Nyx Butter Gloss

I got these three NYX butter gloss in my recent nyx haul and this was the first time trying them and let me just tell you that I am in LOVE with them.

Overall Rating: 5/5

 These get such a good rating from me because they are ultra moisturizing, glossy, they smell delicious,and the color pay off is pretty great too. I did notice that with the first two lighter shades I had to apply a few coats to get the color I expected from the bottle, but I didn't mind that too much. With the darker shade I got, it only took one or two coats to get to the true color, so I was impressed.

 They also work well to add on too of another lipstick color to change it up a bit, and I liked that a lot. 

Now back to the moisturizing, which is HUGE for me, anytime of the year, but especially winter. These bad boys made my lips SOOO soft -- far after the gloss had been removed, so I am thrilled! 

And at only $5 a piece, you can afford to get as many colors as you'd like! 

Completely obsessed. 

The colors here are 

1st Maple Blondie, 2nd  Eclair and 3rd Strawberry Parfait.

Gold Smokey Eye

Here is the tutorial for the makeup look I posted on Instagram and Facebook earlier today. If you have any questions in regards to any of it, feel free to let me know! I love feedback! :)

I started with Smashbox Photo Finish Lid Primer. I just got this the other day, so this was the first look I have used it with, but so far so good. I will do a product review on this product another day.

 If you don't have some kind of eyeshadow primer, I would highly suggest looking into getting some. There are some really great products out there. If you are on a budget, I would try the e.l.f.  eyeshadow primer. it works decent enough, or  I also love to use, NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in 'Milk', and I believe this is only around five dollars. 

With this look I used only these four colors from the Lorac Pro Palette. I love this palette. It's super versatile and it allows you to create A LOT of looks from one palette. Its definitely worth investing in. The shadows are super creamy and really pigmented! 

Starting with #1, which is the color 'Nude' you will focus most of this color on the inner corner of the eye (tear duct area) and under the brow for a highlight. 

Next take #2, which is 'Gold' and apply to the base of the eyelid.

#3, which is 'Garnet' you will apply this to the crease area, and blend blend blend. 

#4, take the color 'Espresso' and apply it to the outer corner of the eye and blend inward, blending into the other two colors. 

I then took MAC Fluidline Gel and lined above and below the lashes. Then take an angled bush and using the color 'Gold' again blend the liner with the shadow for the gold smokey look under the bottom lashes. 

I used these Ardell Demi Wispies, with a little bit of mascara on my natural lashes to blend them together. 

Blush I used: Too Faced, Papa Don't Peach 

Bronzer: Too Faced Chocolate Soliel. Which is my favorite and you will see me use it all the time.

Lastly Lips: I used Nyx Lipstick in 'Power' which comes off as a really pretty lilac-y purple. I really love Nyx lipsticks, they are super soft, smooth, and moisturizing.

 And to finish my looks off I have been using and LOVING this NYX Illuminator in 'Narcissistic'.  It gives a really pretty dewey, glowing highlight. I add this to the to the side of my cheek bones, bridge of my nose, and above the cupids bow. 

And there you have it!  Let me know what you think about this look! 

xoxo,

shannon

5 Minute-5 Product Face

Being a super busy mom of two crazy boys, I know what its like some days to have NO time to get all glammed up, but that doesn't mean we don't want or shouldn't look presentable, does it? I know we have all been there! Even if you aren't a mom, I know at some point your iPhone alarm somehow didn't go off and you slept in too long, or you have gotten that phone call that you need to be somewhere asap, but you look like you've been living in a cave for the last year. (Or maybe that last part is just me, I don't know), but the point is.... I get it! 

That's why on the days when I have no time to get ready, or the days where I just don't feel like spending a lot of time, these are the five products I use to get ready in five minutes. (Assuming you've already showered, of course.)  But yes you read that right, only FIVE minutes, and I'm not kidding. I timed myself, so I could be sure I wasn't lying to you all. ;) 

So basically all you have to do is slap on these products and you are ready to walk out the door. 

1st: Garnier BB Cream. This stuff is a DREAM. I am telling you. I pretty much can't live without it, especially when I am doing a five minute face. As I am sure most of you know, BB stands for 'Beauty Balm'. It acts like a moisturizer, primer, sunscreen, (which you now know is a MUST, right?) concealer and foundation. It really is all of these amazing functions wrapped up into one nice, neat little bottle. Great right?

2nd: NYX Powder Blush: This is a DEFINITE must when you use the BB cream because the cream works so well in blurring out imperfections, that you NEED to add a little dimension. So I add some blush to the apples of my cheeks to add some life back into my face. The color I used on my face was, 'Summer Peach'. 

3rd. This is E.L.F.'s  Eyebrow Kit, and I actually really love this, especially for it being something like two or three bucks. Now, I have to do some kind of filling in of my eyebrows no matter what or else I just feel like a freak of nature. This product is not only great, but multi-functional because I ended up using the powder on the right as a little bit of eyeshadow so my eyes didn't look so dull, as well as a bit of bronzer on my cheeks. I also used the gel part as an eyeliner for my eyelids, AND filled in my eyebrows with it! BAM! Quadruple threat right there!

4th: Too Faced Lash Injection Mascara. Now you don't have to use this particular mascara, I just used it because I love the stuff. This mascara really is like injecting your eyelashes with falsies. Its amazing, but any mascara will do for the 5 minute face.

5th: Lastly but definitely not least, NYX Butter Lip Balm. This stuff is AMAZING. This lip balm is super moisturizing and has the perfect hint of color added to it. The lip balm comes in 8 different shades, all of which are beautiful but the color I used is 'Macaron'. 

So there you have it! The worlds easiest and fastest makeup look EVER! What do you think? Would this work for you when you are in a rush, or just as an easy makeup look? Let me know! 

xoxo

Shannon

Follow me on Instagram for my {almost} Daily Makeup Looks

2 Products That Will {REALLY} Help Your THIN hair.

 I met with a Sales Distributor for Sebastian a few months ago and when he told me about the product "Thickefy Foam" he went on and on about how amazing it was, and told me that it makes one strand of hair feel like three strands.

 Now let me tell you that if you don't already know me, I am the BIGGEST skeptic of pretty much everything, but especially big promises like that. I knew immediately who I needed to try it on one of the people I love the most, and one of the people who without TONS of products has the flattest, baby fine hair I know-- my MOM! Bless her heart. :) She has always had to use a lot of product to get any kind of volume in her hair, but when we tried this on her it was seriously like magic! 

It added so much volume and life to her hair. I was amazed. I used this in conjunction with this product, Redken Thickening Lotion. 

The Combo of the two products are what sealed the deal for us. If you decide to use them together, PLEASE be careful with your portion control. Like I always say, start small. You can always add more but you cannot subtract. You don't want your hair to feel weighed down with product. BUT the glorious thing about both of these products, but ESPECIALLY the Sebastian production is that it feels COMPLETELY weightless. And I truly mean that when I say it. 

As a stylist that is my biggest qualm when it comes to using product in my hair and my clients. I HATE HATE HATE when product makes the hair feel weighed down, sticky and or filmy, and I am happy to say that these don't. 

When you use these products you will pump about a nickel to quarter sized amount into your hands (depending on hair length) and work throughout your damp hair. Blow dry with a round brush, putting a lot of focus on the base of the hair near the scalp. And when you are finished you WILL be amazed. I went on and on about my moms hair. I kept pulling it back putting all of it in my hands and couldn't believe how much hair it felt like she had. Needless to say she has been pleased as well.

Here is the before and after picture of my mom. Bless her heart for letting me post this! Love her.

Let me know if you beauties have tried either of these products, and if you haven't yet, if you do in the future! I love comments and feedback so let me know! I hope this helps some of you out there with flat hair. I know it surely helped my mom feel beautiful! 

xoxo

Shannon

Before/After

Hey Beauties.

Its super late right now, and I should be in bed, but I just wanted to post a quick 'before and after' of a sweet friend. (who has now moved far far away. {tear}) Kind of like ALL of the law student friends I have made here. Anyway, I wish I would've snapped more photos because I literally had my camera and got one "before" and one "after" picture, so here you have it! We went for a natural, but full coverage look for her flawless face. I only like to cover freckles if they are requested by the client, because like I have said before I love to let peoples natural beauty shine through, and natural beauty =  freckles, but if the client wants them covered then I am happy to make her happy! 

I just love makeup! Isn't it amazing how much more open you make make the eye appear with some mascara and eyeliner! Ahhmazing, right?! 

And I have to apologize, I don't have all of the makeup details for this look, since we did this makeover clear last year in like September or something.

Did you hear about Bill McElligott?

Did you know that approximately 80-85% of the symptoms of aging is caused by the damaging effects of the sun? When I first learned this I was shocked! I thought that it was obviously genetic and then maybe a little bit of the sun, but I had NO idea it was that much! I want to share with you a story that was on CNN. Some of you may have seen or heard about this, but it's the perfect example of the effects of UVA and UVB rays. 

Now look closely at this mans face. As you can see on the right (his right) he has what looks like normal aging going on, but on the left, you can tell that he has A LOT more wrinkles going on, a lot more sagging in his skin, etc. This man was a truck driver for 28 years, and the left side of his face was constantly exposed to the window, which does not filter out the UVA rays for all your commuters out there, and he admits he never wore sunscreen. In the article it says that he never thought anything about it until his grandchildren would ask him why the sides of his face looked so different. It was then he decided to see a doctor. 

"This man's face is possibly the most compelling argument for wearing sunscreen. Every day, all day, and lots of it.

Truck driver Bill McElligott, 69, has unilateral dermatoheliosis, according to The New England Journal of Medicine. Essentially, ultraviolet A (UVA) rays transmitted through the window of his delivery truck have severely damaged the skin on the left side of his face during the 28 years he has spent driving on the job.

As a result, the left side of McElligott's face looks roughly 20 years older than the right, the Toronto Star reports. The difference between the two sides of his face is so pronounced, even medical experts were shocked."

source found here

This to me is undeniable. People, please wear sunscreen an stay out of the tanning beds! Luckily, these days, most moisturizers and even foundations will have some kind of sunscreen in them, but some may not, so when you are out purchasing new products  please read the labels! Make sure you are being protected.

 Here are a few tips on how to keep your face looking fresh, and how to age as gracefully as possible. 

{Because we don't want to end up having to get plastic surgery and looking like the new species that is going on in Beverly Hills, now do we? } 

Like this 

Source: Google Images

Tip 1: Avoid deliberate exposure to the sun, and when you are exposed get sunscreen that blocks UVA and UVB rays, with a SPF of at least 15. And just so you know the suns UV exposure is at its peak between 10am and 3pm, so cover up!  

Tip 2: Apply sunscreen at least 30 minutes BEFORE sun exposure. Not 30 minutes after being out in the sun. At that point the skin is more likely to be inflamed and irritated by the chemical in the sunscreen when its applied after being exposed. 

Tip 3: DO NOT SMOKE. It's a simple as that. Just don't do it. I think we have all heard that run down of why smoking is bad for you, so I dont need to get into it. 

Tip 4: Try to de-stress when possible. Stress can cause biochemical changes that can lead to tissue damage (aging).

Tip 5: Eat healthy and drink a lot of water! If you aren't eating healthy your body is being deprived of the proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, and minerals that are necessary to maintain healthy skin. 

Lastly try and follow a good skin care routine. Wash your face daily, and gently exfoliate to remove any dead skin cells and all of the nasty pollutants that your face comes in contact with on a daily basis. 

I hope this has inspired any of you who perhaps may not wear sunscreen to please do so! Do it for your skin! :) 

Until next time beauties. xoxo