Pantone Color of the Year 2017

As 2016 comes to close, Pantone introduces the newest color of the year! Last year they made history by choose TWO shades, a blue and a pink tone to show diversity and support gender equality. This year the shade is a little more fun! The official shade is called  Greenery and is Pantone 15-0343.

The video pantone released shows several shades of brighter greens and paints the picture that this shade is happy, optimistic and relaxing, while being earth-friendly and peaceful.

After the video Pantone explains their choice making it sound like they chose a color not to represent what is going on right now, but what we need for 2017. They say that greenery is not only refreshing and revitalizing but that it is the color of new beginnings. This is something many people truly want out of our next year, as 2016 came with a very heated and dividing election in the United States.

The shade is described as a yellow-green hue that is associated with the colors found in spring. The lushness and renewing energy that comes with the great outdoors begs one to "take a deep breath, oxygenate, and reinvigorate". Check out there video below and visit the full page at Pantone here.

With last years colors (rose quartz and serenity) we definitively saw pastel blues and (mostly) dusty rose pinks make a huge splash in the makeup industry. Ethereal looks became a staple on the runway, on brides, and on instagram! Even bolder light blue shades were found in popular lipstick brands (such as Kylie Cosmetics, Jeffree Star, NYX and more!) Do you think green will make a big play in next years cosmetics or will it show up mostly in fashion? I am sure we will be seeing a lot of kahki green and bold accessories! Will this beckon back another year of love for Neon tones? What do you think? 

Review: Kylie Cream Eye Shadow

Packaging - 5 (excellent)
Pigment - 4 (very good)
Longevity - 3 (average)
Wear - 4 (very good)
Variety - 1 (awful)
Overall:



So here is the deal with this cream eye shadow. I have a love hate relationship with cream eye shadow in general. I love hoe blendable it is, and how pigmented it is. However cream shadows rarely stay on, they crease like crazy and they usually don't play well with powdered shadows (unless you are using the cream shadow like a primer). This one has impeccable packaging. It is sturdy, functional, luxurious looking, everything I like in packaging. The pigment is great, most cream shadows are very pigmented though. Longevity is average, as in does a little go a long way? I definitely have to do at least 2 (if not 3) layers to really get it to pop, and I wouldn't say I use less than most cream shadows.

So the wear. I had a hard time choosing how to rate the wear. This is why. It does crease, like ALL cream eye shadows, it creases a lot. I wore it primer free, as well as with Makeup Forever Aqua Seal (the best option I found) and Urban Decay Eye Primer Potion. It definitely needs a primer, you can not wear this primer free at all. I have also found that if you have sensitivities this may not be the best option for you. My sister who has sensitive skin had to take it off quickly. When I did put primer on it lasted about half the day before it was completely gone, so one or two touch ups (which isn't bad for a cream primer, but isn't great when compared to other powdered shadows). However because it was longer wearing than most cream shadows I bumped it up to a 4.


So the variety is almost non-existent. I say this because there are literally no "permanent" shades. I snagged a few from the Holiday Limited Edition Collection, but once they are gone you will have no options. I am sure she will come out with some, but it hasn't happened yet. I also was bummed because I feel like you should get a brush with it. With the Kyliner, you get a cream eyeliner, a brush, AND a pencil eyeliner. All three run at $26 ($6 more than the cream shadows alone) and the cream liner itself is barely smaller than the cream shadow. You really need a brush for these. One of the shades I got was the shade Golden Plum. It is described as "a mauve purple with a golden shimmer" on the website. I feel like a mauve purple with gold glitter would have been way more accurate. Something with a golden shimmer to me has finely crushed metallic powder or even an extra fine glitter to add a hint of light catching shimmer. Think of the different between eye shadows that are glittery vs. shimmery in general. Well this is definitely a glitter shadow, and I am not a personal fan of glitter shadows.

REVIEW: Ciaté London Liquid Velvet Moisturizing Matte Liquid Lipstick

Packaging - 3 (average)

Variety - 3 (average) 

Smell - 4 (very good)

Wear - 1 (bad)

Kissability - 0 (awful) 

Overall:

I was so excited to try this new-to-me liquid lipstick, and so bummed by the results. I love liquid lipstick, because usually it is longer lasting and vibrant in color. It is a little drying on your lips but not horrible. This product misses the mark in almost every aspect.

The one good thing the Ciaté London Liquid  Lipstick has going for it is the smell. The smell is nice. It is sweet and yummy smelling, but not overpowering. However it is lack luster in packaging. It looks super simple with a very common applicator, and the little bows on it are (in my opinion) immature looking. Something I might see on a 12 year olds first every shadow palette. It has about 12 shades I think, which isn't a ton, but because it has nudes, pinks, bolds and some funky colors (including a blue shade) I felt it had variety. 

The most disappointing thing about this liquid lipstick is the performance. I gave low marks for wear because it bleeds SO MUCH, it wear off throughout the day with little to no contact, and it has AWFUL "kissability". This is when you kiss someone does your lipstick stay on  you, or them? Well this got ALL OVER my husband, and it stained his shirt, and it was off my lips in no time (giving me a kool-aid mouth effect due to the bleeding). For a $19 high end Sephora brand I would expect more. Don't waste your money, literally any other high end liquid lip is going to be a better choice. 

REVIEW: Kenra Texture Taffy

Packaging - 5 (excellent)
Smell - 4 (very good)
Longevity - 5 (excellent)
Texture - 5 (excellent)
Hold - 3 (average)
Overall:

I will start this review how I often do, with the packaging. Kenra's packaging is always on point. The products look luxurious and the packaging is sturdy and functional. The smell is kind of like taffy, but without a specific fruit in mind. It's good, but more importantly it is not strong or overpowering. The product has this gorgeous deep purple color that I want to swim in. It is SO PRETTY, I have had no issues using it on blondes though. A little goes a SUPER long way (as in this deserved a 6 long), so one container should last you at least a year with 5 times a week use.

The texture is super unique. Unlike other creams, this has a taffy like texture. So when you put your finger on the surface and pull away a long string will follow. You can then either put the taffy on your fingers and pinch the ends of your hair (and work into the root for volume) to give a piecey and  textured look, or you can lightly distribute it over all your hair by placing some on the palms of your hands, rubbing them together, and then separating them over your head. This will allow those strings that it creates to land softly on your hair and be distributed evenly. They you can "mess up" your hair for an unfinished look.

The only downside is it doesn't have a lot of hold, so you do have to touch up a few times, However I still love this product regardless. 

Holiday Gifting Tips!

I don't know if you heard, but it's the holidays! Like Christmas is only about 1 week away!!! So if you are looking for some gorgeous gifts here is a little guide of things you could do to gift gorgeously this season, and save money!

1- Check Your Spam Folder
a lot of our ads go into spam. I have long unsubscribed from a lot of my beauty brand ads because it was 50+ emails a day! Well check them this time of year. For example did you know that today only you get a FREE Kylie Cosmetics Merry Lip Kit with any purchase? That is a $30 lip kit! These kinds of deals are often one day only so make sure you are looking for them in the Spam Folder!

2- Buy Bundles and Break Them Apart
At our salon right now we have tons of great bundles! For example 2 Kenra Volume 25 Hair Sprays ($17.50 each) for only $25! So you can buy one, break apart the bundle, and then gift the hairsprays to your two daughters, two sisters, two besties, or one for a loved one and once for you!
3- Buy Beauty Products

Shampoo, Conditioner, Styling Products and Cosmetics are PERFECT gifts. Why? Because when you purchase professional hair care form your local salon you are gifting something that is practical. Your gift will get used. It is not going to be regifted, or sit on a shelf for years to come. Who couldn't use hair product? Not only is it practical, but because it is professional it is special, luxurious and fun! PLUS when you buy from your local salon you are buying local, supporting a local business, and supporting a business owner (as most hair stylists are independent contractors).

REVIEW: Wella EIMI Grip Cream

Packaging - 5 (excellent)
Smell - 5 (excellent)
Longevity - 5 (excellent)
Texture - 5 (excellent)
Hold - 5 (excellent)
Overall:


This product is across the board amazing. My favorite Grip Cream I have ever used. First of all the packaging is clean, professional, gender neutral, and high end. Next I love the smell! It smells like a really subtle and soft creamy scent. It is hard to describe. But it isn't super floral or fruity or a linen scent. But it is warm and very subtle so it isn't stinky or to sweet or anything like that.

A little goes a long way so it got high marks for longevity. Then there is the texture, it is seriously so smooth. I never get dry bumps or grit in it. I have had mine for a year and it is still creamy and smooth, but not oily. After I use it I do not feel like my hands are sticky or anything like that. Last but not least, hold. It holds without feeling crunchy which is my favorite thing! 5 out 5!

DIY Lip Scrub

So I am as dry as a raisin, maybe dryer. I live in Utah which is a massive desert. I used to live on the coast so my skin was used to getting some humidity and some moisture and then I moved here as a teenager with my parents. My skin has taken the biggest toll, that's for sure. I have to exfoliate at least once every other day or my skin gets so dry it flakes. But my lips have had the hardest time of all because breathing in this bitter cold, bone dry, winter air? Well it takes a toll on them. Throw on the fact that I wear liquid lipstick 5 out of 7 days a week and you've got some pretty dry lips.

I have tried a hundred (okay a hundred is excessive but a lot) of lip scrubs and exfoliants. I always find that they are to waxy or the exfoliant is to rough. I hate when they leave a residue, and I hate when my lips feel sore after. So it was time to get into the kitchen. I noticed most lip exfoliants either used salt, sugar, crushed seeds or crushed peppermint for the exfoliant. I began to mix using ingredients I liked to smell, as well as ingredients I knew were nourishing and hydrating. I now have two dynamite lip exfoliant recipes! I purchased some little 50 gram plastic containers to put my scrubs in. I usually keep two on hand and I will detail those recipes below. However here are a few container options I like. If you want to give these as gifts Amazon has tons of great options for containers too. 5 Basic Containers for $4.40, 12 Rounded Containers for $9.99, 1 Fancy Frosted Bamboo Container for $9.48. DON'T FORGET that these scrubs need to be followed up with a lip balm! So now onto the scrub recipes!

COCONUT MOJITO LIP SCRUB

Ingredients:
Coconut Oil

White Granulated Sugar

Mint Extract or Mint Oil

Instructions:
This recipe has zero measuring and I am sorry about it. 

First you want to put your sugar into a mixing bowl. I feel like 1/8 of a cup is a good place to start if you are just making enough for yourself. Add a spoonful of softened Coconut Oil and mix them together with metal spoon. You will want to continue to add more softened coconut oil until all of the sugar and coconut oil are incorporated together into a consistent paste.

Then comes the mint. You can use a mint extract (like this one), or a Eucalyptus Essential Oil (like this one), but do not use a warming oil or a an oil made for aromatherapy. While many essential oils are used for aromatherapy, many are filled with unsafe fillers that could even dry out your lips. The Eucalyptus Oil I recommended is the one I use, and it is 100% pure and all natural. Now you want to add 21 drop at a time. This stuff is STRONG. I add 1 drop and then stir it in. I smell the mixture and try a little out and decide if I want more based off of that. Once you are done with your mixture put it into containers and seal them up! 

WARM VANILLA SUGAR LIP SCRUB

Ingredients:
Brown Sugar

Olive Oil

Vanilla Extract

Menthol Oil

Instructions:
This recipe also has zero measuring and I am sorry about it. 

First you will start with your brown sugar. Put it into a bowl and then use your fingers to break up any chunks or clumps. Then slowly add olive oil a little at a time and mix until it is a consistent paste.

Next you will add a half a teaspoon of vanilla (look there is a little measuring!) You will want to stir that in until incorporated. Now smell your mixture and add a little more if you want the vanilla stronger. The vanilla is purely for scent, so that is all that matters here.  You don't want to add to much or your mixture will smell fake and overwhelming, which is why I recommend only a little at a time. Next comes the Menthol Oil. This can be replaced with a Eucalyptus Oil and a Peppermint Oil, but not a mint extract. Only 1 drop at time (like with the previous recipe) and then smell and test to see if you want one drop more. Then seal it up in your containers.



DIY LIP SCRUB GUIDE
if you want to make your own lip scrub, here are some of the things I used that you might like to try combining and using to make your own scents at home.

for the Scrub the things that worked best were white sugar and brown sugar, but finely crushed candy canes did a decent job too. They were a little rougher, but if you really got htem into a fine powder they were fine.

for the Oil Base I had good results with olive oil, coconut oil, avocado oil, and Vitamin E oil.

for the Cooling Treatment the only things I got good results with were the Eucalyptus Oil, Peppermint Oil and Menthol Oil. I did get okay results using Mint Extract (although it was more for smell than treatment), and I did get good results using the Menthol lip gloss from Bath and Body works too, although that deviates from the all natural aspect of the lip scrub and can get pricey. 

for Scents any extract works great including vanilla, orange, lemon, almond, rose, basil and maple.

Some Things You will want to Steer Clear of are waxy substances, shortening, butter, citrus fruits, bananas, freshly mashed avocado, lavender oil and tea tree oils. 

happy scrubbing ♥

REVIEW: Kylie Cosmetics Eye Shadow Palette

Packaging - 5 (excellent)
Pigment - 5 (excellent)
Value - 5 (excellent)
Texture - 5 (excellent)
Longevity - 5 (excellent)
Overall:



I am SO LATE in the game with this one, and I apologize for that truly I do. I picked up the Holiday palette, and I was was super please with the over all results. The price point works out to being $3.33 per gram, which is actually less than a Naked Palette (which is $3.46 per gram). As for the rest of it the color pay off is incredible, the product wears well. I usually use an eye shadow primer (usually the Aqua Seal from Makeup Forever or Air Patrol from Benefit) but even without primer it wears longer than other brands I have tried (but I still use primer). The color is smooth, the eye shadow is sily and doesn't get chunky. It's pigmented. I mean there is literally nothing wrong with this product. It's an amazing palette. The packaging is fun and branded. I love that they eye shadows pop right out of the casing which makes them perfect to put in a Z Palette or other metal palette, with no fuss!

The only thing is the variety, there are only 3 options, however I know that they are coming out with more. This line has been around for less than a year and has gone from 3 lip kits to over 20 regular lip kits, Matte lip singles, several metal lip singles, glosses, eye shadow palettes, cream shadows and a host of limited edition exclusive items. Clearly it is growing fast! I am excited to see what Kylie Cosmetics has in 3 years!

Highlighter Guide

Two posts in one week! I know! I am proud of me too! Anyways today's topic of conversation, highlighters. And obviously I am not taking about neon yellow markers you get at Office Max. I am talking about the shimmery awesome that you swipe across your cheek bones to reflect light. Today I am going to talk about some of my favorite highlighters, as well as the different kinds of highlighters.





Powder

These are definitely the most popular. Becca is considered the authority on all things highlighter, and I do love theirs, but it is a little to expensive for me. If you want to invest in the best of the best the Becca Cosmetics Shimmering Skin Perfecter Pressed (pictured on the right) is the way to go. Ringing in at $38 it is an investment, but it is also silky awesomeness. I love the shade Moonstone. You apply these powders like you do all other powders with a brush. I love this Japonesque Contour and Highlighting Brush ($19), which you can buy at Ulta. As far as a more affordable highlighter, I love the ones in the Lorac Pro Contour Palette (1 shimmer and 2 matte highlighters, Plus three contour shades and a brush for $45), or the source Lorac Light Source Illuminating Highlighters ($22) If you are looking for an inexpensive alternative, I do love the BH Cosmetics Carli Bybel Palette (which has 10 super pretty eye shadows and 4 stunning highlighters) for $14.50, or a fan favorite is Colour Pop's highlighters ringing in at $8 each.

Cream
Once again Becca is incredible, but pricey. You can find their cream highlighter the Becca Cosmetics Shimmering Skin Perfector Poured Crème ($38) by clicking the name of the product. Creams in general are really a cream to powder. They are usually in a compact and are put on using a blending sponge (like the infamous Beauty Blender $20), or a compact liquid makeup brush like the Coastal Scents Elite Foundation Brush ($12.95). I do have a cream highlight palette and it is to die for! I love the Pur Minerals Moonlight Glow Strobe and Highlight Palette ($34) which comes with 3 creamy amazing shades and is pictured on the left! If you are looking for an inexpensive alternative I recommend the Makeup Revolution HD Pro Cream Contour Palette ($18) which comes with 4 highlight and 4 contour shades.


Liquid
So for liquid highlighters I actually haven't found anything I love as much as Becca Cosmetics Shimmering Skin Perfecter Liquid ($41). However you can find travel sized versions of this product at Ulta and Sephora if you want to try it before you invest a ton. I also love and use the Temptu S/B Highlighter Makeup (pictured on the right, $10). The only one I like that is a cheaper brand is the NYX Born to Glow Illuminating Primer ($14), which is a primer, but I like to use it over my makeup too. It has a similar effect to the Becca, but it's less bold. Just like the cream you can use a compact liquid foundation brush, or you can use a sponge to apply, or your fingers! I do not recommend using your fingers for cream highlighters, but for liquid you can easily tap it in using your fingers.

DIY Highlight
Another option (which I do and love) is I will often use a shimmering body powder, a shimmery loose pigment mineral eye shadow, or even a shimmer pressed eye shadow. I take a little of it on my makeup brush and I mix it in with a moisturizer. It creates a DIY liquid highlighter that you 100% control the shade and density of the shimmer. Plus it is hydrating and sets into the skin a little better. I often use Mica Beauty Mineral Eyeshadow pigments or even Bare Minerals Eye Shadows!

Enjoy beauties and may your holiday be as bright as your highlight <3

SILISPONGE - What do you think?

The newest viral video for a beauty product has emerged over the last week, and I am excited to get mine in the mail in the next 3 weeks! It is called the Silisponge. It is a silicone blending pod for your makeup, and is boasted to be better than the popular beauty blender. The video is below

So what do I think? I am skeptical. One thing that makes the beauty blender so incredible is that it mimics skin texture o that your makeup blends flawlessly. But the Silisponge is smooth. I am also worried about it's durability, and honestly if it will really be better than wrapping a beauty blender in a tight layers of plastic wrap. A lot of people say they would feel like they are using a breast implant on their face, which I could see, but isn't a deterrent for me. But I am always up to try new things! What do you think? Are you going to try this new sponge? Do you think it will work?