The Moisturizer that Has Me Believing!

Moisturizers are always a hard thing to come by for me. Either they're not hydrating enough or they are they moisture me, but my skin gets parched throughout the day. Rarely have I found one that leaves my skin nice and supple and not quenching for thirst....until now!

I think I may have found my holy grail moisturizer! The Brand is called Belief and it's a skin care brand that I recently discovered in which they "marry the traditional approach to treating the body & mind to maintain the skin's ideal condition". What caught my eye was the super cute display of their products that we have in Sephora! Not to mention if you check out their website, it's too cute and very animated!

Their philosophy is quite simple as well, they keep it: REAL, SIMPLE, and SINCERE


So far I love this moisturizer, and I haven't ran into any problems with it either! I leaves my skin so fresh and moisturized! I love using this in the morning and then switch it up with a different moisturizer at night.

It's certainly not everyone's favorite, especially those with oily skin! And the smell isn't for everyone either, for me it just smells like smells like fresh lemons. I guess, that can be off putting for some! lol

The moisturizer I have is The True Cream: Intense Aqua Bomb. The consistency is interesting because it's sort of like a gel, but a little runny ( if that makes any sense; probably not!) The color is also what caught my eye, it's a clear blue color and that's how I can tell the difference between that and their other moisturizer.


Another thing that sold me on this product is the fact that it doesn't feel heavy on the skin! You know with some moisturizers that are extremely hydrating, leave your skin feeling like you have a lot of product on; maybe a little too much product? Well, this guy doesn't do that at all and caused my mind to be a bit perplexed the first time I used it! I think it's great that it's so light weight and yet still manages to really hydrate my skin! Yup, this little guy stole my heart and has me curious about more Belief products.

Have you tried any products from this line? If so, what's your favorite? :)
Until next time, sending all my love to my fellow beauty connoisseur,


Julie :)

Kat Von D's Everlasting Lip Stain (Her 16 new Shades)

If you're like me and have tried KvD's liquid lipsticks then you're totally obsessed with them! I have quite a few of her colors even the first ones she originally launched years (maybe not that long) ago! She recently launched 16 new shades and I'm in love with all the colors! She even added that batch of Lolita lipsticks that were too pink in this line under the name "Mother" and I can't wait to get my hands on each and every color!

 

I only have three colors to share with you all because these were the colors I was longing for!
The colors I chose were: Exorcism, Damned, and Echo  All of which are dark colors that I fell in love with and needed in my collection.

What made me fall in love with Kat's liquid lipstick was the simple fact that I didn't have to reapply all the time, I could eat in peace and not look like a crazy person, and if I did need to reapply it was easy to layer on top of what I already had! So when I heard she was coming up with 16 new shades, you could just imagine my excitement!

Exorcism, which is named after the cult film, is a beautiful deep burgundy red and a staple fall color or the perfect alternative to your everyday red. This color has to be my most favorite out of the three I purchased. It is quite similar to Vampira (which is already part of her line), so if you have that one I wouldn't bother so much with Exorcism, but if you don't have Vampira try this one out!

Damned, is a rich red purple (almost black) and to be honest, not my favorite. The color is gorgeous, but it doesn't make up for the inconstancy in the formula. I was so sad to find that with this color, I really had to layer it on because it would split (if that makes sense) and I had to wait for one layer to dry before adding another one on top because if I didn't it would just remove previous layer.
(TOP to BOTTOM: Echo, Damned, Exorcism)



Echo, which has my heart, is the most gorgeous cobalt blue and certainly a color for the daring! I can only guess that this color was named after the 80s band, Echo & the Bunnymen, or at least that's what I tell myself when I'm wearing this color! Again, I was a little disappointed to see that this color was a tad sheer when applied to the lips. I didn't bother me as much to keep layering this color to get the payoff because it is one of my favorite lip colors to wear as of now, so I deal with it. It takes maybe two & 1/2 layers to get it to my liking.



I'm hoping that there isn't an inconsistency in the formula with the other colors in this line that I found with the darker colors. I really do enjoy these liquid lipsticks aside from that little mishap and can't wait to try out her new eye shadows that she launched!

Until next time, sending all my love to my make-up connoisseurs

The Best Mask To Grace My Face

I've tried plenty of masks and had tons of success or it ended up being a total flop. If it's one mask I need is something to recharge my skin after a long day of work, when my skin is in jeopardy, or especially after a loooong night out. Nine times out of ten it's probably the first and last reason, but there only seems to be one mask I always reach for and it's also well worth the price!

 

*Insert drum roll* Charlotte Tilbury's Goddess Skin Clay Mask has been my go to mask for the past couple of months! It clams to "visibly lit, smooth, brighten, and tighten pores for baby soft skin". I definitely see a difference when I use this mask! My skin is super soft and it and ready to prepared for the rest of my skincare routine.


I tend to leave the mask on for 10 minutes then gently wash my face while massaging it into my skin. That's how I received the best results. It does not dry out my skin and it is pretty gentle considering I have sensitive skin.


I wasn't surprised to find that this mask was great because I love almost everything in Charlotte's line, but this would have to be amongst my favorite!


What are your go to masks? Can you recommend any to me?

Until next time, lost of love to all my beauty connoisseurs!

Love,
Julie

I Have to Admit,

I've been a bad blogger haven't I? I just want to thank all you guys who took the time to visit my blog, read my posts and especially those of you who kept checking to see if there was anything new! You guys are awesome, even those of you who are new you're awesome too! Life has been hectic... I graduated from Make-Up Designory in March and since then I've been actually living life. I got a job at my local Sephora and I've also had an internship since then. You all know when I started this blog I was going through a rough time and I sought out comfort in this blog, as well as it's community. I have to say, I've come a long way since then! I'm still continuing to recover from a lot of loss I had last year, but I'm starting to feel like my old self which is all I wanted.

I've also made amazing friends at school who are probably thee best bunch I could surround myself with! I've learned a lot about myself and had to reevaluate certain aspects of my life, but I'm glad to say things are finally starting to look up.


My internship has been quite the experience and I'm fortunate to have been interning for an amazing sculptor/ creature designer. I also had the luxury of interning with a friend, so I wasn't completely alone! (If you guys want to read/hear more about my internship let me know!)


As of now, I'm still trying to get myself and metaphorical feet wet in this industry. It certainly has it's hardships and requires persistence especially when it comes to applying for jobs, but once you do, it is quite rewarding. 


I've also met so many interesting and cool people while working at Sephora and it has been quite the experience! It makes me genuinely happy to able to assist a client and they walk out with a huge smile on their face because of whatever product they took home, or the simple fact that you made them feel special.

I am trying to make big changes in my life, like moving to New York by next year! I really need a change of scenery, for as much as I consider LA my home, I could use a lot of time away. The opportunity presented itself and I need to take it! haha I've been also trying to raise money for my kit in order to pick up more jobs. I actually started a gofundme and I got that awesome idea from another fellow make-up artist!

More is to come from me, I promise! I just need to kick myself in the bum to get myself rolling again with this blog because besides from make-up, writing makes me so happy!

Any who, I hope this post wasn't too boring for you all! I just felt the need to explain why I've been completely MIA since my last post! I love you all, my make-up connoisseurs!

Love,
Julie

My SPFX Final Project!

As promised, I'm excited to share with you all my Special Effects 201 class final project! This was my last day in the class and it was quite hectic as you can imagine and we were given two hours to complete our characters before they were photographed. As I look back at these photos there are so many things I wished I would've done, but I'm still very proud of my creation! So I'm pleased to present my creature sea siren :)






MUA: Julie Curl Photographer: Derek Athen Model: Brittany Durment

I was very pleased with design and concept, oh and of course with the photos as well! My model and fellow make-up artist, Brittany Durment (follow her on IG: MuahbyBrittArtistry) was amazing!

 Here are some of the behind the scenes work that went into creating my creature sea siren!

Sculpting the scales with a fellow MUA!

 To create the scales the first thing that had to be done was sculpt them out on clay, then stipple some mold rubber latex on top; depending on the thickness desired will determine how many layers of latex needs to be applied. I used 4-5 layers for mine.

                                

The end result!

Test make-up!

This piece had to be the most time consuming! I took a generic foam latex brow piece and individually added crystals to it. I think out of everything this piece is the one I'm most proud of!

It was definitely worth all the long hours getting these pieces ready to go and finally see my character come to life. If you guys are interested in seeing more of my work you can follow me on instagram @waveybrushartistry and I'll leave a link to my website right after I'm done working out the kinks!

Until next time, sending all my love to my fellow make-up connoisseurs!

Life Update!

Oh my goodness, where has the time gone? My last post consisted of what I've been learning thus far in make-up school when I first started. Now here I am, a new year, and I'm one class away from graduating Make-Up Designory. Life has been hectic, and when I finally do have some down time, all I want to do is just simply nothing. I've learned so much since attending MUD and I've met some incredible artists along the way. I just wrapped up my second to last class, special effects,  which was super fun! We had our final project and it was fun to see everyone's characters come to life. If you guys are interested in hearing more about that I'll go ahead and write a separate post! I feel horrible for leaving my blog on the side for this long, but school had me in a whirl and I tons of overlays to turn in. I was sort of burnt out at the end of the day to say the least. I'm glad to be back for the time being and thank you for those who contined to check in! (: I've done quite a few things since the last time I blogged and along with picking up new products. How has everyone else been since I've been away? Good, I hope!

New Romantic

Hello my lovelies! Its been quite sometime since I last sat down and wrote a blog post. So much has happened since starting makeup school, and trying to find that fine balance between my personal life and school has been difficult because I go to school full time. I am working on it, promise! I still can't believe I just wrapped up my midterm for beauty 101 and I only have 3 more weeks left until I advance to the next class! Time flew right by and so did this month, I can't believe October is almost here.

Anyway, I thought I would share this look I created over the weekend! I was really inspired by the new romantic style from the 80's and added my own spin with some purples. I hope you guys enjoy this look as much as I enjoyed creating it! I'm thinking of making this a regular thing there, what do you guys think?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Products Used:

Eyes:

•  NYX Jumbo Pencil in Milk
• Shany Cosmetics Boutique Eyeshadow Palette
• MUD Eyeshadow in Onyx
• Ardell Demi Black

Face:

• Loreal True Match in w4
• MUD Corrector in BC 1 & BC2

Cheeks:

• Shany Cosmetics Boutique Eyeshadow Palette

Lips:

• Wet N Wild Pagan Angel

I hope you all have been well! Tell me what you guys have been up to recently!

Until next time, sending all my love to my fellow makeup connoisseurs! x

My First Week At Makeup School!

As most you know I have just started my journey to becoming a make-up artist about a week ago. and boy has it been exciting! I must say that the journey started a bit stressful because I literally got my supplies a few days before my first day, but from then on out it has been quite thrilling. 

During the first week we had our orientation, which was supposed to be scheduled the day prior to the first day, but instead it held on the first day of class.
This day was packed with a lot of information to retain as far as what is expected and what we'll be learning in our class. The class that I am currently taking is called Beauty 101 and in this class we learn the basics of make-up application as the name suggests.



So far I have learned base matching, color correction, and highlighting and contouring! And boy do we get tons of practice! I can certainly say my skin took a beating this week!



It is certainly an exciting class, yes we do have lectures, but a majority of your class time is used to practice these skills on each other. So far my experience has been a good a good one and it's nice to be surrounded by others who are as passionate about the field and we also learn and support one another!





If you guys are interested in more of these kinds of posts, let me know and I'll be happy to do more! I was thinking of doing a "what's in my make-up kit" post and show you guys inside and what it is I take to school.

I hope all you are well, and until next time, sending all my love to my fellow make up connoisseurs! x

Things That Got Me Through August!

It seems as though August has gone by faster than any other month for me! I blinked my eyes for once second, and the next thing I knew I was in September. Surprisingly, I didn't use a lot of products this month because I've been running around trying to get my things together for makeup school, but here are the things that saw me through this month:

Suave Dry Shampoo

I can't tell you enough how dry shampoo saves my life! Especially, on days where I just don't have enough times to wash it, spray a little of this and my hair is instantly refreshed! One of my favorite dry shampoos is this one by Suave and I also wrote a review on some of my other favorites, which you can find (here).




Rimmel Lash Accelerator Endless

At first I didn't like this mascara because the formula was a little too wet for my taste, but as soon as I let it dry out a bit, it's perfect! It gives me the length I desire without making my lashes look clumpy. I love the fact that I can layer on the mascara without the end result looking like spider lashes!


Wet n Wild Blusher in Pearlescent Pink

I've been keeping my make-up looks quite simple this month and this blush pulls everything together for me! It instantly brightens the complexion and brings life back into my face! I love the silkiness of this blush and it blends wonderfully. There are some small golden flecks running through this blush, but it's not as noticeable on the skin.


Mario Badescu Buffering Lotion

With stress comes break outs and we all know they're not fun! It seemed like everything I tried was not working and that in itself stressed me out even more. I took a trip down to Ulta and stumbled upon this Buffering Lotion and thought "why not give this a try" and I did. I was suffering from cystic acne this month which are sometimes painful and they really did a number on my confidence. I tried this out and it not only reduced them in size, but it also brought them to a head!

E.L.F Nail Polish in Teal Blue

I purchased this nail polish in a set and I would say this nail polish was my favorite out of the bunch. I would say the color is more of a teal green than blue, but it's such a nice color and the formula holds up nicely!

The last thing that got me through this month and every single day since I had him was my rabbit, Somebunny. Sadly, he passed away during this month and it was the hardest thing. He saw me through all my hardships and accomplishments in his short life. He was definitely my best friend and I'm going to miss seeing his furry little face everyday!

This month has been filled with some sadness, but a lot joy as well. I can't wait to see what September brings.

What has gotten you through August? Have you discovered any new and exciting products?

Until next time, sending all my love to my fellow beauty connoisseurs! x

ELF Products: Are They Worth It? + My Favorites

 

When shopping for E.L.F products it can become quite overwhelming sometimes! Especially, when you're shopping online because there are so many products to choose from, and to be quite honest, they can sometimes be a miss. There are, however, some products that are amazing, and for the price, it's worth a try!

After trying out quite a few E.L.F. products I've actually discovered some gems and ones that I would definitely repurchase!

One of my favorites and one I was utterly impressed with is the Studio Matte Lip Color in the shade Rich Red. This lipstick is so pigmented and although it's matte, it's actually creamy and non drying. The first time I used this bad boy, I was instantly hooked! And, for $3, well, that's certainly a steal!

The E.L.F Studio Lip Stain in the shade Red Carpet is extremely comfortable to wear and it lasts a reasonable amount hours. If you plan on eating and drinking then, you will need to touch up every now then, but that's not exactly a deal breaker for me. I really do enjoy wearing this when I need a break from my other liquid lipsticks since those can be drying.


Another lipstick favorite is their Studio Moisturizing Lipstick.  I love these lipsticks because they are exactly what the name suggests: moisturizing! They also wear nicely throughout the day, which is vital! These lipsticks are super creamy that they glide beautifully on the lips, but not too creamy to the point where they slide off them. No one likes clown lips!

The E.LF. Studio HD Blush is one product that I fell in love with, and soon quickly fell out of it. Yes, it's extremely pigmented and it does last hours! Unfortunately,  the formula is flawed. When I first tried it out the consistency was quite thick, but as time went on (give or take 2 weeks) it became runny. It's still  manageable,  but that problem was a let down.

On the powder side of things, the E.L.F Studio Blush is rather nice. The formula is slightly on the powdery side, but I personally don't find that to be a problem.  Actually its forgiven because it does seem to last a reasonable amount of hours on my face which is rare.



When it comes to cream products,  I'm always a bit hesitate because I feel like they would slip and slide off my face,  but the E.L.F Contouring Blush & Bronzing Cream to my surprise lasted pretty well on my face. I love the dusty pinky peach shade and the bronzing cream is nice as well. I was scared to use the bronzing cream because I felt like it would make my face look muddy. Fortunately,  it didn't!











The E.LF Essential All Over Color Stick , as you know, is exactly that essential!  These babies are great to use as a highlight.  It's shimmery and definitely gives off that wet dewy look. I can't rave enough about these color sticks and they also smell like lemonade.  Yum!

The very first item I tried from E.L.F was actually their Essential Eyelid Primer and this would have to be my most repurchased item. It's a great eyeshadow primer and for the price, you really can't go wrong! If you have extremely oily eyelids this primer might not be ideal, but it's a worth a try!

E.L.F HD Lifting Concealer is something I use on a daily basis and for good reasons! I have the brightening concealer which does help brighten my under eye area. I do find that the product does dry quickly, so you have blend it out once you put it on.


Overall, I think E.L.F products are definitely worth a try considering all their products are reasonably priced. You never know, you might end up finding a few gems like I did!

Have you given E.L.F products a go?  What are some of  your favorites?

As always, sending all my love to my fellow make up connoisseurs! x

Tips For Getting Back into Running!

As you may or may not know, I've recently got back in the habit of running! It's been  tough to keep at it, especially if you haven't gone for a run in so long, but once you do it's totally worth it. A few days ago, I had a conversation with one of my friends and we both concluded that running is in fact quite difficult to keep on top of; that conversation inspired me to write this post! I hope some of these tips will either inspire you to start running or simply stay on track with it.



1.Start off small
What helped me get back into the swing of things was to work my way up to running by walking a lot more than I normally do. You definitely don't want to overexert yourself, which for me is easy to do because I like to push myself, but it's best to work your way up! So go for more walks or start off with a small jog.


2. Schedule your runs
This is the most helpful for me because I know every time the clock hits 7, that's my cue to put on my workout gear, and head out the door! It's always nice to set a schedule for yourself and it makes the process easier to get back into.

3. Treat yourself!
This is probably the most important tip! Once you start your running routine, you should treat yourself with something nice as a reward. Get yourself whatever it is you've been lusting over recently because you deserve it! Or pamper yourself after that long run! I can't tell you enough how rewarding it feels to come home after a run and treat myself to nice long warm bath!

4. Don't beat yourself up
If you decide to skip a day or you simply couldn't go for a run, don't beat yourself up for it. It's okay to miss a day or two, and you shouldn't beat yourself up for it. Life happens and sometimes you just don't want to and I'm here to tell you it's okay! You can always go for a run the next day or week.


These are the tips that helped me get back in the groove and although it's hard at times, I just remind myself of how I feel during and after my runs to keep myself motivated. I hope some of these tips are useful to you!

Do you have any helpful tips?

As always, sending all my love to my fellow beauty connoisseurs! x

Where Have I Been/ Life Update

Hey, Guys!

It's been quite sometime since my last post and I sincerely apologize life has gotten a tad bit hectic these past few weeks. I was away planning a small BBQ I threw for my friends as a small thank you for being there for me and just being great friends to me in general. As you all know these past few months have been quite hard for me and still is, but I'm managing to pick myself up slowly but surely. Then last week I was helping one of my friends plan a surprise party for her boyfriend (who is also one of my good friends) and boy, that was stressful! The party was a big success, although I'm not going to lie, we all had a little too much to drink which then resulting to my phone being found at the bottom of a pool. (Drink responsibly!) While that's getting sorted, I've also been quite busy with tons of paperwork due to the fact that I will be starting make up school next month! Exciting right?! I promise I'll be back up with new posts soon! I also can't wait to share my journey with you all as I start taking the steps to becoming a make up artist.


What have you all been up to recently? I would love to know if anything exciting has happened! 


As always, sending all my love to my fellow make up connoisseurs! xo

Nominated For a Liebster Award?!

A couple days ago I received a notification that the lovely Urika from http://uforurika.blogspot.co.uk/ has nominated me for a Liebster Award! This was very exciting news and I just want to that Urika for nominating me and I would love for you guys to go check out her blog, she makes me wish I lived in London!

The rules are as followed:

• You must answer all questions that are given to you 
• You must link back to the person who nominated you 
• When you finish this, you must nominate eleven bloggers who have less than 200 followers
• Provide your nominees with eleven questions of your choice
• You cannot nominate the person who nominated you 
• You must inform your nominees that you have nominated them 
• Provide your nominees with a link to your post for more information

Here were my questions asked by my nominator:

1.) What's your favourite band?

 This one is rather tough because I have so many that I hold close to my heart, but if I had to choose just one I would say New Order!

2.) What's your favourite clothing store? 

My favorite clothing store would have to be a toss up between Boohoo and Sidecca

3.) If you can have dinner with anyone, be it dead or alive who would it be and why?

I would love to have dinner with David Bowie! If you know me then you would know how crazy I am about Bowie and I think our dinner would be magical, and I would hope he would also sing a bit for me after dinner. (:

4.) Would you rather be a unicorn or a mermaid for a day?

Can I be a unimaid? Can that be thing please? haha

5.) How do you like your eggs in the morning?

Sunny side up all the way!

6.) Favourite London Underground station?

 I wish I could say that I've been to London, but sadly I haven't. 

7.) If you could visit anywhere in the world where would it be and why?

  I would love to visit London because it's always been on the top of my list, and I would love to explore every bit of it!

8.) What is your best childhood memory?

 My best childhood memory would have to be, the days when I would always go outside with my easel and paint. I used to love painting as a kid!

9.) Marmite. Love it or hate it?

 Never had marmite, but I would be willing to give it a try.

10.) Do you have any siblings and if so, what are their names and ages?

 Unfortunately, I'm an only child and always wanted to have siblings! 

11.) Do you think bloggers could take over the world one day?!

Yes, definitely and I would looove to see that happen! Bloggers Unite!

Here are my nominees: 

Lore: http://faraloo.com/
Angela: http://thesundaychapter.blogspot.com/
Karina: http://www.simpleandblack.com/
Klaudia: http://www.thedailyvogue.com/
Marley: http://wtfisthenewblack.blogspot.hk/
Elle: http://www.beautyisawonderland.com/
Sapna: http://todaysbeautyfavourites.blogspot.com/
Candy: http://www.owl-girl.com/
Mishutkina: http://mishutkina.blogspot.ru/ 
Poppy: http://memymouse.wordpress.com/
Louise: http://www.lcsbeauty.com/

My questions to you all are:
1. What is your holy grail product?
2. What was the reason you started blogging?
3. If you could switch places with one person in the world who would it be and why?
4. Favorite food?
5. Do you have any weird habits?
6. What is your favorite thing about blogging?
7. Favorite book?
8. Coffee or tea?
9. What's your favorite t.v. show?
10. What's your dream vacation?

I can't wait to read all your responses, and please do link your post bellow so I can read them! 

Until next time, sending all my love to you all! x

Glowing Skin: My Favorite Highlighters

For the past year my skin has been looking rather dull! No matter how any skin care products I buy promising a nice radiant glow, my skin lacks luster. But lucky for me there are make up products to help me fake that "glow from within"!

 My first favorite would defineltly have to be L'oreal's Magic Lumi! I cannot get enough of this stuff, it makes my skin look so glowy and healthy. At first I was tad hesitant to apply this all over my face because I thought it would make me look a little too dewy, but once applied to the skin it looks gorgeous for an all over glow. I enjoy this product especially if I've had a late night and it instantly perks up my skin! What I like most about this product is the fact that I can wear it on it's own on days when I don't want to wear foundation!
















 Next is NYX's Born To Glow Liquid Illuminatior in Sun Beam, I enjoy using this product on the high points of my face instead of using it all over. Like the L'oreal Magic Lumi this also has a metallic finish! If you want an intense highlight this might be a good match for you. The one thing I did find is that this product dries quickly, so you do have to blend it in fast!

















Benefit's Girl Meets Pearl is a beautiful product to give you a nice glow! I love using this all over or mixed into my foundation. I often use this when I want a subtle all over glow.






















As you can see, I do enjoy Benefit's highlighters and Watt's Up has my heart! This is a cream to powder highlighter that blends like an absolute dream. I adore using this product to save my face from looking flat and give it some more dimension. You can make this a subtle highlight or you can build it up to make it a bit more intense. This would have to be one of my favorite champagne highlighters!










If you're looking for a good highlighter on a budget this one by Elf is amazing! The best thing about it is the fact that it only costs $1.00! These Essential All Over Color Sticks are so creamy and pigmented, they glide nicely onto the skin leaving a beautiful highlight! They also smell like lemonade, but the sent doesn't linger, if you're worried about that.
I was honestly surprised by the quality of this and I'm glad I found it!






What are some of your favorite highlighters?

Until next time, sending all my love to my fellow make up connoisseurs!  X