Selena Gomez Inspired Makeup Tutorial!

Good evening ladies!

As you can tell from the title above I am going to be doing a makeup tutorial today! YAY! This look is from a while back, but Selena looked absolutely gorgeous that night and I love the colors, so I thought it would be a fun idea to show you all a spin off of her look. She wore this beautiful, jewel toned purple dress that made her lilac smoke eye pop against the rest of her outfit. 

Here's what you'll need:

Eyes: 
-Some sort of primer. I used both Too faced Shadow Insurance and the NYX jumbo eye pencil in milk. Having 2 layers of primers insures that the color will stay on all day, PLUS the NYX pencil is a shiny white, which applied underneath your color, makes the shadow appear more vibrant.
-Next I applied a light lilac color (Too Faced's Cut the Cake) across my whole lid and underneath my lower lash line. I used Sigma's E55 brush which packed on the color nicely since the lilac was a little sheer. also I took the gold from a Maybelline quad in plum smokes and blended that into the lilac to give it a little bit of shimmer.
-After that just to give a little bit of dimension to the look I took a little bit of the Party girl shadow to my crease to give a little bit of a smokey effect. I also blended the violet from my lower lash line into the party girl color in my crease.
-Lastly I applied a thin line of black liner to both my upper and lower lash lines and a few coats of my go to mascara and voila! 

The eye portion of the tutorial is already done! The finished product should look something like this:



and now...ONTO THE REST OF THE FACE! 

Face: 
-The first step would be to do your everyday face routine. Your foundation/bb creme, concealer, pressed powder whatever you are most comfortable with.
-Apply a sheer pink to the apples of your cheeks. I used Nars's Mata Hari and MAC's soft and gentle highlighter as a sublet highlight.
-Feel free to contour a little bit as well if you feel necessary, but in this look contouring isn't necessary.

Lips:
-Selena paired her very intense eye with a natural lip which is nice because they balance each other out very well. I liked the pink-y nude look Selena had on that night, it seemed perfect to be worn as an everyday lip too. I used Laura Mercier's lipstick in Pink Label with a sheer layer of Hue by MAC on top.
-Top it all off with a sheer pink gloss and you are ready to go for the evening!

Here is the finished product of the lips. It's really subtle, but looks nice paired with the intense smoke eye.





And there you have it! I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and let me know if there are any other celebrity makeup ideas you would like for me to try in the comments below! Thanks ladies love you all, talk to you next time!
xoxo,
Kristin :)

OOTD/FOTD: My Cousin's Sweet Sixteen!

Hey girls! Today's post is going to be an Outfit of the Day/Face of the Day post of my outfit and makeup for my cousin's Sweet 16 party! I'm writing this after because I just didn't have enough time beforehand. I was babysitting and then had to rush and get ready in time! Plus it took me a little over an hour to straighten my hair because I wanted every little bump out (big mistake). So without further ado, let's get started!

Dress & Shoes: Both my dress and shoes were purchased at a local boutique that I am going to choose not to mention the name of for privacy, but both I'm sure you could find close matches too almost anywhere! My dress was a royal blue lace body con dress, I had to wear blue because I was in her "court" and that was the color we had to wear! I fell in love with this dress the minute I tried it on, it fit just perfectly like it was made for me. The shoes were just a pair of black patent leather pumps, but they weren't that high because I wanted to make sure I could still walk and dance in them with ease (even thought they were off most of the night) The pictures included were taken at the party because, again, I was rushing and didn't have time for pictures!












Jewelry: I just wore some simple silver jewelry to compliment my dress.
~Earrings-I wore my pearl earrings, just in my first hole because I couldn't find any good combinations to wear in my other ones.
~Necklace-I had on a silver interlocking heart necklace that my older sister gave to me last Christmas.
~Rings-On my right middle finger I wore a heart/knot necklace that Kristin gave to me and I did mix metals here, on my left middle finger I wore my gold crucifix ring that I wear every single day, so it was an exception :)
~Bracelet-On my left hand (I only wear big bracelets on my left hand because I'm a righty and hate if I have a bracelet clanking around while I'm trying to do something) I wore my silver Tiffany and Co. Return to Tiffany Oval Tag Bracelet

Makeup: I went for a neutral look so my makeup didn't overpower my outfit.
~Face-I used my Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream in Light/Medium, Physicians Formula Conceal Rx in Fair/Light and Too Faced Amazing Faces powder in Vanilla Cream. For blush I used Benfit's Bella Bamba Boxed Powder.
~Eyes-I used my Naked 2 palette and applied Half Baked to my whole lid, YDK in the crease and Snakebite to the outer corner/outer v. I applied Mac Zoomlash mascara to the upper and lower lashes.
~Lips-I put on the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Sweetheart/Valentine and Nars Sweet Revenge Lip gloss on top.
I don't have pictures of my face, again, in the sake of time, but if you check out my Marilyn Monroe tutorial the eyes are almost the same just a little toned down and no eyeliner. :)

Thank you so much for reading and don't forget to share our blog with your friends! I love you guys!
Xoxo
Audrey :)
"Laughter is America's most important export." -Walt Disney

Tune in to Tan Skin!

In the summer, nothing is better than lying out in the sun, and tanning with your best friends. But once that summer sun and heat dies down, your faced with pale skin only a month into the school year! Today’s post is going to tell y’all some tips and tricks to extend the life of your tan, especially so you don’t have to go back to school with dull skin. I realize I should have put this post up a lot sooner, but I just came up with the idea recently… and besides, who wouldn’t want tips on extending your tan?! Put your favorite sunglasses on and get readin’ :).

Use SPF. I can’t stress this enough. Some think that if you use a sunscreen instead of tanning oil you won’t get any sun! We all know that tanning oils typically have an SPF of 8 or 15. Using an SPF of anything lower than 30 can put you at a risk for getting seriously burned! When you first get out in the sun PUT ON SUNSCREEN, wait 5 to 10 minutes then put on your tanning oil! The key is to wait until your sunscreen has soaked in and then go all out with your oil. You still get the same results- but you know that your skin is being kept safe!

MOISTURIZE. Moisturizer is going to be your best friend when it comes to maintaining your tan. In my opinion the best moisturizer for the summer is “Banana Boat Aloe Vera Moisturizer”. This leaves your skin feeling soft and silky, and the aloe vera in the lotion is going to help preserve your tan. If you don’t want to go out and buy a lotion that has aloe in it- just use aloe! I find that Aloe is super moisturizing on my skin, and it will still help you preserve your radiant glow!

Exfoliate! I like to exfoliate my skin once a week. I know that some people like to exfoliate every other day, or even every day but I find with my skin once a week is all I need. You want to have radiant tan skin, but if you exfoliate multiple times a week it can take off the tan skin. Audrey’s DIY: Body Scrub is amazing! You all seriously need to try this out, it makes your skin perfect!

Self Tan. Don’t be afraid of this little phrase. I like to use the Jergen’s Natural Glow line because it doesn’t make you insta-orange. The key for self tanners is to use one that gives you a gradual glow. With the Jergen’s you will not see an instant result, but after a week you will see your tan start to darken! If you aren’t afraid of a quick self tanner, take a look into the St.Tropez line. I have never used this line before, but my mom and cousin have. They absolutely love it, and it doesn’t leave you streaky! You can watch a bunch of reviews on the St.Tropez here!

NEVER GO TO A TANNING BED. Ever. This is completely terrible for you, and you can get cancer extremely easily from going into a tanning salon. So many teenagers are obsessed with having tan skin- and then they get deadly skin cancer. Besides, it’s totally obvious when you use a tanning bed…your skin just doesn’t look natural and it the color does not always seem to be the right shade. I’d rather be pale then have cancer!

Hydrate your skin. In the summer, your body is loosing essential vitamins because of the heat. You need to replenish your body by drinking A LOT of water. I try to drink about 2 ½ bottles a day in the summer, but if I feel dizzy or headache-y, I grab a Gatorade or something like that to replenish my body. Radiant skin doesn’t come in a bottle- you need to be hydrated!

These are all of my sparkly little secrets to help y’all maintain your tan! I find that all of these play a key role in keeping your color for a while. It’s never too late to grab a bottle of a gradual tanning lotion and aloe vera…it can work wonders! I hope you guys enjoyed todays post! Don’t forget ladies, stay classy!

-Landon

Summer Haulin' Had Me a Blast!

Hi (again) Ladies,
I just couldn't wait to do another post for you all, so I thought I would share with you some items that I have accumulated over the course of this summer. These are just a few of my favorite things that I have bought recently, and I figured I could share them with you!

I'll start out with the things I bought while I was down in Avalon at the beach with my family. I didn't end up buying that much, and surprisingly all the things I bought were jewelry, but I am seriously in love with EVERYTHING I found. It's always a tradition in my family to save up a good chunk of money to spend at the local stores at the beach. I always love buying jewelry because a lot of the stuff they have down there I don't have where I live and I love adding new unique pieces of jewelry to my collection that I know no one else will have. So in one of the stores I found a bunch of rings that were 75% off so I kind of went crazy. The rings were normally priced at between $20 and $40 (the ones that I liked at least which isn't too bad, but with the 75% off the most expensive ring I paid for was $9. NINE. DOLLARS. So of course I went ring crazy. (As you have seen in my ring collection post I have quite an obsession.) I ended up buying 5 rings, 1 of them being a gift for my friend and the rest for myself. (I spoiled myself a lot this vacation! :/) All of the rings are sterling silver and I love how the last 3 have words on them. The first ring is kind of a spin off of a celtic cross and then from left to right the rings say: avalon (where we stayed) friends, and hug. Aren't they cute?! I also think I got lucky because they were on sale because no one wanted to buy them because they were so small. I have a size 5-6 ring and they had tons of rings left in that size! I was in ring heaven! The total was I think around $37 for all 4 rings and the avalon ring alone was originally $36 so I basically got 3 rings free! WHAT A STEAL.

The last 2 jewelry items I got were from this adorable little store in avalon called the Preppy Palm. They had the most ADORABLE clothes and accessories and I would have bought the whole store but it was on the more expensive side. :/ I ended up picking up only 2 things a simple pair of silver ball studs and then a sideways silver cross necklace which i am OBSESSED WITH. I have seen so many people wearing them and I was so happy when I was able to find one for myself. The necklace was $30 which is a good price considering for how much necklaces similar to that go to and the earrings were $15 so that was a good deal as well.

And finally a non-jewelry related item I picked up from the Preppy palm was just a simple elastic headband. I have a bunch of the creaseless hair ties by the same brand but I had never seen a head band so I just wanted to try it out. And of course i picked it up in pink because I am still in full Legally Blonde mode. ;)

A few more jewelry things before I move onto beauty! My Grandy gave me a gift for my performance in legally blonde and she got me a pair of kate spade butterfly earrings and a gold buckle bracelet from Michael Kors I had been eyeing. The pink bracelet that is also on my wrist in the picture below was actually handmade by the ever so lovely Audrey that she gave me when she came to see my show as well as a beauty item you'll see down below. I love these 3 pieces of jewelry I have barely taken them off! I love the little gold beads in the pink bracelet Audrey made. It totally looks like she bought it somewhere. She's the best!

And now onto beauty! The Benefit Lipgloss was the gift that I received from Audrey alongside the beautiful bracelet and is actually the most moisturizing lipgloss I have ever owned. It's so thin and easy to apply, and I love the color and how it smells. She knows me so well <3. Another gift I received from the show was from Francesca, which was the Mac lipstick in Hue, a color I had been looking to buy for the longest time. I love wearing that underneath the lipgloss actually! The pair go perfectly together. It was so nice of you girls to get me a little gift for my show and I am so happy you guys came! You're the best! The other 2 mac things were things I picked up to use for the show. Like I mentioned in my legally blonde makeup tutorial the Mac lipstick in Pink Nouveau was the perfect pink for Elle to wear and the highlighter in soft and gentle*which i forgot to add to my tutorial shoot!* was used just to give me some extra sparkle on stage which I will also be able to use for everyday as well. These 4 items are great staples to add to my collection and I know I am going to be using these constantly for the rest of the summer and even into the beginning of school!

And last but not least, I received this adorable makeup bag from another friend who came to my show. My friend actually got this at the Preppy Palm the week before! It may seem a bit creepy, but its actually a barbie brand makeup bag and my friend got it for me because she thought the girl on the front reminded her of me and Elle Woods. It's the perfect size to carry makeup on the go and I think it's also a great memory of the show!

So these are just a few things I have received over the past couple of weeks I hope you enjoyed and let me know in the comments below what your favorite item you've purchased recently was! :) Have an amazing day! love you all <3
xoxo,
Kristin

Legally Blonde!

Hey Ladies!
I apologize for not posting in FOREVER, but I was in the middle of Legally Blonde which Audrey had mentioned in her ulta haul, and then I went away on vacation for a week. But I am back with tons of ideas and secrets for you all! So, still being in the Legally blonde spirit that I have been in all month long, I thought I would do a makeup tutorial for you all. This makeup is the actual look i used in the show playing Elle Woods! And for any of you theater-goers out there, you would know that you need to put much more makeup on for stage then in real life for the audience to be able to see it. So this look may appear a little heavy, but from the stage it looks very natural I promise! So without further ado lets begin!

The first step is your face which is just your daily face routine but just a thicker application of foundation so it reads from stage. After that apply any bright pink blush. (I used Nars Mata Hari and applied 3 sheer layers which ended up building onto my cheekbones effortlessly!) This bubblegum pink gives your cheeks that great pop of color, PLUS it's definitely a color that Elle would choose to wear herself. 

Next is eyes. For this I did a pinky-brown smoke eye with a gold undertone. These colors don't have to be specific at all, I had a lot of fun playing around, trying to find a color combination that I liked but this part is really whatever you think looks good together. But just in case you were wondering I will say the colors I used. First as always I primed my eyes with benefit's stay don't stray primer. This always makes my shadows stay in place and look vibrant for hours on end. As a base color I used the color Satin Sheets from Too Faced. The light pink-champagne color gives a nice shimmer but is light enough that it doesn't distract from the color that is going to be put on top of it. Then I took my Too faced blush in La Vie en Rose and covered the outer half of my lid in that. After that I took a little bit of Snakebite from the Urban Decay Naked 2 palette and my Tarina Tarantino eyeshadow in candy cameo and blended that into my crease which gives a little hint of pink, but doesn't make you look like you have pink eye. From the stage it looks like a really subtle neutral-pink eye but you could also tone this down just a little and wear it out on the town for a fun pink smoke eye! (Again, it's weird how you have to wear so much makeup on stage just for it to appear normal...I know it seems like a lot in these pictures. But I promise you I didn't look like a drag queen during the show!)

Last is Lips, which is Elle's signature thing. She is always sporting a perfect pink pout. For the show I decided to do something vibrant. Something that even under the stage lights, people in the last row would be able to see. So I thought what other color to use than Macs Pink Nouveau, which is Nicki Minaj's favorite color...before she created her own. This bright magenta color complemented the rest of the makeup I had on and surprisingly didn't seem like too much! 2 Layers of this bad boy and you are set for the day! I love how this color looks against my fair complexion and it really was the perfect color for Elle Woods to be wearing. 

This show was one of the most amazing experiences I have ever been a part of. This was my dream show, and to be able to play my dream part in front of hundreds of people is honestly such a dream come true. I couldn't have asked for a better weekend. Here is one of the pictures that were taken during the show! If you've seen the movie, Elle walks into a Harvard college party in a bunny costume and is very surprised when she sees no one else is dressed in costume. I hope you all enjoyed this makeup tutorial, and if you want to see other celebrity or movie inspired makeup tutorials throw a few names down in the comments below. Have a great day ladies!

Xoxo,
Kristin

"Being true to yourself, never goes out of style." -Legally Blonde <3

Target Haul!

Hello girlies! I went to Target on Friday night with my older sister, and I thought I would share with you all the things that I purchased. Also, a lot of products mentioned are from Neutrogena which is my favorite skincare line. Neutrogena is not sponsoring this post in any way. Most of the items are skin-care related, and after 2 days of using these products I figured I could add my two cents about these products! 

First thing that I picked up was the Neutrogena Alcohol-Free Toner. This is my absolute favorite toner, and I believe this is my third or fourth bottle of it! When picking out a toner/astrigent you don't want to get one that has alcohol in it as it can strip your natural oils and add unnecessary ones! This smells fruity and fresh and feels really good on your skin. I highly recommend this product to anyone and especially those who have oily skin!

The next item I added to my basket was the Up&Up brand Makeup Removing Wipes. These are exactly the same as the Neutrogena ones, but they are $2 less! I prefer the makeup removing wipes as opposed to the liquid because it makes much less of a mess and you can throw these in any bag if needed! Another reason I opt for the wipes is because some nights when I feel really lazy (we all have those days :)...) I will just use a makeup wipe to take off my makeup, brush my teeth and hop into bed. I know that's probably one of the weirdest/gross things you have read, but some nights I just don't feel like washing my face and I figure it's best to take off the day's worth of makeup. 

I picked up two face washes from Neutrogena as well... I LOVE their products, they really work well for me! The first one is the 'Neutrogena Naturals Fresh Cleanser+Makeup Remover'. I love using this at night because it is a 2-in-1 product. It smells fresh and really takes off all of my makeup from the day....definitely a must have! The next face wash that I purchased is the 'Pink Grapefruit Oil-Free Acne Scrub'. The acne wash is amazing, but I was in need of a new face scrub so I figured I would pick this one up! I used it this morning and it is really gentle on your face so you can use this scrub 2-3 times a week. This was worth the $7 and I will probably be repurchasing this product!

Target had a deal going on (and I love love love any type of deal) where if you purchased two of the selected Neutrogena face washes or treatments you would get a free tote! I love totes, and I always seem to put something or other in them so getting a free one was perfect! I would have bought the two face washes anyway; but knowing I could get a free tote made it even better!


I ran out of tanning oil, so I had to pick up a new one! I really like the Banana Boat Protective Tanning Oil because it has a much higher SPF. I am aware of the dangers of tanning oil, but my dermatologist said that if I use this with a SPF sunscreen it's alright. Speaking of tanning oil, I have a really great post coming up if I do say so myself :). 

The last item that I purchased is 100% my favorite purchase of the trip! It is the  Lauren Conrad Style book. I absolutely adore LC and I finally purchased one of her many books! I love her style, and the way she writes is amazing. (I already finished 4 chapters...) To me, LC is a really great role model and I love everything she has done! If you are a Lauren fan like myself and don't have this book you seriously need to pick it up. Love you LC!

That concludes everything I bought! I love watching hauls on YouTube, so I figured it was only appropriate that I shared the things I bought with all of you. Made any new purchases lately? Tell me in the comments below! Stay classy everyone! 

-Landon

P.S. Have a twitter? Make sure to follow us @SparklySecret

Marilyn Monroe Inspired Tutorial!

Hey girls! Now I don't normally post twice in a row but I wanted to get this up today! So, I'm pretty sure I mentioned this in my "About Me" post, but I am a huge Marilyn Monroe fan....I'm not even sure if the word huge describes it. Basically, ever since I first truly knew who she was I loved her, many people don't realize she was an extremely talented actress and singer, and only notice her for the negatives. Today, August 5th, marks the 50th anniversary of her death and I felt that this was a good tribute. If you want to see who Marilyn really was go watch Gentleman Prefer Blondes (my personal favorite) or any other movie starring Marilyn, then decide for yourself who you think she was. But, without further ado let's jump right in!

Face: Marilyn always had a very flawless look to her skin so I applied my Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream in Light/Medium and covered my under eye circles and any blemishes with the Physician's Formula Conceal Rx. Then I lightly dusted over it with my Too Faced Amazing Faces Foundation Powder in Vanilla Creme. Next, I contoured my face with the bronzer in my Sephora Blockbuster palette (I don't normally wear bronzer so this was the only one I had!) And applied the Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush in Rose Petal to the apples of my cheeks. (Excuse the eczema on my cheeks here...darn you high def camera)

Eyes: I started out by priming my eyelids with Urban Decay Primer Potion. Then, using my Naked 2 palette I applied Half Baked all over my lid, applied Snakebite to the outer v and blended and Bootycall as a highlight. The next step is pretty important, I applied Snakebite and Tease to the crease of my eye and blended inward, Marilyn basically made the defined crease look popular so it's a must. Next, I applied Maybelline Stiletto liquid liner in Very Black to my upper lash line and winged it out, and applied Sephora eyeliner in Black to the outer half of my waterline and my tightline. Lastly I curled my lashes and applied Mac Zoomlash to my upper and lower lashes.

Lips: Obviously, I think it goes without saying, red lips. I personally can't rock a nice, dark, red lip so for a more subtle look I put Mabelline Baby Lips in Cherry Me all over my lips and applied a Liplicious Lip Gloss in Cherry Gelato on top. For a more dramatic look I recommend a classic red, such as Mac's Mac Red or Nars Pure Matte Lipstick in Vesuvio, both are really classic red lipstick colors.

***Please note: No, we are NOT adding in a mole with eye/lip liner. That looks cheesy and obviously fake and you will look a little weird wearing a fake mole...

Hair: Marilyn always wore her hair in a short, pinned up, curled style. Now, that is a bit outdated to to modernize it we will just have curls. I slept with Style Stix 1/2 inch curlers in to give it a more natural look and took them out when I woke up. But if you don't have a full night you can give yourself some looser curls using a wide curling iron or wand, or using a smaller one and combing them out afterwards.

I hope you liked reading this tutorial as much as I enjoyed making it! Talk you you guys soon!

Xoxo
Audrey
"Hollywood is a place where they'll pay you a thousand dollars for a kiss and fifty cents for your soul." -Marilyn Monroe

July Favorites!

Hey girls! Today I want to share with you my favorite things from July and I hope you enjoy!

Beauty Related Favorites!

The first thing I have been loving is my Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream. I don't wear much makeup in the Summer, but I love this because it gives me coverage on my face and it has SPF 30. That's important all year round but especially in the Summer!

Next, I have really been liking my Mac Lipstick in Plink! It's a perfect neutral shade and I can wear it a lot when I don't want something bold on my lips! It looks like you're just wearing a little bit of a light shimmer on your lips.

I have also been loving Gel manicures! I got one towards the end of July, but I've had them before. I really love how long they stay on and the way that they look. Last time, I got OPI Gelcolor in "A Good Man-darin is Hard to Find" and this time I got LeChat Perfect Match Gel Polish in the color DJ Mix. It's more of a teal than a green in person!

I have been using my Biore Combination Skin Balancing Cleanser A TON this month. In the Summer my T- zone gets super oily from sweating a lot on my face. It's important to me to wash my face every day to prevent breakouts and this wash helps even out my skin type!

Okay, last time I went to Mac the saleslady gave me a sample of Mac Zoomlash mascara and let me tell you it's amazing. It stays on all day and gives me the perfect amount of volume and length! After I run out of this sample I will definitely be purchasing a full size! I feel like I have finally found the perfect mascara.

Non Beauty Favorites

This month I've had 2 favorite songs (and probably more that I'm forgetting!) I've been super duper in love with "I'm On A Roll" by Stefano (Mine and Landon's jam). Also a great beach, summery song is "F****** Best Song Ever" by Wallpaper and it does have cursing pretty often so if you're too young for that check out "Best Song Ever" by Wallpaper...the clean one! This song has a really catchy beat and I can listen to it all day!

My favorite drink this month has been Arnold Palmer Pink Lemonade+Sweet Tea! This is made by Arizona Iced Tea and for me I HAVE to have the one with PINK lemonade, the regular one doesn't taste as good and I prefer pink lemonade to begin with.

Okay now, my last but oh so certainly not least favorite is a person. That person would be Michael Phelps. I'm sorry but I am not jumping on this Lochte bandwagon (face it Landon) I am a true Phelps Phan and let's be honest he is not hard on the eyes at all! He's a great athlete and a good person all together. And not like it's an added bonus or anything (wink wink) but this guy is hot. I'm not even going to beat around the bush, like get me some of that. But, I have to face reality that he is too old for me, so for ow I will admire from afar. In all honesty though-he is one of the greatest Olympians of all time, he holds the record for the most gold medals at one Olympic games (8 gold-Beijing 2008) and he is the most decorated Olympian of all time (22 medals between Sydney 2000-London 2012). So congrats to you, Michael...you deserve it! :*

Xoxo

Audrey :)

"You can't put a limit on anything. The more you dream, the farther you get." -Michael Phelps