Friday, February 14, 2014

Valentine's Day Nails


Happy Valentine's Day everyone! I had to watch a foreign film for my film class yesterday so I had the perfect opportunity to devote a hefty amount of time to my nails. I picked up some mini nail polishes (4 for 99¢!) from Urban Outfitters and had to put them to use. The pink, Ballerina, needed a few coats to become opaque but the glitter polish (Mirror Mirror) and the white (Swan Lake) did not need more than one coat. I also used OPI's 'And A Cherry On Top' as the red. I'm not much of an nail artist; I don't own any tools so I just used a sharp pencil to draw the hearts. Let me know if you guys are being festive in any way today! I'd love to know! xoxo

Monday, February 3, 2014

January Favorites


I have not done a post about my monthly favorites in too many months... So without further ado, here goes January!

Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation: This is the only foundation I have been wearing the last couple months. It was surprisingly not that difficult to have it shipped to me from the UK. Thank you asos.com and your 60% off sales! The color matches me perfectly and the coverage is buildable. I can't imagine going back to other foundations I have tried in the past.

Stila 'In the Moment' Eyeshadow Palette: I must admit this was an impulse purchase when Sephora had this palette for half-off during their Black Friday sale. The only downside was that one of the eyeshadows was broken when I opened it up. The pigmentation is out of this world and the eyeshadows are buttery. I have been wearing the lavender color all over the lid with the darker purple in the crease.

Revlon Photo Ready Cream Blush in 'Flushed': I wasn't the biggest fan of this blush when I first bought it over a year ago but I have been reaching for it quite a bit this month. Beautiful pink that stays on for hours.

Borghese Fango Active Mud Mask: This mask was part of a skincare set by Borghese that I plan to write about in the near future. I have been using this mask twice a week around my nose, on my forehead, and chin. It cleans out my pores when it hardens and has not dried my skin out. First heard about this from Fleur and couldn't pass it by when I saw it at TJ Maxx.

Buxom Dolly's Opening Act Set: I had been wanting one of Buxom's lip polishes and lip creams and this holiday set came with six minis! I love all the colors and all of the creams and polishes have a plumping factor so my lips look big and sassy :*

What have you been loving this month?

Thursday, January 30, 2014

Nars // Radiant Creamy Concealer

Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer - $29

I think my second year of college was a couple years too late to find a concealer that covers up the evidence that I get barely any sleep. I was never overly concerned about disguising the dark circles under my eyes until I realized how well this particular concealer does the job. I had primarily bought it to cover up spots (which it does!) and now I do not know if I will ever be able to use another concealer. As the name suggests, the concealer is very creamy and this makes it stay in place. I am in the shade 'Vanilla' which I believe is their most sought after shade because the woman who helped me at Sephora was quite doubtful that she would be able to find one last tube of this concealer. The concealer has a stiff doe foot applicator which makes application simple. I have been using this daily and have even stopped wearing foundation because this creamy concealer covers my imperfections and stays in place all day. I am dreading the day I run out! 

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Deliplus Haul // Makeup From Spain


This past winter break, my family and I spent a week and a half traveling around the South of Spain. Since one of the majors I am pursuing is Spanish, it was so lovely to use the language on a daily basis and experience the culture firsthand. Of course, I could not leave the country without picking up a few beauty bits native to Spain. 

As I discovered, makeup is not typically sold in pharmacies but in department stores (El Corte Inglés) and shops specific to beauty (Bodybell, Sephora). It was actually quite difficult for me to find brands such as Kiko and Flormar outside of Madrid. Most of the brands that kept reappearing were British. I had done some research before the trip and was determined to find brands that I could not buy on asos.com and that I would cherish as a reminder of my adventures in Spain. It was not until we went grocery shopping at Mercadonas (big supermarket chain) that I stumbled upon their makeup brand, Deliplus. I had read that it was worth trying out and it sure was! Here is a little summary of what I was lucky enough to try out: 

Fruit Fusion Body Cream:
This sells like those little jelly cups that you can buy at Asian supermarkets. However, the true scent is that of gardenias and passion fruit. The smell is overpowering so I do not wear perfume after using this cream. It absorbs well and is quite moisturizing. 

Eyeshadow Sticks:
Very pigmented but they do crease on me if I do not apply a primer. Adore the colors! 

Longitud Xtrem Mascara:
Lengthens the eyelashes a lot! Not big on volume. This version is not waterproof and very black.

Seco & Mojado: 
Again, like the eyeshadow sticks, super pigmented! I wanted all the eyeshadows... I can't wait to wear this golden one on a night out. 

Brush Colorete:
The brushes came highly recommended and I have to say I may like them more than the Real Techniques brushes... They are extremely soft, wash easily, and apply product ideally. I only picked up this one because I needed a new blush brush but all of them are the same amazing quality. 

Mate Lipstick n.16: 
I have finally found a pink that suits me! Lovely formula, stays on for a long time. It has a hint of mauve which makes the color very flattering. 

Stick Corrector: 
I discovered that I am too pale for Spanish foundations and concealers. I got this concealer in the lightest shade and I must admit that it is still a bit too dark for me. If it is blended in well it does get the job done! 

My mom spotted the makeup bag and it is officially my favorite and I cannot leave the house without it. Sorry for the long post I probably should have broken it down into two parts. Hopefully you made it to the end! I recommend Deliplus and love everything I was fortunate enough to try out!