Maybe its Maybelline?

Eyeliner - I know we all have a love/hate relationship with it. Creating the perfect wing is the vain of my existence. As much as I hate it, I have learned to love it.  Throughout the years, I had to master the perfect wing, and I think it is safe to say that I have got it down. This success came from my favorite (cheap) eyeliner. This eyeliner is Line Stiletto Ultimate Precision Liquid Eyeliner. I would highly recommend this eyeliner to anyone who is looking to create the perfect look. This eyeliner is a felt-tip liquid eyeliner. The eyeliner can be purchased at the cheap price of $7.99 at any convenience store, as well as beauty stores like Ulta.

This eyeliner has become my best friend, my go-to, my everything. If you are going out for a night, this eyeliner will stay with you. The eyeliner is so easy to use because of the tip. It also creates the perfect, dramatic line that everyone aims for. Another pro to this eyeliner is that if you mess up (happens to the best of us) it is so easy to come off with water.  So basically you are getting the best of both worlds, it stays on all night, and it comes off easily. What more could someone want in an eyeliner?

                                         Actual footage of me before I found this eyeliner:

VS.

After I found Maybelline Stiletto Eyeliner:

One of the main reasons, it is so hard to create a wing that you want is because a lot of liquid eyeliner does not dry fast enough, making it extremely easy to mess up. This eyeliner dries fast enough so you do not have to worry about waiting for it to dry. In general, this eyeliner glides on the eye smoothly, and allows you to have precise control over the line you want to create. To reiterate, this eyeliner is easy to use, easy to come off, and creates a look comparable to more expensive brands.

Overall, I give this eyeliner a 10/10 and would highly recommend this product to anyone who is experienced with eyeliner, or anyone who wants to begin the journey. Click Here to purchase Maybelline Stiletto Eyeliner. 

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You Are What You Like

"Generation Like"

I have fallen guilty to everything this documentary has stated. Millennial's truly do care about the amount of likes they receive, who likes their posts, and how many times their posts have been shared. Sure, it may sound like we are conceited individuals, but truthfully it is similar to a business creating their own brand. As individuals we want to put our best foot forward and create an image for ourself. This was talked about in the documentary when the younger individuals talked about their Facebook pages. Their Facebook pages were representative of who they were as a person, what they look like, where they are from, and what they like.

What they like is so important for the success of business's. Business's can take that information and market to those individuals. Altogether social media is essential to the success of organizations and business's.

This documentary highlights many points, one being social media allows users to have a claim to fame. Sometimes that claim to fame may be earned and sometimes it may not. One video that came to mind during this documentary was the following video where these two girls ate Carolina Reaper peppers, one of the hottest peppers in the world. They did this solely to get likes and shares on the video, and it worked. This video has over seven million likes. Their pain and discomfort was worth the likes. To me, this is crazy, but those are the millennial's that make all the others look bad. 

In general, social media is extremely important. Millennial's know how it works and their knowledge is going to be essential in the future.

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I Came , I Saw, I Contoured?

Contouring? Every non-makeup pro's nightmare. I refuse to spend $50 on a contour kit when I can barely highlight my cheeks without looking like Snooki circa 2009. That is why I took to Amazon once again. Unfortuntely I was not as lucky as I was with the brushes that I ordered on Amazon. I opened the package (that took 2 months to get to me) to find a semi-decent beauty-blender, an angled brush, which may have been the only thing that I liked about the total package, and then the actual contour kit that looked like this:

I did not have high expectations for this product as it was only $4.80, but once I opened up the package I thought the product looked appealing and would surpass my low expectations, but sadly I was mistaken. Not all cheap products may be for you so beware!!! I started by using the lighter color for my under eyes, then used the beauty blender to blend it in, and let me tell you it was not pretty. It looked like a 5 year-old had taken their chalk and drew on my face. 

Although the lighter color did not work, I did use the green pigmented makeup to cover up any redness that I had on my face. It did work, but it did not stay on for long whatsoever. The best part of the kit was for-sure the angled brush. Even though I did like the angled brush, I would not recommend this product whatsoever. 

On the other hand, I have had a great experience contouring with the NYX Wonder Stick that only cost $12. It was easy to use and provided a tutorial on the side of the box that will show you exactly how to use the two different colors to create the perfect contour. 

NYX Wonder Stick

The NYX stick was not chalky, is easy to use, effective, and has great color. The contour palette from Amazon made my skin look orange, but the NYX Wonder Stick was the perfect color for my skin tone and was the perfect amount of darker shade. Another pro to the wonder stick is that it conceals under-eye bags and is perfect to contour your nose. Also, as someone who does not like too much makeup, the wonder stick does not create a look that is too intense

I found a great moderation in this product and the best part about it was that it was only $12. Interested in this product? Click HERE to purchase a NYX Wonder Stick! 

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Lets get NAKED

Yes, you read that correctly. Lets get NAKED. I don't mean stripping off your clothes, I mean taking the time to consider the investment in the NAKED eyeshadow palettes. The NAKED palettes may be a little more expensive than your typical eye-shadow palettes, coming in at $54 a palette. I do want to say that these palettes are an investment and are worth it. I have three palettes and use them almost every single day. The palettes have a wide variety of colors, ranging from a shimmery base, to a smokey grey.

Three years ago I got my first NAKED palette for Christmas. To this day, that palette is still moving along on its life line. The two following Christmas's I received two more palettes. I have NAKED, NAKED 2 and NAKED SMOKEY. I do not know if I would be able to live without these palettes.

You may think that you are saving money buying individual, cheaper palettes, but those palettes do not usually last long. They also tend to be poor quality, as the price reflects the quality.

As mentioned above the palette has a plethora of colors and compliments almost any skin tone. The palette allows you to create various different looks, from a basic everyday look to a full-on smokey eye. The colors are extremely blend-able and the great thing about the palettes are that they put the colors in an order that matches with the surrounding colors. It is easy to pinpoint what shadows you want to mix with others to create the perfect look.

Among the 3 different palettes that I have I can create various different looks. Also, I have had the NAKED palette for 3 years now, and it still had plenty of color. Along with this, they eye-shadow is long-lasting and stays on for the whole day. I do not have to worry about re-applying the eye-shadow throughout the day, I put it on in the morning and it is still on by the end of the night.

Overall, it is worth the investment, as it is easy to use, and is versatile. I do not go anywhere without my palettes, they are easy to carry, and extremely reliable.

Interested in the NAKED Palettes?   <--- CLICK HERE

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Amaz(on)ing Brushes

Ever take the time to explore beauty sites just to find that the makeup brushes are just too expensive? THE STORY OF MY LIFE. I can not come to terms with spending $20 dollars on a SINGLE brush.  If you go to a general beauty site such as ULTA, most brushes are sold individually and sold for at least $3.00 a brush. For someone who applies makeup everyday, I need more than a few brushes. I simply cannot afford to pay $3.00 (most of the time way more) for each brush. That is why I ventured to Amazon, the world of the unknown as I like to think about it. Ever need anything? Amazon is the place for you. 

I find myself time and time again scrolling through the cosmetic pages of Amazon and hesitating to buy a product. I am so hesitant, because the products are so unbelievabnly cheap. When I found myself needing some new makeup brushes, I took to Amazon, and found a 15 piece eye shadow, foundation, eyebrow, and lip brush kit. You may be wondering, how much is a 15 piece kit like this? I purchased this kit for $3.50 plus $1.99 shipping. So in total I paid $6 for 15 good quality brushes. Above, you can find a picture of a few of my favorite brushes.

The brushes are extremely soft, and have not yet fallen apart. I did not have high expectations for such a cheap product, but the quality of the brushes surpassed my expectations. Each brush came individually wrapped and were sturdy. Applying eyeshadow with these brushes has been a walk in the park.

I also would especially recommend this product for someone who is a beginner at applying makeup. It is a perfect kit to get to know the different styles of brushes and the functions of each types of brushes. My personnel favorite in the kit is the small angled brush. I use this brush to fill in my eyebrows and apply under-eyeliner. Not only does the brush apply the makeup evenly, it also helps the makeup stay on all day. For the price of the product you are definitely getting more than what you paid for.

Live footage of me after I tried the brushes out:

I would give these products an 9/10 and highly recommend. Another plus is that the product says it takes a more than a few weeks to deliver, but I received my package within one week of purchasing.

Interested in this product? Check the link out at:
Amazon Brushes

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Spot the Spice?

Can you spot the spice? I know I sure can't. I personally do not understand the hype when it comes to Pumpkin Spice Latte's. I swear it is like the world comes to a complete stop the moment the drink is released every Fall. Starbucks lovers everywhere go C R A Z Y and for what reason? Isn't is just a drink? Not to them, to those lovers, the Pumpkin Spice Latte symbolizes Fall, the season of leggings and oversized hoodies, riding boots, apple picking, and bonfires. To them, it is not Fall without their "beloved" Pumpkin Spice Latte.

I personally do not understand, but I will say Starbucks did a great job with their hashtags. I explored both hashtags, #spotthespice and #PSL and found pretty similar content which was pretty much this:

Fall is the time for pumpkin EVERYTHING. That is why the Pumpkin Spice Latte is such a hit. I found it interesting that so many people took to the internet to post using those two hashtags. There is so much content, ranging from people complaining about the overrated Pumpkin Spice Latte to people who are so excited to have the drink back. In general, most users responded positively to the return which shows how loyal customers are to the Starbucks brand.

There can be many benefits to exploring these hashtags. If I were working for a similar company I would want to see what works and what doesn't work when it comes to social media campaigns like these. I would evaluate the campaign to see if I could construct something similar to get the same kind of reaction Starbucks got with the return of the Pumpkin Spice Latte. After exploring the hashtags, I would suggest that Starbucks respond to the users who make posts about how overrated the Pumpkin Spice Latte is. I know I personally would enjoy seeing what they had to say, when I talk about how I personally think the hype over the drink is overrated.

When it comes down to it, Starbucks has enough loyal customers, and loyal fans to the Pumpkin Spice Latte, that the marketing tactics will not fail.

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My ColourPop be Poppin

As a poor college student, it is a constant battle between whether or not you want to order that textbook for a class, or if you want to spend that money on something that seems more useful. Lets just say it is a rough life. I can honestly say, I may be the cheapest person I know, learn from the best - shoutout to my mom. Online shopping has become one of my greatest enemies, until I discovered the hidden gem, ColourPop. True life: ColourPop saved my life. The site has affordable, high-quality makeup products. 

As I am sure my parents can tell you, I would most definitely choose makeup instead of those textbooks. I have been obssessed with makeup since 8th grade (back when I didn't know the difference between $5 eyeliner and $30 eyeliner). My recent obsession over the past year has been lip products, I do not leave the house without it. I have acquired quite the collection of lip-gloss, chapstick, lip-stick, lip-liners. I too invite you to join in on the fun (You have been warned, it does become a little obsessive). 

Enough about me,  let me tell you more about ColourPop. Let me begin by sharing with you that new customers get $5 off their first purchase, which can pay for one lip product (GOD BLESS). They sell an array of makeup products, but their lip products include, Ultra Satin Lip, Ultra Matte Lip, Lippie Stix, Lippie Pencil, Ultra Metallic Lip, and Ultra Glossy Lip. As you can see they offer various different lip products, and they all range from $4 to $6. SAY WHAT? Yes they are that CHEAP! 

 You may be thinking if they are so cheap, what is the quality of this product?  I will say ColourPop can easily be compared to the Kylie Jenner Lip Kit. Obviously you aren't going to get the name that goes along with the product, but you will get amazing quality. I have 4 Ultra Matte lipsticks and 1 Lippie Stix. I often get asked if I am wearing a Kylie Jenner Lip Kit, which let me point out cost at least $40 a kit, compared to the $4-$6 lipsticks. Below are the 5 products that I have, as you can see they are extremely pigmented, look for the names listed under the picture, so you too, can have poppin lips.

Starting from right to left the color names are as followed:
Midi, Beeper, Tulle, HighBall, and Flawless

The only flaw in the product may be that it can be a struggle to get it off, which I think can also be a pro to the product. Going out for a night on the town? Well don't worry, put your ColourPop lipstick on and you are set for the entire evening. The product also does not crumble and get too dry, unlike other high quality products. I have tried high quality products, such as MAC, and enjoy using ColourPop more, as it stays on longer, it dries matte so it does not leave stains, and in general does not even feel like you are wearing anything. Altogether the product is a perfect fit for those of us on a tight budget. The site has so many different colors to explore. Check out their website at:

https://colourpop.com

Overall I give ColourPop a 10/10. I would highly recommend trying ColourPop out, use the free coupon and you can get your first product free! Lets save some MOOLA!!

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Exploring the Twitterverse

Blog Entry #1

Although Facebook is the most used social media network in today’s day and age, Twitter is just as prevalent in my eyes. I am an active Twitter user and have been on the social media network for 6 years now. To be completely honest, I could not imagine my life without it. I keep up with music, news, and lifestyle. Not only am I able to search Twitter for the latest trends, gossip and news, but also almost all of my friends are on Twitter and we are all able to share and keep up with each other’s life through a series of 140-character tweets.

I took to Twitter to explore the hash tag #semrushchat and found some interesting viewpoints. I think it is great that people all over the world can join in on the conversation and offer their input just by using a hash tag. I learned a lot about how influence marketing shapes your product or company. Not only that, but also creating valuable relationships with leaders in the industry could be a long-term benefit. The #semrushchat also gave many other business insiders that are valuable for not only us, but also other business professionals. Hash tags like these can benefit those trying to learn more about the industry.

Twitter is a great way for business’s to have a relationship with their customers. I see a lot of different social media posting from various businesses. My personal favorite is to see places like McDonald's, Subway, and Taco Bell interact with their customers. Twitter can be used professional, but I think it’s mainly a way for business’s to casually interact with the public. Below you will find one of the reasons, I follow a lot of various different businesses on Twitter:

Taco Bell's social media team knows what the public wants and is able to cater to that through interacting in a fun, engaging way.

The one concern I have about Twitter is that it is easy to get lost in the big scheme of things.  There are so many people that are actively tweeting at business’s, that it is almost impossible for business’s to monitor that. For example, this summer I had a very poor experience at Forever 21. I took that frustration to Twitter, to share with my 1,200 followers. I put that negative experience out for a lot of people to see, and Forever 21 did not tweet me back or apologize for the incident. On the other hand, I have had an experience with Dunkin Donuts, where I had poor service, tweeted about it, and got a message and Tweet back with an apology, as well as a free coffee. Dunkin Donuts does this for a lot of Twitter users. Therefore I see Twitter a problem, for companies like Forever 21 who do not bother to address negative experiences, but find it to be an advantage for business’s like Dunkin Donuts that do.

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