Make-Up Tips? Keep It Simple

Thanks to L’Oreal for sponsoring my post about my favorite beauty looks, tips and tricks. Check out Makeup.com for beauty advice from the experts.

When it comes to make-up, I love finding a new “this is it” product, especially if it includes the teensiest amount of sparkle.  And in the grand scheme of things, the fact that there is any sparkle, glitter, or sequins in my house (and there is, um, just a tad), is a surprising fact in and of itself.  Mostly because, growing up, my Mom was all about the glitter and sequins.  Which was met with heavily rolled eyes.  From me.  I was, after all, a teenager.  So I have that excuse going for me.  But these days, I kind of embrace it.  Um, like a lot.  And with the holiday season, it’s easy to find a new nail polish or eyeshadow with a hint of little shimmer.  Just restrain me.  Please.  The running joke in our house, one of many, is that you are officially a member of the family if you have a speck of glitter on your face.  With clothing, make-up, and countless craft projects, it’s no surprise that we’re all sporting flecks of stardust on our face at one point or another.

So my glitter infatuation aside, in the challenge of getting me and the kids out the door for school and work every morning, my focus is all about keeping it simple.  The less products and steps involved the better.  Why use three products if you can find one that will do the same thing?  Why add to your morning craziness if you can maybe do part of your skin care routine (you know, assuming you have one, ’cause I still don’t) at night?

And the best tip I can give you out of everything?  Bring back-up!  I have a make-up bag in my car that is an exact duplicate of what I put on in the morning at home.  So if I need a touch-up during the day, or won’t head home before an evening out, then I’m set.  And who am I kidding?  Sometimes it’s also perfect for a two minute application when I get to work in the morning because not a stitch of make-up made it on before I left the house with two sleepy kids.

My other tip is relating to how to store all your make-up stuffs.  I’ve been meaning to blog about this like f-o-r-e-v-e-r, and today finally provided the perfect opportunity.  I can’t stand clutter in the bathroom.  And with make-up products, it can get overwhelming.  And fast.  How to keep it all neatly corralled and looking pretty?  A seemingly tall order was fixed after a quick trip to our local Goodwill store.  A few years ago, I picked up these pretty little jars, a steal at ten cents each.  They’re the perfect vessel to hold all the mascaras, eyeliners, bobby pins, and such. 

That bigger jar with all the hair clips?  That’s actually a repurposed jar from the candy bar at Madeline’s first birthday.  Can’t find what you want in the store?  Go shopping in your own home!

And speaking of hair clips (nice segueway, right?), I loaded a bunch of new hair clips in my Etsy shop, which you can check out right here.  Use the code SAVINGS when you check-out for a 10% off discount.  More clips coming soon.  Do I have the cutest hair clip model or what? 

That purple hair clip isn’t available in the Etsy shop, mostly because Madeline earmarked that one for her, but its pink cousin is coming soon (if you want to snag it before I get it into the shop, just drop me a line at cate AT sweetnicks DOT com).

Tomororow?  The buttery, all-natural product review.

PS And no, she doesn’t need glasses. Those are mine that she stole when she took the hair clip off my nightstand. “Mommy, can we find me some glasses that don’t make my eyes all blurry?” Adding “fake glasses” to the Christmas list…

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