Beautiful Blushes

So recently I've been obsessing over all sorts of blush, especially cream blush which was beginning to take it's toll on my cheeks. I was breaking out far more than I liked and blush didn't do a good job of covering it. While surfing Youtube, I found this blush palette along with this fabulous video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YaxBL80x1jI

In the comments section there is a little spot where you can grab the coupon code for $4 off.

Oh my god. The blushes are pigmented perfectly. They don't disappear into my skin like other powder blushes have and now I can match the color of my blush to my outfits every day. There's also the added benefit that they suit every skin tone. I just ombred my hair and now that it's lighter, I find myself leaning towards more peachy makeup (instead of my usual pinks). This blush palette can accommodate that change perfectly!

Click on over to http://www.sedonalace.com to purchase your own!

Elegant Eyeshadows

Hi everyone!

Recently I decided to splurge on a Too Faced eyeshadow kit that I absolutely fell in love with when I was out shopping.

Too Faced Natural Eyes palette that retails for $36 and is definitely worth more than just that much. The amount of compliments I've received when wearing this eyeshadow is ridiculous.

It blends flawlessly, fallout is minimal, the colors are well pigmented so they show up well on darker skin tones and with the primer, it literally does stay on all day. 

Probably the best neutral palette I own.

The way this works is that each horizontal row is intended to be a single "look". The largest shadow is filled in on the entire lid and used as a highlight, the second one covers the first half of the lid and the darkest shade is blended into the end. I find that Nude Beach has the most fallout and looks incredibly dramatic and far more glittery when applied with fingertips instead of a brush. 

You can pull little cards out of the lid to learn where to apply which colors.

None of these colors are too dark to be worn during the day but they are buildable enough that they can be used easily when going out at night. Too Faced did also release a nighttime palette with darker versions of these same essential colors, however I have yet to give that one a try and probably won't because I'm not a fan of very dark eyeshadow.

Although this palette is intended for brown eyes I think it would look great with green, hazel and perhaps grey eyes as well. There are a few shades that could benefit you if you have blue eyes but it's probably not worth the investment in that case. 

These follow the order of the palette, keep in mind the picture is a bit diagonal.
They don't show up perfectly on the back of my hand but with a good primer, I promise they'll work perfectly on your lids.

The original primer with no shimmer. I highly recommend buying this one because a matte primer with an even base will make all your eyeshadows stand out well. The shimmery ones interfere with the color of your eyeshadows sometimes. 

If you have brown or green eyes, this is a staple for your makeup collection and it is well worth the money. If not, there are palettes for every eye color and I highly recommend checking out the one for your eye color. Too Faced eyeshadows are in my opinion, the best in the market. Even better than Urban Decay. 

What's your favorite eyeshadow brand? Have you tried Too Faced?

Gel Eyeliners

Hi everyone!

Lately I've been feeling like my usual liquid liner is a bit too dramatic to use everyday so I decided to give gel eyeliner a try. I did have a few pots sitting around because I purchased them a while back but was displeased with the smudged look. This time around though, I was very pleased.

The few gel eyeliners I found.

Close-up of the brush applicators they came with.

These are the ones that I found, naturally the Nars one is my favorite. It glides on much smoother than the others though the Maybelline is a close match. The Maybelline one is also brown (I usually wear black liner) and it's a very light shade which works well on days you don't really want to wear a lot of heavy makeup.

The applicator I received with my Nars liner is really a lot smoother and easier to use than the Maybelline one which is really stiff and almost painful to use. However, you can just pick up a gel eyeliner brush at your nearest makeup store if you're unhappy with the one your eyeliner comes with.

Pros:

Significantly easier to apply than any other type of eyeliner, these just smooth right on.
They give you the precision of a liquid liner but with a lot more control.

Cons:

They smudge. Easily.
Wears off after about 7-8 hours so it really can't be worn all day.


If you haven't invested in one of these yet, I would recommend that you do. It's a necessity for every eyeliner wearer and they're nothing like anything you've tried before. The amount of control you have with these is also spectacular, it's easy to master any eyeliner shape.

Have you tried gel eyeliner? Do you prefer it over liquid liner?

Moroccan Mask

Hi everyone!

Recently I've found myself reaching for more lip balms and moisturizing lotions and it got me thinking, it's probably time for a deeper hair conditioning treatment. Why do we see dry hair only as a summertime problem?
I went out and purchased something I've had my eye on for quite some time, the Moroccan Argan Oil Intensive Moisture Treatment. I've heard many reviews raving about what a great product it is for the price ($7.99), by the way. I happened to find it at Ulta for $5.99 and with a buy one get one free deal, so it was hard to resist not picking up a matching shampoo and conditioner set as well.
The instructions on the back of the bottle were somewhat entirely ambiguous and I had to go online to find out exactly how to use this product. The verdict? Any way you want. The Organix website detailed three different methods so I choose the one that seemed like it would work best and added a few embellishments of my own.

I applied this product to dry hair, as recommended by the Organix website. It was so tough to work through that I see myself dampening my hair before trying this ever again. Then using a wide toothed comb, I brushed through my hair to apply the product evenly. Lastly I added a plastic shower cap and covered over it with a hot, wet towel.
I left it together in this way for nearly 45 minutes which I thought was sufficient time to allow heat to build up under the plastic cap.

I let my hair air dry as usual and then straightened it the next morning. I can honestly say that the mask worked beautifully. I have trouble with my hair having too much volume but this time, it didn't have enough. My hair was also incredibly smooth and smelled absolutely wonderful.
The downside is that I had to back comb my hair after straightening it the next day to see even a bit of volume. I also see this as something that can lead to greasy hair if used too often so I see myself using this on a monthly basis as opposed to the suggested once a week. I also feel that there isn't quite enough product in the container because after a single usage, I've gone through nearly half of it.

After

Before

I added some before and after pictures to show just how much it smoothed down the fraying ends of my layers.

In conclusion, if your hair needs moisture and you feel that you've burnt it to a crisp with all your hot tools, this is a quick and easy fix.

What types of moisturizing masks do you like to use? 

The Triangular Concealer Formation

Hi everyone!

I know I promised a fun post, but this past week I got terribly sick. I had to spend two of the days last week at an important conference as well and so I learned a few make-up tricks I thought I would share.

Under eye bags are probably the worst things ever and they're amplified even more when someone's sick. Concealer sometime doesn't seem to cut it and soon I realized why. We've been doing it wrong this whole time.
We call them under-eye bags because they're shaped like bags. Why do we apply our concealer straight across then? Here's a picture tutorial of how I started applying my concealer (in a triangular formation) and saw immediate results.

As a side note, I will be updating my blog every Thursday from now on, so you can expect to find a post here every Thursday morning.
Hope this helps with those nasty bags!

What do you do to remove those awful bags?

College-bound!

I suppose this title would have been more fitting were I to mention where I've been accepted to college. But that's not the case. In fact, I've just finished applying to college and that's also why I've been a tad MIA as of late. 

I wasn't around all summer long either because I was working with President Obama's campaign and now that's over and done with so you can expect a lot more posts coming up. 

Over the summer I got a job working high-end retail so you can definitely expect a lot more posts involving the latest styles, colors, what not to wear and probably most importantly, how to save as much as you can while buying as much as you can.

Personally, I find shopping to be an amazing stress-reliever. Not to mention the self-esteem boost from looking your best all the time. Work hard, play hard, right? Here's work hard. 

Coming up soon: play hard ;)

Where's your favorite place to shop?

An Evening Affair

Last weekend, I was invited to a birthday party at a friend's place. Figuring it was the perfect time to begin commenting on beauty products, I snapped up a few pictures and I've been meaning to post this update ever since. I don't particularly enjoy mooching off my parents' money all the time, so I use my own money when shopping for things which I consider to be solely for myself. Unfortunately, this is why none of the makeup I use is shocking expensive. All my makeup not bought from drugstores has been gifted to me.
Here's a quick review of makeup that won't kill your budget but that also does the trick. I didn't want to start a makeup review and then skimp on details, so this is somewhat long. That's why I added pictures of everything, to help you skim for just the reviews you want to read.

What you're looking at here is the finished appearance. Under minimal light of course. I'll be uploading a better picture later.  It looks super natural, which is usually what I'm going for. However, right before I left the house, I decided to take a chance and paint my lips a deep maroon. 

Ever look through how many products you own
and realize you never use more than a select few?
What a waste.

On the right are the two main brushes I use. The skinnier one simply says "foundation brush" on the
handle. I'm not sure where it's from because it was
a gift that I received quite a while ago. I
use it to apply my liquid foundation, but recently,
I've begun using just my fingers because I think
that allows for smoother blending. The Bare
Escentuals brush is...complicated. I have mixed
feelings about this brush. The very first time I used
it, I hated it. It was so rough! But over time, I
have come to appreciate it's texture. I use it with
mineral foundation (the absolute best), and I
believe it is the best kind of brush for applying that
specific foundation. If you're a person that really
needs a a soft brush, I would steer clear from
this one. 

Here's the liquid foundation I use as well as the mineral powders. The liquid foundation, quite frankly, I found disappointing. Don't get me wrong, I love a light foundation just as much as the next girl, but if it doesn't offer coverage, I don't want it's light weight. I know some of you might be wondering about the fact that the color is light-medium and I assure you, my foundation is not 6 shades lighter than my actual skin tone. I just happen to be fairly lighter than most brown girls. The foundation is white when you put it on, and it's supposed to smooth away into your skin color. It does so, offering minimal coverage. I don't have awful skin, but I do have spots that I would like the foundation to smooth out, and this definitely does not catch those. With particularly visible blemishes, I dab on some neutral colored face powder that I also received as a gift. I don't use concealer, frankly because dabbing more makeup on a trouble spot isn't going to allow it to heal. I don't want to aggravate the problem, just lightly dust over it until it's barely visible.
The mineral foundation does not disappoint, its very light, absorbs perfectly into my skin and especially for people with slightly oily skin, the minerals seem to absorb it right up. I never have to deal with that caked on foundation look that most people suffer from. The mineral do wonders for your skin.
Lastly, the illuminator. When I first purchased this, I loved it. It's got a very pink sheen to it, and it sparkles in a very pretty way. You can definitely use this instead of blush. However, when I purchased illuminator, I was really hoping for something that would work with any makeup colors that I was wearing that day. This is really more of a pink shade. I can't wear nude or darker colored lipstick without this taking away from the effect. I suppose they gave consumers a fair warning though by painting the container a light pink.

On the left is the blush I use. Basically just a Neutrogena blend, I tend to break out on my cheeks occasionally so I just play it safe and use Neutrogena. When I first began using it, I never really noticed any color, but now I really do see it work. If you're not one to use a very dramatic blush, this one is for you. Of course, I keep darker shades in handy seeing at how those are necessary at times. But on a day to day basis, this is what I opt for.
On the right then is all my eye makeup and a lip gloss stick from Sephora. As I'm sure you've guessed by now, the lip gloss stick was a birthday present. Looking at it, it seems a waste of $10. That's what I originally thought. But having used it every day since, I'm beginning to love it. I just toss it over my lipstick color that day and it provides a nice boost of shine. The colors are translucent as well, so sometimes with lighter lipsticks, I feel it's almost possible to mix shades. If you're the kind of person that opts for pinks and nudes on their lips a lot of the time, then this is a pretty good buy. It spices up any old lipstick you've had sitting around for a while.
I use liquid liner, from NYC. Frankly, it was just the cheapest one at the store and I've never particularly seen a difference in types of liquid liner. I've purchased $40 eyeliner and have never really witnessed a difference. One thing that bother a lot of people though, is the brush. Some people prefer a stiff foam brush, because it helps with a cleaner appearance. Others prefer the traditional brush which requires some practice for a smooth line. This one comes with the traditional brush. I've been doing my eyeliner long enough that it isn't really much of an issue anymore. I suppose it just takes time. I've also learned that it helps to angle your mirror downward slightly and paint almost literally on top of your lashes. Afterwards, you can thicken it up more if you feel it's necessary. A little surprise I discovered in this eyeliner is that it glitters! I've never actually seen it glitter when I'm wearing it, but when I remove the liner, there's always glitter on my makeup remover pad and around my eyes. So that's a pretty surprise. I usually find that eyeliner with glitter in it is more gray than it is black, but that's not the case with this one, which I really do like.
Next is the eye pencil. That's literally all it is. It was part of a makeup set from Sephora that I was given as a present. It's very soft and I find that it smudges easily. Take that as you will. I personally like eyeliner that smudges a bit, just because it provides some definition. I use this on my bottom water line and a good smudge can really make a difference there.
Lastly, the mascara. This is Covergirl Volume Exact. It's excellent. Or I should say was. Just today I purchased a new mascara, I'll be doing a review once I've actually used it more than once. The wand on this mascara is not like the typical wand, I added a picture to the bottom actually. It's very skinny and almost looks like someone stripped off all it's bristles. My mom actually recommended that I try it. And, I love it. It defines each eye lash singularly and there's NO clumping involved. It was an excellent mascara while it lasted.

Well, that's all for tonight folks. What an exhausting review. See you next time!

xoxo lollipoplaiba

Mushy Grass and Muddy Boots

Hi everyone!
I'd like to start off with a simple post. With pictures, because who doesn't love those? (As a warning, this post is starting to appear slightly picture heavy). Looking outside my window today, I noticed something strange. Sunlight!! Spring has sprung, I suppose. Get ready for mushy grass and mud covered boots. Ick. In spirit of which, I thought I'd take us all back to happier times. No mud, no rain! Last summer, I went to the botanical gardens down in the city and snapped a few pictures. Lush green grass and flowers in bloom. What more to set your spring off to a fresh start?

So, here's a weird tip. If you just aim your camera at things as you walk by, you're bound to run into something that looks fantastic. Just what happened when I was passing by a seemingly ordinary tree. The way the light hits this and the shadows it creates gives it such an emerald-like green shade.

In my dream home, this is the entrance to my garden.

Very Roman like appearance. 

What a great place to rest after walking uphill!

Sometimes, I imagine my life as a movie. If I was a fisherman's daughter, this is where I would be. Crack of dawn, every morning. 

Shockingly enough, the stone steps lead up to a quaint little cottage. Stuffed with hay and all the works.

My only recommendation to you wonderful viewers is that if you live anywhere near a botanical garden, it is SO worth seeing. I'm not an outdoors person myself, but this kind of nature, everyone can appreciate. It was just stunning, a strange getaway from the city it's actually located in. My pictures don't do this garden justice. Definitely something worth seeing. 

As a side note, I would mention the exact location of this, but I'm not sure how comfortable I am with giving out my personal location. However, if you email me personally, I'd be more than happy to divulge. Until next time!

xoxo lollipoplaiba