This is Halloween...

Happy October 2nd everyone! I hope you all had a safe and lovely weekend. Today I wanted to talk about Halloween makeup ideas and what my costume will be.

I plan on doing many makeup looks this month, including some spider-web lip art and vampy looks. However, I am most excited to dress-up as the one and only Gwen Stefani this year. Gwen Stefani has always been my favorite female singer and No Doubt is my #1 favorite band of all time. My Mom raised my sister and I on their music when we were kids and even took me to one of their concerts when I was in elementary school. So, when I was watching some no Doubt music videos earlier this year, I knew I needed to recreate, as best I can, one of her iconic looks. I plan on recreating her look from the 'Ex-Girlfriend' music video.

I always loved her pink hair looks in the early 2000's, especially this one. The contour, eyeshadow, and lip all make for such a dramatic and fun look. I know this will be such a fun look to recreate and wear on Halloween night! Once I get all the items I need I will do a tutorial of the process to practice before Halloween night. I can't wait to share this with you all!

Comment below what you want to be for Halloween this year!

First Impressions & Review of Too Faced 'Gingerbread Man' Lipstick!

It's that time of year again when makeup companies release some limited edition Holiday goodies and today I will be reviewing one of those products. Last year, I was very excited to purchase the limited edition Candy Cane lipstick by Too Faced (links to blog posts where this is mentioned here - haul & favs) and this year they have followed it up with a 'Gingerbread Man' version. As soon as I heard about this product coming out I made sure to keep up with its release. About two weeks ago, Too Faced put this product on their website for $21 (same as other lipsticks with this formula and last year's). I purchased it right away and just received it today!

In my package was the lipstick, two samples, and a 20% (one-time use) coupon code that I will be posting at the end of this post for one lucky reader to redeem! Now the lipstick came it decorated packaging, as seen in the photo below.

buy it here!!

I love the component the lipstick comes in and the detail that was put into it. Overall the presentation of this product gets and A+ from me. The lipstick is not only called 'Gingerbread Man' because of the design, but also because of its color and smell! Too Faced is known for scenting many of there products and collections, which has become a huge reason for the popularity of their products, in my opinion. The smell of this lipstick is so sweet and does remind me of a baked good. I wouldn't necessarily guess gingerbread if I wasn't aware of its intended smell, but it is smells great anyway! Last year's lipstick smelled more closely to its name, candy cane, than this years to me. I still very much like the scent and concept of this lipstick. Moving on to formula, this lipstick is just like all of Too Faced's other lipsticks in this formula. It is a matte, longwearing lipstick that is very comfortable on the lips. I personally love this formula and own three other lipsticks from this range. Lastly, the color of this lipstick is better than I expected. Initially I bought this for the novelty of it and because it coordinates with last year's release. I wasn't expecting this brick-red and brown color to flatter me at all, but it does! This is such a beautiful fall and winter shade that I can see myself wearing for the rest of 2017. I absolutely love it, check out a swatch down below!

very warm-toned & it dries slightly darker

I think this is a great buy for anyone who loves lipsticks, makeup, and Too Faced in general. This would be beautiful on all skin-tones because it is not a typical nude or brown shade. I highly recommend people pick this up on Sephora or Too Faced's website!

Before I go, here is the coupon code for one lucky reader to use on TooFaced.com anytime between October 23rd & 27th! Use code: 428SU3QPWGB9Y for 20% your purchase!

Thank you so much for reading my thoughts on this product, you rock! ❤

It's been awhile...

Hello there, I cannot believe that I haven't posted since January!! 2017 is coming to an end and I have been MIA (on here) for most of it. However, I am back and ready to continue to blog. I have missed expressing myself here. I plan on continuing to blog about my passion for makeup as well as occasionally talking about my life. I want to change the name of this page too, but haven't decided as to what yet.

Thank you (if there is anyone reading this) for sharing my love of makeup and wanting to know my thoughts. My next post will be about the new Too Faced Holiday 2017 Gingerbread Man lipstick. See you soon!

$21 @ toofaced.com

Why do I sleep with a humidifier? (CLEARER SKIN OVERNIGHT)

I have always had dry-skin with a few breakouts here and there. Over the years, I have continuously used skincare products that I thought would help my skin clear up, but I never assumed a machine could do the trick.

I recently was gifted a humidifier by my mother because she thought it could help my eczema, dry-skin, and overall health. A humidifier has many benefits besides the reasons I use it like easing asthma, treating cold/flu symptoms, and reducing snoring. Humidifiers spray cool humid air out into whatever room or area they are in. My humidifier is from Walmart and is the ProCare Cool Mist Humidifier. At only $26.94, this humidifier holds about 1 galloon of water, so I only need to refill it every 2 days or so. Overall this is a great humidifier for the price, considering that there are ones out there for a lot more that do the exact same thing.

image from Walmart.com

I use my humidifier at night, while I am asleep, because that is the only time I am in one place for a good amount of time. I have noticed a great change in the appearance of my skin not only on my face, but my eczema as well. My face has cleared up so much that I barely have any imperfections on my face and my eczema has also become less irritated/noticeable. I also noticed that my nose and throat were never sore or stuffy when I woke up because occasionally that happens. This humidifier has been in my room for a little over a week and has been the main reason for my absence of makeup this past week. I have been so shocked at how clear my skin looks that I haven't wanted to apply any makeup over it! I cannot say enough good things about this machine and what it has done for me! I highly recommend that anyone with dry-skin/acne, eczema, or any other problem that this may solve, get it! I don't think you'll be disappointed in the results you see from this. Humidifiers never struck me as quick solve for a problem I never thought I could solve!

Thank you for reading and comment below any questions you have or anything you would like me to talk about/review in the future! BYE!!!

*Makeup has no rules, just tips & suggestions.*

Subscription Boxes: Which Do I Prefer? IPSY, BIRCHBOX, OR BOXYCHARM?

As someone who has tried a few beauty/makeup subscription services in my day, I thought it would be great if I reviewed and gave my opinion on the ones I have tried out. I have tried Ipsy (3 years), Birchbox (2 months), and Boxycharm (1 month). The images included for each review are from the same month to compare variety and product differences. Enjoy!

IPSY: This subscription is $10 a month or you can get one month free if you pay for the entire year. Every month a pink envelope bag will be delivered to your mailbox containing a unique and cute makeup bag inside. The makeup will have anywhere from 4 to 6 makeup products inside. These products are mostly deluxe, travel, or sample sized items, but there may be a full-sized item included. After being subscribed to Ipsy for 3 years, I can say that it is definitely worth the money. For only $10 a month, I received so many interesting and cool products that I would never usually purchase myself. Although you can take a quiz/survey to determine what kind of products you want, it never really ends up to be everything you would want. I strictly put makeup on my profile and no nail polish, yet I still received numerous nail polishes and other products I would never want/use. Despite that fault, Ipsy has an interesting points system and monthly coupons. The rewards system allows you to review products to earn points in which you can use to redeem more products! The monthly coupons are also great because they reflect brands in the monthly bags and are anywhere from 10-50% off of purchases with free shipping varying from brand to brand. Overall I think Ipsy is a great way to try-out new products each month without paying too much money for what you get, if that makes sense. I highly recommend this to new makeup users more than seasoned users because the products included are very easy to use and mostly drugstore products. Rate: 9/10!

October 2016 Ipsy Bag
image from here

BIRCHBOX: This subscription is also $10 a month or $110 for the entire year. Each month a box will come to your door with another box inside containing 4 to 6 goodies, just like Ipsy. The products inside are usually all small, but sometimes a full-size item may be included. I only received two boxes in total from Birchbox in 2015 and they were both pretty good. I think that the items you can receive are definitely more high-end than the products you would typically see in Ipsy bags. I think that Birchbox is definitely more for people who like to use a variation of beauty products. Unlike Ipsy, Birchbox only includes about 1 makeup product in each box a month. I did like the products included, but found myself using them less because they weren't the kind of items I need or want. If you are some who loves skincare, hair products, and all things beauty besides makeup, I think this is a great subscription for the price! Overall, Birchbox is great, but it is just not for me. Rate: 6.5/10!

October 2016 Birchbox
image from here

BOXYCHARM: This subscription box is $21 or you can pay many different amounts for certain intervals of time (in months). When the box arrives to your door your products are right inside, no extra layer to get to the goods! Boxycharm is the most recent subscription I have tried and I have recently signed up for a whole year of boxes! This beauty/makeup box is obviously more expensive than the other two and that is because all of the products are full-sized. Each month you get 5 full-sized items that are mostly makeup with the occasional nail polish or skin-care item. Many of the boxes with their included items retail to over $100-$300. I think this box is a better value than the other two subscriptions. I also believe that this is a better box for real makeup lovers and seasoned makeup users because it includes more makeup than anything else. I really recommend this subscription because not only is it worth it, but if you truly love makeup then you get what you want. Overall, Boxycharm is my pick out of the three for sure, haven't had a problem with it yet (fingers crossed that I won't). Rate: 10/10!

October 2016 Boxycharm
image from here

I hope this post was helpful and interesting to read! Please let me know if you have ever tried one of these beauty subscriptions or if you have one now, which is your fav? Thanks for reading, BYE!!!
SIGN UP FOR IPSY HERE
SIGN UP FOR BIRCHBOX HERE
SIGN UP FOR BOXYCHARM HERE

*Makeup has no rules, just tips & suggestions.*

NYX Lip Lingerie Review: Love it or Hate it?

Coming from someone who loves a good liquid lipstick, I can say that it is not simple finding a decent one for a reasonable price. I have tried many drugstore and high-end liquid lipsticks, but I have always come to the conclusion that my high-end products last longer and have a better color pay-off than their drugstore counterparts. Today, however, I have a pretty good recommendation for all of you makeup lovers who want a nice, pretty lipstick without the overwhelming price tag.

NYX is a very popular drugstore brand with many amazing products that are all at reasonable price points for the average consumer. I have bought many things from this brand over the past couple of years and I have never been disappointed in anything I have received. I especially love NYX's lip products, so I had very high hopes for their new Lip Lingerie's lipsticks. These NYX liquid lipsticks launched in the Spring of 2016 and retail for $6.99 each. There are 24 shades listed on the NYX Cosmetics webpage. I, however, only bought 2 out of the 24 shades, one is a nude pink and the other is a warm mahogany red. I have been eyeing both of these shades because they seemed like nothing else I own and are really gorgeous liquid lipstick shades.

example of packaging

image from nyxcosmetics.com

The first of the two is called 'Babydoll', the nude pink shade. I think this shade is very beautiful and is a great option for the price. The formula on this lighter shade is definitely not as opaque as the red. The formula for this shade definitely needs two layers because of the streakiness when it is applied to the lips. I really do love how creamy and soft the formula feels despite the streakiness. Overall this shade is a very pale nude pink shade and can be very gorgeous if applied with at least two coats of product on each lip.

photo of me wearing 'Babydoll'

The second shade is called 'Exotic' and is the warm mahogany red as described before. Out of the two colors I purchased from this line, this has to be my favorite. The formula is so creamy,  soft, and opaque. The color glides on and makes for a gorgeous shade of red for everyday wear. I would say this color has a better formula than the other and lasts a bit longer too. Both have little to no color transfer when dry and take less than five minutes to dry down once applied. This formula also does not look or feel dry and flaky after it is applied. These liquid lipsticks last for a decent amount of time and stay on pretty well after eating too. 'Exotic', however, is still the winner of the two  based on color and formula.

photo of me wearing 'Exotic'

Overall, the NYX Lip Lingerie liquid lipsticks are very nice for the price. I do not think they are the best of the best for all liquid lipsticks, but as far as drugstore liquid lipsticks go they are one of the best I have tried. I definitely recommend these to anyone who wants a great lipstick without spending too much money! Leave a comment below on whether you have tried these or not and if you would like to. Thanks for reading, BYE!!!

*Makeup has no rules, just tips & suggestions.*

Emerald Green Eye Tutorial!

One of the many new things I want to try in 2017 is tutorials! Every time I do makeup on myself or others I think, why am I not making this a tutorial for others? So here it is, my first ever makeup tutorial! This first tutorial is actually on my younger sister Phoebe. Phoebe has always wanted to wear an emerald green eye look, so I decided to do one on her today and it turned out to be so gorgeous. Below I will show pictures of the look and talk about some of the products I used to create this look, enjoy!

To start this look, I primed Phoebe's face using the Maybelline Baby Skin Primer to make her skin look pore-less and feel baby soft. Next I applied the Pond's Luminous Finish BB Cream in Light to give her a natural, glowy look while still providing a little bit of coverage using a real techniques damp sponge. To conceal, I used the same sponge to apply the Maybelline Fit Me Concealer in the shade Light to cover her under eyes and any other spots she wanted more coverage on. After I applied foundation and concealer, I used the Coty Airspun Powder in Translucent to set her entire face before moving onto the eyes.

Before I dove into the shadows, I first applied a NYX eye primer in white to ensure the longevity of the shades. Next, I started to apply a light cream shade from the Morphe X KathleenLights Palette, which is where all of the shadows I used are from. I then took the lightest brown from the palette in her crease, almost creating a cut-crease look. After that I proceeded to take the emerald green metallic shade on a small brush to pack the color on the eyelid to ensure a very bright color payoff. To create a deeper cut crease effect I used a dark brown shade to outline the crease of her eye and continued to blend out the line. I took that same shade onto her lower lash line to give the eye a more dramatic effect. Before mascara I used the Benefit Goof Proof Brow Pencil in Medium to fill in her already full brows, just to give them more definition. To finish off the eyes, I applied her favorite Kat Von D mascara to her lashes that are already super long and fairy-like!

After the eyes were complete, I moved onto contour, bronzer, and blush. For all three cheek products I used the Kevyn Aucoin Contour Palette, which has a beautiful set of colors for the cheeks. I also highlighted her face using Becca Cosmetics Pearl Highlighter to give her a glowing, healthy look. To finish off the look I took the Make Up For Ever Mist & Fix setting spray to ensure the longevity of the look and to make the makeup look less cakey. Last, but certainly not least, I applied the Jeffree Star Liquid Lipstick in the shade Posh Spice, that matches the crease shade in the eye-look.

And there you have it, my first tutorial! I really enjoyed this kind of post and will definitely continue to do more in the future. I hope this was helpful and enjoyable to read. Please comment below if you are going to recreate this look or any requests you have because I will definitely try to do them! Thanks for reading! BYE!!!

P.S. The Morphe and KathleenLights Collaboration Palette will be back in stock on January 6th at 10 am PST. This palette is great quality and value at only $14.99 for 15 eyeshadows. Use code 'TRENDMOOD' for 10% off your purchase.

Click here to buy it if you want ----> https://www.morphebrushes.com/products/kathleen-lights

*Makeup has no rules, just tips & suggestions.*