Beauty Box 5

I put my mascara through the ringer.

Sometime I’m rushing while applying it in my rearview mirror on workdays where I’ve slept in too late, sometimes I’m coating lashes in between using the wand as a microphone to sing along to my Katy Perry playlist before going out, and sometimes I’m just swiping it on in the dark of morning to make walking the dog down the street more fabulous. Personally, I’m don’t want to spend forever perfecting my eye makeup and the more lash “oomph!” I can knock out in one swipe, the better.

I read that Carrie Underwood, a lush lashed lady’s idol, said that she’s usually wearing 4 different kinds of mascara at once, but there’s no way my wallet or even my arm wants to spend that much money and time applying! I like to stick to just one product and this month’s newest eyelash contender- Revlon’s Bold Lacquer, after rigorous routine trial time, really earned its multi-tasking reputation!

Being a little nutty about brushes, I was so pleased to find the wand fluffy and the adorable peacock-colored tube shined out of my makeup bag, as if to say, “Use me!” (since I’m not sure what sound peacocks make otherwise). Upon applying, my blond lashes were dramatically darker, separated and lifted with one use, saving time and leaving my curler sitting alone. Since I decided a little more length wouldn’t hurt, I tested another coat and loved that it added volume without pesky clumps to fix.

Rounding out my testing, I made it to the end of the day without flaking or smudges, and full lashes that didn’t need a touch-up, and that was enough for me to check all the boxes on Revlon and move it into my makeup bag rotation, which is no easy feat!

So, girl-to-girl, don’t be afraid of really testing your products. And remember, keep your standards high and your lashes lush.

Xoxo,

Kelsey

Whether you’ve been denied ordering off the kids menu, desperately wanting to be older so you’ll be taken seriously, or enjoying the senior discount with no shame, you’re never too young- or too old- to start taking care of your skin!

Plenty of us have used skincare products that our friends, mothers and grandmothers used, with no regard to how it might impact us. Rather than spending money on the next fad lotion or cream that everyone else uses, why not get exactly what you need? Catching my eye with customization lately has been the different phases of Simyskin’s Anti-Aging Eye Serum. All three target what’s affecting the sensitive skin around your eyes in each stage of life.

While I personally fall on the left side of the graphic above, and have always been told eye serum was something I wouldn’t need until later in life, even now, a tube will do some preliminary protection for my peepers and plus, a tiny bit will last me a long time!

BB5 Tip: A little goes a long way!

You only need to massage a very small amount into your skin each morning after cleansing and before applying moisturizer. Just a dab does wonders!

Remember- you’re only as young as you feel, but good skin makes every era your golden years.

XOXO,

Kelsey

We’ve all heard that beauty is pain, but that doesn’t mean we have to keep proving it right!

Whether it’s waxing your brows or lipstick that dries out your pout, there’s too many vices that keep the contents our makeup bag hostage, but I draw the line- or cat-eye, rather- at eyeliner that hurts to apply! I always budget time when I’m getting ready in the morning to emphasize my eyes with a vivid swipe of black, but hard pencils that tug at my eyelids, or worse, the madness of mashing my peepers with a liner tip that crumbles, can throw off my whole day. In my quest for lining nirvana, this month’s Starlooks’ Kohl Eye Pencil has really joined the ranks with my favorite liners because its creamy formula glides on with ease, but is still packed with pigment to deliver a saturated finish, pain-free. Plus, the color is easy to blend with a brush, making it a smoky-eye staple.

BB5 Tip: Warm it up!

Once you’ve sharpened your eye pencil, rub the sharpened end between your thumb and index finger lightly for an even smoother application with no pokes had or tears shed!

Be gentle but still bold,

Kelsey

P.S. Joanna is looking simply marvelous up top wearing the Obsidian Kohl Eye Pencil by Starlooks.

Added to the list of burgers without cheese, chipped nail polish, and mall traffic, chapped lips are simply something that I don’t have time for. When the weather and long day can be so drying and dull, why, oh why would I leave the house without a hydrating balm in my hand?

Believing that soft smackers really do make a difference, Body Drench’s Candy Licious Lips have won my heart, because even typing about them is causing a craving to get out my tube and apply. They’re made of moisturizing beeswax, vitamin E and coconut oil- hello, ingredients I can pronounce!- and with 6 different sugary flavors like Cotton Candy, Peppermint Stick, and Lemon Drop, it’s like having a little candy shop stashed in my purse.

Honestly, the hardest part is picking just one sweet flavor to use at a time (well, in addition to not embarrassingly licking it off my lips in public because it’s so delicious).

BB5 Tip: Keep it handy!

I like to store a container in each purse I use and by my bed, so that I never have to worry about forgetting it and leaving my lips dehydrated! Plus, the smell alone is the perfect pick-me-up for my constant sweet tooth.

Moisturize with flavor!

XOXO,

Kelsey

If your hair could pull up a chair and sit down to chat with a professional therapist about its childhood, struggles, and problems, what would it say?

Mine would probably be able to tell many tales about just what I’ve put it through. I’ve fallen victim to DIY color that left me with straw-like locks, I’ve blown it out with the hottest setting my dryer could manage days in a row, and my straightener, curling wands and irons, and yes, even the crimper of my middle school days, have all done their fair share of damage.

Since my dry tresses come with plenty of baggage, an intervention is necessary- a frequent one, actually- and HASK’s Argan Oil Intense Deep Conditioning Hair Treatment is just that! I’ve heard the buzz about Argan Oil for a while, and was skeptical at first, but this Moroccan miracle really repairs, fixing flyways and frizz while adding shine.

BB5 Tip: Relax and let the magic happen!

Think of deep conditioning as your few minutes of zen. After shampooing, apply it to your hair and allow it to work through your parched locks for about 10 minutes (I measure it as three songs on my shower playlist), then rinse it out to discover a soft, smooth, and moisturized mane.

Bigger life issues may take more than one therapy session, but hydrated healthy hair is easy, no prescription required.

XOXO,

Kelsey

Interested in even more TLC? We’re giving away the entire HASK Argan Oil collection, including the Intense Deep Conditioning Hair Treatment, plus the Repairing Shampoo and Conditioner and the Healing Shine Hair Treatment on our Facebook page!

Just share your best Bad Hair Day story with us- and tag a friend so she can enter, too!

To the girl who loves rocking a bold lip but is scared to look in her compact midway through the evening, I feel you.

I so know the pain of running to the bathroom to check my makeup and being horrified when my once-perfectly-primped lipstick has vanished all too well, so anything that keeps my smackers looking smashing is an obsession! I always shied away from liner because I thought it was just another step, but this month, I’m loving the great, long-lasting color and definition of Starlooks’ Lip Liner because it fixes my getting ready woes in one step. Being a newbie to lip pencils, I was pleasantly surprised to find that it glides on (gently warm the tip between your thumb and index finger!) and that it really did keep my lipstick in place- no more dreaded smudges on my skin!

An even better bonus and lazy-girl’s dream? The pencil’s pigments and finish are so top-notch that I have been using it by itself as an allover lip color as well!

BB5 Tip: Just trace your pout and fill in inside the lines like your old coloring book days- and if you’re worried that the outline might be too harsh, use a q-tip around the edges to blend or soften the look!

Line on and shine on!

XOXO,

Kelsey