A Lipstick Girl in a Gloss World

It's true.  I am a lipstick girl in a gloss world and my collection is quite extensive.  I carry all of them with me, in my purse, in a clear make up pouch.  This usually makes people laugh a little but the truth is I never really know what kind of lipstick mood I am in.  I love the rich color of lipstick and finished, polished look it gives and re-applying it throughout the day helps to make me feel fresh and pulled together.

Here is a sampling of my collection - as you can tell, I'm not brand loyal either! :)

Lately I've been playing favorites!  Here are my go-to lip colors.

Maraschino Cherry by MAKE is my favorite red.  I got this little sample in my Birchbox and this sample is lasting me quite a while.  This color stays on for a long time.  It's the perfect shade of red for me!

Sassy Mauve by REVLON is a color I wear day to day.  At first I wasn't sure if I liked it but it goes with nearly everything.  The lipstick itself feels soft on my lips and lasts quite a while.

Pink Quartz by MAYBELLINE is a great pink color and one that is easy to mix with any other lip color.  It doesn't have quite the lasting power of the other two but I still love it.

Caribbean Kiss by LAURA GELLER is another lipstick I got in a Birchbox.  This lipstick is actually two colors.  One side is a bronze color and the other is pink.  Because it's two-in-one you can get a soft subtle look or a bold look depending on how you apply it.  

When I want to freshen up or extend my lipstick wear I add this clear gloss lip shine by CO Bigelow.  It works like a charm and acts click a chap stick.  You can grab this one at Bath and Body Works. 

This is my color of choice today.  Even though I'm working from home, I still put on a little lipstick! :)

I'm still on the hunt for the perfect wedding day lip color.  I'm looking for a pink that is not too bright and not too dark.  Any suggestions?!

Red Lips, Yes Please!

Happy Valentine's Day!! Do you have any special plans?!

So, did anyone else notice all of the beautiful ladies at the Grammy's that had red lips?!  I must say, I was a big fan! In the spirit of Valentine's Day and because my Mary Kay Consultant gave me a travel size red lip-gloss, I thought I would try out red lips for myself!

Actually smiling is a lot easier than "smiling with your eyes" like I was trying to do in the first picture so you could see my lips! 

Shirt: Kohls (similar)

Earrings: Target

My red of choice is actually a gloss -NouriShine Lip Gloss in Rock 'N' Red.  There is also a darker shade called Red Passion that is also a Shimmer gloss.  I have not tried a red lip stick - any suggestions?!  What I do like about this lip gloss is that is actually stains your lips so that re-applying is easy-peasy!

The trick to wear red well is to moisturize your lips, apply a tick, even coat and get into the corners of your lips.  Click here for a great video tutorial for a classic red lip from a Des Moines, Iowa salon.

My Daily Makeup Routine

I would be liar if I said it didn't take me forever to get ready in the morning (or anytime really)... just ask my fiance! :)   To be more timely and productive per my new years theme, I decided I needed to make a few changes to my daily routine - starting with a simplified makeup routine.  I've eliminated bronzer, highlighter and minimized my eye shadow pallet to only one neutral color.  I've decided to save the extras for the special or important events.

Here is a look my favorite daily makeup products.

1// Mary Kay Luminous wear foundation

2// Covergirl Cheekers blush in Pretty Peach 150 (drug stores)

3// Covergirl Eye Enhancers eye shadow in Champagne 710 (drug stores)

4// CO Bigelow Mentha Lip Shine (You can find it at Bath & Body too)

5// Mary Kay Ultimate Mascara in black

6// Gel Eyeliner (You can use any eyeliner, I prefer Mary Kay, but they may not sell it anymore)

I prefer the gel eyeliner for my every day look because it looks more polished than pencil liner but pencil liner might quicker yet.  The Mentha Lip Shine is also an awesome fill-in as a chapstick!

I apply my makeup in that general order with the exception of putting on eyeliner before mascara.

I hope you enjoyed this quick little post.  Let me know what your everyday makeup products are, I might want to check them out! :)

I'm linking up today for YOLO Mondays!

Easy Eye Makeup, An After Photo & A Giveaway!

I love to experiment with eye color! I usually stay in my comfort zone of neutrals but at the Mary Kay color session I attended, I learned I could experiment with neutrals and make them just a little more daring!

Based on what I learned, I am going to share three steps to easy eye makeup!

First things first though.  In order to have great eye makeup, I highly recommend eye primer!

Can you tell a difference?!  Eye primer does two things; first, it makes your color more vibrant.  Second, it makes your color last all day.  (And in my case, my eye makeup was prefect the next day too since I didn't wash my face before I went to bed.... ooops!)

Here are the neutrals I experimented with. I used a combination of shimmer shadows with a matte shadow to give a balanced look.

Step 1 |  Apply lightest color, moonstone, all over your eyelid - eyebrow to lash line.

Step 2|  Apply the medium shade of color, chocolate kiss.  This is where you can start to get more daring.  When you apply your darker shades, think about applying them in "shapes." With chocolate kiss, I applied it by making the shape of a square from the center to the outside of my eye and from my brow bone to my lash line.

Step 2 | I applied the third and darkest eye shadow, Espresso, last.  I applied this color in the "shape" of a 7.  Kind of like drawing a triangle without filling it in...

Here is what it looked like when it was done!

A couple of keys to consider to applying eye shadow.  First, brushes are essential in being able to have great eye makeup, plus they make application a lot easier!  Second, if you start out light, you can always add more and go darker.  Finally, if you start out dark, you can always blend it out or add your base color to lighten the color.

The final steps are eye liner and mascara.

When applying eye liner you have a lot of choices - pencil, mineral eye shadow, liquid liner or gel.  I used gel eyeliner for the first time during this session and it is my new love!

Eyeliner should extend across your top lash line. (Nice face, huh?!)

And if you are wearing dark makeup like I am, it should only extend 1/3 to 1/2 of your bottom lash line.

Don't you just love how perfect this gel eyeliner looks?  Perfectly straight and smooth!

I didn't get a picture of applying mascara but that is pretty self explanatory! :)  I will mention my favorite mascara to you and that is the Mary Kay Ultimate Mascara!  It makes your lashes look perfectly thick and long!

After all of these steps, here is my "after" picture.  I know, it's a little random but I was messing around because I couldn't get good light, Adam wasn't around, and I don't have a remote for my camera yet.  But, this is the best "after" picture that I have! :)

I loved my makeup and felt very confident wearing it!  Thanks to Kenzie, my Mary Kay consultant, for hosting this great color session! :)  I hope you've enjoyed these posts!

Here is a list of products I used in this post:

Eye Primer

Mineral Eye Colors: Moonstone, Chocolate Kiss, Espresso

Gel Eyeliner (limited edition)

Ultimate Mascara

Mary Kay Brush Collection

Giveaway!!

As a special conclusion to this series on makeup tips we are giving away a Mary Kay Ultimate Mascara to one of you lucky readers!! :)  It's at the top of my Mary Kay favorite list!

Here's how to enter:

1. Leave a comment to tell us what your greatest makeup challenge or splurge is! (+1 entry)

2. Become a follower via GFC. (+1 entry, leave a comment)

3. "Like" Design Your Dwelling on Facebook (+1 entry, leave a comment)

4. "Like" Kenzie's Mary Kay Facebook page (+1 entry, leave a comment)

Giveaway closes Thursday and the winner will be announced on Friday, December 7!

Specials ONLY for Design Your Dwelling readers - that's you! :)

DYD READER SPECIAL:  10% off your total purchase, use the DYD as your promo code. www.marykay.com/kenz.kral

FREE SHIPPING:  Automatic free shipping on orders of $20 or more!

*You wont see the discount when it's it your basket, Kenzie will apply it for you,make sure to use the promo codes.
**Orders need to be placed via the website and paid with debit or credit

Makeup Tip: Eyebrows

This makeup tip will rock your world!  Shaping your eyebrows is super easy and makes a huge impact on your finished look! All you need is the right color of eye shadow and an eyeliner/eye shadow brush.

Here are the guidelines for selecting the right eye shadow to shape your brows.

Here's how you shape your brows

Your brows show extend across the entire length of your eye.

Point 1 is where your brow should start on the inside of your yet.
Point 2 is the arch in your brow.  This should be over the center of your eye and should be the highest point.
Point 3 is where your brow should end, the outside of your eye.

In my case, I use Hazelnut and primarily need to fill in from the arch of my brow to the outside of my eye.  I actually need to extend my brows just a little bit because they get pretty light on the outside.

And your done!  Super easy with an instant difference!!

Here is what you need with links to the products!

Blonde Brow Pencil

MK Mineral Eye Color - Espresso

MK Mineral Eye Shadow - Hazelnut

MK Brush Collection

Mary Kay Specials ONLY for Design Your Dwelling readers! :)

DYD READER SPECIAL:  10% off your total purchase, use the DYD as your promo code. www.marykay.com/kenz.kral

FREE SHIPPING:  Automatic free shipping on orders of $20 or more!

*You wont see the discount when it's it your basket, Kenzie will apply it for you,make sure to use the promo codes.
**Orders need to be placed via the website and paid with debit or credit

Makeup Tip: Contouring, Highlighting & Blush

Did you know that the most appealing face-shape to look at is oval?  Neither did I until I learned about contouring and highlighting. No wonder Carrie Underwood is so dang beautiful!

The shape of your face doesn't really matter, you're still beautiful! :)

To create the illusion of an oval-shaped face you can contour and highlight, which isn't as hard as you might think it is - I'll share the "how-to."

What you need to contour and highlight: 

MK Mineral Powder Foundation \\ Mineral Highlighting Powder \\ Mary Kay Brush Collection

Contouring

Contouring makes your face look thinner by shading the outer areas of your face. Keep in mind that dark pushes in so to contour you should use a mineral powder that is a half shade darker than your foundation.

Remember I said that an oval-shaped face is the most appealing to look at?  The best way to determine where to contour is to create an oval shape with your hands on your face.

My face-shape is more square and I have a very distinct jaw line, so I need to contour, or shade, the area of my face that are outside of the oval.  This will be different for everyone so make sure to visualize the oval shape on your face.

Everything behind the arrow is shaded in with Mary Kay Mineral Powder Foundation because that is the area outside of the oval.

Remember, dark pushes in, making your face look thinner.  It's kind of like wearing black - it's a slimming color.

Contouring might not be an every-day thing, but maybe more of a special occasion thing!

Highlighting

Highlighting does the opposite of contouring. Highlighting helps to accentuate your features!  The areas on your face you want to highlight are the top of your cheek bones and your brow bone. 

The dots on her face represent the angle that you want to apply the highlighter to accentuate your brow bone and cheek bone.

Using the angled blush brush from the MK brush collection, sweep the mineral highlighting powder from your brow to the top of your cheek bone with a sharp v-shape.

The MK highlighting powder in pink stardust is like magic - one of my absolute favorite products.  It makes such an impact on your overall look by creating sharp features - I love it!  You can also use it as a straight blush or use the white shimmer to brighten the inside corner of your eye.

Blush

Finally, let's talk blush!  It wasn't until a couple of years ago that I started to wear blush regularly and now my make-up routine doesn't go without it.  My go-to blush color is Shy Blush.

To apply blush, start back by your ear.  Your blush should be darkest here. (Remember dark pushes in?!)

Think of an imaginary line from your nose to your ear lobe, blush should not go below that line or it will pull your face down.  Using your angled blush brush, draw a straight line to your cheek and then angle up in a v-shape to just below your cheek bone, just like the arrows show, and fill in your "v."    The blush will magically lay underneath the mineral highlighter.

Here is how your blush should look.  Darker by your ear, lighter on your cheeks.  Since you created a blank canvas with foundation, blush is how you bring color back to your face. Ultimately blush should give you a lightly flushed look.

Here is a look at the contouring, highlighting, and blush all together. (Sorry for the blurry picture...) 

This all sounds like a lot of work but its actually really simple and goes pretty quick once you get the hang of it.  

Here's the list of products I used to contour, highlight and apply blush.  All products are linked. 

MK Mineral Powder Foundation 

Mineral Highlighting Powder 

MK Mineral Cheek Color in Shy Blush

 Mary Kay Brush Collection

Mary Kay Specials ONLY for Design Your Dwelling readers! :)

DYD READER SPECIAL:  10% off your total purchase, use the DYD as your promo code. www.marykay.com/kenz.kral

FREE SHIPPING:  Automatic free shipping on orders of $20 or more!

*You wont see the discount when it's it your basket, Kenzie will apply it for you,make sure to use the promo codes.
**Orders need to be placed via the website and paid with debit or credit

Tomorrow: Eyebrows

Makeup Tip: Applying Foundation

Welcome to my short blog series filled with makeup application tips courtesy of of Mary Kay and my awesome consultant, Kenzie! This quick series will cover foundation application, highlighting and contouring, blush, brows, and eyes and the best part is that Design Your Dwelling readers will receive an offer that is just for you!  It's going to be fun!

To start, let's talk foundation.  I never used to wear foundation because I hated feeling like I had all sorts of makeup caked on my face but once I learned how to apply it correctly, it all came together and now I don't mind wearing foundation.  Did you know that foundation is also part of a skin care routine?!  Yep - it's another form of protection for your face from the environment.  Crazy!

Here is what you need to perfectly apply foundation:

Foundation Primer with SPF 15 // Liquid Foundation Brush // TimeWise Liquid Foundation

Start by applying a small amount of foundation primer to your face.  The primer helps to fill imperfections and  extend the wear of your foundation.  The primer truly does work, I was too lazy to wash my face before bed and no foundation wore off onto my pillow - AWESOME!

Next apply foundation (I use beige 4 in luminous wear) in four spots on your face as shown below.

(By the way, this is my "before" picture.  I'm not wearing any foundation and I have to admit my skin looks pretty good.  Kenzie helped me with my skin care program and I love it! )

Next, use the foundation brush and start applying the foundation from your nose to the outer parts of your face.  If you use the primer, you wont need much foundation.

Unfortunately I didn't take an after picture. :(  I will tell you that starting with a perfect, blank canvas is awesome and definitely helps increases my confidence because I feel like my whole look is pulled together perfectly!

Here is a quick reminder of the products I used with direct links to the product!

Foundation Primer with SPF 15 

Liquid Foundation Brush

TimeWise Liquid Foundation

Specials ONLY for Design Your Dwelling readers - that's you! :)

CYBER MONDAY SPECIAL:  Buy 1 item, get 1 item HALF OFF by shopping on her site: www.marykay.com/kenz.kral  use MONDAY as your promo code. (Cannot be combined with DYD reader special.)

DYD READER SPECIAL:  10% off your total purchase, use the DYD as your promo code. www.marykay.com/kenz.kral (Cannot be combined with cyber Monday special)

FREE SHIPPING:  Automatic free shipping on orders of $20 or more!

*You wont see the discount when it's it your basket, Kenzie will apply it for you,make sure to use the promo codes.
**Orders need to be placed via the website and paid with debit or credit

Tomorrow: Contouring & Highlighting