Quick Tip: Adding Definition

There are times when a girl just needs some definition in her life, be it defined brows or lips or liner. Sometimes you just need that sharp, fierce line. I have found that the best way to achieve such precision  is with the Sigma Flat Definer Bush (E15) and a lighter concealer, I use the lightest shade in the Sonia Kashuk Hidden Agenda concealer palette. All you have to do is outline the area you are trying to define with the concealer and the definer brush and blend out into your foundation. This technique will make brows appear bolder, make lips pop and liner look streamlined.  

I hope this quick tip helps to bring your makeup looks to the next level! 

Xoxo,

Haley 

The Least Loved List

When you're a makeup hoarder you tend to have a lot of products that you don't actually use, gasp. There is simply no way to use all 50 of the blushes you own all the time. I wouldn't say I fall into that category, I luckily get to try out most products (extensively) before I purchase. Therefore knowing what will work for me and what won't before spending copious amount of money on something I won't use. Hooray! That being said, I still make purchases and then don't use the products. I know, I'm ashamed of myself too. Drumroll please...I bring you my 5 least used products. 

1. The Maybelline Fit Me powder: Does this do anything? It doesn't absorb oil, it doesn't add coverage, it doesn't set my foundation. What does it it? That is the question.

2.  Charlotte Ronson 2x a Charm Blush & Bronzer Duo: This is great in theory, but the colors slide off your face in a matter of minutes, never to be seen again. 

3. Bare Minerals Faux Tan: Can we say orange. As in Cheeto/Dorito orange. Not sexy y'all.

4. Elf Blush in Candid Coral: This blush is actually really nice, I like it a lot. It is a solid dupe for Nars Orgasm, but sadly it's just gone on the back burner. My new goal is to start using it again!

5. MUFE Aqua Shadow Pencils: I had soooo much hope for these, but they're just hard to work with. Maybe they will come in handy at the beach though, since they're water proof and all that jazz.   

I have even more products that are squirreled away and don't see the light of day, but my new goals is to rediscover some of these babies and weed out the ones that really are crap. 

Let the spring cleaning commence! 

xoxo,

Haley 

What Do You Mean It's Empty?

When you squeeze the last drop out of a product there are two feelings; accomplishment or sadness. Accomplishment that you finally finished that entire product, "whew that one lasted forever." Or, sadness that it didn't last longer,"crap, I have to go fork out another $45 for a four use wonder." Personally, when I get to the end of a product I feel a mix of both emotions, accomplishment that I actually finished it and sadness that I used it up already. It's a never ending cycle, really.

These are my most recent products that I actually used up:

Murad Advanced Active Radiance Serum: LOVE, this product is made with Vitamin C and is amazing for boosting the complexion.

Macadamia Deep Repair Masque Trial: This mask was okay, nothing amazing. It was a little too heavy for my fine hair. 

Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer: Yes, just yes. This primer was wonderful, it felt nice on the skin and helped my makeup last longer. If only the full size didn't cost so much..le sigh

Sephora Triple Action Cleansing Water: Removes makeup like a champ, I think this was my third bottle and I already have another ready to go.

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua: Stunning foundation, I will definitely be purchasing this in the coming months. *fancy*

Bath and Body Works Body Lotions: I went a tad bit crazy with their buy three get three free sale. I had 12 of their body lotions at one time...twelve! I really don't even like them that much, they just smell good. The Coconut Lime one is heavenly. Either way I've been trying to go through these bad boys for the past year and I still have three left. Almost there! 

I hope you all are having a lovely Thursday, it's almost the weekend! Parrrtayyy. 

Xoxo, 

Haley

New Favorite Lipstick

Just recently, within the last six months, I've become a lipstick girl. Before that I never bothered with more than chapstick or the occasional lip butter, boring I know. Safe, yes I know that too. But now its all changed! I'll wear red, pink, purple, burgundy, peach, orange, you name it and I'll most likely wear it, at least once.

So when I saw this shade at work amongst the hundreds of other lip colors, it stood out. It's not a super unique shade, rather a quite safe neutral. 

This is the Nars Lipstick in MayFlower, it is a warm toned pink/rose color that when applied to the lip has a sheen, without being overly glossy. While it is not the most pigmented of lip colors it does provide enough color payoff to be noticeable, yet natural.

I've worn this lippie almost everyday for the past two weeks, gasp. This is my first Nars lipstick and I must say, I like it, I do however layer it over a Makeup Forever Aqua Lips Liner to increase the longevity. But over all I love, love, love this color for an everyday lipstick!

If you're in the market, I highly recommend taking a peek at the Nars lip products.

Specifically the color MayFlower, it floats my boat, if ya know what I mean.

Xoxo, 

Haley 

S.S 4

Do you ever have those days when you want to be left alone to do whatever it is you have to do? That was me today, so I went to a local trail to go for a 3 mile hike to clear my head and whilst I'm mid head clearing (staring at the ground contemplating what I want to do with my life) I run smack-dab into a horse. The horse was in front of me and I was staring at the ground as I pounded down the trail, mind you I had earbuds in so I was zoned out and next thing I know I have a horses ass in my face. So that was my morning. Cheers! 

Now on to the stunners: 

1. This little baby is my Pita Pizza that I've been making for the past two weeks, its delicious and not as bad for the waist line as Dominos would be. It is made with prosciutto, sun dried tomatoes, feta and parmesan cheese all on top of pita. Yaaaas.  

2. Detox Tea and Honey. Why? It's supposed to be good for you and the honey is delightful. So that's that. 

3. My beauty stunners this week: Urban Decay Beauty Balm. Anastasia Brow Wiz. Real Techniques blush brush. Earrings are from a local boutique and I've worn them every day this week. No big deal. 

4. These are my lovely co-workers! We went out to eat hibachi and celebrate our successful year in business. It was a great time and made me realize when you work in a good environment with good people it is represented in the work your team produces. 

I hope you all have a stunning week!

Xoxo,

Haley  

  

Bread and Butter of Skincare

There are two types of people in the world: People that have a skincare routine and those who do not. It always shocks me how little some of my clients know about skincare; from not washing their face to not knowing they had to take their makeup off every night. It is always astounding. Now, although I do have a skincare routine it's not near as extensive as some. Here it goes:

1. Cleanse

2. Makeup Remover/toner

3. Serum

4. Moisturize

5. Occasional treatment/mask

Currently I'm using and Elizabeth Arden cleanser at night and the Soraya cleansing milk in the morning, for my makeup remover I am still truly in love with the Sephora triple action cleansing water! For my serum I am currently using the Ole Henriksen truth serum and collagen booster and I top it all off with my Josie Maran light argan oil as my moisturizer at night and my First Aid Beauty ultra repair face moisturizer in the am. Thats what I'm using now, but who knows, it could change tomorrow.

Like most women I constantly am changing what I use (besides the cleansing water and the argan oil) but I do feel that there are certain steps that are like the bread and butter of skincare aka necessities. Aka cleansing and moisturizing . Everyone, men and women alike need to cleanse their skin and moisturize it. That's just a fact, Jack. You start with that and your skin will thank you and the heavens will start to sing, trust me.

xoxo, 

Haley 

Venting: Box openers and Thieves

Venting commencing in 3, 2, 1...You may or may not know but working with the general public can sometimes be unpleasant. If you're so lucky that you manage a job that you don't have to work with the masses, I'm jealous. Now there are two sides to everything, I know. One side of my job is filled with helping people, making women looking fabulous and finding their dream product, whatever that may be. The other side is stopping people from stealing and ruining "live" products (meaning products that we could otherwise sell.) 

The first is people that come into a high end makeup retailer and steal expensive products. I hate these people, they make us workers extremely weary and untrusting of our customers. I won't go into too much detail of how these people try and steal or how thy manage it, both are infuriating, but I will say going to hand someone a product only to pick up the box and realize it is empty is not a pleasant moment. Or when you're doing a clients makeup and every time you turn your back they're sneaking products into their purse, we have so many mirrors for a reason. I can see you. *sigh* Every time people steal products it takes money away from our business, money away from our paycheck that we work hard to earn. If you want these high end products then get a job and earn money so that you can afford them and not look stupid when you're forced to pull all of those Dior mascaras out of your bag.    

Secondly are people that look at a tester of a product and STILL go and pull the box from behind it, open it and use the product that was packaged. Why? Who do these people think they are? There are testers for a reason..to TEST the product. This isn't Wal-Mart you can actually try it before you buy it. I just don't understand. 

People wonder why makeup consultants stick so close to clients it's because it is our job. One, to make sure you have all the help you could possibly need. Two, to make sure that you aren't stealing the said makeup. And three, to ensure that if you try a product, it's the tester and it's sanitized properly.  

Woooo, now that all of that is out I feel better. Sometimes a vent sesh is needed. I do love my job but as with all jobs there are parts that annoy you. I try not to focus on those too much but sometimes ya just gotta get it out.  But here is a picture of an adorable puppy so that this post isn't too awful. 

*Both photos used in the post are from Pinterest, not my own* 

Have a wonderful morning, afternoon, night whatever it is for you!

xoxo, 

Haley 

Lustings

You know those times when you literally can't spend money so you just stare and wish you had everything? Think- little kid with its face pressed to the candy store window looking in longingly while its mother yells for him to hurry up down the street. Sad, I know. As part of my job I get to try a lot of product on others so I can kind of figure out which ones will work for me and which ones won't, these are all products that I've tried out on clients and love. 

1. Anastasia Beverly Hills Dip Brow Pomade: Brow game forever strong. This waterproof formula has serious lasting power and it provides you with an easy, strong brow. 

2. Benefit Gimme Brow: This is a truly unique product, amazing for days you don't want to put a lot of effort into your look but you don't want to have cave man brows. It adds fullness so for all you ladies and gents that have sparse brows or had a tragic waxing accident. 

3. MUFE HD Blush: Yassss. These go on so naturally, giving you the look of vitality that blushes are supposed to do without making you look like 503 powders layered on your face. My favorite way to apply is with a big stippling brush, it just melts the products into the skin. They also offer a lovely true tangerine color that looks scary(like you're going to look like a clown scary)but actually is extremely flattering on tan and deeper skin tones!

4. MAC Pro Longwear Concealer: Everyone and their mother has raved about this product, I've tried it but never bought. It's time to take the plunge. (in like a month when I can shop again) It's full coverage, creamy, long lasting, crease proof  and allegedly a baby unicorn is popped out every time someone buys it, it's that amazing.    

Is there any other products I should try out? 

xoxo, 

Haley 

S.S 3

Happy Stunday! This particular week has been quite hectic with events, prom makeovers, and long shifts at work. That being said I needed my makeup to last for hours, hence the products I've chosen for this weeks Sunday Stunners.

Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray: This is a finishing spray that increase the longevity of your makeup without making you look cakey like some powders can tend to do. I use this product pretty much every time I wear make up, a few sprays will keep you looking flawless for hours!

Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette: This gorgeous palette houses 16 shadows that are made with 100% natural cocoa powder. To me, the standout feature of this product are the matte shadows! It's hard to come by a palette that offers multiple matte shadows; a majority of palettes include one maybe two matte shadows and that is simply not enough. I bought this palette maybe a month ago and have used it almost every day since then! The colors blend well, have a rich pigmentation and you can create a variety of looks using the wide range of neutrals that come in the adorable little chocolate tin.

Formula X for Sephora Top Coat: With there being sooo many top coats on the market it's hard to find one that stands out. I ran out of my Seche Vite top coat and gave this one a whirl. It dries fast and locks in color for about 5 days without any chipping. I'm liking it!

Sonia Kashuk Hidden Agenda concealer palette: I use the lightest concealer in the palette to trace and define my eyebrows and my lips if I'm wearing a dark color that day. It works extremely well for this purpose and I use it every day that I do a full face. 

Let me know if there is anything you've been loving this week and think I should try out too!

Anyways, toddles, I hope you lovely people of the inter-webs have a wonderful week

xoxo,

Haley 

The Perfect Pair: Red Lips

"Beauty, to me, is about being comfortable in your own skin. That, or a kick-ass red lipstick"

-Gwenyth Paltrow 

Everyone, I mean everyone can wear a red lipstick. It's classic and it's sexy. 

Women ask all the time if they can wear a red lip, the answer will always be yes. Just do it.

I have found the perfect red lipstick pair to make your pout last all day and by all day I seriously mean like 8-9 hrs of wear without touching up the color. 

Stain first, lipstick second, touch up edges with concealer. Viola! 

1. Stila Stay all day Liquid Lipstick in Beso

2. MAC Satin Lipstick in m.a.c. Red 

The stain locks in the color and is quite matte so putting the lipstick over it intensifies the color and adds a slight shine to the lips. 

So if you haven't already tried red lipstick, do it. 

It's always "in." Always. So give it a go! 

xoxo,

Haley 

Electric Blue

Sometimes a pop of color is just what you need. 

This electric blue eyeliner is the perfect way to add a pop to an otherwise neutral face. 

I wore this to work yesterday and just about every client I worked with commented on the liner. 

Next colors to try: Kelly Green, White, Teal...basically any other color that can be made into an eyeliner. 

Eyes: Lorac Pro Palette eyeshadows White and Mauve. Nyx Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk. Nyx Studio Liquid Liner in Extreme Blue.

Lips: Rimmel Moisture Renew in Nude Delight. Urdan Decay Naked Glosess in Streak. 

Have a lovely day

xoxo,

Haley 

The Things of Today

 

The sun is shining, the birds are singing, the drinks are being poured and I think I saw a flower that looked like it wanted to bloom. Spring has kind of, almost arrived.  The south has been graced with a few days of lovely warm weather and I'm not alone in trying to make the most of it. These past few days have been filled with outdoorsy type things, mostly sun bathing, but that counts as being outdoorsy right? 

Lazy spring days call for minimal makeup and maximum sun. Today was no exception. 

Top Photo: Forever 21 stud earrings. Hawaiian Tropic after sun lotion. Orly nail lacquer in Lemonade. Vintage sunnies. Urban Outfitters globe watch.

Face: Urban Decay Beauty Balm. Anastasia Tinted Brow Gel in Granite. NYX blush in Terracota. Bare Minerals Lash Domination Mascara. Maybelline Vivid lipstick in Electric Orange. 

Hopefully the weather in your neck of the woods is just as nice, Happy Spring!

xoxo, 

Haley 

The Game Changers

You know when you try something and you can actually tell a difference afterwards. It's a rare magical 

moment when this occurs, grab this moment and hold on to it with all your might. It's a game changer. 

I've done that with these two wonderful products: Josie Maran Argan Oil Light & Sephora Triple Action Cleansing Water. I change my skincare routine quite frequently but these are two gems that I make sure to always use.

I use the cleansing water after I wash my face to further remove my makeup and all the glorious grime that otherwise settles into our pores. I seriously use this product every night, no matter what. This is actually my third bottle and I try to tell as many client and friends about it, as its one of those rare products you can tell a difference with.

Our next gem is Josie Maran Argan oil Light, this is a face oil meant for all skin types to help repair the skin and improve texture and elasticity. I use this product every night, without fail, it gives you an undeniable glow without looking oily on the skin. This oil deeply nourishes and soothes the skin which is wonderful if you have any inflammation or dry/flakey patches. It can also be used on hair, nails and body although I find it works best as a facial oil. I apply this after my serum as a moisturizer, if I'm having a particularly dry evening I'll apply a cream over it as well. This is my second bottle of the travel size and as soon as I run out I'll be repurchasing the full size!  

If you give these babies a try hopefully they change the game for you too!
xoxo,
Haley 

Sunday Stunners 2

Another week is over already? Jeeze. This weekend was filled with bridal, pageant and prom makeup. Which is fun, but gets slightly repetitive after 9 hours of it. I've also realized a majority of people are still scared of red lips *sigh* 

Anyways, I wanted to share with you lovely people the beauty things along with the rando things I've been loving this week!

True Blue Spa Hand Cream: This stuff is magic. This magical cream is a gift from my dearest neighbor, she gives it to me every year for Christmas and I'm forever grateful. It seriously makes your hands feel like cashmere, hence the name I suppose. 

Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick: This is in the color Nude Delight, a warm flesh toned nude. I've been wearing this lipstick with pretty much every eye look I've rocked this week and it goes with ev-erry-thang. Not to mention that the formula is super moisturizing, no awkward lip cracks over here. Woohoo!

Sephora Nail Polish: I'll be the first to say that I definitely didn't give these polishes a chance...that being said, they rock! I especially love this color (Hot In Here) and I'm excited to give the other colors a go. While they don't have the longest lasting formula I still found them quite nice with a top coat. 

Nars Larger Than Life Long-Wear Eyeliner: Holy long wearing. These eyeliners are waterproof, smudge proof and last pretty much forever. Ze color I have is Via De' Martelli, this eyeliner is the main reason I've been wearing so many neutral eyes this past week, it's the perfect compliment to neutral shadows. I love it!  

Forever 21 Earrings: These turquoise studs have been my go to for the past few weeks actually. They add a pop of color to any look and actually feel like much better quality than the $1.99 I paid for them. 

Game of Thrones: This show is my jam. Currently I'm re-watching season 3 to prep for the upcoming season 4 and it has just reminded me how much I really love/hate but really love but realllllly hate but ultimately love pretty much every character. At least at one point this season every character has been my favorite, besides Geoffrey, screw that kid. I'll never like him..I think. Either way I can't wait for season 4 and if you have no idea what I'm talking about you really need to get your life in order and watch this show.

And here is a picture of my niece trying to get her rubber ducky during bath time. Dawww. 

As you can probably tell I've been playing around with photoshop. Too gaudy? I'm not sure how I feel about the editing yet. 

Have a fabulous week guys!

xoxo, 

Haley 

Neutralize

This was a neutral look I wore to work yesterday. It was quick and easy and most importantly it lasted through a whole 9 hr shift, yay for setting spray! 

eyes: Too Faced Chocolate Bar palette. Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliner in Demolition. Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes mascara.

Face: L'Oreal True Match Lumi foundation. Benefit Hoola bronzer. Benefit Rockateur blush. MAC Soft and Gentle mineralized skinfinish. Urban Decay All Nighter setting spray. 

Happy Friday Everyone! 

xoxo,

Haley  

Inspiration

Where do you find inspiration?

I recently went through a huge stack of old magazines I had and pulled out any pictures that inspired me. Some of the pics are inspiration for my portfolio, some are for clients and others are for me to push the boundaries of the makeup I wear day to day. 

Specifically I was inspired to try dark lips this winter, cobalt blue eyeliner, and 'messy' smokey eyes. For spring I'm excited to try orange lips, pastel eyes and white liner. 

I also recently tried more creative liner, colored eyebrows and glitter lips for my portfolio. This type of creative makeup is my favorite to do, it's fun to play around and see what you come up with!

While I also love looking at Pintrest and other websites to find inspiration there's something about advertisements and editorials that are inspiring to me. I love to flip through the pages and admire all the hard work and creativity that goes into producing those shots. 

xoxo,

Haley 

Wishing

I am having a "no shopping" month. *le sigh* 

So I compiled a list of all the things I would want to buy if I was shopping.

A wish list, if you will.

1. YSL Babydoll Mascara: (It has a longer name but I decided to shorten it) I've heard wonderful things about this mascara and can't wait to try it. 

2. Tarte Amazonian Clay Full Coverage Airbrush Foundation: Yes. Just Yes. I tried this out in a Sephora and it was the most beautiful powder foundation and I swear it looked better as the day wore on. 

3. Lime Crime D'lilac: Gorgeous. Not the most wearable lipstick but gorgeous. 

4. Zoeva Rose Golden Luxury Set: Who doesn't love rose gold is the real question? And rose gold brushes? Come to mama. 

5. Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Foundation: Stunning foundation, gives you the skin you wish you were born with. 

So here's to saving money and hoping that March speeds by. Cheers!

xoxo,

Haley 

Mint Julep

When you think of spring what color comes to mind? For me it's mint green and daisy yellow. Though I never think of putting these colors on my eyes, Stila has recently released these colors as part of their smudge stick line for spring. 

Not long after their release I snatched up the mint green color (Mint Julep) and have been loving it ever since! My favorite way to rock the spring color is with a dark smokey eye so that the pastel green really pops. And in typical Stila smudge stick fashion the color stays popping all day long, I wore this particular green in my waterline for an 8hr workday and it didn't budge. This color will look gorgeous on any skin tone and it will seriously pop against tan and deeper skin tones. I plan on using this smudged into the upper lash line and winging it out when I have a nice little tan in the summer months.  

I would recommend the Still Smudge Sticks in any color for anyone looking for a long-wearing waterproof eyeliner. They are truly fabulous! 

xoxo

Haley 

Sunday Stunners

Sunday Funday, or shall I say Stunday?! 

This week I've discovered a new favorite foundation, fragrance and lipgloss; Oh my! You know those weeks where you get stuck in a rut and use the same products over and over again? That was me this past week, never the less I still bring you some of my stunners from the past seven days that will hopefully stun you too! 

Clear Coffee Mug:

This gem has been my favorite mug for a few weeks now, I picked it up at Marshalls for a whopping $3.99 and haven't been able to put it down since. Although it does go to show how much cream and sugar I reallllly use in my coffee. Let's just say it's an alarming amount. 

Urban Decay Naked Lipgloss: Streak 

The formulation of the new UD lip glosses are phenomenal, seriously, hands down my favorite. They aren't sticky and goopy, they don't wear off funky and leave a super sexy line and best of all they're nourishing. These lip glosses are made with avocado oil, vitamin E and shea butter; they're like a balm and a gloss had the most perfect little baby. My only complaint is that I wish the colors were a little more pigmented, each color sheers out when you apply it. Streak is a beautiful coral that I pair over a nude lipstick to add a hint of color. You can find these at Sephora for $20.

Elizabeth and James Nirvana Black: 

This is my new favorite fragrance, for the winter at least. It's a sensual scent that lingers on the skin nicely and I swear it smells better over time. It's a little bit vanilla-y and a little bit musk-y but in the most fabulous way, I would definitely recommend giving it a whiff.  

Anchor 'above the knuckle' Ring:

I know, I know I'm late to the above the knuckle ring trend. But trust me, I've hopped on the bandwagon now! They're awesome! Every time I wear this Forever 21 ring someone comments on it, which is great because I'm constantly working with my hands. I am now on the hunt for more, they're a lot harder to find than I thought. 

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua:

Holy Mother of amazing foundation. I'm normally a full coverage kind of girl, I like it to go on thick and cover alllll the blemishes. That being said, this was a stunning foundation. It was extremely light but offered all the coverage my rosy cheeks needed, it gave the skin an airbrushed appearance and it lasted over 9 hours while I was at work.  Like I said, Holy Mother of amazing foundations. I only tried a little sample packet but I'm sold, I will definitely go purchase this once I get my summer color in place. It's wonderful, if you have a face you need to try this! 

Have a stunning week! 

xoxo, 

Haley