Hot For Dots

Well, dotting tools that is! I recently came across these little beauties on Amazon.com for about $5.00 USD and since I'm a subscriber to Amazon Prime I got them in 2 days with no shipping, which was great because I'm so impatient I wouldn't have been able to wait any longer than that. I ended up buying 2 sets and have a couple of doubles but that's ok by me. Especially since I use lots of colors and like to have the same size for different colors. 

These tools are double sided, which you can't tell because my picture only shows one side and they come in a variety of colors. I love the swirl in the middle and the different colors are nice if I'm using a lot of different sizes I don't reach for one and accidentally grab another. Another thing I love is that they're light weight and the tips are real metal and not that coated plastic so if you use nail polish remover to take off excess polish the silver doesn't rub off. Which, trust me, I've been hurt in the past by cheap beauty supplies like that. 

Since I was alone today I had to take the pictures by myself so bear with me if they're a little blurry or hard to understand. Here you can see I'm just doing a basic white dot with a smaller tipped dotting tool. One thing to mention is that the tools, while small, do hold a lot of polish so if you're wanting to do smaller dots always try it out on a surface before you try to dot it on your nail. I made the mistake of using a smallish tipped tool and ended up with a huge blob. 

So this is the finished product of the white dots. I think they're fun and very girly. Or you could make it more punk and do pink background with black dots or vice versa. I love dots but they do take some practice and getting used to. I like to have a nail polish remover soaked cotton ball on hand to wipe off the tip of the tool I'm using because they can get gunky and sticky. This can cause nail polish strings to follow the tool and fall on your nail. It sounds weird but just keep the tips clean. 

You can't really tell but that white thing in the corner is a paint palette I got at a Michael's craft store for 99 cents and it's definitely good to swatch your dots on and to hold nail polish. I'll go more into that later. 

Alright, so we covered dots or spots and whatnot but another one of my favorite things you can use the dotting tools for is to make hearts. I know, I know there are literally 1,001 things you can use dotting tools for but this is my favorite so there. 

Start by making a small oval with the dotting tool, just make a dot and drag it down towards you a little bit. 

Next, you'll want to make another one just like the first one but on the other side. It's absolutely easy and the results are frickin' adorable! I love the red hearts even if Valentine's Day is over this is a sweet way to celebrate all year long. 

This is the finished product of my heart nail. Now, just as with the dots you can absolutely make smaller hearts or one big one it depends on your mood and how far you are into learning how to use them.

Again, I know that there are thousands of things to do with these tools these are just my two favorites and the easiest to learn. I'll give a link at the bottom of the page to buy these on Amazon if you are interested.

Have fun and stay beautiful!

Saturday Beauty Review

Hello Lovelies! Sorry I've been away for so long... But fret not, I have been brainstorming lots of neat blog subjects while I was away.

In our first beauty review ever we're focusing on the most beautiful feature on every woman, her eyes. But what good is painting your eyelids if the shadow just creases or slides off? Luckily, we have eyelid primer as our secret weapon! And in this review we are going to be reviewing Benefit Cosmetics Stay Don't Stray eyelid primer. This lightweight primer boasts it's ability to make concealers and eyeshadows stay put all while matching all skin shades in a flattering nude color. 

This primer is definitely a flattering nude shade and it's, if nothing else lightweight but at $26 USD a tube it's a littler pricier than say Cliniques Touch Base for Eyes which is $15 USD and is by far the best primer I've ever used. Or the lower priced, but not by much, Stila Prime Pot or Smashbox's Photofinish Eyelid Primer which both retail about $21 USD. So it's definitely more expensive but unfortunately lightweight formula isn't enough to save this primer. 

Even though it went on beautifully and didn't make my eyeshadow feel heavy it did, ultimately, let me down. You can see that the eyeshadow actually faded and creased after about 8 hours. So if you're going from work to a charity benefit or play this Benefit is not for you. I really wanted to like this primer and wanted it to work for me but unfortunately it just isn't for me. 

However, this primer will have a chance to redeem itself when I pit it up against Smashbox's Photofinish Eyelid Primer in a Beauty Battle so stay tuned and see which one comes out on top. 

Have fun and stay beautiful!

Pucker Up, Sweetie Pie!

Hey everyone! I just returned from an extended vacation to both San Francisco and Las Vegas. It was a fun trip but it was long and I'm ready to be back on here and doling out beauty advice. 

While I was on vacation I made sure that I packed enough lip care products because being away from your usual water and climate can sometimes dry out your lips. And being in Las Vegas, that was definitely the case. Lips are often neglected anyways, but when you're on vacation you usually just pack a lip balm and go. This is a big mistake. Here are some tried and true products that I have personally tried and have come to love and hope you do too!

The first and best thing you can do for your lips is to drink lots of water. Water keeps you hydrated and your skin and lips soft. People often neglect water or drink just enough to get by but, if you drink the proper amount for you, it'll make your skin glow. 

If you're not a girly girl and just like to put on a layer of chapstick and go in the morning then this is for you. I love Burt's Bees Replenishing Lip Balm with pomegranate oil. It moisturizes and gives you a small tint on your lips but not enough to make it look like you have anything on. And because it keeps me moisturized when I'm on the go and want to just put something on but don't feel like wearing make up. Plus! It's about $3.00 online or in stores so it's defnitely for those on a budget. 

Keep it fresh with this next product, at about $22.00 for two small lip balms or one full-size balm, it is a little pricier but worth it. This is definitely for girls on the field because it has SPF 15 which is something you need when you're in the sun. Your lips need just as much protection from the sun as the rest of your skin. Fresh Sugar lip balms come in a variety of colors from transparent to plum and give you just a hint of color while providing protection. 

If you have a little more to spend on beauty products then I definitely recommend the Clinique Chubby Stick. It gives you a beautiful color on your lips and keeps your lips hydrated and soft. It does not offer SPF but if you're in an office and, like me, don't care for lipstick then defnitely check these out. They come in 8 different colors and cost $15.00 which isn't as much as the aforementioned Fresh Sugar balms but you get more use out of the Fresh balms than you do these. 

People probably don't realize that while you sleep your lips are susceptible to saliva which can dry out your lips. Which is why I adore C.O. Bigelow's My Favorite Night Balm. It keeps my lips protected all night and the best part is, when I wake up it's STILL on my lips! I do have to wipe it off in the morning but that allows my Chubby Stick to have a smooth surface to glide on. And at $7.50 you can't beat the price!

If you have a little time and available ingredients you can make a lip scrub to scrub off any dead skin the night balm might give you. You just need the following ingredients:

1/2 teaspoon sugar (white or brown will do)

1/2 teaspoon honey

A few drops of olive oil

Mix all the ingredients in a small ramekin and add more olive oil or sugar depending on the consistency. You don't want it too runny or too course. You don't want to take off too much skin but you don't want a runny sugar scrub. DO NOT use salt. Salt dries out your skin and will chap your lips even more.

When using the sugar scrub you want to gently massage the scrub in small circles on the lips and rinse off with water. That's it! It's that simple.

Have fun and stay beautiful!