How To Apply Lipstick Like A Pro

perfecting your pout (aka lipstick) is more than just picking the perfect color. have perfectly luscious lips - even when they are pencil thin like mine - is completely attainable. sure it involves a few more steps than your typical swipe of lipgloss but believe me, your instagram/husband/boyfriend/SO/pictures will thank me.

so how do you take drab lips to fab lips? it begins with a good concealer pencil. my favorite is the NYX Wonder Pencil - a really inexpensive product that works amazingly well. can i tell you how ridiculously excited NYX is beginning to be sold in Target?! my two favorite things in one place! adding a concealer pencil above your natural lip-line will highlight the area, making it appear slightly raised which gives the appearance of a fuller top lip.

second is your typical lip pencil/lipstick/gloss trio. everybody does it, but make sure you take these steps when doing it. first, apply a lip liner that is darker than your lip color making sure to fill in the outer corners of your lips. you want the darker color to be on the outside and the lightest color on the inside. this too gives the illusion of fullness. fill in the center of your lips with your lip color and apply your gloss only to the center of your lips as well.

last you want to make sure you finish with a bronzer. adding a touch of bronzer below your bottom lip will make it appear poutier and fuller. a small step that goes a long way.

you are now on your way to fuller, poutier lips.

xo,
kristie

Beachy Waves Hair Tutorial & Eva Styling Iron Review

i was recently approached by the company Gloss48.com. Gloss48 is a website that features new beauty products daily. these beauty products will be on a promotional basis for 7 days allowing you to get great deals on beauty products. additionally they keep their favorite products in a permanent collection allowing you to shop them without expiration.

Gloss48 sent me the Eva NYC styling iron to try out and share with you guys. so, it is ceramic styling iron that has floating plates and a heat setting that goes up to 450 degrees. if you were to come to me and ask me for advice on what to look for in a styling iron, that would be it right there. typically those particularly features (high heat, ceramic, floating plates) will cost you around $100. you can pick up the Eva NYC styling iron for only $44. that's a pretty sweet deal, right?

Eva NYC is a line of professional styling tools that work to give you style without compromising the health of your hair. Gloss 48 will be featuring Eva NYC styling tools, argan-infused combs and paddle brushes beginning today.

below is a Beach Wave tutorial i put together using my one inch styling iron. i hate to call it a straightener because it is so much more than that. it can straighten, it can curl, it can create volume it can create waves. follow the tutorial below to create some simple, loose, beachy waves.

xo,
kristie

Double Color Bronzing Technique

bronzing is such an essential part of a summer face. well, any face really. for those of us who are past our twenties and looking to add color to our sleep deprived, care deprived and all around deprived skin, this is your solution. better than any amount of diet coke. promise.

so it is with great pleasure that i am going to share with you my favorite bronzing tip:

use two colors.

yes, it is as simple as that. let's imagine you are painting a picture of the sky. do you use only one color blue to create the depth and beauty of that vast escape? no, you use as many colors of blue as you can. so when you apply your bronzer, why would you only use one shade? adding a cream blush under your bronzer will help give it depth and a touch of sun kissed glow without the fake-ness of highlighters and shimmers. it is essential that you use a cream blush for this technique. it is going to apply a stronger color as well as really 'grab' your bronzer once you apply it. remember, cream and powder are a marriage made in heaven.

below are the amazing cream blush and powder i have been using this summer courtesy of Make Up For Ever. you should know by know that i am a MUFE junkie and refuse any other foundation but their cream blush and bronzing powder a true winners as well. the essential ingredients to a good bronzer is lack of shimmer and a slightly grey undertone. done and done. the cream blushes come in a variety of shades to match your needs and they have amazing pigmentation and last for. ev. er.

so ladies (and some gentleman) shared below is one of my favorite makeup-ing tricks:

 hope that helps you in your bronzing journey!

xo,
kristie

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Giveaway/Tutorial/Makeup Wars

this week's Makeup Wars is sharing our favorite Urban Decay products and shadows. not only are we sharing our favorite Urban Decay Shadows but we are also giving them away! you can enter for a chance to win an Urban Decay eyeshadow palette filled with all of our beauty blogger favorite colors.

let me give you a moment while that amazing-ness settles. an entire eyeshadow palette of goodness. definitely worth taking a moment to enter. make sure to follow through to the end of this post for your chance to enter (Rafflecopter below) and links to all of the other beauty blogger favorite AUrban Decay eyeshadow posts.

on to the tutorial. the pictures below don't do this look justice due to the foiling effect of the shadow. i can't capture the shine and shimmer highlight that make this look the ultimate easy eye makeup:

plus, for those of you advancing in years and are worried about using shimmery colors (they tend to accentuate wrinkles) this look actually works since you are only adding shimmer to the very center of your lid, rather than all over.

on to the tutorial!

apply nude brown shadow from lashline to crease. in this instance, i am using Urban Decay's YDK shadow.

using the foiling technique (for further instruction click here), i foiled my Queen Phyllis to the center of my eyelid only. 

using the same brush used for foiling, gently sweep back and forth just above the lash line.

enjoy!

xo,
kristie

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Three Steps To A Better Curl

getting the perfect curl requires a few extra steps but believe me when i say it is worth it. these extra steps will ensure a longer lasting, smoother, healthier looking curl. even if you're thinking 'yeah, yeah, yeah, how big of a difference can it make?' - do me the solid of trying it once. compare your results to a typical curling day and decide if it is worth it for you.

step one

spray the section to be curled with hairspray before you actually curl. the added product will help hold the curl as well as make it last longer. hair without product doesn't style as easily just like a shirt without starch doesn't iron as well.

step two

brush through the hair prior to curling. making sure your hair is without tangle prior to curling will give your curl a smoother finished look. while it may seem tedious to do this before each curl, this tiny little step is what helps to give that smooth sleek healthy hair look. otherwise, you'll have bits of hair that end up crimped and make your hair look damaged and unhealthy.

step 3

begin your curl near your hair line rather than at the ends of your hair. continue rotating the curling iron through to the ends of your hair. this not only helps the curl to set along the entire hair length, it also helps to smooth out the hair cuticle leaving your hair looking shinier and healthier.

let the curl cool and finish with hairspray and give your hair a few tousles. perfect curls complete.

xo,
kristie

DIY Lucite Vanity Makeover

“This shop is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group® and Sharpie, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia  #PaintYourWay http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV”

my makeup needed a makeover. okay let me clarify, my makeup storage needed a makeover and after having seen a great DIY Lucite tray tutorial on Pinterest i decided that was exactly what my vanity was missing.

what works best with lucite? more lucite. and glass. and gold. 

so i headed to Michael's to pick up the necessary products. to begin you will need an inexpensive acrylic frame. they come in a variety of sizes and i selected two, one 11x14 and a 5x7. in addition to the frames i picked up three different glass containers as well a delicate wood box. i decided the solution to tying all of these products together would be the new Sharpie Paint Markers. my current favorite color palette includes gold and white so naturally those were the two Sharpie Paint Markers i selected. 

painter's tape, pencil and ruler are additional items needed for this tutorial however most of those can be found in your kitchen junk drawer, so please proceed.

first you will do a little deconstructing. remove packaging from Sharpie Paint Markers, frames and any stickers from glass jars. proper prep is essential for any DIY project. the Sharpie Paint Markers are an oil based product and will paint on any surface so the sky's the limit.

to begin your lucite tray you will need to mark off the areas you would like to paint. i am working on a striped tray so my ruler comes in handy to measure the strip distance. i decided to paint on the underside of the tray so that the paint would not get scratched or chipped from products placed in the tray. the blue painters tape works well to mark off the lines but be sure to use the eraser end of your pencil to seal the tape down, otherwise the paint from the Sharpie Paint Markers may leak under your tape.

above is the finished tray. i love the white stripes with the lucite, it is a perfect combination. i decided to paint the bottom of my smaller tray a solid gold. i mean, it doesn't get any better than gold paired with white stripes.

to tie in the wooden box and glass containers i added a gold or white stripe to each. i am going to warn you one last time, make sure to press the edge of your tape with the pencil eraser to seal the tape to the glass. no matter how hard you press with your fingertip it seems you just cannot get the tape to seal as well as it does with a pencil eraser.

give your products a few minutes to dry and go ahead with the vanity top makeover. i decided to place my jewelry favorites in the round wooden box, this way they are quick and easy to get to on a daily basis. my makeup brushes have plenty of room in my glass jar. i later added my mascara and liner to this jar as well to make them even more accessible on a daily basis. my summer lip color by MAC (Nouveau Pink),  Make Up For Ever Bronzer and Yves St. Laurent Touche Eclat take up vital real estate on my small gold tray. my mini glass container (designed for votives) has been repurposed to hold my small jewelry essentials, i.e.: rings & earrings.

the entire vanity top is completed with the skinny vase filled with lilies from my garden. enjoy your new lucite vanity!

xo,

kristie

Monochromatic Manicure Tutorial

there's nothing chicer than monochromatic. monochromatic patterns, monochromatic decorating, monochromatic outfits - this tone on tone style cannot be beat!

one of my favorite manicures for the last year has been a classic white polish. to offset the look of whiteout, i usually opt for a marshmallow white or a white with a very slight beige undertone. however, combining my off-white with my stark-white had my favorite results. a monochromatic mani that has the best of everything.

check out the simple tutorial below to see how you can achieve your own monochromatic mani.

xo,
kristie

How To Fake A Blowout

i recently wrote a guest post for The Makeup Girl sharing some tips on how Johnson's Baby Products can help you in your every day routine. they are the ultimate in product value - inexpensive, effective and accessible.

one of my daily saving graces is a quick hair refresher thanks to Johnson's Baby Powder. a light powdering of hair at the roots absorbs oil and leaves hair smelling fresh. but my favorite part of the transformation is faking a blow-out. second day hair is flat and life-less but faking a blow-out is so easy and quick. follow the directions below on how to fake it ('til you make it!).

apply a light powdering of Johnson's Baby Powder, brush through hair to refresh. finish by using a large barreled curling iron i quickly curl my hair beginning at the ends and working my way up. five minutes later i'm a new woman!

another quick tip from the Johnson's baby line is for those moments where you dress and realize your legs are exposed and you haven't shaved in a week. don't judge - we've all been there. apply a dime sized amount of baby oil gel to your legs and get a quick dry shave in a matter of seconds while avoiding razor burn and leaving your legs silky smooth.

i am a stickler for clean and baby shampoo is my favorite product for cleaning my makeup brushes and products. for a tutorial on how to clean and sanitize your makeup brushes, click here.

xo,
kristie

How To Select The Perfect Makeup Colors

selecting the perfect makeup colors is not an easy task. first, it takes a basic understanding of colors and how they compliment or contradict one another. second, it takes practice. knowing what hues and tones work best for you is always a little tricky. third, throw all the rules out the window. if there is a particular color you love but may not be suited for you, who cares? as long as it makes you feel beautiful, you are doing it right.

first, let's talk color. remember about 5 years ago when it seemed everyone was on this card making kick? Stampin' Up was all the rage and they made card making so easy by selecting color palettes for you to choose from. goodbye mismatch hello pretty. 

we could jump back even further to 10 years ago when everyone was making scrapbooks but that was even harder because color palettes weren't preselected and you were just blindly selecting paper stock at Michael's hoping it would match your stickers.

scrapbooking has evolved with the digital age thanks to digital cameras and digital design sights helping you select what color palettes coordinate best and providing you with template layouts making graphic/scrapbook design easier than ever.

but how about makeup, is there a template for that? not really. 

typically palettes are sold in coordinating colors but the question before you select that palette is 'Does this work for me?'

some basic rules of color:

monochromatic always works. monochromatic is when you use one color in different hues for a harmonious, unifying effect. a good example would be the room deco below:

photo credit pinterest

how does that apply in makeup? in fashion, monochromatic is always super glam. the same goes for makeup. sticking with a monochromatic look ie: bronzed, golden, pastels, etc. just works.

neutral colors fall in the realm of black, white, grey and brown. neutrals work for everyone. when in doubt stick with neutrals because you can't go wrong. particularly for the eyes. everyone looks good with browns, greys, blacks and whites for eyeshadow.

analogous colors are colors on the color wheel that fall next to each other. they naturally create a sense of harmony and work well when blended together.

complementary colors are two colors opposite each other on the color wheel. the colors work well when paired together and draw attention to one another. this also works well in makeup but often in a toned down version.

the color wheel is also a good way to determine which colors work best for your eye color. if you are blue eyed, browns work well in drawing out the blue hue of your eyes and vice versa for brown eyes. greens always shine with purple toned shadows and hazels work well with purples or blues.

my favorite rule of thumb when it comes to color selection is take a minute and look through your wardrobe. you are often drawn to colors that work well with your skin tone/eye color whether your realize it or not. whatever colors are dominant in your wardrobe are often good colors to choose for makeup.

xo,
kristie

DIY French Manicure

easy nails are worth their weight in gold. okay, maybe not but easy nails are definitely worth it. this nail post is one of my most popular yet (thank you, Pinterest).

every once in a while i find a product that i LOVE and i cannot wait to share it with you. some past favorites include Seche Vite, Make Up For Ever, and St. Tropez. with that same enthusiasm, i am excited to introduce you to Dashing Diva French Wraps. these tiny little French Manicure tips give you the perfect French Manicure, quickly and easily.

my sisters are always a trusted source for beauty advice, and on my recent trip home to Washington state, my sister recommended these little beauties to me. let me say that they are so easy to apply, and they are fast, but the downside is that they only last a few days. this would make a great solution for Prom, graduation dinners, any sort of special event you may have approaching. with up to 14 manicure applications per box, $1 per manicure is a small price to pay for professional looking nails.

here is how they are applied:

select the appropriate size "housing" for your nail size

add some brush-on glue ONLY to white tip

with the easy grip tab, place housing in desired spot on nail tip. wait a few seconds, then gently remove "housing" and only white nail tip remains.

salon quality french manicure for a fraction of the cost!

so easy, so fast, and inexpensive. those are the key ingredients to a perfect product.

xo,
kristie

How To Wax Your Legs

waxing your eyebrows vs. your legs are like comparing apples to oranges.

you might be thinking "uggghhh" but anytime is the perfect time to begin your waxing routine. waxing your legs requires you to grow out your leg hair to approximately 1/4 inch so that the wax will have something to grip to. let's be honest, summer isn't ideal for growing out leg hair but you will appreciate it once it is waxed!

beginning this routine helps slow the growth of your leg hair, and over time the maintenance becomes easier and easier. doing this yourself is simple, easy, and relatively inexpensive. trust me, i have owned my own waxer for 8 years and it is so EASY to do this yourself!

here's how:

• gather your supplies. for this you will need muslin fabric or waxing paper strips cut to desired size, a popsicle stick applicator, and wax. i have a professional wax warmer, but this is not a necessity for at home waxing. i do prefer using GiGi wax. it is the wax used by professionals and it works great.

• once your wax is warmed and your legs are clean (don't forget that hair needs to be at least 1/4 inch) you can apply wax. using a 45 degree angle, apply a thin layer of wax in the direction of hair growth. the area of wax should be equal to 2/3 of your muslin wax strip.

• lay muslin strip over wax and press firmly, again in same the direction of hair growth.

• hold skin taught and pull wax strip off with one quick motion in the opposite direction of hair growth.

• immediately apply pressure to the waxed area with the palm of your hand to sooth the skin. NEVER reapply wax to newly waxed areas. finish with GiGi's After Wax Cooling Gel, Aloe Vera, or Baby Oil.

enjoy your smooth, newly waxed legs - a summertime essential.

xo,
kristie