July Favorites!

It's that time again!

Time for me to show you (aka gush) about the products that have stood out to me this month. I've got some new finds, rediscovered loves, and a great tip that has totally helped my skin (and my health) during this past month.  

Check out my video below for the goods and don't forget to tell me what YOUR favorite products were in July!

xoxo,

Tiffany

Updated CLOSET TOUR & Organization Tips

Call me crazy, but I'm one of those people that are deeply fascinated by closets. Especially other people's.  Considering I started my YouTube channel from our first walk-in at our previous home and filmed in there for a few years, that's probably no surprise to you.

So I'm girly, nosy, and I love closets. Big surprise.

However, I'm also a bit of an organization freak. It calms me to organize things and be in an organized environment. You definitely DO NOT have to spend a fortune on a custom closet to have an organized one.

Check out my video below for a tour of our walk-in at our current home and hopefully pick up some organization tips along the way! ;)

Video FAQ: (basically, where things are from)

-rug: Pier 1 (no longer available....womp womp.)  *Similar one from West Elm, here.

-tufted storage ottoman: Overstock.com

-shoe racks: Container Store

-other little stool: from an antique store

-hangers: Huggable Hangers (or find similar ones from stores like Bed Bath & Beyond and TJ Maxx)

-closet systems: Lowes or Home Depot, customizable closet systems - see the video for more details, not sure of the exacts

Let me know if I left out anything!  Also, what are YOUR biggest closet organization challenges? Any great solutions?

xoxo, 

Tiffany

NEW Sigma Brow Kit & Brow Grooming/Filling Tutorial

SO excited that the Sigma Beauty Experts Brow Kit is finally available today! I say "finally" just because I've been using and testing out this kit for over a month now and I absolutely couldn't wait to share it with you all. 

I've been using it often and it now has it's own little special place on my vanity top.

*Be warned.. I've been using and loving this kit for a month, so you're going to see my actual "used" kit in the photos. Being real- that's just how it is.

I know... It comes with a CRAZY amount of stuff. Literally everything you'd ever need for perfect eye brows.  What makes this kit unique is that it not only includes full-sized products to fill and make your brows look perfect, but it also includes all the tools you need to actually groom and shape your brows.

Double-sided highlight pencil, double-sided pencil for filling, jumbo sharpener, 5 brow powders, double-sided brow gel, double-sided brow brush (E75 & E80)

scissors, tweezers, 3 brow stencils

Sigma Beauty Experts Brow Kit, $69

Click here for the kit, and be sure to take advantage of the 10% off code "AP2012" good until July 31, 2012.

Also, don't forget to check out my Brow Grooming/Filling Tutorial below

Brow Kit was provided for consideration by Sigma Beauty with no obligations or agreements to review or feature in my videos or my blog.

NEW Benefit for Sephora Kits!

Benefit, you get me every time.
With your cutesy retro fun packaging and the yummy-smelling products.
Every. Single. Time.

But the products have actually been a long-time love of mine. I would consider Benefit to be one of my first cosmetic obsessions.  Sure they're fun and all, but the quality is great too which is obviously the most important thing. Especially the boxed powders.
I remember my first one, Dandelion.  It was love.  So when I saw that Benefit had started to create other products based on their much-loved boxed powders, they got me again.
Which reminds me that I need to get around to posting swatches of the new Ultra Plush lip glosses based on the boxed powders.  Look for that soon.

These new kits I'm giving you a little peek of here will be exclusively sold at Sephora. The first two, Sugarlicious and Go Tropicoral are created around two of those famous boxed powders, Sugarbomb and CORALista.  Those kits are $28.  There is also one based on Dandelion called Feelin' Dandy, which I don't have. The other is one of their new Complexion Kits. They come in 3 shades- Light, Medium, & Deep and will be exclusive to Sephora also.  Those are $30. All of the kits will be available in August.

K, so enough chit-chat... Here's the eye candy.

 Sugarlicious

 

 kit contains:

 Benetint (cheek & lip stain), High Beam (highlighting liquid), Sugarbomb (face powder), Ultra Plush Sugarbomb lipgloss

I love the little "Tips & Tricks" booklet that closes around the mirror of each kit

The shades are pretty subtle in this one- (l-r) Benetint, High Beam, Sugarbomb powder

Sugarbomb Ultra Plush lip gloss

 Go Tropicoral

kit contains: Chachatint (lip & cheek stain), High Beam (liquid highlighter), CORALista (face powder), Ultra Plush lip gloss in CORALista

(l-r) Chachatint, High Beam, CORALista powder

CORALista Ultra Plush lip gloss

 "How to Look the Best at Everything" Complexion Kit in Medium

(personally, the powder is a bit too dark for me, so my shade in this kit would be Light)

As with the previous kits, this one also has a helpful "Tips & Tricks" booklet around the mirror

kit contains: The POREfessional (primer), Hellow Flawless Oxygen Wow (brightening liquid foundation), Boi-ing (shade 03 & 04 concealer), Hello Flawless (finishing powder)

For some reason, I found it exciting that the concealers snapped out...

 I've got to say, I'm partial to the Tropicoral kit. Perfect for Summer.

I also love the concept of the Complexion Kits, however, I'll probably purchase the Light one when they come out.

So what do you guys think? Which kits are your favorites? Do tell...

xoxo,

Tiffany

Products provided by Benefit for consideration with no agreements or obligations to feature on my blog or videos.

Summer Turquoise Makeup Tutorial

Products Used:
Tarte Lifted Eye Primer
Revlon Quad in Inspired
Urban Decay 24/7 pencil eye liner in Electric
Make Up For Ever pencil liner in 23L
Stila Kajal Eye Liner in Tiger's Eye
Nars Eye Shadow Duo in Cordura (medium brown eye shadow)
Armani Eyes to Kill Mascara
Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Exposed
MAC Pro Longwear bronzer in Nude on Board
NYX Plumping Lipgloss in Jessica
not shown in video:
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural (as light foundation)
Revlon Brow Fantasy in Dark Blonde

Check out my video tutorial for the look below:

IMATS 2012!

I had such an amazing experience this year at IMATS! Such a great time that I had to make two videos to document it all.

So let's start from the beginning. IMATS (International Makeup Artist Trade Show) is held multiple times throughout the year at different locations. The biggest and best one in the US every year is IMATS Los Angeles. I've had the pleasure of attending the past three years and they seem to only get better!  It's basically a huge convention where tons of well-known cosmetic companies set up a booth to showcase their stuff, do demonstrations, and generally sell their products at a discount. Tickets are sold for the show and it's open to the public.  Which is AWESOME because every year, I get to meet hundreds of my subscribers. It's such a surreal experience.

This year, I did makeovers at the Sigma Beauty booth (which I also did last year) both days of the show. Again, SO fun and so very exciting to be able to connect in person with so many of my subscribers and readers! Not to mention getting to hang out with lots of my fellow beauty guru buddies. IMATS, to me, is just a big old pile of lovin'.

So I attended the show both days, as well as the Sigma Beauty Brow Kit Launch party on Saturday night. Again, SO fun. 

So as I said, I put together two videos from my experience during IMATS weekend. 

One on my main channel, MakeupByTiffanyD, where I talk all about the experience and show a little slideshow of my personal photos from the trip at the end.

I also put together another video that is put together like a typical travel video of mine. Clips from our trip, and all of my OOTD's from the weekend on my other channel, TiffanyDtv.

So be sure to save the date for IMATS 2013! It's in JANUARY next year!! How crazy is that? So excited we don't have to wait a full year again for more IMATS magical-ness.... 

xoxo,

Tiffany

MAC Heavenly Creature Collection

MAC Heavenly Creature

Available July 5th- August 19th

Let me start off by saying that I LOVE the whole "planet look" of the Mineralize products in this collection. So fun. 
So fun, in fact, that MAC needs to create a HUGE collection based on space. Just my thoughts...

Anyway, this collection is anchored by the Mineralize products- Mineralize Skinfinish, Mineralize Eye Shadows, and Mineralize Blush.  With some lipsticks, Cremesheen Glass, and random re-promoted skincare products and brushes thrown into the mix. So if you're a fan of Mineralize products (particularly the eye shadows because they are GORGEOUS) then go ahead and get all over this.
 Personally, the Mineralize Eye Shadows are not my favorite thing.  Not because the quality is bad or anything, but just because I wish they were more pigmented. They are just made to be more sheer. Especially the ones (like in this collection) that are very swirly with several different colors that make up the eye shadow. So when it's all blended, it usually turns into a shade that is nothing like what it looks like.  Not that that is a bad thing.  I just crave for them to look like the actual shades in the pot. Yes, you can use a (very small) brush and carefully get each color onto your brush.  But let's be real, that drives me CRAAAZY.  My favorite Mineralize Eye Shadows are the ones that have larger shapes of color within them that you can actually work with separately or the super dark ones that contain very few colors swirled together. Those are just easier to work with and provide the best color payoff in my opinion.

As for the Mineralize blush, I've always been a fan. Just love them.  Same with the MSF's. Just love.

Here are the products I received from the collection.  There's lots more of the collection to see so be sure to check it out when it's released!
Also, to make things a little easier, I added a little star next to the names of products that are my favorites from the collection.

Mineralize Skinfinish in Star Wonder

(would work best as blush, or layered over blush)

Mineralize Blush in *Supernova 

 swatch: Star wonder MSF on left, Supernova blush on right

Mineralize Eye Shadows: (l-r) Aurora, Universal Appeal

Cremesheen Glass: (top) Celestial Kiss, (bottom) *Meteoric

Lipstick: (l-r) Cut a Caper, Fire Sign

Products provided for consideration by MAC with no obligations or agreements to feature on my blog or videos.

Everyday Natural & Light Foundation Routine

So let's just be honest. Day to day, I definitely do NOT go through a super-complicated foundation routine. Most of the time, I don't even have time for a fairly simple liquid foundation routine. In my daily Summer routine, I like to do something that I can literally do in a few minutes, that isn't super hard to perfect.  Even with my easiest liquid foundation routines, you definitely have to work a bit to blend the foundation to make sure things are just right.
So daily, I opt for this foundation routine that requires basically no complicated skills of any sort.
Another bonus? It's perfect for this hot and humid summer weather.
Oh and the best bonus of all... It looks natural and covers just as well as liquid foundation.
Check out the video below for a quick, step-by-step tutorial.

Here are the products I used:
Origins Vitazing moisturizer
MAC Studio Finish Concealer
Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Protector Finishing Powder SPF 25
(or MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural) - any lightweight, natural finish pressed powder
Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Undereye Concealer
Sigma brushes: E30, F50, F86, F20
MAC Prolongwear Bronzer in Nude on Board

How I Pack Beauty Products for Travel

Over the years, one of the most popular video requests I've received is how I pack beauty products for travel.  Particularly airline travel.

And why wouldn't it be? It's something that can be a bit tricky. All those rules about carry-ons and liquids. It's exhausting. Especially when you don't travel often. It still stresses me out a little.

But I've definitely picked up LOTS of great ideas and learned a few tricks. Mostly because I've had some bad experiences going through security with makeup and products. So I've learned a thing or two to avoid any stress or security hold-ups. Which I'm passing along to you.

I also did a more basic travel video a few weeks ago where I show you how I packed all my products and makeup for a road trip. I also show you inside my beach bag and how I pack it.

So between these two videos, you can get all of my packing tips and see what I bring on vacation.

Hope you guys love!

xoxo,

Tiffany

New LUSH Goodies!

I love a good haul...
Almost as much as I love fun bath products.
Recently, you read me talk about some awesome soaps and more "shower-y" things here.  I mean, technically you can use those things in the bath too... But I noticed a while back that I was running low on bath bombs and bubble bars so I decided to check out LUSH, where I picked up some new things and old favorites.
Check out the goodies I picked up in the video below!

**To see how I store my LUSH products, check out this post**