November Favorites 2017

As I type this, I'm currently recovering from my post wisdom teeth surgery. Not really the most funnest of times but hey, I get to eat a lot of mashed potatoes and I'm super okay with that.

A very delayed post but here are the products I have been gravitating towards during this month of November (also a pair of shoes that I can't stop talking about and everyone probably wants me to stop talking about- well too bad) There's also some awesome skin care products as well and I'm thinking of doing another skincare update post in the near future.

Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed Highlighter in Moonstone:

I've had this highlighter for a while now and I just started realizing how lovely this highlighter is. I think the reason I didn't why I didn't  gravitate to it so much was because Becca highlighters never stay on me which was always upsetting because the finish on their highlighters are beautiful. They give a natural glow and nothing super dramatic or shimmering. You can definitely build this up to be bold glow on the cheeks but I personally love the subtle glow. I find that when I use the Becca Backlight Priming Filter before the highlighter, that it helps tremendously with the longevity. I've also been enjoying this as a light glowy eyeshadow because why not multitask a product?

I would suggest  if you're interested in trying this combination, to get the Glow on the Go Highlighter Set for $20 to get the powder and liquid highlight. It still works the same way they just unfortunately don't have the Moonstone shade but I've heard wonderful and beautiful things about the Champagne Pop shade (which I don't fully understand how I haven't tried that shade yet). 

Perricone MD Blue Plasma Cleansing Treatment:

This has been one of those items this month that you don't realize that you use it everyday until you start thinking what products you were using a lot of. I've been using this as my day time toner right before makeup application. Even after cleansing my face in the morning (and this is after fully taking my makeup off and cleansing the night before) I put some of this on a pad and it removes even more debris that I didn't even know was on my face. It does this without stripping the skin and my face looks more radiant and it feels great to have a face that's fully cleaned off and well hydrated. I'm going to be quite sad once this little bottle goes.

Boscia Sake Hydrating and Brightening Essence:

If you need hydration or brightness to your skin, you need this essence. This has been so incredible for my skin especially having the post cystic acne scarring. I'll use this before my moisturizer to add extra hydration (especially during these cold months) and over time I found that this had helped brighten my face. It helped reduce the redness from my scarring and I truly think it's the reason why I've been getting great compliments on my skin lately. I didn't think I would love something so simple as an essence, but it has helped me tremendously and it's very close to being a holy grail skincare product.

Update: I have went a couple of days without using this and I've notice that my face seems a little dull so I truly think this does show incredible results.

sephora.com

Stila Written in the Stars Glitter and Glow Liquid Eye Set:

I'm beyond happy that I finally bought this and it upsets me to even talk about it because it may not be available anymore. HOWEVER, search through your sephora store and you might be able to find these because these are fantastic. They do have another option as well with six minis for $45 (which is still a great deal considering how much a full size is) On a bright note, they have all of these shades available full size but for the deal and for the amount of times I will actually use these, I find the mini sizes perfect for me. I love that with these that you have the option to do a full opaque glitter eye, glitter eyeliner, or a subtle and iridescent wash of glitter. I would avoid over layering these as they do tend to crease if there's too much product. Other than that, these glitters are very comfortable and there's a little bit of fall out with these, but nothing to drastic. These little glitters just make me so happy for the holiday season and I'm really glad I picked them up.

Top: Smoky Storm
Middle: Kitten Karma
Bottom: Diamond Dust 

Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Exposed:

This has become a classic product in my makeup drawer and an all time favorite. There's just something about this time of year that I love more about this blush from Tarte. In fact all of their blushes are beyond stunning. I know the inside looks super crummy (It had an accident earlier in the month *sobs*) but this is a very much loved product. I've had this about 2 years now and the pigmentation and longevity of this blush is still going strong. Something about this shade though provides a a natural warmth and color that I think would work so well on so many skin types. I just have no bad things to say about this blush at all. It's 100% worth the $28 and I may repurchase this for the rest of my life (too dramatic? probably).

Coastal Scents Revealed 2 Palette: 

We're back to a classic rediscovered favorite and it was actually one of the first palettes I did a review on (oh the memories). It's very easy to be distracted with new palettes coming out especially during the holiday season, but I forgot how great this one was. It's suppose to be the dupe for Urban Decay's Naked 3 palette. Although this palette has similar lighter shades from the Naked 3 palette, I love that the Revealed 2 palette has more variety of the deep mauve and plum shades that pair beautifully with the lighter ones. There some shades in here that pull in similar shades from the Modern Renaissance palette as well.

I like the thin packaging and magnetic closure however, it's not the most durable palette. At the same time, you are paying for what you're getting and $20 (a lot of times this will go on sale for $10) for 20 shades is not bad at all. Pigmentation on this palette is great I think for beginners and for anyone really. Although some of the shimmer shades can be a bit chalky, the majority of the shades are very buildable and blendable. Overall, great palette that has been forgotten about and I'm glad I re-introduced it back in my makeup life.

Rockport Cobb Hill Aria:
Someone really needs to stop me from talking about this boots but I need to share them because they are worth the price if you're looking for comfortable and cute durable boots this season. I wear these to work everyday and I can stand in these for a whole entire day without pain. These pair so well with so many outfits whether you're wearing it during the day or wearing them out for the night. Right now, the brand is doing an extra 30% off so definitely take that opportunity to invest in a good pair of solid boots this winter. 

rockport.com 

So that's it for my November Favorites. It's been an exhausting month but we're heading into the homestretch of 2017. I have so so many posts for all of you and so much more holiday shopping to do. There's also an overall 2017 beauty products favorite post coming up too so stay tune for that ♥

Recommendations for Sephora couponing holiday season

As I'm typing this post my mind instantly goes into Mariah Carey's tune "All I want for Christmas is You".  I decided to create this post because the holiday sets and discounts are upon us and many of my friends have been asking for recommendations on what they should buy whether it be for themselves or as gifts. So let's get into it because honestly it's my favorite time of year and miniature products are always adorable.

Sephora Favorites Set:
I realize I'm being very blunt when I say that, but I seriously think  these are the best ways to get the most out of your money and to try a bunch of brands including cult favorites. They always have a bunch of different ones from Korean beauty favorites to beauty classics. Some of these sets sometimes also include full sized items which is already worth the purchase. My personal favorite of all of the sets is the mascara set (which I'm having a tough time finding at the moment and really hope they didn't get rid of it!). With the mascara set, you get 5 deluxe sized samples of mascaras from different brands and a voucher for a free full sized one of your choice all for $28. Definitely a great gift to someone especially if they're a mascara junkie. Most of these sets are limited edition so it's best to grab them when you can.

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Sol De Janerio Bum Bum Beauty Voyage:
This just came out and it's online only but if you haven't smelled this stuff yet, you need to. Not only does it smell great, but I also do love the formula of the body cream and the fragrance mist that comes along with it smells just as good. I mentioned this body cream in my June Favorites  if you want to read a more in depth review. Even though these are travel sized (still much bigger than deluxe  sized) I still think this is a great deal to try out if you're looking for a new body cream and fragrance. As far a tightening the bum bum? Eh I really didn't noticed much of a difference but it's still kinda funny to say bum bum. I'm a child.

sephora.com

Bite Beauty Agave Kisses Set:
This might be one of my favorite sets actually of the season despite how small it is. If you haven't tried bite beauty yet and you really want to treat your lips I highly recommend getting this set. You get 3 deluxe sizes of the agave lip balm, the scrub and of course my favorite, the agave lip mask. All of the products also come in a little tin so it's great to bring it to travel. I can not recommend the lip mask enough and you can see me rave all about it all the way back in my January Favorites. All of the products have that great brown sugar smell and for $20 I think it's an affordable way to treat your lips or even to give to someone because who wouldn't love getting this as a gift??

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As a side note, I love that Bite Beauty comes out with these little holiday sets every year. It's a little bit of luxury for your lips without committing to the full price of just one item. Some of my other favorites from them that I would also recommend are the Amuse Bouche Liquified lip set  (I have a review on one of them from last month in my favorites)  and the Perfect Bite Amuse Bouche lipstick set. I would even be on the look out as we get closer to the holidays as they tend to come out with mini deluxe versions of their lip pencils or lipstick duos for a fraction of the price of what a full sized would be.

Tarte Blush Bazaar Amazonian Clay Blush Palette:
Ok never mind. I lied. This might be one of my favorites. Tarte Blushes are probably my favorite blushes (let alone product) at Sephora. This is definitely worth the price considering that one full sized blush costs $28. Even though they are smaller in size, for this set you get to play with 6 blushes and 2 highlighters for $44 dollars which s amazing. These are all waterproof, very pigmented but also very blendable. Another great thing about this palette is that you could mix two different blush colors and come up with a unique shade. This is very much worth it.

sephora.com

Stila Written in the Stars Glitter and Glow Liquid Eye Set:
Well it's currently sold out and I'm not surprised at all. This isn't so much a necessity but more of a "I want to look like a glitter queen and blind everyone" product this season. You're getting 3 deluxe sizes for the price of a full size one. I haven't personally tried these yet, but my goodness. The swatches. They are beautiful. It's the definition of a festive holiday season.

sephora.com

I could go on and on about what sets are worth it but this would be a pretty long post but the ones above are just some of my favorites. I would recommend that if you are considering getting one of these holiday sets, to get them when you can since most of them are limited edition. Best to download the Sephora app since I feel like that constantly gets updated and sometimes they have app exclusive deals. I would also look into skin care sets as well since skincare can be pricey for just one item alone when you can experiment the majority of the line for a fraction of the cost. Finally, definitely look into Sephora's Weekly Wow section that changes every Thrusday. They'll have about 4 to 5 products on sale normally for about half the price and if you have a BI coupon you can use that on top of it.

Alright well I hope this helped a bit! I would of course recommend other products such as foundations but I wanted to stick with the holiday and limited edition sets. Leave any comments down below if you are in need of any other particular product recommendations or any of the holiday sets.

Happy Shopping! ♥

August/ Finally it's the End of Summer Favorites 2017

Good Morning! Clearly, I'm more than ready for the Fall weather to come as I sit here listening to 80's romantic ballads. Not too many new products for this end of the summer post but nevertheless, they are favorites.

Josie Maran Whipped Argan Oil Body Butter:
This is definitely an added new favorite to my body butter collection. It's a very light weight but hydrating formula with argan oil in it and dries down quickly. On the Sephora website, they describe this product as velvety which I would agree with. It has that whipped light texture to it as well and a little bit goes a long way. I haven't tried the other scents yet but the Vanilla Apricot (the one I currently own) has the perfect amount of light sweetness and apricot scent to it. I might pick this product up again when the Spring comes around.   

Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Paaarty: 
I have two blushes for my favorites this month because I really couldn't chose just one. This mini sized was in the Sephora birthday gift this year and I think it's one of the best free birthday gifts that they put out. Overall, I've always loved Tarte Blushes. They last all day on me, waterproof, and has excellent pigmentation but is still very blendable on the skin. This particular color is no exception from the performance that these blushes provide. It's a pink/ beige shade and great for everyday for a natural flush of color. These deluxe sizes will last you for a while too so if you haven't tried Tarte blushes yet, I would recommend getting this free birthday gift option and try it out for yourself. I doubt you'll be disappointed in it.

 Anastasia Blush Trio in Pink Passion:
So here's the second blush that I've been loving towards the end of the Summer. I like how this is a trio set and you can use the blushes on their own or all together to get a blush contour effect (which seems to be coming back in style). I also think it's great for the price point to get three blushes for $30 and in a compact but functional case. I personally love using a fluffy blush brush and sweeping across all three of the colors starting at the apples of cheeks and applying it upwards towards the top of my ears. I just love the effect it gives and it makes it look like more was done to the face when it was just a rather one easy step.

Sephora Collection Classic Double Ended Multitasker and Concealer Brush #202:
I plan on making a post in the future of my favorite brushes and you can probably guess that this one will be included on that list. Of course, I love that this is a duo foundation and concealer brush so it's great for those traveling or those who just don't want so many brushes. I love that the foundation brush helps build medium to full coverage with liquid or powder products. The bristles are very soft and doesn't leave any streaks on the face. I do love the concealer brush side of it as well, but I find that I don't use that as often. I wish the concealer side was just a little bit wider such as my e.l.f concealer brush to spread out the concealer over more space. However, I find the concealer brush side to be small to conceal precise detailed areas which could be good for cleaning up a red lip or wing. Overall, it's been my go to brush this month and has been incredibly convenient especially when I don't want to lug all of my brushes with me.

Lancome Monsieur Mascara:
This is my first Lancome mascara that I've ever tried and holy cow (is it lame to say that?), this is amazing. I can see why people adore Lancome mascaras. This holds the curl and length so well throughout the day. I also like how this provides volume but separates my lashes as well. The only down side to this is that I do find it a bit difficult to remove at the end of the day so it's best to use waterproof eye makeup remover on a cotton round and hold it on the eye or about a minute or so. I was so impressed with this one and it makes me want to check out the other Lancome cult favorite mascaras.

 
Kat Von D Saint Eau de Parfum:
This has been my main fragrance this past summer and I've got some many compliments on it. I do like both scents in her collection but the saint scent is light and feminine without it being overpowering or overly sweet. It's described has having notes of vanilla, musk, and jasmine and it's a perfect light balance of all three. I think the only downside to this is that it last me for about 5 hours I would say. However, this is a great perfume if you're looking for something not too heavy but still intriguing. Trust me, you'll get plenty of compliments on this. Also, the packaging it truly a work of art.

sephora.com

My apologize again that this was incredibly late to post. As I type this I already have some September Favorites lining up for the end of the month.