Making Waves: Items Needed for the Perfect Beach Day

Making Waves by redlipgloss 

Allan and I leave for Sayulita, Mexico in 3 days and we are both so excited to be getting away from the daily grind and seeing our old pal, the Sun, again.

We've both learned so much about packing for trips (mainly me, as Allan has always been a better packer) that we've only packed a carry-on bag, each, for our 8 days in Mexico.  Gone are the days of paying $75 for an overweight bag at the airport!!

This collage features all the items you need for the perfect day at the beach: The Gnarly Whale's Thai Coconut Beach Waves Salt Spray, a Maaji reversible bikini (any one will do as they are the absolute best bathing suits you will purchase), your favorite sarong, a pair of Sanuk flip-flops (the best ever) and Oscar Blandi's Pronto Dry Shampoo.

I can honestly say there are only three little things missing from this list: One, your favorite book, two, a lip gloss and three, a sunscreen.  Place all these items in a beach bag and you are good to go!

What are your must-haves for the perfect day at the beach???

PS - Remember to tune in to the blog on February 2 for Red Lip Gloss' FIRST EVER Blog Sale!

    

DIY Beauty Fridays: 8 Home Remedies That Will Banish Dark Circles

Dark circles just won't go away???

Dark circles can creep up at anytime.

Maybe you haven't slept in a few days or maybe it's hereditary.  Either way, those pesky dark circles can make it so your makeup never looks quite right, despite using as much concealer as you possibly can.

Potatoes, cucumber slices or cold tea bags are the most common home remedies as the coolness shocks the skin but they also all contain an ingredient that soothes and calms the eye area.

Check out this handy guide for more home remedies to banish those dark circles.

What are some of your favorite home remedies??  What has been working for you?

   

And The Winner of the Palmer's Giveaway Is.......

And the winner of the Palmer's Giveaway is.... LORI S!!!

There was a total of 19 entries and number 17 works out to Lori!  Congrats, girl, on your win!!  Please email me your full name and mailing address for me to send to Palmer's.  They will be mailing out your prize!  My email address is cmwolthers@gmail.com

Thanks again for everyone who entered.

PS - Beginning February 2, I will be hosting an AMAZING blog sale.  Stay tuned friends...

    

Ipsy's January Glam Bag - My First One!

Today, I received my first Glam Bag from Ipsy.  For those that haven't heard of Ipsy, it's a monthly subscription to a site that mails you beauty products every month to try for a very low fee.  You even get to take a fun quiz to determine what type of products you like and what you're in to.

Being that it was my first glam bag, I wasn't too sure what to expect.  In my package, I received:

All Over Eye Shadow Brush by Elizabeth Mott
Pacifica Natural Mineral Coconut Eye Shadow in Treasure (it's gorgeous)
BellaPierre Highlighter Simmer in Excite
Malin + Goetz Mojito Lip Balm
Nourish Organic Renewing Eye Cream with Avocado + Argan
Makeup Bag

As soon as I opened the glam bag I immediately went online and re-did my beauty quiz.  As cute as the few items are, I was really hoping for some bold, new colors or tools that I might not have seen before.  Perhaps, next month.

Have you heard of Ipsy before?  What are your thoughts of my bag?

PS - Today is the last day of my blog giveaway. If you haven't entered yet, please do so at this link!
http://lipglossnheels.blogspot.ca/2015/01/red-lip-gloss-giveaway-win-palmers.html

    

New Drugstore Beauty Products for 2015

Being a resident of Canada, new beauty products seem to be released much later than in the US.  This is typically why I scour the internet for all the "newness" we don't have here, make a long list and then go hunting across the border for all these great new buys we may or may not get.

My list this year is AMAZING.  Here's a few of the items I can't wait to get my hands on:

John Frieda Beach Blonde Sun Streaks Lightening Spray $8.99 from Target

I used to use Sun-In religiously.  As soon as the weather was warm, I would pull out my trusty bottle and lighten my hair to my heart's content.  Best part about this product, though, is the brand name as John Frieda's products are usually fairly good!

Rimmel London Show Off Lip Velvet $8.99 from Ulta

Rimmel has been a fall-back cheap line for me in the past and I am super stoked to try this out.  Supposedly, it will provide 8 hours of continuous color WITHOUT drying your lips.  Can't wait to put this to the test.

Flower Hollywood Secret Concealer Kit $12.98 from Target

Okay, I can honestly say I've never purchased a concealer kit in my life but this one has two nude colors, a green AND a brightening primer.  I mean, it doesn't get much better than that.

L'Oreal Brow Stylist Plumper $6.99 from Target

Bold brows, bold brows, ladies!  They are not going anywhere, anytime soon.  So, instead of fighting it, by the product and plump your brows like a crazy person.

Alba Botanica Fast Fix for Puffy Eyes $5.99 from Target

Love this line to start with and now they have a puffy eye product for under 6 dollars?  Amazing.  This cooling gel is said to remove the puffiness super quickly and works better than using cold spoons.  Much more discreet!!

Physician's Formula Super BB All-in-1 Cheek & Lip Beauty Balm $6.95 from Physcian's Formula

Looks like Eos lip balm BUT has color and can be used on your cheeks.  I say this is a win win product for sure.

E.L.F. Essential Lip Balm Tint $2 from Target

I love products I can put on with my fingers.  A tinted balm that only costs $2...I have a feeling this will become my favorite product this year.  Can't wait to see the other tints this comes in.

Garnier Ultra-Lift Miracle Sleeping Cream $16.99 from Garnier

There just aren't enough inexpensive anti-aging products on the market these days.  I do enjoy Garnier and am digging this new product, especially as it's supposed to make your skin look like a million bucks overnight.

Tresemme Expert Selection Perfectly (un)Done Sea Salt Spray $7.39 from Drugstore.com

I have pretty much tried every Sea Salt Spray on the market since my favorite Charlotte Ronson spray was discontinued.  So, why would I not try this one.  Plus, it's super cheap.

I can not wait to get my hands on these products!!  What are your faves of 2015??


    

Dreaming of a NEW Vanity Table!

I posted quite some time ago about my current vanity table situation and how I was "attempting" to refurbish a vintage desk.

So, to give you an update....this was a fail.

I swear I tried to do this and then things seemed to come up.  Like Allan and I getting married, then going to Bali for a long honeymoon, then a 3 month trip and now a little baby BOY on the way.  (Yes, we're having a BOY!)

We've been so focused on purging useless items around the house and getting the nursery ready that my vanity table project has been thrown out completely.  So, I've decided to buy some items to make the perfect vanity spot.  Here's my vision...  

Gorgeous, isn't it?  I love that they are using an inexpensive table and chair from IKEA.  I will be getting this color chair instead though...

I do, though, feel like it might be a bit too small as is so I will also be adding a....

And then, above the table, I will be placing a mirror similar to this color.....

But, the area won't be complete without this amazing DIY jewelry organizer...

Photo Courtesy of http://www.therococoroamer.com/2014/07/diy-hanging-jewelry-organizer.html

And then this adorable little earring holder...

So many new and cool items to add to my bohemian bedroom.  Not to mention the new carpets and paint coming next week!!  FYI, check out the site I posted underneath the jewelry organizer because it's a simple DIY you can create yourself.

What are you currently storing your beauty products in??  What would be your DREAM vanity table?

    

Makeup Brush Cheat Sheet

Photo courtesy of dropdeadgorgeousdaily.com

With so many types of makeup brushes on the market now, how do you even know which tool does what?  Kabuki, concealer, foundation, stippling and contour brushes are just naming a few but how do you know what tool works with which beauty product?  Check out this cheat sheet to make all your brush woes disappear.

Foundation Brush

This brush is used to apply liquid foundation or cream foundation all over your skin.  The flat bristles make for easy application but also creates a flawless looking finish on your skin.  Ensure you're picking the correct type as they come in two different variations: tapered and rounded.  Tapered is best used with liquid and cream foundations whole rounded contains densely packed bristles that blend as your brush which creates a smoother, more natural appearance.

Stippling Brush

The stippling brush contains two different types of fibers blended in one brush and is best used with liquid foundation.  The flat top is perfect for added coverage and will give you an airbrushed look. However, this brush can also be used for cream blush and bronzers.

Concealer Brush

This one may be obvious but this brush is used to apply concealer on all those little red bumps or slight imperfections.  This brush usually looks like a foundation brush but is way smaller so as not to aggravate the bump when it's being used.  Ensure you use this only for concealer and only use a small amount of product at a time.  Once you've placed on the spot, feather the product around the bump using the brush without disturbing the foundation.

Blush Brush

The fluffy brushes are usually for blush.  They are fantastic for blush/bronzers are they distribute powdered products evenly and can cover large areas of the face with little work.  You can also use this brush for highlighter products as well.

Contour Brush

This angled brush allows you to add dimension and definition to your face as the bristles mimic the angle of your cheek bones.  This brush is great when used with bronzers and blushes and can be used all over the face to create a sun-kissed look.

Eye Shadow Brush

If you don't have one of these brushes, I suggest going out and buying them ASAP.  I always keep three on hand: one for light colors, one for pigments and one for dark colors.  This brush is an absolute staple for any and all eye looks.  You can also wet this brush before using certain eye shadows to create very dramatic eyes.

Eyebrow Brush

This firm angled brush is perfect for creating precise lines and filling in sparse eyebrows.  You can also use this great brush for eyeliner, which I do often.  Ensure you are filling in your eyebrows only in the direction of hair growth!!

    

Lipstick and Lip Gloss Haul

I adore lipsticks and glosses.

I asked my friends, recently, what their favorite beauty product was and after a number of varied responses, I realized mine was lipstick/gloss. I seriously apply it about 30 times a day.  I do believe that my lips would fall off without wearing it.

I guess this makes sense why I am constantly buying new ones!  Seriously, though, you must check these out.

I recently got two Make Up For Ever Lipsticks, one Rouge Dior and 3 Younique Lip Glosses, on a whim one day.  What's even funnier is the majority of them are all in the same tone and shade.

From left to right the colors are Make Up Forever Rouge Artist Natural in N52, Rouge Dior 644 in Rouge Blossom (one of my favorite colors ever), Make Up Forever Rouge Artist Natural in N52 (and this is NOT the color I picked out in the shop so will be returning), Younique Lucrative Lip Gloss in Lethal, Younique Lucrative Lip Gloss in Ladylike and, last but not least, Younique Lucrative Lip Gloss in Luscious.

I love all these colors EXCEPT the horrible light nudey peach color that honestly looks like nothing at all.  Hopefully they will allow me to return it.

What are your favorite beauty products?  What can't you live without?

    

Red Lip Gloss Giveaway! Win A Palmer's Winter Skin Package

I'm super excited to share this giveaway with you! Not only are the products fantastic BUT you get so many different products to try.  Also, this giveaway is ONLY OPEN TO CANADIAN RESIDENTS!!

Here's what's included:  Palmer's Skin Therapy Oil Face, Palmer's Skin Therapy Oil Rosehip, Palmer's Skin Therapy Oil, Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Lotion and Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Swivel Stick.  This package has a total value of $50.

To enter, you must be a Canadian Resident and follow this blog through Google Friend Connect.  After you'd followed this blog, please add a comment to this post saying you are following.  To obtain other entries, you can do the following:
    Follow me on Bloglovin' - +1 entry (comment and let me know this)
    Tweet about this giveaway with a link back to this page - +1 entry (comment and let me know this)
    Follow Red Lip Gloss on Facebook - +1 entry (comment and let me know this)
    Follow Younique by Christina on Facebook - +1 entry (comment and let me know this)      

That's it friends, easy-peasy.  This giveway will be open until January 14th at midnight!  Enter away and on the 15th a winner will be announced via this blog.

I love my Palmer's products and can't wait for you to love yours too!