ColourPop Lippie Stix

When it comes to makeup, you can never have too many lipsticks...or so I tell myself. ColourPop has some of the prettiest colors and pretty much everything on their site is $5. These Lippie Stix last a long time and are highly pigmented- one swipe and you are done. They have different finishes, from satin, metallic, matte, crème, sheer to ultra matte. Depending on which formula you end up getting, the wear time is different.

I have a lot of the mattes and ultra mattes and they are long lasting- even after I eat, I don't really have to reapply. The ultra mattes can be a bit drying - so you might want to put on a lip balm before you apply.  This formula reminds me of a more comfortable liquid lipstick or a long wearing lip liner if you were to put it all over your lips. They have a nice scent to them and as you can see the packaging is super cute.

The downside is the fact that ColourPop comes out with new colors so often you are always just trying to keep up and they become a sort of obsession.

Let me know what some of your favorite colors are in the comments down below.

These are a few of my favorite colors.  I love the fact that ColourPop makes lipsticks for all skin tones.

From top to bottom- Aquarius, Daydream, Parker, Hollywood Blvd, Ziggie, Taurus, Moshpit, Goldie, Hotline, Crack Me Up, Secret Stash, Gold Digger and Kapish

Smashbox Ablaze

So I obviously enjoy warm color eyeshadows! A formula I just recently tried was the Smashbox Ablaze Eye Palette- guys...it is seriously so pretty!! The colors are beautiful and they are easily blended. They are pigmented and last all day.  It has all the colors you would need to create a dramatic or a subtle look, so no need to get other eyeshadows out.  I'm tempted to pick up more- since there is a total of 7 different palettes in the line. This is perfect for traveling.

On the downside, the eyeshadow pallet is small, when I first got it I was quite shocked at the size of it (seemed to be a bit longer than a credit card :O ) but if we are honest ....especially if we are makeup lovers, when do we really ever finish an eyeshadow palette?  It retails for $29 which is a little steep considering the size of it, but I am happy with it- so I don't regret buying it.

Go out and try one ...they have a palette for everyone.

Best Eyeliners

I have been wearing eyeliner for over two decades! Honestly, I can't leave the house without it. These three are some of the best eyeliners I have tried. :)

My go to eyeliner is the Kat Von D Tattoo liner either in Trooper which is jet black or Mad Max Brown which is dark enough that it almost passes as black. Lately, I have been using Mad Max Brown for work which is a big deal for me because I have never used a brown eyeliner. These eyeliners last all day and do not smear at all.  They retail for $20.00 and will last a couple of months. They are my favorite because they apply so easily - especially when I'm rushing for work.

My second choice would the Tarte Clay Pot Waterproof Liner  (Sephora carries it as well). This gel eyeliner is SUPER pigmented as well as long lasting. You can find it in 11 other colors, although I just stick with black. This eyeliner is super smooth and creamy and very easy to apply. It retails for $21.00 but Tarte's website always has discounts so sign up to get their emails.

My third favorite eyeliner is the L'Oréal® Paris Infallible 24HR Lacquer Intense Gel Eyeliner which you can find at your local drugstore. This one is also super creamy and dark black.  It retails for $6.99 and you might even be able to find coupons for it. This gel eyeliner glides on so easily you will question why you had never tried it before...and you might actually like it more than your high end eyeliner.

Swatches with flash from left to right- Kat Von D in Mad Max, Tarte, Loreal

Witout flash 

MorpheBrushes

I am definitely not anywhere near being a makeup artist, I am just a big time makeup fan :). SO...I figured that having good brushes would help me out. A brand that got a lot of rave for having great quality, super soft and inexpensive was Morphebrushes. I went ahead and put an order in and YUP, I ended up loving them! Here are the top 5 brushes I use.

E27 for blending in the crease- its pretty fluffy/big so if you're in a rush in the morning you can just swipe some eyeshadow in your crease and go. 

M441 can be used for the crease and the outer lid 

(for the outer v) 

M433 for crease and also for the whole lid 

(if you are just going to put one color all over) 

E3 - love it for blush 

E1- is huge! I use this to put on translucent powder/powder after my foundation

If you put in an order, you do have to pay for shipping but if you follow anyone on youtube  you can use a 10% coupon code. For example you can use JACATTACK from Jaclyn Hill or  Kathleenlights from Kathleen Lights or YWP from Young Wild and Polished -there are tons out there, but these are just a few. 

I hope this helps you :) 

Nudestix Lip and Cheek Pencils

Some of my favorite lipsticks are the Nudestix Lip and Cheek Pencils! The company makes different formulas such as cream, gel and matte and are suppose to be used for multiple purposes, however, I only use them as lipsticks. The mattes can last a long time and will leave your lips stained even after eating. These are not drying on the lips.  The creams and gels are very comfortable and easy to wear. I would recommend taking them with you to reapply whenever needed.  The only downside (but not horrible) is that when you first apply, they have a woodsy taste but it does go away soon after. They are $24.00 and come in their own cute, black tin with a pencil sharpener. These are some beautiful colors! Give them a try.

From left to right- Whisper, Blush, Retro (matte), Vintage (matte) and Icon (matte) 

With flash

Macy's and Sephora  also carry mini sets- $24.00 for 3 lip and cheek pencils in case you are interested in trying them out. 

The following set is from Macy's

 

From left to right- Mystic, Pulse (gel) and Belle (matte) 

With flash

You can also get them at Nudestix.com and keep an eye on their sales and new colors. 

Sephora's Cream Lip Stain

Sephora's Cream Lip Stain  are some of the best and most affordable liquid lipsticks. They just recently released new colors so I'm sure you can find a couple that you would love. They are highly pigmented, dry down matte and they wear very comfortably.  They are only $14 so they are a good deal!

From left to right- 26 Pretty Auburn, 25 Coral Sunset, 42 Rose Wood, and 41 Vintage Rosewood

                                 Picture with flash :) 

Ittse-Squad Quad

The Ittse Squad Quad Eye Shadows collaboration with Ready Set Glamour (Michelle) is awesome!! The shadows are super soft and pigmented. The gold and the bronze shimmer called Squad and Chill Zone are especially soft and buttery. But honestly all four eyeshadows are really beautiful.  I was hesitant to put in an order because I had never heard of this company before but man o man, they are good! <3 They seemed a bit pricey ($30.00 for the 4 eyeshadows) but you can either sign up for emails and get 20% off or you can wait and see when they come out with a 30% off - so add them on your instagram, facebook, and twitter accounts.

I am the color Tan Honey in Tarte's Amazonian Clay Foundation 

(just so you can have point of reference).

Best Brush Cleaner ...

One of the best brush cleaners I have tried is Dr. Bronner's Castile Soap.  It cleans the brushes really well and leaves them smelling fresh and clean. I use it in conjunction with the Sigma Cleaning Mat.  I would also,  recommend getting a foaming soap dispenser so that you don't waste too much of the product. You can find these on Amazon dispenser but honestly I would just buy a hand soap from the 99 cent store.  Dr. Bronner's Castile Soap will last you a long time :) So it's inexpensive, long lasting and  as you can see, it comes in a lot of different scents.  I usually prefer the Hemp Rose or the Hemp Almond to clean my brushes (We also use these as our hand/body soap).  Be careful with the Hemp Peppermint- that one can be very overpowering - although it does smell good 😊. 

Find Dr. Bronner's Castile Soap at Target , Amazon, but I personally get it at Sprouts when it goes on sale. 

KL Polish

I know its only been a week...But I wash dishes by hand everyday and I am impressed! I have been wearing the KL Polish in the color Caramello for a week now and there are no chips at all! That's impressive because usually by now I would have chips by my cuticles or on the top of my nail bed. The only thing I notice is a small discoloration on the edge (top) of my nail- but honestly it is not bad at all. I will keep you updated when it finally gets bad enough to have to remove the nail polish. #Excited! Get KL Polish here

I had tweeted this picture and Kathleen actually retweeted me :) Yes, it even looks good on my tan skin!

Update: I did remove it at the end of the week because although it was not chipping it did start to sort of "lift" around my cuticles I think it was because the nail polish itself is a bit thick.

so now on to...Brick Sidewalk :) 

Ultra Repair Hydra-Firm Sleeping Cream

So being that I'm 35, I can see that I am getting wrinkles :O! Although I have combination skin, and sometimes it feels very oily- during the winter time my cheeks and chin area tend to dry out. This Ultra Repair Hydra-Firm Sleeping Cream from First Aid Beauty has been a blessing. Find it at Sephora  I usually go to bed with some sort of facial oil but this works like a charm. I wake up to soft skin and as you can tell, I have already finished this sample size! I will be restocking!

Belif Creamy Cleansing Foam Moist

       Have been trying some new face wash...and I have to say that it has been leaving my face very soft, not causing any kinds of breakouts!  I have combination skin (and tend to break out during that time of the month) Anyhow, it is something new for me by the brand belif it is the Creamy Cleansing Foam Moist.  I can say that it definitely feels very creamy and moisturizing  especially since it sometimes goes on my lips and the texture reminds me of lotion.  I am really enjoying it!

You can find it at Sephora