THE BEST PALE HIGHLIGHTERS

*Reminder that clicking underlined names will lead you to their exact website to order*

We all experience the struggle finding the perfect highlighters for ourself. Originally, I wanted to make this post for the fellow holy ghosts, the pale, and it spiraled into finding unique and one of a kind highlighters I had to share! I strayed away from big brands and focused on the small indie and Etsy brands - and boy I found some good ones! I've included vegan and/or cruelty free brands, and I've also chosen brands both on the cheaper and more expensive side. Note I am not listing these in order of favorites!

Some important info before I start, I wanted to state that these highlighters come in different sizes which provide different amounts of product. The bigger the pan, the more product.

26mm pans normally have 1.5 grams of product.

36mm pans normally have 2.5 grams of product

44mm pans normally have 7 grams of product

57mm pans normally have 10 grams of product

Lala's Cosmetics Shop: This is a brand in North Carolina which is Etsy based and provides cosmetics from shadows to highlighters. These cosmetics are made with crazy pigmentation and is ideal for those with sensitive skin. I had the chance to try 5 of their highlighters, which I tried to test one compatible for each undertone plus a unique one of a kind one. Lala's Rainbow is a multicolor super pigmented highlighter, I love this one for making a statement. Sassy is a matte subtle glow, but still pigmented. Candy Kid has to be my favorite in their collection, it's extremely buttery and pigmented. It glows for days. Both Candy Kissed and Frozen are color themed marble highlighters, with I felt Candy Kissed perfect for people with pink undertones and Frozen being amazing for neutral undertones. These highlighters are 44mm for $11.95.

*THE OWNER WAS GENEROUS ENOUGH TO GIVE THE CODE EMBER25 FOR 25% OFF $35 OR MORE (NON COMMISSION CODE)*

Mermaid Cosmetics: This Kansas based Etsy store is vegan friendly and makes some pretty unique highlighters. Something I was surprised about with these highlighters is that even though they look white in the pan, after swatching the color shifts into different colors when reflecting light. Talk about feeling like a mermaid! These are $6 for a 26mm and $10 for a 36mm. Photos and swatches don't really do the shifting justice, these are a real beauty!

Makeup Slayve: These highlighters have a-may-zing pigmentation. They are super shimmery which I love with a highlighter. Being pale, shimmer is something I have to count on with the perfect highlighter. It was hard to get the camera to focus on my swatches the glow was real. I'm not sure of the price of these yet, but they are worth a shot for that Makeup Slayve pigmentation! 

Heaven's Dirt: I've never seen anything quite like this. Heaven's Dirt is on Etsy, and is from New Jersey. This shop sells tons of aesthetic beach-y and hippie inspired jewelry, but in the middle of this they make amazingly gorgeous and one of a kind seashell highlighters. This isn't a highlighter in a shell compact, but highly pigmented highlighters inside of a real, actual shell. The shells were collected as a child along the beaches of North Carolina. Getting these, you're truly getting something one of a kind. Each shell has a great amount of product and for $25, it's definitely worth the glow.

Tomb Service: If you want to literally glow 24/7, this is the place to get your highlighter. Tomb Service makes the one and only glow in the dark highlighter! This highlighter comes in a huge 57mm pan and with one swatch of a finger on the back of my hand; I turned the light off to find an instant rave. Lights on and natural light, this highlighter has a iridescent green shimmer. ($19.99)

JS Aesthetics: I had to share a brand like this, because these are liquid illuminators! These cute highlighting illumizers come in dropper tubes which allows you to both go for the glow and mix it in with your foundation for a more glowing look overall! These drops are very similar and great dupes for the CoverFX drops. For $12 you get a 0.5 fl oz dropper bottle, and with the option to create a custom color the possibilities are endless. 

*THIS POST IS SUBJECT TO UPDATING AS NEW HIGHLIGHTERS ARE ADDED*

DIY $2 MAGNETIC PALETTE

A makeup hack that every girl needs to know! Every makeup hoarder understands the struggle of too much pans not enough space. Instead of throwing money to those expensive Z-Palettes, you can DIY your own! There are many ways you could DIY your own magnetic palette - and many things you could use. Have old palettes you don't use that take up space? Books you don't read? Is college a pain? Here is how I made tons of space without breaking the bank!

What You'll Need:

1. Old Palette and/or book

2. Scissors and/or Knife/Xacto

3. Glue and/or Mod Podge (BOOK METHOD ONLY)

4. Magnetic Sheets

*Please note that this is a $2 DIY if you already have the common household items of a makeup junkie (palette/book/scissors/knife/xacto)

Though you can use either an old palette or a book, which ever one you use would require different steps!

The Old Palette Method

This is the method I use myself and prefer.

Almost all palettes similar to the Morphe or cheap 88/120 color palettes are able to do this. I did this with an old cheap 88 color palette I haven't used in ages.

Step 1: Using your scissors, knife, or xacto, depot the contents of your old palette. Depending on the palette you're wanting to use, you will need to put some muscle into getting the contents out of the old palettes. I found that my 88 color palette had cheaper construction, which was easy to just tear out with the help of some scissors. Many of these type of palettes are held together by a little strip of adhesive, allowing easy removal of the contents itself. PLEASE be careful while operating any sharp objects in this project.

Step 2: Take your magnetic sheets (I found mine for $2 in the WalMart craft section). Start in the corner and peel of the adhesive, stick it down and by pressing hard make sure there are no air bubbles. Note that these $2 packs of magnetic sheets come with two 4x6 inch sheets. For most palettes you'll use almost both of the sheets. 

Step 3: Put in some pans and enjoy your palette! I found doing this DIY, the hand made palettes have almost twice as much space as those expensive Z-Palettes!

You can also DIY your own design to the outside of the palette!

The Book Method

Any hard cover book, any size, just make sure it is at least 3/4 or 1/2 and in thick within the pages will do. Though I do not have this palette done myself, I've seen others do it. 

Step 1: Open your book and hold down all the pages so that they're tightly together as well as touching the back hard cover of the book. Using your Mod Podge or glue, put a layer on all the edges of the paper - make sure not to miss any spots. You can do 2 to 3 layers of this, each time letting it dry for 10-15 minutes between layers. Make sure that ALL of the pages are held together by the glue as well as the pages being attached to the back cover of the book.

Step 2. Using your xacto knife (xacto's are best for this method), hollow out the inside of the pages. You'll need to make sure you've hollowed the book deep enough so that when you close the book with your pans in tact, the cover doesn't touch the pans.  

Step 3: Cut your Magnetic sheet to the right size, remove the adhesive, and stick it down into the hollowed part of the book.

Step 4. Put in some pans and enjoy your palette! This method is great when having a bookshelf. You can hide that makeup from your siblings, friends, family, etc. Who reads anyways?

You can also DIY a design on the outside of the book if you'd like!

BONUS

I've seen many people as well put down the magnetic adhesive in DVD cases, CD cases, and even some people to this on their desks to keep their things in place. If you do this DIY, don't be scared to send in photos or post for your friends! The possibilities are endless!

ALL ABOUT MY WIGS

Many questions I get a day have to do with my wigs and how I work with them.Whether it's where I get them, how I style them, or how I care for them; I have the answers to your questions.

My wigs come from various different websites, and none of my wigs have been bought in store. There are many different types of wigs, cap structure, etc...but my main wig preference would have to be synthetic lace front wigs. Lace Front wigs have a sheer lace in the front of the unit which can be cut off prior to being put on your head. The lace provides an illusion of a natural hair line, as well is the illusion of the hair being from your own scalp.

1. DonaLoveHair 2. TrendyWigs 3. EvaHairOfficial 4. MorningWigs 5. ImStyleWigs

COST OF WIGS:

$: <50 | $$: 50-100 | $$$: 100-150 | $$$$: 150-200 | $$$$$: 200+

I am only listing reviews for wig brands that are in my top favorites, and wig brands that I do not support anymore will be at the bottom of this post.

TrendyWigs ($$-$$$): This has to be my top wig websites to buy from. This is a fairly new brand that came up near the end of 2016. One of my all time favorite wigs is the Kylie wig that I've gotten from TrendyWigs. This website only has a small selection right now - but it's a really good one. Getting this wig I was AMAZED at how great the quality was and how realistic it looks. (Code Ember12 for 12% off)

Abhair ($-$$$): This website carries both lace front and cosplay wigs. I've found these wigs to be an extremely nice quality. I've curled the pink wig myself, which can tell you it's a plus since it's head resistant. I also have a brown wig that I've cut bangs into. The only downside to these wigs is unlike how others ship in their own boxes, these just come in the plastic wig bag. I didn't mind that over the stellar quality though. (Code Ember10 for 10% off)

Annabelle's Wigs ($-$$): This website does NOT have lace front wigs. One good way to get a cheaper side alright looking wig is to go for wigs that have bangs. Wigs with bangs I find a bit useless to buy them as lace fronts since you wont see the hairline. This can take some of the cost off the wigs since lace fronts tend to be more expensive, but wigs like this tend to have lower quality synthetic material. These wigs are not the most natural looking - but with the right work to them you can make them look better and more realistic then how they come.

DonaLoveHair ($$-$$$): The first wig brand I've ever had a wig from is DonaLoveHair. My first wig withstood being straightened, curled, straitened again. When my first wig from them saw its time after my many months of torture; I went back and got the same exact style in a different color. I will always have a profound love for this specific brand. (Code EmberXtelle for $8 off)

Wigs Brands I Don't Support:

HeaHair - Steals Photos from other brands/models and customer service is terrible

UniWigs - Types up fake reviews and takes models photos

MorningWigs - Steals photos from other brands/models

BEST $8 LIQUID LIPSTICKS

BRAND SPOTLIGHT: Krisanna Ann Cosmetics 

*DISCLAIMER THAT THIS IS A NON SPONSORED / NON PAID POST

Clicking ANY deep purple text will revert you to the Krisanna Ann Cosmetics website.

The reason I've decided to make this post is to spread awareness about a small indie brand that deserves recognition. While many throw their money towards high end lines or materialistic celebrities - the money spend in small companies like such go back into the company to make it bigger, better, and gain more products for the loyal lovers. In my opinion, these lipsticks are those better (by better I mean with more morality) than the trendy Kylie or J* lipsticks. 

Krisanna Ann Cosmetics is a recently established cosmetic line that makes a wide array of liquid lipsticks that last all day. This collection, unlike any other, names their lipsticks after popular social media terms that have trended throughout the years. I had the wonderful chance to try each lipstick and get a nice discount for those who also would want to try them! These lipsticks are normally $10 each, but you have the chance to save 20% ($2 each lipstick) when using the code ember. Swatches and photos are included for a feel of what each shade looks like. Lastly, YES, these are the real shade names!

From My Instagram:

"My review and complete honest opinions of these lipsticks; They dry COMPLETELY matte, smudge proof, water proof, non transferable. They lasted through eating twice. When I drank out of a straw - no lipstick marks! The packaging and lipstick itself has KISS marks all over it, how cute?! 5/5"

Photo credits go to Krisanna Ann Cosmetics and/or the rightful photographer

Photo © EmberXtelle

 Left: Netflix N Chill

Right: Ginger Snap

Krisanna Ann Cosmetics newly released metallics!

THE VEGAN HAIR DYE GUIDE

*All rights to rightful owner. Photo for hair ideas.

Colored hair, don't care? Faded hair, do care. The dilemma of a vegan hair dye....that lasts long! Well, I've almost bought them all - but here is my run down of hair dyes I've tried and my experience! If you know any I haven't tried, and would like me to, feel free to drop a comment.

First off, my hair type. I am a natural #613/60 which is a level 10 - platinum blonde. My hair has been color treated for YEARS. You name the color, I've tried it. Another note, is that I stopped dyeing my real hair, and now I only dye hair extensions or others hair.

*Photos of dyes will be at the end of the post

1. Box Brand Dyes: These dyes are the ones commonly found at your local Wal-Mart (L'oreal, Splat, etc). As I say time and time again, DO NOT BUY YOUR HAIR DYES AT WALMART. Do not buy box dyes in general. These dyes 99% of the time contain chemicals that can severely harm your hair if not done by a professional. Even many times while professionally done, if your hair colorist uses this, get yoself up and walk out! That's gonna be a $100 salon session with a $4 dye. An honorable NO GO. Almost all of these aren't vegan and many test on animals.

2. Iroiro Colors (Prices Vary with sales/coupons $8-$18): Many times when I dye my extensions now I use Iroiro. I even dyed my real hair a while back Iroiro's emerald green color. This dye company is a fairly small company, maybe a year or so old. I love these dyes because they almost always have great sales, are completely free of synthetic materials. The best part, completely vegan and cruelty free. Whenever I dyed my hair the emerald green, it stayed for months and didn't hardly ever fade. Iroiro Colors has a wide arrange of hair colors - light and dark blues, different pink and green tones, even some vibrant yellow and silver dyes.

*Owners were nice enough to give me a 30% off code for viewers - 'Ember'

3. Arctic Fox HairColor ($8-$14): We all can agree that if you're here for colorful hair dye, you've at least heard the name Arctic Fox in your lifetime. Arctic Fox has become one of the leading hair dyes for years amongst the alternative beauty community. If you search YouTube for a hair dye tutorial, odds are over 75% of the videos are using Arctic Fox. These dyes are very conditioning based, which is amazing for those who have dry hair. Arctic Fox also prides itself to be vegan and cruelty free! One advantage that they may have - is that they produce absolutely beautiful pastel colors. Two advantages, really, because you can mix and match all their colors to get any unique color your heart desired. I've heard around they fade after a few weeks, but since I use on mainly my extensions and don't wash my extensions regularly (since I don't wear them often), I don't know the amount of washes it would take. P.S. Kristen Leanne is a total babe.

The two above are ALL TIME favorites. I love them both equally.

4. Overtone ($17-$45): Unlike every other hair dye I've encountered, overtone is a very dedicated dye line. They actually don't necessarily refer to themselves as a hair dye line, but hair toner. You can buy either their weekly treatment, daily conditioner, or both! Weekly treatments are very much the same as a dye - put it on, leave it, rinse it out, be a mermaid. If your hair is already vibrantly dyed, you can use the daily conditioner to keep the color vibrant and rock it! Putting them together, is just...so beautiful. This brand consists of very pigmented vegan and cruelty free conditioners that tone - or dye - your hair. Along side the brands above - these have a vast color selection from pastels all the way up to super vibrant. This brand not only makes dyes, but recently developed HAIR GLITTER. You know it, the herpes of beauty. Glitter. Although these are super amazing dyes and conditioners - they are a bit pricey for somebody who would change up their colors often. I found these dyes to fade after a couple weeks, but that could mainly be simply because they didn't use the daily conditioner (I dyed my mother with the extreme purple, and my sister with the extreme pink).

5. LunaTik Hair Dye ($13): These dyes are fairly new to me and I've only used the Hot Pink color. These dyes tend to last a couple week as well with regular washing. Their color options are very slim as they only have 6 colors out, but within those 6 are some unique tones colors. I can't really say much about these, just that their blue tones are especially gorgeous. Vegan and cruelty free.

6. LunarTidesHair ($9-$20): This company started up on Etsy in 2013, and by now they have over 8000 sales worldwide. These are similarly packaged as Manic Panic, vegan and cruelty free. They create some very nice shades and even offer up dye kits of dyes and brushes/bowls. This brand is extremely conditioning based so their lighter colors aren't my favorite. Their Siam Orange though - it'll forever hold that special place in my heart. I haven't tried many colors, but the ones I absolutely hated was the Coral Pink - which only lasted one week in my hair. If you are wanting some unique hair colors, these guys definitely have you covered.

*My coupon code is expired for these guys 

7. Manic Panic ($14-$18): This was the second brand of dye I've ever used in my life, mainly because back then I didn't believe in the power of online shopping. Like Arctic Fox, if you try to find dye tutorials dated back in 2009, Manic Panic was the HUGE hit back then for the alternative community. Manic Panic though, unlike all above, is sold in almost every Sally's Beauty Supply store there is. These dyes are also vegan and cruelty free. Many go for Manic Panic since it's easily accessible when really needed, you can just go pick them up at Sally's instead of waiting for shipping.

8. Ion Color Brilliance ($5.50): Ion was the dye I used the very first time I convinced my mom to let me dye the underneath of my blonde hair to blue. Back then, it was my favorite of the dyes at Sally's. Now, I despise it. Ion tends to be very thick, and color payoff for people who buy is often unexpected. I was lucky to have a cosmetologist mother - who knew what to do. Although, experimenting myself at first with hair going silver, I suggest not to buy their chrome dye. The amount of complaints that stuff has in unbearable, everybody complains about it being blue instead of silver which I can back them up on. These dyes are also terrible when trying to take onto roots, that dye is jumping hurdles. You get what you pay for. This brand is also NOT vegan.

1. Arctic Fox Hair Color Poseidon
2. VPfashion Mixdye 22" 220g dyed with all Arctic Fox
3. LunaTik Hair Dye Blooglust
4. VPfashion Mixdye 22" 220g dyed with Arctic Fox Poseidon, LunarTidesHair Siam Orange, and Arctic Fox Neon Moon
5. Sister hair dyed with Arctic Fox Purple Rain, Virgin Pink, Sunset Orange and LunatTidesHair Siam Orange
6. Iroiro Colors Orange
7. 30" 300g dyed with all Arctic Fox
8. Overtone Extreme Purple Go Deep

*I ONLY USE VPFASHION HAIR EXTENSIONS AT THE MOMENT. IF YOU WANT TO GET YOURSELF $10 OFF JUST USE THE CODE EMBER

The Pale Guide To Foundations

STOP! Before you go any further! I've added followers to my blog, so if you want to help a fellow pale gal out and get more tips about being the holy ghost, please look to the right of the page and hit FOLLOW.

Many of us true ghostly white girls know this problem, a brand that makes a foundation tone that's actually light enough for our skin. Ever since starting makeup, I've driven the struggle bus to find foundations that didn't make my face a different color than the rest of me. Other porcelain girls, ya know the prob? Here is my absolute faves (and not so faves) for the guide to your perfect porcelain self. 

*photos and swatches at the end of post

1. Kat Von D Beauty - Lock-It Light 42 ($35). Not going to lie, I bought my bottle from a trusted resale shop. I am aware that there's now a Light 41 - which would probably be even greater - but I don't believe it was released when I snagged mine. This shade is always, and I mean 99.999% of the time, SOLD OUT. Which is why I snagged it from a resale as soon as this baby popped up. The PERFECT. PALE. FOUNDATION. This baby had a almost full coverage. It's semi-lightweight, comes out thick, and it will look cakey until it's blended out. I only use half a pump to cover my whole face. Would I buy again? ABSOLUTELY.

2. Make-Up Atelier Paris - Fluid Foundation - FLW1B ($4-$40). I can proudly add this one beneath KVD as it's one of my favorites. I received a ton of samples from the website to find my tone, and even being super pale they have a HUGE variety of pale foundations. This is a complete full coverage foundation, lightweight, and one of my favorites. The only thing I didn't like about this foundation was a tiny aroma it has to it. This is a silicone based foundation.

3. Glo Minerals - Luxe Liquid Foundation SPF 18 - Porcelain ($56). This foundation is liquidy but a nice coverage for being as much as it is. The packaging is very similar to the Too Faced Born This Way foundations. I've only wore this foundation maybe only a handful of times, mainly because of the dewy finish (I prefer matte), but with powder foundation and/or setting powder I can completely be alright with the foundation. I love that this product is moisturizing and SPF 18, but for the price it retails at I don't think I would buy.

4. Nyx Cosmetics - Stay Matte but Not Flat - Ivory ($7.50). This was my first foundation when I started blogging about makeup that I stuck with for a long time. This foundation had more of an yellow undertone that didn't suit my face, as it made me look a little darker than I was (PUH-LEASE Nyx, make an Ivory with a neutral undertone I beg of you). This is a medium coverage foundation, but I believe you could possibly layer it to make it more full. Even though I used to swear by this foundation, it clings to the lord all mighty dry skin and hurdles around any sight of imperfections. Putting this on and living in the south, after a while of shopping at the local outdoor mall I felt like I was melting away.

5. Juice Beauty - Perfecting Serum Foundation - Fair ($42). This is an extremely liquidy foundation which I found to have super sheer coverage. I could tell this was a water based formula because after letting it sit on the counter for a few days I could see the water rise to the top of the bottle. This foundation stinks, not as in it sucks, but the smell can be unbearable to those with sensitive noses.

6. YSL Beauty - Fusion Ink Foundation - B10 (Porcelain) ($60). This foundation was what I used before obtaining my KVD. Being itself just a tad darker than the Light 42, it still was pretty nice. This foundation is a buildable coverage, which tends to make it last not as long. Let's keep in mind I do have the sample 10mL size of this. I don't know why but first putting it on, when it hits a bad spot (acne, dry skin), it tends to cling to that area and gives you a tingly sensation. Overall, YSL B10 is very liquid lightweight and natural feeling.

7. Too Faced - Born This Way - Snow ($39). I don't want to dig deep into this one as it's completely too yellow for any closet vampire. If you have a lot more yellow tone to you - this is your foundation.

QUICK POWDER FOUNDATION RUN THROUGH

• Idun Minerals - Jorunn ($35). I use this non stop. A very generous amount of powder with amazingly gorgeous packaging. This is the BEST powder foundation if you're a ghost white.
• KmS Minerals Essentials - Flawless Mineral Foundation - Porcelain ($2-$80). I really loved this powder and I was sad to see it all go through a tragic death, falling off the windowsill. It's alright, it was almost gone reaching it's final due date - sad face.
• PUR Cosmetics - 4-n-1 Powder Foundation - Porcelain ($29.50). This is a pressed powder that I've used to the pan. It's a tad darker than my skin tone, but it's alright for a choice pressed powder.