February 2016 Favorites!

Hey guys! I'm getting a jump start on my favorites this month, and reflecting back on what I loved during the short month of February, there were only a few standout items. Let's go through my favorites shall we?

Let me just say that Wet n' Wild is SLAYING right now with their products. I've been loving the newly reformulated Wet n' Wild Contouring Palette in Dulce de Leche and Wet n' Wild Coloricon Blush in Rose Champagne. These matte contour powders are way more pigmented and blendable than the originals, but still kick up a ton of powder. I don't mind, but they do get messy. I haven't played with the actual contour shade much, but the beige highlight shade I've been using everyday to highlight my face and help lighten if I went a little too H.A.M with my bronzer. The pan is a gigantic size for under $5! Uh, yes please.

I've also finally found a use for my EcoTools Complexion Collection Mattifying Finish Brush that has just been sitting in my collection forever! It surprisingly makes a fantastic contour brush believe it or not. The bristles are shaped kind of like a duo fiber/ stippling brush, so it doesn't pick up too much pigment all at once to help diffuse and blend my contour powders right under my cheek bones for a softer look. It's especially handy for powders that are darker and super pigmented, like my theBalm Bahama Mama Bronzer that you can go overboard quickly on. It's my favorite contour brush at the moment.

Excuse the dirty brush though...

Back to the new blush; it's a gorgeous shade! A shimmery satin muted rose gold blush that literally goes with everything since it's a more natural looking blush. It looks pretty boring in the pan, but it's so beautiful on the skin. The formulation is different though, and is less pigmented than the OG Coloricon Blushes. But now they kick up less powder while still delivering buildable color, compared to before when you barely had to dip your brush into the pan. Some are disappointed that they changed the original formula since it was already awesome ( I have the old Pearlescent Pink Blush that I love), but I still like it! I'm less likely to apply too much now.

I've re-discovered my L'Oreal Infallible Shadow in Iced Latte, and found a new love, the L'Oreal Brow Stylist Brow Pencil in Dark Brunette. Guys, the L'Oreal Infallible shadows don't get nearly the love they deserve because they truly are some of the best shadows I've come across AND they are from the drugstore! The shade Iced Latte is a stunning champagne shade that I've been wearing constantly. It brightens the eye and has a metallic sheen while not being too over the top. Loooooove it.

The Brow Stylist is my favorite go to brow pencil now because it's creamy, pigmented and so easy to use with the skinny tip that allows for precise application with a convenient spooly on the other end. It's also a neutral/cool brown that isn't too dark! Hallelujah!

Top: Iced Latte, Rose Champagne, Contour and Highlight 

What were your favorites this month?

xoxo

Jessica

The Brow Age: Favorite Products for Better Brows

Creating the best brows has become an obsession in the makeup world, thanks to the comeback of the bold brow. Not only are thicker brows cool again (thank god), but well shaped and defined brows are the name of the game. But how to get brows that are 'on point' or 'on fleek' can be difficult, and Instagram brows aren't always the best in everyday, real life. I've gathered up some of my brow must haves to create better brows that are still on the natural side.

Grooming your brows with help a lot in the process of filling them in but can lead to disastrous results if you aren't careful! I generally tweeze the crazy stray hairs first and then carefully tweeze under the brow to help create my desired shape. What helps me a lot is tweezing a little up close and then stepping back to look in a mirror from farther away, that way I stop when I need to and don't over tweeze. Besides, not many people are going to be looking at your brows from that close anyways and will be looking at them farther away. 

I also cut super long hairs by brushing my brow hair up and cutting it straight across using small manicure scissors I have on hand. You can go out and buy brow trimmers, but I already have these and they work just fine. This is especially nice for trimming the front hairs so when I comb them up straight, they fit into the brow shape I want.

Definitely follow your natural brow shape though, because if you try to drastically change your brows it tends to look weird and is a pain in the ass to deal with when hairs grow back (or don't) in my opinion.

There are sooo many brow products available now, and great ones in the drugstore! You are bound to find the method that works for you, but it may take some experimenting and practice to figure it out. For those that just want their hairs to stay in place and just need basic shaping, waxes and brow gels are the way to go. This NYX Eyebrow Shaper Wax Pencil is great for taming those pesky hairs that don't want to stay down. My favorite brow gel at the moment is the NYX Control Freak Clear Brow Gel which I use to set my brow at the end or on it's own on really light, natural days. Colored or tinted brow gels are also an amazing option for filling in your brows and holding them in one easy step. 

Wanting some more shape or need some serious filling in? Pencil, powder or pomade is your best bet. I find that powders are easiest to work with personally, and better for those just beginning to fill in their brows. I've been using this Bodyography Essential Brow Trio and Brow Brush that I got in a Boxycharm a while back. The powders are a good color, meaning it doesn't pull too red and isn't too dark, and blend well into my brow. Having a nice angled brow brush and spooly is a MUST because it helps spread out the product and helps you avoid a too harsh of a brow. Thankfully their are now may cheaper options at the drugstore for around $5-$7! For days I'm in a rush, powder is my go-to.

For me, pencil is a little more time consuming and requires a little more practice to use but defines the brow better. I've fallen in love with the new L'Oreal Brow Stylist Definer in Dark Brunette! It has kicked my NYX Micro Brow out of first place because it's a little creamier, softer and has more pigment with a better spooly on the other side. HIGHLY recommend it! 

Honestly, I've been too scared to try a pomade because I feel like I would make my brows too hardcore and end up looking crazy. One day I will get the courage to try it out! I usually use a combination of all these products, and often switch back and forth between pencil and powder depending on my mood. I am still trying to master my brows and figure out the best way to fill them in. So if you feel like you struggle with your brows, you aren't alone! If you are a brow wizard, please teach me your ways.

And I'll just leave this meme here...

Source

What are your favorite brow products? Got useful tips and tricks up your sleeve? Let me know in the comments!

xoxo

Jessica

Ipsy February 2016 Unboxing! Pretty In #IpsyPink

My Ipsy is here! And of course, this month has a cute Valentine's Day theme bag. Cute! Let's take a look at what's inside my Febraury Ipsy bag!

I received...

Trust Fund Beauty Nail Polish in I'm Kind of a Big Deal

Margaret Dabbs London Miniature Crystal Nail File

Naked Cosmetics Mica Pigment in Sierra Nevada

VINTAGE by Jessica Liebeskind Sparkling Lip Gloss in Pink Sequin

Smashbox Cosmetics Photo Finish Primer Oil

I already have a Trust Fund polish that I love, so I'm happy to welcome another one in a pretty pink shade! I love that everyone got a sample of the new Smashbox Primer Oil, but since I already have combo/oily skin I'm a little weary of putting this on my face. It certainly feels like an oil on the back of my hand, but girls with dry skin would love this I'm sure!

Fun fact: I HATE filing my nails with a fiery passion. I cringe every time I get a manicure and they bring out the file, so I will not be using this file haha. But this one seems like a really nice, quality file.

Top: VINTAGE lip gloss
Bottom: Naked Cosmetics pigment

The VINTAGE lip gloss would make a perfect center of the lip highlight since it has quite a bit of sparkle. As for the Naked Cosmetics pigment, it's a lovely earthy, bronze color but pigments and loose powders are just so messy. Every time I opened this up, pigment went EVERYWHERE and the packaging is pretty bulky.

This month was kind of a wash for me; I wasn't a fan of some of the products and I won't get most use out of them. *Sigh*. Love the polish though!

What did you get in your Ipsy?!

xoxo

Jessica

Birchbox February 2016 Unboxing!

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! Whether your spending it with your significant other, having a Galentine's night out, or using the day to treat yo' self, I hope you're having a good time! As usual, I got my February Birchbox, and I am OBSESSED with the box this month. Let's see if I love the items inside just as much!

I have so many cute boxes saved up now that I don't know what to do with them, but they are just too pretty to toss!

This month I received samples of...

Whish Renewing Mud Mask

ModelCo Lip Enhancer Illusion Lip Liner

Corioliss Argan Conditioning Mask

Cathrine Malandrino Romance de Provence Perfume

Arrow Revive Cooling Cheek Tint in Berry Flush

Not too shabby! I love when they incorporate a skin care item, hair care, makeup, etc and touch on all the bases. I love trying new masks and scrubs, so I'm stoked about the Whish Mud Mask! Hair masks are always nice to have on hand, especially travel size ones that I can easily take with me on trips, so I'm happy about getting this Argan Hair Mask.

Funny enough, I already have the full-size version of the ModelCo Lip Liner so I'm going to pass this one along. It's a gorgeous, everyday nude color that pairs well with literally everything. I'm not really feeling the Revive Cheek Tint just because I don't really like using cream/gel blushes, and this one seems extra "wet," probably because it is a gel formula. It's very pigmented, but when I blended it into my skin it almost disappeared entirely, barely leaving any color. The good thing is that it can be blended out, unlike other stains where they dry quickly, leaving you to blend it out perfectly in .0001 seconds or risk having lines/dots on your cheeks all day.

... and you all know how I feel about perfume samples. Pretty much useless for me. ARGH.

That wasn't the best box I've gotten, but it wasn't bad at all! What did you get in your box?

xoxo

Jessica

Another Drugstore Mini Haul

Target is my weakness. Every time I go to pick up contact solution or whatever random thing I need, I always make my way to the beauty isle to check out new items and displays. With so many new products launching at the drugstore, I restrained myself to just a few items I was really curious about. For now. ;) 

I am continually impressed with Wet n' Wild products because they are such good quality at a super reasonable price. They launched new blushes exclusive to Target and I picked up the new Wet n' Wild Ombre Blush in the shade In A Purple Haze. They had three to choose from, but I chose this purple one because I have nothing like it in my collection! This one at least is decently pigmented and blends nicely on the cheeks giving a subtle, cool pinkish purple look. It's actually really beautiful! They also reformulated some of their other powders, including the Contouring Palette in Dulce de Leche that I picked up to compare to the original I had when they first came out. Let me just say that these are extremely powdery, but a definite improvement from the original in the tone and pigmentation of the powders. The highlight shade is more of an opaque matte beige compared to the original which was more sheer and pink in tone. The contour side is a more neutral-cool brown in the reformulated version, compared to the very cool grayish contour powder in the original. These also blend beautifully, but they do create quite a mess so be careful! Both of these powders are around $5. What a steal!

I also picked up the Revlon Ultra HD Matte Lipcolor in Seduction, a pinky-nude that matches my lip color almost exactly. I love the way these look and feel, but if you're expecting a classic liquid lipstick this is NOT it. It's more of a matte lipgloss in my opinion, where it is mostly matte but has a slight sheen to it. The packaging is super cute too!

Lastly, the product I actually went to Target for was to pick up the NYX Angel Skin Primer. At almost $16, this was a spendy little item! But I've been wanting to try it out for a while, so I finally took the plunge. It supposedly compares to the Hourglass Mineral Veil Primer, which is even more crazy expensive. I've only tried this a few days, so I can't give a full review on it just yet but so far it's pretty good. I love how it leaves a matte finish, makes my skin feel silky smooth, and is more of a lotion type primer but you have to shake it up before you use it or it's super liquidy. Plus, it tends to ball up if you use too much, which annoys me. But I'll keep experimenting with it to see how I really feel about it. 

That's it for my most recent mini haul! What makeup should I pick up next? It's so overwhelming trying to choose from all the new, exciting drugstore makeup coming out!

xoxo

Jessica

Products I've Used Up #3

I'm at it again with some more empties from the month of January! This month I've been in a cleaning and organizing mode, getting rid of clothes, makeup, etc. that I no longer use. I definitely focused on trying to use up makeup products I've had for a while too. Here is what I finished this month!

I sadly went through all of my samples of serums I got from my subscription boxes, so hopefully I get more this month! My favorite was the Avene Hydrance Optimale Hydrating Serum because it felt super nice on my skin and left it feeling hydrating. I also used the Marcelle New Age 8 in 1 Power Serum which was pretty good, and the Skin&Co Roma Sicilian Light Brightening Serum, which wasn't my fave because it almost felt gritty to me.

I also went through a bottle of the Up & Up Dual Treatment Moisturizer, which is my go-to moisturizer because it helps treat acne and hydrate my skin without being greasy. Plus, it's cheap since it's the generic brand, so I always have this on hand. I also finished my another bottle of the Simple Cleansing Micellar Water, which I use interchangeably with the Garnier version. I am a huge fan of micellar waters! I finished a sample of the Nao Bay Oxygenating Cream, a moisturizer which I've actually enjoyed a lot in the morning before my makeup. Hopefully I can find it somewhere because I would purchase the full size for sure.

As for my makeup items, I've gone through quite a few that I've been working on for a while. I went through two bottles of Revlon Colorstay Foundation in two different shades that I mix to get my perfect match. Love, love, love this foundation and I'm SOOOO happy the new packaging comes with a pump! This NYX HD Photogenic Concealer I've had for a long ass time, and it's dried up now so I'm finally  tossing it. It's a pretty good concealer, I just think I need a different shade. I loved using this travel size of the Skindinavia Makeup Primer Spray because it locked in my makeup like none other without feeling like it was clogging my pores. I definitely want to get the full size.

The Chella Clear Brow Gel, Mirabella Primer and YourMinerals Sweden Translucent Powder were from multiple Boxycharms that I finally used up. They weren't anything super special, but they worked enough for me to use them up.

I'm currently working hard on using up a few other makeup items that I've hit major pan on that you'll see next month. :)

What did you go through this month that you already have a backup for? Let me know in the comments!

xoxo

Jessica

Interview Makeup That'll Get You the Job

You've applied to your dream job, and now they want an interview, congrats! You've got a polished resume in hand and spent all night putting together your power outfit for the next day, but what about your makeup? Believe it or not, you are not only judged on what you're wearing but your makeup as well. Here are some beauty tips and tricks to make a great first impression and land the job!

1. Less is more (unfortunately). 

No matter what the job you're trying to get is (unless you are applying in the beauty industry), minimal makeup is the way to go. 50 lbs of visible makeup is not appealing, and doesn't appear professional. Opt for a more natural look so it doesn't distract the interviewer from your skills and personality! Now is not the time for heavy foundation, a highlight that can be seen from space or a super sharp contour.

2. Go back to base(ics).

If you have decent skin, a BB cream is ideal or a foundation that has a natural finish like the Maybelline Pure BB and L'oreal TruMatch foundation. You want to even out your skin tone, but you want it to look skin like and natural. So stay away from crazy mattes and over the top dewy foundations that look like you literally ran to the interview. And obviously, conceal those eye bags for a more awake look. A little bronzer or soft contour is nice for adding warmth and structure to your face (and boosts my confidence personally), but use a lighter hand. Blush also adds life to the skin, but you don't want to look like you're interviewing for clown school. The Body Shop Honey Bronze Bronzing Powder is matte and is one of my more natural looking bronzers, One of my favorite blushes is this NYX Powder Blush in Apricot, it's a light peachy pink with a satin finish that looks gorgeous and adds a tiny bit of sheen. I would skip the highlight all together (sad, I know).

3. All eyes are on you.

Honestly, eye shadow isn't even necessary, just throw on a great mascara, like the tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes Mascara. and you're good to go. But I love me some eye shadow to open up my slightly hooded eyes, so neutral shadows are going to be your best friend. The Urban Decay Naked Palette has great neutral shades but just stay away from the glittery, smoky ones and use shades like Naked and Buck in the crease, and Virgin and Sin to make your lids pop. A more affordable drugstore palette that also has some beautiful options is the L'Oreal La Palette Nude 1. Brows define the face, so they are definitely a must but rocking bold brows probably isn't the best idea. For me, tinted brow gel, like the NYX Tinted Brow Gel,  does the trick to slightly tint my brows and give me a little more definition. If your brows are too sparse for that, fill them in however you prefer.

4. It's all in the details.

Lipstick adds the finishing touch to your look and pulls everything together, but make sure to stick with shades on the nude side (think my lips but better). My go to is the ModelCo Party Proof Matte Lipstick in Kitty because it almost matches my lip color perfectly and isn't super matte, and I would say it's more of a satin finish. Make sure your nails are cut with a fresh coat of nude polish, like my favorite Sally Hansen Gray-T Escape, the perfect nude tone with a slight mauve undertone. Polish helps you look, well, more polished and put together, Chipped nails are a no go and save your favorite blue polish for after you get the job.

Oh, and skip the perfume. Sometimes perfume can be too overpowering and you never know if the person interviewing you is sensitive to scents, or just straight up hates the smell of your expensive, floral perfume. 

5. Kick ass and take names.

You've got this! Landing the interview is half the battle, and now that you know you look the part, you can focus on selling yourself as the perfect candidate for the position. Good luck!

I've been job hunting myself, and let me tell you it's like having a second job because it's so time consuming (hence the lack of posts recently). I'm entering my quarter life crisis and trying to figure out what the hell I want to do with my life (namely career). Trying to find a career that you love and pays well is like looking for a unicorn while getting chased by a lion. The unicorn is my dream job while the lion is my bills. The job market is so competitive now, and having a degree doesn't mean what it used to. Oh, you want a degree, 5 years experience, an Olympic gold medal and a recent selfie with the president? Let me get right on that.

The struggle is real. But I press on! So if you are wondering why I'm only posting once, maybe twice a week, for a while that's what I'm up to. Everyday I'm hustlin'. For a decent job.

Hope this helps!

xoxo

Jessica