Day 7: I haven't forgotten!

Hello all!

I know that I have taken a slight hiatus! The last time I blogged was on my birthday! Things have been SUPER crazy. I have had a bridal shower (which was amazing!) and now, I am taking this week to prepare for my wedding THIS FRIDAY! I have so many things to do that my days are literally packed and now that my fiance has started his new job, I have no photographer to take pictures as I do my make-up. No worries though, after the hysteria of the wedding, I will be right back to blogging! Stay tuned, Keep following, and I will continue to post more and more. Next blog should be wedding pics, but until then- I will leave you with a lovely picture I took with my GORGEOUS bridesmaids at my shower, a picture of my fiance and I, and a picture of our wedding bands. I am so excited!!

Day 6: June 6! And this one is going to be a LONG one :)

Hello All- Today I am 22 years old. God, I don't know about any of you all reading this, but I am really starting to feel it this year! I think part of it is because so many wonderful things have happened to me this year and with each wonderful thing, I got further catapulted into adulthood. I graduated this year, I got my first "big girl job," and I am getting married! I think all the hysteria is making me feel even older than I am. Anyway- this year my birthday has kind of gotten overshadowed by the wedding, which I expected and am okay with! But, I still wanted to at least go out and catch a movie with the hubby-to-be. We saw X-Men First Class (a.k.a: A MUST SEE!). I wanted to be 22 and FABULOUS, so I went for a bolder look than the average day look! And, in the spirit of my birthday- I decided to do a little how to on my make-up style in case any of you are looking to be 22 and fabulous, haha :)

Here is what my make-up looked like after I did it!

Hope you like it! If you want to know how I got this look, scroll down and I will show you!

Disclaimer: Please ignore my chipped nail polish- that is freaking embarrassing and a testament to the fact that I cannot multi-task AT ALL. I was taking the nail polish off and then I thought "wow, I should do my make-up and take pictures and post a blog..."

Anyway- Enjoy!

Step 1: Make sure your face is clean, moisturized, and has all of the necessary base make-up that you usually apply (i.e., foundation, concealer). Today I finally got to test out that tinting lotion by Elf- and ladies, I love it! Go and get it if you can, it is only $3.00!

Step 2: Take some bronzer (the one I am using is MAC, but any will suffice), and apply the bronzer underneath your cheek bones (both sides of your face) to emphasize them and also apply a little bronzer on your temples to give you a more sun-kissed appearance.

Step 3: Take a shimmer blush, or a blush of any kind and apply it to your actual cheek bones!

Step 4: Take a color that matches your hair, but is not too dark (if you are a brunette). Personally, I think my eyebrows are a little dark, so choose a color thats a shade or two lighter. It happened to be the only color I could find at the moment, so I went with it. Take a very thin brush and apply the color along the angle of your eyebrow and shape them as you wish. Then use an eyebrow shaping brush to brush/smooth it out.

Step 5: Pick a Base Color that is a purple shade (not to dark because it will be difficult to give your eye that smokey undertone!) Do you see the dark brown on the top row of the pallet I am holding in the second picture? I used the shimmery purple that is just to the right of it! Apply the base color all over your eyelid and apply a small amount right underneath your water line (as seen in the first picture. Also, choose a highlight! The highlight I chose was the color to the right of the purple I chose for my base color. This is a good peachy color that will add a subtle contrast and attract light. Apply your highlight directly underneath your eyebrow. And, I always like to blend it in a bit to my base color so that it looks more even and not so choppy, if you know what I mean! Also- take a little bit of your highlight color and apply it on the inner corner of your eye and drag it out to the start of your nose bone. Ask me a question if you don't understand this step and I will better explain it in the comment box- that was a lot!

Step 6: Pick a shade darker than your base color. Please refer to the full palette that I have posted on the 4th picture. I chose the color directly under the dark brown color that I made reference to in step 5! Apply that color on the crease of your eye-and drag the color into the inner corner of your eye. Blend the color with your base color and drag the color out as much as you want! If you want a more dramatic smokey eye- which I opted for. Add a tad bit of black to the dark purple mix (after applying the dark purple, carefully apply small amounts of black and blend and drag it out until you have the look you want!).

Step 7: Take your eyeliner (it can be liquid, pencil or whatever you fancy!; my eyeliner is clay based- I find it easier to apply with a brush because the eyeliner is easier to manipulate) and apply it to your top lid and your bottom lid, right on your tear line. I personally love a more dramatic eyeliner look- but you can apply it how ever you think looks good!

Step 8: Apply your mascara. I only applied mascara to the top lid lashes. This would also be a good time to put on false lashes, if you have them. I only have one pair left and I am saving them for my wedding but I think that they would look FABULOUS with this look!

Step 9: Apply a darker toned red lipstick. Whichever you are comfortable with! Remember choose a color and WORK IT! Also, to make your lips appear a little more full, apply a sheer lipgloss to your bottom lip only!

Step 10: Go out and STUNT!

I hope you enjoyed it! Please, let me know what you think!

And tell your friends to follow me! I want this blog to be interactive and I think the best way to do that is to spread the word! If you are liking what you see, let me know and tell everyone you know who lovers make-up. And let me know what you think I can do better. I love feedback!

Day 5: More on Cleaning and Preventative Measures for Make-up.

Happy Friday Everyone!

I think with every blog I write, I am starting to disclose more and more about myself. I guess that is one of the stipulations of blogging excessively. So, my "Kelli" fact of the day is that I find that I can very easily become obsessed with things, and once my obsession begins, it is really hard to shake it until I figure out how to rid myself of the fetish. Lately, I have been really obsessed with preserving my skin, buying healthier things for my face, and learning the fundamentals of cleaning everything that I use in my application of make-up.

I have ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS, wondered if there was a process that I could take to thoroughly wash my brushes. Don't get me wrong- after every usage, I wipe down my brushes with toilet paper or a cloth, but I always felt like there should be something that was designated to wash your brushes. I have spoken to many people and heard different things (like some girls use make-up remover to wash there brushes), but ultimately I never came to a conclusive answer. Which leads me to my endeavor today! It was an ordinary day for me- I woke up, got dressed, took some pictures to post on this blog, and then went to go pick up some more bridal shower invitations from Target (my bridal shower is on June 17!).

For the day, I went for a nice up-do because it is hot as ever down south! And I went for a pretty bold black smokey-eye with red lipstick (it was just what I was feeling today- PLUS, I was suppose to go downtown with the honey tonight, so I wanted to have the night look ready!). And sorry about the blacked out parts of my invites- I wanted you all to see how cute they were but I also wanted to maintain my privacy- I don't like putting all of my government on blast (I may only have two followers, who I LOVE :), but I have no clue who else is tuning in...).

Anyway- while in Target, I decided to check out the make-up station because I am running SO LOW on foundation that it is ridiculous. I did not end up getting to the foundation because I saw the station with Elf Cosmetics and their prices were like $1.00-$3.00. If nothing else, the price caught my attention, so I started checking out there products and they had EVERYTHING! I decided to just pick up the essentials, or as my fiancé would say "what I thought were the essentials (he does not feed into my obsession at all!)."

My essentials consisted of Elf Make-Up removal wipes, Elf SPF 15 tinted lotion, which serves as a base for foundation, I suppose. I haven't used it yet, but will keep you posted on what I find to be the results! AND, the STAR of the BLOG- Elf has "Brush Shampoo"; A shampoo that does not irritate the eye and cleans your brushes! I was PUMPED!

I have used the make-up remover already, and the work fine. I generally find make-up remover wipes to be a self-explanatory product in that any brand works just the same. I definitely think that this product is worth buying because it is more than affordable. Usually make-up remover wipes go for about $5.00+, however, the Elf brand at Target are priced at $3.00, which is a great deal!

I will definitely keep you all posted on the tinting lotion- as I will be using that tomorrow!

BUT- the Brush Shampoo is AWESOME. I was a little concerned because I felt like washing my brushes under water and using the shampoo would make the brushes lose their shape- however, that was not the case at all. The shampoo took off ALL the excess make-up and bacteria that was lingering on my brushes (so freaking gross, btw!) AND even made the brushes smell good. I dried my brushes with a blow dryer and their shape was similar to the way they looked when I first purchased them, which I thought was phenomenal!

Here is a picture of some of the brushes I washed and how they looked after!

See, just PERFECT! I would definitely recommend this product because it helps keep your face clean and it is a preventative measure for infection and bacteria!

Let me know what you think and if you buy the products!

xoxo

Kelli!

Day 4: Whats just as important as the make-up you're wearing?

The answer to this question in my opinion, is the way you take the make-up off and what you do to preserve your skin. Make-up can be an active agent in accelerated aging of the skin if you do not take care of yourself in the right way. Make-up can clog up your pores, which is certainly not good for your skin (especially if you have ever had a problem with acne). That is why it is CRUCIAL that you take important measures in the removal of your make-up. Now, don't freak out on me- the occasional night of forgetting to take off your make-up at night is not going to make you wake up looking like Betty White- however, like anything in the world, too much is never good.

I will be the first to admit that I have fallen into the terrible habit of sleeping with my make-up on and I am trying to shake that out in hopes of holding on to my youth for as long as I can! So lately, I have been taking extra precaution in the process of my make-up removal and taking care of this beautiful canvas I call my face.

Being that I am constantly buying make-up, I am always getting these sample products. Almost always, these sample products are related to make-up removal and skin repairing. This week, I have decided to use some of these products to see how well they work. I am going to go through what I have gotten and let you know what I think!

The first batch of products I got yesterday after purchasing the two products from Ulta! I had signed up for a rewards card because I absolutely love that store and the cashier was asking me when my birthday was- because apparently Ulta gives you a little gift on your birthday- and when I told her my birthday was in 5 days (yes, I will be turning the big 22 on the 6th of June!), she was fearful that I may not get a gift because of signing up so close to my birthday and she gave me a collection of samples of Exuviance products. What a sweetheart, right?

Anyway- the first picture is a picture of skin toning cream- which is suppose to even out your skin tone if your colors are uneven- and a picture of a sample size of refining lotion with a whole bunch of exfoliates that are so good for the skin. Now, I have not used the skin toner, yet but I have used the night time version of the refining lotion (btw: the one in the picture is for daytime use!) and it felt awesome! I really felt like my skin was cleansed and moist. I will definitely be investing in this lotion in the near future.

The second picture is the way you apply the eye pads in the third picture (the pictures came out mixed up on this blog- no clue what is going on..). Now, I am always apprehensive about facial type products because when I was younger, my cousin used a facial product and got a serious infection. I have always found that off putting. But, I went for it! The way this product works is you are suppose to put those pads under or around your eye for 30 minutes and it is suppose to eliminate fine lines and dark circles. I kid you not, I had dark circles under my eyes and when I took off the pads, they were nearly gone! Not to mention, the bags under my eyes had disappeared as well and my skin felt so good. I love all of the Exuviance products so far and definitely recommend them!

These next batch of products I got a while back when I went to MAC- they had a deal where they were giving out some samples by Estee Lauder and Clarine Paris. I have used them all and really like all of them but one.

I decided to begin the batch with the picture of the product I didn't like to much! If you look at the third picture of the bunch you will see the products in the first two pictures, side by side. They are both suppose to be toners/concealers that are good for the skin and help repair your skin while also serving as make-up. Who doesn't love killing two birds with one stone, right? I love the product on the right (red tube), by Clarine Paris. It comes out so smooth and actually comes close to matching my skin tone (to demonstrate how smooth and closely matched it is I added the picture of it on my skin).

*side note: a rule of thumb for concealers and foundations that I learned from a MAC make-up artist is to go a shade lighter than your skin tone in the winter (because your skin is more pale) and to go a shade darker in the summer time (because your skin is more sun-kissed/tan).

The product on the left (white tub) does not match my skin at all, which is sad because that was the best color they had. It also comes out very clumpy and pastey. It really looks and feels grimey on the skin so I wouldn't advice using it. Personally, I am going to toss it right after I finish this blog, lol.

The final batch of products are all Estee Lauder, I believe and they are all eye, wrinkle, skin repair products. I like them because I feel like they work. I have been using them all this week and really feel like there is a change with how my skin looks and feels. I would highly recommend all of these products because not only do they do their job, they also protect the skin by having healthy ingredients and SPF for sun protection!

Let me know what you all think of these products!

xoxo

Kelli!

Day 3: Some of the looks I have created.

I just wanted to give you all a glimpse of some of the looks that I have created. One thing you all should know about me is that I am a very bold and dramatic person- I think that translates into a lot of my looks. Don't get me wrong, I know how to tone it down when necessary, but on a nice summer day- I love a bold, dramatic eye!

All of these looks were created with my MAC pallet! I think a MAC pallet is a MUST HAVE for all girls. seriously. I wish I could tell you how much I got mine for, but it was a gift from my husband-to-be (yes, I suppose I should have mentioned that I am engaged..). What I can tell you is that if you browse EBAY, you might get a good deal. I used to stalk ebay before I got my pallet. Another must have and something I could definitely not live without is my collection of MAC brushes. I have a pretty good collection of make-up brushes (including sonia kashuk), but I personally LOVE my MAC brushes.

Okay, here are some of my looks- let me know what you think and if you want information on what exactly I am wearing! I would love to hear your feed back!

This is just some of them- but again let me know what you think!

xoxo,

Kelli!