JL Cosmetics

Sorry That I Have Been MIA

2012-04-02T18:31:00.001-07:00

My computer is finally fixed. More blog posts will be up and running soon.

Have a beautiful evening everyone.
Jennifer

In Honor of Lent...It's Fish Friday

2012-03-15T11:27:00.002-07:00

I love quick and easy ways to do my hair. And anything to avoid spending another hour in humid weather dying my hair makes me happy. So in honor of Lent, I want to share with you tips that I have found to frizzy hair a day of the past.

First of all, let me introduce you to a new product that I have completely fallen in love with. When I was younger, I used to have the most poker straight hair ever. I could wash it and let it air dry and it would never even frizz a little bit. For those of you that know me, have heard the little story of my Senior Year Spring Break Trip in Italy. What a fun disastrous trip. Italy is one of the most beautiful countries that I have ever had the privilege of spending time in, but what a disaster when you end up electrocuting yourself. Ever since that vacation, I have had curly frizzy hair. HAHAHA!!!

Anyway to make a long story short. A few weeks ago I was introduced to this wonderful product by my friend and mentor Michelle. Aquage Beyond Shine is an amazing all around great beauty product to have in your arsenal of treatments.

How to use it: It can be used on clean, dry to semi dry hair or on hair that has just been styled.

What I do is dry my hair with a paddle brush until it is about 80-90% dry. I section my hair off, then spray on the different sections that I am going to dry in order. Next I round brush my hair as usual, with the directional nozzle on my hair dryer. And Wah La!!! Not even a smidge of frizz. My hair is left silky, smooth and shiny.

Why you should use it:

Gives your style a brilliant gloss
Protects hair against damage from thermal styling tools
Improves hair's condition as it smoothes the cuticle and eliminates frizz
Creates a humidity-resistant barrier that controls your style in high-humidity conditions

Fishtail braids are nothing new. But with the bohemian chic look still very popular, they are right on point. Take a not so good hair day, and turn it into a great one. Or, if you choose sleep over, spending a lot of time on your hair, it is a quick and easy to feel beautiful. The gals at
The Beauty Department, have created a wonderful video tutorial of how to do just this. Check it out!!!

An Easy Step to Refresh Skin

2012-03-15T10:21:00.000-07:00

Toners, toners, toners...you hear a lot about them, but what do they actually do. I hear this question often enough, that I am now a woman on a mission.

Toners are sooo important when it comes to your everyday regime.

***First of all toners stop the action of the cleanser and restore the skin to it's natural pH. When you splash your face with water, water only has a pH of 5.5, your skin's natural pH is around 6.5. For your skin to restore itself, it takes approximately 8 hours.

Many women that I see daily, complain about a redness that occurs after cleansing. By integrating a toner into your daily routine, this will be toned down. (Ha pun intended) ***AKA cheaper on your budget. You will have to spend less money concealing the redness.

***Toners are also designed to help a magnitude of skin issues. Some are made to help control oil production. Some to help add hydration. Some to help with more sensitive skin. Alcohol and witch hazel are common ingredients that will be added into a toner. But ALWAYS make sure that they are at the bottom of the ingredient. This means that the ingredient has been added as a means of a quick drying feature. Anything at the top of the ingredient list will cause over drying of the skin.

***Thirdly, but definitly not last by any means, TONERS REFRESH the SKIN!!!! Now that we are getting into the warmer months, people tend to sweat more than usual. And there is nothing that I hate more than that midday gross feeling to my skin. What I like to do is take a small spray bottle and fill it with toner and keep it in my purse.

Spraying toner on my face through out the day, not only refreshes the skin to give it that freshly cleaned feeling, but it also helps to set the makeup that I have on and make it last longer!!!

(PS the best spray bottles that I have ever purchased have been from Sally Beauty Supply )

The best part about toners is that you cannot over do it. So spray your troubles, and get out and enjoy this beautiful day...just don't forget your sunblock!!!

Waxing Do's and Don'ts

2012-03-14T16:10:00.001-07:00

Tis the season for waxing.

As we enter into the early Spring months, we all end up catching Spring and Summer fever. I begin by pulling my bike from storage, and moving my warm weather clothing from the basement to my closet area. After all how can you resist, technically we are 30 degrees above average!

But with the return of shorts, tank tops, flip flops and dare I say it, bikini's. One might begin to get overwhelmed by everything that you need to get your body ready for BIKINI SEASON.

Waxing is a great way to spend minimal time getting ready. Have you ever considered how much time a woman spends daily shaving???

First the lower legs, upper legs, then under arms. But do you stop right there?!? Some do their bikini area, brazilian, arms... The list can go on and on!

And if you are not just worried about time, what about razor burn, knicks/cuts, and just the sure expense or razors. It can get quite pricey!

So let me educate you a little bit about waxing. It's actually simplier than it seems and far more cost efficient for your budget.

Hair grows in 3 stages. Anagen, catagen and telogen. Thus, hair DOES NOT grow at the same rate and hairs are at different growth stages within the follicle. It takes approximately 4-13 weeks for hair to actually reach the skins surface.

Knowing this, do not get discouraged in your quest for hairless body parts. Instead ask your esthetician if they offer packages for people just starting out waxing. It takes approximately 3 visits before you will actually be hairless for 6-8 weeks. But well worth the wait.

Here are some do's and don't to make your waxing experience the best it can be.

DO make sure that hair is at least 1/4 of an inch.

DO exfoliate regularly to prep skin before waxing, this will help to eliminate ingrown hairs before hand.

DO NOT apply anything perfumed after waxing, for at least the remainder of the day. This can irritate the skin. Same goes for super hot shower or hot tubs.

To avoid ingrown hairs, always make sure to exfoliate the waxed areas. I prefer an exfoliator mitt that I can use in the shower daily. This is a very cost efficient way to always make sure your skin is glowing.

For the bikini area, try a men's aftershave. It will have a liquid exfoliant in it to help open the pores. Plus it will feel much more pleasant than a gritty scrup in that area.

DO NOT shave in between waxing. Again, after your first three waxes, the hair should be at the same growing pattern, thus removed perfectly for 6-8 weeks.

Waxing causes hair to come back thinner, finer and less noticeable. It's a great way to spend less time in the bathroom and more time outside!!!

So go and enjoy the weather and get a good wax !!!! Haha

Eyeshadow Part 2 ... How to Create the Perfect Smoky Eye!!!

2012-03-08T05:00:00.001-08:00

There are many ways to create a smoky eye, the most popular way is by using black powder eyeshadow all the way around the eye and then blending upward and out above the crease. Once you have mastered the art of blending this bold look, you can start using strong colours or pigments and playing around with different shapes.

The best tip anyone has given me over the years in regards to the smoky eye, is to invest in good quality brushes. But for application of this look, you will only need 2. (Stiff eyeshadow brush and fluffy brush)

Using a peach of nude eyeshadow, start with a neutral wash of colour applied from the eyelash line all the way up to the brow.
Now, using your lightest colour, apply it to the lid from the lash line to the fold of the eye using a stiff brush. DO NOT go any higher or you won't have space to blend out!!!
Take your mid-tone, and apply it from the outer corner of the eye and up over the top of the crease toward the bridge of the nose, blending softly upward as you go.
Once you have created the correct shape, take a darker gray colour and deepen the crease, again using a stiff brush.
Using the same brush with the darkest tone, bring some of the colour underneath the eye, below the bottom lashes. This colour can be placed from the outer corner of the eye right to the inner corner.
Next, take a softer brush with a bit of mid-tone colour on it and blend the shadow along the lower lashes downward, softening any hard edges..
Using a light, shimmery shadow with a satin finish and a soft brush, add a bit of highlight to the inner corner of the eye and right underneath the brow. This will brighten, lift and open up the eye.
Now, add black gel liner to the top lip using an angle brush and line the lower waterline with a black kohl pencil to deepen the look.
To finish, apply a generous amount of black mascara to the top and lower lashes.

TIPS FOR PERFECTION !!!

*** When blending from the crease of the eye, use very small circular motions and only use the tip of the brush, about 2-3 mm. Avoid using too much pressure.

*** If the brush is separating when you are blending shadow, you are working too aggressively and will create a patchy effect. Use the blending brush like feather tickling the face.

A smoky eye can be done with numerous colour combinations. Always make sure to just stay within the same palette of colours. And note that a smokey eye isn't just for night time use, soften the colours and application for a beautiful daytime look.