Category Archives: Beauty

“A library should not be without Shakespeare as a makeup bag should not be without bronzer.” -SMJ

Hello sweet readers!! For the latest edition of My 5 Favorites, I want to share some beauty products that I absolutely love and have repurchased time and time again! In the world of beauty, it can be overwhelming and sometimes frustrating to find products that work for you. The 5 gems that I am mentioning today were all discovered at long last after much trial and error (refer back to Madison circa 2011 for proof) and now I will never go without them!Continue reading “My 5 favorite beauty products!”

 

I’m always looking for a hairstyle that is cute, easy, and requires little time and heat. Most of the time, my go-to hairstyle is braids! Whether it’s a classic messy braid, fishtail, or braided pigtails, I love them because they are so effortless but they all look so different and are perfect for summer! Today I wanted to share a tutorial on these easy French braid pigtails that I’ve been loving lately so you can achieve an effortless, cute, messy braid for the summer!

First, brush your hair and get all of the tangles out. For me, this can be a chore!

Split your hair into two equal sections. (I like to make a zig zag shape in my hairline since I’m parting it down the middle. You can do this using a comb).

Take three small strands from from the front of one side and start a regular braid.

Begin your French braid by taking an extra piece of your hair each time you cross one of your three strands.

Continue French braiding while pulling your hair towards the back.

When you’ve reached the back of your head, begin a regular braid to finish out that side and tie the end with a rubber band (I use brown bands to match my hair).

Follow the exact same steps for the other side!

For a messy look, spray your hair with texturizing spray or a volume dry shampoo I use Kenra volume dry shampoo. I’ve gone through two bottles and I love it! Pull out your braids to the desired size. I pull them out unevenly to make it even more messy!

Voila! An easy and cute hairstyle for any occasion this summer!!

Photo cred. goes to my awesome photographer/boyfriend, Charles!

I hope you enjoyed this post and thank you so much for reading!! Let me know if you’d like to see more tutorials like this and I’ll share some of my other favorite braids too!!

With love,

Sweet Maddie Jane

I have been a lover of makeup for many years! I have so much fun experimenting with new products and techniques and closely following all of my favorite beauty gurus on YouTube! One of my favorite things about makeup, which has become somewhat of a ritual, is doing my family’s makeup when we’re traveling! I enjoy getting in the extra practice and I really love seeing how happy they are with the results! Besides a few instances of mascara pokes and eyeshadow swatches in the eye (sorry momma) every session has been a success!

One product that I never seem to accumulate enough of is lipstick! After years of hoarding a million different (but the same) shades of lipstick, I found myself really struggling for the past few days to decide which 5 would make the cut of my all-time favorites. I wear lipstick almost every day, so comfort and longevity are my top 2 priorities when I’m looking for my next go-to color! Also, you must know that I have an obsession with nude lipstick. Almost every color in my collection is a variation of nude. However, I do have a berry awesome shade to share in my top 5, so to any of my bright and bold lipped friends, do not fret!

Spoiler: Look out for a post coming in a couple of months where I’ll be sharing my 5 favorite lipsticks for Summertime! Those will be very festive!

As for now, here are my Top 5 Favorite Lipsticks of all time!

[I’ll leave links for all shades down below!]

1. Bow n Arrow by Kat Von D- until very recently, I wore this shade almost every day for the past 2 years! This is hands-down my favorite lipstick ever! It stays in my purse at all times and I’ve almost emptied my second tube! It is a beautiful mauvey-nude color (of course) that is perfect for every day wear. And the best part is, it’s Kat Von D. Of every brand of liquid lipstick I have ever tried, her Everlasting Liquid Lipsticks are by far the most comfortable to wear and they last for hours! If you don’t have this color in your life, you’re missing out! This lipstick is $20 and well worth it!

Continue reading “Lipstick Junkie- My Top 5 Favorite Lipsticks!”