The end of a year is always laden with heavy makeup—lots of deep colors and glitter—and something about the idea of moving into a New Year always has me feeling like January is the month of fresh, clean makeup.

AKA: GIVE UR SKIN A BREAK GEEZ

I filmed a video on what has become my "fresh face" go-to in the past year or so. Subtle, simple, and clean.

Also!!! I'm definitely planning on utilizing my YouTube channels more this year, so if you like this, please do subscribe!! :)

Naturally, because of this interest, when I was fourteen I stumbled on "beauty gurus" (I don't really hear them called that much anymore?) on YouTube, and my love of watching makeup videos bloomed and never went away.

One thing I have always had an issue with was getting my makeup to come out the way that so many girls were doing it, and I couldn't figure out why. Am I just inept? Is it my tools? What am I doing wrong?

It was only a couple of years ago that I learned that it was because there are so many different eye shapes, and what works on one may not work on another. I have slightly hooded eyes, so there are adjustments that have to be made to make things work on that type of lid. I started trying to watch more women that had hooded lids so that I could properly learn how to apply makeup to them, and these are some of the lovely ladies I've found.

1.) Bubzbeauty — Bubz is one of the two first beauty YouTubers I discovered back in 2008, the other being Michelle Phan. I've always found her so endearing and bubbly, and since those were the days of webcam videos, her quality has only gotten more lovely with time.


2.) Carly Humbert — I've only been watching Carly for about a year now, but she has some of the prettiest makeup looks. I wasn't really aware that people with hooded lids could pull off so many variations of things, but she does it so well, and that inspires me to try it.


3.) Tanya Burr — Tanya Burr seems to be a cult favorite these days, and it's well-deserved. Her looks are always so simple and pretty, and she has a very sunny personality that makes her enjoyable to watch.


4.) Bronte Jones — I've only just started watching Bronte recently, but most of her makeup tutorials are geared specifically towards hooded eyes, and she has some really pretty looks and tips!



And who are some of your favorite YouTubers? (Beauty-related or non, I just love YouTube!) Tell me in the comments! And alternatively, if you make videos, feel free to link your channel and I'll check it out!! You can also tweet me or message me on tumblr!

It's Summer, which means I'm finding myself drawn to lipstick over eyeshadow. Humidity = oily lids. Not a cute look. I have pretty naturally oily lids anyway, but when it's hot, even primer has a hard time keeping creasing at bay, so I tend to forego shadow.

Only last Summer did I finally—finally—hop on the lipstick wagon, but I've worn it enough that I've picked up a few handy tricks along the way. As many tips as I had read and seen in YouTube videos before I plucked up the nerve to wear it, I didn't really get the tips I needed.

Maybe my trial and error can help someone else who's just starting to venture into lipstick land.

1.) If you're nervous about dabbling into such strong color on your lips, start with sheer lip tints. If you can't quite work up the nerve for dark colors, I promise this helps. I started adjusting to the idea of something other than plain ol' chapstick on my lips by using Baby Lips in "Cherry Me" and later, a nude lipstick. Starting on the milder side helped me work up to reds and berries. (Wearing it at home a few times rather than in public helps get used to it, too!)

Another option? Try a gradient lip. Since you're only working with the inner part of your lips, it's not quite so loud, and a little less intimidating.

2.) Exfoliating is so important. I know, I didn't believe it either, but if you're wearing lipstick, it does matter. You can just use a rag and scrub lightly at your lips, or go as far as buying/making a sugar scrub, but if you don't have smooth lips, application's not gonna be such a breeze.

3.) Lipliner is not necessarily required. It's all personal preference, and it depends on the texture of the lipstick you're using. I find that the kinds of lipstick that I've come across in my journey so far don't feather much, even the really dark ones. If you want to have one on hand, a good option would be a transparent lipliner, so it'll go with every lip color you have.

4.) Q-tips are your friend. Unless you're some kind of inhumanly perfect person, application may be a little sloppy until you get used to it, or if you're like me, forever. It just makes things look a little more crisp if you clean up the edges with a damp q-tip when you're finished.


5.) When you apply it, make sure you blot with a tissue, and stick your finger just on the inside of your lips to wipe off the lipstick there. Ending up with lipstick on my teeth and walking around all day not knowing was one of my biggest lipstick-related insecurities. This trick is a relatively sure-fire way to make sure that you don't have that issue.

What about you long-time lipstick wearers? Any invaluable tips to share with us newbies?

And hey, if you really wanna wear lipstick but have been too nervous to try it out: ease into it. You're probably gonna love it, though. ;)

As soon as I came up with this look, I could just hear Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada:

Anyway! I know we're a few days past Easter now, but I hadn't dyed eggs in years, and I was inspired by all of those little brightly colored little eggs waiting to be found in grassy knolls around the world.

I normally don't do bright eye makeup, so this is a little bit different for me, but I ended up really loving it. Definitely a bright and happy Spring/Summer look.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. ❤

xo A