Holiday Gift Guide - For the Beauty Guru

Beauty products make for great stocking stuffers or girlfriend gifts! Treat your beauty lover to something pretty this year! Don't see something above? Check out a few more items after the list!

1. The Body Shop - Advent Calendar - This item is a little pricey at $105, but it is the gift that gives all year long! An advent calendar is the perfect gift to send ahead of time.

2. Bobbi Brown Lipstick in Raisin - I bought this lipstick recently and it is the perfect red brown for the season. I convinced two of my girlfriends to get it as well. It looks amazing on all different skin tones, you can't go wrong with this color!

3. Tarte - At First Blush Set - For the blush lover in your life, these Tarte blushes are beautiful. I think this set is better than getting the Tarte blush palette, because it is easier to use and store the individual blushers.

4. Urban Decay - Naked Palette - The Naked palette is on so many girls wish list. The shadows are creamy and highly pigmented. When choosing between the four different palettes, I love the original Naked palette because the colors are so versatile.

5. Nest - Eau de Parfum Collection - Nest perfumes are lovely and this set gives you a chance to try them all. I recently purchased this and like to layer different scents to create my own scent!

6. The New Black - Nail Ombre Kit - I'm all about ombre these days and this nail kit is right up my alley. The nail polishes can be used one at a time or you can go for the full ombre look.

7. Tangle Teaser Travel - This is the only thing I use to brush my wet hair. Totally reduces damage!

8. Real Techniques - Bold Metals Brush Set - Every beauty guru loves new brushes. Plus, these are so pretty!

9.LUSH - Ro's Argan Body Conditioner - The original body conditioner, Ro's Argan body conditioner smells amazing!

10. Sephora Superstars Kit - I love giving these Sephora kits as gifts. You get so many different items, it's such a fun gift!

11. Laura Mercier - Matte-to-Metal Holiday Caviar Stick Collection - These eye shadow sticks are so creamy and the colors are incredibly rich. Your giftee can use them individually or go for a dramatic eye look with all the colors!

April Beauty Favorites

It's been a while since I posted over here, so I thought I would ease back into it with a monthly favorites post! I've been watching a lot of Youtube videos (since you can watch it in any country!) and testing out a lot of difference beauty products. Here are some of the products that I've been loving this month.

Algenist - Genius Ultimate Anti-Aging Melting Cleanser - I was in the mood to mix up my cleansing routine recently and I picked up the The Great Cleanse package from Sephora. The set includes 12 sample sized cleansers, exfoliators and make-up removers. The sample size has been really convenient for all my work trips and this Algenist cleanser has been the stand out product! You need to use a make-up remover beforehand, but this stuff leaves my skin so moisturized and soft.

Zoya - Nail polish in Leah - I've fallen back in love with nail polish and have been wearing this Zoya polish non-stop for the past few weeks. I picked it up at ULTA on a whim. The coverage and dry-time are amazing. The color is a very subtle lilac, almost white. The finish is matte, which is perfect because it doesn't show chips very much.

Korres - Black Pine Firming, Lifting & Antiwrinkle Eye Cream - I have been looking out for a good eye cream for the past few months. I'm pretty solidly into my 30's and want to keep my skin looking fresh. In addition to daily SPF, I wanted an anti-wrinkle eye cream. A Sephora employee suggested I give this product a try and I'm loving it. I haven't noticed major differences yet, but I've only been using it for a few weeks. If you have sensitive eyes, this product might not be for you; my eyes teared up the first time I used this eye cream.

Bobbi Brown - Lip Color in Soft Rose - No 23 - Ever since I got my braces off last year, I've been obsessed with lip products. This Bobbi Brown lipstick is a 'your lips but better' color. So so so pretty.

Laura Mercier - Tinted Moisterizer in Sand - During the Spring and Summer, I like to trade out my foundation for a tinted moisturizer. Before I went on vacation I was wearing Nude, but with my little tan I've been wearing Sand. This Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer has just the right amount of coverage to wear it to work. Bonus - it has SPF 20! I love SPF.

The Balm - Mary Lou Manizer - Want to glow like you've had ten hours of sleep? Fake it and pop some of this stuff on your cheeks. The Balm isn't available at Sephora or ULTA, so I ordered this product from Amazon. Is there anything that Amazon doesn't sell? I also bought powdered cheese and a vent register there on Monday. Amazon is so good!

GK Hair - Dry Shampoo - I have at least four dry shampoos that I have been trying out. This is hands down my favorite. Recommended to me by my hair stylist, this dry shampoo has three things going for it... 1. No white residue, 2. No annoying fragrance, 3. Great at refreshing day two hair. I also like to use this stuff on clean hair to give it a bit of grit and volume.

YSL - Volputé Tint-in-Oil in Cherry Ma Cherie - No. 5 - I didn't think this lip tint would be all that impressive. I was so wrong! The oil goes on clear and develops into a lovely color on the lip. Want that 'just ate a bowl of cherries' look, pick up this color! 

What have you been loving this month? I'm always looking for fun new products to try!

November/December Beauty Favorites

It's almost halfway through December, so I feel bad saying these are my November favorites. I suppose that I have been reaching for these things pretty much every day, so they are still my December faves too!

First up, Bamboo Style - Cleanse Extend Dry Shampoo. Now I need to say first, I don't use dry shampoo in the traditional manner. Not that I use it as deodorant or something strange, I just don't like second day hair. My hair gets super greasy and really likes to be washed every day. I like to use this dry shampoo to grit up my freshly washed hair. This particular dry shampoo smells amazing and is completely translucent. This is important, because my hair is a brunette/blonde combination right now.  I've tried all three scents and this one is really my favorite!

I picked up this blush a few months ago and was hesitant to try it out. I mean, look at that color! It's crazy! When I finally tried it out, I was so happy. This is a perfect Fall/Winter blush because it complements a darker wardrobe. It's very pigmented, so be careful when applying it! I'll post an outfit of the day in a few days when I'm wearing this blush so you can see what it looks like on.

I'm mean to my hair. Like I said, I like to wash my hair everyday and that means I dry it five days of the week. When you dry your hair as often as I do, a heat protectant is super important. I picked up this Sebastian Trilliant heat protectant at my salon and have been using it non-stop all November and December. You have to shake it up, since it's a bi-phasic solution, and spritz it allover your hair. It also smells amazing, I can smell it on my hair all day long.

Lots of people have been raving about the Nars Audacious lipsticks. I'm also jumping on the bandwagon with everyone else. These lipsticks are so pretty and the formulation is beautiful. I picked up these two colors - Anna (left) & Bridget (right). You can see that I've been wearing Bridget quite a bit. It's one of those 'Your lips but better' colors. I also love the packaging because the cap is magnetic. No more caps popping off in my purse and making a mess. I may be picking some more up!

I've been on the hunt for a great concealer for a while. I've been using the YSL Touche Eclat for the past year, but it really doesn't give great coverage for those dark circles. This Tarte Maracuja creaseless concealer is almost perfect. It really brightens up my eyes and stays all day. My only problem? The tube was 50% empty when opened it up. I expected the tube to be full of product, but it was full of air. Boo.

If you are looking for a simple and beautiful eyeshadow palette, this one might be the one for you! The Urban Decay - Naked 2 Basics palette is six matte, neutral shades. This particular palette is the cooler toned option (apparently the first Naked Basics palette has warmer colors, I don't know. I only have this one!) I usually use this palette on workdays for a simple and sophisticated look.

This mascara is a little weird. It has a giant brush and gives you some seriously large, but soft lashes. My only problem with it? It's scented! The mascara is perfumed, which smells lovely, but I think it's a little strange for you to apply a scented product to your eyeballs.

Those are more go to products for the past month and a half! What have you been loving this month? Do you have any winter-specific products that you have been using? I'm needing a serious body moisturizer!

Gift Guide 2014 - The Beauty Junkie

I'm a total beauty product junkie and I know I'm not alone in the world. If you have a junkie friend on your holiday giving list, check out some fun ideas below! (Or just buy a few of these for yourself, I won't judge)

1. Elizabeth & James - Nirvana Black - Perfume is a tricky present to buy for someone. This particular one may be a winner for just about everyone. I have come across several friends wearing this scent and it was amazing on each of them. It's a combination of violet, sandalwood and vanilla.

2. Hourglass - Ambient Lighting Blush Palette - This palette is the perfect trio of colors for so many different skin tones.

3. Soap & Glory - Clean on Me Creamy Moisture Shower Gel - Maybe I'm still a twelve year old girl, but I love getting bath products for Christmas! Soap & Glory makes such rich and luxurious shower gels. Bonus? This one smells like mandarins!

4. Charlotte Tilbury - K.I.S.S.I.N.G. Lipstick - "Bitch Perfect" or "Love Bite" - With the introduction of Charlotte Tilbury to Nordstrom, we US girls no longer have to head to London for our fix. I'm all about this lipstick. Feeling spendy? Pick up a "Look Set" and it includes everything someone would need to recreate a particular makeup look.

5. Boscia - Tsubaki Cleansing Oil - I'm not sure if I fully buy into the cleansing oil thing yet. I'm thinking this small set would be perfect for someone like me. They're interested in trying something new, but doesn't want to commit to a full-size product yet. I'm all about these sponges though. So nice to cleanse your face with these guys.

6. Fresh - Sugar Ruby Romance - I always have at least three Fresh lip balms in my purse. I'm currently loving the Tulip color. It's the perfect whisper of pink.

7. MAC - Objects of Affection pigments & glitter - This is the time of year to break out the glittery eye shadows. This set from MAC is so pretty, I'm loving the silver and blue collection.

8. NARS - Turkish Delight Lip Gloss in "Super Orgasm" - Who doesn't want lip gloss in their stocking? I'd love to find this number under the tree! While the names of the colors are scandalous, the colors themselves are beautiful!

9. Glamglow - Gift Set - I've been wanting to try the Glamglow skin masks, but wasn't sure which one my skin would like best. This is the perfect way to try all three, at a discount!

10. Bath & Body Works - Mini Hand Sanitizer - Try the winter scents, "Fresh sparkling snow" or "Winter cranberry". I'm a train commuter and feel like these are the only way I make it through the cold and flu season.

Beauty Faves - Travel Edition

When traveling for a long period of time, it helps to have a bit of normalcy to your routine. Having spent three out of the past five weeks traveling, I've really appreciated having some of my favorite products in micro versions. They're TSA friendly, super convenient and so adorable!

Recently, my salon has begun carrying a ton of their products in travel sizes, including the best hair spray ever. I'm a big fan of tossing this in my carry on and giving my hair a quick refresher after six hours in flight.

I've been using Living Proof - Style extender for about a year now and nothing makes my hair more sleek and smooth. I picked up this little version of the 5 ounce container at Sephora. My Sephora has an entire section of travel friendly products right up by the cash register. This is totally the danger section of the store. I'm like a kid in line at the grocery store. I want all the candy!

Want a dual purpose moisturizer? You need to pick up Kiehl's Super Fluid. It's a little pricey, at $38 for 1.7 ounces, but my sensitive skin just loves it. It's light, fragrance free and has SPF 50. After 14 hours in flight, my skin is super dry and just soaks this stuff up.

I don't know about you, but I love having my own shampoo when I'm traveling. Some hotels have the worst in house toiletries. I've smelled some pretty wretched shampoos over the past month. I bought these little cuties a few months ago from my salon. They were pricey, at $4 each, but they are refillable! If your favorite brand doesn't come in smaller versions, just head to Sephora and pick up this adorable travel kit!

These two moisturizers aren't specifically for travel, but they're inherently travel sized. At 0.5 ounces, you can throw these in your carry on with no problem at all. Both of these eye creams have their own purpose. Upon boarding my place, I take off all my makeup and dab on the Kiehl's Creamy eye treatment. It's so rich and amazing. Once the long flight is over, I freshen up with a make-up removing cloth and try to wake up with a layer of Origins GinZing.

With four weeks of travel ahead of me, I've got my mini travel kit ready to go again.

What are you favorite travel beauty tricks? Until I get those fancy free upgrades to business class, I'm going to need to become a pro at economy, long-distance travel!

December Beauty Faves

It's time for fun beauty faves! This is one of my favorite posts each month because I love sharing what I've been enjoying each month. Since it's December I thought I would share my favorite moisture and color products.  Winter means we need lots of hydration for our bodies and a little color to brighten our days.

First up, Philosophy all-in-one cleanser.  Personally I use this as a shower gel, but you can also use it as a shampoo and bubble bath! I have three different scents but you can tell that I love the coconut frosting one most of all. This cleanser has great froth and leaves me feeling super hydrated. And I smell like a cake, yum.

On really dry days, of which there are lots of them in the tri-state area in winter, I like to layer my coconut flavors. All of the LUSH products that I've tried have been amazing and this one is too. This LUSH Coco Lotion is smooth and fragrant and I love that it's made with coconut oil. I like to put it in my baked goods, why not lather it on my dry hands!

These colors have been on my nails since I bought them. I like to alternate between the two. Julep - Celia, is the perfect shimmery shade of light green. It came in my Julep Maven box this month and it's so pretty!  Essie - the lace is on, is from their fall 2013 collection and is just the perfect metallic magenta. Adds just the right pop of color to a winter day.

In only 1 month I'm getting my braces off. With that in mind, I've been loading up on lipsticks of all colors! I'm ready to show off my pearly whites. MAC Rebel has been one of my favorites. It's the perfect shade of deep wine, I'm wearing it in this post. Sure, it's a bit of a statement lip, but I love it for everyday!

When the Marc Jacobs makeup line first came out I was a little suspicious. I didn't think it would really be anything special. Then I tried one of the nail polishes and loved how pigmented it was. Then I picked up an eye shadow palette. Recently I had a consultation at Sephora and I tried out some of the Marc Jacobs blushers and they are fabulous! I use the lighter color as a highlighter and the deeper color on my cheeks. Love them.

What products have you been loving lately? Have any favorite winter weather products?

November Beauty Faves

It's time for my favorite post of the month - Beauty Faves!  This month it's mostly some of my tried and true products, with just one new addition to my beauty repertoire.  Next month be prepared for a whole bunch of new, fun products, because I don't know about you but I went a little crazy at the Sephora sale this weekend!

Clinique Chubby Stick - Shadow tint for eyes.  I've been a long time lover of the chubby stick for lips and only recently picked up a few of these eye tints.  If you have no time in the morning, these will be your new best friend.  Quick swipe and smudge and you're ready to go!  I'll be sure to do a post this week with this stuff so you can see how it looks!

DETOX - Dry shampoo. This dry shampoo is my Saturday morning life saver.  Why?  Because Saturday morning is no time to be waking up early and hopping in the shower.  Saturdays are for sleeping in and getting brunch. This product actually smells amazing, really fresh.  You definitely won't be needing perfume on top of this.  My one complaint?  It comes out of the can with so much power!  It's like a can of compressed air!

Bobbi Brown - Roseberry. This is my one new purchase for this month and I've been wearing it non-stop. It's a matte, berry lip color that is subtle but so pretty!  I had to search around a few different locations to find it because not all the Sephora shops carry Bobbi Brown.

LUSH - Lip Scrub. I want to just eat the contents of these jars.  Especially the popcorn flavor. With winter comes really dry air and chapped lips.  You should definitely add this to your morning routine if you plan on wearing any lip color.  It'll be the tastiest part of your regime!  They also have this in bubblegum and a new flavor for the holidays - Santa's lip scrub (apparently it tastes like coca-cola?)

LUSH - Ro's Argan Body Conditioner. I know, I know. Another step to add to your morning shower!  No!  While you can use this in the same way you use a hair conditioner (slather it on after you wash), I actually use it as a shave lotion. It leaves my legs so soft and smooth.  Plus, it smells amazing. The consultant at LUSH suggested I use it after their grass shower gel.  I laughed because I didn't really want to smell like the garden!

What are some of your beauty favorites or recent new finds? I love trying out new products!

Bobbi Brown Lip Products · Sephora Dry Hair Shampoo · Lush Body Cleansers

October Beauty Faves

I thought that I would take a day every month and share with you some of my favorite beauty products.  I have a total Sephora problem, as shown by my Rouge card, and love love love trying out new make-up and beauty products!  Some of this months items are recent purchases and some of them are my tried and true, go-to products.  

Amika Nourishing Mask.  This mask is not for your face, it's for your hair! I actually got this in one of my Birchboxes and quickly ran through the sample tube. It's a little pricey ($40 for 500mL), but it makes my hair so smooth and shiny!

Dr Jart+ Black Label Detox BB Cream.  This is another Birchbox find. I've tried a few different BB creams and have settled on this as my favorite.  The SPF in this one is a little lower than I would like (only SPF 25), but if you just layer a light sunscreen first, you'll be all set!  The color might be a little dark for winter, but with my mildly tanned skin it's just perfect.

Dr Jart+ Water-Max Sleeping Mask. With the days turning cooler and dryer, this mask has been a life saver.  My skin tends to lose moisture like crazy in the fall and winter and this mask helps me re-hydrate, overnight!  Just smooth it on right before bed and rinse it off in the morning.  I use it once or twice a week and it really leaves my skin glowing!

YvesSaintLaurent Touche Eclat - Radiant Touch.  It took me forever to find a highlighter/concealer that doesn't look cakey and gross. I'm also in love with the brush applicator. Just click the bottom of the pen and it ejects more product onto the brush. This YSL pen is perfect for under eye concealing and I also like to use it for highlighting.

Givenchy Fluid Foundation. I am a huge fan of SPF layering.  I generally wear an SPF 50 sunscreen, topped with my SPF 25 BB cream and an SPF 20 foundation.  Sunscreen really is a girls best friend, keep those fine lines at bay!  I love the feel of this foundation, it applies so smoothly and lasts so much longer than any previous foundation I have tried.  While no foundation will last from morning until night, this Givenchy foundation lasts 8 or 9 hours.

Living Proof - Prime Style Extender.  Sephora is trouble when it comes to their free products!  I received a sample of this product last winter and have been buying the full size tube ever since.  It's not an anti-frizz product and will do nothing for you on those crazy humid days.  What it does is allow for me to skip a shampoo.  Use this day one, day two spritz on some dry shampoo.  It really holds your style.

SUGAR fresh products.  I am totally addicted to SUGAR products.  I probably have three more of these lip balms in my purse.  Fabulous moisture with just a hint of color, I like to wear these alone and on top of my regular lipstick.  The SUGAR fresh gloss is perfect for a casual weekend look!

So there we have it!  My favorites for October!  I have a whole bunch of other things that I want to share with you, but I didn't want this post to be pages and pages long.  Come back next month for my winter must have beauty products!

What are you loving this month?  Find any new colors?  A great lipstick?  I'm a sucker for nail polish...

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