Summer Summer Summer

As summer is getting closer and closer, the sun is always getting stronger and stronger. As a beauty guru, I value my skin and want to keep it protected and safe at all times. Especially, living in the southern part of the world, I find that it is so easy to let your skin go unprotected.

I love a good tan. There is nothing like a nice bronze finish to top that perfect summer look. However, red is not my color. Therefore, sunburn is not something I look for in fashion!

Now, your probably thinking "where are you going with this rachel?". Well, many times when I think "protect" your self from the sun and be safe, my mind automatically goes to sunscreen. But many times, we tend to forget, we need to protect our lips too! Not only is sun burnt lips unattractive, it's always very unfashionable. Not the best way to get a kiss from your summer sweat heart.

One of the easiest ways to keep your lips smooth and safe from the sun during the summer, is to use a lip balm (under your lipgloss or stick) with an spf in it. Personally, softlips are my favorite because not only do they have SPF 20, but they smell amazing and taste even better. But I know, Bert's Bees and ESO also sale lip balms with sun protectorates.

So my beauty tip for the day: Keep those lips safe!

Summer Nails.

One of my favorite things about summer time are all the fun and bright nail polish colors. Summer is a time to pull out the bright pinks, blues, and this year... MINTS! I can't believe how big mint nail polishes are becoming this season.

Recently, I began to use a different nail polish brand. While I will also and forever be an OPI girl, I decided that I wanted to try and mix it up. Isn't that what beauty girls do? After reading and watching reviews, I wanted to join in the new fad and try out Essie.

At first, I didn't really think that I would like Essie nail polishes. The packaging didn't really sale me, and I thought they would just be cheap nail polishes. It wasn't shortly after buying my first Essie color, I found out that I my judgements were wrong. The best part about Essie, ist that unlike OPI, my local Target carries ALL the new Essie collections! Don't judge a book by its color.

A few days ago, Essie came out with there new summer collection, Braziliant. This collection consist of six new fun summer colors. I've already read enough reviews, to know that Braziliant was going to be the color of the summer. So I was sure to rush out and pick up a bottle. When I saw the rest of the colors, I couldn't help myself to buy the entire collection. It's just so fun and cute!

I said earlier, that I believe that mint colors are going to be huge this season. Absolutely Shore (Essie) is the perfect summer time color. A perfect mix between mint, green, and gray. It's such a fun color to dress up or dress down. Which is what every summer color should be.

I can honestly say, that I am excited to see what other companies put out fun summer collections. But I know forsure, that I am going to have a hard time moving away from this new Essie collection! They defiantly captured this summers hottest trends in a series of six nail polishes colors!

Rachel.

Update.

I am sorry that I have been gone for a while, but I am finally back. Over the past few months, I've spent a lot of time working on my personal blog. It's taken a lot more energy that I thought it would to get it up and running, but its going pretty strong now. So I am ready to spend more time and energy on my beauty blog.

While I have been spending lots of time working on my personal blog, that doesn't mean that I haven't been keeping up to date with the beauty world. Over the past few months, I've found lots of great deals that I am excited to share with my fellow gurus.

I also learned that while being at school it is harder to update my youtube channel because of the lack of unlimited internet. Thankfully, that will be changing next year. As for right now, I am home for the summer, which means that its a good time to begin making daily videos and start building my followers.

So that is the plan. Keep watching because the next few weeks are going to big. I have lots of reviews, hauls, tips, tricks, and even some giveaways coming soon.

Rachel.

Busy. Busy. Busy.

It has been one heck of a week. But I'm finally back to school and all settled in, so blogs should forsure start becoming more daily again.

Over my time away, I did however find a product that I think is worth getting a shout out!

Smashbox Photo Finish Primer.

I got a small 16$ sample at Sephora last week. I have been looking for a good face primer. But was having troubles deciding where in the world to start to look. I have been using my sample for a little over a week now and it seems to be working great. I have noticed that my foundation last much longer. I get full coverage all day, and most of the night. I do my makeup everyday around 9in the morning, and usually don't take it off to about 11 or 12 at night. And I have seen an AMAZING difference.

I have also started to "set" my makeup with a powder from my theatre makeup set. I don't know the name off the top of my head... but the product is VERY similar to the Make Up For Ever powder.

:)

Top Products of 2010.

It's simply and it's easy.

1. Revlon Color Stay Foundation

2. Mac PaintPots

3. NYX Lipgloss - Ice Princess

4. Bath And BodyWorks Coconut Spray

5. Dior - Diorshow

6. Mac Blush - Blooming (discontinued)

7. Mac Blush - Lady Blush

8. Mark. Lipgloss. Juice gems. (Review coming soon!)

9. NYX. Lipstick in Tea Rose. (I found out yesterday, they also make a lipgloss in this color! :D)

10. Paul Mitchell Flat Iron.

Check out my Top products of 2010 video for more information.

I promise, I will blog about a topic not mentioned in my videos tomorrow. I'll be at the airport all day. :)

Hello Youtube.

So today, I started my YouTube beauty channel.... and so instead of blogging today...

I'm going to link my channel! :)

youtube.com/livelaughbeauty1

NARS: Loose Powder in Desert

I bought the NARS' loose powder in Desert for the first time last year. After the first week, I fell in love with this product. This was the first product, I ever hit pan on. And as soon as I did, I was in my car on my to the store to buy some more. Today, I am proud to say, I hit pan for the second time!

am sure this product can have many uses. I find it works best for me, to set my makeup. After I apply my liquid foundation (which changes every month or so), I use a kabuki brush to buff it in all over my face.

Although this product is a "loose powder"... I was surprised to find it is not all that loose. It comes in the basic NARS packaging and is very compact. It goes on the face so smoothly and is easy on the skin. It's great for all skin types. And so far, I haven't heard of it breaking anybody out.

This will diff be a product I will be buying again soon! :D

Designer products for less?

If your a youtube beauty goru, then you prob. know JuicyStar07. And if you don't, you better get too it, because she is one of the most popular beauty gorus out there. Anyways, I found this website, while reading her blog last week and I literally fell in love. And before I start, I am NOT in any way, what so ever, trying to copy her. These are all my own honest opinions:

The website is called HauteLook.com. They sell designer products for cheap. And it's so easy. All you have to do is sign up. It's completely free. Everyday, they have different designer sales. Everything from clothes to house gifts. It is awesome.

On New Years Eve, they had a sunglass sale. And if there is one thing that I love it is designer sunglasses. A few summers ago, I bought my very first pair of designer sunglasses. They were big white Diors. And I loved them. Since then, its been nothing but D&G, Mike Kors, Coach, and Chanel sunglasses. I found designer sunglasses at HauteLook.com for prices as low as 50 dollars! Ah-freakin-mazing! :D

From designer sunglasses to NineWest Bags. YES! NineWest bags for 50$. Real. Legal. All the above. Yes! Yes! Yes.

I'm not trying to sale this website or anything like that. But, I diff think it is something worth looking into. I've found over the past few days, that sometimes the sales are good and sometimes there kind of lame. It is forsure a hit or miss. Lucky, they give you a heads up of the upcoming "events". So I love to get on and see what's going on sale for tomorrow, and if its something good, I'll be sure to log on first thing. That's the only downfall, all products are limited. And so, if a paid of Dior sunglasses are only 50$, you can be sure they are going to be sold out within the first hour. So you better be ready to order bright and early!

I just find it so hard that it took me this long to find this site! And I would love to know what others think about it?

Link to Blair Flower's blog:

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with this company in any way. These are my own thoughts and I am not being paid in any way, shape or form. And all that jazz.

The F word.... Foundation!

Finding the perfect foundation. AH! I don't know about anyone else out there, but for myself...I know that when it comes to foundation... I rather run away. I have freckles. A LOT of freckles. And so finding a foundation that works with my skin color... isn't easy. Not to sound coincided, but I've never have much trouble with acne. Partly because I've been lucky, and partly because I've always taken good care of my skin. But that's another topic. I'll do another blog about acne and skin care. Back to foundations...

I've tried MANY different foundations over the years. Liquids appear to be too "oily" looking. and Powders are WAY to cakey.

For the past few months, I've been using Ulta's fabulous face foundation in natural beige. It comes in a pump glass jar, but the pump broke after the first week. Which means, the top was open for all sorts of bacteria. It didn't apply well with a brush, and so I used by fingers. However I did love that it has SPF 15, and I love the texture. It feels creamy and smooth. However, the coverage did not last. Within an hour, I could go from full cover to medium cover. And by the end of the day, when I whip off my makeup... There would be NOTHING left to take off.

I like to "set" or maybe just help build up the coverage with NARS Desert. I would apple the powder all over by face by buffing it in with a studio basics kabuki brush. I fell in LOVE with this product the first time I used it. However, the color didn't give me enough coverage by itself, but it worked AMAZINGLY over top of a liquid. I'm proud to say, this is one of the first products, I ever hit pan on. :)

And then, last week... it happened. My Ulta foundation was gone. After almost 6 months, the container was finally empty. Although, I was not all happy with the product. (I do admit, however, that it is a GREAT product.... but it doesn't work for me skin). I still continued to use it. I HATE foundation shopping.

Time for a new foundation. The first question that needed it be answered: Drug store? or Department store?... I've heard good things about Macs foundation powders. And Amazing things about Smashbox Photo finish. But since I don't need a lot of coverage.... I find it hard to pay the big bucks on a foundation. So after hours of shopping around the mall and local drug stores. I made my choice: Revlons ColorStay for Normal/Dry Skin in Medium Beige. I applied it for the first time today with a Studio basics Foundation brush. I loved the way it applied. And as far as I can tell, it still hasn't wore off. I'll forsure be doing a review on this product in a few weeks... but as for right now... I'm praying for the best. :)