Summer Beauty Must-Have's

Phew! It’s been a minute since I’ve been here. Gotta brush the dust off this place. But I’m back and I’m ready to get you guys ready for these warm summer months. If you’ve read my article from the Examiner.com, than this list will look familiar. But keep reading, I’ve made a few changes to this list for The Beauty Ally.

(Side note: My Examiner.com articles and The Beauty Ally might run parallel in topic from time to time, but the content will not be completely the same, so be sure to check out both!)

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So here it is, my top recommendations for a beautiful-faced summer!

Recreated Looks: Mila Kunis

WELCOME BACK!

[love this show]

Sorry I’ve been quiet for a bit (almost 2 weeks!), but I’ve been preparing for a few big dates that are coming my way. I’ve got a wedding, a birthday and lots of working out to do before hand which has been eating up a lot of my time. Did I mention that I still have to get my taxes out too? Yeah, well...


So I’ve been working on a few things; one of them being my wedding makeup! No, it's not my wedding, but I still want to look good none-the-less; its been a long time since I’ve attended one (not to mention worn a dress!) so I’ve been buying lots of makeup and seeing how I like them (which reminds me: tons of product reviews coming up). I’ve also been doing a shit-ton (that’s a real word, right?) of shopping lately, despite my dwindling bank account and all I have to say is, its been worth it. There’s nothing like buying new makeup that makes me feel excited, creative and motivated. 


I've bought the dress, picked the shoes, I'm still deciding on the hair, but now I'm playing with the makeup. I save images that inspire me, go through my iPhoto album and look through the photos I've saved of celebrities in makeup looks that I love and want to recreate. This look 
<----- here is a variation of a look I saw on Mila Kunis.


Now, I do not resemble Mila in the slightest, but that doesn't mean I can't try. 

 So here's what I did...

Favorite Looks: The 'Slept-In' Look

[Angelina Jolie with baby Knox]

Can we talk about favorite looks?

There is no look I love more than the I just rolled out of bed™ look. It’s little laissez-faire, it’s a little sultry and its a little punk fucking rock!

I’ve always found this unkept look to be sexy. I love that its the complete opposite of the No hair out of place™ look. And whats hotter than a care-free girl who’s look says, ''I’m so busy I just had to throw on these clothes I found on the floor and my hair and makeup? Eh, fuck it''. 


Nothing.

Tutorial: The Kate Moss Look

Many moons ago I stumbled upon this site and was really intrigued by what I saw. I love when makeup artists in the biz take the time out to do video tutorials because, well, I'm a very visual person and I learn by seeing (you can also download the sketch and color swatch which I love). The thing I really liked about this video was... everything! The gunmetal eyeshadow color, the dewy skin and big lashes... reminds me of getting dressed up to go clubbing out in the city. And I'll do anything to look a little closer like Kate Moss, amirite? 

ReLOOK TV: The Kate Moss Look (4)


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The First Time: Buying Foundation

One of the things I really wanted to tackle was how to pick out the right makeup colors for your skin tone and choosing the right foundation colors. I remember always being fascinated with makeup as a kid, but as a young teen the thought of how to pick the right shade for your skin and then what to do with it was overwhelming. It was at this age that I made a major makeup faux pas: wearing the wrong shade of foundation. I wish that when I was younger I had youtube tutorials and instructional blogs to turn to about how to buy and apply makeup. I’m sure I would have avoided many makeup blunders, like wearing a dark brown powder foundation with red undertones while I was a medium tan with yellow undertones or the dreaded makeup line. And don’t get me started on over-plucked eyebrows...

So let’s get started!

Spring Cleaning: Makeup Bag Edition

While going through my handbag today, I thought to myself, Holy hell, my makeup bag is in serious need of a makeover! –Or rather, a make-under! I have no concept of less is more and my makeup bag is proof of that – it’s practically a mini pharmacy! It’s massive, heavy and completely illogical (more than half the weight of my handbag is due to my makeup case)! I have to squeeze my hand in it in order to get to anything and contains waaay too many items! So while I have some time on my hands, I figured I’d try to shrink that sucker and make it more handbag friendly.