Taylor Swift Inspired Makeup | Red Lip and Cat Eye

Hey all! Here is my last post of 2014! And it goes to a Taylor Swift Inspired Makeup look featuring her signature red lip and cat eyes. To see how I created this look, watch the video down below!

I used Ardell's Demi Wispie false lashes, and L'Oreal Infallible Gel liner. For the lips, I used my favorite red lippie, Bite Beauty High Pigment Pencil in Pomegranate. 

Dress: Dillard's

Shoes: Steinmart

Hope and pray you have a wonderful New Year's Eve. Love you all!

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Touch of Glitter | New Year's Eve Makeup and Nails

New Year's Eve is coming and I'm going to be rocking some glitter that night! I did this neutral smokey eye with a touch of glitter using the new Too Faced Semi-Sweet Chocolate Bar palette and NYX Crystal Liner in Crystal Silk.

For lips, I mixed together Too Faced Melted Nude with NYX Butter Gloss in Creme Brûlée and slightly added some Too Faced Melted Berry on top of that so that it didn't look too nude.

For my nails, I applied one coat of Essie Ballet Slippers, two coats of L'Oreal Wishful Pinking and one light coat of Julep Bonnie, which adds the perfect glittery touch.

Hope you have a wonderful Happy New Year!

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Maybelline Spring 2015 Launches

Maybelline has new products coming soon for spring 2015 and I saw these at Bed, Bath, & Beyond and wanted to test them out! 

The new Fit Me Matte + Poreless line is for normal to oily skin types. I got the shade 110 Porcelain and it is the perfect match for my skin.

Maybelline Fit Me! Matte + Poreless Foundation

As I mentioned above, I bought the shade 110 Porcelain. I find that this foundation has light-medium coverage. I am still having issues finding the best way to apply this foundation. I've tried a brush, which results in streakyness and you have to really work it in. A Real Techniques sponge gives a very light coverage, almost as if nothing was on my face. I think the best way to apply is with fingertips, but I personally don't like doing that. I noticed that when I applied with the brush, it didn't fully blend into my skin. For instance, my cheeks are on the red side, and the brush just kept "removing" the foundation, so to speak, from the redness. 

At first, the foundation does have a matte finish and does set quickly. As far as longevity, the foundation lasts a good while, but I didn't notice my pores any smaller then they were before. My face did get oily after 5 hours.

Maybelline Fit Me! Matte + Poreless Powder

I purchased the shade 110 Porcelain and this powder has light coverage. It does mattify my face, but my face will begin to look greasy after a few hours. I wouldn't say this is a holy grail item for controlling oil. 

Maybelline Master Prime Blur + Smooth Primer

Maybelline has three new primers, but I purchased the Blur + Smooth primer. It applies like a lotion and keeps my face smooth. Not sure if it really blurs imperfections, but I like this primer. It keeps my makeup in place throughout the day.

Maybelline Master Conceal Concealer

I bought this in the shade Fair. This concealer is on the thick/drier side, but for that reason, it does a good job at concealing under eye circles and some redness. However, it doesn't fully conceal blemishes. Although it does good, I don't think I will be running to the store to buy this when it runs out.

L-R: 110 Porcelain Foundation, 110 Porcelain Powder, Fair Concealer

Maybelline Master Prime Blur + Smooth Primer

All in all, I wasn't too impressed with the new Spring 2015 collection launch. I had tried other drugstore foundations that did better at controlling my oil and keeping me matte throughout the day then this. So unfortunately, most of these products are a pass from me.

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Winter Nail Routine | Julep

 Hello Charmers! I was invited by Julep to share with you my "winterized" nail routine. I have all the steps written out below, but if you are more of a visual learner, I have a video for you to check out as well! Just keep scrolling down!

If you are unsure of what polishes to wear for the winter season, Julep has some very pretty trending nail polish options!

My Routine

Step 1: File or clip your nails to desired shape and length. I prefer having shorter nails during the winter months because I like to use darker nail polish. Darker polish looks best on shorter nails.

Step 2: Take care of your cuticles. To soften and remove excess cuticle, I like to use the Julep Vanish Cuticle Softener & Remover. It really does soften it up and make it easier to remove unwanted cuticles. I just apply a few drops on each nail bed, then take a cuticle pusher/orange stick to gently push them back.

Step 3: If needed, slightly trim any cuticles and hang nails. Then wash your hands thoroughly with soap.

Step 4: Use a base coat of your choice. I alternate between Orly Bonder and OPI Nail Envy, depending on the condition of my nails. If my nails are very frail and flimsy, I will use OPI Nail Envy, but if my nails are in normal shape, I use Orly Bonder.

Step 5: Paint nails with your choice of color. As I mentioned earlier, I enjoy wearing darker colors during winter months. Below I am wearing Julep Nic, which is a gorgeous black crimson creme polish.

Step 6: Finish your manicure with a top coat to seal in the color. I use Sally Hansen's Mega Shine top coat.

Step 7: Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize! It is so important to love on your hands during these drier months. Find a good hand creme and use a cuticle oil to keep your hands and nail tips nourished and hydrated. I alternate between hand cremes, but I love using a cuticle oil as well. I bought my cuticle oil at Sally Beauty Supply.

Hope you enjoyed some of these tips! 

*This post was not sponsored. Everything was bought with my own money. All opinions are my own.*

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Ulta Brow Expert Light

I recently purchased the Ulta Brow Expert in Light because my Anastasia Beverly Hills powder duo is running out. The Brow Expert retails for $12 and comes in three shades: Light, Medium, and Deep. I did purchase this powder on sale for $5, which is a great price. It comes with two brow powders and a wax. I personally never use the wax as I'm not entirely sure how to use it. 

It also comes with little brushes to use, which is good when traveling, but I don't use them as I have my own brushes I prefer to use.

Before

After

This is a great powder to have on hand when I want my eyebrows to look natural. The powder lasts all day and has great pigmentation. 

Personally, I wouldn't repurchase this powder at $12. I would wait until it is on sale for $5 because although it is a good product, there are other brow powder products that are priced cheaper.

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Urban Decay Naked Basics vs Naked2 Basics

Never thought Urban Decay would do it, but not to long ago, they released a second Basics palette. I was on the fence about checking out Naked2 Basics, but after swatching it in person, I wanted it more. Both Urban Decay palettes retail for $29 and feature six shades that consist of mostly matte shades with one sheen shade.

Top: Naked Basics
Bottom: Naked2 Basics

Both palettes are lovely, but do you really need both? Let me explain to you what I think:

Left: Naked Basics
Right: Naked2 Basics

In the pan, they look fairly similar with not much variety occurring. In Naked Basics, I see warmer shades where as in Naked2 Basics I find more taupey shades.

Top: Naked Basics
Bottom: Naked2 Basics

After swatching them side-by-side, I can clearly see differences. First off, Naked Basics has its focus on lighter shades, and Naked2 Basics focuses on darker shades.

Left: Naked Basics
Right: Naked2 Basics

Although the shades are different, they provide me with the same neutral look. 

Do I think you need both? No, I don't. However, Naked2 Basics palette filled the gap with what I thought the original Naked Basics palette lacked. I enjoy having the lighter colors, but I really wanted more darker shades to apply in the crease and add more definition.

So if you prefer more lighter shades, I would go for Naked Basics. If you prefer having more darker shades, I would go with the Naked2 Basics. If you want to have both worlds, then purchase both palettes! I enjoy having both, because if I want more of a lighter look, I will reach for Naked Basics. But if I want a darker more defined look, I will reach for Naked2 Basics.

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Too Faced Semi-Sweet Chocolate Bar

Hello my Charmers! Today while browsing Sephora, I saw the new Too Faced Semi-Sweet Chocolate Bar on display. Technically, its only available on Sephora.com for VIB/VIB Rouge, and will become available to everyone on December 15 and in stores in January, but they had already placed it out. It retails for $49 and comes with 16 matte and shimmer shades.

After observing both the original Chocolate Bar palette and the Semi-Sweet palette, I noticed that the shades from the Semi-Sweet palette seem more neutral and cool toned, whereas the original Chocolate Bar palette had warmer shades. However, the shades from Semi-Sweet appear to be richer and deeper then the original.

Another observation is that the names of the shadows are printed on the packaging. The original Chocolate Bar had it written on a clear plastic insert.

 The palette does have a scent. Although I wouldn't necessarily agree that it smells like true chocolate, it does have a sweet scent and is reminiscent of chocolate.

 Swatches

L-R: Licorice, Coconut Creme, Nougat, Truffled, Hot Fudge

L-R: Cocoa Chili, Pink Sugar, Puddin', Blueberry Swirl, Peanut Butter, Frosting

L-R: Rum Raisin, Mousse, Caramel, Bon Bon, Butter Pecan

 I love chocolate, and this may seem crazy, but this palette does satisfy my craving for chocolate!

Which will you be purchasing? Chocolate Bar or Semi-Sweet Chocolate Bar?

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BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed | Moonstone

Hello everyone! Today I'm showing you my most favorite highlighter of all times! It is the BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed in Moonstone. BECCA is well known for their Shimmering Skin Perfectors which are liquids, but they also have pressed powder versions.

Let me give you a bit of a background...I use to hate highlighters. I thought highlighters were too sparkly and glittery. Since I have oily skin, I didn't want to add sparkles to my face to look like a disco ball. There is nothing worse then having chunky glitter on my face. Anyways, after a while, I started noticing that not all highlighters were glittery and sparkly. I purchased Wet 'n Wild Reserve Your Cabana, then got into the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette, which are all beautiful products. I also tried other highlighters as well, but then I saw BECCA Moonstone, and fell in love. 

What Is It:

A creamy powder luminizer that absorbs and reflects light for a superb natural glow.

It can be found at Sephora and Ulta and retails for $38 and is 0.28 ounces. There are five color options:

- Moonstone (pale gold)

- Opal (golden opal pearl)

- Rose Gold (soft gold infused w/ rose tones)

- Topaz (golden bronze pearl)

- Champagne Gold (soft warm gold, limited edition)

The packaging is pretty cool as it looks like a mini spaceship! The bottom half is rubberized, like Nars packaging, and the top half has a stainless steel appearance. Inside there is a mirror and the clasp closes firmly and securely.

 When swatched heavily, like on my finger above, it appears very shiny, but when it is applied to the cheeks, it gives a subtle, radiant glow. What I love about this highlighter is that it feels silky and doesn't give a "BAM" in your face kind of product. It just adds a little something that enhances your beauty.

 Since it is so pigmented, I barely dab my brush in Moonstone. If you apply it on your face heavily, it will emphasize pores and wrinkles. That's why you only apply it slightly.

I definitely think you should test this out if you want a gorgeous, lit from within glow. It is on the pricy side, but given how much you actually use each time, it will last a long time.

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Cranberry Plum Smokey Eye | Holiday Makeup

Can't believe it's already December! In the month of December come many parties. I'm showing you a Cranberry Plum smokey eye that can be paired with a neutral lip so that they eyes take the stage. For those of you who like more of a gold eye with red lips, a look is coming soon (I will link it here).

I used my Lorac Pro Palette and MAC Cranberry for this eye look. From the Pro Palette I used Cream, Deep Purple, Expresso, and Light Bronze. To see how I got this smokey eye, watch the video below!

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