Monthly Favorites: January

Hey guys!

First off I apologize for not posting in a while. This was a busy week with work and school and I have my first Micro exam coming up so I'm kind of freaking out about that. Since it's the end of January (holy crap that went by fast!) I have decided to post my first monthly favorites of this year. 

TA-DAH!

There they are! Now let's get into the details!

(The background colors are different because I took some photos during the day with better lighting instead at night with artificial lighting).

So from left to right I will start with my Real Techniques brushes. I am so glad I bought these last year because seriously for the price they are super awesome quality and they are so soft and gentle on my face! 

I have the powder brush which I use for putting on powder and for blending out my contour. I use the blush brush for a powder highlight and for blush. And finally I have the Expert Face Brush. I use that brush to put on and blend my liquid foundation, and I love it. 

On the right I have my favorite foundation and concealer. My favorite foundation right now is the CoverGirl 3 in 1 Outlast Stay Fabulous Foundation (in 805). Now I believe I haven't even had this for a month yet, but I am in love with it. It matches my skin tone to a tee. I honestly can't believe how good it blends right into my skin and the coverage is amazing! You can add more product for extra coverage which is a plus for those breakouts I get sometimes! I'm super happy I got it. 

My favorite concealer is the CoverGirl Invisible Concealer in Light. This is the only liquid concealer that I can find right now that matches my skin color. It blends really well and is just all around great. I use it everyday. (I love that my concealer and foundation are BOTH from CoverGirl...coincidence? I THINK NOT!) I must try more of their products. 

The mascara that won my favorite for this month is the Calvin Klein One Color Mascara. OMG!!! I didn't know about this mascara, I just went to Ulta on my birthday and got it from them for free (if you are an Ulta member you get a free gift in your birthday month) and this was what I received. At first I was skeptical because one of my girlfriends told me that the bristles were too hard but I played around with it and I love it. The awesome thing about it is that it has a little dial at the top of the wand and you can make the bristles expand or contract depending on what kind of look you are going for. I love it. It makes my lashes look so thick and full and long. I get so many compliments on them. I know it's a little on the pricey side for a mascara but I will definitely be re-purchasing when this one is out.

My favorite eyeliner this month is the Rimmel London Exaggerate Eye definer in Noir. I love this because it is really waterproof and it doesn't smudge at all. Plus it wasn't expensive.

My next two favorites are all about eyes! Lately I have been loving the Urban Decay Primer Potion in Original. It is pricey but it makes my eye shadow stay on so well that I didn't mind paying the $20 for it. Plus if you have any coupons for ulta you don't have to buy it at full price. 

My favorite eye shadows this month are from my Naked Basics Palette. I adore neutral looks and this palette is perfect for that. I have been wearing it almost everyday and when I'm not wearing these colors, I still use the color Venus for highlighting underneath my brows basically everyday. 

To me, brows are important so I had to find a good wax to help shape my eyebrows. I have loved the ELF Eyebrow Kit in Medium ever since I got it. Even though I have red hair, the brown wax totally blends in and not to mention the brush that comes in the kit is amazing too. I don't use the powder color because it's too dark (even though it looks light) but I love the wax! It stays on all day too!

Another eyeliner I have been loving ever since I got it in my Ipsy Glam Bag is the Elizabeth Mott Smooth Shadow in Pearl. I put this right on my lower eyelids underneath where I put my eyeliner and it looks so great! It makes my eyes stand out and gives a little shimmer/sparkle. I get soooo many compliments! I need to buy this in the full size and I need to buy the other colors. 

This next product I found at CVS for 75% off and I am so impressed with it! It's the Physician's Formula Shimmer Strip Custom Bronzer, Blush & Eye Shadow in Riviera Strip/ Sand Bronzer (whew! Long name!) I use the top two colors (the pink and the cream) to highlight with and I love it! HOLY GRAIL product for sure. It's so pretty and I think it would look good on anyone. I used it as a bronzer also but they are a little shimmery so I didn't want to go too overboard with it. Maybe I will do a review on this product. 

These two favs I have been using everyday. Literally everyday. I have the MAC Sheertone Blush in Peaches and let me just say that this is another HOLY GRAIL product. I love this blush so much! It's the perfect peachy pink color and it just looks so good with any makeup look. It's also buildable for more color. 

My favorite face powder has been the Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder in 012 Buff Beige. I have loved this product since I bought it for the first time in the fall and this is my second one. For the price (like $4) it's seriously the best powder I've ever tried. It is better than my Clinique one. I will keep buying this product. It matches my skin tone perfectly and helps make my skin look flawless. Get you some!

My last few favorite products for this month are lippies! Yay! (Lippies are my favorite products ever!). On the left I have the Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Berry Haute. This color is the perfect dark purple for the season. It's dark but it's not dark to the point where you can't wear it in the daytime. I think it looks great on every skin tone too!

The other two lip favs are the Rimmel London Lip Lacquers in Nova and Luna and they are just great. See my Review on them here I think they are beautiful colors and I love that I can wear them with any makeup look. They are very pigmented as well.

I hope you all loved my favorites this month. Comment down below and let me know what your favorites are for this month!

New Rimmel London Show Off Lip Lacquers Review

Let me tell you that I've been so excited to write about these lippies! I originally discovered them from Nicole Guerriero on YouTube and after she swatched them in a video, I had to try them.

 I went to like four different drugstores and I could only find them at Ulta. They cost less than six dollars each. 

I love them because they are so pigmented and gorgeous. The consistency of the Lacquers is so creamy and they go on easily. 

LOOK at how beautiful they are!!! So gorgeous!

The colors I bought (left to right) are Nova, Luna, and Nude Eclipse. Nova is a beautiful dark pink color but it comes out bright. Luna is a really pretty peachy-pink color that I wear most often and Nude Eclipse is of course a light nude-ish colored tan.

 These glide on your lips so well and the staying power is amazing. I wore Luna to class last week and it stayed on my lips from 9 am to 3 pm.

That's pretty good considering I ate a sandwich for lunch. Even when it starts to fade it leaves a nice stain on your lips afterward so it still looks like there is color there. As you can see in the pictures, the brush has a nice little dip in it, so when you pull the wand out of the tube, you have the perfect amount of product to put on your lips. You can always add more for a brighter look as well. 

These are definitely my favorite lip lacquers and I want to try out all of the other colors. The only bad thing I can say about these is that they smell kind of weird. Almost a plastic-y smell but it's not that bad to the point that I don't want to wear them. 

I give this product a 9.5/10 and I recommend these to everyone. So go get you some! 

Let me know if you liked this review or what you thought about them!

What's In my Ipsy Glam Bag: January

Happy Friday!

I got my Ipsy bag in that mail today (YAY!)! So I wanted to share what I got!

If you're not familiar with Ipsy, it's a monthly makeup subscription where you pay ten dollars a month and they will send you sample and regular sized makeup products. When you make an account you take a quiz on the site that helps them personalize the products that you receive each month in the mail. Plus it comes with a different cute makeup bag every month.

For the price I think it's worth it. It's like getting Christmas every month! (And who doesn't want Christmas every month?!).

Look how cute the bag is!

I love makeup bags!

Here are the products that I got this month:

MicaBeauty Tinted Lip Balm in #6 Fiesta: I love this color! It goes on smooth and is very pigmented. The only downfall is that it smells like plastic. Retails for $30.00.

Briogeo Don't Despair, Repair! Deep Conditioning Mask. I'm excited to try this. It's a deep repair mask for your hair. Retails for $26.00 in full size.  

Proactive Mark Fading Pads. These pads are to help get rid of acne and I'm glad I got these because I'm breaking out like crazy this month. I hope they work! I don't know how much it costs from Proactive because it doesn't look like they sell  it separately. But if you know leave a comment below!

Elizabeth Mott Smooth Shadow in pearl. It's a creamy gel pencil and the color is gorgeous! I will be wearing this a lot! It retails for $14.99. 

Lastly, I have the Nourish Organic Lightweight Moisturizing Face Lotion. Honestly, I don't really like the smell of it but it feels great on my skin. Defiantly lightweight. Retails for $21.99.

So that's what I got from my Ipsy bag this month. Let me know if you would like next month's to be more of a review of the products instead of a here's-what-I-got type of blog. I can go more in depth if you guys want. 

Thanks for stopping by!

Talkative Tuesday: How to Get Better at Doing Makeup

Hi guys!

Today I just wanted to do a little blog about how you can do your makeup better! Honestly I've been doing makeup for just over a year now and I've seriously improved so so so SO much. The secret to getting good at makeup is to just practice. Really. It's that simple. I love to practice my makeup and try out new looks. I also really like to do other people's makeup. I do my friends makeup and my familys makeup. I honestly don't consider myself a "makeup artist" per say, but I do it for fun. I'm not perfect at it and I still have a long way to go but I absolutely love it.

Another way to get better at doing makeup is to watch tutorials. I love YouTube videos. I watch them for hours at a time! It becomes kind of addicting. Watching tutorials will help you because you can learn new techniques for applying makeup or new ways to use it. I learned how to do my eyebrows because of YouTube and how to do a flawless face. I basically learned how to do everything because of YouTube.

Also you can check out beauty blogs (like this one!). Blogs help because you have pictures to reference and step by step instructions on how to do certain looks.

Practice makes perfect, right? So practice away!

Thanks for stopping by and comment below with any questions!

Nails of the Week 1/13

What's up everyone! It's that time of the week again! I have to say I'm proud of myself for keeping this up for two weeks in a row because before last week, I hadn't painted my nails in a month. I just HATE taking nail polish off so I have to force myself to do it (lol).

So before I start rambling too much, here's my nails:

This is a gorgeous tealish-blue color that a friend bought for me and it's Sinful Colors In Mint Apple. 

The base coat I used this time is from Orly in Clear and I used the same top coat as last blog, Sinful Colors in Clear Coat. 

I hope you all like these nail blogs, I usually don't do any crazy designs or anything because honestly I'm not super talented in the nail painting department. But I have a friend who is SUPER good at it so maybe I'll have her on for a guest blog if she likes. Leave me any comments or questions and let me know what you think.

Thanks for stopping by and have an awesome week!

How to Stay Organized for School

Happy Sunday!

I know a lot of you have already went back to school or started classes this past week but I figured I would give some advice on how to stay organized in school. I like to stay organized because if I don't, everything gets discombobulated and scattered and I forget my homework and papers and it's just a hot mess. HOT MESS.

(Once I forgot that I had a paper due because I lost my syllabus and when I finally remembered, it was due that night and I had to write it in like five hours. NO BUENO.)

So that is one of the reasons why I try to stay organized. I do have procrastination issues sometimes but I like not having to worry about what's due or if I'm missing something.

So let's get started.

The first thing I use to stay organized is a planner.

(Planner- Greenroom from Target July 2013- June 2014)

In my planner I write down when homework is due and any upcoming projects that I need to start working on. Planners aren't for everyone so if you aren't a planner person, you can use your phone. When I forget my planner I like to use the notes feature on my Iphone to write to do lists. Or if I'm in a hurry I will text myself a reminder.

Another thing you can do to stay organized is to make sure you are prepared. Come to class with a backpack, pen, pencil, paper, binder, etc. For each class I have a different binder. (Don't try to cram all of your classes into one binder, it starts to get confusing when you do that).

I like to especially keep my binders organized because that's where I keep everything.

(Binder: Biglots)

I got this really cute pink binder from Biglots and it is an inch and a half because I like big binders (and I cannot lie). On the inside I like to have my syllabus on the left with the list of assignments. This helps keep me on track and I can see it everyday so I don't forget what's due. On the right side of my binder I put extra sheets of paper for any reminders or quick notes.

(Folders: Biglots)

Next in my binder I put any coursepacks I need so the pages don't get lost. This is the one I'm using this semester (but not all classes have coursepacks). Next I have two different folders. The first folder I put assignments from the lecture portion of the class and any extra notes or power points. The second folder I put assignments and extra papers from the lab portion of my class.

Another important thing you need for class are pencils, pens, highlighters, etc. I like to put mine in a cute pencil case.

(Pencil case: Office Max)

In the outside pockets I put note cards, post-it notes, and extra lead for my mechanical pencils. Inside my pencil case I put all of my pens, pencils, highlighters, markers, mini stapler, sharpies, etc. I like to be prepared and I like to color coordinate my notes with different sections or chapters we are doing in class.

Last but not least, you need a backpack or a cute tote to carry everything in. I have a backpack because I like to carry a lot of stuff and books can be heavy. Sometimes I bring my laptop to class and it's convenient to just slip it in my backpack.

The bag I use has a bunch of pockets (even one that's insulated for lunches or snacks!)

(Backpack: Dakine backpacks, purchased from my school bookstore)

I put everything in my backpack! And I organize it from largest to smallest so everything is easy to get to. 

I know this was a super long blog so thank you for reading it. I really hope that it helped you out or gave you some new pointers. Let me know if you have questions about staying organized in school or if there is anything that you would add. 

Thanks for stopping by! Have a great day!

Winter Lipstick Colors to Love: Drugstore & High End

Hi everyone!

The other day I was thinking about what post I wanted to put up next and lipsticks automatically came to mind. Lipsticks (and glosses) are my absolute favorite makeup products. I love lipsticks. I don't think a girl can have enough. There are so many colors out there and picking colors for different seasons can be fun. I honestly think that winter is the perfect time for darker colors, but you can also go for some fun bright colors too. I went through my lipsticks and picked six that I think are perfect colors for winter.

I choose four drugstore and two high end lipsticks. 

(From left to right)

1. The first lipstick is from Revlon and it is called Primrose. Let me tell you that this color is the perfect pinky nude for everything. It's from Revlon's Super Lustrous Lipstick line and it glides on like butter and doesn't dry my lips out. I just can't say enough good things about this lipstick. Holy grail. Get you some. 

2. The second lipstick is by L'Oreal Paris from the La Laque Coluor Riche line in 411 Never Lacque-ing. This lipstick is a nice darker pink rose color. This is a great everyday color and would look great with all eye shadow looks. I also love that these lipsticks feel like a gloss on my lips.

3. The third lipstick is from MAC. It's from their Amplified Creme Lipstick line in Vegas Volt. The pictures honestly doesn't do it justice. This is a GORGEOUS coral color. When I put it on it is like BAM! This is an attention-grabbing type of lipstick. Plus it smells like cupcakes. (HELLO, YUM!). I leurve it.

4. A lot of you might recognize this color as MAC's Ruby Woo. I had heard so much about this lipstick I had to go check it out and I'm hooked. I needed a classic red for every occasion and this one totally fits the bill. It's from the MAC Matte Lipstick line and smells like vanilla cupcakes. This is defiantly a color that looks good on everyone. Totally perfect for winter. 

5. Hello plum! This color! GIRL! I applaud Revlon for this color. This is also another Super Lustrous Lipstick and it's called Berry Haute. I think this has to be my favorite color for winter because it's a darker plum purple and it's so perfect for this time of year. Revlon has perfected the creamy consistency. Obviously I love this line. I want all of the colors. (Obsessed much?). Plus DUPE ALERT! I heard this is a dupe for MAC'S Heroine. (I haven't seen this for myself but I've heard on YouTube).

6. The last Lipstick is another La Laque Coluor Riche from L'Oreal. HELLO FUCHSIA! This is a BAM color. This is the brightest color in the bunch but I had to include it because it's so fun and carefree. It's called Lacquer-ized in 412. I think this is a color you can also wear year round. It's gorgeous. 

I hope you all liked this post and that it was helpful. I have yet to find a nude that looks good on my super light skin color so let me know if you have any recommendations! Leave me a comment with any questions or suggestions and thank you for stopping by! Have a great day! 

Nails of the Week!

Hey everyone!

So I decided that whenever I do my nails I'll put up a nails of the week post! Sometimes I paint them more often and sometimes I go weeks without painting them so you never know when these are going up. I love it when my nails look good but I absolutely DESPISE taking nail polish off. I just hate it. I wish that the nail polish would just disappear when I want it to. (Lol)

Today I was in a more chill mood so I decided to go with some pretty nude/ neutral colors. 

I did a neutral tan color on the first three fingers and a light nude pink on my index finger and thumb. 

The light nude pink I used is Essie in Petal Pink and the tan color I used is from Ulta in On Taupe of the World (what a cute name!). 

The base coat I used is from Sally's and it's called the Beauty Secrets Base Coat. The top coat I used is Sinful Colors in Clear Coat. 

I hope you enjoyed this quick nail blog! Leave me a comment and let me know what you think, or leave me a picture of your nails of the week! Thanks for stopping by! Have a great day! 

Updates: Winter Break, School, Being Sick

So I haven't put anything up in a few days because I've been sick all week. Thankfully I'm feeling better (yay!) so I have some things planned to put up soon. Other than being sick I really haven't been doing too much. I am very thankful for winter break though because this last semester at school was super stressful and I needed winter break. Classes are starting next week so I need to start preparing for that. I'm taking a microbiology class that has a lab. I enjoy biology classes though so hopefully this one won't be too hard. I have all my school supplies ready (mabey I'll do a whole blog on school supplies since I love them) so I just need to buy the book for the class. 

Anyway, enough about that! So who's super excited that Pretty Little Liars is coming back on this Tuesday?! OH HECK YEAH I AM! I'll defiantly be watching for sure. Other than that, my winter break has been spent with family and friends and reading a bunch of books I wanted to read. 

That's all for this update! Let me know what you all have been up to this break and what classes you are taking this senester. Also, let me know if you have any questions or blog post ideas! Thanks for stopping by! 

My Favorite Products for Dry, Winter Skin (And Lips)

Happy first day of the year! 

This is the time of year that my skin can get really dry and cracked (Gross!). So I wanted to share some products and tips with you all about how I keep my skin nice and moisturized, especially with my eczema. 

Let's start with products that I use on my face. 

1. The Cetaphil Daily Advance Ultra Hydrating Skin Lotion. I have been using this lotion since I can remember (holy grail product alert!). I use it on my face and neck almost every morning and sometimes at night. It is also great as an all over body lotion. 

2. The Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion. I just got this like a month ago and since it is a little pricey I only use it at night. I like it because it dries very fast and sets really well. It's also great for my sensitive skin. Will I buy it again? I guess we'll find out... 

3. The Eucerin Daily Protection Moisturizing Face Lotion SPF 30. I use this everyday before I put my makeup on. It's the only sunscreen I can find that doesn't smell terrible and isn't oily. So I love it. Tip: Don't forget to put SPF on your neck as well as your face. 

Products I use on my lips: (I told you guys I have a lippie addiction, these aren't even all of the chap sticks I use, these are just some of my favorites.

1. Nivea Lip Butter in Vanilla & Macadamia Kiss. I absolutely love this lip product. I put it on my lips at night when I go to bed. It smells so good! The only downside is that you have to dip your fingers in it to use it, which I think it kind of unsanitary so I just keep it in my room.

2. Carmex Everyday Soothing Lip Balm. I use this when I'm desperate for some chapped lip relief, which is actually a lot in the winter. It really does help.

3. EOS Smooth Lip Balm Sphere in Blueberry Acai. This is probably my favorite EOS flavor and I love these! I have been through three already. I love how they smell and how they feel on my lips. I will defiantly keep buying these.

4. Vaseline Cocoa Butter Lip Therapy. OMG. This is the ONLY lip product that gets rid of my really dry, cracked lips. It smells amazing! I lost it somewhere under my bed though so I need to get a new one ASAP.

5. Maybelline Baby Lips Dr. Rescue Medicated Balm in Just Peachy. This lip product is great because it's medicated. During the day I throw it in my purse and use it under my lip gloss or lipstick. Just Peachy is a great light peach color and looks good on everyone. The only downside is that it tastes nasty but it works well so I love it.

Products I use on my body:

 1. The Cetaphil Daily Advance Ultra Hydrating Skin Lotion. Again, love this stuff and I use it all over. 

2. Vaseline. I had this in my December Favorites post. It's honesty a product I think everyone needs because you can use it for so much! It really helps with my dry, cracked hands and my eczema. I also use it under my eyes to help with puffiness.

3. Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula. I love this stuff because it smells great! It's thick and creamy and I love putting this on my hands, elbows, knees, and feet. It also helps with any cracked skin I have. And it's supposed to help with stretch marks! (Who doesn't want that!).

4. Vaseline Cocoa Butter Gel. At first I was skeptical about this because it's a gel. But I realized that it's perfect to put on after you shave your legs because it makes your skin shine and super smooth. You have to let it sink in though so I put it on overnight. It smells delicious too. 

5. Bath & Body Works Twilight Woods Sugar Scrub. I LOVE this product. It smells amazing and the sugar beads are nice and chunky so it really exfoliates my skin. After I wash it off, it leaves my skin feeling very moisturized. Sometimes I don't even need to put on lotion after I use this in the shower. 

Those are all my favorite products to use for my dry skin. Comment and let me know what some of your favorites are. Thanks for stopping by! Have a great day!