Mooooooooovin'

Hi all! Some of you may (or may not!) but wondering where I have gone to this past month.

After much deliberation and back and forth with myself I decided to start a new blog. This new blog is more of a lifestyle as I feel this one is too beauty oriented. My new blog will still contain beauty reviews but also tutorials, recipes and daily inspiration posts.

If you are interested please check it out. To those of you whose blogs I have been following I am trying to play catch up as my other blog is under another account. I hope to see some of you over there :)

A Brunette In The City

Allure Best Of Beauty

As I was browsing the Sephora website the other day I noticed they had listed the Allure Best Of Beauty 2012 Award Winners. Curious, I went through the products to see what items I currently owned that were considered “best in beauty.” Not so surprisingly, I don’t have many (some of these are quite pricey)! But let’s take a look, shall we?

Urban Decay Naked Palette

Almost everybody has the palette, or at least a dupe of it!

This palette is great for so many reasons. For one, I love the colors in this palette, more so than the ones in the Naked 2 palette. This palette contains a variety of neutral shades both matte and shimmer so you can really go for any look with it whether it be subtle for work or sultry for a night time look! Also, the formula of these shadows is superb. They are extremely pigmented & blend so easily!

I splurged on this product but I really do love it. Especially considering how I use it every day, I think it was a justly purchase (although it did take me some time to justify)! I highly recommend this palette – or at least Naked 2 because the formula is great. But I do hear there are some great dupes on the market too if this is too pricey.

Yves Saint Laurent Le Teint Touche Éclat Illumination Foundation

This is probably the first high end foundation I have ever owned. I know many bloggers out there have a variety of foundations that they use but I’m not that way. I usually use the same foundation until it runs out so when it comes to buying one I want to be absolutely positive that I love it & that it works well with my skin type. So when I read OUTSTANDING reviews on this product I knew I needed to give it a try.

The great thing with Sephora is they allow samples so I walked in one day & asked to be matched to a shade & for sample which they so helpingly agreed to. Awesome! Always got to love helpful customer service :) I LOVED this foundation. It smells like cucumbers (which I love) because it gives me a fresh scent feeling. It also goes on so effortlessly that it feels like there is nothing there! Perfect! Its buildable so if you just need slight coverage you only need a little bit but if you need something more this is buildable so it works in just the right way!

Make Up For Ever HD Microfinish Powder

I’ve had this powder for a really long time but I barely ever use it. This translucent powder claims to mattify skin and erase the appearance of imperfections while filling in fine lines. In my opinion, I think this product needs to be applied the right way or else it will seem nearly pointless. You only need a tiny bit or else it can leave a kind of film on your face which isn’t the look you are going for. I have dry skin & I think this product only highlights my dry patches rather than hiding my imperfections.

However, like I said…I haven’t used this in a long time. I am in the process of trying new skin care products to hydrate my skin better so I will be pulling this product out from the back of my stash to try out!

At the end, I own THREE products! I can't say I'm surprised - as mentioned, some of them are pricey but I wish I could have more!

What about you guys? Do you own anything from this list?!

Tag: Fall Favorites

Hi guys! Erica has tagged me in her post so I decided to give it a go :)

Favorite Fall lip product?
Meh, I don’t really have a favorite lip product! No matter what the season I tend to switch things up in terms of color. But because it does get windy, & since I do have sensitive lips I tend to ALWAYS carry around chapstick! Just regular chapstick, I’m never without it.

Favorite Fall Nail Polish?
At the moment I don’t have a favorite unlike my summertime favorite, Turquoise & Caicos. I have picked up some new Essie shades though so I’m hoping to find that go-to color for the fall.

Favorite Starbucks Fall Drink?
This is probably really obvious, pumpkin spice latte! I LOVE it. I have tried every form of pumpkin coffee/latte/etc. and this is the one I always come back to. Its love.

Favorite Fall Candle?
Anything pumpkin scented! I love Yankee Candle’s Pumpkin Pie candle but I also like the glade apple & cinnamon scented candle because it reminds me of the holidays.

 Favorite Fall Scarf or accessory?
I only have a handful of scarves but I do want to get a bunch more! I really like how they can switch up an outfit & add some flare. Any suggestions on where to find some great scarves?

 

 
Haunted house, haunted hay ride, or haunted corn maze?
Haunted house! I get such a rush from being scared, like blood flowing, heart racing scared. Any of these options could probably scare the daylights out of me actually…

Favorite Halloween movie?
Growing up I was obsessed with Hocus Pocus. I don’t really watch too many Halloween films now, I watch scary movies sometimes. I saw Paranormal Activity & had to sleep with the lights on because I was terrified. I haven’t seen the third one & I don’t know if I will even be able to see the fourth haha

Favorite candy to eat on Halloween?
Is it really bad to say that I don’t go crazy over Halloween candy??! I’m not very into sugar sweets but I do love me some chocolate! I love Reese’s so I guess that would be my favorite.

What are you dressing up as for Halloween?!
Now that I’m a working gal I don’t think I’ll be dressing up! But if I do it will most likely be something simple – like cat ears. You can never go wrong with cat ears!

What is your Favorite thing about Fall?

Ugh, I just love the whole feel & look of fall. I get to wear comfy sweaters, warm up by a fire, drinking Pumpkin Spice Lattes! Its my favorite. Thanksgiving is also one of my favorites holidays because it involves family & food, and since it leads up to Christmas it all just gives me such a cozy, homey feel to it.

Feel free to tag yourselves - if you do decide to take part please post the link to your entry in the comments! :)

Hope you are doing well - sorry for the lack of posts (still) work & my spending ban have resulted in little to say although I have made some purchases lately so I will definitely have more to say this weekend! Xx 

Review: Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask

I apologize for the lack of updates from me! Work has been so hectic & I have been on a spending ban lately so I haven't really bought any new goodies to share! :( But I did buy this a while ago & love it so much that I had to post about it!



If you are looking for a reason to NOT buy this product then don’t bother reading this post! I’ve ready only great things about this mask (hence why I bought it!) and it has definitely lived up to its hype.

I suffer from dry patches of skin – mainly on my cheeks, chin & some random areas on my forehead. As mentioned in my haul post I saw that Amelia had this product and raved about. So I figured I might as well give this a shot.

I absolutely LOVE it! It comes out creamy & thick so when you apply it you really do feel it soaking into your skin. It doesn't make my face look or feel oily but it does take ages for it to fully sink into your skin so I suggest applying it well before bed time. The directions stated to apply twice a week – even though I suffer from dry skin I follow this step & apply it only twice a week because I don’t want to cause breakouts but if you have REALLY dry skin I'm sure you can apply more than twice!

After I apply this & it settles in my face feels so incredibly smooth. When I wake up the next morning there are no dry patches on my face YAY! I continue with my morning routine and moisturize with Garnier Moisture Rescue Refreshing Gel-Cream before applying primer & foundation.. But all the credit goes to the Origins Drink Up Mask. It truly works wonders. If you have SUPER dry skin I would try applying it more than twice a week but just be warned that it does take a while for it to completely sink into your skin!

What is your go-to product for skin problems you have?!

Haulin!

Of course I was tempted to pick up some goodies this week!

Essie Mint Candy Apple

I have been searching high & low for this polish! I finally found it at Ulta so I picked it up, even the woman at the register commented about how its one of her favorite shades!

Real Techniques Brushes 

Oy, when it comes to these brushes I have serious mixed feelings because of the hassle it took me to find them. I know Ulta carries them, but when I went in store I couldn’t find the Expert Face Brush OR the Core Collection. Bummer. And I hate having to pay for shipping on the website when I SHOULD be able to buy the items in store so I stayed patient (SOMEHOW!), popped in again on Saturday & they finally restocked! I also had some coupons so that was an extra bonus!

Revlon Lip Butters in Peach Parfait & Cherry Tart

Yes I went a little crazy with these but whenever I see SALE I need to stock up. I’m a little disappointed in these shades though. Peach Parfait comes out very sheer & contains too much shimmer for my liking, then there are days when I like Cherry Tart but days when I don't. I'll have a full review on what I think of these plus some swatches coming up!

Revlon Lipstick in Softshell Pink

This was another product I was super excited about getting but being slightly disappointed when finally trying it on. The color looks great but it does contain a little too much shine for me, I could literally blind a person when walking down the street.

Tresemmé Waterless Foam Shampoo

You guys know that I have been on the hunt for a perfect dry shampoo because I HATE HATE HATE having to wash my hair! So when I saw another product on the shelf I had to scoop it up (I also had coupons, WOOT) so that is why I purchased this. I've only used it once so far so I still need more time to evaluate.

Tresemmé Split Remedy Leave In Conditioning Treatment 

I bought this simply because I saw another promise of fixing my split ends! I haven't used this yet but I'm super excited to try it because who doesn't want perfect hair? There is also a shampoo & conditioner but I haven't picked those up yet!

Sample of Yves Saint Laurent Le Teint Touche Éclat Illuminating Foundation

I've been searching for a new foundation so I popped into Sephora a few weeks ago to get a sample of this! I've heard great things about this product but my main concern was what shade would fit me best - because this product contains so many different shades! The sales associate was so helpful & gave me a small sample of it which has lasted me for at least 2 weeks. I have a feeling I will definitely be picking up the full size this week!

Golden Oldies: ELF Eyeshadow Palette + Giveaway Winner

First I just want to wish a congratulations to Christina D on being my giveaway winner!

Please send me an e-mail so we can work out shipping details!

 

I actually got this as a gift from my roommate last year because we always attempted smokey eyes on each other. (We had friends in college, I promise! Hehe) And this is actually a palette I have loved using and part of the reason why I was so on the fence about the Urban Decay Naked Palette. But a girl could never have too many eyeshadow palettes, right?

Right!

I love the different shades this palette contains. They are shimmery (with only a couple matte colors) which sometimes isn’t the best if you are trying for a subtle eye but honestly, the fact that the do have light shades makes it really easy to pull it off even for a daytime/work time look!

They are fairly pigmented & with some primer they last all day. This will always be a favorite of mine because I can pull of any kind of look with this palette! As you can see I have some favorite colors that I always resort back to!

I haven’t purchased any other ELF palettes yet, simply because I do actually think I have too many at the moment. So until I start using up the ones I have I probably won’t be purchasing another anytime soon but if there other palettes are anything like this one I highly recommend it.

*cough* And although I say I might not purchase a new palette who can resist 144 new shades for only $15?? Check it out here!

 

September Glossybox

To say this month has been absolutely hectic would be an understatement. It has absolutely shot by & I'm amazed that I will wake up tomorrow & it will be OCTOBER. What?!

I apologize for the lack of posts lately - like I said, things have been crazy lately! But I do have quite a bit of posts lined up & will also be posting my giveaway winner sometime this week so keep an eye out! :)

 

 As soon as I opened this box I was jumping for joy! I used all these products right away because I was so tempted to try them out. Hence why the pictures are so bad…sorry!

GKHair Moisturizing Shampoo & GKHair Moisturizing Conditioner

Full size 10.1oz - $20.00

Nourished with plant extracts, this superior smoothing shampoo will purify and moisturize the scalp and hair

Kryolan For Glossybox Moisture Rich Lipstick in GLOSSY pink

Full size 0.14oz - $14

Treat your lips to a creamy, long lasting lipstick enriched with vitamin E to stimulate and hydrate your lips. This perfect pop of GLOSSY pink compliments all skin tones and lifestyles.
As you can probably see I've been using this lipstick ALOT lately! I love this color, its great for fall. It also adds color to your lip without being too overpowering aka its workplace appropriate!

Missha M Perfect Cover BB Cream SPF 42

Full size 1.69oz - $29.99

Hailing for Korea, this Blemish Balm, also known as BB Cream is a multi-tasking powerhouse for the face. This multi-use cream provides light coverage, soothes, protects, and moisturizes.

OC 8 Professional Mattifying Gel

Full size 1.6zoz - $30.00

This innovative mattifying gel lets you get control of your shine all day long. Clinically tested, this one of a kind gel keeps shine down while helping you achieve a fresh flawless even tone look for all skin types.

First of all, when you open your Glossbox and find that 3 out of the 5 products are all full sized you can’t help but smile! And what is even better is that I was hoping I would get items like these!

My hair has been a bit frazzled lately and I need something that would really CLEAN my hair. I’ve already tried the shampoo & conditioner once and it did leave my hair super smooth, thumbs up so far! I’m on the hunt for my holy grail foundation so when I saw a BB Cream I squeed with excitement! I’ll be trying it out so except a full review soon!

Have you guys ever been overly excited with the products in a beauty box?!