Cleaning Your Makeup Brushes

If there's one beauty ritual I hate, it's cleaning my makeup brushes. Shampooing 20 brushes is a pain in the butt- but waiting for them to dry is even more excruciating. Unfortunately, I have to clean them at least once a week or grime and bacteria will build up on them and break me out. I used to use MAC's makeup brush cleaner ($14, maccosmetics.com) but it can get pretty pricey in the long run since it's not concentrated.

Finesse Clean + Simple Shampoo for Dry/Color Treated Hair

This week, I decided to try Finesse Clean + Simple Hypoallergenic Shampoo for Dry/Color Treated Hair ($4 for a 10 oz. bottle, Amazon.com). This is a great product to use for your makeup brushes because it cleans them quickly and removes all traces of makeup but doesn't leave any residue or contain any sulfates or other skin-irritating ingredients. It also won't dry out your brushes because it's meant for dry hair and contains light moisturizing ingredients.

Dress up Your iPhone for Halloween! (Or for No Reason at All)

I heard about these RIDICULOUSLY cute iPhone 4 cases on Twitter and I'm really sad that I can't wait to get the 4S so I can buy the fuchsia one!

Pink Bunny iPhone 4 Case w/ Ears and Pom Pom Tail, $8, Amazon.com

...and they come in different colors and tails! LOVE IT!

5 Beauty Products I Never Knew I Needed

Whoever said, “Less is more”, must not have been a beauty addict. In my world, more is always more… and I’m always discovering new products to add to my “Can’t Live Without” list:

1. Salux Japonese Exfoliating Washcloths
Loofah schmoofah! This nylon exfoliating washcloth is amazing for getting your skin silky-smooth. Just use it with your favorite body wash and scrub your body gently. (It’s best to use it towards the end of your shower, after the steam has had a chance to soften your skin.)

Salux Japanese Exfoliating Washcloth, $8, Amazon.com

2. Clinique Lash Building Primer
On my recent weekend trip to Arizona, everyone was asking me what mascara I use… I had just gotten a sample tube of this lash primer and have been using it under my L’Oreal Telescopic Mascara ever since. Needless to say, I will definitely be buying a full-sized tube.

Clinique Lash Building Primer, $14, Nordstrom

3. Brush Guard Makeup Brush Protector Sleeves
If you’ve ever traveled with your makeup brushes, you know how dirty and misshapen they can get from being thrown into a makeup bag. These sleeves come in different sizes to protect your brushes from getting everything else in your makeup bag all grimy and keep the bristles in tact.

The Brush Guard Makeup Brush Protector Sleeves, $5.50, thebrushguard.com

4. Laura Geller Lip Spackle
If you’ve ever tried to use super-bright lip color, like my beloved Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tar in Anime, you know that color-bleeding is your worst enemy and can leave you looking like Bimbo the Clown. This lip color primer not only keeps your lip color exactly where you want it- it also helps your lipstick’s true color come out, instead of mixing with your natural lip color.

Laura Geller Lip Spackle Lip Primer, $24, CVS.com

5. DHC Revitalizing Moisture Strips for Eyes
These adhesive gel strips contain super-moisturizing and nourishing ingredients for the delicate skin around your eyes… use them overnight when your peepers could use a little TLC and you’ll wake up looking bright-eyed and more youthful!

DHC Revitalizing Moisture Strips for Eyes, $13 for 12, Amazon.com

Have you ever tried any of these products? Let me know if you liked them!

Get Crack-A-Lackin' with This Black White and Silver Crackle French Mani

Polishes Used:
1. Sally Hansen Crackle Polish in Ink Splatter
2. Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Nail Color in Celeb City
3. White nail polish
4. Sally Hansen Hard As Wraps Acrylic + Nylon Top Coat

Apply 1-2 coats of the silver metallic polish, Celeb City, as base color. Then, apply 1 coat of the black crackle polish, Ink Splatter, on top. (It will crack as it dries.) Next, use an opaque white polish to create a French tip (I did a V shape on my fingernails and a half-moon on my toes). Finally, apply a clear top coat and allow nails to dry.

Trick-or-Treat Yourself to Homemade Halloween Goodies on Etsy

I love summer...but when it's 103 degrees out in October, I'm gonna get a little antsy about when I can finally start using my Fall bath and body stuff. Every year, when the seasonal Autumn bath and body products start popping up on store shelves everywhere, I get so excited for all the pumpkin and cinnamon scented goodies. Pumpkin pie is one of my favorite foods in the whole world and nothing makes me feel cozier in cooler weather than sweet, spiced, food-y lotions, shower gels, and bubble bath.

This year, I found a ton of bath and beauty confection perfection on Etsy.com:

Poison Apple Apothecary Pumpkin Marshmallow Embalming Cream, $12

More yummy products after the jump!

5 NEW Ways to Get Longer Lashes

Minnie taught me that when you bat long eyelashes you'll have boys wrapped around your little finger... ;)

I've always been obsessed with long lashes... and for good reason! They're pretty much associated with youth, sultriness, and femininity. (Hey, there's a reason Minnie has eyelashes and Mickey doesn't.) But batting your eyelashes kind of requires having long eyelashes to bat- otherwise you're just blinking.

Unfortunately, Mother Nature can be cruel. I'm cursed with short, stubby, stick-straight Asian eyelashes :( Thankfully, there are tons of products out there to help make my lashes as long and fluttery as God intended:

1. Givenchy Mister Lash Booster ($30, Sephora.com) This lash primer/transparent mascara comes in a wand with massaging bristles to help nourish your lashes from base to tip.

2. Revlon Grow Luscious Lash Liner ($7, drugstores) This super-pigmented creamy eyeliner pencil glides on as smooth as melted butter and contains ingredients that help to nourish your lashes.  

3. Cinema Secrets Lady Wink Eyelash Curler ($30, Amazon.com) This patented, funky-looking contraption won't crimp or twist your delicate lashes, or cause breakage like traditional lash curlers. You can also heat the silicone to help your curl last longer.

 

4. Outer Eyelash Curler ($18, Alconeco.com) This lash curler is designed to help give your outer lashes some extra oomph!

 

5. Preo Japanese Eyelash Curler ($25, Alconeco.com)
This eyelash curler is designed to give even the shortest, stubbiest, straightest lashes sky-high curl. You can use it on bottom or top lashes!
 

Spotted: Chic Convertible 3-in-1 Trench Jacket

This on-trend jacket from Avon can convert into 3 different looks: a safari-style vest, a chic bolero, or a classic trench! Definitely a steal for only $39.99!

And you thought Avon was only good for beauty products... ;)

1 Duochrome Eyeshadow, 3 Different Looks

As you've probably figured out by now, I luuuhz me a good duo-tone eye shadow. Why? Because the color of the pigment changes depending on the angle that you're looking at them... which gives your lids some extra "oomph" and adds major drama!

Most of them are sheer, making them perfect for layering over other eye shadows (think of them as an eye shadow top coat!). They can be worn alone too, for sheer, color-shifting color that's great for the office or school. For a night out, apply a duochrome over a dark eye shadow for a black magic effect.

See the difference? I love this green-to-brown duochrome eyeshadow over light and dark cream shadow paints!

Duo-tone eyeshadows are a great way to re-vamp your boring old single-tone colors! Have fun with it and play around with different color combinations to get different effects :)

My first Sleek Blush lives up to the hype!

 

Sleek Blush in "Suede"

Unless you've been living under a rock, you've heard the buzz about Sleek Makeup's blushes, which hopped over the pond from the UK. Their blushes look very similar to NARS blushes and are supposed to have high-end quality pigmentation at drugstore prices.

Little Luxuries by MOR Cosmetics

While I was out shopping this weekend, I discovered MOR Cosmetics' Pomegranate French-Milled Bar Soap, the most divine berry scent I've ever smelled, and bought all of the bars I could find in the store.

MOR Cosmetics Pomegranate French-Milled Bar Soap, $9 at Amazon.com

MOR is an Australian company that makes cosmetics and bath products that look and smell luxurious. Their products include body butters, lotions, soap, bath soaks, lip gloss, candles, perfume oils, scrubs, hand creams, and more. I love the cute little Lip Macarons:

MOR products would make amazing gifts because of their uber-cute packaging. You can find gift sets on their website and you can also find some of their older products at BeautyTicket.com, TJ Maxx, and Marshall's.

Look for Less: Kim K's Turquoise and Gold YSL 'Arty' Ring

YSL Turquoise "Arty" Ring, $380 on Ebay

If you love Kim's turquoise Yves Saint Laurent "Arty" ring but don't want to shell out $400 for it, check out this similar ring I found on Ebay for only $7!

Gold Nugget and Turquoise Oval Ring, $7 on Ebay

That listing lets you choose from turquoise, black, or red stones. Other listings have even more options!

A good friend of mine spent hundreds of dollars on the cobalt blue YSL 'Arty' last year... I know she'd never buy "replicas" but, since the YSL ring is gold plated and not real gold, I'm sure this Ebay ring would be the smarter choice for anyone who would be okay with not having the real thing.

Happy shopping!

Obsessed: Nicole Lee Boston Bags

Want a handbag that will get you noticed? Check out Nicole Lee‘s super-embellished creations. She makes cute totes, wallets, and more, but I die for her Boston bags, little duffel-type barrel satchels that are like a party in pleather (but in a classic “LV Speedy” shape). Some of her designs are pretty crazy but sometimes a girl needs a little ostentation in her life =) 

 

My favorites:

Nicole Lee’s bags can be hard to find in stores (I’ve only seen them in Marshall’s) but, since they’re all a bargain at under $70, it’s worth doing a quick Google search. I found a lot of them at b4bags.com, bagmadness.com, mypursehub.com, and buckle.com. You can also check her official website for new collections and updates.

What do you think of Nicole Lee's bags?