A Few of My Favorite Things // January 2016

Guys, January went by SO fast but I still have several new favorite things this month!

Media (plus one book) Favorites...

First of all, the movie Sisters is HILARIOUS!! I wish I could have watched it over and over again. Sticking with the Amy Poehler theme, her book Yes Please is amazing, it is both insightful and laugh out loud funny!

I also recently discovered Jessica Braun's YouTube channel (JAMbeauty89) and I can't get enough. I love her personality, she is very real, and she focuses on inexpensive beauty products, which I LOVE!

Clothing Favorites...

These rain boots are the perfect rain boots for me! I am quite short and have thin calves so must boots are too loose and come up too high on my legs. They are uncomfortable to wear and I don't like the way the look...but NOT THESE! They are light weight, hit right above my ankles, keep my feet dry, and super cute and feminine.

I have wanted some UGG slippers for quite a while so when I opened these as a Christmas present from a dear family friend, I was THRILLED!  These are beautiful and so so comfy. The fist thing I do when I get home is put them on.

Beauty Favorites...

MAC lipstick in the shade Syrup is the perfect everyday color and it feels great on the lips! The only down fall is that this lipstick is NOT long wearing. I find myself needing to reapply about every 2 hours but the color is so perfect that I don't mind.

Tartelette amazonian clay matte eye-shadow pallet is what matte shadow dreams are made of! The shadows are wonderfully pigmented, easy to blend (for the most part), and there is every matte shade you could possibly need!

I hope your January was wonderful! What have been some of your favorite things this month? Let me know!

My "OH NO! I'm running late" Face

We all have days when we either hit the snooze button too many times or get distracted watching F.R.I.E.N.D.S. in the morning...or is that just me?

Anyway, you realized that you have 15 minutes left to get ready for the day. You can always go though the day without any make up (that's what I normally do) but for the days you really need make up or just want to look and feel more put together here is my "running late" make up routine.

By the way, I did time myself putting on this make up and it took LESS THAN 5 MINUTES! 

Laura Mercier tented moisturizer in the shade porcelain has become my everyday choice for foundation! It looks so natural and is so comfortable to wear. It is like my skin only slightly better! I apply it all over my face with just my finger tips and set it with a translucent setting powder. 

I have been using Maybelline fit me concealer in the shade fair for quite a while now and I love it! I don't really know what else to say about it. I use this concealer under my eyes and on any blemishes and blend it in with my finger. 

I have written about the Urban Decay Naked Flushed pallet before but it is still what I reach for on a daily basis. Especially when I'm in a hurry and don't want to dig for a separate bronzer, blush, and highlight. 

For my eyes, I use Naked from the Urban Decay Naked 1 pallet all over my eye. Then I use my finger to press Toasted (or any of the shimmery shades) on the center of my lid just to give an extra little extra something. I finish off my eyes with Covergirl Full Lash Bloom mascara. I have been using this for a long time and it is one of my all time favorites! 

Finally, I finish the look off with Revlon colorburst balm stain in the shade honey douce. 

I hope this helps you out the next time you are running late! It is a great make up routine for a busy school morning when you just don't have time to put a lot of effort into make up!

Let me know what your favorite products are when you're in a rush!

My Simple Summer Makeup Routine

For summer I love wearing light and fresh makeup. There is nothing worse than going out in the heat and sweating with a thick layer of makeup on your face.

I like to stick to a simple base with Maybelline dream lumi highlighting concealer under my eyes and Maybelline fit me concealer on any redness or blemishes. I also like wearing a light layer of Revlon nearly naked foundation (review). It provides light coverage and evens out my skin tone without feeling heavy. This foundation is one of my favorites because it looks super natural.

For bronzer and blush, I like wearing something with a bit of shimmer during summer. Right now, I am have a bit of a moment with the Elf cool bronzer and Too Faced sweathearts perfect flushed blush in the shade peach beach. This blush is a great, easy to wear, natural looking product for summer.

As far as my eyes go, I don't do much at all. For warmer weather, I think the simpler the better. For this look, I used just a little bit of Maybelline color tattoo cream eye shadow in the shade barely branded and Ulta eye shadow in the shade flutter. Also, Covergirl full lash bloom mascara in the shade black brown is my favorite mascara right now.

Finally, I use Too Faced la creme lip cream in the shade nude beach for pretty much every look.  It is so hydrating and easy to wear.

I hope all of you are having a great summer!!

What are some of your go to makeup products for summer?

If I had 100 Dollars to Spend at Sephora

Okay guys, I'm gonna be honest...I haven't properly put makeup on in a couple weeks. 

I'm in the middle of a pretty intense summer class, Vertebrate Zoology, and it requires a lot of time in the field studying fish, frogs, salamanders, lizards, and snakes. I just haven't seen any reason or had time to mess with makeup...seriously, you're lucky if I put mascara on. 

To be honest, it has been quite nice. My morning routine has been super laid back and simple but I'm starting to crave a reason to really fix my hair, get dressed up, and put makeup on! 

That being said, I have started doing some online window shopping at Sephora...but unfortunately, my "beauty budget" is pretty much nonexistent at the time. So here is what I would buy IF I had 100 dollars to spend at Sephora. 

Clinique Cheek Pop in the shade peach pop. I have seen so many rave reviews for these blushes and I think this color is beautiful and summery.

Bite Beauty Lipstick Duo with the shades tangerine and lingonberry. I don't have a good reason for wanting this product. I just think it looks like fun. 

Lavanila Vanilla Grapefruit Rollerball . Vanilla Grapefruit?! This sounds delicious! 

Butter London Nail Lacquer  in the shade jolly good! I love the name! 

Fresh Sugar Lemon Body Lotion I love citrus scents for summer! 

What would you buy if you have some extra money to spend at Sephora?

Origins Wish List

In the past month or so I have sampled a few Origins products (for the fist time ever), and loved every one of them. Since I enjoyed the samples so much, I have been doing a lot reading and window shopping for some Origins products to purchase, the list of things I want has gotten quite lengthy. 

Here are just a few the items I'm dying to try. The clear improvements mask is something I have seen all over beauty blogs. I really want to try this because my skin tends to break out randomly, and I think this mask would be great for clearing out pores and preventing break outs. The gloomaway grapefruit body wash/ bubble bath just sounds amazing! I love the smell of grapefruit and I think a grapefruit bubble bath would be a great mood lifter. I tried a sample of origins modern friction dermabrasion a few weeks ago...it was excellent!! It left my skin feeling soft and looking perfectly polished. I would love to have the full sized bottle.

I have been looking for a serum to try recently and I think the original skin renewal serum would be perfect! It is designed to reduce dullness, shrink pores, and renew 20-something skin. Finally, I would love to try origins drink up lip balm in the shade nude nectarine. I don't really have a good reason for this other than I think the color looks nice and I love a good tinted lip balm (doesn't everyone?).

Have you tried any of these products? Do you have any origins recommendations? Let me know!

The Perfect Pink, Coral, and Nude Lips for Spring

I have been changing a few things to revamp my makeup routine for spring. You may have seen my new favorite spring eye shadow here (self promoting at it's finest), but today we're talking lips! I want to be one of those girls that can comfortably wear bright bold pink lips, but it just doesn't work for me. Instead I tend to go for lighter, more sheer colors. I am currently loving pink and nude (mostly sheer) lips so I have complied a list of my favorite, must have lip colors for spring.

My all time favorite lip product (bold claim) is Too Faced La Creme Color Drenched Lip Cream. This stuff is seriously amazing, it feels like butter on my lips! The shade Nude Beach is the perfect peachy nude. It doesn't dry the lips out, the color lasts nicely, and basically I want one of every color. Clinique chubby stick baby tint lip balm is my favorite for a no makeup, makeup kind of day. It is super sheer, hydrating, and easy to wear. I have talked about Revlon colorburst balm stain previously(here). It is another sheer, easy to wear darkish pink that I love wearing on the daily. Fresh sugar lip treatment in the shade tulip is perfect for spring! It is a bright pink tinted lip balm that is super hydrating. Finally, for when I'm feeling extra bold, I bust of my sephora rouge cream lipstick in the shade decollete. In the description on the sephora website it calls this color "warm pinkish beige"... its more like "super duper bright coral" in my book. Anyway, this lipstick is super long lasting and is very pigmented, although, it is a bit drying. I included some swatches of these products below. 

Left to Right: Too Faced Nude Beach // Clinique Chubby Stick baby tint in Flowering Freesia // Revlon Colorburst Balm Stain in Honey Douce // Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment in Tulip // Sephora Rouge in Decollete

Have you used any of these products in different shades? I'm always looking for new lip colors to try! 

Spring Eyeshadow

Recently I have grown tired of my eyeshadow routine, I don't tend to change it up a whole lot. So in hopes of remedying this problem, I ordered this Cynthia Rowley No 2 eyeshadow pallet from Birchbox. It has a little more color than what I normally wear but yet the colors are still soft and subtle. I thought it would be perfect for spring.

After using this pallet many times, I love it! It took me a few tries to figure out how I wanted to incorporate these colors into my eyeshadow but I think I have come up with something I really like. These shadows are very light so in order to get great color payoff, primer is a must.

I have been applying the shade marshmallow(cream) all over my eye, cotton candy(purple) on the outer portion of my lid, and confetti(pink) on the inner corner. Licorice is a great mat black and works perfect as a soft black liner when applied with an angled liner brush. Cotton candy is my favorite in the pallet because it is purple but still quite subtle. For a little extra color I like to add Cynthia Rowley eyeliner in violet.

I haven't quite figured out how to use the shade cloud(green), so if you have a recommendation please let me know!

Beauty on a Budget // Skin Care

Skin care is something that tends to be rather expensive, like crazy expensive. So I'm sharing my favorite budget friendly skin care items. I have acne prone skin (since I was about 10 years old) so I try to stick with gentle products and these are a few that have been working really well for my skin recently.

I wash my face every morning with neutrogena pink grapefruit oil-free acne wash. I love that this has little scrubby things (if you know the actual name, let me know) and the smell is refreshing and helps me fell more awake.

I have been using cetaphil daily facial moisturizer for years and don't see myself changing that anytime soon. It is unscented, light weight, non-greasy, and perfect for my acne prone skin

Finally, freemans face masks, I wouldn't say that these are really anything special but they are great if you want to stick to a budget! I think they cost around $5. My favorite is the charcoal polishing mask. It leaves my skin feeling clean and it is a very strong exfoliate. I really want to try the tea and lemon clay mask.

What are your favorite budget friendly skin care items? I am always looking for new things to try!

March Favorites // Urban Decay, Revlon, Tea, & Jewlery

Where did March go?! This month has gone by super fast and all I can think about is the upcoming warm weather! I have tried a lot of new beauty products this month and most of them have been great!

Now it's time to narrow things down and tell you about a few of my favorites from this month! First of all, the Netflix original show, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt is hilarious! One of my favorite parts of the day is sitting down in the evening to watch a silly, easy to watch show and drink my tea. Recently, I have been hooked on chamomile with lavender tea. It is refreshing and relaxing and it smells heavenly while brewing. Does the smell matter to anyone else or is that just me?

 

I had seen all sorts of raves about Revlon Colorstay Gel Envy nail polish (quite a long name)  and I was wanting some new spring colors so I picked up the shade carshark, a light pink color. I fell in love! This nail polish stayed on my nails for a FULL week, without chipping! I then decided that I would never use another nail polish and I got the shade roulette rush which is a super bold red. I can't wait to try some other colors.

Staying with the spring/summer theme, I am loving all things coconut, and Victoria's Secret coconut milk body oil (not available online) is amazing! It smells great, doesn't feel too greasy, and is super moisturizing!

I ordered this simple layering necklace (similar) and initial necklace off etsy and I haven't stopped wearing them since.  I think they are so simple and they go with every outfit!

Fresh sugar lip treatments are perfect for me because I prefer to wear lip color that is light weight rather than heavy lipstick. I have used the shade tulip everyday since I bought it! It is moisturizing and smooth on my lips and I love the bright pink color!

Oh My Goodness! Have you ever seen a bronze/highlight/blush palette so beautiful?! I have been reaching for my Urban Decay Naked Flushed palette with the blush shade Strip every morning. These color work perfect with my skin, last all day, and the packaging is gorgeous!

My list of favorite items this month could go on forever but I think I'll stop here. I hope you enjoyed reading this blog post. Let me know what your favorite products have been this month!

Beauty on a Budget // Ulta Haul

You know when you go into a store and think "I only need a few things, it won't take long" and you leave an hour later with way more than you went in for? Well this is what happens every time I go into ulta. When I was home for the weekend a couple weeks ago and I had to make a stop at ulta (there isn't one where I'm currently living) and ended up with way more than I intended...but on the bright side, everything I got was budget friendly!

When I got to the store I discovered that they had a special on ulta brand makeup, which by the way is wonderfully priced, so I got quite a few new things to try. I also picked up Revlon Nearly Naked foundation and a Real Techniques powder brush (the only two items I actually went to buy).  ps: stay tuned for a review of the foundation in the near future. 

The ulta amped lashes mascara is something I was really excited to try and it has not disappointed! Also, the double ended eyeliner is a great product and would be nice for traveling because you have a black and brown liner in one pencil.

I got two ulta lip products: a lip crayon in the shade OH! (orangish) and a butter balm lip gloss in the shade thumbelina (bright pink). They are both brighter than I normally wear but I think they will be great for spring and summer.

I got three ulta eyeshadow quads for free (because I spent too much money) and a single eyeshadow in the shade flutter. These eyeshadows are all beautiful colors and I am having a lot of fun trying new looks with them. 

 

I love this yellow diamond illuminating powder. It adds just enough brightness without too much sparkle. I also got the ulta bronzer blush duo for spending too much money ;). 

This is the first time I have ever purchased or used ulta brand products but so far I am really enjoying them and the best part is, every one was under $10!

Do you have any recommendations for budget beauty products? If so, comment below and let me know what they are.

Sunday Night Pamper

I think it is important to set aside some time each week to pamper yourself. Whether you have 10 minutes or a couple hours, you need time to recharge and refocus. You could use this time to take a bath, paint your nails, do a face mask, read a book, or just sit in silence by yourself-whatever works for you. I always try to make time on Sunday evening to have a little pamper session. This is a great time for me because it is right before I have to go back to class on Monday, start studying again, and go back to real life: it's my time to refocus.

I try to change up my pamper routine a little each week. This week I am doing a hair mask, face mask, and repainting my nails. I love to do a hair mask every other week to help my hair feel softer and repair some damage from the past weeks of blow drying and curling. This amika nourishing mask is my favorite! It smells great and leaves my hair feeling healthy. I like to put it on my hair for about 10 minutes after I get out of the shower and then rinse it out. I also love to use this polishing face mask while I have the mask on my hair. It is extremely exfoliating, which I love this time of year.

After I have taken care of my hair and face, its time to repaint my nails. I am using Essie nail polish in the shade Jazz tonight. It is a really nice neutral color.

I also plan to read some blog posts from this weekend, light a nice candle, drink a huge cup of tea, and maybe watch an episode of Parenthood on Netflix.

I hope you find some time this week to relax and pamper yourself! You deserve it!
If you already do this, what is your favorite thing to do during your pamper time?

(linking with fab favorites)

Beauty Wish List

I have been doing a little bit of online window shopping for makeup lately and there are so many great products that I am dying to try! Here is a look into my current beauty wish list, there are many more products than I'm sharing today but these are the main items on my list.

One: Butter London High Tea Collection nail polish in the shade Tiddly- this color is gorgeous!

Two: Sephora collection cream lipstick in the shade Love Life. I have one of these lipsticks in a coral shade and I love it. It is super pigmented and long lasting.

Three:  Kat Von D Chrysalis Eyeshadow palette. I typically wear pretty neutral eyeshadow but there is something about the bright blue and purple in this palette that I really love.

Four: The Anastasia brow wiz is something I have been seeing on a ton of  beauty blogs lately and I just want to know what all the hype is about. I have some crazy brows sometimes so I think this would be a great product to try.

Five: Smashbox Contour Kit-I love the contoured look and I think this kit would be a great thing to have because you have all the shades you need and the perfect brush.

Six: Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush, one in every color please! This blush is just SO beautiful! If I could only pick one, I think I would go with the shade subdued coral.

Unfortunately, all of the items are quite pricey, but we can dream right?

Have you tried any of these products? Do you love them? Let me know!

(Linking with Fab Favorites)
(Linking with The Knotted Chain)

Beauty on a Budget // Everyday Makeup

I'm always admiring luxurious makeup but almost always talk myself out of buying it (unless it is something really special). Sometimes I feel like it is really hard to justify spending a lot of money on makeup and I figured that a lot of you feel the same way so I thought I would share my everyday makeup routine using only drugstore products. 

The Base: I use this Covergirl BB cream before I put on any other makeup. It is a tinted moisturizer and works as a great primer. For concealer I use this Almay concealer and brightener under my eyes and on any blemishes, I then use Elf tone correcting concealer around my nose and anywhere else I'm looking extra red. These concealers work great for me, they have nice coverage and I don't have problems with them creasing as the day goes on. For foundation I'm currently using Neurtogena shine control, when I use this my makeup seems to last through out the day better. As a powder I use Neutrogena skin clearing mineral powder. It gives more of a sheer coverage which I really like. 

Picking a drugstore blush was really difficult for me because blush is something I tend to splurge on, so most of what I use is high end. I did find this Mayballine Dream Bouncy blush in the shade rose petal and so far I like it. It doesn't give a whole lot of color so it's nice for a simple everyday look.

Eyes and Lips: I love this Maybelline cream eyeshadow in the shade Barely Branded (sorry I couldn't find it online). I put this all over my eye lid and then use this Maybelline eyeshadow in the shade Indian Summer. The cream eyeshadow is a great base for the powder and helps keep my eye makeup looking good all day.  My favorite eyeliner is this Almay one. It is easy to apply and I really like the color. For mascara, I'm not too picky but I have recently been loving Covergirl Full Lash Bloom in Black Brown. It seems to give my lashes more volume and length without looking fake.  Revlon colorburst balm stain in the shade Honey is an amazing lip product! I wear it almost everyday because it is a really nice color and it feels great on my lips.

p.s. I tried taking a picture of myself after I did this makeup routine but it just wasn't working for me-sorry bout that :(

I hope this gives you some new drugstore products to try and I would love to know what you drugstore favorites are! 

(linking with Fab Favorites) 

February Birchbox

I received a Birchbox subscription for my birthday in December and I must say, I am loving it! For those of you that don't know, this is a monthly box subscription and each month you receive 4 to 5 beauty samples that are personalized for you based on a profile you fill out on the Birchbox website. It is so much fun getting to try new luxurious beauty products that I normally wouldn't. There were two products from this month's box that I was particularly excited to try.

I have recently become interested, possible obsessed, with lip products so I was super excited to see theBalm Read My Lips Lip Gloss when I opened my box. The shade is BAM! and it is a beautiful pink, but not too pink, if that makes sense. I can easily see this gloss becoming a regular part of my makeup routine.I was also really happy to see the BeeKind Body Lotion, it is made with honey and chamomile and the scent is incredible!

The box also included a Klorane Dry Shampoo, Juiuce Beauty Blemish Clearing Cleanser, and Paula's Choice skin treatment for stubborn skin imperfections.

If you want a monthly birchbox you can subscribe here!