It MATTErs!

Hello everyone! I'm back! It's been a little crazy around here, and I apologize for leaving you all hanging for so long! I have found so many new products I am in love with in the time passed! One I am going to talk about first is actually drug store makeup! At a steal of $8 it's Rimmel Matte 25 hr foundation. I LOVE this product. You get the best coverage for it being a lower end makeup brand. Any imperfections you may have, this covers! Now I want to warn you, this is a thicker matte foundation so you have to be careful when you apply, to avoid looking like a caked makeup face! The best tool I have found to apply this is the Beauty Blender. (Which I will get into more detail on in a later post!) It gives you a nice even coverage and keeps your fingers off of your face, which we all know I recommend!

When picking a foundation color there are a few things to remember.

1. Do NOT test on the back of your hand.
   Testing on the back of your hand is a bad idea because not only is the skin on the back of your hand  different than the skin on your face, but it is also a lot darker, and you will end up with the dreaded makeup line!

2. Pick a foundation that best fits your skin type.
   Oily, dry, combination, all will hold foundation different so you should research and pick which is best for you.

3. Don't just test on your jaw.
  Sometimes the best way to really see the color that is right for you, is by testing it on various spots on your face. Your under eyes, nose and cheeks all may be different complexions, so you want to find the best that blends all over your face.


With any foundation you are going to appear slightly shiny after, so you always want to set it with either a lightweight powder, or a translucent setting dust. It will set your foundation, and prevent it from sweating off or appearing shiny throughout the day.

Good luck and happy picking!

As eye see it!

As in one of my previous posts, I talked about how people are afraid of color. Well that seems to be the case in not just lips, but in eyes as well! See, what people don't realize is there is a way to wear color without channelling an 80's pop icon. The trick is to always wear the brightest color on the outside corner of your eye where your lid meets the crease of your eyelid. Then blend with a more neutral or darker color below that, and finish with the lightest color (a white or neutral) the closest to the inside corner of your eye. Be sure to blend well with a good brush or it will look silly when you close your eyes! Check out my page on Facebook.com/bellafinasbeauty to see some of these color looks for the next month in my 30 days of color trials!! :)

P-P-Plump it up!

Hi everyone! Sorry it has been a little while since my last post! Being a makeup artist, summer is my busiest season, so i've been out doing what I love :) This post will be short and sweet, and will be just a little tip and trick I like to use while doing makeup, that I would like to share it with all of you :) Everyone I think can agree, that a nice plump lip is what we all strive to have. Some of us have tried countless options like; lip plumpers, heavy lip glosses, too much lip liner, or even surgery or fillers to achieve this look. Well I'm here to tell you, none of that is necessary (at least on a daily basis) with my little trick!

First thing is to invest in a lip liner in a soft pink, almost the same shade as your lips, but a tad lighter. Apply to just the inner bottom part of your lower lip, just enough that it shapes it (you should not put on so much that you're able to tell youre wearing liner) and then repeat with arches of your top lip. (See picture below where the dots are marked) Make sure to blend it well so that it just enhances your natural lip line, not creates a new one.

Finish off the look with a shiny balm or soft lip gloss, and there you have it! A daily lip plumper without investing in costly options, that frankly are unecessary:)

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!