THIS is my mothers day present

it's mothers day, and all i asked for was the time to sit down and write this blog post. no joke. that's my present. mostly because i took these pictures the day before we left on our cruise last week (that post is coming next) and so i spent all last week getting excited to write it all down and share the good news with you guys!

i LOVE a good before and after picture. but, because of my knowledge in editing and Photoshop from taking classes on it in college for years, i am very critical. if i see one thing out of place, i basically discredit the entire product review. so... with that said, let me give you a few disclaimers: no, i did not edit these pictures. but... a few things have changed between the before and after picture -besides my makeup- mostly the lighting in the room from my living room window was changing because instead of this routine taking me about 15 minutes like usual, it took me over an hour to finish because i had to take all the pictures with my tripod and remote as i went. so... the sun was starting to set as i finished. also, if you notice, my hair looks a bit darker in the second picture, that's just because i brushed out my curls right before i took the before picture, so they look lighter and fluffier. in the after picture, those curls had settled. i tried my hardest to stay in the same pose, with the same expression for all of the pictures. my sister says i look angry, but i promise i'm not, apparently this is just the face that's easiest for me to replicate picture, after picture, after picture.

now that we've got that covered, let's get onto what i did in order to evoke this transformation!

i skipped all of the moisturizers and primers and just started right in with the new bareMinerals bareSkin pure brightening foundation serum. you guys, this stuff is a dream. today i am wearing the shade "07 bare natural", it is a little darker than my natural skin color but that is on purpose since i have fake tan on my neck and body for the summer. (the fake tan i use is st tropez) i haven't even touched any other foundation since first trying this. it goes on so smoothly, and looks so natural that it even has my husbands seal of approval. he loves that it doesn't look cakey even from his up close view. he is a man that openly admits that he would rather see me in jeans and a tee shirt, with no makeup on and my hair in a ponytail. (sooooo not my style) so his approval is a big deal! i would highly recommend getting their foundation brush as well, it works perfectly when paired with their new serum. the "well" in the center of the brush makes the application of this product so easy and smooth. to apply this product, you just shake the container to mix, and start by dropping two drops into the well of the brush, buff in circular motions starting in the center of your face, or where you feel you need most coverage, and add more product a few drops at a time until you achieve your desired coverage. 1-2 drops is light coverage 3-4 drops is medium coverage and 5-6 drops is full coverage. i use 6 drops because i am slightly changing the color of my face to match my tan. if i was using a lighter color i am sure i would feel like i had enough coverage with three drops. also, some have asked if i use a powder to set the foundation... no, i do not. only because i haven't felt the need for it. the foundation dries pretty matte and i have normal to dry skin. if you have oily skin i would recommend setting this foundation with bareMinerals mineral veil. or, if you found that this product didn't stay all day like you wished, try using the powder to see if it helps. i have had absolutely no complaints about this product and so i haven't tried changing anything.

 ^^gotta love that my camera remote got it's 10 seconds of fame in this shot.

next i added some blush and bronzer. using bareMinerals bronzer in "warmth" and their buffing brush i created a subtle line in the hollows of my cheek from my ear to the center of my cheek and along my hairline. next i apply their blush in "beauty". using their flawless application face brush directly to the apples of my cheek and sweeping upward towards my temples.

 next i pencil in my eyebrows. i use anastasia's brow wiz skinny brow pencil in brunette. i love it because it is so easy to use. i have heard good things about the bareMinerals eyebrow pencil, but until i run out of this anastasia stuff, i feel no need to try anything else. i apply this with soft hairlike strokes along my eyebrow and use the spooley brush on the other end of the pencil to soften and blend any harsh lines. after filling in my brows, i highlight my brow bone underneath my brows and the inner corner of my eye with the anastasia brow duality chubby pencil in "camille sand". i have also used the bareMinerals eyeshadow color in "snow" to achieve this same highlighting effect in matte.

 next i do my eyeshadow. this vary's from day to day, i love to change up my eyeshadow looks depending on what activity i am going to do that day, or what i am wearing. today because i am going for a more natural look, i used my naked palette colors "naked" and "buck" in my crease to create some definition and draw attention to my eyes without the use of shimmer.

next i put on eyeliner using a light hand so that it is not too dark or too thick and one coat of mascara using bareMinerals lash domination. if i am going for a natural look i do only one coat on the top lashes, and if i want to show off the length of my lashes i do 2-3 coats. letting my mascara dry completely between coats and one coat on the lower lashes to balance out the eye.

lastly, i put on some lipgloss. the moxie lipglosses are by far my favorite lipgloss. i currently own 6 of their colors, -it's become quite an addiction- but, my current favorite for a natural look, and the color i am wearing today is the shade "rebel" it's a soft pink with no sparkle. my lips are pretty darn huge, so i need to stay away from sparkle if i'm wanting a natural look,  if your wanting some sparkle, my favorite is "spark plug"

^^i'm a deer in headlights, it's awesome.

makeup is one of those instant self esteem boosters for me, i love wearing it, but i love it even more if people don't instantly recognize that i have any on. this look is by far my most complimented makeup look, and i hope this helps you to create your own natural look!

 ...and now for a picture of me actually smiling to show how happy this makeup makes me feel!!! :) Happy Mothers Day!