Favorite Product Of The Month - June

Hello lovelies! I know that I haven't done a favorite in the month in awhile now but, it is officially back! This month was pretty easy for me to choose since I've been using this polish non-stop. It is OPI's Cajun Shrimp! I know, I know, this polish is nowhere near new but, it's something that I purchased not too long ago and have completely fallen in love with, in both name and formula.

I had heard so much about Cajun Shrimp prior to picking it up that I was honestly infatuated with it before I even made a purchase and I can see now that all of the rave reviews were exactly right. This is a gorgeous unique color that looks great on both my toes and hands. C'mon, we all have those polishes that only look good on one or the other however, Cajun Shrimp is the boss of both (okay that was corny). It is not quite true red, not quite orange, not quite pink but completely beautiful. I'm going to refrain from using the old "It's a bird, it's a plane, it's...." Okay...I'll stop. Seriously, I will.

My favorite thing about this polish is how fun and bright it is, along with it's creaminess and ability to be opaque in one coat. However, I do have a problem with my nail line peeking through ever so slightly so two to three coats is probably best in my case but, it's nothing that bothers me; just something to be aware of. And honestly, how many of us really bother with three coats?

As someone who tends to get chips far too easily, between typing and hand washing my polish usually doesn't stand a chance; I was very impressed by how much this shade stood up to the task, my mani's last about five days without chips versus the usual two days and even then, because of OPI's super wide brush (which I adore BTW) it is a lot easier to touch up. I know you're thinking, how does a wider brush make it easier to touch up? Well to me it does, I have never ever been able to master the art of using tiny, thin brushes, I always make a mess....I'm looking at you ZOYA.

Overall, if you love oranges and reds but want something summer-esque and gorgeous (with a delicious name!) Go, stop what you're doing and pick up Cajun Shrimp or...maybe go and just barbecue some shrimp, either one is approved.

Much love xo

Favorite Product Of The Month - March

Hey lovelies! Wow, March is officially over and here we are at April, looking forward to spring! It is that time again, my favorite beauty pick of the month. This month was quite easy for me since as of late I have been enjoying a quick "get up and go" routine. Since I have been so busy this month, I have been utilizing very subtle eye makeup with bright, in your face lips to complete my look and make my face pop. My obsession for March has been "blood orange" lips and so, Scarlet Ibis has seen quite a bit of love. However, one other lip product really became my go to for this month and that is why I chose it.

Since Scarlet Ibis is a very daring lipstick; I know that for some it may be too much and I love this lip pencil for that very reason. On days where I am craving an orange lip but, I do not feel like breaking out full on saturated color, this is my choice: NYX Slim Lip Pencil in "Pumpkin". It is a gorgeous bright orange/coral with a hint of golden shimmer. When I purchased this awhile back, I was initially hesitant because I failed to realize that there was shimmer involved. This awesome pencil was two steps away from being returned! Thankfully, the gold shimmer blends into my lips flawlessly and instead of overbearing sparkles, I get gorgeous color. Even with my lips being as naturally pigmented as they are, Pumpkin still shows up perfectly. The greatest thing? Versatility! Depending on the lighting, Pumpkin can look full on orange or have a red or pink tint.

These lip pencils glide on well and blend with very minimal effort but they lack the creamy aspect of traditional lip liners, they have a semi dry feel. I actually prefer this texture because it stays put and the pigment does not slide around my lips and settle into lines or crevices. (I have Hot Red as well). With my MAC Prep + Prime, this lasts for a few good hours before fading to a nice stain. Without primer, eating/drinking of course wears the color down but surprisingly I am still left a nice color on my lips although, it ends up being more on my lip line than anywhere else! My favorite thing about this? Like Scarlet Ibis, Pumpkin really brightens up my face and helps me to look more awake. Which is quite appreciated on early, on-the-go days.

Overall, would I re-purchase this? Absolutely! I have been wearing this lip liner under all of my lipstick no matter what shade and even of its own. It is perfect for that hint of brightness; I really adore how it just pulls together my entire look and makes it a lot more interesting than my standard red or pink lip.

You can purchase these lip pencils here and here

Retail: $3.49 // 0.04 oz

Much love & Happy April Fools Day! xo

Favorite Product Of The Month - February

Hi lovelies! Now is it me or did February seem to both fly by and take forever at the same time? Just me? Okay. Choosing my favorite product was a no brainer this month because it's something that I've been gravitating towards almost every. single. day. That is this nifty little Ulta eyeshadow in the shade "Twilight". I received this shadow inside one of Ulta's free beauty bag promos along with my purchase.

I must admit, I have not used Ulta eyeshadow in years and quite honestly had I not been sent this shade, I wouldn't have started again. Reason being, Ulta's brand of eyeshadow just always seemed a little lack luster or unexciting to me. Twilight is definitely the exception to that in all of it's odd and interesting goodness; it's a gorgeous shimmery cool toned brown with hints of purple and grey mixed in. The texture will probably be disappointing to some but, I've always liked how hard Ulta's eyeshadows were (The shadow does feel silky to the touch). I don't have many browns in my collection and I certainly don't have any purple or grey browns, except this one which is why I'm in love with the color. My favorite thing about this shade is how it can look completely different depending on the light; it can look completely purple at times, with almost no hint of brown. At other times it can simply look like a frosted brown with no purple tones.

As far as performance, I have no problem with Twilight creasing or fading throughout the day (with my trusty primer of course!) I don't experience any messiness, flaking or fallout. The shadow both applies and blends smoothly but the downside is that, it's not extremely pigmented; I had to swirl my brush several times to the build up the color exactly how I wanted it. This might also be happening because of how hard the shadow is, either way it's not something that bothers me and I will continue to use it. Overall, I think Twilight is a really awesome and interesting shade for my collection but it probably won't be especially unique if you have any other purple/grey brown in your makeup drawer. Personally, it's become one of my go-to crease colors, it's just unique enough to allow my eye makeup to pop and keep it from looking flat or boring. I will be purchasing once this runs out.



Full size retails for $7.00 // 2.4g

You can purchase here

I will be doing a Face of the Day with this eyeshadow soon!

Much love xo

Favorite Product Of The Month! January

Hello lovelies! So sorry that I haven't been putting out as much content as I used to. Things have been a bit hectic for the past couple of weeks but thankfully now I can breathe and I'm back to blogging.

This month I've had a TON of things to try out and review, from new makeup to skincare to a backpack even! (Reviews will be coming shortly). It's all been so exhausting but I love it. Thankfully, most of these products were very good and a few of them are even staples in my routine now. Overall though, there were two products this month that really stood out to me and they were, TheBalm's Balm Jovi Palette and Philosophy's Purity Made Simple 3-in-1 Facial Cleanser. The latter I will be talking about in this review!

You might have noticed that this product is labeled as being a 3-in-1, that's because in addition to being a cleanser this product also acts as a toner while it helps to dissolve makeup. According to Philosophy, it's supposed to lightly hydrate the skin as well. While I didn't notice any hydration per se, I did notice that it didn't strip my skin and leave it feeling "squeaky", uncomfortable or tight. This cleanser is great for removing oils because it leaves my skin looking matte but somehow does not strip my skin. How it does that I will never know! I really love the toning aspect because it leaves my skin looking bright, awake and refreshed so I've been using this mainly in the mornings. As someone with dark acne scarring on the sides of my face, I'm always looking for non-harsh products that will not only brighten my skin but, keep it from looking dull as well. This, along with my trusty DDF Brightening Cleanser are now staples in my routine. I'm especially impressed by this product because unlike usual toners, it doesn't dry out my skin or make my skin flaky which the DDF Brightening can do on occasion.

When using this cleanser, I start with a damp face and using only a dime size amount, I rub it into my skin for a few minutes before rinsing. If you are using this product to remove makeup, I would recommend doing this twice to make sure that everything was removed. You can also use this product on your eyes but, I personally haven't tried that yet.

Ultimately, I think this is a great product all around. It cleanses, tones and removes makeup in one step so for that alone you can't beat it. The prices are a bit expensive but, since only a dime size amount is needed it will last a long time and you no longer have to buy makeup remover and or toner separately so that in itself, helps to save a bit of money as well as, take extra steps out of your routine. If you are planning to purchase a full size version of this product, I would recommend buying a pump as well. The reason for this is because, the packaging is a very rigid bottle which quickly becomes an inconvenience as more and more product is used, it becomes almost impossible to get product out and not crush the bottle in the process.

*This product does contain sulfates* as well as: Water, Sodium Lauroamphoacetate, Sodium Trideceth Sulfate, Limnanthes Alba (Meadowfoam) Seed Oil, Coco-Glucoside, Coconut Alcohol, Peg-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate, Aniba Rosaeodora (Rosewood) Wood Oil, Geranium Maculatum Oil, Guaiac (Guaiacum Officinale) Extract, Cymbopogon Martini Oil, Rosa Damascena Extract, Amyris Balsamifera Bark Oil, Santalum Album (Sandalwood) Oil, Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Oil, Cinnamomum Cassia Leaf Oil, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil, Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Seed Oil, Piper Nigrum (Pepper) Seed Extract, Polysorbate 20, Glycerin, Carbomer, Triethanolamine, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Imidazolidinyl Urea, Yellow 5 (Ci 19140)

Full sizes are $22 // 8oz, $33 // 16oz, $41 // 24oz, $50.50 // 32oz of product
Travel size is $10 // 3oz of product

You can purchase this product in it's various sizes here, here, and here

Much love xo

Favorite Product Of The Month! December

Is it just me or did the new year arrive beyond quickly? I can't believe that December is a few hours from being over and January is actually about to begin. What are you lovelies doing for the new year? What are your resolutions? Let me know!

It was so hard to narrow down just one favorite for this month. I've really been loving quite a few but, I think this product stands just a little bit above the rest. My December favorite is my Ahava Time To Hydrate Essential Day Moisturizer (normal to dry skin) I received a sample tube of this a few weeks ago with my Ulta order and I love it. I'm always looking for non-greasy/no residue skincare because I absolutely hate how it feels on my skin. This moisturizer is perfect. The formula is very light and it leaves my skin feeling extremely soft. If I had to choose between this and my Philosophy Miracle Worker, I would most likely choose the Ahava. The reason for this is because I prefer how the Ahava feels on my skin, the MW is still a wonderful moisturizer and I will continue to use it because of all the benefits (anti-aging, antioxidants, etc.) but since the MW is a heavier moisturizer, it takes a little longer to sink in than I would like. This is especially inconvenient when using it in the day before trying to apply makeup. I prefer Ahava's lighter texture because of this, it sinks into my skin immediately and there's no waiting. If there was any way to take the Philosophy benefits and use them with Ahava's formula, I would be all over it! This moisturizer is paraben free and allergy tested.

In addition to making my face feel extremely soft, I also love how the moisturizer itself feels. It's not heavy whatsoever, and once I apply it to my face, I can't even feel it. This moisturizer also leaves a really refreshing, almost cooling type of sensation on my face. The scent is very pleasant, light and soapy.

Overall, I love everything about this moisturizer. My only wish is that it contained antioxidants like the Miracle Worker, but since it doesn't, I will stick to using this in the daytime and my Philosophy at night.

Full size retails for $39.50//1.7oz of product

Much love xo

Favorite Product Of The Month! November

Hey lovelies! I thought I would start a new "series" on my blog. At the end of every month I will be talking about and reviewing my favorite beauty product for that month. My pick for November would have to be my Aroma Workshop Shea Butter Body Cream.

Now that the cold weather is upon us (i'm just waiting for snow!) I don't know about you, but this weather has been sucking all of the moisture out of my skin, especially my hands. I've been using this pretty much every single day now and I absolutely adore it. My skin feels so soft and supple after I use this, it gives my skin the perfect amount of moisture without being too heavy and thankfully leaving no greasy residue behind, if you know one thing about me it's that I despise products that leave residues behind. A little goes a long way with this cream, it's very thick and rich yet light enough that it sinks into the skin immediately. This product features 10% shea butter, glycerin, beeswax, fractionated coconut oil and jojoba oil.

What I love most about this is that the scent is completely customizable or you can leave it unscented if you prefer. I chose to leave mine unscented this time around but in the future I might just have to get the Italian Blood Orange scent, I have this scent in a glycerin soap from the same shop and the smell is just, all kinds of amazing.

Unfortunately, for you lovelies outside of the Chicago area, this product can only be purchased online here.  I encourage you to check out the shop, they have so many different products and pretty much every scent available under the sun.

So, this is the product that i'm loving now but what's yours? Comment below. I would love to hear from you!

Much love & Happy Holidays! xo