Huge Wal-Mart Haul

Kabuki Brush Set Review

A few months ago I purchased a brush set from Amazon (that you can find here.) I was very excited because I got 8 brushes for a great price! I was a little nervous like anyone is ordering items online, but I was very glad that these brushes are as great and high quality as they are. They are very soft and don't shed at all. The only downfall I have found is that when they first arrive they smell like very cheap plastic or chemicals. As soon as I gave them a good wash they were fine.

One of the face brush in the set is the angled brush. I use this to apply bronzer and blush.

Another face brush is the dome brush. I use this to apply highlighter on the top of my cheeks.

I use this small flat top brush to blend my under eye concealer in.

My favorite brush is this blending brush. I use this every day!

E.L.F. Jumbo Gloss Review

 I recently picked up a new E.L.F. product from Target. Its the Jumbo Gloss Stick in Sangria Starters. It was only $2! Compared to some of the other jumbo gloss sticks I have (like one from Sephora which was $5, Covergirl's which was about $7, and Revlon which was also about $7) it definitely holds its ground. It leaves a light minty scent and the gloss isn't to shiny, but it isn't matte either. The color pay off is iffy like most gloss sticks, but it can be build up.

Over all it moisturized my lips, leaves a fairly long lasting color, and is super inexpensive. Soon I'll probably be ordering more colors from this line.

Target Haul

5 Minute Makeup for Busy Mornings

Everyone has mornings where they sleep in too late or just don't want to put the effort it takes to do a full face of makeup! That's almost every morning for me. Here is an easy, quick, and inexpensive look for every girl. 

You'll need any mascara, under eye concealer, face powder, a brow filler, clear brow gel, and a colored lip balm. 

An expensive mascara I like is e.l.f's lengthening and defining mascara! It's only $1! Apply this to your lashes to define your eyes. 

Next apply concealer under your eyes and blend it in with your finger or a concealer brush. I love e.l.f's Tone Correcting Concealer. It smells like fruit loops and it's only $1. 

Set your concealer with a powder then apply to your T-zone. I use Rimmel's Stay Matte. This product stays on all day and is only about $5 at drug stores. 

Next fill in your brows, this step is optional but if it's apart of your everyday routine don't skip it. I use e.l.f's Eyebrow Kit which is $3 at Target or online.

Set your brows with a clear mascara or brow gel. This will keep your color from smearing or your brows from moving throughout the day. I use e.l.f.'s Wet Gloss lash & brow gel which is $1. 

Finish the look off with a colored lip balm! I love Revlon's Colorblast Balm Stain.

And your look is complete! 

My 5 Favorite Lippies for Spring!

All of this warm weather in Colorado has been making me excited for spring! One of the best things about spring is the beautiful floral tones that are in season. Here are my 5 favorite lip products for spring! 

From left to right: Sephora's Rouge Shine Lipstick in Soulmate No. 46, Revlon's Colorburst Balm Stain in Smitten 030,
Covergirl's LipPerfection Jumbo Gloss Balm in Rose Twist 225, Maybelline's Lipstick in Luminous Lilac 715,
and NYX butter gloss in Créme Brulee.

First up is Sephora's Rough Shine Lipstick in Soulmate No. 46. In the tube it looks a little intimidating and dark, but don't worry its not at all! It goes on fairly sheer in a nice berry color like in the swatch above, This is perfect for spring because it is super shiny and a great lip to pair with a natural eye look. You can find this product online here.

Next is Revlon's ColorBurst Balm Stain in Smitten. This product has a nice minty scent and leaves just a touch of color on the lips. Just like the previous product it can either be worn sheer or built up to be more opaque. You can find this product on the Revlon website here.

 This lovely rose color is Covergirl's LipPerfection Jumbo Gloss Balm in Rose Twist 225. This pretty shade will compliment any skin tone and is the perfect floral shade for you spring dresses and wedges. You can find this product here.

 Next is this very nice peachy nude color from Maybelline. This product seems to have been discontinued or revamped because I could not find this one on their site.  I like to put this over the Covergirl Gloss or wear it by itself.

The last lippy I love for spring is NYX's butter gloss in Créme Brulee. Again, you can put this over any lipstick or wear it alone for a nude shine. You can find this gloss here.

Major Haircut!

Before two weeks ago I hadn't had a haircut in almost two years! My hair was so dead! For a very long time I didn't use heat protectant on my hair even though I was using heat stylers daily! Here is a before picture of my hair. 

My hair was more than half way down my back, my once exsistant bangs were to my shoulders and the ends of my hair were split, dead and frizzy.

I went to the salon and I told the stylist that I wanted to cut it to my shoulders to get rid of the dead hair. 

After this photo I asked her to cut off a couple more inches and then we dyed it! I went to shade darker than my roots and here are the results! 

A total of 7 inches off, long layers to make my thick hair easier to manage, and a brand new color! I'm in love. I have been scared to cut my hair short for a long time but now I'm in love!! 

Jeffree Star's Velour Liquid Lipstick Review

When Jeffree Star released his first line of liquid lipsticks on Black Friday, I was more than excited. J Star is one of my main beauty idols! Unfortunately, I was unable to purchase any of the colors at the time of release, but my very lovely college roommate got it for me as a Christmas gift!

The packaging is gorgeous! I got the color "Redrum". In the tube it looks to be a more of an warm toned/orangey red rather than a cool toned red which looks best with my skin tone. After applying it and the product dried it was more of a cool toned red which would look great with all skin tones! The consistency is amazing. 

This picture was taken after I first applied the lipstick. It becomes matte but doesn't dry your lips whatsoever! I ate lunch with this lipstick and did not have to reapply. Some product came off on my glass, but again I didn't have to reapply. 

This picture was taken about 6 hours later after a nap! There was a little bit of bleeding around the edges, but lipstick isn't suppose to be worn to sleep!! I also did not use a lip liner before applying the product because I wanted to see the solo performance of the lipstick

Overall this product is amazing and top of the line. I love how involved Jeffree is with making his products and how he personally tries them out before production. I can't wait for the new nude colors to drop in the spring/summer and for Jeffree Star Cosmetics to expand. 

To purchase Redrum go here.

Top 10 Favorite E.L.F. Products!

Ross and E.L.F. Haul

DIY Cucumber Mint Face Mask

Do it yourself face masks are always a ton of fun! I found this one in Redbook Magazine and decided to try it out.

Here's what you'll need:

• 2 cucumbers (or one large one)
• Ice
• Spearmint essential oil
• A blender

First, add the ice to the blender. I used a whole ice tray of cubes. You can probably use half or even a quarter of this if you don't want to have any left over.

Next, add the cucumber in. Again, you can use up to half or a quarter of a cucumber if you do not want left overs.

Now add in a few drops of the spearmint oil. Add more if you want a stronger mask. Blend all of the ingredients until it is smooth in texture.

Now you have a refreshing cucumber mint face mask! After you apply it to your face, freeze the left overs! Just thaw until it is a slushy consistency before using it the next time. Enjoy!

Ombre Nail Tutorial

When ever I am on Pinterest or Instagram I always see pictures of beautifully done ombre nails that look as if only a professional could have done them. In reality they aren't hard to achieve at all! Here's what you'll need:

• A make-up sponge
• White nail polish
• Two to three colors you want to be in the ombre
• Top coat 
• Elmer's glue
• Paint brush

This step is going to seem really strange, but trust me! It really helps in the end. Using your paint brush, dip it into the Elmer's glue and apply thin layers around your nails.

Next, apply the white polish until it is almost opaque. It doesn't have to be completely solid because it is just acting as a base. Let the glue and the white polish dry before moving onto the next step. 

Now take your make-up sponge and apply the colors you are going to use darkest to lightest. When you are applying the first coat onto the sponge you may need to put multiple coats because the sponge absorbs the paint. 

Apply the paint to your fingernails. To make it opaque repeat the last step and this step several times on each nail. 

After the nail polish has completely dried, remove the glue by peeling it up. This should remove most of the paint that would have been on your skin. Clean up any extras with a Q-tip and nail polish remover. 

Apply a top coat and you are done! 

Beauty Busters: Does Honey and Olive-oil lighten your hair? Follow-up

A few months ago I began lightening my hair with a honey and olive-oil mixture that I read could lighten your hair within a few uses (You can find that post here.) I found that it really does! After only two uses my hair was beginning to lighten. Of course it won't work as fast as a boxed dye, but it is much better for you hair and you can have a lot more control over the color. I personally think that this process is great to add highlights for the summery months. 

After one use. 

After two uses. 

Ariana Grande Inspired Makeup

Target Haul (Number 2)

Christmas Present Nails Tutorial

Christmas time is the perfect time of year to dress up a little more than you would, and you definitely don't want to leave out your nails! The normal red and green can get a little boring, so here is my Christmas Present inspired nail tutorial.

A non-shimmer grey polish (I'm using Recycle by china glaze), a non-shimmer red polish (I'm using Valentine by Heaven Nail Lacquer), a non-shimmer white polish (French White Tip by NYC), a silver sparkle top coat with large hexagon/circle sparkles (BCC655 by L.A. Color), and (this one is optional) a gold sparkle top coat (Gold Rush by CG Boundless Color). And of course some tooth picks!

Now paint your ring finger with the white polish and the rest with the grey polish. You can use whatever colors you'd like, this is just how I choose to do it!

Using the tooth pick, dip it in the red polish. Draw lines across your nails about an eighth of an inch from the top.

Now draw an 'x' on top of the line, using the line as the center of your 'x'. Connect the ends of the 'x' and fill in the empty spaces. You now have bows!

Now, using your silver sparkle polish, take a tooth pick and pick up a large hexagon sparkle and place it in the center of your bows. If you want to finish off your nails with the gold sparkle top coat, do that now. I decided against it.

You now have your super festive Christmas Present nails!

Thanksgiving Make-up Tutorial

For this look, start out with your normal foundation, concealer and powder routine. I use NYC's Smooth Skin Liquid Make-Up in Barely Beige, ELF's double sided Under Eye Concealer and Highlighter, and Mayballine's loose powder in Light.

Next contour under your cheek bones, along your hair line and on your temples with an angled blush brush. This will give your face a more defined look. I used NYC's Smooth Skin Bronzer in Sunny. 

Now for blush! Using the same brush you did for your bronzer, apply a Mauve color on your cheeks to give your skin a flushed look. 

Using the ELF Under Eye Concealer and Highlighter, apply the highlighter on the top of your cheekbones and gently work it it. This will make your skin glow. 

If you normally fill in your brows, do this now. I use ELF's Brow Kit in Medium. First apply the wax with the angled end of the brush to add color and set the hairs where you want them. Now using the fluffy end of the brush, set the wax with the powder. 

Eye shadow primer is a great tool to use when you will be wearing your make-up for long periods of time and you don't have to spend a fortune on a high end brand! I use ELF's Eyelid Primer in Sheer. Dot it on the lids then spread it evenly with your finger tip. 

Take a spongey eye shadow brush and apply a white shadow to the inner corner/tear duct area and under the brow. This won't be very noticeable, but it will make a huge difference in the end. 

Using a normal eye shadow brush, apply a shimmery champagne color all over the lid. 

Use the same eye shadow brush and pat a medium brown color on the outer half of your eye to give it some depth. 

Using a blending brush, take a matte chocolate brown and apply it in a V shape on the out half of your eye. 

Now its time for eyeliner. My favorite liquid liner is Maybelline's Waterproof Ultra Liner in black. With your favorite liquid liner, make a simple winged line. 

Once your black liner has dried, take a gold sparkle liner and apply it on top. I used ELF's Liquid Liner in Copper. 

Curl your lashes and apply your favorite mascara. For mascara, I used ELF's Lengthening and Defining in Black. 

You are done with your eyes! Now for lips. Apply a red lip stain evenly to your lips. I used ELF's Lip Stain in Nude Nectar. 

For a little shine and color, apply a sheer brown lip gloss over the top. I used Bath and Body Works Almond Cocoa. 

You are now done with your Thanksgiving Make-Up look!