Ulta Haul!

I went to Ulta the other day to help my mom pick out a new foundation and blush and picked some things up for myself along the way.  Here's a video of what I got, expect to see reviews of these products in the next couple of weeks.  Happy Holidays, all, cheers! xoxo

Meet me on the Brightside Beauty Blog Hop!

Happy Friday everyone! I'm sorry for the lack of new posts, I am currently without my own computer. BUT that is not what this is about! This is about the BRIGHTSIDE BEAUTY BLOG HOP! I am co-hosting this weekend's blog hop with Kristin from Meet Me on The Brightside! So you know the dealio, link up, follow me and the other host, and at least two other blogs because they're all fantastic! Have a beautiful weekend, lovelies! XOXO

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Happy Friday Bloggers! The weekend is here! Come link up to my Bright Side Beauty Blog Hop for a chance to gain new followers and find amazing new reads. Linky list will be open now until this Monday night 11:59 pm, Ohio time. There are only a few guidelines , so read, follow, and let the fun begin. Don't forget to come back every Friday to join the blog hop and enter future giveaways :) The blog this weekend with the most views will win a co-host spot on next weekend's hop so get your network on :)

Tattoo Care

At the end of this past August, I got my first tattoo. I got it at a tattoo parlor downtown called Iron Tiger, and it was a great experience.  It didn't hurt, but it is small and I have a high threshold for pain too.  It's a semi-colon which to me represents that this is not where my story is supposed to end and that the end is where we start from since in grammar it denotes a sentence that could have ended but instead changed and kept going.
But, how do you care for a new tattoo? First, keep it clean but don't keep it bandaged for longer than a day (or at least that's what they did for mine).  Then wash it twice a day, or more if you are really physically active and sweating, with an unscented Soap.  I used a Dial moisturizing hand wash, unscented, to gently wash it.  You DO NOT scrub or rub hard, just gently wash the tattoo and then PAT it dry.  Then take an UNSCENTED lotion and put it over the tattoo.  The tattoo will scab over and this helps it to heal to where it's not raised and rough.  I would put the lotion on at three different points during the day- when I got up, in the middle of the day, and right before I went to bed.  I kept up this routine up through the second week of September.  The biggest thing is to keep an eye on it and if it starts to look infected or not right, you need to go see a doctor immediately.  I hope some of you can find this helpful!

Seventh Generation Clearing Skin Serum

In every makeup blog I've read, the lovely blogger always uses some sort of serum on their face at night.  I had never used serum because I was afraid that it would clog my pores or make my face even more oily.  I got this at Wallgreens about a week ago and I've been using it nightly after I wash and tone my face.  I haven't noticed it helping to clear my face, but I have noticed my skin feeling a bit better.  It makes my skin feel a bit softer and not so dry, especially since it is becoming winter that is definitely something I worry about.  I also don't have to use as much lotion during the day because the serum absorbs and stays but doesn't clog my pores, which is really nice.
Do you guys use any serums on your face?  What have you found works best for you? XOXO

Rimmel Extra WOW Lash Mascara

Rimmel is, by far, one of my favorite make up brands and they never seem to disappoint me.  I picked this up the other day at the drugstore because it was on sale and I needed a new mascara for my bag.  It's a nice mascara but I'm not too sure about the WOW factor.  The Scandaleyes mascara line definitely makes my lashes look much longer and more curled than this does BUT with that being said, I wouldn't immediately throw this out.  It is good for a nice little lift, and a subtle defined lash- great for the day.  The bottle is simple and streamlined, which means it goes great in my back pack and I can quickly coat it on while I'm on my way to class.  One thing I really do like about this is that I really like how it looks on my bottom lashes.  It doesn't make them look too defined and they don't disappear like they always do.  It gives them a 'we're here, but not in your face' kind of way.  So while I don't know if I would purchase right away again, I would suggest you give this product a try for a travel bag or if you're an on the go student who needs a quick lift in between classes.

Olay Professional Facial Cleanser

I have notoriously bad skin and have tried every thing under the sun to help it, and when the Clairsonic came out not only was it the price tag that deterred me but also the fact that it seemed like it would irritate my skin.  For my birthday this year, my mom got me the Olay Professional  facial cleansing brush.  I was nervous at first that it would make my skin worse than better but it has proved me wrong! The bristles are actually really soft and you have two different setting to choose from so it's not super abrasive.  It's really good at getting rid of the little bumby places on my face and helping it look clearer.  I don't use it day and night, usually just at night when I also put on extra lotion and healing serum.  It came with a cleanser but I haven't used it and have stuck to using my Clearasil face wash and then following with my Clean and Clear toner.  If you're on the fence about a powered facial cleanser, like the Clairsonic, I would say give this a whirl first before you shell out over a hundred dollars for one.  This only costs $25-$30 depending on where you look, and you can replace the bristle heads with ease.  I am really pleased with this product and will definitely continue using it.

Headshots: Makeup Do's and Don'ts

So as many of you know, I'm an actor, and this is my last year of college.  One of the perks, is that there is a weekend during your first semester when our Senior Seminar teacher brings in an alumni who does professional photography so we can get our headshots done for not $500.  I did mine in two 30 minute sessions so that I could get two different looks, a big shout out to Lindsey King who took all of the amazing photos.  

For headshots, you NEVER want to have over done or cakey makeup.  You want to look 'natural' but put together and nice.  That means, no super bright or trendy eye or liner colors, a nice lip, no bright unnatural cheeks, and natural lashes.  So let's just go over what I did for these photos!

Top photo:

I started by curling my hair with my flat iron and then spraying the bejeezus out of it with Aqua Net so it would stay because it happened to rain that day.  I then used my favorite Revlon PhotoReady liquid foundation and then my NYX dupe for NARS orgasm blush.  I then highlighted my cupids bow and right above my cheekbones with a NYX highlighter. I lined my eyes, top and bottom, with my Urban Decay 24/7 black eyeliner, and then used my BH Cosmetics color palette to do my eyeshadow.  I stuck with copper, light brown, and gold- neutral tones that would accent my eyes.  I finished this look off with a slick of Rimmel Apocalyps lip gloss in the bright pink color of which I can't remember the name of right now and a few swipes of my mascara of choice at the moment which is Rimmel Scandaleyes Curve Alert.

Bottom Photo:

Basically the same face, except my hair is in it's natural state of being straight and instead of using a bright pink lipgloss, I used the double ended dimension lipstick from Covergirl.