Fancy Face Cosmetics

Too often, we get caught up in the beauty numbers that bring us down; our weight, our dress size, the amount of money we spent on our last haircut. But in the weird and wonderful world of looking fancy, there are hundreds of quizzical and quixotic facts that can make us appreciate the wonder of the human body (as well as some that just make us appreciate the resilience of our pocketbook). From the delightfully whimsical to the downright odd, how do you measure up?

1. Blondes Have More Hair
Blondes (natural blondes, that is) tend to have about 140,000 hairs on their heads. Brunettes average about 110,000, while people with black hair have about 108,000. Redheads have the least, with only about 80,000 hairs on average.

2. These Are the Days of Our Lives
On average, women spend fifty-eight days of their lives shaving or waxing unwanted hair.

3. Flipping the Bird
The fastest-growing fingernail is the one on your middle finger. The nails on your dominant hand also grow faster than the ones on your non-dominant hand, and all nails grow faster in the summer than in the winter.

4. Redheads Are a Rarity
Red hair is the rarest natural hair color for human beings, but contrary to popular belief, redheads are not going extinct. Although both parents must carry the recessive redhead gene to produce a child with red hair, evolutionary biologists agree that red hair won’t die out any time soon.

5. The Price of Beauty
A 2010 survey found that the average woman spends about $13,000 on makeup in her lifetime. She spends an average of 330 hours applying it.

6. Shopping ’Til We Drop
The average woman spends almost nine years of her life shopping.

7. Slouching Toward the Weekend
As the week drags on, both men and women spend less time getting ready in the morning. On Mondays, women spend an average of seventy-six minutes primping, but they spend only nineteen minutes by Friday. Men’s grooming routines start at twenty-eight minutes on Mondays and drop to eleven minutes by Fridays.

8. So what! We like shoes! Get over it!
The average woman buys seven new pairs of shoes each year.

9. The New Average
At the beginning of the twentieth century, the average American woman wore a size 3 1/2 or 4 shoe; by the 1960s, it was a size 5 1/2 or 6. Nowadays, a size 8 is the average. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could go back to the beginning of the twentieth century; we could shop in the kids department and save a ton of money!

10. Meeting in the Middle
Genetically, there are really only two types of hair: straight and curly. Wavy hair is the result of a person carrying one of each type of gene.

11. Great Lash, Great Sales
The world’s bestselling makeup product is Maybelline Great Lash mascara, which was introduced in 1971. Maybelline reports that a tube is sold somewhere in the world every 1.6 seconds. Clearly, every 1.6 seconds there is a person that doesn’t know about how amazing LashOut! from Fancy Face Cosmetics is…. Just sayin’!

12. No. 5 Is Number One
The world’s bestselling perfume is Chanel No. 5. The company first produced the scent in 1919 and estimates that a bottle is sold every thirty seconds. Fun Fact: It was also Marilyn Monroe’s favorite perfume.

12. Super Strands
When dry, a human hair has greater tensile strength than a strand of nylon of the same size.

14. A Vanishing Shade
Babies are born with blue eyes. Their real eye color develops over the first few years of life, as light triggers the production of melanin. Only about one in six adults have naturally blue eyes, and due to immigration and intermarriage, that number is shrinking.

Xoxo,
Nikki

Add Some Tangerine To Your Makeup
Fashion forecasters have declared Tangerine Tango to be the “it” color of 2012, so start infusing the hue into your beauty routine. Try this beautiful Shimmer Pigment on your lids, or mix with Vaseline for a Kick Ass Kisser!

Give Nails A Burst Of Color
Keep nails looking trendy with a bright shade of polish. Brights by OPI is a collection with tons of great colors, including this bottle of Teal The Cows Come Home.

Brighten Your Complexion
The most important kind of brightening is for your complexion. Through a good exfoliant and a moisturizing serum, like Dr. Dennis Gross’s Active Vitamin D Serum-Oil ($65, Sephora.com), you’re skin will be glowing in no time.

Lighten Your Locks
There’s nothing like a bad hair day to dull your outlook on life. Cheer yourself up with some balayage highlights. Unlike foils, balayage uses a painting technique that results in more natural looking color. Celebs like Drew Barrymore, Rachel Bilson, and Jessica Biel are all familiar with the popular salon treatment.

Kissable Color
A bright lipstick is the easiest way to wear 2012′s trendy colors. A bright pop of pink can go a long way. Try Red Audacity from www.fancyfacecosmetics.com

Better And Brighter Wardrobe
It’s hard not to feel happy in citrus-colored clothing. J. Brand is just one of many denim brands that has extended their array of jeans to more than just the basic blue.

A Cheeky Start To 2012
A vibrant swipe of blush will have heads everywhere turning. Put some bright pink on your apples with Dashing, from Fancy Face Cosmetics.

Xoxo,
Nikki

Unless you’re permanently moving, you should never be seen hauling this much luggage through an airport. I am constantly traveling for work, so I quickly learned the importance of packing for function and efficiency.

Plan Ahead
Start your packing a day or two before you leave. Make a list of everything you want to take and try laying out outfits before you put it in your suitcase so you don’t forget any of the essential items.

Pack Basics That Can Go From Day To Night
Don’t waste precious suitcase room with outfits that can only be worn an hour at a time. Instead, take versatile dresses, like the one Rashida Jones is wearing. Dress it down during the day with a blazer, and dress it up at night with jewelry and heels.

Get Travel-Size Beauty Products
Now that airport security is tighter, full-sized beauty products aren’t allowed. But who has the time to spend hours squeezing your creams and serums into small, plastic bottles? Instead, buy your favorite goodies from 3floz.com. Their site sends you the products you want in TSA-approved sizes. Even if you’re not traveling, this site can be great for testing out expensive items for way less.

Dry Clean Your Hair
You could pack your shampoo, conditioner, a blow dryer and hair spray, OR you could bring a small bottle of dry shampoo. Keratin Complex’s Volumizing Dry Shampoo ($35, Keratincomplex.com) allows you to easily apply hair powder onto the top of your head, so oil and dirt are removed without weighing down your hair. Plus, now you’ll have extra room for another pair of shoes!

Ditch the Bulky Makeup Bag
I cannot live without eyeshadow, but my 20lb makeup bag took up so much space, not to mention always making my bag over-weight. So what would any girl do!? Create a way to carry all 28 of my favorite eyeshadows in a streamline protective case! Nothing is worse than opening your makeup bag to crushed pink eyeshadow everywhere, right? This Palette has literally been through the ringer with me, and if I can’t destroy it, no one can! Get yours today at www.fancyfacecosmetics.com.

Safe Travels!
xoxo,
Nikki

Well, if you’re like me and wait until the last minute to shop, don’t feel bad, Santa has all year to prepare and unlike Mr. Kringle, we don’t have a factory full of elves to do the dirty work for us! Here are some fabulous last minute gifts I’ve found, that are sure to impress(and fool into thinking you spent all year shopping for them) everyone on your list.

Sugar Plums Are So Last Year
Give your friends one last sugary hurrah before their weighty New Years resolutions kick in. This DC bakery’s menu includes seasonal sensations like chocolate eggnog cupcakes, Rudolph red velvet, and the Red Mitten Vanilla (Madagascar bourbon cake slathered with vanilla cream cheese frosting and a fondant mitten)! Build your own assortment of one dozen flavors for $29 or snag a pre-arranged cupcake collection, and tell Georgetown Cupcakes what day you’d like your sweets to arrive!

Send A Shot In A Snap
Create an entire photo album for a loved one in mere seconds with Kodak’s digital frame. Snag the hardware for less than $100 on Amazon (where you can order online as late as December 23rd for a Christmas delivery), and instantly add pictures via email. The digital frame also logs photos sent from your phone and connects directly to a computer for easy uploading.

Spread Some Holiday Beer
Now the man in your life doesn’t have to scram to the local bar to get great beer on tap. Heineken and Krups have teamed up to bring your kitchen a counter-top beer tender. For $149.99 this man-chanism chills a brew to the perfect temperature and pours a traditional foam-topped pint from the chrome draught. Order it from Zappos by 1pm on December 23rd and receive your man’s new best friend (sorry, Sparky) by the 25th.

Gifts That Keep On Giving
Give a gift that will give back. When you visit ChangingThePresent.org, low-priced gifts with a seriously high value can be made online in seconds. Adopt your pal an adorable Sea Otter for $25 from Defenders of Wildlife, help fund feminist movements in Afghanistan for $35, or feed a child for one month for $50 with a single donation to Action Against Hunger.

Instant E-Reader
For less than $100 you can walk in to a Barnes and Noble near you, and walk out with the hottest tablet on the market. Unlike the Kindle from Amazon, the Nook is available in-store, and each B&N has a fully staffed support center for all of your questions and repairs. The new model lets you read books and magazines in color, load movies and TV with Netflix and Hulu, and has a touch screen display with a battery that lasts for two months.

Haute Card-Tour
Unload your left over holiday cards and stationery impulse buys. Upscale stores like Papyrus and Kate’s Paperie sell gorgeous paper goods perfect for a hostess. Add a pretty pen or matching notebook and voila! A high-society gift with a low-budget price tag. (Christian Lacroix Haute Couture Note Card Set, $20 at Kate’s Paperie)

iLazy
You didn’t pre-plan holiday shopping so pay the sloth forward with this Apple remote, which controls iPods, iPads, and iPhones from afar. It’s the perfect present for the post-seasonal food coma. Order by December 20th and expect your Apple purchase to arrive by Christmas.($19 at Apple)

Send Some Holiday Ahhhh
How do you wrap a massage, or put a bow on a pedicure? Thanks to Life Booker, the website with fantastic salon and spa deals, you can buy a beauty service on the cheap and instantly email the gift card to a girlfriend. Plus, when your pal signs up to be a member of the site, Life Booker will give you a $10 kick back to use on yourself! You know, because gifting can be so stressful…

‘Tis the Season to Twinkle
Give the gift that Glistens, even after the Holidays are over. Fancy Face Cosmetics will customize a Makeup Collection, specifically for the “impossible to shop for” girl in your life, complete with a Fancy Makeup Bag, and custom card. Order by December 22, to guarantee holiday delivery.

Happy Holidays!
Nikki

We absolutely love Gold Eye makeup right now! It’s seasonally appropriate and will look great on any eye shape or color. Plus– we’re suckers for sparkle. Here’s how to get this look:

1. Prepare your eye by using an eyeshadow primer or foundation so that your eyeshadow will last longer.

2. Apply brown eyeshadow with a flat shadow brush.

3. Next, apply gold eye shadow towards the inner corner of your eye.

4. Sweep smoke shimmer on the outer corner of your eye with a blending brush, creating the sideways “V” shape.

5. Blend out any harsh lines created by the black + gold eye shadows.

6. This is the fun part! Dab Glitz Fix lightly on top of the gold eyeshadow you applied earlier, pick up some gold glitter with your brush, begin patting it on top of the gold eyeshadow, but don’t extend it too much into the original brown eyeshadow.

7. Now you’re going to line your upper lash line with a black gel liner and your lower lash line with a brown gel. Using both browns + blacks through out this tutorial will keep things looking softer and not too harsh.

8. Dab a smudge brush into the brown eyeshadow and smudge it using a dabbing motion along your lower lash line, on top of the liner you just applied. This will help set the eyeliner and also help give you the smoky effect.

9. Curl your lashes and apply Lash Out! mascara, It’s Sweat-Proof, so you can dance the night away with no worries! If you’d like, you can add false lashes to give your look some extra drama.

Use Coupon Code: FancyFamily20 to receive 20% off your purchases on www.fancyfacecosmetics.com

Xoxo,
Nikki

After all of the passed hors d’oeuvres, eggnog, and pumpkin pie, how is anyone supposed to fit into their holiday presents? Arm yourself with our advice and make Frosty melt by avoiding these fitness mistakes you don’t even know you’re making!

Skip The 100 Calorie Packs
Low-cal snacks may seem like a great way to cut your daily intake, but these over processed foods can pack enough sugar to deter serious weight loss. It is the quality of nutrients that is important, not whether a food is low-fat or low-carb. Nutrient-dense foods are energizing and will make it easier to lose weight.

Not-So-Sweet N’ Low
Opting for artificial sweeteners can do more harm to your waistline than a 15-calories sugar packet. Recent studies have shown that aspartame may actually stimulate appetite and bring on a craving for carbohydrates. Even self-proclaimed “natural” sweeteners, like Splenda, made from sugar, are actually made from chlorinating sugar. Did you want a side of swimming pool with your morning coffee?

Cramping Your Style
It’s tempting to slouch and grip the machine when you’re climbing metaphorical Mount Everest on a Stairmaster, but only good posture can prevent overloading the wrong muscles, which can lead to muscle tension, strains, sprains and other injuries.

Eat Around The Clock
Skipping meals can lead to doubling up on portions later on. Make lunch your largest meal because your digestion peaks at mid-day, and it should include protein to maintain alertness. Dinner should be your smallest meal, because your digestion slows down at night. Dinner should include protein, greens and a healthy grain – the carbs will facilitate relaxation.

Add Weight To Lose Weight
While cardio is every girl’s fitness fallback, there are plenty of women ignoring strength training to focus on the treadmill. Strength training and building lean muscle mass is essential for weight control, weight loss and good health in general. Especially as you get older, strength training becomes more important.

Xoxo,
Nikki

Let’s face it ladies, we’re not the only ones who get stuck in a beauty rut. Whether your guy has been sporting the same haircut since high school, or his “scruffy” looks more slimy than sexy like Ryan Gosling, here’s how to help him clean up his look. Trust me, they will appreciate your advice, because it’s you they’re trying to look good for.

To get a look this rough without going overboard, shave only once a week to keep facial hair in check. Unless you look like Teenwolf after a few days, then shave every other day.

How To Shave
Curious how to get that perfect shave? It’s all about the tools, and more doesn’t always mean better.
Considering most men go over the same section of the face more than once, you could potentially be gliding the blade over each area up to six times with the triple razor even though you performed only two passes of the razor.
A.K.A. If your guy has sensitive skin, he might want to skip the triple blade razor and opt for a single blade.

The Eyebrow Do’s & Don’ts
It’s no secret that eyebrows can make or break your appearance, and this truth is no exception for men. For guys, just a few tweezes here and there can make a huge difference; take it easy or he’ll wind up with a more feminine look. Take a cue from Jake Gyllenhaal, who keeps his brows looking clean without losing the masculine shape.

The Short of It
Taylor Lautner’s texturized hair is just one example of how to show off shorter strands amongst the sea of spiky ‘dos. The secret to making short hair stand out among the rest? Keep it clean and well-styled, without being too simple. Lautner’s smooth faux-hawk certainly fits that bill.

A Happy Medium
If your guy has medium length hair, make sure it moves. Jon Hamm’s medium ‘do has movement and shape, which allows for easy styling like the dapper look he’s sporting here. There’s no better way to update your guy’s look than by giving him the right haircut for his face shape; in the case of Hamm’s oval face shape that means a nice, happy medium.

The Long
Us girls aren’t the only ones rocking long locks these days. If a guy has longer hair, he should use it to show off his personal style, just like Ashton Kutcher. His long and naturally wavy chestnut hair is fashion-forward, while showing off his casual and cool persona.

Going Grey
George Clooney proves that he does get better with age, thanks to his sexy salt and pepper hair. (The deep brown eyes and killer smile don’t hurt, either.) But if your guy can’t stand the grey hairs, he’s better off heading to a professional stylist, than trying an at-home kit. It’s extremely difficult to determine the right hair color and often times when choosing the wrong formula, a man’s hair will fade to red. If it’s just a few strands, have a professional color the sections, as opposed to coloring the whole head.

Good luck! Keep me posted on the results!
xoxo,
Nikki

Did you drink too much eggnog and scoop seconds of the mashed potatoes? Use these slimming hair and makeup secrets to erase that holiday bulge in the time it takes to ask Santa for a gym membership.

Give Your Hairstyle Some Height
Add volume to your hair around the crown area by teasing the roots and spraying with hairspray. This extra height will give you the illusion of a longer and more narrow face. Jennifer Morrison’s volume-boosting braid is a great example.

Go Nude
Stick to neutral tones of blush. No strong pinks! Instead of swirling blush on the apples of your cheeks, do the entire cheekbone, blended softly into the hairline. This will emphasize your bone structure. Round circles of pink blush could pronounce rounded features, while a more blended application like Taylor Swift’s blush effect, creates more depth. Also, apply a light dusting of powder to cut down on shine and avoid using shimmer all over the face. The more light that is reflected from your skin, the bigger your face will appear, so stick to shimmer products on your eyes and cheekbones.
*Try our Blush in Supermodel to achieve this look!

Go For Side-Swept Bangs
Get a haircut with long side swept bangs and jagged pieces around the cheekbones. Bangs that cut across your face diagonally, like Jayma Mays’ hairstyle, will reduce the appearance of a full face while long cheek-level pieces can break up the span of wide cheeks.

Stick With Sleek Hairstyles
A straight hairstyle will flatter your face without adding unnecessary volume at cheekbone areas. Just like clothing, the sleeker and more streamlined the style, the more slimming the end result. You can’t beat Jennifer’s blowout.

Enhance Your Cheekbones
Learn how to contour underneath your cheekbones using a deep taupe colored shading powder. First sweep translucent powder all over your face, then blend the contour powder right under your cheekbones similar to Reese Witherspoon’s look. This creates the appearance of a shadow cast by your cheekbones, making them look more defined. Also, sweep a little contour powder under your chin to reduce the appearance of a double chin.
*Try our new Sweat Resistant Mineral Powders to achieve this look!

Use these tips and tricks, and stop feeling guilty about that extra slice of pumpkin pie!

xoxo,
Nikki

It’s holiday season, which means your social circuit is officially in full swing. But don’t you hate it when friends post less-than-flattering party pictures of you on Facebook? We’ve put our pageant and red carpet training to good use to share our best makeup, hair and picture posing tips to ensure you look hot in every shot.
Find Your Best Angle
To determine the angles from which your face looks its best, Experiment by posing in the mirror; it will quickly become obvious which angles are most flattering for you. Once you’re aware of this, use the best angles as much as possible in the future. For example, Kim Kardashian always tries to be photographed with her chin down and from her left.

Chin Up
The dreaded double chin – it’s the worst, right? Even if you don’t have one, you’ve probably been photographed from an angle that made it look like you did. How can you avoid it? It’s always best to stick your chin out and slightly pulled away from your neck. It will feel awkward, but the camera doesn’t detect the proportion of how far you pull out your chin. That way your jawline is stronger, and you will help to prevent a double chin look.

Look Longer And Leaner
You’ll rarely see a celebrity standing fully face-forward to the camera. To help your body look its longest and leanest like Dianna Agron is doing here, think of a Miss America contestant’s traditional pose. Never stand flat to the camera – always angle your body a bit to the side. If you angle yourself slightly, you can take down several inches off your hips. Always put one foot in front of the other as well.

You Put Your Hand Upon Your Hip
It’s not just a classic song lyric from the ’90s; it’s great posing advice that stars like Eva Longoria clearly follow. A great trick for making hips look slimmer is to pull your body forward from the waist up slightly towards the camera. Put one or both of your hands on your hips. Your arms will look more toned as you will be flexing the muscle slightly when you are holding them on your hips.

No One Likes A Faker
To get a genuine smile in your pictures, think of the camera lens as a person (a person you’d like would definitely help) and then smile. If you’re posing for a series of photos, don’t keep holding your smile—your mouth is going to start shaking and feeling awkward. Move your jaw around between pictures for a glowing grin like Anne Hathaway’s.

Helpful Hints
What are some easy ways to avoid taking a bad photo? I have a few never-fail tips: Wear dark colors in photos. Don’t wear shiny material; it reflects light and can make even the slightest bulge look much bigger than it is. My favorite trick is to make sure you add some sheen to your hair for the photograph. It’s so simple, but shiny hair can make a big difference in a photo. Plus, regardless of your fancy gown, fierce shoes, or flawless makeup, dull-drab hair will make YOU look dull and drab…no bueno! —I love Organix Cherry Blossom Spray. The flashes picking up that shine are a great thing, and will have your hair looking like you paid a fortune, rather than 5.99 at your local drugstore! Winning!

Send us pictures of your best red carpet worthy pose, and you could win free makeup from Fancy Face Cosmetics!

Xoxo,
Nikki

Today is the big day! Not only do we finally get to see K. Stew and Rob get married, but then we meet their little half-vampire baby! While we know Mackenzie Foy has been cast as their daughter, we can’t help but imagine what Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart’s child would look like in real life.

Thanks to some brilliant and very scientific* technology, we have the final product! Don’t know about you guys, but we were a little scarred by the results. Whether they were to have a boy or a girl, this is one scary looking kid! We love Kristen and Robert as a couple, but maybe the two-some should stick to just dating for a while. No need to rush into baby-making just yet.

But don’t take our word for it. Take a look at the R-Patz baby down below and let us know what you think in the comments!

*Our technology is not scientific at all.

Xoxo,
Nikki