No Makeup March: 5 Tips for Surviving a No-Buy!

I don't know if anyone agrees with me or not, but I definitely have been buying a lot of makeup lately. Every brand is coming out with their limited edition palettes and lipsticks, and they are so beautiful that I cannot pass them up. But because I am starting to budget my money better, I know that a month without excessive makeup purchases is necessary. Below are some tips that have helped me stay away from purchasing makeup since February 24!

1 -- Take note of everything that catches your eye when you are on your No-Buy
If you see that new Maybelline lipstick collection, take note of every shade that catches your eye. I know that this has helped me realize how much of a compulsive buyer I have become. How many nude lipsticks does one person need? A lot, but if you really think about the things you want, you will end up using them more. And at the end of the month I am going to reflect on my list and probably laugh at the hundreds of dollars I would have spent if I just bought everything that caught my eye. That will help me justify the haul I plan on doing at the beginning of April!

2 -- Re-organize your makeup collection
My makeup collection is nowhere ready to be shown on the internet, I plan on doing a makeup collection post as soon as I move into my apartment and have everything organized to perfection. But on that note, I re-organized to see what I have and what I do not use regularly. And there is something about looking at my collection and all of my products that is just so amazing. I cannot be the only person that feels that way, right? Makeup isn't just a hobby, it is an amazing part of my life! While re-organizing, I found some forgotten gems.

3 -- Pull out a few items you have been neglecting and use them every day
I chose to pull out one of my Hard Candy baked eyeshadows, my L'oreal Voluminous mascara, and my Physician's Formula BB Powder. I have neglected these (and many more) items in my collection as I just continued to purchase more and more products. I love my Hard Candy eyeshadows, but because I focus my money on high end palettes, they have been ignored.

4 -- Appreciate your monthly subscription box/bag
I was taken off of the Ipsy waiting list last month (before I decided on my March No-Buy), and now it is all I can do to just stand next to the mailbox until my Ipsy Bag gets here! So when it does, I will be sure to love everything in the bag as much as if I had hand-picked the items myself! Whether you are subscribed to Ipsy, Birchbox, Wantable, or the seemingly dozens of other subscription services out there, appreciate them during your no-buy!

5 -- Take a few days out of the month to go without makeup entirely
If you say the term "No Makeup March" I can guarantee you will get at least one person ask why you are still wearing makeup. So you need to explain what our community calls a "No-Buy" and how you still get to wear makeup. But on my low-key days I have just been washing my face and leaving the house to run errands or stay home and do chores. I do not feel like makeup is necessary, it is something I enjoy putting on every day and I look forward to getting ready in the morning. But I tried and make a full circle with my "No Makeup March" plan by not wearing makeup at all for a few days here and there.

Maybelline Spring 2014 Collection

This post is going to be short and sweet, I am on a very strict No Makeup March (aka my "no buy") because I was going overboard on the makeup purchases. Everyone lives outside their means every once in a while but I needed to cut back. Of course this comes right as Maybelline launches their Spring 2014 collection. Can you say "Limited Edition?" I needed to get something before they were sold out! I picked up three of the limited edition Color Tattoos and one of the EyeStudio quads. I am just going to do some pictures and then I only have a few final remarks for right now.

I was bummed to find out that "Pure Nude" is a lot like "Barely Branded." If you have already purchased the permanent color "Barely Branded" you might not even bother to buy "Pure Nude." Would you like a side-by-side swatch? comment down below and I will put that picture up.

The second color "Beige-ing Beauty" is a peachy/golden nude color, not as pigmented as the usual Color Tattoos, but I definitely enjoy the color and will use it as a base in future looks.

The final color, "Nude Compliment" is a taupe color that I think will be a gorgeous base color with any taupe shade you put all over your lid.

There were four (I believe) new quads out with this collection, but I stayed away from the traditional nudes and chose this one because I liked the purples in it! Maybe I will use it to do a smokey eye and post a tutorial!

I know that there were lipsticks, glosses, blush sticks, highlighters, and other Color Tattoos and quads out in this line--I definitely recommend picking some up if it is in the budget!

February 2014 Favorites

#1 // Olay ProX Advanced Cleaning System

I use this to cleanse my face every night for sure and sometimes in the morning as well! It leaves my face super clean and smooth and I think it is also helping my skin stay clear. If you use this make sure that you only keep it on your face for one minute, it might over-cleanse your face if you leave it on longer than that!

#2 // L'Oreal Pore Vanisher

I am officially convinced that this product does what it says it will and will shrink your pores after continued use. I found a bunch of samples and have been using them for a couple weeks and I love what this product does to my skin to help put my makeup on smoothly and even out my skin texture.

#3 // Revlon Lip Butter in "Pink Truffle"

I think that this color is a my-lips-but-better color. It is a little bit darker than my natural lip color but it is a great nude!

#4 // Lancome Juicy Tube in "Touched by Light"

This lipgloss smells just like any important high school event for me. Juicy Tubes were the THING to have back in the day and I wore this color to Prom, Ball, Homecoming, Graduation, this list goes on and on. Last October I felt the need to repurchase when I was feeling nostalgic. 

#5 // Physician's Formula Eye Booster Liquid Eyeliner in "Ultra Black"

This eyeliner has been great! I have been searching for a liquid liner that wouldn't transfer down after a few hours of wear. The product also promises to make your lashes longer and fuller, I haven't noticed yet. The product doesn't promise to be waterproof which is what I really want, but I haven't had problems with it like I had with my Jordana Fabuliner and L'Oreal liquid eyeliner pen.

#6 // Almay Eyeliner in "Black"

This eyeliner has been the best that I have found in years. I cannot tell you how many eyeliners I have tried: waterproof, smudgeproof, regular...They all smudged on the side of my eye. This eyeliner does too, but I have had the longest success rate with it (three to four hours without smudges).

#7 // Too Faced Shadow Insurance

This stuff almost never creases on me! I still want to try the Nars eyeshadow primer, but as long as I have this and it works 99% of the time, I am happy! If you need a primer that doesn't make your eyeshadow crease I would recommend this.

#8 // Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette

This was an impulse purchase. It was the last palette at the store and I just needed it. You know how that goes, right? The shadows smell like chocolate, they are incredibly pigmented, and did I say almost no fallout? SO AWESOME.

#9 // Batiste Dry Shampoo

Why am I so late to jump onto this band wagon??? I didn't realize there was a difference in dry shampoos until now! This stuff is literally a magic potion for your hair. If you are trying to go a couple days between washing your hair, you need this stuff.

#10 // L'Oreal Boost It Blow Out Heatspray

I have never used a heat protectant hairspray, but I love this one. It's affordable, it creates volume, and it keeps my hair de-frizzed. If I use too much it can make my hair a little on the greasy side, but totally manageable.

Valentines Day Eyeshadow Tutorial Using Naked 3 Palette!

This post has been a long time coming. I have had a couple months to play with my Naked 3 palette and I can honestly say that I love it just as much as I thought I would. But from the moment I saw it two colors really stood out to me: Trick and Factory. The following look was the first look I created using my palette and I have used it on myself and my friends. I find it to be universally flattering and you can always use less or more depending on your taste.

1. I primed my eyelids with two products: Too Faced Shadow Insurance (Original) and my Limited Edition Maybelline Color Tattoo in "Nude Pink." I took both of these products from my lash line to brow bones.
2. Then I took the color "Limit" on a fluffy brush from Sonia Kashuk and blended that into my crease and a little above as my transition shade.
3. Using my finger I put "Trick" on the inner half of my lid (I have found this color to be difficult to apply with a brush, it is easier to use a wet brush but I like how it looks using my finger).
4. Using my MAC 139 Brush I put "Factory" on the outer half of my lid and blended it slighly up into my crease.
5. I took my MAC 124 brush and the color "Nooner" and buffed the edges of "Factory" and "Trick" out and added a little more to my outer-v.
6. Finally I highlighted my brow bone and inner corner with "Strange."
7. I used my Physician's Formula black liquid eyeliner pen and did a little wing.
8. Lined my waterline a with my Almay eyeliner in Black
9. Finished up with some "They're Real" mascara by Benefit!

January 2014 Favorites

My first "Favorites" list! I wanted to start this in 2013 but because I have not been the most consistent blogger (something I am working on!), I am starting in January. This "Favorites" list is in no particular order, so I have one coffee favorite thrown in with the beauty and makeup... Maybe next month I will do better to keep my lifestyle favorites at the end! Here goes nothing!

#1 // Clinique Acne Solutions Line

I started to use this in December because my skin was revolting against me. After a month of consistent use my skin completely flipped on me (in a good way). I plan on posting a more in depth review of the line soon, but until then just know that if you are struggling with acne you should check this out!

#2 // Stress Relief Lotion

I don't know if this lotion actually relieves stress, but it has an amazing smell that is great for men and women! I think that just applying lotion is relaxing so that might be why I enjoy it so much!

#3 // Better Than Sex Mascara

Too Faced is know for their scandalous names--but this one is too much! I don't know about the title, but the product is amazing. Two or three coats of this stuff and you will not even recognize your lashes! It is absolutely wonderful.

#4 // Butter Toffee K-Cups

Best. Coffee. Ever. That's really all I have to say.

#5 // Este Lauder Double Wear Foundation

This foundation is the perfect balance of coverage and not looking like cake-face. I wear the shade 2N1 Desert Beige and it is a pretty great match for me when I am in the winter months. 

#6 // Beauty Blender Dupe

This is not the right picture or a link to where you can purchase. But it is a link to Casey Holme's video about beauty blender dupes! I got mine at Marshall's!

#7 // Hard Candy Fox in a Box

These blushes are awesome! I love every one of them that I have (and I think I have all the colors), but I somehow waited until this January to buy them! they are super blendable and come in a large enough variety that any skin tone will have a blush complementing them.

#8 // Revlon ColorBurst Lacquer Balm

These things are amazing! I own five from the line (lacquer and matte balms) and the Laquer Balm in "Ingenue" is my favorite nude lip of the moment.

#9 // Naked 3

Need I say anymore?

#10 // Gelly Roll Pens

These were such a blast from the past for me when I found them earlier this month! I cannot wait to take all of my notes for the semester with these pens!

Face of the Day: In Honor of NAKED3 Release!

Urban Decay released the new Naked3 palette today! I am so so happy to say that Chris was able to order it before it sold out! It will be my Christmas present so I do not get to play with it until then. But because I am still so excited!!

My Face of the Day features both the original Naked palette and the Naked2 palette. Here goes a little step by step instruction guide for those of you that are interested in recreating this look!

1) I primed my entire lid from eyelashes to browbone with Wet n Wild Fergie eyeshadow primer in "Take on the Day."
2) I took my new limited edition Maybelline Color Tattoo in "Matte Brown" and put it only on my lid below the crease.
3) I brought out my original Naked palette and took the color "Darkhorse" on a flat shader brush and put that on the outer half of my lid and took it a little above the crease. I also took a pencil brush and put that color on the outer half of my lower lash line.
4) Staying in the Naked palette I took sin on a different flat shader brush and put the color "Sin" on the inner half of my lid and blended it into the "Darkhorse." Taking a different pencil brush I put "Sin" on the inner half of my lower lash line.
5) I took a clean blending brush and started to blend those two colors into my crease so that there were no harsh lines.
6) I then took the color "Naked" on the blending brush and blended that into my crease and a little above the crease.
7) I brought out my Naked2 palette and took the color "Bootycall" on a small shader brush and put that next to my tear duct and blended it into the "Sin."
8) Finally I took matte highlight "Foxy" and put that on my brow bone.
9) For eyeliner I lined my upper and lower waterline with New York Color Waterproof Eyeliner Pencil in "Dark Brown."
10) Then I did winged liner using Jordana Fabuliner in "Brown."
12) Finally I curled my lashes and applied my new L'oreal Voluminous Butterfly mascara in "Blackest Black."

Some Extras (not linked):
-Foundation: Covergirl Outlast Stay Fabulous in "Creamy Natural"
-Concealer: Maybelline Fit Me in "Light"
-Blush: MAC in "Warm Soul"
-BronzerNew York Color in "Sunny"
-Highlight: Hard Candy bronzer in "Tiki"
-Lips: Jordana Twist and Shine Moisturizing Balm Stain in "Cranberry Crush"

Be sure to sign up to be notified when Urban Decay gets Naked3 back in stock!!

Sweater Weather Tag

I saw this tag floating around YouTube and I wanted in on the action! So here goes nothing, this will be my first tag!

1. Favorite candle scent?
I am not allowed to burn candles because I living in the Residence Halls, but I use the car scents from Bath and Body Works and I loved the scent Flannel so much I bought two car scents and the candle for my mom's birthday!

2. Coffee, tea, or hot chocolate?
Definitely without a doubt in my mind, coffee. I am an addict. It is the first thing I do on most mornings, get out of bed and make coffee. I am a gold card holder at Starbucks and I do not mind putting $5-10 on my card at any given time if I am in the mood for my coffee fix.

3. Do you switch up your makeup routine for the season?
Not really, I have been experimenting with more jewel-toned eyeshadows recently, but for the most part I stick to my neutral eyes. And every once in a while I will add a bold berry or red lip!

4. Favorite Thanksgiving food?
The turkey sandwiches my family makes three or four hours after family leaves the house. They are the best! There is something about getting leftover Thanksgiving dinner out of the fridge and just pilling stuff on to make a sandwich. My favorite combo: white bread (the only time of year I eat it), turkey, cranberry sauce (the jelly can kind), and mash potatoes. Let me tell you, if you have never had it you should try.

5. Hats or scarves?
Definitely scarves. I get serious hat hair year-round and I have an outrageous scarf collection. I don't wear them too often, but when it is very chilly you will most definitely see me with a scarf! And when I worked at Claire's I bought a ton of scarves (some still have their tags!).

6. Most worn sweater?
I have a cardigan that I bought the day after Christmas my Junior year of high school which is my go-to. My holy grail sweater if you will. I have sewed that thing more times than I can count and it is hanging on by a thread in some areas. But until I can't sew it back together anymore I will wear it!

7. Must have fall nail polish?
I do the Sally Hansen Gel Polish and my two favorite gel polish colors are Wine Not (included in the starter kit I linked!) and Commander in Chic! Wine Not is a deep red with a little sparkle and Commander in Chic is a grey-purple. Both are beautiful and very fall!

8. Football games or jumping into a pile of leaves?
Definitely leaves, when they put the leaves on my school campus in piles I have to tell myself not to just run and jump into them!

9. Skinny Jeans or leggings?
Definitely leggings. I love my skinny jeans and all, but leggings with boots and a sweater is a classic fall look.

10. Boots or Uggs?
I love how comfortable Uggs look and feel, but I think that they are sometimes glorified slippers. I will literally only wear Uggs for days if given the chance and I am working on presenting myself in a more professional way and that means staying away from my favorite moccasin shoes and Ugg type boods.

11. What is your #1 thing about fall?
Layers! I love dressing in layers. Sweaters are fantastic, you can pull out your favorite boots to wear over leggings, and no one can go wrong with scarves!

12. Do you have a song that gets you in the Fall mood or just a song you're loving at the moment?
I am currently loving "Little Bit of Everything" by Keith Urban! It isn't necessarily fall related, but it's a song I am loving in fall!

13. What is the fall weather like where you currently live?
I am so incredibly blessed to live in Sacramento: the City of Trees. Seriously. I will end this post with some beautiful pictures of my school! (You might recognize this from a post I did last year)

CVS Haul and Extreme Couponing: Makeup Edition

Okay, I know that I have said it before, but I cannot pass up a good deal! For those of you that are unaware, when you sign up for CVS's ExtraCare program, you can earn ExtraBucks when you buy certain products, they work as CVS money. So when I was at CVS last weekend and I got three coupons:

$3 off Almay

$3 off any Revlon purchase of $10 or more

$1 off Maybelline

I made my total purchase in three transactions, so stick around! Coupon craziness is about to begin!!!

First transaction:

I bought this Almay Intense I-Color eyeshadow for my friend Ashley's birthday! She will love it, I own the one for green eyes and I love how it makes my eyes pop!

Originally Priced: $7.79

On Sale For: $5.99

Coupon for $3 Off Mean I Paid: $2.99

PLUS when all was said and done, I got $3 ExtraBucks back for my next transaction.

Total Cost with Tax: $3.44

Total Cost for Haul: $3.44

Second Transaction:

I bought the gel eyeliner because I have wanted one for forever, and the reviews on this one for Maybelline were awesome! And the color tattoo is rumored to be as awesome as Mac's Paint Pot line--so I had to get one of those too!

Color Tatto: $6.99

Gel Liner: $10.79

Subtotal: $17.78

$1 Off Maybelline Coupon: $16.78

$3 Off Because of ExtraBucks: $13.78

Total Cost with Tax: 15.11

AND $5 ExtraBucks because I spent over $15 on Maybelline!

Total Cost for Haul: $18.55

Third Transaction:

Okay, this is where I am going to blow you all away. Sometimes you have to comb through the aisles of the store in order to find the best deals. Some of the Revlon Colorburst lipsticks have been discontinued so they are 75% off at CVS! Which means that regularly priced $9.99 lipsticks are a whopping $2.49!!! I bought two of the Rosy Nude ones because I needed to go over $10 for my coupon to work! And get this--because of the $3 off, I spent less buying five than if I had just bought four!

Revlon Lipstick: $9.99 x 5

Subtotal: $49.95

Lipsticks 75% Off: $2.49 x 5

New Subtotal: $12.45

$3 Off Revlon Coupon: $9.45

$5 Off Because of ExtraBucks: $4.45

10% Off Coupon Because of CVS Beauty Rewards: $3.20

Total Cost with Tax: $4.04

TOTAL COST OF HAUL: $22.59

For those of you that are wondering what the 75% off lipsticks actually look like--check this out!

Sally Hansen NEW! Salon Gel Polish Tutorial

Sorry about the lack of blogs, I have gone through a rough week and a half. Starting with swollen lips (who knows why, possibly an allergic reaction), followed by a severe cold that knocked me off my feet for a few days (still recovering), a cavity filling, and finally food poisoning. So much for a relaxing winter break! Of course Christmas was busy and wonderful with the family, sadly I was still feeling a little under the weather. But as 2012 comes to a close, I am feeling healthy and extremely happy and optimistic for 2013.

On to what this post is really all about: the Sally Hansen Salon Gel Polish kit. I bought this kit almost a month ago when it came out and I have since purchasing done my nails twice. Twice. And I have had two chips in my nails since I started using this kit. Just with that I am sure I will convince some people to go out and purchase it. So if you got this for Christmas but haven't tried it out yet, or you need to do some returns on gifts you did not love--look into buying this instead! I bought the actual Gel Polish Kit, not the Gel Polish Strips Kit. The price difference is around $40. If you buy the Gel Polish Kit you are looking into spending around $70 (check online for coupons before you buy, I got $5 off), the Gel Polish Strips Kit is about $30 depending where you shop.

This is what the box looks like if you were to grab it off the shelf, my Target had two total in stock, so this box had been pushed around a ton and so it wasn't in the best condition when it reached my hands.

The pieces in the box shifted around before I got it, as you can see the acetone had fallen into the UV light, but nothing was really damaged.

The reason I bought the Gel Polish Kit is because you can only use the Gel Nail Strips one time, and you can only cure one finger at a time with the UV light included. The Gel Polish Kit comes with base coat, one of three colors: Shell We Dance (light pearly pink), Red My Lips (stoplight red), and Wine Not (the color I bought, a sparkly deep red), and a top coat. The kit comes with enough polish for around 10 at home manicures. To me that was totally worth it. So here we go with the tutorial!

Note: Do one hand at a time, it makes for an easier experience!

Step 1: Start with clean nails! Take of any polish you have and trim them to your desired length. I prefer my nails as short as possible because I have such long nail beds. 

Step 2: File your nails into the shape you like, using the pink side of the file provided in the kit. I like my nails rounded.

Step 3: Push back your cuticles (if you have a cuticle remover creme you can use that here too!)

Step 4: Buff your nails with the grey side of the file provided, be sure to do this well so the gel polish has a clean smooth surface to cling to!

Step 5: Open a Nail Cleanser Pad (or rubbing alcohol on a cotton ball) and wipe down each nail.

Step 6: Apply a thin coat of the gel base coat, cure in the UV light for 30 seconds (the light will automatically shut off after 30 seconds).

Step 7: Apply a thin coat of the colored gel polish, cure for 30 seconds, apply a second thin coat, cure for 30 seconds.

Step 8: Apply thin coat of gel top coat, cure 30 seconds. Afterwards be sure to wipe with nail cleanser pad (or cotton ball with rubbing alcohol). 

Step 9: Admire the Gel Manicure you just gave yourself!!!!

I am a little late posting this blog, because it has been nine days since I did this home manicure, but because of that I can show you what my nails currently look like!

Besides a couple chips on the top of the nails they are still pretty perfect! I love them!