makeup tips – Page 2

NATURAL CREAM CONTOUR MADE EASY!

February 8, 2017 & 1 Comment

Hi there! Happy Wednesday!

In the summer I tend to stick to a powder contour since I have combination/oily skin, but lately I’ve been loving doing a very subtle bit of contouring with cream products to help define my features. I have used several products, and for every day use I have found my favorite that I keep going back to because one product gives me my contour, highlight, and blush.

Make Up For Ever Pro Sculpting Palette

Why I Love It

This product contains four .08oz cream products to contour your face and you only need a tiny bit of product to get a lot of impact. I like to apply these products using the Beauty Blender Blusher (the medium sized Beauty Blender) or with brushes. When I use brushes I use a brush like the Cover FX Dual Ended Contour Brush for the contour and highlight and a small stippling blush like my very favorite cream blush brush the E.L.F Small Stipple Brush (the BEST $3 investment you’ll make all month, promise!) to stipple on the blush. I personally tend to use the brushes more because I find it easier to not mess up my foundation this way, but the sponge technique does blend seamlessly which looks airbrushed and lovely.

My Routine

After setting my foundation and concealer with a loose power (I like the Laura Mercier Loose Setting Powder) I use the the contour color to contour my cheekbones, nose, and temples, the matte highlight when I want to highlight the bridge of my nose or between my cheekbone and jawline, the shimmery highlight for the tip of my nose, cupids bow, and cheek bone, and the blush to brighten the apples of my cheeks.

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If you have any questions, as always please ask! I love talking to you in the comments! Please don’t forget today is the LAST DAY to enter my giveaway!! You can enter to win a Target Gift Card and ChapStick goodies here!

ChapStick® Total Hydration Product Review with GIVEAWAY!

January 30, 2017 & 33 Comments

Hi there! Happy Monday!

I hope that you had a wonderful weekend! I love to wear liquid lipsticks, and liquid lipsticks can be very drying on the lips especially in the cold winter months so I have to be sure to take good care of my lips. I have shared before some of my favorite items from ChapStick® which you can read here, so I was thrilled when I was asked to review the ChapStick® Total Hydration products. This post has been sponsored by Pfizer Consumer Healthcare, and as always all opinions are my own. I would never exchange money in exchange for a positive review and share my honest opinions.

ChapStick® Total Hydration Moisture + Tint

These are formulated with a tint that enhances your natural lips and I love that because I can wear a chapstick but still have a little color, and that “your lips but better” look. These come out flat, not with a angle and point like most lipstick type products, so it was a little trickier to apply on the corners of my lips but because it is a tint of color as opposed to an opaque lipstick I didn’t find this to be much of an issue. This tinted moisturizer features a formula with 100% naturally sourced ingredients that provide lasting moisture. These boast high-end ingredients like Rose Hip Oil, Jojoba Oil, and Avocado Butter and I love the way they smell.

Wearing ChapStick® Total Hydration Moisture + Tint in Rose Petal

Swatches (left to right) Coral Blush, Rose Petal, and Merlot

ChapStick® Total Hydration 100% Natural

These feel AMAZING on the lips! This formula is so soft and feel like butter going on your lips. I love that these are formulated with 100% naturally sourced ingredients such as Argan Oil, Avocado Butter, and Omega 6 & 9 that are supposed to give you healthier, more youthful looking lips. This formula is available in Fresh Citrus, Soothing Vanilla, and Honey Blossom which was my favorite of the two I received. I have one of these in my car and have been very grateful for it for myself and the kids, especially my oldest who spends her Sunday afternoons on the slopes at ski club!

ChapStick® Total Hydration 3in1

I was intrigued to try this product when I read that it was a Korean inspired formula because I know that Korean beauty is a huge trend right now, and I have loved some of the Korean skincare that I have tried. This 3 in 1 formula claims to moisturize, renew, and transform the lips and features ingredients like Madecassoside and botanical oils. I have been using mine at night before bed and so far I am really enjoying it. This formula is available in Coconut Hydration, Soothing Oasis, Sweet Peach, Wild Acai Berry, and Cooling Peppermint which is the one that I tried. This formula is available exclusively at Target stores and I was so excited to be able to find it in Target and take a “shelfie” with it ; ) I live an hour away from a Target, but whenever I get the chance I am going to be scoping out ChapStick® because I love these exclusive items! I think these would be perfect for my favorite kind of gift to give (and receive) where you package a bunch of your favorite goodies together in a cute way with a really pretty gift basket.

My Target “Shelfie”

ChapStick® Total Hydration with CoQ10

This product is designed to instantly transform and smooth your lips. This formula is lightweight that provides long-lasting moisture, helps the lips stay hydrated for a full eight hours, and reduces the appearance of fine lines. I am really enjoy using this after using a lip scrub (mentioned below) before bedtime. I don’t know yet if I’ve seen any difference in the fine lines, but just knowing that it helps makes me feel good about using it for that, too ; ) This formula is comprised of advanced skincare ingredients such as Antioxidant CoQ10, Vitamin E which is a wonderful moisturizer, and ultra-hydrating Hyaluronic Spheres for super soft, supple lips. This is available in Vanilla Cream flavor and I think it smells like baked goods, but the scent isn’t overpowering.

ChapStick® Total Hydration Conditioning Lip Scrub

I have tried several lip scrubs, and I also make my own lip scrub quite often which you can see here, but I was very excited to have a new one to try out. This is the latest innovation from ChapStick® and it really is an awesome lip scrub! It’s an interesting texture compared to most scrubs, because it has the grit that you find in all lip scrubs, but the base of it is a creamier, softer consistency that I really love. This scrub is formulated with naturally sourced ingredients including Sugar Crystals, Maracuja and Coconut Oil, Shea Butter, and Vitamin E and features a fresh peppermint flavor. This is super easy to use, and a little goes a very long way! I actually used way too much the first time, and have learned to just lightly scoop out a small amount onto my finger because the soft consistency doesn’t require you to dig it out like some lip scrubs I have used in the past. To use this I massage a small amount onto wet lips in circular motions and then wipe it off with a damp wash cloth. After using this I like using the ChapStick® Total Hydration with CoQ10.

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GIVEAWAY

If you would like to win ChapStick® goodies and a $25 Target gift card (um, who wouldn’t?!) then please enter the giveaway!

GIVEAWAY Rules:

Must be 18 years old
Must be a United States Resident
Must SUBSCRIBE to this blog (it’s easy, promise!)
Must comment on this post! Which item are you the most interested in?
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Giveaway ends on February 8th at 12:00p.m Eastern Standard Time! Giveaway winner will have 24 hours to respond to email before a new winner will be selected. All rules will be checked and enforced to ensure fairness to all those who enter.

If you have any questions or comments, as always please let me know! Thank you for reading! xx

Why You Need THIS Lip Liner In Your Makeup Bag! Pssst It’s $2

January 25, 2017 & Leave a Comment

Hi there! Happy Wednesday!

There are certain staple makeup items that every woman needs, and a go-to lip liner for her every day favorite nude lipsticks is definitely an essential for every gals makeup bag.

Jordana Rock n’ Rose Lip Liner (center)

YSL Rouge Volupte 1 and Too Faced Melted Nude (bottom left to right)

Too Faced Melted Matte Queen B and Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick in Patina (top left to right)

Why You Need It

This lip liner is amazing because it is the perfect shade to match any nude or pinky nude lipstick. I mentioned this lip liner in 2015 here, so you know it’s a good one! This is the perfect liner to toss in your makeup bag because it doesn’t need to be sharpened which is perfect for on-the-go. I love that this doesn’t tug on my lips, but I am able to get a perfect outline and it also works for filling in my lips completely before applying a lipstick or gloss on top.

My Routine

I like to apply a touch of my EOS Lip Balm or Bonnie Bell Tsum Tsum Lip Smacker just to give my lips a touch of moisture and then outline my lips with the lip liner. I like to make my cupids bow pronounced, but I don’t tend to overdraw my natural lip line unless it’s a special night out. I then apply my lipstick or liquid lipstick and I’m out the door!

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What is your FAVORITE nude lipstick? Please let us know in the comments! xx

Kat Von D Alchemist Holographic Palette Review

December 26, 2016 & Leave a Comment

Hi there! Happy Monday!

I hope that all of you had a wonderful weekend, and if you celebrate, a very Merry Christmas! I had a wonderful Christmas with my family, and ate WAY too many cookies ; ) Today I am so excited to be sharing the *highly* anticipated Alchemist Holographic Palette from Kat Von D.

Kat Von D Alchemist Holographic Palette

Without Flash:

With Flash:

katvondalchemist-leahtackles.jepg

What It Is:

This palette is being called a “transformer” palette because it can be worn as a highlighter, or as a topper for eye shadows and even lipsticks. Each of the four shades are formulated with “Double Dimension Technology” which catches the light from every angle, given a holographic effect.

My Thoughts:

I was intrigued by this palette because I have been watching Kat Von D slowly share sneaks on her Instagram account. Kat Von D has spent years working on these formulas and has called this palette one of her passion projects. Being a beauty lover, I knew that this was something I wanted to try for myself right away! I have worn two of the shades so far as a cheekbone highlight and it is stunning! A little bit goes a LONG way, but I absolutely loved the way it caught the light. I am excited to try this as an eye shadow topper, and think it would be a gorgeous look over a simple look to amp it up to something a lot more special.

Do I Need It?

I think that this is a must have for the makeup junkie who loves to try new things, play with makeup, and collect makeup. I think that this is beautiful for those looking for something new. I have noticed the similarities between this and the Anastasia Beverly Hills Moonchild highlighters, and after comparing swatches online they do look similar though not exactly the same. I think that if you have Moonchild you don’t need the Alchemist, but Alchemist seems more holographic and Moonchild seems to be more metallic or duochrome to me.

Do you have this? Are you planning to get it? I was able to pick it up on Sephora.com during the VIB pre-launch, but it is now available to everyone. Thank you, as always, for reading! I hope that you have a fantastic rest of your day : )

NATURAL EFFORTLESS FOUNDATION FOR EVERY DAY! MAYBELLINE DREAM MATTE MOUSSE

December 21, 2016 & Leave a Comment

Hi there! Happy Wednesday!

The winter months include lots of social functions with friends and family starting with Christmas and holiday celebrations continuing on with things like Super Bowl parties, where I find myself wanting to look put together but not in a full-on multi step makeup routine. I have been “shopping my own stash” of makeup lately (which is how I found my current favorite Too Faced Snow Bunny Bronzer which I blogged about here). I recently rediscovered Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse Foundation and had to share it with you today!

Why I Love It:

leahtackles-everydaydrugstorefoundation-leahtackles.jpeg

This foundation is one that I used years ago and had honestly forgotten about until I saw one of my most trusted beauty YouTubers, Emily Noel, mention it recently and I decided to give it another shot. This foundation gives me a great medium coverage without much work at all and I don’t mind the need to touch up much during the day. I will say that this isn’t as full coverage as some of my favorite foundations, but that is why I’ve been loving it lately…it’s EASY, no-fuss and looks very natural. I do like using a primer with this as I do all foundations, but I don’t find this to sink into my pores horribly if I do skip a primer. I do set this with a loose setting powder (my current favorite is the Laura Mercier Loose Setting Powder). I like applying this was an ever-so-slightly damp Beauty Blender, but it does also applying nicely with your fingers which is AWESOME when you’re in a rush or feeling a little lazy which is completely acceptable in these cold, dark months ; )

Please let me know your favorite easy, no-fuss foundation(s) in the comments! I LOVE trying new foundations, especially at awesome drugstore prices!! I hope that you have a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS if you celebrate! Thank you so much for your support and love, it truly means the world to me! xx

TOO FACED SNOW BUNNY BRONZER REVIEW

December 14, 2016 & 1 Comment

Hi there! Happy Wednesday!

I hope that you have been having a fantastic week so far! Today is my middle little loves birthday! Happy 4th Birthday Connor David! I love you so! Today I want to talk about a bronzer that I used years ago and loved but somewhere along that way got lost in my drawers of makeup. A few weeks ago while decluttering my makeup collection, I pulled out a few products I wanted to try using again and the Too Faced Snow Bunny Perfecting Bronzing Powder has become a rediscovered favorite that I want to share with you today.

Too Faced Snow Bunny Bronzer

First of all this packaging is absolutely beautiful! I actually have the older packaging, but both the new and older packaging is beautiful with simple details. This one of those products that makes me happy just looking inside the compact because the beautiful shimmery shades are stunning. The bronzer is made up of four strips of color in a white highlight, a bronze, a very pale pink, and a light tan. I think that I avoided this because these days I usually use a matte bronzer or at least tend to avoid a lot of shimmer, but this is stunning! You can use this as a blush, a bronzer, or a highlight which is also great. I like that you can use the four colors separately, but I tend to twirl my brush in all four colors and then lightly dust onto my cheeks. Although this has shimmer it is a very subtle highlight and I think it’s perfect in the winter months for a very natural glow. This looks wonderful in the sunlight, especially that snowy sun reflecting light, and lasts on me all day.

Have you tried this bronzer? What bronzers do you like to wear in the winter? Leave a comment to let me know! Have a great day and please subscribe! xx

TOO FACED LIP INSURANCE GLOSSY REVIEW

October 19, 2016 & Leave a Comment

Hi there! Happy Wednesday!

We have been talking a lot about lipsticks and lip products lately, but that is because to me the cooler months and lipsticks go hand-in-hand! Does anyone else feel that way? But one thing I have been using lately is the Too Faced Lip Insurance Glossy, so today I wanted to share it with you!

TOO FACED LIP INSURANCE GLOSSY:

I love this because it makes my lipstick last noticeably longer without making my lips feel crazy dry like other lip primers I have tried. At first when I tried this I had to get used to the way it changed the feeling of some of the lipsticks on my lips, but the lipstick looking better and lasting longer makes it worth it. The feeling on the lips isn’t bad, it’s so thin that you almost feel like you haven’t done anything, but it really works. I like that this also helps so that my lip color doesn’t feather out. If you lips are super chapped or flaked it won’t make your lipstick appear completely smooth on the lips, but it does help to make the lipstick appear smoother. This will not change your lipsticks glossy, but it will have a sheen so keep that in mind if you’re applying a matte color over this primer. I love using this especially with nude lipsticks that can really look bad if they feather out. Overall? I love it!

What do you think? A lot of days I stick to my favorite Bonnie Bell Lip Smacker Tsum Tsum Balms, but this is becoming a g0-to for lipsticks. Have a wonderful weekend and please share to make my whole day : )

MY FAVORITE DRUGSTORE LIPSTICK!

October 12, 2016 & Leave a Comment

Hi there! Happy Wednesday!

I am absolutely loving wearing lipstick right now and while I love liquid lipsticks and stains, right now I have been reaching for good ole fashioned lipsticks. I have lipsticks that I love from both the drugstore and from higher end brands, but today I wanted to share you the one that I love beyond all others. I haven’t tried every lipstick shade from this line (not even close!) but anytime I want a certain shade I turn to this line because they have never steered me wrong. I do use my Homemade DIY Honey Almond Lip Scrub every few days especially as the weather gets cooler. I also love the Bonnie Bell Lip Smacker Tsum Tsum lip balms at night and dabbed on before I apply my lipstick.

MAYBELLINE COLOR SENSATIONAL LIPSTICKS:

maybelline-colorsensational-lipcolor-review-leahtackles.jpeg

If you’d like more details on my favorite shades from the line, please let me know in the comments! Be sure to let me know YOUR favorite lipstick line, too!

HOLIDAY MAKEUP SETS AND GIFT IDEAS!

October 10, 2016 & Leave a Comment

Hi there! Happy Monday!

I hope that all of your are having a fantastic start to your week! I know that it isn’t even Halloween yet, but the holiday makeup sets are out so I want to mention a few that I think are a great value because they do tend to sell out early.

HOLIDAY 2016 MAKEUP SETS:

I love so many of the holiday makeup sets that have come out, but these I think are fantastic because you can give the set as a whole to one person, or you can split the sets up to have smaller gifts, stocking stuffers, or even make your own gift sets! I think it would be so cute to split these up and put a few goodies from each set into a stocking for a unique and personal gift.

STILA STAY ALL DAY, SPARKLE ALL NIGHT SET

SEPHORA LASHSTASH

TOO FACED GRANDE HOTEL CAFE

TARTE KISS BLISS TARTEIST MATTE LIP PAINT & CRAYON SET

BENEFIT 1ST PRIZE HIGHLIGHTERS

I hope you have a great week! Be sure to let me know in the comments any holiday makeup that you are excited about : ) Thank you for reading!

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:

makeupforsickdays-lookgoodwhenyourefeelingsick-leahtackles.jpeg

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!

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