Opposites Attract: Lips

Recently I have been loving lipsticks and lip pencils! I must admit, the darker colors have been my favorite for the winter season, but I love a nude, "my lips but better" color just as much! I though it would be fun and interesting to start a new series on this blog that I will do once a month! I call it "Opposites Attract" hence the title of this blog! haha Basically I want to take an aspect of beauty and talk about two of my favorite products or combinations on completely opposite ends of the spectrum. 

For the first edition, I wanted to do lips! I have been so excited to share what I think is the perfect matte red lip combination and the perfect nude lip combination. It has been a long search, but I have finally fallen in love with the products that I am going to share with you today. (Though I am always experimenting and searching for new, exciting colors.) So whether you are a looking for a bold or natural lip look, you can find great options here. 

First Up: The Perfect Nude 
There were a couple different options and combinations that I really liked. I love the Urban Decay Lip Gloss in the shade "Naked" as well to layer over the top. This lip pencil also looks amazing underneath the Bare Minerals Marvelous Moxie Lipstick in "Take Charge". I did a full review of that lipstick as well if you would like to check it out HERE. However, I think this super simple combo gives me the color I am happiest with. It truly matches the natural color of my lips but makes them seem much more glamorous. 

First, I line my lips with the Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Lip Pencil in "Naked" I love this product. It is so creamy and soft. The color is beautiful and because of the texture is is easy to apply. It shows up as a matte color and layers perfectly underneath a lip gloss or lipstick.

Then, I simply apply Revlon's Super Lustrous lip gloss in shade "215 Super Natural". The color is a beautiful natural pink that is incredibly pigmented, but the best part about this product is how moisturizing and creamy it is! About an hour after the first time I wore this, I couldn't believe how moisturized and soft my lips felt. I thought that I had applied one of my favorite chap sticks or lip balms, but soon remembered it was just this incredible gloss. 

 Together, the two of these products make an amazing combination. Here are the swatches on both my hand and lips! 

Second Up: The Perfect Matte Red 

I have bought countless red lipsticks expecting them to result in the color that these products give me, however I was always disappointed with a color that was too orange, too bright, too blue or just not what I was looking for. Never fear, because the perfect matte red color is finally here! 

The first product I used is the NYX lip liner in "SPL817 Hot Red". It is a normal lip liner pencil, meaning it does not have the creamy consistency that the Urban Decay lip pencils have, but the color is gorgeous and once it is on your lips it doesn't budge.

Then I apply the most beautiful matte red lipstick ever! I discovered this color from two of my favorite beauty guru's Zoella and Tanya Burr, I will link their blogs below! It is the Rimmel Long Lasting Lipstick by Kate in the shade "01". It applies smooth and has incredible staying power.

The final step is to add the luxurious Hourglass Liquid Lipstick in the color "Icon". I desperately want the full size of this and I want to try the lipstick in this color as well, however is it a bit on the pricey side, so considering I bought it around Christmas time, it will have to wait. This product applies very wet, but quickly dries to a deep, matte, red color that is quite "vampy". Though it is expensive, this product is wonderful and I would definitely say it is worth the investment.

 These three products make for the prettiest lip combination. Here are the swatches on both my hand and my lips below. 

Love these blogs! 
Zoella 
Tanya Burr 

Thanks for Reading, hope you enjoyed!! :)

Have a lovely day!! xoxo
HaileyGrace 

Happy 2014!!

Happy New Years!! 

I wanted to do a quick post wishing everyone a happy new year and talk a bit about what I think the new year is all about. This year I didn't set the same resolutions that I usually do, because every year I tend to forget about them after January. Instead I decided to take a moment to reflect on why we all make such a big deal out of New Years! 

I think the main reason why we celebrate with friends, set goals for ourselves, and place such importance on our New Years festivities is because it inspires us. The new year is a chance for us to not only reflect on the positive and negative aspects of the past year, but it is a refreshing time to in a sense "start over". January 1 of every year is the only day that offers a feeling of hope, motivation, and most importantly inspiration. I love how determined and driven everyone becomes in the beginning of a new year. 

For this year, having decided that this was the purpose and the significance of New Years, I want to motivate myself and challenge myself to accomplish things I typically wouldn't or improve upon the things I care about most. Instead of setting incredibly specific goals about weight, diet, relationships, or work I want to push myself to improve and appreciate each aspect of my life. Motivation and inspiration are so important to accomplish the things you dream of and hope for; so for this year, 2014, I hope to accomplish new things, experience new things, and overall, to grow as an person. 

We are all humans, with our own experiences, goals, and dreams. I encourage all of you to challenge yourself to get inspired this year and be the person you desire to be. You never know what dreams can come true when you stay motivated. 

Happy New Years again, I can't wait to fill this blog up this year with all the best things in life! Family, beauty, travel, fashion, and inspiration. 

Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed!! :) 

Have a lovely day!! xoxo
HaileyGrace

Holiday Outfit Ideas!!

Merry 3 days until Christmas!!

Having trouble deciding what to wear?! I have had a few ideas for holiday outfits for quite some time now and am really excited to finally share them with you!

Let's get started!

Look One: 
The first outfit is great for a dressy occasion! I personally will be wearing this on Christmas Eve, with neutral eyes, a matte red lip, and loose curls!

 My dress is from Forever 21 and would actually work for  New Year's as well! It has a chiffon top, with gold sequins along the bottom. One of my favorite details of the dress is the thin black belt with a little, elegant bow!

I decided to pair it with opaque black tights and plain black, heeled booties to keep it simple since the dress itself is quite busy.

Look Two: 

The next look is a great balance between dressy and casual. The top half is a burgundy polka dot top made from a material similar to silk from Forever 21 , which adds some formality to the outfit. 

I decided to pair this outfit with a gray, cotton circle skirt from Target and cozy knee high sweater socks from Urban Outfitters. I also added a beige and gold belt for a feminine touch. 

Here is the outfit laid out, shoes included. The shoes were actually given to me by my aunt, they are adorable and have a 1960's vibe, which goes perfectly with the polka dots.

 Option two is actually quite versatile, to dress it up I would just add a chunky gold necklace, opaque black tights, and the same black booties from the first outfit.

 Or swap the necklace out for a scarf and a pea coat to make the outfit super cozy!

 Look Three: 
 This outfit is similar to the second in the sense that it can either be dressy or casual. The ruffled black dress paired with black tights and high brown boots is formal and classic. The dress itself is from H&M and I actually purchased it on sale for $5, I just love a good bargain! 

I love the classic pattern on this scarf, it is a gorgeous blend of cream, black and burgundy and is perfect for the holidays!

Look 4: 

The final look is what I will be wearing on Christmas morning! I spend the morning and afternoon having a delicious brunch with my cousins at my grandmothers house so I like to keep my outfit cozy and casual! 

My sweater and scarf are both from H&M. I had my eye on the scarf for quite some time and just recently gave in and purchased it; it was too cozy and beautiful to resist. Also,  I have been such a sucker for this classic snowflake Christmas pattern this year! 

I am so excited that it is finally time for all of my Christmas parties and today I get to wear one of these outfits! Hope you all are having a lovely holiday!

Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed!! :)

Have a lovely day!! xoxo
HaileyGrace

My Room at Christmas!

Hey lovelies!

This is a super short and sweet post about how I have decorated my room for Christmas, I quite like how it turned out. I honestly have spent most of my time cuddled up, Christmas lights glowing, with my blanket and a yummy Christmas scented candle burning...does it get any better than that?

I apologize for the terrible quality of these photos, they were taken on my phone, but the good news is, I picked myself up a little Cannon point and shoot, so I will have much better quality photos soon! Yay! :) 

Since my walls are a very summery blue, I decided to accent with red and gold and found a decent amount of decorations that actually had the color of my room in them to tie all of the colors together. 
This is before I decorated my little tree that my mom surprised me with and before I moved it to a different location, but isn't it just the cutest? 

Here is a close up of my little bookshelf, most of this stuff cost about a dollar, can't beat that! 

As you can tell from the glow of this picture, my room is quite magical during this time! The first thing I do when I get home is plug in my lights and light some of my amazing candles! 

 I searched high and low for a Christmas colored tartan throw and finally found one from JCPenny on sale for 60% off! 

 Finally, this might just be my favorite part, I have had this set of three trees since I was young and they have consistently been one of my favorite decorations! I also love the addition of the light up polar bear from my sister Nicole!

I also wanted to include a few of the decorations that my mom has placed so elegantly around our house! First up, my lovely Christmas stocking, already filled to the brim with goodies for Christmas morning! 

My mom and I spent one evening decorating the Christmas tree and I love the way that it turned out! It's filled with red and gold ornaments and a few personal ones to add a special touch. 

 Happy 6 days until Christmas!! 

Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed!! :) 

Have a lovely day!! xoxo
HaileyGrace