Hair today..or maybe tomorrow?

Throughout my life I have noticed girls are broken down into two different groups. Other than the girls who just prefer to stay natural, girls either embrace changes to their haircolor, or are too scared to try anything with it. Well, I just happen to be, and come from a long line of women who embrace change. I, being Italian, was born a natural dark brunette. But who is to say that I need to always be brunette? I say they sell hair color for a reason so why not try something new? Hair is just hair, it can always be put back the way it started. Now for those of you who know me know I have been, brown, black, red, blonde and everything in between. Not all looked that great on me.. but hey, how would I have known if I didn't try it? If it was up to my mom, I would just leave my hair the color it is, but if I wasn't my mothers daughter..maybe I would;) But in all seriousness, I say embrace change! With summer coming up, shorts and sundresses being pulled out, sweaters being put away, why not change up your look a bit?

Now, with that being said, girls tend to forget a few things, when they change up their haircolor.

1. Eyebrows. (sorry Madonna I love you anyway)

    If you make a drastic color change to your hair, you really should dye your eyebrows as well. Sally Hansen sells a face bleach that you can use to lighten up your eyebrows a few shades, but I wouldn't recommend doing it unless you know what you are doing. Let say for the sake of argument, you decide to do it yourself. Remember these helpful tips. Be sure to put vaseline around the areas you don't want bleach to get on, such as around the outsides of your eyebrow lines to avoid burning your skin. Next, only leave the bleach on 2 or 3 min and then check them, to avoid completely bleaching out your eyebrows. ALSO be sure not to put too much onto your eyebrows, or it can fall into your eyes and that would be REALLY bad. After your eyebrows are lightened up, you can apply the color you put in your hair on your eyebrows, or just leave them the way they are if they look ok. So please please if you decide to do this yourself, be very careful!!

2. Makeup

  Girls sometimes don't realize when they change their hair color, that they have to change up their makeup as well. If you're use to wearing dark makeup with your dark hair, you may need to change it up a little bit. If you wear lighter makeup and go dark with your hair, then you might want to think about changing that as well. If you have blonde hair and you are used to wearing a pink, or light colored lipstick, dark hair might be a little too much with such a light lip and visa versa. Like I say all the time, trial and error is your best friend!

Dark hair is pretty easy to do with a cheap box of color. But blonde on the other hand, or red on blonde, is a whole other story. Be sure if you are doing a very drastic change or using a lot of bleach that you see a professional, or you'll end up spending a lot more money in the end, trying to fix it.

Well, good luck! I would love to see some posts if you do decide to change your hair color! Happy summer everyone:)

( This blog is just my opinion. I am not responsible for any mistakes, or mishaps in changing your hair color.)

Clean slate and a fresh face

I just recently did a group of girls makeup for prom, and was asked the same question over and over again. What can I use to remove this makeup tonight? Now normally on a day to day basis, I would always recommend a good face wash with a gentle exfoliant to remove all of the makeup and residue from throughout the day, but in this case, a quick fix, and one of my favorites, is the makeup remover wipes from Neutrogena. They come in a blue container and sell them in any drug store for about $6 a pack. Such a steal! These powerful little wipes get every last little spec of makeup off of your face. Now like I said on a nightly basis you want to make sure that you are actually washing your face, but these are perfect for a pick me up, or to remove excess on your face before applying your makeup in the morning! Enjoy :)

I swear they're real!

I have always been an avid user of false eyelashes. I love the length of them, the thickness it adds to my eyes and just the fun of wearing false eyelashes! I will most likely go to the grave wearing them, but I have one problem. They are just too much darn effort to wear on a regular basis! As I stated in the first post, Monday through Friday I am a Preschool Teacher. So, needless to say, a full face of makeup just is totally pointless in my chosen career. I do however like to look nice, so I had to come up with a way to get the same look of false eyelashes on a regular basis, but without having to actually wear them. I was in visiting Jen's sister in Sephora one day, and she recommended a mascara that has now become a beauty staple to me. It's "They're real" mascara by Benefit. It comes with a rubbery bristle and rounded tip, perfect for those hard to reach inside lashes. It's a little on the pricier side at $22.00 which I normally wouldn't suggest... but it really is worth it. One swoop and it extends, thickens and darkens your lashes all at once. So if you're looking for a middle price range mascara this is definitely one that I love!

To sponge or not to sponge?

First off I would like to say thank you to all of you that have been reading, posting or emailing me about my blog! You all are the reason why I do this, so please keep up the comments and suggestions, and I promise I will cover all of them:)

I recently received an email asking if I could talk about how to use a makeup sponge. She went on to talk about how she normally doesn't wear a lot of makeup, is a little new to all of this stuff, and it may be silly, but i'm here to tell you hun, you are not alone! To be quite honest, in all of the years I have been doing makeup, A LOT of girls have asked me the same question! Foundation can be one of the toughest part of applying makeup! Between picking the right color, applying, lasting throughout the day, and most importantly the DREADED MAKEUP LINE! So, if you are new to this, or just learning new things everyday, here are a few tips to first off finding the right foundation.

1. Decide which type of foundation you would like.

 Picking the right type of foundation for your skin type can be just as challenging as the actual color itself. There are a lot of options out there such as; liquid, mousse,matte,whipped etc. The best way to know what is right for your skin type are as follows;

Dry skin- Apply a moisturizer first, then a liquid foundation is what is best for you
Oily skin- Use an oil reducing face wash, or an oil blotter, then a whipped or matte foundation would be best for your skin.

Combination skin- Make sure your face is always primed and clean before applying anything. You can pretty much use any of the above. Trial and error is going to be your best friend.

Sensitive skin- Be sure you're looking for an organic or natural (oil free) foundation, to avoid breakouts or making your skin worse.

2. Color.

This is where the dreaded makeup line problems occur. Back before we had plenty of tips and tools, people thought testing foundations on your hand were the best way to find your color.WRONG. Your body color is much different then the color on your face. Your hands have an entirely different type of skin then your face does, so that can alter the color as well. The best way to test your color is along the jaw line, and under your eyes. The color that blends in the best, is the color for you. Be sure you're not going to light either. A too dark face is just as bad as a too light face! Remember, the point of foundation is to help even out your skin tone, not to make it look like you're wearing a makeup mask!

Ok now that we've covered what you need to look for in finding the right foundation, we can move on to how to actually apply the stuff! Well first thing is first. Back to the email I received wondering how to use a makeup sponge. If you ask me, I try not to even use a makeup sponge. They only last one or two applications before you should throw it out, and they just create a lot of waste. The best way to apply foundation is to invest in a foundation BRUSH. Now I know what you're thinking. If I don't even know how to use a makeup sponge, how am I going to know what a foundation brush looks like?? I promise it's a lot easier than it sounds. In any makeup section, you can find little kits that hold a foundation brush right in it. OR if you have a little less money but want the same look, go to your local art supply store and buy a small extra soft tip brush! Yup, you heard me correctly. A paint brush.

Now when you want to apply it, your initial reaction is going to be to dip, wipe, or pump the foundation directly onto the brush. Don't. Wash your hands, then apply a good amount to the back of your hand and then dip the brush into that. It will avoid using too much on the brush, in turn cutting down on the amount that actually ends up on your face. Remember, less is more. You want to look natural, not like a clown. When you're all finished just use a gentle soap and water on your brush and let it dry.

If you are really set on using the wedge makeup applicators, then go for it! Apply the same exact way with starting on the back of your hand, dabbing the smallest part of the wedge into it, then apply to your face. The thinnest part of the wedge is for the part under your eyes. Be sure to not wipe the foundation under your eyes. Dab it, then sweep a translucent or matte powder over the area to finish the look.

I hope I answered a lot of your questions! Feel free to comment with your thoughts or questions:)

10 things I love about you

It's that time again. The time when tell you all about a product I REALLY love! Today's product is It's a 10 Miracle leave in hair product! This stuff is like a hug for your hair in a bottle. If you can't tell from the name, it does 10 things for your hair and they are as follows;

 1.) Repairs dry damaged hair
2.) Adds shine
3.) Smoothes & controls frizz
4.) Seals & protects hair color
5.) Detangles
6.) Prevents split ends
7.) Stops hair breakage
8.) Creates Silkiness
9.) Enhances natural body
10.) Flat iron spray & thermal protector

Now I know you're thinking, ok yea this product is "really" going to do all of these things. Well, to be honest I can't promise nor prove that it will. But what I do know, is it makes my hair so shiny and smooth, I would never be without it! It's a little pricey at $29.95 for the middle sized bottle, but i'm telling you it's worth it. Ok, so now how do you use it? Do your normal routine of washing and conditioning your hair. Then towel dry it as best as possible, and when it's just damp, spray this into your hair from root to tips. Make sure you don't use too much or your hair will appear greasy. Then just let air dry, or blow dry, and POOF beautiful hair! I wouldn't recommend something if I didn't really believe it was worth your money.. besides what profit am I making here? So stop out to any beauty supply store and try for yourself:)

Lovely lips

I've noticed over the years of doing makeup, that girls have a tendency to be "afraid" of wearing lipstick. It just makes me so sad when I see this! There have been many times where I have finished a look with a beautiful color lipstick, just to have to girl say whoa, no way I can wear lipstick, and then wipe it off. I am here to tell you ladies to be proud of your lips!! Now I am not one to wear lipstick on a regular basis, that's just not me. But, there are definitely times when a great wine colored lip, or even a daring red are thrown into my beauty regiment. I think the problem at times is that girls are not picking the RIGHT lipstick for themselves. Girls.. unless its a statement you're trying to make (for what reason i'm not sure) orange lipstick is always a no no. Make sure the red that you pick doesn't have that orangey undertone. It just doesn't look right when on the lips. Also, be very careful when picking pinks or purples too. You can either look really chic, or just plain old lady crazy lol. So I say pick a day, put the gloss back in your purse, grab that lipstick, and own it:)

A hairy situation

So I've been asked by a friend of mine, if I know of and could post some easy to do hairstyles, that you can wear on a daily basis, but still looks really cute. Well this is definitely right up my alley. As most of you know, makeup is more my forte, but hair is really important to me as well. If my makeup looks great, but my hair isn't done or has seen better days, it just feels to me, that my look isn't pulled entirely together. Ever since I was a kid, my mom has been my helper with my hair. She taught me how to curl, straighten, blowdry, set curlers, braid, you name it, my mom knows how to do it! Just recently actually she taught me how to fish tail braid. So on that note, the loose, side fishtail braid is going to be my first, easy to do, daily wear cute look. You've probably seen plenty of celebrities sporting this look, and think to yourself, there is no way I could do this is my hair. But that's not true at all! Now trying to describe how to do this look in writing, would be confusing and near impossible so below is a step by step instruction on how to do this, and a picture of the finished product!

The best way to add a little more style to this look, is to tease the crown on your hair before you start the braid. Or if you really want a pop, tease your crown, do the braid, and pair with a really cute double headband. Good luck!

The next look, and the one I use the most, is waves with a hair straightener! Sounds crazy, I know, but trust me it works!! First, wash your hair, scrunch it up a little bit like you would with hair gel to get a little curl, but use NO product. When your hair is COMPLETELY dry, then you can start. Part your hair whichever way it feels the most comfortable. I usually part mine down the middle, but side parts work just fine too. Then, spritz just a little bit of a flexible hold hairspray into your hair BEFORE you start the curling. Make sure it's a flexible hold and not a stiff hold hairspray. If it is too stiff, you won't be able to do anything with it and it will just look crunchy. Pick up a 1 inch section of your hair, and starting at the closest part to your scalp, but not too close or the curls will start too high. Press the straightener on your hair, and start turning the hair straightener just like you would a curling iron, until your hair falls out of the straightener. Make sure you get every peice of your hair, and you should have a curl! Don't touch it yet. Do your whole head, then spritz your whole head again. Once the hairspray has dryed, with your fingers, run them through your hair, starting from underneath. Shake your hair a bit, and there you have it! It only takes me about 20 minutes to do my whole head, and I have a lot of hair, so it really is a simple style, and looks like you spent forever on it!

The last look I would say is pretty simple, and really doesnt need a lot of explanation. It is the "messy" side bun.  If you have little to no time to do your hair, but still want to have a cute look, then this is the look for you. Start with your hair down and parted on the side. Take each side and twist up the first layer of your hair and pin it back with a bobby pin. Repeat on the other side. Then, pull all of the rest of your hair to the side, and secure with a hair tie. Take another hair tie, bunch all of your hair up in a messy bun and secure it to the side of the nape of your neck. Throw on a pair of cute earring and you're all set :)

The bun level in her hair is a little higher than normal. You can acheive the same look but with a lower bun closer to your shoulder if you like!

Good luck with these hairstyles! If anyone has any other styles they enjoy that are easy that they would like to add, please feel free to comment and i'll be happy to link it!

Skin Sin

Ok..so all of my previous blogs have been about what products I like, or don't like, or how to do a certain look etc, but this post will not be one of those. This is going to be one of those posts,  that I attempt to teach you something about skin care, but most likely will end of just ranting on and on, about how freaked out I get when I see people doing the things i'm about to talk about. We'll see how this actually goes, and hopefully by the end of this post I won't just rant entirely, and you will actually learn something!

So first things first. Please please please if I can teach you anything, PLEASE girls (and guys) stop rubbing your eyes!! I see girls all day, between either their makeup, or allergies, or possibly both, rubbing the heck out of their eyes. I want to scream when I see this! Most people don't realize how thin and delicate that skin underneath their eyes really is. Lets say for example, the skin under your eyes is a rubber band. You can stretch and stretch a rubberband just so much, until it snaps. Once it has snapped, there is no way to fix it. Your eyes are the same way. If you must touch your eyes, please use your ring finger, and lightly dab your eyes. DO NOT RUB THEM!

The second thing that I am crazy about, (but also have to admit I am guilty of from time to time) is touching your face throughout the day, or not washing your hands before putting makeup on. Just like money, your hands are exposed to a lot bacteria and germs throughout the day, without you even realizing it. Your hands at the end of the day, (if you havent been compulsively washing them) are as dirty, and germy as a dollar bill. That is a fact. ( I know, I researched it lol ) Would you pick a dollar bill out of your purse and rub it all over your face hundreds of times a day? Lets hope not. The pours on your face and cells are so delicate that bacteria will literally bury itself into your pours and stay there, causing a nice, fresh pimple. With that being said, not washing your hands before you put makeup on too, is also very bad for your skin. You know the shiny, oily skin we always try and avoid or fix? I'd estimate and say that 7 out of 10 people give themselves that oily skin without even realizing it. Im sure most of you have done this when you were younger, but for arguments sake, try this experiment when you get a chance. Pour yourself a soda with a lot of fizz on top, then stick your finger into the soda. I guarantee it will make the fizz disappear. Thats from all of the oils from your hands. So if your finger is oily enough to calm a fizzy soda.. imagine what it can do to your face! Soap and water is probably the cheapest thing out there to solve this problem, so just use it please:)


Ok, I'll end this post now to avoid ranting too much...but don't worry, i'll be back very soon with more beauty tips, and peaves:)

Whipped into shape

So, I have had quite a few people ask me about what I believe is a great foundation. I could talk for hours on this topic because frankly, I haven't found anything yet that I feel is the end all be all of foundations. BUT if you're asking me what is a pretty good foundation for a great price, then it's definitely Covergirl TRUblend whipped foundation. It goes on really nice, and gives you that matte finish you're looking for. An extra perk of this product is that it is SUPER easy to use. Just apply to your ring finger (it's the weakest finger so it will prevent causing wrinkles and stretching skin) and swipe everywhere you need coverage. It will blend in with your natural color of your face, so it's a perfect foundation for beginners as well. Now normally I wouldn't encourage anyone to apply makeup with your hands, because your fingers and hands are so bacteria ridden, it can cause pimples and imperfections, but, this is the type of makeup that works best when put on with just your hands. So be sure to wash your hands really well before applying! So there you have it. My best pick for a low cost foundation, that you really can't go wrong with. :)

A Kat Von Deal

As I have stated in previous posts, I LOVE a nice solid easy to use eyeliner.  For years and years I've gone through many different brands and types, and nothing really satisfied all of my needs, ease of use, dark enough, rub proof, waterproof and stay proof. Well i'm here to tell you girls that my search has ended. I'll first start out by telling you a little something else about myself and my family. My girlfriends sister is also a fantastic makeup artist for Sephora, which has worked out very well for us! She gets discounts, and trials and basically knows what is good, and not good about certain products that they sell. For example, this past Christmas, one of the gifts that I received from her, was the new Kat Von D tattoo eyeliner. It is an easy to use liquid, waterproof eyeliner in a paintbrush form. I fell immediately in love with this product. It stays on all day and night, and leaves the most perfect line across my lids. This will definitely be a product that will stay a staple in my makeup bag for years to come, and is TOTALLY worth the $18 price tag on it. So if you are like me, and love a nice defined eye, then visit Sephora.com or stop into your local Sephora store..you won't be sorry:)

Always welcome to opposition

Its been brought to my attention from my previous post, that vasoline is not only not very good for you, but isn't very environmentally friendly either. I am not one to ignore other peoples opinions and I always welcome any sort of way to help the environment. My posts may not always be "green" that's just not how I live my life entirely. HOWEVER I never want to encourage people to NOT go green if they wish to or can afford to. So on that note, I use vasoline for my lips and it works great, BUT if you can afford to, I encourage you to visit your local all natural market and pick up something a little more environmentally happy :)

My lips don't lie

I've noticed on occasion when i'm out and about, that girls and guys are all purchasing tubes and tubes of different type of chapstick brands that promise this that or the other, about healing or preventing chapped lips. But i'm here to tell you the secret to never having chapped lips EVER.  Ok...now it's a pretty complicated process but i'll walk you through step by step. Ok first.. walk into a Walmart store. Then stroll back to the area where they sell "to go" items or travel is what they are called I believe, and grab a minature pop top of Vaseline. Yes you heard me correctly.. the same Vaseline you use on scrapes and dry skin is GREAT at keeping your lips moisturized. I have been using this trick for as long as I can remember and not only does it keep my lips soft at all times, it actually gives me a little bit of a shine as well! At only about $1 how can you not just try it for yourself?

Frizzy hair and a warped perception

As I sit here on my couch with wet hair just freshly washed, I got to thinking. Why is that women think that we have to spend a fortune on hair products, to make it look the way we think it looks "perfect"? I recently was asked by a great friend of mine to be in her wedding. Part of being a bridesmaid as you know is to go to a salon that morning and have your hair done. Well while at this salon, I was convinced by the perfectly coiffed woman doing my hair, that this spray she was spritzing in my hair ( that did smell delicious) was absolutely a must have. I as usual, was sucked into this and purchased a $35 beach waves, spritzing something or other. As the bottle reads "Spritz into your damp hair, let dry in the St Tropez air, throw on some heels and you're ready to go" Well, if that doesn't sound totally worth it then I don't know what is?? So now were back at this moment, as I sit here, with crunchy, wet, frizzy hair shaking my head and saying to myself "You did it again Fina" So, while I continue to think about the other things I could have spent that $35 plus tax on, with a product I will probably never use again, go grab yourself a bottle of Garnier Fructis frizz serum, at only $6..you can enjoy a product that actually works.











(All opinions on products are just that, opinions and are not facts that a product does not work, nor does not necessarily mean it will not work for you)

Downtown hooker or 5th Ave looker?

For some reason over the years the "smokey eye" look has had a stigma attached to it, like you should be part of the cast of Pretty Woman pre Richard Gere while rocking it. That couldn't be farther than the truth. (if done correctly) Another misconception of a smokey eye is that is has to be really dark or with a lot of black to acheive this look...which also is not the case. A great color is a fantastic way to showcase this look and can really bring out the color of your eyes in a very chic, sometimes even natural looking way. Now those of you who know me already know this, but if you are just learning about me through this blog, I LOVE a big bold eye with some false eyelashes. There is no secret about that. However, not everyone is either comfortable or particularly likes that look, so i'm going to teach you a quick way to do a 5 minute everyday smokey eye, without breaking the bank.

Step 1: Apply a light beige or apricot shimmer to the entire lid (don't go overboard we're not channeling Cher here)

Step 2: Get a nice brown, black or smokey grey liner. I recommend Kat Von D tattoo eyeliner from Sephora, its only about $18, stays on all day, and is worth every penny. But if you don't have Sephora near you, Maybelline Unstoppable has a great retractable eyeliner that works just as good and is sold at every Walmart store for a steal at only about $6. Line the top of your eye starting from the inside and sweeping very slowly across the whole top of your lid along the eyelash line til you end with just a little swoop on the end of your lid.

Step 3: Use the darkest color you're using for this smokey eye ( for a daily look that would be your brown) and smudge it all along on the lowest part of your eyelids, then into the crease of wherever your eyelid fold lays.

Step 4: Get a paintbrush like brush, one that is really soft (I actually even use a real mini paintbrush!) and take the shimmery apricot color again and lightly sweep it over your whole lid again to blend all of the color together. But just enough to blend. If you use too much you'll lose your whole look.

Step 5: Use the lightest color on the pallet to highlight the arch of your brow, and lightly under the crease of the eyelid.

You just created an everyday smokey eye!!

I know what you're all thinking...yea ok Fina you do this everyday, it's not that simple! But I promise you, the more and more you practice it, you will become a natural:)

Also, you can trade out any of the natural colors for greens, blues, or even purples and create the same look, but remember to keep in mind, there is such a thing as too much makeup!


Good luck and please comment with questions or to let me know how your smokey eye turned out! Ta for now ;)

No it's not liner.. My beauty marks are real.

Hey guys! If you're reading this then you must care somewhat about makeup, style, beauty or all of the above. If that is the case, then you've come to the right place. Hi. I'm Bellafina and I'll be your guide to all of the above! I'll first start out by saying that this isn't going to be your typical beauty blog. There are thousands of them out there promising this great product or encouraging you to buy or check out some sort of ridiculously overpriced makeup that they state is "worth the cost" but I'm here to give it to you real. The fact of the matter is that nobody NEEDS a $200 face cream or a Dior eyeliner that promises it will stay on all day, because frankly..you don't really need it. I'm here as your resident makeup artist and normal run of the mill twenty-something year old girl to help you out with all of your beauty needs, tips, and ideas, at an everyday price.

Let's first start out by telling you a little something about myself. I'm currently a 26 year old makeup artist, living somewhere in the areas above NYC. I currently live with my girlfriend (who could care less about all of this beauty stuff, so she's a perfect help to a girl who just likes or needs basic makeup on a daily basis...you'll meet her later on in my blogs)and I also work as a Preschool teacher during the day. Doing makeup for Weddings pays the bills right now, but my real passion is in fashion makeup. I would love to someday work behind the scenes as a photo, runway or magazine makeup artist. But this blog isn't about my aspirations so we'll just end this post on that note.

I hope you will all continue to read my blog! I'll be posting lots of fun beauty ideas, tips and fun stories of my life as a makeup artist....you don't want to miss out. So stay tuned ;)