August 23, 2015

new to me | Real Techniques Duo-Fiber Brush Set

Hello There!


I am finally in Washington DC! I cannot wait to start university classes and get settled in. Before I left California, however, I made sure to use my Ulta points before they expired. Between my rewards points and a coupon or two I only spent four dollars on these brushes! It was a serious steal. 

from left: eye | contour | face

I have wanted this brush set for a while, and I can't wait to put it to the test. I love the overall design of the set, and all three brushes are really multi-purpose, which makes them a worthwhile purchase. 

What have you purchased recently?

xx bb

August 22, 2015

a small Sephora haul.

hello there!


I took a quick trip to Sephora when I had a bit of extra time on my hands and ended up purchasing a few items I had been looking for. None of these purchases were absolutely necessary, but a few were too tempting to pass up. Here's what I got:

 
Boscia luminizing black peel-off mask:

I have tried quite a few masks, but Boscia has always been one of the more expensive skincare brands that I have wanted to try. Their line of acne-clearing products is so fantastic that, when I saw a mask that completely peeled off to reveal clear, soft skin, I could not resist. This mask claims to clear pores and tighten skin; it really sounds too good to be true. Let's hope it isn't!

rp: 34.00

Bare Minerals Ready Bronzer // Skinny Dip:

I am currently obsessed with bronzers and contours, so it's no surprise that I was so excited to find a deluxe sample of the Bare Minerals Ready Bronzer. Skinny Dip is their most popular shade, and I cannot wait to bronze the heck out of my skin. Even now, as we transition from summer to fall, I still want that amazing golden glow and insane cheekbones. I have high expectations for this product, so fingers crossed it pulls through!

full size rp: 24.00

Bite Beauty Luminous Creme Lipstick // Shiraz:

I have heard nothing but rave reviews about Bite Beauty products, so I finally caved and grabbed a lipstick to try. This company's brand is centered around their food-grade formula, which is healthy enough to "eat" and doesn't contain all of the awful chemicals other lipsticks contain. This lipstick range is a bit pricey, so I chose a shade that was different from the other lipsticks I own but was also an everyday wearable shade. I love that this nude shade has both rosey and mauvey tones. I'm predicting that I will be wearing it a lot in the fall.

rp: 24.00

Whish Shave Cream // Pomegranate:

It seems so weird to say, but I am so pumped to try a shave cream! I haven't used a shave cream in years, but this brand is so lovely and luxurious that I had to grab a deluxe sample to test for myself. It smells delicious and feels super creamy. I don't know if I would pay twenty dollars for shave cream, but it's nice to try out a luxury item!

rp: 20.00

Clinique Chubby Stick for Eyes // Lavish Lilac:

A lavender creme shadow has been on my makeup shopping list for a long time, so when I found out that Clinique carried a lavender chubby stick for eyes I had to snatch it up! It's a beautiful light purple shade with a touch of gold shimmer, so it works well with my skintone, hair color, and eye color. It can be worn under a shadow or by itself, so it will be fantastic to slap on before class with a bit of mascara. And, for being a high-end product, it was not too expensive! I haven't tried any Clinique products in a while, but I will be sure to pick up a few more in the future.

rp: 17.00

Deborah Lippmann Stripper To-Go Nail Polish Remover Pads:

This is such a cool and innovative idea, so I'm glad that this was thrown in my bag for me to try. I travel somewhat regularly, so I know that taking off nail polish on-the-go can be a bit of a pain. The product is quite expensive, however, so for me this is less of a necessity and more of a luxury. I think it's a great idea though, and makes taking off nail polish while traveling a breeze.

  rp: 12.00

Glamglow Brightmud Eye Treatment:

Glamglow is one of the most talked about luxury skincare brands right now, and I am so pleased that I get to try out one of their products! This eye treatment was formulated to brighten and tighten the skin under the eyes, among other things. I could never afford a Glamglow mask, but this treatment has gotten fantastic reviews for being a wonderful eye mask that isn't drying. I will be putting this sample aside and saving it for an at-home spa day!

rp: 69.00

Sephora Sheet Masks:

I have tried a ton of masks, but I haven't purchased a sheet mask. They look really crazy in photos but are meant to replenish the skin and be absolutely brilliant, so I grabbed two from the Sephora range to try. I picked up a Ginseng mask because it claimed to be toning and brightening, and a rose mask because "rose" skincare products are currently so popular and I wanted to hop on the bandwagon. They were relatively inexpensive, and I have heard lots of good things about them. I will try both of them and let you know what I think!

rp: 6.00

I am moving into college in the next few days, so I won't be purchasing any more beauty products for a long time! Not only will I be a broke college student, but I will not have any room for more makeup and skincare. I am excited to test out all of these items and report back with my thoughts. And hopefully, in the future, I will be able to run into Sephora again and make another cheeky purchase for myself!

Have you picked up any new makeup or skincare bits lately? What products are you really excited about?

xx bb

August 5, 2015

{summer FOTD 3}

hello there!


I put on some makeup today and spent the afternoon by the pool. Today I decided to go for a tangerine orange look, with soft orange smokey eyes and a bright orange lip. I love the way this look turned out! It looks natural and effortless, but it's also still really fun for summer.


{face}

maybelline dream fresh bb cream \\ light-medium
merle norman coverup concealer \\ warm light
rimmel stay matte powder \\ 004 sandstorm
covergirl fresh complexion pocket powder \\ natural ivory 
physician's formula talc-free mineral wear powder \\ bronzer 
estee lauder soft matte powder \\ bronze goddess 
loreal infallible shadow \\ iced latte 

{eyes}

maybelline color tattoo \\ barely branded 
clinique shadow \\ earthling [crease]
lancome shadow \\ sunset [crease]
covergirl shadow quad \\ tropical fusion [orange on lid]
loreal infallible shadow \\ iced latte [inner corner]
revlon bold laquer mascara 
maybelline the falsies mascara 

{brows}

physician's formula matte shadow quad \\ canyon classics 

{lips}

jordana lip liner \\ sedona red 
revlon moon drops lipstick \\ hot coral 

What makeup have you been playing with this summer?

xx bb

 

August 4, 2015

{summer playlist 5}

hello there! 


I am updating my summer playlist with a few slower songs. When you need to chill out during the summertime, pick a few of these songs and play 'em when you need to cool off from the summer heat. 











What's better that some smooth tunes during the summer to jam to and chill out?

What are you listening to this summer?

xx bb

What's @ the Bowers Museum?

hello there! 


I've been making lots of trips to sights around Los Angeles over the last few weeks, and yesterday my dad and I took a few hours out of our day to visit the Bowers Museum. 


Bowers is a small museum in Southern California that houses some beautiful artwork from Asia and South America. They have a few ongoing exhibitions, but recently the museum opened an exhibit on the year 1968. The exhibit housed paraphernalia from the Vietnam War, Miss America Protests, MLK Protests, and musical revolutions. 


The museum is small but beautiful, and some of their exhibitions are really special. This exhibit was a really fun #tbt. My dad loved it too.


If you have half a day to spend in a museum, I would highly recommend taking a trip down to the Bowers Museum!

Where have you been this summer?

xx bb

August 3, 2015

{summer empties}

hello there!


Before I leave for college I am determined to finish up a few items in my makeup and skincare collection, so I thought I would share a few of the items that I have used up recently. I have been trying lots of organic and natural skincare, and I also finished up a few of my holy grail favorites that have since been repurchased.

 
{skincare}

[8] Trader Joe's Spa Face Wash:
This is my all-time favorite cleanser. The tea tree oil makes it super tingly and really cleanses my pores. It's great to use after I take off my makeup, because it takes off the oils used to remove heavy eye makeup without stripping my skin of its natural oils. It's also produced without any animal testing and parabens or strong chemicals that could hurt the skin. Plus, it's really inexpensive and great at clearing up acne. I've purchased so many bottles of this cleanser, and I'm going to miss it when I'm in DC. 

[3] Boots Botanics Microdermabrasion Polish:
If you like a deep scrub, then this polish is for you! I didn't use this scrub on a regular basis because using it too often can hurt your skin, but once a week it was really nice to use to revive my dull, often tired looking complexion. It's also an organic, botanical scrub, with gingko leaf extract to give me radiant skin. It works wonders and it's pretty inexpensive. I will absolutely repurchase. 

[9] No7 Beautiful Skin Cleansing Balm:
This is one of my favorite products to remove makeup. I've tried a few cleansing products from the No7 range, and this is my personal favorite. It's not necessarily an oil-based makeup remover, but it has cocoa seed butter that pulls off heavy waterproof makeup easily, and it doesn't irritate my eyes. A little bit goes a long way too. I squeeze about a dime-size amount into my hands and rub it onto my face like I would with moisturizer. After that I use a cheese cloth to rub the balm into my skin in circles, and then I blend away. And it's all gone! I've never seen a product take makeup off so easily and quickly. It's a great comparison to the Liz Earle Hot Cloth Cleanser, and it's a third of the price. 

[7] St. Ives Blemish Control Apricot Scrub:
This is my favorite everyday scrub. It's really brilliant because it's part cream, part scrubbing particles, so it's exfoliates without irritating the skin. The best part is that it's 100% natural, with no parabens or sulfates. It gives deep exfoliation, but it leaves your face feeling so clean, radiant, and smooth. 

{makeup}

[2] Garnier Skin Renew BB Cream:
I fell in love with this BB cream because it's perfect for summer! It's so lightweight on the skin, but it gives just enough coverage to blur imperfections. Fortunately when I wear it you can still see my skin through the makeup. The BB cream I have is for combination to oily skin, so it wears well throughout the day, and even without a primer it doesn't make me look greasy. It is one of the more expensive BB creams in the drugstore, but you get two full ounces of product, so it lasted me a long time. Overall, a really lovely product and perfect for hot summers. 

[1] Rimmel Match Perfect Foundation: 
This is, hands down, my favorite foundation. It's perfect for the girl with oily skin who still wants a glowy complexion. It's a medium coverage foundation, but you can build the coverage if you need to cover more imperfections. It's a great foundation for summer because it feels like a BB cream but lasts all day. I have bought bottles of this foundation because it works so well and I love it so much. 

[10] Rimmel Stay Matte Powder:
This powder is incredible! It is six dollars and possibly the best thing since sliced bread. For someone with oily skin, it's long-wearing, mattifying, and keeps my makeup in place all day. The only issue I have with it is that it doesn't come in a very wide range of colors, so if you have a dark complexion you may not be able to find a color that matches your skin tone. There is a translucent shade, but on someone with really dark skin it may appear ashy. Other than that, however, it's a perfect powder. It's in anyone's budget, and I would highly recommend it. 

[4] Stila Smudge Stick \\ Damsel:
Stila Smudge Sticks are fantastic, but I can find something from the drugstore that works just as well. But what separates this liner from the rest is the color, which is just perfect. It's a deep brown, almost black, which is the perfect shade to put in the waterline. It's also very creamy, pigmented, and a long-wearing formula, so I don't find it way below my eyes by the end of the day. It's also a retractable pencil that doesn't require sharpening, which isn't a deal breaker but sure makes my life easier. It's one of the more expensive liners I've tried, but it's definitely worth the investment. 

[5] Rimmel Exaggerate Waterproof Liner \\ Noir:
This liner, honestly, was a bit of a bust. It was one of those liners that I grabbed at the drugstore out of curiosity and immediately regretted purchasing. This liner was not very creamy or pigmented. On the upper lashline, it was fine, but on the waterline it was awful and I would not recommend it. There are plenty of other liners from the drugstore that could do the job better.   

[11] Loreal Voluminous Million Lashes Excess Mascara:
Loreal has some fantastic mascaras, and this is certainly one of them. It builds volume and length quickly and keeps a curl quite well. If you like really thick, almost chunky lashes, like me, then this mascara is absolutely for you. Loreal has a lot of mascaras, some which are better, but this one is really nice.   

[6] Physician's Formula Organic Wear Mascara:
This is definitely one of my top five favorite mascaras. You can build this mascara, coat after coat, and you won't get spider lashes. It holds a curl and doesn't flake or smudge throughout the day. It is also an organic mascara, so it doesn't irritate my sensitive eyes. It's around ten bucks and works like a department store mascara, so I would suggest putting it in your shopping basket next time you're in the drugstore. 

Most of these products are items that I have purchased again and again, but one of two of them were busts. They can't all be winners!


What products have you finished up recently?

xx bb