Leah Tackles

HOLIDAY BEAUTY RELEASES! BEAUTY ADVENT CALENDARS!

October 5, 2016 & Leave a Comment

Hi there! Happy Wednesday!

I have been excited about the holiday makeup releases since mid summer which seems crazy, but that is when some of the sneak peeks come out! I absolutely love the holiday season and I, obviously, love makeup so putting the two together makes me giddy. Today I wanted to share three beauty and makeup related advent countdown calendars incase you’d like to treat yourself or a friend to a little beauty cheer this holiday season ; ) Speaking of advent calendars, our Elf On the Shelf will be delivering fun ones to each of the kids this year and I am *so* excited about them! Stay tuned to our Daily Vlogs to see those later this season!

L’Occtiane Advent Calendar:

Price: $55

I was excited to see this as an option for those who would like to try a higher end skincare brand. I do wonder if the sizes will be large enough to get a good feel for if you like some of the products, but others like the hand cream and soaps I would think you could definitely get enough of an idea of whether or not you’d like to purchase the full size items. These would also be awesome for traveling if you have an upcoming trip!

Ciaté London Mini Mani Month Nail Polish Set:

Price: $59

I am SWOONING over this one! If you know me then you know that I do not need any more nail polish, but this set is gorgeous! I am swooning over the packaging as well as the colors! I love that you get a great variety of polish colors.

Benefit Cosmetics Girl O’Clock Rock Mini Set:

Price $45

This isn’t quite an advent calendar this year, but you could do “12 Days of Christmas” or just open it the 12 days before Christmas instead of 24. I think this is a great set if you don’t have a lot of Benefit Cosmetics items or maybe for someone who is just starting out with makeup. And Benefit does such adorable holiday packaging!

Have a wonderful weekend loves! Please comment below what you would like to see for the holiday season! Reviews? Gift Guides? Both? Let me know ; ) xx

MY FAVORITE MAKEUPGEEK EYESHADOWS FOR FALL!

October 3, 2016 & 2 Comments

Hi there! Happy Monday!

I hope that all of you are having a great start to your week! I have been reaching for my Z-palette a lot lately because some of my Makeup Geek shadows have been absolutely perfect for fall! Makeup Geek cosmetics sell individual eye shadow pan singles, which means that they do not come in a case or a palette, so you need to use something like a Z-palette to store them in. I love these eyeshadows because they are incredibly pigmented, you can customize your own palette, and only buy what you truly love. The shadow singles shown range in price from $6-$10 each. I hope you enjoy seeing these shadows and if you’d like to see more Makeup Geek reviews or hauls in the future, please let me know in the comments : )

MAKEUP GEEK FALL SHADOW FAVORITES:

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Cherry Cola, Roulette, Cocoa Bear, Beaches & Cream, In the Spotlight, Cosmopolitan (*Note: pictured left to right):

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I hope that you enjoyed seeing these STUNNING shadows! They are gorgeous worn together or with just one or two packed onto the lid. And don’t forget to enter my giveaway on my YouTube channel! Entering is easy : ) Have a wonderful week!

SIMPLE BEAUTY FOR SICK DAYS WHEN YOU CAN’T STAY IN BED!

September 28, 2016 & Leave a Comment

Hi there! Happy Wednesday!

I hope that you are having a great Wednesday! Cheers to being halfway through the week! I, unfortunately, have a cold that has me extremely thankful for DayQuil at the moment :X So, I thought I would use this as an opportunity to share my go-to beauty tips for when I’m sick but can’t stay in bed.

GO HEAVY ON CONCEALER BUT LIGHT ON FOUNDATION:

Apply a lot of primer to your nose and use a good concealer because when you’re sick your nose tends to look red fast. I like to also go heavy on the under eye concealer, because my under eye circles tend to be worse when I’m sick. I often skip foundation when I’m sick, or use a light mineral or powder foundation because if you’re dehydrated foundation can look cake-y very fast.

BRIGHTEN YOUR COMPLEXION:

I like to use a bronzer with a hint of shimmer to warm up my face. I use a little bit of blush but skip highlighter because I don’t want to draw extra attention to my tired eyes or skin.

NEUTRALIZE YOUR EYES:

I pat a neutral brown color all over my kid or do a very natural look without shimmer when I’m not feeling well that helps cover any redness or unevenness on my lids . I don’t want sparkle or shimmer to draw too much attention to my tired or red eyes. I apply a lot of mascara to my top lashes but just a tiny bit (if any) to my lower lashes to help keep the focus away from my under eye area.

PAMPER YOUR POUT:

Lips can be tricky because if you have a nasty cough, you may want to stick to a simple balm or gloss to avoid a lipstick mess. I like to wear a bright colored lip balm or balm stain because it helps moisturize my lips, it is low maintenance, and it makes my face look brighter and more healthy.

SOME OF MY MAKEUP FAVORITES FOR SICK DAYS:

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The PoreFessional Primer

Estee Lauder Double Wear Waterproof Concealer

Tarte Amazonian Clay Full Coverage Airbrush Foundation

Too Faced Sweethearts Bronzer in Sweet Tea

Maybelline Color Tattoo Eye Shadow

CoverGirl Lash Blast Super Sizer Mascara

Maybelline Baby Lips Lip Balm

I hope that you found this post helpful! Hopefully you *won’t* be needing to use these tips, but if you do I hope that they help you function until you can rest and get better!

HOW AND WHY YOU SHOULD ROCK RED LIPS THIS FALL!

September 26, 2016 & Leave a Comment

Hi there! Happy Monday!

I hope that all of you had a wonderful weekend! My husband, Stephan, and I took our kids to Mackinac Island and had beautiful weather for it. If you’d like to see our trip, you can watch our KwapisFamilyTackles Daily Vlog. Now that September is almost over I have switched my wardrobe and makeup to fall mode, and that includes my lipstick! I have started wearing deeper colors and someone commented to me that they “couldn’t” pull off red lips, so I wanted to do a little post on how you can rock red lips and why I think you should try it!

WHAT RED LIPSTICK IS RIGHT FOR ME?

If you have fair skin and/or skin with pink undertones blue toned lipsticks tend to look the best on you, so look for red lipsticks that lean more pink than orange.

If you have medium or olive toned skin then looking for red lipsticks that are a bit more on the orange side look the best on you.

If you have a deeper skin tone red lipsticks that are more purple or wine colored will look amazing on you.

WHAT RED LIPSTICK “RULES” SHOULD I BE AWARE OF?

I think the biggest thing is toss any rule you hear out the window if it isn’t what makes you feel fantastic! I usually stick to blue toned red lipsticks, but I have my fair share of vampy wine colored shades and orangey reds and even if they aren’t my “perfect” color I rock them ; )

I think one rule that is very important is be very careful if you wear pink or coral with a red lip because it can often clash. Also, be very very careful if you’re wearing leopard or other animal print clothing and a red lip.

As a general rule, stick with neutral makeup looks and keep your red lips the focus of your makeup.

Avoid very pink or dark blush or else you might look like a clown, I prefer a slightly more brown shade and applying with a light hand when I wear red lipstick.

WHY SHOULD I WEAR RED LIPSTICK?

Red lipstick is iconic and timeless, and wearing a red lip can make you feel that way too.

Red lipstick makes you look confident, and there is a very good chance you’ll start to feel more confident too.

Red lipstick allows you to go very neutral with the rest of your makeup and hair but still look like you spent a lot of time getting ready! I love throwing on a red lip when my hair is in a top knot and the rest of my makeup is very neutral! I also love doing a super simple winged eye liner with a red lip and almost no other makeup.

TIPS FOR APPLYING RED LIPSTICK:

Always wear a lip liner! I like to start by carefully lining my lips with a red lip liner and then lightly filling them in with the same liner. I apply one layer of lipstick and if it is not a liquid lipstick I sometimes lightly blot with a tissue (*Tip:a coffee filter works even better for blotting!). Before I head out the door I make an “O” with my lips and put a clean index finger in my mouth and pull it out so that any extra lipstick comes off on my finger and not my teeth.

SOME FAVORITE RED LIP GOODIES:

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Jordana Easy Liner in Sedona Red

This is so inexpensive that it is perfect if you’re just starting out! It also doesn’t need to be sharpened which is a big perk.

NYX Retractable Lip Liner in Red

I love this liner because it goes well with almost all of my red lipsticks.

L’Oreal Collection Exclusive Colour Riche Reds Collection

These are all fantastic lipsticks! I own five of them and shown in this post (the first picture in the post) are (top to bottom) Blake’s (my favorite!), Eva’s, and Zoe’s.

Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Cruella

This is easy to apply and the wear is awesome! I think this shade looks great on everybody.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Liquid Lipstick in Sarafine

This leans a bit more orange than I typically go for, but I love this shade! And I love that I can eat and still not have to reapply! Very long wearing and comfortable to wear.

Lancome Juicy Tubes

If you’re really nervous about a red lip, try a pigmented red gloss first or a tinted lip balm. I also like to add a bit of this gloss to the center of my lips when I want to accentuate my red pout.

If you found this post helpful, please “Pin” it to your Pinterest account using the tabs at the bottom of each post or by hovering over any of the pictures in this post. Have a wonderful day!

REVLON COLORSTAY WHIPPED FOUNDATION YAY OR NAY?

September 21, 2016 & Leave a Comment

Hi there! Happy Wednesday!

I am constantly on the search for “the perfect foundation” and I have several drugstore foundations as well as high-end foundations that I keep in my rotation. One foundation that I have been reaching for lately is my Revlon ColorStay Whipped foundation and I want to share my thoughts with you today.

Revlon ColorStay Whipped:

Why I Love It:

This foundation can be applied with a makeup brush (*Note: I stipple it on with Sigma F50! You can read about stippling on your foundation here), a makeup sponge like the Beauty Blender, or with your fingers! I actually apply this with my fingers A LOT when I want a full-coverage look but need to be out the door in a hurry! I love the unique “whipped” texture of this product, it is almost like a container of Cool Whip whipping cream in that it feels light but if I turn the container upside down it doesn’t fall out. This is definitely a full-coverage foundation that doesn’t feel cake-y and doesn’t settle into my fine lines or pores.

Claims and Cons:

This foundation claims to be 24 hour wear, and I’ve never attempted to wear this for a full 24 hours, but I do often wear it from 6a.m-8p.m or so and it does wear very well! I do not think expecting it to look the same as when freshly applied 24 hours later is realistic for someone like me with combo/oily skin. I do think the packaging is quite bulky, and that may be because of the unique consistency of the whipped product.

How I Wear It:

I apply it in all of the ways mentioned above. I first apply Benefit PoreFessional Primer, then apply the foundation, set lightly with power, and then give myself a spray of the Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray and I’m good to go! I wear this in 101 Ivory.

Yay or Nay?

I say “Yay” all the way ; ) If you have very dry skin I would be cautious and make sure that you buy it from somewhere with a good return policy (luckily a lot of drugstores will let you return makeup now if it doesn’t work for you). I think this is an awesome option for those who want a full-coverage look without too much fuss with application. I can slather this on in a minute and it blends very very easily!

If you enjoyed this post, please share! Thank you for reading and don’t forget to subscribe : ) Have a wonderful weekend my loves!

BAN.DO 2017 AGENDA REVIEW AND WHY I SWITCHED TO A SIMPLE PLANNER!

September 19, 2016 & Leave a Comment

Hi there! Happy Monday!

I hope that you had a great weekend! Today Connor, our middle little love, started school! I can’t believe I now have two of three in school! Things have been crazy lately, and that inspired this life change for me and I want to share it with you today.

WHY THE CHANGE?

Lately I have been feeling completely overwhelmed and I decided that I needed to simplify my life in areas where I could, and try to cut myself a little slack. I have been an avid Erin Condren Life Planner user for years, and while I still love the Life Planner I decided it was becoming too much for me. I know, that sounds awfully dramatic because after all, it is only a planner, but the way I used the Erin Condren planner it really was too much for me at this point in my life. My Life Planner was full-on weekly sticker sheet spreads, fancy markers, and not only was that time consuming, but it was expensive. I loved it! And I still do, they’re fun and like a scrapbook or memory keeper. At some point I hope to go back to it, but it was becoming something I dreaded doing instead of something that brought me joy. If I do go back to a decorated planner, I will have two planners because I can’t imagine giving up the Ban.do style! Right now I need function and a little cute tossed in, which is what made me order the Ban.do 2017 Agenda.

THE DIFFERENCE IT HAS MADE:

The second I ordered the Ban.do planner I felt like a weight had come off my shoulders! That sounds crazy, it isn’t as if I was forced by anyone but myself to fill out my other planner in such detail, but I truly felt lighter after deciding to make the switch! The Ban.do planner is adorable, and gives me the cuteness factor I crave, but it’s also SUPER functional and easy to fill out on-the-go! I love that I can toss it into my bag and that is it! It also is way more cost effective! I spent $25 on the planner including shipping and it comes with cute little stickers, a cute “secret code” key and messages sprinkled throughout the planner, and a planner with monthly view and weekly pages that has inspirational and funny quotes! I am obsessed! I am a convert!!

BUY THE BAN.DO 17 MONTH CLASSIC AGENDA

(*Note: NOT an affiliate link!)

What planner or agenda do you use? Please let me know in the comments! Have you let go of anything that made you feel a little bit more free? Let me know that as well! Have a wonderful week! Thank you for reading : )

FALL FASHION POST! HOW TO LOOK GOOD, BE COMFORTABLE, AND NOT BREAK THE BANK!

September 14, 2016 & Leave a Comment

Hi there! Happy Wednesday!

We are starting to slowly but surely starting to get chillier days here in the midwest, and that means that I’ve started wearing some of my favorite fall pieces again. I love clothes and I love fashion, but I’m also very realistic about my fashion choices because I am a mom of little kids and whatever I wear on a daily basis needs to withstand a lot! I need a wardrobe that is fashionable, affordable, and comfortable *without* looking frumpy! Whether you’re a mom like me who needs clothes that can go from the store to the park and maybe, just maybe, out to eat, or you’re just settling into your career and you haven’t quite made it to your dream clothing budget I want to share my favorite places to buy clothes!

HOW I SHOP:

I like to have a mix of high quality never-go-out-of-style pieces and trendy pieces. My style is classic and I love girly details. I like to throw in more trendy and edgy pieces that I’m drawn to, but I don’t wear every trend that comes down the runway. I often mix and match high end things, and very budget friendly things. I think that if you truly only buy pieces that you LOVE, you can make a $20 pair of boots look like a $200 pair and you can feel like a million dollars without going into debt. I try to buy things that are easy to wash at home and that I am comfortable wearing, but I definitely like dressier things for the rare occasions that I do get to go all-out. And, I would always rather be slightly “overdressed” than underdressed.

WHERE I SHOP:

Basics:

Classic:

Trendy:

Dottie Couture Boutique

Boots:

Dresses:

NEED A LITTLE INSPIRATION?:

I post outfits on my Instagram account and if you tap the picture once I always link all of the outfit details! If you tap the picture twice you “love” the picture and that makes me happy, too ; )

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I hope that you enjoyed this post! If you would like to see a fall look book or outfit inspiration post or where I find my jewelry and accessories, please let me know and I will definitely do it. And let me know you’re favorite websites or stores to shop for clothes in the comments! I would love to get more ideas : ) If you liked this post please don’t forget to share it and subscribe!!

URBAN DECAY ULTIMATE BASICS PALETTE PREVIEW! HOT OR NOT?

September 12, 2016 & Leave a Comment

Hi there! Happy Monday!

I hope that all of you had a wonderful weekend! We had a busy but productive weekend, and I woke up feeling ready to tackle this week! There are so many exciting makeup launches happening soon, and I am so excited to share my thoughts on some of the holiday 2016 collections in the very near future, but today I want to dedicate a post to what could be a GAME CHANGER for a lot of you! Urban Decay Cosmetics is known for their neutral eye shadow palettes, and their Naked Basics and Naked Basics 2 have been incredibly popular, and now they are launching Naked Ultimate Basics. Do you need it?

Urban Decay Naked Ultimate Basics:

(*Photo Credit to Bustle.com)

The packaging is really pretty, and I love that it is a rose gold color. This palette features 12 brand new matte shades, a mirror, and a dual ended brush. There is one highlight shade that is slightly shimmery, but the rest is matte. The palette does feature both cool tone and warm tone shades.

When Can I Get It?

This palette launches on UrbanDecay.com on September 18th, online on Sephora.com on September 20th, and September 22nd in-stores at Sephora. I have heard that some stores have already put them out, but *officially* they aren’t out yet ; )

Do I Need It?

I won’t lie, I am *really* tempted to pick this up because I think it looks perfect for traveling and for when I want to create looks from just one palette without having to grab from other shadows or palettes in my collection. I love that these shadows allow you to do a neutral lip all the way to a vampy lip. I also have one of the original Urban Decay Naked Basics palettes before they switched the packaging, and it doesn’t open well so the black got ruined so that could be an excuse for me…right?! However, that said, I think if you have a lot of neutral palettes already, especially matte palettes, then no you probably do not need this. The Naked Ultimate Basics palette will retail for $55, and the Naked Basics and Naked Basics 2 retail for $29 each, so if you don’t have those already then it might be a great option! I think this is a great palette for beginners, too. It is beautiful packaging, and the eye shadows look gorgeous, and I can’t wait until I can get my hands on one in person to see if it’s a “must” for me. I would call this “hot” but I don’t think it is a must for everyone.

Naked Basics and Naked Basics 2:

(*Note: pictured left to right)

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What are your thoughts? Is this on your list? Let me know in the comments! And please subscribe and make my day!! xx

TOO FACED X NIKKI TUTORIALS THE POWER OF MAKEUP REVIEW & GIVEAWAY!

September 7, 2016 & 12 Comments

Hi there! Happy Wednesday!

I hope that all of you are having a fantastic week so far! Yesterday I uploaded a video sharing my review of the new and highly anticipated Too Faced Cosmetics The Power of Makeup palette that is a collaboration with YouTuber Nikki Tutorials. I love Too Faced and couldn’t wait to get my hands on this palette! And, thanks to my Ulta Beauty Ultamate Reward Points, I was able to score two of them so that I have one to give to a lucky follower : ) Below I will share detailed swatches and a link to the video where you can see my thoughts on the palette and also enter the giveaway.

TOO FACED X NIKKI TUTORIALS THE POWER OF MAKEUP:

SWATCHES:

EYESHADOWS:

Ivy, Sugar Coated, Frosted Yum (*Note: left to right)

Irresistible, Painkiller, Makeup & Chill

Mystic Hour, Wham Bam, Wanted

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BLUSHES:

I will Always Love You, Justify My Love

BRONZER AND HIGHLIGHTER:

Chocolate Soleil, Champagne Truffle

WATCH MY REVIEW WITH GIVEAWAY INFO:

Thank you for reading! Let me know in the comments what you think of this palette! Have a great rest of your week : )

Labor Day 2016

September 5, 2016 & Leave a Comment

Hi there! Happy Monday!

And if you’re in the United States or Canada, Happy Labor Day! I hope that most of you have the day off of work, and if you don’t I’m sorry! Both my husband, Stephan, and myself worked in retail management after graduating from college and we know the struggle!

Today I wanted to share some of my favorite pictures from this summer because I’m getting a little (a lot!) sad thinking about my daughter, Hailey, staring kindergarten & my son, Connor, starting pre-school because we had such a wonderful summer together! Thankfully Logan has to hang out at home with me for a couple more years ; )

I hope all of you have a wonderful Autumn! Technically I know not quite yet, but once school starts? Come on, it’s Bye bye summer!

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