6 Beauty Products for a Busy Morning!

Good morning!! My mornings can be pretty hectic and I'm working on a post with my morning routine now that I have two kiddos I need to get up and out the door, and I wanted to share my favorite beauty products I use every morning. For hair and makeup, I give myself 20-30 minutes, just depending on what my schedule is going to look like that day. I would love to be able to do a full face every day, but sometimes it's just not doable so here are the six products I rely on for an easy and pulled together look.

Friday Faves- Beauty Products

Hello and happy Friday! I haven't done a Friday Faves in a short bit and I'm happy to bring it back with some of my recent beauty faves, some new and some tried and true. I don't usually have a theme for these posts, but today's just happened to be all beauty items. Do you guys like these posts? Do you prefer a theme? Let me know, I want to make sure I'm creating content you enjoy reading.

What I Packed: Toiletries & Beauty

One thing I think everyone hates doing is packing. I mean, unpacking is the absolute worst, but packing is just terrible. At first it's fun and you think about cute outfits you're gonna wear, and items you bought specifically for a trip or pieces you don't get to wear enough, and then the doom sets in. Can I bring just two pairs of shoes and make them work for everything or do I really need to pack all four? How can I pack such and such without ruining/wrinkling/breaking it?

A few weekends ago, I started this blog post for my beauty items and just didn't get it finished in time to post before we left.  I thought about scrapping it altogether, but I always like to see beauty and travel posts and went ahead with it. Full disclosure, my beauty/bathroom bag tends to be larger than my clothing! Since we were gone for just less than two weeks, had a full agenda including a wedding, I thought out what I’ll be packing that will get me the most use and be versatile. When I first seriously started thinking about what I wanted to pack I promised myself that I wouldn’t overpack and paid attention to which products I used most often and which I could leave at home.

Our Weekend

Happy (super late) Monday! I"m finally sitting down after a long day and it's even Tuesday for some of you! We had such a busy weekend, but it was so fun! We were out every night and had back to back activities and we stayed up way too late and were up way, way too early. What I would have given for today off or even an extra two hours asleep!!

Vegas: What I'm Packing

This weekend marks our 5th wedding anniversary and to celebrate, Matt and I are headed to Vegas! I'm so excited to get away and some time to ourselves. We rarely get any time for ourselves and when we do, it's always with an agenda. We have no plans and no schedule for the weekend and I can't wait! All we have on our to-do list is eat, sleep, and lounge by the pool. It's supposed to be cooler temps with possible rain so I'm not sure if we'll get too much time at the pool, but I'll be ready!

For the last week, I've been planning my outfits and what to pack and I finally had a chance to lay everything out to see how it would look together and make sure I don't forget anything. It's not a new concept by any means, but I like to lay everything out and see how I can make the most of what I want to pack. Can I mix and match them? Is there something I can leave home to keep a lighter bag? I always pack a few extra outfits or pieces like jeans or a cardigan and there's still one outfit I need to try on to see how they look together in real life, but I think I'm all set otherwise!

Sweater (old, similar here) // Soft Shorts // Sandals (love these too!) // Purse // Necklace

I've tried these shorts on so many times at Target and I've always loved them because they're so soft, but just never bought them. They're on sale for $15 and I thought they'd be perfect for walking the strip or driving home. My SIL gifted me this gorgeous blue handbag from my Spring Wishlist for my birthday and I can't wait to use it this weekend! There's a ton of pockets and the color is perfection!

Tank // Shorts (Old Navy last year, similar here) // Purse // Necklace

I'll probably wear this outfit on the way there. This peplum tank has been on repeat a lot lately (I have it in white too), it's so easy to just throw on and head out the door. I bought these shorts last year when I was pregnant and they're so comfortable. They have pockets too! I wish I bought every pair last year, luckily a lot of shops have similar styles in this year so I can add some more to my closet.

Hat (Old, similar here) // Cover up // Suit (Victoria Secret- in store only, similar here)

Sunnies // Kimono (Forever 21 last year, similar here) // Top // Bottom

I'm really hoping and praying that there's good weather this weekend, because all I want to do is lounge around the pool and the hotel's lazy river. What's a vacation without a pool day?

Pants // Top (similar here) // Necklace

If you follow me on Instagram, you've already seen this outfit- I wore it on Sunday to celebrate my birthday with a family BBQ. I'm obsessed with these pants and necklace! Palazzo pants are so cozy and soft to wear and they're great in the summer since they're so lightweight. The necklace is amazing, I won it from Brittany's IG giveaway and I love it! It pairs so perfect with the pants and my blue crossbody above, I always get so many compliments on it! It's a great statement piece for sure.

Top // Shorts // Sandals (love these too!) // Lipstick (Coral Crush)

I'm still loving this outfit! It's definitely a go-to for me. I plan on wearing this for walking the strip and shopping during the day. I picked up this fun bright coral and haven't really had the chance to wear it, but I hope to bust it out this weekend.

Top (similar here) // Jeans // Purse // Lipstick (Long Legged & Fabulous) // Shoes

I've been saving this look for a date night (see it on in this post) and we plan on doing a nice dinner one night and this is what I'm gonna wear. I LOVE the lace detailing on this top and flutter sleeves. It's so feminine and chic. I ordered a dress too last week and if it arrives in time, I'm going to pack that too as an alternative or second nice meal outfit.

Only three more sleeps until our trip! Can you tell I'm excited? I haven't been to Vegas in so long and I used to go all the time to party back in college. It's definitely going to be a different trip this time and I've never gone just Matt and I. I'm really looking forward for us to reconnect and get some adult time and recharge together.

What are your favorite Vegas shows and restaurants? He wanted to surprise me with Britney tickets, but she just had her last show last weekend! We want to check out a show while we're there, what do you suggest?

Our Weekend + Recent Purchases

Happy Leap Day! What an exciting and fun day! I love leap years and consider them lucky. This weekend was super mellow, we stayed in Friday and I picked up some Mexican food and we just relaxed and caught up on some TV. Since moving, we haven't found a must-have, go-to spot for Mexican food yet. At our old place, we had this little shop around the corner had the best ceviche ever. This new place was just ok, but they accidentally gave us a carne asada burrito and it was so bomb. Bomb! So we'll definitely go back for that! Otherwise, we're still on the hunt for a place.

Bikini so Teeny, Fiji, Topless and Barefoot, Go Ginza, Lilacism, Ballet Slippers, Pink Parka, Blossom Dandy

Saturday morning I went for a mani and pedi with a girlfriend. We met up at Target for a little bit of shopping and then went out for our appointment. It was so nice to relax and catch up on some gossip and girl talk. I went in with my own colors, but we both ended up doing a China Glaze shade on our toes. It's funny because I've had this color on my Amazon list forever and when I saw it in person I immediately bought it.

Fingers: Lilacism // Toes: Too Yacht To Handle

On my way home, I picked up a movie for Ellie. I really wanted The Good Dinosaur, but it was out everywhere! Instead we got Hotel Transylvania 2, since she's been watching the first one. We spent the day being lazy, doing endless loads of laundry, and snuggling. It was one of very few Saturdays that we had no where to go and nothing we had to do. It was just a great day snuggling my two girls and just relaxing.

Shorts // Dress and Romper Set // Sunnies // Blue Romper
Floral Romper // Top and Short Set

I ordered some shorts for Ellie and some summer clothes for Emma a few weeks ago and have forgotten to share them. I was hoping that the Ellie's clothes would overlap more for Emma to use, but Emma's going into 9 month sizing and Ellie was that size during Christmas so almost everything of Ellie's is fleece or long sleeved. I think that's how most of the clothes are going to work. Womp womp. Ellie had so many cute clothes that she never wore or only got to wear a few times! I guess that means we'll have to have one more girl right??

Sleepsack // Jammies

On my Target run, I also picked up a Sleepsack for Emma. We've been swaddling her below her arms and needed to get a sleeveless swaddle for her. I have one like this from Ellie and I can't find it anywhere- it's driving me nuts! Especially since I just recently sorted and vacuumed sealed Ellie's previous clothes. I don't remember seeing it in the mix, but maybe I missed it? I also couldn't resist these sweet mint jammies with the mommy and baby zebras. Too cute!

Concealer // Matte Balm in Showy

Friday morning, I used the last of my Holy Grail concealer (see my HG Post to see what else I swear by) so I needed to pick one up asap. This is probably my 4th or 5th, maybe even my 6th tube of this stuff? I swear by it and wear it every single day. I've tried a lot of concealers and they don't work as well for me as this and still look natural without giving me a raccoon eye. After falling in love with Revlon's Honey, I wanted a bright shade to add and Showy is perfection!! It really stains and a swatch on my hand took forever and some makeup remover to get it all off. Another win! I posted a quick shot of it on Instagram if you'd like to see it on, but I'm sure I'll be posting about it more!

ClarityRX

So, Hyluronic Acid is a huge skincare trend right now, I first heard about it from Meg (I know you're all shocked, since most of my beauty products come from her reviews), and then I started seeing it everywhere! ClarityRX sent me this sample and after using it for just a few days, I could see such a huge difference I ordered more immediately! From their site, "This hydrator serum, made with a water-soluble formula, erases dull and dry skin, leaving you with a supple complexion." My skin is so soft, it's no wonder at all why all the beauty and skin gurus are swearing by this stuff!

We ended the weekend like we usually do, more laundry, some good food, and more snuggles. It was another nice weekend for us together. I was able to relax and get a lot done around the house. Now I'm all ready to take the week head on! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend, thank you for stopping by and reading!

Romantic Valentine's Makeup Look

With Valentines day just around the corner, I've been thinking about my favorite pink hued makeup products and have been practicing different looks for Valentines day. I've been doing romantic eyes with soft pink cheeks and lips. I went through my makeup and I have so much pink so it was nice to put some items I've forgotten about back into the mix. Nearly all of my lipstick and blush were shades of pink. Does anyone else do that? Buy a lot of really similar items that only you and other beauty junkies could tell a difference of?

I've been mixing up my usual shadows with deep browns and dusted off my Naked 3 Palette too. I have all three palettes, and 3 gets used the least, but I've really been loving it lately and have been wearing it so much! The colors are really pretty and I've been using more of the darker shades on the right side of the palette. Factory (the fourth color from the right) is my favorite right now and I've been using it on a larger part of my outer lid. It's just such a rich beautiful color. It's really easy to wear for day and creating a smokier look for night with the shade.

MAC Lipstick: Snob, Pink Nouveau, Creme Cup, Lickable // MAC Lipglass in Angel

MAC Blush: I’m a Lover Blush // Essie: Ballet Slippers, Fiji, Mod Square

Urban Decay: Naked 3 Palette // NARS: Orgasm Illuminator // Milani Blush: Romantic Rose
Revlon Colorburst in Honey // NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Istanbul and Butter Gloss in Strawberry Parfait // Maybelline: Fuchsia Flash

For this look, I used the Urban Decay Naked Palette on my eyes, MAC I'm a Lover blush, and MAC Creme Cup lipstick. On my eyes, I used Strange on the brow bone and inner corners, Dust on my inner lid, Factory on my outer lid and crease, with Buzz and Liar blended between Factory and Dust. Then I just lined my eyes and put on several coats of mascara. I left my cheeks and lips subtle so my eyes would be the standout.

Are you doing anything special for Valentines? I bought the girls cute outfits and small toys and Matt and I will just exchange cards and candy. In years past we've done dinner at home, or dinner with his parents, and this year we'll be camping with his family. It will be nice to get away and spend time outside with everyone. Hope you have a great weekend and holiday!

Holy Grail Beauty Products

One question I get asked often about is my Holy Grail products- what are my favorite eyeshadows, lipsticks, etc. It’s a fair question and I love knowing what other women swear by and trying it out for myself.  When I posted my Drugstore Mascara Review, it got me thinking about what products I couldn’t live without and while most of them have been the same for the past several years, I think it’s time for there to be a dedicated post to my tried and true beauty products. I try to keep my Fave Products tab at the top updated and every couple of months or so I go in and edit, but I’m sharing today my absolute must haves. These are the products I have used countless tubes of and if they’re ever discontinued I would cry myself a river and buy every last one I could find online.

Since there's 15 products on here, it pretty much covers my entire face. I love to try new items, but I continually use these products over and over again. No matter what I've bought, I haven't found anything that better to replace these and there's a little bit of something for every thing except face primer and eyeliner. If you have an HG item for those, please share!

Here's my faves:

MAC Studio Fix Powder in C4 -I've worn this for so many years, I wear it along, over concealer, or for full coverage over foundation.
MAC Blush in Warm Soul - the most perfect and flattering blush ever! It's such a beautiful shade and is truly the perfect every day color.
MAC Eyeshadow: All That Glitters, Naked Lunch, Blanc Type, and Satin Taupe - these colors blend so perfectly together and give me my favorite eye look. They're easy to wear each alone and blend beautifully!
MAC Eyeshadow in Brun for brows - I felt like my brow game totally changed once I started using this shadow. It wear all day and looks natural and soft.
MAC Lipsticks in Hue, Creme Cup - love, love, love these two colors. I've gone through so many tubes, I've started buying them two at a time.

L'oreal True Match in W3 Nude Beige - Of all the liquid foundations I've tried, this one is the best. It has buildable coverage, wears all day, and the formula is so smooth.
Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Concealer in Brightener 60 - when you're up all night with the kids, this baby gets me looking bright eyed and bushy tailed in the morning.
Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion in Original - I've tried several high and low brand primers, but this little number works best for me. It makes your shadow last all day without creasing and make the colors more vivid without changing the shade of your shadow.
L'Oreal Voluminous Mascara - I've used so many tubes of this mascara, it's been in my makeup bag for years.
Maybelline Colossal Chaotic Masacara - this item is the newest to my Holy Grail collection, but I love the drama it gives lashes and the brush is amazing!
NYX Matte Bronzer in Light and Medium - This bronzer is a total dupe for higher ends bronzers and I really like that it's matte (so hard to find!) and that it comes in varying shades. It's one of the few bronzers I've found to leave a warm glow and not and orange glow on your face.

These are my favorite products and I absolutely swear by them and always seem to be recommending them over and over again. I really hope they never get discontinued, I would be so devastated! What are your Holy Grail items? What couldn't you live without?

Our Weekend

Happy Monday and happy February! Where has the time gone already? I can't believe we're already in the second month of the year! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend, we had another great family weekend full of pizza, cuddles, and play-doh.

On Friday after work, we decided to go out for dinner instead of cooking at home. Ellie loves pizza and playing games so we went to a local family pizza place near our home. It was kind of late, but it was so much fun! The pizza was great and Ellie loved playing all the games. She even won 50 tickets playing some game and the look on her face was priceless! Now our diaper bag is full of useless "prizes", but she was so proud of herself and took her time picking out exactly what she wanted.

Bronzer // Mascara // Brow Pen // Lip Balm // Beauty Sponge

Saturday the girls and I ran some errands and did some chores around the house. I picked up some goodies at Ulta. I went in to check out some eyeshadow palettes, I'm torn between the Tarte Matte, Tarte Bloom, and the Urban Decay Gwen Stefani sets.  The blush palette from the Gwen collab is truly stunning and I think I'll have to get that too. The colors are so gorgeous! Do you have any of these palettes? Let me know what you think of the sets! While I was there, I picked up the brow pencil and beauty sponge after Meg recommended it and I'm really happy with them both so far, I'll do a full review soon. I also grabbed the lip balm in Honey after Veronika posted about her favorite pinks, I love the color and how it feels on my lips. I want to buy more shades! It has a nice minty smell too. The clear mascara and matte bronzer are repeat buys for me.

Booties (old from Old Navy, similar) // Jeans // Top (sold out, still in stores) // Purse

That night Matt and I went out on a double date for dinner to Lucille's BBQ (their peach lemonade is my favorite). It was so much fun to have some adult time together! We really needed a break, the terrible twos have kicked in and this week has been a power struggle about everything will Ellie. We had a great time talking and laughing and it was nice to have some time just us.

Chalk Sign // Letter // Family Proclamation // Window Frame

Sunday it rained all day so we stayed home in our pajamas and worked around the house. Our front room walls have been bare since we moved in (although we put up a giant framed Santa at Christmas time) and I've just gone back and forth about how I want to decorate it. I finally got sick of the plain wall and hung up a few things we had to make the start of a gallery wall. I like it and I'm so glad we have something up. It's not my favorite and I'd like to add on to it, but it's a start!

We ended the night with some delicious chicken enchiladas and white sauce Matt made (he's amazing in the kitchen) and some cuddles on the couch with the girls. Another simple and great weekend for the books! Now a full week of work and the start of a new month! I can't believe January is already over!

Hope you all had a great day and today starts off your week and month to a wonderful start!

Recent Beauty Purchases

As I was taking pics for this post I had to keep taking more pics because I would forget about stuff I've bought and haven't used yet, but wanted to include in the post. I've bought a thing here, an item there, several things have seemed to just jump into my cart at Target. That happens to you too, right? You go to Target for five, maybe six things, and you leave with a full cart. Then you're unpacking and putting things away and realize that you have two eyeliners, a mascara, mousse (which I did forget to include in this post, it's L'Oreal ), a top, and some home decor. It never fails!

On Sunday, I cleaned out a spare makeup drawer and threw out a few items so I don't feel quite as bad about my totally unnecessary purchases. I really need to toss out so much more. I try a lot of new products and brands it really starts to take up a ton of space. It's not as bad as it used to be when Nordstrom, Ulta, and Sephora were all just around the corner from me. Now Ulta or Sephora is a 20-30 minute drive and the closest Nordstrom is a solid 45 minutes away. For some reason, I don't really buy makeup/hair products online, so my beauty hauls have slowed down. Plus, taking a toddler anywhere that has beauty samples is a nightmare!!! Maybe I should just order online...

Anyways, here's what I've bought the last couple of weeks. Some of them are repeat buys, but a lot of them have been purchases to try something new. I've tried a few of them already and have shared my first impressions about them below.

Meg tried this and liked it, so I bought it. Did I need it right now? Nope. I haven't used it yet, but Meg gives great reviews and tries a ton of stuff and when she mentioned this I snagged it so I wouldn't forget! I always really, really, want to try NYX HD Concealer which is supposedly a dupe for NARS so that will be making it's way into my makeup bag on my next Ulta trip.

I have a lipstick from this collection in Blushing Beige 915 and really like it so I wanted to try the shade darker and about Nude Lust 920. I'm super happy with them both! I don't know if I have a preference of one over the other, they both are creamy and great shades. 920 does have warmer pigmented color to it. I usually top them both off with MAC Boy Bait or Urban Decay Walk of Shame.When in doubt, wear nude I always say!

As you can tell from yesterday's mascara review post, I love mascara and wanted to give this Lash Sensational one a try. The wand's bristles look like they could really help in pushing up your lashes and giving extra length. I don't typically care for short bristles on a wand, but I think that the mix of long on one side and short on the other might me a good mix to really coat your lashes. I've heard good things, will report back.

The NYC Eyeliner is a re-purchase, it's an amazing eyeliner! I never would have tried it, but makeup artist Brittany Layne (Jason Aldean's wife) raves about it so I tried it and fell in love. It's true black that doesn't fade and lasts all day long. I've heard good things about NYX so I picked this one up too.

Typically, I like Macadamia Natural Oil Deep Repair conditioner, but I've been liking a lot of L'Oreal's hair products lately and thought I'd try this Damage Erasing Balm a whirl. The bottle that one use can repair up to a year of damage? That sounds like a challenge to me!

L'Oreal has some really great hair products and one thing I hate doing is blowdrying my hair. I don't know why, I just style the front and crown and flip my head over for the rest and it takes me all of 7-10 minutes to do the whole thing. Still, I loathe it. Obviously, this Quick Dry Primer Spray needed to make it's way to my bathroom. I've tried it twice and the first time I felt a difference in time, but not so much the second time. I'll keep using it to see if it was just a Jedi trick or if it really works. It smells incredible though.

Another repeat buy for me. I really dig a light leave-in conditioner for my ends. All of the bleach, styling, and heat can be killer and I need a little extra to save my tresses. I don't love this one, but it's light weight and works for now. I swear a few years ago every brand had a leave-in conditioner, but I can't find any now! It seems like they're a thing of the past. Do you use one? What do you like? What should I use instead?

So I've been using a stretched out purple scrunchie around the house and to separate my hair while styling since 1995. 1995!!! It was a Christmas gift from my dad (aka, grandma) and I only know the year because it was the first year my parents had separated. I'll hold onto the scrunchie forever probably, but I really needed some new ones that had some actual stretch. Laugh all you want about it, but these are so soft and don't pull your hair at all. These feel like heaven when your hair is pulled up in them.

My favorite moisturizers are from Image, but I've also been using Aveeno and it had just ran out so I picked this Neutrogena one up to replace it. Veronika recommended it and I really like it so far. I use my Image ones at night and have been using this one in the mornings.

What are some of your favorite beauty products? Have you tried anything new and loved it lately? Hope you're all having a fantastic day, thank you for reading!!

Drugstore Mascaras Review

One of my guiltiest beauty pleasures is mascara, I just love it! I have my Holy Grails (see below), but I still like to try new ones all the time. Mascara is the only beauty product that I think every woman can benefit from wearing. It emphasizes your eyes and applying just one coat can be enough to get you out the door. There's lots of beauty products that are worth spending the extra cash on, but I don't think mascara is one of them. The two brands I'm most loyal to is L'Oreal and Maybelline, I really like their formulas and I think they give lashes a ton of drama. My favorite type of lashes are extra long lush ones and have found that mixing two mascaras give me the best look. I use one coat for length and another for thickness. I've tried a ton of mascaras and reviewed the top ones here for you.

Maybelline The Rocket Volum Express: B+
This mascara is really close to being an A, in fact I gave it an A- to start and changed it to a B+ because I think the Maybelline The Colossal Chaotic is superior between the two. I really like the brush, it’s very full and the tip narrows just a bit making it easy to apply to the inner lashes and bottom lash line. When using this mascara, I think it pairs amazing with my Holy Grail L’Oreal Voluminous to give lashes both volume and length. Alone, this mascara is great, it adds a ton of volume, but it can be pretty tough to get off on its own. I don’t have a problem removing it when I layer it on top of another mascara that I use as a base. I moved this mascara down to a B+ because I don’t think it gives you as much length as other mascaras and it does flake a bit at the end of the day.

Maybelline The Falsies Push Up Drama: B- (would be an A, read below why!)
The silicone cupped bristles on the wand really intrigued me and their marketing for the new shape totally sold me! I snagged up this mascara and went to town on my lashes. Right away I fell in love with the mascara, it’s formula and wand had a huge impact on my lashes giving them both length and thickness. My lashes nearly looked fake and one coat really coated my lashes while a second gave them extra drama. However, after a few weeks of wearing the mascara exclusively, my eyelids started to get really dry. One of my girlfriends had mentioned that to me when I bought it, but I wanted to test it out myself. My eyelids got so dry my skin started to flake and my under eye concealer looked terrible! It took over a week of not using the mascara and heavy moisturizing before my lids went back to normal. I’m super bummed about it because other than that this probably is the best mascara I’ve ever tried. I really hope they change the formula, I’ve tweeted them but haven’t heard any response. Has anyone tried this mascara and had the same issue? It’s so weird!

Maybelline The Colossal Chaotic: A-
Each coat of this mascara really grabs your lashes, and the bent end of the wand helps lengthen your tips for extra oomph. This is a mascara that definitely works all on its own to really amplify your lashes. The formula is thick and the directions tell you to use the bended tip to mess up your lashes, but I don’t really care for a crazy look, but that tip really does help to add extra volume you the tips of your lashes. I love the overall look this mascara’s formula and wand give, my only complaint is there can be a bit of fall out at the end of a work day, hence the minus in the grade. I consider this one of my Holy Grail mascaras, it just works amazing at building up your lashes!

L’Oreal Voluminous Original: A
This mascara is my Holy Grail and I always go back to it to use alone or use it paired with other mascaras. Its formula is great and builds really well to give lashes a natural look with a dramatic touch. It’s great for every day, it doesn’t smudge or flake and washes off easily. Typically, I use this mascara paired with another mascara for more length. I have gone through countless tubes of this over the years.

CoverGirl Lash Blast: B-
I bought this mascara in waterproof, which I typically don’t buy because I don’t need it on an everyday basis. I needed some staying power though for the birth of my second baby and wanted to cry those happy tears without having any black streaks run down my cheeks. I really like the wand, I think that shape really helps to build fullness on lashes which is a total win for me. It's very similar to the Maybelline The Rocket Volum Express, but with shorter bristles. At first try, I totally got what all the fuss and cult following was about! After a few wears, the excitement for me kind of died down. I didn’t need to use it every day, so I didn’t use this mascara until the very end, but I just remember thinking that although I liked the mascara, it wasn’t enough to buy another tube of it. So that’s my review, it’s just good enough, not anything extra.

L’Oreal Voluminous Superstar: B-
Primer and mascara in one? Sold! I really like the primer on this mascara, I think it coats each lash well and helps to hold a curl. The mascara is so so. The primer wand is hour glass shaped, which I like, I think this shape really helps to coat lashes from more angles and the mascara wand is curved, which I do not really prefer. I don’t think the curved wand does anything extra for your lashes and doesn’t give you the ability to coat your lashes evenly. The mascara itself is pretty thin (probably to go with the primer and prevent clumps) and is quick to run. The mascara really lengthens your lashes, but doesn’t do much for fullness. The lengthening is really great though, very long and spider leggy (if that’s your thing- I like spidery and full personally). Overall, I don’t think this mascara is a Holy Grail product, I think the mascara wand should also be hour glass shaped and would prefer the formula to be a bit thicker to better compliment the primer. Nothing about this mascara or primer wows me and I would be surprised if it lasted as part of their collection.

I've tried so many mascaras over the years and these are my most used or most recent used ones. I've already bought another mascara to try that's hiding in my makeup drawer. What are your favorite mascaras? Do you go high or low end? Please share your favorites below so I can try them too!

Fall Beauty Faves and Purchases

I've found some new beauty products and rediscovered some older ones and wanted to share what I've been using and loving lately. I have something for nearly every part of the face- eyes, lips, nails, face, I have it all covered!

Peekaboo Neutral // Stockholm // Istanbul

NYX is quickly becoming one of my favorite beauty brands, they have a ton of products, they're a great price, and they have a ton of dupes for higher end brands. I picked up their Matte Lip Cream in Stockholm and I'm loving it for fall. It's a great shade, really neutral, and super easy to wear. I liked it so much, I went back and bought Istanbul too, although I don't think this shade looks as great on it's own, I think it needs a gloss or some balm over it. It's definitely harder to pull off matte lip color with lighter shades (at least in my humble opinion and experience).  I also scooped up their lip liner in Peekaboo Neutral which according to this and this pin is a dupe for MAC's Boldly Bare. I'm absolutely liking this shade, it's so blendable and works great with a number of lipsticks and glosses I have.

Lorac Skinny Palette from Nordstrom Sale, similar here

This palette is amazing! I've been using it a ton the last 2-3 weeks, nearly everyday and it pairs perfectly with my favorite MAC shadows (All That Glitters, Naked Lunch, and Satin Taupe). I really like that this palette is small enough to carry in my makeup bag and has such versatile shades. I mostly use the far left ones, and only the second one over has shimmer in so I love to use one of my MAC shades in the crease or the middle of my lid. These shadows last all day, have amazing pigment, and I totally have my eye on their Pro Palette next! 

Highlighting Concealer in Nude

This concealer has been sitting in my makeup drawer unused for months, months!! I'm not sure why I brought it out because I initially wasn't that impressed with it, but I'm so glad I did. It really helps to cover up and brighten my under eye area a ton. My biggest complaint is that you don't get a whole lot of product like you do with my HG Maybelline Age Rewind, but I think this definitely brightens up the area more. I'm going to do some more comparisons, but I'm happy enough with this concealer to buy it again, but this time I bought a shade lighter (Ivory) since we're heading into the cooler months.

Pore Eraser // Primer Spray

It may be November, but until this week, we've had blazing heat and I have to keep my makeup from melting off and disappearing. On days where I need my makeup to last all day and into the night, I've been using the primer spray first, then the pore eraser on top and my makeup has lasted like whoa. WHOA! My sister got married at the end of September and it was ridiculously hot and crazy humid and this combo really helped my makeup to stay spackled onto my face.

Essie Polish

Looking for the perfect red polish? Run over and pick up Essie's Shall We Chalet?, it's great for all the upcoming holidays. Red can be such a hard shade to find that works for you (especially lipstick!) and this one is a bright true red without any hint of pink. This is such a fun color and I only had to use one coat (with their gel topper).

Brave

On my first night out without the babies, my girlfriend and I headed to the mall and stopped in at the MAC counter to pick up some lipstick. I really had to hold myself back from buying several, and even took pics of my lipstick stash at home before heading out to remind myself to not go crazy. I'm using "crazy" as a very loose term, I totally bought the girls some Christmas outfits while we were shopping. Anyways, I tested so many lipsticks and kept picking up shades I already freaking owned (which I promptly dug out of my lipstick drawer and put them into my overflowing makeup bag) and then was torn between Syrup and Brave, which I mulled over for way too long. I ended up getting Brave and I'm super happy with it. It's pretty similar to Stockholm above in being a deeper neutral shade that pretty much goes with everything. Brave also goes great with the Peekaboo Neutral liner too!

So that's my recent beauty purchases and favorites lately. I have a few things on my wishlist that I'm going to wait on for Black Friday shopping and Christmas. What are you ladies loving lately? Have you added anything new to your makeup bags that you're loving? Rediscovered a long lost product?