Want healthy looking nails?

Happy Monday lovelies!  Today I wanted to share with you how I took my nails from looking like this....

horribly short and terribly unattractive

To looking like this....

long (perfect length for me) and uniform and perfect for painting or going natural

I have always had pretty bad nails.  I was a big nail biter all growing up, it wasn't until I was a grown adult that I kicked that habit.  As an adult my habit became chewing on the edges of my nails, I wouldn't bite them off, just gnaw on them.  Gross, I know.  I started to realize that if I painted my nails I wouldn't be as tempted to put them in my mouth.  Painting my nails led me to the realization that my nails were SHORT!  I tried to grow them out but my nails were so thin and flaky from all those years in my mouth that they just didn't grow well at all. I asked around a lot as to how to remedy the situation and people recommended a few different things, but the product that helped my nails out the most was OPI's Nail Envy for Soft & Thin nails.  I swear by the stuff, absolutely can't live without it.

The Soft & Thin formula of Nail Envy is chuck full of Calcium to help strengthen your nails.  So not only are my nails much stronger and grow better when I have this on, they are just healthier and stronger all together!  The packaging recommends that you apply 2 coats of Nails Envy and then apply an extra coat every day after that.  I did that at first and then I backed off a little.  My routine now is to use it as my base coat before applying my polish.  If I'm not wearing polish then I just apply one coat and have beautiful glossy nails.  Oh, that another great thing about this, it dries so quickly.  There really is no wait time for it to be dry enough to paint over or dry enough to do things with your hands again.

I hope this helps you if you have been plagued by nails that are less than stellar in the strength department like me.  You can get OPI products at places like Ulta, Peerless Beauty Supply, or many salons carry them.  I think it is sold for about $15 give or take some.

<3 / Roo

Homecoming: hair and makeup by bee.

oh, hey.

a few weeks ago i was able to do my cute friend Kira's hair and makeup for her homecoming dance.  i've done hair and makeup for her before and it is always a delight. she's such a doll and i so enjoy getting the scoop on the high school gossip...ohhh...to be young again.

Since Homecoming is a bit less formal than Prom, we left her hair down and curled and just twisted her bangs back.  For the makeup, we had a bit of fun. i apologize for not getting better "during" pictures, but we were crunched for time. her date must've been anxious to see her cute face? don't blame him.

Makeup used to create this look:

Face: ELF concealer was applied with a Beauty Blender sponge around her eyes and nose.

Cheeks: Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in "Exposed"

Lips: Stila lipgloss in "Grapefruit"

Eyes: ELF gel liner in black smudged into lash line, Coastal Scents 88-shimmer palette, UD's Naked and Naked2 Palette, L'Oreal Carbon Black Intense liquid liner, and Covergirl Lash Blast mascara (Kira's)

via facebook, used with permission.

Doesn't she look adorable? Love their matching Vans. :) 

Thanks for letting me be part of the fun, Kira!

xo, bee.

Face-Off: Mac's Rubywoo vs. Revlon's Very Red

Hey, beauties.

Today's post is a face-off of MAC's Rubywoo and Revlon's Very Red lipstick.  They are both matte red lipsticks--such a beautiful look!

i mean...HELLO!

As I've said in the past, I have such a love/hate relationship with MAC's Rubywoo. It is such a gorgeous color and it looks fantastic for the first 30 minutes you have it on...but then things get weird. It starts to shrivel my lips. like raisins. It feels like all the moisture is being sucked from my lips--not pleasant. But because I love this look so much, I've been on the search for another perfect matte red. Which brings us to the face off! dun dun dun.

(left to right) MAC's Rubywoo and Revlon's Very Red

Swatches: MAC's Rubywoo and Revlon's Very Red

Applied: MAC's Rubywoo
(p.s. sorry for the weird fuzzy border? I added some filter on my phone and can't get it off...:/)

Applied: Revlon's Very Red

Rubywoo is a bit more of a pink red and is really hard to put on--I felt like I was scraping it against my lips to get a good application. it is SOOO freaking matte. I think it looks more true to the 1940's look but still too drying on my lips.

Very Red from Revlon was such a great find. It stayed all day and I didn't even need to reapply. WHAAAAT. that never happens. It is a bit more of an orange red and a bit creamier than Rubywoo, but I really appreciated that. My lips didn't feel like they were dying while I wore it.

They are both great colors and I know people who swear by Rubywoo, but I think for me, this battle went to Very Red. I was just so happy with the texture and the staying power. oh. and it was only $6.99. You just can't beat that.

Have any of you used either lipstick? Which do you guys like more? 

xo, bee.

deslicking oily skin

hey, beauties!

today's post is a shout out to all my oily-skinned homies--last week one of our reader's asked:

"...Out here in Bmore, it is hot and sticky ALL the time! I feel like I walk out the door and my face starts to slide off me. Is there a product that can help set my makeup, esp foundation, so that I don't end up looking like a Halloween monster?"

great question! having oily skin or just being in a humid area is a big makeup challenge. my oily skin is something that i'm constantly working against and is an ongoing battle--but i have learned a few things that can help you fight the midday face-melt.

1. Avoid products where alcohol is one of the main ingredients.  A lot of anti-acne products contain large amounts of alcohol because it temporarily zaps the oils from your face and leaves a super clean feeling. However, the excess alcohol upsets the natural balance of your skin and your skin ends up producing even more oil to make up for what was lost. no bueno.

2. Using a mild Salicylic acid is great for clearing out debris and oil from your pores. i apply a 2% Salicylic acid spot treatment (Neutrogena) to my T-zone every night before i go to sleep and it makes a big difference on my skin the next day.  If excess drying occurs, apply every other day.

3. If your skin is super oily or you live in a crazy humid place, skipping your heavy moisturizer might be something to consider--or if you have combination skin, only applying it to your dry areas.  if you still feel the need to moisturize, look for a moisturizer that has Glycerin in it because it's a humectant--which basically means it draws the moisture from the air.

4. PRIMER PRIMER PRIMER. as i've harped on in previous posts, primer is crucial for keeping your foundation in place. look for a mattifying primer as it will help keep the shine at bay.  Also, when choosing a foundation, look for things that say "matte" or "demi-matte."

5. Setting your makeup with a loose powder (i recommend translucent so it doesn't look cakey) will keep things lasting longer.  I like to dust it on and then press it with a sponge onto my problem areas. 

holy crap this post is ridiculously long. my bad! i'm just...thorough.

6. The final thing I can recommend to you is one of my many must-have products:

Urban Decay's "DeSlick" oil control setting spray

You lightly mist this on your face before you apply your foundation and then again after you've done all your makeup.  It seals in your makeup without clogging your pores. it's freaking genius.

whew! this was a doozy of a post. i really need to work on not being so long-winded buuuut, it's kinda who i am. i'll work on it. :)  hope this helped!

xo, bee.

p.s. Urban Decay is selling their XL sized DeSlick for $18 on UD.com right now! That's a STEAL, guys. it's twice as big and less than you'd pay for a normal sized one. just saying.

Say Goodbye to Raccoon Eyes

We were asked by one of our lovely readers what they could do to not look like a raccoon by the end of the day. You know what I'm saying don't you?  When your mascara starts climbing around your face rather than staying on your eyelashes where it belongs. It is never a good look, unless of course you are this guy...

www.pinkferret.net

Well, I have been there!  It was a problem I was facing not long ago and it is a problem I now have the answer to.  Let me share the secret with you in 4 words...

Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara

www.sephora.com

I kid you not, this stuff is a miracle product!  It is not waterproof which means it comes off easily at night, but it DOES NOT move during the day.  What you do is apply your favorite mascara to your top lashes, then you just apply the Clinique bottom lash mascara to your bottom lashes, pretty self-explanatory right?  You should be amazed at the difference it makes.  You can say goodbye to those raccoon eyes.

Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara is $10.  It comes in a much smaller size then a regular mascara, but remember you are only applying it to those little bottom lashes.  You can purchase Clinique products from Sephora (online or at stand alone stores) or at Macy's.  

Hopefully this helps you avoid a very unsightly look.  Please let us know if you have any beauty questions we can help answer!!

<3 / Roo

swatchin'

Hey guys,

This week ULTA was having a crazy awesome sale on Revlon, Almay, and NYX cosmetics--40% off BABY! holla.  I decided to be good and only bought a few Revlon and NYX lip products. Talk about self-control. but, i mean...let's be honest here: i'll probably go back before the week is up and snag a few more things. 

Anyway, thought I'd share some swatches of the goods:

left to right: Blackberry (creme), VaVa Violet (creme), and Very Red (matte) 

Randi says that she's never picked up Revlon lipsticks because they have "old lady" packaging. ha! it's pretty true.  They don't have the most attractive packaging, but they are some of my favorite lipsticks.  They are a great formulation, good pigmentation, and they retail for $6.99ish.  

NYX Mega Shine Gloss in Plush Red and Natural

These NYX glosses are the shiz, guys. They are SO pigmented and have good staying power. I highly recommend running out grabbing a few of these while they are still 40% off. Dooo it!

Okay, that's all. Until next time! :)

xo, bee.

Back to the Basics: Eye Primer

HEY, YOOOOOU GUUUUUYZ!! (Goonies reference, anyone? No?! Shame on you. Click here.)

To continue on in with our back to the basics segment, I thought I'd talk about another important primer that is near and dear to my heart: Eye Primer.

When I'm helping people at work, I often hear the complaint that they "can't" or "don't like to" wear eye shadow because it gets all over throughout the day, it creases, wears off etc. It breaks my makeup-loving-heart that these women have never heard of eye primer!

Eye primer is similar to face primer in that it helps the product to stay all day.  It also keeps the colors you are using true to pigment.  A lot of time the color of a shadow looks sort of faded if you aren't using a primer on your lid.  You usually have to use a lot more product to get the same sort of saturation.  Most importantly, in my sweaty-lidded opinion, it keeps the shadows from creasing (that ugly build up of product that usually looks like a line right across your lid.) HALLELUJAH. --I have to tell you  a sad story about that. i get a sad little pit in my stomach when i look at my wedding pictures because i didn't know about eye primer at that point in my life. And i got married in AUGUST. So...needless to say, my eye makeup had pretty much melted off my face by the end of the night. NOT COOL, GUYZ. So, please. Learn from my mistake! Anyway...

My all-time fave is:

Urban Decay's Eye Primer Potion (in Original)

I prefer the original because it dries clear, so I can put whatever I want on top and it doesn't change the look.  The other formulas are gold, bronze, and flesh toned (great for those with lid discoloration).  I also love this primer because you only need a tiny amount so it will last forever. Great investment! Just like face primer, there are a BAJILLION to choose from.  You just need to find the one you love.  I know Randi doesn't love the Urban Decay primer, but it works great for me! and...i'm the one writing this post. SO.

I hope this helps! Let us know in the comments if you have questions (no matter how silly or small) and we will do our best to answer them. :)

Until next time...

xo, bee