I love wearing this look because the eyeliner is subtle but still has an interesting twist and the red lip is super easy to wear.  If you’re too shy to wear red go with a nude lip but add a little extra of the pink blush!

What I Used:

Foundation: Maybelline Super Stay Foundation in Pure Beige

Concealer: Maybelline Dream Lumi Concealer

Blush: Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Amused

Powder: Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder

Contour: NYC Bronzer Sunny

Highlight: Smashbox Duo Blush in Passion/Shimmer

Lips: Elf Conditioning Lip Balm in Romantic Rouge

Mascara: Benefits BadGal Lash in Black

Eyeliner: L’oreal Carbon Black Lineur Intense and Wet n Wild Coloricon liner in white

Eyelashes: Ardell Demi Wispies (My Favorite)

How To:

1. Apply Foundation. I use my fingers to blend the Super Stay foundation in.

2. Powder any areas that might get shiny ( I usually stick to my nose, chin and the forehead) and then your cheeks since you will be using powder blush.

3. Apply black eyeliner to upper lashline, wing out the tip at the outer corner of your eye

4. Take your white eyeliner and trace along the black line you just created. If you overlap the white on the black go back in with the black liquid liner and redefine the edge of your black line.

5. Apply blush to the cheekbones and apples of your cheeks.

6. Take bronzer and contour underneath your cheekbones.

7. Apply shimmer highlight to top of cheekbones and under eyebrows.

8. Apply mascara and false lashes. Once lashes are applied sweep on one more coat of mascara to blend your falsies in with your real lashes.

9. Fill in brows

10. Take lip brush and apply Elf conditioning lip balm in romantic rouge

I have to say the coverage of this is really good. I would say this gives you medium coverage but is very easy to build to full. The packaging claims this foundation will withstand heat, sweat and humidity and won’t rub off ( Supposedly you can get 24 hour coverage with this). It is also marketed as good for all skin types.  I agree that this stuff will last all day. I got ready this morning at 6:30 and when I drove home 12 hours later my skin still looked smooth and most of my discoloration and spots were still covered.  I did use a primer underneath and set it with my Urban Decay All Nighter Setting spray but I can easily say the lasting power of this beats most of my other foundations.

As far as being suitable for all skin-types I think this would probably work best for normal or dry skin. While the coverage was great and long lasting I did get pretty oily by mid-day and I like a foundation with a slightly more matte finish.

While this foundation has a lot of good qualities after wearing it for a day I remembered why I don’t normally reach for it. There is just something about the way this feels on my skin that I do not enjoy. It feels very heavy to me even though the bottle says it’s “breathable for all day comfort”.  Even though I don’t think this necessarily looked cakey on, it just feels too thick for me. By 3 p.m. I was counting the hours until I could go home and wash this off.

I also hate the packaging.  This has no pump and because this is a little thicker foundation the bottle gets so messy! Definitely not something that would be easy to travel with.

So, while a lot of girls are loving this particular formula I have to say that it’s not for me.  I would pull this out if I needed something for an all day event but as an everyday foundation this is not for me.

Things To Know:

1. This is a medium-full coverage foundation. It easily covers hyperpigmentation, redness, acne scars or breakouts.

2. This is VERY long-wearing

3. I find the formula of this to be too thick for me and not quite matte enough

4. If you have oily skin you will need to powder a few times throughout the day to avoid shine

5. Packaging of this is not ideal. Be prepared for messy application and a messy bottle.

Sorry the lighting is bad but Yuck! Look how gross this bottle gets!

I don’t know what I do without these lip balms! My lips have been so dry this winter, I’ve been trying chapsticks, balms, and lip butters and nothing has been helping. This weekend when I was going through my lipstick drawer I found these Elf lip balms and pulled them out and they have been working wonders on my lips. I loved these when I bought them but since the packaging is a little bulky they ended up at home most of the time but now that I’ve rediscovered them again these guys will be staying in my purse.

I have a lot of hits and misses with Elf products, some things are awesome others are useless but these are high quality.  Many balms I’ve tried can be super waxy but these are so creamy and hydrating that it makes up for the fact that they are in these bulky jars. I hate sticking my finger in products but since these are creamy you can use a lip brush if needed. These contain vitamin A and E as well as SPF 15. They haven’t made my lips peel at all or caused any irritation around my mouth.  Another great thing about these balms is the color payoff. The website says they provide sheer color but the red shade I have (romantic rouge) has amazing color payoff. If you are nervous to do a red lip I would definitely recommend purchasing that shade. I also have nice and natural which is a great nude shade. It hides my lips natural pigmentation without washing me out. The staying power of these is pretty decent as well. My lips don’t feel dry again for 2-3 hours which is much better than with the chapsticks I’ve been using. Best of all these are only 3 dollars. I purchased mine during one of the 50% off sales so I only paid $1.50.  You can’t do much better than that!

The top shade is Romantic Rouge and the bottom swatch is Nice and Natural.  I plan on purchasing Peaceful Pink and Mellow Melon.

Things To Know:

1. The packaging on these aren’t great but you get alot of product and because of the creamy texture of these you can use a lip brush

2. These are not sticky or too shiny

3. The staying power of this product is probably 2-3 hours

4. I highly recommend Romantic Rouge for a super easy to wear red lip

5. Elf products can be purchased at Target or online at this link http://www.eyeslipsface.com/studio/lips/lip_balm/studio_lip_balm  ( I sometimes have a hard time finding certain Elf things at Target)

I’m a fan of peachy blushes on my skin tone and Nars Amour didn’t disappoint.  This is a richly pigmented matte blush that is great for a soft peachy glow.  Amour is described as a peachy pink but when blended out on my cheeks this reads more on the peach side for me.  Since it’s a matte shade it’s great for everyday wear and the staying power doesn’t disappoint.  While this is  a matte shade it isn’t chalky or powdery at all.  The texture is creamy and easy to blend and a little goes a very long way. I swatched this with some of my other peach blushes to give you a comparison.

Starting from the left:

1. Nars Amour (Matte finish)

2. Tarte Amazonian Clay blush in Blissful (Matte finish)

3. Elf studio blush in Peachy Keen (Shimmer finish)

While I love all three of these colors Amour is the most pigmented and the one I have to have the lightest touch with.

What You Need To Know:

1. This blush leans more on the warm side

2. Matte finish

3. I like wearing this best with a brown smokey eye

4. Great pigmentation and creamy texture

5. I usually wear this swept across my cheekbones, avoiding the apple of my cheeks

Like most NARS products this is a bit pricey, I paid $27.00 and ordered mine from Sephora.com

 What I Used:

PRIMER: Fusion Beauty Illumifil

FOUNDATION: Revlon Photoready shade Natural Beighe

CONCEALER: Maybelline Lumi Touch in shade Radiant

BLUSH: Wet n Wild in Heather Silk

EYELINER: Physicians Formula Kohl Kajal Blue Eye Trio

MASCARA: Maybelline Falsies in Blackest Black

EYEBROWS: NYX Eyebrower Shaper Wax pencil, filled in with the darkest shade of the Maybelline Natural Smokes Quad

EYESHADOW: Tarte’s NeutralEYES volume II palette, shade buttercream and L’oreal Hip Duo Shade saucy

LIPS: NYX jumbo lip pencil in Pecan and Bonnebell Liplites in Strawberry (milkshake or something like that)

BRUSHES: Crown Brush powder brush, Real techniques buffing brush and pointed foundation brush, Crown Brush Kabuki Brush, Crown Brush eyeshadow brush, and Smashbox shadow liner brush, Beauty Blender Sponge

EYELASHES: Eylure Naturalites #205

How To:

1. Apply primer, blend in with fingers

2. Dot on your foundation, blend with buffing brush

3. Apply under-eye concealer, blend with beauty blender. (I apply under eyes and under my brows)

4. Apply buttercream eyeshadow all over eyelid

5. Take the black Kajal eyeliner and line upper and lower lashline about 3/4 from outercorner of eye.

6. Line waterline with Black kajal eyeliner

7. Take blue kajal eyeliner and trace above black eyeliner, extending past the outer-corner of your eye

8.  Take your shadow liner brush and using a golden shade trace the blue eyeliner, using this to stop smudging and soften the edges of your line

9. Apply mascara and false lashes. After your eyelashes are on see if you need to exaggerate the shape of your eyeliner more. I find when I wear very thick eyelashes I need to usually extend my eyeliner more and bring it underneath my eye a bit farther down to balance everything out.

10. Apply pecan lip pencil and top with Bonnebell pink lip gloss

11. Fill in brows, I like to do this last so I can see how strong I need to make them to balance out the rest of my makeup

This is one of those items that is hard for me to explain why I love it, but my skin just looks so much nicer when I use it. It’s supposed to fill in fine lines and wrinkles and plump up skin but I don’t have many wrinkles yet. I do feel like it minimizes the look of pores and gives you a very glowy airbrushed look. It’s very easy to work with and makes any foundation I wear look better.

This product has a rollerball for an applicator and is a pearly pinky white when you first apply it to your skin. Once you blend it in the pearly pink/white shade disappears and you are left with a glowy base that has no shimmer or sparkle in it. I feel like this looks natural in any light and would work well no matter what your skin tone. I like using this on days when my skin is looking dull. I find I reach for this the most during the winter when my skin just generally lacks any natural light or glow.

Things To Know:

1. I apply use this as a primer itself OR after my primer but before my foundation. I use the roller ball applicator and apply on my cheek bones, forehead and down the center of my nose. Then I blend out all over my face.

2. Let this dry before applying foundation to prevent the product from clumping up when you buff in your foundation.

3. I do not like this product over my foundation. I recommend always applying it before foundation.

4.  I have oily skin and I do not feel like this makes my skin greasy. I think this would work well with any skin type.

5. This will give your skin a very natural and subtle boost. My skin looks healthy and smooth when I use this.

This is definitely a splurge product but I love the results when I use it. It’s hard to find products that make you look glowy without being shimmery or sparkly. This is one of those products! If you try it let me know if you love it as much as I do.

I purchased mine in the shade radiant. I don’t have horribly dark under-eye circles so this covers and brightens fantastically for me. The thing I like most is I have no creasing with this. It doesn’t settle in any lines I have under my eyes and blends out seamlessly.

The applicator tip is a brush. You twist the bottom and the product comes out the tip. The application is easy and I just blend it out with the pointed end of my beauty blender.

I don’t have too much more to say besides I’m really enjoying this and I recommend it for anyone who hates creasing under their eyes.

Things To Know:

1. This is a gel based formula. I think this really helps with blending, it doesn’t feel greasy and I have no creasing with this.

2. This is marketed as an all-over concealer. I’ve mainly used it under my eyes but you can use it on other areas of your face.

3. This does a great job brightening under your eyes and around the inner corner of eyes

This is my new favorite under-eye concealer!

I purchased two of these Physicians Formula Kohl Kajal Eyeliner Trio’s last week when they were buy one get one 50% off at CVS. They came in a number of different sets based on eye color, I purchased the Green eyes and Blue eyes set.  My eyes are actually hazel but I liked the colors that these came with better and I have green contacts that I wear often anyways.  I’ll start by saying I have picked these up and put them down without purchasing probably 5 times in the past few weeks. They always caught my eye but then I couldn’t figure out why they were shaped so oddly and how you would sharpen them, so I would put them back down. However, since they were on sale I bought them.  After getting home I started having second thoughts though so I started reading some reviews online. They were all bad. Most people said the tips broke off and the point wore down quickly. There was no way to sharpen them and once the point wore down you were stuck with a blunt end that was too wide to use. That gave me second thoughts again so I started researching Kajal eyeliner in general just to see if I was missing something.  That’s when I had my aha! moment.  These aren’t supposed to be used like a regular eyeliner. When using them you hold them so the stick is parallel with your eye, this does not wear down the point.  So again when you use this do not hold it so that the tip makes right angle to your lash line but instead slide the eyeliner on it’s side across your lashline. I hope that makes sense!

Now that I had done my research I decided I would give these a chance instead of taking them back. I have good and bad things to say about these pencils.

I’ll start with the good.

1. I really like the color and pigmentation. I read a few reviews that said the color wasn’t saturated enough but I don’t have that complaint.

Swatches of Kajal Blue Eyes Trio

2. I found these to be fairly creamy and I did not have any tugging or pulling on my eyelid when applying this. Again, I read reviews where people said these didn’t seem soft, but I have not had that issue.

3. The box suggests layering shades together and I think you can create some really beautiful looks that way. My favorite so far is lining close to the lashline with the brown and then tracing along that line with the blue.

4. I’m still able to create some pretty cat eyes looks with these even without directly using the point of the pencil. I actually think its easier creating that shape with these then with my normal pencils.

The Bad

1. These are labeled as waterproof and are supposed to last well on the waterline. I do not find that to be true at all. It fades off of my waterline very very quickly. Also, while I like the pigmentation against my skin, it does not apply very darkly to the waterline.

2. These do not set well. I notice a lot of transference to my crease when I first apply these. It seems like they take at least a good 5 minutes to set which is not very convenient. Even then I am kind of paranoid about them smudging so I have been using a powder to trace along the edge of the line. This seems to work, especially for the liner underneath my bottom lashes.  Again though, these are promoted as waterproof  so I would think these would be less smudgy.

If you are looking for these in the store here is a picture of the Green Eyes set still in the box

Kajal Green Eyes Trio Package

Things To Know:

1. These are not low-maintenance eyeliners. I think they look beautiful but they take time to set.

2. This is not a precision eyeliner. Try not to use the point! Use them correctly and they’ll last awhile.

3. For the cleanest application I recommend using a powder to trace the edge of your line. This will prevent them from smudging all over the place.

4. I really liked the color and pigmentation of these.

5. I found these to be really fun to use, I recommend layering the shades.

6. I suggest wearing these for a low-key date night or a fun lunch with friends. I do not recommend these if you plan on going to the bar or dancing, I feel like if you got hot these would probably smudge away quickly.

Overall, I say give these a try if you have some extra cash to spend and you’re looking for a new product to play with. I really liked mine and I’m glad I didn’t return them

Sidenote: I think I have a new obsession with Kajal eyeliners. I want to try some real ones from India, I read you can order them online from ebay for like 2 dollars!

What You Need:

1. A good eyelash curler

2. A volumizing mascara in the shade brown

3. A lengthening mascara in the blackest shade you can find

How to:

1. Give your eyelashes a good curl with your favorite eyelash curler

2. Apply 2-3 coats of your most volumizing brown mascara from root to tip. Try and focus the most product at the roots of your lashes.  I’ve been using Maybelline’s The Colossal Volum’Express in the shade Glam Brown

3. Apply 2 coats of your blackest mascara to just the tips of your lashes. I’ve been using Maybelline Lash Stilleto because it’s lengthening and I think the black dries with a slightly glossy finish.

And that’s it! Super easy and a fun way to mix up the same boring black mascara that you wear everyday.  Your eye lashes will look fuller and longer than ever! Give it a try and let me know how you like the results!

Things To Know:

1. This hairspray cost me $5.99 at Ulta. While it isn’t the cheapest hairspray it isn’t the most expensive either and I think it’s worth the money.

2. If you have extensions I recommend this as a great hairspray to use when you’re wearing them.

3. This holds tease well but is easy to brush out if you mess up.

4. This is marketed as a firm hold hairspray. I agree, your hair will still have some movement when you use this and my curls and waves usually hold throughout most of the work day.

5. Since it doesn’t make your hair crunchy this is a great hairspray to keep in your purse for touch-ups throughout the day. Spritz the length of your hair and then scrunch or wrap around your fingers for a quick boost of texture if your locks are falling flat towards the end of the day!

6. Pass on this spray if you aren’t a fan of scented hairspray.

My overall opinion, this is a great everyday hairspray. Don’t pass this up if you are in Ulta and looking to try something new.