I'm back!

Okay, so I have absolutely NO excuse for neglecting my blog for this long! I have been working really hard at getting my YouTube channel up and running! It has been a shaky first couple of weeks getting my video's up, I know, but I am trying to get used to making videos, and making videos covering one topic, and making them easier to watch and more informational, etc. So anyway, I am also working out a schedule for my blog, because it can be something easy for me to forget, since talking is slower than talking for me, so I tend to trade out my "blog" time for making videos. BUT I will NOT do that anymore. This blog WILL live on. As well as my beauty channel and my upcoming vlog channel. oh boy. I also need name idea's for my VLOG channel on YouTube! If you leave a name you think would suit my vlog channel, make sure you leave your name as well so I can give you a shout out if I pick your VLOG name! So. I am thinking I will do some quick haul/reviews, OOTD, some tips, and other things like that that I enjoy reading in a blog, but doesn't need its own video to explain. So rather than me filming a video, downloading it onto my computer and then onto YouTube, I can just jump onto my computer and upload a few pictures, say a few words, and be done with it but still be in touch with you guys! But please keep in mind, I tend to ramble, on video and over the computer, so some of my blog posts may quite possibly be over a "few words". (ummm, ^^^)  LOL bare with me! please please PLEASE check back to this blog weekly or daily! I promise to have some fun posts up and will try to do one every other day! I will let you all go now because I am sure your eyes are getting tired, and I will upload my first beauty related blog hopefully  tomorrow!

Hope you all stay happy and healthy!

 With Love,
             ~ Sarah

Save or Splurge?

Alright so after seeing my "Introduction Video" on my channel, you know that I love bargains, high quality makeup items, and finding the best deal. So, I really wanted to share with you guys what I think are the best things to get from a drugstore, and some things that I think are really important to get as nice quality as possible of. So, lets get started on my little ramble here.

~Bronzer~

Splurge

Summer is coming! If like me, your skin does NOT tan, or you are looking for an easy way out of faking your every day makeup look, bronzer is very necessary to have in your makeup bag at all times! I am going to have to go with splurge on this one, only because you want the most natural product, and a complimentary bronzer really can give you the nicest, healthy glow. You want your bronzer to be non-orange, no sparkles, no shimmer, not to dark, and I would have to say nice quality. Because like I said, if a bronzer doesn't look natural, it's money wasted. At Sephora, a nice bronzer is the Nars Laguna bronzer. For $26, it is cheaper than the Benefit Hoola bronzer for $28, which I also recommend. Mac makes some nice ones too. Just be sure to have some one put it on you, and walk around the department store or mall, or even outside, so you can see how it looks on you in multiple lighting before purchasing. There is definitely nothing better than having a fantastic bronzer on hand at all times to cover blemishes, and even with nothing else on, to give you the illusion of tan, flawless skin!

~Blush~

Save or Splurge

This is a tricky one! I always like to know what I am buying before I buy it, which is why I love Sephora and department stores, because you can try on a product before you buy it! However, for blush, I think it is safe to say that while some of your favorite brands are at department stores, if you are on a budget, you can easily opt for the drugstore to offer a wide range of shades that you can try to find the color you find most flattering on your skin! Blush is all about application. How you put it on, where you put it, how heavy you put it on, etc. Pretty much any color blush will look flattering on you if you know how to apply it! Blushes are so fun and thankfully there are SO many colors that we can buy at affordable prices, so we can match our blush with our mood! I would say that if you are lighter skinned, your safest bet is for a peachy-pink color or rose color. For tan skin, corals, peach, apricot and orange compliment your natural skin tone very nicely, while wine, plum, Burgundy, auburn and bronze. Remember, the darker your skin is, the darker your blush should be! Also remember to use your lips as a guideline for your blush color. If the natural color of your lips are red, opt for a pink-reddish color. If your lips are a rose color, try to find a similar shade in your blush! Once you find a shade you love, go ahead and look through a store like Mac, Sephora or Nars to name a few, and try to find a similar shade! A higher end brand typically will give you longer lasting results, as well as an excellent finish for a flawless look.

~Eyeshadow~

Save or Splurge

Eye shadow is SO fun because you can buy it almost everywhere, and you can get it pretty cheap if you know where to look! Of course, MAC sells just about every color you can imagine, it may not be practical to spend $15 on an eyeshadow if you are a beginner and you want to see what colors you like, and what colors you think compliments your eyes the most. If you have warm skin, experiment with different tones of bronze, cream, light brown, pink, soft green, and coral. For cool skin, white, silver, pale blue, purple, dark green, and gray are good choices of eye shadow. If you don't know if your skin is warm or cool, you can go to the Mac store and they will tell you! There are many different drugstore brands now selling more pigmented and affordable eye shadows because they know its something that women can't seem to get enough of! Maybelline, Covergirl, NYX, and Revlon, just to name a few. These lines all have very nice colors, well pigmented, and with a good primer, will last all day! Which leads me to my next "S or S" item...

~Primer~

Splurge

Every girl MUST have a primer in their makeup bag. It is not even an option to not have it, if you plan on wearing any eyeshadow at all. One of my next blog post's will show you pictures of what my eyeshadow looks like with primer, and what it would look like without it. Primer prevents creasing (when your eyeshadow wears off in the folds in your eyes), fading, smudging and smearing! It also gives your eye shadow its fullest color potential. My two favorite eye primers, and the only ones I would recommend a the moment are:

Urban Decay Primer Potion $18 -I have mine in"Sin"(UDPP)

and of COURSE, the Mac Paint Pot $16.50

~Concealer~

Splurge

Concealer is every woman's best friend. With a good one, just a dab will conceal all your deepest secrets. You don't have perfect skin! What we do have are bags, under-eye circles, blemishes, birthmarks, acne, etc. The good news is, not everyone needs full on foundation, or maybe for the summer you are looking for an easier, more natural approach to your every day makeup routine. So, I recommend investing in a high quality concealer that will do the job with just a small amount. Go to Sephora, Mac, or your favorite department store and ask a consultant to tell you what shade you are, what products they recommend for your skin type, etc. It is always good to know, even if you don't plan on buying a whole lot today, so you can search online for a cheaper place to get it. *Tip* Apply your foundation (if you use cream or liquid) BEFORE you put on your concealer. That way, the foundation will cover most of the blemish for you, and you won't have to use as much concealer! The Laura Mercier concealer has been raved about buy many, and you can find it at Sephora. Bobbi Brown makes some good ones too! Some other good concealers for those of you who want coverage on your face, such as for mild acne, blemishes, or minor under-eye darkness, is the MAC select cover up. It comes in a tube, and has buildable coverage, so it will look very natural if worn without a foundation. If you want heavier coverage, such as dark under eye circles, acne, birthmarks, and freckles, I would recommend the MAC studio sculpt and studio finish concealer. Make sure you get tested to find your correct shade!

~Foundation~

Splurge

Like concealer, foundation can take years off your face, as well as give you a flawless, natural look. However, it is MANDATORY that you get the exact shade that will disappear right into your skin when applied. So I highly recommend a department store for this one. Sure, the drugstore had some nice foundations, but $10 spent on one the wrong shade, is $10 wasted. So I would stick with the sure thing on this one. Also, like concealer, you pay more for higher coverage with less product. So really, you save money by going with splurge on this one.

~Mascara~

Save!

Mascara! Every girls second best friend! I think mascara from drugstores are awesome because you get to try a bunch of brands, for just about $6 a tube! My All time favorite mascara is Covergirl Lash Blast in very black. It gives me great volume, just enough length, and it WAS very black! I think that my lashes are pretty long, but its the volume I like from a mascara. I cannot tell you how many kinds I have tried and I keep coming back to this one. Once you find a mascara you love, to me, the search is over! And what's great about this, is you (and your wallet) don't have a mini heart attack when your tube starts drying or running out! I would definitely recommend this to anyone and everyone searching for a good drugstore mascara. Pretty much all mascaras have the same formula, it is just a matter of finding one with the right brush to achieve the look you want. That's why drugstores are so great!

~Eyeliner~

Save or Splurge

Truth is, there are some great drugstore brands of eyeliner out there that many of us haven't even cared to try! But I have heard great things about the Milani eyeliner, and you can find some good simple black, brown and charcoal eyeliners at Revlon, Maybelline and Covergirl. I personally like Urban Decay's 24/7 eyeliner, and Mac's eye kohl and technakohl liner. They glide on smoothly, have an extremely long lasting formula, and vibrant color! As for gel liners, CoastalScents.com makes a gel liner very comparable to Mac's fluidline, which is also a very good gel liner. It all comes down to what your needs are, and what you can afford.

Well, that was it! I just wanted to let you all know that all the products listed above are ones I recommend. Whether it was drugstore or department store, all the products listed are ones you cannot go wrong with. However, just because I recommend them, doesn't mean that you need them. If you are one to buy everything you hear about, invest in the higher quality makeup, so you only have to buy it once. :) Thanks for reading!

Much Love,

Sarah

My Blog!

Hey everyone! Thanks for visiting my blog! This blog will be updated regularly with swatches, reviews, updates, random rambling, and more! Follow me on Twitter @Sgraceandbeauty, and subscribe to my YouTube account @ beautythroughgrace .