What Happened When 1 Woman Had Her Makeup Done at 5 Different Makeup Counters

What Happened When 1 Woman Had Her Makeup Done at 5 Different Makeup Counters

Being a woman of color has its share of problems, and for BuzzFeed staffer Nina Mohan, one of those includes makeup. She calls herself "woefully makeup stupid," but beyond that, being a woman of color often means getting "pigeonholed" into using certain colors, like purple and gold, or having to mix foundation colors to get the right match.

Mohan wanted to see how professional makeup artists would do giving her a "glam," "bold," "evening" makeover, so she went to five different makeup counters and documented the process.

Here's what she looks like with no makeup on, for reference:

Here's a makeup look she didn't like so much (MAC):

While Nina liked the silvery shadow the makeup artist used on her eyes, she wasn't really feeling the foundation. "The contour makes me look like I fell face-first into a pile of powdered sugar," she writes, saying that the makeup artist didn't swatch test on her skin before applying the product.

On the flip side, at Sephora, she got a makeup look she loved so much that she wanted to keep it forever. "I felt so glam and vampy and I had a really hard time wiping it off later," she writes. "It felt like I was taking off my best self."

After going to Sephora, MAC, Bobbi Brown, Benefit, and NARS, she came away with some learnings: Swatch test, say no if you don't like something, and you can do a strong lip with a bold eye. To see the rest of Nina's makeover looks, head over to BuzzFeed.

source by : http://www.womansday.com/style/beauty/a54523/how-good-are-makeup-counters/

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7 Scary Facts About Your Makeup

7 Scary Facts About Your Makeup

These are all the frightening, but need-to-know facts about beauty and makeup products made in the United States:

1. We don't have any real federal regulations on makeup in the United States.
The United States Food & Drug Administration isn't testing cosmetic ingredients because, well, they're not food or drugs. Which means things banned elsewhere (think parabens, which are linked to breast cancer; ethylene oxide, which is a known carcinogen; and octinoxate) are totally A-OK here. In fact, pretty much any chemical can be used as an ingredient.

The FDA does monitor cosmetics under the FD&C Act, which basically says as long as they aren't "adulterated" or "misbranded," they're cool to go on the market (so no poisons, phew). To put it frankly: In Europe there are 1,373 banned cosmetic chemicals. In the U.S.? Eight.

2. Companies don't have to test their products.
Well, not in any way that has to be demonstrated. Like we said, the FDA doesn't have legal authority to approve cosmetics. However, companies are "legally responsible" to ensure their product is safe. The way they can prove cosmetics safety? By saying ingredients are legit and comparing it to other similar product formulations. As long as that's done, it's fine to hit the shelf. In fact, this is a real sentence on the FDA website: "If a manufacturer does not have the technical expertise to determine the best way to ensure that a product is protected from contamination, the company may want to work with a consultant." May want to work with a consultant. They can't legally tell them to, because they don't have any authority over these companies.

3. Eighty percent of ingredients used in personal care products have never been tested for safety.
Wait, what?!

4. Fragrance can mean pretty much anything.
It can mean anything from a couple of natural oils to a straight-up chemical lab. But it doesn't matter. Fragrance is fragrance is fragrance in the beauty industry, and it'll be labeled as such. Think of the term as a catch-all.

5. Organic probably doesn't mean what you think it means.
There's no true, standard definition for what can be labeled "natural" or "organic," meaning as long as it's not "misleading" in the FDA's eyes, it's passable. There are certain programs—like the "USDA Organic" logo—that work to certify bath and beauty products, but definitions vary from program to program and basically, it's all a little confusing. That body wash with cucumber extract made up of 97 percent of chemicals? That can be classified organic.

6. "Cruelty-free" and "not tested on animals"?
There are no legal definitions for these terms. None.

7. The average woman uses 13 products per day with 515 ingredients. Please excuse us, we'll be scrubbing our face.

source by : http://www.womansday.com/style/beauty/a54538/scary-facts-about-makeup/

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7 Stunning Makeup Trends That Will Totally Slay Prom

7 Stunning Makeup Trends That Will Totally Slay Prom

Whether you're going for a makeup look that boasts major glamour, is bold and colorful, or simple and elegant, find the hottest new trends — and how to pull them off — here. Plus, find the perfect dress, to make your look complete!

source by : http://www.seventeen.com/beauty/makeup-skincare/g1814/prom-makeup/?

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