Spring 2016 Everyday Beauty Routine

Everyday Beauty Routine by beinspiredbyme featuring black home décor

Beauty routine need an update?  Check out mine for a little inspiration.  This is my go-to basic look for Spring 2016.  All products pictured above are linked at the bottom of this post.  I will be posting a video review with my favorite makeup products by next week.  But this post will be an overview.

 

The products pictured above create a fresh face with a glossy lip and a pop of color with a teal liner. 

Back to Blogging Update

My life has been non-stop since my last post.  I've literally just now, over a year later, found time to get back to my blog.  What's my excuse for taking away your dose of inspiration?  I've become a wife and a mommy.

Keeping up with my seven month old son and now with a daughter on the way, I've been keeping busy.  But with great responsibility comes great style.  So to my readers (if you're still out there after a year), enjoy my upcoming regular postings and new found mommy style tips and tricks.

It's very difficult to find time for yourself when you're a mom and sometimes you may even feel a little guilty doing something for yourself.  I'm sure you've heard it a thousand times, but you need to do things to keep yourself happy and motivated so that you can be the best mother possible.  Make yourself look nice, boost your confidence.  At the same time, I realize you don't have all day.  So, coming up I will be sharing some quick outfits and makeup tips and tricks I use daily that allow me to look my best, while only taking a short amount of time.

So here I am, another mommy blogger in the making!  Hope you enjoy!

On the Fringe of Something Beautiful

On the fringe of something beautiful by beinspiredbyme featuring a floral print dress

Fringe bags are back!  We are on the fringe of spring weather in Chicago, where I'm from, and to celebrate we're springing back to a popular fall trend with a new twist.  Styling fringe bags can be a bit tricky.  With the wrong outfit they can look frompy or outdated.  Keep reading for tips on styling fringe bags for Spring 2015.  If you would like to purchase any of the items pictured above, I provided the links at the end of this post.

Lovely Layers

Cozy by beinspiredbyme featuring a sterling silver bracelet

     During the summer, I posted Stay Cool, Look Hot.  Should I be so cliche and corny and call this one Stay Warm, Look Cool?  Not this time, but I had to put it out there.  Couldn't help myself.  Anyway,  hopefully my readers are staying warm.  Where I live it has been frigid.  Sometimes it's hard to stay toasty and still look trendy (I'm on a roll), but I created a look to demonstrate how to do just that.  If you like any of these items, they're linked at the bottom of this post.

Unexpected Trend Alert

Light pink and grey by beinspiredbyme featuring Oroton

     This trend came as a surprise to me this season.  Generally, I think of pastels as a springtime trend, but here they are this fall.  I have to say I'm pretty excited.  Fall brings in some chunky and edgy fashion pieces, but the pastel colors are keeping them flirty and feminine.  My readers know my philosophy by now that edgy+girl=glam.  Math lesson of the day.  You're welcome, ladies.  Speaking of numbers, all of the items are linked at the bottom of this post if you'd like to purchase them.

Favorite Products for a Healthy, Beautiful Smile!

If you've noticed the cute little icon that's always at the very bottom of my blog, you probably know that I am a member of a website called Influenster.  Hence, the cute little icon in this post.  I've stated it on Twitter before, but I haven't posted it on my blog.  So, if you don't know about Influenster it's a website to which you link your social networks, blogs, etc. and review products or answer questions on the site.  Depending on how influential you are, you may be eligible to receive free products to test.

                           

So, I was sent the Colgate SlimSoft Voxbox complimentary from Influenster.  It contained a Colgate SlimSoft toothbrush, Colgate Total Advanced Whitening toothpaste, and a Colgate Total Advanced Pro-Shield mouthwash.  I was pretty excited to receive it because it was my first VoxBox from Influenster.  I made a video unboxing the products if you'd like to watch that here or keep reading to find out more about the products.

Fall Beauty Trend Alert: Olive Smokey Eye

Olive Smokey Eye: Fall Beauty Sneak Peak! by beinspiredbyme featuring a waterproof mascara

I entered this in a contest on Polyvore.  I found the image when browsing the site and thought the colors made the perfect smokey eye for fall 2013.  The picture shows step by step how to get the look and below are some products that can help you get there.  Also, don't forget the lash curler and eye lid primer!

Rose Gold & Mixing Metals

Rose Gold & Mixing Metals by beinspiredbyme featuring an infinity charm

What's my current favorite trend?  Rose gold.  We're seeing this everywhere from major designers like Michael Kors to small boutique shops.  Pictured above is an example of how to rock rose gold.  If you'd like to purchase any of the above items, they're linked at the bottom of this post.

Totally Trendy Without Being Too Much!

Summer Chevron by beinspiredbyme featuring a chevron pattern dress

It has been a while since I've blogged and I am sorry about that.  Life got super busy, but I am back with even more fashion knowledge!

...And again with the Polyvore collages.  I just cannot get enough!  It lets me put all my ideas into pictures..so perf!  Anywho... Let's talk trends, ladies!  This gorgeous outfit is rockin' a few of this summer's hottest. And if you want to purchase any of these they are linked at the bottom of this article thanks to Polyvore.

Stay Cool, Look Hot

Simple and elegant by beinspiredbyme featuring a heart necklace

My favorite hobby: making Polyvore collages!  This is a summery glam look.  When you're going to an event in the sweltering heat, sometimes it can be difficult to find the right balance between elegant and classy and cool and comfortable.  This outfit is just that.  If you'd like to purchase any of the items in this collage, they are linked at the end of this post.

My Favorite Foundation Brush

In my post about mixing foundations, I featured a photo of the brush I use when mixing and applying my foundation.  It is the Stipple Brush by e.l.f. Cosmetics from the Studio Collection.  I absolutely love this brush!  It's surprisingly high quality and only costs $3 on the e.l.f. website.

What Do You Wear With Wedge Sneakers?

What Do You Wear With Wedge Sneakers? by lynntibbs featuring jimmy choo

Well, it's pretty obvious that Polyvore is my favorite site.  Here is yet another fashion collage I have made using this website.  I entered this into their contest called "What Do You Wear With Wedge Sneakers?".  So, if you're on Polyvore, please check this out.  It's one of my favorite looks.  If you like this look and want to purchase any of the items, they're linked at the bottom of this post (because I finally learned how to post straight from Polyvore!).

Fabulous Foundation: Mixing My Makeup

If you've read my skincare routine and face primer review posts, you know that I prep my face using Cetaphil moisturizer, Aczone, and finally Korres Vitamin E Face Primer.  These products give me a great base for my makeup.  Today I want to tell you about what I do after this, my foundation routine.

My skintone varies throughout the year, as I'm sure it does for many other people; But, mine is rather drastic since I do use self-tan regularly through the fall and winter.  The springtime I usually embrace my natural fair skin and summer I try to get as much color naturally as possible (with sunscreen on, of course!).  So, I have two different foundations in my makeup bag.  Originally, I had one for when I was tan and one for when my skin was light.  During that stage in the middle, when my tan was fading, I began to mix my two foundations and I have had the best results not only with color, but also with texture.

Pretty Prints with a Classic Twist!

All of my readers already know about my love of prints... and making Polyvore collages.  In this collage, I show you how to take a classic little black dress and make it funky, trendy, and fun!

Pow! A pop of color!

Another fashion collage I made via Polyvore.  Love that website!  I spent some time exploring new parts of the city today; So, this look is really inspired by street fashion.  It uses a funky pattern and bright pops of color.  The style of the shoes and hat give it an urban feel.  The sleek, fitted solid black crop top adds a bit more order to this crazy style.  The shoes and hat coordinate with the colors in the print, but I kept them solid so that the focus of the outfit remains the leggings.

The Perfect Primer

Especially in the summer, I personally have a trouble with the length of time my foundation lasts.  Nothing is more annoying than taking the time in the morning to get the perfect complexion and having it melt off before the work day is even over.  So, primer is a major beauty must for me.

Finding a good primer, however, is not so easy.  Lucky for my readers, I've gone done all the hard work.  Through countless trial and error, I've finally found what I believe to be the best face primer on the market.  Let me just say for the record that I am not being paid to review this product, nor am I affiliated with the company in any way.  I am simply stating my opinion to help others find the best products easily.

Flawless Face Skincare Routine

Recently I posted about my favorite self-tanning products.  I touched a bit on exfoliation and moisturizing the skin before applying self-tan.  Healthy skin is a key to getting a gorgeous glow, whether you choose to use self-tanner or not.

I have combination, acne-prone skin.  Until recently, nothing I've tried has worked to clear my blemishes and give me beautiful, radiant skin.  I decided to share my routine because I understand the struggle to achieve a flawless face.  I am not sponsored to nor was I requested to review any of these products.

Beachy Boardwalk Collage

All this beautiful warm weather has got me dying for a trip to the beach!  But, technically it's still spring and the beaches aren't open yet..sad face.  I guess I'll just have to walk along the beach from a distance.  So, here's my beach boardwalk-inspired look collage.

My favorite self-tan products

First off, I was not sent these products or paid to review them at all.  This is simply my opinion on the best self-tanning products I've found through years of trial and error.

Summer's here, the season for lightened hair and tan skin.  The risk of skin cancer due to tanning has made many fear lying out for hours to get a deep summer glow.  Self-tan is a safer and healthier way to achieve this look.  Self-tan can also help those who do choose to tan achieve a darker, but still natural-looking skin tone.

Let me just say I love self-tanning.  I am extremely fair-skinned with freckles, strawberry-blonde hair, and blue eyes.  My skin wouldn't tan a bit if you left me in Jamaica for a month.  It is hard to find self-tanners that do not turn me orange, especially being so light-skinned naturally.