Shaving on a Budget!

Hey all! We're in the midst of spring, and summer is about two months away! As the days get hotter, less clothing and more skin showing will be the standard! With that said, shaving is a very important part of this season. There are TONS of shaving products out. You can't go a day without seeing a commercial for some new "amazing" shaving product. However, the basics are the same all around. Most people want the closest shave possible without constantly having to buy expensive products to do so. I have a few tips for shaving and buying shaving products that will get the job done! I'll also post a few of the products I currently love to use below. 

1. Anything with less than two blades isn't going to do you much good. Look for razors with at least two blades. The more the better!

2. Use a shave gel or foam. Some people like to try and be cheap by using shower gel or soap, but you'll wind up with razor burn and/or irritation and wish that you'd spent $2 for a shaving cream instead! Try ones that are unscented and formulated for sensitive skin, in case you have any skin allergies or are prone to skin irritation.

3. Don't use regular shaving cream on private areas. Use a shaving gel specifically formulated for that area. This will help avoid skin irritation. Irritation in an area you can't scratch or easily get to will NOT be pleasant.

My favorite two shave gels are Equate (Walmart generic brand) Shave Gel for Sensitive Skin and Family Dollar Baby Soft Shave Gel. Both of them have Vitamin E and are specially formulated for sensitive skin. They're also lightly scented. They're also both under $2!

For the bikini area, I love to use Bikini Zone Anti-Bump Shave Gel. It smells great, glides on smoothly, and gets the job done! It's $3.42 at Walmart.

For razors, you can pretty much use anything as long as it has 2 or more blades, but at the moment, BIC Silky Touch (10 Pack, $2.96 Walmart) and Family Dollar TwinBlade Plus (5 Pack, $2.00) are my top 2 at the moment. 

 



















If you have any budget beauty products that you would like for me to review (makeup, skin care, hair care, and related items), please send your request to me at lindsi.green@gmail.com. Looking forward to hearing from you! ;)

Nude/Neutral Lipsticks for Brown & Dark Skinned Women (All Under $5!)

Hey all! So I just wanted to show my 4 favorite neutral/nude lipsticks for brown and dark skinned women. Nude and neutral colors can be worn any time of year and never go out of style. Although this post is more geared toward darker skinned women, these colors also look great on fair skinned women if you're looking for soft tan or brown (depending on your complexion), bold, but natural looking shades! 

1. Nicka K (NK) Cosmetics, Natural #934, $1 (K's Beauty Supply Store)

This is a cool toned, gorgeous and moisturizing color infused with Vitamin E for softer, more moisturized lips! I would suggest a plum colored lip liner with this one to make the transition seamless. The finish is shiny, but not overly glossy or oily looking.

2. Wet n Wild MegaShield SPF 15 Lip Color, Ring Around the Rosy #365S, $3 (Walgreens)

This lipstick has a high shine finish, is very moisturizing, and has SPF 15 to protect your lips from the sun's rays. It's warm toned, so it's perfect for people like me with reddish undertones. I would suggest a plum or brown liner with this one, or feathering it gently at the edges of your lips for a smooth transition.

3. NYC New York Color Ultra Last Lipwear, Plum Rum #410 $3 (Family Dollar)

This shade is the darkest of the bunch and is my favorite for really deep, dark chocolate skin tones. It's great for all day wear and has a medium shine finish. I personally never wear liner with this one, it's just perfect!

4. Wet n Wild MegaLast Lip Color, Bare It All #902C, $1.20 (CVS)

This shade is the lightest out of them all, and the only one with a matte finish. I absolutely LOVE to wear this with a heavy smoky eye for a night out on the town. It doesn't smear and holds up well to food, drinks, and even kisses ;). I don't wear this without lip liner because of how light it is, but with liner it's the perfect matte nude for me!

That's all folks! If you get any of these colors and like them, or even if you hate them, let me know your thoughts! If you have any budget beauty products that you would like for me to review (makeup, skin care, hair care, and related items), please send your request to me at lindsi.green@gmail.com. Looking forward to hearing from you! ;)

Controlling Oily Skin

Hey all! Happy Spring! The weather is getting warmer (in most places) and the sun is showing its face a little more. If you're like me, the changing of the seasons has an impact on your body. One of my personal struggles with spring and summer is oily skin! I have oily skin year-round; however, warmer months prove to be even more of a challenge. Below, I'll share a few tips that can be used to help combat oily skin, any time that you experience it!

1. Moisturize you skin! Yes, I did say moisturize. You may think that using a moisturizer will make your oily skin worse; however, the opposite is true. If you don't moisturize properly, EVERY time after washing your face, you will dry out your skin. This may cause premature aging OR cause your skin to produce even more oil. I learned this lesson the hard way. It's also important to choose a moisturizer with SPF for daytime wear. Usually, oily skin is also acne prone. This will help prevent any hyperpigmentation/acne scarring from worsening.

2. Use products that specifically cater to oily skin and are oil-free. Every product you use, from your facial wash to your foundation should be tailored to suit the needs of your skin. Key terms to look for are "mattifying", "oil-free", "non-greasy", "oil-absorbing", etc.

3. Use mattifying powder! When you powder your face, you may want to use a fluffy powder puff to really press the powder onto your skin, as opposed to a powder brush that will just do a light dusting and may not be as effective.

4. Get oil absorbing sheets! They're absolutely amazing and provide an easy way to pull the oil right out of your pores and off of your skin without disturbing your makeup much (if you're wearing makeup). Practically any brand will do, but I do not recommend the white, ELF brand ones. The blue oil blotting sheets work best, in my opinion.

There are some people who recommend using Milk of Magnesia as a primer, but I prefer not to recommend it directly. What I will say is do some research on it if you would like to try it out. I used it as a primer for a period of time, but I discontinued usage after my skin 'outsmarted' the product. It only worked for me for a few weeks before my skin found a way around it. If you want to try it, please do research before doing so. I've heard lots of things, some good and some bad, so I would recommend proceeding with caution if you decide to try it out. That's all folks! Hope this helped in some way. If you have any budget beauty products that you would like for me to review (makeup, skin care, hair care, and related items), please send your request to me at lindsi.green@gmail.com. Looking forward to hearing from you! ;)

Foundation Application Methods and Tools

Hey all! I've been off of the scene for a while, and this is my first post for the month. Please don't be too upset lol. I'm just coming with a quick post for my foundation application methods and the tools I like to use for them. There are four basic ways to apply foundation (cream or liquid): hands, foundation brush, stippling brush, and a beauty blender sponge. My absolutely favorite two methods of application are my hands and my beauty blender. I prefer these methods probably because I use cream stick foundations most of the time, and they're easier to spread and push into the skin with your hands or a beauty blender sponge. For me personally, these two methods give the most natural look. If you use liquid foundation, you may find that a stippling brush or foundation brush will work better for you. When I do use liquid foundation (mostly in winter time), I love to use those two types of brushes. They provide even, buildable coverage. Here are my favorite foundation application tools...and guess what? They're all under $5!

1. ELF Foundation Brush, $3.00 (Walmart)

2. Soho Beauty Sponge, $4.95 (Walmart)

3. ELF Stipple Brush, $3 (Walmart) (My brush is currently MIA so I found a picture of what it looks like on Google to show.)

The keys to proper foundation application are finding methods that work best for the coverage that you want, whether it's light, medium, or full, and blending! Good makeup tools make your makeup experience great. Finding them on a budget makes it even better! I swear by these tools and methods. Good luck finding tools that work for you! If you have any budget beauty products that you would like for me to review (makeup, skin care, hair care, and related items), please send your request to me at lindsi.green@gmail.com. Looking forward to hearing from you! ;)

Managing Breakouts During Hormonal Fluctuation

Hey everyone! This post will be speaking specifically to my ladies, but gentlemen, feel free to share it with your sisters, friends, mothers, or the special lady in your life. Ok, now ladies, I know I'm not the only one who breaks out around the time of my cycle. Some of us break out a lot, some of us may get a pimple or two, but most of the women that I know experience some form of skin changes around the time of their monthly cycle. I'm going to give a few really quick tips that will be helpful during this time that will work for every skin type. Keep in mind, it is not always possible to completely prevent breakouts due to hormonal changes; however, you can significantly decrease the severity of the breakout or pimples by following these tips.

1. Learn when your cycle is coming. For some of us, this may prove to be very difficult since every woman's body is different. However, when you know what to expect, you can start preparation ahead of time.

2. Drink lots of water before and during your cycle. It's always good to drink water, but it's important to increase intake during this time to flush out any toxins that may cause breakouts or a pimple to pop up.

3. Cut down on greasy and fried foods around the time of your cycle. We shouldn't be eating much of this anyway, but I digress lol.

4. Avoid sweets and sodas/sugary drinks! Sugar already breaks some of us out, but when your body is under the stress of a menstrual cycle, it can get a LOT worse.

5. Increase your fruit, grain, and vegetable intake. Berries, grapes, tomatoes, watercress, fennel, broccoli, kale, and more have all been shown to help improve skin in ways varying from flushing toxins to improving overall tone. For a more detailed list of these skin clearing foods, please visit this site: http://www.glamourmagazine.co.uk/features/health-fitness/2011/02/top-20-skin-clearing-foods

6. Don't fall asleep with makeup on. Falling asleep with makeup on is already bad, but it can make a breakout that is coming much worse, since sleeping with makeup on clogs up your pores.

7. Invest in a good spot acne treatment. There are times when even if you follow the steps above, a pimple or two will still surface. When this happens, it's important to be able to deal with it, and a spot treatment is the way to go. My two favorite spot treatments are Clean & Clear Advantage Acne Spot Treatment and Noxzema Original Deep Cleansing Cream on pimples and small areas where there is a breakout. Both are awesome! Noxzema Deep Cleansing Cream can also be used as a facial mask (it's AMAZING!)...but I'll talk about that in another post.

Hope you enjoyed these tips and that they're useful to you in some way! If you have any budget beauty products that you would like for me to review (makeup, skin care, hair care, and related items), please send your request to me at lindsi.green@gmail.com. Looking forward to hearing from you! ;)

Let's Talk: The "Kim Kardashian" Highlighting

Hey y'all! If you've been a makeup lover for quite some time, you're probably familiar with the highlighting craze that was created by Kim Kardashian's makeup. If you're not, I'll explain it a little bit here and will show a picture. Underneath her eyes in a triangular shape, Kim usually has a concealer a few shades lighter than her natural skin tone. The purpose of this is to erase any bags that may be underneath her eyes and to bring light to the center of her face. This creates the awake, youthful look that she has become known for rocking.

In the picture above, she is shown with it before blending (left) and after blending and adding the rest of the makeup, including her contour, blush, etc. (right). I absolutely love the concept and the look! However, the issue that has arisen from it is unfortunate. Many people, too many, are walking around with the "before blending" look! Even I have been guilty of it, as much as it pains me to admit. But makeup is a learning experience that is often filled with trial and error, lots of it for some of us. Makeup trends don't last forever, but the pictures that we took while the trend was hot do. Some of us will look back at our pictures five years from now and wonder, "Why didn't anyone tell me I looked crazy?!" much like we do with some fashion trends. I'm still learning about techniques and what works on and for my skin, but in this area I think I've pretty much learned what works for me, and I'd like to share it. As you all well know, I'm not a professional, but I enjoy sharing in hope that you'll benefit as well.

1. Choose concealers no more than 2-3 shades lighter than your skin tone for your undereye area. There are some professional MUAs who use products 4 or more shades lighter, but they're pros who may know how to make it work better than those of us who are just enthusiasts. Be sure to consider your undertones when making your selection.
2. If you will be taking pictures with flash, avoid using makeup products that contain titanium dioxide. They will make your skin look washed out and will make under eye concealer look whitish!
3. Be sure to blend really, really well, although that goes pretty much without saying.
4. Don't forget to set your concealer, either with a translucent power or a flesh tone powder close to the color of the concealer you chose.
5. If you feel the concealer looks too light, mix in a bit of the regular concealer that you use on your blemishes, or set it with the powder you use on the rest of your face. This should tone down the brightness.
6. Contour! Highlighting and contouring go hand in hand in terms of sculpting and shaping your face. Learn your face shape and how to appropriately contour for the specific shape of your face. Everyone's is different. There's a great questionnaire to help you determine your face shape at The Beauty Department's website, here is the link: http://thebeautydepartment.com/2012/11/finding-your-face-shape/ . There's also a wonderful blog post by Jade (from Make Me Stunning) with instructions on how to contour for your face shape right here on blogspot! Here's the link to that: http://makemestunningjade.blogspot.com/2011/11/contouring-for-all-face-shapes.html. A basic face shape chart to help you get started is below.

Alright folks, I've rambled on long enough lol. Bad highlighting can make even the most beautiful of people look ridiculous. Hope this helps in some way! Be sure to let me know if it did. ;-)

Take care,
~ Lindsi

Beauty Product Fails! (For me at least...)

Hey y'all! I'm back with another post. Have you ever been really excited to try a beauty product and been disappointed in its performance once you finally got it? Chances are you have. It may not be that the product is a fail overall, but you just know that is isn't for you. In this post I'll talk about four beauty products that I was really excited about initially but less than pleased with once I finally bought and was able to use them. Every product isn't for everybody. Thank goodness we have such a vast variety of beauty products to choose from ;). This isn't a review, just my general feelings on these four products. As a disclaimer (though it's probably not needed), every product I review has been purchased with my own money, not sponsored.

1. Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisturizer (with SPF 15) - This is the greasiest feeling moisturizer I've ever used. Even underneath the best mattifying primer, this stuff makes my skin so oily and slides my foundation and concealer all over the place. This type of formula may work well with dry skin or combination skin, but it's horrible with my super oily skin. I will not buy this product again unless they change the formula.

2. Wet n Wild Megalength Mascara - The only thing this mascara lengthened was the time it took for me to put on my mascara. It separates lashes very well and doesn't clump, but it doesn't lengthen my lashes at all.

3. Black Radiance Complexion Perfection Under Eye Concealer - The color is perfect, but this concealer creases like nobody's business, regardless of what I set it with or how well I blend it. I have fine lines underneath my eyes, and the concealer settles in and then disappears a few hours later. I've tried setting this concealer every way I know how, but to no avail.

4. Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream - All I can say about this product is "ugh". I initially tried it out over a year ago and gave it a decent review, but the more time passed the less I liked it. If you have oily skin, I do not recommend this BB cream. I've set it with every mattifying powder that I own and also have used mattifying primer before putting it on, but it still turns into an oily, oxidized mess. For those who aren't familiar with the term, oxidation is when your makeup changes to a reddish, orange, or yellow (for fairer skinned women) color on your skin due to chemical reactions from being on your skin.



If you have any budget beauty products that you would like for me to review (makeup, skin care, hair care, and related items), please send your request to me at lindsi.green@gmail.com. Looking forward to hearing from you! ;)