Drugstore Makeup Look for Spring

Spring is my favorite season. There's something so satisfying about the weather warming up after a cold, dreary winter. Today in particular I got to break out some bright colors and wear a light jacket and it was so exciting! As I got ready this morning, I did a really light, shimmery makeup look that I loved so much that it might just become my every day look once the weather stays like this! Of course, when I love something beauty related so much, I need to share it, so here we go!

First off: base makeup. My skin was actually cooperating with me today (knock on wood!), so I only used a bit of my Sonia Kashuk Hidden Agenda Concealer Palette to conceal some redness and discoloration, but you can definitely use a tinted moisturizer or something a little heavier if you need extra coverage. I set everything with my Rimmel Stay Matte Powder and then filled in and tamed my brows with my Wet n' Wild Color Icon Brow and Eyeliner Pencil in Mink Brown and my Maybelline Great Lash clear mascara. As you can see, all of these products are well loved (aside for the Rimmel powder, but it's actually a repurchase!).

For the eyes, I primed with my Elf Eyelid Primer in Sheer before going in with my Revlon Colorstay 16-Hour Eyeshadow Quad in Decadent. I used the color on the bottom left all over my lid, mixed with a little of the golden color, which is top right. The brown went into my crease and the pink on the top left was used to highlight. I forgot how much I love this color scheme! I've gotten far too used to cool browns and grays. I figured brown liner wold be a little harsh against a light, shimmery pink, so I used my NYX Slide on Eye Pencil in Brown Perfection, which is new and I absolutely am in love with it. For my waterline, I stuck with an old favorite and used the Rimmel Scandaleyes Liner in Nude to brighten, and then went in with my COVERGIRL Lash Exact Mascara to lengthen my lashes a bit.

To keep my my makeup light, I decided not to cake on the cheek and lip products and stick with simplicity. The Elf Studio Blush in Tickled Pink is one of my favorites (can you tell?) and it's just a light, satin pink that looks really natural with a slight shimmer. I picked a lip color that was a shade color than the rest of the pinks I used, just to add some contrast. The Revlon Lip Butter in Strawberry Shortcake is moisturizing and light, making it the perfect product to finish off the look!

What is your favorite makeup product this Spring?
xoxo
Alyssa

Birchbox March 2014!

I haven't done a Birchbox post in a few months, but I've been fairly pleased with my boxes since the last one I've featured. This box surprised me a lot, so let's just get into it!

March's theme is Spring Forward, a month dedicating to refreshing your daily lifestyle. I really love this theme. Spring is my favorite season, and there's nothing better than brightening things up after a long and gloomy winter.

My box included three deluxe samples and a Birchbox Find. My only complaint with the Birchbox Finds is that instead of being an occasional extra, it's in place of your beauty/lifestyle extra. I kind of wish they would include a Birchbox Find occasionally in addition to rather than instead of.

• Air Repair Rescue Balm: this sample is so minuscule, but I'm looking over the size because it seems to be along the lines of Elizabeth Arden's 8 Hour Cream (which is quite pricey).
• Beauty Protector Protect and Detangle: This is the third (maybe fourth?) time I've gotten this brand in my box, and I really like everything I've tried. I'm always on the lookout for a good detangler, and the smell of this (think Aquolina's Pink Sugar perfume!) is so decadent that I'm really excited to try this. 
• Mereadesso All-in-One Moisturizer: I was frustrated when I opened my box and saw this. Foil packets are not deluxe samples! I wanted to yell at Birchbox. That is, until I was looking up prices to calculate my total box value. The brand actually sells this as their travel size, and it retails for $28, making it the most valuable product for March. I'm still shocked and amazed!
• theBalm How 'Bout Them Apples? Cheek & Lip Cream: I love the brand theBalm. Every time I get something from them in my box, I get excited. This is a sample from their new How 'Bout Them Apples? palette, which is six cream shades that are dual purpose for cheeks and lips. My shade is Pie, and it's a really pretty coral-pink. 

The Birchbox Find was a nice, travel-sized version of the Jergens BB Body Perfecting Skin Cream (including a coupon for $2 off the full sized version!). I've heard of BB Body Creams and I like the brand, so I'm excited for this! I also love when Birchbox includes coupons, as I'm a huge coupon person.

All in all, I'm very pleased with this box! I'm excited about everything. The value of this box is roughly $41.10, which is great! I'm definitely looking forward to April. 

What was in YOUR Birchbox?

xoxo

Alyssa

Girly Obsession: Idea Notebooks

I've been super into girly things and keeping a positive attitude lately, which is one of New Years Resolutions for 2014. I found these two notebooks from Dollar Tree (obviously a dollar each) and thought they were adorable, but once I was home I had no idea what to use them for. And then it came to me: words of inspiration and positive energy. Perfection!

The notebook on the left--the one with the dotted swirl pattern--is used for words of inspiration. I love creative writing and I love book and movie quotes, but there are so many times where I hear or say something that just makes me think wow, except...I can't remember what it was five minutes later. From the front, I write quotes from books, TV, movies, etc. that give me that wow feeling. From the back, I write down things that I say or something a friend says that screams genius! to me. That way, if I'm writing or just in need of some words of wisdom, I know exactly where to go!

On the right--the leaf patterned book--is my "Daily Good" journal. 2013 kind of sucked for me (with the exception of the birth of the blog), so for 2014 I'm trying to remember that even though every day might not be good, there is good in every day. So every time I do something or something happens, I write it down. Each page is a different day, listed numerically, so that day when I think the week or month or even the year was crap, I have a little list of the good in every single day to remind me that I did smile at some things. I write down small things, like eating Chinese takeout or watching some episodes of Gossip Girl Netflix. But everything counts, right?

Do you keep a journal? What do you write in it?
xoxo
Alyssa

Skylark by Elle&Blair Lip Gloss Duo: Review and Swatches!

The blogger community went abuzz when beauty gurus Elle (allthatglitters21) and Blair (juicystar07) launched their makeup line a few years back. The girls announced that they were not waiting until they had a full collection out, but instead were releasing products as they felt they were perfected. The first release of the line was this lip gloss duo, inspired by the main characters in their novel Beneath the Glitter (and later sequel Where Beauty Lies), Ava and Sophia London. The duo was offered by redeeming reward points on JustFab.com, and once I realized that I had enough points, it was immediately in my basket.

I expected to hear an excessive amount of reviews on this set, but surprisingly, I hadn't heard anything except from the girls itself. The gloss duo features a light, cool-toned creamy pink (Ava) and a shimmery berry (Sophia). While the sisters never specifically said that the characters/gloss colors were based off of themselves, in my opinion, Ava definitely screams "Elle" and Sophia definitely screams "Blair."

The packaging is really beautiful: glass, circular containers with metallic caps and the name of the color written in a gorgeous, script-like font. The applicator is a sponge, yet it's flat, which I actually really like. It coats my lips nicely without an excess on my skin. Overall, the packaging gets an A+ from me!

The formulation is also incredible. These glosses are smooth, pigmented, and super creamy. The swatches above are one thick coat, but you could definitely sheer them out. As for Sophia, sometimes you can feel shimmer/glitter in glosses when you wear them, but this is most certainly not the case for this one. Overall, I prefer Sophia to Ava, solely on color preference. Berry tones tend to look better on me, but I think I'll get more use of Ava when it gets a little warmer!

All in all, I love these. I think Elle and Blair did a great job, and I'm excited try out the rest of their line as it emerges. I believe this retails for $30 for the duo, and as far as I know, is sold exclusively through blush.com!

Have you tried anything from Skylark cosmetics?
xoxo
Alyssa

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February 2014 Favorites: Beauty&Random!

At the end of every month, we all tend to sit back and wonder where the time went. But this month, despite being the shortest of the year, I felt wasn't particularly slow or fast, but pretty average. That being said, I did discover some awesome stuff this year, so now is the time to share!

Skincare/Body Products

• Borghese Fango Active Mud for Face and Body: I've talked about this before and never stopped loving it, but in the past I've only used this on my nose, which is where I suffer most from blackheads. I've been struggling with acne around my temples lately, and since this mask is for clearing gunk from your pores, I figured I'd use it on the breakouts and see how it went. Well, it was pretty amazing. It helps breakouts fantastically, so I now use this on my nose and chin as well as around my temples where I break out the most often. 
• The Body Shop Strawberry Body Butter: I bought this back in August, wanting to try a different scent after using the vanilla and not liking the smell. This thing seriously smells amazing, so amazing, in fact, that I shied away from really using it. Boy, was that stupid! I use this after I shower on my legs and arms (especially on my legs after I shave) and it makes me feel smooth and smell delicious and I love it. 
• Laura Mercier Creme Brulle Hand Cream: I ordered this product in September, and because of the hefty price tag (2oz for $15...yikes!) Only used it a few times on special occasions, and I forgot how lovely it smelled. This moisturizes my hands beautifully and I use a dime-sized amount before bed every night, and I think the smell alone is worth a repurchase. 

Hair Care:

• Garnier Triple Nutrition 3-Minute Undo Dryness Reversal Treatment: I'm picky with haircare brands, so when the Aussie 3-Minute Miracle came out, I was intrigued by the concept but wary of the brand. I trust Garnier (most of my product comes from them), so when my mom gave me this guy, I was excited! I have dry hair and using this once a week makes my hair soft, shiny, smooth, and definitely frizz-free. 
• Beauty Protector Protect&Oil: I got this in my February Birchbox and it's wonderful. First off, it smells like the fragrance Pink Sugar, which is a widely-loved favorite. Secondly, it works wonders on my ends. I work a dime-sized amount onto the ends of my hair before blow drying, and it not only makes my hair super soft, but prevents breakage. Full size when this is out? Definitely

Makeup:

• Arbonne Sheer Pressed Powder: This is one of my favorite powders, and definitely my favorite high-end powder. It prevents creasing and wear from my foundation/concealer, looks natural, and the packaging is beautiful. Plus, the sponge is comes with is fantastic (and I usually hate included applicators!). All in all, a definite favorite for February. 
• Milani Eye Shadow in Heavenly Pink: Milani discontinued this line of powder shadows, but I'm including this anyway because of the color. For school, I typically just wear concealer, powder, and a little bit of brow pencil, and then I take a fluffy brush and sweep this on my brow bone and in my inner corner. The pink-toned matte shade brightens my eyes and cancels out any darkness, plus looks natural and stays all day. Love!
• NYX Powder Blush in Terracotta: I picked this out originally for my grandma, but when I realized she wasn't using it, took it back and fell in love. It's a beautiful, shimmery, neutral, peachy-bronze (a true Terracotta...hey, NYX got a name accurate!) that acts as a one sweep powder. It adds a flush while highlighting my cheekbones and adding a bronze tint to my complexion. This product is great for a girl rushing to get ready in the morning. 
• Nivea Lip Butter in Vanilla and Macadamia Kiss: I've talked out the Nivea Lip Butters before, but I keep this one by my bed and have used it so much I can practically see the pan on the bottom. This scent is my favorite, and the whole line is moisturizing and delicious, not to mention affordable. 
• Skylark Sophia Lip Gloss: I finally got a hold of the Skylark gloss duo (thanks to some reward points on JustFab.com) and I must say they are lovely (review coming soon). I've been gravitating towards Sophia because of the color, but the formulation of these is smooth and lovely as well. 
• Revlon Lip Butter in Sugar Plum: I envy those daring enough to rock a deep, dark lip color. I generally stuck to neutral and light tones because I'm far from gutsy enough for anything different, but this color has been amazing this month. I wore it almost every time I did a full face of makeup and it complemented my complexion nicely. My one regret? Winter is almost over and I'll have to go back to the peachy-pinks and shimmery nudes. 

Nail Polish

• China Glaze Secret Periwinkle: This is an under-talked about color if I've ever seen one. It's a beautiful, light blue-purple (a true Periwinkle) with amazing application, pigmentation, and lasting power. My nail polish tends to chip very quickly, but this one stayed on for almost five days with minimal damage. 
• COVERGIRL Outlast Stay Brilliant in Peaches and Cream: This is similar to Essie's Van'dgo, which is one of my all time favorites, except it's more on the peachy side of peachy-pink. Again, the application of this was wonderful, and although it took me three coats, turned out very opaque and lasted a long time with not a lot of chipping. 

Fragrance and Brushes: 

• Bath and Body Works Winter Candy Apple: I know this scent appears every year with their Christmas line, but it's really not "festive" to my nose. This smells like crisp and clean apples, which is very light and refreshing. I like this for an every day body mist, and I'll use this until the last of the snow is gone (which, in my case, might take a while!)
• Sephora Precise Natural Powder Brush (121): I got this brush on clearance at Sephora for $11 (the original with the red handle being $38) and it's amazing for applying blush. The bristles are soft and it blends the color in nicely. I love! 

Fashion

• JustFab Saving Grace Necklace: I've been admiring this bar style necklace for a few months, and when I bought the featured boots, they had a deal for certain jewelry pieces being only $1.95, so I snatched this one up when I saw it. It's cute and sparkly and is just...simple, which I adore. 
• JustFab Maizie Boots: I've been looking for the perfect ankle boot for a while, and I think I've found them. These are comfortable, simply (I'm not a fan of boots with too many frills) and best of all, have silver hardware, which I prefer! I've warn them almost every single day since I got them.

Random

• Clinique Apple Pouch: I took this from my grandparents' house and came up with the perfect use for it: feminine hygiene products. I keep two pads on me at all times in my backpack (I used to keep one, but then gave it away just two period before my friend came to visit), and having them in a little cute pouch like this is just nicer than having everyone see when you zip open the pocket. Plus, they're a perfect fit. TMI? Oh well!
• John Green's Paper Towns: I've read this book before, but reread in this month while bored one day. And when I say this month, I mean, I read this in about five hours. I feel as if John Green is known only for Looking for Alaska and The Fault in Our Stars, both of which are incredible, but his other books (Paper Towns, An Abundance of Katherines, Will, Grayson, Will Grayson, and Let it Snow) are just as amazing. This book has such a great story line and I highly recommend it. 
• Bigelow Ginger Snappish Ginger Herb Tea: Drinking tea has a countless number of health benefits, and while I will always prefer coffee, ginger tea has become a new daily staple of mine. I especially love this brand, especially with some Sugar in the Raw and Caramel Macchiato coffee creamer. 
• Brooklyn Nine-Nine: My new favorite show, and I do hope they'll do a season two! Starring Andy Samberg as a detective in the 99th precinct in Brooklyn, it's a comedic cop show (something new and different) and I literally laugh out loud every single time I watch it. Plus, I love Andy Samberg. 

That is everything (I hope) and if you stuck it out until the end, thank you very much! I hope you all have a great March!

What was your favorite product of February?

xoxo

Alyssa