12 Days of Christmas Gift Ideas: Day 3 {DIY Makeup Brush Holders}

Ingrid (missglamorazzi) did a video for DIY December that was a makeup brush holder tutorial. She also did a similar tutorial in June 2012 that I like a little bit better. I actually made one of these to give to my mom for Christmas! My mom loves rose gold, so I copied Ingrid & did mine rose gold too :) I think this is an awesome gift idea for anyone who wears makeup! It cost me about $10 to make, so it is pretty affordable. Enjoy!

12 Days of Christmas Gift Ideas: Day 2 {Charming Charlie}

Charming Charlie never fails to be at the top of my Christmas and birthday lists each year. I could easily spend all of my money in that store. I love that Charming Charlie has such a large variety of adorable and affordable accessories and attire! Anything from Charming Charlie would make a great Christmas gift- whether it be for your mom, grandma, aunt, cousin, sister, friend, or even yourself! Keep in mind that they sell so much more in stores. If you have a store near you, I recommend going there before purchasing something online.

I think this is the perfect bracelet for the holidays!

I own this one & I always get compliments when I wear it! I would buy one in every color if I could!

I have 2 bags from Charming Charlie's & I've never loved another nearly as much as I love them. They are just perfect! My mom & sister also have bags from Charming Charlie & they absolutely love them as well.

I own this, but mine has burgundy stripes. It's very flattering! 

I also own this one & I cannot get enough of it. It's perfect for fall/winter!

You can shop online at http://www.charmingcharlie.com/.

*This is not a sponsored post.*

12 Days of Christmas Gift Ideas: Day 1 {Sevenly}

Each week Sevenly, an online store, gives a portion of their profits to that week's charity, which is why I think it's a great gift idea; you're not only giving a gift to 1 person, you're giving a gift to 2. Their products change as the charities change--weekly. That being said, I will include pictures of some of my favorite products currently being sold on sevenly.org, but those products will no longer be sold in 18 hours :) I know, I'm cruel. On the bright side, their products are always great and if you don't like what they're selling one week, you can always check back the next week to see what they're selling that week! So here are some of my favorite products from this week's collection (some of them aren't exclusively for this week and will still be sold for the next few weeks). I only chose products for their women and home lines, but they sell everything: burp clothes, alarm clocks, headphones, men's attire- everything!

This is such a cute anchor sweatshirt!

I LOVE this scarf! I'm pretty sure this will be around for a few weeks. Get it while you can!

To learn more about Sevenly and see more of their products, click here!

*This is not a sponsored post.*

10 Favorite YouTube Beauty Gurus of November!

I know I said I was only going to miss 1 week of posts....then I got sick and ended up not posting for about 2.5 weeks. Sorry!

Anyway, I'm not sure why, but this month it was very hard for me to pick a top 5, so I decided to do 10! Hope you are all having a great holiday season!

1. Tati (GlamLifeGuru): Click here for her Glam Holiday Makeup tutorial, here for her Matte Makeup tutorial, and here for her Bold Liner & Luminous Skin makeup tutorial. I love watching Tati's videos because she gives great beauty advice and has some really great makeup/beauty tips; I can tell she knows what she's talking about!
2. Courtney (spreadinsunshine15): Click here for her Quick Plum Smokey Eye tutorial, here for her Everyday Makeup tutorial, here for her Best & Worst Foundations video, and here for her How to Curl Your Hair With a Straightener video. I chose Courtney because I love her videos! They're always different and helpful. I also like that she's constantly uploading new videos!
3. Mindy (Cute Girls Hairstyles): Click here for her Prim Bow Braid tutorial. Who doesn't love Cute Girls Hairstyles?! Mindy is very talented and I love watching her tutorials, even if I can't do them on myself :)
4. Danna Ann: Click here for her Get Ready With Me video and here for her Thanksgiving Makeup & Outfit video. She is genuine and her videos are easy to watch. I think she's especially great at eye looks!
5. Allison (amarixe): Click here for her Perfect Palette TAG video and here for her November Beauty Favorites video. Allison tends to talk more about high-end products, whereas YouTubers like Tracy & Stef (eleventhgorgeous) tend to talk more about drugstore products. She's always trying new products and always has something new to talk about!
6. Rachel (RachhLoves): Click here for her Holy Grail Beauty Products (drugstore edition) video and here for her Introducing Julia video. I love that Rachel has incorporated her family into her YouTube channel. Rachel knows a lot about beauty and she seems like a very nice person!
7. Stef & Tracy (eleventhgorgeous): Click here for their Not My Arms Challenge video ft. missglamorazzi and here for their Get Ready With Me- Holiday Makeup video. Tracy & Stef are so fun to watch! They're funny, but they give great beauty advice at the same time. Their videos are very entertaining!
8. Fleur (Fleur DeForce): Click here for her Day to Night Outfit & Makeup Updates video. I can tell that Fleur knows a lot about makeup. Her tutorials are very helpful and her channel is just perfect!
9. Aspyn (HauteBrilliance): Click here for her Everyday Winter Makeup Routine video. I like that Aspyn's videos aren't very long (simply because I don't have a lot of free time to watch YouTube videos anymore). I also like that her style is simple, yet super cute!
10. Ingrid (missglamorazzi): Click here for her Fall + Winter Drugstore Haul. Ingrid was the first YouTuber I subscribed to. Her channel is always full of new videos to watch. I'm currently loving her DIY December videos!

If I Had a $20 Makeup Budget.....

If I had $20 to spend on makeup & the makeup I bought with that $20 was all I was allowed to wear, here's what I would buy.....

Foundation: Rimmel Match Perfection...............$4.49 

Concealer: e.l.f. Tone Correcting Concealer...............$1.00

Powder: Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder...............$3.59

Blush: e.l.f. Essential All Over Color Stick...............$1.00

Eyeshadow: Bonne Bell Eye Style Eye Shadow Box (Cafe Classics)...............$3.74

Mascara: Maybelline Volum' Express Mega Plush Mascara...............$5.94

Total: $19.76! Barely made it!

What would you buy if you had a $20 budget to buy your makeup? Have you ever tried any of these products? Did you like them or dislike them? I would love to know!

**Disclaimer: I have not tried the foundation, concealer, powder, or blush I listed. I have, however, tried both the eyeshadow and the mascara and I love them both!**

A Post About......Cucumbers?

Today's post is a little different because I am going to tell you how eating cucumbers can be beneficial to your overall health! I think I'm going to start doing occasional posts about the benefits of certain foods.  :)

First of all, cucumbers are a great source of Vitamin B, which is a metabolism-boosting vitamin that also helps prevent heart disease and cancer. If you leave the skin on, cucumbers are also a great source of Vitamin C (click here to learn more about Vitamin C). There is also silicon and sulfur in cucumbers, which will help stimulate hair growth. The phytochemicals in cucumbers will help fight bad breath. Cucumbers are also very effective when it comes to ridding the body of toxins from the digestive system, thanks to their high water and dietary fiber content. Cucumbers are often used to cure joint pain, regulate blood pressure, and reduce cholesterol. Probably the most well known benefit of eating cucumbers is that they help clean your liver! Those are just a few benefits of eating cucumbers; there are so many more, but I will end it there so I don't bore you!
I recommend adding fresh cucumber slices to your water bottle. Carry it around & drink it all day. When you drink all the water, simply refill it & use the same cucumber slices you were using before. At the end of the day, go ahead and eat the cucumber slices :) This will make one cucumber go much further than it normally would.

Vaseline Total Moisture Cocoa Radiant Lotion

About a month ago I picked up this honker at the drugstore-

$6.64 at Walmart

Although I wasn't as impressed as I thought I would be, I do like this lotion. 

• Moisture: It moisturizes very well, but it's definitely not the most moisturizing lotion I've tried.
• Good for sensitive skin?: I've had pretty good luck with it, but it does make my legs tingle after I shave. No rash though.
• Long lasting?: Not really. I can go maybe 20 minutes before my skin feels dry again.
• Smell: I think it smells good- it's not very strong, just a subtle cocoa smell.

I do recommend this, but I definitely have others I like better! Ask if you'd like some recommendations, I have lots!

My Biotin Experience {Cycle 1}

About 2 years ago, I started experiencing some hair problems; my hair got very brittle, it fell out in large amounts, it was very dry, etc. I initially thought it was something to do with my Thyroid (I have a very strong family history with Thyroid problems- 2 of my aunts have had Thyroid Cancer, 1 of my aunts has Hashimoto's, and 2 more of my aunts have Graves' Disease), so I got my Thyroid checked & all of my tests showed no signs of Thyroid problems.

I then decided to start taking Biotin to try to improve the quality of my hair. For those of you who don't know, Biotin is a dietary supplement that supports skin, hair, and nails. I've heard that people have good experiences with Biotin, but I've also heard that some people didn't really notice a difference. 

Just in case any of you were considering taking Biotin, I decided I would record my experience with it as I go. I'm doing it in cycles (to keep me from turning into a "werewolf")- I started taking one 1,000mcg daily for the first week, the second week I took two 1,000mcg daily, and the third week I was back to one 1,000mcg daily. I then took a week off, which is where I am now. I have just finished the first cycle.

My cycles will each be two weeks longer than the cycle before and I will add/take away one pill a week.

Cycle 1: 3 weeks long- 1 pill, 2 pills, 1 pill

*1 week off*

Cycle 2: 5 weeks long- 1 pill, 2 pills, 3 pills, 2 pills, 1 pill

*1 week off*

Cycle 3: 7 weeks long- 1 pill, 2 pills, 3 pills, 4 pills, 3 pills, 2 pills, 1 pill

*1 week off*

Cycle 4: 9 weeks long- 1 pill, 2 pills, 3 pills, 4 pills, 5 pills, 4 pills, 3 pills, 2 pills, 1 pill

*1 week off*

Cycle 5: 7 weeks long- 1 pill, 2 pills, 3 pills, 4 pills, 3 pills, 2 pills, 1 pill

*1 week off*

Cycle 6: 5 weeks long- 1 pill, 2 pills, 3 pills, 2 pills, 1 pill

*1 week off*

Cycle 7: 3 weeks long- 1 pill, 2 pills, 1 pill

Does that make sense? & the most I ever take a day will be five 1,000mcg, which is the recommended dose.

I'm only going to take Biotin until about April 2014 because I don't want to be super hairy in the summer! haha

So far, I have noticed that my hair is MUCH softer than it normally is! It is always so smooth and soft! As far as growth goes, I know it's making my hair grow faster because I can tell when I look at my eyebrows; I have never seen my eyebrows grow back so quickly after I pluck them. I find myself plucking my eyebrows everyday because they seriously grow back that fast! Let's just say that if it was summer I would have to shave every day....luckily it's not & I can get away with not shaving too often! Those are really the only thing I've noticed so far. I know that the longer I take it and the more I take, the more of a difference I will be able to see. 

So basically if you have a No Shave November competition going on, try taking some Biotin! ;)

How Much Does My Face Cost?

Hey ladies! Sorry I haven't posted anything for a while. Since I've been such a slacker lately, I'm going to load this week with a lot of posts. & just a heads up--I won't be blogging at all the week of Thanksgiving either.

Anyway, let's get to it! I do try to do my makeup differently everyday, but for the sake of the post I based it off of what I wear most often.

1. Foundation: Covergirl Clean Oil Control Foundation- $5.94
2. Powder: Covergirl Smoothers Pressed Powder- $6.24
3. Eyelid Primer: e.l.f. Eyelid Primer- $1.00
4. Lid Color: Sephora Collection Primal Instincts Eyeshadow Palette- $28.00
5. Crease Color: Sephora Collection Moonshadow Baked Palette In the Nude- $27.00
6. Highlight Color: Sephora Collection Makeup Made Simple Palette- $34.00
7. Eyeliner: Ulta Gel Eyeliner Pencil- $8.00
8. Mascara: Benefit's They're Real- $23.00
9. Highlighter: Benefit's Watt's Up- $30.00
10. Blush: NYC Color Wheel Mosaic Face Powder- $4.99
11. Lippie: Maybelline Color Elixir- $7.99

TOTAL: $176.16

Maybelline Color Elixir in Mauve Mystique

$7.19 at CVS, I got mine for around $3 at Walmart

When it comes to lip gloss, I am super picky. I cannot stand wearing a lip gloss that dries my lips out or settles around my lips or in the dry patches on my lips. That being said, I can honestly say I love this lip gloss. It is not drying at all! It's pretty moisturizing and it's actually advertised to be balm-infused. This specific color is very wearable for anyone. It's a pretty-yet-subtle  nude-berry color. It's not too bright or too nude, it's a perfect medium. I don't mind the taste either- I can't tell what it is, but it's not that disgusting lip gloss flavor ;) I highly recommend this gloss. They're affordable and fit perfectly in any purse/bag; very convenient! This, in my opinion, is the perfect color for Fall & Winter! I love it!

OOTD: Red Tights

This is the Polyvore version of what I am wearing today :)

• The Dress: I am actually wearing a lace skirt from Loft, but the one in the photo above is a lace dress from H&M.
• Click here for the H&M dress for $34.95
• Click here for a similar dress from Macy's for $79.00
• Click here for a tutorial for a skirt that is very similar to mine
• The Jacket: I am wearing a jean jacket I got from Forever 21, but the one in the photo is from Madewell.
• Click here for a similar jacket from American Eagle for $65.95
• Click here for a similar jacket from Old Navy for $32.50
• Click here for a similar jacket from H&M for $29.95
• My Shirt: Just in case you were wondering, you can click here for the Express shirt I'm wearing. It retails at $39.90 and it seriously goes with everything.
• The Necklace: I am wearing a bubble necklace I found on Ebay, but the one in the photo is from Zad.
• Click here for a similar necklace from Charming Charlie for $13.00
• Click here for another similar necklace from Charming Charlie for $13.00
• Click here for another similar necklace from Charming Charlie for $13.00
• Click here for another similar necklace from Charming Charlie (this one's probably my favorite) for $13.00
• Click here for an Ebay seller who sells bubble necklaces in multiple colors for $7.99.
•  You can find bubble/statement necklaces at most boutiques as well!
• The Shoes: I am wearing flats from Target, but the ones in the photo are from Tory Burch (boots) and Nordstrom (flats).
• Click here for the Tory Burch boots for $525.00
• Click here for the Nordstrom flats for $167.95
• Click here for the Target flats for $21.99
• The Tights: My tights are from Walmart, but the tights in the picture are from Urban Outfitters. I am kind of obsessed with these. They are fleece lined, so they're just SUPER soft and comfortable. If you have never tried fleece lined tights, I HIGHLY recommend them.
• Click here for the tights from Walmart for $4.97
• Click here for the tights from Urban Outfitters for $16.00 (or 2 for $22)

& in honor of the 1st legit snowfall of the year (legit = it actually is sticking to the ground).....

*this is not a sponsored post*

Battle of the Concealers! Hard Candy Glamoflauge vs Maybelline Cover Stick vs e.l.f. Studio Duo Concealer/Highlighter

HARD CANDY GLAMOFLAUGE HEAVY DUTY CONCEALER

$6.00 at Walmart

This concealer was good, but it wasn't great. It supposedly covers tattoos, but I doubt it actually does. Has anyone ever tried covering a tattoo with it? A little goes a long way, so it's really hard to work with- even if you apply the smallest amount you can, it will still be way too much. It feels really oily on my skin, which I don't like. It had good coverage, but it doesn't last long & it creases very badly. Overall, it wasn't the best concealer, but it did have pretty good coverage.

MAYBELLINE COVER STICK CONCEALER

$4.94 at Walmart

This is probably the cakeiest concealer I have ever tried. It's super thick, which makes it hard to blend. It just looks so awful! On the bright side, it lasts all day and is fairly waterproof. Great coverage, horrible formulation!

E.L.F. STUDIO DUO CONCEALER/HIGHLIGHTER

$3.00 at Target

This was such a thin concealer. It gives almost no coverage whatsoever. You would have to use the entire bottle to cover a pimple. The only thing I liked about it was that it didn't settle into the dry skin around my pimples like most concealers do. It didn't cover the dark circles under my eyes at all. & in case you were wondering, the highlighter is awful as well- you can't see it at all.

WINNER: HARD CANDY GLAMOFLAUGE

My Favorite Scented Lotions

1. Rome Honeysuckle Amore by Bath & Body Works- I love this stuff! It smells just like honeysuckle, so if you don't like honeysuckle this probably isn't for you. Top: Italian peach, blackberry, green mandarin. Mid: Pink honeysuckle, white raspberry, peony. Dry: Golden amber, soft sandalwood, cypress wood.

   

   Now $5.50 at Bath & Body Works (yes, the full size 8oz!)

2. Be Enchanted by Bath & Body Works- This is a great everyday scent that anyone can pull off. It's perfect for Fall/Winter. Top: Mouthwatering citrus, iced pomegranate, chilled wild berries, chilled passion fruit. Mid: Sheer honeysuckle, floral frosted bouquet, sugared petals, dewfruit, Asian pear. Dry: Whipped vanilla, light mush, sandalwood.

   

   $12.50 at Bath & Body Works

3. Beautiful Day by Bath & Body Works- This lotion reminds me of Summer. It's very fruity and fun, and I don't care that it's Fall & I'm wearing a Summer/Spring scent ;) Top: Sun-kissed apple, dewy pear, sparkling cassis. Mid: Wild daisies, lily of the valley, fresh pink peony. Dry: White peach, blonde woods.

   

   $12.50 at Bath & Body Works

4. Love Sweet Love by Philosophy- I can't get enough of this lotion. It's a very sweet, romantic scent (it reminds me of Valentine's Day!) & it's very long lasting! It moisturizes well, but the fragrance makes it difficult to wear since I have extremely sensitive skin on my hands and legs. I still love it though!

   

   $35.00 at Sephora

5. Any and all lotions by Hempz Treats. These smell good enough to eat. They smell exactly like the dessert they're supposed to smell like- it's crazy how amazing they smell. They're extremely sweet, so some people might not like them. They're nice and thick- super moisturizing! I buy mine at TJ Maxx for about $6, but you can get them on Amazon as well. My favorites are Strawberry Cheesecake and Butter Pecan. I can't wait to try the holiday scents!