September 2015 Favorites

October is tomorrow, and I am BEYOND excited because that means I can partake in Halloween festivities! Namely eat candy corn while watching my favorite Halloween movies, but the end of September also means another round up of my most loved beauty products in September!

Revlon Colorstay in the combo/oily skin line, why did I ever leave you? This is my favorite foundation of LIFE, not just September. I just picked it up again and it's just the best. It's full coverage, has a satin finish that keeps the shine at bay all day and just always looks so flawless.

I've been switching back and forth between powders and pencils for my brows lately, but this month my NYX Microbrow in Taupe has come out on top. I love the shade because it isn't too dark or too brown, which is hard to come by. I'm sure it comes as no surprise that the L'Oreal Infallible Shadow in Amber Rush is still my jam. I'm boring, I know, but it's just so good.

To go with my Amber Rush, I've been using my Urban Decay Naked 3 a lot this month. I especially love the two matte shades, Nooner and Limit, both amazing dusty rose/mauve crease shades!

I've forgotten how good my Hard Candy Baked Bronzer in Tiki is, and I've used it heavily to give my cheekbones a golden glow. It says "bronzer" but it's really a highlight. I believe it can only be found at Walmart, so definitely pick this up!

My tarte Amazonian Clay Waterproof Bronzer in Park Ave. Princess has been my go to because it's a lovely satin, golden bronze shade. I actually have been preferring this to my more matte bronzers!

For my blush, Colour Pop Blush in Birthday Suit is the most beautiful satin pink that I've been using a majority of the time. It blends like a dream, has great staying power and the formula is just so unique! I'm not a cream blush person, but this cream (gel?) to powder is simply outstanding. It's affordable too in a whole range of colors!

What were your favorites this month? What are you most looking forward to doing in October to celebrate Halloween besides watch Hocus Pocus a million times like me? Do share. :)

xoxo

Jessica

Fall Nail Colors

I just did a post on my transition to fall makeup, and now I've got my fall nail color picks for you!

Fall is the time when I break out some of my deeper, darker nail colors and *try* to tone down my neon nail obsession. I also love throwing in a few copper tones too, like this Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in Copper Penny, an orange copper glitter and Sally Hansen Lustre Shine in Copperhead, a duo chrome purple/blue-copper.

I also love wearing a classic red polish, like Essie A List and bright plums like Essie Bahama Mama. Both are beautiful and bright, yet fall appropriate.

Darker, deeper and more neutral purples are also my jam! Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in Grey Area is a wonderful dark grey-purple color. It's also a dupe for a well-loved Essie polish (check out my post here to see what it's a dupe for!). Sonia Kashuk Nail Colour in Russian Roulette is a deep purple-brown with some purple and gold shimmer that's absolutely gorgeous. If dark colors aren't your thing, try L'Oreal Xtraordinaire Gel Lacquer in In With The Nude is a purple toned nude shade.

Greys and blues are also very chic and stylish, like Essie After School Boy Blazer, a dark, almost black navy. OPI Nien! Nien! Nien! Ok Fine! Is a dark grey with green under tones. a unique shade to sport during fall. For a pop of color, I love throwing a green shade into the mix like this OPI Jade Is The New Black, a stunning jade green (mine is a little separated because it's hard to shake up since it's a mini bottle).

What are your favorite fall nail colors?!

xoxo

Jessica

Behind The Blog: Beautable by Tiana

Hey guys! My fellow blogger Tiana, creator of the blog Beautable by Tiana, and I teamed up to bring you a collab post about some of our favorite beauty products! We each answered a few questions, so you can check out her post to see my answers as well as check out her sweet ass blog.

Check out what she said!

1. What are some of my current beauty favorites?

I am constantly loving new face products, I just have a sick obsession with concealers, foundations and powders! This time around I am loving the Icings Face expert baked bronzer. This shade is much more of a highlight obviously due to my darker skin tone but I know they carry a few different shades in this bronzer powder as well! Then as if that wasn't enough of a highlight I have been loving the NYX born to glow liquid illuminator, and this is what I would like to call a lingering favorite...I have been using/loving this all summer so why not carry it into fall? 

The Clinique Beyond Perfecting Foundation I actually just bought a few days ago but the results so far has been great, its  full coverage, but it seriously feels so light on the skin so that just made my week! And then both the Sonia Kashuk Chic Luminosity powder and the Sephora Gel Serum concealer have both been life-saving and I think they look so beautiful and glowy (great word choice huh) together!

2. Which do you prefer, strobing or contouring?

 Contouring all the way, don't get me wrong I love a good dewy finish and a slight obvious highlight but I think I need to contour to give my face the dimensions I prefer. I couldn't imagine not chiseling out my cheek bones and narrowing my nose, I do this with my Ulta contour kit palette...it's a necessity.

3.One of your favorite high-end and drugstore eyeshadow palettes?

Unfortunately I'd hate to answer this question untruthfully because I am still on the lookout for a favorite high-end eyeshadow palette; if there is one that you are loving let me know! But for drugstore I really love the L'oreal Color Riche La Palette in Nude. I just think the colors are super fitting to my own personal taste and very practical.

4. Some of my favorite beauty YouTubers?

-Carli Bybel (The first beauty guru I ever subscribed to)

-Nicole Guerriero

-Sonjdradeluxe

-Casey Holmes

5. What do you prefer, a bold lip? Or a bold eye look?

 I love a bold lip... like LOVE. It is my favorite look to pull off. These are definitely some of my favorite bold lipsticks and they are definitely bold!

Tiana is a beautiful, super sweet and talented girl when it comes to makeup, so please check out her blog and follow her!

(All photos are courtesy of Tiana)

What would be your answers to these questions?

xoxo

Jessica

Top Favorite Drugstore Single Shadows

Aw man, I remember when my eye shadow collection was just a handful of eyeshadow singles from the drugstore. Obviously, I've now turned into an eye shadow palette fiend who has stacks of them. Oh my humble beginnings! I still use them from time to time, and wanted to round up some of my favorite drugstore single shadows! 

I feel like single shadows are often looked over for some reason. There are a lot of great quality, stunning single shades that are great additions to anyone's makeup bag! ( I didn't include any brands you can't walk into a drugstore to buy; sorry Colour Pop).

Side note: Since I chose my Harry Potter books as a prop, I'm so stoked that the theater close to me is now re-playing all 8 Harry Potter movies, one every week! I just saw Sorcerer's Stone yesterday and it was just as incredible in theaters as it was in 2001, minus the cloak, fake glasses and tattoo scar I sported back then at the midnight premiere. Holla at my HP peeps! 

MOVING ON. Some of these shadows I've had for a loooooong time, and are still among some of my favorite shades. 

The newest singles to my repertoire are the NYX Prismatic Shadows in Fireball and Liquid Gold. They are uber metallic and creamy with excellent pigmentation. With a bright and bold color selection to boot! 

Obviously, the L'Oreal Infallible Eyeshadows are among my favorites. I mean, I can't shut up about Amber Rush! I also love Iced Latte and Bronzed Taupe.

Crazy metallic and pigmented, they add high impact shine to the lid. It's like creamy fairy dust in a pot.

L'Oreal also has another line of shadows called the Studio Secrets Professional Eyeshadow Singles that are also pretty great, and affordable too. I own the shades Satin TuTu and Violet Petal, both beautiful, shimmery pastels. 

They are not nearly as creamy as the Infallible ones, but still deliver decent pigmentation for a softer look.

Maybelline also delivers some of the best shadow singles in the drugstore with such a wide variety of colors and finishes. I own Constant Toast ( a satin, almost matte warm brown with a strange name), Pink Wink (peachy pink with gold iridescence) and Amethyst (my favorite purple shade in the old school packaging that I've hit major pan on).

These are the quintessential drugstore shadow single that we all have loved at one point but have forgotten about, myself included. WHY?! They are so cheap and really are good quality! 

 

Wet n' Wild has the cheapest singles, at around $1 a pan. The three I have are Creme Brulee (nude beige), Sugar (white) and Nutty (bronzy taupe).

They are so cute and compact! Super blendable and creamy too. I love using Creme Brulee all over the lid to kind of set my primer to help blend my eye shadow better since it basically matches my skin tone. Sugar is a great shade to highlight the inner corner and brow bone, and Nutty is a beautiful lid or crease color since it has a satin finish.

Lastly, my lonely Revlon Diamond Lust in Night Sky that I'm pretty sure is discontinued but I think can be hunted down on Amazon. It's a dramatic, multi-glitter black. Perfect for going out or special occasions.When I want a dark, dramatic look but with a shit ton of glitter, I pull this out.

There is quite a bit of fall out however, so you have to be extra careful and use a good primer and set it with a setting spray. Otherwise it's spectacular. Everyone needs a fancy black shadow!

These are just some of my personal single eyeshadow favorites, but there are so many more hidden gems out there!

What are your favorites?

xoxo

Jessica

September 2015 Boxycharm Unboxing! #RunwayReady

My Boxycharm has finally arrived! And the box looks super beat up, so I'm glad everything inside is still intact. Much like Ipsy, Boxycharm decided to theme their box after New York Fashion Week! Let's take a peak at what they sent out for us to be #RunwayReady!

In this box, I got Nail Wraps by Scratch. I've never tried nail wraps before so I was a little intimidated, but they are actually pretty neat and surprisingly easy to use. For my first attempt I didn't do too terrible. The design is pretty too, very art deco.

I've tried a Previse product before, and I enjoyed it so I'm looking forward to trying the Previse Skincare HydroMilk Hydrating Lotion. It's a full size moisturizer at a whopping $48! This better have unicorn tears infused in it at that price.

I've gotten a Vasanti brush before in my box, and wasn't terribly impressed, especially at the price they are supposedly going for. This time I received a Vasanti Professional Foundation Brush. I don't ever use foundation brushes, and the bristles on this one are not my fav because they aren't that soft. I'll probably pass it on or find some other use for it, like applying face masks with it.

I also got the Tarte SmolderEYES Amazonian Clay Waterproof Liner in Fig. It's a really creamy, chocolate brown eyeliner with a slight sheen. It comes with a smudger too! Sweet.

The Chella Eyebrow Defining Gel looks nice too, just a basic clear brow gel that is a MUST for me. I'll see how this one compares to my NYX Control Freak Brow Gel!

This month we got a bonus item! A sample of the Kardashian Beauty Black Seed Dry Oil. I can never have too many hair oils, and I've never tried anything from their line before. I'm curious to see how this works for me!

That's what was in my Boxycharm this month! This is definitely the best value box out there in my opinion.What did you guys love from this months box?

xoxo

Jessica

September 2015 Birchbox Unboxing!

I've been loving the boxes from Birchbox lately, and this month is no different! It's so pretty! I now have an impressive stockpile of these boxes that I've kept because they are just too cool to toss. Anyway, let's get into what I this month!

First off, I got a repeat sample of the Dr. Brandt Pores No More Cleanser. I just finished the last one and really liked it, so I'm happy I got another sample of it! I also got The Organic Pharmacy Manuka Face Cream, a moisturizer for blemished prone skin. I'm excited to try this because moisturizers for acne-prone/oily skin are hard to come by. 

Ugh. Perfume sample. This time it's from Montale in the scent Intense Cafe, and has notes of vanilla, amber and white musk. It's alright, not really my jam because I like my fruity, citrus scents.

I also got a hair mask, a Protein Mask from Salon Gioje. It's like an aqua teal color and smells like a strong cologne which is a little off putting for me. But I love trying hair masks and the color alone is intriguing to me! 

Lastly, I got a lipstick from ModelCo in Stiletto, a classic red shade. I like ModelCo products, and you can never go wrong with a classic red lip that's not too cool or warm toned.

I was pleasantly surprised with this months box! I already know I love the cleanser, psyched about the moisturizer, lipstick and hair mask. The only bummer was the perfume sample. Booooo.

What did you get this month?

xoxo

Jessica

Transition to Fall Makeup

Now is the time that we are all getting bombarded with fall makeup looks, fashion and the anticipation of all the fall festivities that come with cooler weather. Unfortunately, where I am it's not so fall like. With 85 degree days still in the mix, it's hard to wear boots, plaid shirts and darker lips when summer is still holding on for dear life. So I decided to gather up some of my makeup that gets me through this awkward transition between the seasons!

Fall is all about deeper, berry shades and more on the matte side in lieu of the dewy summer glow during the warmer months. I definitely try to incorporate those berry tones, but a little more muted and softened, and the L'Oriel La Palette Nude 2 has a variety of those shades! It has a good mix of purples, mauves and browns with a good amount of mattes.

To add a little sparkle and shine, golds, bronzes, and coppers such as Game Face from Colour Pop and Liquid Gold NYX Prismatic Shadow are great for all over the lid! Mascara is always a must, and I've been liking the MDM Flow Greater Than Mascara. Also, I just love the packaging. ;)

Left: Game Face, Liquid Gold and La Palette Nude 2

For my face, I love the L'Oreal Infalliable Pro-Matte Foundation! It's matte with a good amount of coverage that keeps my shine at bay. Contouring comes back into the spotlight for the fall, and I have been enjoying my Wet n' Wild Contouring Palette in Caramel Toffee. It's super cheap and has a nice cool toned contour shade. The highlight shade barely shows up, but it does a good job of setting my concealer! I also substitute my shimmery bronzers for more matte ones, like the Honey Bronze Bronzing Powder in Medium Matte. For blush, I gravitate towards deeper shades like my NYX Powder Blush in Bordeaux that gives a natural looking flush. I still love my highlighters to give my skin a little bit of strategic shine to balance out the matte. The Mary Lou Manizer from theBalm is one of my favorites for a gold champagne glow!

For my lips, I'm still sticking to more nude shades that are a little darker and on the brown, mauve side for the transition into fall. I've been loving my Maybelline lipstick in Warm Me Up, Maybelline Creamy Matte in Touch Of Spice and Revlon Lip Butter in Fig Jam.

Warm Me Up is a satin finish and is my perfect everyday nude color! Touch Of Spice is matte, and more of a deeper red-brown mauve. Fig Jam is one of my all time favorite lip colors because it's a wearable brown lip color, glossy and a little on the sheer side that is a savior if my lips are feeling dry but I still want some color.

The weird stage between summer and fall can be tricky to decide what to wear and what makeup to choose, so I hope this helps!

What makeup helps you transition into fall?

xoxo

Jessica