$20 Makeup Tag

Hey Beauties! Check out my new video the $20 Makeup Challenge/Tag!

Beauty Secret Weapon - Don't Pay to Wax that Stache

Hello Beauties,

The product I want to talk about was a secret even to me until just recently. After a very unfortunate wax pot incident (no one was injured), I was desperate to wax my mustache. It's embossing I know, we as woman like to take care of these issues and pretend like they were never there. 

As you may know, I am a licensed esthetician and I couldn't fathom paying someone to wax me when I have been doing it myself for years. A while back I witnessed a friend of mine use the following product and I couldn't believe my eyes, who on earth would wax themselves when something they bought at the drug store, it's absolute insanity. But in my desperate state I needed a quick fix, and came across Sally Hansen's Hair Remover Wax Strip Kit for Face.

 

I would normally never recommend any OTC waxing products, I can't tell you how many scorched bikini lines I have seen from microwavable wax products. But these little wax strips are super easy to use, gentle and no microwaving needed.

I paid only $4.99 for 48 strips in three different sizes, and it came with a little bottle of aftercare oil. I honestly can't believe how easy these strips where to use and well they worked. The steps are simple:

1) Warm strip in hands

2) Separate double-sided strips

3) Press on, pull off

A few tips when your waxing, make sure to always pull the skin tight and you want to pull the wax strip against the grain for best results and less pain.

The whole process took less than five minutes. I will for sure be added these bad boys to my make-up kit as well, never again will I be tweezing out a unibrow or trying to cover us a mustache.

If you have used these products before or plan on it, please tell me about it! Happy Waxing!

Love, The Artist

HAULGASM!

Hello darlings!
I got some amazing deals at Big Lots!! If you don't already know they are unloading some awesome Philosophy products that are only $3 each!! Yeah, it's insane! Check it out!

Some other things that they had that I didn't get were some palettes that had eyeshadow, blush and lip color, lip glosses (in a pan form, which I am not a fan of so I didn't get any), eyeshadow duos, and two different retractable brushes. So hurry and run to your nearest Big Lots to snag these amazing deals!!!

Here is a look of the day using some of these products :)

XO-The Addict

Glamazon Spring Collaboration: Citrusy Spring!

Hey lovelies!
So yes I know that citrus is typically summer fruit. But it sure feels like summer, and delicious citrus fruit were my inspiration for the 1st monthly Glamazon, the theme was Spring time and these colors fit just that!
I used my Revlon Colorstay foundation, Coastal Scents 88 Ultra Shimmer Palette, Nuance blush in Apricot, NYX Round lipstick in Haute Melon , Sally Hansen Lip gloss in Flawless , and the new Essence I <3 Extreme Mascara.

I will be linking to the pages of the other wonderful bloggers and vloggers below, as they are submitted. Check them out!


-Robert 
Blog: Makeup Insider
Post: http://www.makeupinsider.net/2012/04/glamazon-collab-spring-inspired-makeup.html


- Britney 
Blog: The Glam Goddess
Post: http://britters89.blogspot.com/2012/04/glamazon-spring-collab.html


- AmyBlog: Polish and SuchPost: http://polishandsuch.blogspot.com/2012/04/glamazon-april-collab-spring-splatter.html 


- Laurie AnnYoutube: Beautymakeupandmore  Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--W19uzdD5k 


- Stephanie LouiseBlog: All things BeautifulPost: http://stephanielouiseatb.blogspot.com/2012/04/glamazon-spring-2012-collab-coral.html


- KeriBlog: Beauty Is My CrushPost: http://beautyismycrush.blogspot.com/2012/04/spring-makeup-collaboration.html


- WendyBlog: LuvLifeBeautyPost:  http://luvlifebeauty.wordpress.com/2012/04/30/2549/


- KerrieBlog: Gorgeous-GlamourPost:  http://www.gorgeousglamblog.com/#!/2012/04/glamazon-spring-collab.html


- Natalie -Blog: Purplestar Makeup Youtube Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=NCu8NGiWbbwPost: http://purplestarmakeup.blogspot.com/2012/04/playful-pastels-glamazon-spring-collab.html


- ThereseBlog: Animal Friendly BeautyPost: http://animalfriendlybeauty-therese.blogspot.com/2012/04/spring-into-summer-with-bh-cosmetics.html





XOXO-The Addict

Battle of the Brands: Tinted Moisturizer

Hello beautiful darlings!
Now that it is spring time and my face is not totally hating me, I've switched over to my tinted moisturizers for a lighter fresher feel with more sheer coverage. I have 3 different TM's and so I thought I might share with you my experience with them and tell you which one I will be using this Spring/Summer. My 3 contenders are:


Aveeno Positively Radiant Tinted Moisturizer with spf 30
It says that it "evens tone & texture with natural looking coverage", now I love Aveeno products but this one is definitely not my favorite. You do get a ton of product and I love that the bottle has a pump. However, my biggest problem is that I have a very hard time getting it to spread evenly. It tends to look very streaky and I feel likes it starts to breakdown badly throughout today giving me a somewhat splotchy appearance. Also, likely because the combination of the spf and my oily skin, I have to set it with a powder in order for me to not look like an oil slick. It's also a little pricey, around $17

Elf Studio Tinted Moisturizer with Spf 20
It claims "This lightweight and hydrating formula is breathable and provides anti-aging sun protection with UVA/UVB SPF 20". This was my go-to TM all last summer, which was before I really knew any better. It is a bit greasy because of the spf, so again, I definitely had to set it with powder. But the application with this is pretty easy and it does offer pretty decent coverage. If you have dry skin or don't mind setting your face with a powder I would definitely recommend this, since it is great bargain for only $3. The price was especially great since my skin color ranges drastically in the summer, and I could get several different shades.

Nuance Salma Hayek Flawless Wear Tinted Moisturizer
The Claim, "Flawless wear. Oil-free, sheer coverage delivers a healthy, radiant glow for all skin types". So I picked up this and a blush trio at CVS recently since it was bogo1/2 off, and I hadn't tried any Nuance products. It does have very sheer coverage, but it does have a way of evening everything out nicely. It has a great finish, not oily or greasy at all. It sets/dries pretty quickly. The only times I've used a powder is if I want more coverage. But alone it feels so comfortable, and makes my skin look and feel very soft. I got the light/medium 250 and it blends in beautifully. At CVS these are $13.99, but it seems like this brand almost always has some kind of sale.

Maybe I am just not a fan of things with spf, but in my mind there is a pretty clear winner here and that is the Nuance by Selma Hayek. It has the most natural and comfortable feel. I'm really surprised that I hadn't heard about it before. Did I mention that at CVS now, they have free mini samples of the TM, it's enough to get a color match which I think is great. 


What do you think? Have you tried any of these? What was your experience? Do you have any other TM's that you love?
XO-The Addict

Green with Envy: Saint Patrick's Day Look

I really wanted to do a funny St. Patty's day tutorial for you guys, but I have been feeling quite under the weather and you do not want to hear my voice (it's like a grizzly bear going through puberty). So instead, I put together this quick and easy look. It seriously only took me about 10 minutes to do my whole face! I achieved this look using some tinted moisturizer, powder, Milani Sunset Beach blush, elf 32 Palette-Cool, elf Metallic Olive cream liner, mascara, and Femme Couture Lipstick in Couture Pink.

I used shade #1 (emerald green) on the lid, shade #2 (very dark sparkly green) in the outer crease and out 3rd of the lower lashline for definition, #3 (antique-ish gold) to blend out the dark crease shade and in the middle 3rd of the lower lashline, and #4 (cream with gold shimmer) on the browbone and inner corner.

Picks of the week!

Hello darlings!
So we just realized me missed the lasts two POTW's. Yeah, we totally suck. So to try and make up for it we'll be doing a double POTW for you! Yay! Oddly enough we both wanted to share with you the blushes that we've been using like crazy :)


The Addicts Pick:
This last weekend I took a very impromptu trip to CA to visit the family, and I literally spent 30 seconds packing my makeup and I only brought one, yes one, blush! But it has got to be one of my favorite blushes, especially for Spring and Summer. It is WnW Pearlescent Pink. It is a very fresh shimmery pink, and it is simply gorgeous. What I love most about the color is that it is super pigmented. If you use a very light hand you can get a nice light flush of color, or you can build it up for a bright pink punch. It's probably the one I reach for the most because it goes well with so many looks.

Retails for $2.99

The Artists Pick:

Lately I have noticed that I reach for the same blush almost every day.  When I want a nice healthy glow that will go well with most any make-up look I find myself going straight to my Elf Studio Blush in Tickled Pink. A lot of the beauty world has talked about this blush being fantastic, because it is. However it doesn’t work great for everyone, Kaci (the Artist) actually has a hard time getting this shade to show up at all against her olive skin tone.

We love Elf here at The Artist and The Addict and this blush is yet another wonderful addition to our favorite products.  Happy Spring Time!

Thanks for reading and be patient with us!

-The Artist and The Addict

Sally Girl Eyeshadows

Hello loves!
Today we are talking about a line that I don't hear about too often; the Sally Girl line from Sally Beauty. It's a shame too, because They're a pretty good quality and VERY inexpensive. If I'm not mistaken, the entire line is only 99 cents! Today I'm going to be sharing just a couple products, which I think might be the best. First we have the single eyeshadows, they are super pigmented and go on so softly. The ones with the wavy texture tend to have a softer/more powdery consistency (think WnW). I have no complaints about staying power, and they have a pretty decent selection. Here are the ones I have:

Taupe, Cinnamon , Cranberry, Brick, Navy 

Taupe (far left) has got to be one of my favorite browbone shades. I also appreciate the fact that the names are very straight forward.

Next we have the Shimmer Stripes. At first I thought, "what a great multi-use product, it could be shadows or  mixed together it could be a bronzer". They are beautiful as eyeshadows, but I definitely would not wear them as a bronzer! As far as I know these do not have specific names other than the numbers on the back, but here the are:

 This is number 388154. Swatches are from botton to top.

 As you can see, these colors are gorgeous, but are more metallic-which you should not put anywhere put your eyes!

And this is all 4 colors mixed together. It actually looked more like a Rosey Copper in person.

And here is number 388152

 Sadly the corner broke a little bit between buying it and getting it home.

 Again, swatched from bottom to top

And all together is a gorgeous gold.

They only thing I would say about these, is that because they have so much shimmer, I would not use the colors together. Perhaps use them with a matte or satin finish shadow or they will start to look muddy.

I hop you guys enjoyed this, now run and go get some!! :) 

XO- The Addict

Happy Valentines Continued!

Happy Saturday Beautys,

Make-up can really say a lot about your expectations this Valentines.
Here are a couple more Valentines looks for you!

This is my base for both looks. elf All over color stick in Apricot, NYX As If Concealer Stick, Joe Blasco Pro Touch Highlight and elf Essentials Eye Lid Primer.

First we have the Sweet Valentine for your new love, a night in or out with the girls.

I used the CS 88 Shimmers pallet, elf liquid black Liner and Prestige My Biggest Lashes, NYX Haute Jersey Bronzer and Blush, Maybelline Baby Lips and WNW Megalast in Think Pink. For the lip I originally used a sheer elf gloss but it didnt show up in the picture to well.

Second we have the Flirty Valentine for your long time love or your party Valentines!

I used the CS 88 Shimmers, the Crease color from WNW Silent Treatment, Sorme Smudgeproof eyeline and Benefit badGAL lashes. elf Studio blush in Tickeled pink and yet again Maybelline Baby Lips and WNW Megalast in Think Pink.

I hope you have a fantastic and lovely Valentines with your ever you love!

Love, The Artist

Vampy Valentines Day Tutorial!

Hello gorgeous people!
Here's a valentines day makeup tutorial for you lovely ladies! I've seen so many light, pink, day time looks for V-day. I wanted to do something a little different. I think this is a great look for night time dates, it's romantic and sexy :) I hope you enjoy!

Oh No They Didn't!

Hey Everyone!
Today I am excite to bring you my least favorite products of the last year, entitled Oh No They Didn't! I hope you enjoy!

XO-The Addict

Olay ProX Clear Review

Hello Everyone,


I have had problems with my adult acne since I was 19 and somehow I managed to have no acne when I was a teenager. I have tried a ton of acne products and they never fail to completely dry out my skin to the point that my face is peeling, burning red and sensitive. They are to abrasive and drying. Now being an eshetician I know I can go to a spa and get cosmetic peels and I wouldn't have any acne. So what's the problem? Cosmetic peels are expensive and they hurt and you have down time. So I am always on the look out for something affordable and gentle yet it still needs to work.


When I saw the advertisements for Olay ProX Clear I was instantly intrigued. They claim to clear acne and hydrate the skin, is it possible? I had to find out.

The Acne protocol is a three step process: First wash your face with the Acne Pore Clarifying Cleanser and pat dry. Second apply a thin lAYer of the Acne Skin Clearing Treatment, and Finally apply the Complexion Renewing Lotion all over.

First Impression: I said in the beginning that I want something affordable, well I don't believe $45.00 is very affordable but I have seen worse. Each of the three products in the basic acne protocol box is very creamy, silky and gentle. Texture gets an A. The third step, renewing cream, does have a slight burn on blemishes (which I like, I want to feel the products working). A few days into it I did start breaking out, I know that if a product is really working it will bring everything to the service and then clear up, so I wasn't discouraged.


A Week In: My skin is starting to clear up, it doesn't feel dry and isn't flaky. So far so good.


A Month In: Well... sadly I am less than impressed. I am back to breaking out, quite possibly worse then before I started using it. I have tons of bumps and lumps where there shouldn't be and my black heads are out of control. Also, my skin has become extremely sensitive and I am completely unable to exfoliate. 


Over all I am so disappointed with this product, I admit that my expectations may have been high, but I honestly feel like my skin is worse off then when I started. I wont be re-buying and I am discontinuing using this system.


Super Sad - The Artist 

The Bucket Project!

Hello darlings!
As of today I am embarking on an epic journey...to finish a small bucket full of makeup before I can buy any more! I have literally run out of room for my fast growing collection. I hope to keep you updated on my progress weekly or biweekly. To learn what products I want to use up and why check out my video.

Did you know that we are having a giveaway when our facebook page gets to 100 likes?? We just need 15 more so check us out! https://www.facebook.com/artistandaddict

XOXO-The Addict

Pick of the week!

Hello lovelies!
So I have been trying to grow out my eyebrows, and it has been a bit of a struggle. I always used to over tweeze, so now that I'm trying to grow them out they are coming in a little patchy. My brows have holes! I also have scar through my eyebrow that looks much more prominent now that they are thicker. So I realized I need to start filling them in. I already had some brow kits/pencils but they just weren't working out; mostly because they are too dark (which is great when doing dramatic makeup, not so great when going for a natural look). So, while at my local Walgreens a couple weeks ago ago I decided to peruse the Jordana section. There I saw that they had new FabuBrow eyebrow pencils. They have 3 colors Taupe, Medium Brown, and Dark Brown.

Source

I have been using this pencil just about every day. I love it! I goes on very easily, the color is very natural, and the brush on the cap helps the brush the hairs into place to give you a very perfected look. The color worked so well for me; dark enough to match my natural brows, but not so dark that I look like a Disney villain. Best part? This bad boy is only $2.99! 

Benefit Big 10

Hello all!
Right before I left CA on Black Friday, I stopped by the mall and picked up this neat little set at Sephora. This is the description of the set according to the Sephora website:

What it is:
A travel-size set of 10 small wonders that pack a big punch.

What it does:
This set includes the biggest hits of the season: primers, concealers, lip-and-cheek tints, highlighters, and blushes. This set packs all the Benefit legends you love in conveniently compact sizes.

This set contains:
- 0.1 oz Dandelion (soft pink)
- 0.11 oz Erase Paste in No. 2 Medium *
- 0.08 oz Benetint (rose)
- 0.08 oz High Beam (luminous pink)
- 0.08 oz Posietint (poppy pink)
- 0.08 oz Ooh La Lift
- 0.08 oz Stay Don't Stray
- 0.25 oz That Gal
- 0.25 oz The Porefessional
- 0.1 oz Bella Bamba (watermelon pink)

I could not pass up the chance to try 10 Benefit products that I had never tried before with a price tag of just $32! So after using these products quite a bit here is how I feel about them:

Dandelion (Brightening Face Powder/Blush)- This is nice to top off your look, it gives it a bit of lightness/freshness by adding a little bit of dimension. It's a very light shimmery pressed powder. Some reviews I've read say this is a great blush, and perhaps it is for fair skin tones, but it comes off very sheer on me.

Erase Paste No. 2 Medium (cream concealer)- This is a nice slightly peachy concealer. It has great coverage for both blemishes and undereyes. I did not find that it settled in any of my fine lines and it did not make my blemishes worse. It's very creamy, so I think this would be especially great for those with dry skin/under eye area


Benetint (liquid face color for cheeks & lips)- I am not a huge fan of this product. I didn't find it to be very blendable, and it seemed to make my face makeup smear and look streaky. 


High Beam (liquid highlight)- This is a super shimmery pink tinted liquid highlighter. It's great in moderation. I suggest putting in on the back of your hand first and not applying it directly to the face, or you might look a bit crazy.

Posietint (liquid face color for cheeks & lips)- I had the same issues with this as I did the benetint, with the added disappointment that the color barely shows up on my skin.

Ooh La Lift (under eye brightener-liquid)-I do like the brightness that this gives to the area under my eyes. It makes my face look fresher and more awake. However, when I dabbed this on over my erase paste and powder it made everything wet and smeared a bit.


Stay Don't Stray (eyelid primer)-Good eye primer, as long as you remember less is more. The first few times I tried this I think I too much and I was crease city within an hour. When I used less, it did increase the staying power of my eyeshadow. However, I don't feel it's any better than my $1 elf primer.


That Gal (face primer)- I liked this product in theory. It's a face primer that is supposed give a subtle glow under your makeup. Maybe it's a little too subtle, because once I put my face on I did not feel that there was a noticeable difference. And as a primer, I think the next product does a much better job.


The Porefessional (face primer)- This is probably my favorite product of the bunch. It is a beige colored primer that is supposed to reduce the look of pores. I do feel like it fills them in nicely and gives your face an amazing satiny feeling. I also feel like it did help to keep my makeup on all day.


Bella Bamba (blush)- This is a very gorgeous watermelon colored blush. I think it would work with many different skin tones. It is very pigmented so just remember to use a light hand.


Overall I'd give this set a 7/10. This really is a fantastic deal, you get 10 mini products for only $32. You are getting a variety of products with enough of each to get a good idea of whether or not you would want to purchase the full size. I bought this 2 months ago, and I'm not even close to finishing them. I will continue to play with these, but if you have an idea of way to use these that I have not yet though of (especially the Benetint & Posietint) please let me know, as I would love to be able to actually use these up.

XO-The Addict

Pick of The Week

Happy Tuesday!

This Week I have chosen elf's Zit Zapper! This $1.00 gem is surprisingly awesome. If you don't know already this is a roller ball acne spot treatment. I have been using it for about a month now and when ever I feel a zit starting I roll some Zit Zapper on it and it hasn't failed to bring that zit to the surface the same day. After I pop anything I like to add a dab and it zaps the zit away. When I purchased this, I honestly didn't think it would do anything, but it has been a great addition to acne system. So simple and easy to use.

Have a good skin day!
-The Artist

Review-NYX Haute Jersey Leopard Couture

Hello Lovelys!

Today I bring you the NYX Haute Jersey Leopard Couture. I wanted this the moment I heard it was coming out and not for the reasons you might think. I don't wear a lot of bronzer because I am super pale and I don't ever have a traditional black smoky eye. I am however obsessed with the Style Network Show Jerseylicious. My Boyfriend (Hes going to kill me for writing this on the internet) and I watch it religiously. We can't get enough of that Jersey style and all of the characters.

When I started swatching this pallet I was actually very pleasantly surprised, I LOVE the colors. The only thing I wont get a lot of use out of is the Bronzers, which I expected.

Over all I really love this set and I think there is something for everyone in it.  All of the colors are highly pigmented, smooth and silky to the touch and have the quality you expect from NYX.

Above: My Haute Jersey Look (Toned down of course) I used the Leopard Bronzer under my cheek bones on my temples and a little all over. The Bright Pink Blush (Very little was needed), The Nude lip gloss and on my eyes I used four shades, two of the purples from the top on my crease and the only highlight color under the brow, and a mocha shade on the base of my lid from the bottom set.

If you have any questions please let me know!

Until next time - The Artist

Post Holiday Haul

Hello Everyone!


Did you get everything on your list this year? Well I decided to treat myself with my much deserved Christmas gift cards. Here's what I got!

Top: Nyx Haute Jersey Pallet, Nyx Jumbo Eye Pencil in Slate, Prestige my BIGGEST lashes, Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion, Nyx As If Consealer Stick, Nyx Eyebrow Cake Powder In Blonde and Nyx For Green Color Eyes 10 shade pallet.

All elf: Waterproof Eyeliner Pen in Black and Coffee, Studio Mineral Infused Mascara, Essentials Eyelid Primer, Studio Stipple Brush, Custom Eyes Compact with Colors Periwinkle, Navy, Wisteria and Sage, and lastly Studio Warm Bronzer. 

If you would like a review on anything you see here or just want my opinion please let me know.
- The Artist

Full Face Routine Plus Purple Smokey Eyes

Hey everyone!
Today I wanted to film my foundation routine, but then I decided to do a whole look for you since I had to get ready for the day anyway. So I split it into 3 parts that I hope will be helpful for you all.

Part one is my foundation routine, this is essentially what I do anytime I wear liquid foundation:

The second part is how I contour and highlight:

And the last is a purple smokey eye tutorial:

I really hope you guys enjoy these videos! I certainly had fun doing them!

Drugstore Haul!

Hope you guys like it!
XO-The Addict