A Few of my Favorite Things || Makeup

I'm kinda obsessed with makeup. For real, you should see my stash. It's crazy.

When I was young (like 5) my grandmother would let my cousin and I play with her makeup. She taught us so much through the years and really instilled an interest in both my cousin and I. I was fortunate to be able to work in consmetics at Nordstrom through college and I learned so much about application, content, color, etc. So I thought it would be fun to show you a few of my favorite makeup products. There are, of course a whole bunch more but I thought I'd start with the basics. These are the things I use nearly every single day. Try em out. I think you'll like em.

NOTE: Since working towards being vegan I have (sadly) come to find that some of my favorite products are not (which isn't exactly surprising). I'm trying out vegan products here and there and would love any input on your vegan faves.

FACE || Lush Colour Supplement

Lush products are the very best and, to be completely honest, if they introduced a whole makeup line, I'd run out to buy it all this instant.  It's like magic in a little pot. It makes my face flawless. And, I swear on my sister's life, it made my face look BETTER when I took it off. It's all the fancy herbs and shit in it that are sitting on your skin all day. I get the light pink and light yellow (both only $13) and mix em for the right shade. They last surprisingly long (pretty sure I had my two little pots for 4-6 months). The only problem is that they do not provide many options for darker shades. Ya hear that Lush?? Get on it.

FACE || MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural

I used to have a love hate relationship with Studiofix. If you've ever used it you probably know what I'm talking about. It made me look like a frikken doll (which is pretty much my goal in life), yet it really did a number on my skin. I don't really know what they put in that stuff but my poor face didn't like it. Nowadays, I generally only add powder to my routine before going out on the town or somethin like that. This stuff is great cause it's super light, yet buildable, with a nice matte finish. And my face doesn't react poorly to it. Must be all those fancy minerals ;)

COLOR || Nars Blush

Sex Appeal | Oasis | Deep Throat

Nars blush is pretty much the best thing ever. To be completely honest, I first bought their deep throat blush cause of the name. Yep, I'm that guy. Now I realize that the dirty names are just a plus (makes me smile every morning). This stuff is highly pigmented and blends beautifully. Another plus- as far as I can tell almost every shade looks fabulous on most skin tones.... weeeeiiiiirrrrdd. Don't know how they do it. AAND word on the streets (web?) is that the founder of Nars, Francios Nars, is even vegan. Killer. Their stuff, though expensive, is great.  

EYES || Revlon Color Stay Liquid Liner

I'm such a sucker for liquid eyeliner. I wear it pretty much every day and feel naked without it. I've tried my hand at many different kinds of liner and find that Revlon's Color Stay line is my favorite. It's really easy to apply and wears really well. No smudgies throughout the day. Also, for those of you who prefer a pencil liner, the Color Stay line makes a nice one. However, there is one con; There are limited colors. Which I guess isn't a problem for everyday wear but I'd love it if they had a teal or even a golden brown color. Also, while Revlon does not test their products on animals, their products are not necessarily vegan.

EYES || Kiehl's Marvelous Mineral Mascara 

I pretty much don't leave the house without mascara. As a daily contact wearer, I can be kinda picky about my mascaras. I've noticed some brands dry or irritate my eyes- no bueno. This mascara is awesome; it gives a natural look with good hold that doesn't stiffen your lashes. Unfortunately, as a subsidiary of L'oreal, Kiehl's is not vegan. Boo for that cause this shit is magical. If you have any suggestions for vegan mascara's that make my lashes look awesome and feel healthy, lemme know.

LIPS || Burt's Bees Tinted Lip Balm

I love this stuff cause it instantly pulls together a look. This stuff is cheap and you can get it pretty much everywhere. It makes my lips smooth and hydrated and gives a nice little bit of color to keep my grill lookin fresh.

LIPS || Revlon Matte Lipstick

For a heavier look, try Revlon's Matte Lipstick. Matte lipstick can be dangerous territory for some but let me make my case. It stays on all day yet isn't designed like some franken-lipstick to stay on for all of eternity. It'll stay put through a night out but will easily come off when the night comes to an end. They've got plenty of shades to tickle your fancy. Plus you can swipe on some gloss or chapstick to change and control the look. Apply lightly, blot, and add chapstick for more of a stain look. Apply, blot and /or powder, and touch up for a full coverage look.

What are your favorite makeup products? What can't you live without and why? 

Ashley's Merry Beauty School: Rules

There are always lots of rules in the fashion and beauty world. Really silly rules. Like, don't wear white after labor day.




The funny thing is, the rules are really arbitrary. Yet, sometimes people still stick to them. I think it's because there is always someone telling us what we should wear and what's "in" and what's sooo "out". Now I don't think trends are bad or anything. But not all trends are for all people (What I mean is- I think you can kinda tell when people are following a trend but aren't really feeling it). But I think that fashion is like any other art; the fun is in the exploration. Like any other DIY type activity, the fun part is in tinkering and figuring out what works for you. I'll have you know, I have made some bad fashion mistakes (like, BAD). However, all of my oops have really helped me define my specific personal style.

BUUUUT. There is one rule that is and always will be universal. It can make or break any outfit. This one you must NEVER forget.... Wear proper undergarments. It's tragic when an amazing outfit is ruined by lumps and bumps and straps and lines in all the wrong places. 

So throw out all the rules (except one). Go with your gut. *This is (I believe) how I have become so good at thrift shopping. I get in the zone, scan the racks, and wait for something to grab me. You'll look and feel fabulous : )


I love you all!

Ashley's Merry Beauty School

Hello Class! Welcome to your first day at Ashley's Merry Beauty School. I thought it would be best to begin by telling you a little about myself and why I am qualified to teach you about beauty.

Ever since I was a wee one

I was super artsy and that included an interest in fashion, style and beauty. Fashion and beauty had a big part in my life. My grandma

(isn't she cute?!) who played a big part in raising my cousin and I while our parents worked, would allow us to delve into the magical abyss that was her closet. She let us experiment with her makeup and examine her fashion catalogues. We learned so much about fashion and it implanted a deep interest in the both of us (my cousin even went to FIDM).

Living in Phoenix made it kind of hard to be a fashionista, but I found my own ways of standing out from the crowd; in 6th grade I was adamant about getting Lisa Loeb glasses (which I got but was so nervous about wearing- you know how kids can be). 

Early in High School I became obsessed with vintage after finding the most fabulous vintage store in downtown Phoenix. From there I began exploring the local fashion scene and started going to every fashion show around town.

Through all my exploration I have certainly made some mistakes (ok so I went through a pretty Emo stage there- there are definitely some pictures I'd like to burn!) but there are other times that I am actually kinda impressed with my foresight. I think the experimentation is what has helped me refine my personal style.

So here are just some of the topics I will cover:

Essential beauty rules

Developing your style

Throwing away the rules

Risks and Rewards

Is there anything else you would like me to delve into? Any specific styles? And particular topics? Let me know!