Lashes make everything better.

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Happy Thursday friends! Lately I have been looking at the idea of getting lash extensions. My lashes have always been thin and not all that dark. I look back at events where I had falsies put on and am just dying to have something like that again. You're probably thinking...just buy strip lashes and put them on yourself. Well, I'm just not that coordinated.

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However, I have some tried and true products I like to use to help my lashes out. Fake it till you make it right?! I have used fibers before and they were good then, but nowadays, I'd just rather not fool around with them. Here are some of my favorite mascaras, primers, and lash growth serums I like to use. I prefer a waxier mascara because it builds better on my fine lashes. I've added my favorite products below to scroll through.

What are you using/have used that you love?!

xoxo,
Haley

Color Correcting

Happy Monday. Did everyone make it through the first week of 2017? 2017 seemed to greet everyone with an arctic blast to the face. BRR! Even in Texas we got some cold air. Dallas even saw  a bit of snow.

Today I wanted to share about color correcting makeup. I am sure all of us have parts on our face that we don't particularly like and don't cover up well even with concealer sometimes. I had gotten a color correcting sample from Sephora some months ago and loved it. It came with a green and a peach. The peach became my life saver because it helps to conceal dark spots. My skin scars very easily and my under eye has lots of blue tone to it. I use this color correcting fluid and it really works wonders. It is pricey but this isn't something you should be covering your face in. You should only be dotting it around in target areas.

I usually start with my primer, then dot this in where I need it and let it dry completely before I start on the rest of my make up. It really does help correct those pesky areas that we women so frequently fight to hide. Below is a list to show you what the different colors help to do.

Do any of y'all color correct? Or do you have perfect skin? HEHE! If you do, hats off to you ladies!! Hope everyone has had a great start to their resolutions this year!

xoxo,
Haley

Beautycounter for Target: Cleansing Balm

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Happy Halloween! I wanted to share with y'all a product that I picked up at Target and have been using for quite some time now. It is the Beautycounter for Target. If you don't know what Beautycounter is, it is a skincare & cosmetic line that uses only safe ingredients in their products.

The United States has not passed a major federal law to regulate the safety of ingredients used in personal care products since 1938. Over the past two decades, the European Union has banned more than 1,300 chemicals in the product formulas of personal care products and restricted the levels of over 250 more in such products. The United States has only partially banned 11 to date. -Beautycounter

To put it into perspective, these chemicals that are being put in soaps, cleansers, make up, etc are known to cause problems such as cancers or infertility. REAL STUFF LADIES!!

I will be the first to admit that I have not thrown out all my "bad makeup" or "soaps." But being knowledgeable about what we are putting on our skin & lips (hello lipstick + food = ingestion) is better for future purchases. I think what Beautycounter is doing is very cool.

They recently released a line to Target showcasing some of their skincare & a few beauty products. I have heard that if you do not take off your makeup prior to getting in the shower and washing your face, it's like getting in the shower with your clothes on & suds-ing up.

With that being said, I picked up the Cleansing Balm. It comes with a muslin cloth. Essentially, you take a little bit onto your fingers and rub all over your face. It literally melts off ALL your make up. Once I have loosened everything up, run the cloth under warm water and wipe my face and eyes down. Consider it a "pre-wash" if you will. I then follow up with my cleanser.

I will not lie and say this line isn't pricey; the cleansing balm has definitely won me over. But trying it through Target first has been a nice way to ease into it. You can check it out in your local Target or double check online to see which store may still have it in stock. You can also visit www.beautycounter.com to buy directly from their site & learn a bit more.

xoxo,
Haley

Make Up Brushes - How & When to Clean

Good Morning friends! It is COOL this morning in Texas and I have the sliding glass door open, a hot cup of coffee, and a SWEATSHIRT on. I was being a real pill this weekend and was so over the heat...even though it had cooled off to 80. I told B to ship me to the mountains as soon as possible. He just laughed at me because I am crazy. But really, I'm not. Girl needs her Fall weather. Anyways, I thought today I would share with y'all a little helper when it comes to cleaning your make up brushes.

Who hates it?? RAISE YOUR HAND. I know you do. Like seriously, it's so annoying and takes forever especially when you have oh say, a mess of 15 brushes that ALL need cleaning. Oh and don't forget your beauty blender. That little sponge holds everything. So, below is how I felt before I got my make up brush cleaning helper as I like to call it.

Bottom line, if you aren't cleaning your brushes, they are going to get filled with germs, oil, dead skin, etc etc and guess what ladies, that's what causes breakouts. Also, your brushes can't do the job they're supposed to if they are caked with other make up residue. I received this from my mom last year as a Christmas gift and I loooooove it. It makes cleaning your brushes so easy.

It has a "face" side and an "eye" side. I love that you can slide it on and rub your brushes clean on it. It also comes with a "towel hand" to help you squeeze those bristles & reshape for them to dry.

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I use Dawn Ultra Dish washing Liquid to clean my brushes because I think it really helps to remove all the oils that your bristles hold on to. Sephora & Ulta also sell soaps you can use that are "brush cleaners," but I just use Dawn because it's gentle enough & a little goes a long way. Plus, you can't beat like $3 for this.

As far as cleaning my beauty blender, I will take a cup of hot water and the Dawn, and put my blender in it and squeeze a few times so it absorbs the hot soapy water. I will leave it either for a couple hours or overnight depending on when I do it. Y'all it is amazing to me how dirty that water gets with the foundation and concealer it holds. I will squeeze a few times while it's sitting in that soapy water. Once its been in there soaking, I will gently scrub it against the mit to really work out the rest of the makeup. Run it under warm water, squeeze until all the suds are gone, and then let it air dry.

For concealer and foundation brushes, at least once a week to prevent a buildup of product. And because these brushes are used on your face, the cleaner, the better. Brushes that are used around the eyes should be cleaned at least twice a month, while all others can be washed once a month. -Bobbi Brown

Hopefully these tips make cleaning your brushes easier, less stressful, and dreaded a tad less. It is a chore but to keep your brushes (& your face) in tip top shape, you have to clean 'em!!

Happy Monday Y'all!!

xoxo,
Haley