Thrifty Belleza

Hello Bellas!

Hope you're all having a lovely week so far. I wanted to share with you two costumes that I attempted for Halloween. The first is a Mermaid look that I wore during the day, I went super glam with this one and I loved the end result. To get the look of the scales, I cut fishnet stockings, placed it against my skin, and patted eyeshadow on top of it to create a gradient effect.

The second look is a Pop Art Zombie. I've never played around with makeup that was this dramatic before, so it took me a little while to apply everything (2 and 1/2 hours to be exact!) , but it was totally worth it.

What are your thoughts on these costumes? Let me know what you think in the comments!

XO,

Hey Bellas!

Have a beautiful week everyone! 

If you know me, you know that I love, love, love Pinterest! 

Not only is it a great site for looking up fun DIY projects or inspiration, it can also be an important tool for us bloggers. A single pin can get hundreds of people visiting your blog and posts.

I've received so much traffic on Thrifty Belleza thanks to pins like this one that you might recognize from my Milani Lipstick Review. It was repinned 243 times (!!) and weeks after I first uploaded it, it is still in the first row of search results when you search "plum lipstick tutorial".

Here are 5 easy steps to getting your pins noticed and receiving more traffic on your blog:

What made this pin so successful was picking the right keywords to include in the photo caption. When I  make a caption, I try to include keywords that I would search for if I were looking for makeup tutorials. In this case, I narrowed it down to "plum color lipstick tutorial". It's also important to put the main keywords at the beginning of your caption because Pinterest's search engine algorithm weighs the first three to four words heavily when picking which pins show up in the search results pages. 

3) Make Your Pin Look Visually Appealing

Pins that have clean, crisp looking pictures accompanying them do way better than the ones that looking blah or all over the place. I didn't go out running to buy some expensive Photoshop software of DSLR to do this, but I did put a little work into making my pin stand out. To get clear images, I took tons of lip tutorial pictures by my window with natural lighting coming in. I picked the 4 best ones and uploaded them into a free collage creator on Ribbet.

 You can use PicMonkey too, but I like this one because it gives you the option for a vertical photo collage. Vertical images get more attention on Pinterest than horizontal pictures. I fixed the lighting using the photo editor and added words with steps for the tutorial which also helped make it eye-catching.

4) Link the Pin to Your Blog

Direct Pinners to your blog by adding a url link to your blog or posts. Even if by accident, as soon as people click on your picture, they'll be taken to your blog. It makes it so easy for them to find you and know the source of the pin.   

5) Install a "Pin It" Button 

I'm so excited to share a new post with you guys on something slightly different than makeup tutorials! Today I'm turning the focus on redecorating your home or office space for the spring. I love this time of year when the weather gets warmer and take advantage of it by transforming spaces like my makeup vanity.

I always keep my apartment stocked with tissues because of my seasonal allergy symptoms, so when I was putting together my vanity, I had to accent it with this fab Kleenex tissue box from their new Style Studio Line!

If there's one decorating tip that I have, it's that it's important to have pieces that are functional, like these Kleenex tissues. Not only do they have a fierce design, they're also an affordable way for me to add a pop of color onto the vanity. As a broke college student, I can't afford to buy expensive decorative pieces, so this box really helps liven things up.  Kleenex are also versatile and can be used throughout your makeup application when blotting away any extra lipstick or wiping off mistakes and smudges.

Check out the Kleenex Style Studio and take the Style Quiz to find out which box style fit your needs the best! After taking the quiz, you can also earn a coupon that you can use to buy your favorite design.

When I checked out their site, I learned so many cool things that Kleenex can do besides saving a runny nose. They can be used to dry makeup brushes, or to wrap between your toes to protect a pedicure from smearing while it's wet, among dozens of other uses.

I'm such a sucker for florals, so the design on the packaging immediately caught my eye.

I decided to keep my vanity simple with my favorite makeup items stored in clear plastic drawers. My eyeshadow and face makeup brushes are stored in separate colorful containers. In the middle I keep my daily moisturizer, lotions and primers so that they are easily accessible and I set everything on top of fun green tray. The turquoise mirror is an absolute must to get the most precise makeup application. Finally, the daises (fake) and letter "T" initial were gifts from friends that helped tie the whole floral look together.

If you're looking for the perfect pop of color to any Spring time renovations around your house, Kleenex is definitely an affordable and useful option. To find a stylish box near you, use the Kleenex Store Locator here.

What pieces do you guys like incorporating into your home when you're redecorating?

*This post is sponsored by Kleenex, but my love for their Style Studio is all my own!*

I'm super excited to finally share my first makeup tutorial video on YouTube with all of you! One of my goals for the new year was to start my own channel and I finally did it :D 

You might remember that last year I posted a turquoise smokey eye look on the blog, which you can find here. 

Honestly, I wasn't too crazy about it and find that I am more of a visual learner and preferred seeing the tutorial executed than reading it off of steps. 

Anywho, here is the video! Please like or subscribe to my channel if you're a YouTube user, I'd love to stay connected with you guys on there. Enjoy!

Happy New Year Bellas!!

 This is my first post of the new year and I wanted to kick off January by showing you guys the second part of my review of e.l.f.'s 150 piece Geometric Eyeshadow Palette. You can read part 1 of my review here! Right off the bat I'll say that this palette is only $15 and is worth every cent. 

A little back story to how I got my hands on this palette.
Ever since I heard that e.l.f. released this palette after checking out their Instagram page and reading reviews about it on other beauty blogs, I knew I had to have it. I immediately fell in love with the geometric design and found it so unique. I know some people complain that some of the pans are too small to fit a brush in, but I never really had that issue with this palette and found each pan to be roomy enough for my brushes, but that's just my personal opinion. Anyway, I was so excited when I walked into Target with my boyfriend and found it for just $12 as opposed to the average retail price of $15. This was during the holidays, so the sale is no longer available, but at $15 it's still a bargain. I was practically running down the aisle and jumping up and down when I found it because I had been looking for it everywhere since there aren't that many stores by my area that carry e.l.f. Even though this can technically be considered a holiday palette, I still think that it makes a great palette to add to your eye shadow collection for the new year because there are some shades in there that never go out of style.

For starters, you get 150 shades in this palette a.k.a. pretty much every shade you'd ever need, LOL! As you can see from the photo above, the left side features mostly warm brown and gold shades shades and a few whites (perfect for highlighting the browbone). The right includes cool tones like blues, purples, pinks, greens and  the bottom right quadrant has matte and shimmery blacks. I will say that something that I was dissapointed of with this palette was that there was no super pigmented red, hot pink or bright purple, but if you're not looking for those colors it's not a big deal.

A few of the palette's pinks and oranges.
Unfortunately, these also happened to be the least pigmented even with primer and I found that there were a couple of dupes with the pinks.

That's a con that I have with this palette because I like having a lot of variety with my eyeshadows, so if you're looking for really bold pinks, this might not be the best palette for that.

Hey Bellas,

Today on the blog I'm excited to try something new (well new to me at least)! That's right, it's a guest post from my best friend, Natalia! It's no surprise that we are obsessed with beauty products, it's been a major way for us to bond over the years. One thing I've always been super jelly of is how she's able to keep her platinum blonde hair color looking so bright and vivid. After bleaching her hair to achieve the perfect shade, she's discovered the holy grail of drugstore hair care products, Nexxus ProMend split end treatment.
I'll let her take it away so you can learn more about it :)

I have to let you all know about the wonders of the Nexxus ProMend split end treatment- the miracle making shampoo and conditioning system that we've all been looking for. Let me introduce myself, my name is Natalia and I'm forever on the hunt for hair products that actually work.

Hundreds of shampoos, conditioners, masks, serums and sprays promise to make your strands silky smooth while kicking split ends to the curb. But how can you be sure they work? Well, you can't. Unfortunately, many products prove to be let downs. It takes quite a bit of time and money to find the select few that keep their promise. Let me save you the hassle. I'll be the first to admit that I'm completely guilty of over dying and frying my hair, which is why I'm always looking for hair saviors. 

Keeping up with my current bleached blonde, 205 on the L'Oreal Feria scale, "look" is no easy task. Every four weeks I find myself buying another box and filling in my horrendous roots and touching up the rest. Besides bleaching, my hair goes through blow drying, straightening and curling, usually on the daily. Yes, my hair really does hate me. I have fairly long, fine hair. I struggle with frizz and those dreaded split ends. I hate the idea of trimming my hair and would rather heal my ends, leaving my hair forever long and luscious. 

No product will ever completely take away your split ends, but Nexxus ProMend comes very close. I saw a difference after the first few uses, and now, a month later, I can see and feel a drastic difference in my hair. My hair is far from perfect, but it looks healthier, feels smoother, and those split ends are much less visible. Did I mention it smells great too? I highly recommend this product duo to those who love to color and style their hair, and suffer the split end consequence.The Nexxus ProMend shampoo and conditioner can be found at your local target or drug store. You can also buy it on Walgreens' website for $10.49. 

What do you guys do to keep your hair's split ends at bay? Sound off in the comments!

XO, 

Hi Bellas!

This winter, I'm all about dark lipsticks. I can't get enough of them since I'm not really a fan of using pinks and oranges during the colder seasons. The only problem is that sometimes the lipsticks that I try on are waaaay too dark for my complexion and aren't flattering at all. That's why I was so excited to get my hands on this thrifty lipstick called "Sangria" from Milani's Color Statement Collection. 

I never really tried Milani's lipsticks, but when this new line came out earlier this year I was really curious to see how they reinvented their formula. I'm so glad I took the chance because this lippy is absolutely gorgeous. Sangria is the perfect name for this shade because it leaves your lips looking like you just took a few sips of a wine, not that that's a bad thing ;) 

As far as texture goes, the lipstick is advertised as having a matte finish, but I'd say it's more of a creamy matte. My favorite thing about this lipstick is  that it doesn't dry out your lips like other matte lipsticks, making it a great drugstore find. However, I highly recommend exfoliating before application by rubbing a toothbrush over your lips to get rid of any dead skin cells. If you apply it all willy nilly, it will leave any cracked skin on the lips looking darker and way more noticeable, so smooth lips are an absolute must when rocking this.

                Also, I decided to make a tutorial for you guys on how to get the perfect application for this lipstick in 4 easy steps! 

1) I should have added exfoliate and moisturize to the pictorial, but I forgot! Gently pass a toothbrush over the surface of lips in circular motions for 30 seconds. Wipe lips off with a towel. Apply your favorite lip balm to hydrate, I used Rosebud Salve Lip Balm.

2) To ensure a matte finish, apply a translucent powder all over lips using a small concealer brush. I used e.l.f. Translucent Matifying Powder.

3) Line lips the outside of the lips with a lip liner dark purple or pink. Then apply lip liner to the inside of lips. I used NYX Lip Liner Pencil in Purple Rain. 

4) Coat a lip brush with the Sangria lipstick and apply it in strokes starting from the center of lips and work your way outward. I suggest applying at least 3 layers to get the most color, but you can build up the color to your desire. 

5) Finish by applying concealer with a concealer brush to the perimeter of lips to clean up any product that has fallen outside of the lines.