Look Inside My Bridal Makeup Kit!

Hello everyone!

I'm doing wedding makeup this weekend for my friend Kalee! She is one of my very best friends and I am so thrilled for her and Jonathan! Click here to see one of my recent vlogs with Kalee. She is hilarious, fun, and is going to be a beautiful bride! I'm honored to be part of the festivities as a bridesmaid and also to be doing her makeup. I've done her makeup many times, so I'm very familiar with what shades work for her... and while I'm not doing everyone's makeup- past experience has taught me that other members of the bridal party may will ask for help here and there. And it's my pleasure to assist! So that's why I'm bringing quite a few "extras" outside of what I'd use on Kalee. 

My On-the-Go Storage

I'm using two of the bags recently featured in my Caboodles video. In the picture above, you can see the Tres Chic train case and the Envy polka dot bag by Caboodles. I have a much larger train case, but didn't feel like lugging it around, so I split my stuff into these two bags. The one thing you won't see packed that I'll also be taking is my brush set (they're freshly cleaned & drying) and will eventually go in the polka dot bag.   

The bulk of the makeup I'm taking is in this train case. As I mentioned in the Caboodles video, this is not the most durably constructed case in the world, but I'll be the only one handling it :) And for the amount of products I'm taking, it keeps them nicely organized. There is an open space in the bottom and three narrow trays on each side. I'm not really going to detail EVERY single product in there, but I'll mention some of the key things I like to take. 

On the left side of the kit, I have a bunch of eye products. Key things that have been VERY good for teary brides in the past have been the Mally Evercolor Automatic eyeliners, as well as Cover Girl Lash Blast Waterproof Mascara. I always use Too Faced Shadow Insurance in wedding situations, and I'm bringing along another neutral base- it's the Sigma cream shadow in Persuade. The second tray has a bunch of tools and lash/brow products. You never want to forget a lash curler, tweezers, and sharpeners! I also have some brow gel, lash glue, and the Sigma brow powder duo. Finally, the last tray is holding both of my Naked palettes. They provide a great selection of neutral shadows and fit easily in the kit!

On the right side of the kit I have concealers, lip products, and some other random stuff. I packed a variety of concealers with varying textures and coverage levels. Some, like the Bare Minerals Stroke of Light are brightening, while the Sonia Kashuk palette and Laura Geller's Real Deal concealer are full coverage. As I said- I want to be prepared! :) In the second tray I have a variety of lip products- glosses, lipsticks, and lip liners. I really like the staying power and colors in the Milani Color Statement line, so I'm bringing several of those. The dresses are coral, so I'm going with a pretty natural look on the lips... kind of a "your lips but better" look. I have lip liners by Too Faced, NYX, and Jordana in the kit... I always find laying liners & lipsticks results in the best staying power. In the third tray I have some random things. That little NARS illuminator looks really pretty mixed in with body lotion. I also have some ELF blotting tissues, Maybelline Dream Bouncy Cream Blush in Hot Tamale, and a Nivea Lip Butter. 

The bottom of the kit holds skincare, primers, foundations, powders and bronzers. I'm bringing lots of shades (just in case), but a few key things include Revlon Colorstay Whipped Creme foundation, L'oreal True Match Pressed Powder, and Milani Multitasker powders. I also have a couple of great primers- Mally Perfect Prep primer and Smashbox Photofinish. I have a small size of one of my favorite semi-matte highlighting products in there too- it's the Laura Geller baked highlight in French Vanilla. It's very similar to the Wet n Wild Reserve Your Cabana. 

I was able to fit a few more palettes in the bottom part. For a full range of neutral matte colors, I wanted to have the LORAC Pro palette. I also have my IT Cosmetics My Sculpted Face palette with a variety of contouring colors, and my Coastal Scents blush palette. Those blushes are so nice and pigmented- and it saves me from throwing in a bunch of individual blush compacts!

The polka dot bag holds a lot of extra supplies that just don't fit that great in the train case. I just LOVE this bag! I love how the little holders on the sides keep my bottles upright and there's still a lot of room to sit my brushes on top. 

This is a small Lori Greiner bag that came with a larger makeup bag (I'm taking my own makeup in that bag- still need to get it all packed!) I have a lot of disposable stuff in here, like lip gloss wands, mascara wands, q-tips, cotton pads, etc. I also have my business cards in here. Fun fact: My mom also likes to keep some of these cards in her purse and share them with people! :) 

I have a few different styles of false eyelashes- including my favorites, the Salon Perfect Demi Wispies! :) I'm all for spreading the joy of false lashes so I'm packing plenty!!  

My bottles! I have a little bottle of alcohol to sanitize makeup and tools, my on-the-go brush cleanser spray, Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray, some Cocoa Butter lotion, and the RCK Body Glow... it's gorgeous! I'm not doing any hair (except my own) for the wedding, but who doesn't need a little extra hairspray before the big moment? I have my trusty Tresemme Tres Two. 

There's a little mesh pocked inside the polka dot bag where I'm keeping tissues, Neutrogena makeup remover wipes, Wet Ones, and a couple of snacks if anyone needs them! 

Finally- the emergency kit. This is something I first got together for my Wedding Day Touch Up Kit video, and I've added to it since then. This bag contains a bunch of handy things- like disposable Wisp toothbrushes, a Tide pen, Excedrin, deodorant, mints, earring backs, a sewing kit, floss, and more. This has come in VERY handy over the years! 

♥

I hope you enjoyed this post! And if you want more wedding-related makeup information, I have a bunch of videos on my Bridal Beauty Playlist on YouTube! I also did this blog post about a year ago when I did makeup for my friend Katie's wedding. That day I did makeup for 8 people, and in the blog I talk about what worked and what I would do differently. In a nutshell, I'd encourage anyone doing wedding makeup to be prepared! :) Chances are there will be some nerves on the big day, so in addition to doing makeup, I try to take it upon myself to put the bride at ease and help her feel relaxed. Even if YOU feel nervous about doing makeup, sometimes you gotta fake it 'til you make it! :) The more prepared and organized you are, the more you can enjoy yourself and have fun with the process. Thanks for checking out this post, and I hope everyone has a safe Memorial Day weekend!

Daily Nuggets...

• Been checking off a long to-do list throughout the day... glad I had time to write this post! :)
• In case you missed Beauty Broadcast Live this morning- here's the link! 
• I also just posted a new Color Lovers video on Rose Gold makeup!
• Been drinking green tea all afternoon... and making frequent trips to the bathroom.
• Isn't it mind boggling how quickly guys can pack? Tyler hasn't even started, and I know when he does, it'll probably take no more than 5 minutes. 
• You know what's really uplifting? (insert sarcasm) You lose a little weight and then on your latest video someone comments, "so are you pregnant or did you just gain weight?" First off, I have cheeks. Always have, always will. Second of all, you can't see my body in said video, so... whatevs. Third- why does it even matter one way or the other? Oh well. Officially moving on after this mini-rant. :) 

Face of the Day: Simple Chic

Hello friends!

Thought I'd share today's makeup look with you! It was really easy and I kind of like the look of an "effortless" face with some bold lipstick. It's funny because the whole thing could look very natural with a softer lip color, but when you add a bright lip, the whole look seems a little more "fancy" than it really is. Also- yesterday I realized I had a whole drawer full of sample items... you know the little packets & tubes that might come with Sephora & Ulta orders? Lots of little forgotten things in that drawer. So I've been pulling some things out that I want to try and used a couple of those items in this look.

Face Products...

-YSL Le Teint Touche Eclat Illuminating Foundation in Beige (light/medium coverage... has a nice finish but not drastically better than my drugstore foundations)

-Cover Girl + Olay Concealer Balm in Fair/Light

-YSL Touche Eclat #2 (used as a highlight- yes that's a paper clip holding it shut- there was a lot in the sample! :)

-Bare Minerals Summer Bisque

-MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium Plus

-IT Cosmetcs Vitality Glow Matte Bronzer

-MAC Blushcreme in Posey

Eye Products...

-The Balm Put a Lid On It eye primer

-Milani Powder Eyeshadow in Pearl (all over the lid & under the brow)

-Sigma Eyeshadow in Topaz (lightly in the crease)

-Jesse's Girl Liquid Eyeliner (winged out on upper lashline)

-Mally Volumizing Mascara (upper lashes)

(I didn't put any makeup on the lower lashline)

Lip Product...

Milani Color Statement Lipstick in Flamingo Pose

♥

Are you getting in on the bright lipstick trend? What are your favorite shades to wear? 

Daily Nuggets...

• It's a beautiful day outside!! I should've been writing this blog on the deck.
• Beauty Broadcast Live tomorrow! 9am central time. Click the "Live" tab at the top of the page for details on how to watch! :)
• My house smells very floral-- put in some new Wallflowers.
• Our friends Kalee & Jonathan stayed with us last night- their wedding is coming up this weekend! Such an exciting time. Oh and I love seeing Cupcake & Mia Bean play!

 

DIY Lip Palette

Hi everyone!

Super excited to share this post with you about a really easy project! It's an eyeshadow palette turned lip palette. About a month and a half ago I went on a de-potting rampage (not as exciting as it sounds LOL). I took lots of eyeshadows out of their quads or larger palettes and combined them into my Z-Palettes to save space. One of the things I depotted were the Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips eyeshadow palettes... it's basically one pan that contains multiple shadow colors. After putting those into my Z-Palette, I realized what a nice clear container they came in. 

At the time I wasn't sure how I'd re-use this nice little palette, but I kept them just in case I did come up with something. They have a large empty space, and a separate skinny compartment on the side that used to store a sponge tip applicator.   

The other side to this story-- my rediscovered love for the Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tars. My sister (the lovely PUP) got these for me for Christmas. The shades are Vintage-- a dark, blood red (sorry, but that's the most accurate description I can give), and Trollop, a pinky-coral. I had a lot of fun with them at first, and then kind of set them aside... I guess I didn't find them to be extremely travel friendly due to the need for the lip brush. But while "shopping my stash" I dug them out again and fell in love with the colors all over again... I also really love the shades they can create when you mix them! One problem-- I didn't have a nice little palette to do this in, and these can kinda stain your hand. Over the weekend-- my ah-ha moment.... those little Physicians Formula palettes!! They can solve two problems-- giving me a place to mix the lip tars and a compact way to take what I've mixed on the go with the little lip brush that comes with the Lip Tars! 

Here's how to do it:

I got most of my information on depotting from this video by MakeupGeek. So in this little diagram, I'm basically following her method. 

1. Get a straightener and some wax paper. Let your straightener heat up, then place the compact on the hot plate (with the waxed paper in between). I left my compact on there for 45 seconds to a minute. The reason you use heat is because it slightly melts the glue that is holding the pan in the palette. 
2. Use a sharp object (I use a knife), and stick it down into the small gap between the metal pan and the palette it's sitting in. Assuming you left it on the straightener long enough, you'll easily be able to slip your knife right under the pan, and it will be surprisingly easy to lift up. There are actually only two small bits of glue holding it in there. 
3. Now you are free to go put that shadow pan in your Z-palette!
4. You can use some rubbing alcohol to clean up the palette and remove any excess glue. 
5. Now it's a lip palette! The slot for the sponge tip applicator fits the little OCC lip brush PERFECTLY- and it won't be rolling around into your product!
6. You now have plenty of space to mix your lip tars (or any lip products you want to use), and I'm happy to report that even the small beads of product I put in here are not quick to dry up, so if you mix up a great new color, you don't have to worry about losing it right away! And you can easily clean up the palette with some alcohol and start fresh anytime! 

♥

I hope that was helpful for you! I realize not everyone has the desire to transplant their eyeshadow pans into another palette, but if you DO want to, or if you just have an empty Physicians Formula palette that you don't know what to do with... this is a great way to recycle it! :) By the way, I'm getting more lip tars. They make me feel like an artist mixing paint- and I love the vibrancy and the finish on the lips. 

Daily Nuggets...

• Really feeling for those impacted by the Oklahoma tornado. The video just makes me sick to my stomach-- I can only imagine how those directly affected must feel. I posted this link on my Facebook page earlier- it shares several ways you can help the victims. 
• Went on a shoot this morning for a commercial-- it's for the "It Can Wait" campaign for no texting and driving (it'll run locally). Can't wait to see how it turns out. I am adamantly opposed to texting & driving. I don't think there's any "safe" way to do it... in fact I was nearly run off the road last week by a person who was texting.
•  A corgi just ran through my lawn. Actually it was more of a waddle. SO CUTE. 
• Sorry I didn't get a blog post up yesterday. My latest Get Ready with Me video was a 3.5 hour editing project, and once it started uploading, it went especially slow... so I decided it would be best to stay off of the internet rather than slow it down any more. 
• What's for dinner tonight? I've come up with plenty of things on Pinterest that I'd love to make! If I had the ingredients and the energy ;) 

Shop My Stash! & What If Your Makeup was Stolen?!

Looks like Shop My Stash is becoming a Friday tradition! If you tuned in for Beauty Broadcast Live this week, you saw that I gave a little recap of some things from last week's Shop My Stash. I'll do that again this week-- it's a nice way to provide some mini reviews on things. And if you're not familiar with the whole "Shop my Stash" thing... it's basically a way to look through your collection periodically and use some products that have been neglected. I like to put them together in a basket so I remember to work them into my daily makeup routine. It's not like these are the ONLY products I'm using... just some products to try to incorporate more often. It tends to remind me of some great products I have, keep me from getting into a "makeup rut" where I use the same stuff over and over, and plus you kind of feel like you have some "new" stuff without spending any money! :) 

Face Products...

-IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Undereye Concealer in Neutral Medium... This is an undereye concealer with really nice coverage, and it seems to be pretty hydrating also. It just kind of got pushed to the back after trying quite a few newer concealers. 

-NYC Sun 'n' Bronze in Montauk Bronze... This is a glowy bronze-toned powder that I thought would be nice just dusted over the face to add a summery look. It's not sparkly, but it's not super matte or very dark, so I won't be using it as a contouring product. 

-NYX Blush in Bourgeois Pig... Just a random pink blush that hasn't been getting much action lately!

-MAC Blushcreme in Posey... This is a super pretty cream blush. Don't know why I haven't been reaching for this more- it gives such a lovely natural look!

Eye Products...

-Too Faced Return of Sexy Palette... is making a return to my beauty routine! Yes it's a very shimmery palette (I reviewed it here), but I like it. It really has some fun colors in it. 

-Essence Stay All Day Cream Shadow in Glammy Goes To... I've been using my Color Tattoos & Milani Shadow Sticks a lot, but this is another great cream shadow that hasn't been getting enough love.

-Flower Beauty Lash Knockout Volumizing Mascara... This mascara will be empty soon- just need to go ahead and finish it up! 

-NYX Slide On Liner in Purple Blaze... A gorgeous purple liner that I rediscovered while working on my latest dupes video!

-Maybelline Master Drama Eyeliner in Sapphire Strength... This is that really pretty blue liner that I swatched in my dupes video. I need to be using these great, colorful liners!

Lip Products...

-Neutrogena Revitalizing Lip Balm in Healthy Blush... These are awesome tinted lip balms and this shade in particular just looks so fresh. Nice for a low-maintenace makeup day. 

-Milani Color Statement Lipstick in Flamingo Pose... a gorgeous coral/pink that I reviewed here on my blog. 

-Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Lovesick... This was one of my favorites from the balm stain line but I seem to be wearing lip butters more right now. This is an awesome color & should be wearing it more! 

♥

Who else is shopping their stash? Any good finds from last week that are rediscovered favorites? 

Each Friday on Twitter & Facebook I ask a Fill in the Blank question.

Today's was: 

If a burglar stole all of my beauty products I would....

Thank you for all the responses!! I had so much fun reading them. My thought would be- I'd be absolutely devastated, then wonder how big of a moving truck they had to use to haul away the loot. And then I'd be off looking for some glammed-up criminals!! Have a great weekend everyone, and here's hoping nobody steals your makeup! 

Forever 21 Brown/Taupe Palette!

Hey everyone! I swear, it's been palette week on my blog! I did not plan it that way... and I hope you don't mind! But after posting my Eye Dupes video last night, several people requested swatches of the whole Forever 21 Love & Beauty 21 Shade Palette in Brown/Taupe. So I thought I'd just go ahead and do that for you! In case you haven't seen my dupes video yet... check it out! haha :) But basically, this palette is $9.80 and it has quite a bit of overlap with shades in the Naked & Naked2 palettes. I point out the specific shades in the video. 

(click to enlarge)

These shadows are actually quite a bit larger than the size of a MAC eyeshadow. As you can see from the swatches above, there are lots of shimmery shades (some a little more shimmery than others), and three totally matte shades. 

I threw together a quick look with this palette this morning. I used a pearly shade (top row, 3rd from left) on the inner part of the lid. I sheered it out as a highlight under the brow as well. I used the peachy shimmer (middle row, 3rd from left) all over the lid, and then blended the matte brown (top row, 3rd from right). I used the matte black (top row, far right) on the outer corner, and blended a little bit of the black along with the matte brown under the eye. I finished it off with some liquid liner on the upper lashline, and a coat of mascara on the top & bottom lashes!

 I'm really loving this palette! :) I was so surprised by the quality of these shadows. The pigmentation and soft texture is really awesome. Also... it's a double blog day today! :) I'll have my Shop My Stash & Friday Fill in the Blank post later! 

 ♥

Color Combos with The Balm Nude 'Tude Palette

Hi everyone! I had fantastic question from viewer Valerie Stewart this morning during Beauty Broadcast Live! (Did you miss it? Click here to watch!) Valerie asked- what are some ideas for shadow combinations from the Nude 'Tude palette? I thought it would be easiest to address this in a blog post, showing swatches of some of the different color combinations I like. Keep in mind, these are just a few ideas... there are many more things that you could do with this palette! :) Also, in case you haven't seen it, here's my video review/tutorial using the palette...

So here's the palette (click to enlarge)... I'd first like to say that the shimmery white shade called "Sassy" is a wonderful highlight around the inner corner, and used lightly- it can be a nice highlight under the brow. Also, Serious (matte black) and Sleek (matte dark brown) are great used as liners-- (sorry the pic above is kinda dark & isn't showing much contrast between those two shades). Here are just a few color combo ideas to get you started! :) 

Look #1: Fast & Works with Anything! 

We all just need a quick look from time to time... I love this look because the neutral taupe color looks great with absolutely any outfit, and it doesn't compete with any cheek or lip colors you want to use. 

- First apply Sassy (white shimmer) around the inner corner and dust it lightly under the brow. This will totally wake up your eye!

-Then pat Selfish (shimmery taupe) all over the lid- this will give you a concentrated application. Then with a fluffy brush, blend it up into the crease. This will give some soft definition. Done!

Look #2: Quick Golden Girl Glow!

Ok... I don't mean you'll look like one of the Golden Girls (fabulous show), but this is another quick look that'll be a little warmer than the first one. Great if you're giving your skin a bronze glow. 

-First use Standoffish (frosty peachy/pink) on the inner corner and lightly under the brow.

-Then pat Schitzo (shimmery golden bronze) all over the lid. Blend it up into the crease with a fluffy brush. This is the very same technique as the first look, just using different colors. 

Look #3: Classic Neutral Eye!

Whereas the first two looks basically give a wash of one main color from the lid through the crease, this look will give more definition, but in a very natural way. 

-First apply Standoffish (frosty peachy/pink) all over the lid and lightly under the brow as your highlight. 

-Apply Sultry (matte brown) on the outer part of the lid, and blend it up into the crease, from inner to outer corner.

-Use Sleek (matte dark brown) as your eyeliner, going all across the upper lashline and smudging a little on the lower lashline if you want (keep in mind those dark colors could be good liners with any look you choose!)

Look #4: Smokey Mauve Eyes

Something that makes Nude 'tude special as a neutral palette is the fact that it includes pinky/burgundy shades. I love this combination of shadows for a dramatic look that's different from your typical smokey eye.

-First apply Standoffish (frosty peachy/pink) around the inner corner and lightly under the brow. 

-The use Stubborn (pearly pink) on the inner half of the eyelid.

-Overlap part of the pink with Selfish (shimmery taupe), and cover the outer part of the lid.

-With a fluffy brush, blend Selfish into the crease. 

-Add depth the outer corner with Sexy (matte plum/burgundy)- make it as dramatic as you want & extend it outward a bit for an "outer V". 

-Smudge Sexy under the outer part of the lowerlashline...

-Add Selfish to the inner part of the lower lashline for a soft, smoldering look! 

♥

If I didn't already have my makeup done today, I wish I could've done one of these looks and shared pictures! But like I said, the idea came from Beauty Broadcast Live- so this was the best way I could think of to share ideas for these looks! :) Hope it was helpful! Thanks again to Valerie for the request!

Daily Nuggets...

• New DUPE video coming tonight at 6pm central time!
• I thought it was gonna be a rainy day this morning, but the skies are clearing out! :)
• Here's yesterday's blog (on the Ladies' Home Journal Gloss Daily blog)- all about budge-proof cream shadows! 
• I have a hot pink lipstick mark on my coffee mug.
• The Marie show is on Hallmark Channel... does anyone ever watch this? It's kinda fun. And Marie is wearing some pretty sweet mint green heels!