Makeup for a good cause!

Urban Decay Cosmetics posted this on Facebook for Thursday, November 8th and I think it's fantastic:

Shop For Sandy! UrbanDecay.com will donate ALL profits from today’s sales to the Hurricane Sandy relief fund of The American Red Cross. It’s just a small way we can all work together to get our friends back on their feet!

Want to help but don’t feel like shopping? Donate at redcross.org/charitable-donations.

It's a great way to donate and get something for yourself! Please visit UrbanDecay.com today and do some Christmas shopping or just pick out something awesome for you. 

What's in my makeup bag?

Hi lovelies, I have not disappeared forever! I have been busy with school this semester but I'm back with a video for you all. I made this video a few weeks ago for the makeup board on Makeup Alley when everyone was doing the "What's in my makeup bag?" tag. It's a bit long because I have WAY too much makeup that I carry around but hopefully I don't bore you too much. :)

(although get prepared to hear "It's really pretty" and "I really love this" a lot.)

I am thinking of doing more videos with the sole purpose of teaching someone how I apply makeup. This was something that I had no idea about until I watched tons of YouTube videos on the subject. I am also planning to do a video on the rest of my makeup (aka what I don't carry around with me every day) very soon.

Enjoy! If you have any questions about any of the products that I talk about, just let me know. Thanks for watching!

Updated Skin and Hair Routine

I've changed my skin/hair routine since my last post on it and I've discovered some really great products that I'd like to share. :)

I'm going to start with hair. I went from using cheap drugstore shampoo to investing a little more money in my haircare and it definitely shows. Right now I am using the Alterna Bamboo Smooth Anti-Frizz Shampoo and Conditioner. I've gone from my hair being a fuzzy, crackly mess to not even having to straighten it after I blow dry it. Alterna also has some other great products to fit your individual hair needs. I have also started using Jojoba Oil exclusively for my hair. I put just a couple drops in with my conditioner and it makes my hair shiny and soft. I've also found that I have to wash my hair less with this routine. My hair stays clean looking and pretty much oil free for up to 3 days, which I find pretty amazing. Fortunately, I happen to know a hair stylist who can get my Alterna at a discounted price. If you don't know someone, you can get Alterna online as well. I know Ulta does quite a few sales so keep an eye on them for a good deal.

For my face, I start off by cleaning my face with a makeup remover towel. I quite like the Ponds or Bjore ones. Even the generic brands of these are nice as well. Lately I have been using the Dollar General brand dupe of the Ponds which is only $2. I usually do this when I get home from work so that my makeup doesn't sit on my face those extra hours before bed.

At bedtime, I start by rubbing some Grapeseed Oil on my face. I've found that grapeseed oil is lighter than jojoba for the face and feels much better on. I just massage it into my face for about 30-60 seconds. Also it is great for removing eye makeup so make sure to get your lashes in there as well. Then, without removing the oil, I put on my Olay Blackhead Clearing Scrub. I have tried quite a few cleansers, even some high end, and I do not like it as well as my Olay. It has a nice scent, leaves my face soft, and has never broke me out. I then use my Olay Pro X Cleansing Brush to clean my face really well. Then I just take a warm washcloth and wash the scrub and oil off. I miss one night of using my Olay Pro X brush and I can immediately tell the difference. It definitely gets my face cleaner than I could ever get with just a washcloth.

Now, I've had a hard time finding a moisturizer that I like but I think I've finally found my HG (holy grail)! Garnier Moisture Renew Gel Cream is wonderful and it's only around $8! The problem has been that I cannot stand the feel of creams on my face. This is a nice, gel consistency that soaks in and dries in seconds. I like it more than the other gel moisturizer that I tried, the Boscia Black Hydration Gel, that retails for $38. It leaves my face soft and happy and has not given me any breakouts.

That's it! It really is an easy routine (it has to be because I'm really lazy) and my skin has never been better. I still get hormonal breakouts, of course, but other than that I'm thrilled with how my skin looks. I'm so glad that I discovered oil cleansing and I recommend it to everyone. I plan to try some new oils in the future and I'll report back!

New Favorite Find: Sinful Colors Lip Shine and Milani Corallina

I've recently found two drug store products that I'm pretty excited about.

First up is Sinful Colors Lip Shine. Not being into nail polish, I did not realize that Sinful Colors was a popular nail polish brand. I just happened to be wandering around Walgreens one day and spotted an awesome orange lip gloss. I've had a slight obsession with orange this summer so I bought it and I was in love. These lip shines are fantastic. They are very pigmented and thick with awesome staying power. They are a bit sticky but nothing I couldn't handle. The best part is that they are only $2.99! That being said, I've found these little suckers to be quite elusive. I've only been able to find them in one Walgreens in my area and they do not seem to be sold online anywhere. My vote is if you find them, buy them up! The two I own are Love Potion, which is a red with a slight pink undertone, and Orange You Sweet, which is a dark orange. They do seem to come in about 12 colors but again, I have only been able to track down around four of them.

 

Second is Milani Baked Blush in Corallina. This is my second Milani Baked Blush and I love them. They are very pigmented and nice. I picked this up at K-Mart for $6.99. They also sell Milani at Walgreens and CVS that I know of. Corallina is a lovely medium coral color with a little bit of glitter. I'm usually not big on glitter but when you put the blush on, you really can't see it. It didn't look like I had big chunks of glitter on my face and I was pleasantly surprised at how pretty it looked. Milani is an awesome brand and I've been very impressed with the products I've bought from that line so far. I'm sorry I do not have a swatch picture for this blush but it did not photograph well for me. If you need a reference, there are tons of swatch pics on Google. 

Next up, I'll be doing a review of the LORAC Pro Palette and the Urban Decay Skull Palette. 

Reviews: L'oreal Voluminous Million Lashes, UD Lipstick, Physicians Formula CreamLiner

It's review time! I apologize in advance for my shadowy iphone pictures. The lighting was awful but I will post links so you can get a better view if you need one.

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First up, is Urban Decay Lipstick in Rush. This is one of the things I picked up for $8 during Urban Decay's big sale that I posted about a few posts back. While they don't have this particular color in stock anymore, they do have some beautiful colors left to choose from.

Pros: It's got a creamy formula that feels very nice on. It smells nice also but not too strongly. It smells sweet, almost like a bakery/cake kind of smell. It just feels really great on your lips. I have to admit that it was the packaging of this product that drew me in. It's in a very pretty tube complete with a tiny sword on the end. I feel like I'm slaying a dragon every time I whip this bad boy out.

Cons: The longevity of this product leaves much to be desired. It does not last more than about an hour on me, if that long. The amount of actual product is also smaller than my other lipsticks. The picture above is the lipstick twisted up all the way. Finally, while the package is lovely, it is also very bulky and takes up a lot of room in my makeup case.

Verdict: I think that this product is worth the $8 price tag for sheer novelty alone. The colors are nice, the formula is nice and who doesn't need a tiny sword in your purse? At full price ($16), I probably wouldn't spend the money though.

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Next up is L'oreal Voluminous Million Lashes. I picked this up at Walgreens for around $9. (Watch for BOGO 50% sales at Walgreens!) I have tried both higher end and drugstore mascaras and this is my favorite so far. I got the waterproof version because mascara tends to smudge on me and it's wonderful. It has a flexible, plastic nubby brush that they call the Millionizer brush.

Pros: This mascara does what it says it will do. It separates my lashes and gives them thickness and volume. It does not clump on my eyes and it has a wiper that cleans the brush off as it's taken out of the tube. It also does not smudge and stays on until I take it off in the evenings. My lashes do not look spidery or drowned in mascara. They are also not crunchy or stiff.

Cons: Fortunately, length is not something that I struggle with concerning my lashes. This product doesn't seem to make my lashes any longer (which I prefer). If length is your main concern, this might not be your HG mascara.

Verdict: I love it. I will most likely buy mascara again and again. For the price, you cannot beat the performance. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants super full and soft lashes.

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Last but not least is Physician's Formula Custom Eye Enhancing Gel CreamLiner in Glam Brown. Goodness, that's a mouthful. Anyway, I picked this up at CVS for around $11. It is a set of three gel/cream liners that come in a cute stackable set with liner brush. There are four "Glam" sets, one for each eye color. My brown set came with liners in Gold, Bronze and Black (with bronze glitter). They also have four original sets for each eye color. (Brown in original comes with Brown, Purple and Black).

Pros: These liners are very creamy and easy to apply. They are almost between a gel liner (such as Bobbi Brown) and a cream eyeshadow in terms of consistency. They took longer than my Bobbi Brown to set but when they did, they were good and on there. It took some scrubbing with a makeup remover wipe to get these swatches off my arm. These are brand new so I have not gotten a chance to put them to a day test yet but if my swatching exercise is any indication, then they should be great. The colors are also very nice and will look great with my brown eyes. The black is the most pigmented color, while the gold is very subtle. My swatch is about 3 strokes of the gold , 2 of the bronze and 1 of the black.

Cons: I could do without the glitter added to the black liner. It is not ridiculously glittery, thankfully. The brush that comes with the set is going promptly into the trash can. It would work better if you were going to use these liners as an eyeshadow base but for a liner brush it just doesn't work very well. The amount of product you get in each color is rather small so I will have to report back on how long the product lasts.

Verdict: I like it. These are great because they come in so many different colors. I also like the fact that you get three colors in each package that was specifically put together to compliment your eye color. I think it's a good deal, all things considered. Physician's Formula makes some really great products and this is no exception.

8 Brushes You Need In Your Life

I am horrified to think that only a few short months ago, I had only one sad little eyeshadow brush in my makeup bag. Now I have a bag just for my brushes because they've taken over my makeup case! Good brushes do make a difference in how your makeup looks and they don't always have to be expensive to be good. Here's my list of the 8 Brushes You Need In Your Life:

1. Foundation Brush-This was the first brush that I bought in my makeup adventures. I have never looked back and I could not live without my foundation brush now. I just put a little foundation on my hand and dip my brush in that and onto my face. My favorite foundation brush is the Real Techniques Stippling Brush. It retails for $10 and I got mine from Amazon. A lot of people also like the Real Techniques Face Brush for foundation as well.

Real Techniques Stippling Brush

2. Concealer Brush-The same idea as the foundation brush applies here. If I am spot covering blemishes, I  use the pad of my ring finger. I use the concealer brush for larger areas, such as under my eyes and around my nose. I use the ELF Studio Concealer Brush and it retails for $3. Most larger Targets sell ELF products (unfortunately mine does not) but you can also find some ELF brushes at Dollar General or from the ELF site. I would not recommend getting ELF products from Amazon because you will end up paying more for them.

ELF Studio Concealer Brush

3. Blush Brush-I love love love my blush brush! It's soft and picks up color well. I hate those stiff, flat brushes that come with drugstore blush. A big, fluffy brush gives a much softer, more natural look. I have the Real Techniques Blush Brush. It retails for $9 and I got mine from Amazon.

Real Techniques Blush Brush

4. Powder Brush-You're going to get tired of me saying Real Techniques but they have the most affordable, awesome brushes. I have the Real Techniques Powder Brush. It is quite large and very soft. It feels like you are powdering your face with fluffy bunnies and cute kittens (don't worry, they are cruelty free!). It retails for $10 and, you guessed it, I got mine from Amazon.

Real Techniques Powder Brush

5. Small Angle Brush-A small angle brush can be used for a couple things. I use mine to fill in my eyebrows and to apply gel eyeliner. I also use it if I want to use eyeshadow as liner. If you are going to be using gel eyeliner with your brush, I'd recommend getting a second brush just for that purpose. You can find these anywhere and in a number of different brands. I have the Essence Gel Eyeliner Brush. I got it from Ulta.com because it was only $2 and I love it! I have found that the shorter the bristles are, the easier it is to use. That would  be my only recommendation on what to look for when looking for a small angle brush.

Essence Gel Eyeliner Brush

6. Blending Brush-Everyone loves a fluffy blending brush! You use this brush to blend your eyeshadow colors together and give it a more cohesive look. The characteristics of a blending brush are that the bristles are long and dome shaped so it lets you blend lightly. Some are fluffier than others but they all work the same. I just got the Eco Tools Blending Brush this week. It came in a five piece set that I got from Amazon for around $8. Before that I had been using the ELF Blending Brush, which was also really good and it retails for $1. I believe I got that one from Dollar General.

Eco Tools Blending Brush

7. Crease Brush-This brush is basically a larger, fluffier angled brush. In addition to the crease, you can also use it to apply shadow to your lid if you want. It does well for that because it is more densely packed than the blending brush. I use the Eco Tools Crease Brush that came from that same five piece set that the blending brush came in. These are also pretty readily available. I also have a POSH one that I picked up from K-Mart that I like a lot.

Eco Tools Crease Brush

8. Domed Shadow Brush-Last but not least is a shadow brush. I agonized over which one to pick if I could only pick one to apply shadow and I decided this one would be the most helpful. The domed shadow brush has short, densely packed bristles that are rounded at the top. This brush is particularly good for packing eyeshadow on your lid (that's what I use it for). I have the ELF Studio "C" Brush. It retails for $3. These are easy to find as well. I know ELF makes one in their essentials line for $1 that is pretty good also. I've seen those at Dollar General.

As you can see, I do not spend an exorbitant amount of money on brushes. Real Techniques, the ELF Studio line and Eco Tools are three awesome brands that make really good brushes. I wash my brushes weekly (at least once a week, if not more) and they have all held up really well. There is little to no shedding and they are soft (a major requirement in my opinion!). Naturally, I have a whole bag full of brushes that I love but if you are just starting out then I think this set will get you off to a good start. :)

Eyeshadow/Eyeliner Placement

I know when I first started getting into makeup, one of my main questions was how in the world to apply eye makeup. I watched a ridiculous number of YouTube tutorials and here's what I've learned. First, I'd suggest using this chart and identifying the various parts of your eye. Sounds simple, I know, but everyone's eye is different.

Now, placement will vary depending on your eye type, shape, etc but I'll try to give you a general idea. The best way to start is to pick at least three colors: a light, medium and dark shade. These can be various shades of the same color, a lighter range of colors, or all different colors. Use the medium color first and apply it on your eyelid. Then you take the dark color and apply it to the outside corner of your eye and blend it into your crease. The best way that I've found to do this is to apply the color in the corner only and then blend it out into your crease. The darkest part of your whole eye should be the outside corner. Only go about 2/3 of the way to your nose with your crease color. Finally, you take your lightest color and put a little onto your brow bone. Also take a little of the light color and put in the inner corner of your eye. This brightens up your eye and makes it look larger and more refreshed.

As far as eyeliner, if you have small eyes, you should avoid lining around your entire eye. Lining around the entire eye closes it off and makes it appear smaller. My eyes are small and what I do is line the outside 3/4 of both the bottom and top lid. This way the eye stays open at the lightest part. If you have larger eyes, this really isn't a problem for you (and I'm jealous!). You can also wing your liner out a bit to elongate your eyes or wing them upward to change the direction of down-turned eyes.

This is a very basic explanation but once you figure out what kind of eye you have, you can play with lights and darks to give your eye definition and dimension. You can even change the entire shape of your eye by just knowing a few simple tricks!