Rough Night? Perfect Morning Addiction

We've all been there girls. As much fun as going out the night before is, dancing your heart out and endless cocktails always leads to that dreaded morning. You've probably slept in your makeup and your hair has decided to try something "new" and "different" without your approval. With the school year already in full throttle I felt the need to share my tips and tricks.  I've created a list of my favorite pick-me-up products that will get you looking like you've gotten hours of beauty sleep! Of course the ideal situation would be hitting the shower, grabbing a cup of coffee and lounging around until your ready to go at it again, but that is not always the case!

First on my list is dry shampoo. It is such a life saver for second-day hair. If you don't have time to take a shower, just spray some dry shampoo to your roots, wait about 30 seconds and gently rub with clean fingertips to start the process. I also find that gently brushing back and forth over the area with dry shampoo can help create volume and keep oily fingers from making the situation worse. I would never substitute a shower for this because your hair will feel some what weird, like there is product in it, but it will look clean to everyone else. My favorite dry shampoo is Treseme Fresh Start Dry Shampoo. Its affordable and can be found just about anywhere.

We all know staying out late means lack of sleep and those dreaded under eye bags and circles. Two ideas came to my mind when I was brainstorming about this topic. The first is for people with a little more time on their hands. The morning you wake up take a spoon and pop it in the fever for about 5 minutes or until cold. Hold it rounded side against your under eye for about 4 minutes. The cold will help redness and puffiness. If you don't have time for this trick I recommend Mark. Light and Bright Eye Gel. This lightening and de-puffing eye gel is made in a hookup so you can throw it in your purse for the morning after in case you don't make home. Rub a pea size amount under each eye and wait for it to soak in. Your dark circles will be lightened up and puffiness reduced.
(Remember everyone, I am a mark. rep so you can order this through my eboutique :) )

This next one is my most prized possession for under eye circles especially in mornings. Maybelline Dream Matte Mouse Foundation is light weight, doesn't tug, and blends easily! I don't like heavy concealers under my eyes because i feel like it looks cakey and weighs my skin down. This part of your eye needs to look fresh and bright. This works perfect when following the Mark Light and Bright Eye Gel. All that's needed after is to be set with a little bit of powder to ensure that it stays on all day.

I know your going to be thinking, "Another eye product?!" Bare with me because out of everything, your eyes show the most that your tired and had a crazy night. Applying white eyeliner on the bottom water line opens up your eyes and makes the whites stand out creating a bright, rested look. Of course you could use any white eye pencil but my favorite is Rimmel Soft Kohl Kajal Eye Pencil. It's cheap, and goes on smoothly.

Lastly, your insides need to be treated just as well as your outsides. Protein, vitamins, and healthy foods are ideal for hangovers or sleep deprived nights. On-the-go girls don't have time for extravagant breakfasts so my turn-to drink is a protein shake. My roommate and I just discovered Bolthouse farms Protein Plus Protein Shakes. They are so delicious and have 30 grams of protein and 21 vitamins and minerals!! I found them at Walmart and their definitely worth a try!

Best Online Shops Addiction

Talk about being able to shop online for hours. For anyone who is not familiar with these boutiques please take look! You'll find your self browsing for hours!

1. Ruche
http://www.shopruche.com/
Just like the site says its a modern boutique with a vintage touch. Im always able to find indie inspired clothes for actually pretty affordable prices! Definitely one of my top places to go when I'm looking for something a little romantic and out of the box. Their helpful lookbooks are the best fixes for style blocks or a quick idea for an outfit!

2. ModCloth

http://www.modcloth.com/

Mod Retro Vintage and Indie Clothing. ModCloth reminds me of urban outfitters. They even have an apartment section! Their prices are a little higher than I would prefer for just everyday shopping but sometimes its nice to splurge a little every once an a while. I love this site because of their "party dress" section. Its so fun to show up to a cocktail party in an awesome dress that no one has and thats so cute and vintage inspired. 

  

3. ASOS

http://www.asos.com/

Don't forget to change the currency in the right hand corner to wherever you live, because this is a European based company! I love this site because its more contemporary and you can find well known brands all in one site that you may not be able to find anywhere near you! They have a great selection although a bit pricey. 

ps. great selection of boots for fall!!!!

       

HAPPY SHOPPING! xoxo

Organix Shampoo Addiction

LOVE. LOVE. LOVE THIS SHAMPOO AND CONDITIONER! If you have not tried these shampoo and conditioners please dooo! You will not regret it. You can find them in Target or Ulta. The bigger bottles run for around 8 dollars (these are hard to find!) but their also sold in smaller bottles for less and are great trial sizes! A couple days ago I purchased a big bottle of Organix renewing moroccan argan oil shampoo and a big bottle of the nourishing coconut milk conditioner. If your wondering why I didn't buy the pair of either of the lines, its for two reasons. First i loved the smell of the coconut milk one so I knew I definitely had to get that one and then from my knowledge of hair products I knew anything with moroccan argan oil will make your hair silky and shiny! The smell of the moroccan oil is very strong and smells what I think is "gypsy-esc". During a talk with my hairdresser moroccan oil was brought up and she explained that the only problem she has with it is that she feels like smell belongs on someone who has long dark black exotic hair and wheres a lot of black eyeliner. If this is for you then great! If not, thats alright, lucky for you the mixing of the coconut milk conditioner makes a delicious after smell!

Another reason why I was interested in buying from Organix was because of the organic appeal to the products. Their sulfate free and paraben free! For those of you who don't know what either of those are, sulfate is the salt from sulfuric acid. My question after researching that is why would you ever want to put that in your hair in the first place!! Parabens are a bunch of chemicals that are used as preservations in cosmetic products. I say the less chemicals you use in anything is for the better, go natural! (How ironic for a beauty blog right). Their safe for color treated hair... although I don't have to worry about that because I've never colored my hair! The back of the bottle explains that their eco-friendly and made from recycled resin... what ever that is! :)

After washing and conditioning my hair I noticed that it was hard to comb through, brush through and kind of hard to do anything with. Because of this I was nervous to leave it to dry naturally for the fact of looking crazy! I blew dried my hair and felt it was already so thicker! It was shiny and smelled great so I was pretty happy but still confused of the weird nature of it because so unmanageable. I talked to a few people and they said that this is how your hair reacts to drastically different shampoo the first time you use it. (I had just switched from Umberto from Beverly Hills which is also a shampoo I highly recommend!!) The second time I washed my hair with the Organix I was pleasantly surprised that there was no tangly thick mess like the first day! It was shiny, healthy, soft, and super clean! Seriously guys what more could you ask for! Go grab yourself a bottle... or three!!!

August Favorites Addiction

Since I'm writing this on my way to the beautiful beaches of florida i was of course inspired by hot weather and beach essentials. Sure August is all about back to school and preview of fall but hey hey hey its still summer!!! Heres a list of my favorite products and randoms  during these hot hot months!

1. David Babaii Bohemian Beach Spray: As mentioned before this is seriously the only product to bring to the pool, beach, lake or wherever you spend your summer days. Spray when your hair is damp and give it some scrunch and you will have perfect beach waves without sparing washing your hair! It leaves your hair smelling like coconut. Although this is hard to find in drugstores but like everything is available online!

2. Essie's Mint Candy Apple nail polish and Sally Hansen's Complete Salon Manicure Coral Fever nail polish: Summer staple nail polish colors! You can never go wrong with the perfect turquoise and coral nails. Seriously, they are bright fun, tropical, and look great with tan skin. Essie's Mint Candy Apple is a little more blue than green and always gets so many compliments. Sally Hansen's Coral Fever comes from her Complete Manicure line and stays on longer than most of polishes. I love to switch between these two colors on either my nails or toes.

     

3. Bikini Zone Anti-Bumps Shave Gel: My roommate introduced me to this last year and I gave it a shot because lets face it shaving your bikini area is a pain. Bikini Zone Shave gel is a miracle and totally eliminates any bumps, or irritated areas. Strutting around in a bikini 24/7 leads to constant shaving and the last thing you want to worry about it is an embarrassing bikini area. Trust me ill never go back to anything else and its definitely worth a try if you haven't used it already.

4. Dove leave-in smoothing cream: Even though its summer our hair still loves to frizz up. How annoying, I know. After showering just a penny sized amount can smooth out your hair and control frizz. Just remember to comb through with a wide toothed comb to evenly distribute the product so your hair isn't drying with clumps of cream. 

5. Mark Get a tint Tinted Moisturizer: Although i have mentioned this multiple times it will always be on a favorite list because well its amazing and cheap! Sure there are other great tinted moisturizers like laura meuricers but at least this one is affordable! Its great to throw on after a day in the sun because it basically evens out and boots your tan and skin tone without being a heavy foundation. Also moisturizing sun soaked skin is so important for prolonging a tan.  

6. Olay Quench active hydration with green tea and vitamin complex body lotion: Such a perfect lotion for summer because even though the sun can dry out your skin you also don't want to be weighed down all the time by a thick shea butter. Save that for chapped winter skin! Olay gives the perfect light weight but still rich formula we all want in a lotion but Not to mention this specific one makes you shimmer!!! I've been told that when I wear this lotion my skin sparkles (but not in a cheesy, tacky drag queen way) when hit by light. Nothing is better when pairing that with your summer tan. The smell is light and not overly fragrant. 

7. Tarte Cheek Stain: During the summer i don't to be layering products on my skin but rather just using the essentials because its all about being natural and carefree. Sometimes I feel like being in the sun all day takes the healthy flush away from your skin. A cheek tint is perfect to throw in a beach bag to add a little color to your face when hitting the boardwalk or stopping at a restaurant. 

8. Australian Gold Spray Gel with Bronzer Sunscreen: Although we know we need sunscreen when going outside it still hurts just a little knowing that your not going to get 100% of those rays. As silly as it is I sometimes find myself fighting between ending up a little less tan that day or suffering a possible burn just to get that deep bronze and not applying sunscreen. Just wait... its possible for both!!! Banana boat has the perfect solution because they made a sunscreen spray that has a bronzing color in it. So within the minutes of application you can already be a little bit darker! 

9. P90x Ab Ripper: This is the best way to get those beach abs quickly. It is seriously my go-to ab workout before hitting up the pool or the beach. Below is the video that I follow that has part 1 and part 2 of the ab workout. Trust me you will feel this within the first couple reps. 

 

Perfect Arms Addiction

Going out in a strapless top? Showing your arms tonight but their just not as defined as you'd like? Don't worry I'm not going to tell you to buy a gym membership or use a bronzer for some crazy illusion but rather two simple tricks that you can easily do right before you go out. The first is push ups!! You will see results that last the evening. Your arms will be more cut, ripped and look like you've been working out for days. AND the sooner you do them to leaving the better results you will have. Push ups aren't going to make you sweat like a crazy person and are simple enough to do while like your waiting for your curling iron to heat up or your date to pick you up! The more you do obviously the better your results will be but to keep from getting flustered after reps and reps instead hold your position when your just about to push up again. Hold for as long as you can then push your self up. Repeat this a couple times. Alternate the type of push up to hit different muscles in your arms and shoulders. This will create a more cut look. Go for the pyramid push up which although may be difficult for most people but even just 3 push ups in this style you will feel the burn and have results. Separate your hands further for a couple reps. Remember no girl push ups, because if you don't feel your arms toning up then you really will be just waisting your time. When I do this I like to do about 15 then take a break for about half an hour then do a couple more! I really find that this locks in the look for the night! Follow the pictures below for help!!

The next trick isn't a work out its just a simple makeup trick. Although this isn't on your arms it still will help your strapless ensemble. Apply a highlighter to your collarbones to make them stand out. This will enhance your décolletage and compliment your freshly toned arms. Below are some of my favorite highlighters!

JUST KIDDING :) THIS IS NOT THE HIGHLIGHTER I AM TALKING ABOUT! 

1.  

Mark's Get Bright Highlighter is perfect because it gives a natural glow and is available in many different shades! Its also a mark hookup product and can be paired with any other type of hookup!! Extremely handy for on the go girls!! For the irresistible price of $6 this little guy is too hard to pass up! Available on my eboutique! www.mymarkstore.com/allisonbaird

2.

Benefits high beam highlighter while being a light pinkish color gives more of a dewey look to your skin. Its a little more pricey but still worth it for the fact that highlighter can be used in so many places not just your collarbones! Running around $25 dollars you can find this in stores like Sephora, Ulta, or just about anywhere Benefit products are sold. 

Contrasting Colors Addiction

Mix up your colors!! In an art aspect contrasting colors compliment each other beautifully. It may seem weird but some gorgeous combinations that you can make are yellow and purple, orange and blue, and green and red. Incorporate these into your makeup!! My favorite combo is yellow and purple. To acheieve this look without looking like your dipped your face on a color pallete is by using subtle shades of yellow and purple. Go for a light gold with a yellow tone all over your lid. Next blend a rose gold shimmery color next to the gold allowing both to show. Next go for a mauve or purple brown, or even plum to blend into your crease and outer corner. Allow the crease color to be subtle enough to wear you dont look like a clown. Blend, Blend, Blend! Add a shimmery ivory or any ivory as a highlight below your brow bone and in the inner corners of your eye. Use a brown pencil for a more subtle day look on the top and bottom lashes or a black pencil or black liquid eyeliner for a more dramatic night time look just on the top. Use a black mascara to make your eyes pop on both upper and lower lashes. For cheeks a subtle mauve is great on the apples of your cheeks with a little bronzer applied on the cheekbones before hand. A fabulous lip color would be a peachy pink lipstick with a pink lipgloss on top. This simple look is beautiful with a floral outfit that is perfect for spring and summer!!

YouTube Guru Addiction

Sooo I know it has been ages since I have made a post but here we go. I. love. youtube makeup gurus. I go to these girls for everything from new makeup ideas to product reviews and just for entertainment. I seriously wont buy a product without seeing a review on it because I trust their opinion and I dont want to spend my money on something that may not work at all. So I have created a list of girls that I subscribe to and basically follow religiously. I will attach for you guys a link under each little speal about them!
(P.S. These videos are chosen by random, they do not mean they are my favorite because it would be so hard for me to pick one but they are just a random preview of who these girls are)

The first makeup guru I ever really started watching was ahanhbarbie34. I have seriously been watching this girl for about 3 years. She helped push my passion for beauty so far. I would watch video after video every night copying makeup looks, hairstyles, even learned how she would cut her hair. Although I watch other people she is still the one that I will swear by.

http://www.youtube.com/user/ahanhbarbie34?blend=1&ob=5#p/u/236/1E6Jg-avkrk

The next girl I love I actually recently came across a few months ago and her channel name is fleurdeforce. She is from london and is just so adorable. I love her reviews on products because she really goes in depth and talks about everything from affordable drugstore brands to more pricey high end brands which I love because its nice to not just watch what they can do with products such as nars, stila, laura mercier, etc but I can actually easily afford a product they are using! So anyways fleur does hair and makeup tutorials and then random clothing hauls which I find very interesting because I love seeing what is over there in London. Also she doesnt load on the black eyeshadow and create looks that are not very realistic for day to day looks but everything that she does it more ideal for work, school, and going out. She is quickly becoming my new favorite guru.

http://www.youtube.com/user/FleurDeForce

The next one I wanna show you guys is actually fleurs friend Ingrid. Her channel name is missglamorazzi. She is from America so you dont have to worry about any accent if you get annoyed by it which I have no idea if you would with fleurs. I havent gotten as "hooked" on her channel as I have on  some of the other girls but I have only been watching her for a couple weeks so Im sure that will change. 

She does basically all the same tutorials and reviews as Fleurs but of different products of course. 

http://www.youtube.com/user/missglamorazzi

My last makeup guru I wanna talk about is one that I actually discovered tonight. Her name is Allison! How exciting right?! Well I thought so :) So anyways, her channel name is amarixe. I havent watched tooo many of her videos but her makeup tutorials that I have watched are so good. I love her makeup style and the looks she puts together. Thats all I can really say about her because well I havent known her channel for more than a couple of hours but I can already tell that I like her. 

http://www.youtube.com/user/amarixe

I hope you all found this helpful and that you watch at least a couple of their videos and maybe find one that inspires you!!