ULTA Haul ♥

                                      

I recently ran out of my foundation and went to ULTA specifically for that product, but of course came out with everything BUT my foundation! I thought it would be nice to show you what I picked up. 

Bed Head Curlipops 1" Tourmaline Ceramic Styling Iron

     I have always wanted a 1" curling wand that wasn't tapered like the one I have at home. This was originally $29.99 but was on sale for $15.99, so I just could not pass it up!

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circle Treatment Concealer $8.99

     This concealer is my HOLY GRAIL! I use it everyday for any makeup look I am trying to achieve. It's amazing.

Maybelline Volum'Express The Falsies Mascara $6.99

Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge $6.99

     I have been hearing so many good things about this sponge. It has been in competition with the beauty blender for the past year and I was finally able to pick it up today. I will do a comparison very soon between it and the beauty blender!

NYX Eyebrow Shaper $8.99

     I haven't heard many things about this product but saw it today and wanted to try it out. My eyebrows have been hard to deal with recently so I am hoping this will help tame them.

L'Oreal True Match Lumi Liquid Glow Illuminator $12.99

     I have also heard many people raving about this product and really wanted to test it out. If you would like a review let me know!

NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil $4.49

     In the shade Milk

Healthy Sexy Hair Soy Renewal Oil $22.95

     ULTA was having a buy 2 for $21 deal with the Sexy Hair products so I bought this and the hairspray below.

Big Sexy Hair Spray and Play Volumizing Hairpsray $17.95

     My mom and I use this hairspray on a regular basis so I got this and the hair treatment above for only $21.

Morphe 35o Eyeshadow Palette

I've said back in earlier posts, that I can find any excuse to go out and buy new makeup. My love for it is not healthy. So when I saw that the Morphe 35o palette was selling out within an hour of being restocked, I had to get my hands on it somehow. 

A couple of months ago, I saw that many youtubers, such as Jaclyn Hill, were raving about this Morphe palette. I didn't think much of it until I saw more and more people reviewing it and buying it that I just had to see what the excitement was about! I tried to order it earlier but failed twice because of the fact that it sells out so fast on the Morphe website. One day I was finally one of the lucky ones that got to the website early enough to order it!

I am being 100% honest when I say that this is already my favorite palette I own. I have only had it for a week and I have used it almost everyday. Although this is a warm-toned palette, there are so many color combinations that you can create. The shadows blend so easily and all of them compliment each other in their own unique ways. 

The best part about this palette is the price. You get 35 eye shadows for only $22.99 + shipping. That is a crazy inexpensive price compared to Naked, Lorac, and especially Viseart palettes. 

I haven't tried any other Morphe palettes so I cannot compare the rest of them to the 35o but I plan to do so in the future. If you are in need of a new palette, I HIGHLY recommend this one to you.

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DIY Christmas Trees

I am a Christmas fanatic. I love all things Christmas whether it is the food, the music, the spirit, or even the decorations! With Thanksgiving already being just a week away and Christmas coming before we know it, I figured I might as well start brainstorming on ways I can bring the spirit to my bedroom! I went around my home today looking for things I could use to remodel my room in a Christmas themed way. I went to our "junk room" and came out with three orange plastic cones and two cans of spray paint. What would I do without spray paint?

So what I did is very simple! I easily took the three cones and sprayed two of them silver and one of them gold. I let them dry and voila! It's really that easy!

I know it doesn't look like anything yet, but it is the way you decorate and use them that makes them come to life! I found two plain white ball ornaments and a strip of big ribbon we had laying around. I put the ribbon down and placed the cones in my preferred placement and then just placed the two ornaments around the cones. 

I am really in love with the way these came together! Something so simple can make your room/home come alive with Christmas spirit! I mean it is the most wonderful time of the year, isn't it?

Coty Airspun Loose Face Powder

I have tried many face powders in the past two years of my makeup obsession. I have gone from Rimmel Stay Matte to NYX HD Studio Finishing powder to even Clinique Blended Face powder! The Clinique powder has been my favorite since I first started using it, but with it being a little on the high end of the money scale, I usually share one with my mom. 

I have been on a search for that perfect face powder that will give me the look I am striving for. The poreless, creaseless, flawless skin that every girl wants to have! My grandma works in the makeup department at Macy's and her work friends told her about this face powder that they can't live with out. My grandma went out and picked one up for me and her, and can I just say that it is everything I ever wanted in a powder! The Coty Airspun Loose Face Powder is to die for. It is very inexpensive and you get more than what you pay for.

I know for sure you can pick up the Coty Powder at any Walmart or Walgreens, but that is all I know of at the moment. It retails for around $6.00 so you really can't do better than that. You get 65g of product in the container which lasts you FOREVER! The only downside of the product is that it has a very distinct and strong smell. Many would say it has a "grandma" smell, but I personally like it. Coty also has a fragrance free option if you do not like the smell. 

This powder gives me the matte look I have always wanted. It helps my makeup stay literally all day and keeps it looking matte. You get the poreless, flawless finish that you want.

*DUPE ALERT*

As I said earlier, I have been using the Clinique Blended Face Powder for the past few months. These two resemble each other in so many ways that you have no choice but to just use the cheaper option! The only difference I have really noticed is that the Clinique powder may be milled a little bit finer than the Coty powder, but that doesn't affect the way they look on your skin. The clinique powder retails for $25.00 while the Coty powder is a good $19.00 cheaper. You also get about 2x more product in the Coty container (65g) than in the Clinique one (35g).

Coty Airspun Powder (left) Clinique Blended Powder (right)
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The "Baking" Trend

Many of us already know about the obsession of contouring but not many know about the process of baking. The baking process isn't exactly new. Makeup artists have been using this technique for years to get that perfect highlight and finish on a clients face.

Baking is an incredible way to set makeup and give your skin a creaseless, beautiful finish that can last all day. Ever since I tried this technique, there has not been one day where I do not do it. I have found that my skin is left with such an airbrushed look that lasts literally all day. 

What you're gonna want to do is gather up your favorite foundation, concealer, and either banana or translucent powder. First, prime your face and apply your foundation as you normally do. There is no special way to do this. I use the Revlon Color Stay Foundation, it's my holy grail.

 After that, you will take your concealer and apply it to the under eyes, forehead and chin. Most people will usually use a concealer that is either one or a few shades lighter than their foundation to give a highlighted look to the areas applied. The concealer I use is the Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Concealer in the shade fair.

 Once you have done this, you will take a tool (I used a cosmetic sponge. You may use whatever you like) and tap the powder onto the areas where you applied concealer. I use a generous amount of powder but you can use however much will work for you. I use the Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder to achieve my looks.

You are going to want to let the powder sit for about 10 minutes. What I do to hurry up the process is do my eyebrows and sometimes depending on the amount of time I have, I will do my eye makeup as well while I wait. After the time is up, you will then want to take a brush and lightly sweep off the excess powder and see the transformation. Your skin will look phenomenal! A poreless, matte finish that everyone will awe over!