Category: Natural Cosmetics

I’m Having A Meltdown!



Yesterday the temperatures were in the 60s. Today, highs are in the 90s. Welcome to Spring in the Northeast. Having a heat wave in your area? If so, here are some tips to help you deal with the crazy weather.

Don’t keep lipstick/lip balm in car: This one seems obvious, but you’d be surprised how many folks forget. Within an hour, the temperature inside a vehicle sitting in the sun can easily reach 120 or 130 degrees. High temperatures can cause liquids to separate and break down. It can affect the active ingredients in make-up. Plus you don’t want hop into your parked car, pop open the lip balm cap to apply and have an oily mess wind up on your lap.

So should I keep my make up in the fridge on a hot day? When it comes to making cosmetics last longer, lower temperatures are generally better. That’s because chemical reactions occur faster at higher temperatures. Makeup is prone to oxidation reactions since they contain oils that can turn rancid. Keeping them in the fridge can slow down that process. However, there can be a few potential problems with storing beauty products in the fridge. For example, you may see beads of “sweat” on your lipstick. These are drops of oil coming out of the wax and rising to the surface of the stick (it’s a phenomena called “syneresis”). If too much of this sweating occurs, the lipstick won’t spread properly on your lips. Also, you can’t let your products freeze, as too cold temperatures can also affect the chemical composition of a product. If it’s crazy hot in your apartment, stick your lipstick in the fridge until temperatures cool down. Otherwise, just be sure to keep your make up in a drawer or another location out of direct sunlight.

Frizzy hair on a hot day: My long straight hair starts to find its natural curl when the heat rises. Unfortunately along with the subtle waves comes unsightly frizz. So how do you control your hair if you know you’re going to be out in the heat? There are a few things you can do.

A. Put your hair up. Braids are HUGELY popular right now. Log on to our Pinterest board for some really cute up-do looks.
B. Moisturize. Condition your hair at least twice a week to help control its tendency to frizz. Just don’t overdo it, or you’ll wind up with limp locks.
C. Flat iron. Don’t even let your hair think about frizzing. Flat iron it in the morning and seal with our vegan Herbal Mint Hair Spray. I haven’t used any other hair spray (natural or not) that handles humidity as well as this product.
D. Be proactive. If your hair goes lank halfway through the day, apply a bit of hairspray to the roots. Hold hair up straight with a brush while the spray dries. Then gently brush off your face and slip on a headband.
E. Keep your head on straight. Don’t flip your head upside down to dry your hair. Sure it will add volume, but will also increase your chances of getting frizzy. Instead use a warm (not hot) setting and a large round brush to gently dry hair. Finish with a cool setting to seal the hair shaft.

Control the sweat: We’ve had some customers use our Deodorant Powder as a dry shampoo. Say you’ve been outside in the morning and now have an afternoon meeting, and no time to shower in between. Flip your head upside down (it’s okay in this instance) and sprinkle the powder over the top of your head, especially in the areas that tend to get oily, like your bangs and part. Use your fingers to distribute it. If you wish, brush your hair so the powder is distributed down the length of the hair shafts. Focus mostly on the roots, but if the rest of your hair needs freshening up, add a little more to the tips. Wait 5 to 10 minutes for the powder to absorb the oil from your hair. If you have particularly oily hair, it may take a little longer. Turn your head upside down and brush out all of the powder. You can use a hair dryer to help the process along.

What is your hot weather make-up tip? Email me to share: melissa@honeybeegardens.com.

Am I Warm, Cool or Somewhere In Between?



Choosing the right lipstick shades can seem as daunting as picking the perfect wedding dress. Luckily Honeybee Gardens offers sample sizes on our web site, so you can play around a bit before committing to a full sized tube. But you probably want to narrow the search when selecting samples.

When it comes to lipstick shades, there are three different categories: cool shades, neutral shades and warm shades. And there are three methods to finding out which one is right for you. First is the color test. Find some make-up that is orange-y and another that is either a pink or light purple. Take the orange and apply is to your cheek. Do the same with the pink/purple on the other cheek. Look in the mirror. It should be obvious that one doesn’t look “right” on you. If orange looks good, it means warm shades will be best for you. If the purple or pink looks better, stick with the cool shades. If it’s neither or both, neutrals may be your answer.

Method two is the vein test (it’s not as gross as it sounds). Look at the veins on your inner wrists in natural light (go outside or stand near a window). If they appear bluish, you have cool undertones. More green? You’re warm. Somewhere in between? You may be neutral.

And the third method I tend to disagree with, usually because jewelry is more a matter of taste than what looks best on a person. BUT go to the jewelry counter and pick up both a gold and a silver chain. Hold them up to your face. Which looks better? If it’s silver, you have a cool skin tone. If it’s gold, your skin tone is warm.

Naturally, warm colors tend to look best on skin with warm undertones. Mediterranean, most Hispanic, Latino and warm African complexions look fabulous with salmon pink, coral, or golden brown lips. Warm Honeybee Gardens shades include Aztec, Celestial, Karma and Desire.

Surprisingly, 80 percent of women fall into the cool category. Cool pastel shades look more natural on women with pinkish European complexions. Cool shades also work well on African skin with red undertones. Cool Honeybee shades are Soft Kiss, Valentine, Burlesque, Camelot, Goddess, Risque, Tuscany, Superstitious and Vintage Merlot.

Neutral colors are the most universal. Indeed, the most flattering lipstick shades for any complexion, pale or dark, will be on the boundary between the cool and warm palettes. Neutral lipstick colors, from soft mauve shades to true red, are also easy to wear with outfits in warm or cool shades. Popular neutral Honeybee shades include Dream, Paradise, San Francisco, Bombshell, Cherokee, Romance and Seduction.

Always remember, don’t match your lipstick with your clothes! This is a pretty common mistake, and it seems like it would be a logical thing to do, but don’t! Matching your shade of lipstick to your clothes could turn out completely disastrous. Your lipstick is supposed to compliment your skin and draw attention to your lips. It has absolutely nothing to do with your clothing choice. It is possible that your lipstick will match your outfit once in a while, but don’t do this on purpose.

How Do You Wear YOUR Eye Liner?



There are more ways to wear eye liner than Carter has liver pills. No, I haven’t lost my mind. I’m just incorporating a phrase my grandmother used to use on me, “You have more excuses than Carter has liver pills!” I guess Carter made a lot of liver pills.

Anyway, there are lots of fun ways to wear your eye liner, beyond the standard solid line on the lower lash line. Let’s take a look at a few.

The Cat Eye



The Cat Eye is a the go-to glam eyeliner technique for a polished look, both day and night. This is an eyeliner trick that every beauty buff should master. Simply trace eyeliner along upper lash line and let the tail extend a little further past your lid (think Audrey Hepburn, a la Breakfast at Tiffanys). The Cat Eye doesn’t have to be basic black or brown. Play up this look with bright liquid eyeliners and keep the rest of your makeup neutral. Is this look a bite too tame for you? Go ahead and make that line thicker for added drama.

The Winged Eye



Think of the Winged Eye as the Cat Eye’s flirty cousin. The trick with this technique is to turn the bit of liner past your lash line upward so it mimics a thick eyelash. Want the look of fake eyelashes without the actual fake eyelashes? Try this: Add an extra wing to your eyeliner line to give you some spice!

Is there a difference between the Cat Eye and the Winged Eye (a hotly debated question)? Honestly the difference is subtle. The Cat Eye has a wing effect which includes eyeliner on both the top and bottom lid, while the Winged Eye is more of a day time look, and requires liner on the top lid only. I really like the Winged Eye for a daytime look. I’ve been playing with this look a lot lately, pairing a nude eye with a subtle wing. Meaning I keep my shadow nude, using colors like Flirtatious and Chai (or our NEW pressed colors coming this Fall, Porcelain and Tippy Taupe), with our Jet Set liner on both the top and bottom lash line. My wing is VERY subtle. But I know it’s there. It’s a very classic, non-made up yet glamorous look.

The Drop Eye



This technique consists of lining your entire upper lash line and the outer half of your lower lash line. Keep the lower lines thinner to prevent a clown look. The tighter you can keep the line against your lashes, the more natural the look. You can add a wing to the top line if you choose.

The Colorful Eye



Trendy colorful eyeliner can work on anybody! Apply color to ONLY your upper OR lower lash line. Keep the rest of your makeup more neutral. For more subtle color, try applying regular eye liner (like Jet Set or Belgian Chocolate) and go over top of the eye liner using a coordinating PowderColors shade. For example, you could apply Belgian Chocolate, and then Sedona over top of it on your upper lid for some added sparkle. Or try using PowderColors alone as eye liner. Wet an eye liner brush and dip it into the powder. Then line. When doing the Colorful Eye, keep the rest of your eye in the same color family, if you’re not going for a neutral look.

Just because you’re applying eyeliner doesn’t mean it has to be a show-stealer. Eye liner can be applied in a very thin line to give your eyes just a bit of pop and put the attention on another part of your face, like you lips. Remember, doing the same thing yields the same results. Try something different with your liner. You just might like it!

I’m a “Spring”….NOT!



Ever since I was a kid, I remember hearing women talk about their coloring in terms of seasons. If you were a “Summer” you looked best in earth tones, if you were a “Winter” you looked best in blues and purples. This concept has always irritated me to no end.

Color analysis is the process of determining the colors that best suit an individual’s natural coloring. There are a wide variety of approaches to analyzing personal coloring. The most well-known is “seasonal” color analysis, which places individual coloring into four general categories: Winter, Spring, Summer and Autumn. Many different versions of seasonal analysis, first practiced by Suzanne Caygill in the 1950s, have since been developed and promoted by image and color consultants worldwide.

I’m sure Ms. Caygill had the best intentions. However, in typical fashion, the masses took it to the extreme. Once they were told their season (or determined it themselves), that was the be all, end all. From that moment forth, many women felt they could no longer wear green because it simply wasn’t part of their season. How ludicrous! How could one possibly take ALL the skin tones, ethnicities, races, colors, etc. of 7 billion people and divide them into only FOUR color groups?! Yet women bought into it. Later, perhaps when some women realized they just didn’t fit into one of the four seasons, Caygill identified a wide range of sub-groups within each season, and gave them descriptive names such as “Early Spring”, “Metallic Autumn”, or “Dynamic Winter”, each with its own set of special characteristics. Once again, more labeling.

I hate doing trade shows (there, I said it) but one thing I do enjoy is talking to customers and breaking stereotypes. I can’t tell you how many women won’t try different colors because they were told they can’t wear certain shades. Don’t get me wrong, we all have shades we just shouldn’t wear (me and orange is just downright scary). But that wouldn’t stop me from picking up a coral sweater and trying it on. Maybe the shade of coral would look good on my skin tone. Or not. I wouldn’t know unless I tried.

My point is, don’t let anyone pigeon hole you into any specific color group, season, temperature, time of day or however else they’re trying to classify it. I often get emails from customers telling me how much they love our samples, because it allows them to try new shades without committing to full sized product. Don’t try only mauve samples of lipstick because you’ve only ever used mauve. Try a new shade! I’ll never forget when we were testing our new lipstick shade Superstitious, our darkest color to date. I’m pale and blonde. I was told I could never even dream of wearing such a bold color. So I tried it anyway. And I LOVE it. I wear it lightly, and the tone is perfect and very natural on me. Had I listened to everyone else, I never would have gotten to try a color that works so well on me. Be bold. Be brave. The results could be stunning.

Fashion Forecast for Spring 2013



I’ll admit fashion trends can frustrate me. One designer is all about big, bright lips and then another makes them non-existent. So I pay attention to the trends, but part of me takes it with a grain of salt. Let’s talk about what we’re seeing on the runway, and you can pick and choose what works best for you.

Lips: Once again, lips are big, bold and brave in vibrant shades of red. Think Honeybee colors like Desire, Risqué and even Romance. A few designers were showcasing bring pink lips like Valentine and Soft Kiss (which I like better for spring). If you’re going to try this trend, pare down the rest of your make up.

Eyes: The name of the game is full on eye liner. We are still seeing winged liner, but also bold lines on both top and bottom of lashes. Our soft JobaColors Eye Liner is up for the task. There was some weird neoprene color blocked liner, along with a stripe of liner on the brow bone, but those are a bit too trendy for my taste.

Faux lashes are hot again. They went away briefly, and now they’re back. I tried the stick on type once, and let’s just say it didn’t go so well (read about it in previous blog). You can also go for the semi-permanent lashes if you dare. Or just sweep on two coats of Truly Natural Mascara in Black Magic.

Other consistent trends include bright blues and greens on eyes, as well as metallic shades. Think Castaway, Celtic PowderColors with Envy and Blue Jeans liner. The Party Girl palette has the bold shades to make this look work. Or go bronze with Satin Sheets, Sedona and use Passage to India as liner, or try a silver look with cool Cloud Nine PowderColors and Smoking Gun liner (my personal fav for spring). As with lips, if you’re going bold on eyes, keep the rest of your make up to a minimum (nude lips, i.e. Karma, and simple hair).

Full 80s brows are still around and don’t seem to be going away (though one designer bleached them out on his models). So stop plucking and keep your Brooke Shields look, as long as you keep them well groomed.

Skin: Glowing perfect skin is the name of the game for spring (of course). I doubt dry, sagging skin will EVER be popular (sigh). So I’ll have to fake it as best I can. This means eating better, staying hydrated on the inside and moisturizing on the out. To cover up the imperfection, it’s Pressed Mineral Powder Foundation to the rescue! Cheeks saw a bit more face time on the runway too, with pale hues highlighting high cheek bones. Try Kitten, Enchanted or Heavenly shades in our Healthy Glow Mineral Blush collection.

Fashion Colors: Thank goodness the folks at Pantone gave us NICE colors to work with this season. Check out Poppy Red, Emerald, Monaco Blue, Nectarine, Lemon Zest, Linen and African Violet.

And how about those clothing trends? We saw everything from Japanese inspired dresses, to short suits (business jackets paired with shorts) to Bermuda shorts on the catwalk. There were 80s inspired color block and black and white trends as well as some 60s shapes too. Instead of the delicate florals, there were bold stripes, leather (faux please) and sporty sleeveless dresses (skate skirts and A lines). Accessories included statement sunglasses (after I finally purchased a pair of aviators!)

Hair styles favored dirty grunge looks (not for me) or feminine creative braids, pony tails and fish tails. There were even some rainbow striped tresses.

There you have it. Pick one or two that you like and make them work for YOU. It’s always fun to try something different. With our wide selection of sample sizes available, trying new colors is easy and affordable. Go for it!