By Annie Heil PC: Anne PaolettiThe first time I came across a hair bow I was immediately intrigued. When I say hair bow though I’m not talking about the stereotypical huge hair bows cheerleaders wear or the tiny colorful ones moms will put in their daughters hair. Rather, I’m talking about an updated, sleek and sophisticated type of hair bow that will turn heads wherever you go. That’s right, I’m talking about a hair bow made out of hair. I mean, come on, you really can’t look at this hairstyle without immediately wanting to attempt it. Using only and elastic and bobby pins to hold down each of the two sections of the bow, this hairstyle looks a lot more difficult to recreate than it actually is. To find out just how easy it is, keep reading! Step 1: Begin by grabbing two even sections of hair just above your ears and pull them to the back of your head. Secure with a hair band elastic and create a small half-bun in the center of your head by not pulling the hair entirely through on the last twist of the elastic. Step 2: Next, evenly divide the small half bun down the middle into two separate sections. These will turn into the shape of the bow. Fluff out one of the sections from the half bun and twist it down and to the right to separate and add volume. Secure the hair down to your head using a bobby pin. Step 3: Repeat this with the second section of the hair bun to create the other side of the bow. Again, use a bobby pin to secure the hair down and make sure you are camouflaging the bobby pin by putting it on the hair inside each side of the “bow”. Step 4: Lastly, use some of the remaining hair underneath your bow to mask the hair elastic in the middle. Pull a small piece through a hole in your crown and tuck it in using a bobby pin. If your hair is long enough, go ahead and flip out the remaining ends from the piece of hair hiding the elastic to really add some detail into your bow. And there you have it ladies! In just four short steps your innovative and (literally) priceless hair bow is officially complete. Now go out and rock a hairstyle even Sir Mix A Lot “can’t stop staring” at. :) Xo, Annie
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By Annie HeilI don’t know what it is about eye shadow, but out of all the makeup products in the world eye shadow is by far my favorite one to apply. From dark smoky eyes to light shimmery neutrals, the possibilities are endless when it comes to creating eye shadow looks and it makes experimenting with various colors and palettes a ton of fun. In fact, over the years I have probably spent far too many hours trying out different color combinations and looks with numerous palettes. It was totally worth it in the end though because I have finally mastered my go-to everyday eye shadow look. That is why today, I decided I would spare you all some time and share with you exactly how I accomplish it! First things first, lets clarify where the common eye shadow placement terms are located on the eye. Below, I attached a detailed chart of what part of the eye I am talking about when I refer to places such as the “crease, tear duct and outer v”. I know when I first looked at an eye shadow tutorial online I was horrendously confused so if any of the terms I say don’t make sense refer back to this helpful little chart. :) Now, lets begin! Before applying any eye shadow I would highly recommend using a primer. This ensures your eye shadow stays on all day and doesn’t smear or wrinkle when you blink. I use Smashbox Photo Finish Lid Primer, but any brand of primer works. If you don’t feel like purchasing a primer, you can use a little bit of your under eye cover-up or concealer and apply it all over your lid and lower lash line with your finger instead. Next I took a pale yellow-toned matte shade and applied it all over my lid as a base color. For this particular look, I used the Urban Decay Naked 2 palette but any eye shadow palette with natural colors will work as a substitute. After applying the base color, Foxy, with an all over eye shadow brush take a shimmery golden bronze color, I used Half Baked, and apply this all over the lid as well. For more definition, I used Chopper from the Naked 2 palette and applied a light coat of the shimmery copper shade with silver micro-glitter to the lid as well. On a large blending brush I took the color Tease, a creamy pale brown matte color and buffed it into the crease using windshield wiper motions. On a precision eye shadow brush, I took a dark bronze shimmer shade called Snakebite and continued buffing this into the crease and along the lower lash line to frame my eyes. I then applied Bootycall, a light shimmery pink into the tear duct and under the brow bone to highlight. Lastly, with a gel eyeliner or angled brush I took the shade Busted, a deep brown shimmer color, and applied this along the upper lash line as mock eyeliner and into the outer v. Finally, apply your favorite mascara and voila! You officially have a stunning eye shadow look that is perfect for everyday wear. And the best thing about this look is after you get the hang of the sequence it can easily be accomplished in less than five minutes. A gorgeous eye shadow tutorial that is fast, simple AND stress-free, what more could you ask for! Xo, Annie By Annie HeilIf there’s one thing Kylie Jenner is known for, it is definitely her lip kits. From her wildly successful matte lip kits to her glosses and newly released eye shadow palettes and eyeliners, it is pretty obvious Kylie has done a very good job branding her cosmetic line. In fact, it is extremely difficult if not impossible to get your hands on Kylie Jenner cosmetics because they are almost always sold out. Aside from their limited quantity, Kylie’s makeup products are also fairly expensive. Her metal lip-glosses cost $18.00 each and the matte lip kits cost $29.00. Add on the shipping and handling costs from purchasing the lip products online and you have yourself one pricey lipstick investment. That is why when I came across the company ColourPop, a company that offers multiple Kylie Jenner lip kit dupes, I was ecstatic. I am a huge sucker for a good deal and as you can probably tell from the majority of my blog posts, discovering reliable makeup dupes is practically a hobby of mine. There’s just something about finding a bargain buy that is so rewarding, especially if the duplicate works equally as well or even better than it’s high-priced twin. So, enough of my blabbering! Let’s jump right into it. ColourPop is a completely online cosmetic retailer that was founded in 2014 by Seed Beauty. All of ColourPop’s products were created and are made in the city of Los Angeles and each lipstick and gloss is extremely affordable, like only $6.00 broke college kid kind of affordable. Kylie Jenner’s arguably most popular lip kit shades are Candy K, Dolce K, and True Brown K. Crazy identical ColourPop Duplicates are Clueless, Beeper and Limbo. If you were to purchase all three of these shades from Kyle Jenner your subtotal would be about $87.00 + shipping and handling. Purchase all three of these shades from ColourPop and your total is going to be approximately $18.00 + shipping and handling, aka less than the price of ONE Kylie Jenner lip kit! That’s a steal if you ask me and the duplicates don’t stop there. Below I went ahead and typed up a little ColourPop duplicate cheat sheet so you can easily find the Kylie Jenner lip kit shade you are just dying to have. Kylie Jenner Lip Kits ColourPop Posie K & Candy K Clueless Dolce K Beeper True Brown K Limbo Mary Jo K Creeper Koko K Midi Kourt K Guess Leo Lax Ginger Love Bug So go ahead and “splurge”! These ColourPop lip-glosses will give you the same look and feel as Kylie Jenner’s for less than half the price. Give a woman the right (priced) lipstick and she can conquer the world. :) Xo, Annie By Annie HeilNo, your eyes are not playing tricks on you and yes, you read that title right. Flash Tattoos ARE still cool and before you go and disagree just hear me out! Permanent tattoos have been a common choice for self-expression and body modification for years where as temporary tattoos are typically viewed as a trend for little kids and tweens. That is, until the introduction of flash tattoos hit stores about a year ago and people across the globe picked up on the trend. After all, if Queen Bey consistently rocks them (enough that she created her own line of them!), why can’t everyone else?!
What’s really cool about flash tattoos is that they can be extremely personalized depending on the person and where they place the tattoos. Just like permanent tattoos, they are a form of self-expression and people get very creative with them. For someone like myself, who is extremely on the fence about getting a real tattoo I find temporary flash tattoos a very happy medium. So what are you waiting for? Go ahead and check out Glam U’s website below and grab yourself a pack of flash tattoos! You’ll be matching Beyoncé in no time and I promise you will not regret it. ☺ Xo, Annie Glam U Website & Social Medias: URL: https://glamu.co Instagram: glamucompany #GLAMU By Annie HeilDear lovelies,
I am writing this post to you today not to say “goodbye” but rather “see you later”. Our spring semester at college has come to an end and unfortunately due to logistics the “Beauty” section of our blog will be inactive during the months of May through August. Don’t let this ruin your summer though! I know you all RELIGIOUSLY read my blog posts and couldn’t imagine your life without them but I promise I will return as soon as school starts up again in the fall. (Okay I got a little carried away there, this could be your first time reading my blog!) Regardless, I will miss the temporary absence of “TWIN” as a whole along with the amazing opportunity it gave me to share my beauty knowledge with the world. I plan on coming back from the summer refreshed, determined and focused and I cannot wait to write more come fall. So keep your eyes peeled! Because as soon as those leaves start changing you will hear from the “TWIN” team again. That being said, have an amazing summer and if you are taking final exams finish strong and take a peek at Ryan Gosling below. They’ll be over before you know it and as my mother would say, C’s get degrees! :) Xo, Annie By Annie Heil I hate to admit it but the number one thing I spend my money on is makeup. Even if I don’t need it I always find some way to justify it, after all why have a single tube of mascara when you can have eight? Unfortunately, being a broke college student and addicted to buying makeup does not go hand in hand. In other words looking at my vanity full of makeup and my empty debit card balance is bittersweet. This is why over the years I have learned that I can still get my makeup “fix” and simultaneously save my money by purchasing makeup dupes. Dupes can be described as a cheaper product that is comparable to a more expensive, often higher quality one. Some may argue dupes are a complete waste of money because they typically don’t last as long or have any impressive benefits. But don’t let this scare you off! As an active user or makeup dupes I can honestly say they are nothing to scoff at. So let’s go ahead and jump right into it. Below is a list of my top 7 insanely, irresistible makeup dupes that will change your low card balance and your look. It’s the best of both worlds.
2. Try the Master Fix Setting + Perfecting Powder by Maybelline ($7.99) and ditch Make Up For Ever’s HD Microfinish Powder ($35). They are essentially the exact same product and you save about $27! 3. Brand name mascaras can get extremely expensive and trust me drugstore mascara works just as well. Try L’Oreal Paris Voluminous Carbon Black ($5.89) mascara instead of Diorshow ($27.50). Just think of all the other makeup products you can buy with the $21 you are saving! 4. All about a cat eye? Use Maybelline Line Stiletto liquid liner ($5.59) instead of YSL Eyeliner Effect Faux Cils ($34) and save about $28! 5. Rocking a bold lip is very in this spring, being broke is not! Get the perfect matte lip by trying Sonia Kashuk Velvet lip crayons ($7.99 each) instead of NARS Velvet matte lip pencil ($26) and save $18. 6. More of a gloss kind of gal? Kat Von D makes great Liquid Lipstick in Lolita ($20) but try NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Cannes ($6) to get the same look for less than half the price. 7. To prevent makeup meltdowns and keep your “face” on all day try L’Oreal Paris Infallible Setting Spray ($13.79) instead of Urban Decay All Nighter Makeup Setting Spray ($30). Less than $15 dollars to keep your makeup in place? Yes, please! Till next time fellow makeup junkies :) Xo, Annie By Annie HeilWhat if Jay Z wrote about lost bobby pins instead of a quote on quote girl who isn’t his problem? The song probably wouldn’t have been as popular as the original, but I must say I’m curious to know what the rest of the lyrics would be. “If you having bad hair days I feel bad for you son”, or “if you don’t like my hair you can say goodbye”? Oh gosh, okay maybe I don’t want to know the lyrics to a bobby pin song…stick to writing about girls Jay Z. Using bobby pins to accessorize is a very overlooked opportunity. I can’t even begin to tell you how many I’ve lost over the years and I swear sometimes they grow legs and walk away. However, on the rare occasion I find more than two lying around I immediately turn to my three absolute favorite bobby pin hairstyles. I know it may sound ridiculous but a lot of people don’t know the proper way to use a bobby pin. The jagged side faces DOWN, never vice versa! Additionally, if you’re planning on wearing your hairstyle for a long period of time try spraying them with dry shampoo or hairspray beforehand. This adds friction and holds the bobby pin securely in place when the product dries. #Hashtag: Social media babes this hairstyle is for you. It closely resembles a hashtag and it is a cute way to keep your front hair out of you face. Depending on where you part you hair, take two small sections and secure them with two horizontal bobby pins placed parallel to each other. Next, take two more and secure them vertically to create the hashtag. Make sure the pins are equally spaced apart to resemble the shape as much as possible and when inserting the horizontal pins, pull them away from your face. When inserting the two vertical pins, pull upwards. Chevron: The second hairstyle is perfect if you’re looking to spice up a simple low bun, ponytail or even a side braid. I wear my hair in a low bun all the time so for this look I began by sweeping all my hair to the nape of my neck and tying it in a low messy bun. Then I took two bobby pins and placed them in the shape of a “V”, making four rows. To position the pins in your hair a little easier, make sure to always insert them diagonally down towards the floor. The two ends of the pins should always connect for the “V’s” to stay in place and create the chevron pattern down your head. Triangle: The third and final look is a chic bobby pin triangle designed to hold back a half updo. This one is perfect for those days when you’re torn between spending time on your hair or just throwing it up and out of your face. Personally, I struggle with this on the daily so I adore this look. If you have a lot or very long hair, first secure hair from one side with a bobby pin and hide it under the hair from the other side. Then you can go ahead and create the triangle. This can get tricky, but I found it’s easiest to secure the bottom pin first then diagonally insert the two sides of the triangle down towards the floor. Just make sure the ends are always touching, otherwise your triangle will end up looking more like random chicken scratches! Feeling adventurous? Try creating these looks with different colored bobby pins and have a blast “pinning”! :)
Xo, Annie By Annie HeilApplying false eyelashes can be a struggle, not to mention extremely time consuming! That is why over the years I have developed effortless tips and tricks to get the look without all the hassle. First things first, pick up an eyelash curler and curl your lashes! I cannot stress how important this step is and it blows my mind how often people skip it. It only takes .2 seconds and I pinky promise it will make a world of difference! Next, take an eyeliner brush and apply a thin layer of black shadow on your top and bottom lashes to create a base. I am using a slanted bamboo eyeliner brush from EcoTools and Urban Decay’s Naked2 shadow in “Blackout”. To prevent getting specs of shadow fallout all over your face, hold a plastic spoon or credit card underneath your bottom lashes. After you apply the shadow base, take your favorite mascara and apply two coats. Start at the base of your lashes and wiggle the wand in a back and forth motion while slowly moving up. The left and right motion will ensure every lash is entirely covered and help lengthen them. Make sure to wait a couple seconds in between each coat as well, otherwise your lashes tend to clump and turn spider like.
Repeat this process 3-4 times by applying black eye shadow first then two coats of mascara. I like to switch up the types of mascaras I use in between every two coats because I find it sticks to the powder better when you alternate brands. My four go-to mascaras are Maybelline Great Lash, Maybelline The Falsies Big Eyes Mascara (with two applicator sizes), Revlon Butterfly Intenza and Wet n Wild MegaPlump. The more you repeat this process the bolder and “falser” your lashes will appear. I cannot tell you how many compliments I have received when I apply my mascara this way and like I said it’s a lot easier than dealing with false lashes. So skip the glue, tweezers, trimming and blending and grab your favorite black eye shadow. Your lashes will never look the same! Xo, Annie By Annie HeilFrom the soothing pedicure massage chairs to the perfectly painted tips you walk out with, it is no secret getting you nails done is a treat. What’s not a treat, however, is how dang expensive it can get to regularly go get your nails done. Sure, nail services are the perfect way to pamper yourself, but there’s definitely nothing more frustrating then paying $15 for a manicure only to have it chip two days later. Nail junkies, I know you can relate and this is exactly why gel manicures have become the norm. They can last up to three weeks without any chipping and the best part is you don’t have to wait for your nails to dry before leaving the salon. After your nails sit under the UV or LED lamp the nail techs take a cotton ball saturated with solution and wipe all of your nails clean. No matter how many times I get my nails done I am still terrified one day all of the polish will come off when they rub them. Now to be completely honest I was not a big advocate of gel manicures when I first got one. It sounds shocking, I know, because I totally geared you up for this post to be all about how much I love them but it wasn’t until I stumbled upon “mood” colors that I actually started getting them regularly. Do you remember the movie Aquamarine? Where Aqua’s “fingerscales” would change color with her mood? That is exactly what color changing “mood” nail polish does! “In the mood” nail polish changes color depending on your body temperature and chemistry. An adjustment in body temperature such as running your hands under warm water, going outside in the freezing cold or even mood swings will cause the color to change. This means your fingers will be one color when your body is hot and a completely different color when you’re cold! (“Warm” nail color) (“Cold” nail color)
The colors continue to alternate back and forth as your body temperature changes and I can honestly say it is the most entertaining manicure I have ever had. Every time I look down at my fingers, they are a different color! If you’re someone who always has a hard time picking out a color and then gets sick of it after five days (me) then this nail polish is DEFINETLY for you. So go ahead, unleash your inner Aquamarine and try “mood” nail polish next time you go get your nails done. I promise you wont regret it! Xo, Annie By Annie HeilJackson 5 said it best, “A-B-C, it’s easy as 1-2-3, as simple as, do re mi A-B-C, 1-2-3 baby, you and me girl”! Did you have as much trouble reading that without humming the tune as I did? Phew, I thought I was the only one! Every time I hear that song I am instantly reminded of one of my friends who was notorious at parties for stealing the AUX cord. I kid you not she ALWAYS played this song and as hard as everybody in the room wanted to tell her to turn it off, no one ever did. I guess there’s just something about a 1970’s throwback song that puts everyone in a good mood. I blame it on the irresistibly catchy melody and maybe the a a a a a a a alc…...oh never mind! Anyhoo, aside from classic Jackson 5 hits there is also just something about warm weather and a festival that immediately puts people in a good mood. From Wee Fest to Summerfest, Coachella to Lollapalooza, I think it’s safe to say spring and summer is the best time of the year for music festivals. Unfortunately, I highly doubt any of the artists at these festivals will sing “A-B-C, Easy as 1-2-3”, but what I can guarantee you is that your festival hairstyle can be A-B-C do re me easy in just yep, you guessed it, 1-2-3 steps. J So, for those of you who like to spend less time getting ready and more time having fun like moi, keep reading! Because this hairstyle will be your bread and butter for any kind of festival you attend this summer. Step 1: Curling Start off by taking pieces of your hair and wrapping them around a 1” curling iron. I am using a Conair – Infiniti You Curl Curling Wand (curling iron without a clamp) because it is absolutely perfect for all kinds of hair lengths. To get “effortless bohemian curls” make sure to alternate the amount of hair you wrap around your curling wand. Randomly pick up small, medium and large pieces of hair and make sure you are always switching up the direction you curl your hair by either wrapping the hair away or towards the face. Don’t worry about the curls being too polished, this look is supposed to be messy! Step 2: Two Loose Braids After your hair is completely curled take a medium sized section of your hair towards the back of your crown and begin loosely braiding it. The type of braid you choose to do is completely up to you, but I decided to do a fishtail because I feel like it fits the vibe of the hairstyle best. Finish braiding one braid and repeat the exact same thing with another medium sized section of hair on the other side of your head. Tie both of the braids off with a clear elastic. Next, carefully tug on the multiple sections of the braid to loosen it up and make it appear larger. Make sure not to pull too hard though! You don’t want the braid to become completely undone. Step 3: Texturize & Scrunch
Finally, add some texture! After you spray a texturizer directly follow it up by softly scrunching the hair. This will give the hairstyle a lot of body, texture and grit. I used Suave Professionals Keratin Infusion Color Care Dry Shampoo so that I could add texture while also reducing any shine from grease. And voila! You are finished! Now go enjoy your festival……or some more Jackson 5 throwbacks. “Oh darlin’, I was blind to let you go”! Xo, Annie |
Meet Abby!Abby is a passionate and fashion forward Twin Cities native majoring in Retail Merchandising here at the University of Minnesota. She loves to capture the beautiful small moments in life with her camera. You’ll probably find Abby sipping on a latte whilst adventuring in the city or curled up in bed with a good book! Check her out on the "beauty" section of Twin! Categories
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