Find the Perfect Summer Lip Colors for your Skin Tone!

Lip colors can polish off any makeup look, whether it's glosses, balms, or lipsticks. I have a huge collection of different lip colors but some I just never reach for. I have a few colors that were so gorgeous in the store and I couldn't wait to try them out, but when I did they just did not compliment my skin tone. It's true ladies, some colors and shades just aren't meant for every skin tone. Not to worry, though. Today I have pulled various colors that will work for different skin tones and will be perfect for the upcoming summer months!

Fair skin tones: I have naturally very fair skin. I don't lay out in the sun but a lot of times I use self tanner. However, when I am slacking on my fake tan applications, the tan fades and the fairness returns. At first, I had a hard time finding shades that didn't wash me out or make me look ghostly pale but if you are fair these shades will be perfect for you: light dusty pink, berry pink, light peachy nude, or red with blue undertones.

Medium skin tones: Whether it is your natural skin tone or a sun-kissed glow, these are the colors you want to rock this summer: rose pink, coral, peachy nude, blood red, or orange.

Tan/ Olive skin tones: If this is your skin tone, you have a nice variety of brights and darks to pick from. These are the colors that will best compliment you: deep dusty pink, barbie pink, nudes with orange undertones, and brick red.

Dark skin tones: You ladies can rock the purple hues better than anyone else so really have fun this summer and "take a ride on the wild side" with these colors! The colors you want to look out for are: fuschia, light purple, dark apricot nudes, merlot, and brown red.

Ways to Motivate Yourself to Workout

Let's face it ladies, working out sounds like a good idea in theory but a lot of times motivation is hard to find. I know I am very guilty of this! Well, I'm going to share some of my tricks with you that I use to stay on track with my workout routine.

The most important thing is not to burn out right away. Ease yourself into a work out routine and start with less reps or weight. If you go too hard in the beginning you are going to come to hate it and stop completely. I know I would love to see results right away and want to work out super hard to get there, but I refrain. Results will come with time.

Create a calendar. This has been amazing for me. Because I like to change up the work outs I do, it can take some time and research to find good ones. I plan ahead of time what I want to do throughout the month and then enter it into a blank calendar on Microsoft Word. It's great because everything is planned out and when you complete a day you can check it off!

Now that you have your calendar, don't debate whether or not you are going to go through with that day's workout. As Nike infamously says, just do it! Set your mind to it and don't debate it throughout the day. If you do, chances are you are going to come up with many reasons not to do the work out.

If you need that extra boost of motivation, join a class. It could be yoga, spin, or my personal favorite, dance. I teach dance once a week for two hours and the girls, and myself, get a great workout. Also, you are less likely to skip your workout if you have to pay for it.

My most fun piece of advice is to put together a killer playlist. Choose a bunch of upbeat songs that get you pumped up and excited. It will make your workout go by so much quicker and it can even be fun! Some of my personal favorites (for you rockers out there) are: Guns N Roses, Motley Crue, Def Leppard, Linkin Park, and In This Moment!

Fabulous Makeup at Can't Beat Prices!

If you are like me, then you love your makeup! Let's face it ladies, it makes us feel more fabulous, sexy, and confident. I don't mind splurging on high end makeup once in a while, but when I find drug store makeup that works just as well... Let's just say I'm a very happy girl! Today I wanted to share with you some of my favorite drug store makeup finds. None of the products are over $15 and they all work so well!

Foundation: Revlon ColorStay is seriously my holy grail foundation! Doesn't look cakey but covers any imperfections. Love it!

Concealer: Maybelline Fit Me or Revlon ColorStay. For under eyes I cannot get enough of the Maybelline Age Rewind Concealer.

Matte Powder: Wet n Wild has a great one but it can be harder to find. Rimmel Stay Matte powder works well, too.

Contouring: I like to use a darker face powder to contour. My current favorite is the Elf Clarifying Face Powder in Medium. Works great and get this, it's only $1! Can't beat that! N.Y.C. has bronzing powders that have great color pay off but can sometimes come across with orange undertones.

Eye Shadows: My every day eyeshadow is in a Wet n Wild palette in Silent Treatment. This shadow seriously lasts all day without creasing, even when you forget to use a primer! I also like the Revlon PhotoReady palette in Metropolitan.

Eyeliner: For my liquid liner, I love the L'Oreal Lineur Intense. For years I have been using the Revlon ColorStay Waterproof liner on my water line.

Mascara: My holy grail mascara is the Maybelline Winged Falsies. It's fabulous!

Lips: My go-to every day lip color is a Revlon Balm Stain in Honey. It's moisturizing and last just about all day! I also love the Revlon ColorStay Liquid Lip Color in Forever Pink. For a sexy red lip, the Kate Moss Rimmel lipstick in 111 is great! Again, very moisturizing and it doesn't flake! If you love big, pouty lips like me but don't want to spend a lot on plumpers, N.Y.C. has nice plumping glosses. The color selection isn't great but they do work!

I hope this reignites your love of drug store makeup or gives you some inspiration to get out there and try some new products that will not break the bank!

Get a Sun Kissed Glow with these Self Tanner Tips!

I love a good sun kissed tan! Unfortunately, I am naturally very fair and on top of that, I do not like laying out in the sun to tan. I am only in my 20s but I know the dangers of too much sun and I want to protect my skin as much as possible. That's why I set out to find the perfect self tanner! I have seen some self tans that turned out oompa loompa orange and I did not want that to happen to me, so I did my research and found the perfect self tanner. St. Tropez! It was love at first use and I have no hesitation in recommending this product. Now, it is a little pricer than drug store self tanners, but it always turns out golden brown (no matter how much you use it), it doesn't streak, it lasts, it doesn't ruin your clothing, and the smell isn't too overpowering.

Before I go into anymore detail about the self tanner itself, I want to cover some tips for prepping your skin for the perfect tan. Always exfoliate before applying tanning lotion. It will get off all the dead skin and make your tan that much more even. I use a sugar scrub I picked up at target, which was very reasonably priced. It works great and smells good, too. With the sugar scrub I use those shower gloves, which I also picked up at target for about $3. After you get out of the shower, make sure your skin is completely dry before applying the self tanner. On extra dry areas of skin, like your face and elbows, put on a little dab of your favorite moisturizer. Once that soaks in you are ready to start applying the self tanner.

I use two St. Tropez products: the bronzing mousse for my body and the bronzing lotion for my face. I start but applying a little bit of the lotion to my face using my hands. I don't go overboard since it is my face; however, I want it to be close to the same shade as the rest of my body. I used to skip self tanning my face all together but I found that just using a darker foundation can make the face look muddy. No body wants that! If you work quickly enough, the lotion will not stain your hands but if you want to be on the safe side, pick up some latex gloves (like the kind you find in box hair color kits) and use them to apply the lotion. After I apply the lotion to my face, I use a bronzing mit to apply the mousse all over my body. The mit will protect your hands and help the tanner go on flawlessly! Let it dry for about a minute and then you can get dressed. Another great thing about this self tanner is that I have never had an issue with it bleeding onto my clothes or bedding... And I have used this stuff in the hottest part of the summer!

This is hands down my favorite, must have self tanner! I hope it helps you get that sun kissed glow and feel extra fabulous!

How to Get Big, Sexy Curls!

I have always been envious of those celebrities who rock the big, sexy curls. Everyone from Victoria's Secret angels, Holly Madison, and my style inspiration, Courtney Bingham have mastered this voluminous hairstyle. I have tried many methods to achieve the perfect curls and have final found a super easy method that works wonders!

All you need is a curling iron and some hairspray! The size of the curling iron barrel will depend on how tight you want your curls. I tend to use a 1 inch barrel. And ladies, you do not need to spend a lot of money on fancy curling irons. Target has some great ones for a really reasonable price!

First things first, spray heat protectant all over your hair! It will prevent damage and save your hair from split ends in the long run. Now, section off your hair and clip parts away from your face. I do about three layers when sectioning off my hair: the bottom, middle, and crown. Taking small chunks of hair, wrap around the barrel of your curling iron going away from your face. I don't use the clamp on the curling iron because I find that it leaves creases in my hair if I do not work with it quick or delicately enough. After each curl, spray with a thin layer of hairspray for extra staying power. You can also roll your curl up and bobby pin to let it set that way while you finish the rest of your hair. If you want to add a little more va-va-voom clip in some extensions before you start curling.

Once all of your hair is curled, flip your head over and shake it out! Gently run your hands through your hair to break up the curls a bit. Flip your head back over and smooth out the top of your hair. You can adjust your curls at this point: either breaking them up more or recurling a strand or two. If you are like me and love some volume, tease sections of your hair and smooth out again. Spray with another layer of hairspray and you're done!

Rocking Valentine's Playlist

Rock and roll is the perfect background music for a sexy night! Here are a few of my favorites that would be perfect for setting the mood on Valentine's Day!

• Hysteria - Def Leppard
• Without You - Motley Crue
• Don't Wanna Miss a Thing - Aerosmith
• Alone - Heart
• Faithfully - Journey
• I Miss You - Incubus
• November Rain - Guns N Roses

Easy Way to Toned Legs!

So a couple posts back, I showed you some tricks to create the illusion of longer legs. Well, those longer legs would look that much sexier toned, right? Here are four, easy workouts you can do at home to achieved toned legs! And the best part, no equipment required!

As I'm sure many of you are anticipating, squats are a must! However, being a dancer, I have found that plies work better when trying to tone up your thighs. Plies are almost exactly like squats but instead of having your legs parallel, stand shoulder width apart with your feet turned out. When you bend your legs, keep your knees pushed back, your pelvis/ booty tucked under, and your abs tight and engaged. I like to do about 100 plies in intervals of 20. (Don't forget, if you want to feel the burn in your arms too, keep them out to your sides as you do your squats or plies!)

Next lay down on your side, keeping your upper body propped up with your elbow. Bend the top leg and cross to the front of your body with your foot flat on the ground. Raise and lower the bottom leg (that should still be straight) slowly, making sure it is controlled. Think of lifting up from your inner thigh to get the best results! To start, aim for 50 in intervals of 10. Switch sides and repeat!

Since you are already on the ground, roll over onto your back and put both legs straight out. Doing dead leg raises and controlled released not only work out your legs, but also your abs! If you do not know what a dead leg raise is, you simply lift your legs at the same time, keeping everything tight and controlled. The trick is to pull up with your legs and abs! Use your hands as support under your lower back if needed. Start of doing 40 in intervals of 10. Trust me, you will feel the burn!

Lastly, an easy exercise to cool down with that helps tone calves. Standing about shoulder width apart, slowly rise onto the balls of your feet, also known as a releve. Keep your legs and tush engaged. Aim for 50 straight or until you feel a nice burn! If you don't have great balance, grab a chair, table, or even wall. Use to steady yourself but don't cheat and lean on your support!

Easy Heart Nail Designs for Valentine's Day!

Who doesn't love beautifully manicured nails with cute designs on them? I know I do! But let's face it, nail salons can be pretty pricey. With a lot of practice and help from internet tutorials, I have learned how to create adorable nail designs myself. I wanted to share two extremely simple ways to create heart designs on your nails. These would be the perfect nails to rock for Valentine's Day!

My first trick to creating the perfect heart nail design is using tape. Now, you can either fold your tape in half and cut a heart shape or you can use a heart shaped hole punch. After your nails are painted and dried, stick the tape on your nails where ever you want the heart to be. Make sure the tape's edges are pushed down and then paint the heart. Gently peel off the tape and there you go! For those of you who do not like Valentine's Day, not to worry, I have a heart design for you, too! Instead of painting your heart design a solid color, use crackle nail polish! This will give your nails and edgy, distressed look. Note that using crackle polish would work better on bigger hearts, so consider doing one big heart instead of multiple.

Another way to create heart designs is to use a toothpick, tiny paint brush, or dotting tool and paint on two dots that are spaced far enough apart so they will create the top of your heart. Make sure you use enough polish for the dots because you are then going to want to connect your dots in a v using your tool. Then with a little bit of polish you can go back and create a more rounded shaped, which will be your heart.

To add a little something extra, do multiple hearts on one nail and using a tiny paintbrush, paint a thin line from the bottom tip of the heart to the end of your nail (shown in the picture above.) Don't forget practice makes perfect! Don't get too frustrated if they don't look perfect the first time you try. After all, you still have over a week to perfect them for Valentine's Day.