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! :)
Hey ya’ll! Today’s post is all about my foundation routine. This is the foundation routine that I do every time I do my makeup (except for my lazy "No-Makeup" Makeup Days). I know that may seem a little excessive, but if I’m going to take the time to put makeup on, I’m going to go all out and do the full routine. I don’t use a ton of products in my foundation routine, so it really doesn’t take a long time for me to do it.
To get the best possible base, you first need to cleanse and exfoliate your skin. This will not only smooth your skin, but also will rid it of any left over makeup, dirt, and oil, allowing for the best possible makeup application. Next is to moisturize. I have normal to dry skin, so I like to mix in a little bit of oil into my daily moisturizer. The Tarte Maracuja Oil is my absolute favorite. I usually wait about 15 minutes or so after I’ve applied my moisturizer to start my makeup application, but I like to apply my under eye cream right before I apply my makeup. I have dry under eyes with fine lines, so applying my under eye cream right before I apply my makeup really helps my concealer blend in without creasing, or caking up.
I first prime my skin using the Hourglass Mineral Veil Primer. This product is pricey, but it works really well at keeping my makeup in place, and lasting throughout the night. It’s light weight, and dries quickly, without leaving any sort of residue behind.
Next I apply the Make Up For Ever HD Foundation using the Sigma F80 Flat Top Kabuki brush. This is one of my favorite foundations and it works great with normal, dry, and combination skin types. If you have oily skin this foundation can still work for you, but you will just have to set it with a powder, and probably do touchups throughout the day. This is a medium coverage foundation, dries down to a normal finish on me, and looks amazing on camera and in pictures.
After I’ve applied my foundation I like to conceal and highlight using the Maybelline Instant Age Rewind. This is the best concealer I have ever used, drugstore or high-end. I have dry under eyes and have fine lines. It’s not necessarily wrinkles, but because I have full and high cheekbones, when I smile my eyes naturally crease which causes the fine lines. Because of that, most concealers crease on me and can cake up really easily. This concealer is lightweight, super creamy, and very pigmented, making it the perfect two in one product for both concealing and highlighting. I like to blend it in using a dampened Real Techniques Sponge. Since the sponge is dampened with cool water, it adds a little bit more hydration, and blends in the concealer perfectly.
Lastly, I like to set all of that concealer with the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Diffused Light. I only set the areas that I put concealer at, I do not set my whole face because I tend to be on the dry side. This powder is very finely milled, soft, and light weight, making it perfect for my under eyes. It’s a translucent powder with a pale yellow undertone, so it does a great job at brightening up my highlighted areas too. The powder isn’t heavy at all, so it really helps to set everything without looking super powdery or cakey. The Hourglass powders are on the expensive side, but they last a really long time. I’ve been using mine a ton the past two months and have yet to hit pan.
I hope you enjoyed today’s post and found it helpful! Be sure to watch my video if you’d like to see my foundation routine in action. Also, I would love to know what your favorite base products are in the comments down below!
Today’s post is an exciting one on the brand new Kat Von D Shade & Light Eye Palette! I have been really enjoying the Shade & Light Contour Palette, so of course when I saw that Kat Von D was coming out with a Shade & Light eyeshadow palette I knew I had to have it.
The palette retails for $46 at Sephora and on Sephora.com (the same price at the contour palette). Another similarity to the Shade & Light Contour Palette is the packaging. They are pretty much identical except for the foiled accents. On the eyeshadow palette, the foil is gold, and it is silver on the contour palette. You also get an outline of the palette on the back of the packaging with the names of all the shadows.
The top three shades in the palette: Laetus, Lazarus, & Ludwin, are the same size as the highlighting powders in the Shade & Light contour palette (.08 ounces). The other nine shadows in the palette are .04 ounces each and are vary comparable in size to the shadows in the Urban Decay Naked Palettes (.05 ounces each). All of the shadows in this palette are matte, there are no shimmery shades in this palette. There are two shades however, Lucius & Latinus, appear to have a little bit of a satin finish.
There are three different sections to the palette: neutral’s, cool tones, and warm tones. That’s what makes this palette so amazing, ANYONE can use this palette no matter what your skin tone is, because there’s shades in here for everyone. The different sections in the palette are perfect for beginners, because it helps take a lot of the guess work, and confusion, out of trying to decided which shadows go together. But of course, there are no rules when it comes to makeup. All of the shades can be used interchangeably, and can be mixed and matched to create your own perfect, individual, look.
All of the shadows are super soft, buttery, blendable, and pigmented. I have been trying out every shade, and coming up with different combinations, and they all perform beautifully. The combinations you can create using this palette are endless. You can create natural eye looks, soft smokey eyes, and really intense smokey eyes.
This is a very high quality palette with amazing shades. The only “downfall”, or negative, I have noticed is that the shadows are very powdery and there’s a lot of fall-out. It’s particularly noticeable when you go to apply them with a brush. Fall-out isn’t a deal breaker for me personally, but I do know that there are people out there who aren’t a big fan of shadows that do that. A tip to dealing with fall-out from powder products is after you have picked up the product with your brush, tap it off lightly, and then apply it. When you tap your brush, all the excess product will fall off, which then decreases the amount of fall-out onto your face.
I hope you all enjoyed this review and found it informative and helpful! I definitely recommend this palette to anyone and everyone. I would have to say that this is a MUST-HAVE palette. If you are looking for an eyeshadow palette with all matte eyeshadows, check out this little beauty. It’s absolutely stunning and the amount of looks that can be created with it are endless. I really enjoy the Kat Von D line. Everything that I have tried from the brand has been wonderful. Be sure to check out my video below to see the Shade & Light Eyeshade Palette in action! :)
Hey ya’ll! Today I’m going to share with you my current favorite, go-to smokey eye. I have listed and pictured all of the products I used for this look, as well as my video on the full tutorial down below. This is the look I have been going to a lot recently, and it is great for a lot of different occasions from date nights, to parties, and for attending weddings.
A lot of these products have been recent favorites, and recent purchases, of mine that I have been using religiously the past couple of months. Be sure to check out my video to hear mini reviews and my thoughts on each product as I use them.
Face Products: Hourglass Mineral Veil Primer, Kat Von D Lock-It Tattoo Foundation in Light 48, Maybelline Instant Age Rewind in Fair, Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Diffused Light, Anastasia Beverly Hills Dip Brow in Soft Brown, Benefit Gimme Brow in Medium/Deep
Cheek Products: It Cosmetics CC+ Radiance Ombre Bronzer, MAC Blush in Eternal Sun
Eye Products: Too Faced Shadow Insurance in Champagne, Maybelline Color Tattoo in Creamy Beige, Makeup Geek Shadows in Shimma Shimma, Creme Brulee, Frappe, Mocha, & Latte, Maybelline Gel Liner in Blackest Black, Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara
Lip Products: Milani Lipstick in Nude Creme, Buxom Lip Gloss in White Russian
Hey ya’ll!! As you may already know, the Sephora Spring VIB Sale is in full swing. This sale only comes around twice a year, and when it does I participate. I only picked up two things during the actual sale this year, but I’ve also picked up a couple goodies from there over the last few weeks that I decided to throw in as well. Along with a few trips to Sephora, I’ve also visited Ulta, so I decided to toss those little babies in here to give you a nice little collective haul. Everything I’m sharing today can be found, and purchased, at Sephora for the VIB discount except for one item that can only be purchased at Ulta.
Kat Von D Shade & Light Eye Palette
This is the purchase I am most excited about! I have the Shade & Light Contour Palette, so naturally when Kat Von D decided to make the Shade & Light Eyeshadow Palette, I couldn’t resist. I haven’t even touched this little baby yet, but can’t wait to dive it! I plan on doing a review, demo, & swatch of this beauty, so keep an eye out for that.
Becca Blush in Wild Honey
This blush is perfect for Spring and Summer! It’s a bronzed apricot shade that perfectly compliments a tan. It’s a matte blush with a bit of a satin finish.
Buxom Lip Gloss in Mudslide
I have had my eye on this gloss for a really long time, but decided to hold out until Spring to purchase it. I absolutely love this color! It is super shiny with zero shimmer. The color itself is very unique. Buxom describes it as a Petal Pink, but I would have to disagree. I wanna say it’s in the terra-cotta family, but definitely has a pinky coral hint to it as well. It’s gorgeous!
Kat Von D Lock-It Tattoo Foundation
I purchased this because I have been out of a high-end foundation that matches me at my lightest. I had two foundations from the drugstore, but neither one of them offer the kind of finish and coverage that I like for evenings and events. I normally go for a medium coverage foundation, so when I first applied this I felt like I was painting my face. It’s very full coverage, but the finish and the color are amazing. The shade I got is Light 48, and it matches me perfectly.
It Cosmetics CC+ Radiance Ombre Bronzer
This bronzer was an unexpected purchase for me. I received a $10 off coupon from Ulta for my birthday, and had been saving up my points, so I decided to go ahead and go for it because I don’t have many shimmery bronzers (which is what I prefer to wear during the Spring and Summer months). This bronzer is so amazing! It has three different sections with a matte shade, a shimmery bronze shade, and a straight highlight. This bronzer is very versatile, and I have been wearing it non-stop.
Tarte Maracuja Oil
I cannot live without this stuff. It is a staple in my skin care routine and I use it every single day. This was on-sale during the 21 Day of Beauty at Ulta, and the timing was perfect because I had just run out of mine. This oil has completely transformed my skin and leaves it super hydrated and glowing.
Hey ya’ll!! I’m really excited for today’s post because it’s one that I’ve been wanting to do for a while now. I have been really into cream shadows lately and have been playing with these beauties the past couple of months so that I could give you my 100% thoughts, opinions, and experience with them.
The Maybelline Color Tattoo’s and the Loreal Infallible Cream Shadow’s are two of my favorite products from the drugstore. There are things that I like, and don’t like, about each line which is what we are going to get into today.
The Maybelline Color Tattoo’s are a true cream formula. They are best applied with your finger, and dry down to a powder finish. They come in a glass pot similar to the Anastasia Dip Brow Pomade’s, or a potted gel liner. You get .14 ounces (4 grams) of product in each pot and they retail for $6.99. You can find them at any drugstore, and most often there are coupons available for Ulta and CVS, so you typically won’t have to pay full price for them.
The shades I have, from left to right, are: Bad To The Bronze, Tough As Taupe, Bold Gold, Vintage Plum, and Creamy Beige. The first three are from the original Color Tattoo line and the last two are from the Leather Collection. I do find there is a difference in formula between the original’s and the Leather’s. The original formula is a bit dryer, where the Leather’s are much more creamy and easy to work with. Bad To The Bronze and Tough as Taupe are great everyday shades and have great pigmentation. My favorite Color Tattoo, and a new holy grail item for me, by far is Creamy Beige. It is super creamy and pigmented, and is the perfect lid color. It is beautiful on it’s own, with a little definition in the crease, and with a smokey eye. My least favorite shades are Bold Gold and Vintage Plum. Vintage Plum was the biggest disappointment because it is very patchy, and the color separates and cannot be built up. Bold Gold isn’t what I hoped it would be. Instead of being a bronzed gold like I was hoping, it comes off more like a Deli Mustard color, which I’m not fond of.
The Loreal Infallible Shadow’s are much different from the Color Tattoo’s. The Color Tattoo’s are a true cream formula, where as the Loreal Infallible’s are more of a Hybrid between a cream and a powder. You can apply them with your finger or with a brush. I prefer applying them with my fingers because I think you get a much better color payoff, and effect that way. The shadow’s are packaged in a pot form similar to the Color Tattoo’s, but are flatter and in a plastic container versus a glass container. What I like about this packaging is that they come with a plastic stopper that sits under the lid, on top of the product. This really helps to keep the shape of the shadows, and helps to keep them from drying out. You get .12 ounces (3.5 grams) of product and they retail for $7.99. You do get a little less product for $1.00 more with the Infallible's. Again, you can find these at any drugstore, and there are coupons available.
The shades I have, from left to right, are: Amber Rush, Iced Latte, Bronzed Taupe, Bottomless Java, Golden Emerald, and Gilded Envy. As you can see they are all high-shimmer, and super pigmented. There are no matte shadows available in the collection. My favorite shadows from this line are Amber Rush and Bronzed Taupe. Amber Rush is a true dupe for MAC’s “Tan” Pigment. It’s a beautiful rose gold shade that is perfect for Spring and Summer, and will be stunning with a bronzed summer glow. Bronzed Taupe is another beautiful Spring and Summer color. It’s one of those shades that can be worn on it’s own and look exceptional. I already know that both of these shades are going to be go-to, easy color's to pop on my lids this Summer. Bottomless Java and Golden Emerald are both beautiful shades that have small specks of glitter in them. The great thing about the formula of these is that there is zero fall out, so you aren’t going to end up with glitter all over your face after you’ve applied them. My least favorites are Iced Latte and Gilded Envy. They are both a lot dryer in texture, and crumbly, than the other four. It’s really a bummer about Iced Latte because the color is very pretty. It’s a great brow bone and inner corner highlight color, and would be really pretty to apply in the center of your lids for an extra pop. I just wish it was creamy and smooth like the other’s. Gilded Envy just isn’t the right color for me. It’s not a bad shade by any means, it’s just not a great shade on me. I actually purchased it by mistake. I meant to grab Golden Emerald, but saw the green in the package and bought it thinking there was only one green in the collection.
If I had to pick one line over the other, the Color Tattoo’s or the Loreal Infallible Shadow’s, I would have to go with the Infallible’s. It kills me to have to choose because the Color Tattoo in Creamy Beige is one of my new, holy grail products and is my favorite shadow out of all of these combined. But when you get down to performance, formula, pigmentation, and application for the shadows as a whole, the Loreal Infallible Shadow’s win in my opinion.
I hope you enjoyed today’s post and found it helpful! I would love to know which one you prefer out of the Color Tattoo’s and the Infallible’s, and which shades are your favorites. Like I said, I’ve been really into cream shadows lately, so if you have a favorite brand other than the two I mentioned, I would love your recommendations in the comments down below whether they be high-end or drugstore!
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!
