bunnin' it

Although I do love me a good sock bun, I find that they look very fake. I have experimented a bit with trying to make a bun- even with my thin hair- and I mus say I am pleased with the outcome!

I created a regular ponytail and on then created a loop. (If your hair has a lot of layers you will need hairspray to keep the sections down.) I then took the sides of the loop and pulled them to front, bobby pinning them in place. I then spread out my hair so I wouldn't have any spots that were see-through, pinning and hair spraying the sections that need it.

It did require a lot of bobby pins, especially for my thin hair. I like this method better because it actually looks like your bun is a part of your head and not a hair piece. I also added a "poof" at the front to give myself some volume!

I hope you get to give this look a try and achieve success. Don't get worried if you don't get it right away, this will take some patience and maneuvering. Just keep at it until you get the look you want!

Always stay happy and healthy! :)

Tschüss, Katharina

curling fine/thin hair

I like to cut short layers into my hair and deceive other people into thinking I have a full head of luscious hair, but the truth is...I have thin, fine soft hair that doesn't hold much of any style, except for straight ones. For the longest I have been trying different ways to curl my hair in a way that it will hold for at least half the day. From a flat iron to a small and large barrel curling irons- I have tried it all. I finally think I have the solution, and how it has not come to me earlier blows my mind.

I always thought I had to curl my hair from the roots, but with this method I only curled the bottom 2-4 inches with a flat iron. I should mention that I was on my second hair day (I had showered the morning before) and stylists usually say that your hair will work better with you when it's "dirty". I haven't tried this method with a curling iron, so I can't vouch for how well it would work.

Here is a close-up, less attractive picture of how I looked. My sister was trying to take pictures of my face but the sun was blinding me, causing this scrunched-up face.

My hair lasted all night, from approximately 5 pm until 2 am. It did loosen up a tiny bit, but nothing super dramatic. Even the next morning my hair still had some flip to it, but definitely not like the night before.

So for any of you struggling with thin hair that won't curl, first- I feel you, second- try this method and hopefully it will work for you!

Always stay happy and healthy! :)

Tschüss, Katharina

unusual uses for brushes

Just because brushes have "names" doesn't mean you have to use them specifically for that. I have been experimenting lately with how I can use my brushes in a way that may not be expected.

One of my favorite ways to apply foundation lately has been with the Real Techniques Contour Brush that comes with the Core Collection. It is a lot smaller than a usual foundation brush but I love the finish that it gives. I also really enjoy how it applies foundation to the face in general. Lately, I have really been into the natural looking foundation where my spots and blemishes are not completely covered and my skin looks like skin- with bunches of highlighting and contouring going on- and this brush gives me that! Using this brush, I can achieve the coverage I want by adding more layers to the areas that need a bit more.

Another brush that I have been enjoying is the SOHO Concealer Brush, except I haven't been using it for concealer, instead for lipstick. Even though it is quite large for a lip brush, I like the control I have because of the tapered bristles. When I have on a lip liner and then apply my lipstick using this brush it gives a perfect look.

I think this brush could also be used to apply a loose eyeshadow since it is so dense. I have used it to highlight the brow bone and inner corner and it packed the shadow on nicely.

This might be well known to many, but I thought I'd mention it anyway. Blending brushes for eyes can do the same for concealer! They give an airbrushed finish to the area and blend out the products nicely- just as they would on the eyes. Some of my favorites include the e.l.f. Mineral Blending Eye Brush, Coastal Scents Pro Blending Fluff and Classic Blender Natural. (Coastal Scents may just be the hidden gem for great brushes!)

This isn't necessarily a brush, but your old and dried up felt-tip liners can be used to apply gel liner! If you have the hang down with the felt-tip but hate it drying out, this trick is for you. This works perfect for me because I can create as straight of a line as I would if I were using the "ink" in the felt-tip.

Lastly, is the e.l.f. Studio Complexion Brush. Although I think it is amazing for applying all-over face powders, I can't rave enough about the way it applies contours. I know, I know...it's a big brush, BUT if you maneuver it the way you want, you can get a great faded out contour! I really cannot say enough about how awesome it looks- oh and that includes applying blush as well!

I hope this inspired you to think about different ways that your brushes can be used. Just because it has a specific name doesn't mean you have to stick to it...you never know, you might find your new perfect way to applying foundation, lipstick, concealer, etc!

Stay happy and healthy! :)

Tschüss, Katharina

mini drugstore haul 3.16

I am officially on spring break (woo!) and what better way to start it, than to go drugstore shopping! There have been a few things that I wanted to try and I thought this would be the perfect time to get on with it.

All the way to the left you can see Revlon SuperLustrous Lipstick in Primrose. I had wanted to try Pink Pout because I heard it is a MAC dupe but I think it would be too blue-toned for my skin. Primrose is a perfect Barbie pink and has a neutral undertone, in my opinion- it is not too cool or warm. I think this is a great color for spring, and adds a bit more color to your lips compared to the pinky-nudes I usually go for!

I also bought a few face products, including the Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Highlighting Concealer in Radiant, Revlon Nearly Naked Pressed Powder in Fair and L'Oreal True Match Lumi Healthy Luminous Makeup in shade Porcelain Ivory (W1-2). I have heard really good things about all of these products and am really excited to give them a try!

Lastly, I got the L'Oreal Infallible Eyeshadow in Bronzed Taupe. I did some swatches to show what it looks like next to other shadows. Left to right: L'Oreal Infallible Eyeshadow in Bronzed Taupe, Wet 'n Wild ColorIcon Eye Shadow Single in Nutty, Lorac Pro Palette Pewter shade, Urban Decay Naked Palette Smog and Sidecar shades. Although they all look somewhat similar, there is no exact dupe.

I love finding new products in the drugstore- I'm a firm believer that there are dupes for every high end product, it just takes some searching! What new products have you seen? Let me know in the comments below!

Stay happy and healthy! :)

Tschüss, Katharina

March Glam bag 2013

With a new month comes a new Glam bag and I just keep getting more impressed each month! Not only am I able to try new products each month, but the samples are a decent size and great quality...you just can't beat this for $10.

Before I get into this month, I want to share my favorite product from last month- the pixi Flawless & Poreless Primer. It may not have reduced my pores as much as it claims, but I still enjoyed it quite a lot. It leaves an even skin texture without drying out my skin.

This month, a few cool products came. On the left is GLAMRX Mini Freestyle Palette with the YABY Eyeshadow Refill in So Vein and Sand Dune. I love the little palette, it is perfect to make your favorite shadows for on the go! The two shadows are not my favorites, but I think Sand Dune could be a good crease color. They are fairly pigmented but a bit powdery.

In the middle you can see the theme of the Glam bag- I thought the bag was so adorable! On the right are the LA FRESH Travel-Lite Makeup Remover Wipes. I haven't tried these yet, but I can't imagine them being bad. Lastly is the Juice Beauty Hydrating Mist. I tried this yesterday and was fairly impressed. It made my skin feel really clean without drying it out, which is a plus for this season! I didn't enjoy the smell, although it wasn't so terrible that I would stop using the product.

I am so excited to see what next month has in store! 

Always stay happy and healthy! :)

Tschüss, Katharina

back to basics: contour & highlight

Contouring and highlighting is such a simple makeup trick that many people struggle with. It can really change your look from simple to dramatic. It is also very slimming to the face! So to make it very simple, I have taken some pictures on where to highlight and contour. Although this is a general idea of where the highlights and contours should go, you can also add them other spots to accentuate your specific face shape- this is specifically for a round face.

Here you can see a very dramatic version of where the highlights and contours should go. Starting with the forehead, you should be contouring at the temples and highlighting at the center. This brings lightness to the center of your face and slims the sides.

Then add highlight under your eyes in a "triangular" shape, carrying it to the cheekbones. You can also highlight on the bridge of the nose. Contouring can go on the sides of the nose to slim it. Highlighting in this area creates a "triangle of light" where the center of the face is the lightest, while the outer portions are darker.

Lastly, at the lower portion of the face, you can highlight the center of the chin. As for contouring, you should be placing this at the hollow of the cheeks- going from the center of the ear and blending it to the edge of your lips- and under the jaw bone to make it more structured.

The basic rules for contouring is to put it on areas that you want to slim or push back, while highlighting brings forward the areas you want. You don't have to do every step of contouring or highlighting, just what suits you- that's the beauty of makeup!

As for what products you can use, there are so many options. Here are some that I do:

• use concealers and then blend foundation on top (which is what I did here)
• use a lighter and slightly darker foundation and place it in the areas you want
• use one foundation shade and then darker/lighter powders

There are so many different ways you can achieve the look you want, it's all about playing around and seeing what you think looks best! It doesn't hurt to take a few pictures of yourself either ;) The end effect should be a look that is blended out nicely but visible when turning your face.

Some of the products I like to use to highlight are Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Dark Circle Eraser in Brightener, MAC Mineralize Skin Finish in Soft and Gentle and Dior Diorskin Shimmer Star in Amber Diamond. As for contouring I like to use Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Bronzer, however any bronzer can work as long as it is MATTE. You don't want to use shimmer since your natural contours aren't shimmery.

I hoped this helped make the contouring and highlighting process a bit easier. Like I said before, it's all about what you want to do and makes you feel the most beautiful! 

Always stay happy and healthy! :)

Tschüss, Katharina

getting the most out of your beauty products

I don't know if this has ever been a problem for y'all but when I don't "use up" all of a product, I can't throw it away. This is especially true for me when it comes to makeup, especially those tube type products. I know there is left over mascara, primer, brow gel, etc. in those tubes and sometimes I can even see it! So finally, I came up with a solution.

You can see the product is a brow gel (and the tube is clear so I definitely see the product hanging around). I unscrew the applicator from the tube. Then you will be able to see a "stopper" at the top where the applicator unscrews from. If you use your nails to get in between the stopper and the tube you can begin to pry it loose.

Once you have completely removed the stopper you can throw it out and enjoy the last few uses of your product!

*This can be done with mascaras as well, but remember, using a mascara after 3-4 months or if it smells bad is not hygienic.

Another tip for products in a squeeze tube- if you cut the tube in half width-wise, you can use a q-tip or finger to scoop out more product. I do this a lot with lotions because you never realize how much is actually left at the bottom.

I hope these tips were helpful and taught you something! Let me know how it works for you and how many more uses you've gotten out of products in the comments below!

Always stay happy and healthy! :)

Tschüss, Katharina

back to basics: smokey eyes

Sometimes I assume that everyone who reads this blog knows as much about makeup as I do. The truth is though, that most people probably are reading blogs and watching YouTube videos to learn things they may not know...so I wanted to start this "back to basics" series. In between my normal postings I will include some that go back to the fundamentals of makeup!

The first thing I want to talk about is eyeshadow placement- specifically, the smokey eye. I created this diagram to show you basically where different colors should/could be placed.

Where you start your eye look is your preference, but many people like to start with the crease. This is the "socket" of your eye (if you lean back and look down at a mirror you will be able to see this bone). Placing a medium toned color- generally a brown- in and above the crease will create a guide line of how high your shadow should go. (The crease is displayed as the color all the way on the left.)

Next, is typically the lid. This is either visible or not visible to you when you open your eye. This is where the "main" color is placed. How many shadows you want to use on your lid is your preference. You can use a gradient effect by going from light to dark- starting at the inner corner of the eye (near the bridge of your nose) to the outer corner. This style is displayed in the picture. However, you can also use only 2 or one shadow across the lid, it's all up to you!

Lastly, is the crease color. This is generally the darkest of all the colors and creates the shape of your eye. Displayed is a cat eye shape, but you can do whatever your look calls for. This color goes in the depth of your crease and gets blurred or blended out so it doesn't look as harsh.

I hope this helped if you were confused as to what specific terms meant what. I also hope this helps you understand how I do my eye looks better! Let me know what other things you want to see in "back to basics" in the comments below!

Always stay happy and healthy! :)

Tschüss, Katharina

trash talk: episode 2

Didn't take much longer for me to use up some of beauty products so I thought I'd give you my opinion on these.

All the way on the left is the trusty Suave Professionals Dry Shampoo. Although I like both of the Suave dry shampoo's, I find this one to be better because of the scent. I would say that is the one thing that differentiates them. This does have a strong musky scent, but I don't mind it that much. It leaves my hair oil free, especially when I use it at night and sleep on it. Already bought a new one!

Second is the e.l.f. Daily Brush Cleaner. I do like this, especially for the price but like I mentioned in this post they changed the size of it- which was really disappointing. For now I have just been spot cleaning my brushes with makeup remover wipes which seems to be working fine.

The next two products, I'm going to talk about together since they are the same thing. First is the L'Oreal Double Extend Lash Extension Effect Mascara. I was only using up the "white" side of this mascara as a primer. Worked decent and I liked the brush style (original). Then is the L'Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes. I liked the rubber brush on this mascara and I thought it was perfect for separating clumpy lashes. It was also great to layer with.

A sample product I got at my hair salon was Paul Mitchell Forever Blonde Dramatic Repair. It's supposed to repair damaged ends from bleached hair. I can't say that I really saw a difference but then again there wasn't THAT much in the bottle to be able to really notice.

Lastly, I used up the Pacifica Tuscan Blood Orange Body Butter from my January Glam Bag. I loved the citrus smell of this and also how moisturizing it was, without leaving a greasy film. It was especially nice on my legs, which are kind of dry throughout the cold months.

I hope this post gave a little insight into which products I am using regularly! What products have you recently used up/hit pan on? Let me know in the comments below!

Always stay happy and healthy! :)

Tschüss, Katharina

February must haves

February is the shortest month, but to me, this one dragged on. Although I love the snow, I'm ready for a little bit of warmth- and some moisture back in the air because my skin is really feeling it. I didn't want to reshow all the same products of January, so in the planning of this post I just thought, what are products I use every day and work great for me?

So those are what I ended up with. First is the Dickinson's Original Witch Hazel. Despite the kind of gross smell, I love how my skin feels after applying this. I use it at night after all my makeup has been washed off and I just feel clean. It says a bunch of things it's supposed to do but I haven't really been checking to see if it lives up to it (nothing rarely ever does). Then you can see the trusty MAC Fix+. I can find so many uses for this, it's not even funny. I just love it. The scent, the finish, how it sprays out, all the things you can use it for- the possibilities are endless.

A new product I have been trying is the L'Oreal True Match Foundation in W2 (Light Ivory). I do enjoy this foundation, and especially since it is more yellow-based. I like to wear it on days when I am especially red, since they counter-act each other. I am also looking to try the Lumi foundation...any opinions from y'all? I have also been loving the Make Up Forever Smoky Lash Mascara. I think this got a lot of attention from YouTube beauty guru's and I always thought it was a hoax. It's not. This is probably one of the best mascaras I have ever tried. I like the effect it gives so much, that I don't feel the need to layer other mascaras on top. Yes, I know. That's absolutely shocking coming out of my mouth...keyboard?...but I think this is awesome.

Lastly, and maybe a bit controversially, is this pimple tool (for lack of better words). I use it to extract my black heads. I know it sounds gross, but it works. I like to use this and then put a mask on my face because it does open your pores. Just a warning, many people do not recommend to use this because it can cause scarring if used incorrectly. Also, after using it on your face you will look like you have chicken pox but it usually goes away over night. This is the best way I have found to extract my black heads and pimples, so even though it is painful and my mom yells at me for using it...I still do it.

Hope you enjoyed this post and learned a little about some products you possibly didn't know about before. What were your favorite products for February? Let me know in the comment section below!

Stay happy and healthy! :)

Tschüss, Katharina

new Neutrogena cosmetics

So some of you may have noticed that there a bunch of new Neutrogena products in store, and since I am a BzzAgent member I was sent some of them to test out. I explained BzzAgent in this post in a little more detail, if you want more information- I suggest everyone join! So there were 4 products that I received and tested out.

So on the left are the Crease Proof Eye Shadow in Lasting Taupe and Constant Copper. The colors are beautiful! I also loved the consistency of these- they glide on like a cream and then dry to somewhat of a powder finish. I was a little bit skeptical about the "crease proof" part but after trying it out, I was really impressed. I wouldn't say they don't crease at all (after about 7 hours of wear, there was only creasing in my natural crease line) but they do last a long time. Some of the pigmentation gets lost throughout the day but I usually top my cream products with a powder anyway so I don't think it would be a problem if you did. I really did enjoy these!

Next is the MoistureSmooth Color Stick in Sweet Watermelon. Not only does this have a great fruity scent but it feels so soft and creamy on the lips, while still being very pigmented! I have heard people rave about these and couldn't wait to try! These are not meant to stain your lips so I wouldn't really compare them to the Revlon Kissable Balm Stains. I can't wait to try out new shades!

Last, but not least was the Healthy Lengths Mascara. From my understanding, there was a previous version of this which was then discontinued. I feel so bad saying this, especially since I really enjoyed the shadow and color stick, but this mascara sucked. First off, I am not sure if mine was defective or what, but it did not come with one of those stoppers to get most of the product off...so my wand came out with a huge wad of mascara on it.


Once I put this on my lashes I just thought, okay, I could probably work with this. I finished my makeup and went on to class. I then sneezed and squeezed my eyes shut, and had to force them open. Why, you ask? Because the mascara still hadn't dried and was basically gluing my top and bottom lashes together. Even after an HOUR the mascara still wasn't fully dry. I guess if you like very flexible mascaras, this one is optimal for you.

As for the lengthening part, it was all right. Not anything I couldn't achieve with something else. I might just end up throwing this away because I can't deal with drying time (I mean come on, that's just ridiculous).

Overall some great products- minus the mascara. Have you tried any of these Neutrogena products? Which ones did you like? Did I get a botched mascara or was yours like this too? Let me know in the comments below!

Always stay happy and healthy! :)

Tschüss, Katharina