Style-eyes: Summer look with Too Faced Sugar Pop Palette

Hi lovely readers! I just wanted to share with you a quick summery look I created with the Too Faced Sugar Pop Palette:

$36.00 on the  Too Faced website

This is a really fun palette, full of bright colors that are perfect for this time of year! If you find that you are intimidated by bold shadows, this palette is perfect for you because it also contains some neutral shades, like Malted Milk Ball (a medium bronze brown shade with gold sparkle) and Blackberry (a matte plum purple), as well as some soft pastels like Peach Fuzz (pale peach) and Strawberry Ice (soft lavender). However, the real stars of the show are the brights - I mean, just look at Bubblegum (candy pink) and Blue Raspberry (teal blue)! Don't they just inspire you to create a fun summer look? If you're thinking "no way I am putting Blue Raspberry anywhere near my eyes", breathe for a minute. You don't need to slather a bright blue shadow all over your lid - you can get a subtle pop of color by using a bold shadow as an accent shade, as I did below. 

The Whole Palette Challenge: Lorac Pro Palette and *Special Announcement*

Hi Lovelies - hope you are well!

I have for you another Whole Palette Challenge with my friend Melissa from the YouTube channel MakeupMinnie83.  Make sure you stop by her YouTube channel to see the looks Melissa comes up with! The rules are simple: You have 7 days to create looks using all of the eye shadows in the chosen palette. Depending on the size of the palette, you must create between 5 and 7 looks, and you must use every shade in the palette at least once. You can use the same shade in multiple looks (some palettes only have one transition or matte highlight shade), and you can even bring in outside colors if need be (some palettes have no matte black or dark brown).

The goal of this challenge is to push you out of your comfort zone, and to allow your creativity to flow. Sometimes I find myself in a shadow funk - reaching for the same colors over and over again. This challenge will really force us to think outside the box and try looks and combinations that we tend to shy away from on a daily basis. For this challenge, we set chose a classic: the original Lorac Pro Palette!

Lorac Pro Palette, $42 on the Lorac website

First Impressions Friday: Covergirl The Super Sizer Mascara & Intensify Me! Liquid Liner

Hello again lovely readers!

Contents of the Influenster Covergirl Vox Box

 I received an Influenster Vox Box awhile ago, which included the new Covergirl Super Sizer Mascara, as well as the new Intensify Me! Liquid Eyeliner.* After trying out the products out, I want to share my thoughts with you!

Fab Five: My Top 5 Must-Have Beauty Products, December 2014

Hi Lovelies -

I want to share with you my top five beauty products for the merry month of December. These are my go-to winter favorites:

Source: Rimmel BB Cream Matte

BB or CC Cream  - this is great to apply for a quick base, or to use as a primer under foundation; my current go-to formula is Rimmel BB Cream Matte. Worn alone, it is super easy to apply and provides moderate coverage. As a primer, it provides a smooth, even base that foundation will glide right over. It moisturizes my skin to prevent the dreaded winter dryness, while at the same time keeping oil at bay. It creates a nice, soft look - neither too matte nor too dewy. I currently use a mix of light and medium, but as my summer glow continues to fade I will be using only light soon enough. I seriously love this stuff!

Source: Maybelline Color Sensational Creamy Matte Lipstick

Red Lipstick - This is a must-have for me during the holidays! A red lip is fabulous any time of year, but it screams "Christmas" to me - it's just so merry - so I try to rock it a little more often during the holiday season. Because there are many, many formulas and shades available, there is a red lipstick suitable for everybody out there. Some of my current faves are Maybelline Color Sensational Creamy Matte in Siren in Scarlet and New York Color in Retro Red.  I will be doing a post on  red lips soon, so keep your eyes peeled!

Source: Elizabeth Mott You're So Fine Liquid Liner

Sparkly eyeliner - There's nothing more festive than glitter, am I right?!? Glittery eye shadow can be tons of fun, but can be a bit messy if not applied properly. If I'm feeling clumsy I don't have the time to mess with glitter shadow, I reach for the next best thing - sparkly eyeliner! I recently received the Elizabeth Mott You're so Fine Liquid Liner in Glitterati in one of my beauty boxes, and it is the perfect mix of inky black liner and subtle silver glitter - ideal for this time of year! The formula applies like a dream (seriously, one of the most effortless wings I have ever done), and once it dries it does not budge.

Source: Velour Lashes Whispie Sweet Nothings

Eyelashes - What goes hand in hand with red lips and sparkly eyes? LASHES! The more I try false lashes, the more I love them (and the better I get at applying them!)! Lashes can be super subtle or in-your-face dramatic; for a natural look with a bit of flare, try applying individual lashes or accent lashes. To really grab their attention, you can try full, flirty lashes or even lashes dripping with rhinestones. Whichever look you prefer, lashes are sure to give you that little extra "something" at your next holiday party!

Source: Bath & Body Works Twisted Peppermint Body Cream

Last, but definitely not least, is a good Body Cream. My skin starts to get really dry and itchy in December, so I always upgrade my usual lotion to a nice, thick cream. Right now I am loving Bath & Body Works Twisted Peppermint Shea Body Cream because it smells simply delicious, and whenever I apply it, it automatically puts me in the holiday spirit. While this might not be the scent for you, there are endless options in fragrance and texture (even unscented if that's what you prefer), so treat your skin well this winter and re-hydrate it with a rich body cream - you won't regret it.

Well there you have it - my Fab Five for December; hopefully I've inspired you to try something new! What are your December must-haves? I'm always looking for new products to try, so I would love to hear what you're loving this season :)

Thanks so much for reading - live a beautiful life!

~Jessica

The Whole Palette Challenge: Too Faced Chocolate Bar

Hi Lovelies!

One of the main reasons I started this blog was so my friend Melissa and I could create makeup challenges...now, 4 months later, we are finally taking on our first challenge! We are calling this The Whole Palette Challenge, and the rules are quite simple: You have 7 days to create looks using all of the eye shadows in the chosen palette. Depending on the size of the palette, you must create between 5 and 7 looks, and you must use every shade in the palette at least once. You can use the same shade in multiple looks (some palettes only have one transition or matte highlight shade), and you can even bring in outside colors if need be (some palettes have no matte black or dark brown).

The goal of this challenge is to push you out of your comfort zone, and to allow your creativity to flow. Sometimes I find myself in a shadow funk - reaching for the same colors over and over again. This challenge will really force us to think outside the box and try looks and combinations that we tend to shy away from on a daily basis.

For the first challenge, Melissa and I chose the Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette ($49), as it has some great neutrals, fun pops of color, and it smells delicious! Since the palette has 16 shadows, we have challenged ourselves to come up with 7 looks using all the shades. I'm going to number the non-duplicate shades as I mention them, and in the end I hope to will have used all 16 shadows.

Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette (source)

Look 1: On the first day of the challenge, I went to cut down my Christmas Tree, so I decided on a very natural, no-makeup look. I applied White Chocolate (1) all over my lid from lash line to brow. I then swept Milk Chocolate (2) onto my lid, and deepened the crease ever so slightly with Semi Sweet (3). I also dabbed a little bit of Champagne Truffle (4) on my inner corners to brighten things up.  I skipped the liner (I've been on a no liner kick recently), and topped everything off with two coats of mascara.

Look 2:  After applying primer, I swept White Chocolate all over my lid. I then used Salted Caramel (5) as my transition color, sweeping it into my crease and blending it out. I used Gilded Gold (6) on my lid and blended it up into Salted Caramel. Lastly, I used Champagne Truffle on my inner corners and directly under my brow. I lined my eyes (lash line and water line) with a dark brown liner, and finished up with two coats of mascara.

Look 3:  I started things off in my typical fashion: primed my lids and then applied White Chocolate as a base from lash line to brow. Next I pressed Hazelnut  (7) onto my lid, and buffed Milk Chocolate into my crease. I added a little bit of Creme Brulee (8) onto the inner 1/3 of my lid, and dabbed Champagne Truffle on my inner corners. I lightly lined the upper lash line with a brownish black liner, and lined my lower water line with a shimmery beige pencil. Two coats of mascara completed the look.

Please excuse the mascara smudge - I didn't notice it until after I took the pictures. 

Look 4:  I love this look! I began as usual, with primer and a layer of White Chocolate. I then pressed Candied Violet (9) onto my lid (next time I do this, I am going to try applying it wet). I brushed Cherry Cordial (10) into my crease and blended it up, and also added a little to my outer v to deepen the look. I lightly swept Salted Caramel right on top of Cherry Cordial to warm up the look and create a slight gradient effect, and added  White Chocolate as an inner corner highlight. I lined my upper lid with liquid liner, smudged Milk Chocolate on my lower lash line and added two coats of mascara. 

Look 5: This was quick look I pulled together using 2 shadows. I started out the same as always, and then swept Amaretto (11) across my lid and buffed it up into the crease until it faded out into the White Chocolate. I then added Champagne Truffle to my inner corners, lightly lined my eyes with a dark brown liner and applied two coats of mascara. Amaretto is a great color for the one shadow look, which is nice on days when you are running late and don't want to spend a ton of time on your eye makeup.

Look 6: I primed my lids and applied White Chocolate, per usual, then I brushed Marzipan (12) onto the inner 1/2 of my lid, and Black Forest (13) onto the outer 1/2 and into the outer crease. I then swept Strawberry Bon Bon (14) right above Black Forest, lined my upper lid with liquid liner and smudged Marzipan on my lower lash line. Two coats of mascara sealed the deal.

Look 7: For my final look, I did my prep steps (primer and White Chocolate), applied Haute Chocolate (15) to my lid, and Triple Fudge (16) to the outer v and into the crease. I highlighted with Champagne Truffle (inner corner and brow), lined my eyes (upper and lower lash lines) with a dark brown liner and finished things off with two coats of mascara.

And there you have it! I hope you have been inspired by the looks created, and if you choose to take part in the challenge yourself I hereby tag you! Please just link back so I can check out the looks you come up with :)

Make sure you check out Melissa's YouTube Channel  - MakeupMinnie83 - to see the looks she creates using the Chocolate Bar Palette in our first The Whole Palette Challenge!

Thanks for reading - live a beautiful life!


~Jessica

Infatuated: NYX Dark Circle Concealer

Hi Lovelies!

Infatuated is a new series in which I will tell you about a product that I am either currently obsessed with, or that I use regularly and couldn't live without.

I've been having trouble with darkness around my eyes lately, and have been on the hunt to find a product that will cover up the blue tones without looking cakey or fading away. My darkness is not in the traditional under-eye area - oh no, nothing can every be "normal" when it comes to me - but in the inner eye area, where my eye meets the bridge of my nose. This is a tricky area to cover, as it is hard to reach and it is an area that is often in shadow.  At this point, you may be asking yourself: what's a girl to do? Enter: NYX Dark Circle Concealer.

NYX Dark Circle Concealer, $6.00

One day, when I was at Ulta looking at expensive solutions to my problem, my friend suggested I try the NYX Cosmetics Dark Circle Concealer. It had the main component I was looking for - orange/peach undertones that cancel out the blue tones of my dark circles. At $6 it was much better priced than the majority of products I was considering, so I figured I had nothing to lose, and lots of brightness to gain!

One of the many fabulous things about this product is that it does not have just one universal shade that is supposed to be flattering for all skin tones but really only works for one; oh no, the Dark Circle Concealer comes in 4 shades: fair, light, medium, and deep. This means that almost anyone with dark circles can get the help they deserve! I use the shade light, and it is a perfect match for me.

Before - note the blue discoloration on the inner corners of my eyes

After using NYX Dark Circle Concealer on the inner corners only - the blue is gone!

Now, there are many peach colored concealers out there developed to cover the dreaded under eye circles, such as It Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye Corrector, $29 and Eve Pearl Salmon Concealer, $39. I've heard wonderful things about these products and I am sure that they are amazing (I do intend to try them out myself, just to compare, and I will let you know what I think); however, if it comes down to paying $6 or $39, and the $6 product does the trick, you know which product I'm choosing!

Fully concealed eye

My current eye concealer routine is to dab the NYX Cosmetics Dark Circle Concealer on my inner corners and pat in with my finger or a small brush (the E.L.F. Flawless Concealer Brush is awesome for this). Next I apply Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circles Concealer in the shade light on my under eyes and blend, followed by Bare Escentuals Mineral Veil to set everything in place; this is a super fine, light powder that does not crease under my eyes, and I highly recommend it for this area.

Another example of a completed eye

 I want to note that I only apply the peach colored concealer to my inner eyes, where the darkness is the deepest. NYX Cosmetics Dark Circle Concealer is pretty thick, sort of like a creamy paste, and because of this it is able to fully cover the circles and last throughout the day. However, my dark circles are not too bad directly under my eyes, so if I can get away with a concealer that is lighter in coverage,  then that is what I do. I know people who use the product underneath their entire eye and get great coverage without the cakey look, so do what works best for you. Keep in mind that a little goes a long way with this product, so apply sparingly and build up to the desired coverage.

Eh, just one more example of what my eye looks like after I'm all made up!

I am loving NYX Cosmetics Dark Circle Concealer - I think just adding that little bit of brightness to my darkest area makes a huge difference! I use this every single day, and I would die  go into a black void never to return be so lost without it!

Do you have problems with dark circles? What do you use to keep the darkness at bay?

Thanks for reading - live a beautiful life!

~Jessica