Wow it’s Sunday already! Almost the end of my holidays… 😦 The good news: it’s time to share a beautiful story‘s first guest post!
What follows is from Canadian blogger Jake Sauvage. If you would like to read more from Jake check out his blog at http://gimmejakesauvage.com, which features both text and video posts, and includes DIY health and beauty tips! He knows his stuff; he’s a qualified makeup artist and is expanding his skills further into hairdressing, having just started professional studies in this field.
Jake and I hope that you enjoy this post. We welcome your thoughts via Comments and/or a rating (the latter if you have a WordPress profile!)! 🙂
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The men’s grooming market is growing exponentially with each passing year, but it’s not only skin care guys are starting to worry about…but makeup too! Well…a little bit. Right now it’s just bronzers, tinted moisturizers and lip balms (anymore and they’ll be fighting with their girlfriends over products in the bathroom every morning, right?)…but I’m so glad men are starting to transition into the idea that healthy, radiant looking skin also equals a good looking man (and more girl action). Today we’re going to get into a few of the products I recommend if you’re just starting to get familiar with the idea of men’s makeup…but don’t worry, I’ll take it slow.
Smashbox Sheer Focus Tinted Moisturizer
image: kissandmakeup.blog.ca
An oil, paraben and fragrance-free moisturizer, this is one of the very first things you’ll want to invest in. This lightweight, sheer color moisturizer provides superior hydration and antiaging benefits (from vitamins C, E and peptides), as well as a UVA/UVB SPF of 15. The color is sheer, meaning it’ll be practically see-through and help to mask any redness or imperfections you may have…while only looking like a second skin. You won’t look like you’re wearing makeup at all, in fact you’ll just look like a better-skinned version of yourself! At $30 this is a great investment because it covers quite a few bases (moisturizer, antiaging and complexion enhancing) and with only a handful of global shades, you won’t need to be a master of makeup to find the shade that suits you!
Clinique Non-Streak Gel Bronzer
image: instyle.com
In my experience, I find that a lot of guys seeking to enhance their complexions are looking to get the look of beautifully tanned skin…but aren’t comfortable with the idea of wearing a powder and using a big fluffy brush. This works well because it creates a believable tan and comes in a gel formula, making it easier to apply. It’s also not a self-tanner either, so it easily washes off with soap in water (just in case you make a mistake). Now, two things you’ll want to keep in mind when trying to create a natural bronzed look is that you’ll want to massage the product up into the hairline and down into the neckline…this creates an optical illusion that you’re evenly tanned, rather than having a fake concentration of color.
RoC Enydrial Lip Balm
image: thecosmetichouse.co.uk
I find that nothing turns a girl off more than having chapped, coarse lips…I mean, and that would turn you off too, right? This lip balm solves a big issue for men…the consistency of it means you won’t have to apply it often (really, twice a day will have you covered) but even with the rich consistency of it there’s next to no shine to it…so you won’t have to worry about looking like you have an effeminate pucker either! This is so important if you’re ever looking to come off as a well-polished guy because the state of your lips can really tell somebody how well you take care of yourself…so don’t get lazy, now!
a beautiful story 
I love that you and Jake are collaborating! Great post with really good info, of course 🙂
Posted by Tina B | January 31, 2012, 11:33 pmthanks Tina! 🙂 yeah i think Jake did a great job! 🙂
Posted by sarah@abeautifulstory | February 1, 2012, 10:36 am