Easter Nails

Originally I had planned to do these nails as tutorials, but there was just too much to take pics of so it didn't pan out :(

Well you can still enjoy the pics :o)

Look Using Glamour Doll Eyes Pigments

Here's the look:

I used:

*I suggest you do your eye makeup first before you do your face as pigments can get messy.

First I put Jealousy all over the lid (I wet the brush very slightly to create a more intense effect).

Then I used cloud coverage on the inner corner.

Next I used Graffiti in the crease/outer V area. You need just the smallest bit, and remember to blend blend blend!

Lastly I used Sterling Glitz on top on the Cloud Coverage (again I wet the brush a little bit). Finish with a winged liquid liner

*I also tapped a little bit of Chocoholic on top of a green eyeliner on the bottom lash line

When I was done I used a makeup cloth to clean up the fallout and create a nice straight edge on the sides of my eyes.

All the pigments are at:
glamourdolleyes.com/

My review of their pigments including swatches:

Even more amazing brushes for cheap :) (Real Techniques)

Powder Brush
$9.99

Foundation Brush
$7.99

Stippling Brush
$9.99

Sold at Ulta Stores

Enjoy :)

Spring Flower Nails!

So I took this nail art idea from an amazing nail blogger (The Daily Nail) and here is the original:

http://daily-nail.blogspot.com/2011/04/funky-floral.html

I added some extra details but it's basically the same thing. Here's how I did it, it's really not hard at all.

What you need:

The nail polish I used is:

Spontaneous by China Glaze (purple)
Peachy Keen by China Glaze (peach)
White on White by China Glaze (white)
Teal the Cows Come Home by OPI (blue)
Fiercely Fiona by OPI (greenish yellow)
Black on Black by Sinful Colors (black) *not pictured above
Pro Fx Epoxy Bond Base Coat

You will also need two thin brushes (you can use painting brushes), a tooth pick, and some acetone. You need the acetone to clean the brushes in between uses. Also it's a good idea to wait for your coats to dry before you start decorating.

*Optional: wood stick to clean up any nail polish that gets on your cuticles.

First apply a base coat to protect your nails from staining, and allow to dry.

Next paint nails a shimmery blue color (or any color of your choice) and allow to dry.

Dab some nail polish on a sheet of paper. Then take a small thin brush and paint different colored little circles randomly throughout the nail. It doesn't have to be perfect.

Next take a thin brush with a slightly longer tip and draw flower petals. Again this doesn't have to be perfect.

Next take a black polish and a tooth pick make little dots in the middle of the flowers.

Now you can be done there, but I wanted to add a little depth, so I added lines on the petals using polishes that were slightly softer than the other colors.

Allow to dry before putting on top coat and you're done :)

How to help hide Blemishes with makeup :)

So we all have blemishes every once in a awhile but we don't have to brave the world with embarrassing redness. Here are some tips to help you out.

First off I want to preface this by saying that there is no way to take away the bump you have on your face. However, you can mask the unsightly redness that comes along with a zit. What you will need it:

Green concealer
Regular concealer
A fluffy blending brush

If you know anything about color theory, you know that red and green neutralize each other, so it would make sense to use a green concealer to counteract the red in a blemish. Nowadays many brands sell them but I can recommend the variety of Physicians Formula ones that are sold in drugstores. Look around online, there are more out there than you think.

*Graftobian also sells amazing concealer wheels

So after you dab some green concealer on, you want to use a concealer or liquid foundation that is your skin tone. The green gives you a clean slate to work with so you can apply your regular stuff without having to worry about the redness. I HIGHLY recommend using a blending brush for this. This brush applies concealer flawlessly, so swirl it around in circles with some product on your blemishes.

There you go :)

Girly Girl Tutorial

I did this look for a contest entry on YouTube. I thought it was pretty so I did a slideshow showing most of the steps. Please excuse the bad pictures and awkward angles :)

Cheap BUT Good Brushes

Good quality brushes do not have to be expensive. If you look around you can find really good brushes for half the price of a MAC Brush.

ECO Tools Brushes:

These are by far my favorite brushes. They are very soft, and are made of vegan synthetic bristles. The handles are much smaller, which is a good thing because you have better control. They come in sets, but some of their brushes are sold separately. The prices are also very affordable (ranging from about $6-$12). Keep in mind that synthetic bristles tend to have a longer drying time after you wash them, as opposed to natural hair bristle brushes.

Studio Tools Brushes:

These brushes are sold at Target and are very affordable. Some brushes are better than others in this line, however, overall they are soft and good quality. The stippling brush pictured above is my go to brush for putting on foundation!

Sonia Kashuk Brushes

Now these brushes are actually a little pricier than the others ones above, but are excellent quality and are more on the level of MAC quality Brushes. I prefer the ones that have a black handle as they are the more professional ones.


*Icing Brushes

Icing sells surprisingly good brushes, but I'll do a review on them later.

*ELF Brushes

The studio line for ELF has really good brushes, however it is hard to find these brushes in stores so you have to order them online. DO NOT buy the regular line of $1 brushes, they are horrible!


So there you go. One last note, Walmart also sells some good brushes but I don't personally own any so it wouldn't be fair to include them in my post.

Practically the only brushes you will ever need

Alright so in order to make this blog post shorter (I tend to ramble), I'm just going to go through all of the brushes from left to right.


Powder Brush

This brush is a staple for anyone who uses Makeup. A good powder brush is densely packed and has a long to medium handle. The bristles should also be full and fluffy. This brush is used for applying loose or compact powder all over the face, and can also be used for bronzer and blush. Some people also use this for liquid foundation, just be careful to check your face for any bristles that may have fallen out.

Angled Blush Brush

An angled brush is necessary in my opinion, in order to flawlessly apply blush to the apples of your cheeks. More importantly, this brush is necessary for contouring the face with a matte bronzer.

Foundation Brush

This is the traditional brush for liquid foundation. It should be flat and and about one inch wide. These brushes are generally made with synthetic bristles.

Duo Fiber Stippling Brush

This brush is very versatile. It can be use for applying liquid foundation, a light powder application, as well as for blush and bronzer. This brush varies in size and density, so it is up to you what kind you want. It is usually made up of goat and synthetic hair.

Angled Eye liner Brush

Using a gel liner with this brush is essential. The brush should be very thin in order to make a precise line. An angled brush can also be used to apply eyeshadow to the brows in order to fill them in; as well as for putting eyeshadow as a liner on the lids.

Flat Shader Brush

This brush is used all over the lid, and come in many sizes. it should be densly packed in order to apply a concentrated amount on the lid.

Blending Brush

This brush is used to blend out eyeshadow, so it has a nice fade onto the crease. My other favorite way to use this brush is for applying concealer under the eyes. The brush should be nice and fluffy.

Pencil Brush

Used for applying eyeshadow onto the crease as well as for smudging eyeliner. Should come to a nice point.

*Bonus

Kabuki Brush

Although not necessary, this brush is great for packing on loose powder, or for taking with you during the day for touch ups.


There you go :) I will make a blog later on about where to get these brushes.

The Importance of using an eyeshadow primer

Okay so if you are not really into makeup then the concept of an eyeshadow primer is foreign to you. Have you ever put on eyeshadow and had to do many layers because the color would not show up, and then at the end of the day the eyeshadow has creased? An eyeshadow primer is a must, especially for people with oily lids, in order to have a flawless all day wear.

There are many out on the market, expensive and cheap. My two favorite ones are expensive (but that's just me). Urban Decay's primer potion is the holy grail. They retail for $18 in a bottle, but recently they came out with a squeezey tube for $19 (might take a little while to come out in stores). The only negative about this product is that in a bottle form it's hard to get out every last bit, however this solved in the tube form (also has more product for only a $1 more). The primer potion comes in a variety of colors, from invisible to gold, and they all work just as well.

Too Faced also has a really good one which retails for $18 as well. This one is in a tube.

Now the brand NYX (sold only at Ulta and some drugstores) came out with two really good primers in white and nude. Retails for only $6.99.

NYX also sells these jumbo pencils which can be used as primers however they tend to crease, especially if you don't blend it out with your finger, so I generally use these with a primer.

Last Notes: L'Oreal sells a product called L'Oreal decrease, which is a primer. I haven't personally used it, but I've heard mixed reviews on it. If you cannot go out and buy a primer, then it's a good idea to at least put a concealer or liquid foundation over your lids. Also, MAC sells paint pots and paints which the ladies will say you can use as a primer. These are cream eye shadows, which will crease if you don't use a primer with it.


Using a primer will enhance your shadows wear and look so go try one out <3

So what foundation is good for me?

One of the most frustrating parts about makeup is finding the right foundation for your skin type and tone. There are a variety on the market, from drug store brands to high end. With some patience on your part, you will find one that is perfect for you.

One thing I always tell people is that it is not necessary to spend a lot of money on makeup, HOWEVER....I will say that the best foundations are always on the pricier side. This is really up to you and your means. If you have the money to spend on a really good foundation, then I say spend it. Your face is the first thing people see when they meet you, and you don't want to have a shiny greasy looking face when they see you. I will point out a few foundations that are drug store and are pretty good, but keep in mind that these foundations are dupes for other more expensive ones.


Okay so lets talk about skin types. There are generally three main skin types: Oily, Dry, and combination. Oily skin types get greasy in many areas but mainly the t-zone, which is forehead, cheeks and nose area. Dry skin needs moisture as it will tend to have dry patches throughout the face. Combination skin leans more on the oily side, however it may have some dry areas. There is also normal skin, which has no oiliness or dryness, however this skin type is not very common (and if you have it it means you are a godess in which case any foundation would work on you.)

Let's start with Oily skin. Oily skin gets a bad rap, but if you find the right foundation it can be less of a pain to deal with. You want to get foundation that says matte, or if you are on the less oily side, semi-matte. Anything that says "dewy" you must run away from immediately. Also never buy a foundation that is oil-based, rather choose one that it water or gel based. Although it is a good idea for your foundation to have spf to protect your skin, skip those types when taking pictures as spf reflects light and can make your skin look like a disco ball.

One foundation I can really recommend for oily skin types is Lancome's TEINT IDOLE FRESH WEAR ($32). It boasts a "makeup formula that provides 18-hours of shine-free wear." I would say that the shine free aspect of 18 hrs is not true, but maybe 10 hours which is a lot longer than most foundations. It is a medium coverage and has many yellow based colors.

Another one would be Revlon's colorstay foundation for oily skin types ($12.99). This is full coverage foundation, so you have to work with it quickly to spread it evenly on the face. This foundation stays on forever and does a nice job of cutting down the shine. Of course as with any foundation you want to set this with a powder.

Last one I want to bring up is MAC studio fix fluid which is oil controlling and VERY long wearing ($26.50). This is a full coverage foundation so a little goes a long way.

Last notes: Rimmel makes a foundation that is called Stay Matte. I have heard good things about this foundation, however I have not personally tried it. Another note is about Bare Essentials. Although powder can be used to combat oil, I cannot deal with the hassle of tapping out powder and it getting everywhere so I cannot personally recommend this foundation. Also if you want to get real fancy, Makeup Forever sells a matte foundation that is spectacular (Mat Velvet + Matifying Foundation), that is if you want to drop $34 on it.

Moving on...


Dry skin types need to stay away from Matte foundations, as they will enhance the dry patches of your skin. Always use an oil-based moisturizer before putting on foundation. If you like a fresh glowing look, go for dewy foundations.

I'm going to start with the most expensive option, NARS sheer glow foundation ($42). Although this is a very expensive foundation, it will leave your skin looking absolutely beautiful. Again if you have the cash I suggest you try it out.

A new one that just came out an has gotten many good reviews is L'Oreals Magic Smooth Souffle Foundation ($14.99). The texture is a moouse which would probably react well with drier skin types.

Last notes: Brands to check out for this skin type is Dior and Channel if you have mucho dinero, and Revlon (colorstay for dry skin types is also good, as well as photo ready)


And Finally combination. My favorite on right now is Bobbi Browns natural finish long lasting foundation which is semi-matte ($45). It is a medium coverage, and keeps the skin looking fresh instead of dull.

Another good one would be Lorac's Natural Performance foundation ($36). Build-able coverage and right in the middle for oil coverage and moisture.

Last notes: Combination skin really depends on how oily your skin is to your dry areas. A good idea would be to use a matte primer on areas where you have the most oil (No.7 makes a good one sold at Target). Again Colorstay is a good option, as well as MAC's studio fix fluid.



Well there you have it. I recommend going to Macys or Dillards and trying the different counters. Have the sales person apply it to half your face, then take a mirror and look at it in natural sunlight, as the lights in the store tend to distort what the foundation really looks like.


Hope this helped :)