My Current Beauty Favorites

Hey ya'll!! Long time no see! I haven't posted in a while, but now that school is back in session and our family life is getting back to a regular schedule, I feel like I can finally get back to blogging. I haven't posted a favorites in a while, so I'm excited to talk about my August Favorites with you today. If you are interested in watching my favorites video then just click here.

Becca Highlighter in Champagne Pop: I think this is a lot of people's favorite right now, and I'm pretty sure you've all heard about it by now. This is seriously one of the best highlighters EVER. For one, Becca is one of my favorite brands for powder products. Their blushes and highlighters are some of the best on the market, and this collaboration with Jaclyn Hill does not disappoint. This peachy gold highlighter looks amazing with virtually any makeup look. Even though this was created to compliment any and every skin tone,  I think that if you are extremely fair complected, this highlighter might be a little too dark, but could easily be used as a blush topper and be equally just as gorgeous.
Benefit Blush in Dallas: I have been reaching for this blush a ton and for good reason. It's a gorgeous matte mauve-tan, border line bronze shade. It is seriously a beautiful blush that has worked wonderfully all Summer, but it's going to be absolutely stunning in the Fall and Winter. If you are looking for an everday, all year round blush, this is one you should definitely pick this one up.
MAC Blush in Eternal Sun: This has been another well-used and well-loved blush the last couple of months. Eternal Sun is a matte, orange-tan blush that is very pigmented so you only need a small amount to add a nice wash of color to the cheeks. I have been obsessed with matte blushes lately, and this one is one of my top 10 for sure. Like Dallas, this will transition into the cooler months just fine. It will look especially pretty in the Fall.
Lancome Hypnose Drama Mascara: I got this as a 100 Point Perk from Sephora and couldn't put it down. I used it over all of my other mascaras, and used it so much that I've already finished the tube. I am a big advocate for drugstore mascaras, but this is definitely a high end mascara that is worth the splurge, and I absolutely want to purchase this in the full size. The wand is wavy, which I was very unsure of upon first impression, but it worked just fine. The formula is absolutely fantastic. It's a dry formula, which I prefer, and it adds tons of volume without clumping. It reminded me a lot of the Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara in that sense , but it didn't transfer to my undereye area like the Better Than Sex did which I am ecstatic about.
MAC Lip Pencil in Dervish & Lipstick in Brave: This has been my most used lip duo for sure. Dervish is a my lips but better shade that would pair easily with a lot of nudes and mauve shades. Brave is another my lips but better shade, leaning towards the mauve family. This is an every day duo that will go with anything, and be appropriate at work and take you through Happy Hour.

 Becca Highlighter in Champagne Pop, MAC Blush in Eternal Sun, Benefit Blush in Dallas

 MAC Lip Liner in Dervish, MAC Lipstick in Brave

Makeup Geek Eyeshadows in Shimma Shimma, Peach Smoothie, 

Creme Brulee, Purely Naked, Latte, & Mocha

xoxo,

Casey

May Favorites 2015|Beauty & Lifestyle

Hey ya’ll! Today I’m going to be sharing with you everything I loved this past month. I have some makeup, makeup brushes, hair care, and a few lifestyle favorites as well. May was a great month for me, and I hope it was for you as well! I’m excited for Summer, and all the beauty products that come along with it.

I have been mixing the Maybelline Fit Me! Matte & Poreless Foundation with equal parts of the Loreal True Match Lumi Foundation, and love the coverage and finish that they give when combined. I don’t really like the Fit Me! Matte & Poreless on it’s own, because my skin is dry and I prefer a dewy foundation. I really like the True Match Lumi, but it’s more of a light to medium coverage, and if I had to choose, I prefer a more true-medium coverage foundation. The two of these provide the luminosity that I am looking for, as well as my desired coverage and color.

  

I got this eyeshadow with a set from ColourPop at the beginning of the month, and have been wearing it so much that I’ve already hit pan! This is the color Blaze from the KathleenLights “Where The Light Is Palette” and I absolutely love it. It’s a antique, shimmery bronze shade that is gorgeous on the lids. It’s a mousse-like texture, and applies similarly to the Loreal Infallible Shadows. I apply it with my finger, and then use a brush to clean up along the crease and in my inner corners. The only bummer about this shade is that it’s not currently being sold individually; it’s only available in the “Where The Light Is” set. I will say that it’s worth it to buy the set to get this color, because the other three colors that come with it are really great.

There’s three brushes that have stood out to me this month. Starting on the left, the Sigma Large Shader #E60 has been a really great brush to use with cream eyeshadows. I have been using it to apply Blaze in my inner corners and to clean up, and apply, product along my upper lid, bordering my crease. I also like to use it to apply pigments, and shimmery eyeshadows because it transfers color and shimmer much better than a standard shadow brush. The next brush I purchased at the beginning of the month, and it’s the Real Techniques Sculpting Brush. It’s a dense, angled brush that can be used to apply liquid, cream, and powder products. I initially purchased it to apply cream bronzer, and it does a fantastic job at that. What makes it even better is how well it applies liquid foundation. It’s an awesome multipurpose, affordable brush. The last brush is the Kat Von D Shade + Light Contour Brush. The setting side of the brush fits perfectly under the eyes to set concealer. I don’t use the contour side to contour my face very much, but I do love it for contouring my nose. It’s very soft, so it creates a really soft contour, which is what I have been gravitating towards lately.  

I have been doing a lot of organizing and cleaning out recently, and this blush was just hanging out in the back of my blush drawer. I have had this for a very long time, and have hit MAJOR pan! I decided to pull it back out a use it again because it’s a great color for Spring and Summer. It’s a light coral shade that has a bit of a highlight effect to it. It goes on sheer, giving you a natural flush to the cheeks, and the highlighting effect gives you a nice glow. It’s one of those blushes that goes with everything and isn’t going to interfere with any other makeup you decide to wear. This would be a great blush to bring on any summer vacations you may have planned because of that reason.

The Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in #57 and the YSL Glossy Balm in #10 have been my go-to lipsticks lately. I really enjoy lip products like these in the warmer months because they are both a sheer formula that add the perfect little pop of color. They are both balm-like in texture, but the YSL is much shinier and glossy. They are both expensive lip products, but like I’ve said before, I don’t mind spending extra money on a product that I know I’m going to be using on a daily basis.

The Living Proof Perfect Hair Day mask has been good food for my hair. I’ve been using it once a week and have seen a difference in my hair. I apply it at night to unwashed hair, sleep in it, and wash and style my hair the next day. My hair is left feeling softer, it’s shinier, and it holds a style better. I have also been able to go longer between washes, and I really feel like it’s because of this product. I still use the Batiste dry shampoo on days that I don’t wash my hair, but ever since adding this into my weekly hair care routine, my hair has been less greasy and I’ve been able to go a good three, even sometimes four day’s without washing my hair! 

Kevin and the kids got me the Kendra Scott Danielle earrings and the Rayne necklace for Mother’s Day, and I have been wearing them so much since (both are in White Pearl). I’ve wanted them both since Winter, but decided to wait until Spring or Summer to purchase. I love white and gold paired together, and these two pieces are perfect accessories for Summer.

My favorite book that I read this month was Cinder by Marissa Meyer. It’s a Young Adult Fiction, fairytale retelling that is the first in the series The Lunar Chronicles. It really surprised me, was entertaining, and was a fast read. If you want to know more about this book or the series, check out my May Book Haul.

My favorite song has hands down been 'Where Are U Now' by Skrillex featuring Justin Bieber. I’ve been listening to this song non-stop for the last month and a half or so, and am still not tired of it.

The tv show Fixer Upper on HGTV is my new obsession. The show follows Chip and Joanna Gaines who are based out of Waco, Texas. If you like home improvement shows, like to decorate, or are interested in renovations, you will love this show. It will make you want to redecorate your house (as if I needed another reason to go to HomeGoods…)!

xoxo,

Casey

April Favorites|Beauty & Lifestyle Favorites

Hey ya’ll!! Today I’m going to be talking about all the things that I’ve been loving this past month. I purchased a bunch of new goodies this month, some I’ve been able to use a good bit to make them favorites, while some I didn’t get a chance to use enough to call favorites just yet. I have been using, and loving, a lot of the same products the past couple of months, so I don’t have a ton of new beauty items to talk about. To make up for the lack of beauty items, I decided to add in a few lifestyle favorites as well. If you like me adding in a few lifestyle favorites, let me know!

Let’s start with beauty favorites first. The first thing, hands down, is the Kat Von D Shade & Light Eye Palette. I picked this us during the Sephora VIB Sale and have been absolutely loving it. It’s a great, every day, matte eyeshadow palette. The shades are pigmented, buttery soft, and perform beautifully. I did a whole review and demo on the palette if you want to check it out.

Next up is the Becca Blush in Wild Honey. I have been wearing this blush non-stop since I got it. It’s a warm, apricot shade that’s perfect for Spring and Summer. I love the Becca blushes and want to collect the whole blush line. The next ones on my list to get are Songbird and Flowerchild.

This next product is the one I have used the most this month, and that is the It Cosmetic’s CC+ Radiance Ombre Bronzer. I am so in love with this bronzer, and it is one of the best I have ever owned. I like to wear shimmery bronzers in the Spring and Summer, and was in the market for a new one since most of the bronzers I own are matte. I was unsure of this when I purchased it, but am so glad I decided to bring it home with me. It’s so versatile with the three different shades in it, giving you multiple options depending on what kind of look you are going for that day.

The last beauty product I have to share is the Too Faced Shadow Insurance in the shade Champagne. I own a deluxe sized version, which is exactly half the size of the original. I got this, along with the shade Angel, during the Sephora Black Friday Sale this past December. I have been wearing it a lot over the past couple of months and decided it was high time I mentioned it. What’s great about this, is that it can be worn as an eyeshadow primer, or on it’s own. It is a shimmery champagne gold color that layers well under shadows, and looks really pretty on it’s own. I like pairing this with matte shadows. The shimmer gives matte shadows a really nice "satin glow” that I’ve been really into lately.

Moving on to my lifestyle picks…

First up I have a nail polish, and it is Essie’s polish in Mint Candy Apple. This is not a new product, but it’s new to me. I’ve heard tons of beauty bloggers rave about it for forever now, so I decided it was time I see what the hype was about. I really like the fun, light blue color against tan skin. It really pops and adds a nice pop of color.

Next up I have a candle from Bath and Body Works that was a complete surprise. I really love the Fall candles from them, but haven’t ever found a good Spring/Summer scent until now. The scent is Lemon Mint Leaf, and it smells so amazing. The description says it’s "freshly cut lemon balm and spearmint give a refreshing lift to a blend of vetiver and citrus”. It’s the perfect mix of mint and citrus, and I’m absolutely loving it.

I fell in love with the show Empire this month. The season is already over, so I marathoned it on Hulu. When I saw the initial promo’s for the show, I honest thought it was going to be dumb, but man was I wrong! The music first off, is so amazing, I downloaded the soundtrack and have been listening to it on repeat. Secondly, the story line, the characters, and the drama are so addicting. I cannot wait for Season 2.

I haven’t posted anything from my Beauty & The Books series lately, so I though I’d throw in a book favorite. I recently finished Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas which is the third book in the Throne of Glass series. The fourth book in the series is set to come out later this year and I am so excited. This book series is one of my favorites. It’s a Young Adult Fantasy series with lots of action, drama, mystery, magic, and of course a love triangle. If any of that strikes your fancy, I highly recommend this series to you.

That’s going to be it for my April Favorites! I hope you enjoyed getting a peak at everything I’ve been loving this month, and I hope you liked seeing some lifestyle favorites as well. I’m not sure if I will continue to add in my lifestyle favorites, or if it will just be an every now and then sort of thing. Let me know your thoughts down below in the comments! :)

xoxo,
Casey

March Beauty Favorites!

Hey ya’ll!!

Today I am going to be sharing my March Beauty Favorites with you. This past month I decided to pull out all of Spring and Summer makeup and start incorporating them back into my beauty routine. I am so excited for bronzed skin, shimmery eyes, and coral lips and cheeks, and the products I’m sharing today fit those descriptions.

Too Faced Sun Bunny: This is a warm, shimmery bronzer that I love for Spring and Summer. It adds the perfect amount of bronze and luminosity to the skin, making you look glowing and healthy. It’s not a glittery-shimmery bronzer, but it definitely adds a nice sparkle and shine to the face. It can look orange if you apply too much, so less is more with this one. With the right amount you will look like you spent the day at the beach.
Becca Blush in Damselfly: This was a favorite of mine last year, and is going to be another go-to this year.  I got so many compliments when I would wear it and there were multiple times when I would get asked what blush I was wearing, and it was always this one. It’s a pinky-coral blush that’s not matte, just has the slightest sheen to it. It is very pigmented and buttery soft. Becca is one of my favorite brands for face products. I recently picked up my second blush from the line, and am contemplating getting another one during the Sephora VIB Sale.
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Diffused Light: This has been my go-to setting powder the last couple of months. It’s very light weight, and is a white powder with a slight yellow undertone. I use this to set all of the places where I’ve concealed and highlighted, and it adds a bit more brightness and light to my face. I absolutely love it!
YSL Rouge Volupte Shine in #15 & YSL Glossy Stain in #27: This has been my favorite lip combo this past month. I wore this a ton last year and am going to do the same this year. It is a pricey combo, but when paired together they give the perfect, light pinky-coral lip color that can be worn during the day and at night. The Glossy Stain helps the lipstick to adhere to my lips, making my lip color last a lot longer than if I wore the lipstick on it’s own.
Maybelline Color Tattoo Leather Collection in Creamy Beige: This is one of my new Holy Grail products. This is one of the best shadows I have ever used and I have been wearing it so much since I purchased it. It’s a cool toned brown/beige/gray color that is very universal. I have worn it on it’s own, with a little shadow in my crease, and with a smokey eye and it looks amazing every way. It’s very pigmented, easy to apply, and is a very creamy consistency that dries to a powder finish.
Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara: My lashes are loving this stuff! I am an advocate for drugstore mascaras because the drugstore has amazing options, but this high-end mascara is definitely worth the extra money. I have been wanting to try this for a long time, so once I finished up almost all of my drugstore mascaras I decided to take the plunge and try this one. Two coats and my lashes are extremely full! I will say that more than two coats of this and your lashes will be Clump City.
Loreal True Match Lumi Foundation in W3 Nude Beige: This is a really nice drugstore foundation. I typically use high-end foundations, but have been making it a point to try more drugstore options. This foundation gives a medium coverage, and a natural luminosity to my face. I have normal to dry skin (leaning a little more on the dry side), and this works great for me. I wouldn’t reach for this if I were getting ready to go out at night, but it’s great for daytime. I’ve applied it with a Beauty Blender and the Sigma F80, and like it applied both ways. The Beauty Blender sheers it out a little, and it can be built up a little more with the F80.
Lorac Unzipped Gold Palette: If you love gold shimmery shadows you are going to want to add this palette to your collection for this Spring and Summer. These shadows are pigmented, soft, and look amazing on the eyes. I did a Review, Demo, & Swatches of this earlier in the month. If you are interested in knowing more about this palette just click HERE!

I hope you enjoyed this month’s Favorites! The Sephora VIB Sale is starting very soon so I would love to know what your Spring & Summer must haves are. Also, I am working on my Maybelline Color Tattoo vs Loreal Infallible Cream Shadow’s video. I’m hoping to get that up very soon, so keep an eye out for that!

xoxo,
Casey

February Favorites!

Hey ya’ll!! Wow it feels like ages since I’ve done a beauty related post, a little over two weeks to be exact. February was a no buy month for me, so I haven't really felt inspired to do any videos, or had new products to share, so I figured I would wait it out. Because of my No-Buy, I spent this past month using up products I already owned, and shopping my own collection for gems that I’d forgot about. My favorites this month are definitely re-discoveries and old flames of mine.

Too Faced Sweethearts Blush in Peach Beach - I absolutely adore this blush, but hadn’t been showing it much love until this past month, mainly because it’s more of a Spring and Summer shade. It’s a gorgeous, golden-peachy bronze that is perfect on it’s own, or layered on top of another blush. There’s two other blushes in the Sweethearts collection, but this one was the only one that caught my eye. If you are looking for the perfect rose gold blush for Spring and Summer, I highly recommend this one!

Kat Von D Shade & Light Palette - This is a fairly new product of mine that I purchased in January. I didn’t put it in my January Favorites because I got it more towards the middle of the month, and I did a bit of traveling so I didn’t get many chances to wear it. I’ve been using it quite a bit this past month and have really been enjoying it. If you want more information on it, I did a whole Review & Demo that you can check out HERE!

Make Up For Ever Lab Shine Lip Glosses in D14 & D16- I meant to talk about these in my January Favorites, but didn’t realize I forgot to mention them until after I filmed my video. I purchased these little babies during the Sephora Black Friday Sale this past Christmas for only $10, and they are full size! I have never heard anyone talk about the Make Up For Ever glosses, so when I saw them in a set during the sale I decided to pick them up. I’m really happy I did because there are really awesome. They are both high shimmer and high shine, but without the thick, goopy, and sticky consistency of other glosses. I wear them both on their own, or topped over other lip products. 

 Rimmel Lip Liner is 030 Natural & YSL Rouge Volupte Lipstick in #1 - This has been my favorite lip combo this past month. I have had this lipstick for a while now, but have had a love hate relationship with it ever since. It’s extremely soft and creamy, so it’s not the easiest lipstick to wear. It’s so soft that it isn’t quite opaque, and can be a little patchy. But when I wear it over a lip liner, it’s really great! I line and fill in my lips with the liner, and then apply the lipstick over top. It then goes on super opaque and even. If you have that same patchy issue with your YSL Rouge Volupte’s, try topping them over a lip liner. The liner really helps the formula of the lipstick to adhere to the lips.

Loreal Infallible Cream Shadow in Amber Rush - I hauled this product a few months ago, and have been absolutely loving it! I have worn it almost every time I’ve done my make up this month. It’s a beautiful, shimmery rose gold shade. It is super soft, super opaque, long lasting, and doesn’t budge or crease once applied. My favorite way to apply it is with my fingertips. I use my ring finger to pack it on the center of my lids, and then use my pinky to get in the inner and outer corners.

Lorac Pro Palette - I have had this palette for a good while, and it has been getting some major love from me recently. It’s definitely a must have palette. It has the perfect combination of matte and shimmer shades. Lorac has some of the best shadows on the market. They are soft, buttery, pigmented, and blend together seamlessly. I have particularly been using the shades Nude, Taupe, Sable, and Gold.

Elizabeth & James Nirvana Black & White - I have been obsessed with these two fragrances! I received both as gifts for Christmas and they are so amazing. I tend to wear the Black at night because it’s the more sultry, musky scent. The White is more floral so I prefer to wear that in the day time. They also are perfect when paired together. When paired together the scent is appropriate for both day and night. I love that I have both and am able to combine them to make a third fragrance.

Those are all the goodies that I have been loving this past month and I hope you all enjoyed! Later this week I will be posting a new Product Empties. I have been using up a lot of stuff lately, so I have a ton of goodies to share with you.

xoxo,
Casey

October Favorites!

Hey ya'll!!

Another month has come and gone, which means it's time for Favorites! Holiday season is now in full swing and I couldn't be more excited. I've got a good group of beauty favorites to share with you this month. I'm gonna keep this blog post short and sweet, so if you want to see what I was loving this month, just check out the video below.

xoxo,
Casey

August Favorites & YouTube Channel

It's that time again! Today's post is going to be all about the products I've been loving this month. I don't have a whole lot of products to talk about, but the things I do have to talk about have seen a ton of love this month and are absolute forever favorites.

I have some very exciting news to share with ya'll! I started a YouTube channel!! I'm really excited about it and can't wait to start making more videos. I want my channel to coincide with my blog. Sometimes I will have duel posts with a video and corresponding blog post, and sometimes I may just do a blog post with no video and vice versa. I uploaded my first video today and it's my August Favorites! Every products mentioned in the video is mentioned in this post as well. Please watch my latest video, and subscribe for future ones!

First up are my Makeup Geek eyeshadows. I have not wanted to use any other eyeshadows this month. These have quickly become my favorite shadows EVER. If I had to choose one eyeshadow palette out of my collection to keep, it would be this one, hands down. They are super pigmented, buttery, and blend really nicely. I can't wait to get some more colors for Fall!

Maybelline's The Falsies mascara has been around for a while. I've had it once before, but it's been a really long time. This mascara lengthens my lashes and gives them tons of volume. Maybelline has some really great mascaras, and this one doesn't disappoint.

The Becca highlighter in Opal is a gorgeous champagne/gold highlighter. I have been using it a ton and am in love with it. Becca is a really great line and has definitely become one of my favorite brands. Be sure to check out all of their products the next time you're at a Sephora.

An oldie but a goodie, the Benefit Hoola bronzer is a makeup must have. It's the perfect contour shade. It's completely matte and has no orange tones in it. It's definitely on the cooler side, which makes it perfect for bronzing and contouring, and creating natural looking shadows on the face.

Make Up For Ever HD Foundation is one of my all time favorites and works beautifully with my dry skin, giving me a really pretty and natural finish. If you have oily skin this would also work great for you, giving you a bit of a glow. It doesn't feel heavy on the skin and looks amazing in pictures.

My favorite eye liner lately has been the Maybelline Eye Studio gel liner in Blackest Black. It's smudge proof, lasts all day, and is really easy to work with. This liner is completely matte, and is very black. Sometimes black eye liners aren't super dark, and can look kind of grey. This one doesn't disappoint when it comes to getting a nice, clean, dark line.

Like I've said before, the YSL Rouge Volupte Shine lipsticks are my favorite lipstick formula. This shade in #9 has been getting a ton of love from me this month, and that love will definitely continue through the Fall and Winter months. It's a glossy, rosey-nude shade that's perfect for everyday, or a night out.

I hope you enjoyed my August favorites. Be sure to head over to my channel and subscribe to see all future videos!


xoxo,
Casey