the Medium/Deep was too dark. I used the Light/Medium, and here’s what I liked and didn’t like:

PROS

  • Skin complexion was much more even after use.
  • Seemed to brighten up my face a bit.
  • I LOVE that it’s a hybrid of 4 different products, which saves me time and money!
  • It gave me a light, airbrush effect.
  • I liked the finished texture on my face. It felt soft, smooth, and the rest of my makeup went on top of it flawlessly.
  • Lasted all day!
  • Pretty decent on matching my skin color, although I did have to apply a little bronzer to give my face more color.
  • GREAT price for what it does!

CONS

  • The light reflectors in the formula brightens your complexion, so if you have oily spots and don’t use a finishing powder on them (like in my picture), then you may appear shiny in those spots.
  • The cream was a little thicker then I anticipated, so it gave me more coverage than a tinted moisturizer. I guess this could actually be a “pro,” it just wasn’t what I was expecting!
  • I didn’t apply moisturizer beforehand because this is supposed to moisturize. So I eliminated that step but found that my dry patches were a little noticeable when mixed with the cream. I’d suggest still putting a little moisturizer on those areas, or going lighter there on the cream.

In terms of application, I’d suggest still applying it like you would foundation because this is a bit thicker than a tinted moisturizer. Just try to stay even and blend.

I really do like the ease of this cream and loved it even more when I looked up the price. You can get Garnier B.B. Cream for only $12.99! Yes, there’s other more expensive brands of BB Cream, but I thought this was a great price for the all-in-one formula.

Have you tried BB Cream before or are you planning to?

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Arm Candy: How to Layer your Watch

April 24, 2012 By Leave a Comment

I  read an article in this month’s Glamour Magazine that had me drooling. “Presenting Arm Candy!” It wasn’t the colorful watches they were showing that got me excited, it was the technique of layering your watch with a fun variety of bracelets. How have I NOT been doing this already?! I typically would layer bracelets on the opposite wrist, but I love how they were literally layering the bracelets right up with the watch. Thus creating a bold arm candy effect.

Photo Credit: “Glamour” Magazine, April 2012 pg. 94
Photo Credit: “Glamour” Magazine, April 2012 pg. 94

So naturally I had to attempt this myself, and I wanted to see if I could pull it off with some bracelets I already had. I found that mixing stretchy, “softer” bracelets with some harder bangles gave a fun look. Also, I tried styling with my everyday Michael Kors metal band watch, and a more fun, casual soft band watch. Check it out!

STYLE TRIALS OPTION 1: METAL BAND WATCH

If you layer with bracelets that are a more “refined,” I think you can pull off an interesting look for work. But I was a little nervous of potential scratches when layering with my metal watch, so I opted for softer, leather bracelets. I specifically got these at the clothing store H&M, and I’m mixing 4 separate, double stranded leather bracelets here. I think it’s actually kind of a nice contrast, mixing the dressier watch with casual jewelry.

STYLE TRIALS OPTION 2: SOFT BAND WATCH

I think this is my favorite and a little closer to how Glamour styled theirs in the pictures above. This watch gave me a fun base to start with, and I like the pop of color the band gives. Then I layered 3 stretchy jewel bracelets and a few thin, bright teal bangles to complete this look. The pops of color and variety of textures together give it a funky, bold look. Much more of a style statement rather than wearing the watch by itself!

Don’t have a fun watch to work with? No problem! I’ve got you covered. :-)

Slap Slap Watch in Orange – $17.99

Dooney & Bourke Medium Mariner Watch (Black/Tan/Orange) – $145

Nine West Small Buckle Watch (Cognac/Gold/Cream) – $49

Timex Chic Pink Metallic Leather Strap Watch – $47.95

Will you try layering your watch with bracelets? Let me know which style option above you like best!

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Mascara Tutorial: How to Fake False Eyelashes with your Real Lashes

April 9, 2012 By 2 Comments

Bold, beautiful eyelashes. Every girl wants them, and for good reason. Let’s just say if I HAD to pick only one item of makeup to put on for the rest of my life (scary!), my choice would be mascara. Unless you already have naturally dark, thick, long lashes, it makes the world of difference. See for yourself!

Because I wore stage makeup through my dance team days, I especially LOVE the look of fake eyelashes. I’ve also seen people with eyelash extensions, which are costly but look awesome for a few weeks. Still, they’re harder to maintain, can be really expensive, and you have to worry about them coming off or irritating your eyes. I personally only like to wear fake eyelashes for very special occasions. But as you can see in the picture above, I’ve found a way to achieve the look with my natural lashes!

For this more manageable everyday “fake eyelash” look, checkout the Style Trials video on how to fake the false eyelash look with your real lashes.  I cover my favorite mascara, and the tricks of applying it.

 As I mention in the video, although I’ve tried a lot of different mascaras, Maybelline’s Falsies is the one that I’m always buying more of. I love that you can keep layering the techniques I showed as much as you want to, which builds up the volume and length of the natural lashes even more (thus amplifying the false eyelash look). With this “building” technique, I suggest letting the lashes dry or at least get tacky in between coats. But even if you need to do one quick coat and run out the door, it’s still more effective than other mascaras I’ve tried.

Maybelline Falsies Volum Express Mascara – $6.99

Volume Express The Falsies Mascara

So couple of questions for you.

1.) Have you tried this mascara before or do you have your own favorite you can suggest?

2.) If you could only put on one item of makeup, what would it be and why?

I love hearing from you. Leave me a comment on this post and let me know! :-)

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Easter worthy Spring Pastel Nails

April 4, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Springtime is here (yay!), and the pastel trend is taking a rise. I’m not talking about the neutral tones you’ve been seeing for awhile, but specifically pastel colors (think Easter eggs). I actually love that it’s taking a big role in nail polish this year. I especially love the way pastel “pops” off of darker/tan skin with the contrast (because pastels typically have a white base), but I think it definitely works with all skin tones. For example, checkout this pic of my sister and I with our “Easter egg” pastel nails.

 Ok, we’re matching A LOT  in that pic with our Michael Kors watches and Pandora rings. What can I say, we’re definitely sisters! :-)

Anyways, unfortunately I’m not sure the exact color she is wearing because she got it done at the salon. However, I wanted to share the color I’m wearing and loving!

Meet Revlon’s nail enamel, color Charming 211.

Recognize this? That’s right, I actually used this color in my Ombre Nail Art Tutorial on my thumbs! This shade is a beautiful pastel lavender that isn’t too “purpley,” and it’s actually a lot more vibrant than this picture shows. Very wearable for everyday, and looks great on both fingernails and toenails. I love how quick it dries, that you don’t have to put a million coats on to get the opaque color, and it doesn’t chip. The brush that it comes with is good too, because it doesn’t leave my color streaky and only takes a few quick sweeps to cover the nail. I found this polish for under $6 here at Walgreens Beauty Shop

Now if lavender isn’t really your thing, then no worries. There are a billion other cool pastel colors you can try! Here’s a few examples:

From top left to bottom right: Revlon nail enamel, colors Dreamer, Flirt, Minted, and Blue Lagoon.

That last color, Blue Lagoon, actually looks just like the color Katharine McPhee is wearing here!

Photo credit: http://www.stylebistro.com/Katharine+McPhee/lookbooks

You can actually get any of those Revlon pastel nail polish colors  here for under $6, which I think is a great deal.

I’m definitely going to buy another pastel color, or maybe a few soon. So I’m curious, which of these is your favorite?

Let me know by taking the poll below!

Vote for your favorite Revlon pastel nail color!






pollcode.com free polls 
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Review: Cosmo’s New Ways to Use Epsom Salts

March 21, 2012 By Leave a Comment

One of the things I love testing is household DIY beauty tricks; things like do-it-yourself hair masks, body scrubs, etc. It’s also resulted in some of the more ridiculous things I’ve tried (note: putting ketchup on your hair to get chlorine out is really just best for making your hair smell like ketchup. Yep, I really tried that–yuck!). I don’t know if it’s the thrill of potentially “saving money” by making things yourself, or the possibility of discovering some magical, secret beauty fix. But I get a kick out of it.

With that being said, you can imagine my interest in Cosmopolitan’s “Shameless Beauty Tricks” section. I decided to try out their suggestions on my blog, this being the first from a recent issue (Vol 251, No. 5, pg. 86). 4 fun, do-it-yourself ways to use epsom salts! In the past I haven’t really paid much attention to epsom salts, and I guess I subconsciously associated it with older people…like a Grandma using it to soak her feet. But I’m always open, so I decided to try these tips out.

I got my epsom salt at CVS for about $5, but you can get it practically anywhere (your local drugstore, grocery store, Target, Walmart, etc). The Cosmo article didn’t specify which kind of epsom salt to use, and I noticed there were two options. Regular, and Scented. My girlie side chose the lavender scent because I figured if these tips didn’t work, I could at least re-purpose it as a relaxing bath soak.

ALTERNATIVE EPSOM SALT REVIEW

1.) Use as a Body Scrub 

As most body scrubs are either sugar or salt based, mixing this grainy salt with body wash wasn’t exactly a new idea to me. To be honest, I was surprised they didn’t suggest mixing it with a body oil instead of body wash, which would help moisturize better (on top of exfoliating), but thought maybe this would help better for the exfoliating purpose.

When I tried it, I thought this epsom salt concoction just wasn’t grainy enough for really exfoliating. It was just okay. I’m not sure if it was the type I chose (maybe the scented kind is more finely ground?), but it felt too gentle for me. I’m sure it was lightly exfoliating, but when I’m in the mood to really exfoliate as I thought this would (like before spray tanning), I prefer something stronger like a hard loofah or grittier scrub. If you prefer a light exfoliation, then this could work for you.

2.) Use to Get Beachy Waves


They suggested putting 1 tsp of salt, a few drops of olive oil, and 1/4 cup of water in a spritzer water bottle, then spritzing on damp hair. This one seemed to work okay for me, but I do want to share that my hair has a natural wave to it. I’m not sure how this would work on stick straight hair, but if your hair curls up at all when air drying, then this may be something for you to try.

I put a VERY small amount of olive oil (because my hair is fine), and to be honest you could probably nix that part all together if your hair is oily. But I thought the salt part helped bring out the natural wave in my hair. It reminded me of being at the beach, with the heavy, damp salt air making my hair naturally curl up. The lavender scent also made my hair smell good!

I suggest spraying this on your hair after it’s been towel dried but still very damp, and staying away from the roots. Instead, I used a mousse on my roots to give it some lift, and sprayed the salt everywhere else. I let it air dry for a bit, but then flipped my head upside down and scrunched the rest while using a hair dryer on low to give it bounce. I still used other hair products to finish it off, like a flexible hair spray, but I do think the salt helped the wave part.

3.) Use as A Hair Clarifer

They suggested putting 1 cup of salt and lemon juice with a gallon of water, letting it sit overnight. Then pouring over your hair before you shampoo.

I don’t normally use a hair clarifier, but I did feel a difference after doing this. My hair just seemed to feel lighter and bouncier when I finished and dried it. My logic tells me the acidic lemon juice is probably the main contributor here, but the mixture seemed to work just fine. You probably don’t want to do this too often (I’m thinking once a month), and I’m not sure how color-safe it is. So that may be something to think about if you color your hair.

4.) Use to Fade Bruises–Fast


They suggested putting 2 cups into a bath, then soaking. I was most excited to try this, because I so conveniently had a good size bruise on my arm from a clumsy misadventure a few days earlier. I couldn’t wait for it to fade, but at the same time was skeptical of how this would work…until I actually purchased the epsom salt and saw that it was clearly advertised as a solution for fading bruises. I ended up putting more than 2 cups of salt into the bath, because I really wanted this to work. I even put a blob of wet salt directly on the bruise and let it sit there for awhile. I then relaxed in the salt-soak for at least 30 minutes, even longer than suggested, but I still didn’t see any changes. Two, three, four days later…the bruise was still there.

In theory, maybe it did help the bruise fade faster than it would have without the epsom salt, but I didn’t see quick to notice results. So overall, I would say this didn’t really work for fading bruises. Weird, especially since it’s advertised as a solution directly on the package.

Will you try any of these or do you have an alternative use for epsom salt? Leave me a comment and let me know!

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How to do an Easy Fishtail Braid

February 27, 2012 By Leave a Comment

I’ve had requests from people asking how to do a fishtail braid, which is actually a lot easier than it looks. So I thought I would share this with everyone to let you know it’s really not as scary as it looks. Anyone can do it, I promise! Ok, I take that back…I guess you wouldn’t be able to do this braid if your hair was two inches long, but you get what I mean!

A fishtail braid is a bit of a twist on the more traditional braid, and is something that’s definitely in style right now. It’s called “fish tail” because it mimics the look of just that…a fishes backbone/tail. It gives you an effortless, easy breezy vibe, boho chic look, or can even be paired with cocktail attire as a way to do a pulled back ‘do. The beauty of it is that it’s playfully messy, so it’s okay if it’s not perfect. In fact, it actually looks better if it’s not. Here’s a Celebrity inspiration picture.

Dianna Agron from Glee rocks a pretty fishtail braid.

Here’s a close up of this braid….

Ok, not going to lie — the method of this braid is A LOT easier than it looks, but it also takes a bit of practice to get the handling of the hair down. I’m right handed, so for me it’s easiest to braid over my right shoulder. I mention a lot of tips and tricks in my video as I’m braiding, so if you have time you should watch the whole thing to answer any questions you may have. If you need a quicker “how-to,” then feel free to fast-forward a bit…won’t hurt my feelings! :-)

EASY FISHTAIL BRAID TUTORIAL

I also took slightly bigger chunks of hair when braiding for time sake (the bigger the chunks, the faster the braid), but you do see more of a “fishtail effect” if you take about half the size of the hair chunks to braid (also taking double the amount of time).

Doing a solo braid to one side is a quick way to get a fun hairstyle, and now that you’ve learned the method from my video feel free to get even more creative with fishtail braids! Like this!

Singer Aubrey O'Day does a boho chic look with a fishtail braid and tossled down 'do.

Kim Kardashian uses fishtail braids to update pig tails.

 

I would love to see your variation of a fishtail braid. Send me a pic or tweet it to me @mystyletrials!

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The Secret to a Cheap, Easy French Manicure!

February 21, 2012 By Leave a Comment

I used to think press-on nails were tacky. Something that was only acceptable for a little girl playing “dress up,” or something that would result in Freddy Krueger looking long, pointy nails. That is, until I saw a friend with a beautiful, natural looking french manicure (press-on artificial nails, no kidding!) and became obsessed. That was about 5 years ago, and I’ve been using them ever since. I’m telling you, the modern press-on nail is nowhere near where it used to be and is one of my tried and true little secrets. If you are looking for a quick, cheap DIY route to beautify your nails and hate the way acrylics tear them up, then this tutorial is for you!

My favorite brands are the Kiss Nails or Broadway Nails, and I always make sure to get the kind that say “Real Short” on the box. That way they are very natural looking, and go just past the tip of your finger. You can usually pick these up at your local drugstore, Walmart, or Target for under $6, and they last 1-2 weeks.

For this example, I’m using the Kiss brand.

Contents include a 2-sided nail file, 28 nails of different sizes (I can usually get two uses per box), a cuticle stick, and nail glue. You’ll want to prep your nails by removing all polish and drying them first, then you can proceed to the steps of applying the Kiss press-on nails.

STEP 1 – Prep and Push Back Cuticles

Push back cuticles with the cuticle stick so you can get the nails glued on as close to the base of the nail as possible. This gives the most natural effect, and helps the nails look better as they grow out.

STEP 2 – Rough Up Surface of Nail and Check Length

Use the nail file to grit up the surface of the nail. This helps the nail/glue to hold better and mani last longer. The blue side is a harsher grit, the pink side a finer grit, so use whichever you prefer. Also, make sure you file the length of your nails short enough so that they don’t poke out from under the press-on nail when applied.

STEP 3 – Select Best Fit Per Nail and Layout

Nails are numbered so that you can figure out which number fits which nail best. Typically the smaller the number, the smaller the press-on nail size.

“Try on” the press-on nail before gluing to figure out the best size per nail. If you can’t find one that is a perfect match, select the closest fit and file edges as necessary to fit your nail better.

Layout your nails from left pinky to left thumb, and right thumb to right pinky. Then you can easily glue on your nails in that order. Here are the sizes I have laid out.

Left pinky to right pinky – 11, 7, 6, 8, 2, 2, 8, 6, 7, 11

STEP 4 – Glue On Nails

Twist off the glue cap, then squeeze glue directly onto your first nail (I’m right handed and like to start with my left pinky). Make sure you put enough glue to cover the surface of the nail, but not too much because you don’t want it to squeeze out on the sides.

Then immediately pick up the corresponding nail, and press on firmly. Hold and press the nail in place for at least 10 seconds until glue has dried. Repeat for all 10 nails.

STEP 5 -Snap Off Number Tabs and Smooth Tab Tip

The tabs come off really easy and pretty clean. Wiggle the tabs back and forth to snap them off. If there is any leftover tab still on the nail, use the pink side of the nail file to gently smooth it down.

VOILA!

And there you go. A beautiful, french manicure in 5 easy steps. Be prepared to receive a lot of compliments, and it’s up to you if you want to share the little secret. :-)

Again, I’ve used these a lot so I thought I’d share some additional info on these types of press-on artificial nails.

PROS

  • I used to get acrylics at the salon all the time, but that can be expensive, ruin your real nails, and takes a long time to apply. These nails are easy to put on, you can do it yourself in under 5 minutes, and easily pop them off when you want to. Does not mess up your real nails like acrylics!
  • I have a dreadful bad habit of biting my nails. I know…gross, but I can’t help it. I really prefer natural nails the most, and learned I’m better at fighting off the habit if I can grow my real nails long enough to keep them looking good with a mani. These press-on nails act as “shields” for about 2 weeks, allowing me to grow my real nails long enough to actually manicure.
  • I am extremely visual, so I hated when I went to the salon and the white tip for the french part was not exact on every nail, covered too much, one nail was longer then the rest, etc. Of course there’s understandable human error…nobody is perfect! But you can’t really compete when press-on nails are manufactured and every nail matches the next.
  • These nails are low maintenance. No need to paint, they don’t chip, or anything like that. However, you can definitely paint over them if you want, which gives you a nice base to paint. Especially if you’re a nail-biter like me. You can see an example in my ombre nail art tutorial where I paint over artificial nails.

CONS

  • As they are easy to pop off, sometimes they do pop off when you don’t want them to. Make sure you apply with plenty of glue, and you may want to keep the glue in your purse for emergency touch ups. Typically if applied right, they last 1-2 weeks.
  • They don’t mess up your real nails nearly as bad as acrylic ones at the salon, but I have noticed the glue can dry out your real nails a bit. To prevent this, make sure you don’t leave on the press-on nails for too long (2 weeks MAX), and rub cuticle oil into your nails when you remove them.

Have you tried press-on nails before? Let me know in a comment what you think the biggest pro or con is!

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