Current Favorites

1. Revlon Lipstick in Stormy Pink: So pretty. It's the perfect pop of color to go with all my winter neutrals. It's bright, matte and stays put for hours. The only downside is that it is very drying. I do have to completely wipe it off and apply a lip balm by midday but it's so pretty, it's worth it. 

2. Philosophy Shower Gel in Vanilla Frost: This is a limited edition scent from one of the Christmas sets. It smells so yummy and like Christmas. You can use it as a shower gel, bubble bath or shampoo. I haven't tried it as a shampoo yet as it has a lot of glitter in it. 

3. Smashbox Hydrating Halo Powder in Light: I "borrowed" this recently from my mother and have been using it everyday. I fell in love with it this summer when I was using it on myself and on my friend on her wedding day. It seems to mattify and make you glow at the same time. If you hate powder like I do and have dry skin then this is the holy grail.

4. John Frieda Go Blonder Shampoo and Conditioner: I have been using this ever since I first lightened my hair this spring. It's not that it actually lightens my hair, but it seems to make it brighter and less brassy. It also really softens and moisturizes.

5. Essie A List Nail polish: This is the red I've been looking for. It's deep and vampy without looking purple or brown. It's like a real blood red. Lately I've been applying China Glaze Ruby Pumps on top. It makes it a bit more festive and Christmasy.

6. Loreal Voluminous Lashes: Holy smokes! I grabbed this up on a whim at Target because it was two for one and I liked the packaging.  This mascara is not for the demure! It makes my lashes super long and thick. 

lip balm supreme

Phew! It's been a while since I've talked about some beauty! Lately (well, always really) I'm really into lip products. I recently discovered a gem at my local supermarket, Blistex Revive and Restore. Once the cold sets in and the heaters come on my lips and skin dry up like nobody's business so I'm always on the look out for good balms and moisturizers and this one is a good one! One package comes with two stackable pots. One is "Restore" which claims to "Make lips soft, healthy and radiant with Phytonutrients and Vitamin E". This formula is very soft and creamy and leaves a light sheen on the lips. The other is "Revive" which claims to "Leave lips smooth, invigorated and protected and contains shea butter, fruit extracts and SPF 15". This one is thicker like a wax. I like to apply the revive first and then top it off with the restore.  Both taste great and smell like candy necklaces!

Another awesome find was Maybelline's Baby Lips. I have been looking for this forever after seeing it on so many beauty blogs and finally my local CVS got it. I got the nude colored one, Peach Kiss. At first upon swatching I was disappointed, I couldn't see anything but  a little sheen. When applied to lips though it imparted a great shimmery nude. This is gorgeous and so moisturizing and the packaging is cute to boot! I want to scoop up the baby pink shade as well.

Bobbi Brown Lip Balm is a gem of a product.  A makeup artist used this on me before applying lipstick and it's the only lip balm that I have tried that works well under lipstick. It leaves lips super smooth and allows lipstick to glide on perfectly! It's a bit pricey but I've had the same pot forever so it's worth it.

bobbi brown- morocco

I love Bobbi Brown cosmetics, but I have to say her collections don't particularly get me all that excited. Her fall 2011 collection however looks so gorgeous and unique! I'm all over those lip colors! Check out the collection here:

Maybelline Fit Me Foundation Review

I recently purchased the new foundation from Maybelline. I've been using Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer for about four years and love it but have been desperately searching for a cheap alternative for the winter time when I tend to need more coverage. I have very dry skin and prefer a natural, dewy look while still evening out my skin tone. Lately, I've been using Loreal True Match but I've noticed that the coverage is a bit heavy and only highlights my dry patches. Anyways, onto the Fit Me foundation. I purchased this about a week ago and LOVE IT! First off, I purchased it at Walgreens where the display had small tester bottles of each shade for you to try..this to me was amazing being that there is never any way of testing out foundations in drugstores and we all know that foundation ALWAYS needs to be tested. So I found my perfect shade pretty easily and immediately tried it out. This makeup allows for your natural skin to show through and feels so smooth on the skin. It is very, very dewy and definitely need some powder through the T zone. Some cons about the product however, this would absolutely not be good for anyone with oily skin or skin that has large pores or acne. The coverage is quite sheer and while it evens out skin to perfection, it would only highlight these flaws and would simply glide off of oily skin. Another thing is the staying power, there isn't a lot of it. I never, ever use powder, however, it is needed as the makeup tends to fade after a few hours. Overall I love this foundation. I don't think I will purchase any other products from the line however as they didn't look all that exciting.

oragandy vs. mod squad

Several years ago I received  my first bottle of Chanel nail polish. the color I picked out was Organdy, the ultimate girly, bubble gum pink. I still have this polish after about ten years however, it has now become thick and impossible to apply without streaks and globs. Upon trying to score another bottle I was saddened to find out that it had been discontinued! Ever since, I have been trying to find a similar shade of bright, happy pink. I braved the aftermath of our brutal Chicago blizzard in search of this shade (I also needed a little break from the taupey/beige polishes of the season). I trekked to Ulta through waist high snow and upon arrival I raced to the nail section...Like a light shown down from above with the angels singing I spotted the perfect dupe for my beloved Organdy..Essie Mod Squad!! I raced home, removed my sad "greige" polish and applied a generous coat and topped it of with a layer of Seche Vite. I haven't removed it for a week now and it still looks fresh (this is saying alot since I change my polish every other day!)
What are your favorite dupes for discontinued products?

                                                                 

                                                                                       Essie Mod Squad

                                                                                           

                                                                                           Chanel Organdy                                            

Natasha Khan

One of the coolest looking girls in rock, Natasha Khan is an interesting mix of Pocahontas and Stevie Nicks. She mixes feathers, beads and platinum face paint like a pro, managing to look less costume and more like herself. Her band Bat For Lashes provides the perfect spooky lo-fi tones perfect for the dark winter days. 

if it was my world...

..we could wear makeup like this EVERYDAY!

photos courtesy of style.com