De-Fuzzing

We always talk about makeup but we rarely talk about what goes on behind the scenes…aka skincare and the “grooming” process. I’ve already talked about my skincare and how important it is to flawless makeup. Today, I will be focusing on the grooming process.

Most people wax or thread their eyebrows and any other unwanted hair on their face. This is exactly what I used to do until this summer. I went to the beauty salon, and they offered to de-fuzz my face instead of waxing. I got it done and loved the results. It takes all the peach fuzz off and shapes your eyebrows without any of the tugging.

De-fuzzing is basically taking a small razor and shaving off any unwanted hair. Even though it has to be done more often, it is ten times better than waxing or threading. All the tugging and pulling causes wrinkles in the long run. And if you shave a little too much of your eyebrows, they grow back pretty fast. The razors are super cheap and you can find them at Walmart or Sally’s. It will change the way your makeup looks! Give it a try!

Thanks so much for reading!

No Makeup Makeup

Mornings are always hectic…we take a little too long in the shower, wake up too late, or something else happens to cut our time short. As a result, I always skipped makeup. Recently, I discovered a couple of makeup products that are fool-proof and make you look polished within minutes. Perfect for mornings!

The products I use are:

• Becca Ever-Matte Primer

I always apply primer to avoid looking super oily. This is the best primer to keep the oil way.

• L’Oreal Magic Nude Liquid Powder

This foundation is liquid and dries to a powder finish. It is best to apply with your fingers so you don’t even need to have a foundation brush or beauty blender. It is one of my favorite drugstore foundations!

• Benefit Gimme Brow

I love the Gimme Brow. It has a brush applicator that makes application super fast for full, defined brows.

• L’Oreal Telescopic Mascara

This is one of my favorite mascaras. I think no makeup look is complete without mascara. This is always a must for me!

• theBalm Bahama Mama Bronzer

I use the Bahama Mama bronzer to bring back some of the dimension in my face. I apply it on my forehead, on the hollows of my cheeks, and on my neck. It also gives a little bit of contouring which is always a plus!

• Sugar Lip Treatment

I usually don’t do any lipstick for work, but I like to apply a lip balm.

I am usually done with my makeup in 5 minutes. I look put together without much effort.

Thanks for reading!

P.S-No picture because I’m having trouble uploading the file sorry!!

Brush Cleaning 101

Dirty brushes are breeding grounds for bacteria. You should wash your brushes at least every two weeks to avoid getting that bacteria on your face and in your makeup. There’s no need to go out and buy expensive brush cleaners, you can actually wash them with products you have in your kitchen. I use dish soap and olive oil to clean mine. The dish soap eliminates the bacteria, and the olive oil helps keep the brushes soft.

• Mix dish soap and olive oil in a bowl
• Dip brush in mixture
• Swirl brush on a surface (I like to use my Sigma Beauty Spa glove)
• Rinse and repeat until brush is clean

Happy Spa Day!

Keratin Treatment

This post is for all my girls with wavy/curly hair! My hair is curly and wavy (it doesn’t make up its mind) and it’s super frizzy. I like to wear my hair straight or with nice curls so I have always done some type of treatment to relax the curls and ease the styling process. After years of relaxing, straightening, and curling, my hair was completely fried and I had to cut A LOT off (it was a sad day 😦 ).  After cutting it, I styled it even more because I didn’t like how short it looked without styling. So the vicious cycle started again UNTIL I found out about the Keratin Treatment.  

For those of you who don’t know, a Keratin Treatment is a smoothing hair treatment. It is similar to the Brazilian/Japanese straightening treatments WITHOUT the damage!!!! It isn’t damaging because keratin is a protein that occurs naturally in your hair. 

This is how it works:

1. Hair is washed to remove any dirt/residues
2. Keratin is applied to hair 
3. Hair is blow dried
4. Keratin treatment is sealed in with a flat iron
5. Wait at least two days before washing hair

**It is important to use sulfate-free products to extend the life of the treatment.**

Before getting the treatment done, I researched it extensively. I saw the results of the Global Keratin on Carli Bybel from YouTube and decided to go ahead with it. I went on Global Keratin’s website to search which salon’s used the brand and found one about 40 mins away from me. Then, I called the salon and spoke with the owner about my options with the treatment. After speaking with him, I felt confident that the stylist knew what she was doing and booked an appointment.

Three days after my appointment, I washed my hair with the Global Keratin moisturizing shampoo and conditioner. I bought mine at the salon but you can also find them on amazon.  I let my hair air dry and loved the results!! My hair dried straight with a few beach type curls, absolutely NO frizz, AND it look healthier! I could walk outside and my hair stayed exactly the same. I love this treatment and I would recommend it to anyone! I hope this helps anyone that would like to get one!

Tips and Tricks!

To make your curls last longer, spray your hair with some dry shampoo before curling! The texture helps maintain the curl.

Xoxo,
Bites Beauty

Birthday Beauty Haul!

My birthday was a couple of weeks ago, and I got some stuff that I wanted to share with you! I went shopping at Northwest Arkansas Mall and Pinnacle Hills Promenade as well as online. I got everything beauty related at Sephora, Ulta, Nume, MAC, and Makeup Geek.

At Ulta, I purchased two brushes from Brush Lab, a 3″ barrel and a small bang control brush. I have recently started blow drying my hair instead of using the hair straightener to minimize the damage caused by styling tools. I have a lot more practice to do, but I feel like these brushes really help speed the process. 

At Sephora, I bought the Becca Ever-Matte Poreless Priming Perfector, Benefit Gimme Brow in Medium/Deep, and the Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour blush in Tipsy. The Becca primer is thee BEST! You will stay matte for hours! Best primer I have tried…amazing for oily skin! I usually use Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz to do my brows, but sometimes I don’t have much time and that’s when I use the Gimme Brow. It’s super easy and quick. The Tarte blush is a beauty! It’s a coral perfect for the last days of summer :). 

Nume is an online store that has all types of styling tools and GREAT discounts! I bought their Signature Dryer in Deep Fuschia. It retails for $246 BUT I got it for $89 total! The coupon code I used was sigdryer89. If you ever plan on purchasing something from them, make sure to make a Google search for Nume Coupon Codes to get some $$ off your purchase. They always have coupons available. 

At MAC I bought my all time favorite concealer, their Pro Longwear Concealer in NC35. It is perfect for under the eyes. 

Makeup Geek has to be my favorite makeup store. Their customer service is the best!! I have only bought their eyeshadows and gel liners, but they recently launched blushes and their first palette! I bought Cosmopolitan, Mermaid, Burlesque, and Bitten eyeshadows (if you would like swatches, let me know). Each shadow is $5.99 and they are great quality! Same quality as MAC shadows and way cheaper. Definitely check them out!

Thank you so much for reading!

Night Time Routine!

If you wear any makeup at all, washing your face at night is a must. At night, I make sure to take ALL my makeup off and moisturize to help my skin reboot and refresh for the next day. I use more products at night because, believe it or not, makeup DOES NOT come off completely with one step. If you have found a single product that takes it all off, please let me know!!

These are the products I use:

• Elf Makeup Remover Cleansing Cloths

Any makeup remover wipes will do…I just happen to have these at the moment. The first step in my routine is to use wipes to begin the process of taking makeup off. 

• Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm

Then, I take some of the balm in my hands and swirl it around to warm it up. I apply it to my face, rub, and wash off.

• Philosophy Clear Days Ahead Cleanser

Now, it is time to cleanse my face. I use this cleanser because it has salicylic acid, which helps keep breakouts from happening. 

• T.N. Dickinson’s Witch Hazel Toner

After using all of those products on my face, I like to restore my skin’s pH balance. This is when I use the toner. I pour some on a cotton ball and apply it to my face. 

• Lush Enzymion Moisturizer

After toning, I moisturize. For my face, I use the same Lush moisturizer as in the morning time. It’s just the best!

I also use L’Oreal’s Youth Code Texture Perfector on my eye lips and under my eyes. This has really helped in reducing the appearance of fine lines under my eyes. 

• Bite Beauty Agave Lip Mask

The final step is to moisturize my lips. I have super duper dry lips :(…it’s awful. I found the agave lip mask a couple of months ago and I love it! I wake up to soft lips every morning! During the day, however, they just go back to being dry and chapped. I’ve heard that some lip balms/moisturizers actually dry your lips more so I decided to quit them to see if that would help. I am open to any suggestions/remedies…leave them in the comments and I’ll try them out!

Thank you so much for reading!

 

 

 

Morning Routine ft. LUSH Products-Including Spanish Translation!

I HATE mornings…but I LOVE my morning routine :)! I have finally found products that work with my type of skin and that have improved the condition of my skin. That being said, some of the products I use in the night time (next post!) are different. I just tried this combination and it works, so I’m sticking with it!!

After I get done brushing my teeth, I wash my face. These are the products I use:

I wash my face with Lush Ocean Salt Scrub. The little sea salt bits gently exfoliate your face and make your skin feel like a baby’s butt! 

 

Once I wash off the scrub, I dry my face with an **UNUSED** towel. I prefer to use a “new” towel, because it doesn’t have any bacteria or any residues on it. 

Then, I spray my face with Lush Tea Tree Water. I spray two or three pumps and let it dry on my face. I used to spray it on a cotton ball and then apply it to my face, but I found that spraying directly made my skin look healthier.

Once the Tea Tree Water dries, I apply my Lush Enzymion moisturizer. I have oily skin and this mattifies my skin INSTANTLY. It is AMAZEBALLS!! 

That is it for my morning routine! Let me know what are your favorite Lush products in the comments!

*******************************SPANISH TRANSLATION*******************************

ODIO las mañanas…pero me ENCANTA mi rutina por las mañanas! Finalmente, encontré productos que funcionan bien con mi tipo de piel y que han mejorado su condición. Por la noches, mi rutina cambia pero me gustan los resultados de la combinación de todos los productos!!

Después de cepillar mis dientes, me lavo la cara. Estos son los productos que uso:

Me lavo la cara con Lush Ocean Salt Scrub. Tiene pedacitos de sal que exfolian tu piel y hacen que se sienta como la de un bebe!

Luego de lavarme la cara, me seco con una toalla **LIMPIA**. De esta manera evitamos poner bacteria o residuos en nuestra cara.

Luego, roció mi rostro con Lush Tea Tree Water. Encuentro este método mejor que rociar un algodón y luego aplicarlo a la cara, ya que me gustan mas los resultados. 

Cuando el Tea Tree Water se ha secado, aplico mi crema hidratante, Lush Enzymion. Yo tengo piel grasosa y esta crema hace que mi piel se vea mate inmediatamente!! Es BUENISIMAA!

Eso es todo lo que hago por las mañanas! Déjame saber cuáles son tus productos Lush favoritos y si quieres ver mas posts en español!

My FAV YouTube Beauty Vloggers!!

Today, we will be talking ALL about YouTube beauty vloggers. I discovered this whole new world about a year ago, and I CAN’T go a day without watching a video. Forget beauty school! All you need to do is watch their tutorials, and you will learn EVERYTHING you need to know about makeup. Don’t go thinking they are all superficial and only talk about makeup, they are beautiful inside out. Subscribe to these ladies and you will have instant new besties! 

Jaclyn Hill

I am starting off with the first person I ever subscribed to on YouTube. She is nothing short of AMAZING. This girl can blend an eyeshadow like no other!! So so so talented!! She explains everything thoroughly, gives great product recommendations, and is so fun to watch (blooper alert!). Jaclyn even introduced me to my favorite eyeshadows from Makeup Geek (you NEED to check them out!). 

Nicole Guerriero

I actually discovered Nicole through Jaclyn. People would always tell Jaclyn that she had a similar style to Nicole, and so I decided to see what Nicole was all about…oh man, I was missing out!!! She is too fun to watch…super talented. Her halloween tutorials are BOMB! Let me quit rambling, do yourself a favor and check her out!

Carli Bybel

Nicole then introduced me to Carli…it’s kind of a domino effect (lolz)! Carli does makeup, hair, and even inspirational videos. Such a sweet girl! She also has a blog, The Fashion Bybel, where she posts a bunch of outfits and where to find them. Her style and fashion picks are FLAWLESS! She’s the go-to girl for fashion and beauty.

Amanda Ensing

You know how YouTube recommends what to watch next? Well, this is how I found Amanda. Not only is she talented, she is very smart. If you love highlighting, she is your girl! Amanda always talks about CCO (Cosmetics Company Outlet) and oh my gosh THANK YOU AMANDA!!!! CCO sells discountinued makeup at, excuse the redundancy, discounted prices! It is part of Estee Lauder so you will only find makeup brands under their umbrella. For all MAC addicts…you can find MAC products at a discount!!! Let me tell you this though, CCOs are hard to find! For those in Texas or close to Allen, there is one at the Allen Premium Outlets :)!! Happy shopping!

Casey Holmes

The first video I saw on Amanda’s channel featured another beauty vlogger, Casey Holmes. All my oily skin girls, she’s got the best products for you. She’s super sweet and tries to have at least a couple of videos up per week. Her makeup is always flawless…check out her latest tutorial!

Please comment below! I want to hear your thoughts and what else you would like to see on my blog!

Must-Have Beauty Apps

I am OBSESSED with all things fashion and beauty! As a result, I am always scouting the Internet for the best deals and finds. I have recently found a couple of apps that do all the work for me, and I could not keep them all to myself so I am sharing them with you!!

Makeup Genius by L’Oreal

I learned about this fun app from the amazing YouTube beauty vlogger, Carli Bybel. The app lets you virtually try on different products and looks! The face recognition on the app is INCREDIBLE!! It does not take a picture, it’s realtime application! Makeup goes exactly where it should (no eyeliner on the brows, haha!). Oh, and it’s free :). 

 

 

 

RetailMeNot

I DO NOT go shopping without checking RetailMeNot for the latest deals. They have coupons for almost everything you can imagine! The app let’s you choose your favorite stores and keeps them on your home page for easy access. Most beauty stores don’t have coupons, but they have promotions which are also listed. Best of all is that you can submit coupons, so go ahead and share the love!

 

 

The Hunt

This is probably my favorite app! I used to hate going on Pinterest, finding a cute outfit, and then not knowing where to buy it. A couple of weeks ago, I was watching Casey Holmes’ July Favorites (Yes, I am obsessed with beauty vloggers! All my favs in my next post so stay tuned!), and she mentioned how The Hunt helps you find those coveted pieces. The app shows pictures of items that people have found or are trying to find, and tapping on the item reveals where to buy it. You can follow items, upload an item you want to find, follow people…it’s so fun!!

If you think there are any other apps I should check out, leave them in the comments!

Until next time!