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! 

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:

Maybelline Color Tattoo in Inked in Pink. $6 at Target.

NYX HD Shadow Base: $7 at Ulta or Drugstore.com

Lorac Behind the Scenes: $21 at Sephora.

Make up Forever Aqua Cream #13: $23.

 

Do you prime? What are YOUR favorites?!

 

 



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?!

 



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 Lip Butter in Wild Watermelon (bright pink/red)

CoverGirl lip perfection jumbo gloss balm in Watermelon Twist (medium cool pink)

CoverGirl lip perfection jumbo gloss balm in Coral Twist (sheer coral)

Clinique chubby stick intense in Heftiest Hibiscus (very bright deep coral)

Revlon Super Lustrous Gloss in Kiss me Coral (bright coral with shimmer)

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?

 



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?

 

 



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!