Monday, November 30, 2015

Floral Dresses with Candace

Happy Monday friends! I hope you all have had a super Thanksgiving weekend and are stuffed beyond means, I know I am!! I am still running around Houston with my love, but I have such a special treat for you guys today!! I have seriously been loving getting to know Candace over the past few weeks through blogging! She is such a genuinely sweet person and her blog is so down to earth, I promise if you don't already know her, you will love her!!!

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Hey!! I'm Candace and I blog over at Lovely Little Rants! I blog (and sometimes even vlog) all about life in Arizona with my cute husband, Jason, the fact that Arizona refuses to change seasons, and I include plenty of juicy rants. I like talking about anything I feel like! Clothes do make a normal appearance on my blog because online shopping just so happens to be my weakness. I am SO excited to be guest posting today on Nikki's blog. I have loved getting to know Nikki through blogging and she is such a sweet friend to have :) 


I wanted to talk about a cute winter dress today! I posted this dress a little bit ago on my own blog, but I love it so much I wanted to share it with you guys, too! I live in Arizona so winter takes its sweet time making an appearance down here. I love this dress because it's long enough to keep my legs warm, but still at that cute midi length, as you can see ;) Plus FLORAL you guys, who isn't into floral?!



I got this dress from Pink Desert boutique but you can find cute winter midi dresses almost anywhere! I'm currently eyeing this one, this one, and this one! Obviously you may or may not have caught me in the middle of making a Christmas wish list ;) Happy winter, go snatch up a cute dress! Those holiday parties are coming up and this floral pattern looks fancy without actually being too fancy, ya know?

xo
Candace

Friday, November 27, 2015

Holiday Gift Guide For Mom With Jenn

Happy Friday friends! I hope you enjoyed your Thanksgiving, I know I did!! Stuffed myself silly and had a blast with my soon to be family! Today in honor of Black Friday (which I won't really be partaking in), I knew Jenn's holiday gift guide for the special mom(s) in your life would be perfect to get you guys jump started on gift ideas!

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Hi there! I'm Jenn & I blog over at Crown Me In Glitter! I came to hang out over here while Nikki is traveling! Always willing to help a blog sista out :). Since the holidays are coming up and I seriously need to start shopping for my mama bear, I thought putting together a list would be super helpful, not only for me, but hopefully someone else!

*I must admit, like 99%..ok, 100% of items on this list I would also like, but I must. think. of. mom. Lets not be too selfish here..it is the season for giving!

My mom is my best friend, and we like pretty much all of the same things so it's no surprise that I have some of these and/or want them!
I tried to find a little something from every major category..shoes, jewelry, makeup, clothes. You know, the real essentials-hah!



So, I don't think I would put a name on here for my mom, but probably an important date. 
I love how personalized these can be, so I think I would put the day she became a grandmother-9/7/2014. Its also a conversation piece, as someone would see it and be curious about the date. 
Lord knows Mimi loves talking about her sweet grand baby, so I don't think she would have a problem with anyone asking her about Harper Love!
I. Love. These.
I think they are so simple & classic looking, but really jazz up any outfit. Even if its something simple like some jeans and white tee, earrings always pull an outfit together. 
These are just small enough that they aren't overwhelming, but also still make enough of a statement vs basic stud earrings. 
The color also goes with so much, its really a win-win all around!
This speaks for itself, really. 
Cozy-check. Warm-check. Cute-check. All my major priority groups are covered!
So, I wear my Hunters all the time & think they are really a great investment because they can be worn as both rain boots & snow boots. I know y'all know how expensive shoes can get, so any little bit helps! Just buy some cute boot socks to wear with them & poof..you've got yourself a double duty shoe! You can also purchase multiple pairs of the socks to really switch up your look depending on your outfit of the day! Holllaaaaa! 
I know my mom is always looking for something to brighten up her face and make her look "younger." I have found the answer, my friends!
This highlighter is amazing and looks fabulous on everyone I've seen it on. 
I love Jaclyn Hill so much & she has been to my go-to YouTube makeup guru for years now. So when I found out she was collaborating with Becca for her OWN highlighter, I hopped right on that train to get me some of that. I must say, I'm so happy with it and could wear it everyday.
Also, anyone heard of that new strobing look? This is perfect for that! 
For the skincare loving mama in your life, theres this perfect lotion/tinted moisturizer.
Have you heard of Josie Maran's famous argan oil? If not, you should look into it.
It has made such a difference in my skin, and I also got my mom hooked on the regular argan oil. I have been using this moisturizer for years for my daytime routine, but since she came out with this tinted one, its been on my wishlist. I think my mom would really like this, because she isn't super crazy about foundation and she has gorgeous skin. This evens out her skin tone just enough while keeping her skin smooth & moisturized! 


So theres that! Now that I've gotten it all written down, time to get to shopping! :)
Have fun & remember, it is the season for giving! Add some of these to your Christmas list & maybe you'll get lucky! 

Come visit me sometime & say hey! Have a great week & holiday! 
Blog | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest | Bloglovin

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Remember friends today is the last day to enter the giveaway that I am teaming up with Pamela from Sequins & Sea Breezes and 20 other fab bloggers to give away a $325 Nordstrom Gift Card to
celebrate Pamela’s two year blogiversary! This giveaway is just in time for the holidays,
so you have the chance to give yourself {or someone else} a little treat for the holidays! The more ways you enter, the better your chances are!

The giveaway ends on Friday, November 27th, at midnight and the winner will be announced on Monday, November 30th. Good luck and be sure to check out all of these fabulous blogs!



Hosted By:

The Gorgeous Co-hosts:







Thursday, November 26, 2015

Thankful Thursday | Happy Thanksgiving

Seriously how has this month flew by?! The closer it gets to Christmas the more it reminds me that this year is nearly over!!! I don't know if I'm truly ready for that, but that's a post for another day! Today is the final Thursday left for my Thankful Thursday link up that I've been doing all month. If you write a post about what you're thankful for and want to link up, go for it below!! 



Family
First and foremost, I would be nowhere without my family. They have supported me in everything I do and I'm seriously gonna miss the heck out of them when I move nearly 1,000 miles away from them! I'm thankful my parents have worked their butts off (and still are) to give my sister and I everything we want. I'm thankful for my sister whose 100% my best friend and partner in crime, I don't know where I'd be without her in life! And I'm thankful for my extended family who I'm super excited to see in July for my wedding and who continue to send ideas and ways they are gonna help my big day be fabulous!




Friends
My friends I am super thankful for because they have been around for years now. They are some of the closest people in my life next to my family! I don't know where I'd be without my girls nights or fun times with these crazy group of people I call my friends!



Fiance
Of course I'm thankful for the best thing that has ever happened to me. I am so grateful for God to bring me someone like A because I don't know where I would be without him. I can't imagine life before him and I don't want to. I'm grateful that I get to spend this Thanksgiving, and many more with him!


Future family
My future in-laws definitely deserve a little love here because they have seriously been amazing. Besides showering me with gifts everytime I come into town, they have invited me into their house like their own daughter and have supported any decisions that A and I have made. Their main concern is that we are happy and for that I am thankful!


Health
This is a pretty important one because health issues have come up in the last year which I had to deal with. I won't share too much, but everything is all good and I'm thankful and hopeful that it stays this way for a long time! 

Job
I'm so thankful for a job that my boss understands that I'm doing this whole long distance thing and allows me so many days off without ever questioning me or getting upset! This job has been such an amazing journey in learning and bettering myself in my field and making some amazing friendships! I'll be sad when I eventually have to leave, but I can't wait to see what the next 7-8 months hold at the clinic!

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So guys, tell me what are you thankful for this year!!

Happy Turkey Day!!!



Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Wedding Wednesday {P!nky Guest Posts}

Hey guys so I have a special guest today for Wedding Wednesday and I'm so excited for you guys to read about her wedding because it was seriously beautiful!! She gives some great advice so bride-to-be's take notes!!
P!nky take it away!
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Hey, MakeupHER followers! My name is Pinky and I blog over at PinkPersistence and I am so excited to be guest posting here on Nikki's blog. When she offered to let me post about my wedding I did the happy dance because even though I'm 2+ years past my wedding, I still love talking about it, haha. Today I'm sharing a lil Q&A about our wedding and hope you enjoy reading. We threw our wedding together in seven short months, so it was quick but a ton of fun, too. Our wedding day was perfectly us and I totally would do it all over again if I could. :)!

When did you get married?

September 7, 2013. Best.Day.Ever!

How did you meet your husband?

We met playing KICKBALL on the National Mall. Yes, kickball, haha. We were both recruited by different people to join a DC team. I was recruited by a guy I didn't even know in my league, but something told me to say YES when he called to join his team. Obviously, God wanted me to meet Le Husband, but I just went into the new team hoping to make a few new friends. Le Husband and I didn't really talk too much the first few games, but one Thursday I met up with teammates before the game and had a couple glasses of wine [with no dinner]. He had some sick play at the plate that caught my attention so [using my liquid courage] I chatted him up at the bar that night. We started talking and hanging out and the rest is history. Crazy how a random kickball team brought me to the love of my life!



Engagement story?

Le Husband super surprised when he asked me to marry him. You can find the whole story *here* but here's the short version. We had talked about the next step, but he kept asking me WHAT kind of ring I wanted so I figured we weren't close to engagement. Little did I know, he had secretly talked to my sisters, had one of my grandmother's rings sent to a jeweler and asked my dad for my hand in marriage {swoon}. I had a soccer game on a Sunday, as my routine, and when I came home I stopped by his place because he had left a rose at my place. I walked in and the whole place was lit up with candles and decorated, but I still wasn't getting what was about to happen. It wasn't until he came over and kissed me and I smelled the whiskey on his breath that I KNEW, THIS WAS THE MOMENT. I remember everything from the night and was so thankful Le Husband allowed my sisters to wait downstairs so I could celebrate with them immediately after the proposal. They had a camera/video set up so I have the entire thing recorded for my memories. Everything about that night was perfect, I was so surprised and over the moon excited.




How many bridesmaids did you have and how did you go about choosing them?

I had four ladies in my wedding party. I knew I didn't want a big wedding party and just wanted the most important ladies in my life by my side. My two sisters were my Maids of Honor and my two best friends were the other two bridesmaids. I asked them all with a cute gift box. I bought them tanks, champagne and decorated a champagne flute, all wrapped up in a pretty package. I couldn't have asked for a better group of ladies to stand beside me on my special day. They were all amazing throughout the whole process and I'm so thankful to have them all in my life.




What was the one thing you were most passionate about?( Flowers, DJ, Cake, etc)

Both Le Husband and I were on the same page with the understanding that getting married was MORE important than the wedding or the party. Period. But, we both wanted to have a fun celebration that everyone would enjoy. We both wanted a delicious cake/cupcakes [bad cake is the worst, suffered through one at a wedding last year, blech], delicious food and a fun atmosphere for all our guests. We didn't worry about the little things, but my mom did a lot of work to ensure everyone had the right rooms at the hotel and their welcome bags were received as soon as they checked into their rooms. Having a shuttle from the reception to the hotel was amazing, too. Guests didn't have to worry about driving or walking which was nice. People still tell us about how much fun they had at our wedding and that makes me so happy!


How long did it take you to find your wedding dress?

Honestly, it didn't really take me too long to find my dress. I booked my first wedding dress appointment the week we got engaged and went to David's Bridal to get a feel for what I wanted and what I looked like in certain styles. I originally wanted a Kate Middleton style dress with sleeves but couldn't find it in any stores. I tried on every other style at DB and actually tried on THE DRESS at my first appointment. Everyone agreed it was my dress [and a few cried when I came out, however I didn't] but I wanted to keep looking [silly girl]. I went to one more boutique found a dress that I thought might be it, but kept thinking about the DB dress. I made an appointment at both places on a Saturday and when I tried on the DB dress with a veil I cried, so boom, we had the dress!!!! I loved wearing it and how beautiful it made me feel!

 


Spill some deets that went on. We wanna hear drama.

I'm not a dramatic girl, so the drama was kept to a minimum. We had a bit of number shock when we realized we were sending out invitations to 250 people. YES, 250. Both Le Husband and I come from big families and of course EVERYONE had to be invited at the start. But, as usual, people weren't able to make it [no big deal] and the numbers weren't as crazy in the end. We were even able to invite some extra kickball friends at the end, which was so awesome. The only other drama was a exfriend that brought her wedding drama to both my bridal shower AND MY bachelorette party. #classyright. I'm all about supporting a friend, but when you're demanding attention at your friend's party your true colors become a bit obvious. Both episodes helped me realized I needed to end the friendship because it was just too much drama from one person. It was very apparent she wasn't interested in the advice people gave her [same thing EVERY-TIME she told the story], but rather enjoyed the attention she received re-telling her drama. If it you walk like drama and talk like drama, you're drama and I don't need it in my life. #peaceout

What was them most awkward thing about wedding planning?

I didn't really find anything awkward about wedding planning. I will say that having people tell you they are coming to your wedding to your face and then send an RSVP as no is kind of weird. A 40 year old coworker of mine [who was a friend at the time] told me she and her husband and kid would be there but then RSVP'd no and never responded to my inquires via our work IM system. Needless to say, we aren't friends anymore because that's just rude. Two weeks before the wedding we realized we were going to be cutting it close to the minimum so I physically called a few friends that we weren't able to invite in the beginning. I felt a little awkward since we were so close to the wedding, but everyone was so incredibly gracious that it ended up not being that awkward. My friends are quite amazing.

What was your color scheme and what made you choose it?

Even though our wedding was in a fall month, we wanted to have a brightly colored wedding. I'm obviously a pink girl, but wanted to let Le Husband have some say in the wedding color scheme. I found different pink wedding schemes on Pinterest and then asked him which combination he liked the most. He chose the bright, light green as our complementary color. We decided the rest of the colors using *this* pin and brought in some oranges and yellows, too. Le Husband is NOT a tux guy so we went with grey suits which were purchased at Men's Warehouse. As the groom's gift, Le Husband paid for half of the suits which the guys really appreciated. I loved our color combination and our florist did an amazing job with the different colors in the bouquets. The bright colors looked amazing the day of and I love how happy our pictures turned out.




If you don't mind sharing what was your budget and did you stay on track?

My parents were incredible and substantially helped us out for our wedding. They gave us a budget and anything over we had to pay for ourselves. I was under budget on my dress, right at budget on my flowers, and way under budget on our cake/cupcakes. I will admit that I DIDN'T keep track of small incidentals so I can't 100% exactly where we stood with the complete budget, but I know we were pretty close to it.

If you could do it all over again, would you do anything differently?

I don't think I would do much differently if I had to live the day over again. I think I would have tried to get more formal family pictures, but I'm not sure that would have been possible given our timeline. Instead of pictures at the church, the wedding party headed into DC to get pictures at the Jefferson Monument. Since the mall was a significant piece of how we met, we both felt it was important to have pictures taken there. Plus, the background was AMAZING!




What was your favorite thing about your wedding day?

Feeling surrounded in LOVE all day long. Seriously, from the moment I woke up I was surrounded in love. There were text messages from family, everyone was so excited getting ready in the morning and walking into the church I caught a glimpse of all our guests seated to watch us get married. I was so happy and smiling all day and I LOVED that feeling. I also loved the five minutes after the ceremony because Le Husband and I hid from everyone and had a quiet moment to ourselves. We just chatted about everyday things and just reveled in the fact we were married. Those five minutes are five of my favorite moments of the day and I highly suggest every bride does the same thing, you'll love it!

What was the most stressful thing about your wedding day?

I'm not a details person, at all.  I like planning, but all the itty, bitty details and phone calls are so not my forte. I'm good at the big picture and the big list, so I hired a wedding planner for the last two months of planning. Best decision, EVER! It was so nice NOT having to worry about ANYTHING the day off and our planners did such an amazing job. I highly, highly recommended getting a wedding planner, even just the day of the wedding.

What is the best piece of advice for future brides out there?

Enjoy E V E R Y T H I N G! Wedding planning is stressful, but it's also so much fun. I loved everything about being engaged and counted down the days till I married the man of my dreams. The week before my wedding was the best week, ever and it was so full of love and fun. Remember that your wedding isn't a performance and it really doesn't matter what anyone else thinks/wants. Your wedding and reception is about YOU and your GROOM, so remember to take the time to enjoy the special moments. Also, remember something will go wrong on your day, so handle it and move on without freaking out too much. We had a few you can read about *here* and I just rolled with them. You can also find my "Dos & Don'ts" post *here*. Remember the reason you're getting married, and how much you love your soon to be spouse.<3 p="">

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Seriously how beautiful did P!nky look at her wedding?! I looooooove her dress, looks awesome on her and the style photographed extremely well with all the monuments around! Also, she planned in 7 months?! How how how did you get everything done in that time. I'm less than 8 months out and have sooooo much still left to do!

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Don't forget, only 2 more days...
 I am teaming up with Pamela from Sequins & Sea Breezes and 20 other fab bloggers to give away a $325 Nordstrom Gift Card to
celebrate Pamela’s two year blogiversary! This giveaway is just in time for the holidays,
so you have the chance to give yourself {or someone else} a little treat for the holidays! The more ways you enter, the better your chances are! The giveaway ends on Friday, November 27th, at
midnight and the winner will be announced on Monday, November 30th. Good luck and be sure to check out all of these fabulous blogs!


Hosted By:

The Gorgeous Co-hosts:








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Now it is your turn! We would love to have you link-up with your wedding tales, planning adventures and day-of memories.


As always, we would love to have you linking up with us and sharing your wedding inspiration, stories and photos of your own! Just please remember to link back to either mine or Macy's blog in order to keep the Wedding Wednesday fun going around.
Make.Up.HER




Tuesday, November 24, 2015

Holiday Shimmer with Katie Elizabeth

Happy Tuesday friends! So you guys are gonna get a double dose of makeup tips to help keep you looking fabulous this holiday season. If you missed yesterday's post, I had Jenna from Ivy & Grace blogging about her favorite holiday makeup tips. You're in luck because I have the beautiful Katie from Katie Elizabeth Blog showing you guys how to keep it shimmery during the holiday season. I'll let her take it away...

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Hey everyone!  
I'm Katie from the Katie Elizabeth blog where I write about a variety of topics including (but not limited to!) life with my husband and Golden Retriever puppy in Michigan, my favorite recipes and my love for any and all beauty products.  I'm so excited to be here on makeupHER today!
Keeping in theme with Nikki's fabulous blog, I thought I'd share one of my personal favorite holiday beauty trends: shimmer.  This is the time of year to be glowing so I say let's break out those highlighting products!  And promise that you really don't have to spend a lot - along with a couple of my tried and true favorites, I've also included some great drugstore options.  There's definitely something for everyone!

Pictured from left to right, top to bottom:
My longtime favorite: the Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick
Physicians Formula Multi-Glow Healthy Bronzer
NYX Born to Glow Liquid Illuminator: only $5!
Watts Up by Benefit includes a highlighter on one end and a blender on the other
A recent purchase that I'm loving: Becca x Jaclyn Hill Shimmering Skin Perfecter
The highly multitasking NARS Illuminator
E.L.F. Powder Shimmer: another super low price option
Can't wait to try this L'Oreal Magic Lumi Highlighter, I've heard great things!
Huge fan of Benefit High Beam Liquid Highlighter as well
Are you big on highlighters/luminizing products?  Thanks again to Nikki for letting me take over for the day- make sure you guys come on over and say hi sometime!  :)  Happy holidays!
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Don't forget to enter the giveaway for $325 to Nordstrom hosted by Pamela at Sequins & Sea Breezes, 19 other fabulous bloggers (check them out below), and yours truly! The giveaway ends on Friday November 27th so make sure you get your entries in. Winner announced on Monday November 30th!
Good luck!!


Hosted By:

The Gorgeous Co-hosts:






Monday, November 23, 2015

Holiday Makeup Tips with Jenna

Happy Monday friends! (I only say happy because a. I'm on vacation for 2 weeks and b. it's Thanksgiving week!!) So this week I'll have some awesome guest posters who were kind enough to help me out and keep you guys fully entertained. And guys I have some incredible ladies coming your way. I could not have picked a more perfect guest poster to kick this week out with. 

Jenna over at Ivy & Grace Blog is seriously the cutest. I've been following her blog for years now and have seen her evolve. She has some awesome holiday makeup tips for you guys and she's legit because she works at my happy place Sephora, as a certified makeup artist. Enough talking from me...I'll let her take it away

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Well, hello! I'm Jenna from Ivy & Grace Blog! If you've been with Nikki from the beginning, you might recognize me from my old blog, Ramblings from Yours Truly. I graced that little corner of the internet for a few years, and then life got in the way and I let my little blog go. Now, I'm a wife, mama to my precious baby, Avery, owner of the Ivy & Grace Shop, where I hand make infant and toddler headbands, and I am also a certified Sephora makeup artist! I have a lot of roles, but I love them all! 

But the real reason for this post... MAKE UP! Who doesn't love make up? It's fun to play around, express your creativity, and it's just nice to have on those days you need a little pick me up! With the holiday's fast approaching, we will be bombarded with holiday party after holiday party, so I am here today with some tips and tricks for the perfect holiday make up look!


Nothing screams holiday like a classic red lip and winged liner. It's sophisticated, pulled together, and goes with pretty much anything. Here are the steps to the perfect look:

1. Basic, matte eyeshadow. I love the Tartelette Palette to create a basic, matte eye to pair with winged liner. It has every color you could ever need, warm and cool toned. Keep the eye basic and light, with mid-toned brown shades in the crease. Our red lip is going to be the star of the show, so you don't want a busy eye competing!

2. Wing that eyeliner! Using a liquid or gel liner is the easiest way to create a sharp wing. I swear by the Kat Von D Tattoo Liner in Trooper. It's super black, and the brush tip is fine and super easy to use.   The easiest way to get the perfect wing every time is to pretend like you have a line extending out from your lower lash line that connects to the end of your eyebrow. That is the exact angle you want your wing to be, the length and thickness is up to personal preference! I always have q-tips and eye makeup remover handy while creating my wing in case I mess up or need to sharpen my wing. Tip: Do your eye makeup first when doing a wing liner. That way, you can clean up your wing with makeup remover without messing up your foundation and concealer!

3. Flawless foundation and concealer. I find that this classic makeup look tends to look best with full-coverage, matte finish foundation and concealer, but use whatever you love! I, personally, cannot live without my Estee Lauder Double Wear Light foundation and MAC Pro Longwear Concealer. Make sure you set all of your complexion products with a translucent setting powder before moving on!

4. Bronze and Highlight! Bring some warmth to the skin with a little bit of bronzer. I love the Bobbi Brown Bronzer in Natural. It's matte, neutral in color, and gives a really natural looking color to the skin. You need to be careful with blush when it comes to a red lip, so to make sure I don't look like clown, I add a little extra bronzer to my cheeks for color. Highlight those cheekbones and any other high points of the face for a beautiful glow! I personally love any vanilla toned highlight for this particular look. I typically use the Laura Mercier Matte Radiance Baked Powder in Highlight 01. Don't let the name fool you! It's definitely not matte, but the perfect shimmering glow.

5. The red lip! The final step and the star of the show. The red lip is our statement piece, so take your time when applying and always use a lip liner! Lip liner is especially important in a red lip because it keeps your lip color from bleeding and will make your lip line look clean. If you're going to be eating a drinking the night away, consider a long-wearing liquid lipstick like Kat Von D's Outlaw. This is seriously long wearing -- no touch ups necessary! If you're not a liquid lipstick type of girl, Nars' Audacious Lipstick in the shade Rita is beautiful! Pick a true red lipstick with blue undertones, it looks good on everyone! Tip: If you are not wearing a longwear liquid lipstick, fill in your lips with a lip liner before applying your lipstick. This will act as a base for your lipstick and will extend its wear time, as well as, making sure that as your lipstick fades, you're not left with an awkward outline around your lips!

And there you have it! The perfect holiday makeup look to get you through the season! Don't forget to stop by my little corner of the internet to say hi! Happy Holiday season, everyone!

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Don't forget...
 I am teaming up with Pamela from Sequins & Sea Breezes and 20 other fab bloggers to give away a $325 Nordstrom Gift Card to
celebrate Pamela’s two year blogiversary! This giveaway is just in time for the holidays,
so you have the chance to give yourself {or someone else} a little treat for the holidays! The more ways you enter, the better your chances are! The giveaway ends on Friday, November 27th, at
midnight and the winner will be announced on Monday, November 30th. Good luck and be sure to check out all of these fabulous blogs!



Hosted By:

The Gorgeous Co-hosts: