Why I’m Loving Barre

About a month and a half ago, I decided that I wanted to start working out. I was feeling very sluggish and I wanted to be more active. The key was finding an activity I was going to enjoy. I had a few specifications that I wanted to meet.

First, I was looking for something low impact. The main reason why I stopped dancing was due to my foot, and I’ve inherited my mom’s bad knees. Running and other high impact things were totally out.

Second, I was hoping for something in a class environment. I think everyone is different in this regard, but I do better in a group environment simply because being around other people makes me want to cheat less. I want to work hard simply because of the possibility the other people could be watching and/or judging me (although let’s be honest, they probably aren’t).

Finally, I was looking for something so not cardio. I hate the feeling of my lungs being on fire, so don’t put me down for cardio.

I first heard of barre a couple years ago, but never had a chance to try it. Barre is basically a mix of dance conditioning, pilates, and weight training mixed together. The key is very small isometric movements, and using your own body weight as resistance. I was very curious to try it, and there’s a barre studio right across from my work, so I decided to give it a try.

I’ve really got to start off by saying that my studio is awesome! I love the variety in workouts we do, I love the instructors, and they have a convenient app to book classes and pay for them. I’ve really been enjoying the workouts because there are always modifications to add or take away some intensity, and each of the workouts targets a different part of the body. I’ve been going about twice a week for the past month or so now, and I can definitely feel a difference! I love the dynamic of the workouts, and it’s definitely and ideal workout for me.

If you haven’t tried barre and you’ve been interested, definitely try it!

❤ Robyn

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FAQ – Moving

In this post, I’ll be answering questions that I’m absolutely sure you have about me moving. I may or may not be writing this in a more fun way like we’re actually talking or something. I also may or may not be writing this at 5 in the morning. Don’t ask why.

Wait, you’re moving? Where?

I am moving to Nashville, Tennessee. Actually, to be exact, slightly south of the city itself, but my address is still in Nashville.

Oh my gosh, that’s so cool! So when do you leave?

I will be starting a three-day drive out there on April 21. My dad will be driving with me (although he’ll be driving our rental van situation to move my larger furniture), and there is a good chance my sister will also be coming along.

So, can I ask, why are you moving?

Grab a snack, this is going to take some time.

If you’ve known me in real life for any amount of time or you’ve read some of my super old blog posts (they might not even be on this blog, now that I think of it), you probably know that I’ve struggled with depression and anxiety off and on for years. Recently, I’ve been in a very low pit, comparable to the massive low I was in about two years ago. I’ve been incredibly unhappy with the way my life is going, and I was not processing that well. I made the decision to move for my own health. I feel like the longer I stay here, the more unhappy I get. I could’ve done a lot of things that could’ve been potential solutions, but this seemed like a solution that was going to fix the major issues that I was having, or at least take a big step toward fixing those things.

But didn’t you move states like, three times as a child? I remember you regarding that as a really traumatic experience.

Yes, for a long time I thought that the fact that I had lived in a total of four states by the time I was 13 was the reason I was depressed. I don’t know when exactly I realized that clinical depression chooses people, and it chose me. Back then, I thought I was supposed to have a reason to feel so sad. I thought depression was only for people who had some serious issue in their lives, like their parents were divorcing or someone they knew really well had died. I felt like I wasn’t really depressed if there wasn’t a reason for it, so I picked the worst “tragedy” I had gone through and pointed the finger at that. “I was uprooted. I had a really great group of people around me and then I had to move. It ruined me.” Actually, no, it didn’t. Now I view a drastic change like that as something very refreshing. I get the chance to meet new people and have a new job and maybe go to school or something. Literally everything in my life is changing, and this time, I’m really excited. (Also, for the record, I felt seriously relieved when I moved from Minnesota to California, although that may have been because moving to California was like, so cool to people in Minnesota but also I hated my life there and looked forward to leaving and starting over.)

So where are you going to be staying?

My parents have been gracious enough to allow me to stay with them when I get there. I know what you’re thinking, I’m going to go from living on my own as an adult to moving back into my parents? How bleak. And actually no, that is not the case. I don’t intend on staying there forever, or even for a few years. I really like living on my own, and they know that. Also, housing out there is incredibly inexpensive. I could have my own one bedroom apartment for around $800 a month, which is close to half of the one bedroom I’m currently living in here in California. Of course the first priority will be finding a job, and once I’m in a financially sound spot, I’ll be moving out. Alternatively, I know several people (okay, maybe like two) who have shown interest/are planning on moving to Nashville at some point in the future, so the timing could work out perfectly and we could room together (even cheaper!).

What about Alex and Jagger?

This is the hardest question to answer. Alex and Jagger are both going to be staying here. Yes, that does mean me and Alex are breaking up. It sucks. I mean we’ve been together for almost two years, and we’ve had Jagger for almost a year. At the same time, I think this is going to beneficial for both of us to be able to focus on ourselves and move our lives in the direction we want them to go in. Yes, of course he’s hurt that I’m leaving, any normal human will be. But at the same time, he’s at a point now where he’s not trying to change my mind and get me to stay, and he understands why I’m going. Is it kind of weird that I’m still living with him for the next couple of weeks until I move? Yes, but we’re also really trying to leave this on good terms and be able to talk without things getting tense. Also, I want to be able to know how Jagger is doing once I move, of course.

So you’re sure that this drastic change is the best way to handle the situation? It seems like you’re sort of running from the problems you’re having here…

I could’ve tried a bunch of different things to solve the issues I was having, like I said before. That being said, there was no guarantee that any of those things would’ve helped. I am confident that this is going to help at least a little bit. I’m not sure if a lot of people that I’ve told about this think I’m running away or not, but that’s not how I see it. If you’re in an ocean trying to stay above the water and there are ten sharks around you, you probably aren’t going to last very long, or it’s going to be a major struggle to stay alive. If you’re in an ocean trying to stay above water and only one shark comes at you at a time, that’s a lot easier to handle. (In case that analogy wasn’t clear, my problems are the sharks and the ocean is the depression I’m already dealing with.) Yes, I am going to have problems once I’m there. That’s what makes life what it is. My hope is that if I start running into things I’ll be able to handle them better, especially if they’re only coming one at a time.

I think that about covers everything. If you have questions that I didn’t answer here, feel free to ask them.

❤ Robyn

Stop Telling People to Kill Themselves.

This post is not even remotely beauty-related. It is not comedic. It is not like most things that I post on here. Despite the fact that is unusual for me to be talking about something like this on here, what I have to say needs to be said.

Society these days thinks it’s okay to tell people to kill themselves. The spectrum ranges from memes to full-on bullying. I have told several people in my life to never use this phrase around me and they always seem to be confused as to why. My question is this:

If you knew the person you were talking to was suicidal, would you still tell them to kill themselves?

The internet is an interesting place. It can be somewhere to share some laughs. Somewhere to talk to old friends. It can also be the location of choice for bullies to tear people down. I’m on the internet a lot. I play a game called Runescape, primarily to distract myself from the things in my life that will consume me if I think about them too much. Yesterday, on the game that I use to give myself even a minuscule of comfort, I was told to kill myself. Twice. My boyfriend and I did everything we could to bring this to the Mods’ attention. My boyfriend posted about it on Reddit—the response was not very supportive. One person said “If you’re that weak, stay off the internet.”

Here is the problem. Society as a whole tells us that people who are suicidal are weak. They are also selfish, because they aren’t thinking about the people who will be hurt by their death. They are providing a permanent solution to a temporary problem and should just “get help.” People will not actually stop to try and understand what these people are going through. And yet the irony is, once someone who was told all of these things does take their own life, society responds with “They were such a good person, why didn’t they tell me they were really struggling with this?”

Suicide is not a joke. Telling someone to kill themselves is not funny. Words are powerful objects. Be mindful of how you use them.

Dear Starbucks Haters,

For those of you who have been living under a rock and are unaware of the newest “reason” to hate Starbucks, Christians are outraged that Starbucks’ cups this year are just… red. Apparently, because the cups have no design, that means Starbucks hates Jesus.

Dear Starbucks haters,

I have not been able to go one day without hearing about the upset that you have caused. I go on Facebook, and every other post is someone sharing an article. At work, about once an hour, a customer asks me if this stuff is actually real. Why in the world was it necessary to start this? I am so over seeing the hashtags #merrychristmasstarbucks or, alternatively, #itsjustacup. But Starbucks haters, in case you haven’t completely abandoned your position by now, let me give you some reasons as to why your argument is completely invalid.

First off, have you been to Starbucks during the holiday seasons in past years? Have you studied your cup closely? If you walked into my store last year, you would’ve seen snowflakes here, pine trees there (depending on what size cup of stick-up-your-butt you were getting). The year before you would’ve seen some snowflakes, maybe some ornaments, and some cute wintery flower things. Year before? Snowmen and carolers. Year before that? More snowmen, more carolers, and what looks like a dog wearing a hat. Year before that? Ornaments. I could go on and on here, but that would get boring. My point is, when in the world did Starbucks ever have “Merry Christmas” written on their cup? You people are going around “boycotting” Starbucks (by the way, you may want to look up that word because I don’t think it means what you think it means) by telling your barista that your name is “Merry Christmas” to put it back on the cup. Could someone please point to where the “Merry Christmas” was on last year’s cup? Or the year before? Or ten years ago? Why is it so offensive to have a plain red cup?!

Secondly, have you been to Starbucks yet this year? I’m sure you have to pull your cute “My name is Merry Christmas” stunt. Did you not look around and see the CHRISTMAS Blend coffee? I doubt you could have missed it, being that the bags are florescent jewel tones this year. Did you see the basket of Advent calendars? I thought those were a Christian thing, you know, being that they end on CHRISTMAS? Did you look at the gift cards? Did you see the ones that said “MERRY CHRISTMAS” in a stylish font? Did you listen to the god-awful CHRISTMAS music that is repeating itself over and over throughout the day? But no, no, please continue to tell me how Starbucks is taking Jesus out of Christmas, and go ahead and rant to me, your barista, about how my company ruined your holiday before buying coffee from me.

I have a question for you Starbucks haters. Why would you expect a secular company to celebrate a Christian holiday in the first place? Starbucks is one of the most diverse companies you can work for in the US. In my store alone, which is a small store at that, we don’t all celebrate Christmas. Everyone praises Starbucks for their benefit plans, competitive pay, free stock, free Spotify, like literally Starbucks is known as one of the best companies to work for. Do you know what those things tell me? Starbucks cares about its partners. Heck, that’s why we’re called partners not employees. Why in the world would Starbucks risk offending the people who make them money? On top of that, why would they risk losing a percentage of their customers because they elect to only celebrate Christmas? If you know anything about business at all, that should make sense.

I would also like to point out that there is ZERO training that states that Starbucks partners are “not allowed to say Merry Christmas.” About two years ago at our holiday meeting, I recall being encouraged by my manager to say “Happy Holidays” instead, because you never know what religion someone is (not to mention you can say it from like, December 19th through the end of the year if you want). However, if you asked me to find you a piece of paper from corporate telling me that I’m not allowed to say “Merry Christmas,” you would be out of luck. No such paper was included in promotional training. So whoever started that rumor, get your facts straight first.

Please, PLEASE, just let this be the end of this whole thing. I am so tired of hearing about it. So tired, that I am going to go take a nap now.

Yours truly,

Robyn

When in Nashville: What’s in my Makeup Bag

For those of you who weren’t aware, I’ve been in Nashville, TN for about four days now. My parents moved out here at the end of May this past year, so I came out to visit them. I don’t do much traveling, so I had to think carefully about what I was going to bring with me, and what would be staying at home. Today, I figured, would be a good day to share what I brought with me and why. Let’s jump right in!

Covergirl Ready Set Gorgeous Foundation

I brought this foundation for a few reasons. For one, it fits my skin tone pretty well right now. Two, it can apply naturally with the fingers, or with a brush for fuller coverage. It also is in a plastic tube rather than a glass bottle, so I wasn’t risking any breakage. I’m pretty happy with my choice here. I have shade 105.

NYX HD Concealer Wand

This was a hard choice for me. I love this concealer, and I love the Urban Decay Naked Skin concealer, but this came down to price, honestly. If anything were to happen, this concealer is cheap. The UD is not. This concealer is super pale and has a great formula, and I’m glad I chose this one. I have the shade Fair.

Maybelline Fit Me! Powder

I had to think of a few things when it came to powder. I intended on using this powder to set both under my eyes, and the rest of my face. I usually use the Anastasia Banana Powder under my eyes, but I wasn’t planning on bringing my Contour Kit (I’ll explain why in a second). I’ve loved this powder for setting under my eyes, and it does a good job with the rest of my face, too, so I decided this was the best choice. I have the shade 115.

Naked Flushed Palette

I took a good amount of time deciding what I was going to bring to contour, highlight, and blush. I knew I wasn’t going to bring my Anastasia Contour Kit because it’s way too big and I don’t need all those shades. I got this palette a couple years ago, and it has a bronzer, highlighter, and blush. Once I saw it sitting in my drawer, I realized this was the perfect thing to take. This palette has great colors, it’s small, and the packaging is sturdy. If I was going to bring a high end product, it had better be in good packaging, and this is. I’m very happy with this one, although the highlight shade isn’t as shimmery as Becca Moonstone, but that’s okay. It’s all in one. I have the shade Streak.

Benefit Gimme Brow!

I brought this simply because it’s my favorite gel for filling in my brows. Nothing crazy, just good. I have the Light/Medium shade.

Anastasia Brow Wiz

I brought this just to touch up my brows if needed, and actually didn’t realize I brought it until about day 3 of being here. I’ve been using it here and there since then, but it’s mostly just in case my brows go all crazy. I have the shade Brunette, which I believe has been renamed to Dark Brown.

Smashbox Full Exposure Travel Palette

Deciding on eyeshadow was hard! I ended up choosing this one for a few reasons. One, it has good variety. It has four shimmery colors and four matte colors, and they’re all relatively neutral (there is a shimmery slate color in the palette, too). Two, this palette is small. I really wanted all of my makeup to fit into one bag, so a long palette was not going to work. Finally, the packaging of this one is pretty solid plastic. Ultimately, I wanted a palette that could offer a good range of color, be durable, and be compact, and this palette provided all of that.

Revlon Lash Potion Mascara

I brought this mascara because it is the best do-it-all mascara that I have from the drugstore. Not to mention, it looks slightly more natural than the Urban Decay Perversion mascara. I brought my Blackened Brown shade.

NARS Mini Satin Lip Pencil

I brought this lip color because it’s in easy packaging, and it’s a nice every day color. I like that it’s a crayon-style color rather than a stick because the cap stays on well. I brought the shade Rikugien, which is the shade you get from the Sephora Birthday Gift.

Buxom Lip Cream

I brought this just to have a gloss. Plus it’s minty so it feels refreshing on the lips. It’s also creamy, doesn’t dry my lips out, and the color is just barely there. It complements Rikugien well. I brought the shade White Russian.

Brushes!

I have a brush holder/case thing that I got from elf a while back. I brought this loaded up with the brushes I thought I would need. I brought the following:

RealTechniques Expert Face Brush for applying foundation or blending or stuff.

elf Essentials Foundation Brush for blending out my under eye concealer.

elf Small Tapered Brush for setting my under eyes.

elf Flawless Concealer Brush (which is fluffy, meant for mineral concealer) for any little things that needed blending or setting.

Crown Brush – Bronzer (this one doesn’t have a name, I just use it for bronzer) to apply bronzer, duh.

My Brush Set Contour Brush to apply blush because it’s angled and fluffy and I use it for blush.

My Brush Set Fan Brush to apply highlighter.

Crown Brush – Super Fluffy Powder (again, no name, I just use it for powder) to apply powder and such.

Crown Infinity Double-sided Brush because the fluffy side is great for blending the eyes.

elf Essentials Eyeliner Brush for apply shades on my lower lash line.

elf Essentials Blending Brush for blending shadows out.

My Brush Set Small Eye Shadow Brush for packing color onto my lids.

Crown Brush – Small Tapered Eye Brush for applying color to the lids.

iBeauty B110 to apply highlight shades.

Ben Nye FB7 in case I needed to clean something up with concealer

Elizabeth Mott All Over Shadow brush to blend out harsh lines or apply transition color.

I know that seems like a lot for a small bag, but all my eye brushes are sharing spots with one another.

If you’re going on a trip soon, hopefully this helps you plan for what to pack!

❤ Robyn

Makeup for Beginners Part 3: Drugstore Starter Kit

If you haven’t been keeping up on my Makeup for Beginners series, feel free to read those prior to this post. In this post I’ll be sharing my favorite products from the drugstore, especially for beginners. Let’s jump right in!

Face

Foundation: Loreal True Match/True Match Lumi. This has got to be, hands down, my favorite foundation from the drugstore. If you want a dewy finish or have skin that is on the drier side, go for the Lumi. Otherwise, regular old True Match will be your friend. I love this foundation because it comes in different shades and tones that span all sides of the spectrum.

Concealer: Maybelline Fit Me. I’ve been loving this foundation for over a year now. I really like the formula, whether for dark circles or imperfections. My only problem is that when the winter is around and I’m pale, I can’t find a shade that is light enough to brighten under my eyes. That being said, if you aren’t super pale, you will definitely be able to find a shade that works for you.

Powder: I actually can’t decide between two, so I’m sharing both. Rimmel Stay Matte is one of my all time favorites, and the only reason I don’t use it every day is because I hit pan a while ago and haven’t bought a new one. This powder is great for setting all over the face and keeps your face matte forever. Maybelline Fit Me is my other favorite, and I’ve actually repurchased this one twice now. I love this powder for both under the eyes and for the face. It’s powdery enough that it sets under the eyes well, but doesn’t make your face look super powdery and chalky.

Bronzer: NYC Bronzer in Sunny. This is one of the most famous drugstore bronzers out there. It’s a little bit warm, so it’s not super ideal for contouring, but I’ve found that it works well for me as long as I’m not trying to super sculpt my face.

Blush: elf Studio blush. My favorite shade from this line is Candid Coral. I like these blushes because they’re dirt cheap, but great quality. They aren’t too powdery and they have a good variety of shades. The reason I love these blushes so much for beginners is that they aren’t too pigmented. Most makeup enthusiasts look for pigment in every powder they use, and hate a product if it doesn’t have enough pigment, but with blush, I actually prefer a little less. If there is too much pigment, it is easy to apply too much and then you get clown face. This blush is not too pigmented, so you don’t have to worry about being too careful.

Highlighter: Wet N’ Wild Fergie Shimmer Palette in Rose Champagne. I’ve actually been using this again recently because it gives such a nice glow! It doesn’t have any chunky glitter, so it applies smoothly and just gives your face a natural glow.

Brows

Pencil: Maybelline Eye Studio Brow Precise. I have this pencil and really like it for filling in my brows (I don’t use it quite so often because I don’t have a perfect color match). It’s a little waxy, but that can also be a plus for beginners because it doesn’t give quite as sharp of a line, so it’s easy to fix mess-ups.

Kit: elf Eyebrow Kit. I actually used to use this on the daily. It comes with a wax and a powder and it’s super cheap, so it’s a good kit to start with to experiment with what works for you.

Gel: Sonia Kashuk Tinted Brow Gel. I don’t even know if they still sell this, but Target says yes. I bought this on a whim because it was on sale, and I actually like it a lot. The wand is super giant, but I love the formula. Alternatively, the Loreal Brow Artist Plumper is also nice, but the formula is really wet for my liking, and the medium/dark shade is really dark, but the light color is really blonde/yellow. If you fall into one of those categories color-wise, I would give the Loreal a go.

Eyes

Base: Maybelline Color Tattoo in Barely Branded. This is by far the best eyeshadow base ever. This is a completely optional product, but if you’re having issues with your eyeshadow creasing or fading, or you just have some extra money in your budget, buy this! I actually use it every day.

Palette: Any NYX Palette, or any elf Palette. I love palettes. You get a lot of colors for a bundle deal, and you can do so many looks. I love NYX eye shadows in general, and elf has been stepping up their palette game. Either of these brands are available at Target, and they’re both inexpensive. I recommend a neutral palette for starters.

Trio/Quad: Maybelline Eye Studio. The pigmentation of these shadows is insane. I got my first one for Drill Team a couple years ago, and I ended up buying a few more because I love the formula! They’re soft and creamy, and have great color payoff. Find your favorite color combo (I recommend Give Me Gold, Copper Chic, or Sunset Seduction) and try it out!

Eyeliner: Maybelline Define-A-Line. I don’t think anything will ever come close to this liner, at least, when it comes to the drugstore. This is my favorite eyeliner ever. Ebony Black is super dark, it’s easy to blend, it’s mechanical so no sharpening… what more do you want? This liner is perfect.

Mascara: Revlon Lash Potion. Wait, I’m suggesting this one instead of my new loves Loreal Telescopic and Loreal Voluminous? Yes. Revlon Lash Potion is the best do-it-all mascara from the drugstore, and it gives a natural look and doesn’t clump. If you want to buy two, but those two Loreal mascaras, but if you want one that will give you length and volume, Revlon Lash Potion is your best friend.

Lips

Lipstick: Rimmel Moisture Renew. I love the pigmentation in these lipsticks (not too opaque, not too sheer), and they come in a nice variety of colors. They don’t have a massive selection like some other brands, but they’re great if your lips are always dry, like mine.

Gloss: NYX Butter Gloss. These glosses are super glossy, not sticky, and they taste like cake. What more do you want?

Remember that you don’t have to buy all of these products when you are a beginner! I compiled this list so that if you don’t know where to begin, you can try out one of the products I mentioned. By no means do you need to have every single product in the world. Start with the products you think you will enjoy using or need, and go from there. Remember, makeup is about experimenting and see what you like and what works for you!

❤ Robyn

Homecoming Look 2015 — Bold Lashes, Red Lips

It’s that time of year again! Today I’ll be sharing a look that I created with Homecoming in mind. I focused on keeping the eyeshadow and liner simple with a touch of gold sparkle, but focused most on bold lashes and red lips. Feel free to use this look as inspiration if you would like!

 

Face.

I never prime my face, but feel free to use your favorite primer at this point if you would like. I prefer this foundation on bare skin, but you do you.

I used my Covergirl Ready, Set, Gorgeous! Foundation in the shade 105 today. This foundation is oil-free and has no SPF, so it won’t give you any flashback in pictures. I used my fingers to apply this because I wanted a natural application, but a brush or beauty sponge gives a bit more coverage if that’s the look you want to go for.

Once my face was looking the way I wanted it to, I used my NYX Dark Circle Concealer in Fair to conceal under my eyes and along my inner corners. I set this with my Anastasia Banana Powder. I set the rest of my face with a light dusting of Maybelline Fit Me Powder in 115 to keep my foundation from going anywhere.

I used my Anastasia Contour Kit to add some dimension to my face. I used Havana along my cheekbones and temples, and added just a tiny bit along my jaw line and on the sides of my nose. I didn’t want to go crazy with a sculpted face here because I wanted the focus to be on the lips and lashes. I used MAC Mineralized Blush in Warm Soul because it is a neutral color and has a little shimmer so I didn’t need to use highlighter. I didn’t use any highlighter. At all. Which I know is very surprising for me, but I just didn’t feel like it today. You can use some if you want.

Brows.

I did my usual brow thing today, going for a natural look. I used my Benefit Gimme Brow in Light/Medium to start, which tints my brows so I don’t have to use as much pencil. Plus it helps to shape them, so again, less pencil. This is one of my favorite tricks, and I don’t know why more people don’t do it! I used a little bit of my Anastasia Brow Wiz in Brunette (which I think is now called Dark brown) just to fix up the shape and fill in the tail a little more.

Eyes.

For my eyes today, I used my Smashbox Full Exposure Travel Palette (I don’t own the full one, don’t judge me) on my eyes today. I started with my Maybelline Color Tattoo in Barely Branded as always, then set it with the palest matte shade in this palette. I used the second lightest matte color in this palette as my transition shade. I brought this up pretty high in my crease. Then I used the wamer toned dark brown with a very light hand in my outer corner, bringing it slightly into my crease. I blended this out for a while to make sure there were no harsh lines. Then, I used a small synthetic brush to apply the sparkly gold shade to about the inner two thirds of my lid. There is some chunky glitter in this shade, which is actually what I was going for. Some people don’t like that, but I thought it suited this look well. I used a flat eyeliner brush to apply a little bit of that dark brown color along the outer half of my lower lash line, then blended that out with my transition color. I then applied some of that gold color to the inner third or so of my lower lash line, then used the lightest shimmery color to highlight my inner corner and under my brow.

I kept the eyeliner pretty simple. I used my Bellapierre Gel Liner (which comes as a pencil) to create a very thin line just along my eyelashes, then used a smudger to smooth out the liner. You can use whatever black liner you have, I just got this one from an ipsy bag. I used a little more black liner (Urban Decay 24/7 Velvet Liner in Black Velvet, to be specific) along my top waterline, then some nude liner (Rimmel Scandaleyes in Nude) along my bottom waterline, somewhat to brighten my eyes up, but mostly to prevent the black from transferring onto my lower waterline.

Once all that was set, I went crazy with mascara. I curled my lashes with my Swissco Electroplated Eyelash Curler that I got in my ipsy bag a couple days ago (I’m obsessed), then went in with a few different mascaras. First, I used Loreal Telescopic for length, then Loreal Voluminous to add volume, but mostly to get my lashes a little less dry (I still had some mascara left over from yesterday that didn’t come off last night) so application was easier. Then, I topped everything off with a LOT of Urban Decay Perversion Mascara, which is one of my favorites. Throughout this process, I used a combination of wiggling and straight application to get the most out of these mascaras.

Lips.

I went for red lips because I felt like that was the most appropriate color with the rest of this look. There are plenty of lip colors you can use, so I swatched my favorites below:

The top color is what I used as my lip liner. It’s actually from Victoria’s Secret and I bought it during the semi-anual sale, so I don’t know if they still make this specific one. Any red lip liner will do. The rest of lipsticks, with the exception of the bottom one which is a lip stain. From top the bottom, the products are: Forever 21 Creme Lipstick in Fiery Red, NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Cruella, Bite Beauty High Pigment Pencil in Heritage, elf Studio Lip Stain in Red Carpet. I used the Forever 21 Lipstick because it is my favorite shade of red on myself, and it’s super creamy so it’s good for people with dry lips.

I hope you enjoyed this look! If you want to see more, leave a comment below and I’ll post another!

❤ Robyn

Makeup for Beginners Part 2: What is Good for You

Welcome to the second post of my Makeup for Beginners series. In the last post, we talked about the basic products on the market and what they are. If you haven’t read that post already, you can read it here. In this post, I’m going to talk about how to choose a product for your face, because everyone is different. In the next post, I’ll be talking about my favorite products!

One of the most common questions I see asks for the best foundations from the drugstore. Answering this question is hard, because more information is needed. When it comes to choosing face products, there are a lot of factors. The main ones to keep in mind are: your skin type, your skin tone, and your skin shade.

Your skin type refers to how dry or oily your face is. Some people have normal skin, but others lean toward one side of the spectrum, or have combination skin. Typically, you can figure out what skin type a foundation is aimed at just by reading the label. I typically reach for Normal to Dry formulas just for my own skin type.

Skin tone refers to the coloring of your skin. I see tone as a spectrum from warm to cool, with neutral right in the middle. Some people are all the way on one side of the spectrum, others are more toward the middle. Some people’s skin tone is obvious, and others may need to work a little more to find theirs. My favorite way to find someone’s skin tone is to look at the veins on their wrists. If the veins are more blue, the undertone is cool. If the veins are more green, the undertone is warm. If you can’t tell, that typically means neutral, which isn’t a bad thing! When buying skin products, it’s important to keep this in mind. Some brands, like Loreal, have their foundations divided up by tone and shade, which is helpful. Other brands don’t do this, so it’s important to look at the color thoroughly before buying.

Shade is simply how pale or dark your skin is. This is important especially when it comes to drugstore makeup. Most drugstore brands don’t go very pale or very dark, so it can be difficult to find a good color if you’re one of those two extremes. In that case, high-end makeup may be your only option, unfortunately.

Hopefully this slightly shorter post was informative! Stay tuned for the next one!

❤ Robyn

Makeup for Beginners Part 1: A Whole New World

If you aren’t aware, I am an avid Yahoo Answers answerer. I mostly answer questions about dance, cheerleading, Starbucks/coffee, and of course, makeup. I’ve recently noticed that a LOT of people are asking questions related to being a complete beginner, and they don’t know how to use makeup, or even what products are used for what. Because of that, I decided to start on a series of posts dedicated to beginners. In this post, I’ll be talking about the world of makeup and the products that are in it, and what they are used for. I’m planning on doing another post about how to choose good products for you, and then another on the best starter kit from the drugstore. So without any further rambling on my part, let’s jump in to today’s topic.

Drugstore vs. High-End

When I was first getting into makeup, I bought everything from the drugstore. Drugstore makeup includes things you can buy from Target, Walmart, CVS, Walgreens, etc. This typically includes brands like Loreal, Maybelline, Rimmel, etc.  High-end makeup includes makeup you would buy at Sephora, MAC, or makeup counters inside Macy’s or Nordstrom or whatever. This would include brands like Urban Decay, NARS, Too Faced, Makeup Forever, Smashbox, etc. The curveball here is Ulta. Ulta sells both drugstore and high-end makeup, and they sometimes have more variety in the products they offer (for example, they have a whole aisle of NYX, whereas Target has one small section). If you have an Ulta near you, I would suggest starting there. Typically, you can find more personalized help similar to the experience you would get at Sephora, but with a combination of drugstore and high end products.

There is always some sort of dispute as to whether or not high-end makeup is worth it. I will tell you this: most of my makeup is still from the drugstore. Yes, I have quite a bit of high-end thrown in there, but in all of my experience, I think you can find really good products at the drugstore if you know where to look. High-end does have the benefit of swatching. Swatching means taking a small amount of a product on your finger, and rubbing it on the back of your hand, or somewhere else to see the color. At Target, for example, it’s frowned upon to open a product to see how the color looks on your skin. This can make finding a good foundation match a big challenge. I will admit that I like that aspect of going to Sephora or MAC. In regards to quality, however, there are some drugstore products that high-end makeup can’t hold a candle to. We’ll get into that in later posts, though.

What Products Do

I typically break products down into four categories: Face, Brows, Eyes, and Lips. I’ll go over the products in each category to make things a little simpler.

Face

The first product you’ll see in this category is primer. There are a lot of primers on the market, currently, and the goal of a primer is to create a smooth canvas to make application easier, and to prolong the wear of your makeup. I personally don’t use primers on a day to day basis, but they can do a lot of things. For people who have noticeable pores, a primer can fill those in and allow the foundation to glide over top. Some primers are made to hydrate, or to control oil. I’ll get more into how to choose a primer for your skin in the next post.

Next, you have foundation. Foundation is a huge world. To make it simple, foundation goes all over your face and is meant to even out the skin tone and provide some coverage. They can range from light to full coverage, and can have a variety of finishes. The finish refers to how your skin looks after the foundation is on. Dewy refers to a very luminous look, whereas matte looks more flat.

Concealer is the next product on the list. Concealers are used for a couple things. First, they can be used to cover blemishes or redness that your foundation did not cover. Second, they can be used to conceal and brighten under the eyes. Many people have under eye circles or darkness, and concealers can do a great job of making the under eyes look bright rather than sunken. For this application, a lighter concealer is typically used.

Then, you have powders. Face powders can be loose or pressed. They can be referred to as setting powders by some companies. Basically, they’re used to set your foundation. Unless you are desert-dry, a powder should always be used to set your foundation unless you want it to slip and slide all over. Powders can be translucent, or come in a variety of tones to match your skin. There are also powder foundations that provide more coverage, but those are slightly more rare.

Blush is used to add some flush back into the face. It can come in a variety of colors and can be cream or powder, but powders are the most common, and the easiest to use.

The next section is what I refer to as HAC—Highlighting and Contouring. There are two products included in this section: contouring powders/bronzers, and highlighters. Bronzers can be used to add some warmth to the face is they are slightly yellow or orange in tone, and some can be used to contour. Others are referred to as contouring powders specifically because they are usually neutral or cool in tone to mimic the natural look of a shadow. Highlighters are used to add some shimmer and glow to the face. All of these products can be cream or powder, but are typically powders.

Brows

Brow gels are becoming more common, particularly in the drugstore. These can be clear or tinted and are usually used to set the brows in place so the hairs don’t move.

Brow pencils are probably the most common product to fill in and shape the brows.

Brow creams/pomades and powders are another option to fill in and shape the brows, and these can be easy to use depending on the person using them, but I’ve always preferred pencils.

Eyes

Eye bases or primers are the first product in this section and are basically the same as face primers. They are meant to make the makeup last longer, but for the eyes, they are formulated to prevent creasing. They can be tinted or clear, or be another color entirely.

Eyeshadows are pretty basic. They can come in single pans, duos, trios, quads, or whole palettes. The amount of eyeshadow products on the market can be daunting, but many are actually quite similar. Eyeshadows are usually referred to as neutral (meaning an earth tone like brown or grey) or colorful (like greens, purples, etc.). They can also be either matte or shimmery.

Eyeliners come in a variety of forms nowadays. Pencils are still very popular and can be used to create a smoky eyeliner look. Liquids have been around for a while, and are used to create cat eyes or other winged looks. Gel eyeliners are relatively newer and can be used to create similar looks as liquid liners. They can come in a variety of colors, but many come in basic black or brown.

Mascaras are the final topper to this section. Basically, the goal of any mascara is to make the lashes whatever color the mascara is (usually black), and add volume, length, curl or a combination of all of the above. Fake lashes are technically included in the eye section, but I don’t use them frequently, and they’re pretty difficult for beginners, so I won’t go into detail about them here.

Lips

Lip liners used to be deemed an “old lady” thing, but they are actually incredibly useful. They help create the perfect lip outline, and typically last longer than a lipstick so they can prolong the wear of your lip color.

Lipsticks now come in the basic stick form or a liquid form that looks like a lip gloss. They come in every color imaginable, and can be matte, glossy, or slightly shimmery

Lip glosses are the final topper here. Their goal is typically to add a coat of glossiness to the lips, but nowadays, many contain so much pigment that they’re almost like liquid lipsticks.

So that’s the end of this post! Lots of information, but we’ll break into more in the next post!

❤ Robyn

First Impressions/Review Too Faced Born This Way Foundation and Mini Haul

In case you weren’t aware, my birthday was just a few weeks ago. My family knows me well, and knows that with my current financial situation, I can’t afford to buy new makeup all the time, so they gave me money to go to Sephora with. I got a few things that I’m loving as of right now, but the thing that I got that’s most exciting is my new foundation! I’m currently obsessed. I’m going to be spending most of this post doing a full review on this foundation, plus some mini-reviews on the other things I got.

Let’s start with the star of this post: the Too Faced Born This Way Foundation.

This foundation runs at $39. The box says: “This oil-free foundation masterfully diffuses the line between makeup and skin. Coverage so undetectable and skin so naturally radiant, they’ll think you were BORN THIS WAY.”

When I went to purchase it at Sephora, I was a little concerned. The color range is not super huge, and the colors looked incredibly yellow (granted my local Sephora is under construction so the lighting isn’t good right now, but still). I ended up getting a Skin IQ done, and they suggested the color Vanilla for me, but me and the girl helping me agreed that Ivory looked a little better. In the mirror it looked okay. When I got home, I was very nervous to put this one, because on my hand it looked like the color of bright butter. I applied it by dotting it all over my face and blending it out with a RealTechniques Expert Face Brush, then I blended it again with an elf Studio Powder brush (a flat top brush). Once it was on, it actually looked nice. It’s definitely warm, and I’m right on the boarder of neutral and warm undertones, so it works for me, but if you’re cool toned, this foundation will look yellow on you. It’s a little upsetting that Too Faced is only making this foundation in the small color range that they are, but for me, it works well. The foundation definitely gives good coverage, and it’s buildable. I stippled some more over areas that I needed some extra help, and it looked great. The finish is very natural. Powders glided right over top, and it didn’t feel heavy or like I was wearing a mask.

Two hours in, I took a look at how it was wearing. I could tell that the foundation had settled into my pores around my mouth and nose, and my forehead was patchy and dry (this happens with some foundations—I have dryness between my eyebrows and some foundations stick there). I also noticed that it had rubbed off my nose slightly (which also happens to me a lot with foundations, plus I was sunburned). From far away, however, it looked incredibly natural.

Three hours in, the foundation had noticeably set into my smile lines. At this point, it was entirely off my nose, so I applied a little more to touch it up. I also noticed that under my eyes had begun to crease. I used the Urban Decay Naked Skin concealer and Anastasia Banana powder to do under my eyes and it does crease sometimes, but it’s worth pointing out that with this foundation underneath, it still had some minor creasing. Part of my forehead also looked like it had faded off.

Five hours in (plus after swimming!), the foundation on my nose had rubbed off again. Otherwise, it looked great!

By the end of the night, I forgot to look at how the foundation was holding up, so I can’t really give you anything past that, but this foundation is awesome. I will definitely be using it more!

Other things I got:

Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Complete Coverage Concealer in Fair Neutral: I’m enjoying this concealer so far. It definitely lives up to its name—it feels weightless, yet it has great coverage. The shade is also super pale, so it actually highlights under my eyes, which is awesome.

Anastasia Contour Kit: I finally did it. I’ve had my eye on this contour kit for a while, and I finally got it. I got the light to medium shades (obviously) and I enjoy most of them. To me, all the bronzers look about the same, the only difference is undertone. It doesn’t make a huge difference on my face, to be honest. The banana powder is my go-to for setting under my eyes as of right now, and Sand is an awesome natural highlight! Vanilla is like, the worthless color in the palette. It’s supposed to be a matte highlight I think? It’s like, the same color as my face, so I use it to set my highlighted area sometimes, but it makes zero difference. So that shade sucks, but the bronzers are really easy to blend and Sand is such a nice shade to highlight with!

Origins GinZing Eye Cream: I did a whole post on this. You can read about it here.

Benefit Gimme Brow: This is a repurchase, and a smart one at that. I love this brow gel! It’s the perfect color for my brows, the wand is tiny so it’s easy to maneuver, and it shapes the brows effortlessly. Honestly, it’s probably my favorite brow gel formula of all time. It’s solid.

So those are all the items I bought for my birthday! I hope this post inspired you to go get Too Faced’s new foundation, because it’s awesome!

❤ Robyn

(As usual all opinions are my own!)