#NOTWorthIt

While I don't begrudge certain young celebrities for their endorsement power, it's frustrating when young, impressionable girls go to great, and sometimes harmful, lengths to look like said starlets.  Such is the case with the #KylieJennerLipChallege, where you use a shot glass and suction to plump your lips.

And, like any trend, full, pouty lips have become the biggest craze since strobing or full brows.  While I've discussed how to make your lips appear larger with makeup, that method takes quite a bit of time and requires several touch-ups.

So I tried a lip-plumping tool, which I Instagrammed (@ElectraLane) several weeks ago:

Since then, I've tried using this device, which declares that it not only plumps your lips but works out the muscles around your mouth to reduce smile lines.  It did neither.

In fact, the last time I used it, it actually bruised my lips:

The lighting isn't great, but IRL it looked like I had just downed a few glasses of red wine.

So, short of fillers or implants, what's a good solution that doesn't take 38 steps or a PhD in makeup?

SHADING.

Shading is like contouring in that it crates shadows, but it's far less involved.  I've created a quick instructional video, but basically, you line your lips with bronzer.  It takes a little practice and the right product shade, but because it's powder, it stays on and looks far more natural than a lip liner.

Let's be honest - our lips are just fine the way they are.  But, if you do want to give the illusion of fuller lips like I often do, I hope you give shading a chance.  The other options simply are #NOTWorthIt.

Babes In Arms

Since this Sunday is Mother's Day, I wanted to do a special post just for the baby mamas.  I'm not a mom, but many of my friends are, and I feel like moms, specifically of young children, are highly underrepresented on the YouTube makeup tutorial scene. Moms I've spoken with say they simply do not have time to do makeup that has 87 steps using 53 tools and $350 worth of makeup.  But you do deserve to feel pretty, even if covered in various bodily fluids, so I want to show you a look that can practically be performed one-handed.

It's not a drastic transformation, but it's a little warmed up and brighter than a bare face.  Products used include a tinted moisturizer, concealer, brow pencil, bronzer stick (or blush if you prefer), shadow stick, mascara, lip gloss, and setting spray.  Click HERE for the video, and have a wonderful Mother's Day!

P.S. Since I don't have kids and my street cred might be in question, please check out Cara of Maskcara - she has a five-ish year old and a baby, and this recent post is awesome.

Night Owl

Sometimes you just need to attend happy hour.  And if I'm not mistaken, the whole point of happy hour is to get happy.  For me, I'm happier when my mascara isn't flaking down my face and it looks like I haven't slept in days - which, if my daily makeup has dried out throughout the day, is exactly what I look like. Enter transformation makeup.  It's not exactly day-to-night, because the look is relatively the same, and it's not quite a touch-up because it's more extensive than that.  However you utilize this tutorial, I hope it makes you happy (and for more than an hour).  Click HERE for the video.

Last week I showed you how I do my every day makeup (left) and the photo on the right is the refreshed look:

KISS

In high school, my freshman science teacher was also the varsity football coach.  When it came to written reports, he had one rule: KISS, or Keep It Simple, Stupid.  He meant it in good fun, and now as an adult I can also see that he didn't want to spend all of his free time grading papers. Makeup should, at least in my opinion, follow the same route.  I always aim to get the most bang for my buck, which is an ever-evolving process as I continually learn not only about makeup in general, but also my personal preferences.  Right now, that means a streamlined routine that brings out my eyes, that I can apply in 10-15 minutes, and that lasts all day with minimal to no touching up.

This is the finished product, and to see how I achieved it click HERE:

I know you seen me on the video. (True.)

TBT to Lil Kim’s “Crush On You”…aka the jam…anyway… I was recently asked how Electra Lane’s personal video makeup lesson service works.  Let me explain.

How often to you search and search on YouTube for a particular tutorial only to a) not find exactly what you want, and/or b) be so confused by the ultra-advanced techniques, and/or c) feel like you must purchase hundreds of dollars of products and tools that you’ll likely never use again?  With ELn’s video makeup lesson, you get a YouTube-style tutorial to access at your leisure, as many times as you want, and personalized for you: your look, your face, your budget.

On my current video channel I show you what I do and what products/tools I use to achieve a look, but not necessarily how I do it.  If you’re a newbie who, for example, wants to learn an everyday, wear-to-work look, I’ll show which brush to get, how to hold it, how much product to load on the brush, where to place the brush on your face, and so on.

Check out my Vimeo page, and email me at jessica@electralane.com if this service interests you.