Go-To Summer Makeup with essence

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #essenceEssentials #essenceAtTarget #CollectiveBias

I teamed up with essence at Target to bring you all my go-to summer makeup look. I love a good bronze cat eye and a pink lip! So if you want to see how I created this look, check it out below!

First, I headed to Target to pick up a few of my favorite essence products. If y'all haven't used essence before, you are missing out! They have incredibly high quality products and prices that will make your jaw drop. So affordable! If you can't pick up these items at your local Target - you can check them out here!

Products Used:

1. All About Eyeshadow Palette in Bronze ($5.49) which is SERIOUSLY pigmented, and has the perfect amount of shimmer. It has a variety of colors, so it works well on any skin tone. 

2. I Love Extreme Crazy Volume Mascara ($4.99) - which has quickly become my new favorite mascara. This mascara does exactly what is in it's name, like...serious lashes. 

3. Blush Up! Powder Blush ($3.99) in this gorgeous ombre pink.

4. Eyeliner Pen Waterproof ($2.99) - super easy to use, and you can't beat the price. 

5. Longlasting Lipstick in Get the Look! ($2.99) which is the perfect "mod" pink.

I already went ahead and applied my foundation, concealer and powder - so we can move straight to the eyes! First thing I do is use a small piece of tape (put it on the back of your hand before you put it on your eye) and line it up from the lower lashline up to the end of your eyebrow. This creates the perfect outline for any cat eye.

Then you can start in on the shadow. I used the color on the bottom row (3rd from the left) and worked that through the outer corner and into the crease. I also used the darkest shade (bottom row, 4th from the left) to define the outer crease in a triangular shape. Finally I mixed the first shade on each row to create a light highlight to put in the inner corner and under the brow.

Once you have the color built up to your desired level of smokiness - you can take the tape off. I then use the line we created with the shadow and draw a little cat eye. After the flick is done, I line the rest of the eye. (PS - this eyeliner comes in marker form, so it is SO easy to use).

Then add on loads of mascara. The best thing about this mascara is that you really only need 2 coats to get lashes that are crazy long (seriously, they looked better than falsies!).

And last but certainly not least - add in some pink! I mixed the two shades in the blush and generously applied that to my cheekbones. And finally I topped the look off with that gorgeous pink lipstick! I also put on a bit of essence Sheer & Shine Lipstick in Sparkling Miracle to add a little plum to it.

And voila. Summer ready.

PS - how cute is the tote from essence? "Every makeup bag should be this big" - totally agree. I never seem to have enough room in mine! And I have some exciting news for y'all! You can enter to win your very own mega haul from essence at Target here!

Happy Shopping!

Contouring with Maybelline

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #MNYLooksToLove #CollectiveBias

With Valentines Day just on the horizon - I teamed up with my friends over at Maybelline to create a look to love. Y'all know I'm a makeup junkie - so I can't wait to tell y'all about my contour-highlight routine! Having flawless skin is key to any makeup look, so I always perfect my base before I do anything to my eyes and lips. Without further ado, here we go!

I headed to Walmart to pick up a few new products from Maybelline. I love getting makeup at Walmart because it's super easy to run in and out - AND I can get all the items I need without breaking the bank. You'll find all of the products I mention in today's post at the end of the Maybelline aisle in the makeup section.

First things first. You HAVE to have a good foundation. I used Maybelline's new Dream Velvet Foundation in 15 (Ivory). It's a hydrating, matte foundation with a gel-whipped texture. And just as important as the foundation, is the tool you use to apply it. Maybelline just came out with their own sponge - the Dream Velvet Blender! If you keep up with the makeup world, you know that makeup sponges are the new it item. They apply foundation super smoothly and keep the "cake face" away. To use the sponge, simply get it wet, then dry it with a towel so it's a little damp.

To apply the foundation, I squeeze a little bit of the product onto the back of my hand, pick up a little with my sponge and bounce the sponge on my face. I use the sides of the sponge for the broad parts of my face (cheeks, forehead, chin) and then use the tip to navigate smaller areas (around the eyes, nose and mouth). After I finish my foundation, I take a little bit of concealer under my eyes, around my nose and anywhere I need extra coverage. I have SUPER oily skin - and although I love the finish of this foundation, it's a little moisturizing for my skin type. So to keep my foundation and concealer in place all day, I set everything with a translucent powder (and I went ahead and did my eyes since today we're focusing on the contour).

Next, I start in on the contour. If you noticed the picture of the Maybelline Master Contour Palette earlier, you'll see that it comes with a contour shade, blush and highligher. It's the perfect all in one kit! It's also available in two different shades so it will work for any skin tone (I'm using the light to medium palette). I LOVE a good contour. It literally shaves 5lbs off your face and makes everything look better. I take a medium sized tapered brush (this gives you more control) and swipe a little bit of product right under my cheek bones (yes, I make the kissy face), then take a little on my jaw line and on my temples. Just make sure that it's all nicely blended. You don't want lines on your face. The whole point of contouring is to enhance the natural shadows of your face, so you want to make sure it's really feathered into the rest of your makeup to avoid looking like a clown.

To finish it off, I took the blush included in the palette along my cheekbones (right above the contour shade) and a tiny bit on the tip of my nose. Then I took the highlight shade on a fan brush and dusted it on the very top of my cheekbones (right above the blush), down the center of my nose, under my brow bone, on my cupids bow and in the inner corner of my eye. The final touch - setting spray! And voila, that's it!

I hope you all enjoyed this tutorial and I can't wait to bring you more makeup tutorials in the future! You can get all of the products mentioned here!

xoxo