Beach Bronze

Thank you to the beautiful Brittany for modeling for this shot, to Jean Sweet for taking the photos, and to Jean and Avis Meade for doing the hair.

"Beach Bronze" Quick Change






Thank you to the beautiful Brittany for modeling for this shot, to Jean Sweet for taking the photos, and to Jean and Avis Meade for doing the hair.

The Eyes Have It...Or Is It the Lips







Thank you to the beautiful Ashley for modeling for this shot, to Jean Sweet for taking the photos, and to Jean and Avis Meade for doing the hair. Special thanks also goes out to Olivia's Past Boutique in Long Grove, IL for lending us so many fun outfits for the shoot!

"The Eyes Have It " Quick Change







Thank you to the beautiful Ashley for modeling for this shot, to Jean Sweet for taking the photos, and to Jean and Avis Meade for doing the hair. Special thanks also goes out to Olivia's Past Boutique in Long Grove, IL for lending us so many fun outfits for the shoot!

After being asked to speak at a local school about makeup and skincare for teens, I decided to compile a list of do's and dont's. As far as teenage skin is concerned, These are the tips I give most often to my teenage clients:

1. Don't use products that are too harsh for your skin. Most teens get patchy oiliness and occasional breakouts. Using a skincare line from the drug store that is meant for people with acne is too drying for someone who doesn't have a serious acne problem. Most of us think of a single pimple as a "serious problem, " but blasting your whole face to take care of one pimple is going way overboard.

You should wash your skin morning and night. Make sure your cleanser removes your makeup completely. This is especially important at night before you go to bed.  Your skin should not feel "tight" after you wash you face. If it does, you are stripping away too much of your skin's natural oils. If you strip away too much of your natural oil, your body will start to over-produce oil to make up for what you are stripping away.

If your cleanser does not remove your makeup well, you need to use a separate makeup remover. Water based makeup removers are best, but if you wear water-proof mascara you will need an oil-based makeup remover. Be aware that if you don't completely remove the oil from the makeup remover with your cleanser, you will have oil left on the skin that will start removing the makeup you apply the next day!

If you would like to use a toner after you wash your face, use something with gentle, calming ingredients to re-balance your skin's pH level. Do not use toners with alcohol in them.

My favorite store-bought cleanser in the $5 range is Basis Cleaner Clean Face wash . Ulta carries it on a regular Basis, but they always seem to run out. Try searching for it on-line and buying a couple of bottles at a time. The whole family will love it. It removes makeup and cleanses the skin without stripping away too much of your skin's natural oil. It smells great and foams up beautifully.

2. Even if you have slightly oily skin, you still need to moisturize! If you have normal to dry skin, use a light-weight moisturizer that soaks in quickly and has a SPF of 15. It will keep your skin hydrated, and block out some of the UVA and UVB rays that are so damaging to our skin. Don't worry, you will still get a tan, even if you are wearing it! Try Kiehl's Ultra Facial Moisturizer SPF 15 . It runs around $19

If you have oily skin, use a gel moisturizer that has natural ingredients with healing properties. Tea Tree oil is naturally anti-bacterial and does a great job of preventing new breakouts. The Body Shop has a fantastic Tea Tea Tree Skin Clearing Lotion for oily skin that runs about $13.

3. Exfoliating your skin removes dead skin cells that cause your skin to look dull and can trap dirt and bacteria in your pores.You should exfoliate one a week for best results. 

Most exfoliants are manual scrubs that remove dead skin cells with an abrasive. If they are gentle, they can be used weekly to remove dead skin cells, but take care not to rub too hard on your skin. It is possible to do more harm than good if you are too rough with a scrub.

A good alternative to a manual scrub is an enzyme mask. My favorites are enzyme masks that use pumpkin or papaya to gently loosen and dissolve dull surface cells and impurities. Alba makes an inexpensive Papaya Enzyme Facial Mask that works well for around $9.

4. When you get a breakout, don't freak out. Most breakouts faced by teens are caused by hormones and/or oil and bacteria on the skin. Take these steps to shorten the trauma:

• Make sure you are cleansing your skin morning and night.
• Change your pillow cases nightly - bacteria and oil love to hang out on your pillow-case!
• Try not to touch your face too often during the day.
• Drink lots of water!
• Use a spot treatment on blemishes, not on your whole face. Tea Tree Oil works beautifully!

I hope this helps you or the teenager in your life get through the hard times. As always, please contact me with any questions you may have at jessica@bomberbetty.com. Enjoy, and please pass this along to friends and family!

Now you can find Jessica and Bomber Betty Custom Cosmetics on Thumbtack.com ! They offer space for unlimited photos, so you can view my portfolio on their site as well as on jessicasawicki-makeupartist.com . Try thumbtack.com the next time you are looking for services in your area. It is a very comprehensive site! Here is my link : Bomber Betty Thumbtack Link

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I don’t usually gush over products that aren’t my own (hee hee) …but I had to make an exception for the new moisturizer I came across at Navii Salon Spa in Schererville, IN.

I started using the Phytomer Hydracontinue Moisturizing Base Skin Cream on clients as I was doing makeup applications. I noticed as I was using it that it disappeared into the skin, and was the perfect base under my makeup. At the end of the day I bought one and started using it for myself. I am in love. It is lightweight, and my skin feels hydrated but not greasy.

Phytomer, whose name means "ocean plants", is the first brand in the world to have integrated the benefits of the marine world into modern cosmetology.

This high-performance product line was formulated by observing how the seaweed discovered in low-tide water defends itself against drying out in the sun and wind. These are the origins of Pheohydrane, a purified extract of the brown algae Laminaria digitata. It improves moisture fixation in the epidermis, providing an instant sensation of comfort and a moisturizing effect that increases from day to day. Your skin is left soft, comfortable, and ideally protected!

If you would like to try this moisturizer, call Navii Salon Spa at 219-865-6515. They have agreed to send it out for my clients. Enjoy!     

         

1. Ashley Before the Transformation

2. My first step after prepping the skin with my foundation primer was to apply a light concealer from the eyebrow to the lash line. This evens out the tone of the eye area and keeps the eye makeup on longer.

3. I then applied my lid color directly over my concealer. I wanted to keep the color very rich and shimmery, and the moisture from the concealer helps the shadow stick.

4. I set the concealer above my lid color with a light shadow so that I could create a soft, blended crease.

5. Using a crease brush , I created the shape of my eye by bringing the shadow out into a slightly more dramatic cat eye. Then…blend.blend.blend.

6. I filled in the lash line with a black shadow using a flat, synthetic liner brush . This helps make the lash line look thicker, and prevents visible gaps between your liner and the lashes.

7. I took the same black shadow and lined the bottom lash line. I find that powdered liner stays where you put it under the eye longer than a pencil.

8. I used a black mascara top and bottom making sure to get it all the way to the base of her blonde lashes.

9. Using a swab soaked in a water-based makeup remover , I removed any shadow that had fallen under the eye.

10. To create the shape of the brow, I used my cream-to-powder brow wax to tint the hair and fill in any gaps.

11. I cut a pair of long, but fairly natural strip lashes and used just the outer two-thirds to enhance her lashes and lift the outer corner of the eye. When applying fake lashes, take care to get the lashes as close to the natural lash line as possible.

12. I used a bent-liner brush to apply a black, waterproof, gel liner to the lash line.

13. Using a Beautyblender sponge , I applied my concealer to the under-eye area.

14. Airbrush foundation is perfect for light, flawless coverage. I used a foundation shade closer to the color of her neckline to softly even out her skin tone and blend her freckles without completely covering them. I also airbrushed her décolleté to blend away tan lines.

15. After setting the foundation with a finishing powder , I used a pinky-peach blush to give her a soft flush.

16. I filled in her entire lip with a nude cream liner , and then used a peachy, nude lip gloss over the top.

17. The Finished Product:

My Brush Crush

By Jessica Sawicki

Creator of Bomber Betty Custom Cosmetics

 

            Throw away those sponge applicators that come with your eye shadow! If you want your makeup to look smooth and blended, you need to use a brush. I want to help you choose the right brush for the job.  

             When you want soft, blended color, you need to choose a brush with natural hair. Most natural brushes will be made of squirrel,sable, pony, goat, or beaver hair. Natural bristle brushes are best for powdered shadows and mineral foundations.  The more tapered the bristles are, the more the brush will help you blend as you apply the color.

            When you want to apply strong color,or are using a liquid or cream makeup, synthetic bristle brushes are the best.The most common synthetic used is called Taklon.  I use a synthetic brush for powdered eyeliner,concealer, and brow wax.  A good tip for using your mineral foundation to conceal, is to apply it with a synthetic concealer or foundation brush.  The product is more concentrated when it is applied to the skin, and will cover better.   

            Cleaning your brushes is important,but you have to do it the right way or you will ruin the brush. Since most of  them are natural hair, it is fine to use a gentle shampoo.  Take care not to hold the brush upright when it is very wet, because you don’t want the water to run under the metal ferrule and rust the brush.  Lay them flat to dry, and make sure you do it when you won’t need the brush again for several hours.  When you are washing the brush,try to keep the shape of the brush in tact. If you scrub too hard, the bristles will spread out and the brush won’t retain it’s shape.

            For a quicker clean and faster dry time, use a brush cleaning fluid with an alcohol base.  These products sanitize the brush very effectively, and dry in minutes. These products should have a conditioning ingredient so that they don’t dry out the brush hair.  Cleaning your brushes once every couple of weeks is fine for brushes that are used for powder.  You should clean them more regularly if you use the brush wet, or with cream products. 

            That was your crash course in brushes.  I have a wide range of brushes available in my on-line store. If you are having trouble finding the right brush for the job, or if you have any questions, please feel free to e-mail me at jessica@bomberbetty.com.

Welcome to the Bomber Betty Blog. I want to make sure my clients have as much information as possible on how to properly choose and apply makeup. Stay tuned for tricks and tips that will help take the mystery out of makeup. Please feel free to suggest topics that you would like me to cover. Enjoy!