Tips for Lips

Hello! Happy Friday. Every winter it seems that I battle chapped, cracked lips. . Sometimes it seems like I am constantly applying chapstick and lip treatments with little improvement. While I haven't found a way to fix it completely, I have found ways that help.

Exfoliate: This gets rid of dead cells and help makes lips soft and smooth. There are a few different ways to exfoliate:

• You can purchase a lip scrub like this one from lush.
• There are a ton of recipes to make them. Whenever I make one I keep it simple by just adding a little bit of sugar to a small amount of coconut oil.
• You can also gently rub your lips in a circular motion with a wet toothbrush. This is the method I prefer just because its quickest.

Avoid drying lip products: I have the hardest time with this one. My favorite lip colors are Revlon's Kissable Balm Stain, but they are extremely drying. I have been trying to avoid them and other products that are drying. Whenever I do wear a lipstick I always wear a chapstick or balm on top of it.

Moisturize: This is an obvious one, but it is a must. I have rediscovered Carmex and I feel like my lips have improved since using it. I keep it with me and apply it all of the time. I also like to use Rose Salve on my lips because leave a nice, shiny finish and really seal in moisture. If you want to see a full review of this product click here.

Drink water: Hydration starts from within so be sure you are drinking your H2O.

Take care of your lips when you are outside: Make sure your lips are protected from the cold wind in the winter months and wear a lip product with SPF in it during the summer to protect them from the sun.

What are your best lip tips?
Thanks for stopping by!

NOTD: Miami Beets

Hello! I hope everyone is having a great week. We finally had a break from our snowy, cold weather today at a high of 45! It was nice to have the sun shining too. If you have been following my blog for a while, you probably know that I love nail polish. There is rarely a time when I don't have my nails painted. A lot of the polishes I get, I see on Pinterest first. This polish was no different. In the pin, the color was a lot darker, so when I tried the color out I wasn't too sure I liked it. This is my second time wearing it and it has really grown on me. It is called Miami Beet by OPI. It is a perfect berry color for the fall or winter months. 

It needed 2 coats to be opaque. As always, I used Essie base and top coat. I would definitely wear a base coat with this color so it doesn't stain your nails. 
What are your favorite winter nail polishes?
Thanks for visiting! 

Studio Gear Hidden Agenda Concealer Review

Hello! If you have been following my blog for a while you probably have heard me rave about Covergirl and Olays Simply Ageless concealer. Unfortunately, I think they discontinued this product, because I can't find it anymore. So, I began to look for a new concealer. I tried one from Covergirl and another from Maybelline and they were both horrible for under the eyes. I feel like I packed on a ton of product and I still looked like I hadn't slept all night. I had been searching for a HG concealer and I really thought I had found it with the Simply Ageless one. I have tried a ton of concealers and most either have poor coverage, crease or just don't last throughout the day. I saw a few good reviews about Studio Gear's Hidden Agenda Concealer, and decided to give it a try. I haven't been using too long so I haven't decided if this is a HG product yet, but it is definitely a current favorite.

Consistency: This concealer is very creamy and blends nicely. I dot it under my eyes and either use my makeup sponge to blend it out or I use my fingers. I feel like when I use my fingers I get a little bit better coverage though. This concealer also works well for covering blemishes. Once blended it looks natural and not cakey. I also don't have any problems with it creasing.
Color: I originally bought this product in light but I had to return it because it was too light. I use light in almost everything so I was surprised I needed darker. I went with the light-medium which is still a little bit lighter than my skin color, but its nice to use a shade lighter under the eyes to brighten anyways. The downside of this product is there isn't a wide range of colors. I think that there are only 4 options with the darkest one in natural beige. The light color will work well for very fair skin.
Wear: This concealer lasts nicely throughout the day, but if I go out at night I will normally touch it up. 
Packaging: I like the packaging. It comes in a pot with a twist off cap. .25 ounces of product.
Price: $16

If you are looking for a great concealer I would give this one a try. It is definitely worth it!
Thanks for visiting!

How to Make any Lipstick Matte

Hello! I hope everyone is having a good weekend. My husband took me out to a nice dinner for Valentines Day and on Saturday we had a game night with a couple of friends. I have been trying to get over this cold I have had for a couple of weeks so that's about all we have done this weekend. 

 I recently learned a trick that I would like to share with you on how to make any lipstick matte. I think that matte lips look really nice, but I haven't personally bought any. With this trick it is nice to be able to choose between shiny or matte with any color you own.

I started by applying the lipstick directly on my lips. If the color has a lot of shine to it I lightly blot it with a tissue first. Then I took my Revlon translucent powder and brushed it on my lips with a fluffy brush. Any translucent powder that you have should work. You will get a small amount of lipstick on the brush so I recommend using one that you don't use for anything else. It did lighten the color a little bit, but the picture makes it look lighter than it actually is.

I hope you guys found this tip helpful. 

Thanks for visiting!

Valentines Day Nails

Hello lovely ladies! I hope everyone had a good week.  I did this nail look about a week ago because Valentines Day is coming up. I can't believe its less than a week away... it feels like it was just New Years. I normally don't do anything too special with my nails, but I thought it would be fun to add some glitter and hearts.  I was going to add more hearts, but it was hard to paint them on my right hand using my left so I stopped at one. :)

I used Essie Cute as a Button on all of my nails. I added a chunky glitter polish to my pinky and index nail and then I made a small heart on my ring finger. I made the heart by dipping a ball point pen into white nail polish then drawing the heart. The pen I used was out of ink, but I don't think it matters if you use one that is not. I first made the top parts of the heart, then connected them together. I practiced a few time on my nails before I painted them to find a technique that worked well, so I don't mess up my nails after they were painted. I liked this look but if I were to do it again I would use a darker color under the glitter. I don't like that you can see the bright pink around the outside of my nails.

Do you have any big Valentines Day plans?
Thanks for visiting! 

Makeup Tips for Oily Skin

Hello ladies! I hope everyone is having a great weekend. The hubby and I are spending the night at home having a Breaking Bad marathon. Love nights like this!
I know that struggles of having oily skin. Makeup sliding off my face looks worse than not wearing any makeup at all. Especially during the summer my face will start to look oily a couple of hours after I apply my makeup. I haven't found any product or technique to fix it completely, but they have significantly helped.

• Find a foundation that is geared towards oily skin. Some brands have the same foundation for dry/normal skin and a different formula for oily skin. If it doesn't say, use one that is water-based, not oil-based. Before trying a new foundation I will normally look up reviews and see what other people with a similar skin type are saying. 
• Use a moisturizer. Using a moisturizer is important even with oily skin. Find one that is oil-free. I really liked Clinique's Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel. It is kind of pricey, but it lasted a long time. For a cheaper option I also like Simple's Hydrating Light Moisturizer. Both are light weight and don't feel greasy on the skin.
• Only wash your face twice a day- in the morning and at night. Washing your face more often will strip your skin of natural oil and will cause it to produce more oil.
• Use a primer- Using a primer helps makeup stay in place longer. Make sure it is also oil-free. I like to put primer on after moisturizer and before foundation. I also use a primer for eye makeup to prevent creasing.
• Blotting paper is great to use when you start to look a little shiny. Applying more powder will also take the shine away, but can look cakey so I would recommend using the blotting sheets instead. Dab the blotting paper wherever you need to instead of rubbing.
• After applying foundation I like to take a Kleenex and blot my skin with it. It takes away any excess oil from the foundation. Make sure that the Kleenex doesn't have lotion in it. Also I normally will peel the Kleenex into 2 pieces making it thinner.
• Use a translucent powder to set makeup. I like to use a translucent powder instead of a pigmented pressed powder. 
• Use a setting spray. I like Urban Decay's De-slick Setting spray. This is another product that helps makeup stay in place. This isn't something that I use every day, but it is nice to have.  

What are your oily skin tips?

Thanks for reading!