Face of the Day | Simple everyday look

My apologies if the picture above is completely blinding you with my whiteness! Pale is my middle name... hello - I'm a redhead living in the frozen tundra known as Minnesota. But let's be real - I simply blend in with everyone else in the frozen tundra... I'm still just as white come July. (Praise be to the spray tan gods!) 

It's been quite a while since I've done a "FOTD" post, so I thought I'd show you an easy everyday look that's totally appropriate for the office, or a night out with friends, and it won't take you very long either!

I decided to break out my Coastal Scents shadows to achieve this look. It uses just 4 colors, but could easily use less or more if you wish. From top to bottom, L to R, I used Kokomo Cafe, Southern Wood, and Deep Merlot - each are Coastal Scents hot pots. The three shades are starred on the photo below.

The eyes are simple. Prime them first to get the best staying power as well as color pop (I used MAC's Soft Ochre paint pot), and then take Kokomo Cafe on a fluffy blending brush and sweep it along the crease of your eye. You don't have to be super precise, this will just help the shadows blend in to each other and keep your eye look from having sharp lines. 

Next take Deep Merlot on an eyeshadow brush and put that in to the outer corner of your eye and blend it inwards towards your tear duct. Blend, blend, blend! Then grab Southern Wood, and dab that on the outer corner and blend it through, not taking it quite as far as you did Deep Merlot. This will deepen the look just slightly. Grab your clean, fluffy blending brush and blend all the colors together. No harsh lines is the goal!

I did pop a bit of Wet n Wild's Creme Brulee in the middle of my eyelid to make the browns pop, and then used Sigma's eye shadow base in Strike along my lower lash line as it matched the shirt I wore that day. I then lined my eyes with Wet n Wild's Mega Liner liquid eyeliner in black (and it didn't apply as nicely as I wanted to, so if it looks wonky to you... it looks wonky to me, too), and applied a couple coats of Calvin Klein CK One Color mascara in True Black. 

The rest of the look (and really ANY of it) can be modified to fit your skin type and preferences. I used my favorite Covergirl 3-in-1 foundation (review here) set with the Essence All About Matt powder and the Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch concealer under my eyes, set with the Tarte Smooth Operator powder.

I filled in my eyebrows with NYX's eyeshadow in True Taupe (can you tell I love it - I hit MAJOR pan on it!), touched up with the Wet n Wild eyebrow pencil in Taupe, all set with Maybelline Great Lash in clear. 

On my cheeks I used Benefit's Rockateaur blush (not pictured - it's part of a big set), contoured with Pixi's Beauty Bronzer in Subtly Suntouched and Victoria's Secret Illuminating Face Powder in Impassioned as a highlight. I dabbed a touch of C.O. Bigelow Rose Salve on my lips, and voila! Look complete!

You could totally up your game and throw some lipstick on to look extra glam, but I was keeping this look a bit played down. See what I mean - super easy! You don't have to have the exact colors I featured - use what you have that's similar. That's the fun and creative part of makeup application.



What is your go-to eye eyeshadow? What lip would you pair with this look? 

FOTD | Brunch

This past Sunday, a friend of mine invited a couple girls over for a brunch at her house. It was a really fun morning full of delicious food and great company. We dined on a pepper and artichoke frittata, apple cinnamon muffins and breakfast cookies. And of course, mimosas. What brunch would be complete without mimosas? 

I wanted a really fresh, simple look for this brunch and I thought I'd share with you what I used to achieve just that. 

• Face: I moisturized with Neutrogena Oil-Free moisturizer (not pictured) and followed up with Clarins Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch primer on areas of my face where my pores are larger than other areas. I then used Revlon's Nearly Naked foundation in shade 110 Ivory and applied it all over the face using my Sigma F80 flat-top kabuki brush. For blush, I used a Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush in Plum Wine, which adds a really natural flush to the cheeks. To set my foundation, and even over-top of my blush, I used the NYC Smooth Skin Pressed Face Powder in Transluscent. This isn't my favorite powder, but it's been in my collection for too long so I'm trying to use it up. 

• Eyes: I primed my eyelids first using Urban Decay's eye primer in Eden (not pictured - I have an icky sample packet I'm using). I then used the matte taupe color in the picture above called Like a Virgin (from the Too Faced Naked Eye Palette) to define my crease. On the rest of my eyelid, I used an Ulta eyeshadow in Seashell. This is the pinky gold color you see catching the light in the images above. For eyeliner, I use my tried and true favorite liquid eyeliner, Wet n Wild's Mega Liner in Black. For mascara, I applied one coat of Ulta Plush Drama mascara in Jet Black, followed by a coat of Pixi's Large Lash Mascara in Best Brown. 

• Eyebrows: To fill in my eyebrows, I used the NYX eyeshadow single in True Taupe. I love using this shadow for my brows because of the natural, full look it gives. To set them, I used Maybelline Great Lash clear gel. 

• Lips: With all the cold, dreary weather we've been having, I was craving a bright bold pink lip. I used a lipstick by Besame Cosmetics in the shade Exotic Pink (remember that lipstick?). Is that packaging amazing or what?!

What is your go-to brunch look?

FOTD - September 11, 2013

I was struck with a bit of inspiration today to try a different, fall-feeling combination of warm browns and thought I'd show you what I came up with. Take a look!

Here's what I used to achieve the look... 

I started off by moisturizing my face, as I always do. I've been trying to get through this Simple Protecting Light Moisturizer, so that's what I chose to use first. I then use my Sigma F80 brush to apply my favorite drugstore foundation, the Covergirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3 in 1 foundation in Ivory (for my full review on this foundation, click here). I set this foundation using my favorite powder, the Rimmel Stay Matte powder in Transparent. To warm up my face I used NYC's Smooth Skin Bronzer in Sunny on the hollows of my cheeks, down around my chin, and on my temples. For a pop of color on my cheeks, I used my Physicians Formula Powder Palette Multi-Colored Blush in Blushing Nude. 

Under my eyes I used the Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Dark Circle Eraser in Fair. I've really been enjoying this concealer, as it doesn't cake up in the fine lines under my eyes like many concealers do. Then I primed my eyelids using my favorite primer, theBalm's Put a Lid on It. All over my lid I used the Ulta Color Coat Cream Shadow in Shimmering Topaz. This is the bronzey pop you see in the middle of my eye in the pictures above.  In the crease, I used my Crown Brush Neutral Colors Smokey Eye Palette that I got off Hautelook not too long ago. I used a combination of the three colors you see in the collage to create a warm matte copper brown to define the crease. I used my holy grail Wet n Wild Mega Liner liquid liner in Black to create a winged out, super black liner look. For my lashes I used Maybelline Lash Stiletto Voluptuous in Brownish Black.

No lip products (other than Aquaphor) as my lips are too dry to sport anything cute despite loads of moisturizing lip gloss. Only a few more months of medication that dries my lips out - thank GOODNESS because I miss my lippies!

I liked this look and I think it's perfect for fall! Have you tried any of these products? Let me know in the comments below!

FOTD - August 7, 2013

I'm back with another face of the day! A very sweet coworker of mine complimented me on my eyeshadow look, so I wanted to share with you what I used to achieve the look. I hope you enjoy it!

1. Covergirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3 in 1 Foundation in 805 Ivory

2. Wet n Wild Mega Liner in 861 Black

3. Maybelline Color Tattoo in Barely Branded (eyeshadow base & inner corner highlight)

4. Maybelline Color Tattoo in Pomegranate Punk (outer lid and bottom lash line)

5. Lancome Hypnose Star Mascara in 01 Noir Midnight 

6. Tarte Maracuja Creaseless Concealer in Fair

7. Urban Decay Afterglow Glide-On Cheek Tint in Fetish

8. e.l.f. High Definition Powder in Transluscent

9. NYX Illuminating Bronzer in 01 Narcissistic

Face of the Day (FOTD)

I'm new to the FOTD-post world, and I have to say I'm a little nervous about it... but please be kind. I think it's fun to see others do these types of blogs, and I really enjoy seeing how people use certain products, especially if I have the same products in my own makeup collection. I hope you enjoy! (and please, excuse the camera angle that makes me look like I have a five-head!)

Click to enlarge image

Products used

Covergirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3 in 1 Foundation in 805 Ivory

Covergirl & Olay Simply Ageless Concealer in 205 Very Light (under eyes)

e.l.f. High Definition Powder in Translucent

Physicians Formula Powder Palette Multi-Colored Blush in Blushing Nude

Maybelline Color Tattoo in Barely Branded (eyeshadow base & inner corner highlight)

e.l.f. Long Lasting Lustrous Eyeshadow in Soiree (eyelid color) 

Wet n Wild Mega Liner in 861 Black

Lancome Hypnose Star Mascara in 01 Noir Midnight 

p.s. I'm working with my camera to find the perfect balance.... I think my face looks a little yellow in this image, but I promise you it doesn't in real life!