Forever 21 Natural Palette First Impressions+Review

Hello Everyone!

Today I bought this palette at Forever 21 and was very surprised at the quality. As I explain in my video, This is a cheap palette ($7.80) and has a nice, buttery finish to it. It is not chalky but the lighter shades are slightly more sheen. The Price is completely worth the buy in my book! I stated in my video that you can buy this product online which I later found out you can't but they do have the Smokey version of this palette available. Hopefully you can pick it up at your local Forever 21, I found mine at the little gift are near check out.

As You can see here, these are all the shades with two swatches on top of each other. This picture was taken in the sunlight of my window so you can see the buttery texture and the shimmer from the glittery
colors.

Here Is my Breakdown of each color:

1.) Matte Brown/Purple: Very matte in color, perfect to apply to the crease as a definition shade but light enough to use on its own as a smokey shade. vibrant but still slightly sheen.

2.) Dark Purple/Pink Shimmer: A very shimmery shade with specks of gold shimmer. Very vibrant and buttery to the touch.

3.) Dark Green/Brown Shimmer: A dark olive green color with specks of gold shimmer and brown undertones. Best use for crease shade. Extremely vibrant.

4.) Orange/Pink Shimmer: A Medium tone pink with orange undertones. Specks of gold shimmer. Another Buttery shade and very vibrant.

5.) Gold Shimmer: A beautiful gold shimmer with golden undertones. Perfect for a lid shade, on its own or smoked out. Buttery texture, very vibrant.

6.) Light Matte Brown: Matte brown perfect for a beginning crease color. Slightly sheen but will still show up with two layers.

7.) Rose Gold/Pink Shimmer: A beautiful Rose gold color with gold shimmer specks. perfect for a simple lid or pink smokey eye. Very buttery and vibrant.

8.) Lightest Matte Brown: An even lighter matte brown that would be perfect for blending all of the colors out. Very sheen.

9.) Light Pink Shimmer: Light pink color with white shimmery specks. Perfect to brighten the inner corner of your eye. Very light but vibrant in the inner corner.

10.) White Gold Shimmer: A sheen white shade with slight gold specks. Perfect for a eye shadow base, highlighter, or inner corner brightener.

Again, I would recommend this product to you guys, it is a pretty nice palette for a great steal!

DIY Hair Mask

Hello Everyone, long time no see!
I just want you guys to know, I have been making more videos on my YouTube Channel, Halesannexo for you all and I have been posting them here on my blog as well. I hope you guys check it out! Love you all and see you soon!

Everyday Makeup, Hair, and Outfit

My New Hair + Products I Use!

So hey guys!
Yes I am back for good, this whole gluten thing will not bring me down!
Recently I have changed my hair as seen in these photos here:

So my cut now is a cascading curl where it used to be a V cut. This style makes my hair look incredibly long with a tone of curls because I have naturally curly hair. 

Lately I have been using the Mane and Tail Shampoo and Conditioner in the shower and guys, this stuff is amazing. In less than two months my hair grew an inch! I really recommend the shampoo and conditioner if you want long and voluminous hair. I found mine at Target but you can also find it at Walgreens or CVS, I found mine on the bottom shelf, ask for help if you can't find it. Sometimes its hiding or even in the pet department because it is also used on horses manes and tails. 

Also, I have been using Garniers leave in conditioner after i get out of the shower. To apply, I lather it on my hair than massage it into my hair all over including my scalp. Than I take a wide toothed comb to get the tangles out of my hair.

After I apply the leave in conditioner, I put a towel wrap in my hair for a couple minutes and then let my hair dry. Honestly, to keep your hair from split ends and dying, I really recommend air drying your hair or even sitting in front of a fan while you do your makeup, its way better than blow drying your hair on a hot heat.

At night, I put my hair in a huge bun so in the morning I wake up with big curls. 

I use a light hairspray from Herbal Essences to tame the curls and get the frizzes out in the morning

And that's it! Literally so fast and easy. Every now and then I use heat products but I really don't like to use them because I feel like my hair is damaged and my hair smells a bit off when I do. 

I hope you guys got some good information about some of these products. What type of products do you use and What is your go to hairstyle?

Thanks for reading and I will be back soon with a new post!

Love you guys!

-Halesannexo

April Favorites 2014

Hello loves.
I apologize for my recent absence. I am finishing up classes for the year and have been very stressed out. Lately, I have taken up drawing again. It relaxes me and calms my stress down.

Also, Yesterday I had prom. It was amazing and I pretty much danced all night long! It was completely worth everything I had gone threw this week. ( I was sick last Friday and am still recovering.) Here are a few edited pictures I came up with from last night.

I had the best time with my group but now I have some business to attend to, April favorites!

So you guys know I love my makeup. For prom this year, I did both my own makeup and hair. Of course as you guys know, I am incredibly pale, and as seen in my prom photos, I actually look tan. This is all thanks to a product i have discovered, The L'Oreal Sublime Tinted Self Tanning lotion. 

Now, as you might read reviews on this product they are not the greatest. Honestly, I believe it is because of the glitter in the product. My routine consists of Taking a shower in which I have shaved legs from the day before, I then exfoliate with doves pomegranate lemon verbena body wash with a loofah. Once I get out, I moisturize with baby Vaseline and then I apply this self tanner in circular motions with gloves on, the gloves are very critical. Whatever is left on the gloves when you are done, you lather the tops of your hands very well. The next day, be sure to shower so the glitter will come off. If you want a more in depth review of this item, I recommend following this link to a video I followed on how to use this product.

So this month I really don't have any makeup favorites. I've been going very light on makeup lately since ive been having less and less time to get ready in the morning, due to little sleep at night. Although, a time saver of mine lately has been my real techniques stippling brush. Along with my Tarte Foundation, the product has been a lot faster to apply to my face and it looks a lot more natural than a foundation brush.

For my skin this month, I have been using bath and body works body butter to keep my skin from peeling. Lately I've noticed a vast improvement in the smoothness of my skin.

This month I went to Seattle with my band class and I've realized I have a few more food favorites.

Since Seattle is known for their coffee, there was more than enough Starbucks to go to. Although, I don't get coffee at Starbucks often because it raises my anxiety, I have really been enjoying their Iced Green Tea with Lemonade. It has a minty flavor with an added twist of tang, and since I only get half the sweetener its only about 45 calories for a venti, and without sweetener or lemonade its 0 calories an still tastes really good. This drink is defiantly going to be a summer favorite of mine.

Another food favorite of mine this month has been Brookside Acai Dark Chocolates. Its defiantly a healthier alternative to a candy bar and they are extremely addicting. I brought them on my trip to Seattle and me and a friend ate them all up. 

A person favorite this month has defiantly been anneorshine. Not only because she tweeted me back about a painting I did, but because she is a truly kind person who loves the support o her fans. She was my inspiration for writing this blog. I love you Anne!

Lastly I have two app favorites for April. The first is PicsArt. You can add overlays and adjust the lighting to the photos on your phone. The third prom photo I posted above, used an overlay I added onto my picture from this app. The next app is VSCO Cam which has the best filters for pictures in my opinion and it is thankfully available for android which Afterlight is not, but will be soon. If you want to know how to do filters and overlays like I do, please let me know!

Guys. Again I apologize for my absences, I really hope you understand. I am working on a new video for you guys that has to do with food an I hope it will be up sometime this month. If you haven't yet subscribed to my YouTube channel, it is halesannexo.

I love you guys and honesty thank you all for following this blog, I'm very proud at how far I've gotten with it in such a little bit of time.

I will post very very soon!

Love you,

Halesanne

Prom 2014: Things You Need to Know About Prom

Hello my lovelies...Seriously, I am on a schedule now.
I just finished one of my high school classes up so I will be a little more free to write blog posts for you guys. Also, I will be in Seattle for three days next week for a band festival, so if you guys want to see a post or a video on Whats in My Travel Bag, please let me know! I will be posting pictures up on my instagram so if you want to see those, my link is on the right of this post.

So now onto the post!

So I went to prom last year with my boyfriend who was a senior and I learned a lot of things I didn't know about prom.
So while I prepare myself for prom 2014, as well as you guys, here are a few things I learned from my experience at prom last year.

1. Prom Is And Is Not What You Have Heard About.
I am going to be honest with you guys, YES, People do things that are illegal at prom. People do bring alcohol, people do get in fights, there is drama. But, people do not smoke pot, or have sex in the bathroom or any crazy things. Most of the time, there are adults supervising bathrooms and you normally can't leave prom and come back. If you see something that shouldn't be happening, you can ether ignore it or tell a teacher depending on what the situation is.

2. Girls, it is Stressful, Allow Yourself Time To Plan. 
Girls if you are going out to dinner or taking pictures before prom, make sure you plan around a schedule that allows EXTRA time. Schedules never work out the way they should so make sure you allow yourself time to be able to do what you need to. Also, try out your makeup before your magical night. What if it doesn't work out? This will save you the extra stress.

3. If You Can, Get Reservations.
This one is pretty self explanatory but if you don't have reservations, you may risk getting to prom too late or even missing your own prom.

4. Try On Your Dress The Day Before Prom.
I only say this because things can happen to your dress that you didn't notice before, like a small tear or your bra doesn't fit or shows. Make sure it is perfect before you leave.

5. There Will Be Snacks, But Be Prepared If You Have Allergies.
Last year, a girl at my prom had severe allergies and had gotten sick, ruining her prom. If you have allergies like I do, ether make sure you get enough to eat at dinner or pack a granola bar in your clutch or even put it in your dates pocket. My Favorite is the Toasted Coconut Kind bars.

6.Bring Extra Shoes.
Girl, I know you love your 6 inch heels but, you will be tired of them about an hour into prom. I recommend bringing flats because when your out on the dance floor, you don't want someone stepping on your bare feet. Ouch!

7. If you are getting your hair and makeup done, make an appointment.
If your prom is on a Saturday night, be prepared to see more than just you getting ready for prom. If you make an appointment, than you will be at smaller risk for not getting your hair and makeup done.

I hope these tips have helped you! If you have any tips please leave them below!
Love you all.
-Halesannexo

Tagin' Monday! Would You Rather, Beauty Edition

1.) Would you rather lose all of your mascaras, eyeliners, lipsticks, and lipglosses or lose all of your palettes and eyeshadows?
I would Rather loose all of my mascaras, eyeliners, lipsticks, and lipglosses because I love smokey eyes and its something I do a lot.

2.) Would you rather chop off all your hair or never be able to cut it again?
I would rather never be able to cut my hair again because I could never ever EVER go without my curly hair.

3.) Would you rather have a coral cheek or a pink cheek?
I would rather have a pink cheeks because it looks more natural.

4.) If you had $1000 to spend, would you rather buy clothes or makeup?
I would buy clothes, I never have enough money to buy what I want so...clothes for sure.

5.) Would you rather apply lipstick as eyeliner, or eyeliner as lipstick?
I would rather apply lipstick as eye liner because I think if you had one of those crayon looking lipsticks, you could get away with it.

6.) Would you rather only shop at MAC or Sephora?
Sephora, Many of the woman are closer to my age and more chill than at Mac.

7.) Would you rather only use one eyeshadow color or one lip color for the rest of your life?
One lip color, since I only have one that I use

8.) Would you rather wear winter clothes in summer or summer clothes in winter?
I would rather wear winter clothes in the summer, I would die in Washington if I wore Summer clothes in the Winter.

9.) Would you rather have dark nails or bright nails all year round?
Bright nails, They usually fit in any time of the year.

10.) Would you rather give up your favorite lip product or your favorite eye product?
I would rather give up my favorite eye product, my lips get so chapped.

11.) Would you rather only be able to wear your hair in a ponytail or a messy bun?
I would rather wear a messy bun, I'm the queen of messy buns!

12.) Would your rather never be able to paint your nails again or never use lipgloss?
I would rather not use lip gloss, it makes my lips all sticky

13.) Would you rather shave your eyebrows and have none at all or sharpie them in everyday?
I would rather use sharpie on them...only if it is brown

14.) Would you rather live without makeup or nail polish?
I would rather live without my nail polish because i can't wear it during culinary school.

Thank you HeadToToe for the tag!
-Halesannexo

My Beauty Wishlist

Hey Girls:)

So I hope I'm not the only one who has this.

You know when you walk into Sephora or Ulta and you see something that you have to have?

Here are some of my most wanted products!

1. Naked 1,2,3 Palletts 

Recently, I made a stop at Ulta for my Tarte 12 hour foundation and for the first time ever (I know...I'm crazy) I saw the Naked Palette. I just couldn't deal with how buttery the colors felt, the swatches on my arm were so vibrant even with just one swatch. 

2. NARS Blush/Bronzer Duo

Every Beauty Guru that I know has tried this, and most of them have enjoyed it. The colors are vibrant and the Palette would last forever.

3. Tarte C-Brightener

If you guys know me at all, you know my eyes without makeup, and usually sometimes with, I have gigantic under eye bags. A lot of people I know have recommended me this product for my problem and hopefully once I have enough money I can buy it to try myself. 

4. Too Faced Chocolate Bar Eye Palette

So many people have raved about this palette that honestly, I just want to try it for the hype.

5. Anasazia Brow Wiz

I have normal eyebrows but the hairs are very sparse. I would like to try this product to see if it helps make my eyebrows look neater.

6. NYX Butter Gloss

I tried a tester once of this product and honestly, I just need to head out to my local walgreens and buy it.

7. Butter London Boho Rock Collection

I've never owned a Butter London Nail Polish but I've always wanted one...

I'm sorry I haven't been posting lately, big tests going on for my math class and it's been hard catch up on it.

I love you guys and can't WAIT for tomorrows post!!

Love you all.

-Halesannexo

Weekly Favorite #1

Hello Everyone!
Have you ever had a product that at a time you hated so much that you just left it in your makeup collection than years later you tried again and you were like, I love this?

Thats how its been with me this week with the Bare Minerals Mineral Veil.

When I was young and trying out makeup for the first time, my skin was extremely sensitive to everything I put on it, so mom turned to Bare Minerals for me. I tried out the Mineral Veil but due to my baby skin, it broke out in acne and I stopped using it.

Now that I am much older and am using a high end foundation, I decided to give it a go again and I am so glad that I did.

For me I have very pale skin so this works perfect to keep my face matte without turning my face orange. I use the Veil with my Tarte Amazonian Clay 12 Hour Foundation and it makes my skin Flawless, as seen in this picture.

The Mineral Veil is supposed to Give you a flawless complexion and feel very light on the face, which I believe is 100% true.

The Mineral Veil works well on its own for those days were you just want to have soft skin or as a powder for anyone that has super oily skin. It works flawlessly with both foundation and tinted moisturizes. 

If you have tried out this before, what did you think of this product? Did you enjoy it?

I recommend this for anyone who has very fair skin but I do not recommend this for anyone with super sensitive skin unless they have used Bare Minerals before. Although, many people who have sensitive skin say this is best on their skin, it just didn't work well for me in the beginning of my makeup years.

Love you all!

-Halesannexo

Maybelline Color Tattoo Review

For a while, I have thought my eyes are too greasy for drugstore eye shadows. I bought a few before but lately they seem to be just blending together and not being exactly what I had wanted in the product. Until Last year when I heard about the new Color Tattoo Metal, I decided to try it out.

This product changed my life.

I now have three colors, Inked in Pink, Tough as Taupe, and Bad to the Bronze

I will apply this ether as a base or even as just a color alone because there is just so much pay off.
Before                                After


As you can see, Just using as a base, it stays on all day and doesn't budge too much, yes as you can see some of it did come off but I did rub my eye right before this picture so that is most likely why. This is the color, Bad to the Bronze.

For Inked in Pink, I also use this as both a color and as a base But I love using a light matte brown to blend into the crease with it.

For Tough as Taupe, I like to use this for a smokey eye shade or even use this as a base for Bad to the Bronze. Sorry it doesn't look like there's much on, I had taken off the other colors and it didn't stick very well with makeup remover still on my lid.

Overall:

• Great Coverage
• Long Lasting
• Doesn't Crease Easily
• Easy Application.

If you guys have any type of requests please leave them below!

I love you all!

-Halesannexo

Top Five Best Drugstore Makeup Products

Have you ever bought a drugstore product and said, omg why don't they sell this in a high end store or why is my fourth dollar mascara crappier than this one?

Today I am here to tell you my top 5 drug store makeup products that actually work.

1. Covergirl's Fresh Complexion Concealer:
Ever since I was in middle school, this concealer was my life. To when I had no idea what foundation was to now, I have used the heck out of this concealer. I use it mostly for a highlighter shade under my eyes on my cheek bones but for those just starting out, it is great to use to get the hang of a liquid on your face. When I was younger I used it as a foundation or to just cover up my redness.

2. Maybelline's Rocket Mascara:
Honestly this mascara was the first one I used that didn't make my eye lashes fall out. For example the Maybelline the Falsies really tore apart my lashes and stung my eyes badly. This mascara stays on all day, doesn't smudge, and I don't use the waterproof formula! I have used it for about a year now and if I want that extra bit of volume or just need to touch up, this is my go to.

3. Jordan's Twist and Shine Lip Stain:
Lately, I have seen so many crayon type lip sticks and my favorite has to be this one. I own the color Honey Love which is a matte purply pink color. It has amazing pay off and if you exfoliate your lips, the results are truely amazing.

4. Neutrogena's Skin Clearing Mineral Powder:
This powder is great for those days you have a greasy face or want to get rid of a zit. On one hand, the powder keeps my face completely matte and on the other it keeps my skin clear and doesn't clog my pores. I use this stuff every day and have finished up a whole container of it.

5. Elf Studio Mineral Infused Face Primer:
This is the first face primer I have ever used and it has to be my favorite drugstore primer. It makes my skin baby soft and is a good one to use if you break out easily.

Hope you have a great night
I'm sorry this is such a late post but have been very busy lately with school.
I love you all.
-Halesannexo

Review: Tarte Amazonian Clay Foundation

Hello loves!

Today I am reviewing Tarte's 12 hour foundation.

If you are wondering, my color is Ivory.

As you may be able to tell if you follow my instagram or twitter, I am very fair skinned. 

Pale as a ghost.

This means it is extremely difficult to find a really good foundation at the drugstore that won't turn my skin orange! 

So I decided, why not spend some extra money and go out to Ulta/Sephora to find the perfect foundation for my skin.

First I went to Ulta.

The ladies at Ulta tried many different foundations and found that Tarte's Amazonian clay worked the best. I told them that I worked in the kitchen for hours during the day and they assured me this foundation would stay on my face. The foundation is natural and 100% Cruelty free! Of course my perfect shade wasn't available, but I did leave with two different primer samples of Benefit and I'm in love with them both.(Review to come)

So I headed down to Sephora and again, my perfect shade was out of stock until Wednesday. Being me I couldn't deal with waiting that long so I asked the lady helping me to see if they could contact another Sephora to see if they had it, thank god they did!

So once I bought my new foundation I was a happy camper.

The next day, Saturday, I had an event for a wedding my culinary school was cooking for, and I decided to put my foundation to the test.

Keep in mind, we had no air in the kitchen, it felt like a sauna the whole 7 hours I was there, running back and forth to help with the food.

Once I left I had fully expected to see my redness on my face to be peaking threw when I got home but all of my makeup was still in tact.

It was the exact same shade, I looked like I had just put on makeup.

I believe this item from Tarte is simply amazing. I would rather spend the extra money for this then buy another foundation that isn't my shade.

I completely recommend this foundation for any skin shade or type.

I for sure recommend this for anyone that has very fair skin because of the quality and I understand completely what you are going threw with your foundation.

Also, I completely recommend going to ether Sephora or Ulta to buy this product and don't be afraid to ask for help when choosing your perfect shade. I know it helped a lot more than choosing the wrong shade and regretting it later on. 

I hope this helped any of you looking to buy this product.

Love you all!

-Halesannexo

I am not affiliated with Tarte nor am I sponsored by them to talk about this product

Beauty Warning: Almay Smart-Shade foundation

Hey guys...

So last night I bought Almay's Smart shade foundation. Guys..

Please do not buy this product.

If you have ever tried a gradual skin tanning lotion, this is almost exactly the same. It was super great at first and was my perfect shade. But, as soon as I arrived at school, it looked as if I got a face tan.

A bad one.

I asked three people if my face looked orange and all of them agreed.

I am very disappointed in this product. I spent $13.99 at Walgreens on sale. I expected it to be a good product.

Now I am heading home to go wash off this fake tan and return the product before culinary school.

Please do not buy this.
-Halesannexo

Favorites: February 2014

Hello Everyone!
This month I have been experimenting with drugstore products, seeing what products work and do not work. For the most part, I have found some insanely great products for insanely great deals.

This month has been really difficult on my skin, ether its oily and greasy (yuck) with blemishes or just normal as can be but super itchy, I have found some insanely great products that have balanced out my skin. First at target this month, I bought St. Ives Blemish Control Apricot Scrub
and let me tell you...
This stuff is the bomb.
As soon as I put it on my face, it smelt like grandmas apricot pie! It says it prevents black heads and minimizes pores which intrigued me because of my large pores. I like to use this in conjunction with my Clarasonic Mia.
Next, I use  Ponds Rejuveness cream to moisturize my face after I applied the scrub. It is supposed to firm your skin and visibly reduce the appearance of fine lines in 2 weeks. I completely agree with the statement because i have used it every night and I have felt my skin become more firm and smooth.

After I clean my face I tend to use a Yes to Cucumbers Facial Towelette to cleanse my skin. It is made of 98% of natural products and is made with both cucumbers and aloe vera. This has to be my new go to cleansing towelette.


For makeup this month i have been using only drugstore products

On my face, I have been using Maybelline's Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser as my makeup base. I have noticed a HUGE difference using this product along with my foundation favorite for this month of Rimmel's Stay Matte Foundation in the color, Light Porcelain. I have heard good and bad about this foundation and I wasn't planning on buying it until I heard my local Walgreens had it half off so I went and picked it up.
I instantly loved this product.
It keeps my face matte for most of the day. This is saying a lot concerning I am going to a culinary school where things splash in my face, i'm around steam and heat and i sweat. At the end of class, I can barely tell i look like a hot mess. I would not recommend this product to anyone with dry skin, it tends to flake up near those areas.

For the past 4 months I have been using Neutrogena's Skin Clearing Mineral Powder in the shade Classic ivory. I have been loving how this powder doesn't oxidize on my skin like most colored powders do. I highly recommend this shade to anyone with light or pale skin for this reason.

Lastly For makeup I have been loving my Jordana's Fabuliner in black. I bought this at Walgreens for about $2.72, which is an amazing price for such a high quality product. I tend to have oily lids that crease my eye make up or create a smudged liner.
This liner sticks.
The minute I tried it on the back of my hand and tried to smudge it and it wouldn't budge. During the day, I only had to touch up on one eye again because I had touched it with my sunglasses, but other than that it didn't budge. If I were you, I would pick it up just to try it out, its a great deal.

For nails this month i have been really loving a nail polish I picked up at Forever 21 during the fall. The color is taupe and is truly beautiful with my light skin complexion. The color didn't chip for a week outside of the kitchen and stayed in tact through daily activities

.


My Fashion favorite this month is a dress I picked up for Valentines day at forever 21. It was about $20 and I got the bow belt on clearance for $2.72. The shoes i already had (They are actually my mothers) and the tights i also got on clearance for a great price. Honestly I only wore this outfit once this month but next time I go out, I want to wear it because it looks flattering with my shape.

I Listen to the music only at the gym these days, I just don't have the time in the day to just sit down and listen because I am so busy or I get distracted. My favorite song this month has been "All Night" by Icona Pop. Its a great song to get energized to before my work out and to jam out to in the car on the way to school. its a great up lifter.

My Favorite person of this month has to be hands down BubzBeauty! I just want to say CONGRATS to you and Tim for being able to bring a little bundle of joy into this world. I'm going to be honest, I have been waiting for this announcement ever since I started watching her videos back in the beginning!

Thank you all for reading my February Favorites for 2014! I will be back soon!
Love you all,
-Halesannexo