Beauty Review: NYX Eyeliner
Well, I messed up a while back when I visited my local Ulta. I had tried an eyeliner pencil of a girlfriend’s and LOVED the…
Seventeen Ultimate Guide to Beauty by Ann Shoket & The Editors …
While I may not be seventeen anymore, that’s no excuse for me not to brush up on beauty lessons. I was excited when I was…
Sara’s July Favorites:
In lieu of our Charming Tuesday posts, Samantha and I have decided to post our top five “favorites” for each month. This way, we can include more items instead of just sticking to our beauty essentials. So, to kick off our new segment, here are mine:
1. Books – Sorority Girls by Claudia Welch is a fabulous read and has been my favorite so far this month.
2. Beauty – Last month I discovered Garnier Nutrisse BB Cream and am absolutey addicted. It is perfectly lightweight for summer time and really works wonderfully- it covers your skin just as well as a foundation, without all the weight, and really moisturizers your skin.
3. Hair – Since having a baby, I have been pretty low maintenance with my hair (plus, who wants to really do much when it is so darn hot outside). So, instead of using a hair product, I have been sticking to a ton of hats. I am a huge fan of fedora’s and Target typically has a huge selection of cute ones to choose from.
4. Clothes – I have also been slacking it on this section as well lately as far as dressing up goes … but I have been investing in quite a bit of workout gear to get back into my pre-baby body. I am a huge fan of Champion sports bras from Target (the more neon the better in my opinion), as well as running shorts. I have purchased quite a few pairs of Nike Run Tempo shorts and they perform well in the heat and don’t ride up like so many other running shorts do.
Another recent purchase for me that I love is bright neon denim. I found a pair of Magenta skinnies at Target and absolutely love them. I am now on the lookout for a good pair of Mint colored ones, but have yet to find a pair that fit me length wise. Let me know if you have any suggestions…
5. Shoes – I don’t think I could say this enough … but I live by sandals, sandals, sandals. Wearing any type of closed toe shoe during a Texas summer is considered crazy (probably TMI, but your feet will sweat like crazy if you try it). Two weeks ago I purchased a cute pair of brown sandals with orange stones on them from Banana Republic and absolutely love them. They go with about half of my wardrobe.
Bonus: If you aren’t already aware, I live in Texas, and down here, country music is very popular. For the past two weeks I have had “Drunk on You” by Luke Bryan stuck in my head on repeat and I must say, I absolutely ADORE that song. If you haven’t heard it, please check it out. Plus, he is pretty darn easy on the eyes! 😉
Eyelash Glue Versus Adhesive
I love me some fab fake eyelashes. Long, voluminous, ones with green in them on St. Patty’s day – they are all the rage for me. I’ve always used adhesive when applying them, but one time, I slipped up and bought glue instead. I didn’t think much of it – what difference would it be? I slapped some glue on the strip, plopped them on, and headed out the door. While pulling into the parking lot of my destination, I flipped open my visor mirror to give myself one last look. Thank goodness I did, as both eyelashes were falling off, nowhere close to be stuck on my eyes. Panicked – and having forgotten my trusty adhesive sitting on my kitchen counter – I had no choice but to pull the lashes off and go natural for the night. With smudged eye makeup thanks to the ruined lashes, I felt uncomfortable the entire night. That is my experience eyelash glue, which I chucked and will never try again. The way to go – adhesive. Apply to the eyelash strip (not your own eye) wait about 30 seconds for it to become tacky, then apply close to the lash line. I put my eye makeup on first, and found it’s best for me to do a thick line of black liner on the top lash, as it really helps blend in the strip. Finish with a coat of mascara if needed, and you are set!
Beauty Review: Too Faced Lash Injection Extreme Thickening, Tube Building …
I was given a sample from Too Faced for their new Lash Injection Mascara, and I was super excited to give it a try. I…
Samantha’s July Favorites
In lieu of our Charming Tuesday posts, Samantha and I have decided to post our top five “favorites” for each month. This way, we can include more items instead of just sticking to our beauty essentials. So, to kick off our new segment, here are Samantha’s:
1. Books – The Next Best Thing by Jennifer Weiner and Construct a Couple by Talli Roland. Highly recommend both these books!
2. Beauty – I recently bought Secret’s Clinical Strength deodorant, and don’t have to worry anymore in the hot summer days. If I am going out and want to slip something in my clutch, I grab a small bottle of Victoria Secret’s Very Sexy perfume. Love the way this smells!
3. Hair – With the hot and humid summer days, frizz can be a real problem. I just purchased Bed Head Hard Head Hairspray, and it works wonders. It seems to literally freeze my hair in place, and the frizz gets cut down dramatically. Sometimes it can make my strands stiff, but I’ll take that over the frizz!
4. Clothes – Dresses are all the rage for me in the summer. I will rarely be seen in much else, and I’m not much of a shorts-type gal. I love the long flowing maxi dresses, and a great website to check out awesome deals is Hautelook.com. http://www.hautelook.com/short/3Fbc7
5. Shoes – Wedges still seem to be very in this season, and I stocked up earlier in the year with a few cute pairs. These also can be more comfortable on a night than stiletto’s, but you don’t lose any fashion points either!
Beauty Review: NYR Organic
I was super excited when Monica Butschek offered to send me some product samples from the line NYR Organic. Being the beauty junkie that I am – of course I couldn’t say no! So let’s take a looksie at what I got:
• Frankincense Hydrating Cream
• White Tea Enriching Facial Mask
• Rejuvenating Frankincense Facial Serum
• Wild Rose Beauty Balm
• Beauty Sleep Concentrate
Um, can we say SCORE! I’ve had a blast these past two weeks trying everything out. I think my favorite product was the Hydrating Cream. Have you seen the commercials where someone gets whacked in the face with a shirt and it immediately turns to water? I don’t even know what product that is for in all honesty, but that’s how I felt when I slapped this on my face. Cool, refreshing, and hydrating. I really enjoyed using the facial mask as well. When I wiped the product off, my face just felt cleaner, which I don’t get with all the masks that I try. It’s hard to describe the feeling, but I would definitely use this again and again! I was really intrigued by the Beauty Sleep Concentrate, and wish I had more of this stuff to keep trying it out. It says that it “recharges and works with your skin’s natural night time rhythm” which sounds pretty spectacular. But I do know that it smelled good and I enjoyed using it for a few nights. And last but not least, the Facial Serum and Beauty Balm were also great products. I used both in the mornings to give my skin a perk-me-up, and I think they worked fabulous.
Not only can you use these fab products (and much more than what I’ve featured) but you can also be in your own business as a consultant for the line! For more information, please contact Monica for all the details!
Monica Butschek
NYR Organic Independent Consultant
Email: mmbutschek@yahoo.com
Shop: www.us.nyrorganic.com/shop/monicab
Twitter: www.twitter.com/skincarematters
Facebook: www.facebook.com/bebeautifulwithmonica
Charming Tuesday: A Beauty Favorite
Like the saying goes, all good things must come to an end … and today marks our final posting for Charming Tuesday. In a few weeks we will be starting a new segment that will feature some of our favorite beauty products, but for now, this will be the last Charming Tuesday. So, in honor of a fun and fantastic few weeks with this feature, Samantha and I have listed below our absolute ALL TIME BEAUTY MUST HAVES! Enjoy!
Charming Tuesday Product of the Week: ALL TIME BEAUTY MUST HAVE
Samantha’s All Time Beauty Must Have:
With our last Charming Tuesday post, Sara and I decided to pick our all-time must have product. Of course I can’t choose one, so I decided to write about the products that I bring in my small makeup bag when I am going out. These are what I call my essentials, and I have actually made my boyfriend leave a friend’s house once to go back home and get my bag for me. I feel naked without it when I’m out and about. So here’s my essentials:
1. Concealer. I use Almay Clear Complexion Concealer, and it is fabulous at covering up any marks and staying put throughout the night.
2. Eyeliner. I use Maybelline Showstopper in navy. When I opt out of eyeliner, I could pass for the kiddie buffet. Not a good look for me. I have eyeliner on hand wherever I go.
3. Lip Gloss. Sara got my hooked on Maybelline Baby Lips lip gloss. It has turned into an addiction. I now have cherry, peach, and quenched.
4. Eyelash Glue. Yes, I wear fake eyelashes, and often. I always have my adhesive on hand for any just in case moments and have lash stuck my cheek. That has yet to happen, but you never know.
Those are my makeup essentials. I also always pack a mini-deodorant (hello dance floor), an extra hair tie that usually ends up going to a girlfriend, and a pair of flip-flops if I’m wearing heels. I love big purses, and my feet thank me at the end of the night.
Sara’s All Time Beauty Must Have:
I have two. My first beauty favorite is actually fairly new. Recently, I started hearing all the buzz about the new BB creams that were being introduced onto the market. As I have mentioned before, I am usually a pretty low maintenance gal, and most days leave the house without any makeup on. But, I was interested to try out this new product and see what all the buzz was about … so I went to my local Walgreens and picked up the new Garnier BB Cream and was amazed with the results. This product renews, brightens, evens, hydrates, and protects skin – and it really does. My skin had a dewy glow right after application! By far, this is my new favorite and I’m sure I will be using it from here on out.
My other favorite must have beauty product is actually sunscreen. I’ve always been very diligent with my sunscreen usage because my skin is so fair, but two summers ago, I found out that I had a melanoma on my upper right arm. It was a very scary time in my life but I am glad that we were able to find it and remove it all completely. I now go to the dermatologist every three months to have my skin checked and am even more diligent about my sunscreen application. Because of my past, I literally fly through bottles of sunscreen. Some work better than others, but to me, they are all the same … but my face is a different story. I have found that regular sunscreen on my face is too harsh and often times burns my skin. That is, until I started wearing Ocean Face Potion. This stuff is fabulous! It protects my skin without the irritation, plus the container is small and I can carry it around in my purse. By far, my absolute must have product – I literally have a container in my purse, my car, my gym bag, and a few in our medicine cabinet. I highly recommend this product.
Charming Tuesday: A Beauty Favorite
Charming Tuesday Product of the Week: Blush
Samantha’s Must-Have:
I have quite a few Almay products, and my favorite blush comes from the line as well. I did try their Smart Shade blush, but didn’t like it near as much as the powder. It’s long lasting throughout the day, one application is enough from morning to night, which I haven’t found in any other blush product yet. I have the natural color, and I love how it looks on me. Almay is definitely a brand to try if you haven’t, and I recommend the powder blush as well!
Sara’s Must-Have:
During the summer months, I typically wear bronzer, but whenever I am getting dressed up or whenever I don’t want my skin to have a sun-kissed glow, I grab my Maybelline Bouncy Blush in fresh pink. This is a new Maybelline product, and I must say that I absolutely adore it. I love the gel like finish and that it feels lightweight like a powder, but melts into my skin like a cream and really flows with my foundation. Plus, the shade of pink really pops against my skin tone. I highly recommend this product.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE BLUSH? LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW AND LET US KNOW.
