New Years Day Blog Hop: 13 Best Beauty Discoveries of 2013!

 

 

Hello Beauties!

Today I am participating in a super amazing New Years Day Blog Hop!

This was a collaboration between myself and a great group of bloggers connected through the “Blogging Shares” Facebook Page! It is such a fun group and is open to anyone. Click Here to check it out and join! Angela came up with the idea and we all came together to pick a theme and organize the details! I decided to create the graphic at the top of this post for everyone to use as well 🙂

THE TOPIC:

13 Best Beauty Discoveries of 2013!

____________________________________

[1]

Julep Freedom Polymer Top Coat

Hands down the best quick drying top coat I have ever used. It has changed my life. I now paint my nails before bed without a worry or can do a last minute manicure 5 minutes before leaving the house and I’m good to go! It is super glossy too!

[2]

Turbie Twist Hair Towel

Amazing little towel wrap for drying hair without the bulk of a towel. I love that the attached elastic band keeps it in place while getting dressed or putting on lotion! I use this after every single shower and will be buying more. More Info Here.

[3]

The Aloe Source Jojoba Radiance Cleansing Polish

I just discovered this cleanser a couple of months ago but could not leave it off of my list! It is seriously the best cleanser I have ever used and has improved my skin by leaps and bounds! It looks brighter, more even toned, my acne has cleared up, and it also contains exfoliating beads that are gentle enough for everyday use. Click Here to see my November Favorites post, which contains a review of this product, featured on The Aloe Source website!

 

[4]

100% Acetone Nail Polish Remover

It is so quick and easy! It even removes the most difficult glitter polishes with ease. Before trying this, I would always fret about how long removing nail polish took! Now I paint my nails more often and save lots of time! Although I use the CVS version, Here is one from Ulta.

[5]

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick

 I’m so glad I discovered this line of lipsticks! They are affordable, amazing quality, and come in so many shades! They seriously rival some high end brands’ formulas for half the price! Click Here to check out my personal collection with swatches!

 

[6]

Using black eyeshadow and a wet angled brush as eyeliner

I’ve never been very good at using liquid liner and this method has allowed me to get the same look with ease! I also use this on my lower water line and find that it stays better than pencil liners with less smudging or bleeding! Its like two products in one! I like using the black shadow in The Balm Nude Tude Palette (Click to read my review of the palette) but have also been using a single black eyeshadow I received in a Glossy Box a while back, when I don’t have the palette handy.

[7]

DIY Lip Scrub

In the beginning of the year, I decided to experiment and came up with a pretty awesome lip scrub recipe: Mix 1/2 a stick of any flavored lip balm (mashed well), even parts coconut oil and olive oil, and raw sugar. Add the sugar and combine until the consistency is dry but still pliable. Such an easy recipe that lasts forever and really improves the quality of your lips, especially in the winter time! It’s a really nice nighttime ritual and is essential before applying dark lipsticks.

[8]

LUSH Jasmine and Henna Fluff Eaze Hair Mask

One of the first products I ever tried from LUSH, and now a staple in my hair care routine. I had never shopped there before this year although I had always heard great things about the brand and products. I love this stuff and I now love LUSH! This mask really makes a difference in my hair. I like to apply it and let it sit for a few hours while lounging or cleaning, or even over night, about once or twice a month.

[9]

Tarte Amazonian Clay 12 hour Foundation with SPF 15

The best foundation ever! My new HG! It has even beaten out my old favorite: the Makeup Forever Invisible Cover HD foundation. This stuff freaking rocks, can be applied sparingly or built up to a great amount of coverage with a natural finish either way. It lasts all day and I love that it includes an SPF! More Info Here.

[10]

The Balm- Put a Lid on it Eyeshadow Primer

The best eyeshadow primer ever! I have fallen asleep after a LONG night out with full on dark glittery eyeshadow and woken up in the morning without a single smudge or crease! Not to mention that I received a sample in my Birchbox MONTHS ago and am still going strong on the sample size tube, a little goes a long way! I even like this better than the Urban Decay primer potion and the Nars eyeshadow primer. More Info Here.

[11]

TOCCA-Meet the Girls Fragrance Collection

A  recent discovery but a line I wish I would have known about sooner. My fragrance collection will soon include beautiful full size bottles of my favorite TOCCA scents. I never knew I would fall in love with so many fragrances from one brand. I have been looking for my signature scent and I have now found several! Check out my detailed review of this collection HERE.

[12]

Undereye Concealer, in general.

 Before this year I never really used to wear any type of concealer under my eyes, just foundation, but once I started trying some undereye products, I realized how much of a difference it made in my overall appearance and have since found three favorites: It Cosmetics Bye Bye Undereye, Tarte BB Undereye Corrector, and Sephora Smoothing & Brightening Concealer. Lately I have been using the Tarte one most often, but still keep all three in my makeup bag.

[13]

Using Coconut Oil as Eye Makeup Remover

I had always heard of people doing this but didn’t try it until this year and I am so glad I did! I am never wasting money on liquid makeup removers ever again! Coconut oil works amazingly well for even waterproof makeup, glittery eyeshadow, and the darkest of lipsticks, smells great, and is all natural! A little goes a long way too! I recommend the Nutiva brand! Coconut oil has a million uses in beauty and cooking, so investing in a good quality jar of the stuff is a must. I also like to use it as a great hair mask!

______________________________________________

All of the other fabulous bloggers who participated in this New Years Day Blog Hop:

Vivienne at “Jolie Pagaille” – http://www.JoliePagaille.com

Jen at “Dragonfly Reviews” – http://dragonflybeautyreviews.wordpress.com

Kristina at “The Feminine Files” – http://thefemininefiles.com

Jenn at “Little Bit of Girl Geekery” – http://icedwavez.wordpress.com

Christine at “Simply Stine” – http://www.simplystine.com

Cheryl at “The Skinny on Beauty” – http://theskinnyonbeauty.com/

Angela at “The Makeup Whisperer” – http://wp.me/p3Wf8e-fu

Nancy (Smokey) at “My Little Space in the World” – http://jumpingmouse9.blogspot.com/

______________________________________________

Click through to each blog to read about their 13 Best Beauty Discoveries of 2013!

They all have some amazing finds you don’t want to miss!

You may just discover some things to add to your list of must-tries in 2014 as well as some new blogs to follow!

______________________________________________

Thank you ladies for coming together with me to create such a fun post to kick off the new year!

Cheers to 2014!

______________________________________________

Sparkle & Shine: New Years Eve Manicure!

Hello Gorgeous!

 

Happy New Years Eve!

Whether you are going out on the town dressed to the nines, hanging with a few friends and a bottle (or three) of champagne, or watching the ball drop on TV with the kiddos: wherever you are this New Years Eve, you deserve a little sparkle and shine!

That’s why I decided to go all out with my nails this year despite my plans still currently being up in the air!

I am so happy with the festive, sparkling, results I just had to share!

Read on for a little NYE mani-spiration!

_______________________________

{Base Color}

ZOYA- Trixie

A super gorgeous silver metallic shimmer that almost looks like liquid metal! It applies like a dream- smoothly and evenly without pooling at the cuticles and no visible brush strokes! Two coats gave me the most perfect silver nails! It is so shiny and bright! I think this polish is so great because it is not a straight up metallic formula, the shimmer really makes it pop! I highly recommend this polish even if you only use it for New Years Eve!

 

{GLITTER OVERLAY}

JULEP- Beatrix

Although Julep Trixie was stunning on her own, I couldn’t stop there! I had to kick it up a notch and Julep Beatrix was calling my name! I swatched both polishes together on a piece of paper just to be sure they were going to give me the effect I wanted and it looked even better than I had imagined! Beatrix is a multi dimensional glitter in a clear base consisting of tiny flecks of black glitter, tiny flecks of shiny rainbow glitter, small round black specks, and small gold hexagon glitter. The tiny rainbow glitter really makes this polish amazing and the combination of glitter is perfection. The formula is a tad bit thick but nothing unmanageable. It is very easy to get an evenly distributed layer in about 1-2 coats.

 

{The Finished Manicure}

Topped off with Essie Good to Go!

Let me know what you think of this manicure in the comments below!

What are you doing for New Years Eve?

How are you going to add a bit of sparkle and shine?

DIY Pine Cone Ornaments

Hello Loves!

Happy Holidays!

A new tradition of mine, which I started last year, is to make a different set of homemade ornaments to gift to my family members each Christmas. Last year I made ornaments using festive colored and lace ribbon and scrabble tiles. They turned out cute but I like these pine cone ornaments even more. I came up with the design all by myself! I searched around for ideas but didn’t find anything that fit my vision so I took a trip to Michael’s, my local craft store, and came up with these pretty little ornaments! 

Read on to see exactly how to make these 

DIY Pine Cone Ornaments!

What You Will Need

[1] Regular or Scented Pinecones (small to medium sized, can be found sold in bulk at Michael’s or another craft store)

[2] Twine or Jute String (medium thickness)

[3] Two Complimentary Rolls of Wire Edged Ribbon

Make sure one roll of ribbon is significantly larger than the other. (I think gold looks best but any festive color will do. You may want to get two rolls of the larger ribbon as you will use a lot more of it.)

[5] Colored and/or Metallic Jingle Bells ( Medium sized. I found this assorted pack but you can buy any color available to go with your ribbon)

[6] High Temperature Hot Glue Gun (I got this for under $3.oo at Michael’s. I thought they would be much more expensive so I was so excited!)

[7] A Pen and a Pair of Scissors (make sure the pen is fairly thin)

[8] Decorated Take Out Boxes

These will be used for gift packaging

How to Assemble Your Ornaments

Before you begin, it is a good idea to pre-tie bows using the larger ribbon and set aside for later use. This is a bit time-consuming and takes a few tries and ultimately some practice to make pretty, even, tightly tied, wire bows. It is best to do this either before or while your glue gun is heating up. The size of your bow depends on the size of your pine cone and the look you are going for. Just play around with sizing until you have the perfect ratio.

[1] Tie a piece of jute, about the length of your hand, into a loop and cut off the excess near the knot.

[2] Choose the most attractive side of the pine cone.

[3] Hot glue the knot towards the edge of the top of whatever side you want to be visible. Make sure the loop is facing you when open, like shown, so that when it is hung you see the appropriate side.

[4] Cut off a piece of the smaller wire ribbon, about twice the size of your hand, and fold it in half.

[5] String the jingle bell onto the ribbon and place it in the middle where the fold is.

[6] Twist the string together right above the jingle bell to ensure that it secured in place.

[7] About 2 inches above the jingle bell, twist the ribbon together, like before, and then bend at the twisted point creating a small 90 degree indent, like shown.

[8] Choose a place towards the top of the pine cone, directly in front of the jute loop, where the bend will fit nicely into the ridges. Press the 90 degree angle into this ridge and then spread apart the two pieces of wire ribbon to either side like shown. You can play around with positioning until you get it where you’d like it to be.

[9] Once you have found the perfect placement, take the bent ribbon out and place a generous bit of hot glue into the area you have chosen, and push the bent ribbon edge into the glue.

[10] Add another small drop of hot glue onto the top of the ribbon, better connecting it with the pine cone, and hold in place for about 15 seconds or until it stops moving easily.

[11] Place another generous dollop of hot glue directly on top of the center where you have just secured the smaller ribbon.

[12] Place the back center of the large bow, which you have previously tied and set aside, on the hot glue and hold in place until halfway cool, adding a bit more glue from behind to fully connect the ribbon to the pine cone, if needed. Your ornament should now look like the picture above.

^ top view ^

*TIPS: You want to be sure that the center of the ribbons are lined up with the middle of your jute loop, like shown in the picture above, so that when hung, the decoration is facing forward and is straight. You also want to be sure that you glue the ribbon close to the top of the pine cone so that you can not see any pine cone above the bow. Lastly, before moving on to the next step below, you should set the pine cone aside for a couple of minutes to assure that the hot glue has set completely.

[13] Gently place each section of small wire ribbon, that we previously separated left and right, in between each side of the larger bow, right between the loop and straight end as shown.

[14] Take your pen and starting at the end of the smaller ribbon, hold the ribbon edge to the pen and roll the pen down, keeping the ribbon tightly against it, until you are right next to the ornament. Remove the pen leaving a pretty little spiral loop.

[15] Repeat on the other side creating an identical spiral loop. You can leave the spirals tightly curled or can pull gently to loosen/lengthen them a bit.

Finished Ornaments!

Last but not least, gently place your ornament into the take out box and close it up! You can add ribbon on the handle, a gift tag, or anything else you’d like. If the pine cone is a lot smaller than the take out box, you may want to add a sheet of tissue paper to prevent it from rolling around. If you have room, you can also add some small chocolates or other candies into the bottom of the boxes too!

You now have an inexpensive, cute, handmade, and festive gift! These are perfect for family, friends, coworkers, teachers, etc. I feel like these are a classic style ornament that would look good on any tree! This year I bought gifts for my immediately family and gave these homemade ornaments to my extended family members along with some homemade peppermint-chocolate dipped spoons for stirring into coffee and hot chocolate! Let me know if you’d like a separate post on those!

You can also personalize these ornaments however you’d like using different colors of ribbon and jingle bells or by using another charm all together. If you are feeling even more adventurous, and have more time and patience than me (hehe), you can even add glitter to the edges of the pine cones before starting this tutorial! I know you can probably find instructions for the glitter part on Pinterest or just by searching through Google, however, I’m pretty sure you would just paint or roll the edges in ModPodge, sprinkle on the glitter to coat the wet edges, then spray with some acrylic sealer to prevent tons of glitter fall-out.

I hope you all enjoyed this tutorial! If you decide to make these ornaments, let me know in the comments below.

Also, if you have any questions about this tutorial, please feel free to ask! I am more than happy to clarify or elaborate on anything described above.

Are you DIY-ing anything this Christmas?