BFR Blog

To be a jetset beauty means to pack light but not at the expense of your look. This season's hottest trends are perfect to throw in your case for your travels.

It’s all about subtlety, which is perfect for a girl on the go.

Glowing clear skin, gilded eyes and glossy lips are undoubtedly the most wearable trends from the runway. You can’t go wrong if you keep it simple. With these essentials, you just need to decide on your destination.

 

 

Step 1: Pack your makeup must-haves:

Travel-proof Makeup -- Wear out your passport, not your makeup. Long flights, hot car rides, and beachy escapades can be taxing. Don't let that keep you from taking cute selfies in front of memorable places! Opt for a waterproof or water-resistant makeup.

Customer favorite I-LINE eyeliner was just named best sweatproof eyeliner by Equinox Mag so you know it will last through even the longest layover. Choose from 6 shades. Complete the look with Miami-proof HI-DEF Mascara.

 

Hydrated skin and smooth lips-- Your skin care routine needs to be on the go as much as you are. Especially since travel can be dehydrating.

If you're on a long flight you should drink about eight ounces of water every hour you’re in the air. This isn’t just about hydration: Hitting the restroom forces you to move, which keeps blood flowing in your legs.

Refresh dried, chapped lips with our natural sugar exfoliating Lip Revival Exfoliating Lip Scrub.

 

Step 2: Use Ziploc baggies:  Ziploc bags are light and space-saving, and since they’re transparent, you’ll be able to find your necessities quickly and easily.

Step 3: Important Documents

Any woman on-the-go and in-the-know should always make sure she has copies of important documents. Make copies of your passport, ID, and travel information and save it in two places.  Don't just keep a photo on your phone without backing up to the cloud just in case your phone takes a dip in the pool or lake! 

 

 

 

Step 4: Make it fit: How do you fit it all in that super-cute leather weekend bag?

Roll it. If you roll your clothes, it saves space and keeps them from wrinkling.

Pack the Ziploc bags on the side pockets. This ensures the center space is reserved for your clothes and beauty products.

Wear your heavy or bulky items to travel in. Can’t live without your platform sandals? We understand. Just don’t let them take up all the room in your bag when you’re trying to get away for the weekend.

Step 5: Choose your destination

Not sure which destination to hit first? Feeling adventurous? You’re not the only one. That’s why there’s apps out there to help you find a place to travel for any budget. Check out Skyscanner--it allows you to explore flights to anywhere, for any dates with their “Explore Top Deals” feature. Now that’s wanderlust simplified.

 

 

Bon voyage! Send us a selfie!

Spring Essentials simplified? We’ve got you covered. No matter what adventures you’ve got planned this spring, skin care is essential for those sunny days and hot nights. Pack light with these Beach Babe Face+Body must-haves. Radiant beauty starts with healthy glowing skin and that’s just what you’ll get with these products.

 

Step 1: Total Revival Body Scrub for smooth and hydrated skin

The first step to gorgeous skin is exfoliation; that’s where our sugar body scrubs comes in. With a coffee extract and raw brown sugar base, this formula gently exfoliates your skin while invigorating your body and senses to take on the day. The real brown sugar crystals and raw organic coffee gently buff away dry skin cells. Citrus oils and moisturizers made from nature’s simplest elements leave the skin invigorated and renewed.

 

 

Step 2: Total GLO for illuminated skin

Next, hydrate your skin and add a healthy, natural-looking glow with our body bronzing lotion. As a moisturizing body bronzer, this product gives you that sun-kissed look while enriching your skin with shea and cupuacu butters. Shea butter aids in the skin’s natural collagen production. It also protects and nourishes the skin to prevent drying. This helps with skin softening and strengthening and can even reduce wrinkles. The aloe extract acts a soothing agent perfect after a day soaking in the sun. 

Step 3: Blush+GLO for an effortless “no makeup” makeup look

We’ve doubled the dosage of Vitamin E in this product by adding grape seed extract and pomegranate extract. The Vitamin E in our Blush + Glo is a natural moisturizer which has the power to improve skin texture and blemishes while preventing premature signs of aging. These two antioxidants are not only high in Vitamin E, but rich in Vitamin C as well, which means your skin is fortified against aging, oily skin, and acne. These powerful antioxidants are the perfect formula for beautiful, glowing skin.  

Step 4: Lip Revival Sugar Scrub for soft, kissable lips

Get that perfect pout with proper lip care. Getting your tan on often has a harsh effect on your lips. The raw sugar cane in our Lip Revival Scrub exfoliates your lips while orange, vanilla, and cinnamon bark essential oils hydrate and condition for the softest, smoothest, kissable lips. This product will leave your lips hydrated and moisturized like a lip balm. 

s waterproof mascara bad for your lashes? Does a bigger brush actually mean more volume? You can say these are the Old Wives' Tales of beauty ...

In the same way the clothes you wear makes a statement, the color of your eyeliner speaks volumes about your personality and the mood your in. Luckily, our new I-LINE colors are perfect for any mood that strikes you—whether you’re feeling romantic, adventurous, or like a boss. Curious to know what your eyeliner says about you? Read on!

The Adventurer wears In The Navy: As an innovator, you’re not afraid to take risks, and you’re always ready for a new challenge. You’re the creative type who bores of the status quo easily, which is why your eyeliner is as bold as you are. You’re the life of the party and your energy radiates color to every corner of the room. Spontaneity is your middle name, whether it’s going to a concert to see a band you’ve never heard before, or four-wheeling in a remote jungle, you’re always down for adventure. Click here to buy

The Romantic wears Storm: You’re full of soul and believe love conquers all. There’s more to that dreamy look in your eye, though. You’re a classic with a hint of a devilish flair, which means you know what you’ve got and know how to make it pop. You know nothing can go wrong with a little shimmer and a subtle smile. Always ahead of your time, you know how to make people feel special, and friends like to go to you for advice. The glitter you relish within means you have a special glow about you that is simply irresistible. Click here to buy

The Girl Boss wears Whiskey: A multitasker at heart, you know the value of using liner that doubles as shadow. You’re a true woman in control. You’re sharp and sophisticated, neat and decisive, which of course makes you effortlessly timeless. You often find yourself buried in Mad Men marathons, Audrey Hepburn Pinterest boards, DIY projects on the weekends and conquering the boardroom during the week. You’re the one-of-a-kind type of woman who has no problem drinking whiskey from a tea cup. Click here to buy

The “It” Girl wears Black Magic: You’re the embodiment of effortless beauty. You’re a natural problem solver, always finding creative new ways to approach things in every aspect of your life. By keeping it simple with the color, you are able to experiment with eyeliner styles: cat eye, smudged & smoky, orjust along the waterline. If not going for the bold eye, you draw attention to your impeccable style which can paired perfectly with black liner. People find you dependable and loyal. Your knack for common sense makes you admired by all. Click here to buy

We know you're not the same person every day so grab all four and be who you want to be, beautiful.

Click here to buy 2 for $24 (Save $4)

Click here to buy 3 for $32 (Save $10)

Addicted to chapstick? Do you find yourself reapplying lip balm and chapstick all the time? It’s because your lips aren’t really being hydrated! Most balms and chapsticks are made with dangerous chemicals and using them more than once a week is extremely detrimental.

To top it off, if the dead skin cells are not removed before application of lip product, you’re not really doing anything to remedy the problem of chapped and cracked lips.

What is a lip scrub?

Lip scrub is an exfoliating product designed specifically for removing dead skin cells from the sensitive lip area. While there are numerous body exfoliating creams on the market, they tend to have a strong odor, unpleasant taste, and may contain ingredients that should not be used in close proximity to the mouth.

Why use a lip scrub?

The purpose of using a lip scrub or any other exfoliating agent is to remove dead skin cells that tend to dull the natural glow of the skin.

What can you do about chapped lips?

At this point, lip balm will not help to remedy the problem unless the dead skin cells are removed first. A scrub can be used for this action; gently rubbing the lips with a toothbrush or a washcloth could produce the same results.

What’s the best way to apply it?

Apply the scrub all over the lips and gently rub in a circular motion before rinsing. Since Beauty For Real’s Lip Revival Sugar Scrub is made of all-natural ingredients, it is edible AND safe to use daily.

Get a Beauty For Real Lip Scrub today - Shop Here

Watch how it's done here!

It’s the holiday season, which means many of us will be hopping on a plane to jet off on vacation. While this is something to celebrate, you might be slightly ...

At Beauty For Real, we understand that not everyone is a professional makeup artist like Leslie. Most #bfrbeauties are women, like you who love our products because they're easy to use and don’t require hours of YouTube tutorials to apply. There’s nothing wrong with not wanting to spend a ton of time on your makeup. However, if you are breezing through your beauty routine, you may be making some of these common makeup mistakes. Fortunately, they all have simple fixes.

Lip color on dry lips

It’s winter, and if you live in a cold-weather climate, you are probably combatting chapped lips on a daily basis. If you’re a lip-color lover, you don’t want to give up rocking your reds just because your lips look a bit rough. However, whether it is a lip cream, lipstick, or lip gloss, when you apply it to dry, chapped lips, it will accentuate the bumpy texture. Fortunately, there is a very simple solution: exfoliating lip scrub. When you find your lips have dried out, simply apply our Lip Revival scrub to your lips and gently rub with your finger to exfoliate. Voila! Smooth lips that will look flawless, whatever lip color you choose.

The wrong foundation

This is probably the most common makeup mistake in the book. It makes sense because most people make the mistake of trying to match the color by applying it to the hand or arm. To make sure you have the right color, don’t test on your hand; test directly on your jaw line, as your skin tone and shade is often different on your face. Additionally, your skin tone varies with the season; your skin could be as much as four shades darker in summer! To combat this problem, invest in a different shade of foundation for each season.

Blush in places it shouldn't be

Well-applied blush livens your face with a bit of color, but poorly applied blush can age you and make you look clownish. Some women make the mistake of applying blush below their cheekbones, which ages the face by making it look saggier. Others apply circles of blush to the apples of their cheeks, creating a clownish look. Instead, your blush should go along your cheekbones, drawing the eye upward to create length. 

Overdrawn brows

Bold brows have seen a resurgence in popularity recently thanks to beauty icons like Cara Delevingne, and as a result, more and more women are investing in brow pencils, gels, powders, and waxes. While we love a strong brow, a little goes a long way. Avoid going too intense with your eyebrows by using a shade lighter than your natural hair color and applying with a light hand.

Too much bronzer

Everyone loves a sun-kissed glow, but there is a point where it goes from bronzed beauty to carrot real quick if you aren’t careful. When you are applying to your face, lightly brush over your forehead, temples, neck, and nose instead of all over your face. If you are looking to add a bit of color to your body, use our body bronzer for subtle illumination for any skin tone.

At Beauty For Real, our makeup is intuitive and easy to apply, so you can worry less about makeup mistakes and more about what’s really important to you. Simplify your beauty routine by shopping Beauty For Real today!  

Be sure to sign up for our BFR Newsletter for special access to The 12 Days of Savings event starting next week & save on all your favorites.

If you have ever shopped our awesome eye makeup at Beauty For Real, you may have noticed that our black mascara, Hi-Def Mascara, is paraben free. More and more cosmetics companies are moving away from products with parabens in them. You might have noticed “paraben-free” labels popped up left and right, but you may not know exactly why. In this blog, we will give the lowdown on what parabens are and why we don’t put them in our best-selling volumizing mascara.

What are parabens?

Parabens are preservatives that have been used in a variety of beauty products since the 1950s. These chemicals are used to prevent bacteria, fungus, and mold growth. From lotions to shampoos to lipsticks to eyeshadow, parabens are present in roughly 85 percent of all cosmetics, making them the most used type of preservative in makeup. This is because they are very cheap and have proven to be effective.

So what’s the problem?

The problem is that recent research has shown that paraben may have detrimental effects on our health. Specifically, the issue is that research into breast cancer has discovered the presence of parabens in breast cancer tumors. Parabens have the ability to mimic estrogen, and estrogen exposure has been linked to the development of breast cancer. Some scientists believe that the prevailing presence of parabens in cosmetics may be messing with our endocrine systems because repeated exposure to these chemicals is disrupting the estrogen receptors in our bodies. Some researchers believe that the prevalence of parabens is linked to the rising rates of breast cancer. While we don’t know for sure if parabens really cause cancer, recent studies have led some scientists to be concerned. For example, one Danish study recently discovered that after participants applied lotions with parabens to their skin, parabens were detected in their blood hours later. Because of the ubiquity of parabens, their estrogen-mimicking abilities, and our ability to quickly and effectively absorb them into our bodies, we should be concerned about the potential impact of parabens.

What to watch out for

If you are concerned about the effects of these chemicals like we are, luckily, you have alternatives. When shopping for any personal care items, check for “paraben-free” labels. Read the ingredients and look for the following chemicals: butylparaben, ethylparaben, isobutylparaben, isopropylparaben, methylparaben, propylparaben, and anything else that ends in -paraben. As more and more consumers become aware of the potential problems with paraben, you will probably see more paraben-free options soon.

Better safe than sorry

In short, more research needs to be done on parabens to determine exactly how concerned we should be about their effects. While small amounts of parabens may be harmless, at Beauty For Real, we’d rather play it safe. After all, our mascara is going near your eye; who wants potentially toxic chemicals there?! We always aim for our products to be natural with as few ingredients as possible because we’re all about simplicity and quality.

When you need a volumizing mascara that won’t smudge and contains no parabens, shop Beauty For Real for one of our favorite products, Hi-Def Mascara.

Your makeup looks amazing when you first apply it in the morning, but by the time you get home at the end of the day, it looks like you didn’t even put any on! Fortunately, when you have the right products and techniques, you can have flawless makeup all day long. Read on for some tips for making your makeup last.

Prep your pores

The first step to ensuring your makeup lasts all day is exfoliation. When you exfoliate, you shed those pesky dead skin cells, leaving smooth skin behind. This allows you to apply your makeup evenly, which will in turn, last longer. Invest in a good exfoliating face scrub to use twice a week, and try our exfoliating lip scrub before one of our lip creams for flawless lip color that lasts all day.

Less is more

It might makes sense to you to layer your makeup to make it last longer, but this is actually counterproductive. When you add too much product to your face, it is more likely to smear and smudge. This is especially true for foundation, so always use a light hand (or even better, brush!). One way to accomplish this is by applying a thin layer with a brush, then using a sponge to absorb any excess product.

Use the right products

At Beauty For Real, we designed our makeup for real women who don’t have time to spend worrying all day about how their faces look. Our customers want to look beautiful when they apply makeup in the morning, and be able to feel confident they still look good at 3 p.m. That is why we design our makeup to be both easy to apply and long-lasting! For example, our formula for our blush/luminizer is specially designed to go on creamy for easy application, but dry as a powder to set. The key to makeup that lasts all day is using the right products that are designed for all-day wear. Whether you use our black eyeliner, our water resistant mascara, or our long-lasting lip liner, you are bound to look flawless all day long.

Don’t get too touchy

We all do it: at some point today, without thinking about it, you touched your face. This is not the end of the world, but you should definitely avoid touching your face when you can. Not only are you spreading germs and allergens and clogging your pores, you’re also ruining your makeup. It doesn’t matter if you are using the best long-wear makeup money can buy; if you keep rubbing, picking at, and putting your hands on your face, you are going to lose some makeup along the way. Do yourself a favor and keep those paws off yourself!

Set it up

If you really need your makeup to look perfect after hours of wear, you may want to set it with a translucent powder or a setting spray. Applying a light layer of translucent powder with a soft makeup brush gives you the staying power of a powder without messing with your makeup. Alternatively, setting sprays are designed to keep your makeup in place all day long. After you have done with your makeup, spritz your face and head out the door. At Beauty For Real, our long-lasting makeup lets you put your best face forward, even hours after application! From exfoliating lip scrub to long-lasting lip cream to waterproof eyeliner, shop all of our makeup essentials today.

 

You want gorgeous, glowing skin, but not everyone can afford the expensive skin care regimen or dermatologist of a celebrity. That’s where Beauty For Real comes in! The Blush + Glo blush/luminizer makes your skin look dewy and radiant. Our blush and highlighter stick actually has many different uses, which we will outline in this blog.

How bout dem apples?

Most obviously, you can use our blush and highlighter stick on the apples of your cheeks, where blush is traditionally applied. With our blush/luminizer combo, we take this standard beauty technique to the next level. You can apply the blush directly from the stick and then blend up your cheekbones, or use your fingers, brush, or a sponge for more precise direct application. Blush + Glo feels heavenly to apply because it goes on as a cream, but blends into a powder to ensure staying power. This simple step breathes life into your cheeks and adds shape to your face, but be sure to blend well to avoid the clown look. With our duo blush/luminizer, you can also layer the highlighter over the blush to add illumination to your cheek bones. Play around with it to find the perfect blush/highlighter blend for your skin tone and type and personal style.

Perk up your peepers

Believe it or not, this blush/luminizer stick isn’t just for your cheeks; you can use it on your eyes too! Use a touch of the highlighter on the inner corner of each eye and directly under your brow bones to make you look bright-eyed, even when you didn’t get enough sleep. Additionally, your blush/luminizer can also moonlight as an eyeshadow! Apply the blush to your lids and blend upwards, then add a layer of highlighter on top if you desire added shimmer. Top with our waterproof black eyeliner for a more dramatic effect.

Enhance your collarbone

The collarbone is low-key a very sexy body part, and when you are headed out for a magical night out, you may want to emphasize its allure. For maximum effect, run the highlighter over each of your collarbones where the light naturally hits it. If you need help pinpointing this, stand under a light in front of the mirror and shrug your shoulders up towards your ears, and highlight accordingly.

Perfect your pout

We all wish we had Rihanna’s luscious lips, but not everyone is so #blessed. Luckily, with the right highlighter, you can create the illusion of a shapely cupid’s bow and full lips. Before applying your lip cream, dab your cupid’s bow with a small amount of highlighter, then do the same on the middle of your bottom lip. Follow with a universal lip liner, then apply your shade and notice how much more precise and plump your lips look.

Any of these techniques can be completed in minutes, because at Beauty For Real, we’re all about keeping makeup simple. Ready to glow on up? Shop our life-changing blush and highlighter stick, Blush + Glo, for a simple way to look radiantly beautiful.

Fall is finally here, and you know what that means: pumpkin spice lattes, cozy layers, and brand new makeup trends. It’s time to put away the pastel lip gloss and aqua eyeshadow and start fresh with darker, autumnal tones. Read on for the latest and greatest makeup trends this fall. 

Bold, black eyeliner

As the leaves change colors, you can say “goodbye” to the softer look of summer in favor of edgier eye makeup. Tap into your inner teen angst with bold, black eyeliner on your top and bottom lids. Our black liner is perfect for this look because it is long-lasting and completely waterproof, so you don’t have to worry about smudgy raccoon eyes. 

Glossy dark lips

This fall, you’ll see many a dark lip. Whether it’s plum, grape, wine, eggplant, or black cherry, darker shades are all the rage. Try our latest lip cream color, Night Before, for a long-wear, burgundy color that won’t dry out your lips.

Metallics

Metallics have been on-trend for all of 2016, and this fall is no exception. For a metallic look that will make your eyes pop, use our eyeshadow stick in Ever Starstruck on your eyelids, as well as your bottom waterline.

Dewy skin

Healthy, glowing skin is in style no matter the season, but this  fall dewy complexions are all over the runways. Seamlessly  add radiance to your face in seconds with our blush/luminizer.

At Beauty For Real, we offer makeup that lets you stay on trend without the time commitment. Whether it’s our black eyeliner or our eyeshadow sticks, our products are all designed to simplify your makeup routine. Ramp up your fall makeup wardrobe and shop Beauty For Real today! 

Do you ever wonder when you see photos, TV, or movies with celebrities like Jennifer Lopez, Gwyneth Paltrow, or Kerry Washington, “How does their skin ...