beauty tips & tricks

I don't have many tricks up my sleeve, but of the ones I do, I thought to share. :)
// face wash as brush cleaner Back in the day, I used to shell out $$ to buy MAC's brush cleanser, which was a very thin liquid that subsequently could be used up very, very quickly. Everyone knows Purity wash is my holy grail for the face, and I've been using it to also cleanse my makeup brushes for a couple of years now. It's thicker consistency works it's magic on clearing out my Sigma foundation brushes back to their former glory, and it lasts a whole lot longer.
// lanolin for dry lips Now I'm not going to say I haven't spent $15 on some pretty ridiculous things, but Dr. Lipp's Lip Balm for chapped lips isn't one of them. If you do some research, you'll find that it's 100% lanolin. Ya know...the same stuff you can find for nursing mothers in the baby aisle of any grocery store. So ladies, save half your money and buy over three times the product while you pick up some milk and eggs. I got mine at Target. Yes, it's not a travel friendly, cute tube of lanolin like Dr. Lipp's, but I only put this stuff on in the morning while getting ready and right before bed. I'm good to go every time in between. And I guess it goes without saying that this stuff works like a dream. 
// atomizers & perfume rollers as a cheaper fragrance alternative I absolutely love Viktor & Rolf's Flowerbomb. I love the packaging. I love the fragrance. I loathe the price tag. It's a shame something so nice has to be forfeited because of that, so instead I purchase a $35 roller ball, a $5 atomizer, and decant the sucker for a win-win situation. I know many already know this trick, and some even ask me why not just use the roller ball. It's silly, but I prefer a even spray of fragrance over rolling. I told you..silly. 
And there you have it! Y'all have any nifty tips and tricks I could find useful? Let me know!

hits & misses | Marc Jacobs beauty

If you've strolled into a Sephora lately, you've more than likely noticed the not so new shiny display of Marc Jacob's beauty. Past the glossy packaging and bright colors, I thought I would give you a more in depth review of what I found to be my new holy grail item and a few things I would suggest you stay clear of in the line. 

The Lolita eyeshadow palette | Lash Lifter mascara in Blacquer | Magic Marc'er Precision Pen in Blacquer | Highliner Gel Crayon in Ro(Cocoa) | Shameless Bold Blush in Obsessed

Lolita palette | I have a very huge love/hate relationship with this palette. I swatched this half a dozen times before I purchased it, and it was easily my favorite out of the four selections. However, when I got it home, I realized that the shadows are very dupable, and wasn't really a necessity to have in my collection. Also given the fact that the color pay off isn't that great. I will continue using it, but if you are looking for something half the price and ten times better pigmentation, go find Stila's In The Light palette. (But on the other hand, I have read awesome reviews on the other funky color palettes, so I would also suggest giving them a try.)

Blacquer mascara | Don't. JUST DON'T. I can't tell you why the heck I bought this (maybe it was someone raving it on Instagram?), but ohhh emmm geeee, this mascara sucks. Separates the lashes, sure. But that's it. That's all, folks. NOTHING else. I might as well have kept my lash tinting mascara from the 90's..

Blacquer liquid eyeliner | This greatly reminds me of my beloved Stila Waterproof eyeliner, with the exception that it has a slight shiny, lacquer finish (hence blacquer being the name). If I had the choice between the two, I would still stick with Stila's version, simply for it being a little less expensive. 

Ro(Cocoa) eyeliner | If you could only buy one thing from this collection, please make sure it's one of the eyeliners. Holy crap, y'all. This stuff does.not.budge. I picked Ro(Cocoa), because it's a great golden brown for putting on my waterline. I swatched it at Sephora, and it took me forever to get this stuff off my hand. It's not marketed as waterproof, but it certainly should be. And thank you makeup gods, it doesn't require you to sharpen it. I think all crayons or pencils should be required to come in this format. But please let me reiterate..it does.not.budge. Once it's on, it's on. 

Obsessed blush | I really love this blush. It's soft. It's pigmented. It's really easy to layer it on the cheeks. Sure at the end of the day, I could find a dupe for this warm pink shade, but for the most part, I'm enjoying it for an everyday look. 

beauty review: hourglass immaculate liquid powder, mineral veil primer, & no. 28 primer serum

I know I've reviewed a handful of foundations in the past, claiming that "this" is the best.. no, now "this" is the best...no, for real y'all, "this" is the best. But I would love for you to all start on a clean slate with me, and let you know I have found the (ahem) best foundation for my oily skin. It's almost a little sad to find such an amazing product during the close of summer (ha, who am I kidding? It's still 95 degrees here in the south, but none the less, I would have rather found it now than to have never found it at all (poetically dramatic, I know). 

Let me introduce you to Hourglass Immaculate Liquid Powder. The title of "immaculate" is very fitting, but on the off chance you don't believe me, I plan to go in a little more in depth with y'all. The foundation is light to medium coverage, has the ability to blend seamlessly onto the skin with a careful hand, and dries into a beautifully light, powder coverage. And the best part of all? I don't have to touch up with powder after a few hours. Heck, I don't even set the stuff with a powder. I've never had a foundation do that for me, so imagine my shocked expression after looking in the mirror six hours later and seeing normal, balanced skin. Cue the heavenly angel voices as I craft my shrine to Hourglass. 

a few hours after application 
Outside of the liquid to powder formulation, the bottle is sleek in design, constructed of sturdy metal, and I adore the fact that it comes with both a pump and cap closure. This makes it perfectly ideal for traveling or just for those gals who hate their makeup being exposed to any and all potential surfaces in their makeup drawer.

Given this was my first Hourglass purchase, the way I came across two other new products in my foundation routine were entire flukes and quite honestly, a genius PR move on their part. It wasn't rocket science. They just put a sample of the mineral veil in my foundation's box. Oh my, oh my. Like velvet. Set out to purchase a larger sample to try, I saw that Sephora had a small duo deluxe sampling of both the veil and the No. 28 serum, so I thought why not. 
It's through my experience that I would recommend using all three products together. The serum in of itself is very nice, and using it before the veil helps my face become a little more prepped for the foundation. The key is to apply this product on moisturized skin, otherwise it can appear to cake up easily and break up on you. I know I said this stuff blends seamlessly, but lets be real, you can't just slap this stuff on in the am. And I would certainly not recommend this to someone with dry skin. I layer the mineral veil on top of the serum for a satin matte finish. 
I'm not sure if I will ever be able to quit my search for the perfect foundation for oily skin, however, this combination seems to be doing the trick for me. And I don't know how, but my skin seems to look and feel even better outside of wearing the foundation in the month or so I've been using it.
Has anyone else tried the Hourglass Immaculate? I'd love to hear about any of your experiences or any other must have products. In the meantime, I'm going to be working on a little top ten of my favorite matte products that I've come to love in the recent years and especially those that have helped me this summer.    *It should go without saying, but these products were purchased with my own money, and I was in no way compensated for the review. :) 

bright eyes, brighter lips

In a last attempt to squeeze every last ounce of summer up before it's gone, I've been relying heavily on my brighter shades while doing my makeup.
It's not a shock that my makeup's focus is normally for my eyes, but I've noticed for August I switched it up and focused more on the lips than the lids. 

traveling through Florida in 95+ degree heat = braided hair 
For the eyes I stayed with soft shades of taupe and gold, and Lord knows, I can't go a day without my winged eyeliner. For the lips I used a shade of pink that is normally out of my comfort zone, but it's easily becoming one of my new favorites. I tied it all together with a soft, natural blush, which gave my cheeks just enough color. 

August favorites: NARS eyeshadow duo in Kalahari | Marc Jacobs Shameless Bold blush in Obsessed | Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Volupte Shine Lipstick in No. 13 Pink in Paris 
Hope y'all are having a wonderful Labor Day! 

beauty review: sigma foundation brushes

A few months ago I found myself in the market for some new makeup brushes. Now while I'm all about purchasing my eyeshadow and powder brushes from the likes of e.l.f. and Sonya K. at Target, I need something a little more dense for my foundation. After hearing the majority of the beauty community praise this company, I went ahead and pulled the trigger on the ever popular Sigma brushes. 

My favorite part of this kabuki style is that it's synthetic. This essentially means that unlike natural hairs that want to soak up half the product when applied, it instead sits on the tips of the bristles and waits to be transferred on the skin. Best part is that they are dense enough to buff into the skin using just a minimal amount of foundation. The flat head F80 brush is my favorite, but I like the angled F84 to get on the sides of the nose and under eye area with concealer. 

y'all know I'm a sucker for nice packaging

As a little surprise, I was also given a E05 eyeliner brush. I've purchased a couple of flat head eyeliner brushes in the past, but could never master the look I wanted. This brush is great for swooping the perfect cat eye, and took the place of my current eyeliner brush (which just happened to be a Hobby Lobby $3 paint brush that was in need of replacement anyways..yep, true story).

Something tells me I'll be purchasing more Sigma products in the future. And I saw for the month of July you can use code RNL2013 for 10% off your order!

beauty review: tarte amazonian clay blush

If you caught my Fourth of July photo from this earlier post, you probably noticed I've toned down my pink blush addiction (see also: lets be honest, I can have moments of clown cheeks). 

Because I've been such an avid MAC obsessed gal for so long, I'm shocked to be giving you so many non-MAC related beauty reviews, but y'all..this is such a great blush. It's a beautiful nude, peach color with a tinyyy bit of glitter, but not so much that you would really notice. It's very pitmented, so a little will go a long way. 

All in all, I'm really impressed with these amazonian clay products, and will more than likely try other colors once this little gal is used up. Do y'all have any tried and true blushes that you love? 

beauty review: benefit stay flawless primer

I decided our Fourth of July festivities was the best time to put the new Benefit Stay Flawless primer to the test. Granted, I'm not one to necessarily believe in the benefits of a primer, but to be honest, how could I refuse this adorable packaging promising me 15 hours of stay put power? Yes, I bought it partially because of the packaging..true story.

While I've read different interpretations, I found that this balm can dry quickly, and it's best to rub it on in sections, using the stick and not your fingers, and then immediately apply your foundation. That way your foundation mixes with the tacky balm and locks it into place.
I have to say, after about three hours walking the streets of downtown Memphis in 90 degree heat, it held up pretty nice. We went back inside to cool off a bit and change, and I added a bit of my NYX powder to touch up before dinner. After that I was good to go for the rest of the night.

right before dinner with my fav dude, Cory
And here's my official summer makeup routine. I like that it's a light BB cream that gives me the coverage I need, a powder that isn't caking on my face, and a primer that keeps it all from budging. (Side note: I noticed my BB cream is getting a little dark now that I'm loosing my Memorial Day tan. Right now, I'm mixing it with a little of my lighter foundations to make a perfect match.)

To get the info on the other two products, check them out in my top ten here. Do y'all have a summer makeup routine that you're loving right now? Let me know if I'm missing out on something! :)

seeing red

I am in desperate need of a hair makeover. It's not curling like it used to, the ombre is pretty much nonexistent, and it's just downright boring. Some days I want bangs, other sweaty, summer days I'm thankful I don't have them. I'm also that crazy girl who views her hair as a safety blanket, and will never cut major inches off for the summer. 
While I already know I need some serious layers to get my curls back to bouncing, I've also been obsessing with the idea of going red... not RED red, but more auburn, reddish/brown. Or maybe I just want to become Emma Stone, who can virtually wear her hair whatever color she wants.

Any of y'all having the same hair woes as me? Or have you had a hair change recently?  

top ten tuesday

Kate Spade Flatiron Nylon Davie - I love this hot pink nylon bag, because it's easy to see while fishing around in my larger than life tote. Extra bonus with the nylon fabric for easy to wash care. 

NYX Stay Matte But Not Flat Powder - I never thought I would speak the words, but..my MAC Studio Fix Powder I rave about (all.the.time.) is just not doing it for me this summer. After watching a YouTube beauty guru (who also has the same oily complexion as mine) mention this powder here and it's price point, I knew I had to try it. And honestly, this stuff fits the bill. I touch up a couple of times during the day (around noon and mid afternoon), but other than that, nadda. My skin is good to go and isn't shining like a mirror in the heat and humidity.

NYX Matte Bronzer in Medium - I think I found something to replace my Prestige bronzer as well simply because this bronzer has amazing pigmentation without all the glitter and nonsense that most drugstore bronzers come with. 

Stila shadow in Kitten - I like to blend this highlighting shade in the inner eye and blended out with a taupe shade like Victoria Secret's Metallic Mink or Urban Decay's YDK for an everyday eye. Just a little goes a long way, and these shadows are so easy to blend.

Garnier BB Cream in Medium/Deep - Yet another purchase due to this video here, and quite honestly, I've been looking for something a little lighter on my skin during the summer but would give me the coverage that I need...seriously, if you have oily skin like me and are looking for new products, I would watch all of her videos. 

MAC Pro Longwear Concealer in NW 25 - One of my newest concealers that is easily my favorite for hiding under-eye circles and uneven skintone. I apply it with my Beauty Blender sponge.

Chanel Rouge Allure Extrait de Gloss in 56 Imaginaire - The perfect pink/coral gloss.

MAC Prep + Prime Highlighter in Radiant Rose - If you saw my last vlog post, you know I'm getting really into highlighting and contouring this summer. I swipt this pen under my eyes, down my nose, and make a few swipes with what's left in between the brows and in the center of my chin for a light glow. You want to make sure this doesn't go just on the under eye area so that you don't produce a raccoon effect, and I blend it out with my Beauty Blender sponge.

Tocca Mini Perfume in Colette - This is the fragrance I chose to wear on my wedding day. During long days in traveling for work, I like to carry this mini with me to take me back to that day.

Olay Professional Pro X - This heat has my skin going crazy..dry one day, broke out the next. I can't deal. And as much as I would love the be the owner of a Clarisonic brush, that price just ain't happenin'. For me, the reviews for this little guy seemed right up there with the $200 version, and I haven't regretted it yet. My skin definitely feels smoother, cleaner, and I'm sure it's doing a thing or two at keeping my oil at bay. It comes with a small sample of the Olay Pro X cleansing gel, but I also keep using it with my ole faithful, a bar of Dove soap. 

sun kissed

Now that the warm weather is here to stay, and I've gotten a little sun on my skin, it usually means I'm revamping my makeup routine is some form or fashion. Although I have by no means perfected my vlogging technique, I'm sure y'all all deserve a good laugh. :)

Products Mentioned:

MAC Mineralize foundation

Kat Von D's Lock It Longwear foundation

MAC Studio Fit powder 

Prestige bronzer in Sunkissed

MAC Pearlmatte face powder in Pink Buttercream

E.L.F. blush brush

MAC blush in Fleur Power

Albeit lipstick in Peony

L'oreal Power Volume + Collagen mascara in Blackest Black

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On eye pencil in Smog

and just for the curious:

Necklaces - Kate Spade, Shop Dandy

Nails - OPI's You're Such a Budapest

xoxo,

Beauty Review: best foundation for my oily skin

Y'all, my skin is an oil slick. Gross, yes. But terribly true. 
So it came as a surprise when I read about this miracle foundation that keeps oily skin at bay. The second shock came when I found out who made it. 

Enter Kat Von D's lock-it longwear foundation
(yes, yes, that Kat Von D)

I was skeptical at first, but after using two samples from Sephora, I had to run out and buy it for my wedding day, and I have been using it ever since. 

Here's what it claims:
Full Coverage
24 Hour Wear
Transfer Resistant
Matte Finish
Oil Free

I would highly recommend this to anyone who has to constantly touch up her makeup during the day in order for her face to appear semi normal, i.e. not an oil slick. But first, a couple of things I've noticed:

y'all have to put this stuff on fast..it sets almost instantly
one to one and a half pumps covers my whole face..and the fact that it's a pump is an added bonus
I'm not really prone to breakouts but it is heavy, so I would test it out first just to be sure
I set it with e.l.f.'s HD powder and may have to touchup around my nose sometime after lunch
(and that for me is a miracle in of itself) 


**side note...my foundation isn't really that dark..I could only wish I was that tan. Currently I am wearing Medium 54

Are there any other foundations I need to know about? How do you make your makeup last?

xoxo,

a pop of peony

Sometimes, the best finds come around when you least expect them. 

Case in point, I ran by Anthropologie the other day to swap out some of our "fine china" that Cory and I received in abundance for some others pieces we were lacking. Once all my china was in check, I turned around and there it was, all in it's sweet, little cream and gold packaged glory. The perfect lipstick color. 

Albeit Lipstick for Anthropologie in Peony

As much as I would love to be, I'm not really a lipstick kinda gal. Truth be told, I have a gathered assortment of bright pinks to soft reds that I will occasionally bust out for fun, but not any great everyday shades. 

I knew I would need a soft color for the wedding, because, Lord knows, Cory would kill me if I get lipstick on him for our close up. I also needed something to give my invisible lips color, but I didn't want it to completely scream, "LOOK AT ME! I'M WEARING OBNOXIOUS POWDER PINK LIPSTICK." 

Thankfully, this peony shade fit the bill. 
Plus the gold metal tube it comes in makes me feel like I'm wearing this retro lipstick fashioned of the past.
And I'm a sucker for packaging. :)

As a side note, I know a lot of brides choose to have their makeup professionally done for the big day, whether it was for stress relief or just as a fun splurge. Hopefully I will not be eating my words in a week, but I've decided to do my own makeup. Fingers crossed I don't somehow screw that up. ;) 

Tell me, any last minute makeup tricks I need to know about??

xoxo,

Review: September Birchbox

Well, ladies, this month is my last month reviewing Birchbox.

My year long subscription Cory gifted me is up, and lucky for me,

 it ended on a good note with their "September Issue."

Here's the goods:

The Brush Guard | Variety Kit

I think this is very clever. Half the time I just throw my makeup brushes in my bag without a second glance. 

This way, they can keep their shape and stay clean while I'm traveling.

La Fresh | Instant Body Soother

I wish I had these while I was traveling back and forth to Houston..waking up for two  6:30 am flight seriously wiped me out. The cloths are infused with six different oils to relax and refresh.

Dr. Jart+ | Water Fuse Beauty Balm SPF 25+
I really wish I was a beauty balm fan, but they just do not give me enough coverage to my liking. 

twistband | Birchbox Custom Lace Hair Tie

Y'all already know from my love of their first twistband they gave me, that I was thankful for another. 

These are the only hair ties I use now. 

boscia | Purifying Cleansing Gel

I'm so happy I got to try this since I'm in love with boscia's Black Mask Peel.
This reminded me of all those sulfate free cleansers. Really soft, doesn't lather.
But not very good for removing my layer of makeup everyday. I'll still stick to my Dove bar.

Color Club | Birchbox Custom Polish "Put a Pin In It"

Inspired by the Fall 2012 collections, the polish color was the first thing that caught my eye. 

I really love the shade. I would call it almost a mix between champagne and rose gold.

My Overall Review of Birchbox

Besides the annoying amount of hand creams I have received over the past year, I really did enjoy my Birchbox subscription, and I am more than likely going to be jealous when I see another box review on some of y'all blogs next month. 

Would I suggest it? 

Completely! I've spent $10 on worse things. But I will warn you if you are hesitant. Not every month is going to be this amazing month of amazing goods. Take it from me..you will get a few too many hand creams. And that's ok. Things like a $14 amazing razor and your new favorite lip balm will make up the difference. 

xoxo,

Review: August Birchbox

Wow, I'm kind of late on posting this, right? 

Just gave me more time to review the products, of course!

Schick | Hydro Silk Razor
This is seriously the best razor I have ever used. Looked up the price and realized it was $14. Huge bonus!

Miss Jessie's Original | Pillow Soft Curls
Still haven't used the Pillow Soft Curl cream, but I'm interested in seeing how my coarse hair will handle it.

Whish | Three Wishes Body Butter
Another month, another body butter, hand cream, whatever. I'm over my shocked phase.

DDF | Brightening Cleanser
Finally, a cleanser that lathers. Still doesn't sway me to cheat on beloved Dove bar though.

Juicy Couture | Viva la Juicy La Fleur

I wasn't planning on liking the Juicy Couture perfume, but I surprisingly enjoyed the light floral scent.


One of the things I love about Birchbox is their packaging, and they have really been stepping up their game in the past few months. This month, dedicated to back-to-school, came with a little Beauty School booklet full of tips and tricks. Clever, Birchbox. :)

xoxo,

Review: July Birchbox

kinda, really late with this review...whoops!

Birchbox, have you been reading my blog reviews?

I just feel like you have been listening. ;)

Because this month's box rocked..almost competes with my affection for my March BB. 

Let's get on with the goods.

stila | lip glaze
Jouer | Luminizing Moisture Tint
beautyblender | the original beautyblender sponge

Harvey Prince | Hello perfume
Tea Forte' | minteas
Birchbox Exclusive | earbuds

I have to say that I love every single thing in this box.
The perfume smelled amazing and fun.
The lip balm was a great neutral shade.
I finally received a BeautyBlender sponge! (Still waiting to use it since I don't use liquid foundation in the summer.)
Earbuds were a nice little perk.
 I love some tinted moisturizer and those mints were interesting to try to say the least.

Did you notice what was missing? 
A HAND CREAM.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!

xoxo,

Review: Birchbox for Jet Setting

With June being a vacation seeking month, this Birchbox was devoted to the jet setter.

So far I really like this month's box, but just like others before it, I have a few things I'm just not excited to receive. 

Eyeko | Fay Eye Stick - Although I like where they are going with this, I don't think I'll be smudging my beloved eyeliner any time soon. I'm going to try my best to use this on my waterline instead. 

Comodynes | Self - Tanning Intensive - When I first opened the box, this was the first thing I saw and I'm very excited to try these towelettes. Really, I need to do a whole blog over what sunless tanners I use. I have so many!

theBalm cosmetics | Stainiac in Beauty Queen - I'm into lip stains right now because of the heat (yet a whole other blog post), and this one was great for building up color. My lips are naturally pale so I can use all the color I can get!

tili | Bags - Fitting with the jet setting theme, these bags are the exact size needed to travel your liquids through security. While adorable, I don't think I'll be purchasing any.

Likewise | Facial Moisturizer + Sun Protectant SPF 50 for Normal to Oily Skin - While I normally cringe at the thought of another moisturizer, I think I'm a little intrigued over this one. It's mostly for the fact that they describe it as a hydrating toner to mattify the skin. I figured this one I could give a shot. 

Birchbox Man Extra | John Varvatos Star USA cologne - Not sure if Cory will be up to trying something new (he's pretty set in his ways for this kind of stuff), but we will see. Every time I read it, I think 'MERICA. ha 

What was in your box this month? 

xoxo,

happy accidents

It's been three times this past week that I've received compliments on my ombre hair, 

and I have to admit, I've never been to the salon to have ombre hair...

...nor did I ever think I had ombre hair.

Whoops. Well, it's really not that drastic as this sun and shade combo makes it out to be, but you get the point.

My secret??...

awesome photo choices, right?

Many years ago, blonde Whitney became brunette Whitney again.

Add time, faded hair color, and those blonde roots soaking up all that dark color,

and viola! you have ombre hair.

I refer it as a happy accident, and my friends think I'm trendy. ;)

xoxo,

Pewter

My love for pewter eye shadow began when I was introduced to Sidecar in my Urban Decay Naked Palette. It was just the perfect shade to wear alone or under other shadows. 


It was naturally the first shadow to go since I wore it almost daily. Imagine my surprise when I went to go purchase an individual Sidecar only to be let down that it was one of the Naked palette's exclusive shades. Boo.


Luckily, I found a quick match in Urban Decay's YDK shadow, and then eventually a dupe in Ulta's Trendsetter shadow. And it doesn't hurt that it's only $6 versus the Urban Decay's shadow at $19, and your are getting more product. Win, win.

Ulta's Trendsetter and MAC fluidline gel eyeliner

I also switched up my mascara to Loreal Voluminous Power Volume,

 and for my teeny tiny lashes it does exactly what it says. 

xoxo,