May 2013 Favorites

I feel like it's been forever since I've done a favorites post! May felt like it just went on forever but it was a particularly good month so I don't mind! I'm a little late with these so let's just dive right it.
L'Oreal Total Repair 5 Damage Erasing Balm - I had gone a little while without a deep conditioner and desperately needed one so I picked this one up on a whim. It smells like a salon product and makes my hair feel as fresh and nice as it is after I get it cut. It doesn't weigh my hair down and actually gives it some bounce and smoothness. I use it once a week or so.
Philosophy the Microdelivery Exfoliating Wash - I walked into Ulta looking for a new toner and the salesgirl somehow sold me on this. I've been using it every other day, at night. It's a very gentle physical exfoliater but it's really effective too. My skin has been much smoother since I started using this. This big bottle was pricer than I prefer for cleansers but you only need a small amount to cover your face.
Wet N Wild Fergie Take on the Day Eyeshadow Primer - I've been wanting to try this for a while because one my favorite youtubers, allinicoleee, uses it a lot. It's more of a liquid consistency but it does the job very well. If you are looking for a drugstore eye primer, this is it!

Benefit Hoola - I'm not much of a bronzer person but if I could have only one, Hoola would be it. I'm super timid of bronzer because I'm so so fair but Hoola is so fool proof. I have a back up of the sample size like this one but if I ever run out, I'll be getting a full size immediately.

Rimmel Kate Moss Lipsticks in 104 and 17 - These are a new purchase for me as well and I'm completely obsessed with them. The formula is perfectly smooth and fantastically pigmented. The colors are perfect for me and look absolutely gorgeous on. If you know of any shades from these lines that I might like, let me know!
So that's it for my May favorites! What were your favorites this month?

Current Wishlist: January 2013

I know, I know, Christmas wasn't even a month ago. But we are well into the Spring collections and I've got Christmas cash burning a hole in my pocket. Besides my last wishlist post was 3 months ago. So let's take a look into what I've been lusting after recently.

1. Legit Asian BB Creams
I've tried a few American BB creams and I can't imagine they are anything like the Asian BB's. No one would get this hyped up over these formulas. They're nice but not what I was hoping for. I've been reading Musings of a Muse for BB reviews and I think these are the ones I want to start with. If you're curious, these are Skin79 Gold Super Plus, Skinfood Aloe Sun, Holika Holika Peach Girl, and Holika Holika Moisture Petit.

2. New Drugstore Goodies
It has been so long since I've gotten excited about new things at the drugstore but it seems like every brand has something new I want to try for Spring 2013. Cover Girl has their Outlast nail polishes, Outlast foundation and Lipperfection jumbo gloss balms. The concealer crayon from L'Oreal looks awesome. I've never tried a Maybelline Color Tattoo but I want the new Barely Branded shade. And I love their Age Rewind dark circle eraser so I really want to try the dark spot one!

3. Perfume
I hardly ever wear perfume. 99% of the time I wear a body mist from Bath and Body Works or Victoria's Secret. I have one perfume that I love but it was discontinued a long time ago. I'm also one of those people who connects scents to memories and times in my life and I want a new one for this new chapter we have started. I've smelled all of these and can't really decide. I'm trying to decide between Kate Spade Twirl, Taylor Swift Wonderstruck, Coach Poppy, and Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy La Fleur.

4. New Eyeshadow Sets
I seriously don't need any more eyeshadows. And yet for some reason I really really want these. The Becca quad is super expensive but the name of it is Galactica and it's all colors I would use, so naturally, I need it. Everyone and their mom has the Lorac Pro Palette and I'm smitten. Mattes and shimmers of the same shade? I'm in. Again, I'm a Benefit fangirl and I've never tried any of their eyeshadows so I really want one of their new neutrals sets.

5. An iPad!
The only reason I haven't made any purchases since Christmas is that I'm contemplating getting an iPad. And obviously, I would get a Vera case for it, probably the tablet sleeve with a matching snap on case.We've wanted one for so long but now that it's a possibility, I'm hesitant to pull the trigger. We haven't bought anything this big for ourselves besides our computer in November. But it's so awesome and we miss the portability of a laptop. An iPad would be a great compliment to our desktop because it would do the things we wish our desktop could do. I'm one of those people who 1. struggles to make decisions like this and 2. wants things but struggles to part with large sums of money no matter how much I want something.

So that's it! If you have an opinion, let me know! As much as I want all of these things, that's just not possible. I'll be sure to post some kind of haul if I do make a decision. Is anyone else as surprised as I am that there is only one nail polish on this list?

My Favorite Things 2012: Makeup Edition

It's not quite the end of 2012 just yet but I figured now would be a good time to talk about my favorite products of the year! There were definitely some standout products for me this year. Even with my project pan, there were products I just kept using frequently. I didn't just pick things I purchased this year but things I really really used and loved. It just so happens that most of these were purchased within the last year. I didn't include skincare even though there were a couple of things I got this year that I don't want to live without now. Skincare is something that really doesn't change very often so that kind of deserves it's own post. Without further ado, here's my favorite products from 2012!

 Loreal True Match Lumi foundation - Seriously love this stuff! It was easy to find a good match for me from this range because they have a ton of colors and I even saw testers at a couple of stores. It doesn't set too quickly and it doesn't cling to dry patches. It's not too luminous so it looks really natural.
MAC Fix+ - The makeup artist at the MAC store Sam and I went to managed to sell me on this as I was paying for the other things I bought and I kind of regretted it at first. I mean, did I really need another makeup spray? Probably not but I'd been hearing a ton of people say either that it's a holy grail product or just a big waste of money and I wanted to judge for myself. And it's awesome! I don't usually use it as a setting spray, although it is really nice for that. I mix it with foundation or spray my brush with it (or both) to help foundation go on a little more smoothly. I plan on buying a full size bottle before this baby one runs out because I can't imagine life without it.

Benefit Hoola - I'm sure I've mentioned before that I'm a Benefit fangirl. That's partly due to the adorable packaging and fantastic sets they put out. I got this deluxe size sample from a little set at Sephora. And while the packaging isn't the best ever, it works for me. I had been looking for a bronzer that wouldn't turn orange on me and wouldn't be too dark. Hoola is perfect. It's matte so I can use it to contour or I can layer it over blush to make me look a little more sunkissed. I don't think I'll ever run out of this little sample but if I do I'll definitely buy the full size.
Benefit Benetint - I got this in the Sugarlicious set from Benefit and I know I'll be buying a full size eventually. I love it as a lip tint because it stays all day, looks very natural and goes with any look. I usually put a gloss over it and it's perfect.
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Redhead - I got this because of the name and it turns out the colors are perfect for my skin tone. It just makes me look so glowy without looking like a disco ball. Redhead also plays nice with almost any blush!

 MAC Painterly Paint Pot - Everyone raves about paint pots being good bases for eyeshadows and I wholeheartedly agree. It just holds every color in place and lasts all day long. I like painterly because it's my skin tone so I can put it on without anything else and still feel very polished.
Maybelline the Colossal Volum' Express mascara - This was one of the first mascaras I've ever tried and I continue to repurchase it over and over. It's lengthening and volumizing. It just make my lashes look amazing. Seriously, if you haven't tried this before, you really need to give it a shot.
NYX Mega Shine Lip Gloss is Crystal Soda - Like benetint, this is one of those super versatile lip products that goes with every look. I can wear just about anything underneath this and Crystal Soda looks pretty with it. It can look nice and nude but over a bold color it looks fun and youthful. The mega shine formula is a great gloss, non sticky and really long lasting.

 Urban Decay 15th Anniversary palette - This palette was limited edition so you can't get it any more but it's probably my favorite palette that I own. It's got the perfect neutrals, brights and smoky colors for me. The packaging is beautiful but a little annoying (the lid just lifts off, the shiny surface holds fingerprints like a crime scene). I've gotten a ton of use out of this and I always get a little giddy over how pretty it is.
Wet N Wild Color Icon Trio in Walking On Eggshells - This is my perfect every day look. The shadows rival Urban Decay and MAC in quality but it was only like $3. They are buttery smooth and blend beautifully. I use this a ton, especially when I'm running out of time. It's practically foolproof.

So those were my favorites this year. I know it's a little early but share your favorites with me! On Thursday I'll be showing you my nail polish favorites so stay tuned for that!

I ♥ Drugstore!

I've been loving these videos on youtube lately so I'd give it a shot!

1. What is your favorite drugstore makeup brand?
I guess it's ELF because I own more ELF than any other brand. I've tried a pretty wide range of their products and there are so many things I love from them. Favorites are the studio blushes, essential lipsticks, studio high definition powder and makeup mist and set.

2. What are your favorite face, cheek and lip products?

Face- L'Oreal Lumi Foundation and ELF HD Powder
Cheek- ELF Studio Blushes
Lip- NYX Mega Shine Lip Gloss

3. Least favorite product?
Rimmel pro primer. It just felt heavy on my face and broke me out (probably because my face was sweating from how heavy it feels). To add insult to injury, it didn't really do anything to improve how my makeup went on or it's staying power.

4. What is the best makeup bargain?
Probably the Wet N Wild Color Icon Eyeshadows. So inexpensive but the quality and pigmentation is on par with MAC and Urban Decay!

5. What is your favorite underdog product? (Something you love that often gets overlooked?)
The ELF essentials lipsticks. They're only $1, really creamy and pretty basic colors. For a beginner, it would be great to pick these up, even if all you want is some lippies to play with and experiment with what colors look best on you. Just a heads up, the packaging is definitely $1 and they are so soft they can be prone to breaking. This doesn't bother me as I don't carry lipsticks with me and I don't mind repairing a lippie.

 

6. A drugstore product that is overpriced?
Physician's Formula. I only own one Physician's Formula product, I won it from their FB page and I'm meh on it. My roommate at college only used PF products and she looked like a hot mess at the end of the day. I'm sure they have some quality products but at that price, I'm going to upgrade to higher end brands with prettier packaging and fewer added fragrances.

7. Show your best drugstore dupe(s)!!
I'm not sure if these are exact dupes because I've never bothered to check. I've heard WnW Walking on Eggshells is similar to MAC Shroom, Mulch, and All That Glitters. I'm not big on makeup dupes, I really only care about nail polish dupes.

8. Drugstore product that isn't worth the hype?
EOS lipbalms. I've spoken about these before. They are so waxy. Everyone loves the cute packaging but it is pretty impractical, at least for me.

It was very fun to try to come up with these answers! I tag Sam to try it! I'm definitely going to look for other tags that might be fun to try blogging!