March Favorites 2012

My March 2012 Favorites!

EOS Lip Balm in Summer Fruit: This is one of the cutest lip balms out there but I tend to be picky about lip balms so I wasn't sure if it would live up to all the hype. However, I must say that it is a very moisturizing and fairly long lasting lip balm and I am quite happy with it. The top screws off of the little egg-shaped container to reveal a half-sphere of lip balm. It smells fruity and sweet and reminds me almost exactly of the smell of Trident Tropical Twist gum in the orange packaging. It applies smoothly to the lips and tastes really sweet. I usually don't like flavored lip products but this is one that I don't mind accidentally licking off of my lips. I don't think I like it as much as my beloved Burt's Bees lip balm but it is definitely a close runner up. 

EOS Lip Balm in Summer Fruit

L'Oreal Colour Riche Balm in 818 Nourishing Nude: I hauled this not very long ago but it has quickly become a favorite of mine. I find myself throwing it into my purse almost every single day, especially on days that I don't feel like wearing lipstick or lipgloss but still want a light wash of color on my lips. It feels moisturizing like a lip balm and slightly enhances my natural lip color while giving off a glossy (but not too glossy) sheen. I love it! 

L'Oreal Colour Riche Balm in 818 Nourishing Nude

Wet n Wild Megalast Lip Color in 902C Bare it All: I have finally found the perfect nude lipstick after what seems like a forever long lasting treasure hunt and this is it you guys! It's a beautiful, semi-matte lipstick that is extremely opaque and is seriously the most perfect nude color for my skin tone. I always pick up nude lipsticks here and there to try out but they always end up making me look washed out and/or dead. This one gives me the nude look I want but I still look alive! Yay! :) 

Wet n Wild Megalast Lip Color in 902C Bare it All

  
Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate Lipstick in 08: Kate Moss is pretty much my favorite model of all time so I had to pick one of these lipsticks up no matter what. I went with 08 and I'm so glad I did because it is a beautiful mauvy-nude that really enhances the natural color of my lips. It feels creamy and smooth and is moisturizing enough to be worn alone or you can top it off with lipgloss. It has a slightly sweet smell but isn't too overbearing. 

Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate Lipstick in 08

Swatches: L'Oreal Nourishing Nude, Wet n Wild 902C Bare it All, Rimmel 08 (warm lighting)

Swatches: L'Oreal Nourishing Nude, Wet n Wild 902C Bare it All, Rimmel 08 (cool lighting)

ELF Studio Tinted Moisturizer in Porcelain: This tinted moisturizer is perfect to wear in Guam's hot & humid weather. It never looks shiny or greasy on me (even with my combination/oily skin) but I always top it off with a powder anyway (usually my MAC MSF Natural). Plus, you have got to love the $3 price tag! I'm not sure why it's called "Porcelain" though because it matches my skin very well and I have more of a medium skin tone.  

ELF Studio Tinted Moisturizer in Porcelain

Swatch of ELF Studio Tinted Moisturizer in Porcelain

Wet n Wild Coloricon Eyeliner in White: This white eyeliner is great for lining the waterline of your eyes to really make them pop and give you that bright wide-eyed look. It applies smoothly and shows up well but isn't super long lasting. I love that you get a ton of product and it has a great price point. 

Wet n Wild Coloricon Eyeliner in White

Posh Crease Brush Duo: I absolutely love these crease brushes and use them almost every single time I apply eyeshadow. They are super soft and never shed and allow for very precise eyeshadow application. I never hear anyone talk about Posh makeup brushes but they are really high quality and I love the red handles. I would definitely recommend these to everyone.

Posh Crease Brush Duo

ELF Cream Eyeliner in Copper: As you can see, this eyeliner is more of a bronze than a copper. It applies creamy and opaque and I've really been liking it this month as a way to branch out from my signature black eyeliner. Sure, it's not a drastic change but I'm taking baby steps, alright? (lol) 

ELF Cream Eyeliner in Copper

ELF Cream Eyeshadow in Bronze: I never ever hear anyone talk about the ELF Cream Eyeshadows and I don't understand why! I own two of them and love them both. I have been using this one a lot this month because I have really been loving brown eyeshadow looks. Sometimes I wear it alone and sometimes I layer powder shadows over it. It's long lasting on my eyes and doesn't crease (keep in mind that I do not  have oily eyelids). It can be applied sheer or built up to be darker and opaque.

Swatches: ELF Cream Eyeliner in Copper, ELF Cream Eyeshadow in Bronze (warm lighting)

Swatches: ELF Cream Eyeliner in Copper, ELF Cream Eyeshadow in Bronze (cool lighting)

Revlon Top Speed Fast Dry Nail Enamel in 570 Vintage: You may recall this as I only just recently hauled it when I picked up some sale items from K-Mart. I had been looking for a color like this for such a long time and this deep berry/burgundy shade is simply gorgeous. I apply about 3 thin coats to get it 100% opaque. It shows up a bit darker on your nails once it is dry than how it looks in the bottle.

Revlon Top Speed Fast Dry Nail Enamel in 570 Vintage

Hope you all had a fabulous March and have a fabulous April as well! I'm super excited because my birthday is at the end of this month. Do I see new makeup in my future? hehe :) Take care! xoxo

ELF Haul & First Impressions

A little over a month ago I had $40 that I wanted to spend specifically on makeup so I decided to order some ELF products online that I had been wanting to try out. I ended up ordering on a day when the ELF website was having free shipping which was awesome! You gotta love all the sales that ELF has! They are always offering amazing deals. It took a while to get my package (about 4 weeks!) but I suppose that's to be expected since I'm all the way in Guam. However most companies get their packages here within 1-2 weeks so I'd say my only complaint about ELF is their slow shipping. Here's what I ended up with & my first impressions of the items. 

What I ordered: Nine Studio blushes, a Studio Cream Eyeliner in Copper, a Studio Matte Lip Color in Coral, two Studio Conditioning Lip Balms in Peaceful Pink and Mellow Melon, and an Essential Duo Eye Shadow Cream in Butter Pecan.

Studio blushes: So far I really love every single one of the Studio blushes! They are super pigmented and really gorgeous colors! I will definitely be doing a follow up post reviewing each color & posting clearer photos of each one. 

Studio Conditioning Lip Balms in Peaceful Pink and Mellow Melon: So far I've worn each color once. They feel smooth on the lips and are not sticky at all. They are also pretty well pigmented which I enjoy because the colors are so pretty. My only complaint is that they seem to have a tingling sensation that was a bit annoying, like the feeling of a plumping lip gloss with cinnamon in it. These don't state that they are for plumping so I thought maybe it was just a weird reaction I was having. I had my mom try them out and she felt the tingling too. It's not painful or anything but does feel a bit strange.

Studio Matte Lip Color in Coral: So far I've only swatched this so I'm not sure how it wears on the lips yet. The color is a lot more "nude" than "coral" though but I still like it. 

Studio Cream Eyeliner in Copper: I've worn this once so far and I liked it a lot! It's very creamy but it's definitely more of a "bronze" color than a "copper."

Essential Duo Eye Shadow Cream in Butter Pecan: I haven't worn this yet on my eyes but when I swatched it on my hand I could already tell that it seems like it's going to be a miss. It's barely pigmented at all. I find this disappointing because when I looked at swatches online before I ordered it, it appeared much more pigmented than mine does. Maybe I'm not applying enough of it. I'm not sure yet so I'll have to test it out more. 

I'm having lots of fun testing out my new stuff! Have you tried any of these products? How did you like them? :)

Spring 2012 Nail Polish Trends

It may not quite be Spring yet, but all the Spring clothing and beauty collections are popping up which means fun new colors and trends to immerse ourselves in! I particularly love following nail polish trends because it is such an affordable way to be "in" every season. But even if you don't like following trends, new nail polish colors are always fun regardless! Here are some of the main colors you will be seeing on nails this Spring. 

Nudes & neutrals: Think light beige shades that are similar to the color of your skin tone, creamy whites, super light grays, and pale pinks.

(OPI Samoan Sand, Deborah Lippmann Amazing Grace, Essie Chinchilly, Sephora by OPI The Way Tutu His Heart)

 

Creamy neons: The new neons have white added to them which makes them appear much more creamy than the typical neons you might be used to.

 (Essie Orange, It's Obvious, OPI Did It On 'Em, China Glaze Fuchsia Fanatic, American Apparel Neon Blue) 

Glitter: While glitter isn't exactly a new trend, it's now showing up in tons of fun new colors and shapes and sizes.

 (Essie A Cut Above, American Apparel Supernova, OPI Save Me, China Glaze Techno) 

Pastels: Pastels are always a Spring staple and the "it" pastel this year is definitely pistachio green. You'll also be seeing light, buttery yellows and pretty lavenders.

 (Essie Navigate Her, RGB Vellum, Essie To Buy Or Not To Buy) 

Reds: Reds ranging from burgundy to true red to fire engine red are hot and are even hotter when you match them with your red lipstick!

 (Chanel April, Butter London Come To Bed Red, Essie Ole Caliente) 

Spring 2011 Nail Polish Trends



Photo by J. Frasse

     As a college student, I am usually on a pretty tight budget when it comes shopping money, because let's face it, paying for rent, bills and food is a little more important (whether I'd like to admit it or not). As a self-proclaimed fashion addict, I would obviously like to splurge every month on the latest clothes, shoes and accessories but unfortunately this just isn't a reality for me. This is where nail polish comes in. Lately I have rediscovered my love for nail polish (I used to collect them as a little girl) and have realized that nail polish is a totally affordable accessory. Maybe you're bored of that little black dress that you wear every season, but if you try painting your nails this season's "it" colors, you can instantly update your look! Here are a few of my favorite nail polish colors for Spring 2011.

Greige

 "Greige" (a cross between gray and beige) has been "in" since last fall but is still being spotted everywhere this spring. I personally love this taupe-y color because it acts as a neutral and goes with just about any outfit. And sometimes when I think it looks a little boring, I layer a really chunky, glittery clear nail polish over it. It turns out really cool!

Sky Blue

     Sky blue totally reminds me of spring. It makes me think of sunny skies, flowers, and Easter. It works well with most outfits and is a great alternative to the typical pinks and oranges you usually see during spring.

Lavender

     I have been loving the different shades of lavender that I've been seeing. It's such a pretty color that I think often gets ignored when it comes to clothes and shoes because no one really wants to look like Barney the dinosaur. However, as a nail color it's subtle and adds a nice splash of an unexpected color to an outfit.

Nude

     

     Nude goes with literally everything, but it is easy to end up looking like a mannequin so make sure it is very glossy. Sometimes if it matches my skin too much to the point where it looks like I have no nails, I'll add a coat of light, shimmery glitter nail polish over the top to add more shine.

Peach

      Peachy pinks are pretty similar to nudes in that they are neutral and match most outfits. And again, I think they look better when they're very glossy. It is a great alternative to regular old pink.


Gray

    
     Gray nail polish has also been "in" for a while and has carried over from fall. It is a great alternative to black, which has been popular for the past few years. It is probably one of my favorite colors to wear. Plus, it adds a little edge.

If you are interested in any of the colors I have shown here today, check out these websites:

http://www.chinaglaze.com/

http://www.chanel.com/

http://www.revlon.com/#/1

http://www.opi.com/

love,

xobekahgirl