Tips and Tricks of the Trade! ❖

Something that really annoys me is when I apply eyeliner to my waterline, and by the end of the day It's all smeared. A simple and quick trick to avoid this is to take a q-tip and line your waterline, absorbing all of the moisture. Now you can go ahead and apply your eyeliner. Not only will it not smear, but it allows for a more precise and defined line. Try that, and comment below if it helps!

Dedicated to Michaella my bestest friend! Follow her on twitter: @MichaellaYarnel

December Favorites! ☃

L'oreal Go 360 clean Deep Cream Cleanser is probably my favorite face cleanser that I have ever used. I use it daily and I don't know what I'd do without it. Just like I can't live without showering every single night because I'll feel gross if I don't, I can't live without washing my face with this every single night as well. It's thaaat essential. It cleans my face and it also leaves my skin with a tingling cooling and fresh sensation which makes me feel like my skin is actually being cleaned. Before cleaning my face with this, I remove all of my makeup with a wipe.....and then I cleanse. Some people just cleanse and think that they are killing two birds with one stone by simply cleansing and removing their makeup at once. Wrong! It may appear that your makeup is gone, however it really isn't. It is still there unless you have removed it with makeup remover. So...basically I always scrub my face with a makeup remover wipe and then I cleanse with the L'oreal Go 360 Deep Cream Cleanser. I have also tried the blue one, for sensitive skin. I like the pink one I originally tried better though because of the refreshing sensation I mentioned earlier. I personally wouldn't be interested in trying the Deep Exfoliating Cleanser because to me cleansing and exfoliating are two separate things. I need a cleanser that simply cleanses. Exfoliating isn't something that needs to be done all the time. The two combined isn't a good duo for my case. Therefore that leaves me with the green one that I have yet to try. Deep Facial Cleanser. It seems like the most straight forward one out of all of them, which is strange that I haven't used it yet. Oh! Before I forget, I did think when purchasing the Deep Cream Cleanser that it wouldn't be good because it contains cream for my oily skin....But after using it religiously, I haven't noticed any break outs or reactions to it being a cream cleanser. So don't let that factor of having oily skin stop you from getting it!

I've been loving my big tub of Aquaphor by Eucerin this month. Its vasiline like substance is extremely heeling and reviving. It is a great solution for dry lips, hands, elbows, etc. I'm allergic to mostly all lotions, which has been really hard because nothing worked for the longest time. Aquaphor literally saved my life!! That and Dream Cream from LUSH are miracle workers.

I've been using benefits highbeam very frequently on my cheek bones. As sephora describes it..."It's a pink liquid highlighter that creates a radiantly dewy complexion. For an angelic sheen, this pink shimmering lotion adds a soft, natural afterglow". In my opinion, perfect for the winter time. I normally use a bit of bronzer during the spring and summer time but when I want that extra oomph (during the winter) for my face makeup routine I dab on some of the highbeam and I'm ready to go! This was only $10. It makes for a subtle, but really pretty addition when the light hits it in the right way.

Next product that I've been using tons this month is the Bed Head Control Freak Frizz Control & Conditioner Serum. I LOVE it because it works amazingly and it doesn't make my hair oily whatsoever. It is a shimmery greenish blue gooey looking serum. After I shower, I smooth out some of it all over and I'm set for a wintery day and my hair is completely guarded from frizz. I love this product so soo much. I highly recommend it. I've already gone through about 4 big bottles of it!

I've been using LUSH's Sweet Lips Lip Scrub almost daily now that my lips have been pretty chapped. It smells like milk chocolate bars. I love this product so much. It's $8.95, and well worth it. Because it's made of all organic products you can actually lick it off your lips and eat it. A little olive oil and sugar never hurt anybody! 

I've been using my All You Need 'Glitter Girl' Cosmetic Bags a lot lately. Here's what they look like...Mine are in silver, however I couldn't find a picture anywhere of the silver ones. They are so useful. Sometimes I'll put a gloss and a to-go concealer in the smallest pouch and throw that in my purse and I'm all set for the day! The larger Pouches are great for storing makeup if your sleeping at a friends.

Holiday wish list ❤

I lovee the winter. To me staying home with a couple friends, watching movies wrapped in soft blankets, sipping chai lattes, and hearing the rain sounds perfectly relaxing. Winter honestly makes me so happy. Maybe its the overall sense of warmth I feel or just the smoggy weather that makes me feel cozy and at peace. Whatever it is, I just wish winter lasted all year long. There are a few things I have on my holiday wish list (even though the holidays have already passed)...I know, a little late. But oh well, here it goes!


First up is a complete kit of Sigma Brushes with a brush roll. It comes with 12 professional quality brushes. Sigma brushes are of the same or even better quality of MAC, but way cheaper. The kit is $99. A perfect price. I desperately need these brushes and have enough money for them. I will most likely be purchasing this kit sometime in the near future. This may be purchased <here>

Next is is the Sephora Give Me Some Lip, Lip Gloss Deluxe Sampler. This set is perfect for someone interested in expanding their makeup collection on a budget. I pay for all of my makeup, so It's really important to find products that are affordable. This set includes glosses from smashbox, too faced, sephora, tarte, lorac, buxom lips, and more. Most of the glosses are mini-sized, with the exception of the buxom lip gloss which is full-sized. That one gloss is the price of the entire kit. ($30) There are 10 glosses in total. I think this is a well worth sampler kit and I cannot wait to get my hands on it! This may be purchased <here>

Another thing I've been wanting for a while now is the Coastal Scents 88 Warm Palette. This set includes 88 eyeshadows in matte, shimmer, and pearl finishes for only $24.95! These eyeshadows are extremely pigmented and are high quality. This may be purchased <here>

I also want the MMM Melting Marshmallow Moment bath melt from LUSH. It is described as, "A sweet marshmallow frothing bath for gloriously soft skin". It's $7.95. This may be purchased <here>

❄ Winter Makeup Haul ❄

This palette is from the MAC holiday collection 2009 - 6 Devil may dare warm eye shadows palette. The brush that it comes with resembles a MAC239. It is useful for packing color on the entire eyelid.

I recently purchased this discontinued mac lipglass in the color icescape at a discounted mac counter. I absolutely love its to-go size and its sweet scent of vanilla cupcakes! Its texture isn't too sticky, and lasts long.

This mac lipstick has a glaze finish and it is in the color bubbles. My lips tend to be on the dryer side during the winter, and it does make my lips look "crackly" so I would recommend not using this lip glaze during dry seasons.

I decided to purchase these 5 mac holiday 2009 pigments. I love the warmth they all give as well as them being extremely festive! It is my first time ever using/owning pigments of any sort. I absolutely love them and love experimenting with them dry as well as wet. Most pigments come in a really big size, and I think it's really great that these 5 pigments are minis.

Onto nailpolish! I got this purple/golden glittery color from Zoya which I think is great for the winter because it is a dark color, with a little extra something. Its not a boring dark shade. It's in the color Valerie

The other nail polish I got is from OPI in the color samoan sand. My friends think it looks more like a grandma shade or a "barbie doll plastic nail color" I adore it because its such a neutral lacquer.  It reminds me of something Victoria Beckham would wear. It is definitely a more mature color. Add a light coat of shimmer on top of this polish and your set for a more classy look within seconds.

A new mascara that I recently purchased is the loreal voluminous mascara in the color carbon black. It's just a drugstore mascara that doesnt clump, makes your eyelashes appear HUGE, is so cheap, lasts all day, and works amazingly overall. My lashes are pretty short and not thick at all, however when using this mascara you can actually see them. High end mascaras are something that you really do not need to invest in.