February Favorites

February is already over? It feels like January just started. As sad as I am to see my birthday month leave, I'm very excited to head to LA this upcoming weekend for a fun spring break. Although I've been in a bit of a blogging rut lately, lots of products I've been anticipating are launching soon. But enough about what's to come, here are the things I loved this past month.

Too Faced Mr. Right Powder Brush. Too Faced isn't kidding when they named this brush Mr. Right. It's so soft and the dome shape makes it perfect to apply basically anything. I use it mainly for powder, but when I travel, I can use it for blush/bronzer/highlight as well. The design is quite cute which puts it slightly above any other brush I own.

YSL Touche Eclat Neutralizers in Violet and Bisque. I've always loved my Touche Eclat, but sometimes felt like it didn't do enough to cover up my under eyes. These correctors have been my saviors. I use the bisque color first as a peach/orange corrector, then use violet on top to brighten. The brush makes it so easy to apply and the formula is creamy and long-lasting. They're slightly pricy but well worth it.

Rosie for Autograph Eyeshadow Palette in Copper Gold Rush. I guess I lucked out because the amazing Rosie for Autograph collection (which launched in the UK a few weeks ago) only allowed me to ship to the US for a week. I placed 2 orders, tried to place another one last week, and it sadly won't allow me to ship them to the US anymore. But the rose gold packaging in the collection is very reminiscent of Charlotte Tilbury, with product quality being just as similar. These are gorgeous shades for a nude eye with a pop of purple. If you can get your hands on this collection, I highly recommend it.

Charlotte Tilbury Airspun Powder in 01 Fair. Speaking of Charlotte Tilbury, this is one of my all-time favorite powders and I've been reaching for it a lot lately. It doesn't give a ton of coverage, but is so buttery and adds a nice even tone to skin. It looks extremely pale but works well when a foundation can be a bit too dark for me. As you can see, I've just hit pan, which you know means I love it.

Elcie Micro Silque Foundation in 03 Vanilla. Jaclyn Hill raves about this foundation, so of course I had to see what the hype was about. It's a light-medium foundation that sits somewhat between a dewy and matte coverage. My dry skin loves it, but I think oily skin types would love it as well. It lasts a fairly long time and claims to be water-resistant (although I haven't tested that yet).

Music: Brazil by Declan McKenna and Gimme Shelter by The Rolling Stones

Books: Somebody I Used To Know by David Bell and The Gilded Razor by Sam Lansky

It was kind of a crazy month, so sorry for the lack of music and book favorites. Let me know what you loved in the month of February!

Dose of Colors Hidden Treasures Palette

I was kind of wary about purchasing this palette at first. I've tried a few lip products from Dose of Colors and was very impressed, but after seeing some photos of this palette, I was on the fence. I need a new eyeshadow palette like a hole in the head but after taking the plunge, I'm so glad I bought this. Unfortunately it is sold out at the moment, but may be restocked soon.

The packaging is a bit weird for me... I don't love the way all of the shadows are scattered randomly, but it is slim and does have a good mirror. Now, on to the real surprise--the amazing shadow quality. I am absoloutley blown away with how pigmented and glittery these are. Coin is a beautiful foiled copper shade, Pearl a shimmery vanilla highlight, Crown a burnt orange foil, and Gemstone another foiled rose gold shade. Onyx is a creamy true black, Locket a great brown transition shade, Diamond another more copper foiled shade, Map a brown matte, Ruby a burgundy foil shade, and Key a dark brown transition. The foiled shades really steal the show--they are so creamy and pigmented, really adding dimension to your eyes. All of these shades were swatched only once without primer!

Coin, Pearl, Crown, Gemstone, Onyx, Locket, Diamond, Map, Ruby, Key

I'm so glad I bought this palette, and hopefully it will be re-released so others can try it. Did you pick this up? Have you tried anything else from Dose of Colors? Share below!

Beauty Blogger Tag

I've been feeling a bit uninspired lately, so I figured I would let the questions do the work for me and prompt something worth reading. I found it randomly on google and hopefully you enjoy it!

*Not my makeup collection, but drooling over the organization.

1. Is your hair naturally curly or straight?

Naturally very wavy/curly

2. What is your natural hair colour?

Dark brown

3. Do you dye it yourself or go to a salon?

I dyed my hair black in a salon a few times last year, but it's growing out to natural brown again.

4. How often do you wash your hair?

Usually every other day

5. Do you wear the same style every day or change it?

I change it sometimes, although leggings are an everyday staple for me. Some days, I'll just throw on a t shirt and others put more effort into what I wear.

6. Do you do your own mani/pedi or go to a salon?

I usually get them done at salons every couple of months and touch it up on my own in between.

7. How often to you change your nail polish?

Whenever it chips, so usually every week or so.

8. Do you polish your toes in the winter, too or just in the summer?

All year round!

9. How long does it take to put on your makeup?

Anywhere between 10-20 minutes.

10. What do you do first? Face or eyes?

I do my foundation, eyes, and then go back to finishing up my face.

11. Do you "collect" makeup or just buy what you need when you need it?

If only I could just buy what I need when I need it... I'm a collector for sure.

12. How often do you wear false eyelashes?

Never!

13. Do you do a full face of makeup every day?

Almost always during the weekdays, but on weekends I either wear nothing or the bare minimum.

14. Do you wear makeup when you are home alone (or with family)?

Not if I'm just hanging out.

15. Will you leave the house without makeup?

Yes, and people usually ask if I'm tired or okay when I have a bare face.

16. How many high end products do you have?

Probably about half of my collection, so a decent amount... but mostly high end things that were worth the price tag.

17. How often do you wash your makeup brushes?

Only every couple of weeks, which I know is bad...

18. Do you plan your OOTD every night or decide when you are getting dressed?

I sometimes think about what I'm going to wear, but it's usually just decided when I get dressed.

19. How often do you change your handbag?

Almost never, I use my Rebecca Minkoff crossbody practically every day.

20. What time do you get up & go to sleep?

I usually go to sleep around 11-12 and wake up around 9-9:30.

21. How often & when do you workout?

I plead the fifth...

22. Left-handed or Right-handed?

Right-handed.

23. How tall are you?

5'7"

24. Do you speak a foreign language?

Despite years of Spanish, a year of Italian, and a year of French, I think I still have to say no.

25. How many pets do you have?

None sadly :(

26. Do you keep a list of products to try as you see other posts?

Definitely--certain bloggers have an "effect" on me where I want to try basically anything they love.

27. How did you come up with your blog name?

It just kind of came to me. I knew I wanted it to be "beauty" something because it doesn't limit the things I can talk about on my blog. "Beauty" can be a multitude of things. 

28. What kind of camera do you use for photographs?

Pretty much just my iphone.

29. How often do you clean your house? (Daily, weekly, other)

I try to clean my room as I go, so I don't have a ton to clean at one time. Now the kitchen on the other hand.... that should definitely be cleaned more.

30. What is your favourite colour?

Purple

31. What is your favorite beauty/fashion magazine?

Hmmm I like Glamour or People Stylewatch.

32. Do you swear?

Yes

33. What are you doing with the rest of your day?

Working today for a few hours then I'm not sure what the rest of the day has in store!

If you do this tag, comment below and share your blog!

Colourpop x Kaepop Collaboration

Colourpop is one of, if not the ultimate, best affordable brand. Everything is under $10, and the quality far exceeds the price point. With the exception of Kathleen Lights, I usually don't know most of the people Colourpop does collaborations with. However, I'm a sucker for limited edition collections, and the Kaepop items looked too good to pass up. They came in last week so here are my first impressions.

Eyeshadow Quartet. The eyeshadow texture is so cool--almost like a spongy texture that starts as a cream but dries to more of a powder finish. I love the little boxes they give you when you order a quartet, but they can be a bit bulky (it would be impossible to put the shadows in a palette though). The four shades are: "Wilshire (Mid tone warm peachy beige in a Matte Finish); Crenshaw (Warm saddle brown in a Matte Finish); Beverly (Deepened blackberry in a Matte Finish); & Sunset Blvd (Warm golden bronze in a Pearlized Finish)." My favorite is, of course, Sunset Blvd--I'm much more of a shimmer than matte fan, but the matte shades work great for crease colors/blending.

Bronze Me Matte Bronzer. Like the eyeshadows, the cheek products have a similar finish. This is a great warm bronze that I actually like to use for subtle contouring--using my fingers makes it so easy to blend, and although it's warm, it isn't orange.

 Flush'd Blush. Colourpop describes this color as a "rusty deepened peach". I think this would work well on all skintones--it's dark enough to show up on deeper tones, whereas lighter girls like myself can just use this sparingly for a flushed and natural look.
Glo Up Highlighter. Of course my favorite piece in the collection is the highlighter. It's a deeper, champagne gold shade that has some shimmer to it. It's quite pigmented, although on my skintone, it can be a bit intense, so I have to use it sparingly.

L-R: Kaepop, Beverly, Sunset Blvd., Wilshire, Flush'd, Bronze Me, Glo Up

There are also three new ultra matte lip shades and matching pencils, although I'm trying to resist the temptation of lip products for a while. Have you tried anything from the Kaepop collection? What are your favorite Colourpop items? Share below!

YSL Black Opium Gift Set

Sorry for not posting on Friday--I hate when I miss a post, but sometimes crazy life gets in the way. It was my birthday, so at least I have a good excuse. I received this set as a gift and wanted to share my first impressions, since I think it's a great value. Most perfume gift sets usually come with some sort of body product like lotion or body wash, so I was very glad that this came with makeup. I have another YSL perfume, as well as some makeup, and am always impressed.

I guess since Valentine's Day just passed, this gift set is actually sold out! I remember it being around $80 for a $110 value, so you basically get the lipstick for free. The star of the show is, of course, the YSL Black Opium. I haven't bought a new perfume in a while (although I certainly didn't need one), and this deeper, spicier scent is perfect for winter. Sephora describes it as "Notes: 
Coffee Accord, Orange Blossom, Cedarwood Essence, Patchouli Essense.  Style: Addictive. Floral. Energetic." The bottle is a traditional black, with a subtle glitter. It's surprisingly sophisticated, since sometimes glitter can make a perfume bottle look cheap. The scent has great lasting power and is pretty different from most of the other products I own. I can't find the eyeliner online, but it's a kajal with a long tip. I find it kind of difficult to apply, since the black smudges on my eyelid, but it is a nice black shade. The lipstick has limited edition packaging with the heart on it, but I believe it is the Satin Radiance Lipstick in Le Rouge. I love YSL Lipsticks, and this is no exception. The color is a classic red that I know I'll get a lot of use out of.

Although I can't seem to find the giftset anymore, YSL Black Opium is a lovely perfume for someone who wants to change up their usual scent, or likes deeper notes. Although the eyeliner is just meh, the lipstick is also worth a purchase on its own. What's your favorite perfume? Share below!

The Balm Manizer Sisters Palette

I love The Balm and definitely don't give them enough love on my blog. They have some amazing eyeshadow palettes (The Balmba quartets are great), as well as cute blushes and new shadow sticks I have my eyes on. Everyone raves about their highlighters, and I have kind of a weird experience with them. Mary-Lou Manizer was actually one of my first highlights, but this was before I was super into makeup. I actually didn't like it (not sure how), and then my Cindy-Lou Manizer actually broke. Nevertheless, I thought it had been long enough that I should give them a second chance. And that's how the Manizer Sister Palette came into my life.

Each individual highlighter is around $20, and although they're bigger than the pans here, these pans are each quite decent themselves. You get all three for only $28, and I don't see myself running out of of one any time soon. Although the packaging is cardboard (as is most of theirs), it doesn't feel cheap, and it's quite compact. The mirror is a nice addition too. Mary-Lou Manizer is a gorgeous champagne gold shade--again, not sure how I ever felt anything but adoration for this. Cindy-Lou is a more pigmented pink shade that could be used as a light highlight or even a blush. Betty-Lou would work lovely on darker skin tones, and will probably be my least used one. It's a rich bronze pigment shade, so I have to make sure I use a very light hand so as not to appear muddy. 

L-R: Mary Lou, Cindy Lou, Betty Lou

Even if you already own one of the shades, I think this trio for only $28 is such a good value. Each shade is creamy, pigmented, and will give a lovely sheen without chunky glitter. The Balm has quality products with creative packaging and semi-decent prices--what's not to love?

February Wish List

We're only halfway through winter, but that doesn't stop the Spring Makeup from coming out! Some of these have official launch dates and swatches already on the internet, while others could drop either tomorrow or in three months.

Too Faced PB and J Palette. How adorable is this eyeshadow palette? Too Faced consistently knocks it out of the park with cute and creative product ideas (hello Bon Bon palette). These colors are a nice mix of warm nudes with some deeper purple shades, and it's supposed to smell somewhat like PB and J (not sure what that will taste like). It's an Ulta exclusive, launching at the end of the month.

Benefit Dew the Hoola Liquid Bronzer. I love to use the regular Benefit Hoola powder as a contour, so I can't wait for it to come out in a liquid formula. The gold packaging is to die for, and I've seen a few swatches, which are the perfect bronze shade. I don't have a ton of experience with liquid bronzers, so it will be a trial. Benefit is pretty great at making user-friendly products, so I'm sure it won't be too difficult to use.

Charlotte Tilbury Magic Foundation. If you know me, you know I love Charlotte Tilbury. This foundation has been available in the UK for a few months and I become so envious whenever anyone talks about it. I'm excited to try this fuller-coverage, "magic" foundation but am not sure when it will launch. Crossing my fingers for this month!

NYC Demi Lovato Palette. NYC has a rep for being a brand that is so cheap that its quality is also poor, but after seeing swatches of this palette, those rumors can go to rest. It looks like a dupe for the Naked palette and the color quality seems far above their $5 price tag. It's already at some Target stores, but since there are sadly none in the state of Vermont, I'm still waiting for it to appear for sale online.

What products launching in February are you excited for? Share below!

January Favorites

One down, eleven to go. January is always a weird month for me--I spend half of it at home doing nothing and the other half adjusting back to school life. I could wax on and on about my existentialist feelings of my last semester at school, but that's another story. I've actually been pretty good this month about sticking to the makeup I already own, as well as using some new things.

Chanel Blush in Alezane. I'm a huge fan of Chanel blushes, and I rediscovered this in my collection a couple of weeks ago. I believe I got it in September as part of the fall collection, and it's a gorgeous peachy nude color that adds warmth to the face. It's pretty shimmery but doesn't look over the top. If you love MAC Warm Soul, you'll love this.

Barry M Liquid Eyeliner in Ebony. I randomly ordered this from Asos in December and didn't expect to be so wowed. This eyeliner does not budge--I'll have it on the whole day and have to seriously scrub at my eyes in order to totally remove it. Originally, I hated the brush style liquid eyeliner, but it's really grown on me. I just noticed they added some more colors beyond the traditional black, so I'll definitely be getting another color or two.

Pixi Rose Oil Blend. Pixi Skincare is amazing. The makeup from the brand has been hit-or-miss for me, but their everything-under-$30 skincare line has me singing a different tune. This is one of the standout products from the range--I love anything rose scented, and I use this as the last step in my morning skincare routine. It is soothing, moisturizing, and leaves my face feeling so refreshed. Any kind of skin would love this, especially sensitive/dry.

EX1 Foundation in F100. After seeing Youtubers like KathleenLights and Jaclyn Hill rave about this, I knew I had to give it a try. My skin tone is pretty neutral, but since I have redness, I prefer yellow-toned shades to counteract that. This cosmetics line is especially targeted for olive toned skin, and I'm very impressed. It's a fuller coverage foundation and is quite creamy. It blends so well and makes my skin look amazing.

Cailyn O Wow Makeup Brush. There's a certain line of brushes on the market that look like ridiculously expensive spoons, so I wasn't really interested. I've seen some sites mention this brush as a dupe, but I was still a bit wary as to whether the design was worth it. After using it only once, it's now my favorite way to apply foundation. My Beauty Blender has remained virtually untouched since I got it--the dense bristles and long brush provide such an even and lovely coverage.

Books: Paradise City by Elizabeth Day, Not After Everything by Michelle Levy, What Was Mine by Helen Klein Ross

Music: Heart of Glass by Blondie, Dust Bunnies by Kurt Vile

What did you love in January? Share below!