Current Every Day Makeup Look for Summer!

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Well hellooooo, beauties!

I've missed you all, but I have been so incredibly busy lately. I hope you all had an amazing, and safe, Fourth of July celebration (if you live here in the states.)

Today, I wanted to share with you my every day go-to makeup look that I've been rocking on days when I don't want to wear a full face of makeup, but still want to do a little something- something! 

I have been reaching for these products every single day for the last two or three weeks on days when I'm wearing makeup, but not a full face, as stated above. I love, love, love these products, and they give me such a beautiful, natural  glow-from-within complexion that stays put on these hot summer days. 

Let's jump in, shall we?! 

I always work on my eyes first. I always conceal my eyes with my Ready, Set, Gorgeous concealer from CoverGirl. I do this as a way to even out my eye area, conceal any redness, darkness, veins, etc; in order to have my shadows apply evenly and prime my eyes. After I conceal I always make sure to set my concealer with the bareMinerals Mineral Veil. When I do this, my shadow stays in place ALL day!

As far as shadows, it varies every day depending on what colors I'm wearing etc. etc., but my go-to is still my every day summer eye look that I told you all how to accomplish using the Coastal Scents Revealed 2 palette. This eye look goes with everything bright and summery, and it is super easy! Check out how to get this look HERE! :)

After I do my eyeshadow, I will curl my lashes and apply my mascara! I've been loving the Tarte Gifted Mascara lately. It gives your lashes such a wispy, fluffy, beautiful look with crazy good volume! If you're going to be outdoors where you're sweating, then I'd recommend a waterproof mascara like the Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes! And then we move on to face... 

 I have been L.O.V. I. N.G. this product lately... the bareMinerals Complexion Resuce: Tinted Hydrating Gel Cream. Oh em gee, you guys! I am living for this product. I need it by the case! 

This is me BEFORE the Complexion Rescue. A little redness, uneven skin tone, discoloration.

This is the perfect way to get that natural no- makeup look. It's amazing weightless since it's not a foundation. It's basically a moisturizer, with a tint to even out, brighten, and hydrate your skin. When I wear this. It doesn't feel like anything is on my skin at all, yet it still gives me a flawless complexion.

This is me AFTER applying Complexion Rescue. Brighter, even complexion!

The coverage is buildable. This is NOT if you're looking for full coverage. This isn't a foundation. It's for sheer to medium coverage. I highly recommend this product if you want some coverage, but hate the feeling of foundation sitting on your face.

It's perfect for days when you just don't want to be bothered with a full face, or if you want something light that you can't feel. It's perfect for being outdoors for long periods of time, because it doesn't slide all over your face. I don't use a primer when I use this product, and it stays put all day. Perrrrfect for a beach day! Plus, it has SPF 30 so it will protect your precious faces. 

And, for how amazing this product is, I think it's an amazing price! $28.00 for a 1.18 fl oz tube. I highly, HIGHLY recommend this product. Please buy it, haha!

Next up, after I apply my Complexion Rescue, I reach for my Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Complete Coverage Concealer. This product slays!! I have never found a concealer that I've loved so much. Ugh. Guys and gals. This concealer is so beautiful, so weightless, gives such coverage, and blends so easily. It's amazing!

I apply it using the wand, in a "V" shape around my eye. I start at the inner corner, take the wand down the side of my nose, and then up at an angle toward the outer corner of my eye. Then, I simply take my damp beauty blender, and use the pointed end to tap out this concealer and it blends FLAWLESSLY. Sweet babies, is it flawless. I can't say enough about it. Well worth the $26.00 at Sephora, in my opinion.

Then, I always fill in my brows! I may skip this step if I realllllly don't want to be bothered, but 9 times out of 10, I put the brows on, honey! I always use my go-to brow product... The It Cosmetics Brow Power Universal Brow Pencil. You can read my post on how to fill in your brows using this product (or any) by clicking HERE!

Hit it with a quick sweep of the Anastasia Beverly Hills Clear Brow Gel to set them in place and make sure they don't move!

 I  always want to quickly pop on some color to make my cheeks stand out a bit more and give myself a little more color, I apply my Josie Maran Cosmetics Argan Infinity Lip and Cheek Creamy Oil. Squeeze a tiny bit onto the tip of your ring finger and blend between the two ring fingers, and then tap a bit of this on your cheeks, blend it out, and you've got a beautiful, natural color to your cheeks while getting extra hydration. 

Finally, before I finish, I do a little highlighting using the new strobing technique. I've always been highlighting this way, but now it has a name, haha! I use the new Josie Maran Elightenment Illuminizing Wand that I told you all I recently purchased in a recent haul. I won't share how I apply the illuminzer just yet, my next post will be about strobing ;) 

And here's the finished product! Dewey, even, lightweight, and fresh!! I love it!

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An alternative for this every day look, if you really want to go for a no-makeup look, or if you're don't want to apply anything extra If you're just going to go to the beach, I normally... 

ALWAYS conceal my eyelids, curl my lashes, and apply mascara. It just makes your eyes look my awake and alive. If you don't want to conceal or apply mascara, at least curl them. This opens up the eye to give a more awake and alert appearance. Then, apply the Complexion rescue, use a quick swipe of the Argan Color Stick (and blend) to give a pinch of color to your skin, and be done! 

And there you have it! I hope I've convinced you to get some of these products, if you do, please let me know so I can get excited! Share with me your every day looks and be on the lookout for my next post coming this week about strobing with the Josie Maran Illuminizing Wand! 

Until then, stay beautiful! 

Christina Bracco 

Xoxoxoxo

For PR inquiries, questions, comments, suggestions, please email: Christina.f.b@aol.com or please fill out a Contact Form in the sidebar. Thank you. 

INSTAGRAM  <---- CLICK AND FOLLOW ME HERE!!

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Beat The Heat! How To Keep Your Makeup From Melting in The Summer!

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Happy Friday, beauties!!!

It's been a while since my last post. I'm so sorry I've been slacking, but I will make up for it this upcoming week with a few different reviews of skincare and makeup products. Be on the lookout next week via my Instagram, Twitter, or the blog itself for my new posts! :)

Now that summer is almost here (9 days away, YAY) the weather has been getting hotter and hotter, and more recently, more and more humid. Humid weather is just a pain in the bum for so many reasons. It makes my hair frizz, and it makes my makeup melt. Even the most high end products are victims of hot/humid weather... unless you take the proper precautions! That's why today's post is all about some of my tips for keeping your makeup from melting, creasing, smudging, and running, in these hot, sweaty summer months!

My number one tip for surviving the summer months: Keep it natural. Try to rock your natural beauty as much as possible in the summertime. Let your natural beauty shine through. You can do this while still looking beautiful, and making sure your precious skin is protected! If you're going to be outside in the sun, you want to make sure to apply SPF to your face. I hate applying regular sunscreen to my face. It's greasy, oily, white, gross... yuck! I don't mind it on the rest of my body, but I want something a little more gentle for my face, while still receiving all the safety benefits and coverage.

• My go-to product: Josie Maran Argan Daily Moisturizer SPF 47. This is essentially a hydrating, fast-absorbing, non-greasy, Argan Oil-infused, all natural moisturizer and sunscreen in one! You can skip your usual moisturizer (my daily moisturizer is Argan Oil anyway, so I'm not so far off) and apply this amazing product instead. It absorbs right into the skin, giving you a hydrated/dewy glow, and it has SPF 47. Does it get any better? It doesn't smell, it's all natural, it's not greasy, it goes on in a breeze, it has the all-natural skincare benefits of Argan Oil and Green Tea, and it protects you. What more do I have to say? It's perfect for all skin types, including sensitive skin, and it doesn't leave any irritation like a regular sunscreen would.  Texture-smoothing, skin-nourishing, radiance-boosting GOODNESS IN A BOTTLE.

 Less is more. The more layers of makeup you apply, the more at risk you are for your makeup to start melting throughout the day. If you really must apply some sort of coverage to your face, whether it be to even out your skin tone, or camouflage blemishes, I would suggest using a tinted moisturizer or a BB Cream. If you're going to be out in the sun, coverage with an SPF is a must.

• My go-to product: bareMinerals Complexion Rescue Tinted Hydrating Gel Cream with SPF 30. I LOVE this product!!! You can skip your moisturizer for the day (less chance of melting), as well as getting sheer coverage. It evens out your skin tone, without feeling like you have any product on your skin. This product simply makes you look naturally beautiful. The Complexion Rescue is perfect for all skin types! 

If you insist on wearing a foundation, it's so important that you PRIME. 

I cannot stress the importance of priming your skin before foundation, ESPECIALLY in the summer months. If you don't use a primer on your skin, I can almost guarantee you will be creasing, smudging, and melting within the first hour of being outside. I recommend staying away from liquid foundations if you're going to be outside. They're liquid foundations. They can melt off in an instance. Stick with a powder foundation. Regardless, primer is a necessity. But, make sure you're using the right primer. You want a primer that's bulletproof, mattifying, long-lasting, smoothing, translucent, and not greasy. 

• My go-to products: Benefit Cosmetics Porefessional or Mally Beauty Perfect Prep Poreless Primer. I've talked about my love for the Mally Beauty Perfect Prep Poreless Primer on my page before. It's a go-to, must-have primer for me. I use it daily. It's everything I said a primer should be above. The Benefit Porefessional is another favorite of mine. It keeps you matte and bulletproof throughout the day. Sometimes, if I want double-duty priming, I'll use both of these primers at once! Put that foundation on lockdown.

 

Wear a waterproof mascara! 

If you're out in the summer heat, you sweat. It's natural, ladies and gents. This can cause your mascara to smudge underneath your eyes. We don't want to get the I-Just-Got-Punched-In-The-Face look or raccoon eyes, so it's important to make your lashes bulletproof against sweat! 

My go-to product: Tarte Cosmetics Lights, Camera, Lashes Mascara. This mascara is amazing! It's totally bulletproof thanks to its waterproof properties, so it won't smudge around your eye area. Along with it being waterproof, it's also volumizing, lengthening, curling, and conditioning. It doesn't clump ( a pet peeve of mine) and I've never experienced any fall out. Definitely my top pick for the summer months, and all year round, really! 

Set your eyes! If you want to wear eyeshadows and/or eyeliners while in the summer heat, it's important to mattify your eyelids so they don't crease, sweat, and smudge throughout the day! Our eyelids are one of the most oily parts of the face, therefore, we have to set them properly so our beautiful eyeshadows don't start melting off. I'm not a total fan of eye primers, I use them every once in a blue moon. I feel as though most of them are a little too greasy and don't totally set the eyelids properly. That's why I have my own method of priming and setting my eyes. 

• My go-to Product: bareMinerals Mineral Veil. Normally, I take a concealer, and I use that to prep my eyes. As you all know from my On-The-Go Makeup bag post, I use the CoverGirl Ready Set Gorgeous Concealer on most days. I use this to even out my eyelids, brighten them, hide any redness/veins, and lay down a base for my shadow. After concealing my lids, I take a brush and I tap on a little Mineral Veil over them, and my eyelids are set for the rest of the day. I put on my shadows, do my thing, and my eyeshadow (no matter what the brand) does NOT MOVE. Totally matte, totally bulletproof. I do this every single day. 

Set Your Makeup! If you don't want to keep it natural,  you want more coverage than just a tinted moisturizer or a BB Cream, and you're looking to do a full face of makeup- blush, contour, and all... then just like priming, it's incredibly important to set your makeup. Setting your makeup will help your foundation to settle into your skin and lay properly, as well as keeping it all from moving and melting off. I usually go for a dewy finish, but for the sake of today's post, we'll talk about keeping it matte for all the girls who don't want any extra shine in the summer months. 

• My go-to product: Nyx Cosmetics Matte Finishing Spray. This long-lasting, durable setting spray will keep your makeup in place, and keep you from getting extra shine throughout the day. For those of you (like myself) who enjoy the dewy look more, than I'd go with the Nyx Dewy Finishing Spray. It does the same as the matte, except it doesn't make you look matte, lol!

There you have it, peeps! These are a few of my makeup tips for surviving the summer heat and still looking fierce and beautiful! Try to rock your natural beauty throughout the summer months, but if you still feel like being a glam diva, you can do it without worrying about looking like a greased chicken! 

I love you all, and I will be back next week with some more fun posts!

Stay beautiful,

Christina Bracco

xoxoxoxo

For PR inquiries, questions, comments, suggestions, please email: Christina.f.b@aol.com or please fill out the Contact Form in the sidebar. Thank you. 

INSTAGRAM  <----- CLICK AND FOLLOW ME HERE!!

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bareMinerals Complexion Rescue and Up Close and Beautiful Complexion Starter Kit !!

Hello, beauties!!!

Welcome back to Beauty by Bracco. I hope you've all been having a great week!

As I mentioned in Monday's skincare post , my skin has been recovering from a bad reaction to an exfoliating mask. I've recovered quite a bit, but I'm still suffering from a teeny tiny bit of texture and redness. It doesn't help that Mother Nature is prepping my skin for her monthly visit, ifyouknowwhatImean. Just keeping it real, ladies! We're all friends here!

With all of that being said, I've been laying low on the makeup applications, and letting my skin breathe. I haven't really been wearing makeup, but if I do decide that I want to look a little more fresh, covered, and alive, I've been running to my bareMinerals! I own the bareMinerals Original Foundation Broad Spectrum SPF 15. I wear Fair for those who are wondering, because I am Casper's sister. I just LOVE this foundation. It's lightweight, allowing your skin to breathe, but it still provides your skin with beautiful natural-looking coverage. And, in my opinion, it's a great product for $28.00 because it is a loose powder foundation, and I find that those tend to last quite a long time.

So, I've been using this foundation as my go-to for the last two or three weeks (even before I had the bad reaction) and it inspired me to go out and buy some more bareMinerals goodies that I've had my eye on!

*Drum rolls* I purchased the bareMinerals Complexion Rescue, and the bareMinerals Up Close and Beautiful 30-Day Complexion Starter Kit from Sephora!! 

*Sidenote: You can purchase bareMinerals products at retailers such as Ulta, QVC, bareMinerals.com, Amazon, but I personally purchased mine from Sephora* 

Let's start with the bareMinerals Up Close and Beautiful Starter Kit! As you all probably know by now, I love me a great kit for a great price! When there is a great kit like this from a brand that I love such as bareMinerals, I'm sold! I felt this was the perfect time to finally purchase this kit that has been sitting on my list for a while now, due to my current skin issues.

bareMinerals is such an amazing brand because of the natural glow its products give your skin. This kit is a loose powder kit (not including the primer, obviously) and it is perfect if you want full coverage, but you don't want to have to cake on the makeup to get a flawless complexion. Plus, hellooooo!! SPF is included in their products. Protecting the skin from the suns harmful rays is SO important for skincare.

Here's what it looks like, before we dive into what this kit includes. There are several shades to choose from, I chose to go with the light, for it works well when I'm pale, and when I get a little color in the summer months.

This kit includes:

• 0.5oz  Prime Time Foundation Primer
• 0.03oz Original Foundation Broad Spectrum SPF 15
• 0.02oz Concealer Broad Spectrum SPF 20 in Summer Bisque
• 0.03oz Mineral Veil Finishing Powder
• Mini Full Flawless Face Brush
• Mini Concealer Brush

That. Is. A. Fabulous. Deal. All of this is a $74.00 value, but it is sold at Sephora for ONLY $22.00!! 

They are obviously smaller than the usual normal sizes of these products, but I promise, loose mineral powder cosmetics last so long! And for just $22.00? 6 award winning and signature products- I cannot get over it! 

Next up, we have the bareMinerals Complexion Rescue! 

This product really intrigued me, and I'd had my eye on it for a while. While I was already in the bareMinerals section of my local Sephora picking up the Up Close in Beautiful kit, I decided to finally snag this up as well! 

This is a Tinted Hydrating Gel Cream that combines skincare benefits and naturally radiant coverage in one! Umm, yes please. It costs $29.00 at Sephora. Not too bad for a 1.18floz product, especially when you don't need a lot with each use!

It's a mineral based formulation that combines the best parts of BB and CC creams, and a tinted moisturizer to improve skin hydration. It leaves a dewey sheer-to-medium coverage for radiant, smooth, and healthy skin appearance. It also contains botanicals and antioxidants to protect skin form harmful outside stressors, and lock in moisture to keep the skin hydrated. 

I think this product, along with the above kit, is great for the spring/summer when we want to have coverage but don't necessarily want to wear a lot of makeup in the warmer temperatures. Personally, I enjoy allowing my skin to breathe with lightweight products in the summer time, and I really look forward to using both of these products to do so.

I also love that the shades seem to be very forgiving. There are 10 shades, but when I was testing swatches at Sephora, I was able to match Opal 1, Vanilla 2, and Buttercream 3 very well. Opal would be my usual skin as Casper's sister, but Buttercream was just slightly darker on me for when I get a little tan in the summer. I ultimately decided to get the Vanilla because it was the perfect in-between. So I have the best of both worlds. 

And there you have it! I hope you give these a try, and as always, feel free to let me know how you feel about them and if you have any other products you'd suggest I give a try! 

I will have a new post up on Saturday! Until then, stay beautiful!!

Christina Bracco

xoxoxoxo

For PR inquiries, questions, comments, concerns, please contact: Christina.f.b@aol.com or fill out a Contact Form in the sidebar! 

INSTAGRAM  <---- CLICK AND FOLLOW ME HERE!!

TWITTER <---- CLICK AND FOLLOW ME HERE!!