Friday, May 13, 2011

Sephora haul!

I had SUCH a good time at the Sephora in Boston, MA @ the Prudential. I love that Sephora because it is massive and the staff is phenomenal! I literally get lost in there and end up with 1 or more baskets hanging off my arm filled with stuff that I can't put down. I usually shop online but I made an exception and I'm glad I did.



Let me tell you about these products. 
(Left to right) Bumble & Bumble thickening hairspray is amazing! It really gives my hair a ton of volume. I bought it for my mum and I hope she loves it like I do. 
Bumble & Bumble surf spray is seriously my new addiction. A couple sprays and my hair is instantly transformed into a beach day with ocean mist going through it. I love how it seperates my hair and makes it wavy. 
Oscar Blandi volumizing dry shampoo spray is a GODSEND. This stuff smells a little funky, not gonna lie, but it works amazingly well. I wash my hair every other day so this dry shampoo comes in handy. I use it in conjunction with the surf spray and it looks beautiful.
Nars pure matte lipstick in Carthage is my new summer favorite. I call it "hawaii in a tube." I have a review below on it because I love it so much. Check it out.
Bliss fabulous foaming face wash is fantastic. I used it this morning and my skin felt great during and after I washed with it. I followed with the toner I bought and the moisturizer I also bought. I really love this stuff even though it has a trace amount of parabens. I can deal.
Fresh Rose Marigold floral water is the best toner I've ever used. It smells beautiful and tightens up skin instantly. I love using this right after I wash my face and whenever I need a refresher.
Nars sharpener is great for my Make Up For Ever eyeliners as well as my Nars lip pencils. Super functional!


Bliss Oxygen Blast Set is a fantastic deal that I got. The Bliss website (www.blissworld.com) has the cream and the mask together for $94.. I got this for $84 and it came with the eye pads. I really love this set so far! The oxygen has a lot of promises and it has good ratings. I used the cream this morning and it was so lightweight it was unbelievable.. I think they meant to call it a "gel" but somehow forgot to write it on the bottle.. nothing cream about it! Perfect for summer as long as you remember to apply SPF to your face as this has none. 
Make Up For Ever Sens'Eyes remover is the ultimate make up remover. This is the most comfortable, non oily and most moisturizing remover out there. I highly suggest this!

I am totally skincare and hair obsessed lately, can you tell?! I'm so excited to use all of the products I just got and I think I'm all stocked up for summer! I think it's really important to have a skin care regimen, especially in your early 20s (prevention is everything.) 

ENJOY YOUR WEEKENDS!

Best xx

Nars Carthage pure matte lipstick - Hawaii in a tube

TGIF! I recently took a trip to Sephora and I stumbled upon Carthage. I had seen swatched images from other beauty bloggers - however nothing compared to seeing it in person. This shade is part of the Nars Summer 2011 selection and it's seriously gorgeous! Some bloggers have said it has blue tones but I honestly don't see it. I find it wearable both when I have lighter skin or when I self tan so it's safe to say all skintones will look great with this shade. I'm pretty warm toned and blue undertones usually look terrible on me but this is pretty neutral. I feel really confident and happy when I wear this color.. it reminds me of the sweetest days and nights of summer!

I love the wear of the lipstick; it applies like a matte would but it doesn't sink into your lips in an unflattering way. The color is vibrant and pigmented for 4 hours before it starts wearing off! I honestly love this formula for lipstick, I find it a lot better than the original Nars lipsticks which usually give me 2 hours of wear before I need to reapply. This color is perfect for summer and for hot months as I don't see it budging while you play on the beach! Hope you all enjoy it as much as I do :)




I love the applicator stick. I like it a lot more than the rectangular tubes for the regular Nars lipsticks!



Nars Carthage on my lips in direct sunlight. Extremely wearable in both day and night settings!

Best xx



Sunday, May 8, 2011

Benefit Girl Meets Pearl really lights up any complexion!

Let me begin with saying that I usually don't like highlighters. Highlighters, or luminizers, are mostly known for being a disco ball of glitter.  I have been searching everywhere to find the perfect highlighter, and I think I found it!




I roamed into my local Sephora a couple months back and was doing my usual browsing. I was in a really bad mood and I wasn't finding anything close to what I was looking for (my dream highlighter of course!) and it was really getting me down. I walked over to the Benefit section, and low and behold - a Benefit rep! I have never seen a company representative in my Sephora (or any Sephora) and I was really excited to speak with her. She was beyond informative and showed me a bunch of products that I enjoyed; however I was hooked on Girl Meets Pearl once she put it on my cheeks. "See, you're a girl meets pearl girl for sure!" she exclaimed as she showed me what I looked like in the mirror she was holding. Whoa.. that was from just that? My face was lit up and glowing, but not in a glittery way. My skin looked dewy and caught light easily. The smell of this highlighter is so delicious, honestly I wish there was a perfume with the scent. My friend who was with me at the time was excited to try it next, and of course - it looked just as good on her very light complexion. I am forever grateful to the wonderful Benefit rep for showing me this treasure of a product.








MAC Wonder Woman favorites (Spitfire lipstick, Mighty Aphrodite blush) review!

I really love Wonder Woman. I remember watching the show when I was really young (What up 1992!) and I died when I saw this MAC collection! Mighty Aphrodite blush and Spitfire lipstick are my absolute favorites and honestly I'm pretty bummed out I can't purchase Spitfire or Mighty Aphrodite blush again. The size of the blush is almost a half oz, and for MAC that is definitely super size. The color payoff from both products is absolutely amazing! I use the two together very frequently.




I love the giant mirror, and the coloring of the package is adorable as well. The colors are described as a "satin frost" and I agree. The smaller, darker pink color is matte and deep. The larger color is peachy/coral shimmery pink and it takes up most of the pan. I usually just swirl my blush brush around and apply to my cheeks (it might be too difficult to use one color alone unless it's the frosty color.) Overall this blush is one of my favorites, especially for the upcoming summer months. Personally, I like this more than Guerlain Rouge G blush which was also supposed to be very popular this spring season.






Spitfire is my #1 lipstick right now. I am so hooked on this plummy, gorgeous color. It compliments dark hair very well. This formulation is 'satin' and it is extremely longwearing. If you can, go grab this color before it's completely gone. I highly suggest it!

Best xx





returning from hiatus! a million things to swatch/talk about!

I haven't really updated or swatched anything in recent months because I was focusing on different ventures. I recently lost a relative so I was healing from that. I have so much to swatch and talk about! This warm weather is making me crave bright, juicy color. I need to gather my thoughts and then I will post over 100 new cosmetics and products that I myself have bought. I currently am receiving no free product and I still manage to grab the stuff I want to share with all of you. I just love you all that much!

Best xx