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?