Get the Look: Wedding Ready

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Recently I shared with you how I got ready for my family Christmas Cardsfamily Christmas Cards -- something on my "to do list" that was filling me with dread! My pictures turned out great, in large part because I looked more awake than I really was! The COVERGIRL Simply Ageless primer and foundation really made my skin look flawless while the concealer hid my residual circles.

Turns out, it works for a lot of women! During this campaign, I have seen the videos and blog posts of a ton of really cool bloggers and vloggers who’ve used the same products as I did. They all look so fabulous! No, seriously!

I loved how Tanesha did her makeup for her wedding guest look! Her makeup is almost undetectable and her skin looks flawless even though she’s wearing less makeup than I wear to hang out around my house! I'm so inspired, and I'll be trying this look for my next big event. Thankfully, it is that time of year when we all have parties to go to and people to see!

To get the look yourself, start with prepping your skin with COVERGIRL Simply Ageless Foundation Primer all over your face with your fingertips, gently patting to blend it into your skin. Tanesha then used COVERGIRL + Olay Simply Ageless Instant Wrinkle Defying Foundation, applying the foundation only to areas she needed to even out her skin tone and blending gently into her skin with the included sponge. She also applied a bright pink blush to just the apples of her cheeks, try COVERGIRL TruBlend Blush in Deep Mauve to get the look.

For her eyes, Tanesha used a bronze eyeliner in her waterline, gently smudging the liner into her lash line. This adds a lot of definition, but by using bronze, she adds a lot of depth to the look without looking harsh. Try COVERGIRL TruNaked Waterproof Eyeliner Duo in Penny Espresso to get that soft definition. She completed her eyes with COVERGIRL LashBlast Volume Mascara to frame her eyes and pull the eye look together.

Tanesha's lip really stole the show, a bright and bold lip that looks amazing on her! She used COVERGIRL Outlast Longwear + Moisture Lipstick in Red Siren.

While this look was to attend a wedding, it also would be perfect for a party or date night out!

How does COVERGIRL fit into your special event makeup?

COVERGIRL Simply Ageless
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This post has been sponsored by COVERGIRL. The opinions expressed in this post are my own.

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Get the Look: Holiday Party Ready with Kohl's

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It's that time of year again, when invitations to parties start to roll in. Some you're excited to attend, a few might just be an obligation. Either way, I like to look my best when heading out to a holiday party, which usually means a polished look with a bit of something special, whether it's a sparkly eye look or a statement lip.

Recently Kohl's asked me to share how I get ready for a holiday party, and I thought it was a great chance for a pretty look that would work for a work function or neighborhood party. It can easily be glammed up a bit with more eyeliner as well!

To start, I headed to my local Kohl's to shop. I ended up basically buying the entire Lorac line! I love her products, the colors always work so well, and the formulas are great. I was able to pick up a new foundation, the Pro3 Palette that I've had my eye on for a while, and a great liquid eyeliner pen.




There were a lot of holiday beauty sets out on display, and I couldn't help myself! I bought two sets for myself, and almost bought a third. These sets are a steal! The blush set has a very universally flattering pink blush and a light gold highlighter. They're perfect to give as a gift or to keep for yourself.




The lip gloss set is really a must have, it has six very pigmented, glossy lip glosses. I found that the colors were very flattering and I think would work for all skin tones, they aren't sticky and last about 4 hours without reapplication. There was a similar set of lip sticks, which I might go back to pick up for myself when I'm doing some Christmas shopping.




Let's be honest though, the purchase I was most excited about was the Pro3 Palette! It was released over the summer, and I've been holding off on purchasing it for some reason. Recently, a few friends have been raving about how versatile the shadows have been for fall, and I was so excited that Kohl's had the palette in stock! I've had a hard time tracking it down in person.

I love that the palette has a mix of both matte and shimmer shadows. They are all well pigmented, blend well and last all day when applied over the Lorac Behind The Scenes Eye Primer.



I like to step up my skincare routine a bit for the holiday party season. For me, that means evening out my skin tone and clearing out my pores! I love to use glycolic acid to help with both of these goals, but since I have sensitive skin, I have to be very careful about what products I use to get the glowing skin I crave.

One of my recent skin care finds is Bliss's That's Incredi-Peel, which is a time release glycolic acid. This makes the peel much gentler on my skin, but I still get great results! I use it a few times a week, especially if I've been wearing a lot of makeup.

To help clear out my pores even more, Bliss's Multi-'Face'-Eted All-in-One Mask is one of my favorites to pull excess oil and debris out of my pores.

Finally, I use Bliss Fabulips a few times a week to prevent my lips from getting dry and chapped. Statement lip colors don't look good over peeling lips!



I decided to create a fairly neutral eye look, letting the bright red lip gloss take center stage. The eye look is fairly simple with the thin line of liquid liner, but it could easily be punched up by adding some black smudged liner instead!

1. I started with my lid prepped with Behind the Scenes Eye Primer. I then applied a light layer of Pink Nude all over my lid and up to the brow bone as a base color.

2. Next I applied Light Pewter to my mobile lid, just up to the crease. I used a smaller shadow brush and did pat it on some, I wanted a denser application of color than the wash I had applied with Pink Nude.

3. Next I applied a single sweep of Dark Brown into my crease. This color is too dark for me to use all over my crease, but just one sweep and then a lighter color over it provides great definition.

4. Next I used a slightly looser crease brush to pick up a bit of Terracotta, I used this color over the Dark Brown to add more definition to my crease. This color spread up over my brow bone a bit more and down on to my lid, and it helped to blend out the dark brown.

5. Once my shadows were in place, I applied a light light of Front of the Line PRO Liquid Eyeliner in black to my lash line. I applied it right at the base of my lashes and did wing it out very slightly. For a more dramatic look, I would have used an angled liner brush to apply black shadow from the palette over the liner, smudging out the shadow.

6. Finally, I curled my lashes and applied PRO Plus Fiber Mascara. I love that this mascara gives my lashes a lot of length and volume, but doesn't make my lashes clumpy.



Once my eyes were done, I completed the look:

• PRO Brow Pencil in Dark Brown: This pencil is very thin and applies easily to my brow. I love that there's a spoolie brush attached to the other end, I like to brush a lot after applying my brow pencil to help soften the look.

• POREfection Foundation and POREfection Baked Perfecting Powder: This foundation is a medium to full coverage, and when I apply with a kabuki brush there's enough coverage that I don't need to use a concealer! In person, the foundation looks pretty natural, and it has a matte finish.

• Color Source Buildable Blush in Aura: This is one of the forever sold out shades of blush near me for a good reason! This rose color is very pretty and works for everyone. The woman who checked me out said she was wearing the same color, and we had a great discussion about universally flattering shades that work for everyone! Her skin tone was very deep, and the color was very pretty on her. She also looked AMAZING in the Celebrity gloss as well. So, of course I had to try that one out first.

• Alter Ego Lip Gloss in Celebrity: Lorac describes this shade as a brick red, but I swear there's a bit of pink to it! The gloss is very pigmented, feels hydrating and I didn't think it was sticky. It lasts for hours, and I love that there's a broad range of shades in the gift set.




Do you want to try out some of these products yourself? Kohl's has an amazing coupon out right now! You can get $10 off your prestige beauty purchase of $50 or more. Valid 12/15-12/24 in-store only.

Check out some of the holiday beauty items at Kohl's online or the next time you're in the store!

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This post is part of a collaboration with Kohl's. The opinions and Lorac obsession are my own.

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Facing the Christmas Card with CoverGirl's Simply Ageless

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The Christmas Card... I know I'm not the only mom who kind of dreads taking the pictures for this every year. I have 2 little girls, and they are adorable, but me? Not so much always. Sure, I have a beauty blog, but that kind of increases the expectations, doesn't it? Instead, I'm a normal woman with undereye bags and circles, and sometimes my complexion is less than glowy. That's especially true if I've been on call recently for work or my girls have been waking me up in the middle of the night. So, I'm understandably a bit nervous about taking pictures that I'll send out to everyone I know! I thought this was a great look to tackle a collaboration with COVERGIRL + Olay featuring their Simply Ageless line.

This year, I've decided to go for a classic makeup look, it is one that would work for my Christmas Cards, going out for dinner or any formal occasion that you need to look great! For this, I want a neutral, glowy look but not shimmery skin – neutral eyeshadow that put the focus on my eyes and not my makeup, and, most importantly, pretty lips..

To get this look I used:
• COVERGIRL Simply Ageless Anti-Aging Foundation Primer
• COVERGIRL Simply Ageless 3-in-1 Liquid Foundation
• COVERGIRL + Olay The De-Puffer
• COVERGIRL Tru Blend Bronzer
• COVERGIRL Tru Blend Blush in 100 Light Rose
• COVERGIRL Eye Shadow in 700 Go for the Golds
• COVERGIRL Tru Naked Waterproof Eyeliner Duo in Cashmere/Espresso
• COVERGIRL Lashblast Volume Mascara
• COVERGIRL Outlast Longwear + Moisture in 900 Phantom Pink



For this look, I started out with a freshly washed face. I apply the Simply Ageless Anti-Aging Foundation Primer all over my face, very similar to a lotion. It's white, but looks transparent on my skin. It sinks into my skin completely, and I can't even tell that it's there! The formula contains a lot of anti-aging ingredients such as anti-oxidants that will help my skin in the long term. But my favorite part of the formula is that it is very hydrating, which creates a canvas for an ageless finish and helps my foundation look much smoother when I apply it.



Next I used the Simply Ageless 3-in-1 Liquid Foundation. This foundation looks swirled in the bottle, but is a solid foundation color when you pump it out. It also has a very hydrating feel, and is a medium to full coverage. I typically apply it with my fingertips all over my face and then use a kabuki style foundation brush to buff it out. It is more moisturizing that other foundations that I've used, so it is perfect if you have drier skin!



Next I use the concealer under my eyes to help cover up the little bit of residual under eye circles that you can still see. I love that this concealer has depuffing ingredients to help make my eyes (bonus: the unique cooling tip feels so refreshing) look immediately more awake as well! I apply it in a triangle under my eyes and then use my kabuki brush again to blend it out. This triangle shape blends into my skin better than a half moon, so I always apply my concealer this way.



Next it's time to apply my eye shadows! I start with the lightest color in the Go for the Golds quad, which I apply all over my lid up and onto the brow bone. I then take the 2nd color, a pretty bronze-gold shade, and this goes over the light color, up to my crease over my entire mobile lid. I finish shadows with the 3rd color, I apply this with a slightly looser brush just to my crease and a little to my outer corner.



Once the shadow is on, I apply liner to my upper lash line. Because I was up a lot the night before this makeup tutorial, I had some pretty dark circles. I always avoid lining my lower lash line on those days, instead opting to add some emphasis with just mascara alone. When applying liner, I draw it at the very base of my lashes, and then I will go over the liner with a smudge brush.



I used LashBlast Volume Mascara on both my upper and lower lash lines, being sure to really apply to every single lash! I love how it makes my lashes look very full.



Once my eyes are done, it's time to add some glow to my face! I start with the bronzer, which is a pretty light color (perfect for my pale skin) with a bit of shimmer. I apply it underneath my cheekbone, and then along the sides of my face.



For blush, I apply first to the apple of my cheek, and then I lightly sweep back toward my hair line.



I finish up with lipstick! I am opting to use a more subtle pink, though a dark red would also be beautiful for holiday pictures. I've found that since my lips are thin, I prefer to call attention to my eyes for such formal photographs.



I love my completed look! It is approachable and pretty, but more polished than an every day "normal" look for me. Despite getting a lot of phone calls the night before, I look awake and my skin looks great!



COVERGIRL + Olay Simply Ageless
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This post has been sponsored by COVERGIRL. The opinions expressed in this post are my own.

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Quick and Easy Daytime Smokey Eye Tutorial with Palladio

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I've posted a few quick and easy makeup looks lately, and the response has been great! Readers have asked for a few more tutorials, so I'll keep showing easy makeup looks, but I'm hoping to feature more brands at different price points.

Today's look only took about 5 minutes, something about using all pencil products makes application very fast and easy! The color products that I used are all from Palladio, which is also available at stores like ULTA and Sally Beauty if you want to see products in person. I love that they are at an affordable price point, but are well pigmented, apply easily and have botanical and vitamins added to the formulas.

Read on for the quick makeup tutorial!

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These 3 Sticks are Everything: Boom! by Cindy Joseph Review

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So, yeah. Summer is here. Things have been crazy. And I've been spending a lot of time in our new pool. Like, a lot. Which means my skin is a bit drier than usual thanks to the chlorine, and sometimes I need a little more color when I get out the pool (but I rarely have more than about 30 seconds to touch up since I have little ones who are begging for food about that time).

So, these makeup sticks from Boom! by Cindy Joseph are currently everything.
Read on to learn more about them.

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5 Minute Look: Charlotte Tilbury's Instant Look Palette Review, Swatches and Quick Look

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I'm a sucker for a good palette. Usually I want eye shadow only palettes. Shadows that work together easily in a preset trio or quad, neutrals that are all interchangeable, I want them!

However, recently I heard about this new all encompassing palette from Charlotte Tilbury, and I knew that I had to have it. The palette has 3 shadows that work together for a pretty, glowy look, a bronzer, 2 blushes and a highlighter. It's everything you need a neutral look in 1 palette, it all works together and is perfect for throwing in to your gym bag, taking with you when you're traveling or to just grab on a day that you're in a rush.

Read on to see swatches and how the palette looks when I use it!

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Quick Day to Night Look: Loose Curls and Red Lips

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I'm not really one of those people that goes out often. I'm a bit of a homebody, and I have 2 young girls who thrive on their regular routine. But if I am going out, you bet I like to look cute! But, I need to do it on not much time.

Read on to see how I can transition my normal "day" look to a cute night time look, complete with different hair and red lips, in about 15 minutes.

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It Cosmetics Naturally Pretty Essentials Shadow Palette: Review, Swatches and Quick Look Tutorial

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So, I'm not usually a matte eye shadow girl. I always think it is just kind of... boring. I want a little shimmer. Not a lot, but a little. Something to catch a little light. I usually use some satin and shimmer shadow in every eye look.

And then I read on someone's blog (or maybe it was a YouTube video? I think that was more likely) that some makeup artist claimed any shimmer on the lids was tacky. Tacky. WHAT?? I argue that's wrong. I certainly don't bling myself out like a disco ball on the regular.

But this stuck with me. So, I started to break out a few matte shadows that I had at home. They were, as expected, a bit... blah. Boring.

Then It Cosmetics (one of my favorite brands, I truly believe they can do no wrong), sent me an unexpected box. And inside was this cute little palette of essential shadows. And they say they are pretty! It's there, in the name! And if things are too matte for me, then I can always add a little of their transforming pearl shadow.

So, did this cute little palette change my mind about matte shadows?
Read on to find out!

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Quick and Easy Daytime Look with Clinique

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The last few weeks have been completely crazy around my house! While I've had a bit more time at home with my 2 little girls, somehow the extra time at home has translated into even more errands to run and family outings than when I'm working almost every day.

Part of the craziness is less time than usual to pull myself together in the morning, and that look needs to last for an entire day! So, I need a look that can deal with my sometimes not so great Rosacea face (especially since my toddler has been teething 4 molars at once, not much sleep around here), goes on quickly and looks natural.

This look has been in my rotation quite a bit over the last few weeks, read on to see how I got the look!

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My Basic Eye Makeup: An Easy to Follow Tutorial

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Every so often I get requests to update my "basic" posts, like showing how I do my eye shadow each day. So, by request (over email, on Facebook and in person from friends), today I'll show you how I do my eye makeup on days that I don't have much time! I use the same basic technique, though I might grab a different palette to add a little variation. But, as I show it here, this is my most common go-to eye look. It only takes me a few minutes, and I wear it pretty much every where! It's great for work, running errands or out with my husband.

Read on to see how I get the look!

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Quick and Easy 5 Minute Makeup with Burt's Bees and EcoTools

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One of my favorite ways to save time when I'm in a rush is to use products that can multitask! Recently Burt's Bees® released a brand new BB Cream, just in time for summer, and I've been obsessing over it! It's saved me quite a bit of time on those days that I'm rushing around to get things done with my two girls. I was getting ready to take my 5 year old to her swim lesson earlier this week and took a few quick pictures while doing my makeup. Even with taking pictures, this entire look took me 5 minutes, start to finish! It is a fresher, lighter look than my "normal" (mostly because I'm not wearing at much makeup) but it still looks put together and is appropriate for my daily life.

To get this look, I used:
Burt's Bees® BB Cream in Light
2 Burt's Bees® Lipsticks:
• Fuchsia Flood, a fun medium pink for a pop of color
• Nile Nude, a light neutral that works almost anywhere. Suede Splash is also a good choice for this look.
EcoTools® Skin Perfection Brush, I love that this is like a small kabuki on handle! It's just the right size to buff foundation or BB Cream on my whole face, but it is small enough to get small areas like around my nose without any problems.
EcoTools® Detailed Lip Line Brush from the Day to Night Brush Set: This is a classic lip brush, and very silky so it feels great on my lips when applying lipstick. It seems to be easier to clean than many other lip brushes I've tried, so it is my go-to lip brush.
Mascara
Brow Pencil

You can buy all of those products at Walmart, just in the natural beauty section. Grab them next time you're picking up a few last minute groceries! Read on to see how I created the look!

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Nars Stud and Never Too Late Eye Shadows: Swatch, Review and Quick Look

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Have you seen the latest limited edition shadows from NARS? In LOVE. Seriously, I'm in love. Snatch them up now, and if you miss them, you should pray to the eye shadow Gods that they add them to the regular line.

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Perfectly (un)Done: Quick and Easy 5 Minute Loose Waves

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I've been obsessed with wavy hair recently. I'm tired of my straight hair. I want it wavy, bent, curled... you name it! I've been experimenting with different ways to add texture to my hair, and I have to admit that I haven't found a bad one yet.

When I heard that there is an entire line of TRESemmé products just to help you get this exact look, their Perfectly (un)Done line, you know that this was going to happen...

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Bobbi Brown Telluride Swatches, Review, and Quick Look Tutorial

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Bobbi Brown released her Telluride palette in the middle of the summer, and it is really amazing for the transition to fall! The colors are warm and cozy, but not too dark. There's just the right amount of shimmer, and I've totally fallen for it! It's limited edition, but you can still buy it at Sephora, Bobbi Brown, or Nordstrom.

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Rachel McAdams at The Princess Bride Live Read

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View image | gettyimages.com

Rachel McAdams was at Jason Reitman's Live Read of The Princess Bride recently at the Toronto International Film Festival, and she looks pretty amazing! Her makeup was by Celebrity Makeup Artist Gita Bass. “Rachel was reading a part in the Princess Bride, so we wanted to keep her makeup soft and ethereal, which meant flushed cheeks and gorgeous skin.”

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Get the Look: Elizabeth Olsen at TIFF

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View image | gettyimages.com

View image | gettyimages.com

Elizabeth Olsen (yes, related to those Olsens) was up at the Toledo International Film Festival, and I loved her makeup for two different events! In the white, she was at the InStyle & HFPA after party, in the black outfit she was at the premiere of I Saw the Light. Both looks were created by Celebrity Makeup Artist Gita Bass.

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Get the Look: Kate Mara at TIFF

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Kate Mara was at the premiere of Man Down at the Toronto International Film Festival on Tuesday, and I loved her look! Her face was very fresh and clean but her eyes were super dramatic. The look was created by Celebrity makeup artist Coleen Campbell-Olwell, who shared how she got the look.

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Get The Look: Fresh and Glowing on the Tanya Taylor Runway Spring/Summer 2016

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The look on the Tanya Taylor Spring/Summer 2016 Runway was classic NARS. Amazing, glowing skin. Which is the reason I'm featuring this look, I'm forever fascinated with what makeup products their makeup artists use to get such amazing looking skin! This look was created by Uzo, NARS International Lead Makeup Stylist.

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Get the Look: Elie Tahari's Perfectly Tousled Waves

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Yeah.... this model pretty much has my dream hair. (Minus the color, blonde hair makes me look washed out, I have accepted this and moved on.)

It's shiny, healthy looking, has great volume and just enough wave in it. The look was created by Joey George for Oribe, with the idea being a "futuristic nomadic girl in the desert." (I don't see it either.) What I do see is hair that showed off the natural waves and texture of each model's hair, and in some instances they added a little more wave. Read on to see how they did it!

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Modern Chignon at Jason Wu Spring/Summer 2016

Let's face it, buns are nothing new. This look was created by Odile Gilbert of Kérastase Paris for the Jason Wu Spring/Sumer 2016 runway, and the idea was a modern, sleek version of the Chignon with a wet-look finish. But what really caught my eye was all of the texture in the bun itself. And luckily, the look is pretty easy to recreate yourself!

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