Beauty
beauty tutorial
I've spent months and month going over product that has worked for my sensitive, acne prone skin always coming up short. After refusing to jump on the BB Cream bandwagon, I finally did and it's already made a huge difference in my complexion and overall makeup routine. After finding this sheer goodness, I tackled the task of mastering highlighting + contouring that again, worked for my unruly skin. After playing with a few darker bronzers to contour with, I found the new Maybelline Fit Foundation and it did exactly what I was wanting it to! Hopefully these goodies can help you as well, as all of us ladies deserve to experience all types of beauty methods and products!
Garnier BB Cream
Maybelline Concealer
Maybelline Fit Foundation
Elf Blush
Victoria's Secret Shimmer
Sonia Kashuk Brush Set
How To: Highlight + Contour
Beauty
Nude Lipstick
It wasn't long ago I steered far away from lipstick and lipgloss but after experimenting with some nude colors, I've been hooked. I finally wore some bright pinks and reds throughout the summer and as we embark on the fall season now, I find myself resorting back to the nude basics. I'm sure I'll eventually be trying the vampy burgundy tones but for right now, I've pulled together another set of my favorite nude lipsticks with one updated tube.
Revlon | Sky Line Pink
A subtle and icy pink tone. I personally think this pairs best with fair skin as when it's on someone with a tan, it looks cakey and over the top.
Revlon | Soft Nude
My most favorite shine finish lipstick. With the perfect mix of peach and pink, this is my go-to when I want some color with a shine.
MAC | Myth
Just recently added this baby to my collection and it's equally my favorite as Revlon, Soft Nude. The difference? A matte finish. When I'm running out the door doing errands or meetings, this is what I grab because it doesn't come across as "too shiny".
Rimmel London | No. 113
Great shade of nude and it's a matte finish, as well. This tends to look cakey and crack when worn so be careful to exfoliate your lips prior to wearing and throughout the day when reapplying.
Do you have any other nude lipsticks you're lusting over?
Revlon | Sky Line Pink
A subtle and icy pink tone. I personally think this pairs best with fair skin as when it's on someone with a tan, it looks cakey and over the top.
Revlon | Soft Nude
My most favorite shine finish lipstick. With the perfect mix of peach and pink, this is my go-to when I want some color with a shine.
MAC | Myth
Just recently added this baby to my collection and it's equally my favorite as Revlon, Soft Nude. The difference? A matte finish. When I'm running out the door doing errands or meetings, this is what I grab because it doesn't come across as "too shiny".
Rimmel London | No. 113
Great shade of nude and it's a matte finish, as well. This tends to look cakey and crack when worn so be careful to exfoliate your lips prior to wearing and throughout the day when reapplying.
Do you have any other nude lipsticks you're lusting over?
hair tutorial
How To: Hair Extensions
Oh, hair extensions. I've had my fair share of a relationship with these babies and always come back to them more often than not. I started wearing them in high school for dance competitions and recitals but never on a daily basis. When I chopped my hair off a few years ago, it was impossible to rock them so now that's it's finally at a good length to blend, I'm back at it. I posted a pic on instagram and had a handful of questions you asked so I'm going to outline them as best I can. If there's something I missed, comment below and I'll get back to you!
Where did you get your extensions?
The current pair I have are from Sally's Beauty Supply. This is the set and color I have but with the clips, however the coloring has been alter since I've been using them (video has details). I've had many other sets before these and always purchased from a shop in AZ, United Beauty Supply. I know Raven and Cara both buy from Bellami and I've heard only awesome things about them. I most likely will snag them from there when the current pair needs retired.
What color are they?
I purchased a platinum blonde but have dyed them to match my hair. My stylist added some lowlights that were much too dark so I highlighted with a box color and topped that with an additional box color by Garnier called "Champagne Blonde" to give an ashy look. I'm not a fan of the orange and yellow toned blondes so I wanted to make sure to pull in the ash.
What length did you purchase?
These were 18" extensions right out of the bag but I had my stylist blend them. She took a good 3 inches off and blended all throughout my hair so it looks natural. This is crucial, make sure to take them to whoever does your hair so you have something gorgeous and organic looking versus a chunk of long extensions and a bob showing right through. Gross.
Are they clip-ins?
Yes! I normally always buy clip in extensions because they're much easier to maintain and they give you the ability to be versatile. The current set I'm using were not clip ins but I purchased clips and sewed them in myself. Why? It's a lot cheaper going this route but you'll then have to measure your head, cut the extensions to fit the width of your head and then sew in each clip. I recommend if you're a newbie to extensions, buy clip ins and wait to experiment with sewing them in on your own until you're a pro!
How much do they cost?
The one's I current have cost me $100. They are normall $140-$160 when they're clip ins. This is also on the very inexpensive side of the scale. You can purchase better quality ones ranging up $600 but it really all depends on your budget and needs. I don't think that is justifiable so I personally wouldn't spend more than $300.
How long do they last?
This all depends on how well you keep and treat these beauties. I was mine about once every 3 weeks or whenever I'm wanting to curl or style them differently. The more often you wash, the quicker the life span goes. If you're wearing them consistently with gentle upkeep, they will last you 7-9 months but again, this depends on the brand and quality you purchase. Washing them once a week? I'd cut the life span in half.
Can you use heat tools on them?
Yes! Make sure to only buy human hair not synthetic hair extensions. Synthetic is nasty and can't handle the styling and upkeep. Human hair can be manipulated and used as if it were the hair growing on your head. Just always remember to apply a heat protecting serum before styling so they last longer.
I think that about covers the questions from instagram but again, leave a comment below if I missed something you'd like details on! Now the video... I just pulled together how I put them in for you and shared a few tricks I've learned over the years. I do go over a lot of the stuff above so if you already read it, ignore me. Enjoy pretties!
Other extension wearing bloggers I know of:
freebie
graphic design
Friday Freebie
Sometimes I just get buried in an overwhelming sense of stress and I tend to sit and think, how can I get through this without having melt down after melt down. I am the type of person who likes checking things off my list and I won't stop until that happens and now being in a job that has a never ending list of "to-do's" has really been a challenge for me. I've had to set boundaries and know my limits because if I don't, I turn into a mess of emotions and a fog of tiredness.
It does hit me though, I am so blessed to have the opportunity of being busy. So many new businesses and ventures are dragging and it's a struggle making ends meet and I'm quite the opposite. That being said, I know my clients will keep coming, I know they'll respect I have my home life and mommy life to fulfill and I know they'll wait to see the final products because I have a family who needs me. I was up late last night pulling together my weekend list of clients, and had a moment where I let it all go, took a deep breath and prayed that I have the strength to set my limits, to adhere by those limits and enjoy life as well as my wonderful business and clients. I believe I can get through this busy season of life....so I will.
Happy Friday, loves.
fashion
Black & White
Thursday. My new Friday every single week. Hallelujah! I could scream with excitement. I'll now only be working at the church office Monday-Thursday and I then have my full Friday's to spend on design work at home, in my pretty little office. Yay! It has me giddy. It also means my time with Drake will be even more often than it is now so I again, am stoked about this.
I'm also stoked about how cute this outfit turned out. I don't seem to grab this skirt too often and I don't know why I wouldn't. It's just too darling and I always seem to get huge amounts of compliments when I'm wearing it. Considering it's still in the 90's in PHX, I must wear this over the next couple weeks before I have to pair it with tights and boots.....which I'm also excited for!
And in other news....this little ole blog is on Facebook now. Like it, won't cha?
top (option) | H&M
blazer (option) | H&M
bag (option) | Target
marriage
Anniversary Staycation
Is it really over? Our weekend away seems to have blown by far too quickly and I don't like it. You saw here our plans for this year and it's something more than that. It's sentimental for us. We stayed at Talking Stick Resort on our wedding night and it's honestly, our go-to place to stay for weekends just the two of us. So this past weekend, really was just perfection. From the Saturday morning ihop breakfast, to a little nap before driving downtown to check in. We even splurged on an extra bottle of wine and watched some of our favorite movies we intended to. Such a breath of fresh air, I tell ya. And it totally helps we had a huge balcony over looking the golf course and Arizona desert so enjoying coffee in bed, while looking straight out to that view...was truly such an experience.
H O T E L:
Talking Stick Resort
Phoenix, AZ
Executive King Room (one whole wall is all windows leading to the balcony & gorgeous view!)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)