May & June Favorite Products!

Hey guys!

So....I'm back! And I'm excited to share with you some of my favorite things from the last two months! I'm kinda embarrassed about just how long it's been since I last blogged. But, let's just dive into my favorite things so far this summer!

Cinnamon Sugared Doughnut Candle, Pink Apple Punch Candle, Pantene Daily Moisture Renewal Conditioner, Pantene Sheer Volume Shampoo, China Glaze Too Yacht to Handle, Butter London Ladybird, Formula X Brazen, Urban Decay De-Slick Spray, It Cosmetics CC Cream, Moroccanoil, French Lavender and Honey Shower Gel and Body Spray, Too Faced Chocolate Bar, Stila Smudgestick, Jordana Best Lash Extreme, NARS Orgasm, and Tarte Lights Camera Lashes

Bath and Body Works Candle: Cinnamon Sugared Doughnut

Let me say, that I have an unhealthy obsession with this candle and it has only gotten worse by working in the store during the June Semi-Annual Sale. I LOVE this candle. I can't describe the amount of love I have for it. It's perfect. I've heard people say it smells like churros, but I think it smells like heaven. 

Pink Apple Punch Candle

Part of the Summer Sips collection, this was the first purchase I made mostly because I love the strong hint of apple. It's also been the most popular in store. If you love strong, fruity scents, try this out because it can't be beat. 

Pantene Sheer Volume Shampoo & Pantene Daily Moisture Renewal

My new favorite hair combination, this has impressed me SO much the past two months. It makes my hair feel clean, look shinny, feel soft and sleek, and healthy. I haven't used Pantene in a few years, but I've always loved their stuff and I'm so happy I came across this combination. 

China Glaze Too Yacht to Handle

A newer purchase, I think this is gonna be my summer nail color. It's bright, it's fun, and it's the best turquoise I've yet to find. Plus, I always find China Glaze applies beautifully every time. 

Butter London Ladybird

This is my go to red for the summer. It's a brighter red with a little orange in it, and I'm so impressed by it's staying power and how pretty the color is! Plus I love the name!

Formula X Brazen

I've never been much of a fan of pink nails, but this color has definitely changed my mind. This is the perfect blue-based pink that I've ever tried. It stays on the nails forever and it's the most girly, pretty color. 

Urban Decay De-Slick Spray

I've said it a million times, but this makeup setting spray is one of my Holy Grail items. It makes my skin so much easier to handle and deal with during the summer. If you have oily skin, you need to try this out. I use it before my makeup, after I apply, and all throughout the day anytime I'm feeling grimy or oily. 

It Cosmetics CC Cream in Fair

I raved about this stuff a few months ago, but then I abandoned it. However, I went back to it and this time, instead of using a Beauty Blender, used a Real Techniques brush and got totally different results. I love the way it looks and feels on my skin. It's light but provides at least medium coverage. It has tons of sunscreen in it, which is great for summer, and I feel like it just makes my skin look glowy and happy. 

Moroccanoil

My all-time number one hair Holy Grail, I've gone back to using this almost every other day and once again, it never fails to let me down. I love the smell of this stuff and I love how smooth, shinny, soft, and manageable it leaves my crazy poofy hair. 

Bath & Body Works French Lavender Honey Shower Gel and Body Spray Minis

Let me start by saying that I don't honestly like the smell of lavender normally. So for the longest time this scent didn't even appear on my radar because I thought it would be like all the other lavender scents in the world: either too herbal or too artificial. Well, I was totally wrong about this stuff. It hardly smells like lavender! With the sweetness of the honey and apricot this smells like the prettiest, floral and sweet scent. I'm so in love with this scent that I can't wait to buy the larger sizes. I can't recommend this stuff enough. 

Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette

This was the first purchase I made from my first paycheck and I'm so happy I did. I wanted something that would last and be an investment and it truly is. First off, it smells amazing. Second, I love the colors Marzipan and Milk Chocolate. I find myself always opening it up and using at least one of those shades. I especially like Stila Kitten with Milk Chocolate in the crease. 

Stila Smudgestick in Stingray

I've had a love/hate thing with this mechanical pencil liner. First off, I love how black it is. I might be the darkest mechanical pencil I've ever used. Second, I think it has a pretty decent staying power. Third, it glides like a dream across my lashline. However, I find the consistency very much like Urban Decays 24/7 Liners, which I didn't like because they were so messy to use. But, I keep finding myself going back to this and I love the packaging.

Jordana Best Lash Extreme Mascara

I went back to this mascara recently (I'm currently on a mission to find the best mascara ever and am really struggling). I really do love this stuff. It's so dramatic, affordable, and applies easily. 

NARS Orgasm Blush

I went back to my first blush I ever used this month and have refallen in love with it. I think Orgasm is just the best color for summer. I find that it goes with all of my makeup, and on my skin at least, looks so natural and glowy!

Tarte Lights! Camera! Lashes! Mascara

Another old favorite, I've been using this mini this month too. I like it a lot and love how it defines each and every little lash I have. It lengthens great and the packaging is adorable. Plus I just generally love Tarte as a brand. However, if I know I'll be sweating this is not a great choice because it loves smudging and flaking. 

So those were all my favorites! Let me know what products you've been loving!  

April Favorite Beauty Products!

Hey guys!!

I'm pretty excited to share my April favorites with you. This past month I tried a ton of new things, especially makeup. So let's get started!

So here is an overall overview of my favorites for this month. I decided that it would be fun to take pictures outside. This was good in theory, except my golden retriever Murphy insisted on helping...

It ended up being a long process with his help.

Makeup

Clean and Clear Night Relaxing Makeup Dissolving Wipes

Because it was new and has cool packaging, I was lured this month to try these wipes. Overall, I think they are really good. Just like the white package of the original version, it's just as amazing at removing mascara, just with an extra scent added. It's super strong scent, so if that bothers you, this probably isn't the product for you. But it's really nice overall and I've already repurchased for when I run out.

Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow in RSVP

This month I've been obsessed with shimmering champagne eye looks. First, I gotta say that this cream shadow has the prettiest packaging ever. Beautiful. Second, this is a really subtle cream shadow. I definitely recommend you pack it on with a synthetic brush for more color, but I've had no problems with it creasing when I put a powder eyeshadow over it.

Hourglass Mineral Veil Primer

This is a super hyped up product and this month I picked up the travel size that costs $18 to see what all the fuss is about. The Sephora makeup artist warned me that this leaves a blue-ish cast on the skin at first, but does a great job of concealing redness. I have to admit, this is the BEST primer I've ever used for my face. It makes my pores disappear, redness invisible, and makes my foundation last all day. It's truly amazing, although the pricetag makes me flinch a little bit. (Okay, a lot)

Beautyblender Solid

I can't believe I've lived my life without this soap. Basically it's bar of soap made to clean Beautyblenders and makeup brushes. What I didn't expect was for this to be utterly life-changing. It gets out the toughest stains in brushes and leaves them feeling and looking amazing. It beats the Sephora and MAC cleansers, it beats baby shampoo, and it's definitely a lot better than the handsoap I tried previously on my beautyblender.

Benefit Gimme Brow

Recently I wrote a review on this product and I'm still loving it. It has made my brow routine so much easier and faster and I'm going to be forever thankful for that. It's fool-proof and makes my brows look amazing.

Makeup Forever Full Cover Concealer

While I love my MAC Select Cover concealer, this is a better color match and I've been obsessed with it the later part of this month. It definitely helps cover up blemishes, my undereyes, and redness around my nose. It's kind of hard to blend unfortunately, and I find that it likes to blend off rather easily, but for the most part it's a pretty good concealer.

Rimmel Scandaleyes Flex Lycra Mascara

This might be my new favorite mascara of all time. Yes, I went there. I've been using this all month and it's still wet, it's still going off effortlessly. And it still gives my lashes a huge, volumized look. Plus it makes them look a million miles long. If you are in the market for a new mascara, you need to try this one out. I'm so surprised that I had never heard anything about it on Youtube, because it's amazing!

Real Techniques Powder Brush

I thought I could never love a powder brush more than my Sigma one, but that changed this month. This brush is super affordable, applies product perfectly, and it is really easy to use.

MAC Matchmaster Foundation

I wrote a review on this too, and I can't say enough amazing things about this. If you have oily skin, you need to try this. It makes my skin glow while still being matte, and leaves me looking naturally beautiful. I love this stuff.

MAC Careblend Powder

This with my foundation is amazing. It's perfect for sensitive skin and doesn't cake on. I'm so glad I invested in this powder.

Urban Decay Primer Potion in Sin

In addition to the Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow, I also purchased the Urban Decay version too. This is amazing too. This is not a cream, but a primer, but also gives a great champagne pink glow to the eyes. It stays on all day and gives a strong hint of color.

MAC Peachykeen blush

I've worn this blush everyday since the end of March and I still can't get enough of it. I love this stuff. It gives a perfect pink color to the cheeks for spring.

Nail Polish

Deborah Lippman Blue Orchid and Flowers in Her Hair

These spring colors have been amazing this month. Blue Orchid is like a periwinkle blue that is just beautiful and applies great. Flowers in Her Hair is the perfect mint green and is probably my favorite mint green I've used yet.

OPI Lucky Lucky Lavender

I didn't expect to like this color, but I think it's my favorite of spring this year. It's absolutely gorgeous and very unique.

Zoya Remove Nail Polish Remover

I got this free in an order I made earlier this month and tried this purely out of curiosity and was so pleasantly surprised. This just melted the nail polish right off of my fingers and toes, even easier than acetone, but better because it's not nearly as harsh.

Haircare

Suave Humectant Moisture Conditioner

I love using this along with the Herbal Essence Body Envy Shampoo. It makes my hair super shinny, smooth, and soft. Plus this smells really good too.

Moroccanoil

This is an old favorite, but I've used this on my ends this month and I just love the smell and the huge change it makes to my hair. It's amazing.

Body and Skin

Olay Refreshing Nectarine Body Wash

I picked this up on a whim earlier this month and I'm obsessed with the amazing scent and how soft it makes my skin feel. It's even better than Bath and Body Works shower gel.

First-Aid Beauty Blemish Patrol Pads

I don't know how much of a difference these are making to my skin, but I love how refreshing and clean they are. Plus I've had a much better skin month, so I'd like to think these have something to do with that.

Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau So Fresh Delight

This is my go to spring scent. It smells fruity and floral and simply amazing. Plus the packaging is super cute to look at too.

Candle

Last but not least, I need to include my Market Peach candle. With spring comes the need to constantly have this burning and I still am obsessed with this scent. I love it.

So there you have it. What have been your favorites this month?

First Impression: Benefit Gimme Brow

Hey guys!

I have another quick first impression today on Benefit's Gimme Brow. When this product first came out, I was a little skeptical. For me, it's really hard to spend so much money on my brows. But after using products from Anastasia and seeing that some of the higher end products do make a difference, I was really drawn to this product. In particular, I was intrigued by the lure of a fast and natural brow. I personally don't like super defined brows, so Gimme Brow sounded great.

Overall, after my first impression of Gimme Brow is really positive. Within two swipes on my first brow and it was instantly transformed. I was shocked by how great it looked with so little effort. Usually with my brow powder, it would take 10 minutes of work to make my eyebrow look that good. Here's a comparison of one brow done and the other not:



Left is the one with Gimme Brow, the right is untouched



As you can see, it made a significant difference. Just like the first brow, the second brow was also transformed. This one I had a little bit more trouble because it got a little gloppy, but it was nothing combing through couldn't fix.

So right now I'm super impressed. I can't believe I scoffed at this before now.

Have you tried Gimme Brow? Let me know your favorite brow products!

April Beauty Haul

There's something that just makes me so excited about new beauty products.

I'm super excited to try all of these things out. Some are old favorites (Clump Crusher Extensions and Becca Ever Matte Primer) and others are things that I can't wait to use (Hourglass Mineral Veil Primer, Beautyblender Solid, Deborah Lippman Blue Orchid, Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow in RSVP, and Benefit Gimme Brow).

Review: MAC Matchmaster Foundation

Hi guys,

I have a new love that I want to share with you today. It's the MAC Matchmaster foundation with SPF 15. I can't describe how much I've enjoyed this product the last two and a half weeks.

Back during spring break, I found myself at odds with my current face routine. I wanted more coverage than a CC cream, but I also didn't want to upset my skin, which has been incredibly oily, dry, and sensitive lately. So I went to the one place that always seems to have things that I trust: MAC. Say what you will about MAC, but for me personally, when all else fails, MAC makeup never lets me down. The makeup artist tried this foundation on me and since I've fallen in love. I'm in the shade 1.5 and I can't get enough of it.

According to the MAC site, this foundation uses "Shade Intelligence Technology" to perfectly match to your skin. The makeup artist told me that if I get a little bit darker during the summer, this will adjust just slightly to my darker skin. This foundation is also:

• Demi-matte
• Buildable medium coverage
• Broad Spectrum UVA/UVB SPF 15
• Reduces Shin on the skin's surface
• Absorbs excess oil
• Conditions and smoothes
• Minimizes the appearance of pores and imperfections

After using this for almost three weeks, I feel like I can say that it definitely seems to do all those things. It definitely absorbs oil and reduces shine, even during warmer days. I don't think it's really caused any breakouts, which is great because my skin has been super picky lately.

It gives me a "your skin, but a million times better" appearance. Like, it looks like I'm seriously not wearing any makeup. I say it gives me a solid 8-10 hours of wear.

I've been using this in conjunction with my Smashbox Photo Finish Light primer, MAC's Studio Careblend powder, and Urban Decay's Deslick Spray. I apply it with my Beauty Blender and it just blends in so beautifully. I love this stuff like crazy. I'm actually surprised that I haven't heard more people talking about how great this foundation is. It's the best face product I think I've ever used.

I'm hoping it works well in summer too. Do you have a foundation love or a brand that always seems to work?

It Cosmetics CC Cream Review

Hi guys!

A little while back, I decided I wanted to try some new face products. I tried the Stila CC Cream and the Smashbox one, but neither were products that I truly fell in love with. Stila's hardly provided coverage and the Smashbox one was still a little light for what I wanted (and the fair shade seemed a tad yellow on me...).

So because of the amazing reviews of the It Cosmetics CC Cream, I wanted to give it a try. At $38, it was an investment that I really needed to think about. But, it's at Ulta, which is a good thing because I think they have a much better rewards program (I got this product for $30 because I cashed in $8 worth of points). And occasionally they offer coupons that can be used on anything.

Ulta

Let's just jump right in with what I think about this stuff.

First off, I love the packaging. I love the fact that it has a pump but is still a tube. It makes it really easy to deal with. There's not much else to comment, but it feels substantial and I think sometimes that's all you can ask.

Moving on, this product guarantees everything just short of the kitchen sink:

"Why did IT Cosmetics create this product: To finally give women an all-in-one multi-tasking beauty miracle that truly gives full, flawless, perfect coverage, protects your skin with SPF 50+ from the harmful rays of the sun and is clinically proven to improve skin texture and hydration. IT Cosmetics worked with plastic surgeons to develop a multi-tasking correcting cream that is true scientific breakthrough. It's packed with anti-aging ingredients that is clinically proven to improve skin and works on all ages, that doesn't crease or crack!"

Guys, that's promising a lot out of a CC Cream. Not only is this SPF 50, but it's supposed to give me anti-aging benefits, serve as a primer, moisturizer, and full coverage foundation, and works on everyone. Wow.

Now, I think if you compare this product to what it claims, it will fail. Nothing can live up to a description like that.

You can see a tad of redness, a little bit of scarring, but overall I'd say it's a good medium coverage. An hour into wearing it.

This is after 10 hours of wear.

Honestly, I think this is the best CC/BB Cream I've used. Without a doubt. It feels nice, it isn't too oily or dry. I have some dry patches that it of course clings to and I have oily patches that don't go out of control. I've found that to make this product successful, I need to do three things:

1. Use a beauty blender. Forget fingers and brushes. They will leave this product clinging in the weirdest ways possible. The Beauty Blender is the only way to go.

2,) Moisturize. I have oily skin, and I still need to moisturize because this. stuff. will. cling.

3.) Use a primer. Because the staying power is about 6-8 hours...with Smashbox Photo Finish Light. Though I'll admit, when this wears off, it isn't like "OMG my face just melted off and I look like a beast." It actually still looks nice, but I can definitely see my redness and scars poking through.

But, I think it feels great on the skin, looks great (especially with a good concealer). And I think it smells like lemon cheesecake in a non-obnoxious way. More in a subtle fresh way.

I think your best bet is seeing it in person when it comes to color. Both the makeup artist and I thought I'd be light and it was kind of dark on me, so I had to get fair. The light was really yellow toned and the fair is much more neutral colored.

Will I repurchase? I think so, at least I'm 80 % sure. I really like it a lot. It beats the Stila and Smashbox versions hands down.

Check out a few of my other latest posts: MAC Haul/First Impressions, Covergirl Foundation Review, Guide to Oily Skin, My Everyday Makeup Storage, and my Nail Polish Collection.

Review of Smashbox CC Cream

Hey guys!

Let me just say, it seems like within the next month, my life is going to just explode. I have this big capstone project (the biggest and final of my career) due on April 14, and right now my entire life revolves around trying to make it work as well as dealing with all the stresses of state testing and getting the students to actually pay attention to me instead of wishing it was spring break.

But anyway, in between preparing lessons and sleeping, I've been testing some new face products. One of those is the Smashbox CC Cream. This was recommended to me by a makeup artist and Sephora and I've been trying it out for a couple of weeks, so I thought I'd share my thoughts with you.

As you've probably heard, CC creams are great for people with problems with redness and dark spots. They offer a little bit more coverage than a BB cream, but are still usually a light to medium buildable coverage.

According to Sephora, this Smashbox CC Cream is supposed to be a color correcting cream that "fades imperfections, even complexion, and prevents future discoloration." It has SPF 30, supposed to be lightweight, neutralizes and brightens skin, as well as primes, perfects, and protects. It adds moisture without creating extra oil.

My Thoughts:

Overall, I think this is a pretty good product. It feels pretty nice on my skin (by the way, this month I've been STRUGGLING with combination skin, both insanely oily with dry patches around my nose and chin). I find that toward the end of the day, it can get a little oily (what doesn't?) and it can cling to dry patches as well. But it is lightweight and doesn't make me feel like my face is caked with makeup.

I'd say this is a light to medium coverage, but very buildable. One thing that I have noticed, is that after wearing for about 15-18 hours, this can still be on my face in some of my less oily places. I'm shocked that it lasts that long for just a CC cream. Of course, in my red areas, I do notice it starts to wear in the 6-8 hour area, but that's pretty decent.

This is after about 10 hours of wear

It covers my redness pretty well without any concealer, and I usually just wear some powder over it. I do use a primer underneath, because I find that it really clung to my dry spots without that. I also use a moisturizer and apply this with a Beauty Blender to make sure that I didn't get any of those awful patches. This definitely applies patching and awful if you don't blend it in well.

I haven't noticed any long term skin benefits, but I've been using it two weeks, so it's tough telling on that. I wear the color fair and I think it might be a smidgen yellow on me, but I think it blends pretty well into my skin color.

However, I do think $42 for 1 oz of product is ridiculously steep. I'm not sure if I'll repurchase just because of that fact alone. But I am enjoying it right now and I'm going to continuing using it in a rotation with other products. Is it better than the Stila CC Cream? Yes, without a doubt. I think it offers much better coverage and feels so much better on the skin.

Have you tried out the CC Cream rage or do you think it's too gimmicky? Also check out my Stila CC Cream review too.

First Impressions of Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara

Hi guys!

Recently I picked up this little Beauty Blogger sample kit from Too Faced. I mostly picked it up because I wanted to try the Better than Sex mascara. Honestly, I wanted to try this mascara mostly because of the name. Hey, that's pretty much the sole reason why I went out and bought NARS Deepthroat and Orgasm (they are great blushes though, besides the names).

Let me tell you, the name might make you cringe (or giggle if you are me), but this mascara is amazing! I've tried it twice, and already I am contemplating throwing out the $23 for the full size. It's that good.

I've been loving the Rocket, which I thought was the bee's knees, but this just might be better. The brush is super similar to the Cover Girl Flame Out mascara. Which sucked in my opinion. But something about this brush is just better. It somehow reaches all my lashes and just defines and lengths them, while making them huge!! Seriously! Three swipes and I thought my lashes might hit my eyebrow!

So here are a bunch of really bad pictures taken with my Iphone, but I just want you to know, that I'm super obsessed with this stuff. It's perfect!

This picture shows that one eye has mascara, one doesn't.

So as you can see, I love taking pictures of myself. And I really think Better than Sex is a great mascara. Yes, I can see how it can get a little clumpy, just if you have the Rocket or Clump Crusher on hand in case things get crazy, I think it's fantastic. It might be my all time favorite high-end mascara.