A Beautiful Mess

Kinsey's Everyday Styling Routine

It's time for round four of Everyday Styling with Kinsey. Click here to see the rest- 1+2+3.

Growing up, my freckles were my biggest insecurity. I couldn't wait till I was old enough to wear makeup and cover them up. But in high school I realized if I'm going to have these freckles forever, I might as well learn to love them! Since then, I started choosing earth tones to highlight my darker features and compliment my millions of freckles.

I start off my makeup routine with a small amount of foundation on any blemishes and underneath my eyes. I use Rimmel London Clean Finish 230 Warm Ivory. I then cover my t-zone with loose powder by CoverGirl. If there is one makeup step I never skip, it's powder. I have naturally oily skin, so I try and keep a loose powder handy at all times. Next, I apply bronzer to my face, with an extra brush or two on my cheek bones. I switch up my bronzer quite frequently, but my favorite is bareMinerals Warmth All Over. I start off my eye makeup by first applying eye shadow. I'm an eye shadow fanatic, so I usually wear two or three shades at a time. I first apply a dark, copper color to my lid, then blend it up to a gold shade. Here I'm wearing Maybelline Eyeshadow in Golden Halo and Maybelline Eyeshadow in Copper Craze.I'm all about the cat eye look. I use Maybelline Waterproof Liquid Liner in black. Making sure I have a waterproof liner is really important to me during a photo shoot because I'm constantly squinting and looking through the view finder on my camera so my eyes tend to water a lot.  To finish off my eyes I use an eyelash curler and CoverGirl Lash Blast Volume Mascara. Next, I lightly pencil in my brows. My brows are really dark, so I use a shade lighter so that they don't look too bold once I'm finished. The last step to my makeup routine is a good dose of chapstick.  I wear Nivea Lip Balm, A Kiss of Moisture and occasionally A Kiss of Shimmer when my outfit has a little pink or violet in it. I've tried out lipstick and it's just not for me. Either that or I have yet to find my perfect shade. Until that day, I'll stick with my good ole chapstick.I have fine hair, so I always tease my roots a bit before styling.You can find my hair routine here. When I'm not sporting the mermaid curls or beach waves I've usually put my locks into a top knot. This has been my favorite during the summer heat. Thanks so much for sharing your styling routine, Kinsey! You are beautiful. ♥

Sarah's Everyday Styling Routine

It's time for round three of our Everyday Styling series with Sarah. Click here to see round 1 + round 2.  

I'm so excited to share my Summertime makeup routine! I feel that I should start out by sharing that I am an instructor at our town's Paul Mitchell school so my makeup ritual is a little more technical and involved than other gals. I've gotten my steps down to a science and the whole she-bang takes me about 15 minutes to apply. Also, my mom is an Avon Representative so I buy a lot of products from her. Here it goes!

I actually cannot believe that a photo of myself with naked brows will now live on the internet. With a small angled brush I use medium brown matte eyeshadow to create the top line of the eyebrow first. Then I fill in the interior and bottom line of the brow. I usually grab a Q-tip and fade out the perimeter of the brow to soften it up and make it look less "drawn on".

SHADOW: Sephora brand, medium brown (matte), BRUSH: e.l.f. Studio Small Angled Brush

This Summer, I've been beginning my make up with a tinted moisturizer (with sunscreen!) all over my face. Then I follow up with a concealer under my eyes, to hide dark circles and above and below my brows. This will help in the brow defining stage. Next I dust my entire face with a fair-colored loose powder foundation and then apply a more bronze powder just below my cheekbones with a blush brush. This small step helps to build the initial depth of the cheeks. 

CONCEALER: Avon Concealer Stick (light medium),LOOSE POWDER: Avon Smooth Minerals Powder Foundation (soft ivory),BRONZE POWDER: e.l.f. Cosmetics Clarifying Pressed Powder - Honey,TINTED MOISTURIZER: Benefit Cosmetics You Rebel Lite

Next, I move on to my lids. I start by sweeping a light brown matte shadow from the crease of my eye down to my lid. I follow with a darker brown shadow in the crease and outer corners of my lids. Then I use a peachy-rose on the lid and just above the crease. Make sure to blend these peachy spots with the darker brown.

LIGHT BROWN SHADOW: Sephora brand, light brown (matte), BROWN & PEACH SHADOW: Avon True Color Eyeshadow, Hawaiian Glow Duo (Satin Taupe and Rose Blossom)

Now it's time for the highlighting! This is a step is so important because it immediately adds more dimension to your face and draws attention to those highlighted areas. I use a highlighting pencil on my brow bones, inner eye corners, cheekbones, and around my lips. Then I use my finger to blend the product out. 

HIGHLIGHTER: Benefit Cosmetics Eye Bright Pencil

Next, I use a soft dark brown eye liner pencil. I always start on the outer corner and glide toward the center then apply a little on the outer side of the lower lash line. I LOVE the pencils with a little smudge sponge on the end! I use that little guy to soften the liner before I move on.

EYELINER: Maybelline New York Define-A-Line Eyeliner, Brownish Black

After I line, I move on to mascara. I always cover my lower lashes first and let them dry before I move on to the top lashes. This lowers the risk of mascara dots messing up what's already finished on the top lid and brow bone.

MASCARA: Rimmel London Volumeflash Scandaleys Mascara Black

I always finish my eyes before I move on to my cheeks. This way if I have product fall on to my cheeks then the cleanup is easy. Fixing mistakes on blushed cheeks means little erased patches that are harder to fix.

I start my cheeks by applying a cream bronzer with my finger very lightly on the bridge of my nose and under the cheekbones and blend upward. I give that product a few minutes to dry and apply my lip color. I finish my face with a pink blush on the apples of my cheeks and blend up and out. 

BLUSH: Avon Ideal Luminous Blush (Antique Rose), LIP COLOR: Avon Ultra Color Rich Lipstick (Pout), BRONZER: Stila One Step Bronze

Here's a photo of Sarah after her everyday makeup routine. 

When it comes to my hair I should tell you, I have a lot of it. I only wash it about every 6 days and lately I've fallen in love with Paul Mitchell's Forever Blonde Shampoo and Conditioner. I know, I know. I'm not blonde, but the ends of my hair have been lightened. Washing my hair less and using this keratin-enriched system keep my hair very healthy. So as I near that 5th-6th day of "lived-in" hair, I keep the styling simple. 

I use my smoothing iron to smooth out my fringe and the hair that frames my face. Then I tie a low side-pony really tight and gently loosen out some height at the crown and top of my head. Next, I use my smoothing iron again to curl the pony-tail in about 4 big sections. I end by wrapping a small section of hair around the hair tie to cover it. I end by applying a small mixture of Paul Mitchell Awapuhi Wild Ginger Styling Treatment Oil and Fast Form Cream Gel to the length of my pony-tail. 

Thanks for reading Sarah's Everyday Styling Routine. We will be back with another round soon! 

Katie's Everyday Styling Routine

It's time for round two of our Everyday Styling series with Katie. You can see Emma's routine here. 

Every morning when I wake up, I like to wash my face immediately... well, immediately after I grab my coffee.  It helps me wake up and get a jump start on the day.  I follow that with a moisturizer with SPF all over my face, and a soothing eye cream to help with dark circles.  I am totally and completely in love with my eye cream.  It is Clinique All About Eyes and I use it in the morning and before bed at night.

When it's makeup time, I start with a little concealer on any blemishes or red spots.  Right now I am using Maybelline Cover Stick in fair, but I change up my concealer quite a bit.  I run a little bit of Stila Brighten & Correct Concealer under my eyes and gently blend in.  As a working girl, mama, and lover of late nights, having a good under-eye concealer is really important for me.  I finish this off with some powder all over my face.  My absolute favorite powder is Mary Kay loose powder in Ivory 2.  It's an old faithful that I always find myself coming back to.

I then move onto my eye area.  I start by combing and lightly filling in my brows with a brow pencil.  I have about a lifetime supply of Sephora brand eyebrow pencils that I snagged on sale. (Hooray!)  I like to sport the cat eye look most days, so I line my eyelids with Maybelline Line Stiletto liquid liner in Blackest Black.

I never used to curl my lashes, but once I started I never stopped.  For me, I found that curling my lashes really opens up the eye and makes my lashes more noticeable, which I like.  After the lashes have been curled, I apply mascara.  I've been using Maybelline Falsies in Black Drama lately.  I'm actually just finishing up my first tube, but it's been pretty good to me.  I finish my eyes by lining my bottom eyelids/lashes with a touch of dark eyeshadow on a flat bristled brush.  If I'm going out I may use some pretty, shimmery eyeshadow, but for everyday wear I typically skip it.

Blush is another really important beauty product for me.  I will often use a cream blush, but lately I've been really liking Radiant Cosmetics powder blush.  I've been alternating between Apricot Mist and Harlowe Pink.  Even on days that I don't wear other makeup at all, I will still sweep a little blush on my cheeks.  Growing up I always heard that flushed cheeks make you look like you're full of life.  I guess that stuck with me.

I always finish my makeup routine with something on my lips, whether it be a bright red lipstick or tinted lip balm.  My go-to lip balm is Sugar Lip Treatment in Passion.  I use it most days.

For my hair I like to keep it pretty simple.  On days that I don't have freshly washed hair, I will start with a dry shampoo.  After I comb that through, I tease the underside of my hair a bit to give a some extra volume.

If I'm feeling like longer hair that day, I will clip in some hair extensions.  I run a straightener through my bangs to tame them and I then take a curling iron to curl random sections of hair.

I finish my look off with some super duper hairspray because, let's face it, who has time to deal with fussy hair throughout the day?  I like to get ready and not really have to worry about it after that.  This Got 2B Glued stuff is some serious hairspray-- just a spritz or two and you are good to go!

1. Mary Kay eyebrow comb/ lash liner brush 2. Mary Kay loose powder in Ivory 2 3. Clinique All About Eyes  4. Stila Brighten and Correct Concealer  5. Radiant Cosmetics Powder blush On in Apricot Mist 6. Sugar tinted lip treatment in Passion 7. Maybelline Falsies Mascara in Black Drama 8. Mary Kay Powder and Cheek Brushes 9. Eyelash Curler 10. Maybelline Lash Stiletto in Blackest Black 11. Sephora Eyebrow Pencil 12. Maybelline Cover Stick in Fair

Thanks so much for letting me share my styling routine!  It's been so much fun! xoxo Katie

Dolly Inspired Hair Tutorial

We're pretty huge Dolly fans around here. In this hair tutorial Katie is shares her tips for getting big, fabulous old country inspired hair! Enjoy... 

Step 1: Beginning at the top of the head (near the part), take a section of hair and spray the underside with hair spray.  Step 2: Tease the underside of the hair and continue down until all of the hair is teased.  Step 3: Flip the hair over and smooth only the top.  Step 4: Begin rolling the hair into the hot rollers by starting at the top middle section.  Step 5: Continue rolling the hair-- doing the sides next, and then finish up with the back.

Now let the hot rollers sit in the hair and cool down.  Tick-tock... tick-tock...

Steps 6-7:  Unroll the hair from the curlers.  Start at the bottom and work your way to the top.  Step 8:  Tease your bangs or front section of hair.  Step 9:  Curl the bangs and any other face-framing pieces that may not have made it into the hot rollers.  Steps 10-11: Pulled the curled bangs up and to the side.  Step 12: Hair spray!  Use lots of hair spray to keep that volume and help the curls stay in place.

Have fun styling! Katie