This was my most fun one yet!!!!

I give you... RAINBOW INSPIRATION. And also, a hot pink lipstick shot, but that's just what I wore for work. Seriously this look was SO MUCH FUN and I am SO DAMN PLEASED with the results.

This is me right now. 

Without further ado, I give you my rainbow inspired look! 

What's your favorite mascara? 

Without a doubt my favorite mascara is Covergirl's Clump Crusher. I've tried SO MANY mascaras and I always go back to this one. It's very affordable, too. It's perfect for my straight, blonde, stubby eyelashes. 

Where do you keep your makeup? 

I have a desk and a couple of plastic drawer carts that I call my vanity. It's pretty crappy. One of the drawers is kind of caving in, so I actually set a wood shelf on top of the two carts so I could use the top of them for storage. Otherwise I wouldn't be able to set anything on top of them and still store stuff inthe drawers. It isn't pretty. I need a real vanity. I really, really do. 

Pink lips are boring compared to rainbows.

30 Days of Beauty: Color Inspiration: Teal!/Makeup Removal/and Colored Eyebrows. Also, my makeup collection!!!

Hey there. I'm back. I'm kind of a lazy fuck, but at least I post a couple of days worth of stuff at once right? Rather than just failing at this blog entirely?

Anywho, I was supposed to post a color inspired look using teal, my personal makeup removal routine, AND a colored eyebrows look, so here goes nothing.

How about teal eyebrows, mother fuckers???

Oh yeah. I went there.

Okay. Here you go. I don't know why I'm so into colored brows lately. I think I'm just into eyebrows, period. It's my favorite makeup ritual. 

This picture also does some damn good justice for my eye liner skills. MAD SKILLZ. 

I used all the same products as I've previously stated, to be honest. I used the 150 piece E.L.F. eyeshadow palette and the Nyx Primal Colors in Hot Black for the smokey eye AND the brow itself. I only dusted a teeny bit of the Hot Black through the tale of my brow, just to darken some of the teal that was already there. 

This was a fun look, and I kind of dig the way it looks with my green-gray eyes. 

Also, fun little tidbit of information: I am USELESS with gel eyeliner. I used to use it all the time, but I just can't anymore. Liquid eyeliner FOR LIFE. 

Now, the other part of this post that I'm going to really focus on is MAKEUP REMOVAL. Now, I have a two step process. I'm a big, big fan of Ponds Cold Cream, and I've been using it for years. I have two separate washclothes for this process as well. First things first, massage cold cream onto your eyelids and face. If you don't have Ponds, you can use ANY TYPE of oil, such as baby oil, coconut oil, or olive oil. I suggest baby oil, since it's the least comedogenic. You will end up looking like this, no matter the method: 

(I'm going to keep this picture small because it's really freaking scary looking.) 

Now, using a wet microfiber wash cloth (seriously, they aren't expensive -- I get mine at the dollar store for like 3-$1), gently wipe off the makeup and ponds cold cream. You really need to be gentle! Don't scrub at your damn skin, that's how you get wrinkles. 

Then, use a normal cleanser (I use Cetaphil) and remove the Ponds Cold Cream residue. This is not something you HAVE to do, it's just I tend to get breakouts if I only use Ponds or an oil. Cetaphil is one of the few cleansers that doesn't break me out, really, so I like to follow up with it just to remove other junk. 

I usually use a clean wash cloth to wash off the Cetaphil, because then I'm not smearing Ponds Cold Cream residue BACK onto my face. Because no matter how many times you rinse the makeup and cream off that wash cloth, it just won't come off. So you WILL smear it back on if you don't use a clean cloth. 

So yeah. I've got a lot of stuff to do today, but either today or tomorrow I will finish this blog post. I plan to answer some questions in the other part of my challenge, AND post a picture of my makeup collection. :) Now I'm going to go clean my house with teal eyebrows. 

Favorite Eyeshadow/Date Night Makeup

My eyebrows and lashes were the most important part of my look. I love the IDEA of wearing lipstick, but if you're on a date that's just impractical. I mean, what if you kiss your date??? So I emphasized the eyes with , rather than get creative with my look. I love these lashes -- they're a little more natural looking, but they have a GREAT curl to them. I swear by Ardell lashes.

Products: 
Face: 

-- Dr. Brandt Pores No More 

-- Covergirl Clean Whipped Foundation in both 305 and 310

--LOréal Paris True Match Crayon in fair/light

-- Makeup Forever Mist and Fix 

-- Covergirl Ready Set Gorgeous Powder Foundation in 115/120 light pale

-- E.L.F. Studio Cool Bronzer

Lips: 

-- Yes to Carrots Sweet Fig Lip Butter

Eyes:

-- E.L.F. Studio Cool Bronzer (the peachy color I used heavily)

-- E. L. F. Liquid Eyeliner

-- some Ardell lashes I cut into smaller pieces

What is your favorite eyeshadow?

Honestly the palette I use the most for eyeshadow would be my E.L.F. Studio Geometric Eye Shadow Palette. It has 150 colors, all bright and vibrant. It's pretty great. I bought it for something like $6 on clearance at Target. Such a steal!!!

A close second would be my Nyx Love in Paris Palette in A La Mode. Seriously, it's the BEST for smokey eyes.

That taupe color is seriously THE BEST taupe there is. 

Several Looks in One Day because I'm Terrible at Blogging

I give you a (subtle) smokey eye, purple (well, fuchsia) ombre lips, and also the subtle smokey eye is something I consider a "daily look" for myself at work (I work at a wine bar). That's three looks, in case you weren't counting.

So my 30 Days of Beauty is still going. Or at least I'm going to pretend it is.

Can I also just rave for a moment about these awesome, awesome lashes??? For the life of me I can't find them on Ardell's website, so I can't tell you which ones they are! I hope they aren't going to be discontinued. 

Pardon the glue that hadn't fully dried before I took the picture. 

I wish my camera could capture how purple this is. This image just looks pink. Let's call it 'fuchsia'  just because I said so. Don't hate. 

Products used:

Face: 

-- Dr. Brandt Pores No More 

-- Revlon Colorstay for Normal/Dry Skin in 150 Buff Chamois 

-- Revlon Colorstay for Normal/Dry Skin in 180 Sand Beige

--LOréal Paris True Match Crayon in fair/light

-- Makeup Forever Mist and Fix 

-- Covergirl Ready Set Gorgeous Powder Foundation in 115/120 light paleEyes: 

-- E.L.F. Studio Cool Bronzer (matte!!!) 

-- Covergirl Clump Crusher

-- Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade in both Taupe and Dark Brown

Lips: 

-- Yes to Carrots Sweet Fig Lip Butter

-- My Makeup Addiction HD Lipstick in Burlesque

-- My Makeup Addiction Lipstick in Bare 

-- 

Eyes:

-- E.L.F. Studio Cool Bronzer

-- some random brownish charcoal  color I had sitting around

-- E. L. F. Liquid Eyeliner

-- some Ardell lashes I cut into smaller pieces

OKAY DOKEY. Now it's time to answer A BUNCH of questions.

Favorite Brand? 

Probably E.L.F. but Nyx comes in a close second. They're affordable, decent quality items, and that ROCKS. 

Do you like wearing foundation? 

Love it. I like more dramatic eye looks, but I feel like my skin looks sallow and blotchy if I don't have a good canvas to start with. Currently I'm wearing Revlon Colorstay, but I'm not IN LOVE with it. It's great for my cheeks and nose, but I've found that I can't wear it on my forehead because it starts to look cakey up there. 

I also really like Bare Minerals, but I only wore that UNDER foundation, per Wayne Goss instructions. I'm completely OUT of mineral powder right now, but it seriously works SO WELL. 

Favorite Lipstick: Well, it's more of a stain, but Revlon Just Bitten Balm Stain. Lovesick is my favorite color! It's seriously the most perfect pink ever. 

Do you like/wear false lashes? Absofuckinglutely. I find it pretty easy to apply them, although I prefer HALF STRIP lashes. A lot of times I'll just buy normal full strips and cut them in half. It isn't really natural looking if I take a picture to show off eyeshadow, but when you're looking at me normally or in person it's fine. 

Thanks for reading! I'll hopefully post the next look tonight, or else early tomorrow. I've got a busy week ahead of me so I'm not sure how faithful I'll manage to be to this challenge. I promise I'll try!!!

How Did You First Learn To Put on Makeup/Before and After (Daily Makeup)

I bring you only the WORST quality pictures I can manage. Just kidding, I forgot to charge my nice non-cell phone camera. 

Products Used: 

Face: 

-- Covergirl Clean Whipped Foundation in both 305 and 310

-- Nyx Powder Blush in Taupe

-- Loreal Paris True Match Crayon in fair/light

-- Makeup Forever Mist and Fix

-- Covergirl Ready Set Gorgeous Powder Foundation in 115/120 light pale

Eyes: 

-- Covergirl Clump Crusher (I swear by this mascara, it's my favorite thus far for my stubby, short, blonde eyelashes)

-- E.L.F. Essential Liquid Eyeliner (actually, I initially began using Benefit's Push Up Eyeliner BUT I HATE IT. I've watched a lot of tutorials and read blog posts on tips to use it, and it just isn't happening for me. Sorrynotsorry.

-- Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade in both Taupe and Dark Brown

Lips: 

-- Yes to Carrots Color Balm in Soft Plum

OKAY DOKEY. 

Time to answer the title question: How did you first learn to put on makeup? 

There were a few things I got the hang of pretty quick -- foundation, for one. I think my first foundation was the mousse stuff by Maybelline. You know what I'm talking about. And eyeliner in general, but I even started making my own eyeliner out of eyeshadow and water before I ever heard about it online or in a magazine. I'm such a hipster. 

Anywho, I had a book by Bobbi Brown about makeup, but it really seemed to favor makeup that only 'enhanced' ones natural features, so it didn't really teach me much except basic makeup application. 

I watched a lot of Youtube videos starting in around 2011. I was a big fan of Kandee Johnson, and of course I still am. Honestly /r/Makeupaddiction was a BIG help in my makeup application. Batalash beauty, too. It helps that they're HILARIOUS. 

Some of my favorite Youtubers are: 

Kandee Johnson

Batalash Beauty

Michelle Phan

Makeup Geek

and the one that helped me THE MOST

Wayne Goss

Fabulous, fabulous, fabulous. 

For the most part it was trial and error. A lot of errors. 

I think my biggest triumphs were when I figured out how to contour, and how to blend things like said contour or eyeshadow. 

I'm still figuring out lipsticks, to be honest, but mostly I think I'm just too impatient to deal with lipstick. Too much reapplication, and I always seem to smear it. I'm not a dainty girl, no matter how maintenance I've become. 

Well, that's all for today. I can't wait for tomorrow's post: my first color inspiration! And in honor my bff, I chose purple for that color. It'll be super fun! Or incredibly frustrating. One of the two. 

<3 

- Kesiah

When Did You First Start Putting on Makeup? Also, No Makeup Makeup!

Honestly, the crasiness started when I was just a little girl. Fake plastic makeup could be found in the toy aisle at chain grocery stores, and even some really cheap, garish colors of actual makeup too. And soon enough my dad was giving me a couple of dollars to spend at the Dollar Store, and I M? anaged to find myself in the makeup aisle. I was really into lipstick. I don't remember anybody in my life really wearing lipstick, but I must have bought dozens and dozens of different colors. I have a distinct memory of sitting on the porch at my dad's apartment complex, putting on layer after layer of red lipstick, and another (slightly older) girl sneered and said,

"Don't you think you've put enough on?"

I think my reaction went something like this:

 

But I digress.

I stopped sometime in middle school, after puberty hit and I began feeling extremely insecure about my body and appearance. I really didn't want to be noticed at all. And to be honest, I wasn't.

Gradually I started wearing a little eyeliner here and there, or some lip gloss, and some basic coverup, but despite the occasional makeup selfies I'd take when I was really bored, it wasn't until I was 21 that I began getting back into makeup.

Honestly it was kind of a rebellion against the type of girls my ex liked. He seemed to always want me to look kind of 'girl next door'ish, and frankly, that didn't feel like me. I wanted to be glamorous. I wanted to look perfect. I wanted to be sassy and classy and like a motherfucking DIVA. He never wanted me to be me, and honestly, part of me is expressing myself. Maybe it's an Art school thing. I dunno. It doesn't matter, except that every time someone says they don't like it when a girl wears makeup, I want to slap them with a loaf of bread.

To be honest, THIS IS HOW I FEEL WHEN I PUT ON MAKEUP.

Makeup just makes me incredibly happy. I can be anybody, anything, anytime. I can be myself, I can be a rainbow, I can be a queen, I can be whatever my mind dreams up. Is that corny? I don't care. I've always been a believer of 'my body is a canvas' type of mantra, and I think that applies to non-permanent things as well. 

So now that I've rambled for a while, I'd like to share my very first post:

No Makeup Makeup (which is surprisingly difficult, once you've gotten used to a full face application)

Okay, so I'm totally cheating, I didn't take this today. It's from a week ago, though, and by the time I made this post I didn't have any more natural light to take a decent photo with. Honestly though my 'No Makeup Makeup' look is always the same. 

Products Used: 

Face: 

-- Dr. Brandt Pores No More (Got this from Ipsy; I need to find a less expensive dupe because I lurrrrvveeeeee it so much)

-- Revlon Colorstay for Normal/Dry Skin in 150 Buff Chamois 

-- Revlon Colorstay for Normal/Dry Skin in 180 Sand Beige

-- Nyx Powder Blush in Taupe

-- Loreal Paris True Match Crayon in fair/light

-- Makeup Forever Mist and Fix (love love love love love love love this)

-- Covergirl Ready Set Gorgeous Powder Foundation in 115/120 light pale

Eyes: 

-- E.L.F. Studio Cool Bronzer (matte!!!) 

-- Covergirl Clump Crusher (I swear by this mascara, it's my favorite thus far for my stubby, short, blonde eyelashes)

-- Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade in both Taupe and Dark Brown

Lips: 

-- Yes to Carrots Sweet Fig Lip Butter (seriously, it's just a chapstix type stuff, but it's a great color! That is NOT foundation on my lips, that's the actual lip butter stuff)

So yeah, that's my first post. Stay tuned tomorrow for "How did you learn to apply makeup?" and "Before and After of Daily Makeup"! 

30 Days of Makeup/Beauty Challenges

For anybody that doesn't know me, my name is Kesiah, and I'm obsessed with beauty.

I spent four years at an Art school for Creative Writing, though, and although I decided on a career in the beauty industry, I feel like I shouldn't give up my roots.

Hence, a blog.

How original.

Anywho, it'll be a fun way to track my progress regarding hair and makeup, and eventually I'd like to focus on beauty in my hometown of Milwaukee, WI., because I love living here. I've watched the beauty industry here from the sidelines, and I eventually hope to infiltrate it, but until then, I'll just be a bit player.

To start this blog off, I'm going to do TWO 30 Day Beauty Challenges. One I found simply through a Google search, but I think it poses nice questions for the world to get to know me and my beauty routine. The second I came up with after checking out SEVERAL beauty and makeup challenges done by other people. I wanted a set guideline of what I would be doing, though, because I think it would be neat to REPEAT in a year just to see how much my skills have improved.

So without further ado, I give you my version of the 30 Days of Makeup Challenge:

30 Days of Makeup

1. No Makeup Makeup

2. Before and After (daily makeup)

3. Color inspiration: PURPLE

4. Smokey Eyes

5. Everyday Look

6. Ombre

7. Before and After (Date night makeup) 

8. Color Inspiration: TEAL

9. Makeup REMOVAL 

10. Colored Eyebrows

11. Rainbow Theme

12. Color Inspiration: HOT PINK

13. Blindfold Challenge

14. Disney Princess makeup

15. All About Glitter

16. Barbie Makeup

17. 80's Inspired

18. 90's Inspired

19. Boyfriend Does My Makeup

20. Metallic Makeup

21. Gothic Wannabe

22. Old Person Makeup

23. Pin Up 

24. Color Inspiration: GREEN

25. Holiday Makeup

26. Celebrity Look Book

27. Galaxy Look

28. Pop Art Makeup

29. Zombie Makeup

30. No Makeup At All!!!

And THIS is the second challenge I'll be following, as well:

(I colored it pink via Gimp because I like pink more, but the original is blue)

Anywho, hopefully this blog will inspire others to go wild with their makeup skills! Even if I get only fifteen views, it'll still be really fun for me!