A letter to the Girl too scared to wear dark lipstick.

To all of you girls that are too scared to wear dark lipstick, dark nail polish, or something completely out of your comfort zone; DO IT. And I don't mean that in a pressure you kind of way. I mean it in a "do what you want without feeling like you have to please people" kind of way. Here's why I think you should do it:

It's good to step out of your comfort zone. Stepping out of your comfort zone challenges you. It helps you to learn more about yourself. It helps you learn to adapt to different things. I don't want you to completely change your look in one day, but I want you to change one thing and see how it makes you feel. Wear that dark lipstick one day. You might check the mirror every 10 minutes to see how you feel, but at the end of the day, you will feel like you have accomplished something by changing.

Wear the makeup for yourself. Don't skimp on the eyeliner or bold colors because you think people will stare. And don't skip it the next day because someone didn't agree with it. You wear that dark brown or black lipstick like you own it, (which you technically do because YOU spent your hard-earned money on it!) You wear that bold lipstick because deep in your heart you know you want to. Don't let someone else tell you that "natural is better." If YOU want to wear a BLUE lipstick that YOU bought, then you rock that lipstick!

No one notices your flaws more than yourself. I see a lot of, "I can't wear that red lipstick because my lips are uneven." Let me tell you right now girl, no one will even notice! And if they do, they are too close to your face! Plus, there are so many ways to trick the eyes. Get yourself a good lipliner, and a flat makeup brush. Put on your lipliner then lipstick, and use that brush with a tiny bit of concealer or foundation on it, and fix any mistakes you might have made. Make time throughout the day to touch up. We all go to the restroom, take your lipstick with you. After you've washed your hands, make it a part of your routine to touch up your lipstick.

We live in a time that WE get to choose what we put on our faces. We get to decide what makes us feel our best. And let me tell you, wearing something because you think it will be a crowd pleaser is not feeling your best. You will have a feeling inside of you that something isn't just right, and that's because you should do things for yourself! As women with families and jobs and responsibilities, we don't always get to be selfish. We look after our children or our spouses needs before our own most times. Your makeup and your face isn't a thing that YOU should sacrifice. You should wake up every day and put on whatever the hell you want to put on. You do it for yourself. I cannot tell you enough times, WEAR THE MAKEUP THAT YOU WANT TO WEAR. When you feel your best, you can give your best. If you feel like a million bucks in the glitter eyeshadow everyone around you will feel those vibes. The happier you are, the happier you can make others. Please, ladies, let's spread positivity in this world of hate! There are so many more important things going on in the world, we don't need to tell someone that the red lipstick they are wearing isn't the right shade. TELL HER SHE IS BEAUTIFUL. You never know how many times in her head she went back and forth about wearing that color. Tell her that her eyeliner is bomb.com even if you notice they are a little uneven. How many times do you think she may have wiped it off to start over? Compliments are free. Hand those bad boys out to everyone you know. And let's end this with something that all of our mothers' taught us: If you don't have anything nice to say, then don't say it at all.

Goodnight my lovies, thank you SO much for stopping by!

Favorite Nail Polish

I've put together a top 6 list of my favorite Fall Nail Polishes right now. I've been really into dark colorful polishes but there's nothing like a pinky neutral color. :)

The first ALL TIME favorite is the top coat. It is from Seche Vite. It is literally the fastest drying top coat I have ever tried. It leaves the nails with a perfect gel-like shiny finish. You can buy it here from Amazon for less than $6. Well worth the money for the quick dry formula in my opinion.

1. Essie -- Pool Side Service
     A great cool-tone blue/green/gray color
2. Ciate London -- Dangerous Affair
     A deep pink/red berry color
3. OPI -- Incognito in Sausalito
     Very deep navy blue
4. OPI -- O Suzi Mio
     Deep purple
5. Wet n' Wild -- Grape Minds Think Alike
     Dark Red/Purple
6. Sinful Colors -- Taupe is Chic
     Light Nude with a touch of Pink

Leave a comment down below with your favorite nail polishes for the Fall! What are your go-to polish colors??

Goodnight my lovies, thank you SO much for stopping by!

Fall Favorites

Aside from it getting so dark so early, Fall is probably my favorite season! I've put together a list of my fall favorites to share with you guys. It's going to be a mixture of beauty and other items. But all so Fall. :)

Cozy Sweaters
Probably my favorite article of clothing to wear. You can get long sweaters, cropped sweaters, and everything in between. I was recently in Forever 21 and found some really amazing things. I found this loose knit sweater and bought it in coral. But it really is a soft blush color in real life. It's long enough to wear with leggings and warm enough to wear without a jacket. I threw on a scarf and I was out the door. I also got this Boxy Ribbed Knit Sweater. It's so loose and flowy. It would be a perfect sweater for Thanksgiving when you are going to be eating a ton and don't want to have room for your tummy to grow ;)

Scented Candles
Let me tell you, Yankee candle is killin' it with the fall scents! I went in there and could have spent an entire paycheck on candles alone. I got my hands on Cranberry Chutney, Autumn Wreath, and Apple Cider. Cranberry Chutney is perfect for those of you who like the sweeter scents. Autumn Wreath and Apple Cider are more of the "spicy" scents.

Deep Lipsticks
I'm always a little self-conscious when wearing darker lipsticks. I feel like everyone is staring at me wondering why I would wear such a bold color, and sometimes I ask myself the same thing. But, I have to keep telling myself that it's MY makeup and MY face, I can do what I want! *girl power!* My favorite is from The Balm, it's called Charming and runs around $17 each.

Drinks
I have 2 drinks that I love to have in the Fall. The first is a good Apple Cider! There is nothing that can say it's time to carve pumpkins like a good Apple Cider. My favorite hot drink is French Roast coffee made with sweetened condensed milk. Just brew your favorite brand of coffee but make sure to buy a french roast. Add about 2 tablespoons of sweetened condensed milk and stir. Add more or less depending on how light or dark you like your coffee. It adds the perfect sweetness to your coffee.

Burgundy Eyes
I'm not sure where this obsession came from, but I've been dying for burgundy eye makeup lately. My favorite inspo was from Kathleen Lights on YouTube. Watch here video here to see why I'm in love with this look!

That's all I have for my favorites right now, guys! Comment down below if you have any favorite things exclusively for fall! I'd love to hear about them :)

Goodnight my lovies, thank you SO much for stopping by!

New Products!

I made my way to my local Sephora this weekend and got my hands on a few products that I had been drooling over for a while! How exciting! I don't splurge a lot on expensive things, but it had been a while, and I was overdue!

Becca X Jaclyn Hill Champagne Splits $38
This beautiful split pan has half highlight and half blush. Perfect for any look you are going for. I got the Champagne Pop and Flower Child combo. Champagne Pop is a soft white gold with subtle pinky peach undertones. Flower child is peachy pink with soft gold highlights. The colors are GORGEOUS together! The formula is astonishing. It so silky smooth and glides on the skin like butter. I think everyone should own at least one of these! The beautiful packaging is enough to make you feel like you''re putting pure gold on your face.

Benefit Cosmetics Precisley, My Brow $24
I've been obsessing over owning something from the Benefit Cosmetics Brow line because every time I see something on instagram or twitter the perfect brows are always done with one of their products! I decided on this fine brow pencil for days I didn't want to do a lot of work. I can just had a few tiny, hair-like strokes with the pencil and I'm done! It's super pigmented in color so use a few light hand! The built-in spoolie makes it easy to brush through after you've penciled them in to get rid of any harsh lines.

Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder $25
This is used as an under eye setting powder, to brighten and light dark circles while not settling into fine lines. It's formulated with tiny light-reflecting pigments to really brighten up your face. It's a super smooth, finely milled powder. It stays silky smooth on the skin all day without building up in the fine lines of the undereye area.

Let me know in the comments your wish list items!

Goodnight my lovies, thank you SO much for stopping by!

Wet n' Wild Color Icon Eye Shadow

I was browsing Rite-Aid today (local drugstore for anyone wondering) and at first I wasn't having any luck in the makeup department. Then I spotted them. Wet n' Wild had 3 different eyeshadow palettes. Now, I watch YouTube, a lot, and I've heard nothing but good reviews on these particular palettes. Trusty YouTubers stated that Wet n' Wild knew what they were doing when they made these colors. So when I saw them, staring at me, I knew I had to have them. It also was a bonus that there was a sale going on so, I got all 3 palettes for $10!

 My favorite is Comfort Zone. It has all the cool weather vibes going for me! The only problem with this little palette is there aren't any matte shades. I'm going to have to dip into another palette to get my crease color. But if a little shimmer for your crease isn't a big deal to you, then I say rock this whole palette with a different look every day!

 Poster Child does have a couple matte shades in the lineup, but they weren't my favorites. They were a little chalky/powdery for my taste, but I'm sure with a little work, you can make them work for you! I do appreciate that the black shade isn't like stark black, so it would be easy to blend and build up to ask dark as you'd like it.

Petal Pusher is probably my second favorite. Again, no matte shades, but these are so freakin' cute, who cares? Not me! Purple looks great with my brown eyes, so I will definitely be putting this palette to work!

Wet n' Wild online has these palettes for sale for $4.99. That was the original price at Rite-Aid for me, I think Wal-Mart sells them for about .50 cents more. These are the only 3 palette selections they have in the 8 count. I did get to play around with them a little bit, and they seem to go on just as well as my higher end shadows! They promise to have all-day, crease-free wear. I have not tested this out, but just from the amount of scrubbing I had to do in order to swatch them, I don't doubt that this is a true statement.

If you have any hidden gems from the drugstore leave a comment down below! Help a sister out. I'm always looking for new things to try. Although it can't be lipstick, I was told by my sister to stop buying lipsticks! Ha-Ha. That was a good joke, huh? ;)

Goodnight my lovies, thank you SO much for stopping by.

**Side note: These were swatched on my arm with primer underneath and shot with the flash on my camera. Sorry, I didn't get a shot in the daylight of these for you! They are beautiful, though!

Maybelline Fit Me Shine Free Foundation Stick

I have wanted to try out a stick foundation for a while now but with my oily skin, creams are just too much. I typically stick to liquid matte foundations. One of my faves has been the Maybelline fit me matte + poreless. When I saw that Maybelline had a stick foundation I knew this was going to be my first tester.

It claims to be an oil-absorbing powder foundation stick that delivers a natural matte finish. I agree with the first claims. It goes on very smooth and blends out nicely with a buffing brush. It is pretty matte looking alone, but I always set my foundations anyways.

It also claims to stay shine free and minimize your pores for 10 hours. This statement I will say is false. I work in a busy salon for 9 hours a day and I always have an oily chin by the end of the day. It says medium coverage you can build up to this, but one layer is not medium alone.

I wore this on my day off when I wasn't running around and it seemed to last longer. I also feel it performed better with only one layer. If you are looking for a light coverage stick this would be perfect for you.

The shade range for this makes me a little upset. I am 112 in the Matte + Poreless but with this, I need 110 & 115 to match me. So while the price is less expensive than most regular foundations, I need 2 different shades in the stick, equalling the price of a regular foundation.

I will continue to use these until they are gone, but I don't think I will repurchase them. I'll probably try another brand and see if I can find something that I like.

If you have tried these out let me know in the comments down below!

Pros :

-Super easy to apply

-Blends out easily

Cons:

-Shade range lacking

-Doesn't last long

Goodnight my lovies, thank you SO much for stopping by!

3 Products You Didn't Know You Needed

I have recently been trying out a few new things, and I found three that I think everyone should own. They will definitely make your life easier. I'm sure you're wondering what these products may be, so let me tell you about these amazing treasures.

The first is the Simple Cleansing Micellar Water. This is used to cleanse your face without any rinsing. You simply wet a cotton round with it, and you literally wipe away dirt, impurities, and makeup. Seriously, I wiped away LIQUID EYELINER with this stuff. It is made with vitamins and triple purified water to not only cleanse, but also moisturize your skin and unclog your pores. It is super gentle on the face, and I have no burning in my eyes when I use it to remove eye makeup. This is a 6.7-ounce bottle for $7.99 at Ulta.

The second miracle product is Mario Badescu Drying Lotion. At $17.00 it is a little pricey, but I've found it's worth every penny. This is used as an overnight acne treatment. You are supposed to let the ingredients settle in the bottle. There will be a pink product on the bottom and a clear liquid on top. Once you have let it settle, you dip a q-tip into the bottle  to the bottom pink portion. Apply this to any breakouts you have before bed and let it do its magic. It's not supernova magic that will make breakouts disappear overnight, but I've noticed that I can get rid of any pimple in two or three days using this. It claims to be safe for all skin types, and not harmful to sensitive skin. I totally agree with that. I have super sensitive skin and this has never irritated my skin.

The last product that I have been loving isn't skin care, but it is a beauty product. It's the Inglot Duraline. It's $11.00 for a .3-ounce bottle. It is sold to use as a clear liquid that intensifies any color powder turning it into a water-resistant liquid. I have not used it for this because I use it to bring any gel eyeliner or eyebrow pomade back to life. If you add a tiny drop into your dried out eyeliner it instantly returns it back into the easy to work with cream it was meant to be. No more throwing away gel eyeliners or brow pomade because they dry out faster than we can use them!

These are my three new finds. If you have any products that you love that you think EVERYONE should own comment down below!

Goodnight my lovies, thank you SO much for stopping by!

$10 or Less!

Wet n' Wild Au Naturel Palette Nude Awakening

I'm always on the hunt for the next best thing. But honestly, I don't want to spend a lot of money on that thing. I recently placed an order from Wet n' Wild. I'm a sucker for the "spend X amount of dollars for free shipping." So, while I was trying to fill my cart up I came across the Au Naturel Palette, at only $6.99 for 10 shades I couldn't resist.

I have played around with this palette a few times in the last couple of days and I must say I do really like it. The matte shades on my light skin tone, are perfect in my crease. There is a bone color that is just the right shade to set my primer and highlight my brow bone. The others are great for the crease. The rest of the 6 shades basically I'd put on my lid for a little shimmer or metallic finish, depending on how I was feeling.

This by no means is the best palette I've used, but for the price you really are getting a good deal. If you are just getting into makeup and wanting to learn or practice different looks this is a good place to start. For me, Wet n' Wild really does have some hidden gems if you are willing to look for them!

Pros:
-affordable at only .70 cents per shadow!
-you can create tons of different looks
-very blendable

Cons:
-lots of fallout! (make sure to do your face makeup after your eye look with these!)
-you NEED a primer to get good pigment.

Final thoughts:
Give Wet n' Wild a try! You can try out different products without breaking the bank. And sometimes, you find some real gems.

If you have any Wet n' Wild products that you love comment down below!

Goodnight my lovies, thank you SO much for stopping by!

How I Clean My Makeup Brushes

Cleaning your brushes is very important, especially if you have sensitive skin. If you don't clean them frequently you risk spreading bacteria on your face, which results in more breakouts. Also, cleaning your brushes removes any build up on them, this can cause them to not apply your makeup properly, you can have streaky foundation or spotty eyeshadow because of build up.

I found a really good daily cleanser from Amazon that is great if you want to use the same brush for different colors but you don't want to mix. It cleanses fast and dries even faster. It's by the brand Shany and it's called Detox Professional Brush Cleanser. It's $11.95 for a 4 oz bottle.  I like to just spray a couple sprays onto a paper towel then swirl the brush in it.

I normally deep clean my brushes every week or two depending on how much I use them. This can be a pain in the butt depending on how many you have, but so worth it! I ordered this little Silicone Brush Scrubber from Amazon for like 2 bucks! I also just use baby shampoo to wash them. The fastest way I have found is to gather everything around the sink that you will need. And, don't forget a towel to lay your brushes on. I always let them lay flat when they dry and it works perfectly fine for me.

I put a few in the sink and get the bristles a little wet. Then pump some shampoo on the scrubber then swirl the brush in it. I do like 10 at a time then rinse them all at the same time. (This will also save on water!) I work in small batches until I'm all done. I squeeze all the water I can out of them and let them dry overnight.

Make sure you rinse all the soap out of them, if you don't they will be scratchy when they dry! I don't feel like you need to spend a lot of money on expensive cleaners when baby shampoo works so well! I also buy the shampoo with a pump on it, it makes it a lot easier!

Let us know down below if you have any specials tips or tricks for washing your brushes!

Goodnight my lovies, thank you SO much for stopping by!

DIY Hair Extensions

Have you ever been walking through the beauty supply store and come across one long, hula skirt looking piece of hair? Have you been wondering and trying to figure out what to do with it? Or how it is used? I'm going to tell you exactly how to take that strand of hair and turn it into clip-in extensions.

Here's what you're going to need:

1. A weft of hair - this is just one long piece of hair extension2. A pair of scissors
3. A Hair sewing needle
4. Hair sewing thread
5. A 12 pack of wig clips

I decided that I was going to make 2 pieces with 3 clips, 2 pieces with 2 clips, and 2 pieces with 1 clip. The pieces with 3 clips are going to go in the back of your head. So measure out long they are going to be. They are going to sit even with the middle of your ear and the top of your ear. Smaller is better than bigger because you don't want it to go directly hairline to hairline because then they MIGHT show.

For the lowest piece, I did 3 layers to make the section a little thicker. This layer will be hidden by the rest of your hair so don't worry if it looks a little bulky. The rest of the sections I only doubled up. If you have super fine/thin hair I suggest not doubling them up. The flatter they lay in your fine/thin hair the better.

layers tied together

I first tied them together around the same places I will sew the clips on. This will help you keep everything together and neat. I start off in the middle then do either side. I also measure out and cut all the pieces before I start sewing.

I'm by no means an expert at sewing. All I did was make sure everything was laying flat together, place the clip where it's going to go and sew into the top hole of the clip. I just went in a little circle and sort of tied knots as I went along to make sure it was secure. I did each clip separately so it was very little sewing involved.

After you've finished, you can clip any long pieces of string hanging out then wash and condition your extensions. You can let me air dry or blow dry them on a medium heat (if they are real human hair.) If they are synthetic hair read the package directions for styling tips.

This 6 piece set is perfect to add volume to any hair style. They are especially good for anytime you will be in pictures. It just gives your natural hair the perfect amount of oomph.

Please, let me know if you have any questions about making your own clip-in extensions. I would be happy to help any way that I could.

Goodnight my lovies, thank you SO much for stopping by.

The Light between Oceans: book review

The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman

I finished reading this book last week, but I couldn't put into words what I felt about the book right away. It's taken me a while to get all of my thoughts down in one place. If you read my last review, you know that I try not to have any spoilers in my reviews. I'm going to TRY not to give away anything that the back of the book or the movie preview doesn't.

I'll really start off by saying that this was a really slow read for me. I could not, for the love of God, get into the beginning of this book. I went back countless time to re-read sections and even chapters wondering what words I had just read.

Once Tom met his soon-to-be bride, I was hooked. I'm a sucker for a good love story. Even the love story starts out slow. And, I suppose, that  it's all apart of the storyline, it keeps you wondering, keep you wondering what will happen next.

Tom is one of the main characters, actually, the main character. He meets a lovely woman named Isabel, they fall in love, and they move to the island he currently occupies as a lighthouse keeper. Isabel desperately wants a family and has 2 miscarriages along with a stillbirth. One day, a boat washes ashore carrying a baby and it's dead, presumably, father. Tom wants to report the boat, Isabel wants to keep the baby. She claims the baby is a gift from God, and they should keep it.

They name her Lucy. She has become a family member to both of them. But there is a moral dilemma here. Tom still wants to tell the truth and Isabel still wants to keep her a secret.

They only get a supply boat once a season, and it's easy to keep their secret. But once they go to the mainland it's harder to keep the secret. Tom is reminded of his moral dilemma and it gets harder and harder to keep their secret.

One of them makes a decision that effects all them. And who is to say that it is the right decision?

The book keeps me guessing and wondering through the last half of it. It started off as a slow read for me and turned into something that I could not put down. The whole moral dilemma has you wondering who will do right and who will make decisions only for their family?

This is definitely something that I would recommend anyone to read. If you love to read you will love this book. It was a tad of a challenge for me because it was based in the 1920's and from Australia. I'm used to reading young adult books from this time frame. This REALLY challenged me and I loved every minute of it, even though some parts I thought were quite boring.

If you have read this book let me know! If you have read it and also watched the movie let me know how it compares. You can also e-mail if you want to talk about the book in more detail without spoiling it for anyone!!

Goodnight my lovies, thank you SO much for stopping by! I hope you enjoyed this book as much as I did!