"10 minutes till midnight"

Happy new year everyone! 

Here's the look I am going to wear tonight

I used two eyeshadows from the NARS essential eye palette, Night Star (a pale pink nude with glitter) all over the lid and Thunderball (a matte navy) in the crease and outer corner. 

Night star (top middle); Thunderball (lower right)

Then I patted this Milani shadow all over the top of the eyeshadows to add some more sparkle. I also wet my brush with some fix+ and used the same shadow as a liner underneath my eyes. I have to say this shadow works amazing wet!

I used my clinique gel liner to draw a thin line on my upper lashes and then added some individual false lashes to the outer corner of my eyes. To finish it all off I used MAC zoom fast black lash, some Hoola bronzer, and Revlon soft nude lipstick. 

And now I'm off to celebrate =) I hope you all have a wonderful new years eve!

MAC Stylishly Yours must-haves

The other day I went to my MAC counter to check out the new Cham Pale collection that I was so excited about, and instead walked out with two new things from the Stylishly Yours collection. 

The Cham Pale products were not the pretty nudes that I thought they were going to be, but they were rather shimmery renditions of pale neutral colors. Nothing really appealed to me, except for the highlighting powders which were pretty, but also a little pricey. 

From Stylishly yours I picked up two of the cream colour bases, Virgin Isle and Tickle me Pink. 

Ever since kelanjo spoke about her love for virgin isle, a once discontinued product, I knew I had to get it when it was re-promoted in this collection. And I am so glad I did! I also fell in love with tickle me pink, a bright bubblegum pink. 

Tickle Me Pink (left), Virgin Isle (right)

These CCBs look pretty scary in the pan and when swatched, but when blended and sheered out they are absolutely gorgeous. The colors are beautiful - tickle me pink is a dolly, baby pink that likens to Well Dressed on crack, and virgin isle is a rosy orange coral similar to the Korres Orange blush that I talked about here. 

These CCBs are not your ordinary cream color bases. They are much more pigmented, and whereas most of the permanent CCBs are shimmery highlighters, these are pure color. They are kind of a mix between the creme blushes and the cream color bases. These are absolutely stunning on the cheeks, as they blend in perfectly to the skin, but they also work on the lips as a sort of stain. As long as you have a light hand with them, the results will be beautiful. 

Here they are on my cheeks

Tickle Me Pink

Virgin Isle

These products are so unique and lovely to use; I can't say enough good things about them. If you are to get anything from the new MAC collections, get these! But, of course, that is just my opinion =) 

What have you guys picked up from the new collections?

Prints and Patterns

Hello everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, spent good quality time with your families, and got everything on your wishlists!
I thought I'd do a quick post before I went out to catch the post-Christmas sales!

This season the "chunky sweater with bold pattern" trend has been popping up in stores everywhere. Call it jacquard, fairisle, geometric patterned, snowflake shapes, or whatever you want. It is adorable. The prints add a bit of interest to a really cozy sweater, so you can be cute and warm - two adjectives that don't always describe the same piece of clothing. 

These sweaters catch my eye every time in stores, and I have been meaning to purchase some for a while now. 

Here are some I found whilst perusing the internet:

Fair Isle Cardigan - Forever21; Cross Stitch Sweater - Forever 21

Long-Sleeve Fair Isle Cardigan - Nordstrom

These next two I found on H&M. They don't seem to be on the website anymore, but they might still be available in stores. 

Knitted Navaho Cardigan - Topshop

'Tic Toc' Cardigan - Freepeople; Scenes in Fairisle Cardigan - Freepeople 

I think they're all really cute and unique, and as you can see they come at a variety of different price ranges. I also saw some really nice cardigan ones at the Urban Outfitters store that looked amazing with a thin belt around the waist. 

So off I go to shop, and hopefully find some of these items! 

What trends have you been into recently? 

EDIT: I got snowed in. FML. 

NYX lipstick haul

Hey guys =) I wanted to share with you the NYX lipsticks that I ordered. I get my NYX stuff from this ebay seller, joy017. If you're having trouble getting hold of NYX makeup, this is a great place to order from. She has so many items in stock and many of the items come in package deals so it is extremely inexpensive. Shipping is cheap and very fast and all in all it was a good ebay shopping experience. 

My NYX orange soda lipstick was running low and I wanted to get a new one. Another NYX lipstick that I loved, Circe, was brutally destroyed in a washing machine accident - I left the lipstick in one of my jean pockets and threw it in the washer. It was a disaster for my clothes, but I was able to undo most of the damage. 

And so, I was prompted to order 6 new NYX lipsticks. Here they are:

So far my favorites are tea rose and pumpkin pie, in addition to orange soda and circe. 

On my lips tea rose is a deep pink color, almost like a magenta - not really very rosy. 

Pumpkin pie looks very orange-y in the swatch above, but on my lips it is a slightly nude, my lips but better shade. 

Circe is a really nice brown-y nude, which I say would work well on medium to darker skin tones. 

I love orange soda, but it can be too much if you just slap it on all over. It is a lipstick that can accentuate the cracks in your lips, but if applied sparingly and blended out with your fingers it is a really pretty peachy nude.

Strawberry milk is like the name implies a very milky bubblegum pink - a fun lipstick, but not for everday, at least not for me. 

And thalia is way too dark for me, but maybe I'll find some way to make it work. 

The color variety of NYX lipsticks are so fun and at such an affordable price they are addicting to buy. Some of the colors are not always spot-on, but they are definitely fun to experiment with =)

What are your favorite NYX products?

Look who's on the naughty list

Yesterday I went shopping for some Christmas presents (along with the crowd of other last minute shoppers...what a nightmare). I did end up buying the gifts that I had intended to, but of course it was one of those days where every store is stocked with the cutest things and irresistible sales were thrown at me left and right. So... I cracked and I bought a few things for myself. It happens to the best of us. 

It's actually a very small haul and that, I am proud of =) 

Urban Outfitters Blazer 

When I saw this on the mannequin, I fell in love. And when I saw it on the "$59.99 and less" rack, I knew I had to buy it. I love the cuffed sleeves that show off the pattern of the inner lining and I love the color, it's a bit more casual than black. 

Urban Outfitters Thermals

These thermals were 2 for $30. They are soo comfy and warm and I love the cherry pattern. 

MAC - Lord it Up, Black Swan, Taupographic 

I could not resist but get a back-up of the black swan eyeliner, seeing as they only had a few left at my MAC counter. I also picked up another pearlglide from the Tartan Tale collection, Lord it Up, which is a beautiful sparkly brown. And finally, I got my first shadestick in taupographic! I love this color; it's a shimmery, light taupe color that is great on it's own for a no-fuss subtle smokey eye, and would be a really good base for eyeshadows like patina and satin taupe. 

I also recently received my NYX order in the mail, so I will be posting about that soon.

I hope you guys have been better than I in this season of giving! ;)

MAC Tilt and Star Violet

So the other day I decided to experiment with some color and I ended up using two eyeshadows from MAC - tilt and star violet. Both of these I received as a Christmas present last year from a friend, and I love them both, but as I am a neutral lover I didn't reach for them as often as I would have liked. Tilt is a shimmery bright blue-green color with a tinge of violet running through and star violet is a shimmery brown violet color. Tilt is also a duochrome eyeshadow so when paired with a black base it shows up as a beautiful turquoise color. 

For the look, I used tilt all over my lid and with the tip of a MAC 239 brush, I ran star violet on the outer corner of my lower lash line. I also tried out a freebie eyeshadow that I got in a birthday gift set from sephora called aspen summit, a frosty white, on the inner corners of my eyes. 

Yes that is patrick star in the background. 

Products Used

Clinique Superbalanced Makeup

MUFE HD powder 

MAC Painterly paintpot 

MAC Tilt eyeshadow

MAC Star Violet eyeshadow

MAC black swan pearlglide eyeliner  

Maybelline 

Well Dressed blush 

Maybelline The Falsies mascara

NYX Orange Soda lipstick 

I think that when blended out on the lid, tilt is actually very wearable blue and I love how it looks paired with the black swan eyeliner. Star violet is such a beautiful eyeshadow and I really love using it on the lower lashline - it brightens and defines and is a subtle way to wear color. I love the combo of these two eyeshadows and will be rocking this look more often!

Have any good colorful eyeshadow combinations?

OOTD - sweater shorts

 Classes are over! That means I can dedicate more time to the finer things in life - like blogging. It also means that I have more time and energy to dress myself. With that being said here is what I wore today. 

    

Sweater - Zara

Shorts - Madewell; I am in love with these. As my friend once said, "they're like a sweater for your butt." 

Tights - American Eagle 

Booties - Anne Klein (from ShoeWoo)

Necklace - either Urban Outfitters or Forever21

Rings - each of these are from different sets of rings; the jewel one is from ASOS, the love on is from Topshop

Bracelet - Francesca's Collections 

Watch - Michael Kors

Style Love: Reese Witherspoon

Reese Witherspoon is such a cutie. She's got the california, girl next door vibe down pat and her style is as equally desirable as her 3.1 Phillip Lim bag. 

It's so classic and sophisticated but at the same time fun and girly. She wears lots of solid, darker colors that are accented with a few pieces of delicate jewelry, a colorful pattern, or a gorgeously chic handbag. Her simple but cute style is one that I frequently go for and over the years I have tried to remodel my wardrobe so that it reflects this. I love how some girls can put together intricate outfits layered with scarves, hair accessories, necklaces, rings, and the works, but I personally suck at it. I'd much rather put on a top, a pair of jeans, pop on a ring and some earrings, and be out. 

Here are some of my favorite pretty and polished looks of hers 

All images were taken from people.com

After browsing through these pictures there are a few things that I must look out for next time I go shopping: a cute satchel, a comfy pullover sweater, and a pair of boyfriend fit jeans. 

Who's style do you love? 

NOTD Havana Dreams

Today I decided to wear my newly purchased nail polish, Havana Dreams of Sephora by OPI. 

It's quite strange to have baby blue nails, and it takes some getting used to, but I think I really like it. The color makes your nails pop and look captivatingly cute. It's one of those that look best with really short nails and would look amazing in the summer with a tan. The formula is slightly streaky and I had to use 3 coats to get it really opaque looking, but I guess that's the price you pay for such a unique color. This nail polish is so fun and pretty - OPI never disappoints :)

What do you guys think about my blue nails? What fun colors do you love? 

Winter essentials

Winter is here, and for me that means a more complicated skin care regimen. Foundation doesn't sit right on flaky skin and lipstick on dry, cracked lips is not a look that I want to be sporting. 

I can't say I hate winter because it is such a festive season, but it's definitely not one of my favorites. The cold weather always catches me by surprise, as if I didn't know there are four seasons on this side of the globe. For some reason, this winter has been extra tough to get used to and it's got me wondering how I am going to manage when it starts getting really bad. 

I've made a list of stuff that I have really been relying on lately to get me through the cold weather =) 

1. Lips - Blistex Medicated Lip Ointment and eos lip balm

I've always been plagued by chapped lips and I have this really bad habit of biting my lips when they're flaky which irritates them even more. My lips are always cracked during the winter; it's gross and I hate it. A lot of the lip treatments I've tried work for the first half hour or so, but they don't really give any long term results. This Blistex ointment seriously works. It's a thick white cream that creates a film over your lips that doesn't just wear away, but is rather absorbed into your skin. Two days after I started using it, you can imagine my excitement when my lips were completely healed and stayed smooth. 

During the day, I like to keep my lips moisturized with the eos lip balm. No surprise here - this little ball of balm is effective, great smelling, and so cute and fun to use. I've got mine in summer fruit and it smells like peach rings. What freaks me out is that it also tastes sweet - I don't like it when my lip products also taste like food products. 

Both of these lip things work really as bases for lipsticks and I'm so glad I found them! 

2. Hands - L'occitane Hand Cream 

I mentioned this in a previous haul, and I have been loving it! This stays in my bag and I use it all day long. It smells like baby oil (which I love) and flowers. It's a thick cream that absorbs quickly, which I really like because I can't stand greasiness on my hands. Definitely need this to keep my hands from flaking up. 

3. Face - Korres Yogurt Mask

I love masks like the mint julep ones, but for the winter those can be too drying as they are meant to suck the oil out of your pores. I have been using this moisturizing mask by Korres, which I bought a while ago  but never really appreciated. It is so rich and hydrating, it leaves your skin baby soft. You can use it like a regular mask and wash it off in 20 min. or you can leave it on overnight for extra smooth skin =)

5. Body - Lush Bubble Bars

These are the best bath products ever. Well, there might be better out there, but they just don't appeal to me like Lush bubble bars do. The smell of Lush is truly one-of-a-kind, so I'm not even going to try to describe what they smell like - just think deliciousness in a bar. These are some that I still have leftover from a christmas gift box that I got last season. My favorites are creamy candy, pop in the bath, and the comforter. Actually, they're all my favorites. 

A nice bath is the best way to warm up when its cold outside, and they make your skin so soft and silky!

So these are the things that I've been using to to get me through the wintry weather. What do you love during the winter season?

It's my birthday and I can buy if I want to

My birthday is tomorrow (21!!!) and I thought it'd be nice to treat myself to a little present, especially after receiving a $15 gift card from Sephora for being a beauty insider! It was the perfect opportunity to get something that I've always wanted, but could never justify paying full price for. For me, this translates into a YSL Rouge Volupte. At $34 a pop, this is the big daddy of all lipsticks. 

Now I've heard loads about shades like Lingerie Pink and Tender Peach, and they are beautiful. But something about this one screamed "birthday indulgence"

No 30 FAUBOURG PEACH

It's the perfect bright coral with a hint of red/pink. I have pretty pigmented lips so when I put on lipstick the berry/red tones in my lips change the shade of the lipstick. I have been longing for a bright coral lipstick like Costa Chic or Jazzed by MAC, but when I tried those on, the colors did not show true on my lips. The Rouge Volupte defines opaque - what you see is what you get and that's what makes this lipstick so unique for me.

Excuse the frizzball hair =x

Ah! I love it and I'm so glad to have it in my collection =)

The $15 off only worked with a $40 purchase, so... I also got this nail polish

SEPHORA BY OPI HAVANA DREAMS

Teehee! Let the birthday celebrations begin...