Stay tune!

Love, Krista!

***Sorry about the choppy editing…I blame YouTube for making me cut it down to 10 minutes! Haha.***

Tired of the natural, classic look? You know – those same dull brown colors that are supposed to enhance your beauty without making you look like you’re wearing any products at all. But you don’t want to wear crazy colors or too much makeup?? Well then this look might just be the one for you! Add a little pizazz to this look by switching boring brown with apricot and copper! You can make it more dramatic by adding the cat eye (like I did in this tut) or keep it simple and just extend the eyeliner to where your eye naturally ends.

FACE:
Revlon Colorstay Foundation in Medium Beige
TruBlend Loose Powder in Translucent Light
NYX Blush/Contour

EYES:
MAC Paintpot in Painterly
NYX e/s in Apricot Moose
MAC e/s in Vanilla (NYX e/s in Highlight is a cheaper option)
Coastal Scents 88 Palette
L’oreal HIP Gel Liner in Black (any eyeliner will do)
Rimmel Sexy Curves Mascara in Black

LIPS:
Revlon Colorstay Lipstick in Beige
NYX Megashine Lip Gloss in Lollipop

BRUSHES:
MAC 217, 219, 239

***CVS or Target brushes can be substituted!
MUSIC:
“Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)” by Bruce Springsteen

Thanks for watching!! Feel free to leave comments/suggestions/questions. Please subscribe

Love, Krista!

I wore this look during the Superbowl and really liked it. I think in the future I may change the eyeliner a bit and use pencil instead of liquid.

I recently bought NYC Smooth Skin Loose Powder Foundation. Usually, I don’t buy products from NYC because I thought that if they were that cheap, they couldn’t possibly be good. But then I kept hearing all of these great things about EyesLipsFace (better known as ELF), and their products are around the same price as NYC. So I bought an eyeliner from NYC to prove myself wrong….but I wasn’t too impressed. Figured…nah, I was right.

For a while, I’ve been searching for a cheaper loose powder foundation for my face. I’m saving up for NARS, but that stuff is expensive! And I currently use TruBlend, but it’s a little too shimmery for me (especially in February!). So I asked around on this message board I use and people seemed to use and like the NYC powder. I wasn’t going to buy it, but I really needed some foundation and it was only about $3, so I considered….

But there were only two shades. Aw man. Not looking good. The one in Natural Beige looks close enough to my winter shade, so I caved and bought it. I’ve got to admit…I was wrong! The color is close to my skin tone and it provides all over cover.

My favorite thing about this product: It looks natural and isn’t shimmery!
My least favorite thing about this product: Packaging – the sifter is kinda big, so a lot of powder comes through…more than necessary, actually. So I’ve spilled more than I’d like to admit =/

I decided to use this powder when I created this look.

FACE:
NYC Smooth Skin Loose Powder Foundation in Naturally Beige
Maybelline Dream Mousse Blush in Rose Petals

EYES:
NYX e/s in Pink Oleander
Sephora e/s in Pearl
MAC e/s in Vanilla
NYC e/s in Espresso
Almay e/s (brown in the Hazel eyes trio)
Wet ‘n Wild Liquid Eyeliner in Brown
CoverGirl Lash Blast Length in Brown Black

LIPS:
NYX Lipliner in Hampton
CoverGirl Wetslicks in Guava Splash

Let me know what you think!

Love, Krista!

Here’s my review on NYX’s Smokey Eye Palette (www.nyxcosmetics.com). The quality isn’t very good (I did it the old fashioned way – recorded it on my digital camera and uploaded it onto my laptop), and my editing skills are pretty choppy,  but I’m overall happy with the way it came out. Plus, it can only get better from here, right?! =)

Here’s the pictures from my video so you can get a better look!

Hope you enjoy!

Love, Krista!

I just got these products in the mail!! NYX had a sale from Jan. 15-25 in which a ton of their products were only $1! So yeah, I bought 12 items =)

These added onto my January haul. That means all the makeup products I’ve bought throughout the past month. I don’t want to think about how much money I’ve actually spent, haha, but I love ALL of my makeup and I’m super happy with it!

Okay, here’s a picture….WARNING….I went a little crazy =P

• False Eyelashes from NYX and ELF
• Shu Uemura Eyelah Curler (crossed that baby off my wishlist!)
• NYX Blush Tester in 12 colors
• MAC Paint Pot in Painterly
• NYX Blush Brush
• Sephora Cooling Cover Stick
• NYX e/s in Apricot Moose, Pink Oleander, Sunset and Jade
• Sephora e/s in Pearl
• MAC e/s in Vanilla
• NYC Smooth Mineral Loose Eye Powder in Frosty Shimmer and Espresso
• NYX Smokey Eye Palette
• NYX Lipliner in Hampton and Nepal
• NYX Mega Shine Lipgloss in Lollipop
• Revlon Colorstay Foundation in Warm Golden
• bareMinerals Matte samples in Medium Beige (and a mini kabuki brush!)
• NYX 1,000 Miles Long Mascara in Bronze and Blue Eyes
• NYX Candy Glitter Liner in Disco Ball
• NYX Glitter Mania Jumbo Pencil in Moonstone
• Model in a Bottle Setting Spray – Matte finish

If you want a review or a swatch of any of my makeup, just leave me a comment and I’ll be more than happy to make one for you!

Love, Krista!

This is my first Weekly Challenge for www.makeupgeek.com! The challenge was to come up with a Valentine’s Day look using reds and black. I did something a little odd, but I hope you guys like it!
I went with a Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde look. On the one side, I have a very natural look, with a lot of pinks and browns. Very happy…lots of hearts, haha. Dr. Jekyll. Here’s what I used:

FACE:
Revlon Colorstay Foundation
TruBlend Loose Powder
Maybelline Dream Mousse Blush
NYX Blush in Pinky

EYES:
MAC Painterly Paint Pot
Coastal Scents 88 Palette (various pinks and reds)
NYX e/s in Pink Oleander
Sephora e/s in Pearl
MAC e/s in Vanilla
L’oreal Loose Eye Powder in Mystified
NYC Loose Eye Powder in Frosty Shimmer
NYX Glitter Liner in Disco Ball
Wet n’ Wild Megaliner in Espresso
Lash Blast Length Mascara in Brown Black
ELF False Eyelashes (only used one)

LIPS:
NYX Lipliner in Hampton
Covergirl Wetslicks in Guava Splash

On the other side of my face, I did a more dramatic look. Very pale, used a lot of reds, purples and blacks. Even drew an emo tear and a broken heart for extra emphasis, haha (I’m not very creative, don’t judge  )! Mr. Hyde. Here’s the products I used:

FACE:
Sephora Cooling Cover Stick
Baby Powder

EYES:
MAC Painterly Paint Pot
Covergirl e/s (the name ripped off, but I used the reddish purple color in the palette with black, silver and white e/s)
Coastal Scents 88 Palette (various reds and black)
Almay Eyeliner in Black
Maybelline Ultraliner in Black
L’oreal Double Extend Mascara in Extreme Black
NYX False Eyelashes (only used one)

LIPS:
I own absolutely no red lipstick, haha. So I improvised and used the red e/s from my coastal scents palette, as well as the black e/s as a lipliner.

So overall, there’s the happy, in love, “Valentine’s Day is my favorite!” face, and the sad, distraught, “Valentine’s day blows!” face. Hope you like it! 

Love, Krista!

It’s so crucial to use the right cleanser. Dirt, oil, makeup, dead skin, and more grimy things pile on your face from day to day, and you need to clean your face in order to get all that stuff off. I know how intimidating the beauty aisles at the drug store can be….so many cleansers, so many purposes! Do you get one for acne? Anti-aging? Make-up removal? Once you pick that much, now you have to worry about whether you want a foaming cleanser, a bar, a scrub, gel, cream, and so on.  Oy.

Unfortunately, you have to choose this on your own. Everyone has different skin, and like I’ve mentioned before – what works well for one girl may not work well on another girl. But here’s a couple tips on finding the right cleanser:

1. Like your moisturizer, make sure your cleanser is appropriate for your skin type. Using a cleanser specifically for normal skin if you have dry skin won’t make anything better…it’ll probably make your problems worse!
2. No matter which cleanser you choose, make sure it’s soap-free! Soap will just dry out your skin and only clean your top layer of skin (not what’s clogging your pores).
3. You don’t need to buy expensive name brands! The Aveeno cleanser I use is only around $7!

Now as far as mixing product brands go, it may lead to a horrific clash of chemicals on your face, and no one wants red skin or breakouts because of that! I use Aveeno Positively Radiant Cleanser and their Moisturizer because they use the same chemicals. However, it may not affect your skin at all. On top of my Aveeno products, I use Estee’ Lauder So Polished exfoliating gel, Oil of Olay Toner, Clinique All About Eyes, and Mary Kay clay face mask.

So on top of getting the right moisturizer, you’ve bought the right cleanser for your face. Woohoo! You’re done, right?

Yeah…not so much.

Well…you can be done if you choose. But let me make some suggestions for you first, and then see how you feel about just sticking to a cleanser and moisturizer.

FACT: Skin cells on your face die. Sorry if I burst your bubble =/ If you don’t want the glass to shatter, don’t read the next fact.

FACT: That crap stays on your face! Well, not for forever, of course. But a gentle cleanser isn’t going to do enough to help get the dead skin off so your pores are clear and your  healthy skin can breathe and look gorgeous.

What to do? Exfoliate!!!!!

Like I mentioned earlier, I use Estee’ Lauder’s “So Polished.” It’s a fantastic scrub with small beads that gets rid of dead skin and leaves my face feeling super soft. But if you buy an exfoliating scrub, you don’t need to use it as constantly as your regular cleanser. I exfoliate twice a week. Please note – if you wish to buy yourself an exfoliating scrub, do your research first!! Don’t use just any ol’ exfoliator! The ones meant for your body are not meant for your face as well. Some beads can scratch the crap out of your face (whether you see the scrapes or not), leaving your skin red, raw, and open for more dirt to flow in (AKA – more blemishes). And pleeeeease don’t buy St. Ives Apricot Face Scrub. It may say “face scrub,” but it actually is too harsh for your skin and leaves lots of tiny scratches all over your face. Don’t believe me? Just google people’s reviews on that product. They’re not good, I promise.

The next step is totally optional and may not work for everybody. But what I like to use occasionally after cleansing and before moisturizing is a toner. It’s meant to shrink your pores. Now, you can just splash cold water on your face to close up your pores a bit, so if you don’t want to spend money on a toner, you definitely don’t have to. But I got one by Olay in my stocking on Christmas, so I might as well use mine. It’s a bit strong (smells like alcohol like WHOA), but it doesn’t agitate my skin and it seems to be doing it’s job well, so…yay.

Another optional step – under eye cream. Now, I’ve got ridiculous circles, so I need to use something for them. I use Clinique’s “All About Eyes” – it’s wonderful. It comes in a very, very, very tiny package, but you hardly need any for it to work. It goes on smooth and dries very quickly. It isn’t oily at all and I’ve definitely noticed that the skin under my eyes is looking better.

The last step is also optional, but I consider it crucial in any weekly skin care regimen. Invest in a clay facial mask to detox your skin, and restore nutrients and minerals to your face. Oh my goodness, I can’t stress enough that they really do a lot to improve your skin. And there’s tons of different types of clay for different skin types too! I use Mary Kay’s Clarifying Mask Formula 3 for Oily Skin (though I may switch to Formula 2 for combo skin after 3 runs out!) once a week, and you can totally see the benefits after I use it. That’s right – I use mine once a week, not just once in a while when my girlfriends and I feel like giving each other facials and watching chick flicks with Ben & Jerry

Okay, got all that? Haha, here’s a recap for you:

• Cleanser – daily

• Moisturizer - daily
  

• Exfoliating Scrub - twice a week

• Toner – whenever!

• Under Eye Cream – daily

• Clay Mask – once a week

Now remember, you don’t need to use everything I’ve listed, but I did bold the ones that I highly recommend using in your weekly face care regimen.

Good luck!

Love, Krista!

First thing’s first – know your skin type. If you don’t know what kind of skin you have, you’re not going to get the best possible moisturizer. You can have one of three types of skin:

1. Dry
2. Oily
3. Combination
4. Sensitive
5. Normal

For a good definition of each type of skin, look at this website: http://www.womenfitness.net/beauty/skin/skintypes.htm

Now that you’ve figured out what kind of skin type you have, go shopping! You don’t need to shop at Lancome’ or Clinique to buy great moisturizer. In fact, I use Aveeno Positively Radiant, and I bought it at Rite Aid. When choosing your moisturizer, you want to look for specific things. First and foremost, you absolutely need one with a high SPF! Otherwise, you’re going to want to put on sunscreen over your moisturizer. Just because it feels like it’s -1o degrees out and it’s cloudy, doesn’t mean the sun isn’t damaging your face. If you have oily skin, make sure it’s oil and petroleum free. They will just clog your pores and make you break out more. If you’ve got dry skin, it’s alright if the moisturizer is oil based, but avoid anything alcohol based! Some toners use alcohol, and they will just dry you out.  If you’ve got sensitive skin, make sure it’s hypoallergenic. Any face lotion/cream that uses vitamin E or is noncomedogenic (doesn’t clog pores) is good for your skin. I’ll tell you why I chose Aveeno:

1. Nice, light scent.
2. SPF 30!!!!
3. Light, oil-free lotion – no cakey, greasy feeling, and a little goes a long way!
4. Evens out my skin tone/texture.
5. Noncomedogenic.

Now, one girl’s moisturizer could be the next girl’s nightmare. What works for me may not work for you, even if you have oily skin like me. But I do believe in some brand names more than others, so here are a few of my top picks:

• Aveeno
• Cetaphil
• Eucerin
• Ponds (they have a great night cream!)
• Olay

I haven’t used any moisturizers by Neutrogena, but the Clean&Clear ones are okay. I used to use the “Morning Glow” until I switched to Aveeno.  It was okay because it was oil-free and had 15 SPF, but overall I’m much  happier with Aveeno. Also, I would advise you to stick with the brand names you know. Obviously Olay, Eucerin and Cetaphil are well-known and often reviewed. If you see Joe Bob’s Magic Face Cream for Oily/Combination Skin, maybe you shouldn’t buy it.

Remember – everyone’s skin is different and reacts to different moisturizers positively and negatively. Unfortunately, the best thing you can do is trial & error until you find the right moisturizer for you. But when you do find it, use it! Most people don’t moisturize as often as they should. I would recommend using a lotion or cream twice a day (morning and night) after cleansing. And most important of all – drink lots of water! The more hydrated your body is, the more hydrated your skin will be. People with dry skin – take heed!

I hope this helped a bit!

Love, Krista!

** Please note, I’m not a dermatologist, cosmetologist, or anything else ending in -ist, so if you want a professional opinion, you should go see one of those people. Feedback is always welcomed! **

NARS Loose Powder
Revlon Colorstay Foundation……BOUGHT!
A good blush brush!…..BOUGHT!
More lip products, since I have about 4 right now and one is clear gloss.
Urban Decay Book of Shadows II

120 Manly Eyeshadow Palette

Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler……BOUGHT!

A good face primer. I’ve heard nothing but good things about using Monistat Anti-Chafing Gel. You’re probably going, “What?? Ewww, I’m not putting that on my face!” But don’t get too grossed out yet. It has no medication in it, so it’s not like your putting Preperation H on your face, haha. It’s just a powder gel. It has the same ingredient as expensive primers – silicone. Costs about $6-8 too. Can’t beat that!
And more MAC brushes! I only have 217 and 239……BOUGHT 219!

Okay, so that’s my Wishlist right now. What’s yours? Do you know where to start?

One of my next posts (when it’s not 1:00AM and I’m sleepy) is going to be about putting together your makeup bag – the dos and don’ts, the must-haves and the unnecessary products. Stay tuned!

A couple months ago, I saw this online and thought….no way. No freaking way. This is too good to be true. HAS to be fake, or really crappy quality. But Michelle Phan (www.youtube/user/MichellePhan) used it and I loved her tutorials, so I caved and bought it. When it came it, I used it right away. I was SOOOOOO wrong before.

BEST INVESTMENT EVER. I love it. I love love love it. Most of the colors are absolutely fantastic and highly pigmented. A couple are light and need to be used a couple times so they show up better, but you get 88 colors so whatever. The palette contains 88 small pots of shadow, but they last so long because you use so little at a time! I’ve had mine for 2 months now and it hardly looks like I’ve put a dent in mine (and trust me, I used this baby constantly). I’ve done so many looks with this palette, and I want more palettes as a result. You can call me crazy because I already have over 88 eyeshadows, but ohhh I love them and am addicted.

Sidenote: This entire palette is only about $18!! That’s pretty cheap for all that eyeshadow. But if that’s too expensive, you can purchase the SAME exact palette on eBay for way cheaper. I know of a few users who sell them for less than a dollar. Of course, you’ll probably pay around $13-15 for shipping, but altogether it’s less than $18+S&H from Coastal Scents. If you see a 120-shadow palette on eBay under the company names Manly or BH, they’re all the same product.

Here are some looks I’ve done with my palette.