FASHION Magazine

Kim Kardashian’s style may be constantly evolving, but when it comes to beauty, she’s had her makeup routine on lock since day one. That flawless complexion and enviable bone structure owes a great deal of credit to the magic of makeup. But you don’t need a makeup artist to look like Kim—just a few simple contouring tricks can make all the difference in making your features pop.

Sure, the idea of contouring and bronzing can evoke flashbacks to high school beauty disasters: if done incorrectly you risk looking like a pumpkin or and ‘80s prom queen. (Not a good look for anybody!) However, the end goal is to highlight the different areas of your face, achieved only through seamless blending and proper colour choice—and it’s it’s not as difficult as you may think.

Challenge 49: How do you contour your face? See the answers now! »

Single or taken, Valentine’s Day is an excuse to get all dolled up, show the world what you’ve got and look totally fierce in the process. There’s no shame in letting the day of love inspire a change in your beauty routine, especially when flowers, hearts and anything red or pink make for ideal hair and makeup looks. So, this February 14, it’s time to try out that romantic beauty look you’ve been saving on Pinterest or coveting since it debuted on the spring runways (hello, Dolce & Gabbana!). What better to make your crush swoon?  All in the name of love, of course.

Challenge 48: What’s your Valentine’s Day beauty look? See the answers now! »

How’s your January been so far? As the unofficial month of fitness and healthy habits, chances are you’ve made an effort to add more gym visits into your schedule over the last four weeks. While incorporating more workout time is obviously a great thing, it can prove tricky for timing and wreak havoc on our beauty regime—especially when we’re busy. No one wants to show up to work with a flushed face and sweaty hair, courtesy your AM workout. Or if afternoon workouts are your thing, how are you supposed to meet the girls for a drink post-spin class without looking like a drowned rat?

While we all know a post-workout cool down is key, what you do to your skin once you’re done getting physical can be just as important. Of course, this doesn’t mean carting your entire vanity around in your gym bag. We asked the Beauty Panel to share their favourite gym-friendly products and post-workout beauty tricks. By adopting a quick locker room beauty routine with a few key items, you will not only save your skin from sweat-induced breakouts—you’ll also look fresh and beautiful on the go.

Challenge 47: What is your post-work out beauty routine? See the answers now! »

There’s a reason some the world’s most famous faces don’t look their age. (And it’s not just thanks to intense daily booty-busting workouts.) Gwyneth Paltrow, Madonna and Jennifer Aniston are all champions of going au naturel — when it comes to beauty products, that is. In addition to being better for the environment, all-natural and organic beauty products can do amazing things for your skin. One of the hottest ongoing health trends, promoted heavily by Paltrow and friends, is eating clean — that is, working from the inside out to project a healthy glow. So why not apply the same logic to your face?

Long gone are the days of products that, while touting ethical and health-boosting benefits, paled in comparison to the performance of the chemically-enhanced products we’d grown up with. Not to mention they were always a little bit harder on the wallet. Now that organic and natural beauty products have gone mainstream, there’s a whole slew of high-performing product available at all price ranges. But the next challenge? Finding the best of the best. Which is why we’ve turned to our panel of beauty blogging expert to share their tried, tested and true recommendations.

Challenge 46: What are your favourite organic and all-natural beauty products? See the answers now! »

There is perhaps no greater threat to our delicate skin than the cold weather. Chapped lips, flaky skin, tightness—the list goes on! With all the lotions and potions we slather on, we’re one economy-sized tub of moisturizer away from looking like a basted turkey ready for the oven. But when it comes to protecting our skin from the elements, we’ll do just about anything.

And our Beauty Panel is no different. When it comes to banishing dry skin and restoring some of that summertime glow, they have a plethora of ingenious tips and tricks. Sure, there are plenty of homemade remedies to try, but honestly, during the cold winter months a hot cup of tea can sound way more appealing than coating your face in pumpkin puree and banana. But before you stock up on winter-approved skincare products at your local drugstore, read on.

Challenge 45: How do you keep your skin happy when the cold weather hits? See the answers now! »

It seems like everyone and their mother is sporting a dramatic red lip these days. Sigh. Don’t get us wrong – we can appreciate a good dramatic pop of colour just as much as the next gal. But there are times when a dramatic dark colour right on the ol’ kisser is exactly what the doctor ordered. Mastering how to do a bold lip can be a bit challenging, err you end up looking like a goth. Luckily, our beauty panellists are here to help.

As seen on runways around the world, the bold dark lip is hot hot hot. What separates the trend from previous lip treatments is a certain dangerous feel – a real femme fatale look that has an aspect of a brooding starlet. It’s not necessarily prissy, but can still be worn for a night out on the town. What’s not to love? Hollywood starlet favourite Philip Lim showcased an earthy brown matte lip, and a deep wine stained burgundy was on display at both Zac Posen and Pamela Roland. Derek Lam and Cynthia Rowley both favoured darker shades of violet while Vivienne Tam went for a dramatic ebony lip.

Challenge 44: How do you wear a bold lip? Check the answers now! »

Out with the old, in with the new. Fresh into 2014 and a few hours past our New Year’s Eve hangovers, it’s time to wipe the slate clean and start making some promises to ourselves for the year ahead. Being kinder to our bodies typically tops most New Year’s resolution lists, and we’re zooming in […]

The post New Year’s Resolutions: 4 Beauty Panel members share their plans for 2014 appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

Alright gals! When it comes to New Year’s Eve, there’s no excuse to not go all out with your hair, makeup and of course, outfit. Even if you’re prone to spending a low-key NYE at home, there’s still something to be said about saying goodbye to 2013 with a bang. So: dig deep into your makeup bags, pull out all the products you skip over on a daily basis and plan a beauty look that’ll make you pop. Because there’s no such thing as too bright or too glittery on New Year’s Eve.

If New Year’s Eve makeup inspiration is what you’re after, the Beauty Panel is here to help. A Pop of Colour’s Shayna Wiwierski loves to go all out on New Year’s Eve, but this year swapped her usual shimmering smoky eye for an icy-blue shade. However, she’s still going to sparkle when the clock strikes twelve thanks to a bejeweled headband. Also adding interest to her hair with glittery headwear is Alison Leong from Alison*Elle. Her makeup continued the shimmering theme, thanks to a glitter-packed eyeliner and dewy highlighter. And finally, Twenty York Street’s Marilou Moles loves to go all out on NYE and will be ringing in 2014 with bouncy curls, a smoky eye and a bold lip. Happy New Year, indeed!

Challenge 42: What are you doing with your hair and makeup on New Year’s Eve? See the answers now! »

With the holiday party circuit reaching its fever pitch this weekend, a girl can run out of festive hairstyle options pretty quickly. And given the time crunch between now and December 25, we’re betting you wouldn’t mind putting down the blow dryer and curling iron for an evening. Enter the braided hairstyle: with endless variations (ranging from cute and casual to off-the-charts impressive) and possibilities for all skill levels, it only makes sense to work a braid into your holiday beauty routine.

To help you generate some ideas for your next braided hairstyle, we turned to the Beauty Panel. They shared their best braided looks and helpful tips that’ll make it easy for you to duplicate the looks with ease.

Challenge 41: What’s your go-to braided hairstyle? See the answers now! »

The secret to flawless makeup isn’t always hidden in the next hyped-up beauty gadget, product or trend. More often than not, the secret lies in simple tricks we’ve learned over the years, be it from best friends, our mom’s passed-down regimen or good ol’ YouTube.

Given that the Beauty Panel is all about sharing makeup tips, we asked our beauty blogging experts to reveal their best tricks of the trade. We’re not talking about elaborate smoky eye blending techniques or 12-step skincare regimes—these tricks are simple steps (dare we call them beauty hacks?) that are easy to learn but make all the difference. So if you’ve never used a primer, get confused by all the face masks on the market or still can’t master false eyelash application, read on!

Challenge 40: What are your go-to beauty tips and tricks? See the answers now! »

Ah, the holidays! Forget last minute shopping scrambles—the real frenzy comes when your all-business daytime face needs to transform into a head-turning party look in the blink of an eye. With very little time to prepare it’s imperative you have some expert advice on the makeup products and beauty tools you’ll need to be party-ready in a jiffy.

Ideally we’d all have a fairy godmother to wave her wand and make us instantly holiday-stunning, but realistically a well-edited beauty bag will do the trick. First of all, aim for a night look that builds upon your daytime face with the addition of just a few key products: A swipe of your favourite sultry crimson lipstick, a smear of warm, smoky eyeshadows or a hit of bright blush will you have knocking it out of the beauty park. So empty your filled-to-the-brim makeup bag and read on for some essential holiday beauty tips from the Beauty Panel.

Challenge 39: How do you transform you office make up into a holiday party look? See the answers now! »

It’s hard to resist the glitz and glamour of the holidays—and considering that Hanukkah is here and Christmas is but a month away, bring it on. Since we’re embracing metallic hits of colour in everything from party dresses to decorations, it’s a no brainer that a good precious metals makeup look is also welcome this […]

The post How to wear metallic makeup: 6 shimmering Beauty Panel looks that are holiday party-ready appeared first on FASHION Magazine.