Fall Transition Fashion

Featured (clockwise from top left):
Yves St. Laurent cashmere-blend lizard-print scarf, $695; net-a-porter.com
Plum Soft Buffalo Purse, $695; mulberry.com
Berry Faux Suede Foldover Multi Stud Pump Heels, $25; amiclubwear.com
Nars Semi-Matte Lipstick in Trans-Siberian, $24; narscosmetics.com
Gap cropped easy straight jeans (dark wash), $60; gap.com
2 in 1 berry jersey top, 55 GBP; houseoffraser.co.uk

  Hey all, maybe two posts in one day is a bit obsessive but that's how I roll. :)
  Anyways, I've been hearing a lot about "polyvore.com" in various blogs and I finally checked it out. Basically, you can make your own collage of makeup and fashion right there! It's really awesome.
  So here's my summer-to-fall transition collage. I would love to have all these items!
  Recommendations: layer dark wash denim, shades of gray (the of-the-moment neutral), and rich berry and plum colors that never go out of style. The result: a look that's put together, classy, and classic but just trendy enough.
  Hope you liked! Please leave requests in the comments - now that I've finally gotten around to the fashion request I would love to tackle some more. :)
  Love, Val

Health Kick!

  Hello dolls, well lately I've been on a health kick! As far as obsessions go, this is a good one. I've been trying to work out 3-5 times a week, avoid sugary/fatty foods, drink lots of water, and get good sleep. A bit of a wake-up call for me was when P.E. started in school and I felt weak after one lap around the track! Yikes! But after a month or so of my 'program,' I've been able to run 10 laps around the track (not consecutively, but in one workout). So here are some tips and tricks of mine!

• Drink lots of water. Not only does it keep your body going, but it fills you up, so you don't eat when you're actually thirsty. I aim for the recommended 8 glasses a day, and recommend you bring a water bottle with you everywhere!

• Eat small, balanced meals throughout the day. A good meal is high in protein (chicken, fish) and vegetables, but low in fats and carbohydrates (if you love breads, try whole wheat instead). Fiber and protein will keep you feeling full. Remember to take small bites, chew thoroughly, and drink water throughout to feel more full at the end!

• Get out there and exercise! It doesn't have to be running, but just make sure you're out there and moving. I like taking a walk or bike around the neighborhood, practicing volleyball in my backyard, swimming, jump rope, just whatever you like best! I try to exercise 3-5 times a week, an hour each time (outside of school). Stretch afterwards and hydrate!

• Treat yourself! Just because you're trying to be healthy doesn't mean you can't have dessert! Try a smoothie (plain yogurt, banana, frozen strawberries and blueberries mixed up in a blender is my favorite). They're sweet, delicious, and a great way to get that fruit in. Or, if you're craving ice cream, anything by Skinny Cow is low-fat and delicious!

Remember that I am not a nutritionist, these are just tips I've picked up that work for me! Good luck!

What do you do to stay in shape? Leave a comment!

Love, Val

P.S. I'm going to Sephora soon, any recommendations?!

Drugstore Haul/Update!

  First order of business. I am SO, SO sorry it has been too long!! I was on a quick vacation, then right after high school started. I've been carried away with homework, studying, and my new health kick! But I really missed you guys, so here I am. :)
  Over the last month or so I've accumulated quite a bit of drugstore makeup, and I am so impressed with most of it! Quick haul/review for you guys. Then, I hope to return to my one or two posts a week schedule. :)

R

Face

• Neutrogena Healthy Skin Foundation (50 soft beige) - This is an amazing foundation! Possibly my new "it" foundation. As in, the one I will wear year round. Glowy, leaves skin soft, just the right amount of coverage (I don't use concealer with it). I have used it consistently every day for the past month and still love it!
• Maybelline Dream Matte Powder (medium sand) - Not cakey, not drying - it's just an awesome powder that's very effective for mid-day mattifying, or when I decide to go matte!

Eyes

• L'Oreal HIP Shadow Duos - They really are super well pigmented! (See swatches below.) I think they're really cute and MAC-esque. I have Mystical, a crystal formula, and a Sculpted, a metallic formula. Only $8 for such great pigmentation, so they're fun to experiment with color.
• Wet N Wild Trio in Walking on EggShells - My cousin and I had a five dollars to spend at the drugstore, so we stuck to Wet N Wild. I had never tried their eyeshadows. I assumed they were chalky and badly pigmented, but picked up a trio anyway. All I can say is, wow. Silky, pigmented, and just high-quality feeling! Be careful about dropping, they're soft! 
• Wet N Wild Eyeliner in Black - At $1, it is surprisingly well pigmented! It's not that super-creamy, kohl Urban Decay/Stila/MAC feel, but it's much better than the CoverGirl liner I had used previously - it's a true black line without pressing too hard.

Lips

•  Wet N Wild Lip Gloss - Okay, so this one's not special. But it's a super sheer fuchsia, so it looked fun. :) 

Okay, all for now. I appreciate all of you lovely followers and I will be posting more. :)
Love, Val

Left to right, top to bottom: HIP Duo in Sculpted (pink and dark purple), HIP Duo in Mystical (aqua and yellow), Wet N Wild trio in Walking on Eggshells (white, brown, and pink)

 

 

 

July Favorites + Stila Winner!

  Hey all, I am back from my vacation and glad to be blogging again! It's time for my July Favorites (ahh!! summer goes by too fast!) but first, the moment you've all been waiting for... the randomly generated winner of my Stila Giveaway:

Alyssa!

  Alyssa, please email me here with your address and I'll have your package shipped ASAP! Everyone else: Don't fret, more giveaways are in the future. :)

  Now, time for my July faves!

 Makeup

• Sephora retractable foundation brush - awesome for applying foundation and also awesome for travel!
• Neutrogena Healthy Skin foundation - everything that Revlon PhotoReady lacked; it's glowy, lightweight, and shimmer-free, I love it!
• Blushes - I've been loving blush in general, pictured is Benefit's Coralista but I also love Nars Orgasm and Penny Lane (cream).
• Rosebud Strawberry Lip Balm - because I've been chapped lately!
• Stila Waterproof Mascara - waterproof is a must for these summer months!
• Sephora Tinted Moisturizer - for when I want something a little more lightweight; I'm almost out!
• Nars Dolce Vita Lipstick - the most beautiful lip color, a sheer rose tint, most definitely my fall lip color!
• Mac Naked Lunch Eyeshadow - a beautiful skin toned shimmery shadow, great as all over lid color, highlight, or highlight of cheekbones

Hair

• Garnier Fructis Wonder Waves Spray - Just spray onto damp hair and poof! Waves! I wasn't sure it really worked but both my mom and dad commented - unprompted - on how my hair looked wavier than normal. My dad even asked if I'd curled it!

Other

• Teenage Beauty by Bobbi Brown - An excellent book for all teenagers, whether you love or are just starting with makeup. Gives great advice on makeup, skin care, health, perfumes, and more from the famed makeup artist Bobbi Brown! I love her outlook on makeup; she believes in natural beauty and embracing your features.
• My (not pictured) new skin care routine (AcneFree 3-Step Skincare System, Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisture, prescription acne antibiotic) has been working wonders on my skin!

  All for now! What have you been loving this month?

  Love, Val

Rambly Update + More!

Hi blogging universe!
  So I'm going on a one-week vacation to the lake! We're leaving tomorrow and I'll get to see a bunch of friends I only get to see once a year, it's going to be super fun! I'll be back Sunday (the day my giveaway ends, August 1st). Please no entries after then. I'll randomly generate a winner and hopefully have it up August 2nd. Just wanted to explain why I won't be posting for a bit!
  To entertain you in this otherwise boring post... here's a peek into my makeup bag for the trip!

Picture credit goes to my laptop, haha :)

  As you can see, nothing exciting. A comb and some hair ties; a natural-looking lip color; Nars Orgasm blush (my favorite along with Benefit's Coralista); a powder; Sephora tinted moisturizer and a L'Oreal foundation; a travel brush set (that little silver tube in the brush section); a retractable Sephora foundation brush; CoverGirl LashBlast Volume mascara; Demeter Orange Juice perfume, a lip gloss, and some other goodies. Sounds like a lot, but it doesn't look like a lot on, promise! (Hidden from view: CoverGirl Shimmering Sands trio.)
  I've made a shocking discovery recently! A lot of the foundations that I selected somewhat haphazardly are so wrong for my skin tone. Some swatches:

  Sorry for the bad picture quality, but hopefully you get the gist.
  See how some of them just blend into my skin, while others sit on top of it? Can't be good!
  Well, now that I have a well-concealed left arm, let me know if you've ever gotten a horribly bad color for your foundation, and I will see you all in a week!
  Love, Val

Lauren Conrad Inspired Makeup

Enter my giveaway if you haven't already - you have until August 1st!!

Hello lovelies! Today I have a full-face makeup tutorial for you all (my first!).  It's a makeup look inspired by Lauren Conrad. I've never seen the Hills, so I can't say I'm a fan of Lauren Conrad, the person; but I read People and her makeup is always gorgeous! Fresh, natural, and dewy. Without further babble, the tutorial!

1) Start off with a foundation-ready face. Lauren has clear skin, so be sure to use a good concealer, especially under the eyes. Lightly sweep a sheer powder on the t-zone to set and mattify, but avoid the cheek area because we want that to be as dewy as possible! (Sephora tinted moisturizer in bronze, Benefit boi-ing concealer in 02, Dulce cosmetics powder in 02)

2) Lauren has simple eye shadow, so start by concealing your lid with a base or concealer, then use a light shimmery color on the lid and browbone. (MAC painterly paint pot and naked lunch eyeshadow)

3) The most drama in Lauren's makeup is the liner and mascara! Use a liquid liner to draw a thin line across the upper lash line, then make a small wing at the end angling up towards the brow. Then use a coating of mascara for volume. (MAC PenUltimate liquid liner, CoverGirl LashBlast Volume mascara)

4) Apply a soft pink blush. I'm using a cream blush, for more dewiness, and applying with my fingers. Then highlight your cheeks (I go into more depth here!). (Nars Penny Lane cream blush, MAC naked lunch shadow)

5) Lauren always has very natural, glossy lips. So I used a peachy pink lipstick, blotted, and used a clear gloss over! (Revlon ColorBurst lipstick in Peach, CoverGirl lip gloss in clear radiance)

Done!

Hope you liked the tutorial! Leave me any request you can think of, and I'll talk to you soon!

Love, Val

How To: Highlight, Blush, and Contour

Enter my giveaway if you haven't already!

  Hello readers! I hope your summer is going well. So today I have a bit of a tutorial for you all on cheek makeup - highlight, blush, and contour. You can do all three things with an angled blush brush; I use the MAC 168, but Sigma, Essence of Beauty, and Sephora carry angled blush brushes too. I only got the brush in the first place because I knew if I was going to invest in a MAC brush, it needed to be multifunctional, and the 168 seemed like the best choice. (If you don't own an angled blush brush, any ordinary blush brush will do.) So without further ado - the tutorial!

1) Contour. Find the hollow of your cheek (the slightly concave area next to your ear) and follow it for about two inches. (If you have no hollow just follow the line from the top of your ear to your mouth.) This is the line you'll want to contour along. Dip your angled brush into a matte bronzer a few shades darker than your skintone - I used Benefit Hoola - and contour along that line. Use your fingers to blend until the line appears natural when in full view. Your face will now appear slimmer and better structured - the contour gives the illusion that your cheekbone is casting a shadow. Cool, huh?

2) Blush. Clean your brush on a paper towel and this time dip it into the blush of your choice (I used Benefit Coralista). Smile to find the apples of your cheeks, and using short downward strokes apply the blush all along your apples and up to your temples. Be sure not to put the blush too high and blend with your fingers if necessary. This will bring a dose of color to your cheeks.

3) Highlight. Clean your brush again, but now select a highlight color. For light skin tones, I'd recommend a pink-toned highlight; for medium skin, more of a champagne color; and for darker skin, a golden highlight. I like Naked Lunch eyeshadow by MAC. Pick up some product again and sweep it across your cheekbones at a 45 degree angle, right on top of the blush. This will add a healthy glow to your face.

Done!

Hope you liked the tutorial! I've been loving putting emphasis on cheek makeup lately and hope you try it out.

Love, Val