Would You Rather Tag: Makeup Edition!

Hi everyone!

I've been rushing around a bit today doing some shooting, editing, grocery shopping, cleaning... and I wasn't sure what to do for a blog post! Then I  remembered that Lacey from Lacey's Beauty Reviews had tagged me a month or so ago to do the "Would You Rather: Makeup Edition" tag! You can check out her post here, and she also has a YouTube channel! I think you'll really enjoy her! :) Let's get started with the questions! 

1. Would you rather lose all of your mascaras, eyeliners, lipsticks, and lip glosses or lose all of your palettes and eyeshadows?

It pains me to think of losing any of it! I have lots of all of those things, so either way, I'd be losing a heck of a lot of products. I feel like mascaras, eyeliners, glosses and lipsticks tend to have a shorter shelf life than most of my palettes and eyeshadows, so I suppose I'd rather loose mascaras, eyeliners, etc. since I'd need to replace them sooner anyway. I'm assuming I'll be able to eventually replace what was lost, RIGHT?! :)

2. Would you rather chop off all your hair or never be able to cut it again?

Well, I guess I'd rather chop it all off... the question doesn't say you can't grow it back! :) Never being able to cut my hair again would be awful. I can only imagine the tangles my fine hair would get into!

3. Would you rather have a coral cheek or a pink cheek?

At first I thought pink... since I love wearing pink and berry lip colors and I just think they compliment each other really nicely! However, A coral cheek isn't too far off from pink, and it really doesn't clash with any lip colors you might choose. I might have to go with coral-- one of my current favorite coral blushes is The Balm Instain blush in Toile. 

4. If you had $1,000 to spend, would you rather buy clothes or makeup?

Makeup. Easy! I get so much more excited shopping for makeup than I do shopping for clothes. And I'd make a point to go to an awesome mall with that 1,000 bucks and buy from some really high end brands that I don't normally use. How fun would that be?! 

5. Would you rather apply lipstick as eyeliner or eyeliner as lipstick?

It might sound crazy, but I have some pretty pink, nude, bronze and burgundy eyeliners that could make great long-wearing lip colors. I know there are some deep-colored lipsticks out there that could work color-wise to define the eyes... but the texture would be awful. Can you imagine the smudges? 

6. Would you rather only shop at MAC or Sephora?

While I have certain products from MAC that I think are great, I'm not totally hooked on the brand as a whole. My urge to always try new things makes me lean toward Sephora. So many more brands to try there! I would really feel like I was cheating on Walgreens though :(

7. Would you rather only use one eyeshadow color or one lip color for the rest of your life?

Another depressing question! I would have to say one eyeshadow color. I love using all kinds of lip colors and can't really imagine just sticking to one. I can't really imagine just one eyeshadow either, come to think of it. I would say I'd just use one eyeshadow color- then I'd work to formulate some sort of product out of random ingredients that isn't technically eyeshadow, just so I could get around this question and continue using different eye colors and lip colors :) 

8. Would you rather wear winter clothes in the summer or summer clothes in the winter?

I think I'll go with summer clothes in the winter. I don't like being too hot, and a sweater in the kind of weather we're having now would be a drag!

9. Would you rather have dark nails or bright nails all year round?

Bright nails! It's kind of rare that I go super dark with my nails at any time. I gravitate toward the bright or light colors much more. 

10. Would you rather give up your favorite lip product or your favorite eye product?

Why is it always a matter of giving something up? How about a question like, would you rather have a truckload of lip gloss or a truckload of eyeshadow? LOL :) I think it's hard to settle on favorite eye products (like liners and mascaras) but good lip products that could potentially be favorites are easier to come by... so I guess I'd rather give up my favorite lip product, which right now is probably Revlon Lip Butters or Neutrogena Moisture Smooth Color Sticks. 

11. Would you rather only be able to wear your hair in a ponytail or a messy bun?

I don't always love the way my hair looks hanging in a ponytail, so I might go with messy bun. I could still wear it high or low or low and to the side, so I guess that wouldn't be so bad! 

12. Would you rather never be able to paint your nails again or never use lip gloss?

I wouldn't paint my nails again. And heck, if you can keep them nicely filed and buffed, they wouldn't look too bad! I can't say no to lip gloss!

13. Would you rather shave your eyebrows and have none at all or Sharpie them in everyday?

I am actually cringing as I think about this question. UGH. I can't picture myself without brows. But using a sharpie to fill them in... I don't think it gets more harsh than that. Unless they have the perfect shade (and size/tip) of Sharpie out there, I might have to go without. Wait-- I will go browless until I negotiate with the CEO of Sharpie to create a custom product especially for eyebrows than can be distributed to all people in my unfortunate position.

14. Would you rather live without makeup or nail polish?

As if #12 didn't tip you off, I'm much more attached to my makeup than my nail polish. While it wouldn't be fun, I could live without nail polish. Let's face it, I could also live without makeup. But who would want to?! :)

♥

Thanks again to Lacey for tagging me! I'd encourage any other bloggers to do this tag-- it really makes you think! :) 

Daily Nuggets...

• I made this Skinny Poolside Dip that I found on Pinterest! It's so freakin' good! It's heaven on a cracker, folks! I actually first had this at my friend Kalee's bachelorette party, but was reminded of it when I saw the pin on Pinterest last night. 
• I have a new video up on the vlog channel! It's a Bath & Body Works haul. I put it on the vlog channel since it's mostly home stuff. 
• New one brand tutorial coming tomorrow!
• I want to go swimming.
• Shout out to the dude in the checkout aisle today when I was getting groceries (as if he's reading this)... he was fast, careful, separated and bagged it well, and made eye contact when he told me to "have a nice afternoon". Not a lot of people actually do that! I walked away thinking, there's a happy person who takes pride in his work! :)

New Favorite False Lashes?!

Hi everyone! 

Just a quick post to tell you about a new style of false lashes that I'm LOVING! I might even venture to call them my new favorites :) They're the Red Cherry #43. (I may have talked about this line in the past, and other video-makers certainly have. This particular set and some others were sent to me for review). They're on the site Loveyelashes.com for $2.49. That's a better price than most lashes sell for in the drugstore. They're a lot like the Demi Wispies from Ardell/Salon Perfect which I love, but these have a bit more length, and are slightly less thick. They really frame the eye perfectly. 

 

I was wearing these Friday and Saturday night and I'm just nuts about them! So I made sure to snap some pics, knowing I'd be doing a blog post to spread the word. The lashes and the band seem to be great quality, and I love the varying lengths of lashes... some shorter ones to add thickness and obviously some longer ones on the band also. They also have just the perfect curve to them and fit my eyes just right. FYI, I'm wearing the Balm Meet Matt(e) Nude palette in these pics and the same trio of lip products (Avon lipstick & NYX gloss) from my previous post. Anyway, I couldn't help but share!! If you're browsing the Loveyelashes site, you'll notice they carry tons of other brands as well. And if you need some help putting on false lashes, check out my False Eyelashes 101 video! :)

Daily Nuggets...

• It's been one of those days where I feel like I've just been going non-stop. Go go go!!
• On the up-side- that means there is a new vlog coming tomorrow, and several new beauty videos this week including a 1-brand tutorial, a new tag video, and a fun, awesome, super cool  beauty-related announcement!
• It's been a stormy afternoon so you can guess where Cupcake was-- in the closet!
• I'm HUNGRY. 
• The Voice finale starts tonight? Who are your favorites? I'm kind of pulling for Danielle, but I also like the Swan Brothers. Heck, they're all great!

Victoria's Secret Inspired Face of the Day

Hi everyone! TGIF! I woke up this morning with some decent-looking second day hair, so I thought I'd embrace the loose waves that always make me think of "Victoria's Secret hair", and put together a makeup look that also makes me think of those beautiful models. 

I'm not claiming to look like any of them! (Especially not in my old gray t-shirt- ha!) Just trying to re-create a similar look :) Key elements of the look include a plush pink lip, and a soft smokey eye. Here's what I used! :) 

-Revlon Colorstay Foundation in Fresh Beige (I'm trying out the Normal/Dry formula, inspired by MakeupbyTiffanyD :)

-Revlon PhotoReady Concealer in Light Medium

-Ben Nye Luxury Powder in Buff (to set under-eye concealer)

-MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium Plus

-Guerlain Terracotta Bronzer in 02 (thank you David for this amazing gift!!)

-The Balm Instain Blush in Lace

-Laura Geller Baked Highlight in French Vanilla (forgot to include in pic)

-ELF $1 Eyelid Primer (not pictured)

-Forever 21 Brown/Taupe Palette (specific shades detailed below)

-L'oreal Voluminous Smoldering Eyeliner in Black (upper lashline & waterline)

-Maybelline Master Drama Eyeliner in Taupe Takeover- Limited Edition (I smudged this on the lower lashline-- LOVE IT. Perfect for the soft, smokey look)

-Essence I Love Extreme Crazy Volume Mascara (upper lashes)

-Maybelline Lash Discovery Mascara (lower lashes)

1. I used this pearly shade around the inner corner and lightly under the brow

2. This light, shimmery taupe was applied all over the lid

3. I used the shimmery brown in the crease 

4. I blended the matte warm brown just above the crease to soften the look

5. I deepened the outer corner with the matte black

(Under the eye I smudged shade 3 on top of the Master Drama liner, and used a bit of the black on the outer-most part of the lower lashline)

 -NYX Retractable Waterproof Lip Liner in Nude Pink

-Avon Totally Kissable Lipstick in Lovey Dovey Pink (LOVE THIS SHADE. OMG. Pearly without being super frosty. Makes the lips look so plush)

-NYX Mega Shine Gloss in Perfect

Hope you enjoy the look! I'm still loving that Forever 21 palette so much-- it continues to surprise me with its pigmentation and blendability! I hope everyone has a great Friday!

Today's Fill in the Blank question posed on Twitter and Facebook was:

While I do my makeup I'm usually listening to...

(click to enlarge)

 

Daily Nuggets...

• It is a BEAUTIFUL morning outside!
• Father's Day is coming up this weekend... what are you doing for dad? Mine should be receiving some sweet treats in the mail today (hopefully he's not reading this blog post). Have you ever heard of Bake Me A Wish? It's a gourmet cake delivery company, and a portion of the proceeds from your order goes toward Operation: Birthday Cake - which sends cakes to soldiers overseas. I've sent these cakes several times and they have received fantastic reviews from those who receive them. I sent a cheesecake to Tyler's law firm on his birthday and got to try the leftovers... YUM. I'm getting dad the layer cake sampler- it looks awesome and he loves a good dessert! :) 
• Video update: New tutorial coming today! And last night a new Stuff I Love video was posted. I've also re-done the vlog channel in the new layout and everything is split up in playlists. 
• It's Flag Day! Have a great weekend, everyone! 

Almay Intense i-Color Trio Review

Hello everyone!

Hope you're having a good Thursday! It was so much fun chatting with you this morning on Beauty Broadcast Live! (After the technical difficulties).  I mentioned one of the products I was wearing during the live show, and thought I'd give a little bit more of a description about it here, since the webcam quality isn't the greatest. This isn't really something new to the drugstore, but rather something that's been around for awhile that I haven't heard many people talk about. It's the Almay Intense i-Color Shimmer-i kit in #421 Trio for Browns. I was drawn to this trio because of the peachy/golden shade. 

(Swatches without primer)

When you first swatch the shadows without primer, they really don't seem like the best shadows in the drugstore, but not the worst either. The deep brown seems to pack a punch, but the other shades are pretty sheer. 

(Swatched with ELF $1 Eyeshadow Primer)

All of the shades become more intense with primer, and actually I think they look quite pretty. The lightest shade isn't simply a creamy color-- it's actually iridescent. The brown has even more depth, and the gold really pops in the peachy color. Today I used these shades with the primer on my eyes, and while they're not quite as rich as the Color Icon shadows from Wet n Wild, I think they do a pretty good job! 

I used some of the iridescent shade all over the lid, which I think gives a really pretty, pearly effect. I blended the dark brown (just a little bit) in the outer corner. For as dark as that shadow is, I was impressed with how easily it blended. I used a bit of the golden/peach color to blend out the edge of the dark brown. That shade isn't super apparent in this particular look, but I have used it all over the lid before and it's really pretty that way too. Also- I took these pictures at around 3pm... so the products had been on for around 8 hours!

I thought this neutral trio worked nicely alongside my bright lip- which is Revlon Moondrops lipstick in Persian Melon. Love it! I touched up that shade (just a little bit) a few hours before taking this picture. I love the staying power and how it really stays inside my lip line! My necklace is from Cato. 

♥

I'm pretty impressed by this trio! I actually remember having an Almay eyeshadow trio a long time ago (I think I was in college?) and remember the shadows being very soft and pigmented. While the light shades can be a bit flakey/sheer, a primer or base of some sort will really help them pop. What do you think of these trios? Any favorites or duds? 

Daily Nuggets...

• The sky has been changing all day today... it went from clear to cloudy, to partly cloudy now. 
• Did you ever look at the clouds as a kid and try to make them look like different shapes? I still do that sometimes these days. There's one going by my window that looks like the state of Alaska.
• Katie has the new Superman on her show today. Wowza!
• Shot a new "Stuff I Love" video for the vlog channel today. Not sure when I'll upload, but I'll keep you posted on Twitter & Facebook!

Color Combos with The Balm's "Balm Jovi" Palette

 

Hello everyone!

It's been a fun day of makeup-related activities! :) Can't wait to share my upcoming videos with you. For now, it's another Color Combos post! Ever since showing some of my favorite color combinations in The Balm's Nude 'Tude palette (click here to see them), I've been getting requests to do the same for the Balm Jovi palette. And I'm happy to do it, because this palette is FREAKING AWESOME. Not only does it have 12 amazing shadows, but you also get a Mary LouManizer highlight, Frat Boy blush (they're re-named in this palette), and two cream lip/cheek colors. It all folds down to a really compact, travel-friendly size and I'm pretty sure I've been raving about this palette since before Christmas 2012.

In terms of the shadows, you have some shimmery, sparkly, and metallic shades, along with four totally matte shades right down the middle. It's a great palette for those who are wanting to branch out a bit from their neutral-shadow comfort zone, because you get some interesting and unusual colors... but nothing too wild & crazy & bright. As with other palettes from The Balm, the shadows are richly pigmented and easily blendable. Because of that, I find that I'm able to overlap different shades and create some fun, new colors without anything looking "muddy". This is such a versatile palette, and I could probably spend all afternoon creating different combinations of shades... but for this post I thought I'd share some of my favorite ways to wear this palette. And I'd love to hear your ideas in the comments section! :)

Look #1: Fast & Glowy

This quick look utilizes one of my favorite mid-toned shades in this palette- Blink1982. It's a dusty lilac color with golden sparkle. I think a lot of times when we're going for a quick one or two shadow look, we gravitate toward taupe, bronze, and brown. This is a way to get a quick look with a different tone, and I love how the gold in both shades ties it all together.

 

-First use Iron Maid-in (shimmery buttercup color) around the inner corner

-Pat Blink1982 (dusty lilac) all over the lid with w flat brush

-Use a fluffy crease brush to blend Blink1982 into the crease, adding subtle contrast to the look.

-Use Iron Maid-in again lightly to buff out Blink1982 & highlight the brow bone

Look #2: Classic Matte 

I love how this "Rockstar" palette is still capable of giving you one of the most classic eyeshadow looks ever! An all-matte eye can look really clean and polished- perfect for an interview, work, pictures... anything!

 

 -Apply Adagio (matte cream) all over the lid

-Lightly blend Allegro (medium brown) throughout the crease for a really natural effect

-To add a bit more definition, use Presto (dark brown) in the outer corner. Blend over it again with a bit of Allegro. 

-Highlight the brow & blend out the edges of the deeper shades with Adagio

-You can also smudge a bit of Presto under the eye as your liner

-Heck, Presto also works great as liner for the upper lashline, too!

Look #3: Rosy Glow

I think the burgundy shade called "Alice Copper" in this palette is stunning. In this look I utilize the overlapping shadow technique to create yet another great shade with this palette. I love this shadow look combined with a dusty rose/mauve lip. Revlon Colorburst Gloss in Rosepearl, for example.  

-Use Metal-ica (pearly white) around the inner corner and lightly under the brow as a highlight

-Lightly pat Metal-ica on the inner half of the lid

-Overlap Metal-ica on the lid with Alice Copper- getting deeper as you get toward the outer corner (that's what you're seeing in the center swatch- you get a mauve/taupe color).

-Use Alice Copper to deepen the crease and create an outer V.

-Also take Alice Copper under the eye- it looks pretty smudged/overlapped with Metali-ica like you did on the lid- getting lighter as you get toward the inner corner.

Look #4: Dusty Plum

This is probably one of my most-created looks with this palette. The fact that the purple shades are kind of muted & "dusty" as opposed to being bright and bold makes it very workable with tons of different outfits... and I just love any opportunity to throw in the Blink1982 color!

-Apply Third Eye Blinded (pearly pink) around the inner corner and under the brow

-Use Blink1982 (dusty lilac) all over the lid, and blend it up into the crease as well

-Moderato (dark matte plum) can look practically black... so if it's a daytime look, I use it lightly in the outer corner and blend over it with Blink1982. 

-Use Blink1982 on the lower lashline for a soft look, or to deepen it up, overlap with Moderato.

Look #5: Fierce Smokey Eye

I can't talk about the Rockstar Palette without suggesting a way to get an awesome smokey eye! I wish the picture would do the gorgeous navy shade called "The Stroke" justice. It has a really pretty blue-toned shimmer. I love taking a shade so intense and adding in a sweet pastel, like lavender, to create some contrast.

-Use The Stroke (deep navy) all over the lid, and also smudge it under the eye. 

-Blend The Stroke up into the crease as well- make sure it's nice a deep right in the socket, then start to sheer it up a little. 

-As you build up from the crease, overlap The Stroke with rem (that's what you're seeing in the second swatch). This looks good under the eye as well. 

-Once you've got your edges really nicely buffed out, get a clean brush and add rem just above the darker shades. It should be visible when your eye is open- creating a pretty "halo" around the top part of the eye. 

-If you really want to make the look intense, I recommend lining the waterline with black and adding false lashes :)

♥

I hope these written-out tutorials made sense! :) As I said, I could've kept going with the color combos but figured I'd stop at five. If you enjoy these kinds of posts, feel free to request other palettes that you want ideas from. Thanks for reading! 

Daily Nuggets...

• New video coming tomorrow morning! It'll be featured on the Ladies' Home Journal Gloss Daily blog (and my YT channel, as usual) & is kind of a multi-product review on some of the new lip glosses that have recently launched! :) Keep an eye out for it!
• Shot a new Dollar Store Beauty Adventure video today... so fun!
• I got a new exercise ball. Once I recover from getting it pumped up, I'll do a workout. 
• Need to get caught up on last night's Real Housewives of OC episode!
• Making tacos/nachos tonight. Woohooo!

Shop My Stash: Blush Edition!

Hello friends & happy Monday!

I didn't have the chance to do my usual "Shop My Stash" post since I was on the road most of the afternoon on Friday. I went up to Quincy for my sister's art show- she won two awards and it was great getting to spend the weekend back home with the family! So today I've just been working on some beauty stuff for the week ahead, and figured I'd do my weekly stash shopping. It's always fun to dig up some items you haven't been using much. Last week I specifically did lip glosses, and I kind of like choosing one aspect of makeup to really branch out with. So this week is blush! Here are the blushes I'm setting aside to make sure to use...

-Flower Beauty Creme Blush in Forget-me-not... a pretty soft pink cream blush that wears a long time

-The Balm Stainiac... this is a gel tint for lips & cheeks - kind of like Benefit Bene-tint

-NYX Blush in Cinnamon... a pretty orangey-toned blush that'll work nicely with some of the different orange-ish lipsticks I plan to wear

-Benefit Coralista... one of my favorites out of the Benefit box powders, but I've been forgetting to use it

-NARS Blush in Dolce Vita... The only blush from NARS that I own... and while it might look a bit dark, it's beautiful on and a light amount makes you look like you've just had a little sun. 

(swatched in the same order they're shown above)

As always, I'll recap how well these products have been working for me on Thursday's Beauty Broadcast LIVE show at 9am central time! Click the Live button at the top of the page for details on how to watch :) 

♥

Daily Nuggets...

• I have gone through so much Kleenex in the past week!
• Didn't realize how sore the body can get from just throwing around the football! We were playing catch on Saturday & the twisting action can really give the core a workout. I have a mean spiral by the way! :) 
• Some new limited edition Wet n Wild products just arrived on my doorstep :) 
• New video coming this week about a bunch of new drugstore glosses that have come out recently!
• Cupcake is so kind to share her chair with me.