Battle of the Eyeliners: Pencil, Gel or Liquid Eyeliner

We all love eyeliner, don't we? Sometimes, it can be quite challenging applying it though. Since ancient Egypt, women knew the power of eyeliner. Eyeliner shapes the eyes and adds depth to our expressions. Eyeliner can make a huge difference on any women's face. Most women have some sort of eyeliner in their makeup bag and that's because eyeliner has been considered a staple of makeup for decades. Between the three major types of eyeliners, which one is the best for you? Which type is the best for a specific look or occasion? Now, let's look at the three types: pencil, gel and liquid eyeliner.

Pencil Eyeliner:

Pencil eyeliner is probably the most popular types of eyeliner in the world. Pencil eyeliners can be found anywhere and everywhere and is probably the first type of eyeliner you experimented with as a teenager, am I right?

Pencil eyeliners:

• Available everywhere and in every color you could imagine 
• Perfect for those on the go because it's relatively easy and quick to apply 
• Great for beginners 
• Can be used also in the waterline to give your eye a more defined look
• Smudges easily for a sexy, sultry look
• Doesn't last all day, usually needs some reapplying 
• Not great for creating a defined, sharp line and not as dark as gel or liquid eyeliners
• Needs to be sharpened and can smear

Gel Eyeliner:

Gel eyeliner is one of the newest trends in eyeliner over the last few years and is my favorite type of eyeliner to apply. Some people are intimidated of the thought of gel eyeliner and the thought of using a brush to somehow paint it on their eyelids. However, gel eyeliner is the newest craze for many reasons. Here's all about gel eyeliners: 

Gel Eyeliners:

• Water resistant and long wearing 
• Gives a somewhat dramatic and glam look 
• Allows control over the thickness of the line 
• Large range of colors
• Suitable for creating any type of line you desire
• Can dry out in pot 
• Isn't the most travel friendly because of the brush 

Liquid Eyeliner:

Liquid eyeliners probably is the second most popular type of eyeliner out there. They might also be the most difficult to apply for some. They are definitely for those who are comfortable with applying eyeliner and have a steady hand. However, liquid eyeliners can create beautiful, defined eyes. Here's all about liquid liners. 

Liquid eyeliners:

• Apply very precisely on the eye for the thinnest or most dramatic eye
• Intense pigmentation 
• More long-lasting than pencil eyeliners
• Comes in various colors 
• Can not be used in the waterline
• Not a great choice for beginners 

Finding the Right Foundation For You

Photo Credit: +Michelle Phan 

I know it can be truly daunting walking into a makeup store and picking out a foundation for yourself. Sometimes, it seems nearly impossible. I made mistakes in the past and have gotten a shade lighter or darker than my actual skin tone and it really sucks. Some of us can contour our faces like a pro or achieve the perfect smokey eye, yet picking the right foundation seems super scary. No one wants to be that girl that walks out into natural lighting and realizes that her face is a complete different color than her neck. However, foundation is your base and can make a huge difference for the rest of your makeup. So knowing how to find the right foundation shade is important for all of us makeup lovers. 

Picking your Foundation Shade: 

Your foundation shade is how light or deep your shade is. Most people know whether their shade is fair, light, medium or deep but sometimes it can get sorta skewed. If you burn easily in the sun, most likely you have fair or light skin. If you tan easily, you're probably medium. If you have darker skin, then you are deep. When you figure out your shade, you can usually limit your foundation choices to a few shades. However, your skin's undertone also makes a huge difference and should be taken into account when picking out your foundation.

Picking your Foundation's Undertone: 

Finding out your undertone can be daunting as well, but is really important when picking your foundation. You can have one of three undertones- cool, neutral or warm. Your skin's undertone doesn't change, regardless of how much sun exposure you get. It is the color in your skin. For those with a cool undertone, usually have more pink in your skin, typically look better with silver jewelry and have blue veins in their wrists. For those with a warm undertone, they have more yellow in their skin, look better in gold jewelry and have a greener color in their veins. For those lucky ones with a neutral undertone, they have a combination of both warm and cool undertones and usually everything looks good on them. I can go more into detail about undertones, just let me know! 

Picking the Perfect Foundation: 

After figuring out what shade and undertone is perfect for your skin, it's time to pick the perfect foundation. There are many different types of foundation and so many great makeup companies to choose from. It is always a good idea to test different foundations out before you choose one and also realize that the drugstore has great, cheaper alternatives to high-end foundations. Some makeup companies have a greater range of shades, such as NARS and Make Up For Ever. If you're having trouble finding your specific shade, try one of those makeup companies. 

When testing out a foundation, the best part of your face to apply it is on your jawline. This is mainly because you want to find a foundation that matches the color on your neck. This may be different to the color of your face but when the foundation is on, the only place people will notice if it does not match, is from your neck. Remember that in the summer, your skin can get 2 -3 shades darker. When picking out your foundation, get a second foundation two shades darker for the summertime. Remember, you can always mix foundation shades to find the perfect color for that specific time of year. 

When picking the perfect foundation, take into account what type of skin you have. Some foundation types are better for a certain skin type. For example, if you have very dry skin, you may want to opt out of getting a powder foundation. If you have oily skin, try to find a foundation with a matte finish instead of a dewy finish. Liquid and cream foundations are my favorite but may not work for you. Find out what's best for your skin type.

Remember, that it can be hard finding the perfect foundation. But knowing your undertone and your foundation shade can make the process much easier. Keep in mind your skin type and which foundation types are the best for that. Don't worry, practice truly does make perfect. 

NEW Colourpop Ultra Satin Lips

Colourpop is truly something else, aren't they? Colourpop is one of my favorite makeup brands, for many reasons. The quality of their products and their price range is just something you can not beat! When Colourpop released their Ultra Matte Lips, the whole makeup world went crazy. Their Ultra Matte Lips were essentially liquid lipsticks with a matte finish and they were amaze-balls.

Now, they're releasing a whole new line of Ultra Satin Lips and I am just so excited for their release. They are considered liquid lipsticks as well, but a complete different formula from their Ultra Matte Lips. These new lip products release tomorrow, February 25th with 16 shades along with 7 new lippie pencil shades.

Image credit: +BeautyyBird 

The above swatches are of the new 16 shades that they are releasing tomorrow. They are long-lasting, liquid lipsticks with a satin finish. If you're into satin lipsticks, you're probably going to love these. However, because they don't dry with a matte lipstick, they are not transfer-proof.

For those of you that want a long wearing liquid lipstick but hate the dry feeling of matte liquid lipsticks, you are going to love these because they feel very creamy and they're not dry at all on the lips.

Some of these colors are just to die for! I love the nudes in this collection and there are also some other shades that are reallyyyy calling my name.

Are you picking up some? I definitely will be. Shop here to purchase some of these on 2/25!!

Kylie Jenner Lip Kit Dupes

If you're a makeup junkie like myself, you have definitely heard of the new Kylie Jenner's Lip Kits. In 2015, Kylie Jenner had rocked every makeup artist's world. Everyone was attempting to achieve Kylie's makeup looks. She was well known for her lips and the lipsticks that she would apply. Anytime Kylie told the world what lipsticks she was wearing, it would almost immediately become hard to find.

She came out with her famous Lip Kits which currently has 6 shades: Koko K, Candy K, True Brown K, Mary Jo K, Posie K and Dolce K. Each kit comes with a pencil lip liner and a matte liquid lipstick. Each lip kit retails for $29.

Almost immediately after the launch of each lip kit, it sold out, so many people were not able to get their hands on them. But don't worry girl, I got you! Here is a list of some similar dupes for each of the 6 shades that you can get.

Kylie Cosmetics Koko K- dupe is Colourpop Midi- $6





Kylie Cosmetics Candy K- dupe is Dose of Colors Truffle- $18




Kylie Cosmetics Dolce K- dupe is Colourpop Beeper- $6





Kylie Cosmetics Posie K- dupe is Milani Cosmetics Precious- $9







Kylie Cosmetics Mary Jo K- dupe is Colourpop Creeper- $6:





Kylie Cosmetics True Brown K- dupe is Milani Cosmetics Covet- $9:

Disclaimer: None of the above images belong to me and belong to their rightful owners. 

Why You Should Love Your Curls

Growing up, I never quite knew how to deal with my hair in the proper way. So the amount of times that I left the house with my curls in a messy, frizzy fro are endless, seriously. I hated my hair for most of my adolescent years, wishing that my hair was more like my friends' hair. Why couldn't I have those nice loose waves or straight hair? Up until a couple years ago, I had no idea what to do with my curls so I drenched them with gel, mousse and hairspray and hoped for the best..

One thing that I have learned through the last 5 years is that my hair is b e a u t i f u l, in every sense of the word. My hair always got tons of compliments daily, but until I started to take care of my curls naturally, I never understood why.

Whether you have loose waves or tight kinks, your hair is beautiful and here's why:

1. It's unique: Let's face it, curls are not common and most of the time, you will stand out in a crowd. Take that opportunity and run with it. Realize and love that people will constantly be staring at your hair and might even be wishing they owned that curly mane. No two curls are the same, and two curly-haired girls will not have the same curls. Each head of curls have different curl patterns and textures and that makes you unique.

2. It's versatile: You can do almost anything with your curls, which makes the amount of hairstyles possible endless. Many styling options are not available for those with straight hair. The  texture of your curls will allow you to style your hair into almost  every type of 'do possible. Wear it natural, style it up, soften those curls into waves, straighten your hair if that's your prerogative. It's all up to you and that's the beauty of it!

3. It's voluminous: No need to look for products that will help you achieve voluminous hair. Your hair is the epitome of volume and will never look flat and dull. This is every girl with thin and straight hair's dream, so embrace it!

4. It helps your personality stand out: Apparently, people with curly hair tend to appear more carefree, fun and adventurous. I don't know how true this stands, but it doesn't hurt to have people relate positive attributes to your hair, am I right?

5. You don't have to brush or wash it as often: Now unless you're styling your hair in a particular up-do, you most likely won't be brushing your hair in any way on a daily basis. Brushing curls before you leave the house is a huge mistake as it leaves your hair in a frizzy, puffy mess. Also, curly hair doesn't need to be washed daily. In fact, it is healthiest for curly hair to be washed 2-3 times a week because constant washing causes curly hair to lose moisture and become dry. Therefore, in a way, if you minus the styling products that we put in our hair, curly hair is low maintenance, day to day. Wash-n-go girl, wash-n-go!

Go curly hair, go!

My Favorite Drugstore & High-End Concealers!

Bags, dark circles, blemishes, Oh My!

We all at some point have had one or more of these and god knows, it is not cute girl. Whether you have the occasional breakout, acne-prone skin or blueish purple dark circles, concealer is a must-have for any type of makeup look. A good concealer can cover pimples and brighten the under eye to make the most exhausted girl appear awake. Whether you're using two shades lighter to achieve that glam look or for a simple, no makeup makeup look, concealer is important. Anyways, my top picks are tried and true, used on me many times and FYI I do have occasional giant monster-sized pimples & notorious dark circles so concealers are my faaaav part of makeup. 

On to my favorite drugstore & high-end concealers...

Maybelline Fit Me Concealer

This is one of my favorite drugstore concealers of all time! I cannot stress this concealer enough. It comes in a tube with a wand applicator, my favorite. Best applied with each a brush or a Beauty Blender. It is medium coverage and it's formula is super blendable. It hides my dark under eye circles without a problem and does not cake up on me. It can also be used on your blemishes, which it covers up quite well. 

It's perfect for those days that you want a more natural look but still want your dark under eye circles to be covered. It comes in 6 shades, in both yellow and pink undertones. 

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circle Treatment Concealer

Another drugstore concealer that I love and also from Maybelline (they're killing the concealer game!) is the Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circle Treatment Concealer. This is another tried and true concealer that is amazing for covering up dark circles and also blemishes. It has a felt tip applicator which feels soothing when you apply it. This is great for those with under eye bags because of the cold, soothing feeling you receive while applying it. 

It has a smooth, light consistency and it is super blendable. It doesn't cake up on me and does a great job at covering up what I want to be covered. It's the Bomb.com.

NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer  

Now, on to high-end concealers. Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer was all of the makeup artist's staple product in 2015. It is one of the best concealers out on the market right now and for many reasons. It is medium to high coverage so it is perfect for those girls that are extra concerned with their dark circles. The formula is amazing, super creamy and blendable. You can pack this on a couple times without it getting caked-up underneath the eyes which is perfect. 

They have a great color selection for a wide range of skin colors and undertones. It is also perfect for all around the face as well and it is hard to find a concealer that is great for your face without caking up underneath your eyes,  but the Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer manages to be able to do both. 

Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Complete Coverage Concealer

The Naked Skin Weightless Complete Coverage Concealer is one of my newest high-end concealer and I've been really digging it. It is comes with a wand that is perfect for applying it underneath your eyes and to blemishes. It's formula is blendable, super creamy and lightweight. It doesn't settle into your fine lines and cake up which always seems to be a problem for me. I was able to pack this on with two coats and it still didn't appear caked up which is important. 

It is medium to full coverage, depending on how much you apply. After oxidation, it appears to become a shade darker so be sure to pick a concealer one to two shades lighter than your natural skin tone. 

Nivea's MEN Post Shave Balm as a Primer?

Nivea Men Sensitive Post Shave Balm, $5.59

A product that you might find in your boyfriend's bathroom cabinet that is the secret to an amazing base for your foundation? No, it can't be true. But it is.

Nivea's Men Sensitive Post Shave Balm is a product that I recently found and I knew that I had to buy it to see what the fuss was about. I first found out about it on Youtube, when the Queen Nikki Tutorials spoke about it.. It couldn't really work could it? A men's post shave balm? But it actually does.

You're supposed to rub it into your hands until it seems tacky and then apply it all over your face as you would with any other primer. I was worried about how it would affect my dry skin but I was pleasantly surprised. It moisturized my face, including the dry parts which I loved. It also left my face feeling smooth and gave my foundation the perfect base to work with. It had that typical men's shave balm scent which, girlllll I did not mind at all.

I did a full face of makeup, I am talking GLAM, to test out this primer. I left the house at 10am and came home around 7pm and my foundation still looked flawless. My makeup looked as good as it did when I left my house in the morning. To find out that a men's product might be my new favorite primer was shocking.

Forget spending a ton of bucks on a primer. You could find it at Target or any other drugstore for about $5.59 which is a price that you can not beat. Check it out and let me know what you guys think about it.

Know Your Curl Type

As a member of the "curly haired squad", I've gone through so many different hair phases in my life. As of two years now, I've decided to go the all natural route with my curls(no more heat, no more harmful products, etc) and I've never been more satisfied with my hair than I am now. With going the all natural route, I've learned so many different tips and tricks on how to deal with my personal hair type and with others as well.

One thing that I've learned for sure is that all curls are different and there are many different curl types. And according to your curl type, you can learn how your hair reacts to heat, moisture and which products work best for you. It is so important to learn what's your curl type to make sure that you're treating it right so you can make your hair more healthy & look waaay better. So, below is a picture of the different hair types. They are categorized from 2A to 4C. The 2's represent wavy hair, the 3's represent curls and the 4's represent kinky hair. Below is a brief description of each hair type below. Let me know if you guys would be interested in learning more about a specific hair type!

Wavy:

Wavy hair lies somewhere between straight hair and curly hair. It is more prone to frizz than straight hair and it has less sheen than straight hair. However, it has more sheen than curly hair, get it? Frizz and humidity protective products are key for wavy hair. It's usually very easy to straighten and curl and typically has a loose 'S' pattern to it. If you have wavy hair, you know that it is prone to damage as well.

Curly:

Curly hair has a more defined 'S' pattern to it or even corkscrew pattern with curls that are tight and springy. Curly hair typically has a lot of volume and body. Curly hair is very prone to frizz and damage and can become dry very easily if not taken care of. It is important with curly hair to use natural products, stay away from heat and regularly deep-condition to maintain healthy curls.

Kinky:

Kinky hair is very tightly curled, sometimes with no visible curl pattern. Kinky hair is very densely packed and typically has a lot of volume, similar to curly hair. Kinky hair is sometimes resistant to moisture and becomes easily damaged and prone to extreme dryness. It can appear dull because sebum has difficulty flowing throughout the hair. Requires a gentle touch and is very important to avoid harsh chemical-filled products and cleanse and moisturize gently.

My 5 Most Loved Makeup Removers

We all love makeup right? I personally wear makeup almost every day that I go out, whether that's to school, work or a fun night out. Sometimes I like to go for a fresh, natural looking face while other days I'm loving the full coverage glam look. The only part of putting on makeup that I don't like, is taking it off.

However, I have found some products that make the process a little less gruesome. These five products have not let me down and I switch between them whenever I want to use something else. 

1. Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water, $7.99

Can we talk about this makeup remover? It just recently made it's way to the States and it has been all the craze ever since. This stuff is amaze-balls. It captures and lifts away dirt, makeup and oil without drying out or irritating your face. It leaves your face soft, clean and most importantly hydrated. 

2. Neutrogena Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes, $6.99

These makeup remover wipes are awesome. I prefer the hydrating ones but there are also gentle wipes for those with sensitive skin and the night calming wipes as well. They remove makeup with just a few swipes and are even strong enough for eye makeup. They're soft and leave a nice scent on your face. 

                                                                 

3. Lancome Bi-Facil Double-Action Eye Makeup Remover, $30.00

This eye makeup remover is great because it has two separate phases in the bottle, the lipid and water phase both dedicated to lift the makeup off your face while refreshing and conditioning your skin. The greatest thing about this is that it doesn't leave your face super greasy like most other eye makeup removers. It is a tad pricey but for those who don't mind spending a couple extra bucks, it is definitely worth the extra money. 

4. Mac Makeup Removing Wipes, $20.00

I love these makeup removing wipes. MAC has my heart and these wipes are no exception. Even though they are $20.00, they do such an incredible job at removing makeup, smudges and dirt while conditioning the skin. They are also saturated with Vitamin E which is great for your skin. They smell divine too, which doesn't hurt!

                                              

5. Neutrogena Oil-Free Eye makeup Remover, $7.99

My last and final makeup remover that I want to talk about is the Neutrogena Oil-Free Eye makeup Remover. This is great for not only your eyes but gentle enough for your skin as well. It doesn't leave your skin irritated and rough as it is extremely gentle on the skin so it's perfect for those with sensitive skin. It's great at removing makeup and for only $7.99, who can beat that? Go Neutrogena! 

I'm Home!

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Hello, my beauties,

Sorry, I know that I have been pretty much MIA on this site for quite some time now. I've been going through some personal things that I'm not really in liberty to talk about. But, I am definitely back and will be on here much more often now! So glad to be back and can't wait to interact with you guys!

Review: L'oreal Infallible Pro-Matte 24 Hr Foundation

So, for those of you that have heard about this foundation, you guys already know what I'm going to say! The L'oreal Infallible Pro-Matte 24 Hr Foundation is one of my favorite foundations and that is saying a lot. For a drugstore foundation, it is incredible and honestly matches up to a lot of the loved high-end foundations. I pick up this foundation more than any other foundation for so many reasons, one being the price.

Where do I even begin? This foundation has a demi-matte finish, which in my personal opinion is closer to a matte finish. It says it lasts for 24 hrs and in reality, it lasts for a very long time. I don't really know about 24 hrs but for a foundation that costs $12.99, you really can't go wrong. It has medium to full coverage which is very buildable and is very comparable to a lot of high-end matte foundations. For those of you with very dry skin, I would probably tell you to skip this one. But other than that, every other skin type would work fantastic with this foundation.

You can find this at Ulta or any other drugstore that sells L'Oreal such as CVS pharmacy, Walgreens, Rite Aid etc..