teenage.me

Kailyn asks: “I just turned 13, and want to start wearing makeup, but I’m not sure where to start. I have dark brown skin, dark hair, and dark eyes, and it’s hard for me as an African American girl to figure out what would look good. What should I choose that will look natural and fresh?”
 
We’re happy to help, Kailyn! The first time you approach the makeup counter can be totally daunting, especially if it seems like a lot of shades on the market won’t work for you.  Luckily, we have a Rolodex full of experts who are thrilled to offer their advice on where to start. So have fun with some new looks, and happy birthday!!

International makeup artist Chase Aston says the first step should be determining both your skin type and skin tone. “African American women may have yellow, red, blue, or even a mix of these base undertones in their skin, so it’s very important to determine what your skin tone is. Otherwise, certain foundations, powders, eye, and cheek colors can appear chalky and ashy. Go to a variety of beauty counters without any makeup on and ask for a free consultation. You can pop in to The Body Shop and book yourself for a free consultation, which will prevent any costly mistakes by buying the wrong products.” Once you’ve got a good idea of your natural skin tones, it’s time for the fun part–colors! “For a fresh, natural day look for the eyes I would suggest using warm shimmery shades in golden sand, soft gold, bronze, and chocolate. I always use The Body Shop Shimmer Cubes in Palette 06, since they can be used dry for a natural day look, or applied wet for a deeper wash of color. You can even use it on the cheekbones as a highlighter–it’s the perfect multi-use palette for a make-up beginner! Make sure to avoid pale, pastel hues around the eyes since these shades could appear chalky on warmer complexions. For the cheeks, use a sheer, golden bronzing powder. Using a large blusher brush, dust it over the apples of your cheeks, along the cheekbones, and onto the forehead and chin creating a soft, golden glow. Finally, for the lips, I suggest avoiding lip-liner and lipsticks. Instead, use a sheer gloss with a subtle hint of a tint. For the day, use orangey peach colors, corals, caramels and sheer berry tones. Try to avoid dark, matte, or solid hues.” For a more fun, funky look embracing the trend for super brights, Chase says to first smudge a sheer, shimmering eye shadow in rich greens, deep blues, and golden hues from the lash-line to the crease of the eye. “For contrast, line along the top lash, starting from the inner corner to the outer corner of the eye with a bold, metallic eyeliner that will make eyes pop! I always use The Body Shop Metallic Eye-Definer Pencils in Brilliant Blue and Vibrant Emerald.” I recently saw Chase using a vibrant, electric blue mascara from The Body Shop on an African American model, and the blue tint really made her eyes glow!

Makeup artist Evelyn Manson of Black Opal says, “African American teens should look for skin care and cosmetics products specially formulated for ethnic skin. Using products that are not made for African American women may cause irritation or may cause skin to appear dull or ashy. To choose a foundation or a powder, match the product with the skin color on the back of your hand. Teens should use the lightest weight possible foundation, if any at all. I recommend Black Opal True Color Liquid Foundation because its oil-free formula keeps skin looking natural and it won’t clog pores or encourage breakouts. When picking a concealer, you generally want one that’s 1-2 shades lighter than your skin tone. Teens should look for a concealer with Salicylic Acid in it like the new Black Opal Cover & Clear which fights the bacteria in blemishes while hiding them from the world! Add a touch of color and highlight those cheekbones, forhead, and collarbone with Black Opal Color Fusion Mosaic Shimmer Bronzer!” But Evelyn warns, “Don’t over do the eyes and lips! Less is best. Softly outline the eyes with eyeliner and a small stroke or mascara to lengthen the lashes.” For the lips, Evelyn agrees with Chase: “Lipgloss is one of the best accessories a girl can have! I recommend Black Opal Lip Line-Lacquer Duo because it lets you line the lips and fill them in with gloss with one perfectly double-ended tube.”
 

I recently visited Sweet Lily, one of my favorite nail spas in New York, for the first time in FOREVER to try out their new Lemon Berry pedicure. I know, I have a tough life… Or in my case, tough soles. You see, my poor feet take a beating every day. Not only do I run around in awful, torturous shoes, I also love being barefoot–and in my apartment, with hardwood floors, that means my feet get pretty gross pretty quickly. TMI? Sorry!! SO, thank goodness for Sweet Lily. The pedicure sloughed off dead skin using lemons (which contains natural alphahydroxies) and strawberry puree (which soothes skin) and left my skin ready to face the summer! If you’re ever in the Tribeca area, I highly suggest you check it out! 

To celebrate their new Maybelline Great Lash BIG mascara, Maybelline sent a crazy-huge Great Lash singing telegram guy (seriously) to my offices. Here’s a pic of me (and Zan from Teen Vogue’s art department!), haha! Come back tomorrow to read the review…

So I recently have been (slowly) dipping my toes back into the world of physical fitness (between work, volunteering, and trying to decorate my apartment, I haven’t much time) by doing pilates and classes at various gyms in NYC… And with that in mind, I thought I’d share some very educational workout myth-busters from BodyScapes Fitness‘ certified trainer & manager, Mike Walsh, MS, CSCS!
 
MYTH: You can target areas of your body that you want to slim down.
REALITY: There is no such thing as spot reduction. Unfortunately, we don’t get to pick what areas we lose weight in. The key is to exercise your entire body and let your body to do the work to get more lean/fit overall.

MYTH: Weight training will make you big and bulky.
REALITY: Weight training does not inherently make you big and bulky. The muscle-bound image that’s conjured in one’s head when thinking of weight-training comes from days and hours of strength training. A typical fitness enthusiast who weight trains 2-3 times a week will not have that bulkiness.

MYTH: Doing endless hours of cardio is the secret to success.
REALITY: For a fitness enthusiast, sometimes the best thing to do is to take a day off if you are working out 5-7 days a week. It’s sometimes the day off that’s the most important part. A day of rest allows you to restore muscle and your body to participate in the regenerative process.

MYTH: One cardio machine is better than another (ie: treadmill better than the elliptical, vice versa)
REALITY: No cardio machine is better than another. Exertion is the key. All that matters is how hard you work out on it.

MYTH: Exercising is the only component to weight loss/toning up.
REALITY: No matter how many minutes you put into the gym, without the proper nutrition to control what you burn at the gym, you’re not going to see the desired results.

Thanks, Mike! Very interesting indeed!

We just came across these bright nail colors that will leave you feeling summer-fresh for back-to-school in the fall! Kitson LA Nail Polish was inspired by the colorful backdrop of Los Angeles. They’re coming out with 10 new shades like Paparazzi Red (deep red), Malibu Pink and Kitson Blue.

Click “read more” to find out which of your favorite stars are sporting these trendy colors!
 

It was an hour before the Hey Monday concert in NYC, and the band members were testing the equipment and
doing warm-ups. But Cassadee Pope, the spunky lead singer and only girl
in the band, was buttoning her electric-yellow vest, lacing up her
tennis shoes, and chatting with Seventeen! She dished to us about falling off the stage, her shoe fetish, breakup advice, and more!

17: You’re just barely out of high school. Was being the lead singer in a band your dream growing up?

CP: I
started taking voice lessons when I was four. My sister was the reason
I got into it — she took voice lessons before me, and I kind
of just followed in her footsteps. Ever since then, I knew I had to
sing for a living. It was also about hanging out with the right people,
meeting the right people, being friends with the friends in my band
right now. I would definitely be in college right now if it weren’t for
this, so I’m really happy it worked out.

17: What’s a funny or embarrassing moment that’s happened on stage?

CP: I’ve had a bunch of embarrassing moments where my mic cord will fall
out of my microphone, so now I tape the cord. I’ve also tripped on
stage; one time I almost fell off stage; and one time I was pulled off
stage by the crowd! But I like when stuff like that happens. Not at the
moment, but looking back, I learn and grow from those times. Or maybe
I’m just clumsy, I don’t know.

17: What’s it like being the only girl in the band?

CP: The guys are all my best friends and brothers. I’ve known them all for
so long, and I’ve been through so much with each of them individually,
it would be really weird to date any of them or think of any of them in
that way. Everything they’ve done that’s embarrassing or that they
might not want girls to see, I’ve seen. Like them being gross around
each other, talking about bodily fluids.

To find out Cassadee’s beauty and fashion must-haves, click “read more!”

Who & Where: Emma Watson at the Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Premiere in NYC.

The look: A snug-fitting leather halter dress paired with simple jewelry and
sleek-styled hair. Emma makes a statement with nude lips and slightly smoky eyes.

What do you think: Did she pull off a mature look, or could she use some more color to add some spark to her style?

Who & Where: Leighton Meester at the screening of 500 Days of Summer.

The look: A sleeveless Emilio de la Morena dress and peep-toe booties with just a dusting of light, shimmery makeup.
Her hair is pulled back into a low ponytail,
complemented by elegant earrings. Reminds us of Blair Waldorf at one of
her mom’s charity galas!

What do you think? Comment below!

Getting
sweaty is an inevitable part of summer — it usually means you’re making
the most of sunny days, but you don’t have to worry
about feeling gross, just grab one of these fresh products from
Secret.
Their Fresh Effects invisible solid antiperspirant/deodorant
is available in Cucumber Aloe, fresh Water Orchid and Orange Blossom
Verbena. If you prefer a gel, there’s Secret Crystal Clear Gel.
Heading out to the beach or a day at the pool? Then you’ll be happy
to hear that there’s now Secret Waterproof in Island Rush, so
that you can stay sweat-free even after you swim! All products are
available at drugstores nationwide.

Check out the summer skin guide!

My lash type: Normal with medium length and thickness
I Tested: bareMinerals Flawless Definition Mascara
Thoughts: The bareMinerals Flawless mascara has a very natural effect on your lashes.  The superfine comb like brush is tapered and adheres to the no-lash-left-behind act. It gives your lashes “flawless definition” and separation without a clump in sight. Also, because of the shape of the brush, you won’t get those annoying smudges of mascara around your eyes and nose when trying to reach your corner lashes. With 100% natural minerals and Shea Butter, this mascara conditions and strengthens your lashes while the extra dose of vitamin E protects them from environmental damage. This mascara is probably not those who want ultra-glam lashes, but it’s great for a light, everyday look!
Best for: Girls with contacts (it’s ophthalmologist tested!) who like a no-makeup look, but still want to keep all eyes on them.
Buy it at: Bare Escentuals Boutiques, bareescentuals.com, Sephora, Ulta, Select Nordstrom & Macy’s for $17

–KATHERINE TYLER