In a perfect world, life would be put on hold when you get sick. But as too many of us know, sick days at work are limited, and some things just can’t be postponed because of a cold. So when you’re feeling a little under the weather, but have to soldier on with your day, here are a few tips to help you still look your best—and hopefully, feel a little better.

Head Cold

When you have a cold, the skin around your nose is red and dried out from constant blowing. And while you may feel tempted to hide that red nose under a layer of foundation, this could actually have the opposite effect. After just a few encounters with a tissue, the foundation on and around your nose is going to start rubbing off. And, while the rest of your face remains smooth and flawless, your sore nose will stand out like even more of a beacon to your illness.

So, avoid heavy foundation and concealer. Instead, opt for a light powder that you can carry with you for post-tissue touch-ups. Shine’s pressed powder comes in a convenient compact with a makeup sponge and a mirror for just such occasions.

Additionally, you can draw the attention away from your sore nose by emphasizing your eyes. Go with a bold cat eye, a smoky effect, or something metallic—anything that will draw people’s attention to your gaze and away from your nose. Our Focus eyeliner is perfect for a dark, dramatic cat eye, and our Be Captivating Eyeshadow Palette is perfect for creating a smoky eye that isn’t too overpowering.

Stomach Bug

When you have a bit of a stomach bug, your face tends to get a little bit pale and ashen. You may even have a bit of a green tint. And while, ideally, you should be staying home with a stomach bug, if you have to step out, you can take away some of that sickly pallor with a touch of bronzer or blush. Add a bit of extra color to your cheeks, but don’t feel like you have to do full contouring; you should still be taking it easy.

If your lips are also looking a little lackluster, add a warm pink or neutral-toned lip stain. Odds are, your face will still look a little washed out, even with some extra blush, to don’t try to go too bold with your lip color today. Keep it as natural as possible, while still adding a bit of color back to those lips.

Allergies

Spring and summer might give most people relief from colds and flus, but they bring their own kind of sickness—allergies. If you suffer from seasonal allergies, you definitely can’t use them as an excuse to skip work or miss out on life. Instead, you have to find the best way to press on. As far as your makeup goes, this is the time of year to really focus on a bold lip.

Odds are, your eyes are a bit bloodshot and a little puffy. So when those bad allergy does hit, you don’t want to draw attention to your eyes with bold eye makeup. Pull the gaze to your lips instead, with a bolder lip color, like our Devoted or Intent shades from our LipLast line, or our lipstick in Fortunate.

Cold Sore

Cold sores are extremely common, but getting one can still make you feel like a leper, and you’ll likely find yourself trying to subtly cover your mouth with your hand all day. (Sorry to say it, but none of us are as subtle at this as we think we are.) This is another chance to use your makeup to draw attention away from the mouth and to the eyes.

Try using our Fiber Mascara to pump up the volume on your eyelashes and really catch people’s attention. You may also want to try a dramatic eyeshadow color look with our Be Cheerful Eyeshadow Palette. Keep your lips very neutral, with just a lip balm or a natural-looking gloss, and people will definitely be keeping their eyes on your gaze, and will never notice a little cold sore.

So if you’re feeling under the weather, but you can’t phone it in today, you can still look your best. Try these simple tips to help you shine, no matter what bug may befall you. And, hopefully, looking your best will help you feel just a little bit better too.

If you’re a bit of a makeup novice, you might think that lip liner has only one purpose—outlining your lips. And while this is definitely its primary use, there are many different ways that you can use lip liner to define, plump, and color your lips. Ready to learn all of the ways you’ve been under-utilizing your lip liner? Keep reading to learn more about Shine’s silky smooth liner, and how you can better apply your lip liner every day.

Features and Benefits

If you’ve ever scraped your lips with the jagged edges of your lip liner, you know just how irritating that can be. But Shine’s lip liner uses a creamy, soft formula that goes on smoothly and gently, and the easy-to-sharpen tip guarantees a perfect point for precise lining. Here are a few other features of our lip liner:

• Highly pigmented color
• Long-lasting for all-day wear
• Sharpens for precise application
• 5 beautiful colors
• Creamy, soft formula

With Shine’s lip liner, you get a precise, smooth line with every application, and all-day color that is sure to impress. Plus, as with all our products, our lip liner is hypoallergenic, paraben free, gluten free, and Leaping Bunny approved.

Tips for Use

Now for the fun part. Here’s a quick look at all the ways that you can use our luscious lip liners to amp up your makeup routine:

• Always exfoliate first. You can’t get a smooth, clean line if your lips are chapped or cracked, so gently exfoliate your lips using a soft-bristled toothbrush or damp washcloth. You may also want to apply a moisturizing lip balm before you use your lip liner.
• Sharpen your liner before every application. Then will ensure you get a cleaner, more precise line.
• Even the creamiest of lip liners can get a little tough in cold weather. If the tip of your lip liner is a bit too hard, warm it up by rolling it between your thumb and index finger, or by briefly drawing on the back of your hand with it. (Pro tip: If your lip liner tugs on your lips at all when you’re applying it, then it needs to be softened a little.)
• When applying lip liner, part your lips slightly to ensure your lips are maintaining their natural shape. This will make your line more precise.
• Start by lining your cupid’s bow, then the corners and bottom of your mouth, before outlining the rest of your lips. This helps achieve a more even shape.
• Use light, short strokes, rather than trying to trace in one smooth movement.
• Want to emphasize your lips a little, but keep a natural look? Use a nude liner that’s close to your natural lip color, then blend it into your lips, and you’re ready for your day!
• Try filling in your lips with lip liner, then top it with a gloss or tinted lip balm in a similar color. It’s a great substitute for lipstick!
• You can also fill in your lips with liner to provide an even base for your lipstick. This prevents any subtle changes in lip color, where the lipstick might bleed over the lip liner.
• Wearing a dramatic color? After you’ve applied your liner and lipstick, use a small brush to apply some concealer around your mouth, and ensure a strong, clean line all around.
• Want to make your lips look a little larger? Apply a concealer over your lips to blur your natural lip line. Then, apply your lip liner just outside your natural lip line to make them look slightly fuller. Be sure to come back to your natural lip shape at the corners of your mouth, so you don’t give yourself clown lips! Fill in the outline you’ve made with a complementary color. Use a thick application so you can blend the color into your lip line. Use your finger to smooth it all out, and you have plump, luscious lips!

Bet you never thought lip liner could do so much for your lips! So break out that liner, and try out some of the tips mentioned above. You can turn that one-trick pony into a total showstopper in no time at all!

Ah, lip gloss. For most of us, lip gloss has been a part of our look since middle school, if not sooner. It’s the quintessential “Jack of All Trades” in your makeup bag—great on its own for a laid-back, easygoing look, or over a base coat of lipstick to add some shine to a more dramatic look. But there’s one thing you wouldn’t think lip gloss could ever be, and that’s complicated. You’d likely never dream that you could be applying lip gloss in the wrong way. But you just might be. Or, at the very least, there might be a slightly better way than what you’ve been doing since middle school.

Keep reading to learn more about Shine’s fantastic line of lip glosses, and get a few tips on picking the right shade, getting more from this product, as well as how to improve your lip gloss application.

Features and Benefits

With most glosses, you have to choose between a color-rich lip gloss that is thick and sticky, or a smooth, silky lip gloss that is a little lackluster. Not so with Shine’s lip gloss. Our gloss glides on extra smooth, with a non-tacky formula that is rich with long-lasting color. This gloss will even condition your lips as you wear it, to make them extra kissable.

Our current lineup includes eight different colors, from traditional blush and rose tones, to shades of gold and plum.

Tips for Use

Lip gloss is hard to apply incorrectly. Just use the application want to apply an even coat over your lips. But if you want to improve the look of your lip gloss, instead of just having a passable pout, try these tips the next time you use one of our glosses:

• Try pairing your favorite gloss with one of our lipliners. Using a lipliner helps to frame out your lips, and gives the gloss greater staying power.
• Want more color? Just apply the gloss over your favorite lipstick. This doesn’t have to be a dramatic look. A nice gloss over a neutral lipstick color can provide a beautiful finish without being over the top.
• Here’s a secret from makeup artists: If you want your gloss to pop more, lighten your lips with a dab of concealer, then apply the lip gloss over the top.
• For the smoothest application, make sure your lips are properly prepped. Exfoliate them with your favorite lip scrub, or just rub them with a damp washcloth.
• Don’t let anyone tell you you’re too old for lip gloss! Gloss can actually be a fabulous makeup tool for women over 50, and can create the illusion of fullness as your lips lose their youthful plumpness.

Choosing the right shade of lip gloss is also important, so here are a few tips:

• Fair-skinned women usually look best in lighter colors, like soft rose tones, blush, or beige. Dedicated and Spirited are two of our best glosses for you fair-skinned beauties.
• If you have a medium skin tone, you’ll likely want to look for glosses with more of a brown base. Deeper shades of rose, mauve, and berry tones work well for you. Our Admired lip gloss is just one example of a shade that might suit your complexion.
• For those with darker skin, plum, chocolate, and red lip glosses will really help to make your lips pop. Bold and Royal would both be a good fit for your beautiful skin tone.

Above all, just find a shade that you absolutely love. Finding your own look and defining your own beauty is the number-one rule here at Shine! But if you need a little help finding your perfect look, try out the tips above, or consider reaching out to one of our Beauty Ambassadors.

Summer is in full swing, and it’s a hot one! Even if you love the heat, dealing with the constantly rising temperatures and merciless sun and wreak havoc on your skin. Overexposure to the sun can lead to premature wrinkles and uneven skin tone—not to mention potentially fatal skin cancer. Protecting your skin during the summer heat is important to looking your best as well as protecting your health. So here are 5 tips to protect yourself throughout the summer.

Don’t Limit Sunscreen to the Beach

Most people are pretty good about slathering on the sunscreen when they put on their swimsuits. But you’re exposed to the sun every day—not just when hitting up the beach or the pool. So don’t just stick your sunscreen in your beach bag. Put it in your purse. Apply sunscreen any time you’re going to be out in the sun for a significant period.

Ideally, you should put on sunscreen every day, but we realize that this just isn’t realistic for most people. So at the very least, be sure to put some on if you’re going to spend more than 30 minutes outside. Whether you’re doing yard work, taking your kids to the park, or going on a long walk, put sunscreen on any exposed skin before you leave the house.

Protect Your Lips Too

Your lips need protection from the sun as well, so look for lip balms that offer SPF 30 or higher to keep your lips from getting dried out or baked by the sun. Apply your lip balm first, then top it off with your favorite shade of lipstick, LipLast, or a simple lip gloss. Or, if you’re going without makeup for the day, wear the lip balm all on its own—just don’t skip it!

Wear a Stylish Hat

Hats can offer extra protection for your face and neck, as well as being a stylish accessory. Of course, hats aren’t appropriate for all occasions, but if you’re going to be outside for a while, it’s always a good idea to pull on a cute hat—preferably one with a wider brim. This will help keep your face, neck, and ears out of the sun.

Reapply Every Two Hours

If you’re going to spend a good portion of the day in the sun, make sure you’re reapplying your sunscreen every two hours. If you’re swimming or sweating, reapply every hour. This will ensure maximum protection throughout the day.

Wear Foundation with Sun Protection

The skin on your face is more sensitive than the rest of your skin, and so it needs a little extra protection from the sun. So, even if you’re not going to spend a lot of time outside, you should be giving your face a little bit of protection every day. The simplest way to do this is with a low-SPF foundation, like Shine’s BB Cream. Our BB Cream offers SPF 15 protection to help protect your skin from everyday sun exposure.

You can wear this foundation over an oil-free sunscreen as well, if you’re going to be spending a lot of time outside. Or, if you’re simply getting ready for a day of work, it can be worn on its own to give you a flawless finish with additional skin protection.

Summer is a great time of year, and many of us enjoy soaking up the sun’s warm rays. Just make sure that you’re not soaking up too much, and take the proper steps to keep your skin healthy and beautiful all summer long.

Blush is such a simple and timeless product. Women have been using it for centuries to add a bit of color to their cheeks, and to emphasize their bone structure. Shine’s blush comes in three different shades, and offers a simple way to give yourself a natural, radiant glow. But there’s more to blush than meets the eye. Keep reading to learn about some of the features and benefits of our blush product, as well as get some tips on applying your blush properly. (Spoiler alert: It’s more complicated than you think!)

Features and Benefits

Shine carries three shades of blush:

• Enough: A creamy color with beige undertones
• Invincible: A peach-toned blush
• Nurture: A rich a lovely pink

All of our shades are lightweight and offer sheer coverage with natural-looking color. The buildable color of the blush allows you to add as little or as much as you desire to achieve the right look for your style, skin tone, and face shape. And, the long-lasting color will give you that rosy-cheeked look all day long.

Tips for Use

There’s a general way of applying blush that works well for pretty much everyone: Using a blush brush, blend the color onto the apples of the cheeks, moving upwards and outwards towards your hairline. However, if you want to up your blush game, you should apply your blush differently depending on your face shape:

• Round: Apply only to the apples of the cheeks.
• Heart: Apply to the cheeks, and blend the color upwards and out to the corner of the eye, into the hairline.
• Oblong: Apply to the apples of the cheeks, with separate dash of color at the temples.
• Square: Apply in a triangular shape. Follow your natural smile line for the base of your triangle. Apply all over the apples of the cheek, to the edge of your cheekbone.
• Oval: Apply to the apples of the cheeks, and blend up and out towards the hairline just above your ear, and add another touch of blush at the temples.

The shade of blush you use should be based on your skin tone. Here are a few suggestions to follow to ensure you’re getting the right look:

• Pale: Use just a single shade of Nurture for a rosy look.
• Fair: Use a small amount of Invincible.
• Medium: Try a touch more Nurture, to a watermelon-like hue.
• Tan: Add a bit of Enough to your cheeks for added color.
• Dark: Try a few layers of Invincible on your cheeks.

Of course, these tips are just a guide. Experiment with the blush’s buildable color to find the right look for you. And don’t be afraid to try out a little contouring with your blush as well. Find the look that works best for your unique and beautiful face!

Lipstick has been a part of women’s makeup routines for centuries. While popular colors, cosmetic formulas, and we’ve even started using other types of lip color, such as lip stain, our love for lipstick has not changed. But if you think you could use a little advice on improving your lipstick application, and some tips on picking the right color for your skin tone and style, then keep reading.

Features and Benefits

Shine’s lipstick comes in six different shades to match a variety of skin types and color preferences. The rich and creamy formula goes on smoothly in a single swipe, and hydrates your lips all day long. Plus, the highly-pigmented, vibrant colors last all day. If you’ve ever had lipstick that left an uncomfortable, sticky feeling on your lips, you don’t have to worry about that with Shine’s lipstick. It provides a soft and comfortable layer of color, so you hardly notice you’re wearing it! Our lipstick allows you to shine, without worrying about constant touch-ups.

Tips for Use

With easy, one-swipe application, there aren’t many tricks to putting on this lipstick. Simply apply a smooth, even layer over your lips after applying lip liner, and you’re on your way. But there are a few tricks you can use to improve the appearance of your lipstick. Give these a try:

• First off, it’s important you choose the right color for your skin tone as well as your personal preferences. If you’re not sure which lip shade is best for you, try out our Perfect Lip Color Quiz. It will help you choose the lipstick or lip stain that’s best for you.
• If you’re dressing up for a night out, choose whether you want a bold lip or dramatic eyes. Doing both can make you look over done. Choosing one allows you to add that perfect amount of pop to make an impression without overdoing it.
• Know how different colors impact the look of your lips. Darker tones can make your lips look thinner. So if you want to plump them up, go for a lighter shade with a touch of shimmery lip gloss.
• Consider using your lip liner as a base for your lipstick. It can provide an even undertone for your lip color as well as helping the lipstick last longer.
• If you have a lipstick color that you don’t love, don’t throw it out just yet. You can try pairing the lipstick with another lip color to create one that works better for you. For example, if your lipstick is too bright, you can apply a dark lip liner or stain to your lips first, then apply the lipstick. The brightness will be toned down just a bit, possibly making it the perfect shade!

Don’t be afraid to experiment with your lipstick. Try different colors. Pair it with different lip liners. Top it with a lip gloss to add some shimmer. Find a look that works for you that can really make you shine!

Who doesn’t want long, stunning eyelashes that are worthy of a red-carpet walk? There are endless products, treatments, serums, and “secrets” out there that promise to give you those lashes you dream of, but most of them don’t work, and some that do can actually damage your eyelashes.

Shine’s Fiber Mascara lengthens and volumizes your eyelashes for a beautiful look you just can’t achieve with basic mascara. Here’s what you need to know about this incredible product features and benefits, and how to properly apply Fiber Mascara for maximum lash impact.

Features and Benefits

Our Fiber Mascara uses a 3-step system that pumps up your lashes so you can bat them to your heart’s content. Here’s how it works:

Step 1: Applies a base coat of mascara.

Step 2: Applies tiny fibers that adhere to your existing lashes, adding volume.

Step 3: Applies a top coat of mascara over the fibers, lengthening your lashes and finishing the look.

These 3 simple steps can be applied in one minute, and dries quickly so that you can be on your way without worrying about smudging. And you won’t have to worry about smudging the rest of the day either; our long-lasting formula is designed for all-day wear, so you can show off your stunning lashes from sunup to sundown.

Tips for Use

Fiber Mascara is simple and easy to apply. But here are a few tips you might want to follow in order to get the most from this product:

• Apply each step evenly from root tip, using a smooth, outward gliding motion.
• If you’re in a hurry, Step 1 of the Fiber Mascara system still works as a great mascara to define your lashes before you head out the door.
• Don’t pump the mascara wand. This is a habit many women have, but it actually forces air into the product, and makes it easier for bacteria to spread. Instead, pull the wand up towards the top of the tube, and gently twirl it to evenly distribute the product on the wand.
• Here’s a fun trick to keep from getting those accidental mascara smudges on your eyelid: Place a business card, credit card, or spoon over your eyelid, behind your lashes as you apply your mascara.
• Out of eyeliner? Pull out your mascara wand, and using an angled brush to pick up some mascara. Apply it to the edge of your eyelid as you would a liquid eyeliner! The creamy, smooth consistency of the Step 1&3 tube allow it to go on easily.
• When applying Step 2 of the system, you might notice some fibers shedding onto your face. Gently touch these with the application wand to pick them right back up again!

This simple and easy-to-apply system can give you thick, long lashes that last all day—and you can get those dream lashes in as little as a minute. It’s no wonder Fiber Mascara is one of Shine’s most popular products!

Many of us began playing with eyeshadow at a very young age, and our mothers still hold onto those blackmail-worthy photos of us with bright blue shadow all over our eyelids. But no matter how long you’ve been playing with this particular product, we find that there’s always a new trick or technique that you can learn. This is especially true with the ever-changing makeup trends that lead us from dramatic, smoky eyes to natural-looking, nearly-nude eyeshadow looks.

So here’s what we want you to know about our product, and a few tricks that can help you with using this timeless beauty staple.

Features and Benefits

Shine’s Eyeshadow Palettes are perfectly sized for travel, so they fit perfectly into any makeup bag. Another great benefit of this setup? You can apply this eyeshadow both wet and dry to achieve two totally different looks (more on that below). But the packaging method is far from the only awesome feature of our eyeshadow.

Our long-lasting formula is made for all-day wear, and it won’t smudge or crease. That’s right—no more dark, clumpy line of shadow in the middle of your eyelid halfway through the day. The blendable, buildable color and high pigmentation of our shadows give every shade a rich and vibrant color. 

Tips for Use

A quick search on the internet will provide you with an endless array of tutorials on how to apply eyeshadow. Simply trying to watch all the how-to videos on YouTube would be a binge-athon the likes of which is rarely seen outside of Netflix. But don’t let all of those tutorials overwhelm you. Keep in mind that not every piece of advice is going to work for you. As long as you follow some basic application tips, and find a look that works for your eye shape, coloring, and personal sense of beauty, you’ll be golden. Here are some basic tips to get you started:

1. Good brushes are half the battle. If you’re still trying to apply your shadow with those little sponge brushes that come in the convenience store eyeshadow pallets, it’s time to upgrade to some decent shadow brushes. We recommend getting a few, as each shape has a specific purpose in eyeshadow application. (Take a look at our brushes to learn a little more about that.)
2. Know how to best highlight your eyes. Smoky eyes don’t look great on everyone, just as cat’s eye eyeliner doesn’t work for everyone. Get familiar with your unique eye shape, and know how to use your shadow to best flatter that shape.

• For hooded eyes, focus your eyeshadow under the lower lashes and at the outer corners of your eyes.
• Wide-set eyes are best flattered by applying darker colors to the inner corner of the eyes.
• If you have close-set eyes, apply darker colors to the outer corners of your eyes.
• Eyes with monolids (no eyelid crease) can really work a cat eye. You can also experiment with highlights at the center of the eyelid.
• For deep-set eyes, don’t be afraid to go for that dramatic, smoky eye. While it might look like too much on other eye shapes, deep-set eyes work really well with this look.

Make sure you’re complementing your eye color as well. To learn what shades work well for your eye color, check out this blog.

3. Get easy eye definition with a simple cut crease. Simply apply a dark shadow along the upper crease of your eyelid, from the end of the line to the outer corner of your eye. Blend it really well, and apply a lighter shadow to your mobile lid (the part of your eyelid that moves when you blink). Boom—instant contrast, and beautifully defined eyes in minutes.

4. Keep things simple. Many women (especially those who are not very experienced with makeup) get overwhelmed by pallets and tutorials that tell you you have to use four different shades of eyeshadow with every makeup application. And while that may be great to do sometimes, it doesn’t work for everyone, every time. There’s nothing wrong with just picking a single shade and applying it all over your mobile lid. This will give you a quick pop of color with minimal effort.

5. Apply your shadow wet for a more dramatic look and deeper color. Speaking of using a single color, remember how we mentioned that our shadow can be applied wet? Here’s how it works: Just tap a small amount of shadow into the container’s lid. Get your shadow brush very slightly damp, and swirl it in the shadow. Apply it to your eyelid as you normally would. You’ll notice that the color is deeper and more vibrant, giving you a more dramatic look without any extra effort.

Eyeshadow is arguably one of the most fun makeup products out there. With so many colors and looks to experiment with, it truly gives us an opportunity to turn ourselves into works of art, and find our own definitions of beauty every day. So, have fun with your eyeshadow, and find a look that lets you shine!

Powder is a staple in any makeup bag. Because it’s such a simple product, few women feel that they need any special tips or advice for how to use it. But there are actually a few tricks you should know that can improve the overall look of your powder application. So, here’s what you should know about our pressed powder product, and how to use it to get a beautiful look that’s perfect for your skin.

Features and Benefits

Our pressed powder comes in four different shades. The lightweight, build-able color allows you to apply as much or as little powder as you need to match your skin tone without ever feeling heavy or cakey. It comes in a sleek compact that includes a mirror and compact sponge for midday touch-ups. Of course, you shouldn’t need to do many of those, as our powder is extremely long-lasting.

This powder will provide you with a natural-looking finish over your liquid foundation, or it can be used for lightweight coverage on its own. The silky-smooth formula goes on like a dream, and doesn’t leave your face with that strange, powdery look that other products can give you.

Tips for Use

It’s hard to use pressed powder the wrong way. However, there may very well be a better way to use this product than what you’re currently doing. And the exact way that you apply your powder should depend on the look that you’re going for, as well as your skin type. So here are a few tips that you might want to keep in mind:

• Make sure you’re using the right tool. For most people, this will be a full, rounded powder brush. This tool will give you that soft, glowing skin, and is a great way to set your foundation. A compact sponge, like the one included with our pressed powder, works well if you want a more matte finish. However, if you want to get full coverage from your powder alone, you’ll want to use a standard makeup sponge. Additionally, if you have very oily skin, a powder puff can help you to get a more velvety, matte finish.
• And keep those tools clean. Your tools are not going to work well for you if they’re dirty. Dirty brushes and sponges don’t give you even application, and can waste makeup. Plus, they’re filled with bacteria, and who wants to be putting germs on their face every morning?
• Only use one coat of powder. Too much powder will give you a cakey look, so try to control the urge to put on several layers. If you want a heavier coverage from your powder, use a sponge, as mentioned above.
• Choose the right shade. Typically, you want to simply match your powder to your skin tone. However, if your skin is very oily, you may want to go one shade lighter. When powder touches oil, it oxidizes, which can cause it to take on a more peachy or brownish tone. A slightly lighter powder will continue to match your skin tone, even after your facial oils have gotten into it.
• Remove any excess powder from your face. Leaving loose powder on your face can cause you to have a strange, powdery look to your skin, especially under bright lights or in photos taken with the flash on. So, after you apply your powder, use a clean, fluffy brush to gently dust off any excess. You can check whether or not you’ve removed the loose powder by taking a selfie on your phone with the flash turned on. If your skin doesn’t have white blotches, you’re set.
• Work from the inside out. You’ll want to start with your T zone, as this area tends to be the oiliest part of your face, and therefore needs the most powder. Dust it gently outwards with sweeping motions, then use circular movement to blend the powder to an even finish. Be sure to apply the product over the jawline and down onto the neck, to ensure your face and neck are the same color.

If you’re surprised by any of these tips, you’re not alone. But give them a try and see just how much your experience with our pressed powder can improve when you follow the right steps!

Whether you hit the snooze button one too many times, or you just want a super minimalist look for your makeup, there are many days where you just don’t want to go through your whole makeup routine. After all, you don’t need to have fabulous winged liner every time you go into the office. So, if you’re looking for a morning makeup routine that you can get done in just a few minutes, here’s the 5-minute, 5-product face that we recommend.

Step 1: BB Cream

As our most requested product, BB cream provides the perfect foundation for any makeup routine. It will give you a smooth and flawless complexion, but without the heaviness of other foundations. Just apply it with your foundation brush, sponge, or even with your fingertips, for light, all-over coverage. It dries to a powdery finish, so you don’t have to worry about topping it off with a powder if you don’t want to.

Step 2: Blush or Bronzer

For the next step, you can choose between blush and bronzer. Either one will add color and definition to your face, so choose whichever works best for your look today. Now, if you’re doing bronzer, you don’t want to go fully into the contouring routine. Just apply a few brush strokes of your product where it’s needed most. For a quick, all-over glow and some healthy color, apply to the forehead, cheekbones, and jawline.

Step 3: Fiber Brow

If you’ve been blessed with nice, thick eyebrows, you may be able to skip this step. But for those of us who don’t have that perfect arch first thing in the morning, a little brow grooming is essential. And our Fiber Brow product provides the extra volume and perfect shaping assistance in a minimal amount of time. Rather than spending time with brow pencils, shadows, and brushes, just apply a few strokes of Fiber Brow for perfect brows in a minimal amount of time.

Step 4: Mascara

We’re of the opinion that mascara is one of the most essential products in your makeup bag. Even if you apply nothing else, a single coat of mascara can really open up your eyes and make them look brighter, giving you a put-together, wide-awake look, regardless of how recently you rolled out of bed. So, make sure you don’t skip this step! If you’re in a hurry, just apply the first step of our Fiber Lash mascara. But if you have an extra minute, doing all three steps will really fill and lengthen those lashes.

Step 5: Lip Color

At Shine, we have a number of lip products to choose from, and a huge array of colors amid all those products. But the best part is that our lipstick, lip gloss, and LipLast products all apply smoothly and easily, so that you can simply swipe on a single coat on your way out the door. Plus, all of these products will help to hydrate your lips throughout the day. So, pick any of our products, and make it part of your 5-product makeup routine. Of course, keep in mind that this is a low-key look, so it will likely be best complicated by a more neutral shade. Depending on your skin tone, you might want to try our Reliable LipLast, Dependable lip gloss, or Believe lipstick as the finishing touch on your 5-minute routine.

Remember, you don’t need to spend hours making yourself “presentable” for the rest of the world. Often, the best look you have is one that merely accentuates your natural beauty, and lets the real you shine through—and that’s exactly what this 5-product, 5-minute face can do.

Fiber Brow is one product that we’re particularly proud of. Because all of that meticulous penciling, gelling, shading, filling, and even dyeing can be replaced with this one, simple product. Fiber Brow gives you those perfect brows with minimal effort. Here’s a bit more on this dream brow product, including some tips on proper use, and the incredible benefits.

Benefits of Fiber Brow

Some people are just blessed with beautiful, full eyebrows that don’t need a ton of extra help. For the rest of us, there’s an endless array of products we’re supposed to use to mimic what the blessed few achieve naturally. We dye our light-colored, barely-there brows, fill them in with pencils and shadows, gel and comb them to keep down those hairs that always grow in weird directions, and so on.

Fiber Brow is beautiful brows in a bottle. It spares you the time and expense of using all those different products. With this one product, you can:

• Add some color
• Increase volume
• Fill in sparse areas
• Shape and style like a brow gel
• Improve definition of brow shape

Whether you find your natural eyebrows too light, too patchy, or difficult to tame, Fiber Brow does it all and gives you the perfect brows that you’re striving for without all the extra products.

Tips for Use

Fiber Brow is incredibly simple to use and comes in two shades—Integrity for lighter brows, and Refine for darker ones. The product comes in a small tube with a built-in wand much like mascara. The tinted liquid inside includes microfibers that adhere to your skin and hairs to create thicker, fuller brows in just a few strokes. Even if you’ve never used a product like this before, it doesn’t take long to figure it out. For optimal results, follow these tips:

• Begin with a light application and build as you go to get the right color and volume.
• Apply in light, upward strokes.
• Work from the inner edge of the brow, out towards the tip.
• Follow the natural shape of your brow and direction of the hair’s growth.

That’s it! With some small, careful strokes, you can create the perfect brows that nature may not have seen fit to give you—and you can do it in under a minute with a single product.

Let’s be honest for a minute. Is your makeup actually stored somewhere, or is it just kind of scattered all over the place? From the lipstick in the bottom of your purse to the touch-up foundation you keep in your desk at work, you likely don’t keep all of your beauty products in a single location. And while it’s perfectly fine to keep your beauty products where you need them most, you still need to be putting a bit more thought into how and where your makeup is stored.

So here are a few dos and don’ts for storing your makeup that will help your products to last longer and look better every time.

Don’t Store in Direct Sunlight

If you keep any products lined up on your window sill, think again. Even if the product isn’t the kind that will melt or soften with sun exposure, sunlight can actually break down important compounds within your products. This can cause them to degenerate much more quickly than they should. You should also keep this in mind if you’re ever tempted to leave your makeup sitting in your car. Even if it’s not a particularly hot day, the sunlight can still cause your products to go bad.

Do Store in a Cool, Dark Place

Your makeup’s shelf life is going to be much longer when your products are stored in a place that is cool and dark. A closet or a dresser drawer in an interior room is a good place for your products. Be sure that they’re away from any sources of heat, like fireplaces or furnaces. Too much warmth can dry out some products, or even separate out the oils within the makeup, which would lead to spoiling.

Don’t Expose to Humidity

Unfortunately, one of the most common places that women store makeup is also one of the worst places you can keep it—the bathroom. Bathrooms can be quite humid, and humidity can quickly ruin powder products, making them clumpy and cakey. It’s better to keep them in another room, which isn’t exposed to as much humidity. Try finding a place outside your bathroom where you can store and apply your makeup without the extra humidity. Perhaps women in days of yore had it right with their vanities and dressing tables!

Do Keep in an Organized Bag

While it’s fine to have products here and there, in places where you need them, try to avoid tossing all your makeup in a jumbled mess in the bottom of a drawer or inside your purse. When they’re stored this way, products get jostled around a lot, which can lead to broken pressed powders, cracked containers, spilled products, and other damage. Keep your makeup organized, and you’ll be less likely to experience these kinds of problems.

These simple dos and don’ts will help your makeup to last longer, so that you can enjoy your products down to the last application. Remember, products that have been properly cared for will help to give you the flawless look that you’re striving for.