February Beauty Favorites

february beauty favorites

Hey everyone! Let’s talk Feb Faves. As I was compiling my favorites from the month of February, I realized there’s a very pinky theme. That was totally unintentional…just kinda worked out that way! I do really love pinky rosy shades on me though, and have been digging a sort of monochromatic look where I have rosy tones on my eyes, cheeks, and lips. The rose colors always look amazing with green eyes, too.

Fragrance

February was dominated by one single perfume for me: Marc Jacobs Oh Lola. Oh Lola is a fruity floral scent that I’ll admit, I did not love as much when I first took a whiff. It’s very sweet. But my reason for loving this perfume is the dry-down. Oh my god. It’s the sexiest dry-down I’ve got in my collection. The notes of Oh Lola are listed as “pear, effervescent raspberry cocktail, peony, magnolia, cyclamen, sandalwood, tonka bean, and vanilla absolute”. Once the fruit and peony are done punching you in the face and they settle down and snuggle in to the base notes, this fragrance is incredible. If you spray your decollete with this perfume, by midday/evening you’ll want to motorboat yourself. The 1.7 oz bottle I have retailed originally for $68, but since this perfume launched in 2011 it’s available at a bunch of outlets for much cheaper. If I had one criticism of this perfume it’s that the 1.7 oz bottle is a bit top heavy, so I have to be careful I’m not knocking it over all the time.

Skin  Care

My skin still goes through times when it’s super dry, but lately has been more combo. I am super dry around my nose and mouth, but oily on my chin, and normal everywhere else. Every day I used to use the Makeup Forever HD Elixir on my nose to give it that extra surge of moisture before makeup application. I used up my HD Elixir and…it’s discontinued. That product was not cheap, but my little bottle lasted over a year. I was willing to shell out a pretty good chunk of cash for a proper substitute, and with that in mind I picked up Caudalie Vinosource S.O.S. Thirst-Quenching Serum on my recent trip to Frends Beauty. I had read about this serum on Sephora’s website, but after talking to someone at Frends who had used both the Caudalie and the HD Elixir, I was sold. She was also bummed about HD Elixir being discontinued and said the Caudalie would be good to use instead. I’ve been using it pretty much every day for the last couple weeks, and I love it. I apply it before my regular moisturizer to the areas that need extra hydration, and my makeup goes on smoothly instead of clinging to dry patches.

I switched toners in February, sort of on a whim. I finally joined the rest of the class in 2016 and got myself a Target RED card, which got me 15% off. I picked up Pixi Glow Tonic after hearing tons of raves from bloggers and Youtubers. The ingredients are what drew me in though, because it’s a 5% glycolic toner that claims to also be gentle enough for all skin types. It does contain calming ginseng and aloe, and so far is extremely gentle. It’s also alcohol free. I’ve been using it about a month, and it’s been great for my pores, and some of the hyperpigmentation I have from previous breakouts. It doesn’t sting at all, and doesn’t leave my face feeling dry or stripped after using it. The bottle Target sells is 3.4 fl oz/100 ml for $15. It’s very nice, and if you are looking for a new toner, I suggest checking that out. Pixi’s website also carries a larger size 250 ml bottle for $29 (free shipping on $25+), which I might grab after this little guy runs out.

Makeup

I’ve been shopping my stash and not adding too many new makeup items to my collection the past few months. Shopping my stash lead me to rediscover my It Cosmetics Vitality Lip Flushes. I have two, the more well-known Je Ne Sais Quois, and Damsel. Damsel is my love, my baby. I’m obsessed. I have worn this lipstick practically every day in February. Even if I don’t start out with it, I’ll put some on later in the day. It’s so pretty, so flattering, and soooo comfortable to wear. It leaves a nice pinky stain afterward. I’ve worn quite a bit of mine down, and this is one of those few makeup products that I will not wait to run out before I purchase a new one. I do not ever want to be without this again! Here’s a pic of me in Damsel:

medamsel

With that lipstick I’ve been wearing a lot of rosy, pinky eye looks. On my easy lazy days I use MAC Girl Friendly paint pot (discontinued). If I’m going for more of a put together look I add shades from either the Urban Decay Naked 3 palette or the Tarte Tartelette palette (particularly from the middle row). I’ve also been feeling a fleeky highlight lately, and there’s nothing subtle about TheBalm’s Mary Lou-Manizer. I apply that with a fan brush and glow to the gods. I’ve also put Mary Lou on my eyes for a nice pop of shine.

Beauty Tools

I’ve rekindled my romance with my Beauty Blender! We are recommitted and very much still in love. I had lost mine, or so I thought, and purchased a new one from Frends not too long ago. And of course right after she arrived, I found my old ones. The old ones are still in decent enough shape, so now I just have a family of pink sponges. Also on my recent trip to Frends, I picked up a new brush. I have no business buying new brushes, but I fell in love with the Stilazzi S133 Synthetic Brush. It’s a small tapered brush in the perfect size for setting my undereye area with powder. And it’s. So. Soft. Another brush I’ve been loving on a lot recently is my Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Small Powder/Blush brush. OCC gets a lot of recognition for their cosmetics, but their brushes are really awesome. The small powder brush is the perfect little brush for applying blush to the apples of my cheeks. The fibers are a custom blended synthetic (vegan, cruelty free, etc.), and again it’s just so soft and feels nice when I use it.

That’s it for my Feb favorites! What beauty products were you loving this past month? Anything you’re excited to try next month?

Favorite Natural Beauty Products

earth-day

And so you have this Earth, kay…

It’s Earth Day! So even though eco-friendly/natural beauty isn’t the primary focus of this blog, I couldn’t let Earth Day just go by without talking about it. Thus, my favorite natural beauty products…ready, go!

ecobeautycropped

1. LUSH Lemony Flutter – How could I do a post about natural beauty products and not mention LUSH? Lemony Flutter is a faaaaabulous cuticle cream with an herbal-lemon fragrance. It just plain works wonders on cuticles. It’s also great for super dry skin like maybe on your elbows or heels. A little bit goes a long way, and the packaging is recyclable! ($16.95, LUSH)

2. LUSH Honey Trap – I walked into my local LUSH and pretty much said “I have super duper dry lips. HELP!” and the sweeties in there suggested Honey Trap. They said any of their lip balms are great, but that this one is the best. It’s compact (again, recyclable packaging), a great texture/consistency, smells nice, and most of all it moisturizes like a dream! It works well as an overnight treatment if you slather it on, too. I’ve had my little tin for ages and it doesn’t really show signs of getting used up OR turning bad any time soon, but when it does I will definitely replace it. ($7.25, LUSH)

3. Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush – I have a lot of beloved products from Tarte but this one was my top pick. The Amazonian Clay Blushes are touted as a 12-hour blush. I rarely need to make my makeup last 12 hours but this blush definitely lasts all day. I love the texture of them (not too powdery, not too hard), the packaging, and all the fun shades! I have about half a dozen of these, but Exposed is my favorite. It’s a rosy nude shade that I think every pale girl needs in her arsenal. ($26, Tarte)

4. Korres Cherry Oil Full Color Lip Gloss – I actually don’t own any of these anymore, because my mom loves them so much I gave mine to her. ;) But they are really lovely lip glosses that smell good enough to eat thanks to the cherry oil. The formula is extremely non-sticky and lightweight with a nice amount of both shine and color. If you don’t think you’re a lip gloss person, try these. Mom did and was hooked! ($17, Sephora)

5. LUSH Bubblegum Lip Scrub – This post isn’t sponsored by LUSH I swear, haha. But it’s a delicious flavored, PINK colored sugar you exfoliate your lips with. It’s yummy (cmon, it’s SUGAR), so this is one of those products where not only can you eat it, you’ll actually want to. But save some for your lips please…! ($9.95, LUSH)

6. Macadamia Natural Oil Deep Repair Masque – Somewhere, Krissy from Addicted To All Things Pretty is reading this and nodding going “I TOLD YOU”, because she’s the one responsible for me trying this product. This mask smells amazing, and makes my hair feel like buttah. That’s because it has both macadamia and argan oils in it. I use it about once a week or so to keep my hair looking and feeling great. I have the small size pictured because that’s what I have, but I’ll definitely be getting a larger size once this is gone. ;) ($16, Macadamia)

7. Koh Gen Do Cleansing Spa Water – This stuff just rocks, simply said. It’s a luxurious, effective cleansing water that is extremely gentle. Its main ingredients (besides water!) are plant extracts. It really is a spa water and will leave you feeling pretty pampered. The herbs and minerals are highly soothing. Try it once and you’ll definitely want to come back for more. ($39, Sephora)

Get $10 Off Your Purchase at Tartecosmetics.com!

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Just saw an awesome deal for Tarte that only lasts ’til 11:59 pm EST 3/30/13. – Get $10 off an order of $50 or more with the code BUNNY. Also, shipping is free on orders of $40 or more! And if you want some shopping inspiration, these are my faves from Tarte…

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February Favorites

febfavesThis time when I say the month flew by, nobody can judge me because it’s February so it’s a short month – it really DOES fly by. ;) Also, nobody can judge me because that shit’s just mean. :(

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My ULTAmate Wish List

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ULTA is sending out those magical 20% off cards again! They’re good for 20% off almost anything in the store, including most of the prestige brands, with a few exceptions. The one going around right now exclude Lancome, Dermalogica, and Urban Decay, but if you’re going to take your coupon on a little haul, check out my recommendations!

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Lazy Girl Makeup Look

I promised I would try to do more FOTD posts. The problem is I haven’t been wearing much makeup lately because I just want to get out the door quickly in the morning! This is what I wore on my face to work today and I thought I’d share it as an example of a typical ‘me’ makeup look lately. I basically do enough to look better than a zombie and avoid comments of “you look tired” or “are you feeling okay?” – you all know what I mean. Aren’t those awesome? So here’s what’s on mah face —

Face: Dr. Jart+ Water Fuse BB Cream, set with MAC Studio Fix Powder in N3 – this was a new combo…lately I’ve been using just Studio Fix, but I wanted to try this out. I thought maybe I could get the coverage I wanted without as much powder on my face. I’m not 100% sure how I feel about the combo yet. It’s not holy grail but it’s pretty good. The coverage was so good that I didn’t need any concealer, but that’s partially because my skin has cleared up really nicely since my previous breakout issues earlier this spring! More on how that happened later. ;)

Cheeks: NARS blush in Luster – this has become my go-to blush lately. It’s described as “golden apricot” and that’s exactly what it is. I wear a light application for a quick neutral cheek that just adds color without being all “HEY I’M WEARING BLUSH!!!!”. I didn’t contour this morning but sometimes I use my MAC beauty powder blush in Personal Style (this was LE with the All Races collection I believe, but I have a backup because it’s my favorite contour ever in the history of life!).

Eyes: Today I just swiped some of the NARS Luster blush over the entire eye area very lightly. When I had my makeup done by Napoleon Perdis once, he swiped some bronzer over my eyes before the eye shadows, and I thought he was nuts. However, he explained that bringing warmth to the eye area draws attention to your eyes, so when I am going more or less bare, I still swipe some bronzer (or in today’s case a neutral blush – other times I use my contour) over my eyes. And you know what? He’s freaking brilliant. I love this tip! It’s not even necessarily noticeable, it just adds a little “je ne sais quois” that keeps me from looking as tired as I feel at 7:45. I forgot to do my mascara until after this photo, but I use Great Lash Lots of Lashes in black. My eyebrows are filled in with the Senna Sketch-a-Brow I use so often.

In this photo my lips just have Aquaphor, but I keep a supply of lip colors in my purse that I can add later. Right now these live in my purse and I use them all at various times depending on what I’m in the mood for that day–

NARS Bolero velvet matte lip pencil
Tarte LipSurgence lip stain in Achiote
Revlon Lip Butter in Peach Parfait
Revlon Lip Butter in Pink Truffle

Also in my purse is Make Up For Ever Aqua Shadow in 20E, taupe. These crayons are magnificent for on the go. I probably shouldn’t admit this but I have applied this in the car many times on my way to work. It’s so fast that at a red light I can scribble on my eyelid and smear it out with a finger, and then do the other eye at another red light – bam, eye look, done.

What’s your go-to quick makeup look?

Stuff I’m Trying Out

Helloooooo everyone! Just wanted to do a little update about stuff that I’m trying out right now or have tried recently. Sometimes products aren’t worth writing an entire review about but I still want to give you some quick thoughts in case you are considering them. But I will also have full in-depth reviews coming on a few of these as well.

Makeup! 

I just got a bunch of Make Up For Ever Aqua Shadows – their new shadow pencils. LOVE so far!! I received 3 and they’re all lovely shades but I’ve really only had a chance to play with one of them, so a full review will come once I have been able to play with them all. But these are awesome!! If you’re thinking of trying one out, do it. :)

Earlier this month I randomly decided to buy some goodies from Tarte. I’ve been really into their Lipsurgence pencils lately, and I plan to do an overview/review of the ones I have soon (I have 3, soon to be more since I swapped for some). I also have a couple of new Amazonian Clay blushes to review, and one of their new (?) maracuja blush tints. Reviews reviews reviews!

The folks at Blanc to Noir sent me NYX‘s glide-on pencil in Jewel to review, and I quite like it. When I get a chance to take some pictures of it, I’ll have a review up. *crosses fingers* I really hope I have time to take product pics this weekend. Don’t worry poppets, they’re coming soon!!!!

Also going to be trying out a couple of lipsticks from Beauty Without Cruelty. I’ve only swatched these so far but the colors are lovely. And last but not least in the makeup category, I’m reviewing a lip product from It Cosmetics that I adore. 

Hair!

Oooooohhh you guys. I have recently had the joy of receiving the HANAair Professional Hair Dryer to review from Misikko. The peeps at Misikko are SO nice, and so is this hair dryer. Holy cow. I believe with tools that you do get what you pay for, and though this dryer is expensive, it’s AWESOME. Definitely watch out for a full review coming soon! I’ll also be reviewing the HANA Shine Shield Thermal Protectant at the same time.

Skin!

I bit the bullet. Big time. I don’t know if I’m an idiot or just brave, LOL. But during the Lancome Friends & Family sale I decided to finally break down and try Visionnaire. Visionnaire is their advanced skin corrector that claims to target wrinkles, pores, and uneven skin tone. It retails for a whopping $84 though, so uh who wants to shell out that kind of cash?! For 20% off though I thought okay, fine. I’ll give it a shot. My first impression is that it seems to have a calming effect on my skin, which I like. It’s way too soon to tell if it’s doing anything for me though. I also got a large sample of their Clarifying Toner, which I really like even though it’s kind of “stingy” – do not get this stuff in your eyes – FOR REAL. It’ll hurt! But it makes my skin feel really clean and fresh.

Recently I tried Beauty Without Cruelty aromatherapy AHA lotion, which is said to be for face or body. I have a love hate relationship with the product, so I’ll be reviewing that in full later – too much to talk about now. It deserves its own review.

Of the things I mentioned I’m reviewing soon, what should I do first? Tell me!

Get Kate Bosworth’s Look with Tarte

Click to view Kate’s look full size!

I’m normally not a huge fan of posting celebrity makeup breakdowns, but this easy, natural chic look on Kate Bosworth at the premiere of L!fe Happens caught my eye. It’s just the type of thing I’ve been wearing lately. Kate’s look was created by celeb makeup artist Amy Nadine for Tarte. Here’s what she used!
Face
Smooth Operator Tinted Moisturizer (Kate wears shade Agent 04)
Maracuja Creaseless Concealer in Light – new product
Cheeks
Eyes
Kate’s eye shadow comes from a new True Blood palette. Amy used a shade called Charmer (burnt copper/sparkly peach) in the crease and Dawn (gold shimmer) all over the lid. 
Lips
I really like that Kate doesn’t look overly made up, and that her natural beauty is allowed to show through. The makeup complements her without overpowering her, and the look is just lovely! What do you think?

Tarte Amazonian Clay Illuminating Serum

The Amazonian Clay Illuminating Serum is the newest addition to the Smooth Operator family, and I love it. In addition to giving a gorgeous sheen to the skin (no glitter or sparkles, just a radiant glow), the amazonian clay in this serum acts like a skin-balancing primer. It reduces the look of pores and absorbs excess oil while also nourishing the skin, making it good for all skin types. I have combo skin and can be dry in some areas, but this wears beautifully.
The product itself is slightly tinted, but it kinda melds in with my skintone and just blurs all imperfections. Acne scars are less noticeable, but not invisible by any means. This does do a pretty good job of evening out any redness I sometimes get on my cheeks and near my nose. Pale girls don’t worry about it being too dark; it blends in.
I have worn this a couple of ways. I’ve worn it as a primer, after my moisturizer and under another foundation, and also as more of a tinted moisturizer on days when I just want to perk up my skin without piling on a ton of product. It’s great for smearing on before I have to get to class or out to do errands. A little bit goes a long way, so while at first I thought $32 was kind of steep for this product, now I think it might be okay because of how long you’ll be able to use it. 
My foundation does wear longer and for lack of a better term “better” when I wear this as a primer underneath. If you have a foundation that accentuates dry patches (for example, Make Up For Ever HD does this occasionally– I love you MUFE, but you do!), using this helps to minimalize that oh so lovely phenomenon.
Amazonian Clay seems to be Tarte’s new ingredient buzzword, but frankly I’m enjoying every product I try with the stuff in it. Maybe it really is the new super ingredient! Clay in cosmetics is nothing new. Most oil control or balancing masks contain some form of kaolin or benzonite, but I’ve never experienced a clay-based cosmetic product that both absorbs oil where I need it and nourishes/moisturizes skin where I need that at the same time. It’s very cool stuff, and I look forward to trying more of it. 
For now, Tarte’s Amazonian Clay Illuminating Serum is exclusive to Sephora and retails for $32. 
Sample provided for editorial purposes.

Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush Swatches & Photos

Tarte’s Amazonian Clay Blushes are long-wearing, solar-baked blushes. Tarte says these will wear for 12 hours! The blushes are infused with Tarte’s new super ingredient, amazonian clay. This special ingredient nourishes dry skin and balances oily skin. These blushes are also full of vitamins A, C, and E. They’re not only gorgeous, they’re good for your skin. Tarte Amazonian Clay Blushes retail for $25 apiece and are currently Sephora-exclusive, but they will be available at Ulta and Tarte’s website in mid May. You can also find exclusive Tarte goodies on QVC!
The Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush comes in sturdy packaging with a big mirror. The pans are actually held in with a magnet. You can poke a pin through the bottom and remove the pan if you want to depot them to put them in a Z-Palette or something else like that.
Tipsy
Exposed (my favorite!)
Amused
Blushing Bride
Swatches! All are matte except Blushing Bride.
Close-up of Blushing Bride in direct sunlight to show shimmer. On the cheeks it translates to more of a sheen, and the shimmer doesn’t really migrate that I’ve noticed.
Sample provided for editorial purposes.