Makeup Tips & Tricks That REALLY Work!

He ya'll so last week I read a blog  about this 30 day makeup challenge where you have a different task to do daily.

At first I was all psyched, like "Yeah, cool got me some new ideas! Totally gonna do this! " (said in radical white surfer dude voice), but here I am four days later and well, lets just  say it....FAIL! :)

So what I decided to do instead was pick and choose the tasks that I liked best and share my idea with you all. The first one that stood out to me the one about sharing tips and tricks that I may know....so here I go:

1. Concealer brushes were made for a reason! While I do believe you can use any brush for any task you want, concealer brushes are that perfect size to cover your problem areas. So ladies put down the spatulas, and brushes the size of your head and just use the tiny brush (or ur finger) to only cover the problem area. You save product and you avoid the cake face. So conceal, dab dab dab to blend edges...done

2. Clear Mascara isn't just for your lashes! It is also a great brow setter and a quick way to make your wispy fly-away hairs stay in place.

3. Lipstick is a multi-tasker! Lips, cheek stain, eye primer...it does it all.

4. Gloss=gorgeous lips! Just dab some gloss in the center of your bottom lip and BAM! sexy lips...OH add a small highlight to your cupids bow for extra plumpness

5. Bronzer is your friend! I was never a bronzer girl cause I always feared looking like Snooki or overdone. However, with the right color I found it can do wonders. Applied in a "3" motion on my round face and then WATCH OUT sexy face! (Plus I can now hide my double chin without dieting :)  OOOOO and if you dont want a powder bronzer, just buy a foundation colors a few shades darker and tada you got your self a liquid bronzer

6. Look wide-eyed with white: I think everyone already knows that if you put white liner on your lower inner lid that it will make your eyes look wider and alert. For me I find the white to be too harsh, so I  use a nude pencil which works the same way 

7. Baby Powder/Baking Soda to the rescue: If you are a grease ball or just lazy and don't like washing  your hair, use baby powder or baking soda to suck up all the oils in  your head. Get a small amount, work it into roots, comb out, done! (more suitable for lighter hair)

8. STOP smiling when applying blush! This is as an old school trick that we have all used but need to stop. When you smile your cheeks are higher, when you stop smiling they go back down. So while you might have thought you just applied some sexy blush to your gorgeous cheeks...think again because now its down to your jowls :)

9. Use mascara to cover your pesky greys! Enough said.

10. Make your own tinted moisturizer! Foundation+ Moisturizer=$ saved

11. Make your OWN exfoliator: Recipes everywhere online but basically sugar+oil/lotion= cheap natural alternative

12. No SPF for photos! I know this is controversial, but in order to avoid the ghost face in pictures, avoid makeup with titanium dioxide or SPF. Usually the setting powder is the culprit.

13. Brush your lips! For smooth kissable lips, gently exfoliate your lips with your toothbrush to buff off all the icky dead skin and apply a balm to finish off.

14. Layer you Mascara! Love the idea of water proof mascara but hate taking it off? Well first apply a regular mascara and then top it with a waterproof one. This way the water  proof formula locks onto the regular mascara and not your lashes making it easier to remove :)

15.Instant facelift! Go look at yourself in the mirror and smile. anywhere you see a shadow (upper and lower lip, corner of eyes) apply a small amount ofshimmer or off white color to give you a quick pick me up effect :)

16. Base coat and buff your nails! If you have ever worn nail polish only to find it stained your nails once you removed it, don't worry. Simply use a buffer to remove the stain and apply a base coat next time.

17. Burn you pencil Liner! When your pencil  liner dries out or breaks and you can't sharpen it, use a lighter to gently warm up the tip and within seconds, you got a functioning pencil.

18. Starighten Up! For extra volume when straightening hair, pull hair up and away from scalp instead of straight down for instant volume

19. Suck a finger! NOW DONT YOU ALL GET ANY WRONG IDEAS! LOL! when you wear a darker lipstick they have a tendency to get on your teeth. To avoid that after you have applied the lipstick, put you finger in your mouth like a lollipop, close mouth and pull finger out.  All the excess color will have come off on your finger :)

So ladies, these are just a few tips for you all to try if you  didn't already know them, I have TONS more to share  with you all, but I would love to read about your tips and tricks so please do share in the comments or make a post of your own :)

Seche Vite Anyone???

If you read my post "Confessions of a Nail Polish Junkie" then you know I have a serious nail polish addiction :) And  while I know this addiction is harmful both to my wallet and my poor roommate who has to smell the stench of polish almost daily, I just can't help it.

So while rummaging through my rainbow of colors  trying  to find the color of the day, I came upon Seche Vite, the over-hyped, over priced, fast  drying top coat that some manicurists swear by. So is it worth it???? Read on :)

Packaging: Clear nail polish top coat looking bottle with a normal sized brush.

Price: $7-$20 USD depending on where you buy it. OUCH!

Product/Application:

PROS:

• After applying nail polish and all the bejeweling details you want, apply one coat of this sucker and VOILA! Dry in less than twenty seconds. No joke!
• Bottle lasts a while depending on how much of a nail polish junkie you are :)
• DRIES SUPER FAST
• DRIES SUPER FAST
• DRIES SUPER FAST

CONS

• Price is crazy
• Smell is HORENDOUS!!! It takes a while to get used to the  lacquer smell
• Doesn't really help MY nail  polish last longer, and instead of chipping it does more of a peeling affect which is fun to remove like a sticker :)

Overall:

I REAALLLLYYY like this product. I think it does exactly what it says and who doesn't want dry nails within seconds :) However because it is pricey I hesitate to recommend it to my budget conscious beauties who read this  blog and are just looking for cheap, readily accessible beauty products. BUT if you want dry nails ASAP, got some extra bucks for a great top coat, then go for it.

As for me, I think after I finish my bottle I might hold off on  buying another because I change my nail polish SOOOO much, that putting on such an expensive top coat just is not worth it to me.

Saw it, tried it, NAILED it! Tattooed Nail Art :)

So for the past week I have been rocking pure white nails. Kinda tired of the lack of color on my nails, I found a video online that shared this idea and BADABING!  A quick way to spruce up my plain white nails :)

What you will need:

• White Nail polish
• Clear Nail Polish
• Press on Tattoo
• Scissors
• Cotton Pad
• Water

1. Paint you nails white.
2. Pick a tattoo design that you like. I had these laying around but they also sell them at the  dollar store.
3. Cut the design of your choosing into smaller pieces to fit your nails. Mix and match you choose.
4. Press on nail and hold down with wet cotton pad for a few seconds.
5. Peel off and TADA look how easy and pretty :)

Quick tips and tricks:

Apply a top coat to seal in design

Excess tattoo can simply be pulled off or even rubbed off

Tattoo sticks best to slightly tacky polish so just before nails are all dry, apply tattoo and embed it into the polish.

Taming of the Brow

The two bushy caterpillars that sit atop my brow are driving me crazy! While one day they sit and stay perfectly fine like good little trained pets, the next day they decide to travel...here, there, everywhere...I just can't keep up:)

Every morning, I have a daily battle with my  bushy eyebrows. On most days I am ready for battle with my arsenal of supplies, but then there are days that I don't give a s***. 

Below are just some really CHEAP products that I use to tame my ferociously beastly brows :)

Shaping:

The key to tamed eyebrows, is a good manageable shape. I am Indian, so we naturally have thick bushman eyebrows that need constant upkeep, therefore a pair of tweezers and eyebrow scissors is a must!

I use a simple "spoolie thingy" t come my hairs up and trim the extra long hairs, then if need be I come down to get any strays.

A good pair of tweezers is a must. But here's the thing, I own tweezers that are both $0.99 and $20 and they work essentially the same as long as they have the right angle and thickness.

For those ubber pesky fine hairs that I just can't seem to pluck, I use this bad boy. Yes its a razor, but before you all start yelling about how dangerous that is and I could shave off an eyebrow,  read on. These are soft razor that need to be angled properly to work but the best part about them is that 1..2..3, Look mom no uni-brow! :) Don't worry, no five o'clock shadow here.

Maintaining:

Yup, that's thread and it's my best friend :) Threading my eyebrows not only for less plucking and upkeep, but it gives the nicest, cleanest shape. Highly recommend it. Takes a little getting used to, but well worth it.

Day to Day:

Now back to my chaotic mornings when I am normally running late for work.

The first thing I do is usually use either the ElF Eyebrow Kit, or just a dark brown Wet N' Wild eyeliner pencil to fill in any random gaps I might have.

Next, I pack on the Maybelline Great Lash Clear mascara or the ELF clear brow mascara and BAM..... set for the day

....see I told you it was cheap :)

E.L.F Eyelid Primer

I put some eyeshadow on, eyeshadow comes off. So, I put more eyeshadow on, even more comes off. WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON!....My darn oily eyelids is what is going on :)

I just recently got into makeup, and one of the first products I bought was cheap eyeshadow, because I thought that would make the biggest difference in my attempted dramatic change. But instead of these epically awesome eyeshodow colors sparkling on my eyes, hence captivating all the boys attention, I managed to create clumpy, chalky  messes all over my eyelids.

What  I figured out eventually was my  greaseball butt needed to use some eyelid primer to help my eyeshadows stick and last all day. Therefore, I began my journey on finding the perfect  eyelid primer.

What I discovered however, was that primers work almost the same, and while I do own higher end primers, I can't afford to use them eveyday, so I found this E.L.F eyelid  primer, which in my opinion is a great substitute :)

Packaging: The primer comes in a typical tube type of style. with a doe foot applicator. The color comes off very beige-ish and the consistency is comparable to that of a liquid foundation.

Product: After applying the primer, I usually wait about 20 seconds to let it dry just a bit, and then I apply my shadow however I wish. For a typical 8 hour work/school day, this primer fairs pretty well. I have some creasing and color lose by the end of the day, but you  have to remember I have greasy eyelids. On the other hand, my sister also uses this product and has normal/dry eyelids and this primer helps her eyeshadow stay on all day perfectly fine.

Overall: If you are looking for a cheap eyelid primer, that has no gimic and does the job, then this is the product to try. It stays on for a long time and even with the eventual creasing at the end of day, its well-worth the $1-$3 USD!

:) :) :) 1/2

Drugstore Liquid Liners Comparison

I looooove me some liner! Not only does it  help my hooded eyes pop, but it gives an overall more put together look. Now I would be  lying if I said I'm  not curious about higher end liners, but why spend so much when drugstore liquid liners do the exact same thing :)

Below is a comparison of three very popular drugstore liquid liners : Loreal Linear Intense, Maybelline Stiletto, and N.Y.C Liner

Brushes: While both the Loreal Linear Intense and the Stiletto have felt tips,  the NYC liner has a really thin brush

Color Payoff:

Comparison: For overall intenseness of color, the Maybelline Stiletto is the BEST! Not only is it the darkest of the three, it also has the longest staying power. I found  that with the Linear Intense (which is also the most advertised and over hyped on YouTube), I had to go over the line multiple times and even then it wasn't very black and it had a tendency to turn grey and flake on my oily  lids. The NYC liner was great in color, but the flimsy brush and liquidy formula made it more difficult to work with.

Overall: I've been using the Maybelline Stiletto Liner for years, and even when I experiment with other brands and styles, I always find myself going back. Most definitely worth a try :)

Side Note: the images are recycled from my once YouTube channel

An oldie, but a goodie : Tresseme Heat Tamer

So, today I woke up and decided I wanted to look "fancy" (say it in a snobby French accent). So off I went on a mission to straighten my hair. Having avoided my straighter for the past two months, it wasn't a total surprise that I burnt my arm, scalded my ear and almost fried my eyelashes....Yup.

Half way through my mission, I smelled burning hair and I thought "Damn! I  forget the heat protector thingy!" Hence my reason for writing this blog today.

For those of that don't already know, some sort of heat protection is essential when working with hot  tools on the hair. Not only does it help your hair from totally frying and becoming a burnt mess, but it also makes the tool work more effectively because the tool can glide more smoothly.

The product I choose to use is the Tresseme heat Tamer Protective Spray.

Packaging: The product comes in a spray bottle form. This not only makes it easier to use but also more efficient  since the nozzle allows for a huge burst of spray that covers a greater  area. As a bonus there is small latch that you can push which prevents the spray bottle from spraying itself (excellent for when traveling)

Product: Typical heat tamer spray, but it smells awesome! Comparing it to other heat protectant sprays the reason I love this one is because it doesn't leave residue or heavy feeling. All I do is section my hair into four parts, spray once on each section and comb through  to distribute the product. Not only does it leave my hair feeling soft, but I've noticed less split ends when I continuously use heat on my hair over long periods of time.

Pricing: Usually around $5 USD

Overall: By now, most people either have this product or at least heard of it, hence my title. It's simple, easy, and gets the job done. The only complaint I have ever heard is that it leaves the hair feeling greasy, but that's only when too much product is used. Therefore ladies, don't get over zealous with the pretty smell, spray spray, done!

:) :) :) :) :)

Review: Revlon Colorstay Foundation

After hearing much hype about this product on various websites and video sharing sites, I decided it was time to try this product out. So I drove my lazy butt to my local Rite Aid and bought the Revlon Colorstay for combo/oily skin for $13!!!

                                        

Honestly if this product didn't work I was going to be PISSED, but fortunately it worked out great :) The product  in it self is a thick and dense consistency, and A LITTLE GOES A LONG WAY! Wanting to cover all my ugly blemishes the first time I tried it, I was stuck on the idea that more is better, but after massaging a giant goop into my cheek I realized what an icky mistake I just had made

PROS:

Coverage: FULL coverage! Very buildable but you have to be quick with the application because it gets tacky and unblendable fairly quick. Therefore it is best to work in small patches and remeber to mix it with your favoirte moisturizer for a lighter coverage adn feel.

Lasting Power: This stuff is like super glue! Once on, its there all day. I have very oily skin and makeup normally doesn't stay on for very long, but for me even at the end of the day I need a few makeup wipes to take all the foundation off.

Range: This line of foundations has a  large color selection so it is fairly easy to find the right shade or combination of shades that you need

CONS:

Packaging: Hate is a strong word, but I HATE the packaging of this product! Like other foundations, Colorstay comes in a glass twist top container and you have to pour the product out. This is not only unhygienic, but after using it carefully for a few weeks, it gets really messy and goopy after a while. 

Price: For a drugstore foundation, this product is among the most expensive. $13 really! 

Overall: I would buy this product again, it covers everything, stays on all day even on my oily skin, and since a little  goes a long way, the product lasts a long time since you dont have to re purchase it all the time.

:) :) :) :)