@acevallee

As Is: The MPB Team Celebrates Women's History Month

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These are not Before and After photos
Because I am myself regardless of the presence of lipstick
These are here and now photos
Because my mind is always present

These are not Natural versus Glam looks
Because there is nothing more glamorous than my bare smile
And applying mascara  comes naturally
I have got bigger battles started for me

I am told that I don’t need to wear makeup
While a woman next to me is told that with some blush, her eyes will really pop
The woman next to her is told she wears too much makeup
Neither of us is enough

We always seem to be too much
Yet never enough

Painted lips
Flushed cheeks
Contoured Jaw
Have never made me

I still look cute, tho.
And
I never asked you. 

-Danyelle Valentin (@bufferingbetty)
 

Pepper B. 
Believes that she "came out for the womb" with a smokey eye. Leo with an Excessive Smoky Eye.

Pepper on Instagram

My name is Pepper B! Beauty is like an accessory for me. I use makeup as an outlet to spice up the day but it doesn’t make my day. I thrive on having good skin so my favorite part of the day is taking my accessory off and wearing Bare Skin. I work in the beauty industry and it is very visual so I use makeup to polish up my look. I do believe that taking care of your skin allows you to have a better makeup application. I love myself with makeup but I love myself without makeup even more.  

“Without us there is no universe. People are drawn to chaos and controversy. They are afraid to put us in power because everything we touch we set on fire! We are resilient, trailblazers and life creators. The true definition of beauty & the beast. There is no recipe we just serve! I can try to define what it feels like to be a women but there aren’t enough words” 
- Pepper B 

Deanna
Mantra: Follow your passion as this will make your dreams become reality! Giving you the most informational product review you'd ever want.

Deanna on Instagram

"Everything has beauty but not everyone sees it"

"The things you wear don't make you beautiful: they accentuate the beauty that is already there"

Kayla
If it's skincare, she cares. Teaching all of the skincare DIYs

Kayla on Instagram

“Phenomenal woman, that’s me”- Maya Angelou

“I am a woman. I am clothes in strength & dignity & pride.” I first began to like “beauty” when I saw photos of my mom and aunts with amazing bright colors on their eyes- what I then learned was called eyeshadow lol. I loved how I had these beautiful women in my life & they could use these products to emphasize that and tell a whole new story of themselves. 

Amanda
Awkward Tomboy Glow Queen Channeling Brooke Shields Circa Blue Lagoon

Amanda on Instagram

Red lipstick is my secret super power. It will help me conquer the world one day.I am very passionate about body confidence. 'Magic Makeover' is something I would do with my Mother (who I would call my Warrior Queen) who lost her battle 4 years ago [to cancer]. Making her feel beautiful would lighten up her day and I would love to make all of the warrior queens feel that way.

Danyelle
Doesn't send nudes. Lives in fuchsia lipstick + blush. Loves how her makeup looks but probably can't recreate it.

Danyelle on Instagram

After all those years as a woman hearing 'not thin enough, not pretty enough, not smart enough, not this enough, not that enough,' almost overnight I woke up one morning and thought I am enough" - Anna Quindlen

"If you retain nothing else, always remember the most important rule of beauty, which is: who cares?" - Tina Fey

The beauty industry has given more than I could ask for from lipstick. It has nothing to do with actually wearing makeup, though, of course, I love to indulge. I have found a side of myself that I knew was there but never gave room to flourish. If you ever have looked at a beauty blog and thought of it as vapid -first, of all, goodbye. But truly you don't understand the time and effort that went into a product  reveiw. The amount of research that goes into an informative post. Beneath it all is passion and a vulnerability that must be admired. To end Women's History Month, just remember that everyone watching you will have an opinion. None of them will matter more than your own. 

Taylor
Boho Chic, Party Girl, + Sparkle. Knows what formula is definitely an all-nighter.

Taylor on Instagram

 

 


 

What Works For You, May Not Work For Her: Trouble Maker Mascara by Urban Decay

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Same Product.

Different Outcome.

Our Senior Content Creators, Amanda (@acevellee) and Danyelle (@bufferingbetty), reviewed the mascara that makes a pretty bold claim! Keep reading to see what our ladies thought about this mascara.

Amanda

What I look for in a mascara is voluminous, thickening black pigment for my sparse, unruly lashes. A product without fallout is completely ideal. Formulation that hardens, making my lashes feel heavy is a must to avoid.

The textured, holographic tube is galactic and gorgeous. A refreshing alternative to the basic black and metal tubes. The slimmer brush is more like a comb and I’m just not feeling it.

I stabbed myself a couple of times with the spikes while trying to get to the roots of my lashes.

Apparently, Urban Decay’s is advertising this mascara as “sex-proof” (fun but reaching…). It’s also supposed to give sublime black pigmentation as well as 13.7 times the volume. For me, this mascara didn’t deliver 2/3 of its claims.

 

Amanda's Results

In my experience this mascara could hold up fairly well in a one hour gym session, experiencing minimal flaking and smudging. Along with longevity it also gave me a bit of length. Troublemaker absolutely didn’t volumize my lashes.

It separated them more making them seem more sparse and thin if anything.

I wouldn’t recommend Troublemaker Mascara because I personally dislike it. It didn’t do anything for me but with that being said, for someone with naturally thicker or fuller lashes, I guess this might work.

Danyelle

I really dislike mascaras that have a super wet formula. I'm always tempted to just leave the tube open for an hour to see if it'll age the mascara. I like my lashes to feel soft with a fanned out lash look.

This gothic unicorn packaging is my mood all Fall/Winter long.

I'll be honest: Packaging matters to me. Inexpensive or premium, makeup is a luxury. When I apply my makeup, I like it when the package to be hella cute. UD nailed the Troublemaker's tube! Also, I much rather have a rubber wand. I think they're less messy.

Sex proof, huh? Calm down. This claim was like Urban Decay was playing Truth or Dare with the whole of the beauty community. Dare: test it out! Truth: did you really check your mascara afterward? 

While I rolled my eyes at that claim, I was anxious to try a mascara that promised all this volume with a lightweight formula! I detest when I can feel that I'm wearing mascara. 

Danyelle's Results

I. Am. Feeling. Myself. With this mascara. 

Because my lashes naturally curl up, I don't want or need a mascara that has a lot of hold. All it's going to be is stiff and harsh on my lashes. The definition Urban Decay's Troublemaker gave my lashes without turning them into tiny shards of glass is exactly what I want. I experienced no smudging or flaking. I also LOVE how easily this mascara removes in the shower. OMG. I don't want to waste half my cleanser on removing mascara. It was fantastic!

Do I think this mascara was top shelf quality? Eh. It's a great mascara for daily use. If you're looking for more drama to your lashes, you won't find it here. BUT!, this is what I want for like a regular Tuesday makeup look. Soft, dark lashes. Lasts all day. Easy off. The only tip I can offer is to use a dry, clean spooly to seperate any lashes that may clump together. That isn't an extra step for me. I do it with every mascara. 

Your turn!

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On My Radar: Top Fall Beauty Trends with The MPB Team

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Take the runway to your vanity with these top Fall beauty trends that emerged from Fashion Week hand picked by us! Each of us on the Meetpepperb Team have a different style that rings true in what caught our attention this fashion season. Fall is more than the classic warm tones and dark lips. It's beautiful but don't forget to have fun with your makeup! Keep reading to find out our top picks for beauty this season! You can also save your favorite looks to Pinterest!

@bufferingbetty's Pick: Modern Victorian

Once you get past the powdered face of a Victorian look, what remains is a minimalist usually cool-toned smokey eye paired with flushed cheeks and lips. What I love about it is that there is a secrecy in the look. A wide-eyed doe sweetie who is blushing because... a tryst in the garden? Stolen glances? It is romantically guilty! To modernize this look, scale back the total matte-ness of the era. Go for a natural skin-like finish. Use a berry stain on lips topped with a gloss. Skip the cheekbone highlight and make the look pop with a color mascara!

@Twist.it.tea's Pick: Floating Space

A mix between mod and minimalism has me in love.  Everything I've been told about coloring in the lines has gone out the window.  There are no rules to a floating liner and it can come in many shapes, shades and sizes.  Bold, lines and colors that remind me of a Piet Mondrian painting, or metallic liners and shadows creating a futuristic cat eye -- negative space on the lids isn't just high end runway wear, the beautiful imagery can be translated for a less dramatic event with a simple line above your lid. 

@acevallee's Pick: Gilded Lids

Whether painted or sleekly lined, glittered, shimmery or matte, GOLD is the perfect accent to make any look Luxe. Mostly seen with minimal makeup on the runway, the golden lids make a grand statement. I adore metallic beauty looks, especially gold because it's glamorous and looks like jewelry on your eyelids and is just as eye-catching. Gleaming gilded lids can even glam up sweats, a tee and a pair of sneakers, it's that powerful. Some looks I fell in love with on the A/W runways early this year varies from more simplistic glittering gold lined lids paired with a bold brow as seen on the model at Nicholas K to a more shimmery, bold and geometric eye look at the Alexis Mabille show to a light pale yellow gold with matching nail accents at Laura Biagiotti. 

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@Downtownpepper's Pick: Extremely Glossy Lip 

The time is now to let matte lipstick go! I mean it is great for special occasions or date night. However, I am thrilled that the wet lip trend is back this is a go to for me when I am on shoots or even when I translate it to my personal life. The wet lip is minimal and sexy all in one! The wet lip gives you leg room to be as dramatic as you want with your make-up or highlighter. To be honest I thought Rihanna helped bring this lip trend back with Fenty's universal nude gloss. but NO! Glossier has been ahead of the trend! Also I've been trying to track down this beautiful clear gloss from Sephora collection with holographic glitter (Starlight) for months and its been SOLD out every store I check! Fall and Winter will be here way before we know it. Skin appears so much more fresh and can tolerate full coverage make-up that will stay, however dry weather and dry lips don't mix so do yourself the favor !!! 

Which Look Will You Add To Your Fall Routine?

None of the photos used are property of meetpepperb.com