Beauty Favorites: Maybelline

~ its Makeup Monday and we're starting a new series of beauty favorites, sharing our most loved products used on ourselves and in our kits from our favorites brands. first up: Maybelline. #bornwithit has always been a recognizable slogan. the no frills and gimmicks makeup line has maintained it's success throughout the years by being affordable and appealing on a variety of trends, whether fresh off the runway {Maybelline sponsors Toronto Fashion Week} or simply by carrying products that help maintain a flawless looking face. with celebrity makeup artist Grace Lee at the helm, showcasing the adaptability of Maybelline products, the brand has comes become a staple in makeup bags and kits everywhere ~

~ Baby Lips has long been a favorite of makeup artists and models alike, with an array of styles  {dr.rescue, crystal, electro} and shades to give just a hint of color while providing a balm like texture with ingredients such as honey and shea butter. grab your favorite Baby Lips style at your local Shoppers Drug Mart or London Drugs 

~ Color Sensational Lip Color is THE lip product when you want bold color with a full shine! the pure pigment in this statement lip product along with the moisturizing power of honey nectar, lanolin and castor oil make it a favorite when looking to make an elegant lip statement

~ with matte lips being such an in demand texture both on  and off the runway, these Bold Matte Color Sensational lipsticks are perfect when you want bold color with a no slip, long wearing finish.  with 20 shades to choose from and 3 essential oils {honey, sesame seed oil and kaolin} blended in with pure pigments you're sure to find the perfect color

~ next up is 24hr Color Tattoo Cream Gel Shadow, an absolute staple in many artists kit for their long wearing texture both as a shadow and as a base for shadow.  this line comes in several textures now, such as 24 HR Color Tattoo Leather Shadow {a matte finish} 24HR Color Tattoo Metal {a metallic or frost texture} and a variety of gorgeous shades. wear them alone as shadow for a natural but long wearing look, or under shadow as a base to intensify color and or shine! 

~ Fit Me! Concealer {and the entire Fit Me! line of products} has had such success since it's launch due in part to it's variety of shades {6, most drugstore brands have less} and realistic undertones.  this concealer contains no oils or waxes, and with it's liquid texture it's lightweight and gives a natural matte finish.  check out the other much loved and awarded Fit Me! products in the line: Fit Me! Foundation, Fit Me! Pressed Powder, Fit Me! Blush and Fit Me! Bronzer 

~ even if you don't currently own any Maybelline products {we hope that changes after this post!}, chances are you started out with one of their cult mascaras. Colossal Volume Mascara in Black is one of our absolute favorites for full, thick lashes! delivering 9x the volume of their regular mascara (with collagen formula) it will take those tiny lashes to the extreme.  we recommend at least 2-3 coats per eye to start volumizing, but you can coat your lashes until you get your desired result. this formula comes in washable, waterproof and 3 different shades but we will always recommend the classic black!

~ Great Lash Mascara is THE cult classic mascara {40 years of popularity don't lie} and the first one most beginning makeup artists check out.  this mascara is a great choice for natural looking lashes and now comes in several different brush styles as well as waterproof

~ Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser is one of those amazing products that can give you the results of a more expensive one {think Benefit Porefessional, Clinique Pore Minimizer}, and we LOVE that. beloved for it's skin smoothing, pore erasing and oil absorbing results, dab a small amount anywhere you want to control oil or erase pores. we also love it around the outside of the lip line if your lipstick has a tendency to bleed into any fine lines

~ that rounds up our Maybelline Favorites for #MakeupMonday! stay tuned for next week's brand favorite must haves, and stay fabulous
xoxo

Easter Cake

~ happy Easter lovelies! we hope you are enjoying your long weekend with your loved ones! keeping with the theme of deliciousness over Easter, we'd like to share with you a very easy lightly lime flavored cake and strawberry butter cream frosting recipe topped with toasted coconut and mini eggs made by Oz ~

Strawberry Butter Cream

~ 2 sticks butter {softened to room temperature}

~ 3 1/2 cups icing sugar

~ pinch of sea salt

~ a splash of vanilla {1/2 ~ 1 tsp}

~ 3 tbsp pureed fresh strawberries

 {approximately 1/2 cup strawberries ~ will depend on size}

1. beat butter in stand mixer until soft and fluffy {the longer you beat, the creamier your frosting will be. be sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl every once in a while}

2. add the icing sugar in increments, mixing well and scraping until soft and fluffy

3. add salt and vanilla, mix a few times

4. add strawberry puree and combine well so icing looks light pink

Cake

~ truthfully, the cake is just a plain white cake that i flavored mildly with :

the juice of 1/2 lime

lime zest {one lime}

1. i scooped out equal measurements using a 1 cup measuring cup to pour into two 9x9 non-stick round cake pans so they'd come out looking pretty similar and even

2. i'm not too fancy yet when it comes to cake slicing so i just sliced off the round dome-like top of the base cake piece with a bread knife to try flatten it some before icing it

3. i found that using a small offset spatula was easier for me to try and ice this as a 'naked' cake. since i made this for my family {they don't love icing so i used as little as i could while still making this look pretty}

4. i topped the cake with toasted coconut and then played around with some mini eggs for a cute Easter looking presentation

* hope you enjoy

*

xoxo

Happy April!!

~ happy April 1st!! we aren't ones to play april fools jokes but april still brings with it the promise of sunshine, tulips and mini eggs so that makes us happy campers. we're excited about a few Easter recipes we will be sharing over the weekend, including a delectable cake recipe from Butter! have a wonderful long weekend with your families and we hope the Easter bunny gives you all the mini eggs your heart desires ~ 

creating the prettiest office

~ many of the blogs we read here at Sbd HQ {glitter guide, the everygirl, steph sterjovski, lauren conrad, to name a few} all post about creating an office space that makes you happy and allows you to be the creative self you envision. surrounding yourself with office decor that is just too pretty to handle only makes you want to work at your desk all day. i'm slowly putting together an office space that allows me to do my blogging and writing in an environment that strengthens my creativity. i'm obsessed with all things polka dot and thankfully for me {not so much for my wallet} kate spade sells polka dots galore. i'll share bits and pieces of my office space as i'm building it but i couldn't resist sharing this polka dot prettiness ~

xoxo

StylexBeauty Dept

Oz

#HAPPYDANCE

~our blog is finally up and ready to go again...its been a summer of frustrations, our web designer, Souli, can attest. who knew we'd get hacked so badly that our blog would get shut down? live and learn. we're on a new platform with a bit of revamped design and we can't wait to share our love of everything pretty with you all again! a big thank you to you all for your constant support and patience during this quiet summer. looking forward to our favorite season {fall} and all the goodness it brings~

xoxo
SBDgirls
Oz & Tarah