12 Makeup Mistakes To Stop Making Today And Why

I have been guilty of every one of these crimes of beauty at some point or another in my lifetime.   You live and you learn.  Makeup is supposed to be fun and it's 100% ok to have trial and error.  Here are 12 steps to make sure you have got the healthy makeup basics down!

Mistake #1: Skimping On Skin Care

I put this as the very first mistake not to make for a good reason.  You cannot have good makeup without good skin care.  After washing your face apply a hydrating moisturizer and eye cream.  My most trusted favorites have been Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Cream for my face and Clinique Moisture Surge for my under eye area.

Mistake #2: Curling Lashes With Mascara

Just don't do it.  It may seem like a great way to get the most volume out of your mascara, but you will damage your lashes in no time.  Curl your clean and dry lashes and then apply mascara.  If you are looking for extra volume and length try a set of falsies.  My go-to false lashes for daily use are the #307 quarter length lashes from Morphe Brushes.  They are easy to apply and so light weight that I always forget I am wearing them.

Mistake #3: Not Investing In Good Brushes

Great makeup often requires great brushes.  Use professional makeup brushes, compare them with drugstore brushes, and you will see an amazing difference in how your makeup turns out.  However, there is no need to break the bank!  My favorite makeup brushes are from Real Techniques and can be found at Ulta.  They are reasonably priced and will allow you to apply makeup like a pro!

Mistake #4: Apply Too Much Bronzer Or Contour

More makeup is not necessarily always better.  Sure, Malificent's cheek bones were to die for, but it's not a great every day look.  Contouring has the ability to make your face look thinner, but you are going to want to create soft shadows with a cool tone shade for your daytime look.  Check out my latest tutorial, Classic Holiday Vintage Makeup Tutorial, for an example on how to achieve soft, blended contours.

Mistake #5: Sleeping In Your Makeup

Every woman has been faced with this dilemma.  You are exhausted by the end of the day, the struggle is real, and just want to fall face first onto your pillow.  Or, you've just started dating someone new, and are still self conscious about them seeing your bare makeup-free face.  However, falling asleep with makeup on is never a good idea.  Your pores need to breathe, and failure to allow for this will cause you more skin problems than you really need.  If possible, make taking off your makeup one of the first things you do when you get home.  Throw on some sweats, tie your hair back, and take it all off!  Making it feel like a treat instead of a chore is the key.  Splurge on your favorite makeup removing wipes (mine are from Pond's) and a gentle facial cleanser, like Soy Fresh Face Cleaner, that leaves your skin feeling amazing and refreshed.

Mistake #6: Not Setting Your Makeup

Setting your makeup will not only make it last longer throughout the day, but it will also prevent creasing and sliding, and help with any oily skin issues.  It is best practice to set concealer wherever you are placing it on your face.  During the work week I love to use NYX HD Finishing Powder in Banana.  It is velvety soft, a great yellow neutral tone, and your makeup will not budge.

Mistake #7: Applying Concealer Incorrectly

Applying your concealer wrong will drag down your face, make you look more tired, and actually emphasize the things you are trying to conceal.  If you are applying concealer beneath your eyes, do so in a sideways "V" shape, starting larger at the eye, taking it down to the edge of the nose, and then back up at a ninety degree angle to your temple.  This will make your face appear slimmer and your makeup more streamlined.  You can also apply concealer in the middle of the forehead, down the bridge of the nose, and on your chin.

Mistake #8: Applying The Wrong Shade Of Concealer

Rule of thumb is to use a concealer that is two shades lighter than your foundation.  Your face naturally has lighter and darker areas due to shadows, and trying to make everything one color will look unnatural.  No matter what make sure you apply a concealer and foundation with the same undertone, such as yellow, golden, pink, or neutral.  This will help them to blend and match.

Mistake #9: Not Cleaning Your Makeup Brushes

Makeup brushes can be breeding grounds for bacteria if they are not cleaned properly or often.  Have you noticed your face breaking out recently for no apparent reason?  It could be that you've waited too long in between cleanings.  At a maximum clean your brushes after every use, and at a minimum clean them once per week.  Shampoos, sprays and balms are available for what best suits your needs, but I usually just use Johnson's Baby Shampoo.  If your brushes are extremely dirty and well beyond cleaning, throw them out and get a new set.

Mistake #10: Not Applying A Primer

Apply a good base after your skincare routine and before you apply foundation to have makeup that will truly last all day.  Also, primer will help erase fine lines and pores and make your makeup look and feel smoother.  My favorite drugstore primer is NYX Angel Veil Skin Perfecting Primer, but you should find a primer that fits your skin type the best.

Mistake #11: Matching Foundation To Your General Skin Tone

I once heard a quote from Sonia Kashuk that went something like "Foundation is like Spanx; no one should know you're wearing it!"  Your foundation should look natural and not like there is a mask on your face.  Match your foundation to the front of your wrist for the most accurate shade.  I have been self-tanning my body for years (never my face) and this has been my foolproof method for choosing foundation to match my body's self-tan shade to my non-tan face.

Mistake #12: Overspending On High End Products 

Price does not necessarily determine quality.  Trust me, I have learned the hard way on this.  Don't think that you have to spend a lot of money in order to purchase a good product.  Some of my most loved brands are low cost because they have better quality than their high-end comparables, including Morphe Brushes, ColourPop, BH Cosmetics, and Makeup Geek.

 

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DIY Beauty: Easy and Natural Dry Shampoo

Don't have time to wash your hair?  Hair appears oily or needs volume? Dry shampoo is your new best friend!

Dry shampoo usually isn't super cheap, which is all the reason better to try a DIY recipe.  While essential oil is the one thing you may not have easily accessible in your kitchen, it is easy to find in any grocery store and will last you a very long time. 

These DIY recipes will not only get rid of the oiliness in your hair but will also clean it, which is something that baby powder alone will not do.  Plus, as a dark haired girl myself, baby powder alone makes my hair appear lighter and unnatural.  The addition of cocoa powder allows it to remain dark and unnoticeable.

The powder substances will help alleviate any oiliness, while the essential oil will help to clean your hair. 

Dry Shampoo for Light Hair 

1/4 cup Cornstarch

1/4 cup Baking Soda

5-10 drops of your choice Essential Oil

Dry Shampoo for Dark Hair

1/4 cup Cornstarch

1/4 cup Cocoa Powder

5-10 drops of your choice Essential Oil

Directions

1. Chose either the light hair or dark hair recipe and mix all ingredients together in a small bowl until combined.

2. Use a makeup powder brush to apply the product to your hair, similar to the way you would apply baby powder or talcum powder.

3. To store, place in an air tight container or mason jar.  Frequently check for any off smells and discard product if expired.

DIY Gift Idea

Turn this DIY into a beauty product that you can give as a holiday gift!

Grab an adorable mason jar from your local craft store, tie some beautiful ribbon around the top, and label!  You can make this a part of a DIY Beauty Gift Set, complete with ELF makeup brushes, a  Sephora green tea face mask, and Eucerin body lotion. 

 

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DIY Hair Care Tutorial: 7 Steps On How I Cut My Long Hair

 

Cutting your own hair at home can save time, money and frustration.  If you have the patience and are willing to invest in a decent pair of hair cutting shears, you are 100% capable of cutting your own hair.

My Hair Story

I have been getting my hair cut and dyed for years.   My first hair stylist was a woman named Sue, who, to this day, still lives about 10 minutes down the road and cuts hair out of the basement of her house during evenings.  She gave me my very first haircut when I was a toddler, bangs when I was 10, highlighted my hair Christina Aguilera style in middle school, and went through every single one of my adolescent hairstyle fads with enthusiasm.

During college I was away from home and started frequenting Super Cuts.  It was at this point that I started to become frustrated with the way my hair was being cut.  Each time I would go I would get a random stylist, and each time he or she would cut my hair completely different.  I have been keeping my hair long since about the age of 19, and every time I went to the stylist I asked them to only take off as little as possible while trimming up my few shorter layers.  Many, many times I left with my hair at a shorter length than I desired, feeling as if they had taken off more than necessary.

How I Started Cutting My Own Hair

Wanting to keep my hair long and have it turn out exactly the way I wanted, I started cutting my own hair at home about six months ago.  I invested $15 in a pair of hair cutting shears from Ulta and a six pack of plastic hair sectioning clips.

The first time I cut my hair I was nervous.  Very nervous.  I imagined myself over-compensating for mistakes and ending up with lop-sided hair.  But instead of making my hair a disaster, I took my time and it turned out great.  I did some pre-research and watched several You Tube hair cutting tutorials.

I am not a professional hair stylist, nor have I ever been trained in how to cut hair.  The purpose of this tutorial is to simply show you how I cut my hair at home, and encourage you to look into it for yourself!  I suggest researching on You Tube the exact type of cut you want to try on yourself and becoming well informed on how to find guides and how to properly make a cut.

Let's Get Started!

Step 1

I wet my hair and comb thru it with a wide tooth comb, making sure everything is smooth and untangled.

Step 2

I separate my hair into three even sections.  I pin the top two sections into a bun to keep them out out of the way while I start work on the lower section first.

Step 3

I separate the lower section into two parts and bring them forward in front of my face.

Step 4

I take one of the two parts, bring it in front of my face with a comb, and make an even upward cut at an angle.  I then repeat this on the other side.

Step 5

I clip back my bottom section, un-clip my middle section of hair, and then clip back my top section to keep that out of the way as well.  I then repeat Step 3 and Step 4 on this middle section.

Step 6

I clip back the middle section with the bottom section to keep them out of the way.  I then un-clip my top section.  Parting my hair down its natural part, I then repeat Step 3 and Step 4 on this section.

Step 7

Un-clipping everything and bringing my hair in front of my face, I recheck the angle of each side with a comb to make sure they align evening.  I make any additional small clips in order to even out the angles on both sides of hair.

There you have it!  I just showed you the techniques I used to easily cut my own hair at home.  My goal in cutting it this way to to keep my locks trim and slightly layered, while still allowing my hair to stay as long as possible.

In the end, this is usually the small amount of hair that I trim off:

Let Me Know!

Do you or have you ever wanted to cut your own hair at home?  Do you do any other salon services yourself, such as dyeing hair or hair treatments?

 

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DIY Beauty: Easy and Natural Lip Scrub

 

This easy DIY lip scrub involves only THREE simple ingredients that you are guaranteed to already have in your kitchen.

As the days grow colder, your lips will inevitably become drier.  It is more important than ever to bring moisture and hydration back into your lips through exfoliation, and this easy and natural lip scrub recipe will do just the trick.

Why Use A Lip Scrub?

Exfoliating your lips before applying lip stick or any lip product is important for many reasons.  It will allow the product to apply smoothly and the texture to coat evenly. 

Using a lip scrub to exfoliate the top layer of skin will rid it of dead cells and then infuse hydration into your lips.

Moisturize! Moisturize! Moisturize!

Most of us do not have time to exfoliate our lips on a daily basis.  In between using a lip scrub make sure you keep those lips soft and moisturized!

During the cooler Fall and Winter months I find myself constantly reaching for any kind of hydrating lip balm.  My favorite is Aquaphor Lip Repair, which includes Shea Butter and is free of fragrances, preservatives, and dyes.  When searching for a good lip balm look for a product that is non-petroleum based, such as Shea Butter or Cocoa Butter.

DIY Lip Scrub: Ingredients

1 tbsp. Brown Sugar

1 tbsp. Honey

1 tbsp. Olive Oil

DIY Lip Scrub: Directions

Mix all ingredients in a small bowl.  Apply to lips with your fingers using small circular motions.  Wipe off with a tissue or wet cloth to reveal soft, exfoliated lips.

I Want To Know...

What great DIY projects have you found that are also great as gifts?

 

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Tiffany & Co. Inspired Holiday Makeup Tutorial

 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.

Breakfast at Tiffany's has been one of my favorite movies since I was a little girl.  I idolized Audrey Hepburn and her elegant, sophisticated style and beauty.  To this day I watch the movie and still find more to love about the eccentric society girl that Hepburn portrays.

I've visited the Tiffany and Co. store on New York City's Fifth Avenue twice, both of which were around the holiday season.  The storefront windows have whimsical holiday features that read like a storybook, and lare diamond-like displays of holiday lights up and down the block.

I will be visiting New York City TWICE within the next month: once for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and once for a shopping day with my mom and sister.  And a stop at Tiffany's is most definitely always in order!

The Face

Prep, Foundation and Concealer

1. I moisturize my face with Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion and my under eye area with  ELF Illuminating Eye Cream.

2. I prime my skin with NYX Angel Veil Skin Perfecting Primer and prime my under eye area with ELF Studio Hydrating Under Eye Primer.

3. Using a Beauty Blender, I apply Kat Von D Lock-It Tattoo Foundation in Light 49 to my entire face.

4. To highlight and conceal I use 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 and Set

1. 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.

2. 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.

Contour

1. 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.

2. After blending I apply the first color from the Morphe Brushes 9B Blush Palette, a soft orange-pink, using a BH Cosmetics blushbrush.

Highlight

1. Using the same fan brush as earlier, I then apply the Jaclyn Hill and Becca Highlight in Champagne Pop.

2. I apply the first shade of pale white highlighter from the Carli Bybel Palette by BH Cosmetics to the tops of my cheekbones, my forehead just above my brows, and the bridge of my nose.

Brows

1. I shape my brows with the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz Ebony.

2. I fill it in with the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Powder Duo Medium Brown.

3. I set it into place with the Anastasia Beverly Hills Clear Brow Gel.

The Eyes

Transition Shade, Crease and Lid

1. I take the shade Peach Smoothie by Makeup Geek, a matte light peach beige, with a fluffy blending brush into the crease of my eye and start blending upward.  This is going to be our transition shade.

2. I then apply the shade Deep Skin by Morphe Brushes, a satin soft gold peach with pearl, directly into my crease with a small tapered blending brush using windshield wiper motions.

2. I reapply this shade a couple times to build the color, making sure it blends into my transition shade but stays directly within the crease.

3. Using a flat shadow brush I take the shade Breakfast At Tiffaneez by Morphe Brushes, a matte blue green, and press it onto the center of my eye lid.  

4. Once the color is as vibrant as I want it to be, I then go back in with a blending brush to make sure there is a nice even line between the crease color and the lid color.  I do not want these two to be very blended together.

5. I then go back in to the Breakfast at Tiffaneez and add just a touch more color to the center of my lid.

Wing and Liner

1. I take a small angled brush to draw on my eye liner using the ColourPop Creme Gel in Kicker, a bright metallic silver.  I get as close to the lash line as possible and press down on the lid to create a long silver line.

2. I wing this out when I reach the outer corner of my eye.

3. Over top the gel liner I apply Wet 'N Wild Fantasy Makers Liquid Liner in Monster's Disco Ball.  This adds even more to that diamond-like shine that is so representative of classic Tiffany's.

Highlight and Lower Lash Line 

1. I then use the color Shimma Shimma by Makeup Geek, a shimmery pale beige, to highlight the inner tear duct with a fluffy blending brush, and a small flatshadow brush to highlight my brow bone just below my eyebrow.

2. I take Breakfast at Tiffaneez 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 it a rounded out look.

Mascara and Falsies

1. I apply Urban Decay Perversion Mascara to my top and bottom lashes.

2. For my falsies I choose Ardell Curvy Black Lashes #410 and apply them using the Vegas Nay by Eylure London Lash Glue.

The Lips

1. For my lips I both line and fill in my lips with ColourPop Ultra Matte Liquid Lip in Donut, a bright pinky peach.

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

I Want To Know...

What are your favorite inspirations this time of year?  Do you have a similar movie in your life that has inspired your beauty and style choices?

 

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