Charlotte Tilbury Makeup

I've been hearing more and more about Charlotte Tilbury makeup through the YouTube beauty community.  A couple months ago, my mom and I stumbled across a Charlotte Tilbury counter in Nordstrom.  We just happened to catch it on the day it opened, and they were offering free makeovers, which I of course had to take advantage of!  Don't you just love getting your makeup done??  It's so soothing, almost like a spa experience.  Anyway, the artist tried a few products on me.  If you're interested to see what I've since purchased from the line, read on.

 Wonder Glow
This is an illuminating primer.  You can use it as a traditional primer underneath foundation.  You can also mix it in with your foundation or use it alone.  This stuff is pricey (honestly, that's pretty consistent across her line), but this is one product that is absolutely worth the splurge.  It gives you such a beautiful lit-from-within glow without looking glittery.  It's subtle and makes your skin look healthy.  The artist who put it on me called it "Gisele in a bottle."  I love wearing it alone or underneath the foundation I'll mention next.  It retails for $55 and can be found here.

Magic Foundation
This foundation is really great.  It comes in a beautiful glass bottle with a pump, which is always a bonus.  It blends in really easily with a Beauty Blender (my favorite), a brush, or even your fingers.  Once blended in, it leaves a beautiful, flawless satin finish on the face.  It holds up pretty well throughout the day.  I think most skin types could use this, although it can cling to dry patches, so be sure to moisturize well before applying this.  It looks even better with Wonder Glow underneath.  It also hasn't irritated my skin or broken me out.  I am in the shade 4.5.  Check it out here.

Color Chameleon Eyeshadow Pencil
This may be the most impressive product I've tried so far from her line.  I love cream eyeshadow sticks.  It doesn't get any easier than drawing some on and smudging it out.  The problem is that they almost always crease on me or wear off throughout the day.  This stuff is so easy to use, and it stays put all day (and it has been tested through a workout!).  I have the color Dark Pearl.  It's absolutely stunning on its own but also looks great layered underneath the eyeshadow quad I'll mention below.  It's perfect for the lower lashline, too.  Possibly the only downside to this pencil is that it's not retractable and does need to be sharpened.  However, it's something I'm willing to put up with because I love this product so much!  Check it out here.

Side note: please excuse the line on my wrist from my hair tie :)

Luxury Eyeshadow Palette
This was the item I needed the least out of the bunch--I needed another eyeshadow palette like I need a hole in my head.  But it was something I kept thinking about for quite a while after the artist used it on me, so I finally decided to bite the bullet.  I own the one called The Sophisticate.  I am so happy with this purchase.  The shadows blend really nicely, and the colors are beautiful.  It's small and is great for travel.  On a day-to-day basis, I use the lightest two shades to just give my eyes a little definition.  If I'm going out, I love dolling up the look with the two darker shades.  And, as I mentioned above, it looks awesome layered on top of the Color Chameleon pencil.  If you have a lot of eyeshadow in your collection, this is probably not a necessity.  It is, however, a nice splurge.  I have used it almost every day since I bought it and am happy to have it.  It's become my new go-to palette.  If this is something you're interested in, you can find it here.

Overall Thoughts
So far, I'm very impressed with this line.  I think my collection will only grow from here.  It also doesn't hurt that her products are beautifully packaged!  Who doesn't love a little rose gold?

Thank you so much for reading!  Please comment and let me know what your favorite Charlotte Tilbury products are!


XOXO,

Eyelash Extensions Experience

These days, eyelash extensions are huge.  Everyone is getting them, and everyone is doing them.  Who wouldn't want to wake up with beautiful, long, fluttery eyelashes and not have to use mascara?  While there are many pros to extensions, there are also cons.  And, truth be told, they're not for everyone.  I had been wanting to try them forever.  After doing extensive research and watching many YouTube videos, I decided to finally take the plunge.

I bought a Groupon (and yes, many people would tell you not to do this), but the place I bought it to seemed reputable.  It had good reviews, and her normal prices were pretty comparable to what others in the area charge.  I think what most beauty gurus will tell you is don't buy a Groupon just because it's a good deal--make sure you research the place and check their reviews ahead of time.  When I went to book my service, she was booked out for over 2 weeks.  From everything I read, I took this as a good sign--if you can get in right away, she might not be too experienced, and she might not have that many customers.

When I went in to have them done, I told her what I wanted--something on the more natural side, and something that would open up my eyes.  She gave me exactly what I wanted, and I was very happy with the end result.  It took about 1.5 hours.  I did have some discomfort, which I was not expecting at all--in everything I had read and watched, nobody had ever mentioned this.  In fact, all I ever heard was that it is relaxing, and you can't feel anything as the lashes are being applied.  The discomfort started shortly after she started applying the lashes.  It felt like the glue was really irritating my eyes.  My eyes really started to water, which made it a bit difficult for her to apply the lashes, but it was something I had absolutely no control over.  She was able to work through it though and mentioned that I was not the only person that had happened to, and that if I were to keep coming back to get the lashes refilled, my eyes would get used to it.  Once the procedure was done, the discomfort and watering (and red eyes) quickly faded, and I was back to normal in no time.

While I found it really convenient to wake up and essentially already have my mascara done, lash extensions are not maintenance free.  In fact, at times, they felt quite high maintenance.  I was told to not get them wet for 48 hours.  After that, I had to be careful when washing my face.  I could get them wet, but I had to be careful about it.  After getting out of the shower or washing my face, I used a clean spoolie to brush through the lashes in order to keep them separated and going in the right direction.  As time went on, this got harder and harder to do, and the lashes eventually got all clumped together and didn't want to separate.  Typically on a daily basis, I don't wear any makeup except mascara and eyebrow makeup.  There were, however, a couple occasions when I wanted to wear eyeshadow and liner.  I was able to do it, but the lashes made it much harder.  If you are someone who wears full on eye makeup every day, these might not be for you.

Eyelashes have a growth cycle, and dead lashes fall out on their own (just like the hair on our head).  Therefore, the extensions gradually shed with your own lashes.  I was a bit concerned when I noticed that some of mine started falling out the very next day.  I also noticed that when they fell out, they were in clumps.  What I had heard is that there should be a 1:1 ratio with the extensions to your natural lashes--there shouldn't be several lashes glued onto one.  I got one refill after 2 weeks.  After that, I got them removed after 4 weeks.  They still looked decent at that point, but they were definitely more sparse and natural-looking than I wanted.  At that point, I really missed just wearing mascara and being able to make it as dramatic as I wanted.  As they started to shed, I could see some of my natural lashes peaking through.  While I was relieved that they were still there, I was concerned that they appeared a bit shorter than they were prior to extensions.  That was when I had a small panic attack and scheduled an appointment to have them removed.

I contacted a different lady, one who specializes in extensions, to have them removed.  She noted right away that the extensions look very different than the ones she applies.  She uses Nova Lash, which is a very reputable and high-quality brand of lashes.  She also noticed right away that several lashes were glued onto one and warned me that I might have some lash damage.  Once they were all removed, I saw that she was right--I did have some damage.  It wasn't terrible; I had the same amount of lashes, they were just shorter than before.  I was sad but also relieved that the damage wasn't worse.  She said my lashes would return to normal in about a month.  I started right back up with using castor oil on my lashes at night.  I am happy to say that just one week later (after using castor oil every night), I've already seen an improvement.  They are almost back to where they were before extensions--thank god!

So, what did I take from this experience that I could pass along to you?  Here is what I learned:

1.  Do your research.  I already knew this, but I didn't do a good enough job here.  Do not take this lightly!  Though the place I went to had good reviews, she didn't have an overwhelming amount of reviews.  If I recall, there was only one picture of her work that someone had posted on Yelp.  My advice to you would be to find somewhere with A LOT of good reviews and pictures.  Also, the lady who took them off for me offered a free eyelash consultation, so try to find somewhere that will do that for you.  Ask them a lot of questions--do research so you know what kinds of questions to ask.

2.  I hinted at this in the first point, but don't go the cheapest route.  This is an investment.  I don't always believe that you get what you pay for, but it's true in the case of eyelash extensions.

3.  Extensions just aren't for everyone.  Are you willing to spend the money to have them applied then have them touched up every few weeks?  Think about your lifestyle and how you like to wear your makeup.  Think about if you're willing to put up with worrying about them (being careful not to sleep on them, taking extra time to be careful washing your face and combing them afterwards, etc).  I'm trying to figure out how much time the extensions really saved me.  Sure, I was able to skip mascara every day, but with all the maintenance (not to mention the hour it took me to get a refill, which you would need to do regularly every 2-3 weeks), I think the time saving aspect might have been a wash.

4.  You can have them professionally removed if you don't want to wait for them to all fall out.

5.  If they do ruin your lashes, castor oil can bring them back to life!  There are also products like Neulash which have been said to work miracles, but if the $6 castor oil option works for me, I'll take it.

Thank you for reading!  I hope this was helpful.  Please share your eyelash extension experiences with me!

Benefit Gimme Brow New Shade

Benefit re-vamped their whole brow lineup over the summer.  They brought out some new products, re-packaged the existing ones, and they also added some new shades to a few of the existing products.  I while back, I mentioned that while everyone seemed to love their Gimme Brow, it only came in two colors, neither of which worked for me.  The light shade made my brows look grey, while the dark one made them look too black.  For at least a couple years, I've been wishing for an in-between shade in this line.  Lucky for me, Benefit made that happen.

Gimme Brow in new packaging

Gimme Brow now comes in 1 (light), 3 (medium), and 5 (dark).  Light and dark did not change--these were the two colors that existed before.  Medium was their new addition, which is described as "golden blonde to medium brown--warm."  You'll see in the swatch that it is a great neutral to warm shade that would work for a lot of people.

Shade 3 (medium)

I love how this gel has fibers in it to make your brows more full.  It really works well in that way.  It fills them in lightly, so for me, it's perfect if I'm not wearing any other makeup.  The hold it gives is pretty good as well.  It is buildable, too.  The pictures below will show naked brows, one layer of Gimme Brow, and two layers.  Full disclosure--my brows are freshly threaded, so they don't look as sparse here as they sometimes do when they're in desperate need of a waxing or threading.

Naked brow

One layer of Gimme Brow in shade 3

Two layers of Gimme Brow in shade 5

The only thing I don't like about this (besides the price) is that it's not completely waterproof.  While it claims to be water-resistant, it does tend to fade for me during an intense cardio workout (Pure Barre Platform, anyone??).  If I'm just sweating lightly and going about normal day-to-day business, the longevity is fine.

Thanks for reading!  I hope you give this a try if you're in the hunt for a new tinted brow gel.  

Travelling Back 10 Years: Makeup I Wore In High School

One of my senior pictures taken in 2005!  It was the summer between my junior and senior year.

I am currently subscribed to over 70 YouTubers, but with an increasingly busy daily schedule, I'm pretty selective about the videos I choose to watch.  I was immediately intrigued by one of Kathleen Light's videos titled "Makeup I Wore In High School."  I watched the video and thought it was such a fun idea.  It inspired me to think back to what I wore in high school and see if those products are still around today!

Foundation
I don't think I started wearing foundation until about junior year in high school.  I can't remember what all I tried, but I remember using Almay Clear Complexion Makeup when I was a senior.  I used to love this stuff.  It's still around today, although they have changed the packaging and added a pump.  Side note: I also remember loving Almay Truly Lasting Color in college.  In fact, I'm intrigued to try it again...

Concealer
Sticking with the Almay trend, I remember using and liking Almay Clear Complexion Concealer.  It's also still around today.  I used this on blemishes, and I don't remember if I used concealer under my eyes at that point.

Blush
More Almay!  I used a pink blush from them in white packaging.  It looks like it's not around today.  I was also a fan of the CoverGirl Cheekers Blush (not sure which color).  It is still available today, and they've updated the packaging.

Eyeshadow
The CoverGirl Eye Enhancers 4 Kit Shadows take me way back to when I was about 12 or 13 years old.  It was the first makeup product my mom ever bought me.  It's still around today, and they've also updated the packaging.  Sadly, I don't remember the exact name of the quad I had, but it had a couple pink shades and a couple brown shades.  It's funny to think back--I remember at first not even knowing that you could mix the shades or that there was any way to incorporate multiple shades into one look,  Every day, I'd pick a different one out of the quad to wear.

Eyeliner
It was almost always black pencil eyeliner once I got to the point of wearing it.  I used the CoverGirl Perfect Point Plus liner and remember liking it.  I think I also tried a couple others, although I can't remember which ones.

Mascara
Yet another CoverGirl product... does anybody remember their Fantastic Lash (I think that's what it was called) in the red tube??  OH MY GOD.  That stuff was amazing!  Why do companies get rid of good products??  Anyway, it had a traditional mascara wand type (not a rubber one), and I used and enjoyed all the varieties (they had a regular, a waterproof, and a curved brush).  SO GOOD.  I would still be using it today if it was available :(.  I also dabbled in some Maybelline mascaras.  I liked their Sky High Curves one (another great product that got discontinued).  I'm sure there were others, but those are the only ones that stick out to me today.

Lips
I was a lip balm girl in high school.  I think I also had some CoverGirl lip glosses, but for the most part, it was various types of lip balms.

Thoughts 10 Years Later
Looking back now, the only thing I wish I had done differently was fill in my eyebrows.  I actually remember getting my makeup done at the Bobbi Brown counter one time, and they filled in my brows.  I immediately went into the bathroom in Nordstrom and wiped it off.  I wish I could go back in time and talk some sense into my teenage self.  I also didn't use any bronzer, and I don't think I even knew what highlighter was.  Looking back at my makeup routine, it was simple, I used products I liked, and for the most part, it worked.

Thank you so much for reading and travelling down memory lane with me!  I would love to hear what you used and loved years back.

Hair Hack

By now, you've probably heard that coconut oil is a miracle beauty product (in addition to being useful in the kitchen!).  One of its many uses is as a leave-in conditioner for your hair,  I've done this before, and my favorite way to do it is to put a little bit on the ends of damp hair right before I blow dry it.  The key is to use A LITTLE BIT.  Well, last week I went a little overboard.  I ended up using way too much, and I brought it up to about my ear instead of just keeping it on the ends.  The result?  Stringy, greasy hair that looked like it hadn't been washed in a week.  I was so upset!  I typically only wash my hair twice a week, and with how much hair I have, washing it is a large undertaking.  I thought I'd have to wash it again, then I got an idea.  Fortunately, it worked.

All I did after blow drying my hair was use dry shampoo.  I put some on the roots as I normally do, and I sprayed it in the lengths of my hair as well.  It completely did the trick!  It absorbed all the greasiness, and my hair looked perfectly normal.  It's totally fine to put dry shampoo in the lengths of your hair--just make sure you rub it in really well so you don't see a white cast.  I found the best way to do this was to rub the hair in between my palms.  After doing this, I brushed it out to make sure it was evenly distributed.

So there you have it, a super random hair hack.  Hopefully you won't make the mistake I did of using too much oil, but if you do, give this a try!

Thank you for reading!

I've Found My HG Lip Balm

Makeup junkies always like to talk about their "holy grail" products.  I try to save this term only for products that really deserve it.  Guys, I've found my lip balm.  I've truly found my holy grail lip balm.  And it's one that's made for men!

This tube of wonderful goodness to which am referring is Jack Black's Intense Therapy Lip Balm SPF 25.  There are five flavors to choose from, and I opted for the original mint and shea butter variety.

The product has a nice thickness to it (think Vaseline but a little thicker), and it's incredibly moisturizing.  Probably my favorite part about this stuff is that it stays on my lips for HOURS.  That never happens--I'm one of those who is compulsively applying lip balm 1000 times per day.  Depending on what you're eating or drinking, it can even withstand that.

The mint flavor is really nice.  It's not too overpowering like some other mint lip products I've tried (some are even so strong they've burned my eyes).  That does not happen with this.  It's also quite a bit thicker than the CO Bigelow Mentha Lip Shine and lasts quite a bit longer on the lips.  It has a nice cooling sensation (again, not overpowering) and feels great.  I also like how it's not TOO glossy.  The finish is almost like a satin-matte with just a little bit of something.  That probably has to do with the fact that this was made for men.  It makes your lips look beautifully healthy.

Long story short, this stuff is amazing.  I would highly recommend that you go pick up a tube immediately.

Thanks for reading!

Favorites: June 2016

Summer is officially here!  As the seasons change, so do my favorite things.  Here's a look into what I've been loving lately.

Skincare
I've been loving Cetaphil's Oil Control Moisturizer SPF 30.  I still get a bit oily after several hours, but it's much less greasy than the CeraVe moisturizer with SPF I had been using previously.  I always have blotting sheets in my purse, so any excess oil is easily taken care of.  It's a bit pricey for drugstore skincare, but it's the best daily moisturizer I've found yet.  And it comes highly recommended by dermatologists.

Makeup
Bare Minerals Original Foundation is the only foundation I've worn all summer.  I have purchased several of these over the last 10 years and have used it on and off.  Every time I start using it again, I forget why I stopped.  It just does something for my skin that no other foundation does.  It's completely undetectable and gives the illusion of "I have perfect skin" rather than "I'm wearing foundation."  I wear the shade Medium Tan.  It feels great on my skin.  It's pretty.  It works.  It also makes me a little bit nostalgic--every time I use it, I think back to my freshman year of college when I first discovered it.  Good times.

Lipstick-wise, I've been really into MAC's Lipstick in Please Me and Anastasia's Liquid Lipstick in Crush.  We all know that MAC lipsticks are fantastic, Please Me is (in my opinion) the perfect pink.  Crush is the first of Anastasia's liquid lipsticks I've tried, and I'm impressed.  I certainly did not need another pinky nude; however, I didn't have any in my collection that were in liquid format.  The color is beautiful, and it lasts all day through eating and drinking.

Left: ABH Liquid Lipstick in Crush
Right: MAC Lipstick in Please Me

I rediscovered a blush that I hadn't used in a while--ELF's Studio Blush in Pink Passion.  It's one of those blushes that might scare you at first glance, but it's much more wearable than it appears in the pan.  It gives the prettiest, freshest glow.  I wore it on my wedding day, so it is obviously a favorite of mine.  And like all ELF products, it's super affordable!

Perfume
I've found a combination I love--Victoria's Secret Coconut Passion Fragrance Mist combined with Bobbi Brown's Beach Perfume is dynamite.  It takes me to a happy place of being on a beach in Kauai.  I love both of these scents on their own, but they are even more of a delight when mixed together.


What have you been loving this summer?  Thanks so much for reading!