3 Ways to Add Vibrancy to Your Beauty Look

When I first started experimenting with makeup in high school, I was totally a lipgloss & mascara kind of girl. For me, it was easy, neutral and didn’t require much work. Now, as a beauty junkie, my daily look is far from neutral. I love experimenting with color, and beauty is a super easy way to add vibrancy to your overall style.

The folks over at Crystal Light have recently launched a collection of Crystal Light Liquids in fun flavors like Pomtini, Peach Bellini, Mango Passionfruit and more. Inspired by some of the fun vibrant colors in the collection, I’ve compiled three super simple ways to add vibrancy to your beauty look:

So here I’m starting with a fresh face or a “blank canvas”. I’m a fan of adding color to your beauty look but in moderation and making sure that all the elements look good together. What does that mean? If you’re opting for a bold lip look, hold off on the bright-colored eyeshadow! Instead, substitute subtle blush and a nice bright nail look to compliment. So that’s exactly what I did here:

1. Bright Red Lipstick (Inspired by Pomtini)

You guys know that red lipstick is my absolute favorite. I was inspired by the Pomtini flavor and chose a bright and bold red. The key to pulling off a red lip look is to find a shade that compliments your complexion. You’ll also want to line your lips with either a neutral lip liner or a red liner that matched the lipstick you’re applying. Liner will help you color inside the lines.

2. Peachy-Pink Blush (Inspired by Peach Bellini)

I used to be one of those girls who just didn’t understand what the point of blush was. Especially as a woman of color, considering it takes a lot to actually “see” me blush. BUT! One day a makeup artist swiped a peachy-pink blush over my cheeks, and I saw the light! Anyway, since then peachy pink has been my go-to for highlighting my cheeks.  Inspired by the Peach Bellini flavor, I went with a peachy-pink blush and then coral nails below.

3. Coral Nails (Inspired by Peach Bellini)

Coral is a nice punchy color to add to your fingertips for the spring season. This color I’m wearing from NCLA called “I’m With The Band” is the same color Beyonce wore during her inauguration performance. I love how bright and opaque it is.

So there you have it folks! Here’s my before & after:

What inspires you to add color to your beauty look? Comment below for a chance to win a $100 VISA gift card!

Rules:

No duplicate comments. You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:

a) Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post
b) Tweet (public message) about this promotion; including exactly the
following unique term in your tweet message: ""#SweepstakesEntry""; and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post"
c) Blog about this promotion, including a disclosure that you are receiving a sweepstakes entry in exchange for writing the blog post, and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post
d) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.

This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected. The Official Rules are available here.

This sweepstakes runs from 5/14 - 6/4. Be sure to visit the Crystal Light page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ reviews and find more chances to win!

Sick Site Spotlight: Hello La Mode

So I've just recently been out onto to a new luxury resale shopping site called HelloLaMode.com. As many resale shops as there are online including megasites like Ebay.com and smaller online consigment shops, I've never been one to purchase luxury products on them. There's something scary and overwhelming about shopping for designer items from untrusted sources and shady characters. I've always had these weird fears of one day paying upwards of $1000 for a Chanel bag on of those sites and then receiving a box full of glitter in the mail with a card that reads "Haha! Got you!" instead. Anyone else have that dream? No? Just me? [CONTINUE]

3 Ways To Simplify Your Life

This week, I've been commissioned by the lovely folks at Sprint to expand on the ways I simplify my life. As a blogger with a full-time job, sometimes burnout is inevitable. At the moment it's 3AM and yes, I'm still blogging. But for anyone who wears more than one hat; whether you have extracurricular activities, children, or a small business - life can be daunting at times. Here are 3 simple ways I simplify my life:

1. Prepare.

Preparation is the antithesis of confusion. Though it may be hard at times (especially if you don't have a personal assistant!) preparing everything you need for the coming days/weeks can make all the difference. I once read a book about efficiency and time management, and one of the key takeways was about "batching" tasks. That means doing a whole lot of one specific thing, all at one time. Bloggers, for example, can take 3 - 4 hours out of their weekend to just draft up and schedule all posts for the remainder of the week, instead of spending two hours each day on them. That's essentially batching. And it helps!

2. Write things down.

"I know I have to do something at 5pm tonight but I can't quite remember what..." Sound familiar? Simplify your busy schedule by writing things down! Whether it's oldschool with a pen & paper or digitally on your iPad, writing down to-do lists and checklists can really help you remain in control. If you're forgetful like me, this is key.


3. Know your limit.

The hardest thing for me to do, when I was in college, was saying "No". Whether it was a friend who needed to vent for an hour, a group member slacking on their work that needed some extra "help", or an event invite sitting in my inbox. I always felt like whatever was asked, I could do. Not true.

Knowing your own limits can truly help you avoid potential pitfalls and will essentially simplify your life. Sometimes you need a day to yourself. And that's ok. The sooner you realize it, the faster you can take the time you need to re-energize and conquer your complicated life.

How do you keep it simple? Leave your tips in the comments section.

Sprint is the only national carrier that has truly Unlimited data for all phones while on the Sprint network with the Everything Data plan. No throttling, no metering and no overages. Plus you get Unlimited text and calling to any mobile. It’s the simple plan that allows you to use data on your phone the way it should be used. Visit http://bit.ly/xK6WDo
 

Compensation was provided by Sprint via Glam Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Sprint.

Announcing: New Jersey Full Figured Fashion Week

Calling all curvy fashionistas! New Jersey Full Figured Fashion Week is coming up on March 30th and you don't want to miss it. Filled with celebrity performances, VIP appearances and (most important) stylish threads, the NJFFFWeek itinerary is shaping up to be a must-see. Here's what to expect:

Sick Site Spotlight: Meinto.com

Today's Sick Site Spotlight goes out to innovative e-retailer Meinto.com. Among the hundreds of thousands of e-commerce sites on the web, I'm keen on highlighting those that offer something just a little bit different. Meinto.com is an international site aimed at bringing regional fashion to the masses.

What makes them special and "cool", if you will, is that they've found a clever way to connect people across the globe with local boutiques in various cities. Here's a bit about the site:

"Meinto.com is all about putting local fashion on the international map. We partner with local, specialty boutiques that inspire global fashion by offering them a solid, online and social presence."

It's not easy for small businesses like local boutiques to achieve widespread scale. Enter Meinto.com. They allow you to purchase amazing indie labels directly from the boutiques that source them, which is a win-win because the boutiques have access to customers who truly love their clothes but don't necessarily live in their cities. 

Here are a few amazing spring pieces I'minto (Saw what I did there? Hah!)

Clockwise from top left: Sleeveless Button Down Cutout Dress, $83.00. Orange Two Pocket Handbag with Gold Chain, $48.00. Taupe Pleated Hi-Low Skirt, $48.00. Three Strap Espadrille, $385.00.

They offer some amazing pieces at pretty affordable prices. Meinto.com also has a competition taking place until March 12th on their Facebook page. They're gifting over $1000 worth of clothing from their site. Enter their contest on the Meinto Facebook page here.

Would you shop Meinto.com?

This post is sponsored by Meinto.com. Opinions expressed are my own and not those of the company.