Orange You Glad I Blogged About Orange Lipstick!?

I'm not going to count this as my lipstick of the day because I love this color so much that I want to wear it again out but technically, this is the color I'm wearing today. I really came upon this color by accident. Darian, yet again reminding me of the ridiculous amount of lipstick I own old me to branch out which I happily did with the latest color for spring. Orange.

I am wearing MAC Vegas Volt and it is a stunning coral orange. 

I love that this color is super opaque and has a coral undertone so its much more wearable than many of the bright oranges that are also being worn on the runways. To prove it to you here are a couple of the most recent makeup looks from the runways of fashion week.

Orange can go from almost red to practically traffic control. Personally, the hunter orange is a little tricky to pull off because it really dominates the face. I would select one with a more coral undertone. I did the research for you and I'm here to battle between my two favorites. Both are wearable and accessible so if you want to chase after this trend, do it with either of these:

MAC Vegas Volt Vs. Sephora Lip Attitude Glamour G03

MAC Vegas Volt

Sephora Lip Attitude in Glamour G03

Left Vegas Volt, Right Glamour 03

Round 1: Finish

Vegas Volt is an Amplified lipstick which means it has a rich creamy opaque texture. Its all about the color with this lipstick. Glamour 03 on the other hand is a much sheerer tone. I had to apply a couple of coats in order to get the color pay off I was looking for.

Winner-Vegas Volt

Round 2: Wearability 

Vegas Volt shouts from the roof tops "I am orange!" 

Glamour 03 gossips about being orange with her friends. 

Either way, people will know your wearing it. 

Winner-Glamour 03

Round 3: Price

Vegas Volt retails for $14.50 and is 0.1 us oz. You can purchase it online by clicking this link http://www.maccosmetics.com/product/shaded/168/310/Lipstick/index.tmpl

Glamour 03 retails for $12.00 but I can't find how much product it comes with. By judging it with my eyes, I would guess it has slightly more than Vegas Volt. You can purchase it online here http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P203600&categoryId=S6100&shouldPaginate=true#moreInfo

Winner-Glamour 03

Bonus Round: Kelsey's Favorite

Vegas Volt

Glamour 03

Its hard to select a winner when they are so close as you can see but because I am a fan of the really bold finish of the Vegas Volt I have to say it gets my vote. On the other hand, my room mate Lydia (check her out in my red lip video for MOSIK Mag) had a violent reaction to it when I showed it to her this afternoon. She was all about the Glamour 03. But this is my bonus round not hers so...

Winner-Vegas Volt

Your a winner with either one so check them out and let me know if you have any orange favorites I should try out. 

Until next time,

Kelsey 

Lipstick of the Day: L'oreal infallible in 100 Azalea

The lipstick of the day is L'Oreal Infallible in 100 Azalea.

If you have seen the commercials for this product lately with Beyonce touting the benefits of the lipstick that won't budge while she preforms on stage you may have been curious as to if it actually works and I am here to tell you it does! The video below is a review I pulled from YouTube because the application of this product is a little bit different than what you may be used to. There are two steps.

1. Apply the color which is more of a lip liquid than anything else. Let the color dry for a good minute or so until it becomes dry, crusty, and uncomfortable haha! But I'm serious is the thing. It will become very uncomfortable.
2. Top with balm which is the white part of the lip product. Truly you could use any lip conditioner, balm. gloss etc. as your second step but you definitely need something to help moisturize.

Whats extra special about the packaging is that it can be used as a mirror for step two touch ups. The only gripe I have about this product is that make sure your lips are exfoliated before you apply because the dryness of the formula will highlight any imperfections. You will also need a makeup wipe or some type of remover at the end of the night to make sure you get it ALL off. I can imagine especially if you have the bright reds or darker colors that it could be annoying to not get it all off. With a light color like Azalea you could be fine with soap, water and a washcloth. 

My Favorite Beauty Blogs

I started blogging because of the encouragement from a mentor that put it in perspective for me- "no one is going to hire you unless you show you want it and have done things in that pursuit." I also like to keep up with my favorite bloggers and I get inspired by their ideas and way they review products. In a very specific order... here are my top 4 bloggers.

1. Temptalia.com
2. Kandeej.com
3. Xsparkage.com
4. makeupandbeautyblog.com

Temptalia

Temptalia.com is the bible lets be honest. She has the most detailed and objective product reviews by far. There is a consistent 30 point rating of every product she reviews and her personal pros and cons about the product. She also receives most of the newest launches from tons of brands before they hit the market which allows you to get her "take it or leave it" advice before purchasing it yourself. This is especially useful for the expensive brands and products that come out because lets be real, some make up has to be seen as an investment, and you want to be sure your investing in the best thing. MAC and temptalia have an especially close relationship. Often times she will know what launches are coming up before anyone else does not to mention she reviews the products weeks before they launch online. Her photography is stunning and sharp and most importantly... the color swatches are true to life like no other site I've seen. It also has an extensive library of reviews with an average of 3 new posts a day. Every time I consider purchasing a new product I go to her site first to see if she reviewed it and what her thoughts were on it. She has less personality than the other bloggers listed here but has to be the most detailed. 

Kandeej

Kandee is my homegirl! lol not really but I wish she was. Kandee is like your best friend that you want to run and talk to about your crushes, what stresses you out, and the look you saw on your favorite celebrity. Don't come looking at this blog for product reviews though. It is a mix of what she has going on in her day and what inspires her in beauty. Once and a while she will talk about her favorite products but you won't find detailed reviews about the latest collection from MAC. She is totally honest and open with her readers letting you in on the joys of her pregnancy and the terror of almost getting her leg cut off when she ran into a glass door. Her positive outlook through it all is what makes me and the other 25,000 subscribers to her blog love her. Check out her youtube channel kandeejohnson.

Xsparkage

Xsparkage is the alter ego of Leesha (Lisha? I apologize for spelling her name incorrectly). She is spunky, a hint alternative, but the most lovable self-proclaimed dork to ever do makeup. Her signature look is super bright colors and she is not afraid to experiment. She is actually the first YouTube guru that I ever watched and I am still a huge fan. She recently revamped her blog and it is a huge improvement. She has said in the past that she is a fan of Temptalia and you can see the inspiration she pulled from temptalia.com with her site. Her product reviews are shot and sweet and almost always have an accompanying video. What is unique about her blog is her guest bloggers. Once and a while she will have another blogger post a review about a product on her site which rocks because you get to see another guru's point of view. I would highly suggest subscribing to her YouTube channel.

makeupandbeautyblog

Makeupandbeautyblog is described as beauty product reviews, makeup tips & news from your friendly neighborhood beauty addict. I found this blog after viewing her youtube channel and I have to say that the creator brings so much humor to her posts and videos that I can't help but fall in love. He product reviews are less objective than Temptalia and has a storytelling element to it interjecting the plot of how she came across the product and her enthusiasm for each new treasure. 

I hope this helps you navigate around the blogesphire. I am inspired by them daily and they help me stay abreast of trends and the latest products. They also make me smile :-) hopefully they will do the same for you. 

XOXO

Kelsey

L'Oreal Internship and Summer Housing in NYC

Its been a 8 days since I left L'Oreal and the W hotel but it feels like its been weeks. I was there for both an internship opportunity and to work on the case study that I have been doing with my group. I find out if I am so fortunate as to be accepted to the firm on March 4th, which is a week and 2 days away. The days seem so long to be honest and finding out if I got the internship will help me plan the rest of my summer.

I'm looking into living in the NYU dorms. The rates seem reasonable but I'm sure there are alternatives out there. is $2000 for 10 weeks a good price? Check out the NYU housing and be sure to sign up for the email notification to find out when the application will become available. http://www.nyu.edu/summer/housing/index.htm

Its about the same to stay at Long Island University. They start at $1700 for 8 weeks. Here is the application if you are interested in that http://www2.brooklyn.liu.edu/housing/LIUSummerInternApplication.pdf

There is always craigs list but I would want to live with someone I know and trust in this big city. I'm sure my decision will be influenced by where my friends are staying and trust me... so many of them will be in the city.

This summer is going to be a blast! I can't wait!

Off to study Business Law....
Kelsey

Baby, we got Bieber fever!

Times Out.... A break for studying and makeup

Lipstick of the Day and IMATS New York

What Kissable Lip Color Am I Wearing Today?

Lorac Lotsa Lip in Misbehavin 

Misbehavin is a sparkling, sheer peach shade.

Apparently, the formula is a plumping pigment with moisturizing and anti-aging benefits. 

What it's used for:

"Enhance your pout with this lip plumping formula from Lorac. Formulated with a unique MAXI-LIP™ complex, it works to greatly increase moisture levels and volume while reducing fine lines through extra stimulation of collagen. With all the sparkling and shimmering shades, you can coordinate your lips with your complexion and outfit for lip enhancement optimization."

I love that this lipstick is so moisturizing. It is very nude and when I put it on Darian (the lipstick a day challenge referee) could not tell I was wearing anything. I think she just likes to say that because she thinks all of my lipsticks are the same to prove a point. Trust me, there is a lot of shimmer and sine in this baby. I also really fancy the smell. It has the vanilla of a MAC lipstick but is similarly tasteless. The only bad thing I can say about this product is the glitter is really chunky and feels like you kissed the sandy beach. The feeling fades within 20 minutes or so. I can not really speak to the plumping claims for this lipstick. Trust me, my lips looked the same pre and post application. 

On another note: IMATS (International Make-up Artist Trade Show) will be in New York City this spring!

I can not wait to go for the first time but life just keeps getting better because it turns out that the IMATS is on the same weekend as I will be in New York for the L'Oreal Brandstorm Competition. I have been working on a case study for L'Oreal professionals since October and the national finals take place April 7 & 8. Lucky for me, IMATS are on the 9 & 10. Anybody interested in going!?! Check out all of details for the trade show here http://www.imatsshow.com/newyork/newyork_index.php

Thanks for supporting this blog. Everyone's kind words mean the most to me. 

Until tomorrow,

Kelsey

MOSIK Make-Up How To: Red Lips

MOSIK Magazine Launch

So this post is has been highly anticipated. Last month I reached out to MOSIK Magazine about doing a makeup segment for their online publication. The Magazine focuses on the latest trends at Howard University and has student contributers talking about style, fashion, beauty and all things on trend. Check out the website at http://www.mosikmag.com/

I contributed with a beauty video (There is a clip of it in the promo video above.) Please check this publication out. I fully support their mission and the content is fresh and on point.

Inglot and Lipstick of the Day

I've been in New York for the past couple of days and my favorite favorite cosmetics are located in Times Square... Inglot. I wish they had more stores accessible throughout the rest of the United States but unfortunately they don't. They are expanding this year though into LA, Chicago and one other one I think but I can't remember what the sales lady said. For now its just New York. Here is there web site...http://www.inglotcosmetics.com/

The point... well I have 2 points.

1. They are raising their prices in May so take advantage of it now if you can. Especially their freedom palettes. 
2. I needed to get another lipstick because I had to keep up with this challenge and I ran out of colors while here. (This might have been a stretch but I feel like its justifiable because I got a color I didn't have before.)

These are the colors I bought yesterday:

The lipgloss is this awesome iridescent color in number 543. Right now before the price increase it retails for $15

This lipstick is in number 65 and it retails for $12. Its such a true purple that I knew I had to pick it up. 

The lighting is really poor in this picture but I'm wearing both right now and although its bold, its a lot of fun and has some spunk. 

Tomorrow I return to DC so back to my old lipstick stash. I'll try to film a video or two this week. I feel out of the loop. 

Until next time,

Kelsey

Lipstick a Day Challenge: Day 2

I would post a picture for this blog but I'm looking slightly unpresentable in my ponytail and T-shirt haha. I'm kind of taking the easy way out with this lipstick. Its actually a tinted lip treatment. In fact, it was in my purse when Darian was counting my lipsticks so it really doesn't count for this challenge but I thought since it was a lip color it should suffice on this bummy day.

Its a glorified lip balm but it is in a sleek little package and feels nice on. I got it on hautelook.com and it was at the most $2.00. You can buy them at Target for sure and I'm sure other places online as well. Google says retail is $12.00. I'm not sure I would pay that much but if it ever comes up again on hautelook.com, its worth picking up. 

Taste of L'Oreal Swag Bag!

Here is a quick video that shows everything that I got in the taste of L'Oreal gift bag over the weekend. Enjoy!

Lipstick a Day Challenge

While at L'Oreal and in New York City I went shopping with what else but cosmetics. We went to Inglot, MAC, and the L'Oreal shop which is basically an employees only discounted store that carries all of the L'Oreal brands (think YSL, Lancome, L'Oreal, Maybelline, etc.). I've been really into lipsticks lately and of course, I was drawn to some of the new colors and bright bold hues. Darian seemed to be under the impression that I had way too many of the same color pink and tried to talk me out of purchasing 4 new pinks to add to my collection. Of course, I was sure that they were in fact different and that I needed them.

Darian may have had a point because when we got back she took out my lipstick drawer and counted. I have a total of 45 lipsticks and of those, 22 are pink. She came up with a challenge for me as she still is yet to be convinced that they are different (even after swatching them all on paper).

For the next 45 days, I will wear a different color lipstick

Since she went in on my pink lipstick obsession, I only thought it fitting to start with one of those. 

Day 1: YSL Rouge Pur Lipstick in 141 Pink Satin 

This color is similar to Viva Glam Gaga but less sheer. It retails for $30. It didn't make it through eating but it lasted about 3 hours before I noticed it was gone. 

So how many of you honestly have a bunch of lipsticks you never wear? Be honest! Join me and wear a new color every day and see just how much you love the colors you own (and maybe how much you don't!)

Bye for now!

Kelsey

Taste of L'Oreal Day 3: L'Oreal Interview

So the internet at the hotel was exceptionally slow therefore I did not get a chance to post about day 2 of the L'Oreal weekend yesterday. It was a long day but so much fun. We had a case study where our goal was to revamp the L'Oreal Paris Studio Line of styling products. We went to visit drugstores around the hotel and observed product placement on shelves and compared the packaging to different competitors. When we returned to the hotel we brainstormed ideas and presented a product idea and marketing campaign to a marketing director at L'Oreal. It was like a super condensed version of what I could be doing for the rest of my life!

Later that evening we went to dinner at Grand Central Station at this stake house where everything looked great but being vegan, I couldn't eat anything. I'll try to find some pictures of it and post them when I can. It was a great opportunity to network with other students who were participating in the Taste of L'Oreal weekend.

This morning I had my final interview. (All yesterday they had an HR person watching and observing, taking notes on you etc.) Can you believe my interview was at on 5th Ave!? I would literally be working on the same street as Tiffany's and Sacks 5th Avenue. I'm feeling a little superstitious so I don't want to give away too much about the interview but I did mention this little bloggy and my youtube channel.

The whole thing was done by 11:30AM and I was (and am) free for the rest of the day. I took advantage of the free afternoon and hit up the Bliss Spa at the W. Let me tell you... the BEST waxing service of my life! So painless! I have a manicure appointment in 45 minutes with my friend Darian (see post below). Maybe I can sneak some photographs of the spa for an upcoming post! We have dinner tonight with the recruiters at an Italian restaurant and I can not wait because I am so hungry. I'm doing the most with this here bag of nuts and granola bar.

Tomorrow will begin the agency day for the L'Oreal Brandstorm. Ok Starbucks is kicking me out....

Your very hungry friend,
Kelsey

Taste of L'Oreal Weekend Day 1

I blogged about the Taste of L'Oreal weekend back when I got invited in December but now that I am sitting in the lobby of the W New York, its real. I'm here under the consumer products devision and it is my dream to join this firm! I'm so very lucky that I get to experience this with my partner in crime Darian. 

We left on the train this morning from DC and slept the whole way up. When we got into the city we had to wait in a long line for a taxi to the W hotel... little did we know that are several W hotels in New York City. We pulled up to the W Times Square and they couldn't pull up our reservations! Thank goodness L'Oreal had sent us an email yesterday with the CORRECT address. and we were off to the W on 49th.

The hotel is beautiful and I was lucky enough to get a suite. Its gorgeous! 

I'm a little sad that we are not rooming together tho :-(

At the actual event tonight we had a student networking reception followed by an hour of general overview of L'Oreal and then we broke up for another hour and a half of our individual devisions. The consumer products devision had a panel and really cute presentation about all of the brands under the consumer products umbrella. 

• L'Oreal Paris
• Maybelline NY
• Garnier 
• SoftSheen Carson
• Essie 

After, we had a networking reception with recruiters and they served some yummy looking food but being vegan I couldn't eat any of it. Thank goodness the W has free apples! So I'll leave you with a few our of my window on the 7th floor of the Waldorf Astoria. Iconic NY.

TLC's My Strange Addiction

I know I said I was going get back to the roots of my blog with today's post but this is way better... I'm watching TLC's My Strange Addiction with my roommate and this poor woman is addicted to makeup! I really wish it was posted on TLC.com because I would definitely show a picture of it here. The woman wore makeup 23 hours a day, only taking it off to shower. It says she spent $4,000 a year on products and had over 1000 items in her collection. 

I don't know about you... but does not sound as extreme as I would have hoped. Maybe its a sign I myself am on the road to a makeup addiction! Except for the fact that I wash my face and feel comfortable without my "face" on. The addicted woman was considering getting green eyeliner tattooed on her lids and again I thought to myself... whats wrong with that!?! A very close family friend of mine has had her eyeliner tattooed (in black) and it looks very natural. Here is the very lovely Diana!

Its not for me but I think the eyeliner tattoo thing can be a great option. Would any of you ever consider getting it? What about tattooed lipliner and eyebrows? 

Your Inked Friend,

Kelsey

Bloggy Makeover

For my loyal 4 followers this may come as a surprise but I am giving my blog a makeover. Yes it is well overdue. If you can recall back when I had the original green polka-dot, it was painfully obvious I was using a lame template that was offered on blogspot.com. Earlier this week I revamped it and made it pink with stripes but I went one more step beyond that tonight and created this here header...

I just downloaded Photoshop's free 30 day trial on my laptop for my Marketing Communications class this afternoon, which I used to create this image. Getting Photoshop was like getting a package of makeup in the mail, I had to test it out and play with it. Unfortunately, its pretty expensive to purchase. Even with the student discount I'm still looking at shelling out $199. I'm going to take full advantage of the next 30 days to play with the program. If you want to download the trial yourself, click here. 

And since the blog is coming up on its one year anniversary, why not give it a makeover now? 

I hope this inspires you to go back to your blog, resolution, or hobby that you once committed to and give it makeover. Putting a little extra elbow grease and love could be just the trick to making whatever goal a reality. (Shout out to my mother who lost 6.5 pounds since she started her New Years fitness resolution. Now that is the type of dedication that I'm talking about! Yay Ellen!) 

I'll be back with an extra special post tomorrow that gets back to the root of why this blog is here in the first place... to land me a gig in the beauty industry. 

Much Love,

Kelsey

Makeup Organization and Storage Solution

Organization is the key to life... and a kick ass makeup collection! I wanted to make this video for a long long long time and I re-recorded it at least twice as well. After watching several other beauty gurus shell out major $$ in the name of storage I wanted to share my picks for affordable organization that will grow with your collection.

The set of plastic drawers on wheels can be found at Target... in fact everything can be found at Target. I really like this set because it came with a combination of both small thin drawers and deep drawers. It cost $18 and you can also purchase additional sets of drawers to stack on top. Here is a link to order it online. 

The clear organizer on top was also from Target in the cosmetic department. It was $17. Here is the link for that. (actually, the link is of a less expensive bigger version. I wish I had seen it at the store)

The drawer dividers were from the kitchen section of Target and came in packs of 2 large, 2 medium, and 4 small sections. I ended up getting two sets at $9 each. I also really like that they lock together they don't slide around if the drawer is slightly bigger. Click here to purchase online. (I couldn't find the one I purchased online but its pretty close.)

Full Report on the Blind Date

So although this is a stretch to make this post beauty related I knew there may be one or two out there who wanted to know how this terrifying blind date went. It was everything I feared! No, worse! He showed up with another girl!

I'm kidding....

It was nothing like I feared. He was very charming and we stayed so long, the hostess had to kick us out (which was actually very rude considering we were only there from 8-10...). We went to this chocolate bar downtown DC called Coco Sala (I'll post a link to their website) and it was a chocolate lover's heaven. The cocktails were all chocolate themed and since I just turned 21 I ordered the "fetish" which was a chocolate strawberry drink. They have a fantastic desert menu and everything was delish! I would definitely suggest this place to anyone in DC looking to impress a girl.

http://www.cocosala.com/

Before going out I stumbled upon this makeup artist on YouTube and I am in love. Check out her video about a first date look. I am addicted to all of her videos and since she does work for Elle, Vogue, etc. the quality of the videos are fantastic.

Enjoy the superbowl today! (GO PACKERS!) I will be watching for the commercials.

Lets Talk About Date Night Makeup

As much as I love going out on dates... and trust me I do... I have to admit I always fear the worst. For example, in my head, my date is not going to show up tonight for the dinner reservations he made. Lets hope that does NOT happen! 

The point of this post is... what the heck type of makeup do you wear on a first date?!

Think about what your favorite feature about your face is. What type of date is it? Is it during the evening or afternoon? For the purposes of this post let me explain my situation. 

We are going out to dinner to a chocolate bar downtown. I did my research and checked out the place online and it has a very sophisticated atmosphere and its on the pricier side (read high heels are a must). This is our first date and I have never actually met him in person, its basically a blind date. 

So what do you want to wear to an event like this? Focus on the eyes.

There will be drinks and chocolate involved so stay away from lipsticks and lip glosses that transfer. Instead go for a really soft brown smokey eye. Choosing a brown eye instead of black is more natural and also less intimidating. I would also suggest breaking out the false lashes. Here is my video about how to apply false lashes. Also, play up your bone structure with contour and highlight. The goal here is to look like you but a really gorgeous you. I will update with a couple photos of what I ended up doing. (And how the date went!)