How to make Eye Shadow Stay

Do you ever wonder how your friend could possibly keep their eye shadow on throughout the day without retouching it once? It’s hardly a secret; the answer is eye shadow primer! That’s right, if you’ve never heard of eye shadow primer it’s a translucent cream (that kind of looks like concealer) that you put on underneath your eye shadow to keep the colors bright, pigmented, and lasting all day. There are a few different kinds of eye shadow primer you could use.

1. High-end primers.
The two top competing primers you could try are Two Faced Shadow Insurance and Urban Decay Primer Potion, ($17 each at Sephora). Both of these brands are comparable, although I’ve only used Urban Decay Primer Potion which I would highly recommend. But if you don’t want to splurge the seventeen bucks on an eye shadow base, and if you are new to makeup, there are several other alternatives.

2. Drug Store Brand
An eye shadow primer I’ve heard a lot about is L’Oreal de-crease eye shadow base ($8.49 at Walgreens), which I can’t review it because I haven’t used it myself, though I have heard it is a good alternative to high-end primers. Another place you might consider checking out for eye shadow primers is EyesLipsFace.com. They have eye shadow primers in their mineral and studio collections and they cost $3 each. Keep in mind that the cheaper the product, the more likely it is to crease through out the day.

3. Make your own!
It’s very easy to make your own eye shadow primer, and you probably have the supplies necessary in your makeup collection already. All you have to do is mix one part concealer (one that matches your skin tone, obviously) to two parts facial moisturizer (any brand will do) in a small container and walah, you’ve got yourself an eye primer!

4. A different Approach
Another product that could work as an eye primer is a cream eye shadow. These could work under your powder shadows to make them stick to your eye and make the color on your shadow really pop. You can find cream shadows at high end stores such as Sephora and Mac, or your local drug store. In my experience it’s best to wear a normal primer, but this could work as a substitution.

Thanks for reading, that’s all for now girlies
Ciao,
- Julia

Designer: Haute or Not?

So I’m like any other person, girls mostly, I love clothes and shoes and whatnot. However I hate looking at some of those designer clothes! I mean really, so many of them are unreasonable and (almost) NO ONE would wear. Ever. End of story. And also, look at the prices on those clothes! Outrageous if you ask me. Honestly, designer clothes really aren’t very good for too much are they? The designer may sell a few of the outfit or whatever they’re selling, but other than that, that’s usually it. The only other thing they do is let us have fashion shows. But is that really a big deal? I’d much rather see affordable fashion shows, with clothes that you can actually WEAR without looking like a fool in public. Also, the promoters of designer fashions say that the clothes are “ugly-pretty.” In fact, that’s what fashion’s been pushed as for a long time now. But honestly, the clothes are almost all ugly-ugly in my opinion. I hate what the fashion industry is doing to us. They’re trying to make us believe what they want us to. What’s your take on designer fashion? Are they to die for and you have to have them? Or are they just a complete waste? Or are they fun to look at/make fun of, but worthless to buy? Leave a comment with your take :)

xoxo,

Lexi ♥

Hair How-To's: Oily Hair Tricks

Like many others in the world, I have extremely oily hair. I can hardly go a day without my hair looking gross, like I just dunked it in a tank of olive oil. I’ve learned to overcome this, although, with a few simple tricks. Hopefully, if you have greasy hair, so can you.

1. Washing your hair every day isn’t good for it. It can lead to dry hair, and split ends. (I know you’re probably thinking “dry hair is great! I want dry hair!” But trust me people, you don’t want split ends or dry hair). So Instead of washing it every day, just rinse it and condition every day, and wash every other. Washing your hair less means fewer chemicals in your hair. That means nicer, shinier, and all together healthier hair. Conditioning your hair will make it feel nice and soft, while rinsing it will help remove some of the oils. Remember that oils may seem like your enemy at times, but they’re actually very good for your hair. Try to work with them, not against.

2. If you are really busy and don’t have time to wash your hair, don’t panic! I suggest you invest in something called a dry shampoo. A dry shampoo works in the form of a powder or a spray. You put it into the roots of your hair, massage it in, comb it out, and it helps to absorb the oils in your hair so it looks less greasy. Remember not to use any heat-based styling tools after doing this or your hair will just look oily again. I do not suggest this as an alternative to a shower, but if you are in a rush it’s great to have as a backup. You can try Oscar Blandi Pronto Dry Shampoo ($11-$19 at Sephora) Click Here

3. Don’t use too much hair product! I know that product is a girl’s best friend. When it comes to hair products, many think “the more the merrier” when in reality, less is always more. We know that half the hair products we use don’t work anyway. Putting excess hair product in your hair can not only be damaging, but can also make your hair look a lot greasier than it actually is. So remember to be sparing when it comes to shine serums and anti-frizz sprays.

That's all for now Gals,

love ya

- Julia

Hair How-To's: Volume

So, you want to look like a Jersey girl? In all honesty, I don’t see the appeal in big hair. But I know that many women believe that big hair makes you look slimmer, taller, curvier, or just all around sexier. So, without further delay, I present to you the steps for BIG LUSCIOUS HAIR!

1. Start out with washing and conditioning your hair. You may want to invest in a volumizing shampoo and conditioner. One I could personally recommend is Neutrogena Triple Renewal which leaves your hair feeling soft to the touch.

2. After you step out of the shower, lightly towel dry your hair, and use a volumizing mousse. There are tons and tons of them out there; I generally just buy whatever is on sale in the store. Apply it into the roots of your hair and then comb through.

3. Blow dry your hair, I usually do this step with a round brush because it adds more volume.

4. Now grab a comb, and lift up sections of your hair. Gently tease the hair downwards with the comb while pulling the top of the section taunt. Finish it off by spraying the underside of the teased area with hair spray. Yet again, I tend to buy whatever is on sale at the moment.

5. Finish off with an all-over coating of hair spray to leave your hair big all day, or all night (for you party girls)

And that’s it! Feel free to let me know if you need a visual reference as I would be happy to provide if necessary =]

That’s all for now gals,
Julia

Remington Wet 2 Straight With Slim Plates Review

Well first of all I’d like to say welcome to our blog :)

Hopefully we’ll have a lot more reviews and articles up for you soon.

The product I’m going to be reviewing today is the Remington Wet 2 Straight with Slim Plates. I bought this a few months ago and I LOVE IT! It is definitely worth the money. Some nice features are the steam ducts to let the water out if you straighten while your hair is wet, the slim plates, the colored LCD display to tell you what heat range you’re in, and the auto turnoff feature. However, there are some problems with this straightener. First off, the bottom is rounded, so this straightener will not sit flat on your counter. Secondly, a rust colored substance may begin to form on the plates at some time which you will need to clean off. Thirdly, if you wrap the cord around the device, the cord could become very worn. All around though, this is a great straightener for its price. It’s $25.79 at Target, which is the only place I’ve found it (other than eBay). If you don’t like thin straighteners, then you could also get the thicker one (also available at Target, $29.99).

http://www.target.com/dp/B000BH3D6A/ref=cm_reviews_pg1?ie=UTF8&pf_rd_r=069BGWVPH6EXJVPJR18C&pf_rd_p=482615471&pf_rd_i=B000BH3D6A&page=1&pf_rd_s=bottom-7&activetab=Reviews&pf_rd_m=A1VC38T7YXB528&pf_rd_t=201 (Slim One)

http://www.target.com/Remington-Wet-Straight-Flat-Iron/dp/B000BH3D7E/ref=sc_ri_1?ie=UTF8&pf_rd_r=1AYP0Q3Y0399DR2S30JP&pf_rd_p=471801991&pf_rd_i=B000BH3D6A&pf_rd_s=bottom-11&pf_rd_m=A1VC38T7YXB528&pf_rd_t=201 (Thicker One)

All in all, I'd rate this straightener a 9.0 out of 10.

Happy straightening! :)

xoxo,

Lexi ♥

Top 5 things no one should wear... EVER!

1. CROCS
This is to kick off the list, and by far is one of the most appalling garments known to the human race. This one goes for men as well. Why would you wear these? In all honesty I do not care how comfortable they are, and I don’t think anyone else does. Point is you look like a complete idiot. A clown. These are probably my mother’s favorite foot wear, and I must say that bright orange does not suit her very well. What’s even worse are the new fuzzy crocs for winter time… I mean come on people. And complete with the croc jewelry, you know the little animal-shaped rubber bits that you stick inside the shoes? Why not just gag me to death?

2. Mom Jeans
Why do you need a pair of pants that rises up to your belly-button, and cuts off at the top of your ankle? Okay, I understand that these were “the hip thing” back in the days of full house… but that time has passed, face it, it’s time to let go.

3. Matching denim / cheetah print / anything else outfits.
This includes Jogging outfits. The only time it is appropriate to wear a jogging suit is when you are ACTUALLY JOGGING. Sometimes not even then. Matchy-matchy is not the way to go.

4. Fake Bags
What’s the point of carrying around a Foach bag, or a Frada? Let’s face it, designer hand bags are a status symbol. Not everyone can have one, that’s the point, and carrying around a phony hand bag just makes you look like you’re trying too hard. It’s easy to find a cute handbag that’s also inexpensive. You can try stores like Forever21, Target, H&M, ect. Anyone can carry around a (fake) designer hand bag, but it takes someone with taste to be genuine.

5. Stripper Makeup
Ok… I realize this is not an article of clothing so, yes, I am cheating a little. I am fine with blue and green eye shadow, but please, please, PLEASE, do not over-do it! Smearing a bunch of blue shadow on your lids and then strutting around town is not the way to go. If you’re gonna wear stripper colors, at least look elegant while doing so =]

That’s all for now gals. Possibly more to come
-Julia