Desk Storage to Makeup Storage

Let's face it, storing makeup is tricky. The different sizes, shapes and heights make neat and organized storage nearly impossible. Most of the time it just piles up into a designated drawer or makeup bag and you have to dig and dig to find what you need! There are lots of options for organizing makeup, but there is one item I have found that has been working really well for me recently. Its a desk organizer that I put on a shelf next to where I do my makeup. I put some of my most used products in it for easy access. This a great organizer too because its open, so there's no fussing around with drawers or bags. It makes grabbing those everyday items super quick and convenient. The downfall is that things will not fit perfectly neatly and lined up, as much as I'd like them to. There will be some stacking and overlapping. But I don't think it looks too bad and it's great to put on a shelf, on top of a dresser or anywhere and it won't be a terrible eye sore.

Empty desk storage from Target

This shows how I arrange some products in the organizer!

I hope this gave you some ideas, what organization tricks do you have!? Xoxo

Demi Lovato Inspired Makeup

Demi looks so bronzed and glowing in the inspiration picture and I love her hair and makeup! Here is my interpretation!

Apply brightening foundation and concealer.

Use the brightening concealer as a highlighter on the bridge

of your nose, center of the forehead and chin. This will attract light to your face, similar

to Demi Lovato's glow.

Of course, lots of bronzer!

One of my favorite tricks, apply a white, cream eyeshadow to the entire

lid, up to right under the eyebrow. This brightens the eye area and lifts the brow.

This eye look is really simple, this liner is the key feature.

When you open your eye, your eyeliner should cover all visible lid to match Demi's.

It should also be very winged out. Apply a little bit of the eyeliner to the inner corner

of the bottom lashline as Demi did.

Apply a white or flesh colored eyeliner to the inner, bottom rim.

Try to darken and define your brows to match Demi's!

Also apply a coat of mascara and some dramatic falsies.

I tried to match Demi's lips as best as possible with a neutral lipstick

and a shimmery, golden-pink gloss.

And your done! It didn't look like Demi was wearing blush so that's it for the makeup!

The best I could do with the hair :-)

From the side

What I Used

Face

NARS sheer glow foundation in Fiji

Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Concealer in Radiant

Smashbox Bronzer

Real Techniques Brushes

Eyes

NYX Jumbo eye pencil in Milk

Bobbi Brown gel eyeliner in Black Ink

Tarte emphasEYES Inner Rim Brightener

Milani eyebrow pencil

L'Oreal Telescopic mascara in black

Ardell Lashes

Lips

Tarte Glamazon Pure Performance 12hour lipstick in Inspired

NARS lip gloss in Orgasm

Hope you enjoyed! xoxo

3 ways to add moisture to your makeup

With the weather continuing on a very cold trend, many of our faces are probably feeling the effects, I know mine is! We go from doing everything we can to control the shine in the summer to struggling to maintain and kind of moisture in the winter, it seems like a loosing battle! But, there are ways to kick up the moisture during these winter months and prevent your makeup from looking quite so cakey and dried out!

1. Beauty Blender
Beauty Blenders are a must have in your makeup kit. To reduce cakeyness and increase the moisture and naturalness of your makeup, wet the beauty blender completely and then squeeze all the water out. Use the damp sponge and press the larger end into your skin with a blotting motion. This will help to blend your foundation into your skin and reduce that dry, flaky look.

2. Moisturizer
Most of the time we apply our moisturizer straight out of the shower or right after washing our face, but doubling up your application is a great way to keep your skin looking glowy and fresh. Use a face lotion that isn't greasy or too thick, the moisturizer I recently reviewed is perfect (Philosophy Hope In a Jar is also really nice), and apply it directly before your foundation. This will allow the foundation to glide on smoothly and not cling to those stubborn dry patches. Your face may be a bit more prone to shininess with this method, but for those of your struggling with a lot of dryness this is a great option.

3. Dew Me
One of my favorite products for the cold months is a moisturizing makeup spray by Urban Decay called Dew Me. This works the same way as a setting spray in that you just spray it before and after makeup application, or just afterwards. It helps take away that dull, dry effect caused by these drawn our winter months with little sun, but you don't look shiny at all. Its a very light mist that just helps to moisten up the look of your skin.

I hope this was helpful! Do you have any tips for brutal winter months?! Xoxo

My FIRST Lush Purchases!

I feel like Lush is one of those stores that has a total cult following, and now I can see why! For those of you that don't know, Lush sells handmade, cruelty free soaps, lotions, bath bombs ect. with all natural ingredients. Upon first arrival to the store, those of you that are sensitive to smells may turn around and walk right out. It is like a blast of fragrance that almost knocked me over! But...I continued in because I HAD to see what all the fuss is about! A sales associate immediately approached me and offered help finding something. 9 times out of 10 I turn down the help because I like browsing on my own terms, but this time, I really wanted the input. I told the associate that I wanted an exfoliating soap. I am house/petsitting this week and didn't want to buy a whole body wash just for a few days, so I thought it would be a great opportunity to try something from this store. She ended up showing me Ocean Salt, a bestselling exfoliating scrub that contains coconut and avocado for moisture and lime and vodka for clarifying and brightening the skin. It contains sea salt (go figure) for the exfoliation. I was hesitant at first, but she insisted I try it on my hands. It felt amazing, very rough, which I like because I love the feeling of really scrubbing. But the best part was after I rinsed it off! It left a silky, smooth, moisturized feeling and that's what sold me. Not only does it smell fresh and amazing, but it exfoliates AND moisturizes. It can also be used on the face as well as the body. I love how its so natural but yet feels so luxurious. I wanted a soap as well and decided to get a moisturizing one. The associate showed me a chunk of soap with honey and caramel (Honey I Washed The Kids) and a soap with fruit and citrus (Sultana of Soap). Based on the smell, I went for the Sultana of Soap. I got to choose the amount of soap I wanted from the very large chunk and ended up spending around $9 on it. I brought my new goodies home so excited to try them! Well, my boyfriend ended up being the lucky first to try MY new soap! He came out of the shower and the room filled with this amazing, fresh and comforting scent. It just emanated off of him and that's how I knew that this soap was a complete gold mine! He even texted me later on that day from work and told me how awesome the soap was! I can't wait to buy us more to use! I short, I completely understand people's obsession with Lush. The associates are super friendly and helpful and the products are so lovely, perfect for gifts!! If you haven't stopped by yet, you should definitely check it out :-). Have a great night! xoxo

Weekend Purchases

I made some fun purchases this weekend in the city so I thought I would share!

I totally fell in love with this tote from Free People and it was a complete impulse buy! I love the color and the studded detail and I think it could be great for work or casual! Its also a really nice leathery material that feels very comfortable. 

To make this bag more appealing it came with a little crossbody!

I love the interior detail :-)

Adorable pink pave studs from Anthropologie.

Michael Kors gold watch

I've been wanting a gold watch for such a long time but could never pull the trigger

on one. I finally found this one from Michael Kors that I really liked so I saved up

until I could get it! It's a big purchase but those types of buys are always easier

when you have money set aside. I'm so excited to wear it!

I hope you guys all had a great long weekend! XoXo

Embryolisse Moisturizer Review

I have been using Cetaphil daily moisturizer for a long time now and I love how it doesn't clog your pores and feels really light on the skin. However, it has been so cold recently that my skin just wasn't getting enough moisture from it! I had heard of Embryolisse moisturizer and it has gotten really great reviews, so I was happily surprised when I got a small sample of it in my January Birchbox. It's really unusual for me to try any new skin product because, as I've said over and over, my skin is very sensitive! But because Embryolisse is so popular I decided to give it a try. I instantly fell in love with it! It is super silky and luxurious and provides tons of moisture with no greasiness and no pore clogging. It didn't make me break out or have an allergic reaction (which is always a plus) and gave my skin much more moisture. It also has almost no scent so those that are sensitive to fragrance won't have a problem. The great thing is you can apply this directly before putting on your foundation and it creates a nice base for your makeup, which is why a lot of makeup artists use it. I tried it once and haven't looked back since! My sample size ran out quickly and I was sure to order the bigger size from the Birchbox store. I am so happy with this moisturizer and it is definitely worth the slightly higher price tag ($16 for 30ml, $28 for 75ml). I fully recommend anyone struggling with seasonal dry and irritated skin to give this one a go!

Simple Valentine's Day Nails

I went a little crazy with the Christmas nails so I wanted to do something really simple in honor of Valentine's day!

To do this you will need a light pink polish, a red polish, tape, and a heart hole punch

Begin by simply painting your nails with the light color (here I used Essie Mademoiselle which is a perfect French manicure color!). Then, once the base color is completely dry, take a piece of tape and punch a heart shaped hole in it using the hole puncher-you can get these for cheap at any arts and crafts store. I had a little trouble with this and it took me a few tries to punch the hole and remove it from the puncher without ripping the heart. The heart shape on my other hand is a little deformed, but close enough! 

Place the punched tape so the hole is in the center of your nail. Seal down all sides and press your finger over the tape to make sure it's secure, it sucks when it bleeds through the edges! Next, paint over the heart shaped hole with your red polish. Wait a minute or two and then peel off the tape. Seal with a top coat and you're done! 

There are a lot of really cute Valentine's Day nails tutorials out there, but I am really enjoying this simple and hassle free look. What have you tried?!

February's Birchbox

I haven't done a post on my Birchbox in a while so I thought it would be a good time! Here is what I got in my February box! The theme is "Red Carpet Ready!"

A little Valentine's treat!

As you can see it has already been devoured, so good!

Beauty Protector: Protect and Detangle

Great for all hair types, this nourishing elixir performs 7 hair healing

functions. Among them locking in color, adding shine, and instantly detangling.

Full size $21.95

Color Club Nail Polish: Wild Cacuts

Shoo away winter blues with this on-trend emerald polish.

Full size $8

This color is quite a bit darker in real life! Not sure why it looks

so much lighter in this picture!

Dr. Jart+: Black Label Detox BB Beauty Balm

From the brand that brought BB creams to the U.S., this

gold-standard formulation has mineral SPF 25 and a satiny, matte finish.

Full Size $36

Juicy Couture: Couture La La

Roll out the red carpet for this new scent, a stunning mix of 

mandarin, red current, lily, and orange blossom.

Full size $19-90

Birchbox Secret Weapons

Overall I think this is a pretty good box! I am really excited to try out the BB cream and the hair protector especially. The chocolate was definitely a nice surprise too because I was starving when I opened the box so I ate it immediately  Caramel and chocolate is soo tasty:-). I will definitely be using the nail polish, it isn't a color I would ever pick out because I am not much of a green fan on the nails, but since I have it I will give it a go! Its a mix between an emerald green and a forest green and has no sparkle. The Couture La La perfume was a big disappointment for me. I LOVE Viva La Juicy so I had high hopes, but it is much too floral for my taste and very strong. The description highlighted a lot of fruity smells, but that didn't really translate unfortunately  As for the "secret weapons" the only thing I have tried is the Beauty Blender sponge which I absolutely love! But I'm sure everything else is great as well. Hope you enjoyed and have a great night! xoxo

10 Blog Facts Tag!

1. How old is your blog?
       My blog turned 1 year old on January 21st, 2013! {My first post ever}

2. What kind of camera do you use?
       I currently use a Canon Powershot G12. Before that I used a Sony Cybershot.

3. What photo editing system do you use?
       I currently use Adobe Photoshop 7.0 (I believe this one is pretty dated). I got it from my boyfriend who had it one of his old computers over the holidays, there is still so much to learn but I'm finally catching on and I love it!

4. What do you use to light your videos?
      I'm not sure the exact brand because my Dad sent them to  me as a gift but they look like this.

5. What do you do when your not blogging?
      I intern full time as a School Psychologist and go to class once every two weeks in the evening, I am in my final year of a 3 year program at Northeastern University in Boston.

6. What inspired you to start a blog?
      I started my blog about 6 months after I began watching beauty videos on Youtube. I have always loved makeup, hair and all things beauty but it was totally on the back burner at that point in my life. Seeing the youtube videos kind of re-triggered my fascination and obsession with the cosmetics world and for months I watched these videos and read books on makeup and learned a lot. It sounds pretty weird actually but it just became a really fun hobby of mine and so different from classes and the career I'm pursuing  It was a great distraction and creative outlet. Some people paint, make music, draw, I blog about eyeshadow haha!  Plus anyone that knows me will tell you I like to try out every new makeup gimmick that comes out so if I'm buying it anyways might as well share my experience! All I can say is it has been SO fun for me and it is something I look forward to doing everyday and there is something to be said for that :-).

9. How many views has your blog gotten to date?
     26, 551 (thank you!)

10. What is your goal/future blog plans?
     My goal is to, first and foremost, continue blogging for as long as I can and as long as it is enjoyable and for people to continue reading. I want to keep improving it in terms of layout, picture quality and content, so any suggestions are welcome! I would love to grow my viewer base and have more people stop by! I would also love to upgrade my equipment someday and get more advanced lighting and maybe a background of some sort to take pictures or film in front of (a studio of sorts...in my dreams ha!). But for now, my goal is to just continue doing what I'm doing and learning and growing along the way!

Bonus question* Who made your blog template?
I use Blogger (I think its via Google) and my template was made by JackiesDesignStudio1 on Etsy.com


"Tag" someone else by sending them these questions so that they can answer them about their blog!

Sweet Valentine's Day Makeup

I love this fresh and bright Valentine's Day makeup look! Very easy for anyone to achieve and perfect for the upcoming holiday!

I started with a light and moisturizing foundation, Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua and 

of course my Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch concealer.

Step 1: Apply a white, shimmery cream shadow all over the lid

Step 2: Take a white cream eyeshadow and apply it to the upper lashline

Blend it in with the base color

Step 3: Take a matte, pink eyeshadow (I used a blush)

and sweep it directly above the base you put down,

from the inner to the outer corner, along the brow bone.

I also blended in a shimmery pink shadow

Step 4: Take an angled eyeshadow brush and a matte, black eyeshadow

and "draw in" a line along the upper lash line with a flick at the outer corner.

Using eyeshadow will make for a softer look but still add definition.

Step 5: Curl your lashes and apply mascara!

Step 6: Apply a natural looking blush and then apply

a fuchsia-pink lipstick.

And your done!!

Products Used

Maybelline Color Tattoo in Too Cool

(Step 1)

NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk

(Step 2)

MAC Eyeshadow in Da Bling

Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Dollface

Real Techniques Base Shadow Brush

(Step 3)

Urban Decay Naked Palette: Blackout shadow

EcoTools angled brush

(Step 4)

Tarte eyelash curler and Maybelline Illegal Length Mascara in Black

(Step 5)

Maybelline Fit Me blush in Light Pink

(Step 6)

I am SO in lovee with this new color!

Maybelline ColorSensational Vivids lipstick in Wild Rose

(Step 6)

Thank you for stopping by! Hope you enjoyed xoxox