DIY Matte Lipstick

Let's talk LIPS!

SO what do you do if you are on a budget and you are obsessed with matte lipstick, or you just already found your perfect red shade, you just wish it came in matte as well? Well then hopefully this video below will solve all of your problems!

Oh and something else that's great, mattifying your lipstick also makes it last much longer. It's perfect if you are going into a situation where you probably won't be able to re-apply for a while.

 

Before you watch the video, please excuse the rampant mess and dissgusting walls...I know I know, it's gross, I'm so sorry, please just ignore it! Enjoy (-:

 

 

 

ELF High Definition Powder here.

Revlon Just Bitten Lip Balm/Stain in Sweatheart here.

 

If you want to make your own lip plump you can look at my post on DIY Lip Plump here.

No time to make your own lip plump?

I also use Salley Hansen Vita-C Lip Plump which you can get here. I got it at Walgreens for $4.

 

Also, if you made your own Mineral Veil/Face Powder from my post here, you can also use that to mattify your lipstick.

 

In my matte post I talked about the NARS Lip Pencil in Cruella. This is a great blue-red and looks especially nice against light skin. NARS also has other great matte colors in this same lip pencil. You can check them out here. Below is a picture of the NARS in Cruella.

 

I know I know, I'm sooo white.

 

 

I also love love love Tarte's LipSurgence because it's like the Revlon Just Bitten. It is a lip stain and a balm in one AND it's MATTE--at the same time!! SOO awesome!

 BUT the Revlon Just Bitten Balm/Stain is around $7 while the Tarte stains are more pricey like the NARS, both being around $24. You can check out Tarte here. WARNING: You will be tempted to buy all of the colors!

 





Blemish Powder

EyesLipsFace (ELF) has this Mineral Blemish Powder that I use every single day. It is awesome.

On the actual ELF site this product has mixed reviews, like most products, but I personally give it five stars. It in no way claims to be a concealer, so it doesn't have a lot of coverage and is very sheer. BUT it fades pimples and makes them less red and it is perfect to wear underneath any foundation/concealer. I feel like it almost creates a pimple-fighting barrier between my skin and my foundation when I wear it.

Sometimes if my skin is looking pretty good, or I am camping in the summer, I will wear it alone. It goes on looking very natural.

Best part?

It has TONS of awesome ingredients in it that give your blemished/acneic/oily skin great benefits.

Kaolin soothes irritated and blemished skin and helps to heal.

Willow Bark helps prevent acne and naturally contains salycilic acid.

Tea Tree Oil is an anti-bacterial and keeps pores clear of dirt and grime.

You can get ELF Mineral Blemish Powder here.

One of the great things about the ELF website is that every product has a video to go along with it. It shows you how to best use the product and also gives you a full list of ingredients.

Do I sound like a walking ad for ELF? Sorry!

But I have found that being a girl on a budget, ELF is such a great website because everything is just so dang cheap compared to other places. You get the most bang for your buck! Target carries some of their stuff, and sometimes so does Grocery Outlet, which is nice because then you don't have to pay for shipping, but sadly, I have not found the Blemish Powder in Target yet.

Anyways, pretty much all of the beneficial ingredients in the ELF Mineral Blemish Powder, you can use to make your own really great acne-fighting concealer. Refer to my post here. And also here for more info on the ingredients.

The one thing that the ELF Blemish Powder has that I don't use is Sulfur. Sulfur is beneficial for acne-prone skin, but not great for sensitive skin because it can be very harsh and irritating.

Hope all is well!

Matte

As I have gotten older, I have really begun to value a nice lip color without the intense shine that comes along with most lipsticks and always comes along with lipgloss.

My new obsession, matte lipstick.

This is my recent favorite--the perfectly sophisticated, bold red: NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Cruella.

This red has blue undertones which make it ideal for fair complexions.

This color is matte but it doesn't dry out lips or become cakey or crumble which I have come across with matte formulas before. Also, like most matte formulas, this stuff is definitely long-lasting and stays put.

Another matte obsession...matte nailpolish.

This color is called Matte is Murder by ManGlaze. You can visit their website chalk-full of all matte nailpolish in so many cool colors here. Not to mention, they have the coolest names for their colors--Matte is Murder? Fuggenugly? They also have artwork on all of their bottles cutomized to the color of the nailpolish inside. Pretty awesome and unique.

I will have pictures up sssooonn. In the mean time, you can check out the finished Matte is Murder here. It's a pretty good picture and it is exactly what the finish looks like.

Sometimes, it is just so much better to have a matte color on your nails. It can be classy when you have something like a job interview to go to and don't want your nail polish to be really flashy. It's also a good fix if you have a color that you like but it is just too bright for an occasion.

Here is an affordable, clear matte topcoat that I like. It can be applied to transform any color nailpolish into matte.

More to come on matte lipstick and nailpolish!

DIY Herbal Concealer: Part 2 of 2



Your very own, home-made, cruelty-free, herbal concealer/foundation. For background information on these ingredients, refer to this post.

 

Concealer Formula:

1/4 rounded tsp of Organic CINNAMON

1/8 tsp rounded WHITE WILLOW BARK Powder

1/8 rounded tsp ROSEHIP Powder

1/8 rounded tsp WITCH HAZEL Powder

1/8 flattened tsp BURDOCK ROOT Powder

1/8 flattened tsp MARSHMALLOW ROOT Powder

1/4 rounded tsp MICA (translucent)

1/4 rounded tsp KAOLIN Powder

1/2 rounded tsp ARROWROOT Powder

 

 

Be careful with some of these herbs because they can give you a tone that you do not want. Marshmallow root powder can give your concealer/foundation a slightly sallow tinge if you use too much of it. Willow Bark can give a slightly grey tint if you use too much of it, and rosehips powder can easily overpower the concoction and give it too much of an orange color if too much is added.

 

These colors, used together in the right amount, work very well. You can also use these colored herbs to modify the color of your concealer. If you have yellow undertones to your complexion, then the marshmallow root's yellowish tint is great for you. I have pink undertones in my complexion, which is why I used mostly cinnamon to overpower the color of my concealer.
 

 

Make sure to really grind these ingredients into a fine powder. It is easy to miss some of those cinnamon grains--these will not blend if you do not really grind the ingredients into each other. I use a mortar and pestle which can be found here. 

 

I used the arrowroot powder to lighten the formula until it was the right light pink/beige for my skin. You may not have super light skin like me. If this is the case, you may either want to use more of the other colored herbs, or simply less arrowroot powder, but as an added ingredient, arrowroot powder is good for your skin and works really well at absorbing oil.

 

 

Mixing Stage

 

 

 

Containers for your DIY concealer/foundation can be found here but I would suggest just using an empty container from old makeup if you have one lying around.

 

Finished Product

If you would like to refer back to how to do DIY at-home Mineral Veil, refer to this post.

I hope you all give this a try and I hope it goes well!

Here is a picture of my bunny Lola and I...just for the heck of it (-:

 

**This post has been updated with pictures, sorry for the delay!**

 

DIY Concealer/Foundation DUO: PART 1 of 2

 

So this is part 1 of a 2-part post. I wanted to do this in two parts because there is too much information to pack in to one post. It would be overwhelming.

 

I like to make my own powdered concealer (you could also use it as a foundation though) because...

1. I know that it is a cruelty-free product, since I made it 

2. It is a lot cheaper than a lot of pricey concealer but just as good as say, BareMinerals and

3. I can use only natural ingredients that are great for my skin and that make my skin look fabulous

 

 

For this first part, I just want to intrduce the ingredients that I use for this project. But know that as I tell you about each ingredient and why I use it, you are also welcome to not use whatever ingredients you feel you do not need for your skin. I have tailored my formula around what benefits I think my skin is in need of. Your skin may very well have other needs, or not all the needs of my skin.

 

All these ingredients are herbs and I usually get them from Mountain Rose Herbs because they are organic and safe and they have a lot of fair trade options. You can visit their website here.

Here goes the list:

 

1. Witch Hazel Bark powder: Witch hazel that you can find at drugstores (liquid form) is extracted from the bark and twigs. Witch hazel is anti-inflammatory and helps with vericose veins and can also help tighten pores. Can be found here.

 



 

    2. White Willow Bark powder: White willow bark naturally contais salicylic acid which we know is found is almost all acne treatment products. It is anti-inflammatory and helps to reduce swelling and relieve sensitivity. Can be found here.

 

 

 

    3. Rose Hips powder: Rose hips naturally contain a lot of vitamin C. It hydrates the skin rather than drying it out and is contains antioxidants. It is good for anti-aging properties as well. Can be found here.

 

 

 

    4. Marshmallow Root powder: This root is anti-inflammatory and an antibiotic which is why it is used a lot on localized skin problems, like boils, burns and sores. It helps in healing wounds and irritations. I have found a website that lists a lot of the benefits of marshmallow root which you can check out here. You can find marshmallow root here.

 









 

 

    5. Burdock Root powder: Please visit this website here for awesome information on burdock root. This herb is great for detoxification and purification of the skin. I is used a lot to treat chronix skin problems and also, like rose hip powder, contains tons of vitamin C which is a great anti-oxidant and anti-againg vitamin for the skin. Can be found here.

 

 

 



     6. Cinnamon: Yes, I know, quite unusual...if you do not feel comfortable putting cinnamon on your face, no one is making you, but this is a great, natural way to get the right color for your DIY concealer. Cinnamon can bring blood and oxygen to the skin surface which can help with blood flow. This helps with acne and healing. BUT cinnamon can also be drying and irritating. My skin is very sensitive, but I do not use enough of it in my concealer formula to irritate my skin or to dry it out. Chances are, if it doesn't irritate my skin, it probably won't irritate yours--but there is always that chance, so I suggest spot-testing this concealer before you use it all over your face. You can get cinnamon at any grocery store. Use organic cinnamon only on your skin. This is the one that I use:

 

 

 

 

For these last three products, you can also reference my post on DIY mineral veil here.

 

    7. Arrowroot Powder: This starch can be found at any health food store, even many regular grocery stores carry this product. Arrowroot powder nourishes and moisturizes the skin while absorbing oil. Most powder products on the market use modified cornstarch. Arrowroot powder essetially has the same effects but it is even better for your skin and is really great for sensitive skin. I also use this as a base in my DIY mineral veil powder.

 



 

    8. Kaolin: Kaolin is a product that is used in a lot of makeup products. It has really great covering ability and also absorbs oil. It's real main purpose for me is that it helps to clear up break outs and also sooths irritated, blemished skin. It also refines pores. You can get a bag of kaolin here.



 

 

    9. Mica: Mica powder is a texterizer and helps to aid in making the powder adhere to your face while also not irritating your skin. It also helps the different ingredient adhere to each other. It prolongs the staying power of the powder. There are tons of color options when it comes to buying mica. For face makeup, buy the translucent powder. You can get mica powder here.

 

 

 

So there you have all of the ingredients. Check back in about a day or so. I will be posting the exact formula for the concealer that I use. Remember, though, that I have really light skin. Your formula may vary from mine according to your skin color. I will explain more about how to experiment with color in my next post. All the best!

 

 



DIY Lip Stain

 

Hey all, so I definitely have not perfected the DIY lip stain, but as I experiment more I will keep you updated!

For now, though, here is what I know when it comes to making your own lip stain...and yes, it is very cheap, like most of my projects!

I use two ingredients:

Cherry KoolAid
Petroleum Jelly (Vaseline)

  

So this was one of the most complicated DIY projects I have ever attempted...maybe I was just having an off day...because I hear other people talking about how they tried this and had no problems at all.

 

First of all, I used way more than just one packet of red KoolAid, which is why I just ended up getting a big tub instead. I kept experimenting with packets and it took way too many packets. It was more economical for me to just get a tub of it, but of course, that is a lot of KoolAid that you might never use if you don't drink KoolAid.

 

What I did was put about
 

Two Tablespoons of KoolAid
 

and mixed that with barely any water at all--just enough water to bring the color out of the KoolAid--so about

1/2 teaspoon of water

then I put about

Three Tablespoons of Petroleum Jelly

into the microwave just to make it warm
 

Be careful!!! It is so easy to microwave it too long!!! Like ten seconds or so will do, depending on your microwave.

 

Then I added the KoolAid/water mixture to the petroleum jelly and mixed vigorously for a good five minutes--this is truly how long it takes to get the two to mix in well together so that they are blended and there are no chunks of KoolAid. If it seems too watery like the petroleum jelly is sort of in a puddle, add more KoolAid in 1/2 tsp increments until you have reached the desired consistency.

 

Then you get...

 

So not the most precise operation in the world, but it works! Let me know how it goes...

 

DIY Lip Plump

 

Alright girls, so we like our lips to look nice and puckery (is that even a word?)...you know what I mean...but lip plumping tubes and such are usually a bit expensive. Sooo here is what I like to call the college girl's lifetime supply of lip plump formula. It is only two ingredients, you ready?:

 

1) Petroleum Jelly

 

 

 

 

2) Cinnamon Essential Oil

 

 

 

 

Let us reason here. So let's say that one tube of whatever lip plumping formula you buy is on average around $8-$10. I think that is a reasonable assumption. And let's say that you go through two tubes a year. So that is not that much a year. BUT with these two ingredients, buy them both and you are saving because they will last you at least two years, but probably even three if you use them sparingly. You are saving even if you go through only one tube of store-bought lip plump a year! Any generic brand petroleum jelly (a tub of it) is around $3.00. And a bottle of Cinnamon Essential Oil is on average $8.00. I buy mine at Sprouts, but I am sure you can find it at Whole Foods or any other health food store around. A little bit of cinnamon oil goes a very, very long way.

 

And then, a little jar, perhaps from makeup that you have used up already. Or, you can always go to Michaels! They have trays of little jars like the jar shown below for pretty cheap, which is unusual since I would argue that that store is pretty expensive most of the time.

 

 

 

I like my lip plump to be very potent, so I put a little more cinnamon essential oil than I am recommending here:

 

Mix approximately

2.5 teaspoons of petroleum jelly

with about

7 drops of cinnamon essential oil.

Mix them really well, and there you go!

You have a great lip plumping treatement, and A LOT of ingredients to spare--like three years worth of refills!

 

Usage: I would recommend putting this on your lips at the beginning of doing your makeup. Your lips will tingle a little, probably start to become a little numb. Then, by the time you are done applying all of your makeup, the lip plumping action has done its work and you can wipe it off gently with a clean towel and apply your lipstick or lipstain or lipgloss onto perfectly pouty lips (and moisturized lips too, I might add).

 

 

 

Oh what magic, and it is so simple!

 

 

 

So let's say that you have just read this whole post, but you are still not convinced, and would still rather just buy some lip plump treatment for cheap. Ok. Here is what I recommend:

 

 

This E.L.F. Prime/Plump duo is only $3!!! Since it is a duo, you do not get a lot of either the primer or the plumper, but I really do like the plumping end, and it will last you at least six months.  I am not a huge fan of the primer though. You can get this lip duo here.

 

I hope you all got something out of this post! Let me know how making the lumping formula goes. And sorry this post is so late! I had to celebrate a little with my girl Shannon with some pizza for finishing her last final of the semester! (-:

 

 

 

Have a great night and a lovely Friday!

 



FYI and DIY Lip Plump

Everyone reading this blog, please note that I in no way claim to be a professional expert on skin or makeup. I am a regular working college girl on a budget who has obsessed for enough years to know a thing or two and is simply just passing that information along. It is up to you to decide what DIY projects you want to pursue and I always encourage you to do your own research and discover on your own. This can only further information wealth--please share whatever you find, this blog is about sharing knowledge--even conflicting knowledge, because that's when we learn the most (-:

Stay tuned for tonight's post on the girl-on-a-budget DIY lip plump--just like the store-bought stuff but way more bang for your buck!

DIY Face Powder / Mineral Veil

As promised, DIY Mineral Veil/Face Powder...

#1 Arrowroot:  This natural product is light and smooth and is really great to use as a finishing powder. While it does absorb oil, it does not dry out skin. This ingredient is safe and gentle and ok to use on sensitive skin--better to use for sensitive skin than cornstarch. BUT if you do have sensitive skin, I ALWAYS recommend doing a patch test first to make sure. Try also to always use ORGANIC products on your skin.



#2 Kaolin: Kaolin is a product that is used in so much face makeup. It has really great covering ability and also absorbs oil. It is really great for acne prone skin because it can help to clear up break outs and also to sooth skin that is irritated. It also refines pores...wow, the more I talk about it, the more I realize this is just a great mineral! I always get my supplies from the cosmetic supply webite www.makingcosmetics.com. The are not over-priced and they seriously have everything you could every think of wanting when it comes to makeup ingredients.You can get a bag of kaolin here. A little goes a very, very long way. Really, all you need to buy is the 4oz bag.

#3 Mica: Mica is seriously in everything--from face makeup to eyeshadow to lipstick. You can get mica powder here. Remember, again, a little goes a long way. Mica powder is a texterizer and helps to aid in making the powder adhere to your face and in making the different ingredients adhere to each other. Simply put, it prolongs the staying power of the powder. There are tons of color options when it comes to buying mica. For face makeup, buy the translucent powder. Be careful--you don't want to accidentally buy green mica powder..that is, of course, unless you want to try also making your own eyeshadow (-: .

SOOO there are the very basic ingredients I use to make finishing powder, but, if you click on the website (www.makingcosmetics.com) and start to browse all of their products you will definitely be VERY VERY OVERWHELMED. Or perhaps you will start to get extremely excited about creating your own makeup--I was both. But these are the basic ingredients. Nothing fancy.

I use a mortar and pestle to combine all of my ingredients, but it is not necessary. If you do want a mortar and pestle, you can get one here.

To be honest, I do not have exact measurements when it comes to making my mineral veil--each batch is slightly different. This is difficult to pin-point because it depends on how much you want to make and various details like that. But I can tell you a rough estimate:

for about every

 

3 teaspoons of arrowroot powder

I use about

1 teaspoon of kaolin

and 1/2 teaspoon of mica powder.

I hesitate to tell y'all measurements because I think that it is good to experiment and find out what works best for you--but remember that you can always add more, you cannot take away an ingredient once it's added. Measurements will also vary depending on what kind of skin you have. If you have very acneic skin (hi, me) then you are probably going to want to use more kaolin than others.

I usually use left-over, empty jars from buying makeup, but you can buy powder containers for your own makeup here.

Let me know if you have any questions, and, as always, let me know how it goes!!!







DIY Mineral Veil

Ever gone to the BareMinerals stand in the mall, or in Sephora, and picked up a little jar of mineral veil and almost peed your pants because it was way too much $$??

Well, if you are like me then you don't have tons of money to spare, but you care about your skin and you also want to look good.

Many people will tell you to look at the back of really any mineral face powder and you will realize that mostly what is in it is cornstarch. Sure, for very cheap you could fill up an empty makeup jar with cornstarch and see if it works well for you. But, I have done a lot of research, and what is much better to use on your face is actually Arrowroot starch/powder. It will melt better into your skin and not leave so much of a white shadow on your face like cornstarch will. It is also better for your skin and better at absorbing oil.

Tonight I will be doing a post that is all about herbs and minerals that are good for your skin and very easy to get your hands on. Making your own high-end face powder is so easy to do you will not believe it, and it ends up costing you much less in the long-run.You could be making your own face powder very soon. Stay tuned to find out how! The end result looks like this:

Highlighting and Contouring

Soo...HAC (Highlighting and Contouring)...These pictures are just to show you the difference it makes. Sorry about the bad lighting! This is the only camera I have right now, and currently the only lighting in the house that is even remotely ok for taking picture. Yes, I look a little worn...I've been at work all day, can you blame me?

 

Before:

 

 

After:

 

 

So this is St. Lucia HAC duo from E.L.F. which you can get here. All you have to do is sweep the blush over the apples of your cheeks, then the bronzer right beneath that, just right underneath where your cheek bone juts out, along your hair line and under your jaw bone. I have some highlighter along my brow bone and my upper cheek bones.

 

This will be so much easier when I have a camera that can take videos...then I will just show you instead of explaining it all to you. BUT for now, you can watch demonstrations on how to do HAC at Cara's blog maskcara.

Hello There and the VS Fashion Show

Hello everyone and welcome to my blog! I decided I need an outlet because my head is filled with all of these obsessions over makeup and beauty products...why not share all that knowledge and get other peoples opinions at the same time?

Sooo, the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show is tonight. Don't tell me you didn't know! Yeah, well, I didn't realize it was that time again until yesterday either...oops!

I have conflicting feelings about the VS show. First, immediately after watching it I always feel a little down about myself (who wouldn't after sitting next to your boyfriend who was just glued to the TV for the past hour?) BUT, then, a few hours go by...maybe a day...and the initial "OMG I will never look like that EVER" wears off, and I sort of want to TRY to look somewhat like them. It makes me want to feel pretty even more (now that I have my boyfriends attention again...I have motivation to keep it!)

I am an avid reader of Cara's blog maskcara which you can read here. She always has great tips about VS beauty. One of her main tips is to  HAC (highlight and contour). It is one of those really great, but so simple makeup tips that can make a really huge difference.

When it comes to highlighting and contouring, I have had a lot of trouble finding the right colors to HAC with. I absolutely love E.L.F, you can visit their website here. They now have a HAC kit which comes with the blush and the bronzer perfectly matched to get the right HAC shades. And even better...it's only $3! Which is waayyy less money than if you were to buy the blush and bronzer separately.

I have very pale skin, so the shade that I use is called St. Lucia (pictured above). Get it here. They have two other shades that I hear also work just as great on different skin tones. I also have very sensitive skin and this powder does not irritate my skin at all.

I will post before and after HAC pictures soon!

Ya'll have a wonderful day and don't let those Victoria's Secret models get ya down--you are beautiful. You have to remember most people in the world do not look like that. I have met some really gorgeous people and the most beautiful people I have ever met look nothing like Victorias Secret models! Beauty comes in all different forms.