5 Minute Makeup Tutorial (for less!)

A few things you need to know about me: I love makeup, I am cheap, and I am always running late. My love for makeup runs deep, back to the days of stick on earrings and glitter eye shadow. My frugality seems to be innate; that, or my parents' ways just totally rubbed off on me. And about me always running late…yeah, well, I have no excuse. It drives my husband nuts! Desperate [running behind] times call for desperate [makeup] measures. Today I want to share with you my 5-minute, everyday look. It’s quick, easy, and cute (if I do say so myself)!
 
I am just going to go into detail on the things that I feel are important and necessary, and assume that you have some makeup knowledge to fill in the rest. Ready? Here we go!
 
Foundation. Ah, the ups and downs of finding the right tone for your skin. Use whatever foundation you have that works for you. Apply it to your entire face using a makeup sponge or kabuki brush. Here is the brush I use for my liquid foundation, and it works great for loose powder as well! The best part? It is $3.

One of my favorite parts of makeup application is adding depth and dimension to your face. We do this through contouring and highlighting. For time’s sake, I don’t do much of either, but enough to transform your face from looking flat to having depth. For highlighting, I use a light concealer under my eyes and down the center of my nose (this should be significantly lighter than your skin tone, it has to catch the light!). For contouring, I use a loose powder bronzer. I brush it on from the hairline, around the sides of face, and slightly under my cheekbone. Top with some blush on your cheekbones.

Don’t mind my tribal war-paint in my diagram... :)

If you are not used to contouring and highlighting, I encourage you to try it! It will take your look up a notch and doesn’t add much time to your routine. Look at the contrast from strictly foundation (left) to bronzing + highlighting + blush (right). It makes a big difference!

Have you ever tried filling in your eyebrows? It may sound weird to some of you, but it has become a staple in my makeup application. I simply take a bit of brown matte eye shadow and an angle brush and fill them in lightly. Contrast visually makes images more appealing. The same goes with your face. Try it. You will love it! 

While you are at it, throw on some eye shadow. I am using a palate I got for Christmas, Naked 2 by Urban Decay. Like I said, I am cheap. I would never buy this for myself, however as a gift, I love it! It is an all-matte, neutral shadow palate. I use the lightest color right under my brow, a mid tone over the lid, and a darker brown in the crease. Neutrals and browns are a great everyday/casual look. Now add your eye liner if you are using one. Sometimes I use a dark eye shadow and tiny brush to line my eye instead…use what you have!

On to my true love: mascara. My lashes have been through a lot, from accidentally catching on fire to my young nephew pulling them out. Therefore, I want the best mascara I can find without spending a fortune. My mom told me about L’Oreal Paris Double Extend Mascara. I decided to try it out and haven’t bought another kind since. It has a primer side that goes on first, and then the black mascara side. It makes my lashes long and full. Another thing that sold me is that it doesn’t give you raccoon eyes. Go ahead and watch those tear-jerker movies with this bad boy mascara! It does its' job, even without being waterproof.

Warning: when removing it, it kind of looks like spider legs in your sink. Don’t be alarmed. :)

Curl your lashes, apply your mascara, then add your final touch: lip color. I love bright lips. Here are two of my favorite colors from Wet N Wild: the hot pink matte is Mega Lip Last Color in Cherry Picking and the other is Megaslicks Balm Stain in Lady And The Vamp. I got both of these at Walgreens for around $3 and love them both! Lip color is the thread that pulls the look together, so don’t skip it or chicken out! 

Here are the products I use daily:

Foundation, Eye Shadow, Mascara, Lipstick, Lip Stain

Once you get the hang of a makeup routine like this, it only takes a few minutes. I timed myself at 5 minutes, 46 seconds. Remember, makeup, just like any other art form takes practice. The great thing about this look is that it is the foundation for other more advanced looks. Last words of encouragement: be brave and bold! Don’t be afraid to try brighter lip color (I was terrified of lipstick for the longest time!) or fill in your eyebrows. You may be a bit insecure going out in public the first time, but after the first compliment, you will be sold! :) Happy face painting friends!

<3 Jordan 

What beauty posts would you be interested in reading in the future?

TBT: BFF edition!

Bridesmaid Dress, Faux Fur Scarf

I'm so excited to introduce to you today my beautiful best friend Jordan! Beyond her beauty, she is also the most talented person I know (seriously, she's great at everything!). While I am fairly confident in styling my bob and my very basic makeup routine, hair and makeup are definitely not my strong suit. Enter Jordan! She has agreed to join us once a month to share one of her many gifts with us: hair, makeup, and all things beauty! Tomorrow, she will be sharing her five minute makeup routine full of super helpful tips and product recommendations so be sure to stop by!

*A note about the bridesmaid dress: It is currently available in silver but is sold out in gold. Modcloth does restock items if there is a demand. Gold was out of stock when I was dress shopping but was able to order through Decode 1.8 and receive the dresses when Modcloth restocked! It is definitely worth looking into if you love the gold as much as I do! :)

Spring Gem La La Tote!

Wanting to spice up my spring accessories a bit, I signed up for Gem La La a few weeks ago! If you're not familiar with how Gem La La works, you can sign up to receive a single tote or a tote every three months (one each season; cheaper option). Partnering with t+j Designs, 5-6 on-trend accessories and a {super cute} reusable tote are sent to you. It was such a fun surprise not knowing what I would find when I opened my tote! This tote contained: 3 necklaces, 3 pairs of earrings, and one bracelet (Yes, that adds up to 7... I'm pretty sure the double pearl studs were a first-timer bonus!). I am extremely pleased with the look and quality of the items and am already looking forward to my summer tote! Take a closer look below!

 Gold Bejeweled, Silver Modern Glass, My Fav! (Similar)

Double Pearl Studs, White Clover Earrings, Gold Pave Studs

Czech Stone Bangle

Which accessory is your favorite?

Splurge vs Steal: The Vest

 

Splurge: J. Crew ($138, sold out) 

Steal: AliExpress $25

Following last week's online sensation "the dress", today we will be talking about "the vest". For months, this J.Crew herringbone vest dominated Pinterest and fashion blogs everywhere. I found myself lusting often, but spending $138 was out of the question at the time. When I finally grew tired of simply swooning, I set out to find a similar vest that I could afford. I have to admit, when I stumbled across the AliExpress vest, I was extremely skeptical. The price seemed WAY too good to be true. When purchasing from websites I'm not familiar with, I often Google the site to ensure it is not a scam. After a bit of research, I decided to go for it and I'm so glad I did! The quality of the vest is awesome and has quickly become one of my favorites this winter!

How I wore it:

 Photos by: Lovelight Photography

Flannel- Forever 21 (Similar), Cardigan- Old Navy (Similar),  Watch- Anne Klein (Similar),  Necklace,  

Sperry Duck Boots- $50 "Like New" on Ebay (Similar), Sunglasses- H&M, Socks- American Eagle

How do you handle shopping online at sites you're not familiar with?

Cognac Ankle Booties: How I Wore It

Photos by: Lovelight Photography

Booties, Fair Isle Cardigan (Old Navy-last fall) Similar, V-neck

AE Jeggings(old) Similar, Necklace and Earrings, Bangle(gift), Gap belt (old) Similar

On Monday I shared one of my favorite recent purchases: cognac ankle booties! When I received them in the mail, I couldn't wait to wear them. But wait, peep-toes in the winter? Hmm.. Yep! While they may not be the smartest choice for our Western PA winter, I chose to pair them with this super cozy fair isle cardigan (totally my go-to on cold, winter days) and jeggings. Because I didn't have to spend much time outdoors, they were great and a much-needed change from my typical winter boots. However, I am SO looking forward to styling these babies for the spring!

Would you wear peep-toes in the Winter? How so?

 

Happy Birthday to Me... So Soon!

From left to right: Gingham Flannel, Envelope Clutch, Nautical Watch, 

Cognac Bag, Pendant Necklace, Coral Flats, Boy Midi Shorts,  Leopard Clutch,  

Gray Tshirt Dress, Tortoise Shell Sunglasses, Scalloped Dress

Ok, so my birthday is actually still over a month away, but I'm already getting excited! Something you have not yet learned about me is my love for my birthday. Eleven months out of the year, I despise being the center of attention and generally enjoy just flying under the radar. However, as my hubby so lovingly puts it, I love celebrating my "Birthday Month".  I mean, who doesn't look forward to their Birthday Eve Eve? Today, I'm beginning the festivities by sharing my wishlist with you! Neutral basics, bold accessories, and scallops... How could I not be pumped? 

What's on your spring wishlist?

Splurge vs Steal: Cognac Ankle Booties

Net-A-Porter                                                                      JCPenney

While browsing Pinterest, I recently came across these peep-toe booties from Net-A-Porter. It was love at first sight... until I saw the price tag. I immediately went on a hunt for something similar that was a little more in my price range. I was delighted when I stumbled upon the JCPenney booties. The full retail price was already a huge improvement ($69.99) over the Net-A-Porter price, but at 57% off (WHAT??) plus a RetailMeNot coupon, I only paid $23.99 plus shipping ($9)! I was ecstatic to find out when I got them in the mail that they were even more beautiful in person!

Stay tuned later this week to see how I wore them!