Tuesdays Tips; Eyeshadows & Eye Drops

Whether you consider yourself a beauty guru or just a lover of makeup, you have probably heard someone say, "these eyeshadows can be used wet or dry." That saying means exactly that. Using an eyeshadow "wet" provides better color payoff, giving a richer, more smooth look similar to that of a pigment. There are many ways to achieve this dewy eyeshadow look, the most common in the beauty world being Fix + from MAC. I however, use a less expensive, more effective product- eyedrops! Applying eye drops to your brush can turn your glittery/shimmery eyeshadows into pressed pigments!  

I wanted to prove to you just how amazing this beauty trick truly is. Urban Decay's: Midnight Cowboy Rides Again is a beautiful shade, but is also the King of fallout. Containing lots of texture from the glitter this eyeshadow, when dry, lacks in pigment and longevity. However, when applied with a brush dampened by eye drops, Midnight Cowboy Rides Again is a gorgeous beige, shimmer infused shade that glides on smoothly to the lid! 

A synthetic haired brush is best to use with this beauty hack; for this type of brush packs on product without much absorption, resulting in a more even, flawless application. 

*Bonus Tip: dampen your favorite liner brush with eye drops 

to create a fun, glitter liner with your eyeshadows. 

*products shown:

BARE MINERALS: Gold & Blue

URBAN DECAY: Underground

URBAN DECAY: Buzz

URBAN DECAY: Trick

URBAN DECAY: Dust

SEPHORA: Queen for a Day

URBAN DECAY: Midnight Cowboy Rides Again

TARGET: Eye Drops

BH COSMETICS: Synthetic Eyeshadow Brush

all swatches were applied without eyeshadow primer

Tuesdays Tips; Toilet Seat Cover Trick

Yes, you read that title right! This week's Tuesdays Tips will help all my oily-skinned babes when you suddenly find yourself without those trusty oil-blotting sheets.

It never fails, you excuse yourself from a dinner date, or business lunch to "freshen up" only to realize your t-zone could have provided the oil for the meal's main course. 

Here's a little secret, toilet seat covers are made of the same material as most oil blotting sheets sold at the drugstore! That's right, never again will you experience the annoyance of blotting your face with a tissue and removing some of your makeup in the process. Just tear a piece of the toilet seat cover, and use the more grainy side to press and blot as usual!

Take your face from greasy to glam once again!

Big thanks to my bestie, who is a real life oily skinned beauty. Without her, I wouldn't have been able to show how this little beauty hack really works! 

*nails: SINFUL COLORS- Black on Black with FANTASY MAKERS- Confetti

Mauvelous Mattes

With the end of summer finally approaching, we are beginning to see more and more fall trends trickle into our everyday lives; and while some may not be ready to fully make the jump, others- like myself, are more than ready to say goodbye to summer bronzes and hello to rich plums and cranberries!

Mauves are a great way to make a leap into fall trends without fully committing. A truly universal shade, mauve compliments every skin tone and pairs beautifully with other makeup colors.

I glammed Valerie for a local event here in Dallas and without realizing it, created a trendy summer to fall makeup look. 

I focused on matte products for this look- another big trend seen this season. By using mattes, you are able to make a statement while continuing to be naturally glamourous. 

Targeting the high points of the face to bring a gorgeous glow to Valerie's look is a great way to compliment matte shades, while providing depth and dimension.

I used shadows from Lorac and Urban Decay to create this mauve meets dusty rose look. These brands are among my favorites, for their matte shadows are velvety and very blend-able, without being chalky or dry.

*products used:

eyes;

TOO FACED: Shadow Insurance

URBAN DECAY: Strange

LORAC: Smokin'

URBAN DECAY: Nooner

NYX: Wonder Pencil- Light

URBAN DECAY: Limit

URBAN DECAY: Venus

WET N' WILD: Black Cream Liner

LOREAL: Voluminous

ARDELL: Glamour 102 

SMASHBOX: Limitless Waterproof Brows- Dark Brown

BH COSMETICS: Concealer Palette (to carve out brows)

face;

SMASHBOX: Photo Finish Primer

URBAN DECAY: De-Slick

MAYBELLINE: DREAM MOUSSE FOUNDATION- Sandy Beige & Caramel

L.A. GIRL: HD Pro Concealer- Creamy Beige

MAC: Prep & Prime- Light Boost

MUFE: HD Powder

ANASTASIA BH: Banana

MAC: Sculpting Powder- Taupe

ANASTASIA BH: Java & Fawn

MAC: Mocha & BH COSMETICS: Pro Blush Palette

ANASTASIA BH: Sand

lips;

LORAC: Pro Matte Lip Color- Mauve

Tuedays Tips; Glitter & Glue

We can all agree on one thing; glitter nail polish is a real B to remove! Sure, it looks great, hardly ever chips, and makes for the perfect compliment during holiday season or parties; but when the time comes for the polish to go it can take foreevveerrrr to remove. There are a few common ways to take glitter nail polish off such as, using pure acetone over non-acetone remover, or soaking cotton balls and leaving them on your nails until the polish starts to soften or dissolve. 

1. Nobody has time for all that.

2. Acetone can be extremely drying to nails, which may lead to peeling or breakage.

Not to worry, I'm here with a quick pictorial for this week's tip, and how items found in an old craft box can make any glitter polish lovers life that much easier!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Applying a layer of Elmer's Glue as a base coat makes for an easy peel-off glitter manicure!

Squeeze a small amount of glue onto a disposable surface, and use an old paint brush to apply glue to nails.

*you can also use an old nail polish brush to apply the glue*

Let glue base completely dry, typically takes 5-10 minutes. Paint nails with glitter polish and top coat per usual. 

Once you're ready to remove the polish, gently loosen the edge with your nail or cuticle stick and voilá, no more spending hours fighting, trying to remove stubborn glitter chunks!

*if you're lucky, polish may even come off in one clean strip*

Happy Peeling!

*nail polish: Milani - Gold Glitz

Labor Day Inspired Looks

Let me first start off by apologizing for being so MIA recently. This past week was definitely a busy one, full of other commitments and opportunities that I can not wait to share with you all! So here I am, refreshed and happy to be back! 

With the four day holiday weekend upon us, I was inspired to create two different looks you could rock no matter how you end up spending your days off.

If you live in a hot climate, like myself, you understand the importance of ensuring your makeup stays all day. When creating these looks, I wanted to use makeup that was waterproof, in addition to products that won't leave you feeling heavy or cakey while outside in the heat. You can spend your weekend having fun instead of worrying if your mascara is running away from your lashes!

I wanted to keep the first look a little more glam. Think a BBQ, parade, or any other kind of outside festival where you would want to embody that effortlessly cool- end of summer vibe. This look is perfect, for it not only gives you a glowing fresh-faced appearance, but dual purpose products cut getting ready time in half!

Adding a mini dutch braid to the front of my hair is one of my favorite ways to keep my side bangs out of my face all day. This look also makes for an easy transition to a pony tail if having your hair on your neck becomes too hot to handle! 

*products used:

eyes;

TOO FACED: Shadow Insurance

NARS: Glitter Pencil- Xenon

BH COSMETICS: Party Girl Eyeshadow Palette: 

Light Purple Shade (to set the Nars pencil)

Tan Shade (to add a little definition in the crease)

White Shade (to highlight brow bone)

STILA: Stay All Day Waterproof Mascara

SMASHBOX: Limitless Waterproof Brows

face;

SMASHBOX: Hydrating Primer (t-zone only)

LAURA MERCIER: Radiance Primer & REVLON: Colorstay Foundation

*Mixing a primer like this one not only helps to thin out a full coverage foundation, but also adds a more natural glow to the face- perfect for long days outside if you're not a fan of BB Creams or tinted moisturizers.*

MAC: Prolongwear Concealer

BEN NYE: Cameo Powder

BENEFIT: HOOLA

MAC: Kelly Osbourne Collection- Jolly Good

*This acts as a beautiful natural, light bronze cheek color, while still providing a little extra highlight to the high points of the cheeks.*

lips;

NYX: Lip Liner- Pale Pink

NYX: Butter Gloss- Eclair

The second look is for my more laid back ladies, or anyone wanting to add a little oomph to their day at the pool. I wanted to keep this look super simple, and super lightweight! By once again utilizing dual purpose products, I was able to create a fresh look that is both sweat and splash proof! 

Using products such as stains and creams over powders help to create a more flushed, natural day in the sun look; while still providing coverage without feeling sticky.

To ensure my makeup does not move while enjoying the day in the sun, I like to spray on Urban Decay's All Nighter Makeup Setting Spray. This spray is suitable for all skin types, and provides smoother, more vibrant looking makeup that last without separating or settling into fine lines and pores. 

As for my hair, I like to let it go natural at the pool. I do however spray some of my favorite texturizing spray from Paul Mitchell, before and after a dip in the water. This sea salt spray helps to hydrate and give you that sexy, beachy look we all desire!

*products used:

eyes;

NYX: Highlighter- Rituel

URBAN DECAY: Cannonball Waterproof Mascara

SMASHBOX: Limitless Waterproof Brows

face;

NEUTROGENA: Ultra Sheer Sunscreen- SPF 55

SMASHBOX: Hydrating Primer (t-zone only)

LAURA MERCIER: Radiance Primer & REVLON: Colorstay Foundation 

*worn the same way as in the glam look*

LA GIRL: HD Pro.Conceal- Natural

BENEFIT: Lip & Cheek Stain- Benetint

NYX: Highlighter- Rituel

lips;

FRESH: Sugar Tinted Lip Treatment- Passion SPF 15

NARS: Turkish Delight

So whether you want to spend the holiday more glam, or more laid back, I hope these looks inspired you as well!

Happy Labor Day to all my glam goddesses! xoxo

*earrings from glam look: old Forever 21, similar here, here & here

*earrings from laid back look: last season ALDO, similar here & here

*bikni top: H&M this season