Two New Favorite Things: Beautyblender & blinc Mascara

Happy Monday! Hope everyone's week is off to a great start :)

I'm SO excited about these two products I'm telling you about today. Probably my favorite beauty products I've purchased in a while. The first one I'll talk about is the beautyblender.

I first saw beautyblender being used in a YouTube video by stillglamorus. I had never seen it before, so I decided to look it up on Google. I'm really glad I did! I absolutely LOVE this makeup sponge. It's a bit pricey ($34.95), but so far it seems worth the money to me. It works so much better for me than any other makeup sponge I've ever used before. It blends my foundation perfectly! It's just a lot easier to use than those triangluar makeup sponges that I (used to) use. It fits great in your hand and it 's easier to get all those tricky hard-to-reach places on your face. When you order it, it comes with a special cleanser to keep it clean and bacteria-free. It also comes with instructions on how to recycle beautyblender when it's time to get a new one :)

To use, you just pick up some foundation with it and "bounce", or stipple, the sponge on your face to apply/blend your foundation. I promise you, your makeup will look great every time!

I talked about this mascara in a previous post, but I love it so much that I'm gonna talk about it again! blinc mascara was one of the samples in the September Birchbox. I fell in love with it the first time I used it, so much so that I actually shelled out the $25 to buy a full-sized tube. Yeah, a little ridiculous for a mascara, but totally worth it! It's a "tubing" mascara. When you apply it, it puts little tubes around your lashes instead of just painting them. After it dries, it doesn't smudge or flake off. I've noticed that it also makes my lashes look longer. blinc mascara is also very easy to remove. You just use warm water and your fingers (or a washcloth) to just slide the tubes off of your lashes. Simple as that! It's definitely a great mascara for anyone who has sensitive eyes or wears contacts.

Purchase beautyblender here!

Purchase blinc mascara here!

September Birchbox and Random Product Reviews

Happy September everyone! I received my September birchbox in the mail yesterday and I'm super excited about it! I'm really stoked to try all of the samples. Let's see what I got, shall we?

First up we have mascara by blinc. It's a tubing mascara that forms little water resistent "tubes" over your lashes that don't clump, smudge, or flake. I actually used this product this morning and I LOVE it! If I happen to touch my lashes during the day, it doesn't come off onto my fingers like other mascaras do and it makes your lashes look longer. I'm definitely considering buying the full sized mascara.

Next is a perfume by Harvey Prince called Eau Flirt. I haven't tried it yet, but it sounds like it smells delicious. It's a mix of citrus, jasmine, lavender and pumpkin. Yum!

Incoco Nail Polish Applique. So excited about this! They're the nail polish strips that have been pretty popular lately. I love the design they sent out as the sample. Rawr!

I also got Jouer Lip Enhancer. It's supposed to hydrate, plump, and condition your lips all with one product. My lips could use a little plumping, hydrating, and conditioning :)

And last but not least, the "extra" for the month is Lash Card. It helps keep mascara from getting on your eyeslids while you're putting it on. Pretty cool!

I also have a couple product reviews I'd like to share. First is the Urban Decay De-Slick makeup setting spray. I've been using it for some time now, and I haven't really noticed that it keeps my face from getting oily during the day. I don't know if maybe I'm not using enough or not putting it on at the right time, but it just hasn't done anything significant for me. I'll probably continue to use it until the bottle runs out, but I'm not sure if I'd ever purchase it again.

I also tried smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer. It came as a sample with the August birchbox. I really wanted to like it, but like the De-Slick, I didn't notice a big difference using that primer as opposed to the primer I already use. I had pretty high expectations for the product since it costs so much money, but it doesn't do anything for me.

A productt I really liked from the August birchbox was the Ouidad Climate Control Heat & Humidity Gel. It worked really great for my hair, definitely noticed a difference in the amount of frizz I get during the day. I used it on certain layers of my hair that tend to get more frizzy than others, and the results were great. Considering buying a full sized bottle!

Hope everyone's September is going well! Also, any suggestions of things you would like to see on my blog or products you'd like me to review are always greatly appreciated :)

OPI's "Funky Dunkey" & My First Birchbox!

OPI's "Funky Dunkey"

I saw this color in one of the little sale bins at Ulta and I had to get it! My favorite color is purple, and this shade definitely caught my eye. It's like a "Barney purple",  for lack of better terminology. Very fun color and it also looks great with a coat of Sephora by OPI Blasted Silver on top :)

I also bought two polishes from OPI's new Fall 2011 collection, "Touring America", as well as another polish called "Dating A Royal" which is a great shade of blue I just couldn't pass up.

"Honk If You Love OPI", "Get In The Expresso Lane", "Dating A Royal"

I'm really excited to use "Get In The Expresso Lane" which is a very pretty brown. It's actually my first brown polish! Perfect for the upcoming Fall season.

Last week I received my first Birchbox! I was really excited to see what was inside. I'd like to make my monthly Birchbox a regular segment on my blog. I plan on sharing with you guys what I got for the month and also reviews of the products once I've used them. So let's take a look...

Birchbox - August 2011

1. June Jacobs | Papaya Purifying Enzyme Mask: "Powered by natural fruit extracts, this creamy mask dissolves dull cells, then boosts skin with essential oils and antioxidant-rich tea extracts."
2. Ouidad | Climate Control Heat & Humidity Gel: "A styling aid with brains! When this non-sticky gel senses heat, it stops hair from expanding. Welcome to frizz-free curls."
3. Shaveworks | The Cool Fix: "At last, a solution to bumps, ingrown, and other shaving and waxing side effects. Bonus: it soothes as it works."
4. smashbox cosmetics | Photo Finish Foundation Primer: "This award winning primer is better than ever, with brand-new packaging. It gives skin a matte, velvet-soft finish and keeps makeup in place all day."

I was really happy to see smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer as one of the samples. I've been wanting to try this product for some time now, but never could think of a good enough reason to spend $36 on a foundation primer. Lucky me!

Reviews to come :)

Birchbox!

A friend of mine told me about something called Birchbox today. I can honestly say I had never heard of it, but I'm really glad I know about it now! Every month you are sent 4-5 samples of high-end beauty products in a very cute and very nicely packaged box. The website says you'll "receive anything from skincare to makeup to cult beauty tools, from well-known brands as well as emerging gems." You pay a monthly subscription fee of $10 (or pay a one time fee of $110 for 12 months, whichever you prefer to do), and you get pretty nice sized samples. And if you get a sample product in the box that you absolutely love, you can buy the full-sized product from the website as well. I'm SO stoked about this! My first Birchbox will ship to me on August 10th, and I'm definitely going to make my monthly Birchbox (and reviews of the sample products) a recurring post on my blog (thanks for the idea, Kristen!).

Interested in Birchbox? Sign up here!

Sephora Haul!

I decided to join my mom and one of her very good friends for brunch at Mon Ami Gabi in Reston Town Center today. Delicious! After brunch, we made our way to Sephora. I hardly ever go to Sephora, and if I do go there it's very rare that I buy anything. Everything is just so expensive! I guess I felt like spending some money today, so I bought myself a few things :)

• Urban Decay De-Slick Oil Control Makeup Setting Spray - I saw this product being used by one of my favorite makeup gurus on YouTube in a recent video of her foundation routine, and I decided to buy it and give it a try. My skin is oily, and, as anyone with oily skin will tell you, it's super frustrating! I can't constantly touch up my makeup all day while I'm at work, it's just not feasible. The box says "De-Slick Makeup Setting Spray uses an innovative oil control system that both absorbs excess sebum and controls surface shine." I'll report back and let you know how it works for me!
• Sephora Hydrating & Smoothing Foundation - This foundation was on sale for $5, so I couldn't pass it up! I've been trying to find a new foundation for myself that I love. I've been using Cover Girl's Tru Blend foundation for a long time, but I'm kind of tired of it. I need something new! I watched a few reviews on YouTube of this foundation and they were pretty much all good ones, so we'll see how it works out.
• Sephora by OPI "Blasted Silver" - So excited to try this! It's one of those crackle nail polishes that seem to be very popular lately. I had a choice between silver or black, but I figured silver would be way more fun.
• Sephora by OPI Nail Stencils - Just a fun little product I thought I would try. Looking forward to some cute nail designs!
• Sephora Marbling and Dotting Nail Tool - I've had the urge to try doing designs on my nails, so I couldn't pass this up when I saw it. Can't wait to try it out :)

Hope everyone had a fantastic weekend!

Water Marble Nail Art

I was bored and doing some browsing on YouTube today for tutorials on different kinds of nail art. I came across a woman named Colette who does tutorials on water marble nail art. I can honestly say I've never seen this before! I was really excited to watch the videos and see how it's done. I will definitely be trying this sometime in the bear future :)

You can see more from Colette on her blog, My Simple Little Pleasures, or on her YouTube Channel!

China Glaze - "Shocking Pink"

I decided to go and get a manicure the other day instead of doing my nails myself like I usually do. There's nothing like the feeling of freshly manicured nails! I decided to go with a very bright and fun color for summer. I decided on "Shocking Pink" by China Glaze. I can tell you right now, the picture does this color NO justice. It's so damn bright! I love it so much I might just have to go and buy myself a bottle :)

Hope everyone is having a great weekend and happy July!

Product Review: Certain Dri

It's summertime my friends! It's hot as hell, and you know what that means...sweat! Lots and lots of sweat! And if any of you are like me, you are (unfortunately) a sufferer of excessive underarm perspiration (a.k.a you have sweaty pits!). But fear not, my fellow excessive perspirers...for I have a solution!

Ta-da!

Certain Dri! Some of you may have seen the cheesy TV commercials for this product, but this stuff really works! How do I know? I've been using it for YEARS!

I think I started using Certain Dri during my freshman year of college. This may be slightly TMI, but my underarms would sweat a lot, probably more than a normal. It was pretty embarrassing! One day I saw a commercial for this stuff, and I decided to give it a try. It worked like a charm! And it still works for me to this day. 

You use Certain Dri at night before you go to bed, and the new formula says it's supposed to last 72 hours. 72 hours is right! For anyone first starting to use it, I would use it every night until your underarms get used to it. After a while, you should be able to cut back to like three times a week. It doesn't have a scent, and you only need to use a little bit at a time. And just a sidenote, DO NOT use it right after shaving your underarms. It burns like hell :)

Sorry if this post is kinda random and weird. I had a friend ask about this stuff the other day, so I just thought I would share my opinion with everyone. 

Enjoy your summer!

Best & Worst Self Tanners

Interested in doing a little sunless tanning this Summer? Not sure which products are good/bad? Check out this video from YouTube makeup guru emilynoel83 :)

Check out some of her other videos while you're there!
www.youtube.com/emilynoel83

Mini Skin Care Haul!

Hey guys! I know it's been a (long) while since I've posted anything. I'm still trying to figure out how to make this beauty blog super awesome and whatnot. Anyway, on to the mini haul!

Summer is upon us, people! Th weather is hot, the pools are open, and the clothing is...well, skimpy. As a member of the League of Pale Skinned Girls, summer isn't exactly my favorite time of year. The sun is my fair skin's arch nemesis. I don't even try and lay out by the pool and get a tan because THIS is what happens...

OUCH!

I went to the pool yesterday with a friend of mine, and this was my punishment. Okay, maybe I should have used more sunscreen...but I JUST WANT A TAN DAMMIT! 

So why am I telling you about this hideous sunburn of mine? Well, it has to do with two of the products from my haul!

From left to right:

• St. Ives Naturally Clear Green Tea Scrub. I keep seeing commercials for these new Green Tea products from St. Ives, so I thought I would pick up this scrub and give it a try. It says on the package that it "gently fights blemishes and reduces redness & irritation caused by acne." I'm looking forward to trying this product and seeing if it actually does reduce redness. That's the main reason I don't enjoy leaving the house without some sort of makeup on my face because my skin gets red and irritated for various reasons. 

• Jergens Natural Glow Daily Moisturizer & Jergens Natural Glow Healthy Complexion Daily Facial Moisturizer. This is where my sunburn story come in. Instead of torturing my fair skin with the violent rays of the sun trying to get some sort of color, I've decided to try using these Jergens products. I've used the body lotion before, but I've never tried the facial moisturizer. When I used the body lotion before, I did see a difference in my skin color. I've read some reviews where people have said that the lotion turned them orange, but I didn't experience that. It gave me a very natural color. I'm hoping the facial moisturizer will do the same for my face!

• Sally Hansen's Soften Your Step Ceramic Stone & Brush. Summertime also means breaking out the cute sandals and flip flops, which means your feet need to be in tip top shape! I'm on my feet a lot at work, so I know they could use a little TLC :)

What are some of YOUR favorite Summer beauty products?

Ulta/The Body Shop Haul & Nail Polish Of The Week 5/8/11

I did myself a little shopping this weekend! I mostly bought clothes and a new pair of adorable wedges, but of course bought myself a few beauty products.

OPI nail lacquer at Ulta was buy two, get one free. Do you think I could pass that up? Of course not! I got myself some pretty pink shades, and one of them is my nail polish f the week :)

Charged Up Cherry | Princesses Rule! | Cozu-Melted In The Sun

This week, Princesses Rule! is my color of choice. It's a very sparkly light pink, and very subtle (not what I'm used to!). It's a great color for Spring...and any other time of the year, of course ;)

Forgot to fix my polish boo-boos before I took the photo. Messy manicure!

On Thursday, I ordered myself some products from The Body Shop. I used to use their line of Tea Tree skincare products a long time ago, and decided I wanted to try using them again. I didn't stop using the products because they weren't good. To be honest, they're a little pricey (in my opinion, anyway). But as the saying goes, you get what you pay for. When I used the Tea Tree skincare line in the past, I saw a big difference in my skin. I have oily/acne prone skin, and when I use these products there's a huge decrease in how oily my skin gets and no acne whatsoever. Acne prevention is one of the main things I look for in a skincare product, and the Tea Tree line from The Body Shop definitely does the trick. 

Tea Tree Blackhead Exfoliating Wash | Tea Tree Skin Clearing Facial Wash | Tea Tree Blemish Fade Night Lotion | Tea Tree Skin Clearing Toner | Tea Tree Skin Clearing Lotion

I'll be adding these products to my skincare routine again!

Interested in these products or anything else The Body Shop has to offer? Click Here!

Skin Care Routine

I was one of the lucky ones during my high school years who never suffered from acne. I don't exactly know why, because I didn't really do much to take care of my skin. I didn't wear much makeup yet (really only wore eyeshadow and lipgloss), so that could be the reason. As soon as I hit college, that all changed. I started getting really bad acne on my face out of nowhere. It didn't matter if I took off my makeup before I went to bed and washed my face twice a day religiously, I still suffered horrible breakouts. I started using Proactiv because I thought that was really my only solution. It worked pretty well for me, but it got to the point where I didn't feel like I needed it anymore (plus the price was kinda ridiculous). So I stopped using it and tried just doing a normal three-step skin care routine. To my surprise, it worked!

For a while, at least.

I didn't need to use Proactiv anymore, but the three-step routine didn't seem to do the trick as well anymore after a few months. So for the past couple years, I've been using a four-step skin care routine. I was browsing online one day for advice about skin care regimens and whatnot, and I read on a blog that you should wash your face TWICE at night. I was curious to see if this worked better for me than just washing my face once at night. I started using a gentle scrub and a cleanser at night. I can honestly say, washing my face twice at night makes a huge difference. I hardly break out anymore, if at all.

Without further ado, let me introduce you to some good friends of mine...my current skin care regimen!

Sea Breeze astringent, Noxzema Clean Blemish Control Daily Scrub, Noxzema Clean Blemish Control Foaming Wash, St. Ives Apricot Scrub (CVS dupe), Clean & Clear Morning Burst Shine Control Facial Cleanser, Clean & Clear PERSA-GEL 10 (CVS dupe), Pond's Dry Skin Cream (CVS dupe)

Nice looking bunch, eh? 

I don't use all of these products in the morning AND at night, of course. I have a nighttime skin care routine, and a morning skin care routine (that's normal, right?...haha). 

Nighttime

Step 1: I use Noxzema Clean Blemish Control Daily Scrub first. It's a really gentle scrub (it's so gentle, I think it barely passes as a scrub). I use this first to take off my makeup & remove any dirt and oil from my face.

Step 2: Next I use Noxzema Clean Blemish Control Foaming Wash. I use this after the scrub to remove any "impurities" that may have been left behind after the first round of washing my face.

Step 3: After I wash my face, I use Sea Breeze astringent. This removes anything left behind after washing your face. I've been using this stuff for years, but recently I was told by a woman who does all the skin care services at the salon & spa where I get my hair done that it's HORRIBLE for your skin. I've never really noticed anything negative about my skin during my years of using this product, but I may switch to using a toner instead. I'm gonna finish up this bottle first... :)

Step 4: The last step of my nighttime skin care is a moisturizer. I use Pond's Dry Skin Cream. I like it mostly because it lasts me a very long time. Other moisturizers I've tried don't last that long, and I had to go buy more after a couple weeks. Along with the moisturizer, I use Clean & Clear's PERSA-GEL 10. It's an acne treatment gel. I use it maybe three times a week. I used to use it every night, but it dried out my skin. So I knocked it back to three times a week, which works just fine.

Morning

Step 1: First thing I use in the morning is about a dime-sized amount of St. Ives Apricot Scrub for oily/acne prone skin. I'm well aware that they say it's not good to use an exfoliating scrub every day, but I've never noticed my skin to be irritated or anything from using this product on a daily basis. What can I say, I'm a rebel. 

Step 2: Next I use Clean & Clear Morning Burst Shine Control Facial Cleanser. For some reason I've gotten into the habit of washing my face twice in the morning too. It's really not necessary, I just feel the need to do it.

Step 3: Sea Breeze astringent

Step 4: Moisturize!

And that's basically it, kids. It's simple, but effective. Another thing I do is I try to switch up the products I use (especially my cleansers/scrubs). After a while your skin becomes used to the products, so they aren't as effective. Plus switching it up every once in a while gives you a chance to find new products you love. That's ALWAYS fun!

Nail Polish Of The Week #2

Nicole by OPI's "Peas & Q's" and OPI's "Hollywood Blonde" 

Spring is here, folks! I thought I would get into the spirit with this beautiful pastel green color called "Peas & Q's" from Nicole by OPI. For a nice shimmer, I used one coat of OPI's "Hollywood Blonde" on top.

What are YOUR favorite nail polish colors for this Spring season?

Happy Easter!

Just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Easter! The weather here in Northern VA is BEAUTIFUL today, so I'll definitely be spending some time outside.

I was thinking about doing an Outfit of the Day video later on, but I'm kinda nervous! I've never done a video before (and my webcam doesn't make very good quality videos...ugh). I'm still deciding! I also want to do a tutorial of the eyeshadow look I'm wearing today, but again my camera is horrible quality. I might try it just to see how you guys like it (or not like it...either way!) :)

Happy Easter!

Obsession: Coastal Scents Palettes

I have four of the Coastal Scents 88 palettes, and I absolutely LOVE them. I use them on a daily basis. They have pretty much any color you could want, and they wear very well. The best part is, they are SUPER affordable. Each palette that I've purchased was between $19 and $25. 88 shadows for 20 bucks? That's a pretty sweet deal, if you ask me.

Let's take a peek at the palettes I own, shall we?
(The lighting in my room and bathroom, for lack of a better word, SUCKS...so I'll be using photos from the Coastal Scents website)

#1 Coastal Scents 88 Original Palette

This was the first Coastal Scents palette I ever purchased. I had seen it used a lot in makeup tutorial videos on YouTube, so I decided to give it a try. The colors are very pigmented, which means you don't have to pick up that much eyeshadow on your brush or keep packing the color on. A couple little dabs into the shadow, and you're good to go! 

#2 Coastal Scents 88 Warm Palette

I use this palette the most out of all the palettes I own. It has matte, smokey, shimmer, and neutral shadows. The neutral colors are perfect for wearing to work :)

#3 Coastal Scents 88 Metal Mania Palette

I mostly use this palette when I'm going out/on the weekends. The looks you can come up with this palette are endless, and the colors are very vibrant! And I love the metallic finish of the shadows.

#4 Coastal Scents 88 Mirage Palette

Last but not least...the Mirage Palette. It's GORGEOUS, and the newest addition to my palette collection. The shadows are jewel tones, and it's a mix of matte and satin shadows. The picture doesn't do it justice at all. The colors are so much prettier in person! What I like most about this palette is the colors work for both daytime and nighttime looks.

Interested in any of these palettes or seeing what else Coastal Scents has to offer?

Click here!

First Post & Nail Polish of the Week!

Hello, and welcome to my beauty blog!

I've been wanting to start a blog about makeup/beauty for a while now, but I never knew exactly WHAT I would write/post. I guess I'll start off by telling a little bit about myself!

My name is Kayleigh, and I'm from Northern Virginia. I won't lie, I'm no makeup expert or guru or whatever you wanna call it...but I do love makeup. I see it as another way for women (and sometimes men) to express themselves. Makeup can make you feel confident, powerful, sexy, and many other adjectives! I'm also a firm believer that makeup causes happiness. I mean, how can you go to your favorite makeup store and find that perfect shade of lipstick you were looking for and NOT smile? :)

I won't be posting any makeup tutorials or anything like that (not anytime soon, anyway). I'm still learning tips and techniques myself, even though I've been using makeup for years now. I'll be posting stuff like my series I like to call "Nail Polish of the Week", makeup/beauty product hauls, YouTube videos from makeup gurus that I subscribe to, etc.

So, for starters, here's my first Nail Polish of the Week!

                                                OPI's "Yodel Me On My Cell"

A friend and I went out for lunch and manicures on Saturday. I saw this color, and I just had to use it! Ask anyone who knows me personally, I hardly ever wear a "normal" shade of nail polish. I like my nails to be fun and flashy. This color definitely fits that description :)