Friday, November 27, 2015

#BBCChallenge | Orange, Red + Yellow


Hey guys! I hope you all had an amazing Thanksgiving! We are back with our monthly #BBCChallenge! This month's theme is Orange, Red & Yellow - inspired by fall leaves. If you aren't familiar with the BBCChallenge it is a monthly challenge myself and the ladies of The Beauty Blog Coalition put together to challenge ourselves to create something awesome that we might normally not try out.
  • Face: CoverFX Custom Cover Drops (in N25) mixed with Josie Maran Cosmetics Argan Daily Moisturizer. It Cosmetics CC+ Concealer in Fair. Bronzer, Contour, Highlight and Blush from Smashbox Masterclass 3 Palette.
  • Eyes: Kat Von D Mi Vida Loca Remix Palette > Lid: Analogue, Outer V: Vox + Rewind, Crease: Noble mixed with Analogue,  Inner Corner: Fran, Lower Lid: Rewind. ColourPop Ultra Matte Liquid Lipstick in LAX for the liner. Ardell Demi Wispies for lashes. Jordana Extreme Lash for mascara.
  • Brows: Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz in Brunette
  • Lips: ColourPop Ultra Matte Liquid Lipstick in Limbo
Make sure to show some love to my beauty babes that took part in this month's challenge as well:

Sunday, November 22, 2015

FOTD | Mint Chocolate Chip


Hey gorgeous! So. I'm sitting here, guzzlin' sippin' my coffee this morning (baby bear was up six times last night!) and I'm looking at these pictures and am a little disappointed in how they came out. I really wish the colors in them would pop out the way they are in real life. Do they look washed out to you? Maybe it's just my screen. Whomp whomp. I've been using natural light and sometimes it looks great; sometimes it doesn't. In my last post, a wonderful reader pointed out a color difference in my foundation when in real life, it matched and I always want to make sure you guys see what products and colors look like in real life. I never want you to be like, "Hey! That doesn't look like that!" Sigh. With that, any suggestions for lighting/ring lights? I've heard they make all the difference when it comes to making colors true to life. Let me know in the comments below! 

Anyway, onto this look. I really wanted to dip into my vault of barely palettes and pulled out the Too Faced Joy To The Girls Palette from last year. Can I just say that I can't believe I don't use this more often? Swoon, swoon, swoon! I came up with this mint chocolate chip look using the "spotlight" method (putting a bright/light/metallic/different color shadow in the middle of the lid to create a spotlight) and am really happy with the way it turned out. 

BEWARE: I went a little cray cray with the pictures!
  • FACE: CoverFX Custom Infusion Drops (in N25) mixed with Josie Maran Daily Moisturizer applied with a damp BeautyBlender. Smashbox MasterClass 3 Palette for highlight, contour and bronzer. MAC Melba for blush.
  • EYES: Too Faced Joy to The Girls Palette - Cookie Dough in the crease, Mulberry on the inner and outer corners of the eye with Joy (dampened) and patted onto the middle of the lid. Mulberry brought down to the lower lid. Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes Mascara for lashes. Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz (in Brunette) for brows.
  • LIPS: Kat Von D Everlasting Lipstick in Lovesick
Thursday, November 19, 2015

FOTD | All Greyed Out


Hi guys! A few days ago, I was playing with the Inglot Matte It Be shadows and came up with a pretty, maybe not-so-wearable for everyday but still fun to play with look. It's a little dramatic and what I like to call "zombie chic" but I'm diggin' it.



  • FACE | It Cosmetics CC+ Cream (in Light) applied with a damp BeautyBlender. It Cosmetics CC+ Concealer (in Fair) to conceal. Bronzer, contour and highlight from Smashbox Master Class 3 Palette - also used to set foundation.
  • EYES | Inglot Matte It Be shadows were used for the whole look. I used #309 in the middle of the lid and #307 on the outer part and inner part. For the outer v to deepen the look, I used #306. Lastly, for the lower lid, I used #310 and blended it out to keep it smokey. Lastly, I used #308 for the inner corner. Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes Mascara to finish off the eye look.
  • BROWS | Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz in Brunette
  • LIPS | Inglot Black Swan Lipstick in #436


Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Inglot Matte It Be Eyeshadows #306, 307, 308, 309 + 310 | Swatches + Review


Hey babes! Today I'll be showing you the five Freedom System new matte eyeshadows from the Inglot Matte It Be Collection released last month. This collection also includes four new shades of Inglot's AMC Eyeliner Gels, two new kohl shades and eight new matte O2M nail polishes. Let's check them out!

  • #308 - a matte mulled wine
  • #306 - a matte dark grey.
  • #309 - a matte oyster pink.
  • #307 - a matte light indigo blue.
  • #310 - a matte heather grey.
Overall: I have a confession. I'm SO in love with these Inglot mattes! I'm new to their shadows and can't believe I haven't tried them until now. Instead of reviewing each one, I can honestly just sum up all of them since they all performed the same. Each one was extremely soft and pigmented. I will admit they were a teensy bit on the dry side but it didn't affect the application at all and tends to be the norm with mattes.

(L-R: 306, 309, 307, 310 and 308)

(Middle lid: 309 | Outer and inner lid: 307 | Outer v: 306 | Inner corner: 308 | Lower lid: 310)
(This look will be up this weekend - using Inglot shadows and lipstick!)

Inglot USA | Shop $6
*Press samples
Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Star Wars Jedi Makeup Tutorial + Rite Aid & CoverGirl Beauty Sweepstakes



Hello my little Stormtroopers! Have you heard?! Rite Aid and CoverGirl are holding a Beauty Sweepstakes that is currently going on right now to November 26th. You can enter via Twitter or Instagram by uploading a photo of YOUR light side or dark side beauty looks using the hashtag #RiteAidBeautyForceSweeps! You must be a follower of @RiteAid at Twitter and Instagram and your account must be public. The two grand prizes winners will receive CoverGirl Star Wars products worth $360!

Here is my take on the Jedi look created by the ever-so-talented Pat McGrath for CoverGirl. I was going for a more wearable Jedi look (well, can't say I thought I'd ever say that!), complete with a hair braid headband. Legit. My fiance came out of the room and was like, "Is that your hair across your forehead?" I was like, "Yes. My Jedi would totally rock this." and then he walked away from me. Pff. Men.

Products used for this look!

  1. First things first, we're going to prime our eyelid with our favorite primer. This helps eyeshadows stick to the lid without creasing and moving throughout the day. It also helps neutral out our lid.
  2. Next we're taking #3 from the CoverGirl Notice Me Nudes Eyeshadow Quad and we're popping that into our crease. Depending on how much drama you're looking for, you can take this up above your crease or just leave it in the crease and blend it out.
  3. Now we're going to take #2 from the same quad and using a flat shade brush, we're going to pat the shadow on the sides of our lids but leave the middle as empty as you can.
  4. Next we're going to take #1 from the same quad and pat that into the middle of our lid and very gently blend it out.
  5. We're going to add some dimension to this look by adding #4 into our outer v of our eye and blend it into our crease.
  6. I wanted a little lightness in my inner corner so I just took #2 on my ring finger and patted that into my inner corner.
  7. Moving onto my lower lid, I took #4 onto the outer part of my bottom lid and blended that into #3 towards the inner corner.
  8. (Optional) Take a cotton ball with makeup remover and wipe away any glitter fall out under your eyes.
  9. Finishing up on the eyes, take the CoverGirl Star Wars Super Sizer Mascara and coat your lashes to your liking. I personally like to apply a little more mascara on the outer edges of my lashes to give the illusion of more volume. (Optional: I added false lashes to my look on top)
  10. Lastly, apply the CoverGirl Star Wars Colorlicious Lipstick in Gold and go kick some butt! :)


Looking for inspiration? Make sure to check out CoverGirl's Tumblr for ideas! I can't wait to see your looks! :) Good luck, dolls!

* Sponsored by Rite Aid & CoverGirl.
Wednesday, November 11, 2015

YoungBlood Perfect Pair Mineral Eyeshadow Duos | Swatches + Review


Hi babes! Today I'll be reviewing YoungBlood Mineral Cosmetics Perfect Pair Duos in Charismatic, Virtue, Graceful and Desire - part of their Holiday Collection!

YoungBlood Cosmetics started when creator Pauline Youngblood, working as an aesthetician, noticed that her patients had severely traumatized skin from harsh laser treatments, acne, cosmetic surgeries and rosacea and had little options when it came to makeup that wouldn't clog their skin. Pauline worked with chemists to come up with natural mineral cosmetics that would cover raw, inflamed and/or discolored skin while still letting it breathe. In 1996, YoungBlood Cosmetics was born!

Charismatic
  • English Tea - a matte chocolate brown. I need to just warn you guys now. All of these shadows are amazing! So get ready for a whole bunch of "amazing" "super" gorgeous" and "ajsdkasjdksad" in these reviews. But seriously. English Tea is everything I could ask for in a velvety smooth chocolate brown matte. So buttery soft, opaque and little fall out.
  • Calla Lilly - a shimmery light peach champagne. Can I just marinade in this shade? Is that weird? Calla Lilly is stunning. Again, incredibly opaque and so, so soft. This is a gorgeous highlight as well!
Desire
  • Pink Rose - a light pink matte. I was expecting this to be really chalky but was very surprised with how soft and smooth it applied. It also held its own which is hard sometimes to do when you have a light matte. Sometimes they can kind of fade, especially when blending with another shadow. Pink Rose is very opaque (although you probably can't see it since it's basically my skin tone) and smooth to apply.
  • Iris - a dark purple satin. Can we just talk about this for a second. Hello! Iris is a gorgeous opaque, pigmented smooth-as-buttah shade that is just so, so stunning. It also blends out like a dream!
Virtue
  • Pure -  a white matte. I always get nervous around matte whites because they almost always never play nice. They're usually dry, chalky and fade after a few hours of wear. Not for Pure! Pure is incredibly opaque for a white matte and no where near chalky. In fact, it's smooth like the others and applies very well with no kick up.
  • Passionate - a shimmery maroon with a subtle gold duochrome. When I opened the compact and saw this, I knew it was going to be awesome! I can't even begin to describe how smooth this was to apply. It is jam packed with pigmentation and is opaque with one swipe! This applied like a dream!
Graceful
  • Apricot - a bright peach shimmer. I can't get enough of this. Slightly more peach-ier than Calla Lilly from the Charismatic duo. So buttery soft and smooth to apply.
  • Azure - a sea blue satin. I drool over this blue! Again, buttery soft, no fall out and so nice to apply. I can't get over how opaque and how it didn't sheer out over the course of the day. 
L-R: Graceful, Desire, Virtue and Charismatic

Can you guys tell I'm a huge fan? I'm almost positive this post could've turned into a drinking game for the amount of times I said "buttery soft" and "amazing". There's nothing better when you love a company's product and they love you back. As you can read from how YB got started, they really care about their customers. That being said, I absolutely loved all four of these duos and highly recommend checking them out!

YoungBlood Mineral Cosmetics | Shop ($28)
* Press Sample

Wednesday, November 11, 2015

BoxyCharm | October Box - Faces of the Moon


Hi loves! How's your week going? It's been sleepless over here. Poor Hunter is teething so no one has been getting any sleep. Fingers crossed they pop through soon so we can get more shut eye. Onto the post! 

I have a review of the BoxyCharm October box! What's BoxyCharm, you ask? BoxyCharm is a beauty subscription that comes to your doorstep every month with 4-5 full size luxury items for $21 a month. While that might sound a little more expensive than other subscription services, consider that you're getting guaranteed four full size products every month while compared to Ipsy where it's only $10 but they're usually smaller samples. The promise of full sized products alone totally got me hooked on it!

October's theme was Faces of the Moon which is a pretty unique theme, am I right? This box is all about embracing who you are but also letting the beauty of "all your faces" show. Love that! 

  • Palmetto Derma Rejuvenating Antioxidant Mask ($64) - Let's start with the most luxe product in the box! At $64, this mask is about three times the box itself so you're already getting your money's worth with this product alone. This clay mask gently purifies by cleaning your pores and skin. I love that they put a universal mask in the box. Sometimes you can receive skincare and it's not for your skin type so it's kind of a waste. This mask, however, can be used on all skin types.
  • Bellapierre Cheek and Lip Stain ($20) - This stain is great for people on-the-go as it combines two products into one. You can apply the lip stain as you would a lip balm or dot it on your cheekbones and blend in for a nice, flushed look. I like that this stain is very natural looking. I've had ones where I've gone to dot it on my cheeks and there's been bright red dots that would not blend.
  • Lord & Berry Line Shade Eyeliner ($18) - I love trying out new brands! This eyeliner is formulated with kajal and kohl to provide deep, rich color. I like that you have time to smoke it out before it becomes unbudgeable. It's really long-lasting and doesn't flake away.
  • Cult Cosmetics Nail Polish in Boneyards ($12) - Currently rocking this on my nails right now! Boneyards is a smokey grey polish that screams fall to me! Consistency is nice and was opaque with two coats. Cult Cosmetics is also a new brand to me. I honestly got them confused with Cult Nails at first and then did some research to find that they're two different companies.
  • Doucce Punk Volumizer Mascara ($24) - This mascara is not your typical mascara. First off, mascara packaging itself is kind of clunky but for a good reason: that's to house the plump mascara wand inside! The consistency of the mascara wasn't too thick or wet and really lifted my lashes while elongating them. I was surprised!
Overall: This box had a lot of products and brands I had never heard of which I loved. I'd have to say my favorite product from this box would hands down be the Cult Cosmetics nail polish. I'm drooling over the color! What's your favorite product from this box?

BoxyCharm | Shop + $21 a month
* Press sample
Monday, November 09, 2015

Inglot Black Swan Lipsticks (#435, #436 + #437) | Swatches + Review


Guys, it's November. Who wants to freak out with me? According to my calculations (aka the calendar on my phone), there are a little less than seven weeks until Christmas and guys, I have the perfect gift for the beauty lover in your life - or yourself. Let's be honest. Either or!

Inglot recently came out with three new matte lipsticks as part of their new Black Swan Collection for Fall/Winter 2015 and they are perfect for winter! Each lipstick contains Vitamin E, macadamia oil and avocado oil to moisturize your lips.




  • #437 - a matte black. I'm just going to come out and say it: I never thought I could wear black lipstick until I tried this one. I know it's just a simple black matte lipstick but there's just something about it that makes it quite flattering. The formula on this lipstick is a little tricky though. The lipstick itself is hard. That's the best way I can describe it. It doesn't seem to effect application of the shade much (ie: no pulling, no patchiness), but when I put it to my lips, that was the first thought that I had. It didn't feel soft to my lips at first. Once the shade is on your for a few seconds, it kind of melts and becomes even more smooth and more wearable. 
  • #436- a grey taupe with purple undertones. I love a good grey lipstick. It's so different from the typical dark lips for the colder seasons but somehow still fits in. #436 had the same formula as #437. The stick itself was hard to the lips but it didn't effect application. It's just a different feel to it. Once the shade is on your lips, it feels absolutely fine and is smooth and opaque.
  • #435 a blackened plum. When I first saw this out of the tube, I thought it was another black or super dark grey. I was SO surprised when I swatched it and it was a gorgeous dark plum! Again, same MO as the last two lipsticks: hard but smooth and opaque once on the lips. I absolutely love, love, love this shade! On the lips, it looks pulls black but you can see the plum as well.
Wearing #435
Wearing #436
Wearing #437

Overall: How gorgeous are these shades? I have to admit that all of them are my favorites and there were no weak players in the group! The consistency of these lipsticks took some time getting used to but they didn't effect the application of the lipsticks at all. I didn't experience any patchiness or pulling even though the stick itself felt hard to the lips. All three lipsticks were extremely opaque, smooth and wearable. My lips definitely felt moisturized as well! I would like to note that I think #436 is matte but #435 and #437 are more of a cream finish.

Inglot USA Buy ($19)
* Press Sample

Friday, November 06, 2015

Holiday | Simple Glam Holiday Tutorial + Giveaway


This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. 
|| #LookByMilani #CollectiveBias


Guys. It's official! It's November and the holidays are literally right around the corner. Are you ready?! If you've got the outfit, presents and food but are unsure about a go-to holiday glam look, I've got you covered! And the best part? The majority of the products used are from Milani which you can find at your local CVS. PSST. Stay tuned for a giveaway at the end of this post!

Milani Products Used:

Simple Glam Tutorial:


  • To get this look, I started off by applying my favorite primer all over my face. Moving onto the eyes, I applied the Milani Eyeshadow Primer to both lids and let set for 30 seconds. 
  • While they setting, I started filling in my eyebrows with the Milani Stay Put Brow Color (in Brunette). Literally, my most favorite brow product right now. It was so easy! It comes with a dual-ended brush that has a spoolie on one side to brush out your brows and a slanted brush on the other side to apply the product in thin, brush-like strokes.
  • Next, I went back to my eyes and brushed a "same as my eyelid" colored shadow on my lid. This helps to blend any shades you put on your lid a little bit easier.
  • For my crease, I went in with a nice warm tan shade to create a little depth. I applied it with a fluffy brush in a windshield wiper motion.
  • For the lid, I patted on a nice white shadow. I really wanted to brighten up the lid but still stay subtle. I then lightly blended it into the crease for a seamless transition.
  • For my simple but sleek cat-eye, I took the Milani Fierce Foil Eyeliner (in Black Gold) and lined my lid and then winged it out. Easy-peasy!
  • Once your eyes are complete, you can start on your foundation, bronzer and blush. I like to do this after my eyes are done so I can clean up any mistakes or fall out before continuing.

 Giveaway Time!

It's giveaway time! Enter below for your chance to win one of three prizes: a $500 gift card and two $250 gift cards to CVS. 

#LookByMilani - Holiday Looks with Milani at CVS

What is your go-to holiday look?
Tuesday, November 03, 2015

Michael Todd Soniclear Elite Deluxe on EVINE Live!


* Sponsored

Hey dolls! Now that it's November, who's starting their Christmas shopping? If you have a beauty lover in your family or heck, even looking to treat yourself and are looking to save some moola, keep reading! I've been a huge fan of Michael Todd ever since I tried his Pumpkin Nutrient-Rich Facial Mask a few years ago so I'm excited to share this total steal going on RIGHT NOW!
Michael Todd is premiering their Soniclear Elite Deluxe on EVINE Live and evine.com featuring a special Michael Todd Today’s Top Value – EVINE Live’s best value of the day!
If you aren't familiar with the Soniclear Elite, it will refresh and revive the look of tired skin with its sonic-powered, antimicrobial brush heads. The complete body, pedi and face system with an optional C-Boost™ Technology mode, make this "youth machine" the go-to cleansing and exfoliating tool for all skin types. Especially suited for aging skin to slough off dead dulling skin cells while deep cleaning the pores of dirt and makeup for a refreshed appearance and a more radiant complexion.
Great for gifting, Soniclear Elite Deluxe will be offered in eight different colors! The Deluxe set can be yours for less than $129 plus S&H and will include:
  • Soniclear Elite Sonic Powered Skin Cleansing System with C-Boost™ Technology, Charging Stand and Power Adapter
  • Antimicrobial Face Brush Head
  • Antimicrobial Body Brush Head
  • Pedi Treatment Head
  • Shower Extension Arm
  • Hard Shell Travel Case
  • Shower Caddy
This special price is good for a limited time through 9:59pm ET 11/4/15.  
Michael Todd is premiering their Soniclear Elite Deluxe on EVINE Live and evine.com on 11/3 at 10pm and 11pm ET and 11/4 at 4am, 5am, 6am, 10am, 2pm and 7pm ET.
Tune in to watch the show live on evine.com or find EVINE Live on your local station.  You can also buy it now or shop all Michael Todd products on EVINE Live.
Sunday, November 01, 2015

How-To | Fall Waves W/ The Beachwaver S1


Hey sugars! Today I wanted to share with you one of my absolute favorite hairstyles for fall - fall waves! You didn't think waves were just for summer, did you? Waves in general are very flattering for all hair lengths and are super easy to achieve.



Not sure where to start? Sarah Potempa (of The Beachwaver) has put together an incredibly easy tutorial using The BeachWaver S1 to achieve this look so let's get to it!

  • So first off, I like to rock the waves hairstyle with second day hair. If you just washed your hair or your hair is a little greasy, spray some dry shampoo into it. This will create texture to hold the waves a little better. Recommendation: Batiste Dry Shampoo
  • Alrighty. So now we're going to split your hair down the back and bring it forward so it's in two sections. Then we're taking the top half of those sections and twist it up to the top of our heads and out of our way for now so we can work on the bottom half first.
  • Using The BeachWaver S1, we're going to take about an inch section of hair and clamp your hair at the bottom. Tip: I like to leave about an 1.5" of hair at the end of the wave to give it a messier look.
  • Then press the arrow pointing away from your face to start the rotation of the Beachwaver S1 and release the arrow to stop it.
  • Continue until your finish the bottom half of your head and then start on the top half.
  • Once you're done, let the curls cool and then brush them out. I like to use my fingers to brush them out. Hairspray them and you're good to go! :) Recommendation: Nioxin Niospray Extra Hold Hairspray

I love using The Beachwaver S1! It was very easy to control and the waves achieved using it are so, so gorgeous. What's your favorite way to style your hair in the fall?

You can find The Beachwaver S1 at your local Ulta Beauty or at Ulta.com - $129

|| #StyleHunters4Ulta  #UltaTrendAlert 
* I was provided The Beachwaver S1 from Ulta Beauty/People StyleWatch but all opinions are my own.

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