April Favorites

April was a great month for products for me as I wore makeup more often. I work from home so most of the time I'm bare faced and in pajamas so it's wonderful when I have occasions to get dressed up for. The thing I love most about my favorites for April is that most of them are products that are easy to apply for a simple and natural look.


Makeup:


Nyx Butter Lipstick in Lollies- These butter lipsticks are amazing and I want more of them. They are so smooth and the colors are beautiful. I have 2 of the colors right now but I've been wearing 'Lollies' a lot since it's a light peachy pink that is perfect for a touch of color. The color 'Fizzies' is next on my list!

Benefit They're Real Mascara- I bought this mascara a while ago and while I liked it, I didn't like that it wasn't waterproof. I am all about the waterproof mascara so I kind of tossed this mascara to the side. This month I found it again and decided to try it out during the day and I actually ended up loving it! It is great for day time as it doesn't quite hold my curl as well as a waterproof mascara does BUT it does make my lashes look super long. Plus, it was so much easier to remove than I'm used to! ;)


Essie in Borrowed and Blue- I talked about this polish in my Spring Nail Colors post as it is one of my favorite nail colors for Spring. It's a beautiful pastel blue and I got so many compliments when I wore it!

Skin Care:

Hempz AromaBody Body Moisturizer in Pineapple Lily (Limited Edition)- I found this moisturizer in the sale section and I am so glad I picked it up. I have been slathering this stuff all over my body when I get out of the shower and it makes my skin feel so soft. Also, the scent is amazing. Especially if you like smelling like a pineapple. I am so bummed that it is limited edition because I won't be able to get another when I run out! They actually have it on Amazon right now but I'm not sure how long it will be in stock.

Hair Care:

Redken Hair Cleansing Cream Shampoo- I picked this up last month as I've been meaning to find a good cleansing shampoo. I usually use a very moisturizing shampoo but I need something to use every couple weeks to really clean my hair and get rid of any product build up. After using this I fell in love!!! It smells just like fruit Mentos. SO YUMMY! It makes my hair feel really clean and of course, my hair smells amazing after using it. This shampoo will be perfect for the Summer to pull out any chemicals after swimming in a pool.

KMS California Tame Frizz Taming Creme- I wanted to try a new product for my hair now that the weather has been getting warmer. I usually use the Argan Oil by DermOrganic (which I still love) but I decided to switch things up. KMS California's Tame Frizz line has a few different options, including an oil, but I chose the Taming Creme. This stuff smells amazing and I love how it makes my hair look and feel when I use it before blow drying. It smooths my hair so much and doesn't make it greasy. If you have thin hair like me, I'd suggest keeping it on your ends only. I use so little product each time that this bottle is going to last me forever!

Random:

Book: I read 4 books last month but my favorite was 'All The Truth That's In Me' by Julie Gardner Berry. When I first started reading this book, I was super confused because it wasn't at all what I thought it was going to be. The cover and description make it seem like a modern story but it's actually set back in the Colonial days. It doesn't give specific dates but based on the fact that they used a pillory, I think that could put it in 1700-1800's. The writing style is also a bit different but I'm so glad I stuck with it because it was SUCH a good read. I really enjoyed it and highly recommend it if you love historical fiction or mystery novels.
Show: I'm currently in the middle of SO MANY tv shows. I am such a sucker for tv series and sometimes I overwhelm myself trying to keep up with them all. My boyfriend put on the first episode of House while I was picking up a pizza and by the time I got back and started watching too, I was addicted. Now we are on to season 3 and we just love it! Dr. House is my favorite, I love how snarky he is. Every episode his team always disagrees with him and I always scream at the tv "Don't argue with House, he always figures it out!!!"

What were some of your favorite things in April? Can you even believe it is May and Summer is coming?!

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?

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?