Top five Beauty YouTubers I love!

Hey guys! I get compliments on my makeup all the time, people are always asking me how I learned to do makeup. My secret? YouTube tutorials and makeup reviews. Most of the techniques I've learned were through watching different videos, I also get reviews on different products from these five YouTube gurus. These are not the only people I watch, but I find these five personalities to be the most helpful in terms of technique and honest reviews. In no particular order, here are my top five favorites! 

1. Lisa Eldridge http://www.youtube.com/user/lisaeldridgedotcom

Lisa Eldridge is a professional makeup artist who works with many celebrities such as Keira Knightley, Cameron Diaz, and Emma Watson. Her channel has includes simple everyday looks to glamorous red carpet looks with easy to follow instructions. I love her voice, its very soothing to listen to and she often mixes high-end makeup with drugstore makeup. I also love her period inspired looks, she explains the history of different makeup trends and what inspired them. Lisa is the person I recommend to a novice makeup wearer who needs a channel to learn basic techniques.

2. Tati, Glamlifeguru http://www.youtube.com/user/GlamLifeGuru

Tati Westbrook's channel is all about makeup and fashion. She produces content five days a week ranging from product reviews, vlogs, tips and tutorials. Her channel is what I usually have on while I'm doing my make up in the morning and I've bought makeup on her recommendation. I have yet to be disappointed by anything she's recommended! Her reviews are in depth and she tells you what she likes or dislikes about a brand. I have noticed she tends to like more high-end stuff, but her drugstore brand recommendations are always spot on and perform just as good as a high-end product.

3. Shannon, Shaaanxo http://www.youtube.com/user/shaaanxo

Shannon is a beauty blogger from New Zealand, her channel includes makeup reviews and tutorials. She has the best eye makeup looks, she's not scared of veering away from the normal natural and smokey eye looks. Her accent is another one that's nice to listen to and during Halloween she posts some of the easiest to follow costume ideas. I'm not a huge fan of the heavy foundation usage so I mostly watch her to get inspiration for unique eye looks but she knows how to play up her best features. She has one of the biggest makeup collections that I've seen on YouTube. Seriously, her makeup organization and storage system is fantastic, I would invest in something similar if I could afford to!

4. Emily Noel, Beauty Broadcast http://www.youtube.com/user/emilynoel83
                                                         http://www.youtube.com/user/beautybroadcastx
Emily Eddington is a former news anchor who blogs about makeup. She posts both reviews and tutorials on her channels and has a segment on Fridays where her husband reviews different life products. Her approach to reviews is more academic and professional in nature, her news anchor experience is pretty evident when you watch her channels. She tells you the pros and cons of each item, how they perform when compared to other products and she includes a demo of how the product looks on. Her Beauty Broadcast express channel has quick product, to the point product reviews while her Emily Noel channel has videos that are longer in length.

5. Kristina K http://www.youtube.com/user/Bunchbox

Kristina K is a newer blogger that I've started watching, I believe she's from Australia. Her channel consists of reviews and tutorials, she's one of those people that doesn't really need makeup since she's naturally pretty. She isn't as well known as the other four bloggers I featured, but I think she has the potential to be successful. Her personality and makeup looks are fun to watch, she also uses a lot of drugstore makeup. I feel like she's pretty consistent on using the same products in different ways, while its nice to know about the newest beauty items out there, its refreshing to see someone using the stuff they are recommending often.

These are the five gurus on YouTube that I look forward to watching every week, they have different personalities and experience levels, but you learn a lot through watching them. Just a little disclaimer, makeup is supposed to be fun so don't watch a tutorial and feel like you have to copy every single thing that person is doing. Everyone has different features and skin types so you should keep that in mind when watching these gurus and adjust accordingly. You are not going to look exactly like the person doing a tutorial, but you can tweak different looks to work for you. I hope you enjoyed this review, tell me down in the comment section who your favorite YouTube beauty guru are! 

What's in my bag? Tag!

Hey everyone! Today's blog is the "what's in my bag" tag where I show you what I have in my bag. 

First up, the bag:

This is the "Eight" bag by under one sky. I really like how spacious and compartmentalized this bag is. The flap unzips so that you can put stuff innot, I usually put the stuff I usually put in my makeup bag there. It looks like a small crossbodybag but it actually fits a lot of stuff. I love the gold metal detailing on the front of the bag and the shoulder strap is really comfortable. 

The electronics:

I always carry my iPhone in my bag. At the moment I don't have a case for it since I just got the iPhone 6 yesterday, but normally I do have one on it to prevent it from getting scratched. I also usually have either my iPad mini or Nintebdo 3ds in my bag for the mode moments when I have a few moments to myself. I don't normally have both in my bag, it just depends on if I have a new book or game. My iPhone charger is a staple in my bag and if I have my 3ds in my bag, I'll have the charger and my hello kitty game case in my bag. 

Beauty stuff:

I always put in a hand lotion in my bag just in case I need it, currently I have my Mitchell and Peach hand lotion that I got in my glossy box. My son has Eczema so I have a sample of his Aveeno and medicated lotion that was recomeded for his breakouts. 

I don't know if I'm the only one, but somehow I always end up with a minimum of four lipsticks in my bag, sometimes even more if I forget to clean my bag every week! Currently I have NYC expert last lipstick in "Berry Me", NYC intense lip color in "Riverside Rose", NYX butter lipstick in "Pops", and NYX pump it up lip plumper in "Elizabeth. I always have a lip balm in my bag, this is the new Chapstick hydration lock that was sent to me as a birchbox extra in my September birchbox. 

The NYC eyebrow kit in brunette is another makeup product found in my bag, I like that it has a brush, tweezers, wax and powder in it. It comes in handy when I'm running late and forget to fill in my eyebrows when they're looking sparse or if I need to pluck a few stray hairs. The last item is a perfume sample from Viva La Juicy in "Gold Couture" that I got in my birchbox that I ended up liking. I stuck it in my bag just in case I forget to spritz on some fragrance.

"Other" stuff:

The last things in my bag are just items found in most women's bags. My work ID is on a retractable Hello Kitty clip that I bought from a lady at work. I love colored pens, so I have a nice assortment of them in my bag as well as my Juicy Couture leather wallet and feminine products. I also normally have one of Leo's toys in my bag, he ended up taking  it when I was dumping my bag out! 

That's pretty much what I normally have in my bag, I hope you enjoyed reading my blog! I tag my bestie Lien from love.life.lien (http://lovelifelien.wordpress.com).. What's in YOUR bag Lien? *cheeky grin*

Xoxo, 

Shirley 

Top five under five! Makeup products I love...

Today's blog is about my top five favorite makeup products under five dollars. I've been wanting to do this blog for awhile but kept forgetting to. It was pretty hard to narrow this list down to just five items, there are a ton of drugstore products that I love to use but I would end up with a list of hundreds of items so I narrowed it down to five products that I feel almost every makeup addict could use in their collection. I may do a part two later on, but for now, here are my top five items under five dollars in no particular order. Enjoy!

1. Rimmel Clean finish Matte Foundation 3.97-4.99

This is my current favorite drugstore foundation, I have oily skin and this foundation doesn't break down right away like others do, maybe towards the end of my day I find myself getting a little shiny on my t-zone area.. It leaves you with a matte finish and it isn't a super heavy foundation. This is a medium coverage foundation, I find it covers up imperfections decently and doesn't settle into fine lines. The only con I have with this product is that it doesn't come in a wide range of colors, so finding your correct color match can be a little tricky. I find that Natural beige is a decent color match but I do need to warm up my complexion with some bronzer since it can be a shade too light for my skin tone during the summer. Overall, I really do like this foundation and wish that Rimmel would introduce some deeper shades for darker skin tones.

2. NYC Expert Last lipsticks $1.99

I am loving these lipsticks! They glide on smoothly and stay on for a few hours before they need to be reapplied. They go on opaque with one swipe, the only color I really had issues with so far is the Expert last in "Smooch", but I do have pigmented lips and have issues with lighter colors in many makeup lines. I like that they wear off evenly and don't leave that weird outline on your lips. They aren't super moisturizing but they also aren't a drying formula, I think for the price you get a really nice lipstick. The packaging could be better, the lipstick doesn't fully retract down so you do have to be careful when you put the cap back on. They come in fifteen different colors and I personally haven't had issues with the lipstick feathering or bleeding all over my lips. My three favorite ones are "Berry me", "Modern Love", and "Purple Crush". NYC also has a 99 cent lipstick line called the Ultra Moist lip line that's also pretty good, I prefer the expert lip line but my favorite colors in the Ultra Moist line are retro red and sheer red.

3. E.L.F essential eyelid primer $1

One dollar. Yup, you heard me, I said one dollar! E.L.F cosmetics can be pretty hit or miss, but one of their better products is the eyelid primer in their essential line. I use both this and the Urban decay original primer potion ($12) and I can honestly say there isn't much of a difference. I refuse to buy the urban decay version, I only use it whenever I get it as a sample with whatever eyeshadow set I receive it in, but once that runs out I always go back to my E.L.F primer! It makes your shadow go on smoothly and more pigmented and lasts most of the day without creasing. The Urban Decay primer potion does last a little longer and make certain shadows appear a little brighter then the E.L.F version does, but for an eleven dollar savings, I can deal with it! Honestly, I tend to take off my makeup as soon as I get home to reduce breakouts, so it's not like I need it to last longer then 6-8 hours anyway!

4. E.L.F Studio Brushes $3

E.L.F also has a brush line, two to be exact! They have their essentials brush line that retail for a dollar and their studio brush line that retails for three. Personally, I like their studio brush line, I find that the essentials line can be pretty hit or miss in terms of product quality control, but I've yet to have an issue with their studio line. Another item I'd like to mention is their studio eyebrow kit which also retails for three dollars, I didn't want to overrun this post with all of my favorite E.L.F products, but I'll make sure to do a full review and post in the future on my favorite E.L.F products. They also run sales if you buy E.L.F online, you can occasionally catch a 50% off sale and that's a great time to stock up and try out their new items.If you sign up for their newsletter, you'll get email alerts whenever they are doing specials, so I recommend signing up online! Their online store also has a lot more colorsand products then what is found at Walmart and Target, so make sure to check it out here.

5.  Sinful Color nail polish $1.99

The last product that I wanted to share is the Sinful colors nail polish line. This line comes in a large variety of colors and finishes. Many of my close friends know that I'm a HUGE nail junkie, I've tried many high and drugstore brands but this one is one of my favorites. You can usually find many dupes for popular and cult favorites, I've been enjoying their Sinful shine line lately. Most colors are opaque in two coats and I haven't had issues with immediate chipping with any of this brands colors.The quality of this brand is amazing, I still can't get over how affordable this line is!

There you have it, my top five under five favorite makeup products. I hope you enjoyed this blog, make sure to comment below if you agree or disagree and tell me what's your top five under five. See you on my next blog!

xoxo!
-Shirley

Kiss Gel Fantasy

Today's review and how to guide is on the Kiss Gel Fantasy nails. I was sent a box by Influenster for review, my opinions are my own experiences with this product. I have not been paid to endorse this product. With that being said, this isn't the first time I've tries nails by Kiss. I have used them in the past and have always been a fan of them! On my nails they normally last about a week, but it really depends. I'm a mother of a toddler and work in an office setting, so I tend to do a lot with my hands. A little background on my nail habits, I don't like to put acrylics on, nor do I have the time to go to the nail salon anymore and prefer shorter nails since I do have an active toddler. I think these are great for moms to have around for those special occasions when you want your nails to look like you've gone to the salon at a fraction of the price. Read below for my mini tutorial! Make sure to prep your nails by taking off any existing nail polish and pushing back your cuticles.

Step 1: Select the correct nail size for your nails.
Kiss Gel Fantasy ready to wear nails come in 24 different sizes. Select the correct size for your nails by trying them on each nail and picking the appropriate size for each nail.

Step 2: Choose if you want to use the pink gel glue or adhesive tabs.
Personally, I like to use the glue over the adhesive tabs since to me the glue feels less bulky and makes the nails stay on your nail longer.

Step 3: Put glue/tabs onto fake nail and press it firmly onto your own nail. 
I'm hoping this is common sense for most of you, but in order to get the fake nails onto your own, you'll have to place them on your own nail. I like to wait a few seconds to let the glue set.

Step 4: Repeat process on the rest of your nails.
To.. you know finish up the manicure. Unless you like having only one flashy nail done, then ignore this step. *grins*

Step 5: File nails to your liking. 
Take a moment to gently file the nails to smooth out the tips.

Step 6: Enjoy your newly manicured nails!
Now.. that was easy, don't you agree? A fresh manicure for a fraction of what you would pay at a nail salon, that's what I'm talking about!

I hope this post was helpful, let me know your own tips and tricks for using press on nails in the comments below!

Cover girl- Ready, Set, Gorgeous Review

 Hey guys! Today's review is on a new collection at the drugstore by Covergirl. It's the Ready, Set, Gorgeous line that's been popping up everywhere lately, Katy Perry is the spokesperson for this line and it's marketed using the hash tag: #instaglam. I bought the fresh complexion foundation, concealer, and fresh complexion powder foundation.

This line seems to be geared towards a younger age-group with its focus on social media and fresh packaging as well as oil control. The entire line lacks SPF, which could be a big miss for those who like a little sun protection in their foundations but it has an interesting number system. Once you pick the shade you like in the liquid foundation you can easily find the corresponding concealer and powder foundation. Overall, I think covergirl did a great job on making this line trendy and I can definitely see consumers getting sucked in to try it out thanks to the packaging and feel this line gives you. Continue reading for my thoughts each product!

Ready, Set Gorgeous liquid foundation

I loved this, I feel that it was the best product from the line. It's not too heavy of a consistency and feels light on your skin, giving you a matte finish. It's not a full coverage foundation, more of an everyday medium coverage but it does keep you matte for the majority of the day. My skin is oily and I was impressed with how it helped control my oil, even through a work-out! If you have dry to normal skin, you might not like this, but for us oily women, it gets the job done. I did use a setting powder since it's a liquid foundation, but compared to other similar products that I have tried in the past, this controlled my oil from peeking through it the best. I would recommend that if you only want to buy one product from this line, you NEED this one!

Ready, Set, Gorgeous concealer

 

Now to the dud of the line... this concealer was horrible! The only good thing I could say about this concealer is that it would be decent as a brightener, but to conceal dark-circles and blemishes it misses the mark. In my opinion it was too watery and didn't really do anything for me, so for anyone looking to conceal blemishes and dark circles, you'll want to pass on this one.

Ready, Set, Gorgeous powder foundation

This powder foundation was decent, I don't think it was anything revolutionary. You could use it in combination with the liquid foundation to set it, but I feel there are better options out there that aren't as powdery. The sponge takes up half the space of the compact and fools you into thinking you're getting a lot of product when you aren't. While the white packaging and pink writing on the front is aesthetically pleasing, it's not practical and gets dirty quickly. At a cheaper price point I could see someone buying it to keep in your purse and touch-ups during the day, but I don't think it's really worth it for the amount of product you get.

I hope this review was helpful, see you in the next blog!!

Urban Decay Electric palette

Today's post is all about the newest addition to the Urban Decay family, the Electric Palette! 

I received this as a birthday gift from my bestie Lien about two weeks ago, and I love it! As soon as I saw this palette I knew I had to have it and was planning to buy it eventually, I'm glad I waited, especially since it's my birthday month.  I love experimenting with different makeup looks and have been searching for neon colors to add to my makeup collection, it was the perfect gift for me.

This palette is a lot different from the Naked palette's that Urban Decay has become known for, the colors are the complete opposite, so if you want to experiment with a little color I would recommend this.   The shadows are gorgeous and highly pigmented, I found that they were very easy to blend together and stayed on all day. I always use a primer on my eyes, so I couldn't tell you how they last without a primer but I suspect they stick on just as well. 

 Picture from urbandecay.com

I forgot to take a picture of the palette before I started playing around with it, this is what it looks like. I love the packaging, the black background was a great choice and makes the colors stand out! The eyeshadow colors are very different from each other, I like that they stand out and aren't  just a shade or two different like other palettes can be. A dual ended brush is included, its a nice quality brush and I find myself reaching for it everyday, even when I'm not using these colors. One end is a basic flat shadow brush, the other is a smaller detail brush that is perfect for lining your eyes.

Top Row: Revolt, Gonzo, Slowburn, Savage, Fringe
Bottom Row: Chaos, Jilted, Urban, Freak, Thrash


This was one swipe of my finger, no primer, I'll include swatches with primer a little later. Look how pigmented they are! I love Savage and Gonzo, those two are the most unique colors I have in my collection. If you use a white base, the colors look even more intense then if you use a skin toned base, I find that a skin toned base works best for everyday looks. You can go wild or use them for a little pop of color, I have used this palette in a lot of different looks. My favorite everyday look is to use neutrals on my lids then line my lower eye-line with whatever electric color works with my outfit.

Four of the colors come with a warning, in the US neon pigments are not FDA approved but in the rest of the world they are, Slowburn, Savage, Jilted, and Urban. I have seen other blogs like  Temptalia use Slowburn, Savage, and Jilted as blushes but I haven't tried it myself. Personally, I have used them on my eyes and haven't had any issues with them but if you tend to have sensitive skin I would keep that in mind and try them out on a day you don't have anything to do in case they irritate your eyes. These four colors do take a little longer to take off and they can stain your eyelids, but I haven't had that issue since I use a primer. 

I hope this review was helpful and a special shout-out to my bestie Lien for the awesome gift!

-Shirley