2014 favorites | makeup part 3: eye makeup!

Of course eye makeup will have its own post... For me, it's the most fun part about makeup, even though I don't have the time to play around with it every day. Here's the list of eye makeup that I find myself using consistently!

2014 favorites | makeup part 1: bases & details

After sorting through my makeup favorites from this year... there's too many! I'm sure most of you guys can relate, haha. I'm be splitting this section into a few separate posts, cause I don't like having super long posts myself. So here's part one of the (hopefully) makeup favorites trilogy: bases, and the little things at the end that tie everything together.

I'm changing things up a little bit by trying out different styles in writing... Usually I like to provide a (quite lengthy) mini review but I'll try to shorten things up a little bit especially since most of these products aren't new to the blog... I suppose that's the point of having these as my all-time favorites this year, though! A lot of these are featured in my everyday makeup post as well, if you'd like to read about how I use these products.



First things first I'm the realest - the things I slap on my face after skincare...

haul | staples from sephora

Hi! I have a mini haul to share with you guys today~ I didn't mean for it to happen, but most of these items are repurchases/things I'll actually use more than a few times. I'm happy to say that I didn't buy everything at once, and I'm managing my beauty spending quite well!

soap & glory | hand food

This has been a long time favorite of mine. It's very moisturizing but not sticky or greasy, and sinks in pretty quickly. I don't have much to say about this other than it does what a good hand cream should do. The scent is very subtle, which I like a lot. I got the smaller size, which is perfect for my handbag.

elizabeth and james | nirvana white

I've been hearing lots of good things about this perfume, and when I tried it on in Sephora I knew I had to get it. It's described with notes of peony, muguet, and tender musk. Even my sister likes it a lot - she doesn't usually go for florals. It goes along wonderfully with my Fresh Sugar Lychee perfume, and it seems to make that last a little longer as well. I opted for the rollerball version because I don't typically wear perfume often enough to go for a bigger size.

korres | lip butter in mango

I had another one of Korres' lip butters in Jasmine. When I went to Canada last time, I slept at one of my friend's places (now boyfriend - wait, whaaat?) and forgot to pack it when I left. No big deal, I could just take it back when I go there in June. Wrong. So wrong. My life feels empty without this lip balm. It's the best I've tried so far, and my lips are very unhappy without it.

nars | sheer glow foundation in ceylan

I've been using the NARS Sheer Glow foundation for a while now, but I haven't found my shade up until recently. I started off with Santa Fe which was too pink, exchanged it with Fiji which was close but a tad too golden, and exchanged it yet again for Ceylan which is perfect! I did feel bad for exchanging so many times - but with their awesome exchange/return policy, I feel like Sephora really does care about its customers (I'm glaring at you, Forever 21).

What are some of your staple products?

Until next post,

Becky

haul | sephora vib sale

My purchases from Sephora's sale, because I have no self control. May I also add that my sister and I bought nearly the same things? The only things she didn't get are the Bobbi Brown brush, NARS eyeshadow primer, and the First Aid Beauty exfoliator. We concluded that it's because she's going back to Ohio in a few weeks and we can't have the luxury of abusing using each other's makeup and skincare for a long time.

bobbi brown | blush brush

I don't know how to justify spending $50 on a brush. Sorry, yo.

nars | smudge proof eyeshadow base

I've been using Urban Decay's Primer Potion up until this point. I've been noticing that it tends to get a little cakey and not blend as well. It's not just the current one I have, but the ones I've used in the (semi recent) past too. Lots of people rave about this one, so I'm hoping it'll exceed my expectations.

tarte | amazonian clay 12 hour blush in exposed

I've heard tons of good things about Tarte, and I've always wanted to try their blushes. I remember Coco featuring Exposed in a post, and it's been on my wishlist ever since.

dolce & gabbana | the blush luminous cheek colour in tan 22

Aka 'why did I spend $45 on a blush??' (blame Claire).

first aid beauty | ultra repair face moisturizer

My sister has a bottle of this and I really liked it, so I bought one of my own. Now that warmer weather is approaching, I don't want to be using a heavy moisturizer in the daytime. This one is perfect!

urban decay | chill makeup setting spray

This isn't a new product to me - I've raved about setting sprays a ton and I always recommend them to people that can't seem to get their makeup to last without touching up. My favorite brands are Motives and Urban Decay, so I get either one depending on which is more convenient for me at the moment.

first aid beauty | facial radiance polish

Got this as a 100 point perk in a deluxe sample, mostly because I'm looking for a gentle exfoliator to bring with me when I go to Canada.

urban decay | naked 3

I'll admit that I totally lusted over this just because everyone else was talking about this. It quickly lost my interest afterward - I was mostly thinking "it's pinky toned, so it might make me look sick." It wasn't even initially going to be a purchase, but once I saw it in store I knew I had to have it even without swatching. It's a beautiful palette, and I don't regret it at all!

Did you guys get anything from the sale? Let me know in the comments!

Until next post,

Becky 

some favorites + i'm back!

First off - so, so, so sorry about the unexpected, unannounced hiatus. I don't have an explanation - I just haven't really been feeling it lately. I've also been avoiding this blog and blog-related emails like the plague, so I apologize for that as well. Anyway, onto the post - I thought it might be appropriate to introduce some products I've been liking a lot during my time away from here n____n

fresh | sugar lychee rollerball

Finally, a perfume that I can say I truly love and look forward to putting on every day. There are some others that I like, but I can't say it's something I would want to use every day. It's a nice, light, and fresh scent - quite sweet, a little floral, a little spicy when the top notes start wearing off. I won't bother going on any further with describing the scent since I'm not the best at that - you'll just have to give it a spritz (or in this case, a roll) when you get the chance.

nars | radiant creamy concealer in honey

My favorite concealer by far. I'm skeptical of all concealers in general, but I remember Rikki mentioning it in one of her posts. It doesn't look cakey, powdery, or find its way into fine lines like most concealers I've tried. It's also really easy to work with and doesn't catch onto dry patches, which is a huge plus for me. Honey in particular is great for masking stubborn under eye circles.

skincraft organics | fresh cut deodorant

I hated using deodorant in the past because the store-bought ones always leave a waxy film that's difficult to get off in the shower. Yes, I'm aware I give off a terrible stench when I sweat (everyone does!). No, I'm not putting deodorant on. Since this little gem came into my life, I've been looking forward to putting deodorant on every day. Which sounds silly, because deodorant is one of the least glamorous things out there. I love that it's made from natural, organic ingredients that don't do harm to your body. It doesn't smell like jasmine and ylang ylang like the description says, but it's still a pleasant scent. You will still sweat - and that's a good thing, because that's what your body was made to do - but offending body odors will be kept at bay.

urban decay | grindhouse sharpener

At first glance, I totally wasn't going to shell out $10 for a freakin' pencil sharpener. I decided to give it a try anyway when I needed an extra bump for free shipping and couldn't find anything else with a small price range. It has a smaller sharpener for eyeliners, and a bigger one for shadow sticks. Blows. Me. Away. Never before have I sharpened a pencil with such ease, sharpness, and precision - ok I'll stop. Did I mention that it doesn't break the tip off either? But seriously, it's worth the hype and price.

korres | lip butter in jasmine

One of the best lip care products I've tried. I dislike that it comes in a pot that you have to dip your finger in, because it's more prone to getting little pieces of dust in the lip balm and that just drives me nuts. That, and it's not exactly sanitary to be dipping a (possibly) dirty finger into which is why I only use it when I can wash my hands (aka home). Other than that, it's a nice and basic little product that keeps my lips moisturized and happy! Also, this smells nothing like jasmine. It's still a nice scent, though.

Until next post (and I promise it won't be 2 months later),

Becky