Dre Does a Classic Makeup Look

A while ago I wrote a review on the Naked Basics palette showing how it was an absolute necessity for all women. So today as I was doing my makeup for work I decided to do a look completely with a palette and share with you all so you could see how wonderful it actually is! (Pssst. Urban Decay announced they will be releasing a Naked Basics 2 Palette so you can only imagine how excited I am for that release!!!) The look I chose is very classic because I knew I wanted to pair it with MAC Ruby Woo because I haven't worn it in awhile and I live for this lipstick. (Also don't mind my beautiful pajamas that I was getting ready in....haha)

 

This look was super easy. I simply first applied W.O.S. all over the lid and up to my brow. Next I used a fluffy crease brush (I'm not sure of the brand because it's old and rubbed off!) to blend Naked 2 into my crease.  Next I concentrated Faint into the outer V with my Sigma E39 that was slightly more dense to give me a more concentrated application. I went back to my other blending brush that I used Naked 2 with, and without adding any extra color I blended everything more. Lastly I used my favorite Real Techniques Eye brush the base shadow brush to further define the outer V by mixing Faint with Crave. After some more blending with my Sigma E71, I used my favorite eyeliner, Benefit's They're Real Push Up Liner to give myself some winged liner. For me this isn't that dramatic but if you're new to winged liner start small and work your way up to more drama! Two coats of my favorite mascara Benefit's They're Real, and the look was done. All I had to do was add my Ruby Woo lipstick and this classic makeup look was done!

What do you think? Let me know if you try this look! Send me pictures on Instagram with the #DreDoes if you do!!

Have a beautiful day friends,

Dre

Dre Does July Favorites

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I never really realize how fast the months go by until I do my favorites posts. I feel like yesterday was the 4th of July! As usual my month was really busy, getting used to a new job and dealing with a severe allergic reaction to something so while I didn't try that many new products out, I have been loving some good ones! So let's recap the items I've been obsessed with this month! 

1. Browzings by Benefit Cosmetics: I have been using this product nonstop since I started working as a Benefit Arch Expert. I use it on every guest to map their brows for waxing, but also use it daily on my brows. I love that it comes with both a tinted wax and powder. I use a quick tap of them both together to fill and define my brows. The wax helps hold brow hairs in place and also makes the powder adhere better. It gives a very natural, yet defined look that I love!

2. Revlon Colorstay Foundation: I hadn't tried this foundation until June but I'm obsessed. It really does last all day and I love that it comes in two formulas (one for drier skin types and the other for combo/oily skin types). I really like mixing it with other foundations to give a long lasting flawless finish to my skin. 

3. Tarte Amazonian Full Coverage 12-HR Foundation: This foundation is a holy grail product as well. I'm not sure if I've ever mentioned it before, but I love the texture. It's a mousy one that gives a liquid to powder feeling to the skin. It's buildable from medium to full coverage and for oily skin it's a dream! When you rub it in, it really feels like nothing on the skin! It's no secret that I have a love affair for tarte cosmetics so if you're oily and wanting to try out a new higher end foundation, go give it a look!

4. Benefit's They're Real PushUp Liner: I know that this new product from Benefit has been getting mixed reviews but I truly love it. I have a very hard time finding a liner with an applicator that I love but this one is amazing! One unique feature that I love is that you control the amount of product you use by clicking it up at the bottom. If you're comfortable with liquid and gel liners I definitely think you should try this one. I can apply a big dramatic winged liner in the morning before work and know that when I get home 10 hours later it will look the exact same as when I left. I love the matte finish too. It looks very natural. I love to show guests how using the flat and wide applicator you can create a "no eyeliner, eyeliner" look to make your lash line look fuller. Comment below if you'd like to see how I accomplish this!

5. White Straw Tribal Clutch from LOFT: I hate to include things you can no longer find but I like the idea behind this bag so I had to include it. I bought this at LOFT probably about 2 or 3 summers ago because I loved it. It was neutral and summery, but could fit a lot. The tribal print trend has been going for awhile but I thought this was a more subtle way to incorporate it into my wardrobe because it wasn't as flashy. I can't even begin to tell you how much I use this bag. It pairs with everything in the summer and gives an interesting texture to outfits and can be paired with black and white or even bright colors! If you find something you love and you can picture using in multiple ways, I say always get it. 

6. Essie quick-e Drying Drops: I can't do my nails without these drops anymore. Half the time I skip out on doing my nails because I don't have time to sit around and wait for them to dry. Not anymore! Just use the little dropper to apply a 1 to 2 little drops per nail and you're polish will be dry in no time! I love them and highly recommend them to all nail polish junkies or women on the go!

7. Cargo Swimmables Water Resistant Bronzer: I bought this bronzer because the ULTA I work at is no longer carrying Cargo Cosmetics so it was ridiculously discounted. I actually bought 12 other products too for a steal so look for a review on all of that soon! Luckily you can still buy the products on Cargo's website so when I fell in love with this bronzer I had to share. While I haven't gone swimming with it on because I'm not a fan of wearing makeup in the water, I do find it has great lasting power all day! The tone is really nice, a little warmer then I like to use for contouring but since it has shimmer I use it to give my face more of a glow anyways! It's also very smooth and blendable.

What were you loving this month? Leave a comment and let me know! I'm always down to try new things :) Hope your July was fantastic and happy August!

Have a beautiful day,

Dre

Dre Does Multi Use Summer Essentials

While I love a good full on glam look like the next girl, you will 95% of the time find me with little makeup on in the summer time. As an oily skin type that only gets oilier in the hotter months, I hate having a full face on during the day. So today I bring you the SIX key products to keep in your purse so you can have an easy summer look, not only quickly, but with multiuse products. Each one can be used in multiple ways, which is always a bonus.

Dre's Summer Essentials:

1. Concealer stick: Perfect for multiple reasons, it will help with covering blemishes and under eye circles, evening out skin tone, highlighting your brow bone, and using as a base for eyeshadow! (Covergirl Trueblend shown above)

2. Powder: You can't get around this one this time of the year. Powder will even out your skin tone and help control oil, so it's a must to keep it on hand in the summer. (Mac Studio Fix Powder Foundation shown)

3. Cool toned Bronzer: My favorite is Hoola by Benefit Cosmetics because it isn't too warm toned, which makes it great for contouring your face but also to use as a crease color so you don't have to carry around any eyeshadow. 

4. Champagne highlighter: a face highlighter is great to not only enchnace a summer glow on your cheekbones, but you can also use it as an all over lid color instead of eyeshadow. MAC Cosmetics Extra Dimension Skinfinish in Superb Shown)

5. Cream Blush Stain: Many companies make multiuse cheek and lip products so find a shade you love for both your lips and cheeks. I love a good natural coral that will give your skin a natural summer flush on both your cheeks and lips. (Stila Convertible Color shown)

6. Waterproof Mascara: a waterproof mascara is always good to keep on hand incase you want to intensify your look but if you keep a small eyeliner brush with you too, you can use the mascara as a gel eyeliner in a pinch! (tarte Lights! Camera! Splashes! Waterproof mascara shown)

My favorite thing to do in the summer is keep these 6 products, a travel pack of makeup remover wipes and blush, Bronzer, and eyeliner brushes in my purse as well. This way if I'm out and about with makeup already on or none at all, I can find a bathroom, quickly clean my face and apply these 6 products for a complete and easy summer look! 

Don't be afraid to think outside of the box when it comes to makeup! There are no rules and you can use products however they work best for you! 

Have a beautiful day,

Dre

Dre Does an Ipsy Review

I'm back with a review on my March Ipsy Glambag and it was an awesome bag this month! I only received four products compared to the normal amount of five, but as you'll see in the totals later, this didn't decrease the value of the bag at all. Three out of four of the brands were higher end products which is great to see! Below is a summary of all the products and the bag.

The bag this month was really unique and featured the artwork of the artist Klari Reis. The design was inspired by the neighborhoods of San Francisco and I love the unique print. I think this is an awesome aspect of this months bag! 

First product up is the Marvelous Moxie Lipstick by bareMinerals in the shade Get Ready. It's a great natural shade that will look good on most skin tones, as it isn't extremely cool or warm. I absolutely love the formula of this lipstick and would definitely look into purchasing more after trying this mini one. As a typical woman I'm obsessed with the cute little size of this lipstick and I think it's a great shade and size to keep in your purse for everyday wear since it can match any makeup look and outfit choice. This 1.5g mini lipstick is valued at $7.71 (full size is $18). 

Next up is the Chella Felt Tip Eyeliner in Indigo Blue. It claims to be water resistant, smudge proof, and stain resistant as well, while being free of parabens which is awesome. While I found all of these claims to be true when I wore it, I did have a problem with the application using the felt tip. When you swatch it on the back of your hand it has great flow and pigmentation, but when you hold it up to your eye to draw a wing like I did, I found the tip didn't get enough saturation so it took a long time to get an exact fine tip to my wing. The color is gorgeous however and I received many compliments on it, so I'll definitely keep testing it out! This is a full size product valued at $24! This brings the total so far to $31.71.

Next I received a Love in Rio Eyeshadow Trio from NYX Cosmetics in the shade Voodoo Love Spells. I really like these shades. It's a great little everyday palette as there are two mattes (the darker shades) and one shimmer (the lightest). While these shadows aren't the most pigmented that I've ever tried from NYX, they are still good for that everyday eye look. This is the full size palette and it's value is $6.00, bringing my bag total to $37.71 so far!

Pixi is a brand that I always seem to swatch and look at when I'm in Target, but due to their larger price tag (for Target) I have never actually bought anything from the line before. I'm a sucker for face primers so I was really excited to see this really deluxe sized sample in my Glambag. It has a great sheen to it but it doesn't make you look oily. It doesn't have that silicon texture that a lot of primers have (i.e. Smashbox photo finish and Benefit's Porefessional) so if you don't like that, I recommend trying this one out. It has a subtle pink undertone to it, but it doesn't show up when blended out on your skin. I really like the smooth texture it gives my skin before applying my foundation. This deluxe sized sample is valued at $9.00 so my grand total value of my March Ipsy Glambag is $46.71! This is an awesome value for only getting 4 products! It's the second highest valued bag that I've gotten so far! Good job Glambag :) 

As usual I've linked my previous month's bags and my link to sign up if you're interested! 

February Ipsy Review ($45.02)

January Ipsy Review ($38.17)

December Ipsy Review ($57.17)

Click here to subscribe to Ipsy yourself!

Have a beautiful day,

Dre

Dre Does February Favorites

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Happy March friends! We're officially one month closer to spring and warmer weather! While that is one of my favorites I'm here with the things I loved most in the month of February. 

1. tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes! Mascara: In February, tarte sent out a coupon code for valentines day so I took the opportunity to pick up their Christmas gift set I had wanted since it was already marked down. It came with two of these mascaras and I'm obsessed. It lengthens and volumizes so well and I feel like it holds curl really well too. The only con is that it's a little more difficult to get off at night than some of my other favorite mascaras but it's nothing compared to Benefit's They're Real, so that's good. I gave my sister a tarte eye set for Christmas and this came in it and she's obsessed too! While it is $19, I think it's a great mascara to keep on hand even if you use it only for special occasions. 

2. Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate Moss Lipstic in 01: I love the finish of these lipsticks. Great pigmentation and they really do stay on for a long time. I love the finish because it's a happy mix of matte and gloss but I'd say they lean more to matte side. Whenever I wear this shade I get compliments and people think it's a really high end lipstick. So if you're daring enough to try something bold, go out to your local drugstore and pick this one up. I haven't tried the matte line by Kate yet, but after such success with the Lasting Finish line, I know it won't be long. 

3. Aveda Botanical Kinetics Liquid Exfoliant: I'm working on a few posts dedicated to my skin care routine so I'll go more in depth about this product there, but I recently added this chemical exfoliant to my night time routine and I think it's helping tremendously with getting rid of the acne and scarring on my chin. If you're new to exfoliation, check out my post on why it's so important here.

4. Bubble baths: We can't rid our lives of stress, but we can work on how we manage it so it doesn't affect our mind, body, skin, and everything inbetween. Bubble baths are one of my favorite stress management techniques. I made a promise to myself that is was going to take more of them in 2014 and so far I'm doing pretty well. If you're having trouble sleeping at night, try a bath beforehand to calm and relax you. 

5. MAC Cosmetics Extra Dimension Skinfinish in Superb: How does one stay away from beautifully packaged Rose Gold products? Don't look at me for the answer because I took one glance at the MAC counter and I was sold. Right now since I'm a little paler, I love using a little of this with a matte blush to give me more of a glow. I think in the summer time though this would make an amazing highlight for bronzed skin. I'll keep you updated on that if we ever see the sun again here in Michigan...

6. Thank You Power by Deborah Norville: My dad gave me this book for Christmas and I absolutely loved it. It's a quick and easy read about focusing more on our gratitude in all aspects of life because situations will not only turn out better for us, but we will be much happier. It's filled with many short stories and examples of how thank you power has helped others in all kinds of problems, big and small. I really recommend reading it. We can't control the things that happen to us, but we can control our attitude while we handle them. Gratitude plays a huge part in making us stronger through the tough times. 

7. Sharpie Pens: I'm not really sure how I survived life before these guys, but they are the only pens I will use. I love how they come in many colors so that my planner can be super organized. Just stay away from the clickable ones because I find those dry out faster. I like the simple skinny ones with the caps.

8. tarte Lipsurgence Lip Cremes: This set of 4 came with that Christmas set I mentioned earlier and I'm obsessed with them. The Lipsurgence line has multiple finishes but this is by far my favorite one so far. Great pigmentation with just enough gloss to keep your lips moisturized. I especially love the shade because it's a dark brown nude that I honestly might never have tried if it hadn't come in this set. It's a great color if you want something besides red to stand out boldly. I'm excited to try more shades like this.

9. Stila's Stay All Day waterproof liquid eye liner in Intense Black: I had been hearing tons of great things about this eyeliner so I decided to pick it up last time I was in Ulta. It has the best staying power I've ever seen in a liquid eyeliner which is exactly what I need when I'm doing more dramatic cat eye looks. I also love how fine the felt tip is so you can get a really precise and thin wing. I'm curious to see how long it lasts before drying up though, so I'll keep you updated on that! 

What were your favorites this month? Leave me a comment below if you're loving something you think I should try. I'm always excited to hear what others are loving at the moment!

Have a beautiful day,

Dre