Tag: Beauty Favorites

Ways to Make Your LIPS LOOK FULLER (NATURALLY)

Published on by LeeLeave a comment

Societal standards of beauty are ever-changing and have come a long, interesting way from the ideals of ghostly white powdered skin, strong Roman noses, and tiny, pinched pouts of ladies painted with love and lust in Renaissance imagery. The past several decades have shifted toward ample lips that practically beg to be kissed.

We tend to think of beauty as an ownable entity, and that everyone’s unique look is what makes the beauty spectrum subjective and exciting. Besides, confidence outshines and outlasts any societal beauty expectations, so we say start there. The root of feeling confident starts with a healthy dose of self-love, and your lips’ fullness potential comes from a little TLC—so treat your kisser to a little extra care.

Exfoliate.

A dry, pale, shriveled lip is no canvas for lip color, nor exactly a beckoning call for a smooch. Exfoliation will rid your lips of any dry, scaly flakes and bring circulation to the area. This extra blood flow naturally fills a few cracks for an instant plump, and brings a flushed and rosy tint to your natural lips for a little color on their own. A lip scrub is perfect for the task, and most of them on the market are sugar-based, so if a little gets in your mouth (and it will), it’s perfectly safe and probably a little sweet. Try our DIY lip scrub recipe here.

  • $20.00
  • $26.00
  • $1.00-$4.00
  • $8.99
  • $8.99

Strategically line.

And, never forget a plump pout’s best friend, lip liner. Not only does this help keep your lip color contained in the right perimeters (aka not bleed out for a Joker-style grin), but it also lends you a little creativity about where you want to define your lip line. We definitely suggest that subtlety is key here—going too far outside your lips toes the line of drag or even clown makeup. Both of which have their time and place, though it might not be at your office job or out on a casual date.

A very impactful difference can be made by penciling in just barely outside your lip line, mostly at the center edges of your lip and coming in closer to your true, natural lip at the corners of your mouth. Exaggerating just the cupid’s bow can make a world of change in the shape of your final look. It’s doll-like with reds, deep pinks, and berry hues, or sultry with a spectrum of nude shades.

Add a gloss.

The same way that exfoliation smooths things out, a gloss will help your lips reflect light for a larger look, too. If glossy isn’t really your thing, try just applying it to the center of your lips, so the shine is contained but creates a serious highlight.

Subtle contour.

A little bit of bronzer at the bottom part of your lower lip—right where a natural shadow occurs—can help. Use an eyeshadow brush to create a thin line just at the center point beneath your lower lip to exaggerate the shadow and make your lip appear more voluminous.

Try a stimulating balm.

If you prefer to go completely natural and want your full plump potential sans lip color or makeup, a stimulating ingredient in a balm or lip oil can help bring that coveted circulation back to your lips for easy reapplication all day. Peppermint and cinnamon are both incredibly stimulating—you can even feel the tingle. Look for products that already have them in the formula, or simply add a drop of the essential oil to your favorite lip balm. If you’re not sure of any sensitivities you may have to either oil, test on a small patch of skin on your arm, first.

  • $9.00
  • $ Varies
  • $3.59
  • $10.99

I’D SWIPE RIGHT ON THIS $3 HAIR MASK

Published on by Lee2 Comments

Because I love a drugstore beauty product that really WORKS…

I know you’ve heard it a thousand times before; the key to long, strong, healthy hair is to deep condition consistently. However, how many of us can honestly say they have enough time in their day to make deep conditioning a habit? Even if 50% of you all do find the time, how long do you really deep condition for?

I decided to test out the new Garnier 1 minute smoothing hair mask to see if I could really get bomb ass hair in 1 minute, because who doesn’t want to get a necessary task done in one minute?

I’d Swipe Right: Garnier Fructis Smoothing Treat 1-Minute Hair Mask

What caught my attention: I love the idea of a one-minute anything, you know?  I actually love using a hair mask as my regular conditioner and, after talking to the brand reps, they sold me on the fact this drugstore mask is 98% natural and really does reduce frizz. Did I mention it’s also only $3???

What it claims to be: “The Garnier Smoothing Treat 1-Minute Hair Mask + Avocado Extract helps you get soft, smooth hair. In one minute, indulge your hair in a nourishing treat with 98% naturally derived ingredients…”

The Garnier 1 minute smoothing hair mask is marketed to give you manageable hair in, well you guessed it…1 minute. Now, I know, I know. No hair issue can be fixed in one minute and it doesn’t claim to fix all your hair issues; it claims to make your hair soft, shiny and silky without weighing your hair down. However, of course like any product, with consistent, long term use, the 1 minute hair mask can correct, a variety of hair issues, so many issues that the product comes in five different formulas:

  • Damage Repair – Papaya Extract
  • Smoothing – Avocado
  • Nourishing – Coconut
  • Color Vibrancy – Goji
  • Strengthening – Banana

Also the Garnier 1 minute mask gets extra brownie points for being fully vegan with no silicones or parabens, which is great for all hair types.

Stalked info: I decided to research the product a bit more, and apparently the product can be used two different ways, as a deep conditioner or a leave in.

I decided to try the Garnier hair mask as both. My next wash day, I tried the 1 minute hair mask as a deep conditioner and I let the product sit in my hair for a little over an hour. My naturally curly hair was softer, very shiny and way easier to comb through. That was nice, but it wasn’t anything that wowed me so, a I gave it a try as a leave in conditioner… and by far that was the best results for me since the hair stayed soft all day, smelled amazing, and was significantly shinier!

What I thought after our first “date”: The first thing I noticed when I opened the container was the smell; it smells sooooo good. In fact, I’ve recommended it to friends who said they just wanted a drugstore hair mask that actually works. You obviously can’t beat the $3 price tag but this product does not work like a $3 product typically does- it’s way better. My hair is left feeling super soft, hydrated and as frizz-free as she ever gonna get.

The thing is. it did worked well for me as a leave in conditioner, but nothing that would make me leave my current conditioner behind. Garnier website re-routes you to either Amazon or Walmart which means the price then varies between 2-8$ because we all know how Amazon pricing works.

If Walmart is available near you or if you’re willing to wait for Amazon to ship the product, I’d say yes try it out. Overall my hair was left significantly shinier and the price is pretty cheap. Also, I was able to use the conditioner 4 times before the small tube ran out.

Shop Garnier Fructis Smoothing Treat 1-Minute Hair Mask

Fenty’s New Bronzer Just Stepped Up The Game (And Our Makeup)

Published on by Lee5 Comments

Ever since Pon De Replay blasted through our old school boombox nearly 15 years ago, we’ve been die-hard Rihanna fans. We didn’t think we could love her any more, and then she proved us wrong when she stepped on the beauty scene and MAJORLY shook sh*t up! Championing inclusivity, Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty line has products for every beauty lover, and she’s not just got every skin tone covered; whether you prefer bold af makeup vibes or natural and fresh, girl got your back.

Her latest beauty revelation is Sun Stalk’r, a bronzer that comes in eight shades, which is pretty great, considering up until recently, most bronzers came in a one-size-fits-all shade (Benefit’s Hoola now has four shades). Not only did this mean that people with deeper skin tones were almost completely excluded from the bronzer convo, but that even those with super fair skin tones would struggle to find a flattering shade. We tried the new Sun Stalk’r bronzers, $30, to see if they played on our face as well as they do in theory.

What it is: A long-wearing, transfer-resistant pressed bronzing powder designed to “Bring all skin tones to life with an instant sun-soaked glow.”

What it does: The formula was specifically designed to make bronzing foolproof – it’s buildable and transfer-proof.

What we liked: When we first applied this, our first thought was that this wasn’t a very pigmented bronzer, but by the end of application we realized why the ‘soft pigment’ is actually amazing. How many times have you slapped on your fave bronzer only to realize you’ve got waaay too much on? Then you have to spend a good few minutes painstakingly blending it out. And that’s why this buildable formula is actually great, because it makes going overboard almost impossible.

Application tip: For adding all over glow, use a fluffy brush and dust your Sun Stalk’r shade across the high points of your face and around your hairline. For a bronzing, contour effect, opt for a more densely packed brush, like the new Fenty Beauty Cheek-Hugging Bronzer Brush, $36, or the Real Techniques Instapop Cheek Brush, $10. But be wary; the more densely-packed the brush, the heavier the pigment.

The shade range is impressive, and there’s finally a complementary shade for fair and rich skin tones. Although we feel that the only real ‘bronzing’ shade for deep to rich complexions is most likely going to be the deepest shade, Mocha Mami, which has red undertones that look really gorgeous and add a stunning warmth to the skin. If you’ve not used bronzer before, check out Fenty’s tutorial on how to apply bronzer for deeper skin tones.

Shade-finding tip: We found that depending on how we built up these bronzers, they worked for multiple skin tones. While that means shopping online should be easier (you will probably suit a couple of shades) we recommend going into the store to find the perfect shade that can be worn lightly and built-up as there are both neutral and warm options to choose from.

The verdict: We’re impressed! We love the packaging and the fact is has a mirror inside, and we find the formula really easy to use and play with. We’re super impressed with the shade range and formula, and we’re dying over the shade names – I$land Ting, Coco Naughty, and Mocha Mami are our faves. Yet again, Rihanna nailed it.

Have you guys tried this yet? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

Rose Honey Brown Sugar Lip Scrub

Published on by Lee5 Comments

Hi loves!! If your lips tend to go through the motions with the seasons and have been dry lately then DIY Rose Honey Brown Sugar Lip Scrub is for you. Let’s get right to it …

Morning everyone! Erin here!! A little kitchen beauty sesh kinda makes the perfect Sunday morning activity! Just me?! I whipped up this yummy (yes, I tasted it just to check, or as my mom used to say, to make sure it wasn’t poison, lol) rose honey brown sugar lip scrub on a Sunday morning while watching Food Network and I had to share it with you!

Let’s break down the ingredients:

  • Brown sugar – acts as a gentle exfoliator because of its grainy texture
  • Honey – honey is a natural humectant so it’s actually adding moisture
  • Olive oil – adds moisture to bind the ingredients
  • Rose essential oil – because IMO, anything rose is a big YES

So why would you want to exfoliate your lips? A few obvious reasons – it gets rid of dry skin, and makes your lips softer. A reason not so obvious? It helps your nourishing lip products penetrate better! If you’re gonna spend on those, let’s makes sure they are the most effective they can be, right?!

Rose Honey Lip Scrub Recipe

  • 1 cup dark brown sugar
  • ½ cup olive or coconut oil
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 10 drops rose essential oil

I personally LOVE the smell of rose, but if you’re not so into it, customize this scrub with mint or lavender oil instead of rose, or maybe adding lemon zest would be your jam?

The most amazing thing about this scrub (besides the soft lips!) is that it can double as a body scrub if you whip up a double batch! I added some dried rose petals into the body scrub just because it’s pretty and a little more luxurious, then put it in a bigger tin for the shower. Incorporate the lip scrub into your nightly routine – leave it by the sink and use it before you put on your nighttime lip product and hop into bed… and by all means, friends don’t let friends have sandpaper lips, so pass on a jar to your bestie, okay?!

xo