Saturday, December 28, 2013

NYE Beauty Ideas

Hello Lovelies,

Hopefully you have all had a great holiday and spent a lot of time with family and friends! I can't believe 2013 is coming to a quick end and 2014 is right over the horizon, the year flew by so quickly. I always feel that I have trouble when it comes to putting together my makeup for new years eve and I thought that I would get a head start and think of a few ideas before that night! I have pulled a few beauty ideas that I think would be great...



Lipstick is something I feel should be a necessary for new years eve because it brings that pop of color to your face! The two I have here are both in, I think,  the red category and the first one which comes off as a much brighter color is by Laura Mercier in the color Fuchsia, it is the top color out of the swatches. The other lipstick I chose is by Julie Hewett in the color Oona Noir and it is a lighter color but it can be built up. It has a more orange red undertone which I feel is great any skin tone!

Next I picked out a few glittery nail polishes that felt would be great for NYE! So first we have the one by Pink in the color Backstage Pass, and it is just a classic glitter nail polish that is great to overlay on top of another polish color. Then we have a polish by elf which I got as a part of the larger gift set in the color Gina Girl that is mostly purple with pieces of gold and red glitters throughout. And last but not least we have the polish by Loreal in the color the bigger the better and it it great to apply over gray and silver polishes.


Lastly I chose a few great neutral yet shimmery eye shadows by Urban Decay from their Midnight Emergency Palette. They are in the shades Midnight Cowboy, Midnight Rodeo, and Midnight 15. They are great for a base and also crease shadow.

These were just a few of my ideas so hopefully they are inspiring, and hopefully you all have a great New Years! 




Sunday, December 22, 2013

Christmas Party Makeup and Hair

Hello Lovelies,

I wanted to first say Happy Holidays to everyone! So I decided to do a little how to on a look that can be done for a Christmas party. It is a festive and classic look! Here it is..


Here are the products I used to get this look!

 I first used my Conair Infinity Curling Wand to curl my hair. I wrapped my hair around the thickest part of the barrel first and wrapped it down toward the thin end.

Then, I started my makeup! I first applied my Prime Time primer and then applied my Hello Flawless foundation by benefit and used my Maybelline Fit Me concealer on any dark marks. I decided to go with my Perfect 10 by Benefit for my bronzer and highlighter, and then I used my elf Mist & Set. I apply my setting spray at the half way point because I feel that it locks in everything before I apply powder to make sure everything is in place! Then I applied my Airspun translucent mineral powder all over my face but mostly concentrated on my T zone. I then went on to my eyes in which I first curled my lashes and then applied liquid liner by Sonia Kashuk to give me the cat eye effect. I also applied a bit of my Smashbox eyeliner in gold to my water line, and finished with my Maybelline Rocket mascara! Now to the last step...Lips! I am using a Christian Dior lipstick in a bright red, that I feel is perfect for a holiday party! And that's it!

Oh and dont forget to add a little accent hair accessory to pull the look together! 

 
 

Saturday, December 21, 2013

All Time Favorite Concealers

Hello Lovelies,

So when it comes to my everyday makeup I need concealer in my routine! It is definitely a must have in order to conceal all dark spots. I have tried countless concealers and I have found the two that I believe are the best.
When it comes to picking a concealer I look for ones that, of course match my skin tone, that are easy to blend and that have a full coverage long lasting finish.

The two I love are the Maybelline Fit Me and the MAC Pro Longwear Concealer. Once applied they are full coverage, so a little goes a long way, and they also last all day! I use the my blending brush technique to apply my concealer and it works great with these two products!




Thursday, December 19, 2013

Christmas Nails

Hello Lovelies,

So here I go again doing another Christmas nail tutorial! Ive been really into the holiday spririt and wanted to go all out for this design.

Here is how I did it:

1. I first applied my my base coat and let it dry. Then I took my red nail polish and applied it to all my nails except my ring finger. I then applied a gold polish to my ring finger and let it dry. I applied 2 layer of polish to each finger.

2. It's time for the polka dots! This step is a little tricky but with practice it gets easier. Place a few drops gold polish on a scrap piece of paper and using the back of a small makeup brush or if you have one a dotting tool, grab some gold and gently apply dots in a random pattern.

3. Now for the tree. Take two small pieces of scotch tape and apply them to your ring finger to make a triangle. You want the tip of the tree to be about 3/4 up the nail. Then, make sure the tape is placed on so that there are no gaps and apply a green polish to the nail. Let it dry completely before removing the tape, and make sure you pull the tape off slowly so it doesn't take any of the gold polish with it.

Last but not least add a small little red dot to the top of the tree and let it dry! And don't forget to apply your favorite top coat once you are finished!

Hope you guys like this idea, and I promise this is the last holiday nail tutorial I am doing!




Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Winter Skin Exfoliation Routine

Hello Lovelies,

So when winter rolls around I like to change up my exfoliation routine, due to drier skin. I try to moisturize as much as I can to prevent dry skin. Here are the products I use during the winter season...


I like to wash my skin with warm water and a light moisturizing face wash, the one I use is from the brand Simple. Then I use my Vitamin Enhanced Resurfacing Cream from Youthful Essence to exfoliate away all impurities. I usually apply a little to my cheeks, chin and forehead and with a circular motion lightly rub it on my face for about a minute. I love this product because it is enriched with vitamins and after you wash it off your face it your skin feels new again! Then I just wash off the exfoliator and apply my daily moisturizer from Cetaphil.

I find that this routine effectively exfoliates while not drying my skin!



Friday, December 13, 2013

Simple Festive Nails

Hello Lovelies,

I decided to try another simple yet festive holiday nail look and I think this one turned out pretty nice! In efforts to be creative, I took a look that can be worn year round and put a holiday twist to it. Here is the look...

 It was super easy to get this half moon design and it was reasonably quick!
Here is how I did them:

Step 1: I applied my base coat first then chose to apply my Milani 3D Holographic Nail polish in gold to all my nails. I did two layers of the gold and let it dry completely.

 Step 2: When the gold polish dried I used my punched paper reinforcements and applied them to the base of my nails, creating the stencil for the half moon. I chose to apply them more around the half way point of my nail to give it a more dramatic look. Make sure that they are stuck on well and the corners are not lifted to ensure a clean line.

Step 3: I then took my red polish from Sally Hansen's Extreme Wear line in the color Red Carpet and applied that to my nail above the stencil. I only did one coat of this polish because it seems to be enough to give the look I desired. Wait till this layer has dried before peeling off the reinforcements, and when doing so peel it off slowly from one side to the other. And add your favorite top coat once you have finished!

This was super simple and I think it turned out great! Hope you enjoyed this step by step post!

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Lazy Girls Guide To: Perfect Makeup

Hello Lovelies,

So whenever I'm running a little late and don't have as much time to do my makeup as I usually do, I like to use this easy five step routine.

What You Will Need:
BB Cream - Garnier Skin Renew
Blush - Sephora Blush Me!
Powder - Maybelline Stay Matte
Eyeliner - Sephora Waterproof Retractable Liner
Mascara - Smashbox Full Exposure

I apply all the products in the order above! You can switch the order of the blush and the powder if you like but I like to apply my blush before my powder because it sets the blush and helps it last longer instead of fading.

Hope this is helpful, because it has been a life saver for me and it is super easy!


Monday, December 9, 2013

New Favorite Bath & Body Works Items

Hello Lovelies,

So over Thanksgiving holiday I officially went Black Friday shopping for the first time and I wasn't disappointed. I definitely had to visit Bath & Body Works during my trip to the mall and I got some great deals! I found a new item they had that smells absolutely amazing and had to buy a couple of them...

They are in the scent Cashmere glow which is a very warm and vibrant scent! I bought the triple moisture body cream and the luxury bubble bath.

The body cream has a thick consistency almost like a body butter but it goes on very smoothly and doesn't leave an oily residue behind, which is great for a moisturizer that thick!

I absolutely love the bubble bath and have already used it about three times and wish that I can take bubble baths every night with this!

I am a very picky person when it comes to scents of moisturizers and such so saying that I am in love with these items and definitely be going to get more items in this scent!



Sunday, December 8, 2013

Arm Candy Ideas

Hello Lovelies,

So I finally got the Michael Kors watch that I have had my eye on for a while and got a little excited! I have been putting together a few different combinations of how I would accessorize with my watch today and thought I would post them. Here are the three looks...


-Added my MK bracelet and a dainty black charm bracelet.

-Added a simply gold chain bracelet with my Brandy Melville turquoise skull bracelet.

-Added my MK bracelet with a turquoise beaded bracelet.

These are just a few different ideas that I had when it comes to accessorizing along with my watch!




Saturday, December 7, 2013

Simple Christmas Nails

Hello Lovelies,

So I always love doing nail art around the holidays and I was running short on time when I was doing my nails and thought of an easy way to get the nail art effect with out taking up a lot of time. I chose to go with the classic red nails and I added a snowy effect to my ring fingers and my thumbs. Here is how it turned out...

This effect was really easy to achieve, here's how I did it:
So I first painted all may nails with my chosen color (red) and let it dry completely. Then I went and grabbed a cotton ball and my white nail polish. I put a drop of the white nail polish on a piece of paper and took the cotton ball and patted it in the white. To test the amount of the polish on the cotton ball I patted it out on the paper a few times till I got my desired look. Then I gently patted it on the tips of my nails until it looked like a little snow flurry.  There will be a few pieces of the cotton ball fibers attached to your nails, so just wait till the white dries to pull them off! Then I added my favorite top coat!

You can also add more nail art on the other nails to give it the full Christmas look!





Friday, December 6, 2013

All Gold Everythin'

Hello Lovelies,

I am loving gold accents for this season and decided to go with a gold inspired look today! I am wearing a gold polka dot sweater from forever 21 and I am also wearing a gold bow as a hair accessory that I made myself! Here is the look...






 I also chose to do a simple makeup look with a winged liner and a tinted lip balm!


Thursday, December 5, 2013

Lazy Girls Guide To: Cleaning Makeup Brushes

Hello Lovelies,

Every so often I like to clean my makeup brushes and I just cleaned them other day and decided to do a post on how I clean my brushes.


So me being a person that doesn't really like to clean much I like to make this process as easy and mess less as possible. I have split this process up into 4 easy steps!

Things You Will Need: 
1. Bowl (preferably plastic)
2. Baby Shampoo (or any other mild shampoo)
3. Small Towel (that you don't mind getting dirty)
4. Your Sink

How To:
1. Get your bowl and fill it with warm water. Make sure it is not hot so it wont damage your brushes. Add a squeeze of shampoo to the bowl.
2. Take a brush and gently swirl it around in the bowl until you feel it is clean.



3. Run the brush under cold water running from your sink and when finished squeeze off excess water with your fingers. 



4. Gently rub the bristle of the brush on the towel and place the head of the brush on the sides of the towel to dry.


And you're done! The process goes by pretty fast once you get the hang of the steps. I like to clean my brushes at night so that in the morning they will be dry and ready to use!

Hope this makes cleaning your makeup brushes easier!














Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Winter Makeup Look

Hello Lovelies,

So today I enlisted the help of my friend Danielle who is naturally talented at doing makeup to help me with this post! She did a winter inspired look that brings warmth and glow to her eyes.


To achieve this look she used the 120 3rd edition palette from BH cosmetics and their Flirt false eyelashes. Along with the false lashes she used the Rimmel Scandaleyes Show Off mascara to get those luscious lashes and she lined her eyes with the NYC liquid liner! And to complete this look she added a super cute scarf and now she is ready for a night out on the town!

Check out more of her makeup looks on her Instagram account @littlemiss_makeups

Hope you guys enjoyed this post! 

XOXO
-Neika

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

How To: Conceal with a Blending Brush

Hello Lovelies,

I recently went to the MAC counter and was looking for a good concealer, and while the associate was testing colors on my skin she was using a eyeshadow blending brush and it caught my attention. I asked why she was using that type of brush for concealer and she said it effectively covers dark marks and gives it and airbrush finish while blending it into the skin. So as soon as I got home I thought that I should give it a try for myself and like magic I concealed my dark marks as effectively as it was done in the MAC store! I was excited that I found a new way to do my concealer and I am going to share it will you guys!

To use a blending brush to do your concealer you will need liquid concealer and a blending blush like this one...

          

Apply a small amount of concealer to the back of your hand and use a clean finger to apply it over the dark marks. Using the blending brush as you would to blend eyeshadow, lightly blend the concealer until it is even with your skin tone.That's it! 

It has worked wonders for me and I hope it will work great for you too!

XOXO
-Neika

P.S. let me know if you try this technique and how it worked for you!

Monday, December 2, 2013

Christmas Tag

Hello Lovelies,

I found a Christmas tag and I thought it would be fun to do! So here I go...



1. Whats Your Favorite Holiday Movie?
- Polar Express

2. What Are Your Favorite Christmas Colors?
- Red & Gold

3. Do You Like To Stay in Your PJs Or Dress Up For Christmas?
- I love to stay cozy in my PJs

4. If You Could Only Buy One Person a Present This Year Who Would It Be?
- My sister

5. Do You Open Your Presents Christmas Eve Or Christmas Morning?
-Christmas Morning :)

6. Have You Ever Built a Ginger Bread House?
 - Yes! Love building ginger bread houses!

7. What Do You Like To Do On Your Christmas Break?
- Wrap presents, enjoy seeing family,  light the tree, decorate the house, and eat a lot of christmas treats!

8. Any Christmas Wishes?
- I wish that everyone can have a great christmas and enjoy family and friends!

9. Favorite Christmas Smell?
- Cinnamon and spices! Oh and the smell of hot chocolate!

10. Favorite Christmas Meal Or Treat?
- Gingerbread and sugar cookies!

This was fun I wish it was longer, but hope you guys enjoyed it!

XOXO
-Neika

Sunday, December 1, 2013

Holiday Gift Ideas: Pinterest Edition



Hello Lovelies,

So I have been looking through Pinterest and have found a few great items that can be given as a holiday gift! I have linked all the images to the site so click on image for more info!

1. Clarisonic Aria Sonic Skin Cleansing System with Josie Maran Set
- This is a great gift to get because it is basically a 3 in 1 with the Clarisonic, the Josie Maran Argon Oil products and the travel bag! Plus it is in a gorgeous color!
Clarisonic - Aria™ Sonic Skin Cleansing System With Josie Maran Set   #sephora

2.  Stila Masterpiece Series Eye & Cheek Palette Trio
- This is the perfect gift for anyone who is a makeup lover! The stila palettes come in three different shades. Each palette comes with five eye shadow colors and a blush!
This gorgeous @stilacosmetics eye and cheek trio is 3 gifts in 1! #QVCgifts

3.  Love Rocks Set of Three Bangles
- These bangles from Asos are not only super stylish but they also have really cute saying on each one. They can be worn separately or all together!
love what these bangles have to say!


4. Deborah Lippmann Limited Edition Mini Nail Polish Set
- This set has three different colors of which two are sparkly. This could be the perfect stocking filler for any girl, and its colors can be used year round!
Limited Edition Space Oddity Mini Nail Lacquer Set - Deborah Lippmann
 Hope this is a little helpful when it comes to holiday gift shopping!

XOXO
-Neika