NYX Butter Gloss Review

Hey Ladies! I recently purchased some new lip glosses at Ulta and I have to tell you how much I love these! The NYX butter glosses are possibly the best drugstore lip glosses I have ever tried and I'm not even a big lip gloss fan. I purchased four shades; Ginger Snap, Praline, Devil's Food Cake and Raspberry Tart. Each one of these shades are perfect for deeper complexions although they would great on anyone. The formula of the glosses are creamy and they have no shimmer, that makes them a winner in my book, I hate glittery glosses. The formula is ultra moisturizing and they smell like cupcakes. These would pair well over a lipstick or you can wear them alone, they have great pigmentation.

Ginger Snap

     

Praline

Devil's Food Cake

Raspberry Tart

At $4.99 each these are a good deal. These glosses are comparable to MAC in my opinion. For about 1/3 the price you can't beat that. They also have a great amount of shades so everyone can find what  they are looking for. Will you be trying out these butter glosses?

My Current Foundation Routine: Clinique Stay Matte Foundation

I have really been enjoying my Clinique Stay Matte Foundation. I picked this foundation up about a year ago from Sephora and I always seem to come back to it no matter what else I try! I think this foundation will be a staple in my collection because the formula is so light weight, yet it gives such a flawless finish! I don't have much to cover, but the spots that I do have get covered effectively with this foundation. I am in the color 28-Clove and the color is seamless! It just melts into my skin! I also purchased the Clinique Stay Matte powder around the same time and it works well with the foundation. My color in the Powder is 20-Stay Nutmeg. I have not received any breakouts wearing this foundation, that's probably because Clinique is a Skin care focused brand so there are not too many chemicals in this that harm the skin. I apply this foundation with a damp beauty blender and that seems to be the most effective way for me because it gives a sheer yet build able coverage. It just looks and feels like skin. The other thing I like about this foundation and Powder is that they are only $23 each. It may seem a little high, but compared to other higher end foundations from MAC, Makeup Forever and Nars, this is a much better deal. It will also last you a long time, if you are like me and don't use it every single day. So for my combination and oily skin ladies, this is certainly worth a try if you are looking for a new foundation!

Clinique Stay Matte (28 Clove)

Clinique Stay Matte (20-Stay Nutmeg)

Preparing Natural Hair for Protective Styles

The colder months bring frigid temperatures which can bring on dry, brittle hair. Most naturals, including myself, opt for protective styles such as braids, weaves, wigs or  updos. I recently decided to rock my U-Part wig to protect my hair and give my hair some much needed rest. Here are a few tips on how I prepare my natural hair for protective styling.

First, I deep condition on Dry hair using Elasta QP's DPR conditioner, next I shampoo with my Creme of Nature Argan Oil Sulfate Free shampoo followed by my conditioner at the moment which is Garnier Fructis Nourish & Shine Conditioner. I towel dry and then apply my leave in, Creme of Nature Strength & Shine Leave in Conditioner, along with a heat protectant, Organix ever straight Brazilian keratin therapy flat iron spray. I section my hair into about 6-8 sections and then I blow-dry each section on cool to medium heat. When I finish each section, I apply the As I am Double Butter Cream and my oil mixture and then proceed with styling/preparing my hair! That's it!

Leave in Conditioner

Heat Protectant

Moisturizer

Oil Mixture

Andis Blow Dryer

When protective styling, it is very important that you take the time to moisturize properly to avoid knots and tangles. It is also imperative to make sure you moisturize and care for your hair in the protective style, especially when it comes to weaves and wigs.  What are some of your favorite protective styles and how do you prep your hair?

Nailtiques Formula 2- My Holy Grail Nail Treatment

I have been using Nailtiques for a full year now and my nails have been thriving! I was never one that had super long or healthy nails but honey, this stuff has done my nails some good! Nailtiques Formula 2 is a nail protein that was formulated for peeling, weak and thin nails. The proteins help bond any splitting you may have and the other ingredients nourish and strengthen the nails. I purchased the Formula 2 at my local ULTA for around $17.00, however ULTA always has monthly coupons for $3.50 to $5.00 off if you receive the emails or monthly catalogs! They also sell smaller bottles for $5 and $9. In my eyes, this nail treatment is totally worth it because my nails have never looked better, not to mention they have never been so long and healthy! Just look at the results I've gotten.

How to apply: Wash your hands and make sure you remove all dirt and oil. Apply one-two coats of the nail treatment daily. As your nails improve, mine took about a week, decrease the application to weekly. This is how I used it and the results speak for themselves! Ladies, I seriously suggest you invest in this product if you have weak nails like I did!

Creating Your Own Makeup Vanity

This is where the magic happens! I'm sure we have all seen some lovely makeup vanity's on YouTube in make up collection videos and on Pinterest. I had been wanting to create my own vanity for a while now, however I wanted to do it on a tight budget while utilizing what I already had. I've turned my old study desk into a cute makeup area and I did so by only adding a few cute organizational pieces!

I purchased the big mirror from Target for only $5.49 (Can't beat that!) and the small pink mirror is from Homegoods and it was $9.99.

I was originally going to purchase the big muji drawers that we see on YouTube, however I didn't want to take up too much space on the desk, so I opted for smaller containers.

This cute pink organizer also came from Homegoods for about 12.99.

I purchased these chic bowls at Target during the holidays for about 3.49 each. I'm in love with the texture!

These cute leopard containers also came from Target, but from the DOLLAR section, Definitely a steal!

On the inside of my drawers, I store my smaller eyeshadow pallets, foundations and other items.

All of the drawer containers were purchased at Target, of course!

Bonus: I store my fragrances on top of my dresser using a plate holder I bought at Target during the holidays. I think this is an awesome way to display the pretty bottles. 

So as you can see, you definitely do not have to go all out and spend tons of money to create a vanity area. All of these items were under $10 each from Target and Homegoods, two of my favorite stores. Good luck and have fun creating your own space!

2013 Natural Hair Favorites

Check out my video on my Favorite Natural Hair Products of 2013. These are my "go-to" hair products!

Nude Lipsticks for Deeper Skin Tones

Women of deeper complexions often think that they can't wear nude lip colors. As a chocolate woman myself, I find that I gravitate more toward nude colors for an everyday look. Here are a few of my favorites that I use quite often. From drugstore to higher end, there is something for everyone's budget.

First up- My fave nudies from MAC!

                                      Fresh Brew           Touch             Spite Lipglass

Drugstore Nudies!

                                  WNW Java           WNW Mocha-Licious   Revlon Mink

The MAC lipsticks and lip glass are $15 each while the Wet N Wild Java lipstick is a whopping $0.99! The Wet N Wild Mocha-Licious costs $1.99 and they sometimes have coupons attached for $1.00 off, what a steal! I purchase my Revlon lipsticks from Walmart for only $4.97, but you can find Revlon at any drugstore, supermarket or superstore. All of these lipsticks are quite accesscible and can be found almost anywhere! Out off all of these lipsticks, I cannot choose a favorite! I honestly use each one a lot! As I said, I wear a nude lip almost daily, especially when I am wearing a dramatic eye look. 

What are some of your favorite nude lippies?