Perfect Red Lip

Hello Ladies!

I'm sure many of you have seen these types of blog posts before. It's one of the most common, classic makeup styles out there: Red Lips. They are worn by thousands of smiling beauty queens daily and it really is easier to pull off then you would think! And in this tutorial, I don't even use a lip liner! Now I know the quality of this picture isn't the greatest...but my camera broke, so I had to use my phone I apologize! I also apologize for my face...I kind of look like a pig with a very large snout...but that's ok. My nose isn't actually that large ;). The lighting isn't the best, but I made do with what I had. 


So for this tutorial I used only 2 things. My Bloom lipstick in Song and Dance and my Dream Matte Powder from Maybelline. Now you may be wondering....why would she need a pressed powder for a lip tutorial...well, THAT'S the sparkly little secret! After you apply a layer of lipstick, use any small eyeshadow brush and apply a thin layer of powder before applying the next layer. It makes your lipstick stay on longer, and makes it harder to smear! In the picture above I have on 3 coats of lipstick, with 2 coats of powder in-between. It made my lipstick stay on for HOURS! It didn't leave my lips feeling sticky at all and it actually added a little bit of a matte effect to my very shiny lipstick, which I liked. Before applying the lipstick freehand though, I did use a lip brush to outline my lips and make sure I stayed in the lines. You can still create a clean, crisp lip without using a lipliner. 


Enjoyed this look? Leave a picture down below on your take of this sparkly little secret, or any requests for upcoming blog posts! You guys are the best!


xoxo,
Kristin :)

What's In My Beach Bag!

Hey girls! Today's post is going to be a peak inside my beach bag! I'll admit that I'm a pretty nosy person so I love these kinds of posts. With Summer beginning I figured now was the best time to make my own! Fortunately, we live in a place where the beach is not very far, so we can go pretty frequently! I have this straw beach bag from target that is adorable because it has little sequins on it! It's the right size and big enough to fit everything I need. So now here is what I keep inside of it!

Banana Boat Kids SPF 50 Sunscreen: This is a must for me. I have extremely sensitive skin and most sunscreens sting my face after a short period of wear, but this is the only one so far that doesn't do that! I can't leave the house without it.

Tanning Oil: Okay, now I know it's not good for you and gives barely any protection to your skin, but I use it. I love to be tan, but would never go into a bed or get a spray tan. I also don't burn easily at all, I get very tan in the Summer and I don't know why, but the only time my skin burns is if I have nothing at all on. I use Banana Boat Deep Tanning Oil with SPF 8.


A lip balm with SPF: This is so important, yet the thing people most commonly forget. The skin on your lips is soft and delicate and can burn easily, so it's important to wear a lip balm that includes SPF. My favorite right now is the Hawaiian Tropic SPF 45+ Vanilla Mint Lip Balm. It feels nice and cool on your lips and is super protective! I even used it on vacation last year where it was way sunnier and it still totally protected my lips! Sorry, but I couldn't find it for a picture!


Sun In: I have used Sun In in the past and I love it, I use it at the beach or just hanging in my pool. I definitely don't recommend it if you have dark hair (it will turn your hair orange) but I'm naturally dirty blonde so it helps lighten up my hair. Check back soon for a review!


Sunscreen with 30+ SPF: Like I said, I don't burn easily on the majority of my body, but my shoulders will burn like crazy, I know it's weird! So I only apply this to my shoulders and upper back! Also make sure it's waterproof so it doesn't come off in the ocean or if you're sweating!

Sunglasses: I lose sunglasses like it's no body's business. I don't even know what happens to them they just vanish...well, I usually leave them places, so I've never purchased a super expensive pair because I know I will lose them. Just make sure you have a pair with you to protect your eyes from harmful rays!

A small makeup bag: In this I usually keep concealer, mascara, lip balm, blotting papers and deodorant! I don't wear makeup to the beach (sometimes waterproof mascara) but I keep this in case I'm going out to dinner or somewhere else afterwards and want to freshen up!

Something to read: I'm usually not a big reader at the beach so I'll bring either a magazine or a light reading book. I always make sure to have something just in case I get bored.

A water bottle: It is super important to stay hydrated, especially when you're sitting in the sun! I usually bring a few disposable bottles or one big reusable one.

A towel: For obvious reasons! I am a big ocean girl, I don't just lay on my towel the whole time, I like to swim in the ocean! I could stay in the ocean all day, plus the salt water is good for your skin and you get a better tan in the ocean!

A comb: When I go in the ocean, I usually throw my hair up in a messy bun, so after it gets wet it's a knotty mess! It's a necessity for me to have a comb to brush out tangles before it dries and gets matted.

Leave in Conditioner: I bring this in my beach bag to avoid the terrible tangles I just spoke about. If this is in my hair ahead of time it helps to stop from tangling and I spray it in while combing through to help me.

A wallet: I like to carry a wallet with some money in case I need an extra drink or any food at the beach. Also a lot of times we go to the boardwalk afterwards so I can use it to purchase something that I find there!

That's pretty much all that I carry with me in my beach bag, I hope you enjoyed this post. Love you all!

Xoxo
Audrey <3

"Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air." -Ralph Waldo Emerson

Summer Outfit of the Day!

Hello! Today I wanted to do a quick post on what I wore today, July 11. It was about 88 degrees today, so I figured it would be a perfect time to wear the new summer scarf that I picked up for myself last week!

I wanted to keep this outfit super simple, yet have it make my tan pop! Wearing white and brighter/neon colors really shows off your tan. My sparkly little secret for back to school is to always try to wear white! It definitely makes it look like you are a lot more tan than you really are!

My white tank top is from Forever 21, and was $2.80 (such a steal, right??). The neon pink scarf (which is super light weight by the way!) is from a local shop in my mall and was around $10. The denim shorts I am wearing are from Abercrombie & Fitch which were about $39.50 or so. To finish the outfit off I added a brown leather belt from the Gap, but I received this for Christmas so I don't know the price... sorry! 

For my accessories, I am wearing four bracelets that I typically wear everyday. The two light pink pearl bracelets are from Forever 21, the teal string-pearl bracelet was from a local boutique, and the silver one was designed by my older sister who gave it to me as my birthday gift! I am also wearing my "Return to Tiffany" heart necklace, pearl/diamond earrings (first and second hole) and my silver bean ring. The ring is the same one that was featured in Kristin's recent post!

I left my hair natural, and wore my neutral colored sandals from Target. 

Hope you enjoyed today's quick little post. Please leave in the comments any requests you guys have and remember, stay classy!

-Landon

Put a Ring On It!

Hi Ladies!,


Today's post is about one of my favorite pieces of jewelry of all time: rings! I can't recall the last time I haven't worn at least one ring on my hand every day. It's a simple and easy way to make a very cute yet classy fashion statement! Whether the ring you are bearing is a promise to love your significant other forever, or a bright pop of color to add to your outfit, these sparkly suckers are a must have in every girls collection! Now over the past 2 years I started to become obsessed with rings. Do any of you guys have that? You go through those little phases where you are obsessed with one thing so you buy that thing in every design, shape, size and color imaginable? Well that was the case with me and my rings. I LOVED them! Especially the daintier ones which I will show you later on. :)  Since I have very tiny, bony looking hands the daintier rings look a little prettier on my hands then a statement cocktail ring..but never fear....I have quite a few of those to show you as well! So, Let's get started!

The 3 rings on the left are my favorite statement cocktail rings. Ironically enough, they are all flower rings, but cocktail rings come in all different shapes and sizes. I love these because they're obnoxiously large and brightly colored which are perfect for a night on the town! If I wear a statement ring though, that is usually the only piece of jewelry I would wear. The ring itself is the statement piece and any other piece of jewelry added would overwhelm my outfit. 

First as a little disclaimer...let's not talk about my nails in this picture. I got them done at a salon near my aunt's house and the nail lady put this design on my nail without my approval...I don't hate it I just think it's so bizarre that with a light pinky-coral color she put black and yellow designs all over it...but WHATEVER! :) So this ring on the right I actually found in my local antique shop! I love how it looks kind of old fashioned, and I like wearing it on my thumb the most. It fits my thumb perfectly which is weird because my thumb is VERY tiny. But I love this ring and I think I got it for like $8 which is such a steal, I couldn't say no!

This ring is not one that i typically wear a lot, but it has a lot of sentimental value so I thought I would share it with you. My grandma gave this ring to me a few years back and although it's hard to see in the picture, it's actually carved out from a shell. There are 2 hearts in the center that overlap each other and when she gave it to me she said that just like on this ring, our hearts will always remain close together. I always thought that was the cutest thing. So even though it doesn't match a lot of things, and is a little bit too big for me, I like to wear it around the house just as a reminder that she is always going to be there for me. Whenever I put it on it reminds me of the day she gave it to me and it always brings a smile to my face.

Again I apologize for the slight blurriness of this picture, but these next 2 rings are some of my favorites!  The one on the left is an Amethyst ring I got at the beach one year and the one on the right I wear literally every single day. It's a bean shaped heart in sterling silver that literally matches everything I own. Both of these rings are so dainty and don't take away from the rest of my outfit. I don't necessarily wear them together, but I have worn one on each hand in the same outfit together before. What's special about the heart ring is that Landon actually bought the same one with me when we were shopping at a fair in our town this past spring. She recently moved away and I know I speak for all of us when I say we miss her so much, but this ring is even more special to me knowing that every day she wears the same one too! :) It makes me feel like she's a little bit closer to home each time i wear it even though she's hundreds of miles away. I think this ring is going to be one of my favorites for a while. :)


So this is just a few of my favorite rings that I have accumulated over the past couple of years. There really are no style tricks on how to wear certain rings or rules about the number of rings you can wear at a time. It's whatever you feel is right. I hope you liked my little collection, and let me know in the comments below what your favorite ring was and why! Thanks for reading and have a great day!


xoxo,


Kristin :)

Mini Ulta Haul!

Hey girls! Yesterday I was out and about with my older sister running errands for the later half of the day. She wanted to go to the bookstore and we have an Ulta right in the same shopping center as Barnes & Noble so while she was there I decided to run over just to "look" and somehow ended up spending over $100 at Ulta. I seriously have a problem that needs to be taken care of.

The first thing that I did was pick up a gift for Kristin! She's going to be Elle in a performance of Legally Blonde this Summer and I know I speak for all of us when I say that we are super proud of our little actress/singer/amazing-at-everything-friend! We were browsing the Benefit website and practically obsessing over the new Ultra Plush Lip Glosses. We told each other a few of our favorite colors and I got the gist of what would be the best for her. I picked up the Dandelion color to give to her after her show! Don't worry she already knows so I'm not spoiling it! When I swatched it, it was absolutely gorgeous and the smoothest lip gloss I've ever felt; a review of that will definitely be coming up soon from Kristin!

Then I was browsing the Benfit Box O' Powder's and there were a few I was really in love with, I narrowed my finalists down (me buying makeup is like a competition of the best products) and chose between Coralista, Bella Bamba, and Hervana. The winner for me was Bella Bamba! It's a gorgeous watermelon pink, "3D brightening pink face powder" and it stood out to me the most.




The next thing I purchased was one of those see it then realize you NEED it things. I spotted the Urban Decay Primer Potion out of the corner of my eye and thought "Oh I need a new one!" so I added one in the Original color to my bag. Not very exciting, but an important product nonetheless!

Now, I know I am a little late on this bandwagon, but I finally caved. I was trying to avoid even going near it, I was looking at Too Faced, Stila, Bare Minerals, perfumes, anything to stop me from seeing it. Then, suddenly, it crossed my path. Just a random display smack dab in the middle of the aisle. There it was, mocking me, staring me down. What was it you ask? None other than the Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette. To waste more time avoiding it I swatched both the First and Second palette and a lovely saleslady, named Samantha helped me out. She said that the colors in the Naked 2 would compliment my skin tone more and that she personally prefers it. So like I said, I caved, and I bought it. I am officially a part of the Naked 2 Club. Kristin's ever persuasive post also helped convince me, as well. Surprisingly enough though, I don't regret it one bit. I feel that display and I were meant to cross paths, and the makeup powers put it there for me to see. Well, either way I cannot wait to use this baby!

That's all that I picked up at Ulta yesterday, but today I made a quick stop at my local Harmon's with my older stepsister.While I was there I picked up some makeup remover wipes(I like them much better than actual remover) and 2 Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Lip Stain's in Rendezvous and Sweetheart/Valentine! I can't wait to try out everything I purchased!





Xoxo
Audrey
"As far as I can remember every dime I ever owned went to something extravagant. I would rather spend more, buy fewer items, and have them forever."-Rachel Zoe

June Favorites

Hey everyone! During the month of June, I bought and tried out a lot of new products! June was also my birthday month and some lovely ladies from this blog gave me some really cute (beauty related) gifts that i fell in love with!

BEAUTY FAVORITES

Essie's "Camera" Nail Polish- Perfect bright coral color for the summer! Currently, I have this polish on my toes, and it looks amazing! I even received a complement on the color while I was shopping! This is definitely going to be my "go-to" bright nail polish. It gives the preppy feel because it's a gorgeous coral, yet it is such a fun color for summer. I would definitely purchase this color if you see it! Also, a big thanks to Francesca for getting me this polish for my birthday!


Revlon's Just Bitten Kissable Lip Balm Stain- I was on the hunt for this product as soon as I heard about it! I was at the drugstore and I saw them and HAD to get one! The color I have is in "Sweetheart/Valentine" and it is gorgeous. It's a bright, mid-toned pink with a beautiful shine. There are so many things I love about this product! Firstly, it gives you a shine when you first apply it, but as the shine fades it still stains your lips with the color! That is such a win I can't even begin to tell you. A perfect pink lip product that stains your lips for a sufficient amount of time! Secondly, this product is super moisturizing. I've been applying this product every day and I am always reaching for it because it almost acts like a chapstick. It's definitely not drying at all, and makes your lips feel great. Thirdly, the smell is amazing. Amazing. It is a light minty smell and I ADORE mint, so it's pretty much a perfect product!


Maybelline's Volum' Express Mega Plush Mascara- I adore trying out new mascaras, and after watching some beauty guru's hauls on youtube featuring this product, I knew I had to try it! I heard mixed reviews about it, but let me tell you-- I LOVE IT. The formula of this mascara is great and the amount of volume it gives your lashes is priceless! Haha, but seriously if you are accessible to this mascara I would definitely get it! If you would like a longer review leave a comment down below.


Bath & Body Works Triple Moisture Body Cream- Audrey gave this to me as part of my birthday present in the scent 'Sweet Pea"- a cult favorite! This body cream leaves your skin feeling silky, soft, and smooth. I think it's important to moisturize your skin all year round, but especially in the winter and summer. While you are laying out soaking in all of that vitamin D, your skin can become a bit dry because it is so dehydrated. As soon as I get out of the shower, I apply this body cream all over and it rehydrates my skin! Definitely a product I will be repurchasing.


Deborah Lippmann's "Sweet Dreams" Nail Polish- A beautiful glittery hot pink! I had this on my nails about a week ago and I really loved it! It looks really nice on in the summertime with tan skin (I know because of my sister....I am not tan yet! :/ ) The glitters reflect the light really nicely and I cannot wait to wear it again....maybe next time I will use it as an accent nail color with the rest of the nails being a light pink?? Hmmm....tell me in the comments what you guys think I should do! Thanks a bunch to Kristin for this polish!

Hawaiian Tropics Sheer Touch Clear Spray Sunscreen- I am a huge sun protection freak! Even though I love getting a gorgeous tan, I know that it's waaaaaay more important to protect your skin for the harmful rays! This particular sunscreen is available in SPF 30 and 50, and I have mine in SPF 50, but honestly as long as you have at least SPF 30 you will be fine! This sunscreen has an amazing smell-- think of coconut and tropical fruity air. It's wonderful! One thing that I absolutely love about this product is that it is a clear spray that sprays evenly!! So many spray sunscreens distribute unevenly leaving you with weird burn lines, but this one doesn't. It keeps me protected perfectly whether I am at the pool, lake, or the beach!

NON-BEAUTY FAVORITES

Favorite Song- I've really been loving ""Both of Us" by B.O.B and Taylor Swift, "The Fighter" by Gym Class Heroes ft. Ryan Tedder, "Good Girl" by Carrie Underwood and "Drops of Jupiter" by Train. "Both of Us" is a super up beat song and in my opinion is perfect to listen to while you are tanning! "The Fighter" has definitely been on my top played songs. I listen to this song all the time, and it is always playing on my iPod. "Good Girl" is just one of those songs you fall in love with! It's perfect for going on a run or laying out by the pool....clearly a summer song! Finally, "Drops of Jupiter" an oldie but a goodie! This song has always been one of my most loved songs, but I've really been playing it during the month of June! ".....best soy latte that you ever had and me" will never get old!

TV Show- I'm obsessed with TV now I swear. School is out and I have had so much more time to catch up on my TV shows. Dance Moms will always be one of my favorites, as well as Pretty Little Liars! (You guys don't know how much I have missed that show!) Also, I just started watching The Bachelorette. I know, I am super late on that trend but I LOVE IT!! I am so glad that i started watching this show and I love Sean. #TeamSean all the way.


Snack- Gala Apples. I love them! They taste the best to me, and are super refreshing. I could seriously eat like 5 a day!


These are all of my favorites for the month of June! Leave in the comments below what your favorite products from the month of June have been, and don't forget... stay classy!

-Landon

Add A Little Twist!

Hey Girls! Today I'm making a post on how to do 4 different types of braids on yourself. I'll be talking about French Braiding, 4 strand braid, and the ever popular fishtail braid! Keep reading to see how to make them! **Some of these are complicated to explain, I will link a Youtube video to each at the end if you need further help!** Note: You will need to know how to do a simple 3 strand braid for these styles, if you do not know how, do not fear! There are plenty of videos to teach you how!

Fishtail Braid: This braid is a little complicated to explain, but I will try my very best. What you are going to do is divide your hair into 2 sections. Then take a small section from the outer part of one side and cross it over to the inside of the other. (See what I mean, sounds confusing but I promise it's not that hard once you get the hang of it!) Then repeat that with a strand from the other side. Continue this all the way down alternating sections and secure with an elastic. if you are having trouble starting the braid, it is easier for some to secure the hair with a clear elastic at the top and cut it out when finished. Click here if you need more help!

French Braid: This will start by taking a section from the very top of your head. Then divide into 3 sections and braid normally one cycle (left over right, right over left ONCE) Then before passing your left over right again, pick up some hair hanging down and incorporate it with the starting section and braid in. Do that with the opposite side and continue to the nape of your neck. Some people choose to secure here and leave the rest as a hanging ponytail, which I personally don't care for. If you wish to continue, keep braiding normally until you feel you cannot reach, then bring it around your shoulder and to the front and finish, then securing with an elastic and returning to the back. Here is a video if you should need it!

4 Strand Braid: For this, you will start by securing your hair in a clear elastic. Then, divide your hair int 4 equal sections, and I'll admit that I use my mouth to help me hold them! Then you will sort of weave the first piece through the other 3. Go over, under over, then the 1st piece will become the last. now repeat that with the new 1st piece until you run out of hair. Secure with an elastic and remove the top one. This video is fantastic! I have it set to the right place for you!


Thanks for reading! Comment below with any questions!

Xoxo Audrey
"She turned her cant's into cans and her dreams into plans." -Kate Spade