December Favorites 2015

December Favorites 2015

I'm writing this on December 30th 2015, and the date that Blogger/Blogspot will say it was published on will probably say that, but I'm not actually putting it up until January 2016 since I've prewritten a few posts. Due to how Blogger/Blogspot works, I have to publish things in the same order I prewrite them in, as they display in the order they were written regardless of what order you publish them in. So this post will be a bit late, but I wanted to put it up anyways. I had two weeks off for Christmas, so I was home and not wearing makeup much, which means this favorites is a bit short.

I may have featured this in a favorites before, but I still love it so I'm including it anyways. This lotion is fantastic and smells fantastic too! I get to walk around smelling like a giant candy apple, and it's great.

This is empty now, but I really enjoyed this Moringa body butter. I'm not usually into floral scents as much as fruity or musky ones, but this smelled really nice. I'm planning to try fake tanning soon, so I'm moisturizing a lot, and this was a great product for that.

I got this little tin of Nivea Creme at the dollar store, and sadly it's nearly empty. I get super dry hands sometimes, and this has been really good for soothing that dryness. I'll probably purchase the full size once this fully runs out.

This is the Makeup Eraser, which I got for Christmas. Although I haven't been using it all month, I still wanted to include it because it's absolutely AMAZING. Although I haven't tested if it truly removes waterproof makeup with just water like it claims to, it definitely removes normal makeup with just water, and I rarely wear waterproof makeup anyways. It's much gentler on my eyes than a makeup remover wipe and works just as well, if not better. I generally hand-wash it because it tends to need to be washed more than I need to do laundry, but a few squirts of baby shampoo and a thorough rinse in warm water seems to clean it well enough. Even though $20.00 USD may seem like a steep price for what appears to be a washcloth, it works so much better than a normal washcloth, and you can use it over and over again, unlike makeup wipes. So over time, you're saving money, and I love it.

Another thing I got for Christmas that I'm including anyways is the Urban Decay Naked Smoky palette. I've fallen in love with this palette! I love every single color and I've already played with it a ton. I don't know about wear time, but every other aspect of these shadows is practically flawless. They're smooth, buttery, pigmented, and have very little fallout if there's any at all. This is my first palette from the Naked range and I would gladly spend $54.00 USD for another one if I were to run out of all the shades in this one.

I'm running out of this, which sucks because it's become one of my favorite lip balms. It's the medicated tangerine EOS. Other EOS lip balms just moisturize my lips, but this one helps heal them when they're chapped as well. I do still like other EOS, but this one is my favorite.

This is the NYX HD Concealer in CW01 Porcelain. This is the first concealer I've ever found that is light enough to highlight under my eyes. Most concealers are just too dark to highlight with, and the majority are too dark to even use to conceal pimples. Not only does the color actually work for me, it's a good quality concealer as well.

My new absolute favorite mascara is the ModelCo VolumEyes Extreme Black mascara. I prefer voluminous lashes, and oh my gosh, does this ever give your lashes volume. I got this as a gift, but I would still pay for it at it's full price, which is $22.00 USD. The CoverGirl SuperSizer is similar, but it's not quite as black, and this one gives even better volume without any clumping whatsoever, whereas the SuperSizer does have a bit of clumping. So if you like volume and you want to splurge on a mascara, this is the one to get.

Last but not least is this Essence brow pencil in Blonde. This makes my brows look so much better with very little effort. All I do is outline them and fill them in using small, short strokes and bam, perfect brows.

New Year's Eve Eyes

New Year's Eve Eye Makeup Tutorial

I wanted to do a New Year's Eve eye look using just one palette, but none of my palettes had all the colors I wanted to use, so I ended up using two, the Urban Decay Electric and the Too Faced Chocolate Bar.

Apply the shade Salted Caramel from the Too Faced palette to the crease. This will make the end result look softer.

Apply a white base to the lid. I couldn't find my white eye crayon so I just used a white eyeliner.

Apply the shade Revolt from the Urban Decay palette all over the lid and blend up into the crease. New Year's Eve means glitter to me, so I chose this glittery shade.

Apply the shade Chaos from the Urbam Decay palette as liner. I think this makes the look more fun, but you could easily use another color or black or even skip liner altogether.

Blend everything together so the look is less harsh.

Curl your lashes and apply a few coats of mascara. I used the ModelCo VulumEyes mascara, which gives great volume.

I think this look goes well with berry or red lips, so I used the Tarte LipSurgence Power Pigment in Flush, which is in between a berry and a red. Paired with a flawless-looking foundation, this is a great simple look for New Year's Eve.

Naked Smoky Tutorial

Urban Decay Naked Smoky Eyeshadow Palette Tutorial

I wanted to try out my new Naked Smoky palette, so I decided to do an eye look tutorial using only shadows from that palette. I think it turned out pretty well, so I'm posting it here.

Apply the shade Whiskey all over your crease, not worrying too much about blending yet. We'll get to that in a bit.

Apply the shade Armor all over the lid, blending it slightly up into the crease.

Put the shade Dagger in the outer v of the eye and blend it partially into the crease.

Apply the shade High to the inner corner and lower lashline, blending it to the inner third of the eyelid as well.

Blend everything out to make the look softer and less harsh. I also used a makeup wipe to clean up below and next to my eye, as well as make the shadow into a harsh line extending from my outer corner.

Apply liner, curl your lashes, apply some mascara, and you're done! A super easy yet pretty smoky eye.

Here is the finished eye look, paired with Too Faced's Melted Chihuahua. I think this eye look would go well with most lip colors, but I thought that a nude would keep more attention on the eyes.

What I Got for Christmas

A Very Christmasy "Haul" 2015

Merry Belated Christmas to everybody reading, as well as Happy Holidays! I just want to say that I'm not making this post to brag about my Christmas gifts - I'm doing this because it seems fun and I wanted to thank everybody who got me gifts. I love everything and I can't wait to use it all! Some things I got before Christmas day aren't included because they're already somewhere in my collection getting used, and I didn't include food or clothes or books because this blog is mostly for makeup and skincare/haircare. I also got a couple of shower things that are already in my shower. Thank you so much to everybody who got me gifts! I'm sure everything will get good use!

One of the things a got is this amazing giant makeup bag. I absolutely love it and I'm looking forwards to using it for travelling and on the go.

I also got this super cool makeup bag, which is also giant, so I'll be able to actually use it for an entire face of makeup. It will get really good use for travel and on the go.

This shower gel from Philosophy smells like heaven and I can't wait to use it! I'm waiting until I use up one or two shower gels or body washes before astarting more as I'm running out of room in the bin I keep my bath and shower products in, but this will definitely be a welcome addition.

I can't wait to use this set so I can smell like a Christmas cookie! Everything - including the lip gloss - smells absolutely amazing. The gloss is colored in the tube but not in swatches, so I'll be able to use it over any lipstick.

I got this mini dry shampoo as a stocking stuffer, which is great because it's hard to bring my big bottle with me during the day so I don't even try and I sometimes feel like I need it while I'm out and about. This is a great dry shampoo and it smells nice as well.

This shower gel smells lovely, and it's from Philosophy, so I have no doubt that it will feel and work great too!

I got the Naked Smoky palette! Now that I've swatched it, I totally see the hype around Urban Decay's eyeshadows. They're super pigmented and buttery, and they don't seem to have much fallout, at least when swatched. All of the colors are absolutely gorgeous as well.

These hair chalks look super pretty and I can't wait to try them out. The color in my hair is fading, so now I'm mostly just blonde, which means these will look great!

I got three of the Tony Moly Petite Bunny Gloss Bars! I've been wanting these for forever, and I'm really glad to have them. They give a nice sheer color and lots of glossiness. They're also freaking adorable!

Two more Tony Moly things I got were the Mini Cherry Lip Balm and the Kiss Kiss Lip Essence Balm, along with a Bare Minerals Pop of Passion Lip Oil-Balm mini in Plumberry Pop. The lip oil-balm is super pigmented, just like a lipstick. The kiss kiss balm has no color, and the cherry balm has a light pink color.

I got a few samples from Tony Moly that I can't wait to try out. I've thought about getting the banana hand milk and panda dream cream in the past, and the magic massage pack (it's called a massage pack, which is confusing, so I looked it up and it's a facial cleanser) looks really interesting.

This is one of the really odd yet interesting Tony Moly products - the Kiss Kiss Lovely Lip Patch. It's like a face mask, except for your lips. Apparently it makes your lips super soft and helps with chapping. This seems like a really unique product, so I'm excited to try it out.

I got a Sephora Ultimate Oil-in-Gel Lipstick Remover and two Covergirl eyeliners that come in a set with some mascaras. I'm super excited about these things because I can always use more black eyeliner, and I find some lip products, especially liquid lipsticks, really difficult to remove sometimes. So having a special remover will definitely come in handy!

Along with the two eyeliners, I got two new Covergirl mascaras. Both of them seem to be more about volumizing than lengthening, which is great because that's what I tend to prefer. As soon as I finish a mascara, I'll open one of these to try out.

I got lip balm! I love lip balm so this is very exciting for me. I've tried these ones before and not liked them, but I think I might have been too quick to judge them, so it'll be good to try them again.

One of the things I got is this Yes to Coconuts Cooling Lip Oil. It's almost all natural and it seems to be super moisturizing, so it will be fun to try.

Three more lip balms, one from Burt's Bees which I know I'll love, and two from a brand I had never hear of - Balmtastic Skins. I believe some of it's proceeds go to saving animals from being skinned, which is super cool. They smell nice, although I can't quite identify what exactly the scent is.

I got two EOS, one in pomegranate raspberry and one in strawberry sorbet. They smell really good, and I'll start using them as soon as I use up a couple more lip balms.

I got a pack of Yes to Cucumbers soothing facial wipes, which I've been wanting to try for a long time but haven't gotten around to getting. I'll probably pause using my current makeup remover wipes and try these out for a while.

I got a Tony Moly Runaway Strawberry Seeds 3-Step Nose Pack. From what I can tell, it appears to be a series of special nose strips that clear out your pores. The illustrations on it are so cute that I'm not sure I'll be able to justify using it!

I absolutely love peel-off face masks, so I was super happy to get two of them! I've never tried these specific masks before, but I have tried this brand, and the mask I've tried from this brand was so great that I got the full size (it comes in a big tube).

Lastly, I got two more single-use face masks. I own the full size of the Mud Pac, and I can't wait to try out the coconut one.

I just want to give another big thank you to everyone who got me gifts! I had a great Christmas and I hope you did too!

Mini Haul

Mini Forever 21 Haul

Sorry I've been gone for a bit, but I needed a little bit of a break, and also my internet kept going down on the days I wanted to pre-write my posts for the week. While I was gone, I got the chance to do a bit of shopping. I've been wanting to review Forever 21 makeup for a while now, and I went to a Forever 21, so I bought some.

The thing I'm most excited about is this Lip Essentials Set in Natural. It comes with an Ultra Hydrating Lip Color in whaqt I assume is the color Natural, a Velvet Lipstick in Natural, and a Lipstick Crayon in Natural. They are all very pigmented when swatched. The set cost me $7.90 USD, which I think is a great price.

Something I've wanted for a long time but haven't been able to find is the Sweet Macaroon Lip Gloss in Strawberry. It smells like artificial strawberry, which I really enjoy. It has an odd consistency, kind of like jelly, but firmer. It's pink in the package but has no color swatched or on the lips. I mostly wanted it for the packaging, so that I can display it on my Alex drawers once I get them. It has a really glossy finish, so I would recommend it if you like a sweet scent and lots of glossiness. It cost $2.90 USD.

Last but not least, I got a few hair bows. They cost $2.90 USD. I don't really own many hair accessories and thought that these would be a good place to start.

Starter Makeup

Simple Beginners Makeup Collection

If you're just starting out with makeup, you really don't need a lot, and none of it has to be high end. Of course, if you want a lot, or you want it to be high end, that's totally fine. But most people who are just starting out don't want to spend a huge amount, and they usually would be overwhelmed by too much. So I've put together what I think are the very basics, all at drugstore prices. I have not included brushes, but I will most likely do a seperate post on good, inexpensive brushes.

For the face, I would start out with a primer, a foundation or tinted moisturizer, and a concealer. Even the primer isn't a requirement, but it can help your makeup last longer. All three that I chose happen to be from Maybelline. You may also want a powder to set your foundation and concealer with, but some people skip this step. I would choose a powder over a primer if I had to choose, though.

If you have brows that you're happy with on their own, then feel free to skip this step. I personally am not in love with my brows, so I just use an inexpensive brow pencil from Essence. I don't feel the need to use anything expensive for my brows because this pencil works great for me.

As for eyeshadow, you only need two or three to create a simple but put together look - a crease shade, a lid shade, and, if you want one, a highlight shade. Wet' n' Wild makes some great single eyeshadows, so I chose those. You could also go with an inexpensive neutral palette, such as the Makeup Revolution Essential Mattes.

Blush is a great way to bring some color to your face after applying foundation. This specific blush is super pigmented, so you only have to lightly tap your brush into it to get enough color. Always make sure to blend your blush well for a more natural look.

As for eyeliner, all you really need is one black one, but you may want a colorful one for more fun looks, and a white one for your waterline, if that's your thing. You could get three separate ones, or save some money by getting some two-in-one liners. These NYC liners are great for beginners. I find pencil liner to be easier to work with then gel or liquid, although if you want a liquid liner, NYC makes a great black one. As for gel liners, the black one that Essence makes is great as well.

The Lots of Lashes Great Lash mascara was probably my first ever mascara, and I still occasionally repurchase it when I don't want to try a new mascara and want something that I know will work. A coat or two of this will give you lashes that pop without looking too unnatural. If you want your lashes to look a bit more voluminous, try the Covergirl Super Sizer. I'm not big on lengthening mascaras, so I don't have any to recommend.

For your lips, all you really need is a nude or pink lipstick that will go with almost any eye look. I like the e.l.f. lipstick in Flirtatious. They also make quite a few other colors, and for only a dollar, you can probably afford to get a few so that you have more options. Lipstick is my favorite makeup item, so I have a lot to chose from, but at the most you only really ever need four - a nude, a pink, a red, and a fun color like purple or orange for more out-there looks.

Lastly, you will want a couple of tools. You'll probably want a sharpener for your eyeliners and your brow pencil, and for beginners who are more prone to making mistakes, an e.l.f. makeup remover pen is a life saver. You'll probably also want an eyelash curler, but if your lashes naturally have a lot of curl to them, you don't really need one right away.