{natural} smokey eye makeup.

Lately I’ve really been enjoying experimenting with new makeup looks. I don’t know if it’s because of the holidays or just getting bored with my normal routine, but trying new colors, brands, and makeup techniques is just so much fun!

I often go with a dramatic smokey eyes for a night out, but I recently saw this tutorial on Refinery29, and it inspired me to try a more natural take on my favorite eye makeup look.

To achieve the look was pretty simple. I used three shadows -

FOXY and FAINT from the Urban Decay NAKED Basics palette:

and the bottom, golden shade from the Almay Intense i-color Bold Nudes kit (for blue eyes):

6 steps to a natural smokey eye:

1. I started by applying a base of the Faint shade on my eyelids with a medium-sized eye shadow brush.

2. Then I used a smaller eye shadow brush to apply Faint under my eyes.
It’s trickier applying to the bottom (which is why you want to use a smaller brush) – try to keep it from going past the ends of your eyelashes to avoid looking like you have a black eye.

3. Then I went over the top and bottom with a light dusting of the gold-toned Almay shadow.

4. I applied the final, lightest shade (Foxy) right under my brow for an extra pop.

5. Eyeliner is optional. I used a light brown (Cover Girl) liner.

6. Finish the eyes with mascara. I swear by Rimmel Lash Accelerator.

To make the look complete I kept it simple with some bronzer and a nude lip.

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What’s your go-to eye makeup look?
What makeup styles/techniques have you been wanting to experiment with?

gml approved: oscar blandi {2}.

Earlier in the year my friend Gina who works as Oscar Blandi sent me some of their great products to try out, and I’ve been using them ever since! That’s why I was so excited when Oscar Blandi offered to send me some more to give a try, and these turned out to be just as life hair-changing.

1. Oscar Blandi Dry Conditioner Spray
I had heard of and used dry shampoo before, but never a dry conditioner. I wasn’t sure to expect, but this is definitely going to be one of my new go-to hair products. First of all, it smells amazing (which, for me, is one of the first things I look for in a hair product). Secondly, it gives the perfect “freshen up” your hair needs – especially this time of year with the cold weather. It’s weightless, renews shine, detangles, and nourishes your hair with a mist of oils and vitamins.

2. Oscar Blandi Olio Di Jasmine Hair Serum
I’m a huge fan of this serum. Just a few tiny drops made my hair look and feel shiny, soft, and so much healthier. Apply a few drops to hair as needed – on dry hair to finish a look or on damp hair before blow-dry to protect from heat. This is definitely a new hair secret weapon of mine.

3. Oscar Blandi Pronto Dry Shampoo
I’ve mentioned before how much I love OB’s spray version of dry shampoo. Well this one is their powdered version, and I love it just as much. It has the same great scent, is lightweight, and leaves my hair feeling fresh with an extra bump of volume. I’ve tried just about every dry shampoo one on the market, and Oscar Blandi’s is hands down my favorite.

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Which of these products would you want to try most? What’s your “hair secret weapon?”

holiday gift guide {for your parents}.

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1. 2.

3. 4.

5.

6. 7.

8. 9.

10.

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For mom:

1. Teavana Sakura Allure Tea Gift Set – $49.95
2. Land’s End Cashmere Sweater – $129
3. Pier 1 Stackable Coffee Mugs – $15.16
4. Brighton Shadow Play Necklace – $46
5. Philosophy Pure Grace gift set – $55

For dad:

6. J.Crew fleece-lined lodge moccasins – $59.50
7. Bass Pro Shops gift card
8. Philips Beardtrimmer Series 9000 – $99.99
9. Cuisinart 10-Piece Premium Grilling Set – $62.97
10. Duracell Powermat – $39.99

FYI: I have not been compensated in any way for this post, these are just some of my favorite products/brands!

Check out my other holiday gift guides: FOR YOUR BFF and FOR HIM

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What do you usually get your parents? Which of these gifts do you think they’d like most?