I like big brows and I cannot lie.

I admit it...I judge people when it comes to their eyebrows. I don't care if you are a man or woman, I still do it. It drives me NUTS when my husband lets his brows grow into unibrow territory. It drives me even nuttier when women pluck pluck pluck until they have no brows at all or the brow shape resembles a tadpole.

Filled in, well groomed brows make your face look put together even if you aren't wearing any other makeup. Taking a few extra minutes a day to work on them makes you look awake and alert. 

I used to think filling in my eyebrows was a science I would never learn.  After much trial and error I have found four products that work for me. 

My brows are pretty sparse at the innermost corners so I concentrate most of my brow product there. I also wear glasses with large Ray Ban frames every day, so my brows look better when they are filled in pretty heavily. I like to use products that can be applied quickly and still look great even when applied a bit messy.

I start and end my brow routine the same every time. I first brush through my brows with my Sonia Kashuk spoolie. I then apply the brow product I decide to reach for that day. Then I run the spoolie through my brows one more time.

My favorite brow products from least expensive to most expensive:

NYC Brow/Eye Liner Pencil in Taupe (.99): This pencil is perfect for busy mornings or when I want a very natural brow look. I simply use short strokes to fill in any sparse areas and am done. The pencil is soft enough to glide on my brows but stiff enough that it doesn't smudge. The color is very neutral when I swatch it on my hand and when applied over my brow hair but leaves a red tint on my skin were the hairs are sparse.

ELF Studio Eyebrow Kit in Medium ($3.00): I only use the dark gel part of this gel/powder duo because it's pigmented enough to hide any sparse areas and the consistency mimics a brush-on brow gel. The color is completely neutral which I really like. However, the brow powder in the duo leans a bit red on my skin just like the taupe pencil.

MAKE UP FOR EVER Aqua Brow in #15 Blonde ($20): This product is a waterproof gel that refuses to budge until you remove it with a makeup remover or cleanser. I dispense a very small dot on the back of my hand and use a stiff angled liner brush to apply to my brows. The shade is very neutral on my brows and is a bit darker than the WnW pencil and ELF kit. I love using this because it gives the end of my brows a very natural look--not like they are drawn on. I can't see myself running out of this anytime soon either.

Too Faced Natural Eye Palette ($36): This palette is perfect for traveling because not only do you have nine eyeshadows to choose from but there are also two cool matte shadows that can double as brow powders. I like to mix Velvet Revolver and Sexpresso together before applying the powders with a stiff angled liner brush. These colors combined are darker than any of the other brow products I use. Even though they are darker they still look pretty natural after running the spoolie through them.

For today's daily laugh--

What are your favorite brow products?

Hearts and Darts & What's in my work makeup bag? 1.18.13

Hearts

• Venting- My best friend and I have started emailing every day to either vent, send funny cat pictures, or tell funny work stories. I realized that venting, even if it seems dumb, is pretty helpful. It also helps to put things in perspective. For example, I was telling her about how I went a little overboard on a work assignment and felt stupid. She then responded that at least my boss knows I can do it. I never thought of it that way. I also met with one of my favorite sorority sisters for Mexican and margs (which I couldn't even drink but more of that in darts) and had a good long talk about our lives and where we want them to be in the future. It made me realize that I have to stop sitting around and I need to do something about all my dreams! 2013 is going to be a year of lots of changes.
• Nivea Creme- Ever notice those cute little blue tins of Nivea creme in the skincare section? Pick one up! The thick creme is so moisturizing and dries in minutes, so you don't have to worry about greasy hands. Plus, for .99 a tin it isn't hurting your wallet. I put some on every morning at work and on any dry spots like my elbows.

• Justified- Have you ever watched Justified? It's on its third season on AMC. It's about a US Marshal, named Raylan Givens, and his rough time trying to keep the peace in Lexington and Harlan, Kentucky. I love it for a few reasons. 1. Raylan is a good looking, sweet talking law man. 2. Lots of actions, guns, occasional blood, and intricate plots. 3. Easy to keep up with.

Darts

• Losing my mind- I have been really good lately about keeping track of my debit card, wedding rings, and tennis shoes. I was misplacing these things a few times a month. Well, my good luck ended when I forgot my purse (with all my cards and ID) at work this week. Who does that?! I didn't realize I left it or lost it until I went to eat with my sorority sister. I was set on 2 for 1 margaritas but that didn't happen. Thankfully my coworker texted me the next morning to tell me it was there. 
• Forks weather- It has rained every day this week. I feel like I'm in a Twilight movie. All rain. No sun. I need this Bella Swan depression to go away.
• Discussion board emotions- Two of my grad classes are hybrid classes so we have lots of online discussions. Just like emails and texts, it's hard to figure out how someone is coming across in a discussion board. Are they mocking your statement? Challenging you? Happily agreeing? Is this how online dating feels?!?

I decided to add a quick section to these weekly posts. I tend to wake up so late that I have to do my makeup in my office as soon as I get to work. Here are the products I've kept in my work makeup bag all week long:

• theBalm Time Balm Primer- I'm almost through with this. I love using up products.
• Maybelline Instant Age Rewind  Eraser Treatment Makeup- This foundation is very thin, almost like a gel, but it covers and stays all day long.
• MAC MSFN- My favorite powder.
• Garnier Anti-Dark Circle Roller- This is the gift that keeps on giving. I don't know when this thing is going to run out, but I really like how cool the roller ball feels.
• Revlon Brow Fantasy- I don't use the pencil part, but I love how natural the tinted gel looks.
• Revlon Lash Fantasy- My go-to mascara.
• Maybelline Color Tattoo shadow in Bad to the Bronze- I've hit pan on this shadow. Woo-hoo! I don't wear shadow every day at work, but if I do I layer this up on the lid, put a bit in the crease, and smudge it on my lower lash line, too.
• Revlon Lip Butter in Berry Smoothie- I'm almost completely done with this. I will be sad when it goes though because it's a very natural color and moisturizes my lips in this crazy winter weather.

What were your hearts and darts for the week? Have a good one!

2013: A year of no new makeup or new clothing.

Today marks the 17th day in a row I haven't purchased a cosmetic item. I've even passed over free makeup from CVS. Why? One of my New Year's resolutions is to go the entire year without purchasing any new makeup. I need to start an inventory of my collection soon, like Beauty Reductionista does, to see all my products and decide what needs to be used up first. I know I have enough of everything, including mascara and concealer, to last me an entire year. I've never been one to buy something without doing research, even if it's from the drugstore, but the amount of everything I have it just too much for one person. 

I was looking at different sites of people who are participating in the same kind of challenges and stumbled across quite a few websites about people who either didn't buy any type of clothing for a year or only bought secondhand clothing for an entire year. I'm not a big clothes shopper. I would rather spend my money on going on to eat or buying makeup instead. Now that I'm on Weight Watchers and not buying makeup I have been clothes shopping much more than I normally would. I've only purchased two items this year, both for under $10 at Kohl's, but I don't want to feel the need to spend my money. So I think I am going to accept the challenge of only buying secondhand clothing for the entire year of 2013 with the exception of underwear. 

I've loved going to Goodwill since I was in high school. One time I even found the most beautiful green leather Dior luggage bag. It disappeared my freshman year of college. The memory still hurts. However, I still have a brand new black Coach satchel I found. That reminds me to go find that in my closet. It has zero scratches and I even checked to see if it was real and it was. Holllllla.

I am also going to challenge myself to only spend $100 (taxes included) on my clothing budget for 2013. However, I will accept clothing from my mother. She said she would buy me a new piece of clothing for every 10 pounds I lose, so I can't argue with that!

Have you listened to "Thrift Shop" by Macklemore? Makes me want to go to Goodwill and start digging through piles of people's old crap.

Are you a thrifter? I would love to learn your tips 

or hear what your best buy has been!

Makeup bag: travel edition

Christmas break means four days home in West Tennessee. I used to bring two makeup bags full of makeup but decided to trim that amount down for a few reasons...

1. I never wore it all

2. Makeup is pretty heavy to pack

3. I would end up leaving things and my lovely little sister would gain new products