Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Summer Beauty Must Haves!


               Aloha, beauties!  Going on vacation, or just relaxing this summer?  Make sure to add these additions to your beauty stash to look pretty all summer.

(officialsunshine.com)



Elf Cosmetic oil blotting sheets will be a must this summer.  Keep these in your purse to touch up your face on the hottest of days!                                                                                                              



(Beautybooty411.com)


Got2B Guardian Angel is another must have for this summer.  Your hair is already being exposed to a lot of heat and sun this summer, so make sure to spray this in your hair before you straighten it to prevent any further heat damage.




(body-soulbeauty.com)


The next must have is Essie’s nail polish in the color Turqouise and Caicos.  Okay, this may not be a MUST have… but this is my favorite nail polish to wear in the summer!  




(soap.com)


Sunscreen-- at least SPF 30!  Afterall, you want to have beautiful, smooth skin your whole life, don’t you?  



(thisnext.com)




An oversized floppy hat looks adorable at the beach or at the pool.    





Lastly, a nice pair of sunglasses are a neccesity.  Ray-Bans are my fave!  





What are your summer must haves?  Leave a comment!


Until next time,

Xoxo

Splurge or Save?

            I have a confession to make.  I have a slight obsession with watches.  Gold, silver, rose gold, two-tone, you name it, I love them all!  In particular, I am in love with Michael Kors watches.  These babies run from around $190-$300 and in my eyes, they are worth it.  My watches have become a staple piece in my wardrobe, as I practically wear them every single day.  They look super cute by themselves, or even when you stack them with bangles and fun bracelets. 

(polyvore.com)
However, if a watch is not something you would wear everyday, you may not want to spend as much on it.  I found an MK look-alike watch at Target by the brand Geneva. 

It may not be real gold or as high quality as a $250 watch, but you can’t beat this price tag of $19.99.  
                   (Michael Kors watch)
(coolspotters.com)





This watch looks nice and takes on the same face-style as an MK watch and is the same size.  The look-alike is definitely worth it for the price, especially if it isn’t something you are going to use every single day. 




So what do you say beauties-- splurge or save?!

Until next time,

Xoxo


Boys Doing Makeup?



Hi, beauties!  Recently I have come across something on YouTube that is becoming extremely popular.  A bunch of beauty gurus have been filming a tag video with their boyfriends doing their makeup!  Not only are these so hysterical to watch, but also they show you how clueless men really are when it comes to makeup.  These makeup artist boyfriends are notorious for making their girlfriend’s look like scary clowns in those horror movies.  Who knew makeup was that hard to do? LOL.  I thought it was just second nature ;)  Check out my favorite makeup artist boyfriends below!
(youtube.com/user/juicystar07)









(youtube.com/user/missglamorazzi)

Also check out the boyfriend tag parody-- My girlfriend does my makeup!

Until next time beauties,
Xoxo

Flawless Foundation Routine



                What’s up beauties?  Beauty Smartie Blogger is here for more advice.  Just starting out with makeup? Want to know the essential face makeup for every girl’s beauty bag to leave your skin looking flawless? Keep reading!


(makeupforever.com)
Every girl needs a good foundation.  My favorite foundation is MAKEUP FOREVER HD.  This foundation goes for around $45 at your local Sephora store.  This foundation is my favorite because it leaves your face looking airbrushed and natural, with medium coverage.  No one wants to look like they literally caked on makeup!  Another great thing about this foundation is that it comes in a wide variety of shades.

(nancyfashionfancy.blogspot.com)


If you want a good foundation but don’t want to spend a lot, Neutrogena Healthy Skin Makeup is amazing!  This is just as good, if not better than my $45 MAKEUP FOREVER foundation. 






Pair either of these foundations with a duo-fibre stippling brush from either MAC Cosmetics ($50.50) or Elf Cosmetics ($6) and your face is lookin’ good!  Place some liquid foundation onto the top of this brush and swirl it around on your skin in circle motions.  This brush truly gives the airbrushed affect and makes your skin look flawless.
(beautybroadcast.net)
(benefitcosmetics.com)

For all those problem areas, concealer is a girl’s best friend.  My all-time favorite concealers can be found at Sephora.  My two favorites are Kat Von D’s Tattoo concealer ($25) and Benefit Cosmetics’ Erase Paste ($26).  They both provide full-coverage and come in many shades to accommodate any skin color.

(makeuptalk.com)


Then you are definitely going to want to set your liquid foundation with a translucent powder.  Elf Cosmetics makes my favorite one and it is $6!





Brighten up your face with some blush!  Blush can turn someone’s whole look around and make your skin look so much healthier.  NARS makes the best blushes in the game.  My favorite blushes by NARS are in the colors Orgasm and Deep Throat (raunchy names, I know).  These babies go for $28 a pop, but are well worth it.  Swatches are below:
(lovemenotdiary.blogspot.com)


(made-famous-by.com)
Next, a highlighter is something that can enhance one’s skin a lot.  My favorite is MAC Cosmetics Mineralize Skin Finish in the shade Soft And Gentle ($34).  Place this down the middle of your nose and above your cheekbones, where light naturally hits your face.  This gives a soft, dewy look to your skin and looks great in pictures.



If you’re looking a little pale, bronzer is the way to go.  Sephora’s favorite for years in a row has been NARS Laguna bronzer for $34.  Don’t cake this on your face though, a little goes a long way.
(makeupgeek.com)


Keep looking flawless, beauties!

Xoxo


Sunday, August 5, 2012

It's A Neon Kind Of Summer



            Hey, girls!  Beauty Smartie Blogger here.  It’s time to switch out that black leather winter purse for some fun, colorful bags for summer!  A big trend this summer is neon!  Designers have come out with their collections consisting of an array of neon pink, orange, green, yellow, and purple bags.  I don’t know about you guys, but I am so happy there is a good excuse to wear neon pink now!



My all time favorite bag for summer is called the Mini Mac, made by the designer Rebecca Minkoff.
(riplis.com)


The style of the bag is a crossbody, which is perfect if you’re going out at night or just going shopping during the day.  The bag is undeniably cute and is a perfect summer staple piece.  This style comes in neon yellow, neon orange, teal, and neon pink.  The pink is definitely my favorite and goes great with a summer tan :) The price for this beauty is $195 and is totally worth it if you want to invest in a great designer piece that will be perfect for this summer.

If you are loving this style but not the price tag, this next purse may be a good alternative for you.  
(urbanog.com)

This one has a price tag of $39.10 and comes in both pink and teal.  This bag is just as cute and is an affordable version of the Mini Mac.

The next neon designer bag I love is the Tory Burch jesse tote.  It is perfect for a beach bag or just going out on any casual day.  
(toryburch.com)
This neon yellow tote comes with a price tag of $195 but is on sale now for $136.50, so snatch it up while you can!  This tote would be perfect paired with Tory Burch sandals, a simple v-neck, and a pair of light-wash skinny jeans.  Though this bag is definitely a cute one, I would not wear it out at night.  The bag is too big and is too casual for a club or party.  Other designers such as Burberry have copied Tory Burch’s translucent neon bag because, lets be honest—it is almost too cute!

Let me know your favorites in the comments! :)

Until next time beauties,
Xoxo

Friday, August 3, 2012

How to: DIY Distressed & Dip-Dyed Shorts!

Hey, girls! Beauty Smartie Blogger here.  Now that summer has come around, I’m sure you have all seen those colorful, distressed, high-waist, cut offs.  On Tumblr alone there have been hundreds of posts with pictures of them.  I’m sure you’ve all seen RunwayDreamz shorts—you know, the $180 ones.  
(runwaydreamz.com)



Am I the only one who laughed when I saw the price tag on those?  If I’m not, then keep reading.  I am going to tell you how to make your own shorts, customized completely for yourself—just the way you like them!

What you’ll need:
·      -Scissors
·      -Marker
·      -Jeans/Shorts (Doesn’t matter if they’re high-waisted or not)
·      -Dye or Bleach (Optional)
·      -X-acto Knife or Razor Blade
·      -Tweezers
·      -Studs (Optional)


First off, you are going to need to find some shorts or jeans that you don’t mind distressing and that you won’t miss!  Believe it or not, Good Will and Salvation Army is where RunwayDreamz purchases the vintage Levi’s used to make the shorts she sells!  Don’t feel weird, go in and look around.  You may be able to find shorts for as low as $6!  That definitely beats paying the $180 ;) 

Once you choose a pair, you are definitely going to want to wash them.  Who knows what has been on those jeans?  Yuck!  Anyway, put them on yourself and mark about an inch longer than you want them.  You need to make sure you cut them longer because the fringe at the bottom is going to take off the length quite a bit.  Also, the newest style shorts go up on the sides, rather than just cut straight across the leg.  Then take the shorts off and go in for the cut!  When you’re done cutting them, make sure you put them back on to make sure they’re perfect before you distress them even more.       
       

As soon as you get them to your perfect length, take the shorts off and get ready to distress them! This is the time where an X-Acto knife/razor blade and tweezers will come in handy.  Here is a helpful video to show you more in depth how to get the perfect distressed marks:

(youtube.com)

As you can see in the video, it is best to make two horizontal cuts.  Take your tweezers and pull out the vertical fibers (not the white ones!) to leave the white threads.

Next is dying or bleaching! This is definitely a personal preference and depends on the color of your shorts before you start.  If you want to create cool effects and leave random bleach spots, it is best to tie up your shorts in random places with rubber bands like this:
(thefashionismine.blogspot.com)


If you just want to dye your shorts, I recommend buying a brand of dye such as Rit.  All you do is mix the dye in a bucket with water (the hotter the water, the deeper the color).  To dye them multiple colors, use two separate buckets and leave them half in one bucket, and the other half in the second bucket.  Depending on how vibrant you want the colors, it can take anywhere from 20 minutes to 1 hour to get the full effect. 

Let your shorts hang dry when you get to the desired color—Do not put them in your dryer; this will get the color all over! Take it from someone who has learned from that mistake :P.  After your shorts are dry, rinse them by hand with cold water until the water runs clear.  Then you can put them in the washer and dryer and your shorts are ready to be worn!

If you want to add a little extra to your shorts, I recommend studding them.  Studs are very in and they add an unexpected detail to your shorts.  I bought mine from here and they were perfect!  All you do is push the stud through and close the prongs with pliers.


Tada! You have fabulous, customized shorts that are just like RunwayDreamz, just without the $180 price tag!  If you enjoy doing this, you should consider making them and selling them for extra cash!

Until next time beauties,
Xoxo