I picked up a few new things from Sephora and Birchbox. It turns out I couldn’t resist the new Peter Thomas Roth mask I mention here. I’ve used this several times so far and I think it’s great. I put it on over my moisturizer and wear it to bed. I had also been wanting to try the Fresh Black Tea Mask for a long time, so I finally picked that up. I’ve used it once and it’s nice. I didn’t see any crazy amazing results but I like the way it feel/smells. I also got the Ren Rosa Hot Cloth Cleanser. I love their cleansing balm so much, I thought I’d try this out. It’s truly lovely – lighter than the balm but with the same gorgeous scent.

I follow Birchbox and noticed they started carrying the Liz Earl Cleanse and Polish. I’d been hearing about this for a long time on YouTube, but it’s not super easy to get your hands on here in the states. People swear by this stuff though, so I was excited to pick some up from the Birchbox Shop. It’s a nice, gentle cleanser but so far I prefer the REN one.

Bobbi Brown eyeshadows are my current favorite. I love their size, how they pop in and out of palettes, and how they wear. Here are a few of my favorite shades:
Left to right: Sable 18, Wheat 30, Cement 20
I keep them organized by the shades I like to wear together. This grey combo is my favorite.
Left to right: Heather 15, Grey 6 (obviously well-loved), Slate 16. I like to wear Grey n my lids with a little bid of Slate and Heather in the crease.
Here’s the Nectar and Nude Palette.
Left to right: Pale Cream, Soft Buff, Golden Bronze, Pink Bellini, Earth, Rich Caviar
I bought this on an impulse for the shimmery shade in the middle (golden bronze) and the dark shade on the end (Rich Caviar,) and those are the shades I’ve been using the most. This palette is beautiful, but I were doing it again I’d just pick up the black and shimmery shades on their own in full sizes and pop them into my palettes. I am tempted by this one though.
PS: I always use NARS Smudgeproof Eyeshadow Base underneath.
Read MoreI got my haircut! I wanted a blunt “lob,” so I took in this creepy thorough set of Olivia Palermo images.
Here’s what I was working with:
And here’s how it turned out!
I really love it. Shout out to Trip at Bombshell in Carytown for doing an awesome job!
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When I’m taking a break from work wear, here’s what I like to hangout in:
I saw this hoodie on a girl at the mall was surprised when she told me she got it from American Eagle. That store is sometimes overwhelming with it’s neon and crop tops, so I can see how I missed this. I ordered it online and I love it -super soft!
This top is one of my favorites. I think I wore it every week of the winter. I picked up my first one at Need Supply Co. and went online to look for more colors. They had it at boutique called Minx in Asheville NC. They had tons of colors and even a dress version. I picked up a black and another white one for my friend Emily.
I feel like I found the perfect tee in Gap’s Short Sleeve Crew Tee. I love loose fit and the distressed look.
Ann Taylor LOFT recently started carrying a new line called Lou and grey that I LOVE. I picked up this soft moto jacket in sweater material that I wear around the house and to run errands.
I love this sweatshirt. It’s the Zella (Nordstrom’s workout line) “Flattery Cowl Neck.” It’s sold out now but you can try to snag one it eBay.
And as far as bottoms go, J. Crew’s Pixie pant is perfect for weekend wear.
What are your favorites to lounge around in?
Read MoreSephora had there biannual sale a few weeks ago so I picked up a few things I’d been wanting to try:
1. Clinique Uneven Skin Tone Solutions Kit. I was talking to one of the salespeople about how to even out my skin tone (acne scarring/fairly pale skin,) and she recommended this. So far, it feels/smells nice and doesn’t make me break out, but I’m not supposed to see result for a few weeks I think.
2. Beautyblender Solid Sponge Cleanser: This was kind of an impulse buy. I just thought having a solid bar sitting on my sink to cleanse my brushes would be a lot easier than liquid soap. I’m a little suspicious about it though so far. It smells/looks like cheap hotel bar soap but we’ll see how it does.
3. WEN Sweet Almond Mint Cleansing Conditioner: Another impulse buy. I have always heard great things about this stuff and decided to give it a try. I have super long hair and am always looking for a product that makes it feel super clean. I do wish it gave my hair a little more volume.
4. GlamGlow Thirstymud Hydrating Mask: I had been wanting to try this for a long time and I’m so glad got it. I heard about it on YouTube from Jaclyn Hill who raved about it. It was different than I expected and I love the coconut scent. I like to wear it overnight on my forehead and cheeks
5. Better Than Sex Mascara: This is so embarrassing, but kind of hilarious. Too Faced definitely chose this name to get people talking, and I guess it worked. I asked one of the sales people working at Sephora if I should try diorshow mascara and she told me to try this instead. I actually really like it. I always go for volume in a mascara and usually use this one from bareMinerals (which I still love.) But, this sale is such a good excuse to try something new.
6. Stila Smudge Stick Waterproof Eye Liner: Because I love the Stila Stay All Day Liquid Liner for my top lids, I decided to go with this stuff for my waterline. I haven’t tried it yet because I don’t do my waterline for every day – only when I’m getting real “done up.”
7. Tarte Positive Energy Skintuitive Lip & Cheek Set: I honestly just picked this up because it was only ten bucks but I really love it. The lip tint is very similar to the Dior Addict Lip Glow but I like it better because it’s more subtle. It looks like a really sheer pink but turns darker when you put it on. The cheek stain matches perfectly. I’m not in love with the texture; it feels a little greasy. I apply it with a stippling brush and set it with a pink blush like this one or this one. The set is no longer available, but you can buy a full-size of the lip tint here.
8. Shiseido Facial Cotton: I don’t know why I felt like I needed designer cotton pads but I did. Maybe I’m crazy. They do feel soft though.
9. Derma Doctor Wrinkle Revenge Facial Cleanser: I picked this up to try out since I usually just use this balm and wanted to try a cleanser with Glycolic acid to exfoliate once a week. I think it’s OK so far – nothing amazing. The sales person told me this one could also be used as a mask so I’ve tried that too.
10. Murad Oil Control Mattfier SPF 15 PA++: I did a post with more details on this here.
11. Bobbi Brown Nectar & Nude Eye Palette: I totally didn’t need this. I even tried to cancel the order after I felt buyer’s remorse but it was already processing so I couldn’t. Oh well, it’s lovely.
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One reason I love watching YouTubers is finding out about cool new things first. It’s where learned about BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfector, GlamGlow face masks, Soap & Glory Righteous Body Butter and almost all of my favorite products. One of the girls I subscribe to, Michelle, just made a video comparing Old Navy’s new “Pixie Pants” to J. Crew’s Minnie’s. Now, I can’t wait to try them. J. Crew’s are around $90 bucks, and Old Navy’s are $25. Michelle even said the quality of the Old Navy pants is better.
Here are the Old Navy Pixies:
And here are J. Crew’s Minnie Pants:
Check out Michelle’s video here:
And to add to the confusion, J. Crew also has a Pixie Pant (which I LOVE) but it’s a little different from these. Here’s a review comparing the J. Crew Minnie and the J. Crew Pixie. Side note: I don’t usually order petite sizes, but I had to get a short in these to get the right length. Also, when you buy full priced items at J. Crew I believe they do hemming for free.
Read MoreEven though I had to combat dry skin all winter with oils like this one, as soon as Spring hit my foundation started to slide off and wasn’t lasting through the day. I thought I needed to switch foundations and was ready to try Make Up For Ever’s Mat Velvet + when I walked into Sephora. Then, the girl helping me showed me Murad’s Mattifying Primer.I pat it on with a foundation brush (like this) after my serum and moisturizer and before my foundation. It’s been a game changer. I didn’t have to switch up my foundation and it’s been lasting all day. I find that it also helps keep it from transferring. Because of the shininess, I had been blotting my face with a tissue mid-day. I did it out of habit my first day using the Murad primer and was surprised to see none of my foundation came off on the tissue. I like that it has SPF too. I love that I can just add this into my routine in the warmer months and keep the same foundation year-round.
Read MoreI was SO excited to see beautiful pale blue top at LOFT. I had just bitten the bullet and paid too much for this one from Vince that I talked about in an earlier post. When it arrived and ended up being too small, I was secretly grateful; I wouldn’t have had the will power to return it if it had fit. The Vince is 100% silk and feels more luxe, as it should. But, the LOFT one is machine washable (bonus!)
Here’s the Vince blouse…
… and the LOFT look-a-like:
As my friend Lauren says, LOFT is on point these days. Definitely check it out if you haven’t been in lately.
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There’s nothing I love more than the smell of roses. Here are some of my rose-scented picks:
1. DIOR Rosy Glow Healthy Glow Awakening Blush: There’s nothing more glamorous than a blush that smells like roses. The color looks intimidating but it’s stunning on.
2. BVLGARI Rose Essentielle Eau de Parfum: My faaaavorite scent ever. This is probably my fourth bottle of this stuff and I adore it. It’s not too strong, and perfect for everyday. I also have a little purse spray version that I carry with me to reapply.
3.DIOR Crème de Rose Smoothing Plumping Lip Balm: My “special occasion” lip balm. It’s may not beat Carmex as a dry-lip treatment, but it sure does make you feel elegant when you use it.
4. PETER THOMAS ROTH Rose Stem Cell Bio-Repair Gel Mask: I want to try this! I spotted it the other day in a Glossybox Facebook post and couldn’t find it on Sephora.com. I checked back again and it was there (and 15% off. Seriously, people; get on that sale.) I think I’m going to resist for now because I just splurged on the GlamGlow trifecta. It has stem cells; it has to be good!
5. ‘Rosa Mundi’ Scented Candle (Limited Edition:) This candle smells beauuutiful. I first saw it at Space N.K in McLean but didn’t pull the trigger until I was shopping online at Nordstrom. I justified it because it’s “limited edition.” haha – Whatever you need to tell yourself, I guess.
6. REN Rosa Centifolia No.1 Purity Cleansing Balm: I talked about this in a previous post so I won’t go on and on. But, I love this stuff. I use it to rub all off my makeup (on dry skin) and then rinse it off.
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