Festival inspired look

Coachella is kicking off this weekend, and since I'm stuck here in the rainy Pacific Northwest I decided to play dress up and put together my own festival look! I felt so silly yet awesome breaking out my floral fringe kimono and felt wide-brimmed hat while it is so gloomy outside.

I decided on really bronzing up my face and down played my blush more than usual (I'm a blush fiend, hence my blog name). I highlighted the heck out of my cheeks instead to create a really glowy look. I kept the lips neutral with one of my favs, Maybelline's Creamy Matte Lipstick in Daringly Nude.

I also used really warm, neutral brown eye shadows in my crease and a nice metallic copper shadow on my lid. I was going for a more natural, bohemian look, and then I did my winged liner and it turned out WAY more dramatic than I wanted. I don't wear winged liner often so I'm a newbie still and it can get out of control so fast.



So I just went with it and broke out some intense winged eyelashes, the Ardell Curvy #411's to go with it.

Like I've said, I'm not a make up artist and I don't pretend to be. I just really love make up and practicing my "skills."

Here is a look at most of the products I used:

Wet N' Wild Ticket to Brazil bronzer, Hard Candy Tiki bronzer (Highlight), the Balm Hot Mama blush, L'Oreal Infallible Pro-Matte foundation, Jordana Fabuliner in black, IT Cosmetics gel eyeliner in brown, NYX Micro Brow pencil in Brunette, Maybelline Lash Sensational mascara, Maybelline Creamy Matte lipstick in Daringly Nude, and a Coastal Scents palette I filled with their single shadows.

I love my Coastal Scents eye shadows! And they were less than a dollar each on sale. Even when they aren't on sale they're still less than $2 for great quality singles. I've labeled the ones I used on my eye, which are shades I use ALL the time. Oatmeal Tan is a great warm, tan transition shade while Barista and Chocolatier are both good for throwing in your crease. New Penny is a nice shimmery copper color for the lid to add a pop of color.

Anyways, I'm basically just super jealous of all you people going to Coachella.

What is your favorite festival look? Going to any festivals this season? Tell me in the comments!

I'll take you to The Body Shop...

♫"Go 'head girl don't you stop." ♫
The first Body Shop product I ever used was an eyeliner I stole from my mom in high school, and it was in the color Slate. It was the most BEAUTIFUL eyeliner color I had owned. It was a slate, blueish grey color and I wore it everyday until it was a tiny nub I couldn't use anymore. I went back looking for it years later but couldn't find it and haven't come across a dupe for it. So sad.

Since then I have quickly fallen in love again, but with their skin care. Good thing they always have phenomenal sales to fuel my thirst for their amazing skin care products. They actually are not that expensive when getting them as part of their buy 3, get 3 free deal, or their 50% sales which is what I do.

 The line I am using currently is the Tea Tree one for blemished skin, along with a few randoms from the other product lines.

Over the weekend I was super sick, and as a result my skin was looking rough. To help me out, I can always rely on one of my favorite masks, the Tea Tree Face Mask.

"Instantly cools and lifts away impurities." I would stand behind this statement 100% because it feels so NICE on my skin. It's so refreshing, intensely cooling, and is great for my acne prone skin. It also doesn't "dry" like other masks, which I like because I hate having to scrub off a mask once it dries.

The Tea Tree Skin Clearing Toner is a repurchase for me, and probably my favorite toner at the moment. The Cool & Creamy Cleanser is something new I'm trying, and I like it much better than the gel cleanser from the line. That's just my preference for creamy cleansers though. The Tea Tree Gel is a spot treatment for blemishes, and comes with a doe foot applicator. I'm still trying it out, but seems to work pretty well and doesn't feel overly drying on my skin.

Excuse my super cute chipped nails...

I'm really liking the Seaweed Mattifying Lotion moisturizer I've been using under my make up in the morning. It's not greasy, is refreshing and has an SPF. It does have similar consistency to actual sunscreen though, which I wasn't digging at first but I totally got over it.

The Camomile Sumptious Cleansing Butter is what I've been using to remove my make up before I wash it with my cleanser. It's like a balm you massage on your face and wash off with water and a wash cloth. It works well at removing my foundation and most of my eye make up.

As you can see I've used a good amount of it, so I decided to get the Camomile Silky Cleansing Oil to try and see which one I prefer.

The Body Shop has a skin care line for just about everyone, and their make up is pretty great too! So whenever there is a sale or promotion I would hit up your local store or shop online to stock up on favorites and try new things. I feel like they are always churning out new products. And if you haven't tried some of their skin care, I would highly suggest it.

Disclaimer: I'm not sponsored and I bought all of it myself because I'm an independent woman! 

Mani Monday

This is one of my favorite nail polish combos! My favorite glitter top coat of life is Strobe Light, a Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Nail Color. It's also like $2 so you can't go wrong. I'm also in love with this L'Oreal Extraordinaire Gel Lacquer in the color In With The Nude. It's a lovely mauve-nude shade that is beautiful on its own as well.

What's your favorite nail color combo at the moment? Tell me in the comments!

March Favorites

These products are ones I've been loving and can't stop using for the month of March. I've also thrown in a few jewelry items that I've been obsessed with too.

L'Oreal La Palette Nude 1 & 2

Hard Candy Baked Ombre Blush in Sunburst

Maybelline Color Sensational lipstick in Warm Me Up

Wet N' Wild single eyeshadow in Creme Brulee 

NYX HD Blush in Taupe

L'Oreal Infallible Pro Matte Foundation (I mix the shades 101 Classic Ivory and 102 Shell Beige) 

ELF Poreless Primer

NYX Micro Brow Pencil in Taupe

Real Techniques Sculpting Brush

LVX Nail Lacquer in Mynt

Earrings from Forever 21

Camera Necklace from Target

For swatches of the La Nude Palettes, check out my other post on them! I haven't been able to put these palettes down, they are so great for everyday eye looks. I especially love the mattes in both palettes.

This "blush" is fantastic for contouring because its a cool toned grey shade that mimics the natural shadows on the face. This paired with my Real Techniques Sculpting Brush makes contouring a dream.

The Wet N' Wild single shadow in Creme Brulee I use literally everyday as a skin toned transition shade under my other eye shadows. It just helps blend every thing together so well.

I've also been loving the ELF Poreless Primer for creating a smooth canvas under my makeup without being too greasy.

Maybelline ColorSensational lipstick in 235 Warm Me Up is such a good nude for my lips. It doesn't wash me out and isn't too brown with the right amount of pink. So good. 

The NYX Micro Pencil is a dupe for the Anastasia Brow Wiz so I hear. I wouldn't know since I haven't tried the Brow Wiz, but I love the Micro Brow for filling in and shaping my brows. I have it in Taupe, which is has cooler undertones without coming off too dark. 

LVX Nail Lacquer I got in my March Boxy Charm and this stuff STAYS on your nails. I was so shocked at how minimal the chipping was after a weeks wear. The mint color is also so gorgeous and perfect for spring.

The Hard Candy Baked Ombre Blush in Sunset was a surprise favorite for me. I thought it would be too intense and pink on my cheeks but I was so wrong. It is the most beautiful wash of color that gives the cheeks such a glow without being over powering. You can go overboard with it if there is too much on your brush, but tapping of the excess does the trick for me.

Two jewelry favorites is my floral camera necklace I got from Target and my ear jacket earrings from Forever 21:

I always get a ton of compliments on these earrings when I wear them. I went back and got a few more pairs. I also switch up the stud with other earrings to create different looks with the earring jacket.

My ultimate favorite is my Infallible Pro Matte Foundation. Like I'm talking possible holy grail foundation I love it so much. I have oily/sometimes combo skin and I have a hard time finding foundations that don't melt off me at the end of the day. This one stays on my face with minimal melting and helps control my oil so incredibly well because its matte. Plus it's a light weight foundation that still has great coverage. It's also more neutral to yellow undertones that helps match my skin tone.

The downside is that I fall between the lightest shade 101 Classic Ivory and 102 Shell Beige so I have to mix them to get my perfect shade. This means I have to buy 2 foundations and this is one of the pricier drugstore foundations at around $12 at Target. But I don't care because I'm in love. 

My favorite for the longest time was the Revlon Color Stay but this has quickly taken it's place for me. I will definitely be repurchasing since these tubes are almost empty.

One product that I tried this month ad was disappointed with was the Revlon Color Stay Whipped Foundation. I was ready to fall in love it but it just didn't do anything for me. It looked cakey and heavy on my skin and was hard to blend with both a brush and beauty blender. I finally just used my fingers and a beauty blender afterward to smooth it all out and that worked out the best for me. Still, it's not that great to me, especially compared to my Pro Matte foundation. Obviously.

Any favorites or fails you've tried for the month of March? Let me know in the comments! 

Battle of the Brushes: Drugstore Contour Brushes

Contouring is all the rage right now, and I have been on the hunt for an affordable contour brush that is easy to use, blends well and creates a natural contour for everyday. I found two "contour" brushes that are each under $10! Yipppeee!

Here is a closer look at the two:

ELF recently came out with a few new brushes, and the contour brush is one of them that I ordered online. This brush is a duo fiber, synthetic flat top and is surprisingly soft for how short and dense it is. It creates a sharp contour and can really pack on the pigment if you aren't careful. It's small enough where you can get it right in the hallows of your cheeks.

However, since it's densely packed it doesn't blend as well as I would like it to. I had to kinda work at blending my contour powder and used another brush to help buff it out. It's a little too harsh for me for everyday, and a little to much work to get the look I want with it because at 5:00 AM, ain't nobody got time for that.

But It's nice to have for creating more dramatic, going out make up looks.

The Real Techniques Sculpting Brush is similar in that it is also duo fiber, synthetic, and has dense, soft bristles. The brush shape though differs in that it has a subtle slant and is not as short. The brush handle is bulky though, and is kind of awkward but I hardly notice it when using it. This also gets right under those cheekbones well and blends out nicely. It's also nice to contour around the temples and jaw line without worrying about harsh lines.

For everyday use, the Real Techniques Sculpting Brush answers my contouring prayers and I prefer it over the ELF one. It makes contouring easy because it blends much better and creates a more natural, subtle contour that I like. I'm no make up artist, and I'm still trying to get the hang of it without looking like I've painted stripes on my face.

I work in a preschool, the kids would definitely say something if I attempted something dramatic and I can count on them to be brutally honest. Even if I don't know what it means. A 4 year old boy in my class asked me the other day why my chin looked like toast...

Wat.

Anyways, both are good quality, affordable options and it really depends on your preferences. If you are a contouring pro who likes a precise, sharp contour then the ELF Contour Brush is a good option while the Real Techniques Sculpting Brush is great for beginners who want to incorporate contouring on a daily basis.

You can buy the ELF one online at eyeslipsface.com and the Real Techniques one is available at Ulta.com and in stores wherever Real Techniques is sold (i.e Target, Walmart, Fred Meyer, etc)

By the way, I buy everything with my own monies. Just sayin'.

Found your holy grail contour brush? Tell me about it in the comments!

Drugstore Haul + Swatches (ELF, Wet N' Wild, Hard Candy)

Hey guys! I've accumulated quite a bit of new make-up over the past few weeks so I thought I would share it. I've only tried a few of the products, so full on reviews will be up later when I've tried them for a while. Some of them aren't exactly new in the drugstore, but are cult classics I wanted to try.

Let's get started!

Left: Real Techniques Sculpting Brush, Middle: EcoTools Mattifying Finish brush. Right: ELF Contour brush

I've tried the ELF Contour brush once, and I did like it for creating a sharper contour, and it's actually really soft. The other two I haven't used yet!

The Wet N' Wild Reserve Your Cabana is actually a repurchase for me since I've hit major pan on my first one. I absolutely love it for a natural, soft highlight.

I really like both the blush and bronzer in this compact; they blend well, are pigmented and of course, matte. I've been on a matte kick lately so this I was excited about for sure.

The baked highlighter in Blushing Gems is nice champagne, bronze highlight. I like it so far, but it is rough as most baked products are. So if you like silky smooth powders this is not for you...

I was intrigued by the idea of an ombre blush, and so I picked this up today. I mean just LOOK at it, it's gorgeous. 

Pearlescent Pink is a good blush if you're looking for a pinky-peach blush with some sheen to it with good pigmentation. All things I enjoy in a blush. 

These ELF smudge Pots make great eye shadow bases to layer other eye shadows on top of or can be worn on their own! They don't budge on my eyelids and don't crease after they set. I definitely want to pick up more.

I had high hopes for this palette. Granted, this still is a great palette and the quality of these shadows are awesome, I was just expecting them to be more foiled, so I was a little disappointed. But I'll still wear them for sure and maybe try mixing them with water to kick the metallic finish up a notch.

I've used this primer for 3 days and I LOVE it. I mostly bought it because I wanted to see if it could be a Porefessional dupe but its a creamy white color with a silicon consistency. Either way, it fills in my pores and fine lines pretty well and worth the 6 bucks.

Target recently started carrying L.A. Colors cosmetics and I just had to pick up some eye shadows, like I don't have enough,.. The trio in Sunflower is so pretty and decent pigmentation for only being 99 cents! It is a little powdery though, but not nearly as powdery as the 16 color palette I got in Smokin'. I liked the variety of colors in this palette, especially the greens. The pigmentation is okay, but like I said, very powdery. But hey, it was less than 5 bucks.

I'm real excited to try this foundation. I love the original Revlon Color Stay liquid foundation because its full coverage, has a satin finish, and is more neutral-warm toned that matches my skin. I picked up the shade 150 Buff which is a hair light for me but its easy to warm up the face with bronzer afterwards.

I forgot to take a picture of the ELF Skin Smoothing Serum from their new skin care line. I've used it a few days and it feels super nice on my skin. It's hydrating and the consistency is sorta like a lotion with all sorts of botanical ingredients that are good for the skin.

Whew that was a long post! I'll be sure to check back in with my thoughts on all these products once I've used them more.

Comment down below with your thoughts!

March Boxycharm Unboxing!

Finally got my Boxycharm today, and I could not be more stoked. The theme is Lucky Charm; let's take a look inside...

Inside: 

Travel size Oscar Blandi dry styling heat protecting spray, $11.00

Ofra black eyeliner, $13.00

LVX Nail Lacquer in Mynt, $16.00

Tarte LipSurgence lip tint in Charmed, $24.00

Previse Nutrify Skin Type 1-6 Universal Tonic, $48.00

And 20% Tarte products!

At $21 a month, it's such a bargain for mostly full size beauty products. I have no idea how they make money honestly! I'm most excited for the Tarte lip tint, the nail polish and the skin serum that's a whopping $48 a bottle supposedly. Holy cow. I'll be trying that tonight!

(The pictures don't do the colors justice but camera died and I had to use my iPhone. Grrr.)

LVX Nail Lacquer in Mynt

     LOVING the mint color, so trendy for spring. And Charmed is a beautiful, bright pink that has a minty scent on the lips.     

Tarte LipSurgence lip tint in Charmed

   

       

I'm a little disappointed that the Oscar Blandi hair product I got was a heat protectant and not a dry shampoo, but that's okay. The Ofra eyeliner is also nice, but I have a million eyeliners already since I feel like I get one in every subscription box.

I'd say this months box was not bad! Tell me your thoughts on it and share what you've loved/hated in your box in the comments!