FOUNDATION FIXATION: Almay Smart Shade

Here's another round of my FOUNDATION FIXATION!! This time I'm reviewing Almay's Smart Shade. Have you tried this? What do you think?

Let me know!

hb
xox

Face of the Day: Coral!!

So... I recently took a trip to MAC and it was my first trip ever! I bought 2 lipsticks and an MSF. I must say I'm absolutely in love with their Cremesheen lipsticks! I purchased this one is Crosswires. It's a beautiful coral/orange/pink color. It match my cardigan brilliantly so I had to do a post about it! YAY!!

What colors are you obsessed with right now?

hb

xox

FOUNDATION FIXATION: Maybelline's New Dream Nude Airfoam foundation & Covergirl/Olay 2-in-1 Tone Rehab foundation

First 2 foundations I tried out this past weekend!

Have you tried them?? Let me know!

hb

xox

REVIEW: Maybelline NY Master Precise Ink Pen Eyeliner

I really wanted to find a good liquid eyeliner that made it easy to create a winged eye look or just an everyday, thin lined look. Everything I've tried has been ok and has got the job done after about 5 minutes of trying to get it perfect.

SO FRUSTRATING!!!

Well, my search for the perfect liquid liner is OVER! I have found my true love!! It's Maybelline New York's Master Precise Ink Pen Eyeliner by EYESTUDIO.

It's a liquid eyeliner pen that's so fine and thin that it makes lining your eyes SO SIMPLE! I'm absolutely IN LOVE with this product!! You don't have to shake it or wet it down. It's all ready to go for you! No mess and no fuss, which I love! It saved me so much time this morning when I was getting ready for work! 

I purchased mine at Walgreen's for around $8. It was bundled with the new Color Tattoo Cream Shadows. CVS has a deal going on right now, buy $15 worth of Maybelline products and get a $5 extra bucks at the register! Totally worth it!! So RUN to your local drugstore and BUY THIS NOW!!!!

TWEET ME and tell me if you like it!!

hb
xox

NEW PRODUCT: Maybelline's Dream Bouncy Blush

So... I saw this at Target and HAD to try it. The packaging is adorable and it looks so light and fluffy!!

The color I got was Fresh Pink 05. I want to get the coral colors too. My first thoughts on this after using it this morning is that it's pretty light and very easy to apply. It's buildable, which is good because the color payoff in one swipe isn't the best. It's pretty sheer at first but it gives your cheeks a great flushed look very simply! It is true to the name "bouncy"... it's a texture I've never felt before in a makeup. You have to try it...I can't explain it!!

Have you tried this?? What are your thoughts?? TWEET ME!

hb

xox

EOTD: Blurple!! Tutorial

Simple smokey "Blurple" eye

Created with NYX's Lake Moss Trio and Nude/Taupe/Dark Brown Trio

1. Prime your eyes!

2. Take Nude and cover your lid with it using a shadow brush.

3. Take Taupe with a crease brush and go in with windshield wiper motions, creating a nice shadow. This will help blend the blurple color!

4. Take an angled brush and take the "Blurple" color (shade in the middle of trio) and line your upper lash line with it.. make it thick!

5. Take Blurple with a crease brush and tap along the outer "V" of your eye. Concentrate on the very edge making it appear darker than the rest.

6. Take Nude with a shadow brush and swipe underneath your brow as a highlight.

7. Take a clean, puffy, crease/shadow brush and blend the Nude and Blurple together so they aren't so harsh.

8. Take an angled brush and dip into the Blurple.. pat on lower lash line to connect the colors together.

9. Curl and coat lashes with your favorite mascara... I used Maybelline's One By One.

10. SMILE! You're gorgeous!

I hope you enjoyed this short little tutorial! If you'd like to see a video on this look or have any requests, please let me know!!

hb

xox

My First Mini Haul - CVS, Bath & Body Works and ULTA

Hi there!!  So down below is a list of the products I mentioned in my video as well as a few pictures so you can really see what they look like!  If you have any questions feel free to hit me up!

hb
xoxo

Left to Right: Confetti Nail Polish in Purple Reigns, Essie Nail Polish in Case Study, Confetti Nail Polish in Cherries Jubilee

 Salma Hayek's Nuance makeup line - Blush Trio in Mauve

 Salma Hayek's Nuance makeup line - Eye Trio in Golden

 Wet N' Wild Eye Shadow Palette in Vanity is my favorite palette EVER! It's comparable to many other pricey neutral palettes and I'm so glad I got it. THe shadows are so easy to blend and look great on any skin tone. I HIGHLY recommend this palette... it's a MUST BUY ladies!!!

 Wet N' Wild Eye Trio in Cool as a Cucumber.... In LOVE with the crease color!! So pretty!!

 NYX Blush in Terra Cotta

 NYX Blush in Peach

 Left to Right: Bath & Body Works Mini Sprays in Warm Vanilla Sugar Secret Wonderland and Twilight Woods

 2 Pack of Wallflowers in Marshmallow Fireside

 Bath & Body Works Mini Candles in Mint Chocolate and Homemade Cookies



Hi! I'm Holly! Watch my videos please?!? =)

So, I FINALLY started my YouTube Channel today! YAY!!!  Check out my first videos!

WATCH, LIKE, COMMENT & SUBSCRIBE!!!

hb
xox

EOTD: Smoke Gets In Your Eyes

This might be my favorite smoky/neutral eye! By using a blending brush I can get a really nice "faded" look.

-First, I started by applying a primer to my eyelids so the product sticks and lasts all day.

-I then applied a matte cream color to my entire lid.

-Then I applied a matte light brown color in the natural crease of my lid.

*At this point you don't need to be neat...It will all get blended in the end.*

-Then I take my Sigma blending brush and I blend the shadow in a circular motion until all the "lines" are gone.

-I then go back in with a small, angular brush with a dark chocolate brown color, in the outer corner of my eye.

-I try to make a triangle shape on the out corner of my eye with the dark shadow... kinda like a cat eye but not that extreme... unless you want a more dramatic look.

-After I have the dark shadow where I want it, I go back in with my blending brush and blend it out to give it that natural, faded look.

****BLEND****

-I then go back in with my matte cream colored shadow in the corners of my eyes to brighten the look up!

-I line the outer, upper corner of my eye, as well as the upper water line so the outer corner of my eye looks darker than everything else.

-Curl your lashes, give them a few generous coats of mascara... and you're good to go!

Here are a few pictures!

Let me know if you have any questions about this look!

Please follow me on TWITTER!!

hb
xox

Eyes of the Day: Smokey Brown/Black Eye

First off, I look high in this picture so please excuse.. It's hard to see the color when my eyes are all the way open! Here's another EOTD! I did a smoky brown/black color. I swiped a NYX Eyeshadow Pencil in Brown on my lid and smudged it with my finger. I then went over it with a dark brown shadow (you can use anything) and I blended it all out. After that I lined my top lash line only with a black eyeliner pencil so I could smudge it out to get that smoky affect (effect?... I get confused). I like blending it out using a blending brush so it looks faded a little... more natural looking, and you don't have a harsh line on your eye. I like this look on my eyes because I have really dark eyes and I think the dark shade compliments them! I hope you try this look... show me your smoky eyes on twitter! Follow me @hollybright1 =)

Birchbox: August Edition - Beauty Innovation

I received my Birchbox for August last week and wanted to share what I got. This is my 3rd month receiving the Birchbox service. If you don't know what it is then let me tell you about it...

Birchbox is a monthly subscription like a magazine. $10 a month gets you 4-5 deluxe beauty samples delivered right to your door. When I say deluxe I mean like travel size but maybe a bit bigger and you even get FULL SIZE products every now and then! I like it because it gives you the chance to try products you might not normally try so you could find something you fall in love with! When you sign up, you take a little beauty profile quiz so they know exactly what to put in your Birchbox! Then once a month you'll see a little pink box in your mailbox full of goodies! =) If you like a product you can purchase a full size product at a discounted price once you've accumulated enough points from purchases and referrals.

So, this months Birchbox was all about beauty innovations... products to take us into the future and help us out! When I first opened the box I was immediately excited because I saw Smashbox Cosmetics Photo Finish Primer.

Smashbox Cosmetics Photo Finish Primer - I've been wanting to try this but just didn't want to spend the money unless I knew it worked well. It's oil-free and it claims to smooth skin with a matte finish before applying foundation. I must say it does make my skin extremely smooth but I'm not sure I see a big difference after I apply my foundation. I also think it may have been the culprit to the break out on my chin =( So, I'm glad I got the sample to try but I don't believe I will be buying a full size.

 Shaveworks The Cool Fix Targeted Gel - I'm IN LOVE with this stuff. I have KP (Keratosis Pilaris) and I have a major issue with razor burn after I shave. This stuff has literally fixed that problem. I just smooth this gel on my legs after I shave and it soothes and cools and gets rid of those horrible bumps. I've used it twice and I already can tell a major difference in the feel of my skin... LOVE IT.

 June Jacobs Papaya Purifying Enzyme Masque - I love masks... I got an Apple Peel mask from Birchbox in my first Birchbox (June) and loved it. So I immediately opened this up and tried it...! So did my mom! My first impression was it smelled yummy. It was thick and creamy and felt like a moisturizer going on my skin. After we applied it we waited about 10 minutes (the directions say 3-10 minutes) and then we washed it off with warm water. My skin was definitely softer but I felt like it made my skin a bit oily. My mom, however, loved it! Her face was smooth days after using it and she didn't need to put a moisturizer on afterwards. I'd say this product is best for people who have normal to dry skin.

Ouidad Climate Control Heat & Humidity Gel - Ok, I usually hate to talk about a product if I haven't used it so I'll make this short and sweet. I'm totally excited to try this product but I haven't been able to yet. Hopefully I will wear my hair curly some time this week and be able to review this. It claims to respond to heat and humidity and leave your curly hair without frizz! We will see.....

Sorry I forget the name where this hair tie comes from... maybe because it's lame.

So, I will say I've been pretty happy with my Birchbox's thus far. This might have been my least favorite but I did LOVE the Cool Fix product. I look forward to September and what Birchbox has in store for us!

Fall is right around the corner and I really hope there are more makeup samples and less skincare samples next time!

Who's with me???!!! 

Please share your Birchbox experiences below... I'd love to hear what you think! If you haven't signed up for Birchbox and would like to, let me know and I will send you a referral email!

hb

xox

Eyes of the Day: Blue Hue

I know, I know... blue eye shadow isn't very cool. Kinda reminds me of when I was a kid in dance, wearing bright blue eye shadow and red lipstick... classy. LOL. But I've taken a more subtle approach to this look. I was out late last night and needed to wake up and look refreshed, even though I'm totally not!! The shade I have on my lids isn't blue in fact... it's a pearly white hue from Wet N Wild's trio....(the one with the brown and pink..sorry I don't know the names!) It goes on a little blue for me but I like it. I first applied NYX eye shadow base in white... then dusted the pearly white color over it and around my eyes to give it a glowy look. I did my regular lash routine... curl and a few coats of Lights, Camera, Lashes from Tarte. DONE!

I'm sorry.... So sorry...

I can't believe I'm apologizing AGAIN for not keeping up with my blog! These past few weeks have been busy, crazy, amazing and well exhausting too! Being a single mom can be tough and I'm really feeling it now. Nash is going through his terrible twos again... ahhh! But I keep telling myself it's a phase, which it is, and I carry on! one day at a time! In the midst of Nash's growing pains, the death of his dad's brother Joey and the massive amount of extra work I'm doing at my job, I've found the time to meet someone very special... who knew?  We'll call him J. He popped into my life unexpectedly and I'm so happy he did. I feel like I'm in high school again... and that's saying alot! I won't go into detail but I will say that he's like no one I've ever met and I love spending time with him. =) xoxo.

Now that I've explained my absence, please don't hate me! Let's get back to where we once belonged!

First and foremost... my friend Becca started a blog! YAY!  She's adorable and funny and I think you should make her blog a favorite!

Check it out.... http://gethighonsomethingelse.blogspot.com/

Now, I think it's time for a thing I like to call PRODUCT SHOUT OUT!!

1. E.L.F. Shine Eraser Oil Blotting Sheets.... thanks for keeping me oil free during work! $1 or $3 for 50 sheets... I can't remember... either way it's a steal.

2. Bath & Body Works Wallflowers in the scent Sensual Amber... my favorite... hands down.

3. Latina Magazine... subscribed and I'm glad I did.

4. Tim Horton's $.99 Iced Tea in the mornings... the best way to start a morning.

5. Treseme Heat Protection Spray... love the smell and my hair looks so much better now! It was looking like straw and no one likes that!

So it's Thursday.... and I'm anxiously awaiting the weekend. Looking forward to the Brad Paisley - Blake Shelton - Jerrod Neimann concert on Sunday to close out the Ohio State Fair! It's an outdoor concert...What shall I wear??? Any ideas???

hb
xoxo

Eyes of the Day: Seeing Green

So, I'm starting a EOTD: Eyes of the Day!  I thought it was fitting since my blog is called HB Bright Eyes... only makes sense, right??  =) 

I LOVE trying out different colors for my eyes and today I really stepped out of my comfort zone! I went with different shades of green! Layering the colors on top of each other really makes a difference and I just loved the way this turned out!

First I used my NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Horseradish...love it.  I applied it directly to my lid, up to the crease and blended it out with my Sigma E25 Blending Brush ! Then I put a light, frosty green color on my inner lid. I'm not sure of the color but it's in my E.L.F. Pro Eyeshadow Palette and then a darker, aqua - green color (from the same palette) in the crease and outer edge of my lid. I then added my highlight color on my brow bone. I used my NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Cottage Cheese (funny) and then blended EVERYTHING together! 

I know explaining it in words is a little weird and that I should make a video, right?! Well, I'm trying to get up the courage to do so!  I think after I watched  my friend Edith in her video about Body Image on her YouTube Channel I may have worked up the nerve! My son is gone this weekend with his dad so I have the "camcorder" to myself..LOL. We'll see how it goes! I just loved Edith's video and I really think she has the right idea about life! What an insipration!

I hope I have inspired all of you to try something different!

hb

FOR SALE!!!

So, I have some items that I'm selling.  I've tweeted about them so I thought I'd put them on here also! I am a Mary Kay Consultant and you can browse my Mary Kay website HERE.  Always free shipping (U.S.) and I always have free samples that I love to share! I accept Pay Pal and money orders. I ship when I receive payment!

First....

Barnes & Noble Nook Color e-Reader with Orange Case - $240 Free Shipping (U.S.) SOLD

 Verizon Blackberry Curve 8330: Pink with pink rubber case - $50 Free Shipping (U.S) SOLD

 Mary Kay Mineral Foundation: Beige 2, Bronze 1 & 3 - $10 Free Shipping (U.S.) Plus free samples. I also have ONE Mineral Foundation brush available for $8 as well!

 Mary Kay Creme Blush in Sheer Bliss - $13 Free Shipping (U.S.) Plus free samples  SOLD

If you have questions about these products, please comment below!