FOTD #2- Clean and Fresh

Hi everyone!

I'm currently working on putting out some awesome new posts, but I didn't want to keep y'all waiting, so I decided to do a quick FOTD! I hope you've all had an amazing week! Be expecting some tips & tricks, reviews, and maybe even a tutorial soon! ;)

FACE:

Hourglass Mineral Veil Primer

Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation in 120 Ivory

Bobbi Brown Corrector in Light to Medium Bisque 

Maybelline Fit Me Concealer in 15

Rimmel Stay Matte Powder in 001 Transparent 

EYEBROWS:

Kat Von D Saint palette carravaggio

Stila Stay All Day Eyebrow Color in medium

EYES:

NYX Love in Paris palette

Maybelline New York Master Precise liquid liner in black

Mally Volumizing Mascara

CHEEKS:

Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Bronzer in Milk Chocolate

E.l.f. Blush in tickled pink

Milani Illuminating Face Powder in 03 Beauty's Touch

LIPS:

Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in 080 Strawberry Shortcake

-rachel j

Growing out a pixie cut

GASP.
A pixie cut?!?

Yes, it's true. Almost two years ago I decided to donate my mermaid-status locks and get a pixie. I grew to like it a lot- it was low maintenance, cute, and surprisingly versatile. But growing out super short hair is not a walk in the park. It's more like a walk up a really steep hill that annoys you and makes you want to give up. Struggles aside, it's not impossible to do and you can still look cute while doing it!

Here are my tips to growing out a pixie cut!

1. Getting regular trims.
I can't stress this one enough. Yes, I know- it seems counter intuitive. BUT, if you do not get regular trims- maybe once every two to three months- you WILL get a mullet. Even if all you get trimmed is the back (which is what I did most of the time) it will make a huuuuge difference in how confident you feel with your short hair do.

2. Try out different styling products.
Go out to the drugstore and try some texturizing creams or waxes. This can be especially helpful if you have fine hair to add some pizazz to your spunky do. Or if you're like me and have naturally curly hair, let it curl for once! It's a nice change.

3. Hair accessories!
Short hair is adorable, so play it up! Get some cute bobby pins, flower clips, headbands, you get the drift. Try pinning your bangs back, if they're long enough. It's all about experimentation.

4. Lastly, and most importantly, love every stage of your hair.
What I mean by this is is basically always appreciate what you have and rock it. If your hair is super short, enjoy its low maintenance. If it's somewhere in the middle between a pixie and a bob, enjoy it's versatility. Try pinning the sides back, or curling it with a conical 1 inch curling wand, and get something like this:

Cute right? Excuse the face- this was a picture from my senior homecoming. 

Anyway, I hope this post was helpful for anyone in the process of growing out their hair again. It may feel like forever, but it'll go by in a flash! Enjoy your short hair!

-rachel j

NARS Blush

Is it summer yet?

It's been a crazy week. Getting used to doing homework after over a month of doing nothing is quite the adjustment. I've been feeling a little bit run down the past few days, and that's why I haven't kept to my usual blog every-other-day schedule. Hopefully I'll be back to it soon!

Anyway, I love NARS blushes. They're super pigmented- it's almost scary. They blend well and last all day. What more could I possibly want from a blush?

Left- Desire, right- Luster

Desire gives me a wonderful pink glow when used with a light hand, and Luster gives me a nice bronze-y look that I crave all year long. 

Get them here! There are sooo many colors to choose from.

Have you guys tried NARS blushes?

x

-rachel j

Favorite drugstore lipsticks

What's up guys?

This past weekend I noticed that I haven't really talked about lipstick yet. So here's a little post about my favorite affordable lipsticks!

Top row, left to right:

Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate Moss 09:

I love this shade when I want to look extra classy. It's a deep berry toned red.

 Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate Moss 06:

This is such a bright and pigmented color! I love the Kate Moss Rimmel lipsticks; they are really smooth and glide on easily. I get compliments all the time when I wear this one.

Revlon Super Lustrous Shine 805 Kissable Pink:

This is a nice bright yet sheer pink that looks relatively natural on the lips. It's also pretty moisturizing. I like to wear it when I'm in a rush or when I can't decide which lipstick to wear.

Bottom row, left to right:

Revlon Super Lustrous Creme 613 Just Enough Buff:

It took me a while to like this beige-y nude. I'm not really a nude kind of girl- I usually stick to pink colors, but I really like this when I've got a lot going on with my eyes or if I wear a bright blush. 

 Rimmel Moisture Renew 235 Pink Star:

Pink Star is a peachy pink with some fine shimmer in it. It's a fun color without being too bright.

 Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter 027 Juicy Papaya:

The peachiest of them all, and I love it! The name really suits it. It's very moisturizing and it lasts a pretty long time. It's not as thick as the ones by Rimmel, but it still has a good amount of color to it. 

These are just a few of my favorites- I had a really hard time narrowing it down! I tried to have a bit of variety color-wise instead of only having loads of pinks or nudes. I also didn't notice until I was typing this post that they're all either by Revlon or Rimmel! Funny how that happens.

What do you think? Tell me your favorites in the comments x

-rachel j

REVIEW: Kat Von D True Romance Eyeshadow Palette - Saint

Hi everyone!

I've had this palette for well over a year now, and after using it almost everyday, I can say without a doubt that I love it. I'm amazed that I haven't hit pan on any of these shadows. While there are definitely some shades I use more than others, I still like and use all of them. They're pigmented, smooth, and overall just great quality shadows. Sometimes I wish it had a few more matte shades, but I really can't complain because I like them all so much.

The palette is a good size- not too big, not too small. The packaging is also very cute and detailed, but it's still durable.

The palette also came with one of Kat Von D's autograph pencils. I love using it in my waterline for a more dramatic look. It's a great little liner! I just don't use it as much as my liquid liners because I hate sharpening it (I'm lazy).

Left to right: heavens, enjoy the silence, <3, downtown, sunny, pray for me, bookworm, caravaggio

Here are some close-ups: 

heavens, enjoy the silence, <3, downtown

enjoy the silence, <3, downtown, sunny, pray for me

pray for me, bookworm, caravaggio, autograph pencil in puro amor

It costs $36 at sephora, which isn't too shabby considering you're getting 8 quality eye shadows and an eyeliner!

Find it here!

Have you tried anything by Kat Von D? x

-rachel j

Hair Products That I Love

It's Friday!

Today's post is about my favorite hair care/styling products. I love them so much that I don't feel the need to try anything else. That's a big deal for me, so I wanted to share them with you!

I'll start this off with a classic- Batiste Original Dry Shampoo. This was the first dry shampoo that I've tried that actually got rid of the grease plaguing my second to third day hair. Other dry shampoos just made it worse, or were difficult to use. This is as easy as point, shoot, and massage in.

Next is my tried and true heat protectant- Nexxus Pro-Mend. I love this because it doesn't have alcohol in it which is known for drying out your hair. It keeps my hair nice and healthy, and it is so easy to spray with that little nifty handle!

I love this healing dry moroccan argan oil. It makes my hair so shiny and soft, and makes it easy to detangle. It also says it helps protect you hair from heat and dead ends. I like to spray this into my palm, rub it in my hands and disperse it through the bottom half of my hair before styling.

Last but not least by any means is L'oreal's Elnett Satin hairspray. By far the best hairspray I've ever used. It's light weight, but has amazing hold. Best part is, it doesn't leave my hair stiff or crunchy! It's super easy to change my hairstyle even after using it, which is great if you don't wash your hair everyday. I got the unscented version because I heard that the original scent isn't very pleasant. I've no problems with this one!

What are your all time favorite hair products? Let me know in the comments x

-rachel j

NYX Mini haul

Hi guys!

I wanted to write this earlier, but I've been so busy now that I'm back at school! My schedule is totally different than last semester, and it's taking some getting used to. Nonetheless, here I am with a mini haul!

I was soooo excited to see that the target I went to while I was out of town sold NYX products! I've never seen them in Target before. I was in a rush so I only grabbed a few things (or else I would've gotten a lot more).

I picked up the Love in Paris eyeshadow palette and two butter glosses.

Here's a close up of the palette along with swatches!

Top row left to right

Middle row left to right

Bottom row left to right

Now onto the two butter glosses! I got Eclair and Peaches and Cream.

Top - Eclair

Bottom - Peaches and Cream

Eclair

Peaches and Cream

I'm super happy with all of these products. The eyeshadows are smooth, blendable, and for the most part well pigmented for something you can get at the drugstore. The only one that is noticeably chalky is the dark brownish-gray shade on the bottom right, but it's still workable. The butter glosses are very pigmented, smooth, and last quite a while for a gloss. They also smell really nice, which is always a plus! I know for a fact that I'll be getting more of these glosses.

What's your favorite NYX product?

x

-rachel j

Buy and try: Milani Face Illuminating Powder

Hi again!

While I was at the drugstore looking for a face scrub (check out this post to see which one I ended up getting), I stopped by the makeup section (surprise!) and this caught my eye. It's the Milani Face Illuminating Face Powder in 03 Beauty's Touch. I got it for around 8-9 dollars, which in my opinion is pretty standard for drugstore makeup these days.

I'm not going to lie, the packaging on this is pretty darn cute.

The description says that you can use this product as a highlighter, bronzer, and blush, but I think this shade is too pink to use as a bronzer. There were other shades that were less pink to choose from that would be better for bronzing. This gives you a very subtle, pink sheen that is great for a fresh-faced look. You can also get slightly different colors depending on which shades you pick up with your brush- if you want to use it as a highlighter, focus on the lighter colors. To use it as a blush, swirl your brush mostly on the pink shades. For a nice intermediate, swirl your brush all over those little roses! 

This product is okay- it's a nice subtle hint of color that adds a slight glow to your face. In my opinion, it's more of a sheer blush than an illuminating powder. If you're new to highlighting or afraid of overdoing it, this is worth a try. If you have a highlighter that you like already and are looking for a cheaper option, I wouldn't recommend getting this one.

Let me know what you think in the comments! x

-rachel j

REVIEW: Mane 'n Tail Shampoo & Conditioner

Hi guys!

I'm sure most of you have heard of Mane 'n Tail shampoo & conditioner before, but in case you haven't, here's the rundown:

Mane 'n Tail products were originally made for horses, but can also be used on humans. They have less ingredients than other shampoos & conditioners, and they even have vitamins in them. A lot of people claim that their products increase hair growth, but I can't say that it's made mine grow any faster than it normally would. Nonetheless, I've heard quite the bit of hype about the hair care pair (like the little rhyme I threw in there?), so I wanted to test the waters! 

Fun fact: I actually used to use Mane 'n Tail products back when I rode horses, and they worked really well at detangling their tails.

I bought them at a local drugstore, but I also believe you can find them in Walmart and even pet stores. The bottles I got are 32 fluid ounces and cost $8.99 each. Which when you consider that most shampoos are only around 16 ounces, you're getting twice the product for nearly the same price. If you don't want to go gung-ho and get the big bottles, I'm pretty sure there are smaller ones- if you can find them (they only had the big ones at my CVS).

 I have normal to thick curly/wavy hair, and it's naturally more on the dry/frizzy side. After the first time using the duo I decided to let my hair air dry and was amazed by how soft and shiny my hair was. My curls were smoother than usual without feeling weighed down, which can be a huge issue for us naturally curly ladies. The conditioner really seemed to moisturize my hair and make it more manageable. It definitely made my hair noticeably shinier, but it's important to keep in mind that my hair was in pretty healthy shape before I started using the Mane 'n Tail products.

Now after using it for about a month, I don't notice a huge change in the texture of my hair as I did when I first starting using them, but my hair is still shiny and feeling healthy! I've also noticed that my hair doesn't get greasy for a long time- before it would get noticeably greasy around the third day of not washing my hair, but now it can last until the fourth day, and sometimes even then it's barely greasy at all. If it weren't for my scalp getting itchy (TMI?), I probably could push it until the fifth day. 

As for its scent, it's neither here nor there. It doesn't smell great but it isn't bad. Just plain old shampoo and conditioner, which is fine by me. 

Overall, I'm quite pleased with these products! After using them for another month or so I'll probably switch it up to prevent product build up, but I can see myself coming back to them in the future. 

Here are some pictures of my hair after washing it with Mane 'n Tail & letting it air dry:

Shiny, eh?

I hope you all are well! What shampoos/conditioners do you love?

x

-rachel j

Burt's Bees Peach & Willow Bark Deep Pore Scrub

I only just bought this a few hours ago & have only used it once, but I already love it.

I went to the drugstore earlier originally looking to try the St. Ives apricot scrub, but left with this instead- and I'm glad.

Before I get into all of the nitty gritty details, here's what the description has to say:

Our 100% natural scrub is formulated with finely ground Peach Stone to gently exfoliate, removing dead skin cells. Infused with Willow Bark, a natural source of salicylic acid, it removes dirt and excess oil for a deep pore clean and naturally healthy skin.

The description couldn't be any more spot on. It's soooo creamy and rich on the skin, and the Peach Stone (the little exfoliating bits) aren't very intense but still get the job done. They aren't like those cheap plastic-y beads in other exfoliating products that just roll around your face and don't do anything. After I rinsed the scrub off, I was amazed at how moisturized and smooth my skin felt. Usually after using any type of exfoliating scrub my skin feels tight and dry. Burt's Bees knows how to keep my skin smooth and baby soft. Not to mention how easy it was to apply my foundation on said baby soft skin.

 My face also had a wonderful, healthy glow to it.  Now this may be my imagination, but my pores appeared less noticeable after using this. I know it's called a "deep pore scrub" and all, but I wasn't expecting to see a difference after one use.
Then again, it could have just been me being hopeful.

Either way, I love it I love it I love it. It also smells wonderful- just like fresh peaches. Throughout the next hour or so after using it, I would randomly get little whiffs of peach. Overall I'm just really impressed with the quality of this, as it was only $8.99 at my local drugstore.

I can't wait to use it a second time. ;)

What facial scrubs do you love?
x

-rachel j

How to conceal & deal with DARK under eye circles

For the sake of not scaring (or even scarring) you guys, I went ahead and did my eye makeup before showing you the severity of the dark, purple bags that hang around under my eyeballs.

Before:

This picture doesn't even do them justice.

It's literally like Barney is hiding beneath my skin.

Now if you have awful bags like me, you know the pain of dealing with them. And dealing with people's comments, such as: "You look tired!" "Are you okay?" "You look like you need more sleep."
Nope, Yep, & Nope! I get plenty of sleep every night. I've had these puppies pretty much my whole life and I don't think they're going away any time soon.

And so I've dealt with them by learning how to make them look somewhat decent. Let the covering begin!

First off, I apply my foundation and make sure I cover my under eyes. Today I used L'oreal's True Match Foundation in shade N2 and my Real Techniques Expert Face Brush.

Then I apply Bobbi Brown's Corrector in the shade Light to Medium Bisque, patting it on with my ring finger. The pink shades in this help cancel out the blue and purple tones.

Finally I use Maybelline's Fit Me Concealer in shade 15 over the corrector. First I swipe the concealer over my bags, and then I pat it in with my ring finger to get the most coverage.

Set it with some powder (I used my Rimmel Stay Matte) and you're good to go!

After:        

  

While they're still not perfectly hidden, it's a huge improvement, and it's the best combination I've found in all my years of using makeup. What do you use to cover your under eye circles?

Cheers x

-rachel j

REVIEW: New Revlon Colorburst Matte & Lacquer Balm

Hello again!

A couple of weeks ago I went out to scope what was new at the drugstore and found these! Revlon came out with a collection of Colorburst Matte Balms and Colorburst Lacquer Balms. I got two matte balms & one lacquer balm. There are a total of 9 matte shades and 10 lacquer shades (at least according to Ulta's website). I tried to pick shades that I would get a lot of use out of, but there are plenty of more daring colors like hot pinks and purples that I may try in the future.

Below are close up pictures of each shade, as well as swatches on my arm and on my lips so you can get a better idea of how these balms look!

Left to right: 105 Demure (lacquer), 205 Elusive (matte), 240 Striking (matte)

240 Striking

205 Elusive

105 Demure

Left to right: 105 Demure, 205 Elusive, 240 Striking

(I had to go over the swatches at least once to get them this vibrant)

Demure is pretty close to my natural lip color. Demure is one of the lacquer balms that is a beautiful light, beige-y pink with fine glitter in it- I think all of the lacquer balms have some glitter in them for added shine. I wasn't sure how I would feel about the glitter, but it ended up being my favorite of the three! It's a nice "my lips but better" shade.

The only kind of negative thing in regards to the glitter is that even after the color has faded, the glitter sticks. It looks a bit odd in my opinion, but it's not a deal breaker for me.

Elusive is a bit more pigmented then my bare lips- I would describe it as a bright rose-y pink. 

Striking, as you can see, is pretty striking! It's a beautiful yellow toned red. Reminds me of a tomato! I love to wear this with some winged eyeliner and mascara. Very classic.

(Sorry for the messy application on this one!)

Quality:
These balms are very creamy, smooth, and easy to apply. I love the packaging and how they feel on my lips. The pigmentation is pretty decent- I have to go over my lips at least twice to be happy with the it, as I did for the swatches above. For some reason I have the most trouble with Striking, but like I said before, I just go over it a few times and all is well.

Also, the matte balms aren't super drying like a lot of matte lipsticks. They don't cling to dry skin quite as badly as other lipsticks, but I still recommend exfoliating and moisturizing to get rid of the dead skin before application.


Staying Power:
These aren't the best for long wear, especially if you're eating and drinking. They do stain your lips, but it's definitely a more faded look compared to right after application.

I put Striking to the test today- I put it on around 3 pm and went about my day, eating and drinking included. (These do transfer onto glassware, by the way). By around 4:30 pm all that was left was the stain, which didn't look too shabby. I would recommend popping this in your purse before going out just incase you need to reapply.

Conclusion:
I like them! They're easy to apply and feel nice on my lips. They also have beautiful shades to choose from and they're around $9 each.

As always, I hope you're having an amazing Tuesday and I'll talk to you soon!

-rachel j