Best of Beauty: Top 15 of 2015 (GIVEAWAY)

And we made it! Another year is in the books. I, for one, am glad this year is over. But it wasn't all bad. One of my highlights was trying out all the makeup. All the beauty things! And today I've got my list of 15 items that were huge faves of mine. This is something I have done for the past few years (see 2014, 2013, 2012) and to keep you reading, there's a giveaway at the end. Two winners! Let me know your faves.

TOP ROW 1-6:

• Beachwaver--My fave hair tool for beachy waves
• Lancome Grandiose Mascara--Because I love long lashes
• Oribe Texturizing Spray--Instant volume and texture
• Cailyn O Brush--For when I want to take time doing my makeup, this gives me an airbrushed finish
• Makeup Geek Brushes--I love every one that I've tried
• Q Tica--I picked up this extending top coat at Bed, Bath, & Beyond, and it's been a must-use ever since

MIDDLE ROW (7-11):

• MAC Lady Danger--My fave red of the year
• Armani Luminous Silk Foundation--This looks lovely on dry skin.
• UP&UP Nail Polish remover--I've tried every method of removing glitter polish, and this is THE fastest.
• OFRA Liquid Lipsticks--My fave brand of all matte liquid lipsticks
• Perfect Formula Gel Polishes--I got a sampler pack of these, and loved them all.

BOTTOM ROW (12-15):

• Olivia Palermo for Ciate in Smoked Suedes--This palette really impressed me for design, shades, and formula
• D&G No.1 Sophia Lauren Lipstick--My fave everyday lipstick
• Becca Skin Perfecting Highlighters--I love every shade in powder or cream. Perfet for glowy skin.
• Neutrogena Makeup Remover Wipes--Sometimes I need a quick clean up, and these never let me down! They get everything off.

Giveaway: 2 Winners will win $25 gift cards to Walmart, thanks to Neutrogena. 

To enter: In the comments, tell me:

• a beauty fave of yours, 
• how you follow my blog (or my social media)

Make sure I have a way to contact you! This giveaway will end Jan 10, 2016

DIY Mask For Exhausted, Stressed Skin

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #SamsClubMag #CollectiveBias

Was it just me or did the holidays FLY by this year? The whirlwind of wrapping paper and family coming in and out has left me exhausted. And when that happens, I get sick. It happens every year.

So to combat that, I did two things: the first was to head to Sam's Club and get stocked up on supplies.

Sam's Club is the health and wellness destination for everything you need, whether it's free health screenings, otc meds (I like stocking up on my vitamin C), or the Pharmacy. You've got the convenience of shopping while your prescription is being filled. For more info on Sam's Club pharmacy, click here.

And the second thing I did was make my favorite DIY facial mask. If you've got stressed skin, if you're exhausted, do yourself a favor and make this. And if you're staying up late for New Year's Eve, you'll definitely want this the next morning. Trust me. PLUS, it's a great way to use up those leftover ingredients from the holidays. Here's how to make it:

You'll Need--

• 1/4 c plain Greek yogurt
• 1/2 c pumpkin puree
• 1/2 tsp raw honey
• sealable container (I used a glass bowl)
• spoon

Look at that drizzling honey!

I got all of the ingredients I needed at Sam's Club. Speaking of that, they have an online Healthy Living Made Simple Magazine. One of the articles that stuck out to me was on the benefits of pumpkin. Pumpkins are full of good things, like vitamins A, C, and zinc. Pumpkins are wonderful for skin that is inflamed.

To make this mask, all you have to do is pour the ingredients into the bowl and mix them well. 

Apply it to your skin and leave for around 20 minutes. Rinse away and pat dry. This is what it looks like after 20 minutes on the face. It feels so cooling and relaxing.

So what else makes this mask a must-make?
The Greek yogurt soothes, hydrates, and gently exfoliates skin, thanks to the lactic acid. The honey works well on inflamed skin. The honey is antibacterial, an antiseptic, and provides moisture.

I love keeping this in the fridge for up to a week. It feels amazing when it is chilled. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months, or just freeze the pumpkin for up to a year, so you can make it anytime.

Still not sold on this mask? I urge you to try this mask on just half of your skin. You'll be able to tell a difference! Here's to a happy and healthy new year!

Would you try this mask?

NYE Hair in 5 Minutes

Story time: So this one time I was going out later that night, and I decided to nap for a few minutes. That "disco nap" ended up being 3 hours. I had just a few minutes to get ready. My hair was a disaster. I quickly whipped it up into this 5 minute hairstyle and received compliments on it all night long. It lasted a whole night of dancing and singing at the top of my lungs (you know how it is when your song comes on).

It's been my go-to for a quick updo since it can be worn for formal events, like a wedding, night out with the girls, or dressed down with jeans.

Since New Year's Eve is this week (I can't believe it either), I'm sharing this effortless 5 minute hairstyle with you.

You'll need:

• hair elastic
• bobby pins
• texturizing spray or dry shampoo
• preferably curled/waved hair

I prefer hair that has already been curled or is wavy--this just gives more texture to work with. I had used a flat iron on mine for waves a couple of days prior.

Spray roots with a texturizing spray, like this one from Oribe. Dry shampoo is another option, but I love the volume with the Oribe. You can also tease your roots but that takes more time, and this spray cuts out that step.

See also: NYE makeup, hair, nails ideas

Part your hair on the side. Leave a section out, as pictured, and draw the rest into a loose ponytail at the nape of the neck. Secure with an elastic. You can leave it like this if you'd like.

Take half of hair and twist it into a bun. Pin. Then take small pieces of hair, fold them in half (or more if you have longer hair) and pin them into the bun. This gives it a piecey and messy look. Pictured is the hairstyle in progress.

You can secure loose ends or let them fall as they may. I like this hairstyle the longer it is more "lived in." I check my work in a mirror to see if I like the shape as I'm pinning. Spray with hairspray if desired to set.

And that's it!

Extra Elle:

• I had a lovely and quick Christmas. It was tough but full of fun, thanks to my nieces and nephews. I bought my sis Japanese candy and we filmed a video of us trying some of it out. It's on my Youtube if you'd like to see.
• There's more: NYE hair, makeup, nails ideas

linking up with tutu tuesday's 

Holiday Makeup--Golden Smokey Eyes

Hey you! It is the weekend...finally! What are your weekend plans? I'm still residing in Sick City over here, so my plans involve lots of Christmas movies on the couch and lots of hot cocoa. But in case you have a party soon, I wanted to share a holiday makeup look with you.

I'm sharing just the eye look today, but my lipstick is MAC Ruby Woo.

Here's the makeup I used for my eyes:

• Too Face Chocolate Bar (ps I want the new one, Santa)
• Maybelline Lash Sensational (review next week)
• Rimmel Scandaleyes shadow stick
• Kat Von D liner

-I began by placing the shadow stick over lids as a base.
1-I took a flat brush and patted this gold shade on the lid.
2-With a crease brush, I applied this milk chocolate into the crease and used a blending brush to blend it out.
3- Using a smaller crease blush, I applied this chocolate shade into the outer "v"  and blended it out.
4-I then applied this darker chocolate in the outer "v" but made a smaller "v" and blended that out.
-I took a pencil brush and smudged that darkest shade under my bottom lashes.
-I applied a matte cream to under my brow with a clean pencil brush.
-I curled lashes, applied mascara, and liquid liner.

Here are the eyes--it looks a bit more taupe here but is more golden in person.

I also made you a video showing this look! It's a collab with Tanya and some lovely bloggers:
El--www.thebeautyisle.com

Lily--www.beautywithlily.com/

Tanya- www.leopardlaceandcheesecake.blogspot.com

Cyndi--www.cdelbeauty.blogspot.com/

Check it out below:

http://youtu.be/rRlw2voEwlE

Look at Charlie's enthusiasm to be in my video!

Have a great weekend!

Easy, Quick New Year's Eve Makeup

Happy New Year's Eve! What are your plans? If you're looking for an easy, quick look, you're in the right place! Today I'm sharing classic makeup looks that look great on everyone, because let's be honest, no one has time for the smokey eye or practicing playing with adding glitter. Enjoy!

5 Minutes to Get Ready:

• Oily skin? Blot face with Starbucks napkins.
• Apply a shimmery shadow to the center of lids with your pointer finger. Gently blend out on the sides of lid with ring finger. My favorite is Stila's Kitten.
• Not into shadow? Dab a tiny amount of plain Chapstick to lids for shine.
• Curl lashes and add mascara
• Already wearing mascara? Gently curl base of lashes with lash curler (your lashes will be fine as long as you gently apply pressure) or with a metal spoon.
• Apply red lip crayon to lips. This is the easiest way to wear red lips. I like versions by Revlon (original or matte formula), Jordana, The Big Lip Pencil.
• Still feel intimidated? Outline and fill in lips with a red lip liner and add a clear gloss or Chapstick on top.
• If needed, use a makeup setting spray (or make your own using Witch Hazel). These are available in dewy and matte formulas. I like Urban Decay, Skindavinia, NYX, or Model in a Bottle.

NYE Makeup Tips:
-If you have 15 minutes or more, try these tips!

• If you're starting from foundation, and you need your makeup to last all night, spray your face first with a makeup setting spray. Then apply primer (if desired), moisturizer (if desired), foundation, concealer, and powder as usual. Spray again.
• For lids, you cannot beat neutral shimmery shadows. And palettes featuring them can be found at any budget. I'm wearing the Eye on Neutral Shimmer one pictured from Sonia Kashuk at Target, but I also love the Pop one I featured in my latest Ipsy bag or the Naked 2 Palette. This Almay trio is a fave of mine as well.
• Start with a light shimmery shade all over the lid. In the crease, blend out a brown shimmer shadow. It should be darkest in the crease and blended out towards the brow. Next, add the darkest brown in the outer "v" of the eye. Blend and blend that same shadow under the lower lash line.
• If you're not into all of that but want a little sparkle, I like champagne shimmery shadows for those with lighter skin and golden shimmery shadows for darker complexions, but wear what you like!
• I love a little eyeliner flick, and it's much easier than you think! The key is to use an angeled eyeliner brush. These can be purchased for really cheap, like ELF or Sonia Kashuk (pictured). I use a gel liner for this--Wet N Wild and Maybelline are some good drugstore options. I start at the outer edge of my eye and imagine I'm drawing a tiny flick in the direction as if to meet the end of my eyebrow. Here's an old tutorial of this. 
• If you're into false lashes, my best tip is to cut them in half or thirds. But for something easier, I really have been loving the L'Oreal Butterfly mascara. Other favorites include Maybelline Big Eyes or Too Faced Better Than Sex mascaras.
• Highlighter brushed above cheekbones is gorgeous for a night out. I used The Balm's May Lou-Manizer, which shows really well in non-flash photos (I use it more for this than in real life) but I also recommend Revlon's Skinlights (liquid), Wet N Wild's Reserve Your Cabana, Hard Candy's Tiki, or MAC MSF.
• You can't beat a red lip, but if you want something a little less low-maintenance, you need a lip crayon. Revlon's original lip crayons (pictured) or the new matte ones are so easy to apply. 
• Complete your look with a gold glitter polish. These can be found for every budget. 

Bonus Tips:

• More NYE makeup hair and makeup ideas
• NYE On-the-Go Kit
• How to Avoid Flashback in Photos
• NYE Survival Kit
• Hangover Facial Mask
• No More Stinky NYE
• NYE Entertaining Ideas
• NYE Makeup

See y'all next year! Be safe, behave, and be well. Love, Elle

CURRENT GIVEAWAYS:

• Neutrogena for the New Year (FOUR WINNERS)
• Naked 3 Palette