Tag: anastasia

Eyebrow Routine!

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Eyebrows are essential. I seriously fear leaving my house without having them done…they frame my face and compliment the makeup that I put on. I have naturally full eyebrows, but they're totally different shapes and heights…LOL isn't the saying, "eyebrows are sisters, not twins?" Well, mine are like two distant cousins that live on opposite sides of the country. I do have my good brow (right side) and I can always count on it remaining thick and fluffy, but also nicely arched. My ol' bad brow (left side) is quite a troublemaker and always makes me spend extra time trying to make it symmetrical.

I have used countless brow pencils, powders and pomades. After years of trial and error, I feel like I've finally found a combination that gives me the eyebrows that I love most; natural and bushy! I know what you're thinking, what about tweezing/waxing/threading?! I try to maintain some sort of an arch and pluck any stray hairs underneath the brow and in the middle, but I've stayed away from removing any hair above my eyebrow. It's helped me grow out the horribly over-plucked, sperm shaped mess that took years to undo (thank you, 8th grade) and it gives me more of an undone, natural effect. I love 80's supermodel eyebrows, think Brooke Shields and Cindy Crawford. These ladies brushed their hairs straight up and usually sprayed hairspray on their spoolie to keep them in tact. You definitely don't have to go for this look if you don't like it! It is totally fine if you prefer a more precise, clean brow, I think that look is so beautiful too! I've just had a lot of requests to post an eyebrow routine and I wanted to show you how I've been filling them in lately!

Anastasia Dip Brow Pomade, "Chocolate" and Anastasia #12 Angled Brush.


Anastasia Tinted Brow Gel, "Chocolate" and Givenchy Mister Brow Groom.

  1. These are just my all-natural eyebrows! Something for you to compare for a before and after! ☺️
  2. I always use my Anastasia Dip Brow Pomade. One little jar of this stuff lasts forever and it will never fade throughout the day. I find that it's just the easiest way for me to fill in my brows in a natural way. Using an angled brush, with a spoolie on the other end, also helps me get this done precisely and quickly! I first draw a line underneath the brow to get a defined shape. I always start on the bottom because you can just brush excess product upwards if you apply too much, it's incredibly harder to correct when you start from the top. I focus on emphasizing my arch and extending the tail of my eyebrow as well. With the spoolie side of my brush, I gently swipe any extra product into the hairs, making sure to cover any blank spots.
  3. Now I move onto the top. You can see that I've drawn a pretty harsh line to carve out my arch. This also helps me create additional symmetry and give an illusion that they're the same height.
  4. I've blended all of the lines into the eyebrow hair and brushed through everything a few times with the spoolie. It is so important during this entire routine to never put excess product towards the front of the brows. That's when things can get very unnatural looking! Instead, I take whatever is left on my brush at the very end of the sculpting process and gently fluff it through the front part to lightly shade it in.
  5. I used the Anastasia Tinted Brow Gel to give some highlights and dimension to the hairs. It also helps warm them up a little and match my current hair color a bit more. I love this eyebrow gel on its own, but of course I'm extra and add another one in the mix.
  6. I applied some of my Givenchy Mister Brow Groom and used the applicator to brush upwards on my hairs. This is a clear gel, so it's totally fine if a little gets on your skin from brushing them straight. This product is so pricey, but if you have hairs that fall or get wild throughout the day, it may be worth it. This stuff is like superglue and I love fluffing the front section of my eyebrows with this product. It also helps separate each hair and will help you look like you just naturally have beautiful, bushy brows!

What is your must-have eyebrow product? Have you ever tried any hair growth products that helped you get thick, full brows? Let me know! The bushier, the better and I just want the type of eyebrows that could make Lily Collins envious! I really appreciate you checking out my blog and reading this post! Feel free to leave me suggestions on what I should write about next!

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June Favorites!

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M.A.C Cosmetics Lipstick, “Del Rio,” $17. Anastasia Beverly Hills DIPBROW Pomade, “Ash Brown,” $18. ColourPop Highlight Super Shock Cheek Pearlized, “Wisp,” $8. Real Techniques Bold Metals 300 Tapered Blush Brush, $18.99. Starbucks, Stainless Steel Clip Handle Tumbler – Mint, 16 fl oz., $22.95. Keurig K-Cup Pack 18-Count The Original Donut Shop Vanilla Cream Puff Coffee, $11.99. FunKo Pop Figure, Phoebe Buffay, $11.99. Nordstrom, Treasure&Bond Cuffed Denim Boyfriend Shorts, $39.90. Nordstrom, Ray-Ban ‘Original Aviator’ 58mm Polarized Sunglasses, $200. Tory Burch, Sedgewick Ballet Flat, Blond, $175 (On Sale).


  

Beauty

M.A.C Cosmetics Lipstick, “Del Rio” 

My first favorite is the M.A.C Cosmetics Lipstick in the shade Del Rio. The color is described online as a muted plum-brown, but I find that on my lips, it looks more red-brown. I bought this product thinking it was going to be a dark mauve color that looks like the rest of my favorite every day lipsticks, but instead it stands out for its unique terracotta hue. I love that this is a satin finish that feels hydrating, without being sticky like a standard lip gloss. Since my lips do tend to dry out during the summer months, I try to branch out from the popular matte formulas. This lipstick is also amazing because once it stains your lips once wearing off, leaving a pretty natural flush to your lips.    

     

Anastasia Beverly Hills DIPBROW Pomade, “Ash Brown”

Known as the queen of eyebrows, Anastasia always creates the best brow products! The DIPBROW pomade is known as a product that will fill in your eyebrows and provide a natural looking color to any sparse areas. The formula is waterproof and performs amazing in the hot weather. One of my biggest fears is to sweat an eyebrow off, so knowing that they will stay in place through sweating and random summer rain showers gives me peace of mind. I love the shade “Ash Brown” because it’s dark enough for definition, but does not look harsh in natural settings. The best way to apply this product is with a very thin, angled brush to create natural-like hair strokes. It took me about a week to get the hang of using this product, but once I mastered the application technique, I don’t think I’ll ever go back to a standard brow pencil! Not to mention, since using the DIPBROW pomade, I have cut down the time it takes me to do my eyebrows in half, which also makes this product very valuable to my makeup routine!

  

ColourPop Highlight Super Shock Cheek Pearlized, “Wisp”

Since it’s June favorites, I had to include the highlight shade I’ve been loving on the tops of my cheeks all month! It is only $8 and of course, from ColourPop! Their Super Shock Cheek in the shade, “Wisp” is amazing! The color is described as a golden champagne with pearlized gold duo chrome finishes. It is seriously such amazing quality for the price since it is so smooth and shiny on the cheeks, rather than glittery (which is common with less-expensive highlights). I have swatched this shade side-by-side with the Becca highlight in “Opal” and it is an exact dupe! Not to mention, this formula is extremely long lasting throughout the summer heat, which is always a bonus. I would mention that if you are extremely fair skinned, you may find that this highlight is too golden on you! I would recommend ColourPop’s highlight in the shade “Lunch Money” or “Spoon” if you have fair-to-light skin tones because they are very bright and light shades that will compliment your complexion beautifully.

    

Real Techniques Bold Metals 300 Tapered Blush Brush

I have a brush to include as well! The Real Techniques Bold Metals 300 Tapered Blush Brush is an amazing, affordable brush for any powder makeup product. My favorite way to use this brush is to press my loose translucent powder into my under eye area and set my liquid concealer before it creases. The brush is very soft and dense, making it ideal to blend powder products seamlessly on the face. Since the dome-shape of the brush is more ideal for sweeping product onto the skin, your liquid makeup will not be disturbed from excessive blending. I also love this brush for blush because it picks up just the right amount of product and is awesome at shading in the apples of your cheeks. For the price, this brush looks and feels extremely luxurious, which is an additional bonus!


Lifestyle

Starbucks, Stainless Steel Clip Handle Tumbler

This coffee mug is SO GOOD! I had previously been using a Tervis Tumbler as a coffee cup because they’re known for being remarkably insulated and keeping hot liquids, hot! This cup from Starbucks puts my old Tervis to shame! It truly keeps my coffee hot (not warm; hot) for hours! I usually brew my K-Cup at 7:30am and my coffee will remain at that initial temp until 11am. It is really that good! I also love the mint color because it’s muted, but stands out amongst the other silver and black coffee cups. Plus this one has a flexible rubber handle because that has a clip attached so you can attach it to your purse or backpack. You need this cup if you are a coffee lover!     

Keurig K-Cup Pack 18-Count The Original Donut Shop Vanilla Cream Puff Coffee

Since I am mentioning my favorite coffee cup, I also wanted to mention my favorite coffee! I am currently obsessed with the “Vanilla Cream Puff” medium roasted coffee from The Original Donut Shop because it has a hint of sweetness, that isn’t artificial or over-the-top. I don’t like adding creamer or sugar to my coffee on an every day basis, so it’s nice to have a mild and flavorful coffee that I can brew and go during the mornings when I’m rushing off to work!

FunKo Pop Figure, Phoebe Buffay

I wanted to include this in my June Favorites because it is something that makes me smile whenever I look at it! Friends is one of my all-time favorite television series and Phoebe is my favorite character, so having this on my desk makes me feel like a true fan girl! I recently started re-watching the seasons on Netflix and I just wanted to throw it out there that if you haven’t watched Friends yet, you really should! It is a show that will brighten any bad days and make you laugh out loud, which sometimes is necessary amongst the craziness of current popular television series. This show is just relaxing and uplifting to watch, so Friends and my Phoebe Buffay figure are definitely favorites every month of the year!

Fashion

Nordstrom, Treasure&Bond Cuffed Denim Boyfriend Shorts

Finally, I’ve found the perfect denim shorts! Recently, I’ve been having a tough time finding shorts that are an appropriate length for a 24 year-old, but also have a trendy look to them. These are amazing! The 4 inch inseam ensures you aren’t showing your butt cheeks throughout the day, but also is short enough to look like shorts. The material is denim, but it is noticeably stretchy, which makes them extremely comfortable to wear through any circumstance. I love that the cuffs around the thighs are sewn to stay folded, so you don’t have to worry about them falling down and having to constantly re-fold. If you are in between sizes, I recommend the larger size because they are a bit small around the thighs (depending on your body shape) and would probably be more comfortable a bit looser, than tight! I already ordered two other washes in these shorts because they are that great, so you need them!

    
Nordstrom, Ray-Ban ‘Original Aviator’ 58mm Polarized Sunglasses

I love these sunglasses so much because they’re not only a classic style, but they also provide serious sun protection! The polarized lenses definitely make a huge difference, so trust me when I say it’s worth the extra money to get the polarized styles! My first pair of Ray-Ban’s were not polarized and I never knew what made them so special from other cheaper sunglasses (besides the brand name) but now that I have used the polarized for a couple years, I think they are a must have for anyone who cares about protecting their eyes and are particularly sensitive to light! I wear these with casual and dressy outfits and find that the aviator style truly goes with everything. The metal frames are such nice quality and feel more comfortable than plastic frames, which can tend to be tight on my big head. I want to continue buying polarized Ray-Bans, so let me know your favorite style so I can add to my collection!

   
Tory Burch, Sedgewick Ballet Flat, Blond

These flats were a major splurge for me! I don’t like spending a lot on shoes, but I could justify buying a pair in a neutral color that I could wear every day to work. I was expecting these flats to look beautiful, since they’re Tory Burch, but I was shocked at how comfortable they are too! I did not have to break them in after buying them, nor did they leave any bruises or blisters on my feet, like most shoes do on my feet! They go perfectly with all of my work outfits and I am always receiving compliments on them! Luckily I picked them up when they were on sale and could use an extra 10% off coupon code too! I just checked the website and they are now an additional 30% off and still in stock!

   
Thank you so much for taking the time to read about my monthly favorites for June! These posts are so much fun for me to write, so I hope you enjoyed! Let me know the products you have been loving all month long!

That Glow Though!

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A major Spring beauty trend is to look glowy and fresh! By using products that have shimmer and other light reflecting properties, you can give your skin a “lit from within” look. Sometimes it’s hard to maintain a glow without looking greasy throughout the day. If you have combination to oily skin, you may find it hard to incorporate this trend into your daily routine. However, I have some strategies to help you create that healthy, natural glow without looking oily.

  
For this entire makeup look, I am using the new Anastasia Glow Kit in the color “That Glow.” This is an incredible value when you break it down and realize that for only $40 you are getting FOUR very different, but wearable highlighters! The formula on this product is amazing! The smooth texture gives more of a dewy effect, rather than straight shimmer on your face, which is nice if you want to go for a more natural look! 

 

Anastasia Beverly Hills Glow Kit, $40


 

Swatches of each shade on my olive skin tone!

  

   
To begin this look, you need to start by priming your face. This will create a smooth canvas for foundation and powder to lay on. Some highlighters are problematic in the sense that they cling to texture on the face. If you have a breakout or enlarged pores, you may find that your unprimed face will emphasize these areas with added shimmer. 

   
I choose to use a combination of a hydrating primer and a mattifying, pore minimizing primer. My favorite combination is to use the Too Faced Hangover Replenishing Face Primer all over my face and the NYX Angel Veil Primer in my oily t-zone and the places I have enlarged pores.

     
With a damp beauty blender, I begin applying a mattifying foundation all over my face to make sure my natural oils do not break through the rest of my makeup throughout the day. A great, inexpensive foundation is the L’Oreal Infallible Pro Matte Foundation. This will make sure your highlight doesn’t turn into a slippery mess within a couple hours of wear.

     
The most important step, is to set your face with a translucent powder! My favorite is the Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder because it never looks cakey and does not alter the color of your foundation. This will lock in all of the liquids applied to the face and create a soft canvas to blend powders on! 

      
The next step is totally optional, but it’s what makes my highlight last all day long. With my fingertips, I place some of Benefit Cosmetics Watt’s Up cream highlighter on my cheekbones, down the bridge of my nose, underneath my eyebrows and on my Cupid’s bow. These are the areas on the face you want to highlight, since they naturally catch sunlight. I set those places I placed the cream highlight with whatever powder highlight I choose for the day! I’ve noticed I receive the most compliments and questions on the highlighter I’m wearing whenever I do this extra step! 

Too Faced Hangover Replenishing Face Primer, $32. NYX Angel Veil Skin Perfecting Primer, $15.99. L’Oreal Infallible Pro-Matte 24HR Foundation, $12.99. Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder, $38. Benefit Cosmetics Watt’s Up! Cream Highlighter, $30.

Now check out these awkward photos of me trying to capture the difference between an all matte face and a highlighted one! 

Before

  

After


  

I hope you enjoyed this in depth look at highlighting and learned some great tips along the way! And I know when that highlight bling, that can only mean one thing…(that you did in fact read this blog post.)