March Favorites

March 31, 2015 in Makeup, Skincare

So in just one day it will be April, which I’m totally psyched about because it’s my favorite month (being my birthday month and all). I didn’t try as many new products in March as I did in February, but I still managed to find some standouts to talk about.

The first thing is probably my favorite makeup purchase ever, the Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit. I wrote a rave review on it here, and I’m happy to report I’m still totally smitten. I’ve used it pretty much every day I’ve worn makeup (I skipped it for a week when I had to get up at 5am every day, but that’s it). I’ve been using every shade in the palette, and looking back I don’t know how I went so long without buying this.

Another palette I’ve been reaching for almost daily is the Tartelette Amazonian Clay Matte Eyeshadow Palette (full review & swatches here). I’ve been loving the low-key look of matte eyeshadows lately, so this palette has gotten a lot of use this month. All of the shadows perform so well, but I’ve been mostly using the colors in the second and third rows.

My last makeup favorite is the NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer. I was trying so hard to resist buying this until my Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer ran out and ultimately failed, but I’m glad to have both on rotation now because they’re quite different. The NARS option gives amazing coverage, so it’s one I’ve been reaching for on more questionable skin days. It lasts all day on me without needing touching up - I wore this every day when I was in DC (see the other beauty bits I packed here) for full days of museum exploring and monument touring. It also gives an amazing glow to the skin without being greasy in the slightest.

Speaking of a glow, two skincare favorites this month have been the amazing new face masks by Glossier: the Mega Greens Galaxy Pack and the Moisturizing Moon Mask. I wrote a review on the pair here, and I’ve continued using them at least once a week since buying them. My skin has been so much more manageable and just looks healthier now that I’ve been using all of Glossier’s products.

Finally as a non-beauty favorite, I’ve got a pair of tiny gold bar stud earrings. I got mine from Forever21, but I’ve seen them all over the place (especially Etsy). I’ve really been loving more minimalistic jewelry this year, so these are absolutely perfect. If you read my Simple Earrings post from a few months ago, you’ll know I don’t feel complete if I don’t have my earrings in, so these have been a nice addition to just throw on as I’m running out the door because they’re so simple that they go with everything.

I’m already looking forward to writing my April favorites - I’m anticipating some new favorites to tell you about since my birthday is this Friday. What have you been loving this month?

The Spring Edit

March 28, 2015

So I know I just wrote about my everyday makeup look last Saturday, but now that spring is very reluctantly showing itself (edit: it's actually snowing right now. on March 28th.), I was suddenly motivated to put together a more fresh edit with products that just scream “Spring” to me.

A spring makeup look, to me, just has to include glowing (but not sparkly) skin and pink or peachy lips and cheeks. You can’t get a better glow than from a tinted moisturizer. My favorites are the Glossier Perfecting Skin Tint (not quite a tinted moisturizer but still gives a wonderfully healthy glow), the Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer, and the NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer, depending on the amount of coverage I want (Glossier is the sheerest, NARS has the most). For concealer I just love the Estee Lauder Double Wear Brush-On Glow BB Highlighter. It gives such a glowing brightness to the skin while still covering up dark circles and redness - think of it as the YSL Touche Eclat with more coverage.

Eyes aren’t as important with this look, but I love using a shimmery champagne shade such as Stila Kitten with a matte nude shade in the crease, both of which can be found in the Stila In the Light Palette (or theEyes Are The Window Palette in Soul - currently lusting after this palette but I think it's too similar to In the Light to justify). I like to smudge a little bit of liner into the lashes to define, and I’ve been reaching for the Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Double Ended Eye Pencil in Naked3 for a more rosy take on the usual blacks and browns. Lashings of mascara are a must, and my favorite for a fresh spring look is the Maybelline Lash Sensational.

Moving back to cheeks, nothing says fresh-faced more to me than the Daniel Sandler Watercolour Blush in Cherub. Since it’s a liquid, it gives such a lovely, skin-like luminosity, and the subtle pink shade is perfect. Some other great spring blushes are theBalm’s Frat Boy (the best, most pigmented peachy-pink) and the MAC Powder Blush in Dollymix (a pure complexion-brightener). A subtle highlight is a must, so I’ll always go for the RMS Beauty Living Luminizer, or even the Glossier Balm Dotcom for something barely-there that catches the light.

For lips, I love a complexion-brightening pink like theNyx Butter Gloss in Strawberry Parfait or the Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment in Tulip. Another favorite that I’ve recently dug out of my collection is the Laura Mercier Lip Glace in Wildflower. It’s a lovely warm pink/red shade that works surprisingly well with my cool complexion.

What are your top picks for spring?

The Birthday Wishlist

March 26, 2015

I love birthdays, and I love making lists. Since my birthday is coming up (April 3rd!), I thought I’d share with you my quick little wishlist I’ve been jotting down.

I’m not actually expecting much for my birthday really, because my parents helped me pay for my new laptop about a month ago (thanks again, Mom and Dad!), so that’s definitely more than enough! But it was still fun to put together a list of some special things I’ve been thinking of.

First, I’m so glad that wearing sneakers has come back in style, because I just about live in mine. I have a black pair of Nikes (I forget what style), but I’ve been lusting after a pair of the Roshe Runs that you can customize on the Nike website - I’d like the shoe to be a light gray with the check logo in turquoise. I figured the lighter colors would be perfect for a spring/summer shoe.

I’ve also had my eye on lots of simple, minimalistic jewelry. I found a pair of some simple bar studs at Forever 21 a couple weeks ago, and I’ve worn them nonstop. I found this lovely pair of rose gold (my weakness) arc earrings on Pinterest (I've since found several similar pairs on Etsy), and they look so unique yet still simple that I can’t stop thinking about them.

For beauty, I always keep a long wishlist of things to check out while shopping on my phone, but none of these items made the birthday wishlist. I’ve reserved the birthday wishlist for special items that I’d feel weird buying for myself because I’ve already attached meaning to them (am I the only one that does this?). The first thing is the Charlotte Tilbury Filmstars on the Go Palette in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. I waited forever for these to launch in the US, and although all the color combinations are beautiful, this one stands out because it’s named after my favorite film. It has a bronze cream eyeshadow and an apricot lip & cheek product, and they both look gorgeous. I’ve also got the Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Boy on my list. I could easily buy this for myself, but I already feel like it might be a contender for the lip color I’d wear when I get married (a long way away, but does anyone else fantasize about the makeup they’ll wear?), so I feel like getting it from someone else would feel more special. I've also got the Burberry Wet & Dry Silk Eyeshadow in Rosewood on there - the packaging alone makes this birthday present material, and ever since I saw the shade in an Essiebutton video I haven't been able to stop thinking about it. A girl can never have too many makeup brushes, and I've been pining after the Charlotte Tilbury Powder & Sculpt Brush and The Foundation Brush by Kevyn Aucoin for ages (both wildly expensive for brushes so I'm not anticipating receiving either of these - it's just fun to dream).

Do you have separate wishlists for birthdays and everything else?