Golden Glam Holiday Makeup Tutorial

It may be hard to believe, but New Year's Eve is almost upon us! It's time to find a LBD, stock up on champagne, and prepare a killer makeup look to rock for the evening. Seriously, though. If there is one day in the year that full-on glam is entirely appropriate, it's NYE. As your makeup BFF, I of course had to come up with something to help you get inspired. This tutorial is actually in collaboration with the lovely Anisa from Whisk & Heels, who I've actually been following for years and is now a fellow Ipsy OS member! We each have put a unique twist on a classic silver or gold holiday makeup look that should help you feel super fierce at your next party. Once you've had a chance to check out my tutorial make sure you also head on over to Anisa's channel to see hers. She seriously did an amazing job (#blendinggoals) and I think you're going to love it!

November 2016 Favorites

Every time I sit down to write a monthly favorites post, I feel like a broken record. "This month went by so fast!", "Where did the year go?", "What am I doing with my life?!"

Okay, so maybe not so much the last one, but it's certainly also been on the brain.

Time does have a sneaky way of disappearing. I'm sitting here looking over all of the beauty I've been using in the last couple of months, and realize that I'm still backlogged on a ton of reviews that I want to write for you guys. AND there's still new stuff coming in. Basically, if you want to be a beauty blogger, you have to be willing to hustle hard. Getting to play with makeup and skincare and whatnot is awesome, but I can totally appreciate how some people do this as a full time job. It takes work, man, and most days 24 hours do not seem like enough.

ANYWAY, I'm distracting myself. Let's get back to the matter at hand - all of the beauty I was loving on last month. As the winter starts to creep ever closer I've been all about products that will keep me soft and smooth from head to toe. Curious to find out more? Keep on reading!

What I'm Thankful For: Beauty Edition

So, this post comes along with a bit of a funny story. Maybe funny not funny in the "ha ha" sense, but funny in the "I see what you're doing there, universe" kind of way. I woke up yesterday morning feeling energized and productive, which was fortunate because my to-do list for the day was pretty ambitious. I had hoped to get my Thursday video done earlier this week, but between life and sheer exhaustion, it just never happened. That left me Thanksgiving morning to shop a few sales, beautify myself, film, edit, and make Deviled eggs all in time to meet my parents at 1:00. I was a little nervous that I would end up scrambling around at the last second, but I actually was making great time all day. There I am, feeling like a boss, putting on my eyeshadow with hours to spare and BAM.

The power goes out.

Fall Haul First Impressions

If you guys saw my recent fall beauty haul, then you're already well aware that I've acquired a boat load of new makeup to review. Between a trip to the new NYX store in Union Square, goodies sent from a friend in the UK, and my own inability to restrain myself, I've ended up with a whole lotta loot. Life has been a little crazy lately, which ultimately translated to the majority of my new beauty ending up in a pile waiting to be loved. This weekend finally afforded me the opportunity to get some blogging hours in, and I stared at said pile feeling a little overwhelmed with my options. Where the heck should I even begin? And then I had a brilliant idea. Why not try it all and let you in on the process? I'm all about being real with you guys and sharing my honest thoughts on beauty. So why not capture my completely unscripted, entirely unpredictable first impressions on camera? Not gonna lie, filming this video was a whole lot of fun, and I don't think the look I created in the end was too shabby. So if you're curious to see how these new goodies worked out for me, keep on reading!

Halloween Makeup Tutorial: Whimsical Blue Fairy

Are you ready for Halloween? CAUSE I'M SO READY FOR HALLOWEEN!

It's been a long time since I've really busted out my makeup skills for a Halloween look (holla back to this deer look I created when I first started my blog), and with so many amazing bloggers and MUAs going ham this year, I decided I wanted in on the action! It's probably no surprise that super creepy and/or gory costumes are not really my jam, although I totally respect the amazing artistry that goes into them. I've just always been a girly girl. Maybe I've been spending too much time Snapchatting with the butterfly crown filter, but my almost immediate instinct was that I needed to be a fairy.

I lucked out big time by finding this prom dress for $10 at a local consignment shop, and then scouted out a wig and wings at a Halloween store. When it came to makeup I was totally inspired by my new Kat Von D MetalMatte Eyeshadow Palette, which had the perfect shades for my blue fairy transformation. I had way too much fun filming this tutorial, and I think the end look I came up with is whimsical without being OTT. Hopefully it'll give you a little inspiration for your own Halloween look!

500 Subscriber Giveaway!

Are you guys ready to do a happy dance? 'Cause I'm ready to do a happy dance.

I finally hit the 500 subscriber mark over on my YouTube channel! My YouTube journey thus far has been quite the learning process. Even though I've been blogging here for years, I only started posting videos to my channel at the end of last summer. I had no lighting, no backdrop, no editing software, and pretty much no idea of what I was doing. All I knew was that I wanted to be able to bring some of my content to life, and to give you guys a chance to get to know the face behind the makeup.

Over the course of the last year I feel like my videos have come a long way (those first ones...those first ones are pretty rough). I've worked my butt off trying to learn from my mistakes, and am always pushing myself to make every video just a teeny bit better than the last.

So yes, 500 may seem like a comparatively tiny number, but to me that's 500 more people that are supporting me doing something I love than I had a year ago. And I think that's flippin amazing. I really can't thank you guys enough for all the love that you've given me here and on my channel, but as a small gesture of appreciation, I want to give you all a chance to win some sweet beauty loot!

Surprise Giveaway: Win an Awesome Beauty Goodie Bag!

Happy Friday, friends! I can't believe it's the last day of September. I know, I know. I say this every month. But September was especially short for me. Between traveling to Iceland and hitting up Gen Beauty my entire perception of time has been thrown out of whack. I've started to notice the leaves around these parts are starting to turn and it's just like...what the heck? When did this happen? As fast as it was, September has been a pretty great month, and I wanted to send some of the good vibes your way!

I've put together two little goodie bags filled with products I took home from Generation Beauty (as well as a few other fun things I've picked up along the way) for you to win. Want to know how to enter? Just keep on reading!

The Ride or Die Makeup Tag: Holy Grail Favorite Products

So today's post is a bit of an impromptu one. I'm not normally one to get sucked into the hype of YouTube challenges and tags, but considering how much I a. love Jaclyn Hill, and b. love talking about makeup, I really couldn't resist. Her energy is so infectious, and pretty much immediately after watching her video I found myself planning to film my own take on the tag.

If you're feeling a little lost, Jaclyn posted a video last week creating a "Ride-or-Die" makeup tag, encouraging everyone out there to share their holy grail, tried-and-true, all-time favorite makeup products of life. A ton of other beauty gurus have joined in on the fun (you can see Tati's video here) and it's been really interesting to see how different (or in some cases similar) everyone's responses have been.

As a word of warning, today's video is a particularly chatty one. With so many products to talk about, and so much love to be shared, I think I got a little carried away. But, if you're still curious to find out what my ride-or-die favorites are, and don't mind hanging out with me for a little bit, keep on reading!

Summer Beauty Haul | Birthday Goodies, 4th of July Deals & More

When I was a little kid, I used to hate the fact that my birthday was a. in the summer and b. the day before the 4th of July. I never got to bring cupcakes into school or have my birthday announced over the loudspeaker, and every time I tried to throw a party to celebrate, all my friends would be away for the holiday weekend with their families. I basically decided that the universe had cursed me with the worst birthday ever.

Twenty years later, my opinions have done a total 180.

I love my birthday. There are always amazing deals happening right at the time where I might have some newly acquired gift cards to spend, I never have to work the morning, AND I get fireworks. I mean, seriously. Thank you mom and dad for bringing me into the world on what I have determined is essentially the perfect weekend.

As you can tell from the title of this post, I've done a little damage recently in the shopping department. How could I resist picking myself up a few birthday goodies at a time where so many sweet deals are to be had? I suppose I could have had more restraint...but really, since when are birthdays about denying yourself? I always love sharing what I'll be testing and reviewing next with you guys, so I've rounded up all my new loot and filmed a little haul video.

June 2016 Favorites

Hello lovelies! It's time for another round of monthly favorites. Every time I sit down in front of the camera I feel like a broken record. Wasn't it just yesterday that I was saying the same things? How is it that every month seems to fly by, and yet certain days can feel like an eternity. Oh life and your many mysteries. I probably shouldn't try to understand.

Anyway, enough philosophy. It's time to talk beauty. This month I have a small collection of goodies to share, many of which you've probably seen me chat about in these parts already. A gorgeous eyeshadow palette, an orange blush that I became unexpectedly enamored with, THE perfect nude lip balm...you guys know what I'm talking about. But if you'd like to hear more, keep on reading.

May Favorites

Hello there, friends! May has been a bit of a crazy month for me, and I know I haven't been as active around these parts as I would like to be. It's not for lack of things to share. I've got A TON of posts queued up, waiting for me to make time to finish them. My hope is that I'll be able to get my butt in gear over the next couple of days and get down to blogging business. On that note, if you aren't already subscribed to Little Blushing Birdie by e-mail, it's the best way to get notified whenever I post something new. It'll deliver a snippet straight to your inbox so you can remember to check it out whenever you've got the time.

Anyway, back to the reason your here! There are a few great products I've been playing with this month that I'm excited to share with you all. Truthfully I've been using a lot of the same things I've been loving from the past couple of months (the IT Cosmetics CC Cream is life), so if you really want a clearer picture of my beauty loves, I'd recommend looking back at my previous favorites posts from this year. But as any beauty junkie knows, there's always something new to talk about. So let's get to it!

SK-II Facial Treatment Essence Review

*PR Product/Affiliate Links used

As much as I have a weakness for eyeshadow palettes and lipsticks, the one thing I never regret investing my money in is quality skincare. Makeup is fun and beautiful to look at, but nothing is more important to me than taking good care of the face it sits on top of. You can totally build a great regimen on a budget (check out this full skincare routine I've put together for under $100), but that's not to say that luxury products are never worth the splurge. For me it's all about getting bang for my buck. Do I want to drop an extra $40 or $50 for pretty packaging and a name? Not really. But if I'm investing in top-notch, effective ingredients that actually deliver as promised, I can get behind that. The tricky part is understanding what exactly you're paying for before you hit that checkout button. And that, my friends, is why I'm here. I want to help you #educateyoself so you can make informed decisions about the things you're spending your hard earned money on.

Recently I was sent two insanely splurgey products from Influenster to test and review - the SK-II Facial Treatment Essence and the SK-II Facial Treatment Mask. And when I say splurgey, we're talking triple-digit-burn-a-hole-in-your-wallet-splurgey. There are very few products I've tried that are more expensive than these, which left me all the more curious as to whether or not they actually work. Now, I haven't explored much of the Asian beauty scene, but I have heard many rumblings about how amazing this particular brand is. With innovative ingredients, SK-II products promise to transform your skin and deliver a youthful, radiant glow. Transform is a pretty powerful word, and an enticing one at that, but ultimately I need more than words to become a believer. So, in the name of science and informed consumerism, let's get into this!

April 2016 Favorites

As the months of the year roll by, April usually isn't one of any real significance. Yes, spring is here, but for the most part everything is still very brown, and the weather isn't all that wonderful, and nothing particularly exciting is going on. This year, though, April was fantastic. Blogging-wise I've had my best month to date. I was featured by Stitch Fix, gave my blog design a fresh face (and took on some serious coding challenges to do so), and got more pageviews than any month in the past three years. Even if Little Blushing Birdie is still a pretty small-time deal, I feel like I've come a long way from where I started.

April was also a great month for beauty. I've hauled and tried a ton of new products since March and can't wait to share the best of the best with you all. So enough of me rambling, let's get into it!

Everyday Makeup | Wearable Red Lips

Hello there, friends! I'm sorry I've been missing for most of the week. I've been completely absorbed in an epic coding project I started last weekend. I'd noticed some weird things happening on my mobile site (mainly my images being blurry and low quality) and was all around feeling sort of tired with my current color scheme and design. Alas, I am not a designer, and my knowledge of coding is pretty limited. I knew that I could probably hire someone to spruce things up for me, but I'm a serious do-it-yourself-er and wanted to see if I could figure it out on my own. It took a lot of googling and tinkering, but I did it! I solved the mystery of the blurry pictures, made a few changes to my layout that I think you all will appreciate, and rolled out a fresh, new color scheme while I was at it. I really love the look and feel of my new site, and hope you all are enjoying it too!

As much as I could keep on nerding out to you guys about my adventures behind-the-scenes, I'm really here to share an updated everyday makeup look with you all. I've been totally obsessed with this sheer red lipstick that I discovered, and have been pairing it with a soft, neutral-toned eye look pretty much on the daily.

Spring 2016 Walmart Beauty Box Unboxing

Happy Friday, friends! I am SO ready for the weekend. Just need to get myself though one more work day (lots of coffee may be required) and I'm home free. Today I've got a quick and fun little video for you all. My Walmart Beauty Box arrived a week or so ago, and I wanted to unbox it and show you what I got! If you aren't familiar with Walmart Beauty Box, it's a seasonal subscription that only costs $5 and contains a variety of new finds and old classics from the beauty and personal care aisles of Walmart. Most of what you get a nice travel-sized samples, but sometimes you'll get a full sized product thrown in there, too. If you'd like to check out some of my previous boxes, you can view all of my older posts here.

Spring Ulta Haul | 21 Days of Beauty and More

I don't know about you, but it's basically impossible for me to resist a good sale. Whether it's on eggs at the grocery store, or makeup at Ulta, I'm usually all about getting the best price I can. Ulta recently just wrapped up their 21 Days of Beauty promotion, which I ended up taking way more advantage of than I anticipated. For those of you who might be unfamiliar, 21 Days of Beauty is a thing Ulta does a few times a year. Every day for 21 Days they have different beauty steals that are each available for 24 hours only. These products are usually up to 50% off their usual price, making them incredibly enticing to snag. On top of that, anyone with Platinum status had access to additional steals and free shipping on most orders during that three week period. I personally also ended up getting multiple 5x points opportunities throughout the promotion, sweetening the deal even futher.

TLDR: I bought a whole bunch of new stuff and it cost me a lot less money than it should have (yay!).

Spring 2016 Stitch Fix | Try on & Review

Can anyone tell me why it looks like a winter wonderland outside? It's April, Mother Nature. Let's get with the program. Regardless of the state of the outdoors, I am insisting on channeling all things Spring. My Stitch Fix has arrived and I am ready to share my pretty new clothes even if it's too cold for me to actually leave the house wearing them.

For those of you who might be unfamiliar with Stitch Fix, it's a fashion-forward personal styling service. After you fill out a detailed profile outlining your sizes and style preferences, your Stitch Fix Stylist will pick out 5 clothing and accessory items to suit your tastes. When your box arrives you have three days to try everything on, see how things work with your existing wardrobe, and decide what you'd like to keep. Then you return whatever isn't your jam, and buy whatever you love. Want to keep it all? You'll get a 25% discount on your entire Fix if you decide to purchase all 5 items. Having your own personal shopper only costs $20, and this styling fee gets credited back to you as long as you keep at least one piece from your fix.

It's a pretty excellent concept, especially if you're one of those people who hates wandering aimlessly through the mall, or barely has time to eat breakfast in the morning, let alone go shopping for new clothes. I personally have been enjoying Stitch Fix as a way of introducing new and unique pieces to my wardrobe that I might not have thought to buy for myself otherwise. Which brings us back to today's post! I wanted to show you all what I got in my Spring Fix, and share my thoughts on the process and what I decided to keep.

March 2016 Favorites

Here we meet again for another monthly favorites post. As I've gotten older I think time seems to pass faster than ever. How has the first quarter of 2016 already gotten past us? Anyway, I've got a nice little collection of products to share with you all this month. For the most part my beauty routine hasn't changed a ton. Most of the products I shared in January and February are still part of my daily rotation. I've done some serious beauty shopping in the last month (Ulta's 21 Days of Beauty may be partially responsible), so I expect that April will bring lots of new and exciting things to share. Anywho, let's move on to this month's faves!

Affordable Spring Makeup Tutorial

Even though it's only officially been spring for about three days now, I've been in full-on spring mode for weeks. I can't help my myself. When it comes to beauty trends, I love everything about this time of year. I want everything pastel and glowy and fresh right on my face.

For this month's makeup tutorial I decided to channel my springtime obsession into this bright, girly look. It uses all affordable products, so make sure you keep an eye out for sales before you pick any of them up (#couponingforthewin)! So if you want to join me in rocking some glitter and soft watercolor shades, come check it out.

March Unboxing: Birchbox & Wantable Accessories

Happy Sunday, everyone! I'm feeling mighty groggy this morning thanks to the fact that my body and the clock are in disagreement over what time it should be. I know I shouldn't hate on Daylight Savings too much, seeing as that means it'll still be sunny outside well past dinner time. I just don't like the feeling of already being late because an hour of my schedule has just completely evaporated.

So much to do. SO LITTLE TIME.

Anyway, before I get into the hustle and bustle of another weekend day, I've got an unboxing video to share with you all! My Birchbox and my Wantable Accessories Collection both showed up in my mailbox yesterday, which naturally meant I needed to show you guys what was inside. It was a bit of a mixed bag this month, but I'll let yesterday-me do the rest of the explaining.