Report Card | Sephora Collection Contour Eye Pencil in Flashy Green

I've had this eyeliner since my senior year of high school when the product was known as Sephora Flashy Eyeliner. I'm not sure when I first picked it up, however I do remember the moment I realized it would remain in my makeup collection for a very long time.

The last day of senior year is a notorious tear-fest, but despite all of the crying I did that day, this eyeliner (which I rimmed on my lower lash line by the way) did not budge at all. When I got into my friend's car and checked my face in the mirror, I expected to see a green, streaky mess, but to my surprise, everything stayed in place!

If you're looking to add a pop of color to your summer makeup routine, give this product a try in any one of their incredible, long-lasting shades. It will stay on even the most oily skin or the biggest cry babies. Already a fan of this product? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!

Hope you enjoyed the first installment of this new series, Report Card, which will solely feature product reviews. As always, I'm open to feedback so if there's anything you would like me to review let me know!

Spring Wishlist & Trends

Just when I thought spring had finally sprung in Philadelphia, the temperature decides to dip to 30 degrees. Lovely. Regardless of the weather, I'm still very optimistic about the new season and all of the beauty trends it will bring. Below are just a few of the things I'm excited to try or trends I can't wait to see on the streets. Enjoy!

1. Rose gold jewelry - Baublebar Alpha Initial Pendant in Rose Gold 2. Bubblegum pink lips - MAC Cosmetics Lipstick in Candy Yum-Yum 3. Powder blue nails -  Essie Nail Polish in Find Me An Oasis 4. Bright orange lips -  Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butter in Tutti Frutti  5. Fluorescent nails -  AA Nails in Neon Yellow 6. Coral/peach cheeks - Clinique Cheek Pop in Peach Pop 7. Aqua eye makeup - Makeup Forever Aqua Eyes Waterproof Eyeliner Pencil in Turquoise and Pistachio

What beauty trends are on your wishlist this season? Tell me about them in the comments below!

My Top Products of 2013

With a full week of 2014 now comfortably under our belts, I figured I would take the time to share my favorite products of 2013...you know, before it gets too late.

• Skincare Hands down the St. Ives Apricot Face Scrub was my lifesaver this year. Whenever my skin was getting a little out of control, it brought it back down to reality. I'm sure at this point it goes without saying that my benzoyl peroxide cream and vitamin E oil were staples as well so I'll try to avoid sounding like broken record.
• Hair The winner would be Elasta QP's Olive Oil & Mango Butter Leave-In Conditioner. It smells good and keeps my hair soft and moisturized. What else do I need really?
• Body This one is actually kind of hard for me because I switch things up all the time. I think I'm going to go with True Blue Spa Shea Cashmere Body Cream. It's so moisturizing without being greasy and I get compliments every time I wear it. It literally smells like icing...which is obviously irresistible. 
• Fragrance I didn't wear much fragrance this year because I typically wore a very fragrant body cream. One I did use up though is the Forever Red scent by Bath and Body Works. I had the roller ball version (unfortunately they no longer sell that form) which I loved because I could just toss it in my purse and touch up throughout the day.
• Face (foundation, blush, bronzer, concealer) Well if you know me at all (or have read any of my previous posts) you would know that unfortunately I don't have an answer for any of these. While I know how to use each product, I don't use them because makeup is meant to cover blemishes and I am lucky enough not to have too many. However, I do want to branch out this year and test my makeup skills by doing my face for special events. Stay tuned. 
• Eyeshadow I was so scared I was going to hit pan on the shade Snakebite in Urban Decay's Naked 2 Palette. It blends so seamlessly with my complexion and I use it all the time. I'm in love. 
• Eyeliner I loved Rimmel's Kohl Kajal Eyeliner. It smudged when you wanted it to and stayed put when you needed it to. It also made a great base for black eyeshadow for a lasting smokey eye.
• Mascara It came out late in 2013 but I fell head over heels in love with L'Oreal's Voluminous Butterfly Mascara. Oh my gosh. I felt like my lashes would fly right off my face they were so long! I'm glad I stepped out of my Maybelline mascara trance (Although their line is equally wonderful. No one can deny their Falsies formula).
• Lips Although I tried other products this year, I kept gravitating towards the Revlon Lip Butters...and now I have three shades...and one I already had to repurchase. Our love affair was real in 2013.

I could go on with more categories but I'm sure you're bored by now because I'm definitely tired of looking at this computer screen. BUT if you would like a Top Products Part 2 let me know in the comments or on Twitter. 

New Year's Eve Makeup Tips & Tricks | Best, Holidays

As promised, I wanted to bring you guys a couple tips and tricks on how to look fabulous tonight while ringing in the new year. I'm going to start by listing a few of my own tips and then follow up with some great New Year's Eve makeup tutorials from some of my favorite YouTubers. Let's get started; after all we only have a few hours before you have to get ready!

• Prime it up! Whether you have oily skin or not, primer will be your wingman tonight. I typically only do my eye makeup so I'll only be using an eyelid primer, but for my ladies who use foundation make sure to use a face primer to keep everything in place. You want your gorgeous face to be sweatproof, cryproof, glitterproof, alcoholproof...you get the idea. 
• Shine bright. New Year's Eve is one of the few times where it's widely acceptable to go a little crazy with the glitter. Since I personally don't dabble in the sparkle often, I'm beyond ready to go all out tonight. Use glitter glue, extra eyelid primer, or even eyelash glue to give something for your glitter to adhere to. 
• Prepare for lift off. Some girls choose false eyelashes that look like they're ready to fly away, however, there's definitely a way to wear lashes tastefully. New Year's Eve is the perfect time to experiment. In fact, this will be my first time trying out false eyelashes and I couldn't be more excited. I've done plenty of research, so little tip: look for a lash glue with nylon. It makes it a lot easier to remove at the end of the night. 

My number one tip for New Year's Eve glam? Be comfortable! If you aren't into foundation, glitter, and false eyelashes, then don't do it. It's always obvious on a girl's face if she's out of her element. On the other hand, it's equally apparent if a girl is completely comfortable in her own skin and nothing is sexier than confidence.

In addition, here are of my favorite New Year's Eve makeup tutorials. It seems this year instead of just focusing on gold, silver, and related hues, women are branching out and incorporating color into their looks. That may be something you would like to try as well!

 

 

Have a happy and safe New Year's night! I love you all, thank you so much for supporting me throughout 2013 and I can't wait to grow with you in 2014!

Best,

Jordan

Summer to Fall Transitional Makeup

It would be easy to tell you to toss your pink and coral lipsticks aside to make room for darker colors, but that's obvious isn't it? Naturally people tend to wear cooler colors during the cooler seasons. However, I want to show you simple ways to wear your favorite summer shades all year long and truly transition your makeup for the fall.

• Orange was extremely popular this summer. It's bright, bold, and vibrant, much like your bikinis I'm sure. But orange is also a very autumnal color most noticeably seen in the leaves when they change colors. The best way to wear this color through the fall would be to tone it down. Opt out of a full-on orange lipstick and try a lip gloss or stain. You still have that unexpected pop of color without going overboard. Recommendations...
• Drugstore: L'oreal Colour Caresse Wet Shine Stain in Coral Tattoo
• High end: Yves Saint Laurent Vernis À Lèvres Glossy Stain in Orange De Chine

• Turquoise eyeliner was also a huge  trend this summer. You can still incorporate this hue by choosing to use an eyeshadow instead of the more harsh eyeliner. Turquoise eyeshadow is much more forgiving and gives you a lot more flexibility. You can tone it down by smoking it out with a dark brown or charcoal gray shadow in the crease. You also have the option wearing the turquoise shadow the way is was most commonly used this summer: on the lower lash line. Just be sure to blend! Recommendations...
• Drugstore: Maybelline Color Tattoo 24 Hour Eyeshadow in Tenacious Teal
• High end: Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Shadow Pencil in Clash

• Rose colored, neutral pink lips were also seen everywhere. Luckily, in my opinion, this trend is already perfect for year round use. Natural lip shades are classic and timeless; you can never go wrong. If you want to enhance it for fall in a subtle way, choose pink shades that lean more towards the mauve or berry families. It will still be a warm, neutral color, but adding a slight purple tint will make it a bit more seasonal. Recommendations...
• Drugstore: Revlon Color Burst Lip Butter in Pink Truffle
• High end: MAC Lustre Lipstick in Politely Pink

Have you tried any of these techniques or products? Know of any makeup transition tips that you would like to share? Comment below or tell me all about it on Twitter @JordanCathleen_! 

Top Ten Things Girls Say When Applying Makeup

1. This color does not look the same as it did the last time I put it on.
2. I know I can get this last little bit of [insert lip product here] out.
3. Is lip liner really necessary? Goes outside the lines. Damn, I guess it is.
4. I think I'll keep it simple today. Comes out with full smokey eye.
5. Shit, shit, shit I got mascara in my eye! Oh my god! Help me baby Jesus! Help me Oprah!
6. Why don't my winged lines ever look the same?!
7. In the bathroom: I don't think I put enough on. Outdoors: I look like a Cullen.
8. I'm sure if I just add a little water to this mascara it'll be just fine.
9. Why haven't I used this in so long? It's amazing!
10. Where the hell did I put my lip balm?!

This post was just for fun because I know that we've all thought these things at some point or another. If you have another phrase to add to the list, use the hashtag "MakeupQuotes" on Twitter so I can see them. I may make a whole post dedicated to the list my readers come up with!

Tips & Tricks Tuesday | Best Eyeshadows For Your Eye Color

Since my tips last Tuesday on finding the right lip color for your skin tone were so popular, I decided to do a sequel! For most of my beauty-obsessed girls, this is probably common knowledge to you by now. However, even the best have their little book of basics tucked in their back pocket for quick reference. This is one of those basics.

For brown eyes: Because brown is a neutral, you can use any shadow color and it won't compete with your eyes. However, to really make them sparkle use bronze, peach, purple, and shades of blue and green.
For blue eyes: Since blue is a cool tone, putting warmer tones on the lid will make them stand out. Also, avoid using colors that are too bold because they can distract from the beautiful blue color your eyes naturally have. Try bronze/golden shades, peach, slate, and champagne.
For green eyes: Nothing makes your eyes pop more than purple, there's no doubt about that. However, if you aren't a huge fan of the hue, try browns with a reddish undertone (like rust and sepia) and subtle pinks.
For hazel eyes: Because hazel eyes can have flecks of brown, green, grey, and gold, they are like chameleons and can be transformed to bring out whatever color you want to emphasize based on your shadow choice. To play up the green, of course go for purple shades and for brown, use yellow-based browns and gray. Avoid light golds though because they tend to wash you out. Dusty pinks and burgundy also look lovely on you.

Remember, you can wear whatever colors make you happy. These are just a few colors that will make your eyes shine even brighter!