Rimmel Lasting Finish 25 Hour Foundation With Comfort Serum Review

Are you ready to have your mind blown?! You better be, because this foundation is gonna do it! I purchased this foundation from Target on a whim, having never even heard of it before. I figured it wasn't much of a risk because it's super cheap and I like my Stay Matte foundation by Rimmel. The risk involved was low.

But the reward was extremely high! First off, I like the consistency of this foundation. It's not too thick so that you're sitting there forever waiting for it to come out of the bottle, but it's not too thin that it runs all over the back of my hand either. This foundation also applies beautifully! I blend it out using my Real Techniques Expert Face Brush and am blown away nearly every time. No joke. The coverage is awesome too. It evens out my skin tone and covers any redness I have. This foundation also lasts a very long time on the skin. I generally apply this foundation before 6am and take it off just before 6pm, but I also wear it longer than that on occasion. This foundation has a demi-matte finish (not super dewy, not super matte), so either side can be played up. I like to set it with a powder and make it completely matte. One thing I especially like about this foundation is that my oily skin does not break it up. At the end of the day, it looks just as great as when I first applied it, albeit a bit oily. It also does not transfer onto other surfaces. Saving my husband's shirts here! This foundation also has not broken me out in the last two weeks I've been wearing it, which is very important.

Over all, I'd say this foundation is creeping up on my Revlon Colorstay. Colorstay has been my holy grail foundation for a few years now but I am enjoying this Rimmel foundation immensely!

Quick Overview
Pros: long lasting, good coverage, reasonably priced
Cons: transfers

24th Birthday Haul

So last Friday was my 24th birthday, which basically means one thing: I got a lot of makeup. Since I'm 24 people aren't really into buying me gifts anymore, so now I just get cash. Which is fine with me because I love to shop. Over the course of the weekend I received $155, which I put to good use during the week.

This haul is a big deal for me because I purchased my first Urban Decay products. Yay! I know I'm late to the party, but I'm gonna be honest with you -- I just can't afford high-end products otherwise. My husband and I are currently living off of just my income and expensive makeup just isn't a priority. But you can bet your mom's pajamas I made it a priority with my birthday cash.

I have been drooling over the Naked 3 palette for months. Like, honestly -- MOOONTHS. The rose gold pinkyness was calling my name. When I walked into Ulta, it was the first product I went to grab. It felt so satisfying to finally purchase that palette. I created a look with it the next day and was mildly horrified that I didn't fall in love with it immediately. I feel like it's not as pigmented as I thought it should be... I haven't used it since then honestly, because I'm terrified I won't like it. I also purchased the Naked Basics palette and I am head-over-heels in love with it. I like, can't wait to use it every morning. All the colors are gorgeous, highly pigmented, and blend so easily. Ulta was having a deal that with every $40 UD purchase you received a sample of the PP and the 24/7 glide on pencil.

If you follow me on IG than you know that my latest obsession has been lip products. Seriously, my organization is overflowing right now. But I still had to make sure to purchase some! Like the Naked 3, I have been dreaming of the Revlon matte balm in Shameless. Purple is my favorite color and the swatches of this product looked perfect. I also picked up a few NYX lip liners, because they are so raved about, as well as the matte lipstick. The matte lipstick is in the color Whipped Caviar, and it's a wonderful muted, rosey nude. I also got two new WnW lipsticks: Red Velvet and Mochalicious. I purchased Mochalicious on request from an IG follower and immediately fell in love.

Lastly, I had to pick up some NYX goodies. Of course. NYX is my favorite drugstore brand I think. I wanted some cooler-toned eyeshadows and more jumbo eye pencils. The pencil in Yogurt is so gorgeous! A really pretty, shimmery champagne color.

That's it for this haul. I love everything that I got and my soul just feels so happy. Also, I still have some money to spend so keep an eye out for another haul ;)

What's one of your favorite products that you think I should try?

How to Wear that Bold Lip

I used to think of lipstick as something old women wore. It smelled funny and I thought I looked strange with lips of different colors. However, since becoming a young adult who dabbles in the world of beauty, that old way of thinking has completely melted away. Lipstick is just another means of changing your appearance, just like any other beauty product. And lipstick has come a long way since I was a kid too. Now they have varying scents and finishes and now I'm paying more attention to the different formulas.

For the last few months, lipsticks have been something I'm very intrigued by. I used to envy women who could throw on any color they wanted and just look amaze-balls. Lipstick was very intimidating to me, but I was dying to pull it off. I was set on finding some amazing lip colors that I was comfortable wearing. My first lipstick purchase was from the Maybeline Color Whisper line. It was a bright pink, but had a very sheer application. I liked the color it gave, but it wasn't longwearing by any means. My first bold lip color that I ever purchased was Antwerp from the NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream (SMLC) line. I put that baby on and instantly fell in love with the color and how it looked on me. There was no going back.

That exact moment is when I realized the secret to wearing a bold lip color. You just have to purchase lip products that you are so in love with that you don't even care what people think or say. I was so in love with Antwerp and thought it was such a gorgeous color that I didn't even care what other people thought. I felt confident in that color and I owned that confidence. That's it - that's the secret!

After having that epiphany, my perspective was completely different. I began hunting down different lip colors and really experimenting. I'd buy a lip product (at Ulta), try it out, and if I didn't love it, I could return it. Since then, I've purchased quite a few bold lip colors, including: my perfect, glossy red, a deep, mauvey pink, a dark, vampy purple, and a gorgeous, wine color. I am so in love with all of these products that I don't even care if anyone expresses any distaste, because guess what?! It's my face, and I'll dress it how I want with the products that I love.

A few tips for wearing the perfect bold lip color

1. Try everything. Literally, eeeeeverything.  If it's a color that you've always wanted to try, but are afraid it's going to look bad on you - get it, try it, and return it if you don't like it (make sure to check with whatever store you're purchasing from that they will take back opened makeup - ULTA DOES). No one has to know.
2. When I'm trying out new lipstick colors, I pay extra attention to how they make my teeth look. Does the color make my teeth look whiter or yellow? This is something you may or may not notice or care about, but just in case you'd never thought of it, I wanted to mention it. 
3. Make sure you have a clean lip line. I know it's all about not caring what others think and everything, but no lip color will look good with an application that looks like a 6-year-old did it, you know what I mean? Take the time to apply the lipstick neatly, and use concealer for any cleaning up.
4. Wear it around your house or to a casual hangout session first. Since bold lip colors won't closely match your natural lip color, they can sometimes look a little funky as they wear off. So wear it around to see how it wears off. If it wears off sort of patchy, a good lip liner similar to the lipstick might help.
5. Experiment with different finishes. You might try on a glossy hot pink lip and absolutely hate it and feel overwhelmed by it. Give a matte hot pink lip a try. The bright color in combination with the glossy finish might have just been too much for you. 

How to respond to criticism
Honestly, everyone is entitled to their own opinions. However, it's the manner in which someone expresses their opinions that really matter. If you're wearing a bold lip and someone goes, "oh my gosh, what were you thinking?! That looks awful on you!" make a mental note that that person is a jerk and kindly remind them that it's your face, not theirs, with the most sass you can muster. Now, if a good friend approaches you and hesitantly brings up that the tone of the lipstick clashes with the undertones in your skin, be a bit gentler with this person. A nice "thanks for the input, but I still really like this color" will suffice.

I hope that this post was helpful! I know what it's like to be trapped in a world of neutrals due to fear. If your soul is just longing to burst into a world of bold, let it happen! Buy that lipstick you've always wanted and rock it! Hold your head high and strut, knowing that your confidence is what's selling the lipstick.

What are some of your favorite bold lip colors?

Wet N Wild Mega Last Lipsticks -- review and swatches

So my last blog post was nearly two weeks ago! Sorry for the lack of posts, but I've just been feeling so uninspired lately and I haven't really been purchasing any new makeup either. But, I am back and ready to roll! I recently purchased 5 MUG shadows, 12 Morphe shadows, 3 NYX blushes, and another ELF haul. So there will be plenty of blog posts to come! I've also been recovering from a head cold. On Monday it started with a sore throat and it's basically turned into a ton of congestion and coughing. It's been miserable, but I have been feeling better lately.

Anyways, onto the important stuff!

I hardly ever purchase makeup from Wal-Greens, simply because they're makeup is often a few dollars more than at Target. But I found myself at a Wal-Greens clinic yesterday and while waiting for my prescription I wandered over into the cosmetic aisles (big shocker there!). I noticed that their Wet N Wild merch was on sale and took a look at some of the Mega Last Lipsticks. I ended up purchasing three: Just Peachy, Mauve Outta Here, and Bare It All. I was going to deeper shades for fall time, but think I missed that mark a bit. See what happens when you're too afraid to commit?! UGH! Anyways, I love these shades regardless!

 Just Peachy is a wonderful nude peach shade - basically exactly what the name says!

Mauve Outta Here is a great muted pinky mauve.

Bare It All is a wonderful nude shade for me! I was hesitant to purchase it, but am so glad I did.

The lipsticks apply as a creamy sheen, but dry into a more matte, better long-wearing finish. I have noticed, however, that Just Peachy is easier (more creamy) to apply than the rest, so that makes me think that maybe the consistency in the line just isn't there. The packaging is cheap, that's for sure! But you can't expect a Gerard Cosmetics gold bullet when you're paying under $2 a pop. The packaging does it's job. It has a very slight smell to it. I don't find it pleasant or unpleasant - I'm indifferent on the smell.

At the Wal-Greens I was at, the color selection was very limited. A lot of the lipsticks were already sold out or I already had similar colors of what was available. However, on the Wet N Wild website, a much larger selection is available.

I think the Wet N Wild Mega Last lipsticks would be a great line to purchase those experimental colors. You know, when you really wanna try that orangey lipstick, but aren't sure if it's going to look good? It's not too much of a loss when it was $2.

Overall, I'm impressed with the Mega Last lipsticks and plan on purchasing more!

Do you own any Mega Last lipsticks?

What's your favorite color?

How I Wash My Makeup Brushes

Welcome to the first technical post on this blog! I thought I would tackle this subject because there are sOoOo many different tactics to use, and I wanted the chance to brag about my favorite method. This method is easy, effective, and cheap -- these are a few of my favorite things (5 bonus points if you get the reference)!


The Ingredients

• 1 cup of warm water
• 1 tablespoon of liquid dish soap
• 1 tablespoon of white distilled vinegar
• aaaaand nothing else, because this recipe is super easy!

Make sure the water is warm. Cold water won't be as effective and hot water will be too harsh for the bristles. Liquid dish soap has an ingredient in it that is specifically for breaking up oils, which makeup brushes tend to be full of, and the vinegar acts as a disinfectant. Also, these amounts can easily be halved, doubled, or tripled, depending on the size of your brush collection.

The Process

1. Take a cup and fill it with warm water. Depending on the size of your brush collection, you may need to use quite a large cup or more than one. I use two cups: one for face brushes and one for eyeshadow brushes. Also, now is the time where some guess work is required - your brushes will be soaking in this cup with the cleaning liquid, so the cup needs to be the appropriate size so the top of the ferrule isn't underwater.
2. Add the liquid dish soap.
3. Add the vinegar.
4. Give the solution a good stir.
   
5. Place your brushes, bristles down, into the solution taking care that the solution isn't above the ferrule and let them soak for about 10 minutes. You do not want water above the ferrule, as it can cause mold. If you need too, pour out some of the solution.

1. After soaking, spend time cleaning and rinsing each brush as needed. Some brushes will just need a few strokes against your fingers, some will require some more soap and legitimate washing. Do not hold your brushes directly bristles up while they are wet. 
2. Once your brushes are clean and free of product, reshape the brushes and lay flat to dry.

The Alternatives
There are a few variations of my process that I have come across that I'd like to share with you as well.

1. If you have natural hair brushes, you may decide to use a little bit of olive oil in the solution. If that is the case, leave out the vinegar and use antibacterial soap with a little bit of olive oil. The ratio should be 4:1. The olive oil will condition your natural hair brushes. This is something I would never do because I already have oily, acne-prone skin and I wouldn't feel comfortable using the brush until all the oil was rinsed clean, thus defeating the purpose.
2. If you have a large brush collection, using your fingers for any deep cleaning might cause some rawness and irritation, so investing in a cleaning surface might be worth your while. There are several on the market. Perhaps the most expensive is the Sigma brush spa glove. This will run you $35. Cheaper options are the Brush Egg ($8) and regular silicone pot holders (various prices). Make sure to get a pot holder with a coarse surface, such as ridged or bumpy. If you're feeling really creative and have sons, you can even use a Lego building plate. I have seen someone use a kitchen sponge as a cleaning surface, but I personally did not like that. 
3. Some artists recommend hanging your brushes upside down to dry, because laying them flat can cause water damage. I have been laying my brushes flat for years and have never had any issues, but if you're feeling a little paranoid, there are a few options for hanging them up. A pricier option is a brush tree. If you'd like to keep your makeup brush cleaning cheap, you can get creative with some hair ties and plastic hangers.

FAQ
Q: Why should I wash my makeup brushes?
A: We use makeup brushes as a means to apply product to our faces. That product can build up in your brushes, along with any oils and bacteria the bristles pick up from your face. All that gunk will just sit in your brush...until the next time you use it. Any product, oil, or bacteria in your brushes can be applied to your face, causing breakouts and affecting makeup application.

Q: How often should I wash my makeup brushes?
A: My goal is to deep clean my brushes every weekend. Realistically though, I clean them about every 10 days or so.

Q: Why should I make a homemade cleaning solution when I can just buy brush shampoo?
A: Buying brush shampoo can be expensive! It can run you anywhere from $15-$30, and that can be for only 5 oz of liquid. With my recipe, I doubt I've spent $30 in the last few years on cleaning my brushes.

Q: What is spot cleaning?
A: Spot cleaning is when you take a few seconds to wipe your brushes against a clean surface in order to remove the immediate product. This is usually done with eyeshadow brushes so you don't get color transference. You can invest in an everyday, spot cleaning solution. I recommend the ELF daily brush cleaner ($3). Just spritz the cleaner on the bristles and swirl it on a clean wash cloth or towel.

Q: How long does this method take?
A: Taking into consideration the size of my makeup brush collection, this method takes maybe 40ish minutes. A minute or two to make the solution, 10 minutes to soak, and then give or take 30 minutes to clean and rinse each brush. 


I hope you found this post helpful! If you have any questions (or kind criticisms), feel free to comment below or DM me on Insta!

How do you clean your brushes?

Dramatic Looks #2 and #3

Well, I think this week's dramatic look turned out pretty decent compared to last week's! I decided to use tones and colors that I'm a bit more comfortable with to create this look. I also really focused on adding more pigmentation to my transition color. Normally the color gets lost during blending, and I never go back to add it, but today I definitely tried to. I'm also realizing that I'm having some shadow transfer from my lid into my crease area. I've been concentrating on rubbing my lid and blending the crease extra well to avoid this, but I'm still having trouble... Can anyone recommend anything? Is it just my shadows or maybe my primer? Do I need to be more persistent in blending?

I also created this look during the week! I'm honestly really proud of this because blue is sOoOo intimidating to me. I wish I had a white primer or a teal cream shadow to use as a base though, just to give the blue that extra oomph.  I'm also starting to learn that my crease doesn't always have to be dark. Way back when my mom first taught me how to wear makeup, she always taught me that the crease should be the darkest, and for some looks that is very appropriate, but it's not the rule of life.

Anyways, I'm really pleased with these two looks. I enjoyed creating them and wearing them all day. I'm currently saving up for a Morphe Brushes palette so that I can create some more fun and colorful looks.

If you have any tips, tricks, or constructive criticism, please leave it down below! I'm very eager to learn new things here.

As always, thanks for stopping by!

20 Facts About Me

So, about the only things you know about me are what's in my bio on IG, and I want you guys to know a little bit more than that. I know that I'm always wondering about the artists I follow. So here are 20 random facts about me.

1. In my bio, I refer to myself as a Christ follower... That means that I believe in the Gospel. I believe that God created the entire universe, and that we were ejected from Paradise when sin entered the world. God the Father, overflowing with grace and mercy, sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to be beaten and nailed to a cross to cover my sins. Jesus then rose three days later, and he lives today at the right hand of God. Because of Jesus' atoning work on the Cross and his victory over death, my relationship with God has been reconciled and I can look forward to an eternity in Heaven. If you'd like more information, click the link for my testimony on my homepage. 
2. On that note, I believe the Bible to be the true and infallible word of God. The Bible is the supreme authority of my life, offering guidance, love, advice, and comfort. 
3. I live in Phoenix, Arizona -- AKA the hottest place on Earth. It is literally sweltering here during the summer!
4. I'm married. Derek and I celebrated our first anniversary a few months back. My husband is amazing!
5. I'm currently a student at Grand Canyon University. My major is biblical studies with an emphasis in youth ministry. I am 14 courses away from receiving my degree.
6. I have two sisters. Lauren is 17 and Cayci is 27. We all get along great and are planning on getting matching tattoos in October.
7. Speaking of tattoos, I have three little ones. I have a purple heart on my forearm that I got in a shop on the beach while on my senior trip. I have 1 John 4:19 ("We love because He first loved us) on my ring finger. This was the verse we focused on during our wedding. I also have a small heart above the exfoliation line on the inside of my left foot.
8. Purple is my favorite color! Seriously, I have a small issue. I own so much purple it's not even funny. Of course I own the gorgeous limited edition Sonia Kashuks.
9. Currently I work at a small asset protection law firm. I basically have one of those jobs where no one really knows what I do, even though I've explained it five times. But before that, I worked with kids. I did that for 5 years and miss it every day.
10. I don't really know what God wants me to do with my life... I'm at GCU right now, but I also want to go to beauty school. But I also want to be a stay at home mom. But I also want to go on a long-term mission trip. It's a confusing time for me.
11. I am a very sensitive person in all aspects of the word. I feel things very profoundly and deeply. I don't watch gory movies at all; they easily disturb me. When I'm happy, I am soaring. When I'm sad, I can't move. 
12. I've been suffering from depressive episodes since 7th grade. For the most parts, I do okay at managing them. Every once in awhile I get lost in one, but God sees me through.
13. I'm quick to speak up for and defend what I believe.
14. One of my favorite foods to eat is an amazing salad that is chock-full of goodies! My other favorite food to eat is chocolate.
15. My middle name is Rachel, named after my aunt, who happens to be one of my favorite people ever.
16. My favorite television show is Supernatural. I've been watching it since season one and am slightly obsessed. 
17. I'm very interested in controversial topics, such as abortion. I love to read about them and form my own educated opinions, using the Bible as a filter, of course.
18. I am an extremely passionate person. I easily get worked up about things and situations and am quick to speak up. I get loud and boisterous and start gesturing with my hands. I really gotta learn how to tone it down haha.
19. I love to juice in the mornings! It is such a great start to my day. It gives me a delicious, portable breakfast that's healthy. If you've never juiced before, you're missing out!
20. I have oily, problematic skin with neutral undertones. 

Wow! That ended up being a lot longer than I wanted it to be! I guess I'm long-winded too ;) If there are any other questions about me that are consuming your mind, feel free to ask down below or send me a DM on Insta!

Top 5 Favorite Beauty Gurus

Since starting my beauty Instagram account, I have spent countless hours just pouring over my newsfeed to find new artists to follow. Many thumb cramps have I suffered by endlessly scrolling the "Explore" page. I love finding new gurus that feature unique works. And it's a plus if they have a YouTube account for me to obsess over too!

On my About Me page, I give a small shout out to some of the more famous YouTubers I adore, such as: Jaclyn Hill, shaaanxo, and LustreLux. However, this post will be focusing on some of the lesser-known artists that I've grown to love.

So here are my Top 5 Favorite Beauty Gurus (in no particular order)!

Whenever I think of dramatic eye work, I automatically think of Tia from @tialacakeface. If her cut creases don't win your heart, her colored brows and ombre lips will. She has some of the most impressive work I've ever laid eyes on. Her cut creases are always expertly blended and she features a ton of fun color combinations. She has also began dabbling in negative space cut creases, and they are so fabulous!

Another well-loved makeup artist of mine is Alyona of @mrs_mua. Her eye looks are gorgeOUS! She has a good mix of every day, more practical looks, as well as fun and funky. She also does some more artistic looks and creates some very impressive shapes and angles. I don't understand how this woman has less than 3000 followers, because she is absolutely amazing at what she does.

Katie from @psalm392_makeup is an absolute doll! She's definitely on #wcw status! I consider her to be a well-rounded artist. She features practical looks as well as dramatic, high-fashion looks (pictured here). She actually created this look to enter a contest, and she was a finalist! One of my favorite things about her is that she's not afraid to mix things up. This is one girl who definitely isn't stuck in a rut.

This next guru is a YouTuber. Tiffany Neilssien. I just enjoy her channel so, so much! She doesn't so much do tutorials on her channel. Instead she does a lot of reviews and hauls, which I really like. So many YouTubers are all about tutorials, but I much prefer a more well-rounded channel. She also really likes drugstore make up, which is great for any of us that don't have a lot of high-end products. Her videos are also just well edited. I don't find myself bored or uninterested.

Not so much of a lesser-known artists, but this last artist is perhaps one of the most creative that I have come across. Known as the Brow Chameleon, Alo from @makeupby_alo blows me out of the water every time I visit her page. This woman is a facial architect with her deep understanding of highlighting and contouring to reconstruct facial features. Not only that, but she is overflowing with creativity. Something else I also appreciate about her is her authenticity. Alo is real and blunt, and not afraid to tell everyone how it is.




If you haven't checked out any of these artists, I highly recommend doing so. Each of these ladies are amazing in their own unique ways. I enjoy visiting their pages (or channels) daily, just to see what amazing looks these artists have dreamed up. Most of these women probably don't even know I exist, but they have made in impact on me. It is my prayer that one day I can be in their shoes, and be just as kind and compassionate as they are.

Who are some of your favorite artists? Why? How do they inspire you?

Feature Friday 8/15/14

Welcome to my very first Feature Friday post! This will be a weekly segment on Kalyn's Cosmetics, and it will be posted -- you guessed it! -- every Friday. I will feature various things: products, tools/brushes, make up accessories, and even artists.

Without further ado, let's get to it!

I'm giving the honor of my first feature to a tried and true make up product. I have used this product for years and have found that nothing does the job quite as well as it does.

Retails for $9.55 on physiciansformula.com

 This Conceal RX Physicians Strength concealer in the corrective shade green by Physicians Formula is a holy grail product of mine. As stated in other posts, I have acne prone skin, which means a lot of redness. The first time I was ever introduced to color correcting methods was at an Ulta event for Smashbox, and the rep used the green primer on my face and I was blown away. I've been using a green corrector ever since (although not the Smashbox one). The first one I purchased was in stick form, but that didn't blend well. I always had a zombie-esque look to my face. Not cute. Then I stumbled upon this specific product, and immediately fell in love. The creamy texture of this product makes it so blendable, while the thick consistency does miracles to cover redness.

But my all-time favorite feature of this product is how much I use on a daily basis.

That's it! That's all that I have to use. A little bit of this product goes suuuuch a long way. Like, seriously, a very long way, so consider yourself warned, because I have totally ended up with too much product on my face. And the sea sick look does not suit me well.

I have two methods of applying this product that I like to use based on the surface area I would like to cover. For covering blemishes, I simply dab some on my finger and blend it out. When I'm trying to cover a larger area -- for example, the redness in my cheeks from scarring -- I dab a few, small dots on my face and blend with an ELF small stipple brush. When I'm applying foundation, I make sure to pay special attention to those areas and see that the green-ness is fully covered.

In short, this product has saved my makeup life!

Are there any color correcting products you swear by?

What should I feature next? A brush? An artist? Let me know in the comments!

#allthingsbeauty_babetag (yay, my first tag!)

Tagged by @ashleymaekup

1. Favorite foundation Hands down my favorite foundation is my holy grail foundation: Revlon Colorstay. I have used this foundation every single day for probably a year and it has never done me wrong.
2. Favorite concealer I'm still on the look out for a good concealer that will hide my horrendous dark circles. I currently use Age Rewind by Maybelline, but it's not really doing much for me. Next I'll be trying the Colorstay concealer.
3. Favorite setting powder In a recent post I talked about the Rimmel Stay Matte powder and the ELF HD powder. Both are amazing, especially in conjunction!
4. Favorite blush Hmmm, this is a tough one. Lately I've really been enjoying the ELF HD blush. Great staying power, and a little goes a long way.
5. Favorite bronzer NYC sunny bronze. Perfect for my skintone.
6. Favorite mascara Right now I am loving on the Maybelline Volum' Express Pumped Up. It's such a black mascara, curls my lashes well, and never clumps.
7. Favorite eyeliner I really love my ELF cream liner and the NYX glide on pencils. Great color selection and staying power.
8. Favorite lip products I am sOoOoO obsessed with the NYX soft matte lip creams. I only own two colors and am dying to get the rest!
9. Favorite drugstore brand If you can't tell, I am the drugstore queen haha. However, I think my two favorite brands are NYX and ELF.
10. Product you recommend For the thousandth time, I recommend Revlon Colorstay to anyone and everyone.

Dramatic Look #1

@makeupbygriselda

Welp, I did it. I said I was going to be practicing more dramatic looks, and that's just what I did. Unfortunately, being a novice at this whole blogging thing means learning as I go. So, lesson #1, do my looks during the day time so there is decent light for pictures. About halfway through blending my crease I realized that any picture I took was going to be a giant Suck Fest because of poor lighting.

Anyways, this is the best picture I could get. I didn't have the exact warm, pinky shade she did, so I mixed together a few shades in one of my ELF palettes. Also, all of the dark shades I have seem to be really lacking pigmentation. It's quite disappointing. This look did give me a good excuse to use my electric purple eye liner by NYX (which you can't see because of the poor lighting!).

Overall, I think I did okay with this look. Obviously not as glamorous as Griselda, but I think it's decent work. After doing this look I'm really wanting to invest in some better quality eye shadows, such as Makeup Geek. Good thing my birthday is only 3 months away!

Exploring the Discomfort Zone

Every professional has their comfort zone, right? At my law firm job, my comfort zone is LLCs. At my husband's job, his comfort zone is Kindergarten. Remaining in the comfort zone is easy and relaxing. However, stepping out of the comfort zone can sometimes be a very good thing and yield some incredible results. Same thing goes for make up enthusiasts/artists. My comfort zone are my every day looks. I've gotten pretty good at creating wearable, safe every day looks. I really enjoy creating these looks because they're more practical. But I just find myself sOoOoOo enamored by some of the more glamorous looks on my Instagram feed.

@chiknita81

@caprisssmakeup

@malenefrank93

 So this past weekend, after baby sitting a 5-month old for 8 hours, I decided to dive into my make up and create a more dramatic look for myself than I normally would. I decided on the black smokey eye with a warm crease. Easy (in theory), but definitely different than what I'm used to doing.

Someone get me a pair of falsies!

This is the end result, and I feel so silly posting this under all those great artists, but you know what? They didn't start out like that! They started where I am: as a girl who loves make up. With practice, determination, and dedication, they worked and blended their butts off until they became the amazing artists we all fawn over on IG. And with the same work ethic, I can do it too. We all can!

From this day forward, I will create at least one dramatic/glamorous/fun n' funky look per week. I will find inspiration from all sources, allow creativity to well up inside of me, and transfer that creativity from my hands and to my eye lids. I will then blog about my eye look and reflect on it. Is it what I envisioned? Do I like how it turned out? What would I change? Did I have the appropriate tools/colors I wanted? And please feel free to offer any sort of constructive criticism!

Are there any areas in your makeup life that you would like to step out of?

Matches Made in Makeup Heaven

As every good woman knows, no face of make up can be complete with just one product. On the contrary, it takes a multitude of different products and tools to achieve a certain look. By experimenting with different looks and products, we sometimes stumble upon make up gold! These are the product-product and product-tool combinations that we can't live without. These couplings complete our most flawless looks and enhance our features to the max. Here are my top 4 favorite make up duos. 

 This first one technically isn't a make up product and it's a trio, but everyone knows that good make up begins with good skin, which I don't have. It is very oily and prone to break outs. I've had acne since 6th grade, and it hasn't been an easy road to get to where I am now. However, this system is working fabulously for me! A unique quality of this system is that the cleanser doesn't have any active ingredients to fight acne. It is simply a cleanser, which means the system isn't too harsh. The cleanser does a great job of cleaning my skin, the toner is perfect, and the moisturizer is gentle, but still works to fight break outs. After using this system, my skin feels amazing, soft, and clean. 

This next duo is one I have faithfully used for the entirety of 2014. Last Christmas my mother got me a Real Techniques Stipple Brush, and I have used it with my Revlon Colorstay foundation ever since then. The finish that this product and tool give me is perfect! This is literally my flawless finish. The consistency of this particular foundation is perfect for use with a stipple brush because of the application it gives and because the brush doesn't seem to hold onto too much product. 

Can I get a hallelujah for this next pair?! The Rimmel Stay Matte powder and ELF HD Finishing powder are my two life savers. Like I said, I have very oily skin. Honestly, I sometimes gross myself out, but these two products together work mattifying miracles all day long. Separately, I would rank each product as a little more than average, but together they are my holy grail setting powders. The ELF HD powder gets a special mention here, because it dries my foundation to a skin-like finish. 

This combo is a new love, I must admit, but I have simply fallen head over heels for it. This brush is the densely-packed angled kabuki brush from the Sonia Kashuk special edition set (as if you couldn't tell). I knew it was meant to be used with my foundation, but I am a creature of habit and couldn't bear to separate my Colorstay and my RT stipple brush. So instead I paired this amazing brush with my Maybelline Age Rewind concealer. This concealer is known for blending flawlessly, but this brush just seems to do it better. What could possibly be better than flawless?! I don't know, but this brush does it. The shape of this brush is perfect for blending around the nose and under the eyes, and because this brush isn't fluffy, I'm not concerned about poking my eyes out. 

What are you holy grail combos?