Face of the Day: Wednesday Addams (DIY Costume)

October 29, 2015October 27, 2015 / Kayla Hutchison / 4 Comments

Hey beauties,

It’s the Thursday before Halloween! Anyone else excited to do whatever you do on Halloween? I’ll be out taking my kids trick or treating, and then we’ll probably end the night watching Tim Burton films and eating way too much candy.

I did want to share a look today in case anyone needs some true last minute inspiration. I’ve been told I look like Wednesday Addams (specifically Christina Ricci) since I was really young, so why not see if that’s actually true? This look was really fun, cute, and simple to put together. Wednesday Addams is one of those characters where you can put on just about anything and braid your hair, and chances are many people will know what you were going for. Or at least I hope.

Foundation: Estee Lauder Double wear in cool bone mixed with Manic Panic’s white dream tone foundation. Primer used was the Laura Mercier hydrating primer.

Powder: BH Cosmetics Studio Pro setting powder for a matte finish.

Concealer: None. The dark circles I’m sporting today are actually mine. If you don’t have dark circles you can always create them using gray shadows. Truth is, I’m usually self conscious of my dark circles because I was told so often I looked “sick” but lately I’ve been trying to embrace them more. They’re a part of me.

Contour: Lunatick Cosmetic Labs cool contour kit. I did contour my jaw and my nose a bit more just so I could have a bit more of an upturned look. Fortunately, my nose shape is similar to Christina Ricci’s, which is probably why people thought I looked like her.

Blush: I didn’t want to have no color to my face, so I used the BH Cosmetic’s Lilac blush. It’s a really subtle cool toned purple blush.

Highlight: Colourpop’s “Hippo.” I made sure to highlight the very tip of my nose a bit extra just to add to the illusion that my nose is a bit more upturned than normal.

Brows: Anastasia Beverley Hills dirpbrow pomade in “ebony” set with Nyx’s brow mascara in black.

Eyes: This is such a simple eye look, and yet very bold and dramatic. I used Nyx’s “SOS” as my transition shade. I then blended Colourpop’s “Girl Crush” in the crease and put “Mixed Tape” on the lid. You could go with white, but I wanted a full gray smokey eye.

The outer corner is “Straight Trippin” by colourpop. I almost went with black, but I’m glad I went with this deep purple shade instead. It really brought out the “I haven’t slept” look I was going for with my dark circles.

I winged my liner, but this look could easily be done with just a smudged lash line with mascara as well for a more grungy look. Lashes are some demi wispies I found off Ebay.

On the lower lash line I used Straight Trippin and blended that out with SOS . I’m really dramatic with my lower lash line, and I wanted the eyes to be super dark and very striking. Inner corner highlight is “polyster bride” by Urban Decay.

Lips: La Girl’s new matte lipstick in “Raven.” This applied really well and is pretty matte. I have 7 of these in all that I will be doing a review on once I catch up on everything else I need to do reviews on. Lawlz.

Hair: This is my hair simply braided. You can use a wig if you need to though. I put little skeleton hand clips from Hot Topic on either side. I imagine a grown up Wednesday would be into skeletons and anatomy. Just a hunch. Or maybe that’s just me…

Collar: This floral peter pan collar is from Salem Couture. Many places sell shirts with peter pan collars, but I wanted to use what I have in my wardrobe, and I own a few of their collars. They’re really cute and can be used with any shirt!

Dress: This was actually a $7 Marshall’s find over the summer. It’s just a cute little black velvet skater dress. I threw a cardigan over it to complete the look! Another outfit idea would be a pair of black jeans, flowy black top and chunky boots, or a long flowy black dress. I have no idea why I imagine Wednesday growing up to be more punk than goth?

Full Moon Earrings: Bella Morta Jewelry

That is it for my quick and simple Wednesday Addams look! I hope you all enjoyed this. What are your costume ideas?

As always, thanks for reading, and I hope you’re all having lovely days!

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Battle of the BB Creams

May 25, 2015May 25, 2015 / Kayla Hutchison / 6 Comments

Hey lovelies,

Spring is obviously here for many of us, but if you live somewhere humid as snot *raises hand* it already feels like Summer. Not gonna lie, I’m not a huge fan of Summer. If I didn’t have kids, I probably wouldn’t go outside much. I hate feeling like I’m melting.

When I do go out, I typically wear a BB cream as my main base with a tiny bit of powder on top. Full coverage foundations in The South probably aren’t gonna look cute in June and July no matter how much Urban Decay All Nighter you use..or at least for me. If you can wear full coverage in the Summer I envy you so very much. The humidity just makes it impossible for me to wear.

What is a BB cream? Some people say it stands for “beauty balm” and I’ve seen others say “blemish balm” but it’s a bit of an “all in one” type of product that covers and protects your skin, while also giving added benefits of SPF, hydration, etc. Some people wear these alone and some wear them underneath their foundations. It really depends on your preference and what you’re going for with your base.

So, today I want to talk about a few BB Creams that I have tried out over the past year and my thoughts on each. I’m going to rate these on a scale of 1-5 based on coverage, price, finish, lasting power, and overall skin benefits.

NYC BB Matte BB Cream- Score- 3/5

I do like this bb cream since it is very decently priced, and surprisingly the “light” shade from this line is more of a color match for me than any other bb cream in this post. However, it just doesn’t set right on my skin at all. I have tried exfoliating, a serum, brush, sponge…everything. It will look great when I first put it on and then when I look at myself an hour later I have granny face. It gives me wrinkles and I don’t even have wrinkles! It also doesn’t have spf or anything, and that’s not gonna cut it for this ghost girl in the spring time. I’m giving it a 3 because even though it doesn’t work for me, it would probably work great for someone with fair and oilier skin than me! It’s also the cheapest cream in this post, and is about $3 at most drugstores that carry NYC.

Lioele BB Cream- Score 4/5

I have done a review on this bb cream in the past, but I recently came back to it and I really like it. It’s thick, but I can still put it on with my fingers and get even coverage. The color match isn’t great for me, but it does mix very well with my Hard Candy Glamoflauge foundation (930 porcelain). The price is probably not ideal for many, but I did snag this on sale on prettyandcute.com awhile back, and I know that it’s also sold on amazon and ladymoss.com. I don’t believe this one has spf either. I want to say this foundation is about $15-20, but it depends on where you’re buying it from in some cases. There’s no SPF in this BB cream, but it is very hydrating and lays well on the skin. This BB cream is a great one that I will probably continue to reach for and just wear SPF underneath it.

Rimmel Matte BB Cream- Score 4/5

This BB cream is actually one that I reach for often even though I have dry skin and tend to avoid matte finishes. It has a really nice buildable medium coverage and has SPF in it. That makes it not very photo-op worthy, but it is good for your skin and will protect you from the sun. This is very affordable and readily available to many since it’s a drugstore BB cream. It doesn’t get a 5 though because the shade “light” is so off. I can easily correct it with my hard candy glamoflauge foundation or manic panic foundation, but it is annoying. This BB cream also claims to be beneficial to skin in 9 different ways, and it’s one that I do recommend trying if you’re looking for an affordable drugstore BB cream.

LA Girl Pro BB Cream- Score 4/5

This is the newest BB cream I’ve been trying out because Nicole from young, wild, and polished recommended it to me in a comment I left on one of her videos. At $4 I figured it was worth a shot. I have the shade “fair” which is a better match for me than the Rimmel, but still pretty dark on me. However, the finish is really lovely and leaves a nice satin-but-not-too-dewy glow to my skin. I didn’t give this a 5 because there’s no SPF, but because it’s HD it will work really well if you vlog like myself and don’t want to wear a heavy foundation on camera in the Spring and Summer. Also, this BB cream is a bit high maintenance for me some days. I feel like I have to powder my face more than usual (which is odd to begin with me, I almost never need powder) but when it’s a bit more humid than usual I feel this BB cream tends to slip a bit on my skin. So, if you have oily skin this may not be the best for you, but it’s still worth a shot given LA Girl is so affordable.

So, that was it for the BB creams I currently have in my stash. As you all can see, none received a perfect score, but none are very poor either in my opinion. Or maybe I just try to see the good in everything…who knows.

What are some of your favorite BB creams? I know that one I may end up biting the bullet and buying is the It Cosmetics CC cream because from what I can see the “fair” shade is actually made for those with fair skin and the coverage and finish looks stunning on everyone I’ve seen it on. I know it’s not a “BB” cream, but close enough to me.

I hope you all enjoyed this post, and I hope to add some more posts about random things in my stash in the future!

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Have a great day, beauties.

LA Girl Matte Liquid Lipstick Review + Swatches

April 18, 2015 / Kayla Hutchison / 1 Comment

Hey beauties,

I know that today I said I would do a look with my Revealed 2 palette, but let’s just say today was…one of those days. I did, however, upload a new video! I will try to do a face of the day post tomorrow!

I hope you all enjoy! And subscribe to my channel if you haven’t already!

2014 Makeup Favorites

December 31, 2014December 31, 2014 / Kayla Hutchison / Leave a comment

Ah, the post where I try to wrap up my entire year in beauty in one place *gulps*
This has been a tough post for me. 2014 seemed like a big year makeup wise for me. So many amazing products came into my life, some of which are here to stay for possibly forever (or until discontinued).

Brace yourselves, a long post is coming.

First, I want to talk about the Revealed 2 palette by Coastal Scents. I was once someone that swore Urban Decay made the best palettes…then I bought this one. I use this palette about any time I am not reviewing something or creating a tutorial. It’s so versatile and I feel it really suites my green eyes. There’s really not a color in this palette that I don’t love.
The shadows are very smooth and pigmented. Totally a palette that I would recommend to anyone that doesn’t already own it.

Second, the elf prism palette in “Naked” which is probably my second favorite palette at the moment. I’ve talked about this palette so much, but it deserves the attention. I won’t go into too much detail to avoid putting everyone to asleep, but just order this palette. You will thank me.

Concealing is a big part of my makeup routine. I have fairly clear skin, but I have very dark under eyes from being super pale and an asthmatic. I look like a real life Tim Burton character some days. The Nyx HD concealers have been a staple in my makeup routine for pretty much the entire year. I have tried and liked other concealers, but these are just beyond amazing. I mix both porcelain and lavender together to create the perfect shade to conceal and highlight my under eyes. The only downfall is that there doesn’t seem to be a ton of product in the tubes, but at $5 each it’s okay.

The Anastasia Dipbrow Pomade was a product that I purchased twice in the year 2014. Yep, that’s when you know the love for a product is real, especially if you’re someone that is constantly trying new products like myself. I currently have the shade ebony, and even though I still don’t think this shade is dark enough, I make it work. I love it that much. When I need a very carved out and precise brow…this is what I use. Holy grail status.

I would be no where without my Manic Panic white foundation, or at least my face would be a different color than my neck. I always bring this up when a fellow pale warrior talks about the struggle of finding foundations that are light enough. This product has helped me to bring some of my old favorite foundations back into my life. I just mix a few pumps in and apply to my face. It doesn’t change the foundation. It’s perfect. I’ve been through 2 bottles this year alone.

Going with the face thing, I do have to mention my Elf acne fighting foundation. There are cons to this products such as not being light enough, swatches looking different online than in person etc, but the formula and coverage are amazing. I wear this when my skin is less than satisfactory. It has salicylic acid in it, but not a lot so it’s never made my face feel dry. For $6, I would recommend everyone try this out if they’re looking for a great full coverage foundation.

The Too Faced Cocoa Powder didn’t come into my life until later on the year, but it’s still worthy of being mentioned in this post. I have the shade “light” (duh) and I use it to set my foundation if I’m wearing a BB cream, or I wear it alone on “no makeup” days. It doesn’t get cakey at all, and it looks beautiful on my skin. Powders are a hit and miss with my because my skin is very dry in some places, but this powder doesn’t cling to my dry spots. Worth every penny. And the packaging is so freakin’ adorable. Too Faced always creates the cutest packaging.

The Mary-Loumanizer by The Balm has been a product I have been wanting to try for so long and I finally found it 50% off on hautelook.com one day. This product is incredible, and I will repurchase it at full price if need be. However, I don’t foresee running out of this product anytime soon. This is my go-to highlighter if I’m not reviewing/creating a look and I haven’t even made a dent in the product. Very very little goes a long way. I feel this is the holy grail highlighter for pale folks. It gives a very healthy glow, and paired with a nice peachy blush it makes me look like I had the best orgasm of my entire life.
Too much info? Oh well 😉

At the top of the picture, that’s my real techniques miracle sponge. I own several of these. I’m in love with them. I use it to blend foundation, concealer, and my contouring. I also use it to apply powder. I have no idea what I was doing before this sponge came into my life. If you have dry skin and brushes on your face make your foundation cling to dry spots, buy this sponge. It’s $6 at most places (on sale often at Ulta) and incredible. Just trust me.

My almost everyday contouring product has been the Nyx blush in Taupe. It’s a product that’s talked about often in the beauty community, so I won’t ramble too much, but it’s truly spectacular on pale skin. It’s cool toned and doesn’t make me look orange.

I’m a blush fanatic. The products I buy the most have to be blush and lipstick. However, I reach for Elf’s Studio Blush in “Wanderlust” often, especially in the fall and winter. It’s a deep plumish-mauve color and very cool toned. I wear a lot of cool toned looks, so this has been an almost everyday blush for me lately. It’s very pigmented, so use a very light hand with it if you’re pale. I feel this is a color that can flatter every skin tone though.

Now…on to lip products. This was the hardest part for me because I love lipstick and stuff.

Probably my favorite lip product discovery of 2014 in general has to be liquid lipsticks. I reach for them often and they last fo-freakin-EVA on my lips.

A new brand I have discovered is Pretty Zombie Cosmetics. I purchased “Zombettie” and “Black Cat” awhile back, and I reach for Zombettie so often. It’s a very pin-up vintage red and super matte, but not drying. Pretty Zombie has liquid lipsticks that are $12 each (cheaper than many) and it’s a vegan brand. However, they have been slightly MIA from instagram and it’s raising concerns for some. Apparently, it’s a one woman army running the company and has been overwhelmed with all of the people in love with her product. Not that I can blame them. The packaging, price, and product are all spot on. I don’t feel ethically right purchasing Lime Crime after reading and witnessing some things, so I hope that this brand releases more in 2015. I went to the site a few days ago and it looks like there’s a new burgundy shade to be released in January, and I am flippin’ excited about it.

Okay, forgot I had a lone non-lip product in this picture haha. If you’ve been keeping up with my blog or youtube channel you have probably heard me mention the physician’s formula eye booster pen in “ultra black” at least a bajillion times. It’s my favorite liquid eyeliner. It makes creating wings super easy, and it’s half the price of the Kat Von D pen ringing in at $9. Life changing product.

Speaking of Kat Von D, I can’t hate on her products at all because her brand is probably my favorite to buy when I have the money to splurge. I bought the liquid lipstick in “Lolita” on a whim a few months back, and damn I’m glad I did. From what I’ve seen this color has been hard to get a hold of at times throughout the fall and into winter. It’s such a beautiful brown nude color though. It’s my go-to nude lately, and probably will continue to be into 2015. I’m obsessed.

Too Faced was a brand I had never tried until not too long ago. Once I tried this brand I have been hooked and I love when I can try out new products. One of my favorite lip products for the year is also by Too Faced, and that is the shade “Fig” from the Melted Lipstick line. It’s such a beautiful and perfect plum toned color. I feel this is a very flattering color on pale skin tones, and would probably look great on everyone. I really need to get my hands on several of the new colors though.

Last, but certainly not least, are the LA Girl Lip Paints in “Tempt” and “Blushing.” I own about 8 of these babies ($4 each) and they are all beautiful, but these were my most used. I don’t like sticky gloss, but these aren’t sticky whatsoever. They’re super pigmented and look great alone or on top of other colors. Tempt is a very dark berry color, and Blushing is a gorgeous darker mauve shade.

If you made it to the end of this post…congrats. This was a long one. I’m excited to see what’s in store for 2015 in every way, not just in terms of beauty.

Unboxing and Review: Walmart Beauty Box and Lip Monthly

December 26, 2014December 26, 2014 / Kayla Hutchison / 2 Comments

I am currently subscribed to 3 different things. The Walmart Beauty Box, Lip Monthly, and I recently caved and decided to go back to Ipsy since I felt a bit lost without my glam bag.
I recorded an unboxing of both of the December Walmart Beauty Box and my Lip Monthly bag, but I wanted to post better pictures and swatches here.

First up: Walmart Beauty Box

This box comes every 3 months (once per season) and is technically free, but the $5 is shipping costs.
This was December’s Winter Box

Pretty decent amount of product for $5, in my opinion. The one thing not pictured is the Maybelline Dream Wonder powder, but honestly I think that was just a coupon (it had a $1 coupon attached). I’m never too fond of foil packet samples because let’s be real many of them end up in the weird black hole part of makeup drawers where foil samples go to die. Or is that just me?
There was a full sized lipstick in the box as well! It looks like it’s from the new Maybelline line it’s in the shade “Mocha Kiss” and it’s a very brown shade. I don’t know how much use I will get out of this, personally, but I will play around with it.

However, I am pretty excited to try everything else. I’ve never heard of a body BB Cream, but from what I’ve read on the sample bottle it looks pretty neat! Overall, I am happy with this box and it’s a cute little surprise every season for me. It does look like there are different boxes sent out depending on your age group, because I’ve seen another version of the Winter box on several blogs.

Second: Lip Monthly Bag

I’ve reviewed Lip Monthly before on this blog, and on Youtube and I will link both at the end of this post.
I’m still very confused about this subscription. I love the concept, and for the most part the products are awesome, but there is something a bit off about their customer service. I feel that they need an overhaul and need someone better marketing for them and handling customer service issues. I know that running a business is extremely hard (my parents did twice) but if you’re not willing/able to answer your customers concerns, no matter how rude or odd they may be, what’s the point in having a business? There’s my small rant on that matter.

With that aside, the products are so spot on if you’re a lip product lover. I loved every single thing in this bag, and that’s not common for me. The total value of this bag was $25 compared to the $10 I paid, so that’s pretty rad. I do hope that whatever is going on with Lip Monthly is just a bump in the road for them, because I do wish them every bit of success. I love the idea of a monthly bag catered to those that love trying out new lip products. I can already say that I have worn that Magnolia Makeup lipstick twice since getting my bag. It’s so dreamy. I’m rooting for you, Lip Monthly. I really am.

Swatches from left to right: La girl lip liner in “mauvelous,” NYC lipstick in “Mocha,” Magnolia Makeup Liquid Ultra Matte Lipstick, Milani Lipgloss in “Nude Touch.”

Swatch Sunday: Random Lippies

December 7, 2014December 11, 2014 / Kayla Hutchison / Leave a comment

I have quite a few lipsticks that I have bought over the past few weeks that are beautiful and blogworthy, but I didn’t buy enough of each line to really justify doing a whole post about each. So, I’m doing a lipstick swatch “dump” of sorts.

First up, I bought 3 LA Girl Creme lip colors to try them out. These retail for $4 each on average.
As you can tell, the packaging is a bit cheap and can get pretty messy. However, for the messy packaging the product itself is very creamy and applies smoothly. The colors are opaque. I normally don’t like many creamier formulas, but these are nice.

Left to Right: Promise, Amour, Kiss & Tell
I’ve been reaching for Kiss & Tell a lot over the past week. It’s such a beautiful brown with red tint to it. It looks superb paired with a dark red lip liner.

This is a photo taken the other day of me wearing “kiss & tell” with a deep red underneath. Love this combo.

Next, these teeny Kat Von D lippies were my second Black Friday snag while shopping online on Sephora. I didn’t need them, but I have a weakness for MINI things I couldn’t help it.
There’s not much to say about these because I already own two of the studded lipsticks and an everlasting liquid lipstick. I love the formulas of both of these lines. Both of these were $10 and for Kat Von D anything, that’s a steal. Even though I didn’t need these, no regrets. No regrets

Berlin is a matte darker rosy shade. I will probably be reaching for this come Spring and Summer. Lolita is a matte brownish nude shade. I own Lolita in the liquid form as well and it’s my favorite color of life.

Last, I have a couple Nyx lippies. I have “Whipped Caviar” from the Matte line (Kylie Jenner dupe, supposedly) and “Pops” from the butter line. I love the formulas of basically any Nyx line of lipstick. Super affordable, super opaque, super super.

Bottom swatch is Whipped Caviar (matte) and top is Pops (butter)

I will say that the matte one wears very comfortably on the lips as well as the butter one. The butter lipsticks seriously apply like…butter. Can you tell I am all about the brown/mauve nudes right now? I am stocking up while there are so many out because this is my go-to shade all of the time. If you’re very fair, I would suggest trying out the mauve/darker nude trend because I find it to be such a flattering way to wear a nude without it washing me out. That’s a totally personal opinion though and I can understand why some are tired of hearing about the “Kylie Jenner” lip.

I’m honestly ready to start finding some Marsala shades in my collection right about now. I’m not ever one for trends, but the last few color trends have been shades that I love already and work with often on an everyday basis.

I hope you all enjoyed my quick swatch sunday post with all of my random lippies. Have a gorgeous day!

Pictorial: Neutral Look Ft. Elf “Naked” Palette

November 22, 2014November 22, 2014 / Kayla Hutchison / Leave a comment

Today I am going to attempt my first “pictorial” type of post featering my new elf prism palette. I did not take pictures at every step, but I am going to thoroughly explain everything. I will admit that I did not anticipate how hard a pictorial would be, so props to anyone that does these often.

I already had my face and brows completed before starting this look. That’s typically how I do my makeup, but feel free to not copy me at all. I know some people will do eyes first and brows last, but the fun of makeup is that there’s no rules. You do you.
First, I always go in with a bit of concealer on my eyelids. This is optional, but I have very dark lids and veins because I’m pale and an asthmatic. It cancels out any redness and darkness. After that set for a few seconds I put on elf’s studio eyeshadow in “Toast” as a shimmery base for the shadows. This is also optional, I was just feeling extra sparkly when planning this look out.
Next, I took a Nyx matte shadow in “Dances with Tides” (a warm orange-ish brown shade) sloppily in the crease. This is just a transitional shade, so it doesn’t have to be precise. Then I took first shade in the prism palette (the shimmery white one) on a flat eyeshadow brush and started packing it on my lid. I used a patting motion to really get the color on there.

I then took the second to last brown shade (not the darkest one) and put it on the outside corner of my eyes as well as on the outside of the crease. Using a fluffy blending brush I blending it out and into the middle of my eye a bit, and blended it into the crease. This was when I also created the “shape” that I wanted to make my eyeshadow before I started to work with any darker shades. I personally take my shadow out a bit since my eyes are so giant. It gives my eyes the illusion of looking a bit wider instead of just looking like I am constantly confused and surprised.

Anyway, after that you could finish the look. It would be a very soft and subtle neutral look. However, I was feeling like I needed a bit of a darker and less shimmery shade to balance it out so I took my ColourPop shadow in the shade “Mittens” and applied it on the very outer crease with an eyeshadow sponge. What…no brush? Nope. I used one of those little sponge things that I typically throw away and it applied the ColourPop shadow better than my fingers or a brush ever could. I knew those things would come in handy again someday.

I went through again and made sure everything was blended and shaped evenly.
I then went created a cat wing using my holy grail eyeliner…physicians formula eye booster pen in “ultra black” and applied falsies (also optional) and the ones I used were Red Cherry #43.

I went in with a black eyeliner and lined my water line and then took the original transition shade (dances with tides) and put that close to my lash line. Then I took a little bit of “Mittens” on the same brush and smudged and blended all of those together on my lower lash line and finished it off with a coat of Wet n Wild mega length mascara. Lastly, I popped a little bit of my city colour white gold mousse in the corners of my eyes to open them up a bit and put a bit of the first white shimmery shade from the prism palette near my brows to highlight those as well.

For the lips, since it’s neutral you could do any color you want. I chose a cabernet liner topped with my Manic Panic “Blood Rose” lip gloss. I feel this would be a quick and beautiful look for the holidays if you’re wanting a look that’s shimmery but not high maintenance.

Overall, I love this look and I’m happy with it. Feel free to give me thoughts on this pictorial and subscribe if you would like! I am hoping to have my very first youtube videos up this week!

Let’s Talk about Amazing and Affordable Face Products

November 3, 2014 / Kayla Hutchison / 1 Comment

Personally, when I watch videos and read blogs by my favorite beauty bloggers I catch myself day dreaming about high end products. I can’t be the only one. The products that I want to try out, but sadly can’t afford right now thanks to life and kids. Not that it upsets me at all. I love my life and kids with all of my being.
I do know that I am not the only one that is constantly looking for amazing and affordable makeup products though. Too many times I catch myself thinking that if I had more higher end products my makeup would look flawless, but then I remember that it’s truly about finding what’s right for you and how you apply it.
So, I want to do a few blogs about amazing and totally affordable makeup products, starting with some of my favorite everyday face products. Of course, these are just what works for me and my face, but I hope that everyone that reads this either finds a new awesome product to try out or that they take away a few tips on finding these products for even cheaper than they already are.
I will also include a separate picture of swatches for the blush, highlighter, and bronzer at the end of the post.

Wet n Wild blush in “Pearlescent Pink” – Holy grail blush. I use this blush almost everyday. That’s why the packaging looks kind of dirty. It’s the perfect shade of pink for me and has the slightest hint of shimmer. It’s so beautiful, and a shade that would work on many skin tones. These retail alone at around $3 most retail stores, which is incredible by itself, but I find these on sale so often at CVS and Walgreens. Wet n Wild also releases coupons in the newspaper often, so if you’re a coupon clipper (raises hand!) keep an eye out for them. I have scored so many free Wet n Wild products stacking sales with coupons.

LA Girl Pro Concealer– if you follow many youtubers and bloggers, chances are you have heard others raving about this very product. It’s so amazing and I just got it myself a few months back. I have horrible dark circles due to being extremely pale and having allergies, and this concealer covers my under eye circles and doesn’t look caked on. I use the lightest shade, obviously. This concealer retails for $5 on the la girls website, but I found mine for way cheaper on ebay. I got 3 tubes for $7.
Quick Ebay tip– when buying makeup always make sure you’re buying from a well known buyer with great feedback. Sometimes people are awful and sell fake products. There are a lot of great sellers on there that do sell the real deal for real cheap.

Nyx Matte Bronzer– This is a newer addition to my collection. I have searching for what seems like forever for a flattering contour shade for my skin tone. I typically use Nyx blush in “Taupe” which is amazing as well, but I wanted to switch it up a bit. This line has different shades for different skin tones, so naturally I picked out the shade called “light” that is supposed to be for lighter skin tones. It is a nice bronzer for light skin, maybe a bit on the warmer side for my liking, but a light hand while applying can easily fix that. The packaging is also very sleek and pretty.

Nyx Matte Finishing Spray– This has been in my possession for awhile (can you tell by the makeup all over the bottle?) and I love it! It’s perfect for everyday matte makeup looks for me when I want to set my makeup, but I don’t want to use up any of my Urban Decay spray.

Wet n Wild Highlighter– This is from the Fergie line in the color ‘Rose Champagne.” It’s so beautiful and affordable. It’s a champagne color with a hint of pink. Super flattering on fair skin. There is so much product in this for the price. I would recommend anyone try this if they are as obsessed with highlighters as I am. I hope the dewy skin look is here to stay.

Nyx Eyebrow Gel– I know this is technically not a “face” product, but eyebrows are a must for a complete face look. I’ve been using the black shade from this line for awhile now, and I love it. I still tend to reach for my dipbrow pomade most days, but if I am wanting a very bold brow I reach for this one. It takes the smallest amount of product to do both eyebrows, and it applies so easily. I use an angled brush to apply it. This product does set quickly, but it also stays ALL DAY. It’s an awesome and ridiculously affordable product that I would recommend to anyone to at least try.

Nyx HD concealer in “Lavender”– I use this concealer probably everyday. Usually I put this on under my foundation to cancel out the darkness under my eyes. I also use it to lighten up concealer if it’s a bit too dark. It serves multiple purposes, and costs $5. Amazing. Highly recommend for anyone with intense dark circles or is extremely fair and has trouble finding a light enough concealer.

BH Cosmetics Studio Pro Powder– If you follow my blog you have probably seen my first impressions post about this powder, if not I will link my review post of it at the end. I haven’t had this powder long enough to say it’s a staple yet, but it is a great powder for the price. BH Cosmetics has sales constantly on their site, and this powder tends to be about $7 on their site most days. My tips for using this powder are to use the elf powder brush (the studio one with the flat top) and just pat it into the skin if you’re using it to set your foundation or concealer. It works for me. I find that when I sweep powder across my face in a typical swirly motion it can kind of stick to dry spots easier. But do whatever works for you 🙂

Elf Acne Fighting Foundation– This foundation is something that is on my face often. I LOVE this foundation, and I mention it often in my “face of the day” posts. It’s supposed to be blemished skin friendly, but besides that it is also very full coverage and extremely affordable at $6 on the eyeslipsface website. I will say that if you have very fair skin and you don’t have a white mixing agent like the manic panic white dream tone foundation that you may want to hold out on buying it until you have both. The lightest shade on me is a few shades too dark, and I have a to use 2-3 pumps of white to get it to my exact shade, but it’s still an amazing foundation if you’re looking for a less expensive full coverage foundation to add to your life.

Elf Mineral Face Primer– The one in the picture is the green toned one, but I also have the plain clear toned mineral face primer. I use the green one on an almost daily basis because it’s supposed to correct red skin. I naturally have a bit of red in my skin on my cheeks, and this helps to correct it a little. Aside from that, it’s $5 (I think) and can be found on elf’s website or in many Target stores. This primer feels amazing on the skin, and the ingredients do not break my skin out whatsoever.

Swatches from bottom to top: Wet n Wild “pearlescent pink,” Wet n Wild “rose champagne glow,” and Nyx Matte Bronzer in “light.”

Last tip for saving money, especially with all of the holiday things coming out- use ebates. I love this site. You get cash back for online shopping through their site. Example: I recently got 4% cash back on a Sephora purchase online, and 7.5% back on BH cosmetics. If you do a lot of online shopping please create an account through them. I think you get a check or paypal credit every 3 months for what you’ve earned…don’t quote me on that though.
Anyway, I hope this blog has been somewhat enjoyable or helpful. If you’re interested in any other affordable products I have in my arsenal, please feel free to make requests on what you may want to see me focus on.

BH Cosmetics Powder review: https://kaylahutchison.wordpress.com/2014/10/26/first-impression-too-faced-cocoa-powder-and-bh-cosmetics-studio-pro-powder/

Trendy Thursday: Purple

September 25, 2014September 25, 2014 / Kayla Hutchison / Leave a comment

Fall is a time of renewal for me, and also a time when I feel the most creative. So, I want to test out a new idea which is Trendy Thursday. A blog every Thursday dedicated to either a color or fashion trend, sometimes both. Please feel free to read this and let me know if you enjoy the post and this idea. Also, I need suggestions on what color or trend to do next.

Okay, I have been feeling this purple trend lately. The violet and lavender thing started in the spring and summer, and now that fall is rolling in I have seen more of the berry and vampy purples popping up in places and in new makeup lines. I love it! Purple used to be a color that intimidated me, but now that I have tried it out I like it. What I love about purple in general is that it is so flattering on all skin tones. I feel that everyone can pull purple clothing and lipstick off no problem.

On my lips is LA Girl’s glazed lip paint in “Seduce.” I love this color. I feel that it is the perfect berry shade for early fall. I have mentioned these lip paints in a prior post, and I still love them! The application can be a bit messy for the darker colors, but my Eco Tools lip brush helps me out with that. I paired this lipstick off with a matte neutral eye using my Too Faced Natural Eyes palette (review to come) and Red Cherry lashes in #605. Because I wanted more focus on my lips, I lightly contoured my cheeks with Nyx blush in Taupe and lightly dusted Nyx’s blush in Dusty Rose on my cheeks.

My purple cat cardigan is actually from Target, and it is from their fall 2014 line! I love this cardigan. I got it on sale for $14 a few weeks ago and it is form fitting and so so comfortable.

I also wanted to include in the post a few more swatches, including a swatch on the skin of the color I am wearing on my lips.

Swatches going from bottom swatch to top (all of these are budget friendly):

Nyx soft matte lip cream in Transylvania- I absolutely adore this shade. It is a deep vampy matte purple, and it is so affordable. These lip creams also smell like vanilla cupcakes, so that’s a plus! I will say that the formula is a bit drying, so I typically put lip balm on beforehand and use a lip primer.

Nyx Devil’s Food Cake- I know, this is not really purple. It is a bit of a berry shade, and I wanted to include it because it will darken up lighter purple lipsticks if you’re wanting a glossy berry finish. I had bought so many of the butter glosses from Nyx before they sold out to Loreal. I really love them, and I am sad that I will not be repurchasing them after I use them all up. So, if you’re wondering why I am including Nyx in my posts again, that’s why. I’m currently trying to use up all of my lip products by them.

Nyx butter gloss in Raspberry Tart- if you’re wanting a kind of sheer purple to just test the waters, try this shade. Butter glosses go on very smooth in general, and though they are not long lasting, they do not feel sticky on the lips at all. They also have a very pleasant scent to them.

LA Girl’s glazed lip paint in Seduce- this was the color I am wearing in my photos this post. I love this color. The application is flawless as well as the color. I now have 8 of these lip paints and I plan on getting a few more. They are only about $4 each and now come in 18 different colors! Obsessed.

LA Girl’s glazed lip paint in Tempt- This is another berry color, but it’s super deep. I love this color. Due to the formula of the lip paints though, the application of this color can be messy and patchy. I’m not a huge fan of the applicators themselves of this product, so I typically put a little product on the back of my hand and apply it with a lip brush.

Just to add a bit of myself and my everyday life into the post, here’s a picture of me and both my daughters, Piper (3 months) and Harmony (2 years). This picture captures them both pretty well. Harmony is the light hearted goofy one and Piper seems to be the more serious child, though she’s still a very happy baby. We played outside for a bit today and enjoyed the nice weather. I can’t wait until the local corn mazes start to open up. What are some of your favorite family fall activities?

all of these opinions are my own, and this is not a sponsored post.
Posts to come:
How to Save Money on Makeup
First Impression: BH Cosmetics Foundation and Wet n Wild Mascaras
Fall Elf Haul: 50% Sale
On Kids and Makeup
For more pictures of my kids and makeup: Instagram- @mommawolf__

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