Makeup Starter Kit

A new school year has just started, which means a lot of girls are starting to wear makeup for the first time. I decided to do a post about what I recommend for a makeup starter kit. All products mentioned will be drugstore products (with one exception). :)

Let's start with foundation. When I started wearing makeup, I didn't wear foundation- & I don't feel like this is necessary for a beginner. However, some girls might want to wear foundation to even out their skin tone. If you are new to makeup, liquid foundation might be a little tricky, so I recommend starting with a powder foundation. It may not have the coverage of a liquid foundation, but it is definitely easier and faster to apply. My favorite powder foundation is the freshMinerals Mineral Powder Foundation. It's a light coverage foundation, which is perfect for a beginner! I apply it with the puff it comes with & it works great! It retails at $24.64 and I get mine on Amazon.

Now for powder. Powder is also one of those products that a beginner does not need (in most cases). If you want to reduce shininess or have a little more oil control, a little powder won't hurt. I personally only use powder to set my foundation (including powder foundation). My favorite powder is the CoverGirl Smoothers Pressed Powder. It retails around $5 and I get mine at Walmart.

Blush. Blush is a great piece for a starter kit. I recommend starting out with a pretty natural blush. My favorite blush is the NYC Color Wheel Mosaic Face Powder in Rose Glow. It retails at $4.99 and I get mine at Target.

Eyelid primer is another one of those optional products. It will help your eyeshadow stay on longer and help it stay in place. My favorite eyelid primer (believe it or not) is the E.L.F. eyelid primer! I get mine at Target and it retails at $1.00!

Now for eyeshadow. Eyeshadow is my favorite! I like a lot of different eyeshadows & palettes, but if I had to choose one eyeshadow product to be the only eyeshadow I used for the rest of my life (dead serious), it would hands down be the Bonne Bell Eyeshadow Box  in Cafe Classics. It was my first eyeshadow & I have used it almost everyday since I started wearing makeup. It has 4 beautiful colors that are great for a beginner (tip: if you are new to makeup, try to stay away from brightly colored eyeshadow & stick with the more neutral colors). They are amazing quality- very creamy, pigmented, and easy to apply. I have completely hit pan multiple times- & 1 will easily last me a year if I use it everyday, so that's saying a lot. I actually prefer them over any of my high end eyeshadows. Buying this product can be tricky. I used to buy mine at Walmart, but the drugstores in my area have recently stopped carrying them. :( I currently purchase mine online at drugstore.com. They retail at $3.37 in stores and around $10 online (including shipping).

Lastly, mascara. I love mascara almost as much as I love eyeshadow. I'm really picky when it comes to mascara & I will not wear waterproof mascara. I understand that mascara is a personal thing, so not everyone is going to like the mascaras I recommend. I like my lashes to look like falsies and have length and volume. I naturally have very full eyelashes, and I really like to make them pop. That being said, I am not going to recommend the cliche Maybelline Great Lash mascara because I'm not a huge fan of it. If you want to try it, go ahead. I have 4 other mascaras I will recommend to beginners because I love them!

1. My holy grail mascara is The Colossal by Maybelline. At first, it is a very wet mascara and it's a little hard to work with. After a couple uses, it dries up a bit & works like a gem. I get the 9x in any color. I'm not too picky about color. Seriously though- try it!! & it's great for beginners because it will come off easily if they mess up, but it won't smudge throughout the day. Retails at $5.94 and I get mine at Walmart.
2. Maybelline MegaPlush mascara. This is probably the easiest, quickest mascara to apply. I use it on days where I wear a small amount of makeup. It makes my lashes look very natural & it adds a good amount of volume and a lot of length. You don't have to build this mascara up a ton, which is nice. The only con to this mascara is it is a pain to get off if you mess up (& I'm talking about the non-waterproof formula!), so beginners might find it difficult to work with. Retails at $5.54 and I get mine at Walmart.
3. CoverGirl LashBlash Volume. This mascara is your typical mascara. Easy to apply, great brush, etc. Great for beginners! Retails at $5.06 and I get mine at Target.
4. CoverGirl LashBlast Length. This is very similar to the LashBlast Volume, except it adds length except volume. They both do a great job at separating my lashes and doing what they say they do. Nothing too special, but great for beginners. Retails at $6.94 and I get mine at Target.

*Target and Walmart will sometimes sell the mascaras I mentioned in 2 packs for like $7 or something like that. It's a great deal, so look for it the next time you're at Target or Walmart :)*

Finish your look off with your favorite lip balm or Lip Smacker & you're done!!

Let me know if you'd like a tutorial for beginners using the products I mentioned in this post!


***This is not a sponsored post.***

Current Blush Favorites

Ulta Cheek Color: Ulta's blushes are great! They are very pigmented and they're a convenient size and nice for traveling. They're a little difficult to blend, so just be careful not to apply too much. If you purchase them online, keep in mind that they look a lot darker than they actually are. They retail for $7.00 & you can get them at Ulta :)

NYC Color Wheel Mosaic Face Powder in Rose Glow: This is by far my favorite blush. It gives my cheeks a beautiful rose glow (hence the name) and looks very natural. This blush isn't super pigmented, so I don't recommend it for those of you with darker skin tones. I apply mine with a less-dense blush brush & I love how it looks! Definitely go check this one out. It retails for $4.99 and I get mine at Target.

Nyx Cosmetics Powder Blushes: Nyx is my favorite brand when it comes to blush. They offer a wide variety of colors. They are the perfect size and shape for traveling. They blend easily and are very pigmented. All around great blush! They retail for $5.99 & I get mine at Ulta. I believe Target also sells Nyx now, but I could be wrong.

BareMinerals Ready Blush in The Aphrodisiac: This is my favorite high end blush. I apply it with the BareMinerals Angled Face Brush & it looks beautiful. It's very pigmented and looks natural. Gorgeous blush all around. Similar to the NYC mosaic blush. Retails at $22.00 and I get mine at Ulta. 

So those are my favorite blushes at the moment. If you have any great blushes I should try, let me know in the comments!!

***This is not a sponsored post.***

My Skin Care Routine

My skin care routine is always changing, but I wanted to share my current skin care routine with you. I'm always looking for products that will keep my skin clear and moisturized. I like to keep my skin care routine pretty simple; I don't like spending a lot of time on it and I don't think it is healthy to pile a ton of products on your face.

Here's a list and mini review on all the products that I use in my skin care routine:

• Freeman Feeling Beautiful Chocolate & Strawberry Facial Clay Mask: This mask is awesome! I highly recommend it for anyone with oily or combination skin types. It helps control the oil and will make you less shiny! & it smells amazing! Retails at $3.99, I get mine at Ulta.

• Freeman Feeling Beautiful Cucumber Facial Peel-Off Mask: This mask is great too! Great for all skin types. It helps my skin feel super clean!! Avoid hair (specifically eyebrows) when using it. It hurts a little the first couple times you peel it off, but nothing too bad. The cleaner and smoother your skin gets, the less it will hurt. It retails at $3.99 & I get mine at Ulta. 

• Renew Hydra Quench Foaming Oil Cleanser by Ulta: This is amazing. I love using it after a workout. It does a great job at cleaning my skin and controlling the oil. I wouldn't recommend this for anyone with dry skin (it might make your skin more dry). It's a little hard to get it to lather, but it washes off easily & leaves your skin feeling amazing! It retails at $18.00 and you can get it at Ulta :)

• Equate Acne Medication Blackhead Clearing Scrub: This is my holy grail face wash. I've been using it for a couple years now & it's still my favorite. I use the generic kind from Walmart, but the Clean & Clear kind and the generic kind from Target are great too! I just use the Walmart one more because it's usually cheaper. I recommend this for all skin types. It retails at $2.97 & you can get it at Walmart.

• Jergens Natural Glow Daily Moisturizer: I use this in the morning after I wash my face. I've noticed it helps my makeup stay on longer (which I've never seen a moisturizer do) & it also moisturizes my face very well. I love that it has SPF in it! I will not wear a moisturizer during the day unless it has SPF in it. I use the one for fair to medium skin types. I haven't seen a huge change in my skin color (I would recommend trying the one for medium to tan skin types if you want to see a difference, regardless of your current skin tone), although I have noticed that my skin tone on my face is the same skin tone as the rest of my body, when my face is usually more pale than my body. I definitely recommend it! It retails at $8.64 and I get mine at Walmart.

• Clean & Clear Advantage Oil-Free Acne Moisturizer: This is my nighttime moisturizer & it's crazy how well it helps fight acne. I started using this while I was going through the worst break out I've ever had. I had tried everything & the pimples weren't going away. Less than a week after I started using it my skin was clear. It has stayed clear ever since. It moisturizes very well- it's thicker than most moisturizers. The only thing I don't like about it is the smell- it smells like acne medication (which it is), but it's not that big of a deal. I recommend this moisturizer for dry or combination skin types; it might make oily skin more oily. It retails around $7.99 and I get mine at Walmart.

• Clean & Clear Morning Glow Moisturizer SPF 15: I apply this moisturizer in the morning on days when I don't wear my makeup & know I'm going to be outside a lot. It doesn't break me out & it keeps me from getting a sunburn. It's very light, which is nice for hot days. There's a possibility this moisturizer could make oily skin more oily, but give it a try & see how it works! Retails around $4.47 & I get mine at Walmart.

• Face wipes: I like to use facial wipes to remove my makeup at night. My favorite are the Equate Beauty Exfoliating facial wipes, but I'm not too picky about what wipes I use. The Equate wipes I mentioned retail at $4.67 at Walmart.

Now for the ACTUAL ROUTINE, starting with the day of a shower & showering every other night:

• Day 1-
• Morning: Wash face with blackhead erasing scrub, apply Jergens moisturizer or Clean & Clear Morning Glow moisturizer (whichever you prefer).
• Night: Remove makeup with facial wipe, wash face with Hydra Quench cleanser, apply Chocolate & Strawberry face mask, let mask dry, hop in the shower, remove mask in shower, moisturize with Clean & Clear Advantage moisturizer after your shower.
• Day 2- 
• Morning: Same as day 1
• Night: Remove makeup with facial wipe & moisturize with Clean & Clear Advantage moisturizer.
• Day 3- 
• Morning: Same as day 1
• Night: Remove makeup with facial wipe, wash face with Hydra Quench cleanser, apply Cucumber Peel-Off face mask, remove when dry, shower, moisturize with Clean & Clear Advantage moisturizer after your shower.
• Day 4-
• Morning: Same as day 1
• Night: Remove makeup with facial wipe & moisturize with Clean & Clear Advantage moisturizer.

After Day 4, start over with Day 1. & that concludes this post :)

**This is not a sponsored post.**

My Opinion: Conditioner

In beauty guru Tati's latest "Tip Tuesday", she shared some tips on how to get healthy hair. For the most part, I thought it was a great video. There was one thing she said that I did not agree with, and that is totally fine. We are all entitled to our own opinion. I'm not saying I'm right and she's wrong or anything, I'm just saying I didn't agree with it (& I don't have anything against Tati, she's one of my favorite beauty gurus).

She said that you shouldn't condition at your roots. I disagree with this because I like to think of my hair like a tree (oh gosh that sounds so stupid!), with my roots being the....roots. I really want to nourish my roots because the roots are what carry nourishment to the tips of my hair. Does that make sense? 

Obviously if you have really greasy hair naturally, you probably don't need the extra nourishment conditioner would give you, so I think it's fine to not condition your roots if that's the case. The best way to nourish your hair is with the natural oils your scalp produces, so if your scalp is already producing those oil very well, go ahead and skip conditioning your roots!

So that's my opinion on conditioning your hair! Go check out Tati's channel! She's great!

Rave: "Watt's Up!" Soft Focus Highlighter by Benefit

I was recently given the "Watt's Up!" highlighter by Benefit. At first, I was almost positive I wasn't going to like it. The color was too close to my skin tone, I didn't think it was going to blend well, and I had never really had luck with highlighters before. After a few weeks of sitting in my makeup cupboard, I decided to use it as my highlighter for a natural look. I threw it on, blended it quickly, and ran out the door without even really looking at it. In the car, I looked in the mirror to check my makeup. I kind of freaked out when I saw the amazing look this highlighter gave me. I have used it everyday since then.

This highlighter retails at $30.00, I got mine at Sephora.

I love this highlighter so much! It's super easy to apply and blend, and it's very creamy and lasts almost all day. The color is absolutely beautiful as well. I just apply it right above my cheek bones and blend with my fingers. It seriously takes like 10 seconds to apply!

I LOVE this highlighter and I definitely recommend it! Go check it out & let me know what you think!

**This is not a sponsored post.**

True Beauty

**The beauty this post is about is a totally different kind of beauty this blog is centered around. I blog about beauty as a hobby- a beauty that doesn't define you, but something you do for fun. This post is about a deep beauty- the kind that does define you.**


 Once upon a time there was a girl named M. M was asked to homecoming and was super excited; it would be her first homecoming dance! M, her mom, and her sister went to go shopping for a dress. The first store they went to had a lot of dresses, but there was only 1 dress M liked. She thought it was beautiful! She went to try it on. It didn't fit. M asked the fitting room attendant if they had the same dress in a bigger size. The attendant told her that the dress M had already tried on was the biggest size they carried. So M went to another store to see what they had.

The second store had even more beautiful dresses! Almost immediately after entering the store a worker approached the girls. She asked who they were shopping for. M said that they were shopping for her. The worker then told M, without even asking M what size she was, that the largest size they carried was an 8 and told M to try another store.

M walked to the car with her mom and sister. As they began driving away, M started to cry. She said that she was "too fat". 

Unfortunately, that's not just a story. That happened today...
 It never ceases to amaze me with how the world portrays beauty. According to the world, beauty is being a size 0, having the most expensive clothes, wearing hardly anything, etc. In fact, if you Google the definition of beauty, this is what it says-

"a combination of qualities, such as shape, color, or form, that pleases the aesthetic senses, esp. the sight."

I want you to know that the world's definition of beauty is not what beauty is. Beauty is not what the world says it is. You do NOT have to look like a model on the cover of a magazine in order to be beautiful.

Beauty can be seen, but it is something that comes from the inside and shines out. To be beautiful, be yourself, be kind to others, have high moral standards, treat others the way you would like to be treated, and most of all be you {beYOUtiful}. Don't be the world's kind of beautiful- they have it all wrong! True beauty cannot be painted on, surgically created, or purchased.

Beauty comes in all shapes and sizes and is a rare, very valuable treasure.

5 Favorite YouTube Beauty Gurus of August!

In no particular order, here are my 5 favorite YouTube beauty gurus of August! I'll link my favorite video of theirs from August next to their name!

1. Rachel from Rachhloves- Click here for her Top 10 Under $10 video!
2. Melissa from Melmphs- Click here for her YouTube Made Me Buy It video!
3. Mindy from Cute Girls Hairstyles- Click here for her Double Twist Bun Updo video!
4. Tracy & Stef from EleventhGorgeous- Click here to find out how to do 2 super cute hairstyles!
5. April from AprilAthena7- Click here for her video on How to Lighten Dark Armpits!

Those are my top 5 for August! Who are some of your favorite beauty gurus?

Rave: Sephora Collection Moonshadow Baked Palette- In the Nude

This past February I went to Sephora with the intention of purchasing their Primal Instincts palette, but of course the palette was sold out! Rather than waiting for them to re-stock or order one online, I just decided to buy a different palette. I decided to go with the Moonshadow Baked Palette- In the Nude. I had never heard anything about this palette, but I fell in love with the colors & decided I had to have it.

You can purchase this palette at Sephora. It retails for $26.00.

At first, I hated this palette. I even offered it to my mom, but she didn't like it either. I decided I would just play around with it a bit more & then return it if I still didn't like it. After a few minutes of experimenting, I found that if I used a sponge tip eyeshadow applicator I liked the results. This is now my holy grail eyeshadow palette.

My favorite shadows in this palette are called "Soft Gold", "Peach", "Taupe", "Deep Brown", "Honey Brown", "Deep Sienna", and "Plum". I like to use "Soft Gold" or "Peach" on my inner corner, "Taupe" or "Honey Brown" in my crease, "Deep Sienna" or "Deep Brown" for my outer V, and I sometimes add "Plum" for a pop of color! The shadows blend very well and stay on all day. I find the only time I need to touch up my eyeshadow is after I have a nap.

The only con I have found with this palette is that it the shadows have fairly bad fall out & tend to make your whole face sparkly. This is easy to fix/work around, so I don't let it bother me too bad!

I definitely recommend this palette. It's without a doubt my favorite palette. Let me know if you want swatches or a tutorial using this palette!

**This is not a sponsored post.**

Real Techniques Stippling Brush Review

I recently noticed that a lot of YouTubers have been using the Real Techniques stippling brush to do their foundation. I also knew that this particular line of brushes was created by a beauty guru, Sam Chapman. I decided I needed to check the brush out and see for myself if it is worth the hype.

The Real Techniques stippling brush retails at $9.99. I bought mine at Ulta.

Prior to purchasing this brush I used a blending brush or a makeup sponge for my foundation. I found this brush gave me a dewier finish than the blending brush or the sponge did, but I liked it. It blended the foundation well and evenly.

I would definitely recommend picking up this brush and giving it a try. It's pretty affordable, and I enjoy the look it creates. I use it with the CoverGirl Clean foundation for oily skin (although my skin is actually combination), and they work well together. I like the results more than the results I get from my makeup sponge, but I like the results I get from my blending brush more than the results I get from the stippling brush. Unfortunately, my blending brush is from Ross & I have no idea what brand it is!

Is the Real Techniques stippling brush worth the hype? Yes!

**This is not a sponsored post.**