annabelclaire: beauty and lifestyle: July 2014

I haven't shared my favorite bronzers with you all, and I now use bronzer everyday. The three that I use almost everyday all off all different prices, so there is something for everyone! I have actually stopped using blush during the summer because my complexion is already so rosy. Here are my top favorites:

NYC smooth skin bronzer // sunny:

This is my all-time favorite, holy grail bronzer! I never thought applying a bronzer could be so easy and look so effortless. It is a matte bronzer, so it can be blended all over the skin for a glow or can be built up to contour your cheekbones. The one fault with this bronzer is that it only comes in one shade, which really only works on light to medium skin. Otherwise, it is absolutely fantastic! The best part about this bronzer is that it is so inexpensive, and is comparable to much more expensive bronzers. I use it everyday without fail, and it completely changes the shape of my face and makes my cheekbones look sculpted and lovely.

RP 3.00

Pixi beauty bronzer // summertime:

When I first swatched this product, I was a little scared. It's more of a cool-toned brown, with a slight golden sheen. It's not quite a shimmer, but in a swatch it's still obvious that the bronzer has a glow. However, on the skin, this product is just wonderful! I apply it over the NYC smooth skin bronzer just in the hollows of my cheeks and up onto my temples. A little of this goes a long way, so I use it sparingly and blend it a lot to create a look with a lot of glow. I wouldn't use this product year round neccessarily, but it looks beautiful in the summer.

RP 18.00

Estee Lauder soft matte bronzer // bronze goddess

This is the most expensive of my three favorites, but I think it is totally worth the money. This bronzer is very similar to Nars Laguna, a very popular bronzer that has an orange-y undertone and slight golden shimmer. I also like using this item the same way I use the Pixi bronzer; I never would blend it all over the skin because it would be too dark and harsh. Otherwise, it is a lovely bronzer that looks really natural, but still gives definition to the face. Be a little careful, because like the Pixi bronzer a little bit goes a long way!

RP 32.00

What do I use to apply bronzer?

Because I am so fair, I have found that using a regular contour brush makes my bronzer look too harsh, and doesn't blend it into my skin. It ends up looking muddy! Instead I use a long stippling brush, like the MAC 187, to blend the bronzer into my skin and the rest of my makeup, and give an airbrushed look to my makeup. For fair skin, it's perfect!

I hope this was helpful for those who are looking for a new favorite bronzer. While the NYC bronzer only works on light skin, the Estee Lauder and Pixi bronzers would work on all skin tones.

What are some of your favorite bronzers, and how do you apply them?

xx BB

July 28, 2014

new photos // summertime

Hello There!

My friend came over yesterday and took some photos of me in the California heat. She does a lot of camerawork as well as film and television, so she is great with cameras! I loved the photos she got of me. Here are some of them.

What I wore:

top // chouette

shorts // american eagle

sandals // gap

rings // vintage

watch // fossil

lipstick // MAC ruby woo

What have you been doing this summer?

xx BB

July 23, 2014

summer playlist #3.

Hello There!

Summer = lots of time to waste = discovering new music!

Higher // Classified, B.o.B
Take Me to Church // Hozier
Stay With Me // Sam Smith
Drop the Game // Flume, Chet Faker
Sweet Ophelia // Zella Day
The Evolution of Beyonce // Pentatonix
Habits (Stay High) // Tove Lo
Waiting Game // Banks
Hunger of the Pine // alt-J
Apollo // Disclosure
Maps // Maroon 5
Midnight // Coldplay

What are some of your summer jams?

xx BB

maybelline color show polish | all about nails

Hello There!

I figured I would finish my "week" about nail polish by telling you my thoughts on the Maybelline Color Show polishes. I have three polishes from the range, including one of their polka dot polishes, and the range has recently expanded to include a lot more glitters and the design of the bottle has also recently changed. In any case, I picked up two summer-y shades and a fun top coat!

poolside:

I bought this shade from their limited edition collection a while ago when I was in love with soft light blue colors and I was on the hunt for the perfect baby blue polish. The Maybelline Color Show range is inexpensive, which is great because I didn't want to spend a lot of money on a trendy color. Nevertheless, this polish was a bit of a let down. It is so sheer that you have to apply at least three coats to get it somewhat opaque. On the nail wheel in the picture below I applied three thick coats to make it opaque, but on my actual nails I think it would be a bit gloopy. I think the color is fantastic, but the opacity was a bit of a bummer.

sweet clementine:

Again, a bit of a let down. Both of the plain, creme-finish shades have turned out to be a disappointment because they were so sheer. The upside, however, is that if you like candy-sheer finish polishes, I would highly recommend checking out the range. Another plus is that the color, when opaque, is a bright, vibrant, orange that seriously screams summer.

clearly spotted:

This type of polish became so trendy about six months ago, and I wanted to pick up a polish like this to see what all the hype was about. Overall, I am really pleased with this polish! For me, glitters can be disappointing when it's mostly clear polish and not much glitter. However, this polish (which is round polish flakes in a clear top coat ) has a great flake to clear top coat ratio, and overall gives a really cool effect to the nails.

Overall, I would say I am "comme ci comme ca" about this range. While there are so many cool shades in the collection, the colors are not very opaque. Another thing to note is that each polish is about 4 dollars, but is .3 ounces, which is about half the normal amount of any polish. Would I buy the polishes again? No. But if you want some cool colors without investing a ton of money in some funky shades, this collection might be worth checking out.

What are your thoughts on the Maybelline Color Show polishes?

xx BB

an evening in laguna // summertime

Hello There!

Yesterday I spent the evening at the Laguna Arts Festival, and I also attended the Pageant of the Masters performance.

What I wore:

top // believe

jeans // bdg

sandals // gap

sunnies // vintage vaurnet

bag // longchamp

watch // fossil

rings // vintage

What have you been up to this summer?

xx BB

July 21, 2014

D.C.

Hello There!

Because I have been gone, I figured I would share some photos from my trip to Washington DC and New York.

If you would like to see more photos, see my instagram: @annabelclairee

If I have any more photos, I will be sure to share!

What are some of your most recent travels?

xx BB

July 20, 2014

drugstore dash #1 // DC edition

Hello There!

Where have I been? Photos to come! Here's what I bought when I made a cheeky stop in the drugstore in Washington DC, and also picked up a polish from urban outfitters:

almay smokey eye color trio // brown eyes

almay liquid lip balm // rosy lipped

revlon pearl lipstick // red laquer

revlon cuticle softener

uo polish // bohemian summer

I haven't tried all of these products, but I can say that the cuticle softener works like a charm and the lipstick is a bit sheer. I have never picked up anything from almay, so I am excited to test out some newer items from the line. I will update later!

What items have you picked up recently from the drugstore?

xx BB

July 11, 2014

nail trend: candy pastels | all about nails

Hello There!

Today I am sharing another nail trend- candy pastel polishes! I have two sweet shades to share with you.

Revlon:

I picked up this shade recently from the scented range. It's called Lavender Soap, and it is a soft almost-white purple with a slight metallic sheen. I really like this color because it can be applied for a sheer look, or you could paint on 3 or more coats for a completely opaque pastel color. Plus it smells fresh and sweet!

RP 7.00

Deborah Lippmann:

I have about 3 bottles of this polish and I love it! It never becomes completely opaque, so you can wear it as a soft pink color with blue iridescent shimmer, or you can apply it over other varnishes for a fun twist on a regular creme-finish polish. It is very expensive, but I love slapping on a coat or two for special occasions when I have no time to bother with a manicure.

RP 16.00

Let me know some of your favorite sheer and sweet polishes. What brands do you love?

xx BB