Urban Decay's Naked Basics

Recently I purchased one of Urban Decay's latest pallet's, "Naked Basics." This pallet is different from usual Urban Decay products in a lot of ways. It is very small and compact, comfortably fits in a purse (or clutch, or pocket even!) and has a good range of shades to play with. There is only one shade with a subtle shimmer, and that is the lightest highlight; in addition, a matte highlight shade is provided. I absolutely loved this aspect of the compact. The mirror is also a good size, it covers the entire upper cover on the inside of the pallet! The names of each color, from left highlight to the matte black on the far right: Venus, Foxy, w.o.s., Naked2, Faint, and Crave. How do they come up with these names?

I have both the Naked and Naked2 pallets, and I adore them both. However, on a day-to-day basis, most of my daytime looks are taken from the matte colors in these products. That said, the Naked Basics pallet has simplified my everyday makeup routine (and sets a great eyeshadow foundation for night-out looks! Just add some shimmer and/or a darker shade and you're good to go!) This product has been perfect for me, its great in an overnight bag or for weekend trips, and it represents all of my needs for basic makeup looks. My everyday makeup look can be completed with only this pallet (using crave or faint as liners decreases the amount of products needed) and having those darker options allows for great daytime-nightout transition looks. 

The retail price for this is $27. If you plan your timing right you can use discounts and coupons to get it even cheaper! It's all about patience, people.

Overall I rate this product excellent, especially for us UrbanDecay lovers!

Welcome Back to Barbi's Beauty-It feels good to be writing again!

Naked = Good,
Barbi

DIY Lace Shorts

A while back I was feeling crafty and decided I wanted to alter some old clothes. Having no money and being tired of your wardrobe is good motivation to get these little projects done.

I had a pair of jeans which I had purchased on a super sale at JcPenny's for $4, they did not quite fit comfortably because the denim is cotton and not stretch, so the legs of the jeans were really stiff. I put on the jeans and made small marks to indicate where I wanted to cut them. Then I cut the front of the legs slightly shorter than the back (to make room for my butt) and tried them on to make sure I was satisfied. If you try this project you may have to trim more fabric, try them on again, and so on and so forth to make sure they are the shape and style that you want.

I also had a strip of elastic lace that was slightly torn, so not really usable for much. Since the jeans I used were also the "worn" style, with tears and paint splatters, I thought they made a good match.

I measured and cut the lace to the lengths that I wanted to sew on the pockets of the jeans. I hand stitched the lace on the back pockets and on the inner area of the front pockets, then I stitched red threat along the bottom of the jeans. And Voila! New shorts without spending a cent.

Hope this inspires you!

Laces and faces,
Barbi

June Favorites 2012

Here is the list of items from my June Favorites Video^:

1. Australian Gold Spray Gel spf 15
2. AJ Morgan Sunglasses

3. Laura Geller eyeshadow and highlighter quad
4. Revlon colorstay Foundation for combination/oily skin
5. L'Oreal TruMatch Concealer W1-2-3
6. Wet n Wild Megalast Salon Nail Color I-Need-a-refresh-mint
7. Wet n Wild Megashield Lip color "Within these adobe walls"

8. e.l.f. Eyebrow wand
9. Essence White eyeliner pencil

10. Urban Decay Naked2 Palette

Let me know if you like these things too!

Favorites and fantasies,
Barbi

Today's Nails: Sally Hanson HD and Milani Neon

I wanted to try out my newest polish, the Sally Hansen HD (hi-definition) nail color in LCD. Its a very sheer color so I had to put something underneath it, and I thought of my Milani neon Nail lacquer in "pink hottie." The Milani polish is pretty matte, but with the shimmery polish on top of it you can't tell at all. I used one coat of Milani Neon and two coats of LCD. The large picture is with flash, the smaller ones are natural light.

I really like how you can see the blue micro shimmer. Obviously its much more apparent in person, and it gives a cool, multi-dimensional effect to the nails. And as you can see, it matches my dress perfectly!


What polishes do you like to layer? Let me know in the comments so that I can try them out!

sunshine and shimmer,
Barbi

BOWS BOWS BOWS!!!!

So, I have this little obsession with bow hair clips. I also have several head bands with bows on them. My hair has been dyed black for the past year and a half and it is a great background for brightly colored hair accessories. So I discovered that Forever21 sells very affordable hair accessories and I tend to take advantage of that. Most of the hair pretties that I have are from Forever21, including all of my bow clips. I decided to put on all of my bow clips just to demonstrate how much variety I have. I am sure there are people out there with much more impressive hair bow collections, but I am pretty content with mine. I feel a little bit ridiculous wearing all of these bows at the same time but it makes for some pretty great photo ops!

Of course, black hair is not a requirement in order to wear these pretties. I know that when my hair grows out to it's natural auburn blonde color, I will absolutely continue to wear the heck out of some awesome hair clips!

What do you think of hair bows? Would you wear them? What are you favorite hair accessories?

Hair bows and Halos,

Barbi

P.S. These Forever21 hair clips were featured in my most recent video, "Favorite Products under $5"<-Click the link to find out what else made the cut!

Wet N Wild Megalast Nail Color: Club Havana

I picked up this nail polish at the drugstore the other day because it caught my eye as the perfect summer orange shade. AND IT IS! The color is called "Club Havana" and it is gorgeous! It is a bright, creamy orange color. Not too yellow! In this picture I am wearing two coats, but no top coat yet (I wait at least an hour before applying my top coat). You could probably get away with one coat of these nail polishes because they are SO pigmented. I have this nail polish in several other colors, which have been featured in past blogs as well. I am really impressed with this product. For only $1.99 at regular retail price (usually available for less with sales and deals), this is a great buy!

And it goes with my orangey summer themed beauty products for today, featured in today's tutorial! 

What do you think?
Thanks for reading!

Sunsets and popsicles,
Barbi

Skin Care Secret: Avocados!

I love Avocados! I always try to keep some avocados in my kitchen, its easier to do in the spring and summer when they are in season, but during the winter they become more expensive. Avocados are so healthy in so many ways, they have heart-healthy fats, which keep your hair and skin moisturized and your heart pumping. Avocados also contain vitamin K, C and B6, just like other fruits but without all of the sugar.

Whether you eat your avocados by themselves(I do!) or in a sandwich, these buddies do all kinds of good things for your body.

They are also good for the outside of your body! You can make a moisturizing mask using Avocado to heal and protect your sensitive skin areas. I like to mix a tablespoon of avocado, a tablespoon of raw honey, and a tablespoon of sugar together to make a facial scrub/mask. After scrubbing for one minute, I let the mask set on my face for 5 more minutes and then rinse it off. It leaves your skin feeling clean, smooth, and moisturized!

Take advantage of summertime by stocking up on this beauty fruit!

Hearts and Happy Faces,

Barbi