Spring Wishlist

Even though Fall is my favorite time of year, I am BEYOND excited for Spring this year. The weather is finally getting warmer and the sun is shining! I'm not much of a warm weather person (over 80 degrees and I am OVER IT) but since we got snow this year I am fully ready to move on to the next season. I can't wait to bring out all of my Spring dresses and start wearing brighter, more fun colors!

I put together a Spring Wishlist to highlight the items I am dying to get my hands on this year. Some items are old, some are new but they are all items I neeeeed! :)

1. Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm in Unapologetic: I am in love with these Revlon balms (especially the matte colors!) and can't wait to wear them during the Spring time. Unapologetic is at the top of my color wishlist right now.
2. Sally Hansen Triple Shine Nail Color in Make Waves: I saw this color in a magazine and I have been obsessed. I can't wait to get my hands on this color. It looks gorgeous!
3. Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush in Tipsy: I still have yet to try these blushes but I've heard nothing but amazing things about them. I saw these blushes reviewed a few months ago on Essie Button and I decided I had to have that coral shade!
4. Stila Smudge Stick Waterproof Eye Liner in Turquoise: This is the prettiest eye liner I've ever seen! This would look amazing smudged under the eyes for a little bit of color.
5. Jouer Matte Moisture Tint: I'm not sure which shade would be best for my skin tone but I've always wanted to try this tinted moisturizer. I used to use Benefit's You Rebel tinted moisturizer and this product reminds me a lot of that. I don't like wearing much on my skin during the warmer months and I have to have SPF so I'm thinking this would be a great product to try.
6. Essie Nail Color in A Crewed Interest: I have been in love with this color for years but I never see it in any stores. I may have to order it online because it looks like the perfect peach shade. This color would also look fabulous with a tan!

What products are on your Spring wishlist this year?

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!

Valentine's Day Beauty Wishlist & Gift Guide

I'll be honest, I've never been a big Valentine's Day fan. My friend's and I (back when we were all single) used to celebrate 'Single Awareness Day' instead. That is what Valentine's Day always felt like anyways! Nowadays, I'll make something delicious for dinner and my boyfriend and I will just watch a movie and eat candy. THAT is my favorite way to spend Valentine's Day!

Since Valentine's Day is this Friday, I thought I'd share a little wishlist of sorts. These are all beauty products that I think would be perfect for the upcoming holiday. Also, if you and your significant other exchange gifts this little list may help 'em out (hint hint), right?

1. Dior Miss Dior Eau de Parfum: Because smelling nice on Valentine's Day is a must and fragrances are usually a safe bet for gift giving.

2. Too Faced Sweethearts Perfect Flush Blush in Something About Berry: These blushes are the cutest! A heart box?! Yes, please!

3. Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Lovesick: I love these balm stains. They wear nicely and this color just screams Valentine's Day to me!

4. Essie Nail Polish in Fiji: This color is soft and romantic and will pair nicely with your date night dress or your sweatpants! :)

5. Tarte Amazonian Butter Lipstick in Poppy: The cases on these lipsticks are adorable and the color range is just gorgeous!

6. Soap & Glory Sugar Crush Body Scrub: You've gotta have soft skin whether you are going on a date or just hanging out at home. Since Winter is slowly fading you've got to start getting your legs ready for shorts and dresses!

What are your Valentine's Day plans this year?

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?

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?