Self Tanning: Tanning Lotions and Application

Hello :)

This week is all about self tanning! Sorry it took me soo long to get this up.

I have self tanned for years. I self tan once or twice a week, depending on what I'm doing. During the summer I self tan more often and I self tan my whole body. This might sound silly but in the winter I only self tan my upper body. I just really don't think there is a reason to waste all that tanner on my legs when they won't be seen :)

I've used a few different drugstore tanning lotions but I want to focus on two tanning lotions today that are not drugstore. Million Dollar Tan and Loving Tan are my two favorite tanners right now. 

Million Dollar tanning lotion is priced at $30-38.00. I use Cabana Tan Extreme 8 oz- Dark Sunless Tanning Lotion. I also use the Cabana Tan Extreme Face- Dark Sunless Tanning Lotion. 

PROS: 

You get more bang for your buck with this one (coupon: "glow10)

Company has sales during holidays 

Long lasting color 

Dark Color 

Easy to Apply

CONS: 

Smell 

Fades uneven sometimes

Color can look orange if you don't apply well and blend

My latest favorite tanning lotion that I have been using for just over a month is the Loving Tan 2 Hour Express Deluxe Bronzing Mousse (4 oz). Loving tan prices run from $34.95-39.95.

PROS: 

Free shipping and exfoliating mitt with code (code: "jaclyn" from Jaclyn Hill)

Color guide (brown tint that allows you to see exactly where you have applied mousse) 
Long lasting color

Dark color

Most natural color 

Fades quite nicely 

CONS: 

Cost 

Smell

More difficult to apply because formula dries fast on skin

As for application...
I use a mitt to apply both lotions. I use one by St. Tropez from Sephora for $6.50.You also need a good regular lotion and a foundation brush (optional).

Step 1 

Shower, exfoliate, shave.

Step 2

Apply a good lotion or coconut oil to areas like the elbows, knees, feet, hands, and any other areas that tend to be dry.

Step 3 

Apply tanning lotion to your face using mitt or foundation brush. I use the Million Dollar Tan FACE every time. I apply this to my whole face, including the eye area. You don't have to do that if you're worried about irritation.  

Step 4

I personally start tanning my legs first. Use one or two pumps for each area (below the knee, above the knee, etc.) If you are using Loving Tan you want to work really quickly. Continue up the body, using a foundation brush on the ankles, feet, wrists, and hands to prevent any harsh lines. Make sure to keep the product off of your palms. 

*I found that I get the best results when I apply tanner on my whole body, then wash my hands. After washing off my hands I put a small pump of Million Dollar Tanning lotion onto a foundation brush and apply to the back of my hands and fingers. My hands are too dry most of the time to just use Loving Tan on them.* 

Step 5

When you've tanned your whole body you will want to stand there.. naked.. for a bit to allow the product to dry. If you are using Million Dollar tan you will have to wait longer before putting clothes on. 

Wash your mitt and foundation brush with hand soap or whatever soap you please. Just be careful not to splash water on yourself and ruin the tan. 

I always tan at night and sleep with the lotion on. That way I get the darkest and I don't stink like tanner all day (haha). 

Step 6 

Wake up and shower off :) DO NOT scrub. If you need to shave again, shave gently and use a lot of shaving cream. Then apply a lotion to keep your skin from drying out. 

Step 7

Maintain your tan :) Try not to exfoliate for the next few days to help maintain the color. 

Once your tan begins to fade within the next week, scrub your skin really well to take off the excess and repeat this whole tanning process!

Both AFTER pictures were taken before showering off.

This is the AFTER picture of my legs, I would probably go in with another layer on my legs from now on since one pump for each area is just not enough for me! 

The picture below was taken two days after tanning! 

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Brow Tutorial: Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade

Hi peeps! 

I have been pretty resistant to post a brow tutorial because my brows aren't always perfect, or alike! But I have to remind myself.. Your brows and liner are sisters, not twins ;) I'm not a professional makeup artist in any way nor do I think I am. Take my advice as you will! This is just how I like doing my brows!

So here's everything I use to do my brows :) I pluck my brows every morning before I do my makeup and I probably trim my brows every few weeks when I feel the need...

STEP ONE:  

I fill in my eyebrows after I apply foundation and powder, but before I apply mascara and eyeliner (I didn't wait to do that for these pictures).

Pluck and comb your brows :) Some people prefer to do this after they have drawn on their brows. I have finally grown mine to about what they should be so I know where to and where not to pluck them. I use a spoolie to comb my brows :)

This picture from Beauty Tips is an example of what your brow shape should look like!

STEP TWO: 

I use a NYX angle liner brush and Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade in Dark Brown to trace the bottom line of my brow. I try to make it darker on the outer tail. Some makeup artists will use two different colors of brow product for an ombre effect. 

Use your brush to blend the product upward. 

 I just want to mention that the brow pomade is $18.00 but I have had this since Christmas and it is no where near gone. This pomade will dry out so be careful to close the lid tight. 

If you're just starting and don't want to spend that much on a brow product, I used the e.l.f. brow duo for a long time and loved it! $3.04 at Target.

STEP THREE: 

Next I trace the top of my brow. I always take the arch up a little higher and the tail longer because I like how it looks :) I also leave a bit of the inner part of the brow blank so it doesn't look boxy.  

Also, my left eyebrow is higher than the right, so I create the arch on the right eyebrow a little higher to match.  

STEP FOUR:   

Now fill in the entire brow. Focus on putting most of the product on the tail of the brow. I just try to drag product upward on the inner part. 

STEP FIVE: 

Comb, comb, comb ;) Combing in the pomade will help make your brows look more natural and blended. 

STEP SIX: 

Now take come concealer on the back of your hand. you don't want it to be too much lighter than your foundation color (just ignore the fading tan on the back of my hand haha).

I use the Garnier Skin Renew Anti-Dark Circle Eye Roller. I use this because it's not too light and it's easy to quickly apply to the back of my hand. Then I get some of the product on this flat brush from BH Cosmetics.

 Trace the underneath and top of your brow to get rid of any imperfections. I like my brows to look really sharp and crisp :) This way if you make any mistakes you don't have to worry too much, they are fixable! 

STEP SEVEN: 

This step I do not do every day. You always want to trim and shape your brows after filling them in so you don't go overboard and end up with nineties, three-haired brows. 

Comb your brows again, then trim off any hairs that are straying from the shape of your brow! 

 These trimming scissors came in a kit I was gifted at Christmas a few years ago. You can find some like these in the makeup section of a store or by the nail supplies, they might be labeled as beard trimming scissors (haha) but as long as they are small they can be used for your brows too.

STEP EIGHT: 

The last step is to comb your brows again and apply brow gel. Applying a brow gel (tinted or clear) will help hold every brow hair in place. 

I use the Sonia Kashuk clear brow gel (it's dirty from using it) from Target for $5.99. I have also tried the clear brow gel from the Ulta brand and it worked really well too.

Now I would move onto doing the rest of my eye makeup :) I just did it first for these pictures.

Your brows are DONE! 

I hope you found this tutorial interesting and maybe learned something new :) I'm sure my brow routine will change again in the future but this is how I've been doing them for a long time now!

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Have a great Memorial Day weekend! 

 

Favorite Must-Have Makeup Geek Eyeshadows

Hey peeps!

So this week I'm going to be telling you what my favorite Makeup Geek Cosmetics eyeshadows are and that I think are must-haves from the brand :) I narrowed it down to my top 7 favorites.. sort of. 

These are my two Z-Palettes filled with both Makeup Geek and Anastasia Beverly Hills single eyeshadows. Both Z-Palettes came from the Makeup Geek website :)
The cool thing about these single shadows and the z-palettes is that you can customize the palettes how you want them, and they are really sturdy to good to travel with! 

Single eyeshadows are $5.99

Single foiled eyeshadows are $9.99
Z-Palettes are $14.99-45.00 

Makeup Geek Cosmetics is an amazing company. Marlena is the CEO of Makeup Geek and just the most beautiful and amazing woman! Check out her YouTube videos for tutorials using Makeup Geek products and more :) You should definitely check them out! They also have a range of blushes, pigments, and brushes that are GORG.

Meet little Vanilla Bean. "Light shimmer with peachy beige undertone." I use this shadow a lot for every day makeup looks. I apply this to the brow bone, center of the lid, and the inner corner of they eye :) 

BLING. "Frosted slightly warm ivory." This is probably the most gorgeous highlight color for the brow bone and inner corner of the eye! It's so pigmented so if you apply too much it's going to be obvious! Actually most Makeup Geek eyeshadows are incredibly pigmented..

Peach Smoothie I use every single day. No joke. You can probably tell. I always use this first as my transition color (in the crease of my eye). I also use it to further blend out any eyeshadows. "Light peach beige with a soft matte finish." You need this in your life. 

Créme Brulee is another great color in the crease to transition into other eyeshadows. "A medium sand color with a soft matte finish." This with peach smoothie and vanilla bean make for a great every day, casual eye look.

Cocoa Bear is another absolute FAVORITE of mine. "Matte reddish brown."  I use this one almost every day too.. It might not look like it because a little of this goes a very long way. This looks great in the outer corner, the whole crease, and the lower lash line. I love it. It looks great with tons of other colors too :)

Bitten... ugh. There are no words. I die. I just die. "Matte deep maroon red." I wear this eyeshadow a ton too. I love this with my brown eyes and red hair. It really pops! It can be worn with either warm or cool toned eyeshadows. Reminds me of a vampire ;) And we all know Ian Somerhalder is sexy..

Last one(s) but certainly not least. This is the new foiled eyeshadow in Starry Eyed. "Light champagne beige with slight pink undertones and a foiled finish." I can't get over this eyeshadow. I've been wearing it almost every day on my eyelid. It's SO beautiful!
The foiled eyeshadows are very smooth to the touch, like velvet :) I like applying the foiled eyeshadows with my finger when I put them on the lid because they apply really well that way. You can also use Fix+ from MAC sprayed on a brush to apply and it really makes them shine and pop. 

I really love all the foiled eyeshadows from Makeup Geek, so I just couldn't list them all. Check out my previous post for swatches of some of the new foiled eyeshadows and pick your favs :)

Thanks for stopping by!! I hope you enjoyed and maybe learned something :) Don't forget to check out Makeup Geek Cosmetics. You won't be disappointed! 

Taken with the flash on :)
Picture below taken in natural lighting.

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Current Morning Skincare Routine

Happy Wednesday!

This weeks post by request is my morning skincare routine!
Again I want to say that my skin type is combination, oily (mostly oily, occasionally dry spots). I have hormonal breakouts and some acne scarring. 

My morning skincare routine isn't much different from my night time routine. But I always, always wash my face morning and night! It makes such a difference in how makeup applies when you have clean skin. 

 If I'm showering in the morning I will use this face wash in the shower. If I'm not showering I will just use my Farm House Fresh One Fine Day Sugar Scrub. 

I've been using this Clear Pore Cleaner/Mask for years now! It works really well for every day use or as an intense mask. When you use this as a mask it feels very refreshing, almost cooling. It contains benzoyl peroxide acne medication. $6.79 at Ulta

 I use that Clear Pore face wash in combination with my Clarisonic Mia 2! I put about a nickel sized drop of my cleanser onto the brush head. 

I got this a few years ago and it's still working great. I think this has made a huge difference in my skin. It makes my skin so smooth. 

The Mia 2 has two speeds and a pulsing T-timer that tells you when to move to a different area of your skin. So I start on my chin and nose area until it pulsates, then I move to the forehead until it pulses again, then I move to one cheek area, then the next.

Even after using makeup remover and I use this Clarisonic, you can see on the brush head that I didn't get all my makeup off! I highly recommend a Clarisonic. 

Another nice thing about it is that it's waterproof so you can just keep it in the shower, and it comes in a ton of cute designs!  $149 online, Ulta, or Sephora

 Witch Hazel again! So after showering I put a little of this on a cotton pad (I prefer cotton pads over cotton balls so not to waste as much product) and apply all over my face. This is Dickinson's original witch hazel pore perfecting toner. $4.47 WalMart

 This is a new found love of mine.. The First Aid Beauty Daily Face Cream! I like using this in the morning because it makes my skin so soft, and so it helps with perfect makeup application. It absorbs really quickly and doesn't leave skin feeling greasy. I have oily skin so this is perfect for me! This is made for sensitive skin and is oil free. If you have really dry skin you might not like this product. I just use one pump. $20.00 at Sephora

 Then, just like at night time, I use these two in combination so that my lips are soft, smooth and ready for lipstick. This is my favorite lip scrub from LUSH, the Bubblegum Lip Scrub :) This stuff.. smells and tastes so good! I juse use about a pea sized amount and scrub with my finger all over my lips. Then you can just lick it off or wash it off. $9.95 at LUSH

Then I apply the First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Lip Therapy. I love this stuff too! $12.00 at Sephora

 

Well that's it! After all this I apply face primer and makeup :) If you have any questions or any other requests comment below or on social media!
Follow Pretty and Put Together on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, and like on Facebook to stay updated and see lots more beauty posts! To follow my personal Instagram click on my name below. Thank you so much for reading, and THANK YOU all for 1000 followers on Instagram and over 5000 views on this blog!! Talk to you next week ;)