Winter Beauty Tips

Cold weather brings on all sorts of problems when it comes to hair and makeup.  Instead of looking glossed and gorgeous we turn into a dry, static-y, and frizzy mess!  Don't let winter win though, fight it with the right products and a few tricks!

• Wear a hat!  If you'll be out and about running errands and dealing with wind and the changing temperatures of inside and out, pop on a hat.  It's an instant way to look chic and put together.  I'm currently digging the 20s style cloche.  If you like to wear your hair up a lot, buy a hat that's a touch larger or try on your hat with your hair pinned up.
• Embrace the texture nature gives you.  If it's snowing and you know wet snow makes your naturally wavy hair frizz like mad, start with your hair that way.  Or pop a bottle of a beach spray or mini flat iron in your bag so you can change the texture and look of your hair if your style starts going south.  Feeling the frizz before you walk out the door?  Start your style with an anti-frizz product, run a dryer sheet over your hair, or finish with a shine spray to tame frizzes.
• Hydrate!  The best way to ensure you have shinny hair and smooth skin is to hydrate.  Start from the inside out by drinking plenty of water.  For skin, use a moisturizing cream on any dry spots before applying your makeup and wear a night cream to bed!

Do you have any tricks for looking fabulous in the winter?

See the product links and photos from Polyvore.

Update your Makeup Bag

The new year always has me thinking about updating my makeup bag!  It's a time for fresh starts and trying new things, so while you're still thinking about the word "new" with your month of January, grab your makeup bag and freshen it up.  Make 2013 all about looking and feeling beautiful...and that starts with your makeup bag.  Try these five tips:

1. Dump out everything in your bag and give it a good wipe out with an anti-bacterial wipe.  Then assess the contents and toss out anything that's broken, expired, or generally icky looking.  The general rule of thumb for tossing: mascara/liquid liner after 3-4 months, lipsticks and glosses after 2-3 years, powders like eye shadows and blushes after about 2-3 years, foundation after 2 years.  As you put things back in your makeup bag, wipe them all off and make sure they're clean.
2. Assess your brush situation.  Clean all your brushes and make sure they're in good shape.  If you're missing something or have always needed a specific brush, now's the time to buy it.  Feeling playful?  Check out EcoTools new Fresh, Flawless Face Set with cute printed handles.
3. Add some fun into your collection.  I'm big believer that makeup should make you smile, so when it comes to basics, I always vote for picking the product that is more fun like Physician's Formula Glow and Mood Boosting Blush.  This goes for your makeup bag too!  If it doesn't make you smile, get a new one or swap with a friend.
4. Pick a couple trends to try.  Add a few trendy items into your collection.  This spring will be all about matte lips, so pick a bright, fun color to keep you out of the winter doldrums like Nars Pure Matte Lipstick in Carthage.  Another trend to try?  Grey nails, they're the perfect neutral.
5. Pick one item to simplify your routine.  Whether that's an eyelash curler, a two in one cream stick, or new eye brush, pick one gift to yourself to help you in the morning.  Not good with eye liner?  Try one of the new eye liner markers like Stila's Stay All Day.  Bored with black?  Try grey, it looks fresh and modern.

Trust me, cleaning up your makeup bag and freshening up your routine will definitely jump start your morning makeup routine.  What new products are you looking to try?

~Kirsten

2013 Hair and Beauty Resolutions

Photo from Beautifully Superfluous

Happy 2013!  Have you made your New Year's Resolutions yet?  How about including a couple of hair and beauty related ones?  Need some to get started?  Here are five things to start doing, stop doing, and vow to try in 2013:

• Try new trends in hair and makeup!  Have you always stared longingly at that display of purple eyeliner pencils or continuously dog eared the same type of hair styles in your magazine pages? Now is the time to try them!  If a trend looks interesting and suits your coloring or faceshape: go for it!  There's no time like the present.  Need an extra incentive?  Challenge yourself to one beauty dare each month where you try something you've never tried before.
• Stop picking...everything.  Do you pick at your nails, your pimples, or your split ends?  Now's the time to stop!  Need some help?  Check out Allure's Solutions for 7 Emotional Skin Issues here.
• Stick with what works.  Go through your facebook photos....do the ones you look most fabulous in have any patterns?  Your killer winged eyeliner, curly hair, or that great green top?  Make an effort to repeat those looks.  If you love the way you look with tousled hair, wear it that way more often.
• Moisturize!  One of the easiest ways to look glowing and fabulous is to keep your skin moisturized.  Hydrated, happy skin is healthy skin.  Apply a moisturizer right after you get out of the shower and for double duty make sure it includes SPF.  Don't forget to hydrate from the inside out too - drink plenty of water.
• Upgrade your routine.  When you clean out your makeup bag, take a look at your products.  Are you using the same face cream since 1997?  It may be time for an upgrade.  Visit your local beauty counter for a consultation.  Looking for a new hair style....call patrick for an update to your look.  Even a simple cut change or some highlights can instantly change the way you look and feel.  

As for me?  I vow to toss out my expired beauty products (including that half empty eye shadow palette at the bottom of my drawer) and take better care of my nails ( ie - more frequent manicures).  What are your New Year's Resolutions?  

~Kirsten

Meet the Family: What to wear hair and makeup

Tis the season for meeting the family!  It's been a few year's since I've had to do it, but I still remember wondering, what do I wear?  What do I bring?  What kind of makeup should I wear?  Here are five things you'll need to pack for a week with a new family:

1.  Full coverage, comfy pajamas - you might have to wait for the shower or want to lounge on the couch before bed, so make sure you have comfy pajamas that are family friendly.  Leave the teddy and his shorts at home and opt for something with more coverage, like a flannel set.  Check out Victoria's Secret, Old Navy, or splurge on a Juicy Couture Set (shown above).
2.  Baby Soft Lips - keep lips moist and buttery in easy to apply anywhere colors.
3.  A killer hostess gift - You'll look extra good arriving with a gift in tow.  Think something fun and functional like a seasonal candle or a decent priced bottle of wine or bubbles.  My personal favorite?  Layer Cake Malbec.  It's under $15 and has a screw top, good incase you don't know if they have a corkscrew.
4.  Neutral colors - Save the bright purple eye shadow for a time you know everyone better.  Stick with colors that are a couple shades lighter and darker than your natural skin tones and are easy to apply so you don't hog the bathroom in the morning.  If you can, find out from your significant other what you'll be doing so you'll know if you can bring the bare essentials or if you should bring a little extra makeup for family photos.
5. Dry Shampoo - Sprtiz it in your hair and you'll be able to look fab before you leave your bedroom in the morning.  Plus it's great for reviving a hair-do after a long day before your nighttime activities.  Patrick and I like Big Sexy Hair's Volumizing Dry Shampoo.

Need the product links?  Click here to go to Polyvore.  Will you be meeting his or her parents this holiday?

~Kirsten

10 Beauty & Hair Stocking Stuffer Ideas

Need a tiny gift or cool products to stuff your friend or loved one's Christmas stocking?  There's a reason beauty products make great stocking stuffers - they're small and everyone wants them!  Here are some great little presents for any beauty lover in your life.  Best yet?  They al fit in your stocking or purse (except for one!) and are budget friendly!  Everything is under $30!

Stocking Stuffer Ideas (Clockwise from top left)
1.  An oh, so cute Owl Contact Case for your friend no longer called "four eyes."
2.  Luxe feeling hand cream in pretty designs by L'occitane.  These make perfect tie ones for gifts too.
3.  A jumbo wand of lip colors from Sephora is fun and functional.  Gift the whole thing or break them up into six mini gifts.
4.  For your friend who always wants more volume, a Kirsten and Patrick favorite: Big Sexy Hair's Powder Play.  A few sprinkles instantly lifts roots and adds texture and volume.
5.  This one probably won't fit in the stocking, but it's super cute.  E.L.F.'s Nail Cube contains 14 nail colors for $10.
6.  Another fashion and function gift - a cute key chain lipgloss from Victoria's Secret.
7.  Makeup brushes are the perfect shape for fitting in a stocking or being tied on top of a gift as a gift topper.  A brush everyone is sure to love (it's my personal favorite) is the Expert Face Brush designed by European makeup artist Samantha Chapman for Real Techinques.
8.  Another Real Techniques brush, this Stippling Brush is sure to be new to even an advanced makeup buff.  Plus, it's flat bottom means it stands on the counter during makeup application time.
9.  Here's a perfect gift for the girl that's always reaching in her bag for chapstick or lip balm, Sugar's mini lip trio feels ultra luxe and is packaged in these holiday only set of three.  Available at Sephora.
10.  Diamonds are a girl's best friend, but faux ones are just as good.  Grab a pair of cute fake sparkle studs in a fun shape like these bow stud earrings from Charlotte Russe.

What's your favorite stocking stuffer of this bunch?
~Kirsten

Luxe Beauty Lust List

from Pinterest

It's officially the season of gift giving...and wish listing!  Someone on Instagram said jokingly, it's never to early to put out a wish list so people can start saving to buy things for you."  So in the spirit of wishing for little gifts to improve your day to day makeup routine, I put together a list of my luxe beauty wants.  All things that I think look fabulous but wouldn't buy myself.  Leave a comment if you'd like my address to send a gift :) or take note for the fabulous lady in your life that might enjoy some of these products.

Starting clockwise from the top left: Nars Orgasam Blush which all the beauty blogs and magazines sing the praises of.  It's one of those elusive "looks good on everyone" blushes.   Coach Sunglasses, because nothing says "I don't want the paparazzi to notice me" then a pair of fabulous sunglasses on a winter day.  Mary Kay Eye Makeup Remover - this is one of the best eye makeup removers I've ever used.  Yes, I even like it better than Lancome's and Elizabeth Ardens.  Clinique Chubby Stick I love these cute as can be sticks and would love to try out the real deal.  They look like they go on as smooth as butter.  Speaking of smooth, I haven't tried many primers, but the Smashbox Photo Primer is said to be a good one.  I love that they have several different colors to solve different problems, but at $17 for a sample size, it hasn't made it into my collection yet.  Flower Bomb Perfume by Viktor and Rolf is my signature go to scent.  I bought a mini bottle for my wedding day and haven't worn another perfume since.  I'd love to add a full size bottle to my collection.  Moving onto eye liner, Tarte Smolder Eyes Eyeliner comes in a variety of colors, uses natural ingredients, and is completely cruelty free.  Of course what eye look would be complete without mascara?  I love using my luxe Lancome concealer (a once a year treat), the tube I"m currently crushing on is their Hypnose Mascara.  And lastly, to round out my luxe face, the Naked 2 Eye Palette, a gorgeous mix of neutral, brown, and pink eye shadow colors all together in one chic set.

Check out all the products and links on Polyvore

What products are on your luxe beauty wish list?
~Kirsten

Go for Gold: Holiday Makeup

Are you looking for a smashing holiday look?  Go for gold!  Gold is said to increase personal power, promote courage, confidence and willpower according to Crystal-Cure.com.  It's bling-y, fabulous and not for the faint of heart.  Try this look for your next cocktail or holiday party...or at the most fabulous holiday event of all, New Year's Eve.  Pick one or two features to play up in gold like eyes and cheeks, lips and eyes, or lips and cheeks paired with a neutral eye.  Swathing yourself in smashing black?  Then go for all three!  Just don't pair all gold with an all gold ensemble!  Here's how to get the look.

A gold eye is a sure bet if you want to have one feature swathed in gold.  Start with a neutral, matte shade for the whole eye and then use a shimmering gold shade on the lid.  Apply lots of layers or work with a cream shadow or wet powder for more intensity.  Create a cat eye or line your lids in black for a more dramatic effect.  When it comes to lashes, don't forget to curl, this is the number one eye opening trick!  You can even do that in gold with this pretty eye lash curler from Shu Uemura or apply false lashes with some gold built in if your event is extra swanky.  The same is true for foundation, use the golden self standing expert face brush from Real Techniques to flawlessly apply a shimmering foundation or top your normal foundation with an illuminator or shimmering powder.  Lips aren't left out either...top a nude lip color with a gold gloss or find a lipstick in a shade that's flattering.  Don't forget your nails, Essie is Good as Gold is subtle but shimmering at the same time.

Check out the polyvore board for prices and more links!

Will you be going for gold this holiday season?
~Kirsten