Tutorial - Drugstore Products Only!

This is a tutorial done using my recent purchases at Walgreens and Target. I also threw in a few other products to finish off the look, but they are also from drugstores. It's a quick, easy look that can be toned down or played up. I realized while editing that I might have gone a little overboard with the bouncy blush, but I was so afraid that it wouldn't show up on camera because I've heard complaints about its pigmentation!

In any case, I hope you like this look!

Drugstore Haul

This past Saturday I had to run about town and do some errands, and made a stop at Target and Walgreens to check out the beauty sections. Now, I love Target, but Walgreens was having way better deals on all things in the cosmetic world. The new collections from Maybelline, Covergirl, and Loreal have a lot of great things to check out! 


My haul of everything purchased is below. I wish I would have started my channel like six months ago, when I was getting packages from Sephora like every other day! But this year is the year of staying strong and being more mindful of my finances, so there ya go. =) 

Favorite Blushes of 2011

The last in my series of Favorites for 2011, all about blushes! Enjoy!

1. BareMinerals Blush in Flirt
2. NARS All about Cheeks palette (Orgasm and Sin)
3. Mary Kay Cheek Tints in Tangerine/Mandarin and Pomegranate/Grenade
4. Benefit Powda Wowsa

Monthly Faves - December 2011

The favorites from December also kind of double as my holy grail items, and you might have seen them in all my other videos too. The up and coming months will be new or rediscovered items, to keep it short.

1. Mary Kay Cheek Tint in Tangerine/Mandarin
2. Revlon Lip Butter in Cupcake
3. Tarte Gifted Mascara
4. Cetaphil Daily Facial Moisturizer
5. Bath and Body Works Lotion in Vanilla Bean Noel
6. China Glaze Nail Polish in Re-Fresh Mint
7. ORLY Nail Polish in Rage
8. Too Faced Primed and Poreless Face Primer in Bronze Tint
9. D&G Perfume in 3 L'Imperatrice

2011 Skincare Favorites

I can't believe that 2011 has already passed. The year went by ridiculously fast, which means I'm sure 2012 will too. Scary! In any case, since this blog and my youtube channel are just starting out, I thought I would wrap up the year with a series of 2011 Favorites. That way when I do monthly favorites in 2012, they won't have to be super long because I'll only mention new or re-discovered products. 


The first in this series is my Skincare favorites. 

1. Soap & Glory Hand Food - This lotion is nongreasy with a very light, fresh scent. Best hand lotion I've ever used!
2. Soap & Glory The Greatest Scrub of All - A relatively affordable (about 17 dollars a bottle) exfoliator that really gets the job done. Once in a routine, you only have to use it about twice a week. 
3. Cetaphil Daily Moisturizer - This awesome moisturizer can be found at Walgreens and other drug stores, as well as in Target I believe. I've tried the Neutrogena version of this, but it didn't really work well for me. 
4. Philosophy Purity - This sucker isn't exactly cheap, but it takes a long time to go through the product. Plus, it's great for sensitive skin and can be used for a number of different things. Ask for a sample at Sephora!
5. Bliss Steep Clean  facial mask - If you have sensitive skin but want to try out a mask, this is a great option. It doesn't tingle and doesn't sting, but leaves your skin feeling fresh and clean. My face has been wonderful and clear for a while, and this is part of my skincare regimen.
6. Lush Tea Tree Toner - This organic, all natural toner is another great product for sensitive skin. It doesn't leave your skin dry or tight, and is actually really refreshing. 
7. Clindamycin Phosphate Gel - If you have Acne and nothing seems to be doing the trick, go to your doctor and have them write you a prescription for something... what have you got to lose!

Tutorial - Everyday Look

This is pretty much the makeup that I wear on a day to day basis. Sometimes it's less, but it's usually not much more. Hey, what can I say... I love sleep, and would rather lay in bed for ten more minutes than fuss with my make up in the morning!

Products used: Urban Decay Primer potion, Tarte tinted moisturizer, BareMinerals Foundation, Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow, Mac Paint Pot in Bare Study, CoverGirl Eyeshadow in Tapestry Taupe, Tarte Gifted Mascara, Mary Kay Cheek Tint in Tangerine, Garnier Skin Renew, Revlon Lip Butter in Sweet Tart

Tutorial - Night Out

This is the makeup look that I rocked for New Years. My work setting doesn't really give a lot of opportunity to wear darker shadows and a lot of highlighting, so I decided to vamp it up a little bit on New Years! Honestly, this is something I would do any time that I am going out at night with friends. I'm not really a glitter kind of girl, so this is dramatic enough for me. 

Makeup Organization - Rotating Unit

Perhaps my favorite Christmas present this year is from my wonderful step mom, who understands my love of cosmetics. I'd been eyeing this rotating storage unit on QVC, and was so excited to unwrap it on Christmas! I don't have a very massive make-up collection. If I don't like something, I return it or give it away, and if I don't use it, it usually ends up going to my little sister. So, this is a perfect way to store my cosmetic goodies. If you want one for yourself, I put the link to the QVC page in the info bar of the video. How do you like to store your makeup?

Haul - Bath and Body Works

My first haul video... so exciting! I'm a little bit addicted to Bath and Body Works, especially their candles. There's just something about those signature fall and winter scents that make my apartment feel like home. This is a two-part video. This is the last B&BW haul I'll be doing in a long time, because I'm pretty well stocked up right now!!

December BirchBox Review

This December BirchBox is the last that I'll be getting. I enjoyed the subscription service, but didn't feel like I was getting the most bang from my buck with the products. They were great, and many came in large sizes, but I ended up just keeping them in a box rather than actually using them. I'm still subscribed to MyGlam, and will see how they do with the upcoming months. Goodbye, BirchBox. It was fun while it lasted!

What's in my Purse?

One of my favorite kinds of videos to watch on YouTube are the "What's in my Purse" video. It always seems like people are so smart about what they haul in their purses with them. So, I thought I'd give it a shot and explore my own purse, and all while on camera. At the end of the day it wasn't as exciting as I thought it would be. =/ Oh well!

Top 10 Reached for Products

My top ten most reached for products, in no particular order...

1. Tarte Smooth Operator Amazonian Clay Tinted Moisturizer - A great tinted moisturizer for those us of with sensitive skin. It gives just enough covered to even my skin out. I've recently heard great things about a tinted moisturizer by CoverGirl, which is about a third of the cost. Next time around I will definitely be checking that out!
2.  BareMinerals Foundation - Swirl, tap, and buff! I love this stuff. Great for the skin and yet it does the job of a foundation. Love it!
3. Kat VonD Tattoo Concealer - This is a great concealer for those with dark under-eye circles. It's not cheap, but a little bit goes a REALLY long way. With any concealer, it's important to get swatched for your right color. 
4. Benefit Powda Wowsa - A great way to try out three of Benefit's most popular face powders. 
5. Benefit High Beam - My favorite liquid highlighter that gives anyone that supermodel glow. It has some glisten to it, but isn't glittery. 
6. Benefit Creaseless Cream Eye Shadow in Flatter Me - To me, this is a great way to put something on the eyelids in the morning without using eyeshadows and brushes. With the right primer it lasts all day long.
7. Loreal Lineur Intense Blackest Black - This felt tip liner is VERY black and super easy to apply. 
8. Tarte Gifted Mascara - I rave about this in my previous "Mascara for Sensitive Eyes" blog post. Check it out!
9. Benefit Porefessional - For those of us with enlarged pores in the t-zone area, this is a great balm to put on under foundation to smooth things out!
10. Revlon Lip Butter - These lip butters are amazing! I own about six of them now, and can't get enough. These are the only things close to "lipstick" that I feel like I can pull off. Snaps for that!

Review: Maybelline Color Tattoo Cream Gels

With the drug-store beauty companies coming out with their new lines for Spring, there are a lot of gems to be found! My first obsession came with the Revlon Lip butters. They're basically a cross between a lipstick and a chapstick. They apply thick and are moisturizing like a chapstick, but many are just as pigmented as a lipstick! I think I'll be doing a review of my favorite colors on those, but another product has taken me by storm recently too -- the Maybelline Color Tattoo 24-Hr Cream Gels. That's a mouthful of a name, but essentially, these babies are dupes for MAC's famed paint pots and even for Benefit's creaseless cream shadows. I was so excited to try one of these, because both the pots from MAC and Benefit start around $19, and these suckers are about $7 or $8 depending on where you go.


I purchased shade 35 - Tough and Taupe, because it's a color unlike anything else that I own. But, since it's a neutral, I figured I'd get a lot of use out of it. The cream itself applies very smoothly and is AMAZINGLY pigmented. I love it when products work out like this, because it allows make-up loving girls like myself to still feed the addiction without breaking the bank!

December GlamBag Review

If you're new to the cosmetic-world or just want to give yourself a monthly treat, one way to do that is to subscribe to a beauty-box service! Basically, you shell out ten dollars a month in exchange for about 5 samples. The specifics of which depends on the box. December was kind of a transitioning period for me. I was subscribed to Birchbox as well as Glambag. A review of the December Birchbox will be uploaded shortly, but below is my review of the MyGlam bag! They're a brand spanking new subscription service, run by some of YouTube's biggest gurus. I was really impressed by what came in the bag, but only time will tell if they can keep up the good work!


Do you know of any other great beauty box services?

Mascara for Sensitive Eyes

Over the years I've come to realize that the reason I can't wear most drug-store mascaras is because I must be allergic to one of the ingredients in them. Not the kind of allergic where my eyes puff up or anything like that, fortunately. But, an hour into wearing the mascara, I would be picking at my eyelashes. It got to the point where I could actually notice some bare spots in my lashes. Not cool!

So, I started to experiment with all-natural brands... and mascaras that are sulfate-free, paraben free, etc. Below is the video of my review of 3 all-natural mascaras. Since then I've discovered my favorite, which is "Gifted" by Tarte. It's not waterproof, but has the Amazonian clay in it which helps it last a lot longer. Since wearing this mascara, I haven't noticed any transfer of the mascara onto my under-eye area, which was a huge problem before. My under-eye area is already dark enough, I don't need any help with that!

I've also learned that Physician's Formula is supposed to have some good options for sensitive eyes too, but am yet to try any of those out yet. Let me know if there are any other brands I should check out!