What's better than a makeup tool that blends foundation flawlessly, is easy to use, easy to clean, saves product, oh and sparkles?
Go ahead, I'll wait.
Upon finding out about Base Beauty Blender, I had already heard about all of the benefits of a silicone beauty blender and wanted to try it out myself. Can you imagine the giddiness I felt when they reached out?

Up until now, I haven't had a beauty section on the blog, so this served as the perfect opportunity to start one! I love all things beauty, whether it's hair, eye lashes, brows.. Beauty is an art form, a way to wind down and accent your natural glamour. I absolutely cringe when people say that it's for people who are ashamed of how they look without makeup, because that is in no way true. And isn't it funny that it's always from those who are totally against makeup? Girl, I'm not shaming you for your choice to go without, so don't be shaming me for something that I enjoy.
But seriously, I hope to use this section to teach y'all things that I have picked up along the way, like how I do my hair color, lashes, and master the art of the perfect eyebrow. Look forward to many things to come!

In the meantime, here's my step-by-step on how to use the Base Beauty Blender to give you that flawless complexion.




1 - Moisturize


My skin is naturally a combination of dry and oily, so I stick with just a dab of Aveeno daily moisturizing lotion every morning to clear this up.


2 - Prime



The right primer is especially tricky to find. I recently discovered the wonders of rose water spray, and let me tell you, it really does make a difference. Just a couple of spritzes and your face will feel not only completely refreshed, but it adds that light, necessary layer to protect your skin from the foundation seeping into your pores. When I use this spray in turn for primer, my face looks less cakey and smoother after makeup application and a day's worth of wear.


3 - Foundation



Break out your favorite foundation. I personally love Estee Lauder Double Wear and always use it when I go out. It's medium coverage, I believe, so it's light enough to not feel or look cakey but heavy enough to cover everything from acne to discoloration. It stays put all day too, which comes in handy when you don't know what the day ahead may hold.


4 - Blend



This is where it can get just a little confusing. Silicone blenders are not the same as regular sponge type blenders. I've had to learn my lesson the hard way, aka multiple times, with overapplying product because I'm used to the sponge. The silicone blender doesn't soak in the makeup as the sponge does, though, so I just end up moving the foundation around my face until it looks covered. Then I go in and pat every inch of my face with the beauty blender. It should feel sort of tacky or sticky. Once it all looks smooth and like it's not going to move anytime soon, it should be set! I'd just like to take a moment to look at that transition from pale to tan. I don't tan my face because of Irish skin that burns easily, so foundation really works wonders here.


5 - Conceal


One of the most common makeup mistakes people do is to only rely on foundation to give that even coverage, completely overlooking concealer. But here's the truth of the matter - concealer works to brighten up the right areas of your face and cover any blemishes that might still be noticed. I use Maybelline's Instant Age Rewind concealer. It has amazing coverage, lasts forever - as long as you tear the sponge off of the top, it holds in the makeup so let that be gone and save yourself some $$ - and comes at a reasonable price. You'll want to use a concealer that is a shade lighter than your foundation. That way it does its job of brightening up that pretty face of yours. Apply it under the eyes in a v-shape to hit the cheeks a tad, along the center of your forehead to the nose to right above your lip to the chin. This is the T-zone. I also like to apply some on the sides of my face, underneath where my contour goes on my cheekbones. This helps to define and create that strong contoured look.


6 - Finished Face


After blending everything in, I spritz my face once more with the rose water spray - it also works as a setting spray! While waiting for that to dry, I do my brows and eyes. Then I picked up a trick to apply translucent setting powder before contouring and highlighting. So far, so good!


Achieving those smooth and practically flawless results is the most satisfying part of makeup application. I love seeing the finished product of a job well done, and Base Beauty Blender helps tremendously in accomplishing that final finish. If you're looking for a way to save money on makeup and have perfect looking skin at the same time, pick up one of these beauty blenders for yourself, using code "ahappyblur10" at checkout for 10% off. Free shipping is included! 

As we near the end of spring, I can't help but think about how much I don't want peony season to leave because I love seeing pretty flower photos all over Instagram. Anyone else?!
Naturally, because of my love for all things pink, I styled a look after the beauty that is the peony flower. Using inspiration from the layers of pink with the light center that could almost be white, I added different dimensions with the pink shade in this outfit. This kind of look has the potential to be worn at most any event when you want to up the style factor, from dinner dates to church to job interviews to the work place. It's classy yet shows a side of sass at the same time.
One thing to keep in mind when styling outfits is to always coordinate your shoes with something on the top to keep the balance, as I did here, matching the pink shade of my lace up heels to that of my favorite pink blazer.

Something I do is think a lot. No, not just about pink outfits. Although that does run through my mind quite often. But I think about a variety of things, especially people and life. Being an introvert has come with some struggles. While I love staying in and working from home, if I don't get out enough I typically wind up feeling pretty lonesome. Been there before? It's times when no one seems to want to be with me that I end up feeling the worst about my own nature. Despite my efforts to reach out, it's as though everyone is too busy to spare a moment with a friend. I begin to question my own likeability, asking myself if anyone really actually wants to be my friend. Because more often than not, I just feel alone in this journey.

I know, I've heard it plenty of times that I'm not alone, because God is always with me. But sometimes it's necessary to have human fellowship to stay grounded and sane. Spending all of my days inside with little interaction, if I don't have some friend time at least once during the week, that loneliness starts to dwell up inside of me.

Don't ask me where I'm going with this, because I don't even know myself. Maybe it's the lack of sleep. Or maybe I really am just lonely. All I know is that Jesus really is the only stable one to lean on. Because people are people. They grow distant, and we can't always trust that they'll follow through. It's not a burn against anyone. I know I'm this way too.

So if you're feeling lonely too, we're in this together. Put on some worship songs that really get to the depth of God's love for you, open up the Bible and read one of the many stories about people just like you and I, and start talking to God about anything and everything. Because sometimes, He's the only friend we have.

A little while back I posted on Instagram about receiving Cocoa Locks and promised to do a review post after the 28 days of using it. Now that it's been well past 28 days and I have tried it enough to know how I like it, it's time to spill!

Cocoa Locks is a hair growth program in the form of hot cocoa! The main ingredient that works to stimulate hair growth is Biotin. This is often taken in the form of a pill by many adults as part of their daily routine to maintain healthy hair and nails. I much prefer this in hot cocoa form, though, as I am not too fond of pills and never really learned to take them besides the ones so small they might as well be microscopic. This also contains various vitamins to improve hair health. You can find the full list and answers to any other questions you may have here.

Over the past month+ I have seen an amazing change in my hair. It's not only longer, but thicker and healthier than it ever has been. A few friends have expressed their complaints about wishing their hair could be as long and healthy looking as mine, in which I direct them straight to Cocoa Locks, because without it I'm sure my hair wouldn't look half this decent. I've used cheapy hair dye, haven't had it cut in a while, which means I should have split ends galore,  don't brush it nearly enough, and apply a hot iron to it a few times a week. Yet despite all of the damage that I do to my hair, it is able to withstand that and continue being healthy with my daily use of Cocoa Locks.

As mentioned, this is meant to be taken as hot cocoa. However, I found that I didn't really enjoy the taste of it in that form. It only requires 2 teaspoons of the powder, so that added to a mug of hot water or milk makes for a minimal tasting drink. After discovering this, I was a bit disappointed but wanted to continue trying it. I came up with the idea to add the teaspoons of this powder to my coffee in the morning instead. This way I don't forget about it, and it adds an extra chocolatey taste to my coffee, giving it bonus points because I already like my coffee pretty sweet.

I can't tell you how much I love this product now that I drink it every day in my coffee. It adds a delicious flavor and works wonders with my hair. If you're hoping to grow your hair out and need that little push to get it past that awkward stage, go ahead and try out Cocoa Locks for yourself. You'll be just as amazed!