!!!!!GIVEAWAY TIME!!!!!

Its about that time again!!!! We are almost at 200 followers and cannot be more excited at the progress and growth that our blog has made. As a small token of appreciation we want to offer a giveaway prize to one of our followers for being a part of the beginning of this lovely journey. The rules are simple, the winner will be chosen through a generator and you can enter multiple times (the more entries the better your chances) by using the raffle link provided below.

Check out our previous two giveaway post’s that were a success! Here & Here

 Feel free to comment and like this post if you have any suggestions or ideas for our blog or future giveaways and don’t forget to check out our newly conjoined instagram itsapplesandorangesblog. Once again we would like to thank everyone for making this happen for us and once we reach 200 one lucky person will be getting a makeup treat! Click the link below!!

too faced beauty blogger darlings collection

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Ari & Gwen
Itsapplesandorangesblog.com

Zoeva Brushes

I am always on the hunt for the perfect brushes, I mean aren’t we all? Brushes that have rough bristle hairs and shed are the absolute worst and I am one who truly believes that having the right tools to apply your makeup can make all of the difference. In comes Zoeva! I originally heard about these brushes through one of my favorite Youtube vloggers DulceCandy and I will admit I am one of those people that will go out and buy something if my favorite beauty guru recommends it, so I of course quickly went on Zoeva’s website. At first I was a little hesitant in buying them because I hadn’t heard much about the brand and they were being shipped from Europe but I put my fears aside and bought a few that caught my eye. Boy am I glad I did!

Here’s a quick close up of the brushes I chose:
*I apologize but I took photos of the brushes without cleaning them, hey at least you know I am being truthful because I use them ALL of the time*

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Top to Bottom:  #103 Defined Buffer: Perfect for detailed application and  buffing ie; foundation #110 Face Shape: Perfect for precise and detailed contouring #142 Concealer Buffer: perfect for gentley blending out concealer #322 Brow Line: sharp brush perfect for cream and powder brow products

Top to Bottom:
#103 Defined Buffer: Perfect for detailed application and buffing ie; foundation
#110 Face Shape: Perfect for precise and detailed contouring
#142 Concealer Buffer: perfect for gentley blending out concealer
#322 Brow Line: sharp brush perfect for cream and powder brow products

The Price point of these brushes are between $15-$27 which is equivalent of some of the Sigma and Makeup Geek brushes. What makes these brushes stand out is their quality, the bristles are made of vegan taklon which makes these brushes soft and smooth perfect when using liquid, cream or powder. They also come in these cute tight seal bags!

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All in all I am so happy with my new found brushes and hope to purchase a few more in the near future.

What are some of you favorite brushes? Leave comments and suggestions down below!

You can find Zoeva brushes here:
Zoeva

Till next time,
-Gwen

“Im with the band”- Forever 21 Muscle Shirt

Since wearing a band t-shirt is the closet thing I can get to being in a band, I love rocking them! They are so easy to pair with jeans (skinny or bf), heels, boots, jackets,blazers or with cut off sleeves … Continue reading

JLo Glow

I am so sad that Mother nature did not give the big apple a scorching hot summer this year. We are now in the middle of August already experiencing September like temperatures, don’t get me wrong Autumn is my other favorite season but I still needed some more sun in my life! Ok, enough with the rant, if you’re like me and did not get the chance to visit the beach here is how I created a faux tan or that JLo glow as some would call it before summer officially ends.
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To achieve this glowy bronzy look I used all of these products below:
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From the Mac palette I used Brown Script (lower left) on my crease and lower lash line. I used Amber Lights (top right) on the entire lid From the Lorac palette I used Buff (top row left) for my brow highlight and Mocha (4th from the left on the bottom) to touch up the outer v and lower lash line

From the MAC palette I used Brown Script (lower left) on my crease and lower lash line. I used Amber Lights (top right) on the entire lid
From the Lorac palette I used Buff (top row left) for my brow highlight and Mocha (4th from the left on the bottom) to touch up the outer v and lower lash line

– One of the main products in making the skin appear more dewy is to add a liquid illuminizer to your foundation. I opted for the Gerard Cosmetics BB plus illumination crème, a pea sized pump is all you need to mix into your foundation and it will cover your entire face.
– Another key component in creating a bronzy effect is of course bronzer. I used my L’Oreal true match powder in the shade Cocoa to warm up my entire face. I also took a contour brush and very lightly carved under my cheek bones.
– Lastly what will give you the ultimate glowy effect is a highlighter. For this particular look I chose the Sonia Kashuk illuminating bronzer in the shade goddess. This color is really golden and gives you the perfect sunkissed glow.
* This is an extra step, but since I wanted to mimic Jennifer Lopez’s all over bronzed look I also placed a mixture of brown and bronzy shades on my eyes and finished the look with her signature peachy nude lip.

I leave you all with a photo of the woman who not only inspired this look but also inspires me to work hard.

jennifer-lopez_small[1]

Here’s a detailed list of the products I used:

Benefit Porefessional face primer

Bare Minerals Bare Skin Foundation in the shade Bare Caramel

Gerard Cosmetics BB Illuminating crème

Tarte Maracuja creaseless concealer in the shade Medium Tan

NYX blotting powder in the shade Medium/Dark

Anastasia Brow Whiz in the shade Brunette

Lorac Behind the Scenes eyelid primer & Pro Palette 2 colors: Buff and Mocha

MAC Eyeshadows Brown Script and Amber lights

Too Faced “Better than Sex” mascara

L’Oreal Privee lipsticks in the Jennifer Lopez and Eva Mendes Shades

NYX Butter Gloss in the shade Cherry Cheesecake

*Products can be found in your local drugstore , Sephora or Ulta.

Hope you all enjoy what’s left of summer!

-Gwen

I Spy with my “Orlando” Eye -Willow & Clay Collab

Willow & Clay is such a dope brand and their marketing team is on point! Their “I Spy” series follows fashion through different walks of life and locals. They featured me as the Florida Eye edition and I had so … Continue reading

What’s in my makeup bag

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While I am totally obsessed with makeup and would love to have a “beat” face during the week my super busy schedule does not allow me the time to get all dolled up, but I of course cannot leave the house looking sleep deprived so I wanted to show you all my weekday makeup bag.(I transform into a totally different person during the weekend, but we’ll save that for another post).

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Morning Routine:
After washing my face and applying moisturizer I follow up with Revlon’s lightweight CC cream which helps even out my skin tone. Next I fill in my brows a bit with the brow wiz from Anastasia, to set them I add Benefit’s gimmie brow in the dark shade. During the summer months I don’t like to go too heavy with concealer so I apply NYX’s dark circle concealer which is creamy but more on the sheer side. My next step is Loreal’s voluminous full definition mascara, I then move on to dab a bit of Stila’s cheek and lip stain on the apples of my cheeks. Lastly I make sure my lips are hydrated by using Burt’s Bee’s chapstick.

Evening: If I happen to be going somewhere after work I will re-apply some of the blush, add a bit of Revlon’s illuminator as a cheek highlight and re-curl my eyelashes. A pop of lip color also transforms my minimal day time look for a evening out in the city. Mac’s Twig, Whitening lightening’s gloss in raspberry sherbet and Loreal’s Le Matte in the color “She’s so Matte” have been my favorites these days.

I also carry a roller ball perfume (Versace Bright Crystal), Evian facial mist for when I need to refresh my face, hand sanitizer and of course sunscreen.

Most of these products can be found in Sephora, Ulta or your local drugstore.

What are some of your weekday beauty must haves?
I would love to hear what they are, leave your comments down below!

Till next time
-Gwen

Designer Spotlight: Rebecca Minkoff

I felt this second designer spotlight post (check out the first here) should belong to yet another woman making waves in the industry. As of lately Ive been intrigued by the design and aesthetic that the Rebecca Minkoff brand has … Continue reading

The “Ugly Sandal” Part 2

As mentioned in my previous UGLY sandal post I am currently obsessed with the comfort of and albeit stylishness of the new wave trend of sandals. The previous feature on my “faux birks” led me to continue to search for other ones in different shapes and colors. I came across these babies at TJMAXX and instantly fell in love. They are from the brand Italian Shoemakers. The gold stood out as functional for everyday neutral use, and the cushy cork provides the comfort I fell in love with from my original pair. They are exactly what I wished for and Im so glad Im trading in some of my extremely flat -no support sandals and giving my feet some tlc. Links below!

gold, sandals, faux birkenstocks, cork, thong, casual

gold, sandals, faux birkenstocks, cork, thong, casual

gold, sandals, faux birkenstocks, cork, thong, casual

Inga Leather Heel Strap Sandal

Italian Shoemakers

Birkenstocks

Urban Decay “Pulp Fiction” Palette

Pulp fiction has got to be one of the top classic films that inspire trends all across the board. Directed by Quentin Tarantino, it features an eclectic cast with a mix of humor and violence that made for one entertaining ride. I love that the storyline is not in chronological order (in true Tarantino form) and Uma Thurman’s character Mia Wallace is sexy, sultry and a bit off. She dominated most of the movies promotional material and with good reason.

Nearly two decades later Urban Decay has taken inspiration from the iconic film and  put together an awesome palette to recreate Mia’s dark and edgy look for the twentieth anniversary. It features three never before seen shades and two current exclusives to the line. Pulp Fiction the palette, is sleek, dark and is emblazoned with Samuel L. Jackson’s now infamous Ezekiel passage on the back (totally badass). The “Get the look” card is also a helpful tool in following with Mia’s makeup trend along with the small red eyeshadow brush.

Pros

  • Big Mirror
  • Urban Decay’s Pigment Infusion system- Shows up true to color!
  • Velvet Texture
  • Blends Amazing

Cons- NONE!

urban decay, pulp fiction, palette, makeup, review

urban decay, pulp fiction, palette, makeup, review

urban decay, pulp fiction, palette, makeup, review, swatches

urban decay, pulp fiction, palette, makeup, review, swatches

urban decay, pulp fiction, palette, makeup, review, swatches

Left- Right  "Righteous" Light cream matte "Tyranny"- Warm brown matte "Vengeance"- deep brown matte-satin "Furious" -White Satin "Anger" Black Satin with Slight tonal sparkle

Left- Right
“Righteous” Light cream matte
“Tyranny”- Warm brown matte
“Vengeance”- deep brown matte-satin
“Furious” -White Satin
“Anger” Black Satin with Slight tonal sparkle

“Be cool honey bunny”

Ari

Minimale Animale X Nasty Gal

A little side boob never hurt anyone! Or at least not in my opinion. I have been on the hunt for a top that exposed “side boob” for quite some time now. Obviously this look is not for the faint of heart and requires confidence and if I may say balls to rock. It’s not an easy task to expose yet cover vital parts when you have particularly bigger girls to work with. In comes this awesome top from Nasty Gal. The Minimale Animale swimwear collection is one I’ve been coveting for ages now. They are all uber sexy and on trend. This suit is the product baby of both brands collaborating and I couldn’t be happier with the result! Since it’s an actual bathing suit it is lined fully (wont show up see through even with flash) and its tight enough on the sides to prevent any accidents (although for a night out on the town some would suggest boob tape for extra security). I love the high cut and the cute square pocket detail. It is so versatile worn as a regular bathing suit or as I did for a fun night out on the town with some high waist shorts and booties. As always check out the links below for this number as it is now on sale (typically this brand can run anywhere up to $300) so check it out while its discounted!

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nasty gal, minimale animale, t-kini, swimsuit, bodysuit

nasty gal, minimale animale, t-kini, swimsuit, bodysuit

nasty gal, minimale animale, t-kini, swimsuit, bodysuit

club, outfit of the night, minimale animale, nasty gal

T-Kini- Swimsuit

Toodles

Ari