Lash strips are so 2015.

That's right.
I said it.

If you want to fight me about it just give me a call and we can meet up in a dark alley somewhere.

But jokes aside, I'm serious.
As many of you know, I was blessed last fall to receive an amazing opportunity. I was employed by The Lash Lounge here in Lubbock as their makeup artist/receptionist, and it has truly been the most amazing thing I've ever gotten to do.
Among lots of other bomb perks I get here, my favorite by far is that I get free eyelash extensions.

Yes, it's true.
No, we're not hiring.
YES, they're the single most addicting thing that I've ever received.

Let me tell you a little bit about lash extensions.

So first of all, celebrities wear them.
They don't wear strip lashes, they wear eyelash extensions for the simple reason that
EYELASH EXTENSIONS LOOK SO MUCH BETTER. 

Which celebs sport these fab lashes?

Kylie Jenner
Kim Kardashian
Angelina Jolie
Megan Fox



and soooo many more!
Seriously, these are some of the most beautiful women on the planet, so maybe we should follow in their footsteps when it comes to lashes.

So, let's answer a few of the most FAQ's.

• What's the process like?

It's the best thing ever. First of all, your technician will have a consultation with you to find out what look you're going for, and what lashes would look best on you according to your eye and face shape. You lay down on a bed (yes I said bed, like pillows and blankets and everything) in your own secluded room, and your technician then does your lashes. It takes about two hours, but most people (including myself) fall asleep.

• Does it hurt?

NO. Oddly enough, it kind of feels good. Like you know how it feels like when someone plays with your hair? It's kind of like that, but with your lashes.

• Will they cut my eyelashes?

NO. this is the strangest rumor I've ever heard. Here at The Lash Lounge, the technicians are trained to know what your natural eyelashes can hold, and your natural lashes are NEVER damaged, and certainly never "trimmed".

• Can I still wear mascara?

Yes! That's the beauty of these things! You can pile on all the mascara you want to!

• Should I get top and bottom lash extensions?

Most people just get the top lashes done, but if you're really wanting a dramatic look, the bottom lashes can be done as well.

• Isn't it super expensive?

It's surprisingly affordable! For your first appointment when you get your full set, it costs $200.
It's just that first big initial investment, and after that, the refills only cost $50 each time.

•  How long do the extensions last?

It's kind of like nail appointments. Your natural eyelashes shed and regrow every 3 months, therefore, eyelashes that have extensions on them will gradually shed and fall out, and after about 2-3 weeks, your lashes will look a little less voluminous. That's when you come back in and get a refill and BAM, they're fab again. So it's an ongoing process.

• Why would I pay $200 for lash extensions when I can go to the nail salon or my hairdresser and get them cheap?

PLEASE NO LISTEN TO ME HERE: you get what you pay for. Don't believe me? Here's some pictures of what WILL HAPPEN TO YOU if you get your lashes done by an unlicensed, untrained lash technician.



Infections, glue clumping, and extreme natural lash damage are all results from going the cheap route. These make me cringe. PLEASE do not do this to yourself. I feel like I'm going to cry just looking at these.

• What do good lash extensions look like?

Here's a before and after of my lashes done by our technician Nikki. For more before and afters, follow us on instagram @lash_lounge_lubbock



Now, honestly, I've always been a big fan of falsies. They were easy to wear, pumped up any makeup look, and made me feel fabulous.
Now, I would never go back to wearing strips.

This has shortened my makeup routine by about 10 minutes. Not having to put any mascara on, and then meticulously glue on a strip lash has changed my life.
And not to mention, they look so much better than falsies.

My lashes are seriously my life. Mine are really dramatic but that's okay because so am I.

I'm BACK!
After a longer than expected absence from my blog. What have I been up to, you may ask?

Okay let's be real, nothing.

In the recent months, you'd think I would have been cooking up all these amazing ideas for my adoring fans (can I call everyone reading this a fan, or am I going too far?) on what is going on in the beauty world, but honestly I still lack just as much creativity as I did before, but what I'm lacking in that department I make up for with opinions.

There is something I would like to discuss today, though.

EYELINER.

& the ability to apply it. Much like a great booty, you either have it or you don't.
But also like a great tush (my grandma says that), even if you don't have the skill, you can GET IT.

Let's go over the basic eyeliner groups, shall we?

l i q u i d -
The Cadillac of eyeliners. Gives a great, sharp, & defined line. Can be used for a little darkness along the lash line, as well as being utilized to give you the cat eye you've always dreamed of. You can also use it to give yourself the look of any member of the band KISS, which is perfect for a night out on the town

g e l -
This is the in between of pencil and liquid. You can put it on your inner lash line, but you can also do a BOMB cat eye with it. It's good for building. It's an all around good product, and the drug store brands also carry amazing gel liner. Just make sure you have a small angled brush to apply it with. Most of the time the product will come with one, but if it doesn't, you get your little butt back into the makeup aisle and buy one. No excuses.

l a s e r -
Laser eyeliner is the latest and greatest in the makeup world. It looks a lot like a light saber, and you just ease it over where you want the liner, and I'm totally making this up.

there is no such thing as laser eyeliner.
but it sounded cool.

I hope I didn't break our trust.


Now that we've covered the most basic types of eyeliner,
let's talk about application techniques.

LIQUID EYELINER CAN BE SATAN IN A TINY BOTTLE.
Seriously. It can get so out of control so fast. Trying to create that perfect cat eye can turn from frustrating to getting booked in the loony bin because you just CAN'T FLICK THE WRIST.
But there is a trick, and it's tape.
S C O T C H  T A P E

Simply lay a strip of scotch tape flush against your lower lash line. The trick to a good cat eye is continuing the line of your lower lash up towards the end of your brow. See here:
This trick may or may not save your life. By no means is it comfortable, but it does the job.

My second favorite trick is probably the simplest, but a lot of people don't know about it yet. That pencil or gel liner you have? Pick it up.
Get ready to make your lash line look so thick that it will need to shop in the plus size section.

Putting eyeliner on your upper waterline (that's right, right under your upper eyelashes) can change your look in a matter of seconds. It sounds like such a small thing that it wouldn't make a difference, but it really does.

Eyliner should NEVER be applied to the lower waterline if not combined with shadow and liner on the top lid.
PLEASE. Just don't do it.

Some tips:
If you want your eyes to appear more awake, apply liner on the top and bottom lash line starting from mid eye to the outer corner. When liner is applied all the way to the corner of your eye, it can make eyes appear smaller and hooded.

White eyeliner can be wonderful if used properly, but a soft white eyeliner is preferable on the waterline as opposed to a stark white which can be brighter than the white of your eyes, therefore looking unnatural and just plain weird.

Fun colors of eyeliner are an amazing addition to any look. Try adding a thin line of a fun color of liner above a black cat eye to create a gorgeous alternative.

HAVE FUN.
Don't let well known makeup artists make you feel like you don't know what you're doing. Art is an expression of yourself, so don't let someone else's rules and preferences make you feel inferior.We are all fabulous. If you want to rub green eyeliner all over your lids and lips, you'd probably look bangin'.







Thank you so much for taking the time out of your busy day to stop by and read. I can't tell ya'll how happy that makes me, and I'm so happy to be back at my blog. I promise, now that I can do this again, I WILL.

I've received several messages from you ladies asking where in the heck I am, and I'm here to answer those questions:

True to the name of my blog, I am a very, very, very broke woman.
I spend all my money on dog food, cigarettes, and makeup.
I currently do not have a laptop to get my blogs out to you (I'm using my work computer to type this now, shhhhh) so I have been unable to update my blog. Starting hopefully tomorrow or this weekend, my laptop will get fixed and I will be able to update my blog to my heart's desire, which will be a lot.

Thank you so much for being so patient with me, and I'm terribly sorry that I have't been able to update for ya'll.
Just hold on a few more days and I will shower you with posts.

Love ya'll, and thanks again!
See ya' in a few!

xoxo

Sorry for not posting for the past week or so, I've been super busy pretending I had things to do over the holidays. This also includes not putting on ANY makeup (which makes me feel homeless, yet fabulously natural at the same time) and letting my skin breathe.

I'm the first one to admit that my skin is the farthest thing from perfect, and I'm being absolutely serious. I have splotchy redness all over my cheeks, and my nose is always Santa level red. I have fairly bad acne scarring (when I was younger I would "pick at" my face, which I regret every day), and I have blackheads and pimples that seem to pop up no matter what kind of beauty treatment I use.

I'm going to show you how i go from this (which, actually, my skin didn't look as bad as it usually does)

And for those of you who are going to ask, I use Desio brand contacts in the color "Innocent White"


Let's start with what you'll need. (I will post a drug store and high end version of the products I use.)

• Face primer/moisturizer
• concealer
• foundation (cream or liquid)
• contouring powder
• finishing powder

The first step is starting out with a nice clean face. Some people like to moisturize before they put on makeup, but because my skin is fairly oily, this is a step that I'd prefer to skip.
First off, time to prime.

For those of you that don't know the importance or purpose of priming, listen up! Using a primer is one of the most important (if not the most important) step to getting that smooth, flawless makeup look. It also makes sure that your makeup doesn't gradually dissappear or smudge after a few hours. It is, yes, mandatory.

I prime my face with a drugstore primer currently, and it only cost about $9.


Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser
My opionions on this primer are mixed. To be honest, it does almsost blur your skin in the sense that it makes your pores appear less, well, HUGE. I don't particularly like the texture. It's like creamy consistency, and once you put it on, I suggest waiting a few minutes before applying makeup because if you don't, the makeup tends to slide.
For those of you willing to spend the extra money to get a way better primer, I suggest you do that. I love MAC's Prep+Prime. It's around $25, but you definitely get the bang for your buck.

Apply your primer all over your face (excluding the eyelids) and onto your jaw. Allow to sit for a couple minutes to set.


Next, you're going to conceal any blemishes or extreme redness you may have. This step is fairly self explanatory, if you've got a zit, cover it. I use L'Oreal True Match concealer, which is my ol' faithful. I have used a few high end concealers,
but I'm not a big concealer fan because this

 

is not a good look.

 

Too dangerous. I'd rather not take that risk.

 

 

Now it's time for foundation.

In my drug store VS high end post, I gave ya'll two of my go-to foundations, both high end and drug store foundations that I like. In the look above, I used my Tarte Amazonion Clay foundation and applied it with my foundation brush in downward strokes (always use downwards strokes). The reason you can't use upward strokes is because the makeup will grasp on to the tiny hairs (the secret is out, we all have tiny face hairs) on your face and make them extremely obvious. After I've applied all my foundation with my foundation brush, I use my stippling brush in circular motions to blend all of the foundation in, going all the way past my jawline and up against the hairline.

For those of you who don't know what kind of brushes I'm talking about, here's what they look like

 

 

Brushes are really easy to use, they just take some getting used to

 

Now that your face is lookin' better, it's time for you to contour.

Now, contouring seems to be this dark mysterious thing in the makeup world, and the truth is, it's a lot easier than you'd think. I'm sure you've seen Kim K's fab face, and she would look nothing like that if it weren't for contouring. If you're anything like me, a chart is more helpful than a video. If not, there are HUNDREDS of videos on youtube that will teach you to contour.

If requested, I may make one, but go feast your eyes on those videos, a lot of which are very informative.

 

What do I use to contour?

I've tried several things in my contouring life, and the biggest thing I've learned is this:

You can use bronzer to contour, but for the love of makeup, do not use a bronzer with shimmer in it.

I can't tell you how strange and unnatural this will make you look, and I've seen it done so many times.

 

If you wan't to use a bronzer, go out and buy:

TooFaced Chocolate Soleil Matte Bronzing Powder

This stuff is everything. It smells like a chocolate explosion of amazing goodness, and best of all, it's actually made of chocolate. Not joking. This is real. Also, it is an amazing contour powder for those days that you don't want to go the whole nine yards and highlight and contour everything. Just dust this heavenly powder in the hollows of your cheeks, along your jawline, and at your temples, and I promise, the difference is amazing.

 

For those of you wanting to really contour, I suggest...

the IT cosmetics Contouring Kit

I love this palette with my entire soul.

It's everything, and the thing is, it even comes with that nifty chart to show you how to contour! The colors are very pigmented, so it lasts a long time. It definitely takes time to perfect your contour, and this kit is great for beginners and pros.

Just use your contour brush (which looks like this)

 

to get that defined look.

Once you contour, you never...not...contour..?

It's true. You'll be so addicted to how thin and defined you can make yourself look that the thought of NOT contouring will make you nauseous.

 

Time for the finishing touch, finishing powder (shocker, right?)

 

The bestest of the best powder is....

 

Ben Nye Luxury Powder (Banana is my personal preference)

This powder is light-weight, goes on effortlessly, smells good, and gives your makeup a photoshop finish. I blurs all the contouring and harsh lines and makes you look flawless. This makeup also looks excellent in pictures. It is honestly the best thing on the market when it comes to finishing off a look.

Getting yourself some setting spray never hurt either.

I prefer the Urban Decay Setting Spray.

This is basically like spraying a bunch of makeup glue on your face, but it feels like a light spritz of water.

 

 

That way,

it won't matter if he takes you swimming on the first date.

Yo makeup ain't goin' nowhere.

 

Just know, this may seem like a lot of makeup, and it is, but who cares? If it makes you happy, then do it.















Now, I started this blog with women like me in mind. Women who want to look like they have millions in the bank, but who have closer to maybe...$7? give or take.

There is a difference in drugstore and high end makeup.

But, it's not always that noticeable, and it's even less noticeable to the people around you. Let's break it down.

Mascara
I've always been a big advocate of drugstore mascaras. There are so many choices, and they're so accessible, plus, I'm constantly bombarded with commercials for them, so drugstore is usually what I've leaned towards. My favorite brands?
Maybelline's LashStiletto
This mascara is my holy grail of mascaras, and I know I'm not the only one obsessed with this stuff. It's so black, makes your lashes sky high, and totally seperates your lashes. I always get compliments when I wear this mascara, not to mention people asking, "Are those fake lashes or...?" which is every woman's dream compliment. I could talk about this mascara for 48 minutes and still just be talking about the packaging.
If you live your life and never try LashStiletto, then you never really lived at all.

L'Oreal's Voluminous Million Lashes
Okay, you think I'm obsessed with LashStiletto? Wrong. I'm in love with this black gold. Look at it. It's beautful. I feel so fancy that I can't even. This mascara has it all, length, seperation, volume, and it's really black. It's wonderful, and this may be weird, but it actually smells kind of good.
This mascara is wonderful, but want to know the secret to BAM WOW lashes?
Layering different mascaras.
That's right. This may sound like it goes against my strict no spider leg lash policy, but it doesn't. 3 liberal coats of mascara will get you those wow factor lashes. 10 layers- good luck even opening your eyes with all that gunk.


The verdict?
Get yourself some drugstore mascara, it does the job and then some. Plus, nobody even knows that that's $40 mascara if you do buy some. You might as well just save yourself some money honey.



Eye Shadow
This is where things get more complicated.
Eye shadow is the staple to any makeup look (everything is the staple, who am I kidding) and it must be treated with respect. The biggest sin in the makeup world when it comes to eyes?
Not using eyeshadow base.
Just typing that sentence sent shivers down my spine.
Does your shadow crease into weird zebra-esque lines on your lids at the end of a long day? Well it's your fault. If you're not applying eyeshadow base, or plan on starting, then just move along. (Okay don't, but I'm seriously doing this for your own good. Tough love.)
Go out and buy this


You can buy a little mini tube at Sephora for only $12, and while that seems like a lot (that's like, 11 McChickens) it'll be well worth your buck. It's Urban Decay Primer Potion, and it will always be in my makeup bag.
This primer is the secret to eyeshadow, because from experience I have found that if you prime your lids with good primer, then even the cheapest eyeshadows will last all day crease free. But back to the shadow.
 My favorite high end shadow is..


Urban Decay's NAKED 2 Palette
This palette is my best friend, and guess what, it's the 2nd palette out of THREE that UD offers. This one is my personal favorite, though. It has these gorgeous eyeshadows, and I use every single one of them. The spectrum of colors is absolutely gorgeous and works with any skin tone/eye color. There are even tons of tutorials on YouTube showing you how to create looks with this palette. The shadows are extremely pigmented, and it also comes with a quality double-ended makeup brush. I can't even think of one con for this product, and I usually hate everything. This is a must-have product for every woman. You can buy this palette at your local beauty headquarters (Sephora, Ulta, etc.) for around $54, and what this product lacks in affordability, it makes up for in quality and how long it lasts. I know girls who keep their NAKED palettes for years. Plus, there are a few shades in this collection that are so glittery, you'll feel like Beyonce.




NYX Eyeshadow Palettes

I say palettes because I'm referring to all of them. I love NYX, and guess what? Their stuff is dirt cheap. them and E.L.F. are basically the loves of my life. I'm yet to run into a product of theirs that did't feel/look like it cost about 10X the amount that it actually did. Their eyeshadows are surprisingly pigmened, and even last fairly well without the *gasp* primer. I applaud this brand, and it's well worth the few dollars you'll drop.


Foundation

Okay, here's the most important thing in this post.
Not all foundations are equal.
If you want to have that flawless skin look, you're going to have to invest in it. I know, it's sad, but it's true.
I've gone through just about every drug store foundation you can, liquid, creme, powder, even the airbrush one (which feels like hairspraying your face, it was basically a trainwreck), and I've never been happy with any of them. If you've always used drug store foundation, and have never ventured into high end makeup and think that things will never be better, I am here to tell you that yes they will! And it's all up to you.
Not sure where to begin? Let me tell you

If you have normal/combinatio skin, and are looking for a medium (buildable to full) coverage foundation, I suggest...


MAC Studio Fix Foundation
Okay, now don't run. A lot of women who are new to high end makeup seem to think that MAC must cost hundeds and millions of dollars, and that's simply not true. Theire prices are actually quite reasonable. This foundation is wonderful for those of you who like a dewy/natural finish, with a lot of coverage. It's very blendable, has a silky texture on the skin, and doesn't look mask-like. So what's the price? This little beauty will only set you back about $27, and you can find it in your local MAC store, or in Dilliards, as well as ordering online. Finish with the matching Studio Fix powder and you're good for a night on the town.

If you have combination skin with redness/scarring/acne and want a full coverage foundation, I suggest...


tarte Amazonian Clay Full Coverage Foundation
I adore this foundation. It's got amazing coverage, and can cover scarring, acne, and redness without the need for concealer. It's got a creamy consistency, and a little goes a long ways, meaning that one tube will last you for a couple months with every day use. This foundation also does a good job at mimicking the texture of smooth skin once applied, and doesn't feel chalky to the touch. It lasts all day, I've never had to touch-up my foundation with this product. I do suggest it to the more dry skin/combination skin ladies though, because on smooth flawless skin, this foundation just seems to slide off. (If you've got smooth flawless skin, just don't wear foundation unless you absolutely want to. You've already got what the rest of us are trying to achieve).


So, is there a difference in drug store and high end makeup?
Yes, but there are times when either one will work.





Either way, I hope you end up gorgeous, and fab on.

The classic "Beauty Don'ts" post.

I wouldn't feel the need to add another post/video/whatever about what not to do, if there weren't so many of you still doing these things.
So, just like any rule, I wouldn't have to say to not do this if you weren't doing it.

1. Eyeliner on lower inner rim & mascara

I see this look on women all the time. Not much makeup at all. Just eyeliner and mascara, but, just on  the lower inner rim.

Look how small and strange her eye looks.
Ang guess what? It doesn't look good on ANYBODY. That's right. Megan Fox could do this, and it would look frumpy.
It's not an option ladies.
Why not spend that time you would spend lining the inner rim, and applying a little liner along the upper lashline.
Did you know you could even rim your upper inner rim? You can, and it actually gives the appearance of thicker lashes (never a bad thing).
So next time you're in a rush, it's better to just wear some mascara than to line that rim.


2. Not blending your eyeshadow

Seems like a no-brainer, right? Women everywhere are spotted commiting this crime every day. That's right ladies. And the worst part? Some women don't even realize it.

Laugh all you want, but I see girls that look almost this bad every day.
What is blending?
Blending is the art of swishing a blending brush along the edge of your shadow to blend it into your skin/the next shadow.
It's simple. It's easy. It's mandatory.


3. Too much mascara
It's actually a thing. No, really, it is.
Now some of ya'll may be thinking, "Eyelashes? Pfft. Like, you wear fake ones so what's the dif.?"

Allow me to ellaborate.



I'm honestly impressed at how much mascara she caked on there.
The rule is usually this: if you want some oomph on your lashes, go buy some.
That's right.
There's no need to wear falsies every day (unless you want to, then fab on), but if you want your eyelashes to look extra special, pop on some falsies and move on, because no matter how much mascara you pile on, it just looks more and more clumpy and terrible.
 I promise, on your 78th layer, it won't suddenly look like Kim K's lashes.



4. Not matching your foundation correctly.

If I had a nickel for every time I've someone's walked around like this, I'd be a bajillionare.
Okay, maybe I have made this beauty blunder a couple more times than I'd like to admit, but I have seen the error of my ways, and learned what I was doing wrong


The biggest mistake is when shopping for foundation, too many girls put the foundation on the back of their hand or wrist to match the color.

The back of your hand receives more sun than your face, and your wrist doesn't receive quite as much as your face, resulting in whatever foundation you buy being either darker or lighter than it needs to be.
To match your foundation to your face, test it on your neck.
Seems like a no-brainer but most women actually don't do this. This way, your face blends seemlessly into your neck.
Welcome to being flawless.


These may only be 4 don'ts, but they are the most crucial.

Thanks for your time,
and may you always be fab.
xoxo

You see these two words everywhere. They haunt your dreams and infiltrate your thoughts.

Eyebrow game.

or whatever the heck this means:

I'll admit, sometimes I see these girls on tumblr, insta, whatever, and they look so...flawless. They're eyebrows are these amazing sculpted works of art. Like, look at this

wha? how? huh?
How do you do that?
They look so perfect, and makeup artist-ish (is that a word? yup).
She even has a tutorial and I still can't make that happen. I even went and bought all the name brand products that she used. So what am I doing wrong?

I'll tell you.
I can make my eyebrows look like that, but when I look in the mirror, all I see is just that.
Eyebrows staring back at me.
Yes, yes I know.
The eyebrows frame the eyes, which are the focal point of the face.
But what happens when you frame a picture with a ridiculous frame?


And let's face it, trying to achieve the coveted eyebrow game can go terribly wrong. In fact, I'm sure you've seen the horror stories all over the internet. But, in case you haven't, feast your eyes on these:




I have to stop there. It hurts me internally because all these girls are so pretty, but they decided to get some fleeked out eyebrows or whatever the term is.
Some girls are like eyebrow unicorns.
They have brow game from the womb to the tomb, without much effort at all.
Exibit A:

She looks gorgeous, and I'm jealous.

And here's something that no one talks about:
What do those girls with the mad eyebrow game look like after a shower? Or first thing in the morning?


HELLO
Without the 37 steps they take to get that flawless brow, they look like their own worst nightmare.
You mean to tell me that they can commit like that?
Commit to having to fill in their eyebrows every single day?

Nah.

So what's right for you?
There's a happy medium, I promise. Grow your eyebrows back out, but pluck the little stray ones. Get rid of the weak. And the hairs in the middle.
Look up tutorials for how to tweeze your brows, not "how to get perfect brows"

The general rule is this chart:


Pretty self explanatory, but

A) line up a pencil with your nostril, and lay it flat against your face. Wherever the pencil lays, that's where your brows should start.

B) now take that same pencil and rotate it to meet the far corner of your eye. Wherever the pencil lays, that's where your brow should end.

As for the rest, I feel like every person is different, but that should serve as a pretty good reference.

So what do I say to those girls with the fab eyebrows and never ending perfection?