Dear Beauty Snob,
I was wondering if you could please explain what the difference is between powder bronzers and liquid bronzers? I have fair skin with combination skin and I am 18 years old. I wonder if you could recommend a product from both sides. I'm looking for a very natural bronze, without any hints of glitter/sparkle. Can you recommend any products?
Thank you so much! Sincerely, Mai
Dear Beauty Snob,
Let me just say THANK YOU for making this website. I honestly do not buy anything unless it's been approved by the Beauty Snobs, which is where I come with this dilemma. I've been wanting to use a moisturizer with SPF and what I would love to use is the Natura Bisse Diamond Extreme Cream but it doesn't come with SPF, so I wondering if there was a moisturizer that you really liked with SPF in it, or is there a way that i could make my own homemade moisturizer with SPF? Thanks for taking time out of you busy schedules to look at my E-mail.
Christy
Dear Christy, thank you for your email! We are so flattered that you look upon us for your daily beauty woes :) To answer your question, you may use a SPF sunscreen over your moisturizer or blend it together to make a homemade moisturizing sunscreen. There are two I absolutely love- Skinceuticals SPF 45 or Natura Bisse SPF 30, both offer great protection without being too heavy and may be added to your Diamond Extreme cream or on top of it. If you are looking for a moisturizer with built in sunscreen, Pur-lisse has one that I am currently obsessed with. It is moisturizing and has SPF 30 protection which is great for early Spring when the sun is not as harsh. Hope this helps!
Love,
Beauty Snob
Dear Beauty Snob,
I work in the city and have to commute from Connecticut daily. My days begin quite early (sometimes 5 am!) in order to be in the office by 7:30 so basically it is still dark when I put on my make up. My problem is my foundation and powder that seem perfect in my bathroom sometimes look too thick when I get to the office and see it in the daylight. Without resorting to washing my face at the office when this happens, what can I do?
Gratefully,
Early Riser
Dear Early Riser,
We have all had the same problem at one time or another! I am sure you are still groggy at that hour and the art of blending probably escapes you! The next time you feel that your foundation or powder is too heavy, spritz it with a little water or toner (I like Shu Uemura Depsea Water toners) and lightly sponge off with a tissue. Your foundation will stay in tact but look moist and glow-y, not heavy.
xo
Beauty Snob
I know all you Beauty Snobs out there are just like us, always trying to get your man to use some sort of products - anything as long as they are using something!! Father's Day is the perfect opportunity to get them started on a regiment with a selection for a perfect gift package that they will be sure to use. These are all easy to use and easy on their noses since men are way more sensitive to smells.
To start off, of course is the shaving cream. I have gotten every kind of shaving cream for my husband and Kiehl's Ultimate Brushless Shave Cream is the one he likes the most and the one that I've found to give him the closest shave and softest skin. My husband is quite hairy so this is weighty testimonial. It has a hint of mint which men really love. $15.50 at Kiehl's.
It is such a crime that most men do not use a moisturizer. They think their skin is tougher than the sun? He will love the feel of Anthony Logistics Facial Moisturizer with SPF 15 and you (or your mom) will love how his luscious skin will feel. $30 at Sephora.
I totally love Molton Brown's Black Pepper body wash, but for the ultimate in low maintenance, the Cassia Energy Hair & Body Wash kills 2 birds with stone and your man will love the convenience and the scent. $23 at eLuxury.
For the traditionalist in Father's Day gift giving, Dior Homme Eau de Toilette Spray is the current scent for the young and hip. The important thing is, you will love it, too and will not be able to keep your hands off him (unless this is for your father then you might want something less saucy!) $49 at Sephora.
If you can get your guy to wash his face with anything other than bar soap (oh dear god!), you have to get Fresh Men's Face Cleanser. It is so refreshing and will clean his face perfectly without any muss or fuss. $30 at Sephora.
This entire gift package is surprisingly only $147.50 and will have any man in your life feeling loved and cared for. Pamper you man, he might not admit it but he will certainly appreciate it. And if you are feeling extra loving, put it all in a Tod's toiletry bag ($375 at Neiman Marcus).
Bag Snob has additional Father's Day Gift Ideas with a variety of manlinessness and price points.
Hi Beauty Snob,
I followed your advice and bought Benefit's Bad Gal Lash mascara. It's fantastic! It rarely smudges. However, it seems to be a bit too good at staying on my lashes - I never seem to get it fully off in the evening. I wash my face with Cetaphil and have tried using make up remover from Simple and Lancome. I live in the UK so can't buy the Ponds remover that you once recommended. Is there any other remover you would suggest?
Thanks for the blog!
Ulrika
Dear Ulrika,
I use the Shu Uemura cleansing oil and in one step it takes care of all my cleansing needs, including mascara. If you are looking for a specific eye make up remover, I suggest the Chanel Precision Eye Make Up Remover or the Lancome Bi-Facil (not sure if this is the cleanser you tried). Both work the same way, half of it is oil and you shake it up to mix before using and will take off even waterproof mascara with ease. Just put some on a cotton pad and wipe gently. If you are worried about tearing out your eyelashes or stretching out the sensitive skin around your eyes, wash your face first with whatever you use to do overall cleaning (like the Cetaphil). This will remove most of the mascara, then you soak a Q-Tip with the eye make up remover and gently dab away what mascara is left behind. This will get all the make up in between your lashes without causing any damage. Lancome BI-FACIL - Double-Action Eye Makeup Remover is $24 at Sephora and Chanel Precision Eye Make Up Remover is $28 at most department store's make up counter.
Hope that helps!
Love,
The Beauty Snob
Our new friend, Megs from Purseblog asked me about a 3-step program the other day and although I am more of a 10 step girl, I do have a 3 minute routine for Busy Beauty Snobs who don't have time to indulge daily in her beauty regimen.
CLEANSE
First and foremost, a good cleanser is a must, putting good cream all over a dirty face is just a waste and you'll end up with unsightly blackheads. We love Shu Uemera cleansing oils, I've been using the Balancing cleansing oil-$62 for over 10 years but recently switched to the Premium cleansing oil- $72 when Kelly told me it banished all of the bumps on her face but I am not noticing a big difference between the two oils although the Premium oil seems to rinse better. By the way, don't think putting oil on your face will clog your pores or make you greasy. It actually rinses cleaner than foam or cream based cleansers and you won't strip your skin of it's natural oils. The cleansing oil will also remove waterproof mascara so you won't have to spend extra time using eye make up remover. A few pumps of this oil will leave your entire face squeaky clean and blackhead free. Go to a Shu Uermura boutique or counter at Neiman Marcus to assess your skintype and determine which is best for you.
A less expensive option is Cetaphil's cleanser from the drugstore. It's gentle on your skin and is non-comedogenic if your skin is sensitive. When I forget to pack my cleanser on trips, this is the one I'll grab from CVS. It doesn't wash off my make up as well as the cleansing oil but it's only $6.99 and worth trying for yourself.
