BB Cream Week: The Unchosen

During any Makeup Mission, there's going to be come casualties. It doesn't make them bad products, just a bad fit.

When I tried these out, it was pre-winter and my skin was dry and dull. I was looking for something to bring moisture to my skin, have some good SPF, but not leave me with an oil slick.

My first purchase, an impulse buy of Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream

I haven't used a liquid tinted anything since I was writing years beginning with 19. This seemed scary to me, but I tried it despite the mixed reviews. 

The color was actually not that bad! I was shocked to see how close it was, except that I had tried it in a Medium/Deep and it was a half shade too dark, but I think the Medium would have been too light. It felt pretty good on my skin, it gave my a dewy glow, blurred some dark marks but didn't cover anything completely, but it make my skin look even and smooth.

But after a few hours of this, my skin felt oily to the touch and when I got to a mirror, it was yikesville. I was a oily mess and I did not like it.  So this got nixed pretty fast, based on color and texture, it wasn't workin for me. 

Then I broke out the A Team and hit up Sephora, where I drove a very nice girl slightly nuts. We ran around the store trying all sorts of stuff on my face. Looking back, it's amazing I left that store with any skin on my face with all the wiping and reapplying I did. I left Sephora with what would be the next 2 months of my life.

Remember kids, Sephora gives samples. Don't be afraid to ask! The worst they'll say is no. Which they shouldn't because they give samples.  They're only suppose to give 2 or 3 at a time though, so go there with a plan, or you'll end up with 3 samples of acne cleaners because the bottles were pretty when you went in there for an eye cream. 

Ulta however, does not do take home samples, but you can try the higher end brands in the store. And as always, Return what doesn't work!! Sephora will take back anything with a receipt with no time limit. Seriously. And Ulta will take it back with a receipt up to 60 days. 

• Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer: This lightweight moisturizer is amazing and I understand why it keeps winning beauty awards.  It's a wonderful moisturizer that makes your skin feel soft and smooth. If this was a plain moisturizer, I would use it for it's skin hydrating properties alone, but this has some added color which is a really nice touch. The tint gives a very light coverage, enough to even out the skin some, but not enough to really cover blemishes.  Though I am praising this product a lot, it's on my reject list because this version actually made me break out a bit, so after all my trials, I switched to the Oil-Free version, which I'll explain about tomorrow. 
• Dr. Jart Black Label Detox BB Cream: This formula was much thicker and gave far more coverage. The cream itself felt very nice on my skin and makes it feel soft and look dewy. However, the color on this was sooo fair that I looked like I was in full Halloween ghost makeup.  So for that, this had to go. 
• Dr. Jart Premium BB Cream: This one I had such high hopes for because it is SPF 45! But alas, the color was far too light and made my skin look grey. Such a bummer.  But for the fair skinned, if this works for your coloring, it has excellent reviews....and SPF 45!! 
• Tarte Smooth Operator Illuminating Serum: This was another one I was trying to get a trial of but they were always sold out. I really love the Tarte products and I so badly wanted this to work for me. Unfortunately, it just always seemed to leave me too oily. On it's own, it was far too oily, but I kept trying to work this into other products to make my own, namely my Stila All Day BB Cream, but it just never seemed to work quite right.  I would try this again this winter though, now that my skin has changed some. It would be worth a shot, but my hopes wouldn't be as high the 2nd time around.
• Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream :  This one actually stuck around for a while and I used it as if it was going to be a staple.  But that lasted about 3 weeks. I wanted to love this more than I actually did. The formula was nice and creamy, and it gave me some coverage. Not as much as my Bare Minerals foundation, but more than the tinted moisturizer and Stila All Day BB Cream. I liked that it evened out my skin and gave me a nice dewy finish. But like I said, I had horribly dry skin at the time and I was also driving a lot, which meant a lot of window hours, which meant my skin color was changing daily.  This just somehow never seemed to match quite the way I wanted it to. I found myself constantly adjusting the color with other products. After a few weeks I gave up because the point was to pair down products, not carry around 5 just to match my skin!  I gave this to my sister because she's about a half shade lighter than me and I felt that's what this was. I keep thinking about trying it again, seeing how I like it now, but the issue was that I was between colors in this range, but the product itself I really liked.  It had a good amount of coverage, a really nice texture and it didn't make me break out at all. 
• Garnier BB Cream Skin Renew: (not pictured) this one I actually picked up the Combination/Oily Skin. Why? I don't know. I was having a moment. I figured all the other ones were making me oily, so I'll try this one. Makes sense, right? No. It doesn't.  This made my skin feel awful and dry and flaky. The color was also too light for my skin. This tube went right over to my sister's house because she actually has somewhat oily skin. I however, should have been outlawed from purchasing this product. 
• There was also the time I tried the L'oreal and Garnier BB Creams on my hands at the store (illegally...sssshhhh) All I remember is the oooover powering perfume smell. It was pungent and just awful. And they both smelled the same. It was a very flowery, fake, cheap perfume smell. I remember because hours later when I tried to have lunch, I had to scrub my hands to try and take the smell off but it lingered and ruined my sandwich.  It turned me off to L'Oreal and Garnier but then The Indian came around and the Garnier stuff was working really great for her and her tube of stuff smelled fine! So I guess I was being optimistic and giving it another go.... but I went with no chaperone and came home with the Oily Skin kind....that'll learn me. 

After going through this lot of BB Creams I cultivated a list of what I really wanted and it became a mission of principle.  I was not to be defeated. I wanted 1 product that would give me medium coverage that actually matched my skin tone, but also had a decent SPF and possibly a few extra ingredients to help my skin rather than hurt it. Is that so much??

Just so you know, I've actually been living with BB Creams since November 2012 and we've been quite happy. I did eventually find the ones that were for me.  Now I'm just waiting on the calls to be in the commercials of me and my BB Creams running in slow motion toward each other.

Oh....it's happening. 

BB Cream Week: Stila's 10-in-1

I've been putting this off for far too long.

It's time I tackle this BB Cream business for you guys.

Well, ok, so I've already tackled it. A few times, so this week I'm going to share with you guys what I've found.   So lets start where I started.... minus the aimless wandering about Ulta.

Stila Stay All Day 10-in-1 HD Beauty Balm  $38

Oh Stila, how you always seem to deliver. Stila is the company that somehow brings to life all the things I thought makeup was and could be, growing up.  It's a brand that makes me happy to be an adult. Ya know, on the days I pretend to be an adult. 

First of all, if you've got no idea what a BB Cream is, it's a Beauty Balm Cream, which means it's got a bunch of stuff in one. The original BB Creams began in Asia and are meant to be one product that takes the place of primer, moisturizer, sunscreen, concealer and foundation. A for real all in one face product!

I'm happy I started with this Beauty Balm because it set the stage for what I wanted a BB Cream to be. 

At the time, it was early Fall, I was reworking my skincare so my skin was very different when I began this BB Cream process. Just FYI. 

The tube actually comes in a box, which I've long gotten rid of, but it essentially says the same things as the tube does.  "Powdery finish.....reduces the appearance of bad stuff....stuffstuffstuff..."

Basically, this is suppose to make your skin look nice, give you a bit of coverage, and blur some blemishes all while creating the perfect base for all your makeup. 

Sounds promising...

 Then I saw this.  The stuff is almost white. It looks rather tan here, but that's from my poor lighting and camera choice. In person the product is like a peach yogurt color. We're talking full continents of shades lighter than me. I was nervous, but I went for it anyways. Albeit, only after giving the Stila Lady some shady eyes.

She assured me it would be fine and then showed me how to get it on to my skin properly. Instead of rubbing it in like a cream the best way is to apply a small amount to the pads of your fingers and then tap and roll your fingers to push the cream right into the skin. This makes it fill in everything and give you a nice even finish.

See! I know, it doesn't look like much here, but that's kinda the point! It just gives your skin that airbrushed look which is crazy!  Now I know why the TV people love this stuff....damn you HD tv! 

The color warms up to your skin and somehow matches it. Which is crazy to me, but it works. As far as coverage, this gives very minimal coverage to blemishes and dark marks but does blur them some, but not much more than a thin tinted moisturizer or a good powder would. 

My skin does look more even with this on but more than aaannnyy of that is how this stuff makes my skin feel. Holy moly. It makes my face feel like the softest baby's bottom of the emperor of somewhere. For cereal. It makes me want to just touch my face all day in a creepy 90's music video way.  And it is for that reason only that I got TIC stuck on this product too. Because it just feels so good.  

This does state it leaves a powdery finish and it does! It looks like you've put on a translucent powder once this dries. At the time, my face was much drier so I couldn't use this in certain areas alone. So as time went on and my search continued, I learned that I could mix my Stila BB Cream in with others to give them more oomph! 

Since buying this, I've gone through about 7 or 8 BB creams, probably more but I'm trying to not sound insane, but this very first one still lives on my counter.  It's a great addition to my collection and somehow always works it way into a makeup routine. It doesn't have the coverage a foundation does, or the moisturizing power of a real moisturizer, but I have used this as a BB Cream, as a concealer, and as a primer to other makeup. Each time, Stila has come through for me. 

I'm not sure if I should be calling this BB Cream a makeup or a skincare product. All I know is that it's a product that makes my skin look AND feel better. 

If only ice cream could do that same. 

The Universe Sends Me Something Universal

So I did my seasonal trip to Sally's the other day. Mostly I had to get some supplies for Halloween trial runs. I know. It's July.  I'm sooo late!!!!  But I've begun the trial and error process.

It was on this trip that I came across a much needed beauty tool that I keep forgetting to look for.

The Diffuser. 

A ridiculously large piece of equipment that is necessary in the arsenal of any curly haired girl. 

If you recall my post about my New Hairdryer, then you'll remember that I wasn't blessed with a diffuser with my purchase, which was a bummer, but I've adapted to not using one. That is, until I saw this silicone universal one in a hot pink and I just knew I had to have it.

Ion Universal Diffuser in Pink $12.99 without Sally's card

The whole diffuser is a squishy silicone material so it bends to the shape of any dryer but also has those 'teeth' areas to keep it on! 

 Both my hair dryer and the diffuser are that rubberized non slip feel, so this stayed on no problem. But even if the dryer was a shiny slick painted thing, I think it would have stayed just fine.

But wait....there's MORE!

Normal Diffuser

Flat for travel diffuser!!

Just like that!!

So not only do I have a diffuser that will attach to any hair dryer, it turns flat for storage and travel!  

I've gone to beauty tool heaven! 

It comes in black too, but I couldn't pass up this hottest of pinks. 

Cheap Statements

I'm not the type of person to buy the same shirt in every color. Even if I love the shirt. I'm not getting it in every color. Makeup however, that's another animal.  When I find something I like, I must try ALL the colors!

Milani is one of those product lines that I never hear too many talk about but it happens to be one of my favorite drug store brands. The colors are always vibrant so that's probably why I'm drawn to there, but also, their nail polishes are great.

Milani has a lot of lipglosses but none ever worked for me because they were also too glittery for me. But then they came out with a new line of lipsticks. REAL COLOR lipsticks! I think I eekk-ed in a Walgreens over this.

It started with one. Then another...and another.  You know how the classic story goes.  Before I knew it, I had 1/3 of the line in my bathroom.

Milani Color Statement Lipstick  $5.50 Each

Left to Right:

• #26  Nude Creme : This is suppose to be a pink nude. I findi it just a very opaque milky mocha in a cream finish. I'm sure there is a skin tone this looks good on, it's just not mine. 
• #29 Teddy Bare : A natural pink brown in a cream finish This turns out to be the perfect nude for me! It's on the tan side, but so am I! It's like a light caramel with a hint of pink. A great nude for tan girls! 
• #17 Plumrose : A true rosy mauve in a cream finish. 
• #15 Hot Pink Rage: A bright rose pink in matte. This looks more watermelon colored on me.
• #20 Uptown Mauve : A violet mauve in a cream. This looks more like a dark fuchia,, but still bright, totally in my wheel house.
• #34 Violet Volt:  Purple. Simply Purple. Like crayola purple. Except this has so much metallic in it that it's shines like a holographic pink Lisa Frank folder. 
• #21 Sangria: This is suppose to be berry. It's very burgundy, red wine colored. It says it's a matte, but I find Sangria to be too shiny to be called a matte, but it's not fully shiny either. 

The lipsticks themselves have that old lipstick smell to them. But with a hint of candy necklace! The formula, even of the mattest matte, if soft and creamy and go on very easy. The colors are dense and intense and don't leave the lips dry or cracked.

If you're looking to just try out some brighter than usual colors, these are a great option for the price and selection of colors! I suggest trying out a few because they range from creams, to mattes, to metallics.

Of these 7, only 4 are going to stay. Tomorrow I'm taking back, Nude Creme, Plumrose and Violet Volt. None of them work on me and none of them I would wear, so back they go.   I meant to do a stand alone post for Teddy Bare because I can't believe that I found a nude for myself!! But then I realized just how many of these I had.  And I also recently realized I have far more nude lip choices than I realized. So I'll have to put those together for you in a post of their own.

I was hoping Milani would bless me with a matte orange, but no such luck.  But I've been shopping my own stash lately and found some stuff I've been working with lately! I'll get to that soon enough.  In the meantime, I'll be playing with sponge rollers and flexi rods.

Don't be alarmed....I'm only trying to make an afro.   No big deal. 

July Birchbox: The Power Play

It's July Birchbox time! 

This month is all about the Power Play. 

Inspired by the USA Channel's tv show Suits, this month's box is suppose to have products dedicated to help you take control of any situation and make the most of every minute. 

First of all, this came with a scratch off for Benefit Cosmetics to see which sample you can get for free with a Birchbox purchase.  Who doesn't love a scratch off??

Contents:
1. Number 4 Super Comb Prep & Protect: A sulfate-free leave-in-conditioner that says will strengthen and repair summer hair.  It also smells like a Long Island Iced Tea. That very well may be a selling point for some of you. No judgement.

2. Benefit Cosmetics Girls Meets Pearl: A creamy highlighter for the face in a golden pearl finish. The gold color is subtle and dreamy but it also feels really nice and makes the skin soft. It doesn't hurt that it has a nice sweet floral scent.

3. Benta Berry G-1 Moisturizing Face Cream:  A fruit complex face cream which means it smells delicious. It says that it's 'regulating, moisturizing and matifying". But mostly, it smells delicious.

4. Birchbox Bobby Pins: 2 Metal bobby pins designed just for Birchbox! So cute!

5. 100% Pure Nourishing Body Cream: Vegan, organic green apple body cream.  I can't wait to get into these!

Birch Breakdown:  It looked boring at first, but the hair spray protector looks promising and so does the highlighting cream.  Everything can't a box full of bright make up.  a solid B+!



If you want in on the Birch Fun, click HERE and sign up for yourself! 

I'm Off Playing Pretend

Wow, I am terrible at time management. Which is why I don't have a post for you lovely people.  But for the last few days I've been attending an apparel conference in NY, ya know, trying to be a grown up and what not.

If growing up means arriving in the city just to break your shoe and have to rig it with a hair tie to the horror of European tourists just to walk across the street to purchase CVS flops to attend a trade show in, then I am on my way to adulthood soooo fast!!!  

I'll be back shortly. If not tomorrow definitely by Monday.

I've got a new Birchbox to share!

If there's anything that you'd like me to cover or that you're itching to try, leave a comment and let me know!

Life Events

Sometimes a lot of big and important things have to happen and change in your life in order for you to grow. Very recently, one of those big and important life changing events happened to me.


I changed the shape of my fingernails.


GASP!!!  


I know. This brings out a lot of mixed emotions in you right now. It's ok.  Society puts come very heavy pressures on nail shapes and I think it's time we as people got together and talked about this. As adults. As people. As one.

There is no steadfast rule that says I am bound to a nail shape!
I didn't sign any papers and it's not a question on my credit check! (in 2013)

So when I let my nails grow long...aka I've been too lazy to cut and file them... I decided that I would try some Pinterest Projects for you guys to do some in depth 20/20 style reporting on nail art. Ya know...get into the heart of the story.  But my first project was the ever pinned Reinforcement Sticker Manicure.  Which is a quick and easy way to get a rounded french manicure.  

And here was the problem. It's gonna look better on round filed nails.   I don't have round filed nails. I'm a ride or die Squoval!

But what I needed was a Round or Almond shape.

So there, in the hot light of the bathroom one early summer night.  I took to my file and I rounded my nails.  That's right, I did it.  I went out the next day and ya know what......noooo one cared!!!!    Because seriously, who cares about the shape of my nails??  Well, Ali does, but she don't live here no mo'.

So they've been round for a few weeks now.  And it's going surprisingly well!! Except that I haven't quite gotten the filing down so I have to concentrate and it takes me a lot longer, which is why I haven't been filing them, which is why they are soooo long right now that I hate them.  So I did my Pinterest Project tonight so that I can cut these suckers tomorrow!

Pinterest Project: Reinforcement French Manicure

 Tools: Nailpolish(s), Reinforcement stickers, Polish remover (Not shown:) Tweezers, q-tip 

Reinforcements from any office supply aisle or store or old box of school things. Polishs Left: Sally Hansen Insta-Dri in Slick Slate Right: Color Club Wanderlust Collection in Reign in Spain

 Start with a DRY base color, or clear. 

 Get stickers in place on all 10 fingers. 

You don't want to adjust stuff with wet polish.  

I used 2 for my thumbs. 

My other hand was lined up better.

 Apply 1 coat of color. 

Try to make sure you're using a fairly opaque polish. You don't want to have 4 coats on the end of your nails, it will make a deep line and chip much faster. 

Apply 2nd coat to one hand. Remove stickers with tweezers.

Then proceed to 2nd hand for 2nd coat of polish. 

Clean up edges with remover and q-tip. 

Apply a good top coat and that's it!

Yeah, this hand has a bit of a widows peak happening on my thumb. My right hand is done much better. But if anyone actually complains about it, they are far too close to my personal bubble and we have a whole other set of issues besides my thumb nail. 

Conclusion:  SUCCESS!!   Super easy. Very fast. Tons of possibilities.   

However I'm cutting my nails immediately.   

I can't live like this. 

We're Open!

Well, it finally happened.  Nicole Sharma LLC. is open for online business! 

As of July 10, 2013 ShopSharma.com is live! 

Check it out today and shop the Grand Opening Sale! 

Everything is 20% off with the coupon code: GRANDOPEN

Having been staring at my computer screen for days now, it's with great pleasure that I announce this online store opening.   Though right now I'm only featuring accessories, fashion is on it's way. Shop Sharma is going to take on a lot of changes in these initial months, but I'm really looking forward to building ShopSharma.com into a great one stop shop!

Since I'm personally in charge of my website development, marketing, merchandise, production, design, concept research, business analyst etc. etc. getting this together took some focus but now that it's up and running I can get back to blogging for you all!

Who knows....maybe you'll start seeing some beauty related products on ShopSharma.com soon.  

Anything's possible!

Slight Delay

Hey Kids!

I know I've been missing since July 4th...But I have good reason!!

First of all, it was July 4th, so I was out celebrating America! USA!! USA!! USA!!

But I'm back from that and I've got a ton of stuff going on for my actual jobby job, but I'm almost done with the project and can share it with you all tomorrow!!

I'm pretty excited!

Until then....stay classy, folks!

UPDATE POST: We're Still Wrong

So after sharing that We're All Wrong and don't know how to clean our faces properly, I got a few offline questions from friends that I should probably address for you all.

Quick re-cap: Apply cleanser to a DRY face.  Only use a tiny bit of water to move it around if it's too dry.  Wipe off with a warm-hot, wet washcloth.  Repeat if you've worn a lot of makeup, or sunscreen.

I know...it's still mind blasting.

So let me clear up some things.

Do I wash my face twice a day?
- Yes. For now. And I use a new wash cloth each time.   Yes, this means a few more items in the laundry basic but it's totally worth it.  There are the occasional days where I work from home and never leave, in which case it only gets one wash.

Do I wash my face and repeat?
- Yes I do and it's surprisingly great.  I wash my face twice at one time if I'm taking makeup off or after a gym session.  But I believe my Bare Minerals cleanser has a lot to do with this success.  I wouldn't even attempt this with some of the things I've used in the past.  And like Caroline says...no foamy stuff!

Can I still wash my face in the shower?
-Yes. I am not trying to add steps to my routine. I spend my life trying to shorten it actually. So getting out of the shower and washing my face is not going to happen. But here's what I do.  I get into the shower and put a dry wash cloth in the corner.  I no longer stand fully under the water like the movies teach you. I don't hold my face under the running water any more.   Here is my shower sequence:
1) Wash and condition hair first, by tipping head back into shower spray rather than standing in it fully. I use my hands at my hairline to try and keep as much water off my face as I can.
2) scrub/wash body
3) Misc.  That's right, I just used Misc in a shower sequence.  This is for anything else.  shaving, pumicing, and/or practicing your dance routine for your never to performed show. You know..Misc.
4) LAST, I wash my face.  I use the dry cloth to pat off any water that is on my face and palms. Then work the cleanser onto my face, wet the wash cloth and take it off, and repeat if necessary.  
I wash my face last because once you use the washcloth there isn't a lot of water left on your face. And if you do it first, your face will dry before the end of your shower.  And you don't want that. Because if your face dries before you pat off the water with a towel, that means the water evaporated and with it evaporated the moisture that was in your skin.

I learned in the winter, when I was having a bad case of eczema, that if I dried my face last after coming out of a shower that it left my face with a lot more moisture.  This was a pretty big revelation for me and my skin changed a lot because of it.  But now that I'm coming out of the shower with hardly any water on my face, it's a matter of getting the timing right.   I dry from the feet up and try to go as quickly as I can.  NO RUBBING.  Be nice to your skin people.  I mean, think of the ridiculous things you've put it through. The scrapped up knees, the bug bites, the prom glitter.  Treat it with some care.  Try and pat as much as you can.

I make sure I get to my face before it has dried on it's own and promptly get some Yes To Grapefruit serum on it, which locks in all the moisture! After that, I can take my time a bit and go into my lotioning schedule.

It's now been weeks since my face has been under running water.  In fact, it's in contact with water very very little.  When I think about it, it all makes sense.  If you think about how your skin feels after a day in a pool or the ocean than you realize how drying it is. And all those times I stand in a hot shower for ever, contemplating life and fixing the world's problems, I always come out looking worse than I went in and use a thousand products to counteract my dull skin.

There's another amazing benefit to this whole thing.  When I travel, my skin goes nuts. The water is so different everywhere that I have no idea what my hair will turn out like and I have no idea what rando skin issue I'm going to be forced to tackle in a hotel or friend's bathroom. This washcloth business really saves me from all of that! Not with my hair, but definitely with my skin!  Because it's minimal water contact, I'm not attacking my skin with all these new elements that this new water contains!   I haven't tested this theory out heavily, but it just makes sense right?  I did do this one weekend at my sisters and my skin really stayed in tact more than it ever has before, so I'm going with I'm right on this one.

If I had the chance to go back and talk to Young Nikki, I wouldn't stop her from all the ridiculous junk she did, but I would share with her all my new skin knowledge.  Who knows, if I wasn't wrestling with my skin so much maybe I wouldn't have done all those ridiculous things.

Naaah. I totally still would have.  And probably more. 

Don't Forget Your Loved Ones

Last year I told you about my Tinted Balm Obsession.  It's been a year and they're still high on my list of go to products.

They're just so easy peasy! And they don't require me to carry a mirror....which I really only do for fancy events or by accident because I'm traveling and happen to have a compact in my bag because I forgot to pack it and threw it in my handbag as I left.

 Lately, I've been using my Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Lovesick #020 $6-$8

I forgot I had this until a recent Shop My Own Stash trip into my makeup drawers. I forgot how much intense color these handy sticks pack! 

This one is an honest bright fuschia. Which is a go-to color for me for all this hot weather. This one in particular is great because it's not severely opaque and it's glossy so it looks more easy breezy summertime as opposed to overly made up and fussy.

I apprecitate that Revlon lied about nothing with this product. Seriously.  It really does work like a lip balm. Instead of doing the lip balm + lip color, I feel my lips getting dry and I grab this and I'm good to go for hours! Which is remarkable for a lip balm junkie like myself.

This is definitely a stain. As the back of my hand will not tell you, but that's why I love these. They really stain your lips so even as you go about your day, the color remains!  And these stain pretty fast. So these are indeed kissable.

Yes, there is some scrubbing of the lips that needs to be done at the end of the night, but it's a small price to pay for all day effortless brightness!

Warning: I'm About To Waste A Lot Of Your Time

I think we can all admit to spending countless hours on YouTube watching things we'll never admit to. 

Well, I've got something you won't have to be ashamed about.  Makeup videos!!

But not just any videos. These videos are done by a makeup artist duo, Sam & Nic, who also happen to be sisters and Fun Fact: Also the shorts of me and my sister's names! I love happy coindences! 

These lovely ladies show it all. And they're just so damn pleasant about it too! They're tutorials aren't drab, they cover tons of different looks, they do exceptional work, they're actually informative, but most of all, they make everything seem totally doable and accessible.

Plus they have those great Bri'ish accents we Americans can't get enough of.

Sometimes, a girl just needs to sit and watch videos about makeup techniques she'll never use.  And sometimes, part of those hours will be productive and a few tips or tricks will sink in and change your life forever. Whichever the case may be, I suggest Pixiwoo's abundant YouTube channel. 

They cover celebrity looks, wearable looks, costume looks and everything in between! 

If you don't already have a go-to makeup YouTube Channel, then make this one your first.  And possibly your last. 

This isn't just for the fair girls, or young girls. There are no restrictions with Pixiwoo. They cover everything from 'mature makeup' to hooded lids to contouring and proper foundation application.  There's something for everyone. 

So if you've always wanted to tackle a smokey eye that you just couldn't quite conquer, or you need a new daytime look, check out their Channel!   They also have a blog, and a FREE digital magazine full of great things and breathtaking visuals and inspiration. And yes, I said it's free. 

Come for the smokey eye, stay for everything else! For hours!

I did warn you.