January Ipsy Bag

I've been really impressed with the Ipsy bags I've received over the past couple months, and this one didn't disappoint either. It's introduced me to a lot of brands & products that I never would've picked up on my own. I've decided to start giving a rating for each bag, and this one gets a 3.5/5. If you'd like to see my mini-review of each product, I made a video about it. Check it out down below!

September Ipsy Bag: http://mollycurley.blogspot.com/2013/09/september-ipsy-bag.html
October Ipsy Bag: http://mollycurley.blogspot.com/2013/10/october-ipsy-bag.html
December Ipsy Bag: http://mollycurley.blogspot.com/2013/12/december-ipsy-bag.html

Have a lovely day!

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!

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!

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!

August Favorites

I'm not going to lie, I was in shock when I looked down at my phone and saw that it was September 1st already. I don't know that August necessarily went by quickly, but I realize now that Summer is officially over, and it's time to really focus on school. Oh how fun. The past couple weeks have been a little hectic since I've been back. I've been on the hunt for a job (which has so far been unsuccessful. woo.), my sorority had recruitment, and I've just been figuring out how to get back into the school routine. So, without further ado, here are a few of my favorites things that helped me survive August.

{C.O. Bigelow Rose Salve & EOS Lip Balm in Pomegranate Raspberry}

I've been loving both of these products for keeping my lips from drying out. At night I also put a little of the rose salve on any blemishes I have... and sadly there have been quite a few lately.

{Revlon 1" Curling Iron}

I used this every day during recruitment and it worked wonders. Instead of clamping my hair and then curling it, I just wrap my hair around like it was a wand. I think it gives me a bit more control & it's a lot faster.

{Tresemmé Extra Hold Hairspray}

I bought a teeny bottle of this before coming to school, and I'm so happy I did. Whenever I curl my hair it tends to fall out a bit, and this helped hold everything in place for a little bit longer.

{Luna Bars}

I don't know how I went all summer without having these. I am in love. They're great for a quick breakfast or snack (or both). These are my two favorite kinds.

{GAP Dream Scent}

I thought this was discontinued for some reason, but over the summer I found it (on sale) at GAP. I've been using it everyday this month. It's a light, floral scent that brings me right back to middle school.

{OtterBox Defender}

This thing has saved my life on more than one occasion.

Let me know some of your favorites below! Happy September!

Empty Products #2

This post won't be reviewing as many products as my last empty products post, but there's still some good stuff to be talked about! Some of these products have become all time favorites, while some haven't impressed me quite as much.

I talked about the conditioner version of this product here, but I thought I'd mention the shampoo as well. I've really been loving this shampoo, and I purchase it over and over again, but the one thing it isn't great at is clarifying. I'll have to rinse and repeat once or twice sometimes. I think it's about time to invest in a shampoo actually made to clarify my hair.

I originally bought this product because I saw it was recommended for combination skin in a magazine--  fun little fact for you. I don't feel like this cleanser did anything amazing for my skin, so I probably won't repurchase it, but it was good while it lasted.

This little bottle lasted forever. I would use it every now & then when I wanted to switch up what soap I was using, but really a little went a very long way. I may have had this for a year or 2 (probably way longer than you should be hanging on to shower gel) but I really did like it. The smell was very refreshing, and it lathered with just a little product on a loofa.

You can see that there's still a little bit of this product left, but I thought I'd go ahead and include it before it completely runs out. I prefer to use powder & concealer over a foundation, so I have tried out several powders. This one gives a nice, light coverage but I find that it doesn't mattify my skin as well as others have in the past. Can't say that I'll be repurchasing this one.

Last, but not least, is my new favorite moisturizer. I'd been looking for a good moisturizer that wouldn't break me out or leave my skin feeling greasy, and this definitely does that for me. It's somewhere between 13-15 dollars, but it lasted me about 6 months. That's impressive, considering I used it about every day. I really love that this is a natural product & it's targeted for my skin type. I'm already using another bottle of it.

I'd love to know your thoughts on any of these products! Anything I should try out next?

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?