Favorite Makeup Brushes
- Sigma Small Angled E65: Perfect for faux wings, you can see it in action HERE
- Morphe M433: I use this to put color on my lid or for more precision within the crease.
- Morphe M441: My go-to crease brush! Blends everything out perfectly and applies just the right amount of pigment.
- Sigma pencil E30: My absolute favorite brush for applying shadow to the lower lash line.
- Real Techniques pixel-point eyeliner brush: Amazing for smoking out faux wings for a more subtle, un-done, smokey effect.
- Real Techniques accent brush: The best for applying highlight to my inner corners.
- Real Techniques detailer brush: Whenever I mess up my liquid eyeliner I use this with a tiny bit of makeup remover and swipe upward towards the end of my eyebrow to define and cut out my wing, works like a charm.
- Elf small tapered brush: Whenever I don't use my damp beauty blender to set my concealer I use this little brush, it is the best and so affordable!
- Sonia Kashuk No.29 : One of my favorites for applying blush
- Morphe M527: THE BEST bronzer brush ever, it picks up the product much better than all of my other bronzer brushes.
- Real Techniques buffing brush: My favorite brush for buffing out liquid foundation.
- Nars Ita brush: The only contour brush I use.
- Sigma tapered highlighting brush F35: The only highlighting brush I use, it packs the highlight onto my face perfectly.
- Morphe G2: AMAZING for under-eye concealer application, blends everything out perfectly.
- Sedona lace 217: Same as above, absolutely love this brush for blending out concealer underneath my eyes. it really gets into every crevasse.
- Sigma Large angled contour F40: I use this for blush and it does such a great job at blending out my blush, it applies just the right amount of pigment.
Just wanted to give a special mention to my beauty blender. It is not a brush, which is why I did not include it in this post, but that little sponge is the real MVP.
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Friday Five
1. Got some goodies from Mejuri yesterday. I own 4 of their rings & I cannot express in words how much I love this brand. They create some of the most beautiful designs I've ever seen in jewelry. The majority of their pieces are very simple and minimal but believe me when I tell you that the quality is amazing.
Stay tuned on my Instagram to see how I style these.
2. Installed my sconce from my old room. You can see my old room tour here.
I do not think that in order to create a beautiful space you need to spend a lot of money. A lot of the pieces I own for my house are either vintage, from target, Ikea or other affordable stores. You don't need to be ballin' to create a home that you really love.
However, I am a firm believer in choosing where to spend your money. Accent pieces such as lighting are where I tend to splurge a bit more because they are the finishing touches that really bring everything together. Don't get me wrong, I've found beautiful lighting for affordable prices but throwing in some cool, unique pieces even if they are a bit on the pricier side here & there really add character to your home, in my opinion.
3. Remember the super bounce I talked about in last weeks Friday five? LOVING IT. I put it on after I cleanse my face in the morning and at the end of the day I notice that my skin looks so plump and hydrated, sometimes I don't even use a moisturizer and it works really well by itself. Another win from glossier, can't say I'm surprised though.
They also released their birthday balm dot com yesterday and you guysssss, it seriously smells so good you'll want to eat it ! Plus it has the most beautiful subtle holographic shimmer inside.
20% off your first glossier order HERE.
4. This bathroom transformation is probably my favorite thing on the internet right now. I cannot think of a single thing I dislike about this bathroom. It's perfect. I seriously think Bre has the best decor style & she has inspired me a lot in my home. You should definitely follow her if you don't already.
5. Finally got our woven shade up! We opted for a cordless shade in the kitchen to avoid having the string hanging on the side & being in the way. It looks so flush and we are obsessed! Can't wait to slowly put these shades around the whole house. Since our house consists of mostly huge sliding doors, putting shades on the entire house is very expensive so we have to do it slowly. We are so happy with the quality of these shades though. It's crazy how the finishing touches really transform a space.
- Just wanted to give a quick thank you to everyone who has subscribed to my youtube channel, I hit 20k this week which is why I'm including it in my Friday Five. It's so bizarre & cool that 20,000 people liked my videos enough to hit that little button. I appreciate you all. xx
ps. All of the bold text are direct links.
Tips For Healthier Skin
There is nothing more important to me when it comes to "beauty" than the health of my skin. You can buy hundreds of makeup products but at the end of the day if your skin is not up to par nothing is really going to look very good.
I have already talked about my skin care routine so that's not what this post is about. Today I'll be sharing some extra tips aside from the exact products I use on my face that have helped me get my skin to it's happy place.
1. Silk pillow cases I thought this was a gimmick until I tried one. At first you can't really notice a difference, it's when you stop using a silk pillow case after using one for a while that you really see how much it helps, especially if you have sensitive skin & textured hair. When I moved to my new house I had left my silk cases at home & was using some new regular pillow cases for about two weeks. My skin on the side where I sleep, as well as my hair, was just not looking as good as the other side.
You may not notice it but regular pillow cases cause friction on your hair and face while you sleep, it is not extremely abrasive but anything, no matter how small, if done daily can cause damage & if we can do something to prevent it then why not?
I have not put my skin under a microscope lately but from experience and close monitoring of my skin and hair daily I have noticed a positive difference in the side of my face that I sleep on and my hair after using silk pillow cases.
I use these pillow cases.
2. Wash pillow cases frequently: I feel like this is pretty obvious but not a lot of people do it. Wash your pillow cases people! Don't wait until it's time to wash all of your bed sheets to wash your pillow cases. We put our face on these things every night. Oil, dirt, bacteria, dead skin cells and who knows what else, accumulate on the pillow you put your face on EVERY NIGHT.
I wish microscopes weren't so damn expensive so that everyone can purchase one and understand how gross our bodies really are lol. I keep extra pillow cases at all times, I bought two of the silk pillow cases I mentioned previously and I rotate them every 1.5 - 2 weeks.
3. Masks: If you saw my mask 101 post you would know that I usually have several masks on hand at any given time because I don't believe there is a single mask that covers every problem that your skin may have throughout time.
As seasons change, heck, as DAYS change so does our skin. There are days where my skin is Sahara desert dry, other days where I have stubborn texture and then there are days where my skin is normal but my pores are enlarged. I use several masks throughout the week aside from my daily skincare routine to target any specific problem that my skin may be having.
Some people might say that this is excessive, masks are not necessary. I disagree, no one is perfect, there is a chance that on a particular day you forget to drink enough water or intake the adequate amount of vitamins through food or supplements. Our skin is a representation of our diet, if we eat like shit that is going to be reflected in our skin ( I will get more into this in number 5.)
Aside from that what about all of the pollutants we are exposed to daily? All of this builds up within our pores and sometimes cleansers and our regular skincare routines are not enough to extract them.
Masks can be quick fixes to many of the skin issues we face daily & some masks contain helpful ingredients that can actually help nourish & improve your skin throughout time if used frequently.
I use masks 2-3 times per week, sometimes less if my skin does not need it, I simply listen to my skin & see if it needs something, if it does then I will treat it, otherwise I just leave it alone.
4. Exfoliate: As I mentioned previously when I was talking about washing your pillow cases, our pillow cases get all of this buildup of oil, dirt, bacteria, and dead skin cells and the majority of all of that comes from our lovely faces. Gross right? Yes I know.
You can use chemical or physical exfoliants to help get rid of build up from residue that our cleansers did not get rid of throughout the week. I definitely recommend that you use one in order to prevent your skin from looking dull.
I use a physical exfoliant once a week. My skin is very sensitive so this exfoliant is very finely milled and does not irritate my skin at all. However, most of the time one of the masks I use already works as an exfoliant when I rinse it off so if I don't feel like my skin needs something more abrasive throughout the week I do not use one.
5. Food: This is another obvious one but there are still people out there that really don't understand the phrase "you are what you eat." I don't have a pristine diet BUT I have noticed a HUGE difference in my skin when I'm eating somewhat clean as opposed to eating unhealthy. Seriously, night & day. Sometimes, something as simple as substituting things that you eat regularly for something that has more nutritional value can help improve your skin like crazy.
For instance, instead of using butter on your toast every morning try using avocado. You're substituting one fat for another but one is actually good for you. This is just an example, you can substitute whatever you want but these are the little things that you can implement into your daily routine which truly convert "clean eating" into an actual lifestyle.
6. Water: Don't mean to sound like every other person who rants about the benefits of water but I'm not only talking to you as someone who has researched these things in the passed, I'm speaking from experience. When I am well-hydrated it is reflected in my skin, just like when I am dehydrated that is also reflected in my skin.
The task itself is ridiculously easy yet we're all guilty of not hydrating ourselves properly at times. Don't think that good skin is going to last or even happen at all if you're not hydrating yourself, simple as that.
To help me reach a certain "water goal" I usually keep a 75 oz water bottle around the house.
7. Never sleep with makeup on: Another no-brainer but I still see it all of the time. I really can't remember the last time I ever slept with makeup on & it makes me cringe when people do this. Back to the whole pillow thing... if your face excretes all of these things while sleeping when it is clean... it is only three times worse when you've got all of this makeup on your face.
I clean my face twice a day, once in the morning and once at night prior to going to bed. If you only want to wash your face once a day that's totally fine but just make sure its at night prior to going to bed.
We shed a lot of our skin cells during the day but that rate is increased while we're sleeping. Similarly, many other processes that take place in our bodies and our skin are heightened while we sleep. Sleep is a restorative time for our skin and our bodies, imagine how difficult it is for our skin to regenerate when we've got all of these clogged pores caused by dirt and makeup. Just take it off!
8. Sunscreen: You don't need to be going to the beach to apply sunscreen on your face. This should be part of your everyday routine. Push yourself to apply sunscreen everyday until it becomes a habit. If you find the right sunscreen that works well under makeup or one that is mixed in with your moisturizer this makes things easier. Do whatever you have to do but don't stop until it becomes second nature.
Most people like instant gratification & that is why they are not compelled to take an extra step in the morning for something that is not immediately changing the appearance of their skin but open up a book, google, a magazine, WHATEVER you want and educate yourself on why protecting your face and body from sun exposure is so important. You will thank yourself when you're 50 & don't resemble a leather purse.
My current go to sunscreen is the glossier invisible shield, this stuff is seriously the best & it doesn't feel like you have absolutely any sunscreen on your face. You can get 20% off glossier by shopping through my link HERE.
xx
Friday Five
1. If you guys saw my last post you would've probably seen me rant about Eucalyptus and how I'm really digging the trend going on right now. Well, this week I picked some up & I'm going to have such a difficult time picking anything else for next time because these puppies make the house smell SOOOO good. Plus, they remind me of my child hood because my mom would always have these all around the house and she would dry them out using hairspray and hang them upside down in the towel closet, lol, good ol' days.
I paired them with some branches that kind of look like olive branches but the florist said they were something else, "rose"-something... can't remember the name of them for the life of me, way to go Gemary -.-.. you had one job kiddo.
2. My little corner: I got a new vanity! The drawer consists of everything that was in my old vanity, you can see my old vanity tour video HERE. This is actually a mini desk but I decided to make it my vanity to get ready each morning, so it is conveniently next to my bed & it matches perfectly with our nightstand on the other side of the bed. I don't have a chair for it yet so I've been using an old, beat up plastic chair that actually came with the house until I find the perfect little bench/vanity stool that isn't hundreds of freaking dollars.
3. Man, I love Tim Burton and everything he has created... and no, I'm not saying that in a tacky, cult following, "omg I love TB... but have only seen one of his movies" kind of way. I grew up on his movies. My dad & I use to live off of his films. I don't fan-girl over much but I will lose it if I ever meet him.
I watched Edward scissorhands, for like the millionth time, again this week which is what made me include this in this weeks post. Also, I came across this article, which I absolutely loved, where they turned some classic Disney animated movies into a Tim Burton-like cartoon.
4. I feel like I talk about this brand a lot, yes I am a rep for them but I promise you that there is a lot more that compels me to post about Glossier so often. For starters, I cannot resist their packaging, seriously the cutest packaging in the game but most importantly I have not tried a product from them that I do not like, my skin really loves their stuff.
I try something new from them every month so that I can be able to share my experience with you and educate myself a little more on each of their products first-hand & the more I try, the more I fall in love. I almost own every single one of their products, which is a first for me with any brand, and I'm genuinely interested in owning the entire line because they're just that good.
This month I got their super bounce serum and lip gloss, I just received it yesterday so I can't write a review just yet but I already tried the lipgloss and really like the consistency of it. If I end up loving them, which I'm pretty sure I will, then they'll most likely make it to my June favorites video at the end of the month and I'll share my review there.
Get 20% off by shopping through my rep link. HERE
5. If you don't follow fredericforest on IG I think you definitely should. I've never really been into art despite how much I love to draw but recently that has changed & I have really learned to appreciate it. Frederic is part of the reason I have fallen in love with very simple, minimal art like the one above. Everything he represents in his drawings is so unique & beautiful.