How I Upped My Makeup Game

There are few things I think I need to say first and foremost. I have learned everything I know by trial and error. I am not a professional. Secondly, I feel that makeup should be fun and if it works for you- ROCK IT! We are too hard on each other. What may look like crap to me actually makes that girl feel like a beautiful princess! Lastly, there are higher end products than what I have that probably do a better job. However, I am all about beauty on a budget. I get most of my stuff at Target or at the drugstore.

That before? That's not an uncommon makeup look I used to rock. I really tried not to overdo how I previously did my makeup. That is really how I wore it.

Quick and dirty on what have I changed and what have I learned

• Skincare, skincare, skincare
• Primer sets the stage whether for foundation or eyeshadow
• Eyebrows- Framing for your eyes, learn to do them! 
• Eyeliner- Now it is always under my lash line on my lower lashes
• Bronzer- Not just something you put your blush on top of
• Pink frosty lips do not equal nude lips (I used to think only a light lipstick if you have smokey eyes)
• Smokey eyes can be done in a variety of colors but black and silver are harsh
• Eyeshadow primer can make a difference for even the cheapest of shadows
• Tools matter- maybe even more than the makeup
• The angle at which I curl my eyelashes matters

Now to get a little more in depth: 

Step 1: Skin. For me that generally includes serum, daytime eye moisturizer, face moisturizer and primer. 

Primer makes a big different in my makeup. I have two different types depending on the look. The pixi primer is more of a luminescent dewy look, and the face perfector is a more of a matte look. (Unfortunately they no longer make that pixi primer. Sad day! I'll be on the lookout for a different option) 

Step 2: Foundation: Since I followed my skin routine including primer I will use regular foundation instead of a BB cream (I use that when I want to combine some steps). Today happens to be Colorstay Foundation by Revlon in 200 (nude). Sometimes I use a makeup sponge, today I used my fingers. 

Step 3: Highlight and Contour (HAC). My highlight and contour leaves a lot of room for improvement. It is a new step for me. (Please don't cringe, its a work in progress!) Lets just called it a modified HAC. I'm not sure I love the super dark with super light HAC routines I've seen. I use a concealer in the lightest shade (usually an ivory) and draw a line up the center of my nose and then fan out onto my forehead, an inverted triangle under my eyes, and a bit on my chin. The inverted triangle under my eyes does a a wonder for my dark circles and for the rosacea redness of my cheeks (which has improved greatly with better skin care). While that sets for a minute I take a bit of bronzer and darken the hollows below my cheek bone, and sometimes I used a bit on my nose to contour, and then under my jaw line.

Next I use my fabulous favorite tool: my buki brush! This is perfect for blending. I love this brush so much and could not live without anymore! This is more densely packed than an all out full size kabuki brush. Mine is a Bare Escentuals (Minerals) you can check out here for 20 bucks. Or for a cheaper version I would recommend the Coastal Scents brand here for 4.95. I use circular motions to blend in my concealer/bronzer. Depending on how my skin is doing, sometimes I use a stippling motion to blend the concealer out just where the edges are. This brush also works great with Bare Minerals loose foundation to give a heavier/thicker application. After blending I lightly sweep bronzer with in an E motion from around my forehead, hollows of my cheeks, under my jaw. I'm currently using a pixi bronzer I am sampling from Ipsy. 

Step 4: Blush. Nothin' fancy. I have a bare minerals blush brush that I use and apply from the apples of my cheeks (I usually smile a big cheesy smile and hit em right on) then I go outward along my cheekbone toward my ear. When I am feeling a bit fancy I will use a luminizer/brightener I got from Bare Minerals just on the top of my cheekbones near the outer corner of my eyes. 

Perhaps a bit better blending on my bronzer on the left but you get the idea. Before when I used to just use bronzer on my cheekbones followed by blush on my cheekbones it gave me quite the baked potato face. You can also see how the bit of bronzer around my hairline and under my jaw gives my face better dimension. Not just flat face. 

Step 5: Brows. I'll do a full brow tutorial at a later date with better pics. In the meantime here is a tutorial I like here. I use a blonde eyebrow pencil from Avon (I purchased for 1.99 on sale!) and make an outline. I draw the top and the bottom of my eyebrows. I left my natural brow shape be my guide. Next I use a blonde eyebrow powder from Nyx to fill in between my lines using the provided brush. (5.99 at Target) Then I take my lovely buki brush and brush it over the top just to soften the edges. My Nyx kit comes with a spoolie if you prefer to soften the look by brushing the powder with it instead. Then I use the wax to set them in place. I would say pencils tend to look harsh, so if you aren't using an eyebrow powder, consider it. 

Step 6: Eyeshadow and mascara. I have found that using an eyeshadow primer really helps me. I use a Nyx pearl (shimmery) base, but they also have plain white, nude, and beige and its relatively cheap at 6.99.  You can pick it up at Target or Ulta.

















I won't due a full tutorial on my eyeshadow today, but I've learned a few things.

First thing: Brushes, brushes, brushes. It will make a difference. I have tons of different brands of brushes, but my current favorites are Coastal Scents. Great quality and easy on the wallet. Also, I never use eyeliner under my eye. I use eyeshadow underneath my lower lashes smudged with a dome shadow brush. A small dome shadow brush is your friend. It works great for your crease as well as smudging things out. I started with an Avon one but have upgraded (even though it cost less) to this dome brush from Coastal Scents. You can see the middle of my lid is the palest color darkening at the edges and into my crease. I always use a light (but not silver) color for my brown bone. Shoot for pale skin color. My liner is not a huge thick line, just a nice tight line along the lashes (I used a Sephora liquid liner in brown today). Next so there aren't any dramatic lines I use a blender to blend the color. Again, mine is Coastal Scents. Previously I used a fluffy old school kaboodles brush. The blender works better. Haha. Seriously, tools make a difference so go buy some nice eyeshadow brushes!

Also do not be afraid of color. I used lots of purples and pinks here and it provides just as much of a smokey look as what I used to think black did. Black and silver are harsh. I'm not sure I will ever buy more of them. I've learned that liner doesn't need to be black to be dramatic either. This dark brown works great with the burgundies of my shadow.

This Chella highlighter does wonders on the brow bone just underneath the brows, sometimes I use a bit on the bridge of my nose. I highlight under my brows after I finish my eyeshadow and that just pat with my finger to blend.

Crimping my eyelashes with the curler at this angle rather than straight up and down gives a much better effect. I learned this little trick from pinterest and it actually works.

Have I mentioned that tools are important?! The way bristles are packed into the brush changes the amount of makeup they can hold and then put on your face. 

Two of my fave fave fave tools: My buki brush, and my doefoot blender brush. They are my little blending buddies. I can't live without them now. Even when I started using darker colors in my crease I wasn't blending very well. I'm sure I looked like a fool. 

 My beloved dome brushes! As you can see the Avon is a bit tighter and smaller. I like using this to apply eyeshadow below my lower lash line. The Coastal Scents brush is perfect for applying color into the crease of your eye. These have made a huge difference.

My final step is using a full size kabuki and loose powder. 

Ipsy, February 2014: A Review

This month's theme was the Look of Love. Happy Valentine's day! First of all, cute glam bag! No ugly design on the outside. The products inside were fun this month as well. Overall very pleased with this month. Sorry no vlog unboxing as I've been a bit under the weather.

This month my Ipsy Glam Bag contained:

• City Color: Be Matte Blush in Melon
• POP Beauty Plump Pout Mini in Peony Petal
• Zoya nailpolish in Odette
• J.cat  Beauty Eyelashes
• Phyto-C Velvet Gel

Lets dig in to the reviews!

City Color Be Matte Blush:

 

I was excited to get a blush sample because I'm trying to expand my blush horizon.This blush

 will run you 2.99 over at their website. I'm not a huge compact blush fan as I've been using loose powder mineral blush for years now. This does not blend well and is quite chalky. The melon color doesn't seem so bright here, but it is a little much for a natural look. I love the kind of products where you are surprised at how cheap it is because it performs so well. Not the case here, just your average cheapy blush. Their website calls this blush "ultra blendable". Nope. Now, if you like BOLD blush.... this might work for you. 

POPbeauty Plump Pout Mini:

POPbeauty for the win! This is the second Pop beauty product I've fallen in love with. (The first is their crayon! review here) Look at that pigment! You can buy it at Zappos which I find a bit odd but I guess they do makeup now. It runs 16 for the full size (this is a mini). But the next time you pick up some shoes, you can add a lipgloss to your order. Of course you can also buy it at stores like Ulta as well. It seems a bit pricey for a lipgloss but this has some actual color to it so it could replace a lipstick. They have a nude color that would be fun to try. I would highly recommend, and will be buying the full size. Its got peptides that help plump and vitamin E and avocado oil for moisturizing.

Zoya Nailpolish:

I like Zoya brand. I don't really have anything new to say about the wear and tear. I like clear bright colors and this has a dusky look to it. Not for me, but I'm willing to give it a try. Odette is a cream finish in a cool color tone. It is a purpley mauve color. I am more into a metallic or shimmery finish personally. The great thing about Zoya which I don't think I mentioned in my last review and is important to mention: Zoya is Big 5 free! That means it is free of these toxins: formaldehyde, DBP, toluene, formaldehyde resin, and camphor. ALSO Zoya is not tested on animals. More reasons to love this brand. Zoya runs 8-9 bucks and you should check out their website here as the color choices blow me away.  

PHYTO-C Velvet Gel:

Hmmm... I'm kind of stumped on this one. Here is what I can tell you: This product is crazy expensive. 100 bucks for 30ml. That's one ounce, people. One. Ounce. Apparently it can reduce fine lines and wrinkles. I have been using this in replace of my normal serum but I can't tell the difference. Ingredients are Hyaluronic Acid, Calcium Pantothenate, Niacin, Alpha-Tocopherol, Retinol, Vitamin B12, Caffeine, Arginine, Glutamine, Taurine, Lysine, Glutamine, N-Acetyl Carnitine and Pentapeptide. I recognize that quite a few of those are known to be fantastic for your skin, but I also know I can find them in other preparations for a nicer price tag. I do not know enough to tell you if this exact mixture is more "special" than anything else out there.

J.Cat Beauty Eyelashes:

Not the best application, but you get the idea

Love 'em! I was not graced with full voluminous lashes. I have short stubby lashes. There isn't a magical enough mascara to fix that, and I'm not about to put crap on my eyelashes that could potentially alter the color of my iris (lookin' at you Latisse). My next option? Falsies. I really love the look of these lashes. Very lush. I have a lot of "natural" ones but these just seem so glam. They also have 30 other styles and only cost 3.99. I'd buy these again. Hope Ipsy sends me some more of this brand for sampling! 100% human hair, cruelty free, and latex free glue. Plus the glue is black which I really like (I know the white stuff says its dries clear...)

Join me on ipsy and subscribe to the Glam Bag! You get 4-5 beauty products every month delivered to your door, for just $10. Michelle Phan curates the bags! Check it out here

Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter

Lip gloss too glossy? Lipstick not your thing? You want color, but you don't want too much. You, my friend, need to try Revlon lip butters. I'm a HUGE fan and for very good reason. It is very soft and smooth on your lips. It gives them a wash of color and has a nice sheen without being glossy. They are made with mango, shea, and coconut butter. They feel luxurious. Some lipsticks have this grit to them that drives me crazy. This is just a super smooth moisturized feeling. The best part is that you can pick these up at your local Walmart, Target, or drugstore for around 7 bucks. I've had my creme brulee for about a year now and I even though I wear it frequently I have still not run out.

This is my own little lip butter collection:

Creme Brulee, Berry Smoothie, Peach Parfait, Candy Apple

There are more colors but I feel like these are a well rounded group of colors. 

Creme brulee is my go to nude. I have yet to find a nude lipstick that actually works for my skin color. I feel this lip butter does the trick. It is probably the lightest nude I can pull off without being too light. The great thing about these is that the color is sheer to medium. 

Peach Parfait is another great color to have on hand. It is not an orangey peach. It does have a golden shimmer to it. It works great on so many occasions. Its a great color if you are color shy.












This is probably my favorite color! Berry Smoothie. It is definitely a berry color. It has  pink under tones without being too purple/blue of a berry color. I love berry colors because they add a touch of drama to a look.

I have a hard time wearing red lipstick at times. It seems like work. Finding the right red is a pain. Too blue red. Too orange red. I just want a red I can throw on when I'm in the mood. This definitely is a warm red. It is not overwhelming.

Benefit Porefessional versus Avon Magix (Beware the Pores!)

 

I was absolutely thrilled to receive a sample of Benefit the POREfessional as a sample in my Ipsy Glam Bag. I am always looking for something to help my pores. Even my husband hears my whining. We were in Ulta one day and he felt the need to point out the POREfessional. (Yeah, I drag my poor husband into my beauty world sometimes). Then I pointed out the price. End of discussion. This was my chance to see if it was the balm of my dreams! My very first thought as I used it was "I own this already!" I couldn't believe how close it was to my Avon MagiX Skin Perfector. I was shocked. I feel like Benefit products are touted by beauty bloggers everywhere. No way could my Avon product be the same! After I got over the shock, I realized it is pretty darn close. If you are already using porefessional and looking for a cheaper dupe, try the magix and save yourself 20 bucks!

Never tried either? First I have some questions for you! Do you have large pores? Do you feel you need some spackle to fill it all in? That is how I see both the porefessional and the magix. Face spackle. They are both a thicker filler/primer to smooth out your skin. They both leave you with a a soft velvet like matte finish. The texture is amazingly soft and silky for both products. They can both be worn alone or under foundation.

Benefit the POREfessional Pro Balm

$30 for a 0.75 tube. It comes out in a peachy skin tone but does not seem to have any effect on color and is described at a "translucent" finish. I use it on my chin, nose, and part of my cheeks and it blends out into the rest of my skin without color. It is oil free and contains Vitamin E. It is recommended to help minimize the appearance of pores and mattify shine.

 Avon MagiX Face Perfector

$10 for a 1.0 oz tube. (See cheaper AND more product). Avon also runs sales a lot and I have seen this marked down even lower.This is also oil-free and contains rose extract and fleece flower (for whatever that's worth). Avon recommends this to "blur" your fine lines and pores.
I first picked this up when I was looking into using primer with my face routine. It was the very first primer I used in my routine. I've tried quite a few things since, but still come back to this. I love the matte look as a lot of the primers to produce a glowing dewy look create too much shimmer or shine. I'd rather just use highlighter in the right areas.
My other pro for the Avon is that I have sensitive skin and I have yet to find a product that bothers my skin. My skin breakouts if you even look at it wrong. This product does not clog my pores or make me breakout. I've been using it for about a year now.

You can order directly from Avon.com or you can find an Avon rep in your area. P.S. I don't sell Avon. I just think this is a great product.

John Frieda Colour Refreshing Gloss

Earlier in the fall I went from blonde to dark red brown. I was very disappointed that in a few weeks the color was nearly washed out. It probably wasn't even a "few" weeks, more like two. My hairstylist assured me that it was just due to the fact it was the first dark after blonde. I didn't want to go to the salon every 3 weeks just because my color faded. Shortly after I colored it dark a second time I was horrified to see how much hair color came out on a white towel after I washed my hair. I switched over to shampoo and conditioner for colored hair. I decided I needed to do more to combat the fade! Enter color depositing conditioners. I researched for weeks and ended up buying nothing. Then I was shopping at a drugstore and happened across this John Frieda. 12 bucks? What could it hurt? Most of the color depositing conditioners I looked at were for purchase online or at only beauty supply stores. You can find this John Frieda at Target or Walgreens for example. Very accessible. 

I picked the "cool reds" to keep the red undertone to my brown. You can purchase: Warm Red, Warm Blonde, Warm Brunette, or Cool Red, Cool Blonde, Cool Brunette. You can head over to John Frieda to find your color. The results are very subtle but enough to help your hair along. I might try cool brunette in the future. Even if you don't color your hair but just want a little pick me up you can use this. It is not permanent. 

I used it once when my sister was visiting. I swore it made my hair look more brown! So I asked her "does my hair look more brown?" and her response "if anything it looks more red". That was before I told her why I was asking. 

So how does it work? The bottle says it will last 6 weeks in between coloring. I'm at week 6 and still have some in my bottle. Each week you do a treatment in the shower. You apply a quarter size amount 3-5 times starting at the roots and working down. You only have to leave it in 3 minutes. Everyone has 3 minutes! 

Before

After

In the before picture you can see where my blonde highlights were fading out. You can see in the after how it deepened my color again. I am currently 6 weeks post coloring! The bright lights in my bathroom make my hair appear a lot lighter than it is, but you can see how it just perks up the color without being overwhelming.

Here is what it looks like in my hand:

As you can see it always turns my hands slightly pink after using 

 You can see a bit more of the reddish undertone my hair has in these pictures:

I've gotten quite a few comments on how "lucky" I am that when I color my hair it stays so shiny and deep in color. Well, now you know my secret! Red seems to wash out so quickly if you ask any girl who has gone red. Many choose not to stay red because of the dreaded fade. Fight the fade! 12 dollars for 6 weeks is 2 bucks a treatment. Beyond worth it! You won't regret purchasing this product.