Monday, December 22, 2014

My Go To Look Lately + Tutorial!

Hello beautifuls! It's time to get back into my Eye & Makeup of the Day ... I seriously have missed doing it, but lately with classes ending, working a ton of hours, the holidays an life being a roller coaster I've been doing quick and simple looks to get me ready and out of the house! This means no false lashes, eye looks that take tons of blending, completely defined brows, and different colors, or colored lips! I simply haven't had time...  just simple and quick!

Soooo, I decided to film about my "go to look lately" which has my complete eye look along with my complete face look, minus the brows. If you would like a separate video or posting on my face or brows, please let me know!

Review! L.A. Colors Chunky Lip Pencils + Swatches!

Wow... it's definitely been a loooooooong time since I've done a review through a blog posting or a video. I felt like I've been stressing myself out to keep up with Blogmas (which I haven't been keeping up with well due to working a lot) that I feel like I needed to do a regular post for you all. Sooooo, review time! -munches on popcorn-


This a holiday set that L.A. Colors released late Novemer into early December that I found and purchased at Kmart for around $6.99.


In the set there are six lip pencils ranging from light pink to ruby red. Unfortunately, they don't have names or numbers. You are able to see the colors of the lip pencils on the bottom and through the cap so you can storage them anyway you desire!

The twisting however, is a nightmare! The lip pencils are so loose in the package and if you tip them upside down, the actual lip product will fall out, eeek! 




The sides of the lip pencils have their expiration and distribution information.

Swatches!


From left to right: Light Pink, Pink, Fuschia Pink, Mauve, Red, Ruby Red

They definitely swatched nicely on my wrist, while almost breaking on me. They are very delicate lip pencils so you would need light pressure with them. Swatching on my lips, not even close to the color on my wrist!

Pros:
Inexpensive
Color shade is visible 
Nice packaging
Nice smell

Cons:
Not long lasting, they wear off in a matter of minutes
Product is very loose in packaging
If product is tipped upside down, the lip product falls out
Colors are not true to their swatches

Final Thoughts:
If you are able to find this, I'd say skip it and keep your $7-$8 and buy something else. I'm so afraid to use these for the fear of them breaking on me or falling apart, and that is a no for any lip product for me.

Blogmas 2014 Day 22: Stocking Stuffer Ideas

Blogmas 2014 Day 22: Stocking Stuffer Ideas!


Wow... the days are counting down fast. I already posted a Stocking Stuffer guide for my Holiday 2014 Gift Guide which you can check out HERE if you'd like. But! I thought I'd throw in even more stocking stuffer ideas! I've rounded up some more small sized gifts that are perfect for stockings and don't need to be wrapped up!

These are perfect for any woman who uses a hot tool on a regular bases to straighten, curl, flip or blow dry their hair. These large mouth clips hold large amounts of hair sections in place so you can style the other sections.

These masks come in different types depending the on the needs of different skin types from oily, ance prone, dehydrated, dull to sensitive skin! All you do is put the fiber mask on, wait 15 to 20 minutes and you take it off. Great gift idea for a girls night in!


I have completely fallen in love with this mascara myself! It gives great volume and length to lashes. The brush head is large enough to fully coat all lashes, including the bottom lashes!

These little guy are just like their bigger version, the original beauty blender, except they are smaller for blending out concealer underneath the eyes, around the nose, mouth, and other parts of the face. They are always great for blending out liquid contouring.

Sally Hanson Salon Effects ($6.00 - $9.00)
We all love paint our finger nails, including myself, but the mess and mistakes I make are terrible, so I end up going to the salon or finding some other way to get my nails to look pretty. These are real nail polish strips that come in a huge variety of different colors, patterns, and designs. They are easily to apply, remove, and wear.

This small compact contour kit has three perfect shades for any skin tone to use for contouring the cheeks, nose, brow bone, and other places for desired high lighting and contouring. It comes with a angled fluffy brush and is the perfect size palette for traveling with or using everyday.

I know I'm not the only one who hates tangles in my hair in the morning or after I wash hair... it's annoying and down right painful trying to get them out! I discovered this tool a few months back and I believe every woman should have this in her life, especially if she has long hair or easily tangled hair. This brush gets tangles out in seconds with no pain or tearing hair and can used on dry or wet hair!

I know... $13 for an eyelash curler?! Believe me, I know it's a bit much, but I absolutely love this eyelash curler next to my trusty Sally Hanson ones. This gives amazing curved lashes that any woman would love to have. These eyelash curlers come in different colors and extra spare curler cushion replacements.

I hope I helped with some more stocking stuffer ideas for you all! 

Are you putting your stocking out this year for Christmas?

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Blogmas 2014 Day 17: Christmas Countdown

Blogmas 2014 Day 16: Christmas Countdown


Hello again beautifuls! So, counting down for Christmas when I was younger was marking off the days on the calendar as it got closer to Christmas, or I was just so busy with school everyday the day just came! A few years ago, we found this cute long snowman who helps you countdown the days until Christmas Day with pockets and a little snowflake! I put him up every year above the television in the family room and I change the day everyday as it gets closer. 


Christmas just wouldn't be complete without him hanging on the wall!

How do you and your family countdown the days until Christmas?

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Holiday 2014 Gift Guide: Stocking Stuffers!

Hello beautifuls! Christmas will be here for you know it! Ever since I was little, one of the best things about Christmas morning was going through my stocking. I always loved the little gifts I got in my stocking, and I still do today. So, whether you have a mother, a sister, a friend, or a loved one who you know is a beauty lover, don't forget her stocking. These guys are small sized items that make perfect stuffing in a stocking!

Is the perfect go-to application for foundation and concealer, and best of all, you get the cleanser along with it to keep them nice and clean!


This liquid liner is my personal favorite liquid liner for creating a thin to thick cat eye eyeliner look!


These are amazing lip balms for anyone. They are small, compact, very moisturizing, come in different flavors, and fit just about anywhere!


This is a must have for women and men who wear perfume/cologne on a regular basis! I hate lugging around a giant perfume bottle for the fear of it breaking (especially when it was an expensive fragrance!) These little guys have a atomizer system where you take off the top of the fragrance bottle, squirt desired amount into travalo, and viola! Travel friendly fragrance!

These wipes are infused with Bite's signature super fruit flavor for removing all lip product off of your lips, leaving them hydrated, nourished, and smooth feeling.


All Nighter, De-Slick, and Chill. I personally love the All Nighter setting spray from Urban Decay. Anyone who applies makeup and wants it to look fresh all day and not melt off, this is a must have! It's perfect for any skin type as well!

I mentioned this in my Holday 2014 Gift Guide: Eyeshadow Junkies! post as one of the palettes that I recommended for eyeshadow junkies such as myself, and yes, I recommend it again as a stocking stuffer! Why? It's small, completely composed of neutral colors, travel and storage friendly, and it's great for anyone who has a busy day ahead them while getting ready in the morning!


There are a total of ten available colors in these melted lipsticks ranging from pale pink to berry shades. They are nothing like a lipstick! They are great pigmentation, easy to apply, long lasting, smell great, and moisturizing!

Do you enjoy getting stocking stuffers?

Blogmas 2014 Day 16: Gift Guide (Her)

Blogmas 2014 Day 16: Gift Guide (Her)


I'm so sorry I haven't been blogging on my Blogmas this year. I just started working a new job and I've been working like crazy! Today is a gift guide for her; mothers, wives, girlfriends, sisters, or any girl you want to get something special this year but can't decide what to get her!

As a woman, I'm always on the hunt for the best face mask ever! I can never seem to find it or when I do find it, they discontinue it! GlamGlow makes several different types of masks, all targeted for certain abilities from moisturizing thirsty skin, clearing breakouts, to sopping up excess facial oil. These are perfect for all skin types.

Urban Decay Primer Potion ($12.00-$20.00)
You know she loves to put on eyeshadow, so why not give this little guy to her! This Urban Decay Primer Potion will ensure her eyeshadow looks stay on all day without fading, smearing, budging, or creasing!

This device is awesome! I know we all want white teeth and a bright smile but dread getting it done by professionals... well this makes it easy! This teeth whitening device can used at home or wherever you are in your travels and you need a quick teeth whitening fix!

I personally love the Naked palettes by Urban Decay, simple because they have a wide range of neutral colors, are perfect for any occasion, and you can create quick looks with the palettes. The Naked 3 is rose gold hue colors so creating champagne and rose gold eyeshadow looks! Plus, the palette comes with a double-ended eyeshadow brush.

This set comes with Sephora's favorite perfumes to try out including brands such as Juicy Couture, Prada, Marc Jacobs, Burberry, Dolce & Gabbana, Lancome, Versace, Tom Ford, and Giorgio Armani! The set comes with a voucher to turn in for a free full size of whichever perfume you desire.

This bad boy is an awesome buddy to have around, especially for us women who are always on our phone! Whether it be for personal, work or family related phone use, if you know a woman who is a heavy user of her phone for different reasons (such as myself), a portable charger is a great option since she can connect her phone and it'll charge wherever she is. This can fully charge any mobile device or tablet with a USB cable twice.

Getting a Clarisonic is a more personal gift if you know of someone who suffers from troubled skin and has gone above and beyond to cope and deal with it. I, myself, suffer from troubled skin and resorted to ridiculous ways to help my skin. Getting a clarisonic for any woman you know takes care of her skin is a great gift, as these are not only great for troubled skin, but for any skin for that matter!


Doesn't every woman what bright and radiant skin without spending a fortune? Well now she can! This system is targeted towards uneven skin tone and dark spots to achieve more youthful and radiant skin. And, it works the same way as a Clarisonic!

I absolutely love this palette for everyday looks! Not only does it provide the ability to get a quick everyday look, but it smells like chocolate, which always makes me smile. These eyeshadows are high pigmented, high quality, and long lasting and create endless looks for any occasion!

Juicy Couture's Viva La Juicy is one of the best selling fragrance due to the reason that is smells so girly and sweet! It's perfect for anytime of the year, it's not too strong or overwhelming, it's pleasant long lasting scent, and the bottle can be used a s decoration when the fragrance is all used up! This set comes with the 1.7 oz fragrance, 4.2 oz body lotion, and a cute storage bag!



Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Blogmas 2014 Day 10: Handmade Christmas Decorations

Blogmas 2014 Day 10: Handmade Christmas Decorations!


So, over the years growing up, me and my family have accumulated a lot of different and unique Christmas decorations, especially ornaments. We have a lot of the handmade decorations me and my brothers made when we were kids in school but, unfortunately over the years, they've aged and are put away somewhere safe to prevent further damage to them.

I do however, have ornaments! 


Cute story with these guys! When my parents first got married, they didn't have a lot of money to spend on Christmas decorations, gifts, etc, so they made their own decorations. These have been in our family for so long, I don't even know how old they are, but they are precious and I put them on the tree every year. They have aged and the eyes have fallen off the santas but, they are so cute!


I made this in elementary school (Grade 1 through 6). They were made for my parents and I love them so much, they go on the tree every year. 


These were made by my two older brothers before I was even born. They are little presents that we put into the Christmas tree. Of course, they are empty, but we like to hide them in the branches of the tree.


My oldest brother made this when he was little out of clay! I love this little tree!

I truly love handmade Christmas decorations over store bought ones, simply because they were made by someone with love and thought in them.

Do you have any special handmade Christmas decorations?

Tuesday, December 9, 2014

Blogmas 2014 Day 9: Christmas Wishlist

Blogmas 2014 Day 9: Christmas Wishlist!

Blogmas 2014 List


So, the last few weeks to a month, I've been busy with school, and I mean busy. I've had tests and papers flying left and right. I was sick with some weird stomach virus for almost three weeks where I could barely eat anything (thankfully, that's over with!), and I started working a new job recently. I spent the last five or six months job searching, struggling with money, and paying bills that now having a new job has made me feel a lot better. With all that going on, thinking about what I want for Christmas has been the last thing on my mind. I haven't really thought about anything big or special I've really been wanting this year since, so I thought maybe some new items I've been drooling over, items I want more of simply because I loved them so much, and fragrances!

I have a family, a job, a boyfriend, an education ... what more could I really need? I have the important things in my life already! I bought the IKEA Alex 9 Drawer system for myself for my birthday that I wanted to fix my makeup storage problem, my boyfriend bought me a nice handbag for my birthday, and I've got just about every new palette for the this years holiday... 

I do like gift cards... Sephora, MAC, Charlotte Russe, and Ulta are some nice ideas for me... so I made a small list of some things I'd like this year; some items I've loved and want a re-stock of and new items I've been wanting to try out!


Is there anything special you'd like for Christmas this year?

Saturday, December 6, 2014

Blogmas 2014 Day 6: What makes you most excited for Christmas?

Blogmas 2014 Day 6: What makes you most excited for Christmas?



I've never been asked this question before... so I decided to throw in my Blogmas 2014 list this year! I always like hearing about others reasons why they celebrate Christmas, what they think it's truly all about, etc...

Growing up, I thought it was all about me (didn't we all?) I thought it was all about presents, wrapping them up, seeing Santa, being a sad face kid because I saw everything in stores that I wanted and I had "to wait till Christmas" or "ask Santa for it" ... and that it was the birth of Jesus.

I was like this until probably after high school and when I started to grow up more...

Getting into my early 20's or whatever you want to call it (I'm 25) I started to learn there is more to Christmas than just presents and thinking about yourself. It's the birth of Jesus! It's a time to be together with your family, wrapping presents, putting up decorations, happily seeing songs to yourself, giving gifts to others, giving to those less fortunate than you, and spreading cheer.

When it's time for Christmas to come around, I'm festive. I can't wait to start decorating, looking at all the different decorations set ups, thinking of gifts I want to get for others, and seeing what I'm able to give for charity drives. There are a lot of children who don't get the chance to have a Christmas or have families who can't afford anything to make their Christmas a memorable one, so it's always been a goal for me to give at least one gift every year, no matter what it be, to a charity drive.

It's not about the crazy shopping lines, it's not about who shoves who, it's not about going bananas on Black Friday, it's not about the presents and money, it's about being with your family, giving to others, and the birth of Jesus!

NOW TO GO DRINK LOTS OF EGGNOG!

Thursday, December 4, 2014

Blogmas 2014 Day 4: Christmas Movies

Blogmas 2014 Day 4: Christmas Movies!


Yay, Christmas movies! I absolutely loooove when they come on the television and Netflix around this time of year! I enjoy just about all Christmas related movies, but of course, listing all of them would make this post a year long, haha! So, I picked my top favorites that I watch every year because they mean a lot to me, always get me the spirit of Christmas, and they teach me lessons about Christmas.

- They give me more Christmas spirit
- They make me happy
- They teach us the true meaning of Christmas
- They teach me about the importance of family traditions



Frost the Snowman
I grew up watching this every year around Christmas! I would sign along to the movie, laugh with the movie, and cry with the movie. It really shows how important a friendship is in life, especially during the holidays!

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
I also grew up on this movie. It's such a cute movie with the play-dough like characters! Rudolph was always an outcast and misfit among the other reindeer, because his nose was different, it lit up! Very sad how the other reindeer were to him, but in the end, that nose came in great handy for Santa to get the presents to all the children before Christmas morning.

  

A Charlie Brown Christmas
The Charlie Brown series always makes me happy and puts a big smile on my face! Not only does Charlie over come several obstacles in this movies, but he teaches his friends in the movies and us about the importance of holidays and why we celebrate them together with friends and family!

Dr. Seuss How The Grinch Stole Christmas (Cartoon Version)
I rarely see this on television or Netflix, but I always read this book growing up. It's exactly like 2000 version, just in a more Dr. Seuss feeling!


Jingle All The Way
Hahahaha. I can't even right now. I get such a great laugh from this movie. It's a real cute movie and really shows how hard some parents work their butts off to get that one toy their child really wants, no matter what!

How The Grinch Stole Christmas 
Another great laugh! I always enjoyed the cartoon version, but when they came out with this version, I loved it even more. It really shows the crazyness of the holidays, how people can be, and the lessons that we can all learn during the holidays.


The Polar Express
A very cute movie! I watch this every year. Even though sneaking out of bed before Christmas morning is a bad thing when you're a kid and waiting for Santa to arrive, I'm sure we all did it a few times when we were young!

A Christmas Carol
There is alooooot to be learned while watching this movie! It's never a great idea to be grumpy or mean during the holidays, especially when it's around Christmas time. The man in this movie had a terrible experience with Christmas growing up, but through the movie, the Christmas Spirit helped him take a new and better view on Christmas. Sometimes, we just need the Christmas Spirit to help us find our way to the joys of Christmas time.