Happy Friday! Today I am excited to share three looks using Besame Cosmetic’s lipsticks. They kindly sent me three of their most popular shades, and I am happy to say I adore them so much! So, enjoy!
Exotic pink is a replica of a 1955 shade. It’s not super bright on me personally, but on someone with lighter skin it might pop. It’s a really nice, sort of almost candy-pink color, very pigmented, and sooo creamy. I love how smooth these lipsticks are!
Besame Red is a replica of a color from the 1920’s! It’s an earthier red, not quite a bright true red, perhaps a bit more on the blue side, but really, really beautiful. Even though they all have the same application shape, for some reason I found the red the hardest to get a good lip shape with. I don’t often use lipliner, as I don’t really need it, but I had to with this as I couldn’t get my lip line straight!
Carmine and Besame Red look super similar on my hand and in the camera for some reason, but in real life Carmine is much more orange. It’s my favorite of the three by far! Super pigmented and bright, just like I like them!
Overall, Besame will definitely be the place I go for my next few lip shades. I love the beautiful packaging, the smooth, creamy consistency, the bright pigmentation, and the fact that they are all replicas of vintage shades!
Heads up! I use affiliate links in this post, which means if you grab those items with my links, you’re helping to support my blog! This post is not sponsored, and I bought all these lipsticks with my own money. Happy Thursday! Today I thought it would be fun to reintroduce makeup posts to my blog.I’ve been wanting to ressurect my YouTube channel for a LONG time but I kept thinking I needed things to make it perfect. Well, forget that. If I wait to have great lighting or the right camera or the microphone I (obviously) need, I’ll never do it! So I decided to just start by reviewing all the purple and plum lipsticks I have. I’m on a huge purple craze right now, and I’ve snatched up all the vibrant purples I can find, plus I have a few pretty plums! Enjoy!
I use some affiliate links in this post; if you click through and purchase, I get a small commission, which goes to help pay for this blog (and keep up my pink hair, too.) So thank you!
So it’s pretty obvious that I dyed my hair hot pink, I mean… you can’t miss it. I’ve gotten a ton of questions, the main ones being, “did you do it yourself?” and “was it hard to get to that color?” and the answers are: yes, and no! Respectively. Here’s hoping I can teach YOU how to dye your hair hot pink without too many mishaps!
First off, though,I should clarify: I am not a professional, and only know how this works on hair similar to mine with yellow/red undertones. I had some leftover dark brown dye towards the end of my hair, though I am not sure how much; it has been a year (almost exactly!) since I dyed my hair, and I had it chopped between dyeing as well.
The technical things about my hair: I have thick, smooth, and slightly wavy but mostly straight hair that is 1-2 levels above black naturally, is pretty healthy, and not brittle or fine. I’ve never had issues with it breaking, falling out, or anything like that.
And, for those of you curious: the total cost of dyeing my hair at home – including all the supplies, shampoo, conditioner, dye, mixing bowl, gloves, protective cap, etc, was about $60.
So let’s get started!
I used:
Manic Panic Hot Hot Pink dye – 2 tubs, but I almost would have liked to have three, just for stray bits!
I would advise you to purchase one more of the dye tubs and the creme lightener than you think you need. I originally purchased two tubs of Manic Panic and 1 bottle of developer + 3 boxes of creme lightener, but ended up having to run back for more of the bleach as I ran out. The Manic Panic only BARELY covered the entirety of my head, and it was fine… but it would have been nice to have just a little more for a better saturated color.
The developer and lightener need to be mixed at a 1-to-1 ratio, so 1 bottle of developer is, I think, 6oz, and the lightener was 2oz each.
If you get too many, you can always return them, or use them for touch ups later!
I highly recommend you have someone help you with this, ESPECIALLY with the bleaching! You’ll see why in a minute. I started out by sectioning my hair off by gathering the top of my hair up onto my head, and leaving the underneath layer down. I then sectioned that into two bits — left and right — and got right to it!
I mixed the Age Beautiful lightener with the 30 volume developer in a 1-to-1 ratio. It’s just a tad bit grainy, so it’s a good idea to have a whisk to mix that with the developer before application.
Then, using the applicator brush, I applied the bleach from tips-to-roots. It says not to apply to your scalp but uh… I did anyway. And it wasn’t painful. Now, I tried to do it all myself the first time, and not only did I run out, I also missed a HUGE spot in the back of my head. I had to shower out the bleach, run to the store, grab more, blow dry my hair (apply conditioner if this happens to you, it won’t interfere with the second bleaching), and have my husband help me reapply bleach on all the stuff I missed. Here’s the first and second bleachings:
As you can see, the first time didn’t look so great.
Total, I think I left the bleach on for about 2-1/2 hours. You need to just watch your hair, and when it gets to be about as light as you want it, let it sit for 5-10 minutes more, then shampoo it out. I could have gone longer if I had wanted to, but I really don’t want to kill my hair so 2-1/2 hours was enough. While my hair was processing, I covered it with a plastic cap and read a book, took care of kids, watched youtube, and all the things you do on a Sunday afternoon. It really didn’t feel like it took forever!
After my hair was sufficiently yellow, I started to apply the Manic Panic!
First things first, this stuff STAINS so apply some Vaseline around your hairline and on your ears, and make sure you’re in an area that is covered with towels or plastic because even if you’re super careful, you’ll probably drip. (however, my Mrs. Meyer’s cleaning spray took that stuff off with just a little soak. I’m impressed!)
I was much more careful to section off my hair and apply, and I’ll tell you a little trick: use your hands. I mean, I started out using the brush, but the further I got the more I was spreading my hair strands apart to make sure it was all saturated, and I ended up just using my (gloved) fingers to apply dye to my hair. It made it easier to really saturate every strand, and feel to make sure nothing was dry. I barely had to have my husband help me check for missed spots!
P.S. I have Snapchat, that I forget to use. Follow me, as with basically everywhere, @eccentricowl.
Again, once I was done applying the dye, I wrapped it all up in a bun on top of my head, and left it for about 1-1/2 hours while I wandered around the house feeling like an alien with a plastic cap on my head. You can leave it longer — I had read a comment on Amazon advising people to leave the dye for 3 or 4 hours, but… I am not patient.
And then, the moment of truth came. I rinsed it out (no shampoo!) VERY carefully (trying not to get it on my face) in the tub, directly under the faucet. The water was so magically pink, but man I was nervous. I’ve never bleached my hair at home, and the last time I tried to dye my hair pink it… didn’t… do anything. Then again, I didn’t bleach my hair that time.
But I was NOT disappointed because… well… you know.
This picture is 100% how bright it was the next day.
I cannot believe how easy it is to dye your hair a crazy color at home. But, here are a few tips for dyeing and maintenance:
Remember that the color will take on your undertones. So when you bleach your hair, if it’s still fairly yellow like mine was, your hair will either end up a bit more yellow/orange, OR it will FADE a bit more yellow/orange. I think if you try blue, go for a much lighter color than mine, as your blue might turn green over yellow hair.
Buy sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner to keep from breaking down your color!
The dye will stain your skin, your tub, your sink, your floor… etc. Unless you get it off RIGHT away, it will stain the crap out of all the things.
Be prepared to wash your hair with cold or cool water for as long as you want to maintain a bright color. Mine hasn’t faded too much, but I wash my hair with cold water, and I also have a little dye in my conditioner to help brighten the color.
You might have colorful fingernails every time you wash your hair, if you use the dye-in-conditioner trick. My nails are always slightly tinged pink for a day after I wash my hair.
A week after dyeing and having washed it for the first time; you can see I missed rinsing a spot of bleach in the front, but it looks pretty cool, right?
It’s recommended you don’t shampoo your hair for a week after dyeing it, so be ready for that!
HAVE SOMEONE HELP YOU. I cannot stress that enough! I never would have gotten an even bleach job if it weren’t for my husband.
Your pillowcase will turn the color you dye it. So, be prepared to wreck a pillowcase, buy white ones you can bleach, or get pillowcases the color of your hair.
Your hair will bleed a bit of color every time it’s washed, no matter what. This doesn’t stain anything, it’s just… you know, something you should be aware of.
If your hair grows fast or is dark, you’ll probably see roots after about 1-1/2 weeks or so. My roots are pretty apparent because my hair grows fast and I have dark hair. It’s been a little over 2 weeks, and I’m already thinking about touchup — but I probably won’t do that for another 2 weeks.
If you want eyebrows the same color as your hair, use makeup! I have used shadow and lipliner and eyeliner to match my brows to my hair, and people ALWAYS think that I dyed them. (but please don’t try dyeing your eyebrows unless you know what you’re doing, because… danger.)
Just a few days ago, 2 weeks after dyeing, having washed it twice. It hasn’t faded much. If anything, the ends where it was darker are just turning a more orange-pink color.
I think that’s it!
I cannot stress how AMAZING I feel with pink hair. The moment I saw that it had dyed the exact color the dye looked on my head, I actually danced and squealed. I felt like a superhero. It was a literal high seeing myself with this colorful hair! If you have been wanting a certain color for ages but haven’t done it for whatever reason, take it from me: JUST DO IT. You will feel like a million bucks.
Granted, be ready for some stares, but the response to this colorful hair has been overwhelmingly (and surprisingly) positive. Like, I go to a fairly conservative church and the amount of people who come up and tell me they love it is really surprising to me. Plus, little girls always stare and wave, which is great.
Mariah is a fellow Washingtonian and I adore her! She has posted some of the most open, honest, and beautiful posts I’ve read around the blogosphere, and with gorgeous photos and impeccable style to boot! I’m hoping to meet up with her SOON, but until then… reading her blog will have to do!
Hey there all you gorgeous owlets! (Yes I have named you owlets. Not to worry, I’m one too. We all love Kristina. Embrace it.) It’s Mariah, from Rya Pie, here to share with you my top 5 pinkest-of-the-pink lipsticks! When the lovely momma owl contacted me about a guest post, I starting storming up all things little girl and my mind just flashed right to lipstick. I loved doing my mom’s makeup as a kid, and I certainly still love doing my own. If you know me at all, (if not, hey there!) you know I love me a good lipstick. Here are the prettiest pinks I own (and you should too!).
Pink #1 MAC Rose Lily. This pink is soft, sheer, and versatile. It can just as easily hang out with an everyday look as it can class up your job interview. The latter is exactly what I had going on when I threw this look together, hence the natural brows. (I feel like a daycare calls for more natural brows, right?) Anywho, this pink is perfect for just about any sitch, and is nice and creamy so your lips won’t dry out if you decide to wear it all day. While this shade was limited edition, MAC’s Real Doll is pretty similar.
Pink #2 MAC Saint Germain. To the untrained eye this shade might look exactly like Rose Lily, but I promise it isn’t. Saint Germain is Rose Lily’s older sister. She is brighter, bolder, and ready for a night on the town. The Saint is classified as an amplified shade, and it most certainly is. I think this is great for anyone into bright pinks who wants to be a little adventurous, while still having a very workable color. Also great for anyone who likes to match their liqueurs to their lipsticks. (Saint Germain also being a very tasty elderflower concoction that is very, very low in actual alcohol.)
Pink #3 MAC Candy Yum-Yum. This pink is not for the faint of heart. Neon perfectly describes this shade, and yet I still think it looks good on everyone I’ve seen it on. I truly think it flatters all skin tones, but then again I also think the only thing you need to rock any lipstick is a little pinch of confidence. Candy Yum-Yum is just as sweet as its name, and also matte, which I adore.
Pink #4 MAC Viva Glam Nicki. So before you kick me for featuring two discontinued MAC shades, you should know that Pinkerbell by Wet n Wild is identical to this shade. So calm down. Viva Glam Nicki is a softer pink, which isn’t what I expected from Nicki’s Viva color (she brought the spunk with the purple Nicki 2), but I adore this lipstick. For some reason, I rarely wear it, but after taking these photos that will definitely change. This shade is soft and sweet, brining a little warmth to our previously cool-hued lineup. Plus the dupe I mentioned is $1.99, so there’s no reason not to try it.
Pink #5 MAC Viva Glam Miley. While Miley is certainly a hotly debated topic, I think we can all agree that this lipstick is a win-win situation. It is a vivacious bright pink that screams, “Hello I am amazing look at me!” and then softly whispers in your ear, “I’ll also make your teeth look whiter since I’m so bright.” Talk about a girl’s best friend. Plus all the proceeds from this line go to AIDS research. I think that is pretty dandy. Plus can you imagine this color once it snows? Gorgeous.
Well, that’s it! I’m back over to my own blog! Make sure to take the time to stop and wish Kristina a big congrats on her gorgeous new baby girl! Welcome to the family little Evangeline. You are already so very loved.
So I don’t think any of these are particularly creative, but I am constantly being asked how I tied a headscarf, how I got my hair to do that, how I keep them on, what my favorite ways are to wear headscarves, and pretty much any other question you could ask about the thing on my head. Most of these are just simple variations of ties with the same hair, but still I present: six easy retro ways to wear a headscarf.
I don’t think any of the styles are too complicated, but in case you’re a read-learner instead of a visual one, I’ll include step-by-step instructions below. I hope this helps you add a little bit of retro scarf wearing to your day!
I started out with the easiest ones, because seriously this is a four step process at most.
If desired, part your hair down the middle (I find it looks better this way, but I have lots of hair to contend with, so if it’s all parted on one side that side tends to be in the way all. the. time.)
Fold a large square scarf into a triangle, and then roll or fold down into a long rectangle (it should be big enough to go around your head twice.)
Center the middle of the scarf at the back of your head, pull the sides forward, twist it once around itself, and wrap back around to tie behind your head.
Adjust hair as needed. 😉
Again, I doubt you need instructions. BUT. For the sake of continuity and satisfying my OCD blogger tendencies…
To make the tying process easier, tie the scarf OVER your hair and knot it at the back.
Remove your glasses because otherwise a mess will happen (aka, your scarf will get stuck on them.)
Pull the scarf down to your neck, get all your hair OVER the scarf, and push it back up like a headband.
Adjust as you like.
Victory rolls seem to be baffling to most people. But once you get the knack, it’s SO easy.
Keeping a fairly large section of front hair out, pull your hair back into a ponytail.
Roll the front section of hair around two fingers — you can do this upward for a roll that will pull back from your forehead as I did, or downward (starting the hair on top of your fingers instead of underneath) for a roll that will act more like bangs and look like this. — and pin in place, being sure to pin inside the roll as you secure it.
Tame away any random ends. If your hair is damp, or more textured, you won’t have wonky ends like I do. My hair is just a bit too straight and slippery to always work perfectly.
Corral the rest of your hair into a bun as messy or neat as you like.
Fold up a non-silky headscarf (it stays better) into a triangle and then a long rectangle.
Center the scarf at the back of your head, and tie in a bow behind your victory roll (this also helps keep the roll in place if you have slick hair like me.).
Pin either side of the bow on the inside with a pin to help keep the scarf in place.
One of the three variations I do with a victory roll. For my face shape, I find that my head just looks odd when I don’t have a victory roll or some sort of sideswept bangs in front of my headscarves. And if tying bows is not your thing, this is another easy way to add interest to your scarf! And since this is just the victory roll + bun with the hippie twist tied behind the victory roll, I won’t write instructions.
This way of tying scarves always reminds me of Carmen Miranda and I’m not sure why. At any rate, it’s a GREAT option for when your hair is dirty and you don’t want to deal with unruly strands!
Style your bangs/victory roll as desired (or not at all) and pin your hair into a flat messy bun.
Using a large square scarf folded into a triangle, settle the center of the scarf at the back of your head and tie the two ends behind your bangs/at the top of your head just once.
Bring the point of the triangle forward and lay it over the tied portion of the scarf, then knot the other ends over it.
Pull the point forward to flatten out/tighten up the rest of the scarf (the puffier you want your scarf to end up, the less you need to tug the point through.), and lay it back over the knotted section.
Tie the other points over it once again.
Tuck all three ends into the rest of the scarf, and adjust as needed.
This is one of my favorite ways to do a headscarf, although I don’t do it nearly enough! I think many people are intimidated by trying to do a beehive, because nobody REALLY wants to rat their hair. But you don’t HAVE to rat your hair to get some oomph to your beehive! So, you’re welcome for that. (And I know, I did it fairly messily in the video. Usually I fuss more.)
With your bangs/front part of your hair in a victory roll (or not: if you skip that, your beehive will look like this.), take half of your hair back as if you were going to put it in a half-up ponytail.
Twirl the ends of that chunk of hair into a roll, and then keep rolling towards your head.
Push the roll as forward as you like — the further forward, the more volume it will allow you — and pin in place, not worrying too much about how dorky or messy it looks at the moment.
Twirl the rest of your hair into a semi-twist on the back of your head, and pin in place.
Tie your headscarf up in a knot or bow behind your bangs.
Smooth down any areas that you don’t want to be… hived… (ha!). This might take a bit of practice before you can get your beehive to behave, but I promise: once you’ve figured out how your hair works with this method, it’s easy to whip it into shape. Pull out any hair that’s too flat for the hive, and ideally… hairspray with a fury.
And there you have it! Hopefully these easy retro ways to wear a headscarf will inspire you to wear more scarves. Because scarves are too pretty an accessory to pass up!
P.S. Since I am vastly pregnant (six days left when I shot this, four days left by the time you read it) , this may be my last post before I have my baby and take two weeks of maternity leave from blogging. Don’t despair, though; I have a ton of REALLY fantastic bloggers who have volunteered to contribute posts while I’m gone, and you’re going to love them all!
Have a wonderful week! (or few weeks while I’m gone!)
Happy Thursday! Today I thought it would be fun to reintroduce makeup posts to my blog.I’ve been wanting to ressurect my YouTube channel for a LONG time but I kept thinking I needed things to make it perfect. Well, forget that. If I wait to have great lighting or the right camera or the microphone I (obviously) need, I’ll never do it! So I decided to just start by reviewing all the purple and plum lipsticks I have. I’m on a huge purple craze right now, and I’ve snatched up all the vibrant purples I can find, plus I have a few pretty plums! Enjoy!
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dye – 2 tubs, but I almost would have liked to have three, just for stray bits!
– 3-4 boxes
and 
took that stuff off with just a little soak. I’m impressed!)
