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?

My Nail Polish Collection and Storage

Since we've moved, I haven't been super happy with my beauty product storage. We definitely took a step in the right direction when I picked up a Helmer from Ikea for my nail polish! Honestly, the room I keep my beauty products in is incredibly ugly, so for now, I'll just stick to the Helmer and what's inside.
On top, I keep a long Skubb box (love those things!) with a bunch of products I use regularly, plus nail polish remover.

Top drawer is random nail related things. Top coats, base coats and thinner in the paper boxes (Jenn made those). My manicure set in the bag. Sally Hansen Color Quick pens (I hate them), Reinforcement stickers, labels, superglue pen, and nail stickers.

Second drawer is China Glaze. I can fit 13 more bottles in here, so yeah, I'll be surprised if I don't overflow into another drawer by the end of the year.

Third drawer is OPI. I can fit 15 more bottles in this drawer. Again, I would not be surprised if I overflow.

Fourth drawer is randoms. It's only about half full. I've got Orly, Zoya, Color Club, Sally Hansen, ELF, Wet N Wild, Illamasqua, Essie, Nicole By OPI, Ulta, Nails Inc, Butter London, Studio M, and Deborah Lippmann.
The fifth and sixth drawers aren't worth showing. One has just a bag of cotton balls and the other is empty. I'm not gunning to fill this baby up any time soon but it is nice to know I've got a couple open and available drawers.
And that's it! I know it's a lot of polish, but hey, at least I only need one Helmer and not multiple. How do you store nail polish?

Wet N Wild 2% Milk

So after wearing Bite The Bullet, I had to head out and see what other Megalast polishes were out there. I was very intrigued about the nice off white creaminess that is 2% Milk so I decided for $2 I could give it a shot. And I love it far more than I could have anticipated. This is three coats, it looks a little more opaque in real life but I definitely still see my nail line. It's a fantastic palate cleanser, especially considering how blah I've felt about a lot of the colors I've worn lately. It feels clean and elegant and refined. I love it.
Any other Megalast polishes I should go looking for? I'm loving everything about this line right now.

Wet N Wild Bite The Bullet

My first Wet N Wild polish to share! I got the two that I own when Sam was here but I'm really tempted to get some more. This is Bite The Bullet. It's in my favorite color family, the slightly grey toned, putty purples. It's the lighter, brighter, more purpley cousin of Below Deck and Foie Gras. Formula was pretty good, great considering this polish was only $2. I did two coats but after really examining it, I probably should have done three. And the wider brush takes a bit of getting used to but ultimately, I loved it. I was doing some searching for other colors in this line that I might want and I came across this post from Nouveau Cheap about Wet N Wild adding 40 new shades! I'm beyond excited and definitely will be picking up a few more of these!
So how about it? Do you like the Wet N Wild Megalast polishes? Have you picked up any of the new ones? Do you have a favorite color family like I do?

Collective Haul: March 2013

So when I said at the end of February I wasn't going to get too crazy...yeah, that went out the window! March was a month of retail therapy for me and I don't regret it one bit. So let's just dive right in.

Color Club Halo-Graphic and Angel Kiss, Studio M Spring Fling, Illamasqua Fragile and Mottle

So I randomly found the Color Club halos at Meijer and of course Studio M is a Meijer brand so Meijer was an all around win this month! I broke down and ordered Mottle from Sephora but found Fragile in store and got that one too! Both of those will be up next week (and I'm so proud of myself for not letting all of these languish in my untrieds for months on end!)

Skin79 VIP Gold Super Plus BB, Skinfood Good Afternoon Rose Lemon Tea BB, Holika Holika Moisture Petit BB, Mac Mineralize Moisture foundation

YAY for Asian BBs! I ordered the Holika Holika on Ebay at the very beginning and loved it so much I ordered the Skin79 and Skinfood. They just arrived yesterday so I haven't been able to do anything other than swatch but I'm so excited to test them out. I'm hoping to get a review of the Holika Holika up some time this month. MAC's Mineralize Moisture foundation was something I was so interested in as soon as I saw the PR so after some adventures at the counter trying to find the best shade for me, I got a bottle in NC15. And it's perfect!

Nars Amour blush, MAC Melba blush

So I noticed during March that I don't actually own any matte finish blushes and only a couple satins. MAC Melba (which I keep wanting to call Peaches for some reason) was recommended to me at the counter but I'd had my eye on it for a while. Nars Amour was a complete impulse purchase at Sephora. When the mua put it on me, it was pure love at first sight. 

Revlon Lip Butters in Juicy Papaya and Wild Watermelon, Cover Girl Lipperfection Jumbo Gloss Balm in Blush Twist

I happened upon the new Revlon Lip Butters in Target one day and picked up three of them. I already passed along the third, Pink Lemonade, to my sister as I just couldn't pull it off. If you're looking for them, check the permanent display. I decided I had to have another of the chubby lip pencils from the drugstore (just not a Revlon one) and went with this one from Cover Girl, Blush Twist. It's been my favorite everyday lip color lately!

Wet N Wild Nude Awakening palette, Smashbox Entice Me palette and Full Exposure mascara (deluxe sample size)

I found the WNW palette at Meijer at the very beginning of March and it was the last one in the display! See, I told you Meijer was full of win this month. It's a great palette for sure, but I don't find myself reaching for it as often as I thought I would. The Smashbox goodies were a prize from their Love Me promo! I also got my entry on their billboard in Hollywood, even if it was for like 30 seconds.

Zoya Remove+, Bath and Body Works Beautiful Day fragrance mist, First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream, Batiste Dry Shampoo in Cherry scent, Beautyblender

I needed new nail polish remover and justified the cost of Remove+ because I had a gift card and I can reuse the bottle. I've used it a couple times and it's ok but not incredible. I had a coupon for BBW and decided to get Beautiful Day because I hardly ever see them have scents with green apple in them, which I LOVE. I threw the FAB cream in my Sephora order so I could get free shipping but it's so awesome! I got the Batiste with my gift card as well and I love it! It does exactly what I thought dry shampoo should do and it smells nice. Also in my Sephora order, I got a two pack of beautyblenders. Yes, they are worth all the hype they get.

So that's it. April shouldn't have even have half this amount because damn, that's a lot. I did place my first Candles By Victoria order a couple weeks ago but that shouldn't arrive until tomorrow. I also ordered during their April 1st sale so I guess I'll try to get a collective haul for you together whenever my sale order gets here. If you want a review of anything, let me know!

Disclaimer: The Smashbox things were sent to me for free from Smashbox for participating in their Love Me promo. Everything else was purchased by me with my own money.

March 2013 Favorites

I don't always do favorites posts but this month I very clearly favored certain products so I figured it was definitely worth a post!
Redken Sheer Straight Gel - I'm not much of a gel person, or even a hair product person in general. Usually I just use my Redken Slim Supreme but ever since my hair cut at the end of February, I've needed something more. This helps make my hair really straight and hold my style a lot longer. It doesn't make my hair feel sticky or stiff. An all around win in my book.
Urban Decay De Slick - This is a mini I got from Sephora back in December and I just pulled it out this month in an attempt to use up some samples and minis. I do have a full size of Dew Me but this is fantastic for days when I want a less dewy look. It really makes my makeup last. I really want to get a full size of either this or All Nighter, but it will have to wait until I use up some of my other setting sprays.
Holika Holika Moisture Petit BB cream - My first experience with an Asian BB cream was a fantastic success! It's so moisturizing, has great coverage, and looks really natural. I'll definitely include it in my haul post on Wednesday and I might even do a review!
Batiste Dry Shampoo - This was also a new purchase this month. I needed a new dry shampoo (also because of my hair cut) and I decided to get this one because I'd heard lots of good things. It does exactly what I expected of it, makes my second day hair feel less oily and look a lot nicer.
Benefit Coralista - I already wrote a whole post about it but this was the one blush I wore the very most this month. I've already got a small dip in it and the idea of using it up makes me want to run out and buy a full size.
Beauty blender - Again, another new product this month but long story short, this is worth all the hype it gets. It does take a little more time than a brush or my hands but I love it!

Wet N Wild Vanity Palette - I was reminded I had this earlier this month and I've been loving using this. I'm trying to kill my lemming for Urban Decay's Naked Basics palette and it's only sort of working. Regardless, the quality of the shadows is really top notch and I wish WNW still made these.

What were your favorites this month? Also, look out for a massive collective haul on Wednesday!

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!

Polish Debauchery Haul!

What happens when two polish junkies spend a week together?

This! We ended up going to three different malls, one Cosmetics Company Outlet, Ulta twice, and Target three times (I think). We did other things besides shop but this is what I have to show you today. You might want to get a drink and settle in, this is a LONG post.

 Zoya Charla, Sally Hansen CSM Loves Me Not, Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Pacific Blue, Wet N Wild Megalast Through the Grapevine, Wet N Wild Megalast Bite the Bullet, Revlon Colorstay Top Coat

The first three were lemmings, especially Pacific Blue. I've hunted for Pacific Blue for a while. The Wet N Wilds were buy one, get one 50% off but they aren't that expensive at full sale price. I know I've said this a few times but I really just needed a new topcoat and I've heard good things about this one.

Nails Inc. Topping Lane, Nails Inc, Sweets Way, Deborah Lippmann Across the Universe, Deborah Lippmann Mermaid's Dream, Butter London No More Waity Katie, Butter London Lovely Jubbly

All of these were major lemmings for me and my firsts from these brands! 

Lush Mask of Magnaminty, Bubblegum Lip Scrub, Heavanilli Massage Bar, Sultana of Soap, (not pictured) Cosmetic Warrior Fresh Face Mask

My first Lush items! There are two near me and even then they are both more than an hour away. We ended up visiting both. The only things I was absolutely determined to get were Bubblegum, Sultana of Soap, and a fresh face mask. The first Lush didn't have any of the fresh face masks so I ended up with the Mask of Manaminty. It's the only thing I haven't used yet. I love everything else. It all smells wonderful (except Cosmetic Warrior).

Benefit Sugarlicious set, Burt's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream, MAC Fix+ mini, Estee Lauder Invisible Fluid Makeup, MAC Lipglass in Pink Lemonade, Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains in Lovesick and Honey, MAC Pro Longwear Lip Pencil in In Anticipation

AHHH! I'm such a Benefit fangirl and I'm LOVING this set! Pretty much everything here has been major love even though half of it was unplanned. It's been a struggle to find the right match for me in the Invisible Fluid but this one is perfect (1N1, if you are wondering).

MAC 15 Pan Pro Palette, Motif, Jest, Woodwinked

Well, I got caught up in being at a MAC store for the first time and ended up with a palette. MAC is quickly turning into one of my favorite brands. I have 4 other shadows that I already owned that I need to depot.

Overall, I was happy with everything I got. I'm definitely going to be on a no buy for a while. I'm not really sure the terms of my no buy but we have so many things coming up in September and October that it probably won't matter that much anyways. If you want a review or swatches of anything in particular, let me know!