Haulin': Sally Beauty Supply and Sephora

Seeing as how yesterday was payday, I spent my Saturday like any other normal college kid would.

I went shopping! And I picked up some super-cool things to share with you all =)

My first stop was Sally Beauty Supply. This awesome chain offers beauty and cosmetic products that are somewhat equal to their salon counterparts at a fraction of the price because there are no super-fancy names stamped on them. Recently, I spent the $5 it costs to join their Beauty Club which is a special rewards program that actually saves you about 10-15% on each item you buy at the store. I originally only went into Sally today to find a good damage repair shampoo as my hairstylist told me that with my constant bleaching and coloring, my hair was becoming dry and brittle. I was totally fine with that, until she tried to sell me a $24, 7 oz. bottle of name-brand shampoo. Umm... I don't think so!

So I went to Sally's and found this awesome product:
In all honesty, this product wasn't THAT new (I already had bought and fell in love with the brand's 2 Minute Repairing Mask). Since I loved it so much, I figure the shampoo must be awesome too. Aphogee's Shampoo for Damaged Hair cost $7.39. I'll try it out tonight and let you know how it goes.

I then walked down the nail polish aisle and these two products caught my eye:
Beauty Secrets' Base Coat (left) and Top Coat (right) came highly recommended from numerous Youtube makeup gurus and nail salons, so I knew they were the real deal. Each bottle cost $2.79. I just tried them out this evening (as I painted my nails with OPI's Teal We Meet Again) and they worked like magic! I especially impressed with the top coat, which helped my nails dry in thirty seconds.

Recently, I really needed a new pencil sharpener for my eye pencils. So, I picked this one up at the check-out counter:
I really like that it has an attached piece for all of your pencil shavings. At $2.99, it was slightly pricey, but it looks like it will work much better than my current sharpener.

I also got a strange impulse to buy this:
It's a 'Lip Crayon', which basically means it doubles as a pencil and lipstick. I bought one in the shade Coral Shimmer for $1.89 and so far, I really like it! It's a peachy-nude, slightly on the orange side, but still very wearable. I'll probably layer lipstick on top of it to ensure that it stays on for longer and doesn't make my lips look dry.

After Sally's, I drove over to Sephora. I originally intended to only buy this:
When I got my Urban Decay Naked Palette, it came with a mini Primer Potion and I fell in love with it. So, I went back to Sephora today and shelled out the $18 to buy a full-sized one. I think it's a smart buy, though, because it works so incredibly well and really holds my eyeshadow in place all day.

I also grabbed this in Sephora:
Though I have been cleaning my brushes weekly, I've been scared to clean them daily because the formula could dry them out and destroy the quality of the brush hairs. This brush cleanser ($6), however, is mild enough to use every day, so I will test it tomorrow and let you know how it goes!

And then my FABULOUS boyfriend bought me the COOLEST Valentine's Day gift ever:
Uh-huh. That would be the Nars Orgasm blush/Laguna Bronzer ($40). I AM SO EXCITED! For those who don't know, this duo is famous for being suitable for practically ANY skin tone (okay, maybe not Laguna. It can be a bit too dark for some skin tones. But Orgasm is definitely appropriate for everyone). I've been lusting after it forever and my darling boyfriend knew it would be the perfect Valentine's Day gift for me. How cute is that?!

So that's my haul! I did do some other shopping, but it was for clothes, so that doesn't really fit on this blog. Have you bought anything super cool lately? Share it in the comments!

Rainy Day Makeup

If you're a serious BB, you probably don't leave your house without makeup. Ever. Right? Because no matter how tired you are, or how short on time you are, or what the weather is like, you want to make sure you look your best!

But a look that might work on a normal basis for you may not look as flattering if it's very overcast or raining outside because the natural lighting changes (from sunny to cloudy, of course) and shadows and lines that aren't typically visible become a lot more visible when rainstorms approach. This is especially true for olive skin tones, that often have to deal with dark under-eye circles.

So to look like a bombshell when the weather is blah, you need to adapt a new makeup routine! Here are a few tips I've discovered that will help you shine in bleak weather:

1) Do a warm or neutral eye. When it's cloudy outside, it's best to use neutral to warm tones on your face so that your makeup doesn't look dark and bruise-like. With the recent rainstorms we've been having on my campus, I've been rocking a lot of pinky-gold eye shadows that brighten my eyes instead of making them look garish or hollow.

2) Avoid heavy liner. If you're like me, you probably won't leave the house without eyeliner because without it, your eyes don't stand out as much. But if you're going to rock eyeliner on a rainy day, keep it as close to the lashline and as thin as possible. I'd also recommend using a brown liner because it doesn't look as harsh in low lighting.

3) Use a waterproof mascara. So you walk out of your first lecture of the day and into a torrential down-pour. Oh, no! You forgot your umbrella! It's only a quick run to your next class, but you're definitely going to get wet. While your hair might be 'ruined' and your clothes are going to be soaked, there is absolutely nothing worse than mascara unintentionally running down your face in thick, black streaks. To save yourself the embarrassment, use waterproof mascara especially on days when there's a high chance of rain.

4) Rock the ballerina bun. No matter how much product you use in your hair, no blow-out or hot tool-styled hair can survive the slightest hint of humidity, let alone a rainstorm. To keep your look as polished as possible, simply pull your hair back into a ponytail and then wrap the ponytail around itself to create a bun (which you can secure with a hair tie or bobby pins). To frame your face better, give a little volume to your bangs before you pin them back.

5) Use a setting spray. Overcast days often bring humidity and heavy mists. To prevent your makeup from sliding all over your face, spray one to two pumps of a setting spray over your makeup before you leave the house. This will not only make your makeup look a little more natural (it helps blend it into your skin), but it'll also keep it from running in the fog.

In case all else fails and the weather ruins your makeup, carry makeup wipes with you so that you clean up whatever makeup is left on your face. Do you have any tips for rainy day makeup? If so, leave them in a comment!

Masterclass Mondays: The "Everyday Gorgeous" look for Olive Tones

Whoot! Welcome to Masterclass Mondays, a new weekly series that will feature a look from Jemma Kidd's Makeup Masterclass book. Today, I tried out her everyday look that features colors that specifically flatter olive skin tones. Fret not if you aren't olive, though! I will do more of her looks each week!

According to Kidd, every day looks should be neutral and not highly noticeable. The more natural they look, the better. Therefore, this particular look involves almost-skin tone shadows and colors.

I apologize for the poor photo quality. For some reason, these pictures came out super blurry =/

Eyes: As per Kidd's instructions, I left my brows natural and applied a gold-beige shadow (UD's Naked from the Naked palette) all over the lids. This shadow is slightly darker than my natural skin color. To "intensify the color at the socket and outer corner of the eye", I applied a cocoa-brown color (Buck from the Naked Palette) and blended it up into the crease. Lastly, I curled my lashes and applied a black mascara.

Face: I applied a liquid concealer on my under-eye circles and around the corners of my nose which tend to get red. Then, I applied a light-weight liquid moisturizer and a little translucent powder from Clinique to blot up any excess shine. To add a little bit of color to my face, I lightly applied a peach-toned blush that wouldn't look too made-up.

Lips: I used a rose-toned SPF infused moisturizing lipstick (Kidd recommends a rose tinted lip balm, but I didn't have any) to round out the look.

My opinion: I think this is a great look for everyday usage, especially for high schoolers who are just starting to dabble in makeup or women who like to stick with a naturally beautiful look. I did add a brown eyeliner once I was done because I felt that my eyes sunk into my face otherwise, but overall it's definitely a look I could wear every day. Plus, to make it even more appealing, it only took me 7 minutes to do! How awesome is that?!

Super Bowl Sunday: Go STEELERS!

To be honest, I'm not a big fan of matching my makeup to my clothing because it just looks too matchy-matchy to me. But when you're a die-hard fan* of any sports team, it's natural to want to show your colors in any and all ways possible (even if it means matching your eyeshadow, lipstick, and team jersey) right?

Well, sort of.

For example, in this year's Super Bowl (the biggest, most important American football game for all of my foreign readers), I favored the Pittsburgh Steelers. But instead of wearing a look that was centered around black and yellow, I wanted to do a more unique, wearable look that would look good for a football game or any other fun event.

So, since I was avoiding black and yellow, I did a look based around my team's name and made a "steely" gray look!



Eyes: First, I primed my eyes with Urban Decay's Primer Potion because I wanted this look to not have fall-out or flake off as the day progressed. Then, with a thick, flat brush I patted UD's gray Gunmetal shade (from the Naked palette) all over the lid. It's REALLY important to use patting motions because there is so much glitter in this shade that if you try to brush it on, you'll wind up with glitter all over your face! I then blended the shade at the edges, into the sockets, so that it didn't look like a harsh gray blob on my eyes.

Next, I took a smudging -- or pencil -- brush and ran the black Creep shade (also from the Naked palette) just above my upper lash line. This also has glitter, so be careful!! After I applied it, I blended it upwards, creating a silvery, smokey eye. To balance out the dark lids, I then used my clean blending brush to lightly apply the shimmery, light beige tone from the same palette, called Virgin, just underneath my brows and down into the inner corner of my eyes. I also highlighted the brow bone with just a little bit of Sin -- a very light, shimmery pink shadow.

I lined my eyes with a thin line of black gel liner on the top lashes and then used an angled brush to apply the Gunmetal shade on the outer two thirds of my lower lash line. Lastly, I curled my lashes and applied a lengthening mascara.

Face: Because the eyes are so dark for this look, it's really important to use a good concealer under the eyes. Apply it with patting motions using your ring or middle finger so that the concealer blends into the skin but isn't rubbed off. Then, I used a tinted moisturizer since I didn't want my makeup to look too over-done (after all, this was just for a football and food party). To lock in the concealer and moisturizer, I applied a mineralized face powder all over my face with a fluffy brush. I then used bronzer to sculpt my jaw line and a very light, raspberry-toned blush on the cheeks.

Lips: I went really simple, and just applied a sheer gloss. The idea of this look is to have the eyes really pop!

How to Clean your Makeup Brushes

Second only to washing your face on a regular basis, the most important step you should take to ensure your skin's health and easy makeup application is making sure that you clean your makeup brushes on a regular basis. Like anything you use or touch often, makeup brushes can collect bacteria over time. However, since those brushes are going to rub against your skin (especially your sensitive facial skin), you should really be sure that your brushes are as clean as possible to reduce chances of acne or irritation! Also, think about dragging dirty brushes through your makeup every day. Each time you swipe your unclean blush brush across your blush, your basically infusing it with dirt and bacteria. GROSS!!

Keeping your brushes clean also preserves the quality of your brushes. Makeup can cake up on brushes and if left unclean, the brush hairs can begin to degrade and your brushes will fall apart. I don't know about you, but the less often I have to spend anywhere from $20.00 to well over $100.00 for a new brush set, the better!

So, for the good of your skin, your makeup, and your brushes (*cough* wallet *cough*), you should clean your brushes anywhere from once a week to once a month, depending on how often you use them. For example, if you apply makeup at least twice a day, every day, you need to clean your brushes once a week. And of course, if you use makeup less often, you can wait up to a month to clean them. But no matter how thoroughly you clean them or how often, you should consider replacing your brushes every 10 months to a year.

Here's what you'll need to clean your makeup brushes:
1) Dirty makeup brushes
2) A bowl. I'd recommend using one that you don't constantly use for cooking.
3) A clean towel.
4) Brush cleaner. A good brush cleaner will also have a built-in conditioner that will keep your brushes from loosing their natural oils, or softness.

First, pour about 40 ml of brush cleaner into your bowl. I bought FaceSecrets' Professional Brush Cleaner from Sally's Beauty Supply. WARNING: It smells very strongly from rubbing alcohol. Do not do this in a tight space that isn't well-ventilated.

Once you have your cleaner poured, swirl each brush through the cleaner for no more than 10 seconds. If you leave a brush in for too long, the hairs can become dried out at will be damaged.


Bigger brushes like this kabuki will soak up most of your cleanser. To squeeze it out, lightly press the brush against the side of your bowl. You can technically do this with all of your brushes to release the excess liquid. It is important to ONLY dip the hairs into the cleanser, not the whole brush. If you go past the metal part, there's a good chance the glue holding the brush together will begin to disintegrate.

After swirling each brush in the cleaner, wipe it back and forth gently on the towel until all of the makeup and alcohol is out of the hairs. It's going to look a bit gross, but that's good because then you know your brushes are 100% clean!

Look at all the old foundation and bronzer. EWWWW!!!!! This should wash right out of your towel, but if you're worried about staining, use an old towel that you don't use frequently.

The liquid left in the bowl will also resemble mud:

Gross! Empty the bowl immediately and wash it out to prevent staining or the smell from 'sticking' to the bowl.

Your brushes should look gorgeously clean, now!

To allow your brushes to dry properly, stand them upright in a cup or mug for at least 8 hours (I normally give mine 14).

Here, I put my face brushes in one mug and my eye brushes in another to allow more air to circulate. You'll know your brushes are fully dry when they are 1) no longer slippery to the touch and 2) do not smell from rubbing alcohol.

Return of Beauty on the Brain!

Hello my lovely BB's! I'm back and certainly did not forget about you. I'm so sorry I haven't posted in ages. Unfortunately, with school and my job, blogging fell to the wayside and I often did not have time to create the meaningful, informative blogs and reviews you all come here for.

That being said, I certainly did not run out of time for cosmetics and beauty products! Here's just a glance at what I've been up to:

That's a heck of a lot, no? The beauty brain never sleeps, no matter how many exams or work-related meetings come up!

Over the past couple of months, I've accumulated a TON of products to review and incorporate into tutorials for you BBs. Some have been awesome; others were less than stellar. Nevertheless, I'm still look forward to telling you all about my beauty exploits.

There were some incredible stand-out products that I came across. First up are the deep conditioning treatments I've been using in my hair:

Both were purchased at Sally's Beauty Supply and while they both are nice, one definitely works better than the other. So, look for an upcoming Battle of the Brands between these two!

Next, I tested the urban legend of using artist brushes (sold at Michael's Craft Store for painting) to apply my makeup.

Please pardon my dirty brushes! I was just getting ready to do a brush cleaning tutorial!

Did they work? Find out soon in an Ultimate Brush Smack Down!

What else? Oh, yes! I tested a new brush cleanser, so look for a review on it soon.

Also got a new boar bristle brush, which is supposed to smooth frizzy hair and keep the natural oils from building up.


So far, I'm loving it! My hair has never, ever, EVER felt so soft and manageable. If you have coarse, frizzy hair, I would definitely recommend investing in one. I got mine at Sally's Beauty Supply for under $6.00.

Another awesome cosmetic acquisition was this package of facial/makeup remover wipes that I bought at XXI Forever of all places.


They smell sooo nice and I love using them to clean up makeup through out the day or to totally get rid of makeup at night. They are soothing, refreshing, and leave my skin smelling sweet. Great price, too (only $2.80)!

Oh, yes. The holiday season AND my birthday also came and went. Thanks to my amazing family and fantastic friends, I got some super sweet goodies to share with you! First up is this nail polish set from my dad:

Isn't it CUTE?! I love the teal one and the silver glittery one the most, but it's such a great mini set of OPI's most popular colors.

My fantabulous boyfriend somehow managed to get a hold of an Urban Decay Naked palette for me for my birthday. It's my latest makeup addiction:


It's incredible. He's incredible. Be jealous =) HAHA! But in all seriousness, this is an amazing palette, so expect a review and tutorials based around it.

Then, since my mom is pretty much the coolest person ever, she totally out-did herself and managed to snag a bottle of MAC's Mean and Green nail polish from the sold-out Venomous Villains collection for my birthday. The duo-chrome shade didn't photograph perfectly, but here's a quick peek:


I've been wearing it for almost a week straight and have gotten dozens of compliments on it. I will do a post soon with better photography and easier-t0-see color swatches.

And lastly, my good friend Morgan (who's blog you should check out over here if you are interested in writing techniques) got me the makeup Bible for my birthday:


It's so... pretty! All of the looks are beautiful and Jemma is a brilliant makeup artist. So, in honor of this fabulous book, I will be starting a new series called Masterclass Mondays, where I will do one look from the book each week. Look for it soon!

OH! And I just realized I forgot to photograph this with the rest of the group of items, but I got this super-awesome nail polish at Disney World in December:


It's from OPI's Alice in Wonderland collection and is called "Off With Her Red" (Get it? Get it?!). It's a lovely color, so look for a review on it soon.

Honestly, I'm so glad to be back to blogging again. I have so many fantastic blogs planned and I'm really excited to post them for you. Thanks for sticking around with me!

Quick Update!

Hey BBs!! Just wanted to give you guys a quick update on my life. I'm so sorry I haven't posted in a while. I've been extremely busy with school (it being near the end of the semester and all), but I PROMISE to be back very shortly with some cool new blogs, tutorials, and reviews.

If you have any requests or suggestions for posts, leave them in the comment box, please!!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, readers!

Tag, you're it! My Makeup Story

New beauty tag floating around. Check it out and get to know me a little more!

Questions:
1. How old were you when you started wearing makeup? Well, I got to wear makeup for the first time when I was in preschool and performing in a ballet recital. Since I continued to do ballet for the next 11 years, I always looked forward to my mom doing my makeup (some eyeshadow, blush, and lipstick) before the big shows. However, I got my own real makeup in about 5th grade, but I was only allowed to wear it on weekends. Then, in middle school, it became every Friday. Once I hit 10th grade, I started to wear it every day.

2. How did you get into makeup? I was always into really girly things, but I probably got hooked on it from my ballet recitals. Wearing makeup made me feel so mature and sophisticated!

3. What are some of your favorite brands? Rimmel London, Revlon, Sephora, Clinique, e.l.f., mark., Urban Decay.

4. What does makeup mean to you? To me, makeup is an art form. I see my face (and body) as a canvas that I can constantly redecorate every day. How fun is that?!

5. If you could only wear 4 products on your face what would they be? Concealer, eyeliner, mascara, and lipstick.

6. What is your favorite thing about makeup? I like that you can be whomever you want to be when you wear it. You can be yourself in a really natural look and just highlight things you like about yourself, or you can be a whole other person and test out some crazy look you've never seen on yourself before.

7. What do you think about drugstore makeup vs high end makeup? 99% of the time, I feel that drugstore makeup is just as good if not better than high end makeup.

8. What is one tip of advice you can give to a beginner? Don't be afraid to try new looks. You don't have to wear them all day, but take the time to try out different looks and styles. You might be surprised to see that something you never thought would work on you could look perfectly fantastic on you.

9. What is one makeup trend you never understood? Thin, penciled in eyebrows. I really love my brows' natural shape and curve, so I don't really do too much to them. I think they frame my face naturally and make me look more graceful.

10. What do you think about the beauty community on YouTube? And in this case, blogger? I think they're both really good! You have great gurus in both mediums and I think they have a lot of great experience to share with readers. But never forget that this community is NOT the Gods of makeup. All we do is share secrets that work really well for us. Don't be afraid to think outside our boxes and find products and looks that work for you.

I, of course, tag all of you: my loyal readers. Answer in the comments section, please!

Get the Look: Day-time Red Lips

When I think of classic, iconic makeup that NEVER goes out of style, I always think of the red lip. It's the epitome of sexy, feminine, strong, bold, and timeless all in one cute bundle. Many believe, though, that you can only rock a red lip at night or for a formal event because it's too sexy or too bold. But why should we as women think that way? I mean, shouldn't we embrace our femininity at all times?

Of course we should! Which is why you need not hide your red lipstick during the day, but rather learn how to wear it differently for a more office, school, or every-day appropriate look.
The trick, you see, is to use a coral lipstick instead of a true red. Coral, which was a huge hit this summer with blue eyeliner, is slightly more orange than red and therefore looks more neutral when worn. It's not just a summer trend, though! Because it has orange tones in it, I would argue it's very appropriate for fall and should be worn.

To keep your look more day-time appropriate and to draw as much attention to your red lips as possible. Keep the eyes mega neutral. For this look, I used a champagne shadow that had no shimmer or glitter in it all over the lid and no contour color. I did line my eyes and draw more attention to my ironic twist on the red lip, I added a small wing at the end, reminiscent of the 1950s pinups and starlets that made red lips popular.

The most important step of the whole process is to make any other colors on your face virtually disappear. You need to cover up any bags under your eyes, redness from acne, or general discoloration so that the most attention can be brought to your coral lips. I would recommend contouring your face, though, with a matte bronzer so that your face doesn't look flat and cartoony. You can also go in and add a highlighter if you have very dry skin.

Tag, you're it! My Perfect Imperfections

Found this tag floating around Youtube the other day when a makeup guru I follow (DulceCandy87) posted her version of it. Basically, you name three physical traits about you that aren't necessarily perfect, but make you who you are and then three things you love about yourself. Sounds fun, right? Here's mine!

My Perfect Imperfections:
1) My under eye bags: No matter how much sleep I get or how much concealer I cake on, I can NOT seem to get rid of my under eye bags. I've tried everything: moisturizers, tea bags, cucumber, more sleep, more caffeine, less caffeine... EVERYTHING!! But no matter what, I always have little bags under my eyes. Sometimes they look really distracting and make smokey eyes look like black eyes, but now I've kind of just accepted that they're there and they probably always will be. Plus, I can look like a Vampire whenever I want (Lol.)!

2) My hair texture: I've discussed this before, but my hair texture is ridiculous. It can be smooth and silky one minute, and then frizzy and course the next. My hair is so ADD that I use dozens of different products to try to get it to just chill out. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. The good part is that if I am having a bad hair day, I can just thrown my hair up in a bun and be done with it. It's not super long (reaches about the base of my neck now), so it's not high maintenance in the brushing field. Of course, some days are really fantastic for my hair: it's soft, smooth, and doesn't fall flat. It would just be great if those days could be planned out in advance. Hehe..

3) My weight: Let me put it this way: I'm no skinny minnie. I have very real, very noticeable curves. I know I'm not fat, believe me. But I also know that I'm not a size zero which sometimes is a hard reality to deal with when you're shopping for the latest trends with friends that are half your size (or smaller). I'm definitely not jealous -- I know I fill out evening gowns and daisy dukes better than some -- but I can also definitely acknowledge the fact that my size is not society's "ideal" one. While I do work out quite often and eat healthily, I'm all too aware that certain parts of me are just not going to change because of my genes and body type. I think I'm okay with that, though, because I still love my body and it will always be my temple.


Three Things I Love About Myself:
1) My skin: I'm UBER fortunate to have skin that rarely breaks out, is not acne prone, is not sensitive, and has a really natural glow 95% of the time. I know that a lot of people struggle with their skin and hypothetically, I should have too, because my parents had problematic skin as teenagers and young adults. Maybe it's because I drink a lot of water, or maybe it's because I wash my face multiple times a day, but my skin is really, really good.

2) My eyelashes: Apparently, I have really thick and long natural lashes. My friend Courtney told me this last year as she was applying my makeup once. I didn't believe her at first, but then she handed me a mirror and made me look really closely. Even without mascara on, my lashes looked the same if not fuller and longer than her falsies. While I'm still a mascara fiend and almost always have it on, there have been days when I've rushed out the door without it and never noticed I didn't have any on until I go to take it off at night.

3) My dimple: You may not have noticed it in some of my posts, but I do have a small dimple on my left cheek, just to the side of the curve of my mouth. I really love this dimple because I feel that it makes my smile look more natural, more playful. You can always tell when I'm truly happy because that dimple shows up. I like that it looks youthful and adds some mischief to my appearance.

So there you have it. My three perfect imperfections and three things I like about myself. What would your list have on it? Post it in the comments, please! And feel free to tag me in any new tags you have!

Review: Wet n' Wild Lipstick

Always the bargain hunter, I recently stumbled upon Wet n' Wild's makeup display in my local Publix while I was shopping for groceries with a friend. At first I didn't notice it, honestly. The display was pretty nondescript with no flashy signs and no pictures of their cover models. However, my eyes were caught as I was browsing price tags.

Covergirl: $12.99. Revlon: $14.99. L'Oreal: $9.99.

Wet n' Wild: $0.99?!?! What???

So I, the beauty brain and bargain hunter I am, moved in for a closer look. About a week earlier, I had picked up two of the brand's single eyeshadows (which I still have to review. Sorry!). This time, though, I was on the hunt for something I often avoid: lipstick.

Wet n' Wild didn't disappoint my wallet. Each lipstick was only $0.99 and the store had about 15 colors in stock. So I picked up three..

My three new Wet n' Wild lipsticks. From L to R: Fuchsia with Blue Pearl (521A), Nouveau Pink (511B), and Pink Ice (528A). $0.99 each.

I quickly realized that each lipstick was very glossy or even metallic-y: not really my thing. However, by simply blotting at your lips immediately after applying, you can totally change the appearance of these lipsticks and make them look like an expensive, high fashion product.

Pink Ice: A lovely neutral lipstick that looks a bit too frosty when applied, but can be blotted down to a gorgeous, peachy color. I especially loved wearing this with blue eyeliner and a neutral gloss to channel the hottest look from this summer. However, I also think it would look great with a smokey eye for a night-time look.

From frosted and glossy to totally matte..

Nouveau Pink: Okay, I know it looks like the name of this one is spelled awkwardly, but that's really how it's spelled on the packaging. Anyway, I really like this pink lipstick a lot. It's very feminine and instantly makes any neutral look a lot less neutral. I think it would be a great choice for holiday parties this year as it can be worn with a neutral eye or a smokey eye and would in fact look great with purple eyeshadow. This lipstick is not very glossy or metallic-y, but I would still recommend blotting it to reduce smudging later on.

Glossy to matte..

Fuchsia with Blue Pearl: Definitely the funkiest lipstick I've ever tried! I bought this on a whim and because it always seems like purple lips are popular in the winter. I, however, am a little too afraid to rock a violet lip, so I went with the pinkiest purple I could find! This is a very bold color and probably should only be worn at night with neutral or gray eyes. I would recommend blotting it or else it looks a bit clownish, but over all, it's a really cool color. Check it out! For the ridiculously low price, you might as well try the trendiest look for winter.

Glossy to matte...

My only complaint about these lipsticks is that the packaging is really quite poor. It looks and is cheaply made, so don't expect this to be a gorgeous product at first glance. However, if that's how Wet n' Wild is keeping prices down, then I'm all for it!

Over all, I think these lipsticks are really quite a steal. The colors are as pigmented and as different as MAC and definitely as trendy. But, like all things trendy, they won't (and shouldn't) last forever, so why spend $13.00 on a lipstick that could be very much out of style in a few months? Instead, get one of these Wet n' Wild lipsticks and don't feel guilty.

Swatches! From L to R: Nouveau Pink, Pink Ice, and Fucshia with Blue Pearl.

Get the Look: Hot Pink Lips

For the most part, I tend to rock a neutral look during the day. Recently, however, I've been a fan of neutral eyes with a bright lip. In order to attain this look, you'll need a peachy or champagne-colored eyeshadow, tight lined eyes, and a really bright, highly pigmented lipstick.

As you saw a few days ago, I recently acquired a Fuchsia glitter gloss from Sephora, and honestly, I'm in love with it. Hot pink lips look flawless on all skin tones because they are not a commonly occurring color that looks feminine and flirty on everyone. This look was inspired by the gloss and centered around it!

Eyes: For this look, I wanted all of the attention to focus on my lips, so I did a very neutral -- almost naked -- eye. I used two shimmery neutral shades: one in peach and one in champagne.

I used the champagne tone in the bottom left corner and the peach tone in the center of the palette.

Apply the champagne all over the lid and the peach to the very center. Next, tight line your upper lid with black liner. You can then leave the bottom lid alone, tight line it in black, or tight line it in a bright purple to make the whites of your eyes pop.

Lips: Apply a hot pink or "Barbie" pink lipstick to your lips, taking care to highlight the cupids bow.
Blot your lips to remove any glossiness or metallic tones from the lipstick itself. Once your lips are sufficiently matte, apply your hot pink, glitzy lipgloss.
By applying the lipgloss on top of mattified lipstick, your gloss is going to stay on longer and your lip color will last much better.

And there you have it: a gorgeous bold lip look that takes less than 5 minutes to accomplish. Enjoy!

Look What Arrived Today!

A Sephora haul! Yay!!

Most of the time, I can't afford to buy too, too much at Sephora because the prices are a tad bit expensive, but every year the store does what they call their Friends and Family Sale where you can 20% your entire purchase.

That's right. 20%! That's a heck of a lot off their products, especially when you're already shopping the sales and bargain items.

I've always wanted one of Sephora's Beauty in a Box sets simply because I love kits since they give you a great variety of products that work well together and suggestions on how to use it. This year, Sephora created four Beauty in a Box sets that would make great Halloween looks: a Vegas Showgirl, a Peacock, a Vampire, and a Devil. While I thought the vampire and devil kits looked great (especially the devil one, which had a black lipgloss I've been dieing to try!), I opted to go with the Vegas Showgirl and Peacock kits because I felt I would get more use out of them.

Anywho, the day after Halloween, these sets went from $26 all the way down to $10! What a deal! So, naturally, when I couldn't decide between either of them, I grabbed up both. After all, each was valued at over $50 and that's a GREAT deal for higher-end cosmetics. Plus, with the Family and Friends discount, the boxes were only $8 a piece. SWEET!!!

So, today, my Sephora box arrived. I was so excited to open it! And Sephora never lets you down with presentation. Even though I didn't order gift wrap, the kits were wrapped in the iconic red tissue paper and displayed like the crown jewels. Inside each kit, the items themselves were also wrapped in the red tissue (which I conveniently ripped to shreds in my excited state. Hehe..). Needless to say, I was impressed to find that the kits had full sized products in them, and not the little 'deluxe samples'/one time use products I thought would be in there. Both look uber fun, so here are my first impressions.


Vegas Showgirl: So far, I'm LOVING the lipgloss (it's the only thing I've really tried on). It's a gorgeous hot pink and full of glitter: totally glam. I find that it does stain your lips, which I'm a fan of since I hate reapplying makeup just shortly after i first apply it. The formula is smooth and silky -- not heavy at all -- and the doe-foot applicator feels more luxurious than most. Though I have not really used them yet, the shadows look gorgeous and are highly pigmented. The eyeliner is quite pretty, too, even though I just swatched it on my wrist. I have not sprayed the glitter yet, but I'm excited to! The only thing I wasn't an immediate fan of was the false lashes. Online, I couldn't tell that they had strands of glitter mixed into them. While I don't hate it, I think it kind of makes the lashes look tacky and I don't know if I'll really get to wear them very much. However, the over all kit looks fabu and I can't wait to really use the products!

Peacock: The lashes in this kit are to DIE for! So adorable!! I really love that you can apply as many or as little as you want to make the look yours. The eyeshadow combination is lovely... the dark green shadow is my favorite so far. These don't seem very pigmented, though, so I would recommend using a heavier hand with them. Again, the liner I swatched on my wrist looked beautiful, so that'll be exciting to use. The lipgloss -- although quite sheer -- smells deliciously sweet, so it should be pleasant to use. I also did not test the glitter spray in this kit.

Tomorrow, I should have at least one look tested, so I will let you know how it goes. The kits also come with little flaps in the front that provide instructions for a night look and day look for each kit.

Vegas Showgirl comes with a Colorful 9 Eyeshadow Palette in Forest Fantasy, Nano Eyeliner in Wild Spirit, Ultra Shine Lipgloss in Fuchsia, Silver Glitter Spray, and False Lashes. Above is the instruction flap!


The instructions on the Peacock kit tell you how to use the Colorful Eyeshadow Palette in Schizo, Super Shimmer Lipgloss Sugar Coat, Nano Eyeliner in Ladoon, Gold Glitter Spray, and False Eyelashes that come with it.

Get the Look: Pretty in Pink (and Purple!)

Berry tones are always popular in the fall and winter when it comes to makeup looks. It warms up the face (which could lose its natural tan) and helps your skin radiate with warmth.

Please excuse my messy hair and gym clothes. I was on my way to Tai-chi class but wanted to make sure I got a picture of my makeup before I worked out. :)

Eyes: For this look, I chose to feature purple eyeshadow, but you could really do a pink or warm maroon as well. After priming the lid, I took Wet n' Wild's eyeshadow in Kitten ($0.99 at Walgreens. What a steal!!) and applied it with a stiff, flat brush all over the lid. I really like this shadow because it has a gold shimmer running through it that, when the light hits it just right, makes it look like you actually applied two eyeshadows: a purple as a base and a gold on top. After packing on the eyeshadow to reduce fall-out, take a fluffy dome brush and blend out the edges into your crease. You can add a highlight on your brow bones and in the inner corner of your eyes with a silver eyeshadow if you want. Apply concealer AFTER your eyeshadow in case of fall-out from the purple shadow that would make any under-eye circles look darker and more apparent.

Lips: I'm loving lipstains at the moment because the require minimal upkeep throughout the day and give your lips a gorgeous color for quite some time. For this look, I used Revlon's Just Bitten in Passion ($8.99 at CVS, but was on sale for buy one, get one 50% off), which gave my lips a delightful, berry-pink color. Make sure you apply a good lipbalm on top of the stain, though, because stains can dry out your lips: a major no-no for the winter. Revlon's lipstains come with a great balm on one end and the stain marker on the other.

Face: I would recommend a peach-tone blush for this look because any blush that's more pink or rosy will make your face look to red in the winter cold. A peach blush will still add a warm pink tone to your face, but won't look too over-done.


And there you have it: a pretty, girly look that is 100% perfect for everyday wear this winter. Enjoy!