bailey bee

beauty, home and lifestyle blog

NEW FENTY BEAUTY MATTEMOISELLE LIPSTICKS IN ‘BALLERINA BLACKOUT’, ‘THICC’, ‘PUMPKIN ROSE’ AND ‘FLAMINGO ACID’

Oh. MY GOSH.

GUYS

Fenty released their new Mattemoiselle shades. You BETTER BELIEVE I ordered them the morning they launched. I was so so so so tempted to buy the 10/10 set but held out because I only wanted a few shades out of those ten and was just hoping the shades would be released individually. Lo and behold… here we are.

Here are the four shades I picked up: Ballerina Blackout, Thicc, Pumpkin Rose and Flamingo Acid.

on-arm swatch fenty beauty mattemoiselle ballerina blackout, thicc, pumpkin rose, flamingo acid

And most importantly, on-lip swatches on my Fenty 110/120 skin tone:

on-lip swatches of new fenty beauty mattemoiselle lipsticks in ballerina blackout, thicc, pumpkin rose and flamingo acid on 110/120 or NC15 skin
Here’s my quick breakdown by shade…
I decided at the last second to purchase Ballerina Blackout because my go-to lipstick shade is a bubblegum pink but I had a feeling this wasn’t going to work out and, well, I was right. It’s much too white-based and leans too blue for my liking. I don’t see this one being a universal favorite for anyone, really. It reads very 2000’s mod pink ala MAC’s ‘Pink Nouveau’.
The one shade I was most excited for was Thicc and yet another disappointment. Unfortunately for me, Thicc does not show up as pink on me like it does on other skin tones that I’ve seen so I’m not sure I’m even going to keep it. Formula-wise though, Thicc is one of the “good ones” and is very silky
‘Pumpkin Rose’ is riiiiiight up my alley. I love a good yellow-orange. This shade is described as a “marigold” and on the promo photos appeared almost like a mustard tone but on me? A super poppy orange. I freaking LOVE this shade. I thought I loved Saw-C from the debut release of Fenty’s Mattemoiselles but I prefer Pumpkin Rose to Saw-C now for sure. The formula is nicer this go around, too. Less chalky and more like the rest of the shades.
Lastly, another random addition to my cart, Flamingo Acid. This shade is the winner of the lipsticks I purchased. It is soooOOo pigmented and really, really flattering. This will easily be a universal favorite– I will call it right now! The formula is on point; it leaves a LASTING stain on the lips and has one swipe coverage.
I was also intrigued to see Pumpkin Rose compared to Saw C and Lime Crime’s ‘Squash’. Pumpkin Rose is pretty much Squash in the Mattemoiselle formula. Saw C is more vibrant/neon and slightly redder. Clearly, as I mentioned, I have a thing for orange lippies.
side by side swatch comparison of fenty beauty mattemoiselle in pumpkin rose versus saw-c and lime crime squash
Overall, I am pleased with this second set of additions to the Fenty Beauty Mattemoiselle line. I appreciate the funky color options and will most likely purchase some more down the line. For now? Catch me rocking out with Flamingo Acid and Pumpkin Rose on my lips every single day.
Feel free to shop this post below if you’re interested in trying any of the 24 shades:

MY HOLY GRAIL MAKEUP BRUSHES

Hi guys! I hope you all had a lovely holiday, whichever it is that you choose to celebrate. If you’re reading this the week I’m posting it, rest assured that I have exhausted myself by moving my life to another state!!!! I can’t wait to share my new home with you and adventure the state of  North Carolina.
Until then,
I wanted to talk about my holy grail makeup brushes. I have been playing with makeup for many, many years. About 13 years so far. That brings me back to 7th grade where I specifically remember rocking this L’Oreal shadow duo daily. Yes, really. That is when I learned that I loved yellow eyeshadow and that purple shadows were difficult to formulate. Here’s photo proof of young Bailey rocking a yellow lid much like I still do nowadays.
Anyway, my point is that I’ve worked my way through a lot of makeup and thus, a lot of makeup brushes. The ones I am about to list are not only all dependable but also affordable and long-lasting. I don’t own any high-end brushes so I hope this collection will be useful for all, no matter the budget!
my favorite makeup brushes lined up with labels of what they are
First is my eyebrow brush. I rely on a brush to do my eyebrows because I utilize powders and pomades, not pencils. This Anastasia Beverly Hills #7 brush is stiff enough and a decent enough length to get eyebrows done quickly yet precisely. The bonus spoolie on the end is always useful, too.
Next is the Real Techniques Deluxe Crease brush. This is a more recent favorite of mine and I like it because I can apply a decent amount of product on the outer crease-to-brow bone area to build depth. My eyes are deep set and I have to use a lot of shadow to show continuity between my eye and my outer crease and this brush gets it done quickly. I usually use another blending brush to blend the product after applying it down.
The Benefit Hoola brush was something I didn’t know existed until this year. I was skeptical to buy a brush from a company that really doesn’t make or focus on brushes but I was very pleasantly surprised.  I have now replaced my previous bronzing brushes with this guy. It fits into the contour of the cheek very nicely and the rounded shape allows you to define while simultaneously blending out edges.
I didn’t start wearing foundation until this year and although I don’t wear it every time I apply makeup,  I wear it often enough to need to understand how to properly apply it. The world of foundation brushes was so foreign to me and I really thought I could get away with just using my Beauty Blender for all applications. Well, that proved difficult as my foundations dry down and make blending out evenly quite difficult with just my blender. I decided to trust the good reviews on this Real Techniques Expert Face brush and pick it up. I now use this to evenly distribute product around my face before melting it into the skin with my blender. What can I say, I love the thing. But this Real Techniques brush is the perfect partner-in-crime!
The Real Techniques Setting brush is quite possibly my favorite brush that I own. It’s intended use is to set under the eyes which, let me say, it is incredible at. In addition to setting the undereye, I also use this as a highlighter brush. It is the PERFECT size for the tops of the cheekbones and fits under the browbone and in the inner corner, too. Three seconds of swirling will get you glowing seamlessly.
When I was a freshman in college I splurged and purchased my first proper makeup brush set. In that set was the Sigma E40 which would quickly become my go-to blending brush. Although I loved this brush, I always felt a bit out of the loop as the rest of the beauty world was utilizing the Sigma E25 religiously. Years later I decided to buy said Sigma E25 and you know what? I prefer the E40. It’s a bit rough on the eye but the shape of the brush blends shadow SO beautifully into the crease. You barely have to do any work at all. The E40 is superior to all other Sigma blending brushes!
One of the first makeup brushes I owned was this Sephora Collection Shadow and Smudge brush. Ask me why and I’ll say I have no idea because I remember this brush being $18 which was UN-IMAGINABLY expensive for young me BUT this brush is so soft and so dense and makes packing product onto the lid a breeze. It’s dual-ended and the soft packing brush is paired with a short, stiff lining brush that has created sooo many liner looks for me throughout the years. Unfortunately, this brush is no longer available but I had to include it because it has survived the test of time and has remained a favorite of mine for over a decade.
Last but not least is the Sigma P88. This is my most recent brush purchase– I got it in a set from Marshall’s BUT I was days away from buying it full price! I couldn’t believe my eyes when I found it discounted there. I love love love this brush for cleaning up an winged shadow gone awry on my outer corner/crease region. I pick up my concealer and carve out a straight line and it immediately pulls a look together. When I don’t feel like blending out my concealer with my finger, I use this brush for that as well.

I hope I’ve inspired you to pick up one or some of these tried-and-true brushes. If you have any questions or have opinions you’d like to share, please feel free to below.
Feel free to shop this post below:

QUICK AND EASY HOLIDAY HAIRSTYLE FOR ALL LENGTHS AND TEXTURES

Happy Tuesday! Merry Christmas to those of you who celebrate.

Regardless of beliefs, we all have one holiday coming up: New Year’s Eve!
I’m taking a quick break from packing up my life because I wanted to share this super easy, yet impactful holiday hairstyle that can work for any hair length. It’s quick, cheap and super easy to do. All you need are some bobby pins and a fairly firm hairspray.
photo showing simple and cheap holiday hairstyle with bobby pins
You can personalize this style to any hair type or length. You can choose to go natural, slick it straight or curl like me! I utilized two different lengths of bobby pins to get a more “sunburst” look but you can use all the same length to keep it mod. This style starts with a deep side part.
If you want to go the curl route like me, I curled my entire head away from my face with a 1 1/4″ curling iron.
Next, take your bobby pins and open them up between your fingers. Spray hairspray in and around the bobby pin so it can securely hold your hair. If you have less or finer hair than me this may not be 100% necessary but it’s better to be safe (and secure) than sorry. On the side of your part and using your ear as your guide, pull back your hair behind your ear and secure with a sticky bobby. Take this time to angle the bobby in a way that makes a statement! Repeat as needed to complete your design. Finish with another spritz of hairspray for good measure and you are ready to party all night long.
I hope you enjoy and let me know if you end up rocking this hairstyle for any of your upcoming holiday events. I’d love to see pictures! You can use #baileybeebeauty to tag your pics on Instagram.
Feel free to shop this post below. My top of from LuLu*s and I couldn’t link the exact one. There’s a similar one below but this is the exact one.

FOODIE FRIDAY: TOFU RICE BOWL

Happy Foodie Friday!
Today’s recipes is one of my absolute favorites. If I could choose to only make one thing for dinner for the rest of my life, this would be one of my top choices.
I can make this tofu rice bowl in the evening for dinner and be able to divide it into two halves to have for one half for lunch the following day.
preparation and presentation of my best vegetarian tofu recipe

Adapted from Mealime

Ingredients

  • 1 crown broccoli
  • 1 medium carrot
  • 1 (12 oz) package extra firm tofu
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 cup jasmine rice
  • 1/2 lime
  • black pepper
  • crushed red pepper
  • honey
  • natural peanut butter (we’ll want the runniness)
  • salt
  • sesame seeds
  • soy sauce
  • virgin coconut oil
  1. Cook rice per directions, set aside
  2. Wash and dry any fresh produce
  3. Peel and grate/mince ginger and transfer to small bowl
  4. Preheat skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 tbsp coconut oil. Once heated, add ginger and cook until fragarant (10-30 seconds)
  5. Drain and cube tofu, add to skillet with ginger and season with salt/pepper to taste. Cook 8 to 10 minutes until golden brown
  6. Cut broccoli into bite-sized florets and transfer to a medium bowl
  7. Peel carrot and trim off ends. Using a box grater, corsely grate the carrot and transfer to another medium bowl
  8. Transfer tofu and ginger out of pan and add broccoli to cook until soft (2-3 minutes)
  9. Peel and mince/press garlic. Transfer to a small bowl to prep the sauce
  10. Juice lime and add to garlic
  11. Add peanut butter, soy sauce, water, honey and crushed red pepper to the garlic and lime juice. Whisk until combined
  12. To serve, arrange rice, tofu, broccoli and carrots in a bowl. Drizzle with peanut sauce and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Enjoy!

WEDDING WEDNESDAY: ENGAGEMENT RING SIZING ISSUES (HOW-TO FIX A TWIRLING OR LOOSE RING)

Okie dokie. Today’s post may be a bit niche but I’m hoping it’ll find its way to the proper corner of the internet to help some people.

In the past three or four months since getting engaged, I’ve mostly dealt with one thing: my engagement ring. No, no. Nothing about the design of it (it’s exactly what I wanted) or even the ring itself, really (although I tried). It’s more an issue of my finger.

Let’s start at the beginning, shall we?

Here is my freaking perfect ring:

Honestly not sure how the ring managed to be straight in that photo because it was hu-u–u-u-u-ge on me. HOWEVER! There was nothing actually wrong with my ring. It properly fit over my knuckle but once it cleared that, it was massive on the meat of my finger. I realized this QUICKLY upon getting on my computer and more specifically, my keyboard. That thing was spinning all around my finger and it was wildly distracting. Does this look familiar?

The two-plus months following our engagement were spent back and forth between our jewelers’ shop doing the following:

  • Sizing the ring down from a 5.75 to a 5.5 (it was still too ‘big’)
  • Sizing the ring down from a 5.5 to a 5.25 (it was still twirling around the meat of my finger– too ‘big’)
  • Adding sizing beads to keep the ring from twirling (now it was too tight and couldn’t get past my knuckle)
  • Sizing the ring back to a 5.5 and keeping the sizing beads (still too tight to get around my knuckle)
  • Removing the sizing beads and keeping the ring at a 5.5 (just barely fits over my knuckle but still twirls on the meat of my finger)
By the last change, I was so frustrated by the process and was determined to figure it out by myself because every time I dropped the ring off at the jeweler’s it took two to three weeks to get it returned back to me. I was newly engaged! I wanted to show off my ring!
THANKFULLY
as my jeweler dropped the ring off with the final edit, he suggested a short-term fix of some clear plastic corkscrews that twist around the ring once it had already been put on. I ended up purchasing these from Amazon. This “short-term fix” has become my forever solution.
The pack I purchased comes with three different corkscrews varying in thickness. I personally have to use the thickest ones and wrap them almost the entire back side of my ring– see below:

It’s not very pretty whenever the inside of your hand is shown in photos or video but it keeps my ring upright and feeling comfortable. I’m hoping in the Summer my finger will swell a bit more and I’ll be able to use the thinner adjusters but I’m just so relieved to have solved this problem as of now.
I know I can’t be the only one who has larger knuckles and slimmer fingers and I hope someone reads this blog before trying to add on sizing beads or bars to their ring because they really don’t solve this issue. I’m all for saving time and money when it comes to something as exciting as an engagement ring! If you have this problem, I invite you to sound off in the comments below so we can chat! I know it’s super frustrating and have beeeeeeen there. Good luck! Let me know if you choose to buy these plastic adjusters and how they work out for you.