Winter Makeup Shades: Berry

I’ve never really changed my makeup for the season, but this year I was inspired by a certain Indian actress who pulls off winter shades so perfectly I couldn’t help but want to try them out on my own half-Indian skin.

Obviously my inspiration was Mindy Kaling…

Can I just be her?

I’ve seen her sport the above lip color on her show, The Mindy Project, and I absolutely LOVED the look of it against her dark skin. Now, I’m definitely not as dark as her, but I think the color can be pulled off an any shade if done correctly! In fact, Elyse said she found a berry color she loves for her skin tone, too! So it’s definitely a trend for everyone.

If you’ve been reading the blog for a while, you may know that I’m obsessed with Sephora Color Lip Last so that was my obvious go-to. Since I’m so comfortable with the brand and product, it made trying such a bold color much less scary, because I knew I liked the way it looked and felt on my lips.

sporting berry lips & my fav new scarf from Zara!

Mine is a little more subtle, especially with the lighting in this picture, but it is a much deeper red than I’m used to and I’m definitely pleased with the way it looks on! It’s perfect for a night out, or even a day at the office if you keep the rest of your look basic.

After determining I loved the berry lip look, I branched out and purchased a berry blush and, no surprise, I love that too! The only thing I don’t like about it is that it’s a cream blush. I have a much harder time putting this stuff on, and definitely prefer powder. The one pictured below is part of the Sephora Collection.

What are your favorite makeup tones & tips for winter?

xO – S

Living Proof Hair Serum

GUYS. I finally found it! The product that ACTUALLY TAMES MY THICK, CURLY HAIR!!! This is not a drill. Go out and buy Living Proof Hair Serum right now.

(Please excuse the selfies in the post…but I felt that I couldn’t really illustrate how great it works without pictures!)

Having naturally curly/wavy hair is a blessing and a curse. Sure, it’s pretty and can easily be straightened if I want a change, but it is also so thick and sometimes out of control that I don’t even know what to do with it! And the frizz – it’s like nothing else you’ve ever seen!  I have tried everything from hairspray and expensive shampoo to debating more drastic measures like chopping or thinning it out. Thankfully, one of my good friends, Sophia, recently discovered Living Proof Hair Serum at Sephora and swore by it. I was hesitant, but she was convinced so I figured I’d give it a try. The name would be total overkill if it weren’t SO. COMPLETELY. TRUE.

Here are some pictures to prove it:

so shiny!

limited frizz and perfect waves!

It’s also really low maintenance – just pump some out and work through damp or even dry hair and alas! The perfectly tame, shiny, beachy waves all year around! Living proof is an absolute God send for me and I’m so glad I didn’t go the extreme route with a cut! It’s a little pricey – coming in at $29.99 a bottle – but it’ll last a long time and it’s definitely worth it if you’re like me and just can’t seem to control the frizz any other way! I’ve already been told by multiple coworkers that my hair looks particularly good lately and I have no doubt this is why!

What are some of your favorite hair products?

xO – S

Review: Luna’s Hair Design

Although I have lived in DC for 10 months now (HOLY COW!) I have been resistant to getting a haircut here. I just don’t get them that often and the one I had was while I was at home. In New Hampshire the average haircut will run you $25 and if you jump up to $50 you’ll be getting the works! In DC.. that is not so much the case. Being on a post grad budget and having hair that requires no (its not thin, curly, dyed, keratin-ed etc)

Getting a little long…

I decided it was time for a change. It was too long, weighted down and not professional enough. But where to go?

After searching Yelp review’s, I found Luna’s Hair Design on P street right in Dupont Circle! And the end result??

excuse the selfie, it was originally intended for my mom.

My stylist was Alicia and I cannot say better things about her — she was quick (I was in and out with a wash cut and blow out in 30 minutes flat!), nice and listened to exactly what I wanted which is refreshing as sometimes stylists don’t.  The total came to $35 (an extra $5 for the blow dry) which I was very happy with and if you’re a student on Tuesdays and Thursdays they have a discount! I suggest paying in cash — they require tips be in cash as well as student discounted prices but they do accept major credit cards.

As you can see it was pretty quiet when I went yesterday at 2:00pm but the space is quaint and cozy. I highly suggest Luna’s if you’re looking for a salon in DC!

xE

Sephora Color Lip Last

Now that I’m an expert on grown-up makeup, I feel like I’m totally qualified to start doling out advice and tips (hah!). I’ve been told that I am not taking proper advantage of my dark skin tone because I don’t experiment with crazy lip color. Actually, I don’t experiment with lip color at all. I pretty much just stay neutral – it takes a lot for me to even break out the chap-stick.  But the reason I never wear lip color is because it smudges, comes off as soon as you eat, and I haven’t been able to find a product I like that provides color and moisturizes. It just hasn’t been worth all the fuss in my book…until now.

TA-DA! My new favorite thing in the world: Sephora Color Lip Last. I’ve been trying out several different products over the past few months, and this, BY FAR, is my favorite! It’s not quite as rough as lipstick, but also not the commitment of a lip stain…it’s more of a lip…cream. Either way, it is awesome. It comes in 25+ colors and is only $12 a pop! I started off with just the bright red, but I love it so much that I’ve already expanded my collection to include a neutral pink/nude, bright fuchsia, and coral. Next on my list is light pink – perfect for springtime! It stays on all day, and even through meals (though i do have to reapply a little sometimes). I absolutely love it for daily use – it adds a little pop without being crazy. It’s a little smudgey, but that’s only because the color is built to last long, so just be careful when applying!

Here are the shades from left to right in the picture above: 
Pure Red
Coral Calling
Royal Raspberry
Natural Pink

Coral Calling, Pure Red, Natural Pink, Royal Raspberry

Royal Raspbery, Coral Calling, Natural Pink, Pure Red

Overall, A+ from Sephora (shocker!) – this may be my favorite product yet! What are your favorite lip products and colors for spring?

xO -S

Shianne Discovers Grown-up Makeup

I’m generally a ‘don’t fix what’s not broken’ kind of girl, and I’m very lucky to have fairly good skin, so my makeup regime has always consisted of just the basics – drugstore mascara and eyeliner. But having a job that keeps you out of the house for 11+ hours a day starts to wear you out physically. I found that even by lunch my makeup was starting to smudge and I looked incredibly tired and worn, even if I wasn’t  This was frustrating me and making me feel extremely unprofessional…but I didn’t know how to fix it. I thought I just needed more sleep, but when that didn’t work, I decided I needed to take more significant action to reduce the seemingly relentless bags under my eyes.

My search for a solution brought me to Sephora, where Elyse and a couple employees helped me talk through my concerns and identify the products that would be right for me. I finally settled on a Sephora-brand brush-stick concealer and foundation powder by Bare Minerals and I’m obsessed with the results. The concealer/foundation combo is actually dual purpose – it brightens my eyes, but it also protects from my other makeup smudging throughout the day!

Newbies

I’ve also been using Urban Decay roll-on eyeliner and Smashbox mascara from Sephora, and both have been great as well. Especially the eyeliner, I cannot get over how long it lasts!

 

The products are relatively expensive, but in my opinion, they’re totally worth it. Not only does the makeup last long ON me, but you also don’t need to cake it on, so it’ll last longer in general – I don’t anticipate having to replenish my beauty supply stock but once every 6 months, if that.  It’s just one of those things where I didn’t want to spend the money upfront, but when I finally caved, it turned out to be a much better deal….it’s amazing what my adult life has taught me. I’m so done with dried-up, drug-store brands that last 2 months total and 20 minutes on my face.

big girl makeup bag!

The only catch is, once you start using makeup, you also have to start a more vigorous face cleansing system. I picked up some Neutrogena face cleansing wipes as well as face wash, recommended by Elyse, and they’ve been working really well! It may sounds like now that I’ve added all these steps that my morning routine would have increased like crazy, but it only adds about 5-7 minutes when all is said and done.

 

Let us know what your favorite beauty products and tricks are!

-S