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

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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4. Blogger New Widget

An InLinkz Link-up

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

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

Summer Nail Tutorial

xo,

kristie

Rimmel Makeup Looks at SoFabCon

I am a member of the Collective Bias®  Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper amplification for Collective Bias and its advertiser.

last weekend was spent at SoFabCon14, a blogging conference put on by #CollectiveBias and its blogging division, Social Fabric. in attendance were some amazing food, lifestyle, parenting and beauty/fashion bloggers. while the sessions were amazing some of my favorite moments happened during the breaks where we could visit brand salons. naturally my favorite brand salon was the Rimmel room where you could get amazing makeup looks in an instant.

my go to station was the Rimmel Show Off Lip Laquer station. included at the station was a complete lineup of all of Rimmel's show-stopping, holy grail of glosses Show Off Lip Lacquer. though it may seem simple (you might be thinking, how difficult can lip gloss be?) getting good gloss has a technique! giving lips depth, color and fulness takes a little layering and positioning. at this station i had the gorgeous makeup artist Brooklyn (@lovelybrooklyn4) to teach me the ways of lip glossing.

first, you want to begin with a great product - thankfully Rimmel had that problem solved. prior to the conference i picked up a few Rimmel products from Walmart to keep me looking good. i decided on two colors: Nude Eclipse and Nova.

starting with a clean slate you apply your brightest shade over your entire lips. the strong color of the Rimmel Show Off allows for smooth straight lines and the longest lasting pigment. follow that with a lighter color applied only to the center of your lips. finish by blending the two shades together and voila! perfect lip color. how's that for #beautyinspiration?

xo,
kristie

Packing For SoFabCon - Makeup Looks

I am a member of the Collective Bias®  Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper amplification for Collective Bias and its advertiser.

i am so excited to be getting home from Hawaii just in time for the #cbias #SoFabCon14 beginning tomorrow! after all of my swimsuits and beach wear was unpacked i accessed a completely different portion of my closet and makeup to prepare myself for a blogger conference. my makeup looks for this conference will be less beachy and more profesh.

so what does one pack to a blogger conference? a lot. this is your chance to really make an impression on other bloggers as well as representatives from brands that are sure to attend the conference. you want to present yourself in the best light possible. sure, the invite says business casual but that doesn't mean business frumpy. you want to pack clothes that are versatile, mix and match and are a classic. you want to stand out but not for the wrong reasons, so leave your neon romper at home and stick to more contemporary colors.

i think the biggest dilemma bloggers (particularly beauty bloggers) face is what makeup to pack? when i travel i typically pack light when it comes to makeup. i want just the basics, however in this case i would recommend packing heavy. and by heavy, i mean good foundation, mascara, eyeliner and blush. those are the backbone of any makeup look and you want to be sure you have them all.

second, continue to keep it classic. save the fancy makeup looks for nights out with your girls and keep your makeup classic. while a super dramatic cat eye looks great in photos, it can be a little daunting in person. sticking to classic makeup, a strong eye and a bold lip will never be out of style and is gorgeous and approachable. exactly what we're going for!

i couldn't attend SoFabCon without first packing my trusty StayMatte Foundation by Rimmel. this high coverage foundation will take me from day to night at the conference and keep me fresh faced. this drugstore foundation found at Walmart is not only good, it is inexpensive which makes it even better for traveling. if it gets lost, spills, or crumples under air pressure, a replacement is only a short drive away.

my other must have from Rimmel is one of the best drugstore mascaras on the market. the Rimmel Scandaleyes mascara gives your lashes that extra oomph they need to make a serious first impression. just what the doctored ordered for a blogging conference because you'll be making A LOT of first impressions.

i'd love to hear what your conference packing makeup must-haves are. what #beautyinspiration do you follow? does Rimmel make it in your bag as well?


xo,

kristie

Makeup Tip For Lipstick

sometimes when i apply my lipstick or lip liner i accidentally make a weird bump or squiggle on my lip that looks unnatural. cleaning up that error can be a little difficult if you have already applied your foundation. or, have you ever tried to wipe away RED lipstick? let's just say it's not easy.

this weekend i was able to attend a MAC Pro seminar and i learned the coolest trick for applying lipstick. if you smudge, do not fear. just use an angled brush like the MAC 266.

wipe the tip on a moist towel, such as a makeup remover towelette or baby wipe. it's just enough moisture to remove the lipstick without being messy. take your angled brush and just brush over the offending smudge. it should wipe right off. when finished your lips should look perfectly lined.

xo
kristie

The Secret to Sea Salt Spray

i just received the latest shampoo, conditioner and sea salt spray offered by the Drybar. i love the Drybar products because they really know how to 'do' hair. i was particularly pumped to give the sea salt spray a try because tousled, beach hair is not only super hot right now, it is my go-to look for summer.

the question is, how do you use sea salt spray (without ending up with a frizzy, hot mess on your head)? here's my tips for getting the most out of your sea salt spray.

first you are going to begin with blow-dried hair. it may sound backwards but if your hair is anything like mine, when it air dries it dries into pure frizz. i don't care hair much serum you put on this mop, the natural kink takes over and frizz city pops up. i want my beached out hair to look 'perfectly tousled' which actually takes a little bit of work. so please, blow dry away.

second, you are going to add your sea salt spray. i am using the sea salt spray by Drybar. it smells amazing, adds just the right amount of texture and coarseness to your hair and leaves you look tousled without the frizz. add your spray until hair is damp.

next you are going to scrunch the heck out of that hair. don't be shy. take your hands and scrunch till you can't scrunch anymore.

last, let the remaining moisture evaporate and you are left with textured, wavy, beach-y, gorgeous hair.

xo,
kristie

ps. here's your 'pinnable' image if you're interested:

Skincare School

you may know that i am a RoC Skincare Ambassador but please don't think my opinions are biased. i am serious about skincare. skincare is one of the fundamentals in beauty and knowing how to treat your skin - what products to use and when - are the hammer and wrenches of your skincare toolbox.

thankfully RoC has put together an online skincare RoC ACADEMY to teach you about the skincare fundamentals, i.e.: the aging process, the story of retinols, etc. these are all things what will help you learn how to treat your aging skin appropriately. something we could all benefit from!

fact: slowing cellular turnover is part of the again process. it causes skin to appear dull, dry and uneven.

fact: fluctuating hormones can cause skin to produce less oil and make it dryer.

fact: it can take up to twelve weeks to see meaningful results in skincare.

these are just a few of the gems you will learn over at the RoC Academy. i think it is worth the few moments and let this be my PSA - the more you know…

head to the RoC Academy HERE for your chance to learn more. additionally, once you finish the course you qualify for high value RoC coupon that you don't want to miss.

xo,
kristie

How To Get The Perfect Cat Eye 'Flick'

alright, let's do this. liquid eyeliner and the cat eye 'flick' are two of the most requested step by step makeup tutorials. learning these two techniques will give you the foundation for makeup mastery.

here is how it is done:

1. draw a dot at the highest point where you would like your cat eye 'flick'. i do this with my eyes open so that i can see where the flick will actually be, rather than doing it with your eyes closed and your eyelid stretched.
2. draw a dot at the base of where you want your cat eye flick to be.
3. connect the dots.
4. draw the remaining eyeliner across your eye and adjust thickness to desired width.

enjoy your cat eye!

xo,

kristie

Day To Night #BeautyInspiration Tutorial

I am a member of the Collective Bias®  Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper amplification for Collective Bias and its advertiser.

as a mom my goal is find ways to make my 'get ready' routine quicker and easier. i like wearing makeup and i like getting dressed up, however convenience and time are always an issue. finding products that will do double duty, last all day, or cut down on maintenance time are essential. finding this new Stay Matte foundation from Rimmel has been a game changer.

apply it in the morning and once evening rolls around it will still be fresh. Rimmel Stay Matte is no joke.

to make my days and nights a little simpler, i've created this Day to Night tutorial for #CollectiveBias showing how you can go from 'fresh faced' to smoldering without doubling your steps.



begin by applying your morning makeup. my morning makeup routine always includes the following: foundation, mascara, blush & lip gloss. other elements are always optional but those four always make the cut.

evening is where it becomes a bit more complicated. it is the extra steps that bring on the wow factor, and these extra steps are worth the time. first, contouring is a must. adding some extra bronzer to your hairline, cheek bones and neck will give your face structure more depth. define your brows. adding definition to your eyebrows will bring more interest to your eyes, which is basically the area you always want to draw attention to! a little eyeshadow in the crease will help to give your eyes more smolder and eyeliner will help make lashes appear bolder and longer. add some concealer for porcelain skin and define your lips to create some pout. your day to night transformation is complete.

these products below are honestly going to save you time and money. head to your local Walmart to find your #BeautyInspiration match.

they can be found at this display:

to celebrate their 180 year anniversary Rimmel is offering a giveaway that you don't want to miss! 25 readers will be selected to win a gift basket filled with Rimmel product valued at $50. the odds are forever in your favor, so you should definitely give it a go.

lucky or not you can find $1 off coupon in the Sunday newspaper for each of the two products mentioned above. that helps make an affordable product even closer within reach.

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xo,
kristie


NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. The Coty® Rimmel® Giveaway starts at 4/2/14 at 12:00 A.M. (midnight) ET and ends on 4/25/14 at 11:59:59 PM ET. Open only to (i) members of the Social Fabric community, (ii) legal residents of the fifty (50) United States, the District of Columbia, and (iii) who are at least 18 years old at the time of entry. Click here for Official Rules and details including how to enter, entry criteria, prizes and restrictions, etc. Void in PR and where prohibited. Sponsor: Collective Bias, Inc.