Mascara Mini Reviews

Hello lovelies! Hope you're all doing splendid.

We all want to achieve long, voluminous lashes that make our eyes really pop, right? The key to this is having the right mascara. We desire the mascara wands that coat every lash with the perfect formula while separating, curling, and lengthening all at the same time. We want a multitasker. Is that so much to ask? I definitely don't think so. Whether you're looking to lengthen, curl, or volumize (or all of the above) I've got a list that will help you perfect your lash look!

Maybelline Volum' Express Pumped Up! Colossal Mascara

This mascara is the ideal 3-in-1 for the woman looking to lengthen, add volume, and separate lashes. It's the biggest mascara wand I've ever seen which distributes more mascara when applying to lashes and rids lashes of clumps. It also has a long lasting formula that will stay all day with no smudging included.

COVERGIRL Lashblast Volume Mascara

If your eyes aren't known to get along with mascara due to allergies, this could be your perfect match. This hypoallergenic mascara formula and large brush will max out the volume of each lash and lasts all day. No tears. No smudging. Also comes in waterproof.

Maybelline Great Lash BIG Washable Mascara

This mascara includes a large brush to awaken your lashes by lengthening and curling. It also creates lots of volume with each coat applied without forming clumps and globs. The product is know to be contact safe and great for women with sensitive eyes.

Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara

You are about to create some intense lashes when applying a coat of this thick formula. This hour glass shaped wand will make lashes will look lush, full, and desirably long. Just be ready to start begging for more.

Maybelline The Colossal Cat Eyes Washable Mascara

Not loving the eyeliner look but want to create cat eyes in a matter of seconds? This is your product, my friend. With a stroke of this claw wand across your lashes, this formula will create super fierce feline-like eyes while separating and lengthening lashes to a T. 

L'ORÉAL Voluminous Miss Manga Mascara
This crazy huge brush brings all sorts of volume to your top and bottom lashes. With its 360° flexor brush, your lashes will be long and amplified all day. Be ready to build up to 15x the volume in a few quick swipes.

There ya go, folks. I hope you enjoyed this mini reviews of mascaras I've been using recently. I hope you enjoyed!

xx Amanda
Twitter & Instagram: @amanda_wymore 

Quick and Easy Homemade Donut Recipe

Hello, lovelies! I hope all is well, if it's not, this recipe might fill you with warmth and happiness. Today, I'm going to teach you how to make quick and easy donuts. But let's be real... is it 'doughnuts' or 'donuts'. I'm going to say 'donuts' because it's shorter and I'm lazy efficient.

A big thank you to Zachary for teaching me his "campfire" cookery skills.

Let's get started!

What You'll Need
Pillsbury Biscuits 
Vegetable Oil
Sugar
Cinnamon

Yields: 1 biscuit = 1 donut, so that's your choice.
---
Okay, so you may have noticed that I didn't really provide proper measurements. The thing about this is that it's typically used when camping outdoors. When you're packing minimally, you wouldn't want to pack measuring cups and other utensils. So this all just depends on how many you want to make, and how much sugar and cinnamon you like.

Directions
1. Fill a medium sized pot with vegetable oil (about 1/2 way - 2/3 of the way full so the donuts will float). Heat stove to medium-high heat. 
2. Pull biscuits apart and shape them into donut form... or if you want to be creative, make other shapes.
3. Prepare a cinnamon-sugar mixture in a medium sized bowl.
4. Once stove is heated, put 1-2 donuts into oil and let cook. Occasionally turn donuts over to monitor. You want both sides to be evenly cooked. They should look somewhat crisp and golden brown.
5. When you're ready to take donuts out of the pot, pull them out with a fork, spatula, or (as Zach does) use chopsticks to pull out and put in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Evenly coat both sides and place on plate.
6. Let cool (optional).
7. Eat.

I hope you all enjoy and have a good rest of your week!

xx Amanda
Twitter & Instagram: @amanda_wymore

Valentine's Day Make Up Tutorial

Hello, lovelies! How many of you are getting ready for Valentine's Day? Maybe you're planning a special evening with a special someone or maybe you're just hanging out with some friends. Whatever the case may be, if you're looking to do something with your make up, I've got a look for you!

This look is centered around the Naked 3 Palette from Urban Decay, but you can always use drugstore dupes to create this look too! I suggest the Iconic 3 Palette by Revolution Makeup.

Let's begin!

 

I started off this look with priming my face with the POREfessional Primer by Benefit. 

For foundation, I'm using a fancy foundation because I'm considering Valentine's Day a special occasion. I used my Nars Sheer Glow Foundation {Light 3: Gobi}, and I applied that with a foundation brush. 

For concealer, I used the same-old, same-old Maybelline Dream Lumi Highlighting Concealer {Ivory & Buff} and blended that in with the same foundation brush I used for my foundation. 

To finish off the face (for now), I used my trustee Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder {001: Translucent} and applied that using my Real Techniques Contour Brush.

For brows, I used my Too Faced Brow Envy Kit and use the Brunette shade to fill those puppies in! To prep my lids for the eye shadow, I use Urban Decay's Eyeshadow Primer Potion {Original} and just blend that in with my finger. 

Okay, now it's the part that we've all been waiting for: THE EYES. 

Starting off, I applied Strange (the lightest color) all over my lid and on my brow bone. This is just to reassure that all the colors we apply show up as brilliant and true-to-color as possible. 

Next, I applied Limit (a pinky-tan shade) on my crease for a transition color. 

Then I placed Buzz (a shimmery pink shade) all over my lid. I did a few layers of this to get the best shimmery look I could get. 

Then I went for Darkside (a dark brow shade) and applied that on the outer 2/3 of my crease and really blended that in with Limit. The trick with dark colors is to only apply a small amount at a time, blend, and then if you want more, add more and blend again. 

Once I was satisfied with the amount of Darkside placed in my crease, I added a bit of Liar (a shimmery brow shade) on top of that for extra definition.

To finish off the eyes, I tight lined and hit my waterline with some Maybelline 
Define-A-Line Eyeliner {Brownish Black}. If you feel comfortable using liquid liner to line your top lid, go for it, but I don't think it is as flattering on women with hooded eyes (like myself). Lastly, I coated my top and bottom lashes with my Too Faced Better Than Sex mascara.

To add a bit of color to the skin, I used a bit of NYX Powder Blush {Mocha} on the apples of my cheeks. I like this color because it's a soft pink blush that doesn't overpower the eyes, but still works with this "pinky-Valentine's-ey" theme I'm going for.

And last, but certainly not least, I applied my Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter {025: Peach Parfait} which is a nude-pinky color with a hint of shimmer which I think really pulls the eyes and lips together. If you want to go for a bolder lip, feel free to do so!

And there you go! Here's one look that you can do for Valentine's Day! I hope you enjoy these types of posts! Have a spectacular Valentine's Day, whether you're hanging out with your significant other or just getting together with some good friends!

♥♥♥
P.S. Feel free to send me pictures of you recreating this look!

P.P.S. A special thank you is in order to Zachary who so kindly let me use his room to create this post because my new roommates would've thought that I'm weird.

xx Amanda

Twitter & Instagram: @amanda_wymore

January 2015 Favorites

Hello, lovelies! Guess what today is! Groundhog Day!! Yes it is, but I was more implying that it's February now, which means it's about time to share what I've been loving in January.

Apparel
Pizza Sweatshirt
I owe credit where credit is due: my boyfriend introduced me to this website by rocking his "cat eating a hot dog" sweatshirt (I kid you not), and it's safe to say we're both a little obsessed. For Christmas, he bought me a pizza sweatshirt (because pizza is delicious) and it's so comfy and so "out there". It's not like me to be comfortable standing out of the crowd but I don't even care. It's so cool and I like seeing everyone's facial expressions when they see me in it!

"Bad Hair Day" Beanie
If you're like me, you hate doing your hair. You wake up in the morning, and you just look at your hair and cry inside a little because it has the potential to look decent, and yet, you just can't be motivated enough to make it look good. When I have these days (80% of the week), I just throw on this comical beanie and go on with my day. 

Once again, I get comments and giggles from people and I just feel so clever wearing it (even though I didn't come up with the idea). I just let people think I'm clever. In reality, I'm just lazy.

Beauty
Bioré: Charcoal Facial Cleanser
So I've shaken up my beauty regimen a little. I had been doing a lot of research about products that really help with sucking out all the toxins and dirt from your pores, and I concluded that charcoal was the secret ingredient. I bought this product at Target and the beautician I was talking to said the same thing. I'm convinced it's some sort of magic.

Warning: Your skin may get worse before it gets better while using this product. I personally did not experience this, but it has been reported that people get serious breakouts, and in a few week's time, the acne will disappear and your skin will feel like butter (but not oily and gross). Okay, maybe butter wasn't the best comparison but you know what I mean. SUPER SOFT!

Garnier: Charcoal Facial Scrub
I bought this the same time I bought the facial cleanser. I only use this 2-3 times a week to get extra dead skin and dirt out of my pores and off my face. Don't go overboard using this product: there is such a thing as "too much exfoliating".

Too Faced: "Better Than Sex" Mascara
This mascara works wonders! It helps lengthen and curl my lashes and gives them loads of volume! It is a bit costly, but I think it is worth every penny when you get these types of results!

Gold Bond: Intensive Healing Hand Cream
Hands down (punny), the best hand cream I've ever encountered. It absorbs into your skin in a matter of seconds and keeps my hands soft for a hours. It repairs the cracks I get in my hands on frigid days and even after I wash my hands, I still notice it working!

Entertainment
James Bay: "Scars"
His voice is gorgeous and he's British! This song is about his significant other leaving him to go to America. It's so beautiful, and it will most definitely be on replay for awhile. Give it a listen.

Ellie Goulding: "Love Me Like You Do"
I heard this song on Pandora and fell in love instantly. I have always been a fan of Ellie Goulding, but this song is definitely my favorite. Also, to my surprise, I found out this song is also featured in the upcoming movie Fifty Shades of Grey. That makes me 1000 times more excited for the film!

Zoe Sugg: Girl Online
Okay, I will admit that the intended audience is probably in the tweens to young teens range, and I may be a little too old to enjoy this book... but who is too old to read about young love? If you're a romantic like me, I'd suggest this book. There's adventure, friendship crises, romance, and even blogging! It was practically made for me!

Let me know what you think of these products and if I should do any proper reviews over any of them! Have a wonderful week and always be smiling!

xx Amanda
Twitter & Instagram: @amanda_wymore