Makeup Essentials Part 4- Lips

Initially I was going to pick the lip essentials by product type, ie lipstick, liner, gloss, etc. But whatever type of lip product you prefer is so subjective, some like a strong lip color while others prefer just a nice gloss. So I decided to choose the colors everybody should have then briefly go over the benefits of the different products.


Neutrals- Neutrals are what most prefer to use when doing a bold eye look, since it keeps from looking too made up. This color group can come off as a little boring, but it is needed. Nobody wants to look like a clown. (I'm not saying to never pair bold lips with a bold eye, I'm just saying that it has to be done with care.)

Pinks- Pinks are pretty standard when it comes to lips. There are bright pink, baby pinks, sparkly pinks. Choose whatever you like best, just make sure you have at least one good pink.

Reds- A classic red lip is something that everyone must try at least once in their life. There are a lot of different types of reds: blue based, yellow based, balanced, sheer, ultra pigmented. Again, it comes down to which you prefer. You can never go wrong with a nice, balanced red.

Corals- Corals are my favorite. They just seem to brighten up the face. They're aren't too many different types of corals, which is why it's weird I have so many.

Oranges- This is the color group I have very little experience with. I love using an orange lip as opposed to a red lip in the spring or summer. It just looks fresh. There are different shades or orange, but I don't like any of them other than the red based ones. So you really can get away with just having one.

Berries/Purples- This is my second favorite color group. Some think that darker lip colors can't be used with fair skin tones, but I'm about as pale as they come and I use them all the time. I think they look awesome one everyone.

Glosses are my favorite lip product, since you can find some that are either sheer or pigmented and they feel nice on the lips. I'm also fond of moisturizing lipsticks (not pictured). I haven't had much luck when it comes to lip liners, as I hate the feel of them, but they will keep your lipstick from fading. I have a few lip tars that everyone seems to love, but I have mixed feelings about them. I love them when I first apply since they are amazingly pigmented and look amazing, but unless I top them with a clear gloss the wear time sucks. Plus they dry to a more matte finish which I personally don't like the feel of, but if you don't mind them they can look awesome. I recommend trying a variety of products until you find what you like.

Makeup Essentials Part 3- Eyes

Eye focused looks are my favorite. I'm lazy, and don't want to have to reapply a bright lip look all the time. I also love the many different effects you can create with eye makeup. There are thousands different eye products out there, but the only ones you really need are primer, mascara, eye liner, a neutral palette, and a bright palette.

Primer- The first time I used primer I was shocked. I would always come home from school and my eye shadow would be all smudged and creased and gross. Then I got my first primer and my makeup didn't budge the whole day. The two primers I have are Too Faced Shadow Insurance and Urban Decay's Primer Potion. Both work very well and are similar, but I favor the Primer Potion just a little bit more. I've had some trouble with the Shadow Insurance separating in the tube. You can just knead the tube together to mix it, but when I'm running late and in a rush I don't want to have to deal with that. 

Mascara- Preferably you need two different mascaras. One, the one you need most, is one that volumizes, lengthens, and defines. My favorite at the moment is Benefit's They're Real! Then the other you need is one that mainly addresses the biggest problem you have. For the that is length. I have thick lashes, they're just kinda short. You could have really long, thin lashes so you would need a volumizing mascara. The benefits of a mascara like that is it looks more natural. Maybelline's Illegal Length mascara is the hands down best lengthening mascara I've ever used. Go buy it. 

Eye Liner- There are three main types of liner: liquid, gel, and pencil. Really, it all just comes down to what you prefer. I like liquid and gel the best, since I always feel like I have to set pencil with an eye shadow. Gel is the easiest to work with, but the line isn't as dark or crisp as liquid. Pencils are best for the waterline, and can be used for the lash lines. As for liquid or gel, you need a black, brown, and a fun color. Black will get the most use, brown looks cool with a neutral eye, and a fun color like blue or purple puts a fun twist on a classic cat eye look. Same goes for pencil with the black and brown, but a white liner is great for opening the eye of use one the waterline or for using as an eyeshadow base. All of Urban Decay's liners, pencil or liquid, are amazing.

Neutral Palette- A good neutral palette is the first eyeshadow you should buy if you are new to makeup. The colors aren't scary to use like colors can be and they go with every style. My favorite neutral palette is Urban Decay's Naked Palette, but any palette you prefer is good as long as it has a highlight color and a soft brown. 

Bright Palette- Neutrals are great, but sometimes you want to have a little more fun with you makeup. I absolutely recommend getting one the the 120 palettes from bh cosmetics. I have the first one, but you can choose which if the five you think you would like the best. All are great quality, and are very inexpensive. Plus bh cosmetics has great deals going on all the time so you might be able to snag one on sale. I think I got mine for like twelve bucks. (You'll notice that mine is broken, but I took it on a plane and stupidly just shoved it in my bag instead of bringing my makeup case. So it's not likely yours will look as bad as mine.) Also, you'll find a lot of big palettes like these on ebay, and while I don't warn against buying makeup on ebay, only buy stuff that is made from a well known company. The big palettes are always from some company that I've never heard of, so I would just stick to buying from bh's website. 

Makeup Essentials Part 2- Face

All of us wishes they had perfect skin. But none of us do. Luckily there are plenty of ways to cover up imperfections without hiding your natural beauty. The essentials you need for your face are primer, foundation, concealer, and blush.

Primer- I didn't believe in primers, face or eye, until I tried them. I thought that they were just a ploy to get you to spend more money. Boy, was I wrong. Face primers smooth out your face and help your foundation last throughout the day. There are some primers that are color correcting, such as green to combat redness, lavender to brighten, and peach or salmon to cover dark spots. Smashbox has a good line of color correcting primers, but they feel kind of tacky (nothing a little translucent powder can't fix). Benefit's Porefessional primer is my favorite. I wasn't expecting too much since I usually don't see results from products promising to diminish the look of pores, but this really did make it look like I had no pores. Plus it feels amazing on your skin. Benefit also has a great brighten primer, "That Gal".

Foundation- The foundation you need depends on your skin type. Liquid foundation is good for most skin types, particularly dry or combination. Oily skin can benefit from a powder foundation, but in my experience oily skin leads to acne and powder does not have the coverage needed for most people with acne. Powder foundation is great for sensitive skin or those who only need light coverage. Cream foundation is best for those with many imperfections as it has the heaviest coverage. My advice if your have lots of imperfections is to look for a foundation with medium coverage and get a good concealer as opposed to a high coverage foundation. You don't want to look like you are wearing a mask. My hands down favorite foundation ever is Urban Decay's Naked Skin Foundation. The coverage is amazing but it feels like there is nothing on your skin. If you decide to try powder I really like Bare Minerals.

Concealer- There are many different types of concealers. I just recently found one that I plan to repurchase. I know some people who have two different concealers, one for under eye circles and one for acne, dark marks, etc. I would rather have just one concealer. Again, there are some green or peach tinted concealers for color correcting. The only concealer that I've really like is Bare Minerals cream concealer. It covers acne well and doesn't settle into the fine lines under the eye. I also have Urban Decay's 24/7 concealer pencil which is good for acne or dark spots, but is horrible for under eyes.

Blush- Blush is probably the easiest thing in the makeup world. Light colors are good for light skin tones, dark for dark, etc. You can wear anything you want as long as you use a light hand and a duo fibre brush if it's too dark or bright. Pressed powder blushes are the most common, but I love cheek tints and cream blushes. They look the most natural to me and last forever. Definitely check out Tarte's Natural Cheek Tints if you are in the market, they're my go-to blush.

I know some of you might be thinking why I haven't included highlighting and contouring in this, but I don't really think of those as essentials. For face I chose things that I use every time I do my makeup, and I don't always highlight or contour. Also the technique for contouring is much easier to explain in a video.

L'oreal EverCreme Sulfate-Free Moisture System Deep Nourishing Masque Review

My hair has been going through some kind of rebellious period lately. It doesn't want to cooperate with anything I do to it. Since I get bored with my hair color easily, the damage it goes through can get quite extensive. A couple months ago my hair was extremely dry. It was rough and tangled very easily. I grabbed this at Walmart on a whim since I thought it couldn't hurt anything. Check out my review below!

The masque is similar to regular conditioner except that it is much thicker. You apply it to your hair after shampooing, leave for about three minutes, and then rinse. Because of this I wasn't expecting amazing results, but when I was rinsing my hair I noticed a huge difference. My hair was much softer and easier to comb through. After it dried it was less frizzy and overall just felt and looked better. I am so impressed by the results I got from this. It is a little strong so I wouldn't recommend using this weekly unless you absolutely need it, but twice of month would be perfect.  If you are looking for a good deep conditioner, definitely check this out!

This is available at drugstores for $8.99.

Makeup Essentials Part 1- Brushes

For those of you who are just starting to get into makeup, it can be overwhelming. There are so many products out there it can be difficult to choose what you need or not. So in an attempt to make help you navigate through the world of makeup, I will be doing a series of what I think are the makeup essentials. There will be four parts: brushes, eyes, face, and lips. Today will be brushes!

Brushes are the basis of a good makeup job. You can have the highest quality makeup out there but if you have the wrong brush, or no brushes, then it can ruin your look. Here are the brushes that you absolutely need.

Powder- Powder brushes are preferably big and fluffy with long bristles. A general rule of thumb is any brush that is used for powder (including eye shadow) should have natural bristles and any brush used for liquid should be synthetic. These brushes are good for applying powder foundation or a translucent powder, and for wiping away any fallout from your eye makeup.

Blush- These brushes are similar to powder brushes, but they are a bit smaller. You can also use these for contouring if you don't have an angled face brush.

Foundation- I very much prefer to use a round, densely packed brush for applying liquid foundation as opposed to a flat one. It blends soo much better and applies ten times faster. If you use liquid foundation this is a must!

Standard Eyeshadow- This is your standard eye shadow brush. Applies color to the lid easily and effectively.

Paddle- This brush has stiff bristles to pack on color than can be hard to apply. It is also the best for applying color on over a base. 

Blending- This is a very important brush. It blends colors together seamlessly. It's a subtle difference but it makes a big impact.

Eye Contour- This brush meant to be used in the crease but it has multiple purposes. It's good for creating a soft cut crease, applying color to the brow bone or the inner corner, and for applying smaller amounts of color.

Pencil- I didn't realize how important these brushes are until I got one. It's perfect for creating a cut crease or for applying eyeshadow on the lash lines.

Angle- Also an important brush, it is the easiest way to apply gel, powder, or even liquid liner.

Angle Lip- This brush has longer, less stiff bristles than my other angle brush. It's a really bad for an eye brush but it's great for applying lip product. The angle makes it easy to apply a nice, crisp line around the mouth.

Some brands that are worth checking out are mac and e.l.f. Mac brushes tend to be on the pricey side, but they will last for a long time and are worth the money in my opinion. e.l.f. is also really good if you are on a budget. They are the cheapest brushes I own but they are very good. I've also heard great things about Sigma brushes so if you own anything let me know what you think. The main thing to look for when shopping for brushes is soft bristles that don't fall out. I have a couple of brushes from Beaute Basics but I do not recommend them. The bristles started falling out when I first used them and the ones that didn't the handle fell off and I had to super glue it back on (as you can see on the paddle brush)

Ariel Storylook Collection-Mermaid's Song Lipgloss set

This is the other item from the Ariel Storylook Collection from Sephora that I currently have. The lipgloss set comes with four lip-glosses with colors and names inspired from the movie. Check out my review below!

The packaging on this set, just like everything in the collection, is absolutely beautiful.  I love the ocean vibe with the metallic accents. The quote in this package is "find your voice". I don't know why I love it so much, but I do.

Mermaid, Red Head, Dream Girl, Sea Witch.

Mermaid is a true coral color. The tube looks a lot more orange in the picture than it does in real life. I love paring coral lips with green eyeshadow, so I love that they included this color in the collection.

Red Head is what you would expect it to be, red! Looks waaay more pink in photos than it is. It reminds me of when you stain your lips from eating a red candy or popsicle.

Dream Girl is described as a perky pink on Sephora's website, but I feel like it has more purple tone in it. When I first saw it I thought it would be the color I wouldn't buy on it's own, but now that I have it I think it will get the most use out of me.

Sea witch is a deep berry color. I was the most excited for this color since I love purple lip products, but when I swatched it I was disappointed. It settles in to the lines on your lips if you apply more than just a sheer layer. Such a bummer.


Over all I do like this set, but I'm not extremely impressed by it. It cost $38, which I think is pretty overpriced. The colors are not extremely pigmented, but they're not meant to be. These are supposed to be sheer and give more of wet look with a hint of color. I was actually surprised with how pigmented they are. I think they make for a good summer lipgloss since they are sheer and moisturizing. If you like lip-glosses like this and like the colors, I would say go for it. Or if you are like me and want to own anything that is involved with Ariel. But I don't think anyone would judge you if you pass on this.

This set is now available online at sephora.com and will be in stores in August.