Back to School Makeup Bag Basics.

Back. $5 @ Sephora

My mini makeup bag of choice. Front.

The end of August is rearing it's ugly head, which means back to school we go! If this notion depresses you, don't fret! Back to school shopping is here. There are so many lists telling you what you need. Why not add another, this list is here for everything you want and need in your makeup bag for this school year, well the basics. This list is for beginners who only need minute coverage and have limited skills. For brand recommendations just ask c: Our community is wittle so we definitely have time to respond.

Face:

Moisturizer

Primer

Concealer

Pressed Powder

Powder Brush

Concealer or Foundation Brush

Eyes:

Neutral Eye Shadow Palette. Bronzes, browns and golds tend to look good on everybody (when applied correctly).

Angled Eyeshadow Brush.

All over Shadow Brush.

Domed Blending Brush.

Eyeliner in Black 

Lengthening Mascara

Volumizing Mascara

Lips:

Lip Balm.

Lip Stain, Tinted, or Sheer Lip Color. We can work our way up to lipsticks, glosses and glasses (these are easy to overdo without guidance to find the most complimentary colors. Starting with stains and sheer lip colors usually force you to stick to more natural looking lip colors, or allow the bold colors to be toned down a bit). 

Everything here should allow for you to create day and night looks effortlessly. To set the look keep a mister bottle full of water. Also, if you have oily skin you should buy oil blotting sheets.

Jam.

My Tax Free Weekend and I

Flash made all the shirts look the same but they're different!

I absolutely love Tax Free Weekend! In some states, once every year (ours is in the first week of August) there's a weekend when there is no taxes on clothing items that are $100 or less, electronics $1,500 or less and food items. It's like another Black Friday because there are deals all over and people go gaga crazy! I spent my Friday & Saturday shopping on Tax Free Weekend and scored a couple of shirts from Kohl's for pretty cheap. Normally, I'm not a huge fan of Kohl's mainly because I much prefer stores like Marshall's & TJ Maxx due to their discounted designer clothes for less (Ex: One time, I got a Cynthia Rowley shirt which normally retails for $100+ for $15 at TJ Maxx!). However, I had a 20% off coupon for Kohl's that was only valid during Tax Free Weekend so I decided to go for it. And I came back with brightly colored clothes for the summer! One of my fav purchases turned out to be $3.60!! I also got a couple of things for my mom, but overall I purchased 6 shirts and I love them all. I can't wait to do some OOTD with them!


     Priscilla

Quick Health Tip #1

1. Drink less coffee and more tea

I understand that coffee is a must in the morning for a lot of you, but tea is a healthier option and a better way to get your caffeine fix. Tea is known to provide many more health benefits than coffee. Some people don't enjoy the taste of tea but it's an acquired taste: so is coffee. There are so many different types of tea out there that can hopefully match your tastes. For me, I LOVE green tea. Not only do I find the taste to be relaxing and enjoyable, but the health benefits of green tea are off the charts in my opinion! Green tea is known for its potential to fight off cancer and other types of diseases, boost the metabolism to burn fat, lower cholesterol, and so much more. It's chop full of antioxidants that makes for a healthy and energized body. It's recommended to drink at least two cups per day but slowly start with one and make your way up to two.


     Priscilla

Jamara's Quick Tip #1: Skin

Apply moisturizer, toner and/or primers in an upward and outward motion. Never circles, and never down the upward outward motion promotes toxins to move away from the center of the face AND decreases the formation of wrinkles later in life.

Get rid of acne with..banana peels?

I know what you're thinking. Banana peels can get get rid of acne? Say what!?

But apparently it has worked for many people. In a matter of days, your acne is supposed to be less red, smaller and less noticeable. How do you utilize this method? Follow the steps below:

1. Eat a ripe banana (Good source of Potassium!)
2. Take the banana peels and cut them into smaller pieces
3. Take the inside of the banana peel and rub it on the area
4. Rub it until the inside of the peel turns brown and then throw it away
5. DON'T WASH THE AREA. Apparently, the inside of the peel fights off infection and if you wash it off, then the whole thing becomes pointless. 
6. Repeat about 3 times day and you should start seeing results!

I would definitely try out this treatment. The only problem I personally have with it is that I hate bananas. But I think that if it'll get my pimples and acne, I'll take the chance. Someone else can just eat my banana for me haha.


     Priscilla

Review: MAC Mineralize Concealer

I suffered with acne throughout high school and when I got to college, my skin started getting a lot better. The breakouts are minimal now and my skin looks way better than it looked before. But the downside of having acne is that your skin can become red and blotchy and worst of all, dreaded post-acne scars.

I hate acne scars with a burning passion. They're usually red or brown in color and they seem to take forever to go away. One of my good friends gifted me with the MAC Pro Longwear Concealer in NC30 for Christmas and I liked it a lot. It had a lot of coverage and covered my spots well. However, for some reason, during the summer, my skin became drier than usual (which is weird for me but whatever) and if I used this concealer, it would kind of accentuate my dry spots. I was almost done with the bottle so I decided that maybe it would be time to start using a new concealer. After dinner with my friends, we decided to go to a MAC store and I started a friendship with a new concealer.

Protecting my Transitioning Hair this Summer.

This summer is different from any of my summers before it for about ten years. This summer my hair is not chemically treated. While having hair that is not chemically treated has a ton of benefits, finding summer friendly protective styles becomes all the more important. Kinky, coily hair in it's natural state is brittle and has trouble remaining moisturized. The best bet is to put it up and away with extension. My summer style of choice are braids. Unless you know how to braid your self the style can run you anywhere from $150-$300 dollars, depending on the length and thickness of the braids. The hair is synthetic and inexpensive, about $25 ($2/pack) worth of hair should cover it. Anyway, so your thinking, "Why extensions?" Well extensions keep the elements from directly stripping from the hair it's natural oils and moisture. Braids, specifically, allow you to still wash the hair and scalp often, and put moisture back in from all the swimming and sunning you'll be doing this summer. Braids are also pretty versatile. You can do pretty much any style you want. One of my favorites has to be the ultra high bun. For daily maintenance I like to spray the scalp and beginning of the braids with a leave-in I like to make my own, but a cheap alternative is Aussie Hair Insurance. Whatever you do this summer make sure your comfortable. Although extensions are very helpful to maintain healthy hair they can also be damaging if too tight, pulled up too soon, or worn too often. Be careful!


FTC Disclaimer: I was not paid/compensated for reviewing any product. All opinions are my own and this product was purchased with my own money.


Best Zest,


Jamara