BFR Blog

☀️ SPF Isn’t Optional: Why Sunscreen is a Must (and Why It Has an Expiration Date)
☀️ SPF Isn’t Optional: Why Sunscreen is a Must (and Why It Has an Expiration Date)
We love a golden glow as much as anyone, but sun protection is non-negotiable. Whether you're applying a full face of makeup or just running errands bare-faced, SPF is your... Read more...
A Letter to My Mom as a New Mom
A Letter to My Mom as a New Mom
Today, my first Mother's Day, I'm feeling overwhelmed by a wave of emotions that only now, as a new mother myself, I can truly begin to comprehend. It’s like finally... Read more...
How to Transition Your Makeup from Winter to Spring
How to Transition Your Makeup from Winter to Spring
Ah, spring! The birds are singing, flowers blooming, and your heavy-duty winter makeup suddenly feels as out-of-place as wearing a parka on Miami Beach. Transitioning your makeup from winter to... Read more...
How to Achieve the Effortless “No-Makeup” Makeup Look
How to Achieve the Effortless “No-Makeup” Makeup Look
The “no-makeup” makeup look is one of the most timeless and flattering beauty trends, for good reason. It’s all about looking fresh, natural, and radiant while enhancing your features just... Read more...
Sustainable Beauty Choices: Small Changes for a More Eco-Friendly Routine
Sustainable Beauty Choices: Small Changes for a More Eco-Friendly Routine
Earth Day serves as an essential reminder that our everyday choices can significantly impact the health of our planet. Even our beauty routines offer numerous opportunities to make more sustainable... Read more...
Why Lip Oil Is the Must-Have Product for Soft, Glossy, and Healthy Lips?
Why Lip Oil Is the Must-Have Product for Soft, Glossy, and Healthy Lips?
Give Your Lips the Glow They Deserve Meet Lip Revival, Beauty For Real’s hi-shine hydrating lip oil that delivers deep moisture, a glossy (non-sticky!) finish, and a sheer pop of... Read more...
Minimalist Beauty: How to Create a 5-Minute Makeup Routine for Busy Mornings
Minimalist Beauty: How to Create a 5-Minute Makeup Routine for Busy Mornings
Mornings can feel like a race—but your makeup routine doesn’t have to. Whether you're heading to the office, school drop-off, or just need a confidence boost before a busy day,... Read more...
How to Look (and Feel) Fresh After a St. Patrick’s Day Hangover
How to Look (and Feel) Fresh After a St. Patrick’s Day Hangover
Ah, St. Patrick’s Day. A time for parades, questionable green beverages, and waking up the next morning wondering if you accidentally tried to Irish step dance in stilettos. If you... Read more...
Spring Cleaning for Your Beauty Routine—Fresh, Clean, and Right on Time
Spring Cleaning for Your Beauty Routine—Fresh, Clean, and Right on Time
Spring cleaning isn’t just for your closet—it’s time to refresh your beauty routine too! If your makeup bag is overflowing with half-used lipsticks and mystery powders, or if your mascara... Read more...
Women Are Stronger Together in Every Aspect of Life
Women Are Stronger Together in Every Aspect of Life
Women thrive when they support each other—lifting, inspiring, and celebrating every win together. Beauty For Real believes in confidence, collaboration, and the magic of women empowering women. From breaking barriers... Read more...
Beautiful beauty senior woman Leslie Munsell Make up Artist
New Year, New You: Self-Care Resolutions for Every Stage of Life
The start of a new year is always a time for reflection—a moment to pause, breathe, and reconnect with ourselves. Yet, how often do we truly prioritize the care and... Read more...
3 Ebooks Every Aspiring Makeup Artist Should Read
3 Ebooks Every Aspiring Makeup Artist Should Read
The booming beauty industry brings high demand for skilled makeup artists, though it can be daunting to break into. eBooks by icons like Laura Mercier, François Nars, and Kevyn Aucoin... Read more...
Reclaiming Beauty and Confidence After Menopause: You Are More Than Enough
Reclaiming Beauty and Confidence After Menopause: You Are More Than Enough
Today, let’s redefine femininity. Not the kind linked to societal norms, but the kind that makes you feel strong. Femininity is complex and personal, shaped by your beliefs and culture.... Read more...
MAKEUP TIPS FOR PEOPLE THAT WEAR CONTACTS
MAKEUP TIPS FOR PEOPLE THAT WEAR CONTACTS
Avoid reactions to makeup with these tips for contact wearers.   Read more...
Embracing Aging with Grace: A Woman’s Perspective
Embracing Aging with Grace: A Woman’s Perspective
In a world that glorifies youth and dismisses the beauty of aging, it's essential to recognize the power and wisdom that come with growing older. Read more...
Finding the RIGHT products is EVERYTHING
Finding the RIGHT products is EVERYTHING
Now I find myself in a new phase of life. I am in my mid-50’s, a widow with one child in college and another one there soon. Being in between... Read more...
Why Getting Fit Might Be the Best Thing You Can Do for Your Skin
Why Getting Fit Might Be the Best Thing You Can Do for Your Skin
The skin is our first layer of protection and can indicate whether there's something wrong with the rest of our body.  Read more...
Beauty, Aging & September Issue Of Vogue
Beauty, Aging & September Issue Of Vogue
You may not be old enough to remember, but there was a time, not so long ago, when magazines were everything. Before the internet, they were the source for current... Read more...
Do better Makeup Brushes make a difference?
Do better Makeup Brushes make a difference?
Do better brushes make a difference in your makeup application? Absolutely! First, it’s how the product is picked up and held, then it’s that you can achieve correct ... Read more...
Top 10 Silver Eyeliner Looks and Ideas
Top 10 Silver Eyeliner Looks and Ideas
If you haven’t gotten on board with the gold eyeliner trend then you should really give it a try. If you have, you know it looks brilliant on literally everyone... Read more...
Why Supporting Female Owned Small Business Is Crucial
Why Supporting Female Owned Small Business Is Crucial
Recently, I was really fortunate to meet and spend an evening with a great group of successful female entrepreneurs. We talked about business, (of course, we had to go there!)... Read more...
Beauty Unedited
Beauty Unedited
The reason I’m sharing this with you is because Beauty For Real has started a campaign we are calling Beauty Unedited.  Read more...
A Letter From Leslie
A Letter From Leslie
In 2010, we launched Beauty For Real with our beloved lip gloss and a mission to simplify beauty for women at every age... Read more...
Matte Lip Hacks For Fall
Matte Lip Hacks For Fall
If you haven’t worn matte lipstick before and are looking for long-wear, this is a great time to start... Read more...
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Skin Repair Tips For The Summer
Too much sun exposure, especially when not protected by SPF, leads to an inflammatory response in the skin, It’s one of the major... Read more...
BIGGEST Beauty Trend In 2022
BIGGEST Beauty Trend In 2022
Blush is the BIG trend for 2022 and cream blush is the product of the season. All over social media and on the faces of those in the know you’ll... Read more...
Are Brands Clean Beauty Claims True?
Are Brands Clean Beauty Claims True?
What does it mean when brands use the claim Clean Beauty? Where there is no regulated list of banned ingredients eliminated from Clean Beauty... Read more...
5 Minute Makeup
5 Minute Makeup
Let’s say you have 5 minutes to get some makeup on to get out the door and you’re going somewhere you need to be on the glam side ... Read more...
Holiday Shopping Made Easy!
Holiday Shopping Made Easy!
With everything going on this time of year it’s inevitable that you get feelings ofoverwhelm- especially when it comes to getting great gifts for everyone on your ... Read more...
Liquid Liner VS Pencil Liner | Which Should I Use?
Liquid Liner VS Pencil Liner | Which Should I Use?
When we do our makeup, we all want to maximize our eyes- they speak volumesright? Nothing does this like eyeliner- it brings focus and definition to the ... Read more...
My thoughts on eyelash extensions
My thoughts on eyelash extensions
While there are those that look really great- natural, believable and applied with constraint so as to enhance the look of the person wearing them, I know that ... Read more...
Experiencing The Golden Hour
Experiencing The Golden Hour
In my early days working full-time as a makeup artist in Miami I became very familiar with the benefits of The Golden Hour. Back in the day, and still today... Read more...
Ingredient Focus: What is Hyaluronic Acid and why do you need it?
Ingredient Focus: What is Hyaluronic Acid and why do you need it?
Initially, when you think of the word “acid,” it doesn’t seem like something you want to put on your face or in your body. Truth is, some of the most... Read more...
What is a lip scrub, and why do you need one?
What is a lip scrub, and why do you need one?
Are your lips dry, chapped and peeling from exposure to cold or prolonged sun exposure? Do you find your lip colors build up on your lips and create a weird... Read more...
On becoming a successful makeup artist
On becoming a successful makeup artist
It is the love of beauty for me; the glamorous beauty, the understated beauty, the creative beauty, the beauty that stirs that warm and fuzzy feeling inside when ... Read more...
Beauty in the Time of Corona
Beauty in the Time of Corona
All of us make up lovers know it’s nearly magic how much better you feel when you apply a bit of your favorite products, right? In the spirit of looking... Read more...
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Fall Beauty Trends We Love in 2020
Crisp air, turning leaves, pumpkin spice everything, and fresh fall makeup trends. What’s not to love when fall comes around? Although we’ll all be wearing ... Read more...
Beauty Tips for Women Over 50
Beauty Tips for Women Over 50
Back when I was a young make up artist working with more mature women, it seemed they always complained about their aging looks and repeatedly ... Read more...
How To Achieve Your Most Radiant Skin Ever
How To Achieve Your Most Radiant Skin Ever
Every woman deserves to feel radiant, luxurious, and confident in her own skin. We want you to always feel your most beautiful, so we put together a few tips ... Read more...
Delicious Moscow Mule Variation
Orange Spice Moscow Mule - A Delicious Moscow Mule Variation
Any hour is happy hour in quarantine! Just kidding (maybe not…LOL). This fun spin on a cocktail favorite is inspired by Beauty For Real’s Lip Revival Scrub ... Read more...
Top 3 questions every makeup artist gets asked
Top 3 questions every makeup artist gets asked
Hi there Beauty! Leslie here. I’m so excited to present to you our carefully curated Complexion Store. Inspired by the thousands of faces I’ve worked on as a ... Read more...
Be My Valentine Beauty
Be My Valentine Beauty
Disclaimer: Only because it’s nearly Valentine's Day am I going to write about what your date may think of your make up. Normally we choose, apply, and ... Read more...
Your Lips Deserve This!
Your Lips Deserve This!
In the many years I’ve been a makeup artist there has been an incredible amount of development in beauty. Amazingly innovative products with advanced ... Read more...
Pencil Eyeliner vs. Liquid Eyeliner: Get 'Em Both
Pencil Eyeliner vs. Liquid Eyeliner: Get 'Em Both
Eyeliner is having a strong moment in makeup now and there are a million eyeliners available with so many reasons to choose one over another. There’s ... Read more...
8 Summer Beauty Trends To Try
8 Summer Beauty Trends To Try
Summer is the perfect time to experiment with new makeup looks. The easy, breezy days of summer mean endless opportunities to add to your beauty ... Read more...
7 Ways to Create a Polished Look Every Day
7 Ways to Create a Polished Look Every Day
With makeup, all kinds of creative trends pop up through the seasons. But, elegant women do not automatically jump on the bandwagon. They are ... Read more...
Top 10 Gold Eyeliner Looks and Ideas
Top 10 Gold Eyeliner Looks and Ideas
If you haven’t gotten on board with the gold eyeliner trend then you should really give it a try. If you have, you know it looks brilliant on literally everyone... Read more...
5 Things To A More Beautiful 2019
5 Things To A More Beautiful 2019
The ideas I’m going to share with you aren’t new, perhaps nothing you haven’t heard before, but they are profound in their consistent results. Besides, these ... Read more...
Inspiration strikes at World Equestrian Games, Tryon 2018
Inspiration strikes at World Equestrian Games, Tryon 2018
We all find our inspiration in different ways. You know that incredible feeling that comes when someone or something you hear, read or experience really strikes home and you feel... Read more...
Orange Fever: 7 Different Ways to Wear Orange Lips this Fall
Orange Fever: 7 Different Ways to Wear Orange Lips this Fall
What’s the deal with the fear of orange? Pumpkins are orange. Leaves turn orange. It really is a wearable color. And while it might not have the reputation of more... Read more...