Hello my lovely readers,
I've decided that in order to keep my blog going at a pace that's not so spaced-out like it has been, I'm going to be doing a makeup of the day series!
I feel terrible that I've been posting so infrequently lately, so I figure while writer's block is getting the best of me, I can make a series that basically requires me to post every day. Sound good? Good.
And as always: if you ever have any questions, comments, or concerns about beauty tips/tricks you'd like to read about, please, please let me know! I would be more than happy to make a post for you.
With that being said...let's get glowing!
So here's today's (3/30/2013) look! Spring has sprung here on Long Island, and I needed some color to express it.
If you want to know how I got this look, keep on reading!
1) I primed my lids with Sephora's Perfecting Eye Primer, then I added a layer of MAC's Painterly Paint Pot to add some extra protection and even out my eyelids.
2) With a regular eyeshadow brush by Sonia Kashuk (I got it at Target for around $3, I believe), I picked up Make Up For Ever's Aqua Cream eyeshadow in shade 18, which is a gorgeous lilac. The picture warms the color up a little bit, but in person it's a very cool, icy purple. I blended that all over my lids up to the crease.
3) I took some of MAC's Sketch eyeshadow on a smudger brush and popped it onto the outer-v of my eyes (you can see the defined line), and brought that to about the middle of my crease.
4) With a clean, fluffy brush, I blended Sketch into the lilac, and then blended away most of the harsh line near my crease, leaving just some subtle definition on my outer corners.
5) Then, I curled my lashes! (I know, weird way to do things, but I've found that when I curl my lashes with eyeliner already on, it smudges.)
6) I applied Physician's Formula 2-in-1 Lash Boosting Eyeliner + Serum in Ultra Black as close to the lash line as possible. I really recommend this eyeliner; it's one of the only ones that doesn't irritate my eyes, and it lasts all day with the right primer!
7) I applied Physician's Formula Organic Wear mascara (100% Natural Origin Jumbo Lash Mascara)
And that's all! This look took about 15 minutes total.
I also applied one of OCC's Lip Tars, but it was a hot, hot pink and after I applied it, I really wasn't a fan of how it looked with the eyes (it was just a bit too much for my taste) so it isn't pictured here, however I'm probably going to write a review of my experience with the product tomorrow!
I hope you beauties liked my first makeup of the day, expect another one tomorrow! Stay fabulous!
Hi again beauties!
It's been a long time since I've posted anything beauty related, but someone suggested writing a post (thanks Nick!) on my experiences with henna hair dye, and I figured "hey, why not?"...then I realized: This is actually a really great thing to write about. So let's get glowing...
Many people are skeptical about using Henna in their hair, because chemical dyes come in a wider variety of colors, they're less messy, they're less time consuming...
And while I believe that those dyes that come in the box and in the salon are lovely, they aren't necessarily the best for your hair.
I'm speaking from experience here, so any disagreements you have are completely valid. I'm just telling you all how it's gone for me. But feel free to tell me all about your hair experiences in a comment!
I used to dye my hair quite frequently (around every 8 weeks) at a salon. At the time, my hair was feeling very, very dry. A little sad, actually. I had plenty of split ends, and it felt like my hair just wasn't growing. There was no shine, no volume, no life...just pure frizz. However, the color was stunning!
Naturally, I'm a brunette. But personally, I believe that I'm a redhead trapped in the body of a brunette, so I decided to let that redhead out.
Eventually, I became a LUSHie. I wanted to try every product they had to offer...and I stumbled across their henna hair dyes. I picked one up, curious about how they worked, and I was converted forever after one use.
Why, you ask? LUSH's hennas contain cocoa butter, rosemary and lemon juice, which moisturize and add crazy amounts of shine. My hair has never been healthier!
I tried their Caca Rouge, which is their reddest henna available. (I know, there are other brands that make henna dyes, but I trust LUSH with my life so I gave theirs a shot) They also offer Caca Brun (which is a brown), Caca Marron (chestnut with a little bit of red), and Caca Noir (a bluish black) if you're looking for a color other than red.
There are instructions attached to the packaging, but there's more than one way to apply your henna hair dye.
Personally, I take a large bowl, break up two blocks of henna (if you have long hair, it is suggested that you use two...my hair is about mid-chest when curly, mid-back length when straight), and pour boiling water over the henna until it is a brownie-batter consistency.
Once you have your "batter", try to keep it warm. DO NOT MICROWAVE IT! It will essentially destroy all of the hair-loving ingredients. Apply it to your clean, dry hair as quickly as possible, and massage the henna into your hair until it reaches your scalp. You want a very thick coating. As it dries and as you apply more, it will feel very heavy. It gets a bit uncomfortable, and it looks like you held your head in a mud puddle, but trust me, it is so worth it.
Once applied, I personally leave the henna on for 6 hours. I've found that it creates a brighter color. Some people prefer to leave it on for 3 hours max, some people leave it on overnight. It's all a matter of preference.
With that being said, washing it out is probably the hardest part. Be very careful where you rinse, and use lots of conditioner! It will feel like there is sand in your hair for a little while afterwards (it's the Irish moss and coffee beans, according to my LUSH Sales Associate) but brushing usually alleviates that problem.
Once you're all rinsed, wait for your hair to dry, and be in awe!
Your hair will be soft, luxurious, stronger...just all around fabulous.
My hair has grown about 3 inches since I started using LUSH products on my hair rather than a quarter of an inch, and that is with regular cuts.
So the moral of the story: I love henna dyes because it has strengthened my hair, and has left me with gorgeous color that I believe lasts much longer than salon color.
Let me know about your experiences with henna or just with dyes in general! I'm always looking for feedback!
This is just a quick little tag while I wait for some beauty/skincare inspiration to pop up.
I tag all of you!
1. Would you consider yourself a shopaholic? Oh absolutely, especially if it's LUSH. ;)
2. How would you classify your style? I would say I wear a little of everything, but most of the time it's more boho.
3. What store can you not leave without buying at least one thing? LUSH LUSH LUSH LUSH LUSH
4. Where do you find the best deals? American Eagle, actually! I've been really into their clothes lately, and a lot of their shorts are 40% off right now. Go, beauties, go!
5. What designer are you willing to splurge for? I'm going to go with Tom's shoes. Anyone else notice the price went way up?
6. Do you have a go to shopping outfit? Nope, I'm usually in jeans and a cute top or a t-shirt with a scarf or big necklace.
7. What is your guilty pleasure? (Not including makeup) <-- darn...as far as shopping goes, I live in Anthropologie and their Volcano candle is my favorite.
8. What is one staple clothing piece you cannot live without? Plain v-necks from Madewell!
9. What is a trend you hope never goes out of style? BELL BOTTOMS. In loooove.
10. What trend did you love that passed way to quickly? As terrible as it sounds, I typically don't stay "on trend". I buy what I like, that's it. :)
11. Who is your fashion icon? I don't really have one, I get inspired by pictures and seasons more than people.
Hi beauties! I know, I know, it's been absolutely forever. I've been trying to collect topics for blog posts, but everyone seems to be giving me topics I've written about already.
So this is where you all come in!
If you have any, any, ANY beauty questions/concerns or anything you'd like to know more about, please leave a comment here, or email me at glitterazziandkisses@aol.com
I'll be looking forward to your suggestions! Stay gorgeous!
So here's a topic I didn't really think I'd be writing about: all-natural deodorants.
I've been someone who has kind of bought just about any deodorant at the drug store that promises to keep me dry and smelling like beds of flowers, but in the last year or so I've completely changed my skin routine to encompass more of what my morals are.
I prefer things that are completely natural and not tested on animals because not only are they better for your skin in the long-run (no harsh chemicals, no dyes, stuff like that), so I've really switched to LUSH as my go-to company for...well...everything. (I know it gets expensive, but I'm hooked! My skin has never looked or felt better!)
I was originally using Tom's deodorant (the "Naturally Dry" one) but I was finding that by the end of the day the smell completely wore off (ew), and the packaging was big and bulky...but worst of all: My skin was itching like crazy at the end of the day. It also contains aluminum, which I'm trying to avoid.
So I went to my local LUSH and had Jen, their incredible manager, direct me to their deodorants.
I bought three just to see what the deal was...oops. ;)
So let's get glowing!
The first:
Aromaco!
This deodorant comes in a solid (no packaging, no waste!) and is scented like patchouli (one of my favorite smells in the whole world). It is made up of witch-hazel, which is an astringent so it will kill off the bacteria making a home of your pits (sorry I'm gross), sodium bicarbonate (more commonly known as baking soda) to absorb excess moisture, and chamomile vinegar which is antibacterial and soothes the skin rather than irritating it.
All in all, I loved the smell of this, but it wasn't lasting all day, and didn't keep me as dry as I would have liked.
That's why I bought:
Coconut Deodorant Powder
This stuff smells SO GOOD. It's like you're on a tropical island. It's fabulous.
I layer this over my Aromaco, and it keeps me dry all day with absolutely irritation, and it keeps me smelling fresh all day because there's no moisture. It absorbs everything. There are four different kinds of coconut in every bottle, and the powder consistency really makes everything feel dry for hours and hours. If you like the smell of natural coconut, you'll love this one.
I wouldn't recommend this if you really feel like you perspire a lot though, it's very light.
For people worried about smell and lots of perspiration, I suggest my personal favorite (not because I worry about smell and perspiration, I'm lucky in that department):
T'eo Deodorant
I cannot rave enough about this incredible bar of magic. This bar smells like citrus. Personally, I smell a lot of lemongrass (which is a primary ingredient in this bar) which is awesome for me because I'm addicted to anything that smells like citrus or spring lately. So here's what's in it and what it does: lemongrass is a skin toner, and incredibly deodorizing. I smell like this stuff ALL DAY. Green grapes are also used to make this bar, and they're very antibacterial. Why is this a good thing? Their antibacterial properties kill the bacteria that causes the smell under your arms. Next, we have Juniperberry oil, which is an awesome skin decongestant, so if you have bacteria and sweat clogging your underarm pores, the smell won't go away...this stuff takes all that right out.
This is definitely my favorite deodorant that I bought. You take the solid bar and rub it on your underarms (but no packaging again, which I love), and it almost comes off in a powder-like texture. Trust me, it looks thin, but it works.
On days that it's warmer outside I layer this over Aromaco (sometimes I do this even when it isn't warm because I just love patchouli).
I hope this was helpful to any of you lovely people out there looking to switch to a more natural, effective option when it comes to deodorants.
Stick around for my next post! Thanks everyone!
Hey beauties! It's been a long, long time since I posted! I'm so sorry to those of you checking back to see if I've posted only to find that I haven't, so let me explain...
I started a new school this semester and I'm double-majoring in pre-medical studies and forensic science with a minor in Spanish, so I kind of have a lot on my plate on top of my extracurriculars. I honestly haven't had time to breathe let alone put up a blog post, but things are slow for the weekend (I have off until Wednesday! Hooray!) so I'll hopefully be posting one blog a day to try to make up (even a little bit) for being gone for so long.
My next post will be up within a few minutes; I have a review to do on some new LUSH stuff I tried out.
Thanks for sticking around, lovelies!
I told all of you I would be doing LUSH reviews! Being a LUSH junkie has been a hobby of mine for about a year now, if I'm not mistaken. It's evolved from "oh wow I like this" into a sick obsession, where I find myself in a LUSH store any chance I get to try out new products.
One of those new products I'm absolutely loving:
Cynthia Sylvia Stout shampoo!
For those of you that don't know me/what I look like, here's a quick picture.
That's my natural hair. It's insanely curly, and usually very, very frizzy. (I guess I was having a good day, since this was before I started using this shampoo)
So here's my story:
I walked into LUSH with my typical list of things I'd run out of, grabbing a few things around the store here and there, until a salesgirl approached me asking if I needed any help. I mentioned that I'd never used their hair products before, so she pulled me over to the table eager to help me out.
She saw my hair situation, and suggested Curly Wurly (which I have been using, I'll review that next!) so I had told her I'd used that, and this was her next suggestion.
I wanted another shampoo because Curly Wurly is a conditioning shampoo and more of a weekly treatment, and I wanted something that lathered better.
Enter Cynthia Sylvia Stout, the most magical product I've ever applied to my hair. The smell is a little bit off-putting, it is a beer, cognac and lemon juice shampoo (weird, I know) after all. If you're into that kind of smell, you'll love this. Personally, I didn't love it, but I gave it a shot because there's yeast (which promotes hair growth) and the beer and cognac gives hair weight and reduces frizz, and lemon juice for shine. It detangles my knots, and makes my hair fabulously bouncy.
It does everything it says it will do. I use it with American Cream conditioner, which takes the smell of the shampoo out (and then my hair smells like vanilla...mmm.)
I would definitely recommend this shampoo to anyone with curly/frizzy hair in need of a pick-me-up, I'll never go back to another shampoo. I love this!
Hope this was helpful. I can do an update as I use more of it, but I figured I would post an initial reaction. Stay gorgeous!
