Favorite Spring Nail Polish

China Glaze- Lemon Fizz

Confetti- Pink Paradise

NYX girls- Between Mauve and Purple

Confetti- Lonesome Dove

Sinful Colors- Boogie Nights

Pure Ice- Home Run!

Revlon- Sweet Tart

These were some of my favorite nail polishes for the 2012 Spring season. What were some of your favorite colors?

Look Book: American Flag

Happy Memorial Day! I had a good long weekend with family. It's nice to relax and enjoy each other's company... I saw these shorts the other day and knew I had to have them. I don't know what is was about them that drew me to them. Maybe the stars, maybe the stripes, maybe both? Who knows? They are too cute and a fun way to be patriot for the holiday. Let me know what you think and tell me how you spent your holiday.

Sunglasses- F21

        

Tank, Necklace, Bracelet- F21, Shorts, Shoes,
Fedora- Walmart

MAC Fix Plus Review and How To

While in MAC the other day, I decided to pick up Fix+ because I had heard of others liking it and wanted to see what the rave was about. I guess I figured why not, right? If you don't really know me, I am not shy when it comes to makeup. I typically wear a full face of makeup unless I'm in a huge hurry and don't have time (it also depends on where I'm going.) Anyways, over the past couple years I've noticed that sometimes I seem to look a little "powdery" when I'm completely done applying my makeup. I knew I wanted to get something from MAC to help me out, so I picked up Fix+.

Fix+ is a skin refresher/finishing mist. It is to be applied before or after makeup to freshen up your face. The description on the back of the box states:

"A soothing moisture mist that refreshes the skin and finished makeup. Hold bottle 12"away from face and spray evenly. Use before or after makeup."

In the ingredients list near the bottom it states that Fix+ contains: Water, Glycerin, Cucumber Fruit Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Caffeine, and a few other things. 

I have tried this product several times since I've purchased it. I love the way it makes my skin feel. I really do believe it refreshens my face. I like that on the top of the bottle you have the option to lock the pump so it doesn't leak on anything when you travel with it. I also think that the spray comes out in a nice even mist- it's not like a stream of liquid. It comes out in a perfect even mist that covers your entire face with every spray. I have found that I prefer to use Fix+ after I have finished all of my makeup to diminish the look of any excess powder that may have been left behind. 

Even though I do like this product, there is one thing that makes me wonder... Since this product is pretty much water, would I get the same result if I simply filled the bottle up with filtered water? I don't know. Maybe I'll give it a shot one day and let you know. I know cucumber and caffeine are good for your skin but does it make that much of a difference?

Here are a few ways I like to use Fix+:

1. Refreshen your face before applying makeup. Or you can use it to simply refreshen your face throughout the day (especially since summer's coming!) I love the feeling of the cool mist on my face.

2. Sprits your face after you have finished applying all of your makeup. Sometimes after makeup application, you may notice you seem a little powdery. To blend your makeup into your skin for a more natural look, spray this evenly over your entire face and allow it to sit to dry for a few seconds. This allows the makeup to set into your skin and not sit on top of it.

Translucent loose powder

Loose powder sprayed with Fix+

After loose powder and Fix+ have dried

3. Use Fix+ as a mixing medium to help put on loose pigments. Spray your eyeshadow brush with Fix+ (make sure your brush is damp, not drenched) and gently pick up pigment. Tap off any excess pigment and pat on your lid to apply. Using this method also helps the pigment stay on longer because the Fix+ acts a bonding agent.

4. Make baked eyeshadows more vibrant. Like with the pigment, spray your eyeshadow brush with Fix+, dip your brush into the baked eyeshadow, and pat on lid. Typically, baked eyeshadows don't have a lot of color payoff when they are used dry so spraying your brush with Fix+ really transforms your baked eyeshadows into colors that are really vibrant and beautiful with amazing payoff.

Wet 'N Wild Baked Palette. I used the bottom left color (it's my fav)

Left: Applied with Fix+, Right: Applied Dry

5. Use Fix+ to dilute concealer or foundation. If you have a concealer that is one the thicker side or may be harder to apply, give a quick spray to the concealer to make it easier to work with. Or if you have a thicker/more full coverage foundation and want to sheer it out a little for summer, mix foundation and a spray of Fix+ on the back of your hand or in a small dish and apply. *Another Tip: If you have a fast drying foundation that doesn't give you a lot of application time, try using Fix+ to give you a little more time to perfect your liquid foundation.

Foundation with a spray of Fix+

Foundation and Fix+ mixed

6. You can also use Fix+ to help slightly thin out thicker, creamier products. Try using it with a gel eyeliner. It makes application easier because it glides on smoother. It kind of turns it into a gel/liquid consistency. 

Overall, I'm happy with this purchase. There are so many ways Fix+ can be used in your day-to-day routine. It is a good multi-use product. If you have tried it let me know what your thoughts are. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. :)

Look Book: Denim and White

I've been working a lot lately since I have a little time off before I start summer school, so I've been pretty busy with that. Today I didn't work but instead I ran a few errands. This is what I wore today. It's pretty nice outside and it's been windy. I love it. Hope you enjoy and let me know what you think.

Fedora- Walmart

Shorts- Target, Watch- Walmart, Denim Shirt- Cato

Nude Wedges- Payless

Studs- F21

So Polished: Mint with a Hint of Sparkle

One of my favorite colors for this past spring season has been mint. I think mint is best paired with silver. Here are my nails that I painted earlier today. Let me know what you think.

Pure Ice- Home Run!, LA Colors- Silver Glitter

Graduation Makeup Tips

Graduation can bring on a lot of mixed emotions. You’ll be glad you are finally getting out of school but you’ll be sad to leave all your friends you’ve made. With graduation comes hundreds of pictures, and knowing which makeup to choose can be daunting. So I’ve come up with a few suggestions I think will help ease your decisions on what makeup to wear.

1.  Try to avoid a sunscreen in your foundation or moisturizer. SPF is meant to reflect light; this is why we wear it- to reflect the sun’s bright rays. Obviously, you’ll take pictures at graduation with your friends and of you actually receiving your diploma. Wearing a sunscreen can wash your face out in pictures because the flash from the camera will reflect back from the sunscreen and can make you look ghostly.

2.     Wear a moisturizer and a primer (choose one without SPF. Going without SPF one day won’t kill you.) You want to make sure your skin is moisturized so your makeup goes on evenly and stays on longer. The day of graduation can be long and drawn out. You want your makeup to last and don’t want to worry about how it looks every 30 minutes.

3.     Wear a waterproof mascara and eyeliner. It can be upsetting to see all the friends and memories you’ve made, walk away. You may get a little emotional and don’t need a total makeup meltdown. Avoid this by wearing waterproof mascara and eyeliner, so if you do get teary-eyed, it won’t run down your face. (I like L’Oreal Voluminous Waterproof Mascara in Carbon Black.)

4.     Go for a more classic, pretty look. Avoid trying out a new trend when it comes to graduation. In pictures, a new makeup trend may not photo as well as what you had hoped for. My recommendation is to go for a smoky eye with a neutral lip.  Make your eyes the main focus. This brings me to my next tip…

5.     Avoid bold, bright lips. The last thing you want is to take pictures with red lipstick staining your teeth. It can be hard to touch up makeup when at graduation so stick with makeup you know won’t cause any major letdowns. Bold lipstick can be messy and can get everywhere. It can get on your teeth, smear on your face, or on other people’s faces, on your clothes or gowns… just don’t.

6.     Go for a natural or soft pink lip. To make your lipstick last, prep your lips by exfoliating them, and apply a lip moisturizer. Put on the rest of your makeup so your lips have time to soak in the product. After you’ve finished the rest of your makeup, wipe off any excess lip product and line your lips with a natural-colored lip liner. Also, fill in your lips with the liner to create a base for your lipstick. Apply lipstick, blot, and then reapply again. This layers the lips with thin coats of lipstick, which makes it stay on longer. Avoid tons of gloss. Adding lip-gloss will make lipstick wear off faster. If you feel like you can’t go without a little gloss, place a thin layer of gloss in the center of lips.

7.     Finally, use a setting spray. At graduation, you will say plenty of goodbyes and give hundreds of hugs. After applying makeup, use a setting spray so your makeup won’t transfer onto other’s clothes. No one wants his or her gowns to be stained with a smear of makeup. So avoid this by finishing your final look with a quick sprits of setting spray. (Try Model in a Bottle or Urban Decay’s All-Nighter.)

Have fun at graduation and reflect on the wonderful memories you had. Look forward to all the new people you'll meet and growing into your new adult life. Best wishes!

Trending: Tangerine

Tangerine is a great spring to summer color that livens up any outfit it's paired with. I personally love to wear tangerine or orange-y colors on my lips for the summer season's. It's so fresh and fun. It's a great way to put a little twist on the classic "black winged eye liner and bright lip." Play around with tangerine makeup by adding an orange lip, coral/orange blush, or corresponding eyeshadow. This color seems to be best paired with gold- it adds to the warmth of the color. Try adding a gold shimmer over makeup or mix gold shimmer into a body lotion and rub over body to get a glowing look.

Look Book: Black Maxi

This is the simple, effortless look I went with for today. It was very comfortable yet I still received so many compliments. I was pretty tired today from the lack of sleep last night. It rained pretty hard and the thunder kept me up. I can usually sleep through storms but I guess I just couldn't sleep through the one last night. I hope you all have a good weekend. Don't forget Mother's Day is on Sunday!

Jacket & Dress- Walmart, Belt- F21

Sandals- Cato, Polish- China Glaze in Lemon Fizz

Look Book: White Dress with Beige Cardi

Today I wanted to wear something pretty neutral. I probably shouldn't have worn a dress today though. It was pretty windy outside and I found myself pulling a "Marilyn Monroe" with my dress flying up. To top it off, my belt didn't seem to want to stay on... whatever. lol Since the wind was blowing in the pictures I might look a little pregnant. haha I tried. Enjoy.

Shoes- Macy's

Belt & Cardi- F21, Dress- Walmart

Dang belt