Get $50 Worth of HauteLook Stuff for Only $17.50!

 

I just bought a daily deal from a site called Plum District that will let me buy $50 worth of stuff for only $25 on HauteLook! I actually ended up paying even less by using promo code pdx10 at checkout to save 10% off the deal. Also, it was my first time signing up with Plum District, so I automatically got $5 off my first purchase. I only ended up paying $17.50 for $50 worth of HauteLook stuff!

*Tip: To get Plum District deals for free, share the special url they give you after purchasing it with any friends you think would love a HauteLook deal and, if at least 3 buy it, you get a refund and your deal is FREE!

Of course, I didn't know about this deal last week, when I spent $60 on Rock & Republic eye shadows and powder :( Oh well, HauteLook always has amazing sales so I'm sure this coupon will get used up within the next week or so... And, even if I don't find anything to buy by then, this voucher is good until February! (But this deal is only being offered on Plum District until Saturday, so make sure you buy it by then!)

Are You Over- or Under-Accessorizing?

FAIL.

Yes, the hottest trends this fall and winter are meant to make bold statements… but not simultaneously. Someone needs to tell Myleene Klass (British TV and music star) about the “less is more” rule. She looks like Fall 2011 threw up on her!

The best way to make sure that you’re not over- or under-accessorizing is to take inventory of the details in your outfit before you leave the house. Add one point for each detail:

1. Add up each color in your outfit
2. Eyeglasses/sunglasses
3. Shoes (+1 pt for each extra detail)
4. Handbag (+1 pt for each extra detail)
5. Tights/socks (+1 pt for each detail and color, if visible)
6. Colored nail polish (no points for nude)
7. Contrasting buttons
8. Contrasting belt
9. Jewelry: watch, necklace, bracelet, ring, earrings, etc. (+1 pt for each)
10. Scarves, hat, bows, ruffles, monograms, labels, contrasting trim, etc. (+1 pt for each)

Add up your total points. If you’re under 8 points, you’re under-accessorized. If you’re over 18 points, you’re over-accessorized. The key, obviously, is to stay within the 8-18 range.

Also, please don’t wear several animal prints AND an oversized fur coat at the same time- if the fashion police don’t get you, PETA will.

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.

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.

Get the London Look: MAC Fashion Week

MAC Makeup Look for Vivienne Westwood during Fashion Week

Eyes
1. Apply Cyan Paint Stick to eyelids as a creamy eye shadow base
2. Apply Electric Eel eye shadow to lids and lower lash line
3. Apply Bitter eye shadow to inner corners of eyes as a highlight and under lower lash line
4. Use Lime eye shadow to accentuate crease and outer corners of eye lids
5. Blend and soften all harsh lines with Juxt eye shadow
6. Use Chromagraphic Pencil in Hi Def Cyan at upper and lower lash lines
7. Apply a super thin line of soft black eyeliner from outer corners of eyes to about 3/4 of the way to the inner corners
8. Curl lashes and apply a natural-looking mascara

Cheeks
1. Apply Pro Powder Blush in Azalea right under and along cheekbones
2. Apply Pro Powder Blush in Salsarose onto outer half of cheekbones
3. Apply Powder Blush in Well Dressed to apples and use to blend all blush colors

Lips
Apply Kissable Lipcolour in Woo Me or a similar flesh-tone pearl-finish lip color

Isn't this look so pretty? It's perfect for Spring! :)

How to Swap Your Unwanted Beauty Products, Clothes, Shoes, and More on MakeupAlley

I swapped this top and these boots on MakeupAlley...

...for all of this! MAC, Smashbox, and NARS makeup and 3 mini perfumes

Every girl has stuff lying around that she doesn't wear or use anymore or things she bought but never ended up using. (Impulse buys are a bitch, aren't they?) When my sisters and I were young, we had these garage sales called "Sister Swap" (I know, shut up) where we gathered up all of our unwanted stuff and displayed everything out in the hallway in front of our bedrooms. Then, we bargained with each other and traded our rejects for something we wanted.

Now, it's impossible to swap stuff with my sisters because we all live in different places and we all wear completely different styles of clothing and makeup. But there are places online where I can still trade in the stuff I don't want for stuff I do want, like MakeupAlley.com. Here's how:

The Perfect Way to Store Your Pigments and Other Makeup

5 -Drawer Makeup and Jewelry Organizer from FindingKing.com

My makeup is usually thrown all over the place- my vanity table looks like it something out of an episode of Hoarders. I finally got tired of everything collecting dust because it was sitting out in the open, so I looked online for something I could use to keep all of it organized.

This black storage case from FindingKing.com has 5 drawers and has enough room for most, if not all, of your cosmetics. It measures approximately 15 1/8" x 8 3/8" x 7 5/8" (38.4 x 21.3 x 19.2 cm) and can come with various inserts for jewelry or trays with different sizes of little plastic jars for pigments and other loose powders (shown above).

If you're tired of rummaging through a messy train case or bathroom drawer to find the makeup you're looking for, check out this makeup/jewelry storage case and get organized!

How to Get Million-Dollar Hair for Under $10

Today, I read that Rihanna spends $1 million dollars on her hair every year. That's INSANE!!! Then again, her perfectly styled, fiery red locks are a huge part of her image and stage presence. (Plus, she has the money to spend, so why not?) Celebrities like her have teams of people who work around the clock to keep her looking gorgeous.

As for poor little ol' me (emphasis on the word "poor"), I don't have the dough for celebrity hair maintenance. My wallet already takes a beating from my financially-crippling online shopping addiction. :(

Horrible spending habits aside, I've recently made it my life's mission to have hair as shiny as Camilla Belle's. Luckily for me (and anyone else on a budget), getting super shiny hair is pretty inexpensive.

Camilla Belle, you are my hair idol

 

After reading the book Can You Get Hooked on Lip Balm?, I found out that avocado and coconut are two of the best things to put in your hair because the oils penetrate the hair shaft better than other oils. I break out from using avocado oil or coconut oil directly on my hair or skin but, for some reason, I don't break out when I use mashed avocado and coconut milk. I make a hair mask every once in a while with both of those ingredients to strengthen my hair and hydrate it a couple days before coloring:

 

Ingredients
1 Can Coconut Milk
1 Avocado
Medium-Sized Pot
Mixing bowl
Stirring Spoon
Shower cap
Someone to help you (if possible)


Directions
1. Simmer down the coconut milk on LOW heat until it is a thick cream. Stir constantly to prevent burning/sticking to the bottom of the pot.

2. While waiting for the water to evaporate from the coconut milk, scoop out the avocado, removing the skin and the pit, and mash in a bowl until smooth.

3. Pour the coconut cream into the mashed avocado and mix until blended.

4. Let this mixture cool until lukewarm and then massage into DRY hair from ends toward roots. Saturate well and cover your hair with a shower cap.

5. Let the mask sit for as long as possible (at least 30 min). You can wrap a hot towel (fresh from the dryer) around your head to help it penetrate your hair better/faster.

6. Rinse the mixture out of your hair in the shower and shampoo and condition your hair.

Short and Sweet: Do this avocado and coconut hair mask a few times a month and you'll have crazy shiny, healthy hair, sans the huge dent in your non-celebrity bank account.

Boho Waves: How to Curl Hair That Won't Curl

I'm Asian, with pin-straight hair, so I know how frustrating it can be to spend 45 minutes curling my hair only to have it return to its normal stick-straightness after about an hour. That said, I found a styling tool that every girl with hard-to-curl hair should own- the Enzo Milano 25mm Professional Clipless Curling Iron ($110, amazon.com).

Enzo Milano Cilindrico 25mm Pink Clipless Curling Iron

This iron will transform even the most curl-resistant hair into gorgeous boho waves (a la Vanessa Hudgens).