Coming Soon...

A Goof-Proof Glitter Manicure!!!

$pend it vs. $ave it! Makeup Edition!

You have two products before you...  

   

They promise to do the same thing.  The colors look similar enough.  The texture looks the same.  They promise the same pigmentation and color coverage.  But one is $6.99 and the other is $21!  

Then the mental debate begins- which one is worth it!?  

In general we tend to assume that a high price tag is a reflection of quality.  Which in some cases it is, but in others it falls into a total gray area!  Like restaurants!  Charlie and I have been to really fancy restaurants and the food is out of this world amazing but the bill makes the evening definitely something to be regarded as a "treat!"  We've been to other expensive restaurants and the meal fell disappointingly short.  Then there are the "hole in the wall" places where the food is crazy good and we've spent less then $20 (we love those places)!  We've also been to "hole in the wall" places where the food belongs in a hole, in the wall!  And last but not least there are the restaurants that look like they're going to cost a fortune, the food was fantastic, and then you get the bill and it was way less than you thought (SCORE!) and it turns out to be a triple threat, great food, great ambiance, and a great deal!  In case you can't tell- as much as I love to cook, I'm a total "lets go to dinner" gal!  

I'm pretty sure you'd agree with me when I say makeup is definitely a gray area too...  

This post is going to be all about what items to splurge on and where you can cut some corners in your makeup bag (or drawer) budget so you can get all the products you wanted and still have enough left over to get that cute pair of shoes you saw last week too!  

FYI- I will be doing separate posts for makeup brushes and skincare (I have a lots to say about them).  This is not set in stone information!  There are some exceptions to the rule, and as I come across those exceptions in my makeup trials and tribulations you will definitely hear about them on this blog!  This is just meant to be a general guide for ya!

Foundation Primer, Foundation, Concealer, and Powders with coverage  

Spend it! 

All of these foundational products are definitely a "you get what you pay for" situation.  These are all the products that come in direct contact with your skin and everything else on your face is sitting on top of this, so be ingredient conscious.  So if your foundation looks good and is a good quality one that works for you- everything else has a better chance of looking good and staying on longer too.  You have a lot more options and formulas to choose from with prestigious brands in these categories, so you can really customize exactly how you want your skin to look!  

Translucent powder

Save it!  

This is generally what you use just to touch up with.  You'll already have your coverage and a full face of makeup going on, all you need it to do is pretty much just absorb oil throughout the day; which is something any powder can handle.  And you don't have to worry about the color since it is supposed to be transparent, so no need to break the bank on this one!

Bronzer and Contour Shades

Spend it!

These are both really difficult to find the right color in a matte finish.  Oh yeah- BTW your bronzer and contour should be MATTE!  Facial shadows don't glisten!  And the sun makes you glow, it doesn't make you actually reflect light!  Haha!  

You want to aim the color of your contour to look like the shade of the natural shadow already created by your bone structure on your face.  And your bronzer color is supposed to match the color of tan you get when you have actually been out in the sun.  So, depending on your skin tone, these are things that varies for a lot of people and its not really a one shade fits all kind of deal.  Most drug-store brands don't carry a wide enough range of these types of colors so you may have to shell out a bit more than you thought on these little ladies!  

Highlight

Save it!

Don't limit yourself to products that specify "highlighter"  I've often used appropriately colored shimmery eyeshadows on the top of the cheeks to create that beautiful glow.  And because inexpensive shadows typically have a bit less pigment to them, the sheer effect that they have is perfect for the tops of your cheekbones!  One of my favorite drug store brand highlighters are made by Physicians Formula!  They have them listed on their website under "bronzers" but PLEASE don't use it as a bronzer unless you're into the whole "disco-ball face" thing!

Eyeshadow Primer

Spend it!  

No matter what shadow you put over top you're going to want it to stay all day.  And quality really makes a difference in just how long that will be.  If you don't really have any issues with your shadow disappearing and you just want your primer to act as a color booster to your shadows then you don't really have to go all out.  But if you're looking for longevity-- I wouldn't cut corners here.

Eye Brow Products

This one is a bit of a toss up but I always end up "spending it."  

I've said it a few times now, and I'll say it again; brows are super important to your face!  The right products and brow routine can be difficult to find- there are so many options.  But my vote is to go with whatever color works perfectly for you (brunettes go 2 shades lighter than your hair color, blondes go 2 shades darker, and red heads go a shade more brown).  Sometimes finding the perfect ash blonde or just the right warm brown can be so difficult and then add on top of that how full, soft, or sharp you want your brows to look, it all just got 10x harder!  If you happen to find something inexpensive that works perfectly for you then go for it, but in my personal experience and throughout my hair coloring adventures I've gotten the combination of the perfect color and perfect formula from Anastasia Beverly Hills products every time!  Worth every penny!

Eyeshadow and Blush Colors

Save it! Most of the time...  

These are all about the color you want!  If you like it, get it!  As far as shadows go, if you're looking for something shimmery you can pretty much find it anywhere!  But if you're looking for something with a matte finish, you may have to shell out a little more since those types of colors are not exactly always easy to find.  Something you can generally expect is that the pigment in drug store brands will most likely be diluted, so you might find yourself layering a bit more and then in turn having to replace the color sooner.  So if it is a color you're going to use every day you may want to consider investing into it, but if its the random "fun" color, it doesn't really matter.  Brushes play a HUMUNGO roll into getting the most out of these products, drug store or not, so keep your eyes out for that post next week! 

Eyeliner, Lipliner, Lipstick, and Lipgloss Shades

Save it!  

Your higher end brands do tend to glide on better and be a bit more rich in pigment, but you're drug store brands have definitely come a long way in these categories.  So you're definitely likely to find ones that you'll like!

Mascara

Spend it

You can read all about my favorite mascaras and how I feel about them is this post here.  In general I have no patience for my mascara to fail me, so this is one area I won't budge in my personal makeup bag.  But not every high end brand is always super expensive, a good number of my favorite mascaras are under $20!

Lash Primer

Spend it!

If this is a product you choose to use, you're going to want it to be as conditioning to your lashes as possible so be pretty ingredient conscious here.  This is the "foundation" to your mascara!  So, if this is no good, then your mascara will be no good.  

False Eyelashes

Spend it!

If you're looking for lashes to get you through the one event a year that you need them, and it's not your wedding day, then there is no reason to go to crazy in this category.  You can get a great pair of lashes that are inexpensive and they get the job done (stay away from anything that has a really thick band- not easy or fun to get on).  I would check out Red Cherry Lashes they're great quality for an inexpensive lash.  

But if you're looking for a pair of lashes that you can wear over and over, or it is your wedding day and you're about to be in an insane amount of photos I would definitely invest in a great pair of lashes that perfectly compliment your eye shape and (as long as you take care of them) they will last you through a handful of wears.  

I think I covered it all!  If I missed a product please let me know down below in the comments or send me a message-  the "contact me" form is on the right side of the blog!  I hope you found this post helpful!  Have a great day beauties!

Love,

Michelle

Makeup Tip Monday- DIY Lip Scrub!

Lately I step outside and with one gush of wind my lips are dry and flaky.  I don't know about you, but my lipstick does NOT look so good laying on top of flaky lips.  If you live anywhere that has snow right now, you know what I'm talking about.  This winter has been super fun for any sledding or skiing you have planned but your skin is not on the good end of this bitter cold deal!  Personally, my lips have taken the biggest beating.  And I can't have shredded coconut looking lips with Valentines Day right around the corner!  I need my red and pink lipsticks to look perfect and I'd prefer to not scratch my Valentine with gnarly lips!  The remedy is a great lip scrub...  

If you don't have 10 minutes to spare and have some extra cash you could try the Sugar Lip Polish by Fresh.

OOoorrr... You could MAKE YOUR OWN!!!

What you'll need:

1 Tbsp of Coconut Oil, melted

1 Tbsp of Honey

2 Tbsp of Sugar in the Raw (I like it's coarser texture, but you could just use regular sugar)

Mix it all up into a paste consistency

Dampen your lips

Scrub! Scrub! Scrub! (about 30 seconds)

Try not to eat it (even though it's pretty yummy haha)

Rinse off and pat dry

Apply your favorite lip treatment

The honey and coconut oil will grab and trap moisture into your lips (you can read all about coconut oil here)!  And sugar is a great natural exfoliant.  Although I haven't tried it, I'm sure you could multiply this recipe and make a body scrub out of it.  I found these cute 2oz metal tins and I thought they would be perfect for gifting this DIY project!  Enjoy!

Love,

Michelle

Bright Eyed and Bushy Tailed... Sorta

Fake wakin' it 'til you make it!?  Yes please!  And I'm not talking about taping your eye lids open, although that would be pretty funny.  I've mentioned before in an earlier post that I'm not much of a morning person-- I stay awake to watch the sun rise, not wake up early to see it.  So I'm all about the snooze button and faking awake-ness!  The reality of my current situation is I'm tired because of a teething, bundle of joy reason named Josiah and not because of watching any sun rises.  But either way, who wants to look as tired as they may feel!?  Nobody!

Here are 5 really easy tips to help you look ready to take on your day and actually look pretty convincing:   

1.  Put Your Eye Cream in the Fridge!  The instant cooling effect when you dab it on in the morning will help shock you awake and de-puff all at the same time.  You could also place two metal spoons in the freezer overnight and lay them on your eyes the next morning for the same type of results.  Heads up- it's really awkward and funny to explain when your significant other goes in the freezer to get something and finds your long lost utensils just hanging out...  haha (sorry babe)!  Also one of the most important de-puffing ingredients to look for in your eye cream is caffeine.  That's right!  It not only wakes you up when you drink it, it'll really help drain any extra fluid in your eye area when you apply it topically!

2.  Nude Colored Eyeliner!  It's like concealer for your waterline!  It perfectly removes that red rim that tired eyes get.  A lot of people use a white pencil, but I find it to look a little too bright if you're just wanting to fake the whole "bright eyed and bushy tailed" look.  A great inexpensive one is Rimmel London's Scandal Eyes Eyeliner in Nude.

3.  Stick to Matte-Finish Eyeshadows!  In this case shimmer is going to accentuate puffiness, not our goal!  So, slowly step away from the sparkle!  I also highly suggest using a light cream colored eyeshadow right on your tear duct and the sides of the top of your nose to open up your eyes (just be sure to blend it out). 

4.  Blue Mascara and Curled Lashes!  Blue lashes will make the white's of your beautiful eyeballs look brighter and whiter.  Blue colored mascara might not be your thing but something to consider is layering it with your black mascara so it looks more like a navy blue and not a bright, cobalt blue.    If you want to skip the blue that's perfectly okay, but I would for sure still lash-up and I would definitely curl them too.  "I love flat, lifeless, slept on lashes," said NO-ONE, EVER!  Haha!

5.  Bright Lips!  What better way to take the attention away from your sleepy eyes than putting the focus on another feature!  Go as bold as you feel comfortable.  A day that you're hitting the alarm clock for some extra snooze time is not the day to try your first red lip.  Stick to what you know, but go for something in your current spectrum of fun!

You can use any of these tips on their own or combine them for the most faked awake look you've mastered yet!  Enjoy!

Love,

Michelle

P.S. Sorry for the lack of post yesterday- I got to have a much needed day out!    

Conquering Your Baby's Cold...

Last Monday morning my little man started coughing and sneezing and by Monday night we were in full "he has a cold" territory!  Then of course he turns into the biggest cuddle bug on the planet and he is just so cute that I can't help giving him a thousand kisses-- which then left me on Tuesday morning in "I have a cold now, too" territory!  Our house was the place to be (or not) last week!  I'll take him getting me sick any day verses me getting him sick (that's what happened last time).  The horrible guilt you feel is the worst!!!  Ugh, lets just say it's enough to make you legitimately try to seriously quarantine yourself at the slightest glimpse of a cold...

Pre Josiah, anytime I felt a sign of getting a cold I had a "go to" blend of medications (usually something that involves Tylenol Cold and Dayquil) that I would take to kick it before it got serious.  But now, because I'm nursing, I didn't take any meds to attempt speeding up recovery and guess what!?  We survived!  

I realize that this post isn't for everyone, but at some point in life you may have to deal with a sniffle-y baby so these are just things that got Josiah and I through.  Also to my fellow parents/nanny's out there- please feel free to comment anything that you have done that may help me and my little man, or other parents and nanny's out next time the sniffles come to town!  Thanks for your help in advance!       

I coated myself in Vicks Vapor Rub!  I also rubbed a generous amount onto Jojo's feet and put his socks on and that helped him tremendously.  

Add 2-3 drops of eucalyptus oil to the water at bath-time.  And anytime anyone was taking a shower in our house we hung out with Jojo in the bathroom.  The steam really helped clear him up and allowed him to breath better.

I Vaselined our noses constantly so they wouldn't get chapped- so we looked miserable aaaand shiny (but it worked)!

We whipped out the vaporizer and stuck a Vicks Vapo-pad into it.  It was so helpful getting the baby through the night.  I also propped him up on pillows to help his nose drain better.  This only lasted until he fell asleep, but I noticed it helped. 

Vitamins were a must!  I take a few different daily multi-vitamins regularly that offer a few different things.  And on top of that I took some Airborne and extra vitamin C.  I also made sure Jojo took all of his vitamins too.  His taste awful!  Like a metallic chalky taste and he makes the funniest faces but he gets through and I nurse him right after to help get the taste out of his mouth (I don't know that I NEED to do that, but I feel bad).  Haha.  By the way, his infant vitamins stain EVERYTHING!!!  And I've discovered that regular dish soap and cold water get them out (Oxi Clean and Bleach didn't work for me), but don't let the stain sit for too long.  

We both drank lots of fluids!  Teas and coffee don't count (I wish they did).  For Jojo we gave him water or warm broth in a sippie cup throughout the day.  I also made some chicken noodle stew (I like my soups really loaded with lots of goodness so they end up out of soup territory) and I pureed some for Jojo to eat as well!  If you want the recipe just comment below to let me know!

Honey and lemons!  I took some all natural honey and lemon lozenges that Charlie found at Walgreens the last time Josiah and I were sick.  I also made myself some of my favorite lemon tea:

Squeeze of half a Lemon

1 Tbsp (or to taste) of Honey

A pinch of Cinnamon

Put everything into an 8oz mug and top it off with hot water.  

It's actually really yummy, it's super good for your body in general, it is great at revving up your metabolism in the morning, and in my recent state it was especially great at soothing my sore throat.  

*Side Note* For a while I drank this lemon tea every morning and my skin never looked better.  I should do that again...

Thanks for stopping by today and I pray good health over you and your family!  

Love,

Michelle 

The Grand Grammys

It's the big party of the year for the music industry!  

And musicians for sure know how to shake it up in the fashion category- lots of light reflective and sheer fabric numbers.  In general, the makeup was balanced so to not compete with whatever they were wearing.  

 Following suit with my Tuesday review of award show style and makeup, here we go again!  Lets get to talking about all the faces that got it right!

Sultry Smoked Out Plums

Rita Ora

 

One of my favorite looks of the night!  The tone of the blue based purple with the tiniest bit of sparkle (check out Sugarpill's Poison Plum Eyeshadow) on her lids perfectly complimented the purple-y tone that reflected off her sleek sequined dress and the old Hollywood waves created a great balance to this look.  I love that she didn't do her signature bold lip (although that was a big trend on this red carpet) and she skipped a bold liner, she just went straight to her eyes and lots of lashes.  For every day you could just go to town with a great mascara (check out my mascara suggestions), but if you're headed out for a night on the town try Flutter Lashes' handmade mink lash in "Ashley" for the perfect bold lash.  They are averagely priced for handmade mink lashes but a bit pricey for a false lash in general, here's the thing- if you treat them right you'll get a ton of wears out of them!

Perfectly Pretty

Katy Perry

     

Miley Cyrus

These two ladies have almost the exact same makeup, the eyeshadows, lip color, and cheek color are all practically identical.  Katy just went a little bolder in a few areas, which takes this look to an intensified level.  Isn't it so interesting how just a few makeup alterations can do that!?  I think it's fascinating!  Lets talk about how they're different...   

The most obvious difference is how Katy amped up her eyes by adding in a winged liner and falsies.  Which is a really easy way to take any daytime makeup to something more evening appropriate.  

Katy added (well- her makeup artist did) a shimmery eyeshadow highlight on the brow bone and tear duct.  Try "Shroom" eyeshadow by MAC.  It's a soft white color with the perfect amount of shimmer.  It's a great way to brighten and "open up" the eyes.  

Katy's skin is more of a matte finish through the t-zone making her look a little more made up.  By no means is that a bad thing- it's just preference.  A little semi-dewy foundation looks more like natural skin verses one with a matte finish.

Katy's brows.  Miley looks like she has the smallest amount of brow powder through her brow and maybe a brow gel to set it.  While Katy's is filled in a bit more with a brow pencil.  Just that one thing takes this whole look from innocent (not a typical word people have used in reference to Miley Cyrus these days lol) to glamorous!

Smoke and Lips

Beyonce Knowles

This makeup is so beautiful.  A smokey eye and dark lip can be difficult to pull off without looking a bit drag-queen-ish.  She not only pulled it off- she made it look effortless!  The problem with making anything look effortless is that it actually requires a lot of effort!  Haha!      

The trick to this is to not go too sharp and structured on the eyes.  Pick one gray eyeshadow color and work on getting it blended seamlessly.  This is not the time or look for the perfectionist in you to show up and obsess over sharp clean lines.  The smudgier and smokier the better!  Just make sure it's blended, smudgy and smokey doesn't mean blotchy...  

Definitely contour your face, but I don't suggest going more than 1-2 shades darker or lighter than your natural shade in choosing the colors you're going to work with.  You're going to want to keep this contour subtle.  

This lip is absolutely amazing!!!  To replicate this I would use "Diva" lipstick all over the lip with "Viva Glam I" lipstick through the center of the lip for a red-er pop through the middle and line with "Burgundy" lipliner (all by MAC).  Then blot the whole thing and add the smallest amount of clear lip gloss to add a slight shine.  You can definitely choose to not blot this lip (it would be just as beautiful), but if you want to replicate this lip perfectly- take a closer look at the photo and you'll see it's not a perfectly sharp, cleaned up lip- it's a little disheveled looking and blotting it will get you there without having to worry about if you did it right.

Lots of Lips

There were a lot of rocking bold lips on this carpet.  So I'm going to go straight through the list and suggest what to use to get each of these lip combinations!  FYI- all the products will be MAC.

Lorde

   

"Nightmoth" Lipliner with "Cyber" Lipstick then "Heroine" Lipstick just popped through the center of the lip

Kelly Osbourne

"Rebel" Lipstick with "Beet" Lipliner

Rihanna

"Viva Glam Rihanna" Lipstick with "Brick" Lipliner

Madonna

"Cockney" Lipstick applied lightly so it looks like a stain then strategically place "Cherry" Lipliner where ever needed

Sarah Hyland

"Can't Resist" Lipstick with a bit of "Brick" Lipliner 

My Pick for Most Amazing Dress of the Night

Taylor Swift

I loved the choice of colors her artist used in her makeup.  Her eyes were a plum-y hued gray smokey eye with a navy blue winged liner and lots of highlighter, then the rest of her face was a blend of beautiful soft pinks.  When I took a closer look I noticed the application was not as perfected as I thought it should have been (I'm a stickler for a sharp winged liner), but overall she looked so beautiful!

I hope you beauties are having a great week!  Enjoy!

Love,

Michelle

Makeup Tip Monday- Keep Your Eyeliner From Straying Away

Ever find yourself frantically pleading with your eyeliner to just STAY-PUT!?  Well beauties, plead no more! 

Most cosmetics companies offer waterproof eyeliner options, in pencil forms, creamy gels, and liquids.  Some hold up great, and some don't exactly live up to all they promise.  If you want to know the ones that have stayed through it all for me just comment below and let me know!

The eyeliner formula that causes the most stray away stress is a kohl pencil.  This little lady is all about the smudge and the smoke.  Made famous by none other than the Olsen twins... 

Confession: I seriously can't tell them apart...

It's the perfect formula for some of these eyeliner trends we're seeing coming down the runways lately.  Unfortunately, it's also the formula that slips and slides right off your eyes to everywhere else on your face and you find yourself looking way grungier than you intended.  You want to place it, smudge it into place, and you want it to stay just the way you've "perfectly" messed it up!  All day!  After all, you worked hard to mess up your liner!  Not too tall of an order, here's how you hold it:

Set it and forget it!  When you put your liquid foundation on you put some powder over top to set it right!?  If you don't- you should.   The same goes for this creamy eyeliner.  You set it with a powder to "dry" it and it'll hold up at least twice as long.  You can set it with either an eyeshadow that matches the color of your eyeliner or you can use a bit of transparent finishing powder.  My preference is to use an eyeshadow, although both would work...

You can also look into sealers, like the Make Up For Ever Aqua Seal.  The directions on this says to mix it with your product before you apply it.  However, using a pencil eyeliner for a smudgy line isn't exactly a mixable opportunity.  So what I like to do is apply my liner, get it all where I want it, and then put one drop of the Aqua Seal on a flat brush and dab it on over top of my eyeliner.  It feels wet and can get slightly sticky for a second (if you are someone that deals with a lot of eyeliner transferring to your lids I would avoid opening your eyes for a few seconds until this dries) and once it dries you are good to go!  Enjoy!

Love,

Michelle