August 2015 – The Hustlin’ Homemaker

5 Lipsticks to Get You Ready for Fall

Today is the final day of Blogust! I can’t believe I did it! Haha – I’ll stop blowing up your inbox now. 🙂 Did you like Blogust? Shall I do it again next year?

I’ve got a good one for you today, my pretties. Fall to me means pumpkin spice everything, sweaters, cooler weather (hopefully…Texas?), and darker lippies.

Here are 5 lipsticks that will put you in a fall mood.
From left to right: Berry Smoothie, Plumful, Sultry, Touch of Spice, Cruella

Revlon Lip Butter in Berry Smoothie – this is a sheer pink berry color, and little bit darker than a “my lips but better color”. This gives a super shiny finish to the lips and is buildable. If you’re not into bold lips, you will probably like this one.

MAC Lipstick in Plumful – this is one of my favorite MAC lipsticks because it is perfect for fall. This is a Lustre finish lipstick, so it gives off shine and is very moisturizing. This is a deeper, cool toned berry color.

Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm in Sultry– This color is a deeper rose color, with more mauve and brown undertones to it. This is a matte color, but I don’t find that it is drying. It is really pigmented, and one swipe goes a long way. It also has that minty smell like all of the other Revlon lip crayons.

Maybelline Colorsensational Matte Lipstick in Touch of Spice – this is a 90’s lip color, it is more brown than pink, but very flattering. It is a matte, but like the Revlon, I don’t find that it is dry or uncomfortable to wear.

NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Cruella– this is included in this years Sephora birthday gift for Beauty Insiders. They did really good on this gift. This is one of the only reds that I can wear because I am so fair skinned. Also a matte, super pigmented, and long lasting. If you are looking for a new red, try this one!

What’s your favorite fall lip color?

The One and Only – Sally Hansen Pacific Blue

I’m a big fan of blue nail polish – especially this one. This is not just any nail polish though, this is the ORIGINAL Sally Hansen Pacific Blue.

Im pretty sure I bought this 3 or 4 years ago (maybe even longer than that), but it’s still going strong! I bust it out during the summer time (sometimes even during fall and winter tbh) and I fall more in love with it everytime I put it on! It is a creamy and bright cobalt blue that is STUNNING in person.

There is some controversy with this nail polish though. It’s been discontinued – er, Sally Hansen has changed the color and kept the same name. They have changed it to a darker blue with shimmer in it. If you’re lucky though, you can still find the original formula.

This nail polish is a very popular color, and for good reason. There aren’t really any like it. Essie’s Butler Please and Nails Inc.’s Baker Street come close, but this one is very special. It’s not just the color, it’s the formula too! I’ve applied just one coat of it and it’s perfectly opaque.

Sally Hansen’s Xtreme Wear line is awesome. The brush, the formula, it glides on so smooth and all of the colors are so pretty.

Do you like Pacific Blue?

Faux Fishtail Braid

Today I’ve got a quick and easy hairstyle for you. This is a messy and undone looking “fishtail” braid, except it’s not really a fishtail!

Fishtail braids are relatively easy, but they take a lot of time and patience (at least for me anyway). But, they are beautiful.

This braid is easier. It is using the “topsy tail” technique. Remember that, 90’s kids? It’s really easy and you can do it with all of your hair, or just some of your hair, like I do.

Let’s get started.

I have my four year old, Allie, here with us as the hair model. 🙂

Gather up your hair into the section that you would like (I used all of her hair) and secure with a clear elastic.
Make a bubble ponytail by taking small sections and securing those with clear elastics. Put them about 1-2 inches apart. Allie has long hair, so I used 6 elastics.
Make a hole in the first section by pulling the hair apart, and then reach down to the bottom and pull the whole ponytail through the hole.
Just flip it on through. Kinda looks like a fishtail, right?
Repeat on all of the sections.

Cut off all of the elastics except for the bottom one ( be careful not to cut your hair)

And we have a faux fishtail!
Here it is on me, I like to do a section of hair and sort of blend it in with the rest of my unbraided hair. I like it to look messy and not really that noticeable. It would also look better with a brown elastic that matches my hair color.

That’s it! Super easy and totally boho 🙂 haha.

Thanks for reading! xx

Gettin’ Trashy (Empties)

Time for another round of products that I have used up!

Skincare :

Simple Micellar Cleansing Water – I absolutely LOVE this stuff. It removes all of my makeup so fast and doesn’t leave my skin feeling greasy afterwards. Repurchase: YES

Neutrogena Oil Free Eye Makeup Remover – I thought this was the best makeup remover until I tried the Simple one. This stuff takes me forever to remove all of my makeup, and it’s greasy. Repurchase? NO

Dior Instant Gentle Cleansing Oil – ehh. This was ok. I still felt the need to wash my face after using this, but as a makeup remover, it worked good. It’s $38 too. Repurchase? NO

Clarisonic Refreshing Gel Cleanser – this is probably the 5th tube I have purchased of this; it’s my favorite cleanser. I use this everyday with my Clarisonic and it leaves my face feeling clean and hydrated. REPURCHASE? YES

Fresh Soy Face Cleanser – Noooo. I redeemed 500 Sephora points for a set of Fresh skincare products, and this was included. I used this up, but the smell is horrible. It’s a natural scent, but also like cucumbers. I usually am not sensitive to smell, but this stuff stunk. It was pretty drying to my skin, too. Repurchase? NO

Glamglow Youthcleanse Daily Exfoliating Cleanser – I got this in a sample bag, and I actually thought it was the mask (which I’ve tried before), but it wasn’t, it’s the new(ish) cleanser. I really liked this, actually. It cleaned out my pores and left my skin feeling tingly and nice. Repurchase? YES

Lancôme Genifique – I redeemed 100 points for this little sample that lasted me almost 2 weeks. I really loved this, so I put it on my birthday wish list. I have been using it for about a month now, and I LOVE IT. I use it morning and night before my moisturizers and I’ve seen a big difference in the radiance and texture of my skin. Repurchase? YES

Clinique Smart Custom Repair Serum – I used this before I used the Lancôme one, and I really liked this one too. It’s a little bit cheaper, but it gives great results. It’s thicker than the Lancôme, and it does a great job of evening out skintone and hydrating. Repurchase? YES

LUSH Ro’s Argan Body Conditioner- let me just start off by saying that I do not like scented lotion. THIS lotion is the only scented one I will wear. The reason is because it smells like roses and all of my perfumes smell like roses so the scents never clash. My friend Courtney works at LUSH and gave me this sample because I told her I loved it. I used it up in just a couple of days. I got a new tub of it for my birthday a few days later. It moisturizes so well; my legs feel so soft and smooth all day with this. Repurchase? YES

up & up Acetone Nail Polish Remover- i bought the acetone version of this by accident (shopping with two kids lol) and I don’t like using pure acetone. Being the cheapskate that I am though, (questionable?) I used it up, even though it dried out my hands out like a mother. I usually just buy generic regular nail polish remover. To me, they are all the same. Repurchase? NO.

Makeup:

Bare Minerals Original Foundation in Fairly Light – this is my trusty lazy girl foundation. I use up about one of these every year, and I use it on days when I’m in a rush and just want a lighter coverage. Repurchase? YES

NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Chantilly- BEST CONCEALER I HAVE EVER USED. I use it for dark circles, redness, spot concealing, highlighting…it does everything and I love it. Repurchase? YES

MAC ProLongwear Concealer in NW15- this concealer is very full coverage, and I like to use it to mix w moisturizer and apply it all over my face. It also works really well on dark circles. Repurchase? YES

Anastasia Beverly Hills Clear Brow Gel- it’s a clear brow gel, it does the job and keeps my brows in place all day. Next time I’ll try a tinted one. Repurchase? YES

Stila Stay All Day Liquid Liner in Black- this is a really good liquid liner, but there are cheaper alternatives- Jordana Fabuliner and MAYBELLINE Master Precise to name a few. This is a good liner though – really black and does stay all day. Just one of those products that I think drugstores can dupe pretty easily. Repurchase? NO.

Whew. Now I can throw all this trash away. There’s nothing better than using something up!

Thanks for reading!

xo, amy

Gotcha Covered: 3 Drugstore Concealers

Finding the right concealer is tricky; and depending on your concealing needs, there are different concealer types to try out.

For dark circles underneath your eyes, I would suggest a correcting concealer with a yellow or salmon tone. I have blue-toned undereye circles, so I like to use a salmon toned corrector, like the Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser for Dark Circles in the Brightener shade. They also have a yellow toned shade for correcting. I have a full review on this miracle product here. This product is very similar to the MAC Prep + Prime in Radiant Rose, but I like this Maybelline one better. If the sponge tip bothers you, you can just take it off.

Let’s talk spot concealing. I have two favorites here. The Maybelline Fit Me concealer is a cult favorite, and for good reason. This is a standard doe foot applicator, liquid concealer that is creamy and smooth, and very easy to blend. This makes a great highlighting concealer, but also works great on any redness, hyperpigmentation or acne.

The last concealer I want to mention is a stick or cream concealer. This is the Loreal True Match Crayon Concealer. This is so great for any area on your face except under the eyes, I find that it is too thick and creamy to use under there. This is great for any blemishes though. It covers them and stays put. It’s also great to keep in your bag because you don’t have to worry about any spills or leaks. This is a great product for touch-ups.

What’s your favorite concealer?

Thanks for reading! xx