get your game face on

Football season has officially started with the NFL opening game last night, and I couldn't be happier (Go Marshall and  go Panthers!). Football and all-pumpkin-everything combined with the perfect weather, easily make Fall my favorite season.

For some, football season means wearing your favorite jersey and heading out to a tailgate and game every weekend. For others, it means yummy food and beer in front of a TV. Regardless of your preference to watch the game you want to be focused on the game and having fun, not worried about how you look.

Football games often mean spending all day outside in the sun drinking, and the last thing you want is to head somewhere after the game with a face full of smudged makeup. You know the girls who wear a ton of makeup to sporting events and look silly? Don't be that girl. You aren't there to make a statement with your bold lip or smokey eye, you're there to have fun and cheer on your team (or at least pretend like it).

In order to ensure you go from tailgate to game to post-game festivities looking flawless, stick to minimal, neutral makeup with staying power. This way, you can feel good about spending all day (and night) supporting your team and beer-drinking habits and leave all cosmetic products at home.

game face necessities

My favorite long-lasting products for game time are:

1. Tarte BB Tinted Primer: I've said it before and I'll say it again: this stuff is amaze balls. It's lightweight (read: doesn't look like you're wearing makeup on your face), but covers extremely well. A little bit goes a long way and the best way to apply is to put a small amount on your fingers, rub your fingers of both hands together, then smear all over your face and blend.

2. The Body Shop Concealer Stick: It's no secret that this is my favorite concealer. The reason I like it so much is because it covers under-eye circles and blemishes well, so I don't need two different concealers. Apply this under eyes and on blemishes where needed, but don't worry too much about covering every little spot.

3. Josie Maran Waterproof Cheek Gelee: Waterproof blush means this stuff doesn't budge. It'll stay on until you take it off, even through the hottest day for a game. Apply lightly to get a healthy flush; once again, don't go overboard.

4. Benefit Hooola Bronzer: This is a recent purchase of mine from the #FlyBenefit vending machine at the airport, and I'm already obsessed! This bronzer is perfect for game day because there's no shimmer in it (matte=natural). Dust a little on your forehead, sides of nose, chin and hollows of your cheeks for a natural-looking glow.

5. Stila Stay All Day Liquid Liner in Black: Stila isn't lying when they say "Stay All Day" because this stuff doesn't budge. If you haven't mastered using liquid eyeliner (yet), not to worry. Draw small dashes as close to your lash line as possible then connect them and you'll have a straight line! Since I have small eyes I like to add a small flick to the outer corners of my eyes, think mini cat-eye, but it's still appropriate for game day.

Tip: if you have lighter eyes or hair, stick to brown instead of black - it looks much more natural.

6. Make Up Forever Aqua Cream for Eyes in Warm Beige: I definitely don't recommend wearing eye shadow to sporting events, especially if it's outside in the heat, because you're basically asking your shadow to crease and look horrible within a few hours. However, I do like to put a tiny bit of this on my brow bone and at the inner corner of my eye.

7. L'Oreal Voluminous Mascara: No need to get waterproof mascara for football season, unless your favorite team loses a lot and it makes you sad.

These are my favorite picks to create a minimal game face that will last all day long!

is everyone bobbing without me?

It's no secret that everyone in Hollywood is chopping their locks into chic bobs lately, but Emma Stone's recent bob-formation automatically amped up the short-hair game.

image from refinery29.com

I've had a bob haircut for six years and decided I would grow it out after college, but Emma is making me question my existence without short hair.

Victoria Beckham, the original bobster of the early 2000s, sparked a trend in short, stacked bobs that was quickly adopted by soccer moms (See: Kate Gosselin).

A few years later, Gwenyth and Jen kinda made the lob (long-bob) cool, but it didn't pick up too much speed.

 Karlie Kloss hit the bob scene hard in 2012 and really set a fire to the trend, causing celebrities and mere normals alike to chop off their hair...

And so it begins: the bob/lob is the "it" cut. For now.

Are you going to hop on the bob train?

 *all images from Google Images

Makeup Genius by L'oreal

It's Monday. Mondays are slow. Mondays I am bored.

Naturally, the answer is to try on makeup.

I've been hearing buzz around L'Oreal's new beauty app, Makeup Genius, for quite some time but haven't gotten around to downloading it until I reached the point of extreme Monday-ness today.

Upon opening the app, your camera quickly scans your face to get a good idea of your features. You can then try on various products in eyeliner, eyeshadow, lipstick, lip gloss, lip liner (wtf?) and blush categories. Some eyeliners, such as the gel one, are drawn on as a cat eye and some (like pencil) are drawn on smoky. 

Even though I was trying SO hard not to bust out laughing in my cubicle, I am so impressed with how real the products look. It looked like I was actually wearing the products! Not only does the color look real, but the texture was even there - my lip gloss was shiny. As if this isn't advanced enough, the products move with your face! I moved all around and made different poses, opening and closing my mouth/eyes and the products stayed on the entire time. Unbelievable. 

Besides being able to switch color swatches and from product to product easily, you can share your looks on social media or save them for easy product reference next time you're at Walgreens and remember the awesome lipstick you tried on at work without actually trying it on.

Besides a couple of the eyeliners being drawn onto my eyeball(s) at times, this app is freakishly accurate and awesome. I'm not going to lie it has definitely convinced me to go out and buy a couple of L'Oreal products I tried on now...

Now photos, for your viewing pleasure:

As you can see I am new to this and wondering what is going on while trying not to laugh. But I do like this lipstick!

Things are getting fun. Always wanted to try blue eyeliner, but I'm not sure I would apply it this heavily...

Love this look. It's the most symmetrical cat eye I've ever had. If only my eyeliner could look like this in real life...

Things turned ghetto for a hot sec

My favorite look: clear gloss, light pink blush and brown eyeliner applied with a heavier hand than I usually do.

Next time you're bored and have some time to kill, play around with L'Oreal's Makeup Genius app and send me some pics!

summer skincare

Summer is a time filled with cold drinks, cookouts and zits. Between the killer trio of sunscreen, heat and sweat, breakouts are almost synonymous with summer - no matter who you are.

Since I'm not willing to give up pool days and can't control my body sweat, I've altered my skincare routine to ensure I'm not a greasy mess. 

the good summer trio

• Once a day (should be twice a day, but who's counting?) I use acne wash on my face and chest/back. While this would be a little harsh for my skin in cooler months, it's perfect for Summer because it has salicylic acid in it a.k.a. prevents breakouts. Psst - when washing your chest and back make sure to leave the cleanser on for a few minutes so it can get into your pores since the skin in these areas is thicker than the face.
• A few times a week I use Tea Tree Toner post face-washing and pre-moisturizing. Toner is an important step most people neglect in their skincare routines: it gets all the leftover grime and residue out of your pores that cleanser didn't grab. Tea tree is a natural acne fighter, but the best part is it makes your skin feel amazing.

• Lastly, I switch to a gel moisturizer during warmer months because my skin isn't as dry and doesn't need thick moisturizer combined with the North Carolina humidity. No thanks. It is still really important to use a light moisturizer in the Summer, even if you have oily skin, because it prevents your pores from over-producing oil (and preventing more pimples) - which is more prone to happen if you cleanse but don't moisturize. A gel moisturizer gives the perfect amount of moisture and makes for a great makeup base.

If you want to be super fancy and feel an amazing zingy-ness when you apply your skincare products, store them in the refrigerator. Not only does this prolong the product's life, but makes it feel super refreshing. Make room for actual groceries in there.

How do you change your skincare routine during Summer?

summer in a lipstick

Famous last words: "I walked into Wal-Mart for a six-pack of beer, and came out with that plus a lipstick."

But it happened! Yes, it did.

A few months ago, I was on a hunt for the *perfect* matte, orange/red lipstick and it was a hard time in my life. It consumed all of my thoughts, this perfect lipstick, yet after countless hours spent in Sephora and Ulta I still couldn't find it so I gave up. I thought all hope was lost until I stumbled into Wal-Mart seeking the beer fridge until I saw IT. 

Don't let it's humble packaging fool you

Wet 'N Wild MegaLast Lip Color in Purty Persimmon. I know you're not supposed to do this but I had to swatch the color on my hand to believe what I was seeing (I bought it so it's okay), and it was everything I've been looking for and more! I would have paid a disgusting amount of money for this lipstick but it was less than $2. TWO DOLLARS! 

This lipstick is perfect because:

• It's matte - Matte is younger, fresher, and better for bright colors.
• It stays on forever - I've tried some expensive "long-lasting" lipsticks and they don't come close to this one. 
• The color - This perfect blend of red and orange is what I think of when I think of Summer, and is usually flattering on all skin tones.

Awesomeness

Even though Wal-Mart doesn't have this particular Wet 'N Wild lip color on their website you can find it at Walgreens, and for $2 what do you have to lose? 

don't tan and drive

I have read multiple times that a woman's age can most accurately be revealed by her hands and neck. 

This is because women often neglect these areas when applying skin care products, especially anti-aging ones. Despite the number of wrinkle creams a woman slabs on her face to keep herself looking young, if she ignores her neck and hands then there is no appearing "younger." The reason why a woman's hands and neck tend to show age is because the skin in these areas (as well as one's face) is thinner and therefore more prone to damage.

Since your hands are often exposed and are an area of skin that is seen often, it is important to keep them looking beautiful. Whether you're handing money to the Starbucks barrista, instagramming your new manicure or shaking an interviewer's hand, your hands are constantly out in the open for anyone to notice.

I have been starting to pay more attention to my hands and religiously applying hand cream in the winter in order to keep them well-moisturized and taken care of. Whenever I'm in the sun I also apply sunscreen to them. 

Protect your skin during long periods of driving to avoid aged hands.

Lately, I have also been applying sunscreen on my hands while I'm in the car. It's a bit ironic to be preaching about protecting your hands from sun damage since I am a self-proclaimed sun worshipper, but I am trying to be smarter about it. If I'm going to be driving more than 20 minutes, such as a 4-hour drive back from the beach, it's so important to apply sunscreen because you don't realize the damage sun can do to your hands while you're in the car! I keep a little tube of non-greasy sunscreen in my car so I can apply a thin layer to the tops of my hands and fingers. If you choose a non-scented and non-greasy sunscreen you won't even be able to tell you have sunscreen on your hands but your older self will thank you.

I'm sure plenty of people think this is super weird, but I'll be the one laughing in 40 years when my hands don't look as old!

travel favorites

I have an obsession with any product that is travel-sized. Not only are the miniature-sized products cute, they are ideal for any trip!

Whether you're celebrating Memorial day with a "staycation" or flying somewhere with a carry-on, these TSA-approved products are my go-to's for traveling:

Herbal Essences Shampoo- I'm lucky and can get away without conditioner, but this shampoo leaves your hair feeling soft and is so much better than hotel shampoos!

Tarte BB Primer- Even though it's a primer, I always wear this BB cream by itself. It feels absolutely amazing on my skin (like silk), and provides the perfect amount of coverage! It also contains SPF 30 Sunscreen and lasts for 12-hours (no, really) so it's ideal for day-long Memorial weekend festivities. Can you say cookout?

Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel- I like to switch up my moisturizer in Summer because my skin is oily and doesn't need as thick of a moisturizer. This one is perfect because it mattifies shine AND works as a primer.

The Body Shop Body Butter- I currently have this travel-sized body butter in 6 different scents - this one is Mango. I love it because it's more moisturizing than a lotion (perfect for after-sun) and won't melt in your bag. And it smells delicious!

Aquage Sea Salt Texturizing Spray- I don't like to travel with a blowdryer or straightener to warm destinations because they take up extra space in my bag, and not to mention fry your hair! I use this spray after the shower without brushing my hair, then scrunch and let it air dry. It gives a natural, beachy look and will make your boyfriend happy when it cuts your getting ready time down in half ;)

These are my favorite travel-sized products! Blush, bronzer, eyeshadow, eyeliner and mascara tend to be small anyway so I always bring my regular ones but limit the amount. I stick to neutral shades - a black or brown eyeliner, plus gold and bronze eyeshadows and one lip color. Whether you're staying at home or going somewhere fun for Memorial Day Weekend, these are great products to have!