Better Habits: Display Your Beauty Products

About a year ago I couldn't go into a store without buying something beauty related. I loved trying new things and I was beginning to lose track of what I had. I started buying things that were similar to things I already had.

Another problem was that I stopped appreciating the things I already owned. I spent a lot of money on stuff and then just kept buying without giving my old stuff any attention.

One way that I combated this was to make my collection viewable. I made my beauty related stuff like a display, like decorations in my room; not tucked away in a drawer.

I bought clear organizers for my makeup on Hautelook (I've also seen similar stuff at TJ Maxx)
I bought I letter organizer for my palettes from TJ Maxx
I also bought a clear over the door shoe organizer for my nail polish off of amazon.
I bought a cute tray to display my perfumes from TJ Maxx
I used recycled Bath and Body Works candle jars to put my brushes in
I also used candle jars for my longer lip products
I bought a cart at Target for my bathroom beauty stuff (bath stuff, masks, hair products, etc.)

(I will do a separate post on organization with pictures and such so stay tuned!)

All this was relatively inexpensive and I don't just do this with my beauty stuff. My sunglasses collection and hair bow collections are also on display; along with most of my jewelry.

I realized having things in view everyday helped me appreciate them more. I was able to see them a reach for them when I wanted. I was also more aware of what I had so that if I did go shopping I wasn't buying anything too similar to something I already owned.

This system also helped me me realize what I have too much of whether it was blue nail polish, red lip products, neutral eye shadows, or whatever. I know what I have, I know what I have too much of, and I know what I need more of.

Since I implemented this system I don't spend as much money as I did and I feel like my shopping is more efficient. This is one of the best things I've done to curb my makeup obsession and I hope it helps you out too.

Thanks for reading ~Alissa

Mid-day Makeup Touch Ups

I don't know about you, but around 3 o'clock in the afternoon I find myself needing to look in a mirror to check on my makeup. There are days where I do my makeup so that nothing can mess it up and it will look flawless all day; however, on low key days I like to keep it simple and I don't do all my steps for long lasting makeup.

On my low key days I usually need to touch up at least once and when those low key days turn into a night out I need to do an extreme touchup to insure I can go the distance.

Some of my favorite touch up products to use are:
A powder compact
An optional travel size kabuki brush to go with the powder
Blotting sheets
Tinted lip balm
Q tips
Some cool/weird clear, jelly finisher stuff (I'll explain!)

The powder compact I was using was the Revlon Nearly Naked Pressed Powder, it's not the best powder ever but it comes in a compact with a mirror and a usable sponge (so I don't have to carry my kabuki which I got from Target).

I have tried a lot of blotting sheets, they are my favorite touch up tool! I like the up&up Oil Absorbing Sheets, they work just as well as the Clean & Clear ones but are cheaper. Don't waste your time with the e.l.f. ones, they suck! I have to use three sheets to do the job of one up&up sheet. If you are in a pinch use napkins, paper towel, or even toilet seat covers (unused of course).

By mid-day I have dry lips so the last thing I want to do is reapply a lipstick over that mess. I love using a tinted lip balm because it gives my lips some color while hydrating them. This also helps me keep all my lip products from pilling up in my purse. I love the Maybelline® Baby Lips® Moisturizing Lip Balm in Cheery Me. It goes with everything and is nicely pigmented.

For eyeliner, mascara, and lipstick smudges I carry plain old q tips. Pointed ones are nice too.

This has to be one of the best things I have discovered for my oily skin! The Mally Beauty Evercolor Poreless Face Defender and the Covergirl TruMagic Mini Skin Perfector have changed my life! They make my skin look completely matte without looking like I added extra product. I don't even carry powder anymore! However, be careful because both of these can make you look dry if you use too much.

I have a little makeup bag that is convenient to move between purses and backpacks. I can fit all this in that bag plus a tiny hair brush, roller ball perfume, nail file (I hate when your nail brakes and you're stuck with a jagged mess for the rest of the day!), hand sanitizer, and hand creme. Sometimes I'll carry my lip product of the day or maybe a lip stain. I also have an even smaller makeup bag (around Ipsy size) for smaller bags that can hold a condensed version.

I'll do a separate post for day to night touch ups since it is a pretty long topic. Thanks for reading! ~Alissa

Finding YOUR YouTube Guru

I have spent a lot of time watching the women of YouTube talk about makeup, skin care, hair care, fashion, etc. YouTube has become a great source for makeup lovers to come together and share their thoughts.

I love YouTubers because I love learning new things and about new products. I have found that I do most of my makeup research on YouTube and through blogs. I don't like buying something unless I have found significant evidence that it is worth my time and money. I also want to find the right techniques and tools that will best benefit me. For a lot of YouTubers it is their job to try out these products are report back to their viewers so let them do all the work for you and it will make your life to much easier.

I used to watch every YouTube Guru I loved and took all their recommendations as solid proof they it would also work wonders for me. However, this is not always the case. I began to realize that everyone has different skin and different desires as how they want their makeup and skin care to work for them. Also, I realized that even if I loved someone's videos they might not be as reputable as someone else. It became very difficult when one YouTuber is telling me a product is holy grail material and another says to throw it away.

I devoted some time into going through my YouTube subscriptions and finding which ladies' qualities best matched mine:
Skin type (dry, oily, combo, etc.)
Hair type (straight, wavy, curly, greasy, kinky, etc.)
Makeup style (neutral, colorful, classic, edgy, etc.)
Price point (drugstore, high end, etc.)
Fashion style (girly, edgy, boho, etc.)
Eyeshape (hooded, monolided, etc.)
and more...

By doing this I was able to mentally keep track of who's recommendations to trust when it came to a product that would best work for me.

For example: I trust itsjudytime for almost anything having to do with face and hair. This includes foundation, primer, powder, hair spray, heat tools, etc. I love Judy because her skin type is so close to mine and she desires the same things out of her makeup that I do. Her hair type and style is also very similar to mine so I trust her on the hair front too. Not to mention she is so informative and nice to watch. She also has a pretty strong professional beauty background, which is a huge plus!

Don't get me wrong. I also watch other Guru's simply because I enjoy them or their advice helps me in other areas. Some all around awesome YouTubers are: glamlifeguru, emilynoel83, frmheadtotoe, and bubzbeauty. These ladies give all around great makeup advice that I trust plus they produce great tutorials that I can actually use. Most of them also have professional beauty backgrounds.

Just a few quick things and deter me from certain YouTubers...
If they are heavily sponsored: I'm happy that they are probably making a lot of money but it gets annoying to take everything they say with a grain to salt because they can lean towards bias.
Their price point doesn't match mine: Dior, Marc Jacobs, Bobbi Brown... These are all great brands and I love to splurge now and then but if every product they recommend is out of my price range then there isn't really any point to watch.
They don't have much talent: Some YouTubers are beautiful and fun to watch but they neither have a professional background or much natural talent and being a noob myself I would much rather spend my time watching people who know what they are doing.
Their style is not close to mine: Some ladies are so talented and create great content but I would never wear any looks they create just because they aren't for me. I love when YouTubers mix it up and throw in a fun tutorial now and then but if all your looks are not for me then I don't waste my time.

After you have sorted through your subscription box don't be afraid to search for some new people to watch. It is great when your favorite YouTuber recommends another YouTuber to check out. Also, talk to your friends. I have found so many great ladies to watch through my friend's recommendations.

You can use these tips if you're a newbie and trying to sort through the many YouTube gurus out there, if you have a very full subscription box and need to condense, or even if you are wondering if you can trust your favorite YouTuber on that new foundation that costs $30+.

It's a lot like finding a new best friend! Have fun with it! ~ Love Alissa!

*All of these tips can also work on blogs.

Alissa's Seal of Approval: Revlon Foundations

Note: I GENERALLY love these brands/products and I have had great experience with these but it may not be the same with you.

I have tried many drugstore foundations and some work for me and other's don't. I'm the type of person who does tons of research before buying things so when I buy something I usually like it.

Just some background on my skin: I have VERY oily skin with some occasional dry patches around my mouth. I occasionally have break outs and I have my fair share of acne scars. I also have large pores on my nose and cheeks. 

Anyway! I love lighter foundations with matte finishes. I believe that if you only have minor skin imperfections you don't need a high coverage foundation. Just use a light, comfortable foundation and use concealer to spot conceal. I don't rely on my foundation to do all the work. 


I enjoy Revlon's line of foundation because they always offer a large array of colors and they have something for every skin type. I have tried two foundations from Revlon, I have tried the Revlon ColorStay Makeup with SoftFlex for Combination/Oily Skin (they also have a formula for normal to dry skin) and the Revlon Nearly Naked Liquid Makeup. 



I enjoy the Colorstay one the most because it is made for oily skin and keeps my oil under control in all kinds of weather. It is also long lasting and makes my skin look awesome! However it is pretty thick and takes some extra time to apply. This is where the Nearly Naked comes in. It is light weight and really easy to apply. I use the Nearly Naked one when I don't need my makeup to last long or look flawless but I want some coverage. The Nearly Naked one doesn't do much to control my oil but it does have more SPF in it so there are trade offs. 

I do use a primer under my foundation and I also set my makeup with powder. I also do not take the long lasting claims on any product seriously. The Colorstay foundation claims to last 24 hours. I don't believe that nor do I need my foundation to last that long. I always carry touch up tools in my purse like blotting sheets and powder (I have also been liking some other products for touch ups that I will discuss later). If my foundation lasts me from when I apply it in the morning to when I come home from work or school and can handle some touch ups if I decide to go out at night I am a happy camper. 

I have only tried these two foundations because they are the ones that seemed like they would work well with my skin and suited my needs. However, from what I have heard there are a lot of amazing foundations in Revlon's line so it just takes some research to find your foundation soul mate. I highly recommend Revlon foundations if you are new to foundation, especially drugstore foundations, because with a line this good it is hard to mess up.

For Rachel: Night Skin Care

Dear Rachel,
Time to wash away a long day! This is the time to give your skin some extra TLC and prepare it for the next day. A lot of the steps are similar to the Morning Skin Care but there are some differences that I will stress.

Step 1: Remove your makeup. I already did a post on this so refer to that. :)

Step 2: Cleanse. Because you are going to sleep you can use a stronger cleanser at night. This means you can use an extra moisturizing one or one that has some serum in it that can work in your skin over night. I just use a different gentle cleanser because I haven't fallen in love with a stronger one yet.

Step 3 (Optional): Exfoliate. I use a finer scrubs at night. I find that they buff away all the dirt and makeup left on my skin. I like: derma e Microdermabrasion Scrub and Michael Todd True Organics Jojoba Charcoal Facial Polish. If you're going to exfoliate make sure to use toner.

Step 4 (Optional): Face Mask. Because you are going to sleep you can use a mask over night. Not all masks are made to be used over night so read the directions. I prefer to use either a peel or sheet mask. Sheet masks have great liquids that get absorbed in your skin while you have the mask on and it also leaves some behind after. You can get sheet masks almost anywhere are they're usually cheap.

Step 5: Tone. Just like in the morning you should use toner on a cotton pad a sweep this across your face. I use this step to see if I had done a good job of cleansing my face. If I see a lot of gunk on my cotton pad after this step I know that I should have cleansed better and keep that in mind for next time. I like: Boots Expert Sensitive Gentle Refreshing Toner with some exfoliating cotton pads. Let this sink in before moving on to the next step.

Step 6 (Optional): Blemish control: If you have some troublesome acne you want to treat do this now. I especially like doing this at night. I use: Clean & Clear Advantage Acne Spot Treatment. Wait for this to sink in before moving on.

Step 7 (Optional): Exfoliate lips. There are many different ways to do this. I like to dampen a a wash cloth and rub my lips or use a lip scrub. You can also use a tooth brush if you're in a pinch. For a lip scrub you can make your own or I buy mine from LUSH: LUSH Bubble Gum lip scrub.

Step 8: Moisturize. Again, this is the most important step. Always moisturize your face. You can use a thicker moisturizer and eye cream at night to wake up super plump and hydrated.

All the products I mentioned have worked great for me but they might not do the same for you so feel free to experiment and try out different things. A lot of the steps are optional, do them on a lazy Saturday morning or the day before a big event, so this routine won't take up too much time. Between steps you can brush your teeth or whatever else needs to be done. Have a good time a relax after a long day.

Love,
Alissa :3