Ulta Goodies

Iv'e noticed a really bad habit forming since coming to college- online shopping. Since I have no car here I have to get most of my stuff online and with that comes spending at least $50 to get free shipping (even if I only need one thing and the shipping is $5). Since this month Ulta had its '21 Days of Beauty' deals and I desperately needed new Clarisonic brush heads I placed an order. I bought two Acne Cleansing brush heads (it was BOGO, score!) I have only used the sensitive brush heads so I'm excited to see if these help keep my evil acne away. I also was reading a blog post from fashion week and saw this product: Jolen Creme Bleach w/ Aloe; makeup artists use this to bleach model's eyebrows. Now although no eyebrows looks cool on a catwalk, thats not exactly the look I'm going for- I am going to try this out on my upper lip (hey I'm just keepin' it real) because hair does grow there. Now to complete the $50 I've been wanting to try out more Living Proof products so I got the 'No Frizz Nourishing Styling Cream' which came with samples of the shampoo, conditioner, and styling cream from the PDH line (which I've been dying to try). Finally, for my samples I received 'Something Blue' by Oscar de la Renta and 'Intenso' by Dolce & Gabbana (I just wrote a post about their S/S line, check it out!- no shame self-promo). And I made sure to include a cute little note for myself motivating me to keep studying because well, it was free and why not.

                                                                                                    Truly yours, Taylor 

p.s. I will be doing reviews on all of these products so check back later.

Creatures of the Wind Spring 2016 Makeup

When I saw the work of makeup artist Aaron de Mey for Creatures of the Wind Spring/Summer 2016 I couldn't help but write a post about it. All the attention is drawn to the eyes for these makeup looks. Chunky gold glitter and black smoked out shadow made this show's makeup a stand-out. Graphic cat eyes were paired with bold red lips for an edgy addition to this spring style. I always get excited when I see glittery eyes on the runway. Many people think that this is the reminisce of the middle school days (before we knew how to actually apply makeup) but I completely disagree. Adding glitter to the eyes can be done very tastefully and can add a touch of elegance to any makeup.

Get the look:

For a wearable take on this look use any gel or liquid liner to create a regular cat eye. Use a gold glitter eyeliner and draw a thin line above the black cat eye. Pair with a matte red lip and you have the perfect holiday party look.

                               Truly yours, Taylor

Dark Lips Are Back In Season

My absolute favorite beauty trend for the fall/winter is dark lips. Whether you're going for grunge goddess or vampy vixen- a dark lip can completely transform your look. For more of an edge, opt for a purple toned color like the Nars Audacious Lipstick in ‘Charlotte’. For a more formal look try a more red toned product like Lime Crime’s Velvetine in ‘Wicked’. If these colors are too intense for you then try MAC’s ‘Rebel’ lipstick which is a more wearable berry shade. Lip liner is essential when using dark colors- I would recommend NYX’s slim lip pencils which come in a plethora of shades. Applying the lipliner to the entirety of your lips will not only ensure a crisp edge, but will also increase the longevity of your lip product. After applying don't forget to clean up the edges with some concealer and you’ll be ready to turn some heads. 

                                           Truly yours, Taylor 

National Lipstick Day

Happy National Lipstick Day!! As you can probably guess I enjoy splurging on beauty products, but my favorite type of makeup item has to be lip products. Here is a picture with some of my favorite lipsticks; there are a variety of formulas and colors for your choosing! 

Beginning from top middle going clockwise: Nars Satin Lip Pencil in Rikugien, Lime Crime Velvetine in Wicked, MAC Lipstick in Candy Yum-Yum, Estee Lauder Pure Color Long Lasting Lipstick in Melon, NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Transylvania, MAC Lipstick in Snob, OCC Lip Tar in Black Metal Dahlia, YSL Rouge Volupte Lipstick in Beige Ultimate, MAC Lipstick in Peach Blossom, Rimmel Show Off Lip Lacquer in Comet, Make Up For Ever Rouge Artist Natural in N9, Nars Satin Lip Pencil in Cruella, MAC Lipstick in MLLE, Bite Beauty Matte Cream Lip Crayon in Gavi

I would recommend any of these formulas, give one a try and let me know what you think! Also comment your favorite lipstick so I can give it a try.
                                                                   Truly yours, Taylor

Nars And God Created The Woman Palette Review & Tutorial

When I saw that Nars was coming out with another installment of their "And God Created The Woman" palette I got a bit excited. Although the original is not available in most Sephora stores, it is still available for purchase on the Sephora website. I considered getting this palette but the thing that stopped me was not having $60 to drop on an eyeshadow pallet (if I did have $60 however I probably would not have given it a second thought). I found myself in Sephora a couple days ago- this time with $60 in my pocket and no shame on spending it on eyeshadow. I was so new that I had to ask an employee to get it for me from the back of the store. As I came to know, new doesn't always mean good. I did not have the luxury of seeing it out and swatching the shadows before purchasing. When I got home that night I swatched all of the colors to take pictures of them and I was surprised to find three of the six (50%) of the shadows were very patchy.

This palette contains six .03oz eyeshaddows in:

     From left to right, top to bottom: Bellissima II, Kalahari, Night Clubbing, Alhambra l, Galapagos,        Coconut Grove 

This set also comes with a .09oz Pro-Prime Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base and a mini #42 Wide Contour brush.

 Bellissima II, Kalahari, Night Clubbing (no flash)

  Bellissima II, Kalahari, Night Clubbing (w/ flash)

    

Alhambra I, Galapagos, Coconut Grove (no flash)

Alhambra I, Galapagos, Coconut Grove (w/ flash)

Clearly the best shadows in this palette are Kalahari and Alhambra I, they were smooth and pigmented. As for the matte shades which obviously did not swatch well, they applied nicely when used with a brush. Some blending is required though. 

As for the primer; I do enjoy it. I have very oily eye lids and this did not crease on me after 10 hours of wear. The colors lost a bit of vibrancy but after 10 hours what eyeshadows wouldn't? 

The brush included is surprisingly nice. The bristles are soft, but don't expect the same quality as the full size brushes. But nevertheless, it gets the job done and is great for traveling. 

For this price, I could buy a Dior 5 Colour Eyeshadow Palette which totals .21oz and amazing quality. This Nars Palette totals .18oz for the eyeshadow. Even with the primer and brush this just does not seem worth the money. 

Final thoughts: This set is not terrible by any means, but it left me wanting more for the price. Instead of buying this palette I would invest in something else, such as the Dior 5 Colour Palettes or just buying the Nars duos. 

Click here for a tutorial using this palette: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwKHQbKhbmo

                                                                                 Truly yours, Taylor

Review: The Body Shop Shimmer Cubes

It has been a while since I have purchased The Body Shop's Shimmer Cubes so I feel it is a good time to do a review on them. I have the quad in "Chocolate Box." This quad costs $22.00, but can usually be found discounted. The shades included (from left to right, top to bottom) are "Dark Chocolate," "Chocolate Chip," "Honeycomb," and "Marshmallow." "Dark Chocolate" is a dark brown with a tint of red. "Chocolate Chip"  is a nice cool-toned taupe shade. Next, we have "Honey Comb" which is a bronze/copper color. Finally, "Marshmallow" is a pink-toned champagne. This color is the lightest shade in the quad but I personally think it is too shimmery to use as a brow bone highlight, although it is nice on the tear duct and lid.

As far as the packaging, well it is not very convenient. Each cube is packaged individually in a plastic box and then the four little boxes are in a bigger box. So each time you want to use this quad you have to open each box and then you will end up having little plastic lids everywhere. This is not a huge deal but it will make using this quad a bit more time consuming.   

The quality is not really great with this quad. The intensity of the pigment in the shadows is mediocre; but can be intensified when using them wet. This is not an all in one palette. Since all the colors are so shimmery you will need to use some matte shades to balance it out (probably for the brow bone). I do appreciate how The Body Shop uses good ingredients so if your eyes get easily irritated from makeup, maybe this will work for you. 

Final thoughts: This quad is just okay. For the price I believe you can find better at the drugstore for cheaper. 

                                                                         Truly yours, Taylor 

Little Stop at Sephora

Sephora has been feeling a bit generous lately with all their discounts. 25% off by being a VIB Rouge, 20% off by being a VIB and 15% off when being a Beauty Insider. Although I have a vast obsession with makeup, I am only a Beauty Insider. If I had a an income I would spend it all on makeup (don't show this to my parents). Because of my lack of employment my pay days are few and far between. I decided to take advantage of this discount since I am trying to become a VIB this year. I purchased two things, both of which I am extremely excited about.

I went into the store intending to come out with the NARS Smugeproof Eyeshaddow Base but, unfortunately they were all sold out. Don't worry, you won't be hearing any complaining from me. Instead I picked up the much raved about Hourglass Mineral Veil Primer. I got the smallest size because this is very expensive and I wanted to make sure it lived up to the hype before I dished out $52.00 for the 1 oz size.

I am one who loves a set that comes with multiple products. So what if they are smaller? They make perfect travel items and it is a great way to try out a bunch of products to see what you like and dislike. I picked up the Benefit "How To Look The Best at Everything" in the light kit. This includes the Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow foundation, two Boi-ing concealers, the Pore-fessional primer, and the Hello Flawless powder. This is the first product I have from Benefit so I am so excited to try out all of these different things! Also Benefit never fails to deliver the cutest packaging. I mean come on, it looks like a book!

I will be using these products throughout the next month or so and will be doing in depth reviews on all of them!

                                                                                      Truly yours, Taylor

What's In My Travel Makeup Bag??

I'm headed to Orlando for a couple days ( four to be exact) and I thought I would share the beauty products I am bringing. I have a tendency to over pack when it comes to clothes but I think I did a pretty good job of only bringing the necessities. These are the products I use on a daily basis and can't leave behind. 

~ Tarte Amazonian Clay Foundation

~ Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circle Concealer 

~ L'Oreal True Match Crayon Concealer

~Maybelline Fit Me Powder

~ The Balm Frat Boy Blush

~ Old Revlon quad (to fill in brows)

~ Urban Decay Naked Palette  

~ Maybelline Great Lash-Clear (for brows)

~ Urban Decay Primer Potion

~ MAC Lipstick- Snob

~ MAC Lipstick- Peach Blossom

~ L'Oreal Lash Out Butterfly Mascara

~ Eye brush

~ Kabuki brush

~ ELF powder brush

~ Eco Tools Blush Brush

                                                                        Truly yours, Taylor

Peach Blossom Lipstick- MAC

I was at the mall with my mother yesterday (not much different than any other day) and we decided to take a look in MAC. I am a big fan of their lipsticks and never fail to leave with swatches all over my hands. I came across the most wearable, natural lipstick I have seen. We all have those days where we don't want to leave the house with naked lips but we want them to look natural. Peach Blossom is this shade. It is a cremesheen lipstick with pearl. It is a peachy rose; kind of like a my lips but better color. It is very moisturizing because of the formula and leaves a  nice shine. This is defiantly my new go-to lipstick!

My First Body Shop Experience!

So I recently made my first purchases from The Body Shop and I am very excited to share them with you! I have an unhealthy obsession with groupon and if you don't have an account with them you need one. I was browsing the site last week and they always have gift cards you can purchase for half the price. So I bought a $30 gift card to The Body Shop and I only paid $15 for it. I don't understand why they would do this but I'm not complaining. I have also purchased promotions similar to this with Starbucks and American Apparel. I was at the outlet mall nearby and I totally forgot there was a Body Shop in there. The whole store was 40% off so I grabbed a basket and got to work.

I ended up purchasing the cult-favorite olive body butter which is so incredibly thick and luxurious. I also got the Seaweed Iconic Clay Mask; I have heard great things about this mask and having oily skin with large pores, I was excited to give this a go. I have been looking for an eye cream, I am still very young so I don't need any anti-aging properties. I am just using it for preventative reasons so I felt this was a good one to start off with. Finally I purchased the famous Shimmer Cubes quad in 06-Chocolate Box (this is their best selling shade). I am very pleased with my new goodies and I will keep you updated on what I thing of all these products!

                                                            Truly yours, Taylor

Garnier Clean Shine Control Cleansing Gel Review

I am back!! This is my first actual blog post in months! I am happy to be telling you guys about a new cleanser that I have been using for the past week. I purchased this cleanser at Walgreen's. When I saw this cleanser I was immediately drawn in by the fact that it claims to have charcoal in it. This is seen in high end skincare but rarely in the drugstore. Popular high end products known for containing charcoal include, Boscia Revitalizing Black Hydration Gel, Lush Dark Angels Facial Cleanser and the most famous one of all, drumroll please.... the Glam Glow Super Mud Clearing Treatment (I want this so bad but $70 for a mask is a bit steep for me). Being an oily-skinned girl I defiantly had to try this out. For those of you who don't know, charcoal is great for oily skin; it sucks up oil and brings many impurities to the surface of your skin. This cleanser claims to dissolve pore clogging dirt, excess oil and makeup. It is oil free, dermatologist tested and ophthalmologist tested. Charcoal powder is the fifth ingredient so don't expect this to be black. It is actually a very sheer grey. I use this in the morning rather than at night because personally I would rather have matte skin throughout the day. I use this with my little rubber scrublet. You only need a pea sized amount for your face and it lathers up nicely. I love the sent of this, think mentholy, like if you were at the spa. One thing that does bother me about this cleanser is how liquidy it is. The thin consistency makes it tricky to get the amount of product you need and can be a bit messy. I do notice my skin looking matte after I rinse this off, but it does not keep it matte throughout the day (I wasn't really expecting it to). I personally have quite large pores especially on my nose. This didn't de-clog them, but again I was not expecting it to. Overall I am pleased with this cleaner and think it is a great drugstore choice! It retails for $7.99 is is pretty accessible. 

                                                         Truly Yours, Taylor

Christmas Nails

Hey everyone,
I know Christmas is over but better late than never right? I felt proud of what I did with my nails this Christmas and just had to blog about it. Now I know that I am no nail technician, but I feel that I did a decent job.

Firs I used two coats of Revlon's Valentine. Once that dried I applied Sinful Colors' Holiday Rebel to the bottom of my nails fading upwards. On my thumbs I used a white stripper polish and drew four intersecting lines. I then drew smaller lines coming from the diagonal lines to add more detail and make it look more like a snowflake. I also added some glitter the the tip of these nails. I finished this nail look off with a top coat to seal the design and that's it! This is festive but not over the top. Sorry for the awful lighting, I didn't have my DSLR at the time.

                                                                  Truly yours, Taylor

Sephora Loves Too Faced Palette Swatches & Review

Hey everyone! So I bought this palette about a month ago and have been using it a lot to collect my thoughts and test out every product. This palette retails for $52.00 at Sephora and is worth an estimated $245.00 value. I must say, this palette contains a lot of product. There are 10 eyeshadows, 2 bronzers, 1 blush, a mini kabuki brush, a sample of Too Faced Shadow Insurance and a packet of makeup looks using this palette. This is the first item that I have purchased from Too Faced so I was happy that I got to not only try their eyeshaddows, but also the other products included. This is a great palette for traveling because it is compact tin container with a magnetic closure that carries product on both the top and bottom of the palette.

The box that the palette comes in has the same design as the palette itself on the front, and on the back shows all of the products that come in the palette with a cute little message about the 15 year anniversary of Too Faced.

I absolutely love the iconic black and white Sephora stripes on the front with the Too Faced overlay. Too Faced never seems to skimp out on the packaging and this is no exception. 

 When you go to open this palette you will see a top eye layer and a bottom face layer separated with a piece of plastic that you should defiantly keep so that the eyeshadows don't mix with the blush and bronzers.

Piano Keys, Behind the Counter, So Cal, Soho

TF <3's the Cast, Envy, Jer Jer, David & Marg 

525 Market, 1998

This palette comes with a full array of colors to go from neutral to bold with a few brush strokes. There is only one truly matte shade which is Behind the Counter; Soho has a very slight sheen. 1998 and Piano Keys have glitter and all the others have a satin finish.The three shadows that stood out the most were 525 Market, Envy and Jer Jer. These are hands down the most pigmented and smooth. Piano Keys disappointed me the most because it was chalky and has a lot of fallout. Behind the Counter was sheer as well when I swatched it but when I used it on my eyes it worked fine and was buildable. The other shades all worked well and had good pigmentation. TF <3's the Cast is washed out in this photo and is a light green and not a silver as it appears to be.

Chocolate Soleil Bronzer (concentrated & blended out)

 

Sun Bunny Bronzer (top of bronzer, bottom of bronzer, mixed, mixed blended out)

When you open this palette the smell of chocolate hits you in the face. The Chocolate Soleil Bronzer is the product I was most excited about trying. It is made with real cocoa powder and is very smooth. It is a matte bronzer with no trace of orange in it and is great for lighter skin tones. The Sun Bunny Bronzer is a little bit darker and shimmery. The top shade of the bronzer could also work as a highlight for darker skin tones. This is great for giving you a sun kissed glow but I wouldn't contour with it because of the shimmer. 

Who's Your Poppy? Blush (concentrated, blended out)

 I was really impressed with this blush! It is very pigmented and smooth. This is a peachy-pink with golden shimmer and have heard it resembles Orgasm blush by Nars. This is my go-to for glowy skin. As far as the brush goes, it's not the best quality but it gets the job done if you need it.

Too Faced Shadow Insurance

I wasn't very impressed with the eye primer included because I did notice creasing after 4-5 hours. I personally have very oily eyelids so even my Urban Decay Primer Potion creases on my but I noticed more with this primer. If your eyelids are not very oily this should work fine on you.

The palette also comes with nine cards containing 15 looks (see a pattern with the number 15?). One side of the cards has more neutral looks and the other side contains bolder night-time looks.

Final Thoughts: I am happy with the palette and very glad I bought it. The product in here defiantly exceeds the $52.00 I spent on it. I got to try out a bunch of different things and have an idea of what I like and dislike about Too Faced. Only a couple of they eyeshadows let me down but the rest was amazing. I will definitely be getting a lot of use out of this and I recommend it to anyone who is new to the brand or wants to get a really good value.
                                                                             Truly yours, Taylor

Sephora Birthday Gift Review

Hey everyone! I recently dropped by Sephora to pick up my beauty insiders birthday gift. I was so excited when I found out that I was gonna get Benefit products. The gift includes a mini of the Wats Up highlighter and the Their Real mascara.

 I was especially excited about the mascara because I have heard nothing but good things about it. I used it a couple times already and absolutely love it! It really makes my lashes look fake; it's lengthening and volumizing. Sometimes when I apply my mascara to my bottom lashes it tends to transfer to my skin and smudge, but this one stayed where it was supposed to be all day. Its unique brush allows it to get to all your lashes, even near your tear duct. There are no signs of flaking and I give it an A!

 The Wats Up highlighter is also a great quality product. Its is a champagne colored highlighter. This highlighter will work with almost any skin tone because it is warm and wont be too light for darker skin tones but also warms up lighter skin tones. This is a gorgeous color and gives the most beautiful glow to my skin when I want a bit of a dewier look. It is not greasy and is very bendable. Below are some swatches.

 I think Sephora was on point with their birthday gift as they always are and I definitely consider purchasing both of these products when I use these up!
                                                                         Truly yours, Taylor