New Mom, New Beauty Routine

On February 2nd, 2016 my husband and I welcomed our firstborn son, Adrian Alexander, into the world. I'm still getting used to calling myself a mother, let alone getting used to figuring out a whole new routine and new chapter of my life.

The older I've gotten, I'll admit, the less effort I've put into making myself up but I do still LOVE makeup, trying new products, and reviewing the things I do try. I love putting makeup on friends and family, and REALLY enjoy when I have a good half hour to spend alone being creative on my own self. Now that I'm a new mom I've caught myself in the mirror several times looking almost frumpy and I've tried to think of things I could do for myself while I'm home with my son to still make me feel good about myself and not completely unkempt. It's more for my own self than anyone else. With a newborn, most days are spent at home being completely consumed by taking care of the baby. 

For all you moms out there, you know how quickly your life can go from being all about doing whatever you want to, to running around taking care of your family with little time for yourself. For those of you who are looking for ways to still take care of yourself, while taking care of baby this is for you. It's all about balance. I put these in order of what I find most crucial for myself to feel better during the day. Hopefully some of these make you feel good too!

1.) Scrub a Dub- Ask you partner, a friend or family member to come and help you out for 20 minutes so you can get a shower or a nice bath in. I have found that this alone makes me feel 1,000 times better. My son is only 5 weeks old but I have been spit up on, peed on and pooed on many times already so just a simple shower feels like a relief. People always forewarned me that it'd be so hard to shower when a baby came and I used to think they were crazy. They aren't. 

2.) Skincare- when I'm able to squeeze in a quick shower, I like to quickly wash my face with Noxema and as soon as I get out of the shower I quickly put on one pump of my Shiseido Ibuki Protective Moisterizer SPF 15 and my Shiseido Eye Contour Cream. 

3.) H2O- I recommend filling a large water bottle to keep with you all day or just to keep filling up water, the more hydrated you are, the  more awake you are and if you're chugging lots of coffee, like I've been, coffee only dehydrates you so you'll need to replenish. 

4.) Chapstick- I love my Pomegranite Burt's Bee's lip balm because I have found my lips to be much more chapped since I've had my baby. I keep one right by my bed so when I wake up in the middle of the night to feed the baby, I can swipe some on before we both go back to sleep so my lips can restore over night. I also love vaseline as well for my lips. 

5.) Lotion- keep a big bottle of lotion around so that when you have a minute and are sitting on the couch you can give yourself a quick rub down from head to toe. I really like Cetaphil lotion.

6.) Perfume- Every day that I left for work prior to the baby, I always spritzed some perfume on. For some reason spraying perfume on myself seems like a great way to finalize my whole look for the day and makes me feel pretty even without makeup on. I really like Daisy Eau So Fresh and Arlésienne Eau de Toilette by L'OCCITANE because they're both fresh, light and clean smelling. 

7.) Get outside or go the gym- This one is a little harder since it's hard to get away from the baby but if the weather's nice out, take your baby for a walk in their stroller or their carrier. If you have a gym membership and are able to get away for a bit, go to the gym and exercise. Exercise helps everything and is a great way to burn off some stress and help you to sleep better (when you get a chance to that is.)

8.) Sleep when the baby sleeps- the first few weeks of having my baby home, I attempted to be the perfect house wife. I was cleaning, doing laundry and trying to cook meals and take care of the baby all at once and quickly got burned out. Now, depending on how much sleep I got I'll do more or less chores during the day and nap when the baby naps. That has made a huge difference in my energy levels and crabbiness. This also helps your skin to restore itself when you get as much rest as possible. 

Having people in your life to help you and support you helps make these a little easier but most of these are quick things you can do or keep in mind when running around with your children. Hope you enjoyed reading these 7 tips to a refined beauty routine for those moms out there who need to keep themselves in mind too. 

IPSY Product Reviews- February Glam Bag

Hi everyone! Can't believe we are at the end of February already. Seems like it will be Spring before we know it!

If you read last month's blog, you now know I have a subscription to IPSY's monthly beauty bags and since I haven't purchased anything full sized or new myself in such a long time I'm going to review what I got in this month's bag!

First and foremost, the 5 deluxe products I received this month came in this really cute, pixelated, envelope bag.

In this months bag I received a perfume roller ball, a gel coat nail polish, a lip & hand scrub, a face primer and a blush stick. 

Perfume Roller Ball

I received a mini roller ball perfume from Jor'el Park called Eau so Divine. The same is pretty big and came in a 8.8 ml roller ball which is a pretty significant size for a sample so I was pretty impressed by that. At first smell, this perfume smells like something a mature woman would wear. The notes consist of golden amber, sandalwood, sensual incense, Egyptian myrrh, pink grapefruit, blackcurrant buds, lily of the valley, star jasmine, rose petals, ylang-ylang, cardamom,  and Madagascar vanilla. This perfume is sulfate free, gluten free and paraben free. After a couple minutes once the notes settle my skin seems to pull out the lily significantly. I myself, am not a fan of lily's but those of you who are would probably love this. Overall I wouldn't purchase this as it's not my the type of perfume I like. The 8.8 ml sample I received typically costs $23.00 and the 1.7 ounce is $53.00. 

Pink Gel Coat

One of my favorite items from this month's bag was the Pink Gel Coat which is like a nail strengthener/top coat by Perfect Formula . The tips of my nails have been peeling a lot over the last year or so and it's been very annoying to me. I put this on my nails a week ago and my nails haven't peeled at all and the gel coat has remained in tact. I like that it brightened my nails and made them look really pretty and glossy without a nail polish color on. These gel coats come in a variety of neutral colors and I'd recommend them to anyone who needs a good nail strengthener in their life. The only downfall is they are $30.00 a piece, which is a bit expensive for a nail polish.

Lip & Hand Scrub

My second favorite item from this bag is now sitting by my kitchen sink. I was introduced to Jersey Shore Cosmetics previously from IPSY because I got one of their Mongongo Lip Conditioners which is absolutely awesome and one of my favorite chapsticks. It seems most of the cosmetic & beauty companies that IPSY works with are rooted in similar beliefs to have all natural ingredients in their products and I'm a huge fan of that. Jersey Shore Cosmetics does just that. Where better to find your ingredients for your skin than nature. This lip and hand polish is currently $30.00 for a set of 2 on their website but it typically $50.00. All you need is a pea sized amount of this polish on wet hands or damp lips and after massaging on either your lips or hands it leaves almost an oily residue that isn't overwhelming and is just moisturizing enough that you don't have to wipe any excess off. 

Face Primer

I rarely find time to do a full face of makeup but if I do and know I'll be using my foundation, I like to pull on one of my samples of face primers. In this month's bag I received Smashbox's New Photo Finish Primer Oil.  I'm not going to lie, when I heard the word "oil" at the end of this product name I was pretty turned off. I can't help but think greasy when I think of oil based products. This primer has almost a citrusy smell to it and is quick absorbing. The reason this is a good primer is because in winter (especially if you live in the midwest) your skin will tend to be drier so if you use an oil primer rather than a cream based, your makeup might end up sitting better. I have yet to try this primer with a full face of makeup but I was happy with how quick it absorbed into my skin, was happy with the smell and it left my skin feeling soft. Smashbox is known for their primer's as many famous makeup artists use them on the stars/models for photoshoots. I'd say if you're big into face primers this would be a great one for drier skin and during winter weather and I'd recommend it to you. For me however, I'll probably pass since I rarely wear a full face of makeup.

Blush Stick

Anyone who knows me well, knows I'm a huge bronzer person and very rarely wear blush but this product left me intrigued. Upon first impression of this Trestique product I thought it was a lipstick so that was a bit confusing until I read the back of the product that it was a blush stick. I tried it on and it is a very buildable blush and a pretty color in Bora Bora Coral.  I expected the product to be creamier feeling but it seemed to go on rather dry. I feel like the color faded off my face fast so all in all I would purchase this product but I do like that you can throw it in your purse if you need a touch up of color during the day. This blush stick costs $28.00 (typically goes for $34.00 but it's on sale. 

I really enjoyed this month's bag and am looking forward to March's Glam Bag! 

Hope you enjoyed my review!

IPSY Product Reviews - January Glam Bag

Hi ladies!!! Welcome back to my blog! It's been awhile, I know! I missed you! Today I'll be posting about some reviews of recent products I've used this month and what I thought of them so far.

I've been receiving a monthly IPSY bag for about 4 years now and for $10 a month I really enjoy it. For those of you who aren't familiar with IPSY or Birchbox, these are basically monthly subscriptions to beauty products and each month they come with 4-5 deluxe size makeup samples from products like skin care, eye shadow, eye liner, bronzer and lip products. They are super fun and since I'm such a makeup fan, I really enjoy trying out new products every month.

Every month around the 10th of the month IPSY mails out a different themed bag of the month with 4 or 5 samples of beauty products and January's bag was totally one of my favorites. Reminds me kinda of Andy Warhol's paintings.

How cute is this bag?

In this months bag I received a brown eyeliner, an eye serum, eyeshadow, eyebrow powder and cleansing wipes. Let's start with my review of the brown eyeliner.

BROWN EYELINER

I'm a fan of theBalm makeup line. They have good eye-shadows and I love they're style of pinup's and the names they name their products. I received "Mr. Write (Now)" in Rich Bronze. For some reason this picture makes the eyeliner look like it's gold but I assure you it's a medium brown in color. These pencils typically cost $17.00 a piece so you can see where it's nice to get a beauty bag subscription like IPSY because right there your saving $7 on an eyeliner and getting 4 additional product in your bag of equal or lesser value.

Overall I like the eyeliner but more for the bottom lash line. It's pretty shimmery and doesn't sit that well on top of eye-shadow and it rubs away a little easier than I like without eyeshadow on. I've worn it both ways to see how it would sit on my eyes. When I'm using any pencil eyeliner I like when it has more staying power or is waterproof because who has the time to touch up there makeup everyday (if you do, you're lucky). My verdict is I wouldn't purchase this on my own but was happy to try a new liner.

EYE SERUM

 

Another thing I love about getting a beauty bag monthly is I get introduced to a new makeup line I've never heard of before and Hey Honey! is one of the new ones I learned about in this month's bag. The creator of this line, Katerina Yoffe- Larden, created all these skin care items using actual honey and propolis (the stuff inside of the beehive). Both these ingredients are paraben and SLA free.  I received this awesome, moisturizing eye serum by this line called Hey Honey! Open Your Eyes: Eye Contour Lifting Fluid and I love it! It does exactly what it says it does online by quickly absorbing into your skin, moisturizing, lifting and helping prime the area a bit for concealer. I love that I feel like this serum could even replace my regular eye cream because it's so silky and watery that a little goes a long way and I don't have to wait a long time to put my makeup on after applying. This eye serum is $28.00. I would definitely purchase this on my own and am really excited to check out the rest of this skincare line because I like that these products are made out of natural ingredients and are known to be super balancing.

CLEANSING WIPES

Skyn Iceland is a 2nd brand I was introduced to in this month's IPSY bag. This is another line of makeup that is paraben-free & all natural which is an immediate plus in my book. I love a good facial wipe. Especially on days when I don't feel like exfoliating or washing my facial with soap and water this is the perfect "to-go" wipe to keep in your purse. The coolest thing about Skyn's Glacial Cleansing Cloths is you don't need water after you use them to rinse off the soap. The smell of these wipes is super invigorating and calming. The only downside of the "no rinse needed" is I don't like the smell it then leaves on your face. It's a great smell initially but I still take some water to my face to get the smell off because for some reason I still feel like the soap is then left on your skin. The ingredients in these wipes include: white willow bark (soothes irritation), islandic kelp (revitalizes), cucumber (smooths/softens skin), coconut (cleanses), and alpha bisabolol (anti irritant). Not only do these wipes wash your face and leave your skin feeling so supple and clean, but they remove makeup to. The one thing though is they don't remove the makeup from your eyes that well, so you do still need an eye makeup remover if you want to wash your face with these. That was the only downside for me.

Another perk of IPSY is when they send these products out, that month you are also offered a discount on purchasing the full sized product on the company's website. Skyn offered a 40% discount on full sized items and I'm definitely purchases a pack or two of these to keep in my purse for on the go. I'm due for our 1st baby in a few weeks and I'm pretty sure I won't be wearing much makeup for awhile so it'll be great to use these when I need some quick pampering to get me through my new mommy days.

I'm not going to review the eyeshadow or the brow eyeshadow because I wasn't a huge fan of either product and the three above were most note-worthy items for me from this January IPSY bag.

Hope you enjoyed reading my first blog of 2016! If you don't already have a beauty bag subscription, I hope if your a makeup junkie like me, that this post changes your mind! They're well worth it!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

What's in my makeup bag - January 2015

Photography: Natalie Probst

Hello readers!!! Happy 2015! First off, I apologize for being gone most of 2014. My life has gone through what feels like every change possible in the last 12 months. From getting engaged to moving out of our apartment into our very first home- to rehabbing and wedding planning, you can say I've had a hell of a year. And it's been WONDERFUL! I'm hoping in the new year to have at least one of two blog posts a month just because I can genuinely say I missed it and writing about some of my favorite products that I'd recommend to anyone!

I thought I'd start off the year with what I currently have in my makeup bag which simply includes the basics of what I put on every day. If you don't already follow me on Instagram, you should because I like to post my nail art, new products I'm buying and trying to include tips and tricks related to beauty products. Follow me now @deesbeautyblog! (It's also on the right hand side of the screen if you'd like to check out some of my pictures)

My 2015 Beauty Bag

Okay, let's get started. My daily staple items have been the same for a little more than a year and I've added and subtracted a few things here in there to find exactly what works for my skin and my skin imperfections. I'm noticing now that I'm in my late 20's I'm beginning to have a more uneven complexion. Meaning I wake up everyday with the following problems, so if you relate then perhaps some of my suggestions can help you.

My morning skin problems consists of…

1. Some redness under my nose and on my nose.
2. My circles under my eyes are darker.
3. My eyelids are puffy.
4. The insides of my eyelids are red.

First things first, SKINCARE

I had originally used Aveeno Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer for about a year or two and it originally worked great. Moisturizers at department stores are so pricey and I was happy to have found a cheaper alternative. Like all things, after awhile some products don't work well anymore because your skin gets immune to it somewhat. I noticed I started having a lot more breakouts and talked to my mom about it. She worked for a really amazing dermatologist in a nearby suburb and he had said, sometimes the cheaper the make-up products are the more likely they are to plug up and clog your pores because some of the ingredients in them are like fillers per se. This made perfect sense for me and I realized it was time for a switch up as far as my skin care was concerned. 

I worked at a make-up counter as a manager for Lord and Taylor for awhile right after college and one of the lines I was in charge of was Shiseido. I always loved this skincare line because it's predominantly plant and flower based ingredients so when I decided to make the switch that was my first choice. They recently came out with their Ibuki line of skincare which is for my age group. If you go on there website there are lots of easy pages on there that will help you figure out which skincare line would work best for you which is an awesome plus. Ibuki carries a Refining Moisturizer and a Protective Moisterizer. I have actually used both and they are both fantastic. One pump of either is enough lotion to cover your face and some of your neck. The only reason I would choose one over the other is because of the SPF. The Refining lotion doesn't have any SPF in it but is a clearer gel moisturizer which has done great things for my skin in our Chicago Winter. My skin is typically pretty dry in my T-Zone during the winter so I was really impressed that even though this is more gel-based that it's kept my skin well tamed. The Protective lotion is milkier and a little watery and absorbs super fast. All in all, they are both fantastic and when you apply the Softening Concentrate (which I don't use every day) this is just another step before you moisturizer that does exactly what it says, it softens your skin to prepare it to absorb all the ingredients in the moisturizer. I find that it's not needed daily because it runs out quick but I enjoy using it at least once a week to help my skin out. 

I've been using the same eye-cream for at least 4 or 5 years now and I'll just cut to the chase. If you haven't heard about all the awesomeness Clinique All About Eyes offers at a fair price, you gotta pick up it up to try! This eye cream is such a hit with people that it's won a bunch of awards consecutively.  It's won best of Beauty 2014: and Readers Choise 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009,n 1999 & 1998. I can vouch for it by saying it's not as much for wrinkles as it is for moisturizing. If you have a problem with crows feet you might want to try something else. 

ON TO MAKE-UP 

For eyes my daily staple items are a black liner and a good mascara. Because I get so red on the inside of my eyes I usually line my lower water line in the morning so I don't look as tired. My favorite black pencil line that is working just as good as the more expensive brands is Maybelline New York's Colossal Kajal liner in Black. Unfortuneatly, it only looks like you can buy it on Amazon currently as I think it is mostly sold in the Middle East and India. My sister picked me up one as a gift last Christmas (check out her traveling blog at the tab below my picture labeled "My Sister in Switzerland") and she got me hooked. I mostly use this liner for my water lines as I prefer my Stila "Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Liner in Black"

Over the last year I've also finally found a bronzer I'll stick with for awhile. Sun Bunny by TooFaced has a pink undertone that keeps it looking natural and gives just enough of a subtle tan look without looking fake which is perfect for our cold Chicago winter and this new highlighter I'm trying called Candlelight Glow by TooFaced is just as awesome. What I like BEST about this highlighter is it's really natural looking. If you apply it right it doesn't leave you looking sheen like some high lighters do and is a great for adding to highlight your cheek bones, under your eyebrows and even your cupid's bow.  I highly recommend TooFaced in general for face powders because I've never had a problem with any of their products. 

My favorite mascara was introduced to me by one of my best friends, Joanna. She is a Chicago Makeup-Artist and recommended   this MAC Mascara called In Extreme Dimension 3D Black Lash Mascara. Joanna and I have had many a conversation about mascara and both of us have collectively tried to find an alternative mascara that's AS great as this one and neither of us can. The brush head make's the application very build able and not only does it build volume but it builds thickness of the lashes without clumping. That's nearly impossible to find in any other mascara whether it's department store brand or drug store brand. BUY IT! Enough said.

My final staple that I use daily consists of concealer. You wouldn't believe how different every concealer is. It's almost not fair. Some days I feel like liquid concealer works better while other days I feel like cream concealer works better. My current, every day concealers consisted of Mary Kay's Concealer in Yellow. If you have a serious case of dark circles every morning (no matter HOW MUCH SLEEP you get) You have to buy this. It's only $12 and less than a pea size amount goes a long way. I've had mine for well over 6 months and it's only a quarter empty. 

Finally, I like to finish with either of these awesome concealers (like I said, it depends on the day) Make Up For Ever Full Cover Concealer which is a thick, full coverage cream concealer that again, a little goes a long way and Make Up For Ever 5 Camouflage Cream Palette which provides 5 different shades of colors. If you don't already know, our skin color changes at least 2-4 shades a year throughout the seasons. I imagine it's more so in the Midwest since the seasons change so much but this has a been a great go to between Winter and Summer seasons. 

Thanks for reading loves! I'm so excited to be back in the game of blogging. Hope you enjoy! Feel free to comment with any questions below! xoxo!

My New Product Makeup Review

Hi everyone! I haven't posted on here all year because my life has been insanely busy. The good news is in January I got ENGAGED to my sweetheart so the business is due to some exciting things in my life. We're so thrilled to start our lives together.

I've bought a couple new makeup products recently and thought I'd share my reviews of them with you. I really love when I get the chance to try new products because I find it really fun to figure out what works best for me and find things that not only I'd love but products my friends and family would love. Hence the reason I blog at all! :)

Let's get it started...

1.) Benefit "They're Real! Push Up Liner" $24.00

 

I was really disappointed in this product. I really love Benefit's "They're Real!" Mascara so I was hopeful about this eyeliner. It's a gel liner that comes out in a pen like form and this product was super hyped up on their Facebook page and online to the point where you could win a chance to get it before it was in stores. Well, I was one of those people who couldn't wait. Their marketing team did a fabulous job getting everyone excited about it but this product just doesn't deliver. It's supposed to be waterproof yet it smudges SUPER easy, forms a black line in your crease even after it dries and makes a mess when you take it off. A lot of product comes out if you twist it even slightly too much which makes it a waste and I'm just disappointed. The pen is really hard to get an even line on your eyelid without pulling at it and that bugs me. You should be able to use your liner without having to touch your eyelids much or at all. I've been using Lorac "Front of the Line Pro" for a few years which is an awesome liquid liner in an easy to use pen but I was hopeful this new liner would replace that. The Lorac liner is pretty sheen and this liner was more matte which is what I was going for. Unfortunately, this one didn't meet up to it's expectations.

2.) Mary Kay CC Cream Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 15 $20.00

My Aunt had a Mary Kay party this summer and I was introduced to some new products. I thought I'd buy a few things since they weren't really overpriced compared to some of the makeup lines I used to spend way too much money on.  Mary Kay's CC Cream was one of the products I got to try and ended up purchasing. I loved it! I've needed a little bit more coverage here and there in the summer but have wanted to avoid wearing foundation so my skin gets a little color. This had just enough coverage though to keep my skin looking like I didn't have anything on it while covering up discoloration or breakout spots and I love that it has SPF in it. It wears through a full days work and I feel as though my skin can really breath with it on. I also really liked that while we were at the party, there were 6 of us there and all of us used the "Light-Medium" color and it all matched our skin tones even though we all have a slightly different color to our tones.


3.) Mary Kay Concealer in Yellow $10.00

I'm currently trying to find products to replace some of my other beauty staples to save a little bit more money and this product is one of them! I purchased this concealer in "Yellow". I don't really get bags under my eyes but I do get purple under-eye circles that only get worse if I'm stressed or sleepy. If you have any art background you'll get it when I say that yellow cancels out purple. This concealer does just that. What I like about this product is it's $10 (a great deal for a good concealer) and a really tiny bit does go a long way. You seriously can use less than half a pea size amount on your ring finger to tap it into your skin and the pigment seems to blend it really nice. It starts out looking like a pale yellow but begins to blend in as it sets. I definitely recommend this product to anyone who needs a good concealer on a budget.

4.) Skin Rescue Deep Cleanser with Red Clay $24.00

About once a month my skin tends to break-out a little or just get congested looking. I typically use Noxema because it's always worked well on my skin to get rid of oil but I feel like this cleanser takes it one step further when I get a little extra oily in the summer. A little bit goes a long way on this one; you really only need a dime size amount and the soap comes out red and silky. I like that it lathers up really well on the face. It's great to use this with a Clarisonic Mia to really get it into the pores. This cleanser helps unclog pores and gets rid of oil. It's made out of red clay and rosemary leaf oil and smells awesome to the point of being almost therapeutic. This cleanser also helps dissolve makeup which is a nice plus. I love that another benefit of using this product is that it's more natural as far as it's ingrediants go because there are no parabens, chemicals or color additives. I got this as a sample in my IPSY bag that I get monthly and from the looks of their website it looks like they have some pretty cool skincare products. Check them out http://www.firstaidbeauty.com/

Hope you enjoyed my first blog of 2014!!!

New Year's Beauty Resolutions to Keep All Year Long

Happy New Year everyone!!! Welcome to 2014!!! 

As we start the new year fresh with new intentions, goals, and resolutions I wanted to introduce or re-introduce to you some of the most important beauty resolutions you should keep this year and always.

Good habits are important when it comes to skincare and makeup. A little bit goes a long way when it comes to this list. Incorporate them into your daily skincare & makeup regimes and I promise you, your skin will thank you for it.

• Wear sunscreen every day. I know that sounds crazy especially when it's winter in the Midwest but we are still exposed to the sun each and everyday and it's important to keep your skin protected regardless. 
• Moisturize every morning and every night. Moisturize everything. Put body lotion on after a shower so it absorbs better.  Moisturize your face in the morning before you apply makeup. Use your best night cream before you go to bed and wake up looking refreshed. Keep a hand lotion in your purse. 
• Wash your makeup off at the end of each day. It will clog your pores, cause your eyelashes to break, can create eye infections, makes you breakout, makes wrinkles deeper. If that wasn't enough to make you want to wash everything off before bed, read this.
• Drink more water. Hydrate the skin from the inside out by drinking more water. This is something everyone has to do more because it's good for EVERYTHING. 
• Stop picking at your face. You will cause scarring. The only time it's ok to pop anything is if it's white otherwise keep the pincher's away from your face. 
• Exfoliate at least once a week. And no more than twice because otherwise you will cause your pores to be larger which could cause break outs. Exfoliating helps get rid of leftover dirt that builds up in our pores from makeup and helps renew skin cells.
• Wash your makeup brushes once a week. They collect tons and tons of bacteria when you leave them sitting out with left over product on them. You want to apply makeup to that pretty face of yours, not dirt. Warm water and mild soap are all you need. 
• Do no over-tweeze. Let your natural eyebrows grow in and take shape. Then go get them waxed, threaded or learn how to tweeze correctly using this blog tutorial by Michelle Phan. 
• Keep chapstick on you at all times. Nothing is more annoying than dry lips, that burn and are chapped. These are my favorites: EOS Lip Balm, Noya Vanilla Lip Balm & Vaseline Lip Therapy. 
• Commit using your hot hair tools only twice a week, maximum. Haircuts are expensive these days for woman and using a heated curler or straightener more than once a twice a week really wrecks your natural hair textures and splits your hair ends even faster. Find a good taming mouse, cream, serum instead and let your hair dry naturally. 
• Get at least 8 hours of sleep a night. This will help you avoid looking puffy in the morning, it'll keep the bags under your eyes at bay and because it's just as important and good for you as water is. So turn that phone off. Sign off Facebook, put that ice cream down and go to bed.

This list could go on for days but I hope you were able to find at least one or two from the list that you can apply to your daily life. We can't replace our skin so it's best we take good care of it. These things aren't expensive or hard to maintain and I hope you found them helpful. 

Hope everyone's holidays were wonderful and I'm wishing you all a blessed New Year!! 

Thanks for reading!!!

Glitterize your New Year's Eve!

Welcome to my new and improved blog site! Thanks to my lovely big sister, we spruced things up a little bit to give the site a new look for the new year!

Speaking of the new year, December went by in the blink of an eye. New Year's Eve is one of my favorite holidays because it's a good time to reflect on the year that passed and look forward to new beginnings.

This is also one of my favorite holidays because it's one of the only and most appropriate times I get to wear GLITTER! I know this blog is a little last minute but I hope to provide some last minute inspiration for you ladies!

NAILS

I'm really loving this new line of nail polishes at Sephora called Formula X.  I bought a set of them a while back and just love them. While individual bottles are $12.50, these glittered polishes are good for special occasions and a one time splurge.

Light My Fire is the perfect way to bling out those fingers for your holiday party!

Light My Fire- Formula X $12.50

If you're looking for a cheaper nail polish that's just as glittery and fun, try Hors d'oeuvres by Essie. This bottle is $8.50 and you can get it at Ulta or online on the Essie website. This is currently what's on my nails for the holidays and the mix of silver and gold is too cute.

Hors d'oeuvres- Essie $8.50

EYES

Pinterest has some of the prettiest makeup ideas for the holidays and here are two of my favorite looks for New Years. 

 This look includes a set of fake lashes, black liquid liner, a pinky eyeshadow to contour the crease of the lid and lots of gold glitter. 

There are a few options to set loose glitter on your eyelids:

• Using eyeshadow primer all over lid- Wait 15 seconds-Take an eyeshadow brush and pat loose glitter all over lid.
• Use a cream based eyeshadow of your choice and pat it on. While it's still wet, take your loose glitter with your eyeshadow brush and pat over lid. 
• Use eyelash glue and pat over lid before it gets tacky. Wait a few seconds and pat brush with loose glitter on lid. Just an FYI your bursh may get some glue on it so wash your brush under warm water with soap before it dries. 

To recreate this look you'll need a steady hand, liquid liner, and glitter liner. First create a cat eye effect with your liner. Once that's dry, use your glitter liner to trace above the outer corner of the black liquid liner and then use the glitter liner right under your lower lashes from the tear drop to the corner of your eye.

PRODUCTS

Since I love glitter so much, I've collected products over the use that I use for fun holidays like New Year's Eve, St. Patty's Day or Halloween. Here are a couple products I recommend.

Heavy Metal Glitter Liner by Urban Decay ($19) I have this in Spandex. I like this color cause I can put it on top of black liner without it being too loud and it's just a subtle look of glitter. This stuff stays on all day and is really pretty. The brush is tiny and makes it easy to apply. You can add as little or as much glitter as you like and it's just awesome. It comes in pink, turquoise gold purple and iridescent.This product is the perfect product to achieve the look above.

Glitter liner in "SPANDEX"

Glitter by M.A.C. ($21)

I love, love, loose glitter! It's great because you can create your own nail polish with it and use it to re-create some of the eyeshadow looks above. You can pick-up loose glitter at pretty much any drug store or beauty store around. The reason I mention M.A.C.'s is because I've literally had my loose Gold glitter from this line for above 5 years without as much of a dent in it. It'll probably last me the rest of my life because the glitter is so fine that a little goes a long way.

Glitter in "GOLD"

I hope I was able to spark your make-up creativity for not only New Year's Eve/Day but for the new year to come. Wishing you all a happy, healthy, and safe 2014!!!