Lorac Pro 3 Palette

Is anything in world better than a package you are anxious to get coming a day earlier? I don’t think so! Especially when it is a Sephora or Ulta package. Late last week Ulta released the Lorac Pro 3 palette to Platinum members and I was able to scoop it up. It got delivered today and it is stunning! I can already tell this will be my favorite of the 3 pro palettes.

Let’s start with the packaging. As you can see from the picture it comes in the standard pro palette box with a .19 oz deluxe sample of their Behind The Scenes eye primer. This is a great little bonus and although it isn’t my favorite eye primer it is pretty good and I will certainly use it. The color of the actual palette though is what I love most about the packaging. It is a great nude color that is actually quite pretty. I love the size of the Lorac Pro Palettes as well because they are so thin which makes it easy to travel with them.

The colors in this palette are right up my alley. You have a great mix of all over lid shades, crease, transition and some shades that can be used as liners. My only complaint is that I wish they would have either put a white shade in for us fair girls to use as a highlight or a deeper brown. I could have done without the black shade completely. How many black shadows does one person need, right?

As with all the Pro Palette’s this one has great pigmentation and is incredibly creamy when swatched. There was only one trouble shade of the bunch which seemed to be a little more dry and stiff. That shade in particular is medallion. It is still a gorgeous shade and you can totally work with it but it seems to be a different formula than the rest of the shadows which is odd.

Overall, I think this is a great addition to the Lorac Pro Palette line up and is certainly different than the first 2. I have included a picture of all 3 for you to reference. Are you excited about this release? Let me know if you will be picking it up!

Natasha Denona Palette Review

Confession: I LOVE a good metallic lid for an eye look. I seriously may go against the grain even on my wedding day and wear something ridiculously sparkly, and in fact it may even be a Natasha Denona eyeshadow. I am in love with these shadows and if I wasn't paying for a wedding right now I would have totally already gotten the mega green/brown palette of hers. That one certainly is splurge worthy! I did a swap with a sweet friend with the Natasha Denona #09 eye palette that she got in her Beautylish lucky bag for a Dior blush that just wasn't the perfect shade for me. I am SO thankful that she helped me get this beauty because it is STUNNING! I have never in my life seen such a smooth, creamy, blendable, and saturated group of shadows. They are essentially pressed pigments so if you get one of the palettes do NOT dig your brush into it. Pat a dry or damp brush into the pan and pat on your lid before you start to blend. If you do that you will get no fallout but you will get a serious pigmented application of color. I haven't tried any of her matte shadows but I will be in the future and will report back. Alright, now for swatches! Please note that I BARELY swiped my finger across the pan. They are just that pigmented and metallic

Overall, I would highly recommend picking up any of her shadows which you can get here. They are stunning and so easy to use!

Looxi Beauty First Impressions

Does anyone else sit on google images for HOURS at night when you can’t sleep? Ok, maybe I am just the only weird one but I fight insomnia pretty bad so there are a lot of nights where I am just searching google images for different makeup related items. This is how Looxi Beauty waltzed into my life, I was up late searching google images for face highlighters and stumbled across their site. I decided to order 2 highlighters and 2 eye shadows just to try them and go from there. Their shipping is a little slow so you will have to be a little patient when you order. From what I understand they make each order as the orders are placed so they don’t keep a lot of pre stocked inventory which is why it takes a little longer than a normal online store. It was about 14 days after ordering when the order actually appeared in my mailbox. Alright, let’s get down to the actual products.
They do come just in the pan with a little envelope protecting it much like the Makeup Geek pans. They did have them all in a cute little organza bag (not shown) which was a nice touch.

The 2 top bigger pans are the highlighters in (L to R) Ever After and Goddess followed by the eyeshadow pans on the bottom (again L to R) in Nirvana and Lucky.

Let’s talk about the swatches. As you can see Ever After is much cooler than Goddess and has a slight pink and purple duochrome. I wore this tonight though and the duochrome is not obnoxious, it just looks like a cool toned highlight when applied with a lighter hand. You do have to be careful with both of these because they are really pigmented and it is easy to go overboard. I compared Ever After to the Dior Glowing Garden Pink Glow highlighter that I love so much and this isn’t near as pink but has more of a purple shift than the Dior. I also compared Goddess to Nars Tribulation because I thought maybe they were dupes but they aren’t. They are similar but Goddess has more of a duochrome appearance and the Nars isn’t nearly as intense on the skin. Both of these are beautiful, smooth, and very pigmented. Thumbs up on the highlighters for sure. Both shadows are pretty smooth although they are slightly drier than the highlighters. They swatched beautifully and I immediately popped a little bit of lucky over top of the shadow I already had on my lid. It went on without skipping or fallout so I think both of these will be winners too. I didn’t have time to really compare the shades to other things in my collection but if any of you are interested in seeing some comparisons I can certainly do that.

L-R Ever After, Goddess, Nirvana, Lucky

Overall I was pretty impressed! I did buy all 4 of the items mentioned with my own money and wouldn’t hesitate to order some more things from Looxi. It seems like a great Indie brand to me. Have you tried anything from the brand, if so is there anything that you feel like are must haves that I should pick up?

Favorite Highlighters...My Picks for Fair Skin

Am I the only one that feels like everyone and their brother has come out with a type of face highlighter this past year? As someone with fair skin I have had a hard time finding a highlighter that is light enough in its base shade to actually highlight that area and is lighter than my actual skin tone. I know I can’t be the only fair girl with this struggle right? Thankfully, I have quite a large highlighter collection and it does contain some that I just love and continue to reach for when I want that bright highlight. Here are my top 5 permanent products that I love and then a few limited edition ones that I reach for often too!

1. M-A-C Lightscapade MSF $32 (permanent)
I adore this cool toned highlighter! You can apply it with a light hand for a pretty subtle glow or really layer it for a more intense glow. There is no glitter or micro-shimmer in it so it applies really smooth and lays well on the skin. Even though this shade is really good for fair skin I think even up to a medium skin tone could wear this and really enjoy it. I bought it as part of a M-A-C collection so the print on the top is limited edition but the color itself is part of their permanent line.

2. Make Up For Ever Artist Shadow in I156 $21 (permanent)
My beautiful makeup loving friend Robin, raved about this shade for months before I picked it up and I am SO glad that I did. Don’t let the marketing of it as an eyeshadow throw you off because it is BEAUTIFUL on the skin. It is a light iridescent pearly shade with a hint of a pink reflective shimmer and when the light hits it just right and it makes for a stunning highlight for fair skin. Just like Lightscapade, this shade has no glitter or micro-shimmer in it so it applies very smooth and lays beautifully on the skin. This in no way is chalky or powdery.

3. IT Cosmetics Hello Light Anti-Aging Crème Illuminizer $24 (permanent)
I am not partial to my highlighter being in a cream formula or a powder formula. As long as it lays well on the skin, looks beautiful, and wears well it is fair game for me. Enter one of the best cream highlighters I have ever found! It is no secret that I have a love affair with many IT Cosmetics products and this is no exception. This champagne/slightly pinky cream applies effortlessly on the tops of your cheekbones giving the most radiant and natural glow you have ever seen. When I am feeling a little frisky I layer this under a powder highlight for a really in your face pop of glow! I shied away from cream products for a long time because of my oily skin but when a product is formulated correctly it can work even on me. I typically apply this with the pointed brush that I purchased with it or a damp sponge. I have ever layered this over my setting powder and it doesn’t disturb my foundation which is a totally plus. The key with any cream product like this one is to pat (or stipple) on and not buff. You will disturb the makeup you have under it if you try to buff it on.

4. Colourpop Stole the Show $8 (permanent)
Colourpop describes this product as: Light cool-toned gold with luminous flashes of pink, silver and gold. I would say that description is pretty accurate although the “flashes of pink, silver and gold” are VERY subtle. Don’t think of this as a duo chrome type of shade because I don’t think it is. It is however, a beautiful cool toned gold with beautiful shimmer that is creamy and super easy to apply. Much like the IT Cosmetics illuminizer I typically apply this with a pointed synthetic brush or a damp sponge. I have applied it with my fingers too and it seems to be fine that way too. I do end up having to set this with a tiny bit of translucent powder because it doesn’t set quite like the IT one does.

5. Makeup Revolution Vivid Baked Highlighter in Golden Lights $6 (permanent)
This is a VERY strong highlight so be careful if you do decide to pick it up. It is a white gold that is striking when used with a fan brush. I have also used it in the inner corner of my eyes for my inner corner highlight and it was gorgeous used that way as well. The formula of these baked highlighters from Makeup Revolution remind me of the MAC Mineralized Skin Finishes. This color happens to be my favorite from the range and it is the lightest one so it is great on fair skin.

A few of my favorites were limited edition or now discontinued but I figure I would share them anyway just in case you have one of them and want some inspiration to pull it out of your collection to use.

1. Tom Ford Skin Illuminating Powder Duo in Moodlight $80 (Limited Edition)
It took me awhile to fall in love with this one. The trick to this one is the brush that you use to apply it. The top white gold shade is fairly sheer so you have to use a stiffer brush in order to pick up enough product or you can use a flat sponge which also works. The first couple of times I tried using it I used the Goss #2 brush but that brush is just too soft to pick up enough product. I prefer the Sigma F35 which is not near as soft as the Goss brush. The bottom pinky champagne shade is really beautiful as a blush topper for a matte blush or under a matte blush. On deeper skin tones that shade would be a wonderful cheek highlight but it is just too dark for me to use as a straight highlighter.

2. Chanel Camelia De Plumes Highlighting Powder $72 (Limited Edition)
This is my all-time favorite highlighter. It is so unique and absolutely stunning on fair skin. The coloring is a whitish silver with incredibly finely milled gold shimmer shot through it. I wish I would have gotten a backup of this when it was still available because I would love to use this more often, but my crazy paranoid self is scared of ever being without it so it only gets used on special occasions. I cannot even put into words how beautiful this one is but I hope the swatch translates well.

The highlight struggle is real for fair skin but I hope that I have given you some choices that you may be able to try if you have a hard time finding one that works on you as well.

A Return to Blogging Featuring My Favorite Lazy Day Makeup Products

Can you believe it, I am actually back to the world of blogging! The extreme blogging hiatus was caused by a few things. First of all, I just couldn't keep up to posting as much as I would have liked so I just stopped all together. Secondly, there was a huge period of time where I really was just a little jaded by the beauty industry as a whole and wanted to take a step back. And then of course, we had a big move and our engagement which I could not be more thrilled about. Planning a wedding is stressful enough but I thought I might as well add blogging to that mix ;)

As I sat down to my vanity this morning to do what I like to call "the lazy day makeup" I thought some of you may be interested in seeing what products I use on days when I don't really have anywhere to go but I want to feel human. I happened to be working today (for those of you who don't know, I work from home) but I will be meeting a friend in a little while for my lunch break to take a little hike on some trails near my house. I don't need my makeup to last 12 hours, just a little something on my face to even out my complexion and make me feel halfway presentable. Below is a list of the products!

Complexion:
-The IT Cosmetics CC Cream in fair is my go to on days where I may need some sun protection or I just don't want to wear a heavy foundation. It has great coverage plus a physical sunscreen of 50SPF! Wearing this CC cream also allows me to skip moisturizer for the day which saves a little time too!

-Maybelline makes some of the best drugstore concealers on the market. I am a HUGE fan of their Age Rewind Concealer collection and slap the color fair on under my eyes all the time. It is a no brainer product for me that is opaque, blends well, and doesn't make my under eyes look like the Sahara desert.

-The Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder is also one of my staple under eye products. I take a sponge and just lightly give a good coat of powder over the concealer to really help it set and continue to brighten up under my eyes a little.

-My girlfriend Trisha over at aglitterylife.com (she also has an awesome youtube channel under the AGlitteryLife name), RAVED about the RCMA No Color Powder until I couldn't take it anymore and had to try it. You get a huge container for around $10 and it really is an amazing setting powder. I love it, and have used it everyday for about a month now.

-On days where I want just a tad bit more coverage I will also use the MAC Mineralized Skinfinish Natural in Light over the RCMA powder but lately my skin has been cooperating so I haven't needed that extra boost.

Color Products:
-For you fair girls that love a good contour powder you MUST check out the Pumpkin & Poppy Oak Bark powder that can be found on etsy. It is the perfect cool toned powder that can be subtly applied for lazy days or really built up for a strong contour on days where you want that chiseled look. Even round faces like mine can be perfected with a little of this magical powder.

-I can sometimes skip the bronzer on lazy days but on days where I do want a little color I typically reach for the Hourglass Luminous Light Bronzer. This stuff is potent on fair skin so be careful when you first dip your brush in it! It is not included in the picture because I skipped it today.

-It is no secret that I am a total blush junkie. It is probably my favorite makeup product ever and I tend to go a little overboard most days. Thanks to a sweet friend that gifted the Catrice Illuminating Blush in "I Am Nuts About You" I can go blush crazy even on lazy days without looking like a clown. If you haven't tried this blush out I highly suggest it and for the $5.99 you just can't beat it!

I skip highlighter on my lazy days but you could certainly add it in if you wanted to!

Eyes:
-The Giorgio Armani Eye Tints stole my heart last year and I still haven't been able to put them down. They are pricey but if you can manage to grab them at the Sephora 20% off sale it takes a little of the sting out of it. My go to shade is Cold Copper but Rose Ashes is really beautiful too! Just an easy all over wash of color on the lid that is blendable and almost makes your lids appear smoother. Who doesn't want that?!

-Lorac recently launched a new limited edition palette at Ulta called the Nude Necessities palette. It is a fair/light girls dream for an everyday neutral eye and a palette that I just keep reaching for. It has 6 matte shadows and 6 shimmer colors and truly everything you need for an everyday eye is included.

-In some previous blog posts you can read about my love for the IT Cosmetics YBBB Skinny pencil and the Tightline mascara. Both of which are absolute staples in my lazy day (actually my ANY day) makeup routine.

Writing all of those things out makes me realize how many items that actually is but I can do a complete face with all of those products in about 5 minutes.

What are you favorite lazy day makeup products? Do you have any blog posts that you would like to see in the future or any products that you would like me to review? Leave a comment letting me know, I look forward to hearing from you!

Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge Review

Let’s start off by saying that I am not one of those people who is a Beauty Blender hater, in fact it recently has become one of my favorite beauty related items however the price is absolutely ridiculous! $20+ for a little sponge that needs to be replaced every few months is the craziest thing ever which is why I was SO excited when I heard that Real Techniques was coming out with a complexion sponge I was hoping it could compare to the beauty blender. Much to my surprise, when dampened not only does it compare to the beauty blender it is actually better than the beauty blender in my opinion.

The flat side of this really is what makes it so good. It is perfection for getting the majority of your face then you can go back in with the pointed side for around your nose, eyes and to layer a little concealer or more foundation on blemishes or areas you want to cover more. For $5.99 (and most of the time Ulta has them BOGO 50% off plus you can use coupons on them) it is WELL worth it and a great substitute for the beauty blender fans like me that just can’t justify the price. Have you tried this little miracle sponge yet? If so what do you think?

NARS Guy Bourdin Holiday Collection Limited Edition One Night Stand Cheek Palette

I am trying REALLY hard to curb my beauty related spending and trying to save money to eventually buy a house but every now and then I just get suckered into purchasing something. In walks the new NARS Holiday Collection One Night Stand Limited Edition Cheek Palette a beauty that I just could not resist no matter how many times I told myself I didn’t need it. I never got the Danmari palette a few years ago when that one came out and I have regretted it since then so I knew it was now or never. I think this one will sell out pretty fast especially since the 20% VIB sale starts this weekend so I would order it NOW if you want it. Don’t wait for the 20% because you will kick yourself if you miss out on it. Here is the description of shades from the Sephora website:

- 0.14 oz x 6 Blush in Laguna (diffused brown powder with golden shimmer), Deep Throat (flirty, sheer peach), Orgasm (peachy pink with golden shimmer), Mistinguette (bright pink), Goulue (medium pink), Devotee (highlighter)

If I had to change anything in this palette it would be that it wouldn’t contain the permanent shades. For people like me who already has Laguna, Orgasm and Deep Throat it is a little disappointing to see them appear in this palette. NARS PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE come out with a 6 pan cheek palette that has all limited edition shades.

I would highly suggest ordering this before the 20% VIB sale start not only because it will probably sell out but because I got to choose from a cute little bag of samples on top of the 3 samples you already get from a Sephora.com order. I have included pictures of all the samples (plus the normal 3 and I grabbed a Clarins One Step Gentle Exfoliating Facial Cleanser for 100 points because I love that stuff and think it is awesome to have a travel size).

Overall this is a beautiful palette and if you don’t already have the permanent shades in the palette it is a no brainer. If you do own 1, 2 or all 3 of the permanent shades you will have to decide if you will get good use out of this as a travel palette. Since I am gone so much (I have been gone pretty much every other week for the past 3 months and will be gone again starting tomorrow) it makes sense for me to travel with this and not being a few single blushes.

Cheers to pretty cheeks!

My Cream Eyeshadow Collection- Part 1

My name is Kimberly, and I am a cosmetics addict. Ok, not that it is a surprise to anyone reading this. Blush is probably my number one vice but eyeshadows, especially cream shadows come in at a REALLY close second.

I figured it would be nice to start a blog series that will highlight different sections of my collection starting with all the potted cream shadows that I own. (I will do jumbo pencil types of shadows and ones in tubes in 2 other separate posts) The swatches and information below are separated by brand. Please feel free to let me know if you have any questions about any of the products or swatches that I show below.

Chanel Illuion D’Ombre
From bottom to top in both pictures:
1- Convoitise #90 (LE) A pale champagne shimmer with micro glitter
2- Apparence #817 (LE) Light gold shimmer
3- Emerveille #82 Subtle rose gold that leans more to the pinky side than gold
4- Initiation #827 (LE) Warm taupey brown with hints of a gold undertone and shimmer
5- Epatant #84 Cool based silver shimmer with a slight touch of green



MAC
From bottom to top
1- Bare Study: White based shimmery champagne
2- Morning Frost (LE): Cool based taupey silver with shimmer
3- Vintage Selection (pro longwear formula): Pink based taupe with shimmer
4- Rubenesque: True Rose Gold
5- Nubile (LE): Pink based skintone
6- Painterly (pro longwear formula): Brown based neutral skintone
7- Superwatt (LE- Electric Cool Eyeshadow): Warm brown based taupe with shimmer



Part 2 will be up later this week but until then I would love to know if you have any of these shades and which ones are your favorite!

October Favorites

I love going through my stash and putting together my monthly favorites, it is really interesting to me to see how much can change or stay the same month to month when it comes to my daily makeup routine and what I continue to reach for. Most of the month of October I tended to reach for tried and true favorites. I traveled to my sister’s wedding so I will put an annotation next to anything I actually used on her wedding day in case anyone is interested.

Here are my favorites for the month of October:
-IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye Corrector Concentrate Cream
-Hourglass Immaculate Foundation and Estee Lauder Doublewear (I have been switching back and forth between the 2 but I wore Doublewear for my sister’s wedding)
-IT Cosmetics Hello Light Creme Illuminator topped with Becca Shimmering Perfector in Opal (I wore this combo to the wedding)
-Benefit Porefessional Primer (I wore this to the wedding)
-Laura Mercier Artist 2 Palette
-MAC Vanilla Pigment
-Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette (I wore Dim Light to the wedding, well I actually wear it everyday)
-Dior Addict Lipstick in New York and Tarte Glitzy LipSurgence (I wore both of these layered to the wedding)
-IT Cosmetics Your Brows But Better pencil
-MAC Tease your Taste blush (wore this to the wedding) and MAC Ripe for Love blush
-Bath and Body Works Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin body wash and lotion

I know that this is alot of stuff and if people want I can do a separate post on what I used on my face for my sister’s wedding and what I used for makeup products on her. She was a STUNNING bride! It was a great month with lots of awesome makeup favorites and I hope you will pick up a few of them to try to dig through your stash and start using them again if you have any of them. Here is to a great November!

Laura Mercier Fall/Winter 2013 Artists Palette for Eyes

Well, hello beautiful little addition to my makeup collection! In case you are a makeup lover like me you already know that Laura Mercier has released a new Artist’s Palette for Eyes this fall/winter. For those of you asking “hey wait, didn’t Sephora carry an Artist’s Palette last year?” the answer is YES, but this one is different (and prettier in my opinion). While I love the one from last year (there is a side by side picture below) the new release seems much more wearable for my skin tone.

The palette from last years release is on the left and this years is on the right

Laura Mercier does a FANTASTIC job with shadows, especially mattes. I have never experienced such consistently soft, creamy, and blendable matte shades in any other line of cosmetics that I have tried even better than high end lines like Chanel, Guerlain, Dior, etc.

Here is a closer look at the shades


Color names from left to right on arm: Sparkling Dew, Guava, African Violet (this years version of this shade is MUCH creamier and better than last years!), Plum Smoke, KIR Royal, Violet Ink, Vanilla Nuts, Primrose, Fresco, Bamboo, Truffle, Espresso Bean

When comparing last years version of the palette to this years you will notice that overall there are a few more lighter shades in this years palette which I really love, plus the Fresco and Truffle shades are amazing crease and blending shades! I cannot wait to bring this on vacation to go back home next week for some easy yet pretty eye looks. The packaging is sturdy, pretty and it has a really awesome big mirror inside which is certainly a nice little detail.

You can pick this beautiful palette up at any Sephora store that sells the Laura Mercier line or online at Sephora.com for $48.

It Cosmetics Your Most Beautiful You 6-pc Collection- Sneak Peak! QVC TSV that airs on July 15th

Newsflash! I LOVE IT COSMETICS! Alright, so if you have read my blog at all you will know that is actually not a newsflash at all. :) I think that they are one of the most underrated cosmetics brands out there. The technology that the creator Jamie puts behind all the products she introduces into the line is certainly impressive. I haven't tried a single product from the brand that hasn't performed exactly as it was advertised/marketed which is almost unheard of.

QVC has amazing kits a few times a year usually showing up in TSV's. For those of you who don't speak fluent QVC it means Today's Special Value which is a one day only special price/package. I recently was able to pre order an upcoming TSV which airs on Saturday, July 13th. I received it after much anticipation yesterday and I wanted to run through all the products before it airs for those of you who might be interested in ordering it.

-1-fl-oz Bye Bye Under Eye Concealer in choice of: Light, Medium, Tan or Deep

- 0.23-oz Hello Light Illuminator

- 0.003-oz Your Brows But Better

- 0.11-fl oz Lip Gloss Stain in Je Ne Sais Quoi (sheer pink flush)

- Double-ended Complexion Brush

- Pointed Precision Illuminizer Brush

I have had all of these items in the past except for the Your Brown but Better pencil and the Lip gloss stain. I have tried the lipstick stain and the vitality color stain in the same shade and this gloss in my opinion seems to be much more pigmented. It feels just as nice as the other 2 but the pink is certainly a lot brighter than the other 2 items appear on my lips. I am also very pleasantly surprised with the brow product as I usually have a hard time with universal brow products actually looking natural on my brows since I am blonde but I didn't have that problem with this product as long as I use short light strokes.

This is a must have kit as the brushes alone are worth the price of admission. They truly do make the best quality brushes and products. If you have been searching for a high performance kit with a lot of products that are all made with a lot of technology and research behind them then I would totally say this is a must have for you. The jumbo size bye bye under eye will last you for a long time and really is like no other concealer out there. (The most similar that I can even compare it to is the Kevyn Aucoin sensual skin enhancer which is A+ in my book!)

If you are interested in pre ordering this kit the item number on QVC.com is A238739. It is $59.95 but if you order it now before it airs you can get it on the Easy Pay system for 3 payments of 19.97 which is amazing! Let me know if you end up ordering it and what you love the most from it, especially if you have never tried anything from IT Cosmetics before. Happy Shopping!

My Top 10 makeup items of ALL TIME!

One of my friends recently asked me if I only had 10 makeup items left in my collection that would last me forever but would be the only items I was able to use what 10 items would I choose. I thought that was a great question but a REALLY hard one to answer! I thought about it for a little while and here is what I came up with: (Keep in mind I assuming this does not include skincare and brushes which I can do a top 5 for each category in a separate post later)

1. Foundation: Estee Lauder DoubleWear
This was probably the hardest item to choose because I haven't been using liquid foundation lately. I really love my bareMinerals ready foundation but it has SPF 20 in it and I would not want to have only 1 foundation that has SPF in it to choose from in case I was going out or doing my makeup for a special occasion where my picture would be taken and have horrible flashback. Doublewear can be sheered out with a little moisturizer and a beauty blender but can certainly be full coverage with your fingers or building it up with a brush. It looks amazing on

2. Concealer: M-A-C Prolongwear concealer in NW15
This concealer is perfect if I could only keep one. I can use it under my eyes or on blemishes and just like DoubleWear it does not contain SPF which is perfect for an event where your picture will be taken. Plus, like DoubleWear it stays put ALL DAY! Can't beat that!

3. Powder: NYX Stay Matte but Not Flat powder foundation in Creamy Natural
I love this powder over DoubleWear! It brings just enough dimension back into your face that sometimes DoubleWear can matte out. Just a really light dusting over your whole face and your face will look like you have perfect skin, even if you don't ;)

4. Bronzer: NYX Blush in Taupe
Yup, that's right I am picking a blush for my bronzer :) Taupe is the perfect contour color for us fair girls but in a pinch I could obviously use it as a blush too so it works double duty for me (Hey if I only had 10 things left I would need some double duty items!)

5. Blush: Mally 24/7 duo in Pink Nectar
This one was SO hard! Everyone knows if I had to pick my favorite category of makeup it would be blush hands down. I am known for going a little overboard at time but that doesn't bother me at all because I just love it. I have almost all of the Mally 24/7 blush duos but Pink Nectar is my favorite. It is the perfect pink for my skin tone and I could always use the NYX taupe in the fall/winter to layer with it to create more of a berry shade if I wanted. I HIGHLY recommend trying one of these blush duos if you haven't already tried them. One side has a little shimmer so I wouldn't even need an additional highlighter which is an additional bonus when thinking of how panicked I would be with only 10 items :)

6. Finishing Powder: IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Pores
This stuff is just amazing and like any other powder that I have tried. It really does help hide your pores and mattify the parts of your face you want to keep matte but still allows any shimmer from products you used underneath to show through. It is everything that a really good setting powder should be. If you haven't tried this you should order it from QVC and give it a try. If you have read my blog at all you know I am a HUGE It Cosmetics fan and this is one of their standout products in the line for sure.

7. Mascara: Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes
I love that this mascara does a great job of getting all the way to the roots of my lashes plus it volumizes and lengthens without smudging at all. Certainly a holy grail in my collection and a mascara I keep repurchasing over and over

8. Eyeshadow: Urban Decay Naked Palette
I think any makeup junkie would pick this one to keep. I have the original style that came with the double ended liner (which is a plus in this case since it is included!) and I can't think of another palette with strictly eyeshadows that has the variety of amazing neutrals that this one has. The Mally In th Buff 2 palette certainly gives this a run for its money but it lacks the liner and a matte black shadow which is what pushed me over to pick this one. Plus I just love Virgin, Sin, Buck, Naked and Toasted eyeshadows. I could very easily live out of this palette forever and achieve a variety of looks. Not that I would ever want to of course :)

9. Eye Primer: Nars pro prime smudge proof eye shadow primer
I use a lot of different primers but if I only had to pick one it would be this one. It isn't shimmery and just leaves a really great base for your shadow helping ir go on more vibrantly and prevent creasing.

10. Brows: Tarte Brow Architect
This actually isn't my favorite brow pencil but the benefit to this product is that it has a spoolie on one end and the color portion on the other. In the middle it actually screws apart and has a concealer that you can use right under your brows to add a matte highlight to your brow bone or in the inner corner of your eye to brighten things up. The concealer portion is what really made me think to choose this because again I would need all the help in terms of choosing products that are multipurpose.

I think that about wraps it up! The only 2 products that I didn't feel like were truly makeup products but I would have wanted to include would be Urban Decay deslick and the Korres vitamin E silicone free face primer. I use those 2 things literally every single day. What 10 products would be in your makeup bag if you had to only pick 10? Here are links to check out all the products mentioned above in case you want to pick any of them up to try!

June Empties!

I have been trying REALLY hard to use up as many things that I currently have as possible. Here are a few things that I have emptied this month along with whether or not I would repurchase it.

1. Suave Moroccan Oil Shampoo
Yes, if I was in the market for a cheap hydrating shampoo I would certainly repurchase it. I have a whole shelf of shampoo and conditioner that I have accumulated through couponing so for now I will be sticking with using those other items up first.

2. Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Deep Conditioning Treatment
I have repurchased this over and over again! I have been using this product off and on for probably almost 10 years and I will continue to use it. It is easy to use, smells great and doesn't leave my hair feeling weighed down! I highly recommend this one!!

3. IT Cosmetics Hello Lashes mascara
I have already repurchased this because I knew I didn't want to be without a backup of this mascara. It is awesome! The formula itself is pretty wet so if you like a drier mascara this one may not be for you but within a week or 2 it does thicken up a little and allows you to control it a little more during application. The way the separates, lengthens, and adds volume certainly makes me add this mascara into my top 5 of all time. (Let me know if you want to see a post on what my all time top 5 are!)

4. Lea Journo conditioner
This conditioner smells heavenly! On top of that is does make my hair feel pretty soft but it is priced a little too high for my liking. I received this in a swap with a friend so I never bought the original pouch. (yes I said pouch! It doesn't come in a bottle like traditional conditioner which I think it is a fault since it is kind of a pain to keep it standing up on the rack I have in my shower) I would certainly like to use this product again but I probably won't purchase it since it is pretty pricey. There are lots of good drugstore and lower end conditioners that work just as well in my opinion.

5. Dove VisibleCare Body Wash
I use this product at night before I go to bed and I love crawling into my bed having my skin feel hydrated, soft and smelling nice a fresh. I have already repurchased another bottle of this (and got a really deal on it at CVS with coupons!! SCORE!) I would certainly recommend checking this body was h out if you love the smell of original Dove but don't want to use a bar of soap, this is an awesome alternative.

That wraps up my empties for this month. What have you been able to empty out this month?

August favorites!

I don't know about you all but holy cow August just seemed to fly by! It seems like just yesterday we were celebrating the 4th of July. It is time though to show you all of the things I LOVED this month, some of the things even surprised me!

1. Suave keratin heat defense leave in conditioner (I'm actually loving all of the items in the keratin line but its been along time since I've found a leave in that I really love)
2. Organix Moroccan Argan oil body lotion- I got this on a buy one get one free sale at Walgreens and had 2 $2 off coupons so I almost paid nothing for it and it has been amazing! I will certainly repurchase this when I am out. It is hydrating but not so thick where you feel like you stick to everything.
3. Rusk thermal shine spray- I have been just scrunching my hair alot this month because it is so hot out I hate to turn the blow dryer on and this shine spray has really helped my hair even with products in it look shiny and healthy. LOVE
4. Boscia makeup breakup cool cleansing oil- I cannot say enough good things about this product. It is SO easy to use, glides on so smooth and rinses off really easily. Best of all it hasn't made my oily skin break out (always a huge plus for me!)
5. I hate mentioning limited edition products but these you might still able to find at your local MAC counter or online so I certainly wanted to let you know about them. the Hidden Treasure and Supercontinental blushes from the latest MAC collection are awesome. They are no super frosty or dry like some other MAC blushes and just look gorgeous when applied. RUN out and get these if you can still find them- they have become my favorite MAC blushes!
6. Chanel Mat Lumiere foundation- I forgot how good this foundation really is for oily skin. I applied this at noon drove over to Tampa for a rally and at 3 am before we decided to get in the hot tub my face still looked flawless, this paired with my next favorite is a match made in an oily skinned girls heaven!
7. It Cosmetics celebration powder foundation- This is what every powder foundation loose or pressed should be! Yup I actually just said that :) It gives the perfect amount of coverage without having a bit of shimmer or sheen to it. So great in the summer for oily skinned girls. I will certainly still use the Laura Mercier loose minerals in the winter but I adore this for not having the sheen that the LM minerals have when its 100 degrees outside and like 60% humidity!
8. Garnier Dark circle correcting tinted rollerball- Great product to just throw on at night or when you want to run up to the store but don't want "real" makeup on. Its super cheap too!
9. Lipgloss! Summer is all about lipgloss for me. I don't want to mess with lipstick and the last thing I want to have to worry about it a lipstick melting in my car or purse. My staples this month have been Mally's lipgloss in Mallys baby and NYX in sugar pie. 2 gorgeous colors!
Well that's it! There are a few products that I got last weekend that I'm loving but I didn't want to include them in this month favorites since I've only had them a few days. I'm sure they will be making an appearance next month.

Eye and Face of the Day

I have really been trying to break out of the "neutral" and "taupe" eye looks lately and do something a little more fun with my eye makeup. I had a meeting with a local company but this is an easy teal eye that is a little more interesting but isnt too in your face.

I used the Wet-n-Wild Blue had me at hello palette and took the bright turquoise color and put it all over the lid over Nars smudgeproof eye primer. I then took a little MAC kid and put a little in my crease just to help blend the color. I used a little of MAC contrast and Urban Decay's tease eyeshadows in the crease and blended it all out. My brown and inner corner highlight was Urban Decay "bootycall". I used a liquid Nars teal eyeliner on my upper lashline and the top lashline and topped the lashes off with Mally volumizing mascara.

The rest of my face is pretty neutral. Here is a list of products that I used in case you want to try and recreate it. - Hourglass mineral veil primer - IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Undereye - Hourglass Immaculate foundation - Smashbox halo powder - IT Cosmetics bronzer - IT cosmetics blush stain in the Live, Laugh, Love face disk - Mally gloss in Mally's baby Have you been doing a "different" look for the summer?