Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Sexy Smokey Eye Look Using Blue

Hey guys!

So today I decided to make a video using the really gorgeous blue shade from my new Smashbox Full Exposure palette.  I absolutely LOVE the way this turned out.  I think it's so sexy and sultry while not being over the top.  It's also a really fun take on the traditional black and silver smokey eye.  What do you think?



xo

Kelly



Saturday, November 22, 2014

Current Eyeshadow Palette Obsessions

I have a love/hate relationship with eyeshadow palettes.  I think a lot of them can include beautiful colors, but then also have a bunch of colors I'd never touch.  It's really hard to find a palette that has all colors I could find a use for.  That's why I love when the holidays roll around!  Most companies come out with palettes for the holidays, and a lot of them include such a wide variety of colors that I can find uses for all of them.  In doing my research these are the palettes that I'm currently obsessed with!!  What do you guys think?



Laura Mercier- Artist’s Palette For Eyes & Cheeks $58



I am totally crushing on this palette right now!  It comes with 8 gorgeousss eyeshadow shades and one super versatile blush.  The shades range from matte to shimmer and deep rich blues to light, shimmery nudes.  There is a such a gorgeous range of colors in this palette and so many looks can be done from it!  It comes in this really pretty little kit and is a great gift for the holidays!  I’ve used Laura Mercier’s shadows before and never been disappointed.  The blush is a Rose Gold with a hint of shimmer.  It looks really gorgeous on all skin tones and it’s light enough that it won’t give you an overly blushed look.  The only thing I found disappointing for this palette was that for the price I would have liked to have gotten at least one brush from it.  All in all though, definitely a great buy!

Laura Mercier - Artist Laura Mercier - Artist


Buy it Here!



Tarte- Bon Voyage Collector’s Set And Travel Bag $59



Now this set I love because it comes with so much more than just the palette!  For the same price as the Laura Mercier set you get a Palette, a Mascara, a Cheek Stain, a Lip Gloss, a Lip Tint, Maracuja Oil, Finishing Powder and a travel bag.  This is the ultimate gift for someone who you’re not quite sure what to get!  You practically get one of each of their products to try out.  The products it comes with come in a range of colors everything from nude to apricot and it’s great for someone with sensitive skin or who’s worried about parabens and other supposedly harmful makeup products.  The bag it comes with is super cute and great to throw in your purse or for when you travel.  The palette itself is awesome.  You get 20 different Amazonian clay eye shadows, a lot of neutrals mixed in with a few bright colors like blue and green.  An awesome kit for traveling as you can either play it safe or have some fun.  I am definitely loving the variety this provides!
tarte - Bon Voyage Collector's Set And Travel Bagtarte - Bon Voyage Collector's Set And Travel Bag
Buy it Here!



Smashbox- Double Exposure Palette $52


If you’ve read any of my other posts, you know how obsessed I am with my Smashbox Full Exposure Palette!  While I’m not a huge fan of Smashbox this particular palette is amazing!!  Their new Double Exposure Palette is the next one to follow.  If it’s anything like the first it’s super pigmented, the shadow stays on all day and it takes very little product to apply.  This kit comes with 14 different eyeshadows, there are more blues and purples and bronze colors than in the first kit.  Apparently, if you wet the brush it comes with the eyeshadow transforms, giving you a different effect.  This palette comes with a brush and a mascara which I always love getting extras when I purchase palettes.  I would 100% recommend getting this as I was so impressed by the first palette, I think I may just have to get the second one!
Smashbox



Cargo- Northern Lights Eye Shadow Palette- $39


This is a great alternative to some of the pricier palettes.  Cargo makes really quality products and I have some of their eyeshadows that I love.  This kit also comes with a brush, which is great, although I don’t know much about Cargo brushes’ quality.  The biggest difference with this kit is the colors are all extremely bold.  This is definitely not the kit you get someone who wears neutral shadows every day.  It’s a great kit for adding a little color to your collection and having some fun playing around with them.
Cargo


it Cosmetics- Holiday Naturally Pretty Celebration Matte Palette  $42


I love it Cosmetics!  They’re such a fun brand, with so many fabulous products!  This palette contains 14 gorgeous matte shadows, including a ‘Transforming Pearl shade’ that will transform any of the mattes into a shimmer shade, essentially giving you 28 options.  This is super cool as I can’t think of many (or any?) other palettes that do this.  These shadows are also supposed to be anti-aging, infused with silk.  The colors in this palette are all very neutral, so you can wear it for an every day look, or dip into the black/blue shades to create a smokey eye.  This is one of those kits that has something for everyone and I am absolutely obsessed!

It Cosmetics





Laura Gellar- 20 Shades of Baked $49



This palette is awesome!  There are 20 gorgeous shades, in a wide variety of colors, making it the perfect palette for traveling.  There are endless combinations of looks you can make with this palette, everything from a very neutral day look, to a super bright, fun night look.  I love palettes that give you such versatility because you can really get a ton of use out of them.  Every color is super pigmented so you don't need a lot of product to get a nice look, which means that this palette will last you forever!  Also, it comes with a 2 sided brush, so you get an added bonus!

Laura Geller   

Buy it Here!




NARS- the NARSissist Eyeshadow Palette $79



This is one of the pricier palettes, so I debated adding it.  However, I absolutely love the NARS eyeshadows, and this kit comes with 15!  The colors in this kit are more on the muted side, although there are a couple brighter colors.  It's a nice mix of mattes and shimmers, so you can really play around with the different finishes.  Each of these shadows alone are super expensive, so you're definitely getting your money's worth from this palette.  If you're a NARS fan, then this is definitely the kit for you.
 NARS - The NARSissist Eyeshadow Palette

So those are my current obsessions.  What are yours?

xo

Kelly

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

My Fall Foundation Routine

As the weather changes so too, should your makeup routine.  In the summer it's important to use products that are lightweight and will prevent your skin from getting too oily. I like to stick with a lot of powders, and very sheer products.

However, when fall comes around it's important to switch up your repertoire to products that will match your changing skin.  Firstly, your skin will inevitably lighten (sigh) causing you to seek out a lighter colored foundation than you may have used in the summer.  Secondly, your skin will become much more dry so it's important to switch out your moisturizer, face wash, and concealer to a product that better suits your current skin conditions.  

In this video I go through the products that I change up when the weather starts to get cooler so that my skin doesn't skip a beat.  Check it out and let me know what you think!



xo

Kelly





Friday, November 14, 2014

Sephora Draw The Line Kit Review

In my recent Sephora haul I purchased their Draw The Line Kit.  This kit from Sephora costs only $30 and it's absolutely amazing for the value!  It comes with 6 different eyeliners from different brands so you can try each of them out and see which you like best and which work for what looks.  I would absolutely purchase this kit again, I wish they made more!  The kit contains:

- Sephora Collection Contour Eye Pencil 12 HR Wear in Black Lace 
- stila Cosmetics Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner in Dark Brown 
- Kat Von D Deluxe Tattoo liner in Trooper (black) 
-Nars Cosmetics Via Veneto Larger Than Life™ Long Wear Eyeliner (black) 
-Deluxe Marc Jacobs Beauty Highliner in Blacquer 
-Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Double Ended Eye Pencil in Perversion and Rockstar


Check out my video below to see what I think of each of the liners and whether I'd buy the liner by itself or not!



xo

Kelly

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Cut Crease Look

Another look that has become very popular lately is the 'cut-crease look'.  What this essentially means is a look in which you don't blend out the crease color.  You can do this with neutral colors as I show in my video below or with brighter colors if you really want to make your eyes stand out.  It's just a different technique, not necessarily better than the normal blending, but definitely fun for days when you want to mix it up!  Also, it helps to make your eyes look bigger if you have smaller eyes because you can kind of fake where the crease is. I used some of the matte browns from my Smashbox Full Exposure Palette to do this.  Check out my video below, is this something you guys would try?



xo

Kelly



















Monday, November 10, 2014

8 Tricks You Should Know For Concealer

So concealer is one of the first products I think most girls start using.  As we enter into our teen years and that glorious phase of acne, concealer is usually the first product girls will reach to in an attempt to cover them up.  While concealer is a pretty basic product, there are some tips that you should know when applying!

1.)  Concealer can double as an eyeshadow primer:  If you can't afford, or just don't want to shell out extra money for a eyelid primer, concealer can do the trick just as nicely.  Just dab a little on your eye and use your finger to smooth it out and voila! instant primer.

2.)  Liquid foundation can be used in place of concealer: We've all had that moment where you reach for your concealer only to realize that you've used it all up.  The key to this is be careful not to use a foundation that's too dark or it will only highlight the area you're trying to cover up.  Apply a dab of the foundation, allow it a minute or so to set and thicken and then blend it.

3.) Apply concealer in the shape of a 'V' under your eye: I used to apply my concealer as a messy glob under my eye and then blend in.  Then I learned the trick that if you apply it in the shape of a 'V' it actually lifts the the face and draws focus upward.  This is far more flattering than applying in a circle shape or a messy glob.  Trust me.

4.) Always use your ring finger to blend your concealer: Your ring finger is your weakest finger and therefore will give you the lightest touch when you blend.  It will also allow you more control and ensure you don't have to continually reapply to get the right amount of coverage.

5.) Apply concealer over your lips before applying red lipstick:  This will create a blank canvas for the red to go on and keep the lipstick in place much longer than just applying it straight to your lips.  You can also apply a translucent powder over a tissue after you've applied the lipstick as double protection for keeping it in place.

6.) Apply a line of concealer to sharpen the edges of any eyeshadow look or fix any mistakes:  Sometimes when you're apply a crease color it can get really messy.  Other times you just want a really sharp look.  Either way once you've finished applying the eyeshadow you can draw a line from the corner of your eye up to your brow and lightly blend it in with your ring finger.

7.)  Always apply your eyeshadow first:  This reason for this is simple.  Eyeshadow has a tendency to fall (especially dark colors) as you're applying it.  If you had applied your concealer first the eyeshadow would stick to the concealer and you'd have to start all over.  This way you can easily brush off any excess powder and then apply your concealer afterwards.

8.) To cover a blemish, first use green concealer:  Green balances out the redness of a spot so apply green concealer directly on the blemish, using your ring finger to blend out the edges.  Then, after your green concealer has set, lightly dab (using your ring finger again) on your regular concealer to cover the green.  Be really careful in applying as less is always more with colors.

These are just a few of the tricks out there, there are hundreds!  What are some of your favorites?

xo


Kelly


Friday, November 7, 2014

Laura Mercier Caviar Eye Stick Look #2

As promised, here is the second of my 2 looks using the Laura Mercier Caviar Eye Sticks. The first look I did using my Laura Mercier Caviar Eye Stick didn't include the Amethyst stick, which is the purple color.  So today, I decided to do another look incorporating that color so you guys could see what all 4 colors look like.  I absolutely looove this color.  It's the perfect shade of purple, not too obnoxious, but just enough pigment.  It also applies just as smoothly as the other colors!  Check out the video below to see my look and tell me what you think!




xo

Kelly





Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Laura Mercier Caviar Stick Eye Shadow

I recently purchased the Laura Mercier Caviar Stick Box Set from Sephora, While not generally a fan of cream shadows I was intrigued by the description.  It's essentially a cream eyeshadow that you color on.  I recently did a post/video reviewing these and I have to say I am really impressed.  I decided to try a look out so you can see how to apply these sticks and show how fun and different they can be to use!  I did a sublte bronze eye with a deep, berry lip.  Let me know what you think!



xo

Kelly




Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Nail Polish Review

**Please keep in mind, I am by NO means talented at doing my nails, nor do I profess to be any type of expert in this field**

I am not horrible at doing my nails, when I really put my mind to it, but I am also by no means good.  However, I don’t have money to spend to get a manicure every week so I find myself doing them a lot.  Then, I heard about Gel manicures when they first became all the rage and I was so excited!  A manicure that lasts over 2 weeks!  Awesome.  The problem is, these are expensive too, so I’m limited in how often I can afford to splurge on these.  I tried getting the whole kit with the LED light and the top coat and the base coat and all that fun stuff.  Way too complicated for me.  Not only was it really time consuming, I wasn’t good enough at doing my nails that I’d always end up with bumps or just horrible looking nail polish.  That’s why when I saw that Sally Hansen had come out with a simple 2 step, LED free Gel Polish I was SO excited!  I thought this would be the perfect solution to having to do my nails every week and save me some serious manicure money!

I ran out to the store and purchased the top coat and the color ‘Blacky’.  I applied the color Blacky first, it came fine, and only took 2 coats to get a nice even, color.  Then, after it had dried slightly, I applied the top coat.  The top coat again, went on evenly, no bubbles and it seemed to work well.  I got a little around the edges of my nails but it was easy enough to remove.  However, by the next day my nails had begun to chip.  Now, my nails break easily so I don’t have the best canvas or base to begin with, but I would expect more than just one day’s worth.  As the week wore on, the polish began to chip the same as regular polish.  The tips of my nails began to chip away and even some of the base.  I got no more wear out of it than a regular polish, and I might even venture to say less wear.


Now, this is where my disclaimer comes in.  I am not great at painting my nails and I do not have the best nails to work with.  Therefore, this polish might work better on someone with healthier nails or someone who’s better at applying nail polish.  I, however, was not impressed.  For the price I expected way better quality.  I think for the price I’d rather stick with my classic Essie and O.P.I polishes.

xo

Kelly





After 1 Week: