Birthday Wishlist

one // two // three // four // five


1. "Youth Novels" LP by Lykke Li ($19 USD) - I've wanted this album for awhile & now that I have a new record player that's easier to use & portable I'm trying to beef up my LP collection. I also really want 'Reflektor' by Arcade Fire. I had trouble picking between the two but this one looked best in the image haha.

2. 'Buns & Guns' Sailor Moon baseball tee ($30 USD) - I've been wanting to start working out regularly again & this seems like the perfect tee to get me in the workin' out spirit. Plus it's Sailor Moon!! I'd honestly like the Sailor Jupiter or Neptune one as well but the Sailor Moon one has pink sleeves <3__<3

3. NARS 'Final Cut' Illuminator (Exclusive to Nortdstrom) in 'Adelaide' ($30 USD) - This is just pretty & I want it. Plus, it's limited edition & I love 'Copacabana' so much I figure this illuminator has to be just as amazing, right?

4. Jeffrey Campbell 'Malt Shop Heel' ($185 USD) - Haha these are totally out of my price range & a huge ridiculous wish but geeze, they're beautiful. Then again, this is a "wishlist" so I'm putting whatever I'm wishing for on here. Deal with it!

5. Betsey Johnson Ice Cream Wristlet ($68 USD) - THIS IS SO CUTE. I really hope this just shows up in a TJ Maxx sometime soon because I will scoop it up SO FAST. I don't really have any wristlets & I feel like I really should stop carrying around huge purses at some point in my life. Do I really need all that crap I carry around 24/7? Nope.



Not gonna lie I am not excited about turning 26 at all. Not at all. Wanna bury my head in the sand and pretend it's not happening. Maybe it's time to start lying about my age. I have trouble remembering how old I am on a regular basis so I'm sure I could confuse everyone & eventually no one would question me.

I'm gonna be 25 forever.

-Becca

Fall/Winter 2013 Lips: Berry

left to right: 'raspberry pie' revlon lip butter // 'blissful berry' maybelline color sensational lipcolor // 'berry smoothie' revlon lip butter // 'plum perfect' maybelline color sensational lipcolor // 'berry ready' maybelline color whisper // 'toundra' nars velvet matte lip pencil
I'm super excited about fall and winter (as are most people I think) so I've come up with a  few posts that list different products I'm planning on using as soon as the temperature drops! This is my second lip post and it features berry toned lipsticks! I'd never been much of a fan since I used to think they were too bright for my personal taste and style. But now it's all I can think about when planning my outfits for the fall and winter seasons!

raspberry pie 


Raspberry Pie comes across as an almost hot pink but it has that bit of blue in it to bring it back to berry. As with all of the original Revlon Lip Butters it has a bit of micro-shimmer but once it's applied to the lips you really can't see it. It's very hydrating and leaves a really beautiful stain afterwards. Easy to apply and can be sheered down by applying it with your fingertip for a more subtle look. Raspberry Pie is easily one of those colors I feel should be an easy intro to berry lipstick shades.


blissful berry 


This lipstick looks a bit frightening in the tube since it looks sort of like an electric purple but once applied on the lips it's far less terrifying. I feel like this is the shade I would call a "true berry" shade, it looks like you just got through smearing blackberries and raspberries all over your lips. It has a smooth satiny finish and doesn't have any shimmer in it at all. I was able to apply this straight from the bullet without any real issues or feathering. The only thing I don't love about this lipstick range is the smell. I own a few and they all smell the same. Like play dough.


berry smoothie 

Ah, another Lip Butter from Revlon. This is the lightest shade in my berry collection & almost comes off as a nude. You could definitely build it up if you wanted, but I like to have subtle versions of different colors. This way you can wear a berry or red or rose or plum lip without having to commit to checking your lipstick all day. This has micro-shimmer that's visible in the bullet but once applied it just makes your lips look a bit shiny or glossy which I can appreciate because I really hate glittery lipstick. This is the first berry lipstick I purchased in an attempt to become more comfortable with wearing the color. I recommend it for anyone who's wanting the look but afraid to take the plunge.


plum perfect 

This is a "plum" lipstick but I consider it to be in the berry family since it reminds me more of dark cherries or raspberries than plums. Not enough purple to be plum in my opinion. Regardless, this is a nice semi-sheer way to get a deep raspberry/cherry lip without it feeling so dark. Fairly sure you could apply more and get a more opaque coverage but I haven't really tried as this is pretty dark for my complexion. This is the same formula and comes from the same range as "Berry Blissful" and again, I'm just not a fan of how they smell. Love the lipsticks but the smell reminds me of play dough.

berry ready  

This is my newest lipstick. I bought it because CVS has a "spend $10 get $3 in extra bucks back" deal and I had a bunch of coupons. I own two other colors from this range & they're both amazing. This went on smooth but I wish the shape was a bit different since this is so pigmented it wasn't very forgiving. Next time I think I'll apply it with a lip brush to make things easier on myself. It stains your lips a nice berry as it fades and it feels super smooth on the lips.


toundra 

This is by far the darkest lipstick I own & I've only worn it a few times. NARS 'Toundra' is a metallic burgundy--it reminds me of really dark black raspberry jam. And as the name "velvet matte lip pencil" suggests, it really does feel like velvet when you swipe it over your lips. It's fairly forgiving even if you have mildly dry lips but I would definitely suggest exfoliating and hydrating before wearing anything so dark and matte. It's got blue undertones that suit me fairly well & I imagine this would look SO beautiful on anyone with really dark skin. You could also use this underneath a more intense lipstick like 'Plum Perfect' and it would look so intense and beautiful. I bought it because it was on clearance at Sephora & I will buy any NARS lip or cheek product on clearance--I don't care what it is. It was only $10 and while I've really only worn it a few times, I really do enjoy it. I wore it last Halloween when Taylor & I went out for the night as "goths". I'm hoping to get some more use out of it this fall/winter.


I hope you enjoyed this & it wasn't too boring! Nearly all of these are widely available at drugstores & within the range of $5-$10 with the exception of the NARS lip pencil (though I DID pay $10 for it at the time). Stay tuned for my fall/winter blushes posts!

-Becca

Fall/Winter 2013 Lips: Nude/Natural

left to right: 'dolce vita' nars sheer lipstick // 'exposed' tarte lipsurgence natural matte liptint // 'pure zen' mac cremesheen lipstick // 'pink truffle' revlon lip butter

So fall & winter are my favorite seasons for makeup (and most everything else too, who am I kidding?) and I would say the lipsticks I find myself wearing the most are simple nude & natural looking lipsticks and liptints. So I thought I would recommend the ones I find myself reaching for most often. This will be a small series on my blog including other tones of lipsticks, blushes and nail polishes I'm predicting I'll be using most this fall/winter.

Ok, let's get to it!

dolce vita



Dolce Vita is my go-to lipstick when I'm unsure of what I want to wear. I always know it will look good with whatever blush or outfit I pick out. It's sheer and just dresses your lips up a little. It would fall into the range of "medium-nude" because often times true nude shades can wash you out. This is a really versatile lipstick that I think would flatter most anyone. While this formula is not particularly long lasting, it feels really great on the lips and hydrates fairly well. It lasts a bit longer if I wear a lip primer underneath it. NARS lipsticks retail for $26 USD.

exposed



Exposed is basically the same color as Dolce Vita but more opaque and goes on matte. I find this shade is so flattering and lasts for a pretty long time on my lips. It can make dry patches look a bit worse for ware since it's a matte shade, but a little exfoliation before applying can easily solve that. I own multiple tarte LipSurgence lip tints but 'exposed' is by far my favorite. It goes on smooth and feels creamy on the lips--it also smells and feels minty while you're wearing it. Last year around the holidays ULTA had a gift set of these for $32 dollars. I bought it and came out with 5 or 6 (including 'exposed') of these bad boys in different shades and formulas (in full size too) so keep your eyes peeled for that this year if you're interested in tarte products. These regularly retail for $24 USD. Yes, I paid for one and a half lip tints and got 4 for free basically. It was amazing.


pure zen



I've written about Pure Zen before here & here so I won't go on and on but suffice it to say this is the only light or pale nude lipstick I've ever bought that looks flattering. I have a feeling it's because it leans more peach than anything else but it's such a pretty lipstick. If you're thinking about purchasing a light nude lipstick, definitely go to a mac counter and try this one on. MAC lipsticks retail for $15 USD.


pink truffle



This is another "medium-nude" shade that's fairly sheer. This is a nice semi shimmer wearable nude that's really affordable. If you like the look of 'Dolce Vita' or 'Exposed' but don't want to shell out much money, 'Pink Truffle" from the Revlon Lip Butters range is the lipstick for you. It's very much a "my lips but better" shade in that I would imagine it looks flattering on most anyone. My good friend Taylor recommended it to me at some point but it took me nearly a full year to pick it up. It just amps your lips up that little extra bit and doesn't break the bank. Lip Butters are all fairly moisturizing and very comfortable on the lips. You can find this shade and the rest of the range at your local drugstore or supermarket.


Hopefully you enjoyed this post, nude/natural lips are a little boring to talk about so my next post will be berry tones! Much more exciting.



-Becca

Budget Buys: NARS 'Albatross' VS E.L.F. 'Gotta Glow'

left to right: NARS 'Albatross' // E.L.F. 'Gotta Glow'
As most of you should know, I'm NARS obsessed. I's the one higher-end brand that I'll allow myself to splurge on & I truly feel like they have really great products. HOWEVER, I'm also a penny pincher so I love finding cheaper alternatives to expensive things I love or want. Many of you may be asking "why the hell would you buy two products that are so similar?". Well one, because I can. And two because I had the expensive version first & when E.L.F. was having a sale I decided it might be fun to see if they were dupes of things I already owned. And at $3 a piece, why the hell not!?



close ups of each on my cheekbones
Color: Both are a cream colored powder with gold micro-shimmer and golden undertones. They look nearly identical in the pan.

Consistency: Both are powders that apply smoothly over the skin and require very little blending to look natural. The ELF version actually seems to be a bit more intense on the cheeks but I think that may have to do with the amount of product that comes off with each swipe of your brush. It appears to be much softer and less tightly packed.

Fallout: NARS Albatross has nearly zero fall out. When you swish your brush across the color it only goes onto the brush. ELF 'Gotta Glow' has a LOT of fall out. When swiping it, use a super light hand or you'll end up wasting a ton of product.

Similarity on cheeks: They look identical on the cheeks. I applied one to each side of my face and was unable to tell the difference. When swatched on my arm the ELF version appeared more opaque when applied heavily.

Price: NARS 'Albatross' is a whopping $29 USD in comparison to ELF 'Gotta Glow' at $3 USD. You could buy nearly 10 ELF blushes for the price of ONE NARS blush. Ridiculous.


top to bottom: E.L.F. 'Gotta Glow' // NARS 'Albatross'
In conclusion, you might run out of the E.L.F. blush faster due to fall out and softness but you could replace it 9 times before paying nearly what you would pay for a single NARS blush. Ultimately, I would choose 'Gotta Glow' over 'Albatross' if you're looking for a beautiful highlighter with a seriously expensive counterpart. Plus they look identical on the cheeks & nobody will know the difference.







-Becca

Top 5 Favorite Lip Products

I was getting ready to review a lip product that's been a favorite of mine for about a year & I realized it would be so much easier to just do a top five!


left to right: 'peach parfait' revlon lip butter // 'pure zen' mac cremesheen // 'stormy pink' revlon // 'rose' fresh sugar lip treatment // 'dolce vita' nars
I prefer my lip products to have a light - medium wash of color rather than bold bold bold and thick. I think part of this is because I'm a redhead with a very pink skin-tone & it's very easy for my lipstick to look gaudy or wash out the rest of my features. My eyebrows & eyelashes are basically invisible without makeup so I try to naturally enhance them but even after makeup they don't exactly stand out. I don't even wear black eyeliner because it just washes me out so bad.

So if you're looking for bold opaque lip colors to try out, I am not going to be ANY help at all. I would suggest these resources:
a thunder heart // essiebutton // temptalia
All ladies who love some bold lips & have the features to carry them off without a hitch!

Anyways, back to my favorites! These are in no particular order. I wear all of them equally as often.



revlon lip butter - 'peach parfait'
I have SO MANY lip butters. I actually have a post that I'm currently working on about the stupid amount of lip butters I own. Only half of them even look sort of okay on me. But that's what happens when there's a sale and you have a coupon and you don't do any research before wandering into the CVS at midnight. Sigh. Anyways, 'peach parfait' was the third or fourth lip butter I tried & has been my favorite and most used by far. Normally I really hate lipsticks and glosses with any sort of shimmer or glitter in them but this just looks so pretty and flattering on the lips. It's fairly moisturizing and feels more like a chapstick than a lipstick. There are so many reviews for lip butters out there you probably don't need one more from me.



mac - pure zen
I reviewed this lipstick in a favorites post & something else but it's such a great peachy-nude lipstick. Honestly, do yourself a favor & go try it on at a MAC store. Make sure you're wearing a neutral dusrty blush or something semi peachy or it will clash & you won't like it. I made that mistake the first few times I tried to wear it. Also I know this has the limited edition Marilyn Monroe packaging but they sell this lipstick year round normally.



revlon - stormy pink
I had this lipstick almost 6 months before I figured out how to use it. It definitely requires a lip primer or a balm before putting it on because it's a matte formula & can look bad if your lips are dry or patchy. But I LOVE IT. The color is so flattering & isn't too milky so it's easy to wear & this is an excellent dupe for NARS 'Roman Holiday' -- BUT they have completely different finishes. 'Roman Holiday' has a glossy finish & 'Stormy Pink' has a matte finish but you could definitely run a gloss over 'stormy pink' and it would look identical to 'roman holiday' since they're nearly the exact same color.



fresh sugar lip treatment - rose
This is probably the lipstick I wear the most. Granted this is more of a tinted chapstick than a lipstick, but whatever. I use it too frequently not to mention it. I've already blown through two mini sample versions of this lip treatment & I've just started on the full size that my dad bought me earlier this year. This is a super moisturizing balm with the prettiest rose tint I've ever seen. It basically just makes me look like I'm not wearing anything on my lips, my lips just naturally look that pretty and hydrated which is something I feel like most everyone wants when they're going for a subtle look. I wear this even when I'm not wearing makeup because it's so subtle but so so pretty. HOWEVER at $22.50 a pop, I could see why this isn't something you would run out and buy --but if you've got a birthday coming up & you have a Sephora VIB card, you should be able to get mini versions of this and the clear one for free as a birthday gift from Sephora. DO IT. And if you don't like it, SEND YOUR MINI TO ME.



nars - dolce vita
This is the ultimate 'my lips but better' lipstick. This is a bump up from the Fresh Sugar Rose lip treatment in that it's an actual sheer lipstick with the ability to build up more color. I definitely would recommend this as a gift for someone just getting into makeup or for someone who likes subtle neutral colors on their face as it is a universally flattering & easy to wear lip color. I love this lipstick so so much & the formula is amazing. It's another sheer lipstick similar to NARS 'Roman Holiday' & both spread so easily onto the lips with a really intense wash of color. I love these lipsticks! I want more but $26 is a lot for a lipstick (which is why I only have two).


Welp, that's it!

Hopefully you enjoyed this & won't mind another feature similar to this, I really like these mini reviews!


-Becca

Review: NARS Sheer Glow Foundation in 'Mont Blanc'

After my mom bought me my beloved Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation I honestly didn't think I would be looking into a new foundation for a while. But I was aimlessly wandering through my local JCP Sephora (which thankfully stocks NARS products) and I decided to ask for a sample of NARS Sheer Glow. She color-matched me & my skin matches 'Mont Blanc' perfectly. It's the lightest shade with pink undertones which is perfect for my pale skin with cool undertones. I tried it once or twice and I felt sort of luke-warm about it but once I tried applying it with a dampened beauty blender, I knew I could never look back.

Coverage on this foundation is medium but can be applied with a light or heavy hand to achieve a light or full coverage so it's definitely build-able. I tend to use my beauty blender to buff in my foundation and then I go back and pat and blend in more where I need it most (my red patches or blemishes). Afterwards I dust a bit of Rimmel 'Stay Matte' powder over my foundation once it's set and it never turns cakey.

I've never loved a foundation so much that was 1) liquid & 2) not matte. Despite the title 'glow', it doesn't leave my oily-combination skin looking greasy. It provides enough of a 'glow' that my skin looks healthy and natural. Wear time is really great too, I normally have to touch up with a bit of powder mid day because I touch my face a lot but if you spritz some setting spray in the morning, this foundation will last you all day. I've also noticed that it doesn't sit poorly on dry patches, which is always a win in my book.

The color ranges from pale to pretty dark (20 shades) which is refreshing considering most foundations offer 2 light shades, maybe 2 dark shades and about 5 medium shades. On Sephora's website they only offer 15 of the 20 shades, so make sure you do your homework before purchasing.

The only downsides I've found about this foundation are that it 1) doesn't have a pump (but you can buy one here) and 2) that it costs $44USD.

BUT if you're in the market for a higher end foundation that is amazing & leaves a natural finish, I definitely recommend going to your local Sephora (if you have one) & getting color matched to take a sample of NARS Sheer Glow home.

You can buy it here & here.


See me wearing it here, here & here.



-Becca

Review: NARS 'Gina' Blush

The NARS website describes 'Gina' as "a true tangerine".

I had been debating over whether I wanted 'Gina' or Stila's Convertible Color cream blush in 'Gladiola' for what seems like forever. I love the way NARS 'Luster' looks against my red hair & pale complexion so I thought an even more true matte orange would look equally as neat.

I'm so glad I ultimately decided on 'Gina'. Ryan offered to buy it for me from the NARS website since you can't buy it at Sephora online or in store (wth right?). I've yet to try a cream blush but my skin is pretty oily so I just imagine it sliding off and down my face. I loved the way 'Gladiola' looked on Esteé of essiebutton (she's wearing Gladiola in both the video & her blog post) but she doesn't have oily skin so I imagine cream blushes work better for her. If you haven't heard of essiebutton, do yourself a favor & watch her Youtube channel & follow her blog. She's hilarious & has a great relate-able presence on camera. Not to mention she's SO pretty & has impeccable taste. Even Ryan enjoys watching her videos with me & he hates everything. What more can I say? She's my favorite beauty blogger ever? Yes.





But back to 'Gina'...

'Gina' is very pigmented but so soft and buttery that blending it is ridiculously simple. I've found this to be true with most NARS blushes and 'Gina' is no exception. Staying power is almost all day but my face is oily & tends to absorb my makeup so I normally reapply or do a touch up after around 5-6 hours depending on if I've used a setting spray.

Judging by what it looks like in pan, it looks like a soft terra-cotta peach but when it hits skin it's more pigmented than that and it doesn't have the pinky tinge that most peach blushes have.

As for what to wear it with, I like to pair it with a nude, peachy lip or a coral lip tint but most people are braver with lip color than I am, so I say do whatever makes ya happy. I also love to coordinate my clothing to my cheek color? Maybe that's common...or maybe it's weird. I don't care.


this is what it looks like on my face

'Gina' retails for $29 USD and you can buy it here

Have you considered 'Gina' for yourself? Are there any blushes you've been really wanting to try as of late?



-Becca

Happy Birthday to Me

Yesterday was my birthday & I spent the beginning of the day in a pretty cruddy mood but as the day wore on I felt myself feeling less bleak about turning 25.

Ryan & I went to our local Bath & Body Works so I could pick up some hand soap and candles & had half-priced frappuccinos at Starbucks since they were having Happy Hour from 3-5. Then we came home & watched The Mindy Project on Hulu while we ate cake.

Oh! And my sister sent me these really funny videos of my family's dogs sending their birthday regards. She used a helium balloon app to make her voice sound so high.




And these are the presents I got this year from Ry-Ry & Taylor. They'll indulge my sad & intense obsession with NARS products. I luv them:

Taylor got me the 'Boys Don't Cry' limited edition Pierre Hardy NARS blush, some cute strawberry soft foam hair rollers, & a Jonathan Adler box of matches.



close up of 'Boys Don't Cry'

Ryan got me 'Gina' & 'Sin' from the NARS website so I used a coupon code for a free 'Super Orgasm' mini. I haven't tried it yet since the glitter is a bit scary in the pan but I've seen Taylor wear it and it looked beautiful on her.



from left to right: NARS 'Gina' // NARS 'Super Orgasm' mini // NARS 'Sin'

And finally, this is what I bought myself... a 1oz bottle of Chloé.

I bought this from Sephora with a gift card & used the voucher inside for a full size bottle. It's a great deal since you're getting a bunch of samples & a voucher for a free full-size bottle of any of the 6 or 7 perfumes you sample inside. The 1oz bottle of Chloé is normally $65 but since I used the voucher it was only $50 for the sample box + voucher &&& I used a 10% off coupon along with my giftcard so I spent maybe $20 of my own money.



I felt really spoiled this year & my NARS blushes make up what seems like half of my makeup collection now (I have a problem). I'm so thankful to have such sweet best friends that will buy me ridiculously priced little boxes of sparkly pigmented powder and put up with my neurosis on a regular basis. They're the best.

Anyways, here's to being 25!



-Becca