13 for '13

It's the end of the year!  I hope you had a wonderful 2013, and I hope your 2014 will be even better!  I've picked out my 13 favorite products that I purchased in 2013.  These have been staples in my makeup, and I have adored them this past year. So, in no particular order:  13 of my 2013 favorites!

Urban Decay Naked Flushed Bronzer: This stuff is amazing!  It actually works with my skin tone and blends really well.

Maybelline The Falsies Flared/The Falsies: At this point, you're probably sick of hearing me (and everyone else on the face of this planet) rave about this mascara.

Essie Mint Candy Apple:  This is my absolute most favorite nail polish ever ever ever.  It's also my favorite color.

Rimmel Stay Matte Powder:  Keeps me shine free.

Rimmel Scandaleyes Eyeliner in 005 Nude: Also in my December favorites.

Nars Pro-Prime Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base:  This primer is amazing at keeping my eyeshadow where I want it to be.  It doesn't smudge or wiggle around at all!

MAC Paint Pot in Rubenesque: One of my good friends told me about this.  I use it mostly as a base for my eyeshadows, and it keeps them where I put them and adds a coppery/goldy undertone.  It is also amazing when you build it up and use it by itself.

EOS Raspberry Pomegranate: Raspberry and Pomegranate are two of my favorite fruits and scents.  So naturally, I love this EOS!

Maybelline Eyestudio Gel Eyeliner in Brown: This stuff works a trick.  I don't think I've gone a week without wearing it since I got it!

MAC Lipstick in Amplify:  You might notice that my two favorite lipsticks look similar.  I loved this one for fall/winter as it is a darker bright pink.  It's super creamy, and I always get complements on it.

Topshop Lipstick in Ooh La La:  This was my spring/summer lipstick staple.  (review)

MAC Eyeshadow in Woodwinked: One of MAC's most loved eyeshadows made it's way into my heart this year.

MAC Eyeshadow in Amber Lights: Another MAC crowd favorite.  I love these two coppery colors.  Because I have blue eyes, they suit me really well.

There it is!  Hopefully 2014 will bring me many new products to love!

December Favorites

Well, it's that time of the month again.  I have been RUBBISH at doing monthly favorites (don't worry-it's on my New Year's resolution list!), but I am actually sitting down, doing it now!

Garnier Fructis Sleek and Shine Flat Iron Perfecter Straightening Mist: I have thick, course, curly, crazy hair.  When I straighten it, it does not like to be sleek and smooth.  This spray actually makes it look like a shampoo commercial, which, of course, I love!  Also, it's a heat protectant, so it keeps my locks healthy and happy.

Benefit Watt's Up Highlighter: I got this as my birthday gift from Sephora, and it has quickly made itself my favorite highlighter.  I love the crayon-ish way it applies.  It is super easy to use, and delivers a beautiful, natural highlight.

Lancome Scarlet Blaze Lipstick: Everyone needs a bright red lipstick to wear to Christmas parties!  I've adored this because it is creamy and feels really nice on the lips.  It also stays on for a long time.

Rimmel Scandaleyes Eyeliner in 005 Nude: An eyeliner that stays on my waterline?  I thought such a product didn't exist!  I've tried eyeliner after eyeliner, and they all either slide off onto my skin or evaporate into my eyeball.  Gross!  This stuff works a treat, though.  It stays on all day and brightens up my eyes.

Loreal Lineur Intense Felt Tip Liquid Eyeliner in Carbon Black: This is such an amazing product.  It is so easy to apply (and it's a liquid liner!), you can do a super-thin line or build it up, and it's great for drawing on your face (see what I mean about that here).  Unfortunately, it has a tendency to flake a bit.  If you pop it in your handbag, you can easily reapply it and fix the little baby flake-offs.  The flaking really isn't a big problem, but it's the only thing that keeps me from singing the miracles of this eyeliner from the mountaintops.

Let me know what your favorite products have been this December!

Christmas Haul

Santa was VERY good to me this year! I hope he brought y'all everything you wanted and more.  Here's all of the makeup I got both from friends and family (and Santa, too!).

My lovely friend got me a China Glaze nail polish in Mingle with Kringle.  I instantly fell in love because, well, it's gold and sparkly-what's not to love?!

I was quite surprised to find this gem in my stocking!  Nars' Disco Inferno is so gorgeous!  I have it on my nails now, and I am absolutely in love.

Oops-sorry for the sideways pic!

I got an EOS lip balm in Blueberry Acai.

This is an absolute GEM!  YSL Glossy Stain in Beige Aquarelle.  I have been adoring this because it is so neutral.  Recently, I've been buying and wearing bright lip shades, so it's nice to add to my collection of more neutral, softer lips.

Soap and Glory Sugar Crush soap is so nice. It smells heavenly (and I'm very picky about smells!).

Oh yes, this is it.  I have wanted this palate for a while now, and I'm in love with it.  Marc Jacobs Lolita palate is so beautiful.  I'm literally in awe.

Not Pictured:
another EOS
soap from Anthropologie

Also, the candle in the back ground is Leaves by Bath and Body Works, and it was a gift from a dear friend.

Let me know if you want reviews on any of these products or if you want me to do a jewelry/accessories Christmas haul.

FOTD/OOTD | Christmas Eve

Hello, lovelies!  I'm a few days late, but I wanted to share what I wore (both on my body and my face) on Christmas Eve with you.  My family attends the candle-light service at my church each year, and it's one of my favorite traditions we have.

 OOTD:

Please excuse the mirror selfie.  It was the only picture I had where you could see my shoes! 

Dress: Just Taylor

Shoes: Vince Camuto

FOTD:

Face:
Makeup Forever Mat Velvet + Foundation

Alison Raffaele True Concealer in 1

Benefit Watt's Up Highlighter

Nars Orgasm Blush
Bronzer from Urban Decay Naked Flushed Palette

Rimmel Stay Matte Powder in 001 Transparent

Eyes:

Urban Decay Naked palatte (Half-Baked, Smog, Sidecar)

Sephora Aspen Summit eyeshadow (highlights)

Clinique Pecan (brows)
Covergirl Clear Mascara (brows)

Loreal Carbon Black Lineur Intense
Benefit They're Real!

Lips:

Lancome Scarlet Blaze

Empties

Hello, lovelies! It's been a long, hard semester, and I haven't blogged near as much as I wish I had.  But, now I've got a new candle burning and Christmas music playing, so I thought I would finally post again!  A while ago, I started collecting the products that I had used up.  I have a bunch, so I decided to share them, and give you a mini-review of each one.

Dove Go Fresh Revive Body Wash in the Pomegranate and Lemon Verbena scent.  ABSOLUTE FAVORITE SOAP EVER.  This stuff is amazing.  It is super moisturizing (so much so, that I notice that my skin gets drier if I use a different soap).  It also has the best smell.  I wish everything in life came smelling like this soap-it would make a lot of things more pleasant.  Also, this soap is cheap and available at places like Target, so it's easy to get your hands on.

Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara.  This stuff works a trick.  It doesn't smudge or go everywhere.  It stays all day.  It makes it super easy to put mascara on those baby lashes that seem to get clumpy and gross whenever I use an actual big mascara.  I need to get my hands on another bottle of this pronto!

Maybelline The Falsies Mascara.  Yup.  Everyone's favorite.  I really don't think I need to say too much about this.

Brown Eyeliner.  It's so old that the brand/name/color name has rubbed off.  There is NOTHING on this to distinguish it.  It has a sponge on the bottom to blend the eyeliner, and if anyone knows what this eyeliner is, please tell me.  I'd love to re-purchase it.

Sephora Doe Eyed Eyeliner in Black.  I loved this for a while, but I've found better felt tipped eyeliners.  This stuff dries out super quickly.  I re-purchased it a few times, but I won't be spending more money on it when I've found a cheaper, better alternative.

2-in-1 Acne Wipes by AcneFree.  I use these every morning to wash my face. (I know I should use a wash cloth and soap and all that jazz, but I have my reasons.)  These wipes have Salicylic Acid in them, so they are pretty good for face wipes.

Garnier Refreshing Remover Cleansing Towelettes. I used these before I found the AcneFree ones with Salicylic Acid.

Crest 3D White Toothpaste.  I love this stuff.  It works really well for me.

Biotera Dry Shampoo.  I wrote a review of this miracle product here.

AcneFree Oil-Free Acne Cleanser.  I used this in the shower on my face for a long time.  I have switched over to a gentle cleanser and a scrub that I alternate.  I like this because it had Benzoyl-Peroxide in, but it wasn't ever my favorite product.

Degree Expert Protection Motion Sense Deodorant in Fresh Energy scent.  Everyone's got to have a good deodorant.  This stuff stays on all day, and really keeps you smelling and looking fresh.

Thanks for reading, and Merry Christmas!

Halloween Makeup

Who doesn't like to break out the black lipstick and glitter eyeliner every once in a while?!  That's the reason I love Halloween--crazy makeup is completely acceptable! (Well, that and the candy...)  I went to a party this weekend, and I dressed up as a spider.  I wore all black, and drew a spiderweb on my face.  I got so many complements!

Here's a picture from the party!

Selfie I took after the party, so you can see the spiderweb effect.

Just a goofy selfie...

Happy Halloween!  I hope y'all had as much fun with your makeup as I did with mine!

Halloween Haul!

I LOVE Halloween, so I'm always so excited to dress up and put on crazy makeup! I'm going to a Halloween party tonight, so I stopped in Walgreens and picked up some bits and bobs for my costume.  I'm going as a spider.  I'll wear a black dress with spidery accessories.  Maybe I'll post a picture!

Scunci Barrettes

Walgreens Glitter Spiders (I'm going to attach them to the barrettes)

Sally Hanson Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear Nail Polish in 370 Black Out

Fantasy Makers (Wet n Wild) Bewitching Eyes Eyelashes (They have spiders on them!)

Walgreens Glow in the Dark Spider Rings

Rimmel Show Off Lip Lacouer (Apocalips) in 401 Aurora (not Halloweeny, but I've wanted one of these for a long time!)

Fantasy Makers (Wet n Wild) Glitter Eyeliner in 12525 Whimsical

Fantasy Makers (Wet n Wild) Lipstick in 12535 Black

Loreal Felt Tip Liner in 690 Carbon Black (I'm going to draw a web on my face!)

New Fall Clothes Haul

Hello!  Recently, I've been shopping up a storm!  I haven't ever done a fashion post, but I really love the new clothes I got, so I decided to share them with you!

 This is one dress that I'm so excited to wear!  I just love the studded collar, and it's quite different from everything else I own.

 This dress is great because it can be slightly dressier or really casual.  I wore this recently, and received lots of complements!  It was super flattering.

 I love this top!  Free People can be a bit out there, but this is a complete gem!  I love the cutaway detailing.  I wore this to my surprise party and literally everyone there commented on how much they loved it!  It's such a great fall color!  (And, if you paint your nails "Vested Interest" by Essie, they'll match perfectly--I know from experience!)

 It's a bit hard to tell, but this is a leather peplem.  I've been wanting leather and I've been wanting a peplem, so I get the best of both worlds with this!  I'm not exactly sure what to wear with these (my first instinct, red jeans, didn't look great on me), so if you have any suggestions, let me know!

OK, the next few items are an outfit that I ADORE!  It's super out-there for me, and it's probably the most daring thing I've ever worn.  I wore it to my birthday dinner and got tons of complements, so I think it's a keeper!  The top is this great black tunic.  It's super loose and light-weight.

The necklace is so fun!  I love the bright pop of pink, as your eyes tend to get lost on just a black tunic.  It is so fun and colorful.

Now, these leggings/pants seal the deal for me!  I think they are so cool!  You can't really tell by this picture, but underneath I added a close up, so you can see the lace detailing.  I love the roses on the side.  This is not something that everyone else has in her closet, and I love wearing things that are unique.  Also, they're super comfy because the lace really lets your legs breathe!

Close up!  I can't wait to wear this outfit again!

Every girl needs to have "t-shirts" to wear when you're going somewhere super casual, but you still want to look nice!  I love this one!  It's really soft and comfortable.  Also, the sleeves are rolled, which is a major plus for me.

 Here's the back.  You can't really tell because of the bright light, but the back is a knitted material.  The front pocket is also made of this material, and I love how it ties together!

So there we are!  I really love all of my new clothes.  I got them at a bunch of boutiques, but if you want to know the brand name/where I got them, let me know in the comments!

Product Review | Rimmel Match Perfection Concealer

Concealer in 125: Fair

So, I'm a bit shy when it comes to concealers.  I have one really nice one that I adore, and so I haven't really needed another one.  But, I heard so many great things about this concealer, so when my mom and I were getting new makeup, I decided to grab this.  I'm so glad I did!  I absolutely love the creamy formula.  It has really great coverage and blends super easily.  I love how it is highlighting as well as concealing.  I don't use this on blemishes, because of that, though.  The only complaint I have is the applicator.  It is a brush that you squeeze the bottle and it comes out.  I find that I often get more concealer than I want, so I have to really blend it out, and it gets annoying.  Also, if I try to not squeeze too hard, then I don't get enough product.  Aside from this, I adore this concealer, and would absolutely recommend it!

Mini Haul | Mac

Hello, lovlies!  A while ago, I popped into Mac.  I didn't want to spend a whole lot, so I only got a couple items, but I'm very excited about these items, so I thought I'd do a "Mini Haul".

I got the Cremesheen Lipstick in Amplified and two eyeshadows: Woodwinked and Amber Lights (as well as a quad to put them in).  I can't wait to fill up the other two spaces on my quad!

Here's some swatches

Top to Bottom: Amplified, Amber Lights, Woodwinked

FOTD | Anything Goes

Last week, I was in a musical!  This was my stage makeup for the show, Anything Goes.

Face:

Neutrogena Shine Control Primer

Covergirl Outlast Stay Fabulous Foundation in 805

Rimmel Match Perfection Concealer in 125 (Fair)

Benefit Moon Beam Highligter

Illamasqua Blush in Hussy

Bronzer from Naked Flushed Palette

Rimmel Stay Matte Powder in 001 (Translucent)

Urban Decay DeSlick Setting Spray

Eyes:

Clinique Eyeshadow in Pecan (brows)

Covergirl Mascara in Clear (to set brows)

Rimmel Exaggerate Undercover Shadow Primer

Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Foxy

Urban Decay Eyeshadow in  Tease

Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Blackout

Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Bootycall (highlight)

Maybelline Eye Studio Gel Eyeliner in Brown (top)

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eyeliner in Bourbon (bottom)

Maybelline The Falsies Mascara

Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara

Duo Eyelash Glue

Andrea 45 Lashes

Lips:

Sephora Lipstick in Hot Tango

Reviews of Products Mentioned:

Illamasqua Blush in Hussy

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eyeliner in Bourbon

Leave me a comment if you want a review of any of the products mentioned! xx

Drugstore Haul | Theatre Edition

Hello, lovlies!  I'm so so sorry that I have neglected to post anything for quite some time, but I started rehearsals for the musical I'm in and then started school, so I've been quite busy!  I promise I'll post more now-it just took some time to get into the routine of a busier life.

As I mentioned before, I'm in a musical!  I'm in Anything Goes, and it's been so much fun!  We perform this weekend, which is so exciting.  I needed to grab some makeup to wear on stage.  Also, I grabbed a few products that I've been eyeing for a while or just had on my shopping list.

Hair and Skin:

Conair Bobby Pins: A girl can never have too many bobby pins.  Also, these came with a convenient travel case.  Plus, they were having a "buy one, get one free" on Conair hair products!

Studio 35 Beauty Small Poly Bands:  I've been needing tiny, clear hair elastics for a while, and these were on sale, so I picked them up.

Almay Oil Free Makeup Remover Pads: My all-time favorite makeup remover that I was running out of.  'Nuff said.

Garnier Refreshing Remover Cleansing Towelettes:  These are great for school mornings.  Just sweep and go.

Conair Foam Rollers:  Oh yes, guess who gets to wear these bad boys in her hair all day at school so she can have curly hair for the show?

Batise Dry Shampoo:  This is my all-time favorite dry shampoo, but I haven't been able to find it anywhere, so I was so happy to see it!  It was a 2 for 1, so I grabbed both the Original and Blush scents.

Makeup:

Rimmel London Match Perfection Concealer in 125 Fair: I've heard marvelous things about this concealer, so I decided to give it a try!

Covergirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3 in 1 Concealer in 805 Ivory: I need an opaque base for the stage, and I had almost used up my old stage foundation.  This one seemed to be my best option for a full-coverage foundation, so I decided to go with it.

Andrea 45 Lashes:  I need fake eyelashes for the show, and these looked like they were dramatic without being too much.

Studio 35 Beauty Angled Eyeliner and Shading Brush: I needed an angled brush for my eyebrows (which I've made a goal to be better about-hence the angled brush and clear mascara you'll see later!), and this was the only one they had.  It also has a small shading brush, which I might use for inner eye highlighting.  I wanted to hold out for a Mac 266, but my birthday's not for another month.

Neutrogena Shine Control Primer: This is a new product, and it looks great.  It claims to have a matte finish, which I always need.  Also, I'm ashamed to admit-I've never used a face primer before, so we'll see how this goes.

Rimmel London Exaggerate Undercover Eyeshadow Primer: Another new product.  My Urban Decay primer is running out, so I thought I'd give this cheaper alternative a go.  Hopefully, I'll love it just as much!

Covergirl Professional Mascara in 800 Clear:  Like I said before, I'm trying to be better with my brows.  I got this to set them.

I got a ton of new products that I'm so excited to use!  Hopefully, I can review some soon.  Let me know if you use any of these products or want me to review a specific one!

NOTD | Summer Collection

Hello!  Here are some NOTDs that I collected and forgot to post.  I thought I could just leave a couple with you to show you what I've been wearing on my nails this summer!

 

Sephora by OPI's Slushied (from the Glee collection)

Accent: Sephora by OPI's Iris I Was Thinner

OPI's Thanks a Windmillion

Loreal Colour Riche Nail Lingerie in 703 Elite Chic 

Essie's The More The Merrier

OPI's Thanks a Windmillion

Accent: OPI's Pirouette My Whistle

FOTD | Reunited

Hello, lovelies!  I apologize for the lack of posts, but I've started rehearsals for the musical I'm in, so I've been super busy.  This weekend, a friend from out of town came to visit, and we went out to dinner.  I liked my makeup, so I thought I'd do a FOTD.

Products Used:

Face:

Maybelline Pure Makeup Foundation in Porcelain Ivory

Alison Raffaele True Concealer in 1

Benefit Moon Beam Highlighter

Neutrogena Sheer Highlighting Blush in Pure 22
Bronzer from Urban Decay Naked Flushed Palette

Rimmel Stay Matte Powder in 001 Transparent

Eyes:

Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Naked

Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Tease

Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Foxy (highlights)

Maybelline Eyeshadow in 70 Browntones (lighter color) (brows)

Maybelline Gel Eyeliner in Brown

Maybelline the Falsies Mascara

Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara

Lips:

Sephora Lip Attitude in Glamour

Let me know if you have any questions about the look or want reviews on any products I used!

Best and Worst | Maybelline

I'm back with another Best/Worst post.  Check out the one I wrote on Revlon here.

The worst Maybelline product I have ever used is their pencil eyeliners.  (I love the gel eyeliner-read my review of them here.)  I have one in the Expert Wear line and two from the Unstoppable line. Both lines are horrible for different reasons.  My Expert Wear is so hard to apply.  You have to rub/push so hard it hurts your eye!  That's no fun!  You can see in the swatches below, the pigmentation is horrible, and that's after I did about three layers of it.

The Unstoppable line has great pigmentation and is so easy to apply.  But, it does not stay where you apply it.  This eyeliner transfers to the eyelid so quickly.  It looks nice at first, but a few hours later, you look like a mess with eyeliner everywhere.  Not the look I ever go for.

The best Maybelline product in my opinion is the Falsies mascara.  If you haven't been living under a rock, you know this mascara is huge right now, so I'll keep it short.  This mascara is actually a miracle in a bottle.  I hate my eyelashes, which are short and blonde.  I love the way this volumes my lashes.  It has never been so easy to make my eyelashes look so wonderful.  If you have not tried this mascara, go out and by it now; you'll thank me later.

So there's another best/worst post.  Let me know your favorite and least favorite Maybelline products in the comments below!

Think Pink!

 Pink is one of those colors that you just can't avoid when you're a makeup girl!  Even thought blue is my favorite color, when it comes to makeup I love my pinks!  I have an extremely light skin tone so I tend to opt for pink lips, I always have pink cheeks, and I adore pink on my eyes.  So, I thought I would write a post about my favorite pink makeup items.

 

Illamasqua's Hussy; Nars' Orgasm

First up, blushes!  I only have two high end blushes, and I adore both of them!  I've written a reivew of Hussy here, and Orgasm is extremely popular-you've heard it raved about unless you've been living under a rock!  I love having an option for a matte blush or a shimmery blush.  Orgasm is more of a peachy pink, while Hussy is more of a bright bubblegum pink.  I love how my look can change based on which blush I use!

Urban Decay's Sin

One of my all-time favorite eyeshadows is Sin by Urban Decay.  It's my go-to shadow for sweeping all over the lid.  I feel like so many colors look great in the crease with this on the lid!  It is a shimmery, light pink. I love how light it is, because it can be used for a light look or paired with darker colors for a more dramatic look.  It's so pigmented and wonderful.  My only problem with this eyeshadow is my problem with all my Urban Decay powder shadows:  they tend to wear off after a while.  Its so disappointing to get home and see that my eyeshadow has gone wonky.

Nars' Chiuaua, Topshop's Ooh La La, Revlon's Berry Sorbet

My go-to lip gloss is definitely Nars' Chiuaua.  It is such a pretty "dusty rose" pink.  It has a wonderful formula, so it isn't sticky.  It isn't a super dark color, but it is absolutely beautiful.  My matte, bright pink lipstick, Topshop's Ooh La La, is another fave.  I've literally worn it everywhere this summer! I reviewed here.  Revlon's Lip Butter in Berry Sorbet is a great lip choice.  As the name suggests, it has more of a berry pink tone rather than a pinky pink tone (if that makes any sense at all!).  I love adore the lip butters, and this was my go-to lip in February and March.  I like how its a little bit darker, but it is still a pretty pink.

OPI's Bubble Bath, Divine Swine, and Strawberry Margarita

Y'all know I love my nail polishes!  The first pink nail polish I love is Bubble Bath by OPI.  It's a light pink that barely shows up.  I like it because there's just a hint of pink on my nails.  It is a very healthy look, and would definitely work for a school or workplace that doesn't allow crazy nail polishes.  Speaking of crazy nail polishes, Divine Swine by OPI is just that!  My sister got this for me for Christmas a couple years ago.  It's from the Muppet Collection, and it's Miss Piggy's color.  It is pink glitter with big silver flakes.  I love how unique it is with the silver flakes.  It's so fun to wear, and I always get so many complements.  Be sure to wear a top coat, though, because it can come off easily due to the fact it is pure glitter!  OPI's Strawberry Margarita has been on my toes all summer!  I talked about it in detail in this post.

Here are swatches of all the products mentioned:

What are your favorite pink products?  Let me know in the comments!