For one of my final Wedding Wednesday posts before the Big Day, I have a confession to share: I'm planning to do my own makeup for my wedding day! I've done several "trial runs" of my wedding day makeup over the past few months, and I wanted to share a full list of the makeup products that I'm planning to use for my wedding day. Some are tried and true products that I already owned, and some are new higher end products that I splurged on. I also wanted to share some thoughts about what lead me to choose going this route for my wedding day beauty, versus hiring a makeup artist. Let's get into it!
I recently tried a high-end skincare retinol system that worked incredibly well for my skin! I shared a little bit about it on Instagram Stories and got so many questions about it, so I wanted to write up a quick blog post with more information.
It's been four years since I became an enthusiast of DIY manicures and ditched my costly monthly visits to nail salons. And I've never looked back! I first discovered ImPRESS press-on nails in 2019 and became obsessed. I then started playing around with different brands of nail polish wraps in 2021, and enjoyed incorporating those into my manicure routines when I wasn't using ImPRESS. Even though I had definitely found a variety of nail products that I did enjoy using at home, I kept feeling like there still might be something better out there for truly long-lasting DIY nails. And I was right! In 2022 I discovered the Dashing Diva Glaze UV Gel Nail Polish Wraps, and they are without a doubt the best nail product I've ever used. This is the magical unicorn product that I was searching for when it comes to doing manicures myself! It's about time I gave them a full review here on the blog.
I started doing my nails myself in 2019 to avoid costly trips to the salon. I was lucky to quickly find an at-home option that I loved: ImPRESS press-on nails. I still love using ImPRESS nails today, and they probably will always be my favorite DIY manicure option. (I've written two posts about ImPRESS- a review and tutorial here, and tips for making them last longer here!) Even though I'd found a great at-home option that I like for nails, I'm never opposed to still trying other new things. In the last couple years, the popularity of nail polish wraps has exploded, and I finally wanted to give those a try too! Over the past few months, I've been testing out three different brands of nail polish wraps, and I'm excited to share this review with you today.
ImPRESS Nails were one of my best new purchase discoveries of 2019, and I'm still absolutely obsessed with them today! Discovering these press-on drugstore nails completely eliminated my expensive monthly nail salon visits. It's been so much fun to hear from a lot of you since I started sharing about these nails that have also tried them! However, one of the most frequently asked questions that I get in my DMs now is how to make ImPRESS Nails last longer. There are definitely some "best practices" for application that can be the difference between them lasting just a few days, to lasting 10+ days! Today I'm sharing my best tips for making your ImPRESS Nails last as long as they can.
What a week for sales! I chatted about and shared a wishlist for the one happening at Shopbop earlier this week on the blog, and today we're talking beauty buys and the Sephora Sale. I have to start this post by being fully honest: I'm not the biggest Sephora shopper! In the last year especially, I've been trying to switch to as many drugstore beauty products as possible. I would say right now about 80% of my hair and makeup products are from drugstore brands. So I tend to buy a lot of beauty stuff mostly from Ulta, Walmart and CVS! But with that said- there are a few things that I do shop at Sephora for, and since they don't often do sales, now is the time that I stock up on these things.
I'm sure you don't need me to tell you that drugstore beauty products can be really hit or miss. On one hand, it is so great to find an affordable beauty product that exceeds your expectations and works well the first time your try it for your skin or hair. On the other hand, there can be a lot of flops with cheaper products, and it can be frustrating to keep trying various $5-10 items that don't work- that's when you start thinking maybe it would've been better to just splurge on a prestige brand item that would work the first time. Today, I'm sharing my holy grail favorite 10 drugstore beauty products! These are the affordable favorites that I've fallen in love with using.
Before this summer, I was convinced that my skin would never hold a warm summer glow. I was pale as could be for about 11 months of the year, and usually fighting off some sort of red sunburn for a few weeks in the summertime. But I've officially found a holy grail self tanner, it worked on me exactly how I wanted it to, and I couldn't be more pleased! Today I'm sharing all about my newfound obsession with Isle of Paradise Tanning Drops.
Last October, my life was forever changed thanks to a beauty discovery! Okay- maybe saying "forever changed" is a slight exaggeration. 😉But hey, it's been over six months now since I first tried ImPRESS nails and I'm still obsessed with them. I finally shared an IGTV tutorial for how I apply them this week, so I wanted to include some extra info to go along with that on the blog as well!
If you've been hearing a lot of buzz about a skincare and makeup brand called Beautycounter, and are curious what the hype is, today's blog post will break down everything for you! I'm not a Beautycounter consultant myself, nor am I being paid to share positive reviews (I was gifted these products but this isn't a sponsored collaboration!). I just wanted to test out these products that have been getting a lot of hype, and after testing them write a truly honest blog post review- which is exactly what's here in today's blog post!
This blog post has been a long time coming... as in I should've posted something like this years ago! Better late than never, right? Today I'm sharing my daily makeup routine, which is what I do for work everyday, and church on Sundays. My Tuesday blog post series for March focuses on different types of routines, and I thought this would be a fun one to start with, since it's been so requested over the years! I apologize in advance for the million photos in this post, but I wanted to really show the detail of how I apply everything.
This routine takes me 15 minutes to do each morning. It's definitely a little bit longer than a very basic five minute face routine (with just essentials like concealer and mascara) - but I feel my best each day if I spend a little extra time on my makeup in the mornings! I usually start doing my makeup at 3:45 am before work- if I'm able to do this that early in the day, I promise it's not that hard! 🙂
This post was sponsored by wet n wild as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that support Southern Belle in Training!
I love to share round-ups of all of the PR packages that I receive from blogging. Normally these blog posts feature PR mail and gifts from many different brands, but today's blog post is going to feature just one of my favorites: Avon! They have generously sent me many great PR packages over the last year, but the two most recent ones that I've received have just been filled full of fabulous products. I wanted to dedicate a whole blog post just to my favorite Avon items! If you're unfamiliar with my PR reviews- just a disclaimer that this post isn't sponsored!! Just wanted to share my honest thoughts about some of the packages that I receive as a blogger.
Confession time: I've been a nail biter since before I can remember. Seriously... pretty much since the time I first grew nails as a toddler, I've been biting and picking at them. It's a lifelong habit that I've tried so hard to break throughout the years. I'd always painted my nails regularly growing up, but I'd always pick or bite the polish off, which was terrible!When I got my first full-time job last year, I decided to start treating myself to regular manicures as a way to hopefully combat my habit. I figured that spending money on my nails would prevent me from getting at them.
After a year of frequent gel manicures, I had my first SNS ("Dip Nails") manicure this past spring, and this immediately became my favorite nail treatment ever! I'm sharing today about my experiences with SNS, how it's helped my nail biting, how it compares to gel, if I think it's worth the cost, and more!
Calling all fellow makeup lovers! Sephora's biannual VIB Sale opened today to VIB members and Beauty Insider members of the Sephora rewards program. VIBs can save 15% on any purchases from now through April 23rd, and Beauty Insiders can save 10%. If you need to replace an empty product, or have been wanting to try something new from a high-end beauty brand, now is a great time to do it!
Do you remember your first experience with Sephora? Mine was when I believe I was in 9th or 10th grade, when the first one opened in the Maine Mall (the mall where I'm from). I had heard about Sephora from magazines and online, so I was so excited to finally have one in my local mall! I remember that my first purchase there was a quad of turquoise eyeshadows. Hey- I've always like my bold and bright colors, even in makeup! A couple years later, Ulta also opened in Maine, and then my loyalty in makeup shopping kind of shifted. I know, I know... this is a Sephora focused blog post, but I'll admit it, I'm more of an Ulta girl! (Hence why I'm still just a Beauty Insider, and don't have VIB status!) But with that said, Sephora does sell a few things I love that Ulta doesn't, and I do still enjoy Sephora as well.
I wanted to share some of my high-end beauty favorites in today's blog post in case you're looking for some new products to pick up during this edition of the VIB Sale! Happy shopping beauties!
*IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Makeup 3-in-1 Makeup Cleansing Balm: I use a few different products to remove my makeup, but this is one of my holy grails since I first discovered it a couple years ago! It breaks down everything from facial makeup to the toughest waterproof eye makeup, and it will all rub off after applying into a tissue. I will say that this isn't the best to use on your eyes for days in a row if they're sensitive- I usually prefer to use a different makeup remover directly on my eyes specifically. But it works amazingly well to get off all types of makeup! It's pricy- so the VIB Sale is a great time to purchase!
*IT Cosmetics Je Ne Sais Quoi Hydrating Color Awakening Lip Treatment: I've tried this product in both shades, and I love it! These are the ideal lipsticks for everyday wear or the workplace. I have the shade Rose in my workbag right now! I love them so much that I actually got more and gave them to some friends for Christmas last year since this is such a versatile lip product.
*IT Cosmetics Superhero Mascara: Okay- one last amazing IT Cosmetics product! Overall I'm usually a fan of drugstore mascaras, but this one is a prime exception. It has incredible volume and length. I wear 2-3 mascaras daily, and this is usually my third mascara when I wear it, the icing on the cake for gorgeous lashes! The VIB Sale would be a great time to try it and bring it into your beauty routine.
*Makeup Forever Ultra HD Foundation: This is my #1 Sephora specific holy grail item, as Ulta doesn't sell this! It is an expensive foundation, but so worth it. I am blessed to have very good skin (and I never suffered much from facial acne in high school), but despite that, I have always liked full coverage foundations for dressy looks and my photoshoots for the blog. This is my favorite foundation to wear for blog shoots. It blends effortlessly but definitely gives you a "made up with coverage" feel if that makes sense, but without feeling heavy! I can't recommend this enough, especially to other bloggers. It photographers very well too.
*Too Faced Chocolate Gold Eyeshadow Palette: This was a belated Christmas gift to myself this year, and I love this palette! The packaging is adorable (I'm a sucker for that). I really like how it has a balance of gorgeous neutral shades as well as fun colors- best of both worlds! I still need to play with this palette more and see what other looks I can create.
*Becca X Chrissy Teigen Glow Face Palette: One of my favorite beauty purchases of 2017! I adore each one of the four items in this face palette, and I've long ago hit pan on the bronzer in here. This was my very first Becca purchase and now I'm loyal to their highlighters and bronzers. If you haven't played with Becca makeup before, this palette is a great intro to the line! And it's perfect for travel. Plus cute packaging too!
*Sephora Collection Face Mask: Sephora's own house brand has some great gems within the line. One day last summer I'd had a really long week and needed a little pick-me-up. I decided to try one of the face masks from the Sephora Collection, and it was just what I needed! So moisturizing and refreshing. I believe I tried the scent "Lotus." These are under $10 so you could stock up and save them for Christmas stocking stuffers or birthday gifts!
There's just a few of my stand-out favorites for y'all! Happy makeup shopping this weekend, let me know if you pick up anything from the VIB Sale!
My mom arrives in Charlottesville for a long weekend visit tonight! I will be taking Monday off from the blog to spend more time with her, but stay tuned for a new post on Tuesday! And of course you can keep up with me on Instagram @miss_alk this weekend- we have a fun weekend of adventures ahead.
Tea or Coffee. Cats or Dogs. Spring or Fall. Ulta or Sephora. These are some of life's greatest questions for girls! While the first three things listed might be easier for us ladies to have a defined opinion about, most makeup lovers that I know have a strong opinion about Ulta vs. Sephora. Both stores are great and both have their pros and cons, but beauty gurus usually gravitate towards one or the other for most of their shopping. I'm Team Ulta 100%. I love the bright aesthetic of their stores and branding, and it's so convenient that they carry both drugstore and prestige cosmetic brands. I personally think their rewards program is one of the best out there too!
Anyways, go figure that Vermont doesn't have any Ulta stores, nor is there one is Plattsburgh, NY (the small shopping area across Lake Champlain in Upstate NY). The nearest Ulta is 3 HOURS from where I currently live! Sure there is the website... but there's just something about actually being in Ulta. Anyways, one of the things that I was most looking to about visiting a friend in Indiana over New Year's was getting to do some much needed shopping at Ulta! I stocked up on all of my regular beauty favs, but of course I had to treat myself to several new things to try as well. My excuse was that I rarely shop at Ulta anymore.... so I had to treat myself... right? 😉 Sharing my recent Ulta purchases in today's post!
This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting Southern Belle in Training!
*Becca Sunlit Bronzer in Bronzed Bondi - I tried my first Becca products this summer, when I purchased their Chrissy Teigen highlighter palette, which also contained a bronzer. Chrissy's palette is a great entry to the Becca line- I'm definitely hooked now! While I loved the highlighters and blush, it was the bronzer that was the surprising star. It was a palette exclusive bronzer that I ran out of, so I purchased the Becca Sunlit Bronzer in Bronzed Bondi at Ulta, which is a pretty close match to the one in the Chrissy Teigen palette. Becca Bronzers blend beautifully and feel like butter, seriously!
*Essence Lash Princess False Lash Effect Mascara- I have been well aware of the wonders of Essence mascaras for a few years now. Hands down, Essence is my favorite drugstore makeup brand! I've tried just about every makeup product they make, and have yet to find any I really dislike. Many I love and are apart of my daily routine. If you're unfamiliar with the line, Essence is a European beauty brand that Ulta started carrying a few years ago. Select Target stores now carry it too. Almost everything is under $10, most items under $5, and the quality is amazing. So far, I really like this mascara!! I wear three mascaras daily and I've been using this as my second layer to build volume. I think I'll repurchase!
*Essence Matt Matt Matt Lipstick in 03 Wow Effect - It can be difficult to find drugstore brand lipsticks that have high quality, feel, and pigmentation. I'm here to report that Essence's lipsticks really are too good to be true! Their Matt Matt Matt lipsticks are just a few dollars, and wear beautifully. I picked up a new one in shade Wow Effect, which has a pretty purple-berry tone to it. I've been wearing it a lot and love it, it's a great color for winter.
*Essence Lip Liner in various shades: I've tried Essence lip liners before and have loved them! They're one of my favorite affordable lip liners to use. I really can't say enough good things about most Essence cosmetics if you can't tell! I bought some new ones in shades I didn't previously have.
*Essence Kajal Eye Pencil in Feel the Mari-Time: I love playing around with colorful eyeliners with certain outfits or for fun occasions, and I realized while browsing at Ulta that I've never tried any of the Essence Kajal eye pencils. I love the radiant turquoise shade of Feel the Mari-Time!
*Too Faced Metallic Gold Palette: I am such a sucker for eyeshadow palettes. This was my big splurge item of this Ulta trip! I couldn't get over the incredible color and shine or these shadows. I love bold metallic eyeshadows, and they're great colors to pair with winter outfits.
Have you tried any of these products? Or had a fun Ulta haul of your own lately?
Now for today's blog announcement! Something that I've wanted to do for a very long time is begin an email newsletter for Southern Belle in Training. I hesitated on doing this for a couple of years because I don't personally subscribe to many bloggers' newsletters (because my inbox is already normally so full!), but it finally started to dawn on me that just because I don't personally read a lot of newsletters, it doesn't mean that some of you might not like to read mine! So I've officially launched a blog newsletter. 😊To prevent inbox clogging- it will only be sent out once a month, at the end of the month. As of right now- it highlights a few favorite posts from the month, and it will preview what's to come on the blog in the next month, so you'll be in the know first! I'm hoping to add more exclusive content to it as time goes on.
To sign up for my blog's email list, just enter your email in the widget below! I'll include that in future blog posts as well.
It's that time again! Every couple months on the blog, I like to share and review the fun PR packages that I get through blogging. Most of them are beauty related, but sometimes I do get some that fall into other categories. You can check out my previous PR Packages post here! As always- my little disclaimer that this post isn't sponsored in any way by the brands featured, PR Packages are "gifts" that brands send out to bloggers to test and review at their leisure, I'm not currently in a paid relationship with any of these brands! So all opinions in today's post are absolutely 100% honest! Let's jump in:
This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting Southern Belle in Training!
First up are a few new packages from one of my favorites, IT Cosmetics! I know that many of y'all have become hooked on this brand just like I have, and that makes me so happy, because so many of their products are game changers. The first package that I recently received from IT had two new skincare products. First up was the Miracle Water, which is a liquid cleansing product. I tested this for a couple weeks and while I did like it, but it probably isn't something that I would purchase on my own, since you should probably have a certain type of cotton pad to apply it with for it to really work well. They also sent their Secret Sauce anti-aging moisturizing cream, which I enjoyed testing! However- I didn't see any difference between this on my skin and their Confidence in a Cream, which I was previously using. (So I've gone back to finishing my Confidence in a Cream, and then I'll probably come back to Secret Sauce to finish that- lol!) I think both work very well as moisturizers, I just don't see a difference between the two and the results.
Next up from IT Cosmetics- they recently re-did their fan favorite CC Cream! The new version is called Your Skin But Better CC Cream with SPF 50+. Wouldn't this be just ideal for summer with the high SPF?! I actually wasn't a huge fan of the original IT CC Cream, but so far I'm liking this one better! I wear shade Light, and it looks gorgeous on!
Unfortunately... I really didn't like the products that are up next. I promise to always give honest reviews in these PR Package review posts, and the truth is that sometimes I just don't like certain products very much! John Freida sent me several haircare items from their Frizz Ease line. A background on my hair: I had pin-straight hair growing up, but I permed it during my freshman year of college. Since I got a perm with "virgin" hair, the perm took very well and remnants of it lasted well for the rest of my college years! My hair has predominantly gone back to straight now, but my natural hair still has a little bit of wave and frizz to it, and probably always will, thanks to that perm. Anyways, I was excited to try these products on my natural hair, but was unfortunately super disappointed in the results! The shampoo and conditioner left a lot of residue on my hair, and the curl/wave enhancing products just made my hair look dirty and unkept, instead of naturally wavy and pretty. I think as far as the curl enhancers, that might be because I don't have a lot of natural curl anymore as its been years since I had that perm. I'm giving those products to a friend who has naturally curly hair to see if she has different results! But anyways, I wouldn't recommend the John Freida Frizz Ease products for someone with hair like mine.
The next product is from another favorite line of mine, Aveda! Their newest haircare product is called Texture Tonic, and it's a perfect blend of a salt and sugar spray, that's designed to add texture and natural waves to your hair. I tested this a few times when I had damp hair after a shower, and sprayed some Texture Tonic onto my hair, scrunched it, and then slept on it as it air dried. The end results were definitely better than the similar product that John Freida Frizz Ease had sent over! Texture Tonic probably isn't something that I'll be using too much in the winter months to come, but I feel like this will be a product that I'll come back to the the summer, for an easy and relaxed hair look for lake and beach days!! This is essentially beach hair in a bottle!
The next few products are from a new-to-me brand! About a month ago, Elemis sent me their Pro-Collagen Marine Cream, which was being packaged in a limited edition special pink box for October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Y'all- this cream is incredible. It feels like you're putting a big, cozy blanket of moisture and goodness on your face! That might be a weird analogy, but really, I've never used any face cream that feels as luxurious as this one! And I loved the pink packaging for October. Elemis also just sent me another package of skincare goodies that arrived right as I was shooting the photos for this post. I wasn't able to test the products yet, but they look amazing, and it was so kind of the brand to already send more goodies!
Pun intended... Goody Hair recently sent me a bunch of goodies! I've loved Goody's hair accessories for many years! Their hair elastics, clips, and bobby pins are affordable and also work so well! They sent all the essentials, and a gorgeous-looking new hair brush! Fun fact: I actually haven't owned a hair brush in about a year and a half. (I just use a wide tooth comb.) I'm excited to give brushing a go again!
And lastly- a non-beauty package! I did an Instagram collaboration this summer with YumEarth, which is a great organic candy and snack company. I've become social media friends with one of their sweet employees, Jacqueline, who does their marketing and PR. She sent me the sweetest little Halloween package, filled with mini sizes of YumEarth candy favorites!
And that's it for my Fall PR Packages!! Holiday PR gifts should be arriving soon... so stay tuned for that post in a month or two!
I'm so excited about today's beauty post! I finally had the chance to test and review the lip product that everyone is talking about the social media is buzzing over!! My honest thoughts all about LipSense are in today's post.
LipSense in Kiss For A Cause c/o Smooch by April
Every couple years, there seems to be a new MLM (multi-level marketing) product that takes America by storm. When I was growing up, it was Silpada jewelry. This was in the days before social media, but it seemed like everyone and their mother, at least in my small Maine hometown, was having a jewelry party. In fact- I actually remember tagging along with my mom to a Siplada jewelry party, as a mom of one of my friends growing up was selling the jewelry. One of my very first pairs of earrings ended up being from Silpada.
A notable MLM company was the Jamberry Nail Wraps craze a couple years ago. I actually was sent some of those to review in a really old blog post (check it out here to see something old and embarrassing haha!), and I tried them out on my toes. I gave them a positive review at the time on my blog, but after ordering some more on my own (I was also invited to a Jamberry party later that summer) and trying them on my nails, I realized they didn't actually work that well. That experience kind of dulled my views on MLM companies, and honestly I didn't pay attention to many on social media from then on.... until LipSense!
In the past few months, a magical-seeming lip product called LipSense started popping into my Instagram feed on a daily basis. I also started receiving a lot of DMs from random girls on Instagram who are distributors and wanted me to sign up for them and become a distributor too... which was quite annoying. Honestly at first I was just blown away by how much this lip product had suddenly inserted itself into my social media feeds! But then I noticed something.... bloggers that I have followed for a long time (I'm talking years!), were starting to rave about LipSense and become distributors. Normally bloggers are very anti MLM companies (How many bloggers have you seen selling Mary Kay or It Works wraps for example), so it peaked my interested that so many girls that I knew were becoming distributors. Just a few included- Jessica from J Petite, Stephanie from Stephanie Drenka, and Jenny from Breakfast at Lilly's (one of my co-admins for The Millennial Blogger Network!).
Then I noticed this spring that one of my absolute all-time favorite bloggers, April from Smidge of This (formally A. Liz Adventures) was selling LipSense and raving about it. If you don't follow April, she is a Charlotte-based lifestyle blogger who I've followed for YEARS now, and you absolutely need to stop what you're doing right now and follow her blog! April posts bargain finds, tons of photos of her two adorable daughters, things to do in Charlotte, recipes, and so much more. Truly- her blog is one of my favorite daily reads! Anyways, if there is anyone who I would trust a recommendation from- it is 100% her! Long story short- I messaged April on Facebook, and that lead to today's blog post! She generously sent me a LipSense color and gloss from her stock to try out and review. I've never been so excited to do a beauty review post, and I tried my LipSense out the day that it came in the mail! April sent me the beautiful fuchsia pink color "Kiss For a Cause," and I loved the shade since it reminded me of some other favorite lipsticks I have.
One of the main reasons that I wanted to write this blog post and do this review is because when trying to first research LipSense on my own after seeing it on social media so much, every blog post review and article that I found seemed to be written by a distributor! I'm all for salespeople who love what they sell, but it did seem a bit biased to me that it was hard to find any reviews not written by women who don't sell it. So here I am today, setting out to change that!! Above you can see a couple photos of the application process, and here are my pros and cons after trying and testing LipSense over the last couple weeks:
Pros:
It lives up to its promises: This is obviously the biggest reason that I liked it! If you've seen any distributors posting about the product online, you will see them boasting about how LipSense is the ultimate long-wearing lip product, and that it's smudge proof, waterproof, and extremely long lasting (like 12+ hours). I'm here to attest that, yes, that's ALL true! I was blown away when I first put on the bold shade of Kiss For a Cause that it really wouldn't transfer over to clothing, food, etc once it was on my lips, but it doesn't! That stuff stays put. It even lasted fairly well through my showers, so that's how I know it is pretty waterproof! I love a product that lives up to its claims, and so for me that automatically makes the $55 price point (for a starter kit with a distributor) worth it. I was so, so impressed.
The color variety: LipSense comes in 40+ colors- most are in the permanent collection, but other colors are limited edition for certain seasons to keep things fun!
A little goes a LONG way: You only have to use a tiny bit of LipSense color and gloss to get the desired effects, so even though it does have a higher price point than drugstore makeup brands, one tube of color can last you months and months! I'm all for longevity in makeup products.
Cons:
Selling out: Based on the current business structure of Sengence and the huge success of this product (the company that owns LipSense), it can sometimes be hard for distributors to get certain colors all the time. I guess this just further proves how much in high demand this is!
Hard to get remains off: LipSense does sell a special remover to take off their product called Oops! Remover, although I haven't tried that yet. Since it is SO long-lasting, I did find that sometimes hard to get off all the color at the end of the day after washing my face. I guess that's a good problem to have though? Haha!
Tricky application process: LipSense has a very specific application process for it to work properly. You have to apply it in certain coats and layers (not like applying regular lipstick). However- April included instructions in my order, and there are tons of Youtube tutorials! I personally found this one helpful. I found my LipSense easy to apply over my lunch break in the bathroom at work, and of course at home in my own bathroom, however I don't think this is something you could apply at a traffic light while driving, or in a hurry!
In my unbiased, non distributor opinion.... I will tell y'all that I LOVED this product and it exceed my expectations!! I totally get why a lot of girls that try it end up signing to be distributors. I actually had a long conversation with April about what that would look like for me if I decided to do it too, since I do believe in this product. I decided against becoming a distributor right now, as things are really picking up at my day job (summer is the radio busy season for events!), so I didn't feel like I had the time to take on a new business venture. But I hope to continue supporting April and the other bloggers that I follow who are distributors! You can totally love LipSense and not sell it. 😉
Have you tried LipSense yet? Did you like it? Or have any other MLM companies pleasantly surprised you recently? Speaking of those... Mary Kay was a sponsor at the blogging conference I went to last year, and I recently tried the concealer that they gifted all of the bloggers. It is fantastic! I might have to order more at some point.
As much as I adore trying new beauty products, I'm also extremely loyal to my "tried and trues". I made a pretty big Ulta haul this week (Because #SOS there are no Ulta stores in Vermont so gotta stock up now!), and after getting home I realized that everything I bought was a replacement for a product that I've already used and loved. Sometimes you just have to stay true to what you love!
Photography by Deeana Kourtney Photography
This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting Southern Belle in Training
With all that said, I do get so excited when I try a new beauty product and fall head over heels for it, and know that it will be apart of my daily routine. Even better (and rarer!) is when I try a whole new line and fall in love with just about everything. That's exactly what happened with me and IT Cosmetics last year! I had heard of IT previously, but had never tried any of their products. They were a sponsor at last summer's Blog Societies conference which I attended in Charleston, so I had the opportunity to meet members of their PR team and learn about the products firsthand. I came home with tons of products to try from their Bye Bye line, which was just about to debut at Sephora, and blown away by what I found after testing everything! Throughout this past year I've had the chance to try a lot more IT Cosmetics products, and I've fallen in love with many. The nine that I have featured in this post are now considered among my absolute ride or die beauty products, and I use them everyday that I wear a full face of makeup.
(Just an FYI- this post isn't sponsored! I wanted to share products that I have been using and genuinely love. However all products mentioned in this post are c/o IT Cosmetics)
*Superhero Volumizing Mascara - Like most girls, I love my mascara and am picky about which ones I like. I love the look of super dramatic lashes for everyday wear, basically I always want to look like I have false lashes on. 😉 I wear mascara primer and usually layer three different mascaras for my daily makeup routine- true story! This mascara pleasantly surprised me, and has become my #2 layer mascara, as it builds and lengthens really well. It's also awesome to wear on days when I don't do full makeup and just wear one mascara for a little bit of something. One note about this mascara- the tube is very messy. The product frequently smears out of the tube and all over it and onto my hands, which doesn't happen a lot with my other mascaras?! But it doesn't actually affect how it is on my eyes so therefore I'd keep wearing it!
*Superhero Eyeshadow Palette - This palette is actually sold out right now, but I linked to it anyways so that y'all can purchase it and bookmark it should it come back in stock. IT Cosmetics sent this to all of the bloggers who went to TBS Con a little bit before the conference, and I actually brought mine with me to Charleston since I liked it so much! I think it's what I've been wearing in most of my recent blog shoots also. This is an ideal eyeshadow palette because it's great for both everyday wear and fun nighttime looks as well. The eyeshadows last all day as long as you wear eyeshadow primer under them (this is my favorite primer).
*Je Ne Sais Quoi Complexion Perfection Palette - One of my favorite IT Cosmetics products!! This great palette is perfect for contouring and highlighting. It has a universally flattering bronzer, highlighter, blush and setting powder. LOVE this palette and would recommend it to anyone!
*Confidence in a Compact (SPF 50) - Out of everything I've tried from IT, this item surprised me the most and I absolutely adore it! This is a compact creme foundation- I'd never really used anything like this before. I've been blessed to generally have really great facial skin, but despite that, I've always preferred high coverage liquid foundation. I love makeup and really like wearing a "made up" look. So in the past I've never worn an compact foundations. But oh my gosh this product absolutely blew me away. It blends SO naturally with my skin (I wear shade "Light"), and gave me a perfect everyday look. I actually brought this to Italy instead of my liquid foundation since it was one less thing for my liquids bag on the plane, and it was a dream to fly and travel with. It's not the highest coverage foundation, but it makes me feel like my skin can breath a bit more while wearing it. I have tried the uber popular IT Cosmetics CC Cream before, but absolutely prefer this product to that.
*Brow Power Universal Brow Pencil - If I could only use one makeup product ever, it would be an eyebrow pencil. My eyebrows are actually my feature that I'm most insecure about- they're very full and bushy but also not super filled in if that makes sense. Everyday I fill them in with a pencil and shape them with gel to try and get them how I like. Previously I was using a drugstore pencil that was under $5 which I did like a lot, so it would take a lot for me to switch to something that was more money. But goodness- one try of this pencil and I was hooked! It's just great! I still go back and forth between this and my drugstore pencil but this one is real good.
*Bye Bye Under Eye Illumination Concealer - This concealer is good stuff!! I wish I had known about this concealer at this time two years ago when I was taking History of Journalism, aka the hardest class that I took in college, and the reason that I didn't get more than four hours of sleep most weeknights during spring semester of junior year. This product would have covered up all of the dark circles from late nights of paper writing! Seriously though, this concealer can cover up anything. A little goes a LONG way- I only have to use the tiniest amount. It actually works so well that it's not my everyday concealer, but I always reach for this if I have extra dark circles or a bad zit to cover up.
*Bye Bye Makeup Melting Cleansing Balm - This is probably one of my most favorite IT Cosmetics products! Good makeup removers are so hard to find- am I right? Especially finding ones that can take off waterproof eye makeup. This cleansing balm is absolutely amazing- you just rub a little bit on your eyes and face, follow up with a tissue, and then wash your face as normal, and the makeup is 100% gone! I've never seen anything that works so well. It is very pricy, but totally worth it in my opinion (and it lasts forever).
*Bye Bye Pores Primer - A great and lightweight foundation primer that gets the job done! I don't wear this every single day, but I usually wear it before blog photoshoots or going out/special occasions when my makeup is heavier.
*Vitality Blush Hydrating Gloss Stain (Shade: Je Ne Sais Quoi) - Fact about me: I am an eye makeup girl and not a lip girl. That doesn't mean that I don't have an enormous lipstick collection, but it just means that eyeshadows and mascaras will always be my main weakness, and that I never feel ready until my eye makeup is done, not my lips. Many days I actually forget to put lipstick on #badfashionblogger. However- I'm still 10000x more likely to wear lipstick than lip gloss! Blame it on the fact that I have really long hair, but most lip glosses are so sticky and get caught in either my hair, food, or other things. No thanks! Good news though: The Vitality Blush Hydrating Gloss Stains are changing my perspective on lip glosses! I've been wearing this all the time, and it's fairly non sticky and looks so beautiful naturally on my lips or layered over lipstick.
So there you have it- my favorite IT Cosmetics products! Have you tried anything from this brand before? If so, what are your favorites?
And please give me feedback on if you liked this type of blog post! Since my reader survey I have been trying to integrate more beauty content into my blog as well, but I want to make sure that y'all like these types of posts.
My love for makeup runs almost as deep as my passion for fashion- true story! It dawned on me recently though that beauty isn't a topic that I blog about very often at all, and I'm hoping to change that. I'm not really sure why it's something I don't blog about often... maybe because when I'm looking for information about beauty products or a certain type of makeup tutorial it is something I'll definitely seek out, but on an average day I would personally rather read about fashion or lifestyle on someone else's blog. But it doesn't mean that I don't still love it- if that makes sense?! Haha. So here's to adding in more beauty posts on my blog!
I thought a good place to start with the beauty posts would be with sharing about my tried and true lipsticks. There are certain beauty products that I prefer to splurge on, but in all honestly lip products are not one of them. (I do have one beloved Chanel lip gloss which I feel very fancy every time that I wear, but that's about the exception. 😉) There are so many great drugstore cosmetic brands, and I think that lip products are one of the best makeup items to buy at a drugstore price point. Of course not every affordable cosmetic brand makes great lipsticks- some aren't well pigmented, and some can really dry out your lips. But there are also some true winners that are both great on the lips and great for the wallet! As you can probably tell from the pictures, my favorite shades for daily wear are variations of muted berries and pinks. I do wear nudes, reds and bright shades for blog photos or special events sometimes, but the lipsticks that I'm sharing today are my favorites for everyday.
Revlon is usually my go-to brand for lipsticks. I've never partnered with Revlon on my blog... just an honest fan of their lipsticks! These lipsticks are available at Ulta, Target/Walmart and drugstores nationwide, and they're always bringing new colors into the line, as well as continuing to produce the favorite colors. Most of my favorite Revlon lipsticks are from the Super Lustrous line. I used to be a fan of the Colorburst Lip Butters as well (and featured one of my favorite shades, Berry Smoothie, from those in this post), but sadly the Lip Butters have been recently discontinued. But here are my favorites from the Super Lustrous lipstick line:
*Demure (683) - This was my signature lipstick shade just about all through college! It's a warm peachy-pink, and has very much of a "pearl" finish to it. I wear this lipstick more than any other in my blog posts, but here's just one look at it!
*Blushing Mauve (460) - A gorgeous shade- I would describe it as a "moody pink" if that makes any sense! It's a great shade to wear in winter/early spring especially as it's slightly cool toned. I wore it in this post!
*Rosewine (225) - This is the perfect hint of red for everyday wear, without being so bold that it feels overpowering! It's a very warm shade. I don't wear on blog very often (not really sure why), but I did wear it here.
*Temptress (680) - Just a really pretty bright pink for everyday wear. Gorgeous color without being "too much." Looks great with a liner under it as well! I'm wearing it here (old blog post but some of the close up photos show the color well).
*Pink Velvet (423) - This is a very versatile lipstick that looks great with outfits in all seasons, and can easily go from day to night looks! I've recommended this one to friends before as one of my ultimate go to shades. It's a nice blend of pink and red. It looks great worn in this blog post!
*Berry Smoothie - The perfect warm berry shade for everyday wear. I loved the Lip Butter line because these lipsticks literally went on like butter!! Hopefully I'll find a dupe product for this soon. If you can still find this anywhere, here's me wearing it in a blog post.
Two other non-Revlon favorites that I wanted to share:
*essence Long Lasting Lipstick in Blush My Lips (c/o) - essence is my favorite drugstore makeup brand. When I do want to wear a very bold pink for an everyday look, this is usually the lipstick I reach for! It's a gorgeous deep pink, and has amazing staying power. The best part is that it's under $5! I'm wearing it here.
*Aveda nourish-mint lipstick in Sheer (c/o) - I've received some awesome PR packages from Aveda over the past several months, and my favorite package of all contained this lipstick, as well as another from the nourish-mint line. This one specifically is the ideal nude shade!! It's truly a "your lips but better" color. I wore it in this post!
I'm linking the adorable makeup bag shown in the pictures below as well! (A Christmas gift from my sweet college roommate, Caroline!)
Now I want to know - what are your favorite everyday lipsticks? Is there a drugstore brand that you're loyal to for lip products? Share away!
Stay tuned for Midweek Ramblings and Recent Purchases on Wednesday! Lots of exciting things to come soon... both for the blog and my personal life. Can't wait to share more soon!
