9.9.11

Yellows, and Oranges, and Reds, Oh My!

(Shirt-Vintage, Jeans-New York and Company, Boots-Charlotte Russe, Scarf-H&M, Watch-Stolen from my Father, Bag-Knomo from Amazon)
It's official. Fall is here. The crisp air is blowing, the trees are starting to change color, and I am in love. Normally I dread the beginning of fall. It brings snow and the cold, but this year it's different. The fashion is unbelievably inspiring and I am one excited girl. On a quick shopping trip at H&M this past weekend, I picked up this scarf. Its about 15 feet long and SO warm. The color is what immediately caught my attention though. Paired with my new, bright red laptop case I felt unstoppable.



6.9.11

Fierce


A preview of some recent purchases and my outfit today. Loving these pieces and the fall colors.

4.9.11

Beauty Blast

Today I'm going to post something a little different than normal. A makeup tip! I am by no means a make-up guru, but I do enjoy playing around with it a lot and there are a few tips I have mastered over the years that allow me to create an ideal make-up look for everyday. One thing I have struggled with over the years is having flawless skin. Almost everyone of my friends struggles with this same issue or has in the past. Most people do NOT have the gorgeous skin you see in magazines or on runways or even in person. These people have been made up with layers and layers of makeup and of the help of Photoshop. So, while I'm getting older and experimenting with ways to achieve clear skin, this is a trick I use almost daily to have the look of flawless skin.
First, I always start in the morning with a toner. I like this one because it is made for oily skin (which is what I have) and it does a really good job with exfoliating my skin a bit and closing my pores.
    (All products can be found at drugstores)
     These are my two next steps and they are the miracle workers. First off I use his L'Oreal Studio Secrets Anti-Redness primer. When you have red blemishes or acne scaring, or just red skin in general, this primer is wonderful. I use a TINY dot of this primer and rub it in just like a lotion, focusing on my T-Zone. It evens out your skin color and gives you a clean base to work with. You don't need much so it lasts forever. (I've had this one for months).
     Next, I use a concealer. This is the one I'm currently using which is the Revlon ColorStay Blemish Concealer. This is where my tip comes in. If you feel like you need a foundation and concealer, put the foundation on first. I usually use the Rimmel liquid foundation. Once that is blended out, dot the concealer on any blemishes or areas as needed. Now, don't blend it out! Thats right, for the next minute or two, I want you to just allow the concealer to sit on you skin and sink in. 
     Normally I take that time to do my eyeshadow if I'm in a hurry. But no matter what, do not touch the concealer. This works best when you use liquid concealer as I do. You probably feel crazy with dots all over your face, but letting the concealer work its way into your skin will help to actually cover the redness and it won't just slide off of your problem spots when you blend it out. 
     Once you let it set, blend it out AROUND the blemish. I never actually put my finger directly on the spot because that will take away some of the product. After blending use your setting powder, bronzer and blush as normal. You can see this technique gave me flawless looking skin, but I still look natural because you can see my freckles through the makeup. 
In case you aren't convinced that this trick works, I did an experiment. I drew a thick line of black pen on my hand and put concealer on both ends. On one side I blended it out immediately but on the other side I let it sit for two minutes. You can see the different that it makes.
(The right side was blended immediately upon application and the left side sat for two minutes. They were blended the same amount and the same amount of product was used on each.)

Let me know if you try this tip and how it works for you! Also, if you have other makeup tips, write them in the comments below! :)