red lips and a beauty blog

through pinterest i stumbled upon a fun new beauty blog perfectly named into the gloss

they just featured this red lipped look above and i am looking forward to trying it out. 

here is the breakdown from into the gloss:

Porcelain smooth complexion, courtesy of Dolce & Gabbana Perfect Finish Creamy Foundation (and Mother Nature). 

Bobbi Brown Nude Pink blush.

Muted taupe eye shadow (Malt by MAC).

BROWN mascara, two coats, top and bottom (CoverGirl LashPerfection). Skip the liner.

Candy apple red, ultra-moist lipstick—straight from the tube, two coats, one blot in between. Lancôme L’Absolu Rouge in L’Absolu Rouge.

*dying to try that lipstick, but i think i better go and recount the number of red lipsticks i have...

hair-do

via

i really enjoy the twisted sister tutorial on lauren conrad's website. think im gonna give it a go for this upcoming weekend. the bugs and birds can admire me while im gardening.

the updo below is also really pretty.

and a video tutorial always helps!

on my pinterest page i have a board entitled "pretty hair"

click here to check it out

only a few pics so far, but im pinning much more frequently now 

dear sixteen year old me & sunscreen faves

this video made me sad. and made me think about sunscreen!
its time for prevention!

sunscreen is the one thing you should not be forgetting with all the fun outdoor activities you have planned for the summer, here are some of my favorites

*the only time i stray away from using sunscreen is when i plan on getting photographed. the sunscreen will give you a strange glow that will make you look ghostly in photos.

** put sunscreen on first. it should be in direct contact with your skin. not layered on top of some other product. unless its acne treatment- that would be the first to be in contact with your skin, then sunscreen. (this is all based on what i have researched on my own and my own routine)

for everyday (throughout the whole year, not just summer):

Clinique Super City Block Oil-Free Daily Face Protector SPF 40 ($18)

i love this as an everyday face and neck sunscreen. this is not a moisturizer! the color is a flattering nude shade-not Casper white- and has a nice thin consitency. its just right for everyday.

Eucedrin Face Sensitive Skin Everyday Protection Lotion SPF 30 ($8)

a great moisturizer & sunscreen mix. and its cheap. yippee! the texture is nice and light- it sinks right into my combo skin quite nicely. highly recommend. i do not think it is moisturizing enough for the wintertime though. it fits the bill for spring/summer, but winter/fall needs a bit more moisture. 

for outdoor activities:

Aveeno Continuous Protection Sunblock Lotion with SPF 70 for Face ($10)

via

the texture of this sunscreen is great for the face. not greasy and not too thick. however, i do notice that when i layer my foundation and concealer over this sunscreen i have a "ghost glow." a little bit of blush and/or bronzer fixes the problem. i deal with the "ghost glow" for good sun protection. and no funny sunscreen smell, although i must admit the smell of sunscreen brings back good memories of my childhood.

Aveeno Hydrosport Sunblock Spray with SPF 85 (more info here)

wonderfully thin, not greasy, not too shiny. its awesome! it blended into my skin nicely and did not just "sit on top" of my skin. a great option for outdoors. (have not tested this swimming yet). 

Coppertone Sport Sunscreen Continuous Spray SPF 70+ ($9)

another great option that i used a lot while swimming. this has a more shiny finish to it but i felt like it stayed on my skin pretty long. the smell is stronger for me, but it's not bothersome.

extras:

Sunscreen Sticks (around $5)

these are so great! they get the ears and nose perfectly- and they don't rub off as fast as other types of sunscreens. i also like using on the tops of my hands and feet. its also great to throw in the beach bag or your purse. i know its not a moisturizer, but i would like to start using it as a cuticle balm to keep dryness out and protect from the sun of course. 

i only remember getting burned once in my life. my best friend and i went to the beach like most California girls do and go boogie boarding and swimming then lay out to get tan. well, all we did was get burned! haha. i never thought i had the type of skin to get burned. 

well, when i went home that evening my dear mother lectured me for a long time. 

no more sun. 

lots of sunscreen.

carry umbrellas when you walk home from school. 

yes, most of the days that i did walk home i carried umbrellas to block the sun. 

to this day i have my mom to thank for my suncare vigilance. she is a great example to me. she doesn't look her age at all either. she tells me it's because she stayed out of the sun and wore a lot of sunscreen. i believe her and hope to age as well as she is. no i am not going to tell you her age because she would get really upset at me!

hope this little list helps you on your way to blissful sunscreen happiness! good luck friends! 

faves: concealers

my friend M and i were having a chat that lead us to the very important topic of concealers. 

oooooh aaaaahhh

to me it's seriously a thrilling topic. 

i decided to share my favorites and ones that i have been eyeing recently. 

if you were to open up my makeup drawers you would find much more foundation, concealer, and powder. or what some ladies refer to as "the mask" stuff. 

as someone who is obsessed with makeup and makeup artistry i didn't think that having tons of "the mask" stuff was bad. 

i have my summer foundation (sheer liquid and powder forms), winter foundation (liquid), airbrush foundation, concealer for redness, concealer for zits, concealer for under-eye circles, heavy-duty concealer (derma blend for photo shoots) powder for face, powder for under eyes, translucent powder.

....and i STILL have not yet found the perfect concealer (or foundation) that would do the trick depending on the situation. but i have found some pretty good ones. hope this helps you on your concealer journey!

to cover zits and/or small spots of redness:


*keep in mind this will not help texture, just color. the zit needs to go away in order for the texture to be smooth again.

MAC Studio Finish SPF 35 Concealer
$16.50

a very opaque concealer. perfect for redness and/or zits. take care not to dab on too much or else the cakey-monster will attack. if you do end up using this for the under-eye area, moisturize the area first and be sure to set the concealer with powder after. if creasing happens-use your ring finger to blend out the lil' lines.

Prescriptives Flawless Skin Total Protection Concealer SPF 25
$22

the same description as above (different SPF) but lasts longer. that is why i have always loved this concealer- it simply lasts! i have combination/normal skin. perhaps for oily skins this might slip off sooner. also, the texture is really amazing- it is a creme to powder which feels so nice on the face.

Hard Candy Glamoflauge Concealer

$6

i have not yet tried this concealer but i really want to. heard good things about it! and that price! you just can't beat that. it is supposedly a thicker, heavy concealer- perfect for the zits and/or redness

Almay Nearly Naked Cover Up Stick

$7.99

my sister got me hooked on this stuff years ago. its cheap, opaque, and really covers up those red spots and zits. like i said before, this won't make the zit "flat" it will just help with color. my sister uses this for her under-eyes too and it looks great on her! for me, its best for small dots of redness- everyone's skin is different- try it in both problem areas and see what works!

for larger areas of redness:

MAC Pro Longwear Concealer

$16.50

a smoother, more liquid concealer. more glide-able over larger areas of redness.

MAC Face and Body Foundation

$32.50

a water-based foundation that is more on the sheer side. great for only slight redness or just evening out of the skin color. you get lots of product for the price.

for under-eyes:

Garnier Anti-Dark Circle Eye Roller

$11.97

i want to try this really bad! i heard its pretty amazing. with caffeine in the formula, it helps perk up the under-eye area and bring in more light with the highlighting color. 

Prescriptives Camouflage Cream

$20

my FAVORITE under-eye concealer. natural looking, blends well, and works for the delicate under-eye area. no tugging! just creamy, dreamy blending. been using this for 7 years. i don't plan on stopping anytime soon. not perfectly perfect, but its definitely good enough for me.

*this is not good for redness or pimples since it has more of a pink undertone which is great for combating those dreary under-eye colors.

MAC Select Cover-Up

$16.50

i have used this on bridal/engagement shoots. i really enjoy the texture and feel of the product. its similar to the concealer i praised above but maybe a tad more sheer. still, a great concealer for the under-eyes. 

*be sure to get a NW shade and not an NC shade. NW has a pink undertone that cancels out the blue-ish under-eye area, while NC has yellow undertones which should be used to counteract your redness. 

hope this helps! 

what concealers do you adore?

haircut day

via google images

today is my haircut appointment

and i get my haircut the same way every time

its boring but works

curly hair wasn't meant to be "fussed" with

the picture above is probably one of my favorite ways to style my hair on a daily basis minus the bangs

should i get bangs? probably not. 

sickness update: feeling better! no antibiotics needed- a blessing. either sleeping in bed or outside walking is when i feel best. my dear sister is coming to spend time with me this weekend- cant wait! problem? our washer and dryer are still not hooked up yet. boo. 

clinique bottom-lash mascara

life changing

instant drama without instant headache

i usually have a bad case of the "smudgies" underneath my eye by the time 6 pm rolls around 

but with this mascara i am looking good till i take it off!

i have thin and tiny bottom lashes

this mascara coats everyone of them and makes my eyes look wide awake

and its only $10

not bad for department store goods 

highly recommend

more info here