Perfect Makeup for Valentine's Day

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I remember it wasn't until I was 19 year's old that I finally had a Valentine. I never had a boyfriend in high school, so it was really special when Ryan, my husband, was my first Valentine. I will never forget that date. It was our second one and first official date because long story short our first date was a bust when Ryan's car got stolen. No joke! haha. (I'll be sure to tell you that story later).

I still have the J.Crew red skirt that I wore on our first official date, and I remember how embarrassed I was when he opened the front door wearing a red shirt and black pants, almost my exact outfit except flipped. We looked like a walking checkerboard. When we got to the restaurant we sat down only to find his sister and her husband just a table away. It was still romantic nonetheless.

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Do you remember your first Valentine? Do you remember getting dressed up for that special someone? Well, I hope you have a Valentine this year, and if you do I really hope you get to go out since it's on a Saturday night. Here's a gorgeous makeup look created by Stephanie Neiheisel of SN Makeup Artist using Memebox's "I'm Lipstick #5" in pink fuchsia and then adding "I'm Lip Crayon #4" in Juliet on top. For a total of $14 you could have Valentine's Day ready lips and get many more uses after that. Use code AVE10 for a 10% discount of any lip product purchase.

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Pair this makeup with a classic LBD and loose curls and you've got yourself a show stopping Valentine's Day outfit! Have fun!

Makeup by Stephanie Neiheisel, Photography by Michelle Herrick, Styling by A.V.E. Styles; Florals by Hoot and Holler and makeup products from Memebox.

Date Night In

Whether you can't find childcare or you simply want stay in your comfy clothes, date nights at home can be just the ticket to celebrate Valentine's Day. You don't have to get all dressed up and kill your toes in heels for you special someone to find you sexy. In fact, studies have shown that men prefer women with less makeup and natural lip colors. And though they may love beautiful lingerie, on the outside, skinny jeans and a t-shirt can be sexier than a tight red dress. In light of that information, I have created a date night and a makeup look with Memebox and SN Makeup Artist to show you how to look great for a date night in.

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1| Think like a Hepburn. Audrey Hepburn was adored by men just as much as women. She was the epitome of the classic, girl next door. Wear you black skinnies, a button up shirt or turtleneck and a pair of flats. Maybe even plan to watch Roman Holiday with your beau.

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2| Vintage inspired makeup. Forget the eyeshadow and just apply a black winged eyeliner. A pale coral lip is a great complement because it gives you some color, but not too much. I love Memebox's giselle lip crayon. Simply apply around your lips. It goes on smooth and has a bit of gloss to it. It's only $7.00 and you can get it for an additional 10% off when you use the code AVE10 at checkout. This applies to any lip crayon, lipstick or lip tint product.

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3| Coffee or wine, please. I don't know about your guy, but my hubby loves a great glass of wine or cup of coffee more than food. Granted, there needs to be food, but spend some thought on what you will be drinking just as much as what you will be eating.

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There you have it! A simple, cute date night look that's comfy and sexy. PS - don't wait for Valentine's Day to have a great date night in. You can do it anytime with ease. Just don't forget your lip crayon and use your AVE10 code at checkout.

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Photos by Michelle Herrick; art direction, styling and modeling by A.V.E. Styles, makeup by SN Makeup Artist.

Ulta Beauty Products

Maybe you're like me, and whenever you go into an Ulta store you don't even give Ulta's beauty products the time of day. I usually check out the buy one get one free deals in the drugstore cosmetics section, scan the the higher-end beauty product prices and get a couple of hair goodies from the back.

Well, the other week they didn't have any good deals with Revlon, Cover Girl, etc., and I needed a new eyeliner before heading out on a trip. I glanced over at the Ulta beauty product section and saw they were having a special. I tested their eye liners on the back of my hand, and decided to try out their Automatic Eye Liner. I pulled out a shiny lip gloss for my freebie, and crossed my fingers in hopes that I didn't waste my money.

I am happy to report that I am VERY satisfied with the results. I'm saying good-bye to M.A.C.'s eye liner and hello to Ulta's because it's cheaper (it's on sale for $1.00!!!!) and I get the same results. Plus, their Super Shiny Lip Gloss is wonderful. It's not gummy AT ALL. It's shiny, very moisturizing and smells delightful. They are on sale for only $4.00 right now!!!

$5.00 for two new beauty products. How awesome is that?!

Lip Gloss

I mentioned at the beginning of the year that bright lips are going to be BIG this season. I'm not necessarily speaking of red lips - more like pinks and purples. Many beauty blogs and style magazines are saying its the return of the lipstick. I, however, cannot stand lipstick. It's mainly the taste and its ability to always land on my teeth. My solutions... Lip stains and my two FAVORITE high pigmented lip glosses - Benefit's Lip Gloss and Victoria Secret's Beauty Rush Lip Gloss (only the opaque colors like the purple shown below on the right).

You can increase the color intensity by adding more gloss to your lips, so don't be afraid to buy a dark color. They always start pretty sheer. Your lips always feel moisturized (important for dry climates) and always look shiny and kissable. Great for Valentine's Day. =)

Best Lip Product EVER!

As mentioned in my last post, I've been on the hunt for a long-lasting lip stick/stain for a week. My best friend is getting married and the last thing she needs is to worry about is reapplying her lip color. As a bridesmaid, I'd say the same goes for me too. Well, I have found what I'm looking for times TEN! I spent about a half an hour in Ulta scrounging around looking at all of the options. Feeling overwhelmed, I saw Revlon had a buy one, get one free deal, and it quickly helped me narrow down my options. (I'm doing my part to stimulate the economy and I'm not going to pass up a steal like that)! I decided to take a chance on Revlon's ColorStay Overtime. It's a lip gloss/color duo. The color goes on smooth and dries fast, but gives you just enough time to get the color where you want it. The clear gloss doesn't taste the greatest, but it's not gummy at all.

I applied this product at 6:00 p.m. last night, ate dinner, drank water, washed my face, brushed my teeth, went to bed and woke up with the color still on my lips!!! It wasn't even blotchy! Granted, there wasn't any gloss, but there was the same beautiful color I applied last night!

BEST lip product I've ever tried! Not to mention they have 28 different colors! Most long-lasting lip products come in dark, ugly shades. Not this one! I've tried many different brands (Benefit, Clinique, Estee Lauder, Lancome, Laura Mercier, MAC...)

You should try it! Let me know what you think.