How To: Wash Your Makeup Brushes

Hey everyone! I'm taking a break from studying for my finals to write this post, so it's going to be a quick one.

I was getting e-mails back when I first started my blogs to do a "how to wash my makeup brushes" video. I thought this was a great idea, so naturally, I added it to my journal of things to do. I finally got around to filming it the other day so I'll have that video linked below.

I feel like I've found the perfect recipe to give my brushes a really good deep cleaning; extra virgin olive oil, dish soap (gentle on hands), and water. This combination does not only work amazing, but it's super affordable and most people have these products lying around at home! The EEOO helps keep the brushes soft while the gentle dish soap cleanses out all the bacteria/makeup buildup. If you own synthetic brushes (i.e. not made from real hair) then I would suggest to stick with only the dish soap. There is no need for the EEOO and it may ruin the brushes. 

When I dry my brushes, I lay them down on their sides. The best way to dry brushes would be to let them hang upside down (which they have devices specifically made for that), but I don't own one and in my honest opinion I think this way works fine. The reason you want to lay them on their side or upside down is because you don't want any water running down the the brush into the part where the glue keeps the bristles in place. The water can break down the glue which will cause your brushes to start shedding and eventually lose their bristles entirely. Some of my MAC brushes I have owned since 2008 and they still work perfectly fine as a brand new brush!

Check out my techniques on how to wash them in the video below.

xx,

A

Skincare Routine + Michael Todd Review and Discount!

Hey guys!

So after a couple of weeks of trying out my new Michael Todd skin products I decided I wanted to do a review on them. The Michael Todd True Organics line is a GREAT skincare line. All their products are almost completely 100% organic and they do wonders to the skin. The website is very easy to roam and search for the products that are meant for your skin type; i.e. oily sensitive skin, dry sensitive skin, mature skin, combination skin, etc.

The shipping took only a week and it was packaged in a nice box that was filled with foam to prevent any damage to the products.

I'm always nervous to try out a new skincare routine because it normally breaks me out like crazy the first week (because my skin isn't used to it). These products didn't do that to me as much which I was definitely happy about.

But of course I can't have a skincare review without talking about Bioderma Solution! So I decided to add in a couple of other products that I use on a regular basis.

Check out the video below and don't forget to read the description of the video to get 20% off your total Michael Todd shopping bag!

Thanks for reading! :)

xx,

A

Effy Stonem Makeup Tutorial

Who here watches skins? And when I say skins I mean the British version (the American one sucked). It was definitely one of my favorite television series as a teenager, so I decided to re-watch it recently and have fallen in love all over. It's a show full of drugs, alcohol, sex, and a group of messed up adolescents who deal with a series of problems. Each episode follows one character from the group and tells their story. It's a very interesting show that I would definitely recommend to someone over the age of 18 haha. It's a mature show for sure.

In seasons 3 and 4 (there are only around 10 episodes per season) new characters are introduced. My favorite character by far is Effy Stonem. She's one of the main characters of season 3 and 4 (only appearing shortly in seasons 1 and 2). She's a very dark character and it's so interesting to see how she develops through the seasons. Not to mention she's stunningly beautiful. 

I was inspired to recreate her makeup look after watching the show again. It's so different for me so I thought it would be kind of a challenge.

Effy keeps her face very nude and natural, but then her eyes have a super dark look to them. Very Gothic.

If you're interested in a seriously effed up, complex story, then I would highly recommend this series. Plus, British accents are super sexy.

Check out my tutorial for her look below!

xx,

A

Jennifer Lawrence Oscar's 2013 Makeup Tutorial

Being someone who has always been a crazy movie fanatic and critic, it may come as a surprise to some of you that I have never really been completely obsessed (or interested) with the Oscar's. I mean, I wouldn't have complained if someone was watching it in the same room as me, but I was just never truly interested. That changed two years ago when Jennifer Lawrence was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in the movie, "Winter's Bone". She was very new to the acting industry so it came as a surprise to a lot of people when she was nominated. I, on the other hand, never doubted it. She did a fantastic job. So of course I wanted her to win. She was up against big time actresses like Michelle Williams, Nicole Kidman, Natalie Portman, and Annette Bening, so I didn't really think she would. It would have been quite amazing if she did!!

When I was 13 and wanted to be an actress (like most 13 year olds do) I always dreamed that if I would be invited to the Oscar's, I would wear a red dress. I don't know why. Maybe because the carpet is red, but it was just something that I used to envision in my head. When Jennifer walked out on to the red carpet in a beautiful Calvin Klein red dress, I was more than excited. I know this may sound weird but I feel like I live my 13 year old self's dream vicariously through her. Not only are our personalities very similar (assuming she really is how she comes across in interviews) but we seem to have a lot of similar interests. I feel like a lot of girls think this, so that's why everyone feels like they're best friends with Jennifer Lawrence in their heads ha ha. She's a very humble, well-rounded, and down to earth person, and I like how she doesn't try to change that about herself even with all the fame.

When she was nominated for best actress again this year for her performance in, "Silver Linings Playbook",  I was positive she would win. It was such a great film and I thought she was phenomenal in it. When she did win, I had a grin from ear to ear. Not only because she won, but because she fell on her way to get the award! It was so funny but so cute and typical.

Anyways, the point of this blog is to explain that I thought she looked absolutely stunning on the red carpet, so I decided to re-create the look for you guys. It was a really pretty taupe/neutral smokey-eye, with pink/nude lips, classy hairstyle, and a beautiful Dior dress.

Check out the video below to see how I re-created her look :)

Classy Jennifer Lawrence after accepting her award :P

Thanks for reading!

xx

A

Valentine's Day Tutorial :)

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Check out the video I made showing you what I will be wearing for Valentine's Day this year :)

Makeup, hair, and outfit!

xx,

A

Video:

Everyday Makeup, Hair, & Outfits for Teenagers

Happy weekend everyone!

Yesterday I spent the day with my little cousin, Sofia. I thought it would be a fun idea to film a tutorial for an everyday look that was appropriate for a young teen to wear.

Here are some outfits:

Thanks for reading!

Watch the video below :)

xx,

A

Pretty Little Liars Makeup Tutorial: Hanna Marin

Hey everyone!

Today I decided to film a much requested makeup tutorial; a Pretty Little Liars inspired look! I absolutely love PLL so I couldn't wait to do this look. I decided to do Hanna because she's one of my favorite characters on the show and I always love how they do her makeup. The tutorial on how I did this look will be posted below :)

I decided to do my hair this way because of an episode I watched here:

If you have any questions and/or suggestions, let me know in the comments below. Who's your favorite PLL character? Who do you think 'A' is? Do you want me to recreate any other makeup looks/outfits ideas? Let me know!

"'Cause two can keep a secret if one of them is dead."

xx,

A

My Boyfriend Does My Makeup!

Happy Monday everyone! Today is an exciting day. I finally finished editing a much awaited video for you guys, My Boyfriend Does My Makeup. This has been a popular tag going around onYouTube the past year and I couldn't wait to film it. I was a bit hesitant at first because my boyfriend, Daniel, has watched me do my makeup numerous times and I thought he'd do a really good job (the point of the tag being how horrible guys are at doing makeup). But I thought, what the hell, might as well do it anyways and if he's good, then we can all laugh at how good he is at doing makeup... Wow, was I wrong. He was terrible. I knew as soon as he took my pink eyeshadow and applied it as blush, or when he took my concealer and used it as lipstick. All in all it was a very funny video to film and I was completely shocked to see the finished look afterwards.

What was even more hilarious was my sister's reaction. "Oh my God, EW!!" Love her haha.

Thanks for reading!,

xx,

A

Watch Dan fail hardcore!

Dreamspiration ☮

I've been having a lot of trouble sleeping lately. I don't know if it's because of my new obsession with re-watching all of the LOST seasons before bed, or if it's the stress of school and other things, but this lack of sleep has been making me day dream a lot and has been putting me in to another state of mind.

Many people ask me where I get my inspiration for my fashion and makeup. A lot of it does not come from magazines or online like most people think. It usually comes from inside my head and what I dream about. This lack of sleep has been making my dreams even more weird than they already are. From beaches to meadows, mountains to cities, and animals and music, my dreams are complete and utter insanities.

I found a bunch of pictures that remind me of my dreams and what I see and how I incorporate it in to my daily wear. I feel like I'm delirious with a fever, but it's times like these when I find my best fashion creations...

I love these colors

"I love to sleep.  My life has the tendency to fall apart when I'm awake, you know?" -Ernest Hemingway

Thanks for reading :)

xx,

A

Get Ready With Me! ♡

Hey guys! I want to start off this blog post by saying THANK YOU! Thank you, thank you, thank you for reading my blog and leaving a bunch of sweet comments. AND for helping me reach 1, 200 hits with just three posts! That's crazy! I'm really enjoying all the feedback you guys are giving me (through comments, texts, and in person). I've always wanted to start something like this but was always too shy, so thank you for helping me come out of my shell :) Love you all!!

Anyways, on to the point of this post. For the past 4 and a half years I have been watching YouTube videos religiously. From comedy all the way to beauty I've enjoyed every video. It always helps get me in a good mood and it has taught me so much. I've always been fond of the beauty community because I was very much into makeup. I've learned loads of tips and tricks and have shared them with my family and friends. 

People who I don't know as well often comment on my style and makeup and ask how I do things certain ways. I've always wanted to start posting videos on YouTube so I thought, "what would be a better way?" 

Now, let me begin by saying that I know I don't have perfect skin. I have the occasional acne break outs when I'm stressed or if it's that time of the month, but that's what I love about makeup! It can hide anything. I'm not saying I need makeup to feel good about myself because, trust me, I leave the house 80% of the time with no makeup on. I just feel like makeup is a luxury, not a necessity. It's an art and one of my favorite hobbies.

So, today I decided to film the "Get Ready With Me" tag that a bunch of YouTube beauty guru's are doing at the moment. This is how I will usually do my makeup (if I have the time) to run errands, go shopping, etc. It is my every day "natural" makeup look!

I will always do a messy side braid when I can't decide what hairstyle I want to do.

Thanks for watching, reading, commenting, and supporting!
xx,
Alex

Check out the video below! :)