Behind the makeup...

Happy Tuesday!  I cannot believe that this week is the last week of September!  Where did the time go?  

I used to love this time of year.  I mean, I still love it, but it is also a reminder of a horrible time in my life. 

I went through serious postpartum depression last summer and fall after having my second child.  It was so bad that I was hospitalized.(By choice.)  A month after being hospitalized, everything went from horrible to horribly horrible.  Slowly, but surely I got better and have been better for a little under a year.

Even though that has all come and gone I am coming up on a day last year that I am more ashamed and horrified by then any other day in my life.  I know that I was sick and not of sound mind, but as this week has approached, I have been having bad flash backs and triggers of this day.  Even now typing I have tears streaming down my face because I hate that it even happened. 

I am normally one that tries to stay up beat and positive about trials I have gone or go through.   I know that I am who I am because of them.  I am all about speaking out and not being ashamed of our ailments and things that we can't control.    This one though...I know for a fact that I wasn't in control on this day.  I know for a fact that my postpartum had completely taken over.  I know that if I could go back and change this one event in my life I would in a second...faster then a second, but I can't.  I can't stand that I can't just let this go!  I want to so badly. I have been depressed and anxious for almost two weeks.  Sleeping is a thing of the past, along with a normal heart rate.  It is all because I haven't forgiven myself.  

It has taken a lot of therapy and people not giving up on me to have come out on the other side of postpartum.  I know that I am a blessed and loved women.  I need to learn to apply my rule for forgiving other to myself. "It is okay to forgive without having to condone."  (It is an alarm on my phone that pops up at 10 am everyday.  At 12 it is "I can do hard things." ha ha ha)  I can hate what happened, and still forgive myself.  It is just something that is going to take time. At least I am aware of it right? Ha ha ha!

Lets move one shall we.

I couldn't think of anything knew or exciting to write about because of all the other feelings that where taking over my brain and heart.  I was starting to get discouraged that I was letting my emotions take over so much.  I was sitting in front of my mirror and I picked up a makeup brush and just started doing what I do every time I try out a new look or just practice a technique.  I sat there and then took a picture of each step. 

I make crazy faces because you guys normally don't see these pictures and I don't like taking myself to seriously.  (Yes, I just came from the gym and smelled awful!)  After I am satisfied with what I have accomplished, I hop in the shower and wash it all off.  (I seriously do this about 3 to 4 times a week.)

After the shower I put that same look, if I liked it, back on my now clean face.  Once it is back on I head to the my living room with my phone and stand in front of the window with the best lighting. 

 This is when the selfie taking begins...

and then...

 more and 

more selfies!!!

Once I am done making myself feel self conscience about my selfie game, I sit on my couch and pick my favorite ones that show off them make up, and lets be honest, my face the best. (Ha ha ha! It is the worst! The things I do for you guys.  Ha ha ha!)  

After I am done picking my favorites and arrange them the way I want them for the blog, I go threw my photos and delete about 100 selfies!!  I am so lame! Ha ha ha!

Then when Monday comes around I sit and write. It is stressful and so much fun all at the same time.   I love it!

That is it.  That is how I come up with and practice for this lovely blog. I know that it was nothing exciting, but I wanted to give you a behind the scenes look.  I love doing this for you guys and myself.

Thank you for reading and letting me open and honest, and still have fun at the same time. It is important for my heart and soul.  

Remember readers, I may be a jack of this trade, but I am a master of none.

Natalie

When Summer and Fall Kiss...

Happy Monday to All!  It has been another crazy, but productive week, here at my house.  We are slowly but surly getting things put back together.  It is frustrating moving into a place that you already live in.  It is time consuming, everything is dusty, and want to throw most of our stuff away.  Yet, I wake up to my beautiful children laughing, I have a husband who loves me, and we are getting back to a structured life.  The good, as always, out weighs the bad.  That is what is important and that is what I choose to focus on. (Even knowing that we have a possum up in our addict. AHHHH!) "All good things. All good things." -Olaf from "Frozen"

I have been looking for inspiration all week.  Something to jump out at me and say, "Write about me!" I have been in a funk, and I needed something pretty to get me out of it.  So yesterday I sat in my bathroom and looked at my mess of a makeup collection.  As I was digging through the mess, two beautiful colors popped out and called my name.  I sat there and played.  I then posted a picture of my where my imagination led me and let me say, you readers really responded to it! (Thank you for the encouragement.  You are always there when I need you.)

This is what I did:

Before I get to into it. A little disclaimer first.  I didn't do my entire routine for this post.  I did, however, show you the steps that I tried something new.  I always want to keep you readers in the loop. 

 I primed my face using the Nivea Men Sensitive Post Shave Balm mixed with e.l.f illuminating Face Primer.

My skin has been looking and feeling dead.  I wanted to give it life with the e.l.f illuminating Face Primer, but I still wanted my make up to last.  That is why I decided to mix the two. 

L'Oreal Infallible Pro Glow was perfect to use to bring my skin to life again, or at least make it look that way. "Weekend at Burnies," type of situation. I also tried out this Oval Foundation Brush for the first time.  First impressions: It spreads the product out pretty evenly, but I felt that it didn't get in all the small surfaces of the skin.  

I used It Cosmetic, "Bye Bye Under Eye" Cream and Garnier "Renewal Anti-Dark Circles Roll on Concealer."  Both in Light/Medium. My two personal favorites. Then I used a generic Banana Powder to set my highlight and concealer. (Mine is Ben Ney Luxury Powder. It is from Wish and I spent $2 on it.) 

My dark circles and wrinkles are showing their ugly heads all the time now.  It's like I have a stressful this happen in my life recently or something.  Ha ha ha?  I have to do more then just a simple routine now. (Sad face!) I dabbed my It Cosmetic, "Bye Bye Under Eye" on my dark circles and then blended it in with my handy dandy Beauty Blender!! We love the Beauty Blender don't we readers? Yes we do!  After I blend. I take my ring finger and dab my under eye, then wipe off with a makeup wipe, and repeat until I feel like the oils and any excess product is taken off. After that I apply my Gernier Roller Concealer under my eyes to my temples, middle of for head, on the chin, and down the nose.  Then I take my Beauty Blender again and BLEND!!

This is where it got fun for me:

I used traditional colors for my crease using a bending brush.(It is from a generic palette so there is no name for it. Sorry!)   I then use a flat brush, NYX Matte Finishing setting spray and the color, "Smog,"  from Urban Decay Naked Palette for my lid and lower lash line. I  lined my lid with a black $1 waterproof liquid liner from Wish, and finished it off with a generic black mascara for my top and bottom lashes. 

I first took the light color and blended it across my entire crease.  I took the second transitional color with the same blending brush, and took it to the middle of my crease. I don't take this color all the way across because I don't want my eyes to look to hooded. I have extremely small lids, so I have to be careful with the darker transitional colors. That is why blending is oh so important.  The third transitional color I use just on the outer corner of the crease. Again, I don't want to look hooded.  Once I have blended so much that I can see through my own eye lid, I add "Smog," by Urban Decay Naked Palette.  I want this color to pop on my once again, extremely small eyelids.  I take my NYX face setting spray, spray my flat eye shadow brush, and then dip it in the color.  This is such a great hack for making your shadows last longer during the day and giving the shimmer colors a little help popping!  Once I am happy with the amount on my lids, I add the liner and mascara. 

Time for the main event:
I use Dose "Berry Me 2," liquid lip for my base color and then Jeffree Star Cosmetic, "Watermelon Soda," liquid lip for the center.  These two are close enough in color to where they wont clash, yet different enough to make that Ombre look that I wanted to achieve. 

Both of these liquid lip formulas are so pigmented and creamy that I only needed to do one coat of each.  First the of all, this "Berry Me 2," color by Dose is so perfect for this time of year.  It is dark, dramatic and will leave an impact.  I am sure you will see me wearing this color a lot.  Now we can't forget "Watermelon Soda," by Jeffree Star Cosmetics. This was in his summer collection he did this year. (Bought it during his Labor Day Sale. Score!) First of all, it smells and tastes so yummy! It doesn't dry out your lips, and the color is just perfect for those hot summer nights. It is also just the ultimate summer pink that we all need in our lives.   I put Berry Me 2 all over both lips.  I even had fun and over drew them to make them look bigger. (as you can see on the bottom right handed picture. Concealer fixed that right up.)  I then took "Watermelon Soda and followed the shape I created with Berry Me 2.  I just did it on the inner part of my lips. I pressed my lips together, before "Watermelon Soda," dried. It helped with the "Ombre," effect I was looking for.  I added a Wet N Wild clear gloss over them. (The liquid lips are Matte. My lips have been super dry, so I added the gloss to had that fact.)

This are the result when you mix summer and fall:

I am so in love with this summer/fall mash up creation of mine.  I love the way my eyes and lips just compliment each other so well. I hope that it inspires you to try something new!

Remember readers, I may be a jack of this trade, but I am a master of none.

Natalie

jhj

Putting Products to the Test!

Happy Labor Day to all!  I am so loving this 3 day weekend.  My husband gets every other Friday off so we actually had a 4 day weekend.  It has been amazing.  After a month of looking we finally got ourselves a new to us car!  It is a 08 Nissan Armada, her name is Big Ang, and I am in love with her already.  I forgot how much I love sitting up high in a car and how much safer I feel in a car that big.  It should be fun getting to know her.  (Yes, I know it is just a car, but they become part of the family very easily.)  Also, we are getting carpet in our bedrooms tomorrow! Which means we can officially move back down stairs.  Yay! We will actually have a house again and not just a room! 

So this past Saturday I posted this picture on my SnapChat, Instagram, and Facebook saying,

"Tried some new products this weekend and I can't wait to share the results with you on Monday!"

Then Sunday on my way to church I posted this picture:

(Can I just tell you all how silly I feel every time I take and post a selfie. Ha ha ha! The introvert in me screams, "Nooooo!" every time I do it.  Ha ha ha)

You readers were, and hope still are, very excited about me relieving the products that I was using and posting about. Now the wait is over.  

Let me start by saying I watch about billion makeup YouTube tutorials a week.  I love learning new tricks and figuring out how I can make them work for my life or by using  drug store product I already have without spending a million dollars.  You know for us everyday people who can't afford Sephora and refuse to spend $18 on a thing of liquid lips.(Not that there is anything wrong with doing that.  The formula of name brand products is usually steller. Quality over quantity type of thing. You do you and go for it, if you can.)  There is one YouTube star in particular that I love! Her name is NikkieTutorials.(Her YouTube name anyway.)  She is silly, sassy, and knows her stuff. (Jaclyn Hill is my other all time favorite! I pretty much want to be the Mom version of these two young ladies.)

NikkieTutorials apparently changed the makeup game when she introduced this products as her new favorite makeup Primers.  

No need to adjust your screen.  What you are seeing is correct.  Nivea Men Sensitive Post Shave Balm.  You can buy it at almost any drug store or Amazon for $9.11.

Nikki raved about this for months and then every person out there had to try it.  She claimed that her make up stayed on longer, she had less cracks in her foundation, and her skin just glowed all day.

(She talks about this in her video called "2015 TOP Hits and God No's" video from 7 months ago. Also, if you are not a fan of people using language she might not be for you. Just saying.)

Another product  YouTube stars such as, Jeffree Star and Manny MUA, have been raving about is this product. 

(Which is shocking if you ever watch them because they are all about the high end. When they said they loved this drug store product, I had to try it out.)

L'Oreal Paris Cosmetics Infallible Pro-Matte (or you can get in Pro-Glow) Foundation.  I am color Golden Beige.  Again, something that you can get at any drug store or on Amazon for $10.42.

People are claiming that this foundation is one of the best FULL COVERAGE Drug Store foundations on the market.  The claim is that it doesn't crack, or leave you looking cakey.  

The last product I tried out isn't something for everyday use, but for more of a special occasions.  I learned about it from Ms. Fame.  A Drag Queen Star who is an amazing makeup artist as well.  (Seriously she is so unbelievably talented.  She goes on peoples channels and they get "Painted," by her.  Her work is jaw dropping.)

Any time she would "paint," someones face she would finish it off with this:

Premiere Products PPI Green Marble Sealer Spray.  This is not something that you can pick up at any drug store, but you can get it on Amazon for $26.98.  I normally wouldn't spend that much on a setting spray that I can't use everyday, and  is for performers on stage, but When she said that it was like putting a bullet proof vest on your face to fight off sweat, water, and anything else, I had to give a try.  I live in East Texas.  I dealing with water and sweat is a daily occurrence.

I am going to say it again in case you weren't reading before, THIS IS NOT AN EVERYDAY SETTING SPRAY! 

Here is what I did:

I know I cute!

First I put on my regular Oil of Olay moisturizer. I let that set for 5 minutes.  Then I added the Nivea Shave Balm on top of that.  I let my skin soak that in.  Once that happened I used the L'Oreal Infallible Pro-Matte foundation applied with a foundation brush, and decided to go over it again with a Beauty Blender.  (The reason I did a Matte foundation is because I tend to be way more oily in Houston.  If I was back in California, I would use the Pro Glow because my skin is so dry when I am there.) 

Once my makeup was complete I shook the bottle and sprayed on the Green Marble Sealer Spray. (Man oh Man that stuff is strong smelling and stings the eyes. The smell goes away though and you learn to shut your eyes a little tighter.)  

Then I went on my marry way.  I took pictures though out the day to see if I and you readers could see any difference.  

I took an hour nap Saturday because I have a stupid chest cold that has been keeping me up all night. I snapped this pic right after I woke up and I still looked like I had all my make up on. Not bad.

This kid right here loves touching Mommy's face and tries to rip off my fake and real lashes in the on the daily.  He normally takes off half of my makeup after 30 minutes of playing with him.  Even after being drooled on, my makeup was still good.

6 hours later, my make up was still on my face.  It was a stupid hot day as well.  So the fact that I took a nap, had Wesley smear my face (way more the usual. I really wanted to test it,) my make up was still on was a good sign.

Now for the real test. How much makeup was really still left on my face:

Sorry to gross you out, but this was my makeup remover wipe that I used at the end of the day and this is the most makeup that I have ever taken off. Normally there is just mascarra and a teeny bit of foundation.

I had to make sure that it was a fluke so I did the same process on Sunday.

Sunday: Day 2

I did every thing I did the day before except I used E.L.F highlighting liquid in my foundation because I wanted to see how my foundation would look with doing a mixer of some kind. (By the way that E.L.F. Highlighter is not playing around for $3. Okay? Okay.) 

I also went to church that day.  I put on more makeup then I did the previous day.

Here is what I did:

This was taken 2 hours after church. I defiantly noticed a difference in how my make up felt from the none-highlighted foundation to the highlighted foundation.  It wasn't bad, it just felt different. I definitely had that glow though. "Hello Glow!" (Let's not even talk about my wonky eyes yesterday.  That is what I get for not bring the liner all the way to my inner corner.) 

 After to church we drove two hours to go and look at our now car.  It was 91 degrees, but it said it felt like 103.  I personally thought it felt like 200 degrees, but lets not be dramatic.  We met at a park where I got to chase around the the two kids and play in the beautiful weather.(Major eye roll here.) As you can see from this picture there is no shine on this face.  That NEVER happens when it is that hot and humid. NEVER!

I just love this picture.

When we got home from another 2 hour car ride the weather, in Houston fashion, changed dramatically. This is when the products really got put to the test.

I wanted to make sure I gave the products a run for their money.  We played in the rain for almost 30 minutes.  Do you see the water beading off of my skin? It's like putting RainX on your windshield. It just beaded off. 

This was about 7 hours into the day. After I patted my skin dry, made dinner, and watched some Gilmore Girls. I also took off the lashes because they couldn't withstand the rain.  I still had pretty full coverage and a highlight on the top of both of my cheeks.

Now this is where my jaw dropped!

This was my makeup remover wipe (Kirkland brand is seriously the best!) at the end of day two.  Look at all that make up!  I did not take it easy on these products either. 

Yet, the products didn't make it difficult to take off the left over makeup. I find that some products can leave a funky residue. It still all came off as easily as if I didn't have them on. 

Final thoughts:

I put these three products to the test. Children, Rain, Humidity, and so much more! 

Lets start with the Nivea Shave Balm first: It was cheap, light weight, and the smell was not strong at all. I mean you smell a little manly for the first little bit, but it goes away.  It left my skin feeling smooth and luminous.  I will say this, other bloggers with super oily skin said that they could only use it for a week before the started breaking out there skin or causing their pours to be larger.  So take that info as you will.  I don't think I will be my every day primer,  because I don't glam everyday, but for the price and how well my makeup stayed on during the day, I defiantly will be using it again.

L'Oreal Infallible Pro-Matte:  OMGoodness guys! This foundation was amazing.  That first day I didn't feel oily or shiny.  When you live in a humid place, that is almost impossible.  I also didn't have to use very much to get the full coverage/blank canvas look that I wanted my skin to have.  I will say, I like the way it applied better with a Beauty Blender then a Foundation Brush.  I also wouldn't add a highlighting cream mixed in it again.  It made my skin feel a bit more cakey the second day then the first. If I want the Glow effect I will just need to buy the Pro-Glow foundation instead.  

Last, but certainly not least the Premiere Products PPI Green Marble Sealer Spray!  I mean the rain was literally beading off of my skin!  The product is perfect for special occasions like, weddings, proms, holiday parties, or if you are going to be on stage for hours on end.  This was worth every penny and I will be using again for sure!  ( I know that there is a Blue Marble Sealer Spray that is supposed to be lighter for an everyday use, but that is for another blog.)

These products did not disappoint.  I was thinking at least one was going to let me down, but that was not the case.  

I hope you readers enjoyed reading this blog as much as I enjoyed trying all of these products out for myself.  Remember that makeup is all trial and error.  Try things out for yourself.  Also if you have any products you want me to try out for you let me know! I will do so gladly.   I will leave all of my Social Media information for you at the bottom of the page.

Remember readers, I may be a jack of this trade, but I am a master of none.

Natalie

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