Beauty Haul + Review!

     Hey guys! So today I'm doing my first beauty haul for my blog! I have a few other clothing hauls mostly on my youtube channel and to see those you can go to the top of the page and click on Youtube and it will take you to my channel, or to see my latest two hauls from my birthday, you can click here and here. Anyways, let's get to this haul! I went to Target yesteday and got a few makeup products. Most of these are from e.l.f. because I love trying out their products and they're soo cheap that it's most of the time, well worth what you paid at least if not much better! Some of these products that I tried out last night and today were not my favorite and others I really like. I am completely honest with my opinions here and I am not being sponsored by anyone.

     Above are some pictures of all the beauty products I got from target yesterday. Basically just an overview of it all. There are a total of 9 different products and we are going to go in depth with them, now! :)

                     

     The first purchase was an e.l.f. studio Contour Brush. This brush is perfect for your crease and blending it all out. So far, it hasn't shed at all and works great! I'm very happy with this brush so far.

                    

     The next product is an e.l.f. Eyelid Primer. I have heard a lot of good things about this primer and so i decided to try it out. I really like how smooth it is and how so little really goes a long way on your lid. This works to keep your eyeshadow on pretty much all day and doesn't crease.

                 

     Next is the e.l.f. Cream Eyeliner in black. So far this isn't my favorite but it gets the job done. If you set it with a black eye shadow it stays on longer but I wish it was a little creamier for smoother application. It is convenient that it comes with a brush but it's very small and I would recommend buying a different angled brush for application. Overall this is a good product though and it looks good on the eye.

                     

     Now we have the e.l.f. Shimmer Eyeliner Pencil in white. I bought this to use on my bottom waterline and tear duct for a highlight and to brighten up my eyes and make them look bigger. I usually never wear eyeliner on the bottom of my eye but I like wearing this on my waterline with a light brown on my lower lash line. This is not the most pigmented eyeliner for your waterline and it takes a lot to show up. Also, you have to reapply throughout the day so I would not recommend this. It was only $1, but if you really want a white eyeliner, I would invest in something that costs a little more, because you get what you pay for with this product. 

                  

     This next product is the Maybelline 24 hour Color Tattoo cream eyeshadow in Bad to the Bronze. I am such a fan of this product! I don't think I could say a bad thing about this. It is a very shimmery color but goes with all eye colors I believe and has very easy application. It really will stay on for 24 hours as well. It doesn't crease especially when you have a primer on underneath it too. The color is very pigmented with one swipe and goes beautifully with so many other eye shadow colors. 

                            

     The nest product I purchased was the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Crush. I have one other color of this product and it is in Charm. Charm is the very light pink and it doesn't stain your lips as well as this does because it is so light, also Charm doesn't last that long but it has a great pigment. I picked this one up because I wanted to try it in a darker color. I am usually a light pink or just gloss kinda lip girl so this was different for me. And still is, but I love this product! The color is gorgeous! It's a very pinky red and doesn't show up very sheer at all while on the lips. The swatch shows the color but I feel like when it's on the lips it is darker. This stays on all day long! I put this on at 6 a.m. today because I wanted to fade a little before school (today, Monday August 27th was my first day actually!) But it didn't fade. At ALL. IT was finally wearing off around 5 p.m. or 6 p.m. after I had tennis practice. I was very impressed with this product and I am very happy with it.

                 

     The e.l.f. Golden Bronzer is a good product.. But does not show up as dark as I had hoped and it is very shimmery which I didn't realize when I brought the bronzer. Easy application though.

                            

     The e.l.f. Translucent Matifying Powder is my second time purchasing this because it is very translucent so you can't really go wrong, and it is only $3. I like the product but it runs out very fast.

                  

     The last and final beauty product  I purchased at Target was an e.l.f. blush in Twinkle Pink. I absolutely loved the color of this blush when I saw it in the store. It was such a gorgeous pink with gold shimmer and I thought it was a must have for everyone! So I got home, swatched it for the blog, realized it didn't come out as pigmented as I thought it would and thought I was going to be disappointed. It barely showed up on my hand so I was hoping that it would show up more on my cheeks. I tried it that night and it really did! I used a liquid blush that was very natural toned before it basically to prime my cheeks and it worked. It showed up really well and the color was so pretty! I love this blush! Don't be fooled by the swatch that is almost invisible, it is definitely worth more than $3 but I'm not complaining!
     So that is it for the Beauty Haul and Review from Target. It was mostly e.l.f. products but I'm overall happy with what I purchased, so if any of you liked these products enough to go out and buy them yourselves I'd love to see the products on you and how you all pull them off! You can email me at kayla.m.curtis@gmail.com! Make sure to comment down below if you liked this and follow my blog to be updated about more posts! And don't forget to check out the tabs above for Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Youtube! Thank you all so much for reading this whole thing and have a great day! :)

Review: Remington Curling Wand

     Hey! Back again with another review! I decided to do a review on the Remington Curling Wand. A disclaimer: I am not being paid to do this review at all, I just really like the product. I purchased this curling iron about a month before summer started and I fell in love with it. These wands are very popular now and I can sure see why! I have this wand in the textured purple. It was very inexpensive and it works great. It has an easy on/off switch and it's very easy to change the temperature. It heats up very fast, and comes with a little black glove so you can wrap all of your hair around it without getting your fingers burned. It starts off at 1' in diameter at the bottom where you put the hair that's closest to your roots then your tips end up at the end where it's about 1/2' in diameter. You can make really tight curls with this or very loose.

     These pictures above, are of me obviously, but each hairstyle was made with this curling wand. Also, when you brush your curls out it makes them a lot looser. You can enhance any hair style with this curling iron and it is definitely a favorite of mine! I would definitely recommend this to anyone and everyone! Let me know if you want to see a tutorial or demo on how any of these looks are done! I would be more than happy to do them. :) So go check out my other pages and my other posts and I'm always open to suggestions. Thanks for reading! Have a great day!

Review: Maybelline Volum' Express Mega Plush

     Hey everyone! Sorry it's been so long since I've posted! I've been super busy! Well as you can see, today I'm doing a review on the Maybelline Volum' Express Mega Plush mascara. A little disclaimer: I am not being paid to do this by any means, I just really like this product and thought it might be helpful to those who aren't sure whether they should buy it or not. 

     I think this is one of the best drugstore mascaras ever! I know Maybelline has always had good mascaras for a lot of people, then others don't really like them. I've kind of had mixed feelings about their mascaras in general. I always like to try their newest one, but the whole Falsies Collection didn't impress me at all. I thought they clumped really bad which made me want to pick at it all day, and it flaked throughout the day which does NOT look good. I was kind of excited to try this product out for some reason though. So I went down to walmart and picked it up, pretty recently after it came out. 

     I never used to curl my lashes before I put on mascara but I think it makes a huge difference with this mascara so I highly recommend it! This mascara is definitely my favorite so far. It adds so much volume to your lashes and it adds a lot of length as well! It lasts all day without having to reapply (even the non-waterproof which is what I have). It doesn't flake at all and feels very smooth on your lashes. It can give your eyes a dramatic look, if that's what you want then apply up to 3 coats. 1 coat gives a nice amount of length and volume and looks pretty and natural. 2 coats is what I usually wear and I think it's perfect! Doesn't make your eyes look too dramatic but gives them a perfect amount of length and volume.

     When I first opened up the mascara to try it out, I was a little worried that it would clump because it just looked like that kind of brush but it has a such a smooth application and it's very flexible. It works to cover all of your lashes, even the littlest ones in the outer corner. I really can't say a bad thing about this mascara I love it! Would so recommend this product for anyone wanting to try out a new mascara, or just starting out with makeup, this is a great product!

     Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this post and it was helpful to you! Let me know if you'd like to see future reviews and on what products! Have a great day! :)

20 Useful Makeup Tips

These are just your general, useful everyday makeup tips! Hope you enjoy :)


1. Always use an eyeshadow primer! This can make all the difference after a few hours of applying your makeup. When you skip out on a eye primer, your eyeshadow color will fade after just a couple hours! But when you use a primer, your look can last up to all day! I would suggest Urban Decay Primer Potion :) 


2. Always wear eyeshadows that make your eyes pop!
Blue eyes: Coral, bronze, pale pink, purple, white, chocolate brown, or gold shimmer.
Brown eyes: Purple, green, bronze, or brown. Brown eyes go with anything!
Green eyes: Tan, gold, violet, dark green, peach, or taupe.


3. Never apply a dark eyeshadow above your crease!! Stick with light highlights for your brow bone.


4. Using a white eyeliner or a light bright eyeshadow on your inner corner can really brighten up your look and make your eyes look bigger!


5. Too much black eyeliner can make your eyes look small. If you're set on wearing a lot of eyeliner, try to transition to a dark brown then maybe go to a lighter brown. 


6. Find the right mascara! Not all mascara will work the same for everybody but I like these two: Covergirl LashBlast Fusion and Maybelline Volum' Express Mega Plush. 


7. Using a face primer is not necessary for all skin types but for those that need it, it can make a big difference. Start out with a cheaper brand to see if it makes a difference with your skin. I don't really need a primer on my face but I always use a moisturizer before applying my makeup.


8. Use concealer on blemishes and imperfections to reduce redness. Or try an under-eye concealer to reduce dark circles. Use your ring finger to blend in concealer. And apply before foundation.


9. If you have oily skin, try using blotting sheets.


10. Blend all makeup evenly!!! It does not look good at all when you have big orange lines along your jawbone! Uneven foundation also oftenly occurs on the nose or forehead. Which brings me to my next tip...


11. Make 100% sure that you have the right shade of concealer and foundation or you could look like you stuck your head in a bag of cheetos. Or a ghost.


12. Always set your liquid foundation with a matte powder.


13. For plumper looking lips, apply a lip liner just above your actual lip. Make sure not to go overboard!


14.Make sure your lip liner matches the color of your lipstick. If you have a darker shade of lip liner and a light shade of lipstick, it will not look good.


15. When going for a lip stain, make sure the color goes with your skin tone, because when you take it off, the color might stick around for awhile even if it doesn't look good. I have recently tried the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain. It is kind of like the Clinique Chubby Stick, but I like this better :) It moisturizes so much when you put it on your lips.


16. If you get your eyebrows waxed or threaded, a good habit to get into (if you don't already) is plucking any sparse hairs everyday! It prolongs you going back to get them waxed, which saves you money. When you do your makeup in the morning just go over your eyebrows and check for anything to be plucked. Instead of getting them done professionally more often because you don't keep up on them.


17. You should always fill in your brows. Find your pencil and shadow shade and a clear brow gel. It only take a couple minutes and it really brings your whole face together.


18. Don't skip out on makeup remover! If you take showers at night then make sure to wash all your makeup off in the shower, but if you take showers in the morning, then make sure you use some form of makeup remover at night before you go to bed. If you let all that makeup just sit on your face all night, it can get really gross and cause bad breakouts. I use the Garnier Refreshing Remover Cleansing Towelettes


19. Use a cleanser! Cleansing your skin is of course good for it! It gets rid of all of the dead skin cells, dirt, and leaves your skin clean and refreshed!


20. Exfoliate once a day. Exfoliating also removes dead skin cells and makes your skin feeling very soft.

I hope you found these 20 makeup tips helpful to you! :)
Have a great day!

Hair Repair Recipe

Hey guys! A little disclaimer: this is not my own recipe! I do not know who's it is because I have seen it so many places but I use this on my own hair and really recommend it for people who have dry or damaged hair. :)


Ingredients:
2 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar


Mix ingredients in a small bowl until they are well combined on dry, unwashed hair. Apply the mixture starting at your roots and combing through your hair to distribute evenly. Clip your hair up and wait 30 to 60 minutes. Rinse mixture out of your hair and shampoo well. Use conditioner if you would like.


I hope you enjoyed this short but sweet post. :) I encourage you to try it out for yourself! :)

How to make your hair grow faster!

Is it just me, or are you constantly trying to find out more and more ways to make your hair grow longer, faster too? I got my hair cut a couple months ago, about shoulder-length, and it looked really cute but my hair grows pretty slow so it kind of got to that awkward stage where it's not short and it's not long but you can't really do anything cute to it.. so I tried looking for all kinds of things to make it grow longer. My hair is pretty damaged from using so much heat on it these past couple years when I really didn't need it. I was using a flat iron to "straighten" my hair every day, even though it's naturally very straight. Anyway, I knew I had to stop using all this heat on it to protect it because heat protection spray doesn't stop ALL damage. I knew I had to grow my hair pretty long, so that I could get all of the dead, split ends cut off again.
One of the tips i saw over & over again was to trim your hair every 6-8 weeks. And I'm sure that works, it just wasn't what I was looking for. So here are some of the tips and tricks that I use on my hair to help it grow longer and faster that you should definitely try also.


Daily Scalp Massages- This may sound like it wouldn't help speed along anything but don't worry it does! When you massage your scalp, it warms the skin and opens up blood vessels to increase the flow and circulation. When that happens, the cells of the hair follicle receive more of the nutrients that is needed for hair growth.

Flipping your hair upside down- Do this for about 2-3 minutes a day. It stimulates the hair follicles by reversing the flow of blood.

Do not use a brush on wet hair- Use a wide teethed comb on towel dried hair instead. 

Use a hair mask once a week- Mix a tablespoon of honey with one egg yolk, and apply to the scalp. Leave it in for about a half hour, then rinse with warm water.

Keep a healthy diet- Foods like beans, lettuce, milk, strawberries, fish, yogurt, bananas, and nuts can help you get the nutrients you need for faster hair growth.

Avoid harsh chemicals and heat on your hair- Stay away from curling/flat irons, as well as dying your hair as much as possible. And when you do use heat, never skip out on a heat protection spray.

The last tip I have is to take Biotin daily. I have been making this a habit of mine for awhile and have really noticed a significant difference. You can buy Biotin at any drugstore and it is very inexpensive. Biotin is good for your hair, skin, and nails. It helps grow and strengthen your hair and nails.

That is all the tips that I have for today. I do all of these things and they have been proven very effective for me. I hope you find these helpful to you and try them out for yourself! :)

My hair as of 8-22-12. :)

My New Beauty Blog! :)

Hey guys! So this is my brand new beauty blog for all of you girls out there who need tips and tricks on hair, makeup, skincare, nails, fashion, and everything else! I might have some non-beauty related things up every once in awhile though. I'm very excited about starting this new blog and I hope you all enjoy my posts to come! I will always take suggestions for most posts you'd like to see and hopefully get them to you! Comment and tell me if you like these posts and what you'd like to see more of! I'd love to hear your feedback! Have a wonderful day! :)