THROWBACK THURSDAY - What Makeup Technique Did You Formerly Use A Lot But Don't Anymore?

Learning about makeup is a long and winding road. Choosing the right colors, tools, and adopting the techniques that work for you is no easy task for most novices. This brings me to today's Throwback Thursday question: What makeup technique did you formerly use a lot but don't anymore?

Back in high school, I would tightline on my upper and lower waterline every single day. I thought all that black eyeliner looked so bad ass! Sure, the smudging got annoying, but I didn't care about it enough to change my look. I didn't think it was high maintenance at all to reapply my eyeliner at least twice during school.

Between the summer after high school and freshman year of college, I took a break from eyeliner and makeup in general and went barefaced most days. When I started wearing makeup again during college, my style shifted into a very light-handed one. I hit pan very quickly on this one taupe Clinique eyeshadow single and used lots of waterproof mascara. I tried tightlining again and that was when I realized how much I had been limiting my eye space. That was when I consciously decided to stop tightlining all the way around.

Now I love doing winged eyeliner so tightlining is a bit overkill since I've learned that it overwhelms my limited eyelid space. I still love the look on other people, though. Once in a while, I'll smudge a little eyeliner on my lower lash line, but I find using a darker eyeshadow with an angled brush is much easier to achieve that soft smokey look. I also use eyeliner pencils in a totally different way now: as a dark eyeshadow base on my upper eyelid. I wonder if I'll be doing my eye makeup in the same way years from now!

What makeup technique did you formerly use a lot but don't anymore? Let me know in the comments below!

LIPSTICKS - Jordana Twist & Shine

This is kind of a blast from the past for me. Jordana was a brand I was into when I was in middle school. I often wore their nude lipstick and topped it off with their clear lip gloss. Up until a couple of years ago, I had completely forgotten about Jordana. Not too surprising since they don't promote as heavily as their other drugstore counterparts like L'Oreal, Maybelline, and Revlon. I don't think Jordana is as widely available as before. You can find permanent fixtures now at Walgreens and Kmart. I happened to stumble upon them the first time in years at a local nail supply store. I saw they had a line of balm stains very similar to Revlon's Balm Stains called Twist & Shine. They were only $2.99 and I ended up taking three shades home with me.

L to R Jordana Twist & Shine Balm Stains: 03 Tropical Frenzy, 06 Cranberry Crush, 07 Rock N Rouge

I was pleasantly surprised to discover how smooth and pigmented the lip balm stains were. Especially at that price! Brands that don't promote heavily like Jordana are able to keep costs down due to much lower overhead. So don't let the low price tag deter you from trying their stuff. There's a lot of gems there! I thought after all this time, Jordana would have started manufacturing from China to keep costs down, but that wasn't the case! Their products are mostly made in the US, which is great! A handful are made in Italy, like their Best Lash Extreme mascara.

Top to Bottom Jordana Twist & Shine Balm Stains: 03 Tropical Frenzy, 06 Cranberry Crush, 07 Rock N Rouge

All shades can be found at JordanaCosmetics.com and in stores at Walgreens and Kmart. I have three shades: Tropical Frenzy, Cranberry Crush, and Rock N Rouge.

I love the twist-up style of these. They're exactly the same as the Revlon Balm Stains and Clinique Chubby Sticks.

L to R Jordana Twist & Shine Balm Stains: 03 Tropical Frenzy, 06 Cranberry Crush, 07 Rock N Rouge

L to R Jordana Twist & Shine Balm Stains: 03 Tropical Frenzy, 06 Cranberry Crush, 07 Rock N Rouge

Jordana Twist & Shine Balm Stain 03 Tropical Frenzy

Tropical Frenzy is a fun pink shade for summer. I don't think it leans too warm or too cool.

Jordana Twist & Shine Balm Stain 03 Tropical Frenzy

Jordana Twist & Shine Balm Stain 06 Cranberry Crush

Cranberry Crush is "so me". I love these kinds of berry shades. I think it's more of a raspberry shade than a cranberry one, though.

Jordana Twist & Shine Balm Stain 06 Cranberry Crush

Jordana Twist & Shine Balm Stain 07 Rock N Rouge

Rock N Rouge is a warm-leaning red. I think this is the boldest and most pigmented of all the shades. Not ones of my faves since I'm sensing something kind of off about this shade on me and brings out quite a bit of redness in my face. I'll have to try this again when I'm paler in the Wintertime.

Jordana Twist & Shine Balm Stain 07 Rock N Rouge

How do these compare to Revlon and Clinique?

Jordana's leaves a light stain on the lips, but Revlon definitely has the stronger stain and is the least emollient of the three. Clinique is in the middle in terms of intensity of staining and doesn't have as much slip as Jordana.

I'm so happy to find that Jordana is still very much alive and well. They're definitely an underrated brand in the drugstore beauty world. I'm glad that during times like these, we easily can share these gems with others.

I have a few more Jordana finds that I want to share in upcoming posts.

Formula:
The formula feels quite hydrating and has a good amount of slip. They leave as much of a stain as a regular lipstick does. Not quite to the same level as the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains. This may be a plus for those with drier lips if you found the Revlon ones to be uncomfortable.

There's a bit of a sweet scent to these that doesn't bother me, but I don't love it either. I'm pretty neutral on this one and I don't consider myself a gourmand when it comes to scented beauty products. I actually prefer the minty scent of the Revlon ones.

Packaging:
The packaging is very cute as most crayon-inspired products are. The caps seem to stay on very well so no need to worry about your lippie rolling around in purse lint! The color of the tubes are not exact matches of the color inside but they're good enough to distinguish one from the other if you have multiples.

Favorites:
I really love Cranberry Crush. If you don't already know, I love berry tones! Rock N Rouge may be a little too warm for me.

Is It Worth Your While?:
If you want lip colors in a crayon-style packaging, then these are a great option for you if the Revlon ones aren't catching your eye. I feel like the Jordana ones are a bit more hydrating than the Revlon ones. I personally would've preferred if it stained more, but this may be a good sign if you have really dry lips. They only cost $2.99 so it'll be easy on your wallet if you want to get a few shades to try.

Have you tried Jordana Twist & Shine before? How about the crayon-style lippies by Revlon and Clinique? Let me know in the comments below!

MANI MONDAY - Essie No More Film

Hi! Hi! Happy Mani Monday to you!

Today I have one of those classic dark blueish purpley aka "blurple" nail polishes to share with you: Essie No More Film. I think a lot of people have a shade like this in their collection as this is a type of shade that gets re-released in different collections every now and then. I bought it thinking it would be a more obvious eggplant purple. It's actually a very inky shade and not as vibrant as online photos.

Essie No More Film

I plucked this out from my stash because I had neglected it for a while so I decided to showcase this one today. If you're looking for a muted, dark blue-leaning purple creme nail polish, this would be a great option. The formula isn't too runny or too thick. It's a very lovely formula to work with and you can get full coverage with two coats.

Have you tried Essie No More Film before? Do you have something just like it? Let me know in the comments below!

THROWBACK THURSDAY - Scrunchies

Growing up in the 90s, it was a given that you'd tie your hair up in a scrunchie if it was long enough. The poofier, the better. I remember there were all sorts of bright colors and frilly lace on them. Watching Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt on Netflix sparked my inspiration for this week's Throwback Thursday.

I loved scrunchies and hair ties with cute little baubles on them. I remember my hair was (and still is) too thick and slippery for one scrunchie to hold up in a decent ponytail by itself. I always had to double up on them and they would lose their elasticity not too long after. I would have tie them three times around my ponytail and the fabric would be pulled so tight, the scrunchie effect was gone. At the time, hair ties with rubberized grips hadn't made their way to the mainstream yet. The side ponytail was huge, but I never tried it because I thought it was too "out there" for my taste. I secretly admired the girls who could pull off that look.

If you're feeling nostalgic, apparently Forever 21 is selling them! Although these aren't as poofy and frilly as the ones I recall.

Scrunchie set from Forever21.com © Forever 21

When I went to Tokyo, I noticed there were quite a few girls still sporting scrunchies but they were more grown up incarnations of the 90s ones. Silky fabric in delicate colors like taupe and peach with a little lace detailing on the edges. Paired with the right outfit, it can still look cute. I guess the scrunchie still lives on!

Do you still wear scrunchies? Were you super excited like me when there were hair ties available with rubberized grips? Let me know in the comments below!

TUTORIAL - Prom 2016 Makeup with Urban Decay Naked Palette (and Other Fabulous Things!)

I cannot believe that another prom season is upon us! When I was in high school, I didn't care a lot about dances, let alone proms. I ended up going to my senior prom with some friends. A couple of us went stag but it was no biggie. We were alone together! It was a fun hang with my friends, but I wouldn't consider it life changing.

I did love my dress, though. It was an A-line strappy knee-length dress with gold underneath and a black lace overlay. It had a very vintage vibe.

I did my own makeup for prom. I remember using L'Oreal Bare Naturale Mineral Foundation, gold CoverGirl eyeshadow, tightlined black eyeliner, some kind of blush, and lots of waterproof Revlon mascara. I can't even remember wearing anything on my lips. I was very much ignoring that part of my face when I was in high school. I wouldn't be surprised if I went with a plain lip balm. Now I love lipstick and I get really excited about it. I also used to tightline my eyes everyday and I don't anymore. You grow up and your tastes change. Back then, I already loved playing up my eyelashes and I still do. So some things do stay the same.

My original prom dress resembled the one I'm wearing here.

It occurred to me that there may be some people out there wanting to do their own makeup but don't know what to use. If you have the budget for it, I would highly recommend purchasing one of the Urban Decay Naked palettes. If you pick the right one for you, it can become such a versatile tool to have in your beauty arsenal. You can continue to use a given palette long after prom is over: for graduation, attending lectures, interviews, work, etc. That's the thing I really love about these neutral palettes. You can use them to create really simple and pretty daytime looks, but you can also create gorgeous dramatic ones--all in the same palette! Admittedly, I went a little crazy and bought all three (Side note: I was planning on doing my own makeup for my wedding and I had a really hard time deciding which palette to go with and eventually ended up with all of them!). If you can find the one that suits you the most, that should suffice. Feel free to ask the sales associates at Sephora, Ulta, Macy's, or Nordstrom to help you out if you're feeling overwhelmed with your choices.

If you like my makeup look want to take the DIY approach for your prom/formal event, then read on for my tutorial!

If you're like me and have demilids/monolids and hooded eyes, it's very difficult to find looks that translate well from what we see in magazines and online. To top it all off, my eyes are also uneven! Oh, and don't forget about my stick-straight lashes! A very important tip is to always look straight ahead into the mirror to check your progress every now and then. I cannot tell you how many times I've put so much effort into doing beautiful shading on my eyelids only to have it all disappear when I opened my eyes. It's so frustrating because I love eyeshadows!

I can only tell you what works for me as someone who has demilids and hooded eyes, so you may need to make some adaptations to suit your eye shape.

Whenever you're using a dark or very glittery eyeshadow, hold a bit of tissue right under your eye and rest it on your cheek. This will catch any fallout that occurs and it won't mess up your foundation. Speaking of foundation, use one WITHOUT SPF. The SPF will cause flashback in your photos. There are lots of affordable non-SPF options at drugstores.

My products list:
Revlon ColorStay Whipped Foundation 200 Sand Beige (Long-wearing & looks great in photos. I used this when I did my own makeup for my engagement photos and Chinese wedding banquet.)
Stila Stay All Day Concealer 05 Hue
Urban Decay Primer Potion
Urban Decay Naked Palette
CoverGirl LashBlast 24hr Mascara Black (I think this may soon be discontinued)
Milani Anti-feathering Lipliner Pencil
Jordana Modern Matte Lipstick Matte It Girl (Available in-store at Walgreens and Kmart)
Essence Silky Touch Blush Babydoll
Smashbox Baked Fusion Softlights
e.l.f. Makeup Brushes

Once you have curled your eyelashes and applied eyeshadow primer, apply the shade Naked all over your lid stopping just at the socket. You can see here I'm not fully monolid nor am I double-lid.

Use a black eyeliner pencil to line your upper lid as close to your lash line as possible. Stop right when you're able to see the top edge of the black eyeliner with your eyes open. Extend the line just past the length of your upper lash line for a slight wing. My wings point a little downward due to my hooded eyes. Otherwise, the hoods cause a break in the continuity of the wing.

You don't need to be 100% perfect with this step. This eyeliner is acting as part of a base and it will create more depth in the look.

Take a dense C-brush or small flat eyeshadow brush and pat the shade Creep right over the black eyeliner. Gently blend the eyeliner and Creep together to bring the dark shade up a little higher on your eyelid. Just enough so that the dark eyeshadow can show up while your eyes are open.

I love this trick especially for hooded eyelids that tend to get oily. It's like a symbiotic relationship: the eyeliner acts as a base for the eyeshadow, and the eyeshadow sets the eyeliner and minimizes creasing. Win-win!

Take a small blending brush and apply Buck right at the outer edge of Creep and carefully blend. This will smooth out the harsh black edge. For the inner portion of the eye, apply a bit of Half Baked for more dimension.

Take a little bit of Darkhorse and apply it right over where Buck and Creep meet. Again, this is for added dimension.

Finally, use Virgin as a brown bone highlight and make sure it's blended well with Buck.

Take a step back and see how all the colors are working together. Is everything blended smoothly? If you have small eyelids like I do, use caution when blending because doing it too widely can cause everything to look muddy. I found myself using smaller brushes to accomplish this.

Use a small slanted brush and use Creep to line the outer 2/3 of your lower lash line. If Creep looks too dark and harsh, you can substitute it for Hustle instead.

Unlike my former high school self, I didn't tightline here. It actually gives the illusion of smaller eyes and that's the opposite of what I'm trying to accomplish!

Use Virgin again with a small brush or applicator and highlight the inner corner of your eye. I like to bring the shade about 1/3 of the way on my lower lid to meet the darker shade.

Apply generous coats of waterproof mascara. Nothing else can help build volume and hold a curl for straight lashes more than waterproof mascara. The best kind allows you to build up your volume while holding the curl and not allowing your lashes to droop. Also, you're going to want your mascara to be waterproof if you're going to be dancing and having fun with your friends. This would not be a good time for raccoon eyes, speaking from someone who is very experienced with smudgy mascara!

Since this is a neutral eyelook, you can keep your lipcolor very tame or bold. Either way, find a lip color formula that's low-maintenance. If you're planning on taking photos, that's one less thing to worry about!

For this look, I used Jordana Modern Matte lipstick in Matte It Girl. Since matte lipsticks are not as emollient as their creme counterparts, they have a bit more staying power. If I was on auto-pilot, I would've slapped on a classic red lipstick because of my curled hair. I wanted this look to be "modern vintage" and it's Springtime, so why not?

After applying Stila Stay All Day Concealer in Hue for my undereye circles and set with some translucent powder, it's time for the final touches! I used my new favorite Essence Silky Touch Blush in Babydoll on the apples of my cheeks. Then I lightly swept Smashbox Baked Fusion Softlights across the tops of my cheeks, nose, forehead, and chin. Start off with a little bit and you can always build it up since you don't want to look too shiny.

Apply a few spritzes of makeup setting spray and you're good to go! This will keep your makeup from inevitably melting and smearing across your face if you're going to be working up a sweat on the dance floor! I like to use Make Up Forever Mist & Fix.

Here's the final look (again)!

 
I hope this tutorial was helpful for someone out there. It was a bit of a process to take all the steps down but it was fun! The hardest part was probably dealing with lighting and getting decent shots of my own eye. Constructive criticism is welcome!

Do you have prom or any formal events coming up? Are you going to be doing your own makeup? Let me know in the comments below!

MANI MONDAY - Glitter Gradient Nails

Happy Mani Monday! Today I used one of my favorite shades for this gradient manicure: China Glaze For Audrey.

I applied my OPI Glitter Off Peel-able Base Coat, then I used two coats of For Audrey. I followed up with a coat of Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat so I can quickly apply the subsequent coats of color. Then I topped off the tips with China Glaze Champagne Kisses and Sephora X Mind Blowing. I applied one final coat of Seche Vite to smooth out the glitter.

China Glaze For Audrey is the perfect robin's egg blue and the color is just timeless, just like Audrey Hepburn herself! This color is supposed to be a match for a Tiffany's gift box! The formula is perfect and covers very well in two coats.

CG Champagne Kisses is a soft champagne gold microglitter polish. The glitter is very dense so you can get smooth and even coverage.
 
Sephora X Mind Blowing is a neon yellow shade with micro, medium, and large hex glitter. I found this one at TJ Maxx recently for $0.70! It has a nice distribution of glitter so you don't have to fish for each piece.

I thought I'd do something a little more glitzy since prom season is here. I usually think of these types of nail looks for the holiday season but the color scheme here just scream Spring!

Have you tried any of these shades before? Do you like the look of gradient nails? Let me know in the comments below!

LIPSTICKS - What a Steal! CoverGirl Lip Perfection Lipsticks for $2.50!

Happy Friday, dear readers!!!

Have you ever tried CoverGirl's Lip Perfection lipsticks? I know that CoverGirl revamped this line and now they're called Colorlicious instead. They both have the same type of square tube packaging but many of the shades got discontinued and only a few from the Lip Perfection line advanced to the Colorlicious line. All of the shades in the Lip Perfection line had pewter caps. Now the Colorlicious line has colored caps corresponding to the lipstick shade family. You can view the new ones at Ulta.com.

L to R: CoverGirl Lip Perfection Lipsticks in 205 Smolder, 260 Heavenly, 305 Hot, 308 Ravish, 310 Smitten, 324 Tantalize, 355 Tempt, 360 Euphoria

Why am I posting about a bunch of discontinued lipsticks? Because I think they're amazing quality, really pigmented, and affordable! If you happen to live near a Big Lots, (at least in my area in SoCal) they often have the CG Lip Perfection lipsticks on sale for $2.50 and sealed! Even better if you can score them on a weekend when they're offering 20% off everything. Definitely check out your local store! I built my own CG Lip Perfection stash solely from buying them from Big Lots. I'm pretty confident these will still be around since I was able to purchase them during different times of the year. Now, I can't guarantee they'll be available by the time you read this, but it's worth a shot, right?

L to R: CoverGirl Lip Perfection Lipsticks in 205 Smolder, 260 Heavenly, 305 Hot, 308 Ravish

L to R: CoverGirl Lip Perfection Lipsticks in 310 Smitten, 324 Tantalize, 355 Tempt, 360 Euphoria

I really love the bottoms of these lipsticks. The color is pretty close to the shade of the bullet. You also don't have to worry about a sticker wearing off. It just looks cool! I like to have these all lined up nice and neat. It's easy to do since the bases are square.

For those of you who have never heard of Big Lots, it's is primarily a discount store. All of their merchandise is new and sealed. You can often times find other drugstore makeup brands here, but my favorite products that I've picked up from there has to be these CG lipsticks.

L to R: CoverGirl Lip Perfection Lipsticks in 205 Smolder, 260 Heavenly, 305 Hot, 308 Ravish, 310 Smitten, 324 Tantalize, 355 Tempt, 360 Euphoria

I know a lot of people, including myself, love budget-friendly options. This is a low-risk way for you to try out a color that's more "out there" without committing to a big sticker price. Personally, I bought bolder colors, but there were definitely "safer" color options in the selection that I saw. Buying these lipsticks from Big Lots is also a cost-effecient way to build up your lipstick collection. Frankly, if I'm not attached to a particular high-end collection for any reason, I'm fine with settling with a drugstore option that's more affordable.

I would like to share my collection with you dear readers. Let me show you how amazing the color-payoff is. I've swatched them on my arm and my lips.

L to R: CoverGirl Lip Perfection Lipsticks in 205 Smolder, 260 Heavenly, 305 Hot, 308 Ravish, 310 Smitten, 324 Tantalize, 355 Tempt, 360 Euphoria

CoverGirl Lip Perfection Lipstick 205 Smolder

Smolder is a warm and spicy nude shade veering on terra cotta but not as orange. This was the very first Lip Perfection lipstick that I acquired. I really like it as it goes with many different makeup looks.

CoverGirl Lip Perfection Lipstick 205 Smolder

It's a great year-round shade. If I didn't have so many other lipsticks, I'd be happy just carrying this one in my purse!

CoverGirl Lip Perfection Lipstick 260 Heavenly

Heavenly has got to be in my top favorite lipsticks ever. It's a warm pink with a hint of brown in it, so it works really well with my skin tone. This was the first lighter pink lipstick that didn't make me look ill.

CoverGirl Lip Perfection Lipstick 260 Heavenly

Everytime I put this on, the color just perks up my face and it's a nice change from the spicy shades that are my other go-tos. I realized that I was going through this tube pretty fast so I managed to nab another one at my last Big Lots trip.

CoverGirl Lip Perfection Lipstick 305 Hot

Hot is very true to its name! It looks like it glows on me and it's a definite blue-based red. I hear this is the shade that Taylor Swift has in her stash. Who knows if she really wore it more than once because I bet she has tons of red lipsticks! Anyway, it was just an anecdote I read online before! I looked up some pictures of her supposedly wearing this and on her, it looks more muted. The power of different skin tones, I'm telling you!

CoverGirl Lip Perfection Lipstick 305 Hot

On me, it's a very bright cherry red--almost like neon orange mixed with a lot of red. It's so intense! I would likely save this for special occasions. I've notice that these kinds of shades make me look a lot more tan. I have a few nail polishes that do that, too. That's my oliveness showing through!

CoverGirl Lip Perfection Lipstick 308 Ravish

Ravish is a very pretty medium berry shade with a bit of pink. I can see myself reaching for this a lot if I can overlook Heavenly!

CoverGirl Lip Perfection Lipstick 308 Ravish

I love these kinds of shades because they're a fun alternative to muted reds.

CoverGirl Lip Perfection Lipstick 310 Smitten

Smitten is a cool-toned plum shade. I was a little hesitant to pick this one up because it looked so blue-based in the tube. I knew that berry shades worked well with me, but this was the first time I'd try one that had a lot more blue in it and that was cooler.

CoverGirl Lip Perfection Lipstick 310 Smitten

I thought for a mere $2, it wouldn't hurt to experiment with something a little bit further outside my comfort zone. I wore it a few times and I liked it more and more. It would make a great shade for Wintertime, especially.

CoverGirl Lip Perfection Lipstick 324 Tantalize

Tantalize is a pink orchid shade that leans cool. It's not so light that it makes me look ill. I really like this shade for Springtime.

CoverGirl Lip Perfection Lipstick 324 Tantalize

CoverGirl Lip Perfection Lipstick 355 Tempt

Tempt is a neutral raspberry red. I find this shade to be very flattering and is more wearable for everyday than Hot since it's more subdued.

CoverGirl Lip Perfection Lipstick 355 Tempt

I think this would look more purple and berry toned on someone with lighter skin tone than me. It's really lovely!

CoverGirl Lip Perfection Lipstick 360 Euphoria

I bought Euphoria at the same time as Smitten. I actually thought Euphoria was going to be my super daring color because it looked so dark in the tube. Turns out on me, it's a very nice and rich bordeaux color. It's funny, I thought this would look super vampy on me. It actually looks like a very wearable berry tone for the holiday season.

CoverGirl Lip Perfection Lipstick 360 Euphoria 

I'm learning that my oliveness turns intense berry tones into very wearable and casual shades for me. I find that so fascinating.


I really like all the shades I picked up. My favorite of the bunch has to be Heavenly. It was the first pink lipstick that didn't make me look ill. Euphoria surprised me the most. From what I could tell online, it seemed like a really bold shade. Once I tried it on, it just kind of goes with my complexion. Funny how these things work! Smitten was the one that turned out to be my most "daring" color.

I highly recommend that you visit your local Big Lots and see if there are any of these lipsticks available. The pigmentation is wonderful and the wear-time is pretty solid. It's not a long-wearing lipstick so it doesn't make any outrageous claims. I'd say it lasts about 3-4 hours before you'd need to reapply and of course, it would depend on how often you're eating/drinking.

I'm curious to know if there will be any more of these available next time I visit Big Lots. I've passed on a few lighter pink white-based shades that I was certain would not look good on me. I'm sure they'd look lovely on other people, though. I heard that Spellbound is a dupe for MAC Girl About Town.

Have you tried any of the CG Lip Perfection/Colorlicious lipsticks before? Do you live near a Big Lots? Let me know if you found any treasures in the comments below!