Friday, August 2, 2013

Friday Favorites - Lips

Happy Happy Friday!
 
Are you as ready for this weekend as I am?! It's been a crazy, but good week and
I'm ready for some R&R this weekend.
 
Today I wanted to share my current lip favorite. This has been my go to
shade for the past two months and I feel like it's the perfect pink for summer.
 

 
This is the only Bobbi Brown product I own. I haven't ever really tapped
into her brand, but love her philosophy behind makeup and beauty and the
whole natural look.
 
This color is beautiful for summer. It's a wearable every day shade with a pop
of brightness that wears really well for this time of the year.
 
The other thing I really love about this particular color line is that it's very
long wearing and has a bit of a staining effect. I'm a lippie girl and I love products
that stay on well and don't wear off after a sip or two of water. I like to have it last
as long as possible without feeling like it's always in need of reapplying. 




I love the packaging. Classy. Chic. Can't go wrong with black and white.
It looks so sophisticated and grown up. : )
 
Not that it should really matter, but it does draw us in more, right?! 


 
Here is a swatch on my wrist. I would describe this color personally as
a bright rose pink.
 
Bobbi describes it as a "medium toned pink."
 
So pretty and a summer favorite of mine!
 
What's your summer lip favorite?
 
 
 


Wednesday, July 17, 2013

MAC Mini Haul

MAC and I have been flirting with starting up another relationship after
 a very LONG breakup. 

I bought my first MAC products in college and it's all I used for a while. I 
started out with their studio fix foundation powder, plum foolery blush, bronzer, cranberry eyeshadow
for warming up my crease when wearing brown shades, and their studio fix concealer for 
blemishes. 

I remember my first experience at the counter and telling the associate MAC had 
been recommended to me by a close friend and my dermatologist. She took about five 
minutes and did a few little touches here and there and my whole look was transformed. 
It was love. 

Somewhere along the way I got bored and needed some new adventure and 
threw Mr. MAC to the side and started trying new things. 

Recently I've been really into researching MAC products and perking up when
I hear other bloggers talking about MAC products they are using. 

So, I had a mini MAC haul a couple weeks ago and wanted to share some of 
the goodies I've had my eyes on for a while.


The gorgeous warm coral blush is : Sunbasque 

It is described by MAC as a "peach with pearl." This blush is a sheertone shimmer which 
means it's going to be a lighter finish with a hint of shimmer to it, but not sparkle. 

It is so beautiful for summer if you want that warm sunkissed look. 
It's also a shade I would and will wear year around b/c peach shades
compliment my olive skintone well.

The two eyeshadows I bought are: 
top: Mulch (red brown with bronze pearl) 
bottom: Woodwinked (warm antique gold with pearl)

These shades may not seem like anything out of the ordinary, but they are actually 
pretty unique colors. 

I love neutral eyes! They will always be my favorite and what I come back to. 
Pretty. Classic. Can't go wrong. 




I also picked up the Pro Longwear Concealer in the shade NW20. 

I've used this before and it's great. I told the girl at the counter I wanted something 
a little lighter to put under my eyes that would brighten, highlight and conceal. 

MAC describes this as "a lightweight fluid concealer that provides medium to full
coverage with a comfortable matte finish."

So, there's my Haul. 
Do you use any MAC goodies? If so share the deets! 

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Product of the Day- Primers

I love summer. It's my favorite of all seasons, but the heat can
mean more oil, shine, and makeup that has dripped or run off.
 
I have only been using face and eye primers for the past year or two. It was
one of those products that when introduced at a makeup counter I often thought...
I'm not spending my money on something you can't even see!!! No thanks.
Give me something fun with color.
 
 
However, I've grown up and matured into the knowledgeable woman I am now and
realize they do, indeed serve a great purpose. : )
 
Face Primers:
 
A face primer serves to protect your skin and act as the base for your foundation
or powder. It's going to be the product that your foundation is going to stick to rather
than your skin. It's going to give your foundation, blush, bronzer, etc longevity in
making it through the day.
 
Their are a variety of primers you can get with different formulas based on your
skin and what you are trying to accomplish.
 
From left to right:
the Pore fissional by Benefit: pore minimizing. $30 at Sephora
Fix & Perfect by Rimmel: smoothes skin and minimizes pores. $6 at Wal-Mart
Brightening Complexion Potion by Urban Decay: brightens. $31 at Ulta or Sephora.
 
 
Eye Primers:
 
An eye primer is designed to serve as the base for your shadows. Just as a face
primer it's going to give your shadows something to stick to and last through the
day. It's also going to make the color of shadows stay vibrant and
not fade or crease.
 
I always apply my eye primers. I'm guilty of skipping my face primer, but unless
I'm just in a huge hurry this is a step in my daily routine.
 
You can buy all kinds of eye primers. Some have color, some are colorless, some
are in a jar, some have a wand. It's all in what you want and what you are trying to
achieve. To me the easiest and fastest one is the NYX HD
b/c it comes with a little wand and it's just effortless.
 
However, I love my jar primers that have color b/c they can be worn on their own
for a natural look or serve as a pretty base of color for a look.
 
These are all my favorites:
From left to  right:
NYX HD Shadow Base: $7 at Ulta or Drugstore.com
Lorac Behind the Scenes: $21 at Sephora.
 
Do you prime? What are YOUR favorites?!
 
 


Monday, July 15, 2013

My Style Monday

 
 
 
 
Is it really already Munday?!?! Blah. This weekend went by way too
fast, but to lift my spirits I decided to link up with Rachel and Lindsey today for
their My Style Monday edition.
 
 
Ever have those days when you don't really try to look that cute or plan out
your outfit and those end up being the times when you get the most compliments?
Well, that's how Saturday night was for me. Mdub and I had a little date night and I
literally grabbed this outfit out of my unpacked suitcase from the fourth and thought
this ain't gonna work, but why not try.
 
 
After getting everything on and doing a check in the mirror he walks in and says,
Whoa, Shortcake (my nickname) I love that... you look like you should be in
Argentina. I was like really??? I wasn't feeling it that much, but I decided to go with
it since he liked it so much.
 
 

 
After eating Thai food we went to The Summit (outdoor mall) for some
browsing and shopping and I had two random strangers compliment me
on how much they liked my outfit. I was like what the heck is going on??
 
Mdub's theory to this is just that I should trust him more and his impeccable sense
of style. hmmmm, maybe?!
 
 
Yeah, I couldn't decide what kind of pose to do and he forbid me to do the
classic hand/hip pose so this is what you people get.
 
In the words of Ricky Bobby... "I'm not sure what to do with my hands."
Sorry for the blurry iphone pic.
 
Deets of this outfit:
Light Peach Halter: Express
Seafoam Green Skirt: Ditsy Daisy Boutique
(love this skirt b/c it's flowy with a high slit down the side, but has shorts
underneath so you aren't flashing the world your goods. Also, has POCKETS!!)
Purse: Modalu Shark Pippa Bag (Pippa Middleton's purse)
Watch: Michael Kors White/Rose Gold
Shoes: J Crew
 
How was your weekend?!
 


Friday, July 12, 2013

What's in my Purse? Summer Lippies

Happy Friday!!!
 
I thought it would be fun to show you all my favorite summer lippies
that I've been keeping in my purse. These are all my current faves and my go
to shades for the season.
 
I rotate out my purse lippies from time to time so I am giving love to them all...
b/c as I've said before I currently have a lip product obsession that I can't seem
to beat. I keep a variety of shades mostly in the pink/coral family.
 
 
From left to right...
Revlon Super Lustrous Gloss in Pink Pop (bright bubble gum pink)
Bobbi Brown Rich lip Color in Pink Peony (matte classic medium pink)
Burt's Bee lip balm with Pomegranate oil
Khroma joystick in Sea Coral (muted neutral coral)
 
I didn't realize how many corals I have in my purse until writing this post!
Let me know if you are interested in seeing any of these specific shades with swatches
and more detailed pictures!
 
What lippies are in your purse today?
 


Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Product of the Day- Bronzer Dupe

If you are anything like me Bronzer is a big part of your makeup routine.
I remember when I first started using bronzer in college and thinking wow, this
product is a game changer for how my makeup looks.
 
Since buying my first MAC bronzer in 2004 I have never looked back on going
without it. It is a product that instantly brings glow, warmth, color and health to your
skin. I use it in every season of every day. Love bronzer!
 
For the past year I have been pretty obsessed with NARS Laguna Bronzer sold
at Sephora. It's a great shade that works for so many different skin tones. The texture
is great and it blends nicely into your skin. I've gone through numerous compacts
of this little baby and it's been a staple in my routine.
 
UNTIL, I found something at Target a few weeks ago that caught my eye.
NYC has a bronzer I've heard a lot of hype on called Sunny. Seeing that it
was on sale for a whopping $4 I thought what the heck.... I'm going to try this out
and see if it compares to my NARS.
 
 
NARS Laguna Bronzer retails at Sephora for $36 and it described as a brown
with golden shimmer. However, I don't see any shimmer in it. To me it is a very matte
bronzer. Works great with fair-medium skin tones.
 
 
When I opened the NYC Sunny up the first thing I noticed is that it appeared
lighter than NARS. I was thinking this is not going to work as well with my skintone
being darker in the summer. But, once I actually applied it I was shocked to see that
it actually did put off a good color and worked really well.
 
I do think NARS is a bit warmer on my skin and probably works a little better for me
this time of the year, but the NYC Sunny is a phenomenal dupe.
 
If you are on a budget and in the market for a great bronzer this summer I would
suggest going to Target or Wal-Mart and picking this one up. For $4 you cannot
beat this with a flippin stick.
 
Do you have a favorite bronzer?
 
 


Monday, July 8, 2013

Weekend Rewind, What's in my Bag?

Well, Hello Blog World...
 
It's been ummmm, quite a while since I have sat down with you and had a chat.
I've been so unmotivated to blog lately... not sure why, but that apathy has set in as it
does. However, I did pick up some beauty goods this weekend and wanted to share.
 
 
I am almost out of my Fresh Soy Cleanser and I absolutely love what it
does for my skin, but it's $38 for 5 oz which is steep. I decided when I was out
 I would go back to the Purity Cleanser by Philosophy b/c you really
get more bang for your buck and it's a great cleanser.
 
This 16 oz bottle was $33 and the great thing about Purity is it is a one step
cleanser. It is a PH balanced cleanser that dissolves dirt and makeup while
cleansing pores. It is one of the best selling cleansers on the market and is for
all skin types. It has a nice clean spa type smell.
 
I'm almost out of dry shampoo and picked up a can of the Batiste sassy and daring
scent. Rarrrrrr! Never tried this can and I love some leopard print so why not!
 
I have been hearing so many great things about Mario Badescu skincare products.
They are sold at Ulta and their line began in a New York salon with botanically based
ingredients. Their line is loved by many celebs, but super affordable for the every
day gals.
 
I don't have an eye cream in my skincare routine right now so decided I would start
with the Ceramide Herbal Eye Cream that contains Vitamin C and reduces
the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.  This retails at Ulta for $16 and contains
.05 oz.
 
 
While also being out of exfoliator I picked up the Clinique
7 day scrub which is an oldie but a goodie. This is gentle enough
for daily use and is just a great staple to have in your skincare routine.
 
 
Guys, I have a lippie problem. I seriously cannot stop buying lipsticks and glosses
lately. OB-FLIPPIN-SESSED. I've been wanting a light coral/peach lippie and while
also being curious in the new Kardashian KHROMA line I decided to pick up this joystick
in the color Sea Coral and it is gorgeous. It also smells like Vanilla which I love. If you own any 
MAC lipsticks they will have a familiar scent.  
 
This color reminded me of Kourtney. She always wears a light peach on her lips with a smoky
eye and it's so pretty. Her makeup looks are by far my favorite of the girls. She just looks
so put together in a not overdone way to me.
These retail for $8.99 and have more of a matte finish.
 
Did you shop any this weekend? I know you did.. tell me what you bought!
 


Monday, June 3, 2013

My Style Monday

Happy Monday, Peeps. It's time for another My Style Monday link up with
Rachel and Lindsey!
 
 
I got to spend my Memorial Day weekend at the Gulf Coast with 4 of my
girlfriends. Ahhhh, the beach is my healing place. Emotionally, physically,
spiritually... it's that place where I get peace.
 
Saturday night we dined at The Oyster House in Gulf Shores, AL and
I wore this strapless dress from The Poppy Shoppe Boutique.

 
This is a bright coral and navy stripped sweetheart dress that they call
"Summer Date Night." A friend I graduated high school with and his wife started
this boutique online recently. They only have a few items to pick from right now as they
are growing their business, so if you find something you like you should help them out!
 
This dress zips up in the back and has a great fit. I like the length hitting where it does
with me being a shawty.
 
This dress retails for $39 and can be found here.
 
What have you been wearing? Go link up with the girls!
 

About Brooke


What’s The Story, Brooke?

I'm Brooke. Brooke Story to be exact... hence the title of my blog. I'm southern, still barely in my twenties, and have a few too many lip glosses in my purse.

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