Defined without the Drama

I love make-up. I'm a girly-girl to the core but lately I have been realizing how silly it is to spend a majority of your morning glued to the mirror, making sure you've mastered a flawless canvas of perfection. I will be the first to say my boyfriend hates it. He understands I feel "pretty" all painted up but he doesn't appreciate the stickiness of my lip gloss one bit. He is very playful, meaning: my makeup is a hot mess after about an hour. I soon started to realize there was no point, unless I'm going to be going out on the town I really don't think it's necessary or very practical to wear a face full of makeup on casual nights. That being said, I will either go bare-faced or try to keep my makeup very minimal.

My latest favorite is keeping things simple but defined. I love a defined eye; you look more awake, your eyes look wider and for me my eyes are my best feature so I'm not going to neglect them for a second. Here are a few defined looks without being dramatic as well as one of my favorite Youtube makeup gurus that really masters this look:

It might look easy enough to create the perfect natural look but its a lot more work in my opinion and you have to fight the urge to going postal with foundation and eye makeup (not so easy for me). The key here is knowing how much is enough and making sure to highlight your best features. 

My personal Take on the look: I used my L'Oreal BB Cream for some light coverage, dabbed on some concealer where I needed it and a light dusting of mineral powder over my whole face. I did some light contouring of my face with my NYC bronzer and I dabbed on some gel blush from Tarte in blushing bride. I also defined my eyebrows (one thing you should never bypass) and just lightly filled them out. I used a few coats of mascara, swiped on some naked eyeshadow from the naked palette on my eyelids and buck from the naked palette for a little definition under my eyes. Then i dabbed on some shimmery highlighter just on my eyelids and brow bone. I actually went hunting with this look if you can believe it, it definitely was perfect for the occasion! 

(sorry about the poor camera quality, I'm working on it!)

Just remember: Everyone is different when it comes to a natural makeup look, the fun part is creating your own and deciding where you need accentuating and what you can leave bare, the point is getting away with less than normal and playing up your natural beauty. Everyone has it, don't be afraid to let it shine! 

Ivy League Style

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You don't have to be an ivy league student to rock the oxford flat and it sure wouldn't be a crime to pose as one. The world of fashion is full of posers so if that makes me one I'll gladly join! I'll be honest I am totally digging the spoiled geek chic look that somehow translates to me as pretty, dainty-footed nerd. When it comes to shoes I'm like a bloodhound, I'll smell a trend coming from a mile away and you can't stop me, I'll scour the internet to find them. Sold out? Challenge accepted. You will come to see that shoes are undoubtedly my biggest weakness. The oxford shoe has to be my latest craving, I love their cool, understated simplicity that somehow manages to give any look a preppy, polished refinement. Maybe it's lust maybe it's love, it's truly hard to know when it comes to amazing shoes. 

 These magnificent beauties are known as "The Wurl" in stores or online at Aldoshoes for $50. Just looking at these I can see the endless styling options, adorable and girly with a pleated skirt or sophisticated and classic with a pair of black skinnies. The brogue detailing is so T.Swift-esque as well, I just think they are the perfect shoes for any low-key spring look. 

Review: My Clip-in Hair Extensions from Luxy

All About my Luxyhair Clip-In's

While these extensions photograph well, there is a lot more to them then what meets the eye. First off, I have the 160 gram set in Mocha Brown if you were wondering. This is my first pair of clip-in extensions so I don't really have anything to compare them to but I will tell you my personal experience. The problem with these is you can't return them, in fact my boyfriend recklessly opened the package which immediately says void on the sticker once you tamper with it. Right away I was destined to be stuck with them. There is however, a small part of the package you can open without tampering the void sticker that contains a small sample of hair for matching purposes. If you are going to buy these do your research, thoroughly. 

I only read a couple reviews and somehow got the good side. There are many, many complaints on Youtube about these extensions, just type in luxyhair on Youtube and see what you get. I was hoping to have the fluke pair of extensions that were awesome like others had reported but I was not so lucky. I still wear them, so they are not all bad but if I had the chance  to redo it I would've ordered from somewhere else. Here are some of the downsides I experienced with the luxyhair clip-ins:

1. Very tangly: They are almost never tangle-free no matter how much I brush them and they get really matted if you wear them for very long.

2. Moderate shedding: Definitely a lot more than I would like. About a handful of strands every time I brush them.

3. Chunking: I'm not really sure what else to call this but basically the hair doesn't stay silky and uniform and starts to gather into chunks or sections. 

4. Residue- When I heat style them there is a black residue that gets into my flat iron, this was mentioned in other bad reviews as well, its a coating they use on the hair to make it all shiny.

5. Grey/Blonde Strands- I ordered the mocha brown, not blonde or grey lol..yeah I have a few random strands, quite a few actually that were missed in the dyeing process.
6. Very thin- Since I purchased the 160 gram set which was the thickest volume available at the time I figured I wouldn't have to wear every piece but because they are so thin I have to wear the whole set. My real hair sticks out from the extensions because it's a lot fuller than the luxy hair. I have to work pretty hard at blending them so they don't look so obvious. If you have medium to thick hair they are definitely not a good option, they now have a 220 gram set which of course is about $100 more. Not worth it for extensions that aren't very dreamy. 

Would I suggest spending $150 on these? Not at all. I have heard good things about Bellamihair and Myfantasyhair if you are in the market for good hair extensions. Read your reviews and see what they majority are saying, not everyone can be satisfied but the majority should be. 

My Top Make-up Must Haves for 2013

I have basically used these products all year and these are the ones you can always find in my purse. I love great beauty buys, if you have some of your own that you would love to share then feel free to post below :)

1. Laura Mercier Undercover Pot--Bye Bye dark circles!

So I'm going to confess that while I don't have horrendous dark circles I do notice an appreciative difference with this stuff. I use this everyday no matter what and even if I've had no sleep at all this helps me fake it! It isn't dry like other concealers that can settle in your fine lines, it is very creamy and sets really well. It also comes with LM's award-winning concealer 'secret camouflage' that is raved about everywhere and I have to admit this is a good concealer but I wouldn't buy it without the under eye concealer. It has the secret finish powder in the bottom so you can set your concealer. It's a good little trio to have on hand and is perfect for touch-ups.

Buy here.

2.Sonia Kashuk Hidden Agenda Concealer Palette-dark spots, sun spots, acne=my savior

This is one of my favorite drug store buys, since we all have know I deal with acne this is one product I need to always have in my purse. It's really versatile because it has a powdery concealer for setting and total of three cream-based colors (I use them all). The coverage is great and stays put. You can buy this in stores at Target for about $11.Will buy again for sure!

3. Benefit They're Real! Mascara-No more falsies!

I cannot say enough good things about this mascara, unlike many mascaras there is no false advertising here! This mascara truly makes your eyelashes longer, I don't know how, I don't know why but it just does! I do use this in conjunction with another mascara normally. I just feel it doesn't adhere to the lashes very well on its own and tends to clump so I would suggest a few coats of another mascara first. 

4. CG Lash Blast Infusion-Never lets me down!

This is my staple mascara, it gets my eyelashes super black and dramatic looking like I like them and I do not have the greatest lashes. I find that it thickens and lengthens and I tend to use a million coats and it never ever clumps! I always use this first even if I am using two mascaras but I can use it alone and it always does the job. It does flake a little but I'm not anal about wiping a few flakes away but if you are, this might not be the one for you. Another drugstore buy $8 or so..will buy forever til I find something better! 

5. Clinique Superbalm Moisturizing Gloss-This really is the BOMB!

I am the biggest lipgloss whore you will ever meet, I literally have a meltdown if I forget lip gloss but most of the time you can catch me with about 10 or so in my purse. I never seem to find one that it is straight up perfect so I keep buying them and buying them. However, this one is truly perfect. Unlike that cakey-ness you can get with other lip gloss this one is so moisturizing and a little bit goes a long way. It gives you shine, color and protects your lips from getting chapped, it also stays on amazing. I got it in the color root beer, I have slightly olive skin and it is the perfect sheer nude shade for me. Not too pricey-$15 at Nordstrom online or in stores, also available at department stores. 

6. Urban Decay Naked Palette-Holy Grail Eye Shadows

Who in their right mind pays $50 bucks for an eye shadow palette right?! WRONG. This stuff is worth every penny, my justification: You will use this everyday of your life. I rarely use anything else ever and I used to be a loyal MAC lover but honestly this is life-changing and I will never go back. No more wasted money on eye shadow, the colors are so versatile, very pigmented, blendable and last all day or night. $50 at Sephora.

7. L'Oreal Magic Skin Beautifier B.B. Cream-Imperfections be gone!

While I would love to say I use this as my regular foundation, I unfortunately have to go bigger extremes to get my coverage. It has a very thin texture but it goes on flawlessly and blends into the skin like a dream and that's why I love it. If you have great skin it will make your skin look awesome without the giveaway of foundation, it evens out skin tone and gives you that fresh, no make-up look. I use this alone for really casual days when foundation isn't necessary. On most days I use it as a primer under my regular foundation, it smooths everything out and covers the majority of my imperfections. One thing to consider, I have pretty oily skin, its very drying and even I need to use a moisturizer underneath so be aware of that if your skin is really dry. 

8. Tarte Amazonian Clay Water-proof Eyeliner--YES!! No more raccoon eyes!

This is my second pot I've purchased, that being said my only complaint is it dries out pretty quick if you don't screw the lid on tight (lesson learned). It goes on super smooth and I also love the brush, it has a pointy and a smudgy end for creating different lines. The formula itself stays put and is the perfect dramatic black. You can buy at Ulta or Sephora for about $24.

9. Urban Decay Primer-My Eye shadow "Cement"

Since the first day I used this I have no care to try anything else, its on the pricey side but lasts forever, it also makes your eye shadow last forever and ever! I could use the cheapest drugstore eye shadow ever and it would stay on with this stuff. I feel like it evens out the eyelid as well and creates a good base. $20 at Sephora or Ulta. 

10. L'Oreal True Match Foundation-How I "fake" good skin!

I used to have this phobia of using drug store foundation, I had this weird thought in my head that it couldn't possibly be as good as the $40 Make up Forever HD I was using.When summer rolled around my skin got darker and my HD washed me out so I started using this True Match I had laying around. Surprise, surprise, better coverage,way less expensive and it even includes SPF 17. It's also very buildable, you can use less if you want but if you like that matte texture and full coverage it will definitely do the job. Using a foundation brush makes all the difference in the world with any face makeup so just make sure you are using the right tools to apply it. I use the W6 and W5 together to give me the perfect shade or I use one or the other depending on the season. They have another version called True Match Lumi foundation which is supposed to be just as amazing, the difference is it has a little extra glow, let me know if you use it and love it! 

11.NYC Smooth Skin Bronzing Face Powder- For that Perfect natural glow!

This is my absolute favorite go-to bronzer. I have tried many expensive bronzers in my day and this one beats them all. If you want just a simple, standard bronzer for $2.99 you can't beat it. It is matte without any shimmer, gives you the perfect doze of color. Not orangey, not gold, tan. I have this in the shade sunny, perfect for medium skin tones. 

The "A" Word

The dreaded "A" word.One every woman runs from! Acne. No matter how many times you say it, it can still make you cringe. For me, unfortunately, acne is a part of my everyday life and no matter how much I fight it, its usually there when I wake up. I have however, had my ups and downs with acne and that's why even though I still deal with it every day; I have become a pro on what improves it and what doesn't. I also haven't stopped looking for a cure..when I do find one, you guys will be the first to know!  

Every one's skin is dramatically different, even though you've probably heard it all if your an acne sufferer I want to make sure you know what your skin type is that way I will be able to give you specific help. If you're combination skin type like me, you are oily in the T-zone area (your forehead, nose and chin area) but are mostly dry everywhere else. If you have oily skin, your skin texture will be generally oily everywhere and  if your a dry skin type you will be dry all over. Improving your skin comes from solving these oily, dry or combo inconsistencies. 

Skin Picking

One thing usually leads to another with acne and we end up doing the very thing that provokes even more embarrassment on top of the red bumps that we already have, we pick and pick and pick some more. This leads to total trauma of the skin and further inflammation. While we might thing we are doing ourselves a favor in the moment by extracting the infection, it is far from the truth and actually causes the infection to be pushed deeper into the skin. Usually this means longer healing time and worsening of the mere bump we might have turned into a volcano or worse, an intrusion on the skin that looks awful. What most don't know about skin picking is it actually a disease, otherwise known as "dermatillomania" and yes, I suffer from this so there is no need to be ashamed. In fact, most women I know have this problem but I think mine is more on the extreme side. When I have lots of acne, I usually go to town on it and this leads to scabs that are completely obvious and can't be covered. If you have this problem, I know your pain. My self esteem has suffered and I don't have the confidence I should have. However, I have never given up hope that I can cure my acne and my picking problem. In my mind, the picking is connected to actually having acne, I don't think most of us would do it at all if we had no acne. 

IF you slip up: Picking is a lot less traumatic to the skin if you use an extractor or poke the head of the zit with a pin first, that way it will have an entrance to come instead of damaging the skin. Always sterilize the area first  with toner and soak skin with hot water to open the pores and make it easier to extract. Here are some post-picking tips that will improve things when you do pick, these have helped me a lot and I pretty much always have them on hand!

Neosporin $6.99 at Walgreens (You can get this much cheaper as a generic at Target or Wal-Mart)

Neosporin greatly speeds up the healing process, for large cystic acne I put this and cover it with a band aid, this helps a ton and the size is greatly reduced overnight!

Witch Hazel $5-8 (depends on where you get it, any drug store or even dollar store will have it)

This is incredibly soothing for inflammation, swab some of this one with a cotton face pad or cotton ball and your redness will be diminished in no time. 

Benzoyl Peroxide Spot Treatment $6.49 at drugstores

This persa gel by Clean & Clear offers a high concentration of Benzoyl Peroxide which is an ingredient known for wiping out bacteria on the skin. This is extremely important after picking because you spread a lot of bacteria around with your fingers, make sure to definitely treat the surrounding areas near the pimple with a spot treatment so you don't create more acne. 

Hot & Cold Compression

One thing I do if my skin is super swollen is douse a washcloth and dab it on my face several times, alternating between hot and cold water. This really brings down the puffiness and redness quicker than anything. 

Quirky but Helpful De-Sweller!

This tip might be an embarrassing one to have in the house but none the less its one that works! Either Anti- itch cream or hemorrhoid cream such a Preparation H (That's the only brand I know but I'm sure there lots of generics). These creams do make a big difference with swelling and you can get them at just about any drugstore. *Word to the wise: stash somewhere secret! lol.