Spring Beauty, Fashion, Food Favorites! ♥

Since I skipped my April favorites, I have a lottttt of beauty products I've been wanting to talk about this month! Plus, I have a few non-beauty favorites (like FOOOOOD) and some fashion-y stuff (who would've thunk!?!?!) to share too. Overall, there have been some great new products out this spring, much more than I've shown here. As always, I wish I could raid the entire drugstore/Ulta/Sephora racks for every single amazing beauty product out this season, but my wallet just isn't that big sadly :(
Anyway, without further rambling, my favorites for this season!

St. Ives Even & Bright Pink Lemon and Mandarin Orange Scrub

Photo credit = www.makeupandbeauty.com

A great new scrub I found in Target a few months ago! I love the St. Ives face scrubs, but the scrubby beads are usually really large and rough, so I can only use it 1-2x a week to prevent my face to get red and irritated. However, I was really excited when I saw a bunch of new St. Ives scrubs, and a few of them have really fine, small, less scratchy beads in really fresh scents! So I picked up this scent for the spring and summertime and boy is it a refreshing treat when I'm washing my face in the morning. And the best part is that I can use it every other day or even every day since the beads aren't as irritating to my face as the original St. Ives scrubs.

Bath & Body Works Shower Gel in Rome Honeysuckle Amore

I change up my shower gel every month and don't really mention them in my faves because they're just plain old body washes and I usually really like them, but not to the point where I have to mention them every month. BUT, this month I have absolutely fallen in LOVE with this shower gel. It's one of the few BBW shower gels that leave a scent lingering the whole day after I shower. It smells like flowers and it's soooo perfect for this season. Makes showering a definite treat. Plus, I love the hot pink color and how it stands out in my shower. Hoping that they didn't discontinue it so I can pick up a few more bottles for next year.

Healthy Sexy Hair Soy Tri-Wheat Leave-In Conditioner

Photo credit = www.athunderheart.com

So this product is one of those hair products everyone and their mother raves about. It's been around for a long time, but the $20 price tag has always scared me away. But, sometime in April, Ulta had all of the Sexy Hair products on half off, so I was able to get this for only $10. Oh my oh my, I wish I had discovered this earlier! It makes my hair sooooo much softer, more manageable, and makes it feel healthier. It does reduce frizz a little, but I still have to use a serum after this to really get all my frizz down. I've been using this spray about once a week or when I have a special event coming up. Love the way this smells, how lightweight it is, and what a great job it does at taming my hair after a shower. Overall, love love love and I will be buying this again!

Organix Coconut Milk Anti-Breakage Serum

Photo credit = www.glesnibeautyblog.wordpress.com

I bought this product I think last June and I used to love it but stopped using it in the fall/winter because of how heavy and oily it made my hair. But, I pulled this baby out again this month because my hair has been feeling a little dry and getting unruly, so I thought maybe this serum would help moisturize my hair. Ahh don't know why I ever stopped using it! A few drops of this stuff smoothed across my strands and ends really reduces frizz and brings my hair back to life! Plus, coconut milk is really good for the hair so I'm sure it helps fortify the strands too. The only issue is that it is a heavier product and probably not good for fine hair, but if you use it sparingly on your strands while avoiding your scalp/roots and wash your hair every other day like me, you should be fine. Definitely going to be a staple hair product for me the entire summer!

BareMinerals Matte Foundation in Golden Tan

Photo credit = www.theneonleopard.com

Ah foundation. Something I've always been really resistant to wearing. Finally decided to cave in and try a BM foundation and boy I am in love. Why have I not used this before?! Evens out my skin like a dream, feels really lightweight, stays all day, and matches my skin tone perfectly. Only thing is that it is a pain to sit there buffing this stuff out, but the results are worth it. Feels like you just put on a new skin!

Physician's Formula Matte Collection Quad in Classic Nudes

Photo credit = www.wickedstarryeyes.blogspot.com

After hunting like crazy for neutral matte eyeshadows, I finally found an amazing drugstore matte eyeshadow quad! This isn't really a popular product, but it's definitely a hidden gem. The colors are SO pigmented and this quad in particular has all the perfect brown shades. Except for the whitish shade, I've been using all three on a regular basis for when I want a more natural eye look or as a transition color for my crease. In love, probably will end up getting the other matte quads from this collection eventually.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Mood Exposure

Photo credit = www.lovecharmaine.com

Another recent beauty hype. Again I was hesitant to get this blush because of the hefty price tag. I heard a lot of great things about this blush, but just paying $35 for a single pan of blush was a little over the top.  But I decided to treat myself and pick up this blush as a post-step1 gift, especially given the fact that I was stressing hardcore during that period and was just glad that the nightmare was over. I got Mood Exposure in particular because I don't have this shade in my collection. It's a gorgeous plummy-brown shade and it looks very natural on my tan complexion. All the hype about this blush is true. It lights up my complexion, makes me look fresh and awake, doubles as a highlighter-blush combo, and adds the perfect amount of color to my cheeks -- perfect for everyday, especially office-wear. Comes in a very sleek, sophisticated packaging. Super easy to blend even if you slap on a little too much and again, this color is just beautiful! Love the formula and I may just be naughty and pick up another shade!

Physician's Formula Happy Booster Glow & Mood Boosting Blush in Natural

Photo credit = www.makeupandbeauty.com

Okay, let's be honest: the reason I got this blush was mainly the packaging. Love the little hearts and the pink container it comes in. Swirled together, you get a shimmery, light pink blush. I was a little afraid at first because the swatch looks mega shimmery, but on the cheeks it looks stunning and makes you look like you have a post-workout glow. No need for highlighter or anything else! A really gorgeous blush color for the springtime!

The Body Shop Watermelon Lip Gloss

Photo credit = www.bellabluelovesfashion.blogspot.com

I've been eying Body Shop glosses since forever. These are definitely my type of glosses: smell great, taste great, add a sheer color, lots of shine, no glitter. PERFECT. It's very appropriate for summertime since it smells and tastes exactly like watermelon. Delivers a really gorgeous sheer pink-red wash of color on my lips. More for everyday wear, not exactly for the office as it wears off easily and requires touch-ups every hour. Definitely favorite summer lip product this year!

Benefit Ultra Plush Lipgloss in Hoola

Photo credit = www.beautynerdbynight.com

This gloss is another everyday sheer lip gloss that I love for the summertime. It's a really pretty bronzey-nude lipgloss with some shimmer. It's a great gloss for the warmer months with a nice tan. Plus, the tube looks so summery! I love the Benefit Ultra Plush glosses because they are so moisturizing, smell/taste like peaches, add a ton of shine, and look amazing on the lips. I'm probably going to pick up the Coralista shade for the summertime and possibly Bella Bamba for the fall. Hope these never get discontinued because I go through about a tube every season or every other season. That's how much I apply it and love it!

Maybelline Color Elixir in Caramel Infused

Photo credit = www.makeupandbeauty.com

Now for a pigmented gloss that I have been loving this season. The Maybelline Color Elixirs are fairly new and come in a ton of shades ranging from brights to nudes to pinks to reds. I only have this shade so far and I'm in love. THE most perfect MLBB shade for me. It's almost like a gloss version of my Revlon Lip Butter in Pink Truffle. Smells like vanilla/floral mix, so if you don't like lip products smelling perfumey, then stay away. Otherwise they make my lips feel super soft and aren't super sticky, although they last about 2-3 hours. I probably will buy a few more shades because the formula feels really nice and lasts a good chunk of time. I'm a total lip gloss junkie and I love me a gloss that feels like a gloss but lasts like a lipstick!

Revlon Parfumerie Nail Polish in African Tea Rose
Revlon Parfumerie Nail Polish in Apricot Nectar

Photo credit = www.vampyvarnish.com

My favorite new nail polishes this season! As you know, I love beauty products that smell yummy and these polishes fit the bill. Each one of them has a unique scent upon drying that is related to its shade name. So, African Tea Rose smells like roses while Apricot Nectar smells fruity. They also have a lot of shine, good staying power (not the best though!), a great applicator for really precise application, and come in a really cute bottle! Plus, the two above are absolutely stunning shades for this spring/summer season. The bottles look very boudoir-ish and ughhh I wish all nail polish bottles looked that vintage and cute! Not the best formula since it does tend to chip after a few days, but the other good qualities of these polishes make it worth the buy. Not all that expensive either, so I'm looking forward to buying a few more shades this fall/winter season. Definitely no more polishes for me this summer since I've been hoarding nail polishes like cray these past few months!

Merona Ultimate Scoopneck & V-Neck Tees

Photo credit = www.polyvore.com

I don't always feature a fashion favorite, but this month I went clothes shopping for a new office wardrobe and picked up a few little goodies. One of my favorites are the Merona basic tees. I love plain tees because they are so easy to style and can work either as casual shirts or more dressy shirts when paired with statement necklaces. I used to buy the Mossimo tees from Target, but they were so thin and flimsy and tended to get damaged easily in the washer. But I tried the Merona tees and they are SO much better! They're about the same price, but are made with a thicker material and fit a lot better on me. They come in a great range of colors and styles and I believe they're always coming up with new shades every season. They have $5 sales on them occasionally so it's great to stock up on these around holidays and such. I have 4-5 colors and cannot wait to buy some more because they are just so amazing, durable, fit great, and look very chic even as officewear!

LC Lauren Conrad Clothing Line

Photo credit = www.laurenconraddaily.blogspot.com

Another recent fashion favorite has been the LC clothing line at Kohl's. The clothing and jewelry are actually surprisingly affordable! The line's style is really similar to mine with a lot of frilly, delicate, flawy, vintage pieces. I wish I could afford every single thing from this line because everything I see I love. Not a single piece I'm like "hell no!" about. Honestly, I should just put Lauren Conrad as my favorite for this month because I love her shoe line, website, beauty/fashion style, advice, and tips as well!

Alexia Hashed Browns with Onion, Garlic, and White Pepper

Photo credit = www.heatherlikesfood.com

I love potatoes. LOVE them. My favorite "veggie" if it can even be counted as one. But, I don't like to buy fresh potatoes because I don't have time to peel them and last time I bought a bag, I had a massive fruit fly infestation in my apartment. Yuck, bad bad memories. So, I've resorted to frozen potatoes and I have been absolutely loving the Alexia brand for my potato fix. I've tried the sweet potato, crinkle cut, and hash browns from this line. I love them all but I particularly like their seasoned hash browns. They are a little unhealthy because you have to pan-fry them and can't just pop em in the toaster over like the fries. I've been making them as a Saturday morning breakfast treat for myself and nom nom they are so good with eggs or sausage on the side! It comes with seasoning already there and are still quite low in sodium (brownie points!). Love love love this brand of potatoes since they're delish, healthy, and affordable so I don't feel super guilty about my potato addiction. In fact, I wish I had more freezer space so I could have multiple bags of potatoes there for my random potato cravings :)

Whew! SO that is it for my spring favorites this year. I'm posting this on June 1st which to me is when summer begins! Time to bust out the heavy duty sunscreen, tank tops, shorts, and sunglasses! 

Pink Glosses for Springtime ♥

Spring has definitely been in the air here recently and so I thought I'd share my favorite lipglosses for the season. As you guys probably know by now, I'm obsessed with lip products, especially lipglosses. And since pink happens to be my favorite color, it makes sense why I have a bajillion pink lipsticks, glosses, balms, etc etc. In this post, I've just singled out some of my favorite pink glosses that I have been reaching for the most recently. There are a ton of other pink-colored products I love (hello Naked 3 Palette, Revlon lip butters) but those are maybe for another post. 

I've definitely been reaching for a pink gloss nearly everyday for the last month or so because they look so natural on the lips and can be worn with any eye or face look. When I'm in a rush or don't know what to wear, I reach for a pink warm-toned color. Of course, some pink lipglosses are brighter than others and can't be worn on a daily basis, but I still love those glosses in my collection and wear them when I want to feel extra fancy or pink :)

Here are my favorite pink glosses swatched below:

Lancome Lip Lover in Framboise Etoile, Urban Decay Naked Ultra Nourishing Lipgloss in Lovechild, BareMinerals Marvelous Moxie Lipgloss in Rebel, Revlon ColorBurst Lip Gloss in Strawberry, NYX Butter Gloss in Peaches & Cream, NYX Butter Gloss in Apple Strudel

Lancome Lip Lover In Framboise Etoile -- a really pretty berry-pink color bordering on magenta. Definitely reserved for sunny days with very little eye makeup :) I just have a (quite large) sample of it, but it's definitely one of the best lipgloss formulas I've tried in a while. 

Urban Decay Naked Nourishing Lipgloss in Lovechild -- cool-toned pink with hints of purple. I don't look all that good in cool-toned colors, but this lipgloss in an exception. It's a very sheer gloss so the cool tones don't overpower and make me look vampy like they usually do. Again, love the formula of these glosses! They hydrate my lips and surprisingly last quite a while.

BareMinerals Marvelous Moxie Lipgloss in Rebel -- subdued medium pink-mauve. Hands down, my FAVE lipgloss this season (and probably for every season!) Again, this is one of those colors that are listed as being cooler in tone, but it looks SO beautiful on my lips! The purple doesn't show up much on my lips so it looks more of a dusty rose on me. This has definitely become my favorite natural colored lipgloss and it's probably going to be one of those "take and apply whenever" shades in my collection. I can probably run out the door with this gloss and apply it whenever, even without a mirror. And I can't say that for a lot of glosses! However, I will say that it's a very dupable color and probably not worth $18 since I can guarantee that nearly every lipgloss line has a similar color. Butttt, I will definitely keep repurchasing this particular brand because the formulation is so moisturizing, lasts quite a while for being a gloss (~1 hour I'd say), the smell and taste is amazing but not overpowering (like a white chocolate peppermint, mmm), and the color is a dead on perfect MLBB for me. Oh and as another bonus, absolutely no sparkle or shimmer at all, which makes this gloss a total winner for me. 

Revlon ColorBurst Lipgloss in Strawberry -- a warm-toned hot pink. This is one of those shades I would never have considered buying because it is so bright, pigmented, and sparkly. However, I actually really really like it! It reminds me of a perfect sunny summer afternoon. Definitely going to be wearing it a lot more this summer!

NYX Butter Gloss in Peaches & Cream -- a very bright bluish-pink. I use this shade mainly when I want to switch things up and wear more of a Barbie-pink kind of gloss. This is a super pigmented gloss, so I only apply one coat and then sheer it out as much as possible so I don't look cray.

NYX Butter Gloss in Apple Strudel -- a light peachy-pink. I finally got a baby pink gloss! This is probably the lightest pink in my collection, but I've really grown to love it! Again, it's one of those glosses I can grab when I'm in a rush and apply it later without a mirror. I reach for this quite a lot mainly because it feels so incredibly comfortable on my lips and it contains no sparkle at all, which makes it perfect for every occasion. It's so hydrating and literally melts onto my lips (just like the name suggests). And it's sheer enough so I don't look crazy wearing a light gloss with my dark skintone.

New Ulta & Sephora Goodies!

So I ordered some stuff from Sephora & Ulta that I needed to buy and I ended up getting wayyyy more stuff than I needed. Part of the reason is because I was ordering online and ended up adding more stuff to my cart to meet the $50 minimum...hence all the stuff! But, a lot of the stuff I really did need, especially the hair and face stuff. So let's get to it!

Daily Routine Stuff

*Neutrogena Deep Clean Cream Cleanser -- my favorite face wash recently! I ended up buying two bottles since I go through about one a month now that this is my daily and nightly face wash.

*Healthy Sexy Hair Soy Tri-Wheat Leave-In Conditioner -- oh my gosh I have been wanting to try this stuff for literally forever now! My old Organix leave-in treatment ran out and I saw this was half off at Ulta and so I haddd to buy it. I absolutely love it so far!

*Not Your Mother's Kinky Moves Curl Defining Hair Cream -- a little curl-defining cream to make my hair frizz free after showers. Planning on using this after spraying on the leave-in conditioner

*Not Your Mother's Knotty to Nice Conditioning Detangler -- I got this as a detangling spray for dry hair on days my hair is feeling tangled

*Simple Sensitive Skin Solutions Cleansing Facial Wipes -- These babies are my favorite makeup-removing wipes! They're so wet and excellent at leaving my skin fresh and clean at night. I sometimes don't even wash my face after and I have yet to breakout

Makeup

*Coach Poppy Flower Perfume -- I got this perfume because it was recently discontinued and Sephora had it for 50% off. I've tried samples of the regular Coach Poppy and fell in love at first spritz! I've been looking for a new perfume and couldn't bear to shell out $95 for the Roses de Chloe, so I felt this would be a great replacement for it since they're both florals. I do love a good rose perfume but for now this will do. It smells soooo divine, kinda like a bouquet of flowers and it's perfect for springtime. It's much lighter than the Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb (my go-to perfume for the past 2 years), but I think it's going to have great lasting power despite its light fragrance. Definitely excited to try this!

*BareMinerals Try Believe Love Kit in Golden Tan -- I did it! I FINALLY BOUGHT MY FIRST FOUNDATION! After debating about it for over a year, I caved in and bought a foundation -- of course, mineral one. I was in between the new Tarte airbrush foundation thing and BM but I decided to go with BM since they have some amazing foundation sample kits for a good price. I might do another blogpost about my first impressions, but so far I really like this foundation although I do have some quarrels with it. Overall though, I love it and I'm glad I went with a mineral foundation over a liquid one. It is a little tricky to apply but I think with a couple more tries, I'll be golden.

*Sephora The Event Entry Palette -- yes, it's the beautiful glittery envelope-like thing in the picture above! So beautiful! I wanted to actually buy this last winter for my mom as a Christmas present, but I ended up choosing another palette since this one has 4 cool gray-black shades which I knew she wouldn't use. It was on sale at Sephora for $5 and I could not pass it up. It comes with those 4 gray shades and also 4 warm brown shades (a cream, light brown, medium brown, and dark brown - all with shimmer). I think it's such a pretty little eyeshadow compact for everyday travel and pretty good quality too!

*Revlon PhotoReady 3D Volume Mascara -- I needed a new mascara for the springtime and since Revlon was BOGO1/2 I decided to get this one again. I have tried it before and it does a really good job of volumizing and separating my lashes. Not a cult fave, but still a goodie!

*Revlon ColorBurst Laquer Balm in Ingenue -- a really pretty, creamy nude lip balm. Really excited to try this new formula out! 

*NYX Mega Shine Lip Gloss in Smokey Look -- a gorgeous tea-rose lipgloss. I've fallen in love with their Butter Glosses, so decided to try this formula too!

*Sephora Lip Gloss in Red Jelly -- I got this for $5 on Sephora and oh my goodness it is so yummy! Super shiny and great for a natural lip color. Smells great and goes on very juicy on the lips.

*Urban Decay Naked Lipgloss in Lovechild -- got this for a 100 points on Sephora just because I wanted to try it out and see if they live up to the hype or not. Haven't tried it yet but definitely excited to! 

*Lancome Lip Lover Gloss in Framboise Etoille -- VIB sample in a beautiful raspberry color. I actually don't have many lip products in this color because it's not really my favorite, but it is really beautiful!



Whew! That's about this for my makeup and beauty haul, but I did pick up some fashion/accessory goodies for the spring that I'll be posting in another blog. My wallet must definitely hate me, but you only live once, right? ;)

NOTW: Revlon Parfumerie Apricot Nectar

My apologies I didn't clean the unclean lines around my nails before photographing! 

So this week,  I thought I would get a little spring-y and put on a bright coral-peachy polish. I decided to try my new Revlon Parfumerie Nailpolish in Apricot Nectar, which is a really pretty light peach shade. These are some of the newest nailpolishes in the drugstore market and I believe they are part of the Revlon permanent collection of polishes. I gotta say I like the formula overall, but there are some things that could have been better. For one, the polish initially applied streaky and uneven. After 2 more coats, it did even out and gave a shiny, opaque finish. Also, it took about 3 coats to get it to the opacity I like and the polish was a little runny and not as creamy as some of the other nailpolish brands I've tried. The standout feature of these polishes, however, is the light fragrance it has once dried (hence the name Parfumerie). I actually think it makes these polishes kinda unique! I'm not sure if all of them have a different scent, but this one smells like bubblegum/fruity candy once it's dry. Not really like an apricot, but close! And really delish! I was a little afraid because I didn't want to have a heavy scent on my nails or have an acetone+fruit fragrance on my nails, but I think Revlon did a really good job with the scents! It's light enough that you have to pretty much hold your nails up to your nose in order to smell any fragrance. Also, the packaging of these polishes deserves a mention. It has a black knob-shaped top which makes it looks rich, elegant, and sophisticated. Definitely prettier and more elegant than the normal plastic polish tops. Looks beautiful on my vanity and makes these polishes standout in my nailpolish box.

So overall, although I don't love the formulation completely, I love the innovative idea of the lightly fragranced polishes. The fragrances are light enough and don't interfere or make you smell overpowering in any way. The packaging of these polishes is beautiful. It would look so pretty on my dresser as a decoration. Plus, the color selection in this collection is amazing, so I may pick up a few more shades! Love love love this polish. May become my new obsession.

My Favorite Spring Beauty, Fashion, Health Links!

So April is almost here and time is literally flyingggg. I'm not sure what the official date of the beginning of spring is, but it sure feels like spring is coming to Pittsburgh really soon! And I'm actually really really excited. I'm usually not one of the ones obsessed with springtime (it's actually been one of my least favorite seasons in the past), but I'm really excited this year because the winter was quite long and terrible here this year. It's nice to finally see some sunshine and a bit of greenery come back. Plus, with the hum dum glums that go along with Step 1 studying, it's nice to think that a new, bright, cheerful season is coming up soon!

So here I've compiled a series of YouTube videos from my favorite beauty gurus that really get me in the mood for springtime and is full of really useful tips for looking and feeling your best this season. I haven't really organized them in anyway. The general ones are at the beginning, followed by beauty hauls, makeup tutorials, outfit ideas, and health/fitness tips in that order. Without a doubt, these are my go-to videos for when I'm feeling a little glum or uninspired and these manage to turn my mood around instantaneously. Plus, it's nice to have a spot where I have my video/inspiration collections, kinda like a video Pinterest? I don't know. I'm slightly weird if you can't tell :)

But anyway, here are the videos in the playlist. Of course, I'm probably going to add to this playlist as more spring-related videos are posted, but here they are for now:

General/Randoms

Morning Routine - StilaBabe09

I ♥ Spring Tag - MissGlamorazzi

Beauty

Spring Haul - MissGlamorazzi

Spring Haul - Kellylovesbeauty

Natural Makeup Tutorial - MakeupByTiffanyD

Spring Makeup, Hair, Outfit - MissGlamorazzi

Natural & Glowy Makeup Tutorial - MakeupByTiffanyD

Fashion

Spring Clothing Haul - Casey Holmes

Spring Outfit Ideas & No-Heat Curls - Bethany Mota

Spring LookBook - Tanya Burr

Spring Hair, Makeup, Outfits - Bethany Mota

Spring Outfits - Bethany Mota

Spring Haul & Styles - MakeupByTiffanyD

Spring Floral Outfits - Bethany Mota

Health/Fitness

Starting a Healthy Life - Breelovesbeauty

Tight Tummy - Breelovesbeauty

Bikini Body Ready Tips - StilaBabe09

Boosting Happiness - Breelovesbeauty

Breakfast Ideas - Breelovesbeauty

I <3 Spring Tag - Miss Glamorazzi
Spring Outfit Ideas - Miss Glamorazzi
Get Ready With Me -- Miss Glamorazzi
Soft Lilac Eye Makeup -Amarixe
Spring Fashion Tips - Tiffany D
Fresh Spring Makeup - Tiffany D
Spring Green Makeup Tutorial - Tiffany D

March "Must Use" Products

So I was going through my makeup drawer the other day and realized that there were SO many products I had accumulated throughout the past few months that I really needed to start using more. So I figured that for the month of March, these should be my new kinda "reach for" products. Of course, I'll probably still mix and match with my old faves (Tarte Dollface blush, heellllooo could never give that up) but I really want to try using some new things this month. With spring around the corner, I figured it was time to use more colors and it's just an excuse for me to start wearing bright shades and clothes. Although the weather has been clearing up a lot more, it's still a little chilly and so I probably won't be breaking out my spring clothes for at least a couple more weeks. But you can clearly see that my makeup routine will be significantly brighter this month since nearly everything in my stash for this month is pink or purple.

So what's in my "must use" stash?

Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette 
I got this palette back in December, on the day that it was released to Sephora stores. Sooo December 6th. I actually haven't been wearing it at ALL since I figured it was a more appropriate palette for spring and summer. And boy am I glad I saved it for this season. The colors are all very pink-toned or mauve-toned, which I knew, but the amount of pink/purple undertones in each eyeshadow make it kinda hard to use it on an everyday basis. At least on my skintone, the colors definitely look pink or purple. I still love the palette though because I love wearing colorful makeup, but for everyday this palette  most likely won't be the one I reach for. I do want to use it frequently this month, maybe for days I go out or want to jazz up my eye look.

BareMinerals Eyeshadow Duo in The Flashback
This product is another eyeshadow palette I bought a while back and haven't been using. The reason is mainly because the shadows are SO pigmented that the silver kinda makes me look a bit washed out. I used to love silver eyeshadows when I was younger, but since my color is warm-toned, the strikingly metallic cool-toned sheen of the eyeshadow make it hard for me to use. But again, it's gorgeous and I'm sure I can tone down the color by dusting it on with a crease brush rather than patting it on with a dense brush. I may even try using it in my crease? We'll see, but the palette is definitely beautiful so I want to use it more frequently this month.

Clinique Chubby Eye Stick in Portly Plum
It's probably been a year since I got this and I've been looking for an excuse to wear it, but I've unfortunately been neglecting this little beauty for a while now. It's such a beautiful royal purple color and it looks gorgeous on the crease. I initially got this for an all-over color and it does work well for that if you sheer it out, but still I think it would be more everyday-friendly to wear on the crease.

Tarte Mineral Bronzer in Hotel Heiress
I use this not really as a bronzer, but rather as a highlight/blush. Probably sounds crazy but I really love the glowy, fresh, and awake look it gives me. I used this a lot last fall but I want to start using this again since Step 1 studying exhausts the crap out of me.

BareMinerals Loose Powder Blush in Golden Gate
Recently got this and tried it a few weeks back and fell in love. Super pretty coral-peachy color blush and it would look great this time of the year! It has to compete with my Tarte Dollface, which is slowly becoming my new obsession but since this blush is so beautiful it actually has a fighting chance! Just takes a bit more effort to apply this baby, but it looks so natural and lit-from-within that it's totally worth the extra minute.

BareMinerals Marvelous Moxie Lipgloss in Smooth Talker
Not really my favorite lip gloss, but I figured since I shelled out money to buy it, I should use it at least a little bit. The main reason I don't like it is because it has gold glitter in it, but I think layering over a lip butter or another lip product will make it stand out and look a lot more better.

Revlon Colorburst Lipgloss in Strawberry 
This lip product was featured in my monthly favorites, but I really want to wear it more this month! It's the perfect balance between sheer-natural and crazy pigmented. You would think it's super pigmented based on the tube, but you can really sheer out the color to make it look like a more natural pink color on the lips. Love love love this gloss! Just wish it smelled like strawberries too! That would be absolutely amazing.

Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Sugar Plum
One of my lipsticks from this fall, but I want to wear it some more this spring because it hasn't been getting much love from me recently. Super pretty color though and definitely an everyday plum color :)

Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Peach Parfait
Last but not least, I'm so fricken excited for this!!!!! I got this lip butter for the spring and I opened it the other day and omg I'm already in love with this. It's SUCH a pretty color! It's natural and I can wear it every single day if I wanted without looking like I'm wearing a lot of makeup. It fits in perfectly with my skin tone and looks like a MLBB kinda shade. My previous favorite lip butter shade was Pink Truffle, which was a more rose-pink-brown color but this is probably going to be its replacement for the spring at least. It's a MLBB peachy shade. It has pretty sparkles in it that make me look super glow too. It would look beautiful with a golden blush and a shimmery eye. Super excited to wear it this month and possibly even do a makeup look with this soon :)

Springtime Decor!

Woo spring is finally almost around the corner! I took this morning off to sleep in, clean my room, catch up on some organization, and put out my springtime decor! I'm definitely glad I did so, because I feel so much more relaxed now and ready to tackle another rough week of school! There's just something about cleaning and organizing that refreshes my brain. I love coming home to a clean, organized room and get more studying done when my room is tidy. 

I also love spring because of all the colors. While fall and winter are usually full of darker, toned down colors, spring and summer are so vibrant and I have an excuse to brighten up my room even more! I will admit, I have a hard time decorating my room for fall and winter because everything is so bright and pink, but it makes it really easy to decorate for spring/summer. 

I put out some new items I picked up from JoAnn fabrics over the past few weeks and re-organized some stuff on my desk and especially my dresser. I definitely love the changes and compliment my decor even more. First thing I'm most excited about is my new pitcher with daisies, lavender, and bright yellow stems. I found the pitcher on sale (from the Valentine's Day clearance section) for only like $5 I believe. I've wanted a decor pitcher for SO long now and was super happy that I was able to finally get one! It definitely looks very polished and spring-appropriate. I filled it with hot pink daisies and other little stems I found. It looks like spring in a little can! Love love love. Definitely brightens my room up a lot and cheers it up (if that makes any sense). I also want to try growing my own plants this year so we'll see how that goes. Maybe a little later this month or in April.

Next, I moved my little Hello Kitty picture holder from my dresser over to my desk. I had it picture-less for a really long time, but I decided to put some pictures up. I put up one from my trip to Paris a couple summers ago, a picture of me and one of my best friends from high school, and a picture of our trip from NYC. I'm going to replace the middle one with a picture from my birthday dinner last year, but I have to get it developed first. Again, the colors in the base are so bright and pretty, I love it. And I love that whenever I glance up, I see pictures of some of my favorite people and favorite moments of life. Oh! And I also got a little ceramic bunny from JoAnn. Thought it added a little kick of Easter :)

Next, my dresser. I totally re-organized it. It doesn't look like it, but I shifted nearly everything around. For one, I put the pitcher of flowers on the opposite side, so they're not getting crowded and forgotten in the corner. Next, I condensed my makeup brushes to fit into my "Macchu Pichu" cup my friend got me a while back. And then my jewelry lady is in the other corner where my flowers used to be. I'm really liking this change because now all my jewelry is together and my flowers are more viewable than they were before. And my little bottles of daily-use products (deodorant, body spray, eye cream) are front and center. I might get a little dish to hold those in the future, but for now I think they look fine as they are.

Not much changed on this side, except I removed the hearts on my closet door and replaced them with some random butterfly, flowers, and hearts stickers I found at JoAnn. They look lame from far back, but they look nice up front. Not sure if I'll continue to do that for the next season though, I might revert back to putting magazine cutouts there instead since they look better in my opinion. But hey look, my floors clean!




Oh and lastly, I picked up a bunch of sweatpants from Walmart! Yeah not the chicest place to shop, but they had sweatpants on sale for $3 each....hard to resist. I have one pair I bought last year and oh my gosh they are SO comfortable! Definitely had to pick up a few more for this next brutal month of studying. Gonna be so comfy in the library! :) Oh and the pink sweatshirt on the right was also only $3 and looked really comfortable. So I snagged it for days I felt a little lazy and wanted a cozy bright sweater.

So that's about it. I did change some stuff around in my living room (added yellow daisies to replace the Christmas poinsettias that were initially there), but nothing that exciting. I'm definitely loving the new re-organization and decor and it's just all so happy and pink! :) Probably will be keeping most of these up all the way through summer, so probably wont' be decorating as much these next few months until fall :)

February Favorites! ♥

Ahh I've been SO bad at posting this month! Things have gotten a little crazy busy with Step 1 studying. I've pretty much been wearing my "no makeup makeup" look nearly everyday, which is basically just concealer and maybe some gloss or blush. And then studying 10-12 hours per day which has literally left me with no time to do anything fun.
Anyway, I have discovered some new products this month that I've been using on the days when I haven't had to rush out of the door in the mornings. I love them all mainly because they look so natural and sheer when applied. And a lot of non-beauty favorites this month, too!

Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Dollface

Photo credit = www.jessbeez.blogspot.com

NYX Butter Gloss in Apple Strudel 

Photo credit = www.missnattysbeautydiary.com

Revlon Colorburst Lipgloss in Strawberry

Photo credit = www.wieniawski.blogspot.com

Organix Moroccan Argan Oil Spray

Photo credit = www.reikouken.blogspot.com

ELF Eyebrow Brush/Comb

Photo credit = www.swirliciousbeauty.blogspot.com

Helios

Photo credit = www.boomkat.com

Bath & Body Works Stress Relief Body Wash in Sandlewood Rose

Photo credit = www.mybathhouse.com

Spring 2014 Beauty Haul

Over the past few days, I've been loving the amazing new products coming out for Spring 2014 and the awesome coupons. Some of my must-have products that have on my bucket list forever were on sale and on top of it, I had an extra 20% off coupon for Ulta, so it was perfect! In general, I picked up some pretty great new products and I'm excited to try them all! :) 

Eye Products

BareMinerals Eyecolor in Queen Tiffany -- A really pretty frosty taupe loose pigment eyeshadow. My first loose shadow! I've been wanting to try a loose eyeshadow for a while now, and glad I got to try a Bare Minerals quality shadow. 

NYX Dream Catcher Palette in Dusk Til' Dawn -- A mix of warm and cool toned neutral eyeshadows. I got this to replace my lost Naked palette, and I must say so far I'm very impressed! These shadows are super pigmented, last all day, don't fade, travel, anything. Not gonna jump to conclusions, but this is an amazing dupe for the Naked palette, and I'd go so far as to say maybe even better because the color selection is a lot more diverse.

Wet n' Wild Eyeshadow Color Icon Eyeshadow in Comfort Zone -- A mix of neutral and jewel tone shades. Great for springtime or a fun look! I've heard these shadows are extremely pigmented, and I'm reallly excited to try them and possibly other W&W palettes in the future. 

BareMinerals Flawless Definition Mascara -- A basic black mascara. Haven't tried the mascara yet, but the brush look quite interesting. 

Face Products

Bare Minerals Blush in Golden Gate -- A peachy-pink loose blush. It's going to look beautiful this spring and summer season. 

Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Dollface -- A light, baby-pink blush. I finally got my hands on this!!!! I'm so so so excited to try this blush. I tried some in Sephora yesterday and it looks absolutely stunning. Not too pigmented on my darker skin, but it makes me look like I have a slight natural glow. I'm a little bummed about the new packaging, but the product underneath is still gorgeous. 

Lip Products

Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butter in Creme Brulee -- A creamy, nude lipstick.
Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butter in Peach Parfait -- Peachy-pink shimmery lipstick.
Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butter in Sweet Tart -- Sheer hot pink lipstick.
Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butter in Berry Smoothie -- Sheer berry-pink lipstick.
NYX Butter Gloss in Apple Strudel -- Sheer baby pink lipgloss.
NYX Butter Gloss in Peaches & Cream -- Sheer hot pink lipgloss.
Benefit Ultra Plush Lip Gloss in Hoola -- Sheer golden-nude lipgloss.
Revlon Super Lustrous Lip Gloss in Pango Peach -- Shimmery peach coral lipgloss.
Revlon ColorBurst Lip Gloss in Strawberry -- Shimmery hot pink lipgloss.
Bare Minerals Marvelous Moxie Lip Gloss in Maverick -- Maroon lipgloss.
Nivea A Kiss of Olive Oil & Lemon Lip Balm -- The best lip balm ever! Super moisturizing and comforting on chapped lips. Smells so fricken good too, just like lemons.

Nail & Other Products

Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Nailpolish in Blue-Away -- Baby blue nailpolish. I realized I didn't have one in my collection, so I picked this one up because it was just so pretty and happy :) 

Revlon Parfumerie Scented Nail Enamel in Apricot Nectar -- Coral-colored nailpolish. I loved this color since it wasn't too orange and had a slight peachy tinge to it. When it dries, it has the most wonderful candy scent to it! 

Lush Bubble Gum Lip Scrub -- I needed a new lip scrub and decided to get this flavor since it was appropriate for Valentine's Day. It pretty much does taste and smell like bubblegum and I love the hot pink color. Definite pick-me-up! 

Lush Neon Love Soap -- My first Lush soap! Smells so wonderfully unique, kind of like cinnamon-rose. I got the tiniest sliver of it ($4.70 for a tiny piece too, crazy!) to see if Lush soaps really live up to the hype. I haven't had the best experience with bar soaps, so I'm hoping this one is moisturizing. It contains yogurt, so I am quite hopeful.

Well, that was quite a large haul! Definitely excited to try all these products, since so many have been on my wish list for quite a while now. I think a lot of these products will be perfect for both spring and summer, and cannot wait to start trying them :) 

Product Craze: Wet & Wild Eyeshadow Palettes

This morning, while watching some old YouTube videos, I saw palette being featured in a makeup tutorial and fell in love. It's one of the W&W Eyeshadow Palettes in Comfort Zone, which has beautiful neutral, pink, and green shades. I can't believe I had completely forgotten about these!
They came out about a year ago, but I was obsessed with my Naked palette at the time and decided to skip this one. Now that I'm on the hunt for drugstore eyeshadows, this one has come back on my radar. At only $5 a pop, they're absolutely amazing! From the reviews I've read online, they are super pigmented, last all day, are true to color, have a lot of product, and of course are super cheap. Many gurus have raved about what a steal this palette truly is. And the green shades are absolutely perfect for the spring, and the shimmery brown eyeshadow is perfect for everyday wear. Cannot wait to get my hands on this!

Cupcake Inspiration

I was at Barnes and Noble with my mom and brother today and while they were checking out the kids section, I decided to peruse the crafts/cooking section of the bookstore. Immediately my eyes drifted to the "cake" books in the cooking section, which were all super girly, pastel and bright, mostly pink, with pretty covers. This book, however, attracted me the most with its sleek packaging, beautiful cover, and interesting contents. It's Betty Crocker's Just Cupcakes and it comes in this really pretty pink binding that almost resembles a binder. And the cover is just so freaking attractive, I can't stop staring at it!! I'm such a sucker for packaging. The cover for this book screams sunshine and rainbows to me, and it literally brightened up my entire day. Yummy cupcakes with pink ribbons, come on! How can you not feel a bajillion times happier after seeing that? 

I peeked inside, expecting to see some crazy expert-level cupcake recipes. But I was actually surprised to find how easy some of the cupcakes were to make! I really liked this book because it had something for bakers of all levels and interests. Some of the recipes focused mainly on cupcake decorating, while others focused on fancy cake batter ideas. It also had an index of classic recipes (yellow cupcakes, chocolate cupcakes, frosting, etc) for those new to baking. It also had some recipes made with boxed cake mix for people who just want to focus on cake decorating rather than cupcake recipes. Needless to say, I loved this book for its diversity in contents and the fact that it had something for everybody and all moods. And even the decorating ideas were so well explained and the pictures were clear cut. Among the recipes that caught my eye were the Easter bunny cupcakes, Halloween-themed cupcakes, the confetti cupcakes, turtle cupcake cake, and the classic recipes. 

I'm really really thinking about purchasing this book sometime in the spring. I hesitate to get this now because I have a lot of reading material I want to catch up on and a lot of Pinterest recipes I want to try first before investing in this one. I most likely will end up getting this book sometime in the middle of the black hole called Step 1 studying because it is just too damn attractive to pass. And I'm sure seeing the cuteness that is this book will cheer me right up out of my study slump. 

Now, making cupcakes from scratch again has LONG been on my bucket list. Last time I made cupcakes from scratch was back in high school, and I really really miss it. There's just something therapeutic about baking and cake decorating. This book really inspired me to want to try and bake cupcakes from scratch again. I brought this up to one of my good friends and he suggested that I try making some from scratch for his Superbowl party on Sunday. After Pinteresting around, I found an allegedly-delish yellow cake recipe and a really adorable decorating idea for football-themed cupcakes. I think it would be such a cute idea to try making these! And the ingredients really shouldn't cost more than $5-10. And plus, a willing audience to test my baking creations? I'm sold! 

Spring 2014 Beauty List!

Drugstore
Physician's Formula Shimmer Strips in Warm Nudes
Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butter in Berry Smoothie
Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butter in Creme Brulee
Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butter in Peach Parfait
Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butter in Sweet Tart
Revlon ColorBurst Lipgloss in Strawberry
Revlon Super Lustrous Lipgloss in Peach Pango
NYX Butter Gloss in Apple Strudel
NYX Butter Gloss in Peaches N' Cream

Sephora
Clinique Chubby Eye Stick in Ample Amber

Physician's Formula Shimmer Strips in Warm Nudes -- $11.99 -- Photo credit = www.vampyvarnish.com

Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butter in Berry Smoothie -- $7.50 -- Photo credit = www.cafemakeup.com

Revlon LipButter in Creme Brulee -- $7.50 -- Photo credit = www.beautizine.com

Revlon LipButter in Peach Parfait -- $7.50 -- Photo credit = www.makeuptalk.com

Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butter in Sweet Tart -- $7.50 -- Photo credit = www.vampyvarnish.com

Revlon ColorBurst Lip Gloss in Strawberry -- $7.99 -- Photo credit = www.indianvanitycase.com

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipgloss in Pango Peach -- $7.99 -- Photo credit = www.ouihui.blogspot.com

NYX Butter Gloss in Apple Strudel -- $5 -- Photo credit = www.bohovanity.com

NYX Butter Gloss in Peaches & Cream -- $5 -- Photo credit = www.painted-ladies.com 

Clinique Chubby Shadow Sticks in Ample Amber -- $17 -- Photo credit = www.musingsofamuse.com