Beauty Bag

Like any girl out there, I am no exception to the fact that everyone loves makeup and beauty products. Over the years I have tried tons of different products, all promising different things, hoping to find ones that will be my friends forever.  So after many years of trial and error, I'd like to share my top 10 {in no particular order} beauty must haves that I absolutely cannot live without:

1  ||  Tresemme Thermal Creations Heat Protectant Spray  ||  Doesn't necessarily have to be Tresemme, this is just the one I use.  So important since I use heating tools on my hair almost every day.

2  ||  Covergirl Lashblast Luxe Mascara  ||  I know what you're thinking.."Covergirl?!" Yea you heard me right. I've tried them all—Dior, Chanel—but nothing comes close to making my lashes stand out like this $7.99 little miracle worker!

3  ||  Aquaphor  ||  It's just vaseline in a squeeze tube, but the best remedy for chapped lips. I honestly don't go anywhere without it.

4  ||  Aveeno Daily Moisturizer  ||  Moisturizing is so important after a face wash in the morning.  I like this one because it's light enough to layer under my makeup.

5  ||  AmazingCosmetics Amazing Concealer  ||  Definitely lives up to its name..it literally is amazing.  Such a thick concealer that hides even the purplest undereye bags—trust me..I would know.

6  ||  Laura Mercier Translucent Powder & Velour Puff  ||  My skin tends to get shiny throughout the day, so I always make sure to set my foundation with this powder.  Keeps my face matte all day long.

7  ||  Elastic Hair Tie  ||  I always have at least two of these on my wrist at all times. Just a basic necessity!

8  ||  The Body Shop Vitamin E Nourishing Night Cream  ||  Very rich and filled with antioxidants, perfect for replenishing moisture levels while you sleep.  And smells so clean and fresh!

9  ||  Clarisonic Mia 2  ||  My latest investment {and a very big investment} a little pricey but definitely worth it! It effortlessly removes all of the excess makeup that your regular facewash leaves behind.  Leaves my skin feeling so smooth and helps to rid acne! Looooove<3

10  ||  Batiste Dark & Deep Brown Dry Shampoo  ||  This stuff was a great discovery! I definitely don't wash my hair everyday and sometimes I go a few days without a wash..(um..hello big curls that take 6 hours to airdry) This spray is great compared to other dry shampoos that leave your hair white and powdery looking. It matches my hair color and smells awesome too. Available in a variety of colors!

What are some of your can't live without products?

Beauty Boxes

Have you ever heard of a beauty box?  I never had before very recently, when I heard of Birchbox. A monthly subscription of just $10 a month will land a box with a few samples right at your door.  Your box can contain a bundle of anything from makeup samples, perfume, snacks, and beauty tools.  The whole concept intrigued me as I loove to be girly, explore new products and of course try out free samples!  I decided to research it a little more so I could understand it better.  But after reading a few bloggers' reviews of Birchbox, I decided against it as they weren't really pleased each month with what they were receiving.  If I'm going to be paying for these samples, I want products that I'm actually going to use.  Through my research though I discovered Beauty Army.   Same concept as Birchbox, but with this one you get to choose the samples you receive from a preselected list that is generated especially for you based on the profile that you fill out upon sign up.  The Beauty Army beauty box is slightly more at $12 a month instead of $10, but it seems worthy since you actually get a say in what you're getting.  For an even steeper price, there's also Glossybox.  This one has a subscription fee of $21 a month, & to me that's a lot to shell out just for five travel-sized samples.  But if you have the money I'd say go for it.  I'm excited to receive my first Beauty Army beauty box.  I'll post a review when it comes!

Makeup Brushes: Cleansing Tutorial

It may have never occurred to you, but it's so super important to make sure you're cleaning your makeup brushes on a regular basis.  Go take a look at them right now and I'm sure you'll see eyeshadows and bronzer dusted over the tops, and probably even caked in deep within the bristles if you've never cleaned them before.  But today's the day you start taking care of them as you would the hair on your own head.  Two reasons why it's important to take good care of your brushes are:

1.  To prolong their life!  You paid so much for that really awesome set of brushes that polish off your look perfectly, so cleaning them regularly will help them last way longer than they normally would.  A well kept makeup brush can last anywhere from six months to two years, so you should want to get the most life out of each of your expensive little beauty tools.

2.  For your own health!  With the constant buildup of makeup day after day, this can cause bacteria to grow, leading to clogged pores and unwanted breakouts. If you're all of a sudden noticing an array of acne popping up and can't pinpoint the culprit, take a close look at your brushes and you might find that they're long overdue for a cleaning.

Don't put it off any longer, because it's so super easy to clean them.  You can either buy a brush shampoo at beauty stores like Sephora or Ulta, or you can mix one of your facial cleansers with water and create your own wash. I like to use Sephora's Purifying Brush Shampoo available in stores for $6.

1.  Gather up all your brushes that are due for a cleaning.  You definitely want to grab the ones that you use everyday, and all others that have any makeup caked up in them.  If you've never cleaned your brushes before, definitely clean all of them now.

2.  Focusing on just one brush at a time, dampen it lightly with warm water.  You don't want it to be soaking wet, so just run it under the faucet for a few seconds.

3.  In a small bowl {I like to use my mini latte bowls from Anthropologie}, squeeze out some brush shampoo.  A little goes a long way so I only use two pumps for each brush, one if it's a smaller one like my eyeshadow brush.

Swirl your brush around in the bowl rotating between clockwise and counter-clockwise.  You'll start to see all the makeup coming out of the brush and collecting in the bottom of the bowl.

4.  Run your brush under the faucet again {using warm water} and use your fingers to rub the bristles to get off any excess makeup that may still be in them.

5.  Use a paper towel to squeeze out all the water from the brush.  Make sure it's as dry as you can get it!  Reshape the bristles and lay your brush flat to dry.

It'll be a while before your brushes dry completely, so an ideal time to start is right after you've applied your makeup in the morning so that they'll be dry and ready for you to use the next day.

Happy cleaning!

Caviar Manicure

I don't know about you, but I hate going without nail polish.  My hands just look so little boyish when my nails aren't painted, and I'm always changing the color every week.  I love keeping up with the latest colors for the season, and I recently discovered what I think will be the next big thing in nail art: the Caviar Manicure. They look like little sprinkles for your nails!

Made by Ciaté, it's the first 3D manicure to hit the market and it is currently only sold on their website here.  They're currently all sold out, so you have to join the waiting list for availability updates.  But the kit will soon be sold in all Sephora stores!  So excited to try this, especially because it looks so easy to do and comes off with regular nail polish remover.  So easy but so so cute!  Can't wait to try it :)

                          

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