beauty blogger – Page 24

INEXPENSIVE SPRING/SUMMER OUTFIT IDEAS AND STYLING PART ONE!

May 12, 2014 & 1 Comment

Hi there! Happy Monday!

Happy Belated Mother’s Day to all of the moms out there! And if you aren’t a mom, I hope that you got to enjoy the day celebrating your own mom or other women who are an important part of your life! I didn’t get to see my mom, but I was sending love her way! Happy Mother’s Day, mom! I love you! I had a sweet day with my little loves and my big love! We slept in (you know, 8:30! haha), went to church, spent a little time outside with my in-laws, and ordered out for dinner! My kids just happened to know two pieces that I wanted for my gallery wall (thanks to my husband, Steph, for helping with the gifts ; ) ) I am a very lucky mom and wife!

Today I want to share Part One of my two-part Inexpensive Spring/Summer Outfit Ideas and Styling. I want to apologize now before you get to the pictures….it looks like autumn not spring, but that’s the weather we have had lately! Luckily, it seems to finally be warming up, so hopefully the next time I do an outfit post outside, it will look a little happier and brighter! These are simple, affordable outfits that are comfortable and easy to throw together, but still stylish!

Outfit #1

Dress: Forever 21

Belt: Target

Shoes: Target

Necklace: J. Crew (*Similar)

Earrings: Bauble Bar (*Similar)

Outfit #2

Romper: Target

Sweater: Forever 21(*similar)

Shoes: Jessica Simpson Collection(*Similar)

Necklace: J. Crew

Earrings: Bauble Bar(*Similar)

I hope that you enjoyed this post! Where do you like to shop for affordable clothes? Is there a certain trend or style you are excited about for spring or summer? Let me know by commenting (click the link by the title of this post) or find me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram! Part Two of this series will go up Wednesday. Don’t forget to subscribe and have a wonderful week!

MY E.L.F COSMETICS COLLECTION AND MINI REVIEWS

May 9, 2014 & 2 Comments

Hi there! Happy Frrrrrriday!

A few weeks ago someone asked me if I had used E.l.f Cosmetics products and mentioned that she had really good luck with the brand. E.l.f (eyes lips face) cosmetics is an extremely affordable drugstore makeup brand that carries products at $1, $2, $3 and $6 price points! I first stumbled upon some E.l.f cosmetics in either late high school or early college (shortly after the brands 2004 launch) but hadn’t used any of the products from the line consistently until the past couple of years. After being asked about what I had tried from the brand, I decided to pick up a few more things and do a post today on all of my e.l.f products and my thoughts. I have been seeing e.l.f products popping up in more stores lately, too!

Let’s get started…

MY E.L.F COSMETICS COLLECTION:

Brushes:

*NOTE: The first three brushes will be pictured together underneath the third brush overview/review!

Eye Shadow Brush

This is a really great eye shadow brush for packing on color and I haven’t had issues with hairs falling out. At $1 you really can’t beat this for a basic everyday brush.

Blending Eye Brush

I have had this brush for over a year and get quite a bit of use out of it. It works well for blending, and I also use it sometimes for the outer V of the eye. The brush head did seperate off of the handle, but for a $1 brush it has defintely lived up to my expectations.

Concealer Brush

I actually do not use this for concealer! I use it with nail polish remover to clean up nail polish that gets around my cuticles or skin by my nail beds. I need to pick up another one of these and see how it works for its intended purpose ; ) But, it is AWESOME for cleaning up around your nails because it is such a small brush, and it doesn’t leave fuzzies like Q-tips. Just make sure once you use it on your nails, you only use it on your nails.

Small Stipple Brush

This is such a great little brush! I like it for stippling on concealer, cream highlighters, and cream blushes! I want to pick up a couple of these! I highly suggest picking this brush up! It is a lot smaller than any of my other stippling brushes, so I showed it next to my Real Techniques Stippling Brush for comparison.

Kabuki Face Brush

This brush is SO soft! I just picked this brush up, but I really like it for buffing and blending in powders. I washed it once just to see how it handled after a wash, and it did well with no fallout.

Face:

Blush in Candid Coral

This blush is SO soft! It feels wonderful!! It is a sheer, very light coral color that can be built up to a blush or used as a gorgeous highlight. It is light, but I think that this would be beautiful on lots of skin tones. This is one of my favorite e.l.f products and I want to pick up more colors! I also want to try the baked blushes! Have you tried e.l.f blushes? Do you like them? I would love to hear from you! Comment (click on the link by the title of this post) or find me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram!

Studio Contouring Blush and Bronzing Powder in St. Lucia

This is another item that I just recently picked up because I thought it looked perfect for traveling. I love the blush color! It blends beautifully. The contouring bronzer is a tad more orange than I like and it does contain a very subtle shimmer, so I wasn’t sure if I would like it as a contour. As a bronzer, it is very pretty!!! I actually can use it as a contour if I use a very light hand and really blend it into the skin. This has been compared to Nars Blush/Bronzer Duo in Orgasm/Laguna…so for $3 what a fun dupe to try out : )

Eyes:

Long-Lasting Lustrous Eye Shadow in Toast

This is a super soft mousse texture that blends beautifully! This color is very sparkly, but I was able to sheer it out to a wearable look for me. I wore this as a base to make my other eye shadows *pop* and it held up very well. I really want to try the new e.l.f smudge pots that are being compared to M.A.C Paint Pots and Maybelline Color Tattoos.

Liquid Eyeliner in Black

This is eyeliner is SO black! The brush isn’t my favorite, but for $1 it is completely worth it to grab this and apply with an eyeliner brush! You can use the wand that it comes with, and I find that it works okay for a simple thin line.

Skin Care:

Moisture Stick

This is something that I always have in my bag!! It is fantastic to have on hand! I like to use it under my eyes if my concealer begins to crease (I got this idea from the amazing Emily Noel of BeautyBroadcast.net ) but you could for sure use this for dry spots on your hands, elbows, or knees as well!

My e.l.f collection is pretty tiny, but overall I am very impressed with the quality of the products! I have yet to try any eye shadows or lip products from elf, so if you have any recommendations let me know!

Thank you so much for reading this! If you have tried e.l.f products let me know your thoughts by commenting or finding me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram! If you have already subscribed, thank you! If you haven’t yet and you enjoy my blog, please subscribe! It’s easy, just enter your email in the box on the right and you’ll only get emails when I post something new : ) Have a beautiful weekend loves!

April Beauty Favorites!!!

April 30, 2014 & Leave a Comment

Hi There! Happy Wednesday!!

I cannot believe that April is already ending! Didn’t we just celebrate Valentine’s Day?! Time is FLYING by, as usual! Because it is the end of the month, I want to share my beauty favorites today! I will also be sharing my “lifestyle” favorites (a.k.a my everything-that-isn’t-beauty-related favorites) this Friday. Be sure to comment (click on the link by the title of this post) or find me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram to tell me what YOUR favorite products have been for the month of April! I would LOVE to hear from you! I also, as usual, have created a Luvocracy collection if you’d like more information on any of these products, or would like to shop online. I’m feeling chatty today, so I’ll stop myself before I ramble on and just get started ; )

LEAH’S APRIL BEAUTY FAVORITES:

Lips:

Smashbox Be Legendary Lipstick in Pretty Social

This lipstick is long wearing, feels nice on the lips, and has very sleek matte packaging. To me this is a perfect light cool toned pink, it’s light but not TOO light…yet light enough that I can easily wear this without a lip liner or constant touch ups. This is neutral enough that I can wear it with a lot of different make-up looks.

Maybelline Color Sensational Lipstick in 915 Blushing Beige

This is one of the nude colored tube lipsticks from the Maybelline Vivid line. I LOVE the formula of the Maybelline Vivid lipsticks: it is very moisturizing, and feels very comfortable on the lips. I love this color because it is a very wearable, slightly pink-y nude and it looks great with everything.

EOS Lip Balm in Summer Fruit

I love this lipbalm! I use them under lip color or by itself. It is always in my bag!

Cheeks:

Maybelline Master Glaze Blush Stick by FaceStudio in 20 Pink Fever

This is a cool toned cream blush in a stick form. I like to stipple this on with a brush or blend a very tiny amount on my fingers. It blends easily and lasts on my combination/oily skin. This color IS intense, but blends out to be a stunning color.

Maybelline Master Hi-Light by FaceStudio Hi-Lighting Blush in 251 Natural

This is part of the Dare To Go Nude Spring 2014 Limited Edition Collection from Maybelline. This is a golden highlight that is absolutely stunning! I have worn this every day since I bought it, and I know I will use it all summer! It works so well on my pale skin, but I think it would also look gorgeous on deeper skin tones. If you come across this, pick it up before it’s gone! I hate when they make colors like this limited edition!

FACE:

Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder 1

This is a setting powder that I use almost daily under my eyes! It brightens up the area, and doesn’t settle into any fine lines. This is my go-to under eye setting powder.

Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Makeup in 1C1 Cool Bone

This stays all, covers everything, and makes my skin look perfect! I love this foundation for my combination/oily skin. It even stays on my nose area where foundation likes to come off of on me first. A little goes a long way with this foundation and it does set quickly, so work in sections on your face!

Estée Lauder Double Wear Brush-On Glow BB Highlighter in 1N Extra Light

This is a beautiful brightening concealer for the under eye area! I like to dot it on with the brush it comes with, but then I use my own brush or my fingers to blend it out.

Estée Lauder DayWear

This is my favorite moisturizer for day and night! It never leaves my skin feeling oily (we will see how it does this summer!) and provides lots of moisture to nourish my skin.

EYES:

Anastasia Brow Wiz in Medium Ash

This is my favorite eye brow pencil! I had always preferred powders until I found this pencil! It is a super fine point that allows you to make tiny strokes that look soft and natural. It also comes with a spooli on the other end, which is nice! Love this!

NAILS:

Nicole by O•P•I in Am I Making Myself Claire?

This is from the Modern Family Collection by Nicole by OPI and is such a unique color that I’ve been loving for spring! It is a gray-ish lilac cream color, and the formula wears well on the nails.

Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in 405 Coral Reef

This is a GORGEOUS coral color for spring! It is just so bright and beautiful, and shockingly I didn’t have any coral shades like this in my collection! The price is right with this polish, and the formula is great.

Burt’s Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream

I didn’t notice a difference with this immediately, but I kept using it every night for a few weeks and now I can see a big difference. I had this in my collection for so long just sitting unopened (it came with a set I believe that I had gotten for Christmas) but I am so glad I tried it. It smells great too! My one complaint would be that it can be slightly difficult to open.

RANDOM:

Warm Lemon Water!!

I have been taking 2 minutes every morning to heat up some water in the microwave and squeezing a lemon into it because of the many heath and beauty benefits! I am no expert, I am just experimenting with it right now, so I will link one of the websites that I found that explains why lemon water is beneficial. I also brush my teeth BEFORE drinking the lemon water, because I read that if you brush immediately after it is actually worse for the enamel on your teeth. I do rinse my mouth out with water after drinking my lemon water.

Wow! Another long post : ) If you read all that, thank you! What products have you been loving this past month? I would love to hear about them! Comment (just click the link by the title of this post!) or find me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram! Please also let me know if you have any requests for things you would like to see on my blog! If you have enjoyed this, please subscribe! If you have already subscribed, thank you!!! Have a fantastic day!

DIY LIPSTICK HOLDER AND ORGANIZER!

April 23, 2014 & Leave a Comment

Hi there! Happy Wednesday!

I love lip products, and even though I have large makeup storage drawers, my lip products are always sliding around and unorganized which I hate! I absolutely love the look of the acrylic lipstick holders that you can buy on amazon or other websites, and I will probably eventually get one of those to display my most used lipsticks on my vanity, but I needed something for all my other lip products. I recently came across a video tutorial from ItsKeerstin where she recreated and modified a super inexpensive and practical way to organize all of her lipsticks…it’s awesome and I wanted to share my own version as well! ItsKeerstin is hilarious and I really enjoy her videos!! You can easily decorate it to make it fit your style, or keep it pretty simple like I chose to do since I will be keeping it in a drawer. If you like today’s tutorial, please considering hovering over any of the pictures until you see the pink “pin” button and pinning it to your Pinterest account… I appreciate it!!

SUPPLIES:

3-in-1 Cotton Sets from Dollar Tree (I used 2 but you can get more for a bigger storage container. I have only seen these at Dollar Tree, but I did find the 3-in-1 Cotton Set on Amazon, although there is $4 shipping)

Thick cardstock, cardboard, or poster board in the color of your choice

Scissors or a paper cutter

Glue gun

COST:

Less than $10 (mine cost $2!)

STEP 1:

Empty out the cotton swabs, cotton swabs, and cotton balls from the Cotton Set box. Then, soak the box in hot water or use Goo Gone to remove the labels on the box.

STEP 2:

I cut out my poster board to fit 2 of the Cotton Set boxes ahead of time with a pair of scissors simply by tracing them with a pencil onto the paper.

STEP 3:

Cut the lid off of the Cotton Set box with a pair of sharp scissors (it was a lot easier to get a clean cut then I thought it would be!)

STEP 4:

Be sure to have everything set up how you need it because hot glue sets quickly! Use your hot glue gun to put two lines of glue down the length of the poster board or cardstock for the first Cotton Set box and press it onto the glue. Do the same thing with the next Cotton Set box and so on. Be sure to have all of the boxes facing the same way if you are doing more than two boxes, otherwise the tab from where the lid would have snapped closed will cause the boxes to not line up perfectly.

STEP 5:

Carefully put a line of glue between the boxes and press together (you only have to do this at the very top, and you only need a tiny amount of glue because it’s more important to work fast then to get a perfect line).

STEP 6:

Decorate the box if desired or leave so that it is clear on the sides like I chose to do.

STEP 7:

Fill the box with lots of lippies!!

I hope that you enjoyed today’s quick and inexpensive DIY project! If you try this out for yourself or have any questions, please comment (click the link by the title of this post!) or find me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram! Thank you so much for reading this and thank you SO much to those of you who have subscribed to my blog! To subscribe, enter your email on the right side of this page in the “subscribe” box…it’ll make my day ; ) I hope you have a fantastic day and I will talk to you on Friday!!

APRIL 2014 BEAUTY HAUL!!

April 21, 2014 & 4 Comments

Hi There! Happy Monday!

I hope that you all had a wonderful weekend and a wonderful Easter for those who celebrate! Today I have a collective beauty haul from the past several weeks to share with you that is mostly drugstore with a few other random beauty related things tossed in. This haul is largely made up of concealers and lip products, but that’s really no surprise because those are two of my favorite beauty items to try and to shop for. I have created a Luvocracy collection with all of these items if you’d like more information or want to shop online, and once again all the titles below are also links! If you enjoy this haul, please subscribe to my blog by entering you email in the subscribe box on the right side of this page! Super easy! Okay, let’s get started…

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Dark Circle Eraser in Brightener

I love the Maybelline Insant Age Rewind Dark Circle Eraser in Fair and wanted to try the brightener. The brightener is a pinky salmon color that is the perfect shade to wear underneath your under eye concealer to help really counteract the dark circles underneath your eyes. This product twists and you hear a click sound as it pushes product to the sponge applicator. I dot the product on but then blend with a brush or sometimes with my fingers. I don’t tend to get puffiness under my eyes, but I do battle bad dark circles (hellooo mom two of toddlers!) and love anything that can help to hide them!

Revlon Colorstay Concealer in 01 Fair

I’ve heard great things about this concealer and heard that it compares to the Nars Creamy Concealer, so when I saw it on sale at my local grocery store, I decided to pick it up and give it a try. It comes out on a wand applicator, which I really like because I can dot it on and then use a makeup brush to blend it out. I love love love my Revlon Colorstay foundation, so I am hoping that I love this just as much.

Hard Candy Glamoflauge Heavy Duty Concealer with Concealer Pencil in Ultra Light

This is supposed to be a very heavy duty concealer that can cover anything! It comes in a tube and I can tell that it’ll last a long time because you only need a tiny tiny dab because it is so thick. I haven’t tried it for the under eye area yet, but I do think it’s a product where you’ll want to prime the under eye first and then gently set it with a brightening power. It also comes with a pencil which it says is to outline birth marks or tattoos before covering them, but I’m going to try to find some other uses for that as well.

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in 805 Kissable Pink

I picked this up because I wanted another everyday pink color in my collection. It is a bit more sheer than expected, but a very pretty neutral pink color with just enough shine, but no glitter. I thought it would be a little more buildable, but I don’t mind so far because it’s a great color to just toss into your bag and not have to worry too much when you apply it. This doesn’t seem to have any taste or scent. It is very moisturizing, so the color doesn’t last too long, but it feels great on the lips.

L’Oreal Colour Riche’ Caresse in 176 Sunset Angora

This is a sheer, moisturizing lip color that is in the same family as the Revlon Lip Butters or the Maybelline Color Whisper lip products. The color is very pretty, a very wearable coral-y, muted orange.

Maybelline Color Sensational Color Elixir in 005 Breathtaking Apricot

The packaging almost makes this look like a lipstick, but it’s actually a lipgloss! It has a short applicator with a doe-foot applicator. The formula seems pretty thick, so we will see how the wear goes. I am really excited to try this lip gloss, and I think that the color will be great for summer.

Maybelline Color Sensational Vivids in 885 Vibrant Mandarin

I love the Maybelline Color Sensational lipsticks and really wanted to try out something in the orange color that is so on trend for spring and summer 2014. I wasn’t quite brave enough to try the Electric Orange color in the Vivids lineup, so I opted for this more coral-y orange color. It is very bright and I can’t wait to try it!

L’Oreal Limited Edition Collection Privee in 600 Doutzen’s Nude

I have been swooning over these lipsticks since I saw the pictures released online about a month ago. It is part of a collection of nude lipsticks and each lipstick shade is designed for one of their celebrity ambassadors. The matte black packaging with the pretty gold detailing looks very chic, and I love the touch of having the L’Oreal ambassadors signature printed on the lipstick tube. These do have the smell that some probably won’t like…it smells like an old-fashioned lipstick or very floral purfume you’d expect a grandmother to have in her handbag. This is a sheer, very light, cool toned baby pink with shimmer, and not like anything I have in my collection.

L’Oreal Limited Edition Collection Privee in 620 Julianne’s Nude

This is such a beautiful peachy toned neutral lipstick and it feels great on the lips! I have already worn this and know I’ll reach for it often.

Neutrogena Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes

I always use these along with an eye make-up remover before cleansing my face at night (shown in a picture above).

Essential Tools 12 Rainbow Applicators

I picked these up to have to use for my nails as shown in my Nail Polish Tutorial-How to Avoid Brush Strokes with Frost Formula Polish post (shown in a picture above).

Pack of Plastic Mascara Spoolies

I bought these on ebay but you can also get them at Sally’s Beauty Supply or another store like that. I use these for my eyebrows and also for combing through my eyelashes before and after I apply mascara. They are super cheap and great to have on hand (shown in a picture above).

First Aid…Made Fun! Me4kidz.com

These little kits came in my kiddos Citrus Lane boxes a month or so ago, and we love them! We also already had the Diaper Bag Buddy (not shown) that I keep in a bag my husband uses when he has the kids. The pink box came with a little nail kit that my daughter loves and I like because the polish is water based. The green kit came with a little first aid kit that is perfect to keep in your car or diaper bag.

Drybar Detox Dry Shampoo

This was a gift from my mom and I can’t wait to try it out! I love dry shampoos and I am looking forward to trying out a more high end dry shampoo.

O•P•I Drip Dry Drops

These were another gift, given to me by a friend, and I am excited to give them a try! I hate waiting for nail polish to dry!

Okay, that was a long one! Thank you SO much if you read all of that and for all of your support! It means so much to me! If you want to see more information or a review on any of the products mentioned above, let me know by commenting (click the link by the title of this post!) or fine me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram! Also be sure to let me know if there are any new products that you think I should try or products that you swear by! If you’ve enjoyed this post, please subscribe and share with your friends! Again, thanks and have a fantastic start to your week!

NAIL POLISH TUTORIAL-HOW TO AVOID BRUSH STROKES WITH FROST FORMULA POLISH

April 18, 2014 & 2 Comments

Hi There! Happy Friday!!! (Friday’s always deserve the most exclamation points!)

A few weeks ago I shared my Wet n’ Wild Spring 2014 Limited Edition Collections “And the Style Award Goes To…” post and mentioned that there is a technique I saw awhile ago to avoid the brush strokes that often happen when using a frost formula nail polish. I had a reader comment that they would love to see the technique, so today I am going to share a quick tutorial post with you on how you to do it by simply using a makeup sponge. I love hearing from you, so if YOU have anything you would like to see on here, comment (click the link by the title of this post) and let me know!

What you’ll need:

A small piece of a makeup sponge or a sponge eye shadow applicator (my preference is the eye shadow applicator)

A frost nail polish (a nail polish with a very fine, smooth shimmer)

A base coat nail polish and a top coat nail polish (optional, but highly recommended)

Products I used:

Revlon Colorstay base coat (005)

Wet n’ Wild Megalast in Sophisticated Lady (34359)

Out The Door top coat

Step 1:

Apply your base coat

Step 2:

Apply 1 or 2 coats of your frost nail polish with the brush your nail polish comes with.

Step 3:

Carefully dip your sponge tip eye shadow applicator into the nail polish or if using a makeup sponge pour a small amount of polish onto a paper plate or something else you can toss when you’re done. Then brush the sponge over your nails in one even motion. If you go over the nail with the sponge too much it can cause bumps which isn’t the look you want (I don’t think!). Try to sure that the sponge isn’t too soaked in the polish, getting it ever so slightly wet before dipping it into the polish can help with this.

Step 4:

Apply your top coat and allow the polish to dry!

My application isn’t perfect, and it takes a little practice, but it gives you a much cleaner look and you don’t see such obvious brush strokes. I like this method because it doesn’t take too many extra steps or too many coats of different nail products to get the desired effect.

I hope that you enjoyed this quick and easy nail polish tutorial! What is your favorite nail polish type? What is your favorite nail polish secret? I love crème nail polishes finishes and usually gravitate to those, but trying a frost is a fun change! If you have any questions or comments, please let me know by commenting (click the link by the title of this post!) or find me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram! If you liked this post please subscribe (it’ll only take a minute!) by entering your email into the subscription box on the right side on this page. Thank you so much for reading this! I hope that you have a wonderful Easter if you celebrate and a fab weekend!!! MUAH!

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