The Plus-Size Look for Less: Drape Front Cardigans

I rarely venture into fashion, but I’ve been super inspired after attending Viva Fashion’s Fashion Forward Latinas seminar. One thing that continuously irks me as a plus size girl is how ridiculously expensive plus size options can be. It angers, no, infuriates me to think of how much more items can cost for us. I understand fabric can be expensive, but is there that much of a difference between an 8 and a 16? I’m not sure, but please correct me if I’m wrong.

Either way, I’ll post up cool finds when I can. The less expensive options are there, we just have to do a bit of hunting! Check out today’s find, for example. These cardigans are great over a cami or lightweight tee, providing a bit of warmth or coverage when need be. Check out the Old Navy cardigan.

 

 

 

Drugstore Find: NYC High Definition Volumizing Mascara

Photo and Description from Drugstore.com

Up to 70% Lash lift & 10X volume

Immediate long lasting wide eye effect. Dual Response Technology lengthens lashes up to 60% and lifts lashes up to 70%. DuoPlay Complex with Panthenol & Vitamin E strengthens lashes and helps to keep them supple. Moisture resistant technology helps to keep lashes lifted.

• flake-proof
• smudge-proof
• suitable for sensitive eyes and contact lens wearers
• ophthalmologically tested

That’s the official word on this drugstore mascara, so now, here’s my word! I picked up this affordable (around $4 USD) mascara on a whim after seeing one of my friends on Instagram raving about it.

Earlier this year I had a huge mascara phase. I became obsessed with lashes so I found myself trying mascaras more often than usual. I must say, this one was a very pleasant surprise. It does what it promises to do and gives lashes great volume and separation.

As with any mascara application, starting off with clean, curled lashes will ensure the best application. Wipe off any excess mascara from the wand onto a tissue so the extra goop doesn’t weight down your curl. Try this out and let me know how you like it!

Viva Fashion’s Fashion Forward Latinas Event in Coral Gables

I love meeting other bloggers in Miami. Not only do I get to visit places I rarely go to in my own town, but you meet lovely, talented ladies you usually only get to interact with on Twitter. So, when I was invited to provide makeup tips for the Viva Fashion‘s Fashion Forward Latina event last Saturday in Coral Gables, I happily obliged.

The Seminar Room

Carmen (of Viva Fashion) and Flor (of Flor de Maria Fashion) hosted a seminar at the beautiful Hyatt Regency in Coral Gables. Guests were treated to goody bags by the event’s sponsor, Neutrogena, and Carmen and Flor provided bagels and mimosas. What a great morning!

Our hosts covered the main body types (Apple, Pear, Hourglass, Rectangle) and discussed how to best dress for those figures. They even covered a topic fashion magazines rarely touch on: accessories. Did you know your accessories should be appropriate for your size? That means plus size women like me should avoid teensy weensy accessories that will emphasize our size negatively, just as smaller women could easily drown under over-sized purses.

Me applying a quick evening look on @FurorModa. I think Flor snapped this pic!

Carmen and Flor also gave us a look at upcoming trends and told us staple pieces everyone woman should have in their wardrobe. As someone that is fashion-challenged unless it comes to vintage looks, I really appreciated these tips and will be buying a few pieces for myself. Don’t worry, I’ll let you know which ones!

My set up at the Fashion Forward Latinas Event

So while I sat back and listened to great fashion tips, I also stood up and talked to the ladies about taking makeup from day to night. Here are some quick tips:

Tidy Up Your Skin

Being at work all day under those nasty lights and dry air can do a number on your skin, but we don’t always have time to wash our face and start over. If you’re oily, blot away any oil with blotting sheets. Both oily and dry skins could then refresh with an herbal mist such as Caudalie’s Beauty Elixir, Shu Uemura Depsea Water or MAC’s Fix +.

Once dry, powder your skin and apply some bronzer. Your skin might be ruddy/reddish from the day, so adding blush would only emphasize that. Bronzer wakes up your skin without being too much.

Choose Your Feature – Eyes or Lips?

Will you highlight the eyes or the lips? I wear contacts so my eyes are very tired at the end of the day. I wouldn’t really want to reapply some eyeshadow or mascara. However, you might prefer to wear just clear gloss or natural lips and not want to slick on a bright or rich lipstick.

Either way, highlight your best feature in a “night appropriate” shade. Deepen the color of your lips with darker tones or a shimmering berry gloss. If you want to highlight your eyes, reapply mascara and line your eyes with a charcoal or black liner, smudging the line for a slightly smoky effect.

As long as you keep it simple, you’ll see it’s easy to transform your day look into something appropriate for happy hour!
Keep an eye out on my blog and follow me on Twitter to keep up with my events! You never know where you’ll run into me next.

Lovely Beauty Box: August 2012

The awesome contents of August’s Lovely Beauty Box

Sample boxes are the makeup goddesses gift to enthusiasts everywhere. I had yet to get in on this awesome activity when the folks at the Lovely Beauty Box contacted me about checking out their new service.

The Lovely Beauty Box is a service targeting fashion and beauty conscious Latinas that are “vain at heart” (I love the company’s cheeky slogan.) Each month you receive a goody box of hair and beauty samples focused on the theme of the month. August’s theme? “Straight Talk: For stunning hair that’s smooth with silky shine!” The product pamphlet is written in both English and Spanish. Cool, huh?

As you can see in the picture above, you receive a full size Crush by One flat iron, a travel size iron and generous samples of It’s a 10 Hair Mask and Alcohol-Free Styling Serum. Oh, and the Lovely Beauty Box’s logo has a pin up girl on it! Did they purposely do that just for me? (I’d like to think so.)

I can’t wait to play with these goodies and see what’s in next month’s edition. Check out the Lovely Beauty Box team on Twitter!

YouTube Must-Subs: The Best YouTube Gurus

YouTube is drowning in beauty videos, most of them not worth your time. With beauty companies jumping on YouTube’s success and using the platform as another way to sell product, it’s sometimes hard to tell which products are being recommended in an honest fashion. I came up with this list of YouTube gurus thanks to a request from a lovely Twitter follower. I hope you will find them informative, honest, and most of all, worth your time!

Lisa Eldridge

With over 20 years of experience, this lovely English makeup artist and Chanel ambassador is one of the best YouTube “gurus” out there. She is an actual working artist with amazing clientele and a highly informative channel. If you haven’t subscribed to her channel yet, you absolutely should.

Jordan Liberty of Give Good Face

Amazing quality videos with Jordan’s wonderful instruction makes this channel another must sub. His tips are invaluable and I love how soft he is with his brush technique. You don’t need to pound the makeup in, people!

Rae Morris

I wish Ms. Morris had more videos, but the ones she does have are excellent. She has a unique eyeshadow technique that all makeup artists should explore. Also, don’t miss the video about her line of brushes!

Make-Up Atelier: Paris

Don’t worry, you don’t need to speak French to get amazing tips and ideas from these videos. Watch these “speedtorials” for gorgeous makeup looks with tons of color.

Pixiwoo

Sam and Nic are two of my favorite YouTube artists. They are active in the London makeup scene and provide well-executed tutorials with both high-end and drugstore products. They have a video on nearly every subject you could think of, including a ton of celebrity tutorials.

Sadaf Hair and Beauty

I am obsessed with Asian beauty, especially Indian, Pakistani and “Arabic” style makeups. If you enjoy these dramatic looks, you need to subscribe to Sadaf’s channel.

Iwanted2c1video

Bethany is so creative, I don’t know how she doesn’t get more recognition. The fantasy looks she creates using cheap makeup and household objects (like Styrofoam plates) will blow you away. She is also budget friendly, creating a lot of looks with very affordable products.

Klaire de Lys

For creative/fantasy looks and great special FX looks that won’t break the bank (or give you a headache) you must subscribe to this channel.

In My Kit: Milani Cosmetics Brow Tint Pen

Ever since my workshop with makeup artist Jennifer James,I have never looked at brows the same way again. Granted, as a makeup artist you know the importance of a good brow, but Ms. James really drilled it into my head! Personally, brows have always been a bit of a challenge for me on my own face. Sometimes I want them thicker and more modern, other times I want them arched to Old Hollywood glory. No matter the shape, I have sparse areas that need some filling in (as do many of us) and the best way to fill in your brows relies more on the technique rather than the product.

Milani Brow Tint Pen in “Dark Brown” (I own Natural Taupe, perfect for blondes and medium brunettes)

Whether you use pencil, powder or gel liner, you want to mimic the appearance of fine hairs rather than using a coloring technique as you would on paper. But when you have a product like Milani Cosmetics’ Brow Tint Pen, it makes things a whole lot easier.  This pen has a fine felt tip that lets you draw “hairs” with precision. The ink-like consistency leaves a slightly translucent mark on the skin rather than an opaque line, keeping things natural looking while still filling in the brow. The ink is long-lasting goes on smoothly. Use a magnifying mirror to help you see where you are placing your “hairs” and always take a step back to compare brows. This is my new favorite brow product. And the best part is? It’s paraben-free and only $5.99–completely affordable.

 

 

Vice Beauty Giveaway Sponsored by Cilea

Did you know I’ve had my blog for almost 4 years now? Though I’ve only been on WordPress since 2011, I started beauty blogging over at Blogger years ago. It hasn’t been a smooth ride, but I’m still here, and I hope to grow and expand the Vice Beauty name for years to come.

Thanks to the great gals at Cilea by Puresuasion, I’ve been given one of their Eyelash Enhancing Treatments to give away to one lucky winner. How does Cilea work?

Our breakthrough formula helps to grow and strengthen your eyelashes. Herbal extracts condition the skin around the eyes, so you will experience less lash turnover – with no side effects to the eye.

Make sure to stop by Cilea by Puresuasion’s blog to check out how the company gives back to the community.  Oh, and did I mention Cilea is a company local to my native South Florida? I love supporting local businesses (remember, I’m one of them!)

The contest is open to anyone around the world! You must be 18 years and older and follow all of the steps below. I will be checking! I will pick the winner randomly from the comments section. The contest begins the moment the post goes up and it will end June 30th.

How to Enter

1. Follow the Vice Beauty Blog

2. Retweet this on Twitter: I entered to #win @CileaLash Eyelash Enhancing Treatment at the Vice Beauty Blog! RT & enter here! #vicebeauty

3. Follow me on Twitter!

4. “Like” my Facebook Page

5. Leave a comment with your Twitter handle here!

How I’ll Pick the Winner

Winner will be selected from the comments using Random.org

Good luck everyone!