Mini Hiatus

So some things have happened that I need to attend to so there will be a mini haitus from the blog. After I get things situated I will be back with full force. It's been a rough couple of days and I am trying to get back on track. 

Wishing everyone the best!

Just Call Me Dionne: 90’s Inspired Makeup Look Featuring Naked Smoky

Good Afternoon!

This weekend, I rocked this makeup look and god so many compliments on it while I was at work that I wanted to recreate it for a post! I have been obsessed with the Naked Smoky palette and my ColourPop Ultra Matte Lipsticks lately. The smoky neutrals and bold dark lip colors make me crave autumn so badly that I find myself just doing fall makeup looks regardless of if I am melting outside. This is a very easy makeup look that combines shimmery shadows with matte lips and a nice winged liner. I hope you enjoy!

For my base, I have been doing the same routine that I normally do, but for this look I used my Urban Decay Naked Skin concealer to highlight under my eyes, down my nose and t-zone, on my cupid’s bow, and on my chin. This concealer is great for really brightening up my face and making me look more awake.

The eyeshadow look is so simple for a nice neutral smoky eye look. I love the shades in the Naked Smoky palette so much and I feel like you can do so much with this palette because of the versatility. I started by using Combust (a matte tan shade) as a transition color all over my lid. Then I used Dirtysweet (a shimmery goldish tan shade) all over the lid over Combust. In my crease I used Radar (a shimmery dark gold shade) to add depth to my eyes. In my outer corner and on my lower lashline, I used Whisky (a matte chocolate brown shade) to give that beautiful smoky look. Whisky is my absolute favorite shade and the reason I keep picking this palette up every time I do my makeup. It is the most beautiful chocolate brown that I have ever seen. Finally, to highlight the inner corners of my eyes, I used High (a shimmery pale peach shade).

Winged liner is not my strong suit, but with practice I have been able to make a liner routine that works for me. Using my Kat Von D Tattoo Liner, I draw a little triangle in the outer corner to make the wing, and then fill it in only to the middle of my eye. Then using a black kohl liner, I draw the rest of the line in and also fill in my upper water line to make my lashes look thicker. I followed that up with the Benefit Roller Lash mascara, using the wand upside down because that is the only way I like to use that mascara.

When I make mistakes with my winged liner, the quickest way for me to correct it is to grab my Simple Micellar Water and a Q-Tip and wipe away the problem area. It is the fastest way to correct the problem while keeping your makeup intact, so don’t fret over those little liner mistakes!

Last but certainly not least, I finished the look with my ColourPop Ultra Matte Lipstick in Limbo to give that perfect 90’s lip color. All I need is a pair of Doc Martens and flannel to really set the 90’s mood.

This look is a perfect look to transition into the fall weather and even into winter. I cannot wait to continue to rock this in the upcoming months. I hope you enjoyed this post and have a wonderful day and I will see you Wednesday with a new post!

Matte Lip Madness: ColourPop Ultra Matte Lipsticks

Mars, Tulle, Creeper, Limbo, Zipper, LAX (left to right)

Good Afternoon!

I had been looking for a new brand of affordable lipsticks to try out because, as much as I love my high end makeup, I cannot always afford to shell out the money for those products. I decided to get my hands on the Colourpop Ultra Matte Lipsticks as soon as they came in stock. I tried to grab colors that I knew I would wear and would work on my darker skin tone. I know what colors will work for my complexion and try to avoid bright or lighter colors that will make me look washed out. I picked six colors, valued at six dollars apiece, which brought my total to $36. That was not a bad price for lipsticks in my opinion, seeing as though I shelled out a nice chunk of change for the Esteé Lauder lipstick. I chose mostly colors that I would wear in fall since the seasons will soon be changing and I tend to wear more lipsticks in the fall and winter than summer. Each color was unique, which I loved and I cannot wait to play around with them.

Zipper, Mars, Creeper, Tulle, Limbo, LAX (left to right) 

IN DEPTH OF THE SIX SHADES

Tulle was my second favorite of the lip colors that I tried. I loved this shade as soon as I saw it on the website. When I saw it swatched, I immediately thought that it would make a lovely peachy nude color that wasn’t too brown. The pink undertones make it look so feminine and perfect for a simple, girly, natural makeup look for an everyday face. The lipstick applied very smooth, the smoothest of the six and was the least patchy. Since it was so similar to my natural lip color, I was not able to really tell if you could see my natural lip color underneath.

Limbo was my absolute favorite of the lip colors that I purchased. In the tube, it looks like a light brown, but it applied to a deep, chocolate brown as soon as it hits the lips. I was initially shocked when it came out of the tube so dark and I thought I had grabbed the wrong lipstick, but it was really that dark and I was so enamored by the color. It applied with no patches and left an even distribution of product across the lips. One coat worked fine for me to get that intense, dark, matte brown color.

Mars was my least favorite of the six, simply because bright pink is already out of my comfort zone. It applied patchy it took multiple coats for me to get a visible color in the center of my lip. I felt like it kept wiping away every time my bottom lip touched my top lip.

Creeper was a shade that I felt you will need a liner for because, like Mars, it took multiple coats to get a visible color in the center of the lip.

Zipper was the shade that I had the highest hopes for because it reminded me of Heroine by MAC. This was my second least favorite of the six because the color payoff was not as high as I anticipated. It applied really patchy and took a lot of coats for it to look purple. I showed a picture to my friend and she said she liked it because it gave a fuschia ombré effect to the lip, which is nice, but I was really looking forward to the bright purple lip.

Last, but not least, LAX was the shade that I got the most compliments on. I kept it on for a few hours to see how it lasted and it lasted a very long time. No wear, unless I went to drink something and my lips got wet, but even then it wasn’t too bad of wear. LAX was buildable and bold, which I like in a lipstick and it did not leave my lips feeling too dry. I really liked this color a lot and felt it would look amazing in the fall.

Overall, I liked the lipsticks because I feel like when paired with a good liner, they will do wonders. I would recommend them to anyone under that condition only. The staying power for these lipstick was insane. Once they dried, they were completely matte and were not going anywhere. There was no clinging to dry patches, which I find happens with a lot of matte shades. They were pigmented, if you built them up to be and lasted for awhile. Getting them off was a struggle though, so I recommend that if you are to wear one of these shades, you should be positive that it is the one you want to wear all day and are willing to take the time to remove at night.

 I can’t wait to see what makeup looks I can create around these colors. Thanks for reading and I will see you next week with a new post!

Rough Morning to Great Day: How I Feel Better After Waking Up In A Funk

This morning I woke up feeling sick, tired, and really down. I had been having a bad weekend because of my anxiety and I just felt exhausted from the stress. Then I started thinking of things that I did not like about myself and I stopped and wondered, why am I doing this? I need to get out of this funk and boost my self-esteem and my mood. Here are some tips for how I get myself out of a bad morning and into a happy day.

Have a personal mantra.

On days where I feel like it’s going to be a bad day, I try to not fulfill the self-fulfilling prophecy of a bad day and repeat to myself “I’m going to have a good day.” Lots of people think that I am joking when I do this, but it really gets me through days that are stressful. Saying that to myself helps me to not make a big deal about little things that go wrong and look at the big picture. This is a good day because I’m still alive, I’m still healthy, and I have people who love me.

List two physical traits you love about yourself and three mental/emotional traits you love about yourself.

I love my eyes. I love my weird chicken pox scar on my cheek. I love that I am creative. I love that I am passionate about my relationships with my loved ones. I love that I am a survivor.

Reminding yourself about the things you love about yourself can really help you to not focus on the negative and see how great of a person you are.

Do a project that makes you happy.

For me, cleaning out and organizing my closet is a Zen experience. I work in retail as a merchandiser, so I love to organize clothes and make presentations out of clothing. Some days, tackling my wardrobe and makeup collections really help me to stay calm and collected when I feel like the world is crashing in. Then I can take the items that I know I am never going to wear and donate them to someone who could use them. It’s a good way to give back while also helping you to calm down.

Talk to someone who makes you smile.

I have wonderful people in my life that can lift me up whenever I am feeling down. Knowing who to talk to that will help get you through a rough day can help you feel like everything is going to be okay. Realizing that they love you and do not see you as a burden may be hard, but obviously if they are here and are helping you then they care and want to see you feel better.

Splurge on something.

I say splurge in a loose sense. I do not mean spend a ton of money on something, but if you want to spend the day playing the Sims or watching Netflix, splurge on that. If you want to eat your favorite meal that you know isn’t the healthiest but it makes you happy, splurge on that. If you want to buy yourself a present that is a little pricey, but you can afford it and it will not cause you to be broke or prevent you from attending to responsibilities, splurge on that. You deserve something nice every once in a while and you deserve to be happy.

Today is going to be a day of projects and splurging and I am already feeling better thinking about it. I hope everyone is having a lovely day and I will be back on Wednesday with a new post for you!

Monthly Favorites: July 2015

Good Afternoon!

Today I would like to share a few of my favorites from this past month, some of which will not be a surprise if you have read my previous posts over the past few weeks. This month, I have a few products and videos that I loved and would love even more to share with you. So let’s get into it shall we.

PRODUCTS

Clinique Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief moisturizer.

This product has left my skin feeling so moisturized and plump. I never knew what a good moisturizer was until I discovered this. It is pricey, but it is worth the price tag in my opinion.

Clinique All About Shadow Single Shadow in Black Honey (as a bronzer).

I wouldn’t have thought to use this as a bronzer until the nice woman working in Ulta suggested it to me. After I told her my troubles of finding a bronzer for dark skin, she showed me this and it changed my life. Finally, I can add life and depth to my face and keep it from looking so flat.

The final three are three that I have raved about countless times, so here are the blog posts for those!

Estée Lauder Pure Color Envy Matte Sculpting Lipstick in Restless

Bath & Body Works Eucalyptus Spearmint Sugar Scrub

Rimmel Exaggerate Waterproof Eye Definer in Emerald Sparkle (250)

VIDEOS

Ombre Sunset Smokey Eye Makeup Tutorial by Jaclyn Hill

5 Favorite Outfits: July by Amelia Liana

I watch YouTube videos nonstop, but those are the two that really stuck out to me this month.

I hope everyone has a lovely weekend and that August brings you lots of joy and good vibes. See you in the next one!

The Morning After Detox: Skincare and Makeup Recover for a Rough Night

Good afternoon!

This post was inspired after, to be blunt, having an extremely bad hangover and also having a sad night. When recovering from a hangover or a sad night, I like to take some time to indulge in things that will help my skin and body recover.

The best way to lift your mood after a rough night is to put on a good playlist or radio station. I either like to use Grouplove Pandora or 90’s Pop and Alternative Pandora. Either one makes me so happy that I can’t help but dance and sing along. Next, you have to add some life back to your skin. Bringing life back to my skin is a four step process: cleanse, detox mask, toner, and moisturizer.

SKINCARE AND SHOWER

My go to cleanser and toner are the Body Shop Vitamin E Cleanser and Toner. My detox mask is a new purchase that I will be writing a review on soon. It’s the Formula 10.0.6 Deep Down Detox Ultra-Cleansing Mud Mask. I like to add that to my face and let it sit for about ten minutes while I hop in the shower. 

In the shower, I like to use a fragrance that makes me happy, so therefore I will chose anything apple scented. These Bath and Body Works products smell amazing and fill the shower with an amazing scent that just fills my heart with joy. After the showering and cleaning the mask off of my face, I like to follow up with my toner and my new Clinique Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief moisturizer. After doing this, my face feels refreshed and awake.

MAKEUP AND HAIR

As for makeup, I always like to go for something light, but something that makes my skin look refreshed and happy. I rarely wear contacts after a rough night, so I always do a minimal but brightening eye look since I will most likely be wearing my glasses. Contacts are rough on my eyes and I only wear them for special occasions or big night outs. After using a light base of Complexion Rescue, I use my BareMineralsStroke of Light Eye Brightener that literally highlights under my eyes and makes me look so awake and well rested. You cannot even tell that I can was up all night and did not have a good night’s sleep.

Unfortunately, I did not get a picture of my concealer.
But it has been featured in older blog posts and I will link to those.

Something that always cheers me up is using a new product that I have recently purchased. A big purchase that I made recently was the new Urban Decay Naked Smoky Palette. I have been using this palette all weekend to make dramatic or every day looks. I also love using my Kendall Jenner lipstick because a bold lip just makes me feel like I tried.

Recently, I have taken up wearing wigs because it is so easy to get ready with them. I pull my hair back under a wig cap and throw on my favorite wig to make me look like I put so much effort into my hair. It looks really nice and natural.

Finally, throw on your favorite outfit and take on the world! It is easy to stay in bed and wallow in sadness or sickness, but sometimes you have to get up and get out. Doing this always helps me to feel so much better about going out after a rough night. How do you like to get refreshed after a rough night?

I hope everyone is having a lovely day and I will see you Wednesday for a new post!

Products used:

The Body Shop Vitamin E Facial Cleanser and Toner

Formula 10.0.6 Deep Down Detox Ultra-Cleansing Mud Mask

Bath & Body Works American Apple Shea and Vitamin E Shower Gel

Bath & Body Works Winter Candy Apple Sparkling Snowflake Scrub

Clinique Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief moisturizer

Elf Studio Eye Refresh

The Body Shop All-In-One InstaBlur Primer

bareMinerals Complexion Rescue in Chestnut

BareMineral’s Stroke of Light Eye Brightener in Luminous 4

Benefit Gimme Brow in Medium/Deep

Clinique All About Shadow Single Shadow in Black Honey (as a bronzer)

the Balm Instain Blush in Swiss Dot

Urban Decay Naked Smokey Palette (Combust, Whirlpool, Thirteen, and High)

Tarte Gifted Amazonia Clay Smart Mascara

Urban Decay All Nighter Makeup Setting Spray

Something For Myself: My Decision to Have Breast Augmentation Surgery

2009, 2009, 2015, 2014, 2014

Plastic surgery is often looked down upon as something people have when they are shallow or filled with self-loathing. People think that you do not love yourself if you want to change yourself, but I have never thought that way. In my opinion, if you have something about yourself that you do not like and you have the means to change that, why not change it? This is why I have decided to go forth with the process to have breast augmentation surgery.

A very sweaty me at the Sweetlife Music and Food Festival this year. I'm braless if you can't tell. (2015)

I have struggled with my appearance for as long as I can remember. Ever since I was little, I have just been extremely tiny and have never really grown much since middle school. I’ve been around the same height, weight, and shape for my entire life; extremely thin and lanky with no curves. I would sit and wonder when my boobs would come in, but they never did. I got picked on a lot by other people and still often do about the size of my boobs. Sometimes I play along, but other times it hurts my feelings and I hate being the butt of a joke daily.

Me, last year, at an Ed Sheeran concert (2014)

I am recently learning to love myself as I am, but I do not feel that I should be stuck with a body that I am not fond of just because society tells me that I’m perfect the way I am and I should love myself as is. I don’t feel perfect, so I should have the ability to change the things that I do not like. However, I don’t want people to think that I am doing this for the wrong reasons. I am not doing this for superficial reasons except for the mere satisfaction of waking up and liking what I see when I look in the mirror. I do not want to be defined by my boobs. I believe that I will still be the same old Keyerra, just with slightly bigger boobs who is happier about her body.

Me on Halloween two years ago (2013)

I have wanted this procedure for years, but never took the initiative to do any research or meet with surgeons until recently. I have met with a surgeon and am planning on meeting with others to find the perfect one and set my date. This is a journey that will be very long and I know that not everyone will be happy with my decision or support me. I am not asking anyone to. This is something that I am doing for myself and anyone’s objections are not a concern of mine.

If you are going or have gone through this process, I would love to hear your stories, feedback, or advice. Any help would be appreciated. Also, if you are thinking about going through this process, I would love to talk about this with someone who can relate to what I am going through. Thank you for reading about this personal journey for me and I cannot wait to keep you posted with information as it comes. I will be back on Monday with a new post to share!

Have a lovely weekend!