Empties (Products I've Used Up) #1

This post is about a bunch of garbage. Literally. I've been hoarding my empty beauty products for the past couple months so that I could talk about them in a blog post. The concept might sound crazy, but I really enjoy reading these types of posts because the consumer has formed a solid opinion about the products after using them all up.

Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser: This lasted FOREVER. It took me over a year to finish this giant bottle. This is a basic cleanser that is very gentle. I would recommend this to those who have sensitive skin, but I don't think I will be repurchasing because I need a cleanser that can help combat my acne. Overall, the product did it's job.

Fresh Sugar Rose SPF15 Lip Treatment: I really enjoyed using this product. It's an amazing lip balm that moisturizes while giving the lips a slight rosy tint. It smells of lemonade, which might bother some people, but I enjoyed it. This was a sample from Sephora that came in a birthday gift. I will not be repurchasing solely because of the hefty price tag. ($22.50) It was good, but not that good!

Covergirl Lash Blast Volume: This was probably my 4th or 5th tube of this mascara. I will continue to repurchase in the future. It has a huge plastic bristled wand that provides a good amount of volume. Whenever I don't know what mascara to use, I always reach for this one. 

The Body Shop Tea Tree Blemish Fading Night Lotion: This product really stood out to me. I did notice that it faded my acne scars a bit. But it really helped fight any active breakouts that I had. The only negative I have is that you don't get very much product for the price. ($18.50 for 1 oz.) I bought this when some sort of deal was going on, and that's the only time I would repurchase. 

Sephora by OPI Nail Pads: I believe these are discontinued, because they were on clearance when I purchased them. I thought they were soaked in nail polish remover, but they weren't. These were just square pads that you pour the polish remover on. I thought these were alright, but they are no better than just using cotton balls.

C.O. Bigelow Mentha Lip Balm in Vanilla Mint: First off, I LOVE the scent of this. It gives your lips a tingly sensation, which I'm a fan of. I would put this on before bed and I could still feel it on my lips in the morning. I will definitely be repurchasing this in the future and I highly recommend this product. You can purchase C.O. Bigelow products from Bath and Body Works. 

L'Oreal EverCreme Intenses Nourishing Shampoo: This product also smells amazing, it has a sort of vanilla scent. I bought this because it is sulfate free, but I was worried about how well it would lather. It lathered really well and keep my hair moisturized during these past winter months. I will also be repurchasing this shampoo in the future. (Also, the scent does linger in your hair) 

Vera Wang Lovestruck perfume sample: Normally I wouldn't include a perfume sample, but I just wanted to say that I loved this so much that I've already purchased a roller ball of this scent. I recommend you check it out! It's a beautiful, girly scent. 

Are you a fan of "empties" posts, or do you think they are just plain weird?!

Maybelline Eye Studio Quad in Copper Chic

I've recently rediscovered this Maybelline quad that I picked up in Fall 2012. I thought the shades were beautiful for the Fall time but I've also noticed that they are going to be great for transitioning into Spring!

My "go to" look recently has been putting the rose gold, peachy shade all over the lid, with the white in the inner corner and popping a matte brown from my Naked palette in the crease. It's so simple, but slightly colorful with such a unique shade on the lid.

This quad comes with four, very shimmery shades. A basic white, a gorgeous rose gold, a warm brown/gold and a darker brown that also has a warm undertone.

I used the brown shades much more in the fall, but they are also great as eyeliner across the upper lash line. I've been switching between using gel liner and the last shade in this quad for a more natural look.

(natural sunlight)

This shadows are super pigmented. Maybelline has certainly been stepping up their game with their "Eye Studio" range. There can be a little bit of fall out with these, so I recommend putting your foundation on after applying your shadows. This is a great drugstore product that costs under $10!

Have you tried any of the Maybelline Eye Studio products? What are your favorites?

Nail Art Using Pigments

Recently I've been trying to "shop my stash" of makeup instead of going out and buying every new item that gets good reviews. Today I decided to incorporate my eyeshadow pigments into my manicure!  I never reach for my loose shadows because they are so messy, so this was a great way for me to give them some love.

I used China Glaze Liquid Leather as my base color, NYX eyeshadow in Silver (mine cracked), Victoria Secret's luminous eyeshadow in Too Too Pink and Seche Vite fast dry top coat.

This is mid way, with just the NYX color on. I applied one coat of the base color, then once that dried I applied the second coat one nail at a time, while sprinkling the shadow on each nail. Then to add the pink color, I added a clear coat, one nail at a time again and then topped it off with another clear coat to seal it all in.

Here's the finished manicure! This technique sort of gives the look of paint splatter. I can't wait to try this with different base colors and shadows!

Have you tried any crazy nail art lately? Let me know what you've done!

OPI Suzi Says Feng Shui

Back with yet another nail post! Tonight I'm wearing OPI's Suzi Says Feng Shui. This polish is from the Spring 2010 Hong Kong collection. It is a beautiful mid tone, dusty blue. It is also a creme finish, which is my favorite!

This is the polish with Seche Vite top coat over top of it. Even though this color was limited edition, it isn't exactly the most original shade, I'm sure there are tons of dupes on the market!

I have to say, OPI has one of my favorite brushes. I love how huge they are and it makes it really easy to apply the color.

Do you like a more creme or shimmery finish when it comes to nail polish? 

Recent MAC purchase

About a week ago I had the chance to get my hands on some MAC products I've been eyeing for a while now. I've never tried one of their mineralized blushes and Warm Soul is one of their most popular, so I picked it up. Angel is also one of their best selling lipsticks, and I had to have it! (One of my close friends actually treated me to this as a B-day gift! <3 you, Carrie!)

I absolutely love MAC's sleek packaging. 

Their mineralized blushes are $25 and the lipsticks are $15.

(Don't you just love the look of never-been-touched makeup!?)

Warm soul is a very natural beige color with gold shimmer. Don't be scared when I say shimmer though! This is not "disco ball" like, it looks very natural and glowy when applied to the cheeks. Angel is a very wearable "soft pink". It is a frost formula and has a silver sheen to it. I love the way MAC lipsticks smell!  

Warm Soul is on the left, Angel on the right. (Natural lighting)

My MAC collection is slowly growing, which is great for me, but not so great for my wallet! What are some of your favorite items from MAC? Have you tried either of these products?

OPI Done Out In Deco

I am so sick of this cold, dreary winter weather lately. I'm ready for Spring and I'm certainly portraying that in my manicure today. I have on OPI Done Out in Deco and L.A. Colors Splendid as an accent on my ring finger.

Done Out in Deco is one of my all time favorite (and most used) polishes. I've used up about a third of this bottle (which is a TON for nail polish junkies) It is a creamy lilac color with the slightest bit of grey in it. Gorgeous!

This is my first time using this color by L.A. Colors. It's very sheer and it is most certainly made for putting over other polishes. It's a mid toned purple base with tons of small silver glitter. I thought this was a great, subtle accent for this manicure.

I HIGHLY recommend you pick up Done Out in Deco for the Spring. Pastels are some of my favorites  and I can't wait to rock some more soon!

Are you sick of dark winter polishes yet like I am? What have you been putting on your nails recently?

Sally Hansen Commander in Chic

Today's manicure is Sally Hansen's Complete Salon Manicure in Commander in Chic.

This is a beautiful creme muddy grey color with the slightest bit of a purple undertone. The formula claims to include a base and top coat all in one, but I still apply my own. I tend to find this chips fairly easily without a top coat.

Something that really makes this nail lacquer stand out is the brush. It is very wide and makes for an easy application. I have two coats on here, with the Seche Vite top coat.

You can pick this up at almost any drugstore. They are almost always on sale, and I will definitely be picking up some more from this range.

Have you tried any Sally Hansen polishes? What are your thoughts?

FOTD: My Recent "go to" Look

I wanted to post a "Face of the Day" for what I've been wearing on a regular basis recently. I think it would be fun to make one of these posts every so often when my daily routine changes. I purposely didn't include any lip products in this post because it changes daily. I'm usually wearing one of the four colors I featured in my Favorite Winter Lip Colors post.

Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette: This palette have 6 shadows, 5 of which are matte. I've been using "Foxy" as my highlight color. It is a matte, yellow toned cream color. I love this entire palette, it's a must have for any makeup junkie. 

MAC Devil May Dare Warm eye palette: This was a limited edition holiday palette from 2009. I've been wearing "Gold Tease" (Frost) all over the lid and "Sorcery"(Satin) in the crease. Gold Tease is a nice neutral shimmery gold, and Sorcery is a beautiful red toned plum shade, almost a maroon that certainly spices up the look.

Maybelline Eye Studio Color Tattoo Metal in Barely Branded: I did a blogpost featuring this cream shadow, which you can see here. I love this as a base and it's great under any shadow.

MAC Mineralized Skinfinish in Perfect Topping: This was also limited edition, I found mine at a CCO. This is a beautiful highlighter that isn't too overpowering.

Physician's Formula Healthy Wear Powder Foundation in Natural Beige: I featured this in my Top 12 of 2012 post. It's an amazing powder that keeps me oil free longer than most powders.

Rimmel London Powder Blush in Pink Rose: I've had this blush forever, it's a wonderful rosy color that has a fair amount of shimmer. It's not too pigmented that it's hard to work with, but it's also not so sheer that there isn't any pay off.

Studio Basics Makeup Sponge: I picked this up at Ulta, hoping to find a dupe for the Beauty Blender. I love the way this applies my foundation. When used damp, it puts just enough product on the face, and doesn't make the makeup look cakey or fake. 

Too Faced Primed and Poreless Face Primer: This is a wonderful primer that smoothes out my skin before my foundation. I don't think it minimizes my pores, but it does keep my makeup on longer throughout the day. 

MAC Studio Sculpt Foundation in NW15: This is a very full coverage foundation. It covers my acne scars really well. It has a scent to it, so beware if your skin is sensitive. This product doesn't break me out and I love the way it makes my skin look.

MAC Studio Finish Concealer in NW20: I don't have under eye circles, just a bit of discoloration and this does the trick. I also apply this to any breakouts that make not have been covered by the foundation.

BareMinerals Warmth: This is another product that I've had forever. It's the only bronzer I own and I think it's great. I don't do any heavy contouring, I just use it for a glow over my foundation so my skin isn't all one color. It's a bit dark, so I use a very light hand with this product.

Do you like these posts? What are some of your everyday products?

Liebster Blog Award

I am so grateful to say I've been nominated by ANM from Beauty by ANM for this award! I'm super excited to be nominated for an award that promotes bloggers with under 200 followers. Thank you so much for nominating me, ANM! I really appreciate it!

Here are the rules:

-Post 11 random facts about yourself

- Answer 11 questions from the person that nominated you

- Nominate new blogs (with under 200 followers) and make a new tag of 11 questions for them to answer!

My random facts:

1. I am currently a college student studying music education.

2. I am a vegetarian.

3. One of my favorite hobbies is rock climbing. (Specifically indoor bouldering)

4. I've been playing the flute for 9 years.

5. My favorite pizza topping is pineapple

6. In middle school, I took acting and singing lessons. (I wanted to be on Broadway :P)

7. I am VERY organized.

8. I was drum major of my high school marching band.

9. I'm a Rocky Horror fan, I attend the Friday night specials as much as possible.

10. I hate scary movies.

11. Freshman year of high school I died my hair bright blue.

My answers to ANM's questions:

1.When did you start blogging?

In November 2012, very recently. I've always read beauty blogs and wanted to start one of my own!

2. What is your favorite skincare product?

I love the Body Shop's tea tree oil spot treatment for blemishes.

3. Lipstick or lipgloss? Why?

Definitely lipstick. I hate the sticky feeling lipgloss can have, and I don't like how your hair can stick to it sometimes.

4. Who is your favorite blog to follow and why?

I really love Estee from Essiebutton. She makes YouTube videos and that's how I discovered her. Her pictures are amazing and I really trust her reviews.

5. Where would your dream vacation be to?

Probably London. I know, not a typical answer, but I would love to just go to the shops and sip tea by Big Ben. :)

6. What is a language you wish you could speak?

German. My father was born in Germany and I'd love to be able to talk to some relatives who only speak German. 

7. What is your favorite guilty pleasure TV show?

Sad to say, Dance Moms on Lifetime. I'm addicted.

8. Who is someone you look up to?

If we are talking fashion/ makeup, Emma Stone. But if we are talking on a more personal level, definitely my teachers. Current and past, they inspire to work hard and follow my dreams.

9. What is your favorite part about blogging?

I love being able to communicate with other beauty bloggers. It's fun to exchange ideas and opinions. 

10. What is your go-to outfit?

Usually jeans and a nice sweater. Or if I'm lazy, then a baggy sweater and yoga pants.

Here are the bloggers than I'm nominating:

Steamy Nails

Angela from Sweet Darling Blog

Abby from The Geek in Disguise
Sarah from Lady Go Lightly
Snigdha from Make-up Your Life
Annelise from In Order to be Irreplaceable
Femme La Mode
Emma from Sequins and Stardust

Here are my questions for you:

1. What is at the top of your bucket list?
2. If you could only have one beauty product for the rest of your life, which would it be?
3. What's your favorite dessert?
4. What's your favorite way to pamper yourself?
5. All time favorite book?
6. Have you ever met any celebrities?
7. Do you watch beauty videos on YouTube? If so, who is your favorite guru to watch?
8. Favorite types of blog posts?
9. Do you have any pets?
10. What is your biggest fear?
11. If you could meet anyone, dead or alive, who would you meet?

That's it for this blogpost! Once again, thank you ANM for nominating me! I think this award is a wonderful way to expose bloggers who deserve it! I hope you will all make a post responding and nominating some of your favorite bloggers!

Sephora Beauty Insider 2013 Birthday Gift

Yesterday I picked up my Birthday Gift from Sephora for being a beauty insider. You can sign up to be  a beauty insider for free and every year Sephora gives out these birthday gifts. It also changes yearly. They have certainly stepped up their game in past years and I was very happy to see that this year's gift was from Benefit.

The gift includes a mini They're Real mascara, which is highly talked about in the beauty community. I'm a drugstore mascara kind of gal, but I'm excited to try a high end mascara. I've tried their BadGal lash before and really enjoyed it. 

The other item in the set is a mini Watt's Up! cream highlighter. This is also a popular product from Benefit and I've never tried a cream highlighting product before. 

Benefit's packaging is adorable and I love how "puny" some of their products names are. I look forward to using these and I will definitely see if one day I will repurchase the full size.

If you aren't already signed up with Sephora's beauty insider, I highly recommend you do, it has loads of perks throughout the year.

What have you tried from Benefit? Are you happy with this year's birthday gift if you've received it?

Skincare Wishlist

I've been "window shopping" recently online at some luxurious skincare products I hope to own someday when I'm not working with a college student budget. I thought it would be fun to share with you some of the things I've been eyeing!

Lush Ultra Bland ($16.95): This is a beeswax based makeup remover. It has a very thick consistenticy and is used by massaging it into dry skin and removing it with a warm washcloth. I've heard so many great things about this product and I've been wanting to try a cleansing balm to remove my heavy, full coverage foundation. 

Kate Somerville ExfoliKate ($19): This is an enzyme based exfoliator. It also exfoliates physically, like most exfoliators, but it's enzyme technology removes dead skin cells, acne, and discoloration. I am very acne prone and have a fair share of acne scars. It claims to show results in as little as one use!

Bliss Steep Clean Mask ($55): This mask also contains exfoliating enzymes, just like the ExfoliKate. This product has two sides to the pump, that dispense two different products that you are suppose to mix together before applying, to activate the enzymes. It claims in fifteen minutes to unclog pores, minimize the appearance of pores, reduce acne, and brighten skin. All of which are things I'm very interested in for my skin. I'm not sure if I could ever justify spending over $50 on a face mask, but it sure sounds cool!

Origins VitaZing SPF 15 Moisturizer ($35): This is a moisturizer that has a slight tint to it. This is highly raved about by Tiffany D, and I'm considering splurging on it next time I run out of my Neutrogena Naturals moisturizer. It is suppose to make your skin appear more energized, and less dull. I also think it would make a great base under my foundation by giving me a bit more coverage.

Korres Wild Rose Face and Eye Serum ($41): This is a vitamin C face serum that claims to diminish discoloration and smooth fine lines. I'm not even in my twenties yet, and I don't exactly need the anti aging effects of this product just yet, but it certainly can't hurt. I've heard from many bloggers that this has helped their acne scars tremendously and that's certainly something I'm interested in. (See a trend here?)

LaVanilla The Healthy Deodorant ($10): Now I know this isn't exactly skincare, but I've been looking for a natural deodorant that actually works and this is the only one that I've read decent reviews on. Toms just won't cut it for me. I've also heard that this smells amazing! It's also readily available at Sephora. 

These are just some luxurious items that I hope I will get to try someday. Have you tried any of these? Or do you have any cheap alternatives? Please, let me know!

Drugstore Dry Shampoos

Over the past couple of years, more and more brands have been coming out with their own versions of dry shampoos. These are usually aerosol sprays that rid your hair of oil without having to use them in the shower with water. Today I am posting about two drugstore ones that I have tried.

The first one I tried was the Tresemme Fresh Start dry shampoo for oily/straight hair. They make multiple different formulas for different hair types. At first I didn't know what to expect, because this was my first time using such a product. It left a white cast of powder in my hair, and made my hair feel even dirtier than it was before I used it. The only positive thing I can say about this product is that it smelled nice. I used up the whole bottle before I went out and bought the next dry shampoo I will be writing about.

I heard plenty of good things about Suave's dry shampoo. (Which is even cheaper than the Tresemme one) After only using this product a few times, I knew it was holy grail. This product has opened my eyes to the hype of dry shampoos to begin with. I use this every other day, when I don't wash my hair and it gives my hair tons of volume and makes it look like it has been freshly washed. It smells great, and doesn't  leave any sort of white cast in my hair. I HIGHLY recommend this product and I have no desire to try any other dry shampoos considering how great and cheap this one is!

Suave has certainly stepped up their game recently. Do you have any favorites from them?

Maybelline Eye Studio 24hr Color Tattoo

Recently my obsession with drugstore makeup has been growing. Drugstore brands have been releasing a bunch of new products for the new year. The 24hr Color Tattoos are nothing new, but Maybelline recently released their new "metal" formula of the famous cream shadows. The metal shades are advertised as having a metallic finish. 

I have two of the original formula and one of the new Metal Color Tattoo. I apply these with either my fingers or a synthetic brush, both ways tend to be effective for me.

I own Barely Branded, Tough as Taupe and Bad to the Bronze. These do not need an eyeshadow primer under them, but I almost always wear one underneath anyway, just because I have oily lids. 

I have only swatched Barely Branded so far, but it certainly has the creamiest consistency of all three. It is a light, shimmery champagne color with a metallic finish. Tough as Taupe is the first and only matte cream shadow that I've owned. Not many brands release matte cream shadows. It's the least creamy of the three, but a wonderful grey slate color that goes great under any matte or taupe shadow. Bad to the Bronze is my most used at the moment. It's a shimmery mid toned bronze/brown that is great by itself or under almost any neutral shade.

The only thing that has stopped me from buying more of these is that they don't have many neutral shades. Neutrals are the only thing I ever wear, so it would be a waste for me to buy the bold colors. If you are more daring than I am, I highly recommend you check out all of the colors. 

These can be found at any drugstore and range anywhere from $5-$8. You can almost always find some sort of deal on them as well.

Have you tried these? What do you think? Any cream shadow recommendations? 

Lush after Christmas purchase

This year I received an item from the Lush holiday line as a gift for Christmas. I never usually get much from Lush for Christmas because they always hold an "after Christmas" sale. It has varied over the years, but this year it was buy one get one free all soaps and holiday items. 

I received the Bubblebeard bubble bar as a gift on Christmas day and I think this is one of the cutest items Lush has ever put out! It's a white mustache with some iridescent glitter on the top. This is one of Lush's "newer" formulations of their bubble bars. I had the Magic Wand one that smelled of Snow Fairy last year and loved it. You can get anywhere from 3-5 uses out of these, where as with their normal formulation that you crumble under running water, I only get 2-4 uses. With these, you just swish it around in your water and it provides tons of bubbles. This one smells very herbal, love it!

The day after Christmas I headed over to my local Lush store and picked up two soaps. They were out of Snow Fairy D: and many of the holiday bath products. I picked up Lust and Rockstar. Both are in the permanent line.

Rockstar is one of their best selling soaps and I have never tried it! I decided now was a good time with the sale going on. It smells just like Snow Fairy, Creamy Candy bubble bar, and God Mother soap. All of which, I love. It has a very sweet, candy, girly scent. It feels very creamy and moisturizing. I look forward to trying this!

The other soap I picked up was Lust. It's a darker shade of pick, with some red hues. It also has some shimmer all throughout it. This smells very heavily of jasmine. If you've tried the Godiva solid shampoo, it smells just like that. I love the scent. This doesn't feel as creamy as Rockstar, but I will see how they compare! 

Did you get a chance to pick anything up at the sale? What's your favorite Lush soap?