Beauty Fix: How to make a blowout last a week (or longer!) and more answers to your beauty questions

Every week our Beauty Fix columnist takes on your questions about makeup, skincare, hair and more. Have a beauty question we haven’t answered? Email us at beautyfix@fashionmagazine.com.

I stuck to sheer gloss for most of the summer, but I think I’m ready for some fall lip colours. Any trends to keep in mind?
Always! Fall tends to involve a transition to bold, rich shades from a summer season of sheer washes of colour. Make a statement with a velvety matte lip, which was featured in the magnificently regal runway presentation at Dolce & Gabbana’s Fall 2013 show. Makeup artist Pat McGrath actually went through a process to achieve the matte finish featured in the show by applying lip liner, mixing and applying two lipstick shades, blotting the colour down and then powdering the lips to eliminate any shine. For a shortcut to the finished look, try Bite Beauty Cashmere Lip Cream in “Rioja” ($32, sephora.ca). It’s a featherweight cream formula containing a high dosage of pigments that then dries down to a powdery finish. Don’t fret about lips looking dry, because the formula consists of edible butters and oils that absorb into lips at varying rates, ensuring smooth lips throughout the day.

I’m able to stretch the life of a blowout beyond a couple days since my hair doesn’t get oily too quickly, but how can I protect hair from frizzing in the shower?
As a person who is able to get about a week out of a blowout thanks to fairly dry hair, I’ve been on a personal mission to try to find the best way to prevent any kind of moisture or humidity from impacting my blowout. Lucky for both of us, my trial and error has finally come to fruition! The answer is a next-level shower cap. Forget crummy complimentary hotel shower caps made from flimsy plastic and invest in a Drybar The Morning After Shower Cap ($15, sephora.ca). This mega-durable shower cap is lined with terry cloth to keep moisture away from hair. It’s a roomy cap so there’s plenty of space for thicker, lengthier hair, and the elastic is strong in order to keep the cap in place—even after months of use. Finally, post-shower hair is now just as smooth as pre-shower hair!

I have some bare spots in my brows. Is there any way to make them look fuller without necessarily filling them in?
If your brows are relatively full, then sparse spots can really stick out and change the way your face looks. Brows really do make a world of difference, so addressing meager areas is just good sense. If the filled-in brow routine isn’t for you, try Benefit Gimme Brow ($26, sephora.ca). This little tube appears to be your standard brow gel, but upon further inspection and, more importantly, application, you’ll quickly realize that this brow gel amplifies your existing brow hairs and adheres to finer hairs and skin to make the most of any hair. Much like a voluminizing mascara, it plumps up sparse areas through the use of fibers in the tinted gel formula. The tiny wand is excellent for precise application of the water-resistant, buildable formula.

What can I grab at the drugstore to update my mani for fall?
Taking a look back at the Fall 2013 runway shows can provide clear direction for what to throw into rotation or add to our existing collection of polishes. Army green is forever affiliated with fall, and its many iterations are a safe and sound choice for anyone who wants to stick to neutrals. Navy is having a huge moment (much to my delight) and can be a great shade to play with for a triangular moon mani, with a pale gold as the accent shade. Even better, these favoured shades of fall can be found in the Prabal Gurung for Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure Collection ($9 each, at drugstores) which has three manicure-ready shades: “Night Watch,” “Coat of Arms” and “Loden Green.”

I find most false lashes look stiff, even if they’re made from real hair. How do I get a softer look with falsies?
If you’re underwhelmed with the run of the mill false lashes in your life, step up your game. Mink lashes, such as Velour Lashes in “You Complete Me” ($30, velourlashes.com), are on another level when it comes to how plush they make your lash line look. These lashes are made of real mink hair, which leads to a softer, more fluttery appearance, even if the lash style itself is full-on. The style above is designed to increase volume gradually towards the outer corner of the eye, making it an optimal pairing with winged liner for those who already are blessed with lash length.

The post Beauty Fix: How to make a blowout last a week (or longer!) and more answers to your beauty questions appeared first on FASHION Magazine.