e.l.f. cleansing cloths are fantastic brush cleaners!

I have recently become somewhat partial to e.l.f. Cosmetics. They have amazing prices and some really great products. It also helped that another company that I would consider their competition made me very a tiny bit angry last month by making me and thousands of others wait over a month for our orders with no communication from them (NYX). But I won't mention names...

I received a discount code from e.l.f. a few weeks ago for 50% off my order (another reason to love them; they are always having great sales). I have enough cosmetics at this time to cover New York Fashion Week on my own, but I had to use that code, right? I decided to try their Makeup Remover Cleansing Cloths since I had never used them before and they had some good rating on their website. It also helped that they are $3, since the other ones that I had looked at were MACs and they were around $15.

I tried them several times as eye makeup removers prior to my actual cleanser (there is just no way that I can solely use a cloth - I need my cleanser). They worked pretty well, but it just seemed like an extra step that was not necessary. Then it hit me; why not use these to clean my brushes in between their monthly baths??

They worked amazingly. I lay a cloth out on my counter a few times a week and lightly swipe my brushes over them. They remove almost all of the makeup from them without leaving a residue, and the brushes are ready to go in 10 minutes instead of having to dry for hours. I have even used them when using my MAC 224 brush for several different colors in one look. They are gentle enough to remove the color from the brush while leaving it ready to be used in another color.

For $3 I truly think that makeup artists should have these cloths on them, and anyone else who LOVES makeup!

anna kendrick's oscar look and the sephora star gazer natural believer palette

Makeup artist Sara Glick did Anna Kendrick's look for the Oscars last Sunday, and OMG did she look amazing. There has been a lot of talk about a bold red or orange lip lately; I love a bold lip as much as the next girl, but to look this beautiful and appear to be wearing very little makeup is not an easy task. I am all about this rosy cheek and slightly smokey eye for spring!

For Anna's sultry look Sara used:

Arcona Magic White Ice moisturizer

Temptu's Retouch highlighter in Champagne Shimmer

Tarte Eco Cheek

Tarte stain in Charmed
Dior's 5-color eyeshadow palette in Sunset Café
Dior Show Unlimited mascara in black

After seeing Anna's makeup, I concluded that I needed a spring palette to achieve this look (or get as close to it as possible at least). I found the perfect purse friendly compact from Sephora called the Star Gazer Edition Natural Believer Palette. For $15 this palette is a steal! It is also eco-friendly and formulated without parabens, sulfates, phthalates or GMOs.

This palette is small enough to carry in your bag and contains a beautiful cheek color (very Anna K.) as well as six shadows that range from a light sparkly purple to a gorgeous cobalt blue.

It also contains a black that is perfect for an eyeliner. I have used this palette everyday for the last week and am considering ordering another! Love. IT. As you can kind of tell from the picture, being very natural these have a slightly different texture to them than say a Chanel or a MAC shadow. They are not as quit as silky, but they look great on and stayed put for 9 hours!

opi dear santa is the new i'm not really a waitress

I do not think that I have been this excited about a nail polish since OPI came out with I'm Not Really a Waitress back in the day. One of the pros about having a cosmetology license is that we get to go into salon supply stores and buy products for considerably less than you find them in stores. This can also be a con - example being that yesterday I went into State Beauty to get hair color and walked out with two new nail polishes, shine spray, a brush, and lipstick. In my awe over their sale and Christmas merchandise, I had forgot to purchase hair color.

Oh well, because what I did get is this new OPI color from their Christmas collection called Dear Santa. It is a bright red with gold and red flecks of glitter throughout. Click on the name and you can check out how the color looks on different nail lengths and skin tones at OPI's website!

terax crema is your hair's bff

That is the top of my head. Why am I showing you the top of my head? To make a point about the love of my (hair) life, Terax. You see, I am Sandra Bullock brunette and Mariah Carey curly. I alter that little issue though with twice-weekly blowouts and bi-monthly bleaching. The process works (see above picture), but is VERY hard on my poor mistreated hair.

Thank goodness for Terax's Crema. My hair was seriously falling out before a friend who also had been dealing with frizzy/curly hair all of her life suggested that I try it. That was in 2005 and my hair looks 100% better. Terax Crema alters the pH level of your hair, making it almost immediately feel and look healthier. It is the most amazing hair product out there. I put it on in the shower, shave and exfoliate and then rinse. Somehow in that 5 to 10 minutes that it sits on my head it works wonders. Terax is not easy to find always - in Kansas City only a handful of salons carry it. I normally purchase it off eBay. The price of Crema ranges from $16 to around $40 depending on what size you purchase.

I purchase the large bottle (16.9oz) every two months to keep my hair from looking like this...