Prom/Formal Hair and Makeup

 

The prom season is upon us! My favorite little prom test subject has graduated but this year she happened to have a formal banquet the same night as prom so we got her very glammed up.

This look could work for a variety of different events, she even made the hairstyle last until the next day for 2 bridal showers she had to attend. It's classy and fun and most importantly, very easy to do.

I started with her hair. I took a 1 inch curling wand and curled her entire head. After I removed each curl from the wand I kept it wrapped and bobby pinned it to her head for it to cool. Once her whole head was in pins we started on the makeup.

We didn't want anything to dramatic or "sexy", her event was at a religious school and "modesty" was requested. This girl has lashes for days and we thought we'd do a lighter smoky eye and focus on those lashes. I used:

• Estee Lauder matte primer
• CoverGirl 3in1 Foundation
• Maybelline Fit Me Concealer (great dupe for the NARS creamy concealer)
• Rimmel Stay Matte powder on T zone
• NYC Sunny Bronzer
• Tarte Amazonian Clay blush in Exposed
• BECCA highlighter in Moonstone 
• NYX Eyebrow pencil in Taupe
• MAC paint pot in Bare Study
• Urban Decay Naked and Naked 2 palettes on eyes
• Urban Decay Perversion mascara on top lashes
• CoverGirl Clump Crusher mascara on bottom lashes
• L'Oreal Pencil Perfect eyeliner in Carbon Black (not great for a precise line, but great for smoking out)
• NYX lip liner in Nude
• Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Precious
• Urban Decay setting spray

Then we moved onto the hair. I took all the pins out and was left with a stunning head of perfect curls. I finger brushed most of the curls loose and used Beyond the Zone texturizing powder at her roots for volume. Girl loves big hair and I was happy to oblige her :)

I then used a teasing brush for extra volume at the crown. I pulled all of her hair to one side, leaving a small section out which I fishtail braided. I worked that over to the side and began pinning sections of curls. I basically just pinned each curl to her head about half way down the length so that she had some volume but it still looked loose and "sexy messy". I finished it with John Frieda Luxurious Volume hairspray. It's very fine but SUPER STRONG HOLD without getting crispy. Kept her hair in place for 2 days but still looked soft. She has a ton of hair so this ended up being a gorgeous style on her.

Cavegirl Costume Hair and Makeup

Happy Monday!

We threw a Halloween party at our house again this year. We decided to go as a Caveman and Cavewoman. We've been dressing up for Halloween with our friends for years and it's getting harder and harder to come up with costumes that no one has done yet. Surprisingly no one ever went as a caveman before.

We kind of lucked out, my uncle had gone as a caveman before so my husband borrowed his awesome costume and I found this one premade and fitting like a glove at Goodwill for $5.99. SCORE!!!!!!!!!!

I ended up still buying one yard of fuzzy leopard from JoAnne's to make my belt and some bracelets for me. I think I got it on sale for $9. I also picked up a bag of bones from the Halloween store with holes predrilled in them and got some faux leather straps from JoAnne's. I made our own necklaces, anklets and my hair bone with those.

The hardest part of this costume for me was the hair. I kept googling for cavegirl hair tutorials and there's literally NONE. So I thought I'd share what I did in case it would be helpful to anyone. Ducklip kiss included :)

Basically I washed my hair but skipped conditioner. I didn't brush it out and let it air dry as much as possible. Then I applied some Pureology styling lotion and blow dried it, still without brushing.

I then took small sections and used my flat iron to get random bends in my hair. No pattern, just kind of bent it forward then bent it backwards until it had a good wave. I then took my 1/2 inch curling wand and curled random pieces but only in the midshaft of the hair. Nothing at the top and left the ends straight. That gave me lots of volume but wasn't "pretty", if that makes sense. Then I took Beyond the Zone volumizing powder and sprinkled it into my roots all around my head, got a good "dry" feeling from that and then put a little more powder in my hands and put it on the ends of my hair in different spots for more fuzzy texture.

I pulled the top section of my hair up into a high pony and wrapped a small section of my own hair around the band to hide it. I then took my backcombing brush and basically back combed the ever living life out of my hair, stuck a bone in the top (I wrapped a bobby pin to the bottom of the bone using the faux leather) and was left with some serious Cavegirl hair!

 

For my makeup, I did use my Tanwise self tanner for about a week before the party to get a little glow. I used my Rimmel Lasting Finish 25 hour foundation in shade 200. I like this because there's no SPF so you get very little, if any flash back in photo's from it. I used my L'Oreal concealer pencil in the darkest shade to contour my forehead, down my nose and to carve out some serious cheekbones! I then used the Wet N Wild bronzer in Rosy Gold for an all over warm glow. ELF baked highlighter in Moonlit Pearls down my nose, on the top of my cheeks and cupids bow. Maybelline Bouncy blush in Hot Tamale. 

For my eyes I started with brows...of course. I wanted them a little more dramatic than my normal brows so I used my Maybelline eyebrow pencil in Medium Brown (perfect for a warmer eyebrow when you have red hair!). I then used my Maybelline Color Tattoo in Creamy Beige as a base. I then used Smog from my Naked palette all over my eyelid. I used Half Baked right in the middle of my eyelid and Sin in my inner corner. I then used L'Oreal Infallible in Eternal Sunshine to blend those out into my crease and used L'Oreal Infallible in Iced Latte on my browbone. Rimmel ScandalEyes in black as an eyeliner and I just did a smudgy flick, nothing too perfect. Same colors on my lower lashline. Then I used Maybelline The Falsies mascara in black on my top lashes and Jordana Best Volume Extreme mascara on my bottom lashes. I then used KISS Ever EZ lashes in number 11. These are human hair lashes so they look really real, you don't get the tell tale glossy texture of fake lashes.

On my lips I used Jordana lipliner in Bordeaux all over my lips as a base. I applied Wet n Wild Mega Last lipstick in Cherry Bomb, one of my favorite fall lipsticks and it lasted ALL NIGHT.

Now for my favorite part...the leopard spots! I just couldn't resist...It just had to be done you guys. So for these I used an old ELF eyeliner in pure white to mark out the spots. I then applied Half Baked from the Naked Palette over the white spots using a Q-Tip to get a really bright pop of true gold. Then I used my NYX liquid eyeliner in black to do little "c" patterns around the gold, making sure to leave 2 openings on each one and try not to make them too uniform in shape or size. I then put a few little black spots in between to even out the shape and ended up with this:

 

So there you have it! Cavewoman hair and makeup! It ended up being one of our favorite costumes we've ever done. Super comfy and fun.

Yabadabadoooooooooo!

Fight Like A Girl

Not sure if I have shared this before but my mom is a breast cancer survivor. She actually got breast cancer two different times and ended up having complete mastectomy's and reconstructive surgery. So this month is near and dear to my heart. My mom is a fireball. A Gypsy, Gold Dust Woman. A wild woman, fearless, individual, completely her own self and strong as a lion. I know people say that all the time, but if you know her you know that to be true. She's the honest to god definition of fierce.

Her motto during her cancer was to fight like a girl. When she finally did beat it and was in recovery, she got two pink boxing gloves tattooed on her inner wrist with the quote "TKO 2006". The year she kicked cancer's ass. Pink boxing gloves have been her muse to keep her fighting, to keep her strong and to remind her of how far she's come and how strong she truly is. One of my favorite shirts of hers says "Hell Yes They're Fake! The Real One's Tried to Kill Me!". It's just so my mom.

I actually got a Breast Cancer ribbon tattoo while she was going through chemo and to this day, faded as it is, it always reminds me how serious breast cancer is and how lucky we were with my mom's recovery and how lucky we are to still have her with us.

Her amazing plastic surgeon recently asked her to be the face of a breast cancer awareness campaign this month and her photo shoot for it was today. I was so honored when she asked me to do her makeup. I didn't even think, of course I said yes as fast as I could.

She wasn't picky, just wanted to look pretty. I decided to go for super flattering colors and warmer neutrals. As you can see in the pics, I didn't need to add any pink to the makeup, she had enough pink going on already (such a bad ass).

I wanted products that would give her a lot of coverage and color payoff and would last through hot lights and a long photo shoot. I used the following:

Rimmel Lasting Finish Foundation
Maybelline Age Rewind Concealer
CoverGirl Simply Powder Foundation
Mabelline Define-A Brow Dark Blonde
MAC Bare Study Paint Pot
L'Oreal Infallible Amber Rush
L'Oreal Infallible Iced Latte
L'Oreal Infallible Bronzed Taupe
Urban Decay Naked Basics palette (Faint and Crave)
Rimmel Scandaleyes Black Eyeliner
Rimmel Scandaleyes Nude Eyeliner
NYX Dusty Rose Blush
Milani Luminoso Blush
Maybelline The Falsies Black Mascara
Moodstruck 3D Fiber Lashes from Younique
Wet n Wild Mega Last Lipsticks in In the Flesh and Bare It All
L'Oreal Infallible Lipstick in Forever Frappe

Love You Long Time LADY.

5 minute Rose Gold and Plum Autumn Eyes

Hello Lovelies!

I have been playing around with different makeup since I dyed my hair this color and am loving the different options so far! These warmer, peachy, plummy colors have just spoken to me lately. I have been really enjoying this particular look and it seems to garner a lot of compliments so I thought I'd share it. I do this almost every day for work and it honestly takes less than 5 minutes but has major color payoff and it LASTS all day long.

I used Maybelline Color Tattoo Leather cream shadow as a base in "Creamy Beige". I love the Color Tattoo's, the Leather one's seem to be creamier and I really like the matte color of this one. Warmer than Tough as Taupe so it's perfect for this look.

I then applied L'Oreal Infallible in "Amber Rush" to my entire lid.  It's the perfect rose gold eyeshadow and makes blue eyes POP. I actually apply these shadows with my finger, I find that because they are pressed pigments I get less fall out and a lot more color by applying this way. I just gently pat it over the base, I don't wipe or rub.

Then taking a smaller paddle brush I apply MAC "Trax" to pack the color onto the outer third of my eyelid and then gently buff the line between the two colors to blend.

I then apply MAC "Satin Taupe" to the outer v and under my lower lash line.

I use L'Oreal Infallible in "Iced Latte" to my inner corner and browbone.

Creamy Beige, Amber Rush, Iced Latte, Trax, Satin Taupe

I used a clean fluffy brush to blend. I then applied 2 coats of Maybelline "The Falsies" on my top lashes and Jordana "Best Lash Extreme" on my lower lashes.

I didn't wear eyeliner today but I have worn this look with both a chocolate brown and a plum eyeliner and have loved the results.

On the rest of my face I used Garnier BB Cream for Combo skin, Maybelline Age Rewind Concealer in "Fair", CoverGirl powder foundation in "Creamy Natural", NYC Bronzer in "Sunny", Maybelline eyebrow pencil in "Medium Brown" (great for red hair), NYX blush in "Dusty Rose", Wet n Wild Mega Last Lip Color in "Bare it All" and "In The Flesh" mixed together. Hope you enjoy!

Little Amazing Finds

I have been obsessing over these 2 products lately and had to share.

 

The first one is the Garnier BB Cream Skin Renew Miracle Skin Perfector for Combo/Oily skin. I know...a drugstore BB cream? Bear with me. It's amazing. I've tried a ton of other BB Creams and was less than impressed. I didn't even like the original Garnier BB Cream. No coverage, they smelled like sunscreen and felt greasy on my face. Not a fan. I went camping recently and needed something I could apply in the morning and give me a little coverage and protect my face. Like a good blogger, I read some reviews and it seemed like this little treasure was different.

I gave it a go and am so glad I did. This is NOT a tinted moisturizer. It's got really great coverage, dries to a semi matte finish and feels really nice on the skin. It has SPF of 20 but doesn't smell or feel like sunscreen.

I will tell you a little secret though. I like this best when applied with a sponge (wedge, beauty blender...whatever you like) not a brush and not your fingers. I find I get the best coverage and finish when applied that way. It lasts all day without breaking up in the oily places and doesn't oxidize or turn orange. They don't have a great color selection (I think only 4). I wear the Light/Medium. I highly recommend. $12.99 at Fred Meyer.

This is just the BB cream, under eye concealer (no concealer anywhere else), bronzer and blush on my face, not counting eye makeup. Seriously good coverage.

The other little prize I'm coveting is the Maybelline Define-A-Brow. My Revlon Brow pencil got too short to sharpen anymore and I did not like the brow gel that was on the other end of it at all. It made my brows look flaky. Ew. So I'd been on the hunt for something that was very taupe for my eyebrows with not even a sneaky hint of warmth. Nothing I loathe more than an orange brow on a blonde. Not cute.

I saw this little tiny tube and it instantly reminded me of the Anastasia Brow Wiz. Same slender tube, except this one is lime green. I picked it up in the Dark Blonde color and it's fantastic. The color is perfect. Don't wind too much up, I only wind up a small amount at a time so it won't break off and haven't had any issues. It's waterproof so you don't have to worry about your eyebrows disappearing in the heat/pool. For a fraction of the price of the Anastasia, this is a gem! $7.99 at Walgreens.

Things I'm Loving Lately-Drugstore

I love posts like this because I think it gives someone a good idea of what you actually use rather than just a straight forward review, but I never like showing pictures in these posts. Like...who wants to see my gunky half used tube of lipgloss and foundation? So...I will post pictures and links to help you find these things if you think you'd like to try them. Deal?

CoverGirl 3-in-1 Foundation. I've used almost an entire bottle of this and will definitely be purchasing it again. It's great coverage, awesome finish and hasn't effected my skin at all. It lasts all day without breaking down and doesn't leave my face greasy or too matte. It's literally the perfect drugstore foundation for me. As much as I love Colorstay my skin does not. But with the CoverGirl, it's everything I want in a foundation AND my skin likes it. WINNER. I wear shade 810 or 825.

covergirl.com



Revlon Brow Fantasy. Seriously love this. I have blonde eyebrows that are pretty ashy. It's hard to find a pencil that doesn't get too warm or dark. I've been using powder from my Naked Basics palette and an angled brush for a long time but that takes time. You have to have a steady hand and some patience. With this product you get a pencil and a gel and it's the PERFECT shade of dark blonde. Just enhances my brows without making them look like sharpie brows. You know...not a good look.

revlon.com

 

L'Oreal Infallible 24 Hr Eye Shadows. I've been using Amber Rush for a long time but without a tan it can be a tinge too pink for my every day eyes. I generally like something with a gold reflect to it. I've been wearing Iced Latte and Bronzed Taupe together and they are just so gorgeous. I can use the Barely Branded or Bad to the Bronze from Maybelline as a base for either and they last ALL DAY. They don't budge or flake or fade or crease. The colors are buildable and stunning.

 

loreal.com

 

 

Maybelline Baby Lips Electro "Strike a Rose".  I'm a sucker for anything Rose. This is kind of scary neon in the tube but goes on super flattering and feels really nice on. It's super sheer so it kind of leaves that popcicle stained effect on your lips, just pinched pink.

 

maybelline.com

 

Here's my mug with all of these products on...the lip balm has kind of faded but you can see the color that remains.

 

Daily Makeup-Mostly Drugstore!

It's been a while since I did a little "Daily Makeup" post. I think the last time it was during the spring and A LOT has changed since then.

Obviously these all change if I'm doing anything special, this is just my daily "head to work" face. I can get it done in about 5 minutes and don't have to touch up other than lips at all during the day. These together really work well for me and I am super impressed with the Covergirl foundation. Full review on that coming soon. This is a very quick and easy look for me but one that looks polished and pretty.

CoverGirl 3-in-1 Foundation (Creamy Natural)
Rimmel Stay Matte powder (Creamy Natural)
Maybelline Age Rewind Under Eye Concealer (Fair)
Maybelline Bad to the Bronze Cream Shadow
Urban Decay Naked Basics for browbone and eyebrows (Venus and Naked 2)
Maybelline The Falsies mascara
Rimmel ScandalEyes Liner in Nude on the waterline
NYX Dusty Rose Blush
Milani Luminoso for Highlighter
Vaseline Rosy Lips (Coveted on Pinterest, finally found it and bought a ton. Adorable and amazing little pot of pink goodness!)

Maybelline The Falsies "Big Eyes" Double Ended Mascara

I popped into Walgreens to get some travel sized goodies for a trip I'm taking soon. I needed a new mascara because mine had turned to crap. I saw the "Big Eyes" display and needed no further prodding. Into the cart it went.

I should mention that the original The Falsies is my absolute favorite drugstore mascara. I repurchase it every 3 months. So the idea of The Falsies on one end and a little teeny tiny bottom lash wand on the other end of one tube was pretty much my idea of heaven.

Here's the rub. The brush for the top lashes is not The Falsies brush. Based on that alone, I wish they would have called this something else because the main thing I love about The Falsies IS THE FREAKING BRUSH. The original has the same spaces between the bristles, but it's in a straight line down a curved brush so you get these long amazing lashes. The Big Eyes wand has the same spacing, but they are twisting around the brush so your lashes can get this clumpy wierdness until you figure out how to use it. It does get better after a few uses and gives pretty results.

The bottom lash side doesn't do anything for my bottom lashes aside from making them darker. It reminds me a lot of the original Maybelline Great Lash in the green and pink tube. Which does nothing for me either. When I use the original Falsies version on my bottom lashes I get some length and volume. Not with Big Eyes. But the original version does smudge a little by the end of the day. So...Big Eyes wins here because it doesn't.

I got this in the waterproof formula because I need one for summer. I do like it for that and don't notice any flaking, smudging or smearing throughout the hot days. Which is fantastic. This does also make my lashes stay curled a lot longer than the original version.

Overall, I think I would repurchase this mascara for the convenience factor alone of having 2 in 1. Great for travel and I do think the waterproof version is great. The only thing is I wish they would have not associated it with The Falsies because they are nothing alike. Good formula, easy to use and such a great idea. Slight miss on the brushes for me.

Drugstore Rose Gold FOTD

I have always loved Rose Gold jewelry (see rose gold watch and bracelets that have been on my wrist for the past 3 years), but have just recently started trying out Rose Gold looks for my makeup. Sparked mainly from my love of the L'Oreal Rose Gold cream blush.

I feel like this shade is flattering on blue eyes in particular, but would be pretty on anyone. The eyeshadow has enough bronze in it to really compliment the blue. Also, this blush is just amazing. So gorgeous and unique. Perfect for sunkissed, summery skin!

NYC Sunny Bronzer, UD Naked Basics, L'Oreal Rose Gold cream blush, Maybelline Color Tattoo Barely Branded, L'Oreal Infallible Amber Rush eyeshadow, Maybelline The Falsies mascara, Rimmel Match Perfection Concealer/Highlighter.

 

This is an all drugstore look, apart from the Urban Decay Naked Basics palette, but I only used it for my eyebrows. So, feel free to replace that one thing with your favorite drugstore eyebrow product!


How gorgeous is L'Oreal Infallible Amber Rush eyeshadow??

 

I am also wearing Revlon Lip Butter in "Juicy Papaya" on my lips, but it was in my purse for the photo. Such a gorgeous orangey melon shade that perfectly pulls the rest of the look together! 

I feel like this will kind of be an all summer go-to look. It's very easy, wearable, bronzey and summery. I really love it.

 

 

Colors of the Rainbow Tag!!

Sometimes I get jealous that YouTubers get to do all the fun tags...

I saw EleventhGorgeous do this tag and it looked like so much fun. I wasn't tagged, but I'm totally hopping on the tag train.

The Colors Of the Rainbow Tag!!



photo courtesy of weheartit.com

Red: Maybelline The Vivids Vivid Rose. I'm sneaking this one in because the color is completely pink, but the PACKAGING is red...so it counts, right?? It is my favorite lip product right now. Feels good on the lips and manages to stay a decent amount of time on the lips. Crazy intensely pigmented without getting milky or chalky. SOO PRETTY!

Orange: Clinique Happy perfume. That sweet little orange writing gets me every time...and the scent actually does make me happy! I don't typically love the color orange, but Happy is the happiest orange thing I own.

Yellow: Dickinsons Witchhazel Foaming Face Wash. This does not smell good...it smells like dandelions or weeds to me. But... and this is a major BUT...it works amazingly well. It's gentle but effective and has left my skin feeling and looking nicer than it has in months. It doesn't dry my skin at all but has somehow almost reduced my breakouts to non-existent. I've only been able to find it at Walgreens, but it is definitely worth picking up.



photo courtesy of dickinsons.com

Green: Origins Make A Difference + Rejuvenating Treatment. Kind of more of a teal...but hear me out! This greenish little jar is full of some amazing stuff. I use this at night and in the morning and see such great results with it. It feels luxurious and makes my skin feel supple and happy.


photo courtesy of origins.com

Blue: JulieG "Cabana Boy" nail polish. Oh man, do we have a little crush on this or what? It's been on my nails the last 3 times I've done them. Love love love this $3.99 little bottle of cobalt heaven.

Indigo: WTF is indigo and who owns an indigo beauty product?? I'm going to go with Navy...ok? Neutrogena Nourishing Eyeliner in Twilight Blue. It makes your eyes look whiter and definines your lashes without being super harsh like a black can be.




photo courtesy of neutrogena.com

Violet: Maybelline "The Falsies" Mascara. Not the flared version, the original version. This mascara replaced CoverGirl's Lash Blast when I got sick of purchasing new tubes that were already dried out. I have repurchased this mascara consistenly every 3 months for about a year and it is definitly great. Perfectly, lenthened, seperated and black black eyelashes that last all day without flaking or smudging. Why haven't you tried this yet??



photo courtesy of maybelline.com

Pink: Beyond The Zone Smooth Criminal Humidity Blocking Hairspray. I have used Tresemme Tres 2 hairspray for about 8 years. I love it. But...Sally's was having thier BTZ products 2 for $12 and I was out of hairspray and thought I'd give this a shot. WOW. It's the finest hairspray. It almost feels like a gentle mist coming out of the bottle but then you see the results and it's suprisingly good. Oregon does get humid and my hair tends to poof when it's humid. This stuff holds my style while still leaving it touchable and moveable. Really impressed with this hairspray.



photo courtesy of sallybeauty.com
 

Rainbow: I don't really own anything "rainbow" but I do own something with tons of colors that I love. The NYX Every Color Imaginable 78 color palette. This has literally one version of every color I can think of and they are pretty great quality as well.

April Favorites

Revlon ColorStay Foundation for Normal/Dry Skin. I caved and gave ColorStay a second chance...I do not have dry skin, I have oily skin in the T zone for sure. TiffanyD was talking about this and saying how she doesn't have dry skin either but likes this formula so much more than the other version. I had a coupon for $3 off any Revlon ColorStay product and thought I'd give it a try. LOVE. Everything I liked about the original ColorStay, but this doesn't break me out and isn't nearly as heavy. It also has more of a natural/satin finish which the dew lover in me just adores. Great purchase!

Maybelline The Vivids Vivid Rose. I have a full review of this product on the blog. I can't get enough of this color. I've been loving putting a pink gloss on and then applying a swipe of this over it to brighten it up but still have a sheer glossy finish. It's an easy way to get color without the work.

Tresemme Platinum Strength Deep Conditioning Treatment. After going this blonde, my hair is parched to say the least. This product claims it can reverse up to 2 years worth of damage when used with the shampoo. We all know you can't reverse damage but you can conceal it and make it look better while preventing further damage. I have noticed some serious results with this and really liking it.

One n Only Shiny Silver Shampoo. Again, a must for a blonde girl! Super drying though, so definitely use sparingly and with a good conditioner. Works so well to get the brassiness out though.

Orly Passionfruit Nail Polish. Always my spring/summertime favorite nail color. So bright, so punchy and lasts a long time. I like this best for my toes. It just makes you look super tan.

Rimmel Stay Matte Powder. Why does this smell so good?? For $4 I sure do love this stuff. I apply to my Tzone with a fluffy brush and it seriously lasts all day. LOVING this.