The 5 Makeup Brushes That You Really Need!

The key to effortless makeup application lies in your brushes. I didn't really realize how vital they were to creating flawless makeup, until I went to this MAC seminar and learned about different ways to use them, and how to use them the right way. Here are my top 5 that I use literally EVERY time I do my makeup! I cannot live without them.

Beauty Blender

Before I got my first BeautyBlender, I just used regular foundation brushes. Let me tell you, this little sponge changed my entire routine. I was totally skeptical, but they are seriously awesome. The tapered end also eliminated the need for a concealer brush! I love it! You just wet it, squeeze it out, dot foundation/concealer to your face, and blend your way into flawless foundation and a perfect looking complexion. My favorite thing about it is that since you use it wet, it doesn't leave your face looking all cakey and gross.
Rea.deeming Beauty, Inc. - beautyblender PURE blender (single) by Rea.deeming Beauty, Inc. BEAUTY - $34.90, 4.99 shipping - Available at Amazon.com Marketplace

Make Up For Ever - Professional Angled Eyeliner Brush #262

If you're like me and use gel/cream eyeliner on the regular, a brush similar to this one is key for perfect eyeliner. I've tried all kinds of different liner brushes over the years, but these angled ones are the only ones that make a perfect, even line, and enable me to do winged liner, which I usually wear every day. Definitely check one out of you do winged liner like me. Sephora also has some affordable ones!

Make Up For Ever - Professional Angled Eyeliner Brush #262 Straight - $22.00, 5.48 shipping - Available at Amazon.com Marketplace

MAC Cosmetics - Brushes - #217 Blending Brush

Literally every time I do my eyeshadow I pull out my MAC 217 brush. It's nice and fluffy yet still rigid enough to get enough shadow on it for my crease. This is the best blending brush ever ever and works beautifully. MAC brushes are expensive but they last forever with proper care and are SO worth the price. You can use it for whatever blending you need done, but I typically use it only with darker colors in my crease.
You can also use this one to contour places that are smaller, like the sides of your nose. :)
MAC Cosmetics - Brushes - #217 Blending Brush (Eye) - - - $40.00, 4.99 shipping - Available at Amazon.com Marketplace

MAC Cosmetics - MAC 252 Large Shader Brush

This is the brush I use every day for basic eyeshadow on my lid. It's nice and wide and flat, and makes it a breeze to really pack the shadow on. MAC shadow brushes are what I prefer, but I've found a few other cheaper alternatives with I don't want to screw up my nice ones. Any kind of large shader brush like this one is what I recommend for applying shadow to your lid.
MAC Cosmetics - MAC 252 Large Shader Brush - $21.99, 5.48 shipping - Available at Fullfillment By Amazon
(6 reviews)

MAC Cosmetics - MAC 168 Large Angled Contour Brush

This is like the only brush I use for contouring. It's big, but not overly huge and fluffy and stuff has some rigidness so you can apply enough bronzer. Or maybe I just use too much? Who knows? :) Either way, I use this one every day!

MAC Cosmetics - MAC 168 Large Angled Contour Brush - $30.99, 5.48 shipping - Available at Fullfillment By Amazon
(12 reviews)

So, yeah! Those are my go to brushes that I use literally every single time I do my makeup. Anyone have any favorites they'd like to share?! I'd love to hear them! I'm always open to trying new brushes! I've found a few good ones from Ipsy too. :)

Happy Wednesday!
Xx Ashley C.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links provided by Postpresso.

Holiday Makeup Looks for Everyone!

Golds, plums, greens, and blues are all in this season for eye shadow colors, and are among my favorite colors to use for my brown eyes. Reds and plums are the lip color of choice and long and lush eye lashes are whats hot! Try mixing and matching to see what looks good on you. I personally like a smooth, matte lip and love to use super shimmer gold eyeshadows!! AND Don't forget to use bronzer to avoid looking too pale, since you're probably like me and losing that summer glow, and fast!

*Note: Click the pictures to view the products on Amazon and get more info!*

I LOVE this concept! 

This, in my opinion is like the coolest thing ever. Eyeliner/Mascara combo?! What?! Craziness. I love to dress up my eyes and time of year, so this is PERFECT for me.

Sephora - Glitter Eyeliner and Mascara Sephora Collection Party Purple - Silvery Purple Glitter - $32.99, 4.49 shipping - Available at Amazon.com Marketplace

Affordable, Colorful Eyeliner!

I'm all for using glitter eyeliner on top of my regular black to spice it up for a night out. How great are these?! I love them personally. I love finding hidden gems on Amazon. 

YoYo - Makeup Candy Color Glitter Shiny Liquid Eyeliner - $9.75, Free shipping - Available at Amazon.com Marketplace

Perfect MAC Shadow!

This is one of the prettiest MAC colors out there, even though I love ALL of them. This would be great to pair with a nice, shimmery gold and a winged liner. 

MAC Cosmetics - MAC Small Eye Shadow - Plum Dressing - 1.3g/0.04oz - $24.99, 3.66 shipping - Available at Amazon.com Marketplace

Easy to Use Liner!

If you find using liquid or gel liner a bit difficult, then here is another easy to use option for you! MAC makes GREAT liners, so this is sure to be a hit.


ICE - MAC Glitter and Ice Technakohl Liner SMOOTH MANOEUVRE Eyeliner - $15.00, 4.99 shipping - Available at Amazon.com Marketplace
(1 reviews)

Liner, Liner and MORE LINER!

Here is another option for those who aren't skilled with a brush! I love these liquid liners that come in a penlike form. They're SO easy to use and Stila is a great brand. 

Stila - Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner Color Cosmetics - Gray - $20.00, Free shipping - Available at 6pm.com
(59 reviews)

Mineral Shadow!

Mineral shadow is another one of my favorite makeup things. This little quad has beautiful greens which will be great for fall!

MAC Cosmetics - MAC 'Mineralize' Eyeshadow Quad A Harvest Of Greens - $69.98, 4.49 shipping - Available at Amazon.com Marketplace

Perfect Base Color!

This color will be perfect for my FAVORITE, the cut crease. 

MAC Cosmetics - MAC Eye Shadow Veluxe Pearl Plum Dressing - $24.50, 3.66 shipping - Available at Amazon.com Marketplace

Day to Night Palette!

Who doesn't love a palette that has a transition from day to night. This includes safe for work shades and perfect going out shades that you can add on later to create an awesome smoky eye.

Bobbi Brown - Day to Night Shadow Options - Sparkle Eye Shadow Palette-0.28oz Ivory,Dusty Plum Metallic, Eggplant Shimmer Wash,Star Sparkle,Volcano Sparkle, Diamond Shimmer Wash, Caviar, Eye Liner Brush - $61.45, Free shipping - Available at Sears.com

Matte Lipstick!

Like I said earlier, matte lippies are basically my favorite. I'm currently building a collection, and this one is definitely going to be in my bag VERY soon! Red lips are always classic. LOVE it.

MAC - MAC 'Russian Red' Rouge a Levres Matte Lipstick - $16.99, 4.99 shipping - Available at Amazon.com Marketplace

Deep Red if You're feeling Dangerous!

 

This is an affordable, very pretty dark red color. I'd probably wear this one to a party or something or on a date with my husband!


Fashion Fair - Lipstick, 2.3 g (Color: Rhapsody in Red) - $8.00, 5.48 shipping - Available at Fullfillment By Amazon

Another Great Option!

Another super pretty red color that is perfect for fall! 

Clarins - Poppy Red JOLI ROUGE POPPY RED - $25.50, Free shipping - Available at StrawberryNET.com
(9 reviews)

Ombre Lips Anyone?!

I haven't had a Mac Lip Palette in forever. I actually lost my favorite one, and think I'm going to be replacing it with this! This is PERFECT for an Ombre lip look! 

MAC Cosmetics - Antonio Lopez for MAC '3 Color - Red' Lip Palette (Limited Edition) Red - $49.80, See Site shipping - Available at Fullfillment By Amazon
(4 reviews)

Perfect for Fall and Christmas Kit!

I LOVE Nyx makeup. This is an AWESOME set that is pretty affordable considering all that you get. Their shadow is amazing, and I'm all for anything glitter and fake lashes. This is a great Christmas present!!! 

NYX - Nyx Golden Rush Makeup Kit Faux Lashes Body Glitter Eyeshadow Lip Gloss Nib - $59.99, 6.99 shipping - Available at Amazon.com Marketplace
(5 reviews)

Don't Forget That Bronzer!

I'm a bronzer-holic. I love it, can't live without it, use it every day even if I'm staying home kind of gal. Too Faced is one of my favorite brands and I use their bronzer daily! Check it out! :) 

Too Faced - Tan Without the Twinkle - Chocolate Soleil Bronzer & Flatbuki Brush - $22.90, 4.99 shipping - Available at Amazon.com Marketplace


So there's that! These are some great items or at least some ideas to get you started on your perfect fall/holiday makeup looks!! I'm going to be doing a tutorial post for fall makeup really soon like I did last year too, and I'm pretty excited about it! Sweater weather at last!!! :)

Xx Ashley C.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links provided by Postpresso.

The Booty Parlor Review Number 2!!

So I was recently lucky enough to get contacted by The Booty Parlor to review some things for them here on 2 Girls 1 Blog. If you've been reading for awhile, a long time ago I did a review of their Firming Bronzer which I LOVED, so I was definitely super excited to get invited to be a part of their reviewing team! If you didn't catch that review last time you can view it HERE. It's a seriously great lotion that makes me basically look like a bronzed shimmery goddess. Just saying.

ANYWAY. So I got this big, HUGE box in the mail today. Open it up, inside I see the most adorable box from the Booty Parlor inside. Yeah, I'm going to review this box. lol Before I get down to the actual products inside I want to compliment them on their packaging. Seriously, most adorable little pullout box ever. It was like Christmas!! :) I'll show you.

By the way, after numerous broken, cracked, and damaged in general products over the last year that I've received, I give props to ANY company who excels at awesome packaging. :)

I even got a note!

Cute right?!

For those of you who haven't heard of them, The Booty Parlor strives to be a "beauty parlor for your love life". They sell skincare products filled with pheromones, lip plumpers, bedroom accessories, as well as other adult novelties, and they're all high quality and GREAT from what I've seen so far!

Here is what I received:

Flirty Little Secret Luminous Body Butter with Pheromones (Retail $28)

I specifically requested to try this out because I love all things lotion and body butter. Since I loved the firming bronzer so much I figured this one would be an automatic win too, and it definitely lives up to my expectations!! I received this body butter in the scent blackberry honey and it smells delicious!! I LOVE fruity scents so this is perfect for me! It leaves a nice soft scent lingering on my skin for awhile, but it isn't too heavy. It ALSO contains a tiny bit of shimmer to it as well. Hence the "luminous". Shimmer lotions are always my favorite. :) I highly highly recommend this one to you guys, it smells amazing and my husband thinks so too! ;) It also leaves my skin feeling baby soft and I can't wait to use it after my shower.

It's pretty generously sized for the price too, and comes in adorable packaging.

Kissaholic Aphrodisiac Lip Stain in Nibble (Retail $19)

I requested to try out one of the lip products as well, since I'm obsessed with any lip product that tingles and makes my thinnish lips look more full. Think Angelina Jolie. That's what I aim for, but not what I have. I received one of their lipstains, and it's like the perfect color for me. Nibble is a pink color and I was excited since I'd never tried out a lipstain before. Opinion? THIS ROCKS! It comes in a clickpen style applicator:

It has a minty taste to it, and makes my lips tingle for a bit after application. Such a pretty color and it really does last! I applied it, and then a clear gloss over the top of it, and the color hasn't budged a BIT! Even my longlasting lipsticks that I currently use don't live up to the stay power of this lipstain. It's awesome. I think I probably need all the colors, as well as the plumping glosses to go with it!! Here's my results!!

BLAM! So pretty :) LOVE it!

Plus it looks great with my new hat for fall!!

Conclusion: The Booty Parlor is GREAT! I'd be happy to try anything and everything they carry, and will definitely be making a purchase from them VERY soon. Definitely check them out HERE, or on Facebook HERE and see what they have to offer! You can even make your own custom Love Kits! 

I mean who doesn't love beauty products with PHEROMONES in them! Happy Shopping!

Stay Beautiful Ladies!

Xx Ashley C.

** Note: I received these items for free for review purposes, but as always, the opinions expressed here are my own. **

Ageless Derma Natural Camofleur Concealer Review!!

Who's ready to read a review of the best concealer I've literally EVER used?!!?!!? I've been super excited to bring this review to you guys for some time now, because this product is literally THAT amazing. It seriously covers up every SINGLE imperfection on my face and is absolutely perfect! I'm so excited that Tomoson and Ageless Derma gave me the chance to test out this product!!

Not only is this an excellent product overall, but it's also good for your skin! Believe it or not this concealer is actually part of their mineral makeup line and contains vitamins A, E, and apple extracts! I've definitely never heard of a makeup that had apple extract in it, but I think it's pretty neat!

I've pretty much replaced my other concealers with this since I received it, and really like how well it works. It matches my skintone perfectly, and covers every imperfection without being overly cakey or greasy It also stays on fairly well throughout the day, even without a setting powder or face primer!

Here's some really terrible before and after pictures!! :)

Before. As you can see, I look wretched. You can see all of my acne as well as my yucky dark circles and my dark spot under my eye.

Here's an after picture of what my terribly broken out face looks like with this concealer on! Basically all my blemishes are covered up, and you can't really see any of the redness. Mind you, my face was really really broken out when I did this, so it was extremely difficult to cover them up. What I really like is that you don't have to use like a monstrous amount of product to make it work; just a normal amount. Even my dark spot isn't really visible anymore, and it's usually really really hard to cover!!

If you'd like to find out more about Ageless Derma's concealer you can visit them HERE!!

It's a seriously great product you guys! I'd love to try out more of their line!! Especially their mineral foundation to go with this concealer!! :)

Xx Ashley C.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

What to review? Readers choice!

Yep I am working on the starlooks review from the july box ,but while im waiting I want to hear from you! The sad thing is I may have something you request in my stash. But if not I'll run out and get it. Of course please keep in mind I only have a sallys as our towns "high end makeup store" and I'll have to keep a budget of a max $20.00. So while I m doing spaghetti Tuesday I want to hear what you guys are wondering about. With any luck I'll have something you guy's request in the comments.  Yes I may be a little obsessed with makeup but this could work to our advantage! Annnnd GO!
~melissa

May starlooks review and rant....

Hey guys! Yes I'm back and no I have NOT stopped blogging,I just had some home stuff to take care of.
Now that being said on to my lil rant (well not really much of one it just kinda bugged me).

Below is May's star looks box I received...

Overall it's a great box.  I knew as soon as I opened it and saw the shreds I wasn't going to be happy (so much so that I actually went to thier Facebook page and asked where is my crystal lol) Hey I really look forward to them! That's normal right? Ok so in response to my plea of crystals they said they will have them in June's box :( but I guess it saved me from looking for a crystal in a stack of shreds. (This concludes said rant) 

So onto what goodies I got!  What I thought was powder is apparently an illuminater it's pretty but a little goes a long way. As you can see it has a slight red tint to it ( I used a brush to apply it and I wiped off a lot and my face still seemed red ) 

The makeup remover works great but the spray pump didn't work (also addressed by many on thier Facebook pg) they are taking care of it but I do like the idea behind it! Would make things so much faster for me. 

The eyeliner is a pretty shade but I'm kinda scared to use it, I'm not much into bold colors on me but I may try it soon . The last thing was the spa towel sample, I say sample because they are sold in packs of 15 on the site.  It's a lotion wipe and smells nice but way out of my price range even if I'm using my loyalty code. Which is a perk I love that they have! If you get a box for 3 months you can get a code worth 35$off anything on the site! I'm still trying to figure out what I want to get with mine.  I know I need more powder ..... but hey you can't beat the price of the monthly sub at a little over 17$  and the lowest value of a box I have seen was 48$ the illuminater powder alone is worth 25$!

You can sign up for a subscription by going to www.starlooks.com and if you tell them that Melissa Spangle referred you I would be forever grateful :)

Hope you enjoyed this review I should be getting my June box any day now and will let you know how I feel about it !

~Melissa 

Rimmel London Stay Matte Foundation Review!

Today I want to share with you my favorite drugstore foundation! I don't typically use drugstore foundations, however, a few months back I went to Walmart during a makeup emergency and made the best decision ever!! To top it all off, I received another one courtesy of Influenster in my Uni Vox Box!

Sorry my bottles are dirty. :D I've been using both of them religiously since bought/received. On the left is True Ivory (103) and on the right is True Beige (203). I prefer the one on the right for summer and the left for winter. 

Who's ready for a swatch?!!?!

Left is True Ivory and Right is True Beige. When you first apply them, they aren't matte right away. These are FULL coverage foundations. I generally apply them with my beauty blender, otherwise they are a BIT too much and have the potential to be a little too much on your face. However, with careful application they can cover up basically any flaw and match my skintone perfectly.

Here's another where I rubbed them in to show you their matte quality. I HATE having shine on my face and these are an excellent solution when you don't have time for a matte powder or finishing powder or whatever you like to use. They are absolutely positvely NON-GREASY which is what I look for most in a foundation. I can't STAND having an oily, dewey, nasty looking face. It is like my number 1 pet peeve. Another thing I really love about Rimmel Stay Matte Foundations is that they provide a great base for your bronzer or blush. In my opinion they make them really POP since the foundation kind of acts as a primer as well. 

Here's a full makeup look using Rimmel London Stay Matte Liquid Foundation!

I have acne prone skin, and generally full coverage foundations break me out, but Rimmel Stay Matte does NOT! This is awesome and I will definitely be repurchasing when I run out.

Ready for the best part!?! You can get them for only $5-$10 at most drugstores and online!!! For a product that works as well as high end, this is a STEAL!!

Who's used these foundations?? Anyone love them as much as I do??? I really want to try the powder one as well. It's next on my list!

Until next time,

Xx Ashley C.

Too Faced Cosmetics Upcoming Deals for April 2014

Calling all glamour girls! Too Faced's arsenal of super-glamorous products can turn any plain-Jane into a red carpet diva'instantly. From gravity-defying lip plumpers to super-rich, highly pigmented eye shadows and powders.

So in honor of creating my Too Faced steals & deals page on the blog, I'm going to bring you the latest deals that Too Faced has running for the month of April!!! There's some really great ones coming up and I will continue to update as they are announced!! !! :D

I personally LOVE Too Faced's makeup. The chocolate eyeshadow palette they have is amazing, and I absolutely LOVE their face primer, so definitely check them out because I'm sure you can find something awesome too!!!

• April 11-12, 2014 (ends TODAY!) - Free Double-Ended Brush with purchase of Boudoir Eyes. No code necessary. Valid 4/11/14-4/12/14. Shop now!
• April 14-15, 2014 there will be a FREE SHIPPING PROMO!!! Once the 14th rolls around, make sure and come back here for the promo code!!! Until then you can ALWAYS get free shipping over $50! Shop cruelty free makeup, cosmetics and accessories from Too Faced and get FREE SHIPPING on any US order over $50 - Click Here!
• Surprise! April 15-30th - Free $25 Flatbuki Brush with the purchase of any mascara from Too Faced! Use promo code: BUKI. Offer valid 4/15/14 through 4/30/14. Shop Now!
• April 22-24, 2014- La Creme Lipstick + Lip Injection Color Bomb combo for only $30!!! Come back on April 22 for the coupon code!! Until THEN make sure and snag your free samples with every order! And check out La Creme Color Drenched Lipstick featuring lip-conditioning hydrators, it treats while it enhances lips. Shop luxe cosmetics & more now!

Stay Tuned for Updates!!

Xx Ashley C.