Floral Headband DIY and Mini-Makeup Haul

 Hey guys :)
I am soo excited for next week because I am going to Orlando!!!! No I will not be going to see Mickey or Goofy (sad face) but I will be seeing Beto. For those of you who are not Zumba lunatics (like me), Beto is the creator of Zumba. Every year there is a Zumba convention in Orlando, and other countries around the world. Well since I live in this country (U.S) I will be going to Florida ha ha. At the convention I will pretty much be booty-shaking 24/7 in classes. But there is also a concert, and a party. The theme of the party changes annually, and this year the theme is Midsummer's Night Dream. So people are encouraged to dress up as elves, nymphs, goddesses, and pretty much any other mystical creature.

My mom and I decided we are going to be fairies. I am going to wear a floral dress that I have that is very pixie-like. And my mom is going to wear a corset and tutu that she got at Hot Topic. She's gonna be a bad ass fairy lol. So, now that we are going to be fairies, first things first, the makeup. Yesterday I went to Sephora (on my day off ha ha) to get some makeup for the festivities and for myself. I got a new foundation and primer from Makeup Forever. The foundation is crazzzzzyyyyy good. I also got a purple eyeliner from them. You know how I love purple :) And last, but not least, the Makeup Forever Flash Palette.

I am so excited about this! I have wanted this since I was a freshmen in high school watching Kandee Johnson on Youtube. The Flash Palette is pretty much Jesus in makeup form. It is cream based colors that are invincible. They can be used anywhere too. The body, the face, the eyes, the lips. The creator of Makeup Forever was actually a painter, and even specialized in elaborate body painting, so she really transfers that into her brand. And for that, I love her! Thanks Dany :) So, I'm broke from all of my expenses, but I don't care because I am happy.

DIY Alert

Since this party will only be for one day, and we might be too damn tired to even stay there, my mom and I decided not to spend a million dollars on a fairy costume. Hence, the floral dress I am wearing. In a previous post I talked about the trend of floral print in fashion, and this dress is another example of that. So yesterday we went to A.C Moore to find things to make our own flower headbands. Now ours are totally ridiculous and extreme because it is for a costume, but regular flower head bands are super in right now.

Cute huh? So just use smaller flowers for yours, or not as many. Let's get started.

What you need:

• Scissors
• Ribbon (we chose brown)
• Felt
• Fake flowers
• Hot glue gun
• A lot of spare time!

First, measure the ribbon around your head. Leave some slack just in case. Cut the ribbon and lay it on a flat surface. 

Cut felt into little squares, the same size of the ribbon so it won't show.

For the flowers you will have to take out the stems from the base or else it will not stick. This is really easy, and awesome if you are angry! Ha ha. First you have to pull the flower of the stem. Take out the backing of the flower. And pull the stem that is remaining out of the middle of the flower. This is really easy to pull out. 

Each layer of the flower is going to come apart, but this is okay because then you can layer the petals however you want and make your own damn flower lol. So if a flower was all pink, but you wanted it to have some purple, you can now stack each layer on top of the other. 

Now to get the layout of how the flowers will fall, I just arranged them without glue first. Stack as much as you want until you are satisfied. Like so:

Then turn the flowers up side down, so that you can glue them together from the bottom up. This will ensure that you will get the same flower you planned out.

Turn your hot glue gun on. Once is is heated (takes about 3-5 minutes), glue a small amount on a piece of felt. 

Them glue on your first piece of flower. Keep gluing each layer, until your flower is done. 

Squeeze a small amount of glue on the spot on the ribbon that you want the flower to be. And place the felt on top. The reason I didn't glue the flower directly onto the ribbon is because the felt will hold onto the flower more securely. Hold for a couple seconds. Keep on doing this for all of the flowers, until the headband is completed to your heart's desire. 

And boom!

Yes I may look crazy, but with the whole outfit, I think it will all come together :) Now remember this is for my costume, so I will be adding little tendrils down the back to look more fairy-like. I decided not to show that part, because I wanted to show you something that people actually wear with normal outfits ha ha. I think I will be making more of these in the future. They are really fun to make actually, and the more you do it, the easier it gets. By the time I got to creating my second flower I was demolishing and rebuilding flowers like a pro. It really gets the creative juices flowing also. I was doing it with my mom too, so its something you can bond over. So, do it with friends or family as a cool activity that everyone can enjoy. If you are a mom with a little girl who thinks she is a fairy princess, or a teen who likes this new trend, try this out with them :) 

Hope you all enjoyed! If you try this feel free to send me pictures on my Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter. All are with the names NGMthatface :) I would love to see your creations!

Love you guys!

Nicole xo.

Oh and P.S if you follow me on Instagram then you know about my new look. If you don't though, here it is :) 

I am in love with my Mohawk! What do you guys think?! Okay now it is really bye ha ha. Have a wonderful night! 

July 2013 Favorites | Makeup, Skincare, and More

Hello beautiful people! It is ya girl, Nicole, all up in yo face! How is everyone doing today?

This weekend was jam packed for me. On Saturday I went with my family to the tattoo convention in New Jersey.

Me and momma bear!

My family loves tattoos. My dad is almost covered in them. My mom has her fair share of them, and my sister, Sam, had like 5 by the time she was 20. My other sister, Erica can't seem to stop getting them. She is crazy. Love you, E! As for me I only have two, but I want more. I'm just thinking up my next one ;)

The convention was also right on a boardwalk so we got to enjoy some of the beauty. 

Then on Sunday I went with my mom and Sam to a Zumba party in Chelsea Pier. 

It was a fundraiser for HIV/AIDS. It was really fun because we took some Zumba friends along. Plus 90 minutes of Zumba is pretty much the best thing ever. I was exhausted by the end of the weekend though because I also took a Zumba class in the morning. I'm a little crazy too I guess ha ha. 

Onto the favorites! July is coming to an end so I thought it would be cool to show you guys what I have been loving. I will talk about the products in the picture from left to right. Lets get started! 

Face: 

Givenchy Mister Light Concealer and YSL Touché Éclat Highlighting Pen- I have one word for these works of God. Yes! I have been using them like crazy because they highlight and conceal all the redness and darkness on my skin. They never look cakey and feel nice and light. 

Givenchy Gold Primer- Like my sample jar? Ha ha. I took a sample of this because I wanted to see if it really does take away oil while still adding radiance. And girl, yes it does. This primer has flecks of gold in it, which is what gives it that ability. 

Josie Maran Matchmaker Foundation- Yes, another sample jar. I don't know about you, but I break out sometimes when I try new foundations, so I took a sample. I love it so far. It gives awesome coverage while feeling light. One of my coworkers actually came into work when I was wearing it and was like, "Oh my god! Your skin looks amazing." So yeah I will most likely be buying this. 

Milani Baked Blush in Luminoso- Go to my CVS Haul post to read my proclamation of love for this amazing-ness. 

Eyes:

Makeup Forever Smokey Extravagant Mascara- In a previous post I said that I did not like the wand of the mascara and still preferred my Urban Decay one. Well I retract that statement. I still love my urban, but this mascara is the shit amazing (gotta keep it P-G) ha ha. My lashes look fake and perfectly fanned out. They actually show through my eyeliner. BOOM!

Kay Von D Tattoo Liner in Trooper- This little guy has popped up on the blog before, but if you follow me on Instagram then you know I have feeling the cat eye a lot this month. 

Stila purple liner- Thanks to my previous post  we all know that purple liner is a way to make brown eyes pop. I also find that when I am in a rush adding some color makes it look like a tried super hard ha ha. 

Maybeline Great Lash Clear- This was featured in my eyebrow post and has been a real life saver for my brows and keeping the pencil from fading away.

Skincare:

Fresh Lotus Eye Gel- My eyes have been brighter over the last couple of days :) I'm excited. 

Fresh Umbrian Clay Oil Free Lotion- It leaves my skin feeling moisturized without being weighed down. 

Korres Wild Rose Cleanser- It has lite exfoliating beads that do wonders on the oil that builds up during the day. Wild rose is also packed with vitamin C and my face looks so much more glowing and bright lately. 

Lips: 

Revlon Just Bitten Lip Balm in Rendezvous- My go to coral with staying power! 

Revlon Lip gloss in Bellini, Revlon Lipstick Pink in the Afternoon, and L'Oreal Lipstick Unending Nude- The best nudes and pinks ever! Again, go to the CVS post to read my reviews on them :) 

Random: 

Sabra Roasted Garlic Hummus- It is delicious with baby carrots and sliced peppers. 

Goji Berries- Super food. Super nutritional. Taste like candy. Pretty much a win all the round :) I love putting them on my oatmeal or on some yogurt. Yummers!

Nails:

Essie Nail Polish in Mint Candy Apple

Tart Deco

and Go Ginza.

Pastel nails are very 'in' for the summer time since they look so stunning on tan skin. So long, bright neon nails! I have been wearing them all month long :) These are my favorite colors.

Tattoos. Love them or hate them?

Zumba. Love it or hate it? Oh wait. That's a silly question ;)

Well that is pretty much it for this post. Let me know in the comments if you try or have tried any of these things! Love y'all.

 'Till next time...

Nicole xo.

CVS Haul

Hello, lovely people!

I am very excited to share with you what I got a CVS yesterday. 

Not only do I blog, but I read other blogs. I have seen these products mentioned over and over again on these other blogs and have always made a note to get them. Well yesterday I decided it was the day to go to CVS and get them all at once, and then become broke! Yes, broke I tell you. Did you know you can spend $72 dollars at a drug store? Me either. When I told Tito (my sister's boyfriend) the amount I spent, he almost had a coronary. He's a banker so money means something to him lol

I know you're thinking, Girl you work at a makeup store. What are you doing at CVS? Well I was off yesterday and CVS is much closer. And as I've said I have heard wonderful things about these products, and seen their magic on Youtube. Plus, I'm not snotty when it comes to brands and wanted to try something new. Learn from my mistakes though, guys. Don't buy everything at once like a looney-toon. 

Moving on... here are the culprits :)

 Revlon Lip gloss in Bellini

 From left to right:

Revlon Lipstick in 'Pink in the Afternoon'

L'Oreal Lipstick in 'Endless Kiss'

Maybeline Clear Great Lash Mascara

L'Oreal True Match Powder in W7

Milani Baked Blush in 'Luminoso'

First of all, these products were all 100% worth it. I don't care if it cost an arm and a leg. For not high-end brands they do the job.

A lot of people have trouble finding the perfect red, hot pink, or even dark berries for their lips. These have never been a problem for me. Nudes and light pinks, on the other hand, have been my kryptonite. They are either too light and wash me out, or are too baby pink and look like I'm a six year old wearing her mothers lipstick. But, I swear these two lipsticks on the left are perfection. 'Pink in the Afternoon' is more of a natural looking pink, but they amplify the natural color of my lips, which is something I have been looking for since forever. 'Endless Kiss' is a little less pinky. It has a cooler undertone, making it appear more clear on my lips. It is awesome if you want to play up the eyes a bit more and dumb the lips down. And when I put 'Bellini' on top of both of them... giiiiirrllllllll! It is the perfect nude. Think Kim Kardashian or Jennifer Lopez. You will look so tan and sexified. And I love it on its own too. It doesn't wash me out and has the perfect amount of shimmer. I see a lot of pool and beach days with my buddy, Bellini.

I got the clear mascara not for my lashes. What?! That's right. I got it as a setting gel for my eyebrows. I did them today with this stuff and it makes the biggest difference. My eye brows stay just as dark as they were when I first filled them in this morning, and make them look cleaner. Get this stuff. It is hashtag awesome.

Look at my brows, girl!

Shout out to my girl, Audrey on my shirt :)

The face powder I actually got a shade or two darker than my skin tone. Why, you ask? Well, I wanted something more matte and in a neutral tone to make my contour more natural looking. Bronzers are good, but I felt like it was just too warm for me. A more skin-tone color will look like its your face and not a bronzer you put there. Don't get me wrong I still dusted bronzer on the same places, but it was just to get that golden affect, not to be used as my sole contouring tool. 

Now, ladies and gentlemen I would like to take a special moment to talk about the blessing that is this blush. I mean, look at it!

Ooooo, aaaaahhh...

See how it is all cracked looking? Well in those cracks there are hints and flecks of gold, peach, and shimmer. I put it on and my cheeks don't look like I have a flat color of pink. My cheeks look real and like a healthy pink glow. The peach undertone to it is also very flattering. It adds some spice. The luminous shimmer in it also gives you that dewy, youthful look that we all long for. This stuff is crazy. Its on crack! (get it? 'cause it has cracks in it). Okay, I'm done ha ha.

So yeah. If you are in need of a new lipstick for everyday, want to get a peachy glow, or just want something new, go to and check these out. Get one thing, or be crazy like me and get it all. 

I hope this helped anyone who is looking for new goodies :)

Have you tried any of these products?

What lip colors give you the toughest time?

Have you ever spent a crazy amount of money in a drug store? Ha ha.

Let me know in the comments below. Don't worry, I won't judge you ;)

Have a wonderful night and weekend, everyone!

-Nicole xo.

Crappy Days and Super Bag Review #1

When I woke up this morning the sun was completely gone. 

It was so cloudy and muggy out, and it totally killed my mood. Not even my morning workout helped to get me out of my funk. Then I thought that it was such a waste of time being negative. So I hopped into the shower and decided to take one of those nice, long, relaxing showers. Those always make me feel better, and this was no exception. Then when I was doing my makeup for work I was sweating bullets because of the humidity. So I opted for a simple look, because it is too hot and ain't nobody got time for that! To further keep my spirits up I did a really bright red lip. You know how I love my red lip, girl!

Hi there! :)

 Plus, I wanted to get a blog up earlier today since last night I did it so late. Sorry about that guys. And since I'm feeling a little crappy, blogging to you guys makes me feel so much better. I really love you guys :)

Super Bag Review Time!

I don't know if many of you remember that humongo (yes this is a word. My word) bag I got from my "Super Bag!" post, but since then I have tried out quite a few things. Some of them were complete hits, and none were complete bombs. Although some were a mix of both. Keep in mind that this is just how the products worked for me. They may very well be different for you. With that said, let's get started...

I tried six items so far:

-Bumble and Bumble Surf shampoo and conditioner.

-Jack Black's Beard Lube (its not what you think ha ha)

-Nude cleanser, oil, and moisturizer.

-Punker liquid eyeliner.

-Benefit Porefessional Primer.

-Benefit They're Real mascara.

Cons: None!
Pros: It smells heavenly. It just has this very clean, beach-y scent. Now you might be all Hold up, girl!      You have no hair. Well, that is true, but my hair (what's left of it, anyway) felt really soft afterward and even looked shinier.

Cons: None whatsoever!
Pros: This is fragrance free. However, as you can see it has eucalyptus in it, so the minty scent is purely from that. Nothing is added to make it smell like that. I used this today in the shower actually while shaving my legs. See, Jack Black is a company marketed towards men, but women can use it too. Even their skin care can be used on women. The cream also is not foamy like a lot of the girly shaving creams and does not burn. Finally! And ladies, we tend to be extra sensitive in our underarm and bikini area, right?. Well this is perfect because this lube works to make the hair less thick as it grows back and easier to shave, leading to less irritation and razor bumps. I'm not going to go into much detail, but everything was smooth at the end of my shower. And for any guys reading this, this works wonders on your face as well. Imagine having no more razor bumps on your neck. Win! And it has a pre-shave and after shave built in, so you don't need a mess of things to do to your face. Fast and easy.

Cons: I did not care much for the cleansing oil. It kinda felt like it sat on top of my skin even after I rinsed it off.
Pros: However, I did like how I could use the cleansing oil around my eye area. It did not burn and it took almost all my eye makeup off. The oil and moisturizer were divine. They smelled really good too, I just can't pinpoint the scent. Plus, everything is infused with Omega 3,6,7 and 9. All are essential fatty acids that our body needs and are amazing for the skin.

Cons: The applicator is a little thicker than I was used to and so it was a little challenging to make a wing.
Pros: It has a rich black color and lasts all day. It is perfect for more dramatic thick liner looks, or your basic top liner line. Also, it is more compact than your everyday liner, so its ideal for travel or carrying it in your purse.

Cons: Absolutely nothing!
Pros: This is my first time using this stuff. And this is the 'you know what' (four letter word, starts with an 's' ends with a 't'). It is super smooth and not heavy on the face. And it really gets rid of my pores. I wore it yesterday for the first time and am wearing it today, and my makeup is lasting through the sweatiness of today. Amazing stuff! Go get it, seriously ha ha.

Cons: I wish it was more black, but...

Pros: ... it actually makes me look like I have lashes, so I'm a happy camper :). This thing is unbelievably clump free and separates my lashes. I like the spiked tip too, so that I was get the roots of my lashes and the outer corners for that wispy look. Despite the less-blackness, its a winner!

And that concludes the review and this post! I hope you all have a lovely day. I have a feeling mine is gonna turn around. I already feel better talking to you guys. 

Oh, and if you guys have not read my "Super Bag!" post, and are curious about it just go to the blog archive. All my other posts are there too incase you missed any.

What do you do to turn a bad day into a good one?

I hope you found this helpful!

Love always,

Nicole xo.

Super Bag!

Now that should brighten up your Friday, no?

You're welcome ladies :)

Last night was my parents' anniversary and they invited me to see the new Superman with them. With Henry Cavill (aka my new love) as the Man of Steel, how could I resist? I mean look at him. 

In action.

If only there were guys like this in real life. I have this theory that actors aren't real. They are just made out of the pixels in our television screens. Don't you think so, too? 

Even when he makes ridiculous faces he is still beautiful. And he is from the UK, so his accent makes him like ten times hotter. Thank you Great Britain! I must make a note to visit that great country later in life :) 

In all seriousness though, the movie was really good. He did a good job at portraying the alien we know and love. And they made Lois Lane totally badass. A must see in my humble opinion. 

I also have to be honest that I was a fan of Mister Red and Blue before this Henry guy (sorry, Henry). I used to watch the one with Christopher Reeves all the time. He was my favorite super hero actually.

Okay, okay. I'm done now. We may now go on to our normal scheduled blogging...

As you know, I work at Sephora. Every week we have representatives come in from the different brands. They are makeup artists as well, that from from Urban Decay, Makeup Forever, Nars, etc. And if you are working a day a rep comes in you get trained on new product. When you get the training then you are given the product to sample out. I know, I have such a hard life :). Well yesterday I got this HUGE bag full of new stuff that I cannot wait to share with you...

Super Bag! (Get it? Because I was talking about Superman before. I know I'm funny.)

I have never gotten a bag this big before, but I've been working more this month and was able to be there for more trainings. Wanna see what I got?

Here it is (from left to right):

-Benefit's Porefessional Primer, and Stay Don't Stray eyeshadow primer. I also got a regular face primer from them.

-Urban Decay's Eyeshadow Primer Potion (like I don't have that one already).

-Jack Black's Moisturizer and Beard Lube. Beard lube is basically a shaving cream meant for a man's face, but it can be used on the legs as well.

-Cover FX Mattifying Face Primer

-Benefit's They're Real mascara.

-Makeup Forever Mascara

-Urban Decay eye shadow palette

- Lipgloss and green liquid liner from Stila

-Cleansing Oil, Moisturizer, and Face oil from NUDE

-Bumble&Bumble Shampoo and Conditioner. 

-Shampoo and Conditioner from Caviar

I am so excited to try this all out. Rest assured that you will be hearing about it all :)

Oh, and for other updates in my life. I made employee of the month guys! 

Yeah, I'm a pretty big deal :)

I've never made employee of the month before, so I was pretty excited. I'm a dork I know, but it's cool when hard work pays off. And since I got this prize I will also be getting a yoga mat. Like, what? I love yoga, so yay me.

One more thing...

At Sephora we also do 'Fun Face Weekend' and this weekend the theme is 1920's Flapper. I was a flapper for Halloween two years ago, and am obsessed with flappers so I was so excited for this. Here's a look at the flapper look I attempted today

 Baby Vamp

And one in Black and White. Gotta make it historically correct :)

I have to do a 1920's look tomorrow, too. So I will be showing that to you as well. I think I will even do separate blogs on how to achieve the two looks. I think it is stunning, and though it might be too much for summer on those hot days, you can bust out your flapper skills come winter and fall :) I'm looking forward to those posts.

So, tell me...

Who was your favorite super hero?

What is your favorite makeup era?

Do you think Henry Cavill is the hottest thing ever?

Wait don't answer that. It was a stupid question. I already know the answer :)

(If he ever reads this he would think I'm a total creeper) I'm not, Henry. Promise.

Cheerio! (Get it? 'Cause he's British. Damn, look at me being clever again (;)

Nicole xo.