It's Request time!!!

Well hello lovely peoples!  I've decided I'm going to try and do a "request blog" every couple of weeks (or less or more depending on the frequency of requests) and answer the questions people have given me.  The whole point of this blog is to give helpful beauty tips, so if anyone has any questions, feel free to email me and I will do my best to blog the answers/recommendations in a timely manner (it's a sign of a good day when you can say "in a timely manner" and/or "put it on my tab").  Some of the requests/questions will have to be answered with a video, as it's hard to explain certain techniques, so I will get on that as well.

So round one, here goes  (PS I'm typing this blog while deep conditioning my hair with a couple of Tablespoons of Coconut Oil, which I've heated in the microwave for 30 seconds...  You can call me multi-tasking, beauty genius if you want):

1.  What is more important:  Hair or makeup - i.e. what should you spend more time on in the morning for the greatest results?
So clearly I may be a little bias on this answer, as makeup is my thing, but I truly believe that it's very important for EVERY WOMAN to wear at least a little bit of makeup.  Even if its just some mascara and a clear lip gloss - The impression you give to the world is your face.  If you are late, have 5 minutes to get out the door, throwing your hair in a high, messy bun (I'm a big fan of the almost-on-top-of-your-head-bordering-on-Pebbles-pompadour at the moment), some tinted moisturizer, bronzer (I will be posting a video on bronzer application soon as it's key to every woman looking refreshed), mascara (more details on this lil' guy later as it requires a separate post), and lip gloss can take you from shlumpy to naturally beautiful and fresh looking.  So, in conclusion, I think makeup is more important.  As long as your hair isn't obviously greasy, a well made-up face will get you further in terms of your beauty impression, than if you went bare-faced, and had perfect hair.

2.  What are some common, yet big makeup mistakes?
I like this question!!  There are times when I say "shame" in my head - maybe out loud too - when I see women committing serious makeup blunders, and seem to have no clue about it!  In no particular order, here are some big makeup mistakes that come to mind:

1. Skin that isn't properly moisturized:  It makes your makeup look chalky, flaky and obvious, as well as making the makeup more prone to settling into fine lines...  There are a million kinds of moisturizer built for every skin type - Find the right one for you and put it on EVERY day!!  I put it on even when I'm wearing a tinted moisturizer, just because I don't want to commit my own makeup blunder.
2. Wrong undertone in the makeup: This is a bit more complicated.  Undertones implicate what skin tone you have; whether you're cool, warm, olive, etc...  All foundations/tinted moisturizers/concealers have an undertone that is suited to conceal or bring out a specific undertone.  Follow the below guidelines when you are picking your next concealer, foundation, or  tinted moisturizer, as it will counteract any flaws you want to tone down, and give you a flawless appeal (which is what we are going for right?):
1. First thing's first:  You have to determine if you have pink (COOL Undertone - think pink, red and blueish), yellow (WARM undertone - think yellow, golden and peachy), or Neutral (OLIVE undertone -somewhere in the middle of pink and yellow requiring a balance of each).
• Having trouble figuring it out?  What looks better on you - Silver or Gold jewellery?  If Silver is your pick, then you are most likely a "Cool" undertone, Gold, and "Warm" undertones are probably your best bet. 
2. So what foundation colours do I pick?
1. FAIR SKIN:  You are most likely "Cooler", and should look for foundations with soft pink, tawny, and beige undertones.  Avoid any orangey reds and frosty finishes as these colours can make you look sallow and washed out.
2. MEDIUM-FAIR SKIN:  Makeup with yellow (Warm) undertones will most likely look best on you - look for nude, taupe, and gold-flecks to enhance your natural undertones.
3. MEDIUM-DARK SKIN:  You most likely have an "Olive" skin tone, and can handle the widest range of colours.  Look for caramel and honey shades, and make sure the colour isn't too pale, as it will make you look ashy and drawn out.
4. DARK SKIN:  Rich metallics, like deep bronze, and bright berry colours will enhance your features the best.  The darker the skin colour, the more specific you will have to be with choosing a foundation, so take your time, and test a bunch on your jaw bone making sure you are in a natural light!  Choosing a foundation that is lighter than your skin colour is a major makeup blunder with this skin colour!!
3. Eyebrows that are too thin:  A major pet peeve and HUGE makeup blunder is when a woman plucks her brows to the point of being two parenthesis turned on their sides.  That's not cute!!!  I will admit that in my grade 9 days, I may have had an unhealthy obsession with the tweezers and thought eyebrows a la Drew Barrymore circa late 90's was the way to go.  But I was WRONG!  If you have had an over-plucking blunder, fill them in with a brow powder and brush, and WAIT IT OUT!  Let your brows grow back!  If your brows have had years of over-plucking abuse, they may not grow back naturally, and although it sounds weird, apply a little Rogain on the spots you want the hair to grow back with a Q-Tip, and give it a few months.  YUP a few months!  Fill in your brows in the meantime... Your brows are the frames for your eyes.  Your eyes, are one of your most important features on you face!  

Alright, that's all for now!  I'm off to wash out this coco hair concoction!  Happy Tuesday!

xo T