2013 Beauty Favorites

I lucked out on beauty products this past year, coming across some that I know I'll love as long as they're around. From powders to perfumes, I've compiled a short list for you guys. I also made a video, so to hear a little bit more about them, give it a watch! Thank you guys for an awesome year. Stay safe tonight! Happy 2014!

2013 Beauty Favorites:

-Yes to Tomatoes Moisturizer

-Rimmel Stay Matte Powder

-Real Techniques Multi-Tasking Brush

-Naked Palette by Urban Decay

-CoverGirl Shimmering Sands Trio

-CoverGirl Lashblast Volume

-CoverGirl Clump Crusher

-Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain (Lovesick & Romantic)

-C.O. Bigelow Rose Salve

-Tangle Teezer

-Taylor Swift's Wonderstruck Enchanted Perfume

-Marc Jacob's Daisy Perfume

-GAP Dream Body Mist

Happy New Year!

❄ December Ipsy Bag! ❄

Happy Saturday to you! I'm actually headed out to go camping today, but I wanted to go ahead and share this month's Ipsy Bag with you guys! This is my 4th bag so far, and so far I've been very impressed with the subscription. You can see more about Ipsy on their website here. Be sure to watch my video below to hear my thoughts on all of the products! You can also go subscribe to my YouTube channel if you'd like! Just click here.

See you guys tomorrow! Enjoy your weekend!

COUNTDOWN: 12 DAYS of BLOGGING!

Favorite Winter Products

More than any other time of the year, the winter/Christmas season is when I start to reach for specific products. Red lips, golden eyes, and wintery scents take over my routine. Most of these products are tried and true favorites, with a few new ones thrown into the mix. I featured most of these products in my "Get Ready With Me" video, so click here if you'd like to check that out!

This is one of those new favorites. I love sweet scents, but I usually stay away from the cupcake, overly sugary fragrances. Vanilla Bean Noel from Bath & Body Works is sweet, without being over the top.

I love Half Baked from Urban Decay pretty much year round, but it's perfect for Christmastime. It is just the perfect amount of shimmer. No disco ball eyes here.

This is one of my favorite products ever. I put this Rose Salve on every night before bed, and it really helps to sooth & hydrate dry lips that come with the cold weather. It's also great to put on any dry patches. Can't take any chances with the cold!

This is the perfect nail duo for Christmas. O.P.I.'s I Love You Cherry much is great if you want a brighter, bolder look & Nailtini's Champagne is a bit more subtle, but still very festive. I have complete reviews of both polishes here & here (Champagne coming on Friday, sorry!).

Taylor Swift's Wonderstruck Enchanted is one of those perfectly balanced scents. It's sweet & sugary with a nice warmth to it. I got this last year for Christmas, and though I wear it all through the year, it's the perfect Christmas scent.

I've had this color for years, and it has become my favorite, bright red lip color. It's Love That Red from Revlon, and it is the perfect Christmas color.

I hardly ever wear eyeliner, but it's nice to pull it out during Christmastime. I usually just blend it in to my upper lash line. It's a nice deep blue, so it isn't as harsh as a black liner. Plus, it compliments Half Baked perfectly!

There has been so much talk about this product, but it's well deserved. Maybelline's Color Tatoo in Bad to the Bronze a beautiful color worn on it's own, or under some fun shimmery colors for Christmas.

Last, but not least, is Revlon's Romantic Balm Stain. You can wear this sheer, or layer it on-- either way it is lovely. It also stays on forever, so it would be great for any holiday party.

Thanks for checking out my favorites! Let me know any products you think I should try out!

COUNTDOWN: 14 DAYS of BLOGGING!

Get Ready With Me! ❄ Christmas Edition! ❄

I am so excited about today's video! I came up with a festive makeup look & a Christmas outfit that may seem a bit familiar. I can't believe how quickly the season is passing, and I'm loving every minute of it. I hope you enjoy the video! I do show off my crazy dance moves... so get ready for that. Don't forget, you can subscribe to my YouTube channel here, so you never miss seeing me dance around like a crazy person.



Let me know if you have a YouTube channel! Leave a link below, I'd love to check it out!

COUNTDOWN: 15 DAYS of BLOGGING!

(15?! Can you believe it?)

October Ipsy Bag

This is my second Ipsy Bag I've received, and though I wasn't quite as impressed as I was with last month's, I still really enjoyed opening this one up. Be sure to watch my video below to hear my thoughts on all of the products! You can also go subscribe to my YouTube channel if you'd like! Just click here.

Thanks for watching!

Ulta Haulin'

I ran out of some much needed products, so a little while ago I ordered a few things from Ulta. Actually now that I think about it, I'm pretty sure I got the face scrub from the grocery store. Oh well. I've been loving these products regardless!

{Rimmel Stay Matte Powder}

This is a product that I've had before, and I absolutely love it. I recently used up this Revlon powder, which I wasn't a huge fan of, so I decided to stick with something I know & love. I got this in the lightest shade to match my ghostly skin.

{Bioré Pore Strips}

I think I've only bought these one other time, but I've been wanting to use them more often. Blackheads are one of my biggest skin problems, and I just want to get rid of them! We'll see how this works.

{Maybelline The Falsies Big Eyes}
So... advertising really worked on me this time. I kept seeing ads and commercials for this mascara, and I really wanted to try it. I like the dual ended brush, although it can kind of be awkward to apply. I like a natural look, and the upper lash side kind of gave me spidery lashes. Hopefully it'll dry out a little and I'll use it again. The lower lash brush is awesome though!

{Formula 10.0.6 So Totally Clean Cleanser}
I bought this originally thinking it would be more like a face wash, and less like a toner. I'm kind of glad it's like a toner though! I've only been using it for a little while, and I'm pretty pleased with it. It can be drying, so I make sure to moisturize after using it.

{Maybelline FitMe Concealer}
I've heard really great things about this concealer, and I think it's been compared to the infamous Collection 2000 concealer, so I thought I'd try it out. I'm not used to a more liquidy concealer, but I really like it!

{St. Ives Apricot Scrub}
I started using this years ago-- I think it was because of my mom. I'd been using a store brand version of this, but I like this one better. It's a much finer scrub.

{Rimmel Soft Kohl Kajal Eyepencil}
I hardly ever wear eyeliner, but I wanted to get a brown one that might be a bit more natural. I have a Rimmel Scandaleyes liner that I love, and I was hoping it would be like that, but it's not. It isn't as creamy and blendable. I'm going to try to make it work though!

That's my haul! I hope you enjoyed. Let me know of any beauty products you recommend!

Everyday Summer Makeup

During summer I like to keep makeup to a minimum. I like to blame it on the heat-- that any effort put into my makeup will quickly become a mess in the humidity-- but I think it's just because I'm lazy. If you actually catch me on a day where I've actually taken a bit of time to get ready, this is probably what I'm wearing.

Revlon's Photoready Concealer is an all time favorite of mine. It works well to cover up my blemishes & under-eye circles. I think this is the third one I've bought!

I've been using Revlon's Nearly Naked Powder (which is alright) & the Real Techniques Multi-Tasking Brush (which is amazing) to try to mattify my skin.

I make sure to brush through my eyebrows with this comb I got in a travel kit & curl my lashes with e.l.f.'s Eyelash Curler.

Then, I use my fingers to apply some shadows from CoverGirl's Shimmering Sands Trio (it varies from day to day). And finally, I add put on some of CoverGirl's LashBlast Mascara.

That's it! 4 products and I'm good to go. I'd love to know what some of your everyday essentials are!

On My Lips: Revlon's Sweetheart

Revlon's Color Stay Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Sweetheart (geeze, what a name) has become one of my favorite lip products for summer. This has been out for a while, but I absolutely love it. It is the perfect bright pink color for summer! You can apply it lightly for a nice wash of color, or build it up for a fun pop of color. Either way, it looks great.  It can be a bit drying on the lips after a few hours, but for the most part it isn't too bad. The staying power is amazing, and although it may not last all day, there will be a stain of color that won't budge. I've tried a few other of these balm stains, but this one is definitely my favorite.

before

after

Have you tried this, or any of the other Revlon Balm Stains? Any recommendations for summer lip colors?

Get Ready With Me | Summer Outfit & Makeup!

I am really excited about today's post! On Sunday I filmed this "Get Ready With Me" video, where I take you through what products I use in the shower to what I wore that day. There are some bloopers at the end, of course, mainly of me awkwardly dancing and singing. Oh, it's good stuff. I do hope you all enjoy this one, let me know in the comments if you'd like to see more videos! I've really enjoyed making them.



You can subscribe to my YouTube channel here!

Empty Products #1

I'm a bit obsessed with YouTube and watch a number of different beauty vloggers who have all done these kind of "empty" videos. I thought the concept was pretty cool; a bunch of mini reviews all in one video (or post in this case) after using up the entire product. So, I'll try to keep these reviews short & sweet! I do love most of these products, but there are a few that I won't be rushing to repurchase.

{Rimmel Stay Matte Powder}

This stuff is awesome. It's very inexpensive & definitely keeps you from looking oily throughout the day. I think I'll be purchasing a different powder before I go back to this one, but it's become a favorite of mine.

{Taylor Swift Wonderstruck}

I asked for this perfume 2 years ago for Christmas without ever smelling it, partially because I adore Taylor Swift, but I just knew that I'd love it. It is a very sweet perfume, but I tend to like those kind of scents. I do get compliments whenever I wear this one! Her new perfume is coming out very, very soon, so I'll be buying that one before I go back to Wonderstruck.

{Herbal Essences Long Term Relationship Shampoo}

Granted, this probably doesn't have the best ingredients for your hair, but I absolutely love Herbal Essences. I've had several other of their shampoos, but I think this one is my favorite. It's a great price, it does the job, and the scent lingers in your hair all day. As far as fixing split ends, it doesn't remedy them in any magical way. I do love what this does for my hair though, and I'll be buying it again & again!

{Aussie 3 Minute Miracle}

I know some people are obsessed with this product, but I wasn't very impressed with it. I didn't see it do anything amazing for my hair, and I ended up just using it as extra conditioner for my ends every now and then. I think it is made by the same company as Herbal Essences (I could be completely wrong), & I think the Long Relationship Conditioner worked a lot better for me.

{Dream by Gap}

I think this scent has been discontinued, but I really wish they would bring it back! This is one of those fragrances that I use to wear in middle school & it smells so, so good. It takes me right back to those delightfully awkward days. It's a very soft and sweet scent, and I love it.

{Dove Go Fresh Body Spray in Revive}

I've found that I really like pomegranate scented body wash & body spray, it's kind of odd to me. This scent is a little harder to come by than the other body sprays, but I think it is my favorite. It's fruity and fresh and perfect for summertime.

{Sally Hansen Double Duty}

First, the name of this makes me giggle. Second, you may notice that there is some of the product left, but it's just gotten gloopy & nasty at this point. I think this was alright, I didn't really love it. If you have any recommendations for a good base or top coat, please let me know!

{Revlon Photoready Concealer}

I love, love, love this concealer. It's easy to apply, it's light enough for me, and it's super creamy & blendable. I will say that it can crease a little bit, but it's still a product I'll repurchase over and over.

{Carmex Moisture Plus Lip Balm}

I've 3 different tubes of this-- two clear and one tinted. I wasn't a huge fan of the tinted one, but I love the clear version. I won't rush out to pick this up, but it does do a good job of hydrating. I love the scent of it as well. It does have a very glossy finish too, which is something you don't get in normal chapstick.

Let me know if you've tried out any of these products! Any recommendations for new ones?

A Summer Makeup Tutorial

Today I am doing something new on the blog! Over the weekend I filmed a video of a fun, summery makeup look and I wanted to share it with you all. There's even some bloopers at the end! That's always one of my favorite parts. This is new to me, so let me know if you like it and if you would want to see more in the future. I had a lot of fun making it, I hope you enjoy!
   





You can check out my YouTube page here. Let me know if you have a channel, I'd love to check it out!

A Haul For You All

After a few trips to the store, I've accumulated a few different products I wanted to share with you all. My hair has gotten pretty long and it's become a bit difficult to manage so I wanted to buy a few products that might help with that. I went to Ulta to find the Not Your Mother's Detangler, but it wasn't in stores. Instead I picked up the Tangle Teezer which I am convinced is a Houdini brush. If you have long or tangled hair, I highly recommend it. To help with serious tangles, I picked up Johnson's detangler because kids detanglers always seem to do a good job (who knows). I've seen a few tutorials using products similar to the Hot Tools Rollers, so I thought I'd give them a try as well, since my hair takes forever to style. I also picked up Target's Blackhead Scrub, NYC's Sunny Bronzer, and Orly's Rage; a few products I've been wanting to purchase.

Sorry about the short post! I have to write this quickly because tomorrow (well, today) I'm starting my first day of work and I have to be up at 6... which is a difficult task for me. Wish me luck. Are there any products you've recently purchased?

Sandals, Sundresses, and Lip Salves

Continuing with the Thursday themes (you can check out my last ones here and here), today I wanted to share my beauty and fashion favorites with you all. I learned one of two things while making this post. 1. The majority of my closet is from Target and 2. I am terrible at posing. With that being said, lets hope I expand my wardrobe and take a few lessons on posing. I'll get there... hopefully.

{Aviators}

I have a huge head, and a big nose, so it's hard to find glasses that look good on me. I've found that aviators suit me well. I got these for $10 at a beach store, but here is a similar pair from UO.

{Wonderstruck & Daisy Perfumes}

I love both of the Wonderstruck perfumes, but I only have a few uses left on the original and I decided to leave it at home. Before I bought this roller ball of Daisy I would douse myself in samples at all the department stores. So good.

{Sundresses}

These are always going to be a staple in my wardrobe. They're so effortless and comfortable; I just can't get enough. The three of these are all from Target, of course. I know for sure that the polka dot one is still available here.

{Rose Salve}

I've tried 3 different kinds of lip salves, and C.O. Bigelow's is by far my favorite. The strawberry one is included in here too because I do like it as well (mostly because it smells like a strawberry smoothie).

{Sandals}

You can never have too many pairs of sandals. The two on the outside are from Target and I got my Rainbows at a random store in the mall. Sorry for their appearance, but they've held up pretty well over the years!

{CG Mascaras} 

CoverGirl mascaras are some of the best that I've ever tried. These two have definitely become my favorites. I do like a more natural makeup look, and these are perfect for that.

{Jeggings}

I apologize for my awkward posing, but I had to share my love for jeggings. They're so comfy! It's like wearing pajamas, but you don't look like a crazy person. I got these from Target, along with a black pair.

{Eyeshadows}

Last but not least, the eyeshadows. I absolutely love these: the Naked palette, the CoverGirl Shimmering Sands trio, and the L'Oreal Infallible eyeshadow in Amber Rush. I feel like these products have gotten a lot of love here on the interwebs, but I can see why.

Let me know what some of your favorites are! I'd really love to try them out.