[Late]April Favorites: Drugstore Edition

I miss you guys. April was insanely stressful and busy for me, so makeup took the back seat. With presentations, exams, quizzes, rotations, and work, I found myself with barely enough time to sleep. 

Wet N Wild Eyeshadow Palette in Comfort Zone ($4.99): You guys, I cannot say enough good things about this palette. If I could only recommend one thing to you, this palette would be it. It’s no secret by now that I absolutely adore the Wet N Wild brand. They have yet to disappoint me with their products. The one item that stands out to me the most, is this one. And trust me, I own a lot of WnW products.

The eyeshadows in this palette range from subtle brown/copper to dark green and pewter-grays. All of the shades are shimmery with the exception of the bottom right color which is a duochrome (swatched on my ring finger) and is known to be a dupe for MAC’s Club eyeshadow. In fact, the entire palette is composed of MAC eyeshadow dupes, and in my opinion are much softer and have better color payoff! For a full list of MAC dupes in this palette, click here.

Maybelline Color Tattoo in Too Cool ($5): I bought the entire line of the color tattoos when they first came out a few months ago. I have a love affair with MAC’s paint pots, so I knew I’d love these. Out of all of the shades, this is the one I use the most. The pearly white color glides on with eyes and functions perfectly as a base for silver, white or even champagne eyeshadows. It  looks amazing under the pewter-gray color in the Comfort Zone palette!

Wet N Wild Megalast Polish in I Red A Good Book ($1.99):  I spent the majority of April staring down at my notes, and this color made things a little brighter. It’s the perfect red for summer. Bright, opaque in 2 coats, and super easy to take off. And not to mention, super cheap.

Vaseline Lip Therapy ($1.79): This little vaseline jar has got to be the cutest little thing I ever laid eyes on. It’s so cute, you’ll actually want to pull it out during the day to reapply! 

And there you have it. A quick list of drugstore products I love and recommend. All for under $14!

Will you be picking any of these things up?

Trash the Dress Photoshoot

Photgrapher: Edgar Osorio
MUA: Lipstick & Stockings
Dresses: Maggie Sottero

Green with Envy

Meet Inglot's eyeshadow in #504. 

It's a beautiful true green that goes on with so much intensity that it's hard to explain. It look so wild and fierce on the pan, but once it's on you fall in love with it. I have yet to see another shadow in this hue from any company. 

It's truly one-of-a-kind.

Inglot has easily turned into one of my favorite makeup brands. Everything I have tried from them (and I've tried quite a few items) has blown my socks off. The quality of their products is phenomenal, and you can bet that whatever it is you buy, you are getting it for a cheaper price than other brands. 

I think this brand deserves a lot more attention. They sell everything from nail polishes to brushes and everything in between. Whenever I visit an Inglot store, I feel like a little girl in a candy store. A cheap and super delicious candy store. 

Have you ever tried anything from this brand? What are your thougths?

Spring Break in San Francisco

Illamasqua: Theatre of the Nameless

Have you ever come across a beauty brand that has never disappointed you? Illamasqua, a brand originally from the UK, has quickly become one of my favorites. When I first swatched Illamasqua’s cream blushes, it was love. Love at first swatch. I was so impressed with the quality of Illamasqua, that I went back to check out the rest of their makeup. 

Recently I picked up two blushes from their Theatre of the Nameless Collection as well as some other goodies from their permanent line:

Lipstick in Resist (matte berry violet), Liquid Metal Palette, Powder Blushes in Morale(pink) & Ambition (magenta). 

Illamasqua, thank you for coming to the United States. Seriously, how did I go this long without you?

Exploring LA: The Getty Museum

 Shirt: H&M | Fur Scarf: H&M | Headband: Anthropologie

February Favorites

I spent the majority of this month experimenting with skin care products rather than with makeup. Here’s what I really enjoyed this month:

The Balm’s Dandelion Skin Brightner ($38): This little guy is my secret to a brighter face. It doubles as a moisturizer and a primer for me. The moisturizer contains illuminating reflective particles in a beautiful yet subtle champagne hue. It’s infused with Dandelion Extract, Gingko, and Vitamin C. I especially love that it leaves my face hydrated andglowy without feeling sticky.

Neutrogena Healthy Skin Foundation ($12): I am head over heels in love with this foundation. I love that it contains SPF 20 which allows me to skip that step in the mornings. However, what I love most about this foundation is how it feels on my dry skin. It gives me just the right amount of dewiness in all the right places! I think I have found my new holy grail drugstore foundation for dry skin.

Celestial Moisturizer by Lush ($24): I really loved the sample I had gotten of this moisturizer last year. I found it comparable to Philosophy’s Hope in a Jar , but much less greasy. This moisturizer is made from Almond milk & Vanilla. And it smells just like it’s name.

Clarisonic Plus ($225): This item has got to the most expensive beauty item I own. I held off on buying it for so long, because let’s face it, it’s ridiculously expensive. I knew I wanted to invest in it, but I didn’t really know if I would use it. My wonderful husband gifted it to me for my birthday and it’s been love ever since. This brush was my best friend throughout Facial February. You don’t have to invest in the Clarisonic Plus (it comes with a brush head for your body) as the Clarisonic Mia would do the same job for much less money ($119).

MAC Studio Sculpt Concealer ($17): This baby works like a dream. It provides full coverage while looking natural. I especially love it to conceal any breakouts or hyper-pigmentation that my foundation doesn’t cover.

NYX Cream Blush in Natural ($7): Hands down one of the creamiest blushes I have ever used. If you want dewy cheeks with a natural flush, this is the blush for you.

The Beauty Blender ($20): WOW. That’s all I’m going to say. (I’ll be doing a full review on this amazing sponge later)

Murad Active Radiance Serum ($89): I don’t think I would have ever bought this item had it not been included in my Clarisonic Plus kit from Sephora. It’s a glycolic acid serum used to tighten the skin and diminish wrinkles. I’m not looking forward to repurchasing this very pricey item once I run out.

What were your favorites this month?

Nail of the Week: Salon Effects Polish Strips

These were sent to me by my one of my lovely followers, Maxine.

Nails of the week: Valentine's Day

Wet N Wild’s Candy-licious ($1.99) topped with NYC’s Starry Silver Glitter ($0.99). 

Let me start off by saying how amazingly beautiful that pink/blue/silver glitter polish is. For a total of $3, I think this is the best Valentine’s Manicure out there. And the best part? Wet n Wild polishes are buy 2 get 1 free the whole month of February at Walgreens! How can you say no to that?!  

OOTD: Red Tomatoes

These pants are LOUD. I never thought I could pull of the bright pants trend, but I have to admit that I'm loving the way it looks.

Shirt: H&M | Pants: H&M | Scarf & Bag: H&M | Watch: Michael Kors | Bracelet: Target

January Favorites

I have decided to start making a post at the end of every month highlighting some of my most used/loved beauty products of that month. Only products that have really stood out to me will make it to each post.

Naked Palette ($50): I have rediscovered my love for the Naked Palette. I had decided to put it away to give room for other new palettes that needed some attention, but with all of the buzz of the new NAKED 2, I decided it was time to bring it back to my makeup routine. If you love neutral eye shades, this palette will be your new best friend. I cannot recommend this product enough.

Revlon Lip Butter in Sugar Plum ($6.50): Everyone is so obsessed over these new lip butters by Revlon. And to be honest, I can see why. This week, they are BOGO 1/2 off at CVS.

Anastasia Brow Kit ($20): This is my holy grail brow powder. I love that it comes in three different shades ranging from blondes to brunettes. It also has a trio of illuminating baked powders, perfect for highlighting the brow bone. These are terracotta baked, and can be used wet or dry. And, to top it all off, it includes a mini eyebrow gel. Unfortunately, this little guy is no longer sold at Sephora but I was able to find it at Dillard’s on sale for $20 compared to $32 on the Anastasia Beverly Hills website. I love this so much, I’m considering buying a backup.

Buxom Lash ($19): I received this mini as a gift from Sephora this month, and I have been loving it ever since. The wand is perfect for defining lashes, yet still gives them enough volume.

Mac #224 ($24.50): Let me just give you the 411 on this amazing little brush: it’s super soft, picks up eyeshadow like a magnet, applies it beautifully, and blends like a dream. A DREAM. This brush was released with the Mac Me Over Collection, so I’m not sure if you’ll still find this in store. If you’re ever lucky enough come across one of these beauties, do yourself a favor and snag one. Or two.

What are your January Beauty Favorites?

Jean-less January: Stripes

Jean-less January is no joke. Although I had fun putting my outfits together, I froze my butt of the entire month.

Blazer: H&M | Dress: Forever 21 | Watch: Michael Kors | Clutch: Express | Nail Polish: Wet n Wild

Sally Hansen's Nail Polish Strips

These nail stickers are the bomb.

For about $9 a box, I think it’s a little too much for a set of nail stickers you can only use once. Call me crazy, but I’d rather buy a full bottle of Essie nail polish. 

In any case, I found these on clearance at Target for $2.50 and I couldn’t pass them up. They are made from real nail polish, so although I have gotten some minor chipping, they have lasted me a good week. They’re also a lot of fun to put on.

Have you ever tried these?