Thursday, April 21, 2016

Go-To Natural Makeup

Hey guys! I hope you're all having a lovely day. As you guys know, I moved, started school, and a new job, so I've been really busy and I haven't really been putting that much effort into my everyday appearance honestly. I've been going for the same makeup pretty much every day, but I've really been enjoying the routine I've gotten into because it is super simple and it looks really natural. So, I thought I would share it with you guys!


1. Start with a clean and moisturized face - You want to make sure that you have a moisturized base for your makeup to go on smoothly, and to keep your skin healthy and hydrated!


2. Prime your face - I prime every area of my face with different products to create a smooth base for my makeup, and so that everything lasts through my whole day. I use a face primer all over my skin, an eye serum for underneath my eyes, and an illuminating cream for my highlight areas (top of cheekbones, center of nose, cupid's bow) so that they pop once my foundation is layered on top.

Stila One Step Correct
MAC Strobe Cream
Clinique Pep-Start

3.  Put on a thin layer of a natural and lightweight foundation - To keep the look natural, go for something that feels comfortable for you to wear all day long, and something that just blends in with your skin but gives your imperfections some coverage.

Laura Mercier Candleglow Soft Luminous Foundation 'Vanilla'
LOUD Makeup Flat Top Kabuki Brush

4. Correct and conceal - Place correctors (if needed) and concealer under your eyes to conceal dark circles, and over any blemishes or spots that you need extra coverage on.

YSL Touche Eclat Neutralizer 'Bisque'
NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer 'Vanilla'
Beautyblender

5. Set your makeup - To make sure your makeup is set for the entire day, you want to set it with a powder. Choose whatever works for you! I set different areas of my face with different products. First, I set my under-eyes by pressing a loose powder onto the area directly with my Beautyblender to prevent creasing and lock the concealer in. I let it sit for several minutes before brushing it away.

Laura Mercier Translucent Setting Powder
Beautyblender

Next, I use a luminous, finely milled powder to finish off my face. This keeps me looking natural, luminous, and feeling lightweight. I always reach for my Ethereal Light powder because it finishes off my makeup with a beautiful glow!

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder 'Ethereal Light'
LOUD Makeup Large Powder Brush

Lastly, to set my under-eye area once more and add some more brightness, I take a yellow-based powder and a tapered brush to dust off any translucent powder that may be left over. This will clean the area up a little bit while brightening as well. I always reach for Diffused Light because it keeps my under-eye area from looking powdery or cakey, and brightens.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder 'Diffused Light'
LOUD Makeup Angled Contour/Blush Brush

6. Fill in the brows - Using whatever method works best for you, fill in and shape your brows. I like to lightly fill in my brows without doing any real shaping or defining, because my brows are a bushy forest!

Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Definer 'Soft Brown'

7. Apply bronzer - This is my favorite step! I love using a matte bronzer to really warm up my face and give it some life. I put bronzer onto my temples, my hairline, and my cheekbones, think of the areas that the sun would naturally hit.

TheBodyShop Honey Bronzer '01'
LOUD Makeup Tapered Powder Brush

8. Apply blush - For this natural look, I love going for a nude shade that is just one-two shades darker than my natural skin tone. This just adds a little warmth and life to my face without making me look made up. I apply this to the apples of my cheeks and work leftover product back towards my cheekbones.

L'Oreal True Match Blendable Blush 'Bare Honey'
Bobbi Brown Blush Brush

9. Highlight - To add some luminosity and glow to the skin, I like to add a natural highlight on the high points of my face. I always reach for the Luminous Light powder because it is so natural and light. It is a tan powder with a bit of opalescent sheen to it, no shimmer or glitter, so it looks lit-from-within once applied.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder 'Luminous Light'
LOUD Makeup Domed Highlight Brush

10. The last of it: eyes, brows, and lips - Applying a mascara can really amp up your look and make you look much more awake and alert. On days I do this look, I always reach for the Benefit Roller Lash because it keeps my lashes curled and makes me look wide-eyed and bushy-tailed! To make sure my brows stay tamed all day, I apply a tinted brow gel and brush them upwards (I do this after mascara because when I apply it first I always end up screwing it up with my mascara wand afterwards). For lips, I go for a sheer wash of natural color, the Lancome Shine Lover lipstick is my go-to because it offers hydration and a natural wash of healthy color.

Tweezerman Rose Gold Lash Curlers
Benefit Roller Lash
Benefit GimmeBrow 'Light/Medium'
Lancome Shine Lover '354'

11. Spritz your face - Applying a mist or setting spray is my favorite part of the natural makeup routine. I use MAC Fix+ because I love the sensation of it on my skin, and how it smells. I find that this extra step just makes my makeup look that much more natural. It diminishes any powdery remains on the skin and adds luminosity, and it's very cooling and refreshing when the sun comes out!

MAC Prep + Prime FIX+

12. Go out and wow everyone with your natural look!


I hope you guys enjoyed this easy natural look that has been my go-to lately! Hint hint: you'll probably see a few of these items in my upcoming April favorites! Teehee. I tend to change up my makeup routine every few weeks to every month, so I was debating on posting a "current go-to makeup routine" kind of post every month, is that something you guys would be interested in?

What's your go-to look lately and your favorite products to achieve it?

Wednesday, April 20, 2016

10 Spring Wardrobe Essentials

Happy hump day guys! I hope you're having a lovely week, enjoying this beautiful sunshine!

Since it's been so springy (it's basically been summer here), I was inspired to show you guys some of the items I've been really drawn to as far as spring trends go. I haven't done a fashion post in ages! For me, spring is that time where lightweight tops and blouses come out, but for the most part I stick in capris and canvas shoes, I don't really break out the shorts or sandals yet (although I may have to at this rate). I thought the best way to go about this would be to show you guys some inspiration for these styles, and how they transfer into my personal closet!


1. Linen Pants

This is a trend that I love purely for comfort. If they fit just right, this style can be so flattering. They are so lightweight and comfortable, and they can be dressed up or down! With tennis and a t-shirt they look ultra casual, but with a white blouse and some sandal pumps they look sophisticated and chic.


2. T-Shirt Dress

Another trend I love because of comfort! Some people really aren't comfortable wearing such a flat shape on their body, which is totally understandable, but I think these dresses can be so flattering depending on the fit or how you wear them. You can find this type of material in an A-line style as well if you want a little more shape to it. I love pairing mine with a pair of black Nikes, it is super casual and comfy! If you can't find one you quite like, don't forget to check the men's t-shirt department for some more options.


3. Girlfriend Jeans

My first question when I saw this was "wtf is a girlfriend jean? didn't we just get over boyfriend jeans?" And yeah, we did, but I like this style way better! Boyfriend jeans just did nothing for my body type. Once they were loose enough everywhere else, they were falling off my waist. Girlfriend jeans are more fitted around the hips and thighs, and then fall loose and straight at the bottom. I find these much more flattering, I don't think my butt is done any justice when it's sagging in boyfriend jeans. I love this style of girlfriend jean with a really high waist and cut just above the ankle in a cuff style and a very light wash. 


4. Colored Denim

This a trend that I only think of come spring. And, if you haven't noticed, I'm not really one for ultra bright colors or standing out when it comes to my wardrobe, I tend to reach for neutral pieces that can be worked through tons of different looks. But, colored denim is a great way to add a little spice to a simple top or natural makeup. My go-to is always olive green because I find it really flattering on my skin tone. Paired with a white linen blouse and some slip-ons, colored denim can look really nice and effortless!


5. Peasant Blouses

This is likely my favorite trend of all of spring currently! I love how lightweight and versatile these tops are, and they come in so many different styles from tanks to long sleeve, opaque to sheer, etc. I love ones with little embroidery accents or lace to add a little flair. This is the perfect go-to top for jeans, colored denim, or linen pants!


6. Scalloped Tanks

This is a trend I find myself reaching for year after year. Scalloped edges add a little something to a plain tank. The two favorites I own are an ASOS scalloped chiffon tank, and a GAP scalloped edge with eyelets blouse. These pair perfectly with jeans!



7. Colorful Bralettes

Let's be honest, we don't always want to wear a bra. Isn't the best feeling of the day taking it off when you get home at night? So, bralettes are a great alternative, and you can always layer a strapless bra underneath for extra support. Colored bralettes are a must-have for spring because you can layer them under shirts that aren't opaque, so they add coverage and a pop of color!

Alternative: H&M Soft-Cup Lace Bra

8. Linen-Blend Tops

This has been my go-to since spring started. These are great versatile pieces because they come in an array of colors, they can be used in spring as a lightweight coat or a button-down, and in fall they can be layered with hoodies or long sleeves for some extra warmth. They are so nice and breezy, and you can wear them so many different ways! They come in lots of styles - with collars and without - I have some of both styles!



9. Colorful Shoes

If you're into neutral clothes like me, sometimes you need a pop of color somewhere, but you don't want it somewhere so obvious like in your makeup or your top. For me, my favorite pop of color is in my shoes! It's a great way to add a little something to your outfit without feeling like people are going to see you from another planet. These shoes are seriously heavenly! They are the perfect spring peachy pink shade, they look amazing with natural makeup, a pair of ankle jeans and a white blouse.


10. Slip-Ons

This is my go-to for everyday wear. If I had to choose one spring essential, this would be the one! I love slip-ons because they are the perfect fall to summer transitions. They are often canvas, so they let your feet breathe when it gets warm out, they go with everything, and they provide comfort!


What are your favorite styles for the spring?

Monday, April 18, 2016

Unboxing | Influenster L'Oreal Everpure Voxbox

Happy Monday guys! I hope you all had a lovely weekend!

Do you guys remember the first Influenster unboxing I did here on the blog? Just in case you haven't heard of them, Influenster is a website that anyone can sign up for and potentially qualify to try products for free to review. The best way to qualify is to connect all your social media accounts (for me that's Youtube, Eblogger, Instagram, Twitter, etc.), and it gives you what they call a "social impact score". The more followers you have, the higher your score! But, you don't have to be a youtuber or a blogger to qualify for boxes. They do boxes all the time, and they're always different. Before sending out boxes, if your profile is one that matches the criteria, they'll send you a little survey on your dashboard to ask further questions. For example, if they are doing a bride-to-be box, they may ask several Influenster's on their survey if they are engaged to be married, and if you answer no in the survey, you won't qualify for the box. Once you complete the survey, they will shoot you an email within a couple weeks letting your know if you're in! Even if you don't get the boxes, it's a great place to review products, find reviews for products you're thinking about buying, and connect with lot's of people. It's free to join, and the voxboxes they send out are sent to you with no charges, free to review and share your opinion. You can follow guidelines to review the products on your social media accounts to further receive voxboxes or goodies from certain brands.

So, just this month I was able to take part in the L'Oreal Everpure Repair and Defend Voxbox! This is a color-safe line that is sulfate-free, paraben-free, and 100% vegan, along with other awesome benefits. I have my unboxing video down below if you guys want to watch me get super giddy about free hair stuff! As a disclaimer, the first thing I want to do is tell you guys that I did receive these products for free from Influenster to try and review, but my opinions are always 100% honest and my own! Let's go ahead and unbox this baby. If you want to wait to see full reviews on these products, I'll have that post up within the next week and a half or so when I've had plenty of time to give them a go.


I really appreciate how carefully Influenster packages their Voxboxes, they always come in a big cardboard box, that does get a little beat up on the way, but they're really sturdy, and they always wrap up liquids and divide products up inside the box so that they are safe. And, they're always unique and represent what's inside them, which I love!


Inside the L'Oreal box was a set of 4 products from their Everpure Repair & Defend line, a shampoo, conditioner, hair mask, and hair lotion. The four products were wrapped in secure plastic together to keep from leaking and damage, and they arrived totally safe! The card inside of the box basically described the L'Oreal line and how to go about reviewing the products if you decide to do so.

I want to briefly mention the smell of these products. I personally enjoy the smell a lot, but it is quite strong of botanicals, so if you don't like strong scents, I would probably steer away from this line. It smells strongly of rosemary and almost a hint of man...as weird as that sounds!



The shampoo and conditioner was the first thing I noticed because of the really cool, almost holographic looking tube! I love when shampoos and conditioners are packaged like that with lid on the bottom, because you never have to hassle getting product out when you are close to out. My only complaint about the packaging is that the tubes are a weird flexible material, that make it very difficult to close the plastic lid at the end of use. Other than that, I love the way they look, and how they have thorough descriptions on the back with directions, ingredients, and all the chemicals that they are free of.


The hair mask was the thing I was most excited about in this box! My hair hasn't been it's good old soft and happy self since I got it colored last year, so anything I can do for some extra strength and conditioning is a-okay in my book! I love hair masks because they make my hair feel ultra soft and healthy, I try to use them a couple days a week for a little perk-up. I loved the consistency of this one upon opening it, because it's nice and thick, the perfect formula for just dipping your fingers into the tub to take out exactly what you need. 


The last thing I received was the hair lotion. I love that the packaging of this one has a pump, since this formula is a little more on the liquid-y side. I will likely use this as a detangler post shower and to give my hair some extra somethin' after conditioning that I can leave-in. I don't style my hair, so using it as a styling product isn't really in the cards for me. 


So that's what my L'Oreal Influenster box contained, I hope that you guys enjoyed the first glance at it! I promise I'll be back within a week and a half to share with you guys my official thoughts on these products!

What are your favorite and go-to hair products?

Wednesday, April 13, 2016

Bombshell Makeup Tutorial + COLLAB!

Happy hump day guys! I am so excited to announce that I was presented with the amazing opportunity of working with one of my favorite youtube ladies, Tesia Kuh. She has an incredible youtube channel, her videos are amazing and the quality and editing style is so professional! She mentioned a collaboration with me and I was beyond honored. She had the amazing idea of a bombshell makeup tutorial and for us each to do our on take on it! We both posted videos this morning, so if you guys want to see our videos, you can check them out below.

The look I came up with was a classic red lip with faux liner and individual fluttery lashes. I asked Jason what he considered bombshell makeup and he mentioned the bridal shoot that I did years ago where they made my skin look really flawless and tan, my eyes were a bit smoky, my lips looked glossy and plump, and my lashes were fluttery, so I decided to use that look as the inspiration!



I mainly focused on products that would give me really flawless looking skin, luminous and bronzed. The look itself is very simple, just time consuming!




 I hope you guys enjoyed this collab! HINT: I may have another (non-beauty) coming up later this week!

Friday, April 8, 2016

Brand Lovin' | BECCA Cosmetics

Hello all! I hope you guys are having a fantabulous day. You know how word programs underline a word if it's misspelled or isn't a real word? Well, fantabulous snuck through, so apparently that's a real word now. Yay 2016, we are really making strides.

Remember that series I started called 'Brandlovin' at the beginning of the year? The one that I always forget to do? Yeah, that one! So, this month I decided I wanted to focus on BECCA Cosmetics, a higher-end brand that I truly adore.


Here is a little bit about BECCA on their website, also a screenshot of their info below (click to enlarge). Their basic idea is to "reveal your natural beauty" instead of covering it up, and I absolutely love that philosophy.


There isn't a product that I have from them that I'm not completely in love with, so I decided not to pick and choose for this post, so you get to see my whole collection!


Becca Backlight Priming Filter 

This is a product that has been ranted and raved about all over youtube. This primer is seriously stunning, and it does things for your skin that are just radiant and beautiful. I'm not sure if it really prolongs the wear of my makeup by much, but it gives me a gorgeous luminosity and dewy look that I've really been into for spring! The formula of this primer is so silky smooth and it just melts right into your skin. The packaging is absolutely stunning with it's frosted glass bottle, and it has a pump, success! It does have a faint scent to it, nothing strong, and it smells almost clean and fresh, I actually enjoy the smell a lot. If you want to see what this looks like on the skin, you can check it out here during a chatty spring makeup tutorial on my youtube channel.



Becca Aqua Luminous Perfecting Foundation 'Fair'

This is a foundation that I highly recommend for those dewy skin lovers. It gives your skin a luminous finish without the need of an illuminating primer (but together, the radiance is two-fold and just stunning). I love the formula of this foundation because it is quite liquidy and light. It feels like nothing on the skin, and it looks like skin too! I have found that a lot of water based or "serum"/"aqua" foundations don't often last long on my skin, but this one still looks beautiful at the end of a long day. The packaging is a little different - same pretty frosted glass bottle with one exception - instead of a pump you have a dropper, which can be a little messy if you aren't careful. My only beef with this foundation is the shade range that BECCA offers, because you can clearly see that the shade 'Fair' pictured below is much too dark for my skin tone, but luckily blended out it looks very natural and matches me just fine. I just really hope they expand their shade range! If you want to see this one in action, I use it in my last speed-through tutorial over here on my youtube channel. 



Becca Ultimate Coverage Complexion Creme 'Cashmere'

This is one for those full coverage seekers out there. This is some thick shizz. Most foundations contain half the amount of pigment and water that this foundation does. The idea was that this foundation would completely conceal and perfect without looking cakey like a lot of full coverage foundations can tend to do, which I completely agree with! You don't even need one pump of this foundation to cover literally everything. This covers redness, dull spots, blemishes, all of it! And, it doesn't look cakey or built up on the skin. I prefer using this creme with a beauty blender because I think it makes the finish look even less cakey than when applied with a brush, and I like the finish better with this method. This has a very thick and mousse-like texture (you can see in the photo below compared to texture of the aqua luminous photo above). The foundation sets semi quickly, so I suggest doing one portion of your face at a time when applying it. For those sensitive to smell out there - do not reach for this foundation at Sephora because the high amount of pigment gives off a very strong paint-like smell during application. The packaging is much lighter than the products mentioned above because it comes in a silicone-feeling bottle with a pump instead of the heavy frosted glass container, but a heads up, this silicone-textured bottle does attract a lot of fingerprints.



Becca Beach Tint Shimmer Souffle 'Lychee/Opal'

This is a blush that I mentioned during my blush tag video as an everday blush. The formula of this is so easy to work with. I throw this on over a tinted moisturizer and run out the door. It's almost like a gel consistency, and barely dipping your finger into the glass pot you will come out with a ton of pigment payoff, and just dab onto the apples of your cheeks for a nice natural flush! These are mixed with a shimmering skin perfector shade as well, so they also add a bit of a sheen and give some life to your face.


Becca Mineral Blushes 'Flowerchild', 'Wild Honey'

The formula of their blushes are incredible. They are so soft, pigmented, blendable, and the shade range is stunning. I have two shades, 'Flowerchild', which is a gorgeous peachy pink with a little bit of golden shimmer to it, and 'Wild Honey' which is a great neutral. You barely need to tap your brush into the product to get amazing color payoff, so go in with a light hand! But, luckily, if you apply too much product you can easily blend away the excess. Word around the street is that they just released new blushes called "luminizing blushes" which have a lot of sheen to them, and I imagine that they are just as wonderful.


Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed 'Champagne Pop'

Of course I have the infamous 'Champagne Pop'. If I had to live with one highlighter formula for the rest of my life, this would be the one. These are so incredibly pigmented and and easy to work with, they really are like no other highlighter. This shade is a stunning peachy gold champagne, it is very intense, so a little goes a long way. I save this one for special occasions. I really can't say anything bad about their skin perfectors, it's what BECCA is known for, and for a good reason!


Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Liquid 'Moonstone'

This is my favorite highlighter of all time. It is so easy to work with, gives the most beautiful sheen to the skin, and works over powder or liquid without breaking up the product beneath it. My only problem with this product is that the pump releases out way too much product, which is a total waste in my opinion, because a little goes a very long way with this highlighter. My favorite way to apply it is to dab on desired areas and then blend in fully with a beautyblender from there. The formula is very blendable, probably just a tad thicker than the aqua luminous foundation. It blends in like a total dream. The packaging is similar to the complexion creme with the silicone-feeling outer bottle. If you were to pick up one thing from BECCA, this would be my suggestion!



Do you have anything from BECCA Cosmetics? What would you like to see featured in next month's Brand Lovin' post?