Your Makeup Favorites

Thanks to all of you who weighed in with makeup advice after I posted this sorry cry for help! :) I loved reading your comments on here and on facebook! As promised, I'm sharing the list of all the favorite foundations and concealers so everyone can benefit!

1. Benefit Erase Paste

2. Bare Minerals Foundation

3. Bare Minerals Well Rested

4. Benefit Fake Up Concealer

5. Revlon Colorstay

6. Make Up Forever HD Invisible Cover Concealer

7. Make Up Forever Full Cover Concealer

8. Skyn Iceland Icelandic Relief Eye Pen

9. Avon Anew Retroactive Repair Eye Serum 

Want to know what I ended up purchasing?

For concealer, I decided to try Bare Minerals Well Rested, but accidentally picked up Bare Minerals Stroke of Light Concealer instead. It is really good, though! It does not completely get rid of my under eye circles, but it greatly reduces them and looks natural. It stays on extremely well and doesn't settle into creases.

As far as foundation, I really like Bare Minerals and loved this pressed set that came in a compact, zippered case. It seemed so easy and low maintenence and I liked that it came with all the makeup components I would need to get started. However, it was expensive, so it took a couple months to work into the budget. While we were saving for it, I read this post by Kate at The Small Things where she reviewed Tarte Amazonian Clay Full Coverage Airbrush Foundation. (Side note- If you're into hair and makeup, you have to read her blog! Love it!) She said that she was a Bare Minerals user for years, but that the Tarte Amazonian Clay Airbrush Foundation blew Bare Minerals out of the water. I decided to try it and really, really like it! It can be sheer, or you can build it up for more coverage and it stays on all day long! I'm really happy with it and shocked at how well this powder stays put!

I also bought the Tarte Airbrush Finish Foundation Brush and it is the most amazing brush I've ever used! It is crazy soft and very dense! I highly recommend it regardless of what powder foundation you use! It is well worth the money! 

Thank you all SO much for your advice! I'm getting less sleep than ever these days, but at least I don't have to look so sleep deprived anymore! ;)

Image Credits: Ulta, Amazon, Sephora, Skyn Iceland

Opinions Needed

Alright ladies, please help me out! I am extremely low maintenence when it comes to anything beauty related. Or more like hopeless and helpless. Ha! To be completely honest, I don't wear make-up 95% of the time. When I actually do put make-up on, what I call make-up is pretty laughable. Concealer + Chapstick, anyone? Told you I was hopeless. Moving on... 

I constantly have extremely dark circles under my eyes from allergies. Add a hefty amount of sleep deprivation and I'm looking quite scary. I'll spare you a picture. ;) I have a couple different concealers, but none of them are doing the trick. I haven't bought foundation in probably 7-8 years. I bought one thing of powder a couple years ago, but that's it. When it comes to eye and lip makeup, I have zero favorites. Except Chapstick, of course. 

Now that you have an understanding of just how little I know and how beginner I am, will you help a girl out? I really need to invest in some simple, low maintence make-up. I tried wandering the make-up aisles and researching online, but came away empty handed and overwhelmed. I want it to be quick and easy so I can actually wear it every day. Please leave me a comment and let me know your favorite products and beauty tips! I'll come back and do a reader favorites recap so you can see everyone's favorites! Let's get this party started--comment away! 

Thanks, friends! 

Clothing Purge

I did something today that I've been trying to do for about 10 years--literally. I purged my closet. But not just any ordinary purge. A brutally honest, brutally realistic purge.

I've purged my closet multiple times before and have gotten rid of trash bags full of clothing, but have never been able to part with certain items of clothing. You know the ones...the I-love-it-and-will-fit-into-it-again-one-day clothes. The ones you can't part with because you're convinced if you just lost a couple more pounds, you'd be able to wear them again. Then they sit in your closet so long that they are now out of style. Sigh.

Today, I finally snapped and just did it. I started pulling out the clothes that I knew didn't fit, piece by piece, and tossed them onto the bed. After one round, I got gutsier and went through a second time. The second time was harder, but the most freeing. The second round is when I quit hoarding and got brutally honest. Then I just couldn't stop! I kept going back for more until I was finally left with ONLY the clothes that I actually wear. It.was.awesome!

The best part? My hubby wants me to go shopping! Ummm, ok! :)

Here's my see-ya-later pile! Our plan is to sell the clothes at our yard sale and use the money we earn for new clothes. Want to know something disgusting? I purged my clothes before we moved and got rid of multiple trash bags full. And I was STILL left with this! Gross.

(Again with the phone pictures...when will I ever learn?!) ;)

I did save two small piles of clothes. The first pile is my post-baby clothes. If we are ever blessed with another baby, I know I'll be glad I saved these for the first couple months after giving birth. They are baggy, saggy on me now, so I'm putting them in a space bag in the attic until they are needed again.

Now, you may think I'm cheating with the second pile I kept, but let me explain. This pile is my treat if I lose 5 or 10 pounds. These are clothes that are still in style and that I really love and will actually wear again. I am currently trying to drop 5-10 pounds and once I reach that goal, I will get this pile out and try them on. Whatever still doesn't work is getting the boot. I'm putting myself on a timer, though. If I don't drop the weight in 3 months (let's hope it doesn't take me that long! Geesh!) then I am getting rid of this pile, too. 

Here's what I'm left with!

Now that I can actually see what I have and use, it's really easy to assess what I need. I only own 3 pairs of jeans and two dress pants. Because of this, I can be spotted multiple days of the week in gym pants and a t-shirt. One of my goals this year is to stop wearing gym clothes other than when I'm actually working out or--drum roll--when I'm at the gym! Haha! ;) I don't think gym clothes are bad or anything, I just know that I'm in a rut and am looking quite frumpy these days.

Here's where I need your help! Please comment and tell me what you would consider to be the top 3 clothing items every girl needs AND tell me where your favorite place is to buy jeans! I have exhausted my usual clothing store stops and feel overwhelmed at the thought of building a new wardrobe! Can't wait to hear your input!