Pick me Up

After being sick for a good half of the month of January, I needed a good pick me up to get me back in the swing of things. Enter a few cult products - an amazing foundation, a new tube of mascara, and a bright berry lip. 

The Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Smitten was such a happy surprise. I guess I haven't tried too many balm stains in my lifetime, but I wasn't really expecting it to stain the lips as well as it did. It is a really nice texture and does as the tube says - goes on like a balm and leaves a beautiful stain on the lips [through the night until the next day on me]. I'm so glad I branched out and got this deep berry color - it's not as harsh as some reds can be; it gives me a bold lip that I'm not afraid to wear out. 

I don't wear foundation often, but when I do I love using the Bourjois Healthy Mix in shade no. 52 Vanilla. It has a slightly more liquid consistency than other foundations I've tried in the past which is why I think it is so easy to build up without looking cakey. It blends like a dream with the real techniques buffing brush. I wouldn't say it gives a dewey finish, but it has been working with my dry skin. 

Lancome Hypnose Drama - I love the packaging of this mascara, but I'm not sure I'm completely sold on the product inside. As a freshly opened tube, it is too wet for my liking, and it applies too thickly so it clumps my lashes. I can see myself liking it more as it dries out a little more, but for now I wish I still had some Diorshow left. 

I've also been enjoying my christmas present from Alyssa - Stella by Stella McCartney. There are no words to describe how I feel about this perfume (besides "A:SLDKJ!"). You should all go and smell this because it is heavenly. It is super expensive, but I can't imagine being without this scent, and I hope to get the 3.3 oz bottle when this one is done. 

Hope you all have a great week, and thank you to all the readers who have stuck with me! 

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~Vida 

New in 2013

A few new things I've gotten that I am so excited to bring into the new year! 

Kate Spade pouch - I bought this at the Kate Spade outlet at Woodbury Commons and it turned out to be one of those items that I never knew I needed. I keep this in my bag which doesn't have compartments so it is the perfect catchall for the random things I throw in it. It is adorable, inside and out. 

Hand Creams - Alyssa and Nisha got me this Caudalie hand cream on their trip to France and I've been carrying it with me ever since. It smells amazing and has been keeping my hands moisturized when I'm on the go. I also got a Crabtree & Evelyn hand cream from another friend. I'm not the biggest fan of rose scents but it works well, and I am obsessed with anything that comes in a metal squeeze tube. 

Tommy Hilfiger sunglasses - These were a complete impulse buy, but I knew I had to have them when I saw them. I never thought a cat eye would look good on me, but I love these! They are on trend, but manage to look classic at the same time. Here are some similar ones.

Mario Badescu - For Christmas, my boyfriend got me a gift set from Mario Badescu. It's got tons of goodies which I hope to share with you guys. In the meantime, I'm loving this little black pouch that came in the set and now keeps my lipsticks and little makeup bits tidy in my purse. 

Origins Make a Difference + moisturizer - I've seen so many reviews raving about this product that I had to give it a go when my night cream ran out. I've used it a few times and so far, I'm impressed. 

Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment - Almost missed the boat on this birthday gift from Sephora, but I'm so excited to try out the Fresh lip balms. These minis are so cute, and the product is really as good as everyone says it is. 

Michael Kors watch - A Christmas present from my parents. Everyone and their mom has one of these, but with good reason. I love how chunky it is and the silver is great for everyday and for blinging up with some arm candy. 

Statement necklaces - statement necklaces are everywhere lately, but my favorite cheapy place to get them is Forever21. I ordered like 10 necklaces last month and I love all of them! They are good quality for the price, and there are so many to choose from. 

And to carry all this stuff around, meet my new best friend - 

I found this baby at TjMaxx. I was iffy about it at first, but I am completely enamored with it now. It's a huge shopper type bag that I use to lug around my laptop and school things. I love the black saffiano leather; it's really good quality and looks expensive and chic. Wish I could carry it around everywhere, but that probably wouldn't be practical. Here's the same one in tan, and a newer version.

I hope you all enjoyed the holidays and are having a wonderful start to the new year! 

~Vida 

Used Up

After a lot of beauty hauling, I've amassed an embarrassing amount of makeup, body lotions, and face creams. Recently I've been making a conscious effort to get rid of the odds and ends in my collection, simplifying it down to my holy grail essentials. I've been keeping the small fraction of products that are close to being finished in their own compartment, so I can easily reach for them and use them up.

I've posted about some of these before - Dermalogica skin smoothing cream (nice, but will look for something else), Caudalie thirst quenching serum, NARS sheer glow (amazing foundation!)

I've also talked about these two in a previous post here, and I still feel the same way about them. The Clinique gel is truly amazing, and something I will definitely go back to in the future. For the winter, it is not as hydrating as I would like, but this is perfect for the warmer months. The Dr. Hauschka lip balm was one of the best I have ever tried, and definitely the most luxurious. I would love to repurchase this again and again, if it wasn't so expensive! 

I have to say, I was not impressed by these Prestige mascaras. I've heard a lot of good things about my blackest lashes, and tried out my biggest lashes because I liked the name, but neither of these did it for me. The MAC technakohl liner in graphblack was also another disappointing product. It's not very creamy and smudges on me every time. 

I've posted about the Boots body cream in patchouli & lavender before. It's nice, and the tub looks adorable on my dresser, but I only have eyes for the L'occitane almond oil. I bought the La Roche-posay nutritic emulsion for my dry skin last winter and it worked pretty well while it lasted, but it wasn't exciting enough for me to want to repurchase. 

Nothing is more satisfying than scooping out the last bit of product of a tub that has been lying around for months. Looking forward to finishing more products and cleaning up my collection! Hope you enjoyed this post, 

~Vida 

Products I'm Loving

First off, the Real Techniques buffing brush. This brush is talked about so much, and now I know why - it's phenomenal. When I first used this to apply my NARS sheer glow foundation, I was blown away by how much of a difference this brush made. It blended in the foundation in seconds and gave an airbrush finish unlike any technique I've used before. It also washes really easily and doesn't shed! Really impressed and can't wait to try it with other foundations. 

Keeping in line with tools, I've been loving this new way of using my Clarisonic, that was first introduced to me by lilladylife. Pop out the outer ring of bristles and just use the center set for precise deep cleansing especially around the nose area. So simple, but it works dramatically! 

On my eyes I've been using MAC's blacktrack fluid line. I'm probably the last one on the bandwagon for this, but it's been working great for me. Creamy, black, and lasts all day. 

I've also discovered that Diorshow is my new favorite mascara. I've been a L'oreal Voluminous girl for a while, and didn't think that expensive mascaras were worth the money. This Dior one, however, curls my lashes like no other and really volumizes each lash without clumping. I'm obsessed with this mascara, and I really want to check out Dior's other lash offerings. 

I got this Caudalie s.o.s thirst quenching serum in a 500 point perk Caudalie set from Sephora. I've now used it up, and I am dying to get the full size. You put this on before your moisturizer - it's a light, milky serum - and it makes my skin glow. It feels and smells beautiful, makes the skin look plump and healthy, and seems to help my moisturizer sink in. My skin is so dry right now from the wind and cold, and this helps give that extra hydration that my skin is craving. 

My first and only Butter London nail polish in disco biscuit. This is a beautiful jelly magenta color with purple-y blue iridescent particles. So captivating and really a unique color. It is suprisingly dull on its own, but it really comes to life with a top coat. 

And finally, a fragrance! This is one of my oldest and most loved perfumes, Ferragamo Incanto Charms. It is fruity and sweet, but never overpowering and lingers all day. It's just delicious. Not really a fall/winter scent, but I rediscovered it on my dresser with just a few drops left, and I was reminded of how much I love this! 

Happy reading! 

~Vida