Beauty Forum Bookmarks: Our Favorites Part One

These are a few of our favorite beauty sites! We thought we’d share the sites we have bookmarked and visit frequently and what we love and don’t love about each of them. These are GREAT resources, and while many of you may have heard of them, we thought we’d share this list for all of our readers. This will be a two part series so that you can check them out in little groups.

BEAUTEZINE: Part magazine, part blog, this site has a little bit of everything.
Best at: BROCHURES. Her Fall MAC Collection Brochures were the best way to view the tons of MAC collections and see EXACTLY what was in each collection. Sheer brilliance. The monthly magazine is usually pretty nice too.
Lacking in:  Post frequency. If you love hyper frequent posts, this one is not for you. It’s more like a magazine so it’s not as frequent.


Temptalia: Every product ever. The latest releases, the hottest products, great dupes, and reviews of collections.
 
Best at: Reviewing products before they even hit shelves. Wondering whether or not to grab that new Urban Decay Palette? Check Temptalia. The Glossover system rates each
product thoroughly and understandably, with a summary of final thoughts. It’s a great system. The blog has a swatch gallery as well, so if you’re interested in a product, check it out ahead of time.
Lacking In: I love the idea of the dupe list but I find it hard to use. That might just be me, but I’ve never really found it reliable.
Example of the Glossover for the Urban Decay 15th Anniversary Palette.
 
The Beauty Department: Tutorials, blogs, surveys, and advice from Lauren Conrad and her Beauty Team.  We’ve previously introduced it here.
Best at: Tutorials and beauty inspiration. They have a hairstylist and a makeup artist writing for them, so the posts are often really informative.
Lacking in: The tutorials are hit or miss. I either am dying to try it or feel like it’s been done on the blog several times (yes, we know LC loves winged liner, yawn!) or I just don’t like it at all.

Look out for Part Two later this week!
Stay beautiful,
Hannah

Enchanted Jewels

Jewel tones reign the runways every fall for a reason. They’re universally flattering, and they speak to the princess in all of us. Luxurious deepened teals, bright blue-navys, rich burgundy reds, bright ruby reds and the royal purples look as great in your wardrobe as they do in your makeup drawer. Whether you try this perennial trend on your eyes and nails, or you want go a little more daring and try it on your lips, we promise that you’ll feel a little more enchanted. For more Jewel toned fun, check out the extended column on Beauty Forum.
Stila Eye Shadow Trio in Afterhours - This trio is perfect for a night out with a smokey eye with a pop of color. The green and the violet are perfect are also great stand alone colors when you want to rock the jewel tones especially for eyeliner.

MAC Lipsticks in Hang-Up, Dubonnet, and Rebel - We love MAC’s range of lipsticks, and these three all fit the trend beautifully. Hang-up is much deeper than Rebel when swatched, so definitely look into that!
Maybelline Eye Studio Master Drama Eyeliner in Sapphire Strength & Vibrant Violet - These are such creamy long wearing eyeliners in two really fun and unexpected jewel tones to brighten up your eyes.

Nars Cream Blush in Cactus Flower- I go visit this blush all the time. It’s my latest obsession. The bright Ruby Red has an undeniable siren call and I think it would be equally gorgeous blended out on fair skin and deep skin.

Milani One Coat Glitter Lacquer in Red Sparkle, Blue Flash and Purple Gleam- I love Miliani glitters, and these are so much fun. For the price, you really can’t beat these adorable jewel toned nail polishes. Pick up all three and play around!

Incredible Exfoliators

blesshisheart asked beautyforum: i have combination skin, but its more oily than dry, so everyone says exfoliation will help, but i know NOTHING about skin cleanser stuff, besides my like acne face wash stuff, but anyways, i am on the search for a good exfoliator and need suggestions, got anything for me?

Hello love, I have a few wonderful options. Exfoliating is one of my favorite things and it’s really a crucial part of my skin care routine. I have really oily skin, so without exfoliating I’m much more prone to break outs. Because you’re not super familiar with exfoliating, I am going to provide you with a few links to a few short youtube videos that will give you all the details.
DermTV: What is Exfoliating?
DermTV: How Often You Should Exfoliate
DermTV: The Difference Between Chemical and Physical Exfoliants

I am going to provide three physical exfoliants and one chemical exfoliant. All four of these are wonderful and I’ve used/use them. All three of these leave my skin super smooth and wonderful by removing dead skin cells.

• Clean & Clear Morning Burst Detoxifying Facial Scrub- This a great scrub/cleanser combo that has amazing microbeads that is inexpensive and makes my skin feel squeaky clean!
  
• St. Ives Naturally Clear Green Tea Scrub- This was my first exfoliator/scrub and is still a fan favorite! It’s natural and keeps my skin clear. I love that it gives amazing redness relief because of the really great properties of green tea.
  
• Clinique 7 Day Scrub Cream Rinse Off Formula- This is my current favorite and it’s great for all skin types. I love that it is so creamy, but still does an amazing job exfoliating. It gets rid of all flakiness and dead skin, leaving my skin so smooth. This is the priciest, but it will last me forever. A pea sized amount goes a long way!
  
• Walgreens Alpha Hydroxy Face Cream- If you’ve watched my youtube channel, you know that this is my absolute favorite exfoliant. It’s like nothing I’ve ever used because it’s a chemical exfoliant. (Watch the video above to learn the difference.) I found this via LaFemme5278 and her in depth review! I used this at night after cleansing and toning because it’s a little bit too heavy. In the morning, my skin is absolutely smooth and wonderful. My skin’s texture has improved dramatically and the AHA (Alpha Hydroxy Acid) has done wonders for my face (including keeping breakouts at bay!) at only $8, this huge tub is a must have!
  

I hope I gave you lots of options and that you find the one that’s perfect for you!!
SWAK - Danielle

Friday Favorites- Mascaras

Hey everyone! I love this feature on Beauty Forum because it's great to see what you all are using! Turns out there are a ton of Maybelline fans among us! I also doubled up names on a few mascaras because some of you share favorites! I hope I got everyone's mascara right, it was kind of difficult because a lot of brands release several mascaras with similar names! This was a HUGE Favorite Friday!!!
Enjoy our Favorite Friday, Mascara edition:

Rimmel Glam'Eyes- Spicysunshinee

L'oreal Telescopic- rokkohirmel

Maybelline One by One Volum' Express- weenie-hut-juniors and loveyourselfbeautifully

Maybelline Lash Stiletto- good-gollymissmolly and demissio

Maybelline Volum' Express- purpldresses

Mary Kay Lash Love- C0Ral

Lancome Hypnose Drama- unpolishedthoughts and  whiteediamondss

Bobbi Brown Everything Mascara- thecollegeprepster

Maybelline The Falsies Volum' Express- thefashionelectric and seersuckerandsass

L'Oreal Voluminous-  aprilbelles and tangerinaballerina

Nivea Extreme Resist- sofia1020

Covergirl Lash Blast-abroadallie

Clinique Lash Doubling- preppypearls

Dior DiorShow- pearls-curlsandasoutherngirl

Urban Decay Big Fatty- Caroline
Finally, to our favorites. They're repeats but I wanted to add them in anyway:

Hannah's Favorite: L'Oreal Voluminous in Carbon Black- SO volumizing and the darkest mascara ever.
Danielle's Favorite: L'Oreal Telescopic Original Mascara

Oh my goodness, what a roundup! Hope you've found some great mascaras to add to your list!
See you next Friday!
Stay beautiful,
Hannah

Tuesday Manicures!

Again, we apologize profusely for the delay!
Here are your lovely manicures from this week:

I needed to get a “natural” color that would last through two weeks of pre-and-actual Sorority Recruitment. Here is my peachy-pink, sheer Shellac polish. Its regular-polish match (on my toes) is Essie’s Anniversary Gala.- C0ral

A Sephora by OPI dupe for OPI's Lincoln Park After Dark with OPI Silver Shatter on the accent nail. -kellybelly04

OPI Aphrodite’s Pink Nightie with OPI top coat!- pearls-curlsandasoutherngirl

Ombre nails! Essie's Coat Azure with white added. -Kaitmarie

I'm wearing Essie Tea and Crumpets and Deborah Lippmann happy birthday over the ring fingers!! - Caroline
Hannah's Manicure: OPI Lucky Lucky Lavender- Close to Essie Splash of Grenadine, but lighter and a little more pink.

Danielle's Manicure: Essie Turquoise and Caicos. No explanation needed. This is one of my all time favesies and it is an instant pick me up.

Love, Hannah & Danielle

Liquid Liner

Anonymous asked:
What is the best liquid pen eyeliner for an everyday look? I seem to always get the line too thick and too far away from my lash. I want a thin line look. Thanks! and love the blog!!!
Thanks so much, dear! I’ve mentioned previously that I love liquid pen liners and that they’re a staple in my makeup routine.
Getting a thin line is all about precision, practice and the right eyeliner. I know it seems frustrating, but don’t be afraid to put on your liner a couple of times as practice. Liquid liner takes some learning, and if you keep q-tips and eye makeup remover nearby you can start over and try again easily without getting too frustrated. I love pens because they make it so much easier. Pens are great because they give you more control. For more tips on perfecting your lines refer to our past posts on liner:
Eyeliner Basics
Tightlining With the Greatest of Ease - I especially recommend this post, tightlining is a great thin line look to perfect!
Eyeliner Help- More tips to help steady your hand

Revlon ColorStay Liquid Eye Pen in Blackest Black- This is my go to eye pen. I adore this, and it gives you great control with a fine tip. It’s liner for dummies!

Maybelline Line Stiletto in Blackest Black
If you’re willing to branch out of a pen, I’ve heard great things about Maybelline’s Line Stiletto because of its super-fine tip. This would be great for giving you that super fine line you’re looking for.
Stay Beautiful,
Hannah

Don't Sweat It- Sorority Rush Makeup Help for Hot Weather!

andreasanders asked beautyforum:
I'm going through recruitment for a sorority in less than one week.

However the temperatures are going to be above 100 degrees F and we have to walk a lot to get from house to house.

What are some tips to make your makeup sweat proof? How can I make sure it stays on throughout the heat? 

GREAT question! I'm also rushing later this fall (my college starts a little later and rush won't be until September, and I'm a transfer student, blahblahblah) but I'm so excited for you! I completely understand your concerns about the heat though! I'm going to break this up by section to make it easier to help you out!
FACE:
The best way to beat the heat and keep your makeup in place is to form an amazing base. We're talking PRIMERS.
Primers don't have to be expensive, and are a great way to keep your makeup from budging, smudging and looking messy.
Here are our two favorite primers for under your foundation:

Covergirl and Olay Simply Ageless Serum Primer- This is a great primer in that it just works. I've been using this in the humid Charlotte weather and my foundation has not budged!

Hard Candy Sheer Envy Primer- Another great primer, this is Danielle's favorite and is said to be even better than the much more expensive Smasbox primer!
I'd also recommend keeping your foundation light in general. Primers are great, but they aren't MAGIC. If you wear a ton of foundation it will probably melt a little. Try switching to a tinted moisturizer for the week! Light and natural is best.
EYES:
Again, prime, prime, prime! A primer/shadow combo would be great for rush because it combines products and is easy to touch up! I love the Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadows, I have 4 of them.

We previously did a whole post on eyeshadow primers, so I'm actually going to link back to this!
Other tips for keeping your eye makeup in place:

• ONLY wear eyeshadow/liner on the TOP lashline/lid. Makeup tends to drift and move a lot more on the bottom lashline. ESPECIALLY if you're thinking about liner.
• Wear waterproof mascara if you're really concerned about sweat.

CHEEKS:
Blush is tricky in heat! If you're fair-skinned like I am, you might considering skipping it. I turn bright red in the heat and don't need any help with color. If you're lucky enough to not have that issue, then just AVOID cream blushes, which drift in the heat.
Gel/Tint blushes are a great option because they stain your cheeks and therefore can't really "melt." The Benefit line has a great range of colors that flatter EVERY complexion and go with every makeup look.

Benefit Posie Tint
LIPS:
You probably will want to keep it natural for rush anyway, but I'd recommend sticking to things that you won't constantly have to check on. Lipstick is a little too high maintenance for rush and for heat, so I'm thinking that a stain (again) is a better option. That, or a tinted balm. Tinted balms are great because you look like you're wearing just the tiniest hint of color without looking like you're trying too hard. Gloss can be sticky and uncomfortable in heat, so I prefer these two options in hot weather:

Stila Lip and Cheek Stains- My mom just bought one of these and it's a gorgeous stain. I love stains, and these have a glossy finish.

Burt's Bees Tinted Lip Balm in Rose- One of my all-time favorite products. Gorgeous and not nearly as red as it looks. Just a gorgeous tint. It also comes in a few lighter shades, but like I said, this doesn't wear quite so red.

I really hope this helps! Let me know how rush goes! I'm really looking forward to mine in a month or so!
Stay beautiful,
Hannah

Video: Hannah's Ulta/Drugstore Haul

Bright, Brighter, Brightest: Eye Tutorials

We thought we'd give you a few little tutorials so that you can try out the looks inspired by our Prep Talk column this week! We tried out three bright eye looks in varying intensity, and we're teaching you how to achieve them! We'll give specific products, but you can sub out for anything you have in your collection, and even change the colors. Pardon the scary close-up shots, but we wanted you to be able to see the MAKEUP. If we ever do this again, it will get better.
BRIGHT: A pop of pink with neutrals. Hannah wore this look in her latest Haul video, so if you want to see it in action, watch that!  This look can still be paired with a light gloss because it's still very toned down.


HOW TO:
Tools: URBAN DECAY 15th Anniversary Palette (or any palette with a bright pink, and neutrals!) 

• Prime lids with your favorite primer
• Swipe TAINTED (or a light pink) on the inner lid with a fluffy brush
• Swipe JUNKSHOW (or a BRIGHT fuchsia) on the center lid and outer lid with the same fluffy brush
• Blend MIDNIGHT 15 (or a light, iridescent brown) into the inner half of the crease with a crease brush
• Blend CHASE (or a medium brown) into the outer corner and crease with a crease brush
• Swipe two coats of your favorite Mascara on the top lashes!

BRIGHTER- A smokey look complete with a bright pink inspired by Quinn's GAGA look in the Glee episode, Theatricality (minus the hot pink feather lashes of course!) Finish this off with a light pink gloss and more neutral cheeks. Great for night time!


HOW TO:
Tools: NYX Eyeshadow Base, ELF Brightening Eye Color Quad in PUNK FUNK, Urban Decay NAKED palette, ULTA shadows in Zephyr & Platinum, L'Oreal Voluminous mascara, L'Oreal Paris Lineur Intense, & eyelash curler.

• Prime lids with your favorite primer. I used NYX Eyeshadow Base in Skintone.
• Pack the hot pink shadow from the ELF quad (or any other bright pink) all over your lid and blend under your bottom lashline. 
• Add GUNMETAL from the NAKED palette (or any other smoky shimmery gray) to the top half of your lid, partially covering the pink.
• Blend CREEP from the NAKED palette (or another black) into the crease and into the outer v.
• Blend Ulta's ZEPHYR (or another medium purple) lightly over GUNMETAL and into the crease.
• Blend darker colors with a clean fluffy brush to get rid of any harsh lines.
• Add Ulta's PLATINUM all over the lid gently for a softer look and add more pink as necessary. (Optional)
• Finish by adding the pearly white from the ELF Brightening Eye palette to your inner corners.
• Line your top lashline with a thin black line and use a thicker black pencil to smudge on your lower lash line. I used NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in BLACK BEAN. 
• Curl your lashes and add your favorite volumizing mascara to your top and bottom lashes!

Definitely way more toned down in natural lighting, but so gorgeous.
BRIGHTEST! Keep your face BARE. This look is for the daring. It's SO easy though!

I used a few products for this look, so it's just about what you have. These are ALL drugstore products though!  I also wanted to show you what it looks like without flash so you can get an idea of how wearable it can be. I think it's MUCH more intimidating up close and with flash, so this is an idea of what it looks like on a person in real life:

See? Not so scary!
HOW TO:
Tools:
Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips Pop Green Eyes
Revlon Matte Shadow in Venetian Blue
Rimmel London Soft Kohl in Loveable Lilac (my all time favorite colored liner, by the way!)
Essence Kajal Pencil in Cool Breeze

How to:

• Line inner half of upper eyes with Essence Cool Breeze pencil, or other teal liner
• Line outer half of upper eyes with Revlon matte Venetian blue, using a WET  angled eyeliner brush.
• Line bottom inner half of eyes with Rimmel Loveable Lilac
• Line bottom outer half of eyes with Physician's Formula Purple (I used the purple between the teal and the green. It's a cool, dark purple.)  Again, use a WET angled eyeliner brush.

Would you try bright eye looks?  How do you wear bright shadows?!
Love,
Hannah and Danielle