Highlighters

I recently purchased highlighters from Colour Pop. When I got them in the mail I was blown away with the pigmentation! With just one swatch it gave off so much color. I purchased a cool toned highlighter and a warm toned. I'm not usually one who's into cool tones but it was actually so stunning! I ordered it to go with my prom dress, since it's purple, and I'm dying to wear it!

The swatch on the left is Spoon. This is the cool toned highlighter. It is a light silver champagne that has silver sparkles in it. I will say it is not an everyday highlighter but is certainly gorgeous for special events such as prom.
The right swatch is Lunch Money. This is more up my alley because it's warm toned! I love my warm tones. Especially with summer approaching this would look so beautiful on you when you're tan, to give a nice glow. It is a soft light gold with reflective golden due chrome finish. I would honestly rock this highlighter all day everyday. For those who aren't too crazy about heavy makeup, again this would be great for a more special event.
I know I've mentioned in previous blog posts that Colour Pop is super inexpensive but I feel the need to bring it up again. For one highlighter it's $8. Ya that's right, $8! I can't get over how inexpensive their products are for the great quality you get. I defiantly recommend this company not only for their cheap prices but they're also against animal testing and are all around amazing!

Neutral Eye

Not every girl likes their makeup over the top and glamorous. Let's face it, not every day calls for glitter and glam. Also who would have time for that everyday?
 A neutral eye is the perfect look whether you're going to the movies, on a date, shopping, nice event, etc. This is a look everyone can pull off and you won't feel nervous doing!
I began by priming my eyes of course! As usual I used my paint pot. Then set it with powder to make my blending easier.
As always I used my peach smoothie transition shade then Using Lorac's pro palette  I used the shade Taupe and buffed it all over my crease. Buffing it from out their inner corner. Going in with the darker brown, Sable, from the same palette I did the same thing but focused it more on the outer corner. That's where you want the most of your product to be to give definition to your eyes.
I highlighted under my brow bone with the Naked Basics shade Venus.
For my wing I used L'Oreal's black gel liner. I love this gel liner so much! But I don't recommend using the brush they give you. It's not precise at all and it would be impossible to neatly line your eyes with it, especially a wing.
I use my sigma brush (mentioned in first blog post) but i'm sure Sephora or Ulta has great ones! Just look for an angled brush that is thin! This will give you the most precision.

Lush Cosmetics

 If you know me you know I'm obsessed with skin care. It is so important to take care of your skin! Check out my blog post on the importance of skin care if you are interested!
My heart beats for Lush Cosmetics. They truly have some of the best skin care products on the market. For starters EVERYTHING is homemade and fresh. Now I know companies can claim being organic and all that but this is no lie. They actually will cut up fresh fruit and veggies and put them in their products! That my friends is amazing. Because skin care is so important you want to pick the right products. You want products that are paraben and perfume free. Lush cosmetics is the perfect place for you if you're like me. Also, they do not test on animals! They actually fight for no animal testing!
I'm actually obsessed with how these products are made. Their inventors go to farmers markets and flower shops and pick ingredients. They then bring them back to the lab and begin their creations.
Lush also supports the environment. For packaging they believe that creating naked and packaging-free products is important. The effort is meant for what's going inside the product not what it's put in. Some of their products don't even have packaging such as their bath bombs, bubble bars, massage bars, body butters, and solid shampoo bars. Their packaging is made out of recycled-only or compostable materials. As often as they can they'll use biodegradable.
Even their electricity used in manufacturing is matched with renewable energy from wind to low-impact hydro put into the grid, through Bullfrog power.
The company constantly finds ways to watch how much fresh water they're using. They're linen service providers treat and reuse their water onsite.
I could go on forever about this company. They have me for the right ways. I really trust this company and will forever purchase from them. I love what this company stands for such as fighting animal testing, taking care of the environment, etc. This company is far more than good products that benefit your skin, it goes beyond that. I love knowing that my money is going somewhere good.
Here are some of my favorite products from Lush!

• Ocean Salt Cleanser 
• Catastrophe cosmetic 
• Bubblegum Lip Scrub 
• Cupcake Face Mask 
• It's Raining Men Shower Gel 

Everyday Makeup

Most girls don't want to cake on their makeup everyday or even any day. So, I created a look that was simple and didn't appear to look like a heavy load of products. I do love myself a full coverage foundation so my face makeup is heavier than most people would do, but feel free to dull it down!
Face Products 
Foundation: L'Oreal True Match Foundation
- awesome for those with oily skin
- gives great coverage
- lasts all day
- doesn't feel heavy on the skin
Concealer: Mac's Mineralize concealer a few shades lighter than my skin to highlight, brings a nice glow and makes you look wide awake
Important to set with a powder so it lasts and doesn't crease. Used the banana shade in the Anastasia Contour Kit (linked below)
Contour:  Used True Match Foundation again but a few shades darker than my skin.
If you have oily skin set it with a powder! I set it with Anastasia Contour Kit. This step is totally optional! You can just go in with the powder instead of the foundation with it. I just wanted it to be more intense. You can't see it well though in the picture because of the lighting.
Highlight: Used the highlight shade in the contour kit linked above
Eye Products 
Eye shadow: Of course I primed them with the usual and set them with powder. I've mentioned the products I usually use for that in a few blog posts ago.
Went in with my usual transition shade and then used any bronzer or contour shade and put it all over my crease.
Using a glitter glue primer (mentioned in earlier blog posts) I primed my lid.
Used shade Unbelievable from Lorac Unzipped Palette and put it all over my lid. Then used the shade Unreal and put that on the center of my lid.
Finished it off with mascara!
Lip Products 
Lipstick and lip gloss: One my previous blog I mentioned two AMAZING products from Gerard Cosmetics. The lipstick in Kimchi Doll and the gloss in Spring Fling. Absolutely stunning on the lips. I just love baby pink lips! It's so girly and pretty, but I wouldn't recommend the lipstick for those who don't like pale pink lips. It is not for everyone!

Makeup for Spring/Summer Heat

 I love makeup, but i'm not a fan of it melting off my face because of warm weather. Here are some makeup tips and product suggestions so you can look good but without caking it on! 

    First, concealer is your best friend. My favorite drug store concealer is Maybelline's Instant Age Rewind. It's great for covering up the bags under your eyes, especially late nights. Also, i love using it to cover up any blemishes, instead of using a foundation. In the summer i like to have as little of foundation or makeup on as possible. Be sure to put powder over the areas you conceal, this will help make it last all day without gliding off your face. 

    If you do choose to wear foundation i recommend priming. Priming your skin before applying foundation will make a big difference in the finish of your foundation. First, the primer is going to act as a base on your skin, so the foundation isn't directly sitting on your skin. Second, it will help the foundation to not budge leaving it looking freshly applied throughout your day. The best primer for summer is the Stay Flawless 15-Hour Primer by Benefit. The 15- hour part is not a joke!

    After applying my foundation or concealer I always make sure to set it with a powder. The powder is going to help your foundation or concealer stay on. I know i said that the primer would do that but think of this like a sandwich. The primer is a piece of bread, the foundation and concealer is whats in the middle, and the power is the other piece of bread. My skin is oily and well the summer heat doesn't help that, so i prefer to set my makeup with Urban Decay's De-Slick Mattifying powder. This powder completely takes away the shine on my skin so it doesn't seem oily. 

    It's every girls dream to be tan and have that beautiful bronzed look. The Hoola bronzer by Benefit is my favorite. I use this to add color and dimension to my skin. The bronzer only comes in one shade but looks beautiful on just about all skin tones. I also love adding a little more color to my cheeks by dusting on Mac's blush in Peaches, which also looks good on a large scale of skin tones. 

    Usually in the summer I'm in a rush to head out the door and start my day! So for my brows i usually just set them with Anastasia's clear brown gel (or any clear mascara)! For the lips i usually put on a NYX butter gloss in the color apple strudel. These butter glosses are amazing! They are extremely creamy and there is a beautiful color selection, plus they smell like candy! 

    Of course lastly i set my makeup with Urban Decay's makeup setting spray, which feels cool on the face and makes sure the rest of your makeup won't budge. 

You'll be left looking fresh and awake all day without wearing too much makeup! This is a great everyday, especially for those who don't typically wear makeup. 

Gerard Cosmetics

Gerard Cosmetics came out with a new lipstick and lip gloss. OMG I'm in love, so what if they're lip products. The swatch on the left is Kimchi Doll  lipstick and the right is Spring Fling  lip gloss.
The two colors are so perfect for Spring! Plus they will look good on so many people and will go with a lot of looks.

Kimchi Doll 

I took a picture of the lipstick on me but not the glosses.
The colors are so pigmented and will last a long time on your lips. Nothing is more annoying than having to keep reapplying lipstick and lip gloss when you're out!
These would both be so gorgeous for prom, which is coming up! Also would be stunning for brides. The company has sales pretty often so sign up for their emails to be notified! I got both of these for a 2 for $20 deal!
For some reason my camera didn't pick up the colors so great because of the lighting, so excuse my ugly lip swatches, but I promise they are truly gorgeous and worth their money.
Sometime in April I will post a prom look featuring this lipstick and lip gloss! So stay tuned :).

Glam Makeup

How do you achieve this girly and glamorous look?  Keep reading
1. Prime eyes
- helps shadow stay on all day
- intensifies the pigmentation of shadows
2. Powder over primer
 - a powder close to your skin color or any setting powder will do
-helps a lot if your eyelids tend to get oily
- your shadows will blend a lot more easily
3. Use transition color all over crease
- I used Makeup Geeks's Peach Smoothie
-If you're pretty pale I would use Beaches and Cream
4. . Using the Lorac Pro buff the color Taupe into your crease
5. Go in with the shade Sable and buff it into the outer crease 
6. Go back in with transition color 
7. Put a glitter glue primer on lid area
- NOT CREASE!
- This glitter glue primer is bomb! Too Face Glitter Glue
8.Use the shade Nude on the lid <3 
9. Using a more precise brush go in with Espresso in outer corner of eye 
10 For bottom of eye use Sable and Espresso to buff under the eye 

Colour Pop Review Part 2

I decided it was necessary to do another review on Colour Pop! I just got these products after writing the other review and they're incredible! As you can tell, the pigment from the swatches on the left are super intense. All of the colors are so gorgeous and I would honestly rock them any day all day, but that's just me. The six shadows on the left are part of a kit, not sold individually. My boyfriend got them for me actually lol, He knows me too well lol.
The kit with these six shadows is called Not A Box Of Chocolates.  It's limited edition so if you really love these then I wouldn't wait around to buy! Here's a description of each shadow, from left to right, top to bottom.
Drift- Cranberry red with shimmer
Tinsel- MY FAVORITE OMG. Purpley lavender color with grey undertones and lots of shimmer!
Sleigh- Brown but has blue and gold undertones. Looks super cool with the light catches it, the camera didn't pick it up well.
Partridge- Light green with shimmer
Halo- Champagne gold color with gold shimmer
Doe- A- Deer- looks almost black but it actually a deep purple shade. Would be so beautiful for a smokey eye!

Here is an individual shadow! It's called Hanky Panky (so cute).
Great neutral shade for a transition color in the crease or to put all over the lid.



From left to right, Lippie Stix in Cake (bright peachy, coral, pink) and Cookie (medium nude in a matte finish)

Cleaning Your Makeup Brushes

Cleaning your makeup brushes is super important. Even though it seems like a silly thing to waste your time on, it's not. Bacteria builds on your brushes, whether they've been used or not. After a while, product is going to build on your brushes and it is important to wash it away.
Even if your brushes are left untouched for weeks, they're still dirty. If you never clean your brushes then chances are you will break out. The bacteria, dirt, and old product will transfer from your brush right onto your face, pretty gross.
You should be washing your makeup brushes about every two weeks. Washing your brushes will extend their life. This doesn't have to be an expensive product. There's no need to rush and and splurge on an expensive makeup brush cleaner, such as Mac's. Baby shampoo will do the job.

 It gets all the product out and because it's gentle it cleans it without destroying the brushes.
5 Simple Steps
1. To clean your brushes use lukewarm water.
2. Place however many drops you want (depending on brush size) of the baby shampoo onto the palm of your hand.
3. Wet the brush and then run it into the shampoo in circular motions. Sometimes if I can't get it out I'll go in with my fingers.
4. Rinse out the product from the brushes and dry with a towel back to its shape.
5. Lay on a flat surface to dry.

Before 

After 

Colour Pop Lippie Stix

I don't know where to even start with this brand. Colour Pop Cosmetics has become an obsession of mine. I discovered this brand on Instagram about a month ago and I immediately ordered from them. I am so pleased with my order and am super excited to share how amazing this brand is.
I ordered four of their lippie stix and after trying them on I actually ordered two more.... ya i'm pathetic I know. OK so for the most interesting part about this brand is their products are ONLY $5! Besides their lipsticks they sell lip liners and eye shadows all priced at $5. Not only is this company super inexpensive but, their product is truly amazing.

As you can see, these are lipsticks but in a stick form. Pretty different from any other brand I've seen so it's pretty cool.
On the right is a picture of the shades I purchased. My obsession for these four shades cannot be explained. The company of course has a lot larger selection but these are the four that stood out to me. Okay now that i'm done rambling on about this, look at the swatches of the colors. PIGMENTATION GAME IS STRONG.
The colors I swatched are in the same order as the picture with the names, left to right and top to bottom. Here is a little description of each shade :).
Gloss Finish 
Easy- Pale vivid yellow
Tipsy- Light neon yellow peach (love the name) would look so gorgeous on someone with a tan
Matte Finish 
Heart On- Bright cool toned magenta
Satin Finish 
Flawless- Deep red violet (my favorite!)

One slight downfall with the gloss finish lippie stix is that they will show all your imperfections. Meaning if your lips are really dry and cracked this product will make it more obvious, unlike the mattes or satin finishes. Because of this I recommend moisturizing and exfoliating (if you want to) before applying the glossy finish.
These colors are even more beautiful in person! They apply so smoothly!
I'll probably be doing another blog post on Colour Pop soon because I do have more lippies coming in and I have ordered some eye shadows!
Also, the company has posted on instagram about releasing blushes soon! Unfortunately they wont be $5 but they look super amazing!

Jaclyn Hill

If you're really into beauty then I'm sure you've heard of Jaclyn Hill. If not and this is the first time you've heard of her, thank me later. Before Jaclyn Hill I had a lot more bad makeup days.
I discovered her on YouTube one day while looking at makeup tutorials. Throughout the years I have witnessed her channel grow while fans poured in, dying for another stunning tutorial. Although it may seem silly, I have learned so much from her.
Not only she is she a talented makeup artist, but she has a cute bubbly personality. She makes everything fun and throws in her personality so her videos seem more personal. I can honestly say if I met her in real life I would probably die. As pathetic as that sounds.
She's so true to her viewers and would never recommend a product she doesn't enjoy or believe in. Which sadly lots of women promote products online that they don't like for money.
 So next time you want a good makeup tutorial watch Jaclyn Hill because the learning never ends. Here is Jaclyn's channel! https://m.youtube.com/user/Jaclynhill1
YouTube is a great community when it comes to connecting people and learning new things.

No More Boring Baths

Bath bombs are amazing! They are only meant for the bath, hence the same, not the shower. Now it's pretty rare that one takes a bath today because, let's be real showers are easier and quicker. But once in a while everyone deserves a nice bath.

 I recommend going to Lush and picking out a bath bomb because it'll make your bath experience so much better. There are so many different colors, designs, shapes, and scents. Plus they're so fun! You just drop it into the bath after filling it and the bomb will immediately fizz and sort of explode. Slowly the product will dissolve in the water. Depending on what bomb you picked the water will usually turn that color. Who wouldn't wanna bath in green, blue, pink, purple, etc? Some of them even have sparkles :). The one I used the other night did and it was super cool. You don't have to worry about being covered in sparkles after bathing because the sparkles dissolve in the water.
Each bath bomb does its own thing. Some are super moisturizing, make you smell nice, sooth and calm your skin, relax you, etc. There are endless options! I know it seems silly to purchase something like this but it's pretty cool. So next time you want a mini spa night, pick up a Lush bath bomb and you'll thank me.

Top Skincare Products

Finding your perfect skincare routine can be tedious. Wasting money on products that do nothing for your skin or even worse, breaks you out, is annoying. After wasting money and time on products that did not benefit my skin, I finally came across a few products that I love. These products have helped my skin so much! My skin went through a while where I was constantly breaking out and I felt like I always needed foundation or concealer on. After using these products my skin has been 100x better. I only break out a little once in a while. A lot of people have even commented that skin looks great! Although everyone's skin is different, i'm going to share with you the products that completely changed my skin because they might work for you!

1. Dermalogica Clear Start Breakout Clearing Foaming Wash
I can't even count how many face washes I have tried. From drug store to high end this one is the winner! Lets just start with the fact that it smells like oranges! Seriously, who wouldn't like that. Every time I use it I always smell the product because it has a fresh fruit smell to it. Here is the link if you want to order it online. Most importantly, it cleared my skin. I'll break out once in a while because that's natural and hormones will do that to you, but I've never experienced such clear skin! You only need a pea sized amount so this bottle will last you forever. The only store I am aware of that sells this is Ulta!
2. Fresh Seaberry Moisturizing Face oil 
As much as winter is beautiful, I hate having dry skin. Nothing is worse. The Seaberry moisturizing face oil by Fresh is just amazing. I put about two drops onto my fingers and pat it onto my face before I go to bed. When I wake up my skin is so moisturized and smooth! Even if you have oily skin you can use this. I recommend only using this at night because your skin will look really greasy until your skin absorbs the product. Also, you don't want to put makeup over it because it will slide right off.
3. Ocean Salt Face Scrub 
The Ocean Salt Face Scrub by Lush Cosmetics is incredible. This mask is fresh and homemade. Ingredients in the scrub include sea salt, avocado, coconut, lime, and vodka.  I love this exfoliator because it removes all my dead skin and brightens it! My skin looks super hydrated after. Also it smells so good. It kind of reminds me of fruity pebbles.
4. Microdelivery Exfoliating Wash 
Here is another great exfoliator! Removes all my dead skin and has a Earthy smell to it! Reminds me of a spa, something that would be used during a facial.
5. Thirstymud Hydrating Treatment 
I've had my eye on this product forever but I refuse to dish out $69.00. One day I went into Sephora and found a mini version! So I decided to pick it up. This face mask is just, wow. Hydrates my skin and smells like coconuts. I only use this twice a week at night and my skin is practically glowing when I wake up in the morning!