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Beauty by Kelsey

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beauty, lifestyle, and
a little bit of everything

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Featured posts:

Featured
Oct 29, 2024
Things I’m Loving 10.29.24
Oct 29, 2024
Oct 29, 2024
Oct 22, 2024
What Was a Harder Transition: 0-1 or 1-2 Kids?
Oct 22, 2024
Oct 22, 2024
Oct 15, 2024
Things I'm Loving 10.15.24
Oct 15, 2024
Oct 15, 2024

INSTAGRAM: @DADMUNK

My handsome boys! Today’s post on the blog is my experience with the transition from 1-2 kids vs the transition from 0-1 - link is in my bio 💙
Do you have 2+ children? What transition was the hardest for you?
Current go-to’s 🤎
I have a new post up on the blog today and have been putting them up every Tuesday if you haven’t caught it in my stories! I’m hoping blogs will make a comeback because I really love writing about all my favorites
Medication and therapy changed my life and helped me be the kind of mom my boys deserve. Check in on your friends and loved ones, and don’t be afraid to ask for help. You are not a burden. Signed, a confident second-time mom who struggled with
What’s the feeling called when you’re exhausted but your heart is so full it could burst? 🤍 #weekenddump

The Liquid Edit

June 11, 2016

Usually when the weather heats up, I start reaching for lots of cream products. This season, however, I've realized how much I've been enjoying liquid products. I've had most of these in my collection for a while but I'm only just now realizing how perfect for summer they are. Liquids just blend seamlessly with the skin and feel so lightweight - perfect for hot weather in my opinion.

The eyeshadow | I haven't tried many liquid eyeshadows in my time, but I can still tell that the Wander Beauty Exquisite Eye Liquid Shadow in Bronze is a winner. I love the packaging - it's so easy to apply with the doe-foot applicator. The shade is perfect for everyday and really adds a glossy look to the eyelid. When used with a primer, I don't have any creasing or fading issues at all.

The bronzer | I recently picked up the NARS Laguna Liquid Bronzer, and I'm already head over heels in love. It's very similar in color to the original Laguna Bronzer, but it's quite sheer and able to be built up. I found that the original Laguna was a little too dark for me to pull off, so I find the liquid is a perfect match. It has the subtle golden shimmer like the original to add a bit of natural glow. I like dotting a bit of this on my cheeks and then blending out with a stippling brush. It leaves my face looking nicely sunkissed and more defined. It's such a thin formula that it becomes one with the skin, helping it look as natural as possible. I can definitely see myself using this on many "no makeup" days this summer with only a bit of concealer, brow gel, and mascara.

The blush | I've got two liquid blushes in my stash, and they're both very similar in both formula and color. I love using both the Stila Aqua Glow Watercolor Blush in Rosewater and the Daniel Sandler Watercolour Blush in Cherub pretty much interchangeably and have a hard time picking a favorite. I think I prefer the packaging of the Daniel Sandler blush though - it seems to be less messy. Both shades are a beautiful neutral pink (which is pretty much the only blush color I own) with a tiny bit of gold shimmer in them - like the Laguna, this adds a perfectly believable glow to the face.

The highlighter | Normally, I go all out with highlighter, but there's something so beautifully simple and natural about the BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfectors. I have the travel size tube of Moonstone, and I can't see myself ever getting to the end of the tube. You just have to use the tiniest amount to get such a pretty natural radiance. I definitely don't use this as much as I should, but every time I reach for it I'm reminded of what a phenomenal product it is. Now they just need to start making the smaller tubes of the Pearl shade. I like applying this in several ways - either before my base (although I don't do this as much anymore since getting the BECCA Backlight Priming Filter), mixed into my foundations, or tapped on top. It adds such a lovely glow to the skin that's never glittery or "too much" (though there's no such thing, right?) no matter what way it's applied.

What are your favorite liquid products? Do you switch to liquids and creams in the summer, too?


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Everyday (or Every Wash) Hair Routine

June 09, 2016

Over the years I've been incredibly low maintenance with my hair. I'm just not good at styling it at all, so I kind of just roll with my natural texture and pull it into a loose ponytail every day (I have to for work anyway or else I'd end up with grout and waterproofing membrane in my hair every day). But lately, because I'm trying to draw attention away from the fact that I really need a haircut, I've been putting in a little more effort. I think receiving the Irresistible Me Diamond Flat Iron* (review) really helped pull me out of that rut.

I shower at night, so I usually let my hair airdry overnight and then will style it in the morning. After getting out of the shower with freshly-washed hair, I always spray in the Bumble & Bumble Hairdresser's Invisible Oil Primer after towel-drying. I've been using this for over a year now I think, and I don't think I could go without it. My hair definitely needs some kind of leave-in product like this or else I'll end up with a massive ball of frizz. I love all the different benefits of this product, from hydrating and smoothing the hair to protecting it from UV rays and heat styling.

Once I've got the Primer applied, I'll go through and spray the R+Co Dallas Thickening Spray all over. I've only been using it for a month or two, but it's definitely a welcome addition to my routine. I've noticed it really adds a good amount of body and volume to my hair (it helps keep my hair from flattening out on top), but it doesn't make my hair feel sticky, crispy, or weighed down. I've tried some thickening sprays that just make my hair greasy or frizzy, but this one doesn't do that. 

I'll brush those out with a wide-tooth comb and scrunch it with the towel to dry it a little more. Then, I'll take a tiny (I'm talking pea-sized) amount of a styling cream and work it through my hair. I was using the Bumble & Bumble Brilliantine for the longest time (it was in my July Favorites last year if you want a throwback), but I recently picked up the R+Co Mannequin Styling Paste at the same time as the Thickening Spray (my hairdresser had used them both on me last time I got my hair cut and I loved how they worked). Both creams add a nice bit of texture to the hair so it doesn't get fluffy as it dries - I hate that about freshly-washed hair. They also help me wake up with a bit of that "model off-duty" hair - languid, slept-in, and effortless. I pretty much use them interchangeably. I prefer the smell of the Bumble & Bumble one, but neither scent lingers.

If I give myself enough time in the morning, I've been loving running a flat iron through it to make it more manageable. I love how quick it is to use the Irresistible Me Diamond Flat Iron - it really only takes me 15 minutes to do all of my hair. Every once in awhile when I have some extra time I'll use the flat iron to curl my hair, which I'm going to write a post about in the future. After I finish styling my hair, I sometimes take a tiny bit of either styling cream again and run it through the ends of my hair to keep everything looking piece-y and a little undone. I love that after straightening it's super easy to pull my hair back when I need to at work without having to worry about any cowlicks in my hair making me look crazy. My go-to hairstyle when I've straightened it is pulling just the front up into a little half-bun. If you want a tutorial of this too, let me know!

I was originally planning on putting photos of the end result of my hair, but I ended up getting a migraine during peak photo-taking hours this weekend so I couldn't take any. I'm really sorry about that! But if you look at the pictures in my review of the flat iron, I've used all these products!

What products do you use in your hair?


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Modern Renaissance

June 07, 2016

I'll be the first to admit that I get a little overexcited when it comes to new releases. But when I saw a picture of the Anastasia Beverly Hills Modern Renaissance Eyeshadow Palette teased on the brand's Instagram, I instantly knew I had to have it. I have quite the thing for warm-toned eyeshadows, and the fact that most of the shade names were inspired by pigments used by Renaissance painters excited me even more. I don't mention this much, but my original intention after graduating college was to use my chemistry degree to go into art conservation, so seeing these pigment names really made me happy.

The palette comes with fourteen shades, eleven of which are mattes and three satins/shimmers. Most of the shades are quite neutral, but there are a few pops of color in there, mainly a vibrant magenta pink shade called Love Letter. You can tell they really put a lot of thought into the color story - any of the shades would pair together to create a unique look. There are several perfect crease/transition shades as well as colors perfect for adding depth and smoking things up. 

L to R: Tempera (hard to see - it's very similar to my skintone), Golden Ochre, Vermeer, Buon Fresco, Antique Bronze, Love Letter, Cyprus Umber

L to R: Raw Sienna, Burnt Orange, Primavera, Red Ochre, Venetian Red, Warm Taupe, Realgar

I've tried Anastasia eyeshadows before in the form of the Self-Made Palette (review), and they really are the best of the best in my opinion. These are the only eyeshadows I've ever used that will not crease or fade on me when used with a primer. I have a hard time reaching for any other brand because I know these will stay looking perfect all day long. The shadows are for the most part beautifully buttery and soft, though there are a few shades that aren't quite as creamy. Every shade has great color payoff, though. I can't wait to put together some summer looks using this palette, and there's not one color I can't see myself using. My favorite shades so far have been Vermeer, Buon Fresco, Antique Bronze, Red Ochre, and Warm Taupe. I've been slapping a bit of Vermeer on the lid with Buon Fresco in the crease for a quick everyday look, but I really can't wait to try an all-out smoky eye using Red Ochre and Realgar. I'll be sure to document it on Instagram or Snapchat (username: dadmunk) if I do.

The best thing about the palette, though, is that Anastasia Beverly Hills has made it a part of their permanent collection! It really is the essential warm eye palette. And word on the street is that they're going to release a cool version at some point if this one goes over well.

Have you tried the Modern Renaissance Palette? What eyeshadow palettes have you got your eyes on?


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email: kdadmun92@gmail.com
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