The Best Mascara Combination For Long & Thick Lashes

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L’oreal Voluminous Primer  //  Too Faced Better Than Sex  //  Lancome Monsieur BIG  //  Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes

Happy Monday! The question I always get the most is which mascara I use. I will admit, I feel like I have tried every mascara out there for the last couple months in order to find the best ones. I’m also going to share which vitamins I use to help my lashes grow longer and thicker (that actually works!).

First, I’m going to start with the vitamins. In order for the mascara to do it’s job, you need to have healthy lashes. I recommend getting a vitamin that contains at least 2,500 mcg of Biotin. I used to get the Olly Beauty vitamins, but it started to get expensive buying them (there’s only a month worth of vitamins in the package for $15). I found the Nature’s Bounty Hair, Skin & Nails gummie vitamins at Walmart and Target for half the price, and with more vitamins in the container! They seem to work exactly the same. I take 2 every morning after eating breakfast. I have noticed a HUGE difference in my lashes after taking Biotin vitamins. I seem to be growing more lashes, and they are longer!

Now, onto the mascara! I always prime my lashes before applying mascara. It adds more length and volume (you will seriously notice a huge difference when you start using a primer). The best one that I have found is the L’oreal Voluminous Primer. This. Stuff. Is. Amazing. It is better than any high end primer I have tried, and is less than $10. YOU NEED IT.

Next, I add a layer of the Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes Mascara. A few months ago, Ulta had it on sale for $10, so I decided to pick it up. I’m so glad I did! It adds the perfect amount of length to my lashes. If you want even more length, just add a light 2nd layer. I then apply the Too Faced Better Than Sex Waterproof Mascara. It adds SO much volume. This is literally the best mascara I have ever tried (and I have pretty much tried them all…). If your lashes start to stick together, just smooth them out with the comb side of your eyebrow brush. Works everytime. If you are on a budget, and just want to splurge on the Too Faced mascara, then you can replace the Tarte mascara with the L’oreal Voluminous original mascara. It works just as good, and is under $8!

Now, for a little review. Influenster sent me the brand new Lancome Monsieur BIG mascara to test out. It does add a little bit of length, but that’s about it. It also smears and clumps pretty bad. It’s no where near the quality of the mascaras I mentioned above.

What mascara is your favorite? Let me know in the comments!

Have a great week, and thanks for reading!

Valerie

Lancome Monsieur BIG mascara received complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes. All opinions are my own. 

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What’s In My Bag: Work Edition

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Happy Monday! This weekend is a three day weekend for me, so I get to relax today! Much. Needed. Especially since I plan on working overtime this week. Needing a new car = needing more money. Haha! I decided to do a post showing you what I keep in my bag for work, especially during overtime weeks. I showed you what I keep in my smaller bag in this post.

Bag: This Kate Spade bag I found at the St. Louis Premium Outlets! This is seriously one of my favorite places to shop. You can find so many great deals! I found this tote for under $100 (such a great deal!) This size is perfect to hold anything you may need for work, including your lunch. This bag also reminds me of the LV Neverfull, but at a way more affordable price! I tagged a similar Kate Spade bag, since I can’t seem to find the exact one online. Just check your local Simon Premium Outlets for it!

Makeup: I carry a few makeup products with me that I may need for touchups throughout the day. I always carry two different lipsticks in case I need a more nude one, or if I plan on going out after work, I can throw on a dark or bright one. I always have my Too Faced Melted lipstick and my YSL lipstick with me. I always keep my YSL Blur Perfecter with me to use as a mirror and to use on my face once it starts to get oily.

Planner: My boyfriend bought me this planner for my birthday and I absolutely love it! I carry it around with me everywhere. I also always carry around a pen and pencil so I can write dates down in my planner on the go. I found these in the Target dollar section!

Sunglasses: I always carry my sunglasses with me. My eyes are very sensitive to the sun, so I always keep a pair in my bag. I found these sunglasses on Amazon for under $15! I can’t seem to find them on the website any longer, so I tagged a similar pair.

Wallet: I love carrying a larger wallet when I have a larger bag. I have so many cards that I can’t seem to fit them in a small wallet. I got this one at Target a few years ago, so I tagged a similar one.

Card Case: I use my Coach Card Case to hold my business cards. I just throw a few of them in each opening, and it works out perfectly in case I ever need to give one of them out to someone. I also found this card case at the St. Louis Premium Outlets (for under $20!), but it was a couple years ago, so I tagged a similar card case.

Cosmetic Bag: I keep all of my makeup, hand lotion, chapstick, and hand sanitizer in a cosmetic bag so It’s easier to find everything. I hate having to dig through a large bag, trying to find a small item, so cosmetic bags really help to organize larger bags.

Key Chain: I love poof ball key chains! They are so adorable and a huge trend right now. I always keep one on my keys and add one to my bags. You can find the red one I have on my bag here.

What is an item you always have to keep in your bag? Let me know in the comments! Have a great week, and enjoy your day off (if your work celebrates Presidents’ Day)!

Valerie

This post was in collaboration with St. Louis Premium Outlets. All opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make Styled Muse possible! 

 

 

Valentine’s Day Gift Guide For Her

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Happy Friday! I’m so glad it’s finally the weekend, I have been so tired this week! What are your plans for the weekend? My boyfriend and I are going to the St. Louis Auto Show! We are going to check out all the new cars, hoping to eventually get a new one. My car is so old, she’s not going to last much longer! Follow me on Snapchat (valzors), I will be posting on there while I am looking at some of my favorite cars.

Isn’t it crazy how fast this year is going already? I can’t believe Valentine’s Day is only a few weeks away! To save you from doing any last minute shopping, I created a gift guide that’s perfect to give any lady in your life. If you have a boyfriend or husband that has no idea what to get you, just send him the link to this, haha! 😉

The prices on this list range from $18-$350 to fit every price point. My boyfriend bought me that Graphic Image planner for my birthday, and I’m absolutely in love with it! Not only is it chic, but it helps me organize my time. Also, how adorable are those Kate Spade heels!? They are a bit pricey, but so cute!

What is your favorite gift you have ever received for Valentine’s Day? Let me know in the comments! Thanks for reading!

Valerie

Everyday Makeup Routine

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Happy Wednesday! It is so warm outside today! I actually have the door and windows open, can’t beat that random 60 degree warm front. But, starting tomorrow night we are getting an ice storm for almost 3 days straight (that’s St. Louis weather for ya). Time to stock up on food and movies! What are a few good movies you have watched lately? Let me know, so I know what to rent tomorrow before the storm hits ;).

Today I’m sharing my everyday makeup routine. Since my full time job is extremely laid back (we can wear sweatpants to work, no joke), I don’t tend to get too crazy with my makeup during the week. I usually go for a more natural look. Also before I start, most of these products are for oily skin. So what works for me, might not work for you. The brushes I use are from Sonia Kashuk. I have the holiday collection from last year, but you can find this years HERE. Let’s get started!

Face:

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Primer: I’m pretty sure I have tried every primer out there. I always end up coming back to the NYX Photo-Loving Primer. Not only does it keep my face from getting oily fast, it also holds my makeup in place so it doesn’t crease. Also, since I have oily skin, I don’t apply moisturizer in the morning, only at night before I go to bed, otherwise my face would look super greasy.

Foundation: Since I have oily skin, I try to go for a lighter foundation, but one that also offers coverage to cover my acne. Covergirl Clean Matte BB Cream takes the cake! It is honestly better than any other liquid foundation I have ever used. I blend it in with my beauty blender.

Concealer: It Cosmetics Bye Bye Undereye covers any imperfections you may have, especially those pesky dark circles under your eyes! I usually only apply this if I notice I have a pimple, otherwise I can go without. I got this in my Ipsy Glam Bag awhile back and fell in love. A little bit goes a long way with this stuff, the travel size has lasted me almost a year.

Contour: I love the ELF Bronzer Palette. It has every color you will ever need throughout the seasons. I usually apply a little to my forehead, nose, and under my cheekbones. I apply it with the ELF Contour Brush. If I’m in a rush before work, I usually skip this.

Powder: I tend to have very large pores, so I use the It Cosmetics Bye Bye Pore Micro-powder. He helps keep my face matte throughout the day while also minimizing my large pores. I usually apply it with my ELF Kabuki Brush.

Blush: One of my favorite blushes is the Milani Rose Powder Blush. Not only does it have cute packaging, but the colors are perfect for my skin tone!

Eyes and Lips: 

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Mascara: I love the Too Faced Better Than Sex waterproof mascara. I have pretty long lashes, they just don’t have as much volume as I would like. This mascara really helps with that! If I have enough time in the morning, I apply the L’Oreal Voluminous Lash Primer before my mascara. Using this combination makes it look like you have either lash extensions or fake lashes! I will have a blog post dedicated to my favorite lash products in a couple weeks.

Eyeliner: Depending how I feel that day, I either add a little bit of black eyeliner along the my bottom lashes, or I will do a little cat eye. I love using the Eyeko Fat Liquid Eyeliner for both. It usually lasts awhile for me, and is fairly easy to apply!

Brows: I usually just fill in my eyebrows a little, and I love using the It Cosmetics Brow Power Universal Eyebrow Pencil to do this. It fits any brow color, just push a little harder for a darker color.

Eyeshadow: For work I usually don’t wear eyeshadow. Since I wear contacts, I tend to rub my eyes (I stare at a computer screen all day) a lot and it just gets smeared. But when I go out on the weekends, I always do. I love this eyeshadow palette from ELF if you are on a budget. I also love all of the Urban Decay Palettes (see my Gwen Palette review here) and Too Faced Sweet Peach Palette (I will be having a review of this one very soon!). Before I apply my eyeshadow, I always use the Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion to hold it in place and prevent creasing.

Lips: I love wearing nude pink colors. Right now one that I have been wearing constantly is the Too Faced Melted in Peony.

This routine usually takes me about 10 minutes each morning. If I have a little extra time, then it usually takes another 5 minutes to add the contour and eyeshadow. But keep in mind that I get up at 4:45am for work (I’ve been doing this for about 5 years now, and you never really get used to it!), so usually something like this might take someone way less time than me this early in the morning, haha!

What products are in your everyday makeup routine? Let me know in the comments!

Thanks for reading!

Valerie