Retail therapy.

Beatles tee, lace bralette top, cardigan, sandals - H&M / gel liner - Clinique / butterfly print top - Forever 21 / black shorts, denim shorts - Macy's / pink high-waisted shorts - Dry Goods

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How much is your face worth?

I saw this tag floating about the beauty community, and although i'm a bit scared to see the grand total of how much i spend on my everyday makeup, i thought i'd do it!  Many of you will probably think this is an excessive amount of makeup for one to put on on a daily basis, but... yeah, i can't really think of an excuse to put here. :P  I do feel more confident & just better about myself after i've put some slap on, so i don't mind spending a little bit more money & time on doing so.

The only part of my routine that stays the consistent day-to-day is the 'base' category, with foundation & such.  Other than that, i wear more or less makeup & use different products in the other categories depending on my mood/what i'm doing that day.  The products included in this post are what i use on an average day & they make up a look that i've been wearing often recently.

Hope this is interesting to you ladies, i will now hold my breath while i add up the cost of everything! :O

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Base

Bare Minerals Prime Time - $21

Benefit Erase Paste - $26

MAC Studio Finish concealer - $16.50

Bare Minerals Original Foundation - $25

Bare Minerals Mineral Veil - $19

 Cheeks

Bare Minerals Warmth All-Over Face Color - $18

Sleek Contour Kit - $10

Clinique Powder Blush in New Clover - free sample size with purchase so i'm not counting it :)

 Eyes

Revlon Brow Fantasy in Dark Blonde -  $6.48

Too Faced Shadow Insurance - $18

Benefit Creaseless Cream Eyeshadow in RSVP - $19

GOSH Quad in Driftwood - £7.99, about $13

GOSH Velvet Touch Eyeliner in Black Ink - free with purchase of the quad :)

Clinique Brush-On Cream Liner in True Black - $15

L'Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black mascara - $5.84

Lips

Carmex - about $1

Maybelline Color Sensational Lipstick in Born With It - $4.97

Total

$218.79

Well, that is slightly appalling isn't it?!  To be fair, each of the products do last quite a while and i believe i get my money's worth out of them... Anyway, it's how i choose to spend my hard-earned cash.  Consumerism ftw. ;)

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Crochet & turquoise.

Still feel like a bit of a loon taking pictures of myself!  I think it's just that i feel a little pretentious knowing that i intend to post the photos in a blog post like "ooh, look at my face"... hence the "let's just get this over with" look in my eyes haha.  Why do i do these posts you ask?  Well, i do like seeing other girlies' faces of the day because they show the products 'in action', if you know what i mean.  Like, sure, you can talk about a product all you want, but it's always nice to see it put to use!  I also think it's nice seeing the different combos people come up with.  If i like, say, an eye look i see on someone, i steal the idea & try to incorporate it into my own makeup - i'm sure i'm not the only one who does this... that is the point of these 'face of the day' posts (in my opinion), isn't it? :)

This is basically how i do my makeup on a day-to-day basis, with different eyeshadow combos & such, but they are all essentially the same neutral kind of look!  I also tried out a lip stain that i got from CVS the other day for the first time - not sure what my thoughts are on it yet!  I toned it down a lot so it probably doesn't look like much.

I am in love with the top i wore as well, it a crochet sort of thing that is so breezy, yet still cozy.  I adore the length of the sleeves, and although it kind of hangs in all the wrong places, it's oh, so right!  It came with a tank top, but i just cut it out - much better this way, it was all polyester and cringey.  This was a little thrift store gem i found, but i know crochet is a big trend this season, so similar tops & such are out in stores atm!

I've also been loving little delicate necklaces lately & with the top, i wore this gold chain with a little turquoise stone in it - another thrift store find!

I wore this out to work & then out to a casual dinner at TGI Friday's with my girlies, so i just wore dark wash  skinny jeans on the bottom (rolled up into capris with flats for work & as full length jeans with sandals for dinner).

So here's my face/kind of-outfit.....

Crochet top & necklace - thrifted

Eyes

Barry M Dazzle Dust in Tan

GOSH Quad in Driftwood - medium brown in crease/darker brown in outer corner

Urban Decay e/s in Polyester Bride - highlight

Clinique Gel Liner in Black

L'Oreal Voluminous mascara in Carbon Black

GOSH Velvet Touch Eyeliner in Black Ink

Revlon Brow Fantasy in Dark Blonde

Face

Bare Escentuals Prime Time

MAC Studio Finisher concealer - on blemishes

Benefit Erase Paste - under eyes

Bare Minerals Original Foundation

Bare Minerals Warmth - bronzer

Sleek Contour Kit

Clinique blush in New Clover

Bare Minerals Mineral Veil

Lips

Revlon Just Bitten Lip Stain in Passion (faded a lot)

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Gosh & Sleek Loving.

Haven't done one of these 'face of the day' type of posts in a while, i'm sure you can see why. ;)  I feel a bit vain posting pictures of my mug up for the people of the internet to see to be honest, haha.  I figured i'd do one anyway to show some of the products i got from my trip actually put to use.

I've absolutely been loving the Gosh eyeliner and Sleek Contour Kit, they are both new staples in my collection.  The Gosh liner totally tops Urban Decay's famous 24/7 one in Zero like it's nobody's business.  If you can get your hands on it, definitely try it out!  And the contour kit was a total bargain, don't think i'll be able to live without it from now on!  Makes the skin look gaaaaaawgeous and hasn't broken me out, which many drugstore products seem to do *knocks on wood*.

The Two Faced 'Illuminating' Shadow Insurance in Candlelight is totally new to me, i hadn't heard of it until my sister gave it to me (i think she got it as a 500 point perk at Sephora).  I really do quite like it though!  It's not as opaque as the Urban Decay primers are (ie. Sin), which i actually prefer.  It's just as good as the original staying-power-wise and it does brighten up the eye area to help make it look like you actually got your 8+ hours of beauty sleep - hence the 'illuminating' bit - without making it look like you have packed a ton of product on your eyes (like i have below haha ;).  Mac's Shroom looks amazing over it btw. :)

Hope you're not too offended by this little 'mug face of the day'!

Said Sleek Contour Kit & Gosh Eyeliner

Eyes

Too Faced Shadow Insurance in Candlelight

Mac Shroom e/s all over lid and inner corner & brow bone highlight

Mac Satin Taupe e/s in crease

Barry M Dazzle Dust in Chocolate in the outer corner

L'Oreal Linear Intense in Black - winged out with a bit of Urban Decay's Oilslick e/s on top to set

Gosh Velvet Touch Eyeliner in Blank Ink

Clinique High Impact mascara

Face

Benefit Erase Paste under eyes

Mac Studio Finish concealer on blemishes

Bare Minerals Original Foundation

Sleek Contour Kit in Light

Clinique Pressed Powder blush in New Clover

Bare Minerals Mineral Veil to set

Lips

Carmex :)

Hair & outfit

Will do a little post on the hair at some point. :)

top - New Look, earrings - Primark

♥

11 most reached-for products

As some of you may or may not have noticed by now, i am quite the fan of tags.  This will be my 21st tag (and counting) post that i have on this here blog - some most of them may be a bit pointless (the "personal" ones), while the other beauty-related ones, like my old favorite "8 Things Tag", may be of more use to you lovelies.  Well, i'm sure many of you will be relieved to read that this is one of the beauty-related tags. :)

I was catching up on my Youtube subscriptions and came across one of Allison's newest videos, her 11 Most Reached-For Products tag, if you couldn't already tell by the title. ;)  I figured i would hop on the bandwagon myself & give my own two cents worth.  Just as Allison explained in her video, i'm leaving out my everyday foundation/face routine since that doesn't really change much for me.  For the most part, i'm just putting in products that i go to without much thought, that i know will look good & that i will still like by the end of the day.

Here are my 11 most most "reached for" products, in no particular order ♥:

1. MAC Studio Finish Concealer

This one of my first MAC purchases & it lasted me for a long, long time.  I use it to cover my blemishes (i find it's too drying for my under-eye area), and along with a bit of mineral foundation over top, it provides really nice coverage.  I find that my skin will break-out or be irritated by a lot of face products of various brands, but this doesn't cause my skin to react in anyway.  Will definitely have to buy a new tub of this!

2. Benefit Creaseless Cream Eyeshadow in RSVP

I've already done a review on this, which you can read here.  This has been my go-to eye base/primer as of late.  It's so quick & easy to just slick on and it's quite versatile as well.  I wear it by itself with liquid eyeliner & mascara, with MAC's All That Glitters eyeshadow over it, MAC's Satin Taupe in the crease, & Twinks in the outer v, or just by itself & a light-medium brown shade in the crease (or Twinks in the outer v, blended into the crease).  As you can tell by that previous, unsightly sentence, it looks good so many ways!  It's love.

3. Clinique Brush-On Cream Eyeliner in True Black

This is one of the newer additions to my makeup collection and i don't know what i've been thinking in regards to liquid/cream eyeliner for all this time!  It has incredibly long lasting power, which i find to be perfect as my eyes are unnaturally watery/teary all the time haha.  It may take a little more time in the morning, but it's worth it for me.  May do a full, in-depth review of this eventually!

4. Maybelline Color Sensational lipstick in Pink Please

If you've read my blog for a while, you know i have so much love for this lipstick.  I wear this most everyday & it is always in my makeup bag.  It looks really nice with just about every look & adds a lovely bit of color to my otherwise pale face & lips!  Read my really old review of it here. :)

5. OPI nail polish in Got a Date To-Knight

If i ever finish a bottle of nail polish in my lifetime, this will definitely be the one!  This color is such a lovely, baby pink that i find is really flattering with my skintone no matter what time of the year.  I wouldn't say this nail polish is particulary long-lasting, and it also takes quite a few layers to build up the color, but this is by far one of my favorite shades i own.  Whenever i'm a bit indecisive of what color to paint my nails, i choose this one 99% of the time!

6. Clinique High Impact Mascara in Black

I used to be quite the Covergirl Lash Blast fanatic, although that was great for volumizing my lashes, i found it didn't do too much for length.  I'd had samples & even a full-size tube of High Impact before, but never really appreciated it until recently.  It both lengthens & volumizes, and it quite a deep black as well.

7. Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Sin (called Drink Me, Eat Me in this palette)

This is by far one of my favorite all-over-the-lid colors and actually even one of my favorite eyeshadows i own.  It accentuates the eye very nicely - with a complimentary crease & outer v color, it's perfection.  It's also quite long lasting, and with a base it lasts for even longer.  I find it's really versatile as well, it looks so good with so many different combinations.  When in doubt, i almost always go for this shadow with Too Faced Shadow Insurance or Benefit CCS in RSVP on its own for a lid color.

8. Clinique Soft-Pressed Powder Blusher in New Clover

I've mentioned this product in a few monthly favorites, but i just had to add it to this list.  I don't have an immense collection of blushes, and generally just use up the sample-size blushes i get from usually Clinique, but i find that i reach for this shade just about everyday of the week.  It gives such a natural flush to my cheeks and looks really flattering & pretty on my fair skintone.

9. MAC eyeshadow in Satin Taupe

Satin Taupe was one of the first MAC eyeshadows that i added to my collection, and it is one of my must-haves.  Along with many of the products on this list, it is very versatile.  It looks really lovely in the crease with just about any champagne color on the lid.  I usually wear it in the crease & built up in the outer corner (or Twinks in the outer corner instead) with Benefit's RSVP, but it looks great with just about any combination.

10. Revlon Matte Lipstick in Pink Pout

This is probably the second most-used lipstick in my collection, after Maybelline's Pink Please.  :)  On me, it shows up as a lovely baby pink.  As you can see, it's a bit messed up...it actually broke the day i got it & i just had to stick it back in the tube in order to use it.  It's a bit drying as well, but it lasts quite a long time & has a nice matte finish.

11. Sigma E25 Blending Brush

This travel size brush came free with a Sigma order i made around Christmas.  It's supposed to be a dupe for MAC's 217 brush, but i have to say i actually prefer this one to the 217.  My 217 actually became quite fluffy over time & doesn't apply eyeshadow to the crease as well/as clean as it did when i first got it.  Maybe it's because i haven't had this for as long as i have the 217, but it applies crease colors SO well & i'm in love!  Quite the nice surprise to see this came free with my order. :)

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What products do you find yourself reaching for the most?

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lately...

♥ Have been counting the days down to when i go to England & France.  Just checked my calendar & i'll be leaving about 70 days from now!  Wow, that's incredibly close.  I'm scared i won't have enough money to spend!  Haha.  My birthday's in about five weeks so hopefully i'll get some moolah.  I should also mention, i got a job!  Finally, right?  I'm not sure if i mentioned this already, but i applied & got an interview at the thrift store where two of my friends work.  They called me a bit earlier in the week & are going to train me & start giving me hours in about a week.  Let's hope i start raking in the dough ;)

♥ There was an offer going on at Clinique where if you spended a certain amount of money there, you could get a free gift - they do this quite often.  I wanted to repurchase my favorite mascara - High Impact in black - and i was also interested in trying their cream liner because i heard it was really good.  Have been using those products as well as the bronzer that came in the "free" gift & i've been really loving them!  Might do a separate post on these Clinique goodies.

♥ Do you love my moon boots or what?  It's been super snowy & cold lately, and with that comes shoveling & of course sledding!  I went at night last week wednesday with friends because we had a snow day.  Bad idea just wearing jeans, socks, & boots on the bottom half of your body - so incredibly cold!

♥ As you may have seen in my recent outfit of the day post, i got this lovely new bag from H&M.  I adore fringe, big bags, and neutral colors so this is totally up my alley.  A lot of you seemed to like it as well, hope you can get your hands on it if you wanted it!

♥ I recently hit (not physically, haha :/) 500 Google Friend Connect followers on this ol' blog.  I just wanted to let you know that am genuinely grateful for each and every one of you who bothers to read & comment on my blog posts.  This blog would be nothing without you guys - And what would i be without Big City Dreams?!  Probably just another loner who spends her life in her room on her mom's computer playing Solitare ;).  So thankyouthankyouthankyou.  I love you girlzzz ♥ *sappy moment over!*
♥ Have also been OBSESSED with Lady Gaga's new single "Born This Way" - such a tune!  Great message, very dance-able beat, love it lots :).  Link to listen to it here.

Hopefully going out to dinner with my lovely friends once they get off of work in a few hours :)  Hope you all have a lovely weekend.

♥

january favorites

I haven't done a monthly favorites post in what seems like ages, so i figured i'd try and start doing them again. Not making any promises though! ;)  These products are either newer ones that i've just discovered & have really liked or old favorites that i've rediscovered over the past month.

What have you been loving this month?

♥ Dove Heat Defense Therapy conditioner.  This is one of the products i've rediscovered.  I used to use this everyday but i realized that it was contributing to the product buildup in my hair.  I put off using it for a long time, but have come back to it.  It makes my hair smooth & helps protect my hair from the heat.  I generally use this on the days i blow-dry my hair (i usually shower at night & leave my hair to air dry).  This is the old packaging of this conditioner, but this stuff is still available!

♥ Favorite mascara combination.  I've been loving super thick, dark lashes this past month (well, every month really!) and these two products together help achieve the look.  Clinique's High Impact mascara is my favorite mascara i've ever tried, but in tandem the sample of Lancome's Definicils mascara, it's even better.  I probably won't buy the full size of the Lancome mascara as i'm not made of money haha, but i'll enjoy the little sample while it lasts :)

♥ Favorite eyeshadow combination.  I've been finding it hard to get out of bed & putting the effort into looking super done up this past month.  But to prevent looking like a total mess, finding a quick & easy makeup routine in the morning was an essential.  Benefit's Creaseless Cream Eyeshadow in RSVP (review here) was something i ordered from Sephora a little before Christmas and MAC's Satin Taupe eyeshadow is an old favorite of mine.  I put two layers of RSVP all over my lid & into my crease (as a base & lid color in one) and using a MAC 217 brush, i put Satin Taupe in the crease & build it up into the outer v.  Both quick & easy, but it looks nice and put together.

♥ MAC 129 & Sigma E65 Small Angle brushes.  One of the first things i ever purchased from MAC is the 129 Powder/Blush brush.  I love using it for blush, it applies & blends the color with ease.  Since it's getting quite old, it's getting a bit scratchy unfortunately but it's still nice.  I got a few Sigma brushes for Christmas and i have been absolutely loving them.  One of the eye brushes i got was the E65 Small Angle brush.  I love using this to apply eyeshadow on my lower lash line & i'm hoping this will work well for my recently purchased Clinique cream eyeliner.  We'll see how that goes!

♥ Yes to Cucumbers Facial Towelettes.  This was one of the products i purchased in my recent skincare haul & since then, i've been able to try them out for a while.  Many of you commented on that post saying you loved these and they didn't disappoint!  These are really gentle on my skin & get my makeup off really well.  The towelettes are actually pretty big & since i'm quite cheap i cut them in half and find that's enough to do the job!  I use these to remove my makeup when the day's done, before i cleanse my face.  If i'm feeling particularly lazy, i'll just quick wipe my face with these, apply a bit of moisturizer, and go to bed!  Love these.

Three to follow: Morven, Kerti, Kelly.

♥

September Faves :)

Another month has gone by.....*insert long sigh here*.  September just flew by didn't it?  I swear i just saw Gaga last week!  Well, with the passing of another month, comes the obligatory monthly favorites post!  These have to be one of my favorite times of posts, both to write & to read.  This is probably because it really shows the products that have stood the test of time - i mean, you can try out all these new products, but with monthly favorites it shows what you really ended up using & what have really worked out for you!

Well i'll get onto what i've been loving this past month.  These are in no particular order :)

001. Eyeko Graffiti Eyeliner Pen in Purple

I've talked about this liquid eyeliner before in a fotd post, but i thought i'd include it in my September faves.  As i said in that post, it's really nice to switch up your everyday look.  I usually stick to my trusty black liquid liner, but it's nice to change it up every once in a while :).  This liner is really long lasting as well - it's lasted through many a gym class & long school days.  It does fade a bit after wearing it several hours, but that doesn't really turn me off!  Definitely worth a go :)

002. Brown eyeliner

Yes, another eyeliner!  I have been totally loving brown eyeliner in general.  This particular one is by Maybelline, but it's so old i don't even think it's even sold anymore!  Any brown eyeliner is fine though :).  Brown eyeliner is such great alternative to black - sometimes i find black can be very harsh, but brown gives just enough definition without being to harsh - love love love.

003. Benefit Erase Paste

When i first got this, i admittedly wasn't too fond of it - i didn't think it gave enough coverage, etc.  Since then, i've learned how to work with it to give just the right effect.  This is my go-to concealer for under the eyes, and it's just 'alright' on blemishes - i feel like i have to pack it on to cover any spots.  But as i said, it's wonderful for covering dark circles & brightening the undereye area to make you look like you got a full night's sleep, even if you didn't :)

004. Clinique Powder Blush in New Clover

I've recently try to branch out from my trusty Clinique Iced Lotus blush to try out different shades.  I have to admit i don't own a lot of blushes, mainly because i find many of the ones i try out break me out, but this one is lovely.  I got it in a gift set in the spring - hence the pretty flower packaging.  It's a pretty coral-peachy color, and gives a nice flush to the cheeks - it's lovely.

005. Yankee Candle Lip Balm

Who knew a company that's famous for their delicious candles made such fantastic lip balms?  This lip balm trumps my Burt's Bees chapstick..and even my Carmex!  This stuff is absolutely perfect for prepping the lips for lipstick.  No flaky, dry lips for me! :)  Definitely something to try out!

006. Bare Escentuals Max Coverage Concealer Brush

Last beauty item for this post!  I use this brush with my Bare Minerals foundation to set my concealer, and also to give a bit more coverage - it's absolutely fantastic!  It packs on the product - in a good way, haha - and is just a breeze to use.  Perfect traveling size as well :)

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Do you enjoy the festive Halloween decorations? LOL

007. Vitamin D Tablets

I went to the doctor because i was feeling just really down & depressed, and she told me it might be because of seasonal affective disorder, so she told me to try out taking Vitamin D tablets because it was worth trying & wouldn't do any harm to my body (Cliff note's version haha).  I started taking them about a week & a half ago & already feel a difference!  Maybe it's just in my head, but either way haha.  Strong bones & teeth are the way forward right? ;)

008. AUTUMN!

Yes, i do love rainy/generally crappy weather!  Autumn has got to be one of my favorite seasons - if not my favorite!  The air is crisp, the leaves are turning bright yellow, orange, & red, the sun is rising a bit later & setting a bit earlier, i've had the luxury of bundling up in sweaters & blankets....i just love it!  Bring on the holidays ;)

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More random favorites

009. Music - I've really been enjoying Beach House - particularly the song Zebra -Victoria's voice is amazing.

010. Eye candy - Andrew VanWyngarden.  End of story.  He's just so beautiful.  You may not think so...but tbh that's a good thing - more for me!  Haha ;)  He seems like such a great person as well :) ♥

What have you all been loving this past month?!

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♥