lovely hair color care

Over the course of 3 weeks I have become somewhat of a hair color junkie.  See photo above.  I actually have done this before, especially when I was doing hair professionally.  I mean having the tools at your disposal and seeing your gorgeous clients leave with fun color is quite tempting!

So I made a transition-  platinum > honey > mocha > burgundy > auburn > chestnut, all in 3 weeks.  The last two sort of happened on their own due to fading (which I will discuss*) and today I want to share with you a few tips & tricks for keeping your hair healthy & proper color maintenance if you color it yourself.

• trim- get the yucky stuff off!  it's not going to properly grab the color so trimming any damaged hair off will not only save you on the color you need to use, but it will get it healthier.
• condition- this is vital especially if you plan to go lighter! you want to make sure your hair will be moisturized and strong to take any chemicals you plan to put on it.
• fill- if you are going from light to dark its best to fill your hair with a color right in the middle (usually something with gold) so that your hair takes the new color better and has the right pigments put back into it that may be missing if you are too light.
• dirty-  its not a necessity, but hair color can feel tingly and uncomfortable if your scalp is too clean. the natural oils act as a buffer to the product. and don't worry; color is strong enough to penetrate through hairstyling products, no problem!

• supplies- make sure before you get started you seriously check your list and check it twice, it will save you a ton of headache if you are prepared.  make sure to get a processing camp or use a plastic bag over your head, it helps conduct heat and prevent color for drying out. oil around your hair line prevents skin stains on darker colors & don't forget gloves, a towel & a smock or old t-shirt so you dont mess up your clothes!
• product- if you do color at home its best to avoid store box color (although I've seen great results) as you cannot control the lift/deposit of the developer.  if possible try to purchase tube creme color & the proper developer for it.
• semi, demi, permanent- based off your needs make sure to choose the right type of color if you want it to last a few washes, a few weeks or longer.
• developers- are made for deposit & lift and can also change your processing time depending on the results you want.  the higher the number the more lift, the lower the more deposit.  for an even deeper color add a little water to 10vol.  for extra care add serum to 40 vol and please avoid putting higher developers on your scalp if using lighteners
• directions- always follow the manufacturers suggested processing times, some colors stop after a certain amount of time and some do require checking on. if you are using a color that tells you to leave it on your ends for a set amount of time, then do that- too little or too long can change the color.
• additives- using serum in lightening powder (bleach) conditions while processing.  check in with the color wheel if you feel like you need to counteract an undesired color you make pick up.  gray magic (available at most beauty supplies) is a great for those that have stubborn grays or to add in to dark color when you are going from something much lighter.
• color theory- color will not lift color (at least not evenly), color on top of color results in a darker color (*), and please try to avoid bleaching color out of your hair instead opt for color removers then color correct it.
• fix- if your color comes out too dark try using dish washing detergent, its strong enough to pull out any excess color that will come out during the next few washes.  remember hair looks darker when wet, so you may want to dry first before deciding if the color isn't right for you.

• temperature- washing your clothes in hot water can fade them, same applies to your hair. try using cooler temps to make it last or you will just be watching that work & money wash down the drain.
• wash- look at your shampoo is it clear or sort of opaque? clear is more cleansing, while the latter is more conditioning.  sulfate free or color care shampoos can help tons.  *instead of re-coloring lots (because color on color is darker color like stated before) usin a color wash is great, if you go dark mix some left over color with developer, water & shampoo and wash it in, or purchase a color deposting shampoo (aveda makes great ones!) if you are blonde use purple shampoo to cut out any unwanted yellow or brassy tones.
• 2nd day hair- not only can provide great styles, but is also one less day of washing the color out.  if you need to shower, you can still get it wet just scrub your scalp with your fingers and avoid the suds.  another great option is using dry shampoo if you have an oily scalp and skipping a wash seems hard to do.
• protect- your hair from the sun and water.  suncreen help with fading of darker colors.  they make them for hair, bu you can also use regular sunscreen as well (my favorite are the fine mist spf's).  if you like the in pools & hot tubs then blockers like malibu2000 will be your new best friend and if you have well water then you can use that too!

 If you have any great tips or just a question about something I discussed here or maybe missed make sure to leave a comment so we can chat.  I hope that these tips & tricks help you with your next color and if you are like me and have 6 colors in 3 weeks you will get the hang of it in no time!

*when i stated above that my color faded, its only because i didn't follow my own rules.  for me its easy, i know how to color my hair and its not a task i dread, plus i dont mind change.  i'm naughty when it comes to color- i take hot showers, sometimes wash it daily and i base my shampoo choices off of smell not what they do.. all of which i would never recommend.  so should i practice what i preach? yes.  but i dont.. and as you can see from the photo that burgundy to auburn color happened in 4 days, so if you dont want that- then i would suggest at least practicing a few of the tips i've provided!

The Beauty Files: share the beauty (week 9)

I'm back again for another week of Share the Beauty with Lauren and Leonora.  If you are new here or haven't had a chance to catch up you can view all my past posts here, in the mean time today we are dabbling on the subject of Makeup-Brushes.

Whether you are a seasoned makeup artist, someone who just spruces their look up for a weekend of fun or even a beginner at this whole Make-Up thing- learning the brushes will help you in achieving some amazing results when applying all sorts of cosmetics.  I'm going to be honest and let you know I actually only use a about a few tools (eye shadow, powder & kabuki brushes, my lash curler & my fingers!). However I found a great little guide from Woman's Day to get you started and here is another one from About.com{beauty} if you want to learn even more!

Below I'm going to show you a quick name guide to get you familiar with some of the brushes out there, so that you know what they do and when you are out and see a good deal you can grab one! (click on photo to make larger if you have trouble reading it)

NOW ITS YOUR TURN!

PARTY RULES

Make sure you link to your Share the Beauty Post NOT your blog domain

 Please have the post you link up to be about "Sharing the Beauty" 
not a giveaway or a product promo. 

Please do not post anything that is unrelated to this weeks topic of:
 makeup brushes

Anyone linking posts that are not related to our party will be deleted.

You can link up here, with Leonora or Lauren and your link will show up on all of our blogs!

You can also grab this button and share the love!

<center> <a <span class="<span class="<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">goog</span>-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">goog</span></span>-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><span class="<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">goog</span>-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">href</span></span></span>="http://www.<span class="<span class="<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">goog</span>-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">goog</span></span>-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><span class="<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">goog</span>-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">thetrunkblog</span></span></span>.com/"> <<span class="<span class="<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">goog</span>-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">goog</span></span>-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><span class="<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">goog</span>-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">img</span></span></span> <span class="<span class="<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">goog</span>-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">goog</span></span>-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><span class="<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">goog</span>-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">src</span></span></span>="http://i1039.<span class="<span class="<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">goog</span>-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">goog</span></span>-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><span class="<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">goog</span>-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">photobucket</span></span></span>.com/albums/a475/Lauren_Bird/mail-2.<span class="<span class="<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">goog</span>-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">goog</span></span>-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><span class="<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">goog</span>-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">jpg</span></span></span>"/> </a></center>

NEXT WEEKS PROMPT

Week 10- Scents: Deodorants, Perfumes, Body Splashes etc 

We thought you guys would like to know ahead of time what prompts you can contribute to! Here is the list of future Share the Beauty Party Topics! We will be going in this order:

Week 11- Body Care: Razors, Shaving Cream, Body Lotion, Sunscreen etc
Week 12- Nails: Nail Polish, Nail Polish Remover, Clippers, Techniques etc 

The Beauty Files: share the beauty (week eight)

Last week got the best of me and I had to skip over 'face beauty', but I'm back and I'm catching up with our series by sharing some favorite products for my smoocher! 

To catch up on Share the Beauty posts go here, and don't forget you can link up with Lauren, Leonora and myself each week for one more month before this series is over.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MOISTURE

For a nice moisturizing lip stick I LOVE BabyLips by Maybelline.  I actually only just tried it when Heather gave me a little gift bag at Snap and this was in there.. I'm hooked.  I've just been using the moisturizing one (blue), but they do have tinted ones.  I love how smooth and non-sticky this stuff is.

Before using BabyLips I was obsessed with any and all of the C.O Bigelow lip glosses.. these things are fantastic.  I'm pretty sure if you were stranded somewhere with no food then consumption of one of the lip glosses would get you through-- aka they are yummy. 

COLORGLOSS

I'm a huge fan of something with a little bit of color and not much stickiness.  A great tip to get more color out of your gloss (& to get it to hold longer) is to lightly sweep on some blush over your lips right before the gloss goes on.  

I have a couple of grocery store brands that work fine and dandy, but when I want something special my fav's are Lipstick Queen, Nars Original Lip Gloss,  Fresh Sugar Lip Treatments or Paul & Joe.

STAIN

I only own one lipstick and for me they are a little old school (some people pull them off beautifully though!), so I usually stick with a stain and some gloss if needed.  What's great is that most stains can be used on your cheeks and lips.. my most favorite is by Benefit.. if you are nervous about stains try something more subtle like a balm/stain in one like TokiDoki.

NOW ITS YOUR TURN!

PARTY RULES

Make sure you link to your Share the Beauty Post NOT your blog domain

 Please have the post you link up to be about "Sharing the Beauty" 
not a giveaway or a product promo. 

Please do not post anything that is unrelated to this weeks topic of:
 FOUNDATION

Anyone linking posts that are not related to our party will be deleted.

You can link up here, with Leonora or Lauren and your link will show up on all of our blogs!

You can also grab this button and share the love!

<center> <a <span class="<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">goog</span>-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">href</span></span>="http://www.<span class="<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">goog</span>-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">thetrunkblog</span></span>.com/"> <<span class="<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">goog</span>-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">img</span></span> <span class="<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">goog</span>-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">src</span></span>="http://i1039.<span class="<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">goog</span>-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">photobucket</span></span>.com/albums/a475/Lauren_Bird/mail-2.<span class="<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">goog</span>-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">jpg</span></span>"/> </a></center>

NEXT WEEKS PROMPT

Week 9- Make Up Brushes

We thought you guys would like to know ahead of time what prompts you can contribute to! Here is the list of future Share the Beauty Party Topics! We will be going in this order:

Week 10- Scents: Deodorants, Perfumes, Body Splashes etc
Week 11- Body Care: Razors, Shaving Cream, Body Lotion, Sunscreen etc
Week 12- Nails: Nail Polish, Nail Polish Remover, Clippers, Techniques etc 

The Beauty Files: share the beauty (week six)

Good Morning, I hope you had a great weekend!  I'm staying insanely busy over here preparing for my road trip I start on Wednesday to head over to Snap! & The Queen Bee Market.  Excitement my friends.

Well as usual each Monday for the past few weeks I've been Sharing the Beauty with Lauren and Leonora.  Its a fun post each of us do where we share our favorite beauty products with you.  At the end of the posts we give you a chance to link up a similar post.  Not only does it bring you new traffic, but you get to share some products with us that maybe we can try sometime too!  To catch up on my previous posts run over here real fast!

If you have been following my posts or just got caught up then you will remember a couple weeks ago I mentioned that my skin has been my biggest enemy.  Over time I have tried many products and sometimes I add in new items or just stick to what I know.  I'm not going to share with you my routine, but instead just list a couple of my most favorite products.

A product I love that has been gaining popularity recently is B.B Cream. (bb= blemish balm).  Recently Smashbox and Garnier have put out their own versions of this amazing product that has been all the rage in Asia for quite a while.  There are different types of B.B Creams all with the same function and added benefits, the one I loved (out of 3 I have tried) is by Skin79.  Most B.B Creams act as a skincare and makeup in one, they provide a flawless finish and if you would like to still wear foundation/concealer over they can act as a primer.

For foundation I have fallen in love with some amazing & more expensive brands in the past only to break out more or break the bank for something I have found very similar when using Revlon ColorStay.  With a great offering of shade and choices for dry/normal or oily skin this foundation has been my favorite for years now.  I use the oil-free formula which also has an SPF6 (which is great because I don't use any additional spf's).  The first ingredient in this product is water: it goes on smooth, yet absorbs so you don't get that cakey look.  There is also a bit of mica for a nice sheen, not shine!  If I need a bit of concealer I LOVE LOVE LOVE The Cover Stick by Maybelline. I know of so many people that use this concealer too, its seriously the greatest!

I use a pressed powder to really provide coverage, but to finish it all off I sweep a bit of the Coty Airspun over everything before I apply blush.. its also great to apply around your jawline to blend any lines you might get (don't you hate when you see girls with lines, sad!!!)  Airspun has been around for ages, and used to come in this cute little vintage style cardboard container.. they recently switched to the hard plastic loose power storage.. but the recipe for the powder is still the same!  You can find these easily at RiteAid and Walgreens. 

There you have it friends, just a couple of my FAVORITE foundation products!

NOW ITS YOUR TURN!

PARTY RULES

Make sure you link to your Share the Beauty Post NOT your blog domain

 Please have the post you link up to be about "Sharing the Beauty" 
not a giveaway or a product promo. 

Please do not post anything that is unrelated to this weeks topic of:
 FOUNDATION

Anyone linking posts that are not related to our party will be deleted.

You can link up here, with Leonora or Lauren and your link will show up on all of our blogs!

You can also grab this button and share the love!

<center> <a <span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">href</span>="http://www.<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">thetrunkblog</span>.com/"> <<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">img</span> <span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">src</span>="http://i1039.<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">photobucket</span>.com/albums/a475/Lauren_Bird/mail-2.<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">jpg</span>"/> </a></center>

NEXT WEEKS PROMPT

Week 7- Face Beauty: Blush, Bronzer, Face Primer etc 

We thought you guys would like to know ahead of time what prompts you can contribute to! Here is the list of future Share the Beauty Party Topics! We will be going in this order:

Week 8- Lip Beauty: Lip stick, lip exfoliator, chap stick, lip gloss etc
Week 9- Make Up Brushes
Week 10- Scents: Deodorants, Perfumes, Body Splashes etc
Week 11- Body Care: Razors, Shaving Cream, Body Lotion, Sunscreen etc
Week 12- Nails: Nail Polish, Nail Polish Remover, Clippers, Techniques etc 

The Beauty Files: share the beauty (week five)

Hi friends! So I might be two days late with this post.. but here you go (cheers from the crowd!).  If you are new here or just need to play catch up Share the Beauty is a little series I'm particpating in with Lauren and Leonora.  Each week we have a prompt (topic, category, subject??) for something beauty related and we go brag about the products we LOVE for that prompt. We open up the posts at the end for you to link up too!

This week it's all about our eye makeup favorites.  Mine is hard to narrow down because I actually love love love eye shadow and have tons ranging from drug-to-dept store brands.  I've narrowed down a couple of my  current loves along with my favorite eyeliner (its so soft & stays put!) and the BEST MASCARA OF ALL TIME! 

Sonia Kashuk Palette | Stila Rose Gold Glow Trio | Stila In the Light Palette

Maybeline Falsies (non waterproof with the original black brush!) | Big Fat Fun Stick: Black

My eyecolor is hazel and I usually gravitate towards shimmery ivory, gold or bronze and to add a little depth I will dab in bits of plum or green for day/night looks.  I also have a colorbox kit that is so much fun to play with and has tons of colors to choose from!  

NOW ITS YOUR TURN!

PARTY RULES

Make sure you link to your Share the Beauty Post NOT your blog domain

 Please have the post you link up to be about "Sharing the Beauty" 
not a giveaway or a product promo. 

Please do not post anything that is unrelated to this weeks topic of:
 FACE CARE

Anyone linking posts that are not related to our party will be deleted.

You can link up here, with Leonora or Lauren and your link will show up on all of our blogs!

You can also grab this button and share the love!

<center> <a href="http://www.thetrunkblog.com/"> <img src="http://i1039.photobucket.com/albums/a475/Lauren_Bird/mail-2.jpg"/> </a></center>

NEXT WEEKS PROMPT

Week 6- Foundation: Concealer, Powder, Liquid Foundation etc 

We thought you guys would like to know ahead of time what prompts you can contribute to! Here is the list of future Share the Beauty Party Topics!  We will be going in this order:

Week 7- Face Beauty: Blush, Bronzer, Face Primer etc
Week 8- Lip Beauty: Lip stick, lip exfoliator, chap stick, lip gloss etc
Week 9- Make Up Brushes

Week 10- Scents: Deodorants, Perfumes, Body Splashes etc
Week 11- Body Care: Razors, Shaving Cream, Body Lotion, Sunscreen etc
Week 12- Nails: Nail Polish, Nail Polish Remover, Clippers, Techniques etc 

The Beauty Files: share the beauty (week four)

Another week and another topic for our Share the Beauty party that I'm taking part in with Lauren and Leonora is here!  Have you had a chance to link up? Let me tell you straight up.. you should!  You get to share some of your favorite beauty products with us each week based off chosen beauty themes we have conjured up. Plus linking up gives others an opportunity to find you when maybe they woudn't normally aka potential new blog traffic for you!

Having PCOS has probably been one of the hardest things I've faced over the years.  Let's just put the whole 6 years of trying to conceive aside and get real.  Pretty skin + PCOS = good luck, not gonna happen.  As a woman that not only suffers from the infertility & weight symptoms of this condition that can genuinely affect my day to day life, let's throw in skin issues just to make it fun mmkay?

For those of you that have a little blemish here and there and you think its the end of the world, I can only wish that was my world.  So please count yourself lucky that you do not suffer from acne.  Not only has it affected the way I get ready everyday or even to the places I go -because of the lighting- it also makes me think about the way I hug people -leaving powder marks on their shirt is embarrassing!- and even the way my day to day mood will be... yep if I'm not having a good skin day then pretty much my day is crap.

I guess I could thank having skin issues for giving me good skills with makeup, not having a single wrinkle on my skin (thanks oily tzone?) and finding amazing lighting for when I take photographs.  You might not see blemishes in my photos & I very rarely edit them out.. but believe me they are there and I'm conscious (every minute, every hour, every day) of my skin.. and its not fun.

{it might not look like much, believe me this was a good day with my bff concealer helping out! and my friends and family in real life know exactly how hard and how real this struggle is.  I really don't want to share the no makeup photos!}

It's not fun when you know you wash your face and treat it, but people think that because you have skin issues that you might not.  Its not fun when you are having a great day and a Mary Kay or Avon rep comes up to you and tells you they want to give you free products (aka that means they want to help you with your ugly face), thanks that great day is now shot.  It's not fun to have to tell people that you can't control it because PCOS is causing it and then having to explain what PCOS is. <-- I linked that on purpose in case you had questions! It's not fun to look around a room full of girls and realize that clear skin is a normal thing to have and that you will never in your life know what that feels like.  Basically this not fun list could go on & on...you get the idea, yeah?

I've tried lots of different things and really I actually have found that for me, occasionally switching up my routine with things I know work actually helps.  So I'm going to share a few products that have helped and that my dermatologist actually approved of.

CLEANSER

I would classify my skin type as oily t-zone & super sensitive jawline/cheeks.  The best cleansers I have found for my skin are actually bar soaps and depending on the time of year (summer/winter) I use either Dove Sensitive Skin or Cetaphil Gentle Cleansing.  Because my skin is so sensitive and I still use makeup the cleansing needs to be as gentle as possible so that I don't get burnt or dried out.

MAKEUP REMOVER

This is some old school stuff right here!  I only use Albolene to remove my makeup before washing my face when my skin is super dry (like during winter) because it provides lightweight moisture.  Its rad for removing mascara too!  Dry skin on elbows, heals or even cuticles can benefit from this.  Also I'm a huge supporter of having no makeup lines so before makeup I occasionally will dab a tiny bit around my neckline just so my makeup blends more evenly.

BLEMISH BANISHER

Personally my skin goes through phases where Benzoyl Peroxide, Salycilic Acid or Sulfur tend to work best, lately I've noticed that the sulfur creams have been better so I'm using Adult Acnomel on the spots that need help.  What sucks is that the acne I do tend to get sometimes never comes to the surface, they end up being a nodule (cystic acne) then they just go away.. its horribly annoying and so very noticeable =(

Believe me I have tried everything under the moon from internal cleanses, water diets, vitamins, prescriptions, cheapie stuff, natural therapies and expensive luxury brands.  Some things help and some have caused disasters, right now this is what works for me.  I occasionally use toners, I do not use sunscreen and because I have higher levels of testosterone (another pcos lame-o symptom) the breakouts I do get are very irregular. 

Since this is such a sensitive subject, if you suffer from the same thing I would love to know how you handle it.  Its a emotional roller coaster that I wish more people understood about me, but they never will.. and thats ok because I would never wish this upon anyone else!  Thanks for letting me share something that affects my self esteem everyday, it's something that no matter how hard I try to control it I can't and now I just sort of adjust my life around it and make the best of what I have.. which is awesome boobs! Ha jk =) or am I?

NOW ITS YOUR TURN!

PARTY RULES

Make sure you link to your Share the Beauty Post NOT your blog domain

 Please have the post you link up to be about "Sharing the Beauty" 
not a giveaway or a product promo. 

Please do not post anything that is unrelated to this weeks topic of:
 FACE CARE

Anyone linking posts that are not related to our party will be deleted.

You can link up here, with Leonora or Lauren and your link will show up on all of our blogs!

You can also grab this button and share the love!

<center> <a href="http://www.thetrunkblog.com/"> <img src="http://i1039.photobucket.com/albums/a475/Lauren_Bird/mail-2.jpg"/> </a></center>


NEXT WEEKS PROMPT

We thought you guys would like to know ahead of time what prompts you can contribute to! Here is the list of future Share the Beauty Party Topics! We will be going in this order:

Week 5- Eye Make up: Eye shadow, eye liner, eye primer, mascara etc
Week 6- Foundation: Concealer, Powder, Liquid Foundation etc
Week 7- Face Beauty: Blush, Bronzer, Face Primer etc
Week 8- Lip Beauty: Lip stick, lip exfoliator, chap stick, lip gloss etc
Week 9- Make Up Brushes

Week 10- Scents: Deodorants, Perfumes, Body Splashes etc
Week 11- Body Care: Razors, Shaving Cream, Body Lotion, Sunscreen etc
Week 12- Nails: Nail Polish, Nail Polish Remover, Clippers, Techniques etc