Best Budget Eyeshadow Buys

I love a good eyeshadow quad/palette more than anything but certain ones can be very expensive. Here are a few ones from the drugstores (all less than $10!) that perform really well. This post was originally written as a guest spot on EllaStreet.com, another awesome beauty blog.

1. Rimmel Glam Eyes HD Eyeshadow. I know these have been available in the UK and Canada for a while, but I've seen them slowly making their way into US drugstores. First of all, I love how you get five different shades so you can create a variety of looks. The sets usually include mostly shimmer shades, but there's very little fallout. They can be used wet or dry, although I'm not a big fan of doing wet shadows. They claim to last up to 8 hours and I've found it to be pretty consistent with minimal wear throughout the day.

2. Wet n Wild Color Icon Shadow Trio. If you're looking for a super affordable option that doesn't disappoint, look no further. I know sometimes people think the cheaper an item is, the cheaper it will perform but these babies prove that theory wrong. Each shade is super pigmented, creamy, and lasts for a long time. The packaging is a bit flimsy but at literally $3 it's hard to complain. I also have a couple of the bigger, 5 shade shadows and those are more hit-and-miss.

3. Almay Intense I-Color. Although these are supposed to correspond to specific eye colors, I find that the shades are so gorgeous they can work with any eye color. Again, these are more shimmery but they blend together so well to create a nice look. I love the packaging because it lays out exactly where you should put each shade and the plastic is a bit stiffer.

If you're looking to keep these super affordable, you can certainly use the plastic sponge applicators they come with. I personally don't like these and throw them out--instead I love using my MAC 217 Brush. 

It took me a lot longer to get to than I wanted, but yesterday I devoured Jodi Picoult's latest novel, Leaving Time. As per usual, it did not disappoint and all the characters were extremely fleshed out and relatable. There's a twist at the end which I did not see coming and made me love the book even more. I highly recommend it. 

Face of the Day #2

These are always my favorite posts because I love seeing what everyone else uses for makeup. I wore this on Saturday for my Halloween costume as Easy A (but I would totally wear this makeup during the day too).

Too Faced Hangover Primer

Marc Jacobs Genius Gel Foundation in Bisque Light

Smashbox BB Eyes in Light

Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer in Light

Too Faced Candlelight Eye Primer

Bobbi Brown Smoky Nude Eye Palette

Pixi Lash Line Ink

Charlotte Tilbury Rock n Kohl Eyeliner in Bedroom Black

Lancome Enhancing Lash Base

Maybelline The Rocket Mascara

Stila Mile High Mascara

Bobbi Brown Skin Weightless Powder Foundation in Sand

MAC Warm Soul Blush

MAC Salon Rouge Lipstick

And a pic of me in costume...

Hope you all had a good Halloween!

October Favorites

Happy Halloween! I'm going as Louise from Bob's Burgers (pictures may or may not be posted), and I hope this weekend has good things in store. With the end of October, that means fall is almost over and winter is a-comin. Snow is actually forecasted for tomorrow in Vermont and I'm certainly not ready to deal with it. A lot of holiday sets have already come out and I love winter makeup launches, so I'm excited for what's to come! On to the favorites!

1. Bobbi Brown Sultry Red Lip Color. This is part of Bobbi Brown's holiday collection and I'm loving it. It's a true blue red that looks old school glam with cat eyes and is perfect for the holiday season. It's not quite matte, as it has a bit of gloss, and has great lasting power. 

2. J'Adore Dior Perfume. I picked this up on a whim after returning stuff to Sephora and quickly understood it's cult classic appeal. It has ylang ylang, rose, and jasmine, which leads to a sophisticated clean scent. It's perfect for fall and winter and the bottle is super cute.

3. Dr. Jart Pore Minish Primer. This is a clear gel texture primer, similar to the Smashbox Photofinish one, but slightly more liquid in texture. I find that it really does diminish my pores and help makeup last longer without making me look oily.
4. Boscia Revitalizing Black Hydrating Gel. Not gonna lie--I partially bought this just for the packaging. It's one of those containers where you press on the top and a little bit comes out, so you don't have to keep sticking your fingers in it. I like gel moisturizers and this one is a solid choice for moisturizing and evening out skin tone.
5. Charlotte Tilbury Rock n Kohl Eyeliner in Bedroom Black. I know I constantly rave about the Pixi and Marc Jacobs liners, but this one beats them to the punch. It is simply the creamiest and long lasting black eyeliner. If you need one black eyeliner in your life, it's this.
6. Charlotte Tilbury Retoucher Concealer Stick in Fair 2. At this point, my blog is looking like a complete ode to Charlotte Tilbury makeup. I raved about this concealer in an earlier post this week, so I won't harp on it too much but again, seriously awesome stuff.

Books: Black Ice by Becca Fitzpatrick, Not That Kind of Girl by Lena Dunham, Cartwheel by Jennifer Dubois, The Silent Sister by Diane Chamberlain

Music: Ciggarette Daydreams by Cage the Elephant, See the Sun by The Kooks, To Kingdom Come by Passion Pit, Rich Girls by The Virgins

What have you been loving in October? Let me know!

Charlotte Tilbury 4 Step Face Base

We all knew this was coming... another post featuring Charlotte Tilbury makeup. When the makeup line first launched in the USA about a month ago, I told myself I didn't need any "base" products as they couldn't be that special. Boy was I proved wrong. Each product fails to disappoint and delivers great results. I've gone a bit crazy, and obviously you don't need to use each product together, but here are my thoughts on how to have a complete Charlotte Tilbury face base (using four products).

1. Wonderglow Instant Soft-Focus Beauty Flash. This is not a typical primer per se, but is developed to be used under the foundation or on it's own. It appears really shimmery right out of the tube but applies with just a small hint of color, really making your face glow. I imagine you could also mix it in with your foundation or apply it as a liquid highlighter on top of makeup, but I use it under makeup as a primer.
2. Light Wonder Foundation. Wow I love this stuff. The last thing I needed was a new foundation, but the plastic bottle makes it very travel-friendly (the excuses I tell myself). It's marketed to be "youth boosting", which isn't a concern for me at the moment, but it does minimize pores and give a light-medium coverage that doesn't look like you're wearing anything. I'm shade Fair 3, which is great for NW20s.
3. Retoucher Conceal and Treat Stick. The packaging is similar to YSL Touche Eclat, but it's a lot fuller coverage. This concealer seriously rocks, since it delivers pretty full coverage and highlighting in one formula. It's very creamy and is great under my eyes, plus I love the wind up wand. It can also be used on red spots, which is a bonus. I'm shade Fair 2.
4. Airbursh Flawless Finish Powder. Lastly, I top off everything with this lightweight powder. It has a hint of color, but really helps seal in everything so the dewiness doesn't look too oily. Like all other products, this is formulated with a bunch of anti-aging and good-for-your-skin ingredients. I just love the packaging of everything too. I'm the lightest shade (Fair), which works for a lot of skin tones.

L-R: Wonderglow, Light Wonder Foundation, Retoucher, Finish Powder

*Ignore the weird cuts on my hand, no idea where they came from!

What are your favorite products from the Charlotte Tilbury range? Let me know!

Battle of the Balms

Winter is coming and you know what that means... chapped lips. My lips always get incredibly gross and dry during the colder months, so I always try to have a good lip balm on hand. They're good to use year round but are especially handy starting now. They're also great to use before applying lipstick/gloss so you can have a more even and moisturized base.

1. Dior Addict Lip Glow. This one is probably the most functional yet "fashionable". In addition to being moisturizing, it has a slight pink tint that "enhances your natural lip color'. It has SPF, which is a must, and the tube is a great design because it makes sure it won't get smushed. There's also a coral option available for a limited time if that's more your speed.

2. Wild Argan Oil Solid Oil Lips. At only $8, it's such a steal you'd be crazy not to buy it. The argan oil range came out a few months ago at The Body Shop and I love everything about it. It probably has the creamiest texture out of any of these and smells amazing.

3. Nuxe Rev de Miel Lip Balm. I bought this just because it's such a cult favorite and everyone raves about it. It's not scented or tinted, so great for those who want something plain. It's a thicker texture, so you need to work it into your lips a little but the results are worth it.

4. Dior Creme de Rose Smoothing Plumping Lip Balm. This stuff is seriously awesome and I should really use it more than I do. I love the rose scent and it's a creamy, hydrating texture that applies like a dream on your lips. I wish it wasn't in a finger-dipping tube (those always annoy me) but that's my only real complaint.

5. Bite Agave Lip Mask. Calling out the big guns for this one--it's seriously heavy duty. It really is a mask for your lips--it's a really thick liquid texture that squeezes out of the tube. I apply it overnight so it can really sink in. I just don't like the packaging of the tube (as you can see it's a bit gross) but I love it nonetheless.

*This title/blog idea was inspired by the lovely Vivianna Does Makeup. 

What I've Been Reading Lately

I still actively read at least three books a week, but lately my picks have just been killin it. There was definitely diversity amongst genres, but it kind of just happened that way (I read books in the order they're downloaded). I wish I had physical copies of the books to insert in pictures, but I only read things on my iPad. So here's a picture of current library/books I'm waiting to read.

1. Not That Kind of Girl by Lena Dunham. I have mixed feelings about Lena Dunham... sometimes Girls can be hilarious and then totally weird the next week. I loved this book though. It's a comedic advice/memoir book about coming of age: sex, living on your own, friendships, etc. There are cute illustrations and lots of different segments so it's easy to read through.

2. Cartwheel by Jennifer Dubois. This actually came out a few years ago (not sure how I missed it), and is loosely based on the Amanda Knox trial. A young girl studying abroad is accused of murdering her roommate--lots of perspectives are intertwined and we flash between the present as well as past events leading up to the events. Each perspective was unique and gave a different insight into the story. I really enjoyed this one.

3. Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld. I think I mentioned how much I loved this book in a previous post, but it's seriously that good. A dual perspective novel but with a different take--one focuses on Darcy, a young adult in our world as she navigates the publishing scene and tries to get her book published. This alternates with chapters from her actual book, so you get to experience that story as well. Her story has some fantastical elements but is not dystopian (which is refreshing for a change).

4. Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult. So I actually haven't read this yet (it's next on my list), but since it's by Jodi Picoult I'm assuming it will rock. It claims to be "deeply moving and intelligent", and Picoult excels at character development. Review to come!

What books have you been loving lately? Anything to suggest? Let me know in the comments as always!

Origins Skincare Winners

I've always been a fan of the Origins brand--they strive to use organic and natural ingredients, but products aren't crazy expensive. These are the products I use from the brand and have been loving, although there are many other products they offer for any skincare needs (plus they have some cute makeup too).

1. Ginzing Refreshing Face Mask. Although you're supposed to just leave this on for 10 minutes then tissue off, I usually leave it on overnight. It's a gelly-like consistency that absorbs into skin and I use it on days when my skin is feeling a bit dull. The cooling sensation is nice and I imagine would be great in summer (of course I got it at the end of August).

2. Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask. Once again, I'm breaking the Origins rules and I use this pretty much every night as my moisturizer. It's not so much as a mask as a really intense moisturizer with a thick consistency that really works. I have combo/dry skin and don't wake up feeling oily, but those with oilier skin might need to be more sparing.

3. Ginzing Refreshing Scrub Cleanser. I use this every morning and love the scent to wake me up. Although it has exfoliating beads, it's more of a cleanser texture so it's not harmful to use everyday. I'm not sure if I've noticed that much of a difference since switching over from the Clarisonic cleanser I used to use, but then again, I didn't really have any major concerns to take care of so I give it a thumbs up.

4. Ginzing Brightening Eye Cream. I guess I just really love the ginzing line, but this eye cream is pretty new to me. It claims to brighten dark circles, which is my biggest concern, and I do see a slight improvement when I've been using it. Now we just have to wait to see if this is long term!

This semester is definitely busier than I thought it would be, but I am still trying to post as much as I can on here! It can be difficult to come up with content, so let me know if there's anything you'd like to see (reviews, tags, etc.)