30 Days of Lips + Looks: Day 19 "An apple a day"

Day 19 "An apple a day" - Cailyn Tinted Lip Balm "Apple Pink"

Cailyn Tinted Lip Balm "Apple Pink": $19.00

I have to admit, this is actually one of my favorite lip products I own. I don't use it as often as I should but I feel like this color is perfect for every season. I've worn it every season with different outfits and I always get compliments. I decided to contrast it today with brown/gold on the eyes.

30 Days of Lips + Looks: Day 6 "Pink Lady"

Day 6 "Pink Lady" - Pacifica "Beach Kiss"

Pacifica Enlightened Mineral Gloss in "Beach Kiss": $12.00

I own quite a few glosses but this one I haven't worn very much out of the collection I have. The color is a beautiful, translucent pink, perfect to balance my intense dual pink eyeshadow look I created today. It has a more natural smell to it and it feels slightly sticky on the lips, but it's still a great one that lasts a really long time.

30 Days of Lips + Looks: Day 5 "Lip Love"

Day 5 "Lip Love" - MAC/Lime Crime

MAC "Pink Pigeon" - $16.00

Lime Crime "Futurist" - $18.00

Since I did an ombre eye look yesterday I thought it'd be fun to try an ombre lip look. I love both of these lipsticks - they're really pigmented and beautiful. I love color so this was really fun for me to try. I've seen a lot of ombre lip looks in magazines so it was fun for me to experiment with this look, and because this was a more bold look I kept the rest of my makeup basic. I don't see myself every wearing this look out since it's not really practical, but it was so much fun to do. It was easier blending the bottom lip vs. the top lip for some reason though.

Urban Decay 24/7 Liquid Eyeliner: Review + Lookbook

While growing up certain beauty aesthetics were engrained into me as a sort of "Don't Do" bible. Each time we passed by the beauty aisle or I would play in my mother's makeup I was reminded of those rules as a warning, as if some glittery makeup goddess would bestow bad eyebrow days on me if I disobeyed. Of course, as a young teen and being told "Don't do that" only made me want to do it even more, and as I've gotten older and developed my own style I've rebelled against one rule in particular:

 ***Pink around the eyes makes you look sick/diseased***

As soon as I was out on my own in college I dove into variations of browns, pinks, blues and greys and I am happy to say that pink eyeshadow is one of my best friends. I'm so drawn to pink now as an adult that when I saw the Urban Decay 24/7 Liquid Eyeliner in the shade "Woodstock" on sale, my heart skipped a beat. The shade is a beautiful deeper sparkly coral that's perfect for the summer months. Instead of just doing a regular review about whether or not I like the product and how it wore, I decided to create 2 different eye looks using the eyeliner because I love it so dern' much.

Look #1 Half-eye cat flick

A very simple, easy half-eye cat flick. Since my eyes are smaller I like to start at the middle of the eye with eyeliner and then draw it out to the side since I've noticed it creates the illusion of larger eyes. The eyeshadow shades underneath the liner are lighter pinks and dusty mauves with a shimmery pink in the corner of my eye to draw light to it and create the illusion of a wider eye. I went very light on the eyeshadow application to give just a gentle base contrast for the bright pink eyeliner. My trusty NYX concealer under my eyes and one coat of Calvin Klein mascara completed the look.

Look #2: Double Liner Happiness

This was a tricky look for me as I've never really done a really big bold eyeliner, and I'm sure you can see I don't have the steadiest hands. I love contrasting two colors like this so I might continue to try to push myself with more challenging looks like this in the future. Practice makes perfect, and clearly I need a lot of practice! :-P

Overall Review:

Urban Decay's 24/7 Liquid Eyeliner is very easy to use, and of course the packaging is adorable. It goes on quickly and it STAYS on. I accidentally rubbed my eyes more than once, and my eyeshadow shifted but not the eyeliner. It applies very smoothly and it's effortless to create any kind of shape you want due to the thin application brush that comes with it. The color itself is bright but it's not a neon "I'm going to a rave after this" bright. It's a really beautiful bold pink and the sparkles add a nice hint of shimmer in the light. The ONLY bad thing about this liner, if you can't already tell from the picture above, is that you have to go sparingly with it or it can get a little...clumpy.

The price is absolutely worth it due to the quality of this product. This shade probably isn't for everyone, but if you're looking for a formula for a great liquid eyeliner, I recommend going for the Urban Decay 24/7 in another shade. I've tried different brands of liquid eyeliner with a brush before and I've got to say this is my favorite to date.

Lipstick Queen's "Frog Prince" - Review

Hey lovelies, if you're wondering if you should pick up Lipstick Queen's new "Frog Prince" color, then check out my review below!

The Polish Prerogative

As someone who strives every day to come closer to becoming a tiny house owner/lifestyle enthusiast, I'm constantly fighting an inner battle due to my love of options. From my shoes to my jewelry to my clothes, I love having lots and lots of options despite the fact that I know I don't need them. 

Naturally it should come as no surprise that that same love of choices extends to my nail polish collection. When I first moved in to my room over a month ago, I had close to 70 nail polishes. The funny thing is, is that it didn't look or feel like that much. One night I was organizing my bathroom and on a whim I counted my collection. My jaw hit the floor. I immediately started grabbing the ones I used the least in the last year and promptly placed them to the side to give away to my roommate and coworkers. 

Within the last 5 weeks I have whittled down my collection to just 21 polishes, including my base and top coats. To some people this is still a lot, and to others this may be very small.

Out of these 21 beauties, I have selected my top 6 favorite ones:

Zoya "Odette": $9.00

I've been in love with Zoya for years. I've done a post on them before, and mentioned them countless times in other posts. They're the original "4-free" nail polish, and their polishes chip the least. This polish is that perfect neutral. At first glance this doesn't look like a neutral, but it goes with EVERYTHING.

OPI "Midnight in Moscow"

Every time I wear this I get compliments everywhere I go. This color is one of the prettiest colors I've ever owned, and every angle in the sun makes it look different.

Julep "Zelda": $14.00

One of my biggest frustrations with Julep is that I have found most of their colors chip very easily. However, the 6 colors I own, 5 of them being shimmer, don't chip easily, dry quickly, and stay on the nails for a very long time. That's why they're still in my collection (obviously), and Zelda always feels fun and glamorous.

LVX "Viridian": $16.00

I discovered this brand by accident in New Orleans last year, and I've been over the moon since. They're 5-free, cruelty-free and vegan, and their polishes last FOREVER on the nails. I also receive a lot of compliments whenever I wear this color, and usually after a week I only have one teensy chip. For me that's a miracle considering how hard I am on my hands. 

Formula X "Neon Top Coat": $10.50

This top coat is the coolest because not only does it help my polishes last way longer than they normally would, it gives the most interesting holographic sheen to every color. 

Sephora by OPI "It's Real 18k Gold Top Coat": $30.00

This bad boy is unfortunately no longer available. 3 Christmases ago I felt like being fancy, Iggy Azalea-style and ordering myself a top coat with flecks of 18k gold in it. It adds the prettiest appearance to any polish I put it over, and I always get compliments whenever I wear it. If they ever decide to bring it back, I'm buying two.

Frog Prince Lipstick

About 2 years ago I came across an article talking about a makeup brand called Lipstick Queen and their insanely popular blue "Hello Sailor" lipstick. Intrigued, I called up every Bloomingdale's around the country until I found one in Hollywood that had a few left. I ordered it, tried it, loved it, and reviewed it on here on my blog. 

Yesterday I was browsing through the latest in fashion & beauty news like usual when I saw another Lipstick Queen lipstick, but instead of the blue Hello Sailor color, this one was green. Of course Rihanna has paved the way with the green lipstick trend and many companies have scrambled to produce the unique and niche color for those brave enough to try, but just like the Hello Sailor color, this isn't your typical lipstick. Yes, it comes in a lipstick tube and is shaped like a lipstick, but it's actually a color-changing lip tint that turns into a lip stain.

With the Hello Sailor color, it went on and turned into a beautiful berry tint that actually stayed on like a lip stain even after it felt like it had worn off. This color, Frog Prince, promises the same desired effect, except this one turns into a beautiful rosy color on the lips. 

 

 

 Lipstick Queen "Frog Prince": $25.00

 

While I could never pull off green lipstick, I love the color-changing lipsticks that are coming out, and like with the Hello Sailor lipstick, the second I saw this one I called around and bought one. A review will be coming soon <.3

Tattoo Goo Review

I've been getting tattoos since I first turned 18. I'm now 26, and I love every tattoo that's on my body. Each piece is it's own, a part of my skin, a story, a moment, and something I will love and never regret until the day I die. When I first started getting tattooed, I was recommended A&D ointment to use after cleaning my tattoos. I put it on faithfully each morning & night and my tattoos all turned out beautifully. However, about 3 years ago I read an article talking about how ointments are actually bad for tattoos because they don't allow them to breathe while healing. I thought it was strange that mine turned out so beautifully while using an ointment, but I decided to follow the advice and next time I got a tattoo, I would use an intense lotion instead. 

Flash forward to 3 weeks ago when my friend calls me up and says "They're having $20 tattoos at a place in town! You need to come with me and get one!". Having not gotten a tattoo in over 4 years, I was more than happy to go get one at an affordable price. I got an adorable little fishing cork because in truth, I actually really enjoy fishing. I just prefer fishing on a lake where there are trees and mountains vs. in the swamps and bayous. (I'm amazing at catching trees)

(Please excuse my scabs - the mosquitoes ate me alive right after getting my tattoo)

After I got my tattoo, I realized that I had given away my A&D ointment about 2 years ago to a friend who needed it and I had never replaced it. So, at 10pm at night I ran to Walmart and noticed a product that I had never seen before - a Tattoo Goo Kit. I had never heard of Tattoo Goo before, but it was only $15 for 4 full-sized products (And the packaging had Tye-dye on it + they're cruelty-free), so I decided to try it. I had also gotten my tragus re-pierced that same night, so I used the deep cleansing soap that came in my kit for my piercing too. 

This kit comes with:

- 1 Color Guard tattoo protection 30 SPF stick .45oz

- 1 Deep Cleansing Soap 2oz

-1 Tattoo Aftercare Lotion 2oz

- 1 Tattoo Goo original good .75oz

The ONLY bad thing about this kit is that the cleanser is very strong. I have very dry skin already, and as you can see from the picture above there's a bit of dry skin on the tattoo even though it's completely healed. All of the products are amazing, but even with constant application of the lotion, I experienced a great deal of dryness with my tattoo. I now use the tin of original tattoo goo since it's very thick and hydrating.

If you are someone that has or is easily prone to extremely dry skin, it would probably be better to use a very mild antibacterial soap. With every other tattoo I had I used a mild antibacterial soap and I didn't experience this much dryness, but we were out of mild soap at home and the kit came with it so I thought I would give it a shot. However, the cleanser is out of this world for healing a piercing. The first time I got my tragus pierced, it took a long time to heal. My piercing healed twice as fast this time, and I'm pretty sure it had to do with the cleanser.

 The After Care Lotion is fantastic. I would use that everywhere on my body, not only on my tattoos. It doesn't have a weird smell, it leaves your skin feeling soft and it's really affordable. It also comes in a handy little bottle that's really convenient to carry with you. I kept it with me for throughout the day and it didn't add any bulk to my purse. I would reach for this over Lubriderm 100%. The original Tattoo Goo in the tin is meant for intense moisture during healing and after. It looks like a green lip balm and has a very lovely, organic smell like an apothecary and it makes me want to tend a garden. I absolutely love it. It smells lovely in the tin and then the second you put it on the skin the smell disappears. This product felt a little intense to use while my tattoo was still fresh, so I waited about 2 weeks before switching from the lotion to the tin. I'm going to continue to use this from now on if my tattoos ever feel or look a little dry.

Lastly, but never least, the Color Guard Stick is out of this world. When I wear dresses or skirts or heels, I want to keep something with me to protect my tattoos from the sun, but I really can't stand traditional sunscreen. It's messy, it has a strong smell, and my hands and tats are greasy after application preventing me from touching anything. However, the Color Guard Stick is an easy, fast and non-messy application to any tattoo I want to protect from the sun. I keep it in my purse with me and rub it on whenever I might be going out in the sun. My hands and body don't get greasy, I can touch my clothing or purse without worry of leaving a sunscreen stain, and it's much faster to apply than rubbing in traditional sunscreen.

My verdict? Worth every penny. This will last you for dozens of tattoos, easily, and it's so affordable and sold through an easily accessible place: Walmart.