Are You Up to the Challenge? *Giveaway*

Ladybugs,

I wanted to do something different this week as well as say thank you to those of you that keep up with this blog. This week I want you to go to Facebook (Onyx Radiance) and post your best, most fierce eye look for a chance to win a Glam It! Butterfly Pallette of your choice ($26.50 retail price!) Two winners will be selected on Wednesday, October 1st! Get your looks out there and show the world what FIERCE is made of!!! Go to www.glamitcosmetics.com to view more Butterfly Pallettes!

Rain Dance                       Campfire

Botany                              Funhouse

                           Cross My Heart

How to Clean Your Makeup Brushes!

Hello beautiful!

I hope you are having an amazing week! Earlier this week I had a friend ask me about cleaning her makeup brushes. I know that in the hustle and bustle of life some of us may overlook the fact that cleaning your makeup brushes are just as vital and important as selecting the right foundation. Besides making sure that you aren't transferring bacteria from product to product or to your face, your brushes are an investment in your makeup repertoire! Think about it, good brushes aren't cheap! So why not make sure you take care of those things just as you would take care of your car or shoes?

Now there are several reasons for ensuring that your brushes stay clean! Regular brush cleaning ensures that you rid your brushes from old makeup, bacteria, dead skin, oils, dirt, and debris. Cleaning your brushes regularly also ensures that your brushes remain soft. Below is a nifty do it yourself brush cleaner pin I found on pinterest. Now if you prefer not to make your own cleaner, many cosmetic companies sell brush cleaners as well. So madam, if you haven't cleaned your brushes in a while... Hop to it!!! Don't forget to follow us on FB and Instagram for looks, tips, and tricks to get your through the week!

Long and Luscious...False Lashes!

My darling, darling beauty,

If you are anything like me, you got the short end of the stick (lashes) while your little brothers received long, luscious, pretty, and downright irritating eyelashes! So, we (I'm including you so I feel better) have to compensate with false lashes. Now, I'm not talking about those lashes you see some women walking around with that looks like they are saying hi to you with feathers on their faces. I'm talking about beautiful, downright natural looking lashes. Now you may say, I have some or I'm going to purchase some but how do you put the little buggers on? I have found several golden nuggets on application and keeping them clean and looking like new. First realize that there are different types of lashes you could buy; full, individual, and self-adhesive. The first thing about selecting your lashes, it's a matter of preference. Do you like the funky, eclectic lashes or the nondescript ones? Then, what is your preference in application? Do you prefer the self-adhesives or the ones you need to apply lash glue to? If you don't know for sure on the application preference, try one pair of each; self-adhesive and glue application. Also keep in mind that lashes only in one size. Don't forget to trim them to fit your unique eye shape and size.

Before you look at the picture tutorial courtesy of Peach Milky Tea, make sure you have the following materials to apply your lashes: 1) tweezers, 2) eyelash glue/adhesive, 3) the lashes, 4) your liquid/ pencil eyeliner, 5) small scissors, and 6) mascara. Now don't forget to keep those babies clean! The next picture tutorial will make sure you keep those babies looking GREAT!


Don't forget to follow us on FB or leave your questions and comments below. Now get to work!

Have Skin Allergies or Break out into Rashes? YES!! You Can Still Wear Makeup!!!

Well beautiful one, 

I have been wracking my brain on what I should make this post about. (Hence why it's a day late.) So while I was brooding over what to write about, I remembered a conversation with a friend of mine who is in the same, if not worse allergic condition than myself. My poor friend is even allergic to her own hair. We both have a LOVE, PASSION for makeup and she inquired how I am able to wear makeup and not break out in hives and rashes (which has happened too many times to count.) My answer for her was to wear gluten free and mineral makeup!

Many people do not know that there are companies out there that produce not only mineral makeup but gluten free makeup as well. One company is Glam It! Cosmetics. (I LOVE this brand by the way!) Don't know if you have a gluten allergy or intolerance? According to MindBodyGreen.com there are ten signs that you have a gluten intolerance: 

1. Digestive issues such as gas, bloating, diarrhea and even constipation. I see the constipation particularly in children after eating gluten.

 

2. Keratosis Pilaris, (also known as ‘chicken skin’ on the back of your arms). This tends be as a result of a fatty acid deficiency and vitamin A deficiency secondary to fat-malabsorption caused by gluten damaging the gut.

 

3. Fatigue, brain fog or feeling tired after eating a meal that contains gluten.

 

4. Diagnosis of an autoimmune disease such as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, Rheumatoid arthritis, Ulcerative colitis, Lupus, Psoriasis, Scleroderma or Multiple sclerosis.

5. Neurologic symptoms such as dizziness or feeling of being off balance.

 

6. Hormone imbalances such as PMS, PCOS or unexplained infertility.

 

7. Migraine headaches

 

8. Diagnosis of chronic fatigue or fibromyalgia. These diagnoses simply indicate your conventional doctor cannot pinpoint the cause of your fatigue or pain.

 

9. Inflammation, swelling or pain in your joints such as fingers, knees or hips.

 

10. Mood issues such as anxiety, depression, mood swings and ADD.

Even if you do not have any of these symptoms, there is still a large population of women who are allergic or have reactions to some of the chemicals that are used in makeup which is why the mineral makeup industry has taken off. Mineral makeup generally does not contain certain oils, waxes, fragrances, and preservatives that are used in many makeup formulas. 

The one reason that I am so in love with Glam It! Cosmetics' mineral and gluten free line is because they carry products for every makeup need, not just foundation! They have lipglosses, eyeshadows, lipsticks, and everything else you can imagine in gluten free and mineral! So for all of you beautiful ladies that would like to wear makeup and just don't know what to do... Go gluten free and mineral! 

Before you get to work, don't forget to like our FB page (Onyx Radiance) for looks, tips, and makeup hacks and on Instagram! Also, have a question for me or a topic you would like to see here on the blog? Leave me a message below! Now... you can get to work! :-)

Do You Know Your Skin Type?

My Onyx Beauty,

Please let me lay my head on your shoulder and lament about the week I have had! Wooo!!! Well, you know that no matter the hectic week, my mind is always on makeup! An avid reader of mine asked a great question of me that I actually hadn't thought of... How do I figure out my skin type? Ladies, I cannot stress enough how important knowing your skin type is to selecting your makeup, cleansers, and makeup removers! So lets get to it... Do you have your towels and cleansers ready?

First, wash your face. Be gentle and do not over wash your face. We want to clean our faces, not scrub away all of our skin!

After gently patting your face dry, do not apply any moisturizers, touch your face, or ANYTHING for next hour. This will give your face a chance to get back to it's "normal" after being cleansed. Trust me... allowing your face to get back to it's "normal" is vital to figuring out what your skin type is!

Did you wait an hour? A FULL hour and not 45 minutes? Ok! Next take some kleenex or tissue and dab your "T-zone" (your forehead and nose)

Now we get to the good part! What type of skin do you have?

If you have NORMAL skin , you should see neither oil nor flaking skin. If you have NORMAL skin I am rolling my eyes so hard at you right now... but I still love you! ;-)

If you have OILY skin, you will see a greasy buildup on the tissue. Many individuals like myself with oily skin often have large pores and are "shiny."

If you have dry skin, your skin may feel "tight" or show flakes of dead skin. Many individuals with this type of skin often have small pores. If this is you... moisturizer should be your middle name to ensure a supple, smooth appearance.

Then there are the many individuals that have combination skin. Combination skin often shows characteristics of all three skin types. Most often, the "T-Zone" is oily while the rest of your skin may feel dry to normal.

Now that you know the type of skin that you have, you can better select which products, cleansers, primers, etc will work best for your skin type! See that wasn't so hard now was it? Have questions or topics you would like me to touch on? Leave me a comment beautiful... In the mean time, get to work!

Pumped and Primed... What's the purpose of primer?

Why hey there beautiful!!

I hope that your week has started out as wonderful as I am sure you look as you are reading this! It was called to my attention by one my readers (thank you L.W.) asked me a question that I honestly didn't think to explain... What the heck is a primer and what does it do? You had that question too? Well I'm glad you asked!

There are different types of primer out there just as there are different kinds of foundation. Now don't get scared on me now, keep reading! The purpose of primer is to help your makeup last longer, fill in fine lines and wrinkles, control shine, and prevent creases in eyeshadow and foundation. Yes. primer does all of that! Now just like foundations, you need to look for a primer that is right for your needs and your skin tone. For me, my face produces more oil than what the Beverly Hillbillies found! Just because I like a primer for my face... you may not. Primers are made for pretty much every part of your face where you put makeup. Does your eyeshadow streak or fade during the day... just like apps, there's a primer for that. Wish your favorite shade of lipstick didn't fade so quickly? Well... there's a primer for that!

With any primer, you should wait a few minutes after application before applying your makeup. Essentially allowing it to dry and do what it's supposed to do. Face primer a very light gel consistency. Now I can admit that I didn't use primer for a long while because I didn't want to add another "product" on my face but recently I found one that I fell madly in love with. The one I use is so light I almost put too much on because I didn't feel anything on my skin. (It was great!) The picture below is the one I use (Glam It! Foundation Primer). So, if you are having any issues with your makeup fading, streaking, or settling into fine lines and/or wrinkles or just want your makeup to stay where you put it... Prime it baby!!!

Step-by-step: In what order do I put my makeup on?

Radiant love,

Over the past few days in my comings and goings, I have encountered several things. I have seen women looking like they sniffed too many markers then went Ronald McDonald on their face and/or women that look like they have permanent angry brows >:-/ It made me think that in writing my precious blogs that I didn't consider that some ladies who are new to makeup are absolutely clueless about applying anything I have talked about it the first place. So I searched from one end of the web to the other and found a neat graphic on "how to" put your makeup on.

By no means do you HAVE TO apply your makeup in this order. I was actually pleasantly surprised that I actually do put my makeup in this order although I was never educated, told, or trained to do so. I just did it because it made sense to me. Before you go through the chart, let me say this:

There is no amount of makeup that will make you beautiful unless and until you BELIEVE you are beautiful and deserve to be called the beautiful rose that you are! Before you wash your face, add a primer, or even a dab of foundation, be confident in who you are as an intelligent, worthwhile, and amazing woman! Once you have that down, then take care of yourself. Not only should you take great care of your face, but take great care of your body! What you eat, consume, and do to your body manifest through your skin and how you feel. Want more radiant skin with less blemishes, make sure you are drinking your recommended amount of water daily. Concerned about wrinkles, use sunscreen, don't smoke, and always apply product to your face in circular, upward motions. No matter what advice or look tutorial I give on this blog, understand that your beauty starts with what you believe. You become what you believe... YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL!!!