November 1, 2016No Comments

Fall Beauty Favorites

We’ve entered November and it is so gorgeously fall outside. It’s finally dropped below 60 degrees, and I've been loving getting dressed in the morning. I love seeing the trees change color and enjoying everything pumpkin and apple. It’s the perfect prelude to my favorite season, winter, and definitely holds a special place in my heart.

When the seasons start to change, so does my makeup look. I put away my brighter pinks and nudes and start reaching for my deeper reds, berries, and burgundy shades. Most of my makeup base remains the same, although I usually transition into a slightly lighter foundation once whatever semblance of a summer tan I had fades away. The biggest changes for me are always lips, eyes, and nails.

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I love a good deep lip color in the fall. Here I'm wearing YSL Rouge Volupte in Forbidden Burgundy, a deeper berry tone. This lipstick is one of my favorites because it can start off slightly sheer but it easily be built up to match the opaque color in the bullet with an extra swipe. It’s also really moisturizing for being such a strong lip color. And the packaging is to die for. Other favorites include: Sephora’s Luster Matte Long-Wear Lip Color in Mulberry Luster, Revlon’s Super Lustrous lipstick in 740 Certainly Red, and Pat McGrath’s 004 Lipstick in Venom 1.

SHOP LIPSTICKS:

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For my eyes, I love warm golds, deeper reds and plums, and browns for the cooler temperatures. My favorite eye palette at the moments is Morphe’s Fall into Frost palette. It’s a great, affordable collection of shimmery fall tones that work really well together. The bottom row is all mattes, which really help blend everything out and create more depth in a look. I’ve also been loving shades from Tarte’s energy noir palette as well. I feel it’s always easier to get away with a more dramatic look during the day when the weather is cooler.

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My nails change color almost every week in the fall, but I always come back to a few favorites. Lately I’ve been wearing and rewearing Essie’s Smokin’ Hot, it’s a really great dark gray that leans toward purple. I also love berry colors, like Bahama Mama and O.P.I.’s The One That Got Away, and warmer reds, like Russian Roulette and O.P.I.'s Got the Mean Reds.

What are your fall beauty favorites?

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May 10, 2016No Comments

Favorite Pink Lipsticks for Spring

Lipstick is probably my favorite makeup product. It has more options for formula, color, and finish than almost anything else I put on my face. I love the way it can change the mood of my look and really add to my entire outfit. While I tend to lean toward the darker end of the spectrum during the fall and winter months, my spring lipstick choices are much lighter. I like to do a "face refresh" for the season and switch things up, and these are the colors I've found myself reaching for over and over.

I've been trying to figure out a way to show you these pink lipsticks without this post just being a bunch of selfies, and well...it's a bunch of selfies. But I think it's the best way to show the true color of the lipsticks, rather than just a swatch on my hand or arm. Let me know what you think!

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Favorite Pink Lipsticks for Spring | Alexandra Adams

Hibiscus Pop by Maybelline
I absolutely love this pink; I wear it all the time! It's the perfect shade to add color to my lips without overpowering the rest of my face. It just brightens everything up and goes with everything from jeans and a white tee to a flirty sundress.

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Favorite Pink Lipsticks for Spring | Alexandra Adams

Showy Flamboyante by Revlon
I love how bright this pink is. It's dramatic, yet not so loud that it distracts from anything else I'm wearing. It's a great choice for a bold lip for spring, because it's not as dark as many of the colors I lean toward during the cooler months. One thing that pleasantly surprises me every time I put this lipstick on is its minty flavor. It's a definite refresher.

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Favorite Pink Lipsticks for Spring | Alexandra Adams

Lovesick by Kat Von D
If you don't already know how incredible Kat Von D's liquid lipsticks are, then where have you been? The formula for these is incredible. This lipstick is incredibly long lasting, which is great because it's so lightweight it's easy to forget I'm even wearing anything. It dries quickly and then it's on for good. This color is maybe a touch dark for spring, but that hasn't stopped me so far. I'm just waiting for my Sephora to get more colors in stock!

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Favorite Pink Lipsticks for Spring | Alexandra Adams

Petal Plush by Maybelline
This gloss is subtle and fresh, a great combination for the springtime. It's also the perfect color to pair with a smoky eye for a night out.

 

Favorite Pink Lipsticks for Spring |

Favorite Pink Lipsticks for Spring | Alexandra Adams

I'm Blushing by Maybelline
I just picked this up on a whim one day, and I'm so glad I did. I love this shade of pink, and it's so easy to apply. It comes with a smudger on the opposite end, which helps blend it into another shade if you're combining them. I haven't used it yet, but I love the option to create more custom lip colors.

 

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Favorite Pink Lipsticks for Spring | Alexandra Adams

What are your go-to pink lipsticks for spring?

February 10, 2016No Comments

Wrap Around Dutch Braid Tutorial

I am so excited I've finally nailed this braid, you guys. I've been doing it for a while, but it's always proven kind of tricky for me, so I've hesitated on making a tutorial for it until I was comfortable with all the switching hands. And now that I've mastered it, I know you won't have any trouble either!

Wrap Around Dutch Braid Tutorial | X Height Ment

Watch the video below for the tutorial!

Wrap Around Dutch Braid Tutorial | X Height Ment

I love that this braid looks good from any angle, since it wraps all the way around the head. Let me know if you try this tutorial, and tag me on instagram @xheightment so I can see! Do you have any other hair tutorials you'd like to see?

Wrap Around Dutch Braid Tutorial | X Height Ment

PS. Check out my last hair tutorial!

February 3, 201612 Comments

Pink and Red Valentine Manicure

By this point, you guys must know how much I love Valentine's Day. I don't always wear a ton of pink and red (although I'm slowly incorporating more of it into my wardrobe), but I'm always up for wearing it on my nails! This manicure is so cute for the holiday or for every day. You just need red and pink nail polish, and some sort of tape to do the color blocking.

Valentine's Day Manicure

Valentine's Day Manicure

  • Paint your nails with a base coat for to keep them from staining. Y'all already know this base coat is one of my favorites.
  • Then paint on your red polish and let it dry.
  • Tape off the tips of your nails—I'm using these white tip guides meant for making french manicures to make it super easy. If you have a steady hand, you can do this part without the tape.
  • Paint the tips in a light pink. When the paint is mostly dry, peel off the tape and wait for the pink to finish setting before polishing the whole thing off with a clear coat!

Valentine's Day Manicure

Valentine's Day Manicure

The best thing about this manicure is that it's more subtle than painting a heart on your nails, but it still matches pretty much everything related to the holiday—so you'll want to pick up everything red and pink you can find!

Valentine's Day Manicure

Valentine's Day Manicure

You can totally switch up the colors and do pink with red tips too. Tag me in pictures of your manicures on instagram @xheightment!

Valentine's Day Manicure

December 7, 20151 Comment

Holiday Beauty

The holiday season is a great time to try something new with your makeup. This sparkly time of year allows for bold lips and bright eyeshadows, and the party scene is the perfect place to test the waters.

The two looks I'm showing you today are perfect opposites–one plays up the lips, and the other focuses on dramatic eyes.

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For this look, I start out with my normal primer and foundation. Add some bright white/silver eyeshadow all over the lid, and line the top lid with a heavy, dramatic wing.

 

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Add blush and highlighter, and finish with a bold lip. I'm using Maybelline's Red Revolution–it's the perfect Christmas red!

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NARS Sheer Glow Foundation | Urban Decay Naked Flushed Blush and Highlighter | Lorac The Royals Eyeshadow CollectionLorac Front of the Line Pro Liquid Eyeliner | Maybelline Color Sensational Lipcolor in Red Revolution

For the second look, I keep the foundation and blush the same.

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To get the smoky eye, layer a few dark gray eye shadows in the crease and outer corner of the lid. Sweep a little of the gray under the eye–don't be scared! It's intimidating, because you definitely don't want to look like a raccoon or a panda bear, but adding a little of the gray underneath really helps blend out the eyeshadow and prevents it from having a sharp line. Then add black on the outer half of the lid, and a lighter silver on the inner half. Blend it all out with a fluffy brush, and add a little white to the inner corners to brighten them up.

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Add a pink or a nude lip to balance out the drama of the eyes. And don't forget the mascara!

NARS Sheer Glow Foundation | Urban Decay Naked Flushed Blush and Highlighter |Urban Decay NAKED 2 Eyeshadow Palette | Lorac Front of the Line Pro Liquid EyelinerSephora Luster Matte Long-Wear Lipcolor in Petal

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Are you planning on trying out either of these looks this holiday season? Let me know if you'd be interested in a more detailed tutorial in the future!
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Two Makeup Looks for Holiday Parties | Alexandra Adams
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