Dating Rituals: Urban Chic Beauty Products

The transformation of Jennifer Hudson over the last few months has been incredible. Through tragedy, she’s come out on the other side with a fiancé, a baby and now a new body that is dressed in what I call urban chic attire, which is described in the fabulous book from Harper’s Bazaar, Great Style, as “city dwellers that keep a cool vibe in sleek separates.” I’m in 100% agreement, but I’d take it a step further and incorporate the coolest beauty products to bring her entire new look to life. After all, beauty is the icing on the cake.

While Jennifer’s makeup generally looks the same from red carpet to red carpet, I absolutely have no problem with it because she (or her glam squad) have determined that this “unfussy” natural makeup look best suits her and she’s sticking to it. To attain the same easy-breezy look, use L’Oreal’s Wear Infinite Quads Eye Shadow, Earthscape ($7.15, drugstore.com). I like how blending is made easy with the four shades in this quad to help you create the perfect eye look every time. Check out my entry Can You Catch A Man With These Eyes? to learn how to apply eyeshadow.

I don’t find that there’s much difference between the many brands of blotting powders on the market which absorbs oil and perspiration from your skin. What sets Bobbi Brown’s Blotting Papers ($20, saksfifthavenue.com) apart from the rest is its sleek, leather-like refillable case with mirror. Can you think of better packaging for the urban chic lady?   

As many red carpets J-Hud finds herself on, it’s imperative that her makeup remain looking fresh under the glare of the photogs, so products that extend the life of her makeup is a definite. But why should celebs like Jennifer have all the fun? Mere mortals like us can also enjoy the benefits of Hard Candy’s Sheer Envy Primer ($8, walmart.com). It’s a primer that gives you a natural finish for a healthy glowing complexion and gives you sunscreen protection.  

Q: How do I apply it?

A: If you wear sunscreen (which you should always be), apply that first. Next apply primer and then your color product.

If you haven’t used a primer before, you’ll notice that it goes on your skin like silk. And no matter your skin type, you won’t feel or even see a greasy residue left on your face.

Q: Should I exfoliate before using a primer?

A: Yes. You should wash your face and gently exfoliate before applying any foundation or color, otherwise you may see your makeup “peeling” off.

Staying in this same vein, lock in your lip color with Lip Insurance, Nude by Too Faced ($19, ulta.com). This lip primer prevents fading, bleeding and creasing. Some primers tend to be a little drying, so I was pleased to see that this one had a creamy consistency which means that it glides on lips smoothly and keeps them feeling soft. What’s also nice about this product is that the applicator always has the right amount of product for even coverage.

Beauty For Real Lipgloss - You’re In My Light ($22, beautyforreal.com) is one of the coolest products I’ve seen in a while. If you’re in a dark restaurant or theater and want to quickly touch up your lips, all you do is remove the cap, press the button and there’s light. There’s also a mirror on the side of the lip gloss tube so you don’t miss a beat.    

 Hue Knew It? I did.   

     

Disclaimer: Some products featured have been provided by the brands and/or public relations agencies.

Dating Rituals: Urban Chic Beauty Products