Natural Beauty Routine

I get a lot of questions about my daily makeup routine, so today I'm going to share with you some of my new favorite daily products by Mark from Avon.

If you read my blog, you can probably tell the makeup I use is very minimal. I'll do a pop of color on the lip, but in terms of complexion and eye shadow, I tend to stay in the neutral, more natural shades and tones.  What I love about these Mark products is that they don't over power my natural look-- they simply enhance. In fact, that's how I feel makeup should always be-- it should enhance, not alter the way you look.

Tinted makeup" Almay "Smart Shade" liquid makeup in Light/Medium, $13.49

Eye Shadow: c/o Mark "On the Dot" neutral eye color compact, $16

Mascara: c/o Mark "Lash All You Want" mascara, $10

Lips: c/o Mark "Gloss Gorgeous" lip stain in Pop Splendide, $11

In this picture, all I have on is a tinted moisturizer as a base. Using a moisturizer before applying makeup does a few things: prevents dryness, helps create a unified base color for the makeup, provides a layer of SPF protection (depending on the brand you use), and helps seal the makeup so it lasts longer throughout the day. I wanted to show you guys a complete before and after shot.

I first apply a light golden shade of eye shadow on the entire lid. Then, to add some contrast, I take a slightly darker shade and place it on the outer corners of my lid.

The lighter shade I used it the bottom row, far right.
The darker shade is the bottom row, middle.

Next, I take mascara an apply both on the top and bottom of the lash. This allows the lash to really stand out. In the photo below, you can see that just one coat of the Mark "Lash All You Want" mascara on the right eye made a huge difference!

Mascara on both lashes...

Finally, apply a bright shade of lip stain to finish the look. I prefer lip stains and lip glosses to lipsticks because they tend to last longer throughout the day. 

Before & After:

What I love about this morning make up routine is that it takes little to no time, and very little effort. Between getting ready for work, setting aside time for breakfast, and taking care of my dog, I have limited extra time in the morning to put on makeup. These products speak for themselves and make it so easy and quick to apply and get started with your day. 

I believe that with make up, especially during the day, less is more! Hopefully this post shows you that it doesn't take much (only three products!) to spruce up your look and enhance your natural beauty.

Tank: American Apparel, Rib U-Neck Tank, $22

Necklace: c/o Mark "Decked Out Necklace" , $28

So, what's your daily makeup routine?

<3

GJU

Tutorial Part II: Sassy Kitten Nails!

It seems that people really loved reading Caitlin's make up tutorial, so here's round two of her post! Pair your smokin' hot cat eye with a fierce, easy-to-do nail design!

Back to Caitlin's post...
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Now, for a quick three-step cheetah print nail to go with your smoky cat eye look. Here are the polishes I used: 

Apply two layers of a base color of your choice – I chose gold and red as an homage to the upcoming Valentine’s Day holiday: 

Using a black nail art color, draw semi-circle shapes on each nail:

Using a white nail art color, dab little circles inside each semi-circle shape and finish 

off with a clear topcoat:

Tip: to clean up excess polish on your cuticles, you can dip a small precision brush dipped in nail polish remover.

I hope these tips were helpful and that you feel inspired to go experiment with some color! 

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Well... I hope this inspires you, like Caitlin said, to experiment with bright colors and patterns on your nails. And.. in honor of Valentine's Day, may your inner cheetah come out and have a good night with your man! (Or woman!) To each her own :)

Happy Valentine's Day!

Make Up Tutorial: Sassy Kitten!

I'm so excited for today's post! It's written by my friend Caitlin who is my go-to make up and nail aficionado. She knows what she's talking about, so I thought she should share some of her skill on GJU. Here's your make-up tutorial post. Tomorrow, we'll delve into sassy kitten nails!

Rawr....

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Sassy Kitten Makeup Tutorial

As a Get Jessed Up fanatic and a huge supporter of this blog, I was ecstatic when Jess asked me to put together some sort of hair and/or makeup tutorial for all of you. I feel the same way about makeup as Jess does about clothing – your makeup style is just as much an expression of who you are as the outfit you wear out the door in the morning.

Most days, I plan my outfit around the way I want my makeup to look, whether it’s deep purple, bright cobalt, or a sassy, smoky cat eye… which is what I’ll be teaching you today. I welcome any opportunity to inject a little “crazy cat lady” into everything that I do, so we’ll also take this one step further and show you a simple three-step cheetah print nail tutorial. Overkill? Well, at least I didn’t wear my cat shirt for the (awkward) pictures.

Let’s get started – face first. My recommended “best face forward” products:

1.     Purpose Gentle Cleansing Bar - $3.99 (CVS)

2.     Olay Complete Moisturizer - $8.99 (CVS)

3.     Olay Total Effects 7 Blemish Control Cleanser - $7.99 (CVS)

4.     Crest Complete Extra Whitening - $3.99 (CVS)

5.     Crest 3D White Strips - $55.99/20-pack (CVS)

Friends are always asking me what products I use for my face and it’s pretty simple: I use the cleansing bar in the shower, I moisturize every day, and – when I remember – I use a blemish control cleanser to wash my face before bed. If the last two products surprise you, please know that a bright white smile is the best thing you can do for face. 

Now, for my "best face forward" makeup products:

Almost all the products shown above are also from CVS and are available for less than $10. Take my advice and join their beauty club - $5 for every $50 you spend on beauty products. Aside from CVS, I am a loyal bareMinerals gal:

1.     bareMinerals SPF 15 Foundation - $26 (Sephora)

2.     bareMinerals Liner Shadow in Hallucinate - $13 (Sephora)

3.     Prime Time Eyelid Primer – Brightening in Gold - $18 (Sephora)

Start by applying your foundation and makeup as you normally would. I use a loose powder foundation and apply using a kabuki brush: 

Apply an eye shadow primer to your whole lid:

Using a contour brush, begin applying black shadow at the outer corner of your lid, working the brush into your crease and toward the middle of your eyelid. Tip: black eye shadow and a smoky eye can sometimes make you look tired. Blend in a little navy shadow near the lash line to brighten the look and avoid looking sleepy: 

Line your lower lid with a black pencil:

Using black liquid eyeliner and using your lash line as a guide, line your upper lid out near the end of your shadow. Draw another line from the corner of your eye up to the end of the top line. 

Fill in the outlined area:

Add some more brightening primer to the inside corner of your eye and blend, add mascara and some clear gloss and you’re done: 

Tip: pair with a bold, red lip for extra sassiness and throwback class. When I wear a bold lip, I’ll typically tone down the shadow and opt for a more simple look… unless, of course, it’s Halloween! 

Before and after:

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So, what do you think? Would you try out this look?

Check back tomorrow to see a Sassy Kitten Nail Tutorial to match this bombshell makeup lesson from Caitlin!