How to Fix Broken Makeup

Hi everybody!

If you’ve ever broken a beautiful compact or awesome blush, you know how heartbreaking it can be. You may even feel like your favorite makeup item is gone forever. Don’t lose hope! There’s a solution.

Step 1: Retrieve your broken makeup product and cry a little. Here, I lost a beautiful Rimmel London bronzer on the trip back to Dubai.



Step 2: Wipe away your tears and against your better judgement, crush up the makeup even more. It doesn’t have to be super fine, just make sure it’s in a bunch of small pieces.



Step 3: Grab rubbing alcohol. I used ethyl, but you can also use isopropyl. This is your key to fixing up your makeup.



Step 4: Gradually begin adding in the rubbing alcohol to your powder. Do this slowly, you don’t want to drown it.



Step 5: Add more rubbing alcohol as you mix until you get a thick paste. It shouldn’t be too runny. Also, make sure the paste is well mixed to avoid air bubbles or dry clumps.



Step 6: Smooth out the makeup and let it sit overnight. If you want to add an emblem or decoration to the surface, this is the time to do it.



Step 7: Admire your saved powder and wear it proudly. [Note: you may need to scrape off a little of the surface once it dries, because the rubbing alcohol might leave a film.]



I hope you enjoyed, and that all of your future beauty products are saved!
<3 Lucero

Song of the Day: How to Save a Life by The Fray

DIY SpiderWeb Nails

Hi everybody!

I'm back with another easy and fun Halloween themed nail tutorial. Today we're doing spiderweb nails, with an accent spider on the ring finger. You'll need about three or four colors, depending on the color scheme you want. I chose opaque black and gray for the spiderweb nails, and green and sparkly black for the spider nail.

Begin by applying one to two coats of your base colors. I chose green for the accent nail, but purple or blue would also look really nice.

Using a bobby pin as a striping tool, I've dipped it into the gray and begun making the stripes needed for the spiderweb. Then, it was just a matter of connecting them with perpendicular lines.

With the spiderweb nails finished, I moved on to the spider nail. I dropped a dot of nail polish onto the very center of the nail, and drew 8 little sticks pointing outward. You can create bends in the legs, I simply don't have enough room on my nail bed.

Ta-da! You're done!

I hope you enjoyed!
<3 Lucero

Song of the Day: Re - Stacks by Bon Iver

DIY Heatless Waves

Hi everybody!

I really enjoy having curls in my hair, I feel like it's a nice change of pace. However, I don't like putting too much heat (or effort, for that matter) onto my hair, as I like to keep it as strong and shiny as possible. Heatless headband curls are the perfect solution for me, because it's easy, effortless, and provides amazing curls.

For this look, you'll need a hair brush, a thin elastic headband, and a few bobby pins. Start out with damp hair and brush out any tangles. If you want, you can add a texturizing spray at this step.

 Next, push your fringe area forward and slide the head band on top of your hair. Try to keep your hair as smooth as possible, it helps with both rolling up the hair and taking it out.

 Start out with a small section in the front, roll, it and pull it up and over the elastic band. Grab another small section of hair, combine it with your twist, and pull it over the elastic band.

Do this on the side until you reach the back, then start on the opposite side. It helps to use bobby pins to keep the hair in place as you roll and pull through the elastic.

Once you have rolled all the way to the back, take the the last few strands and pin them up in a curl. You can also tuck the little curl into your headband in the back, whichever is easier.

Now that your hair is all in place, hairspray to keep the flyaways down. You can sleep in this overnight, or just wear it for a few hours as your hair dries.

Once you're ready to take out the curls, undo your steps starting in the back. Don't yank on the headband, it'll only create tangles.

Tousle your curls with your fingers, and you're good to go!

I hope you enjoyed!
<3 Lucero

Song of the Day: Wake Me Up by Avicii 

5 Halloween Makeup Ideas

Hi everybody!

Halloween is just over a week away, so I thought I'd share some of the Halloween looks I've done recently in case you're in need of inspiration. They all come with accompanying video tutorials, so if you're interested in a look, just click the title to learn how to complete the look for yourself!

Rosie the Riveter - This is an iconic costume that is easily recognizable. If you already have a denim shirt and some red lipstick, you're already halfway there! Be ready to shout "We can do it!" at any point during the night.

Pop Art / Comic Book - This look is a really fun one to do, especially if you want to combine this with a superhero costume. It takes a little patience, but the end result is exciting. Just be careful not to get wet or sweaty, because the dots will melt off!

Cracked Porcelain Doll - What's creepier than an old porcelain doll? A broken old porcelain doll, of course! This look features cracking porcelain to reveal a human figure underneath. You could adjust the perimeter so that one half of your face is porcelain, and the other is human. Your call!

Deer / Fawn - This is like the overly ambitious woodland version of your stereotypical cat costume. If you don't have the rest of the costume for this deer look, some tan clothes and a cotton bud taped to your rear end will suffice. The plus side to this one is you can follow around the Von Trapp children for a riveting round of "Doe, a deer!"

Snow White - Who doesn't love a Disney princess? Taking inspiration from the original fairy tale, this look features blood red lips and hair as dark as a raven. This look also may or may not include the dress I wore when I was Snow White the first time - when I was ten.

I hope you enjoyed!
<3 Lucero

Song of the Day: Million Dollar Bills by Lorde

DIY Jewelry Upcycling

Hi everybody!
I'm a big fan of costume jewelry. They're inexpensive and fun to wear, but sometimes I get tired of my old pieces. Instead of throwing them out, I like to upcycle them with nail polish. This is a good way to create an entirely new piece of jewelry from what you already have, as well as add a creative touch to your jewelry.

You'll need inexpensive jewelry, and assorted nail polish colors.

One trick I like to do is cover the rhinestones with nail polish. I find that too many rhinestones can look a bit tacky. Covering them with nail polish helps them look more like semi-precious jewels instead. For more precision, use a bobby pin to apply the polish instead of the brush.

I also like to ombré my jewelry. Pick a handful of polishes with a similar color scheme. Apply the colors to the jewelry piece one my one, blending with a cotton pad in between colors. This helps smooth out the transition between colors.

Here are the finished jewelry pieces along with other rings and necklaces I've revamped over the years.

I hope you enjoyed!
<3 Lucero

Song of the Day: Plain Gold Ring by Kimbra

DIY Jack-O-Lantern Nails

Hey everybody!

I've been really fascinated with nail design recently, and really wanted to come up with one of my own. My nail beds are really small, so it can be hard to recreate super intricate designs. However, this jack-o-lantern design is both seasonal AND suitable for small nails, so it's a win-win!

The two polishes I used for this design are Butter London's Union Jack Black, and Ruffian's Fox Hunt.

First, paint your nails with the base color. If needed, apply two coats for full opacity.

 Using a toothpick or a nail design tool of your choice, draw in the two triangles for the eyes. It's easier if you press the color in, rather than try to brush it on.

 Next, draw in the smile. I found the easiest way was to draw the smile with a single missing tooth. Any more than that, and it gets really complicated.

Finally, draw on thin lines longitudinally. These give your nails that pumpkin-like effect. You're done!

I hope you enjoyed!
<3 Lucero

Song of the Day: Your Song as sung by Ellie Goulding 

Apple Crisp in a Jar

Hi everybody!

I'm very excited for my first culinary blog post! I recently came across an amazing recipe for apple crisp. It's delicious, doesn't require very many ingredients, and can be done in a microwave!

To start off, you'll need one peeled apple, as shown.

You'll also need the following ingredients, along with a jar (not shown)

The exact measurements are as follows (makes one serving)
For the apple filling:
1 apple, peeled and diced
1 tablespoon of white granulated sugar mixed with a dash of cinnamon

For the crisp:
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon flour
2 tablespoons instant oatmeal
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar (I used powdered instead, because I don't have brown)

Dice your apple into small chunks.

Throw your diced apple into your jar along with the tablespoon of cinnamon sugar mix.

Heat up the ingredients for the crisp in a microwave on high for twenty seconds. Then mix until the ingredients are evenly distributed. The consistency should be rather thick, and not runny.

Place the crisp mixture on top of the apples, and press down gently to smooth out the surface. Place your jar in the microwave and heat on high for 1-2 minutes. Keep an eye on the jar, and take it out if it starts to bubble. Also, be extremely careful because the jar will get very hot.

Done! You've successfully created a miniature apple crisp in a jar! Yum! The best part about creating a mini dessert in a jar is that you can throw on the lid for a treat on-the-go.

I hope you enjoyed the recipe! I'm looking forward to other quick and easy desserts. Until next time,
<3 Lucero

Elizabeth Taylor Makeup

Hey everybody!

I was recently inspired by the recent Liz and Dick movie highlighting Elizabeth Taylor's whirlwind romance with Richard Burton. I decided to recreate one of Taylor's iconic movie roles, Cleopatra. I kept the eyes blue and bold, but wore nude lips to balance out the color. I think this look is perfect for the winter time, because the light blue eyes and nude lips make it icy and Snow Queen-like. 

This is the reference photo I went off of. 

I'd have liked to keep my bangs down, but they were not having it!

Here's a close up of the eyes.

Click the video to see my tutorial!

 I hope you enjoyed! 
<3 Lucero 

Products used: Makeup Forever Flash Palette, white color
Urban Decay's Naked 2 Palette, shades Tease and Blackout
Stila's Make an Impression in Moscow Palette, blue shadow
ELF Black Cream Eyeliner
Sumita Brow Powder
Benefit They're Real Mascara
Inglot Blush #67
Mac Viva Glam Gaga II lipstick
Yves Saint Laurent Gold Gloss in Golden Peach