perfect brows (even between waxings!)

If any of you watch Gregory Gorgeous on youtube (if not, you definitely should!) you will probably already have seen his video on this. He explains the importance of concealing the area around your brows after filling them in- which is something I never used to do. One morning, when I had a little bit of extra time to get ready I though I should give it a try...

Let me just say, it makes a HUGE difference, especially when you are in between brow waxings. The brows look so much more polishes and cleaned up, compared to just filling them in.

You can tell in the picture that even though there are little hairs around my brows, putting concealer over them makes them virtually invisible and just adds lightness to that section of my face. I use a small brush to apply and then blend the concealer to be a bit more precise, since I don't want to ruin the work I just put into filling in my eyebrows.

This is such an easy trick that takes seconds to do but makes such a dramatic difference in your look. Even if you are only wearing natural make up, this would enhance your features so much more! Personally, brows are such an important part of the face that they really need to look well groomed- a bad brow can ruin the rest of your look. Not to mention, I love finding new makeup tricks that I didn't know before that actually work!

I hope you get to try this and see the miraculous difference it makes! Leave me a comment in the section below if you have any questions or more makeup tricks and tips that no one knows!

Stay happy and healthy! :)

Tschüss, Katharina

applying false lashes easily

credit: http://thebeautydepartment.com

I absolutely love false eye lashes! I think they look absolutely gorgeous on everyone, whether you use single lashes, half lash strips or full ones. No matter what eye shape you have, they just enhance your eyes and make you look (and feel) beautiful! I would rather wear false eyelashes every day than globs of mascara, but the problem is applying them. Sometimes it is just such a hassle- they don't do what you want them to do, the outer corners won't stick, you get glue everywhere (you get it, there are many issues).

But there is something I want to share with you. I have found the trick of all tricks! I know false lash application isn't necessarily easy. It takes practice and even with practice, you need to keep practicing in order to stay good at it. One problem that I continuously encounter is the glue mess. Even though I use very minimal glue and I use the type that you spread on with a wand, it still seems to go everywhere.

As I was browsing pinterest the other day I saw a pin for make up tips. Every time I see this pin, I always go look at it even though most of the time I already know whatever they are blogging/vlogging about. But, I finally saw a tip that I never saw before.

Instead of applying the glue directly to the lash, she applied it to her eyelid. DUH. That makes so much more sense. The lashes will go exactly where you want them to and you won't have to worry about the glue going everywhere! I don't know why I never thought of that before, but I wanted to share it with any other lovers of lashes!

I hope this post was helpful to you! Do you have any tips and tricks for applying lashes that make it a lot easier? Let me know in the comment section below!

Stay happy and healthy! :)

Tschüss, Katharina

latest nail obsession

Generally, I dislike pink (according to my mom, I used to love it when I was younger). Something about the color just turns me off, but one thing I have quite enjoyed lately are baby pink nails. I think they look so sophisticated but neutral at the same time. They are really a color for anytime, and the best thing about pink nails is that the polish doesn't stain your nails- that's a big reason why I really dislike putting on darker nail polishes. I've been experimenting with a few different pinks and here is what I have tried (and liked) so far!

This is a very nice color from ColorClub in Buff & Natural. It is pretty opaque, but takes two coats to make a complete covering of the nail. It goes on a bit stripe-y but I think that has more to do with the brush and not the formulation. It dries fairly quickly and it is the perfect milk-y pink. Very neutral but super professional and absolutely adorable for any season!

The next color (below, left) is Wet n' Wild Nail Polish in Sugar Pill with KleanKolor Madly Matte on top. I had talked about this in a previous post, which I will link below. The second color, below on the right (which I think is my favorite), is by Essence. I can't remember what the name of it is, but it made for french manicures. I had to put a lot of coats on for this nail polish to look good, but I love the end result. It is the perfect mix of neon and pinky-ness mixed together. Again, the perfect neutral but also a little bit of color!

My least favorite color that I tried out, keeping up with this trend, is by KleanKolor. The color is called Sheer Pastel Nude. It is more of an orange and pink mixed nude, but not the pink I was expecting. It also isn't a color I would really use for a french manicure- sigh, I'm still on the hunt for the perfect mani color. If you are looking for a nude that is close to your skin color (for light to medium skin tones), then this is probably perfect! This however was not the look I was going for. I'm not sure how I feel about this color- I'm still rolling with it.

I hoped this help you find some light pinks that you enjoy. What are your favorite nail polishes with this similar color scheme? What about other nail colors that you enjoy? Let me know in the comment section below!

Always stay happy and healthy! :)

Tschüss, Katharina



other posts mentioned:

• http://madaboutmascara.blogspot.com/2012/09/nails-for-weekend.html

make up collection: tools

My last part of the make up collection is the tools I use. This is the part of my make up collection that has been growing the slowest. For some reason I can justify buying expensive foundation or eyeshadow palettes, but with brushes it just isn't the same. Even though I should probably be buying good quality brushes that will last me a long time and apply make up well. Although, that is not to say that the brushes I have now are not good quality. Most of them are ELF brushes with a few of them from Bare Escentuals and Urban Decay. For their price, the ELF brushes are great quality- especially the Studio line.

I also have some sponges that I keep with my every day use products. I also have a pencil sharpener and an eyelash curler. I can't remember what brand it is, becuase it is really old. I don't use it that much because if I curl my eyelashes too much they touch my eyelids- and trust me, that does not look pretty. I also have the ELF Brush Cleaner that I use sometimes. (Although I generally use a make up wipe.) I also keep my "fake" Beauty Blender in this section, because I use it for when I do a heavier/full foundation routine. I did a little review of that in another post, which I will link to the bottom of this one.

Like I said, this is the slowest growing part of my make up collection. I have thought about buying some Sigma Brushes but sometimes I just don't feel like I have the need for so many of them, especially because washing them is the one thing I dislike doing. My motto with brushes is kind of, if it's not broken, don't fix it. My brushes are doing their duties right now so I don't see the need to buy more of them.

I do have to mention one thing about the ELF brushes that doesn't bother me, but may be annoying for other people. After washing them a few times, The handles do seem to get a bit loose, but to me that can easily be fixed with super glue. They generally don't shed though, which is great for blending out cream products, foundations and concealers (with the exception of a few brushes).

Phew. Finally, I have completed my make up collection! If you hadn't noticed already, I added a tab up top that has all the posts I have written about the collection (I will include that link at the bottom, also). Once I get new products, I will add them to the section that they belong in so my collection will constantly be updating as I buy new things!

Let me know if you have any questions or want to know more specific details about my collection in the comment section below!

Stay happy and healthy! :) 

Tschüss, Katharina



other posts mentioned:

• http://madaboutmascara.blogspot.com/2012/10/monthly-favorites-september.html
• http://madaboutmascara.blogspot.com/p/make-up-collection.htm

make up collection: eye products

After an extremely busy week, I am finally getting around to finishing up my make up collection posts. I only have to talk about my favorite eye products and then tools that I use- so I will talk about the eye products next. I have just recently really gotten into eyeshadow and actually using color (even they are only neutral ones) on my eyelids. I usually only wore mascara and liner, so this is somewhat a step up from what I used to do.

These are the palettes that I have. Obviously the top ones are the Urban Decay Naked and Naked 2 palettes. I like these a lot because they are neutral colors, which I use very often. The second "palette" is one I made on my own. I depotted some of my eyeshadows, put them on magnets and then placed them in a picture keeper. I have a bunch of different brands in there including CoverGirl, Wet n' Wild, ELF, Coastal Scents, Mary Kay and Revlon. I tried to group them by color and have one section for random eyeshadow colors. I can't say this was one of my smartest ideas, because it gets a bit messy sometimes but at least I don't have all the packaging laying around.

I also have a draw that I keep some of my eyeshadows in, along with some cream products and primer. My favorite eyeshadows or mini-palettes include CoverGirl Eyeshadow Trio in Shimmering Sands, Maybelline Eyeshadow Quad in Natural Smokes, Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze and Wet n' Wild Single Eyeshadow in Nutty. These eyeshadows again follow the whole neutral trend. I just think those neutrals really suit my eye color so I use those the most. I have been trying to branch out a little but it is a slow process that just needs some work and experimentation. Some other brands that I have include NYX, mark, ELF and Laura Geller.

I have one extra jar that I keep my liquid liners and pencils in. I don't use many of them because I don't really like putting black liner on the water line and most pencils aren't black enough for me to use as top lid liner. There are a few products that I haven't used yet, because I'm trying to use up ones that I started already. I do have to say that liquid liner in general works better than gel or pencil liners for me, personally, because I do have oily eyelids. I do have the NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk, which is my favorite for so many things. I use it as a base or just for highlight in the inner corner and brow bone.

I hope you enjoyed looking into the eye products that I have! What are your favorite eye products? Do you prefer high-end or drugstore eyeshadows? If you have any questions or want to know about certain products, let me know in the comment section below!

Have a great weekend and stay happy and healthy! :)

Tschüss, Katharina

navy and brown smokey eye

Some pictures in this post were lost. I apologize if that makes this post difficult to understand, however I didn't want to delete it so you would still be able to refer to it.

I am always doing very neutral eye make up, usually using blacks, greys or browns. I wanted to try something different that used a bit of color but is still neutral. I know navy is technically considered a neutral color, but I think when combining blues and browns it gives the coolest effect!

This look was super simple that was dramatic enough to go out with, but acceptable to also wear during the day! Those are the perfect types of looks because they allow you to spend less time on doing make up and more time on picking your outfit ;)

I used my Urban Decay Naked palette for this look and only used 3 shades. I started off with the shade Sin and applied that to the inner corner of my eye and then carried it out a little less than halfway. I also added this to my brow bone, but very lightly so it wouldn't look too shimmery. Next, I took Naked and applied that in the center of my eye. I wanted a matte shade here so it wouldn't look too sparkly and shiny. Lastly, I took Gunmetal and applied it on the outer corner and also in the crease. I wanted the outer corner to be pretty sultry and dark so I made sure to concentrate most of the color there and sweep the rest into the crease. I had to repeat this several times so it could be blended out nicely. I then also went back to Naked and re-applied that to the center of the lid, blending it in with the two shades on either side.

I would say the key to most of these pigmented shadows is to start with a very small amount and then keep going back if you want more intensity or color. It is easier to make your eye look more pigmented rather than trying to take away some of the color- without removing your eye look completely.

I do really enjoy how this came out! For an extra touch, I also added Navy liquid liner instead of black but went with my usual black mascara. I think this eye look would be great for people with brown eyes, especially if they intensify the navy shade a lot!

I hope you like this look also and have fun trying to recreate it! Let me know if you have any questions or suggestions for more looks with the Naked palette in the comments section below!

Stay happy and healthy! :) 

Tschüss, Katharina

make up collection: face products

This has been so long overdue, but I just have been so busy that I haven't had a chance to write this. The pictures were waiting and ready, it was just about finding the time to actually sit down and write this post! To me, this is probably the most interesting part of the make up collection (even though face products are not the ones I get the most joy out of buying). I like to know what foundations and concealers people use, especially when they have the same skin type as me- I, by the way, have combination skin that leans a bit on the oily side.

I will start this post off with the products that are in my every day container. I have only a few face products up here, but some products include Revlon, Josie Maran, Laura Geller and ELF. I really enjoy the Revlon ColorStay Foundation for Combination/Oily Skin along with the Revlon ColorStay Pressed Powder. 

I then have a container where I keep all of my blushes and bronzers. Here I have many different options, including ELF, Wet n' Wild, Lorac, MAC, Milani, Bare Minerals, CoverGirl and Mally. I already talked about my favorite blushes in a previous post, which I will link to the bottom of this one. Some of my favorite bronzers are the ELF Contouring Blush and Bronzing Powder and NYC Smooth Skin Bronzing Powder in Sunny. I like my bronzers to look more on the grey side because it makes the contour look more natural. I have heard good things about the NYX Matte Bronzer, so I think I will try that once my no-buying make up months are up (I am half way into my fourth week!). Sometimes I also use a pressed powder that is a few shades darker than my own skin tone to give a natural contour- that is perfect for days when I am wearing very little make up but still want some definition where I would usually contour.


Last, is my small drawer of foundations, finishing powders, highlighters, primers and concealers. I don't really have that many because I am not really one to experiment in this area. I will usually buy the same products over again if I really enjoy the look, unless they have been discontinued or I am really just looking to try something new. Most of these things are also samples that I am waiting to try. Products here include Smashbox, Rimmel, Revlon, Bare Minerals, ELF, Benefit and Hard Candy. Here, I love the Revlon ColorStay Whipped Foundation which is currently a bit too light for me. (I have been thinking about mixing the two together but am a little hesitant since they have different formulations- let me know if you have tried it and how it worked for you!) I am still trying to find the perfect concealer that doesn't crease too badly.

I will try to have my eye products part up very soon (can't promise anything though) so you can see a complete version of my make up collection. If you have any questions about specific products, leave a comment below!

Have a great day and stay happy and healthy! :)

Tschüss, Katharina



other posts mentioned:

• http://madaboutmascara.blogspot.com/2012/09/5-favorite-blushes.html

every day eye make up

I did an easy, neutral eye look the other day and had to let you know about it! It was so easy but very complementary to my blue-green eyes! I do think this would look beautiful on any eye color though, especially hazel or light brown eyes. I used my Urban Decay Naked palette, liquid eyeliner and mascara- so simple!

I started off with Urban Decay Eye Shadow Primer applied to my whole lid. I then used the color Sidecar (a midtone champagne color with hints of pink and gold) in the Naked palette and applied that to two-thirds of my eyelid. I wanted this to be very sparkly, so I layered it a few times to get that metallic/foiled type of effect. I then took the color Toasted (a dark champagne pink with gold undertones) and it applied it to the outer corner of my eye to add dimension. Lastly, I took Buck (a midtone brown, a few shades darker than my skin tone) and used it in my crease and outer most part of my lid. I also carried this shade onto my lower lash line. All that is left with the eyeshadows is to blend, since I wasn't using a brow shade.

To finish the look, I added some liquid liner with a bit of a wing and then my usual pounds of mascara. The eyeshadow was just enough to make my eyes pop, but definitely did not look overdone for class. Plus it was so easy to do, and took maybe 2 minutes!

I hope you can try to recreate this look with your Naked palette, or any similar colored shadows you have! Leave a comment if you have questions about the eyeshadows or how I applied them!

Have a great day and stay happy and healthy! :)

Tschüss, Katharina

how to get beautiful looking skin

A big part of my skin care routine is trying to do some sort of facial mast every week. I have ones that I just bought from the store, however, I also enjoy trying some at home masks with ingredients that I may have in my fridge. I feel that sometimes at home remedies may work better than chemicals. I wanted to share all my at home remedies with you, so you can try them! I hope they work on your skin, just as well as they work on mine. (Disclaimer: I am not a dermatologist, these are just remedies that have worked for me!)

A mask that I tried this past weekend was an egg mask. All you need is one egg white and some thin tissues/toilet paper. I put on a few layers of the egg white (about 3-5), letting each layer dry before putting on another, and then the tissue on top of a still wet layer of egg white. I then coated the tissue with egg white and let that dry completely. This egg mask claims to remove your black heads, and although I don't think it did that for me, I was left with smooth and clear looking skin. I just felt like this mask made my skin look great!

A few other at home spot treatments that have worked for me, are aspirin and toothpaste. If I feel a pimple coming on, I take an Advil Liquid Gel capsule, cut it open and apply the gel to my pimple. For me, that works a lot better than crushing up a normal aspirin and adding water. Also, toothpaste is great for reducing redness. I just dab a little on the spot before I go to bed and it looks much better in the morning!

I encourage you to look up at home beauty remedies online because there are so many to choose from! I think there are even websites that categorize masks for your skin type, but any of them would be great to try! Let me know if you have any questions about this post in the comment section below!

Stay happy and healthy! :) 

Tschüss, Katharina

make up collection: lip products

This post is all about my collection of lip products. I discussed some of my lip products in the posting about my every day make up. I will link that below so you can check out some of my favorites that I use more often than the others. I will also link my favorite nude lipsticks post here, since those are the colors that I more commonly go for and like the best. If you would like to see all the parts of my make up collection, click on the "make up collection" tab, which I will also link to the bottom. So, without further ado, here are my lip products!

I have two small containers that I keep most of my lip products in. One holds mostly my lipsticks and lip liners and the other has lip glosses and chapsticks. As for lipstick, I have a whole range of brands including ELF, Wet n' Wild, NYX, Maybelline, Clinique, Jordana and P2. Some of my favorite lipsticks that I haven't already mentioned are two NYX Round Lipsticks in Hero and Circe. I also love the Lipsmackers Dr. Pepper chapstick. It gives that perfect flushed look and moisturizes your lips at the same time.

When it comes to lipglosses, I have absolutely everything. Many of them I have accumulated over the years and are almost colorless. Brands include NYX, Essence, Lorac, Revlon, Rimmel, mark, ELF and Victoria's Secret. Some of my favorite ones are NYX Lipgloss in Natural and Sugar Pie, Josie Maran Natural Volume Lip Gloss in Precious, Revlon Super Lustrous Lip Gloss in Peach Petal and NYX Sheer Gloss in Shangri-La. I also really enjoy the Lip Scrub by LUSH, and I like the Mint Julep flavor the best. It is a really nice lip exfoliant to relieve your lips of dead skin. This is especially good when wearing bold colored lipsticks!

This post has definitely been long overdue and the face and eye products, along with tools I frequently use will be coming up soon!

If you have any questions about specific products or are curious to know more specific information about the ones I own, including swatches, leave me a comment below! Also, let me know what your favorite lip products are!

Stay happy and healthy! :) 

Tschüss, Katharina



other posts mentioned:

• http://madaboutmascara.blogspot.com/2012/09/make-up-collection-every-day-products.html
• http://madaboutmascara.blogspot.com/2012/09/favorite-nude-lipsticks.html
• http://madaboutmascara.blogspot.com/p/make-up-collection.html

easy every day make up

I have been promising this post for a few days now, and it is finally here! This is my every day, going to class, make up routine. I think this is perfect for make up beginners or a natural look that enhances your beauty! It doesn't require that many products and they can be easily substituted for something you already have in your collection. I will list off the products that I used in each section so you know how I applied them and in what order. Enjoy!

 Face:

• Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Dark Circle Eraser in Brightener for under the eyes
• ELF Tinted Moisturizer in Nude
• ELF Essential All Over Cover Stick in Light Beige for blemishes
• Revlon ColorStay Pressed Powder in Light for extra coverage and to set liquid products
• Laura Geller Balance-N-Brighten Foundation in Regular to contour
• Josie Maran Argan Brightening Bronzer Sun Spot Corrector as blush
• Laura Geller Baked Radiance Face Powder in Ethereal Rose over the bronzer

Eyes

• mark Get in Line Hook up Waterproof Eyeliner in Painted Black (not wearing this in the picture)
• L'Oreal Double Extend Beauty Tubes Lash Extension Mascara as primer
• as for mascara, I just use a whole bunch of different ones
• Catrice Eye Brow Stylist in Date With Ashton
• Essence Lash and Brow Gel Mascara
• sometimes I will wear eyeshadow, but not on a daily basis

Lips:

• this ranges from just chapstick to a light layer of lipstick, but really I just use whatever I feel like that day

I hope you can try to recreate this look with using products that you currently own. I think this is a great starting point and can be made more dramatic if you have time or if you feel that you need to add something to the look. If you have any questions about specific products or want to know how I apply them/what I use to apply them, leave a comment below!

Have a great day and stay happy and healthy! :) 

Tschüss, Katharina

monthly favorites: September

I want to do a monthly favorites, but include all different things that I enjoy including food, make up, toiletries, etc. I'm only going to include a few products in each one because that way the post won't be too long and I can actually explain why I enjoy these products. So to kick it off, let me start with my favorites for September!

My first monthly favorite is Green Mountain Coffee in Hazelnut flavor. These are the K-cups for the Keurig coffee machine and I cannot even describe how much I love this coffee. I only drink coffee because I love how it tastes and honestly, it just makes my day better. It can be so early and I have only gotten a few hours of sleep, but as soon as I smell the Hazelnut coffee brewing it perks up my day 1000 percent! I take it on the go with me and just sip during class. I just have no words to explain how happy this coffee makes me! I JUST LOVE IT!

My second favorite is the knock off version of the Beauty Blender. I bought mine from Ulta, but I'm pretty sure they have one at CVS also. This was only $4 compared to the real beauty blender, which costs $20. I have never tried the real Beauty Blender but I think this applies my foundation just as beautifully. I wet it first and then squeeze out all the moisture I can. Then I just dab my foundation on and it gives such a beautiful finish! I also like to double layer the areas of my face where I am breaking out and it makes me use less concealer.

I also love the Urban Decay Primer Potion! I have oily eyelids and cannot wear eyeshadow on its own because it just ends up being a creased mess. This works perfect for me and holds my eyeshadow for hours. I must admit that on some days I try to get away without primer, but it ends up a mess just as I should expect- I'm just too lazy to put it on some days. This works great for me though, and I really enjoy it.

Another favorite that I have recently been using a lot, is the Revlon ColorStay Pressed Powder. I use the color Light which is a great match for me, since I am really fair. I use this on top of my tinted moisturizer to not only give it extra coverage, but to lighten it up since the tinted moisturizer is a bit too dark. This powder doesn't make me look cakey and gives a great matte finish. It also applies with ease and blends beautifully!

My last favorite of this month is a lip color from Bare Minerals. It is called the Pretty Amazing Lip Color in Panache. This color is definitely out of my comfort zone, but it is so beautiful. It is a sheer berry color that leaves your lips glossy and with a nice tint. I don't know if this color suits me, but honestly I don't care...I absolutely love the color!

So those are my favorite products for the month of September! What were your favorite products for this month? Let me know in the comment section below!

Always stay happy and healthy! :)

Tschüss, Katharina