High End VS Bargain Shaving Cream

Last month's Birchbox brought me something unexpected - high end, all natural shaving cream. It's called Whish Shaving Cream and it promises super silky pampered legs using only all natural ingredients.  $20 a bottle! That is a far cry from my usual $3 (for a two pack). 

So obviously, I needed to test it out: Whish on my left leg, Pure Silk on the right. 

the nitty gritty

Whish was definitely nice to use - it applies like a thick lotion instead of the normal expanding foam I'm used to. The scent was blueberry and it was amazing. The creaminess clogged up my razor a bit, but it was no big deal because it was so smooth. I like that it's made with all natural ingredients  but at this point in my life (paying off enormous student loans,) I'm not about to get picky about the organic nature of my shaving cream. 

Most importantly: did Whish live up to its promise of giving "a close moisturizing shave with no drying foam... Leaves skin soft, smooth, and pampered."  YES. The 'Whish leg' is noticably softer and doesn't have the flakey feel that freshly shaved (dry) legs might have. 

the winner

Sorry Whish, I just can't justify $20 on a regular sized bottle of shaving cream. My Pure Silk works just fine, and I'll be none the wiser once I'm not comparing. Cheers to my bargain brand Pure Silk!

Have you tried any Whish products? What do you think??

Brush Week: Quick and Easy Everyday Makeup

Perfect makeup when you don't feel like makeup

I wouldn't be honest during BRUSH WEEK if I said you always need to use a brush. This look requires NO brush, and it makes you look like you took way longer to get ready than you actually did. So put the brushes away, and learn this gorgeous but subtle look. 

I realize that when you think of subtle, you probably don't think Lady Gaga. But hear me out - Gaga wore a makeup look two years ago (while on her Monster Ball tour) that I copy every time I sleep in a little too late. I should totally do a video tutorial of this... I promise I will when I get a camera. 

get the look.

part one: eyes and lips
The overall concept of this look is heavy top lip liner and a bold/bright lip color. No need to go crazy with blush or bronzer. Any eyeliner works (gel, liquid, pencil.) Just make the line thicker than you normally do. Don't do a cat eye -  it looks really weird in my opinion.  For the lip, make sure you a color that is a bit bolder than light pink. Think barbie pink, coral, or red lipstick. A  tinted balm is even better; Maybelline Whisper is a good option because it looks like a lipstick but feels like a moisturizer. Perfect for those rushed mornings. :)

part two: face
The other part to this look is a good foundation or BB cream. You can apply your foundation/ BB cream with a blending sponge to make the look even more flawless - thus making it look even less like you're in a hurry. The best part - it takes half the time a brush would. (We're in a time crunch, remember?)  Here's the expensive beauty blender that everyone's talking about, and here's the $4 one of Walgreens that works just as good. To use a beauty blender properly, start by running it under warm water, and then squeeze all the excess out. Use the beauty blender to pat and smooth your foundation onto your face - it's amazing. Try this look next time you're in a rush - I want to know if you like it!

As always, post pictures if you try.

natural everyday brows

Want natural looking brows without compromising form and structure? Your best bet is a brow powder and gel set. Benefit has a great option if you want to invest. I use ELF’s eyebrow kit everyday - it retails for only $3.00 and it works like the expensive stuff! ELF is sold in all Target stores and online.

HOW TO

Start by taking a thin angled brush and pat into powder. You can use any brown eyeshadow that is a shade darker/lighter than your hair. To apply, flick the brush on your brows mimicking the length and direction of growth through the length of your eyebrows. Here’s a quick video example from the beautiful SMLx0. After you get the desired shape, brush a thin layer of gel or a small amount of hairspray to keep the hairs in place all day.

Whether you like super defined or natural looking brows, it always helps to use concealer around the edges of to polish them up. Just do this with a small brush and then blend out. Good luck, and let me know if you try!

TOP 7 :: Non Makeup Beauty Items

TOP 7 :: favorite non-makeup beauty items.

Cause makeup can't solve everything!

Sephora's Wide-Tooth Comb

1. Hair clips. Hairbands rip and tear your hair, leaving it damaged and frizzy. I always use a clip when possible to throw my hair up – it keeps my hair healthy and shiny. Bonus: you’ll have wavy hair when you take it down instead of the dreaded ponytail bump. Score.
2. Smooth wide-tooth comb. Another secret to shiny hair. Your hair is weak and more susceptible to damage when wet. Using a regular brush after a shower pulls, causes breakage, and creates a split end breeding ground. Instead, use a smooth wide tooth comb on wet hair, and work from the bottom.  If you regularly practice #1&2, I guarantee you’ll see the quality of your hair improve. These two practices keep my hair more soft and healthy than any other product. Lots of girls think that shiny healthy hair is all about the styling/ cleansing products you use. That can be true, but what really makes the difference is how you treat your hair when NOT styling/cleaning it – which is 90% of the time.
3. Moisturizer + sunscreen. Start sunscreen in your teens and 20s to keep your skin as healthy as possible. Moisturize right after the shower – all your pores are open from the heat and ready to drink it in. My favorite. 

Smith's Rosebud Strawberry Lip Balm

4. Lip balm. It seems like either people use this a million times a day or never at all. I’m a hardcore user and can’t live without moisturizing lip balm. Give me lip balm and some gloss, and I’m a happy girl. (My favorites are this, this, and this.)  No mystery as to why I love it – it’s like sweatpants for your lips: so nice and soft, and feels amazing. 
5. YOUTUBE! Kind of a funny no.5, but it’s true. If there’s anything you want to learn about cosmetics or hair, you’re never more than a youtube search away. Youtube’s taught me everything from makeup tips, to formal hairstyles, and even cutting my own hair.
6. Cleansing facial wipes. Confession:  I never wash my makeup off at night. To compensate, I rely on these exfoliating Equate wipes. These do a great job of quickly removing stubborn eye makeup without irritating skin or eyes. I’ve tried several other (pricier) brands, but these are so gentle and powerful that I’ve stopped exploring. 

best beauty tip - just be happy!

7. Positive attitude. Okay, I know this is cheesy, but it’s true. A smile and positive attitude is what really makes you stand out. Now I’m by no means a master at this – but I try to make a point every day to make others laugh and smile. This usually calls for the “fake it till you make it” technique – there’s few people in the world who naturally exude pure happiness. The easiest and fastest way to build a positive attitude isn’t about focusing inward – but instead focusing outward. Compliment others. Help them accomplish a goal. Be excited for others’ success. Don’t be jealous and self-deprecating. Jealousy is the biggest symptom of low self-confidence, so just get over it! Additionally; if someone is acting jealous towards you, take it for what it is: they are sad. So cheer them up, or just feel bad for them. Don’t let it bring you down too! Try it for a day; you’ll love the infection of smiles you’re spreading, and you’ll start to see a deeper beauty in the mirror. 

Designer VS Drugstore

It’s easy to feel like you have to use designer brands to do a quality job, but ‘you get what you pay for’ doesn’t always apply in the makeup world. To this day, I still opt for many drugstore options because they perform the same as designer labels (if not better,) and you save a ton of money in the process. In the past week, I’ve worked with two professional makeup artists who agree that many high end products aren't worth shelling out the extra dough when given the option. 

Mascara: Go Drugstore

Drugstore brands tend to have tons of options for the exact effect you’re looking for (volume, length, shape) and IMO work much better than designer brands. The product lasts you a long time, and they exceed my expectations every time. For long and voluminous lashes you have to mix products anyway, so mascara price stays manageable when you go drugstore. So many drugstore mascara brands are kicking ass right now with their products, packaging, and marketing – it’s an amazing time for consumers right now!

Higher end products have the tendency to irritate your eyes, clump up your lashes, and dry out extremely fast. A designer mascara can easily run you anywhere from $20 - $50. For me, drugstore mascara is a no brainer.

Foundation: Go Pro

A wise woman builds her house upon a rock, right? Foundation is your rock: sturdy, reliable, & trusted. If you build your house upon the sand, aka cheap foundation, you may find yourself disappointed with the color match, coverage, skin reaction to the formula, and worst of all, you may have wasted your money because now you have a product you really can’t use. Oh and there’s the possibility doesn’t actually covering your blemishes, but just looking slapped on. Not cute!

Now hear me out - this is not to say that you have to spend a fortune on foundation. But you should definitely go to a store where you can sample the foundation, color match, test your skins reaction, and wear it for a day before purchasing. Places like Ulta, Sephora, and most department stores will even give you a free three day supply of foundation to test for a few days. AND they can help you pick which foundation will work best with your skin type. When you pick a random drugstore brand, you may end up disappointed with the color match, breaking out from the formula, and worst of all, you may have wasted your money because now you have a product you really can’t use. You can get away with just $20 for a good foundation. My favorite foundation (MAC Studio Scuplt in NW20) runs me $43.

I will say that lately, drugstore brands have stepped up their game in the foundation department. Maybelline FitMe and Loreal TrueMatch are helping consumers save money without losing too much quality. So tell me – have you found an amazing drugstore foundation?

Lipstick: It Depends

Lipstick is like shampoo. We’d all love to always use the super expensive shampoos, but most of us know deep down that a bottle of Herbal Essence will do the trick. Lipstick’s kinda the same way. I love my drugstore lipsticks almost as much as I love my MACs. Revlon lipsticks are always extremely impressive. I’m not a fan of Maybelline lipsticks because they are usually all shine and very little pigment. 

welcome to pinkache!

I've been makeup crazed since I can remember. My mom can attest to my second grade beauty regime of smearing Smackers glitter-goop all over my eyelids every morning before school. Despite her plea for me to stop going to school looking like a disco ball child, I couldn't stop! I had a pinkache! I needed some glitz and glamour to get through the day! 

I do my best soul searching standing in front of my brushes and prized products as I paint on the person I want to be each day. Makeup is my therapy. It's my preferred art form and my outlet of self expression. This blog has been cooking in my mind for quite some time, and I'm thrilled it's finally coming to life! 

Check out what to expect on pinkache after the jump!