Drugstore Powder Highlighters

For quite a while I've been on the hunt for drugstore powder highlighters. I usually come home empty handed or with a cream which I inevitably don't use because they don't give the look I'm after.

What I want is a champagne, golden shimmery powder that I can apply to the tops of my cheekbones, my cupid's bow and around my temples to brighten my face.

I have recently found 2 that are very different in price range, but give me the look I'm going for. I used stock photo's because I could not get the colors to look right on my camera.

1. NYC Sun 'n' Bronze Bronzing Powder in Hamptons Radiance. This is neat because it has 3 different colors striped throughout, so you can use each one individually or swirl them together. Individually, you get a light peachy blush, bronzer and PERFECT highlight shade. All have shimmer. Swirled together, you get a lovely sunkissed and glowy bronzer. At only $5, this is a steal. My only complaint is that the lid is not very secure, it just pops off and on. I wish they'd put this in a compact like Sunny.




photo courtesy of cvs.com


2. Pixi All Over Magic Powder in No. 3-Brightening. So ridiculously gorgeous. It's 5 shades with a little pixi print on the powder that you can use each shade seperately or you can swirl them together for the perfect highlighting shade. It's silky smooth and with that kind of texture, you really need to use it sparingly or blend the heck out of it or you can get an opaque, chalky kind of finish. Used lightly, this will last forever and really is so flattering. I would only use this on top of my cheekbones, cupids bow and maybe down my nose, lightly. I would use a different shade if you wanted to use it on your cheeks. It really is strictly a highlighting shade. You can get these at Target for $24. Which is a lot for drugstore, but it's really stunning and the color is perfect.



photo courtesy of target.com



Ombre Sunset Mani-Nail Of The Day

Hello Lovelies!

This weekend was so great. SO LAZY. The only thing we did was go out to dinner last night, other than that we lounged all weekend. It was stormy and rainy and grey here this weekend and Little Man wasn't feeling super hot so that meant keeping him inside and letting him rest.

I got inspired on Saturday and decided to play with my nails while I was watching movies. I thought since I wasn't in a crunch for time like I usually am with my nails, I'd do something a little more adventurous. OMBRE NAILS.

I've seen this pinned on Pinterest, using a makeup wedge to sponge paint your nails ombre. I picked out 3 complementary colors and went at it. First I did a clear base coat, then did 2 coats of Essie Ballet Slippers (a lovely pale barely whisper of a pink). Allowed that to dry and then painted the flat end of the makeup sponge with Essie Tarte Deco (a sorbet kind of coral) and Essie Ole Caliente (deep poppy orangish red).

I painted a lot on the sponge because the sponge soaked up a bit at first. I just rolled the sponge over my nails, let it dry and went back and did it again paying closer attention to the cuticles and edges the second time. I did a top coat of Seche Vite and then went in with a small flat paint brush that I used for cleaning excess polish off my cuticles. This looks very messy when you are done, but nothing a little q-tip or brush with nail polish remover can't clean up.

The result is a really pretty coral to poppy manicure that looks like a sunset. Next time I think I'll try 3 different shades on the ombre to see how that looks. Maybe even red white and blue for the 4th?

Have you tried this tip?

Couldn't Resist...Just Bitten TWICE

You guys.

I should have known better. I should have known I would love the Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains. I shouldn't have talked myself out of buying a crazy bright shade. I loved the shade "Honey" so much that I went back to the store and bought "Lovesick".

It is gorgeous.

I would describe this as a straight up fuschia color. It has some minuscule blue-ish/purple shimmer which I don't notice on but makes it glossier looking on the lip than "Honey".

This color also does stain more than "Honey". One swipe gives your lips a sexy, subtle flushed appearance, two swipes and you are set for the whole day. Even as the glossiness fades, that color will stay a very long time. Much longer than "Honey".

I think this shade would be perfect with just an SPF tinted moisturizer, some black mascara and maybe a cream blush or bronzer for an effortless summer look.  I'd do minimal makeup everywhere else with a bold statement lip for a much more modern and fresh look.

Have you tried these yet?



Upon Application



After 3 hours, with handwashing

photo courtesy of Revlon.com-"Lovesick"

Garnier Skin Renew Anti-Dark Circle Eye Roller

My eyes have been such a pain lately...They just feel so tired and unawake (because I've been staying up all kinds of crazy hours reading the 50 Shades trilogy...). It was so bad yesterday that the Fed-Ex lady who I adore asked if I felt ok. Time to do something.

Luckily, I had my Garnier Eye Roller in my purse. This is an item that I never take out of my bag. It's the perfect little pick me up if I have to run somewhere after work and need to perk up my eyes or if they feel puffy from allergies or lack of sleep (aka...CHRISTIAN GREY).

It actually feel so nice and refreshing when you put it on. It says it has caffiene gel and the little metal ball is always cool somehow. I have it in the original sheer tint, however they also make a Medium/Deep tint. I haven't tried that one so I can't speak to how universal it may be. Sheer Tint works pretty well on me whether I have a tan or not, so it's pretty user friendly. Also, it lasts forever. Seriously, months and months with every day use.

The coverage is buildable and honestly, if I'm just running errands or puttering around town, 9 times out of 10 I'm wearing tinted moisturizer and this and...that's all.

Any makeup item that never leaves your purse?

photo courtesy of garnierusa.com

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain

Perfect summer lip.

I've been seeing these in the stores lately and going back and forth between buying them. The last Just Bitten lip stain I got I didn't really care for, it was more of a marker style and felt kind of icky on my lips. But I thought these were more like a Clinique Chubby Stick or a Tarte LipSurgence.

I had 3 in my hand at the store and decided to just get one to start with and then purchase more if I liked them. I chose the shade "Honey" because it seemed the most wearable based off of the tube. That was one downside, with the Lip Butters you can actually see the color from the top of the tube. With these Balm Stains you have to guess from the shade on the tube. I'd say this is most closely a match to the Clinique Graped Up Chubby Stick.

These are SO impressive. It smells a teeny bit minty and you can feel a slight tingle when you first apply it but nothing major like a lip plumper. The tube is all plastic and has a twist up/down feature instead of having to sharpen it, which is great.

The style lends itself to breezy beauty, easy application and long wearing. You don't need a mirror to apply and it's not going to bleed or fade quickly. Even with eating and drinking the gloss part kind of faded but the color stayed. I'd say this would be perfect for a summer BBQ, day at the lake or a special occasion where you can't check your lips all day. Very, very great product.

Have you tried any of these? What colors did you like?

Nail Of The Day

NEON CITRINE.

This nail polish is a pain in my a$$!! It's hard to get it evenly applied and it's even harder to photograph to show the color correctly. But let me tell you, it is so worth it.

I talked about this before in my post on Neon Nail Polishes. It's China Glaze Celtic Sun. I used it with white underneath on my toes, but this time I just used a clear basecoat. This took 5 thin coats of CS to get it even and neon. I used a citrine/green glitter on my ring fingers from Sinful and topped it with Seche Vite top coat.

It's so bright but suprisingly flattering. I find it makes my hands look tan without the dreaded red lobster hands that a lot of yellows can make.

What do you think? Would you wear a neon this bright?

DIY Highlighting with Foils

Happy Monday! This weekend was time to touch up my roots. I think I've mentioned this before, but I do my own hair. I used to always go to the salon but over the last year have started doing it myself. Mostly because I change my hair A LOT and paying someone $120 each time got to be too much. Even though they do a more professional job than me, I can afford it more if I do the changes myself. Plus, I really like doing it. It's fun, it's easy and I like the results.

This is not an instructional tutorial, simply how I did MY hair as a novice at home. Anyway, usually I use the cap and hook method but found that I kept getting the same general peices so I was getting breakage and some areas weren't getting enough color and were showing darker when I put my hair in a pony tail...So. I adventured into the land of foils.

I know the basic idea from YEARS of getting my hair done in salons. I watched a few YouTube tutorials from pro's and got the jist. I went to Sally's and got the foils, I already had the bleach, developer, bowl and brush at home. I used 30 vol developer. I did 15 foils on each side and 15 foils down the top of my head for a total of 45 foils all together. I left the bottom half alone, because I don't like to bleach that section. It's my natural color. As you can tell...once I got them in, I was a little nervous (and make-up free, eek)!!!!

I admit, my husband had to help me with the top 5 foils from my crown back, but other than that, it was pretty simple. Next time I think the foils will be a little more organized, I should have gone from back to front so I could see, front to back made them kind of unorganized, but they worked all the same. The outcome is what I really wanted and it cost me about $8 to get it. I did do a deep conditioning treatment afterwards and have to say, got no breakage. I think I'm in love.

Please note that the photo below makes it look like I have a streak on each side, I don't. It's a shadow. My right side is all blonde like my roots, my left side is 3/4 blonde and 1/4 fuschia/purple streak.

I also touched up my streak of color this weekend with ION Fuschia and a mix of Fuschia and Teal to get the purple and am loving the fuschia/purple combo. It's so VIBRANT. I only touched it up because I wanted it closer to my roots instead of 1/2 way down like I had it before. I'm obsessed with this streak and this line does not fade. It keeps the vibrancy really well.

TRESemme FreshStart Dry Shampoo-Strengthening

HALLELUJAH.

I've been using the original TRESemme Dry Shampoo for normal-oily hair for over a year. It works so well and really helps keep the greasies at bay on days when I don't wash my hair.

Ever since I started going back to blonde I've noticed a little more breakage and my hair is a bit more fragile than it used to be. I went to the store a few weeks back to buy a new dry shampoo and noticed this little gem.

This one says it's a "Strengthening" version for dry/prone to breakage hair and has b12 and keratin in it. Same price as the original ($6) so I thought, why not?

I'm so glad I grabbed this. It has that clean TRESemme smell that I love, doesn't leave white powder in your hair like some dry shampoos can and actually makes my hair feel softer! I typically apply this in my shower stall(without the water running) because we have black floors in our bathroom and dry shampoo can sometimes leave a "dusty" look on the floors. I shake the can, spray in little spurts all over my roots and then rub it in with my finger tips. I let it sit for a minute or two and then brush through my hair.

It really works. Makes your hair look and feel freshly washed without having to strip it or blow dry. This particular variety works and feels especially nice with my hair. This is definitely a product I will be repurchasing.

Benefit Lip Glosses?!

I saw this today on bellasugar.com and was SO STOKED. Basically, Benefit is launching a line of lip glosses based of their most popular boxed blushes. Love this idea and the advertising is adorable, as it usually is with most Benefit products. Can't wait to get my hands on a few of these (I'm looking at you Coralista!!).



photo courtesy of bellasugar.com


Click here for more info: http://www.bellasugar.com/Benefit-Launches-Lip-Glosses-Inspired-Blushes-23431761

Deeeeeeep Clean Facial Cleanser

I don't know why this is one of the hardest things for me to find. I am continually looking for a nice, gentle face wash (with no scrub) that I can use to wash off my makeup and mascara before I use my daily scrub. I've tried using the Ponds makeup remover cloths, they feel like they leave a residue. I've tried Clean and Clear, it never really quite got rid of the mascara. I tried several. I don't want anything in it (no scrubbies, no beads, no nothing...). Just a good wash to remove makeup and residue so I can scrub my face. Most importantly, something I can use on my eye makeup and will leave my skin feeling clean.

I think I may have finally found it. Neutrogena Deep Clean Facial Cleanser. I've been testing it out for a week or two and I really enjoy it. It does what it says, takes only 2 pumps to fully remove all of my makeup and leaves my skin feeling so fresh and CLEAN. I feel like even if I didn't follow up with my scrub and toner, my skin would be clean enough. I am really liking this face wash. Once again, impressed with Neutrogena and it living up to it's claims.

Pricing was reasonable as well, it was $6 for 6.7 fl oz. I will definitely be repurchasing this.

photo courtesy of Neutrogena.com

Minty Mud Masque

Everyone needs a good clay mask in their makeup arsenal. They are great for drying up oily skin, getting rid of blackheads and decreasing pore size and...they just feel nice!

I've been using Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque for years. It's easy to find (I always get mine at Walgreens), it's inexpensive (less than $6), lasts forever (had this one over a year) and it actually WORKS. Sold.

This smells minty like the name implies but it is not overpowering. It feels so fresh and invigorating on and really makes my skin feel squeaky clean when I rinse it off. It's minty quality makes it feel very refreshing and a little tingly, super nice after a hot day outside. I try to use this at least twice a month. I just wash my face with my regular cleanser, apply this to dry skin and allow it to dry completely. Usually I leave it on 30-45 minutes. Rinse, pat dry and that's it.

Plus, I love running around the house like this, my son thinks it's hilarious and he did his nose with me last night. In case 6 year old boys get blackheads, I guess?! Gotta start 'em early!

Blonde Hair Care

I get bored every so often and try to go darker, but I always come back to blonde. I feel better blonder, my husband loves it and it really is my favorite look. After about 4 months of my natural color I've slowly started going blonder. I do my own hair, mostly because I'm very picky and if it goes wrong at least I have no one to blame but myself. Going as blonde as I like can be really hard on your hair and blonde hair can fade pretty fast so I have a few little tips to keep your blonde looking as pretty and bright as the day you got it done.

Trim often. I know for girls like me growing your hair out, trimming seems counterintuitive. But bleach will dry your ends up really quick and unless you trim that part off about every 6-8 weeks your hair is more prone to breakage and will not look pretty and/or healthy. Keep your ends clean!

Deep condition. I use ION Extreme Moisture Cream once or twice a week. Let me tell you, this stuff is THICK. I apply it over wet hair, comb through and then wrap it in a towl for about 30 minutes while I do other things around the house. Rinse it in cool (not cold) water. Makes your hair so happy!

Purple Shampoo...this stuff is a MUST with any blonde hair color. I used to use Shimmer Lights but never cared for the smell. It smells "old" to me. I switched to Shiny Silver a few years ago and never looked back. It smells much better and is more moisturizing on my hair. I use this about every other wash and leave it in about 2-3 minutes to neutralize any brassy tones working their way in. This is a product I ALWAYS have on hand.

Limit heat tools. I try to really only use styling tools once or twice a week. I usually Wash and blow dry Monday, Dry Shampoo Tuesday, Wash and let Air Dry on Wednesday, Dry Shampoo Thursday and then Wash and Blow Dry Friday. I just wash and let it dry on it's own on the weekends unless we are going out or I need it to look nice. It really helps keep my blond looking fresher and helps keep the damage to a minimum so I can grow it out. There's no point in having long hair that looks fried.

Moisturize. I really swear by using oils on my hair. I only use them from the jaw down, never near the scalp or I'd be a greaseball. The ones I really like are MoroccanOil, Aveda Light Elements Smoothing Fluid and Pearatin (Smells so good!!).

Fuschia Addition...

Ok...so, this peek-a-boo hair streak thing may be ust as addicting as tattoo's. As in love as I was with my mermaid streak, it faded pretty quick even with a touchup.

I went back to Sally's and the girls there were obsessed with the Ion Color Brilliance Brights. It's also a semi permanent variety but is supposed to be much longer lasting than the Beyond the Zone. It is also cheaper at only 4.99 per tube. I know I said I didn't want pink, and I didn't but I wanted something other than teal so I ended up getting the Fuschia (a deep magenta, almost purple) and the Teal.




photo courtesy of SallyBeauty.com

 I took my mermaid streak and divided it into 2 sections. I applied the Ion Teal to the already colored mermaid streak and then used 30vol developer to bleach the other half out. Left it on about 20 minutes and applied the Ion Fuschia. I put each section in it's own ziplock baggie and clipped it to my head to keep it from bleeding. Left it on about an hour and a half and rinsed with cold water. Blow dried it and WOW...it is INTENSE. You can tell the difference when you apply it, the Ion is much thicker almost a paste like consistency and it smells like real hair color. It comes in metal tubes and I only used about a quarter size dollop for each color. These tubes will last a very long time and are reusable because there is no developer in them. I washed with regular hot water and shampoo this morning and had no fading, with the Beyond the Zone I had daily fading and my suds were tinted teal every wash, even if I washed in cold water or conditioned it only.

Overall, I am super impressed with these Ion colors. They look exactly how the swatches look and are much more user friendly and long lasting. Easy to apply, affordable and super pigmented.