New Phone & Today’s Face

Goodbye Blackberry, hello iPhone – Yesterday, I said goodbye to my Blackberry Curve and decided to join the Apple world. So far, I am happy with my decision, however, I am having a slight problem with FaceTime – the connection drops when I try to do a video call. Hopefully that is an easy fix. As much as I would love to spend the day playing around with my new phone, I should probably tackle the day’s to-do list, or at least put a dent in it, first. Feel free to leave a comment letting me know of any ‘must have’ apps. And if anyone knows how to fix my FaceTime problem, I’d certainly love to hear from you! Any other iPhone advice is also appreciated.

I thought I would do another ‘Today’s Face’ post. If you missed the first one, click here to view it.

Primer – I started with a light application of my DIY primer. If you like DIY beauty products and you have not tried this, I highly recommend it.

Foundation – Cover Girl NatureLuxe Liquid Silk Foundation (320). I picked this foundation up after reading a couple of positive reviews about it. One of my favorite liquid foundations is Revlon PhotoReady and I have a tendency to compare new foundations to that one. Compared to Revlon PhotoReady, Cover Girl NatureLuxe is not as heavy and while that is not necessarily a bad thing, I find it takes a while to get use to it.

After applying my foundation I applied a DIY bronzer (not pictured). I will be posting this DIY bronzer to the blog in the future. Be sure to check back for that!

Eyeliner: Maybelline New York Unstoppable Eyeliner in Onyx. I love this eyeliner but I do find it can be difficult to remove, but then again it is smudge-proof and water-proof. It is also a little heavier than other eyeliners.

Eyeshadow: Expert Wear- Amethyst Smokes by Maybelline New York. I have really been enjoying purples this summer.

Mascara: Cover Girl Professional all-in-one Mascara in ‘Very Black’. I have said it before and I’ll say it again, I love this mascara because of the natural looking results.

Lipstick/Lip Gloss:  I opted to play up my eyes today but I did not want to ignore my lips completely. I am wearing Avon’s Shine Attract Lipstick in Rose Pink (P03). It is quite subtle but provides just enough shine and tint to complete today’s look!

Thank you so much for reading today’s blog post and for checking out the blog. Feel free to comment leaving a link to your most recent “Today’s Face” post!

Marley

Related articles

• Simple, Everyday Makeup Look (fashionfaves44blog.wordpress.com)
• Requested! Vanity Tour: (estycare.wordpress.com)
• An Everyday Summer Makeup Look (bottledhollywood.wordpress.com)

Today’s Favorite Amazon Finds:

• Kate Spade Phone Case for iPhone 4 and 4S
• Sterling Silver Infinity Ring
• Kong Tennis Balls
• Kate: the Biography

Travel Make Up Bag

Hi everyone!

I hope you all had a fantastic weekend. I certainly did – I am amazed with the balance of productivity and relaxation I managed to find.

With my week away quickly approaching I have started getting organized. Although I have seen many ‘Travel Make Up Bag’ posts and videos, I don’t think I ever considered doing my own until now. Once the thought crossed my mind I was unable to talk myself out of it. Please remember, I’ve only just started. If it seems like something is missing, it’s probably because it is.

Here’s what I have so far:

 

Maybelline New York Mineral Powder (910- Classic Ivory) Powder Foundation. Did you know that this foundation is preservative, oil, talc and fragrance free? Click here to view or purchase this product from Amazon.

Maybelline New York Great Lash Mascara (100- Blackest Black). If your eyes get irritated easily by mascara you may want to give this hypo-allergenic mascara a try. I happily re-purchased this product for the third time while out shopping with a friend a few weeks ago!

Elizabeth Arden Lipstick (“Blush”). This SPF 15 lipstick by Elizabeth Arden is one of my favorites. Don’t worry about the bright pink color, it goes on quite thin and subtle.

Woodland Berry (15) Lipstick by Estèe Lauder.

Magic Mosaic Multi-Colored Custom Bronzer. This was actually a gift and I know very little about it, other than the fact that I love it!

Avon Glimmersticks Eyeliner in Brown Chocolate (G22), Smoky Grey (G05) and Blackest Night (G04). If you read my previous post on Avon Glimmersticks Eyeliner you may remember that the three of these are water-proof. I am hoping for nice weather and plenty of time in and around the pool. Everyone cross their fingers!

EOS Lip Balm – Summer Fruit and Honeysuckle Honeydew. Yes, it’s true – I am still loving EOS products!

Estèe Lauder Blush All Day Natural Cheek Color (16 – Desert).

Avon GlazeWear Shine Lip Gloss – Tickled Pink.

Revlon PhotoReady Liquid Foundation (003 Shell). How could I leave one of my favorite foundations at home?

Avon Mega Impact Eyeshadow – Khaki Crazed and Nude Attitude.

Maybelline New York Amethyst Smokes Eyeshadow Quad.

Cover Girl NatureLuxe Liquid Silk Foundation (320). 

I would like to apologize for posting this before I finished packing, but I hope you have enjoyed today’s ‘Travel Make Up Bag’ post. Is this something you would like to see the next time I travel (if so, I promise to wait until I completely packed before posting)?

Thanks for reading!

Marley

PS: What’s the most essential item in your travel make up bag? Have you ever forgotten to pack one of your essentials in your travel make up bag?

Check out these ‘Related Articles’:

• Requested! Vanity Tour: (estycare.wordpress.com)
• What’s in my travel Make-up bag? # Budapest (beautyburgh.com)
• Travel Make-up Bag (abeautyiris.wordpress.com)
• 25 Excuses We All Use For Buying New Beauty Products (beautyhigh.com)
• Travel Amenities for your Carry-On & Weekender Bags (ladyandtherose.wordpress.com)

Today’s Favorite Amazon Finds:

• Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration After Sun Lotion
• Zebra & Hot Pink Cosmetic Bag
• Octopus Necklace

Clean Make Up Brushes!

Hello everybody,

After spending the week studying and writing my exam yesterday afternoon I really wanted to enjoy today. I still have a busy couple of weeks before I take some time to go visit my family, celebrate my birthday and lounge by the pool (I’m keeping my fingers crossed for nice weather). As wonderful as it would be, I know I am unable to spend today doing absolutely nothing. I am determined to make some time to work on a couple of future blog posts and do some writing and possibly editing.

I did manage to accomplish one thing this morning – I finally got around to cleaning my make up brushes! I have three methods that I typically alternate between when I clean my make up brushes. Of the three, this method is probably the least expensive and the easiest.

Step 1: Fill a mug or glass approximately half way with hot water.

Step 2: Add 2-3 tbsp of white vinegar to the water. Vinegar has been used for years in cleaning. It is especially popular in ‘green cleaning.’

Step 3: Soak your make up brushes in the water and vinegar mixture for 20-30 minutes.

Step 4: Rinse each brush with hot water.

Step 5: Rinse each brush with cool water.

Step 6: Pat each brush dry to remove any excess water.

Step 7: Air dry. I lay my brushes on a clean hand towel while they air dry.

This method is quite common when it comes to cleaning make up brushes. I will be posting the other two methods I use when cleaning make up brushes in the future. With this method, you may need to adjust the length of time you allow your brushes to soak. I have soaked mine for up to four hours before. Once because I forgot about them and another time because they were stained blue after I did my make up for a Halloween party.

I am off to find a balance between relaxation and productivity. Be sure to let me know if you have any suggestions or requests for future blog posts.

Enjoy your day and I hope you check back soon,

Marley

Avon Glimmersticks Eyeliner

Empties and Friday’s Favorites

Happy Friday! I hope all of you have exciting plans for the weekend. If you do not, feel free to hang around the blog all weekend leaving comments, I would love to make it more interactive. If you have any suggestions for making the blog more interactive please let me know, I would really appreciate it!

Now, let’s get to today’s two part post: empties and favorites!

DIY Primer

Recently, I decided I wanted to try to make my own primer. After a couple of uses I am completely in love with this and wishing I had tried it sooner. Of course, I just had to share!

You only need a few ingredients to make your own primer!

For this DIY primer you will need clear Aloe Vera gel, moisturizer or body butter of your choice, Vitamin E oil, a butter knife, a bowl and of course a container (or containers) to put the finished product in.

Put about 1.5tbsp of Aloe Vera gel in your bowl, then using your butter knife add three liberal scoops of your body butter or moisturizer followed by three big drops of Vitamin E oil.

Mix well until you reach a consistency of mayo. If you find the mixture is too watery, add more moisturizer or body butter. Mixing took me at least five minutes.

I spent a little over five minutes mixing!

When you’re done mixing, neatly fill your clean container(s) with your DIY primer. Be sure to wipe down the outside of the container after you secure the lid. You may wish to make a label, or just write on the container with a sharpie. If you’re looking for an easy way to make a label that will be easy to remove so that you can reuse your container, use painter’s tape!

I purchased 100 of these little containers and lids on sale from http://www.canwax.com

Notes:

• Vitamin E Oil should be available in the vitamin section of your pharmacy or grocery store. If you have trouble finding it in stores it is readily available online.
• The moisturizer I used was by Elizabeth Arden.
• To help prevent bacteria growth in your primer always wash your hands before applying!
• As with all homemade products, watch for any changes in your product and discard if the product seems to have ‘expired’
• Click here to see where I found this DIY primer!

Having trouble finding what you need for this DIY project? Check out these products from Amazon.com:

Reviving Dried Out Mascara!

I must have been distracted yesterday while applying my make up because when I opened my make up bag this morning I found the top of my mascara was just barely screwed on. I didn’t have to pull the wand up very far to know that it had dried out. It probably doesn’t help that I pump my mascara wand frequently, and this particular tube is approaching the three month mark. However, just as I was about to throw it out, I decided to make an attempt to save it:

I secured the cap tightly on the tube of mascara, then, remembering my last attempt at screwing on the cap, I double checked it. Then, I held the bottom of the tube under running hot water for a little over two minutes. It worked like a charm!

Remember: “They” advise that you don’t keep your mascara for more than three months due to bacteria growth.

Confession: I have a six month old tube of mascara that I still use!

Marley