Makeup Tips & Trends From the Spring 2014 Runways

These makeup tips and trends from the spring runways are brought to you by Walgreens and Collective Bias®.  #WalgreensBeauty #shop #cbias

Spring is in the air here in Southern California.  Would you believe that our weather has been a very warm upper 80's all week, with one day getting as high as 92 degrees?  With the weather getting warmer, it's time to update our looks and freshen up our makeup for spring!  Using the Spring 2014 New York Fashion Week runway photos and looks as my guide, I came up with a list of hot new makeup tips and trends to help you look your best in the new year.

While some of the runway looks are a bit more conceptual, there were a handful of trends that you can easily incorporate into your beauty routine to get a hot new fresh look!  A big thanks goes out to my lovely sister-in-law for modeling these new makeup looks for us. Isn't she gorgeous?!

Makeup Trend #1- Orange Lips

Wait, stay with me here!  Surprisingly enough, orange lips are very flattering on most skin tones.  You can choose a bright orange lip, or go with more of a red-orange look.  The whole idea is to have a neutral face and eye but add that pop of color on the lips.  We did a little bit of eyeliner and mascara, but kept it minimal to really let the lips steal the show!  The lips look very red in these photos, but they were a lot more orange in real life.

Before our makeup shoot I stocked up on new makeup from Walgreens.  They have a huge selection of brands and colors to choose from, and prices that won't break the bank!  I went with Revlon products, and bought some fun new shades that I was excited to try.

When using a bright lip color, be sure to line your lips first with lip liner so your lipstick doesn't bleed outside your lip lines, and to keep your lip line nice and crisp.

For this look we lined the lips with Revlon ColorStay Lip liner in Red, and then used Revlon Moon Drops Creme Lipstick in Hot Coral.

I LOVE this bright lip color, and it looked amazing on Holly and I both.  You can also dot a tiny bit of a lighter lip liner on your cheeks, and then rub it in for a light, natural-looking rosy cheek.

Makeup Trend #2- Black Liner

The retro black lined eyes were definitely HOT on the runways for spring, and can be done a few different ways.  Precise cat eyes are big this season, as well as smudgy black eyes that are lined on the top and inside the bottom lid.  You can go neat or a little smudgy and messy with this look, but either way will make your eyes stand out.  A neutral lip is best for this look.  You can stick with a nude lip, or add a little pink for color.

I used Revlon's ColorStay Liquid Liner in Black to create these cat eyes.  Be sure to start on the inside edge of the eye with a very thin line.  As you get closer to the outside of the eye, gradually make the line a little thicker, and slightly higher.  You can take the edge of the liner out as far as you want depending on the look that you are going for.  Mistakes are easy to fix with a Q-tip dipped in a little water or makeup remover.  You don't have to line underneath the eye, but you can for a more dramatic look.

We used Revlon's Luxurious Color Eyeliner in Black to create her bottom line.  This pencil was perfect, because it came with a little smudging tool on the end of the pencil to help soften the liner line to create more of a smudgey look.

Makeup Trend #3- Light Wash of Pastel Eye Color

This is probably the most "springy" of the three looks I'm sharing with you today, and is very simple to create.  A pretty wash of pastel eyeshadow on the lids was huge on the runways, and can be a great way to add a little spring to your makeup routine.  Light green and purple were frequently spotted, but light blue and pink are also great colors to use as well.

This technique couldn't be easier!  Just sweep the color along your eyelids with a brush.  You can add a little liner if you like, along with some mascara, but the idea is to keep the eye simple and light.  We used Revlon's cute little compact eyeshadow single in lime.  To keep the look soft and airy, I used Revlon's Super Lustrous Lip Gloss in Snow Pink on her lips.

I hope these trends help you to freshen up your makeup look this new year, and make you feel great about yourself!  It's so fun to try out new looks and colors… which look are you the most excited to try?

If your powder makeup ever breaks, don't throw it away!  Did you know that you can easily fix it?

It's easy to make your own DIY glitter shoes from a worn out pair of heeels that are sure to make you sparkle!  Check out the tutorial here.

If you liked this project, please follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Bloglovin', and Instagram.

xo, Laura

Hair Curling 101 with Conair Curl Secret

This curly hair tutorial was written as a sponsored post for Collective Bias®, to show how easy it is to get amazing curls!  #ConairCurl #cbias

Virtually everyone who knows me has seen my hair only one way- long and straight. Don't get me wrong, I love my straight hair, but as my hairdresser sister has told me (many times), sometimes you need to mix it up!  But I'm a busy mom with four kids, and although I usually do full makeup each day, my hair is always the same.  I love the big bouncy curls that celebrities flaunt on the red carpet, but my hair never looks like that after I get a curling iron to it, not to mention the multiple burns I accidentally inflict on myself in the process!  There's got to be an easier way, right?!  Well now there is!  It's called Conair Curl Secret!

Conair has an amazing new product out called Curl Secret that I bought this week at Walmart for $99 (which is a great deal considering it sells for $150 on http://buycurlsecret.com and www.curlsecret.com). It is nothing short of breathtakingly AMAZING!!  

In under 15 minutes, I transformed my whole head of hair into a bouncy, beautiful mass of curls that I never thought possible for my stick straight hair!  The cool thing about Conair Curl Secret is that there is virtually no work involved- the machine does all the work for you, because it's an automatic curling iron!  And, unlike a traditional curling iron, there's no chance of burning your fingers, and you don't have to guess when the curl is done.  

Check out this 30 second video that shows you exactly how Curl Secret works- I promise you will be amazed!

Cool, right?!  My pre-teen daughter and I had some fun together doing our hair, and she was a pro at using the Curl Secret!  It's so easy, and she couldn't burn herself, so I had no worries about letting her use it herself to create her own hairstyle.

Here's a step by step tutorial to show you how to get those beautiful curls you always wanted:

1.  Turn on the Conair Curl Secret.  It's ready to go once the temperature indicator light stops blinking (which only takes a minute or two).  

Decide what type of curl you would like- tight spiral curls, or bigger curls or waves.  For tight curls, turn the setting on the appliance to high, and the 10 or 12 second timer setting.  For looser curls or waves, use the low setting, and 8 or 10 second timer setting.  Try out different combinations and see which settings you prefer for your hair to achieve the look that you love!

2.  Completely brush your hair, making sure it is nice and smooth.  Take a small 1/2 inch- 1 inch section of hair. Place the styler where you want the curl to start on your hair, making sure that opening of the curl chamber (the circle part) is facing toward the head.  Place the brushed section of hair into the hair guide of the machine, let go of the hair, and close the handle.  Be amazed as your hair is automatically taken into the curl chamber!

3.  The machine will beep four times, and after the fourth beep, simply release the hair by opening up the Curl Secret, and release your pretty curled hair!  Repeat with the rest of your hair.  No burnt fingers, no hour spent on curls that don't last... these curls are easy, long lasting, and fast!  I spent only 15 minutes curling my entire head, and less than 15 minutes curling my daughter's hair.  Simply amazing!! 

4.  If you want tight, spiral curls, then you can leave the curls as is.  If you want looser, more natural curls or waves, then you can fluff up the hair a bit at the crown to give a bit more volume, and use your fingers to split and separate the curls.  You can also flip your head upside down to loosen the curls and give more volume to your hair as well.  Add a light spray of hairspray over your curls to help set them. My daughter wanted looser curls, and I wanted to try medium-tight curls on my straight hair.  We got exactly the looks we wanted with Conair Curl Secret!

I am absolutely in LOVE with the Conair Curl Secret, and think it's a steal at $99 at Walmart.  For less than it costs for a cut and color for my hair, I can have multiple new hairstyles and transform my look many times with the Curl Secret.  An extra bonus to buying it at Walmart is they offered me a two year warranty on the appliance for only $9, so that if anything happens to the machine for two years, I can get a replacement.  Love that!

Be sure to follow Conair on their Facebook and Pinterest pages for all the latest in hair.  If you have any questions about Curl Secret, I'd love to answer them for you!  Leave a comment and tell me what you think about this fun new product!

xo, Laura

Linking Up Here:  Tatertots and Jello

DIY Glitter Heels

I have always wanted a pair of sexy, shimmery, gold high heels, but my practical side has resisted buying them, telling myself that I wouldn't wear them enough to justify the purchase, and opting instead for shoes that I could wear with more outfits.

Being the girl that I am, I decided to make my own DIY pair of gold glitter heels from an old pair of shoes I bought for my sister's wedding a few years ago.  I was ready to toss these babies, but decided to give them one last chance.

And I'm so glad that I did!  With just a little Mod Podge and some gold glitter, I transformed my tired black peep toe heels into a shimmery shiny work of art that I can't wait to wear out on a hot date with my honey!

Would you like your own sparkly pair of glitter heels?  I basically used the same technique that I shared on my how to glitter anything post and when making my glitter letters.  

Supplies:

• Pair of shoes
• Mod Podge (I used matte)
• Glitter (I used Martha Stewart and Recollections from Michaels)
• Paintbrush
• Krylon Triple-Thick Crystal Clear Glaze

You can place newspaper, foil, tape, etc. anywhere that you like on the shoe to block any drips, spills, etc.  I chose not to do this- much faster and easier!

Step 1: Paint a thin layer of Mod Podge onto your shoes, one section at a time.  

Step 2:  Liberally sprinkle fine glitter onto the Mod Podge, and gently tap or shake shoe to remove the excess glitter.  

Step 3:  Repeat until entire show is covered.  You may do additional coats once the first cut is dry if necessary.  I did two coats, which was the perfect amount of coverage!

After a couple hours I went back outside and sprayed the completed shoes with the Krylon Triple-Thick Clear Glaze, just to make sure that I wasn't leaving a glitter trail everywhere I went.  Worked perfectly!  If you didn't have the Krylon spray, you could probably just do another coat or two of plain Mod Podge over the top of the shoes to seal in the glitter.

The before and after... what a transformation!  And this photo was after only one coat of glitter.

And helllllllooooooo sexy heel!  My tired sad black shoes are now screaming for attention after two coats of shimmery gold glitter.

You really should try resurrecting a pair of your old shoes!  It was fun and easy, and looks great.

You can check out my glitter letters and glitter heart for more sparkly fun!

Tune in next week where I show you how to glitter a kids' pair of canvas shoes too!

xo, Laura

If you liked this project, please follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Bloglovin', and Instagram.

Linking Up Here: I Heart Naptime, Skip to My Lou, Craft-O-Maniac, Sugar Bee Crafts, Lolly Jane, A to Zebra Celebrations, Lil Luna, Ginger Snap Crafts, Someday Crafts, Snap!, House of Hepworths, 36th Avenue, Whipperberry, Tidy Mom, See Vanessa Craft,