Tuesday, May 28, 2013

An Easy and Affordable Way To Clean Makeup Brushes

    Have you ever been overwhelmed by all of the brush cleansers and ways to clean your brushes?! Well worry no more! I have found a very effective and inexpensive way to clean my brushes and keep them in great condition as well. It only uses two products (olive oil and mild shampoo) and a few paper towels! Here is how I have been doing it for years... Enjoy!


     I use this process with all of my brush brands from real techniques to sigma to crown brush! It watches your brushes to keep them from spreading bacteria but also keeps them smelling great and moisturized! Please let me know if you try this and how it works for you. Also, leave your tried and true way to cleaning your brushes in a comment below! Have a wonderful day!

Please like my Facebook page (here) to get the link to all of my new videos first!
Love, Lacey

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

The "What's in my Purse" Tag: Marc Jacobs Edition


     Can you tell that I enjoy doing tag posts! I just feel like they bring a sense of personality and fun to this blog because you can see some more personal things that wouldn't come out in a regular review or comparison. This tag has been floating around the blog and YouTube beauty community for quite sometime but I never thought that I could encompass everything this tag had to offer with a simple (yet long I'm sure) post about it. When I started doing videos just a short time ago, this video was at the top of my to-do list! I hope you enjoy watching and find this video as funny as I did!


Please subscribe to my YouTube channel and like my Facebook page (here) for future updates!
Love, Lacey

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

CVS Haul 5/21/13

     Welcome everyone to my 50th blog post! I can't believe that in 4 or so months I have already done 50 posts that I am so proud of! I wanted my 50th post to be the "What's in My Purse" tag but unfortunately YouTube is taking 700+ minutes to upload my video! Instead, I have this haul to bring you this evening. I ran into a local CVS to waste a little time and to use my $9 of CVS bucks that were expiring soon. Of course I go in expecting to pay under $20 but come out with a lot more! As always though I never feel too guilty because I know I will most likely be returning about half or more of these products! So here is what I got today... I hope that some of these become new favorites!


     I usually stick to the makeup aisle when in this drugstore because new hair products don't intrigue me too much. However, I ran on over to see if they had the Batiste Dry Shampoo I have heard so much about recently. Visiting the hair aisle had me pass the skin care aisle and I saw that all CeraVe products were on sale this week for buy one, get one 50% off...

CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser ($13.99): This is my all time favorite cleanser! In the past I have used the Cetaphil cleanser that is very similar but enjoy this brand even more. I have dry skin and need a simple cleanser due to being on acne medication. This is a very creamy cleanser that does not lather but leaves your skin makeup free and moisturized! I figured I would stock up during this sale because I literally just ran out of this cleanser yesterday! If you have dry skin and are looking for a new, non-irritating, simple cleanser you should definitely give this a try. The pump is also an extra bonus- it dispenses just the right amount of product after one pump.

CeraVe AM Facial Moisturizing Lotion w/ SPF 30 (originally $13.99 but $6.99 due to the sale): I tried this after having such a new found love for the cleanser and I must say it didn't disappoint! I found this a little expensive at first and didn't purchase it because I was finishing up my Aveeno moisturizer that I had at the time. My mom ended up getting this for me as a stocking stuffer during Christmas and I fell in love instantly! It's the perfect consistency and I love that it has a high SPF. I am not quite out of this yet but figured I am getting close since I've been using the same bottle for almost 5 months! 

Not Your Mothers Beach Babe Texturizing Sea Salt Spray ($5.99): I feel like I have seen this product in countless videos and blogs. It seems to be pretty popular amongst us curly haired girls and I had to finally purchase it. I've passed it multiple times but as I walked by it this time I noticed the price tag! For some reason I had been thinking that this product would be way more expensive than it really was- what a nice surprise! I can't wait to try this tomorrow night- however, I hope the salt aspect doesn't dry out my hair!


Almay Smart Shade CC Cream in Light ($9.99): This is the first CC cream that I have bought at the drugstore and I am really excited to try it! This was near the new makeup products and honestly the packaging really caught my eye. I love simple, chic packaging and loved the color of the tube! I figured since I had been wanting to try the Rimmel BB cream that I could compare the two. The color looks good for my skin tone from a swatch and I am very interested to see the kind of coverage it has.

Rimmel Scandal Eyes Waterproof Kohl Eyeliner in Taupe ($4.49 but I paid $2.24 due to buy one, get one 50% off sale): I added this product to my "Drugstore Shopping List" after seeing Fleur from FleurDeForce on YouTube mention it! I am not the biggest advocate for black liner on my lower lash line and only find myself applying it at night. However, I loved this shade of pencil and thought it could be a great color to smudge onto my lower lash line during the daytime just as Fleur did. I have swatched it tonight and love the formula- it is very soft, pigmented, and long wearing!

CoverGirl Flamed Out Mascara in 305 Black Blaze ($7.49): Lately, it seems as though I am trying every new mascara that I come across. This is the only product I purchased from the new CoverGirl display featuring about three items. They also had some shadows and eyeshadow sticks but the colors didn't seem to catch my eye. They all seemed very dark for the upcoming summer months in my opinion! The brush on this mascara is very unique and the formula seems pretty dry which is what I look for as far as formulation goes. Could this be a new favorite?! We will just have to wait and see!

Revlon PhotoReady Kajal Intense Eye Liner + Brightener in 003 Emerald ($8.99): This was a sort of impulse buy and I am still on the fence about it. I saw the new display and browsed over the three colors that were offered. There was a black eyeliner with a white brightening end, a blue with a more silver end, and then this green liner with a more flesh toned brightening shade. I wanted to purchase a fun liner color but ended up having to settle for the sort of dark, flesh toned color brightener that was included. The emerald color was really pretty but very similar to a liner that I already own. However, I assumed that the brightener was going to be too dark for my skin tone and after swatching both ends I found that this idea rang true. I found this same issue with the Rimmel Scandal Eyes liner that I featured in a previous haul post. Since my skin is pretty fair the usual "flesh" toned products look too dark and orangey on my water line. I can already see myself returning this... bummer!

Rimmel BB Cream 9-in-1 Skin Perfecting Super Makeup in Light ($6.99): After every brand came out with a version of their own BB cream, many people took it upon themselves to compare them all and to find the best one. I have heard from countless girls that this Rimmel BB cream had the most coverage and that is exactly why I wanted to try it. I have been looking for a lighter product that will slightly even out my skin tone for awhile and was disappointed when L'Oreal's version was too dark for me. As with all Rimmel foundations they can tend to have more of a warm undertone to them but with this shade swatched next to the Almay version the color difference wasn't too drastic. Just keep in mind that this formula might be a little more neutral than cool.

Maybelline Color Tattoo Metal in 55 Inked Pink ($6.99): This was an item that I just added to my list to try. I was catching up on a bunch of YouTube videos the other night and during my marathon I saw at least two gurus use this! I know that blue eyes can pull off pink but I never have tired and thought this might be a nice way to dive into the trend it for summer! I have heard wonders about these cream shadows and do own one (in Bad to the Bronze I think) but I never find myself using it. I tend to feel more comfortable with very light shadows when it comes to this formula because I don't have to worry too much about blending. This shade is gorgeous (I swatched it on my hand just moment ago) and it doesn't budge even after washing my hands! It would be prefect for a day by the pool or even as a base for a fun, colorful look.

Please take a second to like my new Facebook page here!
Love, Lacey

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Birchbox Unboxing May 2013

     Hello again everyone! I am sorry that I have kinda been MIA from this blog recently but I promise I will be posting more regularly on here eventually. I am now pursuing a YouTube channel as well (as many of you already know) and hope to find the perfect balance between making videos and blogging soon! I am liking the video format so much because I feel like I can get more information, as well as personality, across in my videos. However, with blogging I can take my time to think about each post and get it perfect before I publish it. There are definitely pros and cons to both! Please just bear with me until I find the balance that is right for me, and I hope you will support me through this new journey!

     With that being said I want to show you all what I got in my Birchbox this month! I received it on May 10th and recorded this video on Mother's Day. I hope you enjoy this video and please let me know if you liked your box this month down below if you are a subscriber to this service!







-Individual Products-






Cargo Water Resistant Blush in Bali ($5.00): Unfortunately, I haven't gotten the chance to use this yet but I am really looking forward to when I finally do! I have a feeling that it will give a wonderful glow to the cheeks and that's exactly what I am looking for during the summer. Full size is $26.00 and that is quite typical for a higher end blush which will last you a very long time. I would apply this with my Sigma F40 Large Angled Contour brush or my ELF Small Stipple brush for a lighter application.


Pilot Corporation of America Acroball PureWhite® (Free but worth $6.24): I really don't have much to say about this pen. It's a typical pen and honestly I do not see why this was included as a Birchbox Finds this month. Birchbox Finds are supposed to be products that the Birchbox team is loving recently and I don't see why this is getting so much hype. Plus, what pen is worth $6.24? I feel like that is estimated a little high. Don't get me wrong, I love a cute pen that writes well but that's all it is! I did mention that it was pink in the video and that's how it looks to the naked eye but after writing with it the ink is actually purple! I am still unsure on wether to include this sample's price in with the running total for the box though. At the end I will include both the box's price with and without the pen but really I do not feel like these "Finds" products are meant to be included. For one, they are not on the theme card that lists all of the products, and two, on the site it says that they are not meant to replace a sample for that month.


COOLA Classic SPF 30 Cucumber Moisturizer for Face ($4.33): I also have yet to try this product but I promise that I will get around to it soon! This seems nice from a swatch because it isn't overly fragrant or greasy feeling. The full size is $32.00 and I must say that is a pretty penny for a facial moisturizer! I am a huge advocate of good skincare and I wouldn't even find myself paying that much for a sunscreen honestly. The sample is small for my taste but it does give you enough product to figure out if you like it. This product would have to do many miracles for my skin before I would even consider purchasing it because I am in love with my CeraVe SPF 30 moisturizer right now.


Marvis Toothpaste ($1.40): I have used this the past two days and have been loving it! I noticed that it was made in Italy while I was brushing my teeth this morning and it made me feel very fancy! Full size is $10.50 and I would definitely consider buying it if it was readily available. A little goes a long way, it lathers up great, and leaves your mouth feeling super clean and fresh without being too overpowering. I would be an avid user if this could be found in my local drugstore but ordering a toothpaste online every time I run out feels too fussy for me.


Miss Jessie's® Original Jelly Soft Curls ($1.65): Luckily, I got to put this to use the day after filming and I must say that I am on the fence. It did a nice job of defining my curls without making them crunchy but it wasn't anything life changing. I got a little worried after my hair had been drying for about 30-45 minutes because it started to feel very stiff and brittle but once it was completely dry that feeling disappeared. The full size is $14.00 and I will not be purchasing because my hair tends to do well even without product and I have others that work better than this one. I'm so sorry Miss Jessie, but this is not "the best darn super soft gel period."


     This photo is just showing all of the Miss Jessie's® products that I have received through Birchbox in the last nine or so months. I received the Quick Curl product in August of 2012 and the Original Pillow Soft Curls (in the small container because it was in a foil packet) in February of this year. Out of all three I must say that I like the Quick Curls product the best. It smells great from what I can remember and leaves my hair soft yet defined. 

= $12.38* and a 4/10
*$18.62 with pen

     This box ties with January for the lowest score of the year this far... and January's box was worth A LOT more! Hopefully next month can make up for the small, cheap samples that were given out this month.

*Remember to go rate your products this month if you are subscribed to this service!*
Love, Lacey

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

The Would You Rather Tag: Makeup Edition!

     Who is ready for another tag?! Thanks so much to Stephanie from Stephanie's Look for tagging me to do this post! She is one of the first people from the beauty community I have gotten a chance to talk to and she is so nice and makes me laugh constantly! Please go check out her site and keep reading to see who I tag next!

1.) Would you rather lose all of your mascaras, eyeliners, lipsticks, and lip glosses or lose all of your palettes and eyeshadows?

     Honestly, I would rather lose all of my palettes and eyeshadows. The reason being that I pull off a "natural" face quite often if I am in a time crunch and find it kind of refreshing. I love just adding a little foundation, blush, and mascara to make my face look more put together and awake. Plus, I would die without mascara and lipstick...

 2.) Would you rather chop off all your hair or never be able to cut it again?

     Whoa, I did not realize that these would be such hard questions! I would say I would rather chop off all my hair, that way it would just grow out and I would be good as gold because I would still be able to cut it! I do love Rapunzel's hair though but mine is so thin that it would never be that wonderful. Oddly enough I just watched Tangled today with my cousins though! Weird!

3.) Would you rather have a coral cheek or a pink cheek?

CORAL! ...really, another Disney reference... Please leave me a comment telling me if you know the movie! Anyway, I will sport a coral cheek over a pink one any day. There is something about it that screams summer to me. Maybe it is because I wore NARS Orgasm everyday for years but I love that look on my skin tone.

4.) If you had $1000 to spend, would you rather buy clothes or makeup?

     My answer really surprised me for this question but I have a pretty good reason behind it... I would choose clothes! It is because there are so many expensive handbags and jewelry that I would love to buy that cost $300-$500+ dollars! Even though deep down my true love will be and always has been makeup. For me, even the most high-end makeup products are reasonable if I plan out and save for my purchases.


5.) Would you rather apply lipstick as eyeliner, or eyeliner as lipstick?

     I would have to default to "apply lipstick as eyeliner" and that is only because I could not  imagine applying it the other way around. Bright eyeliners could be really neat, especially for spring and summer! Even though your color choice would be pretty limited, I would still stick to this option.

6.) Would you rather only shop at MAC or Sephora?

     I would probably say that 9/10 beauty people would go with Sephora- but you will always have those few MAC addicts! I do love MAC products, especially recently but you can not beat the selection at Sephora. I would not want to be stuck with one brand of makeup for the rest of my life!

7.) Would you rather only use one eyeshadow color or one lip color for the rest of your life?

     One eyeshadow color! You all know by now that I love lipstick so it would be very hard to stick with one shade forever! With either option I feel like you could create multiple looks but I can't live without my collection of lip colors. You can spruce up any neutral shadow with a bold lip!

8.) Would you rather wear winter clothes in summer or summer clothes in winter?

     Probably summer clothes in the winter. There is nothing I hate more than being too hot!

9.) Would you rather have dark nails or bright nails all year round?

     Bright nails! I already rock them in the winter time occasionally! You will only see me with dark nails a handful of times and it usually occurs in the fall. There is just something that makes more sense about having bright nails in the winter... it's like you are wishing for warmer weather!

10.) Would you rather give up your favorite lip product or your favorite eye product?

     Now I am torn between my beloved mascara and lipstick, oh no!!! Here is another answer that surprises me but I would choose giving up my favorite lip product. The fact that it doesn't say "your favorite shade of lip product" is why I settled on this choice. A great mascara can do wonders for my confidence and even with giving up my favorite lip product, I could probably find a similar shade that I love just as much!

11.) Would you rather only be able to wear your hair in a ponytail or a messy bun?

     I would choose a messy bun. My hair is very thin, and very long at the moment so when I put it up in a ponytail it is not very flattering. I have a lot of pieces that fall down and have to be pinned back with bobby pins so I would much rather wear my hair in a messier style daily.

12.) Would you rather never be able to paint your nails again or never use lip gloss?

     This is the easiest question yet! I wouldn't use lip gloss ever again. I have never been a huge fan of that sticky stuff and would probably be glad if I was never allowed to use it again. Maybe then I would actually stop buying it!

13.) Would you rather shave your eyebrows and have none at all or sharpie them in everyday?

     If I wasn't allowed to draw them in once they were shaved off then I would choose the sharpie route. I have been loving a more defined brow recently and feel like it really balances out my face. My only prayer would be that they had a light brown sharpie somewhere in the world!

14.) Would you rather live without makeup or nail polish?

      I would rather live without nail polish hands down. I love doing my makeup every single day. If it's a dramatic, time consuming look or even a quick, five minute, natural face the whole process relaxes me.

Thanks again to Stephanie for tagging me to do this post! Of course I tag all of you, especially Emily Noel from Beauty Broadcast!

Love, Lacey

Monday, May 6, 2013

Eyeliner Series: Liquid Eyeliner + Cheap Drugstore Formulas

     Here is my third post dedicated to eyeliner and it's staying power! I have already covered pencil liner (here) and felt-tip liner (here) so now we are on to the liquid formulation. Liquid liner can definitely be hard to get the hang of. I know that in the past I got into using felt-tip eyeliner everyday and when I switched back to liquid it would get everywhere during application! One of the pros of using liquid liner is that the line is usually more opaque and dark than pencil and felt-tip liners. As for a con, it can be hard to achieve a really precise wing with some applicators.

     As always, let's begin with the liquid liners you already own. I can honestly say that there aren't many great tips I can give you. Liquid liner tends to be pretty user friendly in the fact that things don't tend to dry out if not stored properly. You get an opaque, dark liner look with liquid liner but here are a few tips that can aid in the process.


Tip #1: Shake
Make sure you shake the product if you are instructed to do so by the directions. This ensures that the product is mixed well and that the line you get will be even and smooth. If the applicator also dips into the product shaking will coat the applicator evenly as well.

Tip #2: Technique
Make sure you work slowly and start in the middle or outer corner of your eye. I understand that for some, your technique of applying might be different but you want the majority of the product to be towards the outer portion of your lash line. If you begin with excess product on the applicator and apply it to your inner corner, too much color will deposit and you will be in trouble. For a beginner, keep the liner very thin towards the inner corner and get thicker as you work your way out- this is the most flattering look for any eye shape. Also make sure to look down into a mirror with your head tilted back. This position helps you to have perfect access to your lash line without getting it everywhere. You need to give the liner about 30 seconds to dry before opening your eye completely as well or you will be faced with liner transferring onto your lids!

Tip #3: Q-Tips
I actually keep a stash of these right next to me on my vanity. They come in handy with almost ANY makeup product but especially for liquid liner. If you mess up your wing or are dealing with transfer on your lids, whip one of these multi-tasking, simple tools out and you are good as gold. If your wing isn't pointy enough after application drag a damp q-tip from the outer corner of your eye to your eyebrow. This will clean things up and make your line very precise. If you have smudges or traces of liner in places that it's not supposed to be wait until it dries. This makes your life way easier! After about 30 seconds (or when you finish your liner look) take a damp q-tip and simply place the tip of it onto the spot and gently twist. This removes it completely without removing all of your foundation or eyeshadow.

     If you aren't satisfied with your current liner after trying the tips listed above here are two drugstore products that are worth trying...

From left to right:


 I first swatched the two products and let them set for a good 5 minutes.



Each was then tested on how the product smudged (top 1/2) as well as how it preformed while wet (lower 1/2). I did this by rubbing the top portion with medium pressure 3-5 times and doing the same with the lower portion but adding water to my finger.


Ranking Best-Worst:
1. Milani ($7.49)- This liquid liner ranked supreme during this test for sure. I have never seen a liquid liner that performs so well dry and wet! Even though this is the only shade in the line that doesn't contain sparkle it did it's job and outlasted my test. This liner is marketed to be a "long lasting, waterproof formula" and that it was! It didn't budge or smudge in the slightest but there was one downfall. The applicator is a little hard to work with. It is a very short, small, pointed tip that does not have any give to it what-so-ever. This makes application fairly difficult because once you make a line it is hard to go back over it. The applicator is so stiff that it sometimes removes product and leaves a line in the middle of your liner if you go over it again. Removing this was also more difficult as you will see later in this post. In my opinion, the only thing good about Milani's formula is it's staying power and being the topic of this post, I had to rank it #1 in that department.

2. Maybelline ($8.49)- This liner has a cult following for sure. Everyone practically loves it! From the photo above you can see that the liner didn't budge until water was present and that seems to be the story for the majority of these liners. If we weren't testing staying power I would rank this liner higher than Milani's because it is more user friendly. The applicator is more pliable and the line you get from it is easily achievable in one stroke. I will say that getting a pointy wing with this isn't the easiest thing to do so make sure you keep a q-tip within reach.

How well do they remove? Lets find out!
I used one Simple Cleansing Facial Wipe and documented the process from one wipe across - two!



You can see that the Maybelline formula is way easier to remove than Milani's. This is another plus for Maybelline's liner because you never want to have to scrub and tug at your eye area to remove your makeup. Once again though this post was about staying power and as you can see, Milani's does just that.



     I stopped at two wipes across because this swatch wasn't going anywhere. I did have to sit there and really scrub to get this off after this photo. However, I wore this liner once a few weeks ago and didn't find myself scrubbing TOO hard to remove it at the end of the day. Milani's liner comes off in flakes so you will end up with it everywhere but if you use a waterproof eye makeup remover you should be fine. It just takes a few extra minutes to remove but if you are in need of a long lasting liner, that is not a deal breaker.

     So that wraps up my post dedicated to liquid liners and their staying power. I hope this gave you some new information and products to try in the world of these liners. They are really great once you get the hang out them. Last but not least in this series of liner posts will be the cream formulation and I am really excited about it. I know that some of my readers will be unfamiliar with that type of liner and being a lover of it for years, I can't wait to break it down for you! Thanks for reading!

Love, Lacey

Friday, May 3, 2013

April 2013 Favorites

     Another month has bit the dust but I must say that it was a great four weeks! I turned 21, celebrated a lot of family birthdays, have been enjoying the nicer weather, and been hanging out with friends left and right! I have a lot of great products to show you this month so without further ado let's get started...



Revlon PhotoReady Cream Blush in 200 Flushed ($12.99):



Flower Beauty Creme Blush in Win Some, Rouge Some ($7.98):




Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush in 10 Pink Frosting ($7.99):



Swatches of all three cream blushes in the order shown
Revlon, Flower, and Maybelline




Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz in Brunette ($21.00):
-Unfortunately this product broke after filming! For some reason the pencil side wouldn't come up anymore by twisting... So I will be exchanging it for a new over the weekend.





Korres Lip Butter in Wild Rose ($12.00)






Hope everyone had a wonderful April and here's to next month!
Love, Lacey