My Life as Brig: May 2015

May 2015 Favorites!

Hello everyone!

It's that time of the month again! No not THAT one, it's time for my monthly favorites!

These are my favorite (no pun intended!) posts to write because I love to share what I've been loving with you guys!

Okay so first up is my all time favorite face mask, Freeman's Avocado and Oatmeal Clay Mask!

This mask is so nice for absorbing the oil my face produces in the summertime but at the same time it leaves my skin soft and moisturized, the perfect balance! This retails for around $4 and is worth every penny! I'm going to post a review on this next week so look for it if you want to know more!

My next favorite from May is my Australis "AC on Tour" Contour and Highlight Kit. All I have to say about this kit is that it is the BOMB.COM! It's super pigmented and lasts a long time on the face!

Next up is the brush I use to apply all my face powders and how I blend my contour to look super natural! It is the ELF Complexion Brush. Before I started using bronzer I didn't use this much but now I reach for it daily!

This brush is super soft but still dense enough to blend powders with ease! It costs $3 on ELF's website and worth EVERY penny!

Notice the tape I use to keep the brush sitting up:)

Next up is my favorite hand cream from Burts Bees. It is a sample size that I received in a kit from Christmas. It is their "Nourishing Milk and Honey Body Cream". This cream works really well at moisturizing not only my skin but also my nails and cuticles to keep them healthy and soft!

The smell of this product is very calming to me. For some reason it smells like how a grandmas house would smell, very sweet and relaxing, if that makes sense! :)

Only three more products and they're all makeup!

This month my go to eyebrow product was ELF's "Treat and Tame" in Ash. I have two of these in Ash and Medium but Ash is what I use the most.

I'm also going to post a review on these so I don't want to give too much away but what you need to know is that these are AMAZING! The colored tint has little hairs in it so when you fill in your brows it looks super natural!

These are a great alternative to high end and even drugstore products because at $3 a piece you save between a few bucks and a small fortune for the beauty addict on a budget!

Throughout May, Jordana's Fabuliner in black has been my everyday eyeliner for simple looks and my new favorite "flick" which is basically like a baby winged liner. This eyeliner is in pen form but isn't flimsy like a felt tip.

It has a solid tip so it feels like you're drawing on your eye with a Crayola marker, not an eyeliner! This liner is so pigmented and I rarely screw up my line with it, unless I sneeze! I grabbed mine at Walgreens for around $2!

LAST BUT NOT LEAST is my all time favorite Wet n Wild lipstick in "Think Pink"! I wear this color whenever I need a natural looking pink on my lips!

The formula is matte which is great because I hate glossy lip products but also because it makes this color the perfect "my lips but better" color!

In the tube, this color doesn't look like anything special but trust me, give it a try! I bought this at Walmart for $1-$2! I can't remember the exact price!

Okay, that's it for my May 2015 favorites! I cannot believe that May is already over, is time moving really fast for anyone else or is it just me?! :)

As always feel free to reach out to me on my social media, I promise I don't bite!

Xoxo,
Brig

My ikatehouse affiliate link: http://www.ikatehouse.com/?mw_aref=8161f5d154a17e1412f65b4eac1cd80e

This company has many makeup brands for an affordable price, including NYX, L.A Girls, Jordana and more!

Australis "AC on Tour" Contour and Highlight Kit Review!

Hello everyone!

I hope you're all having a wonderful day and enjoying some nice weather! Today I'm reviewing the Australis "AC on Tour" Contour Kit!

This kit looks a lot like the Anastasia Beverly Hills and the Kat Von D kit but at a much lower price!

You might be wondering how a US girl got her hands on an Australian brand product! I won this kit in a giveaway on Instagram but if you don't live somewhere that carries Australis products (like me) you can find their products on Ebay!

Let me just start this review off by saying that this kit is the first contour palette I've ever used and I'm so glad because it is amazing!

It is VERY pigmented so a little product goes a long way!

I wrote a long description about these powders in my Australian Beauty Haul post but if you don't feel like going back and reading that, I'll insert it below!

FYI: All of these powders are matte except for the highlighting powder I'll describe below!

The top of the kit has three powders for setting and highlighting.

In the top left is a peach colored powder which I use to set the concealer over my dark circles and then I top it off with a more neutral powder.

In the middle is a yellow powder which reminds me a lot of the Ben Nye Banana Powder that everyone raves about! I haven’t used this one yet because I’m not quite sure how to apply it! It looks a little funny on my skin tone but when I figure it out, I’ll Instagram my look, so if you want to see it, check out my profile, HINT HINT!

The last shade in the top row is a BEAUTIFUL highlighting shade. It is a pink shade with a gorgeous sheen to it, no sparkles or glitter at all! Like the others, this powder is super blendable and leaves an airbrushed finish.

The bottom row is all contouring shades.

The first shade in the bottom left is a warm tan shade. This would be better for bronzing your face over contouring because it looks super natural and gives a great sun kissed look.

The middle shade is a cooler, ashy brown which I use to contour because it creates a shadow effect in the hollows of my cheeks, which is essentially what you want from a contour!

The last shade in the bottom right is a deeper version of the first contour shade. I’d say it’s about two shades darker with a little more red in it. This reminds me of my favorite ELF bronzer in Caramel Cabana but matte. I’m probably not going to get much use out of this shade because I am very fair and I don’t tan very much during the summer but I’ll play around and see!

Here's one last picture to help you seal the deal!

Took the picture this way to help it capture the light!

Overall, this kit is a great drugstore alternative to high end powders. It is also a great gateway product if you're new to makeup or contouring and would like to try something without worrying about wasting money if you don't like what you buy!

I hope you all give this kit a try and if you do let me know what you think below! As always please feel free to find me on my social media!

Xoxo,
Brig

My ikatehouse affiliate link: http://www.ikatehouse.com/?mw_aref=8161f5d154a17e1412f65b4eac1cd80e

This company has many makeup brands for an affordable price, including NYX, L.A Girls, Jordana and more!

90's Tag!

Hello everyone!

Today I have a super easy read for all of you! It is the 90's tag, so it's a nostalgic throwback for all you other 90's babies!

Okay, let's get into it!

1. Favorite TV show

Rugrats or Out of the Box

2. Favorite Toy

Barbie's Dream House

3. Favorite Commercial

The Roseart one where the kinds used to surf on crayons

4. NSync or Backstreet Boys

Backstreet Boys

5. Weirdest Fashion Trend

Overalls but I was forced to wear them...

6. Favorite Collectables

Beanie Babies or Hush Puppies

7. Favorite Beanie Baby

My giant bear that my grandma got me as a baby

8. How many Tamagotchi's did you go through?

I wasn't really into Tamagotchi's but I went through two

9. Favorite Game Console + Game

Nintendo 64 and it's a tie between Zelda and Mario

10. Favorite Disney Channel Original Movie

Rip Girls and Brink!

11. Favorite Music Artist

I was really young in the 90's (I was born in 93) so the music I listened to was kiddie stuff like Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen! :)

12. Favorite Nick Jr. show

Blue's Clues

13. Favorite Candy

Candy nacklaces or Wonderballs

14. Favorite Game (Board game, School game, etc.)

Snakes and Ladders or Hi Ho Cherry-o

15. Favorite McDonald's Happy Meal Toy

The Muppet Treasure Island toys that went in the bath

16. Favorite Book

Frog and Toad, any of the Magic Treehouse Books or Henry and Mudge

17. Favorite Clothing Store

My mom did my shopping!

18. What would you watch when you'd get home from school?

Arthur and then ZOOM!

Okay guys, that's it for my 90's tag! I tag all of you to do this as well! It was a fun trip down memory lane:)

As always feel free to reach out to me on my social media!

Xoxo,

Brig

My ikatehouse affiliate link: http://www.ikatehouse.com/?mw_aref=8161f5d154a17e1412f65b4eac1cd80e

This company has many makeup brands for an affordable price, including NYX, L.A Girls, Jordana and more!

I Won an Instagram Giveaway!?| Australian Beauty Haul

Hello everyone!

I’m baaaaaaack! I’m finally done with school and I am ready to have a new post for you all on a REGULAR basis, that is until classes start again in September…anyways let’s get into today’s post and not rush summer!

So a little while back I won a beauty giveaway on Instagram by one of my favorite accounts "Bubbalocchamakeuplover". She is from Australia and I was so excited to win because I've never tried out any Australian make up brands because I’m from the United States.

The first thing I opened when I received the package is the Australis “AC on Tour” Contouring and Highlighting Kit. I was so happy to win this with my prize because I've seen so many Australian beauty accounts rave about this on Instagram and was wishing I could own it!

*Be prepared for multiple pictures because I'm in LOVE with this kit!*

Inside it looks like the high end Anastasia contouring kit, but I’m guessing this one is much cheaper! The pigmentation of this kit is INCREDIBLE! I tap my brush into this so lightly and still have to tap off excess!

All of these powers are super smooth and blendable, which is good if you’re someone who doesn't like a super harsh contour. Also, they are all matte, if you have oily skin in the summer, then you’ll appreciate that!

The top of the kit has three powders for setting and highlighting.

In the top left is a peach colored powder which I use to set the concealer over my dark circles and then I top it off with a more neutral powder.

The bottom row is all contouring shades.

The first shade in the bottom left is a warm tan shade. This would be better for bronzing your face over contouring because it looks super natural and gives a great sunkissed look.

The middle shade is a cooler, ashy brown which I use to contour because it creates a shadow effect in the hollows of my cheeks, which is essentially what you want from a contour!

You might be wondering why I didn't put up swatches in this post and that is because I am going to post a review of this in about a week!

The next component of my prize is Maybelline’s Master Precise Liquid Liner in black. I’m not a huge fan of liquid liners because I always seem to mess it up, but this liner lets me create the tiniest line and gradually build it up! I still prefer my ELF Cream Eyeliner but sometimes I gravitate towards this a love it every time!

The next thing I won in the giveaway is two lippies by Australis. It is their Velourlips Matte Lip Creams. They are in the shades “NY-CEE” and “TOK-I-O”. Before I get into explaining them, I just want you to know that these are the Bomb.com!

They are super pigmented and smell like fruit punch, even hours after I apply them!

NY-CEE is a bright, classic red color. This is the one I wear because the other not my everyday style, but I’m hoping to use if for a Halloween tutorial! NY-CEE is my current favorite red and it lasts ALL day! Of course it does stain (my lips seem to absorb color!) but by morning it’s usually faded.

TOK-I-O is a super bright purple. This isn't something I wear everyday (or ever, really) but hopefully I can create some tutorials for Halloween with it. I've swatched this on my hand and left it overnight and it didn't budge! The lasting power of these lip creams are amazing!

I also received an eyeshadow palette from Bubbaloochmakeuplover. It is the Party Glam palette from the brand MODELSPREFER. They are all shimmery, satin shadows in a beautiful range of colors. I haven’t used this much because I really gravitate toward matte shadows, but so far my favorite color is “Tease”. It is a gorgeous copper brown which really highlights my eye color!

Last but not least I received a Maybelline Baby Lips Electro Pop in the shade Pink Shock. I’ve never tried any of the Baby Lips so I’m not sure if they’re moisturizing, but this one doesn’t leave my lip moisturized for very long.

That being said I still use it for the color! One swipe leaves a nice color on my lips that’s not too crazy for a “low key, hanging out in comfy clothes but still have to look presentable to run errands”, kind of day! *Disclaimer: guys I am so sorry, my computer lost the picture I took of this product so the one below isn't one that I took but I will replace it when I get the chance!! :)

Okay guys, that’s it for my Australian Beauty Giveaway Haul! I’m so thankful to Bubbaloochmakeuplover for hosting this giveaway, I love all my prizes! I hope you all have a wonderful day and if you’re lucky enough to already be out on summer break like I am, enjoy it!

Xoxo,

Brig

My ikatehouse affiliate link: http://www.ikatehouse.com/?mw_aref=8161f5d154a17e1412f65b4eac1cd80e

This company has many makeup brands for an affordable price, including NYX, L.A Girls, Jordana and more!