December Loves and Favorites

December was a crazy month!  Between all of the many events and activities surrounding the holidays the new year seems to have come up fast.  Despite this I never seem to lack in time finding and hoarding buying my favorite makeup, beauty and style products.

According to Sephora and Pantone Universe the colors of the year for 2016 are Rose Quartz, a powder pink, and Serenity, a pale sky blue.  2016 is already shaping up to be a very colorful year and I expect a lot of these light pastel and watercolor shades to be showcased all over social media within the next 12 months.

You might be wondering how in the hell an everyday look could possible involve a powder pink or sky blue lipstick color.  Shades like these have usually been reserved for makeup artists creating beauty looks for runway shows.  However, you would be surprised with the looks you can pull off, including some amazing ombre effects.  Tutorials, tips and more beauty advice to come!

Now, on to my December loves and favorites!

Tartelette Amazonian Clay Matte Eyeshadow Palette

I feel a little late to the game on this one, but oh well!  I had been eyeing the Tartelette Palette by Tarte Cosmetics for a very, very long time.  It was only until Tarte released the sister palette, Tartelette In Bloom Clay Eyeshadow Palette, that I knew I had to get my hands on my original favorite.  I love matte shadows above all others, and this palette definitely gives me that fix.  It includes 12 eyeshadows with a range of warm nudes to deep browns and blacks.  All are liner, crease and lid shadow shades that make it easy to contour and highlight one of your face's best assets.  I cannot wait to try the In Bloom palette, which features a mix of matte and luster shadows.

Kat Von D Everlasting Lipsticks

All of December I was obsessed with mixing two shades of Kat Von D's Everlasting Liquid Lipsticks: Bow 'N Arrow and Noble.  Bow 'N Arrow is a fawn nude and Noble is a petal pink nude.  While I love both of these shades separately, they are amazing together.  I used them as my go-to lip color all throughout the holiday season, and even in a couple makeup tutorials.  These lipsticks in general are long wearing, glide on smoothly, and remain a beautiful, soft matte on the lips.  I always feel comfortable wearing them to a dinner where I know I will be eating and drinking, because at the end of the night it will still be there.

Natracare 100% Cotton Organic Tampons

 After reading a few articles on the fact that most tampons not only contain chlorine bleach, but that companies are not required to tell you what they put in tampons, I knew I had to make a change.  It worries me that I have been using tampons for so many years without a second thought as to what I was actually putting inside my body.  So I went to my local grocery store and found Natracare, which had the only box of 100% cotton organic tampons throughout an entire aisle of feminine hygiene products.  Sad, right?  Women deserve to know more about what they use on their bodies every month.

Sonic Cleansing Brush*

I'll admit, I was fairly skeptical when I received this product.  I thought there was little chance of it comparing to Clarasonic or doing much to help my face.  But I loved it.  First, I love the size because it is travel friendly.  When I travel I NEED for my face to feel clean and I don't like to change up my face washing routine.  Second, it makes my face feel extra clean, as if it gets deep into pores that regular washing with my hands does not.  For my nightly skincare routine I take off my makeup and then use the Fresh Soy Face Cleanser with my Sonic Cleansing Brush to wash my face.  I then continue moisturizing as normal.  My face feels fresh and clean, exactly what I love!

Let Me Know!

What were some of your favorite beauty, makeup and/or style favorites from last month?
 What do you think is going to be on trend for 2016?

 

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8 Beauty and Style Holiday Favorites

These 8 beauty and style holiday favorites are the perfect essentials for parties, events, dinners, and gift exchanges!  Every one of these items will bring a gleaming sparkle or sense of sophistication to your holiday festivities.

Urban Decay Gwen Stefani Eyeshadow Palette

This beautiful palette is made up of a mix of 15 matte and jewel tones, each one designed by Gwen Stefani herself and guaranteed to spice up any holiday makeup look.  The texture and pigmentation is stunning and so long lasting you will not have to worry about creasing or fallout during your holiday blitz of food and gifts.  My absolutely favorite shades has to be Pop, a pale coral with iridescent sparkle, which I will be applying to my lid this Christmas Eve as part of a shimmery pink and mauve cut crease.

Huda Beauty Classic Fall Lashes

   Huda Beauty lashes are stunning.  They are lightweight, reusable, vegan, and cruelty-free, and come in a variety of styles guaranteed to fit and makeup look or occasion.  My favorites are Giselle, Samantha and Sasha, which are all low-to-medium volume and more natural than dramatic.  I will be wearing Giselle this holiday season to create a natural look that is subtle while still remaining beautiful.  I have been a Huda Beauty fan for a long time, and these lashes remain a staple in my makeup routine!

Kate Spade Lily Avenue Wallet

  Have a holiday party or even to go to, but don't want to lug around your heavy everyday tote?  Kate Spade's Lily Avenue Wallet is the perfect accessory for all the essentials.  I can fit my iPhone, lipstick, ID, and cards easily, with room to spare for a few tampons if the time calls for it.  This wallet comes in the colors Ballet Slipper, Black and Cherry.  Ballet Slipper, a soft pink, is my favorite, and the scalloped snap-flip closure is elegant and sophisticated, while still remaining girly and cute.

NARS Audacious Lipstick in Anita

The reason this is one of my go-to lipsticks for parties or events is because of its great coverage and ability to last.  The texture is rich and feels like satin upon the lips.  My favorite shade, Anita, is a gorgeous petal pink, which gives my lips a subtle tone without being too dramatic.

Deborah Lippmann Glitter Nail Polish in Ruby Red Slippers

When I found this perfect shade of shimmery Christmas red, I had to stop in Sephora for a moment of silence and appreciation.  Honestly, you cannot get more festive than this.  These are long lasting, glittery, and comes in a show-stopping red.  If this is too much glitter for you (but honestly how could there be such a thing?) use this as an accent color on either your ring or index fingers, and paint the rest a bright red.

Kate Spade Small Square Stud Earrings in Rose Gold Glitter

In addition to purses and wallets, Kate Spades makes the most beautiful jewelry that is affordable, sophisticated, elegant, and effortlessly girly.  At only $38 these bazel-set faceted stones feel like a steal.  The glitter is subtle but always catches the light just right.

Kate Spade Metro Scallopped Leather Watch

 I know what you're thinking: Kate Spade, again?  Hell yes, Kate Spade.  This watch gives me life.  It is scalloped (to match the wallet), stylish and comfortable.  The face and color combination is stunning and classicly elegant.

Diorshow Mascara

This is my favorite mascara for wearing beneath a full set of false lashes.  It is voluminous, lengthening, and comes in a very deep jet black.  The brush is thick and lashes turn out lush and full.  This is also my go-to mascara when I want a dark eye look without false lashes.

 

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My 6 Favorite Holiday Inspired Makeup Tutorials

 

With Christmas almost a week away and holiday parties in full gear, it's time to start thinking about your holiday makeup looks!

Here are SIX of my favorite holiday makeup tutorials this year.  They range from bright and glittery to deep and smokey, and are guaranteed to fit anyone for any occasion!

Click the title of each makeup look to be taken to the full tutorial.  Enjoy!

Champagne Gold

Can you tell I am already excited about the holidays?  Plummy lipstick?  Check.  Silver eyes?  Check.  Pearl and gold jewelry?  Double check.  There is nothing I love more than looking festive, but this look can also be easily worn throughout the year.

This tutorial is currently being featured on the homepage of one of my favorite female blogging sites BlogHer, check it out here!

Classic Holiday Vintage Makeup Tutorial

This makeup tutorial uses vintage charm to create a classic, elegant and wearable makeup look.  The simple black cat eye liner and a light eye contour allows the red lip to POP.  I paired this look with a stunning emerald green blouse and round pearl and diamond earrings.  Throw on a pair of dark skinny jeans, grab a pair of nude pumps, and you've got yourself a casual chic holiday look!

Smokey Cranberry Gold

This smokey cranberry gold makeup look will inspire you throughout the holiday season.  This warm tone look has just enough shimmer and just enough smokiness that will make getting ready for a holiday dinner (and the inevitable food coma to follow) something to feel good about.

Black and Gold Glam Smokey Cat Eye

This black and gold smokey cat eye has been one of my favorite Fall looks that I have created.  This look is dark, smokey, and alluring.

Tiffany and Co. Holidays

Next to nothing is more representative of love and the holidays like Tiffany & Co.  Likewise, nothing better represents Tiffany's that it's iconic blue green boxes.  I wanted to create a look that capured that beautful color along with the shimmery Diamond embellishes that the store is so well known for.

Holiday Vintage Glam

For this holiday vintage glam look I can envision myself on a Christmas Eve circa 1945 with my hair tied up in a bun, an apron around my waist, and taking freshly made Italian cookies out of the oven.

 

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How To Do a Simple Everyday Eye Contour and Makeup Tutorial

This simple everyday look is a blend of neutral tones for an easy eye contour, paired with a natural peachy pink lip.  I use makeup and beauty basics in my daily makeup routine and this is my go to look.  A quick and basic eye contour can make you look put together and wide awake.  It is made to emphasize natural beauty and still cover imperfections, all while being a routine easy enough that I can do it as quickly as possible while rushing out the door to work in the morning.

Let's get started!

The Face

Prime, Foundation and Conceal

Starting with the basics: I moisturize my face with Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Cream and my under eye area with Origins GinZing Refreshing Eye Cream.  I prime my skin with NYX Angel Veil Skin Perfecting Primer and prime my under eye area with ELF Studio Hydrating Under Eye Primer.  Using a Beauty Blender, I apply a Maybelline Fit Me Foundation in Soft Tan to my entire face.  To highlight and conceal I use the Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Concealer in Light Warm in a V-shape beneath my eyes, in the middle of my forehead, down the bridge of my nose, on my chin, and on my eye lids.

Highlight, Contour and Blush

To set everything I take the Real Techniques Setting Brush and place a mixture of the highlight shades Lucid and Lyric from the Kat Von D Shade and Light Contour Palette and place a generous amount over the areas that I highlighted with concealer.  I also add a generous amount to my jaw directly below my contour line.  I allow the extra powder to sit on my skin for a few minutes to "bake" before brushing off with a Morphe Brushes G23 Soft Fan Brush.

With the Real Techniques Sculpting Brush I take the contour shade Sombre from the Kat Von D palette and contour beneath my cheekbones, underneath my jaw bone, along the hairline on my forehead, down my temples, and alone the parallel sides of the bridge of my nose.  After blending I apply the NARS Blush in Sex Appeal, a soft matte pink, using the BH Cosmetics Blush Brush.

Highlight and Brows

Using the same fan brush as earlier, I then apply the Jaclyn Hill and Becca Highlight in Champagne Pop to the tops of my cheekbones, my forehead just above my brows, and the bridge of my nose.  I highlight over this with the first highlight color from the Carli Bybel by BH Cosmetics Palette, a shimmery frosted pink.

I shape my brows with the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz in Ebony, fill it in with the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Powder Duo in Dark Brown, and set it into place with the Anastasia Beverly Hills Clear Brow Gel.

The Eyes

Transition Shade

Using the Tartelette Amazonian Clay Matte Eyeshadow Palette, I take the Wanderer, a light brown, with a BH Cosmetics Fluffy Blending Brush into the crease of my eye and start blending upward.  This is going to be our transition shade.

Crease and Lid

I then apply the shade Power Player, a taupe, directly into my crease with a BH Cosmetics Small Tapered Blending Brush using windshield wiper motions.  I reapply this color a couple times to build the color, making sure it blends into my transition shade but stays directly within the crease.

Using the shade Wanderer again I take the shade all across my lid and to my outer corner.

Outer Corner and Wing

I use the shade Multi-tasker, a chocolate brown, to define my outer corner.  I apply this directly to the outer third of my eye lid with a BH Cosmetics Tapered Blending Brush in the shape of a sideways "V." While I make sure to concentrate the color only to this area, I take it up into my crease and down into my lower lash line ever so slightly so as to enhance the smokey effect

Instead of using a gel liner (because this is an everyday look), I take the shade Fashionista, a soft black, with a BH Cosmetics Small Eye Defining Brush and carefully darken just the very bottom of my outer corner.

Highlight and Lower Lash Line

I then use the shade Shimma Shimma by Makeup Geek, a metallic champagne, to highlight the inner tear duct with a BH Cosmetics Fluffy Blending Brush, and a small flat shadow brush to highlight my brow bone just below my eyebrow.

Finally, I take the shade Power Player again and glide it below my bottom lash line using a small eye defining brush, making sure to blend into the outer corner of my eye to give the entire look a rounded out eye.  I go over the bottom half of Power Player with our original transition shade, Wanderer, to blend out any harshness.

Mascara and Falsies

I apply Diorshow Maximizer Lash Plumping Serum and Diorshow Mascara to my upper and lower lashes.  For my falsies I choose Morphe Brushes Premium Lashes #307, which are easy for everyday use, and apply them using Duo Eyelash Glue Adhesive.

The Lips

For this look I wanted something that was wearable in texture and color.  I apply the ColourPop Ultra Matte Liquid Lipstick in Donut, a perfectly wearable shade of bright peach.

I set the entire look with the Mario Badescu Facial Setting Spray.

Let Me Know!

Tell me your favorite products to use for an everyday makeup look!

 

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