Take Care of Your Lips in the Winter!

Disclaimer: this post is not sponsored and I bought everything myself!

I did a post earlier about what I do in the winter to take care of my hair and my skin when the air is cold and dry. But you might have noticed that I didn’t mention anything about my lips! That’s because I take extra precautions. My lips always seem to be affected by the change in weather first. And when your job depends on you talking nonstop, well, you want to make sure that your mouth isn’t in pain! So here’s what I do to avoid dry, chapped, cracked lips in the winter.

-I apply a lip balm first thing in the morning. I don’t shower every morning, but I always clean up my face and follow the steps of my morning routine to take care of my skin. The last step is always to apply lip balm. Lately I’ve been using the Maybelline Baby Lips in Quenched. It has SPF, which is super important when you work outside all day like I do. The formula is thin and slick but absorbs fast. Plus the smell is reminiscent of my favorite Fresh Sugar lip balms (which are great, but a little too pricey for my wallet for everyday wear.)

-I apply lip balm at work too. I keep a squeezy tube style lip balm in my work backpack. I learned pretty quickly in my Disney career that a normal lip balm in a tube will melt like nobody’s business (I had a pretty catastrophic lip balm eruption in my bag when I worked at Star Tours). I’m currently using the Shea Moisture Coconut and Hibiscus. It’s supposed to “revitalize and nourish,” which is really what I look for in the winter. It’s a very thick formula and takes a little while to absorb, but it’s great for when I’m driving the truck and chilly winds are blowing through the open windows (especially at the Savannah Overlook!)

-I keep lip balm in my rehearsal and performance bags. Singing and speaking also dry out my lips faster, so I make sure there’s a lip balm in my bag. Inevitably I lose my lip balm, buy a new one at Target, find the old one, lose the new one, lose the old one again, repeat the cycle (anyone else do that? Just me?) Usually I stick to the Eos lip balms since they have a wide variety of scents, and the round shape is easy to find in my bag. I also have a Lip Smackers Tsum Tsum balm that I adore (it’s Tinker Bell and scented like Pixie Peach Pie, so like…what’s not to love?)

-I exfoliate at night. I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t always do my night time routine, but I try to stick to it, and when I do I always exfoliate. If I need just a little bit, I use a dry washcloth. My sister got me a couple of the magic Disney Princess washcloths from the Disney Store a while back, so I use those. If I need a little more, I use the Lush lip scrub. My favorite is the Popcorn one- it’s salty and sweet, and it wipes off easily. My lips always feel so soft afterwards.

-I use Vaseline. Yep, good ol’ Vaseline. The skincare favorite for Hollywood starlets in the 30s and 40s is a favorite in the winter for me. The Vaseline lip balm can come in a tiny tub or a round tin, and it’s usually pretty inexpensive. It’s thick and creates a protective layer over my lips, and at night time that’s plenty of time to let it sink in and do its thing. One of my major issues is the corners of my mouth; the skin tends to crack and even bleed sometimes. Putting Vaseline on at night seems to be the best thing for me to heal the skin.

So that’s what I do on a daily basis to keep my lips healthy in the winter! Do you have a favorite lip product to keep your lips healthy? (Anyone else still have a soft spot for Dr. Pepper Lip Smackers?)

Get Ready With Me! Evil Dead: The Musical

Y’all, I LOVED being part of this show. I have at least two more Evil Dead videos coming too! But first, here’s a Get Ready With Me video. I filmed this backstage before our last performance and I had a blast. Leave a comment if you have any questions! (Please, y’all…ask some questions. I want to make some new friends!!)

(also you can read some more about my experience in the show here)

Makeup Products Used:

Benefit the Porefessional Primer

Maybelline Fit Me! Matte and Poreless Foundation

Maybelline Fit Me! Concealer

Benefit Benetint

Maybelline Fit Me! Powder

TheBalm blush in Palm Springs

Benefit High Beam

TheBalm Mary Lou-manizer highlighter

Elf Matte setting spray

Nyx Tres Jolie Gel Pencil eyeliner in black

Maybelline Color Tattoo in Barely Branded

Urban Decay Naked Palette (Sidecar on the lid, Naked and Buck in the crease, Darkhorse in the outer corner)

Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette (Naked 2 in the crease, Foxy on the browbone)

L’oreal Infallible shadow in Iced Latte (inner corner)

Ciate London Fierce Flicks black liquid liner

Benefit Bad Gal mascara

Rimmel Scandaleyes Retroglam mascara

Tarte Light Camera Splashes! mascara

Colourpop liquid lipstick in Bumble

I Heart Spring!

What is your favorite spring nail polish?
Probably Essie’s First Timer- a light minty green shade. I just wish I could wear nail polish to work!

What is your must-have lip color this spring?
I’ve been loving the Maybelline Color Whispers- super lightweight but still pigmented. Pin-Up Peach is my favorite, tied with Rose of Attraction which is my perfect my lips but better shade.

Show us your favorite spring dress!

(source)

This is the Air of Adorable dress from Modcloth. I got it for Christmas but wore for the first time for Dapper Day. It’s super cute, super comfortable, and it has all the right colors for springtime!

What’s your favorite flower?
Right now I’m really feeling blush pink peonies. They’re so soft and lush and fragrant! Like baby clouds.

What’s your favorite spring scarf/accessory?
I own a grand total of 0 scarves and I’m horrible at accessories, so I guess I’ll say my green flower hair clip? Full disclosure- I found it at work at the bridal shop in the discard pile and sewed it onto a clip. I think it fell off a bridesmaid’s dress in a former life.

What spring trend(s) are you most excited about this year?
I’m really bad with trends, but I actually like the crop top look when the top is kind of flowy and shows just a small bit of midriff. I think it’s cute, even for someone like me with a rather squishy build!

Favorite spring candle?
I’ve been burning my watermelon lemonade mini from Bath and Body Works the most. It’s small, but smells so delicious.

Favorite body spray/perfume for spring?
This spring it’s B&BW’s Beautiful Day!

What is spring like where you live?
It’s Florida, so it’s hot. Well, mornings are a bit cooler, about upper 60s, and then warm and humid with afternoon rain. The rain’s actually kind of pleasant though. I love the smell.

What’s your favorite thing about spring?
Everything is new and fresh and bright again! It’s such a relief after a gray winter.

Are you a spring cleaner?
YES. I love marathon spring cleaning sessions…and getting super disorganized in between each one.

Any plans for spring break or an upcoming vacation?
P and I are hoping to go home to Nashville for a week. Fingers crossed we get the time off!

April 2014 Favorites

  • My second round of monthly favorites! I don’t really have any pictures to add, though- should I start doing that, or should I wait until I can edit my pictures better?

Favorite Haircare Product: It’s a 10 Miracle Leave-In Product Plus Keratin
It’s probably still a little early for this one, but I’m already super in love. I made an Ulta order a week or so ago (full haul coming!) and they had this as a free beauty break offer with orders over a certain amount. I’ve read about this product a lot and was super excited to try it. So far I’ve only tried it straight out of the shower when my hair’s wet, and I can tell that it’s made my hair feel thicker and silkier. That’s a good sign! I’m going to keep using it, but hopefully it’ll be true love and not just a crush.

Favorite Skincare Product: Maybelline Babylips
This is a favorite, with a caveat. I’ve discovered that these lip balms get horribly gritty after you’ve had them for a while. But I love having a tinted lip balm with SPF handy in my pocket when I’m at work, and these are way cheaper than my beloved Fresh balms!

Favorite Face Product: Urban Decay Tinted Moisturizer
Initially I tried this out and put too much on and freaked out. It was a case of Oompa Loompa Face. Not pretty. I tossed it in a corner (literally) and sulked, trying to decide if I wanted to track it down in the correct shade or not. On a whim, a few months later, I tried it again and discovered I loved it! It’s thick but not too thick, truly moisturizing, and is paraben free. It’s a win!

Favorite Eye Product: Elizabeth Mott Pop! Goes the Shadow in Champagne
I got this in my Ipsy bag and I adore it. It’s a warm rose gold champagne shimmer and it’s heavenly.

Favorite Lip Product: Revlon Kissable Balm Stain in Adore
I already love the balm stains, but why this particular color? Because it perfectly matches my Great Movie Ride costume’s bizarre shadow of red. It’s perfect.

Favorite Scent: Bath and Body Works Beautiful Day
According to the website “Beautiful Day is a fragrance as beautiful as the perfect spring day with sun-kissed apple, wild daisies & fresh pink peonies.” I don’t know if I smell all that exactly, but it’s light and fresh and delightful. Spring in a bottle, basically.

Favorite Book: The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey
I didn’t really read anything terribly new this month, just some more Philippa Gregory novels, but lately I’ve been veering towards the Monstrumology books. They’re about a young boy, Will Henry, in turn of the century England, who serves an eccentric scientist who is an expert of monstrumology- the study of monsters. There’s three books, but apparently there might be a fourth coming out?

Favorite TV: House
I watched House a bit while it was on the air, but now it’s on Netflix, so P and I have made that our nightly TV show. I don’t know where we’re going from there- Supernatural? Psych? Parks and Rec? 30 Rock for the fourth time?

Favorite Movie: Shrek the Musical
Don’t judge, but oh my god, I love Shrek the Musical. I know. The theatre snob in me is crying too. But…Shrek the Musical!

Anything you’d like to recommend, or something you’d like to see on the blog? Leave a comment! I’d love to hear from you!

Look of the Day: Rainy Days

Oh, it’s so gloomy today. Blech. That means it’s the perfect day for neon lips and a neon heart sweater, right?

Of course, a rainy and humid day means poofy, frizzy hair. Double blech. Anyone have hair suggestions? At the moment, I just let it air dry and spritzed with leave in conditioner, and used an anti-frizz cream. Somehow I don’t think it’s working.

Makeup Tutorial: Spring Makeup Neon Pop by missglamorazzi

Is this the first missglamorazzi tutorial I’ve done? I think it is! I love her videos so much, though. She was the first beauty blogger I discovered and I literally spent my spring break watching all of her videos and taking copious notes. It’s a little sad how many notes I took.

Anyways, the focal point for this is the neon lips, but personally I’m not sure how I feel about the neon on my face. It could just be that I’m not used to seeing bright lipstick on myself, though. And it’s not nearly as vibrant in the pictures as it is on my face!

Maybe I just need to get used to neon stuff.

Outfit:
Top: Forever 21
Shorts: Faded Glory
Flipflops: Disney World!

———

Face:
Maybelline Dream Fresh BB cream
Nyx concealer stick in Porcelain
Maybelline Dream Matte Powder in Cream
Hard Candy baked blush in Living Doll

———

Eyes:
Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze
Covergirl trio in Shimmering Sands (middle shade)
Covergirl liquiliner in brown
Covergirl Clump Crusher mascara

———

Lips:
Mox lip butter in Pomegranate and Fig (Birchbox sample)
Maybelline Vivids in Shocking Coral

———

Perfume: Harajuku Lovers in Love

Nail Polish: Sephora by OPI in Miss Bossy Pants (from the Glee collection)

Is there a tutorial you want me to try or a product you want me to review? Ask me here!

Look of the Day: Hair Despair

My hair. Oh sweet mother of mercy, what is wrong with my hair? It’s neither straight nor curly. It’s neither blonde nor brown nor ginger. Its length is unremarkable- neither short nor long. And the frizz. OH SWEET MOTHER. THE FRIZZ. I’m trying to avoid heat styling since it’s summertime, but even with a healthy spritz of leave in conditioner my hair has an aura of frizz. Someone please come save my hair.

In the meantime, I shall take solace in the fact that it looks like I have a dimple in this picture.

Oh, and I attempted a Pinterest tutorial of a fancy four-strand braid, and that ended in approximately 3.7 seconds.

Makeup Tutorial: Flirty Pop by allthatglitters21

I wrote a whole description of the video and it vanished when I posted.

Anyways.

I’ve really been loving Elle’s videos lately. They’re so sweet and personable, and her looks are always so polished. This particular look is not quite so polished on me, but that’s mostly because I  still attack my face with makeup the way a first grader attacks a new coloring book page. Eventually I’ll learn how to put on makeup without looking like a fingerpainting project gone horribly awry. That’s what practice and tutorial are for, right?

My favorite part of this is the teal eyeliner on the lower lashline. I’m absolutely terrified of putting anything other than a neutral color on, around, or near my eyes, for fearing of looking more clownish than I already am, but I got the teal eyeliner in a mini set from Ulta and have been really wanting to try it. So thank you, Elle, for getting me out of my comfort zone with some fancy eyeliner!

Outfit:
Top: Target
Shorts: Target
Sandals: Payless

Face:
Maybelline Dream Smooth Mousse in 110 Porcelain Ivory
Nyx stick concealer in Porcelain
Nyx cream blush in Natural
NYC bronzer in Sunny
Hard Candy bronzer in Tiki

Eyes:
Maybelline Color tattoo in Inked in Pink
L’oreal Infallible shadow in Amber Rush
Hard Candy duo in Peace (lighter shade)
Smashbox Limitless Liner in Onyx
Smashbox Limitless Liner in Metallic Teal
Maybelline the Rocket mascara in Blackest Black (waterproof)

 

Lips:
Maybelline Color Whisper in Petal Rebel
Maybelline Color Whisper in One Size Fits Pearl

Perfume: Bath and Body Works Beautiful Day
Nail Polish: OPI In the Spotlight Pink (from the Femme du Cirque collection)

Have a makeup tutorial you want to see me attempt or a product you want me to review? Ask me here!

Look of the Day: I’m Gonna Wreck It!


I am seriously in love with this shirt. I searched all over Disney World when I was there in March for a Wreck It Ralph shirt, with no success. So where do I find it? Walmart. For five dollars. I BOUGHT IT THEN AND THERE.

I typically wouldn’t wear jeans and a graphic tee to work, but I’m just in outservice now and cleaning my classroom, so I don’t gotta be fancy or nothin’.

Hair and Makeup: Katie’s Everyday Routine from A Beautiful Mess


Have you ever seen Katie on A Beautiful Mess or on her blog, Skunkboy Creatures? She is perfect. Absolutely flawless. Her life is perfect and beautiful and her husband is gorgeous and her daughters are beautiful and she dresses wonderfully and her house is filled with perfectly curated vintage finds and her hair. HER HAIR. Her hair is the most glorious shade of red imaginable.

Excuse me while I go eat jellybeans in the corner.

Anyways. I don’t look nearly as ethereally lovely (the Walmart Wreck It Ralph tee kind of negates any attempt at looking perfectly hipster twee), but I think it’s a sweet, simple look. I’ll probably try it again…if I can convince my hair to stop being so fluffy. That’s the only way I can describe my hair. It’s fluffy.

Also, I bet five bucks my hair ends up in a ponytail before the end of the day.

Hair:
#1: Wash it, spritz on detangler (I use Dove), and let it air dry. I don’t think I even own a hair dryer…

#2: Spritz with Tresseme heat protectant, attempt to curl, and despair over hair’s stubborn fluffiness.

#3: Comb through gently, add Moroccan oil, shrug at your reflection, and stick a hair tie in your pocket.

Outfit:
Tee: Walmart
Jeans: Old Navy
Shoes: Skechers

Face:
Covergirl and Olay corrector
Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch in Ivory
Physician’s Formula powder in Peach Nude
theBalm blush in Hot Mama (Birchbox sample)

Eyes:
L’oreal Infallible shadow in Bronzed Taupe (brows)
L’oreal Infallible shadow in Iced Latte
Maybelline Master Duo liquid liner in Blackest Black
Maybelline Mega Plush mascara

Lips:
Fresh Sugar balm in Rose (Sephora sample)

Perfume
: Bath and Body Works Hawaii Coconut

Nail Polish: OPI I Juggle…Men (from the Femme du Cirque collection)

Look of the Day: My Dress has Fish On It!

That is literally the first thing my students said to me today. And lo, she spake the truth. There is indeed a fish on my dress. Two, actually.

I needed a perky dress to get me through the day. Yesterday was my last day teaching my beloved theatre arts kids, and today is my last day for tutoring and my kindergarten afterschool class. It’s gonna be sad, yo.

Anyways. I’ll get weepy about it later.

Hair Tutorial: Quick and Simple Updo

(I did this on second-day hair.)

#1: Tease the crown of the head- I smoothed it out with a little bit of hairspray on a comb.

#2: Divide into three sections and braid each section loosely. I tied each one off with a snap clip instead of an elastic. You’ll see why.

#3: Loop each braid into a small bun and pin in place with bobby pins. Spritz with hairspray.

Honestly, I didn’t think I’d really like this. Mostly because I feel like updos make my head look too small for my body. Does anyone else have this happen? No? Just me? Okay.

Anyways, I liked this! I think it’s cute!

Verdict: Thumbs Up

Makeup: Get Ready: Night Out by NikkiPhillippi

Why did I do a Nikki tutorial so early?! I’m so intimidated. She’s perfect. Ack. Why did I do this?

Well, nervous hiccuping aside, I did this one. I think it turned okay, although my attempt wasn’t nearly as bold and luminous. I also was too scare to make my blush or contouring or highlighting as bold. I’ll get the courage at some point, right?

Maybe. Not counting on it.

Outfit:
Dress: Island Carnival dress via Modcloth
Tee: Old Navy
Leggings: Forever 21
Shoes: Blowfish Hortons

Face:
Covergirl and Olay corrector
Physician’s Formula Conceal Rx
Physician’s Formula powder in Peach Nude
Nyx blush in Pinched
NYC bronzer in Sunny
Hard Candy bronzer in Tiki

Eyes:
L’oreal Infallible shadow in Bronzed Taupe (brows)
Maybelline Color Tattoo in Barely Branded
Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze
Hard Candy Top Ten Naturally Gorgeous palette
Hard Candy pencil liner in black
Urban Decay Supercurl mascara (sample from Ulta)

Lips:
Mox lip butter in Pomegranate and Fig (Birchbox sample)
Covergirl Jumbo Gloss Balm in Watermelon Twist

Perfume
: Bath and Body Works Beautiful Day

Nail Polish: OPI I Juggle…Men (from the Femme du Cirque collection)

Look of the Day: Flower Child

Today marks my first day of trying out Youtube and Pinterest hair and makeup tutorials!! HURRAY! I have a HUGE list of tutorials I want to try.

Hair Tutorial: Quick and Easy Way to Get Beach Waves
#1: Spritz damp hair with Garnier wave spray and braid loosely
#2: After the braids have mostly dried, twist them away from your face and go over them with a straightener. (I don’t have a straightener so I used a curling iron…this was probably a poor choice.)
#3: Let the braids cool completely, undo, and separate gently. Use a little bit of Moroccan oil on the ends.

I was pretty disappointed in this tutorial. It’s not the tutorial’s fault, though…I think I just have obstinate hair. Because I didn’t end up with beachy waves. I ended up with Merida hair.

And we can’t lie. Merida’s hair is awesome. Look at that glorious mane.

Verdict: thumbs down

Makeup Tutorial: Simple Romance by sparkliebarbiexo

Is it Valentine’s Day? No.

Do I care?


I LOVE Kacey’s tutorials. Especially for her eye looks. Oh my lord, I need to steal her talents. Is that possible? Wasn’t there a dude on Heroes who could do that? Yeah, if I had that power I would totally steal her eyeshadow abilities.

I’m a creeper.

Anyways. I’ve watched her tutorials for ages now, and this is the first time I’ve actually tried one. I think I need more practice, but it’s a beautiful look and overall I think I did all right with it!

Outfit:
Dress: Forever 21
Tee: Old Navy
Belt: Target
Shoes: Blowfish Garrens
Headband: Modcloth—Face:
Covergirl and Olay corrector
Maybelline Dream BB Cream
Rimmel Match Perfection concealer
Nyx blush in Pinched
NYC bronzer in Sunny
Nyx Glow All the Way highlighter

Eyes:
Maybelline Color Tattoo in Inked in Pink
Covergirl Shimmering Sands trio
Elf shadow from 100-palette
Covergirl Liquiliner in black
Smashbox liner in sable
Maybelline the Rocket mascara

Lips:
Maybelline Babylips in Quenched
Maybelline Color Whisper in Cherry on Top
Covergirl Jumbo Gloss Balm in Apricot Twist

Perfume
: Bath and Body Works Beautiful Day

Nail Polish: OPI Step Right Up! (from the Femme du Cirque collection)

Outfit of the Day: Grown Up Sass (Kind of)


Man, am I making some bedroom eyes at the camera in the first picture. SEXAY, AMIRITE?

JK. I’m wearing shoes from the children’s department of Target.

Also, note to self: don’t wear a white cardigan when working with kindergarteners. I went home splotched with Blue Pop ice cream.

Outfit:
Dress: Blueberry Lemonade dress via Modcloth
Shoes: Target children’s department
Cardigan: Old Navy (thrifted)
Leggings: Forever 21

Face:
Covergirl and Olay corrector
Covergirl 3 in 1 foundation
Physician’s Formula Conceal Rx
Physician’s Formula translucent powder
theBalm blush in Hot Mama (Birchbox)

Eyes:
Maybelline Color Tattoo in Barely Branded
Urban Decay Maui Wowie
Covergirl Shimmering Sands trio
Rimmel ScandalEyes liner in sparkle black
Smashbox eyeliner in sable
ModelCo mascara (Birchbox sample)
Urban Decay mascara (Ulta sample)

Lips:
Maybelline Babylips in Cherry Me
Covergirl Jumbo Gloss Balm in Apricot Twist

Perfume
: Miss Dior Cherie

Nail Polish: none