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Olay Total Effects 7 in One CC Cream – Pore Minimizing Cream With Sunscreen

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PRESS SAMPLE

 

Over the last two years I had to stop and rethink my skincare game and that included eliminating use of foundation on my face as well as other products that caused my skin to be irritated.  While getting rid of a routine that used to be the norm for me, I noticed that my skin was affected by so many different products and I didn’t even realize it.  Did stopping the use of foundation and concealer mean that I had to give up that “flawless, airbrushed appearance” that we sometimes swoon over on others?  Well, no… but let me tell you, finding the right BB Cream or CC Cream that offered me great benefits, some sun protection and looked nice on the skin was surely difficult to find.  After two years of watching the BB, CC and DD cream trend evolve, I found a product that has absolutely turned into a favorite.  Now, don’t get me wrong – I don’t use it often… but when I need a little coverage or feel like I need some minimizing of the pores, this is the product I now turn to.

Olay Total Effects 7 in One CC Cream

The Olay Total Effects 7 in One CC Cream retails for about $17 – $25 depending on where you find it and I love that it is easily available at most drugstores and retailers like Walmart, Target and Kmart.  The tube pictured on the box is the actual size so there is no guessing on whether or not the product is half the size of the box and 1.7 fl oz (50mL) is quite a bit a product since the product blends nicely and a little can go a long way.

Olay Total Effects 7 in One CC Cream

This CC cream is a pore minimizing cc cream with sunscreen (broad spectrum SPF 15) and is a multi-tasking moisturizer with light coverage that helps to minimize the pores.  You can find this in three shades:  Fair to Light, Light to Medium and Medium to Deep.  I use Medium to Deep… which in my opinion is a great shade match for me.  When squeezing it out of the tube initially – I thought it would be too light… but it blended into my skin perfectly leaving my skin looking fresh (my skin but better) and I didn’t have any white cast or flash back when taking photos.

fall inspired makeup using MAC blue brown

In the photos above I am using the Olay Total Effects CC Cream as my all over coverage.

The CC cream has 7 benefits for healthy and radiant looking skin and include:

  1. Evens skin tone and appearance
  2. minimizes the look of pores
  3. enhances brightness
  4. visibly smooths fine lines and wrinkles
  5. reduces the look of spots
  6. hydrates for a firm look
  7. replenishes moisture

Olay Total Effects 7 in One CC Cream

Oil-free so that it will not clog pores, lightweight, non-greasy and Dermatologist tested, the Olay CC Cream is a liquid like cream but a little thicker than that of a liquid foundation.  While this product is not marketed as a primer, it does state on the packaging that it can be used alone or as a primer under make-up.  I believe this product is a perfect base for your makeup if you are a foundation wearer or if you want a little more coverage than just bare skin.  As with other CC creams, this one has CC Coverage to help with tone correction and gives you an airbrushed look without the feel of having anything on your skin.  I apply using my beauty blender or a flat top kabuki brush for even distribution and my skin will continue to stay hydrated and moisturized through the day.  While this is a squeeze top packaging, I didn’t notice that I was getting too much or too little when trying to apply the product – the packaging works okay.  If you have uneven skin tone, I think you will absolutely love this product to help even your tone out.

Olay Total Effects 7 in One CC Cream
Olay Total Effects 7 in One CC Cream
Olay Total Effects 7 in One CC Cream
CC Cream prior to being completely blended
Olay Total Effects 7 in One CC Cream
CC Cream completely blended on the skin

Like most Olay products, this one can be a little more in cost than those you normally find in the drugstore, but overall I think it is a great product for the cost considering I didn’t get any flare ups, skin sensitivities, break outs or any affects I would normally receive from using foundation or bb cream type products.  Besides the price, I think that they could benefit in adding a larger shade range, though I was pretty amazed at how well the product blended into my skin and looked like it wasn’t even there while still offering a bit of coverage for every day use.

If you are someone who uses full coverage foundation to cover up any scarring or problems you may be experiencing, while I think this product will overall benefit your skin and help to keep it moisturized, I do not think it will provide the coverage you may be seeking.  Since my skin tone and overall skin appearance is okay, the coverage this product offered worked well for me.  While I don’t use face products like foundation, concealer or bb creams often, I found that this has been a favorite of mine.  After using this product over the last several months, I didn’t see any negative affects on my skin and overall I loved the application, ease of use, and how it feels on my skin.  I definitely think this would work for anyone who has sensitive skin as I do because I didn’t have any issues.  Would I buy this again?  Yes, most certainly.  If you are like me and rarely use face products as I mentioned but are looking for a product to use like I do for days you want a little coverage or just want to have a finished and polished look, I think you’ll like this product as I have.

Looking for a video review?  Click the link here and see what I have to say about it or watch the embedded video above.

Have you tried this before?  If you have… what are your thoughts on it?  If you haven’t… is this something you would be interested in checking out?  Comment below, I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Signature Honey

Disclaimer:  This product was sent to me as a gift for consideration.  In no way was I required to provide a review or paid to provide a review.  All thoughts, opinions and such are my own, unbiased and 100% honest.

 

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Teadora Rainforest at Dusk Nourishing Body Polish

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It’s no secret that I’m a lover of scrubs for the body and the face and when I can’t make my own, I’m definitely pulling at the ones that I love.  Recently I wrote about the Teadora Nourishing Lip butter and overall I enjoyed the product (see my thoughts on that product here).  Shortly after trying out the lip butter, I had the opportunity to try the body polish and was quite excited to see how it would work with my sensitive skin.

Teadora Rainforest at dusk nourishing body polish

Teadora’s Rainforest at Dusk Nourishing Body Polish is packed with Antioxidant and vitamin-rich Buriti, Babassu, Brazil Nut, Rose Hip Seed, and Maracujá oils, plus potent exfoliants such as Açaí Seeds and Amazonian Clay for all the goodness your skin needs.  This body polish reminds me of a mud like scrub and it works well to remove dead skin while still giving your skin hydration.  The body polish retails for $34.00 (6.0oz) and $10.00 (1.5oz) and is made in the USA.  I love that it is so easy to use… simply rub the body scrub on your body and then rinse off.

Teadora Rainforest at dusk nourishing body polish

I have sensitive skin, so I can only use this product sparingly and once a week or so but even with my sensitivities it didn’t really cause me any issues.  I like to use this product on my driest areas on my body like my knees, elbows and on my ankles and feet.  A little of this product goes a long way and it rubs on nicely and softly and gently scrubs off any dead skin and leaving it soft and ready for my favorite body butters or lotions.

Teadora Rainforest at Dusk Nourishing Body Polish

Ingredients: Aqua, Organic Coco Nucifera (Coconut) Water, Organic Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Kaolin (Brazil White Clay), Decyl Glucoside, Diatomaceous Earth, Bentonite, Organic Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Bertholletia Excelsa Seed (Brazil Nut) Oil, Pumice, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Kosher Glycerine, Euterpe Oleracea (Açaí) Seed Powder, Orbignya Oleifera (Babassu) Seed Oil, Passiflora Incarnata (Passionfruit) Seed Oil, Organic Rasa Canina (Rose Hip) Seed Oil, Organic Mauritia Flexuosa (Buriti) Fruit Oil, Euterpe Oleracea Fruit (Açaí) Oil, Mauritia Flexuosa Fruit (Buriti) Extract, Non-GMO Tocopherol (Mixed-Ester) Vitamin E, Ascophyllum Nodosum, Panthenol (Pro Vitamin B5), Caprylyl Glycol, Eugenia Uniflora Fruit (Pitanga) Extract, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate (Vitamin C) Ester, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Retinyl Palmitate (Vitamin A), Natural Fragrance.

I couldn’t figure out the type of scent it had but I can tell you that the fragrance is not overpowering at all.  It reminds me a bit of a earthy scent, but I could be wrong.  Teadora suggests that you use this scrub no more than 2 to 3 times a week and I use it about once a week in the areas I mentioned previously.  While it does clean away and exfoliate nicely, leaving my skin soft and hydrated, like anything on my sensitive skin – it can be drying for me if used too often.  It’s not really the fault of the product as my skin reacts the same with anything similar.  If you have sensitive skin like me, I think you’ll really enjoy this scrub as it offers you the benefits of a good scrub without feeling harsh after it’s all done.  Overall, I’m impressed with the body polish and enjoy the pampering it does offer me.

Teadora is a company that loves the rainforests and does what they can to help preserve them.  As someone who lives in a state that still has natural rainforest surrounding me, I am proud to support the brand and their mission of deforestation.  Their story and their goal is an awesome read and I definitely recommend checking them out.  Read more about Teadora here and see what they offer.

Signature Honey

Disclaimer:  This product is a press sample and was sent to me for review.  I have not been paid to provide my thoughts on this product and all thoughts are my own, unbiased and 100% honest.

 

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Borghese Eclissare Collection – Palettes & Lip Glosses (Review, Swatches & Giveaway)

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It’s been quite a few years since I last used anything from Borghese, so I was quite excited to check out their new Elissare Collection and give it a test drive.  This collection of goodies is a wonderful roll out for the new year, providing a new sleek look with gorgeous shades for anyone one and any skin tone.  Check out my thoughts on these products below as well my video review which you can find here.

Borghese Elissare Color Eclipse Shadow & Light Luminous Eye Palette

The Borghese Eclissare Color Eclipse Shadow and Light Luminous Eye Palette (0.75 oz / 21.3g) is the first of the goodies I tried out and enjoyed.  It includes 12 gorgeous neutral and wearable shades in one chic palette along with a dual ended eye shadow brush.  This palette retails for $55.00 on the Borghese website and is perfect for those who travel or just anyone looking for an every day or glam look. Each color is labeled on the palette (which I love) so there is no guessing the name and there are a variety of textures.

Bask – a light, warm-toned creamy-beige with a satin-matte finish.

Afterglow – a warm-toned medium-beige with a highly metallized.

Pulse – a warm-toned, soft-peach, highly metallized.

Veil – a cool neutral soft-brown with a satin-matte finish.

Borghese Eclissare

Muse – a burnished gold with brown undertones, highly metallized.

Ascend – a light, soft-tan with yellow undertones, satin-matte finish.

Wane – a rich medium brown with warm undertones, satin-matte finish.

Impact – a medium rose-copper, highly metallized.

Borghese Eclissare

Downfall – a dark brown with depth, matte finish.

Out There – a medium pewter, highly metalized.

Shroud – a deep charcoal-grey with blue undertones, highly metallized.

Immortal – a deep charcoal-black with subtle silver glitter

Borghese Eclissare

Out of all the shades, Immortal is probably the one shade that is not my favorite.  Though I would not call this shade a dud, due to its texture, the deep black may require you to build up the color.  Still pigmented and pretty, this would be a great outer v or crease shade.

Borghese Elissare Color Eclipse Shadow & Light Luminous Eye Palette

This palette may intrigue some in that it does look a bit similar to the Urban Decay Naked Original.  While the shades are similar, the textures are a bit different and therefore I think they are very different altogether.  I am however impressed with the color range and similarities… both palettes offer buttery, silky shades and the Borghese Shadow & Light Luminous Eye Palette definitely offers great quality.

Borghese vs Urban Decay

Overall, if you are looking for a palette that offers a luxury look and feel as well as something you can use daily if you are into neutrals or smoky eye looks… I think this would be a nice buy.  The eye shadow brush is nice, offering you one side to pack on your shades and the other side to blend.  This palette is a little up there with regard to cost, but anyone familiar with the Borghese brand knows of their quality and the palette itself is sturdy, well made and really offers great protection with travel.

Borghese Makeup look

Next up on the list of goodies are the Borghese mini palettes from the same collection.  Five Shades of Sultry Eye Shadow is a gorgeous palette offering five smoky shades to create a stunning and show stopping look.  Retailing for $29.00 – this little palette is travel friendly, compact and comes in similar packaging to its larger sister palette the Shadow and Light Luminous Eye Palette (that I discussed previously).

Borghese Five Shades of Sultry Eye Shadow

Each shade is labeled with it’s name (like the larger palette) and offers you a gorgeous array of textures to create that show stopping smoky look.

Lit- a light white-silver metallic pearl.

Vapor- a medium grey, blue overtones, metallic pearl.

Smolder- a dark smoky charcoal, high frost finish.

Fume- true black, matte finish.

Scorch- medium, glitter-laden graphite-grey.

Borghese Five Shades of Sultry Eye Shadow

All of the shades within this palette are absolutely show stopping, with the same buttery and silky feel as the larger palette.  However, Scorch (which is the last shade in the palette) has chunkier reflex than that of a normal metallic shade, so it can have some fall out if not applied carefully and Fume which is the matte black in the palette can apply patchy at times.  I have noticed that I need to build up the shade to get the maximum color payoff.  Ultimately, I think all of the shades are gorgeous and offer such great pigmentation, but those were the shades I did have to work with a little bit.  It happens sometimes and I know that matte blacks can certainly apply patchy with any brand.

Next in the collection is Borghese’s Eclissare Color Eclipse Five Shades of Torrid Eye Shadow Palette.  This palette comes with 0.30 oz / 8.5 g worth of product just as the Five Shades of Sultry Palette.  Same sleek and chic packaging that is also great for travel and compact.  This palette is probably my favorite out of the three and I have been using it to create wearable and smoky eye looks (as seen above).

Borghese Eclissare Color Eclipse Five Shades of Torrid Eye Shadow Palette

At first glance this palette looks simple and like any other neutral palette, but I’m quite impressed with some of the shades.  Kindle is such a gorgeous color that I can’t even capture it on camera… offering you a white-taupe like color.  I can’t even explain it… but it’s gorgeous.

Wisp – a light, matte-finish ivory.

Kindle- a soft champagne taupe, satin-pearl finish.

Stoke- a medium brown, warm undertones, matte-finish.

Sear- a deep brown, matte-finish.

Torch- a medium champagne, pink overtones, highly metallized.

Borghese Eclissare Color Eclipse Five Shades of Torrid Eye Shadow Palette

While this palette is my favorite out of the three, I did have to put in some work to get the palette to work for me.  It happens sometimes, I have palettes from other brands that have shadows where there is a film or overlay on the shadow that makes it difficult for you to pick up the color at its true pigmentation.  By taking a paper towel and wiping the top of the shades that were not picking up color, I was able to get gorgeous color pay off on shades like Kindle and Torch (the two shades I had difficulty with) and man are they gorgeous.  This palette is one that I think would work for warm and cool skin tones offering a gorgeous neutral makeup look or smoky eye that is an absolute stunner.

Borghese Eclissare Color Eclipse ColorGlass Lip Gloss

Next up are the lip glosses from the line.  Borghese’s Color Eclipse ColorGlass Lip Glosses come in nine different shades – I have 8 of them.  All of them equally gorgeous and in an array of shades for any skin tone or complexion.  Each lip gloss retails for $21.50 and have 0.10 oz worth of product.  The glosses have nice pigmentation though some can be sheer against my skin.  This doesn’t bother me much because they make great toppers for my favorite lip sticks.  Each gloss is a little more sticky than I would like it to be… but because of the sticky feeling, I noticed the longevity on my lips was pretty good for a gloss – it lasted about 2-3 hours without touch up if I didn’t each or drink anything.  Most glosses don’t last me 40 minutes.

Eclissare_Lip_Glass_Shade_Swatches_with_names_for_reference__57189.1414440588.1280.1280

The above swatches came directly from Borghese’s website.  I have tried swatching these against my skin tone and lips for quite a while and because of my skintone, I had a hard time picking up the shades on camera.  I thought Borghese’s swatches were right on the money so I’m sharing them with you.  Simmer is one of my favorite glosses in the bunch – offering a gold shift to my lips when topped over my favorite lipsticks.  A few of the glosses can leave behind shimmer on the lips after wiping off, so that is something you’ll want to keep in mind – but overall, they are each gorgeous.

As you can see – this collection from Borghese offers products for anyone whether you are a lippy lover or someone who loves eyeshadows… or both.  I am glad I was able to dive into these new products since I haven’t had the chance to use anything from Borghese for a few years and these definitely got me excited to try other products from the brand again.  I’m quite impressed with the products themselves and I look forward to trying out more from the line.  Have you tried anything from Borghese or the Eclissare line?  Thanks to Borghese, I have a little giveaway of goodies and there will be six lucky winners.  Check out all the details and what you have to do to enter, listed below in the widget.  To purchase these products or to learn more about them, visit: www.borghese.com

Signature Honey

Disclaimer:  I was sent these products as a gift from Borghese.  There was no obligation for review but I took the time to thoroughly try out and test these products and decided I would discuss them here on my blog and YouTube channel.  Any reviews, comments, etc. by me with regard to these products are my own, unbiased and honest.  I reserve all right to have editorial freedom on my site when reviewing products.  In no way was I paid or swayed to provide a review for my readers/viewers.

 

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Gorgeous, Tangle-Free Curls With KISS InstaWave Automatic Curler

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PRESS SAMPLE

It’s no secret that I have really curly hair.  As a kid, I hated my curls and since my hair was really really long most of my life, I wore my hair pulled back and away from my face.  Over the last couple of years, I have been trying to embrace wearing my hair down and my curls wild and free.  But, while I am learning to love my natural hair, I do love larger curls or curls that are not so tight as mine can be and that is where hair tools come into play.  While I have a variety of curling wands in different shapes and barrel sizes, I never tried an automatic curler before.  I’ll be honest in saying that when I first heard of the product, I was a bit intrigued and hesitant, not knowing how this would work with my already curly hair.  The KISS InstaWave Automatic Curler is an interesting tool to say the least.

KISS InstaWave Automatic Curler

The revolutionary KISS InstaWave is a fully automatic tangle-free curler that instantly creates beautiful, long-lasting curls with ease.  Their claim is that you do not need to be a pro to create gorgeous curls and you can bring the salon home.  At first glance I was a bit hesitant to use this product as I wondered how it would work with my already very curly and very long hair.  After reading the directions several times and finally diving into the product, my hair got tangled so many times that I was worried to keep working at it.  With trial and error, I realized some things I needed to change in order to use the product and I also learned what it can and cannot do with my hair since my hair is so long and curly.  It took a lot of testing and trying (which I was not too happy about since I don’t really use heat on my hair), but the curler wand and I finally found an easy way to work with the hair tool that worked for me.  More details about my results below.

KISS InstaWave Automatic Curler

The InstaWave Automatic Curler has Diamond-Ceramic Technology.  Infusion of diamond and ceramic particles enhance the durability while maintaining ionic effects for healthy shiny styling results.  Don’t forget to check out the video demo (embedded below), or click here to watch directly on YouTube.

The KISS InstaWave is a fully automatic tangle-free curler that claims to easily create beautiful curls.  This tool is supposed to be easy to use for anyone, any angle and any hand.  The unit features a curl dial with left/right curl directions and automatically shuts off after 90 minutes.  You have two heat settings with low/high switch and a maximum temperature of 420 degrees.

KISS InstaWave Automatic Curler

After almost a month of working with the product, the InstaWave is now fairly easy for me to use, but it didn’t come without a lot of tangling and smoke.  While I was pretty intimidated to use the product at first, I noticed that as easy as it is, there is definitely some trial and error for some hair types.

I have found that when my hair is dry (coarse) – my hair can tangle quite easily in the unit while curling and when my hair is soft, the unit curls my hair easily, without effort or issues.  I love that you can curl left or right directions.  Since my hair is so long, I love that this offers my arms a little relaxation and I am not spending hours curling my hair due to the length.  So far the curls stay in my hair for quite a while after set, but my hair has always held its curls so I didn’t think that would be an issue.

KISS InstaWave Automatic Curler

Curling your hair kind of easy.  Simply hold the InstaWave vertically and place a section of hair on the InstaWave curling rod.  Pressing the right/left button until all of your hair wraps around the barrel and then releasing the button.  Hold your hair in place from 5-10 seconds (longer for tighter curls and less for beachy waves).  Pull the InstaWave down vertically letting the hair out.

While the directions say 5-10 seconds should be good… I notice that my hair can actually start to burn.  The unit gets hot VERY quickly so I try to take the wand out of my hair faster than the suggested time.  If you have long, curly hair as I do – I think there can definitely be a learning curve to the process, but once I started to figure it out, it seemed to work nicely for me.  I can say this much… it surely saved me a lot of aches in my arms and shoulders from holding them up so long.

KISS InstaWave Automatic Curler

Photo above is with the curls right after removing from barrel – unstyled.  After using the tool on my entire length of my hair and my whole head, I also realized that you can’t really get very close to your scalp – in my case, it was not a pretty sight when it tangled.  If you are looking for curls nearer to your scalp or longer curls, I don’t suggest this tool.  Also – if you notice your hair has tangled, what I did is reverse the barrel direction so it would unwrap your hair from the barrel.  If that didn’t work, I turned off the unit and removed my hair the best as possible.  While this did end up working for me after many tries… I wish there were a way to try out the product without heat first so you can get the hang of learning how to curl your hair properly without worry of burning your hair.  I have burned my hair MANY times trying to figure out how to use this product… so it would have been great to be able to turn on the rotating section of it first, before adding the heat.

KISS InstaWave Automatic Curler

Photo above is with my hair curled using the InstaWave Automatic Curler.  I have run my finger through the curls to loosen them and style.  I concentrated all of the curls towards the lower part of my hair to give it that sultry, sexy look – which is actually different from how my hair would look with my normal curls.

Overall, while this product took a lot of trial and error, tangles and some heat burns, I have enjoyed using it as it has offered me the chance to curl my hair without too much strain on my carpal tunnel or my arms.  Doing my hair was easy and I was ready to go in a shorter time frame.  If you have straight hair or shorter hair than I do – you may have an easier time to use this product than I did.  I also suggest that you test small sections to learn how to use the product itself.

Signature Honey

This product was sent to me for review purposes.  All thoughts and opinions are my own and all views/opinions are 100% honest and unbiased.  This product was sent to me via Brandbacker.

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Easy Holiday Glam Makeup – Soft Eyes & Red Lips

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For months I had planned to do an easy Holiday Glam Look for Christmas and before I knew it, we were already in December and I had to get with it.  This look really is all about the lips and I wanted it to be bold and show stopping.  I think red lips are sexy and sultry and offer such a wonderful touch to complete your holiday makeup looks.  For this tutorial I bring to you an Easy Holiday Glam Makeup look featuring soft eyes and red lips.

Easy Holiday Glam Makeup

For this look, I used my Lorac Mega Pro Palette.  I really wish Lorac makes this palette permanent as it is one of my favorites now and I love the color range.  Check out my step by step makeup tutorial in the video embedded below or click here to watch it directly on YouTube.

 

Easy Holiday Glam Makeup

Products used to create this look include:

  • Eye shadow primer – Too Faced Shadow Insurance
  • Eye shadow – Lorac Mega Pro Palette – Sepia (transition shade), Sienna (blended into the crease), Smokey Topaz (applied on the lid and inner lower lash line), Espresso (applied to the outer crease / outer v and on two thirds of the lower lash line), Opal (applied as inner corner highlight), Fawn (applied as browbone highlight)
  • Eye liners – Jordana Cosmetics 12 Hour Made to Last Liquid Eye Pencil in Black Point (applied to tightline/waterline) and Kat Von D Tattoo Liner in Trooper applied to create upper lash line liner and wing.
  • Mascara – Jordana Best Lash Extreme Mascara layered with Benefit’s They’re Real Mascara
  • Brows – Paula Dorf 2+1 for Brows kit in Brunette
  • Blush – Tarte’s Irreplaceable
  • Bronzer – NYX Matte Bronzer in Deep
  • Highlight – NYX Sunkissed Radiant Finishing Face Powder
  • Finishing Powder – Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Radiant
  • Lips – Milani Color Statement Lip Liner in True Red topped with Flower Beauty’s Rose Bud Lipstick and B.A. Star’s Holiday Red Lip Pencil

 

Easy Holiday Glam Makeup

This look is really simple to create and all the drama is in the lips.  If you are not fond of red lips, you can always switch this look up with any lip color you choose.  What I enjoy is that the shades I chose for this look are really complimentary to most eye shades and skin tones.  It’s a soft-wearable look and has a lot of Glam and drama once you add the bold red lip.  I hope you guys enjoyed this look.

Wishing you all a happy holiday season!

Signature Honey

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