Benefit Cosmetics Haul!

Benefit Cosmetics= New love! Yeahhh!!

So I placed an order at Ulta.com for Benefit's That Gal Face Primer, mainly because if you made a Benefit purchase, you got a set of 3 free mini things(: haha I love my mini products!

So I obviously got the That Gal Face Primer! And it's got kind of a pinky tone to it, but it blends in with your skin so you can't even tell, but it makes your face seem a little more lively! I really like it!

Next, in the free bag (YAYYYY) I got a mini Bad Gal Lash mascara, High Beam, and Erase Paste concealer.
*Bad Gal Lash- It's okay... I was expecting it to be wayyy better though. I LOVE the brush, however it only made my lashes darker and gave them a little length. Nothing a $2 drugstore mascara couldn't do. Kind of a let down :(
*High Beam- Kind of a let down too!!! I was originally going to purchase the full size, but I didn't. And I'm glad. I don't know if I am using it incorrectly, but it doesn't do too much for me. But I do like it(:
*Erase Paste- Best concealer ever! This has to be 34983274023 times better than both of my MAC concealers. It is so creamy and blendable and covers EVERYTHING! And the best thing is a little goes a long way. My small sample size should last me a good few more weeks!



And for my free samples, I got Smashbox photofinish primer, Joico shampoo and conditioner, and some eye cream haha And I love them all!

Ways to Earn and Save Money!

Who doesn't love having extra cash to spend all the time? These tips will help you save money, and I'll also include ways to earn money!

Ways to save:
*Ordering water when you go out to eat: This is something that only saves a dollar or two each time, but after a few times it adds up! Ordering soda and other drinks can add on an average of $1-$3. If you go out to dinner with friends two or three times a week, thats $5-$10 just on soda a week! You can use that money to get a new shirt from Forever21, instead(: haha

*Make a savings: Use an envelope, container, coin jar, piggy bank, whatever you want! If you get $20, put a couple dollars into your savings stash. After a while, it'll add up!

*Collect coins!: This is something that's helped me A LOT! I put allll of my coins into a jar. After a while, it may not look like a lot, but go to a coin machine and trade them for cash, and you'll probably have more than you expected! The GIANT tootsie roll picture at the bottom of this post is what I use to keep my coins. (The picture isn't of mine though haha). It looks small, but I have about $30 of coins in there!

*Think things over: Before you buy something, think about if you really REALLY want or need it. Don't buy a shirt just because it's on sale. Make sure you really like it before buying it. I do this ALL THE TIME! And I end up with tons of shirts I don't ever wear, but I bought because they were cheap.


How to earn!
*Babysit! Babysitting is a very flexible 'job'! Just tell families you know that you are available to babysit whenever they need you! It's an easy and fun way to make quite a bit of money!

*Ask family and friends if there's any tasks they want you to do. Helping in their yard, cleaning, taking their dog out while they're at work. Small easy things that help other people, and you!

*Gather up your unwanted clothes and take them to a store like Platos Closet. They will take your clothes (if they're in good condition), and trade you the clothes for cash! This gives you an opportunity to clean out your closet, and get cash to refill it again!!

Summer Makeup Routine!

Okay, so this is my makeup routine in blog form. I already tried in video form, but it wouldn't upload! boo! But this is better than nothing, right?! (:
I DO change my makeup routine pretty much every week, haha. But this is what I've been liking right now!
For this summer, my goal has been trying to keep my makeup (especially face) to a minimum!

FOR MY FACE!
-I like to use MACs Studio Stick Concealer. It's thick and creamy, so it stays on better than a thin oily one during the blazing florida summer! It's also in twist-up stick form, so it's very easy to apply.
-Then I apply my MAC Mineralized Skinfinish Natural in medium plus with my Estee Lauder Kabuki. I try to pat just a very little amount of this where I am oily or wherever I put concealer. Remember- we are trying to keep makeup to a minimum!
-Then, sometimes if I'm feeling a little pale, I will apply a small amount of bronzer. But usually, I just go right to the blush. I ALWAYS use a cream blush! They give you a more natural, dewey, summery look! So beautiful!!

EYES!
-I like to apply my MAC painterly paint pot (use any base) all over my eyelids. Then I apply MAC's Era eyeshadow. It's just a neutral skin toned shimmery color. I use my ELF basic eyeshadow brush for this.
-Then I usually use LashBlast waterproof on my top lashes, and line my lower waterline with Revlon's Colorstay black eyeliner.

LIPS!
-CHAPSTICK!!!(:
-And maybe some cute pink gloss(:


GIVEAWAY! Answer the question in a comment, along with your YouTube username, or e-mail for a chance to win some goodies! Winner will be picked on June 30, 2010!
QUESTION: What's your favorite summer makeup must-have??!

Summer Tips!

For most of us it's finally SUMMER BREAK! yyaayyy!(: For me, when summertime comes rolling around, I change my hair, skin, and makeup routine a little bit, to work with the summer heat and dryness! I'm from Florida, so it obviously gets pretty darn hot!

So here's some tips and tricks I go by during the summer months to keep my hair, skin, and everything else healthy and nice!

HAIR: I've decided to only use my hair straightener minimally! My hair is already getting dried out from being out in the sun and in all of the chemicals in the pool and all of those other damaging things hair encounters, so I've decided to try and cut my straightener out of my summer routine. My hair has been A LOT healthier, and it's really helping a lot.
-Another good idea is to get a deep conditioner. They have products in drugstores that are very inexpensive, and you leave it in your hair for a few minutes and wash it out and it helps keep your hair soft, shiny, and healthy!

MAKEUP: I try to wear as little face makeup as possible! I've been trying to only use a little bit of concealer where is it absolutely needed, and then pat a little powder (I use MAC MSF natural) over. I will also use a little cream blush sometimes, too. For a nice, glowy, summery look! Also use lots of sunscreen on your face!

SKIN: It's time to hit up the Bath & Body Works HELLO YELLOW SALE! Stock up on your favorite lotions and moisturizers! Keep your body moisturized, and also keep aloe handy for if you get burned! I like to buy their mini bottles of lotions in all different scents, so I have a large variety! They have a 5 for $15 deal going on with their mini things for the Hello Yellow sale! Go now!!!

Also remember to always wear sunscreen, and drink plenty of water! (: And HAVE FUN!!!

#7: Exfoliate!!!(:

Exfoliating is one thing I LOVE to do, but never do it! Not because it's a hard or out-of-the-way thing to do, I just forget. haha
Exfoliating removes dead skin cells from your body, leaving it cleaner, brighter, and less prone to acne! There are many products you can use to exfoliate (I used to use St.Ive's Apricot Scrub), but after finding some things around the house that work just as good, I don't have to spend the money on a special scrub!

My absolute favorite thing to exfoliate with at the moment is SUGAR!

All you need is a small bowl or cup with sugar in it. Depending on if you are exfoliating your whole body, or only your face will determine how much sugar you will need. I usually do this in the shower. I take a washcloth and wet it and ring it out so I get rid of all the excess water, pat the wet washcloth in the sugar and LIGHTLY rub it where ever I want to exfoliate. Rinse it off, pat dry, and your skin is clean!

Also, you may also add some olive oil to the sugar, to make it a paste-like texture. This will also help your skin! I don't do this every time, though.


It is recommended to exfoliate about twice a week. If you over-exfoliate your face, it will actually damage your skin. Also make sure you MOISTURIZE after!! Your skin will feel amazing! (:

-Lauren

6: Quick Healthy Snacks!

I know a lot of girls are struggling with eating healthy and keeping fit so I'm going to do some "Stay Healthy & Fit Tips". What an original name, right? haha So this will be the first in the installment and it's just going to be some simple snacks you can eat on a whim if you're in a rush or whenever you need something to please your appetite.  (:

#1. Fruit & Dip: Who doesn't love fruit?? Especially with a yummy dip!

-Just chop up some of your favorite fruits, or buy some pre-cut at the store, and mix together a few simple ingredients for a dip!

-For the dip: 1 cup of low fat yogurt, a tablespoon orange juice, about a tablespoon of honey, and a sprinkle of cinnamon. You can change the amounts of the ingredients to whatever taste you like better! Mix them all together for a sweeeeet dip!

#2. Wraps: Take a whole wheat tortilla, and fill it with cheese, turkey, lettuce, tomatoes, and whatever else you like! Just try to skip the mayo! You can also get creative with what you put in it! Maybe peanut butter and bananas? I have put a small bit of cream cheese, tomatoes, and basil pesto. It was so good! These things get addicting and you could soon find yourself making one everyday after school! haha

#3. Chocolate Covered Strawberries?: DARK chocolate can be good for you and your body in proportion! Take strawberries (or cherries, pineapple, apples, etc.) and dip into melted dark chocolate! It doesn't even seem like a "good-for-you" food, but it is!

I will make more posts in the future adding onto this list!

-Lauren

5: Spring/Summer Outfit #1!

So here's a continuation of my Seasonal Outfit videos everyone likes!!(: Just in blog form! I will be doing them one by one, instead of like 10 outfits in one post, so keep updated to see them all!(: 

I have been starting to LOVE skirts! They're so cute and there so many different ones! 

Here is the outfit! 

 

It's a plain white v-neck tee, and a blue and white skirt from Hollister. The skirt has a built in "belt". The reason for the quotes on "belt" is because it's more like a waistband with a metal buckle thing. So technically it would be a built in belt, I don't know. haha. I wore a bracelet from a surf shop, because this outfit reminds me of something I would wear for going to dinner somewhere on the beach. 

Here's a close up on the unique pattern of the skirt and "belt" (I'll keep the quotes haha). And also the bracelet, ignore the awkward hand pose. 

For shoes, I would wear some sandals like these. I bought these at Forever21 for $7, but I would go for the white ones for this outfit. That's what I have and it looked adorable! (I couldn't find a pic of the white ones! Sorry!)