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

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

{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

 

{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. 

Back For Good \\ Take That

Wrong One \\ Jack & Jack 

Nothing Left to Lose \\ Kari Kimmel 

Wanted \\ Hunter Hayes 

Until We Get There \\ Lucius 

How Deep is your Love \\ the bird and the bee

Eyes Shut \\ Years & Years 

Stay Alive \\ Jose Gonzalez 

Shell Suite \\ Chad Valley 

Without You \\ Tobias Jesso Jr. 

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

{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

a quick trip to Balboa.

hello there! 

My friend Renee and I took a quick drive to Balboa island today in hot pursuit of frozen bananas. 

For those who haven't had a frozen banana, it's somewhat self explanatory: a frozen banana, on a stick, covered in chocolate and dipped in a topping of your choice. They are delicious and a summer necessity. Renee had never had one, so I thought it was time to knock it off her bucket list. 

We also spent a bit of time walking down Balboa Drive, which is the street that has the most shops on the island. There are loads of boutiques and adorable cafes, but the stores are a bit pricey so Renee and I exercised a bit of self control. 

I only took a few photos because we only spent a few hours down on the island and didn't go walking around the bay (it was extremely hot today!) but it was a perfect day trip if you're looking to get out of the house. 

Where have you been this summer?

xx bb

{summer FOTD 2}

hello there!

Here is my second summery FOTD! This one is a little bit more glamorous, so if you're going out or feeling fancy I would recommend slapping on some gold shadow and a bold red lip. I went for a bolder look because I wanted to use my MAC Viva Glam Rihanna lipstick, which is a gorgeous red frost lipstick with gold shimmer. I bought it ages ago and it has barely been touched, so I pulled it out of my makeup drawer to play with. You can totally tone down this look by going for more subtle eyeshadow instead of a gold smokey eye, or a nude lip in place of a red one.  

 

{face}

maybelline master prime primer // blur + redness reduction

garnier bb cream // light-medium

maybelline mineral wear concealer // ivory 

merle norman coverup concealer // warm light

bare minerals matte foundation // fairly light

rimmel stay matte powder // 004 sandstorm 

physician's formula mineral wear talc-free powder // bronzer 

estee lauder soft matte bronzer // bronze goddess

loreal infallible shadow // iced latte [highlight]

{eyes}

maybelline color tattoo creme shadow // barely branded 

clinique shadow // earthling [crease]

smashbox wonder vision eyeshadow palette [gold on lid, bronze and cocoa on outer corner]

urban decay shadow // polyester bride [inner corner]

rimmel scandaleyes liner // black [upper waterline]

covergirl professional remarkable waterproof mascara 

essence i love extreme mascara 

{brows} 

physician's formula matte shadow quad // canyon classics

{lips} 

mac lipstick // viva glam rihanna

What makeup have you been wearing this summer?

xx bb

drugstore dash #4.

hello there!

I stopped into Ulta again (what else is new) and picked out a few inexpensive items that I wanted to try. With an Ulta coupon I only spent eight bucks! I am getting really good at bargain shopping.

A few of these items are backups or repurchases, but I am also super excited to try out a new nude lipstick and a gorgeous nail polish!

What have you grabbed from the drugstore recently?

xx bb

{summer playlist 4}

hello there!

Here are ten more perfect songs for the summer. Enjoy!

Young Love // Jesse McCartney

Leavin' // Jesse McCartney 

Tattoo // Hunter Hayes 

Ride // Twenty One Pilots 

Tear in My Heart // Twenty One Pilots

Stressed Out // Twenty One Pilots 

Everyday // A$AP Rocky, Rod Stewart, Miguel

F.E.E.L G.O.O.D // R5

Trouble // Iggy Azalea, Jennifer Hudson

Worry No More // Jennifer Lopez, Rick Ross

What have you been listening to?

xx bb 

A day at the Getty.

hello there! 

I went to the New Getty Museum in Los Angeles today, so I just wanted to post a few photos before I forgot! Unfortunately, the museum has really strict rules about taking photos inside the exhibitions, so I was only able to take one or two sneaky photos. But the architecture of the entire museum is so minimalistic and sleek, and the gardens are beautiful. It was perfect weather to go walking around a museum; the Getty houses both indoor and outdoor exhibits.

If you are stopping in LA anytime this summer, I would highly recommend popping into the New Getty! Among the French Impressionism and Italian sculpture are some beautiful hidden gems.

Where have you been this summer?

xx bb

looking forward [& 3 year bloggiversary]

hello there!

I thought that, amidst my graduation and my transition to a very new and exciting chapter of my life, I would talk about a few of my goals for the future and a few changes I plan on making. Some are good, some are bad. Consider this a bookmark post in my life, that hopefully I will look back to to remind myself of the plans I made when I was a hopeful, somewhat optimistic university freshman. 

In the past year, I have met some of the most amazing people and made incredible friends. For those of you who were like me, and were so sure that friends could not be made in high school and that you was destined to be a lone wolf, there is hope; I love being alone, but I have people in my life who respect that I like to be alone, and who are there if I need them. Isn't that incredible? How wonderful it is to know that there are people in my life who sincerely care about me in ways that I never thought were possible. I am one of those people who is an open book, but rarely lets people in. This year, I can confidently say that I have friends that I know will be in my life for the long haul, through school and boys and fights and life. Let's be real, I never wanted to be friends with the cool party kids, but I always tried to be friendly in the hopes of possibly fitting in. I will let you in on a secret: you don't have to be nice to everyone. It's okay to have your opinions about people and their attitudes; as long as you aren't mean, you can determine who you want in your life. I think that's so important to learn in high school. I have always preferred a small group of friends, who are kind and smart and make me a better person. Keep those friends close; they are hard to find. Quick tip: when you graduate, give your best friends something that you can both have and share among each other, like a friendship necklace or ring; not only is it adorable to have something matching, but it brings you together with your friends in unexplainable ways, and keeps you close as you move on to college and enter new chapters of your life. If you want to keep the amazing friends you met in high school, you have to put in the effort to keep them around. It's not always easy, but it will be worth it. 

In all the mania of graduating and becoming so close with my friends, I also found a human male who wants to spend time withe me; it's legitimately a miracle. I spent so many years being hung up on the idea that having a man in my life was a necessity, not an addition to my life that could help me learn important lessons and make me happy. Ironically, once I stopped frantically searching for someone to be in my life, someone came along. I have learned so many things in the short time that I have been in a relationship (which may be an entirely different post for another time) but one of the most important lessons I learned was to not let the relationship change me or get the best of me. I realized that waiting for my significant other put my life on hold; if you continue being you and living your life as you normally do, your partner will follow suit. Be you, and don't apologize for it. A relationship should compliment your life, not take away from it. And as for looking forward? I can't predict the future, but my advice to those who also choose to be in relationships before college is to enjoy the summer and make some good memories and not think about long-term. Keep your expectations for summer low and your standards high, and enjoy the time you have together. That will guarantee an amazing summer.    

I am excited to start school and move across the country to Washington D.C. The move is scary, but I know that the fear will only motivate me to work harder to achieve the dreams I have written so many college essays about. For me, moving to the east coast was the easiest way for me to start over; a fresh start only seemed possible to me if I was in an entirely new place. I know I can follow my passion anywhere, but I could only imagine myself in a city for the next four years of my life.

College has been exciting, but also really daunting. Sometimes when I get nervous or overwhelmed I tend to procrastinate because I don't want to think about it, but one of my hopes for university is that it will teach me how to face problems head-on and fix them quickly.

Independence is something that excites me; I am very anxious to move out of my childhood home and start the part of my life where I make decisions for myself, and I get to be very selfish. But through the process of figuring out what I want to do with my life and seeing my sister be independent in her own home has made me understand why I should be so grateful to my parents. Yeah, they are mostly smothering and overbearing, but they are also generous and understanding. Advice to other new college kids: be grateful for the free fresh fruit and toilet paper! I was only out of my house for a few days and craved fresh veggies badly. On a college budget good food is seriously rare. I am so thrilled to be going on an adventure and becoming more self-reliant, but I am going to miss all the free stuff.

Since I confirmed my move to the wonderful District of Columbia this fall, I have been thinking about this blog. This blog has been my home and my safe haven for the last three years. I remember starting this blog in July of 2012, and thinking I was going to be a major blogger superstar. Although this is certainly not the case, this small part of the internet has given me a chance to express myself. I will always be so thankful for that. Unfortunately, I am not sure what the fate of this blog will be in the coming years. Would I love to continue writing and taking photos and sharing my slightly ridiculous obsession about all things maquillage that has consumed my life for the last three years? Absolutely. But I know that with a new chapter of life comes a hectic schedule and new passions and obsessions. I don't know how easy it will be to document my life on this blog and take photos with a college roommate and new friends who know nothing about this corner of the world wide web. At the end of the day, I can't make a promise that I will continue to blog and post videos on my Youtube channel, but I also won't confirm that I won't. In the past year I have learned to "go with the flow," so I am applying the same mentality to the continuation of this blog. We may just have to see.

I don't know what I would have done without this blog. Thank you for a wonderful 3 years.

xx BriticaBeauty