makeup {obsessed}, hair {lover}, event planning {extraordinaire}

They Hate Pimples :: Product Review

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| by | Product Review

So, if y’all have read my blog [and I apologize for my recent blogging hiatus] for any amount of time, you will know that I do a lot of beauty product reviews but mainly for females! Well, this one is for the gentlemen out there. I was recently contacted by a company called “They Hate Pimples” to try out their line of zit camouflage for guys. Yes, it’s for guys… but our skin is similar so if it works on ladies, it can work for the guys too. I did test on a few guys [to remain unnamed] and they actually really liked the product.

I know most guys won’t admit it, but if you have a sister you’ve probably tried her concealer to hide a pimple before and if not, you’ve been jealous of the fact that she can hide hers and you can’t. Well, this product actually works to hide pimples on guys and you can still feel all manly while doing so. It doesn’t look cakey like most makeup can look [and blow your cover on using your sisters concealer] and it’s actually made for guys, by guys!

The product comes in three different [cleverly named] shades for different skin tones: Pale Ale, Medium Lager and Amber Ale. Just a little dab is all you need to cover your pimple/bump/blemish. Plus, it actually has a scent like aftershave. There is nothing girly about this stuff, I can promise you that!

To purchase yours [ladies, this can be a great gift for the men in your life!] visit www.theyhatepimples.com.  The product is $19.95 for one container, which should last you quite a while since all you need is a dab.

I’ve been MIA lately!

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| by | Fashion

I’m a bad blogger. I get busy and I totally slack on blogging. But, here’s what I’ve been up to lately…

 This past Sunday I went with my bestie and vestique owner, Morgan, on a buying trip to LA. We had to rack up on some new goodies for the Raleigh and Charlotte stores, but also for the Greenville location opening SO SOON!!!  The trip was amazing [we missed you, Caroline!!] and we picked out some fabulous finds full of studs and sparkles. I’m in love.

[sidenote: Monday was my little marshmallow cloud's 7th birthday. I can't believe Bogart is already 7. He has to live forever. He just has to. How adorable is he?!]

… back to LA pics …

We took the red-eye back on Tuesday night and Wednesday is a complete blur.  Apparently I drove from Raleigh to Forest City on Wednesday.  It’s pretty scary that I barely remember that drive.  My neck still hurts from the plane ride!  Once these clothes start arriving (which should be any day now), it will all be so worth it. Just you wait. You’ll want to visit one of the stores or shop online (www.vestique.com) for sure. I wouldn’t lie to you.

Thursday and today I am visiting our Greenville store dropping off clothes and furniture, meeting with the contractor, and a few other odds and ends. It’s coming along quickly and is going to be so cute.

Flawless has a wedding this weekend in Lake Norman on Saturday! Katie is sure to be a stunning bride… she is one of those natural beauties that you love to hate but can’t hate because she is just too awesome. Stay tuned for photos and hopefully better blogs next week :)

xo!

High Five For Friday

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| by | H54F

It’s been a few weeks since I’ve posted a High Five For Friday! I’ll be honest, it’s because I haven’t really felt like I’ve had a “high five” to share. Last week was a really hard week for my family and the week before was just a “blah” week.  So, I’ve decided to push aside the negative and try to remain positive even in the face of not-so-happy times and tough days. Life’s too short.

I’m linking up with From My Grey Desk for my H54F today.

  1. My brothers! Yep, that’s me, Jonathan + Drew circa 1987 in our backyard playing in a leaf pile. Oh, those were the days. My brothers are my best friends and I don’t know what I would do without them. I’m so lucky to have such wonderful brothers as family, but more importantly, friends.
  2. Oh you know, stunting in the basement. Just your typical Saturday afternoon! My BFFs came to visit me in Forest City this past weekend and it was perfection. They traveled from Raleigh and Charlotte to spend the day/afternoon in FC. Thank you ladies (+ gents!).
  3. Monday was my last day at the job I’ve been at the past two years. It was a really sad day. But, the team there will always be part of my life and I look forward to visits and lunches to catch up.  How cute was my going away cake?!
  4. Well, since I left my job… I started a new one on Tuesday! You’ve probably heard me talk about vestique over and over. Well, now I’m working there! I’ll be running the Greenville, SC, store which will be opening this holiday season. We’re actually hiring for part-time sales associates, so if you live in the Greenville area and are looking for a part-timer, let me know!
  5. My mom sent me these band-aids a few weeks ago and I love them. Is it bad that I really wish I had an excuse to wear one? Although, I don’t want an injury… I just want to wear the band-aid!

Zit Zap!

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| by | Favorite Things, Q + A

I had a few of you ladies contact me about the best solutions for randomly popping up pimples.  Even though I’m in my late twenties [yuck, when did I move past early twenties and into late?!] I always keep this secret weapon on hand for those stressful times that lead to a little [or big] pimple.  I also hate that word… pimple.  Zit isn’t any better.  I’ll just call it a bump.

When a bump rears its ugly head, trust, you’ll be glad you have this little guy to help you zap it away in no time! A little bit goes a long way with this stuff, so don’t use too much on one spot!

Clinique – Acne Solutions Spot Healing Gel

If you’d rather not spend the $16 on this product, another excellent bump zapper is Hydrogen Peroxide. Add a little at night with a cotton ball or q-tip, and wash off in the morning. It will help dry [and clean] out the spot amazingly fast.

Note: I do not recommend this product if you are experiencing a full-blown episode of acne. This is more for the random “spots” that need to be zapped. For serious acne, seek guidance from your Dermatologist to discuss the best acne regimen for you.

Arbonne Giveaway + Product Review

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| by | Flawless by Lauren, Giveaway, Product Review

Have you heard of Arbonne products?  Honestly, these products are new to me but I can safely say I am a fan! Alex and his wife, Jennifer, contacted me about trying out some of the fabulous Arbonne products. Of course I accepted. I’ve tried a ton of products but I don’t always end up letting you all know about them. Sometimes they just aren’t my favorite and what’s the point of wasting your time?

When my Arbonne package arrived I was so pleasantly surprised. It was a FULL SET of makeup! Alex and Jennifer really out-did themselves. Literally the only thing missing was eyeliner, concealer, mascara and lip gloss [but we all know I have plenty of that lying around]. I wanted to be selfish and keep all of the makeup for myself… instead, I decided with the holiday season approaching and it being only 15 days until Thanksgiving, I would thank my readers [hi mom!] and do an AWESOME giveaway [see below to enter!] of over $230 worth of Arbonne cosmetics.

Check out all of these products!

Your prize will include all of the products pictured above [and listed below]:

  1. Translucent loose setting powder ( – see photo below for consistency, color blends to all skin tones – ) {$33}
  2. Eye Shadow in Smoke {$19}
  3. Mattifying Powder (great to take with you in your purse when your face gets a little shiny!) {$26}
  4. Perfecting Liquid Foundation in Buff ( – see photo below for consistency – this is a GREAT foundation! So light but offers fantastic coverage!) {$42}
  5. Makeup Primer {38}
  6. Sheer Glow Highlighter ( – see photo below for consistency – I LOVE this stuff! offers a great “glowing” look!) {$40}
  7. Blush in Taffeta {$29}

Photo below is me using the products mentioned above.  Only products not Arbonne are my eyeliner and mascara.

Even if you aren’t the lucky winner, Alex and Jennifer are offering 50% off [yes, you read that correctly] your entire purchase this month only if you sign up as a preferred customer. Arbonne offers an array of skin-care products from cosmetics to anti-aging for women AND MEN! Alex and Jennifer can be contacted via email [Jennifer.Alari@gmail.com] or on the Arbonne website using ID # 12801711.  Please, do yourself a favor and check out these products. They really are awesome!!

GOOD LUCK!!

xo!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Household Products – not just for cleaning house!

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| by | Favorite Things

For cleaning, baking, deodorizing & more shampooing!?!

YES! [specifically: conditioning/shampooing/elminating product build-up]

Household products can be great for your hair. No, I’m not talking about using Kaboom for your hairspray [see photo below] this was actually an accident. I was in a hurry, picked up the Kaboom and was ready to spray the heck out of my hair [per usual] when I realized [thankfully] that it was KABOOM and not hairspray! Thank God for good friends who will stop you from these tragic events taking place.

But really, products you might not think of that you have lying around are actually really great for your locks.

Olive Oil – Great for a deep conditioning treatment. Mayo [gag] is also really good, but I can’t even stand to look at a jar of the stuff, let alone lather it on my hair and have to smell it for a half-hour. But if you like it, go for it. I separate my hair into three sections and add the olive oil to each section using rubber gloves. I cover my hair with a towel to let sit for 30 minutes or so. Rinse with shampoo. Make sure to wash your face afterwards to make sure you don’t have any oil left on your skin!

Baking Soda – Fabulous for removing product build-up. Seriously, this is a winner! Wet your hair and apply a good amount of baking soda from root to tip. Add a drop of shampoo and massage the baking soda into your hair. Rinse. Shampoo and condition as you normally would.  The baking soda trick is great to do once a week or so to remove build-up from mousse, hairspray, and any other products you might use in your hair.

What tricks have you discovered using products around the house?!

Pale Freckle Face

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| by | Makeup

Fact: I get so pale in the fall/winter.

It’s okay, I’ve kind of embraced my pale freckle-faced self.  [Of course I'm still a spray tan feen.]  But during these pale face days, you can’t really wear the same bronzer/blush that you typically wear with your sunkissed [not sunburnt people!] skin. Well, maybe you can… but I can’t.  So, I made my way to bareMinerals [I love their earthy tones for winter-time and the endless supply of color options] and asked one of the employees to help me find a great blush shade for my pale freckle face.

I loved the shade she recommended:  Ruby Radiance.

Now, here’s the bad news. Ruby Radiance is only available at bareMinerals outlet stores [click here to find one near you]. However, the good news is that there are so many similar shades and the whole point of this post really, isn’t to suggest that you try Ruby Radiance. The point is, go out and have someone help you pick a great winter/fall blush shade that works well with your skin tone. Luckily, we aren’t all pale freckle faced [and aren't you glad!].

xx!

The Fab 5

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| by | Favorite Things, Makeup, Q + A
I received a tweet from a sweet little friend, Diana, remember her?! Suggesting I blog about the 5 brushes all ladies should have in their makeup bag. I thought, sheesh, that’s easy! Boy, was I wrong-o! I started working on this post and realized just how hard it was to narrow it down to only 5! However, I believe that I have way too many brushes and that you can get along just fine with these 5 listed below. Any more is just icing on the cupcake [I prefer cupcakes].

I also realized after creating my list that I highly prefer bareMinerals + Bobbi Brown brushes if I had my pick. If these are too costly, you can shoot me an email at flawlessbylauren@gmail.com and I’ll send you some suggestions of brushes that may match your budget and are comparable to these :)

So, here goes… The Fab 5 Brushes All Ladies Should Have!

  1. bareMinerals Full Flawless Face Brush {$28} – The perfect powder brush. Since I was limiting myself to 5, this is also a great brush for blush + bronzers. What you’re looking for here is those full, thick, bristles.
  2. bareMinerals Maximum Coverage Concealer Brush {$20} – I’ve mentioned this little guy before [here]. Great for applying concealer to dark under-eye circles and blemishes.
  3. Bobbi Brown Foundation Brush {$35} – If you use a liquid foundation, or even a tinted moisturizer, this is a wonderful brush. Apply in a circular motion for the best results.
  4. bareMinerals Full Tapered Shadow Brush {$16} – You cannot go wrong with this eye shadow brush. It’s great for applying allover color, but also can be used for crease color.
  5. Bobbi Brown Smokey Eye Liner Brush {$28} – I prefer to use a brush for my liner and this one does the trick. I also use this one for applying a darker color in the crease of my lid when creating a smokey eye effect.

Foundation Primer

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| by | Favorite Things, Makeup

I have recently been dabbling in a few different foundation primers to find my favorite. My primer obsession started when I received a sample of Benefit The POREfessional in a Birchbox. I realized how great primer is for minimizing the appearance of ugly pores so I decided to put together a list of my favorite primers. I’ve seriously tried all of these [I told you, I have an obsession with makeup products].

In no particular order…

  1. Prime Time by BareMinerals – {$23} This is the primer I am currently using. It is super soft and feels great on your skin. It also is available in a formula specifically designed for oil control, see here.
  2. The POREfessional by Benefit – {$30} This primer can be worn alone or with makeup. It has a tint to it, so it’s more than just a primer! Contains a Vitamin E derivative.
  3. Photo Finish by Smashbox – {$36} Smashbox cosmetics were originally made for photoshoots and film so their makeup looks pretty darn flawlesswhen photographed! [It also looks great otherwise] This primer helps to achieve that flawless photo finish/airbrushed look.

    Whoop! Now, go getchu some primer and let me know what’s your fav!

High Five For Friday

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| by | H54F

Linking up with From My Grey Desk for my H54F.  Check out last weeks post here.  Do you have any fun weekend plans?

  1. Sugar-free vanilla ice cream with candy corn. I’ve eaten this a lot this week. It’s so yummy.
  2. Bogart made people.com’s best Halloween Pet Costumes! Isn’t he the cutest? My favorite part about this is the caption on his photo: Who says boys can’t wear pink? Lauren F.’s Maltese works the rosy shade while dressed as a unicorn, complete with princess passenger, in Forest City, N.C.
  3. Is this election over yet?
  4. My new lip gloss “purse” from Spindazzle at Spindale Drug. I love it. It makes me happy everytime I reapply.
  5. Friends. They make life worth living and these ladies are some of the best ones!

P.S. I’ve finally figured out what was wrong with the comment feature on my blog. There was a spam blocker preventing all comments from coming through. It’s fixed now. Ugh!