beauty on a budget

hi lovelies!

 here is a list of products that i use all of the time and absolutely love and guess what? their all from the drug store!  instead of you guys testing out products you're unsure of and wasting money - here is a list of products that i love, and hopefully you'll love to! also, there are some products that are only limited to certain stores/locations for the products limited to target i put a [t] next to, and those that are limited to ulta i put a [u] next to!

 enjoy! 

foundation//

 i use liquid foundation - with my dry skin, powders do nothing but enhance that and it just drives me crazy. i also love a dewy finish, i hate it when my face looks caked on or powdery. depending on what foundation i'm using, i will sometimes set it with a powder, but that's as far as the powder + me relationship goes! i do know that there are some of you out there who refuse to wear liquid makeup and thats okay - i just have to be honest and admit that i've yet to find a powder from the drugstore worth mentioning. however, if you're looking for an amazing powder i recommend splurging a little and going with bare minerals its powder is moisturizing and will give you that flawless look! my current favorite foundations are:

$10.97 - Revlon Colorstay Whipped Foundation//

medium to full coverage

long lasting - looks better throughout the day/longer you wear it

blend-able

matte/dewy finish

i apply by dotting product on face with finger than blending with flat top kabuki brush

$8.97 - L'oreal True Match Foundation//

medium to full coverage

large selection of colors

blend-able

dewy finish

BB creams-tinted moisturizer//

BB creams have got to be one of the greatest products in the world! BB creams are amazing for those of you who prefer not to wear makeup, but want to even out your complexion, or you just want a little glow to your skin without going through the process of putting actual makeup on.  they prime, correct, hydrate, and perfect your skins appearance. all in one product.. amazing right? a tinted moisturizer is well, just that. a tinted moisturizer - they have SPF to keep your face away from the harm of the sun and give you that same glow all while evening out your skin tone. 

-trick: take a little bit of your favorite foundation on the back of your hand and dot some SPF face lotion swirl those together to make your own concoction of tinted moisturizer.  that way you're not using as much foundation which makes it last longer and you don't have to spend on a tinted moisturizer. 

$11.97 - Garnier BB Cream//

$13.69 - Sonia Kashuk Tinted Moisturizer [t] //

concealer//

you know those bags under your eyes from not getting sleep the night before? finding the right concealer can not only hide those but can bring your entire look together. just dab some concealor under your eyes and blend with ring finger, or a small brush.  

-trick: you can also use concealer to hide blemishes, just dab a tiny bit over the top of blemish and lightly push down with ring finger to blend, dab some powder to seal the deal - and voila!  

$10.49 - Sonia Kashuk Hidden Agenda Concealer Palette [t] //

$7.99 - L'oreal True Match Concealer Crayon//

$4.99 - NYX HD Concealer [u] //

cheeks//

i love baby doll pink blush, like the brighter, the better - is that weird? okay, maybe a little bit, but if you use just the right amount it will give you the most beautiful pop of color. as for bronzing, or contouring you just have to find the right color for your skin tone - but i've found some products are pretty neutral for all skin tones.

-trick:  use lipstick instead of purchasing new cream blush, take it on your finger and dab it on your cheeks if blended correctly it will give you the most beautiful flush of color.

-trick: if you've applied bronzer/blush too heavily, take a lose powder and blend over the top of your cheeks to blend away the harsh lines and color giving you a more natural look.

blush//

$6.00 - NYX  Rouge Cream Blushes [u] //

colors that i love: Glow & Natural

$3.00 - ELF powder blushes [t] //

colors that i love: Candid Coral & Pink Passion

bronze//

$2.79 - NYC Smooth Skin Bronzing Face Powder//

color: Sunny

$3.00 - ELF Contouring Blush & Bronzer [t] //

mascara & eyeliner//

i like my mascara to have the rubber wands and not the fat, thick bristles  - am i the only one? i've found that whenever i use a mascara that has the thick bristles - my eyelashes always clump together, i hate that. so i've stuck with the same mascara for years, it is,  and will always be my favorite. i'm not too picky with eyeliner - it just has to last, is that too much to ask for? sheeeesh. i've had questions about the difference between the different eyeliners, and well to me - its all about the look you're going after. if you want a winged eyeliner - go with a liquid eyeliner, they always seem to last the longest, if you're going for just a general eye on your lid you can use any kind of eyeliner. as far as gel liners go, you can use them as a base on your lid, as well as a liner. pencil liners you can use for generally anything - but i tend to use them most for my waterline. 

-trick: if you're out of eyeliner, or don't have the money to spend on it - take your mascara wand and twist some product off on the back of your hand - take an eyeliner brush and use it as eyeliner.  

$7.78 - L'oreal Telescopic Mascara//

$5.97 - Maybelline Line Stiletto Liquid Eyeliner//

$8.47 - L'oreal Gel lacquer Liner//

$8.47 - L'oreal HIP Pencil Eyeliner//

eyeshadow//

eyeshadows are the one product that i'll never, ever get sick of buying. i honestly feel like you can never have too many eyeshadows. i love the fun colors, i love a good smokey eye, but i also love just a neutral eye. i feel like when it comes to makeup the most creative you can get with a look comes from how you use your eyeshadows - you can get festive, and creative all you want and then you can do it all over the next day - isn't that fun?

-trick: if an eyeshadow comes off more chalk-like than you wish, lightly take your brush under some water before dipping into eyeshadow to get the color to appear more vibrant. 

$4.97 - Maybelline Color Tattoos

$6.97 - L'oreal Infallible Eyeshadows

lips//

i love a bold lip, it can pull everything together in your look and give you that edge you've been looking for... but i also love a neutral lip, as well as just wearing gloss for the day. just like eyeshadows, you can be so creative - and you can do something totally new every single day. 

-trick: use concealor on a small brush, to clean up around the edges of a bold lip.

$5.99 - Milani Color Statement Lipstick [t] //

colors that i love: hot pink rage, best red, fruit punch, 

$6.48 - Revlon Lip Butter Lipstick//

colors that i love: cupcake, and creme brulee

$4.97 - Revlon Matte Lipstick// 

colors that i love: pink pout - dupe for MAC's 'snob'

$4.99 - NYX Butter Gloss [u] // 

colors that i love: creme brulee, peaches and cream, strawberry parfait, merengue

thats all folks! i hope you enjoyed - keep sending requests you guys, i'm loving this.

love y'all!

introducing [primp]

i love flaws.

i managed to scuff up my knee one summer

and the story of how i got it is actually quite boring, and well insignificant but to be honest that's not what i think of when i look at it.

i think of that summer and how it was the best summer of my life, how i managed to spend the majority of it with my man who - when he saw it - ran his pointer finger over it and said "it's not ugly, its shaped like a heart which only makes me love you more"

i can't look at it now, without smiling.

moral of the story: everything is beautiful. 

you just have to look beyond the ugly scar and cherish the memories that came with it.

a wise man (my father) once said:

"makeup does not make your beauty, it's meant to enhance it"

i've decided to start this new section in my blog, mainly because i take a big interest in the beauty section of life and i want to spread that around to my readers. i absolutely love digging around and finding new trends, anything that can make a woman feel more beautiful than she already is.

 i love makeup, learning new techniques, and that it does in fact make me feel beautiful.

buttttt, there are ways that you can do that, without masking your natural beauty which is why i'm here.

i've had friends/family/coworkers and even random people stop and ask me questions about my beauty routine, how i do my hair, makeup - what i use for certain things etc. etc. etc.

which is what brought me here, buttttt i will need your help.

in no way do i think that i know everything, including being able to read minds.

i have no idea where to start, or what kinds of questions you guys may have for me.

so with your help, i'd love some feedback.

any questions or suggestions for what you'd like the next post to be are wanted needed.

**email me at: danyellesmith17@gmail.com or leave a comment below

want to stay caught up on my beauty section? no problem! you can follow me by email on the left side bar - or its as easy as coming back to this blog and simply clicking the 'primp' tab.

i love y'all, and can't wait to get started!

as of late

hi my lovelies!

i just want to start off by saying "I LOVE NORTH CAROLINA" is that okay?

its so beautiful here, and i knew that there was a reason that throughout my whole life, this was the one place i've always wanted to live. 

i could explain how beautiful it is, but that leaves no imagination for you, come out and see for your self, i have a feeling that you'd love it just as much as me.

i've been calling my parents almost every day trying to convince them to come out here, mainly for me, but also because the fishing out here is outstanding, and my pops would love it andddd because i know my mom like the back of my hand, so i know that she's dying to get out here and play in the ocean water. 

speaking of ocean, we went to the beach just the other day - it was amazing to say the least.

as we were driving around looking for a place to park, plowman kept looking at me with big eyes, as if i had something on my face, i did. it was a big fat smile from ear to ear. 

the whole time in my head i'm thinking...

i love my life!

i couldn't take my eyes off of the amazing beach houses, i loved that people would be walking their dog in the middle of the street, barefoot without a care in the world.

i loved that i could experience that, but especially because i could experience that with plowman.

mitch turned twenty three last week, i was so anxious to give him his presents, i would send him text message, after text message asking if i could give him his presents early. finally he caved, i gave him his gifts the night before his birthday.

we took Mya to the vet - andddd i was pretty nervous to say the least.

she had been pretty itchy, and NC is known for having ticks literally everywhere so i was scared that with her dark fur, we would overlook any.

luckily - the vet said that she was healthy as could be - and that she was itchy from the move - having all her fur in the summer - makes for a hot and itchy pup. she definitely needs a haircut.

she didn't have any ticks. thank goodness.

and she came out weighing a whopping 8 pounds, i know right? teeeeny.

on friday i drove an hour to greensboro, where my brother and his family live.

i got to see my cute sister in law and their two kids.

we were in the pool and my niece turns to these other two woman in the pool and says "thats dany, and she's my bestfriend." i'd be lying i said my heart didn't immediately melt right then and there. 

after we were done at the pool we headed back to their apartment and put the kids in the tub, i leaned over to give my nephew a kiss and i slipped on a rug resulting to me almost falling into the tub and bashing my leg pretty good into the side of the tub.. i have the biggest bruise, and he couldn't stop laughing, it was hard to be even the slightest bit upset.

lastly, i'm excited to be announcing a new section of my blog - i'm doing it in hopes to motivate me to blog more, but i'm mainly doing it for the friends and family that have asked me to.

i've been hesitant - mainly because i don't want people to see this as me trying to toot my own horn, or brag in any way. because those are not my intentions. but after months of convincing, i'm finally taking the big leap. and here it is...

if you know me, you know that i take a big interest in all things beauty. so i've decided to start a new section for those of you that have asked me for tips and tricks or even just certain products that i use. i'll be here to simply answer any questions that i can, and hopefully learn a thing or two myself. 

check it out!

click here  to see my first post!

aaaaaand for future references, if you look to the left of this post, you'll see a tab that is titled 'primp' you can click there anytime you visit to see any updates.