March 16. 2013 5:33PM
by Bobby Walsh, Special to the Weekender 

Blushing is a sign of attraction in men and women; itâ??s also involuntary and uncontrollable. What if I told you I can make you blushto maintain that attraction all day? Follow these simple tips and tricks to get the perfect flush good enough to make him blush!


When starting your blush routine, you need to decide whether or not your skin is cool or warm. To do so, take a swatch of gold eyeshadow and silver eyeshadow and place them on your skin. Next, look to see which of the shadows blend into your skin easier â?? that will determine whether you are cool or warm.


If your skin matches better with the silver shadow, you are cool, and when it matches with the gold, you are warm. Cool colored blushes have more of a blue undertone: for example, a pink, rose, and mauve. Warm colored blushes have a yellow undertone: for example, coral, peach, and bronze. It starts to get a little tricky â?? pink can have a blue or yellow undertone as well as any of the aforementioned cheek colors.


Now itâ??s time for application. Begin applying your blush in an upward and outward motion towards the top of your ear from a finger space outside the apple of your cheek. You can also make little â??Xâ? motions with your brush, allowing the color to hit both top and bottom of your cheekbone to maximize color coverage and to help blend out the blush, so there are no harsh lines.


Highlighting your cheeks will give you the appearance of having higher, more prominent cheekbones. To highlight, take any lighter shimmery, semi-translucent powder or eyeshadow, and in the same motion as before, sweep along the top of your cheekbone. To locate the area for highlighting, take your pointer finger and touch the apple of your cheek and rotate your hand so that the bottom on your finger is towards your ear; that is your cheekbone, and your highlight should go one finger space above that.


Contouring your cheeks will add more definition to the structure of your cheekbones, giving you a slimmer, more constructed appearance: think Victoria Beckham. The use of a darker foundation powder or bronzer will be perfect for any contour.


To find your cheek contour, locate the area known as your â??hollow.â? Your hollow will be located one finger space below your cheekbone. Then, in an upward and outward motion like the highlight and blush, apply the contour color. Once finished, I like to take a clean, fluffy powder brush and lightly dust over the entire application to subtly blend everything together for a very natural, healthy glow!


A simple trick to find a good blush is to keep it similar to your lip color, creating a very monochromatic overall look (unless you are wearing a trend/high fashion color, then stick with a neutral blush).

June 05. 2013 1:00AM
By Bobby Walsh (The Real King Bob), Weekender Correspondent 

Fake your way to a healthy glow this summer by staying out of the tanning beds and replacing all that beautiful, yet harmful, sun with self tanning products. The future of self tanners has arrived: no more bright orange skin, sticky messes, stained hands, and nasty odor. Get that sunkissed look and keep it all summer with these easy steps and amazing products from Fake Bake.
Step one is to exfoliate, exfoliate, exfoliate. The use of a loofah makes things much quicker and efficient, but the products you use in the shower really do play an important role in prepping and maintaining that tan. Make sure your body wash is in the oil-free family and has exfoliating beads in it; the oils in the body wash will affect the spraytan in a negative way. Oils will create a barrier on the skin, preventing the tanner to penetrate. Also, once the tan is on, any oil based products will draw the pigment of the tanner out of the skin, making it not last as long. (Just like if you put a lip gloss over a lip stain, it's not going to last). Fake Bake brand has a passion fruit body polish ($14) that is designed to go hand-in-hand with the self tanner, and smells amazing.
Next, dry off really well and make sure you do not put any other products on the skin, especially any type of fragrance, deodorant or body lotion. The Fake Bake products are organic and have a color guard (tinted base) in them that works with the self-adjusting formula and will react with any synthetic products on the skin, creating an unwanted green cast.
Now it's time to apply the self tanner. I suggest using Flawless selftanning liquid from Fake Bake; it comes with a velvet mitt that you can use to apply the product directly to your body without making a mess on your hands. The total application will only take five minutes and because of the tinted base you can see where the product is applying.
I suggest small circular motions, like you're buffing that tanner right onto yourself. Fake Bake flawless ($26) dries quickly, so you can get dressed just minutes after. I suggest keeping the Flawless on for six to eight hours before washing off, or do it at night and sleep in it! The next morning wash it off, allowing the color guard to rinse off and reveal the natural customized tan that works with your own natural melanin so that you have a rich brown tan, and guarantees you're not orange!
Finally, reapply after four to six days to keep that tan going strong, and just make sure to keep that skin hydrated and protected with at least SPF 30. Also, ensure all of your maintenance products are oil free!
Tip: Fake Bake also makes a new 60 min tanning liquid that only takes one hour to process for a light tan, two hours for a medium tan, and a maximum of three hours for a dark tan!
Trick: Take the remainder self tanner that is on your mitt and gently rub your face to give you a subtle glow without packing on the face tanner!

May 22. 2013 8:56AM
By Bobby Walsh (The Real King Bob), Special to the Weekender 

I want to take a break from makeup this time to focus on another area of cosmetics that we all love – nails! The past few months we have seen feathers, newspapers, crystals, beads, flocking, charms, studs, and LOTS OF GLITTER, but this season, we're taking a step back and keeping things simple.

Light creamy pastels, natural nudes, and soft creams are taking over, allowing more focus to be directed towards the makeup and clothing. Sheer glossy, almost candy coated colors are popping up everywhere from every brand; one of my favorites is “Oxygen” by China Glaze ($7.50), which is a light, almost white semi-sheer eggshell color.

Another in the same family of color is “Jacqueline” from the new spring collection by Zoya ($8.00). Sticking with the same spring collection from Zoya, the color “Neely” is a soft creamy sea foam green. Butter London also has that perfect creamy opaque mint green called “Fiver” ($15.00). If you are going for the sheer pink French manicure look minus the white tips, I suggest “Bubble Bath” by OPI ($9.00) or “Go Ginza,” a soft cherry blossom pink from Essie ($8.00).

The term “ombré” isn't just for your hair or lips anymore; now you can create a simple ombré look on your nails simply by taking some of your older colors from past collections in similar families of color and apply one color to each nail going from a medium color to one of the new sheer pastel colors! If you want a more advanced nail ombré take a makeup wedge and run it under water, then wring out any excess water. After you apply a nice base coat to your nails, take a pastel color of your choice along with a natural nude color and apply them in a swatch-like pattern next to each other on the wedge, then press onto the nail. Repeat this step until you have your desired opacity, then with some nail polish remover, clean up the area around your nails (trust me, its messy) and you're finished!

I like to finish all my looks with a matte top coat; my favorite is “Matte About You” from Essie ($10.00). It even gives glitter polishes a more sand-like appearance for a more satin shimmer without all that glitter glimmer.

Tip: Base coat is an absolute must; it's that special barrier that keeps unwanted oils away that cause chipping!

Trick: Create your own nude polish that matches your skin tone perfectly by adding your shade of your favorite mineral foundation to a clear nail lacquer or top coat, mix well, and voila, the perfect nude for you!

May 08. 2013 12:19AM
By Bobby Walsh (The Real King Bob), Special to the Weekender

Go big or go home! Luscious lashes are a must-have this summer, a quick and easy way to spice up any makeup look, or you can wear them alone to create a natural smoke to your eyes. You don't have to spend hundreds of dollars on eyelash extensions and spend hours in the salon getting your lash extensions filled! Yes, they are beautiful, but the maintenance and cost isn't necessary. Strip lashes can give you an even more dramatic trend-worthy look this summer with unique cuts and placement that a 3D lash extension can't give you. Here are some great tips on how to use and maintain a worry-free dramatic lash this summer!

To start off, you need glue that will outlast the competition but will still be less damaging to your natural lashes. I suggest DUO EyelashAdhesive – it's a latex-based glue that, once dried, still maintains a descent elasticity so your real lashes can move and breathe. This formula comes in two shades: original, which is white but dries clear, and dark tone, which is grey and dries to a nice black. I prefer the dark tone since the black color helps to fill in the lashes and hides gaps, also giving a fuller appearance.

Now for application of your strip lashes to maintain that worry-free non-lifting experience. Cut the strip lash in half or even thirds. You can then easily apply each section to your lid instead of trying to get it all on in one try, or you can just apply one of the pieces to the outer corner of your eye to give you that subtle, smoked out outer corner, which gives you that perfect almond-shaped eye.

Individual lashes that come in small bursts of hair are also easy to apply and will give you that little something extra every day of the summer, and unlike a strip lash, which should only be worn for eight hours or so, individuals can be kept on for a few days, and as you lose one or another, you can just reapply. A good tip is to take two longs and apply them to your outer corner, then going inward, apply three mediums, and finish with one or two smalls to help blend them in to your real lashes. Then finish with your favorite waterproof mascara for an all-day luscious lash application that will amp up any look you're going for this trend-tastic summer!

Tip: Worried about applying false lashes to your bottom lash line? Scared that your bottom mascara will run if applied to your bottom lashes? Don't worry – just apply some waterproof eyeliner to give you the definition you need to your bottom lash line and smudge away. A smoldering/smudgy bottom lash line is totally in this summer!

Trick: When applying lashes, holding a mirror under your chin and looking down is a great way to see where exactly you're placing your lashes!

March 26. 2013 11:37PM
By Bobby Walsh (The Real King Bob), Weekender Correspondent 

“If you were stranded on a desert island, what is the one item you couldn't live without?”

I remember asking that question a lot to people, or the more subtle question, “What is the one item you cannot leave your house without?” The answer I always get at one point or another is “Mascara.”

To me; mascara is one of the essentials that really completes a look and helps enhance a person's final appearance. When it comes to choosing mascara that's right for you, automatically ignore any drugstore brand unless its Physicians Formula Organic WearMascara.

Most mascara can cause your lashes to become dry and brittle, synthetic elements/fibers can cause eye irritation, and most will cause you to lose your lashes over time. This Physicians Formula Mascara is 100 perfect free of harsh chemicals, synthetic preservatives, colors, fragrances, GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms), parabens, fillers, and dyes, but it can still give you a gorgeous no-clump, smudge-free, flake-free lash!

If you are looking for a professional brand mascara on the higher end of the spectrum with similar properties (waterproof, conditioning, non-drying, non-irritating formula), Stila Cosmetics has the Stay All Day Waterproof Volumizing Mascara. The Stila Stay All Day Mascara is a long-wearing mascara that contains special polymers with a strong resistance to water. The super rich formula pumps volumized lashes, is buildable and unlike other waterproof mascaras, leaves lashes soft and shiny with mango butter and coconut oils, and yet will not smudge, budge, or flake while leaving lashes soft, protected, smooth, and shiny, and its paraben free.

When applying mascara, to get the best application, I suggest tipping your head back slightly, lifting your eyebrow, and looking down towards the floor. To start, I like to comb down the lashes with the mascara to get the back side of them (in case you have fallout of lighter shadows). It will clean them up and give you fuller coverage on the lash, giving you a thick, luscious lash.

Once you have your mascara on, I like to take a clean mascara wand and comb through the lashes to really define and separate them. Stay away from eyelash curlers; instead, while mascara is still wet on the lash, hold your pointer finger under the outer corner of your lashes while drying to give them that extra lift you need.

Tip: When testing mascara out at a department store, it's always safer to test the formula on your arm hair to prevent possible contamination.

March 12. 2013 11:44PM By Bobby Walsh (The Real King Bob), Weekender Correspondent

Everyone wants the perfect pout; routine trips to the local plastic surgeon for fillers aren't for everybody. For a super small fraction of the cost, I can show you how to create a dimensional lip that will give you that bee stung voluptuous lip!

All you need are four items. The first is a lip plumper (my favorite is Too Faced Cosmetics Lip Injection Extreme for $28, toofaced.com). This lip plumper is exceptionally great because you can wear it during the day as well as at night. The more you use it, the more your lips will become conditioned and smoother, filling lines and creating a more prolonged plump.

You will also need a darker colored lip liner, a lighter matching colored lipstick, and lip gloss. Application is very quick, easy, and, of course, painless. First apply the lip plumper generously to your top and bottom lip; feel free to over line a little to help accentuate your cupid's bow and to give you that extra pouty bottom lip. Leave the plumper on a few minutes until your lips are at a desired fullness.

Next, take your dark colored lip liner and apply around your new plump lip line, over lining slightly. Then, with the same lip liner, fill in both outer corners of your lip, top and bottom. This will deepen the outer edges, making the center of your lips appear bright and larger.

Now take your lipstick in a few shades lighter, then the lip liner color, and apply all over the top and bottom lip; this will blend all of the colors together and give you a gradient effect on the lip.

Finally, apply your gloss. To do so, place the gloss on the tip of your finger and dap that onto the center portion of your lips only; doing so will give the center area a more highlighted effect when light reflects off of it, giving you that perfect pucker!

It's always good to play around with different shade and color combinations with your lip liner and lipstick. A favorite of mine is using a nutmeg liner ($4.50 from NYX Cosmetics,nyxcosmetics.com) and Orange Soda round lipstick, also from NYX.

Another combination that works great for a night out or something more romantic is using a deep plum liner and a cool toned medium shade of red; it's that perfect sultry-meets-sophisticated color combo.

A nice alternative lip plumper that retails for $6 is NYX Cosmetics' Pump It Up lip plumper – it says right on the bottle, “Feels like spicy chilies,” and they are right! Feels hot but looks even hotter!

 April 24. 2013 12:08AMBy Bobby Walsh (The Real King Bob), Special to the Weekender

It's spring time, and now is the time to clean up your makeup routine, simplify it, and take it into the new season.

As you all know, each trend for every season has a signature color; well, you're in luck, since the color for this season as well as the entire year is green. As we approach the warmer seasons, we start off with sea foam and mint greens, and later this year, as we reach fall and winter, the color will tone down and transform and deepen to a jewel tone or metallic green.

I know most of you are thinking: “Can I even wear green eyeshadow?” and to be honest, not everyone can pull it off, but that's why they are called “trend looks” and not wearable, everyday makeup looks.

If you want to keep it simple but stay on trend, apply a soft champagne color to your lid and finish with green eyeliner. You can use any type of liner; liquid will give you a slightly edgier look. Double lining will make the look even more editorial and fashion forward by using a black liquid liner, then following above it with a green liquidliner.

For a little more pop of color and a look that is still natural and subtle, do a sheer wash of a neutral-like champagne color from lash line tobrow bone, then take a matte soft brown and apply into the crease, staying within the outer half of the eye lid. Then, to add that extra special burst of color, take your green eye shadow and in small, circular motions, apply it to the outer third of your eye lid. This will give you a nice hue of color that peeks out from behind your lashes. (This is a great application for bridal makeup as well.)

Continuing your spring look, I suggest adding a fun color splash to your cheeks; no bronzer needed, just apply a pink or coral, concentrating the color more intense where your natural contour is and blending upward to create a soft subtle gradient with a kick.

To finish up your look, take a similar shade to your cheek color in either a bright pink or coral – even a fuchsia would be beautiful and would really compliment the green liner/shadow.

Tip: Stay away from applying the green as all-over lid color “garage doors.”

Trick: Apply your favorite green eye shadow with a damp brush as an eye liner!

April 09. 2013 11:29PMBy Bobby Walsh (The Real King Bob), Special to the Weekender 

Dark circles are definitely not a girl's best friend. Here are a few tips and tricks to brighten up your eyes and, in turn, your day!

Most dark circles are shadows created by bags under the eye. Tired and puffy eyes can be easily remedied by using a cold compress, such as a cold spoon. You can also include caffeine in the mix by using a cold tea bag under the eye to help tighten and soothe the puffy area.

Deep set eyes can also give the appearance of having dark circles. A nice tip for someone with eyes that are of the deep set variety would be to think light. Light and bright colors will make anything they are applied to pop, and make eyes appear larger. This is why people wear black, because it has the opposite effect and is slimming.

If you put a concealer on the lid and follow with light champagne-toned eye shadow that will bring out the eye and brighten it. You can also use an iridescent or light flesh-toned liner to apply to your inner rim/lash line to lighten the area as well. In this application I would skip liner on the top lid altogether and just put an extra coat of mascara on.

Although most dark circles are hereditary, there are many things that can be done to prevent them: lessen your sun exposure, limit rubbing the eye area, and even allergy medication will help with dark circles caused from allergens. Though it will not remove them entirely, these tricks will limit the appearance of dark circles.

To help camouflage the stubborn spheres I would suggest first to find a warm concealer one that is closest to your skin level but with a warmer, more orange tone to it. This orange will help to cancel the blue that is in the dark circle. You can then take your regular concealer and apply that over it, followed by your foundation. You can also take an eye-brightening pencil or shadow and place it over the darker area to help light diffuse and distract from the dark circle.

When applying under-eye concealer, you want to make sure you only place the product where you have the dark circle. To get a better idea of location, stand under a light and place the concealer where you see a shadow under your eye to brighten those specific areas. If you conceal the entire under-eye area you are just lightening that whole area but still getting a shadow, so you will want to only put the light where you have the dark.

Trick: Create your own eye brightener by taking your shade foundation and adding in a loose eye shadow in a pink or peach tone with a shimmery finish, and then apply to the inner corners of your eyes to conceal and brighten.

Tip: Sedonalace.com has a 10-shade concealer palette available to take the guess work out of what concealers to buy.

By Bobby Walsh (The Real King Bob), Weekender Correspondent Feb 13

Are you and your special someone staying in for Valentine’s Day? Perhaps a little home cooked meal and a movie? Make your night extra memorable and finish Valentine’s Day off right with this simple and sweet DIY kissable, lickable makeup application that will make this holiday the most unforgettable yet!

Start your application by cleaning off all previous makeup with a gentle cleanser. Try using something that’s mild, non-irritating, pH-balanced, and fragrance free like Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleaner (cetaphil.com). Next, use a 100 percent organic coconut oil to lightly moisturize, prep, and protect the skin (tropicaltraditions.com).

To get our extra lickable makeup, we will be creating a dual lip and cheek color with a small packet of strawberry Kool-Aid mix and water. Take the Kool-Aid powder and place it into a bowl, slowly adding drops of water to begin to dissolve the mixture (You want it to be super concentrated for the lip stain). Now apply to your lips, and reapply as desired to build a more intense color. You can also use different flavors for different colors, but strawberry and chocolate are the perfect mix for Valentine’s Day. Next, add more water to dilute the mixture. Take a small, fluffy powder brush and dip the top into the solution. Dab a little bit off and begin to apply in small circular motions to the apples of the cheeks to give a soft, flushed look.

To complete our yummy cheeks, use a packet of your favorite hot cocoa mix for a light, sun-kissed glow. To start, apply your hot cocoa mix as you would any other bronzer by hitting all the higher planed areas on your face that the sun would normally touch. A good way to do this is to make a “3” shape, starting from the temple down to the cheek and then down to the jaw. You can also dust a little bit onto your décolleté (neck, chest, and shoulder area) for when things get a little more romantic!

For a deeper bronze look, you can use actual Hershey’s Cocoa; it’s definitely darker, but the taste is a little on the bitter side. Cocoa, however, will make a beautifully sweet eye shadow color you can swirl into the outer corner of your lid. You can take a damp liner brush and use the cocoa as an eyeliner or even to fill your brows in with!

Finish the look off by curling your eyelashes and putting some more coconut oil on your lips to give them a glossy look, and voilÀ! Your short and extra sweet, totally lickable Valentine’s Day makeup is complete.

P.S. This makeup is not waterproof; try to stay indoors and really only wear this look for that special alone time!

 By Bobby Walsh, Special to the Weekender Jan 30

What is a BB cream? Beauty Balm or BB (Blemish Balm) cream was developed over 60 years ago in Germany. Its original intent was to soothe and camouflage patients’ skin after a number of facial treatments, with its five main components consisting of moisturizer, primer, sun screen, foundation, and anti-aging cream. BB cream later reached the Asian market and became popular for its flexibility and ease.

One product that can do the job of many others, BB creams give a natural coverage and flawless appearance to ones complexion while nourishing the skin with hydration and antioxidants. They also shield the skin from free radicals (the things that break down the skin cells that cause wrinkles) in the environment and include an SPF for UVA/UVB sun protection.

Only in the last two years or so we are really seeing an influx of BB cream production. At least every makeup company is the U.S. has some sort of Beauty Balm available. For starters, Garnier has created a BB cream they call Skin Renew; this sensitive non-comedogenic (non-pore clogging) formula is available in two shades, instantly renews, evens, brightens, hydrates with vitamin C, and protects skin with SPF 15. It also mattifies and controls oil absorption, leaving the skin smooth and oil free, and for just around $12, it’s a must-have that any beauty lover can afford.

Another BB cream called Stay All Day 10-in-1 HD Beauty Balm by Stila cosmetics (stilacosmetics.com) has even more benefits you and your skin will love! This one shade fits most BB cream reduces wrinkle depth by 84 percent, increases antioxidant activity by up to 89.7 percent, diminishes the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles with bamboo and pea extracts, has a long-wear HD formula (looks beautifully flawless in photos and stays all day), minimizes pore size and controls oil and blemishes, reduces redness and irritation, gives a seamless smooth coverage, has a silky powdery finish ideal for all skin types and tones, and finally, it’s oil-free, paraben-free, and dermatologist tested (for all of you sensitive people). This 10-in-1 BB cream doubles as a foundation primer as well, as do most beauty balms. You decide if you just want to wear it alone or pair it with something else. Just simply apply a small amount in an upward and outward motion all over your face and follow with your favorite liquid/powder foundation or tinted moisturizer for an extremely flawless airbrushed finish. For just $38, this BB cream gets The Real King Bob’s seal of approval!

When applying your BB cream, you can use a flat or domed foundation brush, beauty blender, or your fingers. Don’t be afraid to use your fingers – most beauty balms contain oil controllers that will eliminate the minimal amount of oil you are putting back on your face.

A few other Beauty Balms are TarteBB Tinted Treatment 12-Hour Primer Broad Spectrum SPF 30 Sunscreen at $34, Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream SPF 35 at $39, Too Faced Air Buffed BB Crème SPF 20 at $39, and Maybelline Dream Fresh BB 8-In-1 Beauty Balm Skin Perfector at $8.99. Most can be purchased at your favorite Sephora, Ulta, or drugstore.

If BB creams aren’t new enough, keep an eye out for CC creams, which are color correcting creams that mimic beauty balms but with added coverage for more problematic skin.

Check out the article here: MAKEUP RULES : The Real King Bob "All Hail The BB Cream"