February Ulta Haul

If you follow me on Instagram, you know that my flat iron broke back in the beginning of January and I have been sporting natural hair for the last 2 months. I'm not gonna lie, it's been rough. The times I did end up going somewhere I had to curl my hair because it looks awful natural. After seeing a deal on Ulta's website on the Chi flat irons, my boyfriend and I went to Ulta to pick one up. While we were there, I ended up browsing (while he organized shelves...he hates messes!) and picking out a few more products.

Original Chi Ceramic Hairstyling Iron- My boyfriend actually picked out the flat iron for me. I wanted one of the glittery fun colored Chi flat irons but the original was on sale for the same price and since it had a longer warranty and was made in the USA my boyfriend suggested that I buy the black one. See? He's actually quite helpful to take beauty shopping as I wouldn't have checked those things!

Queen Helene Grape Seed Extract Peel Off Masque- My current tube of this stuff has been almost out for a few months now but every time I go to buy it the shelves are empty! While I was browsing the aisles at Ulta this mask popped into my mind and I made a dash for the skin care aisle. There on the shelf was one grape seed mask! You can bet I snatched it up! Score!

Maybelline Master Glaze Blush Stick- I've been dying to try these Master Glaze blushes, especially the coral one so I was excited to see they had one left! Coral is my favorite for Spring and Summer so I'm excited to try this out!

Maybelline Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser- Since Ulta was having a buy one get one sale on Maybelline and I had already picked up the blush stick I looked around for something else to buy. I saw the Baby Skin package and asked my boyfriend if I had noticeable pores. He said no but I bought it anyways. We'll see if I like it!

Nyx Butter Lipstick in Fireball- The Nyx Butter lipstick display was one of the first things I came across while looking over the makeup aisles. I hadn't heard much about these but the colors were so pretty I had to try one. The selection was pretty picked over but I tested a few colors on my hand and decided Fireball was a gorgeous bright color for the upcoming Spring months!

Nyx Baked Blush in Foreplay- Nyx had a baked blush display on the end of one of the aisles and I was so sad to see that most of them were already gone. I tested a few colors on my hand and decided I really wanted the color Foreplay but of course they were all gone. I decided to go back to the Nyx section of the makeup aisle and found that they also had baked blushes there. Again, I got lucky and they had one more left! Happy dance!

Sweet & Shimmer Mirror- I saw this mirror on the Ulta website around Christmas time and thought it would be the cutest stocking stuffer. I forgot about it and when browsing the clearance section today I noticed they had an entire jar filled with these little compacts and they were only 49 cents each. I don't have a mirror that I carry in my purse (and honestly with the amount of time I spend with things in my eyes you would think I would carry one) so I figured for 49 cents It would be perfect.

All in all a successful shopping trip I would say! I'm excited to try these products out and share my thoughts with you!

My Every Day Makeup Bag

As much as I like to use and try out various products whenever I do my makeup, I still have my go-to makeup products that I use when I'm doing my every day makeup look. So, I thought I'd share my bag of every day makeup with you today! These are all products I love and would recommend as I use them all the time!

I got this cute pink, white and gold bag in the Dollar Spot at Target. It's supposed to be a pencil pouch but it's lined inside and holds my makeup perfectly.

1. Revlon Nearly Naked Foundation in Shell. This is my every day foundation. It applies to my skin really well, stays all day, and feels like I'm not wearing foundation at all. I love it!
2. Laura Mercier Foundation Primer. This is the small size that I got with a kit when I bought the Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer. I've been using this primer for a couple of years now and I really like it. It goes on smoothly and helps keep my foundation on all day. Since I've been using this primer I haven't had any trouble with 'patchy' foundation.
3. Benefit Dallas Box Blush. I use this product as a blush and sometimes as a face bronzer/highlighter. It's not a bronze color but it gives a really nice glow to the face. This stuff looks great during all seasons too!
4. Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder in Transparent. This is the best drugstore powder I've used! I've been using it forever it seems and it barely looks like I've touched it. I use this powder to set my makeup every day.
5. Jane Bronzing Powder in Inspire. I started using this bronzer last year and I use it exclusively for my bronzer these days. It's a great color for my skin, not orange but not too dark brown either. I like to apply this under my cheek bones, across my forehead and along my jawline.
6. Physician's Formula Touch of Glow Nude Wear Concealer/Highlighter. I just started using this stuff this month but I LOVE it. It is amazing and sometimes I just apply a little of this under my eyes and I'm good to run errands for the day. It makes my face look brighter and my eyes look more awake.

1. E.L.F. Studio Eyebrow Kit in Medium. To fill in my brows, I just use some of the powder on an angled brush. I then follow the powder with the darker wax in the more sparse areas of my brows. This stuff is SO cheap and lasts forever!
2. Maybelline Great Lash Mascara in Clear. I use this clear mascara to set my eyebrows when I'm finished filling them in. I have crazy eyebrow hairs that tend to go all over if I don't tame them with this stuff!

1. Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette. I've only been using this for a month but man is it fabulous. I can put together so many eyeshadow looks using it and all of the colors are so gorgeous.
2. Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl Liner in Nude. I use this nude liner to line my lower waterline to brighten my eyes. I never forget this step because it is important when making my eyes looks brighter!
3. Covergirl Perfect Point Plus Eyeliner in Black Onyx. Guys, I've been using this eyeliner since high school! Some days I'll do liquid liner but for every day makeup, it's always this eyeliner. It's self sharpening, smooth, and has a smudger on the other end. It applies so fast and easy it is almost (almost) impossible to mess up.
4. Maybelline Volum' Express Waterproof The Rocket Mascara in Very Black. This mascara is a great every day mascara. I really like the consistency of the formula and I find that it doesn't clump. It makes my lashes look really nice but without being over the top which is why it's an every day mascara for me.

Do you use any of these products? What do you have in your every day makeup bag?

A Little Ulta Haul

I stopped by Ulta to pick up a few essential items: makeup remover and a nail file. Of course you can't stop at just the essentials when visiting Ulta. Plus, who's to say what is essential and what isn't?
I browsed around for a bit and noticed they were having a buy one get one 50% off on most of the drugstore brands in the store. SCORE! They also had their usual $3.50 off coupon that the ladies at the counter scan for me when they see my Ulta member card. This made me feel a little better about picking up a few items for fun.

Neutrogena Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover- I usually purchase the Neutrogena Makeup Remover Towelettes to remove my makeup but I decided to buy the liquid version for removing my mascara. I always wear waterproof mascara and I've tried so many different removers claiming that they take off waterproof mascara and they almost never work. Neutrogena is the only brand I've found that easily removes my waterproof mascara.

Sally Hansen Ahead of the Curve Sapphire Nail File- I misplaced all of my nail files and instead of buying a pack of regular files, I chose to buy this file with super fine grit. I almost never file my nails (so bad!) but it's something I need to start working on if my nails are ever going to be shaped nicely.

Essie Nail Poish in Lots of Lux- I spotted this nail color while Christmas shopping with my best friend and thought it was SO gorgeous. Since I was shopping for others, I didn't buy it but told myself I'd go back for it someday. Well, while walking up and down the aisles, I thought I'd check to see if they had it in stock. I found a shelf full of the newer Essie colors and after searching through the heaping pile, I was able to snag the last Lots of Lux they had! Whew! Talk about lucky!

Physician's Formula Touch of Glow Nude Wear Concealer/Highlighter- Ulta had an end display featuring the new Physician's Formula Nude Wear products and I couldn't help but snatch up this concealer/highlighter. Not only is it adorable with that little bow on it (love bows!) but I've been looking for a more brightening product to use for under my eyes. I'm excited to try this out and see how it works!

Real Techniques Stippling Brush- I picked up this stippling brush after reading reviews online that it makes your skin look flawless. I've used a brush and a sponge to apply my foundation and currently I'm liking the sponge a lot more. I'm curious to see how my foundation will look when I use this brush to apply it. I'm always looking for products that make my skin look flawless but also natural.

Maybelline Colorsensational The Buffs Lipstick in Nude Lust (920)- Last time I bought a nude lipstick, I made the mistake of getting a color that was way to light for me. I didn't want that to happen again so I made sure to research this collection before making a purchase. I actually ended up going for a color that I wasn't planning on but it turned out to be the perfect shade!

Rimmel London Lash Accelerator Serum- Who doesn't want longer, thicker lashes? I was searching online to find an inexpensive lash growth serum that really worked and after reading the reviews on Ulta.com for this serum, I was hoping they had it in stock. I was super excited to see it in store and grabbed it up. I'm going to test this out for a month or so and I'll share my results with you all!

Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm in Audacious (245)- As I mentioned in my post about the Colorburst Matte and Lacquer Balms, I've been meaning to try a color other than a red. Since Revlon had the buy one get one sale going on, I decided to pick one up. I saw this bright orange pink shade and figured it would be an amazing color for Spring and Summer. It goes on super bright so I'll have to play around with it a bit.

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Honey (001)- After wearing my Kissable Balm Stain in Smitten on Saturday night, I remembered just how much I loved them. I wanted another but wasn't sure which color to go with next. Leighannsays on Youtube (love her!) has recommended the color Honey multiple times in her videos so I decided to give it a try!

I'll obviously be trying out the products I've listed above and I'll share my opinions on them after I've put them to use. I'm really excited about that lash accelerator and also that beautiful nail color!

December Favorites

I cannot believe 2013 is over! December was a very busy month for me and I didn't think I had much to share for monthly favorites until I put together my list. I thought my November favorites covered my current beauty routine pretty well but it turns out I did have a few different favorite products for December.

Makeup:
Revlon Nearly Naked Foundation in Shell (#130)- In November, I used my Covergirl Outlast foundation a ton but as soon as December rolled around I found myself going back to my Nearly Naked Foundation. I absolutely love the Nearly Naked foundation because it feels like I'm not wearing foundation at all. It doesn't give as much coverage as the Covergirl Outlast foundation but in December my skin was actually looking quite nice so I was able to use less coverage.
Physician's Formula Classic Nude Eyeshadow Palette- I used this palette an awful lot this year but with all of the holiday events happening in December, I found myself using it almost every time I did my makeup. The farthest right shade has been my go-to highlight color for my brow bones and inner corners and I find that this palette gives me so many different neutral color mixing options.
Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze- I found myself using Bad to the Bronze as an all over lid color/eyeshadow base before applying the eyeshadows from the Classic Nude palette. It looks gorgeous on its own but it also looks great with powder shadow over the top of it. I also find that when using it as an eyeshadow base the powder shadow tends to 'stick' better and wear longer.
Essie Nail Polish in Beyond Cozy- I am IN LOVE with this color. It is so so gorgeous and I wore it the week leading up to Christmas. I found that the glitter dries super fast when applying (which is awesome!) and also is a lot harder to chip. The only downfall of this polish is how dang difficult it is to get off. It was a struggle but I thought it was worth it! :)
Revlon Nail Enamel in Rich- This color is one of my favorite nail color finds of the year and I wore it a ton during December. It is such a unique color that I had to buy it the second I saw it. I usually put on at least 2 coats of this shade and it ends up looking like a dark bluish/black base color with golden glitter throughout. This glitter however is so fine it is not difficult to remove and comes off just as easy as any other polish. An all around win in my book.

Skin Care:
Benefit Total Moisture Lotion- My usual face moisturizer is the Benefit Triple Performing Facial Emulsion but I ran out of it right before the start of December. Since my face has been pretty dry this winter, I decided to start using the other Benefit moisturizer I had, the Total Moisture Facial Cream. I found that the trick with this is to not slather on too much, a little bit goes a long way. It made my skin so moisturized and so soft! I will definitely need to go buy a new bottle of my usual Benefit moisturizer but I'm keeping this one on hand as well for my dry skin moments.

Hair Care:
Redken Extreme Shampoo and Conditioner- I've been using this Shampoo/Conditioner duo for a few months now but I really saw the difference in my hair this last month. My hair is usually super frizzy, dry and static-y in the wintertime but since I started using this shampoo and conditioner, I've found my hair to be much more manageable. I have very fine, thin hair so I was worried it would get weighed down but that hasn't been a problem at all!

Random:

Books:
I read like a crazy person in December and finished 2 books, After Her by Joyce Maynard and The One I Left Behind by Jennifer McMahon. Both of them had to do with serial killers and both of them were fantastic! I had to keep reading day and night because I wanted to know what happened so badly. I may do full reviews on these books sometime but just I wanted to mention them as favorites for the month in case you are looking for a new read!

Music:
Eric Church: Chief- I am obsessed! I grew up listening to country music so I usually am all about the 90's country BUT my brother has spent the last year or so suggesting different musicians and songs to me and I fell in love with Eric Church. My brother bought me his album 'Chief' for Christmas and I've been listening to it nonstop. My favorite songs on this album are 'Homeboy' and 'Springsteen'.

What were some of your favorite products for December?

Maybelline The Rocket Waterproof Mascara Review

I picked up Maybelline's The Rocket mascara quite a while ago but didn't open up the package until last week when my regular mascara ran out (can you believe I didn't see that coming?!). As I've mentioned before, I pretty much only wear waterproof mascara so that is what I had purchased.

The brush is on the larger side and I personally really like the style of it. It's similar to my regular mascara (Covergirl Lashblast) but is a little longer. The plastic brush definitely makes it easy for me to grab my lashes and create extra volume. I also find my mascara is less clumpy when I use plastic brushes.

I found the formula of the mascara to be more on the 'wet' side so it didn't dry out fast and I was able to sweep multiple coats onto my lashes without causing any clumps. The Rocket definitely gave me a lot of volume but I didn't seem to get as much fullness as I'm used to with my regular mascara. I tend to want a lot of thickness/fullness when it comes to my eyelashes so I was slightly disappointed that I didn't get as much. I have worn this a few times when I'm just running errands or going out during the daytime and it lasts all day without dropping my curl or smudging on my face. It gives me very natural looking lashes which makes it a perfect every day choice. I'd even wear this mascara on a night out if I layered it with a mascara that gave me a bit more fullness.

Overall, I'd repurchase this mascara to have it on hand. I don't love it enough to replace my regular mascara but I'll keep it in my beauty arsenal for sure.

Have you tried The Rocket mascara? What did you think of it?

November Favorites

December is here and I am so excited! I've already decorated my apartment for the holidays and put up the tree and I'm about to start in on my huge list of Christmas movies. Before I move on to December though, I want to share my favorite beauty items from November (and a few random favorites too!).

Makeup:

Covergirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3 in 1 Foundation- I had purchased this foundation for my best friend's wedding in October after reading amazing reviews online about its staying power. I tested it out the night before her wedding and really liked it but the day of the wedding, I noticed patches of skin where the foundation wasn't covering. I put it aside after the wedding and went back to my regular foundation. In November though, I finally decided to give it another chance. I changed up my application technique (see below) and ended up falling in love with this foundation. It stays put all day and looks and feels like you aren't wearing any makeup. I wear the color #825 Buff Beige.
Ulta Super Blender Sponge- I bought this application sponge a couple years back at Ulta. It is similar to the Beauty Blender although most of the reviews for this product say there is no comparison and that the Ulta brand sponge is too hard. I stumbled upon the sponge again last month when going through my makeup collection and decided to give it a try. I am SO glad I did because I've used it over my regular foundation brush throughout the entire month of November. I just pump a small amount of foundation on to the bottom of the sponge and dab it all over my face to blend the product. It gives my skin a flawless finish and makes it easy for me to build up coverage on parts of my face that need it. I also use the smaller tip of the sponge to blend my concealer under my eyes.

Benefit Dallas Blush- I've had this blush for years! So long in fact, they have redone the packaging on this product. I used to use it as a bronzer but have recently started using it as a blush. It's a gorgeous dark pinkish brown color and I think it will be perfect for Winter time. I've loved all of the Benefit boxed blushes I've tried and they last forever!

Jane Concealer- I picked up the Jane concealer in Light back in October for my best friend's wedding. I heard rave reviews about it from multiple people and since it was so inexpensive, I picked it up to give it a try. This was another product that I didn't like the first time I used it. I also thought the color was too dark for being a 'light' shade. Once I started using the sponge applicator to apply it, I found that it actually blended very well and didn't settle into the lines under my eyes. Definitely a keeper!

Maybelline The Rocket Waterproof Mascara- This is a product I bought a while back and finally decided to open it up when my go-to mascara ran out. I love the formula of this mascara and the brush is very similar to my usual mascara. This mascara went on like a dream and there wasn't a single clump to be found! It also held the curl in my lashes all day. Of course, I tend to only buy waterproof mascara as I find it holds the curl in my lashes way better than regular mascara anyways. Regardless, this mascara is a great every day mascara and I would definitely repurchase it.

Revlon ColorBurst Matte Balm in Sultry- I was so excited when Revlon came out with their new matte and lacquer balms and was lucky to pick up the colors I wanted before they flew off the shelves! I will actually be sharing a full review on these soon but I have found myself wearing the matte balm in Sultry a lot. I've been gravitating to dark lips the last month and Sultry is the perfect shade for Fall/Winter.

Essie Nail Polish in Smokin' Hot and Cashmere Bathrobe- My most worn nail polishes last month would have to be Smokin' Hot by Essie for my nails and Cashmere Bathrobe by Essie for my toes. The photos do not do these colors justice at all. Smokin' Hot is this deep smoky plum color (they advertise it as gray though?) and it's absolutely gorgeous. Cashmere Bathrobe is a dark gray with tiny iridescent sparkles. At first I thought the sparkles were just silver but after looking closer, I realized the sparkles are actually purple, pink and green depending on how you move.

Skin Care:

Burt's Bees Intense Hydration Eye Cream- I have been noticing that my under eyes have been super dark lately and I am getting little creasy wrinkles as well. I did some research to see what I could get at the drugstore to help the problem and found that Burt's Bees products have excellent reviews. I got the Intense Hydration cream and have been using it for the last few weeks and am already seeing an improvement! I apply the eye cream in the morning and also before I go to bed at night. My dark circles have diminished and the lines under my eyes are slowly disappearing. I am super impressed with this product and the fact that it is under $20.

Hair Care:

Organix Renewing Argan Oil Weightless Healing Dry Oil- I have super fine, thin hair that is always frizzy. I tried this oil because it claimed to be a dry oil. I use it every time I curl/flat iron my hair as a heat protectant and I love that it doesn't make my hair greasy. It is also great for spraying on your hair later in the day to tame that frizz!

Fashion:

Socks- My fashion favorite for the month of November is fun socks! The weather has been colder and I have been loving layering my knee high socks over tights and wearing fun socks with my boots. I have a whole drawer full of socks and most of them are from Target because not only are they so inexpensive but they are so cute!

Random:

Book: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern- I started reading The Night Circus in November and have almost completed it. I use a library app on my phone to check out and read books so I have a deadline that I need to finish it by. So far, I highly recommend it because it is so well written and so interesting that I find myself squeezing in a chapter whenever I can, while I cook, while brushing my teeth, etc. If you are looking for a book to pick up, you will not be disappointed by this one!

TV Show: Reign- Oh. My. Gosh. I am obsessed. I started watching Reign on a whim one day and now I am completely hooked. It's a little bit history and a lotta bit drama and all around perfection. Also, I look forward to reading these AMAZING and hilarious recaps after each episode.

What were some of your favorite things during the month of November?