Murad Revitalixir Recovery Serum - My Evening Routine & Review

If I could change one thing about my skin, it would be my lack (severe lack) of natural oil. As I've mentioned before, I am very dry. In the process of trying to find hydrating and soothing products, I scored big time with Murad's Revitalixir Recovery Serum and use it every single day.

My evening skincare routine is quite simple, as I don't believe that using 92 products will do any favors for your skin. Simple is key. Especially when you find things that work well with your skin, and you can tell a huge difference once you've given the products a fair try. I have about four steps to my evening routine, with the occasional pamper session after a long day or on the weekend.

Kat Von D - Lock It Concealer, Powder and Brushes | Review

I am over the moon with excitement that I was able to receive these beautiful products to try first hand and review. 

Kat Von D has always been a huge girl crush of mine, starting way back in her days of being on TV filming LA Ink. She now has a thriving beauty line, which incorporates many vegan products. As a vegan herself, I know that Kat has recently made the decision to remove all animal products from her makeup line completely. I'm extremely happy that all of these items are vegan! Way to go, Kat! 

The products I was lucky enough to receive are:

Lock-it Concealer Crème: L1 Neutral and L3 Warm
Lock-it Setting Powder: Translucent
Lock-it Edge Concealer Brush
Lock-it Setting Powder Brush

The brushes that Kat created are the softest things I have ever felt. They are luxurious but do their job, and they do it well. Both of these have a permanent spot on my vanity. 

The Lock-it Setting Powder is described as "An advanced translucent setting powder, formulated with Weightless Micro-Blurring Technology to set and perfect for a flawless finish". I am just going to go ahead and say it: You need this powder in your life. 

The hardest part of finding a powder I like is finding one that does not leave this dry-skinned girl looking like the sahara desert. This powder is light enough to set your concealer without adding too much additional coverage. SO thankful this was brought into my daily routine!

The Lock-it Concealer is described as a "creamy full coverage meets 24-hour power". Per usual with products that have a 24 hour claim, I never wear my makeup for a full 24 hours to put it to the ultimate test. This however does have phenomenal staying power and coverage. I have dry skin but my rosacea is something that I battle every time I do my makeup. Adding this concealer to my routine helped completely cover any areas that need additional help. It is extremely creamy as described and blends beautifully into the skin. The concealers unfortunately do have a slight scent to them, but once applied to the skin I did not notice it throughout the day. 

Left: L3 Warm, Right: L1 Neutral (Photos were not corrected to show true colors)

If you are considering any of these products, I would highly recommend them. They win extra points in my book for being vegan and cruelty free. Thank you to Kat Von D for creating an absolutely gorgeous makeup line without harming other souls in the process. 

XOXO,

E

*A huge thank you to Influenster for sending these products to me in exchange for my honest review. 

Tarte | Mother's Day 7-Piece Full-size Custom Kit

The excitement was unreal when this e-mail popped up in my inbox last week. Tarte's annual Create your Own Custom Kit was available on 4/26 for one day only. This kit gives you 7 Full Size (!!!) products of your choice (based on what is offered in each step of the process). This kit retails for $59, with free shipping.

Transitioning into Fall | Style and State of Mind

The summer to fall transition is one that I half accept with open arms and half want to run away from as fast as I can. For me, fall and winter is when I feel my best when it comes to style. I much prefer layering up rather than trying to be cute when it's a million (or at least 90+) degrees outside. I love a good cardigan and pair of boots. 

Tonight my man and I are going to a concert and I wanted to find something that was cute but casual (This is definitely a chill, laid back concert...no Yeezus or Drake happening tonight) :) So I picked out a few of my favorite things: slightly distressed denim, stripes and a cardigan. 

It isn't super chilly here today, about 67 degrees, but you never know how high the venue will have the A/C cranked, which is why I opted for the cardigan and options of layers.

I found this pair of distressed denim at The Gap earlier this summer and they have been my weekend staple ever since. (Work for me calls for business casual, or I would honestly wear them every single day!) I paired it with a striped tank I found at Marshalls for, of course, an amazing price. My cardigan is a gorgeous burgundy color that is from Express. I finished it off with my plain black flats from Target that are also one of my staple items! My jewelry is a super simple but adorable nescklace from Old Navy (I hunted for another one at about 4 different stores because I loved it that much and wanted a backup!!) My everyday Charming Charlie blush colored watch, and a gorgeous dotted bracelet from Purple Peridot. 

This is definitely an outfit that I feel put together in, but definitely not over done.  Now it's time for a drink and some good tunes! Happy Saturday!!

XOXO,

E

Sephora Favorites - Brow Raising Kit

Happy holiday weekend everyone! 

I've had a crazy past few weeks but I'm very thankful that things are starting to slow down...finally! One of the things that I've really been wanting to improve on (I should say just branch out on and try new products) are my brows. I saw another blogger post about Sephora's Favorites that included so many amazing brow products and of course I jumped right on the bandwagon! 

Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat | Review

Does anyone else remember when everyone couldn't get enough of the Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat Radiant Touch? Well, It's about to happen all over again with YSL's new Touche Eclat Blur Primer ($52) and the Eclat Blur Profector. ($55)

July Beauty Favorites | 2015

July has been absolutely an amazing month! We've traveled to the far ends of the state and soaked up as much sunshine as we could! Thank goodness the summer isn't completely over....yet! 

I have somehow accumulated so many new products this month, but these made THE cut!

Influenster | Bella VoxBox

First things first - how inviting and fun does this Influenster Bella VoxBox box look before you even know what is in it?! It's finally warming up here and this screams spring, summer and sundresses to me! 

NYX "Sweet Pink" Matte Lipstick

Is it summer yet? Is it summer yet? 

I know I keep talking about warmer weather but it's all I can think about! Today I picked up a beautiful new matte lippie at Target and I think I might start wearing it even though it's only March! 

A few January Favorites!

I am so excited that January is almost over! I'm still trying to process why I live somewhere SO incredibly cold when I'm always thinking about summer. (A move South might be in my future soon....stay tuned!) 

But for now, while the cold isn't going anywhere, here are a few things that are getting me through these chilly months! 

 The first thing I can't wait to talk about is the incredibly inexpensive ELF HD Under Eye Powder. This powder is surprisingly amazing! I use it as an under eye setting powder for my concealer. While I've never used a high end setting powder (I'm more a drug-store makeup with a few higher end products sprinkled in) I've read many many reviews about this powder, and quite a few people prefer it over a high end setting powder. I use a small very fluffy brush and just swipe it wherever I applied my concealer. There are some noticeable glitter pieces in it, but they are so small that you don't notice them once on your face! At $3, you really can't go wrong! 

The next drug store item is the fabulous NYX Stay Matte but Not Flat Powder Foundation. 

I was really interested in trying the Mac Studio Fix Powder, but upon researching and reading reviews I decided to give the NYX powder foundation a try. Apparently it's a very close dupe and I have to say it's a new staple in my morning routine. I wouldn't use this as my only form of cover-up (I almost use it more as a setting powder) but it definitely has great coverage on it's own. I think over top of concealer or a light layer of foundation this powder is perfection.  You really can't beat it especially when it's less than half of the Mac powder! ($9.50)

I finally convinced myself that I needed the famous Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner and boy OH BOY am I glad I picked this up. I can say that I've probably tried just about every single liquid eye liner the drugstore has to offer constantly searching for my holy grail. I think there are just SOME products that if you spend just a few dollars more, you can really notice a difference in quality. This eyeliner DOES. NOT. BUDGE. I honestly can't even explain just how black, beautiful and buttery this eyeliner truly is. I used to have to use a few different liners in the morning to get the color, but also the crisp line that I grave in a winged liner (what I do most). I just can't explain how amazing this is enough. Go pick it up, you will NOT be disappointed! 

Last but not least is this adorable necklace that I found in a boutique here. I wanted to include it because usually I go for the statement necklaces and love a good blingy necklace (don't get me wrong - I still do!) But this little baby stood out to me with it's simplicity. I love pairing this with a simple top or layer it with a shorter necklace. I think these pieces are great to have in your collection, a girl always has to have options, right?! 

If you're somewhere cold like me, I hope you're making it through these chilly months well! Layer up on the tropical smelling lotion and pretend you're laying on the beach with a piña colada!

XOXO,

E

Birchbox | December 2014

It's that time of the month!! Here is what I received in my December Birchbox!

Tarte Sweet Indulgences 3-in-1 Holiday Gift Collection | 2014

Talk about something beautiful that you really didn't need, but really really really wanted! When I saw this set on Instagram, I instantly went to the QVC website and ordered without hesitation. I mean really, just look at this. The set worth over $300, sold on QVC for a few days for around $59.

Birchbox VS. Ipsy | November 2014

It's my favorite time of the month! Both my Ipsy and Birchbox goodies came on the same day, which was even better. Here's a sneak peak at what came in my November box and bag!

Maybelline "The Nudes" Palette | Quick Review

This Maybelline "The Nudes" Palette was talked about so much when it first came out earlier this summer, so I knew I wanted to pick it up and give it a try for myself. I did however

Benefit "Cheeky Sweet Spot" Box o' Blushes

All hail Benefit and this absolutely amazing new 6 blush set. This is the first time Benefit has ever released something like this and I guarantee it won't stay in stock very long! I snagged the very last one at my local Ulta this afternoon.

Birchbox | October 2014

Happy Friday! I came home from work to find a pretty pink box waiting for me in my mailbox.  I know most people know about Birchbox, but until a few months ago I was not subscribed to their service. I have however been subscribed to ipsy for just over a year. I wanted to see what Birchbox was all about, even though I had heard reviews that it just fell short to ipsy.

Battle of the Drugstore Dry Shampoos!

You'd think that all dry shampoos are pretty similar right? Wrong! I've definitely tried my fair share of them, but here are my thoughts on these four shown!

IKEA "Alex Drawer" Dupe for HOW much!?!?

Ok girls. We've all seen them - The infamous Alex Drawers from IKEA that every beauty blogger raves about! I am fortunate enough to be about 15 minutes from an IKEA (I know, I know! So lucky!) but I still couldn't swallow the price tag for some drawers. 

A few days ago I was really thinking about taking the plunge and buying a set or two, but then I thought to type into Google "Alex Drawer Ikea Dupe" and I couldn't believe what popped up! 

Ali Express Make-up Brush Review

We all know how important great make-up brushes are to the smooth and perfect application of all those products we love so much! That being said I was very interested in trying some brushes that are much more cost-friendly than most of the brushes out there. 

Rimmel Stay Matte Lightweight Foundation

So I have to be honest, I was blessed with very good skin. I do occasionally get the "that-time-of-the-month" pimple, but that's about it. I have realized though, that I have a lot of un-even skin tones in my skin that can be easily fixed by a very light coverage foundation/bb cream/etc. I also tend to be on the normal/dry side.