Something Cassandra: 2016

Simple Holiday Makeup Tutorial: Fresh Eyes and Berry Lips

beauty 7:07 AM

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Holiday Makeup Tutorial: Gold Eyes and Red Lips

beauty 6:38 AM

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Pink Christmas: Decorating for a Small Space

lifestyle 8:47 AM

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Pre-Black Friday Sales That Are Happening Now

lifestyle 7:50 AM

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How to Avoid Cake Face- Tips for Beginners

beauty 10:10 AM

Happy Monday! Cake face is something that we've all experienced at one point or another, and I think we can all agree that it's not cute. There's many different causes, and it can get overwhelming trying to figure them out by trial and error. Here's some tips that I use when I apply my makeup so it doesn't cake up.

Hydrate

No matter what type of skin you have, moisturizing is very important! Dry skin will make your makeup go on uneven. Also, if there's dry patches on your skin, makeup will tend to cling on to them, which will result in it caking up.

Prime

Using a primer will give your skin a clean, even surface to apply your makeup to. The one I like to use is the Benefit Professional. This helps fill in my pores to give my skin a flawless-looking surface. This also helps my makeup stay on longer so I won't have to apply a lot of powder later in the day, which can cake up.

Foundation

When applying foundation, the term "less is more" is completely true. It's better to add a little at a time to build it up evenly, rather than piling it on which can cause it to cake up fast. Once you have an even layer, if there's a place on your face you feel like you need coverage in one spot, just apply it to there instead of doing a whole extra layer. Also, for the application, I personally prefer to use a beauty blender. The beauty blender is a sponge that you use damp, so it will soak up excess product.

Concealer

Just like foundation application, when applying concealer, use a small amount and build it up as you need. Since concealer tens to be a thicker consistency, it can cake up very fast. I also like to use a beauty blender to blend it in. Just like the foundation, this will help soak up excess product.

Powder

Powder application is just like the liquids and you guessed it, less is more. Since I use a primer, I only use it to set the makeup by applying a very thin layer.

In the video below, I go over these tips and show you how I apply my face makeup so it doesn't cake up!

Do you have any tips that you use to prevent your makeup from caking up? Let me know below!

xo, Cassandra

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Everyday Cranberry Smokey Eye

beauty 2:30 PM

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5 Ways to Revive Dull Skin

beauty 7:56 PM

Dull skin is something everyone can relate to at some point. You know that feeling, when your makeup isn't going on right and you just look tired and your skin is looking kind of...bland. I know my skin will get like this if I wear a lot of makeup for several days in a row, or if I'm up really late the night before (alcohol the night before is a major contributor as well). Here's some of the things I do to bring my skin back to life when it's looking dull!

1. Hydrate

When my skin is looking dull, I know it's like that partly because I'm dehydrated. The first thing I'll do is drink a full glass of ice water and then refill my water bottle and keep drinking water all day. Water has so many benefits, especially for our skin.

2. Exfoliate

There's no better way to get rid of dead skin and to brighten than to exfoliate. I won't do this everyday because that's not good for your skin either. Some of my current favorite ways to deep clean and exfoliate my skin are using a regular cleanser with my Clarisonic or use a product specifically made for exfoliating, such as Lush Ocean Salt.

3. Use a Face Mask

There's a face mask out there for every skin concern you might have. So of course there's some out there for brightening and hydrating! One of my favorite face masks to bring dull skin back to life are the Glamglow Super Mud, which is great for pulling all of the bad stuff out of your face. Another favorite is the Lush Mask of Magnaminty. This one smells like mint, and everytime I use it my skin feels super soft and brand new. Another one I like to use is the Too Cool for School Egg Cream Maskwhich puts moisture back into your skin and makes you feel refreshed.

4. Moisturize

Nothing feels better than putting a moisturizer on fresh, clean skin. I am a big skincare junkie, so I love finding new moisturizers that actually do what they claim to do. One I've been loving lately that I feel brings my skin back to life is the Sunday Riley Tidal Brightening Enzyme Water Cream. It sinks into my skin quickly and doesn't make it feel greasy at all.

5. Use Radiance Boosting Makeup

Once you take care of your skin and hopefully get it looking naturally radiant again, using radiance boosting makeup will definitely make your skin look even healthier! My current favorite is the NYX Born to Glow Liquid Illuminator. I'll use this either mixed in with my foundation, or if I'm not wearing foundation that day, in the place of my foundation. Another product I like to use is the L'Oreal Magic Lumi Light Infusing Primer.

What are some steps you like to take when you want to bring your dull skin back to life?

xo, Cassandra

*some links above are affiliate links

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Top Picks for the Sephora VIB Sale

beauty 5:37 PM

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5 Common Makeup Mistakes and How To Stop Making Them

beauty 7:00 AM

Do you feel like makeup is a chore and that it never comes out the way you want it to? This may be because you're applying it in ways that will actually do the opposite of what you want it to do. Although I am a firm believer that there should be no rules in makeup, (it's fun to play around with!) there are certain mistakes that just never seem to workout in anyone's favor. Once you actually apply the makeup in a way that will emphasize your features (and hide what you want hidden), I promise that you will look at makeup from a whole new perspective! Here's a list of 5 makeup mistakes that are very common, and how to stop making them!

You're Not Using a Primer

Primer seems to be one of the most overlooked makeup products. So many people that I talk to either never heard of one, or just don't think it's important to use. Using a primer before you apply foundation and concealer has so many benefits! The first is that there is a primer out there for any skin type or “skin problem.” It will help your makeup apply smoother, and it will also help it stay on longer. I also find that my skin looks so much smoother when I have a primer on. Some of my favorites are the Benefit Porefssional, Smashbox Photofinish Primer and the Too Faced Hangover Primer.

You're Skipping Moisturizer

Just like primer, there is a moisturizer out there for every skin type. If you have dry skin, there's moisturizers to hydrate, and if you have oily skin there's moisturizers that will help with controlling the oils and keeping you matte. The biggest mistake I hear is people who have oily skin skip moisturizer because they think it will make them even more oily. That's only true if you have oily skin and are using a moisturizer that was made for dry to very dry skin. If you skip moisturizer, your skin will start producing even MORE oil than normal.

You're Using Too Much Lash Glue

If you think that putting lashes on is hard because they slide around as you try to put them on, then this one's for you. When applying false lashes, you don't need tons of glue in order for them to say in place. You really only need a thin layer that covers the band. Also, after applying the glue to the band, wait at least 30 seconds before you put them on. This will allow the glue to get tacky and they won't slide everywhere. What I like to do is apply my lash glue to the lashes before I even start my makeup and then apply them after I finish my eye makeup. That way I'm not impatiently sitting there waiting for the glue to dry, because that's when I'll put them on before the glue gets tacky.

You're Putting Shimmer in the Crease

This might have been cool to do in middle school, but I don't think I have ever seen a makeup look that looks good with shimmer in the crease. This will make your whole eye look seem very muddy and messy. Instead, try using a warm toned matte shade in the crease and applying a shimmer shade only to the lid. You'll notice a major difference.

You're Using Way More than you Need

We've all been there before. Our skin's acting up one day and we feel like we need to add a bunch of foundation on top because that will cover it up, right? Wrong. That will only really make you look cakey and emphasize your breakouts. With any product, it's best to add a little at a time and build up as you need it. If your problem area is your chin, do a thin layer all over your face and then add a little more foundation to your chin only and then blend it out. This will help you cover up the areas that need coverage and leave alone the areas that are fine. Just remember, it's always easier to add more than it is to take it away.

Do you have any tips for common makeup mistakes?