Holiday Beauty | Glam Essentials

My loves! By now, most of us are in the full swing of things for the holidays. Here in Philly, we’ve already had two snowstorms which has my city looking like my very own Christmas village. I absolutely LOVE the way snow looks around this time of year. Ahhhh. Holiday parties are quickly approaching and family gatherings are coming together. Whether you have a company party, intimate event with friends, full out family affair, or like me ALL 3, the holidays are the perfect time to get all dolled up! Regardless of the event you’re going to these items are must haves to create that sultry holiday glam look we love to wear!

Fabulous Friday | Autumn Dreaming

Happy Friday Queens! I’m so excited about today’s Fab Friday post! If you follow me on Twitter or Instagram you’ll see I posted this new lip last weekend. I got inspired while surfing YouTube and decided to do a full beat. Le sigh, it’s been so long since I did a full face. I almost forgot how good it feels! I contoured (I never contour) and even broke out some lashes (I hate lashes) so you know it was real. Keeping on trend for fall and This Brown Queen, I decided to go with purple lips. I mean I DID say I was going to be the Queen of Purple this fall ;). I also decided to feature my new Maybelline Limited Edition Eyeshadow Quad in Autumn Dream.

A little more detailed than I usually do but I want my Queens to know how to do this look!

FACE

1. Moisturize
2. Revlon Nearly Naked Foundation in Cappuccino
3. Concealer: Maybelline Fit Me in 30 for under eye
4. Set with L’Oreal True Match Pressed Powder in Nut Brown
5. Lightly brush all over face with dark brown in the Elf Turks & Caicos Contouring Blush & Bronzing Powder
6. Wet N Wild Berry Shimmer Blush on apples
7. Used the darkest brown in my Elf Concealer Palette in Dark to contour

EYES

1. Prime with Elf Eyeshadow Primer
2. Apply NYX Concealer in a Jar in Tan all over lid
3. Using the Maybelline Autumn Dream quad apply the purple shade all over lid
4. Apply the green color in outer V and crease
5. Use a neutral color to transition. For me a use a warm brown from a BH Cosmetics palette
6. Milani Brow Kit in Medium Hi-Lite color to highlight
7. Using the dark blue, smudge along lower lash line 3/4 of the way
8. Use the bright color in tear duct and the remaining 1/4 lower lash line

LIPS

1. Prime with a lip primer. I use my same Elf Eye Primer.
2. Line and fill in with NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Purple Velvet.
3. Lightly blot Maybelline ColorSensational Lipstick in Midnight Plum on top

Peace, Love, & Blessings

~

**Stay Connected! Follow me on Twitter @thisbrownqueen & Instagram @tyshia_shante**

Fabulous Friday | Lavender Lips

Happy Friday Queens! Today’s Fab Friday post is going to feature my current favorites. Both Maybelline products. Who woulda thought? *sarcasm font* I’ve been a fan of the fresh face, neutral eyes, and bold lips lately. It’s all I’ve been wearing. I like it though soooo judge me. *shrugs* Anyway here’s me today. Giving you some fierce lavender love because…it is fall afterall and I will be the Queen of purple.

Face: Maybelline FIT Me Foundation Stick in 355, Maybelline Fit Me Concealer in 30, CoverGirl Queen Concealer in , ELF Contouring Blush and Bronzing Powder in Turks & Caicos, Wet N Wild Blush in Berry Shimmer

Eyes: VS Super Model on the Go Eyeshadow Quad, Maybelline BIG EYES Mascara

Lips: Maybelline ColorSensational Lipstick in Lavender Voltage

Do you love it? Enjoy your Friday loves!

Peace, Love, & Blessings

~

**Stay Connected! Follow me on Twitter @thisbrownqueen & Instagram @tyshia_shante**

 

Beauty Junkie | Concealer Crazed

Every beauty queen can agree that there is always that one product that alludes us. No matter how much of it we have, we want more! Maybe because we’re just that obsessed. Like say, my slightly unhealthy obsession with brow pencils…I can’t seem to get enough. But sometimes, it’s because we just haven’t found what we’re looking for. For THIS brown queen it’s concealer. Concealer has been the most difficult product for me to find a LOVE. I have my favorite signature lipstick. I have my go to foundation. I have my staple blush. But concealer? It’s always a guess. Every time I do my make up, I use a different one…or a combination of ones. So I thought I’d help my fellow beauty queens and go through my make up collection to bring you this quick list and of tried and tested concealers of THIS brown queen. Hopefully I can help a beauty out there who is going through my same struggles ;).

1. Maybelline Fit Me Concealer ~ One of the first concealers I purchased. I use the Fit Me foundation so it only made sense to purchase the concealer to go along with. The applicator is the sponge tip stick which allows for easy and controlled application. The consistency is very smooth and easy to blend. I use this under my eyes when I’m doing a full face. The darkest shade is a bit too light for me personally so it’s definitely not good for my brows and I wouldn’t wear this one daily.

2. CoverGirl Queen Collection  Concealer ~ The consistency and application reminds me of the Maybelline concealer. I can’t say I notice a real difference. What’s great about this one though is the range of shades is much broader. They have deeper tones for us brown girls so you can find a shade that works for you. I tend to use this mostly to clean up my brows and to cover and dark spots on my face. Especially in the summer when I forgo the foundation, I’ll dab this concealer and blend. Perfect.

3. Black Opal Concealer Stick ~ Currently my favorite concealer. Picked this up on a whim at CVS and wasn’t really expecting to like it. I don’t really like stick concealers. The color is the PERFECT match to brighten up under my eyes for daily use. I’m not keen on the smell though…smells a little “makeup-ey” but works great.

4. Elf Concealer Palette in Dark ~ Meh. I don’t like the coverage, consistency or application of this product. It just is a miss for me. Was only $3 I believe so…yeah…

5. BH Cosmetics 10 Color Concealer Palette ~ I purchased this for a freelance gig I had a while back. It’s very thick and creamy…a bit difficult to blend but the range of shades is great. I could mix shades to get a perfect match which I love. I don’t use this on myself personally, but I have used it on a few people and it does the job.

So that’s about half of my concealer collection in a nutshell. It’s an ever growing collection I’m sure. What concealer do you use? Let me know your favorites so I can try them out!

Peace, Love, & Blessings

~

Tyshia Shante
Founder & Editor of This Brown Queen

**Stay Connected! Follow me on Twitter @thisbrownqueen & Instagram @tyshia_shante**

Spring Beauty Trends and You

Springtime is upon us Queens so that means there’s tons of new beauty trends you’re sure to spot while you’re out and about. If you’re busy running your kingdom and raising princes(ses) I’m sure you think you’ll hardly find the time to keep up with it all. So that’s where I come in. I’ve compiled some of the top Spring 2013 beauty trends and how YOU, yes the busy Queen that you are can rock the hottest looks,  without breaking the bank, or taking up too much of your already full day.

Here’s what’s hot for Spring 2013:

• Keep a fresh face.
• Spare no eyeliner: Wing it out up top, smudge it out down bottom.
• POP of color: PINK seems to be the color of the season so don’t be scared to rock the brightest shade you can find!
• Soft versus bold: Bright dramatic eyes with a nude lip. Or bright lip and keep the eyes neutral.
• Bold brows and Lustrous Lashes.
• Be Brave!

Simple enough. So how can You achieve it?

1. Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream: BB Creams are all the rave this Spring. What they are is a cream that blends skincare with makeup in one step. And I LOVE multitasking so BB Creams are good in my book. This particular BB Cream is an 8 in 1 Cream that: “Smooths, hydrates, blurs imperfections, brightens, evens skin tones, enhances, protects with SPF 30, and has 0% oil”. Comes in 5 shades (I use the Deep 140 the darkest shade they have). Price tag will run you about $8.
                                
2. Elf Cosmetics Waterproof Eyeliner Pen: If you’re not very experienced with makeup but you want to achieve that dramatic eyeliner look I definitely recommend using a Pen. It’s easier to hold and most have a felt tip which makes the overall application feel more natural. Perfect for achieving the winged liner look. And it’s quick! This is my go to eyeliner when I’m in a hurry which is like everyday and guess what…it’s only $2!                                                                                                              
3. Maybelline Color Sensational Fuchsia Fever Lipstick: I love Maybelliene lipsticks and this is one of my favorites. A bright bold pink that is perfect for when you’ve gone light on the eyes and you need that POP to complete your look! Around $7. 
   
4. Maybelline Eye Studio Color Tattoo 24 Cream Gel Shadow: What a name. Self explanatoryThis vibrant eyeshadow comes in 9 bright colors that are so easy and creamy to apply. And they stay on ALL DAY. So no need to reapply. And the best part about them is they are best applied with your fingertips so now I have an excuse not to waste time with brushes ;). Priced a bit expensive for a single shadow to me, but worth it. About $6.                                                                   
   
5. Elf Studio Lengthening & Volumizing Mascara: LOVE LOVE LOVE this mascara. It really does exactly what it says it does. Lengthens and Volumizes. Giving my lashes that much needed boost without having to apply falsies because…ain’t nobody got time for that! And again can you really beat $3?!?
                                                                    

These are all products I use on a daily basis so if you ever have any questions, want to see them in use, or simply want a more detailed review please let me know!

~

This Brown Queen