Favorites!

Hello!

This blog is ALL about my absolute favorite things! Favorite brands, favorite colors/shades,styles, etc!







Eyeshadow: Definitely my Naked Palette, by Urban Decay. I love neutrals and really dark colors, so this is definitely the best. I love how it has matte and shimmery powder, definitely a plus! My favorite single eye shadow colors are probably "Naked" from the Naked Palette and "Perversion" by Urban Decay. Naked is the best neutral EVER. I use it to fill in my eyebrows as well, and it works whether my hair is blonde or brown. Perversion is the best black eyeshadow I've ever used. It's very pigmented and rich. (It's from UD's Matte Shadows)





Eyeliner: It used to be the Perfect Point Plus in Black Onyx by Covergirl, but then I tried Urban Decay's 24/7 Glide On in Perversion, and OMG, AMAZING. It is hands down the blackest eyeliner. But it is expensive. Covergirl eyeliner is about $5-7 and UD's is $19... so... they're both my favorite.




Eye Primer: I tried the ELF eyelid primer in Pearl but it was gritty and kind of coarse feeling. Maybe their flesh tone one would work better?? I see people on YouTube using that one all the time and raving about it. But currently I'm using Eden Primer Potion by UD (of course). I got the "Little Sins" set and I love it. Eden is my favorite because it works double for me. It's a great shadow primer, but it also works amazingly as an under-eye concealer.




Mascara: HANDS DOWN--Loreal's Voluminous Million Lashes in Carbon Black. It makes my lashes HUGE! Love, love, LOVE.






Powder/Bronzer: Physician's Formula is my favorite brand for powders and bronzers. They last really good, they don't look too cakey or powdery when applied and last for a good while. Also, they don't break me out which is always a good thing. I love contouring with the darker shades.




Blush: Clinique blush in Cupid is my favorite. I'm actually almost out. I hit pan and kept on going! It's really expensive, but I've seriously been using it for years so... well worth the money. It has lasted me almost 4 years. That's crazy to me. But then again, it's so pigmented that it really doesn't take much to apply and I don't wear it every day. Still, well worth the money and amazing. (You can see I love it, I've hit some serious pan!)




Lips: Nivea Lipcare, A Kiss of Shimmer. It's chapstick but with a hit of shimmery, baby pink. Also SoftLips in Pearl (it's a little darker than the Nivea, but still really pretty)




Lotion/Moisturizer: I love using Aloe anything! I use Aloe lotion and if I've been in the sun I'll use Aloe Vera gel because I hate getting sun burned and peeling. But pretty much, I just use aloe stuff. I'm not big on the overly scented, perfume kind of lotions because most of those just break me out and don't do ANYTHING for my dry skin. CeraVe is good, but kind of pricey and in the winter I use Curell Intensive Healing. (Tip: The Curell Intensive Healing is also good for tatoos)

Acne Treatments: I don't use any medications or Proactive... nothing like that. In fact.. I don't even use face wash. (GASP!) I use baby wipes to take off my makeup, and wash my face. If I have a really red, swollen blemish.. I use hydrocortisone cream on it. It removes the redness and the it really will help with some of the swelling. I also will use aspirin. If you wet an aspirin and hold it to your pimple, it helps to minimize it. If I have a scab on my face from scratching bumps or something, I'll put Neosporin on it. It helps A LOT. And sometimes I'll use toothpaste on blemishes. Just put some on before bed and wash it off the next morning. Another thing, holding an aloe leaf to your face can help clear up the zits/acne. I know all of this sounds crazy, but I don't have bad acne.. my skin is mostly clear, but when I do break out, it's always the big ones. So these things just work really well for me. I'm not at all saying it will work for everyone, but it works for me. (I don't do ALL of these at once, I just kind of do whatever I can with what I have in the moment.)

Shoes: In the summer, FLIP FLOPS. When Old Navy has their flip flop sales, I'm all over it. In the winter, I love Ugg style boots and riding boots. For high heels, I'm all about pumps. They're the sexiest shoes to me. Wedges are great too, but usually I only wear wedges in the summer. For sneakers, I love my Sketchers Tone Ups. At work, I am 99% of the time in ballerina flats. Black. Always black.

Pants: My favorite pants lately are Gloria Vanderbuilt jeggings. They're black and soooo comfortable. Also, they can look really casual or really dressy depending on my tops and shoes. Definitely my favorite.

Tops: I love layering. Usually I'm wearing a tank top or cami with a cardigan or light sweater on. That's probably my favorite for tops, just because I do that the most. It's pretty classic I guess, but I go with what works.

Purses: Kathy Van Zeeland. The end. I seriously have a wall shrine of my bags. It's crazy.

Shampoo/Conditioner: I love Garnier Fructis Sleek and Shine, and Herbal Essences curly hair s/c. They just smell really good. I use Ion Intensive Therapy for my deep conditioner, and it works beautifully. I'm almost out, so I'll be going to Sally's to get (hopefully) all Ion products for shampoo, conditioner, etc.

Heat: I love CHI Iron Guard 44, and Beyond The Zone's Smooth Criminal. Both work really well and the Smooth Criminal smells SO good and leaves my hair very shiny but not greasy looking.


So some of my favorite makeup brands are Urban Decay, Physician's Formula, ELF, Hard Candy, and Wet 'n' Wild. Favorite clothing brands are Derek Heart, Rue21, Forever 21, Converse, Mossimo, LC Lauren Conrad, Hurley, Element, OP, Bongo, Candies, Abbey Dawn, and Angels Jeans. Favorite hair care brands are BedHead, Ion, Beyond the Zone and Sexy Hair (Even though I can rarely afford it!)

Anyway.. that's just some favorites. I'm always open to suggestions on products and stores, websites, etc..so feel free to leave me some! :)

Thanks!

All About Tanning!

I'm naturally very fair skinned. But I do love to look tan. I have done it all.. from tanning beds, to self tanning lotions, to spray tans, to laying out in the sun. I know that tanning beds and laying out is not good for you. I know the dangers of skin cancer, aging, dark/sun spots, freckling, etc. But I don't pass judgement on anyone for tanning, because I tan and I know I hate being judged for it. To each their own, ya know?

With self tanning lotions, most just made me orange.. and the only one that didn't was a Jergens tanning lotion. BUT everytime I showered, or shaved my legs, I felt like it all went away. Plus it made my face splotchy and that... is a definite deal breaker.

With spray tans, I have done the at home ones (they work okay, but don't last very long) and I have gone to UltraTan (my local tanning salon) and gotten the Mystic HD tan. If I just do the Glow or Light level, I get a nice sunkissed look. Anything darker than that (medium or dark levels) and I look like a bronze statue. Ew. But the color will last for about a week. When it starts coming off though, you better scrub, scrub, scrub and get it all off or you will look like you have a patchwork tan. TIP: Don't wear white clothing or underwear when you go spray tan. It WILL get on your clothes. My advice, wear clothes that you don't mind getting dirty and that are loose fitting, and wear sandals!

Laying out is so relaxing to me. And you can see some gradual results, very gradual in my case and it takes me a while to get dark. After I applied SPF, I would lay out for about 30 minutes (15 on back, 15 on stomach) then apply some tanning oil or lotion with bronzer and lay out for another 20 to 30 minutes. I feel that works best for me. If I start out with bronzer and oils, it all comes off super quick anyway. That's just me though... Also, something that works REALLY awesome if you laying out... being in a pool will help you tan faster. Even if it's just a kiddie pool that you are laying in. The rays reflect off the water and so you're getting double the exposure. If you don't want to lay in a kiddie pool, and don't have access to a regular pool... get a spray bottle, fill it with water and mist yourself while you lay out. Not only will get faster results, but that cool mist of water feels awesome when you're out in the hot sun. *Fun fact: Did you know you can burn or tan easier when it is overcast?

Last but not least.... Tanning beds!

I absolutely LOVE tanning beds. Yes, I'm aware of the fact that they can be harmful to your skin (cancer risks, aging, etc) BUT.. this is something that I enjoy doing. I love the lotions, the fast results, and the different kinds of beds you can use. I tan at UltraTan and it's just awesome. I used to tan at a salon that had only one kind of bed and one flat fee for the month, but they went out of business :( It sucks.. I got my first and best tan ever from that place. But I do love UltraTan, especially since they have so many different beds. My favorites are the stand-ups and ones with additional tanners (Shoulders, sides, facial). I like using lotions with bronzer, but not tingle. Holy crap.. tingle hurts. BAD. And you can't use it on your face so you'd probably have an uneven tan. I'm not big on hemp lotions, I don't really see results with them, but they smell really good usually. Bronzers give you a bit of a glow after tanning, and an instant sunkissed look. I've used a body blush lotion too and it was really good, worked beautifully, but they no longer sell it there and I can't find online either. Sadness. My tips for tanning in tanning beds are: (1) DO NOT WEAR MAKEUP on your face/neck. Your face is harder to tan without makeup, don't make it worse by wearing a full face to the tanning bed. I've gone straight from work multiple times and had makeup on, so I carry some makeup remover wipes in my bag and just take it off when I'm putting on my lotion. Some eye make is fine because the goggles you wear cover your eyes anyway. Which brings me to the next tip... (2) WEAR THE GOGGLES. These are here to protect your eyes and your vision, so do it. Yes you might get those little tan lines around your eyes, BUT if you enjoy being able to see, wear them. (3) TAN EXTENDERS ARE AMAZING. Use a tan extender on a daily basis, and you won't have to go tanning as often. (4)ALOE, ALOE, ALOE!! Aloe Vera is so, so good for your skin. I use aloe vera gel on my face, neck, chest, and shoulders (my peel prone areas) every day and night when I first start tanning. It keeps me from having redness, heals sunburn, and I don't peel. I just tan. After I get my base tan, I only put it on my face and neck, before bed and before makeup the next day and it keeps my skin soft and my skin stays pretty clear of blemishes. Which my skin is always clearer when I go to tanning beds anyway, but the aloe just makes it pretty damn near perfect.

These are just my own personal opinions; what works for me, may not work for you. The sun and tanning bed's UV Rays can be harmful and damaging to your skin. You do whatever you want, this is just what I do. :)

Erin