Products I use in a Hurry/ Products to "Get By"

More days than not, I wear makeup. The odd day will come when I know I won't be leaving the house so I don't bother. However, if I know I have to run to the store, or go to the post office, or any small errand-y type thing, I will make a small effort and put a touch of makeup on. I definitely do not go through my entire routine, though, and I reach for products that will basically just give me a more enhanced natural look and a bit of a glow.

When I'm going for this type of look my main focuses are, skin, eyebrows, blush and eyelashes. I don't deal with concealer, contouring, eyeliner or anything extra, I'm talking just the basics here.

1. Skin:

 Rimmel Match Perfection in 101 Classic Ivory SPF 18. This is just the foundation I've been trying out recently, but any foundation that I'm currently using would work. I'm not a tinted moisturizer fan, but if I were, these would be great days to break that out! My goal with this isn't to look flawless, just to even everything out.

2. Eyes: 

L'oreal Voluminous Orignal. Again, this just happens to be the mascara I've been using, but it is particularly great for days like this because it gives great length as well as volume and really makes you look awake and bright-eyed. 

3. Brows:

 Milani Brow Tint Pen 02 Dark Brown. This is a product I've talked about quite a few times here and I always reach for it on days when I'm either in a hurry, or am just trying to add a little definition to my brows. It has a felt tip pen, which seems totally weird for your eyebrows, but it's quick, it's easy and it gives you shape and definition without looking over-done.

4. Cheeks:

 Soap & Glory Glow All Out. The reason I like to use this as a blush on these types of days is because it's very subtle. You get a hint of a peachy pink color, a bit of a glow and overall, it just gives my face a little more life and it's all I need.

What are your go-to products when you're just trying to "get by" for the day?

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My Favorite Blushes

We're just going to ignore the fact that you can totally see the shadow of me taking this photo...I didn't even see it at first, my boyfriend actually pointed it out to me, but this was the second time I set all this stuff up so I decided the perfectionist in me will just have to move on and deal with it! (Long explanation for something we're trying to ignore, but anyyyywayyy...)

There are tons and tons of blushes that I've never tried, but out of the ones I own, these five are my favorites.

From the top!

Clinique 108 Cupid- My mom bought herself this blush probably a year or two ago and whenever I would go see her, I would go in her makeup bag and use it. Clearly she knew I really loved it, so for Christmas last year she bought me my own :) It's a mid-tone pink with mauve undertones and very subtle shimmer and it also looks like the color I would naturally blush. It's very pigmented so the tiniest bit will be plenty, but the really fine shimmer in it makes it so pretty on the skin.

Covergirl 120 Soft Sable- You guys know this is my all time favorite blush. It's a difficult color to describe but basically it's almost a terra cotta color, so slightly orangey, slightly bronzey but I find that it looks great with most lip colors, is surprisingly natural looking and quickly perks up my face. The formula is really great because it's a really creamy powder blush and is super pigmented.

elf Contouring Blush- I obviously enjoyed the bronzer, but recently started getting back into the blush in this duo. It's a perfect peachy pink with a hint of shimmer so it looks very pretty on the skin and has a nice sheen. Plus the duo is only going to set you back 3 bucks, so I really can't complain.

Soap & Glory Glow All Out- This isn't technically a blush, but I love to use it as that, particularly on days when I'm going for a "no makeup makeup" look. It's a really light peach and it also has a creamy formula and a pretty glow when you apply it that I really enjoy.

NYX Cream Blush 02 Natural- It's always great to have a cream blush in the mix and I think NYX has a great formula. It's blends onto my skin super easily and the color itself makes me feel very pretty and proper and kind of doll-like :)

Have you guys tried any of these? What are your favorites you think I should try?

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L'Oreal Elenett Hairspray: Through the Years

Okay, so a little bit of a different post today, but it goes along with the last post I did, so here's a backstory to explain: A couple of weeks ago my boyfriend and I were watching American Hustle for the first time and in one of the opening scenes Christian Bale's character is fixing his hair and he uses L'Oreal Elnett hairspray. I thought to myself, "Wait, what??"I didn't know it had been around since the 1970's, and I knew there was no way the filmmakers would have made such an obvious mistake, so I looked it up! Sure enough, it's been around even before that, so I thought I'd share this timeline that was on their website with you guys!

"For over 50 years, Elnett Satin has been the ultimate styling tool (and ‘best-kept secret’) of leading hairdressers and stylists world-wide."

1960

L’Oréal Laboratories created the Elnett satin formula, giving birth to a legend. Elnett revolutionised the hairspray market as the first ever hairspray to effortlessly brush out.

1963

Elnett turns gold. The legendary gold pack is introduced.

1964

The iconic female face appears on pack as part of the ‘Femme campaign’. To this day, the ‘femme image’ still appears on the can.

1968

The ‘micro-diffusion technology’ is created, making Elnett Satin an even finer hairspray.

1988

Elnett joins some of the world’s leading ladies to launch the ‘Hairspray of the Stars’ campaign.

1996

The gorgeous Claudia Schiffer becomes the face of Elnett.

2011

Finally, the ‘gold standard’ of hairsprays becomes available in Australia for all Australians to fall in love with.

I hope you guys found this interesting! I know I told you guys in my last post that this is my favorite hairspray, what's yours?

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2014 Blogger Challenge Post 10: My Favorite Hair Products

For this challenge I decided I'd share my favorite hair products with you guys. I'll go over what they are, how and when I use them and why exactly I like them. Let's get started!

TRESemme Split Remedy

This is one of those products where I've tried multiple brands and they all work the same, moral of the story is that a leave-in conditioning spray, no matter who makes it, is one of my favorite hair products. I've talked about the Aussie one before and I'll link my review of it, but basically I love what it does for my hair and this TRESemme one does the same thing. I ran out of the Aussie and when I went to repurchase they didn't have it, which is how I ended up with this one.  I love to straighten my hair, spray this in it and twist it into a bun for natural, no-heat waves. I'm not a fan of my hair straight, so this is an easy way to add a little body without going through much effort to get there.  A perk of this particular product is the scent! It smells like you've gone to a salon to get your hair done, it's so nice!

Aussie Review.

           

L'OREAL Elnett Satin

Again, I've tried many different hairsprays, unfortunately in hairspray world, not all are created equal. Elnett by L'Oreal is a tad pricey for a drugstore hairspray, but I've literally had mine for about a year and a half and I use it probably 3-4 times a week. You've all heard about it, but it's great because it has nice hold without making your hair crunchy or flaky. You can still brush through it and it'll have no effect on second or third day hair, which isn't the case with most hairsprays I've used. My hair gets pretty frizzy and I have crazy baby hairs that have to be tamed so I need hairspray. This doesn't eliminate my frizz, but it does the best job of anything I've used so far. The only downside is that is has a strong scent and isn't the most pleasant, so next time I'll probably go for the unscented version.

        

Living Proof Prime Style Extender

Unlike the others, this is the only hair primer I've ever used and it's the only one I actually know of. The reason this is one of my favorite hair products is because it does make a difference and it helps cut down on my getting ready time. Like I said in my review, you aren't going to wake up with the exact same hair, but it will be more tame and the same basic style will be there. All I have to do in the mornings after I use this is touch up! Review here.

CHI Shine Infusion

Once again, this is the only shine spray I've ever used, so it isn't this exact product that I love so much, although it is awesome. I don't use this product everyday, in fact it's not often that I do because I only use it when I know I'm going to be taking pictures, or if I want to feel extra fancy. Shine spray makes your hair look so healthy and full of life and this particular one works very well. It also has a strong scent, but it's really nice and like I said in my review, it never fails that whenever I use it, my boyfriend always tells me I smell really good. Review here.

So those are my favorite hair products and interestingly enough, they're in the order in which I use them most often! I know I've reviewed a couple of them before, but that just goes to show you how much I really like them! What are your favorite hair products or types of products? I'm always open to suggestions, especially anything that can help tame frizz!

              

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My thoughts on the Makeup Forever Aqua Brow

Okay friends, let's talk brows. I'm pretty sure I've used every type of brow product there is from pencils you sharpen, retractable pencils, powders, waxes, pens and now liquid/gel/cream?

The Makeup Forever Aqua Brow is a "waterproof eyebrow corrector" that defines and lengthens your natural brow. The back of the box says, "formulated with volatile oils and carnauba wax, its creamy gel texture gives natural result with lasting hold."

I had heard Jamie Barton on YouTube talk about this product so many times in her tutorials so when my mama asked me what I wanted for Christmas last year, this is one thing I said! It retails for $20, which isn't too bad but it's more than I would typically spend on something for my brows. I got Shade 25 Ash, which is second to darkest. Even though I have pretty dark hair I was a bit scared to go for the darkest color since I hadn't seen these in person before. The 25 works well for me based on my skin tone and hair color, although if I were ever going to repurchase this, I would want to go and swatch them and make sure the Shade 30 isn't my actual shade. A great thing about the color is that there are no red undertones! I really can't stand when brow products have red undertones because when I apply them, it looks very wrong, and doesn't match at all.

This was a product I definitely had to "figure out" because it is unique to anything else I had ever tried. The way I use it now is I take a little plastic palette (you could use any type of powder or blush compact) and squirt out a small drop- a little goes a long way! My favorite brush to use with this product is the thin black liner brush I have pictured that came with a Maybelline Gel Eyeliner. I have a Real Techniques Brow Brush, but I find that it's too thick to apply this and achieve the look I want.

As far as the "the look I want," I have found that this product can make your brows look bushy and messy if you don't apply it carefully. That's why I prefer to use such a small, thin brush. The RT brow brush gets my brows done faster because it's bigger, but I'd rather take a little extra time and make sure the lines are precise so that it looks neat and natural. Because of this, this product is definitely not my brow product of choice on days when I'm in a hurry because it does require more effort than other products.

Another thing to note is that if you don't already have decent sized brows to work with, I don't see this working well for you. This product really needs hair to stick to because of its texture, so keep that in mind.

As long as you don't over-do it, this product does give you a defined, but natural looking brow that I've really enjoyed. I don't feel like I really have much of an arch to my brows, but I'm able to easily fake it with this product. I imagine it will be great in the summer time when I start to get oily and makeup tends to melt away because it does have great lasting power.

Overall, I would probably repurchase this down the road, but for now, there are other products I'd like to try beforehand!

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Outfit of the Day: Adventures in Chartreuse

We got up pretty early last Saturday morning because we planned to go adventuring! Sometimes we get caught up in running errands all weekend and not doing anything fun, so we decided to go to the historic, downtown area and harbor of a city that's not too far from us that we hadn't been to yet. The weather was so perfect- about 73 degrees and the sun came poking out occasionally. There was a chance of rain, but thankfully it didn't and it was beautiful all day!

We ate at a cool Irish restaurant/pub and got some delicious homemade ice cream while we were walking around all of the shops. I just love the feeling of being downtown. It's relaxed, you can stroll in and out of shops, everything is so quaint and everyone is SO friendly. If I were going to have a Groundhog Day like experience and re-live the same day for who knows how long, I wouldn't hate it if it were this day, it was one of the best days I've had... :)

As far as my outfit, I just wanted something that was pretty simple and effortless, but looked put-together at the same time. I love the chartreuse color of the cardigan because it can really bring life to any outfit I wear it with, plus you guys probably know if you follow me on Instagram that one of my favorite color combinations is green and black- so chic!

Black ruffle tank: Naked Zebra from Tjmaxx

Cardigan: Ann Taylor

Boyfriend Jeans: Loft Outlet

Belt: Loft Outlet

Shoes: SM New York? (I wore these mini wedges to my high school graduation and this is the first time I've worn them since!)

Bag: Michael Kors Hamilton Satchel

Bracelets: Mine

If you had to re-live a day, what type of day would it be??

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Bring on the Summer Sun with Warby Parker

When it comes to Warby Parker, there really is something for everyone. When I was asked if I wanted to check out their new Summer 2014 Collection of course I wanted to do it! If you were unaware, Warby Parker is also partnered with non-profit organizations so that for every pair bought, a pair is donated to someone in need, which makes these an even better buy in my book. As far as their design, they make sunglasses and eyeglasses that are definitely known for their unique, modern spin on classic styles. Their Summer Collection is no exception and certainly didn't disappoint. 

With their new collection that launched today, they're introducing 9 new shapes and 4 new colors and on the one hand they're calling out for the "vintage" label, but on the other hand, they're so fresh and contemporary- perfect for summer!

The sunglasses in the collection make me want to throw a pair on and hit the beach (well, the beach shops...what can I say? I don't like sand!), stroll around downtown or walk around the harbor- ice cream cone in hand! I don't have to wear optical glasses, but looking at them reminds me of when I was in 3rd grade and thought glasses were the coolest things and I wanted a pair so badly that I faked my eye test to get a pair! Of course, I in no way recommend that, however, if you do wear glasses have you seen the gorgeous colors??

What I want from my sunglasses besides a good fit is something easy and effortless to wear. I don't want something that I have to have a certain outfit to wear or needs to match in some way and that's what I feel like is so great about this collection. Their styles are simple, yet cool but their patterns and colors make them trendy and fun to wear.

As for me, these babies are my favorite! The Banks Striped Sassafras...

Check out the full 2014 Summer Collection and tell me yours!

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2014 Blogger Challenge Post 9: Music

Yep, this is me in Best Buy trying on the super cute mint headphones. Is it bad that I only wanted to try them because of the color? Oh well. 

When it comes to music, I have my all-time favorites, but as far as newer music goes, I'm the type of person that becomes totally obsessed with a song. I play it over and over and OVER again until I know all of the words...and then I keep playing it. I play it while I clean the house, when I pick out my outfits and when I'm in the car... I feel so, so bad for my college roommates because they were really the ones who suffered from my craziness.
For this post, I wanted to share two songs that have captivated me recently.
Number 1: The 1975- Chocolate

I know, I know, the song isn't really about chocolate, but it has such a fun and quirky sound. The 1975 remind me of the Kooks, which reminds me of being in college because I had this same obsession pattern with one of their songs my second year. So for me, this song is nostalgic and perfect for summer.

Number 2: Aloe Blacc- The Man 

I heard this song on the radio a couple of times, but it wasn't until I looked it up that I started to really love it. The singer's voice is pretty unique and I'm honestly not sure what it is besides his voice, but the song just has such a cool feeling to it that I've definitely been enjoying for the past several weeks now. I almost feel empowered when I listen to it, like I'M the man, haha :)

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Photo Diary: April

1. My mom decided to come up and visit "just because" which was really nice. We took her to one of our new favorite restaurants and I showed her around some of the fun places to look around and shop. Overall, it was a relaxing weekend hanging out with my mom.

2. Nick and I decided to try a Pinterest recipe I found which was enchiladas using a rotisserie chicken. It was a total win and we had a lot of fun in the kitchen together while I assembled them and he made the sauce. If you're interested, here's the recipe: Link!

3. Something else we've been trying is the Trader Joe's Pizza Dough. It's pre-made, it comes unfrozen but we bought one of all 3 flavors and put them in the freezer until we wanted them. The best one so far is the original flavor, it's slightly sweet and sooooo yummy. It's also fun to make and even though I didn't make the dough, I still feel like a little kitchen rock star when I'm making it!

4. We rarely shop for groceries at Safeway, but sometimes you can find some great deals, like hellooooo $2.99 for Ben and Jerry's! My all time favorite flavor is half baked and oh my goodness I can eat the entire pint in a sitting. It's real brownies, real cookie dough, not that fake flavorless candy stuff other people use and the ice cream itself is really yummy- it's just hard to beat!

5. For Easter we made a meal way too big for the 2 of us (yay leftovers!) including a 3 layer homemade carrot cake. This was both of our first times attempting a homemade carrot cake and it turned out AMAZING. My main job in preparing the cake was shredding the carrots leaving my fingers a lovely shade of...you guessed it, orange!

6. I don't have too many bright lip colors, but this is my favorite. It's 457 Wild Orchid by Revlon and it doesn't appear too intimidating in the photo, but let me tell ya, it's bold and in your face- perfect for spring and summer for a pop of color! I've been loving it so far and can't wait to pull it out some more :)

I decided to do another shortened photo diary this month because let's face it, the things that appear to be worth documenting in my life are about food and I'm not ashamed, I love food, but it's gonna get pretty repetitive after a while! However, none of my photos came from Instagram this month so yay me for being able to share some original stories!

I hope you've all had a good month of April and let's hope those April showers really do bring May flowers cause I know we're all ready for some warm, sunny spring weather!

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