Products I've Been Loving.

Sure it's too late for an "August Favorites", but there's always time for a "products i've been loving" post!  So yep, i'll just quickly run through products i've been reaching for a lot lately & have really stood out from the pack for me recently.

♥ Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in "Zero" ♥
Everyone must have at least heard of these eye pencils before, and with good reason.  I wouldn't normally spend $17 on an eyeliner, but i got this with the Alice in Wonderland Book of Shadows (post on that here), so of course i gave it a go.  This liner really impressed me - it's super pigmented & dark, glides on very easy, and stays put for quite a long time.  Definitely one of the best eyeliners in my collection.

♥ MAC 217 Blending Brush ♥
The 217 was the first MAC brush i ever purchased, and will always be a staple of mine.  It's perfect for applying color to the crease & blending out any harsh lines.  I also use it for applying & blending eyeshadow to the outer corners as well, as i don't have a brush for that purpose atm!  I've also heard of people using this for applying concealer & other cream products, but i personally use my finger or a stiffer brush for that purpose.

♥ Bare Minerals SPF 15 Matte Foundation ♥
I got a free sample of this foundation at Sephora, and i'm really glad i got to try it out!  I usually use the Original foundation, but with my oily skin, i can look a bit shiny as the finish of the Original formula is quite glowy.  With the Matte foundation, the staying power & all that is the same as the Original, but i notice that i'm not as shiny-looking by the end of the day.  When i run out of my Original foundation, i'll definitely be purchasing the Matte formula!
Review on the Bare Escentuals Starter Kit here :)

♥ Estee Lauder Idealist Pore Minimizing Skin Refinisher & Bare Escentuals Prime Time ♥

The reason i put these two together is that i use these two products together to create an amazing base for my foundation :).  After cleansing, toning, & moisturizing my face, i apply Estee Lauder's Pore Minimizing Skin Refinisher, wait for that to soak in for a bit, then apply my Bare Minerals Prime Time primer.  Together, these minimize my pores and control my oiliness from completely taking over my face as the day progresses.  During the summer, i can get away with just using the Estee Lauder Refinisher or BE's Prime Time, since dewy-skin is more of a summer thing for me, but during the school year & such, i feel i need a bit more control & together, these products work really well for that purpose.

♥ Triscuit Thin Crisps ♥
I just had to add this to the products i'm loving list!  They're little salty triangle cracker things, and i didn't like them so much at first, but they've really grown on me :).  For me, it's a step in the healthy direction (sure they still aren't the healthiest snack out there, but whatever haha).  Definitely give these a nom if you have sweet & salty cravings like i do!

What products have you been loving?

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Fall-Inspired Nails ♥

I've been inspired by the recent weather change in just about every way in regards to my appearance - clothes (cue the cardigans & scarves :), makeup, and today - nails!  I love bright, colorful nail polish just as much as the next girl, but i embrace warmer, darker colors just as much.  It was quite enjoyable removing my neon pink polish and giving myself a nice fall-inspired mani!

Sorry for the mess ;)

After taking a brief scope through my polish collection, i landed on OPI's "It's a Doozi, Says Suzi", which i got in a sale at Boston Store last year, i believe :)

"It's a Doozi, Says Suzi" is a gorgeous vampy red, with subtle gold reflex in it.  In most lighting, it looks like a super deep red, almost a bit brown.  In sunlight, the gold really comes through & sparkles with all it's might :).  Suzi is absolutely fab!  I had to apply three coats, but it went on very smooth.

As a base coat i used Maybelline's Express Finish 50-Second Nail Color Base & Top Coat.  Three layers of OPI's pretty polish later, i applied Revlon's Extra Life No Chip Top Coat, which i am absolutely in love with!  Review for it here.

This is probably the best mani i gave myself in a while, hehe.  Look out for some more nail posts ladies!

What's your favorite color to paint your nails for fall? :)

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I wanted to put a little spot in this post in remembrance of the horrific events on September 11, 2001.  Thoughts and love to all the families and friends who lost the ones the love ♥.

Never forget.

xoxo

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Current Perfume Love ♥

Before i start this post, i'd like to say thank you to everyone who gave recommendations of MAC eyeshadows to try out, i have a huge list now!  Thanks again ladies :)

As some of you may know from a previous post, i was looking for a new signature fragrance as i my beloved Vera Wang Princess was on it's last leg.  I hadn't had the chance to really test out all the perfumes i wanted to, so i kind of kept putting it out for a while.  About a week ago, my mom found that my oldest sister Stephanie had thrown out an almost-full bottle of perfume that she never wore.  My mom asked if i then wanted it, since she knew i was in need of a new fragrance, so i took it, not thinking i'd like it.


I have to say, the fragrance has really grown on me!  The perfume in question is Fancy by Jessica Simpson.  I didn't think i'd like it, as i kind of have a prejudice against celebrity perfumes to be quite honest, but this perfume has really exceeded my expectations.

The Scent & Lasting Power
I'm not the greatest at describing scents, but i'll do my best!  On me, Fancy smells quite fruity, but sweet at the same time.  It has hints of vanilla, but it's definitely not too overwhelming.  I'd say this fragrance is for younger girls, not so much more mature ladies as it is quite a youthful scent.  Since Fancy is an eau de parfum, it actually lasts quite a long time on the skin.  When i spray it in the morning before school, i can still smell it by seventh hour - muy impressed :).  The bottle is also huge so this will last for a while!

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It's not the most classic of scents, but i do really like it & i'll be wearing it for a while :)
What perfume are you currently loving?
xoxo

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Starting a MAC Palette!

I recently ordered an empty MAC Pro Eyeshadow Palette online & woke up to it all wrapped up in MAC's signature black packaging on my dresser this morning!  I sprang out of bed & merrily ripped it open to reveal black tissue paper & a sleek black box, containing this beautiful palette :)

The initial reason i bought this was because i was planning on swapping with a girl for a depotted eyeshadow, and since i had no place to store depotted eyeshadow, i needed to acquire something that could, of course.  Well, she never messaged me back about the swap, so here i am with an empty MAC palette!  I don't regret ordering it though, because i do intend on using it, for collecting & storing gorgeous eyeshadows of course, and i think it would be amazingly handy for travelling.

This is where you lovely ladies come in!

I need your help!

I need recommendations on some eyeshadows that i need to check out!  I'm more of a neutral girl, as some of you may know, so shadows in the neutral range would be ideal :)  What are your go-to MAC shadows?

I have 15 spaces to fill up, slowly but surely of course, so leave your recommendations in a comment, Formspring, or tweet, and i'll definitely take a look at them next time i'm at a MAC counter!

Thank you so much in advance girlies :)

xoxo,

Laura

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Recent Beauty Purchases ♥

I have to admit that i haven't been buying as much makeup as i'd like, but literally all the money that i've been making has been going toward either saving up for driver's ed, or saving up for my trip to England & France in April.  Since i don't have a job, i've been doing petty chores around the house & spending as little money as possible.

That being said, whenever my mom offers to take me shopping & spend a little money on me - i have to accept!  On one of our recent shopping outings, she took my to Walmart where i bought a couple things :)

♥ Clairol Natural Instincts Rich Color Creme Non-Permanent Hairdye in 31 Coffee Creme (Rich Darkest Brown) - around $5 with coupon
This is my third time purchasing this line of hair dye (i can't bring myself to branch out!), i've done a post before with the result of the last time i dyed my hair, so if you want to read that click here :).  I'm not sure exactly when i'll be dying my hair, but sometime soon for sure!  I'll definitely be doing a post on it so look out for that :)

♥ CoverGirl LashBlast Volume Waterproof in 825 "Very Black" - $6 with coupon
This mascara is one of the staples in my collection.  I had a $1 off Covergirl coupon so i thought i'd pick up another tube :).  I've never tried the waterproof version, so i thought i'd try it out for a change.  Three cheers for pretty lashes :)

♥ Tresemme Curl Hydration Lotion Creme - $4-$5
I was strolling down the haircare aisle in attempt to look for a new hairspray when i spotted this.  From what i read on the bottle, it's basically a leave-in conditioner & not exactly 'curl-specific', which is good as i was actually on the hunt for a leave-in conditioner :).  Haven't tried this yet, but i'll test it out & see how it goes!
I also bought a backup of my favorite hairspray, Tresemme Tres Two Hold Hairspray.

♥ Maybelline Color Sensational Lipstick in 025 Pink Please - on sale for about $5
Another repurchase!  This lipstick is one of my faves & definitely my most-worn lipstick.  It gives just the right pop of color, but is still quite subtle.  I have a full review here if you're interested!

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I hope you ladies are all having a lovely week!  Tomorrow's Friday, yay :)
I'm off to go get ready to go see Lady GaGa tonight!  So freakin' excited ♥
xoxoxo

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