Review: Milani Amore Metallic Lipsticks

Milani Amore Metallic Liquid Lipsticks

I FINALLY GOT MY HANDS ON THESE DAMN LIQUID LIPS. I've been hunting and searching everywhere for these since I first saw them 2 months ago. I have a friend who works at a local drugstore and he messaged me when they got them in stock. He picked 'em up for me and I've been in love ever since. Let me give you the low-down.

There's 8 tubes of this glorious stuff - I managed to get my hands on 7 of 'em. (I couldn't get my hands on color 01 Beige, last one in the store was open) It retails for $7.99 at my local CVS (although on Milani's website it says $8.99 ) and you get 0.17oz in a tube. Milani claims that they're pigmented, long wearing, and dry matte. 

This stuff honestly reminds me of Milani's Amore Matte liquid lippies. Milani killed it with that formula - and they definitely killed it again. Their claims weren't wrong either - this lippie lasted through a yoghurt breakfast, a sandwich lunch, and pasta dinner without having to reapply. Almost all of the colors are one swipe pigmentation - a couple of the colors are a little streaky but nothing too terrible. I really love all of the colors it's kind of ridiculous.

The 8 colors they come in are: 01 Beige (not pictured), 02 Matterialistic, 03 Matte About You, 04 Cinematic Kiss, 05 Dramatic Kiss, 06 Mattely in Love, 07 Automatic Touch, 08 Raving Matte. My favorites and most worn are definitely 06 and 04. I'll be delving into 07 & 08 this fall with a sprinkling of 02. 05 is streaky AF - but nothing a couple coats won't fix.

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Time To Get Back on The Wagon!

Weight Loss Journey Part 12402

It's absolutely no secret that I've struggled with my weight for most of my life. I was always the chunky kid all through school - and even when I was at my thinnest I was still considered the 'big' girl. I attribute that to my body type, which is half mack truck half lady bits. 

Either way, when I started this blog I had started another weight loss journey and brought you guys along the way. My goal was to lose 30lbs by my cousin's wedding in which I was a bridesmaid. I was unsuccessful is losing the full 30lbs - but I did lose about 25! I felt great, I had more energy than ever, and I was eating on a schedule that kept me from getting too hungry everyday.

Things fell to shit after the wedding though, stress from my final year at school, sorority responsibilities, adult responsibilities, and the holidays (ugh) made it all seemingly impossible to keep on track. So I fell off the wagon - hard.

The Weird Thing About Having Magical Hair

The Weird Thing About Having Magical Hair...

Coloring my hair has been one of those super fun things that I never thought I'd be able to do. Yet here I am, 26 and with a head-full of dreams and a scalp full of purple hair. 

I've colored my hair twice already this year - the first time I went for a metallic rose gold. Which honestly turned out better than I expected and I looooved how it turned out once I washed it the first time.

The second time I kinda went buckwild - I went straight for the purples, pinks, greens, and blues. Its my current hair and I'm in looooove with it.

But there is something about having this awesome crazy hair that I honestly didn't expect. And its the immediate judgement and stares people give you. I was always taught to never judge a book by its cover, which (to be honest) has been something very hard to do. When someone dresses or looks a certain way we immediately stereotype or make judgements on the kind of person they are. I have had to purposefully teach myself to toss those immediate impressions aside, to think positively, and realize that it's not what on the outside that counts.

What's In My Everyday Bag

What's In My Everyday Bag

The last time I did one of these, it was with my school bag/purse that was jammed full of school supplies. This time, it's my actual purse. And at the time of writing this, I have only a general idea of what the hell is currently residing in there.

First things first,  my purse is a hot pink coach tote bag with only one main compartment, two smaller slots for phones/pens/small stuff, and one zip pocket in the back.

Let's go on an adventure together -

Top 10 Under $10

Top 10 Under $10

Let's start with Lips!
1. Milani Color Statement Lipstick (Pretty Natural) - $5.99
2. NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream (Copenhagen) - $5.99
3. Maybelline Color Sensational Creamy Matte Lip Color (Touch Of Spice) - $7.99

The above are definitely my go-to lippies when I'm looking to run out of the house. I've recently also been reaching for the Milani Amore matte lip cream. NYX has the widest selection of colors and it has some serious staying power.

 Moving on to the face...
4. Ulta Illuminating Powder - $10.00
5. Milani Rose Powder Blush (Coral Cove) - $7.99
6. e.l.f. BB Cream - $6.00
7. Maybelline Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser - $6.99

I love using the Illuminating powder to set my undereye - it's really brightening and it helps disguise my dark circles. I'm also on my second tube of e.l.f. BB Cream in Light Beige. The Maybelline Baby Skin helps make any and all foundations/BB creams go on smoothly.

And onto the eyes...
8. L'Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black Mascara - $5.99
9. Palladio Liquid Eyeliner in Black Shimmer - $5.99
10. Maybelline Color Tattoo Metal in Inked in Pink - $6.99

This mascara is probably the blackest mascara I've ever used. It has a tendency to smudge, but that still doesn't stop me from loving it. Palladio liquid liner has been a mainstay for me for like 5 years now, I seriously think this is my 3rd one at least. Other liners come and go in-between, but I always find myself going back to this one. Maybelline color tattoos - need I say more? It now comes in even easier stick form and I have it in multiple colors but tend to lean towards the pink color for neutral everyday wear.

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Unboxing: Too Faced, Urban Decay, Little Miss Paperie

Unboxing: Too Faced, Urban Decay, Little Miss Paperie

Too Faced Chocolate Bon Bons Palette

Ugh, I wanted this soooo badly and my roommate got it for me for Christmas! This one isn't a true unboxing because I loved it so much I've already stuck a brush in them. I mean, how could you not love this palette? Its got the perfect mix of shimmery and matte shadows with a couple pops of color that make this the perfect palette for both neutral day/work appropriate looks, and a fun colorful nighttime look.

Blogging Advice

Blogging Advice

Tomorrow starts an installment of a new monthly series here on Hello Wench. 

(Basically a series on all the crap I wish I knew when I started blogging)

+ some tips for seasoned bloggers

It aims to be helpful to other bloggers/people looking to put themselves on a schedule and to keep themselves a little more organized. I've only been at this for a year, but I feel like I've learned so much and I want to share that wealth of knowledge with you! 

Directory:

Organization

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What's In My Makeup Bag

Whats In My Makeup Bag

Today I had originally planned a super quick and easy get ready with me for work, but I recently was changing my makeup bag and I realized how much crap I carry with me almost everyday. So I decided to do this instead.

Lets start at the base. For my face I've got an elf BB cream in beige, an elf powder in light, and a Milani blush in Coral Cove. I've talked about these essentials multiple times around here on the blog so why wouldn't they be in my everyday makeup bag?! The brushes I use to apply these things to my face are the elf flat powder brush and the elf blush brush. Both are faves of mine and I almost always have these brushes in my makeup bag.

The BB cream is perfect for the weather here in South FL as it is almost always disgustingly hot and I know you don't have to powder a BB cream, but I usually powder the T zone of my face so I don't look quite so greasy.

Next on my list is products just for the eyes! I didn't quite realize how much eye stuff I carried around but then again it wasn't until I went to take pictures when I realized I needed to empty this bag.

Review: Tarte Rainforest After Dark Palette

Review: Tarte Rainforest After Dark

Okay so its no surprise that I was absolutely in love with this palette when it was released last year - but would NEVER find it in my local Ulta to purchase it. Recently I was in Ulta for another BBS when all of a sudden there it was! The palette that had been evading me for an entire year! Needless to say, I picked it up right away and felt no guilt as $38 was drained from my bank account. #FLYMONEYFLY (amirite?!)

One thing I love about this palette is the look of it - it really is gorgeous. The mirror is huge and the blush included is the perfect pink for my skin-tone. I also really love the shadows that come in this palette for fall. Fall always makes me think of cool deep purples and browns with a bit of metallic shimmer. Which this palette delivers for me flawlessly. I am so freakin' excited to use this palette this fall - I'm sure you guys will be seeing it a lot more! (at least from me)

Products included in the palette:

Highlighter in Champagne

Bronzer in Park Ave Princess

Blush in Unleashed

Eyeshadows: Bare to Explore, Make A Mauve, Plum Away With Me,

Up to No Gold, Tan-gled Up in You, Don't Turn A-Brown

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How To: Everyday School Makeup

How To: Everyday School Makeup

The first week of school is over, we can all stop trying to impress everyone now. Let's get down to the nitty gritty and the basics of what your everyday makeup is going to look like while you run to classes.

Personally, I wore minimal makeup to school after the first week because doing a full face of makeup takes too long - and I like to sleep. So here are the staples I used everyday to get ready for school.

Quick & Simple: Glasses Makeup

Quick & Simple: Glasses Makeup

Hey everyone! Today I'm going to be going over a few tips and tricks I've got so that you can glam it up even if you've gotta wear glasses! I've worn glasses for over 15 years - so the only kind of makeup I did for a very long time was the kind where I had to put my glasses on over it.

Please note: I'm not wearing foundation in these photos. I literally just have powder on my nose to help keep the redness down and too help with the oiliness. This summer I've been raving over BB creams and they work really well with my glasses. Any foundation I put on always rubs off in the nose area - especially in the summer.

How To Wear a Leopard Dress to Work

How To Wear A Leopard Dress to Work

Wearing prints in the workplace can be one of the most difficult things - and leopard print is no exception to this fact. Recently I picked up this super cute Leopard print dress from Target for $25 and really wanted to wear it to work. So I did what every other 25 year old would do - I sat down at my computer and googled "Can I wear leopard print to work?" Now this may vary by office or building, but my office is pretty casual when it comes to a dress code. Other offices in the building have a pretty strict dress code, but since we don't meet clients face-to-face its not really necessary when we will be sitting on a computer all day making calls.

Either way, to the left is the dress that I wore. Its a super cute blousey  dress that I bought with a friend on a recent Basic Bitch Sunday trip.

Its sleeveless, has a keyhole front, is short, and has a defined waist. To make this work appropriate I accessorized with a few simple items that I already had in my closet: a black belt, cardigan, flats, cute hair bow.

The thin black belt was a staple for me. It was leather and had a tarnished bronze-gold buckle and went perfectly with the dress. I decided to wear it under the cardigan just in case I went out after work.

Black cardigan - how can you go wrong? This one had short sleeves (because it's hot) but was light and comfortable enough to wear all day.

I paired the outfit with Simply Vera Tuxedo Flats in black. I love these shoes and they have a giant black bow on them. They bring a little femininity into an outfit while keeping it comfortable. I also would of worn a pair of black gladiator sandals or some thick black strap wedges if going a little more casual or bringing the dress to a more nighttime look.

Essie Mint Candy Apple

Essie Mint Candy Apple

So if you don't know me that well - you wouldn't know that I'm a compulsive nail biter and skin picker. My poor little fingers are literally stubs. Recently I've decided, in an attempt to quit biting my stubs, to get acrylics. When I got the nails put on originally I picked the essie color Blanc with a gold glitter. But this time, I found a pretty mint color and brought it in.

It is such a pretty color, but I wanted a little more. So I googled some simple stripes, showed it to the nail tech, and she executed them beautifully. I really like this color and design so I may decide to do it again!

Also: For those of you thinking about how short my nails are, Yes they are short. But to me, these are long. My natural nail even after two weeks of growth doesn't reach the end of my fingers. I need to keep them short so I don't chew the acrylic off (because I will and have before).

What colors do you recommend for the next time I get my nails done?

I'm looking for summery and fun colors!

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Blogging Through A Funk

Blogging Through A Funk

Alright, I'm gonna just come out and say it - I'm in a funk. I feel completely uninspired as of late. Last month in a whirlwind of ideas I had the entire month planned - but this month I have nothing. Nada. Zip. Zilch.

So when posting day rolled around for me I was worried - albeit terrified that I wouldn't get anything up. I asked my friends what I should write about and while their ideas were good it just didn't feel original, and it definitely didn't feel like me. So I did what any other blogger would do - binge watch an entire season of a TV show in 2 days. What?! Don't judge. After that I opened up a blog post and just started writing. I don't have any ideas - but I literally am just writing what I'm feeling. I'm not writing this one for comments, or usefulness, or so that people will actually visit. 

I realize I'm writing this post for me. These moments make me realize that I'm human - and that I am allowed to make mistakes. I'm not perfect - but being a perfectionist is part of who I am. I do not only expect to be able to do everything - I expect to be good at it.

I know this is an impossible task and literally sets myself up for disaster. I know this. And yet I still can't help myself. This is an aspect of my personality that I will probably work on for the rest of my life. But until then - I'm going to enjoy putting myself out there and doing the absolute best that I can. I'm going to enjoy my life and the experiences in it - and I will attempt to not beat myself up if it doesn't go perfectly.

And that, will probably be the hardest part.

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Summer Beauty Essentials

Summer Beauty Essentials

Ladies and gentlemen, its hotter than hades outside which must mean that it's SUMMER! Now, to avoid turning into a puddle I've compiled a list of some summer essentials that are absolutely mandatory in my house. because ya girl is big and I don't have a personal snowflurry to follow me around. 

Sucker For Packaging Tag

Sucker for Packaging Tag

Last week my blogging bestie made a new tag all about Makeup Packaging! And even though she didn't directly tag me in her post, I got this message about 10 mins after for posted it.

Which I'm pretty sure means that she wants me to do the tag. So I am!

 Have you bought anything just for the packaging?

Absolutely! I looove how Tarte, Urban Decay, and Too Faced package their products.

What limited edition item do you own that has the prettiest packaging?

Tragically, I don't own any limited edition items. (I think) I tried like hell to pick up the Tarte Rainforest After Dark palette from last fall and EVERY TIME I went to Ulta, they didn't have it. I still feel some type of way about it.

What permanent item do you own that has the prettiest packaging?

I love the simplicity of the Urban Decay Naked Palette I own. But I have to say I love how Too Faced packages my Melted Liquid Lipsticks.

Pretty or practical?

I'm a practical and drugstore kinda gal. So while pretty is nice I'm all down for practicality. 

 Name the most practically packaged item you own.

Damn, it would have to be my elf BB cream. Its in a tube, has a pump, and the pump can be twisted off and removed if you want. Its simple and easy and I totally love it.

 Can packaging be pretty and practical?

Definitely! The UD naked Palette I own is sleek, with a bunch of shades that I actually use and while its mirror isn't large - it definitely gets the job done.

Name your all-time favourite packaging!
I loooooved the look of the Tarte Rainforest After Dark palette (can you tell I'm still hung up on it?)

 What's the most boring packaging something you own has?
Its definitely gotta be some of my elf products - although most of them are black, they aren't always sleek. Some of them are even just outright oversized and poorly made. I'll continue to use them though because the product itself is pretty good for the price.

What do you look for in packaging?
Def something sleek and chic. I don't like products with bulky packaging.

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No Makeup Challenge

No Makeup Challenge

So for my 100th post I decided I was going to challenge myself a little bit - and I decided to do the no makeup challenge! I didn't wear makeup for an entire 6 days (I went out yesterday with friends on a double date, so yes I wore makeup).

I took pictures almost everyday while I was completing this challenge. (okay so I forgot some days, my bad!) But I thought I'd let you guys know how it went, how I felt, and if any comments were made.

First things first: Walking into this I completely expected my office manger to say something about me not wearing makeup all week. She did - and I'll tell you more about it below.

To the left is the first day - and let me tell you, it was weird. I usually go to work with no makeup on, but that day I went the WHOLE day without makeup on. I didn't even have any moisturizer on - it was just me and my bare skin. It was a tad bit uncomfortable because I felt like everyone could see my lack of eyebrows and lashes but pressed forward - hoping that as the second day approached it wouldn't be too bad.

The second day came and went with very little comment from anyone - except my office manager. Who wondered "Why no makeup? Not even lipstick? You look so tired without it." Which I've heard before so I actually expected.

Spring Retreat: Naples, FL

Spring Retreat: Naples, FL

So I pretty much have a theme this week: document everything that happened last week! On May 1st, 2015 (exactly a week ago today) I graduated Florida Atlantic University with a Bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering. There were only 15 other graduates in my field with my degree, and only 1 other female. I also pretty much live-tweeted the whole ceremony, so scroll back on my twitter to see those tweets and some pictures. (yes, pictures)

Get Ready With Me: Sorority Alumni Ceremony

GRWM: Sorority Makeup

I love my sisters! I really feel like I should start off this post by saying that. Through everything good/bad/ugly we are a group of women who persevere and excel. That being said - I'm kind of sad to graduate. I'm no longer an active sister of Alpha Omega Epsilon - I'm an alum now! This past Sunday was the alum ceremony - and while I won't go into detail I have to say I seriously appreciate all the sisters that I have and the friendships I've made.

But now onto the best part: the makeup!

There was absolutely no way I was going to the event Sunday night without a full face of makeup on!

Quick & Easy: Simple Spring Makeup

Quick & Easy: Simple Spring Makeup

My face does not always look like how it does on the days I post a #FOTD or #OOTD. My face likes to make demons, my skin gets a little red, and a lot of the time I'm wearing my glasses. My everyday routine usually includes grabbing the makeup I want to wear from my bathroom and tossing it into my makeup bag, so I can hopefully put it on at my desk at work.

Since it's Spring and the weather is hopefully warming up where you're at, I'm going to show you my Spring every day #FOTD. Messy office desk, crappy lighting, and all.