Beauty Box 5

You know that girl who loves a little drama? She commands the room when she walks in, loves look-at-me accessories, and might be hard to shop for? We do too, and we’ve put together a Holiday Gift Guide to make her stop in her tracks at these perfect picks! 

This year, give her “OMG” items, like:

1. A fantastic set of falsies by LashEM to wear for special occasions, or just so she can add some oomph to a rainy Wednesday.

2. This super sparkly statement necklace from Sparkles and Pop to upgrade any outfit! (Similar here.)

3. Major drop earrings by Kendra Scott that are princess-level luxe.

4.  Cat Eye sunnies by Sunglass Warehouse always bring the fierce! She’ll be obsessed instantly.

5. You know this babe keeps a glow going even in the winter! Bellapierre Cosmetics’ Complete Bronzing Kit will make her happier than warm temperatures in December!

Shop our past holiday gift guides here and here.

As December keeps rolling along, we’ve got another gift guide and this one is sure to pop!

For the gal in your life who can’t get enough brights, why not surprise her with: 

1. A seriously adorable phone case from Ban.do that will definitely be easy to spot even in a crowded purse!

2. A bright statement necklace that stands out from Sparkles and Pop in a bright orange hue!

3. A timeless bold red lipstick never goes out of style- our current favorite is Nicka K New York’s Daring.

4. This set of 9 punchy eyeshadows from Bellapierre is sure to take any look from blah to bam!

5. A playful palette from NARS is always appreciated, but a color-driven gal will love this one especially, since the shades are so vibrant!

When in doubt, think colorfully- and stay tuned- we’ve got 3 more gift guides on the way. Any guesses as to what’s next?

We’re big fans of Bellapierre Cosmetics and couldn’t help but share some of their fantastic kits. Each set comes with pretty essentials and all the steps to get a lovely look. Plus, the 100% natural pigments and hypo-allergenic line is gentle but gorgeous on all skin tones, as demonstrated by Joanna above!

For this coral coolness, we used BP’s All About Cheeks and Lips Kit in Coral (a throwback to the Cheek & Lip Stain in Pink that we featured in all our September monthly boxes!) to add a perky pop of pigment and also finished off her brows with the Eye & Brow Complete Kit in Marrone!

Want to know something even sweeter? Today only, all our Bellapierre Cosmetics kits are $15 off with the code BP15 at checkout! See all the gorgeous looks you can create here!

Little did I know, when I teamed up with BB5 that I would become a mermaid, but hey- I’m not complaining! When my pre-school teacher asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, can you guess what I said? #MermaidProblems #LongHairDontCare

With Halloween right around the corner, we’ve created a few magical looks at BB5 that we hope inspire you to bring your A game to dressing up this year! We previously showed you our Ice Queen, but this time we were feeling a little more ‘part of your world’. The most important part of this tutorial? Getting creative! I have warm undertones, so Felicity chose warm tones with a purple accent- like a sunset!- to help me channel my inner mermaid, but if you have cooler undertones, try playing around with pinks and greens. I know, I know, it’s tempting to grab some wings, throw on some white eye shadow and call yourself an angel, but wouldn’t this be so much more fun?

So, without further ado, here’s the step-by-step to get Major Mermaid Vibes, from our in-house makeup artist and Senior Product Junkie, Felicity!-

1. Start with your normal primer and foundation and concealer. We’re going to be adding a lot of color, so just keep it basic and clean. We love the new Smashbox Photo Finish Pore Minimizing Foundation Primer, Mally’s Cancellation Concealer System (we used Light/Medium on Courtney here) and our trusty BellaPierre Mineral Makeup Base to prep your eyelids for serious pigment!

2. Layer your favorite eyeshadows -we followed the like sunset rule- from dark to light.  Here we used Bellapierre’s pigments in Champagne and Earth for the warm tones (from the Pretty Woman Get The Look Kit), Bellapierre’s Celebration for the gold and OFRA’s 3D Loose Shadow in Irresistable for all the purple. For an extra under-the-sea oomph, we added individual lashes by Eyelure (The KA-ZAAM! Color Pop are so fun) and Mally Beauty’s volumizing mascara sealed the look together.

3. Expand the same eyeshadow shades you used onto the face and use them like a contour! I used the same Celebration gold shadow from Bellapierre  on Courtney’s cheeks and swept along her temples. Lastly- create a matching lip by mixing one of your darker shadow shades with a clear gloss (we went with Mac’s Clear Lipglass here mixed with the Bellapierre pigments) and then gold fleck was applied with Duo eyelash glue!

Now just think put on some sounds of waves crashing, style some simple waves in your hair and you’re done!

Thanks, Felicity! Our first two looks are definitely more sparkly then spooky, but feel free to add your own twist! If you try this look, tag #bb5mermaid on Instagram and Twitter to show it off and for a chance to get featured on the page! 

 Can’t wait to show you what looks we have planned next!

xx Courtney, B.Y.O. Beauty 

With Halloween right around the corner, we’re gearing up with all sorts of bold makeup tutorials to make sure you put your best (and fiercest!) face forward. 

Declare yourself an Ice Queen and bring the chill to any party with the blue hues we modeled on Courtney of B.Y.O. Beauty, above. The cool cosmetic work you’ll achieve will be worth everyone asking you if you want to build a snowman all night.

Our favorite products for nailing the Ice Queen look include:

Tarina Tarantino Pearl Glow Primer in Pearl to prime and illuminate the skin for the layers of products

LashEm False Lashes dusted with some light shimmer eyeshadow powder to give them an icicle feel!

NYX’s Macaron Lippie in Blue Velvet for the perfect blue pout

Bellapierre Cosmetics’ Get The Look Kit in Deep Ocean to layer mineral shadows on lids for maximum intensity, dust them lightly in a contour pattern around the face and lightly on brows, too!

Sparkles and Pop’s Opal Crystal Flower Bib: because every Queen needs some bling.

Self-adhesive rhinestones or regular rhinestones applied with any body-safe glue (like eyelash glue) in a crown pattern

Ready to Let It Go with this look? Snap a picture of your interpretation and tag it on Twitter or Instagram with #bb5icequeen for a chance to be featured on our page!

We’ve got more tutorials on the way this month (hint: under the sea, anyone?) so let us know what other costume-inspired looks you want to see in the comments below!

Feeling like that fabulous new lip color just isn’t working? Well, it may be your cheeks! (No, really.)

“For your face to look balanced, your cheeks and lips have to be in the same family of colors,” says Felicity, our resident makeup artist and Senior Product Junkie. “You have to make sure that if you’re wearing a coral lip, your cheeks are also in coral…or even a bronze.”

We’ve got pretty proof, too.

The Nanacoco glosses from this month’s box are super-pigmented (Hello, HOT HUES!) and have great staying power…so needless to say, we’re all already in love with them. But, we paired them with some of our favorite blushes and it really pulls the look together!  The hues you use are important, so don’t forget to stay within your color families when choosing a blush to match that perfect pout!  Here’s our paired picks from the graphic above.

Sure, a girl’s best friend is a palette full of pretty neutrals, but we think it’s time to expand your summer style and let a little brightness in!

BEAUTY TOOLS

•  Trusty eyeshadow primer: Bellapierre Cosmetics Makeup Base
•  Multi-purpose palette with fun neutrals and brights: BH Cosmetics BH Malibu Eyeshadow and Blush Palette
•  Liquid liner that really lasts: Bellapierre Cosmetics Eyeliner Duo 
• Mascara that works for your bottom and top lashes: Elizabeth Mott It’s So Big Mascara 

STEPS

1. Apply a thin layer of eyeshadow base to your entire lid with your finger. 

2. Starting at the corner of your eye, apply a neutral shadow (with a hint of shimmer!) by sweeping your brush along your crease for all-over color and definition. 

3. Pick your favorite light blue shade and fill in your top lid. For more vibrant color, you can add a few layers of shadow, or wet your brush. 

4. Using an angled brush, start at the corner of your eyes and work your way inwards to create a thin line with a bright yellow shadow, stopping just beyond your iris. 

5. Apply the liquid eyeliner base to your top lash line only, then follow with black liquid liner for a simple and clean line. 

6. Make the bright colors really pop with long, dark lashes– just apply three coats at the top and two at your bottom for lush volume. 

PS. When you’re highlighting your eyes with bold colors it’s best to leave the rest of your face more natural side. We just applied a little lip gloss and called it a success! 

A good man is hard to find, but a concealer is even harder. Thankfully, we have some pretty savvy interns that know what works and what doesn’t!

1. MAC Cosmetics Studio Finish SPF 35 Concealer ($18)

This is the concealer I use everyday of my life and it is amazing! The variety of shades with MAC is so wonderful that any woman can find her perfect match, and their concealer is no exception. enriched with anti oxidants, this long-wear SPF concealer is very lightweight and creamy, but also very concentrated, so a little amount goes a long way. Plus, you can use this product for many different things, including highlighting under your eyebrows and making your eyebrows look super defined. 

2. Nars Concealer ($24)

If you ever used a Nars product you know that this concealer will not disappoint you. Lightweight, creamy, long-wearing, and crease-resistant, this rich formula nourishes your skin while making it look flawless– what else can do that? It’s seriously amazing. 

3. Too Faced Absolutely Flawless Concealer ($20)

A must for ladies with paler skin, this creamy long-lasting product gives you the power to create sheer-to-full coverage (a big benefit that most concealers don’t offer). Just a dab of this stuff covers redness and hyper pigmentation– I have several friends who are obsessed with this product and it makes their skin look amazing. 

4.  Amazing Cosmetics Little Amazing Concealer ($28) 

As you might have guessed, you only need a tiny bit of this full coverage concealer to create a flawless complexion, covering up everything from dark circles, blemishes, to sun damage, you need to apply very little product.

5. Bellapierre Cosmetics Makeup Base ($18.99)

This multi-purpose product was featured in our March boxes and was a hit for good reasons! Great for ladies who are afraid of using traditional concealers, it covers blemishes with just a dab of its very creamy texture. It’s perfect for ladies who want to have everything they need on hand, but refuse to keep their entire makeup arsenal in their purse. 

Post by Catherine Moore, BB5 intern

1. e.l.f. Studio Contouring Blush & Bronzer in “St. Lucia” ($3)

Similar to the Blush/Bronzer Duo in “Orgasm/Laguna” from Nars, but sold for a fraction of the cost, this little compact from e.l.f is the perfect (and most affordable) way to get a sexy glow anytime, anywhere. The shimmery pink gives you a pretty pink flush while the pigmented bronzer supplies a little sun and serious contouring abilities. 

2. Bellapierre Cosmetics Compact Blush in “Suede” ($49)

A gorgeous hybrid of blush and bronzer, this pretty color goes on as a warm brown with the tiniest bit of red shimmer. Talc free and made with pure mineral pigments for a silky smooth texture, this compact is unexpectedly sexy and a great option for someone who is bored of traditional pinks. 

3. ModelCo Cheek and Lip Tint ($22)

If you’re a woman on the go and don’t have time to mess around with brushes, tints are the way to go! This multi-purpose liquid from ModelCo is one of our all-time favorites because the lovely berry color dries quickly and stays all day. The best part? It saves you serious cash– you  just need a pinprick to to do both cheeks!

4. Nars Illuminator in “Orgasm” ($30)

Hate powders? Afraid of creams? I give you the answer to your cheek-based prayers: Nars illuminators. Is it a bronzer? Is is a blush? I don’t know and I don’t care– it’s gorgeous, subtle, and impossible to mess up. Invest! 

5. BH Cosmetics Floral Blush Duo in “Rose” ($10)

Not only is this compact completely gorgeous and utterly wearable, but it’s a total steal! Feminine and subtle, the pink blush and light bronzer have just enough pigment that they look great alone or layered for extra oomph.